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Bridge by Steve Becker

Lifestyles

It’s funny how some players get mad at their partners. An acquaintance of mine, Abernethy C. Growler, is a member of this school. Just put 13 cards in his hand, good or bad, and he acquires the wisdom of Solomon and the autocracy of a sergeant with new stripes. Abernethy was playing at the club one day with Aloysius Meek, and he got to four hearts on the deal shown. No sooner had dummy hit the table than Abernethy hit the ceiling. He couldn’t understand how Meek could stop short of a small slam, let alone a grand slam. And he said so in no uncertain terms. After Abernethy calmed ...

Gray Areas: Traficant play opens in Pittsburgh in September

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Former Mahoning Valley Congressman James A. Traficant Jr. has been the subject of books, documentaries and podcasts since his death in 2014. A stage production will be added to that list in September. Auditions are being held this week for “Trapped,” a play written by London Cain, founder of the Iron Horse Theatre Company in Ambridge, Pa. Cain said the suggestion for “Trapped” came from an actor friend originally from Youngstown. Cain wasn’t that familiar with Traficant initially, but the more he learned the more he thought the convict congressman would be a fascinating ...

Organizing the junk drawer

Lifestyles

DEAR HELOISE: Every house has a junk drawer, and everyone knows exactly which drawer it is. The reason that it never stays organized isn’t due to a lack of effort but a lack of categories. Everything goes in together because there’s nowhere else for it to go. Then you can’t find anything because it’s one big tangle of batteries, twist ties and mystery keys! The only thing that actually works is putting small containers inside the drawer. Shallow boxes, the plastic trays from old gift sets, even cut-down cereal boxes — anything that creates a border between things. Batteries ...

Bluegrass fest returns to Trumbull fairgrounds

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A band “seldom scene” in these parts will headline this year’s Mitch and Cindy’s Bluegrass Festival at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds. The Seldom Scene, whose original lineup was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2014, will perform Saturday at the ...

Church services, weddings, birthdays and Mother’s Day

Lifestyles

Our refrigerator keeps filling up with more wedding invitations. We are sorry we aren’t able to attend all of them. Belated congratulations to niece Anna and Joseph. They were married April 2 in Clare, Michigan. Anna is the daughter of Joe’s sister Christine and Jake. We wish them God’s ...

Greens, grains, fried egg work well for any meal

Lifestyles

Eggs are better with carbs, and they’re particularly good with grains like rice, farro and quinoa, which can soak up a runny yolk. The herby-green grains here, from my cookbook, “Cook90,” are good for more than just breakfast, though — you could pair them with sauteed fish, skin-on ...