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State of the Grandsons Message

Today’s column is an update on how our five grandsons fared in 2023, and our wishes for them and us through the new year. Our eldest grandson, Rufus, 19, started college at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., enrolled in a program which will give him a bachelor’s in computer science and a cyber security master’s in four years. Pretty smart. Home-schooled by his mother, Miss T, as all three of their boys are, Rufus had already accumulated 27 college credits while in high school. Geneva is far enough for him to enjoy some independence and “the college experience,” but near ...

Before you set those resolutions

A number of years ago Family Recovery Center was offered a weekly space on the pages of the Salem News. Eloise Traina snapped up the opportunity. Dr. Traina passed away in 2022, and Eloise Traina has retired, but she requested a reprint of the first New Year’s article her husband wrote for the agency. We hope that you enjoy it. A couple of weeks ago, as I was sitting in the kitchen, having my morning coffee, the Director of the Family Recovery Center emerged from the bedroom. Not being a member of Congress, I don’t have to confess that I sleep with a particular woman. Out of the ...

Newell Bridge to the rescue again

On an episode of the TV game show Jeopardy aired last Thursday, Dec. 21, one of the clues was, “West Virginia has a statue of this half-human half-insect creature supposedly first sighted in Point Pleasant in the mid-1960s.” “What is The Mothman?” correctly asked one of the contestants. Residents of the East Liverpool, Ohio, and Chester, W.Va., area who saw that Jeopardy episode may have wondered, as I did, whether that question was inspired by the sudden closure on Dec. 11 of the Jennings Randolph Bridge on the Ohio River here. Mothman. Silver Bridge. Chester Bridge. ...

‘Conjuring up images’

Christmas Eve is a magic time. I’ll prove it to you in a moment. Try my formula for bringing back memories, sometime between 11 and midnight Christmas Eve when quiet finally has settled on the home. Turn off the television set. Turn off all the floor lamps and the table lamps in the room. But make certain the colored lights still are glowing on the Christmas tree, reflecting on the picture window if possible. Then relax in your favorite chair in the quiet darkness and look toward the picture window. Allow your mind to rove back through all the Christmas times of the past, a ...

New year a good time for older adults to commit to healthier, happier lifestyle

Editor’s Note: The following column previously ran Jan. 1, 2022. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for ...

Gratitude for public support of FRC’s mission

Season’s Greetings and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. As we approach the culmination of the year, I extend sincere holiday greetings on behalf of the Family Recovery Center. Reflecting on the past year, we acknowledge the challenges that have touched our lives and communities. In the face of adversity, we are mindful of the uncertainties many individuals and families endure, be it economic struggles, the constant barrage of distressing news, or the ongoing impact of the pandemic. It is with gratitude that we recognize the continued support from the ...