THE NBA PLAYOFFS ARE THE BEST GAME IN TOWN

This commentary is dedicated to my nephew, Krishen Clemente, who died unexpectedly on Friday, May 26. He was an avid NBA fan and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

My friends think it is a bit daft when I stay up until 1 am to watch two back-to-back NBA playoff games. After all, we have no local skin in the game.  Professional basketball is not a sport that garners much attention in southwestern Pennsylvania.

I am not as dedicated as my NJ family who all season long follow the New York Knicks with great passion. However, when the NBA playoffs roll around, all the games are must-see entertainment. For two months, political talk shows, streaming my favorite programs, and reading novels take a back seat to professional basketball.

Three events in the spring and summer of 2020 made me a permanent fan of the NBA playoffs. First, the pandemic interrupted other sporting events normally on the broadcast schedule. The NBA finished its regular season and the playoffs by creating a bio-secure bubble at a live-in facility near Walt Disney World. Nearly $190 million was invested to set up a secure environment where players and their families could stay until their team was eliminated.

The league produced a rulebook of more than 100 pages to protect its players in an attempt to salvage the remainder of the season. Strict directives included isolation protocols, testing requirements, and the potential for financial penalties. Isolated players had to forego participating in the games until they were medically cleared.

The experiment was a great success. Sports fans like me who rarely watched the NBA were stuck at home with little to do.  Many of us became enamored with the sport and quickly learned that 2 ½ hours of NBA playoff basketball offered ten times the excitement of a major league baseball game.

The second event took place on August 26, 2020, when the NBA Milwaukee Bucks canceled an in-the-bubble playoff game against the Orlando Magic. This action was taken in response to the shooting of an unarmed Black man, not far from the Buck’s Milwaukee home court. The bubble-confined players realized that basketball was not the priority until the NBA could collectively agree on how to respond to police shootings of unarmed Black men.

Within hours, the NBA was effectively shut down for several days giving the players, coaches, and owners time to reflect on racism in America.  In solidarity, games in other professional sporting events were also canceled. Many professional and college football teams suspended summer practices to show their support.  White players, without hesitation, backed their Black teammates.

For two days, I divided my attention between the NBA channel, ESPN, and the radio sports talk shows. The discussions were profound, emotional, and cathartic. One after another, strong, proud, normally stoic athletes bared their souls and explained what it is like to grow up Black in America. I came to appreciate Black athletes for more than their athletic abilities and to admire their advocacy for social justice.

The third event was my introduction to “Inside the NBA” on the TNT cable channel where many of the playoff games are broadcast.  It did not take long for me to agree with the critics that this professional basketball program is among the best sports analysis shows on television. Inside the NBA has won seventeen Sports Emmy Awards since its inception. No other sports show has the level of knowledge, experience, and humor. It caters to both casual observers like my spouse and to die-hard fans.

The chemistry on the set of Inside the NBA provides the right mix of wisdom and wit. The ringmaster is longtime mainstay Ernie Johnson, the son of a major league pitcher, who is a statistical genius, and the perfect straight man. Kenny Smith, the smooth New York City point guard, provides real-time analysis. Charles Barkley, “the round mound,” often disagrees with the consensus and drops explosive observations. Lastly, Shaquille O’Neal plays the quiet agitator, an unexpected role given his large 7-foot frame. No matter how one-sided the actual basketball game, Inside the NBA, always provides a pre-game and halftime performance that has listeners talking the next day.

I belong to the camp of sports fans who believe that the regular NBA season is too long and mostly irrelevant. Sixteen teams make the playoffs. Each team plays 82 regular season games to determine seeding and home-court advantage. During the regular season, the best players are often withheld from competition to avoid injury. Many regular season games are one-sided lackluster affairs.

Once the playoffs begin, all bets are off, and the intensity of play is ratcheted up. Players are diving for balls, taking brutal “charges” and “going to the rim” through a defensive gauntlet of arms and body blows. To keep up the adrenaline, playoff games are usually won or lost in the final minutes of play.

With the help of the announcers from Inside the NFL, the complex strategy for each game comes into focus. Coaches strive to dictate the pace of the game. The speed and athleticism of younger teams are up against the fundamentals and defense of more veteran players.

Similar to the NCAA March Madness Tournament, I enjoy watching the playoffs with little regard for the teams that are playing. There is always a storyline to make each game exciting. When the playoffs are over in June, I can console myself with the fact that there are only three months to the beginning of football season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN CELEBRATION OF HUMANISM

“What interests me is being a man.” Albert Camus, The Plague

Modern America pays little attention to humanists' contributions to Western culture and the advancement of world civilization. Throughout history, humanism has explored the potential value and goodness of human beings and sought rational ways of solving human problems.  In today’s society, sports stars and popular music/movie icons get more formal recognition than important humanists do.

Imagine that someone had the foresight to formally organize a humanist hall of fame. For the sake of this discussion, presume that notable humanists like Petrarch, Seneca, Epicurious, Lorenzo Medici, Leonardo Di Vinci, Nietzsche, Thomas Jefferson, and Charles Darwin were previously enshrined.

What follows are my three nominees for the class of 2023. Please feel free to come up with your own slate of candidates to celebrate humanism.

Lorenzo Valla

Few have heard of Lorenzo Valla (c. 1406–1457) an important philosopher and humanist of the Renaissance. Trained as a priest and equipped with a sharp mind and pen he made enemies of church leaders. Valla used his knowledge of Latin and the classical world to attack a wide range of established theological theories and practices.  He was the first to compare St. Jerome’s translation of the Bible with the Greek text of the New Testament, thereby laying the foundations of critical biblical study.  Many scholars would follow his path to spread the spirit of the Enlightenment.

This important resume alone, would not have been enough to support Valla’s induction into the Hall of Fame. His crowning achievement was debunking the most notorious forged document of the Middle Ages, the “Donation of Constantine.” Without his efforts, under the threat of heresy and death, the history of Western Europe may have taken a very different turn.

The “Donation of Constantine” was claimed by the Vatican to record the written wishes of Constantine the Great after he adopted Christianity for the Roman Empire. The church alleged that this document bestowed dominion over Western Europe on Pope Sylvester I (314-335) and his papal successors. If this document were genuine, it would provide the church with vast territory and unlimited spiritual and temporal power. The document conveyed the notion that the pope had the right to appoint secular rulers in the West.

Valla pointed out that despite the document’s obvious value to the papacy no mention was made of it until Leo IX (1049–54) cited it as an authority. Moreover, Valla carefully demonstrated that the Latin wording used in the document was not that of the fourth century. Historians consider his refutation of the instrument the most important exposure of a literary fraud in history.

Denis Diderot

The second candidate is an appropriate choice as we enter the new

information age of artificial intelligence. Diderot (1713-1784) was a French humanist who spent decades bringing an earlier accumulation of knowledge into the world, the first comprehensive Encyclopedia. He believed that the false truths of his day, perpetuated by authoritarians and religion, had to be challenged and corrected for society to advance. Diderot’s project advocated for secularizing learning and expanding knowledge beyond the Jesuits who performed this task for a thousand years.

At the heart of his Encyclopedia are tens of thousands of articles on emerging fields of inquiry such as anatomy, architecture, astronomy, clock making, medicine, music, painting, physics, and surgery.  The twenty-eight volumes took more than twenty years to complete. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire contributed articles on political theory, literature, history, and philosophy.

Similar to the cultural wars of today, Diderot attacked the oppression of monarchy, the justification for the slave trade, and the accepted norms of human sexuality. He was thrown into prison for his beliefs but always emerged eager to continue his battle for truth.

One of history's most interesting face-to-face debates took place between Diderot and Catherine the Great of Russia. While the free thinker and the enlightened despot admired each other, Diderot was unable to convince Catherine to bring needed reforms to her vast empire.

TONY JUDT

The last candidate is a modern humanist who influenced my intellectual development, the historian and advocate for democratic socialism, Tony Judt. I was first introduced to Judt’s essays in the New York Review of Books in the 1980s. I went on to read many of his books and essays. His analysis of the aftermath of WWII, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 was a runner-up for the Pulitzer. Many of his later writings examined the ideological forces that shaped the twentieth century.

Judt’s own intellectual journey through the deadliest century in history moved from communism to Zionism to democratic socialism, all the while exposing the dark side of fascism. His writing made it clear to me how a few ideologues' thoughts controlled many lives. The result was unrelenting violence and the death of millions.  

Judt was diagnosed in his early 60s with ALS. Notwithstanding his paralysis from the neck down, he continued to give long talks to rapt audiences. After Judt's death, Time Magazine called him "a historian of the very first order, a public intellectual of an old-fashioned kind and—in more ways than one—a very brave man."

My hope is that we can all take the time to celebrate humanism and those who inspire us to make choices on principles of freethinking, intellectual inquiry, and optimism.

 

WE NEED GRADUAL POLICY CHANGE AND MORE NUDGING

Interaction between national elected officials is regularly characterized by demeaning attacks against political adversaries. There is little attempt to engage in meaningful discussion over options that might lead to well-reasoned, incremental solutions to improve our daily living.

When policy decisions do take place, they are often forced on the nation by an impending catastrophe (the budget impasse, the border crisis) rather than through thoughtful debate. The result produces a radical shock to society because it is too late to “soften the blow” with proactive sensible measures. The negative effect of crisis-driven policy decisions becomes the new ammunition to fuel another round of attacks by the political party out of power. This commentary will explore two strategies that could help break this damaging volcanic cycle of “do nothing” dormancy followed by inevitable and dangerous eruptions.

Gradually Change Opinions and Build New Structures

President John F. Kennedy uttered the above phrase in a speech on how to seek peace, given during the cold war.  Today, our nation’s political differences are nothing if not a national cold war with deeply entrenched ideologies on both sides of the divide. We endure constant animosity with no discussion followed by emergency crisis resolution. Thankfully, there exists a rational way for conservatives and progressives to move in tandem toward solutions.

Many deadlocked issues like abortion, immigration, gun control, and the national debt are best addressed by taking a gradual but persistent legislative approach.  Within each contentious item are seeds of ideas to slowly change opinions and build new compromise structures. An all-or-nothing result that would satisfy one political extreme or the other is rarely achievable. Waiting for a crisis before taking action produces societal stress and more political finger-pointing. In our pluralistic democratic republic, only agreed-on incremental change produces long-lasting, solid results at a minimal cost.

Over time, small, incremental reforms can add up to something truly transformative. The problem with understanding a big problem is how little radical reformers actually know about their proposed solutions. Apart from the political dimension, weighty problem-solving needs time to be tested, evaluated and to gain acceptance.

There are many examples of successful incremental decision-making. The social security system and Medicare took decades to develop before all Americans embraced them. A thousand small, debated decisions led to lowering the NYC crime rate in the 1990s. In past decades, immigrant families were gradually integrated into our society based on an agreed-on, enforceable plan. Many countries have resolved the abortion dilemma through debate and compromise on national legislation rather than on controversial and disruptive court decisions. Incremental changes in gun control can gradually change opinions and build a new consensus on the meaning of the Second Amendment.

Much Ado about “Nudging”

In addition to gradual change, the concept of “nudging” is an underutilized tool in the legislative toolbox.  A nudge is defined as a behavioral technique that makes it more likely that an individual will make a particular choice or behave in a particular way. Policymakers alter the environment so that cognitive processes are triggered to favor the desired outcome. Stated another way, nudge techniques aim to get people to act in their best interest.

In 2008, behavioral economist, Richard Thaler, and legal scholar, Cass Sunstein, published a revolutionary book: Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. While they were not the first to consider nudge theory, the book brought the concept into the mainstream.  The implications of nudging were put into practice throughout modern society.

Where has nudge theory worked, where has it failed, and can nudging be used by the government to improve our lives going forward? The most radical elected officials from both political parties can agree that nudges to reduce violations of the law are more desirable than criminal penalties. Think of campaigns depicting the sanctions for drunk driving or police seminars in schools to educate students. Conservatives and progressives support widespread nudge campaigns against smoking and for youth vaccinations, and cancer prevention.

When government efforts cross the line into mandates rather than psychological attempts to shape behavior, conservatives are often against the effort on libertarian grounds. For example, Republican Governors did not support mandatory lockdowns during the height of the pandemic.

The national nudge campaign during the Pandemic to wear a mask when in crowded environments was an unsuccessful attempt to modify behavior. Many Americans, because of inconsistent governmental advice, did not accept that masks were helpful. Now, a year later, scientific studies still do not agree on the effectiveness of mask-wearing. During the pandemic, policymakers were more concerned with saving lives than gathering statistics. We will need rock-solid mask-wearing nudges when faced with the next viral outbreak. Research must be done and an irrefutable consensus reached on when, where, and how to employ masks.

Nudge techniques can be implemented in other situations where there is no political disagreement. No elected official wants a woman to die because of a state’s unclear abortion policy. In a state that bans abortion, a nudge campaign in the media and in the schools can explain what action to take when there is a gynecological emergency.

All elected officials could agree on nudge programs to save energy, spot abnormal behavior prior to gun violence, and report spousal, child, or elder abuse. Other possibilities for nudging citizens to make positive decisions are endless. Each effort is a gradual step toward a more comprehensive solution.

 

 

 

 

“LITTLE WASHINGTON” DESERVES A BETTER RATING

I am not a fan of “best of” lists. At one time, the most famous efforts were the Fortune 500 magazine list of top national companies and the U.S. News & World Report list of best colleges and universities.  In today’s saturated media market, what was once a small smattering of serious lists has morphed into a “best of” feeding frenzy.

Everything is subject to being rated. There are lists for everything from movies, books, music, cars, beaches, restaurants, and the world’s happiest countries, to men’s underwear. The credentials of these list makers are dubious.  Their rating criteria are subjective with preconceived biases of who should win.

This brings me to the subject of my commentary.  Recently, articles have overrun my inbox discussing the top-rated small towns in Pennsylvania. Washington has not appeared on any of these lists. Our community has not received so much as an honorable mention.

I could not think of a better opportunity to explore my theory that best-of lists are generally arbitrary and mostly useless. At the same time, I could provide solid facts about why Washington is an excellent place to live or spend some time.  

I am familiar with many of the small-town “winners” across Pennsylvania that appear on the lists. I grew up in New Jersey, on the Delaware River near eastern Pennsylvania. My employment often took me to Harrisburg and the middle of the state. For 15 years, I spent every weekend during the summer months at Conneaut Lake in Crawford County. My spouse’s sister lives in Confluence, Somerset County where we often visit. Lastly, as a newer Washington homeowner, I am not subject to the “grass is greener elsewhere” syndrome that often plagues long-time residents.

New Hope, along the Delaware River and 30 minutes from my NJ birthplace, is often given the title of the best small town in Pennsylvania.  New Hope is a walkable river town with plenty of local history, shopping, and attractions. You would never want to live there. The invading tourists, traffic, steep home prices, and expensive restaurants are all over the moon. Spring flooding along the Delaware River can be disastrous.

At the other extreme on many of the Pennsylvania, best-of lists are small towns so remote that the main problem is “getting there” and where the main attraction is solitude. Ridgway, along the Clarion River, has an annual chainsaw-carving contest. Ohiopyle, in Somerset County, has Fallingwater which many locals have never visited. Honesdale, in Wayne County, has an annual Roots and Rhythm Arts Festival. Milford, in Pike County, has canoe or kayak rentals. There are similar other winning entries like Wellsboro, Stroudsburg, Jim Thorpe, and Milford. These towns are best treated as places to pass through and soon forget.

Johnstown comes in at the top five of many lists.  Apparently, the museum and memorial dedicated to the three major floods that destroyed the town make it attractive.  There is also the steepest inclined plane (funicular) in the world to occupy the children on the weekends.

Lancaster is another town that scores well in the surveys. It is best known for its association with the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Horse-drawn buggies are fun to observe until you are stuck behind one on the way to an appointment. Picturesque fields and farms (not unlike the ones found in Washington County) surround the town.

In short, many of the best small towns that appear on the published lists are overrated. What surprised me the most was how Washington could be so easily ignored. 

There is no problem finding Washington located at the intersection of two major interstates. One can travel east-west on Interstate 70 for 2,153 miles or north-south on Interstate 79 from Erie, PA to Charleston, WV without a stoplight. Pittsburgh, a major metropolitan city lies 30 minutes to the north, and the wilds of West Virginia are 40 minutes to the south. An international airport with flights across the country, and non-stops to London is even closer.

This unique combination of urban amenities in Allegheny County with Appalachian country culture gives residents in Washington the best of both worlds. On one weekend, one can attend a professional sporting event, a top-notch theater, or a musical performance and in no time be fishing on a deserted trout stream.

Critics often forget that Washington is home to a vibrant college community. At Washington & Jefferson, 1,400 students are located on a 60-acre campus in the middle of town. Many college activities are open to the public. Much larger academic institutions are located nearby in Pittsburgh and Morgantown, WV, along with two of the best medical complexes in the country.

Washington is a gambling mecca with its own racetrack and casino. It is a shopping destination, with Tanger outlets and every notable big-box retailer. It is a haven for history buffs,  located on Route 40, the National Pike at the epicenter of the Whiskey Rebellion.

There is a thriving local symphony and community theater. There are unique restaurants and craft breweries. It is the hub of a thriving economic boom anchored by the oil/gas fracking industry.

I am sure that every small town in Pennsylvania could make a case for inclusion on a best-of list. Livability is subjective and comes with many intangibles. For my money, nothing can replace sitting in the whirlpool at the Cameron Wellness Center and watching the seasons change.

 

 

 

 

 

THE UNCERTAIN FUTURE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Disclosure: Except for Microsoft spellcheck, the following commentary was written with 100% human input

It is difficult to keep up with the news concerning the warp-speed rollout of machine-generated artificial intelligence (AI). This new technology refers to the simulation of human intelligence by machines that are programmed to think like humans.  By the time this commentary is published, my impressions will probably be as stale as last week’s bread.

In early March, technology stocks involved in new AI research caught the eye of investors and underwent a significant rally. This was followed by one headline report after another proclaiming AI either as a miracle discovery that will advance human thought or as the advent of a dark dystopian future. 

Recently, one of the newest machine-learning “Chabot” programs was asked to explain how humankind could safely utilize AI. The program responded: “It is not necessarily desirable or ethical to slow down the progress of AI as a field, as it has the potential to bring about many positive advancements for society.” This upbeat, machine-generated answer did little to calm the detractors of AI. The response sounds like the prologue of a science fiction movie where events could go terribly wrong.

Inside the insular world of AI experts, one group, which includes Elon Musk, is certain that unmanaged AI could kill us all.  These individuals are calling for a six-month pause on creating new machine-learning projects. The fear is that without proper controls on research, AI may soon begin to disobey its programmer’s instructions and operate independently with malicious intent.

On the other hand, many investors look forward to AI’s unimpeded introduction as they try to stay ahead of the competition. They argue that the upside is greater than any potential threat. Indeed, there are immediate applications in medicine for precise diagnoses and surgical procedures, AI-generated research and writing, and advanced learning methods in education. Many other fields will be enhanced by machine-generated accumulated knowledge.

For unschooled observers like me, it was difficult to understand how the smartest thinkers in the world could take such opposing positions. The answer, I learned, is that no one knows how AI works. The complexity of AI models has been doubling every few months. Remarkably, the process by which learning machines store, distill and retrieve knowledge is unknown. This element of mystery is exciting for some insiders and a troubling risk for others.

In my lifetime, similar questions of technology outdistancing human capacity to absorb it have happened on at least two occasions. In the 1950s, the issue was nuclear energy. There were efforts to pause and draw ethical boundaries to prevent nuclear war while expanding positive applications of nuclear power.

The second more recent catastrophic risk was gene splicing/genetic engineering. Again, the international community got together and developed guidelines to permit positive applications while attempting to prohibit the bioengineering of dangerous pathogens. The unknown origins of COVID-19 question whether these efforts were successful.

Apart from whether AI will be our salvation or our destruction is the more benign inquiry of how AI will alter human learning. Philosophers and social scientists have weighed in on this topic. Historians point out that with the discovery of the printing press, curious thinkers throughout the known world could finally communicate discoveries and replicate findings. They turned hypotheses into facts through the scientific method. The Age of Enlightenment challenged the medieval interpretation of a world based on religious faith and gave us knowledge that was built on proven facts.

With AI, the process works in reverse. The most sophisticated AI models cost more than $1 billion each to become productive, utilizing thousands of computers.  Instead of scientific certainties, we end up with new knowledge with no discernable foundation. AI advances human insight without providing us with any understanding of how the knowledge was uncovered. Advocates for pushing AI forward argue that this lack of comprehension is not a deal breaker because new discoveries generated by AI will improve society when coupled with human reason.

In addition to the dystopian concern that scientists could lose control, another negative factor has surfaced. ChatGPT, a form of generative AI, is the most common type of machine learning in general circulation. It is a tool that lets users enter prompts to search much of the world’s internet data. ChatGPT provides detailed answers to these inquiries.

Unfortunately, the technology occasionally makes up facts that sound real to provide a very believable response.  Moreover, malicious actors are well-versed in injecting false information into the internet making it difficult for AI to discern fact from fiction. To address these problems researchers are already working on a model capable of questioning the veracity of a ChatGPT answer.

The “high priests” of technological progress have mixed feelings about the effects of AI on society. It is important for concerned citizens and elected officials to ask the difficult questions involving the deployment of AI. Leaving the future of AI to the scientific community and to venture capitalists out to make a fortune, with no respect for controls, would be a dangerous miscalculation.

One reasonable solution would be to continue research in AI while withholding rollouts to the public until more is understood about how AI works and processes data. The world may be dysfunctional but we must not make the mistake of surrendering our future to thinking machines in an effort to improve society.

 

 

 

WASHINGTON COUNTY PRIMARY PRIMER: CORONER, REGISTER OF WILLS, PROTHONOTARY

This commentary will discuss the final three contested Republican primary races that will appear on the May 16 ballot. Each contest comes with its unique history of past performance on the part of the incumbent and a Republican challenger seeking public office for the first time.

Coroner

Tim Warco. Warco is a Washington funeral director who has served eight terms as the Democratic Coroner. He has now switched parties and is running in the Republican primary. He has come under scrutiny by Republicans who question his sincerity as a conservative. Warco’s experience and job performance are beyond reproach.

Marc Zmijowski.  The challenger to the long-term incumbent is also a funeral director with businesses in Roscoe and Charleroi. Zmijowski has not previously served in public office and his campaign is relying on testimonials from friends and family. He appears to have the full support of the Washington County Republican party as one of their own.

Register of Wills

James Roman.  Roman’s term in office as the elected Register of Wills has been marred by a constant stream of his bravado, bullying, incompetence, and defensiveness. In my view, he exemplifies the opposite of what a responsible public servant should be.

I have observed Roman speaking at commissioner’s meetings and leveling personal attacks against other public officials. His bombastic rhetoric included unfounded accusations of corruption and malfeasance that were unproven, embarrassing, and disrespectful. Roman’s outbursts had little to do with the business of the county or with his office. Ironically, his own conduct in office should be a concern for primary voters.

Roman boasts on the campaign trail that the Register of Wills is the best-run office in Washington County. He does not want voters to focus on the unusual staff turnover in his office or his threats of violence in March against an employee. The incident required intervention by Sheriff’s Deputies. Recent disclosures by Republican Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan reveal that staff members have complained about Roman’s conduct. Some have expressed concerns about their safety. This should be enough to disqualify him from office.

Roman’s unwillingness to cooperate with county audit procedures is further grounds for rejecting his stand for reelection. In May of 2021, the county controller found numerous defects with record keeping, internal controls over bank accounts, and untimely payments to the state and county. Rather than correct the problems, Roman challenged the required audit as an effort to discredit him. In March of this year, the Republican controller, April Sloane, was forced to subpoena documents from Roman in order to complete her most recent audit work. She explained: “Mr. Roman kicked us out of his office and tried to fire my audit manager.” On April 19, 2023, the audit was released with findings of inadequate internal controls over banks’ accounts and accounting processes. Roman has attempted to hide behind state audits that do not address these issues.

Roman has a troubling history of behavior that has compelled the Court, which he is elected to serve, to take action against him. During the pandemic, the President Judge issued a courthouse mask mandate. Roman posted a sign stating that masks were not required in his office and was summarily directed to remove the sign. In July 2021, the Court became aware of misplaced, incomplete, and late adoption filings from the Register of Wills Office. After remedial measures were not taken, the President Judge issued a five-page administrative order forcing Roman to correct the deficiencies under threat of contempt.

Christine Wiles Thomas. Ms. Thomas is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College and has never served in public office.  She has held positions in public education, as Director of the Washington/Greene Association of Realtors, and as past president of Washington Business and Professional Women. 

Thomas refuses to criticize Roman’s term in office but she proclaims that if elected “the office will function in a culture of respect, honesty, and collaboration.” Her public statements do not give the impression that she fully understands the functions of the Register of Wills. However, I have no reason to disbelieve her desire to work with the court to achieve “a positive result” and to “promote efficiency and transparency.”

Prothonotary

Laura Hough. Hough was swept into office in the last Row Office election cycle. She maintains an alliance with her fellow anti-establishment Republican officials.  Hough supports the reelection of both Davis (Clerk of Courts) and Roman (Register of Wills). Hough has at times expressed dissatisfaction with the decision-making of the Republican County administration and of the Court. However, she has managed to avoid confrontations with the Court that would hold her in contempt or place her at odds with the County Controller. In this respect, she is the less extreme of the Row Office contenders that the “patriot” Republicans are supporting in the primary.

When the Court first introduced the new comprehensive Case Management System, Hough opposed it and was vocal in letting the county know she had a better plan. More recently, she has bought into the project and is now campaigning on how the system “will revolutionize the filing processes for the Prothonotary’s Office and its users.”

Kevin Hill. Hill is a former district manager for the Washington County Republican Party. A challenge by Hough to Hill’s nominating petition, because it misrepresented his employment status, was dismissed on Monday. Hill maintains that he is self-employed selling sports memorabilia and that he has business knowledge as a manager in the insurance industry. Traditional Republicans appear to back Hill’s campaign.

 

 

 

AN ENGAGING SOJOURN TO PORTUGAL

Until recently, Portugal was not a major travel destination. Most tourists wanted to visit larger European countries. Portugal was considered too small or more of the same. Once word got out that Portugal offered a unique travel experience, the American tourist began visiting in record numbers.  Moreover, Portugal has become a popular landing spot for retired Americans seeking year round great weather along the coast and an inexpensive standard of living.

We found Portugal to be a land of friendly people, great cuisine, fascinating culture and shifting geography. The most striking social dynamic for me was that in Portugal, people realize they are a small country and must pull together. They accept high taxes in return for cradle- to-grave benefits that all of society enjoys.  While Portuguese grumble about the government, they see that the benefits of democratic socialism far outweigh the limitations on wealth. Contrast this view with our wealthier, more diverse country. America does not have a single important cultural, economic, political or social force that is not tearing us apart more than bringing us together.

We were enticed to visit Portugal by reports of a fabulous travel experience with low tour costs because of inexpensive meals and hotels. Our journey was delayed twice by severe COVID outbreaks in Europe. Finally, in early March, we were off for Lisbon. We chose to travel in early spring to avoid the 100-degree temperatures and forest fires that have plagued inland Portugal during the summer months. We landed three days before our tour began to conquer jet lag and take in the museums and history of the capital.

In Lisbon, we were struck by the lack of medieval buildings. While cobblestone streets and colorful azulejos tile are everywhere, the city looks like what one would find in North America. We learned that in 1775, an earthquake and tsunami destroyed Lisbon and the enjoining areas. It was one of the deadliest climate events in human history with 50,000 people losing their lives.

The art museums in Lisbon are small, but world class. The day before our tour began; we journeyed to the nearby town of Sintra, one of the many UNESCO World Heritage sites in the country. The destination is a gorgeously landscaped hilltop favored by Portuguese royalty. The local summer palace contains centuries of history and artifacts that gave us a foundation for what was to come.

That evening we had a welcome dinner with our tour group and prepared for the first of many early morning bus rides to cover the countryside. Before leaving Lisbon, our group visited the famous Jeronimos Monastery, Belem Tower and the Monument of the Discoveries. The latter two attractions pay homage to the many explorers who left Lisbon to bring fame and fortune to their country. On our last evening in Lisbon, we were treated to a traditional Portuguese meal with melancholy Fado music.

Our next destination was Nazare. This sleepy surfing village has turned into a worldwide sensation after an HBO documentary highlighted what are considered the largest surfing waves in the world. Unfortunately, on the day of our visit, the surf was calm. We had to make due with an incredible fish stew, fresh bread and sardine pate.

Next on tour was the town of Tomar, a charming and naturally beautiful town in central Portugal. It is popularly known as the Knights Templar City as it was once the seat of this famous Order. The Knights Templar were persecuted in France and forced to relocate in Portugal. In Tomar, the Knights built the Convent of Christ, one of the important works of the Portuguese Renaissance.

In the morning, we were off to spend two days in Porto, located in northern Portugal and the country’s second largest city. J.K. Rowling conceived Harry Potter in this town, inspired by the breathtaking riverfront views and ancient buildings. On our last evening, we broke away from our group for a private dinner across the river, looking down on the lights of Porto. A cruise on the Douro River capped our experience.

Our bus traveled onward to Guimares for a rainy day walking tour. The town is another World Heritage site with a wealth of well-preserved buildings from the middle ages. This was followed by visits to Viseu and Evora. The former gave us a walking tour of the Jewish quarter and the Jewish museum. The latter presented a town in central Portugal that can trace its history back for 5,000 years.

Highlights in Evora were a well-preserved roman temple and a sixteenth century chapel completely decorated with bones, skulls and entire skeletons. Over the entrance to the chapel are the words, “We Bones Are Here, Waiting for Yours.” The monks believed this chapel of bones was a helpful place to meditate on the transience of material things in the undeniable presence of death.

On the way back to Lisbon and the wrap up of our adventure, we were given excellent tours of a port winery and a cork factory. Portugal is the world’s leading producer of natural cork. It is home to the largest cork forest in the world covering 1.8 million acres of land. Cork purses and shoes were in high demand in the gift shop.

Our trip was both entertaining and informative and included other venues not discussed here. Do not hesitate to place Portugal on your travel bucket list.