Cooking can be fun at any age, and learning new skills exercises your mind, especially as you get older. Whether you’re just finding your way around the kitchen or you’re a seasoned home chef, online cooking classes are a wonderful way to spend your day! From free courses featuring various dishes to lessons led by celebrity chefs, there are vast opportunities to satisfy just about any culinary curiosity. Plus, the great thing about taking a virtual cooking class is you can learn to whip up meals from the comfort of your kitchen.

Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker. Harper Perennial,  2013.   I first learned about this “unsolved American mystery,” when 48 Hours did a comprehensive show on the horrific discovery of four bodies wrapped in burlap sacks in 2010. The deceased were discovered on Gilgo Beach, a desolate stretch of sand that did not host excited, Sunday sun worshippers. The Suffolk County police found the four corpses when they were searching for another missing girl, Shannan Gilbert. They failed to find ...

We have all been adjusting to the reality that COVID is an infectious disease, but we now know that it is also a profound chronic stressor with serious implications for mental health. These stressors are impacting mental health for all of us, but women, and especially women of color, have been hit the hardest. Recent studies have shown that one in ten women have had to quit a job due to a pandemic related reason and many mothers say that worry or stress related to coronavirus has affected their mental health.  This disruption in ...

Soaking in the summer sun is part of the fun of the season. But if you don’t have a cool home to retreat to, that heat can start to feel overbearing. Make sure your A/C (or swamp cooler!) can handle any heat wave this summer with these 12 tips, plus guidance on how to know when to call in the pros.   Before beginning preparation steps for either an air conditioner or swamp cooler, make sure the unit is turned off and disconnected from power.   Prepping Your Air Conditioner Clean the filters Remove the ...

The Union County Board of Commissioners encourages Union County residents to help keep County parks free of litter, by reducing their use of single-use plastic bags and other disposable plastic items. “Spring is in sight and visitors will be returning to the County parks and we are asking everyone to pitch in and help preserve the environment in our green spaces.  Plastic bags and straws are the most significant source of ocean pollution, so taking steps to diminish litter has a positive impact on our wildlife habitats and our ...

Like it or not, the idea that “all politics is local'' is no longer reality. Instead, local government has been poisoned by the toxic political environment once confined at the state and federal levels. Local reporters used to be shielded from the national political discourse, in part because municipal elections typically don’t include Rs or Ds next to candidate names—and even when they do, as the saying goes: "There is no Democratic or Republican way to fix a pothole."    Read more here.

As the weather warms up, spring colors are arriving in home décor trends. Whether you’re inviting guests over in person or continuing your distanced Zoom calls, you’ll want to incorporate pops of spring color into every room of your house. Fortunately, adding color doesn’t have to break the bank, and you can easily experiment with the best way to invigorate your spaces with bold, fun accents this season. Here are seven easy and affordable ways to add pops of color that your guests (and you!) will love in every ...

My name is Maria Silva. I am a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, Interact Club, and the cross-country team at Union High School. I am all about positivity and being kind! Some things I enjoy doing are running, going to the beach, spending time with family and friends, and giving back to the community. Ever since I was part of the National Junior Honor Society in middle school, it has been a goal of mine to become part of the National Honor Society as a Senior in high school. I am very honored to now be part of a group of such ...

Chances are, your wellness journey includes some heavy-hitting workouts, and a good deodorant is key to feeling confident after every session. Mainstream products can contain harmful ingredients that may actually be blocking some of your body’s natural processes as well as potentially causing health problems down the road. If you’re ready to switch to a more natural product but are afraid that you’ll be trading better ingredients for a worse stench, then read on. We’ve gathered everything you need to know about choosing ...