Last week, to use a phrase coined by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, the It Takes a Village Project at Elon University, "kicked it up a notch." That's why on a Wednesday night in December several hundred Alamance County students who are part of a tutoring program at Elon found themselves making soup, cornbread and chocolate … Continue reading Something cooking in the Village
Community
Keeping a successful used bookstore in downtown Burlington
I got a message last week from Bennett Harris, the owner of Steam Junction, downtown Burlington's maker space. He was letting me know that Shawna Gentert, our colleague on the Burlington Downtown Corporation Board of Directors and owner with her husband Herb of Persnickety Books, would be leaving the area soon. The family is returning … Continue reading Keeping a successful used bookstore in downtown Burlington
Departing the best job ever for an even better one
Last spring I was working on a writing project about the Numen Lumen Pavilion at Elon University. While I was interviewing a student about the role the building plays on campus he had a question for me. "So, do you talk to students and professors about things here at Elon and write feature stories about … Continue reading Departing the best job ever for an even better one
Volunteering at the polls: Yes we can get along and (hopefully) accomplish things
The thing about working as a volunteer at the polls, especially during early voting, is that you get to meet and talk to a lot of people. Many of them are people who don't all think alike. Some in fact, are very different. So you converse with them, learn about their families, jobs and lives. … Continue reading Volunteering at the polls: Yes we can get along and (hopefully) accomplish things
Good homes for Don Bolden’s images of Alamance County
My one-time newspaper editor and longtime friend Don Bolden had by his own estimation more than 2,000 photos in his possession at the time of his death. They are images of Burlington, Graham, Elon and other points in Alamance County dating to his start in media as a photographer for his high school newspaper just … Continue reading Good homes for Don Bolden’s images of Alamance County
Showing signs of support for the education bonds
This fall marks historic first. I have an election sign in my front yard. That's right, I'm visibly supporting something. It was the easiest decision I've ever made. But this is still uncharted territory. Because I worked in newspapers I always felt such preferential expressions were personally wrong. So I never had a sign endorsing … Continue reading Showing signs of support for the education bonds
How old are schools in Alamance County?
How old are the schools in Alamance County? Let's start with very, very old and work from there. In fact, at least one is far older than most would believe and the others aren't all that far behind. Think pre-World War I, old. That's old. The last high school was built here 48 years ago. … Continue reading How old are schools in Alamance County?
From the archive: Remembering the tragedy and miracle of Bill Gentry
This would have to be among the last columns I produced in my long newspaper career and it tells the sad and oddly inspiring story of one of the best athletes in Alamance County history whose life was altered by cruel fate. I wrote this on the occasion of the death of Bill Gentry in … Continue reading From the archive: Remembering the tragedy and miracle of Bill Gentry
Silencing Sam (updated to reflect UNC response)
Update: on Nov. 3, 2018 the UNC Board of Trustees took this action concerning the Silent Sam statue. Citing the state law mentioned in the post below, the board said its hands were tied concerning moving the statue to a museum or memorial park. In order to keep it on campus and relatively safe, the … Continue reading Silencing Sam (updated to reflect UNC response)
The case of the Alamance 12
Do a quick search on Google under the keywords Alamance 12. You'll find a few stories right away about what has become a notorious and politically charged (what isn't these days) case involving illegal voting in the county I call home. Most of the stories are from the local newspaper, the Burlington Times-News, where I … Continue reading The case of the Alamance 12
Madison's Avenue 