Two young black males entered Jokie’s Café in Alliance, Ohio on a summer night somewhere around 1968. They walked past neighborhood regulars uncomfortable with their presence. They found their way to the payphone near the…
Browsing Category My community
Memorial Day memories
Memorial Day signaled that school days would soon come to an end and the freedom of hot summer days would soon be here. My mother, siblings, and I headed into Alliance to my aunt Gert’s…
05.04.1970
The Ohio National Guard fired into Kent State University anti-war demonstrators at 12:24 pm on May 4, 1970. Four students were killed. I was a high school sophomore 25 miles away. Kent State was the…
Now that you have a bike
Cycling is dope. Cycling is cool. The growing number of cyclists on trails confirms that. It may have been years since your dad guided you down the driveway on your first spin on a bike….
02.21.2020
February 21 is a significant date for me. My father passed away on this date in 1970. My mother passed away on this date forty years later in 2010. I wanted to share something about…
Toms philosophy on bicycle touring
Yesterday I gave a talk on bicycle touring on the Ohio to Erie Trail. Over fifty people came out to Blimp City in Akron on a cold rainy day. The people facing me were diverse…
A case for a blueprint for life
My world takes on a new focus at midnight on Christmas Day. Overnight, the after-effects of the monthlong orgy of parties and family gatherings become real, very real. My habit of diet and exercise were…
Alex, what is…
Each weeknight Americans settle in for an evening of relaxation by tuning into Jeopardy! The show has ruled early evening television for over 55 years. Alex Trebek, one of the most recognizable faces on TV,…