I was honored this past week to have the chance to speak to the Barnesville Rotary Club.

Dr. Douglas Huff, my eye doctor, extended the invitation and told me I could talk about any topic of my choosing. While I pondered leading a discussion about Ohio history and the township system that was celebrated on Feb. 1, I ultimately decided to share what I knew about the train derailment and chemical release that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, beginning on Feb. 3.

I think I made the right choice.

While I am certainly no expert on the subject, I probably do know a bit more than others in our area because of the number of news reports I have read and followed. The Times Leader has published numerous articles on all aspects of the disaster, courtesy of our sister newspapers based in that area.

Not only were members of the club welcoming and friendly during my visit, but they were truly interested and engaged in the discussion. Many of them had questions about what has happened and what the future may hold. One also asked about the journalist who was arrested there, and the club seemed appropriately outraged by that incident.

I hope that they enjoyed my visit as much as I did, and that I was able to share some important information that they may not otherwise have had.

Thank you, Dr. Huff, for having me as your guest, and thanks to all Barnesville Rotarians for your hospitality.

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Another burger update: For those who are interested in my ongoing project of trying recipes from the “Bob’s Burgers” joke cookbook, I highly recommend the “Foot Feta-ish Burger” that my husband, Mike, and I tried last week.

It was simple to make. Mix feta cheese with ground beef and form patties. Cook the burgers and place them atop a bed of arugula on the bottom half of the bun. Top with more feta cheese and a dash of Sriracha. Spread a mixture of mayonnaise and mustard on the bun tops and you are ready to eat.