Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published Aug. 14, 2002

I salute Nancy McNulty

Early this summer I traveled to Pittsburgh for the annual weekend conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. I remembered that a friend from the other professional group I belong to, the National Federation of Press Women, was the food editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette so I wrote her suggesting we might have a quick visit. We had first met years ago when she was an Oregon resident and I lived in Michigan. Shortly after I moved to the Volunteer State she came to Knoxville as food editor for that paper. Some of you probably remember Suzanne Martinson's food sections.

When I checked in at the hotel, a message was waiting for me from Suzanne leaving phone numbers where she could be reached. We played phone tag for the next 24 hours leaving messages for one another, but eventually we did get together for a too-short face-to-face visit. It was great fun catching up on old friends and other times. Suzanne has pleasant memories of her time in Tennessee and the friendly people she met.

Last week a letter arrived at the Chronicle office for me from a Bethel Park, PA address and a name I did not recognize. The writer explained she had read a column in the Pittsburgh paper by Suzanne talking about east Tennessee and she mentioned my name and column in the Chronicle.

With that little bit of information the letter writer explained that she and her family were coming to a timeshare in Fairfield Glade in August. Her first choice had been Pigeon Forge but nothing was available and she had reached the panic stage because she had so little information about what there was to do here. She was most worried because two grandchildren, ages 2 and 6, were in the group.

I put on my tour guide hat and wrote her immediately giving her details on all the things they would find to make their stay pleasant. I gave her my phone number and urged her to call when they arrived so I could add more suggestions. My letter ended with the thought that I was sure they would enjoy their stay here as much as those of us who chose this place as home.

It amazed me as I considered how resourceful this reader was. Even more surprising was the fact that my name and the Chronicle had appeared in the Pittsburgh paper and we would never have known if she had not written the letter.

So I salute Nancy McNulty of PA and name her the winner of the first and only "Where there is a will there is a way" award! Our intelligence services could use her.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.