Tag: life
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Why Are Homes & Apartments So Expensive?
I’m a lifelong student of city management, planning, history, demographics, and socioeconomics. Honestly, sometimes I wish I wasn’t—it can be exhausting. I can’t just “turn it off.” I still have a folder filled with maps of fictitious cities that I drew in middle school. I spent more time naming streets, designing parks, and placing schools…
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Happy Birthday, Mayor Phillips
I was asked to share a few words about Dennis at a live event last Friday. I thought you might like to see. I was just randomly talking to Stephen LaHair one day and said, “You know, Dennis Phillips is one of my favorite people in this world.” He said, “Have you told him that?”…
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Cousins
Rarely do you get this opportunity—a reunion of two cousins, now men, born three years apart, of sisters who were born three years apart. We hadn’t seen each other in nearly 50 years. My grandfather and uncle worked for Mead Paper in Kingsport. In 1946, Mead teamed up with Inland Container Corporation to form the…
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A Letter to Dad, 11 Years Later
Dear Dad, It’s April 15. Hard to believe it’s been 11 years since I got the call that stopped me in my tracks. They held off on announcing my appointment as city manager that day, but you already knew it was coming. The mayor had tipped you off ahead of time—maybe that was your sign…
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Retirement? More Like Refirement: Making A Difference in Life 2.0
It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since I retired! But to me, retirement isn’t about slowing down—it’s about “refiring.” It’s not about sitting on the couch but finding fulfillment in meaningful work. After all, you gain so much knowledge and experience over a career—it would be a shame to let it go to…
Kingsport Spirit 