Opinion

Mayor on Duty - 3.21.24

Thursday, March 21, will be the March meeting of the Highlands Town Board of Commissioners. This meeting will have two sessions: Workshop and the Board Meeting, both open to the public. The workshop will begin at 6 p.m. at the Highlands Recreation Department.

Sunshine Week brings light for all

It’s a fitting coincidence that Sunshine Week 2024 happens to fall during the week that the three local elected bodies governing Highlands and Cashiers were scheduled to meet. The Macon County and Jackson County boards of commissioners held their March meetings on Tuesday night.

Mayor on Duty - 3.14.24

After the town retreat last Thursday, I talked with Lamar Nix.  Lamar smiled and told me, “Mayor, you know we just identified about 16 million dollars in needed capital funding.”  I reluctantly acknowledged his assertion.  Lamar responded, “But there is good news, Mayor.

Cashiers hearing continued... Again

After a few months’ hiatus, the Cashiers Marketplace development’s quasi-judicial hearing returned for a full day of proceedings last week at the Cashiers library.

Mayor on Duty - 3.7.24

As a university professor and administrator, I’ve been on a number of “working” retreats. It usually meant checking into a very nice resort followed by an afternoon cocktail party with colleagues, aka rivals.  After cocktails, we would have a kickoff rubber chicken and green pea banquet.

Clocks "spring" forward Saturday

Spring arrives this coming weekend. Not officially of course, the first day of spring on the calendar isn’t until March 19, but for most of the populous spring begins when the clocks move one hour forward for Daylight Savings Time.

Mayor on Duty - 2.29.24

Twenty years ago, Erin Bronk, then a US Forest Ranger, had a great idea of creating a sky bridge over US 64 down to Dry Falls.

Workshop starts new dialogue

Nik Wallenda is quite possibly the most famous tight rope walker ever. He holds 11 Guinness world records for his exploits navigating a tight rope across spans including Niagara Falls, a volcano, and a portion of the Grand Canyon.

Mayor on Duty - 2.22.24

The governmental process can be slow, and as some have observed in Highlands, we do it cautiously and painstakingly deliberate. At the business roundtable last Thursday night, that concern was expressed: Highlands needs to be dynamic and open to change.

Primary will have lasting impact

A wise man once said, “All politics are local.” And while the validity of that statement is continually tested in our current political climate, there is one race on ballot that is both local, and timely.