Passing the gavel is not good enough. At the Oct. 14 meeting of the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District, Chairman Leo Jacobs tried a dismal effort to pass the gavel to other members of the commission. ...more

October 29, 2009

The article on the front page of Highlands Today on June 10, was a well deserved tribute to Fred Leavitt and the organization he has grown from the ground up here in Highlands County, The Primal Connection. ...more

June 12, 2009

Honor. What a powerful word! It is hard to define it in a way that will please everyone. Many define it as respect, admiration, reputation or reverence. What I am focusing on goes far beyond mere words. ...more

June 22, 2008

This month, a Pasco gymnastics and cheerleading studio will offer comprehensive summer camps for both the casual and the competitive athlete. ...more

June 16, 2008

Tony D'Andrea of Dunedin says Hillary Clinton has betrayed her daughter and all women. ...more

January 29, 2008

Betty Knowles is tired of lost possibilities and faded promise. As a social worker, Knowles often hears about children who start out bright but lose their way. Her son Tedric, or "Teddy," was like that, she said, gifted in math and foreign languages before ending up in a state prison. He died a few months after his release, in a drive-by shooting in Port Tampa that remains unsolved. ...more

December 13, 2007

A few days ago, I re-watched one of my all-time favorite movies, "Pretty Woman." Though I've seen it umpteen times it still makes me laugh and cry and feel good all over. For me, it is the ultimate chick-flick. But "Pretty Woman" isn't just another love story. Yes, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are magic together, and the story is laugh-out-loud funny, but there's much more to it than that. This movie has stayed popular for more than a decade because it's a story of how love transforms the people who share it. Vivian, a streetwalker with no future, meets Edward, a lonely, heartless business tycoon. To keep from getting hurt, both of them have closed their hearts to the people around them. When they fall in love, they learn that love is worth it, even if you get hurt. Vivian finds that in being loved, and returning that love, she feels validated as a person. She's suddenly aware that she is worthy of respect, including self-respect. ...more

December 9, 2007

About six months ago, I was having lunch with a political consultant and we were having a smart-alecky conversation about the presidential race. All of sudden, my friend interrupted the flow of gossip and said: "You know, there's really only one great man running for president this year, and that's McCain." ...more

November 15, 2007

Regarding 'Significant Squeeze On Achievement Gap' (Our Opinion, Oct. 22): It is about time that we've had some good news about closing the 'achievement gap' in Hillsborough County schools. Congratulations to Miles and Temple Terrace elementary schools. ...more

October 23, 2007

Three days after Thanksgiving 1966, baby-faced rookie Officer Walter T. Barclay raced to a beauty salon that was being burglarized at 4 a.m. ...more

September 5, 2007