The N.C. coast lost a great friend and champion with the death of Bernice Rice of Thomas Landing in Onslow County.
Commentary
Sam’s Field Notes: The Dance of the Dolphins
Sam Bland got an unexpected surprise after Christmas on a jog down the beach at Emerald Isle. He rushed back with his camera to catch The Dance of the Dolphins.
Takeover Complete; Now Comes the Hard Part
With the takeover of state government complete, Gov. Pat McCrory and the GOP must now govern in way that doesn’t alienate voters.
Sam’s Field Notes: Glasswort Offers Colorful Display in Marsh
The three species of glasswort that grow along the coast are hardy and salt tolerant and go out in a blaze of glory.
Sam’s Field Notes: The Magnificent Roseate Spoonbill
The big pink bird is rarely seen in North Carolina, so when reports of one visiting Bear Island reached Sam Bland, he had to check it out.
Cut Teachers a Break: Restore NCCAT Funding
Let’s hope the N.C. House of Representative budget writers don’t sell our educators short. They should restore funds for the N.C. Center for the Advancement of Teaching.
Hoop Pole Creek Preserve
The “central park” of Atlantic Beach, the 31-acre preserve and nature trail was once threatened by development and is now about all that’s left of the town’s natural environment.
Sam’s Field Notes: North Carolina’s State Shell, The Scotch Bonnet
Everybody has their favorite shell, but in North Carolina, the Holy Grail of seashells seems to be the Scotch bonnet.
Coastal Legislators Made Bad Bill Better
Two state representatives pushed for significant improvements to a bill that remakes the state’s regulatory commissions.
Why the Federation Is Opposed to Drilling Off N.C.
Producing and refining oil and natural gas is a dirty, smelly business that pollutes the water and air, mars the landscape and, when an accident occurs, can have life-changing effects. And all for what? A few months supply of gasoline?
McCrory Should Step Lightly
A new poll found that a sizable majority of voters thinks it’s prudent for Gov. Pat McCrory to balance economic development with environmental protection.
Sam’s Field Notes: The ‘Spectacled Goose’
The largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, the northern gannets have long been tied to maritime culture.
Political Commissars Coming?
Thanks to a change in state law, Gov.-elect Pat McCrory now has lots more discretion to make state government a highly political place to work.
FEMA to the Beach Rescue… Again
After Hurricane Sandy passes, beach communities will again ask for federal money to rebuild their beaches, but it’s not clear that’s what Congress intended.
Sam’s Field Notes: The Migration of the Monarchs
When the temperatures start to drop,the king of butterflies — the monarchs — begin their long and amazing migration back to the mountains Mexico.
A Different Kind of Commute
Todd Miller’s commute to work can include flocks of cormorants blackening the sky and pound nets as “highway” markers.
