Columnists

I’m trying to figure something out and maybe you can help me. Why is it that for a candidate to run and actually win in a political race, everything depends on how much money constituents donate? Read more

Meghan Fife has a transmission problem with her Ford Escape. But her warranty has just run out. Is she stuck with a $4,000 repair bill, or can Ford help her fix this undrivable vehicle? Read more

Cars and trucks — one of the latter carrying two stand-up paddle-boards — streamed by our parking spot. Two mountain bikers rode past, having missed the trail entrance just off the Plank Road bridge. Read more

I don’t get it. People will come up to me wherever I am, usually with a big smile on their face and direct a compliment to me concerning favorable columns. Not making a big thing about it, I usually smile back all the while extending a “Thank you” in the course of our conversation. Of course, it is hard for the other person to see my expression in as much as little can be seen through the mask that is covering my frontal facial area. Read more

If I started to tell you about something called “ambigram,” you might think it’s one of two things: either a new graham cracker that doubles as a sleep aid or a new social media platform for people who are can use both hands equally well. In fact, an ambigram is neither of those things. Let’s figure out what it is! Read more

When someone hacks Alan Gutfrucht’s PayPal account, he assumes the company will help him recover the money he lost. His assumption is wrong. Is there any way to reverse the fraudulent transactions? Read more

During normal times, my local bicycle shop displays dozens of new bicycles — mountain bikes and gravel grinders with sophisticated suspension systems, recreation bikes and cruisers designed for more-comfortable riding, sleek road and cyclocross bikes with their dropped handlebars. Read more

Cooler temperatures and warm soil make fall a great time to add trees to your landscape. Make the most of this investment of money and time and give your tree its best chance at survival with proper planting and care. Read more

In a matter of days, it will be Labor Day, this year falling on Sept. 7. For years now, I have been telling people, “I was born on Labor Day. If my mother was still was around, she could verify that fact.” However, since she’s not, it’s just a fun thing to say. I can’t even admit to it being a white lie. But since the dates do coincide so closely, why not use it as a pun and get people to smile. That’s the whole reason for making that statement. Read more

Barry wrote in with a great question. For those of you wondering, no, it wasn’t Barry Sanders, Manilow, Switzer, Gibb or Bonds. Because Barry may or may not be living near the Dairy Queen on 4th Street in Minot, North Dakota, in a safe house operated by the Witness Protection Program, we’ll just call him “Barry.” Barry wants to know the distinction between the words “nevertheless” and “nonetheless.” Read more

There are a couple of reasons why I’ve not done as much hiking in recent years. The main reason has been my schedule. Read more

In late July, the Associated Press Stylebook, the set of standardized rules of usage that inform newspaper writing, decided to capitalize the letter “b” in the word “Black” when used in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense. After much discussion, the AP decided to keep the “w” in “white” lowercase. Why does this matter, and is it unfair? Let’s discuss. Read more

When I recently read that New Zealand lifted all COVID-19 restrictions, declaring the nation virus free for 120 days, that bit of information should set up a flag for people in our country that restrictions can work if citizens would only do as recommended and not play the selfish game of “nobody’s going to tell me what to do.” Read more

If you earn a decent income but have trouble saving, the culprits could be the roof over your head and the car in your driveway. Read more

Boaters can be breeds apart. Take my two brothers, for example; both are boaters but are from very different breeds. Read more

A good number of years ago, an associate of mine and I got into somewhat of a disagreement over music selections. I, an avid rock and roller, and he, a country music buff, would not budge concerning our preferences. I like my hits because of loving to dance. There was none better as I viewed it. He, of course, stated his choice told a story each time and that is why he had the upper hand. Read more

Did you know that hundreds of words get added to dictionaries every year? If that fact surprised you, well, buckle up, buttercup, because I just lied; in fact, hundreds of words get added to dictionaries every month! Can you imagine having an exhaustive hardback dictionary at this point? It would span volumes! In today’s article, I’m going to share some of the highlights of the newest entries into the Oxford English Dictionary and provide a rating for each word on a scale of one to ten. Read more

Walmart has banned Irena Shie from shopping online. The reason? Too many returns. But which return triggered the ban — and can she get unbanned? Read more

Think of some of the things that make the Alleghenies special: its lushly forested ridges and scenic vistas, lively waterways increasingly filled with aquatic life, hiking and mountain-biking and rail trails, and fascinating remnants of its rich histories. Read more