Webb Weekly

By Joseph W. Smith III Though we took a hiatus to write about movies and music, Webb’s most recent “Weird Words” column ended with a term that helped young Shrey Parikh win the 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee this year.

Licenses: The current hunting license, which is valid from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 is now available for purchase at either your preferred local vendor or online at HuntFish.PA.gov. Regarding antlerless licenses, Pennsylvania resident hunters are guaranteed ONE license in any WMU and must purchase it up until 7:00 a.m. on July 13, 2026. Mentored Hunters: A mentored hunter must obtain a Mentored Hunting permit, which contains their unique Customer Identification number (CID).

There has been way too much negativity across our Nation in the last year, we need to leave it in the past and move forward full speed ahead. The United States of America is truly the greatest shining light of freedom and opportunity the world has ever seen. Our One Nation Under God must remember its roots and refocus on what’s most important. We must return to our Judeo-Christian values on which our Nation was founded. We must become selfless and reunited for the common good.

At Presbyterian Home in Williamsport, not all staff walk on two legs. “Our mission at Presbyterian Senior Living is guided by the Life and teachings of Jesus,” said Renee Moore, Personal Care Administrator. “It is to provide compassionate, vibrant, and supportive communities and services to promote the wholeness of body, mind, and spirit.” One of the many ways the senior living community achieves this wholeness is through pet therapy.

Some people love Christmas, for others it’s Halloween… For me? It’s the 4th of July. Fireworks! Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood! Fireworks! Punny t-shirts! (Mine says ‘Abraham Drinkin’ with a pic of Honest Abe with a beer.) Fireworks! American flags as far as the eye can see! Fireworks! And no pressure to go, do, or buy anything but fireworks and burgers.

The national anniversary was eminently successful in Williamsport. The preparations for the soldiers’ dinner had been admirably carried out thanks to the energy and efficiency of the committee of arrangement, especially the ladies, who were indefatigable in their efforts to procure donations from citizens for the grand picnic dinner. The morning was beautiful and the weather was such to inspire all with the feeling that our community was highly favored in the prospect of the day.

If you live in a country setting like most of us do around this part of the state, we are used to spotting an assortment of wildlife roaming about the nearby forests and fields, and even our backyards. Over the past few weeks, we have had a couple of black bears walk by the house, and a gray fox and a couple of Pileated Woodpeckers have also passed by.

Every year when the Fourth of July rolls around, I start looking forward to our family tradition. This year is a huge one, as you all know! It’s America’s 250th anniversary, and the holiday actually falls on a Saturday. People all over the country are planning big, fancy trips, but there is only one place I want to be. For my family, the Fourth of July is on the river. We live in the Susquehanna Valley, and honestly, our river lot just screams America.

Fifteen months before the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, the fight leading to the birth of our nation rang out with the battle of Lexington & Concord. That April 19, 1775, skirmish amounted to spring training for the Revolutionary War, with the scoreboard showing Minutemen 1, Redcoats 0. On that historic day, 49 Americans were killed in the fight.

There will be a spectacular and vivid fireworks display to celebrate this nation’s 250th birthday, which will take place after all, at the Lycoming County Fairground after some scrambling and the unselfish efforts of Van Michael, Backyard Broadcasting, and various sponsors. We at Webb Weekly thought it would be interesting and informative to have Van Michael tell in his own words how this whole process unfolded, as well as some background about Backyard’s long involvement with the fireworks show.