May 31, 1958 It was Primary Day in North Carolina. Back then it was held on Saturday, which seems odd today. After all, who wants to vote on Saturday when most people are usually trying to rest up from the work week, catching up on chores at home, vacationing or tending to family events like, … Continue reading Primary Day, wedding day
Strictly personal
The green vase
For the past few years I have posted this over Memorial Day Weekend. It's the strongest memory I have from my newspaper life at the Jacksonville Daily News in North Carolina, the home of Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps installation on the East Coast. I'll always remember. The vase is still with me. ---- … Continue reading The green vase
Disappearing newspapers and history — casualties of time
My history is disappearing. This certainly isn’t new, but there’s not much comfort in that familiarity. It happens to us all. That is the essence of time. Time is the original son of a bitch. Old schools give way to new ones. Buildings that were once landmarks are toppled to make way for new structures. … Continue reading Disappearing newspapers and history — casualties of time
A Mother’s Day throwback column: The path not taken
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This one was published in 2015 in the Times-News. My mom didn’t set out to be the “Welfare Lady.” It just worked out that way. No, what my mom wanted to be when she grew up was a writer and a journalist. Not sure exactly what order she would place those two. Certainly … Continue reading A Mother’s Day throwback column: The path not taken
A moment in history: Attending the first Obama inauguration
UPDATE 2021: On the day the 45th president of the United States was inaugurated in 2017 I wrote about the first inaugural of Barack Obama, a historic day in January of 2009 we witnessed in the largest crowd and the coldest morning and afternoon imaginable. I reflected upon the moment in a peaceful and happy … Continue reading A moment in history: Attending the first Obama inauguration
By way of introduction
About six weeks ago I closed the long chapter of a career writing and editing newspapers. It was a rewarding experience that spanned more than three decades and led me from one side of North Carolina to another. As a reporter I covered sports, crime, government and some education. I wrote movie reviews for a … Continue reading By way of introduction
How I got into the business of writing
For those interested, this is a column I wrote a few years ago for the Burlington Times-News describing how I became attracted to the business of writing and journalism. Call it the smell of ink, the lure of air-conditioning and the taste of Coca-Cola. I'll post archive columns from more than 30 years of newspaper … Continue reading How I got into the business of writing
Getting started
This is the excerpt for your very first post.
Madison's Avenue 