They picked the wrong time and place for a burglary. Two teenagers broke into the football coach's office at Gaither High School and stole a number of items - all while unaware that deputies were watching their every move, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. ...more

July 31, 2009

I am replying to Mr. Diotte's letter published in the Highlands Today. Mr. Diotte opines over "what was done wrong, what candidates would do to correct incumbents' errors and all kinds of promises of good things to come." I agree with Dick, that's what we should be doing. ...more

February 5, 2009

At first blush, FedEx's decision to skip the Feb. 1 Super Bowl XLIII broadcast on NBC seems to make as much sense as one of the Super Bowl teams volunteering to abandon the forward pass. ...more

December 23, 2008

As genealogy researchers, we want our reports to be factual, but not stiff and boring. A family narrative should show some feeling for the experiences of an ancestor. ...more

August 24, 2008

Hillsborough County parents were still having problems late Friday afternoon reaching the school district to find out where their children's bus will pick them up on Monday. ...more

August 16, 2008

Regarding "Fewer Students Read Between The Lines" (front page, July 1): I read with interest your article on our low literacy skills in this state. I wonder how today's students would fare were they dumped back in time and place to where I was schooled. ...more

July 6, 2008

In his preface to "A Dream Play," a surreal drama about a goddess who descends to Earth to observe the human condition, August Strindberg wrote, "Everything can happen, everything is possible and probable. Time and place do not exist." ...more

June 8, 2008

University of Minnesota's Extension Service developed the course "Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate?" It's a guide for meaningfully passing on personal belongings. Becky Rousch teaches it locally to members of Lifetime Learners Institute at SFCC. All sorts of information on the subject can also be obtained at http://www.yellowpieplate.umn.edu. The Web site and the course improve the decision-making process of who gets what. Practical advice is given on how to begin communication with family members to help ascertain what "things" they may be interested in acquiring when an elder passes. Knowing which items are of interest to individual family members and why they mean something to them can help when distributing personal property, thus, making the transfer of ownership more meaningful for all concerned. ...more

February 15, 2008

"The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History Through DNA," by Edward Ball (Simon & Schuster, $25) ...more

December 30, 2007

The new scheduling format apparently is working well at Lake Placid High School and that seems good for the students. The alternating block schedule includes four 90-minute periods each day, with A and B days – students take four classes one day and then three different classes the next day with a 90-minute study hall. The classes run the entire school year. Previously the school operated with a blended schedule with seven 45-minute periods each day. Some classes were taught in back-to-back periods. Some classes were taught the entire year while others were covered in one semester. ...more

October 22, 2007