The photos above are from a dedication of a sunset maple tree in memory of Jill Huston, a teacher from Osborne School who died this past May.

Family and friends of Jill gathered outside the school as students from inside their school made their way to the outdoor assembly. Principal Becky Muratori addressed those gathered and introduced students Olivia Koelsch and Austin LaMarca as they eulogized their teacher during the assembly.

Huston was friends and a co-worker with friends of mine, and I had probably met her once or twice at various assignments, but by all accounts she was a good friend, a devoted mother and a great teacher.

"Jill was very passionate about her career, her daughter and the kids she worked with. She did everything with 100 percent dedication," said Jeanne Scott, a fellow teacher and friend of Huston.

Scott and Huston met former Ohio governor Ted Strickland at an anti-SB5 rally this year. Huston led the way in petitioning against the bill.

The tree dedicated to Huston outside the Sandusky school was donated by Barnes Nursery, and a marker at the base of the tree was donated by Traditional Marble and Granite. The tree already has to stand tall, just like Jill, to carry all of the bird feeders that were crafted by students and teachers of the school. Principal Muratori said there will always be a bird feeder on the tree, another passion of Huston.

Wark being deployed

If you look at the photo credits underneath the pictures in the Sandusky Register (and I hope some of you do), you may have noticed a name missing lately.

Staff photographer Luke Wark is a member of the Army National Guard and he has been called to duty. Luke has worked at the Register since 2007, and he will be serving his country when he is deployed in December. He will return in 2013 after his deployment and will be missed here at the paper while he is gone. I will get you all an address to write to Luke once he provides one to me. Many of you were supportive when he left for boot camp and provided entries for a blog at sanduskyregister.com.

Road Trip 2012

There isn't one story or photo I have taken that I have heard more feedback on than the story I did on U.S. 250 and how it stretches from here to Richmond, VA. I get a comment on it about once a week in the community and it is very appreciated. (If you missed it, go to sanduskyregister.com and find my blog.)

Part II is in the works for next year, although this trip will be a bit shorter. We'll see what Ohio 4 has to offer during a trip down to Cincinnati. Kings Island might have to be the end result of that trip just as Kings Dominion in Virginia was for the road trip on U.S. 250.

A reader, Carolyn Taggart, recently sent me an official touring route of our Hayes Avenue and thought it might help me and the boys along on our future journey.

'Tis the Season

In March, following the death of Officer Andy Dunn, I asked our readers to let me know when they saw good things being done in the community so I could use my influence here at the Register to get those recognized who normally don't make the pages of the newspaper.

That order still stands especially as we get into the holiday season and there are good deeds a plenty here on the North Coast.

Send me an e-mail at werling@sanduskyregister.com or you can call me at (419)609-5850.