The annual Friends of the Alamance County Libraries Used Book Sale hasn't looked exactly like itself in a while. That's not too surprising in a global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The twice a year sales were closed by the coronavirus in the spring and fall of 2020 with only an outdoor sale of used CDs. … Continue reading Friends of the Library fall book sale returns with some safety measures
Author: madisontdawg
Downtown business reaches important milestone
When Lisa Willis left a good job finding work for others with the North Carolina Employment Security Commission to start a business in the economic desert that was downtown Burlington in 1996, even she couldn't believe it. "Talk about jumping into the deep end. I left a good job with good benefits to open a … Continue reading Downtown business reaches important milestone
An Elon Football Odyssey: The impossible became possible (includes photo gallery)
Click here to access all three episodes of the podcast ---------------------- The first time I walked into Rhodes Stadium on the campus of Elon University one thought immediately jumped into my mind. “Bill Hunter would have never believed this to be possible.” This happened in 2007, nine years after Hunter’s death in 1998 from cancer … Continue reading An Elon Football Odyssey: The impossible became possible (includes photo gallery)
The long-anticipated Burlington Food Hall is opening soon
I was in the crowd at Fourth Friday in downtown Burlington on June 28, 2019 when I first got word of a big announcement to be made during a break in the music in the amphitheater at the Historic Depot. At dusk Wellsley Robinson, president of Core Properties took the stage and told those in … Continue reading The long-anticipated Burlington Food Hall is opening soon
The joys of summer in a small town
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Reflections of summers growing up in Danbury, North Carolina in the late 1960s and early '70s. It was fun living in the country back then with little to worry about and a river to play in. I first wrote this in 2014. The Dan River in Danbury, North Carolina in a photo taken … Continue reading The joys of summer in a small town
Covering our first hurricane: Hot, dirty, exhausted and oddly satisfied
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The 25 year anniversary of Hurricane Bertha slipped past me the other day -- July 12 to be precise. That was my first journalism experience -- or any experience at all -- with a hurricane making a direct landfall. This one was at Topsail when I worked for the Jacksonville Daily News. At … Continue reading Covering our first hurricane: Hot, dirty, exhausted and oddly satisfied
Cool Papa Bell: New book looks for the man behind the baseball mythology
The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell: Speed, Grace and the Negro Leagues; By Lonnie Wheeler; 325 pages; Abrams Press, New York; 2021. In biographies written about professional athletes, especially baseball, there is typically a section near the bibliography and index outlining a player’s career statistics, usually listed year by year with team affiliations. … Continue reading Cool Papa Bell: New book looks for the man behind the baseball mythology
Remembering Coach K at 1,000
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wrote this as a newspaper editorial in January of 2015 when Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski gained career win No. 1,000. i post it today as stories are unfolding about the looming retirement of Coach K after the 2021-22 season. My any accounting, he's compiled a remarkable record, even since this … Continue reading Remembering Coach K at 1,000
Tanner’s Wine Bar downtown will be a unique experience
UPDATE: Tanner’s is now open and taking reservations. Call 336-270-9536. Check out the website here. And now for something completely different. That’s the anticipated vibe guests are expected to find in early May when Tanner’s Wine Bar opens in downtown Burlington at 102-B East Front St., in one section of the former Mary Katherine’s building … Continue reading Tanner’s Wine Bar downtown will be a unique experience
Burlington Beer Works begins year three with optimism after a challenging 2020
Outdoor dining on Main Street in September at Burlington Beer Works Brewery and Restaurant. As Burlington Beer Works Brewery and Restaurant wrapped up a highly successful first year in downtown Burlington last March, its immediate future looked far less certain. The global pandemic was shutting down businesses – especially restaurants and bars – across the … Continue reading Burlington Beer Works begins year three with optimism after a challenging 2020
Madison's Avenue 