Across our region, neighbors quietly care for one another every day through volunteerism and generosity, and their commitment sustains our nonprofits and communities. Yet the challenges we all face increase daily.

David Amram turned 95 on Monday. On Friday, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck are honoring the legendary composer with a concert featuring several of his compositions and remarkably, a performance by Amram himself.

What do you visualize when you think of a mushroom farm? You probably don’t, at least I didn’t, until a few weeks ago because I didn’t realize that mushroom farming was a thing.

Grammy Award-winning Catalyst Quartet brings its new program, Cinematic Refuge -- a thematic concert that explores the intersection of classical chamber music and film scoring, specifically focusing on composers who found creative or personal refuge in their work, often related to themes of freedom from oppression -- to Tanglewood’s Linde Center in Lenox, Mass., tonight at 7pm.

You frequently hear people say we can’t do that because there’s no money – nothing in the budget, nothing available. I think it’s important to understand that’s nonsense.

The purported trade war with China has a bit of illusion associated with it because China’s export juggernaut marches on even without us.

It’s no secret that the NBA All Star game isn’t what it used to be. Long ago, fans stopped caring about watching the best players in the League get together and see whether the East or West can commit to less defense, which usually ends up with some team scoring 160 and only winning by four. To be honest, it’s actually not that far from what the NBA regular season looks like these days anyway.

My celebration of Shabbat, the traditional Jewish Sabbath, is a rather sedate, internal affair: long Friday night dinners with friends and family, leading worship at my synagogue on Saturday, and catching up on reading or a nap before Sabbath’s end on Saturday night.

The big news last week was the election results. By and large, it was a good election day for Democrats across the nation. Here in New York, Democrats won in many parts of the state. For example, Democrats picked up control of the Onondaga County Legislature, a feat that they have not accomplished in almost half a century.

Dick Cheney died last week, and that has created some confusing feelings for a lot of people. On the one hand, plenty of folks view Cheney as a uniquely negative force in American politics and on the world stage.