All in Columns
The past year has seen many changes at the Etta Jones Turner Public Library (Pink Hill Public Library) and we look forward to continued growth, both in our library and throughout the community. Through our programs and outreach, we hope you’ll join us as we offer new and exciting opportunities for our patrons.
I was not part of the CSS Neuse Foundation Board when the first “Wings Over the Neuse” fundraiser occurred. In 2009, board members decided to do something special to raise funds needed to place a monument for Alton “Doc” Stapleford to recognize and honor all the work and supervision he provided during the construction of the CSS Neuse II. That fundraiser proved successful. The next time you visit the Neuse II, check out the memorial honoring Alton.
2022 feels like it’s the year of violence for the small southern city I live in. As the world argues about inflation and gas prices, residents of the city of Kinston are being shot. The profound grief felt by residents of the city is a call unanswered by their leaders. I’m sure the weight of these deaths is heavy on their collective minds as they lead the city in prayer.
Mushroom are health food all-stars, and lately I want to add them to everything!! They pack savory flavor to meals without adding much fat, calories or sodium. Researchers continue to discover how mushrooms can ward off chronic disease and improve your everyday health!
In nearly all North Carolina communities with bus systems, ridership is significantly lower than it was just a few years ago. In Greensboro, for example, there were 1.9 million passenger trips on city buses last year, down approximately 60% from the total in 2014. Over the same period, Winston-Salem buses experienced a comparable drop-off. In Charlotte, it was a staggering 75%.
Today I want to talk about what it means to be happy, as outlined by Columnist Crystal Boyd. We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married and have children. Then we are frustrated that our children aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with and we'll be happy when they pass that stage.
The SmART Gallery is hosting an “Artist Talk” free to the public. The event will feature one of SmART Kinston’s artists, Maner Nobles. She will be talking about her art career, her artistic medium, and the experiences she has had through the practice of her craft.
Sweet, colorful and versatile, beets are experiencing a definite comeback, appearing in salads in other dished on restaurant menus everywhere! Beets, whether roasted or boiled, pickled or puréed, add a distinctively sugary shock of color to any meal.
I don't usually reflect on the Past but sometimes it's good to look back. Today I want to reflect, not only on the past but also on the present and the future, and on the sanctity and wondrousness of life.
On Friday, August 5, and Saturday, August 6, the CSS Neuse Interpretative Center will host its fourth annual dinner theater focusing on female spies during the Civil War. Last year the dinner theater drew more than 160 guests, so organizers decided to host the program for two nights this year to prevent crowding.
Smart Gallery, 210 N. Queen St. in Kinston is hosting an Artist Talk Thursday, July 28th at 6pm. Our featured artist is Maner Nobles, a woman who has had a long, very interesting life and career that has brought her to where she is presently – someone who is finally able to have the time and creativity to devote to painting, one of her first, true loves.
Passion is an indescribable feeling that drives people to accomplish their life goals and pursuits. How else does one explain the accomplishments of past figures, such as the Wright Brothers or Sir Walter Raleigh?
When visiting your local Farmer’s Market and roadside stands, be sure to seek out the Heirloom tomatoes like German Johnson or Purple Cherokees, they are often the ugliest tomatoes but they also often the tastiest!!
The immigration "open borders" issue will play a prominent role in this year's election. This fact has been highlighted many times in newspaper editorials throughout the country, and by other various media outlets.
I have strong opinions about education policy in North Carolina and beyond. Maybe you’ve noticed! I’ve also been researching and writing about the subject for a very long time. During my first stint as a newspaper reporter in 1986, I covered raucous debates about a potential merger of school districts in Nash County, Edgecombe County, Rocky Mount, and Tarboro. My first syndicated columns on education policy ran in state newspapers a few months later.
Every other year on the July 4th weekend, the descendants of Henry S. and Lady Belle Parker gather for a family reunion. Before this year, our last reunion took place in 2018. We set the next reunion for 2020 – and then 2021. Each time, COVID interfered. We decided to shoot for this July and finally made the reunion a reality.
Heart racing and blood-pumping excitement, fueled by determination and ambition to get a good story, were how I was introduced to the world of journalism at a young age. My teachers were derived from fictional movies and comics like Louis Lane and April O’Neil, who were the reflection of journalism.
