“Shall I take up farming?” a 1945 pamphlet by the U.S. War Department for returning soldiers asks. Knowing you want to be a farmer, the authors suggest, often comes as a deep, undeniable pull toward working the land. What does it take to be a successful? How do the various farming options compare? How does one secure the loans needed to …

In these days of heartbreaking if not enraging stories about the “plight” (which often seems an understatement) of immigrant children in today’s America, I found myself pulling up a story from my days running the nonprofit What Kids Can Do (WKCD). In 2014, WKCD received a generous grant from the Novo Foundation to document social and emotional learning in five …

When a fire broke out a few miles from his Altadena, California, home the evening of January 7, 2025, Matt Blea and his family needed to make a crucial decision: Should they stay home, or evacuate? A friend who did mountain rescue told Blea to download a free app called Watch Duty. On the app, he could see the fire’s perimeter, …

School closures have become an incendiary issue in nearly every corner of the country, as enrollment declines and expenses climb. For the past five years, an average of 750 public schools nationwide have joined the graveyard of closed schools, with elementary schools leading the way. Urban, suburban, rural schools — they are all among the disappeared.  And then there’s Seiad Elementary …

Last Sunday, President Trump turned 80. By the end of his term, he will be the oldest president in U.S. history. “I feel the same as I did 50 years ago,” Mr. Trump said last month. “It’s crazy.” In a New York Times column on June, 14, 2026, Times Opinion asked a handful of notable older Americans to share the …

Jen Marsden speaking to students in a “Future Foundations” class, required of all juniors. It is Tuesday, Period 8, a few days after spring break at Ashland High School. “What’s up?” a boy with a Ducks sweatshirt asks his buddy as they fist bump and then join me at the back of the classroom. I am doing my best to …

Lithia Springs Rotary float, Fourth of July Parade In a world darkened by war, divisiveness, and unrestrained power, small stories of grace fight for light. The 7 a.m. gathering of the Rotary Club of Ashland Lithia Springs, an offspring of the larger Rotary Club of Ashland, is one of these small stories. Welcoming and fellowship, service and generosity — it …