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It is no secret around the Saratoga Sun office and at home that I have been feeling grumpier than usual lately. I definitely fit into the curmudgeon category sometimes, and lately I have fallen in to the trap of resentment. As the saying goes, holding a resentment against someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will get sick. I have found it a fine line to walk, working for the newspaper and trying not to judge people. Another saying is that it is none of my business what peo...
Editor, What if you could solve the Saratoga sewer treatment plant problems and save the local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Would you be interested? The unelected and unaccountable Joint Powers Board has decided to build a 12” pipeline that continuously dumps ammonia laden discharge water directly into the N. Platte River. Cost to you – 1 million dollars to be paid by you in your sewer and water bill every month for the next 20 years. They claimed there was no other solution, which is absolutely false. All across the country othe...
Somewhere in the Middle East a new scourge is rising with the goal of taking down the American federal government. Okay, so the Middle East I am talking about is the middle east of Oregon and the terrorists involved here are a bunch of mostly white rednecks with “legitimate” axes to grind with the federal gummint. So righteous were “Y’all Qaeda’s1” claims that they banded together to raid and occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, the offices of which were closed for the weekend. Th...
I’ve learned a lot about myself through cooking. Some of my fonder memories include sitting around while my dad made dinner, eating grapes and picking up on things through exposure while not really paying attention. When I got a little older, I started helping my mom make things too, which involved “recipe following,” or kind of vaguely throwing things together with the assumption of common sense about how things taste. By some kind of magic, it always seemed to work. When I was diagnosed with c...
Well, it is resolution time ... again. And like many others I am a resolution person. I usually break them all. I don’t intend to at the beginning of the year, but it just happens. Last year, I wrote my resolutions based on a top 10 from research done by the University of Scranton. They were the normal – lose weight, get organized, attain financial balance, live life to its fullest, stay fit, learn something exciting, quit smoking, help others with their resolution, more family time. So, thi...
Let me be honest. I have hit the holiday wall. I’m not sure why I am done with the holidays before they are done with me each year, but it is definitely a reality. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to see my family for Christmas and New Year’s, but I am over all of the build -up, and am just looking forward to a little relaxation without the Christmas hype. While pondering this I realize that I could apply the same 12 steps that I use in the rest of my life to get me through the next couple...
Have you heard about this “Elf on the Shelf” character? Perhaps I should say Elves on the Shelves. There are definitely more than one. I hadn’t until this year. Apparently elves appear on east coast shelves more than out here in the west (or in the south for that matter). Probably a denser population thing. Can’t overtax Santa’s attitude meter can we? The deal is that elves, which appear to be figures made of ceramic, wood or cloth during the daylight hours, keep an eye on the children...
Editor, I don’t usually talk publicly about my patients after they pass but this week is a different week. David Starr passed away this last Sunday after a sudden illness. David Starr was an unsung hero in this community. No matter the time, middle of the day or middle of the night, weekday or weekend, we all could count on Dave to answer the call. You see, Dave was the guy driving the ambulance when many of us needed emergency care. No fanfare, no awards, no articles ... just a kind smile and a steady hand (or foot in his case) whenever t...
Dear Editor, Thank you for publishing the Madeline Weiss piece about the economic squeeze being felt by our young adults. To Madeline I want to say your piece was courageous, brave and gutsy. Good writing tells the truth even if it hurts and you told your truth. Another article in the same Sun issue described the non-profit thrift shop Bridge Street bargains. I am a volunteer worker in that shop and I want you to know, Madeline, we are here for you. We are not just about the mentioned two thousand dollar dress and one thousand dollar book. We...
I didn’t imagine that when I graduated college I would still be fighting and hoping for a decent minimum wage, but I am. I think about it daily, because I actually can’t imagine what life would be like without significant financial struggles. I’ll admit it: I’m one of America’s poor. I’m not one of America’s poorest, but I’m not in the position to save more than a few dollars every month, if any dollars at all. I have some light college debt, but those loan payments still eliminate poten...
On Nov. 3, it was a normal Tuesday. We were working on the finishing touches of the Saratoga Sun. It was a little different for me as my youngest son Garry was having surgery that day. A simple hernia repair, nothing to worry about. He had put it off for two years, since he couldn’t afford to pay for the deductible. After I had my knee surgery done and had maxed out our out-of-pocket expense, I encouraged Garry to go to the doctor and get the hernia taken care of. His wife texted when he went i...
“When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” – Sinclair Lewis *** I’ve often said that growing up in the Washington D.C. area made me critically aware of politics. I ran screaming from northern Virginia when I was 17 and fled to the Rocky Mountain west, but until that point my local news was also often national news. For my own sanity I have largely shied away from writing about politics, especially on social media. My induction into journalism writing...
Today I get to wax poetic on dissatisfied stars. Sound like fun? When asked by Britain’s Time Out entertainment magazine over breakfast if he would like to play 007 again, Daniel Craig (most recent James Bond incarnation) replied that he would “rather break this glass and slit my wrists.” What? Perhaps he was just “in character” for his next acting role as an incredibly hyperbolic idiot. Maybe that conjecture was a bit harsh. Look, I know doing anything over and over again can get repetitio...
The Saratoga Sun would like to commend the Saratoga Airport Board and Saratoga Mayor Ed Glode for their understanding of the seriousness of Wyoming’s open meetings statutes. Due to a lack of communication with the Saratoga Sun, and an apparent lack of understanding of open meeting law regulations by the town clerk, the airport board did not convene their monthly meeting because they did not give sufficient public notice of the meeting. This was evidenced by the chair of the board and at least one member of the public showing up at town hall at...
Recently, I picked up a Farmer’s Almanac and flipped through it because I had heard that it predicted more snow than normal in the area. In fact, the Farmer’s Almanac said that relatively normal temperature and precipitation are to be expected in Saratoga this year. I’ve noticed this every year in Pittsburgh, and it maintains in Wyoming; something got twisted along the way and then we all end up believing it. I have entered nearly every winter of my life fully believing that this will the coldes...