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The New Normal: Abnormal

Columns

There’s poison in the air outside my house, a bitter smoke of ashes and hot freeway, and it is keeping us all inside. Yesterday morning, the kids’ summer camp announced that the planned trip to the pool had been cancelled. They would do activities indoors all day. “How high can it get?” one of the boys asked, and I admitted I didn’t know. We had gone through a stretch of bad air a few years earlier — also due to invading smoke from Canadian wildfires — and I remembered feeling worried back then, seeing numbers in the 180s. The air quality index for the town today ...

Patient who underwent surgery for femur walks with a bad limp

Columns

DEAR DR ROACH: I’m an 80-year-old female who sustained a right femur fracture in February. I had surgery within 24 hours of the incident. Surgery went well, and I was discharged two days later. Recovery at home has also gone well. I’m using a walker and a cane for mobility assistance. The hospital referred a home-based physical and occupational therapy company that set up a twice-a-week program at my home. So far, I’m doing well at 14 weeks, just not quite back to my usual activities. When I try walking around my house without the walker or cane, I have a very distinct limp, and ...

Dear Annie: Kids’ sports have squashed our summer fun

Columns

Dear Annie: I always pictured summer as the one time of year when our family could finally slow down. During the school year, we are all racing from homework to practices to carpools to late dinners. I thought summer would bring beach days, lazy mornings, cookouts and maybe one real vacation where we could reconnect without everyone checking a team schedule. Instead, our summers have become just as busy as the school year, maybe busier. My 13-year-old son plays on a travel baseball team, and my 15-year-old daughter plays competitive soccer. Between practices, tournaments, showcases and ...

Durty Dabbers

Letters to the editor

Carol McDermit Lock Haven The weekend of May 30-31, the People’s United Methodist Church of Farrandsville had the pleasure of serving breakfast to the Durty Dabber Cycle Club at the Castanea picnic grounds. This annual event is one of our church’s biggest fundraisers, and we are incredibly grateful to the club for once again allowing us the opportunity to serve them. A special thank you goes to Lisa Bolopue and Lana Sachetti for all of their hard work and dedication throughout the weekend. We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the local businesses that ...

Accuracy is integral

Letters to the editor

Bland J. Rossman Veterans of Foreign Wars Club, Post 1630 Lock Haven We are writing as veterans and members of the Clinton County community regarding recent advertisements featuring Terry Banfill. We believe certain statements concerning his military service should be reviewed and verified before being presented as fact. Those of us who have served understand the importance of accurately representing military service, assignments, qualifications and awards. Military service carries significant meaning, and many veterans feel strongly that public accounts of such service should be ...

Word recall difficulty causes concern in 70-year-old female

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy 70-year-old female who still works full-time and plays tennis regularly. I’m 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 140 pounds. My concern is my memory, especially my speech. English is my second language, but I’ve been in the United States for over 40 years. Words often disappear from me when I need them and come back later when the subject is closed. When I shared my concern with my friend, I was told that nicotine patches are helpful for memory loss, even though I’m no longer a smoker. I quit smoking 15 years ago after decades of smoking. What’s ...