Stone: ‘I’m going home by helicopter’

“There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise ... this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive ...

Rich: The old hat

In my hands, I held the battered straw hat, holes torn in a couple of places. For a solid block of time, I studied it, having taken it down from the fireplace mantle.I choked up. It probably cost no more than a quarter, yet Oscar Cannon, no doubt, wore it for half a century or more.

Letter to the Editor: What is going on with Greensboro PD?

Dear Editor,I have sat on this for a few months and couldn’t decide whether to risk it and stand up for what’s right or let it be.I have become somewhat familiar with Greene County/Greensboro and not in a positive way.

Letter to the Editor: Federal employees are real people

Dear Editor,With all the news regarding DOGE efforts and termination of federal employees, I would just like to remind readers that federal employees are real people. I am one of them. I am a nurse practitioner who has served nearly 13 years for the Veterans Health Administration.

Letter to the Editor: Trump’s golf trips

Dear Editor,As of March 17, just 56 days into his presidency, Donald Trump has already spent nearly 30% of his time golfing despite promising he would be “too busy working” to play. His trips to his own properties, particularly Mar-a-Lago, aren’t just frequent; they’re costly. The U.S.

Stone: Cataclysms, calamities, and catastrophes

Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it. - Hunter S. ThompsonI have always regarded writing columns about writing columns as a bad idea.Readers don’t want to hear about that sort of thing.

Smith: St. Simons Island

Whenever I have an opportunity to visit Georgia’s Golden Isles, I become overwhelmed with the serenity and natural beauty that encompasses this stretch of the Atlantic Seaboard.

Rich: A friend named Walt

Perhaps I’ll never forget the lilting sound of his beautiful Southern accent.I hope not. Right now, it’s ringing in my ears, forcing tears into my eyes. Walt Ehmer was one of the best friends I ever had. He possessed a quick wit that couldn’t be outrun.

Stone: Is shopping still a pleasure?

There is only one thing for it, then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you.

Rich: Kris Kristofferson

A friend and I were discussing which version of the movie “A Star Is Born” was our favorite.It has been remade four times — each one terrific — and is based on the original 1932 film, “What Price Hollywood?