Columnists
What Do You Want? The Times Still Asking
A couple of weeks ago, I asked the following question in this column: Do you want more? Do you want less? Or do you want less AND more? Still sounds like a trick question — but it’s not. I was (and still am) asking about The Times, a newspaper that has been serving Noblesville and…
Read MoreBranna: All Hail to the Holidays!
It’s a wrap! (well, almost). We made it to our final month of 2025. The turkey’s not even cold and we seamlessly survived the “Twelve-Month Tease,” also known as “Black Friday.” Analogous to the green flag waving at the Indy 500, department store doors fling open early the day after Thanksgiving, and as declared at yet another race-to-the-finish: “And…
Read MoreThankful? Today? It’s a Different World
Tomorrow is our traditional day to give thanks, right? It’s a tradition that goes back to the pilgrims, Plymouth Rock and the beginnings of a twinkling in the eye for a new nation. Fast forward 300 years or so and the holiday has changed. Actually, it’s kind of getting lost, isn’t it? Think about it.…
Read MoreBranna Trots Through Thanksgiving Tidbits
Actress and artist Joyce Giraud said it best: “Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are.” And as anyone who knows me well will attest,…
Read MoreThanksgiving At the Kitty Table
Remember Thanksgiving? You know — that day at the end of November that’s traditionally been reserved for contemplating how grateful we are for all the good things in our lives. I can understand stores wanting to get their Christmas merchandise out ahead of the holidays and I know some people like to shop pretty early,…
Read MoreCarmel Councilor Shares Participation Concern
Earlier this fall, a report surfaced indicating that City of Carmel officials were considering moving certain public meetings to earlier daytime hours, a change that would make it harder for many residents to participate in local government. Since then, the idea has continued to gain attention. The question at the center of it is simple: should…
Read MoreMY TEXTUAL ABNORMALITIES
Have you already figured out what happened? Yes, most of the messages I intended to send to myself were going to Dick Guernsey. (He told me to use his real name because he wanted to see his name in print.) I began to realize there was a problem when I saw Dick at church, and…
Read MoreAsk Rusty – Should I Take Social Security Now, Or At 70?
Dear Rusty: I was born in April 1958, and my plan has been to take my Social Security at age 70. However, my sister-in-law says that it is smarter to take it now while I am still working. I will be 70 in 2.5 years. Her husband collects his SS and has kept working. She…
Read MoreIn Retrospect, Purdue Timing on Firing Football Coach Looks Good
Increasingly it looks like Purdue’s athletic department was wise to pay Ryan Walters $9.5 million to go away last November with a 5-19 record. I’m not talking about results on the field, where quarterback Ryan Browne’s poor decision making is a reason the Boilermakers are 2-6 instead of 4-4. So far, 10 college football coaches…
Read MoreHammer Has Different Take on Bullies
Used to be, back in the day, I really enjoyed Halloween. Us kids had a ball trick or treating in the neighborhood – getting a haul of candy in a pillowcase and feeling like we hit the mother lode! Some of it was home-made, popcorn balls, caramels wrapped in wax paper and the jackpot, apple…
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