Columns
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NIMBY, Etiquette and Pleasant Valley Sundays
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In today’s language, an earworm is not a worm, nor does it have much to do with your ear. It’s a song or melody that keeps repeating in your mind. Ever since returning to State College 15 years ago an oldie-but-goodie song has occasionally given me an earworm that reminds me of Happy Valley. The…
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Green Gold: ‘The Prince of Loggers,’ Bellefonte’s John Ardell Jr., Was a Keystone of Pennsylvania’s Timber Market
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Covering 90 percent of Pennsylvania’s nearly 30 million acres, forests served as “green gold” to her early colonists. Timber provided stability to Pennsylvania’s economy, just as it did for the structures it built. As America grew, timber fueled progress. The logging boom of the 1800s was at the heart of America’s industrial revolution, and the…
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How to Guard Your Nest Egg from ‘Sequence of Returns’ Risk
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Even if you’ve saved diligently and invested prudently, every investor knowingly takes on some risk that well-laid plans could shift, but it’s tough to feel truly prepared – emotionally, at least – to start drawing down a portfolio, especially if you anticipate entering into a down market. This is what’s known as “sequence of returns…
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Penn State Leadership Team‘s Tenure Tops the Big Ten Conference
in Columns, Latest Penn State News, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State, Penn State Football—
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In times of crisis and rapid change in the world of higher education — like a pandemic, swift changes in social awareness and the advent of Name Image Likeness rights — stability and experience are key for navigating the current tsunami of urgent issues. If not paramount. In the Big Ten Conference, the troika at…
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A Long-Distance Dedication Going Out to Mark in Indianapolis
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Those of us of a certain age remember what a long-distance dedication on American Top 40 with Casey Kasem was all about. Each week Casey read a letter from a listener dedicating a song to another listener. They often came with emotional back stories. If Casey were still with us, this week’s dedication would come…
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Life in the Slow Train
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ON BOARD THE COAST STARLIGHT, SEATTLE TO OAKLAND – We left Seattle at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, scheduled to arrive in Oakland at 8:30 Monday morning. That’s a lot of train time. It’s also a lot of mask time: We’re expected to keep mouths and noses covered for the duration, except when we’re eating or…
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Cycling for CVIM: It’s Time to Roll in Support of an Outstanding Local Medical Charity
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I’ll just call him “Jeff.” I could offer his full, actual name, but I don’t want to put him under the glare of public attention. And, as you’ll soon understand, he’d rather focus your attention on Centre Volunteers in Medicine than on himself. Jeff is an adopted resident of State College, having come here with…
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We’re Back. Spread the Word
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“We’re back!” That’s how Happy Valley Adventure Bureau President and CEO Fritz Smith described his feelings about recent announcements and events occurring in Centre County. The same scenario is playing out across the state and most of the country. With the number of people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on the rise, and new cases of…
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Nature’s Ways: Eastern Phoebe — the Under-Bridge Dweller
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After a long winter, I always look forward to the day when I can step outside and hear the loud and familiar “FEE-bee” call of the eastern phoebe. This spring it happened on March 25. The previous year, it was on March 23. Birds are not quite as precise as calendars, but pretty darn close.…
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How Penn State and Its Number of Women’s Sports Athletes Add Up
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Next week will be the 49th anniversary of the passing Title IX, the federal statue that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. The federal law was buttressed as recently as Wednesday, when the U.S. Department of Education said discrimination against transgender students — and…