The Sentinel: 01/23/25

St. Joseph-Ogden secures hard-fought victory over Pontiac at IPC meet

CHILLICOTHE - The St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling team had an impressive run during the first day of the two-day Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet on Jan. 17 at Illinois Valley Central High School, defeating the Pontiac Indians 48-35 in a closely contested dual.

The Spartans, who went 3-0 on day one, also secured commanding wins against Prairie Central (54-12) and St. Thomas More (66-12).

The meet began at 106 pounds, with Ben Wells earning a forfeit victory for the Spartans. At 113 pounds, Jackson Walsh notched the first of several key first-period pins for St. Joseph-Ogden, defeating Pontiac’s Sophia Mussari in 1:49. Cam Wagner, a standout sophomore heavyweight, capped the match with a first-period pin over Hunter McCullough in 1:35 to seal the victory. Wagner, who is enjoying a stellar debut season, is also a top-rated football player in Illinois with Division I scholarship offers from Nebraska, Illinois, Louisville, Miami of Ohio, and Iowa.

Other Spartans who delivered standout performances included Aiden Hundley (138 pounds), who pinned Kooper Wiles in 5:35, and Landen Butts (144 pounds), who recorded a fall over Cale Christenson in 5:60. Jonathan Moore (157 pounds) also added a pin, defeating Hunter Christenson in 3:02.

Pontiac kept the meet competitive with wins in several weight classes, including Noah Davis’ technical fall at 126 pounds and pins by Brayden Quas (150 pounds), Lucas Maier (165 pounds), Carlito Lattin (175 pounds), and Jackson Crawford (190 pounds). Despite their efforts, the Indians fell short as the Spartans’ depth and ability to secure bonus points proved decisive.

Box Score

106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Pontiac), FORFEIT; 113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Mussari, Sophia (Pontiac), Fall 1:49; 120 - GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Pontiac), FORFEIT; 126 - Davis, Noah (Pontiac) over BIRT, ELI (SJO), Tech Fall 18-2; 132 - Hoegger, Alex (Pontiac) over Forfeit, (SJO), FORFEIT; 138 - HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO) over Wiles, Kooper (Pontiac), Fall 5:35; 144 - BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO) over Christenson, Cale (Pontiac), Fall 5:60; 150 - Quas, Brayden (Pontiac) over WARE, THOMAS (SJO), Fall 4:13; 157 - MOORE, JONATHON (SJO) over Christenson, Hunter (Pontiac), Fall 3:02; 165 - Maier, Lucas (Pontiac) over VAUGHN, ALEX (SJO), Fall 3:39; 175 - Lattin, Carlito (Pontiac) over SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO), Fall 8:28; 190 - Crawford, Jackson (Pontiac) over Carter, Liam (SJO), Fall 4:49; 215 - PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO) over Forfeit, (Pontiac), FORFEIT; 285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over McCullough, Hunter (Pontiac), Fall 1:35.

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Spartans dominate on the mats at IPC conference wrestling meet

CHILLICOTHE - The St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans showcased their dominance during the first day of the two-day Illini Prairie Conference wrestling meet on Jan. 17 at Illinois Valley Central High School, going undefeated with a 3-0 record. The Spartans capped their performance with a commanding 66-12 victory over the St. Thomas More Sabers.

The Spartans also notched decisive wins against Prairie Central (54-12) and Pontiac (48-35) to complete their sweep of day one.

The meet began at 106 pounds, where St. Joseph-Ogden’s Ben Wells set the tone with a first-period pin over RJ Cinnamon of St. Thomas More in just 1:30. Wells’ performance was one of the few contested matches, as the Sabers forfeited 10 of the 14 weight classes.

St. Thomas More found success in two of the three matches wrestled. Philip Christhilf earned a pin at 157 pounds, defeating Jonathon Moore of St. Joseph-Ogden in 1:23. James Schmidt added another win for the Sabers at 215 pounds, pinning Nathan Phillips in 1:32.

The Spartans’ depth was evident throughout the meet, with wrestlers like Jackson Walsh (113 pounds), Camden Getty (120 pounds), and Devan Swisher (175 pounds) earning points through forfeits. Aiden Hundley (138 pounds), Landen Butts (144 pounds), and Thomas Ware (150 pounds) also were present to help dominant scoreline.

With the victory, St. Joseph-Ogden improved its season record and solidified its position as a top contender in the conference. The team’s strong showing highlights its potential as postseason tournaments approach.

Next on the Schedule

The Spartans will host a multi-quad meet this Saturday, facing Decatur Unity Christian, Decatur MacArthur, Hoopeston, Cumberland, and St. Thomas More. Matches begin at 8:30 a.m.

St. Joseph-Ogden then hits the road for dual meets at Champaign Central High School on Wednesday, Jan. 29, and at GCMS on Thursday, Jan. 30.

Box Score

106 - WELLS, BEN (SJO) over Cinnamon, RJ (STM), Fall 1:30; 113 - WALSH, JACKSON (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 120 - GETTY, CAMDEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 126 - BIRT, ELI (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 132 - Forfeit, (STM) over Forfeit, (SJO), Double Forfeit; 138 - HUNDLEY, AIDEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 144 - BUTTS, LANDEN (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 150 - WARE, THOMAS (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 157 - Christhilf, Philip (STM) over MOORE, JONATHON (SJO), Fall 1:23; 165 - VAUGHN, ALEX (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 175 - SWISHER, DEVAN (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 190 - Carter, Liam (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT; 215 - Schmidt, James (STM) over PHILLIPS, NATHAN (SJO), Fall 1:32; 285 - WAGNER, CAM (SJO) over Forfeit, (STM), FORFEIT.

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Siems drops 32 points in Spartan's latest hardcourt victory

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

SJO's Tanner Siems during the Christie Clinic Shootout. The senior drilled 32 points at Wednesday's home game against the Panthers.

ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team improved to 13-5 on Wednesday after defeating Manteno at home, 61-52.

SJO smothered the visiting Panthers in the first half, taking a 39-18 lead into the locker room at the half. Despite Manteno outscoring the Spartans 16-14 in the last two quarters, St. Joseph-Ogden held on for the W.

Tanner Siems led the SJO offense with a double-double, scoring 32 points, and hogged the action in the paint with 19 rebounds. Senior guard Coy Taylor finished with double digits, contributing 10 points and four boards. Siems also led the Spartans in steals with three to his credit.

The St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team looks to extend their five-game win streak on Friday with a road conference game at Illinois Valley Central. SJO is currently fourth behind Bloomington Central Catholic, Unity, and Rantoul in the Illini Prairie Conference standings.

More SJO Sports ~

Commentary |
America for sale; corporations and billionaires flooded Trump’s inauguration with cash

by Craig Holman

OtherWords

The nation has never seen influence peddling like we just witnessed at Trump’s second, billionaire-stuffed inauguration.

President Trump sounded a lot of populist notes on the campaign trail. But as he took the oath of office for the second time, he was joined onstage by billionaires and CEOs who’d spent millions to be there — leaving supporters who’d traveled across the country to attend literally out in the cold.

Presidential inaugurations have always been an opportunity for wealthy special interests to curry favor with the incoming administration with generous inaugural donations. But the nation has never seen influence peddling like we just witnessed at Trump’s second inauguration.

Shattering all records, the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc. raised and spent over $200 million in special interest money celebrating the 2024 election victory. (The all-time previous record was $107 million for Trump’s first inauguration in 2017. By contrast, Biden’s 2021 inauguration raised and spent nearly $62 million.)

Nearly all this financing comes from companies and wealthy business leaders who have business pending before the incoming administration. Rarely are small donations received from citizens simply excited about a new president.

The public won’t get a full picture of Trump’s inaugural donors until the spring, when the one-and-only disclosure report is filed 90 days after the inauguration. But the ones we know about so far are painting an ugly picture of corporations, government contractors, billionaires, and millionaires seeking to endear themselves to Trump and his administration.

Access itself does not necessarily mean success at buying official favors. But the sheer volume of today’s inaugural donations suggests that wealthy special interests believe it is worth the investment.

All the self-reporting donors — including Big Tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI — pledged $1 million or more. The cryptocurrency firm Ripple pledged $5 million. In fact, the cryptocurrency industry even hosted its own inaugural ball.

And of course, Wall Street is cozying up with major donations from Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin.

“EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND!!!” Trump marvels on his Truth Social account.

Some of these new friends previously expressed opposition toward Trump, who has a history of seeking revenge against his adversaries and even said he might seek retribution in his second administration. “When this election is over … I would have every right to go after them,” Trump said of his political opponents over the summer.

In addition to being former Trump critics, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Sam Altman of OpenAI have their sights on major government contracts from the new administration. Each has now donated $1 million to Trump’s Inauguration. Zuckerberg and Bezos even partied with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and at the inauguration in DC.

What else does all this money buy? Access. Access itself does not necessarily mean success at buying official favors. But the sheer volume of today’s inaugural donations suggests that wealthy special interests believe it is worth the investment.

Presidential inaugurations have not always been such a soiree for the wealthy. Nixon in 1973 spent less than $4 million on his inauguration. Carter in 1977 spent $3.5 million. Thomas Jefferson in 1801 simply walked to the Capitol to be sworn in and then walked home.

The very ripeness for scandal this time around calls for reasonable restrictions on the sources and amounts of inaugural donations. Corporations, and certainly government contractors, should be banned from donating.

Contributions should be limited to avoid even the appearance of buying favors. The disclosure requirement should be vastly expanded to include disclosing expenditures as well as donations. And rules should be established on how surplus funds are dispensed.

Presidential inaugurations should be celebrations for the nation as a whole, not influence-peddling opportunities for the very wealthy.

Craig Holman is the government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.

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Commentary |
Anti-Immigrant legislation doesn’t serve anyone but prison contractors

by Sulma Arias

OtherWords

The Laken Riley Act is an assault on due process, undermining all of our rights to make for-profit prison CEOs richer.

You’re reading the words of a formerly undocumented immigrant.

When I fled El Salvador four decades ago, I was 12 years old and alone. I was escaping the country’s civil war, where U.S.-backed death squads had made murders and rape our daily reality.

I reunited with my sisters, my only surviving family, in Wichita, Kansas. Once there, I helped open churches, started businesses, and raised three daughters. There were times I wasn’t sure we’d make it to the end of the month, but I was grateful for the sense of peace and security we were able to create here.

That’s why I’m so alarmed that the new Republican-led Congress has chosen to open with a bill, H.R. 29, that strikes fear in the hearts of immigrant families all across the country. This bill would strip judges of discretion and require immigrants to be detained and subject to deportation if they’re accused — not even convicted — of even minor offenses like shoplifting.

This major assault on due process won’t keep anyone safer. It would terrorize all immigrants in this country, who studies show are much less likely to commit crimes of any kind than native-born Americans.

So who benefits from H.R. 29? Private prison corporations like CoreCivic and GEO Group, who made a fortune during the last Trump administration by running private prisons for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

CoreCivic and GEO kept immigrants and asylum seekers in inhumane and toxic conditions with poor hygiene and exposed women and children to sexual predators. Under this new law, cynical executives will siphon off more public dollars, and wealthy investors will reap more rewards, from abusing and demonizing people seeking refuge from violence or poverty.

When Trump won, private prison stocks soared. Why? Because investors anticipated making a fortune detaining immigrants. More than 90 percent of migrants detained by ICE end up in for-profit facilities.

GEO Group, which maxed out its campaign contributions to Trump, told its investors they could make almost $400 million per year supporting “future needs for ICE and the federal government” in a second Trump term. Their stock price nearly doubled in November.

Whether those detained are guilty or not, CoreCivic and GEO get paid. That’s what H.R. 29 is for: advancing corporate greed, not protecting Americans.

We all have a stake in stopping private prison corporations from becoming more powerful, regardless of our language, race, gender, or community. In addition to jailing immigrants, for-profit prison companies also look for ways to put citizens in prison more often — and for longer — so they can make more money.

Whenever we allow fundamental rights to be taken away, we erode our shared humanity and diminish all of our rights and freedoms.

The people behind H.R. 29 want us to be afraid of each other so we won’t stand together. They want to be able to barge into our homes, schools, and churches to take our neighbors and loved ones away. They want workers to be too scared to stand up to their bosses’ abuse. All so their donors in the private prison industry can make more money.

Democrats will need to find their way in this new Congress. Falling in line behind nativist fear-mongers who take millions in campaign contributions from the private-prison industry is not the right way to do it.

Americans demand better. We want true leadership with an affirmative vision for the future of this country and dignity for all people, including immigrants.

H.R. 29 targets whole communities because of the language we speak and the color of our skin. Instead, our elected leaders, regardless of party, must work to address people’s needs through building an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy few.

Sulma Arias is executive director of People’s Action, the nation’s largest network of grassroots power-building groups, with more than a million members in 30 states. This op-ed was adapted from OurFuture.org and distributed for syndication by OtherWords.org.

Academic Honors |
Parkland Fall 2024 Dean's List

CHAMPAIGN - Parkland College announced the names of students whose academic performance landed them a spot on the Fall 2025 Dean's List. One of the highest honors a student can receive for their academic performance, the Dean's List is awarded to Parkland College students who earn a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 grade scale for the semester in 100-level courses or higher.

Below is a list of students in our area who earned academic honors last fall. The complete current list can be found on the Parkland College website.

Broadlands
Kayla Pickett

Catlin
Jackson Dines
Joseph Kedas
Christine Wyant

Champaign
Amira Abedelsalam
Dalal Abudayya
Elana Abudayya
Anahi Alanis
Jonathan Alanis
Elizabeth Allen
Saad Al-Zoubi
Charlie Anderson
David Ard
Grace Bailey
Maya Baker
Josiah Barlow
Alyssa Bartolome
Stretton Beal
Shane Beard
Makenna Beaulin
Robin Betka
Selena Bien
Brady Boatright
Thomas Bradley Jr
Mackenzie Britton
Heidi Brya
Lonnie Buggs
Manny Cabrera-Paredes
Jaden Campbell
Katrina Catizone
Franklin Chen
Yijun Chen
Jonathan Chen
Taylor Clark
Ry Cline
Carly Coats
Jazzmine Cole
Oscar Contreras
Melissa Corley
V H Cronenberg
Valencia Crosby
Andrea Dalton
Conrad Damrau
Ryan Delehanty
Alex Deluna
Jasmine Diep
Consolet Djamba
Jerome Isaac Domingo
Kylan Dorner
Gavin Dorsla
Laney Duden
Megan Eastham
Tanaja Edwards
Nickoy Edwards
Amina Fairley
Jesse Fewkes
Addison Fisher
Sierra Foltz
Destiny Frickensmith
Ayanna Fuller
Dalila Garcia
Tristin Gardner
Victoria Garrett
Rachael Goekler
Jake Green
Abigail Grena
Keira Hadley
William Hansen
Curtis Harvey
Miles Haug
Leo Havey
Zoey Hayes
Kaia Helbling
Marlen Hernandez
Delaney Hesch
Ariana Hopkins
Yufei Hu
Charlene Huang
Harold Indra
Weddie Jackson
Sarah Jacobson
Sofiyyah Jempeji
Araceli Johnson
Abigail Johnson
Chai Jones
Minjoon Kang
Shounok Kar
Fefe Kayembe
Cupid Keiper
Selena Kim
Sani Kimura
Mathias Kirkland
Jarred Koerner
Gianna Kreps
Kasie Lajeunesse
Eunseong Lee
Dohyung Lee
Mackenzie Leigh
Rebekah Leighton
Evan Li
Joshua Loftus
Kristin Lopez
Daniel Lopez
Jakob Luhrsen
Ruth Mambo
Cass Marino
Erica Markell
Emmanuela Martinez
Rayane Marzouqi
Madison McCoy
Greyson McDonald
Bailey McMahon
Melissa Meza
Sylvia Middleton
Richard Miller
Zoey Mitchell
Kennadie Mitchell
Colin Monti
Allison Morenz
Ian Moriarty
Jessica Mueller
Gina Naumann
Angelica Ngoho
Ngoc Tran Qua Nguyen
Tiffany Nguyen
Jesse Nguyen
Tommy Nguyen
Kenny Nham
Timothy Norcross
Immanuel Nwosu
Tyler Odom
Jessica Palmberg
Clare Pate
Mahi Patel
Cameron Patten
Arthur Pawlik
Lawanda Peeples
Joviane Pembele
Kylia Pierson
Jude Pisarczyk
Ethan Plankell
Taniya Reinhart
Riley Ries
Craig Riggle
Theresa Rollings
Alyssa Rosborough
Brian Rose
Jenna Royer
Elijah Ruggieri
Cody Rummenie
Burak Safaker
Martha Samuel
Lauren Sanders
Landon Sanders
Lizbeth Serrano-Betanzos
Anya Shannon
Ayush Sharma
Fedor Shemetov
Yu-Chen Shih
Michael Skaj
Ryan Slifer
Avery Smith
Skyler Smith
Jason Smith
Rasidat Sodiji
J.J Standerfer
Isabelle Swanson
Tommy Thi
Elaysha Thomas
Pierce Thompson
Jaden Tohill
Julian Torres
Gavin Tousignant
Lucius Tran
Johnny Tran
Thuan Trinh
Jasmine Turnbo
Kaitlyn Valentine
Tori Ann Vandegraft
Erik Walk
Shawn Walker
Lyssa Walker
Jack Walters
Julia Wang
Calvin Wetzel
John White
Lauren White
Bayleeella Whitney
Sarah Whittington
Inyzhe Wilson
Jason Winters
Winter Wolford
Syafino Yunalfian
Allen Zhang
Yixing Zhang
Artie Zhang

Fithian
Kayla House

Homer
Renate Alant
Lilli Montgomery

Ivesdale
Quinn Flavin

Oakwood
Shelby Doggett
Dylan A Dillow
Carlie Reitz

Ogden
Bridget M Blackburn

Philo
Nathan Bleecher
Brenlee Dalton
Bailey Grob
Jocelyn Lefaivre
Reagan Little
Amy Ray
Isabel Rivera
Kyleigh Weller

Sadorus
Hayden Hudson
Victoria Wells

Saint Joseph
McGwire Atwood
Mason Behrens
Taylor Burch
Kennedi Burnett
Shanice Edwards
Hailey Gaines
Cailey Horatschki
Kya Jolley
Hayden Lewis
Sam McDade
Jack Robertson
Addison Roesch
Rylee Stahl
Jill Uken
Andrew Wells
Emily Wheeler
Raegan Young

Savoy
Edith Ahondju-Olela
Evy Atkins
Patrick Brand
Siarah Brown
Charlie Cekander
Grace Chong
Kalissa Davis-Milam
Sean Flom
Rebecca Fonner
Ludvig Granlund
Mahillan Kalaimani
Moon Su Kang
Daniel Kang
Katelyn Kennedy
Gaelle Mayala
Leyton McGeary
Isaac Molloy
Kyle Moon
Erica Mueller
Marcos Park
Hyunjune Seong
Davi Yoo

Sidney
Lauren Cooke
Emma Fish
Emma Graham
Jodi Hamilton
Tyler Liffick-Worrell
Carson Parker
Piper Steele

Tolono
Maria Buffo
Calli Chandler
Hunter Duncan
Brooke Hewing
Shelby Hoel
Jayci McGraw
Jolie Meyer
Tatum Meyer
Julia Ping
Gabriel Pound
Meredith Reed
Maci Richmond
Reece Sarver
McKayla Schendel
Sara Steffens
Raena Stierwalt
Lynndsay Talbott
Jeremy Wells
Luke Williamson
Emberly Yeazel
Madysen York

Urbana
Rachel Aders
Dilichukwu Agu
Jose De Jesus Aguilera Contrera
Arifat Alabi-Taiwo
Luciana Alvarez
Deanna Auxier
Tevi Balekita
Ciel Baptiste
Yael Beretta
Pilar Bernad Ortega
Brandon Bianco
Ebenezer Boti
Audrey Boudreau
Janai Brown
Evan Bullock
Ryan Burns
Ariana Chambers
Charles Chambers
George Clancy
Yali Cohen
Tom Compere
Jeron Coulter
Jalyssa Crede
Lisa Curtiss
Breanna Davis
Jordan Ennis
Sofiia Fedina
Morgan Frush
Aaron Gabel
Lisette Gasser
Abigail Gillespey
Ella Gilmore
Santiago Gonzalez Ahuerma
Jessica Hamilton
Shion Hayashi
Tony Heckenmueller Drew Howard
Hoda Ismail
Robert Jenkins
Joanna Jiang
Amari Johnson
Marcus Johnson
Benjamin Joselyn
Lorris Kanteng
Kaya Karabeyaz-Cowling
Iver Krogstad
Carmen Lopez-Irineo
Sebastian Major
Jennifer Marquez Ramon
Gabrielle Mboyo Meta
Keith McAbee
Lauren Miller
Shaylie Miller
America Moreno-Duran
Lea Nicky Mar Nkenlifack Miaffo
Christophin Ngassam
Fabio Daniele Novais Da Rocha
Rebekah Olheiser
Oscar Orozco
Santiago Pinilla Leon
Dragos Popa
Matteo Puli
Justin Pulver
Lula Randolph
Bruce Rexroad
Leire Rodriguez Najera
Megan Rucker
Dakoda Sabin
Yu-Chen Shih
Joseph Solava
Sumaya Islam Tonney
Umberto Tucceri
Chioma Ugwu
Evan Unzicker
Stacie Vonderheide
Willow Weisman
Cora Welch
Alexandria Westfall
Maurion Wicks
Gage Dorian Wiggins
Lera Wilson
John Winter
Qilin Xie
Nathan York

Headlines:

Redecorating your home |
Tips for Choosing the Right Color Palette for Your New Home's Interior

SNS - Moving into a new home is an exciting opportunity to create a space that reflects your personality and style. Selecting the perfect color scheme for your interiors is one of the most important choices in shaping your home's ambiance. Colors shape a home's aesthetic and influence emotions, creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Whether decorating a cozy apartment or a spacious house, understanding how to select and combine colors can transform your living space into a true haven.

The Psychology Behind Colors

Colors carry meaning and evoke emotions, making them a powerful tool in interior design. Warm tones such as red, orange, and yellow can create a sense of energy and warmth, ideal for communal areas like the living room or dining room. On the other hand, cool tones like blue, green, and purple promote relaxation and are perfect for bedrooms and bathrooms. Neutral shades like beige, gray, and white are versatile, providing a timeless backdrop that complements bold accents. When choosing the right color palette, it’s helpful to consider how different hues can affect your mood and the overall feel of your home.

Consider the Size and Lighting of Your Space

Room size and lighting play a crucial role in how colors appear. Lighter shades make smaller rooms feel more spacious, while darker hues add depth and coziness to larger spaces. Natural light can enhance warm tones, making them feel more vibrant, while artificial light often works better with cooler shades. Before deciding on your color scheme, observe how light interacts with your walls throughout the day. This insight will help you choose hues harmonize with your home’s unique characteristics.

The Importance of Harmony in Design

Harmony ensures that the colors in your home flow seamlessly from room to room. Sticking to a unified palette with complementary shades creates a cohesive look that ties your space together. For example, if you choose earthy tones for your living room, consider carrying a similar theme into adjacent areas. This approach doesn’t mean every room must be identical, but a consistent theme will make your home feel more cozy.

Choosing Accent Colors for Depth and Interest

Accent colors are a fantastic way to add personality and flair without overwhelming the space. Once you’ve settled on a base palette, choose one or two accent colors to highlight specific areas or features. For example, a neutral beige room can come to life with teal cushions or a mustard-colored rug. These pops of color can be easily updated over time, giving you flexibility as trends and personal preferences evolve.

Choosing the Right Color Palette: Experimenting with Color Swatches

Before committing to a specific shade, experiment with color swatches. Paint small sections of your walls or use peel-and-stick samples to see how different options look in your home. This step lets you visualize the final result and ensures that your chosen palette complements the room’s furniture, flooring, and decor. Sampling is invaluable for avoiding costly mistakes when choosing the right color palette.

Using Texture to Enhance Your Palette

Color isn’t just about paint; texture is important in how hues are perceived. Matte, glossy, or textured finishes can dramatically alter a color's appearance. For example, a matte navy wall exudes sophistication, while a shiny finish adds a modern, polished touch. Incorporating texture through fabrics, rugs, and decorative items can enrich your color palette, making your home feel layered and inviting.

Adapting Trends to Your Style

Trends in interior design change frequently, but it’s essential to focus on what resonates with your style. While bold, bright colors may be fashionable, they may not suit your home or personality. Instead of fully committing to trends, incorporate them in small doses, such as through accessories or accent walls. This approach ensures your home feels timeless while allowing room for experimentation.

Moving to a New Home

Relocating provides a clean slate to design your dream home. However, moving can be complex, especially when dealing with fragile items like furniture and decor.

Hiring professional movers can make the transition smoother. Heart Moving is a reputable moving company that handles the logistics, allowing you to focus on the exciting aspects of settling in, such as creating the perfect color scheme. Their team ensures that your belongings are packed, transported, and unpacked carefully, giving you peace of mind. Also, the company offers tailored services to accommodate special requirements, such as handling antiques or oversized items, ensuring a seamless moving experience from start to finish. Entrusting this part of the move to experts ensures your belongings arrive safely and reduces stress during a busy time.

Planning a Color Palette for Every Room

Each room in your home serves a different purpose, so it’s essential to plan your color palette accordingly. For the kitchen, consider shades that promote energy and cleanliness, such as whites, yellows, or soft blues.

In living rooms, warm tones or neutrals create a welcoming environment, while bedrooms benefit from calming colors like lavender or sage green. Bathrooms are a great place to experiment with crisp, refreshing hues like aqua or pale gray. Tailoring your choices to the function of each space ensures your home feels both practical and aesthetically pleasing.

The Role of Accessories in Enhancing Colors

Accessories can tie a room together and emphasize your chosen palette. Curtains, throw pillows, artwork, and rugs are excellent tools for reinforcing your theme. Adding houseplants or decorative vases in complementary colors can further enhance the visual appeal and bring a touch of nature into your space. These items also allow for easy seasonal updates, giving your home a fresh look without the need for major renovations. When selecting accessories, aim to balance bold and subtle to avoid a cluttered appearance.

Creating a Home You Love

Choosing the right color palette is about more than aesthetics; it’s about creating a home that reflects your taste and lifestyle. By understanding the psychology of colors, considering lighting and size, and planning for harmony, you can craft an interior that feels cohesive and personal.

Experimenting with textures, accessories, and trends ensures your design remains dynamic and adaptable. Whether you're starting fresh or updating your existing space, choosing the right colors will transform your house into a place you’re proud to call home.

Commentary |
Beware of Tax “Bipartisanship”

Op-Ed by Dr. Todd J. Barry

In 2012, United States President Barack Obama faced a choice regarding how to legislate the permanency of the President George W. Bush Tax Cuts. In some ways, the dire economic growth of “the Great Recession” called for one obvious path, of making the tax cuts permanent. But, in other ways, President Obama was “suckered” into supporting this path, because of exhortations that economic calamity would otherwise result (then termed the “fiscal cliff”) which was largely an exaggeration. Mr. Obama opted to push to make some of the tax cuts permanent, for the middle-class, but this policy still greatly increased the United States (U.S.) deficit and debt.

Trump tax cuts will cause excessive demand, much of it going to people who do not need it, leading to higher prices.

Currently, Democrats in Congress will have to decide whether or not to be “suckered” into Mr. Trump’s tax permanency proposals, which are reminiscent of Mr. Bush’s. But, the economic situation today is different. Illinois Senators Dick Durban-(D) and Tammy Duckworth-(D) have, previously, sent letters to Republican leaders calling for tax “bipartisanship.” More recently, a similar letter from Michigan’s Senators was vague, though saying than that the tax cuts’ “permanency” would increase the U.S. deficit from $1.9 trillion dollars to $2.9 trillion.

America’s economy grew in 2024’s 3rd quarter at 3.1%, a very strong number. However, several Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson-(R-LA), have said, paraphrasing, that “we have to get the economy going again,” but the problem is not that the economy is sluggish, but that it is overheated.

This situation also has little to do with the absence of shovel-ready projects, that outgoing-President Joseph Biden lamented about. Consequently, a best-policy approach would not be one that is expansionary, but one that is actually contractionary, yet at the same time helps Americans buy more at the grocery store.

Hillary Clinton’s economic team created a novel idea, of giving tax credits for businesses that would share that money with workers.

To put it simply, the Trump tax cuts will cause excessive demand, much of it going to people who do not need it, leading to higher prices. These prices are on top of the proposed tariffs, whereby it is unfathomable that since the middle of the 20th Century presidents have had powers uncheckable by Congress. Also, the inflation is largely due to the dovish policies of the Federal Reserve, which continues to cater to gullible investors on Wall Street. Deficits will soar, leading to higher interest rates, to even more inflation, and eventually to greater unemployment.

In 2016, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s economic team created a novel idea, of giving tax credits for businesses that would share that money with workers. The plan, though, was ambiguous, and poorly promoted. Alternatively, a supply-side approach, of giving tax credits to businesses that cut prices, risks becoming bureaucratically complex in American’s capitalist framework, an enforcement conundrum.

Wage controls, vis-a-vie the President Nixon era, are equally complex, as are anti-price-gouging measures. While making the middle-class tax cuts alone permanent is feasible, it could engender political challenges. And, unfortunately, these topics did not arise during the 2024 presidential election, because political leaders misinterpret economics, albeit 16 Nobel Laureate economists sent a petition to Washington warning about the economy’s’ health.

Yet, today, I propose an idea similar to Mrs. Clinton’s, which could help Americans to buy more, while costing the government less. Congress could provide a tax credit to businesses sharing 50% of the credit to workers’ wages. Here-named “demand-supply-side economics,” the supply-side aspect would expand production, but even if some resources ended up in CEO’s pockets, the other half going to blue collar workers would increase demand. The combination of the increase in the demand and supply curves at the same time, albeit disregarding their elasticities (the slope of the curves), would result in little changes to prices, but a greater output for Americans- more “bang for the dollar” at the grocery store.

Unfortunately, unresponsive companies might experience labor strikes, but the labor market helps to keep wages consistent with inflation. Furthermore, the government could choose the size of the program, and its time-length, without adding as much to the debt, which is now $31.5 trillion dollars and growing, every time one blinks.

The permanency and details of the Trump tax cuts, including those for the middle-class, need to debated, carefully, before mistakes are made that lead to even higher prices, and to even greater deficits and debt into the future.

Dr. Todd J. Barry holds a PhD from the U. of Southern Mississippi, and teaches economics, with Hudson County Community College in NJ, USA. Sean R. Barry holds a master’s degree in public administration, and has served on town committees in Branford, CT.