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
Count murals among new things to see in downtown Burlington this spring
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
Madison's Avenue 