Opinion

Ahh, we’re coming into my favorite time of year. Summer is winding down and Autumn is approaching. September is a month of drastic change in the natural world. The noticeably shorter days are causing chlorophyll production to taper off exposing other pigments within leaves.

The Bard said, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Yet the names people in the past gave to the common plants in our gardens were rarely arbitrary.

An exciting and highly anticipated event finally happened — the opening of the newest Portage County park, right here in Brimfield — the Kame-Esker Bog! Who is it named after? The correct question is WHAT is it named after?

I see you. I am here for you. I will not turn away. You matter to me. These words are an example of what it means to “bear witness.” We see — we witness — many things in our everyday lives, but bearing witness is something else.

Members of this order have a three-phase life cycle. Eggs are laid underwater. The eggs hatch into nymphs which look nothing like the adults.

It started more than 100 years ago when the three Bianco sisters arrived from Erice, Sicily, with their husbands, Antonina and Gaspar Bica, Rosa and Giovanne Bruno and Diaga and Paul Sgaraglino.

The Portage County Randolph Fair is in full swing, so I’m including it in this week’s Setlist. Come on out and enjoy!

Our camping season had gotten off to a rocky start, it rained just about the whole month of May and we dealt with catastrophic electrical issues in June.

Windham’s PTO will be hosting a Back 2 School Bash for all Windham students on Thursday, Aug. 27 during Meet the Teacher Night.

Get ready to celebrate with our county’s greatest show! The 168th Portage County Fair (Aug. 25-30) will be bigger than ever partly due to an increase of 4-H youth who are participating. 

2026 has been a challenging and difficult year for a lot of families in Portage County, with many living paycheck to paycheck, barely keeping up with the rising cost of, well, everything. But even in these trying times, it is important – and perhaps necessary – to celebrate some of the good that is happening, too.

I hope you all are getting ready for the 2026-2027 school year. Summer is once again slowly moving to the rearview mirror of 2026.

If I had had any input into the senior needs assessment for their consideration (and I was not asked), I would have put a priority on a program to help senior citizens remain in their own homes.

This week I would like to recognize a band with over 55 years of contributions to the local music scene, the incomparable 15-60-75, aka The Numbers Band. 

The Knights of Columbus of St. Ambrose Church will host a steak dinner from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 at the St. Ambrose Church’s Hall, 10692 Freedom St., in Garrettsville.

If you didn't make it out to the 23rd Annual Charlestown Summer Festival and Cruise In, you missed a fun afternoon. The winner of the Grand Prize Raffle, which included a Blackstone Grill, a $150 Duma Meat gift card and grill accessories was Susan Robenstine.