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Editorials

Amtrak ‘spiff up’ needs to benefit our region, too

The Mirror remains committed to the opinion that Amtrak should beef up its east-to-west, west-to-east service across Pennsylvania, particularly in the Harrisburg-to-Pittsburgh corridor. An editorial in this newspaper’s July 9-10, 2022, edition expressed the point that “expanded Amtrak service can become a cost-effective and popular option, even if an overnight stay in Pittsburgh might be necessary. Most area business people, as well as recreational travelers, are well aware of the headaches associated with trying to access that city by way of virtually every major vehicular-access ...

County showing foresight

Knowledgeable business people know that they have to spend money to make money. To Blair County’s credit, the governing board of commissioners recognizes that sometimes it is wise to forgo some tax revenue now in order for taxing bodies — the state, county, a municipality and/or a school district, for example, to reap a larger collection amount in future years. The two commissioners who were in attendance at the board’s Sept. 26 meeting — Laura Burke and Amy Webster — put that thinking into play when they endorsed resolutions extending the availability of tax breaks through ...

Carriers remain our newspaper’s unsung heroes

Your newspaper carrier might be a dedicated, responsible young boy or girl who makes his or her paper deliveries before leaving for school. Your newspaper carrier might be a mother or father who, before the rest of the family is awake, “speeds” on foot through his or her neighborhood ensuring that morning’s Mirror is wherever it is routinely delivered — and where subscribers expect it to be — whenever they go to retrieve it. Oftentimes those parents — or siblings — serve as a substitute carrier whenever the regular carrier is ill or otherwise has some circumstance ...

An exciting future awaits PSU Altoona

The front page of the Sept. 28 Wall Street Journal featured a photo with the following message above it: “371: A space odyssey ends for NASA astronaut.” The photo was a lead-in to the edition’s Page 2 article headlined “NASA astronaut returns after record-setting year.” NASA astronaut Frank Rubio set a record for a space flight by an American, having spent 371 days in space in a Russian spacecraft, along with two cosmonauts. According to NASA, Rubio went to space as part of what was known as Expedition 68, which studied how spaceflights affect heart health. NASA ...

Railroad industry making strides to better safety

The horrific Norfolk Southern freight train derailment Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, near that state’s border with Pennsylvania, triggered — and continues to trigger — much-needed additional scrutiny throughout the railroad industry regarding the issue of dangerous cargoes. Such cargoes always will be a reality within that industry; that is part of the basic nature of that transportation mode. What is concerning, however, is that there always should be a quick way to determine what a train is hauling, in the event of a derailment or other emergency or circumstance. Full ...

Resurrecting old buildings encouraging

The Altoona Redevelopment Authority received a new upbeat report about the former McCrory’s building on Sept. 15, with the prospect of more good news to come in the weeks or months ahead. The vacant building, having “suffered” for years with a serious water problem, as well as a number of other serious, not-easy-to-resolve issues, now is being proclaimed “dry and secure” by the building’s new owner, developer Christopher Cook. Additionally, Cook has told the redevelopment agency that architectural and engineering work has been completed and has been approved by the city, ...