Most of us have a strong interest in our past. Some of us, unfortunately, have waited too long in taking the time to get that information from Grandpa or Grandma or Great Uncle Fred.

If you would like to learn more on the art of capturing oral history, especially family histories, then you should come to the Center for Community Preservation located at 2104 Washington Street here in Covington on Thursday night to hear author and noted oral history expert Dr. Cliff Kuhn, who will be appearing at 5:30 p.m.

The lecture is free but you are encouraged to call (770) 788-0484 to register for the event.

The Center's mission states it recognizes that a community is a combination of people, place, history, culture and relationships. The mission statement also states the Center supports community preservation through collaborative planning and design and provides an environment for learning and sharing creative solutions to accommodate growth.

Those of us who have the great fortune to live in Covington and Newton County are reminded every day of not only the historical nature of our community but its sense of family.

We have a responsibility to ourselves and to our children to insure that the inevitable growth that will soon be coming our way is done in a controlled and orderly fashion that will honor our past and preserve our future.

One only needs to try to get off the highway at any of the entrances to nearby cities to find a traffic quagmire that proves what happens when planning and consideration of a community's heritage goes awry.