By Joseph W. Smith III Last week, I celebrated the 10th “Weird Words” column with a selection of 10-letter terms. Having thus observed my minor milestone, this week’s installment is devoted to something without which I could never do these pieces: the English dictionary. Back in pre-internet days, when folks always needed books or libraries
READ MOREOne of the things I’m sure we all enjoy is going down the road and spotting young wild critters, and high on that list, I’m sure, are fawn deer. I and several others I’ve talked to have had one or more occasions where we had to stop our vehicles to avoid hitting one or two
READ MORESummertime celebrations with friends, family and neighbors are a perfect way to enjoy the sunshine, warm weather and camaraderie. To satisfy a hungry crowd, though, you’ll need recipes fit for the occasion. Turn to a versatile signature ingredient like Grapes from California, which can be used in dishes of all kinds from refreshing salads and
READ MOREBeauty trends, like fashion trends, tend to be cyclic, waning in and out, then resurging every few years. For the past several years, beauty trended toward the multi-step, multi-product, maximalist approach. You may have heard of the 10-step Korean Skincare Systems or having a variety of single-use products for specific parts of the face. Well,
READ MORELast week, Webb’s Weird Words paid homage to the current bestseller Covenant of Water, by Abraham Verghese. When all was said and done, I wound up adding nearly 40 new words from Verghese’s novel to the ongoing list of oddball vocab I use for these columns. Most were Indian or medical words, since the novel
READ MOREHomeowners’ fasciation with a lush, green lawn is something that has developed over time and is still “growing” strong. According to a 2019 survey conducted on behalf of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, 81 percent of all Americans had lawns and 79 percent said a lawn is an important feature when buying or renting
READ MOREEvery person who has ever lived is a unique human being. We have fingerprints that are individual to us, but it is also true that the iris of our eyes, the rim of our ears, our tongue, our toes, our teeth — all are ours and ours alone. Yet, we also have a strong inner
READ MOREHoney is an unsung hero of the pantry. Honey may not feature as the main ingredient in many dishes, but it’s often utilized to add flavor. And when stricken with sore throats, many people turn to honey to help alleviate that discomfort. Despite its utility, honey does not garner much consideration from the average consumer.
READ MOREEating healthy is a priority for many Americans but knowing where to start and with what foods may be a little trickier. One way to level up the nutritional value of your meals is to better understand whole grains and why they are important for a heart-healthy diet. As a key feature of heart-healthy diets,
READ MOREMy life-long affiliation with and enjoyment of baseball and basketball has included decades of coaching the games I love. Those years have also included several seasons of umpiring games at various levels of play. While coaching decisions are sometimes questioned by the game’s fans, such differences of opinion are often greatly overshadowed when it comes
READ MOREWeddings are special events that celebrate two individuals’ love for one another. Weddings bring together friends and family to witness couples share vows and devote their lives to each other. Wedding guests recognize that certain components are commonplace in ceremonies and receptions. Perhaps you were once a ring bearer or caught the bouquet? There’s a
READ MOREThe James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., will be the recipient of a portion of funds from the sale of “Liberry” ice cream at Eder’s Ice Cream, 2242 PA-87, Montoursville. The fundraising sale will take place during the month of July and feature a blueberry-flavored “Liberry” ice cream. Since 1927, Eder’s Ice Cream
READ MOREThere is no denying the relief cool air provides when the temperatures outdoors are particularly steamy. In fact, having a place to cool off is a necessity for those who have succumbed to heat exhaustion or have difficulty regulating their body temperatures. Even though air conditioning can provide relief, some people are reluctant to turn
READ MOREHoney bees are an amazing asset to our environment since they pollinate almost 90% of all wild plants and 75% of leading global crops. One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depend on pollinators such as bees, and crops that depend on pollination from bees are five times more valuable than those that
READ MOREHappy 247th Independence Day, America! Please fasten your seatbelts as summer is about to fly by, the night sky illuminated by the fireworks of the 4th of July. This seems like the perfect place to begin my article, as I had a chance to grab lunch with Mayor Derek Slaughter last week. He informed me
READ MOREThe Lycoming County Library System recently added a new online platform for readers of comics, graphic novels and manga called Comics Plus. Comics Plus, powered by LibraryPass, is a digital platform offering thousands of digital comics, graphic novels and manga to readers using a smartphone, tablet, or web browser, and can be downloaded to multiple
READ MOREPaul Kurt is a young man training to be a police officer in his native Frankenberg, Germany, located in the state of Hesse. He has cousins living here in Williamsport and made arrangements to intern with the Williamsport Bureau of Police. For the past several months, he has served with them doing that internship and
READ MOREIf there is one group of volunteers that deserves infinitely more recognition than they receive, it is our local volunteer fire companies. They spend countless hours training for every kind of emergency imaginable, and one of these is landfill fires. On Saturday afternoon, June 3rd, there was a major fire at the Lycoming County Resource
READ MOREWhen you hear the word ‘pepper,’ I bet the first thing that comes to mind is ‘hot.’ Yes, some are hot, but did you know that there are hundreds of different varieties of pepper plants? Some varieties can be as sweet as sugar. Peppers are a vegetable that I enjoy growing. Pepper plants are easy
READ MOREOver the years, I have tried many different methods to support my tomato plants. I can remember working with my father in his garden, pounding in the individual wooden stakes to support each plant. They would break or rot within a few years, and we would have to replace them. When I started planning for
READ MOREHopefully, as you’re reading this, the smoke has cleared, some rain has fallen, and summer weather has returned to the West Branch Valley. As I write this, we have gone 36 days without measurable rainfall. We’ve all seen things we could have never imagined in recent years. As the smoke blew into our country from
READ MOREIt’s funny how you see or hear something, and it takes you back to something you hadn’t thought about in years. Today my son Tyler was getting ready to go fishing at the river. It’s hot, and the sun is bright. I packed him some snacks in my lunch box and made sure he had
READ MOREMy least favorite task when gardening is weeding. I often think that when I pull one weed, two more weeds appear! Over the years, I have tried many ways to control weed problems. Below are some ways that may help prevent weeds from taking over your garden. One of the easiest methods is to look
READ MOREThe Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., a $3,000 grant to support the Summer Learning Program. This local grant is a part of the Foundation’s largest, one-day literacy donation of more than $13 million throughout the 47 states in which Dollar General operates to support adult, family
READ MOREThe James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., will host the program, “Kindergarten Prep!” for children starting kindergarten in the fall. Drop off your child to practice some kindergarten skills. During this program your child will explore math, science, early literacy tasks, cut with scissors, learn to line up, and practice building independence skills.
READ MOREA colorful garden in full bloom is an aesthetically appealing sight each spring and summer. The pleasant aromas emanating from such spaces only add to their appeal. Many variables contribute to a thriving garden, and perhaps none is more important than bees. North America is home to thousands of species of bees, but many of
READ MOREFinally, gardening season is upon us! Last week my son was working with me in the garden. He was watching me prepare the garden and plant my herbs. When I gave him the tray and asked if he wanted to plant the rest, his eyes lit up, and he went to work. I was excited
READ MOREColds might not be as common in summer as they are in winter, but anyone who has ever had a cold when the weather outside is warm and inviting knows just how unpleasant a runny nose, sore throat and lack of energy can be when everyone else seems to be outside soaking up the sun.
READ MOREWhenever the accomplishments of local basketball talent are discussed, Kelly Mazzante’s name is at the forefront of the conversation. Such was again the case with the recent announcement that Mazzante had left Bucknell University to accept an assistant coaching position at Georgetown University. The former Montoursville High School and Penn State University standout enjoyed a
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