SUSAN BOYLE: I DREAMED A DREAM (COLUMBIA/SYCO) ** "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Susan Boyle deserves so much better than the painfully obvious and/or bombastic settings she's given on her debut album. Its failings are no surprise, given that it's overseen by 19 Entertainment, parent company of "Britain's Got Talent," "American Idol" and so on. ...more

November 27, 2009

This letter is being sent to address concerns of infrastructure and ongoing maintenance regarding the Oak Hill Cemetery located in Lake Placid. Our parents started visiting Lake Placid over 50 years ago, purchase property and have lived there full time for over 25 years. Our father (deceased since 2005) would many times refer to Lake Placid as God's country. However, the town does not seem so special when visiting the cemetery; as we understand, a town responsibility. It is difficult enough to lose a loved one but when visiting the cemetery which is in such disrepair; it only creates additional sadness and anxiety. Mom and dad decided a long time ago that they wanted to remain in Lake Placid, even after burial. One might ask why. ...more

November 17, 2009

I sat at a traffic light at State Road 60 and 22nd Street in Tampa on Thursday as law enforcement agencies escorted a hearse bearing the body of a soldier who had died in service to our country. He was home for burial. I arrived home a short time later and turned on the news to see that numerous brave souls awaiting deployment overseas were killed in Texas. ...more

November 7, 2009

Maura Tierney says she is dropping out of the new NBC series "Parenthood" to continue her treatment for breast cancer. ...more

September 11, 2009

We grownups are often too busy, too stressed or just too plain tired to remember just how important the power of imagination happens to be. While we might have enjoyed our days of wonder and merriment in playing make believe as children, far too many of us forget this side of ourselves when we reach a certain age. ...more

February 11, 2009

And I thought taking my 90-year-old mother's car keys away was hard! Now my brothers and I are facing the heartbreaking task of getting mom out of her home and into an assisted living facility (ALF). I hope my readers will bear with me as I relate some of the sadness in my life right now. Just as I was getting somewhat settled after the shock of my husband's death, the "busy-ness" of settling his estate, and the effort of putting my own life in order, I got a call saying my mother is in the hospital with a series of mini-strokes. ...more

February 11, 2009

Barack Obama on Tuesday abruptly abandoned his nomination fight for Tom Daschle and a second major appointee who failed to pay all their taxes, fearing a lingering ethics dispute would undercut his claims to moral high ground and cripple his presidency in just its second week. "I screwed up," Obama declared. ...more

February 3, 2009

Monday will be the second anniversary of a tragic time in our county. It's the date State Trooper Sgt. Nick Sottile was shot down along U.S. 27 north of Lake Placid. It's a date that those who knew Sottile, and those who did not, were in shock at the brutality that happened that afternoon against a man known and loved in his community. ...more

January 11, 2009

Regarding Saturday's front page: I cannot believe anyone would be remotely interested in hearing the 911 call made during someone's most horrific nightmare come true ("Mother, Her 3 Sons Discovered Dead"). Our city would be better served by attending a sporting event to see people at their finest. ...more

November 4, 2008

The past few days have been a nightmare for Natalie Giambarberee, and none of it feels real, she said. Alicia Chomic, her best friend for 10 years, was a happy person who went to the beach and shopping with her and always helped lift her spirits. But on Friday morning, the body of Chomic, 23, was found in a bedroom with the bodies of Chomic's sons, Anthony Michael Lietz Jr., 15 months; Damian Michael Lietz, 2; and Thomas Anthony Goldsmith Jr., 4. ...more

November 3, 2008