About 20 years ago a cop reporter I worked with at the Jacksonville Daily News gave me her copy of a famous book written by a cop reporter from Baltimore. “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets” by David Simon was published in 1991. By 1993 it had become a TV show on NBC, a … Continue reading Going by the book; or, keeping the wheel of life turning
Month: June 2017
Remembering The great Tim Duncan
In my life I've only had a handful of favorite NBA players, usually they don't overlap. A favorite is, after all, a favorite. All shared a few characteristics in common. They played the game the right way, they played it well, they conducted themselves professionally, they were intense and refused to back down. And yeah, … Continue reading Remembering The great Tim Duncan
What’s that smell? Of school bathrooms, hygiene and memorable speeches
A headline in today’s Burlington Times-News caught my eye. It was stripped across the front page and looks to be in about 70-point type. Not quite WAR DECLARED or NIXON GUILTY, but not that far off. Here’s what it said. Board considers cleanliness Not exactly “Stop the presses!” kind of material but still pretty interesting. … Continue reading What’s that smell? Of school bathrooms, hygiene and memorable speeches
What’s next for Alamance County Public Libraries? We now have a road map
The ink was barely dry on the brand new Alamance County Library Strategic Plan when I saw a new report from the Pew Research Center. The lead paragraph summed it up. Millennials in America are more likely to have visited a public library in the past year than any other adult generation. Interesting. That was … Continue reading What’s next for Alamance County Public Libraries? We now have a road map
And another light goes dark …
When I was a newspaper editor, that time dating all the way back to eight months ago, we had loyal readers who fit into too many categories to adequately list here. Let's just say it was a diverse bunch who either loved us, hated us, or didn't really care one way or another as long … Continue reading And another light goes dark …
Throwback Thursday: Massacre in Charleston remembered
On June 19, 2015, I wrote this editorial that appeared in the Burlington Times-News. The horrifying event at a church in Charleston, South Carolina occurred on June 17. The killer was found guilty of murder last December an was sentenced to death in January. Recent events tell me we learn nothing from history. Peace. --- … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Massacre in Charleston remembered
Sun Hands: A refresher from Haw River Farmhouse Ales
Summer started today, bringing an anti-climactic end to pretty dreary, rain-infested late spring here in North Carolina. The Haw River was nearly out of its banks Tuesday morning after a torrential downpour that almost outweighed a tropical system in intensity, and density. So even though muggy and not very comfortable was the rule today as … Continue reading Sun Hands: A refresher from Haw River Farmhouse Ales
Jane Bachman Wulf: A name I always remember
I was out of college nearly seven years and in journalism for six of them when I got the audacity to write a letter to Sports Illustrated in search of a job. I was working as a sports writer for the Burlington Times-News at the time -- 1988 -- and was going nowhere fast. Back … Continue reading Jane Bachman Wulf: A name I always remember
Four fathers
I'm not a dad. This isn't a lament but a fact. It's neither good, nor particularly bad. It simply is. I will admit taking some comfort that during my journalism career I might have helped someone along the path when their own dads weren't readily available. As I got older I often thought of young … Continue reading Four fathers
Throwback Thursday column: Memories of two leaders and their sacrifices
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wrote this column in June of 2015 upon the death of J.A. Freeman, the longtime educator, first principal at integrated Cummings High School and a political leader. It reminded me of a similar figure from my youth growing up in Stokes County -- John L. Hairston. When I heard last Sunday about … Continue reading Throwback Thursday column: Memories of two leaders and their sacrifices
Madison's Avenue 