Columns
The natural order of things
“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride – and never quit – you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high ...
White collars, but no orange jumpsuits
A television series called “Orange is the New Black” deals with life inside a women’s prison. The show’s title, of course, ref...
A perfect day and a revelation
If we are granted one perfect day in our lives, then last Saturday was mine. One would not think that being rousted from bed at 4:15 a.m. would be the...
We writers need to lead by example
My coworker Tom Joyce likes to say, “When you work with words, words are your work.”Being a career journalist means becoming knowledgeable...
September 3rd, 2015 updated: September 3rd, 2015. |
De-funding corruption and evil
Recently, I covered an event in which U.S. Rep. Mark Walker spoke to a pretty large crowd at Page’s Books and Coffee Shop. While I’m sure ...
September 2nd, 2015 updated: September 2nd, 2015. |
Surrounding government in secrecy?
We wondered, at least for a few hours, if Dobson officials might be reverting to the tricks of an earlier regime there.Readers may recall in 2008 when...
Race conveniently dodged in Va. deaths
Let me get this straight: A man who happens to be white guns down nine African-Americans in a church in South Carolina in June and it is immediately l...
Is participation worth a trophy?
In the past few weeks I’ve heard a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of participation trophies or the practice of giving trophies to eve...
August 28th, 2015 updated: August 28th, 2015. |
What’s missing — mimosas
I really enjoy my life here in Surry County. I have a job that I don’t hate, a family I love and some good friends in the area. That stated, my ...
The lamp that got away
Last year at the the age of 56, I finally got around to having a will drawn up. Since I am clearly nearer to the end than the beginning, it was certai...
Showing a love of country
The Aug. 6 Republican presidential debate certainly altered a few of my views and also confirmed many of my opinions about the candidates who took the...
The labelization of America
Now that some of the dust has settled from the Aug. 6 GOP presidential debate, I’d like to share something that stood out for me.Among the many ...
First the flag, now Dixie – what’s next?
As a longtime Washington Redskins fan, I have a deep hatred for their bitter rivals the Dallas Cowboys which goes far beyond just wanting “the &...
Be selfish, shop local
While most of the world is focused on back to school purchases right now, horsey folk are more concerned with tack buying for the fast approaching fal...
August 14th, 2015 updated: August 14th, 2015. |
Government is best when kept close
I am a true believer in the thought process that the best government takes place at the level closest to the people. I’ve seen many governmental...
Cecil the lion’s death — to roar or not
If nothing else, the recent killing of Cecil the lion illustrates the deep divide between people in the United States regarding animal-related issues....
Is ‘Hocus Pocus’ a Halloween hoax?
The Internet giveth and the Internet taketh away.Such was my experience when I found out earlier this week that a long-awaited sequel to the Disney cu...
NFL Hall bypasses Greene again
The NFL will be inducting the Class of 2015 this weekend, but it will be missing one retired star with Carolina ties.For a decade now, former outside ...
Extending rights to chimps; Yeah, I’m serious
The other day I was listening to talk radio as I returned from covering one of the many events on my watch in Mount Airy. The host was talking about t...
How a life should be lived
It was a cool spring day in 1969, and I was a very young child. We had just moved to the house that would be the family homeplace for the next four de...
August 3rd, 2015 updated: August 3rd, 2015. |
A tale of city starving for restaurants
“You can see a lot just by looking” is one of those cockeyed bits of wisdom from longtime baseball legend and esteemed philosopher Yogi Be...
How many made-up holidays do we need?
I missed out on National Chicken Wing Day on Wednesday. The very same day came and almost went before I found out it was also National Lasagna Day.So ...
July 30th, 2015 updated: July 31st, 2015. |
Blurring black and white
Last week the Surry County director of health and nutrition sent a letter, meant as an informational piece, to Surry County Commissioners.Samantha Ang...
July 28th, 2015 updated: July 29th, 2015. |
Investigation Shines Light on Pay-to-Play Politics
RALEIGH – The recent State Board of Elections probe into contributions made to political candidates from the sweepstakes gambling – althou...
Phones are smart — but people, not so much
I like to think that newspaper readers are intelligent and thoughtful people who are a breed apart in these superficial times in which we live —...
A good day for karma
Being the victim of a corporate or governmental security breach and having your personal information fall into the hands of criminals is no fun. Wheth...
Terror in our own backyard
Last week we learned that a tragedy had occurred. Four Marines and a Sailor were killed as they sat in their offices by what seems to be a lone Islami...
A lesson we could all learn
There’s a lot of controversy going on in our society of late.People are screaming at and cursing one another over a piece of cloth known as the ...
There was truth in Trump’s statements
It’s funny how everyone always thinks freedom is such a great thing — until somebody exercises it in a way that doesn’t please certa...
You’re old, fat. Get some exercise.
Doctors can be such a drag.When you reach a certain age, they keep hounding you to lose some weight, get more exercise, don’t eat anything that ...
Fundamentals for revival
Let us look at 2 Chronicles 15-16. We can see what it takes to experience a revival in our lives and land. Let’s look at some background leading...
Bull’s-eye on my back
I read an article recently from The New York Times website that had some debatable points.I thought about writing a column on the topic and went back ...
Debating over the wrong flag
A reasonable person can’t possibly contend that the Confederate battle flag, the same one that until recently flew over the statehouse in Columb...
Southerners impatient? No, we just know what we want
I read an interesting survey the other day which claimed that people in the South are the least patient in the nation when it comes to waiting on hold...
County leaders should studyschool system consolidation
Surry County is facing an almost insurmountable challenge. The county’s three school systems — Mount Airy, Surry County, and Elkin —...
July 12th, 2015 updated: July 12th, 2015. |
Rites of passage not all created equal
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Are you breathing?
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Jumping the political aisle? Probably not
In my 29 years here on earth I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a national political climate as polarized as what we see today. With extreme l...
Embracing a small change
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Mount Airy much better off than most towns
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A flag has never killed anyone
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June 27th, 2015 updated: June 27th, 2015. |
Small town safety is an illusion
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Fraud results in ‘beerless’ night
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A little common sense might be in order
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The new gradual retirement
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Domestic violence cuts both ways
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Trump brings riches of embarrassment
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A small act breeds deep concern
East Surry was just one of three graduations I attended this year, but something that happened there has stuck with me over the past five days.Before ...
Ride the leather express
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Key lessons for retirement savers
You learn lessons as you invest in pursuit of long-run goals. Some of these lessons are conveyed and reinforced when you begin saving for retirement, ...