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1 week ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
Anyone who knows me knows that sports officiating is a small part of my life. While I try to keep this column space light and entertaining, this week it’s time to get on my stump and speak out for what should be a great game and not the cut-throat business it has become.
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2 weeks ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
Yard sales are things almost all of us are familiar with, many of us have shopped at them and, at some point, most of us probably held one. They are uniquely American events that seem to have popped up in my life on a regular basis now nearly 56 years. I once again helped host a yard sale this weekend. As I spent a week searching for items to sell, I was reminded of the thought I have had many times. kA 4=2DDlQAaQm(9J 5@ H6 6?8286 :?
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3 weeks ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
Always a golf fan, I found myself intrigued by this year’s Masters Tournament. Several observations came to mind as I watched Rory McIlroy win in a playoff. McIlroy deserves congratulations for completing the career grand slam, meaning he has won all of golf’s major events. It puts him in the conversation with the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicholas and other golf greats.
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1 month ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
For several reasons I have had the subject of aging on my mind in recent days. My own assorted issues and the deaths of both parents in recent years has brought the issue into focus. It is becoming obvious that there will be challenges to getting older. I can see it will be an art form to manage life as I continue to make marks on the calendar. It was at a social function this weekend that my most recent thoughts on the issue of growing older began to form.
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1 month ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
It was someone with The Walt Disney Company who popularized the idea of a small world. The iconic tune, “It’s A Small World,” written by the Richard and Robert Sherman, and associated with Disney theme parks, was ingrained in many of our heads. It is a sweet idea for an amusement park ride or a song in a cartoon, but it is also an ever increasing reality in our lives. I was reminded of this recently while umpiring a baseball game. A young person came to the plate with the name Woerner on his jersey.
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1 month ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
Anyone who regularly reads this space knows I am a teacher. It is what I have done now for nearly six years after a 20-year career in community journalism. In that role, I’m quickly learning how much influence educators really can have. This realization that I have great power to influence, with positively or not, came to me recently when contacted by two teachers who didn’t even teach me, but who taught in the same building I did.
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2 months ago | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
When I teach history I try to emphasize the reasons for studying our past. Always seeking to draw student attention, I try to emphasize the very reason we study history is to avoid our mistakes in the future. I was reminded of this with events of the past week. I state to students often that history is based largely on repeating themes. Understanding them in the past will help us deal with them in the future. kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmw:DE@CJ :D 7F== @7 E96D6 F?:BF6 4@??64E:@?D]kDA2?
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Feb 11, 2025 | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
There are many things in life we don’t understand. The vastness of the ocean, the impeccable timing of a sunrise and the sheer magic of nature are all beyond our comprehension as humans. The bond we share with parents is as difficult to understand as any of those things. It is also difficult to express, but I will give it the old college try. My theory on the bond we share with parents is that it starts long before we see the light of this world.
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Feb 4, 2025 | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
I have often asked, “Why do I do what I do?” in regards to my interest in the vocation, avocation and hobby of putting words together on paper. Writing has been something that has been part of my life for more than 25 years, so it’s interesting to ponder on the subject. Ultimately, I started writing because of the wisest person I ever knew. My grandfather told me I would be a good writer and when he spoke I listened. kA 4=2DDlQAaQmkDA2?
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
mydailyrecord.com | Tom Woerner
Writing on the eve of a new president — well, I guess you could say new again — spurs multiple thoughts. It is always a historic time, often filled with historic words. As the hours tick down to the swearing in, there is no reason to think this year won’t be the same. I find myself wondering whether President Trump will note the coincidence of his speech being on the same day as the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
