Happy Memorial Day to everyone! I hope you have a happy, fun, safe holiday. More importantly, thank you to all the men and women who have sacrificed so much to serve our country. Many gave their lives so we can live free and prosper. Although my words could never be enough, from the bottom of my heart: Thank You.

Anthony Valenti is a man you can't help but admire. At 17, he shipped out to serve in the U.S. Navy in Korea. He was a Kansas City firefighter for 41 years. He survived the legendary fuel tank explosion on Southwest Boulevard in 1959. Most importantly, he raised a great family. He didn't need a diploma to prove he's accomplished something with his life. But he wanted one anyway.

In 1947, Valenti was only 8 weeks away from graduating from DeLaSalle High School when he was told he had to ship out to Korea. He signed up with the Navy so he could join their school of music and play the saxophone. Originally, he was told he'd be able to graduate from school before his military training began. That changed with the Korean Conflict, which forced him to leave early. It meant he never got his diploma from DeLaSalle, something he always regretted.

Valenti would mention it to his family from time to time. His son, Sam, also graduated from DeLaSalle, and every year his dad wished he could go to the annual reunion banquet. Finally, earlier this year, Sam decided to do something about the void in his father's life.

Sam contacted a former principal at the school and soon a plan was put into place. This week, Anthony Valenti completed his final "requirement" for graduation. He spoke to a history class at DeLaSalle, now called DeLaSalle Education Center. The students were fascinated by his stories from the Navy and the fire department. He also passed along the same message that he always told his children and grandchildren: education is very important.

Following the talk with the history students, Valenti finally got his high school diploma in a short, but meaningful ceremony. His wife, children and grandchildren were there to see it. He turned down the cap and gown offered to him by a school official. He was worried the guys down at the fire station would give him grief for it. But he proudly took the diploma he had waited so long for. 60 years to be exact.

I was there for the ceremony and I can tell you it was emotional for everyone in the room. Again, Anthony Valenti didn't need this diploma to prove anything. He had accomplished and experienced more than most of us can dream of. But to a man who considers education to be so important, this was a void that had now been filled. Anthony, congratulations. You deserve it. It's never too late to reach your goals.

On this very blog about six weeks ago, I wrote about the Kansas City Royals baseball club. I went to the opening day game at Kaufmann Stadium and watched as everything went perfectly for the Boys in Blue that day. I commented at the time that hopefully things would continue to go well, but GM Dayton Moore's decisions would be judged over the entire season, not just the first game.

I don't need to tell you, things went downhill after that. They went subterranean as the Royals have now settled into their customary place at the bottom of the American League. First, let's acknowledge the big decision Dayton Moore got right. He signed pitcher Gil Meche for a whole pile of money and took a lot of criticism for it. The naysayers were wrong. Really wrong. On this one, Moore looks like a genius. Meche has been one of the best pitchers in the league, giving KC great outings every time out there. He's been worth every penny.

That's about it for the good news from this Royal season so far. So what to do now? Just accept that KC is a small market team and live with it? I don't think that's Moore's style. I do however, think he needs to consider making at least one major change. Buddy Bell needs to go.

Bell is, by all accounts, a great baseball guy. He was a very good player for many years, comes from a baseball family, and knows the game inside and out. He also overcame a serious health issue last year to return to the club at full strength. But this is his third stint as a big league manager and he simply hasn't gotten the job done. In fact, he's got the second lowest winning percentage EVER for a skipper who has managed as many games as he has. Admittedly, he hasn't had great talent at any of his stops, but has he gotten the best out of the players he does have? I think the Royals need a fresh start, some new blood, someone who can take Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, and Mark Teahen to the next level.

Bell will probably finish out the season, but look for a move over the winter unless the Royals really turn things around. When Dayton Moore was in Atlanta, he had one of the top managers in Major League history at the helm with Bobby Cox. I think he'll soon be looking for someone new here in Kansas City.

Johnny Rowlands is a rock star. No doubt about it. I suspected that before, but it was confirmed this week as I rode along with him in Newschopper 9 to visit 5 schools around the metro. At each stop, Johnny landed the helicopter and when he opened the door, the kids screamed like Beatles fans in the 60's.

The day was truly a lot of fun. Zipping around the city in Newschopper 9 was a blast. We'd leave one school and have only minutes to make it to our next appointment. No problem. It doesn't take long to get anywhere when you don't have to worry about traffic or stop lights.

We visited the Gillis Center, Pinkerton Elementary, the Paseo Baptist Learning Center, Oak Grove Elementary and Morris Elementary. The students and teachers were fantastic at every stop and by the end of the day, Newschopper 9 was stuffed with gifts from each school. I want to thank everyone for their kindness and hospitality. Now I need to figure out a way to have Johnny transport me the next time I have to do errands all over the metro. I'd be done in no time.

Okay, it's time for a blog entry that is completely frivolous and lacking any redeeming social value. (I know some of you are thinking, "How is that different from your other blogs?") Today I want to talk about 70's and 80's TV shows. More to the point: shows that I loved to watch when I was a little kid.

The reason I started thinking about this (not that old TV shows are ever that far from my mind), is the announcement this week that one of the "General Lee" cars from the "Dukes of Hazzard" was sold on Ebay for $10 million. That was one of my all-time favorite shows from my youth. I couldn't wait for Friday night when the classic Waylon Jennings song would kick off the show. "Just some good old boys... never meanin' no harm..." The fact that the Duke boys slid across the hood of their cool hot rod and climbed in the window just blew me away. And, yes, like every other youngster, I wanted to climb in the window of our family's car. It drove my parents crazy.

Cars and other vehicles were a fixture on my favorite shows. "Knight Rider" was a great show, featuring "KITT," a talking Trans Am and some actor who would later produce a wildly successful show based on a California beach and then a less successful home video. There was "CHiPs"... a show about two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers. I knew Ponch and John would always end up catching the bad guys. I also loved a show called "B.J. and the Bear." Does anyone else remember that one? It was about a big rig driver who drove around the country with his pet chimpanzee, running into adventures along the way. Brilliant.

Even the "A-team," another of my favorites, featured a signature automobile, in this case a black van with a red stripe and spoiler, which seemed odd for a van. Apparently, it could hold a whole cache of M-16's, which the A-team guys needed to settle the score for some hopeless person who hired them. The feds couldn't find these guys, but somehow these hapless people could. Didn't matter to me, I loved every show.

I don't want to leave out all the great sitcoms from my youth. The list is long: "Diff'rent Strokes" and "Silver Spoons" ran back to back, which meant a great night of entertainment for me. Other favorites: "Three's Company," "The Facts of Life" and "The Cosby Show."

I wonder if my son, who's 5, will look back on TV shows from his youth the same way. When I was a kid there were only 3 or 4 channels (and we walked in the snow uphill both ways to school.) Now, there are hundreds of channels, so in some ways there are fewer "community" shows that everybody watches. Now, everyone is watching something different. Or they're on the internet. Or the Playstation. Or watching a DVD. See what I mean? Will Jack have a "Dukes of Hazzard?" Maybe. But there's no way it will be as cool as Bo, Luke, Uncle Jesse and Boss Hogg. They don't make TV shows like that anymore. Perhaps for good reason.

Recently, I did a story about a great new effort to help children who suffer severe burns. This campaign would have been special no matter who was behind it, but the fact that it was started by three 11-year-old girls makes it even more amazing.

Caroline O'Brien suffered a severe burn on her leg when she was 7 years old. She came up with the idea of making a video that could help burned kids understand they're not alone. Two of her friends, Whitney Wendel and Dara O'Connor, stepped in to help her start the project. Wendel and O'Connor had never been burned, they just wanted to help other children.

The three girls raised money for the project by sending out letters and even giving a powerpoint presentation to corporations in the Kansas City area. That's intimidating enough for an adult, but these determined 11-year-olds ended up raising $30,000! Incredible.

Now, the video is a reality. It's called "Just Like You" and features three young people who have been burned. The message of the film: burned kids are no different than anyone else.

Peko Johnson of Kansas City is one of the three kids featured in the video, along with Caroline. He jumped at the chance to do it, acknowledging to me when I talked to him about it, that he felt like he was the only person in the world who was burned when it happened to him 13 years ago, when he was 4. Now, Peko completely accepts what happened to him, even appreciates it. His back is badly scarred, but he now uses that in his artwork. Peko says if he hadn't been burned, he would have never met some great people who have become lifelong friends. It was a real pleasure talking with Peko and seeing how he's turned a bad event in his life into something positive. It was obvious why he was a perfect choice for the "Just Like You" video.

After watching "Just Like You," I have no doubt it will help many children through a difficult time. The film debuted last week in Kansas City and has already been sent to more than 25 burn units around the country. It's also available on DVD. If you'd like to buy a copy, go to kidshelpingkidsheal.com. The name of the website says it all.