Byron McNutt - Vilas County News-Review
An image
An image

  • A reliable power grid is essential

    THE UNITED STATES could get 37% of its electricity from solar power by 2035 and 44% by 2050 if the public and private sectors are willing to spend $562 billion between 2022 and 2050, according to the Energy Department. At the present, the nation gets just 3%.
    Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said
    read the full story

  • Paperboys, street-corner capitalists

    NEARLY A CENTURY ago, newsboys were hailed by the newspapers they sold as model young “capitalists in training” and beatified by reformers as viciously exploited child labor. I am writing about them because National Newspaper Week is Oct. 3-9.
    In my many decades in the industry, I’ve
    read the full story

  • Classes promote conflict resolution

    WHETHER YOU’VE BEEN married a long time or if you are a newlywed, you should know it’s usually easier to agree with something you don’t understand than to understand something you don’t agree with.
    Marriages may be made in heaven, but
    read the full story

  • Debate over statehood is reignited

    WHAT WOULD BE wrong with bestowing statehood on Washington, D.C., and the territories of Puerto Rico and Guam? The decades-long conversation has been ramping up in Congress since January.
    As for Washington, D.C., legal scholars say
    read the full story

  • The pandemic yields a silver lining

    DEFYING THE ODDS, U.S. households managed to add $13.5 trillion in wealth last year, according to the Federal Reserve; the biggest increase in records going back three decades.
    Americans are
    read the full story

  • Call for unity on 9/11 anniversary

    It doesn’t seem possible, but this coming Saturday, Sept. 11, is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. Images of those attacks are seared into American consciousness. We all remember where we were when we heard the news.
    Who can forget the disbelief and shock of
    read the full story

  • Be assured, all work is honorable

    THERE’S MORE TO be celebrated Labor Day weekend than the last blast of summer and the coming of another autumn.
    It’s time to celebrate working folks; not just the ones who own or manage businesses, but the ones who work for them.
    Even Labor Day is a busy workday for those who bag groceries, work in restaurant kitchens, checkout customers at retail stores, bus tables, haul garbage, patrol our streets and highways,
    read the full story

  • Making people truly care is genius

    THE TRUE MIRACLE worker today is the one who can make people care. I found this observation in a publication called “Good Reading” about 35 years ago and the unidentified writer continued the thought with the following evidence.
    “No matter what field — business, industry, education, government, sociology, the arts, religion — the
    read the full story

  • Why so concerned about ransomware?

    IF YOU THINK you are safe from the gangs of extortionist hackers and don’t need to guard against ransomware crooks, think again. Dollar losses are in the tens of billions and the hackers are becoming more brazen.
    According to
    read the full story

  • Are trivial issues distracting us?

    ARE YOU SOMEONE who believes that history repeats itself? Some would argue that it does, but say this time is different. In any case, maybe we’d be wise to heed the warnings and be aware of what is happening.
    Some economists are telling us that
    read the full story

  • It’s about ‘integrity of the ballot’

    CAN’T WE ALL agree? We want voting to be easier, but made harder to cheat. Who doesn’t want “integrity of the ballot?” If we can’t put partisan issues aside for a minute, how will either party ever be satisfied that elections are fair, free and without suppression or fraud?
    Several weeks ago, President Joe Biden threw gasoline on the debate when he said
    read the full story

  • America’s cultural battles intensify

    A SIZABLE SEGMENT of Americans are obsessed with our country’s past when they should be laser-focused on the future where we face growing, threatening challenges. Many are asking “Is pride in America a thing of the past?”
    America’s past wasn’t perfect. We can’t, and
    read the full story

  • Personal philosophies of men, women

    I CAME ACROSS the following article titled “Believe” about 20 years ago. There are numerous essays with the same theme and most are shared without accreditation. The poem has inspired many people. It sums up many of life’s challenges. See if you agree.
    I believe that
    read the full story

  • Is it moral to routinely break rules?

    WHAT PERCENTAGE OF your fellow Americans do you believe are honest and trustworthy? When you read various reports about the number of people gaming the system in one way or another, the percentage may raise doubt about our strength of character.
    Honest people are
    read the full story

  • Have you ever been broke and hungry?

    AMERICANS JUST CELEBRATED Independence Day so this is a good time to wonder what tens of millions of legal and illegal immigrants truly think about America’s culture, history and traditional holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial, Labor and Presidents days.
    Immigration is a divisive topic for many Americans. But
    read the full story

  • Words of hope heard around the world

    THE DECLARATION OF Independence has been described as the birth certificate of the American nation, the first public document ever to use the name the United States of America, and has been fundamental to American history longer than any other text.
    It enshrined what came to be seen as the most
    read the full story

  • Valuing your name, image and likeness

    Nearly every state has introduced some sort of legislation that legalizes college athletes to earn compensation from the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL). In fact, many states have already passed and signed those bills into law. They are known as NIL laws.
    Profiting off name, image and likeness would allow student-athletes to
    read the full story

  • Life lessons learned from our fathers

    SONORA SMART WAS one of six children. When she was still very young, her mother died. Smart and her five brothers were raised by their father, William Smart, a veteran of the Civil War.
    In 1909, Sonora Smart got the idea for Father’s Day. She
    read the full story

  • Is their democracy the same as ours?

    DEMOCRATS ARE PLAYING a dangerous game by toying with the judiciary, said liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. It would be a bad idea to turn the Supreme Court into a super legislature. Adding justices by packing the court would undermine the court’s legitimacy with
    read the full story

  • Are you ready for the Roaring ’20s?

    ARCHAEOLOGICAL BOOKS HAVE documented the advances made during the Stone, Bronze and Iron ages. Someday soon, historians will fascinate our children and grandchildren with tales and anecdotes about the age of the baby boomers.
    That generation will hardly be remembered when compared to
    read the full story

  • For love of country our heroes died

    MEMORIAL DAY IS a time to honor those men and women who fought bravely and made the greatest sacrifice one can make to defend liberty: their lives. In all, more than 1.2 million Americans have died in wars since our country was founded.
    Too often we take for granted the ideals for which our ancestors fought. It
    read the full story

  • Don’t make excuses, embrace your gift

    AMY CHUA, AN author and professor at Yale Law School, offered this advice to her graduate students: “Everything precious in my life is something I was almost too scared to do.”
    “Keep trying hard things and
    read the full story

  • Save the planet with cultivated meats

    HOW DOES THIS sound? You’re dining at a five-star restaurant that is offering you a gourmet buffet featuring prime rib of beef, roast turkey, honey-glazed ham, broasted chicken and a variety of barbecued meats. It’s a feast fit for kings.
    We know the world is changing. Would you feel any different if
    read the full story

  • Parable about sacrifices of motherhood

    WITH MOTHER’S DAY this Sunday, I’d like to share with you an essay titled, “A Parable of Motherhood,” written in 1933 by the late Temple Bailey, an American author and short story writer. This parable first appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine.
    “The young mother set her foot on the path of life. ‘Is this the long way?’ she
    read the full story

  • Gumperson’s common life mysteries

    GUMPERSON’S LAW ACCOUNTS for the fact that you can throw a burnt match out the window of your speeding car and start a forest fire, while you can use two boxes of matches and an entire edition of this newspaper without being able to start a fire under the dry logs in your fireplace.
    Gumperson served as a consultant to the armed services during World War II and evolved the procedure whereby the more a recruit knew about a certain subject, the better chance he had of receiving an assignment involving some other vital skill.
    The law, stated simply, is that the contradiction
    read the full story

  • Emerging technologies fuel growth

    THE WORLD’S AUTOMOTIVE industry is pivoting to electric vehicles at breakneck speed to meet new emissions requirements and rushing to establish the vast infrastructure from battery factories to charging networks, needed to sustain the growing market.
    There is a fervor for
    read the full story

  • What is a free and fair election?

    ELECTIONS ARE THE essence of democracy. They allow people to select their political leaders and then, to hold them accountable. Standards must be set to define what is ideal. Most countries meet those standards imperfectly. Thus, the devil is in the details.
    A free election is
    read the full story

  • Behold, no one is getting younger

    AS WE GET older, it’s remarkable how many crises we have lived through that we were too innocent to recognize at the time. Anxiety begins with the power to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.
    Want to be obsolete without anxiety? Just
    read the full story

  • Could crypto tokens get outlawed?

    DO YOU UNDERSTAND the fascination and legitimacy given to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? I would be very suspicious about something most people don’t understand because cryptos are volatile and speculative.
    Bitcoins are
    read the full story

  • Our frustration has taken many forms

    HAS THE PAST year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related civil unease got you frustrated? Have events caused mood changes, irritation, resentment, depression or feelings of exasperation?
    You’re not alone. The past year has disrupted the lives and
    read the full story

  • Irish honoree’s tenets for success

    THE LATE ROBERT Gallagher once said “A true leader is a student of people. Each individual has his own different temperament. Handling this requires study, tact and knowledge. No one size fits all in handling people.”
    Gallagher’s distinguished career earned him many honors by
    read the full story

  • Some challenges are cleverly disguised

    WHAT WOULD OUR lives be like without challenges? A person’s greatest strength develops at the point where they overcome their greatest weakness.
    What we do when confronted with these challenges has a lot to do with how we perceive our place in the world. We can face the challenges or we can
    read the full story

  • Seniors: green before green was hip

    IT’S NO SURPRISE the world is changing in this era of social media. There’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google and Apple. There is a striking disconnect from generation to generation. Here’s an example of “The Green Thing.”
    In the grocery store checkout line, before the pandemic, the
    read the full story

  • Why so much dislike for Americans?

    AS THE WORLD has grown smaller, more volatile and unstable, how the United States is perceived by the rest of the world has taken on new importance.
    With about 330 million people, the United States represents
    read the full story

  • Wise counsel from past presidents

    THEODORE ROOSEVELT SAID “This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in if it is not a reasonably good place for all of us to live in.”
    Presidents Day, which we celebrated Feb. 15, officially honors the birthday of George Washington, which is Feb. 22. But the holiday also commemorates all past presidents of the United States including
    read the full story

  • There is no limit to aging humor

    I’M AT THAT age where my mind still thinks I’m 29, my humor suggests I’m 45, while my body mostly keeps asking if I’m not dead yet. Old friend Arnie DeLuca said “There is no limit to aging humor.” He sent me this list of interesting and perhaps true thoughts on our now older age.
    For example, you don’t realize how old you are until
    read the full story

  • What’s the limit for believability?

    ARE YOU THE type of person who sees a sign that says “Don’t touch this bench, the paint is wet,” and you go ahead and touch it to make sure the paint is really wet?
    Maybe you are inclined to
    read the full story

  • How to live a happier financial life

    DID YOU KNOW that the average 65-year-old American will live an additional 19.3 years? One in four will reach age 92, according to the National Center for Health. That can be good news for some people and bad news for others. Are you financially prepared to live to age 85?
    Six years ago, Jonathan Clements, a financial columnist for the Wall Street Journal, thought back over his career and
    read the full story

  • Penn sees path for agreement, unity

    AS THE COUNTRY prepares for the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration to take over the leadership of our government this week, it’s interesting to note what Mark Penn had to say about the disposition of the American people. We need to support the new government and be open to new ideas if we are to unite for
    read the full story

  • Student debt plans face scrutiny

    ARE YOU ONE of the 43 million Americans saddled with student-loan debt? Maybe you owe $40,000 and your financial situation is such that you struggle just to pay the interest on the loan. In fact, you have other loans to pay and the burden is overwhelming.
    Now, let’s say the Joe Biden administration is
    read the full story

  • We need uniform voting standards

    THE USE OF absentee ballots exploded during the pandemic. Does this foretell how we’re going to see state and national elections play out in the future? Should we expect this phenomenon to happen again in 2022 and ’24?
    More than
    read the full story

  • Promises to keep for a special 2021

    IT’S THAT TIME of year again to make your New Year’s resolutions. For those seeking a challenge, here are a few goals to set for yourself. Start 2021 by promising yourself:
    • To be strong, so that
    read the full story

  • O. Henry’s classic Christmas love story

    IT WAS CHRISTMAS Eve day and poor Della Young counted her money. She had just $1.87 to buy her beloved husband a Christmas present. Much of the money consisted of pennies she had scrimped and saved for months by skillfully dickering with the grocer, butcher and vegetable man. But it would clearly not be enough. Della was
    read the full story

  • Adults are lucky, teens get no help

    ADOLESCENCE IS A mental illness when it happens to anybody but a teenager. In a 30-year-old, for instance, a state of adolescence is called a nervous breakdown. This was an observation made in 1982, by Bob Myers, the eccentric owner of The County Press in Lapeer, Mich. Myers wrote a column under the pen name of
    read the full story

  • Biden: unite, pull together to heal

    IT HAS NOW been five weeks since the presidential election. Time to reflect and put things into perspective. Whether your candidates won or not, we should all want the new Joe Biden administration and our country in general to succeed. We need to believe the sun will shine again in America.
    President-elect Biden has
    read the full story

  • Ready or not, I’m a septuagenarian

    THERE COMES A time in everyone’s life when you know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions. I pulled off my 70th birthday Dec. 1. The crossing of that milestone was almost effortless and went amazingly fast. And as many birthdays prior to this one, it was basically uneventful.
    What do you consider milestone birthdays in your life? Was it 16, 21, 30, 50 or 65? Maybe it
    read the full story

  • Giving thanks alters our behavior

    SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE this Thanksgiving. Researchers say it is good for your health. Expressing gratitude improves cardiovascular strength, sleep quality and more, according to Robert Emmons, a psychologist at the University of California, Davis.
    “Gratitude enhances performance in
    read the full story

  • How do we tackle income inequality?

    INCOME INEQUALITY CONTINUES to grow in many countries including 20 out of 29 advanced economies. Wealth is significantly more unevenly distributed than income worldwide. This has many people very concerned for the future of America.
    Recent events have reminded us that
    read the full story

  • Veterans of all ideals defend our values

    THIS VETERANS DAY, we reflect on the sacrifices made by those who volunteered to defend the United States. But let’s also find time to consider that these sacrifices were undertaken to defend values that our “ruling class in waiting” seeks to undermine.
    Many students at elite colleges don’t
    read the full story

  • Family caregivers are unsung heroes

    MORE THAN 90 MILLION Americans improve the quality of life for loved ones who have chronic conditions, disabilities, disease or the frailties of old age. They are our country’s unsung heroes. November is National Family Caregivers Month. Of family caregivers, 60% work full or part time.
    Caregivers can be
    read the full story

  • Will election mollify chaotic 2020?

    WHO WON’T BE relieved when this general election cycle is over? The year 2020 has been one for the history books. We all need some closure as our bitterly divided country braces for the Nov. 3 election. It’s critical for the survival of democracy that we trust the results.
    If 2020 has taught us anything, it is
    read the full story

  • A class divided, lessons learned