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The ‘aha moment’ that really got to me

Last week, I informed readers that we would be sharing the stories of some amazing “Women of Progress” this past Monday-Wednesday. It was a project I was heavily involved in, and one that I truly enjoyed. As part of preparing those reports, we asked the women we interviewed to address certain questions in keeping with the theme of those section. One thing we asked them to describe was the “Aha! moment” when each of those individuals knew they had found their calling. We received a wide variety of answers, depending on the person, their field and how they became involved in ...

Tracking our ‘Progress’ from a female perspective

The Times Leader, along with our sister publications The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, will launch our annual “Progress” edition on Monday, bringing our readers six special sections over the course of three days. Each year, we provide these supplemental looks at aspects of life in the Ohio Valley, such as Education, Health Care, Community, Finance, Manufactuinrg & Technology, and Professional & Entrepreneurs. What is exciting about this year’s rendition of Progress is that it focuses soley on women and the pivotal roles they play in just about every field under the ...

We are doing a lot of things right in our region

A couple of weekends ago Lynnda and I rode the Greenbrier Express Winter Special from Cass, West Virginia, to the small mountain village of Durbin, West Virginia. Pulled by a 100-plus-year-old steam locomotive, the train follows the crystal-clear Greenbrier River through a wilderness portion of the Monongahela National Forest. Most of the scenery we saw is accessible only by train or on foot. We had a nice lunch at a restaurant in Durbin then grabbed some tasty scooped ice cream at a souvenir store before boarding the train for the return trip to Cass. We had a chance to visit with ...

Looking back on the history that defines us today

I am a historian at heart. As a kid, I read all kinds of books, but my favorites were historical accounts and historical fiction. That led to my college studies and my bachelor’s degree in history. Today, each time I do an interview and write an article, I feel that I am recording a tiny bit of history — saving those stories for posterity. As such, one of my favorite features of our newspaper is the Backward Glances photos. We publish our “glances” each weekday on the same page where you can find your horoscopes and some advice. Our readers enjoy the glances as well. Any ...

Better results if they like you and trust you

It was the week before Valentine’s Day. Lynnda and I were at the mall pre-pandemic. One of the jewelry stores was having a diamond sale. We went in and found a necklace Lynnda liked. It was very affordable. All the salesman had to do was smile and take my credit card. Bradley, my 11-year-old neighbor, could have made the sale. The salesman was a jerk. He ignored Lynnda, who would be wearing the necklace. Lynnda walked out saying, “If you buy it, I won’t wear it.” I looked at the salesman, “Sorry, you heard the lady.” We bought at another jewelry store. Jeffrey Gitomer, Hall ...

Cheers to Punxsutawney Phil and his hopeful forecast

Could the groundhog be right? Could we really be blessed with an early spring this year? I think it’s possible, and I have seen and heard some signs. Friday was Groundhog Day — an occasion when humans turn to a rodent for all the answers about our weather. The most famous of these furry forecasters is Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania. When he was pulled from his burrow amid much pomp and circumstance beneath an overcast sky early Friday morning, he did not see his shadow. Tradition holds that, as a result, we can expect winter to loosen its grip and anticipate that spring will ...