How much will you be spending this holiday season? According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the average consumer spends $1,047 during the holidays. Ohioans’ budgets are a little bit less than that.
Representative democracy is based on a simple premise. It’s that ordinary citizens can make satisfactory judgments on complex public policy and political issues — or at least grasp them well enough to decide who should be dealing with them.
Vital mission of farm
At a recent party, a friend of mine, who, like myself is of half Italian descent, was singing loudly and more than a little off key to a Dean Martin song about the moon, eyes and pizza pies.
A blast from the past? Ah, yes. That familiar sight is an early punch of wintry weather. (The official start of winter isn’t until Dec. 21.) The first major snowfall in Northeast Ohio was enough to chill us all to the bone.
As the fall breezes turn into brisk winter winds, we are reminded that people across Northeast Ohio need our help. In 2018, 23,000 adults and children experienced homelessness in Cuyahoga County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
I was just resting my eyes on the cusp of sleep when the first cold gust of winter blew the door open and in came another blowhard. It was the town complainer, queen of the non sequitur and guru of conspiracy theorists everywhere. Her name, if you have not guessed by now, is Ms. Demeanor, ak…
I can’t stop looking at the photo in the Happy Trails newsletter. To most I’m sure it’s just a nice picture of a little girl on a pony, relaxed, her bare feet dangling below the pony’s ample girth, no saddle needed, as the two enjoy a leisurely walk across a lush green field. But to me, this…
Election process wins
Suicide prevention doesn’t sleep. By the numbers, we know that depression can lead to suicide. For veterans, the numbers are higher. You don’t have to be a ‘combat veteran’ to suffer from depression, only human.
One of the not-so-small gifts of living in a representative democracy is that you can’t accomplish things alone. Whether you’re trying to get a stop sign put up on a dangerous corner or to change U.S. policy on greenhouse gas emissions, you have to reach out to others. And learning how to pe…
Thanks to voters
A police officer on security detail spotted an elderly man walking into the grocery store wearing a ball cap with a military insignia. “Excuse me sir, were you in the Army?” the officer asked.
For our money, there is perhaps nothing more tedious in the action-packed world of community journalism than the candidate interviews.
That old saying, “you can’t live with ’em and you can’t live without ’em” could definitely be referring to cars. The frustrating realities of car ownership are nothing new, but two of my recent care experiences were indeed new to me.
My husband, Brent, and a friend both told me I was lucky I didn’t get beaten up. By Baltimore Ravens fans. After they lost to the Browns Sept. 29. But first, the back story.
This Tuesday, registered voters across the state need to answer a call. That call comes from the polling stations in Cuyahoga, Geauga and all the other 86 counties in Ohio. The call is to cast votes.
“Yoo hoo! Anyone up there? It’s me, Alice. Seems I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole and could sure use a little help from my friends.”
Village looks forward to anniversary
Madness reigns supreme in the world today, and then there is the Chagrin Falls’, bubble where the living is easy, nothing bad ever happens and it’s always sunny and 80 degrees.
“I ask how and why this decision was reached,” U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said to the Senate recently. He was calling for an investigation into President Donald Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces out of Syria. “Was there no chance for diplomacy? Are we so weak and so inept diplomatical…
Support Duber, Charnas, Vincent
Who will blink first? The zoning battle between the Village of Hunting Valley and Roundwood Manor owner Sylvia Korey rages on.
It’s good to see that the Bainbridge community is working together to build a new playground at River Road Park. The playground was leveled this past summer because years of wear and tear had taken its toll on the playground, deemed a hazard by township officials.
By now, we should be used to our town being included on various lists of “best” places for whatever reason the survey takers set out to prove.
As you know, my city dog Jack is the joy of my life. Just catching sight of his blocky tan and white head tucked under a pile of white paws as he sleeps in front of the fireplace stops me in my tracks.
Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin butter, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pie.
Council supports BOE incumbents
Bill Maher and I are twins separated at birth (and a few years). In fact, we are so incredibly alike, I may demand a blood test! The left-leaning, cultural commentator and political wit thinks like me and I suspect by the enthusiasm of his audience there are others who might want a sample of…
I was talking with a friend the other day about immigration. It’s one of the most divisive issues of our time, and we, too, found ourselves divided. “Our country is full,” he quoted President Trump, who said this back in April. Let’s improve the country with the people we already have, my fr…
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley stood near Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday as he announced his 17-point plan to reform the state’s gun laws.
School board members supported
The downtown streets of Chagrin Falls are more crowded this week as the Chagrin Valley welcomes filmmakers and film fans to the annual Chagrin Documentary Film Festival. This is the 10th year for the fest started by Mary Ann Ponce in memory of her son, David, a documentary filmmaker who died…
Déjà vu! There was something familiar about last week’s Candidate’s Night in Chagrin Falls. Predictable might be a better word to describe it.
We are noticing increased traffic on the secondary streets of Solon. We suspect that drivers are avoiding the main thoroughfares of SOM, Aurora and even Solon roads that have been under construction this summer.
You’re probably chuckling already. Seriously? “The joy of politics”?
I recently attended my daughter’s wedding and I would like to offer a “what to expect” wedding guide for those yet to marry. This has nothing to do with the venue, dress, hair, makeup, food or flowers. Instead, this is about logistics and planning.
Support Pradip Kamat
My employer recently sent me the yearly reminder, “If you want to save a good chunk of money on your health insurance, you’ll have to get down to your recommended weight.”
Solon is going to be 200 years old next year, and local organizers are mapping plans for the city’s year-long celebration.
Court making improvements
Candidate budgets for school board races generally are modest. Two-term Orange Board of Education member Melanie Weltman of Pepper Pike spent between $3,000 and $4,000 in her first campaign mostly for mailings, yard signs and a newspaper ad. She pretty much has self-funded her campaigns and …
There is peace in the kingdom. It’s taken us all summer to get there, but we are, at long last, getting through entire days and nights without any hissing or growling.
Stacking the message
Way back in the time of landline telephones, cable television and Calvin and Hobbes, three friends sat down with a bottle of wine and wrote a sardonic guidebook for those striving to personify the perfection that was Chagrin Falls at that time.
The grades are in. The Ohio Department of Education delivered report cards to the 608 public school districts statewide late last week, including those in the Chagrin Valley, Solon and Geauga County.
That sweet smelling mist coming from electronic cigarettes seems harmless. After all, it’s just flavored steam. The reality is that this vapor could be extremely harmful, especially to children.
The White House recently ditched a plan that would have reduced Americans’ pharmacy costs by boosting transparency in the prescription drug supply chain.
A wave of protests is roiling Moscow. Millions of people, young and old, have been crowding the streets in Hong Kong. If democracy is on the ropes worldwide, as many voices currently insist, you’d have a hard time making the case from these headlines.
Did you have a good Labor Day? Or did you work?
