Katrina Fuller
Communications Professional

Chances are a good many of you have met my dad. He's the kind of guy everyone knows. Maybe your furnace was broken on a cold winter night and he came over and fixed it. Maybe your pipes froze and he thawed them out.

My dad, George, embodies what you would picture a good man to be. He is kind, hardworking, generous and loves his family. One verse in particular always sticks out to me: "If you want to know where I've been, just look at my hands." The man knows what a hard day's work looks like. You can tell by the callused, rough hands he has earned after so many years of labor.

He looked after us all, working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Obviously, no one but Jesus is perfect, but I still think of him as an everyday Superman.

I can't tell you how proud I am of that man. There just aren't words for how much he means to me, but I figured I would try to give him a little recognition the best way I know how; he has certainly earned it.

Dad, I usually have a lot to say, but the only things I can think of are: "Thank you" and "I love you."

For 30 years, Shawbucks has been a beloved gathering place in downtown Jamestown, and the beloved spot is getting some well-anticipated additions that patrons are sure to love.

Located at 212 West 2nd Street, the restaurant and bar opened its doors on March 31, 1995. Today, owner Kurt B. Johnson is developing an exciting new chapter for the building. While the first floor will continue operating as the familiar Shawbucks restaurant and bar, the upper floors are being developed to serve a wide range of community needs.

"MindfulEatery is kind of an experiential philosophy that I made up," he said. "It is just paying attention to what you consume. What do you consume? You consume food, you consume your thoughts and you consume your environment. Those are the three pillars that support MindfulEatery."

"As Shawbucks moves into this next phase, the goal remains simple: to create more ways for people to connect, learn and enjoy time together in downtown Jamestown," Johnson said.

The word 'Mother' is one we hear often. It's many a child's first word, or at least some variation of it. How lovely that a child's first word is often naming one of the most important people in their lives.

Motherhood can be extreme, in both the good sense of the word and the bad. There are most definitely highs and lows in the rollercoaster ride mothers face. It's a journey that involves and envelops the mother in a series of "seasons" of life.

The hard times can be incredibly hard for mothers. Some mothers face the loss of their child, the heart they held so closely outside of their bodies. Some mothers face difficulties with mental health or their physical health that lead to incredible difficulties both internally and in their day-to-day lives.

To be a mother is to carry both joy and ache, often at the same time, often in silence. It is a role shaped not by a single definition, but by a thousand lived experiences. On this Mother's Day, may we honor all mothers, including the ones who are grieving, longing, healing or simply enduring. May we meet them all with the same quiet understanding: that motherhood, in all its forms, is both tender and immense.

Voice of the People (VOP) is a nonpartisan organization working to re-anchor American democracy in its founding principles. VOP partners with the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation (PPC) to conduct national, state, and district-level surveys that uncover majority agreement across partisan lines.

Communications work included: developing the organization's media kit and report materials; writing and producing social media content translating complex polling data into accessible, shareable formats; and managing outreach for public consultation forums with Members of Congress.