Maynardville is a community that is strong in pulling together its resources for the overall benefit of one another. Children come first and most anyone will reach out to help when there is a child in need.

Throughout the county, there are clothes closets, backpack programs, food pantries and so many more resources for the times when they are needed. Many students rely on these alternative assets as their supply source for the month.

As we all probably know, Union County, and the rest of Appalachia for that matter, has a long history with moonshining. In fact, Maynardville's own main street and Highway 33 is called Thunder Road in recognition of its bootlegging past- the moonshine "pipeline" between Middlesboro and Knoxville. I was born on Thunder Road in the back of my grandfather's car, but that's another story. If we look back at our history, even to colonial times and the earliest habitation by European settlers, distilled spirits have been produced by mountain people, both legal and illicit.

I knew better than to try it, but I did anyway. My husband Tim even said, “I knew you should’ve stayed outside.”

Where in the world were we? Standing inside the Saint Augustine lighthouse.

We were on their ghost tour. As you all know, I don’t go on ghost tours to see ghosts. I go because I love stories and history. And with Saint Augustine being the oldest European settlement in North America, it is full of rich and even tragic stories.

I still have the first dictionary I ever owned. Ms. Wanza Sharp gave it to me in fourth grade. It was missing both front and back covers, and the first and last few pages were missing. I still have it safely tucked away in my home library archives. The dictionary is precious because it was one of the first books I ever owned, and Ms. Wanza, one of my all-time heroes both in and out of the classroom, gave it to me. Also, I spent many a day playing school with that wonderful volume.

My father kept postcards from his childhood. I found them after he passed away. I never knew they existed until then. He was born in 1899 in Sandstone
Township of Jackson County, Michigan It was a different time. Dad would have been horrified to see how this old world is turning nowadays. It was a gentler time. Boys on the farm didn't have the distractions that abound now.

Spring approaches, and with it will come the itch to get your fingernails dirty and plant stuff. Landscaping adds beauty and value to the home, so it’s a good investment, and you always want your investments to do well, so choosing healthy plants is important. Here are some guidelines:

I like beets just about any way you can fix them. Fresh ones, topped and cooking in boiling salted water taste the best. Then peel them, slice them and top with butter and some of the warmed water they were cooked in. Everyone I know likes them fancied up. This is a fancied up recipe. Good, too. Please forgive me for using canned beets. Fresh ones aren't always available.

Maddix Wyrick’s walk-off was a picture perfect ending in Horace Maynard’s victory over Claiborne Bulldogs. Horace Maynard took Tuesday’s game in dramatic fashion, with a 3-2 walk-off with Claiborne Bulldogs. The game was tied at two with Horace Maynard battling the bottom of the sixth with an error and a fielders choice led to the winning run for Horace Maynard. The pitching was strong on both sides, Horace Maynard pitcher struck out ten, while Josh Cinnamon sat down five.

Uniquely Union host Dr. Ronnie Mincey interviews Union County Historian Bonnie Heiskell Peters.

In the literary world, a catchy title or risqué focus may draw the eye of an interested reader, but have you ever thought about how influenced one may be by elegantly designed book cover art? Melissa Stevens saw the need for such involved illustrations in forums in the mid-2000s.

Melissa, who is an Anderson County native, is the owner and operator of a thriving graphic design and illustration business, Illustrated Author Design Services. She began in 2011, working with a small press.