On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth the eleventh American federal holiday. This is the first holiday to obtain legal observance as a federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was designated in 1983.

"I play guitar. Haphazardly – the best I can. I taught myself just playing on my parents’ porch in Princeton," Todd Volker writes in a Write Team column.

In the early days of Facebook, we were tagged, poked, prodded and issued friend requests. We had no idea why we’re getting poked, tagged and prodded but we knew we liked it, we just weren’t sure why.

"To be honest, I never really did too much for the holiday. I knew I had a good mother and did try to do things to help her," Rodney Verdine of the Write Team writes in his most recent column.

It’s hard to believe that Sunday will be the seventh Mother’s Day since my mom moved back in with my dad in heaven.

Life without Mother was never easy, and I missed her my whole life.

There is something truly liberating about getting in your car and heading out on the open road.

Here is one your mother probably did not tell you. Keep your car clean and organized in case it does not start in cold weather and you need someone to come and change your battery.

Spring has arrived and the familiar urge to revive my garden stirs within me once more.

I felt a sting on my arm, looked down, and there was a little beetle, with a snide look on his face, looking back at me.

I hope you’re getting out and soaking in all the blessings of spring, as we are.

Let me answer some modern-day questions about Easter.

The buds on the trees, the layers of greens, the sprouting of spring flowers – the sense of renewal in nature is a powerful metaphor for the rejuvenation in our lives.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate all the individuals who put their names on the ballot - those who took the leap of faith to run for office, regardless of the outcome.

Last Tuesday we lost Val Kilmer, a vastly underrated actor, who chiseled into our memories some great characters. Kilmer was only 65.

I was cleaning celery the other day and thought about my mom.

This system seemed frustratingly flawed to me. It’s a system that appears to prioritize medication over prevention, a system that could be improved.

I think there may be one trait that we all have, that will prove that the aspect of who we are is in the genes. What I’m referring to for lack of a better word, is the Theory of the Ew.

This is a not a memoir – it’s not about the past – it’s praise for the now!

I am sure there is an extremely good chance that your mother told you not to lie, if nothing else, to her.

While there are many positives to using cellular devices, I am concerned about their adverse effects on our youth and adults.

In April, we have a very important decision to make about changing the current form of government that structures our city.

Yes or no, it comes down to money and leadership on Oglesby’s referendum to change forms of government.

Nestled in the Illinois Valley, a rich cultural tradition brought by Sicilian immigrants is quietly fading – but it deserves to be remembered, honored and revived.

Released in 1993, Mrs. Doubtfire, while quirky at times, was a look into the ever-changing nature and definition of families.

Well, I’m not done with all the projects I envisioned for over the winter, but I’m glad spring isn’t waiting ‘til I’m caught up.

Football season is over, but it seems I find myself writing about the Chicago Bears more and more.

The final season of the Netflix series “Cobra Kai” aired and ended with a power punch.

What sets our generation apart is our need to survive and adapt in ways uniquely shaped by the world we inherited.

I’m not sure if it is a byproduct of getting older but I find that I am using items as long as I can without throwing them away or getting a new one.

Heroes come in many forms.

Even as a Packers fan, I also have had respect for Chicago Bears long-time owner Virginia McCaskey.

We all set standards for ourselves – expectations that shape our choices, define our success and push us toward the future we envision.

Isn’t it interesting what divergent memories children from the same family can have, especially of their elderly relatives?

While watching bowl games and NFL playoff games, I encountered some young men, who, after the game, thanked God or Jesus Christ for watching over them.

The unity and outpouring of love to help in times of need are powerful reminders of our shared humanity.

For a kid who grew up just blocks from “White Sox park” in Chicago, baseball terms have a way of sneaking into my thoughts, especially when I reflect on life.

I understand the concept of “haters gonna hate” but I don’t always understand the reason. Most times it just comes off as sour grapes.

Once while waiting for a train in the quaint Princeton depot, I noticed a large, middle-aged man knitting a maroon sock of fine wool, needles gently clicking. 

While a new hospital is going to be built; why not build one that can service as many needs as possible of the local area?

Who am I? It is a pivotal question I am searching to answer even in my later years.

In a recent conversation, I found myself explaining a fact that many today find almost unimaginable. Not so long ago, women in the U.S. couldn’t solely sign for a business loan without a male co-signer.

They say that everyone’s “wonder years” are the years between the ages of 10 and 18, or up until you graduate from high school. I was lucky enough to spend my wonder years in the 70s.

The holiday decorations stashed away, I am suddenly in the mood for more floral décor, like the colorful dresser scarves my mother-in-law embroidered as a young woman, and the crocheted doilies my daughters made as teenagers from her old patterns and thread they found upstairs.

To those youth I suggest instead enjoy the things you can do now. More than likely, there will come a time when you will not be able to enjoy all the same things as now.

My entire life, I have been a believer in signs. Those signs could take shape in many forms, through a song, thoughts, words spoken, a gut instinct, or a cardinal appearing at the right moment.

He assumed his opportunity for schooling had passed, until years after retirement he was invited to join an adult literacy class. He thought, why not? He was tired of just fishing.

Tomorrow is the first day of Hanukkah and is also Christmas Day. Meaningful beliefs, music and customs accompany both teachings.

I turned around to find Santa Claus walking towards me out of uniform ...

Bob Cotner was more than a writer; he was a scholar, poet and storyteller who wove his wisdom and compassion into every article he contributed.