In a July 22 op-ed titled “Late-night charter vote suspect,” Susan Spicka, Executive Director of Education Voters of PA, attempted to distort the work of the Senate and wrongly attacks me for my vote on legislation to improve the educational system. The legislation Spicka referenced is ...

I live in the Highland Park area, and I have contacted the Central Blair Park and Recreation office manager several times about the removal of the playground swing equipment and their return to service time estimate. The manager has advised me that there is no present date of equipment ...

After watching yet another war story on Netflix about a battle in Afghanistan where more American soldiers were killed, you have to ask: When is enough, enough? This war has been going on for 17 years. If we have not achieved by now whatever our objective was, we never will. What ...

Thank you, Ed Kreuz. Why would Dutch Brennan be upset with Kreuz for watching out for the taxpayers’ money? Based on the increase in our school taxes alone this year, we need somebody on that board who is looking out for us. Ken Garman Altoona

I want to give kudos to the Central Blair Park and Recreation Commission. Up until this summer, I never had the occasion to interact with the commission. This year, my granddaughter took swimming lessons at Altoona Area High School and then at Prospect Pool. The instructors/lifeguards ...

For 20 years, I’ve observed my husband’s life through many channels. In June of 1997, he had major heart surgery, and thus our final journey together began. Following surgery, I was nearly overcome when I first observed him in ICU. With help of family, dedicated doctors, nurses, ...

Russia and China do not like each other, but they will always join together to hurt America. During the Korean War, Russian pilots and the Chinese military directly killed U.S. troops. In Vietnam, they armed and gave supplies and intelligence to North Vietnam to kill U.S. troops. Russia and ...

I carefully read Hal Quinn’s recent commentary, “Trump plan may lack resources.” It gives one much to think about. Particularly, I cannot understand why “it currently takes seven to 10 years for companies to successfully obtain the necessary permits for a major new mining ...

Since the past proposals to change the trash collection procedures was defeated some time ago, we are now being threatened with another method of growing the Intermunicipal Relations Committee by increasing our property taxes. There was no mention in the recent news item of the $360,000 ...

I received an automated email from Sen. Pat Toomey’s office in which he says Obamacare is fundamentally wrong in its approach to health care. This assertion is horse manure when considered in the context of our history of health care in which insurance companies pillaged policy holders. The ...

The writer of a June 30 letter, “Republicans are not working for all of us,” is one of many who feel this way. He and the others are wrong. There is not enough room here to list everything that was wrong with the Affordable Care Act. They all should have read the ACA before commenting. ...

On behalf of our entire Tyrone Regional Health Network family, we want to thank all of our “hometown” professionals at the water authority, volunteer fire departments, public works, police, 911 dispatchers and local and county EMS officials for their rapid response in dealing with the ...

I was recently in Long John Silvers waiting in line along with everyone else. Standing in front of me were a man and his son. He was fumbling for his change in his pocket and apologizing to the cashier for holding up the line. “Sorry, but I just did 10 tours in Iraq and have to get back to ...

The author of a July 4, 2017, letter to the editor, “Young reader is right about social media,” has a point that may backfire when he advises ”young writer” that ”spending time in nature” is a start in changing the world. Anyone who spends an hour alone in nature would see how ...

Every year we get the same sob story about how much money the county needs to fund its underfunded pension plan. The only reason it is underfunded is because the commissioners just keep giving more for pensions. Everyone, except our commissioners, knows that you don’t spend money you ...

After reading 14-year-old Mychenze Alberts’ letter to the editor on June 24 (“Social media leading youth on downhill spiral”), I was struck with the degree of her perception on a topic I had just published a book on. Part of my book introduction is apropos to her concerns with ...

The Mirror’s recent column from longtime Washington media figure John Stossel about privatizing air traffic control (“Fly better with private air control,” June 16) may play well in some Inside-the-Beltway circles, but it unfortunately left readers without some key information about ...

Hatred breeds hatred. The recent shooting of a Republican politician, in my opinion, is caused by the hatred that has been brewing in our country. I listen to the current president crying like a baby — why is everyone always picking on me? He can’t understand the hatred toward ...

This past week, Senate Republicans unveiled their version of their long awaited Obamacare repeal. The bill was written in secrecy, without any Democratic input, and by a select group of senators — all of them older white men. One would assuredly think that any legislation that affects the ...

I have recently been walking for exercise around Ruskin Drive, Baker School vicinity. There was a man and two young boys painting the fire hydrants in the area. I found out by talking to the adult with them that the one boy (his son) is doing this project, in part, to get his Eagle Scout ...