And They Were Never Hungry Again: MAC’s “Don’t Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell”
by Jennifer Johnson Produced and directed by Andrea Croskery, Don’t Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell, written by Duke Ernsberger and Virginia Cate, is loosely based on the collaboration between Gone with the Wind producer David Selznick (Joseph Horst), director Victor Fleming (Rick Croskery), and writer Ben Hecht (George Crowl) during the week they spent locked [...]
Spanish Moss on the Tar
by Vince Bellis On Saturday, February 22, 1701 adventurer John Lawson was ferried across Chatookau (Neuse) River by his Indian guide, Enoe Will. They entered what is now southern Pitt County. The next day they continued on through the Contentnea Creek swamps toward the Pampticaugh (Tar) River, “finding this day, the long ragged Moss of [...]
Pops Singers a Choral Treat
CATALYSTS: how personal initiative energizes our community by Linda Leighty Lively, stirring music sung by wonderfully blended voices is what you’ll find with the Community Pops Singers. Community members are invited to listen or to join this local choral group comprised of a range of ages and experience. Some members are knowledgeable and skilled musicians [...]
Learning Acceptance in a Southern Town: MAC’s Second Samuel
By Jennifer Benfield Johnson A soulful harmonica playing subtle yearning in complete darkness at the beginning of the play sets the tone of Magnolia Arts Center‘s production of Pamela Parker’s Pulitzer-nominated dramatic comedy, Second Samuel, directed by Pitt County local Kevin Lee. A startling secret just discovered after the death of the town’s beloved Miss [...]
A Unique Board, Neighborhood Advisory
By Rick Smiley When Greenville established the Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB) in April 2008 to serve as a liaison between neighborhoods and the city, it created a unique method of appointing its board members and brought about a board like no other other. Members are appointed to all other city boards and commissions directly by [...]
Op-Ed: Push for Citywide Resolution against Citizens United
by Griffin Bur This election year, Americans will likely be subject to the greatest torrent of political campaign and advertising spending ever seen in the country. Just this past week, the city of Greenville saw some of the heaviest advertising in the country. Though the ultimate causes for this inflow of money are varied, the [...]
Fun, Fitness, Fellowship, Family: Senior Games
CATALYSTS: how personal initiative energizes our community By Linda Leighty Shattering the myth of aging, Senior Games celebrates healthy lifestyles, competition and community. Participants 55 years and older compete locally and regionally in age groups broken into five-year intervals, allowing participants to play according to their stamina and age. Every two years a national event is held in [...]
“Are you a Lenny, Meg, or Babe?”
Magnolia Arts Center’s Crimes of the Heart by Jennifer Benfield Johnson Audience members at Magnolia Arts Center‘s opening night performance of Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, Crimes of the Heart, could be heard asking each other which of the main characters–sisters whose clashing personalities add tension and interest and create eventual unity–they relate to most. [...]
Small Business Burning
By Delia Liuzza We all know times are tough. Regardless of what the media tells us about things getting better, all of us feel the need to hang on to the money we do have in case we get laid off, or need to go to the dentist, or our car breaks down, or the [...]
Flying, Just Plane Fun
CATALYSTS: how personal initiative energizes our community By Linda Leighty “Up, down, flying around, looping the loop and defying the ground.” This verse from the once-famous song, “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” perfectly captures the North Carolina Space Cowboys’ motto: Flying is just plane fun! One club member, a United Airlines pilot, [...]
And the Beat Goes On…
CATALYSTS: how personal initiative energizes our community, Installment 2 by Linda Leighty Many young musicians play in their high school bands and derive value and enjoyment from playing their instruments. Very few aspire to future occupations as professional musicians. We probably all know someone who has kept a high school band instrument with the intention [...]
Director, Please!
Note from the Editor: This is the first in Contributing Author Linda Leighty’s series exploring the energy that active participation in a group brings to the entire community. CATALYSTS: how personal initiative energizes our community by Linda Leighty “Bridge is a great way to learn from inferences. A lot of decisions in life are made [...]
Op-Ed: AMEXCAN responds to County Commissioner James
IT BEGINS WITH MAKING AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND Response to comments made by County Commissioner Eugene James regarding sales tax and the Latino population in Pitt County. The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina (AMEXCAN) is a local non-profit organization designed to promote and integrate the Latino community throughout eastern North Carolina. An article was [...]
IMAGINE! 2nd Annual United Neighborhoods Conference
by Linda Leighty Is a neighborhood even possible without neighbors? The engaged group of community citizens who attended the conference on Saturday 24 March would laugh out loud! Their focus, in an excellent forum organized and sponsored by Greenville’s Neighborhood Advisory Board and the Human Relations Council, was all about people and community. The conclusion from [...]
Local Foods Demonstration
By Kay Sokolovic A special event showcasing CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) was held at The Scullery in Uptown Greenville on Tuesday, March 20. Locavore Market founder, Angela DeCuzzi, and The Scullery owner, Matt Scully, presented and discussed multiple ways to use local produce and meats from a Locavore Market and Nooherooka Natural CSA. On display were [...]