My son, Colin, is five years old. Like every other kindergartner I’ve met, he is constantly fidgeting, incessantly talking (or, more likely, just making noise to hear himself) and he always wants to play. All hail the kindergarten teachers and parapros who put their sanity on the line each day dealing with these active children and their active imaginations. Trying to keep up with one (as well as his younger sister, but she’s another story) is exhausting, but for his emotional well-being and the strength of the family I feel I must push on and try to keep up with him. Read More»

Dave’s mother, who died not long after our Alice, had discretionary funds from an old family estate but, while she could have, she never flaunted her modest fortune. She traveled a lot, and loved to buy something that caught her eye, live with it for a year or so, then box it up to make a post-Christmas or birthday present for one of her children or grandchildren.

She couldn’t resist old clocks, guns, knick-knacks from Europe, and our house looks a lot like hers. My mother would sniff at “more doodads that have to be dusted.” Read More»

Happy New Year! Busy week for a quiet month - Council workshop Tuesday and regular meeting Thursday, Fire Department Open House Wednesday, Father Daughter Dance Registration begins, and Senior Homestead Exemption registration underway. Read More»

You don’t have to be a psychic who forecasts future events for supermarket tabloids to accurately predict what awaits the new congressional Republican class of 2011. The writing is already on the computer screens and in the TV teleprompters.

A preview of coming attractions was trotted out during President Obama’s last scheduled news conference of 2010. After spending most of the year worrying about the economy and whether the Democrats could fix it, sycophantic reporters gave new meaning to the term “lapdog.” Read More»

Recent coverage of the proposals offered by President Obama’s debt commission managed to gloss over a huge issue that is adding to the nation’s deficit – Medicaid.

The impact of this federal-state partnership program on the country’s long-term fiscal future is just as real and consequential as Medicare and Social Security. Plus, Medicaid also adds to the financial burdens on states’ budgets.

The problem wasn’t just on the coverage front, but the commission report itself. The final version ignored the massive expansion of the Medicaid program included in the new healthcare law. Read More»

It sounded like a great idea at the time. Most of my ideas do. “Hair-brained scheme,” is what Mama sometimes called them.

Last year, I greeted the New Year with the proclamation that I wanted to make it a “year of me.” I groused over how life had taken control of me and that I did too many things that I didn’t want to. I declared that I would begin saying “no” to that which did not interest me instead of saying “yes” out of courtesy. I planned to be selfish not selfless, to maneuver life, not be manipulated by it. I declared that 2010 would be all about me. I was giddy with anticipation. Read More»

I have long believed in the premise of “paying it forward” long before the movie of the same name came out.

The feeling of doing something nice for someone, especially a total stranger, and their never knowing it was you, is richly rewarding.

I have a December birthday and one of the local restaurants had emailed me a coupon for a free hamburger. Now, their hamburgers are priced at $10, and, yes, it comes with fries. I picked out one that came with melted Swiss cheese and mushrooms. Read More»

Answers to your questions about life, religion and the Bible

Pastors get some of the most interesting questions from people they meet and people in their congregations. Here are a few that I have gotten during my ministry and via email for this column.

Dear Father Paul: We have just celebrated Christmas, and I have a steak dinner riding on this question. Was Jesus really born on December 25th? My friend says he was. I say he was not. — A.T.

Dear A.T.: So how do you like your steak cooked A.T.? Read More»

Seems to me the holiday season was different this year. Or might it be that my perspective has changed?

I’m growing curmudgeonly on a number of concerns these days, and I plan to sweep the deck clear of them every few weeks.

Didn’t you think we saw more than the usual Christmas arguments about whether or not Santa Claus is real? By chance or intention, the debate raged from a whisper to an avalanche.

And guess what? The most authentic Santa sighting of the season, and I wasn’t there.

So. A brief expression of appreciation nonetheless. Read More»

Things are a little slow this week, but we're gearing up for the new year - City Hall Closed on Friday, Christmas Tree Recycling is January 8, gas golf cart ban back on January 20 agenda, and status reports on the South 74 Baseball/Soccer Complex traffic signal efforts and the City Manager search. Read More»