Allegheny Almanac

Growing up with racism in Western Pennsylvania

What is racism? Do casual words or phrases have any real meaning? Times Observer blogger Lydia Cottrell unabashedly says she grew up with it, but now is the time re-examine hurtful words. The title of her most recent blog is Change The Tradition.

You can read her entire blog entry at the Times Observer at this link.

Also of interest:

Getting Over Race in West Virginia

An inexpensive greenhouse

by Denise Grant

Fall is always busy and this season is no exception. I have the perennial gardens going in and more lay out to do for the gardening business. Its also cider pressing time which I have to admit is one of my favorite fall adventures. Top this off with the shrub clipping I am starting and fall clean up and I know why the days go so fast.

This week I am also getting the green house ready for winter use and one small greenhouse set up for my new clippings and plants that I am going to over winter. I plan on saving geraniums, begonias, potato vines, and mums. The one greenhouse I set up costs me about 50 dollars in materials. I also heat it using solar water heating, making use of mini climates and if the temperatures are really low one light bulb.

Will Warren County buck the trend? Three weeks to election day.

Warren County for Obama/Biden hosts Get-Out-The-Vote meeting
An average of Pennsylvania polls today shows McCain is behind in the keystone state by double digits. Most political analysts say that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh may go heavily for the Democratic candidate but that the other half of the state, the rural counties, will strongly favor the Republican cause. A recent increase in voter registrations in Warren County has put local Democrats just 2,000 voters behind Republicans, the closest this has come perhaps in local history.