East/West News Service

2 months ago | eastwestnewsservice.com | Mark Orwoll |David DeVoss

No wagons waited in Indianola. No food, no supplies, no shelter, no guides, no oxen to pull the nonexistent wagons. No nothing. The year was 1844. Stranded on the shingle shore were a motley gaggle of second sons, reprobates, poor relations, failed merchants, their dispirited wives, and unnerved offspring, all of whom had come to Texas for salvation. There was no chance for them, no living to be had in the assorted dukedoms and principalities of what would become a united Germany.

Feb 1, 2025 | eastwestnewsservice.com | Richard Varr |David DeVoss

It doesn’t take long for a sense of history to overwhelm you when walking through the narrow passageways of Bryggen’s wooden warehouses. Yes, the building facades are immaculate, swashed with muted red and brown earthen hues, but every step on wooden plank floors and stairwells seemingly comes with a creak or two, like the infrastructure is grunting with old age. Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a must-see in Bergen; if you’re down by the waterfront, you can’t miss it.

Dec 6, 2024 | eastwestnewsservice.com | Mary Bergin |David DeVoss

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but the original St. Nicholas was very different from what we know today. His home was on the Mediterranean Sea, not the North Pole. More pious than jolly. Wearing a cleric’s miter hat, not a festive stocking cap. For much of the world, St. Nicholas magically and faithfully delivers little treats to children on Dec. 6 – St. Nick’s Day, a prelude to the bigger haul of gifts that he’ll leave after sliding down chimneys on Christmas Eve.

Oct 9, 2024 | eastwestnewsservice.com | Tom Adkinson |David DeVoss

A farmer’s work never really ends, but there are a few breaks in the action, particularly when autumn harvest season winds down. The harvest season is a time of celebration – both literal and psychological – and today’s literal celebrations go way beyond the farmer and his or her family. Autumn means that it’s outdoor party time for all comers.

Jul 30, 2024 | eastwestnewsservice.com | Mark Orwoll |David DeVoss

Traveling every summer from New York to the Jersey Shore, my family and I often stop at one of the many service areas on the Garden State Parkway. They are…functional. Take the Connie Chung Service Area, southbound only, at mile marker 153. Non-East Coasters might think that’s a line from The Onion or the old National Lampoon, but no. The celebrated newswoman Chung is a longtime resident of Middletown, New Jersey.