Columns

U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock shouldn’t have it both ways. Peoria’s two-term Republican Congressman has been mentioned as a possible GOP candidate for governor in 2014, and the 31 year old has been quoted as saying his party should move toward the middle of the road – especially following last month’s election losses. Although Schock easily was...
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The oak didn’t look as large as I’d remembered. I came upon it while visiting some of my old haunts. This was one of the trees my brother and sister and I used to frequently climb when we were kids. Located in the midst of a huge woods, it’s about 40 yards from a...
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Whatever it is, it’s not about the public’s right to know city business. The chief of Peoria’s Police Department got quoted in the Journal Star saying that he is going to use city resources to track down the identity of the police officer who tipped off the media about a minor scandal involving Peoria police...
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POST ELECTION NOTES Congratulations to the winners and losers in last month’s elections. The losers deserve special praise because it’s not easy to spend money, work hard, and wind up losing. No one enjoys losing. I congratulate you for trying. People who have the initiative to run for public office in today’s bitter and vindictive...
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I was recently presenting at a workshop and a lady asked how to get off the Facebook list. I wasn’t sure what she meant, so she told me she had received an email from Facebook that said her husband added pictures. She was asked to login through a link in an email. I knew...
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Another Thanksgiving just passed and as we get older those holidays do seem to come closer together. It will soon be Christmas, and although I have been able to really let go of most of the hype that surrounds each holiday, it still creates a certain amount of stress on everyone just because of...
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Holiday traditions have always been very important in my family. We’re not hesitant to make adjustments if an activity loses its significance, but we’re not slackers when it comes to celebrations. I grew up in a very small family, but what we lacked in numbers, my parents made up for in generosity, laughter and...
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Little is known about the Wise Men who traveled from the east to find the Christ Child. Their appearance, barely a few sentences on the pages of Scripture, dissolves so quickly, it begs the question why they have commanded such prominence in the telling of the Christmas story. Like a side plot, these Orientals weave...
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COMING SOON! R & R!! Believe it or not, “Breakfast with Royce and Roger” is returning to WOAM. After extensive discussions with owner Larry Nelson, an agreement has been reached for the two friends, make that three friends, to once again brighten the radio dial with their humor, stories, good music, interviews and conversations with...
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Climate change is not just an abstract, an inconvenience, or a disaster limited to coastal populations or Arctic ice. Peoria is already affected and climate change could hurt us all worse. The saying “think global, act local” is recalled, but there are no simple or easy answers. “There is no sound-bite, short way to explain the...
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