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Walking around Belmont for the health of it

With the arrival of spring and the tasks it brings, I noticed that I felt a bit more out of shape this year than I did last spring, so I decided to do something about it. Along with watching what I eat more closely, drinking healthier beverages and skipping the sodas, I decided that I wanted to take a walk every day that I could. I didn’t embark on a fancy fitness campaign. Instead, I just stepped out the front door and headed up the street. It seemed like a simple approach to get myself started, so I just set out to walk a large loop around Belmont. There are a few residents ...

Another year, another successful Tiny Tot Trot

The Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend and the Tiny Tot Trot have come and gone with another successful event on the books. The weather was cool last weekend, which was perfect for those running the Half Marathon or competing in the Tough as Nails Urban Challenge. But no chill in the air was going to keep our littlest participants from stretching their legs and making a dash for the finish line. Once again, we created a fun, festive atmosphere for the children, complete with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Parrot and Pierogies, games, toys, music and lots and lots of bubbles. Although I ...

Sunshine, celebrations and small-town charm

Summer is here, and with it comes a season full of events in Belmont County! Whether you’re a fan of food festivals, historic traditions, or live entertainment, there’s something happening nearly every weekend across our communities. It’s officially festival season—and there’s no better place to enjoy it than friendly, beautiful Belmont County. Memorial Day weekend kicked off a jam-packed summer, and we’ve already hit the ground running. Just this weekend, we welcomed visitors to events like the Barnesville Airport Day, and the first Ohio Valley Farmers Market of the ...

More than words — non-verbal communication crucial for humans

My daughter, Dannielle, her husband and Arnie, their 7-year-old golden retriever came home for Memorial Day weekend. Arnie can’t speak a word of English but has a large vocabulary. Words like treat, outside, toy, food and bedtime are commonly understood by most dogs. Arnie takes communication to another level with his eyes, facial expressions, grunts and barks. I have seen Arnie’s frustration when his masters don’t understand his various grunts. Dannielle knowns when Arnie grunts at 9 p.m. it’s time for his dental treat. I have no idea how he knows the time. Sitting at my ...

Graduates about to be dealing with the real world

the time, I didn’t realize how good college life was. Engineering classes were challenging with exams and projects but nothing like the real world. Stress and responsibility were low. I only had me to worry about. I had no bills to pay. My work-study job payed for entertainment and running my motorcycle. My only worry was a date for weekends. Parties at our apartment were routine. I had lots of friends. We went to WVU football and basketball games for free. Life was good but not sustainable. I had friends who chose to stay in college and get an advanced degree. For me it was time ...

Having some magical fun with the little ones

Well, all of that hard work I wrote about a couple of weeks ago paid off. My husband, Mike, performed his annual magic shows at Follansbee Primary School on Thursday, and he was a hit! Previously in this space, I wrote about his time-consuming preparations for those performances. He worked to identify and perfect several different effects that he knew this audience had never seen before. From the children who walked away with pieces of candy after serving as volunteers to the ones who shouted out in anticipation of what was going to happen next, I would say a great time was had by ...