Did you know that despite the possibility that we may not enjoy any Summerfest concerts this year the Pride team is moving ahead with Christmas plans? It takes months to plan a parade as well as the lights at Pearson Park.
All in Columns
Reece Gardner: Will schools open this Fall?
There are signs that seem to indicate that a significant number of our K-12 schools will open this Fall. National Education Secretary Betty DeVos stated this week that she expects schools to be "fully operational" for the upcoming 2020 term.
Mike Parker: Looking through a ‘window’ into the past
When I visited my mother recently, she gave me a photograph of a good-sized group of her family members. I picked out my granddaddy with ease, even though he was probably somewhere in this mid-30’s at this time.
The CARES Act 2020 RMD waiver: What you need to know
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), signed into law on March 27, 2020, includes provisions that temporarily relax several key retirement account rules. One of these provisions is a waiver of required minimum distributions (RMDs) in 2020. Here’s what you need to know.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Healthy fresh local seafood
Eastern North Carolina is well known for its bountiful seafood. For many years and in many families, local fishermen harvest a wide variety of top-quality seafood products, including shrimp, blue crabs, flounder, grouper, clams and oysters, among others. Seafood is a prime component of a healthy diet and is easily used in a variety of recipes. Take advantage of our local bounty!!
BJ Murphy: So, about last month...
Have you ever had something gnaw at you long enough that you finally had to address it?
Last month the City of Kinston requested that Neuse News run a Public Notice informing the community of the proposed Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget. Having served for eight years as mayor, I know the budget process and numbers well. Glaring to me was the proposed $26,100 increase in the mayor and council’s salary line item. Surely that was a mistake. Surely in a time like this that would not be on the table.
Leon Steele: Did you know? Part 5
Did you know there are particular buildings downtown that remain empty year after year? Why is this? Pride of Kinston and its economic vitality committee have identified that issue as a primary concern and project. The first phase of this project is to address lower South Queen Street between Lincoln and King Streets because it is a key gateway into our downtown that has been an especially depressed and ignored area for years apparently and it needs some love, particularly since we have invested $2.5MM in redesigning and improving Queen Street.
John Hood: Choice should guide school reopening
If you are among the minority of North Carolinians who haven’t supported the expansion of parental choice in education over the past two decades — in the form of charter schools, open enrollment among district schools, and aid to private-school students who have special needs or modest household incomes — the challenge of COVID-19 presents you with an excellent opportunity to reconsider your position.
Reece Gardner: Every stage of life is significant
I really appreciated the response I received from last week's Column about the wondrousness of my life with My Emma. I want to follow up on that by looking at the various stages of life, and which of those stages may be most important to us.
Mike Parker: Capitalizing on a teachable moment
I have eight grandkids in the 6 to 13 age range. I offered them a challenge some time ago. If they learned Psalm 1 by memory and could recite it for me, then each one who completed the challenge would earn a five dollar bill. I am a believer in the importance of scripture memorization. David wrote in Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Get grilling this summer!
It is definitely summer, and the hot temps are here to prove it. Enjoy your evenings outside with the warm breezes and super sunsets, keep your dinner meals simple, and get out and grill!! Here are some recipes to enjoy this Holiday.
John Hood: Progressive politicians hurt downtowns
Conventional wisdom has it that progressives champion urbanity and conservatives disdain it. There’s some truth to that. Progressives are far more likely than conservatives to prefer walkable, high-density communities over auto-dependent, detached-dwelling neighborhoods.
Leon Steele: Did you know? Part 4
Did you know that two adjoining burned out buildings on Gordon St were recently purchased by a California developer who converted them into four nice market-rate apartments, all of which leased immediately? People from out of town are buying our properties, sometimes two at a time. They feel our vibe and sense of community. They like where we are going. They have been paying attention to what we are doing and want to be a part of it. Downtown Kinston is setting an example of progressive recovery from severe decline and many people are paying attention to it.
Reece Gardner: Cherish the one you love
I want to share with you some additional accounts of my 58 wonderful years of marriage to My Emma, which I hope will encourage you to more fully appreciate that very special person in your life. My favorite songs are "heart" songs, and I often use the wisdom from those songs to help me my message of love across.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Summer Figs – get them fast
Sweet, juicy, and crunchy, it’s hard to think of a fruit that compares to the goodness of a fresh fig. A fig's unique flavor makes it a wonderful treat all on its own, but when added to a recipe, the results can be very tasty.
Mike Parker: Seven key elements of being an effective father
In doing research for my recent column on the importance of fathers in the lives of children, I came across a publication from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services titled “The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children.” The publication outlines seven specific dimensions of effective fathering.
Leon Steele: Did you know? Part 3
Did you know the Pride of Kinston downtown revitalization organization has been around since the 1980’s? We belong to the North Carolina Main Street Association which has 88 participating communities. We all belong to the National Main Street organization called Main Street America that was formed in the mid-1980’s to reverse the decline of historic commercial districts across the U.S. by applying a tested methodology associated with design, organization, promotion, and economic development, for which our core working committees are named. Prestigiously speaking, Kinston was one the very first communities selected by the national organization to participate in this nation-wide endeavor. This means that Kinston has been in the process of revitalizing its downtown for 35 years.
Cooper commits monumental error
We cannot continue to glorify a war against the United States of America fought in the defense of slavery,” Cooper had argued in 2017. “These monuments should come down. Our Civil War history is important, but it belongs in textbooks and museums — not a place of allegiance on our Capitol grounds.” But the governor had also made it clear that the ends don’t justify the means. A 2015 enacted [law] by bipartisan majorities in the General Assembly had forbidden state or local officials from removing public monuments except under limited circumstances.
Reece Gardner: Do you believe in miracles?
Do you believe in miracles? If not, could it be that they are out there but you just don't recognize them? An illustration of that mindset can be seen in the situation with Bob, who was in his boat with his dog out on the water one day when a flock of geese flew overhead.
Leon Steele: Did you know? Part 2
Did you know the condition and vibrancy of a downtown (or neighborhood) is a barometer of community health and attitude?