Columns

Where Memories Are Made

There are many reasons to celebrate the fall season. Autumn festivals are spread near and wide. This weekend you can enjoy the Wellsburg Applefest or take in the ever-popular Oglebayfest. Last weekend’s Barnesville Pumpkin Festival brought in an enthusiastic crowd as usual. While the warmer temperatures don’t lend themselves to the fall feeling, the thermometer doesn’t deter the huge crowd that traverses the hills of Oglebay Park this weekend. There is no denying that Oglebayfest is one of the festivals that serves many purposes. First there are the skilled artists and ...

Are You A Scaredy Cat?

“Be Not Afraid” is the title of a moving Catholic hymn. Yes, it is sung at funerals, but it’s more than that. Its words encourage us to put faith in God, who goes before us always. It is not easy to put aside our fears and follow what is right. After all, we are only humans with real fears. As children we are taught to be afraid of certain things. From the time we are old enough to understand, we learn what to fear. Some of us fear the dark no matter how old we grow to be. Others, like myself, have the irrational fear of spiders. The older we get, our fears may change, some ...

Where The Stars Shine Brighter

After weeks and weeks of sunny days, wouldn’t you know the one day we have cloud cover, I wished for a clear sky. On Tuesday night, the moon was at its glorious full state, glowing ever brighter as it crested the horizon. Despite the clouds, the moon managed to show itself just long enough for me to take in its magnificent presence. Ever since I was a child, I have had a fascination with the moon. I blame my dad, who also showed great interest in the space program in the 1960s. He made sure we were crowded around the tiny portable TV in my parents’ bedroom to watch the moon ...

Nothing Like The Big Screen

It was in the early 1980s when a younger sibling pleaded with me to take him to see a movie at the movie theaters located at the Ohio Valley Mall near St. Clairsville. It was supposed to be a blockbuster movie in the making with a story about an alien that lands on earth and befriends a young boy. By now you all know that I am referring to the movie “E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial.” I drug my feet before relenting and agreeing to make the 11-minute drive to the movie theater. As it turns out, the movie had all the necessary elements to keep young and old engaged in this unique story. ...

A Great Ending To Summer

I guess the meteorologists in the Ohio Valley know what they are talking about. It seems that although the Farmers’ Almanac states the autumn season officially begins on Sept. 22, meteorologists’ fall season began Sept. 1. Judging by the current weather today, maybe they know more than the Almanac folks. These cool temperatures had me scrambling for a sweatshirt in the early morning and keeping a jacket in the car. It has been delightful weather for sleeping with the windows open and silencing the noisy air conditioner. I’m not foolish enough, however, to believe that the ...

All In The Family

The summer season is winding down despite what the thermometer says. Schools have started up again much sooner than when I was a kid. Going back to classes was always the day after Labor Day for my generation. And yes, it was still pretty hot those first few weeks of school, but then fall crept in and winter followed. There were days at my alma mater — Wheeling Central Catholic High School — before the days of air conditioned classrooms, that teachers would open the windows and turn off the overhead lights for a more comfortable atmosphere. I can’t recall ever having classes ...