September day, America was struck at its heart — not only in New York City, Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania — but in the spirit of every American who watched in horror as nearly 3,000 innocent lives were lost. Today, as we pause to remember,...
Saddened. Embarrassed. Determined. These three words evoke distinct feelings and emotions. In the context of an opinion piece we ran in the last week’s paper, they describe the aftermath of a community that lost its newspaper. After 130 years in business, the Commerce...
This week the media is focusing on Sunshine Week. It is a time to celebrate a free press and what it means for you and your community to have access to public information. Several weeks ago, I read a letter that should be shared with every community. While the message...
Dear Rusty: Can or does the Social Security Administration occasionally make mistakes in determining the benefits due? I’m now 72 but I retired early at age 61 and knew that my benefits would be reduced. I’ve always wondered if my monthly benefit calculation was...
Whatever our political views, certainly we can agree we have the right to know how government is conducting business. How are taxpayer dollars spent? Who is influencing decisions? Access to information allows us to speak up and hold public officials accountable, while...
Protect your child from becoming a victim The internet is a wealth of inÂformation, but it is also a place where danger is just one click away. Today, most teens – and now many children - have access to a smartphone or a computer, however, many parents are unÂaware of...
You’re probably chuckÂling already. Seriously? “The joy of politics”? That was pretty much the reÂaction I got the other day when, in the middle of a conversation about how confrontational, adÂversarial, and downright unÂpleasant politics has become of late, I...
Democracy’s premise is that ordinary citiÂzens can make solid decisions on complex issues. But this basic principle and the structure of laws and pracÂtices erected over the centuÂries to safeguard it are being questioned as rarely before. It’s not just that political...
This week, October 6 – 12, 2019, marks National Newspaper Week, which, in my view, is a celebration of the First Amendment. This week is a confirmation of our freedom of speech, our right to a free press, our right to peaceably assemble and our right to petition the...
