Are you stocking up on food? Because I did a deep dive into high food prices this week and some experts are warning that it's only going to get worse over the next year or two. I got walloped at the grocery stores last week, spending double what I normally do. Granted, that included ...

Alyssa McCutcheon, LMSW Family Service of the Chautauqua Region Chances are you can think of that one friend or relative you know that seems to radiate strength and resilience in times of hardship. Maybe they’ve been through an illness or major life-changing event, yet they continue to ...

I ought to have your safety in mind when I wear my COVID-slowing mask in public. That would be noble. But I have a more gut-level motivation: Fear. Stark, naked fear. Fear of COVID is in the mix, but it is way back in my subconscious. Fear of getting my face slapped is right out there ...

I was recently sitting on the porch enjoying the pleasant weather on what I’m assuming will be one of the last afternoons of summer. My kiddos and their friend came racing out the door and grabbed up their scooters to ride up and down the street. After a while, they seemed to tire of their ...

As a Vietnam veteran, I have been especially troubled by recent events in Afghanistan. We don’t seem to learn from the lessons of history. We thought, relative to Vietnam, that military might along with American know-how could turn around a civil war between North and South Vietnam. We ...

People generally have a basic understanding of the long-term civic story of the community where they live if they’ve lived there for any length of time. Their version may not be totally accurate, but most people are able to connect their community’s past to what is happening there now. This ...