Why I Love Carter County: Rozella Hardin

Published 8:16 am Wednesday, March 1, 2023

I was raised in the Beck Mountain community (a small community located between Siam and Valley Forge). I was one of 10 children of Smith and Retta Hardin. I attended Valley Forge Elementary and graduated from Hampton High School. My mother and I moved to Elizabethton in 1998. I have been employed with the Elizabethton STAR for 53 years. I have served in several different positions, including Lifestyle Editor, twice as news editor, and my present title is editorial director, which means you do whatever needs to be done. I have enjoyed my time at the STAR, have met many people and wrote about many people and covered many events. Life has been good to me and I have been blessed.

Its people. You can only know that if you live here. For the most part, they are neighborly, hard workers, and are always willing to lend a helping hand. If you visit Walmart, either of the grocery stores in town, drug stores, or banks, someone there knows your name or face, and almost always stops to chat. Every restaurant has its morning “coffee group,” which shows up to discuss the news, sports scores, etc. Carter Countians are friendly people and they stand together in a time of trouble. I have been the recipient of their kindness many, many times.

In addition to the people, there are many churches of all denominations in our county. Every community has a church, sometimes two or more. Not everyone attends church, but our churches have many good Bible-believing people in them, who influence in many ways, and are charitable.

Take away the people, and you don’t have a community. They keep our businesses a float. They teach our children, treat our sick, are there in times of trouble, etc. They are our friends and neighbors and number one asset.

I enjoy reading about our area’s history, so the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library is one of my favorite places to visit. And, I also enjoy visiting Sycamore Shoals State Park and the downtown. I also enjoy visiting old cemeteries (yes, I know that is weird, but there’s some great history lessons to be gleaned from cemetery visits). There are many places to explore and visit in the county and city — trails, parks, Watauga Lake, Roan Mountain, etc.

I don’t know that it has changed me, but it certainly has influenced me. Living here has helped shaped my values; made me more appreciative of family and friends. It is home to me. The things I treasure can be found here. I attended Carter County schools and had some great teachers, and after I went to work at the newspaper, I had some great mentors in people like Frank Robinson, Lucy Ward, Helen Morriss, Joe Bowling, and Elmer Bowling, all of whom have passed. They took me under their wing and nurtured me in the art of reporting and writing. The older I get the more I appreciate the people who have been a part of my life. They instilled in me people values and love for the people around me. Carter County is home to me; it is where I belong. It and its people have shaped me and made me the person I am today.

I always look forward to spring…it is a time of awakening. I’ve often said that if nature made noise, such as the grass growing and turning green, the flowers blooming, the trees gaining new leaves, etc., we would not be able to stand the noise. Every season has something distinctive about it to like and enjoy…but spring holds new life and experiences.

Oh, for sure, the mountains, our rivers and streams, Watauga Lake, our two state parks. Take a walk through the Covered Bridge. Visit the War Memorial and Wall of Honor downtown, and learn that our people are a patriotic bunch. Visit a downtown church and feel the warmth of the people who worship there. Take a stroll downtown and visit the many different shops and learn of the dreams of the shop owners. Take an automobile ride through the county and visit the historical markers in each community, and learn about our history and the events and people who have shaped our communities. They were a strong and determined people. And, lastly, go stand high on a mountain and holler to the top of your lungs your name…and listen to the echo. Then, you can say “the mountains are calling my name.” These are simple places to go and things to do, but they are experiences you won’t forget, not even for someone who has lived here all of their life.