Rich: Facing the new year

A new year has arrived and a half-ragged one lies behind, reduced now to memories. It seemed, at times, I couldn’t enjoy the wonderful things popping around because of such bone-deep sorrow brought on by the home-going of loved ones.

Crane: The rematch no one wants

At nearing 300 pounds in this corner, resembling an Oompa Loompa in lifts, with a cotton candy-esque coiffure, and leaning slightly forward, surrounded by lawyers instead of trainers ... The Teflon Don!

Yarbrough: When going to the dogs is a good thing

You’ve heard the old saying that things are going to the dogs. After talking to Jennifer Arnold, we should be so lucky. Ms.

Smith: Norman King

Years ago, Reader’s Digest published a periodic feature under the heading of “The Most Unforgettable Character I Ever Met.

Rich: Looking back at Christmases past

When I was a child and even through my teenage years, Christmas night and the following day were the saddest time of the year. The anticipation of presents, church pageants, and holiday cheer was swooped away in such a short time.

Adair: ‘Froggy’ memories of Christmas past

One set of my Christmas memories comes from the early-to-mid 1950s – ancient history to most folks but very real to me. I would have been seven, eight, or nine years old, somewhere in there. Christmas night was when a passel of Mama’s kinfolks descended on our house.

Letters to the Editor: Thrilled about ‘Thrifting’

Hello Ian, Thank you for making “T” for Thrifting! I loved the article and know it raised awareness about four great stores in Putnam County. I recently watched an episode of “Amazing Race” and the group was in Sweden where they recycle almost everything!

Crane: Free speech, hate speech and the first amendment

Among the many lessons I learned from my maternal grandmother, Mary L. Crane, was that it can be tough to hate up close. Mary was an Irish-Catholic carpetbagger who moved her family south from upstate New York in 1949.

Rich: Rodney the storyteller

Rodney, my brother-in-law, is one of the South’s best storytellers. He doesn’t tell stories in the typical Southern manner of embellishment, lyrical phrasing, or extreme expression. He tells them in such a casual way that the story becomes the king. Not the storyteller.

Crane: I really hate E-tickets

Though not always an early adapter, I tend to roll with and learn the latest technologies as they become readily and widely available. With few exceptions, I do consider technology to be a friend of productivity.