Rutherford Weekly

Page 2 - Rutherford Weekly 828-248-1408 www.rutherfordweekly.com Thursday, August 24-August 30, 2023 MEADOWBROOK GOLF CLUB RUTHERFORDTON ©Community First Media Community First Media HOLES FOR HOUSES HOLES FOR HOUSES MEADOWBROOK GOLF CLUB CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT 10:00 A.M. SHOTGUN START S SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 $75 PER PLAYER (INCLUDES LUNCH) MULLIGAN PACKAGE (8 mulligans, 4 red tee's, 1 gimmie per team) $40 Prizes for 1st & 2nd Place, Longest Drive, And Closest to the Pin FOR MORE INFORMATION, TO REGISTER OR SPONSOR, CONTACT SHEILA P. CAIN @ 828-248-3178 OR RCHABITAT@ATT.NET ALL TOURNAMENT PROCEEDS WILL HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES BUILD STRENGTH, STABILITY AND SELF-RELIANCE THROUGH SHELTER. We thank you for your support! EARLY BIRD TICKETS UNTIL SEPT. 27TH FREE SHOWS WITH ADMISSION E Wh>/EKd/K&hWKD/E'Z/dd/KEZs/ts/^/dzd, Z/dd/KEKDD/^^/KE&KZhd/KE/EEhZ^/E';EͿ ŶŶŽƵŶĐĞŵĞŶƚ 'ĂƌĚŶĞƌͲtĞďďhŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ͛Ɛ,ƵŶƚ^ĐŚŽŽůŽĨEƵƌƐŝŶŐǁŝƐŚĞƐƚŽĂŶŶŽƵŶĐĞƚŚĂƚŝƚǁŝůů ŚŽƐƚĂƐŝƚĞƌĞǀŝĞǁĨŽƌĐŽŶƚŝŶƵŝŶŐĂĐĐƌĞĚŝƚĂƚŝŽŶŽĨŝƚƐDĂƐƚĞƌŽĨ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞŝŶEƵƌƐŝŶŐ ;D^EͿƉƌŽŐƌĂŵďLJƚŚĞĐĐƌĞĚŝƚĂƚŝŽŶŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶĨŽƌĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶŝŶEƵƌƐŝŶŐ;EͿ͘ zŽƵĂƌĞŝŶǀŝƚĞĚƚŽŵĞĞƚƚŚĞƐŝƚĞǀŝƐŝƚƚĞĂŵĂŶĚƐŚĂƌĞLJŽƵƌĐŽŵŵĞŶƚƐĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵĚƵƌŝŶŐĂǀŝƌƚƵĂůŽŽŵŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐĐŚĞĚƵůĞĚĂƚϰ͗ϬϬWD^dŽŶtĞĚŶĞƐĚĂLJ͕ KĐƚŽďĞƌϭϭ͕ϮϬϮϯ͘^ĐĂŶƚŚĞYZŽĚĞƚŽƌĞƋƵĞƐƚůŽŐŝŶŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƚŝŽŶ͘ tƌŝƚƚĞŶĐŽŵŵĞŶƚƐĂƌĞĂůƐŽǁĞůĐŽŵĞĂŶĚƐŚŽƵůĚďĞƐƵďŵŝƚƚĞĚĚŝƌĞĐƚůLJƚŽ͗ ƌ͘EĞůůƌĚ͕/ŶƚĞƌŝŵŚŝĞĨdžĞĐƵƚŝǀĞKĨĨŝĐĞƌ ĐĐƌĞĚŝƚĂƚŝŽŶŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶĨŽƌĚƵĐĂƚŝŽŶŝŶEƵƌƐŝŶŐ ϯϯϵϬWĞĂĐŚƚƌĞĞZŽĂĚEŽƌƚŚĞĂƐƚ͕^ƵŝƚĞϭϰϬϬ ƚůĂŶƚĂ͕'ϯϬϯϮϲ KƌĞͲŵĂŝů͗ŶĂƌĚΛĂĐĞŶƵƌƐŝŶŐ͘ŽƌŐ ůůǁƌŝƚƚĞŶĐŽŵŵĞŶƚƐƐŚŽƵůĚďĞƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚďLJƚŚĞEďLJ^ĞƉƚĞŵďĞƌϮϱ͕ϮϬϮϯ͘ Community Calendar.....................17 Business & Services Directory........7 Obituaries................................18-19 Local Churches............................16 Outdoor Truths................................9 Classified Ads.........................22-23 Rutherford County Weather...........14 Fast Way Oil Kids Corner...............15 I n s i d e T h i s W e e k I n s i d e T h i s W e e k A toddler had a fi sh hook caught beneath one of his eyes recently. The parents telephoned Hardin's Drug as they were enroute to the emergency room to have the hook removed. The parents knew their little boy would need some antibiotics and they also knew the drug store would be closed when they left the hospital. The person who answered the call at the drugstore notifi ed a pharmacist who came in to get the child's medicine. Hardin's Drugs has attempted to do business that way over the past 50 years in caring for their customers. This month Hardin's Drug located on Church Street in Forest City and Hwy. 221A in Caroleen is celebrating its 50th year. Co-owners Ken Hardin and Lisa Jones Burleson along with Debbie Gowan reminisced about their years together and in years past with Ken's brother, Marshall, who passed away in 2011. Lisa and Debbie each have 41 years with the company. Lisa is the Operations Manager and co-owner and Debbie is a Pharmacy Tech. The beginning In 1973 Marshall Hardin brought his business sense to the table and Ken brought the pharmacy knowledge as the two became owners of a successful privately owned pharmacy in Rutherford County. Ken said he never really thought about "50 years down the road" when they opened the store in the Ingle's shopping center. The brothers got word that Bob Ingle was building an Ingles in Forest City so they immediately made a trip to the mountains to talk with Ingle. Ken said Ingle never asked about money, the business plan or anything, but welcomed them that day to begin their store on the grocery store property. "It was the easiest thing we've ever done," Ken said. The pharmacy was doing well as was Marshall's knowledge of knives as he formed the National Knife Distributors where knives were sold all over the world. About 15 years ago when Ingle decided to expand the store and add a pharmacy inside the store, Hardin's would have to relocate and for a while Ken said he thought his world had come to an end. Relocation seemed impossible. The brothers had no idea what to do or where they were going to go, until a member of the First Wesleyan Methodist Church, also located on Church Street, came into the store one day. After conversation with church leaders, the Hardins were sold property next to the church and the new Hardin's was built. The change opened more opportunities for the drug store as it became larger and had a drive-through and additional parking. Ken readily admits if it hadn't been for Bob Ingle, "we wouldn't be here today." Gowan will be celebrating 41 years with Hardin's Drugs in September. She works at the Caroleen location most of the time. Gowan's co-workers are like her family, "The best things are my co-workers. We are a family," she said. Lisa agreed. "We're all a family. Debbie and I raised our children together," Lisa added. "We all are tight knit...This is a family oriented place. We've seen the births, deaths, we laughed, cried and we've prayed together." Over the past fi ve decades, with the passing of Marshall Hardin in 2011, that was devastating for Ken, and other major changes in the pharmacy business, Ken said Hardin's has been resilient and that's one reason for the success. "We've seen the good times in this industry and the bad," Ken said. The employees recalled being together on 9/11 and also sharing the sorrow of an employee who died at the drug store some years ago. "That was a hard day. We all joined hands and prayed. We are family," Debbie said. During Covid, Hardin's Drugs had to shift the way business was conducted, just as all businesses did. They had to cut their hours, shut down for weeks and offer drive through business only. A lot has happened over fi ve decades, but one thing has not "is the care the staff has for its customers," Ken said. Pharmacists at Hardin's Drug know the job is so much more than putting pills in a bottle. It's about the health care of the patient. "The insurance companies today are direct in making sure those receiving the medicines are taking them. We're actually responsible," Ken said. The pharmacist and staff also face the problem of the Opioid epidemic, the pain and the abuse and have to stay diligent in that. Ken says among his proudest moments though have been the young people he hired over the years to work for Hardin's. Jessica Harvath, who worked for Hardin's between school breaks is completing pharmacy school next May and is coming back home to Hardin's. "It's been a good thing to be able to see people succeed," Hardin continued. They worked their way into where they are now, they didn't necessarily come back to Forest City or the drug store, but so many of our young employees moved on to other careers." Ken said some will come back to share the things they learned while at Hardin's Drugs and that is thrilling. "We are so thankful for a community that supported us. We've had and have great employees. I am blessed with a good staff. Two examples are Debbie and Lisa," he said pointing to them. Ken said at the end of the day, "We are all here for the same reason. We are family. We are here to help the community." The toddler with the fi shhook got his medicine after hours because Hardin's will go an extra mile in an emergency. Ken thanked his mentors Grady Shufford and Milton Higdon at Smith's in Forest City for their guidance when he worked for them out of pharmacy school. Ken has no plan to retire. He will still help fi ll prescriptions, look after the customers health, but says he's taken a backseat to the everyday operations. He's leaving that up to Lisa and his staff of dedicated employees. Article Provided By: Jean Gordon Ken Hardin in the pharmacy. Hardin's Drug celebrating 50 years in business Long time employees Debbie Womack (left) and Lisa Burleson. Ken Hardin and Marshall Hardin were early business partners. Email news and events to events@rutherfordweekly.com or go to or go to www.rutherfordweekly.com www.rutherfordweekly.com to submit online. to submit online. Have interesting news about your business or organization? Email it to us! Email it to us!

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