Junkyard beauty
By Tom Poland Junkyard beauty One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. It’s true. We live in a throwaway society and junkyard junkies seek bargains. Making use of discards is frugal. My late Uncle Joe found many a use for things others sold for scrap. Dad liked junkyards too. Mom said he usually came back with more stuff than he threw away. As for me, I find emotions and a strange beauty live in junkyards. I visited one knowing I’d...
Was the giant caught sleeping?
By Bill Shepard Some of us can remember Dec. 7, 1941. That was the day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt said would live in infamy. The small island nation, Japan, had made a daring surprise attack on America. A large part of the U.S. Navy was anchored in the calm waters of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was a quiet Sunday morning. From out of nowhere, it must have seemed, the enemy came raining down destruction and within hours a large...
A belated Mother’s Day (1930s)
By Bill Shepard “Only One Mother” Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn, Hundreds of bees in the purple clover, Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn, But only one mother the wide world over. – George Cooper Only one Mother! Only one and I suppose that every boy and girl believes his or hers is the best! That is the way it should be. Good mothers leave beautiful memories that keep on speaking, long after their departure. I had a good...
The pull of beauty
By Tom Poland Over the last five years, I’ve developed two traditions I plan to never break. Come March and come May, I drop everything and head to three places so beautiful they compel me to visit them. Hence, the title of this column. I hope the beauty of the outdoors pulls on you and that you have similar traditions. If you don’t I encourage you to study the calendar, pay attention to nature, and make it a tradition to see this...
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Cotton Mill memorial should be completed
I’m left to wonder why the Pearl Street site for the memorial park honoring the workers of the Darlington Manufacturing Co. (the Cotton Mill) still stands barren and unfinished after much effort. The mill and surrounding villages provided a way of life that deserves this recognition in the history of Darlington. Virginia S. Howell, Darlington
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: In this COVID-19 crisis, we have to protect ourselves and others
Protests to eliminate all “stay at home” orders are growing. No government has the right or the authority to make them stay at home. Their lives have become chaos, confusion, anxiety and frustration. They can’t provide food or shelter for their families. They are angry and fighting to survive. They want and demand their freedom. They can’t rage at the invisible killer, coronavirus; they can only rage at government. Are the “stay at...