As part of the aging demographic, I have entered that mature phase of my life where I set off metal detectors.

It’s not my magnetic charm that’s the culprit _ it’s my new knees.

After years of dealing with disintegrating cartilage and deteriorating joints as a result of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthitis, I reached the point in November where walking had become pure torture. It was time to become semi-bionic.

I had both knees replaced Nov. 30 and returned to work March 12. My normal Monday routine is covering Delaware County court, where it’s mandatory to pass through the metal detector.

In the past, I had taken pride in making sure I was devoid of metal so I could breeze right through that machine without making a sound. But those days are gone forever.

Nancy Hutson, who was manning the metal detector, laughed with me when the buzzer went off and the lights flashed.

In reality, setting off alarms isn’t a big deal, and it was great to be back on the beat again.

Slipping back into my reporter’s hat and getting back into the routine hasn’t been as difficult as I feared, because many of the same issues are still grabbing headlines.

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Wind turbines, watershed conflicts and flood recovery are just a few examples of on going, seemingly endless stories, but listening to children talking about their memories of the flood put a very different spin on that topic.

When Project Recovery went to Townsend School in Walton to encourage the children to talk about the flood through the use of puppets, the results were at times heart-rending.

A child’s ability to state the obvious somehow brought the stark reality of the flood rushing back again. Everyone who was affected by the flood suffered losses, but some losses were so much greater than others, and many were irreplaceable.

One child said he lost everything in his garage, to which another child responded, "My garage was gone."

Then children began talking about losing pets, and one child said his mother told him that people died.

Many of us who went through the flood just wanted to put it behind us and get on with life, but listening to those children made me realize that I probably still have some things I should be talking about. I am sure I am not alone.

Ed Roach, Project Recovery spokesman, told the Delaware County Board of Supervisors there are teams working in Walton, Hancock, Deposit and Sidney to help people of every age. For information, call 221-7041.

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The Board of Supervisors bid a fond farewell to Lorna Taber at Wednesday’s meeting. Lorna has worked for the county for the last 27 years, most recently as personnel director for six years.

Taber said she almost didn’t get an opportunity to work for the county because her father, Eugene Merrill, didn’t think she was qualified.

Taber said she was still living at home and was unemployed when she received a call to see if she would be interested in a position as the Board of Supervisors assistant clerk. She said her father answered the phone and announced that Lorna didn’t know shorthand.

Taber got the job and eventually transferred to Public Works, where she worked with Wayne Reynolds until she applied for the personnel director position when Dick Grant retired.

Taber’s friends and coworkers showered her with compliments and gifts as she completed her final day Wednesday.

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Staff Writer Patricia Breakey covers Delaware County.