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Nick Jacobs

OP-ED: Christmas with Mrs. Claus

Back when shopping was an event, my old mentor John Gunter ran the legendary Penn Traffic Department Store in Johnstown. JohnëƵs motto was simple: Go big or go home. And when it came to Christmas, he went mega-big. That store was a winter wonderland with wreaths the size of a 1968 Chrysler ...

OP-ED: A journey through Bosnia

In the late 1990s, I somehow found myself on a plane bound for Bosnia, proof that Congressman John Murtha and Don Zucco, then the mayor of Johnstown, could talk me into anything. Our Johnstown delegation, led by Zucco, was headed to Brčko, a city still reeling from the war. As we descended ...

OP-ED: Airplane challenges through the years

Air traffic controllers have been having a rough time, and that doesnëƵt exactly make any of us feel calmer about flying. So, I thought IëƵd revisit a few of the memorable flight experiences we have survived over the past. Once, on a commuter plane from Philadelphia to Providence, R.I., I ...

Recently, the Somerset Chamber of Commerce recognized a friend of mine. For more than 50 years, G. Henry Cook, retired chair of Somerset Trust Company, has quietly shaped the soul of Somerset County. HeëƵs done it not with ego, but through integrity, humility, and a committed belief that ...

OP-ED: Mugged for Double Bubble

Primarily because I loved my work, my retirement plan involved a black zip-up bag. In other words, I never wanted to retire. I just wanted to clock out one last time and have someone else do all the paperwork. Unfortunately, my main client recently DOGEëƵd me, which takes us back to a much ...

For 12 years, during the week, I worked out of an apartment in Pittsburgh. When COVID hit, I moved back home full time. The problem is I did not move back alone. Somewhere between the packing and the movers, a few stowaways hitched a ride. When I opened my closet this summer, two tiny, beige, ...