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Opinion

  • Osborne: House halfway through 2014...

    It was a busy time in Frankfort this past week as we reached the midway point of the 2014 Regular Session. This week was also the deadline for the drafting of any new legislation.

    This week our House budget review subcommittees finished work on the next two-year Executive Branch budget, we heard the first round of testimony on eminent domain issues related to the proposed Bluegrass Pipeline natural gas liquids project, and we moved legislation that would give one-time, low-level felons a chance to have their felony records erased.

  • The power of a smile

    I was five years old shopping at the grocery store with my mom. We were in the checkout line and I smiled at the lady checking out before us. The lady took a nickel from her change and gave it to me and told me my smile had made her day. She told me to keep smiling.

  • Dreaming the night away

    I have a pretty active nightlife. Occasionally, I find myself performing sultry tunes in a smoky lounge, or feverishly dancing with handsome men under the flashy lights of a discotheque, but these things don’t happen as often as I’d like. More often than not, I’m desperate. Desperately trying to save my children from a catastrophe, desperately searching for a clean, private stall in a public restroom, or having conversations with dead people, desperately trying to convey things I wish I’d said while they were still living.

  • Letters to the editor Feb. 27

    Friday night I witnessed a powerful event at the North Oldham High School basketball game. The manager of their team has been with them for six years. Tee Salinas is now a senior. Tee, who has Down syndrome, takes pride in all his duties involved in managing the team. To Tee the basketball team is an extended family.

    His coach Chris Stobaugh is quoted as saying “he is one of us.” Tee is included, accepted and very comfortable in being a member of the team.

  • The battle of wills: Who do you...

    What we believe about God will tell us a lot about ourselves.

    The prophet Isaiah shared this revelation from God about who God thinks He is. In Isaiah 45:5-6 we read, “I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other.”

    Who do you think God is?

  • More stubborn than a redheaded...

    My oldest child is a redhead, also known as a “ginger kid.” They say ginger kids do not have souls, but I know for a fact that she does. She stole mine during the potty training years. I had hoped to have her trained before her baby brother arrived, but I might as well have tried training an octopus to ice skate.

  • A few thoughts on keeping your faith

    Practice keeping your faith day by day, and one day you will have enough to keep you.

    There are three thoughts to keep in mind, which will help us to keep our faith.

  • Earley: Do you have beautiful feet?

    Did you hear about the guy born with two left feet? He went out one day to buy some Flip Flips. I challenge you to go find a funny story about feet. I only found a few and they were not appropriate for a religion column. Perhaps foot humor is hard to find because all we have to do is look at our own feet and that is all the humor we can stand dealing with feet. I think my feet are hilarious with all the strange toe nails, odd skin formations and things toe nails collect. My kids just think they are gross. They say they don’t feel so good when they look at my feet.

  • There are different kinds of...

    When last I wrote, I was discussing the shallowness of the candidate pool for county offices in Oldham County. Since that time, the filing deadline has come and gone, and I’m happy to report that several more folks have stepped up to contend for county office in Oldham County. There are even a couple of Democrats in the mix. You can find the complete list of all the candidates for office at the Oldham County Clerks web site: http://oldhamcountyclerkky.com/. As I said, choice is good.

    Now, let’s talk about the consequences of choice.

  • Setting high standards

    Several years ago I was giving a talk to a group of high school students about the real meaning of success and about the most important choices we make in life. I urged them to look for the good, especially within themselves, to make good choices, to set high standards and to always give their very best.

  • Letter to the Editor: Pastor speaks...

    As the pastor of Salem Assembly of God, a church that has served the community for over forty years, I have remained silent for the past few months regarding the proposed cell tower, which AT&T has now cancelled. During this time I have declined newspaper and television interviews believing that it was in the best interest of the church. As a pastor, it is one of my duties to protect the integrity of the church; a church made up of wonderful people from across Oldham County and Pewee Valley.

  • Groundhog Day food

    Yes, I love the Bill Murray Groundhog Day movie. I am always interested in Groundhog Day. First because it is my birthday and second I want the little weather guy to give us some good news, like early spring. He did see his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. With the hard winter we are having who wants to hear about six more weeks of this kind of weather? How about a recipe for roasted groundhog?

  • Truitt: Fed up with the constant...

    Two months ago, I was whooping and hollering with excitement. “Snow! I love snow! Bring on the snow!!”

    I’m not an outdoors person, but on the first two days of subzero temps, I spent more time outside than I have the last twelve summers combined. I was making snow angels and digging through drifts just for fun. I took a broom and eagerly brushed the light, fluffy snow from our vehicles, laughing gaily when a mound blew from atop hubby’s truck and landed squarely on my head. The air was still, the landscape pristine, and my heart was at peace.

  • Weather doesn’t delay work in State...

    Despite the rough weather conditions, the Senate convened this week and worked on a variety of legislation. I hope you are managing the weather safely and have avoided problems.

  • Valentine’s Day: A Celebration of...

    A wife woke up one morning and said, “Honey, I just had a dream that you bought me a new gold necklace. What do you think it means?”

    “I don’t know, but Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Friday, you’ll know,” he replied.

    A few nights later, she again woke up after having a dream, “This time, I dreamed you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?”

    “You’ll know Friday,” he replied. Another dream about a pearl necklace elicited the same response.

  • Election 2014: cheers and jeers

    For the first time in at least a decade, roughly 20 people will vie for eight seats on the La Grange City Council. Additionally, three people are running for La Grange mayor and many county government positions will see contested primaries.

    This newspaper applauds that type of civic engagement, hopefully rooted in good intentions.

    Rest assured, this is not an indictment of current officeholders. We applaud them for their service, past, present and possibly future.

  • State contest proves Era is worth...

    Each year, the Kentucky Press Association (KPA) hosts a statewide contest, Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers, among newspapers that awards reporters, editors, photographers and advertising designers in several categories. Newspapers are grouped by size into different divisions, then each entry is judged by out-of-state professionals who name the winners.

  • Letters to the Editor Feb. 6

    Mayor says thanks

  • The gentle art of caring

    My growing up in first and second grade was done in a small Midwestern town – Decatur, Ill. As I think back, it seems to me we kids had the modern psychologists figured out before our time.

  • Truitt: Finally out of my annual...

    During the holidays, I begin to lose any semblance of control over my life. Late night chats with Santa’s elves cause me to lose sleep. Cheeseballs and egg nog cause me to gain weight (15 pounds this year). And for some inexplicable reason, between Thanksgiving and Christmas I steadily lose the mental capacity to accomplish even the most basic household tasks. It’s like I’m on Santa’s naughty list, and instead of putting coal in my stocking, he chooses to sabotage my life.