Fall 2009

from the contributing editor

Holding Out Hope

I don’t want to give up. I told my sons this on a hiking trail called Honeymoon Falls at Pine Mountain State Resort Park this summer. Parker was 9, James Tucker was 2, and they were dying to get in the pool. It was closed for chemical testing our first day. On day two, the pool was open, but it was raining. After hiking from our cabin , I decided to keep going, past the pool and lodge with its video games, to the hiking trails beyond. I imagined the dense cover of Appalachian flora would act as a giant umbrella. Honeymoon Falls didn’t sound unfriendly to toddler shoes, and hope returned to my boys’ sullen faces. Read more

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The Good Gifts of a Fishing Hole

By GLENDA BARRETT

When my great grandmother, Sallie, grew old, she moved in with my grandmother, better known as “Mamaw” to her grandchildren, and for as long as I can remember, the two of them had a real passion for fishing. One hot summer day, they decided to try their luck at Mamaw’s favorite spot, the Minnie Shook Place, a fishing hole in Hiawassee, Georgia. Sallie, in her 80s, used a walking stick at the time, but managed with Mamaw’s help to climb over the big rocks to get under the bridge to their spot. Read more

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SAVING MOUNTAINS
Movement to end MTR gains momentum
By JASON HOWARD

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