While the news so many times concerns “gloom and doom” recently in the Mercer County area, it’s nice to see that positive events locally continue to bring smiles to faces of people of all ages.
As the economic downturn has had a negative effect on people, congratulations go out to every organization that helps to provide an attitude shift — no matter how brief — for our citizens.
In just the last couple of weeks — from the Father’s Day Car Show in Hermitage on June 21 right through the Heritage Days in Greenville on Saturday — we have been blessed to have free entertainment opportunities provided for our families.
And at this time when people are losing jobs, taking pay cuts or staying near home rather than taking more expensive vacations, these types of activities provide great release to help boost the psyche.
The Father’s Day Car Show, presented by the Shenango Valley Antique Automobile Club, once again brought thousands of people into Hermitage to view the old cars. For many of us, it’s a reminder of simpler times when you could work on your own car without hooking up to a computer in a high-tech shop.
And speaking of automobiles. One of the most uplifting events of the year is the Greater Pennsylvania Super Kids Soap Box Derby for special-needs children in Sharon. While 37 youngsters took part on the East State Street hill on June 27, hundreds turned out to cheer them on.
Obviously, in an event like this, there are no losers and every child who participates comes away with a smile. While this provides a tremendous boost to all the youngsters, they, in turn, send a clear message of encouragement to all of us.
No matter how many difficulties you face in life, never give up. When race winner Noah Spaulding of Greenville sang “We Are the Champions,” tears flowed freely from everyone who took part.
Kudos to director Pam Dorfi and members of the Sharon Elks who work so hard to put on the races and have made it an example to other groups that are starting similar races in other areas.
Of course the annual Small Ships Revue in downtown Sharon brought a huge throng of people into the city to either take part in or witness the creative use of sailing apparatus on the Shenango River.
The June 26 event, sponsored by the Quaker Steak & Lube, celebrated its 29th year and is still going strong. It provides a lot of free fun for families and for a downtown area that has suffered considerable business loss in the last few decades.
Then Saturday in Greenville, the second Heritage Days attracted a lot of people from many areas to participate in various old-time activities. It provided a look at the way people lived, worked and played many years ago.
We applaud everyone who helped put on these activities the last few weeks so that families could have a good time without expensive vacation travel. And we look forward to many more local activities from county fairs to the annual Buhl Day.
And for all of us, in a year that celebrates the 70th anniversary of the wonderful family movie “The Wizard of Oz,” we again are reminded: “There’s no place like home!”
Opinion
OUR VIEW: Free fun in hard times? ‘There’s no place like home’
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Juicy tips will be far fewer without ‘Scoop’ on the phone
I enjoyed calling him Scoop. I was the newspaper guy, but for more years than I can remember, Gary Douglas was at the other end of phone calls on a regular basis.
“Did you hear about this? Did you hear about that? Did you hear about so-and-so? Better check this out. I’ll bet you haven’t heard about this.”
That usually was the flow of the conversation. Most of the time he was right. Some of the tips turned into stories that were fit to print, and others not so much.
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The only thing we have to fear is fear-mongering
To hear some folks tell it, it’s no longer morning in America, it’s five minutes to midnight. They say the United States, once the greatest nation on Earth, is today on a glide path to the ash heap of history.
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Super Bowl Sunday brings a super boost for the local economy
The game is more than a glitzy international event. It serves as a one-day boon to local economies like ours here at home.
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Punxsutawney Phil, Mitt and a litany of bad GOP hopefuls
Here are some thoughts from a guy who doesn’t put a whole lot of stock in rascally rodents that make weather forecasts.
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In Ed Likovich’s yard, apples don’t fall very far from the tree
Adage tells us that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It really applies to the Likovich family of Hermitage, specifically Ed the father and teacher and Ed the son and student.
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A smaller state legislature? Don’t hold your breath
Don't tell me that our state General Assembly is finally going to do what should have been done many years ago – cut the size of the Legislature.
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A sad end to life: History will determine JoePa’s legacy
I had the privilege, yes privilege and honor, of meeting Joe Paterno several times in my life, both as a student at Penn State and in my role as editor of The Herald. It was with a heavy heart when I learned that he was near death during the Mercer County Hall of Fame’s annual dinner at the Park Inn by Radisson Saturday, and that he had died Sunday.
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OUR VIEW: Dearth of candidate interest defies worth of legislative races
In case you hadn’t noticed, this is an election year. Actually every year is, but this is one of the big ones. Sure, there’s some sort of presidential race going on, but that’s just a sideshow to where the real action in this year’s election is – or at least should be.
Voters across the country will be electing every member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and here in Mercer County voters will help decide who represents three state House districts. -
Hall of Fame weekend stirs memories of ‘good old days’
Is there anything better than reminiscing about the “good old days”? That’s why I love the Mercer County Hall of Fame’s annual induction weekend.
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We couldn’t fool anyone - the neighborhood always snitched
An old African proverb tells us that it takes a village to raise a child. At least two books drawing lessons from the proverb have been written, including the most famous in 1996 by Hilary Clinton, “It Takes A Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us.”
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