Dick Johnson was asked to give the Memorial Day address at the Gobles (Mich) ceremony at the Veteran's Memorial at the city park in Downtown Gobles. His address remembers friends he served with, and the life-long repercussions of serving our country at a time of war. Dick and his son-in-law, Corey Harbaugh, worked together to put Dick's memories and message together to serve as the Memorial Day address.

The new indoor waterpark a few miles down the road got the author thinking about living life in "almost" paradise.

This summer in New York a Holocaust survivor asked those of us assembled to hear her brave story to pledge to stand up when we became aware of injustice. Another survivor asked us to be vigilant, watching "the signposts on the road to Auschwitz." I found myself thinking about both Gisa and Irving when I read of the new law in Arizona that addresses immigration concerns with alarming injustice. This is the beginning of my response to those survivors, those witnesses to history.

My mom wondered when I was going to get around to writing about her. Well, it's time. As Abraham Lincoln said "All I am...I owe to my angel mother." True for me too, Abe, and for so many of us. Remember that. Call home: your mother misses you.

Music and musical styles change, but every generation finds its own stars. Ultimately, good music is a bridge between people of any age.

Sure, teenagers these days aren't like they used to be. But the surprise is, that isn't bad news at all. Teens are some of our most important citizens.

Volunteers are key to the operation of so many parts of our lives that we take for granted, especially around a small town and a small town school district; volunteers are often the busiest people around, yet they still find time to get things done.

Research shows that students will be more motivated and perform better if they are writing to an authentic audience. Knowing that others will read and critique their work is a great incentive to improve student writing.

United Streaming is a very robust resource providing a wide range of instructional resources. There are tens of thousands of grade level appropriate videos aligned to Michigan benchmarks. These resources are easily searched and organized for use in your classroom. You can give your students access to the site for a wide range of activities.

Even for veteran teachers, and even with a subject as engaging as the Holocaust, best practice is always the right way to teach.