Back when Mike Rafferty started this tradition (back in 2012 if you’re keeping score), he used to come up with clever puns for each of the predictions. I’ve tried to do this over the years, but 1. I’m not as clever as Raff and B. Even if I were that clever, this piece has grown
READ MOREThe 1958 NFL championship overtime “sudden death” game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants is considered by many sports historians as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” One man, Andy France, longtime former rector of the historic Trinity Episcopal Church in Williamsport, was there. And Webb Weekly would like to bring you France’s
READ MOREThere are very polarizing opinions about winter weather — you either love it or hate it. While ice and snow are beautiful and bring winter sports fun, they can also cause treacherous conditions for roads and sidewalks with the potential to wreak havoc on our bodies. Though many people may prefer to stay inside and
READ MOREFirst and foremost, always stress the four universal rules of firearm safety: – Treat any firearm as if it is loaded. – Practice muzzle control. – Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. – Always be sure of your target and the area around and beyond it. These are the critical rules
READ MOREBeth DeJesus England has always had a passion for art. It has been something she has loved for as long as she can remember. Her talent for art recently yielded her national recognition when she won the Jerry Malloy Negro League Baseball Research Conference’s Art Contest with her painting of the outfield of the 1924-1927
READ MOREDid you know that the word ingenious is related to engine? That vermilion is spelled with only one “L” and thus not tied to million — but rather to worm and vermicelli? Or that a saucer is so named because it once commonly held — well, sauce! We’re in the realm of etymology, or “word
READ MOREWith the winners of the NFL championship games determined, the debate will rage on for the next twelve days as to which team will emerge from Las Vegas as the 2024 Super Bowl champ. Both opinions and money will flow freely as it is estimated between 20 & 25 billion dollars will be wagered on
READ MOREI taught an elective course on Future Studies at a business college in Europe. The students were quite interested in knowing what skills and possibilities in employment would be out there when they entered the working world. It is obviously a shaky science as we have no way of knowing the future and, at best,
READ MOREThe Crosscutters Hot Stove League Banquet, held on January 17th, was considered a success by attendees and organizers. The banquet was highlighted by the presence of former standout Pirate relief pitcher Kent Tekulve, ESPN sportscaster Tim Kirkjian, newest Bowman Field Hall of Fame inductee Chris Carlin, and newest Williamsport Sports Walk inductee Denise Day. Regrettably,
READ MOREI have, and while it occurred more than 25 years ago, I can still visualize the sighting as if it were yesterday. Fresh snow had fallen the night before, and I was hiking a logging road in the deep woods of Lycoming County. The newly fallen snow was ideal for picking out and following any
READ MOREThis week, the Williamsport Crosscutters will be hosting their annual Hot Stove League Banquet at the Genetti, which features former 1979 standout relief pitcher Kent Tukulve and Muncy’s own Ed Ott, a catcher on that team, as well as ESPN commentator Tim Kurkijan. The “Hot Stove League” is a time-honored baseball term that means baseball
READ MOREYes, yes, I know it is a long time out, but believe me, it will be here before we know it. I am speaking about the upcoming Primary Election on April 23rd and the General Election on November 5th. Many political prognosticators, who are wiser than I am, believe this might be one of the
READ MOREFirst, here are a few facts regarding Mr. Coyote. In just a few weeks, the breeding season begins. Females have one heat period, which lasts 4-5 days and occurs sometime during a 4-6 week period beginning in February. The gestation period runs 58-63 days, resulting in 5-7 pups being born mid-April to early May. While
READ MOREIn an article a couple of weeks ago, I talked about getting started in the art of fly-tying and acquiring the necessary tools to get into the business. Of course, once you have the tools and you begin mastering some of the basics, it is time to gather the materials needed to construct the flies
READ MOREIt’s fitting that George Clooney’s crowd-pleasing Boys in the Boat focuses on rich and privileged know-it-alls being bested by working-class heroes at the 1936 Olympics. Fitting, I say, because privileged know-it-alls — i.e., American critics and the left-leaning Hollywood establishment — already do not care for this film; I’m sure it won’t see a single
READ MOREThe timing for Martin Luther King Jr. Day can be a little awkward for our publication. Because we come out on Wednesday, we are either really early or too late. But that doesn’t mean that we skip it. Next week brings us MLK Dream Week, presented by STEP AmeriCorps, Penn College, Lycoming College, the Central
READ MOREI’ll be honest, like a lot of other hunters, after using high-powered rifles with powerful telescopic sights to take a deer, switching to a black-powder flintlock didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence. Over the years, more and more hunters began to pursue deer in the late flintlock season, and I, too, eventually added
READ MOREMarilouise Mazzante and I have been friends for a long time. We first met my sophomore year at Williamsport High. I was in her classroom for honors History. Maz was outstanding, passionate, and tough. I learned a great deal, and she is easily in my top five. She was a fantastic teacher. A terrific motivator
READ MOREWhen Christmas was celebrated 93 years ago in 1930, the country was in the middle of a dire economic downturn that would become known as the Great Depression. The year 1930 saw men, women, and children waiting in breadlines and going to soup kitchens in order to receive basic sustenance for their bodies. Those who
READ MOREThe one comment I receive more often than any other from this column is the discovery of the role of county government. Most citizens focus their attention to local government and those who are directing it: city or borough council members or township supervisors. This is normal because Pennsylvania was designed this way. Townships and
READ MOREWith only a few more shopping days before Christmas morning arrives, hopefully, you have taken care of all of the major items on your gift list and can now turn your attention to the last-minute items and the ever-popular “stocking stuffers.” I reflect back fondly, to the early days when the three stockings, hand-knit by
READ MOREOne of the joys of scribing is getting to know so many great kids involved with sports. We would get to know one another in high school, and then we would stay in touch. Sometimes, I will do a college or professional follow-up. Yes. It is always fun. There is an impressive list. This keeps
READ MOREWith the utmost respect for Thomas Jefferson and his fellow Declaration of Independence signees, as the month-long college bowl season is about to commence — we hold these truths to be self-evident: Ohio State can’t beat Michigan, Penn State can’t beat either one, and some college boosters and administrations are shelling out millions of dollars
READ MORESo, which do you believe — The Farmer’s Almanac, the Weather Channel, or some good old-fashioned indications from nature — to predict what this coming winter weather will be? Snow is beginning to accumulate from the Great Lakes effect, and snow showers have been intermittently falling lately. Some predictions indicate that we may be in
READ MOREA half century of effort to secure flood control for Williamsport culminated today with the groundbreaking ceremonies marking the beginning of work on the first unit of the five-million-dollar local project. Several hundred persons braved the freezing weather to witness the program. After congratulatory addresses from a specially constructed platform in the field between Fourth
READ MOREWe still have a month left in 2023, but the upcoming year may be one of this century’s most important years, and we need to get ready. The United States has never been more divided than it is right now. Given that even antisemitism is publicly displayed, and in the spirit of ‘diversity’ considered acceptable
READ MOREHere we are, a week before Thanksgiving (as of me writing). How is this even possible? As I drove Ty to school the other morning, the sunrise was remarkable. The scenery we saw just told us it was mid-November. It would have been the perfect photo for a November calendar. As we crested farther up
READ MOREPass the salt, please. Did you remember to add lots of butter? Of course, you did. What’s popcorn without butter and salt? What’s a movie without popcorn? And what’s a movie without these great books about Hollywood and TV? It’s been said that the great director Alfred Hitchcock was obsessed with having beautiful blonde women
READ MORELet’s face it: we love competitions. It is amazing how people who have almost nothing in common become bosom buddies when rooting for their team at a sports event. There is nothing like victory, no matter what it represents, including elections. These ‘races’ on election day result in someone coming in ahead of the others.
READ MOREElk were native to Pennsylvania when the first European settlers arrived in our area, but the elk were no doubt a major and much-needed food source at that time. There were obviously no hunting regulations, and by the 1870s, Pennsylvania’s native elk were believed to be gone. The creation of the Game Commission, however, in
READ MOREI have been an avid hunter my whole life but never got into archery hunting until I bought my first compound bow last year. I spent last fall in the woods witnessing my first rut and became instantly hooked. Although I wasn’t successful in harvesting an archery buck last fall, the experience of being in
READ MOREFor the month of November, I thought it would be nice to write about being thankful. This is a scary world we are living in, and if we dwell on the hate and cruelty of this world, it could really get you down. We need to focus on things we should be thankful for. From
READ MOREIf you are a country music fan, most likely at one time or another, you have heard the song “I Wanna Talk About Me.” It was a 2001 Toby Keith hit that reached number one on the charts. Its lyrics detailed the relationship of a man dating a woman who constantly wanted to talk about
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