I approached the counter to order food three times recently – a local pizza stop, a hamburger joint and a breakfast café – and during each debit transaction, I was asked for a tip. Hmmm? Exceptional service? No. Friendly greeting? Somewhat. Extra amenities? Nope. Tip “creeping’’ is the practice of expanding tipsContinue reading “I suffer from tipping fatigue, but remain generous to wait staff”
Author Archives: jimholleran29
Forget the big, bad Yankees; I’ll root for underdog Guardians
I’ve been anticipating this series all baseball season. I heard the Facebook chirping of Billy Hockey about the New York Yankees having the best record in the American League. I drove daily past the Yankees banner on my neighbors’ front porch. Most annoyingly, the perceived slights from games at Yankee Stadium are searedContinue reading “Forget the big, bad Yankees; I’ll root for underdog Guardians”
Whether sculpture, painting or jewelry, Monteith finds passion
When neighbors tore the tin roof off their home, Debra Monteith seized the opportunity. The Morristown artist claimed the tin for her latest project, fashioned angel wings and mounted them on a piece of driftwood. She affixed some red hair and dubbed the sculpture “Florence of the St. Lawrence,’’ in honor of her lateContinue reading “Whether sculpture, painting or jewelry, Monteith finds passion”
Senior golf becomes a test of sight, memory and aging
The senior golf season ended mercifully last week in a hail of errant drives, bad pitches and missed putts. Our team, favored to win the season-ending tournament since it had romped in the last event, couldn’t hit the ocean bottom from the deck of the Titanic. Our putts hit some edges, and weContinue reading “Senior golf becomes a test of sight, memory and aging”
The retired Odd Couple rehashes battle of the sexes
During the drive home, somewhere near Dover, Del., I tapped the radio button to turn off the sound. We were going to resolve this retirement question, raised three months ago in this column space. I had lamented that Mary’s pending retirement was about to disrupt my comfortable weekday routine, carefully cultivated over fourContinue reading “The retired Odd Couple rehashes battle of the sexes”
Robert Decker follows same path as prominent North County artist
Robert Decker won’t compare himself to renowned North Country artist Michael Ringer, but the similarities are striking. Both developed a love of art as youths, earned fine arts degrees from Rochester Institute of Technology, taught high school art classes, and emerged as commercial successes. Ringer ranks as the pre-eminent sculptor and painter ofContinue reading “Robert Decker follows same path as prominent North County artist”
Water chestnuts foul Oswegatchie, St. Lawrence and Black Lake
Brad Baldwin wanted to experience life in a small, quiet town so he packed up his doctorate in environmental science and moved to St. Lawrence University in 1995. He knew Canton would be close to countless Adirondack rivers and lakes and the expansive St. Lawrence River. Nothing has been quiet in recent years.Continue reading “Water chestnuts foul Oswegatchie, St. Lawrence and Black Lake”
Valedictorians look backward, then turn attention to future
Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) is spinning among his parents’ friends in the living room of his commencement party, accepting hugs, congratulations and advice in the 1967 film The Graduate, when a party-goer grabs him by the arm and insists, “Plastics are the future.’’ “Plastics’’ became a popular one-liner of my youth, long after RhettContinue reading “Valedictorians look backward, then turn attention to future”
Remembering the ferry boats linking Canada, U.S. shores
When Rick Johnson delivers a presentation Thursday on St. Lawrence River ferries, he’ll reminisce about simpler times from the 1920s through the 1950s. He’ll show sepia-tinted photos, cite the working families that manned the boats, detail how passengers boarded trains or buses to shop in Ogdensburg, and recall how his grandparents labored toContinue reading “Remembering the ferry boats linking Canada, U.S. shores”
Sailing through life with the Ship to Shore Chef
Imagine you’re a parent and your daughters, still in their late teens, announce they want to work on Great Lakes freighters. The deckhands usually are exclusively male. Perhaps it’s a 70,000-ton coal carrier with grime everywhere. The middle of Ontario or Huron or Superior can seem like the ocean when wind-driven swells reachContinue reading “Sailing through life with the Ship to Shore Chef “
Holleran Gets It Write 