It's hard to tell by the recent temperatures but it really is now fall. I know this because September is already gone and we have just celebrated the wonderful holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. What a wonderful family tradition to celebrate the New Year, and the notion of forgiveness. It reminds me of the importance of great faith traditions, and the multicultural world that we live in.

On Thursday, November 8th at The Henry Clay, Youth Alive! is holding its annual Anniversary Dinner. As you know, we are strong supporters of this wonderful inner-city program that is trying hard to reshape the lives of our most misdirected youth. I am on the board and I can tell you firsthand that these are the kinds of organizations that need to thrive if we are ever going to bridge the gap in education, poverty, and crime that exists in our community.

You can get tickets to this great event by contacting Shelly Ward at 228-8988 or by calling Youth Alive! at 774-3212. Single tickets are $100.00, and we are looking for table sponsors at $1000.00. We also need silent action items. This is a great way to get involved in your community, and I will personally see to it that your contributions are put to work in earnest.

A thought about the fall season: where does the time go? I often feel like time just flies by these days and that we all are just barley keeping up with the demands of this fast-paced world. When you see the weather break, and the winds bring in that wonderful fresh smell, and the leaves begin to change, let's all try to stop and just let the peace of the season wash over us and remind us of what is most important. Each other!

Mark Stevens