Looking back at columns over the last 20 years

I’ve done over 20 New Years Eve columns at this newspaper. As I prepared for another one I looked back at some of the subjects I’ve written about.

My most often used subject is black-eyed peas. Several times I’ve mentioned that my wife fixes black-eyed peas on New Years Day. They’re supposed to bring good luck. Judging the results I say they have. For one thing she has cooked a good meal every New Years Day.

In 1997 I wrote about the difficulty she had finding a can of them. She had shopped at several stores and all of them were out. She didn’t give up looking until she found a can.

Also, that year I wrote about the beautiful snowfall we had. It was several inches deep but hardly any stayed on the roads.

I’ve seldom written about New Year’s resolutions. Some of our staff has. In 1989 reporter Teresa Hill called her resolutions “10 Steps to a nervous breakdown.”

I’ve spent more of my space advising the city, county and state on how to run their operations. I’m not sure they read those columns.

In 1989 my final column of the year was about the Cumberland Falls Invitational Tournament. I complimented Coach Billy Hicks and the Redhound Varsity Club for doing an outstanding job. I also suggested they invite Laurel County to participate.

That has happened more than once. South Laurel has won the tournament and this year they are in the finals against Corbin.

This year’s tournament has been a good one. By inviting more local teams the crowds have been larger. It has had a regional tournament atmosphere.

In one of my early columns, 1992, I pledged to give Whitley County the best local news coverage ever and this newspaper would show big circulation gains.

I’m proud to say that these pledges came true. In 1992 we were second in circulation. With outstanding local news coverage we moved to the top spot and have maintained, even increased the margin.

At the beginning of the new century everybody was nervous about what would happen to their computers.
Predictions of mass chaos from Y-2K were in the news constantly.

My column mentioned this but it also mentioned how optimistic people were about the upcoming new century. We could use some of that optimism now.

I’ve commented on a number of things from roads to bridges, litter, taxes, laws, town beautification and one that has often drawn comment was a new post office for Corbin. This one has definitely fallen on deaf ears.
A lot of space was given to the south Corbin interchange area. In 2003 we were full of excitement and optimism as the new Tri-County Cineplex theater opened.

And then came this year, 2008. Few of us saw what was coming. It has turned out to be the worst year for the economy in my lifetime. We can only cross our fingers, be optimistic and hope that 2009 will be better.
Now, when the holiday decorations are about to come down and they are fresh on our minds, thought should be given to improving those in Corbin before next year.

Main Street took a backward step this year. While the wreaths are nice and show up better in the daylight hours, they do very little at night. I’ve heard several people say the old ones looked better.

Perhaps the combination of the two would work. I’d like to see lighted garland, wreaths and the brighter old decorations all placed on the poles.

And after all these years it is time to fix whatever the problem is on the many decorations that are hung but do not light at all. Surely this problem could be solved.

Thanks to Mayor McBurney and Commissioner Dennis Lynch for seeing to it that the non-working bulbs were replaced recently.

This is my last word on this issue, that is, until next November. There will be plenty of other issues to deal with. Until then, Happy New year!