The Messenger was gracious to ask me to be a contributor focusing on local matters. I offered and can now report that no one commented about the subject to me. I suppose there are several explanations. Perhaps, people do not read the editorial page. They did not like my conclusion about a fu…

When I heard that Gov. John Kasich’s budget had an increase in school funding, I was encouraged. I was also naïve. Closer inspection reveals there is no increase in basic aid for our schools. In fact, virtually every school district in Southeastern Ohio is either flat funded (no increase) or…

This month marks the twentieth anniversary of the passage of the bi-partisan “welfare reform” bill, The Personal Responsibility Act. While having some early success, any objective evaluation shows the long term failure of this act. My personal opinion is that there has been no more harmful l…

I have decided that it is time for me to come forward and endorse — watermelon. For all of my 60 years I have not cared for the taste or texture of the big green melon and have told anyone who asked that I can’t stomach it. Quite a few of my family and friends like it though, and I hear it’s…

Summer is officially here which means fall is just around the corner. It’s not that I’m wishing my life away, not at all and certainly not at this age. What fall means is that the salmon will be running in Michigan, the females making that last swim upstream to lay eggs for the next year’s c…

One of my earliest childhood memories of Nelsonville, aside from our beautiful star brick sidewalks and streets paved with Nelsonville Block, is of the majestic trees that once lined these same sidewalks and streets. I recall not only their shade but also the tunnel-like effect of the branch…

With high school graduation upon us and with the possibility, albeit “unlikely”, some graduates might inadvertently ingest some sort of alcoholic beverages, I thought I’d give parents some advice based upon what I learned not only as the county prosecutor but more importantly as the father o…

Curt Gail was my fashion guru. Yep, back in the day I took my fashion cues from one of the finest lineman the storied Nelsonville-York football program has ever suited up. Thumb through the 1974 Nelsonville-York yearbook if you have access to it, you’ll find him in there. One look at the str…

Spring is such a great time of year, daffodils, trilliums, Dutchman’s britches, bluebells, red buds, dogwoods ... observing all of the best things about living in this part of Ohio. This time of year is also a time for recognition of growth and achievement and the start of new opportunities …

I live on a gravel road in Alexander Twp. A famous politician once said “ all politics is local”. If you live in an un-incorporated area of the county, the Township is the most important level of local government in your daily life. The maintenance of township roads protects not only the saf…

I recently had the privilege of reading 13 issues of the newspaper, Albany Echo, printed during the year of 1881. Interestingly enough, that corresponds with the year during which James Garfield was president of the United States, and probably was the reason for these newspapers being saved …

For as long as I can remember I have been involved in my community. In the early years it was Cub Scouts, Brownies and PTA/PTO. I also remember donating a couple of afternoons a week at the elementary school library where there was always something that needed to be done.

Spring has arrived. Another baseball season has started and the Reds are once again in first place; as of this writing at least. They may not be by the time that this article is printed.

I would like to pay tribute to Mary Davis, one of Nelsonville’s finest ladies. During her recent funeral service Pastor Peter Galbraith, minister at the First Presbyterian Church, said he had not had the pleasure of meeting Mary in his short five-year tenure here but commented that he wishes…

There was a newspaper article recently noting Feb. 19, 1962, the 54th anniversary of America’s first astronaut’s flight around the world in outer space. There, Russia, you and your Sputnik!

This community and surrounding counties are full of thoughtful, hardworking, generous and kind people. We have been dealt a difficult economic hand in this region, but our compassion for each other perseveres. There is no better example of that than the ever expanding number of local citizen…

I saw the movie Eddie the Eagle the other day. A good movie, not great, but a feel good, inspirational tale along the lines of Cool Runnings, another “Olympic Dream” movie released back in 1993 (and yes my friends Jamaica still has a Bobsled Team). Watching movies is very high on my list of …

My wife and I raised three sons. Our youngest is 13 years younger than his older two brothers. The older two are less than 11 months apart. So the older two, at times, didn’t exactly get along. On those occasions when one son would call the other a nasty name we would separate them and send …