Opinion

It was still dark out when I put the coffee water on the stove to boil. I leaned forward to peer through the kitchen window, as the cold night turned into a chilled grey day, glad to be quite toasty warm in my flannel nightgown. I could feel the warmth…

I have stated many times that I was raised on a farm near Moscow in the 50’s and 60’s, a period of time when change was so often and so much that it became the norm. To me a big change was the addition of the pickup truck as a…

People who care about the United States’ place in the world often fret about challenges to representative democracy from other countries. I’d contend that the more formidable challenge comes not from abroad, but from within. For starters, it’s hard to make American representative democracy work. Our country is large, growing,…

Last column, I began featuring Retired Army Sgt. First Class Michael Schlitz, of Forston, Ga., who experienced third-degree burns over 85 percent of his body and has had roughly 85 medical operations since 2007, the year an Iraqi insurgent roadside bomb exploded near him. Three soldiers died. Today, Schlitz uses…

The power of the press should never be underestimated and must never be abused. This week marks the 75th anniversary of National Newspaper Week and the theme — The Power of the Press — points to the importance of watchdog journalism, accurate reporting, strong editorials, comprehensive public notices and a…

Our garden center sells quite a bit of bulk stone mulch, particularly to landscapers who do commercial projects. Washed river stone of one-inch (pebbles) and two-inch diameter (cobbles) has been popular for many years in places like office parks and fast-food restaurants, because it reduces the need for regular weeding…

“I got credit down at the grocery store and my barber tells me jokes.” —Roger Miller The chosen theme for this year’s National Newspaper Week is “Power of the Press,” and that power, it seems to me, is a very relative thing. Everybody understands the power of, say, The New…

The countdown on the sign out front of the Brown County Fairgrounds went down to zero, and it is fair time in Georgetown. Of course, it began raining overnight on Monday and Tuesday morning has seen some light showers throughout the area. The rain is not enough to hamper the…

In case you didn’t already know, it makes a huge difference in your pumpkin pie exactly which pumpkins you use to make your filling. For a truly exceptional pumpkin pie it’s well worth the trouble to make your own pumpkin puree, rather than using canned pie filling. For this you’ll…

By Faye Mahaffey OSUE Brown County Master Gardener Volunteer Ohio’s official botanical garden of native plants, the Heritage Garden, showcases Ohio’s natural history in a series of gardens representing Ohio’s five major physiographic regions that include the Till Plains, Bluegrass Section, Allegheny Plateaus, Huron-Erie Lake Plains and the Glaciated Allegheny…