Cleanup Begins At Old Herron Hardware
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A large crew is in Oakland to begin the clearing out of an old building in downtown. Michael Suggs and his team showed up Monday morning and expect to have the entire building gutted by the end of the week. The plan is to turn the space into a pleasant park-like venue pending structural engineering.
Oakland News
By Linda Aldy
Belated Happy Birthday wishes to Walter Fuquay who celebrated his 80th birthday recently! Mary said they celebrated with cake and homemade strawberry ice cream at home with their neighbors Danny and Gail Barton and Julie and Van Everhard. I know that we all wish him a wonderful year ahead as he plows into his 80s!
Oakland Baptist Church had a large turnout this past Sunday to say farewell to two of their favorite members, Frank and Sharolyne Harbin, as they relocate to Webster County. Sharonlyne’s father, Robert Campbell, was superintendent of Oakland High School for several years, so we all knew her as a young girl and it was so wonderful having her and Frank back in the community. If you know Frank, you know he never meets a stranger and doesn’t mind guessing anyone’s age! He brought a lot of fun and laughter. They will be missed, but have an open invitation to visit anytime.
The big excitement in town as I write this on Monday morning is that the crew is here in the downtown area to start the clearing out of the old Herron Hardware building, which previous owners allowed to fall in. It has been such an eyesore. Just getting it cleaned out will be a huge improvement.
It looked like the cavalry arriving when Michael Suggs and his team showed up with trucks and equipment this morning. It brought traffic to a standstill as they maneuvered into place. We are hoping they will be able to salvage architectural elements, but they may be beyond saving.
Sister Martha has been in Oakland visiting with Mother and awaiting a group of her high school friends to swoop in and head out for a girls’ trip. On Friday, they came by and visited with Mother before heading out for St. Louis. Mother loved visiting with Beverly Caffey Slaughter, Louann Heath Woodward, and Jan Gray Walton. They were stopping in the Memphis area to pick up Julie Cutler Farrell. This group has stayed tightly together for many, many years now, and very little keeps them from time together and sharing the highs and lows of each other’s lives. They live in Florida, Tennessee, and in the Mississippi towns of Madison, Starkville and Grenada.
Research clearly shows the value of maintaining lifetime friendships. So while we are having fun, we are also improving physical and mental health. Long-term friendships reduce stress hormones like cortisol, lower inflammation markers, slow biological aging, and provide deep emotional stability, serving as vital psychological safe spaces that increase overall life satisfaction and longevity, all according to Dr. Google. Bottom line, friendships are vitally important, and the longer, the better. So, call up your friends and have lunch or get a group together and head out on a little adventure somewhere!
It never hurts when your friends bring fresh vegetables or cake, either! Cousin Bradley Ross has been experimenting in the kitchen and brought some wonderful spice cake for us to enjoy. We are definitely encouraging him to continue using us as taste testers. Nancy Zachary brought potato soup. I was not here when she brought it, but I have had her potato soup in the past, and she would win bragging rights in any competition, anywhere!
I shared a bit last week about my jury duty experience. We ended up serving a total of seven days. Sadly, this was a case about attempted child exploitation. We took our service very seriously and did not discuss any thoughts we might have about the case until after all the testimony, instructions, closing arguments and review of more than 300 pages of Facebook and text messages which had been entered into evidence. There were three counts that we had to consider, and when we finally finished all the material, we took our first vote and discovered that all 12 of us thought the federal prosecuting team had proved the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. I was relieved that everyone felt the same because it seemed very clear to me. The same unanimous vote held on the other two counts, and we sent the judge a note that we had reached unanimous opinion on all three counts.
After reading the verdict in open court, the judge thanked us for performing a very important civic duty and told us we were welcome to come back for sentencing in November if we wanted to see the full cycle of the federal court system.
It’s been a few years since I traveled out of the country, but I’ve got a trip coming up this fall to Seoul. I’m excited, but I had forgotten a lot of little details that need to be addressed. I knew my passport was current, but I have double-checked that. I definitely needed a new pair of earplugs. I’m one of those who always experiences some ear discomfort, so it does help to have plugs on takeoff and landing.
I got some ordered that promise miracles. We’ll see. Then I remembered I need power adapters to be able to use my phone and Kindle and other electronics. Of course, none of the ones I have work in Korea, and we are making a quick jaunt over to Hong Kong, which uses a totally different plug, so I’ve ordered those.
Next, I’ve got to figure out the best system for using my phone during the trip. I’m also going to be haunting the Delta website to check for upgrades on my seating at a decent price. I will be traveling with people who have lived in Korea and Hong Kong, so I am thrilled to have instant tour guides who know all the best places to visit! We are about six weeks out, so I’ve got time to remember all the things I have yet to do. I am not looking forward to 15 hours in-flight time. Send me your best travel tips for packing and avoiding in-flight misery!
Share your news with me. You can text or leave a message at 601-853-3942. Email me at oaklandareachamber@gmail.com. The text/message machine has a stern warning to scammers, but don’t let that stop you from leaving me a message!
