Cpl. Charles Eugene Hiltibran, reported missing in action in December of 1950 and whose remains were identified 70 years later, was warmly welcomed back to his home of Champaign County during Memorial Day weekend.
Happy Halfway Day to All!
Boomer Blog - Shirley Scott
Thursday slipped through last week’s lineup with little fanfare. But for me, July 15 has often been more significant than simply the middle day of the seventh month. First and foremost, my Tennessee sister celebrates her birthday on July 15 – whether she wants to or not!
Lesser known, however, is a day of distinction I personally created during my teaching years: Halfway Day. For years, my birthday wishes to my dear sibling followed this pattern of panic: “Happy Birthday! But can you believe summer is already half over!”
During those busy classroom years, the steady erosion of my summer break had me dreading the specter of brand-new deadlines and demands practically before I had completed the old ones. Oh, how I missed the three full months of midyear bliss I experienced during my kidhood. New legislative mandates required us to teach a week or so into June and to report for duty ever earlier in August. As much as I lo
February: Quite the holiday month!
Boomer Blog - Shirley Scott
True to form, I belatedly realized the current and shortest month of the year offers the most opportunities to celebrate. Besides the one federal holiday, there are a couple of other popular observances – not even counting the ones we have already missed: National Tater Tot Day and National Nutella Day.
As February dawned, I was digitally thumbing through archived copies of the
UDC to determine how Champaign Countians celebrated Valentine’s Day in years past. However, it occurred to me I really ought to first check out local observances of Groundhog Day – long before Punxsutawney Phil and Bill Murray gained national prominence.