All in Columns
The past six weeks at the La Grange Public Library have been bursting with adventures in outer space and back in time during this year’s 2022 Summer Reading Program. The La Grange Public Library had a total of 87 registered participants who read a combined 34, 675 minutes. Children that read at least 600 minutes received a gift card to Ava Rae’s Ice Cream Shoppe in La Grange.
Because I am an inveterate optimist who likes to think the best of other folks, I’m going to assume for the sake of the following argument that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and former governors Jim Hunt, Mike Easley, and Bev Perdue sometimes sign documents they’ve not closely read.
Inflation and economic uncertainty are hurting small businesses and consumers, who must pay more for essential everyday goods. Energy prices are a particular sticking point, with the national average still up 32.75% from last year. Businesses are feeling the pain of increased transportation costs that translate into the price of goods, municipal transportation fleets are blowing by set fuel budgets, and everyday Americans flinch as they put gas in their tank on their way to work.
Dr. Mary Ann Wolf, president and executive director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina, published an interesting article in the Neuse News. She began by citing two school administrators who said they could not get applicants for their vacant teaching positions.
Drought nor heat can hold back a high okra yield, this hardy vegetable is much more water tolerant than most of your garden vegetable plants, and they prefer full sunlight, conditions which are pretty common in southeastern North Carolina!
With all the rancor and bitterness in our world today (Recession, Border Crisis, crime, Etc.), it would probably help if we stepped back a minute and reflected on things that REALLY matter in this world. To do that I want to re-visit and expand on a Column I wrote several years ago about Kevin Schull's experience.
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.
