The author was given the challenge of writing an obituary for a family member who is still very much alive and well.

When the new Pope was announced to the world as "Pope Francis", the author was excited to remember the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi.

What is a normal family these days?

Public schools in Michigan are being asked to do more with less money. Where's the money? If you follow it, you'll find a hungry bear.

The author found a piece he'd written in 2001 while cleaning a closet. He thought it needed to be aired out again.

This is the third and final column that explores different reasons why Christmas can be something other than merry and bright, using the three spirits described in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The column will appear in the Van Buren County Advertiser in the January 2, 2012 edition, which can be found online here when published: www.vbcadvertiser.com.

This is the second of three columns that explore different reasons why Christmas can be something other than merry and bright, using the three spirits described in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The column first appeared in the Van Buren County Advertiser in the December 12, 2011 edition, which can be found online here: www.vbcadvertiser.com.

Christmas certainly can be the most wonderful time of the year, as the carol proclaims, but for many people it can also be that time of year that is most difficult, for a variety of reasons. This is the first of three columns that will explore different reasons why Christmas can be something other than merry and bright. It first appeared in the Van Buren County Advertiser in the December 5, 2011 edition, which can be found online here: www.vbcadvertiser.com.

---

 

Perhaps the secret to success in school is what happens when school isn't even in session. The learning that takes place each summer can have a strong impact on student success when school rolls around again in the fall.

On the April day taxes were due this year, a snowstorm dropped three inches of snow on SW Michigan. Forty miles away Benton Harbor experienced a different kind of storm. The author attempts to connect the three separate events.