Today's Features

Staff Report

It’s kids’ summer movie time again.
Now that school is out, Coastal Cinema 10 at 5200 Bridgers Road in Shallotte has launched its seasonal kids’ summer movie series.
Movie showings are at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 2.
Admission for all ages is $1 per person.

By Tom Woods
Master Gardener
A few homeowners have recently asked me about gray powdery stuff showing up in small areas of their lawns. This slime mold on turf looks like burnt wood ashes that have been scattered in small spots on a lawn.
Those of you lucky enough to get a few sporadic showers or who have irrigated lawns may notice these slimy areas.
Hopefully, rain will arrive soon to relieve us of this extended drought. When it does, slime mold may pop up on more lawns.

The world is full of luscious landscapes comprised of the color green. Everywhere we look, from the city streets to the beaches, there is plant life. No matter the situation, plants seem to grow and even to prosper despite the best efforts of people and geography. Yet we are not happy.
If there is an oak in our backyard, we are disappointed if it is small; if there is a rose on our trellis, we are disappointed if it is not covered in blooms; if there is a tomato plant on our patio and it is not covered in bright, red tomatoes, we are disappointed.

Recently, I read Scott Turow’s novel, “Reversible Errors.” It’s not a book I found especially interesting, but one I labored to finish nonetheless. I am always certain there is some redemptive value, some phrase or thought that will provide fodder for meditation.
Voila, I read a sentence that struck me. “People don’t think much about the valor of ordinary lives.”