Tagona Press

10/16/2025

🌟 It’s Kindness Week! 🌟

Did you know that the third week of February is officially Kindness Week in Sault Ste. Marie? 💛

This initiative—supported by the City and inspired by the national Kindness Week Act—celebrates the power of empathy, gratitude, and compassion to build stronger, healthier communities.

A local committee is planning amazing ways to spread kindness across the Soo:
🦉 Distributing “Odin the Owl Encourages Kindness in His Community” to local schools
🍫 Handing out “Be Kind” chocolate bars
🧡 Launching a “Kindness Passport” challenge for students
💬 Creating public “Kindness Walls” for uplifting messages
🎁 Even organizing surprise giveaways!

Let’s make kindness louder than ever. Whether it’s a smile, a helping hand, or a thoughtful word—you have the power to make someone’s day.

Learn more about Sault Ste. Marie’s Kindness Week and how you can take part 👉 https://tagonapress.com/blog-5-kindness-week/

Kindness Week https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/maple-leaf/defence/2024/02/kindness-gift-keeps-giving.html On September 22, 2025, City Council declared the third week of February in each year as Kindness

10/02/2025

✨ New Release: Blog 4 by Frank Sarlo – The Thinking Chair: Mobilizing Your Community to Create Positive Change Together ✨

Frank Sarlo’s latest blog entry dives deep into the power of community mobilization and the extraordinary outcomes that happen when people come together to face challenges head-on.

💡 The Thinking Chair shares stories from Frank’s decades of grassroots involvement and legal service to over 450 organizations, along with insights drawn from his doctoral research. From saving Algoma Steel to rallying behind the Soo Greyhounds, this post reflects the spirit of collaboration, leadership, and resilience.

Featuring reflections from respected leaders like Asima Vezina and Bryan Davies, Blog 4 highlights practical lessons and inspiring stories for anyone seeking to spark positive change in their community, organization, or business.

👉 Read it here:

The Thinking Chair: Mobilizing Your Community to Create Positive Change Together. ‘The Thinking Chair’ reflects a series of

09/23/2025

The One & Only 'Farmer Bob' - and his new book, 'A Bushwhacker's Requiem'

Tagona Press is proud to publish Robert 'Farmer Bob' Cuerrier's memoir, a book that updates his fine 2004 work, 'Canadian Bushwhacker'.

Bob has been ill, and I was honoured to stand in for Bob today in a CBC Morning North interview with Markus Schwabe - link below, and beautiful photographs by Bob McGauley and Fawn Jacko are also included in our 'Requiem'.

Please visit www.tagonapress.com or contact me directly regarding pre-orders - [email protected]

…. and Morning North ....

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-41-morning-north/clip/16171144-farmer-bob-sault-ste.-marie-book-memoirs

09/23/2025

The One & Only 'Farmer Bob' - and his new book, 'A Bushwhacker's Requiem'

Tagona Press is proud to publish Robert 'Farmer Bob' Cuerrier's memoir, a book that updates his fine 2004 work, 'Canadian Bushwhacker'.

Bob has been ill, and I was honoured to stand in for Bob today in a CBC Morning North interview with Markus Schwabe - link below, and beautiful photographs by Bob McGauley and Fawn Jacko are also included in our 'Requiem'.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-41-morning-north/clip/16171144-farmer-bob-sault-ste.-marie-book-memoirs

Please visit www.tagonapress.com or contact me directly regarding pre-orders - [email protected]

09/23/2025

It was my honour to stand in for Robert 'Farmer Bob' Cuerrier this morning to discuss Bob's new book, 'A Bushwhacker's Requiem with CBC Morning North's Marcus Schwabe. A great, rollicking, finely crafted tale featuring Farmer Bob's natural storytelling gifts - and beautiful new photographs provided by the Sault's Bob McGauley and Fawn Jacko.

My less than dulcet interview tones may not drive many book sales - but Bob's life story is at once rollicking, captivating, heartfelt, and a testament to this grand Sault icon and his Mockingbird Hill Farm legacy.

Please visit www.tagonapress.com to preorder your 'Requiem' (or contact [email protected] - and honour a true Sault legend.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-41-morning-north/clip/16171144-farmer-bob-sault-ste.-marie-book-memoirs

09/16/2025

Blog 3 by Frank Sarlo is now live!

The Importance of the Written Word and the Use of Visuals For the past three years, I have elected to

09/01/2025

Exciting Announcement: Blog 2 by Frank Sarlo is Now Live!

We are thrilled to announce that “The Importance of the Written Word and the Visual World. Blog 2” by Frank Sarlo has been published today, September 1, 2025. In this thoughtful follow‑up post, Frank reflects on the roots of his journey as a writer and shares how his extensive legal and community involvement continues to inspire his creative path.

https://tagonapress.com/the-importance-of-the-written-word-and-the-visual-world-blog-2/

08/05/2025

Tony Cavaliere and I are honoured to be publishing Robert 'Farmer Bob' Cuerrier's fine memoir and Mockingbird Hill Farm story, updated for 2025 - 'A Bushwhacker's Requiem.'

Some fine new images provided by the Sault's Bob McGauley and Fawn Jacko give this 'Requiem' lovely dimensions - a sneak peak here - for publication details / preordering, please message me or email at [email protected]. Farmer Bob's legendary Sault story lives on!

07/27/2025

Celebrating today, the Undisputed King of Speed.

07/07/2025

The Sporting Life …

As a keen, enthusiastic, committed lifelong athlete (descriptors like 'talented', 'accomplished' would take this post into the world of fiction) -- I am thrilled that our Tagona Press team is releasing two memoirs in Autumn 2025 that have high level competitive sports as key narrative themes. Today, I am pleased to introduce the first one …

'The Book of Geoff' is an incredible story of personal growth and resilience told by California's Geoff McArthur. Geoff's journey from a tough Lynwood / Watts Los Angeles neighborhood upbringing to University of California Berkeley football fame (All American wide receiver, Cal Sports Hall of Famer) and followed by a fine career as an educator / football coach (now part of the elite LA-area St John Bosco High School program) - a nice story on its own. But Geoff then battled Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a fearsome disease that almost took his life at age 39 … and Geoff came out the other side with an entirely new outlook on life and his place in the world.

Geoff's fine friends from Cal Berkeley and beyond are contributing their insights into his life and times - NFLers Marshawn Lynch, Tully Banta-Cain, and Neville Gallimore (also one of Ottawa's finest!) … James Beshara, noted Silicon Valley tech investor and philosopher … the multi-talented Rod Benson (former professional basketballer, now an accomplished author (‘Different Dude') / visual artist / improv comedian) is kindly providing a 'Geoff' foreword. Our Sault pal and international sports expert Romain Landu is part of the Tagona team (… and Romain IS a talented and accomplished athlete!) … we are honoured to help Geoff take his inspiring life story to the world.

The 'Book of Geoff' is set for North American release this fall.

06/30/2025

Intro
A Tagona Press book - almost 55 years in the making

On August 24, 1970 four anti-Vietnam war activists known as the 'New Year's Day Gang' detonated a massive bomb at Sterling Hall, University of Wisconsin (Madison). One scientist was killed; 3 people were badly injured. These events forever shifted the American anti-war movement's trajectory - it was the first time that protestors had taken an innocent person's life.

The Sterling Hall events attracted international attention. The bombers escaped and fled to Canada. Three were eventually recaptured and extradited to Wisconsin. Each received significant prison sentences. One has remained at large to this day - Leo Frederick Burt, still named as one the FBI's '10 Most Wanted' domestic terrorists.

… And veteran award winning Canadian crime / investigative journalist Rik Davie has a remarkable story. Rik believes that he has located Burt - alive and living in south central Ontario. I have known Rik a long time - he epitomizes 'dogged, determined, and insightful' journalism. We have carefully reviewed his work tracking Burt - last seen in Peterborough, Ontario in September 1970, when he escaped from a rooming house surrounded by police who were awaiting the RCMP's takedown call - it never came (and fuel for the theory that Burt was an FBI plant in the Madison anti-war movement).

We are proud to work with Rik - he crafts a compelling, fact-driven story no matter whether the reader accepts or rejects Rik's conclusions. A detailed article published today by Madison's Doug Moe (a fine reporter with 50 years’ experience covering Burt and Sterling Hall) provides further insights into the great unsolved question, "What really happened to Leo Burt?"

The Doug Moe article is accessible at Madison Magazine (our fine digital platform / media laws prevent me from sharing it directly - but it is a good read).

… the 'Burt' photo attached here is an age-enhanced FBI image.
Rik's book 'Leo Burt: The 50-Year Hunt' is listed on our Tagona site. It is fascinating for us to be part of this remarkable 1970 story whose echoes - like the fatal Sterling Hall bomb blast - have never faded away.

06/30/2025

A Tagona Press book - almost 55 years in the making

On August 24, 1970 four anti-Vietnam war activists known as the 'New Year's Day Gang' detonated a massive bomb at Sterling Hall, University of Wisconsin (Madison). One scientist was killed; 3 people were badly injured. These events forever shifted the American anti-war movement's trajectory - it was the first time that protestors had taken an innocent person's life.

The Sterling Hall events attracted international attention. The bombers escaped and fled to Canada. Three were eventually recaptured and extradited to Wisconsin. Each received significant prison sentences. One has remained at large to this day - Leo Frederick Burt, still named as one the FBI's '10 Most Wanted' domestic terrorists.
… And veteran award winning Canadian crime / investigative journalist Rik Davie has a remarkable story. Rik believes that he has located Burt - alive and living in south central Ontario. I have known Rik a long time - he epitomizes 'dogged, determined, and insightful' journalism. We have carefully reviewed his work tracking Burt - last seen in Peterborough, Ontario in September 1970, when he escaped from a rooming house surrounded by police who were awaiting the RCMP's takedown call - it never came (and fuel for the theory that Burt was an FBI plant in the Madison anti-war movement).

We are proud to work with Rik - he crafts a compelling, fact-driven story no matter whether the reader accepts or rejects Rik's conclusions. A detailed article published today by Madison's Doug Moe (a fine reporter with 50 years’ experience covering Burt and Sterling Hall) provides further insights into the great unsolved question, "What really happened to Leo Burt?"

The Doug Moe article is accessible here (Madison Magazine): https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/has-a-canadian-journalist-found-bombing-fugitive-leo-burt/article_0ad15b6c-3ae7-431a-adb0-fc22f1e2eacb.html

… the 'Burt' photo attached here is an age-enhanced FBI image.
Rik's book 'Leo Burt: The 50-Year Hunt' is listed on our Tagona site. It is fascinating for us to be part of this remarkable 1970 story whose echoes - like the fatal Sterling Hall bomb blast - have never faded away.