Like so many of us, some of my favorite memories growing up involved the Christmas holidays. My mom always had an assortment of nuts set out for visitors, and my siblings and I were permitted to indulge in our share of the treats, too. I remember...

Never have four retirement community residents been so sneaky, clever, and intimidating. These septuagenarians have a few tricks up their sleeves and aren’t afraid to use them. They’ll use their age to their advantage, even if it means making a...

To the Editor: In our thirty-four years of paying taxes since moving to Martinsburg, my wife and I have always paid both the school tax and the per capita tax without question. This year I found out that I no longer have to pay the per capita tax....

Remember when you were in school and your teacher told you Mr. Smith in the classroom next door didn’t think you were smart enough to pass that big test, and it got you fired up to prove him wrong and you aced the exam? Of course you don’t,...

We usually think of Thanksgiving as a big family time with grandparents, kids, cousins, uncles, aunts and all the assorted relatives. While that may be true when you are young, life constantly changes traditions. Most of us know the first...

Death is a hard topic for many, but for Clover it’s just a regular part of life. She’s seen so many people take their last breath, it’s second nature. Though she hadn’t intended to keep track, she’s almost at one hundred. As a death doula...

Cassandra doesn’t react well to change. Cassandra is autistic. Change is a big deal. Yet, as we begin to follow Cassandra’s story, every aspect of her life is changing. Her job is ending; her relationship is ending; she’s even looking for a...

Produced by AH Comics Inc., “Moonshot” contains work from creators and stories from tribes all across North America. The graphic novel, edited by Hope Nicholson, showcases the beauty and depth of indigenous storytelling. Indigenous stories are hi...

Susie Crawford sent in this question last week: I have lived in Altoona for 12 years now. I’m 68 years old. I’ve made many friends my age and they were born and raised here, and they can’t answer this question, so maybe you can, please. Why...

To the Editor: It is time to vote! Have you taken time to see who is a candidate for each office? Are YOU ready to exercise your right to vote AND EXPRESS YOUR OPINION? It is our right, but also our responsibility. When you go to the polling site, pl...

Many times, good governing and fiscal responsibility require balancing a multitude of interests and priorities. When the Senate voted on House Bill 1300, our proposal for this current budget’s Fiscal Code, I believed that bill did that prudently...

When author Tory Anderson was obtaining degrees in liberal arts or working in the high tech industry, he never dreamed he’d one day pilot a yellow school bus, taking kids from home life to school life and back again. The aspiring writer looked on...

Most parents are familiar with bullying and have seen the harmful role it can play in the lives of children. While we know what it is, we may not always know the signs to look for to identify it. We are also not usually sure what to do about it if...

As the third annual NBC School District Alumni reunion got underway, it became apparent that this is no longer just a social group to meet old friends at an annual gathering. The program listed the mission statement which read: Alumni organizations...

Each character in Katherine Heiny’s latest short story collection comes with their own unique games and rituals. They may have a personal ritual that sets them apart from others. Edgar, the elderly man who swallowed his hearing aid when he mistook...

There’s an old adage that says, “opposites attract.” When it comes to how my wife and I were raised in different types of households, this expression hits the proverbial nail on the head. The verbal variations in each of our families was most a...

Note: These unedited letters regarding the election are printed in order of receipt. This is the final edition for political Letters to the Editor. Letters on the Nov. 7 election will not be printed in next weeks edition. Contact Editor Anna...

To the Editor: My name is Brian K. Gahagan and I am the School Board President that Mrs. Smith was referring to in her recent Letter to the Editor. I have been the president for seven of the nine years that I have been honored to serve the Spring...

‘Reckless Risks’ Associated with Doyle To the Editor: With 9 grandchildren and a son who is a police officer working in Blair County, I have been distressed with the rulings and performance of Judge Elizabeth Doyle. In one particular case, over...

To the Editor: It has been 20 years since my last letter to the editor in support of Elizabeth Doyle for Blair County Judge. I knew her then as an even tempered, kind and intelligent Magisterial District Justice and I valued her wisdom. Through the...

How do you stand up for yourself, and just as importantly, others when no one will listen? Sixteen-year-old Tom Cavanagh, who has survived his fair share of trauma, has made a new friend at school. Her name is Amy and she just happens to be the forme...

To the Editor: With a professional interest in the success and advancement of all schools within my legislative district, I am proud to enthusiastically support Andrea Greenleaf Moses for school director of the Spring Cove School District.   As the...

So the weather outside last week, for the most part, was not very frightful. In fact temperatures in the Cove got pretty close to 80 degrees! For the first week of October, I’ll take it! But now there can be no doubt – fall has arrived! And with...

National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 16-20, 2023. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Safe Kids Pennsylvania (SKPA), and many other organizations nationwide are urging drivers to...

On Oct. 17, 2023, join national nonprofit One Warm Coat as they kick off coat drive season. One Warm Coat Day brings awareness to the need for warmth and inspires people across the country to make a difference in their local communities. One Warm...

We meet Claire in book one of the series, “Odd Bird.” Eleven-year-old Claire Belle lives in a dense forest in North-central Pennsylvania and she loves birds. Not only that; they love her. In fact, they appear to find her irresistible. Hawks and...

This year marks the 83rd National Newspaper week. Since 1940, the first week in October has been set aside to shine a spotlight on community newspapers and remind readers why they play an important role in their lives. This year’s theme of “In...

Mrs. Jordan, an 80-year-old, longtime newspaper subscriber, recently called me to ask what channel the Little League Baseball World Series U.S. championship game would be on. I called her and told her. Not long after, Mr. Benson – a 20-year-old...

To the Editor: On April 6, 2006, the Herald printed an article (on page A3) entitled “1880 Silk Sunday School Map of Cove on Display at Library” about a map that had been donated to the Williamsburg Public Library. Because my Stayer ancestors...

Professor Theo Cray is a man of science. He thinks in mathematical equations. When he looks at the world he sees numbers – data and statistics. Perhaps that’s why he sees what others don’t when the killings begin. While on a research trip to...

To the Editor: Another of the basketball greats of the Morrisons Cove area, Don Witherspoon, was accorded his due as an important contributor to the Altoona community, as reported in a recent edition of the Herald. In the three seasons, 1958-61, I...

For the Sept. 21 edition of the Herald, Linda Williams wrote an excellent overview of the formation of the Northern Bedford County School District. If I may, I’d like to add a few words about the place that the Bloomfield school and the class of...

Situated in scenic Morrisons Cove, Northern Bedford County High School graduated its first class in 1963. Or so many think! The first NBC class graduated in 1958 and the seniors that year and all ensuing years up to 1963 graduated from the Smith buil...

Dealing with the invasive spotted lanternfly can be frustrating and challenging. Fortunately, Penn State Extension provides valuable resources, such as its Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide, to help people manage the pest effectively. Authored by...

Brent Spiner’s “Mem-Noir” is essentially a celebrity writing fan-fiction of his own life featuring the same show for which he rose to fame. There’s a strange relationship a star can have with fans. Fans come to know celebrities intimately. A...

To the Editor: Congratulations to Byron Smail on the publication of his Cove history about the many area iron furnaces of the 19th century. He deserves credit for tackling a task he didn’t know he could do until — he did it! My longtime...

If you’re raising children now, or if you’ve ever raised kids, you know about these Back to School Blues. They usually start to hit about mid-August every single year. The realization of summer break ending causes somewhat of a panic, spurring a...

It all started last Christmas when an echocardiogram revealed I needed a heart catheterization. The “cath” showed I had a leaky diseased aortic valve and to top it off, an aneurysm. I could get it fixed or die, simple as that. My family...