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Positive Parenting: Parent like a Navy SEAL
by Kelsey Rasmussen After children’s story time one Wednesday, I skimmed the back shelves of the Stockbridge Library where they sell used books for a dollar. Mothering boy-girl twins makes me curious about the different needs of boys and girls and how to best raise each, so “Raising Men” caught my eye. Author Eric Davis, […]
Woah Nellie!
The 1960s called. They want their fish eyes back! by Mary Jo David What is it about olives—whether green or black—that led someone to say, “I think these would make wonderful fish eyes in a molded salad?” J That idea caught on in the 1960s, and many samples are viewable on the Internet today, like […]
Rural Perspectives: Groundhogs stay busy after long winter naps
by Diane Constable The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a burrowing rodent that is in the same family as tree and ground squirrels, chipmunks, and prarie dogs. It is also known as a “whistlepig” or a “woodchuck” (from it’s Algonquian name “wucack,” which means ”digger”). The adult is 17 to 26 inches long, tip-to-tail, and weighs […]
Active Aging: Six-week Chronic Pain Management Workshop begins in September
by Christine Histed Many common chronic pain conditions impact daily, for example, arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, and so on. Living with a chronic pain condition can affect many aspects of life, including our ability or desire to participate in social functions. Chronic pain can negatively impact relationships, cause frustration, and promote feelings of isolation. Managing […]
Outreach in Action
Stuck in a web of debt? Outreach has suggestions that can help. by Jo Mayer and Paul Crandall Spider webs abound in the summer, with multiple intricate shapes and designs. But no matter how they look, webs share a common purpose: trapping prey. Many of our Outreach clients find themselves trapped in a web of […]
Rest, relaxation and reading: Drift away with a 2024 beach read
by Jessica Martell Beach reads are escapist literature of the highest order. The genre includes instantly engaging, mind-candy page-turners that are easy to digest while at the beach. Often, but not always, books in this genre are also set in beachy locales—from Southern California, to the British seaside, to eastern Australia. This year, three members […]
Clyde’s Corner
74 years later, Gabriele Mikelonis still thanks God and the U.S.A. for a better life by Clyde Whitaker Following on the heels of America’s Fourth of July celebration, this seem like a perfect time to write about a good friend of mine—Gabriele Mikelonis—who endured hardship and sorrow in her early life in Lithuania before moving […]
Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia
Bachman-Turner Overdrive changes over the years by John Robinson Q: Whatever happened to Bachman-Turner Overdrive? I always liked their music. A: Here’s a short BTO bio: After Randy Bachman left The Guess Who in 1970, he formed the Canadian rock band Brave Belt with Chad Allan, who was The Guess Who’s original lead vocalist before […]
Stockbridge Community Schools bids farewell to well-loved staff members
by Amy Haggerty and Mary Jo David The end of the schoolyear is a bittersweet time. There’s excitement and jubilation as kids—not to mention, staff—step out into the sunshine and the promise of all that summertime offers. But summer also brings with it the sadness of saying “goodbye” to teachers and staff who, after long […]
Area residents fortunate to have the perfect number of outdoor markets
by Mary Jo David Beginning in ancient times, the number three has a reputation as being a perfect number, one that signifies harmony among other things. This bodes well for the outdoor markets in our area. Area residents are fortunate to have two weekly markets—and another coming soon—where they can go for local farm produce, […]