Although the federal government controls less than 10 percent of public school funding, President Barack Obama is using that lever to transform education in America....More

LAUREL — To the Lakeshore Business Improvement District Board for seeking to resume Bloomin’ Days next year after a hiatus in 2010. This is a tough economy, so it’s understandable that it was difficult to raise funds this year. But the board plans to get an early start on planning and fundraising for a 2011 event. We encourage the board to rally support for a resumption of the event next year. Special events can draw new people downtown and expose them to the fun restaurants, bars and shops that make a day or evening downtown enjoyable....More

By Kathy Burns
Recently, while stopped at the light, I watched the children walking to school. There is an older male crossing guard who helps children cross both 85th and 22nd. I am not sure how long he has held the job, but it has been for many years. This day, he was walking a little girl across 85th right in front of my car. I would guess the girl to be about 6 years old. She was pulling a backpack on wheels behind her and was chatting away to the crossing guard. It was cold and he had flaps down over his ears, so he bent down to hear her. She then put her arm around him to finish her story, and they walked that way to the curb. He walked hunched over and her little arm was around his waist. It was a gesture performed with the innocence of youth, but it spoke of her trust and familiarity with the crossing guard. Both smiled and parted ways as she turned toward the school. It will never cease to amaze me what joy children bring to our world. Suddenly the gray day seemed a little sunnier. ...More

By Joe Cardamone
I wrote all of this and sent it off to the paper. Unfortunately, although my writing was accepted, I was told I would have to compose a new column, because my first regular appearance wouldn’t be until May, and it was felt that a story about being stuck in the snow “wasn’t seasonal.” So I wrote about something else, and the story of my good fortune at being rescued by the unknown heroes went unpublished until now....More

By Connie Schultz
What’s up with that? They hear they’re going to be cooped up at home and can imagine only one thing that could make them sit still for so long. So they’re shopping for toilet paper. Makes me think nobody’s going to be calling Washington a bastion of deep thought any time soon....More

By E.J. DIONNE JR.
But a funny thing happened in the course of an interview at Biden’s White House office on Tuesday afternoon. The vice president’s passions poured forth not when he was offering his point-by-point defense of the economic recovery plan but on the question of whether the United States is in decline. ...More