The Daily Courier – free digital during the pandemic

March 20, 2020 – The Daily Courier – free digital during the pandemic

         The Daily Courier has taken an unselfish move and made The Daily Courier digital edition free of charge during this COVID-19 situation.

         So, my friends, those of you who no longer subscribe to The Daily Courier, let all your friends know that they can access updated information at:

www.thedigitalcourier.com

         Be good citizens and splash that news around on your Facebook too, so that the word gets out.  We are all together in this war against this devastating virus.

         Stay well.

Every private citizen

has a public responsibility.

– Myra Janco Daniels

My fifteen minutes of fame

February 24, 2020 – My fifteen minutes of fame

          Everyone has their fifteen minutes of fame and I have had more than my share; but the first one was spectacular - top fold, almost full spread picture in the Life-Styles section of The Daily Courier.  That was when the paper was 13 inches wide by 22 inches long per page.  Not like that now.  I unearthed this treasure in a photo album that my Mom (now deceased) kept and in order to preserve it and share it with friends – for a chuckle – I have re-typed it below.

          The article captured my life at the time as a corporate wife who had moved 10 times in less than 11 years.  I also think it captured who I was at the time.  Anyone who knows me will say I am still that person.

          Later, I interviewed Virginia Rucker for a college assignment, she was a delightful lady.  Hopefully, I can scrounge that up for a chuckle or two.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, N.C., Wednesday, December 30, 1987, page 10A

Thoroughness is hallmark of her pursuits

She believes in learning the ropes

By Virginia Rucker

Daily Courier Associate Editor

CHASE – when Terry St. John goes at something, be it hobby or serious business, she does it thoroughly.

          She collects Delft blue china, has a garden filled with exotic vegetables and flowers, does crafts, and she has a computer at her home where she does professional work.

          Her skills, she says, are self-made.  “When I decide I want to do something new I get all the books I can and read, read, read. Then I go by trial and error until I get it right.”

          Gardening is an example of her approach.  When she and her husband, Russell Tobine, were moving to this county, where her husband works with AFA, they chose a house in this community because of its large, sunny lot.

          The resultant garden isn’t just your everyday variety – she has flourishing cauliflowers, broccoli, asparagus, some Chinese vegetables, along with the usual varieties.  Her flowers include many grown from bulbs and on a recent trip to Holland she picked up some new ideas on their cultivation.  She knows the botanical name for what she grows and composting and an irrigation system play important roles in her garden.

          New Englanders by birth – Terry from Massachusetts, Russell from New Hampshire – they like the early spring here.  Up North, “Our early spring lasts two weeks,” she jokes.  “We like the four seasons here and I can get two crops from my garden.”

          Her gardening hobby led to an interest in nutrition, so Terry read volumes on that subject.

          Walls and tables in their home testify to her skills in crafts and sewing (she made the draperies), but her marketable skill is in computers.

          “I am fascinated by them, what they can do.  I love to process words, write 16-page letters.”  She’s worked for business firms, and is currently free-lancing with clients from as far away as Greenwood, S.C.

          Her computer training began in 1978, when she used a computerized typewriter in the office where she worked.  Later she became a Kelly girl, going wherever she was sent and often sent to streamline business operations.

          “They hired me to be awful, to eliminate some jobs, to train people in others.  I got headaches from that job and I saw the lack of morality in some firms – working people for low salaries and knowing that these employees would be fired and replacements would be paid more.”

          But what she does more frequently than anything is move.  It’s a way of life, like her hobbies, and she’s gotten it down to a fine art. “I unpack immediately, put up curtains, pictures, and plant flowers.  “We’ve moved seven times in the last 10 years, and have fun moving across the country, from New England to Kansas City, to Bates City, Mo., Seaford, Delaware, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wayne, New Jersey, and Hollywood, Florida.”

          “We’ve lived in this county two and one-half years, the longest we’ve ever lived in one place.  We like it here; the people are friendly, Forest City is Americana.  People are the same wherever we go.  I enjoy talking to them in stores, wherever I go.  I’m naturally curious, inquisitive and I learn a lot by asking questions and listening.”

          “There’s no reason for anyone to be lonely, regardless of where they live, in big cities or small towns there’s always weather, flora, fauna and people to enjoy.  You make your own happiness, it doesn’t depend on circumstances.”

          Besides her cross-country moves Terry has traveled abroad with Russell on his job.  They’ve been to Malaysia and returned three weeks ago from Holland where he went on business and she visited the Delft factory and added to her collection of china.

          His company asked Russell if he’d be interested in working in their Malyasian plant, so they went to inspect the place.  “We spent two weeks in Malysia.  Before we left I got books and read about the weather, the food, so I’d know what clothes to take, what food to expect – no cheeseburgers in Malaysia.  The trip (with stops in Singapore and Hong Kong) made me look at this country differently; it would be good experience for everyone to go abroad after high school to see the freedoms we enjoy.  We don’t have to have a license to move, we can have telephones, televisions, cars, freedom to speak, to criticize government officials.”

          Independent by nature, she’s retained her maiden name and is proud of the fact that she’s made her own way since graduation from high school. “My parents taught us to work for what we had – we appreciate things more if we earn them.  Nowadays young people expect their parents to give them a car on their 16^th birthday.  I remember I worked for more than two years to buy a car and pay for it myself.  I remember what that car meant to me."

And what am I paying for?

February 8, 2020 – And what am I paying for?

Below is an letter to the editor of our local, small town, newspaper.  No, I won't apologize a bit.  There comes a moment when enough is enough and you want to ask - What am I paying for when you have a years' subscription to the local paper.  I doubt you will see it as an editorial in that paper, so I am publishing it here.

         Saturday’s paper I found two repeated articles.  Celebrated book editor Mayhew dies at 87.  Didn’t that run earlier this week?  And, then Jim Mullen’s Village Idiot.  That was in last Saturday’s edition.

         Who is in charge and keeping an eye on things?  I am highly disappointed.  Friday’s paper was a mere 12 pages, the weekend edition is a mere 14 pages.

         And, my big peeve for the week.  I do realize this is a small newspaper and that we don’t have daily editions,  but, I feel cheated, yes cheated that our little town newspaper completely ignored that President Trump was acquitted.  Not a single article, not a blip – nothing, nada.  You could have simply used a series of “quotations” from all the key players as a recap.  But, no – your paper ignored it?

         Okay, so now you don’t even hide that it is a Democratic biased paper?   Even then, shouldn’t you have covered the tearing up of the State of the Union address by a petulant Pelosi and quoted her, “He is impeached forever!”   Excuse me, but I will ask the impertinent Trump sounding question – Why? What is with you guys?  

         Don’t tell me the acquittal is old news. It is a once or twice in a life-time important news. It is the type of news that one clips out of the paper and glues into one’s journal for future reference so that you can tell your grandchildren, and read your personal opinion, jotted down at the time, to them years from now. 

         And you no longer have political cartoons, yet you seem to have daily poems by  Franklin Price – is he some world famous poet – or does he own stock in the paper?

         How can you have a wonderful article by Bonnie Werlinich about the speaker Jeffrey Blount on January 22, 2020, and a follow-up article that was perfect, one day this week, and you don’t have the courtesy to even mention our President, Donald J. Trump’s Impeachment Acquittal? 

         Kudos go to Werlinich for both articles as well as most everything else she has penned.

         I am troubled.  I can see the demise of the printed Daily Courier almost in sight – it is not too far off now, a bit hazy, but it is getting clearer and clearer as the fog and mist lift.

         P.S.  If a writer needs some Democratic news, have them outline the articles in the New Way Forward Act that they are working on in Congress.  That would make for some interesting reading.

March 9, 2017 – A view from the kitchen window

          I made certain that I have a nice view from the kitchen window when I planned my gardens here at this house.  I knew I would be standing there washing pots and pans and dishes for many years to come.  Near the window is a bird feeder that gives us great delight and has an array of birds due to my husband spending the little extra on premium bird seed.

          And the driveway garden right now has King Alfred daffodils in bloom on the slight bank which it the garden view which is directly in front of the kitchen sink in this house.   Those yellow faced daffodils are dancing in the sun.  They miraculously bounced back after the hard freezes this last weekend.  What a delight to see for two reasons: Alfred is my dad’s given name and secondly, my longtime, childhood friend sent the bulbs to me as a house warming gift when I moved to this house. Through valiant care over the years, they have survived and still bloom.

          I noticed this morning the sun glinting in on the cobalt blue cereal bowl as I hand washed it.  I smiled to myself remembering something I said to a friend at church maybe 20 years ago.  She has since moved away, but was a lovely woman.  She was a psychologist who didn’t seem to act like a psychologist when she interacted with you in public.   I remember telling her I got a surprise gift from my Mom of cobalt blue plates that are so pretty to wash because the sun glints into the kitchen sink window and I sort of get lost in thought just washing them with the suds and witnessing the clarity of the blue glass and the way the sun casts a blue shadow.

          She said, “You’ll never need psychotherapy" in a jesting sort of way. Then touching my arm she leaned in and whispered advice, "Never throw those dishes out.”

          And, it happens that in today’s Daily Courier there was an article by Dr. Terry Ledford entitled “Making everyday tasks pleasurable”.  What a coincidence.    He mentions, “ . . . you might enjoy the view from your kitchen window, while washing dishes.”

It is a good read for anyone who seems to be smothered in the everyday tasks that can get you down.   You know, those things on your “to-do” list that you have to do every day.

          I’ll repeat here what Dr. Ledford suggested:

If you have to do them every day, you might as well enjoy them.

Ledford’s website is www.TerryLedford.com

September 2, 2016 - Are you local? 

Today’s Question:

The other day I was asked “Are you local” and I hesitated. 

How long do you have to live in a town before you can answer “YES”? 

The next time someone asks me this I am going to say, “Define LOCAL”.

Do the mile posts or yardsticks of life have any correlation on are you local?

I’ve lived here since 1985 – that is 31 years.  Which is also 31 years of my 38 year marriage; we passed the silver anniversary [25] and the pearl anniversary [30] but not the ruby anniversary [40] mark yet.  Does that count for anything?

Is it done by years, or local accomplishments, or how many jobs you’ve held or lost in the area? Is it as simple as a check box on items you complete?  Is that a 100 percent completion rate or do we get there by getting to 95 which used to equate to an “A” in my old college days?

Let’s do a quick tally and see where I am:

For 31 years, I have been a registered voter and voted in every election. [x]
For 31 years, I’ve paid real estate taxes. [x]   

For 31 years I have faithfully attended the Immaculate Conception Church; was Past President of Ladies Guild [7 years] and co-author of the first cook book. [x] 

For 31 years I have continuously subscribed to The Daily Courier. [x] 

For 31 years I have had a Library Card. [x] 

ICC Graduate and ICC Alumni Club. [x] 

Foothills Toastmaster’s member and past President.  [x] 

Entrepreneur at St. John Title Company, LLC for 10 years. [x] 

Maybe it is based on how many books you’ve borrowed from the local libraries.  Is that a cumulative basis, i.e., so many books equal so many points?  Or a simple check box?

Heck, the first two years I lived here I checked out every gardening book in the Mooneyham library and then shifted into other interesting things. I must have met my quota for at least one [x]  if not more.

Do I get a bonus check because I have taken books out of all out the libraries including Polk?   [x] 

Countless Rutherford County Arts Council plays and assorted concerts I’ve attended since 1985.[x] 

Multiple impassioned editorials I’ve submitted to The Daily Courier. [x] 

I was interviewed by Virginia Rucker back in the late 1980s with a big splashy picture in The Daily Courier. [x] 

A second big splashy picture and article about the Ikebana Flower arranging class I did at ICC in The Daily Courier a decade later. [x] 

I’ve been in dozens of group photos in The Daily Courier for Who’s Who Among American Junior Colleges, Chamber of Commerce ribbon cuttings, Foothills Toastmaster President and officers.  A few press releases mixed in with the listing of honor rolls or awards received over the years – just like all the locals.  [x] 

Or is it just the day-to-day stuff of living:

How many cars have I purchased here in the county? [x]  Or, how many odometers have turned over at 100,000 miles here in the county? [x] 

How many car batteries, windshield wipers, brakes, or tires come in to play or earn a check mark or two? [x] [x] 

Or, moving from one house to another house to the third house in three different locations in the county? [x] [x] [x] 

How about activities like swim classes, yoga, aerobic classes? [x] 

How about selling flowers and produce at the Farmer’s Market? [x] 

How about attending every Owl’s Baseball home game for at least one full season? [x] 

Where is this secret chart of check blocks or the cumulative point scale? I need a sneak peek to see if I am on track.

Or maybe it is about the infrastructure?  I’ve flown in and out of all 3 airports –Charlotte, Asheville and Greenville/Spartanburg – does that count for anything?

When? When will I no longer be considered an outsider?  How long does it take to become one of you ‘all?

Maybe it has to do with what has changed since I’ve lived here?

[x]   Alexander Mills was annexed into Forest City.

[x]   The 221 divided highway they were talking about way before we arrived in 1985 still hasn’t made it all the way through the county – just up to maybe Shiloh?

[x]   We witnessed the 74 bypass of the 74 bypass that goes from Forest City to I-26.

[x] [x]  The county was dry – no drinks in any restaurants when I came – hey put a double check mark there – we now have restaurants where we can imbibe!

[x]  The Red & White grocery store gone – a drug store sited there.

[x]  The original K-Mart is now the Mighty Dollar.

[x]  The second K-Mart is still empty with Rocky’s Lounge on the east side.

[x]  The original Wal Mart is now Save-a-Lot with Tractor Supply on the east side.

[x]  The Harris Teeter is now Ollies.

[x]  The original Food Lion is now J’s discount. Just to name a few.

Or is it perhaps watching the careers of people:

A fine example would be my Business Law professor at ICC, Dr. Myra Johnson, who replaced Dr. Willard L. Lewis, III, in 2009 as President of Isothermal Community College.  And, then the Honorable Walter Dalton, former Lieutenant Governor, [I once worked for him as a paralegal] took over in 2013. [x] [x] [x] 

I have lived, laughed, cried, played, worked, gardened, shopped, and prayed here for years.  Did I miss some category of living not listed?  It’s been a journey – am I there yet, am I a local yet?

Please tell me what life event opportunity have I missed out on that I could collect points or check a box?

I’ve been asked countless times:  “You look so familiar, do I know you?” or “I’m sure we’ve meet?” Are there any points or check boxes for those?

Do these milestones of one’s life finally make you a member of the so-called “local” club or does it always go back to the state and county printed on your birth certificate?

I may not have been born here, but it is likely I will die here.  Will that be a bonus point?  Will that get me over the top?

Will two local friends stand side by side reviewing my body in death’s repose and say,

“She is our people; she is one of us.”  “Yup, could call her local, almost.”