The search was on. I needed to find the perfect friend for my disabled brother, Steve. Steve, due to a head injury, was going blind, losing his hearing, acquiring a speech impediment, and becoming… Read more

President Reagan told a funny story during the last days of his administration. It was about Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers. It seems that Dumas and a friend had a severe argument…. Read more

My days are spent running, not necessarily on foot, but from home to work to children’s activities. There are the other duties that I must fit in among all of that, like household chores, grocery… Read more

Julia burst into the kitchen. “Grampa George, you’re not in the newspaper!” “Julia, what in the world are you talking about?” Julia’s dad glanced at his father with a question mark… Read more

In the days before television, my after-school baby sitter was a non-profit organization called the Neighborhood House. It was actually two frame houses where families once lived. The front house was… Read more

Permanent appointment as a Junior Engineering Aid Grade I (rodman) in a Massachusetts Department of Public Works survey party had given me $145 a month income, enough for my widowed mother and I to… Read more

The first thing that catches your eye is the misspelling of the word baseball. Back in the late 19th century, base ball was the correct spelling. And if you are a fan of the game (not really going… Read more

Horses grazying in sun warmed field. Brown coats glistening. Song birds singing, nests built, feeding young. Butterflies and bees flying, finding flowers, Flowers blooming, myriad… Read more

Question: I have approximately $300,000 in my 401 (k). How can I be sure that when I retire, I will never run out of money? Allison K. Answer: Allison, that is a very valid concern. One hundred… Read more

Just like everyone has unique fingerprints, everyone has footprints, and as we continue to walk through life, we begin to notice that though some of these prints fade, others remain. Our carbon… Read more

This spring’s cool, rainy weather slowed down more than sunbathers in the Westfield River Watershed. Fewer migrating fish returned to the Westfield River this year and they are arriving later. Fish… Read more

It wasn’t long ago that Gil Manos was an outstanding high-school athlete in three major sports – baseball, basketball and football. Baseball was his favorite. He also was an honor student with the… Read more