by Micki Cottle The Sampson Independent

In my grandmothers time, and even in my younger days, porch visiting was an almost daily social event.

In the Carolina countryside, where summers are hot and long, no respectable house was considered complete without a porch. They were almost as necessary as the kitchen and for a considerable part of the year became the outdoor apartment for family and friends.

Porches were at the center of family life. They provided relaxation, and social interaction even after the darkening shadows inked the landscape. Somehow they marked the endings and beginnings of daily life. And for more times than I can remember, it seems the whole family was there, and now I can see we were all just passing through.

Most porches were pretty simple, no architectural wonders, just reflections of the folks that lived their simple lives there. Rocking chairs lined up in a companionable row begged a body to stop and sit a spell. Pots of flowers; I remember, Three Sisters Roses bowls of Sweet William, placed here and there, replenished on Saturday, always fresh for Sunday and the new week: ready to welcome the preacher in his fine hat, with his dainty wife and handfuls of little ones, tagging right along. This was real. I close my eyes and even now I can see the sunlight fading on the weathered old porch boards, and the shadows that tugged gently over the garden.

The smells of honeysuckle vines growing in abandoned splendor around the sides of the porch, wrapped us in fragrance. Laughter and conversation, musty old pipes and excited children, they were all there.

When I visited, it seemed those moody southern nights stretched on forever: until exhausted with that sweet exhaustion only childhood offers, we stumbled, sleepily and contentedly to our feather beds to rest under the eye of the moon.

I guess there were a few very elaborate porches, sporting fancy wicker rockers and dazzling lounging sofas. Grandmas was perfect, from my point of view. But, it certainly wasnt fancy. Her rocking chairs were well worn, having rocked from the cradle to the grave more often than not. There were two extra large tables at one end. And they were big enough to accommodate any amount of regular or unexpected family or friends for a good Country Feed.

There were always baskets of something, butterbeans or peas; something waiting to be shelled or shucked mostly by Granny, but anybody who dropped by was welcome. Someone just handed you a pan and you started shelling.

Old fashion oil-lamps guided us into the night, shining their soft glow, accentuating the faces of the young and old alike. Surrounded by the sounds of night, there was a familiar closeness as we embraced the lengthening shadows that fell like gentle fingers across the old porch. We were home. And was there ever a glass of tea or lemonade that tasted better? And was there ever to be again that complete gentle happiness and security that held us so easily in this circle of light?

Read more here:
In the Sweet Bye and Bye

The weather is not the only thing that shocked Burlington neighborhoods last week. Saturday, in particular, was full of summer excitement as students came out to backyards, porches and even the streets in celebration of Saint Patricks Day.

Temperatures reached in the 80s in the past week. For some students, spring can be one of the best times of the year. For Burlington residents, however, it can be one of the worst, according to police records, which show increased noise violations and drinking tickets during these months.

Hundreds of students gathered in backyards, on porches, and even some in the streets to celebrate the Irish holiday, which Burlington residents have deemed one of the worst Saint Patricks Days in recent years, according to multiple Front Porch Forum posts. Front Porch Forum is a free online service whose mission is to help communities become better connected through posts that recognize community issues or just want to spread word about upcoming events. Besides talk of how rowdy students got on Saturday, members of the website use it to create awareness about other issues and even propose solutions.

Community meetings are held in multiple wards to address the on-going conflict between students and neighbors regarding noise and general neighborly responsibilities. Of course, for many students who celebrated the holiday on Saturday neighborly respect and responsibility was non apparent.

The Burlington community has always had to deal with certain holidays where students tend to get a little out of control, Saint Patricks Day being one of the worst. The warm weather and the fact that the holiday was over the weekend this year only contributed to the debauchery that took place, said Julian Golfarini, SGA President.

Debauchery downtown, you can change that culture a little bit, but trying to stop people from drinking on Saint Patricks Day, in my opinion, is a cultural thing, if you go to any college campus in America you will find people drinking on Saint Patricks Day, said Golfarini.

Drinking holidays however do not spark the concerns that many Burlington residents have regarding young people, but the ever-continuing cycle of new students moving downtown and the ways in which these new students contribute to the community. Once people start drinking; things can get out of hand quickly and there is a liability both to the leaseholds and the landlords. Overall, I think respect is key...respect your privilege to live off campus, respect the laws re: noise and fireworks, respect your neighbors, respect your home, respect yourself not to get wasted and put yourself at risk said Ann Lang, a Burlington resident.

Gail Shampnois, a member of the Department of Student and Community Relations and leader of the Community Coalition, believes that students have the power to get involved and better their communities. Shampnois, along with the SGA, set up a cleaning crew of students that went out on Sunday following Saint Patricks Day, to help clean up some of the destruction. Broken glass from car windows and beer bottles covered streets and sidewalks. Beer cans and other trash was spewed around town. The group of students that helped out was about 30-40, said Golfarini.

What Shampnois and Golfarini agree on is that students need to play a more responsible role in their communities. Its getting all the partners to the table to create social capital said Shampnois, students, residents, landlords, and the police department, all need to come together in order to make a difference.

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Burlington recovers from Saint Patricks Day

NEW YORK, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its 164-year history of offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected, Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The Cordless Motion Activated Light, an outdoor floodlight that provides instant illumination without requiring hardwiring.

The battery powered light sets up anywhere to illuminate porches, walkways, or doorways when it detects motion within 25' and across the 100 degreedetection zone. Six 100,000-hour-rated LEDs produce glare-free light with broad coverage using a built-in reflector plate, providing a wide-angle beam similar to a floodlight.

"The Cordless Motion Activated Light provides reliable light only when it's needed and sets up any place without requiring an electrician or unsightly power cords," explained Hammacher Schlemmer's General Manager Fred Berns.

The Cordless Motion Activated Light mounts to a wall or fence with the included bracket and screws, and it can be tilted and rotated for a preferred light-projection angle.

The light remains lit for 30 seconds after no motion is detected, the internal photocell prevents illumination during daylight, and it is powered by four C batteries (not included) that provide up to 18,000, 30-second illuminations.

The Cordless Motion Activated Light is available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $39.95. For more information about this product, please visit http://www.hammacher.com/75782 or contact Trish Hammond at (847) 581-8987 or via e-mail at pr@hammacher.com.

About Hammacher Schlemmer Hammacher Schlemmer is America's longest running catalog, offering the Best, the Only and the Unexpected since 1848. The company provides unique products that solve problems or represent the only one of their kind, backing all products with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. Hammacher Schlemmer's innovative offerings are available through its catalog, website, and its famed landmark store on East 57th Street in New York City.

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Hammacher Schlemmer Introduces The Cordless Motion Activated Light

Last week, more than 300 area Boys Scouts and Cub Scouts hung empty plastic sacks on doorknobs and porches, with hopes the owners would be kind enough to fill those bags with food for the annual Scouting for Food drive.

By noon Saturday, those porches were picked clean after the Scouts gathered the food and delivered it to 17 food pantries and charity organizations in Des Moines, Henry and Louisa counties in Iowa and Henderson County in Illinois.

According to Monte Smith, cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 71 out of Danville and New London, this was the most productive year yet.

"It went really good. We had the best drive we've ever had," he said.

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"Last year, we picked up 400 items. Each year, we get a little bigger and bigger," Smith said. "We're pretty proud of them."

Each pack and troop was given a specific area to cover, though some of the groups teamed up so they could cover a bigger area. Boy Scout Troop 214 and Cub Scout Pack 14 were in charge of recovering food from West Burlington, and Cubmaster Mark Moore reported it was a smashing success.

"We had 25 boys, and they were able to get more than 1,000 items," Moore said. "We were right on target."

The total number of food items won't officially be tallied for a couple of weeks, but Scouting for Food chairwoman Kathy Boyle said the combined efforts of the Shoquoquon District of the Mississippi Valley Council for the Boy Scouts of America has brought in thousands of food items each year.

"Service to one's community is one of Scouting's most valuable lessons," she said. "Each year, Scouts collect close to 15,000 food items within our four-county area. Seventeen local food pantries and shelters are able to replenish their supplies."

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Scouting for Food fills up local food pantries

LADERA RANCH A Westminster man is out on bail Friday morning after being arrested for the second time in five months on suspicion of stealing parcels from people's front porches.

At 5:05 p.m. Monday, a man called police to say he was on Antonio Parkway in Ladera Ranch following someone in a green Toyota Camry who had just stolen a package off his porch.

Tien Kim Vu, 37, of Westminster.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IRVINE POLICE DEPARTMENT

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The man followed the suspect, described as an Asian male in his 30s with dark hair and glasses, as he turned onto Avendale Boulevard, Sklar Street and Ranunculus Street, which is a dead end.

The suspect turned around and made his way back to Antonio Parkway, and headed toward Crown Valley Parkway. Deputies had arrived by that time and pulled over the Camry into an Arco gas station parking lot.

Deputies found six UPS packages in the Camry, which was being driven by Tien Kim Vu. Deputies arrested Vu, 37, and he was charged with six misdemeanor counts of petty theft and one felony count of receiving stolen property.

Vu also faces an enhancement felony charge of committing a secondary offense while released from custody on another case. Vu was arrested last fall by Irvine Police, who found more than 150 packages in his home and car, according to an Irvine Police Department press release.

An officer had been tracking a series of thefts reported by residents in north Irvine, and twice the officer received information about a suspicious looking vehicle in the area near where the thefts occurred. On Oct. 27, the officer spotted the vehicle and saw Vu placing a package onto the passenger seat of the car, then getting in and driving away.

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Man arrested for second time in parcel thefts

Barbara Tabak actually gasped when I told her that my husband and I have a front porch.

This is a professional decorator, mind you. Shes seen and created interiors that would make magazine covers.

But when it comes to exteriors, the front porch is a rare breed.

The front porch is great, but the demise of the front porch really corresponds with the loss of neighborly interaction, Tabak said, hitting the nail on the head. Weve all moved to the back porch and lost that front porch feel.

Sigh. But hope is on the way. The National Association of Home Builders reports that by 2015, front porches will be standard in new homes. NAHBs Home of the Future uses resources efficiently and features a front porch, smaller square footage and a two-story design.

Hmmm. Sounds like the Home of the Future steals a few ideas from my home. You know the one built when William Howard Taft was president and a ship called the Titanic was just blueprints on a drafting table.

These last couple of weeks, we are all marveling at our sudden spring. Even without a bad winter behind us, were celebrating. Scarves and mittens go back into mothballs. T-shirts come out of storage. Women everywhere, afraid of cringing with embarrassment the first time they slip into sandals, are scrambling to schedule pedicures.

And were getting outside. Yards are getting cleaned of their winter debris. One photographer I know is planting lettuce already. When friends came over the other night, we had pre-dinner drinks on the front porch. Conversation seemed more sparkling from a porch swing, surrounded by warm evening air and the sight of tulips and daffodils pushing out of the ground in random but cheerful profusion.

Its no secret that outdoor living is integral to todays lifestyles, but Tabak, the decorator of Decorators Den in Susquehanna Twp., said that the industry is really catching up to those of us living in northern climes.

Outdoor furniture has greatly evolved from the folding vinyl strap pieces we had in the past, she said. Now we have teak, steel, rattan, wicker. It looks like outdoor furniture but for northeastern homes. Usually, outdoor living was confined to Florida and the south.

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Commentary: Porches make comeback as hot spots for homeowners

Find out more about the Stillwater co-housing project.

A year ago, the drawing hung on a wall in a mid-century, ranch-style house - all that the Oakcreek Community had to show for itself.

Now you can look out the window and see that same row of cottages, albeit with unfinished roofs and unpainted walls.

As construction approaches the halfway mark, Stillwater's experiment with "co-housing" has become more than theoretical.

"In a side-by-side comparison," says Oakcreek homeowner Nadine Olson, "you can see it coming into being exactly as we imagined it."

In a co-housing neighborhood, the residents own the entire development and run the project themselves, controlling every detail, from arranging finances to hiring an architect.

When home buyers begin moving into Oakcreek this fall, they will own their individual houses but also share ownership in the wider property.

A lot of day-to-day life - including some, if not most, of their meals - will happen in the "common house" near the center of the compound.

"It's more than a place to live," says Olson, who recently retired from teaching Spanish at Oklahoma State University. "It's going to be a community - a real community."

The first of its kind in Oklahoma, Oakcreek follows the example of similar projects in Colorado, Virginia and a handful of other states.

See original here:
Oakcreek Community co-housing project near Stillwater reaches halfway point for build

By Nathan Gardner

On an unseasonably warm March night, students on Greek row gathered on porches and filtered in and out of the Fraternity and Sorority houses, but on this particular Thursday, the song of bluegrass pickin rang down Third Street.

The Kentucky Kai Five is a bluegrass band comprised of five University of Louisville students. The two brothers, Zach and Andrew Barger had the bluegrass spirit instilled in them from their father at a young age. Zach is an education major that plays mandolin and Andrew is a civil engineering major playing banjo. Chris Millet, a music therapy major, strums the guitar and sings lead vocals, as well as working as an RA on campus. Music education major Kate Tyree plays fiddle and gives music lessons at the School of Music. Chemical engineering major Daniel Duda plays bass guitar and is an apparent racquetball and ping pong star.. Unfortunately for this particular jam session Andrew was busy tutoring and I missed on what the other band members describe as an amazing banjo picker.

Most people dont think of college students and bluegrass music going hand in hand, but the Kentucky Kai Five have taken their bluegrass roots and blended in a youthful style to make their music both fun and relevant to college students. Imagine Jimmy Buffet singing lead for the Foggy Mountain Boys. They take a traditional bluegrass style and insert laid back lyrics about college experiences.

Kate Tyree plays the fiddle on the porch of the Beta Theta Ri house as the Kentucky Kai Five fill the air with bluegrass sounds.

In the song Father Time, the band sings of a weekend at the beach that may never come again. Its a nostalgic song that makes one wish the good times would never end. The band uses the beautiful vocal harmonies synonymous with bluegrass music to open up the song then breaks into the boom-chicka-boom sound of the guitar and the gentle flow of the fiddle. The song tells a story of a weekend filled with sunburn and empty glasses on the beach. The finger lickin pickin of the mandolin takes the spotlight halfway through the song to make you swear youre in the middle of Appalachia.

Junior education majoy Zach Barger traces his roots to his father's bluegrass background.

The band has written over 20 original songs, but also plays a variety of well-known cover songs from Folsom Prison Blues to Breaking the Law.

Currently the band is focusing on writing new material and brushing up on the old stuff. They have a show this week at the ACPA Conference on March 24, and are looking to get hired for more gigs this summer. Be sure to check out The Kentucky Kai Five on Facebook by searching for: The Kentucky Kai Five or scanning the barcode below with your smartphone.

ngardner@louisvillecardinal.com Photo: Michael Baldwin/The Louisville Cardinal

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Red blood, bluegrass: band of UofL students lives Kentucky’s musical legacy

Photo by Johnny Jackson Air temperatures in near downtown Hampton reached regularly the upper 70s by mid-morning most of last week, as flowers and trees continued their early bloom.

Automobiles and porches throughout the Southern Crescent are coated like powdered donuts in a bakery, as flowers blossom and tree foliage blooms into full canopies on this official first day of spring. But the pollen-dusted outdoors, glowing a green-yellowish hue in the sunshine, is giving allergy sufferers fits.

Some Dos and Donts to follow during the pollen and mold season for allergy sufferers:

Do keep windows closed at night; use air conditioning, which cleans, cools and dries the air.

Do minimize early morning (outdoor) activity when pollen is most usually emitted (between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.).

Do keep your car windows closed, if you drive to work or school, while out shopping, etc.

Do stay indoors when the pollen count or humidity is high and on windy days when dust and pollen are whipped about.

Do take your vacation during the height of the pollen season to a place more pollen-free (such as a beach).

Dont mow lawns or be around freshly cut grass; mowing stirs up pollens and molds.

Dont rake leaves (it also stirs up molds).

Excerpt from:
Spring has sprung: Blooming flowers, green trees, bring pesky pollen

Daily Gospel

Published : Tuesday 20 March 2012

1 After these things was a festival day of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water. 4 And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water, was made whole, of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. 5 And there was a certain man there, that had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity. 6 Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been now a long time, he saith to him: Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The infirm man answered him: Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pond. For whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith to him: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole: and he took up his bed, and walked. And it was the sabbath that day. 10 The Jews therefore said to him that was healed: It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed. 11 He answered them: He that made me whole, he said to me, Take up thy bed, and walk. 12 They asked him therefore: Who is that man who said to thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 13 But he who was healed, knew not who it was; for Jesus went aside from the multitude standing in the place. 14 Afterwards, Jesus findeth him in the temple, and saith to him: Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee. 15 The man went his way, and told the Jews, that it was Jesus who had made him whole. 16 Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.

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John 5:1-16