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Columns

  • There's nothing like a good book

    I have always loved to read. It seems I haven't been able to do as much of it in the past few years, but I always have a good book on my nightstand just waiting for me to turn its pages.

    Books can take us anywhere. We can become anyone, learn about anything, go through tragic and inspirational situations and still manage to come out alive - and perhaps wiser for having made it through.

    We can take a break from our everyday lives - and perhaps even reality - just by reading a good book.

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  • Every vote really does matter

    I have always loved documentaries.

    Give me a movie about some real-life situation, a good book of someone's memoirs or a television show documenting something worth watching, and I'm set.

    I didn't realize I had a thing for documentaries until maybe seven years or so ago when I began watching real-life crime shows and made-for-TV movies on Lifetime.

    My first crime shows were "CSI" and "Law and Order SVU."

    I know those shows aren't documentaries, and aren't real life, but it got my interest in real-life crime dramas started.

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  • When I'm wrong, I can admit it

    I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong. And boy was I wrong last week.

    Earlier this year, I wrote a column and a front-page story asking those who might be interested in starting a community reading club to contact me. More than 20 people responded, and we had the first meeting of the CKNJ Bookmarks in April.

    Our first book was "Marley and Me" by John Grogran. The story of a family and its neurotic dog, the book was a great read and we're all looking forward to the movie based on the book, which is scheduled to be released in December.

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  • Take time to give thanks

    Giving thanks is what the approaching Thanksgiving season is all about. But sometimes it's more difficult to do that than it should be.

    We all have much for which we should be thankful. But how often do we express our appreciation?

    If you're like me, then it's not often enough.

    You see, it's too easy to complain ... Who forgot to empty the dishwasher? Whose turn was it to feed the dogs? The laundry is piling up, the garbage needs taking out, the car needs vacuuming, the kids' bedrooms are a disaster ... I could go on and on.

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  • Practice makes perfect

    My middle school age son came home from school and said he needed to make a volcano for a project. OK, I thought, that shouldn't be too difficult.

    So we headed off for the store to buy modeling clay. On the way, however, he informed me that we would also need vinegar and baking soda. And lots of it. To practice.

    "To practice what?" I asked.

    "The explosion," he answered.

    Of course, I belatedly realized, we couldn't possibly have a volcano without an explosion of lava to accompany it.

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  • If we build it, will they come?

    I'll admit it. I was against Taylor County building its own jail.

    But here we are, preparing for the opening of the 200-plus bed detention center to house our - and hopefully other counties' - prisoners.

    When discussions began about the possibility of building a new jail to go along with the state-funded judicial center, I was immediately reluctant.

    How will we pay for this without raising taxes? Will there be enough inmates to go around? Will we be able to negotiate contracts with other counties? Will we be sorry we did this?

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  • We should all do our homework

    I don't consider myself to be a "political person." I don't watch the presidential debates. I don't obsess over the polls. I don't hang on every word of the pundits. To be honest, I never give it that much thought.

    In the past, I've picked up bits of information here and there and formed my opinions slowly. Often, I've made my choices the day before I cast my vote.

    During the last presidential election, I couldn't make up my mind at all. I stepped up to the voting machine, closed the curtain and stared at the ballot. I was hoping for some last minute inspiration.

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  • Our students need your help

    We all know that kids do better in school when they also have hands-on activities that correlate with their studies. That's why we need your help.

    Each year, the News-Journal sponsors a Newspapers in Education project. Through this effort we call the "NIE" program, we supply copies of each Monday and Thursday newspaper to teachers who request them at local schools.

    This year, we have more than ever - 877 students in 43 classrooms.

    Here's how it works.

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  • Band students ahead of the pack

    It's with a heavy heart that I write this column and reveal something I never thought I would ever say publicly.

    I'm a proud alumna of the Campbellsville High School Marching Band and both enjoyed and dreaded my years of participation with the school's concert, jazz, pep and marching ensembles.

    But I have to say that I'm proud of the Taylor County High School Marching Cardinals this marching season and enjoy hearing the familiar echo of their instruments when leaving the News-Journal office.

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  • Normal? What do you call normal?

    We all have it. Cluttering our spare rooms, basements, attics or garages. We accumulate it through the years, amassing massive collections as we make our way through life. Junk.

    My obsession began sometime during my high school years, when I started earning a dollar. I'd always been a film buff, and at some point I realized there was a whole world of movie memorabilia out there. And thus began my downward spiral into obsessive collecting of anything related to the films I loved.

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