All in Columns
It is hard to imagine the mindset of anyone who calls for defunding the police. This past Friday, September 11, we remembered those who, nineteen years ago, moved unhesitatingly into the line of fire to save the lives of others, while putting their own lives on the line.
The inconsistent rules between restaurants that serve alcohol and bars that serve food have forced bar and nightclub owners to choose between the failure of their small business, or remain compliant with the many laws and regulations that control the sale and consumption of liquor. It’s apparently fine for the state-run ABC stores to make money off alcohol, but not local bars and nightclubs.
Peanuts are currently being harvested and if you are lucky enough to be able to snag some fresh green peanuts, you are lucky. Did you know that North Carolina farmers produce approximately 102,666 planted acres of peanuts? This equals about 441 million pounds and ranks NC fifth in the United States in peanut production.
Set aside the blame game and partisan theatrics surrounding the issue, and simply ask parents and kids about their experiences. You’ll get mostly frowns, grimaces, complaints, even tears. Although there are certainly exceptions — children particularly well-suited to online learning, technically savvy parents who are superb educators in their own right — most will tell you that their 2020-21 school year is off to a poor and frustrating start.
A friend of Dr. Simmons Patrick shared with him an exchange she had with an elderly relative of theirs who was nearing the end of his earthly life. She said her Grandpa was seated on a patio bench, looking rather frail. She didn't want to disturb him, but she wanted to be sure he was OK, so she sat down beside him. He assured her that he was fine, and then he asked, "Have you ever REALLY LOOKED at your hands?"
While it may not feel like Fall yet, it is almost here, and fresh pears are abundant this time of year and are an excellent choice for nutrition! The good news on pears is that they are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also are a good source of Vitamin C, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber.
In the past two weeks, we’ve had good news on the pandemic front. The second viral wave has continued to come under control, case growth is down significantly from the peak, and the case growth rate has returned to the lows seen in mid-June. Overall, despite the higher case counts, the pandemic is once more again control.
The 12th edition of “Wings Over the Neuse” will be here in just a few days – on Friday, Sept. 11. The CSS Neuse Foundation, caretakers of the full-sized replica gunboat, depends on this fund-raiser to secure the lion’s share of the funds needed to operate, maintain, and improve the Neuse II experience.
Throughout his gubernatorial term, Roy Cooper has sought vastly to expand the power of his office at the expense of other statewide-elected executives, the legislative branch, local governments, and private households and businesses. Although a court did strike down on First Amendment grounds his attempt to shut down churches while keeping North Carolina’s shopping malls open, Cooper has gotten his way most of the time.
The truth is, folks, all God's children are special and possess traits which are admirable and worthy of praise.
While reporters and TV talking heads continue to refer to North Carolina as a swing state, they are largely mistaken. We do not “swing” between Republicans and Democrats for president and governor much to the media’s chagrin. Our selection of US Senators, however, would qualify for that designation. The reality is that NC tends to vote for Republican presidents, Democratic governors, and flip flops on US Senators.
Every four years, the period from the end of August until the general election becomes disgusting. Civility and any semblance of real debate vanish. Innuendo, character assassination, fear-mongering, and half-truths flood the media and even invade what is euphemistically called “Social Media.”
At this point in 2020, you might feel like me, and wish for help in figuring out how to take news in. So much conjecture, so much agenda, so much spin… and we are dealing with really big issues: This Spring we’ve had to wrestle with Covid, Racial Questions, and Protests. As the Fall comes we face Presidential Politics. It’s more important than ever that we remind ourselves how to digest the headlines, stories, information, data, and feelings that come at us like so many inter-continental ballistic missiles.
Cold Soup, better known as Gazpacho, has started popping up on many Southern restaurant menus, and while it may take some time for us to “warm up” to the idea of cold soup, we surely have plenty of fresh local ingredients to give them a try. Today’s gazpacho is a cold soup made of raw, blended vegetables.
This past weekend was wonderful for me in every way. It began with the arrival of my beautiful daughter Jessica, and that event in and of itself was enough for me to accurately describe the weekend as wonderful. But it went even further than that. Jessica planned and helped carry out a mini Family Reunion, with our traveling to Elizabeth City to celebrate with various other family members from that area.
This week I picked up beautiful nice sized jalapeno peppers from the Farmers Market, and I cannot wait to use them in some of my favorite recipes. It might surprise you, but jalapeno peppers are not only known for their spicy hot taste, but are also high in nutrients.
The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected everyone in 2020 and will affect us for years to come. I will leave some of the national debate about the economic stress, masks, hydroxychloroquine, or other issues to the pundits. On a local level, the recent potential 18-week decision by the Lenoir County School Board exposed a servant leadership deficit catching parents, teachers and even administrators by surprise.
Economists have debated the merits of a minimum wage and a living wage throughout the years. Advocates call for a $15 an hour minimum wage increase from the current $7.25. The call for an increase in the national minimum wage got louder when the government added $600 a week to state unemployment to stave off an economic recession.
As a way to reintroduce Good-Bodies and other small businesses to area people, Blake Cates, manager of Good-Bodies, and co-owners Ed Smith and Justin Tart, came up with a plan: Good-bodies would host a floating Open House from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 1.
