February 19, 2026Volume 24 - #4CLEARSKY REHABILITATION HOSPITAL OF KENOSHA HELPS PATIENTS REGAIN CONFIDENCE SR COVER.qxp_Layout 1 2/17/26 2:36 PM Page 1Visit us at 3016 75th St., Kenosha“Very very pleased, the extra bit of personal touch was so appreciated.” - Joanne J.“Very very pleased, the extra bit of personaltouch was so appreciated.”- Joanne J. SR110625
2 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Kenosha providesspecialized rehabilitative care in KMH Palmer TowerHave you ever wonderedwhat’s in the building thatwas once Kenosha MemorialHospital located onSheridan Road and Highway50? Today, it’s home toClearSky RehabilitationHospital of Kenosha, theonly free-standing medicalrehabilitation hospitalserving Kenosha and Racinecounties. It offers a hospitalbased alternative to nursinghome or skilled nursingrehabilitation. ClearSky Kenosha, whichconsists of 39 beds, providesspecialized rehabilitativecare to individualsrecovering from disablinginjuries or illnesses, includingstrokes, brain injuries, hipfractures, spinal injuries,Parkinson’s disease, multiplesclerosis, and othermedically-complexconditions. It treats about650 patients annually. “Our location creates anexceptional healingenvironment for patients,”says Josh Luke, CEO ofClearSky Kenosha. “Everyroom is private andthoughtfully designed withcomfort and safety in mind.Many of our rooms featurebreathtaking views of LakeMichigan. Beyond thesetting, however, what trulysets us apart is thespecialized level of care weprovide to help patientsachieve stronger outcomesand return to their homeswith greater independence.”A year after opening in2023, ClearSky Kenosha wasrecognized nationally in theTop 10% of inpatientrehabilitation facilities in theUnited States for providingcare that is effective,efficient, timely, and patientcentered.“This recognition reflectsthe dedication and expertiseof our highly trained staff,”Luke says. “They workrelentlessly to deliver highquality, specializedrehabilitative care tomaximize our patients’recoveries so they canreturn to their homes andthe activities that theyenjoy.” By offering this level ofadvanced rehabilitation inKenosha, patients and theirfamilies don’t have to travelto Milwaukee or Illinois forspecialized care. This helpsto reduce the logistical,financial, and emotionalburdens that often comewith long-distance care, suchas time away from work,transportation challenges,and overnight stays.ClearSky Kenosha’sinterdisciplinary healthcareteam works individually witheach patient and their familymembers to create acustomized treatment planaligned with the patient’sgoals. The physician-led teamincludes rehabilitationnurses; physical,occupational, and speechtherapists; dietitians, casemanagers; respiratorytherapists; and otherhealthcare professionals. Each patient’s care ismanaged by a physician, toinclude a physiatrist,internists, and specialists.Patients receive 24/7rehabilitative nursing care,with a ratio of one nurse tosix patients. In addition,patients participate in aminimum of 15 hours aweek of physical,occupational, and/or speechtherapy based on theirindividual needs. One of the hospital’sunique attributes is theability to admit patientsdirectly from home, aphysician’s office, anemergency room, or anassisted living facility. TheMedicare benefit allows fordirect admission withoutrequiring a prior hospitalstay.Patients receivingtreatment at ClearSkyKenosha have access to arehabilitative gym furnishedwith specialized equipmentto practice standing, walking,climbing stairs, andtransferring safely from oneposition to another. Thehospital also features diningareas for patients andvisitors, along with Activitiesof Daily Living spacesdesigned to emulate homeenvironments. In thesespaces, patients practiceeveryday tasks involvingbeds, kitchen appliances, andlaundry equipment beforereturning home. “We want our patients toresume their normal dailyactivities with confidenceand independence,” Lukesays. “Therapies thatincorporate everydayhousehold items help themto do that safely andeffectively.”Patient feedback reflectsthe impact of thesetherapies, showing howeffectively the hospital’shealthcare team helpsindividuals regainindependence. As of this pastFebruary, ClearSky Kenoshahad earned a 4.6 star ratingon Google, with manypatient commentshighlighting both theprogress they achieved andthe attentiveness of staff.One former patient shared,“I spent 10 days at thiswonderful facility after spinalsurgery. It was my firstchoice for physical andoccupational therapy. Iactually received therapy 3-4times a day, which is betterthan what I would havereceived in a nursing home.They get you moving andhome safely.”“Comments like this areincredibly meaningful to ourteam,” says Tess Strangberg,Director of TherapyOperations. “It validates thatwe are doing what mattersmost to our patients, fromhelping them regain strengthand mobility, to performingdaily activities, or improvingcommunication skills. Everyability relearned is a majorstep toward renewedindependence. When ourpatients are ready to leave,we celebrate thosemilestones together.”Patient celebrationsusually occur at the end of atypical 10-14 day stay. Whenpatients are discharged, staffmembers line the hallwayand cheer as they walk out,often to the sound of afavorite song. It’s a momentthat reflects the sharedcommitment betweencaregivers and patients. “Many of our teammembers grew up here inKenosha, so we’re proud toprovide this level of care forour neighbors,” Luke says.“We’re committed tohelping our family, friends,and colleagues recover,rebuild, and return to thelives they enjoy.”Smart Reader is published bi-weekly by Carmichael CommunicationsEditor & Publisher/Frank J. Carmichael • Assistant to the Publisher/Reanna Stockdale Sales/Kim Carmichael, Madison Giannini • Reception/Sarah Coleman Ad Design & Layout/Glen Kelly, Dylan Valenta, Francis Flex • Editorial Manager/Jason HedmanCarmichael Communications 1420 63rd St. Kenosha, WI 53143February 19, 2026Volume 24 Number 4262-564-8800 • 1-800-568-6623 •www.hap2it.commdocrJefnenedicorawwprcoinmdeleeljaiofalltrjupowpesucrsinEp20befoGlosefoEpopinreembefilfreEpdowEpPaso19TrouAcReMapmthHberegrsubopaNJureAWSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 2:33 PM Page 2
3 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800t,atdnmnors.os,r,eThe recent release ofmore than 3 million pages ofdocuments related tocriminal investigations intoJeffrey Epstein is sheddingnew light on the elitenetwork surrounding thedisgraced financier andconvicted sex offender, andraising questions aboutwhether new prosecutionswill emerge.News organizations andprivate citizens alike arecontinuing to uncover newinformation from themassive document dump,despite redactions that haveleft a complete pictureelusive.Mr. Epstein, who died injail in 2019 in what wasofficially ruled a suicide, isalleged to have run a sextrafficking ring catering notjust to himself but alsopotentially to some of theworld’s most powerfulpeople. More than 1,000survivors of his allegedcrimes have been identifiedsince investigations into Mr.Epstein began in the mid2000s.The only person to havebeen sentenced to prisonfor Epstein-related crimes isGhislaine Maxwell, hislongtime associate, who isserving a 20-year sentencefor her role alongside Mr.Epstein in sex-traffickingoperations. Some prominentindividuals have facedreputational andemployment consequencesbecause of revelations in thefiles.Donald Trump makesfrequent appearances in theEpstein files, though thisdoesn’t prove anywrongdoing. Both he and Mr.Epstein owned homes inPalm Beach, Florida, andsocialized together in the1980s and ’90s. PresidentTrump has said the pair fellout in the early 2000s.According to DemocraticRep. Jamie Raskin ofMaryland, Mr. Trump’s nameappeared more than 1million times in a search ofthe unredacted files.How the Epstein filesbecame publicDemands for the fullrelease of the Epstein filesgrew in recent years fromsurvivors and lawmakers inboth parties. Congresspassed legislation this pastNovember forcing theJustice Department to beginreleasing files in January. Thedepartment had arguedagainst a full release, citingprivacy concerns forsurvivors and unindictedthird parties.Critics say the recentrelease still falls short,pointing to heavy redactionsand the notable absence ofcertain Trump administrationofficials, including AttorneyGeneral Pam Bondi and FBIDirector Kash Patel. Therelease has also beenaccompanied by a spike inunverified and falseallegations on social media,often stemming frommisinterpretations of emailsor AI-generated fakes.In many ways, instead ofproviding clarity andtransparency, the Epsteinfiles release appears to havedeepened public mistrust ofgovernment and furtherfanned the flames ofconspiracy.Is there anythingincriminating in thenew files?The Epstein files includedocuments from the threefederal investigations of Mr.Epstein, documents thatcourts have kept mostlysealed since the early 2000s.The mystery and suspicionsurrounding their contents –in particular, the possibilitythat he had rich andpowerful co-conspirators –have fueled conspiracytheories for years.The two co-sponsors ofthe Epstein FilesTransparency Act,Republican Rep. ThomasMassie of Kentucky andDemocratic Rep. Ro Khannaof California, have said thatunredacted versions of thefiles reveal six new “likelyincriminated” men.Why the files aremistrusted. Survivors andmembers of Congress havecriticized the JusticeDepartment for what theydescribe as heavy-handedredactions of the files. Onegroup of survivors describedthe redactions as “abnormaland extreme.” A watchdoggroup has complained to theDepartment of Justice thatthe files are missingcommunications betweentop Trump officials at theDOJ.The favorable plea dealfederal prosecutors gave Mr.Epstein back in 2008, hisextensive connections tomen in positions of power,the unusual circumstancessurrounding his death, andthe heavily redacted natureof the publicly released fileshave collectively reinforced awidespread mistrust in thefederal government’shandling of the case. Arepowerful people beingprotected? Was there acover-up?Why prosecution isdifficult. Some legalexperts say that if the filescontained evidence strongenough to bring newcriminal charges, thosecharges likely would havebeen filed already. Indeed, anunsigned memo from theJustice Department and theFBI last year said as much.After an “exhaustive” and“systematic” internal review,the memo said, the agencies“did not uncover evidencethat could predicate aninvestigation againstuncharged third parties.”There was “no incriminating‘client list’” and “no credibleevidence” that Mr. Epsteinhad “blackmailed prominentindividuals.”Even if incriminatingevidence is uncovered,successful prosecutionscould still be a challenge.Sexual assault cases arenotoriously difficult toprosecute at the best oftimes. In the Epstein case,concerning potentiallydecades-old events, itbecomes even harder, andmight be impossible if thestatute of limitationsforecloses certain newcriminal charges. Democratsin Congress are pushing a billto eliminate the statute oflimitations for adult victimsof sex trafficking to file civillawsuits.The Trump administrationlast year “said there won’t beadditional prosecutions,”says David Aronberg, whoserved as state attorney forPalm Beach County inFlorida from 2013 to 2025.“The delay makes it somuch harder,” he adds.“Memories fade, witnessesdie, evidence spoils. It’s verydifficult to prosecute a casebased on evidence fromyears ago.”Ms. Maxwell remainsa wild card. Her 2021 trialprovided more detail of herrole in Mr. Epstein’sactivities, but, because itfocused on her crimes alone,it said nothing about otherpotential co-conspirators.The possibility that sheknows more than she hasbeen forced to reveal hashung in the air ever since. Aprison interview withDeputy Attorney GeneralTodd Blanche in July 2025resulted in her transfer to aminimum-security prison. Ina congressional hearing onFeb. 9, she invoked the FifthAmendment and refused toanswer any questions. Shewould talk, her lawyer said, ifPresident Trump granted herclemency.What investigationsgot us here?First federalinvestigation. Mr.Epstein’s legal troubles beganin 2005, when the parents ofa 14-year-old girl in PalmBeach, Florida, went to localpolice and said the wealthyfinancier had molested her.After investigating, local lawenforcement uncovereddozens more victims datingback years.Local police eventuallyforwarded their findings tofederal prosecutors. Thefederal investigation resultedin an unusually lenient 2008plea deal that saw Mr.Epstein convicted of onecount of solicitation of aprostitute but kept theinvestigation’s findings underseal. (Alex Acosta, whonegotiated the plea deal as aU.S. attorney, later becamelabor secretary during Mr.Trump’s first term. Heresigned that post as a newEpstein investigation drewattention to the plea deal.)The deal immunized Mr.Epstein and “any potentialco-conspirators” from allfuture federal criminalcharges.Second federalinvestigation. Anotherfederal investigation into Mr.Epstein began in 2019. (Theimmunization deal wasbinding only in southernFlorida.) He was arrestedand charged that year onone count of sex traffickingof minors and one count ofconspiracy. But he died in jailbefore the case went to trial.Third federalinvestigation. In 2020,federal prosecutors chargedMs. Maxwell with sextrafficking of a minor andrelated crimes in Mr.Epstein’s enterprise. She wasconvicted in 2021 and iscurrently serving a 20-yearprison sentence.To date, no one else hasbeen criminally prosecutedin relation to Mr. Epstein’sillegal activities.What do the files sayabout prominentfigures?The documents includereferences to andcommunications with manyprominent figures, includingBill Gates, Elon Musk,Commerce SecretaryHoward Lutnick, Bill andHillary Clinton, andPresident Trump, amongothers. Being mentioned isnot by itself an indication ofSurvivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s criminalactivities stand in the hearing room asAttorney General Pam Bondi testifies beforethe House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11th. A guide to the Epstein files: Will any new charges result?story continues on page 13SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:19 AM Page 3FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Prepay for your funeral now and the price will be guaranteed. 8226 Sheridan Rd. 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4 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800mmreFrlanWstwwliktofoAmU25incuAm– ap– AmevhimthunasintFasimthuspuwfoFr‘I’thit pothmit PrinkehiReCcodoSki for free? Community-run hills help to offset costs and barriers to the sportLiz Cote’s cheerfuldemeanor masks an innerdread. Tonight, she is workinga cozy volunteer shift in thelodge at the VeteransMemorial Recreation Areaski hill in Franklin, NewHampshire. Tomorrow,however, this Granite Statenative will point a pair of skisdownhill for the first time.Learning to ski in stiffboots bolted to longfiberglass slats can be bothan exhilarating and scaryexperience for a beginnerlike Ms. Cote. It can also beprohibitively expensive. Which is one reason thelocal volunteer has come to“The Vets,” as the small skiarea in the foothills of theWhite Mountains is known.The 230-foot-high slopehere is a gentler descentthan those found at thestate’s larger ski areas, aswell as at other resortsthroughout New England.“It’s a perfect place tolearn how to ski in my 30s,”says Ms. Cote, one of manylocals who help keep the hillrunning. “I can look at thetop and feel like I am notgoing to kill myself trying toget down,” she says with alaugh.For the first time this year,weekend skiing at The Vets isalso free. As a nonprofit, theski facility relies ondonations and businesssponsorships to provide alow- or no-cost opportunityto take part in an aspect ofNew England’s culturalheritage that is often out ofreach for many local families. Indeed, as nations aroundthe world tune in to watchthe 2026 Winter Olympics inMilan Cortina, Italy, the U.S.team has long fielded rostersof ski and snowboardOlympians with ties to NewEngland, including returninggold medalists MikaelaShiffrin (Alpine skiing) andJessie Diggins (crosscountry). Past Alpine legendsinclude Bode Miller, a NewHampshire native and themost-decorated Americanmale skier.Under the lights of TheVets on this January evening,beyond the glow of a firepit,a group of parents isenthusiastically cheering onits budding Olympians. Thetiniest skiers step on a slowmoving “bunny belt” thatmoves them about100 feet up the hill.Others grab a ride on therope tow to the top toswoosh down again. “With kids, you neverknow how long they willwant to ski,” says Valerie Iyer,a social worker fromBrighton, Massachusetts,who made the trip up to TheVets to enroll her 5-year-olddaughter, Phoenix, in alesson. “Most families don’t wantto spend the money onexpensive lift tickets if theirkids only want to ski for anhour, or even 20 minutes. It’sa way to experience skiingtogether as a family,” shesays. At many of the larger skiresorts, renting skis andbuying a lift ticket can costmore than $200 per person.Add in food and the cost oflessons, and a family of fourcould expect to pay morethan $1,000 for a single dayon the slopes.In contrast, community skihills in New Hampshire, likeThe Vets, are run asnonprofits, and are staffed bya corps of dedicatedvolunteers who doeverything from fundraisingto snowmaking to grooming.Others across the stateinclude Mount Eustis inLittleton and Storrs Hill inLebanon, which hosts areahigh school race teamsduring the week. “I don’t know if this placewasn’t here if I’d be intoskiing,” says Timmy Morrill,president of the FranklinOuting Club that operatesThe Vets, who learned to skihere. “The larger resorts allsee the importance of smallcommunity hills like us.People come here to learnaffordably and then move onto the bigger mountains.”Has skiing become tooexpensive? New Hampshire has a richskiing history. It is largelyconsidered the nation’scradle of Alpine skiing withits long list of innovators andathletes. In 1998, it wasdeclared the state sport. Butrising insurance rates, foodprices, and electricity andlabor costs are makingdownhill skiing andsnowboarding anincreasingly unaffordablerecreational activity formany people.“There are a lot ofheadwinds” in the skiindustry when it comes torising costs, says JessycaKeeler, president of Ski NewHampshire, a not-for-profittrade association thatsupports more than 30Alpine and cross-country skiareas throughout theGranite State.On a national level,recreational skiing is bigbusiness, with 492 ski areasoperating across 37 states.Daily costs at the most eliteColorado resorts can soarwell over $2,000 per person,and as recreation, the sporthas long been consideredthe domain of the verywealthy.Still, even though inflationand other economicpressures are driving costsskyward, participation is atan all-time high. The NationalSki Areas Associationreported 61.5 million skiervisits during the 2024-25season, its second-bestseason since the trade groupbegan keeping records in thelate 1970s. The industry is ahuge economic engine forthe U.S. economy, withdownhill snow sportsgenerating $58.87 billionannually, according to figurespublished by the NSAA.But the people who workand volunteer at NewHampshire’s modestcommunity-focused hills saythey are motivated by thesimple fact that playingoutside during the darkest,coldest months of the year isboth restorative and fun.“These places tend tohave those family andcommunity vibes,” says Ms.Keeler. “They aren’t trying tomake a bunch of profit.They’re just looking to servethe community. We live in awintry state, and it’simportant to have things todo without making a hugeinvestment.”New Hampshire alsoboasts an extensive networkof volunteer-run programsfor schoolchildren thatprovides lessons andequipment at steepdiscounts. And many smallerski areas often provide awide range of discounted orfree days, and vouchers tohelp offset expenses.“It’s where it starts,” saysCory Grant, president of theLebanon Outing Club thatoperates Storrs Hill. Thefacility is the nation’ssecond-oldest continuing skihill, first opening in 1923. Italso has a junior nationalqualifying ski jump. “A lot oftalent comes out of here,including a handful ofOlympians,” he says.Ms. Shiffrin, who as an 8-year-old raced at Storrs,turned heads when she beatolder boys by four seconds.Nordic skiing, often calledcross-country skiing, and skijumping were the first toappear in New England inthe mid-1800s. The practiceswere brought byScandinavian immigrantswho took up logging in NewHampshire, says E. John B.Allen, a historian for theNew England Ski Museum inFranconia, New Hampshire. Nordic skiing and its ethosof striding out into the freshair to commune with naturewere enthusiasticallyadopted by students atDartmouth College and theUniversity of NewHampshire. By the late 1920s, crosscountry skiing gave way todownhill skiing, which wasintroduced by Austrianimmigrants fleeing Nazicontrol during World War II.“It wasn’t that Norwegianskiing and Nordic skiingdisappeared, but it was thatAlpine skiing became, as itwere, more of a thrill andsomething to be enjoyed,”says Mr. Allen. Rope-tow hills soonproliferated across NewEngland’s cow pastures. In1939, the arrival of Austrianski-meister HannesSchneider, renowned for histurning method, the Arlbergtechnique, enabled skiers toget down the hill quickly andsafely. After fleeing the Nazis,settling in North Conway,and opening a ski school inJackson, New Hampshire,Schneider fueled the skiindustry’s growth in NewEngland. So beloved is Schneider’slegacy that, each fall, fourthgraders ride the ConwayScenic Railroad, sponsoredby the New England SkiMuseum, to celebrate his1939 arrival at CranmoreMountain. A statue of theAustrian ski pioneer standsat the mountain resort.Postwar prosperity, betterequipment, and highwayslinking urban areas toremote ski hills helped spurthe popularity of downhillskiing. Advances insnowmaking and the adventof chairlifts replacing ropetows also encouraged morepeople to learn to ski. In1955, there were about 66ski areas in the UnitedStates. Ten years later, thatnumber climbed to 543. Then American skiersbegan winning Olympicmedals – many from NewEngland. Andrea MeadLawrence, the first AmericanAlpine skier to win multiplegold medals at the 1952Games, learned to ski at themodest Pico Mountain inVermont. The growth of Westernski resorts, particularly inColorado and California,kept Americans at homeinstead of traveling toEurope for ski vacations, saysthe historian Mr. Allen.“It’s important to meto make skiingaccessible.”But the ski boom was cutshort by the 1970s energycrisis, and many small skiareas, including more than600 in New England, wereforced to close, according tothe New England Lost SkiAreas Project.Mount Eustis in Littleton,which first opened in 1939,closed and then reopenedseveral times, saved by localfundraising efforts. It’s nowmaintained by an 11-personboard and a modest annualoperating fund of $15,000 to$20,000.“We are just trying to besustainable and notnecessarily make a profit,”says Adam Harbilas, thevolunteer coordinator at arecent training session fornew recruits. He has a list ofover 100 people, with about30 active volunteers.One of the new recruits,listening carefully on how tostop the rope tow, is GinaDamiano, who grew upskiing at nearby CannonMountain. Bode Millerlearned to ski at Cannon,known for its steep, icyslopes.“It’s important to me tomake skiing accessible,” saysMs. Damiano, whose greatgrandfather installed the firstaerial tramway at CannonMountain in 1938.“This is such a greatopportunity, [but] there areso many barriers to skiing,”she says. “It’s important toshow kids the joy of skiingor snowboarding.”In some ways, communityski hills combine the easeand accessibility of Nordicskiing with the thrill of skiingat a high speed, albeit for ashort distance. For manybeginning skiers, that’s justthe right combination. Michaela Hoover, alibrarian in Andover, NewHampshire, has been comingto The Vets for the past fiveyears with her son, SantigieHoover, every day the slopeis open. She adoptedSantigie, who is deaf, fromSierra Leone.“This is the only place hecan do this totally on hisown,” says Ms. Hoover. Thelift operators and workers inthe lodge all know Santigie,who will ride the lift dozensof times in an afternoon.“Here, he is free to be likeany other middle school kid.I know that he’s safe, andthat’s very nice.” And then she grins. “Whoknows, maybe one day hecould ski for Sierra Leone inthe Olympics!”By Kendra Nordin Beato &Melanie Stetson FreemanARJacob Otis gives his 3-year-old son Levi ahelping hand. This is Levi’s first time on skis. SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:19 AM Page 4
5 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800It’s a sunny winterymorning in January, and aman who bears a strongresemblance to BenjaminFranklin is walking the bricklane sidewalks of ColonialWilliamsburg.In a few months, thestreets here will be teemingwith tourists eager to meetwith historical reenactorslike this man, B.J. Pryor, andto learn more about thefounding days of theAmerican republic, as theUnited States celebrates the250th year of itsindependence.Some tourists may becurious about whatAmerica’s Founding Fathers– or the closestapproximation they can find– would have thought aboutAmerican democracy today,even though interpreters ofhistorical charactersmeticulously stay true totheir time period. Butunderstanding theaspirations – the “originalintent” – of the FoundingFathers might not be assimple as it seems.“Everyone wants to claimthe Founding Fathers anduse them for theirpurposes,” says Mr. Pryor,who has portrayed Franklinfor two decades. “AsFranklin, I like to tell people,‘I’m glad we have approvedthis new constitution. I thinkit is the best we couldpossibly have obtained underthe circumstances. And themost important thing aboutit is we can change it.’”Even Thomas Jefferson,Pryor notes, admitted thatinstitutions must adapt tokeep pace with the times.Christopher Brown, ahistorian on theRevolutionary War atColumbia University andconsultant for the Ken Burnsdocumentary series, “TheAmerican Revolution,” saysthe men who put theirsignatures on theDeclaration in 1776 agreedon the need to be free ofmonarchical rule, and littleelse.“I think they would beamused by the notion oforiginal intent of theFounding Fathers, not leastbecause the document thatthey created, theConstitution, was full ofcompromises,” ProfessorBrown adds. “There were somany intents in the room atthe moment that documentwas written, it would beridiculous to think therecould be one legitimateintent.”As divided as Americafeels today, there is aglimmer of hope in whatPryor and other historicalreenactors encounter: theshared curiosity in learningmore about the roots ofAmerica’s experiment indemocracy.To capture the essence ofthose times, Americans needto shake off their tendencyto treat the RevolutionaryWar period as sacred, saysTed Maris-Wolf, a historianand associate director of theCharles Center at theCollege of William & Mary.Americans today mightrecognize hot-button issuesthat confronted the nationbuilders of 1776: What doesit mean that all men arecreated equal? What are thelimits of individual freedom,or of the federalgovernment?But people also struggleto connect the dotsbetween the challenges ofAmerica’s revolutionarygeneration and today. Mr.Maris-Wolf argues thathistorical reenactors canprovide a citizens guide tounderstanding America’sfoundations in order to mapout its future.“With these reenactors,there seems to be at least anattempt to make thosepolitical figures real humans,”says Mr. Maris-Wolf, whowas once the director ofColonial Williamsburg. “Youcan show the vulnerabilities,the failures, in addition tothe achievements, thefounding of the country.”Ben of WilliamsburgClad in the black woolenbroadcloth jacket andbreeches of an 18th-centurygentleman, B.J. Pryor hasbeen portraying Ben Franklinfor decades, passing alonginsights from his personalresearch to visitors,schoolchildren, and tourgroups.When he is dressed asFranklin, Mr. Pryor keeps his21st century opinions tohimself. But if he is doing hisjob right, he can give hisaudience the tools to learnfrom Franklin’s documentedbeliefs and actions to helppeople understand theprinciples on which theUnited States was founded.“Whenever I hear asentence that begins, ‘theFounding Fathers thought,’ Ithink, OK, that sentence isbogus, because there isnothing that the FoundingFathers all thought the sameabout, or hardly anything,”Mr. Pryor says. “Theydisagreed, they fought, theybickered, they hated oneanother.”Today, people mightrecognize the same thingamid politicalhyperpartisanship. Indeed,tensions back then sparkedarmed conflict betweenColonies. Connecticut andPennsylvania fought not onebut three wars overdisputed territory along theSusquehanna River. Evenwhen they were unitedagainst the British, some ofthe Colonies were reluctantto give up sovereignty to anational government.Any document signed inthese conditions was boundto be a work in progress.“They did not think thatthey were drawing up adocument that would lastfor 200 years,” Mr. Pryorsays, back at his moderntown house, showing off hiscollection of books andmagazines from the Colonialperiod. “You know, theyassumed that this was agood system and it wouldwork, but times wouldchange, and no doubt,something different wouldbe needed down the road.”In short, the FoundingFathers wrote a remarkabledocument that madeindependence appear notonly possible, but alsoinevitable. Along with aConstitution written adecade later, they built afoundation for a system ofself-government that wouldcontinually need repairs andimprovement.Today, some constitutionalscholars say that documentis under threat from a Trumpadministration thatinterprets it as giving broadpowers to the head of theexecutive branch – a stancethe U.S. Supreme Court haslargely upheld. Mr. Pryor,drawing on his knowledge ofthe Founding Fathers, saysthey anticipated there wouldbe conflict.“The purpose ofgovernment cannot be tobring perfect harmonyamong all people,” Mr. Pryorsays. “What you do hope agovernment can do is keepus from slitting oneanother’s throats. Enable usto share a polity withoutkilling one another orinflicting gross harm on oneanother. If we canaccomplish that, we havedone something great.”George ofAppomattoxDan Shippey’s journey toportray George Washingtonbegan shortly after twojetliners struck the WorldTrade Center in 2001.Like many Americans, Mr.Shippey was shaken to hiscore by the event. But henoticed something more:Americans were questioningwhat it meant to be anAmerican.“We all come fromdiverse backgrounds, verydiverse thoughts,” says Mr.Shippey. “If you take all thethings we don’t have incommon, the one thing wehave is the foundationalideas that go back to theRevolution.”Ideas and values such asfreedom, equality, and liberty,are not static, and can be inconflict with each other, saysMr. Maris-Wolf at William &Mary. Education specialists atColonial Williamsburgdesigned curricula to helpstudents and the generalpublic understand thetensions between valuessuch as unity vs. diversity, lawvs. ethics, private wealth vs.common wealth, andfreedom vs. equality, whichfueled the Founding Fathers’debate on what it means tobe American.George Washington reenactor Dan Shippey poses in an 1816 homeowned by his family in Appomattox, Virginia, Jan. 9, 2026. Mr.Shippey says he got into reenacting to teach the history of America.Skion,39,edcalowonualtobeott,”heaorofutts,tonauponeron,cytoaysatrstoneatreg,”tongitysedicnganyustaewngvegiepeedomhehisheinie,nson.kekid.ndhohein&anAmerica at 250: What would Ben Franklin say?Reenactors aim to spark reflectionstory continues on page 10SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:20 AM Page 5SR060525Call Alex at 262-344-6736For a free estimateCall Alex at 262-344-6736For a free estimateAlex Fence & Repairs lex Fence & RepairsWhy settle for wood posts when you can get lifetime steel posts. Our best seller!No dig, no mess and at a low price.Why settle for wood posts when you can get lifetime steel posts. 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6 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800OPINIONBad Bunny is an Americanicon.The Puerto Rican artist isfresh off being awardedalbum of the year at theGrammys, a first for aSpanish language body ofwork, in addition to twoother awards from theesteemed celebration ofmusic that moves the nation.But lofty honors are notwhat makes Bad Bunnyremarkable at this juncturein his career, noted as thehalftime entertainment forSuper Bowl LX.Benito Antonio MartinezOcasio is emblematic of thenation’s future. He embodiesthe country’s destiny; as amulticultural home to adiverse citizenry living indeeply rooted culturaltraditions of faith, family, andfreedom.He praises God openly. Hethanks his family profusely.And he’s long been an ardentvoice in Puerto Rico’sstruggle for independencefrom its colonial history, andas a territory of the U.S.Faith, family, and freedom,delivered by a son ofAmerica.That’s the inescapable factthat grinds at Bad Bunny’sfiercest critics, preciselybecause his story and hispassion resonates with deeprelevance and truth.The Trump administrationcan unleash a range of terroron communities under theguise of immigrationenforcement. It canundermine civil rights andvoting protections byexecutive orders, new laws,and court challenges. It canand is casting asiderecitations of history byclaiming it all too woke, tooliberal or offensive tosanitized versions of thepast.But neither Trump nor anycourt order can erase thenation’s trajectory. Thereality of our demographicsand patterns of integrationand assimilation happensdaily.Bad Bunny’s fanbase isOPINIONAfter refusing asubpoena to appear beforethe House OversightCommittee and only afterit became clear thecommittee that includesseveral Democratmembers would vote tohold them in contempt ofCongress, Bill and HillaryClinton announced theywould give sworndepositions concerningwhat they know about theconvicted sex offender, thelate Jeffrey Epstein.The Clintons will be putunder oath as is the usualpractice with suchdepositions. Given theirrecord of shading the truthand telling outright lies, whywould anyone believe whatthey say?Here are just a fewexamples of what is knownabout the two of them.First, Bill. Who can forgetthat scene in the WhiteHouse after the storybroke about MonicaLewinsky? With Hillarystanding by her man,Clinton pointed his indexfinger for emphasis andsaid: “I did not have sexualrelations with that woman,Ms. Lewinsky.”That statement camewhile Clinton was beinginvestigated for perjury,leading to his impeachmentby the House but acquittalin the Senate. He lateradmitted the statementwas false. His manydefenders, includingCabinet members, madeexcuses for him, only to behumiliated when the truthemerged.During his Aug. 17, 1998,grand jury testimonyregarding the Lewinskyscandal, Clinton engaged ina parsing of words thatmade me laugh. Invideotape testimonyClinton was asked to justifyhis earlier claim that therewas no sexual relationshipbetween himself andLewinsky. Clintonresponded: “It depends onwhat the meaning of theword ‘is’ is.” This was thekind of stuff that earnedhim the title “Slick Willie.”Remember Paula Jones,Juanita Broaddrick,Kathleen Willey and otherswho accused Clinton ofrape, sexual harassmentand other inappropriateconduct? Clinton denied allthe charges while hissupporters tried to smearthe women. James Carvillefamously said: “Drag a $100bill through a trailer parkand there’s no telling whatyou will find.”“Bimbo eruptions” was aphrase coined by BetseyWright, a deputy chair ofClinton’s 1992 presidentialcampaign. Its purpose wasto attack Clinton’s femaleaccusers. Hillary Clintonjoined in the effort. Somuch for female solidarity.There’s plenty more onthe list of lies told by BillClinton dating back to histime as Arkansas attorneygeneral and governor, butlet’s move on to Hillary.During her 2008presidential campaign, FirstLady Hillary Clintonclaimed she landed in Tuzla,Bosnia, in 1996 \"undersniper fire\" and had to \"runwith our heads down.”Video footage and newsreports revealed she wasgreeted on the tarmac by agroup of officials and an 8-year-old girl, with noimmediate sign of sniperfire. She lateracknowledged she\"misspoke\" and that it wasa \"false memory.”Then there was thebusiness about her emailson government and privateservers while she wassecretary of state. Duringand after her time in thatoffice Hillary Clinton madeseveral claims regarding heruse of a private emailserver for official business,many of which werecontradicted by an FBIinvestigation. “I neverreceived nor sent anymaterial that was markedas classified,\" she testified.But the FBI investigationfound 110 emails in 52chains contained classifiedinformation when theywere sent or received,some at the highest levels,even if they were notexplicitly marked as such atthe time they were sent onher server. Then-FBIDirector James Comeycalled her handling ofclassified information\"extremely careless.”Space does not permitlisting more of their liesand dissembling but anyonecan find them with aGoogle search. If theClintons lie again or parsewords before the HouseOversight Committee willthere be consequences?That’s something theClintons have mostlyavoided throughout theirpublic careers and privatelives.Here come theClintons (again)with Cal ThomasReaders may email CalThomas [email protected] for Cal Thomas’ latestbook “A Watchman in theNight: What I've Seen Over50 Years Reporting onAmerica\" (HumanixBooks).my turnreara arorW20la1,wansyan10laSt5,nuabUAInThdethDSwSTlobenupooftethNantedeFiDIbwstory continues on page 7The alternative Super Bowl ‘All-American Halftime Show,’courtesy of Bad Bunnywith Mary SanchezReaders can reach MarySanchez [email protected] follow her on [email protected] President Joe Biden (C) displays his Clinton Global Citizen Awardwith former secretary of state Hillary Clinton (R), First Lady Jill Biden,former US President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton during the ClintonGlobal Initiative annual meeting in New York on September 23, 2024cimgesuimacatoinaisbrhgMcoBad Bunny at the 68th annual Grammy Awards, held at theCrypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:21 AM Page 6
7 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800dyd,s,otatnBIyofnitseaeeells?eyreOPINIONThe party is overregarding strategic nucleararms control.It is almost inevitable thata new strategic nucleararms race will be beginningor already is underway.With the expiration of the2010 New START Treatylast week, limits on the1,550 deployable nuclearwarheads in 700 air-, seaand land-based launchingsystems have been lifted.Both the United Statesand Russia were allowed100 non-deployablelaunchers. The UnitedStates has approximately5,200 deployed and storednuclear weapons. Russia hasabout 5,500.Last Friday,Undersecretary of State forArms Control andInternational SecurityThomas G. DiNannodelivered key statements atthe Conference onDisarmament in Geneva,Switzerland.DiNanno said the NewSTART Treaty was nolonger relevant in 2026because of the expansion ofnuclear weapons by \"otherpowers.\" He accused Chinaof holding secret, low-yieldtests in 2020 in violation ofthe ComprehensiveNuclear-Test-Ban Treaty,and employing \"decoupling\"techniques to hide thesedetonations.Proclaiming an \"AmericaFirst\" arms strategy,DiNanno called for a new,comprehensive, verifiableand enforceable armscontrol regime thatincluded more than justRussia and the UnitedStates in bilateral talks.This was an obviousreference to China thatthus far refused to considerentering any nuclear armstask, while still developingits own arsenal thought toconsist of about 600warheads, with half havingstrategic -- long-range --capability. That's a long wayfrom Mao Zedong'scomment that \"a few atombombs are enough.\"And the undersecretarycited Friday as the end of\"U.S. unilateral restraint,\"implying a possible armsbuildup. Finally, he impliedthe Trump administrationwas seeking a \"new,improved and modernizednuclear weapons treaty.\"None of this was asurprise. The United Stateshad been preparing for theend of New START. Whilethe administration'sStrategic Posture Reviewhas not been released, theOne Big Beautiful Bill Actsigned into law by PresidentDonald Trump in Julycontained about $15 billionfor modernizing the nucleartriad.That included $4.5 billionfor more B-21 bombers;$2.5 billion for the Sentinelintercontinental ballisticmissile; $2 billion for a seabased cruise missile thatcould be nuclear armed; and$4 billion for the NationalNuclear SafetyAdministration forrefurbishing weapons andinfrastructure.Trident missiles carriedaboard the Ohio class andthe new Columbia classnuclear ballistic submarinescan accommodate 12warheads, although theyreportedly have eight. MoreB-21's means more capacityfor nuclear deliverysystems. By all accounts, theprospect for anothernuclear arms race may beupon us. That will beexacerbated by at least twoother factors.The first is that duringthe Cold War, twoscorpions inhabited thesame bottle: the UnitedStates and Russia. Today,there are more smallerscorpions: India, Israel,Pakistan and North Koreapossess nuclear weapons.There is one growingscorpion: China. And Britainand France have capablesubmarine nuclear forces.Beyond that, many statescan become armed withnuclear weapons in arelatively short time.Germany, Japan, Korea andAustralia are among them.Saudi Arabia has a treatywith Pakistan that couldlead to its acquiring nuclearweapons. And while Irandenies any intention ofbuilding the bomb, few inthe United States believethat.All this is very bad news.China is adamant aboutrefusing talks on nucleararms control. Russia,meanwhile, has numericalsuperiority in tactical orshort-range nuclearweapons. And to somedegree, any nuclear weaponcan be considered tacticalgiven that its use couldtrigger a strategic response.And where are theincentives for arms control?The second factor thatcompounds the problems inreaching sensible andverifiable arms controlagreements is the GoldenDome, the Trumpadministration's plan to putan impenetrable shieldaround and over thecontinental United States.The Reaganadministration tried thatand failed with the StrategicDefense Initiative,pejoratively known as \"StarWars.\" SDI failed for manyreasons due to theimmaturity of missiledefense technology and theinability to defend againstair-breathing bombers,missiles and hypersonicweapons.The only response forChina, North Korea andRussia to Golden Domewould be more warheadsfrom low-flying hypersonicmissiles, bombers and, forRussia, nuclear-tipped,nuclear poweredtorpedoes, such asPoseidon. As for thepossibility of proliferation,none of this is good news.And the Trumpadministration has rid itselfof its best arms controlexperts.What to do? NegotiatorsSteve Witkoff and JaredKushner are not theanswers. And the criticalproblem is: Who then?Into the nuclearbreach -- againwith Harlan Ullmanmy turnHarlan Ullman is UPI'sArnaud de BorchgraveDistinguished Columnist; senioradviser at Washington'sAtlantic Council, chairman of aprivate company and principalauthor of the doctrine ofshock and awe. His next book,co-written with Field MarshalThe Lord David Richards,former U.K. chief of defenseand due out next year, is WhoThinks Best Wins: PreventingStrategic Catastrophe. Thewriter can be reached on [email protected] Ullman joinsHappenings Q&A on Thu Feb 26th at 9:20am on AM1050 WLIPA Russian 'Yars' intercontinental ballistic missile launcher is displayedin the Victory Day military parade in Moscow in May 2024composed of newimmigrants, peoplegenerations deep and ofevery age category. Hissuccess is built on a nation ofimmigrant stock. Newarrivals adapt, influenceculture, mixed with thosealready here, and withouttoo much governmentinterference, prosper.Bad Bunny’s presence, asan American citizen by birth,is akin to an inescapablebeat, much like the repetitiverhythms of the reggaetongenre of music that firstbrought the artist tostardom.Fluency in Spanish isn’tnecessary to understandwhy he is resonating with anever-growing base of fans.Even Kid Rock must tip hishat to Bad Bunny.The Detroit-bred rocker,turned country musician,turned President DonaldTrump ardent supporter,knew his performancewouldn’t hold a candle tothe legions who watch BadBunny perform.Kid Rock was theheadliner to the alternativeSuper Bowl LX halftimeshow, along with a handful ofcountry music artists.The live streamed showwas advertised as a counterto Bad Bunny’s performanceas this year’s halftimeentertainer at the mainevent.“The All-AmericanHalftime Show. CelebratingFaith, Family and Freedom”was organized by TurningPoint USA, the conservativeorganization founded by thelate Charlie Kirk.The show was conceivedas an alternative to the mainshow, with the impliedmessage that Bad Bunnycan’t represent those thingstoo: faith, family andfreedom.The truth is he is all ofthat, and he’s doing it with acharismatic, yet deftpersona.Turning Point knowsthey’ve chosen the wrongfoe.Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, inrecent interviews, hasgauged her comments, takingcare to not be toocondemning of Bad Bunny.Smart move. Don’t attackthe person embodying whatTurning Point claims torepresent. Want to knowwho adheres to Biblicalconcepts?Consider the commentsthat Bad Bunny made at theGrammys. Yes, he vocallyproclaimed “ICE Out,” astatement that clearly puthim in the crosshairs of theTrump administration’simmigration actions.After affirming everyone’shumanity, he pointed outthat reacting to theadministration’s actions withhatred will only empowermore hatred. “We need tobe different,” he said. “If wefight, we need to do it withlove.”And then he spoke to thevery tenets of nonviolentresistance, taping its Biblicalunderpinnings.“The only thing that ismore powerful than hate islove,” Bad Bunny added.The pushback to BadBunny encapsulates why somany of the Trumpadministration’s efforts feelso frantic, so ill-conceivedand poorly executed.Trump, and his most loyalof servants, understand thatthey are waging a battle theywill not win.Mary Sanchezcontinued from page 6SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:21 AM Page 7
8 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Where to store variousfoods can be tricky attimes. We know milk, meatand eggs belong in thefridge. But many foods areless obvious. Should butterbe kept in the refrigeratoror out on the counter? Willbananas turn black in therefrigerator? The Academy ofNutrition and Dieteticsoffers a list of foods youmay not be refrigerating butshould be. Storing them inthe fridge will help keepthem safe and tasting greatlonger. Tortillas -- Sometortillas are prone tomolding. That's why the fineprint on many tortillapackages recommendsrefrigerating after opening.Chill tortillas to help themstay fresh. The date on theirpackage is for qualitypurposes, so when storedproperly, they may beconsumed beyond theirdate, if there are no signs ofspoilage.Salami -- Cured meats,including salami, are lesslikely to harbor bacteriathan cooked meats, but thatdoesn't mean they're always100% safe. Refrigerationcan slow potential bacterialgrowth, but people who areat higher risk of foodborneillness, such as pregnantwomen, older adults andpeople with weakenedimmune systems shouldheat ready-to-eat foodssuch as lunch and delimeats. Store unopenedsalami in the refrigeratorfor up to two weeks. Afteropening, it should beconsumed within three tofive days.Ripe bananas -- It'sfine to ripen bananas on thekitchen counter. Trouble is,they keep ripening, andripening and ripening. Oncethey're ready to eat, popthem in the fridge for up tothree days. The peel mayturn brown, but they're stillfine to eat.Avocados -- Likebananas, avocados willcontinue ripening. Oncethey're at the stage you like,put them in therefrigerator. You can alsotake the peel off and freezethe flesh for use in asmoothie. Nuts -- Nuts' fragileunsaturated fats can gorancid quickly. While thatmay not hurt your health, itcan definitely be bad newsfor flavor. Keep nuts tastingfresh by stowing them in asealed plastic or glasscontainer in therefrigerator for four to sixmonths.Whole-wheat flour -- This flour can also gorancid quickly. You canrefrigerate it or freeze it toprolong its life and taste.Maple syrup -- Maplesyrup has a surprisinglyshort shelf life. So if yours issitting in your pantry, it'stime to relocate it to thefridge. Stored in therefrigerator, maple syrupusually can stay fresh for upto a year. However, if younotice any mold growth, besure to toss it immediately.Dried fruit -- Driedfruit has less moisture thanfresh fruit, so it doesn'tspoil as quickly, butrefrigeration can help itmaintain its freshnesslonger. Keep it in the maincompartment of yourrefrigerator for up to sixmonths.Ketchup -- Restaurantsmay leave their ketchup onthe table, but that doesn'tmean you should. While itshigh acid content will keepmost bacteria at bay, cooltemperatures help maintainflavor and freshness.Refrigerate ketchup for upto six months.Corn on the cob --After picking, corn beginsto lose its sugar contentdramatically when left atroom temperature. Unlessyou're going to cook it rightaway, keep corn in thefridge -- husks and all -- forone to two days.Chocolate syrup --Chocolate syrup is an easyway to make a glass of milktaste even better. But not ifit has developed funnyflavors. Chill yours afteropening and you can enjoyit for six months.As for butter, Irecommend keeping it inthe refrigerator. If you needto have it softened forspreading or use in arecipe, take it out for ashort while. Butter can alsobe stored in the freezer.Charlyn Fargo is aregistered dietitian withSIU Med School inSpringfield, Ill. food & recipesPantry orRefrigerator?Nutrition News with Charlyn FargoClassic Cheese SouffléServes 43 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 teaspoon togrease the souffle dish2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Gruyereor Comte cheese3 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 cup milk4 egg yolks1 teaspoon Dijon mustard1/2 teaspoon saltPinch white pepperPinch freshly grated nutmeg5 egg whitesPinch cream of tartar1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese1 tablespoon breadcrumbs1. Butter a 1 1/2-quart souffle dish and coat the baseand sides with 1 tablespoon grated Gruyere cheese.2. Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a 2-quart saucepanover medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flourand cook for 1 minute, then cook for an additional 2minutes until the mixture is bubbling but still pale.Add the milk, whisking until the sauce is thick andsmooth, about 2 more minutes. Bring to a boil whilewhisking, then cool for 10 minutes.3. Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled sauce untilsmooth. Add the mustard, salt, white pepper, andnutmeg, whisking to combine.4. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with apinch of salt and cream of tartar until stiff peaksform but are not dry.5. Gently fold half of the egg whites into the sauce.Add all but 1 tablespoon of the Gruyere cheese andall the Parmesan cheese, then fold in the rest of theegg whites just until the mixture is uniform with nowhite streaks. Pour into the prepared dish. Sprinklethe remaining tablespoon Gruyere cheese and thebreadcrumbs on top.6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the souffle is goldenbrown and has risen. Do not overbake, as the soufflemay become dry. Serve immediately.Souffles are Seriously Simple to prepare,but their success depends on perfecttiming. Plan your meal so the souffle goesinto the oven just as you sit down for yourfirst course (salad or soup). Remember,you can wait for the souffle, but the soufflewon’t wait for you — it must be servedimmediately to avoid deflation.This classic cheese souffle begins with asimple white sauce that is enriched withegg yolks and flavorful cheeses. The key toits airy texture is carefully folding stifflybeaten egg whites into the mixture,preserving as much air as possible.This souffle is ideal for a weekendbrunch or lunch — light, yet satisfying.Start with a shrimp or crab salad, and fordessert enjoy sliced pears drizzled withhoney. Pair the meal with a chilledchardonnay or sauvignon blanc.Tasty tips for a SuccessfulSouffle• Use eggs at room temperature; coldeggs trap less air.• Separate eggs carefully, using an extrabowl for each egg to prevent yolk fromcontaminating the whites.• Make sure the bowl for the egg whitesis impeccably clean. Any yolk will preventthe whites from whipping properly. If yolkdoes get into the whites, save them forscrambled eggs and start again.• Choose full-flavored, firm cheeses.Parmesan and Gruyere work wonderfully,but you can also try cheddar, goat cheese,or manchego. Add-ins like cooked spinach,crisp bacon, cooked vermicelli, or dicedchicken can be incorporated into thesauce before folding in the egg whites.By Diane Rossen WorthingtonbeInthJanintwarerebrlevComasanonleatra1.baprcrinvPrwoofcoDKJeRyorureGfinbubeencofaradefrCarwkecrfothnashthhigoFlevbWbServings: 11 1/2 cups torn romaine lettuce or fresh spinachor baby kale1/2 cup yellow sweet pepper strips1/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries2 tablespoons light olive oil and vinegar saladdressing1 hard-cooked egg, quartered1/4 cup chopped cooked chicken breast2 tablespoons sliced green onion2 tablespoons cucumber-dill Greek yogurt dip1 ounce whole-grain baguette-style breadIn a quart-sized Mason jar, put dressing in first.Then add pepper, strawberries, green onion. Mixchicken and egg with yogurt dip. Add to jar. Spoonlettuce or spinach on top. Serve with bread.Per serving: 337 calories, 23 g protein, 31 gcarbohydrate, 13 g fat (3 g saturated), 219 mgcholesterol, 6 g fiber, 12 g sugars, 664 mgsodium. Chicken-Egg SaladSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:22 AM Page 8
9 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800ntatsshtheor--sylkifnyeroyIinedoraasoI should have knownbetter. Just as the Dow JonesIndustrial Average nearedthe 50,000 milestone in earlyJanuary, a producer called tointerview me about whatwas pushing stocks higher.Soon after, stocksretreated but thenrecovered. The Dow finallybroke through the 50,000level on February 6.Concurrent with stockmarket gyrations, otherassets, like precious metalsand crypto, took investorson a wild ride.Here’s what we havelearned from the first fivetrading weeks of the year:1. Beware of thebandwagonAfter the 2024presidential election, bitcoincrossed the 100,000 mark, asinvestors believed thatPresident Donald Trumpwould be true to his promiseof being the first “crypto president.”His administration wasfilled with crypto-friendlypeople, who watered downregulations, prompting allsorts of investors to buy intothe craze. Bitcoin did soarabove $126,000 in October2025, but just a few monthslater, its value has almostbeen halved. Ouch.2. Beware of theNEXT bandwagonSome investors who didn’tget their buy orders in forcrypto were lured into goldand silver, which haveenjoyed massive gains overthe past year or so.Considering that mycareer started as a gold,silver and copper optionstrader on the floor of theCommodities Exchange ofNew York, I can state withcertainty: Beware of thewhippy nature ofcommodities markets!Like Bitcoin, some wanteda piece of the action, butthey soon learned just howmuch commodities can whiparound. On Friday January30, gold plunged 9 percentand silver lost a quarter ofits value… in just one day.3. If you do jump onthe bandwagon, limityour exposureLet’s say you ignore theadvice above and want to bepart of the mania associatedwith speculative investmentslike cryptocurrency,commodities, or evenindividual stocks. If that’s thecase, then limit the amountinvested to under 5% of yourtotal investments. By doingso, you can manage riskwhile still allowing forpotential upside.Think of it this way: If 5%of your portfolio loses half ofits value, you’ve only lost2.5% of your total investedwealth. That’s recoverable.But if 30 or 40% of yourportfolio is concentrated ina volatile asset that crashes,you’re looking at losses thatcould take years to recoup,potentially derailing yourretirement plans or otherfinancial goals.For the core of yourportfolio, maintain adiversified portfolio of lowcost index mutual orexchange traded funds.These “boring” assets won’tmake headlines, but theyshould provide the longterm growth you need andthe diversification amongvarious asset classes shouldhelp you weather marketturbulence. Use volatileassets as the spice in yourinvestment recipe, not themain course.4. Avoid daily marketcheck-insMost of us are saving for along-term goal, likeretirement or college, whichis likely years or decades inthe future. Reviewing marketaction on a daily basis willnot help you achieve thosegoals, but it might encourageyou to act — and that’srarely going to work out inyour favor.5. Don’t keep moneyyou need in a volatileassetDo you need to make ahouse down payment,purchase a car or pay atuition bill within the next 12months? Did you “forget” tofree up that money and nowit’s stuck in something thathas gone down in value?If so, that money shouldnever have been at risk at all,so admit that you blew it andget whatever you need outand keep it in a safe savings,checking or money market.The months-long beautycontest is over: PresidentDonald Trump has namedKevin Warsh to succeedJerome Powell as FederalReserve Chair.Before explaining whyyou should care, a quickrundown of Warsh’sresume:— He served as FedGovernor during thefinancial crisis (2006-2011)but resigned seven yearsbefore his 14-year termended.— He was longconsidered a \"hawk\" whofavored higher interestrates, and his earlydeparture likely stemmedfrom disagreements withChair Bernanke —Warshargued for rate increases,while others preferredkeeping rates low to aidcrisis recovery.— He was a contenderfor Fed Chair in 2017, butthen-President Trumpnamed Powell instead.— Recently, Warsh hasshifted positions, arguingthat interest rates are toohigh. He also believes thatgovernment spending is theroot of inflation — and thatproductivity advances fromartificial intelligence willpush down inflation overtime. He supports Trump’spolicies on tariffs andderegulation as a means toboost the economy and hascriticized Powell’s handlingof the Fed buildingrenovation.What happens next?Warsh must beconfirmed by the Senate,which may prove difficult.Republican Senator ThomTillis said that he won’t voteto confirm Warsh (or anyFed Chair) until theDepartment of Justicedrops its investigation ofPowell over the Fed’srenovation project.After receiving asubpoena, Powell said that“the threat of criminalcharges is a consequence ofthe Federal Reserve settinginterest rates based on ourbest assessment of what willserve the public, rather thanfollowing the preferences ofthe President.”If Warsh is ultimatelyconfirmed, he can’tunilaterally lower interestrates. The Federal OpenMarket Committee(FOMC), consists of 12members (seven Board ofGovernors members, plusthe New York Fedpresident, plus four rotatingregional Fed presidents) andeach vote holds equalweight. The Fed only actswhen the majority vote infavor of doing so.Why should you careabout the Fed?Fed actions impacteverything from credit cardinterest rates to auto andpersonal/business loans tointerest on savingsaccounts. While it may seemgreat to lower interest ratesto help borrowers, doing somight foster inflation, and ifthat were to occur,investors would demandhigher rates to compensatethem for the extra inflationrisk.For the U.S. economy tofunction efficiently, the Fedneeds the freedom to raiseinterest rates to combatinflation, regardless of thefact that it might slow downthe economy and disappointconsumers and politicians.What’s the deal withFed independence?The Federal Reserve is anindependent, self-fundedagency and is not a part ofthe congressionalappropriations process,though it is accountable tothe public and to Congress.The bar is high to fire Fedofficials: a 1935 SupremeCourt ruling found that Fedofficials can only be forcedout or fired “for cause,”which most haveinterpreted as some sort ofcrime, like embezzlement orfraud.Last spring, the SupremeCourt seemed to carve outspecial privilege to the Fed,even as it grantedpermission for theadministration to fire otheragency heads, noting that“the Federal Reserve is auniquely structured, quasiprivate entity.”More recently, theSupreme Court held oralarguments on January 21,2026, over whether thepresident could remove LisaCook as a Fed governor. TheAdministration alleges thatCook lied on a mortgageapplication, which shecategorically denies. In thearguments, someconservative justicesseemed unwilling to providethe president with thesweeping power to removeCook. Until they render adecision, Cook remains avoting member of theFOMC.Jill Schlesinger, CFP, is a CBSNews business analyst. Aformer options trader and CIOof an investment advisory firm,she welcomes comments andquestions [email protected]. jill on moneyFive investor lessons from fivevolatile weeksby Jill SchlesingerWarsh named as Fed chair — Should you care?by Jill SchlesingerUse volatile assets as the spice in your investment recipe,not the main course, writes Jill SchlesingerJulia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite, Kevin Warsh, and Kevin Hartz, formerCEO of Xoom, leave after the morning-session at the Allen &Company Sun Valley Conference on July 10, 2024 in Sun Valley, Idaho.SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:22 AM Page 9
10 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Thirteen months ago, myvery good friends Steve andKarin were going abouttheir daily lives in theirwonderful home inAltadena, California. Severalyears before, I had visitedfor a week. Steve and Iplowed through a longhoney-do list. I donated mytime to Steve to help payback all the work he does tomaintain my Ask the Builderwebsite.Our improvements, alongwith the magnificent house,were destroyed in the Eatonwildfire. Steve and Karinonly had 30 minutes’ noticeto evacuate. Red-hotembers were swirling allaround their house.Everything that couldn’t becrammed into their twosmall cars was consumed bythe voracious flames.I’ll never forget the nextday when Steve sent me aphoto of what remained ofhis home. A neighbor wasable to sneak past theblockades to capture thedevastation. Steve couldonly muster two words forthe photo caption: “Notgood.” I was heartbroken, tosay the least.The good news is that therebuilding process started inearnest about two monthsago. The original developerwas hired to rebuild themore than 50 homes in thesubdivision that wereconsumed by the wildfire.Many neighboring housessurvived the flames. One ofthem is owned by Dave, aclose friend of Steve’s.Dave’s house is but 300 feetfrom Steve’s. Dave is a smallplane flight instructor andalso flies drones as a hobby.Dave has been keepingSteve up to date on theconstruction progress byflying his drone up to theconstruction site. Steve isliving in a rental houseabout 50 miles away. I get tosee all the photos andvideos created by the highresolution camera on thedrone. I’m stunned by theclarity and how Dave canpilot the drone down closeto capture very smalldetails. The dronetechnology is almostunbelievable.You can use a drone tohelp you keep in touch withthose parts of your homeyou can’t inspect withoutviolating the laws of gravity. Iused to have little fear ofclimbing ladders and walkingon roofs. Those days areover, as I’ve lost my nerve toa very large degree. Anaccident is bound to happenif you no longer canmaintain your balance ordoubt your motor skillswhen up on a ladder.A drone can inspect anybuilding. One can even domasonry buildings. Thedrone’s video camera canfocus on the mortar jointsas well as the brick orstone. You can spotcrumbling mortar withinminutes. There’s no need toscale a dangerous, tallladder.I’m about to invest in adrone for my own use. Witha small amount of practice, Iknow I can use one toinspect my roof for missingshingles. The drone wouldallow me to look at theflashings around plumbingvent pipes, my chimney, andskylights. My feet would beplanted safely and firmly inthe grass as the droneperforms the dangerouswork.You can use a drone to doall of the above. It getsbetter. Imagine not having towonder if the last big stormcaused damage you can’tsee from the ground. Theday after the storm, youcould have your drone up inthe air looking for problemson your roof. The dronecould let you know if any ofyour siding or fascia boardswere damaged by flyingdebris.The current FederalAviation Administration(FAA) requirements arepretty simple. If your droneweighs less than 0.55pounds and you fly thedrone for recreation, youdon’t have to register it.Drones that weigh 0.55pounds or more must beregistered at theFAADroneZone website.That said, if you’re arecreational flyer, you mustcomplete the RecreationalUAS Safety Test (TRUST)and carry proof ofcompletion while operatingyour drone. You should visitthe FAADroneZonewebsite to read all the rulesthat apply to recreationalflying. You can’t just buy adrone, charge the batteries,and start flying it legallywithout complying with theFAA regulations.You may be tempted tostart a tiny business doinginspections in yourneighborhood or town. Thiscommercial use of a dronerequires you to comply withPart 107 of the FAA dronerequirements. You’ll have totake an in-person test, muchlike you did years ago to getyour driver’s license. You’llobtain a Remote PilotCertificate once you meetall the Part 107requirements.Small drones equippedwith high-resolution videoand photo technology arevery affordable. You canpurchase one for just a fewhundred dollars. I plan tosurvey my Ask the Buildernewsletter list for helpbefore I buy one. I’m suremany of my subscribers ownand operate drones. Thesurvey results should be agreat help. My subscriberswill make sure I end up witha drone that’s reliable, highquality and easy to operate.You can get lots of thisinformation from dronegroups on social media. Youmay even have an in-persondrone group that meetsmonthly in your city ortown. Investing time intalking with other droneoperators will allow you tomake a great informeddecision if you decide topurchase one.A drone may save you big money Ask the Builder with Tim CarterSubscribe to Tim’s FREE newsletter atAsktheBuilder.com. Tim offers phonecoaching calls if you get stuck during a DIYjob. Go here:go.askthebuilder.com/coachingTim Carter joinsHappenings Q&A on Thu Feb 26th at10:20am on AM1050 WLIP EbiAaebgfomamAbBgRtbthloaopshwaPP'KloIderethnewafoShso\"recabinthRane“There was no resolutionat the time in the debateover these values, and therecontinues to be noresolution today,” Mr. MarisWolf says. People want toknow what historical figureswould say about today’sissues, but it’s not the sameAmerica now as then.For Mr. Shippey, the bestway to teach about theAmerican revolutionaryperiod was to make dustyhistorical figures come tolife. A friend suggested thathe portray GeorgeWashington.“He said, ‘Well, you’re tall,and you’ve got the nose forthe job,’” Shippey recalls.He portrayed Washingtonat Mount Vernon for fouryears, and continues in othervenues. With the 250thanniversary ofindependence, Mr. Shippeysees an opportunity tocapitalize on Americancuriosity for the past.“We are getting thismoment to remind people ofthe importance of thefounding ideals of America,”Mr. Shippey says. “These arethe ideals that set thefoundation of who we areand where we want to be.”Ben of AlexandriaFor the record, BarryStevens never asked tobecome Ben Franklin. Aretired theater teacher inAlexandria, Virginia, hestarted attending historicalreenactments at thesuggestion of his son back in1999. He appreciated thetheatrical element of menand women who portrayedRevolutionary War soldiers,artisans, and camp followers,and he found himself drawnin.Initially, he attendedRevolutionary Warreenactments, made periodappropriate clothes, andgrew his hair out in aponytail. Then, sometimearound 2005, people startedcalling him “Ben.”“People would come up tome and they’d say, ‘Hi Ben,how are things inPhiladelphia?’” Mr. Stevenssays. “No sign, no name tag,nothing that I did to try andelicit that kind of a response.And after a while, I got tothinking, well maybe there issomething in this.”Mr. Stevens threw himselfinto the role, and recentlyportrayed Franklin in the2025 docudrama “TheAmerican Miracle,” alongsideMr. Shippey as Washington.Like most historicalinterpreters, Mr. Stevensenjoys interacting withAmericans who have thecuriosity to learn about theirpast. But he stays incharacter and avoids putting21st-century opinions into18th-century Ben’s mouth.His Franklin has opinionsabout the Boston Tea Party,for instance. For the record,Franklin, as America’srepresentative in London,viewed the patriots’destruction of British tea asa dangerous provocation.But Mr. Stevens says heavoids getting dragged intomore modern debates. “Ican’t say, ‘Oh, this WhiteHouse is something else,’because I have to limit mydiscussion to what I knewexisted up until Franklin’sdeath.”But, Mr. Stevens says, hecan reflect the fact thatFranklin’s views about traderelations, slavery, and thetension between Westernexpansion and treaties withNative American tribes eachchanged dramatically overtime until his death in 1790.“I feel an obligation topresent the truth of it all,”Mr. Stevens says, after arecent presentation to agathering at a senior centerin Alexandria. “You don’tnecessarily have to take aline and say, well, Franklinwould have been against thisor not. But it certainly canstir your thought and say,that issue sounds familiar,and we’re still dealing with it,or it’s come back.”By Scott Baldauf & Melanie Stetson FreemanAmerica at 250continued from page 5Barry Stevens, a retired theater teacher inAlexandria, Virginia, has portrayedBenjamin Franklin for nearly two decades.SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:23 AM Page 10
11 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Dear Cathy, We recently adopted anine-year-old Yorkie who isafraid of me and men ingeneral. We’re sure he had atough life. What can we doto bring him around? —Jeffrey, West Hartford,ConnecticutDear Jeffrey,It’s not uncommon for adog to have a fear of men.Many people think it’sbecause of abuse, but it’sgenerally because the dogwasn’t properly socializedaround men, especially as apuppy. Men, in general, arebigger, look moreintimating, and have deepervoices than women andchildren, which can be scaryfor some dogs. If a man’sbehavior is unpredictable orvolatile, it also can make thefamily dog more anxious.The first rule of thumb isto not force interactions.Don’t pick up your dog orforce yourself on the dog inany way. Instead, ignoreyour dog (at first), and waitfor him to come to you. Asyour dog’s comfortincreases, he will be morelikely to seek yourattention.Second, make yourselfappealing and interesting toyour dog by keeping treatsin your pocket at all times.Whenever you see yourdog, toss treats his way. Wewant him to associate thosetreats with your presence.Third, talk sweetly toyour dog. A softer, gentlervoice will help your dog feelsafer. If your dogapproaches, don’t try toplay with him. Talk to him orpet him gently and maybehe will sit quietly with you.Fourth, desensitize yourdog by being present orhaving other men over. Therules above apply to thesemale visitors as well.Finally, work onobedience training. This maysound counterintuitive, buttraining can be fun for a dogbecause it involves praiseand treats. Basic obediencetraining creates a dog whowill learn to focus on andtrust you, which willdiminish his fears.There’s no guarantee hewill ever be comfortablearound all men, but hedefinitely can learn to becomfortable with you. Bekind, patient, andpredictable, and he willlearn to trust you.Dear Cathy,My wife and I cat-sit formy son and his girlfriend’scat when they travel. Thecat is a beautiful wellbehaved Siamese female.She loves to scratch everyonce in a while, either thecarpet or our dining roomchairs. We just got a brandnew expensive couch, andwe are afraid that the nexttime we cat-sit for her shewill scratch our new couch.Do you have anysuggestions on how we cankeep her from scratchingthe new couch? — Johnny,Miller Place New YorkDear Johnny,While you could workon training her, it doesn’tsound like she is at yourhouse long enough toemploy this strategy. Sinceshe is a temporary visitor,my suggestion is atemporary solution. Askyour son to bring over herfavorite scratching postwhen you cat-sit and buy aplastic cover for yourcouch. She will have nointerest in scratching aplastic cover, and it will fullyprotect your couch fromdamage. I know this won’tbe attractive for the fewdays she is there, but youcan toss some inexpensivethrows on the couch tomake it more inviting andcomfortable. It’s the bestway to protect yourfurniture and yourrelationship with yourgrand cat.Dear Cathy,We just put down aweed and feed on the lawnand simultaneously ourindoor cat started hissingand attacking us. We’retrying to see if there’s acorrelation between theodors from the chemicaland his attack, which lastedfor at least three days. Thisis the second time thisevent happened. We putdown this chemical at leasttwo years ago and our cathad a similar reaction. Allsuggestions are welcome.— Rita, Boynton Beach,FloridaDear Rita,If your cat’s behaviorchanges when this productis applied on your lawn,then yes, there is a chanceyour cat is reacting to theproduct in some way. Theonly things you can do arefind an alternative productthat won’t result in the cat’schange in behavior or makesure your cat is in thehouse when you apply theproduct on the lawn and isnot exposed to it in anyway for three days.Whoever applies thisproduct should changetheir clothes in the garagebefore coming into thehouse, and immediately takea shower. Put the clothes ina garbage bag and takethem directly to yourwasher to be cleaned. Yourcat may be reacting toproduct that got onto thatperson’s clothing.Cathy Rosenthal joinsHappenings Q&A on Fri Feb 27th at 9:20 on AM1050 WLIP doenworpeneash-.seunsrneodoEndangered giraffeborn at zoo is the thirdin four monthsThe Kansas City Zoo &Aquarium in Missouriannounced it isexperiencing a \"babyboom,\" with its thirdgiraffe calf born in underfour months.The zoo said on socialmedia that the latestarrival, Nora, was born tomother Makali and fatherAidan on Feb. 7, and isbonding with her siblings,Beni and Aspen.Nora is the third Masaigiraffe calf to be born atthe zoo in under fourmonths.\"The herd, which isrounded out by Chandy,Alika, and Willow, arecurrently behind thescenes as we continueconstruction on a newgiraffe complex slated toopen in early summer,\" thezoo said.Masai giraffes are listedas endangered by theInternational Union forConservation of Nature.How can I make my newly adopteddog comfortable around men?Pet Worldwith Cathy RosenthalAs well as being a recuringguest on Happenings Q&A,Cathy M. Rosenthal is alongtime animal advocate,author, columnist and petexpert who has more than30 years in the animalwelfare field. Send your petquestions, stories and tips [email protected] cow blockstraffic in Florida beforebeing ropedA cow seen wanderingthrough roads and parkinglots in Florida was ropedand wrangled by a cowboyon horseback.Photos and videosposted to social mediashowed the cowwandering through streetsand parking lots near thePublix on Taylor Road inPort Orange last Thursday.A WESH-TV newshelicopter captured videoof the moment a cowboyon horseback was able torope the cow with helpfrom a man on foot andseveral police officers.The cow was safelyloaded into a trailer.Authorities said theyhave been in contact withthe animal's owner and itwill be returned home.'Kangaroo' on the loose in Colorado wasInsta-famous wallabyColorado sheriff'sdeputies responded to areport of a \"kangaroo\" onthe loose in a residentialneighborhood and found awallaby with an Instagramfollowing.The Douglas CountySheriff's Office said onsocial media that deputies\"recently responded to acall no one had on theirbingo card -- a kangaroo onthe run in a HighlandsRanch neighborhood.\"They arrived in theneighborhood to find theanimal was already beingreturned home by itsowners.\"Turns out the suspectwas Charlie the Wallaby,who is very much real andvery well known (yes, hehas his own Instagram),\"the post said.The deputies werewelcomed into the owners'home to visit with Charlie.\"I'm not going to lie, thisis going to be the highlightof my year,\" a deputy says inbody camera footage.myw’seateenhher.o,”aaer’tanisnay,ar,t,uf nSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:24 AM Page 11
12 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Job growth acceleratedlast month, the first clearhint that the economy in2026 might do better than itdid in 2025.The U.S. economy added130,000 jobs in January, thebest monthly showing by farin President Donald Trump’ssecond term.Unemployment fell slightlyfrom 4.4% to 4.3%. If thatpace of job growthcontinues in the comingmonths, it would suggest arebound from a feeble 2025.The report blew past mosteconomists’ projections andprompted a release from theWhite House.“Today’s blockbuster,expectation-shattering jobsreport proves that PresidentTrump’s economic agendacontinues to pay off,” saidWhite House deputy presssecretary Kush Desai.But many economists areskeptical that those gains willbe sustainable.“I’ll take the number,” saysMark Zandi, chief economistof Moody’s Analytics. But “Idon’t take any solace in it.”Too much uncertaintyreigns, he adds.The direction of theeconomy will be crucial thisyear in the run-up to thenation’s midterm elections. Ifit continues to improve,Republicans have a bettershot at retaining their slimmajority in the House ofRepresentatives. But voterswill be watching closely,especially inflation and jobgrowth. (The latest inflationnumbers from the consumerprice index are due out onFriday.) Earlier this year, aFox News poll found that54% of Americans think thecountry is worse off todaythan a year ago, comparedwith 31% who say it is betteroff.On the plus side, thestimulus effect of Mr. Trump’stax cuts in the One BigBeautiful Bill Act should putan extra $300 to $1,000 intaxpayers’ pockets this year,according to the TaxFoundation. Also, with supplychains adjusting to the initialshock of the president’stariff campaign, the impetusfor inflation, which hasremained around 3% formonths, could lessen thisyear, some economists say.But heavy clouds loom.Weighing tariffs, AI, andDOGE cutsThe uncertainty overtariffs continues as thepresident issues new threatsof possible duties on foreignnations. In the latest twist, hereportedly is consideringwithdrawing from the tradepact he negotiated withMexico and Canada, knownas the USMCA. Separately,the House voted Wednesdayfor a measure to endPresident Trump’s tariffs onCanada, a rare rebuff. SomeRepublicans joined HouseDemocrats in the 219-211vote, which is largelysymbolic because thepresident could veto themeasure. The Tax Foundationestimated this week thattariffs cost Americanhouseholds $1,000 last yearand will cost $1,300 thisyear.Another uncertainty:possible job cuts ascompanies adapt to anddeploy artificial intelligence.Researchers are divided onAI’s potential impact onemployment. Some suggestfirms will redeploy theircurrent workers to take onnew, higher-order tasks.Others say they will simplyfire them and take theprofits from the boosts inproductivity.The administration’scrackdown on immigrationis also driving down thesupply of workers. In theshort term, that dearth ofnew workers might make iteasier for Americans to findjobs. But it also means along-term drag on economicgrowth, economists say.Private sector gains offsetpublic sector lossesThen there’s theunemployment report itself.First, as the White Housepoints out, the privatesector job gains in Januarywere actually higher –172,000 – than the overallnumber. Jobs at all levels ofgovernment fell by 42,000during the month. Theadministration has actedaggressively to trim federalpayrolls.Second, new benchmarkrevisions to previousmonths’ totals showed that2025 job growth wasespecially weak. Employmentgrew by only 181,000 jobs,or 0.23%, the worstperformance of anyadministration’s first 12months since PresidentBarack Obama took over in2009 during the GreatRecession. (See chart.)Also worrying: Almost allof January’s job gains camefrom two sectors, healthcare and construction,points out Nancy VandenHouten, lead economist atOxford Economics, in apublished note following therelease of the Januaryemployment report.“The January employmentreport surprised to thestrong side,” she noted. “But[it] overstates any emergingstrength in the labormarket.”By Laurent BelsieJanuary job growth tops expectations, but economists question sustainabilityEchocbCpfTtJ2acp2iwTghha“aThToc2wsswtcWith a positive January jobs report followinga slow 2025, Republicans may have improvedtheir ability to retain their slim Housemajority. But economists, citing uncertainty,are watching inflation and job growth closely.SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 12:44 PM Page 12SR020526021226
13 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800ty2tntleh,ntaeytetgreEpstein Filescriminal wrongdoing,however.Some political figures inEurope have left their jobsover the surfacing of Epsteinconnections, and AndrewMountbatten-Windsor,brother of Britain’s KingCharles III, lost his title ofprince and his taxpayerfunded mansion.Donald Trump. Mr.Trump appears in thereleased files thousands oftimes. Many of thereferences are innocuous.Last year, The Wall StreetJournal reported that, in2003, Mr. Trump banned Mr.Epstein from Mar-a-Lagoafter a spa workercomplained that Mr. Epsteinpressured her for sex.On Feb. 10, the MiamiHerald reported that, in July2006, as the initialinvestigation into Mr. Epsteinwas getting underway, Mr.Trump called then-PalmBeach Police Chief MichaelReiter and said, “Thankgoodness you’re stoppinghim; everyone has knownhe’s been doing this.” Healso called Ms. Maxwell“evil.” The revelationappears to contradict Mr.Trump’s previous claims thathe did not know about Mr.Epstein’s criminal activities.The Herald based its reporton an interview the FBIconducted with Mr. Reiter in2019, a summary of whichwas released by the JusticeDepartment this year.White House presssecretary Karoline Leavittsaid she did not knowwhether the 2006 call withthe police chief occurredand emphasized Mr. Trump’ssplit from Mr. Epstein.“Unlike many other peoplewho are named in thesefiles, President Trump cut offhis relationship with JeffreyEpstein and was honest andtransparent about that foryears and years.”The documents show theFBI received tips alleging,among other things, sexualmisconduct by Mr. Trump,but the agency and JusticeDepartment have cast doubton the credibility of thesereports.Bill and HillaryClinton. Speculation hasalso swirled about Mr.Epstein’s relationship withthe Clintons. Like PresidentTrump, Mr. Clinton socializedwith Mr. Epstein in the 1990sand 2000s, and earlierdocument releases haveincluded several photos ofMr. Clinton with Mr. Epsteinand others. The formerpresident has said hestopped speaking to Mr.Epstein before his firstindictment and that he hadno knowledge of his criminalactivity.Both Clintons arescheduled to give closeddoor depositions toCongress later this month.Democrats and Republicansalike had voted to hold themin contempt when theyrefused congressionalsubpoenas demanding theytestify. The Clintons haveasked that the hearings beheld publicly.Recently, The New YorkTimes reported that Ms.Maxwell played a key role insetting up the ClintonGlobal Initiative, an arm ofthe Clinton Foundation.What do survivors ofMr. Epstein’s crimeswant?Calls for justice andtransparency from survivorsof Mr. Epstein’s accusedcrimes have echoedthroughout Washington, asmore women have comeforward with their stories.Virginia Giuffre, one of thefirst to go public, died bysuicide last year. But as moresurvivors have spoken out,they’ve formed a powerfulpolitical coalition. With theirallies in Congress, includingRepresentatives Khanna andMassie, they overcamestrong opposition from theTrump administration tomandate the release of allunclassified records,documents,communications, andinvestigative materialsrelated to the Epsteininvestigations andprosecutions.Violations of privacy.The congressionallymandated “Epstein Library”now on the JusticeDepartment website is farfrom perfect, however.Slapdash redactionsimproperly identified andincluded personalinformation about almost100 survivors, turning theirlives “upside down,” theirlawyers wrote in a Feb. 1letter to two federal judges.These women “trustedme and trusted you toensure this would nothappen,” the letter stated.Eight “Jane Does” sharedhow the release ofunredacted files has affectedtheir lives. The women in theletter shared that theirhome addresses were madepublic, as well as photos andeven bank information.In testimony beforeCongress on Wednesday,Attorney General Bondisparred with lawmakersover errors in theredactions, blaming theshort time span herdepartment was given toprepare the material forrelease, and saying that theoverall error rate was “verylow.”Seeking the releaseof more documents. Agroup of eight survivorspartnered with the advocacygroup World WithoutExploitation to create anadvertisement featuringphotos of themselves at theage they say they wereabused by Mr. Epstein.During the Super Bowl, asimilar ad was aired,prompting survivors to urgeMs. Bondi to release morethan 3 million additional filesthey claim are beingwithheld in violation of theEpstein Files TransparencyAct.“Virginia’s Law.” OnFeb. 10, Ms. Giuffre’s brotherand sister-in-law, Sky andAmanda Roberts, joinedcongressional Democrats inintroducing “Virginia’s Law.”The proposed bill wouldeliminate the statute oflimitations for adult victimsto file civil lawsuits, openingup legal recourse to manysurvivors.Will Epsteinconspiracy theories beanswered?The investigation into Mr.Epstein has launched a floodof conspiracies, many ofwhich have focused on thecircumstances surroundinghis death. Those pushing theconspiracies argue, focusingon some circumstantialevidence, that Mr. Epsteinmay have been assassinatedin an elaborate cover-upscheme to prevent him fromrevealing damaginginformation about powerfulpeople.Suspicions were stoked inpart by camera footageshowing an orange-coloredshape moving up the stairstoward where Mr. Epstein’scell was located on the nightof his death. In a memoreleased by the JusticeDepartment at the end ofJanuary, the FBI speculatedthat it “could possibly be aninmate.” The Office of theInspector Generalalternatively theorized thatit was someone “carryinginmate linen or bedding upthe stairs.”CBS News recentlyreported that the noose Mr.Epstein used to kill himself“has never been definitivelyidentified.” A report by theJustice Department’s Officeof the Inspector Generalsaid that Mr. Epstein’s cellcontained several noosestied from orange linens. Mr.Epstein was placed on asuicide watch on July 23,2019, less than three weeksbefore his death, but it wasremoved the next day.By Henry Gass, CameronPugh, & Victoria HoffmannEpstein survivors and the family of Virginia Giuffre attend a news conference tointroduce Virginia's Law, legislation that aims to eliminate the statute of limitationsfor sex traffickers and abusers, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 10, 2026.continued from page 3SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:24 AM Page 13$20 OFF YOUR CERTIFIED GM SERVICE CENTER... WE USE GENUINE GM PARTSWE ALSO SERVICE ALL VEHICLE MAKES AND MODELSPALMEN BUICK GMC CADILLACCannot be combined with any other coupons.See advisor for details. Expires 3/22/26.7110 74th PL, Kenosha, WI • (262) 694-1500 “Located next to Menards”SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN’SLARGEST TIRE DEALERSHIP!Transmission orCoolant Flush10% OFFPALMEN BUICK GMC CADILLACCannot be combined with any other coupons.See advisor for details. 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14 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800DEAR MAYOCLINIC: I’ve been hearingin the news lately that valleyfever cases are on the rise.What exactly is valley fever?Who is at risk, and how doyou protect yourself?ANSWER: Valley feveris an infection caused by afungus in the soil. It isprimarily found in thesouthwestern region of theU.S., including Arizona, NewMexico, central andsouthern California, andTexas. It is also found ineastern Washington andparts of Mexico. Valley feveris spread through theinhalation of the spores thatlive in the soil. It is morecommon during certainmonths of the year,particularly in Arizona.Although people can getvalley fever year-round, theyare more likely to beinfected during the summerand fall.Inhaling these spores cancause valley fever in thelungs and sometimespneumonia in some people.People can get very sick. Inmost cases, however, peoplewho are exposed do justfine. Some people may noteven know that they havevalley fever, and their bodiesrespond and fight it offnaturally. People withweakened immune systemsand diabetes, pregnantwomen, people over 60, andpeople who work outside inconstruction or farming aremore at risk.Initial symptoms of valleyfever can include:• Cough• Fatigue• Difficulty breathing orshortness of breath• Joint aches and musclesoreness• Headache• Fever and chills• Night sweats• Rash on the lower legsand sometimes on thechest, back and armsTo protect yourself fromvalley fever:• Avoid dusty areas. If it’sdusty outside or if there’s adust storm, avoid goingoutside, particularly intohigh-dust areas such asconstruction zones andfarms.• Stay indoors. Keepwindows and doors closedduring windy conditions ordust storms to limit dustentering your space.• Wear a protective mask.If you must be outside in adusty environment, use anapproved N95 respirator.• Use air filtration: Ensureyour indoor spaces andvehicles have proper airfiltration to minimize dust.• Cover bare soil: Protectexposed dirt with plants,rocks, grass or mulch.• Keep soil moist: Whileworking or gardeningoutside, wet the soilcontinuously as you dig ormove the earth to reduceairborne particles.The path of valley fever isunpredictable and differsfrom person to person.Severity can vary dependingon your overall health andthe number of spores youwere exposed to. Even if youdon’t have symptoms ofvalley fever, you may find outlater that you were infected.A routine chest X-ray mayshow residual lung infection,such as small nodules orclumps. While these nodulesare harmless, they mayappear to look cancerous.A blood test usuallydiagnoses valley fever. Haveyour healthcare team testyou to ensure it’s valley feverbecause, in some instances,you may need furthertreatment. Antifungalmedications may beprescribed and required forweeks to months to treatthe valley fever actively. Ifyou have symptoms thataren’t improving or havetraveled to an area wherevalley fever is common andyou’re having symptoms,consult with your healthcareteam as soon as possible. —Jesse Bracamonte, D.O.,Family Medicine, MayoClinic, PhoenixMayo ClinicValley fever uncovered, tips for staying safehealthThe quiet epidemic: Why people with diabetes lose their sightFor the nearly 40 millionAmericans living withdiabetes, the threat to theirvision unfolds quietly, oftenwithout warning. Diabeticretinopathy, a complicationthat damages blood vesselsin the retina, has become theleading cause of blindnessamong working-age adults inthe United States. Yet whatmakes this epidemicparticularly tragic is that itdoesn’t have to be this way. “The vast majority ofsevere vision loss fromdiabetic retinopathy ispreventable,” said Janice C.Law, MD, retina specialist inTennessee. “Studies showthat regular eyeexaminations and timelyinterventions can reduce therisk of severe vision loss by90 percent.” Still, many Americans arefalling through the cracks.Only about 60 percent ofpeople with diabetes receivethe annual dilated eyeexaminations recommendedby the American Academy ofOphthalmology, a shortfalldriven by lack of access,awareness, and time. Expanding Access toCare If you or someone youcare about has diabetes,schedule a dilated eye examtoday. Uninsured orunderinsured? See if youqualify for a no out-ofpocket cost medical eyeexam through EyeCareAmerica®. This publicservice program matchesvolunteer ophthalmologists,physicians who specialize inmedical and surgical eyecare, with eligible patientsaged 18 and older who needeye care. Visitwww.aao.org/eyecareamerica to learn more. When to See a Doctor In its early stages, diabeticretinopathy often presentsno symptoms at all—a factthat underscores theimportance of preventivescreening rather than waitingfor problems to emerge. “Even if your vision seemsfine, a yearly dilated eyeexam is important,” said Dr.Law. “By the time patientsnotice flashing lights, blurredvision, floating spots, orother warning signs, thedisease may have alreadyprogressed significantly.” When should a personwith diabetes have aneye exam? If you have type 1diabetes, you should haveeye examinations at leastyearly beginning 5 years afterbeing diagnosed withdiabetes. Yourophthalmologist mayrecommend more frequentexaminations. If you have type 2diabetes, you should see anophthalmologist at leastyearly as soon you arediagnosed, regardless of yourage. Follow your eye doctor’srecommendation about howoften you should berechecked, as this varies forevery individual. You mayneed to have your eyeschecked more often thanonce a year. But diabetes isn’t the onlyreason to see anophthalmologist. All healthyadults should have acomprehensive eye exam byage 40 when early signs ofcataract, glaucoma, and agerelated maculardegeneration?may begin toemerge. “Forty is typically whensubtle signs of eye diseasebegin to emerge,” Laura C.Fine, MD, chair of EyeCareAmerica, explained. “Manytimes, people don’t evennotice any changes to theirvision during these earlyphases of disease. However,vision-saving treatments aremost effective when thedisease is caught early.” The Treatment Gap Ophthalmologists havemore tools than ever beforefor diagnosing and treatingeye diseases. But theseinnovations cannot helppatients whose disease goesundiagnosed or who remainunaware of their condition’sseverity. The message is clear: Thetechnology to save sightexists. What’s needed now ismaking sure that everyonewho needs it can access it intime. If you’re uninsured orunderinsured, EyeCareAmerica may be able to helpyou, too. See if you qualify fora no out-of-pocket costmedical eye exam atwww.aao.org/eyecareamerica. People with diabetes are particularly at risk for visionproblems and should see an eye doctor regularly.Patpassbtapnscdufehamcios4wdaICiaAelOcAMsRhedetOrbshSdraedwBpbladuHmvfaSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:25 AM Page 14
15 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800trs,rlertfteeds,e—.,ohehtisneinorreporstate -Perfectionism puts Olympic athletes at high risk for eating disordersOlympians -- athletes atthe top of their sport and inprime health -- are idolizedand often viewed assuperhuman. These athletesspend their lives focusing onbuilding physical strengththrough rigorous trainingand diets that are honed toprovide the nutrientsnecessary to excel at theirsport.However, athletes are atconsiderable risk for eatingdisorders and having anunhealthy relationship withfood and their bodies.The distinctive lifestyle ofelite athletes can create ahotbed for eating disordersand disordered eating,meaning restrictive,compulsive, irregular orinflexible eating patterns, allof which can occur on aspectrum.In 2019, 19% of male and45% of female athletesworldwide experienceddisordered eating behaviors,according to theInternational OlympicCommittee. For perspective,in the general population,about 9% to 10% ofAmericans will have aneating disorder in theirlifetime.Several WinterOlympians, including crosscountry skier Jessie Diggins,Alpine skier AliceMerryweather and figureskaters Gracie Gold, AdamRippon and Yulia Lipnitskaya,have spoken about theirexperience with an eatingdisorder and disorderedeating. Lipnitskaya, one ofthe youngest WinterOlympic gold medalists,retired at age 19 due to herbattle with anorexia, a fewshort years after winningher 2014 team gold medal inSochi, Russia.As a specialist in eatingdisorders and anxiety, Iregularly work with athletesand clients who experienceeating disorders anddisordered relationshipswith food and exercise.Based on my clinical andpersonal experience, Ibelieve that the public canlearn to better supportathletes with eatingdisorders by considering theunique risk factors they face.How perfectionismmakes athletesvulnerableOne contributing factorfor disordered eating is anathlete's temperament, sincecertain traits also show upas risk factors for eatingdisorders.For example, an athlete'sconstant desire to improveand their intense attentionto detail can border onperfectionism andobsessiveness. Anunrelenting focus onachievement andcompetitiveness are allassociated with heightenedrisks of developing an eatingdisorder. Personality traitssuch as mental toughness,discipline, high paintolerance and persistencemay also lead to worsenedeating disorder risk andbehaviors in athletes.These traits are alsocommon risk factors fornonathletes but are oftenviewed as positive traits inathletes since they lead tohigh achievement andattainment. For instance, anathlete might restrict foodintake to find focus, or delayeating to achieve a specificgoal that day. Or they mightengage in compulsiveexercise regardless ofhunger or injury, chalking itup to discipline.What's more, in athletes,typical signs of an eatingdisorder, such as training forlong hours withoutappropriate breaks for mealsor obsessing about onlyconsuming certain healthyfoods, can be overlookeddue to the normalization ofthese behaviors in high-levelsports.An emphasis onleanness and muscularprowessThe primary sportswhere eating disorderstraditionally surface aregymnastics, wrestling,dancing, bodybuilding andfigure skating, since theseare sports where weight andbody image often come intoplay.About 46% of athletes inso-called \"leanness\" sportshave an eating disorder,compared with almost 20%of athletes in sports that arenot weight-focused. That'sbecause athletes in weightsensitive sports experiencefar more emphasis anddemand on having a thin andmuscular body, which ofteninvolves weight monitoringas part of their training orcompetition.Athletes in these sportsalso experience highdemands of constantcompetition, rigidity aroundtheir dieting and exerciseschedule, high energy outputand an incredibly highmental and physical strain ontheir bodies.External factors can alsoput an athlete at risk for aneating disorder. For instance,in various sports likerunning, rock climbing andfigure skating, there is along-running belief thatbeing at a lower weight willimprove an athlete'sperformance. This can leadto disordered behavior thatmay initially feel beneficial toperformance; however, it cannegatively affectperformance and healthover the long run. Externalpressure, such as weightstigma and pressure fromcoaches and family, mediaand societal standards offitness and team culturearound dieting and weight,also place athletes at highrisk for eating disorders.'No pain, no gain'cultureAnother serious factorregarding eating disorders inhigh-level athletes is that avery small percentage ofthem seek treatment. A2021 study found thatamong U.S. athletes whoexperienced disorderedeating or had an officialdiagnosis, more than 95%were not in treatment and75% had no intention ofseeking it. For perspective,the help-seeking rate forthose with disordered eatingor eating disorders in thegeneral population isbetween 32% and 40%.,compared with around 5.4%in athletes.In competitive sports, a\"no pain, no gain\" mentalitycan often directly andindirectly reward athleteswho push themselves to theextreme. As a result, athletesmay be less likely to seektreatment and to comeforward with their issues forfear of not wanting to haverestrictions on theirpractice and competitionput in place, of beingostracized from theirteammates or of losingsponsorship or scholarshipopportunities.Along with this comes alack of awareness abouteating disorders, stigma andunhealthy attitudes andassumptions toward mentalhealth from coaches andother athletic personnel, allof which can impede anathlete's likelihood ofseeking care. Ultimately,seeking and receivingtreatment can be difficult forathletes because athletesface sacrificing time awayfrom their sport, which isoften their livelihood.Protective factorsDespite the stacked riskfactors, athletes also havesome protective factorsagainst eating disordersworking in their favor. Forinstance, exercising regularlyand noncompulsively isassociated with improvedmental health. Andparticipating in sports thatemphasize bodyfunctionality over physicalappearance can have apositive effect on athletes'overall well-being.Strong relationshipsbetween athletes andcoaches who focus oncreating a safe andsupportive environment thatprioritizes mental health --along with person-orientedcoaching styles, rather thannegative, performanceoriented coaching -- can alsobe protective againstdisordered eating.One preventive strategythat the InternationalOlympic Committee hasbeen working on is focusingon improving precompetition assessment ofhealth. This assessment willfocus on an athlete's bodycomposition and otherdeterminants of health, suchas vital signs, to determine ifthey are fit to perform in theupcoming qualifiers andOlympic games. Theseguidelines may allow athletesto get much-needed helpand support.Athletes are notsuperhumanDespite the perception ofsuperhuman qualities,athletes who experienceeating disorders experienceall of the sameconsequences of eatingdisorders as the generalpopulation. But athletes alsohave higher risk of injury,decreased strength andendurance, and worsenedathletic performance overtime due to low energyavailability and fatigue, andare more likely toexperience anxiety,depression and suicidalideation in their lifetime.Research shows that earlydetection of disorderedbehaviors, awareness ofeating disorders in athletics,and education for athletes,families and coaches are allstrong prevention strategies.Athletes often require amulti-disciplinary team tosupport them. This mayinclude a therapist,psychiatrist, sportspsychologist, registereddietitian, medical doctor,physical therapist,occupational therapist orany combination of these.This team can assist theathlete in stabilizingmedications, improvingnutritional intake andrecognizing differencesbetween athletic dedicationand disordered behavior.It is also criticallyimportant for family to beinvolved and that theathletes' entire supportsystem -- as well as thepublic -- remember thatathletes are humans, withreal emotions and struggles,just like the rest of us.By Emily HemendingerGracie Gold of Team USA performsduring the ladies' figure skating eventat the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 11:25 AM Page 15
16 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800“We can’t go to EstacíonCamarón because EstacíonCamarón doesn’t exist, but we gothere anyhow.”So writes Cristina Rivera Garzain “Autobiography of Cotton,”translated by ChristinaMacSweeney. Garza’s eloquentand beautifully written book isnot quite a memoir, a novel, or awork of history, although itcontains elements of all three. Byimagining the lives of her Mexicangrandparents amid a cottonpickers’ strike in the 1930s, shebuilds a story that is not justabout Mexican history, but alsoabout laborers everywheredemanding fair wages and humanetreatment.Nearly a century after thestrike, Pulitzer Prize-winningauthor Rivera Garza travels toEstacíon Camarón, a town innorthern Mexico that bordersthe United States. She seeksremnants of the once-thrivingcommunity and evidence of thelabor action, which involvedcommunist activist JoséRevueltas. His experiencesinspired his 1943 novel, “HumanMourning.” Rivera Garza knewthat two laborers, José MaríaRivera Doñez and Petra PeñaMartínez, had also been involvedin the strike. Though she nevermet them, they were her paternalgrandparents. She doesn’t knowwhether her grandparents andRevueltas ever met, but there isevidence that they were all thereat the same time. She considersthat her grandparents could havebeen two of the workers whoseimages provoked his remarkablenovel.The book opens with afictionalized account of Revueltas’arrival at the site of the laboruprising among cotton workers.Though Rivera Garza takesliberties with details of theevents, her decision to fill out thenarrative with the thoughts andemotions of the characters feelsauthentic. Her astuteobservations threadedthroughout also render it asociological critique. The booksubstantiates labor practices thathave recurred throughout history,actions that often produce greatwealth for a few, while negativelyimpacting the culture and theenvironment that the majoritydepends upon.Cotton cultivation was of greatimportance to Mexican industry.The uprising that Revueltas cameto support involved about 5,000men and their families whopicketed at the Don Martín Dam,the source of irrigation for thecotton fields. The workers struckagainst former landowners J.Américo Ferrara and Otiliobooks‘Before my birth, cottonformed me’: A story offamily and strugglecoalyefeacthKinMwcath44wfrPuelarreMwemresostbebewcuowsasooap12incocosefrTtoboscmspincosprenoalcoauin(“MSc(“boleapre‘NsIn her new memoir“Always Carry Salt,”London-based writerSamantha Ellis explores thecomplexity ofreacquainting with – andpassing along – hervanishing ancestral tongue.Judeo-Iraqi Arabic filledEllis’ childhood. Spoken byher Iraqi Jewish parents –refugees who eventuallysettled in the UnitedKingdom – its consonantsand verve resonatedthroughout the house. So,how could it now appearon UNESCO’s list ofendangered languages? Inher quest to uncover thestory of Judeo-Iraqi Arabicand its role in her world,Ms. Ellis confronts grimhistories andarchaeological blunders,sure, but also gathersanecdotes, expandscommunity, and discoversjoy. The Monitor caught upwith Ms. Ellis via video call.The interview has beenedited for length andclarity. Q: You refer to yourancestral language asJudeo-Iraqi Arabic, butacknowledge that it’s not auniversal term. Whatmakes it hard to define? It was mainly an orallanguage and it was always,I think, seen as quitesecondary. In my family, weused to refer to the Arabicspoken mainly by Muslimsin Iraq as “real Arabic,” soours was “not real.” Italways gave me thatimpression. It hasn’t beenas studied as it could havebeen. I’ve gone with theUNESCO name for it. I justwanted something that feltaccurate and that peoplewould get.Q: Despite sufferingterrible violence in theearly 1940s, Baghdad’sJewish community wasrobust during your father’schildhood. What changed,and why did he and hisfamily leave Iraq? There were push-andpull factors. Some Jews inIraq genuinely did want togo to Israel once theyfound out there was apossibility of a Jewishcountry to go to. And theydid remember the Farhudof 1941, which was thissort of pogrom thathappened in Baghdad andwas horrific. So, somefamilies genuinely thought,“Well, let’s go somewhereand we’ll be safer.”My dad’s family was quiteZionist, I’d say. My mother’sfamily was not and theyended up staying. Mygrandmother – mymother’s mother – livedthrough [the Farhud] at 11,and all her stories were ofbeing helped by Muslimfamilies: neighbors, theneighbors of her aunt, allthese people. Her feelingwas, she didn’t want to go. Q: Instead of describinglanguages as “dying” or“extinct,” you favor“sleeping.” When did youfirst consider thedistinction? I love it. It’s from WesleyLeonard, who’s a speakerof Myaaamia. He’s really akeeper and a speaker ofthat language. He talksabout the paradox ofspeaking in an extinctlanguage. And he coinedthe idea of sleepinglanguages, and I found thisso powerful. Languages do come backto life, or some kind of life.I came across this amazingstory about these childrenon the Isle of Man, whowere at a private schoolteaching entirely in Manx.They wrote to UNESCOsaying, “If our language isextinct, what are wewriting to you in?” I lovedthat! It’s kind of an obviousquestion, but it needed tobe asked. A lot of people dospeak languages that aresupposedly extinct orendangered. The core of yourmemoir involves ametaphor – “building anark” for your son. How doyou describe this project?I’ve always loved thatstory [of Noah’s ark]. Itdefinitely felt like an Iraqistory, as well as a Jewishstory. I was interested bythis idea that the worldthat [Noah] knows isending and you put whatyou can on a boat – in hiscase, it’s the animals two bytwo. There are manyaccounts: In one, they takeone of each craftspersonHow an Iraqi Jewish family grew roots in a new landcontinues on page 18In the memoir “Always Carry Salt,”Samantha Ellis explores how herfamily’s Iraqi Jewish heritage wasshaped by hardship and language.She also writes about the pleasuresof reclaiming her heritage throughsharing meals and “leaving room for joy.”In “Autobiography of Cotton,” CristinaRivera Garza imagines the lives of her Mexican grandparents amid a cotton pick- ers’ strike in the 1930s. She builds a storythat is not just about Mexican history, but also about laborers everywhere who demand fair wages and humane treatment.continues on page 18A field worker picks cotton in California in 1938.Strikes by cotton workers for higher wagesoccurred on both sides of the US-Mexico borderSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:11 PM Page 16
17 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800ry.me00om,heckJ.oWhen Rachel Kanter firstcontemplated opening anall-romance bookstore twoyears ago, there were just afew dozen such shopsacross the country. Now,there are about 150. Ms.Kanter’s Lovestruck Booksin Cambridge,Massachusetts, is riding thewave of the most popularcategory in publishing. Inthe United States last year,44 million romance bookswere sold, a 3.9% increasefrom 2024, according toPublishers Weekly.“There are someelements in romance thatare really comforting andreassuring to people,” saysMs. Kanter.Readers – predominantlywomen – are no longerembarrassed to admit toreading love stories. Yetsome are abashed at thesteamy scenes that havebecome commonplace inbestselling titles.“This is a conversationwe have daily withcustomers,” says the storeowner. “People come in andsay, ‘I’m looking forsomething for my 13-yearold daughter. What isappropriate?’”Lovestruck Books’12,000 wide-ranging titlesinclude tales of chastecourtships. A number ofcontemporary authors aresetting themselves apartfrom the racy mainstream.They’ve created fresh labelsto inform readers that theirbooks don’t include spicyscenes. It’s become a newmarketing category: “nospice” romances.BookTokers, Instagraminfluencers, and Goodreadscommunity members havesprung up to curate andrecommend such romancenovels. They’re analgorithmically connectedcommunity. Preeminentauthors of the genre –including Katherine Center(“The Bodyguard”), AnnabelMonaghan (“Nora Goes OffScript”), and Sarah Adams(“The Cheat Sheet”) –boast robust fan bases. PGlevel fare doesn’t, of course,appeal to every adultreader. Yet, authors andreviewers say that whatultimately resonates inromance stories is whatthey reveal about greatrelationships – andourselves.“You don’t need to havesex on the page to have agreat romance, and you canhave a lot of sex on thepage and a mediocreromance,” says Jen Prokop,co-host of Fated Mates, apodcast about romancenovels. “Sex is not the Xfactor. Feelings are.”It is common for many ofthe authors to come from abackground of faith. Many oftheir readers do, too. Thestories, however, are oftensecular and aimed at broadappeal.Courtney Walsh, forexample, compares herpopular books withromantic comedy moviesfrom the 1990s and early2000s, such as “You’ve GotMail” and “While You WereSleeping.” In Ms. Walsh’snovel “My Phony Valentine,”for instance, the protagonisttries to save her bakery byembarking on a high-profilefake relationship with ahockey player. There’s notonsil hockey, though.“I love the falling in lovepart of a romance novelmore so than, like, thephysical side of it,” says Ms.Walsh, whose targetaudience is adult women,though she has teenagereaders, too. She isconscious of modeling howwomen should have highstandards and be treatedwell in relationships. Herstories are about valuingoneself and knowing one’sworth. “I don’t have wordcount going toward, youknow, steamy scenes,” saysMs. Walsh. “So, all of mywork has to go to buildingthe relationship.”Young adult romanceauthor Eva Austin says thatleaving out sex scenesdoesn’t affect the pacing ofher stories. She selfpublishes books such as“My Favorite Color Is theGolden Hour” – a finalist inthe 2026 Teen Readers’Choice Awards – so thatshe has complete authorialcontrol. Her self-described“sweet and swoony” storiesare the kinds of books she’dlike her own kids to read. “Itwas difficult for me to findbooks for them, especiallywhen my girls becameinterested in romancenovels more recently,” saysMs. Austin via email. “Idiscovered I wasn’t the onlyparent frustrated by this.”Many no-spice novels,including those by Ms.Walsh and Ms. Austin,feature the sort ofillustrated covers that havebecome trendy. Gone arethe days of “clinch covers”featuring women embracingshirtless men. They nowtend to depict cartoon-ycouples doing activitiessuch as sitting at arestaurant table, walkingnear a lighthouse, orreading books in a library.But once you flip past thebright, primary- or pastelcolored covers, some ofthose stories are closer to“Fifty Shades of Grey,” theerotic trilogy. That’s made itmore difficult for no-spiceauthors to differentiatetheir books from, say,steamier rom-coms byEmily Henry or AliHazelwood.“Books don’t have ratingslike movies or TV shows,”says Caroline Williams, aschool teacher in Indiana.The Motion PictureAssociation not only offersage guidelines but also listswhether movies includeprofanity, violence, and sex.That’s why Ms. Williamslaunched her website,NoSpiceBooks.com, and arelated YouTube channel.She’s one of dozens ofcurators who reviewromance novels and detailexactly what’s in them. Ms.Williams, who has a faithbased perspective, says theno-spice romancecommunity has forgedconnections among thosewho want to push backagainst a “sex-obsessedculture.”“Other people see, ‘Oh,there’s other people whothink the same thing as me,who don’t want to bereading this,’” she says. “Wewant more privacy, we wantmore simplicity, we want tojust read a good story andnot have to skip over orskim or whatever to getthrough the spice. We justwant a good story.”Anne Bogel, co-host ofthe literary matchmakingpodcast “What Should IRead Next?” often receivesrequests forrecommendations for lowsteam romance. “Is it ‘opendoor,’ or ‘closed door,’ or isit ‘fade to black’? That’smore often mentioned inthe reviews in a way that itwasn’t 15 years ago,” saysMs. Bogel, who also writesthe blog Modern MrsDarcy. Consequently,readers have become muchmore confident aboutpicking up unfamiliar books.There’s another commonlabel beloved by the nospice community: “JaneAusten-esque.” BeckyDean, author of books suchas “Love Unmasked” and“Picture Perfect Boyfriend,”says Austen understoodthat what sustains arelationship in the longPRINT & E-BOOKS NONFICTION PRINT & E-BOOKS FICTION1. Stolen in Death (Robb)2. Theo of Golden (Levi)3. Dear Debbie (McFadden)4. The Correspondent (Evans)5. Heated Rivalry (Reid)6. Jigsaw (Kellerman)7. It’s Not Her (Kubica)8. The Housemaid (McFadden)9. Project Hail Mary (Weir)10. The Long Game (Reid)1. The Invisible Coup (Schweizer)2. Nobody’s Girl (Giuffre)3. Rage and the Republic (Turley)4. Strangers (Burden)5. How to Test Negative for Stupid (Kennedy)6. The Body Keeps the Score (van der Kolk)7. 1929 (Sorkin)8. Work in Progress (Martin)9. La Lucci (Lucci/Morton)10. Black AF History (Harriot)NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLERS‘No-spice’ romance novels trade steamy scenes for courtship, love, and respectgnolx.Osedsooerranottihydstsyyen8We look at the phenomenon of“no-spice” romance novels, forreaders who want the swoon with- out the steam. It’s a subset of theever-growing romance book genre.8Rachel Kanter stands in her shop, Lovestruck Books, inCambridge Massachusetts. She opened her store two years agoto specialize in romance novels - the most popular book genre.continues on page 18SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:11 PM Page 17
18 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800REMINDER: Maximum 3 Listings Per Person. MiscKENOSHA CAR CLUB monthly breakfasts are at 8am on the first Tuesdays of each month at the Gateway Cafe, 3619 30th Avenue GERMAN CONVERSATIONALIST GROUP - KENOSHA/RACINE If you speak German or are enthusiastic about the German language and culture, come and join us. There are no membership fees and attendance is whenever you are available to join. Meetings will be held in the Kenosha and Racine area. This is an excellent group to practice speaking German as members' language skills are from beginners to advance and we all have a good time. Please contact me if you are interested in joining - Susan Blust [email protected]. LIONS CLUB BINGO Come have some fun! Doors open at 4:00. Raffles, pull-tabs and pregames start at 6:45. Bingo 7:00-9pm. Wednesdays. 2700 9th St.,Schlader Building, Winthrop Harbor. Food Sale Rita Rinelli Memorial Mass: 12 noon on Saturday, June 21 at St. Elizabeth Church, Eighth Avenue at 48th Street.REMEMBERING SILVIO RUGANI - July 20, 1893 / August 29, 1975.FOR SALESofa w/Oak trim, excellent condition/quality. Smoke/Pet free home. $225.00 Curt 262-865-0193 2019 Kodiak Model travel trailer Price 15,900 Exterior White Discrimination Has 3 Queens size beds Refrigerator, fridge and stove, toilet, and shower and heating and air conditioning. Everything works perfectly Contact 262 620-6755 Snowmobile Trailer, 3 place Triton with winch. $3,200 OBO 262-948-1864 please leave message Lots of American Fostoria for sale. Please contact:Karon Baumgarten 3 1 7 - 7 6 4 - 7 6 6 2 [email protected] heater new. $55. 262-498-4021. Contact info: Val Zamecnik email address:[email protected] phone:262-498-4021.Left-handed golf club set. Wilson Pro-Staff clubs and Knight bag. Barely used. $125.Call or text 262-960-5477One burial lot in Northshore Garden of Memory in North Chicago. Very nice location. Discounted price. BowFlex exercise unit like new. All there including leg exercise unit and book. 600.00.Call Herb at 847-305-0897. Please leave message if I miss your call. Gas Tank, new for 73-87 GMC Blazer $100 Transfer case for 73-87 GMC $100 Milk Cans $15 Call Alex 262-945-1275Ariens Snowblower; 5 HP, 24\" cut. $175 Call Jim 262-857-9650 leave messageVarious Farics, prices start $1/yr (262) 629-0291 New Air Fryer $35 Coffee Table $20 (262)771-8764 Two ramps for vehicles, Beanie Babies (Regular and McDonalds), and Two Schwinn bicycles. BEST OFFER. Call 262-654-6485.Beautiful Sunset Ridge Memorial Park Kenosha. Located in lovely setting in the Garden of The Last Supper. Section H, Lot 113. 5&6, pair $1,800 OBO. Please contact Mary at 262-496-9711. (2) grave sites in All Saints Cemetery. I'm asking for $1,000 each plus transfer fees. Call (608) 317-9518 Elizabeth Smith [email protected] CADET LAWN tractors, old 1962 to 1976. Decks and other attachments. Glenn at 262-891-2377. Leave message Amana 21.3 cubic foot. Black electric stove, self cleaning. Asking 300 each or 500 for the pair 414 419 7978 John Deere Tractor Lawn Mower with Briggs & Straton engine and Frame Cutting Deck FOR sale for PARTS ONLY 847-244-9256 NO texting - Please leave a voicemail Large Craftsman table saw, $100 OBOEldridge peddle sewing machine, early 1900's, best offer- Milwaukee Plumbers band saw, $50 OBO Call Tom (224) 219-3645 Lake Front Property Ready to rebuild existing home & Garage 1.48Acre on Large Spring Feed Lake in North East WI near Green bay WI. Located in Marinette county in the town of Lake Great Fishing, & water skiing Tubing Jet skiing Air Boat all Water sports activities call (847) 244-9256 Various Fabrics - Price per yard. Call for info(262) 629-0291Beanie Babies 200+ $200. Proform Treadmill, new belt $300. 7' vinyl boat with new motor, 4-cylinder with accessories $500. (262) 652-5929TREK 900 TANDEM 26\" 21 speed. Updated tires and rims. Excellent condition. Two new helmets plus accessories. $500 OBO 262-883-4210Sears ZigZag sewing machine and cabinet. Fine condition, All attachments. Model #1750 Asking $60 (262) 657-6049 Gas Lawn Mower. Sears Craftsman 6.75 self-propelled. 22” cut. Mulch or side eject. Ready for spring. New oil, spark plug, & air filter. $75. Call Rich, 224- 730- 2564. Wood Dining Table. Solid wood, Oval, 58” long x 41” wide w/o leaves. Two 12” x 41” leaves & top pad included. Mahogany finish. $25. Call Rich, 224- 730- 2564. FUN FAMILY BOAT 2006 Bayliner 175 Capris Bowrider w/trailer, Mercruiser 3.0L 135HP I/O motor, custom covers, Bimini w/cover, power trim & steering, stereo, Dave 262-455-1079 leave message ROOMS FOR RENT Shared LR, Kitchen, bathroom by Silver Lake $480 a mo. includes wifi and laundry please call for more info (262) 758-136Collectibles for sale watches, clocks, pens and more. Call Don 262-694-7573 47\" diameter round table $30, girls bike $50 Call Kathy 262-909-7968BABY CAR CARRIER&Pack 'n Play crib[excellent condition],carriage[used good condition], cat carrier[medium]Cy 262-351-0129 4835 5av 08 RAM too many new parts to list. Serious inquiries only. Text message to 262-705-9999. Chad SekurisLIKE NEW TIRES SEE IN KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT OR STOP BY. $4440 NICE ECONOMICAL WELL MAINTAINEDAuto Tune-up Equipment - Dwell/Tach meter, timing light, compression, vacuum pump, ignition testers, inductive pick up ammeter, tune-up books. $110 Call 262-924-5227 Lionel Train Set - Complete 1953 Set plus a Seaboard Diesel Engine, Maine Boxcar, 3 pr. switches, original boxes & instructions, 43 tracks, and miscellanious Lionel items. All clean, runs great. $525 Call 262-924-5227Sale Camaro '95 convertible, green body, tan top, over 120k miles, $2000, call Ron 262-583-9270. WANTED. Mobile Mig Welder Small job need to complete by MKE Airport. Negotiable rate. ( 7 3 4 ) 7 6 8 . 0 3 3 8 jacobsendaniels.com Cut grass and weeding. Call 2628980605MODEL TRAINS. All scales. Call for a quote upon viewing. 262-331-0392. WANTED TO BUY: Vintage Movie Posters, Comic Books, LP Records, Vintage Toys, Horror VHS, Horror Memorabilia, Science Fiction Pulps & Magazines, Video Store Promotional Items. PH 262-237-0318. WANTED TO BUY: Old Post Cards, B&W Photos, B&W Photo Albums, Vintage Advertising, Old Hunting Licenses & Advertising, Scrapbooks, Old Misc.Paper, Old Automobile Advertising, Fountain Pens, Gillette Razors & More. Local Collector/Neutral Safe & Secure Site to meet if desired. Cash Paid. Call or Text Stan 262-496-1822 LOOKING FOR NURSES Aid for in home care. Call Barbara 262-455-3953 Old Computers Wanted. Call, text, or voicemail on (262) 595-7556 and ask for Mike.SERVICES. . Krause Lawn Care offers dethatching, aerating, overseeding, mulching & weekly mowing! Call or text 262-612-9142 for your FREE estimate today! “Tax Preparation & Advisory Services. 20+ Years Experience. Virtual Or In-Person. For Appointment Call Or Text 262-496-2208.I Will Do Seamstress Work, Run Errands, Do Shopping & Dr. Appointments., Etc.If Interested Please Call Gayle At 262-748-4748HI MY NAME IS GAYLE & I'M RETIRED. I WILL DO DOG SITTING OR CAT SITTING. IF INTERESTED PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 262-748-4748. THANK YOULAWN MOWING SERVICES Reliable lawn care services in Kenosha & Pleasant Prairie. call/text 262-914-9796 [email protected] & MEDICARE EXPERT. Appointments only. Se Habla Español. 262.833.7070CHINESE LANGUAGE / CALLIGRAPHY LESSONS: Fun, fascinating and very cool. Beginning and advanced - all ages! Text Dr. Tim at 520.704.3832.DOLL CRAFTERS! FREE REMNANTS...IDEAL FOR MAKING DOLL CLOTHES. ALSO VARIOUS DOLL CLOTHES PATTERNS.CALL - 262-551-8478 AND LEAVE A MESSAGE IF NO ANSWER.DRUM LESSONS Private instruction. Band, orchestra, marching and drum set. Rock and many other musical styles. Learn to read music. Call Tom for details. 262-818-2869. PROFESSIONAL LED TEETH WHITENING for a fraction of the price! $99 at cabana tan spa. call to book: 262-843-2411. 20 minute session = a bright white smile! mycabanatan.com FAST COMPUTER SERVICEincluding network support, spyware removal, upgrades and PC repair. For friendly service with a smile, call Vikkex today! Phone 262-694-7746Computer Installation. Call, text, or voicemail Mike at (262) 595-7556. VEHICLES0 142K MILES LIKE NEW TIRES COLD A/C SEE IN KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT OR STOP BY $25002005 Mercury Sable, 90k miles, leather interior. Has vacuum leak, needs tow. Clean title in hand. Great project car. $1500 OBO. Call/text 262-612-91421999 Sebring Convertible Very good condition $2,590 OBO Call or test Bob @262-945-9224 2003 Subaru Baja - Good running condition$4,950 OBO Call or text: Bob @262-94592242017 FORD F150 One Owner 4wd 4 Door See In Kenosha At 4121-7th. Ave. 217k Miles 262-237-1343 Russ Call Text Or Stop By $7495 Very Nice TruckDUAL EXHAUST SYSTEM Ram V6 dual exhaust system custom built.Make offer. 262-942-12662009 JEEP LIBERTY 4WD SEE AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 KENOSHA RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL OR TEXT 195K MILES $4450 NICE JEEP READY FOR WINTER2013 CHRYSLER 200 Loaded Limited See At 4121-7th. Ave. 53140 Russ 262-237-1343 Call Or Text 189k Miles $4950 2002 XK8- White Jaguar Convertible Good Condition - 38K Miles $18,500 obo Call or Text Bob 262-945-92241999 - Sebring Convertible - good Condition $2,850 obo Call or text Bob (262)-945-92241981 Datsun/Nissan 280ZX low mileage Loaded Glass T top's Hatch Back Stainless Steel MFG wheels New Clutch New break System New thermostat & radiator 5 speed New Interior Exterior Blue/Silver call 847-244-9256 Please leave a message 2003 GMC Envoy 142K miles Great Shape, Garage Kept 1 owner, Leave Message $6000 obo 262-515-4386 1994 Honda Goldwing Aspencade 64K miles Great Shape, Black, Leave Message $6000 obo 262-515-43864X4 4DOOR SEE IN KENOSHA AT 4121-7TH. AVE. 53140 RUSS 262-237-1343 CALL, TEXT OR STOP BY $9995 1/2 TON NICE TRUCK AT A NICE PRICE 1991 CHEVROLET CORVETTE one owner, yearly maintenance, 12,000 original miles, original parts $38,000 Email [email protected] GMC Box Truck 1986 OH Door 35 V8 (nearly new) solid body, 2\" oak floor in box, needs some work $1200. Snowblower $100262-857-2695 Leave message or email [email protected] 2018 NISSAN ALTIMA $4950 FREE CLASSIFIEDS!E-mail your 170 character classified to: [email protected] Please include your contact information in the classified. (Name and Phone number / e-mail address) First 3 words will be boldface type. NO ANIMALS. • NO PERSONALS ALLOWED.CLASSIFIED DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH 2026 AT 12 NOONFREE CLASSIFIEDS! Employment/Opportunities • Lost & Found • Miscellaneous Real Estate • Rentals • Rummage Sales • Vehicles • WantedRedacodiFeresuupspshCneWResogodospsuofvaforefompltrrefoKewenrethveVithspDWana casoanMhaopRe(mpabeMspmbemreretabuowKRFbVCottoncontinued from page 16Always Carry Saltcontinued from page 16to not lose the knowledge – I think that’s a Mesopotamianaccount. And there are imaginings where people are taking seeds.One of the things Noah first does when he gets out on the otherend is plant. There is something so powerful in that. You get to anew place and one of the first things you do is you take root. Youroot yourself. Q: When did you decide to include recipes and what did youhope to invoke?I didn’t want to include recipes at first. I’m not a cookbookwriter. I found it quite hard to do the recipes since these are allthings I do by eye. Also, I’m quite often on the phone with mymom – “I’m trying to make kechri. Do I put this much rice in? Andhow do we do the onions again?” To actually have to pin it downwas quite scary. I’m very happy that I’ve done it because, now, Ihave a blueprint, which is lovely because many of these recipesdon’t exist in many – or any – places. The passing on of recipes felt so important. And one of thethings that people, not just me, can do is to get your relatives’recipes, record them, and then make them again. Then you aretasting the tastes your ancestors tasted. And you are doing withyour hands the things that they were doing.Q: Why is joy necessary in your work?[Being Iraqi Jewish] is quite a heavy inheritance. We can’t goback to Iraq. Yet, I kept thinking: This can’t be all of it, because Ihave a lot of fun being Iraqi Jewish. I enjoy it! Part of the bookcame out of having a child and wanting to pass [Iraqi Jewishculture] on to him. And having a huge amount of comfort andconciliation from sharing meals with my non-Iraqi friends, saying,“Here. Try this, you might like this. It’s something from my family.”So, sharing was a huge part of it – and I wanted things that wouldbe nice to share. I was also very interested by the idea that, while we all pass ongenerational trauma, I think we also pass on strategies for survivaland resilience. And part of that is joy. By Erin DouglassGómez Rodríguez, who were paying starvation wages tofield-workers and migrant pickers. Revueltas and severalof the organizers were rounded up and jailed, eventhough their right to unionize was protected under theMexican Constitution. Law enforcement was on the sideof the former landowners, who also controlled the localmagistrates.The strike continued after the arrests, but heavy rainsoverwhelmed the dam and the fields were inundated. Adrought followed. The people, who had very little to beginwith, left. The dream of farming their own parcel of land,which had been promised by the federal government, wasdead. “No one wanted to stay on a dry land without rainbeside a useless river and an unusable, cracked dam,”Rivera Garza writes.Today, Estacíon Camarón evinces none of itsagricultural past. The stories of the people who oncefought for fair wages and a better life are lost, and fewpeople remaining in the area even know what happenedhere.The powerful industrialists won the battle against theimpoverished strikers, and they also controlled the storythat has come down through the decades. Rivera Garzawas frustrated by the lack of documents about the strike.Ironically, it was the telegrams exchanged amonggovernment officials attempting to suppress the laboractions that enabled her to confirm the uprising.And if Revueltas had not come to the region and hadnot written “Human Mourning,” a key eyewitness accountwould not have existed.Rivera Garza amplifies the vital efforts of the residents,though scant proof of their lives endures. Her ownexistence, though, is proof of the existence of those whocontributed to this pivotal era. She writes: “Even beforemy birth, cotton formed me.”By Joan Gaylordterm is who the people are inside. In Ms. Dean’s“kisses only” stories, one-half of the eventualcouple comes to appreciate the other person byobserving them doing something that they’re goodat. By understanding each other in ways that noone else ever has, they’re unafraid to reveal theirvulnerabilities to the other person.“In the classic ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ Mr. Darcy[thinks] Elizabeth is barely tolerable. ... But once hesees her intelligence and her wit, and the way sheloves her family, and that she truly does have goodcharacter, then he starts to think she’s beautiful,”says Ms. Dean.Today’s no-spice authors aspire to emulateAusten’s appeal.“What stands out to me is the number of peoplethat want to read something with their teen ortween daughter or niece,” says Ms. Kanter, thebookstore owner. Many of these books “deal withan experience of coming-of-age, of those firstrelationships. It’s really special and meaningful, Ithink, for people to read those with their familymembers who are going through that.” By Stephen HumphriesRomance bookscontinued from page 17SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:16 PM Page 18
19 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800It’s time for KenoshaRestaurant Week! The nineday celebration of ourcommunity's deliciousdining scene takes placeFebruary 21-March 1. Arecord 80+ restaurants,supper clubs, cafés, diners,upscale bistros, pubs, andspecialty food & beverageshops throughout KenoshaCounty are participating.We recently asked ournewsletter subscribers:What's your favorite part ofRestaurant Week? Here aresome of the replies we got:going to places I normallydon't eat at; trying newspots in town andsupporting local; the varietyof places to go and thevalue; awesome deals onfood.Also: trying newrestaurants; the deliciousfood; trying new foods andmeeting people; trying newplaces or new menu items;trying new to merestaurants.Whatever your reason isfor dining out duringKenosha Restaurant Week,we thank you andencourage you to do yourresearch ahead of time! Findthe list of participatingvenues and their menus atVisitKenosha.com/RW. Each venue is creatingtheir own discounts orspecial offers. There areDaily Breakfast/Brunch,Weekend Brunch, Lunch,and Dinner Specials. There’sa Sweets, Treats & Drinkscategory. There are alsosome Family-Style Mealsand Take & Bake/HeatMeals. It’s noted if venueshave Vegan/Vegetarianoptions as part of theirRestaurant Week specials(more than 40 of them do!).Simply visit/order fromparticipating restaurantsbetween February 21 andMarch 1 and ask for thespecial Restaurant Weekmenu. The restaurants willbe offering their regularmenu as well. It’srecommended to make areservation if the placetakes them.These are locally ownedbusinesses; each with theirown story. “I’ve alwayswanted to have a restaurantof my own, since I was veryyoung,” says JenniferCapponi, owner of TheDaily Dose Café on 60thStreet. Growing up, Jenniferand her family canned,preserved, and grew muchof their own food, plantingthe seeds of a lifelong lovefor cooking and hospitality.When The Daily DoseCafé opened in 2007, thevision was simple: a quaintcoffee shop with a littlefood. But customers quicklyshaped something bigger.“We listened to whatpeople were looking for, andwe delivered,” Jennifer says.“I’m fussy when it comes tocoffee and food. There areno exceptions—we servethe best coffee and create amenu focused on qualityand ingredients.”Ann and Tom Morelli, apair of hardworking, bighearted Kenoshans, turneda little corner store into acommunity institution. Theyoperate Morelli's DeliCatering on 75th Street.What makes a great delisandwich? Ann puts itsimply: “The love going intothe food.”Even after 25 years, Annstill loves every part of thework — stocking shelves,prepping food, greetingcustomers. “I still clean thebathroom if needed,” shesaid. “I love all of it.” She alsosays: “When people walkthrough our door, we wantthem to feel welcome.” Yolonda “Yogi” Blair ownsYogi’s Pud’n on 52ndStreet. She says: “Yogi’sPud’n is a must-visit becauseit’s not just dessert — it’s anexperience. You don’t justtaste it… you feel it.” Ahobby turned into a foodtruck – and now astorefront. Yogi envisions her shopas more than a dessertstop. She sees it as a homefor connection — karaokenights, kids’ events, popups, tasting flights,meetups, and game nights.A place where strangersbecome regulars andregulars become family.“Yogi’s Pud’n was builton love, loss, creativity, andcommunity. When yousupport us, you’re tasting apiece of my story,” Yogisays.Go toVisitKenosha.com/Blog toread the full articles(written by Visit Kenosha’sDonny Stancato) aboutthese owners.KenoshaRestaurant WeekFeb 21-Mar 1by Meridith Jumisko, Visit KenoshaMeridith Jumisko isPublic Relations Directorat Visit Kenosha. Contact her [email protected]”eerehtIysSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:17 PM Page 19
20 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800healthlifestylecommunityKenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center newsFebruary 19, 2025Online LearningPlatform for FamilyCaregivers OfferedFreeTrualta is a free online educationaltool for family caregivers inWisconsin. Trualta helps caregiverslearn about health issues, caretechniques, and managing care forloved ones. The Aging and DisabilityResource Center of KenoshaCounty offers registration supportfor Trualta.If you provide care for a loved one,friend, or neighbor, you areconsidered a family caregiver. As afamily caregiver, it can be hard tofind the right resources. Even harderwhen your time is limited. Trualta’scollection of professional content isdesigned for the family caregiver tomake it easier to manage care athome. Trualta is available 24 hours aday, 7 days a week, 364 days a year.With lessons as short as 5 minutes,Trualta makes it easy for you to fitcaregiver training in whenever itworks for you. Trualta providespractical caregiver tips andtechniques that you can start usingright away. With Trualta, you can alsolearn alongside other caregivers inyour area and learn from others’experiences.In addition to learning skills tomanage your care receiver’s currentcare, Trualta’s learning library canhelp you prepare and plan for whatthe future holds. Discover ways toconnect with your loved one and beconfident you’re doing your best.To participate, caregivers will needinternet access and access to acomputer, iPad, or other tablet.Participants will receive an emailwith a link to register. To register,call Margaret Ricchio at the ADRC,262-605-6650 or [email protected] Caring for an adultfamily member orfriend? Family Caregiver SupportGroup Meets in-person andvirtually Family caregivers often don’t seethemselves as caregivers, theysimply think of themselves as thehusband, sister, daughter, or friend.Defined, a family caregiver is aperson who provides support for anadult who needs assistance withdaily living activities, such ascooking, driving, shopping, laundryand paying bills. The role of a family caregiver, whilerewarding, can also be challengingwhen trying to balance life’sresponsibilities along withsupporting the needs of anotherindividual, family member or friend.The Aging and Disability ResourceCenter (ADRC) of Kenosha Countyoffers a Family Caregiver SupportGroup the first Thursday of everymonth. If you are a family caregiver, thisgroup is for you! Join fellowcaregivers, either virtually or inperson, as you share yourexperiences, ask questions and learnfrom others. The group is facilitatedby Margaret Ricchio, ADRCCaregiver Support Coordinator. Thenext meeting will be Thursday,March 5, 4-5 p.m. In-person location is 8600 SheridanRoad, entrance D. To register, learnmore or to receive the virtual link,call the Kenosha County ADRC,262-605-6646.Caregiver CoffeeClub for those car- ing for someonewith dementiaADRC offers support groupfor those caring forsomeone with dementiaThe Aging and Disability ResourceCenter of Kenosha County (ADRC)offers a support group to helpfamily caregivers who care forsomeone with Alzheimer’s diseaseor other form of dementia. Joinothers engaged in helping theirloved ones manage day to day living.Relax, chat and learn helpful tips andstrategies.The Caregiver Coffee Club meetsthe first Wednesday of each monthfrom 10-11 a.m., the next meetingwill be on March 4.The support group is available inperson or virtually. Facilitated byAlex Troupis, Dementia CareSpecialist with the Kenosha CountyADRC. To register call 262-605-6646.Memory CafeMemory Café is a monthly gatheringfor persons living with MildCognitive Impairment, early-stageAlzheimer’s, or a related dementia,and their care partners to socializeand have fun. Join the Aging andDisability Resource Center’s(ADRC) Dementia Care Specialist,Alex Troupis, for a Memory Café atthe Kenosha NorthsideNeighborhood Library, 1500 27thAvenue, Activity Room A. Meetingsare offered the second Wednesdayof every month from 10:30 – 11:30a.m. The next gathering will be onMarch 11. New members arerequested to register. For moreinformation and to register call theADRC at 262-605-6646.GLtoT(AunMbeyonecocohewstUKR• T• T• WSR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/17/26 4:27 PM Page 20
21 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800heyspceC)lporseinirng.ndtsthngnbyrety5-ngldgeia,zendr’sst,atdethgsay30onrereheYour Kenosha ADRC UpdateGoing on Medicare?Learn about the decisions you’ll needto makeThe Aging and Disability Resource Center(ADRC) of Kenosha County offers no-cost,unbiased, Medicare workshops for those new toMedicare, or who want to learn more. Trainedbenefit specialists will be available to answeryour questions and discuss the decisions you’llneed to make, including the basics of Medicarecoverage, options for private health and drugcoverage, and public benefits that can help withhealth care costs. If possible, sign up for aworkshop 3-4 months before your Medicarestarts.UPCOMING MEDICARE 2026 WORKSHOPS: Kenosha County Job Center, 8600 SheridanRoad, Entrance A, Room N2• Tuesday, April 21, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.• Thursday, May 21, 12:30 – 4 p.m.• Wednesday, July 15, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th Street,Bristol, WI 53104• Thursday, March 19, 1 – 3 p.m., ConferenceRoom ADue to limited seating, reservations are required.Call the ADRC at 262-605-6646 to make areservation or to learn more. Considerations WhenDeciding Whether toRetireDeciding when or whether to retire can bedaunting. Many people immediately think offinancial considerations when evaluating theprospect of retirement, which makes sense. Butthere are additional things to think about as wellwhen faced with such a big decision. Here aresome tips to consider.What will your financial picture look like if youretire? Think about any savings accounts,retirement savings accounts like 401ks orpensions, and any non-employment income youwill have, such as Social Security. Considerconsulting with a financial advisor or using anonline tool such as a pension calculator to get anidea of your financial situation. If you needassistance accessing benefits from employersponsored retirement plans, contact the UpperMidwest Pension Project at Trellis Pension andRetirement Rights. Consider big expenses and how you will pay forthem. Health care can be a huge expense,especially as we get older. Will you qualify forMedicare and/or Medicaid, or some other formof subsidized health insurance? Will you haveretiree health insurance offered to employees byyour employer? If you plan to use theMarketplace for private insurance, have youlooked at estimated costs for someone in yoursituation? Make sure to keep potentialprescription drugs in mind, as that can add to thecost. What will your living situation be like in the nearfuture? If you own a home, do you anticipatewanting or being able to continue living there forthe foreseeable future? Think about what youwould do if you were unable to continue living inyour current home, whether for health, financial,or other reasons. If you are renting, make sureyou take that expense into account whenestimating your monthly retirement budget.Do you have others who have depended on, orwill depend on, support from you? It can be easyto forget about family members or friends whoask for assistance, but giving or lending someonemoney can quickly add up. You may need toconsider setting boundaries with loved ones ifyou pursue retirement and expect to have lowerincome. How will you stay busy in retirement? Hobbiesand travel are great ways to fill time but can becostly. Consider building trips or expensesrelated to hobbies into your budget so you aren’tcaught off guard.Keep in mind that there are alternatives toretirement, if you don’t feel ready to take thatstep. These can include working less orrequesting flexibility with your scheduling andresponsibilities to accommodate health issues orother personal matters you’d like to prioritize. REGULAR SENIOR DINING SITES• Meals include dessert and beverage• Suggested donation: $5• Open to anyone age 60+ and aspouse regardless of age• Reservations must be made by10am the day priorKenosha Senior Center2717 67th StMonday - Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-351-6246Parkside Redeemer Church2620 14th PlaceMonday - Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-552-7737Lakeside Towers5800 Third AveMonday - Friday, 11amReserve at 262-455-7919Westosha Senior Center19200 93rd StMonday - Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-358-5554Village Pub of Silver Lake307 N Cogswell DriveWednesday & Friday, 11:30amReserve at 262-358-5779SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:17 PM Page 21
22 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800Dear Eric: My wife andI have been married formore than 40 years. She’sgreat. But a reoccurringpoint of friction and, really,anger on my part is overthe dishwashing andlaundry at our house. She’lllet them accumulatebeyond what I can stand.So, long ago, I began justdoing all of my own laundryand cleaning up the kitchen.Most spouses, I think,would be happy with that,right? But as I am doingeither of those tasks shebreaks in with lecturesabout how I am not doingthings right. “You must putthe detergent in before theclothes,” “you’re notloading the dishwasherright,” “you need to let thatpot soak before you washit” and on and on and on.Really? I’m doing thesethings and you arecriticizing my methods?So, what is her problem?What is in her mind whenshe does that? How do Iget her to stop thecriticism? – FrustratedHusbandDear Husband: I’mnot trying to sound flippant,however the fact is I don’tknow what’s in your wife’smind, but she does. So, youshould ask her. But maybenot while you’re loading thedishwasher or unloadingthe dryer.You both havemismatched expectationsabout household chores.Not just when they getdone or how, but who’sresponsibility they are. Forinstance, you write that youstarted doing your laundryout of frustration. Are youalso doing hers? Or do youleave that for her? If you arewashing her clothes, as well,are they coming out howshe expects? There aren’tany wrong answers here,per se – every couplecreates their own marriage.But it sounds like a lot ofthe conflict that you’rehaving comes from anexpectation that you havewhich she’s not meetingand an expectation that shehas which you’re notmeeting.A conversation at aneutral time can help teasethat out. Start by askingeach other what an idealdivision of household laborwould look like. Ask “whatare the chores that you liketo do?” and “what are thechores that you would liketo never do again?” Seewhere you match.Once you’ve started tosketch out a division oflabor that works for bothof you, and is rooted incommunication, you canstart to talk about thefriction points. But leadwith curiosity. You might askher what bothers her aboutthe way you load thedishwasher, for instance.You might also decide totry out her way.Dear Eric: l am a 64-year-old woman and havehad double knee anddouble hip replacements. lam a slow walker and havemobility issues, but l amOK. What l find tiresome isl feel l am continuallygetting advice from peopleabout different treatments,meds, PT, how to walk, blahblah.I’m sick of it. Like lhaven't thought about it (ordone it) already. l knowpeople are well-meaningand trying to help, but theunsolicited advice neverstops.It's hard not to get angry.l end up feeling verydefensive and sayingsomething like, \"I’m fine,thank you.\" Any otherpolite boundarysuggestions? – I’m Fine, OKDear Fine: Dependingon the relationship, youmay choose to be more orless terse. But don’t let anobligation to politenesskeep you from clarity.If you’re getting feedbackfrom strangers, it’s fine tosay, “I know you mean well,but I’ve got great doctorsand we’ve got a plan I’mconfident in.” People tendto be insistent about theiranecdotal experience,particularly when it comesto medical advice. This isn’ta bad thing when asked foror welcome, but everybodyis different and oneperson’s miracle cure mightbe another person’splacebo. So, if strangerspress, it’s time to shut itdown. “I said no, thank you.”Your body and yourhealth are not open itemsup for public debate. Whenyou tell someone whatyour boundary is and theyignore it, you’ll be bestserved by drawing a clearline.Similarly, with friends, youmay want to be proactive.“I’ve been getting a lot ofadvice about my healthlately. I’m getting a little full,and I really trust mydoctors to guide me. So, ifyou’ve got something tosay, please ask me if I’mopen to a suggestion first.”Then, if they offer adviceunprompted, remind themthat you need them to askif you’re open to it first.Ideally, a friend who caresabout you will understandand adjust. But you may findsome people still strugglewith asking permission.With those friends, theloving, healthy – and, Iwould argue, polite – thingto do is to set an evenfirmer boundary. If yourhealth comes up, theconversation is over.asking ericCouple’s happymarriage breaksdown over laundryBestselling author R. EricThomas brings his signaturewit and warmth to “AskingEric,” an advice columntackling life’s quandaries.Drawing on his stint asSlate’s “Dear Prudence,”Thomas dishes out insightful,humorous guidance fornavigating relationships, work,and everything in betweenqufrbeanhucoqucocoabwocan63stSe67hesibehihebespbaambedeobefaTwalreratorehistFRathowTrerafrFRwrebewbarenuwwgeQSNwYour Kenosha ADRC UpdateEthnic Elders Celebrate Black History MonthThe Ethnic Elders gathered on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, for their annual Black History Month celebration. The group was established in 1986 for thepurpose of empowering older adults to stay connected within their community by remaining actively involved in healthy lifestyles, educationalcommunity programs, and inter-generational opportunities. The group has over 60 members and meets monthly. This month members collected hygieneitems to be donated to persons who are homeless. If you would like to learn more about the Ethnic Elders, call Paula Clark at the Aging and DisabilityResource Center of Kenosha County, 262-605-6646.SR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:18 PM Page 22
23 SMART READER February 19, 2026 FOR ADVERTISING RATES CALL 262-564-8800rue.ofhl,yifom”emksdden.eIgnreI've been saving upquestions I've gottenfrom readers aboutbenefits for spouses. It'san issue I've covered ahundred times in thiscolumn. But thequestions still keepcoming. So, here iscolumn No. 100 -- oneabout benefits paid towives and widows -- andoccasionally, husbandsand widowers.Q: I am about to turn63 and am thinking ofstarting my SocialSecurity then. My wife is67 and has been gettingher own Social Securitysince she was 62. Mybenefit is significantlyhigher than hers. I'veheard that if I do take mybenefits at 62, my wife'sspousal share will bebased on that reducedamount. But her widow'sbenefit, assuming I predecease her, will be basedon my full retirementbenefit rate. Is this true?A: No, it's not true. Infact, it's just the opposite.The benefit paid to a wifewhile her husband is stillalive is based on his fullretirement age (FRA)rate. But the benefit paidto a widow includes anyreduction he incurred inhis own benefit if hestarted them before hisFRA:If you do take benefitsat 63, here is roughlyhow they will figure yourwife's spousal benefit.They will take her fullretirement age benefitrate and subtract thatfrom one-half of yourFRA rate. Any differencewill be added to herreduced retirementbenefit.But if you die first, herwidow's benefit will bebased on your reducedretirement benefit. In anutshell, her own benefitwould be bumped up towhatever you weregetting at the time ofdeath.Q: My husband is 67and starting his SocialSecurity. I am 62. Otherthan a few years afterhigh school when I hadsome part-time jobs, Ihave spent my entireadult life as a wife orhomemaker. So, I have noSocial Security of myown. A neighbor told methat after my husbanddies, I will never be ableto get widow's benefitsbecause I don't have myown Social Securityaccount. Is this true?A: It's absolutely false.As I always tell myreaders, and as I justpointed out in a recentcolumn, never listen tofriends or neighborsoffering Social Securityadvice. It's almost alwayswrong.In fact, not only willyou be due widow'sbenefits when yourhusband dies, but you aredue dependent wife'sbenefits on his recordright now. Call SocialSecurity at 800 -- 772-1213 and file a spousalclaim right away.Q: I am a kind of rarebird. I have been a stayat-home husband andfather most of my adultlife. My wife is a doctorand has been the primarywage earner in ourfamily. We are both aboutto turn 62 and arestarting to think aboutSocial Security. Will I bedue any Social Securityon my wife's record?A: Yes, you will. Forthe most part, SocialSecurity laws are genderneutral. So you will beable to get yourdependent husband'sbenefits once your wiferetires. And if she diesbefore you do, you willget widower's benefits.Q: I am 68 and thinkingof signing up for mySocial Security. I have a45-year-old wife and wehave two children. The16-year-old daughter isher child from a previousmarriage. The 10-year-oldson is our child. I justlearned our son might bedue benefits on myrecord. Is this true?A: Yes, it's true. Andnot only your son, butalso your stepdaughter.And for that matter, if sheis not working, your wifecould also be duebenefits. But the amountof money you all wouldget will be restricted by\"family maximum\" rulesthat limit the amount ofbenefits payable to aretiree with minorchildren. I don't have thespace to get into all ofthat today. But youshould call SocialSecurity at 800-772-1213to talk about filing forbenefits for you and yourfamily.Q: I am waiting untilage 70 to claim my SocialSecurity. I am doing thatto get the bonus addedto my retirement rate fordelaying starting mybenefits until 70. But Iwas also doing that sothat my wife would getmy augmented benefitsafter I die. (Her ownbenefit is about athousand dollars lessthan mine.) So imaginemy shock when a SocialSecurity rep recently toldme that after I die, mywife's widow's benefitwill be based on my fullretirement age rate, notby age 70 rate. Is thisright?A: No, it's not right.And for some reason(lack of training?), SocialSecurity Administrationreps frequently get thiswrong. While you arealive, any spousal benefitsshe might be due arebased on your fullretirement age benefit.But after you die, herwidow's benefits arebased on youraugmented age 70 rate,including the bonus yougot for waiting that longto claim your benefits. Q: I am 63 and havebeen a wife andhomemaker all my life, soI get a small percentageof my husband's SocialSecurity. But I've alwayswondered this. Whydon't women in myposition get SocialSecurity credits for thework we did ashomemakers andchildcare providers?A: As I've explained inprior columns, this is atopic that has beendebated for years. Butthe issue always comesdown to this: Wherewould the money orearnings come from toput on your SocialSecurity record? And theonly viable solutionpolicy planners have evercome up with is aconcept known as\"earnings sharing.\" In anutshell, that means aworking husband and astay-at-home momwould split the earningsthe husband makesFor example, ifHusband Henry makes$100,000 per year,$50,000 would go on hisSocial Security recordand $50,000 would go onWife Wilma's SocialSecurity record. Nowthat might make WifeWilma happy that she'sbeing \"paid\" for SocialSecurity purposes withearnings and creditsgoing on her account. Butjust ask Husband Henryhow thrilled he is that heonly gets Social Securitycredit for half the moneyhe makes -- andeventually ends up with amuch smaller SocialSecurity benefit!social securityQuestions AboutSpousal Benefits Never Stopwith Tom MargenauIf you have a SocialSecurity question, Tom Margenau has twobooks with all the answers.One is called \"Social Security-- Simple and Smart: 10Easy-to-Understand FactSheets That Will Answer AllYour Questions About SocialSecurity.\" The other is \"SocialSecurity: 100 Myths and 100Facts.\" You can find the booksat Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or youcan send him an email [email protected] youealetySR_editorial_.qxp_SS Layout 2/16/26 8:18 PM Page 23
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