Category: Quick hits

This coming holiday weekend will see the great seasonal migration begin to decks, balconies and backyards to fire up our gas or charcoal grills. May is not only National Barbecue Month, but also National Hamburger Month. While cooking food outside has occurred throughout history, grilling became a popular recreation in the U.S. in the 1920s. The first charcoal briquets were produced by Henry Ford, using scrap wood left over from making Model T’s. More than a third of U.S. adults …

Thursday, May 24th. There are few love affairs to rival that between pets and their owners. Most pets are rewarded for their unquestioning love with shelter, food, and medical care. Usually, each pet makes several visits a year to the veterinarian for annual shots and a checkup. Of course, they also go to the vet if they get sick or hurt. The first veterinary school in the U.S. opened this week in 1879 at Iowa State College — now University …

Tuesday was National Maritime Day, noted annually by presidential proclamation. The date chosen celebrates the day in 1819 when the SS Savannah completed the first transatlantic crossing by a steam ship. The first Maritime Day was created by Congress in 1933 to honor the U.S. Merchant Marine, civilians who have defended the freedom of America since 1775. Their exploits include the largest sealift the world has even known during World War II. More than 2.2 billion tons of commerce arrive …

Monday marked the birthday of an important U.S. aviation pioneer who now is largely forgotten.  Glenn Curtiss was born in Hammondsport, New York.  He was the first U.S. motorcycle champion, setting a speed record of 136 miles an hour in 1907.  Turning to aviation, he set many speed and distance records in the first decade of powered flight.  Curtiss built the navy’s first aircraft, and later huge four-engined flying boats.  One, the NC-4, made the first transatlantic crossing by an …

President Obama discusses the reforms to Wall Street that he put in place to protect consumers and make Wall Street play by the same set of rules — and calls on lawmakers to finish implementing these reforms so that we can prevent excessive risk-taking and help create an economy that is built to last. Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President discussed his plan to help responsible …

Tonight, NVHS holding an event Hopelessly Devoted To You, and this weekend, Oxford is holding an art festival, there’s a bike ride event at the Henderson Moose Lodge, at the fairgrounds is the NC Agfest.  Check out our calendar page for details, and be sure you let us know of any events going on the area! On this week in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most historic decisions, changing the social landscape of the nation forever. The …

The first motion picture Academy Awards were given out on this week in 1929.  Unlike the big hoopla surrounding the awards now, about 270 people attended that first ceremony.  The silent movie “Wings” was chosen as best picture.  Many of the movie stars honored with Oscars through the years were born in May, among them Katherine Hepburn and John Wayne, along with Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart.  When the first Oscars were awarded in 1929, Americans spent $720 …

Flying became more comfortable this week in 1930 —when United Airlines made the first flight with an airline stewardess, Ellen Church.  She tended passengers on a flight from San Francisco to Cheyenne, Wyoming.  The criteria for the job was that she could be no older than 25, no taller than 5 feet, 4 inches, and weigh no more than 115 pounds and be a registered nurse.  The idea caught on, and being a stewardess became one of the most sought-after …

Women in military uniform serving in dangerous areas of the world are no longer a cause for surprise.  It all started this week in 1942, when an act of Congress made it possible for women to enlist for noncombat duties in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.  Its members were called “WACS.”  At the time, only single women could join and they were prohibited from either smoking while walking or chewing gum in public.  By 1978, women were integrated into the …

Tonight hosts a city council meeting, and a board of education meeting, we’ve already posted the full agendas up on the articles on Friday. President Obama is calling on Democrats and Republicans to come together and act on his Congressional “to-do list,” which will create jobs and help restore middle class security. In this make-or-break moment for the middle class, these five initiatives have bipartisan support and will help create an economy that is built to last. Check this weeks Weekly Address below: …

Meet Me in the Street is TONIGHT! 2012’s first of three free  “Meet Me in the Street” concerts is scheduled for Friday, May 11.  Featured band will be The Konnection Band, a well-known, six member local band, that presents a variety of rock, funk, R&B, beach and country music . The free concert will take place on Breckenridge Street from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Vance County Farm Bureau is having a BBQ Plate Sale to benefit Relay for Life …

So there’s already a petition to repeal the Amendment One, and also a petition to change the Democratic Convention from Charlotte to elsewhere, and a call in Hollywood of a boycott of North Carolina for film business. What’s your take? BTW, Wednesday President Obama officially announced his support of gay marriages and candidate Mitt Romney announces his support of man / woman marriages.   Romney said Wednesday he supports limiting benefits for same-sex couples.  “I do not favor civil unions if …

Congratulations to Mayor Pete O’Geary, Gary Daeke, and Vernon Brown on their wins.  The constitutional amendment has passed that will define marriage as between man and woman only. As of my writing this, the full Vance County results are not yet in.  So I’ll link you to the official results page:  http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/Vance/36687/77851/en/summary.html The results statewide are here:http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/36596/80177/en/summary.html How did you do? So far only 1 thing/person I voted for is in the lead. Before the school year draws to a …

First, if you haven’t already done so, I want you to stop reading and go vote.  Today is the last day.  I’ve made another post detailing how you can easily find your voting location.  Whatever your choice is, you need to go vote.  I’m not going to tell you how to vote.  Your church should not have told you how to vote, that’s illegal.  Your church, as the one I visit has done, may say that you need to go …