Grandma takes on the teens
Last Saturday night I had a couple of friends in town and we decided to go to CiCi's Pizza in Lockport. My wife and children, along with my in-laws, went as well -- eight of us in all. At a table next to us sat three boys who appeared to be between the ages of 15 and 17.

We must be vigilant in protecting our freedom
No other democratic society in the world permits personal freedoms to the degree America does. Some of the freedoms Americans had as they celebrated the Fourth of July in the 1800s are vastly different than what we as Americans celebrate today.

Sex attack on boy not 'horsing around'
I've been following the account of the two 12 year-old Gregory Middle School boys that assaulted one of their former friends in Naperville. After reading Stewart Warren's article in the June 23 issue of The Herald News, I began writing remarks online when I realized I had more to say than could be expressed simply as comments.

I'm repelled by our opposite world
Opposite world. That's where we live today. What else can it be? Every day I turn on the television, read The Herald News or just walk down the street, and I feel I've stepped into another world. Have you had the same experience?

Kekah's garden growing with love
May 28 was one of those days when it looked like it might rain at any moment. The night before I had transported landscape blocks, hostas and daylilies from my back yard to the memorial site at Route 6 and Farrell Road in Joliet. I had invited readers to participate with me in the creation of a perennial garden in memory of Haqikah H. Suggs, who at the age of 14 was shot to death, dumped and burned. Her remains were discovered on May 28, 2007.

Shorten our week of work
Uh-oh. I just heard another domino fall.

'Don't ask, don't tell' costly, national disgrace
Since we recently celebrated Flag Day, I want to honor our brave citizens in the U.S. military, especially those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I guess I should say honor those still there because they have not been expelled as a result of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Taxed enough? Time for T.E.A. Party
How do these numbers grab you? President Obama has added 78,000 new employees to the U.S. government payroll since taking office. Obama's increase in the number of government employees will add hundreds of millions of dollars to our debt.

Coaches key to return of baseball
You should have been there.

Graduation Late Night an LTHS hit
Consider this if you will. More than 275 17- and 18-year-olds assemble in one location from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on a Saturday night and Sunday morning. Pretty scary, huh?

Dad has been my true hero
I vividly remember how happy I was to be around my dad.

Metra's old ways better, cheaper
Recently I read an article about how Metra, the commuter rail agency serving the Chicago area, "...seems stuck in (a) bygone era, barely chugging into the modern world."

Pharmacist's prescription right for me
Donald Reiter, my former boss, seemingly knew everyone in town. A Joliet native and longtime pharmacist who co-founded Joliet Prescriptions Shops, Don worked up until the last two weeks of his life and had a personality to match his boundless energy. Tough, funny, demanding yet fair, he was a good man to work for.

Take precautions to keep kids safe
Summer is here and many outdoor adventures are waiting. But we can't lose sight of keeping kids safe. Too many times, I see young children running off without a parent at the zoo or museum or outside playing unsupervised. We know the cliches, "It will never happen to me" or "We live in a safe neighborhood." The fact is, no matter where you live, parents need to take a proactive approach to keep their children safe.

Letters to the Editor
Gays also made by God

Ditching school not an option
I'm exhausted and summer has not even started.

A special place for heroes
Last week I visited a special place in Will County. It was a cloudy day. The trees welcomed me at the entrance, full of leaves and evenly spaced on both sides of the road. The grass was dark green and well groomed. It was very quiet there; it always is. The only sounds I could hear were the flags flapping in the wind and the leaves rustling on the trees.

For seniors, a time of transition
'School's out for summer!" sang the infamous rocker Alice Cooper. And for many graduates, including eighth-graders, seniors in high school, and even seniors in college, a big transition is ahead, introducing them to a new part of their lives.

Tax reforms needed to let everyone share the burden
In the current discussion of how the city of Joliet is going to close a $67 million deficit by 2012, I am disappointed to learn that raising local income taxes is not an option.