The Dean's List

I originally wrote this in 2001 for the Democrat & Chronicle while serving on the Board of Contributors. My daughter was getting ready to start her senior year in high school We all remember that TV commercial a few years ago that showed  the  man riding on a shopping cart down  the  aisles of a office supply store.  He was celebrating  the  fact that his kids were going back to school.  All parents know that  the  closer September gets every year,  the  happier we become.  Summers can be a very stressful time for parents.  Trying to find activities to keep kids busy and safe can be almost impossible at times.  Fact is, school is out, but work goes on.  Every year, I have taken  the  first week of school off as vacation from my job just so I could exhale. Now, do you also remember  the  TV commercial for  the  same office supply company where  the  parents are measuring their child’s room so they can install a hot tub?  I always smiled when I saw that commercial because

The  barracuda  is a  ray-finned fish  known for its large size, fearsome appearance and ferocious behavior. Rochester's Barracuda It was 2007 and I was living in Phoenix, Arizona. A serious horseback riding accident and several other situations led me to make a hard decision.... come back home.  It felt good being home. I spent the first couple of weeks catching up with old friends.  One of the people I visited was a woman who was a constant in my life while I was growing up. Mrs. Slater lived across the street from my childhood home on Bernard St.  I learned she had some severe health issues and was wheelchair bound. She told me her son Jimmy had returned to Rochester from North Carolina to take care of her.  She made me call him at work. We talked for a bit and made plans to get together soon.  Unfortunately, that never happened.... Jimmy was working as a community organizer for Action for a Better Community. He attended a stop the violence meeting, but became a victi

The year was 1978. I was 16 years old and just started working as an intern at WDKX radio in Rochester, NY. One of the perks of working at a radio station was getting free concert tickets. Mr. Langston gave everyone on the staff tickets to see the Commodores (for you youngins, Lionel Richie was the lead singer). This group was one of the hottest acts out there! Every song they released went #1 on the R&B charts! And the fact that I had a crush on Lionel Richie was the cherry on the sundae. I couldn't wait to see this show!! Other than Lionel sitting at a white baby grand piano rising in the air with fog coming out of it while singing "Three Times A Lady", I really don't remember the groups performance that night. Why? Heatwave! We were standing on the floor of the War Memorial (now called the Blue Cross Arena) awaiting the start of the show.  I was excited to see the opening act, Heatwave.   Their singles "Boogie Nights" and the newest popular weddin