The Kennedy who destroyed the family legacy of service and humanitarianism Back in the 1950s, I was a young child. I suffered from the usual maladies of youth, but the one that I remember most clearly was the Measles. All I remember is having a rash over my body, and our family doctor, Dr. Charles Solomon, aka Doc Solly, treated me for it. I remember being violently sick for days and he managed to treat me through the vagaries of the illness. My parents had arranged for me to

How quickly we forgot the devastation I took the vaccines, wore a mask, followed scientists' advice, and never contracted Covid. I was around people in the same house who contracted Covid, yet I did not. Luck? Perhaps, but I believe that it occurred for two reasons. I was vaccinated not just once but continue to receive the updates. Second, I followed the advice of scientists who told us to mask up, keep social distance, avoid crowds, and take care of myself -- and most impor

The First Amendment protects all religions Neil Gorsuch will never be seen as a liberal in legal philosophy. He is not as far right as Alito and Thomas are, but he is close. That is why many conservatives were outraged when he correctly interpreted the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States, shocking those of us who have known that for years — while the SCOTUS ignored it. The first words of that amendment are very easy to understand, but are often misinterpr

June 02, 2020 Kershaw Shannon, my first black friend Johnstown High School Yearbook, 1963 ... and the words of Jesus Christ were so important, if only people would heed them As our nation battles another losing effort in combating racism, I am immensely grateful that I never became a racist. Growing up in an all-white coal-mining community in Western Pennsylvania, I never encountered a black in person until I was about ten-years-old. More about that later, but that experienc

Repost from August 17, 2017 ... a wonderful friend during those six years Over the course of the past 45 years of my professional life, I have met some very classy people. Whether it was in education, coaching, journalism, public life, sports, or volunteer activities, many people have impressed me during this time. However, I truly believe that Jerry Roberts was the classiest person of them all, along with being the most knowledgeable about defensive football. In addition,

… The 1968 championship QB is calling audibles from heaven A repost from another site about five years ago. On a few nights in late October 2010, I slept overnight at the Conemaugh Hospital palliative care unit. My brother, Father Jim, was clinging to life at the end of a long battle with cancer, and this unit was designed to make life easier for those in the final stages of disease — and for the families who wanted to spend their last days with their loved ones. It was at th

1966 -- 2026 This may be our last class reunion — only time will tell, but we want to make it one that all will remember. The Class of 1966 will hold its 60th Class Reunion on Sept. 19, 2026, at the Lilly American Legion. We will have more details in the future, but we wanted to let everyone know about the date. I sent in the contract and the money today, so we are all set. We need members of the class who might want to serve on a committee. We do not need a tremendous amount

Conemaugh Hospital Some members of Congress are attempting to improve the American health care system by eliminating ownership of hospitals and nursing homes by organizations that they believe have been destroying the system. This would have a tremendous impact in the state of Pennsylvania, including in Johnstown, Pa., where the sole hospital was taken over more than a decade ago by a group financed through a private equity firm. Questions about the future of this organizatio

The United States made tremendous sacrifices during World War II, and without them, the world could have been under the control of two authoritarian despots named Hitler and Hirohito. However, arriving there was a treacherous road. The country had been dominated by isolationists in the 1930s, men like Charles Lindbergh and Father Charles Coughlin who were opposed to any kind of action in foreign wars. Coughlin was a Catholic priest with a tremendous national radio following w

The Birthrighter: “A Golden Generation” of US Soccer”? First, I have to make an admission. I have never watched a World Cup game in my 79-year history. I played it as a youngster at a summer camp in Pennsylvania and enjoyed it, but I know none of the rules — except for the red card. I realize that it is played with a round ball and you have to kick it through a goal. That is the depth of my knowledge. However, with the interest in the World Cup, I thought that maybe I should

Thomas Jefferson: The author of the Declaration of Independence The history of what became the United States of America should be written by historians, not politicians. If historians were to be honoring those who were key in drafting the Declaration of Independence, which is what July 4 actually celebrates, they would not be thinking primarily of Ferris Wheels or reflecting pools or a series of un-historical freedom trucks. Instead, they would be encouraging Americans to rea

Joey McGivney leading Fox Chapel Phil McGivney’s love of basketball started in a rural area of Western Pa. known as Scanlon Hill, a few miles outside of Lilly, Pa., a small coal-mining community bisected by the Pennsylvania Railroad. His family were the Scanlons, and his Aunt Ruth was a member of the first girls basketball team at Lilly High School in the 1920s. His uncle also taught him the rudiments of the game as a youngster. Phil's passion for basketball grew quickly, and

The Crisis by Thomas Paine December 23, 1776 THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness

More of the ICE wrath of the evangelicals who tried to stop JFK This is just plain sickening. Sister Leticia Ugboaja is a registered nurse who is a member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy. She was walking a short distance to Sunday mass where she serves an extraordinary minister at Our Lady of Sorrow Church when she was arrested by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Why? No one knows, and ICE has not responded to requests for comments about it includin

The Founding Fathers were not perfect. They made a major omission in the Constitution that led to the deaths of more than 600 thousand soldiers in the battle for slavery in the Civil War. The Fathers did not give women the right to vote. The Fathers did not really implement the idea of “All men are created equal.” It is in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence that was written by Thomas Jefferson that was released on our birthday, July 4, 1776. However, they

… a little history of Lilly basketball Just 25 years after their memorable season, members of what is arguably the greatest basketball team in its history met to recall those years. The old clipping from 71 years ago, circa 1950s, shows members of that team and its coaches at a reunion in March. The story is one that is special because the team compiled the best record of any team in history. The Raiders, though they were not called by that moniker in 1924, started their bask

The loneliness of Elizabeth Eckford Elizabeth Eckford demonstrated courage in 1957 when she walked through a group of outraged parents and students in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was a lonely trek for the young 15-year-old who was one of nine African-American high school students who were entering the all-whie Central High School in September. What made Elizabeth’s walk different from her other black classmates was that she did not go together with them because she had no phone

RIP Ron Segada Lilly, Pa. was a coal-mining town in its early days, and many of the men in the community spent their time working underground to provide that resource and earn a good living for themselves and their families. The work was difficult, challenging, and dangerous, and in the early years, the miners had to fight for their rights. That meant that they had to join together to pursue their benefits in those years even if that meant going on strike. When I sadly read i

My beautiful parents at a dance, at either Sunset Ballroom or St. Francis College When I was born on March 29, 1947, my father was 41 years old. My mother was just short of 40 and was able to reach her birthday in a few months. That means that my parents had lived four decades before I came into existence. We had a pre-war and post-war family. My brother Jim was born in 1938 and my sister Patsy in 1939. It was almost like we were from different generations — and we were. I kn

Beaver Stadium, Penn State University Who could have thought that I would ever be celebrating the 55th anniversary of my undergraduate commencement on June 12, 1971. That was a joyous day, but today’s celebration is also very happy. Maybe I can reach 60. What I distinctly remember is that it was a beautiful, sunny day in front of about 35,000 people at Beaver Stadium. Today, PSU no longer has the entire class together for commencement, but that was what made it special. We di