Which leads into a very popular subject, “How do I find my family in Ellis Island records? I heard they changed their names there!” A popular misconception is that all immigrants sailed by the Statue of Liberty to get to America. The second misconception is that Port Authorities anglicized names[Read More…]
Columns
The value of apprenticeships
“You want me to show you how I do this?” I was often asked by a wide variety of residents over the years, after I expressed an interest in their needlework or leather project. I begged off almost as often, as I had usually made an unsuccessful attempt to learn[Read More…]
Kaye’s Corner: Canyon Pintado
Here’s a nearby outing you might enjoy – Canyon Pintado just south of Rangely. This a preserved, historic district that includes “rock art” created many years ago by Native Americans and others recording some of their history and beliefs. The term “rock art” means human made markings on natural stone.[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: Death and taxes
If you haven’t filed your 2021 taxes yet, you have until Monday, April 18 this year, instead of the usual April 15 deadline, thanks to a locally recognized public holiday — Emancipation Day — in the District of Columbia that has IRS offices closed on Friday. The D.C. Compensated Emancipation[Read More…]
“My ancestor was a Pilgrim on the Mayflower!”
Sounds impressive to the grandkids once a year at Thanksgiving. The truth is that over 30 million Americans are descendants of Mayflower families. As for prestige, the Mayflower was a tiny wooden cargo ship. The cargo on this run was a bunch of Pilgrims. Of that thirty million, only 23,000[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Cats
Most every neighborhood has one — the house that is crawling with cats. A single occupant can be spotted carrying feeding bowls out to a porch or front step and if the legend or label fits, a “Crazy Cat Lady” appears. An endless stream of felines come out from hiding[Read More…]
Kaye’s Corner: Respect and civility
The recent much publicized event of Will Smith smacking Chris Rock at the televised Oscar awards show is a sad reminder of the degree to which our society has lost the norms of respect and civility. To me, both men were wrong, but we should be able to learn from[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: What’s the end game?
Lest any of us think the sudden show of concern about election integrity in RBC is a unique idea springing from local issues, it’s become clear this is part of a larger narrative at play. It reminds me of playing Monopoly with my parents and their friends (only child, here,[Read More…]
My stork got lost!
Or, what do you mean I was adopted? The family tree gets complicated when we start talking about infant adoptions or single parent situations with the father’s name not talked about by the family. Today parents are more open with their adopted children. In the past however, adults were often[Read More…]
Loose Ends: Apprenticeships
This past week I read an article in The Colorado Sun, a great online newspaper, that led with a breaking news article about our state government’s new financial support of apprenticeship programs. The investigative reporters at this relatively new endeavor can be counted on to research their subjects and report[Read More…]
Kaye’s Column: Small guys win!
Maybe we’ve been thinking about this all wrong. Basketball has long been considered the domain of the “bigs,” the tall guys and gals. It’s usually assumed if you’re the taller team, you have the advantage. Yet, in the NCAA playoffs, St. Peter University’s team with its speedy guards and scrappy[Read More…]
Editor’s Column: April Fools!
Everything is wonderful and everyone is happy. April Fools. Seriously, wouldn’t it be lovely if that wasn’t satire? Alas, it’s not meant to be. Probably ever. The best we can do is tend to our own selves and take care of our side of the street. The tradition of playing[Read More…]
