Opinion

Our family — all 16 of us — love basking in the natural wonders of Georgia’s outdoors. Sunrise on the coast of the Golden Isles is a special time of day. And it’s an extra special time for our son Alan to take his sons, William and Fenn, fishing in the surf of Cumberland Island. As soon as all eight of our grandchildren could walk, they were holding fishing poles. (HEATHER NESMITH/SUBMITTED)

Our family — all 16 of us — love basking in the natural wonders of Georgia’s outdoors. Sunrise on the coast of the Golden Isles is a special time of day. And it’s an extra special time for our son Alan to take his sons, William and Fenn, fishing in the surf of Cumberland Island. As soon as all eight of our grandchildren could walk, they were holding fishing poles. (HEATHER NESMITH/SUBMITTED)

Opinion Column: Georgia is always on my mind

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
The fascination came early.   Even before I could drive, I was smitten.   Decades later, I’m still like a kid in a candy store. I struggle to decide which I like best. That’s why I can never get enough.    When Emily was in pigtails, we would slip through the Altamaha River swamp in a skiff.
The Depot in Crawford will host the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo at the Historic Depot in Crawford from 1-7 p.m. The public is welcome. (DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

The Depot in Crawford will host the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce’s Business Expo at the Historic Depot in Crawford from 1-7 p.m. The public is welcome. (DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

The Echo’s Opinion: Local matters

News Staff
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Oglethorpe County has about 15,000 residents. Among those 15,000 people, there is a wide range of opinions.   But there is a consensus on some issues.    One topic that is — for the most part — unanimous.
(SUBMITTED PHOTO)

(SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Opinion Column: Jekyll Island: A gem among our Golden Isles

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Millions of Georgians would probably ask, “Who was Melvin Ernest Thompson?”   Four times in the past week, I passed over the M.E. Thompson Bridge. And each time, I said, “Thank you, Melvin Ernest Thompson.”   M.E. Thompson, Georgia’s 70th governor, didn’t serve long.
The Oglethorpe Echo

The Oglethorpe Echo

The Echo's Opinion: Thumbs up and down

News Staff
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Thumbs up and down   What is a good newspaper?     We believe it’s a community talking to itself through the pages of the local newspaper. This page — traditionally Page 4 — is the editorial page. Page 4 is different from every other page in The Oglethorpe Echo.
The personalities of my maternal great-grandparents were as different as sugar and salt. But Ma and Pa McNeal made a good team — rearing five children — on their Baker County farm. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

The personalities of my maternal great-grandparents were as different as sugar and salt. But Ma and Pa McNeal made a good team — rearing five children — on their Baker County farm. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Opinion Column: Ever traced your personality’s DNA?

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
If we put our personalities under a microscope, we might wonder: “Where’d I get that trait?” If I traced my suppressed short fuse, the answer wouldn’t be a mystery. I try — hard — to keep my temper in check.

Opinion Column: High rent opens the door to 56 years of friendship

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Wearing a starched white uniform and toting bedpans in 1967, I learned from the nuns of St. Mary's Hospital how to make $1 million. All I had to do was work 1 million hours. By the time I was a senior at UGA, I discovered how to cut that requirement in half. My new job paid double — $2 per hour.
Watson Mill State Park is one of Oglethorpe County’s signature historic landmarks. If you talked to the people splashing in the water below the bridge, they’d probably say, “This is what you call summertime ‘quality of life.’ ” (DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Watson Mill State Park is one of Oglethorpe County’s signature historic landmarks. If you talked to the people splashing in the water below the bridge, they’d probably say, “This is what you call summertime ‘quality of life.’ ” (DINK NESMITH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO)

Opinion Column: Here’s a list of my favorite ‘things’

Dink NeSmith
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
 Under a protective cap of possum-blond hair sits a mental jukebox. Sometimes it plays songs. Other times, there’s just background music and a voice, scrolling down a list of things that make me smile.    A while back, I was smiling — watching martins do aerobatics around the tower of gourds.