Roger Chambers

By Roger Chambers | Columnist  This is an unusual biography of George Orwell. Born as Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 in India where his father was stationed, Blair changed his pen name to George Orwell...

Mohawk Valley Almanac for February 2021 by Roger Chambers February is going to be different in many ways due to the covid pandemic. It is likely that most Valentine’s Day celebrations will be at home with...

By Roger Chambers October is a month of fall colors across the Mohawk Valley.  The scenic beauty of leaves with varying shades of green changing to red, yellow, orange and brown is delightful. This colorful...

By Roger Chambers There are no major holidays in August. Proclamation days include Women’s Equality Day. On that day in 1920, a proclamation giving American women the right to vote was signed by Secretary of State...

By Roger Chambers April is a transitional month. While the days are typically in the mid-50s°F, they might be nearly summer-like at times, with a record high of 90°F in 1962. On the other hand,...

By Roger Chambers Holidays and Observance of May May 1- May Day May 2 - Rhode Island Independence Day  May 5 - Cinco de Mayo; Ramadan begins at Sundown May 8 - Truman Day in Missouri May 12 - (Second...

- by Roger Chambers January 1 -- New Year’s Day January 6 -- Epiphany, Twelfth Night; Three Kings Day, Puerto Rico; Coptic Christmas January 7 -- Orthodox Christmas January 13 -- Stephen Foster Memorial Day January 16 -- Religious...

By Roger Chambers | Columnist  In the short book “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,” Timothy Snyder outlines tactics used by would-be autocrats to overturn a popularly elected democracy. These trends were frequently...

By Roger Chambers | Columnist  Holidays and Observances in April April 2--Ramadan begins at sundown; Pascua Florida Day April 10--Palm Sunday April 15--Good Friday April 17--Easter April 18--Patriots Day (Maine and Massachusetts) April 21--St. Jacinto Day (Texas) April 22--Earth Day April 24--Orthodox Easter April...

by Roger Chambers Holidays and Observances of October: September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month October 1: Child Health Day October 6:  German-American Day October 8: Yom Kippur begins at sundown October 9: Leif Erikson Day October 11: General Casimir...