Do you have more banana peppers than you think you possibly could ever eat? I am here to help!! Banana peppers are so versatile you can freeze, stuff, fry, pickle, or even grill them. Bananas are sweet, and sometimes even hot.
All in Columns
Friends of the Library sponsoring fundraiser
COVID impacted many elements of our community’s life during the past 18 months. In addition to schools, churches, restaurants, and stores taking hits, the Friends of the Kinston-Lenoir County Library also saw its fundraising efforts thwarted.
Reece Gardner: George Whitfield - Rags to riches
One of my guests this week on my television show is George Whitfield, and it is a pleasure to be in his presence. The main reason I wanted to write today about George is that he epitomizes the "rags to riches" theme of being the best that we can be. He is a "local boy,' so to speak, who excelled, but it was not without a lot of effort. A. J. Carr wrote, "Coach Whitfield produced a glittering record for more than 40 years, helped thousands of kids, and still promotes the sport of baseball with unbridled fervor."
John Hood: Everyone favors limits on Democracy
In 2018, North Carolinians went to the polls to cast ballots for congressional, legislative, and local candidates. They also voted on several constitutional amendments. One of them required the presentation of a photo ID in order to vote. The measure was extensively debated for months. Some 1.6 million voted against it. Just over 2 million voted for it. By a 55% to 45% margin, North Carolinians added a photo-ID requirement to the state constitution.
Mike Parker: Correcting an unintended misstep is necessary
Before I get into the issue for today, I want to let everyone know that the opening of the Gizella Gross Abramson Center for Holocaust and Civil Rights scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 22, at Queen Street Methodist Church has been postponed because of concerns over the latest variant of the COVID-19.
Old Kinston Gazette: North Carolina blueberries - A little bit of history
North Carolina growers became a factor in blueberry production over 60 years ago, starting with 100 acres of the bearing bushes. Today that production has grown to over 200 harvestable acres from the coast to the mountains.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Summer Figs
Sweet, juicy, and crunchy, it’s hard to think of a fruit that provides the unique 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. Super nutritious, the low-calorie fruit is an excellent source of calcium, potassium, and fiber, one large, raw fig has just 47 calories.
Reece Gardner: Have you ever been perhaps a little too judgmental?
I remember a few years ago when I was expecting someone to come in for a very important meeting, and the time for the meeting came and he wasn't there. After a few minutes, I said to one of our associates, "I'll bet that guy will be late for his own funeral."
Longtime educator opening center for Holocaust, Civil Rights education
Circle Sunday, August 22, on your calendar, and make plans to be at the Queen Street United Methodist Church at 2 p.m. for the opening of the Gizella Gross Abramson Resource Center for Holocaust and Civil Rights Education. The church is at 500 North Queen Street in Kinston. The opening ceremony will begin with a service featuring presenters and music and culminating in the Center’s dedication. After the initial festivities, attendees will be able to socialize and tour the facility.
#BIGKIDSCLUB4L: For the next Digital Media Specialist
Over the last two and a half years I have had the privilege of working with the best team in Lenoir County. I was 15, almost 16, when I applied for the 2019 Summer Internship. All I knew was that I loved social media and I loved Kinston. Not only did that summer change me for the better, but I was lucky enough to officially join the team, and I have been here ever since.
Reece Gardner: Don't Criticize, Condemn, or Complain
In last week's Column I talked about commitments made by a class in Roanoke Rapids to go out and live with enthusiasm in a specific area of their lives and then to come back and report on the experience. It was GREAT!
John Hood: Merit pay boosts student success
How much say should the public have about public education? Parental revolts against “wokeness” fads in the classroom are all the rage right now, but gaps between public preferences and the practice of public education didn’t suddenly begin a few months ago. They’ve been around for decades.
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Celebrate National Farmers Market week – visit your local Farmers Market
National Farmers Market Week, established 22 years ago, will be celebrated August 1st-7th, 2021. This annual celebration was established by the National Farmers Market Coalition to highlight the vital role farmers markets play in the nation’s food systems. The year 2020 and the nationwide pandemic, brought about societal change, and it is now more important than ever for farmers markets to bring people together.
Local group raising funds to place historical markers
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” Determination can express itself in different forms. Sometimes determination manifests itself on battlefields. Other times, the determined spirits work in the background, going almost unnoticed.
John Hood: To do good or do better
There are at least as many different ways to explain the origins of political disagreement as there are political commentators. I, for one, think such factors as cultural traditions, religious views, family background, educational experiences, and interpersonal relationships all help to shape how we choose our preferred political candidates or “sides” – and how we choose to act on those preferences.
Reece Gardner: Keep it on The Sunny Side
Are you enthusiastic today? Sometimes with a lot of rather negative news being circulated on a regular basis, it can become challenging to be enthusiastic, but all we really need to do is just look around us and, as The Carter Family sang many years ago, "Keep on The Sunny Side."
Mike Parker: TransPark announcement bodes well for region’s growth
When I was young, I heard a story about an elderly fellow who stood on the bank of the Hudson River as Robert Fulton fired up the Clermont, his new-fangled steamboat. As Fulton worked to get everything up and running, the old guy kept calling out:
Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Are You Ready for a “Mess of Butter Beans!”?
Everyone is always waiting for the first “mess of butter beans” if you are from the South, that just means a big pot of the yummy green baby lima beans!!! Often called "butter beans" because of their starchy yet buttery texture, lima beans have a delicate flavor that complements a wide variety of dishes. Fresh lima beans are worth the search in the summer and fall when they are in season. Dried and canned lima beans are available throughout the year.
Reece Gardner: Election audit casts further doubt on 2020 election
With the release this past Friday of the results of the Maricopa, Arizona, election audit, voting irregularities amounting to hundreds of thousands of votes were uncovered, casting further doubts on the legitimacy of the 2020 Election.
Mike Parker: CSS Neuse Interpretative Center brings back dinner theater
On Saturday, August 7, the CSS Neuse Interpretative Center will host its third annual dinner theater focusing on female spies during the Civil War. This program, which begins with dinner, features the inspiring and tragic story of Rose O’Neal Greenhow.