Last Sunday I was in church and rolled into the communion line on my wheelchair. One of the ushers, Tony a friend, approached to push me. I smiled, waved him off and said, “I’ve got this.” I kept up with the line and easily wheeled back to my place in back. Tony came up after church and ...

Thanksgiving week has arrived, marking the start of the sprint through the holiday season. Many of us will prepare or share in a big, traditional meal on Thursday. Families will gather in front of TV sets to watch parades and football. Then, once the dishes are done and the leftovers are put ...

It may seem hard to believe, but the rush of the holiday season is right around the corner. In fact, for some people the hustle and bustle already have begun. Following Thanksgiving is an unofficial holiday with the ominous-sounding name “Black Friday.” The moniker is fairly apt, since ...

After surgery on both knees, walking is out for the time being. I spent the last week at rehab learning how to take care of myself from a wheelchair until my legs heal. Things like putting on pants and socks require some training when you are in a wheelchair and can’t bend your knees. I ...

Everyone knows that November is the time of year to be thankful. What we may not realize, though, is that there are multiple occasions throughout the month when it is appropriate to express our gratitude. Monday will be one of those days. Monday is Veterans Day — a federal holiday ...

When I write one of these articles, I try to look at you, the reader, and decide what I could say or share that would make your life a little better. Last week’s article was a little different. I wrote that article for you but also for me. I needed to listen to some of my own words. I ...

November has arrived in rather frigid fashion and now it’s time for … trick or treat? Throughout much of the past week, social media and area streets and businesses were filled with people having heated debates over whether to “cancel Halloween” and reschedule trick or treat due to ...

Have you taken in some of the beautiful sights during this autumn season? Better hurry if not, the colorful leaves will be gone at the first sign of a strong wind. I love this time of year for other reasons as well. It is the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time ...

When my son was in high school, his soccer team had an undefeated regular season. I only remember them trailing once and that was briefly in the first half of one game. Everything went their way. They had no major injuries and really only one close game. They were clearly a very strong team. In ...

Bethesda lost a “ray” of sunshine last week with the death of a longtime resident and business owner. James William “Bill” Ray died Oct. 20 following a long battle against cancer. Bill was in Cartersville, Georgia, at the time of his passing, because his daughter, Marsha Massing, had ...

The Trump administration’s proposed methane rollbacks will cut essential safeguards to control volatile organic compounds and methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. These rollbacks would leave some infrastructure sites, including compressor stations and storage tanks located along ...

I remember one of the Sunday evening phone calls I had with my mother in Pittsburgh after “fracking” became a hot topic. Her comment was, “My gas bill is down $100 a month.” To a 90-year-old woman on a fixed income, that was a lot of money. In addition, her air and water were the ...

Earlier this month, the Ohio State Highway Patrol conducted a special enforcement operation on a portion of Interstate 70 in the center of Belmont County. The speed limit in that area ranges from 65-70 mph, but troopers found that the average speed of motorists was 88 mph! Fortunately, no ...

Our family became a little bit bigger on Saturday with the arrival of Tessa Ann Compston. The second daughter of my nephew, Jim Compston, and his wife, Jordan, Tessa arrived in the wee hours of Saturday morning. She weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces, and she appears to be healthy and perfect in ...

Last week I was working on a Shale Crescent USA project out of my home office when my doorbell rang. It was Bradley, my 7-year-old neighbor from across the street. He asked, “Mr. Kozera, will you catch football with me?” Bradley is a good kid. His mother is deployed with the military, so ...

Recently, I brought together a diverse group of Ohio faith leaders to discuss ways to better protect our houses of worship in the face of a troubling trend — rising numbers of hate-fueled attacks in our country and around the world. Here in America, our Jewish neighbors often bear the worst ...

When was the last time you received a letter in the mail? I’m not talking about a utility bill or a mass mailing generated by a computer. I’m talking about a genuine letter from someone who actually knows you — maybe even one that was written by hand. I cannot recall the last time I ...

I am really looking forward to Wednesday night. That evening, I plan to stroll the streets of Barnesville while waiting for a king to be crowned. It’s become an annual tradition at The Times Leader for me to cover the King Pumpkin Weigh-In on Wednesday during the week of the Barnesville ...

“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” -- Mahatma Gandhi, Indian activist That concept rings true to me. Throughout my entire life, I have been interested in growing things - a trait that seems to run in both sides of my family. Anyone who has read ...

“Somebody might need that someday.” That’s a phrase I came to dread as a kid. It was my dad’s philosophy on life. He was a child of the Depression and the oldest of seven boys growing up in Jackson County, Ohio, so he was well acquainted with making every little thing count. The fact ...