My View: Common sense optimism

Veteran's Corner by Larry Conklin

Spring has slowly and gratefully crept back into our lives as Punxsutawney Phil predicted. Goodbye 2024.

Daylight saving time is upon us which always messes with my mind. In retrospect I’m grateful for the opportunities, good times and support afforded me by close-knit family and close friends and for the opportunity to address military, veteran, Constitutional, national and local issues and outdoor sports and conservation to you interested readers.

You and I can disagree on occasion and that’s okay. The majority of this country sent a loud and clear message during the 2024 general election. They were not happy with the ‘status-quo’ and demanded change. Common sense and survival overcame political prejudice, power grabs and personal greed. Onward.

I predict 2025 will culminate in a gradually improving economy, personal and national safety and security and a scaled down federal government designed to work for the people as intended. Political agenda institutions will be cleaned up or eliminated. Government waste and useless jobs will eventually be gone. Most mainstream and social media, which has proven to be deceiving and lying to us for several years will reform or disappear leaving us with truthful and factual reporting.

Our Southern and Northern borders will be secured quickly, open to legal immigrants we approve of and will embrace. Our military and first responders will be compensated well and morale and recruiting become an all time high. The Pentagon will experience a long overdue housecleaning.

Most of us will become more tolerant and understanding. I know I’m being very optimistic. But I know it can happen by using common sense. Be pragmatic: listen carefully to differences of opinion, walk the streets, take public transportation, talk to police officers, veterans and fire fighters then go to the grocery store to face reality. Just one message I’d like to extend to President Trump: ‘Mr. President — just do the job this nation elected you to do.’

Gotta prepare my seasonal transition ‘things-to-do’ list. More on that next time. God bless you patriotic readers and your families. Wishing you a happy and healthful 2025.

Town of North East resident Larry Conklin is a Vietnam veteran and a member of both the Millerton American Legion Post 178 and the VFW Post 6851 in North Canaan, Connecticut.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Millerton News and The News does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

Out of the mouths of Ukrainian babes

To escape the cruelties of war, Katya finds solace in her imagination in “Sunflower Field”.

Krista A. Briggs

‘I can sum up the last year in three words: fear, love, hope,” said Oleksandr Hranyk, a Ukrainian school director in Kharkiv, in a February 2023 interview with the Associated Press. Fast forward to 2025, and not much has changed in his homeland. Even young children in Ukraine are echoing these same sentiments, as illustrated in two short films screened at The Moviehouse in Millerton on April 5, “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine” and “Sunflower Field.”

“Sunflower Field,” an animated short from Ukrainian filmmaker Polina Buchak, begins with a young girl, Katya, who embroiders as her world becomes unstitched with the progression of the war. To cope, Katya retreats into a vivid fantasy world, shielding herself from the brutal realities surrounding her life, all while desperately wanting her family to remain intact as she awaits a phone call from her father, one that may never come.

Keep ReadingShow less
William F. Buckley Jr.: a legacy rooted in Sharon
Provided

Sam Tanenhaus, when speaking about William F. Buckley, Jr., said he was drawn to the man by the size of his personality, generosity and great temperament. That observation was among the reasons that led Tanenhaus to spend nearly 20 years working on his book, “Buckley: The Life and Revolution That Changed America,” which is due out in June. Buckley and his family had deep roots in Sharon, living in the house called Great Elm on South Main Street, which was built in 1812 and bought by Buckley’s father in 1923.

The author will give a talk on “The Buckleys of Sharon” at the Sharon Historical Society on Saturday, April 12, at 11 a.m. following the group’s annual meeting. The book has details on the family’s life in Sharon, which will, no doubt, be of interest to local residents.

Keep ReadingShow less
Janet Marlow’s pet sounds

Janet Marlow recording Pet Acoustics.

Alan Brennan

Does your pet suffer from anxiety and stress? Musician, pet owner, and animal lover Janet Marlow may have sound solutions. With a background in classical music and a profound interest in the auditory world of animals, Marlow has dedicated her career to understanding how sound impacts emotional and physiological states in pets.

“I’ve always been deeply connected to music. It’s in my DNA as a fifth-generation musician. But it wasn’t until 1994, after moving from New York City to Connecticut, that I discovered how music could impact animals.” Marlow said, “I decided to live in Litchfield County because of the extraordinary beauty of nature that inspired so many compositions.” It was when Marlow adopted a black-and-white cat named Osborn that something remarkable happened. “Every time I played the guitar, Osborn would come to my side and relax. It was clear that the music was affecting him, and this sparked my curiosity,” she said. This sparked Marlow to start investigating how animals perceive sound and whether music could be used to improve their well-being.

Keep ReadingShow less