Just A Bunch Of Nuts

June 6, 2026

A sudden blast, like a shotgun, shattered the silence of the night, crickets included. With my heart racing, my mind—and likely those of any neighbors—rushed to the extremes. Who is out there? Is this a threat? As the minutes ticked by, I spiraled through “what-ifs” and worst-case scenarios, debating the next steps. Bang…..Bang! There it was again. Already pounding, my heart leaped as the sound seemed to draw closer and grow louder. Fear attempted to take hold, only to be instantly dissolved by my father’s voice outside the room: “You up? You hear those walnuts falling ...

Last Tuesday was hit-the-road time!

June 6, 2026

Every May I drive to Lexington, Massachusetts to celebrate my grandson’s birthday and decorate our family graves. This year was special. Malcolm was also graduating from high school and the family gathered – even more of us than usual. His grandfather drove up from New York City with Malcolm’s aunt visiting from Chile. His uncle flew in from Annapolis and his godmother from Los Angeles. This kid has drawing power! But regardless of the dozens of times I’ve traveled the 534 miles to Lexington, it is still a long day. In the early years, I prided myself on my one-day trip ...

Visit Chautauqua Institution this summer

June 5, 2026

CHAUTAUQUA—Progress often comes in steps rather than all at once. One encouraging step at Chautauqua Institution is particularly worth applauding. A few years ago a visitor came to Chautauqua other than by being invited by the institution. Shortly thereafter, the visitor was critical of the institution in a national forum. Never mind who the visitor was, what the visitor said, or what the forum was. None of those is important here. What is not only important but also noteworthy here is that the institution—the institution itself—has invited the visitor to give a ...

Just One More Memorial Day Remembrance

May 30, 2026

Editor’s note: Marcy O’Brien is in New England with family graduation festivities. Parts of this column have appeared previously. Memorial Day was a particularly important day of remembrance for my mother. Every year, she made sure we wore commemorative red poppies to honor her youngest brother, the family hero. Kenneth Arthur MacMillan was the youngest of four children. When their mother died, my mother, Alberta, was 6 and the siblings were 4, 2 and baby Kenny was months old. He never knew his mother who spent the last months of her life in a tuberculosis sanitorium. Alberta ...

Be The Difference – A Music Lesson For Life

May 30, 2026

The groundwork for many musicians all began with learning the solfege syllables or what are commonly known as the scales. To the advanced they seem almost elementary but to the beginner they are the critical stepping-stones for developing pitch, ear-training and sight reading of music regardless of the preference of instrument. To the untrained, a simple note has very little importance unless it is significantly off-key and cringy to the ear but to the well-learned each note requires a high standard of accuracy and excellence with no room for variation. This is critically ...

Partisan Redistricting Is Coming Back To New York State

May 30, 2026

Albany Democrats do not favor the redistricting rules in New York, that is no secret. However, the whole truth is that they never did like it. For years, they have been trying to undermine those rules and create more favorable, partisan maps. This is another example of the negative consequences of New York’s one-party rule. Every 10 years, new voting districts are approved as a result of the most recent census. In 2014, New Yorkers wanted a transparent process for creating those districts, and they wanted to ensure that voting districts were not manipulated by the majority party ...