Funerals have changed a lot over the years
Last week I had occasion to visit a local funeral home to offer condolences on the death of a man who had been one of a gaggle of teenage basketball players when our family moved into the house on Park Avenue.
May 22, 2008
Uhl Street intriguing mystery in Frostburg
Uhl Street, here in Frostburg, is one of the town's intriguing mysteries, beginning with the question of the pronunciation of the name. Should it be Coool, or Yule? I prefer the former, but I have no valid reason for objecting to anyone's associating it with Christmas.
May 15, 2008
We all need to develop a seeing eye
"You have to have a seeing eye!'' Helen Byrnes Miller told me, shortly after I moved to Allegany County more than half a century ago.
May 8, 2008
A recently-sold property recalls a family history
Oftentimes when properties in Frostburg change hands, the town is abuzz with speculation about the alterations the new owners might make, and memories of the people and events associated with the building. Some of what is said is history, much of it is mythology, but the stories are woven together in the fascinating tapestry of our town.
May 1, 2008
Dandelions hold promise summer will bring
When I look out my window at this time of year I see an expanse of fresh green grass studded with golden circlets like coins spilled from a careless magician's pouch.
April 24, 2008
History of town can be read in its architecture
One of the most historic sites in Frostburg is the property at the corner of Main and Water streets occupied by St. Paul's Lutheran Church and its parsonage.
April 17, 2008
There is a reason to celebrate
This is the time of year when I dye hard-boiled Easter eggs. It is not a necessary activity; it may even be silly since I have neither children nor grandchildren on hand to hunt them. But, like the cookies at Christmas time, they are a part of the seasonal celebration and I wouldn't feel right if I didn't conform.
March 20, 2008
The desire still there to become a novelist
When I was 8 or so, just beginning to make two-fingered attacks on Daddy's typewriter, I decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up.
March 13, 2008
Veterans of Great Depression dwindling group
Recent speculation about whether America is - or is not - on the brink of another depression had made me aware that I am one of a dwindling group who can remember the Big D Depression of the 1930s.
March 6, 2008
Frostburg lives with its history
When the Frostburg Historic District was established more than 30 years ago, we were told that owners of properties within the district would have the advantage of receiving tax credits and being eligible for grant money, provided that they met the criteria for historic structures.
