Ann Silverthorn

The historic piano served Millcreek, Fairview, and McKean. Now it’s missing. . .

When one bequeaths money for a specific good, it’s often to leave a legacy—something to keep alive the values they held dear. Over time, though, immediate memories of the donor’s vision fade. Times, values, and cultures change. The donor’s original vision may not hold as much importance to future generations, but it is still important…

I always thought I didn’t care for Lisa Kudrow. Turns out, I just didn’t like Phoebe Buffay. My aversion to Phoebe on Friends kept me from trying out The Comeback on HBO Max/Disney+/Hulu. One day, I was rowing in the basement, and whatever it was I was watching ended before I my time was up,…

The following content contains emails, and a statement, about the recent decision by the Erie School Board to dissolve the Stadium Commission. It is true that the Erie community raised most of the funds for construction of the stadium, and it is also true that the Erie School District has contributed to the maintenance and…

Out of curiosity, I recently dug through the particulars of the old Kmart property in Millcreek Township, a suburb west of the City of Erie, PA. What I found may shed some light on the situation. A long-term lease is often cited as the reason this property stands largely vacant, but any lease can be…

Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras in Millcreek Township, PA, are a matter of concern for some residents in both the Township and the City of Erie. The content below does not argue the risks of the cameras as much as it seeks to clarify the specifics of the agreements, administration, and control of them. Flock…

The Presque Isle project, cleaning the gravestones at the beautiful Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in Erie, Pennsylvania, under the direction of MaryJane Koenig, chair of the DAR Service for Veterans Committee, was awarded first place for Historic Preservation in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.   The project was then sent on…

In October of 2016, I received a message on Twitter (X) from someone at Netflix DVD.com inviting me to join their new DVD.com Directors program. I was skeptical at first, but I responded, and the offer was legit! In an introductory email, they said I was selected to join a “small, exclusive group of people,”…

Author’s Note: My late uncle, Daniel Silverthorn, was an avid genealogist and historian. As his executor, when he died, I salvaged his papers, organized them, and catalogued them. Sometimes Uncle Dan was simply interested in a particular subject and would go down analog rabbit holes to learn more. This time, it was about a devastating…

Jim and I don’t usually do anything fancy for Valentine’s Day. We never have. He usually sends me roses, but we’ve been married a long time, so there’s no need for grand gestures. He knows I’m not going anywhere and I know the same. For some reason this year, we did some planning. I said…