by Joe Rector | Dec 15, 2014 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector It’s that time of year again when folks are spread too thin. So many events pull at them—school programs, shopping, get-togethers, and parties. For many, Christmas pageants or performances by children are staples for a complete holiday season. I remember...
by design | Dec 15, 2014 | Columnist, Moore
By Rosie Moore “One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. and sixty-six cents of it was in pennies.” So begins O’Henry’s short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” about a young couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each...
by Ralphine Major | Dec 15, 2014 | Columnist, Major
By Ralphine Major It was a perfect day for a parade! The December air was brisk, but the sun made an appearance—quite a contrast to last year’s downpour. Watching the flurry of activity before the parade was almost as much fun as the parade itself: children...
by design | Dec 15, 2014 | Absher, Columnist
By Sally Absher By Sally Absher sallyabsher@knoxfocus.com It is said that as California goes, so goes the nation. What is it with the migration of bad policies from west to east? In Tennessee, one might say as Memphis goes, so goes the state. Regarding education, that...
by design | Dec 15, 2014 | Absher, Columnist
By Sally Absher Two weeks ago, The Focus wrote about KCS superintendent Jim McIntyre ending the very successful Reading Recovery® program in Knox County in 2011. We highlighted Mayor Burchett’s literacy grant funds, used primarily to hire coaches, many of whom have no...
by design | Dec 8, 2014 | Columnist, Ferguson
By Dr. Jim Ferguson As a grandfather and a writer I know words are important. My grandson’s use of words is increasing rapidly, and he now expresses his desires in sentences instead of a baby’s cry. And when I write for the Focus my readers and I share a common...
