9th Annual Carolina Chocolate Festival Offers Fun For Everyone
Prepare to pamper yourself in decadence at the 9th Annual Carolina Chocolate Festival being held at the Crystal Coast Civic Center February 4-6, 2011 at Morehead City.

Featuring vendors from around the state and beyond, the festival provides lovers of mankind's best-loved desserts - chocolate. From chocolate cakes and tortes to chocolate bars and ice cream, the event offers more than a sampling of everything chocolate. Organizers are putting the finishing touches on other activities that will please everyone this year from cooking demonstrations, to dinners and spa treatments. "The whole family can participate in one or more of the activities we have to offer." says Porter Wils... Read More

For Immediate Release

At only 37 years old, Maria Bamford has a long list of impressive credits to her name. Besides starring in her own web sitcom on SuperDeluxe.com, Maria stars in the new Comedy Central series, "The Comedians of Comedy Tour" (as well as in the independent film of the same title out on NETFLIX), and is a series regular on the animated Nickelodeon series CatDog.

Maria Bamford's talent as a comedian has done more than secure her roles in film and on television. Her stand up work has also been recognized by the critics. Variety Magazine has listed Maria as one of the "Top Ten Comics to Watch" and she was voted by Comedy Central viewers as one of their Top Ten Favorite Comics.

Maria started her performing arts c... Read More

The North Carolina General Assembly will conduct a public hearing on the redistricting process for the State House, State Senate and U.S. Congressional districts in Beaufort County on May 7 at 9:30 a.m. at Beaufort County Community College, Building 9, Room 935.

Similar public hearings are planned at sites across the State. To see a list of all county hearings, with date, time and place, click here.

Members of the public may comment on the current district plans, communities of interest, voting history, or any other topic related to redistricting. Each speaker is limited to five minutes. Speakers are encouraged to submit their oral comments in writing. Persons proposing plans are encouraged to provide maps and any supporting data.

Regist... Read More

The Democratic Party is in need of a new source of inspiration and hope, after sustaining political losses in 2010; but following Saturday's annual Democratic convention at the Beaufort County Courthouse, the Party walked out divided and weak.

Though Surry Everett did not have any trouble getting elected as Chairman of the Beaufort County Democratic Party, he did have some difficulty finding the words for a post-election speech to the party and remarks to the press.

Everett--the nominating committee's choice, elected unanimously by the delegates--approached the lectern without any emotion or excitement whatsoever and read two manuscripts written by Democratic Party State Chair David Parker and Governor Bev Perdue, instead of delivering... Read More

I recently had two experiences that have taught me a great deal. The first was covering the School Board presentation of its budget request to the County Commissioners and the other was watching the debate this week in the N. C. House on the state budget.

To understand what I'm about to say requires you to either accept that this nation, state and county are in serious financial trouble. If you do not accept that then you can stop reading this. Maybe I'm wrong but I believe most people know this. They know the national debt is unsustainable. They know inherently that the state, city and county cannot continue to spend more than they take in.

So when I sit and listen to a School Board and its superintendent ask for more money such that it ... Read More

I'm writing to address Ms. Winborne's letter, published in Greenville's Daily Reflector on April 29, which accused the Tea Party and the GOP of trying to put grandma in an early grave by seeking budget cuts. Well, that is simply outrageous and ridiculous. The fact is that our government promises too much to too many people but continues to relieve too many of them from contributing. We continue to fund lifestyles that place a huge burden on our fiscal well-being. You eventually run out of other people's money, which is where we are now. If Ms. Winborne wants to accuse leaders of sending grandma to an early grave, then she should look no further than Obama himself and his group of healthcare advisors.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a bioethicist c... Read More

"David is 11 years old. He weighs 60 pounds. He is 4 feet, 6 inches tall. He has brown hair. His love is real. But he is not."

Artificial Intelligence is possibly the most misunderstood, underappreciated movie of all time. The late-Stanley Kubrick/Steven Spielberg hybrid feels whole, where their other independent cinematic creations are lacking. The collaboration of these iconic directors resulted in a complete conversation on human existence, where science and faith, depravity and innocence, thought and emotion, all have their place. Many critics and viewers expressed discomfort at what they mistook as dueling, rather than dynamic, perspectives. The feeling is both "Clockwork Orange" and "E.T."; "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Schindler'... Read More

Artist and arts advocate Amy Scheidegger continues to enjoy overwhelming support for her Artistic Rebuttal Book Project. As of Mar. 25, Scheidegger reported that 357 people have confirmed to contribute from 83 cities across America and Canada. The finished product of the Artistic Rebuttal Book Project will be marketed to galleries, arts councils, tourist departments and libraries across the country. Scheidegger will also now be collaborating with teachers and students across the country on a children's edition of the project.

Nearly 200 entries have already been submitted. Beaufort County Now published the first batch on Feb. 8, which can be viewed by clicking here; the second batch on Feb. 13, which can be viewed by clicking here; the th... Read More

The oceans on our planet and in our bodies are primarily composed of two substances: water and salt. In fact, the salinity of the water outside the cells in our bodies is similar to that in the ocean. There are two oceans of water in the body: one ocean is held inside the cells of the body, and the other ocean is held outside the cells. Good health depends on a delicate balance between the volume of these oceans, and this balance is achieved by salt. Water has to get inside the cells to cleanse and extract the toxic wastes of cell metabolisms. Salt forces some water to stay outside the cells. Too much salt will extract water from our cells, causing dehydration; too little salt and the cells will swell with water, causing cellular damage.... Read More

A traveler passing through downtown Washington during its cool season might presume they had fallen upon a ghost town. When skies are gray, shop windows are dim and pedestrians scarce.

From November to March, most Beaufort County citizens enter a sort of hibernation phase, causing downtown businesses to keep even more limited hours than usual and downtown organizations to stop hosting their many attractive festivals.

When spring arrives and the stir-crazy people of Beaufort County emerge from their homes and venture out to boat, fish or just admire the Pamlico River, the adjacent downtown business district really perks up.

Ten springs ago, I had the pleasure of experiencing the height of downtown Washington's active season, as a waitre... Read More

Three months ago, Beaufort County Now published a selection of jokes by the "king of deadpan," Steven Wright. Wright delivers disturbingly bizarre dialogue, with no emotion, in the style of Christopher Walken, Bill Murray and, sometimes, even Seinfeld. A second selection is past due. Enjoy!

I can remember the first time I had to go to sleep. Mom said, "Steven, time to go to sleep." I said, "But I don't know how." She said, "It's real easy. Just go down to the end of tired and hang a left." So I went down to the end of tired, and just out of curiosity I hung a right. My mother was there, and she said "I thought I told you to go to sleep."

I wrote a song, but I can't read music so I don't know what it is. Every once in a while I'll be lis... Read More

The many birds, some Gulls and Pelicans, that inhabit these sandy islands just east of the ferry route: Above and below.

Along the waterfront in Southport, one sees a plethora of activity: the even longer Bald Head Island Ferry - above - the laughter of a small child feeding the Sea Gulls -below.

Along the waterfront streets of Southport, North Carolina, one can find a these public places on the water - this one with a dock: Above. Many beautiful homes stand upon the edge of these waterfront streets: Below.

This pretty little town, with its scenic streets and its lovely water resource, must be a a wonderful place to live: Above and below.

Near the middle of the town of Southport is the Smithfield Burying Ground. This nearl... Read More

When the United States Congress gets back to D.C. on Sept. 13, they will have to face the ugly fact that, despite all their wrangling, the national housing market is poised for another downturn. The home buyer tax credit may have temporarily boosted sales, but when it became unavailable in July, sales dropped a record 27.2 percent, the lowest level since May 1995. Historically low interest rates aren’t doing much to convince people it’s time to buy, either. Of all mortgage applications, only 18.6 percent are for new loans; the other 81.4 percent are seeking to refinance current mortgages.

Primarily, a lack in homebuyer confidence will be to blame for letting the housing market fall back into a rut. Americans were counting on t... Read More

I had the opportunity recently to observe the NC Senate Education Committee debate S 423 which, if it passes, will create a Joint Legislative Oversight Committee to study "teacher tenure" in North Carolina and report back its recommendations to the 2012 General Assembly. S 423 is being supported by the new Republican leadership and is likely to pass both houses. In the past, every time the subject has been brought up the Teachers' Union in North Carolina has been successful in killing it. They may not be successful this time.

Teacher tenure is a bad idea. The problem is that not having tenure for teachers is an even worse idea.

I have never forgotten the first local school board meeting I ever attended. I was there for a different reason,... Read More

Publisher's Note: This article appeared in the Beaufort Observer, and is a response to a Letter to the Editor, by former Beaufort County Republican Party Chairman Larry Britt, which was published in the WDN.

When I moved to Bath, North Carolina, ten months ago I discovered that there were two Republican parties in Beaufort County and three Republican parties in Pitt County. As a lifelong Republican (until 2006), who grew up in Taxachusetts and resided in Virginia for 45 years, I found this a little disconcerting. In my former places of residence there had only been one Republican party. Granted one was liberal (guess which one) and the other conservative but a least there was only one to whom one owed allegiance. At this point, I said to m... Read More

I know there are many wonderful mothers residing in this region, however, my personal best is my wife, Lynn, and for good reason.

She has raised our four children: Brandia, Meredith, Stanhope and Anna from birth, and has selflessly given much of herself to do so.

Our children will grow older and wiser with time on their side, but they will never experience anything again resembling the unconditional love that was showered upon them by both of their parents, but especially by their sweet, lovely mother.

My greatest decision in life was to ask Lynn Womble to marry me. My children's greatest fortune will always be their mother.
Pictured above: Meredith Deatherage Loughlin (left), Anna Alyss Deatherage (middle). Lynn Womble Deatherage ... Read More