Tom Strong

Having worked in a public school system for many years, I often thought that secretaries operated the schools from day to day. By extension, I sometimes wondered if a school...

While attending a rehearsal for the spring musical at Bardwell Elementary School in Aurora, the excellence in the singing, choreography and enthusiasm of the ensemble was easy to hear and...

It seems that Chuck Linneman has been one of the busiest teachers in West Aurora School District 129 since his arrival at Washington Middle School in 1992. But if you...

Business Law was my favorite class when I was an undergraduate at Northern Illinois University in the late 1960s. Mr. Del Fra, the teacher, was so captivating that I actually...

If you were ever to visit Beaupre Elementary School in East Aurora School District 131, it probably wouldn't take you long to meet Brian Griffin. He is a staff person...

“Years ago, most football players played both ways and it was a tough game,” said Ed Colton. Colton doesn't mind being called an old-timer. He had just finished speaking at...

A diamond anniversary was celebrated recently by the Aurora Area Retired Teachers Association. Readying for their retirement, 13 teachers from East and West Aurora school districts met in 1958 to...

Denny Short passed away far too soon in August at the age of 69. A native of Midland, Michigan, and a graduate of Michigan State, he arrived in 1975 to...

When the Rev. David Palmatier passed away in 2010, I wrote a column about his lifetime of service in the Fox Valley and also in Guatemala. As a monk of...