Bully in church choir prevents former member from rejoining

DEAR ABBY: I will soon be retiring from a lay position in my church. As a former member of the choir, I’m being urged to return to it, which appeals to me. My problem is a member who has caused trouble in the past for me with lies and criticism. She is a very negative bully.

African American worried about standing out

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently started a new job, and I am the only African American person in the entire workplace. I don’t know how to feel or what to expect because this is the first time I’ve been the only minority at my place of work.

Longtime attraction is still stymied by age difference

DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing a woman who is 21 years younger than I am. She says she loves me, but I am hesitant because of our age difference. We have known each other for years. She had a crush on me when she was 16, but I was married at the time, and she was too young.

Lymphedema, swelling common after cancer treatments

Dear Doctor: My best friend had a successful breast cancer surgery last spring. But the surgeon took out some lymph nodes, and now she’s getting lymphedema in her left arm. Is it true that there’s no cure?

Rude 15-year-old can handle confrontation

DEAR HARRIETTE: We recently went on a family vacation, and our overall time was great. However, there were some uncomfortable moments. My father invited some of his family from Florida and South Carolina, and instead of exhibiting Southern charm, they were pretty rude.

Dad’s refusal to acknowledge illness puts nephews at risk

DEAR ABBY: My father is in his 70s and lives close by. My brother and his family live across the country. Dad has smoked for more than 60 years, and an incident with his high blood pressure recently landed him in the hospital. He’s supposed to be on medication, but he refuses to take it.

Acute flaccid Myelitis seen mostly in children

Dear Doctor: What’s the latest on the new children’s disease that’s kind of like polio? It’s been all over the news, and like a lot of the moms around here, I’m getting worried.

Parent wants to cut teen son’s screen time

DEAR HARRIETTE: How do you approach teen smart-phone and computer usage? I think my son’s constant use of phones and other screens — especially at night — is not great for his health. He is 16 years old and is constantly on some device.

Being a teacher isn’t what it used to be

With school starting in Clinton Thursday, we are reminded how the role of teachers has drastically changed during the past several decades.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor: Another schol year is getting ready to begin and with it, changes. A big change that is causing some concerns for many parents and students is the parking at the high school – PAID parking. Why?