Opinion

Dear Neil: We bought a redbud tree while it was blooming. When it leafed out, its leaves were burgundy, but now that we’re into summer the leaves have taken on a dark green cast. Is that normal? I really like the burgundy.

As I sit here in my uneasy chair, I can hear the screams and guffaws of what sound like about 500 teenagers in my backyard swimming pool for my middle daughter’s high school graduation party, and I wonder if a sufficient supply of chlorine shock treatments exists for that water ever to recover.

As Democrats’ prospects in the 2022 mid-term elections dim, the party needs to revive itself with what was once a reliable constituency – Hispanic voters. A Wall Street Journal poll taken in December found Hispanic voters split 37% to 37% “if the election were held today.” The Journal poll also showed that Hispanic voters mirror the overall voter pool.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2:26 (NIV) Both NPR News and the Washington Post reported last week there have been over 240 mass shootings in 2020. Many of these we never heard about.

Summer is here and so are the hot temperatures. Triple digits are expected to be with us all week. Summer is a time of hard work and high temperatures. That’s why it’s important for children, workers, farmers, and ranchers to know the signs of heat stress and exhaustion. What is signs of heat stroke, heat over exposure, or just being in the sun too long?

Dear Neil: How can I get poison ivy out of a large holly shrub? It sprouted up under the shrub, and before I knew it was there it was completely shrouding the bush. You will need to work very carefully.

For the month of June, Karan’s Korner will focus on National Dairy Month. Why is it important to eat dairy products? They are the richest source of calcium, which is needed for strong teeth and bones.

The only worry I had was that Old Man Miller might be hiding out behind the shed trying to catch us running through his garden when we played tag in our back yards. If you grew up in the 1970s in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

In the wake of every mass killing in this country, politicians do what politicians do, which is to circle their respective wagons, and offer solutions that fail to get to the heart of the issue. I don’t have a dog in the gun control fight.

Monday was Memorial Day. I had the honor of giving the opening prayer for our annual observance of the holiday in Zero Stone Park.