Opinion

American journalist Tony Snow once said, “If you think Independence Day is America’s defining holiday, think again. Thanksgiving deserves that title, hands down.” I could not agree more. America’s “first Thanksgiving” dates back to November 1621, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration. They were grateful for the simple things in life... food, shelter, family, friendship, and the right to worship their God...

It has been heralded as one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the federal government—one that impacted the United States socially, economically and politically. But it almost never came to pass. The Service members' Readjustment Act of 1944—commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights—nearly stalled in Congress as members of the House and Senate debated provisions of the controversial bill...

Where does the time go? I am now one of “those” people... you know, the ones who actually believe Christmas is separated only by a couple of hot days in the summer. You take down the tree; eat a Valentine chocolate; go for a swim; eat turkey; then put the tree back up. As my father-in-law would have said, “It’s a vicious cycle.”...

“Home of the free because of the brave.” May we all agree with Rodney Frelinghuysen who once said, “Veterans are a symbol of what makes our nation great, and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.” This week, The Times has published its annual Vet- erans Day salute. It is our way of saying thanks to the hundreds of veterans from our community who have lived, fought and died for our country...

Apparently I am a DUFF. In fact, at some time in our life, I’m pretty sure we have all been a DUFF. If you don’t happen to be a 12-year-old, you may not even know what I am talking about. I personally was clueless until a couple of weeks ago when I had a conversation with three preteens followed by the watching of a movie titled DUFF - Destination Ugly Fat Friend!...

Often called “Blytheville’s national treasure,” 90-year-old Ruth Raspberry is a legend in her hometown. Once admitting to me, in an interview, she loved to work, Ms. Ruth was the face of the local Sears store for 69 years. I first met Ms. Ruth about a year ago at the Blytheville Senior Citizen Center. This past week, she called to wish me a Happy Birthday. Although, I was not available, I was so touched by her thoughtfulness. She is a true treasure this community can be very proud of...

In the heyday of rock n’ roll, rockabilly, and the blues, small recording studios began popping up all over Memphis. And, numerous musicians from Mississippi County had their finger in the pie, including Wayne McGinnis. Santo Records was one of these small companies that popped up after Sun hit with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and other rockabilly singers. It was started in the early 1960s by singer Wayne McGinnis who was originally from Mississippi County...