President Bush called for patience in Iraq Monday, the fourth anniversary of the start of the war, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops. Americans have been very patient with the war. Patience is not what we need. We need a strategy. After voters sent a clear message in November that they wanted to see changes in Iraq, reports of sectarian violence and American deaths pour out of Iraq every day, and a stable Iraqi-led government still appears nowhere in sight.

A 15-year-old Gallup Avenue boy was convicted Monday of sexually molesting an 8-year-old Huron boy during a Huron County Juvenile Court hearing. The boy admitted to three counts of rape, first-degree felonies if committed by an adult, in connection with two incidents March 3 and one the next day, court administrator Chris Mushett said.

Twilight Gardens Home The Rev. Francis Speier, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church held a Catholic Mass. People, who weren't able to attend were visited in their rooms. Easter will be here sooner than you can shake a rabbit's tail at, and people are hard at work making plastic canvas Easter baskets. It's a slow process, but it's going well.

GREENWICH The Huron County Sheriff's Office is investigating a rural Greenwich burglary late Sunday night in which a Fitchville Township couple were assaulted. Two or three masked male suspects entered the Greenwich Milan Townline Road home by force about 11:30 p.m. and assaulted the two victims, a man and his fiance, Detective Sgt. Dane Howard said. Both victims are in the early 20s.

Denise Waaland cooks all day long for dozens, sometimes hundreds of people. But she still cooks at home. Waaland is also the chairperson of the Maple City Heritage Festival, a mother of two and a grandmother of another two. In what spare time that leaves her, she likes to garden. And she grows everything vegetables, herbs and flowers.

An upcoming production by the Parma Symphony Orchestra and the Towne & Country Singers will feature works from the classics to Broadway showtunes. "A Musical Matinee" is scheduled for 3 p.m. March 25 at the Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center at Norwalk High School.

MILAN - Edison High School will host its annual All-Music Talent Show at 7 p.m. March 23 in the high school auditorium. This event is being sponsored by the Edison Music Boosters and organized by the Edison band council and directors. In order to participate in this years show, more than 80 acts were pre-auditioned on March 13. Much like "American Idol," the field of acts was trimmed to approximately 10 per level of adjudicating. There are four levels elementary, grades K to 3; intermediate, grades 4 to 6; middle school, grades 7 to 9; and high school, grades 10 to 12. All acts will be judged by professional faculty and musicians. Awards will be given to the top five acts in each level.

Toast Norwalk's Main Street School for being recognized by the Ohio Middle School Association for its use of teaming as a teaching technique. One of only eight schools to receive the award, Main Street divides each grade into teams and two or three teachers focus on that team. The teachers then meet and plan lessons, events and ways teams can compete against each other. While the school is clearly on the right path, the best part of the award might be that the school continues to amass ideas, receiving a good suggestion from a pair of principals who visited the school as part of the award process. Roast Gov. Ted Strickland's plan to build the school construction budget around a $5 billion lump sum payment from the tobacco industry. Ohio, which is due $18 billion over the next 40 years, would be the 19th state to take the lump sum payment. The money is needed to replace a projected $40 million decline in tax revenues and pay for school construction projects the state already has agreed to fund. While the lump sum option might be tempting in the short term, state officials need to think about what's best for Ohio in the long term. Because selling Ohio $13 billion short and using the money not for its intended purposes public health and anti-smoking programs is certainly short-sighted.

A few years ago, the cover of Newsweek proclaimed our country "The United States of eBay." You are familiar with eBay.com, I suppose: the amazing Internet auction site. You can buy or sell anything via eBay.

Police arrested a New London man in connection with selling heroin Sunday night near the St. Paul social hall. Pelmer Owens, 47, of 57 W. Washburn St., was arrested about 6:30 p.m. after the Milan Avenue incident, Norwalk Police Detective Sgt. Todd Temple said. The suspect currently is in custody at the Huron County Jail on one count of trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony.