100 years after ‘war to end all wars’

November 11, 2018

I’ve waited 40 years to write this article. For it was in 1978 when I first came across my Uncle Carroll Hosbrook’s WWI letters, including one written from France on November 11, 1918, Armistice Day, now a full century ago. History will honor these American Doughboys, the many thousands who joined General John Pershing’s Ameri­can Expeditionary Force, most having little idea of the trench warfare, mustard gas, and ghastly carnage that awaited them overseas. Uncle Sam was calling them — farm boys from Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, mechanics from Michigan and Minnesota, ...

Remembering a fallen soldier

November 10, 2018

This was a military plan to force Germany out of France. To assist this huge operation, our military planned to invade southern France. The landing would go ashore on the Mediterranean coast near Cannes. Before the Allies could launch their huge attack, they had to assemble enough men and materials on the continent. After seizing the landing beaches, the troops pushed inland to seize Cherbourg and other useful ports. The capture of Cherbourg had confirmed the expectation that the Germans would destroy the major harbors before allowing them to fall to the Allies. The Allies needed ...

Address Pa.’s declining population

November 1, 2018

The facts are undeniable. Over the past 50 years, we’ve witnessed a decline in population and a decline in overall economic growth. Today, Pennsylvania’s problems are masked by a strong national economy and seemingly positive employment numbers. Sadly, Pennsylvanians are leaving the workforce in record numbers through retirement, relocation or by simply stopping to look for full time employment. While Philadelphia has seen an increase in population, almost every local economy across the commonwealth suffers from similar challenges — namely, slow growth and population ...

Seeking answers, with heavy hearts

October 31, 2018

Pittsburgh now has joined America’s pantheon of mass atrocity. The 11 worshippers killed in Tree of Life Synagogue are seared in our consciousness now, but we cannot forget the 17 students and faculty in Parkland, Fla., in February; the 26 worshippers in Sutherland Springs, Tex., last November; or the 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas, also last November. The list goes on and on. But this one is different, for me and for others in our community. This is so, so close to home. I am a Jew; my wife is Dr. Audrey Korotkin, a Reform rabbi. I grew up close to Squirrel Hill and lived in that ...

At Altoona, ‘everything just works’

October 14, 2018

To many who never set foot inside Altoona Area High School, stereotypes are conjured of a gritty, urban institution where both gangs and drugs are prevalent. And when a rare story is newsworthy — like students making poor choices at a basketball game last year or the rumor of a shooting this past month — it only reinforces those opinions. But from teaching at AAHS since the early 2000s, I cannot begin to tell you how far those perceptions are from reality. We have amazing students who are without a doubt our school’s and community’s biggest asset. Our population is ...

Telemedicine bill will be positive

October 9, 2018

Anytime a family member gets sick, it’s only natural that we want to find the best options to figure out what’s wrong and help them get the care they need. As technology advances, families have more options to receive care — not just in the office of a physician or other provider. Thanks to telemedicine, patients can use their phones, tablets, laptops and connected medical devices for everything from virtual medical appointments for non-urgent symptoms to complex home monitoring that allows care providers to continuously review vital signs of patients with chronic ...