Opinion
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Hook: Glorious Gossip
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Don’t make the mistake of thinking gossip trivial or unimportant. Do not dwell on the details. You wish to convey an air of knowingness, not a proof of knowledge, and by attempting too elaborate a narrative, you run the risk of getting it wrong. Somebody else in the room might have better information, and you…
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Inside/Outside State College: Give the People What They Want
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Inside/Outside State College is a regular column by Jeff Deitrich offering views on downtown and the outdoors within a 30-minute driving distance. Give the people what they want. And what they want in downtown State College, I am not surprised to say, is more and better dining options! That’s according to an admittedly unscientific survey…
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Paterno: A Reminder of How Much Our History Matters
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“At a time when there are those who seek to ban books, bury history…..while darkness and denialism can hide much, they erase nothing.” –President Joe Biden at an event recognizing Emmett Till. That quote appeared in the book “The Barn” written by Wright Thompson, which I read this fall. Given recent events and that Black…
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Happiness Is Fleeting. Joy Is Lasting
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“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again, I say, ‘Rejoice!’”- Philippians 4:4 (NIV) I can’t remember when I first heard the saying, “Happiness is fleeting. Joy is lasting.” I don’t remember who said it either, but since then I have heard it in countless seminars, church sermons and Bible studies again and again, and I…
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Letters: No Accountability for PFAS Contamination; SAVE Act Will Impact All Voters; Exacerbating Gambling Losses
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For more than five years, families in my neighborhood have lived with a reality no one should accept: Our water is contaminated with PFAS—“forever chemicals” linked to serious health risks—and the source has been traced to the Penn State University Airport. Penn State publicly presents itself as a “good neighbor” and responsible community steward. For…
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Op-Ed: Growth of Data Centers Has Serious Impact on Electricity Supply, Costs and the Environment
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Artificial intelligence has come to occupy large parts of our lives in a very short time. This rapid change has required massive investment in data centers. Because of data centers’ impacts on electricity, we thought it would be prudent to place solid information in the public eye. Right now university administrations in Pennsylvania have called…
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Paterno: Memories and Pride of Pa.-Made Woolrich Coats Endure
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On the Monday before the Penn State outdoor hockey game, I was going through our basement cedar closet, looking for the best extreme cold weather coat. That is where I found a blue wool Woolrich coat from the early 1990s. For those who don’t know, Woolrich coats were a big deal to many in Central…
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Battista: Hockey in Beaver Stadium Another Dream Come True
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“You see things; you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’” – George Bernard Shaw This George Bernard Shaw quote is hanging in my home office. It’s not just a platitude in my life; it’s been a philosophy that I have tried to live by throughout my career,…
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Frank: It’s Bye-Bye Bezos for This Consumer
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We’re done, Jeff. For a while, I found you irresistible. Anything I wanted, you’d bring it to my door, sometimes within 24 hours. I needed to send a gift, you’d do it for me: no trip to the mall, no wrapping or packing, no waiting in line at the post office. I wanted to read…
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Hook: SCASD Should Rein in Tax Increases, Get Voter Buy-In
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According to their budget for 2025-2026, the State College Area School District expects to receive $204 million from local and state sources to educate approximately 7,600 students. That equates to a bit over $26,800 per student. Except, the district won’t educate 7,600 students with that money. In that number are around 350 charter school students,…