A writer's Random ramblings
The Pledge of Allegiance schoolchildren say to the American Flag each morning ends with the phrase, “with liberty and justice for all.” Do we truly mean for this to include the poor, weary, and underprivileged from other nations who seek to join our society as productive citizens? If not, we need to vet the adult applicants for safety, then have them take classes as many already do. What, however, do we do with those who come here as minors under the auspices of family? Many of these youngsters come before they are even old enough to know anything of the family’s former nation or identity.
Under President Barack Obama, undocumented children had provisions of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA Act, to protect them in the pursuit of education. President Trump seeks to end this and deport these young folks. These people generally immigrated before they attained school age and always took coursework here. They have no ideas of any other home. Our newscasts say many of them have graduated school and become productive citizens. Don’t all societies want productive workers, even if they came from other places? We can support these youngsters alongside our natural citizens. After all, they often go to school together, studying the same subjects once everyone attains fluency in English. Thus, when those arriving from other nations join our natives in certain studies, they need to be able to use school courses to become legal. Their families can apply for the status, with adults taking their own classes. Then, as the children progress through English, American history and government coursework, a family could theoretically study together for exams. Maybe the adults get through naturalization courses and then help the children. Older children could help the parents learn the same lessons. While parents take traditional naturalization classes, the offspring can test out of it by earning passing scores on standardized exams in the school system where they reside. They would take these alongside their native peers so nobody singles them out as “different.” In addition to then becoming citizens with full rights, they earn the graduation credits, or even college credits in cases of Advanced Placement exams. As the young immigrants progress through American education, they could choose whether to attend naturalization ceremonies at or after graduation. Whichever they choose, with the parents or at high school ceremonies, makes them legal. After this, as many before them have, they could go on to college and jobs. The nation then acquires numbers of productive citizens who need not fear deportation. Those who commit crimes on the path to citizenship receive counseling, preferably performed by legalized students who speak the same language under the supervision of social workers and other professionals to put them back on the right path. Some of the immigrants would attain these jobs after proper training and internships, later working alongside those who began the program. In these ways, immigrants can become part of the nation they enter. It works very well in the case of those who enter as children. They seek to join their peers as productive society members and need opportunities to achieve that goal.
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Where does a family go when shopping the Valley Mall makes them hungry? As any other mall, this one boasts a plethora of choices. When burgers and fast food will not suit, try Primanti Brothers.
From outside the mall, one can recognize Primanti Brothers by its patio featuring garage doors. To the left of these, which the restaurant uses for ventilation, enter by the revolving door. A selection of t-shirts and other general merchandise greets the patron as he or she waits to be seated. Tables and televisions tuned to various sporting events abound. Sports memorabilia on the walls and prices averaging ten dollars per plate welcome families as well as general sports fans to eat here. The entire menu, including children’s fare and appetizers, come in generous portions for the price. A typical children’s dish includes a bowl of macaroni and cheese, a fruit cup, fries, and animal crackers alongside a small cup of juice. This satisfies even a 7-year-old tired from shopping. Primanti’s nacho platter can easily take the edge off shopping-inspired hunger for a family of 4 or serve as a light lunch snack for 2 hungry adults. It arrives at the table in a rectangular baking tray that reminds people of a cake. This smart idea allows picky eaters or those who can’t tolerate certain ingredients to avoid those. For example, someone who can’t eat jalapeno peppers can easily navigate around those and still find chips loaded with cheese, olives, chili, tomato, green onions, or sour cream as desired. After such an appetizer, a less hungry eater can order a 9-inch personal pizza. These creations come with the diner’s choice of three toppings on a cheese pizza for around $7.00. Sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, olives and onions are some examples of popular toppings there. Sandwich lovers, rejoice! Many of these adorn the menu, generally made with Texas toast sized bread or equivalent rolls in the case of sausage sandwiches or the burgers there. Many sandwiches on the menu list state that fries are a main ingredient in the dish, but they can be ordered as a side as well. Whether ordered on the sandwich or as a side, the fires always come in generously sized portions. Thus, Primanti Brothers, which originally began in Pittsburgh, provides people in Hagerstown with great food at reasonable prices. Families and work groups as well as singles can afford to eat here while visiting the Valley Mall. The restaurant offers many tasty options for diners of all kinds. If communities want the arts to thrive, citizens must support them. We can do this in many ways. Why not start by providing spaces for the artists, musicians, and performers to practice and present their works? If at the same time as providing the space, a community could also help itself cure some blight, why wouldn’t it? Where both goals come together, communities find strength in numbers for all citizens. How can any group accomplish such goals?
First, bring together artists of all kinds, city and county governments, and concerned citizens. From these, form a committee of volunteers to go out and look at abandoned properties. Develop a list of former hotels and other such public spaces that could use new life. Ideally, at least one property in each major section of the community, town or city, should come up as a good space. Then, volunteers experienced in redesigning spaces and students of the building trades willing to earn service or apprentice hours there can rehabilitate the properties. Smaller hotel or motel rooms would serve well as studios for artists of all kinds who commute to the facility to produce works or teach private lessons. Suites can become small apartment or dorm style living areas for current students and recent graduates of programs on-site or nearby. Other areas can become shops for written and visual arts works or performance areas for musicians, dancers, and actors. Artists in residence at such venues can earn their space in various ways, as students can learn there. Both the building rehabilitation and rental of space fees begin with community grants and donations. The venue formed could rent out any extra parking spaces or kitchen space not in use to others for catering or other such purposes. Naturally, any tickets to performances or money made from selling products would be split between the creator of the works and any space rental he or she owes. Artists just starting out in the industry could then teach classes at the venue or volunteer in the community for credits toward their rental. Student-artists studying elsewhere but teaching at the new site would earn service-learning hours toward graduation before transitioning into earning money or space. Also, for a specially agreed-upon commission with given artists, other shopkeepers from the area around the facility could sell the works produced therein, and the on-site shops could host exhibitions of other artists with connections to those inside. Once the community establishes the space and artists take up residence, they need students. First, bring in children from schools in the area on field trips to observe the spaces. They go back with brochures by the artists in residence about the programs for their families. As the children grow and become interested, schools and volunteer parents can provide transportation to the facility. This serves a dual purpose by providing after-school activities for children whose parents must work and time for artists to teach before and after their individual projects. The manager of each department at the facility can meet with each student’s family prior to the beginning of lessons and work out a sliding scale fee based on how much they can pay versus how many volunteer hours the family can provide on selling tickets to shows, setting up or cleaning up art shows, and driving other youngsters to and from classes. If one family member teaches a class in anything from art production to art sales or finding higher education, the rest of the family’s tuition rates also decrease. In these ways, student-artists and professionals alike can acquire space to practice or help others along. Communities can show support both monetarily and in volunteer hours. All can see what talents others have and form alliances to help each other thrive. Thus, artists, businesses, government, and all citiznes find a richer life. Hungry from shopping or travelling in Hagerstown? Meeting a group in which not everyone knows the area, so you need a central place? Or do you have an occasion to celebrate? In any of these instance, Foster’s on the Point fills the bill.
Children less than twelve who love macaroni and cheese will eat theirs up. This comes in a generous bowl with a side of house-cut fries. The macaroni and cheese itself consists of not the traditional elbow noodle, but penne. This allows the noodles to hold on better to the house-made butter-based cheese sauce mixed into the penne. Older cheese lovers and sandwich aficionados alike, whether teen or adult, will enjoy the 3-cheese bacon grilled cheese. This sandwich, when paired with the house-cut fries, comes in the perfect portion for a meal. My 15-year old and husband agreed on this dish. The house specialty of Linguine Miranda spells “celebration on a plate.” This dish includes a side salad at the perfect proportion be called “side.” Following that, the main dish comes in a large bowl tipped at an angle to allow a perfect view of the food inside as one eats it. The linguine contains an Alfredo style sauce spiced up just right for Maryland natives with Old Bay, but not too much for even a child to try. It adds protein using wonderfully sized amounts of chicken, pancetta, and shrimp. The chef makes this easier to eat by removing the tails from the shrimp, a technique rarely seen in restaurants but appreciated by hungry patrons. This makes the dish easier to eat, especially when one makes sure to take multiple ingredients in each bite. Looking for dessert but not sure what to pair with your beverage of choice? No problem there, either, as the 6-inch mini cakes can pair well with anything from soft drinks to dark beer or wine. My dining party tried the peanut-butter chocolate cake. This would be the perfect size for someone seeking dessert and coffee to wind down, or as we did, can be shared among 2 people. Those not fond of whipped cream could eat this, as the whipped cream is artistically placed to the sides of the cake for those wishing to taste both together by dipping. The 3-layer high wonder tasted fantastic alongside the Antietam 1605 beer I had with the whole meal, although as noted above, a red wine would have matched it nicely. Whether you’re travelling, meeting, or celebrating, Foster’s on the Point can fill you up. Any age patron, any time of day, the food choices satisfy the hungry patron. For the best in house-made specialties for all courses of lunch or dinner, check them out. Oh, no! Here comes another busy week. So many activities going on, and dinner needs to be conquered, too. How can one person do it all? Start with a plan for the busiest days.
Take a running start on a day where time is not at a premium. Use that day to plan and prepare for the busy ones. A good example for the family that likes many types of cuisine? Take time to cook a large amount of rice. For example, I cooked 6 cups of basic white rice in 3 quarts of chicken stock. One could substitute out brown, jasmine, or other types of rice and either water or any type of stock available. This will feed into several suppers and even breakfasts and lunches over the next few days or so. The cook can freeze the rice in small, flat containers with or without the sauces and things that make the meal. Then, microwave the containers as necessary or place the desired amount in a bowl to warm with a small amount of water. Label it with what liquid it was cooked in if you want to match the type of liquid when warming it up. Stir fry can then become one of the meals out of the rice. What, no prepared sauce in the fridge? I combined ¼ cup of rice vinegar with ½ cup of low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. After stirring this, I let it sit in the measuring cup sealed inside a plastic bag in my refrigerator for the flavors to come together. Then, I cooked a pound of thinly shaved beef in a small amount of oil in the wok. When that appeared almost ready, I added in 2 pounds of Asian stir fry blend vegetables and the sauce, put on the lid and turned the stove down to a simmer. Chicken, pork, or shrimp and any combination of non-starchy vegetables would work well in this dish. Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauces also offer many opportunities to use bulk rice. For those who like food modeled after the cooking of the American South, put a pound of chicken or pork, 2 cans of drained kidney beans, and Apple-Bourbon or Southern Barbecue Sauce in the slow cooker. Set it to cook for at least 4 hours on Low. Then, pull out some of the rice cooked earlier in the week, warm it, and top it with the slow-cooker barbecue. Campbell’s also makes Sesame and Teriyaki flavored sauces originally meant for chicken that could be used with pork as well and served up over the rice. Dinner need not be a chore or difficult proposition. Any leftovers can go into the fridge to become a quick lunch or supper later in the week or even frozen for another day. In these ways, we can all learn to get along in the kitchen. College folks, single people, and families alike can make the recipes above to keep food simple. |
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