A monthly editorial piece of masterful opinionated writing (insert joke here) regarding life and times in the big town of Tuscaloosa coupled with the musings of a guy nicknamed “Oz.”

And though my aching back and blistered feet begged me for respite, the excited children and the unforgiving mouse would not relent. So I did it again, for six days on end, and on the seventh day I recalled for what I had highly paid, and swore I would not soon repeat. -D. Osborn

OK, so it wasn’t that bad. And if you read the previous issue of this wonderful publication, you surely witnessed the end result of this trip: a beautiful group of happy children performing for the masses in Downtown Disney.    

A couple of months have now passed since the trip, and as my rest may have been restored, my feet will likely never be the same. This unsubstantiated, unprofessional listing of dos and dont's is for the folks who feel the need to take the plunge and ride, walk or fly to the “theme park empire” that is Walt Disney World.

Whatever you do before such a serious undertaking, do NOT allow this to be the only piece you read before packing the bags. My word count is limited and there are thousands of other more advisable offerings from better educated mothers and fathers who have taken Mickey’s path of increased resistance to the land of skits and giggles (read it again; it says “skits”). 

By Stan J. Griffin

Although there are certainly many aspects about competitive sports that inspire us to follow them almost religiously sometimes, such as the winning excellence of traditional powers and various dynasties, the excitement of being in a packed stadium, loyalty to a certain athlete or team or the strategies involved in deciding various games, historical and often-heated rivalries only add yet another layer of appeal for the sports fan.

The intensity of some those rivalries, however, have also translated into elements of sports that are not exactly always healthy, and have even proven destructive and deadly at times.

With that being said, the following are my choices for the Top 5 Sports Rivalries, rivalries which have stood the test of time, and are still as relevant and riveting as they always have been in terms of inciting sheer antagonism and sometimes pure hatred.

By Amy Poore

Well, guess what? Spring is almost here - though I'm sure after the recent wintry weather it's hard to believe it. But look at the calendar - see? It IS going to happen, and that means now is the time to start thinking about swimsuit season. That means, of course, that healthy recipes are in order.

It’s tough to keep up a healthy eating regimen, but it’s much easier if you have recipes that are also really, really good. Honestly, up until this past year, I haven’t found many recipes that were both healthy and delicious. But I did find a few, and I’m sharing one with you this month! This chopped kale salad is satisfying and nutritious.

Bon appétit!

The Actor’s Charitable Theatre (“The ACT”) will present Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” beginning on Friday, February 27 and running through March 2 at the historic Bama Theatre. Director Joey Lay said that the musical is fun, but dark, warning people to “be careful what they wish for, because they just might get it.”

One of Sondheim’s most popular works, the powerhouse Broadway musical “Into the Woods” brings together the classic fairytale characters from The Brothers Grimm stories.