Columns

Real estate decline

There were no ceremonies, no services, no remembrances. None of these to commemorate the demise of what was a rip-roaring, red-hot real estate market here and just about everywhere. “It’s dead,” says a local real estate professional. Not dead as if to never return.

2022 city service awards

The city work staff has not been immune to the labor challenges confronting many other businesses and industries in the aftermath of the pandemic. In 2021, the city staff was struggling with a nearly 30% turnover rate.

Crypto collapse

The grating question came out of nowhere, out of left field, like a flash of summer lightning in the distance.  A guy at a small party asked what I thought about investing in cryptocurrencies. The room got quiet, about an alluring topic for many people.

The mayonnaise jar at Thanksgiving

November offers two significant days for me. One is singularly professional and the other is collectively personal. First, November is the anniversary of my tenure as the city manager in Fernandina Beach. I had never heard of the community before I responded to the search notice for the position.

How I met my hero

“You should never meet your heroes.” Such statements are designed to shield us from disappointment. Unfortunately, disappointment is a fact of life. Sometimes it might be worth risking disappointment to experience something extraordinary.

General Lejeune and his camp

If you have had your television on during the last few weeks, you’ve seen the ads about compensation for people on or near Camp Lejeune and its burn pits. After watching these ads for a couple of weeks, I began to wonder about this camp and the man whose name it bears.

Good spirits or close to tears

Usually, I come away from Election Day either in good spirits or close to tears, but after these mid-terms, my fingers on one hand are rimming a celebratory glass of iced tea while my fingers on the other hand are keeping a handkerchief at the ready.

Presidents can pose a major threat to our democracy

Sandra C. Taylor For the News-Leader President Biden has expressed concern about threats to our democracy. But he is apparently unaware of the most critical threat which only presidents can make, and one he has made several times in two years.

Behind the eyes of a military Veteran

My respect for our nation’s military runs deep in my soul. My son is a part of something greater than I will ever experience in my lifetime. He has strength of body and character. He carries out orders with pride and is equipped to lead in any situation that requires a firm hand and a strong voice.