What are your Father’s Day memories?

If you come to my office, you can tell that I like to see and touch things from the past. On the wall behind my desk are two framed maps of Decatur County, in the southwest corner of Georgia. Just above the Florida line is a tiny dot. Recovery is where my father was born on Feb. 8, 1922.

Main Street helps downtown Hartwell thrive

Hartwell Main Street, a focus group of Hartwell’s Downtown Development Corporation, serves as a valuable link between the city and its merchants.

Not ‘goodbye’ just ‘see you around’

While it may be cliche to say this goodbye is bittersweet, it is sincerely true.

Finding peace in the Appalachians

We’re mountain people now, my wife and I, at least I think we are. If there’s some sort of initiation, like a Clif Bar-and-CamelBak challenge, we missed that memo.

Rome and Richardson rehab a plus for all of Hartwell

We cannot overemphasize the importance of focused neighborhood revitalization efforts, like what may be soon taking place at Hartwell’s Rome & Richardson area.

I stepped in ‘it’

As my fingers were flying over the keyboard, I stepped in “it.” And I didn’t realize my goof until a reader reminded me that the elite Blue Angels were Navy and not Air Force pilots. Duh. I knew that when I wrote last week about the purple martins swirling over the grave of our beloved dog Amos.

No-hitters are losing their mystique

We’ve seen eight no-hitters in the last five months of Major League Baseball dating back to last season. That’s unfortunately not a good thing. Nostalgia is one of the national pastime’s most endearing qualities, and you lose it when those special moments become commonplace.

‘Reverse mission trips’ build community

Our community is fortunate to have Barnes Academy call Hart County home. The Christian, college preparatory academy in Hartwell is small but its impact is great.

All I wanted was a Coke and crackers

A Coca-Cola and a pack of Lance crackers. That’s all I wanted when I pulled into Manning Tire & Grocery in Gardi. But before pushing the glass door open, I paused to read the handbill: “Schnauzer puppies for sale.” Once inside, I exchanged hellos with the Rev. Wayne Manning and his son, Rooster.

Selfishness played a role in gas shortage

This most recent gas shortage slowed business throughout much of the east coast at a time when some cannot afford another unpredictable setback. As we saw in the last 10 days, Hart County felt the effect. And unfortunately, a lot of the problem was caused by panic-buying.