— If I was asked what my most memorable New Year’s Eve was, I would have to say Dec. 31, 2012. My husband and I rushed out of our downtown apartment at

6:15 p.m. and headed to the First Presbyterian Church, where we had agreed to meet friends.

A light dusting of snowflakes fell as we rushed past Central Park and a group of carolers singing. Christmas lights shining in the dark sky and music filling the cold, clear air, it was like a moment from a Currier and Ives picture, unlike anything I had ever experienced.

We marveled at the beauty of the sanctuaries at First Lutheran, Franklin Street United Methodist and St. Mark’s churches. We waved greetings to the people riding through town in a horse-drawn carriage and gave a hug to a woman I recognized from the Family Kitchen.

Returning with our friends to our apartment, we enjoyed hot food and games. We were thrilled when the fireworks burst in full view from our apartment window, silhouetted by the bell tower of St. John Gualbert Cathedral.

At midnight, we toasted with eggnog spiked with 7-Up and bid our friends farewell. The next morning, I watched the Rose Bowl Parade on TV, remembering the many times I have been there.

Soon, I will return to my home in southern California, take off my black name badge and be with family again. But, I’ll tell anyone that Johnstown, Pa., is the place to be on New Year’s Eve.

Kathy Carter

Johnstown



Newborns are being unfairly saddled

To all the children born since Jan. 1, 2013, I say, “Welcome to the USA!”

According to the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Census Bureau, your Uncle Sam is presenting each of you with a debt of $52,152 to celebrate your arrival and to begin your life.

That is not all. In addition to the national debt, the U.S. has unfunded mandates for Social Security, Medicare and federal employee pensions totaling $87 trillion (Mort Zuckerman, Newsweek, Dec. 28).

This obligation is 550 percent of the nation’s current gross domestic product and amounts to a per-household debt that is 10 times the median family income.

You will certainly need to be an unusual generation in the history of our country. You will have to work hard and sacrifice not only to pay your own way but also to pay for the entitlements that we, your elders, have imposed upon you by electing the presidents and congresses of our lifetime.

Roger Knepper

Johnstown



More exposure for March for Life

The March for Life on Jan. 25 in Washington, D.C., will be the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade abortion law.

Nellie Gray and a group of women started the march to protest the abortion law that has killed 55 million unborn and partial-births babies.

The march will go on until this infamous law is reversed.

Gray died this past fall and another woman, Jeanne Monahan, has taken over, with the help of the Knight of Columbus to finance with banners and help, in organizing this great movement.

Young women and abortion mothers from the Silent No More abortion awareness campaign will march to tell the world how harmful abortions are to women who underwent the procedures.

Young people are now taking over the march from the older generation, which can’t take part in this cold and long march.

I’m a proud member of the Knights of Columbus and have taken part with my wife and have seen 65,000 to 100,000 people march for this worthy cause.

There are many clergy – Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox and Jewish – plus marchers from Canada and all over the country.

There are more politicians attending and talking against abortion.

President Obama and the pro-abortion and liberal media give little press and ignore us in the news. They call abortion “women’s rights.” How sad, this lie.

We are not a Christian country anymore and will be a socialist country like those in Europe with abortions.

Forgive us, God, “We know not what we do.”

Stephen Sakmar

Johnstown

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