The one-year anniversary of national shutdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic passed earlier this month. There were dire predictions about the survival of restaurants, retail stores and entertainment venues when the shutdowns began and the case counts and fatalities grew. Many of those fears were realized. A lot of businesses couldn’t make takeout or delivery … Continue reading Count murals among new things to see in downtown Burlington this spring
Elon friends remember Mark Foley with lasting gift
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a story I wrote a couple of years ago about a very special and unusual scholarship for a football player at Elon. It was first published in the Magazine of Elon in 2019. Ryan Whitehead, pictured above with many of the donors of to the Mark Foley Scholarship, is now an … Continue reading Elon friends remember Mark Foley with lasting gift
Friends of the Alamance Libraries Spring Book Sale returns, with some modifications
Last year at about this time I was writing about preparations for the annual Friends of the Alamance County Libraries Spring Book Sale that was scheduled for March. I’m a volunteer for the organization, a member and serve on the board. I’m also a longtime sale customer. It’s a mark-the-calendar event in our household. I … Continue reading Friends of the Alamance Libraries Spring Book Sale returns, with some modifications
Burlington’s new brighter holiday look coming to downtown
The snowflake look would be usable beyond Christmas into February. I don’t know the last time Burlington changed its Christmas lighting downtown but the lackluster displays from recent years were in place when I moved back here in 2007. So the look has been around for a while. That’s about to change. The Burlington Downtown … Continue reading Burlington’s new brighter holiday look coming to downtown
Looking for a comfort zone in 2021
I wore a lot of hats in 2020. This is neither euphemism nor metaphor. It’s a fact. I also sported a large variety of shorts, T-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants – lots and lots of sweatpants. Coats and ties became a thing of the past. Button-down shirts, optional. Sneakers, flip-flops and slippers replaced work shoes. Yes, … Continue reading Looking for a comfort zone in 2021
Things I’ve dropped like a bad habit
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is another column from my Burlington Times-News days, published on May 17, 2015. It starts with some thoughts I had about boxing, a sport I used to love, and wound into a list of the things I once enjoyed or engaged in that I don't seem to do anymore. And in the … Continue reading Things I’ve dropped like a bad habit
‘You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone’
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a column I wrote for the Burlington Times-News in 2014, when Tim Sutton attended what was then thought to be his last meeting as an Alamance County commissioner. He was defeated in the 2014 primary after 20 often controversial years on the board. He told me then he was likely through … Continue reading ‘You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone’
For sale: Smitty’s a cool business opportunity for the right owner
Smitty's Homemade location on Front Street before the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Smitty's. Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream, a signature and beloved Alamance County business with stores in three downtown areas, is for sale. Alamance County Superior Court Judge Tom Lambeth and Amy Nakhle, co-founders of the business in 2002, made the tough decision to … Continue reading For sale: Smitty’s a cool business opportunity for the right owner
New partnership, new personality and a little wine in downtown Burlington
Two leaders in the ongoing renaissance of downtown Burlington as an entertainment and art district are partners in a new venture that will occupy part of the former Mary Katherine's store on East Front Street. Tracy Schmidt, general manager of Burlington Beer Works and Holly Treadwell, owner of The Blend and Co. are joining forces … Continue reading New partnership, new personality and a little wine in downtown Burlington
Saying goodbye to Frances Woody, a community treasure
Local newspapers used to be in the business of creating community treasures. They did so either through stories about people who step up to make a positive difference time after time in the cities and towns where they live or through manufacturing them in-house. The former was relatively easy. The latter takes some doing. Time … Continue reading Saying goodbye to Frances Woody, a community treasure
Madison's Avenue 