Traffic fatalities offer reason to pause - just not on the highway

Over the last few months I have traveled a great deal in the Chicago metropolitan area for work. Driving on the highways, I am struck by the sheer volume of traffic and, even more interestingly, the various warnings that are posted on the highways.

Fatherhood is about homework, yard work and milk shakes

If you are like me, Father’s Day would be best started after I have had the chance to read the newspaper, have a nice leisurely breakfast and enjoy some quiet time.

Graduates head out into the world, just like we did in 1983

"My hands were steady; My eyes were clear and bright; My walk had purpose; My steps were quick and light; And I held firmly; To what I felt was right; Like a rock."

They served with courage and deserve our heartfelt thanks

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow; Between the crosses, row on row; That mark our place; and in the sky; The larks, still bravely singing, fly; Scarce heard amid the guns below."

Honor Flights send veterans on the trip of a lifetime

There was a palpable buzz in the air as the crowd waving flags on the sidelines anticipated the coming procession. Upwards of 85 veterans of World War II, men and women from the Pacific and European theaters, escorted by honor guards, would be coming down the main concourse any minute. .

Today's the day for celebrating Moms of all ages

Moms everywhere are waking up to open this newspaper and take their minds off of the day ahead . Many will have their own Mother’s Day to celebrate, but also a celebration of their own mother’s work.

Demolition recalls roadside motels and batting cage home runs

Barb, my wife, left a section of the newspaper open on the dining room table the other day. The top headline didn’t interest me, and she had to literally open the paper up along the fold. There, staring me in the face, was another sign of my age, a link to the past.

Field trips take students outside the classroom to learn

We have a ritual each night of going over homework and any long-range assignments that my sons may have forgotten or “misplaced.” Math and English is followed closely by science and history lessons. We go Some nights, these study sessions stretch into a few hours.

Register to be an organ donor and give the gift of life

Do you find that you have become a little jaded when you come across testimonials on websites or in magazines about the value of such and such product or the opportunity to take part in some good cause? There is the smiling face and a quote that is meant to encapsulate the mission in the wor…

Head outdoors to make a difference in your yard and community

“I feel there's gonna be a change, but we're the ones gonna do it, not the government. With us there's a saying, ‘La esperenza muera ultima. Hope dies last.’ You can't lose hope. If you lose hope, you lose everything.”

Exhibit tells of ordinary Hoosiers who made extraordinary sacrifices

Commemorations and historical exhibits are often full of ironies and coincidences, both real and imagined. "The Civil War" exhibit opened Friday by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority is just such a case.

Streets and towns abound with names of our optimistic ancestors

I may have mentioned before that long ago I taught history in the Lake Central and Griffith school systems. I only think about it every other day now, rather than once a day when summer rolls around.

Telling the whole story must include pioneering women

Thirty years have passed since I sat in a high school classroom, at least as a student. Since then, of course, I continue adding to my vast store of knowledge.

Spring is a time of rebirth for flowers, baseball teams and runners

The signs are all there.

History comes to life for students pursuing their own interests

Parents, myself included, will often complain about the distractions that fill their children’s lives, including Xbox, Wii, texting, the internet and television. All are a sort of electronic escape.

Students keep history alive with competition projects

I have written extensively about the work of Tom Clark’s students at Lake Central High School and the Gold Star Memorial project. They were in the national spotlight with a segment on the CBS Evening News recently, and the feedback has been positive.

Preserving history is important ro all of us

As we close the celebration of Black History Month and head into Women’s History Month, it is notable that historic preservation is back in the news.

Students writing history will make history on national TV

Twenty-three years ago, during my teacher training days, I was assigned to Lake Central High School to sit in on a class taught by an experienced teacher, Tom Clark. I was to observe the way that he interacted with his students and his methodologies.

Saturday mail delvery goes the way of the caboose

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Leap into the Arts, no matter what your taste in music

When I was in college, I had an ongoing argument with a friend about music. We weren’t debating Springsteen vs. Led Zeppelin, but rather the meaning of music, but by the way, I was for the Springsteen while he was for Zeppelin.