Columns

Eleven years after fantasy film fans attended the celebration of his “eleventy-first birthday” party, Bilbo Baggins is back — this time as the central character in Peter Jackson’s new movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.”

 Your charitable donation can help clothe a child, put food on the table for a family in need and bring hope to those who have none. As you open your heart and pocketbook this holiday season, make sure that you give wisely.

Much like storms and natural disasters, the season of giving brings out the best and worst in people. Scam artists are ready to unveil their latest schemes designed to prey on the generosity of others.

 There has been an influx of Facebook chain letters that have appeared in my news feed. At first, I didn’t think much of them. I just ignored them, because I knew I would never post one of them.

However, most of my Facebook friends have, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Just the other day, I read a forwarded status discussing the website’s supposed new guidelines.

I never really understood what real outreach looked like until I watched my mother become a full-time interpreter/advocate for the Hispanic community in LaRue County. What's interesting is that my mother, Ruth Blair, a retired foreign language teacher, wouldn't strike anyone as an advocate. She passed away a day before Thanksgiving this year, and I can best describe her as a mild-mannered, soft-spoken woman who never had an unkind word for or about anyone.