Randy Blaser –

We are all cooped up at home, which means it's a perfect time to revisit the lost art of writing letters.

Column: Coronavirus means many of us are stuck at home. It’s the perfect time to start writing letters.

March 27, 2020 at 10:53 a.m.

Getting a little bored while staying in place at home? You can only walk the dog so many times in one day. The dog likes his sleep. Have you watched...

A FedEx employee sorts packages at a FedEx facility in Chicago in this 2015 file photo.

Column: Coronavirus closures are pushing even more of us to shop online. It’s a habit likely to stick.

March 20, 2020 at 12:57 p.m.

Are people going to just stop buying stuff? In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, it has been made clear by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that grocery stores and pharmacies will...

Shoppers wait in line at Costco in Lincoln Park as they stock up on supplies over concerns about the coronavirus on March 13, 2020.

Column: As coronavirus spreads, so too does panic and fear

March 13, 2020 at 12:59 p.m.

I was at the grocery store when I saw it. I turned the corner from the dairy section after picking up a gallon of milk. The dairy case was abundantly...

Columnist Randy Blaser says fingerprint-based background checks should be required of every school worker, no matter their specific job category.

Column: Thorough background checks should be standard policy for school districts

March 5, 2020 at 3:03 p.m.

When I wanted to coach my sons' youth baseball team, I had to submit to a criminal background check. And when I wanted to go on a camp out when...

An all-girls Scout troop in Deerfield works on building a sled for a Klondike Derby Jan., 20, 2020.

Column: Scouting teaches kids lessons in leadership. It’s a good thing girls can now take part.

February 28, 2020 at 11:05 a.m.

Driving home from a Boy Scout meeting, my son turned to me and said, "I think I made a big mistake." I knew what he meant. He had just been...

Column: Plastic or paper? Just don’t stick me with the tax.

February 21, 2020 at 5:40 p.m.

I never warmed to the idea of using plastic grocery bags. I know it has been more than 40 years since grocery stores made the transition from the old paper...

New Washington, Ohio, Chief of Police Scott Robertson talks with fourth grade students as they huddle in closet a during a lockdown drill at the St. Bernard School in New Washington, Ohio, on Jan. 14, 2013.

Column: Active shooter drills are traumatizing our kids. That’s something to be scared about.

February 14, 2020 at 10:39 a.m.

Here's a memory from my school days that I just can't seem to forget. From first grade on we were taught so-called air raid drills. We were told to duck...

Caucus participants stand behind track and field hurdles representing candidates' names during a satellite caucus at the Drake University field house Feb. 3, 2020, in Des Moines.

Column: The messy Iowa caucus results remind us that in presidential elections, it’s the unexpected moments that matter

February 6, 2020 at 3:10 p.m.

We all know that elections make history. But it is often the strange twists or unexpected turns during the marathon process that is the American election of a president that...

The Homecoming Court is introduced at Oak Park and River Forest High School during a pep rally on Oct. 11, 2019.

Column: Oak Park and River Forest High School students want to have conversations about racial equity. Let’s learn from them.

January 31, 2020 at 11:05 a.m.

One of the great things about the Oak Park community is the hard work residents are willing to do on race relations. It isn't easy. It can get messy. But...

An Oscar statue appears outside the Dolby Theatre in this file photo.

Column: Looking for a great film? The Oscars aren’t always the place to turn.

January 24, 2020 at 12:30 p.m.

Who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1978? Don't know? Of course you don't. Why would you? It's not important. And if it isn't important today, was it...

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