Nonna’s Great Girl
My mother Donna, rest her soul, was a firm believer in the old English adage that children should be seen and not heard. To put it mildly, kids annoyed the
The Grace of Autumn Days
With seasons, it’s the power of air that shapes the pattern of movement on the land. In the heat of summer, there are days and weeks when the air seems
Keeping Our Schools Safe and Open
When I was asked to sub as a special education paraprofessional at Southern Boone Primary to begin the new school year, I jumped at the chance. I knew, for the
Navigating One Read 2020 During a Pandemic
Every September since 2002, the Daniel Boone Regional Library has sponsored a community-wide reading program that encourages adults of all ages to read one book over the summer and in
Patriots Wear Masks
Contrary to what my wife may have you believe, I can admit when I am wrong. Last May, before the United States tallied its 100,000th death caused by Covid-19, I
The Story Behind Grits and Polenta
There is always a story that connects us with food. And sometimes there is a book as well. In this case, it’s Delia Owens’ 2018 novel “Where the Crawdads Sing”—a
A Letter To My School Family
Next week, Southern Boone students will return to in-person classes for the first time in nearly six months. Six months?! Sure enough, March 18th was the last day that school
Adventures with Hank
On Friday, August 21, 2020, subscribers to the Columbia Daily Tribune opened their morning paper to a bold headline above the fold on the front page, “Hank Waters remembered as
Addressing the Substitute Teacher Shortage
In an effort to address an anticipated substitute teacher shortage for the 2020-2021 school year, Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) issued a press release last week that
The Magnificent Laura Perez-Mesa
How can I ever adequately describe Laura Perez-Mesa? There simply aren’t enough words. When Laura passed away the morning of August 11, 2020, those of us who knew her lost
