From the editor

Summer 2023

"JACK"

I sometimes wish I could lead the life of one Jackson Douglas Bartholomew Riddle, or "Jack" for short. Treated like royalty by all who know him, Jack spends his days rolling around in freshly-cut grass, snoozing on top of a fuzzy blanket in what has become "his" recliner, and receiving an endless supply of treats from his Papaw.

Unfortunately, I'm not a 9-year-old Beagle, and my chosen occupations to date have filled the summers of my adulthood with an abundance of deadlines that can neither be sloughed off nor ignored. While sleeping for multiple hours a day and constantly being referred to as "the best baby in the world" sounds enticing, I think I'm doing what I was called to do—regardless of the pesky deadlines.

All jokes aside, we've completed a 76-page fair catalog and the magazine you now hold in your hands with overwhelming support from local advertisers, which assists the Owen County Fair Board in putting on the best event possible and, of course, pays to print these publications, allowing us to share the story of our community, its people and its history with thousands of others throughout the commonwealth and beyond.

I've called this magazine a passion project since the beginning, and when you travel across Owen County, you'll see a lot of that happening anywhere you go. From the multiple food pantries throughout the community to scholarship funds, support groups, and beyond, Owen County has a way of taking care of its own like no other place I've seen.

But summer is also Owen County's time to welcome visitors for events like Food Truck Friday, Mayberry Day, the Owen County 4-H Fair & Horse Show, and the Wide Open No Fear Rodeo, all of which are featured in this quarter's edition of Sweet Owen. From May through August, these events draw an untold amount of spectators who will support local businesses while here, allowing those businesses and their employees to spend more within the local economy. Tourism truly is a win-win for everyone.

So, while rolling around in the grass without a care in the world may be best for Jack, there's work to be done in the real world that's not limited to a few folks: volunteers are always in need to pull off a successful event or to help a resident in need. It's never too late to begin investing in your community.

Molly Haines Riddle