“Take a hike!” That masterpiece of dad sayings usually means, “Get out of here!” What if it had positive connotations? “Take a hike ... it’s good for your mental health!” “Get out of here ... it’s beautiful outside!” For its 100th anniversary, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy wants major dictionaries to add a happier definition to encourage people to get outside. I can get on board with that.
Hey there, I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome to Sweet Tea by the AJC, a newsletter for refreshing, positive stories from around the South. Sit and stay awhile. We have so much to tell you.
THE BALLAD OF THE BUTTON KING
We love a man who knows what he likes, and Dalton Stevens liked buttons. A lot.
- The story of the Button King began near Bishopville, South Carolina in 1983 out of insomnia and boredom, when Stevens decided to sew a bunch of buttons onto a denim suit.
- The Button Suit was a hit, so he made a button guitar, a button car, and in 1987, the South Carolina man made it onto the Johnny Carson Show, charming the king of late night with a tune:
If you like the color of my clothes, would you give me buttons instead of a rose
Buttons can be square or round. They keep my pants from falling down.
- “Once you make it to the Johnny Carson show one time, that’s about as big as you can get without being in the movies. That was high for an old country boy like me,” Stevens said of his talk show success.
- The Button King’s affability and artistry landed him even more appearances, even overseas, and he kept buttoning up stuff until he died in 2016, buried in a button-studded casket.
- Now Stevens’ son maintains his father’s artwork in the “S.C. Button Museum.” People still stop by, have a look around, and marvel at what creativity can accomplish.
🎸 READ MORE: Stevens’ son talks about his legacy
JIMMY CARTER WOULDV’E LOVED THIS
OK, I’m kind of cheating because this sweet little boy is from New Jersey, but he’s clearly a Southern man at heart.
When Lauren Ramos asked her son, Ryan, what theme he wanted for his 5th birthday party, he gave the obvious answer: His favorite U.S. President, Georgia’s own Jimmy Carter.
- I am almost crying when I write this, because it’s so dang cute. He had [sob] a Jimmy Carter cake, and a “Carter for President” shirt and ... a life-sized cutout?! During the party, Ryan and his friends chanted “Jimmy! Jimmy!” (Something tells me he and the Button King would get along.)
- Jimmy Carter has been a fascination of Ryan’s for a while. His mom said he was immediately captivated by the leader’s story.
- “He just loved how much he helped people. He loved that he built houses for Habitat for Humanity,” Ramos told the AJC. “He wants to build houses when he grows up.”
You’ll always have fans in Georgia, Ryan!
LORD, I WAS BORN A RAMBLIN’ CAT
Yeah, you bet Francine the cat has a little AirTag on her harness now. The feline resident of a Lowe’s store in Richmond, Virginia felt the call of the road, hitched a ride on a truck and ended up at the company’s distribution center in Garysburg, North Carolina.
Francine is a big deal at her home store. Staff and customers alike were worried sick over her sudden disappearance. Thank goodness for security cameras, which captured the cat’s mad dash onto the truck.
Now that she’s gotten a taste of adventure, she’s back in the loving bosom of her Richmond store.
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
🎂 Charlotte, NC: If you’re in the area, stop by Manolo’s Bakery, run by award-winning Colombian-born baker Manolo Betancur. Betancur bakes cakes for his unhoused neighbors, raises money for charitable causes and champions Charlotte’s strong immigrant and small business communities. More from Manolo’s Bakery
🎭 Canton, GA: High schooler Abby Dougherty won nationwide recognition for her play about gun violence awareness, written in the aftermath of last year’s Apalachee High School shooting about 50 miles away. “Holding Space” is one of six works about young people’s reactions to shootings chosen by the program Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence. More from the AJC.
🗳️ Roxboro, NC: The small rural town of Roxboro just elected its first Black female mayor, and the first elected Black mayor in their history. Cynthia Petty says she’s going to be “the mayor who brings everybody together to work together.” I adore her “Elect Cynthia C. Petty” shirt. More from The Courier-Times
💙 Albany, GA: Residents participated in the city’s first-ever “Climb Out of Darkness” program for perinatal health awareness. The event allowed community members to walk with each other and talk with each other about difficult topics like postpartum depression — and honor those who have survived such difficulties. More from WSWG
♻️ Chattanooga, TN: The environmentally friendly city just launched new glass and compost recycling programs with companies that specialize in each process. The program offers curbside pickup to make things as easy as possible. More from the Chattanooga Times Free Press
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. SweetTea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
We need to put pride back into what we do, and I am so proud to be a farmer.
Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliot left her Mississippi home to become an investment banker, but eventually found her way back to pursue her true calling: Farming. The founder of Foot Print Farms in Jackson, Mississippi spreads the good word of agriculture to empower people and help combat high rates of obesity and diabetes in her state.
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About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
