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‘Woke’ Penn State has gone too far

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State is getting swept up by the “woke” movement, coddling and bribing the young adults they are entrusted to teach and shape into future leaders. And leading the charge is the University Faculty Senate, at this long-cherished institution that receives $350 million a year of taxpayer dollars. Last month, it was announced that the University Faculty Senate made the decision to do away with traditional terms identifying students as “freshmen,” “sophomores,” “juniors,” and “seniors.” Instead, students will be referred to ...

In trans debate, stand up for girls

It seems like only yesterday, but it was in the 1970s when my father, Milt Neuman, ran for a seat on the school board in Altoona. His dream was to create a women’s tennis team at AAHS so that his only daughter could compete in a sport that might lead to a college scholarship and opportunities beyond. My dad’s decision to run and his election changed the course of my life. I received a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania and one of the highlights of my college career was competing on the tennis and swimming teams. Now we are facing legislation that will allow ...

Report aids case for reassessment in Lackawanna

It doesn’t require a taxation expert to recognize that property taxation throughout Lackawanna County inherently is unfair. It could not be otherwise because the last countywide assessment was in 1968. To contend that the current assessments are fair and accurate, one would have to contend that nothing has changed since then. The failure to reassess is not rooted in economics, but in politics. A long succession of county administrations have declined to reassess because too many commissioners feared the political backlash that might result from some percentage of property owners ...

County vaccine effort still needs shot in arm

March 13, 2020 feels like a lifetime ago. Since then Blair County lost more than 330 citizens to COVID. Over 10 percent of our residents tested positive. Many more were probably never tested. From our youngest students to our oldest residents, from our cities and towns to our farms, there is not a single age group, demographic, or industry that has not been affected. The long-term effects of this pandemic aren’t known, but now that we have multiple effective vaccines available, we are in control of how soon it ends. Getting vaccinated is a personal choice. When you ...

Honoring our health care heroes

What is a hero? Maya Angelou famously said, “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” In our leadership roles within the Conemaugh Health System, we have the privilege of working with an incredible team of health care heroes who work tirelessly, each and every day, to make our hospitals and our community a better place. Every May, hospitals and communities across the country recognize and celebrate these frontline health care heroes over the course of several weeks: National Nurses Week, National Hospital Week and National ...

Radar would better protect citizens

On Tuesday, April 20, the Mirror published a letter from an individual representing the PA Advocate National Motorists Association requesting Pennsylvania citizens contact their local state representatives and request they vote “no” on House Bill 606, which would allow local municipal police departments to use radar to enforce illegal speeding in their municipalities. Many of his statements are not accurate, as in only one vehicle can be on the road to be detected. He does not mention that Pennsylvania averages more than 1,000 deaths and more than 76,000 serious injuries in ...