When David Potter was a teenager living with his grandparents, he was unsure about what career path he should take. Potter grew up with humble beginnings in Pikeville, Ky., and was destined to become a third generation coal miner. He said the mining town did not have many opportunities, and with his friend heading down the wrong path, he began to think about his own career path. “When it came time for me to choose a career path, I really thought about how I grew up,” Potter said. “Throughout elementary and high school, I was involved in sports and different…
Browsing: Commentary
On January 21, my mother and I went to the Women’s March on Washington. Our arrival was smooth; we parked, jumped on the Metro, and made our way to the district. The atmosphere was rather jolly on the Metro, even at 6 a.m. Women from all over our country had come to stand up for Women’s Rights; our rights over our bodies, our salaries, and our equality in this country. It was amazing to see so many men, women, and children descending upon Washington, D.C., and a beautiful example of our wonderful democracy. As I have stated in previous pieces,…
I have been writing this column since 1998, when this paper started and I was a lieutenant at Fire Station 1 in Chester. My assigned task was to write about what I was seeing, from the vantage point of Engine 1, attempting to educate our community. I cannot say that I knew what I was biting off by accepting the role as a pro bono columnist. At first, my writing was focused on Chester and Chesterfield. I then began to expand my scope based upon what I was seeing in ministry. It was at this point that I received pushback…
Hello and welcome to the start of tax time at the Dogpound. Yes, I know it is still months away but I am an eager beaver when it comes to taxes. It is like a dagger hanging over my head held by a thin piece of thread. The best way to get rid of that image is to get my stuff organized ahead of time, and when that last financial form arrives in the mail, I am off to the post office to let my CPA handle all the forms and calculations. I could probably do it myself…maybe…but I decided…
It is already occurring, garden fans. Innocent crepe myrtle trees being “pruned.” More like being hacked. The excessive pruning practice of “topping,” or “Crepe Murder” as it is often called, usually begins in February. Well meaning homeowners and commercial property managers have their reasons for reducing the height of these summer bloomers. The tree is “too tall,” “not shaped,” or my favorite “it promotes flowering.” This crime against arboriculture has to stop! The crepe myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, is native to China and Korea, but has been grown successfully in America since the late 18th century. They are a favorite of…
Cancer is a terrible disease that has affected far too many. My hope and prayer is that the word cancer will be removed from our vocabulary once the disease has been eradicated and a cure found. I have seen cancer’s effect on many, but the most alarming statistics are in the fire service. I have walked with some who have had good results with treatment, surgery or both, but I have also walked with others that this dreaded disease took their lives. A friend and former battalion chief I served has been in this fight for some time. Today, I…
By Roy Mastro and Stella Edwards What is a “suitcase child?” He or she can be defined as a child that is a victim of their parent’s divorce/custody proceedings in our judicial system. Such children keep their suitcase packed because they are being ordered by the legal system to frequently travel from one parent’s home to the other parent’s home, sometimes forty to fifty miles away or even a greater distance. They give up time spent in childhood activities with their friends in the neighborhood or from their school. Eventually, they feel like outsiders among their friends. Many of these children…
A fire in a single-family dwelling recently occurred in a neighboring jurisdiction. The tragedy was that this fire claimed the lives of two and caused two to have to jump from a second floor window. My thoughts and prayers go out to this family as they deal with this unspeakable loss. As raw as this incident may be, we must talk about this in an attempt to educate. I do not remember if the news reported working smoke alarms, but I am going to present three possibilities, based upon years of experience. The first possibility is that there were no…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. You would have thought that after the presidential election was over that things would settle down, and the start of a new year would allow us to catch our breath…but no….it does not appear like that is happening. Matter of fact it seems to be getting worse. Does beg the question, if the election went the other way would there be this much moaning and gnashing of teeth? Speaking of emotional pain, we have experienced some of that at work as well. We started the new year very relaxed,…
Dickie and Alena King celebrated their 10th anniversary on Nov. 14. It was also the day, Maria, an 11-year-old Bulgarian girl officially became part of their family. “That is the day I got her into my arms,” said Alena. The Kings had planned a trip to Las Vegas for their anniversary, tickets were purchased, but when the call came notifying the Kings that the adoption had been approved, Alena was on a plane to Bulgaria to bring their new family member home. “We [Dickie and Alena] always wanted to have a family together. From our first date we talked about…