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Better relations prove beneficial for US, Vietnam

Many U.S. residents remain leery of this country’s warmer relations with the Communist-run nation of Vietnam. That is understandable, considering America’s painful, protracted Vietnam War experience, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 U.S. military personnel. Nevertheless, now, nearly half a century after the Communist victory in the Southeast Asia conflict in 1975, the warmer relations between these two countries not only is benefiting Vietnam, but the United States as well, although some people here will continue to remain skeptical. President Joe Biden’s visit to ...

Capture puts all at ease

A well-deserved sense of calm and appreciation engulfed eastern Pennsylvania, and even western New Jersey and northern Delaware, Wednesday as the news spread that escaped, convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante had been captured after eluding authorities for nearly two weeks. At the same time, residents of those areas also expressed relief that none of the police involved in the protracted search had been injured — or worse — during the challenging operation. Having gambled with the prospect of avoiding capture and finding a way to return to his home country, Brazil, where he is ...

On this day, spend time in reflection

On this day 22 years ago, many Americans had hardly gotten settled into their workday when the day was shattered by the news that jetliners had struck both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, another jetliner had crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth plane still was in the air over Pennsylvania and was headed in the direction of Washington, D.C. Of course, that last plane ended up crashing in a field alongside a wooded area just outside of Shanksville, Somerset County, miraculously sparing that community and neighboring Indian Lake Borough of what could have been a ...

Gathering info on state seniors important step

Considering that by 2030 about one in three Pennsylvania residents — 33 percent — are expected to be over 60 years old, it is right that the state has begun working on a plan to ensure that adequate services and protections will be in place to serve that larger elderly population. Currently, about one in four residents of this state — 25 percent — are members of that age group. As an article in the Aug. 3 Mirror reported, five states already have plans in place for helping their elderly populations, going forward, while the Keystone State is one of 11 states in the process of ...

Shortage at AMED concerning

AMED is experiencing the same manpower-shortage pressures that many area volunteer fire departments have been dealing with for more than a few years. Fortunately for AMED, the ambulance service still is able to describe its manpower status as “flat” rather than critically deficient. Numerous volunteer fire services in this region would feel fortunate if they could justify using AMED’s description rather than being much more hard-pressed to have enough firefighters available most times when a call is received. For volunteer fire units, the future portends to be uncertain well ...

Significance of Labor Day remains high

This year the American labor scene has continued its journey back toward the way it was prior to the pandemic. It probably will take several more years for that journey — inevitable even from the pandemic’s first days — to be complete. For better or worse, depending upon from whose personal vantage point the current labor landscape is being viewed, many starting wages no longer reflect the pandemic worker shortages proclaimed by the “Help Wanted” signs that for many months dotted business districts and retail corridors. Anyone with an understanding about the business ...