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Political realignment seen in history

President-elect Donald Trump calls the recent election results the most historic in U.S. history. Although that may be an exaggeration, it is worthwhile looking at past major political realignments to gain an historical perspective The First (and greatest) Political Realignment in America took place at our founding. Prior to that, Americans were subjects of the King of England. Although there were a few representative governments scattered around the world, none were of great size or economic importance. The founding, with our Constitution, bicameral legislature, and three-branch ...

Talking dog has a sense of humor, too

I have a talking dog. We didn’t know it when we got him, of course. He didn’t reveal this talent to us right away. He would vocalize occasionally in dog-speak, but no one really had any idea what he was saying because he spoke in his language, and we spoke in ours, and there was no Rosetta Stone program for either of us. But then one morning I came down the stairs, as I always do, and I said: “Hello, Bowie!” Bowie greeted me with some howling, as he always does, but this time, he said something very clear and easy to understand. “Hello,” said the dog. I stopped ...

Off-the-grid dream come true

Turbulent times can make people feel helpless and hopeless, but we have more agency than we might think. We can still choose to live life on our own terms — whatever that means for each of us individually. This is what the McCaffertys did. “So many people have fallen prey to this idea that what they do doesn’t matter and that we’re all doomed when that isn’t true at all,” Emily McCafferty told me. Mark and Emily McCafferty, along with their son Anthony, live on 16 acres of land in an off-grid cordwood, solar-powered house they built themselves just south of ...

We CARE Foundation a remarkable story

Many wonder what the We CARE Foundation is and how the funds raised through the Turkey Bowl, Softball Marathon and other fundraising events are spent. The creation of the We CARE Foundation is a remarkable story about what the community did 10 years ago to preserve therapy service for special needs children in the Altoona/Blair County area. In 2014, the Easter Seals organization decided to close their facility in Altoona. A community-led effort was initiated to preserve the therapy services for special needs children provided at the Easter Seals building located at 501 Valley View ...

Food insecurity a growing problem in area

We regularly meet people who believe the worst of our hunger crisis is behind us. They reference the pandemic and the enormous number of people who needed help and suggest food insecurity must have lessened since then. We respond with an answer that surprises them: we are in a hunger crisis. One in 9 adults and one in 7 children in Central Pennsylvania is experiencing food insecurity. These are the alarming statistics that keep us focused on our work at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB). In fact, between 2022 and 2023, CPFB partners reported a 27% increase in the ...

Our veterans should be heard

On Sept. 21, 2022, my 97-year-old father died. In addition to being a wonderful husband, father, friend, artist and distinguished professor of art education, he was my best friend and a WWII veteran. He was a quartermaster on the USS Wilke, a small destroyer escort. Its size was advantageous when chasing German submarines but also more vulnerable to sinking if hit. In his last days, we talked extensively, and I am struck by how he felt about society. He felt betrayed; many WWII veterans felt betrayed. WWII veterans were, by and large, young kids who grew up during the Depression ...