Mark Kelly, of Independence Township, dead at 63. The news from friends that our mutual friend, Mark P. Kelly had passed, presumably peacefully in his sleep, shocked me. Like with the passing of any person, it’s not only a loss to loved ones, family and friends. When any person passes the community loses something, too. […]
It may be hard to believe, but there was a time when reporting local news for a community newspaper was a heck of a lot easier. A few decades ago really were simpler times. While I understand times do change and folks have to roll with the punches or get run over, I can still […]
The year is almost a month old already and I have laid another birthday to rest and as I sit here and type my fourth Don’t Rush Me column of 2022, I remembered I haven’t written about my Word of The Year . . . yet. As a refresher to regular readers and to fill […]
I think I’m on a mini “roll” lately. Last week I hopped up on my soapbox and proclaimed what the role of a community paper is. I waxed philosophically about informing, educating and entertaining and your community newspaper. Community newspapers also help local businesses promote themselves. After writing that, I took a deep breath and […]
Gosh, we’re into the second week of yet another year, and I just figured out, we have only 50 weeks left to make all of our goals — personal, financial and in business. As I pondered how far I am already behind schedule this year, far above me I heard familiar voices. From somewhere in […]
It’s here. Christmas week and despite all that happened a few weeks ago, I will look for hope. It’s the season of hope that propels me to tap, tap, tippity-tap, tap on my keyboard. For so long it didn’t feel like the Christmas season and then it snowed on Saturday — about three inches of […]
Yeah, about two weeks ago I had envisioned writing a funny little Christmas season column on red underwear, but I have shelved that notion. Still haven’t gotten back into the “humor” writing mode. Oxford, the events of Nov. 30 and the families devastated still fill my heart and my mind. I don’t feel funny much […]
By now there’s nary a soul in the entire United States of America who hasn’t thought of the Oxford community and the victims of a school shooting which left four students dead plus six more students and one teacher wounded from the gun fire. Our community newspaper The Oxford Leader was already ready for press […]
Every night I tend to reflect on the hours I was awake that day. Did I fail, hurt or belittle any person, situation or entity (on purpose or unintentionally). If I answer to myself, “yes” I figure out what needs to happen the next day to make things right. (Most nights, thankfully, the affirmative answer […]
So the other week I had a local lady come visit me at my Oxford office. She had (maybe still has) some issues about something she and her husband received in the mail. Let’s call her “Virginia.” “Don,” said Virginia with obvious concern in her voice. “I got this survey in the mail and it […]