Thomas J. Krum

OBITUARY

Thomas J. Krum, known to his listeners as ‘John Thomas’ passed away suddenly on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at this home in Johnstown, NY. Born in Kingston, NY on December 15, 1946 he was the son of the late Thomas and Winifred Grube Krum. A graduate of SUNY Ulster, Tom obtained his degree in Business Administration. He also had certifications from the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Career Academy of Broadcasting. Tom had a true love for the game and worked for various local companies including WGY Radio, The Albany- Colonie Yankees, The Albany- Colonie Diamond Dogs, GE/ Empire Broadcasting and The Leader Herald. Tom had extensive experience in sports management and broadcasting. He developed lasting relationships with players, coaches, celebrities and anyone who would talk about the game. Tom served as a Master of Ceremonies and guest speaker at many events. He was inducted into the Glove City Colonials as the first and only broadcaster and was awarded Broadcaster of the Year by The Hearst Newspaper. He had well over 3000 play by play broadcasts and interviews spanning a 40 year career. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Marilyn L. LaPorte Krum; his brother, Robert Krum and his wife Elaine; his stepson, James Reed and his wife Kara; his step-grandson, Jacob Reed and his fiance Sarah Cuscino; and several nephews. Services are private. Cremation arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Rose & Hughes Funeral Home, 200 Church Street, Amsterdam, NY. Please visit the online memorial at www.roseandhughesfh.com In lieu of flowers, and in memory of Tom’s love for the game, consider donating to your favorite local youth sports program or volunteer your time as a coach.

Several Maine school districts are sticking with new transgender student policies despite a lawsuit that alleges they violate state law and foster hostile environments in schools.

At a school board meeting Tuesday night, officials at Regional School Unit 24 in Hancock County voted to keep the district’s recently adopted policy barring transgender students from using bathrooms or playing for sports teams that align with their chosen gender.

The RSU 73 school board in Livermore Falls took a similar vote last week to keep its policy.

RSU 24 Superintendent Michael Eastman did not return a request for comment Wednesday but issued a statement saying the decision was made “following an executive session to consult with legal counsel.”

“We recognize that this issue is deeply important to many and continues to evoke strong feelings within our district, our communities and across the state,” Eastman wrote. “As we move ahead with this work, we remain committed to listening, learning and communicating with care.”

School board officials for the district that oversees schools in Sullivan, Eastbrook, Gouldsboro, Prospect Harbor and Steuben also did not make the meeting’s minutes or a recording of the proceedings immediately available online. Parents’ Rights in Education Maine, a conservative activist group, highlighted the vote in a social media post Tuesday night, as did House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, who represents those towns.

To date, six Maine school districts have adopted similar policies following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February that defined gender as one’s “biological sex” and threatened to revoke federal funding from schools allowing transgender students to play sports or use locker rooms in line with their gender identity.

Those districts are being sued by the Maine Human Rights Commission, which alleges the policies discriminate against transgender students and violate state law specifically protecting students’ right to participate in classes and extracurriculars “without discrimination because of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The lawsuit also claims the policies encourage harassment of “students participating in girls’ sports who do not appear to the adults to be biological females.” The lawsuit notes one email in which a community member “expressed their desire that ‘someone make an example out of’ a ‘piece of s— tranny’ in the third grade.”

The others districts named in the suit are Maine School Administration District 70 in Hodgdon, MSAD 52 in Turner, the Baileyville School District and the Richmond School Department.

It remained unclear Wednesday whether those districts will revert their policies or stick to their guns, and representatives from those communities did not respond to inquiries Wednesday.

The Trump administration’s executive order and the districts’ policies hinge on an interpretation of Title IX that argues allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports is a form of discrimination because it deprives women and girls of fair athletic opportunities. That interpretation has yet to be tested in court.

When the issue was raised by RSU 24’s school board at an October meeting, dozens of community members spoke about how the potential policy change and vitriolic discussion around it had affected their students. The board ultimately adopted the policy in a contentious 5-4 vote.

Votes in other districts were not as close, with the exception of Richmond, which adopted its policy in a 3-2 vote in October.

RSU 24 and several other districts had retained Portland-based law firm Drummond Woodsum, which has represented hundreds of Maine school districts for years. But after the firm advised the district to follow state law, district officials voted Tuesday to engage with two conservative firms, Steve Smith Trial Lawyers in Augusta and Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP, based in Indiana.

Transgender students’ participation in youth athletics has become a contentious topic across the country, but especially in Maine. Gov. Janet Mills clashed with Trump over the topic at the White House in February, telling the president: “see you in court.” Shortly afterward, the Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against Maine over the state’s human rights law.

Conservatives in the state have been collecting signatures to put a referendum on the 2026 ballot that could bar transgender students from school sports and private spaces that align with their gender identities. The Maine Principals’ Association has previously said there are two transgender students playing sports in Maine.

How much more revenue could Utah athletics hope to reasonably earn?

Some days, being a working mom in Effingham County feels like I accidentally signed up to be an underpaid chaos coordinator with unlimited overtime. There is no manual and certainly no bonus check. What I do get is a lot of love, a little laughter, and the constant joy of explaining that a Christmas tree cake is not a balanced meal.

Morning madness

Most weekday mornings start with my alarm at 6:20 a.m. I roll out of bed, step over two dogs who sleep like they pay the mortgage, and stumble across the house to wake the pre-teen and teenage gremlins who refuse to rise until the last possible second. Once I hear a few groans that land somewhere between annoyance and mild betrayal, I head back to the kitchen. I pop sausage biscuits in the microwave—no judgment, still slightly better than a Pop-Tart—to feed said gremlins before throwing on an outfit that, I hope, gives the impression of effort and swipe on just enough makeup to say, “I am doing my best. Please do not look too closely.”

On mornings when I set my alarm for a completely disrespectful 4 a.m., the routine shifts to a quiet scavenger hunt in the dark. I fumble for workout clothes, try to remember if I brushed my teeth, and pack myself into the car to teach a one-hour cycle and fitness class to a room full of equally confused adults who also woke before sunrise. There’s something very bonding about sweating together at 5 a.m. while nobody’s brain is fully online yet.

By 6:50 a.m., the house is in full motion. One kid cannot find a shoe. The other cannot find the will to live. Someone suddenly remembers a permission slip due right that second. Then we sprint to the bus stop like competitors in the Effingham Olympics. If your children catch the bus by 7:10 a.m., congratulations—you’ve already worked half a day before most people finish their first cup of coffee.

Work, side hustles, and the commute

Once the bus pulls away, Mom clock number two begins—reserved for actual paying jobs. Effingham moms fall into three groups: moms who work in Effingham, moms who commute outside of Effingham, and God’s favorites who work from home. To the commuters, I say a special prayer for your patience. May your coffee stay hot, and may Highway 21 treat you kindly.

The moms who stay local are not sitting around relaxing. Many of us work full time and then stack a side hustle on top of it. Some even turn hobbies into businesses. I teach fitness on the side because I figured if I’m going to get sweaty anyway, I might as well get paid for it. Effingham moms are a special breed. You have not lived until you’ve watched a woman put in eight hours at her day job, squeeze in an hour of fitness, coach a youth sports team, and still manage to pick up groceries with the speed and accuracy of a NASCAR pit crew.

Evening shuffle

Then comes the evening shuffle. This is rarely a peaceful sit-down dinner. It’s more like rotating shifts based on practice times. Effingham Recreation is wonderful, but I am convinced the practice schedule was created by drawing numbers out of a hat. Soccer at 5, basketball at 6:30, volleyball at 7:45. And of course, someone always forgets a crucial sports accessory that must be delivered immediately, or the world will end.

Dinner is another adventure. The question, “What do you want for dinner?” should honestly be banned from every household. I lean heavily on HelloFresh, which has saved me on nights when my brain is too tired to choose between spaghetti or cereal. On other nights, it turns into “you are on your own,” but Christmas tree cakes still do not count as a meal.

Laundry is always running. The dishwasher is always full. At least one child always needs a very specific shirt washed immediately. Meanwhile, I try to stay upright until at least 8 p.m. The time change, which throws darkness at us at 5:30 p.m., really tests my spirit. Time change and I are not on speaking terms.

Why it’s worth it

Even with all the chaos, raising kids here feels grounding. Effingham has the kind of warmth that makes you feel like you belong. Schools are strong. Teachers actually know your children. Recreation keeps kids active and teaches life lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, and how to bounce back after taking a volleyball to the face.

Effingham moms juggle a lot, but it is comforting to know we are raising families in a place that feels like home—a place where people wave at each other, neighbors check in, and your child might play ball on the same field you once did.

So here’s to the moms of Effingham County. We may be tired, but we are tough. Resourceful. Funny without trying. And we show up for our families in every way we can. The laundry will always be waiting, but the chaos will not, so we savor these days while we have them.

— Lauren Eargle is a wife, mom of four, Springfield City Manager, and co-owner of Revolution Cycle and Fitness. She juggles city hall, spin classes, and the daily chaos of raising her kids in Effingham County—sometimes all before breakfast.

The Blue Creek Blue Creek Springtime Monarchs (an affiliate of the National Wild Turkey Foundation) is inviting all area youth to its annual JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) Day at the Izaak Walton League facility north of Vinton.

Children age 17 and under are invited to this free event on Saturday, Aug. 13, to enjoy and learn about many activities including hunter’s safety, archery, .22 rifle target practice, trap shooting, and game calling. Lunch and drinks are provided. The first 60 children to register will receive a free Jakes Day t-shirt.

For more information, call Mike Salow at (319) 350-4187 or Randy Scheel at 319-477-3150.

See the event Facebook page HERE.

Our world is awash in plastic. From single-use water bottles and food packaging to synthetic clothes, shoes, and even nail polish, our overreliance on plastic is spreading a toxic, chemical-laden material all over the planet — including in our own bodies.

Most Americans are sick of plastic use, but manufacturers continue to push the product on us. This holiday season, is it possible to have a plastic-free celebration?

There’s no substitute for systemic policy change to regulate plastic use, but individual actions on a mass scale can have an impact. They can also be a dinner table conversation, potentially spurring cultural shifts and inspiring local activism.

“None of us voted for more plastic,” says Judith Enck, founder and president of Beyond Plastics. Enck, who served as regional administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency in 2009, adds that “the reason we have so much plastic is because there is a glut of fracked gas on the market.”

Enck says it’s entirely possible to have a plastic-free holiday season. She suggests forgoing disposable dinnerware for your Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanzaa meal. “You can rent glassware and plates and beautiful reusable tablecloths and napkins from local vendors,” she says.

The food at your holiday dinner table needn’t come packaged in plastic either. Challenge yourself to purchase ingredients from your local farmers market using cotton tote bags. Produce that is locally grown is generally seasonal, tastier, has a lower carbon footprint, and is often pesticide-free or organic.

Purchase drinks for your holiday dinner in glass bottles. Most wine is already sold in glass, but even for teetotalers, it’s entirely possible to purchase drinks packaged in glass bottles or cardboard boxes.

According to Enck, “materials like paper, cardboard, metal, and glass… can be made of recycled material and actually does get recycled when you put it in your recycling bin” — unlike plastic. Most plastic is never recycled, no matter how diligent you are about cleaning and disposing of it in your recycling bins.

Gift-giving is particularly fraught with plastic. Mass-produced toys, clothes, and gadgets are either made from plastic or wrapped in it. Enck’s organization offers a handy online guide for plastic-free gifting, like giving memberships in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Most local communities, including cities, have local farmers who offer such memberships.

“Consider giving experiences rather than material products,” she adds, like “taking little kids to a matinee movie, giving your aunts and uncles tickets to a concert or a play, or giving busy parents a couple coupons that you’ll go and babysit their kids on a Saturday night.”

Memberships to museums, botanical gardens, and zoos are also excellent alternatives to plastic products. A gift certificate for a massage or yoga class for a busy working parent is likely to be received with far more gratitude than yet another trinket they don’t need.

If you feel compelled to buy a product, there are sustainable alternatives. Consider shopping at a thrift store to give an old product new life and save it from the landfill. (Vintage items are always fashionable!) Find your local “Buy Nothing” groups and post a request for lightly used items as gifts.

If you must purchase new gifts, consider plastic-free options. Clothing in particular can be sustainable if it’s made with natural fibers such as cotton, wool, or silk. Avoid clothes with labels marked polyester, poly-blend, nylon, acrylic, or microfiber. Synthetic clothes are notorious for shedding microplastics that end up in our blood stream and oceans.

Remember to use recyclable gift wrap, wrapping paper alternatives like tea towels or old cookie tins, or simply reuse last year’s wrapping.

Most importantly, make your plastic-free (or plastic-light) holiday a talking point at the dinner table and when exchanging gifts. These conversations can lead to real change: Regulations such as California’s new plastic bag ban and Georgia’s plastic food packaging ban are set to take effect next year, and are the result of dedicated public activism.

Make a New Year’s resolution to commit to political action against plastic in 2026.

Sonali Kolhatkar is host and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, an independent, subscriber-based syndicated TV and radio show. 

NOTE: Comments posted to this blog page are for information only. The opinions of the author are not necessarily the opinions of this newspaper, its staff or its advertisers.