Bar, restaurant owners are heroes, too

March 21, 2020

Monday’s announcement from Gov. Wolf left many wondering why bars and restaurants were ordered to close. And it didn’t help matters that after the order was made, there was significant confusion due to different interpretations of the order until Wolf sent out a clarification later that night. It was a tough decision, no doubt. But there’s a simple answer why Pennsylvania bars and restaurants were ordered to close: We don’t want to be the next Italy. Some in the medical community fear that it could happen and happen quickly. COVID-19 has the unique ability to spread in a ...

Take time to reflect on the sun

March 20, 2020

Today at noon, unplug your backlit screen, stroll outdoors and take in the buoyant charm of reflected light. Afterwards, take a few minutes to reflect on the sun, the superstar powering the existence of the earth — including us, all things animate and inanimate, everything. The Vernal Equinox is the first day of spring, the occasion par excellence for honoring the sun, and every gardener’s unofficial national holiday. From our earthbound vantage point, the equinox feels like the solar system’s yearly reboot: Calibrating the seasons, hours and minutes, nights and days, the ...

Time right for redistricting reform

March 7, 2020

“That’s all we’re asking for: an end to the antidemocratic and un-American practice of gerrymandering congressional districts. ... The fact is, gerrymandering has become a national scandal.” — President Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan understood the dangers of gerrymandering, and his words ring even truer today. Gerrymandering has been an issue for years, and it is time to address the issue once and for all. Creating districts that are drawn by the public, without being tainted by the powers of incumbency and party registration, will ensure competitive elections. ...

Celebrating life of the common man

March 6, 2020

Have you stopped to think of the people in your life who make the hardest tasks possible? On Jan. 22, I traveled to the home of a long-term member of our company, Russell McGuire, to visit as he had just started hospice care because of his battle with cancer. McGuire was engaged in commercial construction projects with us for nearly 30 years, normally in a support role. Now, he was battling for his life with his loved ones at his side. Two years prior to my visit to McGuire’s house, I was in the beginning stages of what would be one of our most challenging professional projects. ...

Coronavirus response is team effort

March 5, 2020

Over the past weeks, Americans have watched as COVID-19, or coronavirus, spread from China to other parts of the world. As a doctor, father and grandfather, I understand Pennsylvanians’ growing concerns about this virus and its potential consequences not only for our nation, but also for our area. Here’s the good news: Of any nation in the world, America is the most prepared to keep our communities safe. Currently, the United States government and the Com­mon­wealth of Pennsylvania are implementing a coordinated response to protect the public. From the Centers for Disease ...

Fix state’s shortage of educators

February 17, 2020

Do you like living in a world with doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs and artists? We wouldn’t have any of these professionals — or countless others — without educators. Education is the career that makes every other career possible. So, it should trouble all of us that Pennsylvania, like much of the nation, is experiencing a shortage of educators, teaching assistants and other school professionals. How bad is it? Between the 2012-13 and 2018-19 school years, the Pennsylvania Department of Education saw a 74 percent drop in the number of Level 1 teaching certificates it ...