Columns

Fun facts: The word “yet” has a few meanings. As an adverb it references “a continuing state or condition.” As a conjunction, it introduces a contrasting fact or thought. As a modifier, it intensifies meaning, as in “yet again.” Another column of observation from Pierre Ratte.

Last weekend, I went to the hair salon to get some highlights. The guy that colors my hair is fabulous, in his early 30s, really sweet. We were gabbing about life, how my teens are liking their new school and our gossip drifted to the topic of social media. He uses it for his business, a necessity we all know in order compete and thrive professionally. And then the conversation turned personal. We joked around about how old we are and feel when it comes to comparing the world now and the world 20 years ago. And then he asked me a very interesting question.

Piper

Who’d have thought that lilacs were related to privet? Encountering lilac, we recollect the lovely fragrance discovered in childhood while meandering in a garden. Spying the privet, if we’re smart, we yank out the small seedlings growing in profusion beneath the canopy of this invasive, domineering...

Among our community’s more silent and less-discussed problems is childhood obesity.