It was a joy to get back to work on Wednesday of last week  after being gone for the better part of five months. I discovered that much more than what I realized had taken place during that time when I opened my email and found over 2,500 entries. Fortunately, most of them were either handled by someone else or were irrelevant and I only had to figure out a way to delete them in a hurry and start over.

With a list of news and feature story assignments for the following week in hand, I felt like a little boy in a candy store. At the top of the list was an interview with Sharron Brown, a wheelchair-bound resident of Summerford Nursing Home. This live wire Christian lady is doing things to make life more enjoyable for fellow residents. Her story is on the Lifestyles page.

An equally invigorating assignment was a story about Hartselle High’s varsity volleyball team. After talking with head coach Tanya Lybarger and her three seniors, I left feeling that good things are in store for the team. Their story is on the front page of Sports.

With the fast pace of community and school activities, I look forward to having a full plate of interviewing, writing and photography in the weeks ahead. If you are aware of an individual or group worthy of a write-up, please email me at clif.knight@hartselleenquirer.com or call me at 256-773-6566.

City leaders have stepped up to the plate and discharged their duties in a responsible manner leading up to and following the resignation of Mayor Don Hall. Council President Bill Smelser is filling the void as the city’s top official and Councilman Kenny Thompson is moving up as council president. Both have served in these positions and are capable of keeping the city running on an even keel throughout the 2012-2016 term.

“This bump in city governance is a thing of the past. As a community with great potential, we need to focus on the present and look to the future. Where we go from here depends largely on the leadership of our elected and appointed officials and the workmanship of our more than 100 city employees. They need and deserve all the support we can give them.”

Hats off to the city school system for putting special emphasis on the observance of Patriot Day. As a bonus to fans attending the Hartselle vs. Athens football game on Friday evening, U.S. Marines will present the colors and reenact the raising of the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima during World War II. First responders—policemen, fire fighters and EMS personnel –and military personnel will also be honored at the 6:30 p.m. observance.

Clif Knight is a staff writer for the Hartselle Enquirer.