BRUNSWICK – If ever a structure were appropriately named, it is the Sidney Lanier Bridge, which spans the South Brunswick River on U.S. Highway 17. And if the bearded poet, a native Georgian, could stand at the crest of the mass of concrete and steel of the cable-stayed bridge and visually survey the marshes of Glynn, in both directions, he would surely be overcome by the view. Read More»

With the years cruising by, reminiscing commands a good portion of my time when I am moving about. Went back home recently and drove by a crossroads store that has succumbed into a state of disrepair. Abandoned long ago, it outlived its usefulness.

I recalled a time when it was a thriving place of business. A gathering place. People stopped for gas, pumping from one of those tanks where there was a glass globe on top. The gasoline churned about as the pump was engaged. If you like rap music, you have no idea what I am talking about. Read More»

FT. BENNING – No matter the advances in equipment and tactics in a high-tech military world, in the end the ground troops, the foot soldiers, must close the deal.

Here on a wooded, 200-acre plot, a $100 million museum has been erected in tribute to the infantrymen of the Untied States Army. You could make a case that it is the greatest military show on earth and reminds you that the Army will always have a defining role in war. Read More»

WEST POINT — The dateline is misleading. West Point is about seven or eight miles from The Crossroads Store, an antiques enclave that pretty much straddles the Harris and Troup County lines.

A flyer notes that “The old rock store at Jones Crossroads has been at the center of rural commerce in this area since 1903.” It is located at the intersection of Ga. highways 18 and 219. I came this way taking a shortcut from I-185, near Pine Mountain, to LaGrange. When I spied two oldtimers sitting in the afternoon sun on the front porch of the old store, I knew I had to take a closer look. Read More»

JST. SIMONS ISLAND – While Jim Minter was making his way from sportswriter to editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, his wife, Anne, found compatibility with real estate sales.

After sons Rick and Rob entered high school, Anne had more time for work and eventually owned a very successful real estate agency. Jim always had a knack for finding a good story, and Anne knew a good real estate deal when she saw one, which led to the purchase several years ago of a condo at St. Simons. Read More»

CASHIERS, N. C. — Heat, being as scarce as it is here in summer, is easily managed and even appreciated. In the peak of summer, there are but a few days when people turn on their air conditioners. And that’s for only about two months. The rest of the year, everyone builds fires. Even in June, you stop by the General Store at Mountain Top and there will be a wood fire burning. Come back in September and you’ll find fireplaces active. Read More»

College football has been enjoying a steep incline on the graph of popularity, but big money is affecting the game and this fact will have to be addressed in the immediate future. Read More»

An election year creates excitement, as it always has, but colorful politicians seem to be a relic of the past.

Sometimes you wonder why some politicians aren’t football coaches. They would make fine defensive coordinators. All they do is attack. All that insult and accusation must work because most politicians seem to always be in attack mode.

Little in politics seems to be amusing these days, although there are plenty of shenanigans to turn our heads. Shenanigans are nothing new in politics, however. There was plenty of underhandedness in the old days. Read More»

WATKINSVILLE – For years if it hadn’t been for the merging traffic of Ga. Highway 15 and U.S. 441, Watkinsville wouldn’t have had a stop sign.

Now it has three traffic lights and the prospects of more as this laid-back town experiences stirring growth as the seat of Oconee County where so many people are choosing to live — principally because of the county’s highly regarded school system.

It is interesting to note that in the early years, Watkinsville, along with Athens, was part of Franklin County, which was named for Ben Franklin. Read More»

When we watch SportsCenter, the stars on our high-definition screens, more often than not, are young men in their twenties — in some cases thirties, and in rare cases their forties.

Old for an athlete can often be 35 years of age. Quarterbacks may last beyond 40. Kickers, the graybeards of football, for obvious reasons, last longer. Wizened, crafty pitchers sometimes hang around longer than others. Golfers have the best chance to win after their 40th birthday. Read More»