Category Archives: Uncategorized

You never know what you’re going to encounter in my neighborhood. Some days it is as tranquil as Vic Damone singing “On the Street Where You Live.’’ Other days, all I can think of is Green Day grinding through “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.’’       At the end of the cul de sac, the folks weContinue reading “There’s nowhere else on earth I’d rather be than on the streets where I live”

  When I first began writing for Dave Shea’s sports website in March 2021, which morphed into this Journal gig, I dubbed this column “Reflections of a River Rat.’’ I figured it gave a Thousand Islands exile, living in suburban Rochester, some street cred in St. Lawrence County.     Then I wondered if I wasContinue reading “River Rat, or living in a van down by the St. Lawrence?”

When the three of us piled in the minivan on Friday morning, we headed to the Great New York State Fair. Six years had passed between treks to Syracuse for Mary and me; for our friend Michelle it had been 36.   We weren’t traveling to see the butter sculpture, hold our noses in theContinue reading “We laughed through state fair, but didn’t Wang Chung tonight”

    Jeff Johnson, married father of five, plays golf once a week, runs in a two-season basketball league, volunteers for the Brier Hill Fire Department, makes ambulance runs to Albany, Vermont and Syracuse, and works full-time as an emergency management officer for Fort Drum.    His busy schedule and resume would not be complete unlessContinue reading “Hoops? Golf? St. Lawrence River diver prefers water hazards 100 feet down”

Credit two individuals with a fleeting connection in Morristown, three chirping nieces, a baker from South Carolina, a post-wedding visit and my buddy’s cordless drill for starting the PIE Network.   The Network is a loose association of friends and family who make and distribute apple pies to recognize people who could use a lift.Continue reading “Grandma’s style, S.C. recipe become main ingredients for PIE Network”

        The week was going to be a refresher course on parenthood. It turned out to be basic training.           I was a little skittish last Friday when I picked up my granddaughter Vivian for the first time in two months, she locked her eyes on this aging face and burst into a howl.Continue reading “Diapers, crying and lullabies reflect grandparent boot camp”

City historian Julie Madlin might have retired from teaching in June, but you’ll still find her in her classroom — the streets of Ogdensburg.     Perhaps on a weekday afternoon, she’ll be leading a walking tour among the historic homes on Washington Street where some of the city’s leading citizens have lived and worked. OrContinue reading “History teacher moves her classroom to city streets”

Before I delivered a reading for our goddaughter’s wedding, my wife kidded me how I resembled the passage.   The epistle from Saint Paul to the Corinthians is a standard at Catholic weddings: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.’’Continue reading “Let’s go to the hop? Wedding dancing redefined by mosh pit”

    When an old friend proposed we write a book on the Irish in St. Lawrence County, I jumped. Fantastic idea, I thought.    She earned a doctorate in English; I spent 30 years as a newspaper reporter and editor and authored a corporate history for my daughter’s human services agency.    The prospect ofContinue reading “Lasting Irish legacy rooted in failed plan to seize Canada”

    My baseball buddy Lauren and I gathered for our monthly breakfast to whine about injuries on our fantasy teams, talk sports and politics, and plan our next road trip to Cleveland for the Guardians vs. the Phillies.    Each month, the conversation turns to refereeing. I relay stories from high school lacrosse fields andContinue reading “Think twice before berating those blind, arrogant umpires”