Features

Look low in the eastern sky, and then pan the sky upward until you are looking at the top of the sky. There is a lion, a baby lion and a wildcat.

On March 16, the moon will be just in front of the lion. On March 17, the moon will be under his front paws. On March 18, the moon is touching his tail. On the day of the big scary moon that some say will wreak havoc on Earth because of it being closer to us than it has been for 18 years, the moon will be right over a cup and looking like the game “ball-in-a-cup.”

Yes, that’s right, it’s our solar system. Our sun is just one of 200 billion stars all locked on a gravity merry-go-round. We all revolve in a circle around a black hole known as Sagittarius A.

SUPPLY—Dr. Patrick Maguire, oncologist with South Atlantic Radiation Oncology Center, has spent his life’s work helping others fight cancer. He lost his father to cancer and both of his in-laws.

During his personal and professional battles with cancer, Maguire discovered a need and sought to fill it. As an oncologist he is frequently asked questions ranging from what is cancer to how could I have prevented this?

London Gore believes in the power of prayer, even if it takes more than six decades to be answered.

That’s what the 87-year-old Shallotte resident and World War II veteran had been doing all those years in hopes of finding the family of Sgt. Michael Dicky, his Army tank commander and good friend who was killed before Gore’s eyes during the Normandy campaign on Aug. 13, 1944.

Credit Charlotte resident and World War II buff Jerry Evers for providing assistance.

OCEAN ISLE BEACH—It’s been more than four months since Gunner was brought to Cat Tails, a no-kill feline rescue facility.

But the large orange tabby cat apparently hasn’t forgotten the home he used to have.

Last fall, Gunner’s former owner, a Wilmington man, gave up the 6-year-old cat after getting married. The man said his new wife was allergic to cats, and she also had dogs, according to Cat Tails workers.

By Mark Jankowski
Ingram Planetarium Director

The twins, a crab, a rabbit, two dogs, a bull, a hunter and even a dove can be seen looking down from the winter sky. The weather lately has really given us the feeling that winter is here. Go out on a clear night, look up, and the stars reveal that winter is here. The same as they have done for eons. At 9 p.m. everyone is up, at least everyone regarding the winter constellations. Time for star school and a lesson in winter star groups.

A bull is guarding the palace, traveling across the sky during New Year’s and is a vessel on earth for the soul of Osiris. 

This bull has many stories to tell as it reigns supreme in the early winter sky. 

Across the globe, cultures viewing a certain bright star group imagined a bull; however, the beliefs about this bull vary. Therefore, it is an interesting study of history and a notable constellation worth finding. 

Patricia Bell and Rhonda Varnam believe in the power of prayer.

As overseers of their respective ministries, Lamb of God (Bell) and Called and Anointed (Varnam), it’s only natural.

But when Bell started praying for wheels to replace vehicles that are barely getting by, she got more than she bargained for. She got a bus.

At 101, Adelina Filocamo and her dog Marco walking on a leash by her side are a familiar sight at Shallotte Assisted Living.

Connecticut natives Nick and Lillian Szeszkowski celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past September.

And Isaac Hardy, 72, is known for the regular walks he goes on around Shallotte, returning to the Mulberry Street facility later in the day.