Breaking News

Opinion

Christmas trees can tell a story all their own

Local Columns

There is something about the soft, steady glow of a Christmas tree. Have you ever taken the time to notice? Christmas trees can tell a story all their own. No matter what city, what town you may live in, if you were to walk past the windows of each and every home on any given block, you would see that no two stories are quite the same. In some living rooms, the trees stand tall, triumphant. The floor beneath is nearly hidden from view. These are the homes where wrapped boxes are stacked high. Each gift contains a curled ribbon and bows to add to the anticipation. Tags ...

Guest column/May your beloved traditions never fade

Local Columns

I’ve been on this planet, barreling around the sun for nearly six decades. My people, the so-called Generation-X, were the last to experience the low-tech, analog world, and the first to experience the explosion of digital technology and its pervasive encroachment on everyday life. As a member of this gap-bridging generation, I can say, without a doubt, that technology ruined Christmas. At least part of it. And it’s not the simple rose-colored glasses of childhood memories. It really did ruin it. Recently, through the magic of the Roku streaming service, my wife and I ...

Guest column/A stocking filled with some penny candy

Local Columns

The wonderful Nutcracker Village in downtown Steubenville continues to evoke a feeling of joy, goodwill and generosity experienced during this holiday season, like Christmastime, which is part of the festive traditions, Tchaikovsky’s dance of the sugar plum fairy, a kindness, and spending time with loved ones. This cavalier Toy Soldier world of the Mouse King is cultivated by decorating, listening to Dean Martin sing “White Christmas” and a Sunday School choral performing, baking fresh gingerbread cookies, and general positive cinnamon in the air feelings, giving a new ...

History in the Hills: Christmas time is here

Local Columns

Christmas time is finally here. It always seems like a long time coming. In our house, we usually start to decorate early because we have family visiting around Thanksgiving that we generally don’t see before the big day. Our tree was put up, (this year two of them) and because we moved recently, we needed to go through all the decorations and find new places for them, which is always a fun time. Opening boxes of decorations is always a trip down memory lane for me because the sight of these things brings back many memories of those who have given them to us over the years. We ...

Stick to what you know

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: A recent guest column in the Herald-Star caught my attention (“Vaccines don’t cause autism — here’s how we know,” Dec. 7.) The author proclaimed that vaccines do not cause autism. I decided to find out more about the author as his biography only mentioned that he was the parent of an autistic child. It was difficult to find information about Greg Scaduto. He is described as a finance leader and a frequent contributor to U.S. News and World Report. This article indicated that he has limited knowledge about statistics and medical research. I am a retired ...

True hall of famers

Local Columns

There are some people who you can watch play and know right away they are true hall of famers. Consider, for example, some of the greats that many of us have cheered in Pittsburgh. Watching Roberto Clemente, for instance, always was a magical experience. You could sense his greatness as a player and as a person by the way he carried himself on and off the field. He remains one of the greatest defensive right fielders to have ever played the game, and his arm was one of the strongest — and most accurate — ever. He won 12 Gold Gloves — a number which ties him with another ...