Aug. 15, 1945: Remembering VJ Day

August 12, 2014

This Friday is the 69th anniversary of VJ Day, victory over Japan. I would like to tell you of my impressions leading up to that memorable day, which doesn't seem all that long ago.It was late 1941. I had just turned six. The Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, and World War II had just begun for America. It had been raging in Europe for more than two years.I had seen the newsreels at the movies of the bombing of London and the goose-stepping Nazis. I was afraid.I would shout back at the radio when news of the war events was announced. I would tell my mother when I came in from play that ...

Close call leads girl to share with others

August 5, 2014

Five years ago, I almost lost my baby girl.My oldest.My mini-me.My Annie was 8 years old when on a fine spring day, she got a headache.But this wasn't an ordinary headache. This was blinding pain that caused my little girl to pass out on the ambulance ride to the hospital.Later diagnosed as a rare aneurysm, it was a spontaneous bleeding in the brain with no known cause.Perhaps this story sounds familiar to you, like when you wake up and can catch only part of a dream from the night before.Like when you breathe in a scent that draws up some deep memory within the recesses of your mind. ...

Young leaders must honor their foundations

August 1, 2014

In my tenure as a community columnist, I have spent a lot of time writing about younger generations and leadership - about how we need to make room for young leaders in organizations across the Valley, about some common traits exhibited by younger generations, about how we need to be celebrating young leaders who choose to stay in our communities.Last time, I wrote about how we need to be creating connecting points for young leaders that foster cooperation across a variety of fields.Since I gravitate toward writing about being a Millennial and a leader, and issues connected to those ...

Recalling heyday of York Avenue N.W.

July 29, 2014

I was driving west on West Market Street passing by Ohio Avenue and what was once Finch's grocery store. I slowed down when I came upon the nicely kept colorful little playground on the right. It was the place where I used to play when I was a little boy. Here's York Avenue.I turned right and started up that little brick-paved street. York N.W. runs from West Market, past Ward and tees into McMyler - it's only two blocks long.Weeds were growing out from the curbed gutters 2 or 3 feet on each side onto the roadway. The once beautiful, smooth and evenly-spaced red brick pavers now ...

Poetry thriving more than ever

July 25, 2014

''Any person who loves another person, Wherever in the world, is with us in this room - Even though there are battlefields.''- from ''Creation,'' by Kenneth PatchenMuch like the lotus springs from mud, poetry arises out of dust and challenges, and in these trying times continues to lift spirits across the Mahoning Valley and beyond. It has a long history in this area, where poverty and the closing of steel mills gave birth to a generation of poets who have spoken eloquently on the subject of loss as well as the potential of the individual and community during hard ...

Writer’s respect for farmers grows

July 22, 2014

When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a farmer. I'd see those big tractors out in the green fields, the corn stalks lined up neatly, the big silo filled with grain, and the classic red barn. Oh, and the animals! Pigs, cows, horses, chickens - I wanted them all.As I got older, I became aware of my talent with words and pursued a career as a professional writer. Looking back, it was probably for the best that I didn't go into farming. I can't grow plants. At all. Even when given perfectly healthy, full-grown houseplants, I unintentionally kill them.However, I sure am thankful for ...