We met on a frigid snow-filled February morning at the library. Dr. Robert Renteria was born October 13, 1960 in a barrio of Los Angeles, Calif.. It was a difficult childhood with drugs and gangs, an absent father, and abuse. He ran away from that environment and lived on the
As you might have guessed, dear reader, The Chas worries a lot, especially about what the future may bring. One thing he is worrying about has come to the fore when he read a recent news item concerning the exploration of the planet Mars. Sadly, humankind is taking its own
In 1970 there was laughter when Earth Day had been approved as both a significant day and a cause. “What does that mean? I should hug a tree” was one of the main refrains often with scornful laughter. That scene was more than 50 years ago. Both advocates and deniers
“How wrong that Time must make amends. The wound must bleed until the scar has hid from view the outward sign of loss. And then the heart will keep a lonely vigil by that wound in corner dark, for grief is there.” —Author unknown Life, it is said, is marble
I was a State agency director on three occasions back in the day, yet I don’t think I could navigate the maze of dozens of separate, and scattered, State and local social service agencies that have sprung up over the decades to address problems. It’s time for a major reset,
With Spring fully under way, with Winter releasing its grip and being replaced with delightful 70-degree temperatures, and with society’s desire to push through still damaging COVID-19, activities other than Zoom events, have increased. Find a way to include all of the increased buzz is the task. For example: •
Pieces: During World War II, Ronald Reagan served in the army’s motion picture unit as he narrated training films. The handsome, youthful. good-natured Ronald Reagan radiated the message that everything was going to be all right. At age 25 he was a Midwestern radio sportscaster. On a trip to California
Here is a good news story. We could use a few feel good stories. I am late to the game here, as you will see, but, worth the telling, and lessons to be learned. A year or more ago, I made friends with Rick Brooks of Princeton, Ill.. Only later
Random thoughts while contemplating the holidays allows the mind a wide range: • If society’s goal is to enjoy the Independence Day holiday in small family gatherings as a way to help emerge from the dreaded COVID-19, we should sacrifice a little more now by wearing masks, know distance is
Our country, our planet, is being tested in so many ways and now we need to decide: How do we fit into this picture. Will we take a stand for what we believe is right or will we just sit back and watch things happen? Martin Gould of Aventura, Fla.
By the time you read this column in The Voice, we’ll be stepping into a nice April, or a brisk October, depending on how the USPS is handling our mail deliveries. If Louis DeJoy is still running the postal system, it will most likely be the latter. We passed some
We should know the sites of our election polling places. We can expand on the unusually and timely large election turnout in the November 3, 2020 presidential election. Ordinarily community elections do not have a similar draw as the presidential elections. Cities, communities, towns, townships, and districts will hold elections
The New Year 1890 brought a harsh March Winter to New York City. The hoar frost on the tree limbs and branches made it look like a silver brush had painted over it all. The Irish had arrived to its tenements. There was little fresh air, or water. Cinders and
And to think I’ll never see it again on Mulberry Street. Is The Chas in a tizzy over the antics of the dizzy who are using their writer’s tools to turn us all into fools? You bet he is, just like nobody’s biz! He’s ready to bust a gut over
Education is important and comes under scrutiny, continually. Society’s focus is to return to full-time in-school building classes. It is easy for students who could be learning remotely to relax, not pay attention, and, even not attend, even though it would be hurtful to those students in the long run.
In the large cities in America and even in small towns, the Irish banded together for companionship and for recreation. Saloon-keepers formed social clubs which brought fellowship for the Irish. Soon they became cogs in the wheels of ward politics. The mines and factories had horrid working conditions, so unions
Likely it could be called housekeeping! Each week in The Voice is a little different, even if some readers may view the contents and elements in largely the same way. There are variations in what constitutes The Voice each week. The front page of this week’s edition proclaims, Volume 13
March 6, 2021Dear editor; Did you ever have a teacher who had an impact in your life in ways which truly matter? At K.D. Waldo Junior High in Aurora, I discovered the most stimulating seventh-grade classroom was taught by a commanding presence, the late Mr. Roy C. Everson Jr. of
The clock stood still. Its ancient hands slowly counting the minutes. The hours. The days. Timeless. All were dancing. The waltz held such a fascination similar to a new kitten, or a fiddle. Cascades of flowers were everywhere. The white roses in profusion along with the peonies, all pink. It
“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitles them,
