We can't help New Orleans? God help us

The fate of the Gulf Coast—especially the nation's most distinctive city, New Orleans—will tell us a lot about who we are as a nation, as a people. If we are the compassionate, can-do people we say we are, then we can help the Gulf Coast rebuild. If we can't do that, then America has become a different and disturbing place.—Cynthia Tucker, editorial page editor, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Tallahassee sculptor joins legends in Hall of Fame

This is about my cousin, Tallahassee sculptor W. Stanley "Sandy" Proctor, who has spent a lifetime carving faces for public places. Soon a carving of his face will adorn a wall at the Capitol.

Proctor has been named to join the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2006. He's the first Tallahassee native to be selected to join the Hall, which includes legends such as Ray Charles and Ernest Hemingway.

Proctor's realistic artworks are sought by collectors nationwide. His public sculptures can be found in many cities and all around Tallahassee. They include "Follow The Leader" in front of the Governor's Mansion, the 9-foot bronze of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden at Doak Campbell Stadium (at right) and a piece on Kleman Plaza commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Tallahassee Democrat.

Resolve to live life to its fullest

This item by Chgrissa Wilkins, a high school junior, is well worth reading. Among other points, she quotes Abraham Lincoln, “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” In 20 years you won't be able to rewind your life and do whatever it is you wanted. There is no such thing as a “do-over.” All you will be able to do is look back and say, “Hey, I wish I had done that then.”—Waco Tribune-Herald