Citizen Contributor

• Life is Heald: Years ago today I was born: 51; place most people think I was born: Area 51 Published 06/05/2013 at 2 p.m.

  Today, Friday, June 7th, is my 51st birthday. If you are just now reading this, even the most math-challenged among surely realizes you have zero shopping days left, so read fast.

• Life is Heald: Do I think the old guys can play softball? It sort of Depends Published 04/17/2013 at 11:33 a.m.

  Last week, I told of ending my church league softball career when a teammate started showing signs of Satan, and my subsequent move to senior league softball. We pick up on my first day, where I remain skeptical of the ...

• Life is Heald: When the door to church league softball closes, will the senior league be open to Moses? Published 04/08/2013 at 2:31 p.m.

  As most of the world, and the Church League Softball Hall of Fame selection committee, surely knows, I was most recently a member of three consecutive championship teams. Hallelujah, anyone?

• Life is Heald: The ignominy of a shallow grave is a sheety way to go Published 03/20/2013 at 5:20 p.m.

  I aspire, like most folks, to die peacefully in my sleep. I do not want to go out in a vocational flame of glory, my body found slumped over the keyboard, a half-written column, probably still long enough for two ...

• Life is Heald: Slurpees, the pier and the day I caught the atomic mushroom cloud fish, part two Published 02/19/2013 at 4:32 p.m.

  The Slurpee hadn't worked. It had in the past, every time, but not this time. Always before, when we visited the pier, the brain-freeze somehow managed to suppress the memory of that fateful day, but this time it wasn't working.

• Life is Heald: Burning memories from the beach and beyond and other moments frozen in time Published 10/25/2012 at 3:54 p.m.

  Back when I was a youth growing up in these parts, I would occasionally spend the day at the beach.

• A Fire Commissioner's Perspective: Many reasons fire district consolidation took 27 years to get off the ground Published 06/18/2013 at 11:58 a.m.

  The reality of the 27-year discussion about independent fire district consolidation is slowly, steadily and effectively taking a tangible shape. The question to be asked is why has it taken so long?

• What's Up at Ave Maria: Summer still hot and humid but livelier Published 06/17/2013 at 2:43 p.m.

  Last year this time, with both students and snowbirds flown, Ave Maria reminded me of the fairy tale kingdom that fell into an enchanted slumber in "Sleeping Beauty."

• The View From Planet Kerth: Finding my feminine side on a shelf by the rubber worms Published 06/17/2013 at 11:01 a.m.

  I got in touch with my feminine side the other day. I didn't know that's what I was going to do when I drove off to Walmart to buy a new tackle box for my fishing trip next week, but ...

• Money $marts: Critical thinking about college Published 06/12/2013 at 11:52 a.m.

  When it comes to arguments for a college education, there are two main schools of thought, the academic and the practical.

• An act of kindness: Twenty volunteers spend time, bit of sweat to spruce up Youth Haven campus Published 06/11/2013 at 3:18 p.m.

  A day spent sprucing up the campus of Youth Haven, Collier County's only homeless shelter for traumatized youth, renewed the old adage that small things can make a world of difference.

• 'Making a positive impact:' Area clubs tee off for Immokalee Foundation and the youth it serves Published 06/11/2013 at 2:48 p.m.

  Local golf club members who participated in the 2013 Inter-Club Challenge played a wonderful round of golf, had the potential to win a Bentley GT V8, Porsche Cayman or Rolex hole-in-one prizes, enjoyed breakfast and lunch and a raffle.

• Bridge Scene: Cruises, boot camps available for those who want to get better at the game Published 06/11/2013 at 1:12 p.m.

  When you read the American Contract Bridge League Bridge Bulletin each month, there are so many cruises you could go on to play and learn bridge and earn gold, silver, red and black points.

• The View From Planet Kerth: A tale-telling golfing Irishman offers a lesson in honesty Published 06/10/2013 at 10:25 a.m.

  I hadn't seen my buddy Mike since last fall, so we got together last week to play a quick nine holes of golf and catch up. Mike is a great teller of tales, so I was anxious to hear what ...

• Heart to Heart: Don't let fear and worries bring you down Published 06/07/2013 at 11:21 a.m.

  Dear Laurie, I have read a lot of nonfiction books that discuss the importance of processing our fears. But, at times, I'm not even aware that I have a fear. How do I know when I am fearful or worried?

• Money $marts: Paying for a party we can't attend Published 06/05/2013 at 12:31 p.m.

  Apple Inc. was in the news last week for its "shameful" avoidance of taxes through adherence to the federal corporate tax code. Somehow the legal minimization of taxes has become unpatriotic.

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