Columns

It’s graduation time, from kindergartens, eighth grades, high schools, trade schools to colleges/universities. Words of wisdom are coming from the mouths of successful people at graduation programs. Are the graduates listening?

It’s been almost two months (March 20 Battleline) since I posed the question, “Is turf for everyone?”

It’s hard to believe, but high school sports are quickly coming to an end.

Dodging raindrops and puddles, the East Central College softball Falcons have made this a season to remember.

Denodus O’Bryant is about to receive an opportunity most athletes only dream about.

We cross paths with many unforgettable characters in our lives. Marty Blake was one of them for this writer, back in the days when we were writing and promoting sports. Marty died the other day in his adopted state of Georgia.

It was all smiles and banter at the Highway 100 Happy Hour last Friday morning at the official groundbreaking ceremony for the extension of four lanes of Highway 100 in the Washington city limits. There were no liquid refreshments at this Happy Hour, but none was needed as participants basked in the “good feeling” event.

This country has had so many gallant warriors, genuine heroes of our wars, with stories of them filling many bookshelves. There’s a relatively new one, “The Liberator,” by Alex Kershaw, that we have read that ranks as one of the best on a World War II officer and his unit, the 157th Infantry Regitment of the 45th Thunderbird Division.

I imagine an outsider looking in would be perplexed by how many celebrate Easter Day.

We wish to give a warm welcome to the 15 students and two teachers from Marbach am Neckar, Germany, Washington’s partner city, or more commonly known as Sister City. There has been a great relationship between the two cities for more than 20 years.

It’s getting to be common, big steps by the government to enter our lives. Some of the steps, it has been argued, are necessary because it is necessary for government to protect us from ourselves. There are countless laws along those lines, from seat belts, to no-smoking bans, to sugary drinks, and perhaps even installing stop signs and speed limits.

High school basketball in our area is over.

The Missourian receives letters to the editor from people who live in distant states. We usually give preference to letter writers who live in our circulation area. Probably the writers of these letters send their opinions to many newspapers, large and small.

March always is an intriguing time for basketball, but that will especially be true this season.

There’s an emerging mindset that you don’t need a college education to be successful in life. One can find financial success without a college education. That’s being proven every day even as industries more and more are high-tech driven.

Planning a wedding is easy.

The spinoffs from the Connecticut school shootings tragedy are multiplying. Example: County Clerk Debbie Door, chief election authority for Franklin County, is thinking about not using schools any more as polling places because mad gunmen have targeted schools for shooting and killing rampages.

Pitchers and catchers for the St. Louis Cardinals reported to spring training in Jupiter, Fla., on Monday. The first workout took place Tuesday.

We were aware that few new highways are being built today, but we didn’t know how little of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds have gone for new construction. Thanks to reader Bob Engemann, who is a member of the Washington Area Highway and Transportation Committee, we learned that only 5.2 percent of federal highway funds went for new construction during the fiscal year 2009-2011.

If this county, or area, or city, had a Sports Hall of Fame, Paul Moosmann certainly would be in it. He was a sports personality par excellence of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in this area, and even after that. He created many local sports memories and it was sad to learn of his passing this past Monday, with funeral services set for Saturday at St. Gertrude in Krakow.

Jami and I are trying to eat healthier, exercise more and drop a few pounds as our wedding date gets closer.

Revered and respected.

Part of a federal lawsuit against Franklin County for a past prayer policy has been dropped by the “secret” plaintiff, who the ACLU in its legal action identified only as “Jane Doe.” Relief no longer is being sought for future alleged violations because the county commission has changed its policy.

Extremism rules the day and it’s not only in politics. You can’t speak the truth anymore. It’s pure silliness, this political correctness phobia that almost makes it a crime to comment on the obvious, especially when it concerns a  woman or, for that matter, a man.