Community, schools need to cooperate

January 17, 2014

A few months ago, Amazon announced that it has plans in the works to increase its delivery speed by employing unmanned drones that can have your order at your door in 30 minutes - or less. Amazon has pulled back the curtain to the future and allowed us a brief glimpse of what is to come.We live in remarkable times: the future is here. Technologies dreamed up in television shows like ''Star Trek'' are everywhere. We carry computers in our pockets and have access to digital credit cards.I find myself reflecting on the technology so many of us use so casually, and wondering where the next ...

The cold has slowed us all

January 14, 2014

"Now is the winter of our discontent," Shakespeare's king proclaimed at a play's beginning. For us, I suggest that we should paraphrase the bard and say, "We are discontent with winter."Oh, I know I am one of the fortunate ones. My power has not gone off - thank you, Ohio Edison. And, my pre-millennium furnace is throbbing but working hard - thank you, Ainsley Heating.In fact, I am sitting midway between my thermostat, with an orange glowing "emergency heat" light illuminated, and the heat pump, which is just outside the window, struggling with the basement furnace to keep our house at ...

Kindness still exists in Warren, Ohio

January 10, 2014

One night recently, while spending the evening with a friend at the Elm Road Panera, we blasted through some dinner, then some dessert and along the way, at least three cups of hazelnut coffee - my favorite. As usual, we closed the place down, heading to our cars about 9:20 p.m. - they close at 9. Who knew that the real adventure was about to begin!As we came out the door, we heard the Panera man (he's the guy who drives the double tractor trailer filled with Panera goodies for all the other Panera stores) call out across the parking lot, ''Is this car one of yours?''Pointing toward my ...

Public education accountability

January 7, 2014

Combine accountability in public education with entitlements.Ask any high school teacher you know ''What is the most important factor influencing your students' success?'' and nine out of 10 will respond, ''good parents'' or ''a good home.''Education researchers are in agreement when ranking the top three factors determining success or failure of schoolchildren (success here is the ultimate achievement of a desired college degree):1. Parental support throughout the education process.2. High attendance rate.3. High percentage of assignments completed (homework).Interestingly enough, ...

Nuke gangbangers have edge

December 31, 2013

This community column is scheduled for Dec. 31, so is it mandatory that I include ''resolutions.''I have a few intentions I hope to explore further in the New Year, but I do not think of them as resolutions. In fact, I have already embarked on all of them; thus, hanging a new calendar does not include a compulsion to initiate any self-reforms.Sometimes, I wonder if resolutions came about due to the guilt that people suffer following their own behavior on New Year's Eve. ''I'll never do that again,'' is a refrain I have heard often enough to think it must be part of the chorus of ''Auld ...

Starting 2014 with a prayer

December 27, 2013

Starting 2014 with a prayer...In various parts of the state, country and world, there are traditions that are meant to greet the new year by bringing "good luck" to those who partake or participate in certain rituals.For example, here in Northeast Ohio, eating pork and sauerkraut - cooked of course - on the first day of the year is supposed to bring you luck. I've done this more times than I care to mention; it has not changed my circumstance other than to change an empty tummy to a full one.Over the course of my life, I've learned not to put much stock in things that supposedly have ...