We live in a Lyme disease hot spot. Ticks are as prevalent in the Hudson Valley as they are anywhere else in the world, with Lyme disease being “the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere,” according to www.sciencemag.org. Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses plague those living and visiting this beautiful neck of the woods — and there have long been efforts to stave off its deleterious impact on the region and its inhabitants.

Thanks for explaining church’s plight

Thank you to Whitney Joseph and The Millerton News for last week’s article on the Methodist Church, its situation and the urging for community involvement to insure its continuance as an historic building in the village.

Sometimes, especially in global turmoil and loads of flip-flopping news items, it is hard to begin to know where things are heading. Indeed, it is often even harder to determine if the nonsense said one day and un-Tweeted the next has any lasting effect or actually is taken seriously by anyone, anywhere. 

On the global stage there are often signs way after the effect, or Tweet, or lies, or executive orders have caught the news. So how are you, people who just want to know what the future may hold, supposed to glean any clue? Watch advanced technologies.

Today is another hot and humid day in a summer that has seen many of them. Despite recent rains, the rivers remain low and the sun is bright and my garden still thirsts for rain. Some folks like it hot and muggy but I am not one of them. Today is the kind of day I wish I were at the beach, rather than in a room without air conditioning.

Pride. It’s something that everyone should have the good fortune of experiencing. Whether it’s pride in a job well done, pride in one’s family or pride in one’s culture and nationality, being proud can be a wonderful thing. Certainly, for movements making their way across the U.S. and beyond, pride is an integral part of letting others know who you are and what you stand for.

Did you know that Denmark and Canada are at war? And that they are negotiating — have been for four decades — for peace?  And what’s the war about? Borders and protecting territorial integrity. You see, half way between Greenland (Danish sovereign territory) and Ellesmere Island (part of Canada) in a straight of water known as Kennedy Channel is a lump of rock called Hans Island. 

There’s more to know about Cricket Valley