By Henry Piarrot “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” -  John Lennon I began writing stories about ordinary people that I believe are doing extraordinary things many years ago when I became weary of watching the bad guys and losers get almost all of the ink in every newspaper I picked up during my life.  More than 700 columns later, I still have little trouble   Read More ...

While preparing to write my column this week, I was reminded by the calendar on my wall that today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   I have written many stories about Dr. King over the years so I will not do that today.  However, I do want to take this opportunity to address the subject of racism and how powerful it can be in other parts of the world.    Read More ...

During this election year, I am hearing some grumblings about the way delegates are awarded in our primaries and our Presidential Election to be held in November.  One of the great “checks and balances” of the construction of our Country is our Electoral College and once again, another fight will be brewing over changing the “winner take all” system that has protected the smaller states from being ruled by the   Read More ...

By Henry Piarrot   “I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.” – Winston Churchill   Over the years of writing the stories of hundreds of people, the topic of how the world has changed many times during their lives comes up often.  Consequently, with the recent passing of my 52nd birthday, I found myself realizing   Read More ...

By Henry Piarrot   “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” – Harry S. Truman   The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the “Super Committee,” held its first meeting on September 8, which was focused primarily on setting the   Read More ...

By Henry Piarrot   “If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call to make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?” – Stephen Levine, poet and author   On October 28, 1963, in New Orleans, Louisiana, 22-year-old Barbara Boteler embraced her second and youngest son, Toby, for the first time. As she raised him from her breast, he   Read More ...

One of our home town friends, Deborah Kret Shaw and her loving family, has recently suffered a devastating loss, her son Ryan passed away this past July at the tender age of 22. I knew Ryan through my sons and their band, all of them shared a love of music and it brought them together. We were deeply saddened by the loss of Ryan, and brought to light his story and   Read More ...

By Henry Piarrot With all of the news coverage about the alleged child molestation at Penn State University, I have been hearing much bravado from many who boast about what they would have done had they been the one to witness former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky molesting a 10-year-old boy in the shower. Like many of you, I would like to think I would have done more at that   Read More ...

By Henry Piarrot   We men have an unwritten rule we abide by when relieving ourselves in public restrooms. It is simply called “eyes forward.” The purpose of this unspoken legislation is to insure that the guy next door knows nobody cares about what he has. I think the “Occupy Wall Street Protesters” could learn much from this common and respectful understanding.   When I was young, the media and   Read More ...

United Way is calling for 400 volunteers in what is to be their most ambitious effort to date. The volunteers are needed on Saturday, November 19th and the United Way is asking for businesses to provide volunteers for this community effort. All volunteers are encouraged to donate their time in two hours shifts at their nearest Food City Locations. All volunteers are encouraged to wear their names tags, or business   Read More ...