by Walker Larson
Recently, I was in search of trout, but my search resulted in more than just fish.
I’ve been a fly fisherman for over a decade, but when I moved to Wisconsin a few years back, I lost easy access to my favorite haunts. So I was searching for a new stretch of untouched waters to fish near my home, a journey that led me through the winding backroads of the coulees in my area, as the evening summer sun soaked the little fields in liquid bronze and made the tree line gliste
Not that we needed another poll to tell us that New York State is getting increasingly more unaffordable, but recent statewide polling from the Siena Research Institute offers a telling look at the state of affordability in New York.
It’s a concern, of course, that many of my legislative colleagues and I have steadfastly pinpointed throughout the past few years as New Yorkers have consistently let it be known that the prohibitive cost of living in this state is driving them away.
The t
Somewhere deep down inside, each one of us has regrets… for something we said… something we did… something we did not do or say… and we long to go back to do it all over again… only better this time.
But we can’t go back. What’s done is done. It’s marked in indelible ink on the pages of time. Yet, there is One who offers forgiveness and peace when we bare our soul to Him of hurts and pains… as we take responsibility and ownership of our mistakes and sins. For years, my errors festered
Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day…”
Such a happy song from “Oklahoma,” and so appropriate for a lovely July morning. It might be lovelier were the temperature ten degrees lower, and no storms were lingering, but that’s summer. Being mindfully grateful is an intelligent way to begin a day, even knowing that there’s every possibility our plans will move unexpectedly from Plan A to Plan Q before the day is over! In later years, it has become sort of entertaining to
Now that Governor Hochul and Albany’s band of Green New Dealers appear ready to finally begin rethinking their strategy to impose far-reaching energy mandates on all New Yorkers, it will be important for the rest of us to keep highlighting exactly what needs to go back to the drawing board.
At the top of any list, in my view, is a concern we spotlighted earlier this year that could very well be the most costly unfunded state mandate ever imposed on New York’s local school districts and scho
I was as shocked as anyone else at last night’s happenings where our former President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt. And I thank God that his life was spared by a fraction of measurement. My heart and prayers go out to Donald Trump and his family, to the family of the innocent gentleman in the crowd who was killed, and to the two who were critically injured. We need to get back to respecting everyone, regardless of who they are.
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“Am I my brother’s keeper?” Unequivoc
You’ve heard it and read it time and again over the past several years since the enactment of New York’s far-reaching climate agenda known as the “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” (CLCPA): Governor Hochul and her energy czars are moving too far, too fast to impose sweeping clean energy mandates on every state citizen.
Since the CLCPA’s approval in 2019, we’ve watched Albany Democrats move at world record speed to pile one unaffordable mandate on top of another unworkable man
Oh, the countless blessings of God! He is so good to all of us in so many ways! And my heart sings in praise and thanksgiving for all that He has done in my life!
Recently, I flew out to visit my daughter and her family. And I gotta tell you, they were so good to me! I don’t like flying, but the flight from ELM to DET left way more than a bit to be desired. Taking generic Dramamine, I learned the hard way it is not as effective as the real deal. So, gripping that little white bag kindly
“Thirty days hath September, April, June and November….” And the 30th of June is coming right up! Foliage is fully out making good hiding places for birds and small creatures. I see chipmunks slipping beneath the comfrey leaves and a rabbit skirting the current bushes. Mysterious paths are evident in the grass, where a skunk or squirrel has traveled to the sunflower seeds. We are just one week from Independence Day ---- July 4th. The Solstice is past, so summer is here in all its fullness. We
In case you missed it – which would be no surprise since its release was largely kept quiet by Governor Hochul -- a long-awaited report on New York State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has finally gone public.
It arrives two years and more than four million taxpayer dollars later after the governor first announced its undertaking.
Here’s the verdict from the Empire Center for Public Policy: “Hochul had commissioned a $4.3 million after-action review of the crisis, saying she wante
by Rebekah Bills
We are under the influence of our stuff—home décor and furnishings, fast fashion, modern art, and too much more—and it’s slowly gnawing away at our contentment and human potential.
What prompted this realization?
Some old Sears catalogs, actually. And a love for antiques, the reason for which I couldn’t quite put into words.
But let me try now.
While flipping through an old Sears catalog, the beauty of its illustrations and the quality of the items depi
by Susan Zehnder
Street grader in Chemung County
Driving during the summer can often be frustrating. Sometimes it feels like every road you come across is in the process of being built, or badly needs to be repaired. To add to the frustration, drivers navigating construction zones, summer weather, and road conditions often have a short supply of patience. It’s as if the smell of asphalt goes along with hot air and hot tempers.
In its purest form, asphalt is the hardened form
For the past several years I’ve considered writing an open letter to the graduating class of each June, but never got around to it. As graduation loomed closer for our oldest son I thought about it more. That was in 2020, and we know too well what a shit show that year ended up being. The last thing a bunch of kids needed at that time was me writing something that could be summed up in this pic:
Not that I think anyone should be mollycoddled, but it was a difficult time for everyone, and th
The old red barn stood tall on an open flat, alone against the gray sky, testament to a long life. It had weathered countless storms, looking a tad bit worn… another great photo by my childhood friend's husband. And once again, the picture painted a thousand words that raced through my thoughts.
For some time now, I’ve felt like writer’s block has taken away my ability to write reflections, never mind the poems where words used to flow through my fingers almost faster than I could write o
Former First Lady Laura Bush once said, “I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card."
Or recall the words of former President Harry Truman, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”
Once again this summer, I am happy to be joining my colleagues in the State Senate, in partnership with the New York State Library – and together with so many local libraries across our region and statewide -- to help promote summer reading.
This year’s theme
I’m jealous of people out there who have yet to experience the Beastie Boys, to be able to take a fresh-faced dive into their discography and fully appreciate all of its splendor for the first time. Listening to the Beastie Boys for the first time is like thumbing your nose at gravity or any number of other tenets of polite society. It’s an unforgettable experience. For folks of a certain age (i.e. those getting a little long in the tooth,) we were blessed to be in the catbird seat as the group
We are nearing the summer Solstice, the time of the longest daylight, directly after which we begin to experience diminishing the light once again. We are also nearing the mysterious Mid-summer Night’s Eve, a time of legend; pixies, fauns, and faeries. Each year seems to speed by like someone on rollerblades; no sooner do I write about the Summer Solstice, than I’m pulling out the Halloween pumpkins and the light is fading at 4 PM. My perception of life flying by, is why making each day fully-li
Among other designations, the month of June is recognized as National Great Outdoors Month.
That designation is certainly worth some attention here in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, especially at a time like now when we need to keep growing and strengthening every sector of economic opportunity for local communities.
According to the latest report released earlier this month from the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), a leading coalition of outdoor recreation association
Father’s Day… a time to remember the dads we treasure. They’ve taught us well in the ways of life. I remember a lot about my dad. In fact, it would be fair to say that I had put him on a pedestal while growing up… not a wise placement for anyone. But it seems he could do anything and everything, a jack-of-all-trades, almost perfect in my little girl eyes. Though none of us can measure up all the time, there is One who is perfect… who forgives all our failings… our heavenly Father.
But,
I don’t know what got me thinking about this, perhaps it comes from reading GiddyUpAmerica by Ryan O’Connell. But instead of some of the other ideas I’ve intended to write about, I decided to do something a little lighter and write about some of my personal favorite album covers.
Until recently, it was a long time before I owned an actual record. Excuse me, “vinyl” as the newest generation of aficionados call them. ( This seems silly to me, referring to an object as the material it’s made
by Michaela Estruth
“When I grow up, I want to be a mom.”
These are common words to hear from young girls; they aspire to be just like their own mothers.
But all of a sudden, once those young girls become women, those words become less and less common.
Has that maternal desire faded?
Perhaps. But might there be another explanation?
The question, “What do you want to do?” is a constant ask of every 18- to 22-year-old. College-aged adults like me are just beginning in
To kick off the just concluded 2024 regular session of the State Legislature – one that we believed represented a pivotal session with New York at a crossroads in so many areas – the Senate Republican Conference put forth a comprehensive set of goals to help rebuild and strengthen local and state economies, focus on the financial challenges facing many middle-class families and small business owners, and make public safety a top priority.
At that time back in early January, I said, “We face
Beauty – we all admire the aesthetic and beautiful in both people and nature, though beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say. Often, as our young girls strive to look beautiful, they imitate the actresses and models they admire on the “silver screen” or magazine covers. But youthfulness fails to realize the images are a façade, made more beautiful and glamorous by makeup and the air brush. It’s not a true beauty. And a pretty face may not always have a heart of love and compassion. Fo
