Mrs. Hayes needed help. She was assigned to teach classes at her high school in the culinary arts department. Given the fact our city’s top economic generator is tourism, she thought a tourism and hospitality course for her students was in order. As a career teacher she knew she needed to outsource this job to another.

​Our beloved St. Nicholas lives in the hearts of children of all ages. We envision the red suit with white furry trim, the black belt with matching boots and the thick, white beard. I would argue not all Santa’s look like the jolly ‘ol man that first comes to mind.

The printed word in today’s digital culture is a treasure just as generational friends. Real books you can touch and hold while enjoying the message are timeless. Recently, a high school classmate reached out to me through social media. When I didn’t respond, she went ‘old school’ and started calling friends of friends, other schoolmates and even parents of friends to contact me. My cell phone buzzed with an unknown caller number displayed. Answering with reluctance, I was so delighted to hear my friend Robin’s voice. She laughingly admonished me for not reacting to her attempts to reach me through social media all while delighted to hear my voice. She was calling to make me an offer I couldn’t reuse. I was intrigued as she started talking about her current journey.