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A journey from Indian-clueless to Native-blessed

The Indians of my youth, as a child growing up in the 1960s, were mostly caricatures drawn from a time long ago, a time time defined not by their history but by America’s. They magically came … more

David Colburn | 6/22/22

Some thoughts I have as we turn with the seasons

As I write on my small deck, surrounded by flowers, on this Labor Day morning, I enjoy the chill that requires a sweater. For as long as I can remember, this shift from summer to autumn has been a … more

Betty Firth | 9/7/22

When good intentions turn out badly, or travels with a cat

Twenty years after the fact, the incident that taught me the meaning of the phrase “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” is still as vivid and horrifying as ever. My ex-wife … more

David Colburn | 9/21/23

From nil to NIL, fortunes improve for amateur athletes

Who remembers the good old days when coaches would turn their collective heads the other way as star college athletes would get paid under the table for their talent by unscrupulous boosters who … more

David Colburn | 11/16/22

Life has ups, life has dips...

Mid-July has arrived and as you look into the ditches along the roadsides, you see tall, spiky clusters of pink and purple wildflowers adding vibrance to the landscape. Fireweed is in season again … more

Scarlet Stone | 7/12/23

The mystery of the rhythms of sleep

“Sleeping is the most mysterious thing we do,” according to Bill Bryson, author of “The Body; A Guide for Occupants.” That was a new thought for me. I had thought of sleep as … more

Betty Firth | 2/21/24

T-minus 35 and counting; a simple life in the bitter cold

On the morning of Friday, Feb. 3, after a cozy night under my comforters, the moment my feet touched the floor, I had a hunch this was going to be one of those really tough days. Despite ample … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 2/8/23

Caesar’s wife and Ely’s ambulance service

The perception of a conflict of interest in government is a slippery slope. The Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital (EBCH) sent a letter to the Ely Area Ambulance Service listing several concerns it … more

Catie Clark | 7/12/23

Leaving the earth a better place

Three young men work in silence excavating the place where their grandmother’s body will be buried — free of harsh embalming chemicals or the effects of a fiery furnace. No concrete vault … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 4/26/23

A lifelong appreciation for the power of trees

As a young child, I discovered the most peaceful place in the whole world, or so I thought, high among the boughs of a backyard scotch pine. There I found refuge from the chaos inside my … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 12/6/23

We are supposed to do what?

“We have little time, so we must move very slowly.” Many years ago, when I was serving on the Friends for a Non-violent World (FNVW) board, the director, a lovely Quaker man named John … more

Betty Firth | 9/27/23

When pumping gas became a life-changing experience

When it comes to the world of work, for the most part I’ve been a very fortunate soul. From Dodge City to Chicago, from St. Louis to Los Angeles, and from hometown Marion to my newest home in … more

David Colburn | 9/14/22

Why do politicians run for office?

If you followed this year’s elections, at some point the question probably occurred to you: Why do people do this? The endless campaign events, the constant scrutiny… and increasingly, … more

Lee Hamilton | 11/23/22

Why don’t you get it?

Brené Brown, Ph.D., MSW, research professor at the University of Houston, is well-known for her many books and podcasts on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. While conducting training … more

Betty Firth | 2/15/23

Do you know anyone confined to an iron lung?

A picture is often worth 1,000 words. Here’s one that I drafted for a blog during the measles outbreak of 2019, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The whole point … more

Catie Clark | 12/13/23

The death of major college sports as we’ve known it

Well over a hundred years ago, alarms were being sounded about the deleterious effects of sports on the world of higher education. Football, played without pads or helmets in the early days, was … more

David Colburn | 2/28/24

ChatGPT, deepfakes, and the fabrication of truth

I hope you will all join me in offering hearty congratulations to our publisher, Marshall Helmberger, for being awarded a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for his ongoing coverage of the copper-nickel … more

David Colburn | 5/3/23

Gondolas, grapes, and grumbles...

Two weekends ago, after my son threatened for three years to get me on Lutsen’s Summit Express Gondola for a ride up to the top of Moose Mountain, his wish came true. He, his fiance Ashley, … more

Scarlet Stone | 10/4/23

Four travel lessons worth every penny

In the latest edition of National Geographic, the story of Jessica Nabongo, the first black woman to visit all of the world’s 195 countries and 10 territories triggered memories of the handful … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 7/6/22

Standing up for the right to read

The story began with a young girl who grew up in Watts, a south side neighborhood of Los Angeles, worlds away from her rural Louisiana home. Her family was part of the Great Migration that began in … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 12/1/22

Adult summer school has just ended

I am back from one of my periodic writing breaks. My last column was in the June 3 edition, and now it is three months later. Time does fly and in many ways I feel like I just completed summer … more

Scarlet Stone | 9/21/22

What the Florida Black history standards miss

There was little chance that approval of new standards for Black history education in Florida would slip by without igniting some sort of protest, given the state’s recent track record when it … more

David Colburn | 7/26/23

The joy of keeping it simple

This morning began as would any other. A little stiffness in my knees as my feet touched the floor. Strands of hair criss crossing my cheeks, the sign of a restless night’s sleep. I felt a … more

Kathleen McQuillan | 3/6/24

A lifeline of hope, or get up and do something

In our times there has been a lot of commentary about the aftermath of COVID. It is reported that young people and adults are expressing unusual levels of loneliness and disconnectedness, in spite of … more

Betty Firth | 5/10/23

Savor the light and the dark

Here in the midst of the holidays at the darkest time of the year, it feels right to explore the layers of light and dark that we experience in many ways in our lives. Author Susan Caine, through her … more

Betty Firth | 12/20/23