Commentary

I had a boss once who wrapped up every meeting with, ‘OK, what do we own?’ It was one more chance for each of us to recount what, exactly, we would do to solve this or that problem. I thought it was a great technique. And now the county firmly, absolutely, owns tourism promotion. The Legislature last week approved making […]

I wrote last week about the Putnam County 4-H Fair, and its many small-town, even old-timey rituals, including a good hot dog munched outside. I fear this week is far less optimistic. Familiar ritual, yes. But if this, another mass shooting – followed within hours by another – becomes one of the levers that unites us, if only in grief […]

It truly is hard to beat a small-time county fair for a genuine good time. You can catch up with friends. Enjoy a hot dog with sauerkraut, and then another one with chili and cheese. See all the politicians, or nearly all of them, at once. The best such events are neither pretentious nor slick, and I think Putnam’s succeeds […]

You know how sometimes you chew on things later, think about them, and decide, “Maybe I overreacted there.” Or, “Maybe I misread that.” I’ve been chewing on this tourism thing — the abdication of the Putnam County Visitors Bureau, at the height of summer, to engage in any tourism promotion. Essentially, just shutting down the whole agency down and walking […]