Online Job Searching On Thursday, March 1, At Ridgeview Library
Hickory – Are you trying to re-enter the work force or move forward in your career? Nicole...
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Author: FOCUS Newspaper
Help Others, Give Blood In March At These Locations
Hickory – Give blood and help save local lives! Donate blood with Community Blood Center of...
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Catawba Co. Senior Nutrition To Take Part In 16th Annual March For Meals Celebration
Newton, NC – Catawba County Senior Nutrition Program announced today that it will be...
Read MoreLenoir Rhyne University’s Institute Of Faith Hosts Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah On March1
Hickory – Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Institute for Faith and Learning (IFL) will conclude its 2017-18 Speaker Series with a presentation by the Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m. in Grace Chapel. A...
Read MoreMad Hatter’s Tea Party Is March 10 At Gallery 27 In Lincolnton
Lincolnton, NC – The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is a Gallery 27 tradition. The purpose of this exhibit is to challenge artists to create outside their comfort zones, and provide collectors with fun and quirky original works of...
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Teen Advisory Board Movie Screening This Saturday, February 24, At Ridgeview Library
Hickory – Grab your pillows and blankets and join the Ridgeview Library Teen Advisory Board...
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Caldwell County Actors Play Major Roles In Hickory Community Theatre’s The Hobbit, March 9
Hickory – In The Hobbit, coming March 9th to the Hickory Community Theatre, the two major...
Read MoreCatawba Regional Hospice Seeks Volunteers For March 24 Training Session In Newton
Newton, NC – Catawba Regional Hospice is seeking compassionate volunteers to offer friendship and companionship to patients and their families (no direct, hands on care required). Greeters are also needed to welcome...
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Lenoir-Rhyne University’s 5K On April 7 Celebrates Hickory; Early Sign-Up Til March 27
Hickory – Lenoir-Rhyne University is proud to present the third annual LRU 5K on its main...
Read MoreMeet New Yorker Magazine Cartoonist Matthew Diffee On March 2
Hickory – Hickory Museum of Art is pleased to welcome Matthew Diffee for an evening of laughs and art on Friday, March 2. The evening will feature a two-part ticketed event beginning with the exhibit reception with the artist in...
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WPS Conductor John Gordon Ross Speaks Wednesday, February 28, At Alex Lee Lecture Series At LRU
Hickory – The next speaker scheduled as part of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s 2018 Alex Lee Leadership...
Read MoreCVCC Offers Free Social Media Seminars Throughout The Month Of March
Hickory – The Catawba Valley Community College Small Business Center is presenting a series of social media seminars to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses market and build their business. On Monday March 5 the Small...
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Hickory Sunrise Rotary Club’s St. Patrick’s Day Dance Is Set For March 17
Hickory – The Hickory Sunrise Rotary Club has announced that it will be hosting a St....
Read MoreSeniors Morning Out In March: Cooking & Nutrition Classes
Hickory – Seniors Morning Out participants will enjoy a variety of activities in March including cooking class and nutrition education. Any resident of Catawba County who is 60 or better is invited to join Seniors Morning Out,...
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The 15:17 to Paris (**) PG-13
You have to admire Clint Eastwood, who will turn 88 years old this year, for his sheer physical...
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Fifty Shades Freed (**) PG-13
The Fifty Shades finale has finally arrived and I would say that the title, Fifty Shades Freed, is...
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Death, Taxes & Chuck E. Cheese
Benjamin Franklin (that guy on the $100 bill), in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, (circa 1789)...
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Super Bowl Blueprint
Okay, football season is over. Time for many sports fans to turn their attention to college...
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Fight The Fight!
My apologies, I missed writing my column four weeks ago…first time in twelve years. Amazingly, I...
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Tickets For HCT’s Comedy Kitchen Witches Are Selling Out
Hickory – The Kitchen Witches, a new comedy at the Hickory Community Theatre is proving very...
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Life In Ridgeview: Do You Know Me? Storytelling On Feb. 20, 21 & 22, 5-6:30pm
Hickory – One Purpose Parks & Recreation Council (OPPRC) is calling on all Ridgeview...
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Unpacked: How Many Cultures Make Catawba Home Exhibit Opens Thurs., Feb. 22 In Newton
Newton, NC – A new multicultural exhibit in the Catawba County History Museum, entitled...
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Ultimate Takes The Field At The Hickory YMCA Join The Fun On Sundays At 3pm
Hickory – Sunday afternoons at the Hickory YMCA outdoor fields are a time for families to...
Read MoreGodspell At LRU Next Thursday- Sunday, February 22-25
Hickory – Lenoir-Rhyne University will continue its 2017-18 Playmakers season with a production of Godspell (2012 Revised Version). The play will be performed Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 22-24 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday,...
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Joy Prom Is Set For Saturday, April 28, Discovery Church
Newton, NC – The Second-Annual Joy Prom event for the Catawba Valley and Unifour area is now...
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Bethlehem Friends Of Library Used Book Sale Is March 22-24
Bethlehem, NC – Book lovers of all ages: mark your calendar for the eighth annual Friends of...
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Call For Artists For Hickory Art Crawl; Deadline Is April 15
Hickory, NC: The Hickory Downtown Development Association is seeking artists interested in...
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21st Catawba Valley Pottery & Antiques Show Is Saturday, March 24
Hickory – Today, the Historical Association of Catawba County announced that the 21st annual...
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LRU Graduate Cast As Bilbo Baggins In HCT’s “The Hobbit”, Playing On Stage March 9-25
Hickory – LRU graduate Cody Stuckenschneider has landed the leading role of Bilbo Baggins in...
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RockyFest Issues Call For Artists For April 21st Event
Hiddenite NC: Vendor applications are currently being accepted for the 6th Annual RockyFest being...
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Understand Your Child’s Class Report This Sunday, February 18, At Lenoir Rhyne University
Hickory – TRC, DORF and NWF? What do these abbreviations mean? What is phonemic awareness?...
Read MoreHickory PD Hosts Discussion On Homelessness On Monday, March 5
Hickory – Hickory Police Department will host a community forum on homelessness, the effects, and possible community strategies that can be implemented to address some of the issues by establishing a collaborative community...
Read MoreBlack History Jeopardy At Ridgeview Branch Library, Sat., Feb. 17
Hickory – Are you a history buff or love game show competitions? The Ridgeview Branch Library is hosting a Jeopardy-style quiz game on Saturday, February 17, beginning at 2 pm. Students in grades 5-12 will compete on small...
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Whelks, Glass & Garden Lights: African-American Cemeteries & Archaeology At Library, Feb. 22
Hickory – Celebrate Black History Month with an exploration of African American archaeology...
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Hickory PD’s Citizens’ Police Academy Starts March 22
Hickory – Are you interested in learning more about law enforcement to include patrol techniques,...
Read MoreSuper Bowl Blueprint
The NFL has long been a copycat league. Teams not taking part in the Super Bowl take time to evaluate the Super Bowl winner’s roster and system to see if they can learn anything that may help them. They do things like assess how...
Read MoreLet’s Hope You’re Right
“Remember how I found you there, alone in your electric chair; I told you dirty jokes until you smiled. You were lonely for a man, I said- take me as I am, ‘cause you might enjoy some madness for a while. Now think of all the...
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Winchester (* ½) PG-13
I’ll have to give credit where credit is due. The disappointing haunted house flick Winchester is...
Read MoreHappy End (** ½) R
The year 2017 saw several usually reliable filmmakers stumbling a bit with their latest films. In October there was Todd Haynes’ ill-advised adaptation of the YA novel Wonderstruck, a film that was technically superb but...
Read MoreWestern Piedmont Symphony Masterworks III “Heavy Metal”
February 3, 2018 By W. Gerald Cochran Hickory, NC – The Western Piedmont Symphony presented “Heavy Metal,” its third Masterworks concert of the season, at the P.E. Monroe Auditorium on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne...
Read MoreAD Livingstone Sets Cast For Hickory Community Theatre’s “The Hobbit”, March 9-25
Hickory – Artistic Director Pamela Livingstone has announced her cast for the Hickory Community Theatre’s production of The Hobbit. Performances will begin on Friday, March 9th and continue through Sunday, March 25th. The...
Read More“Seussical” Opens At The Green Room Friday, February 9, Through February 25
Hickory – Seussical, the perfect musical for families and theatre goers of all ages, comes to The Green Room Community Theatre February 9-25, 2018. Seussical will be presented in the McCreary Theatre at the The Old Post...
Read MoreCity Of Hickory Sets Many Events For Black History Month
Hickory – February is Black History Month, which is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and is a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president...
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Publisher M. Scott Douglass At Poetry Hickory, Tuesday, February 13
Hickory – M. Scott Douglass is the author 4 collections of award-winning poetry, but as...
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At Ridgeview Library, Monday, February 12, The Music Of Black History
Hickory – Bright Star Theatre, a national professional touring theater company, is bringing...
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Green Fairy Fest At Salinity This Sunday, February 11, 2-7pm
Hickory – Join us on February 11th from 2-7pm for our second Green Fairy Fest. We will have...
Read MoreJill Towery Speaks Tuesday, February 13 At Women’s Resource Center’s Hour Of Power
Hickory – Enjoy an uplifting hour of women POWER and an appetizing lunch on Tuesday February 13, Noon til 1pm at Women’s Resource Center. Don’t miss our inspiring Guest Speaker Jill Towery, call and register...
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Children’s Home Society Of NC Sets Two Foster Parenting Meetups, Feb. 10 & Feb. 12
Lenoir/Morganton, NC – Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent or adopting a...
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Legal Aspects Of Divorce At WRC, Tues., Feb. 13, 6pm
Hickory – Women facing separation or divorce need to understand how the legal and financial...
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Shelby Area Post-Polio Support Group Will Meet Mon., Feb. 19
Shelby, NC – At this month’s meeting, Mr. Todd Putnam will give a program about the...
Read MorePiedmont Post-Polio Support Meets Tues., Feb. 13, 11am
Hickory – The Piedmont Post Polio Support Group will meet on Tuesday, Feb 13th, at 11:00 AM, at Corinth Reformed Church, 150 16th Ave. NW, Hickory in the Althouse Blg. (located behind the main sanctuary.) Polio survivors...
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Catawba Valley Pride’s Valentine Benefit Is This Friday, Feb. 9, At Sarah’s Loft, Downtown, 5-8pm
Hickory – It’s time to purchase some sweets for the sweet one in your life, and support a youth...
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CV Newcomers Host Exotic Wood Talk On Wed., Feb. 14
Hickory – Newcomers of Catawba Valley will learn about the world’s exotic trees at...
Read MoreNewton Hosting Jr. NBA All-Star Weekend Youth Basketball Skills Challenge On Sat., Feb.17
Newton, NC – In conjunction with Jr. NBA, the Newton Parks and Recreation Department is excited to sponsor the NBA All-Star Weekend Youth Basketball Skills Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 10 a.m.-noon. The program...
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CV Paralegals Host Medical Record Talk On Tues., Feb. 13
Hickory – The Catawba Valley Paralegal Association (CVPA) will hold its monthly meeting on...
Read MoreComedy Kitchen Witches Opens This Friday, February 9, At HCT
Hickory – Infusing sitcom and reality-show comedy with modern-day cooking shows, Caroline Smith’s witty comedy The Kitchen Witches begins its 10 performance run this Friday, February 9th at 8pm in the Firemen’s Kitchen at...
Read MoreTap Room’s Fat Tuesday Show Features Gary Hastings, Feb. 13
Hickory – The Olde Hickory Taproom in on Union Square downtown will celebrate Fat Tuesday on February 13 with world renown dixieland jazz trumpeter Gary Hastings. Gary Hastings is a trumpet artist and vocalist based in...
Read MoreACAP On Tuesday, Feb. 13: When Parents Go To The Hospital
Hickory – ACAP-Hickory (Adult Children of Aging Parents) presents “When Mom or Dad Goes to the Hospital: What Families Need to Know” on Tuesday, February 13, 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Fellowship Hall of Mt. Olive...
Read MoreAn Island Without Gas? That’s Happening In Ocracoke, NC
Ocracoke, NC (AP) – It’s a good thing Ocracoke Island in North Carolina is small enough to walk or bike around. The island along the Outer Banks has lost its only gas station. Hyde County manager Bill Rich tells The...
Read MoreRiverRun Screens 3:10 To Yuma On Feb. 19, With Peter Ford
Winston-Salem, NC – RiverRun International Film Festival welcomes Peter Ford, son of film stars Glenn Ford and Eleanor Powell, for a book signing at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro on February 19, as well as an on-stage...
Read MoreCVIC Offers Four-Part Study Of Abrahamic Faiths, 2/11 – 3/4
Hickory – Who was the Biblical Abraham, and how he is perceived by Jews, Christians, and Muslims today? Can he serve as a unifying figure for his feuding descendants? These are the questions Bruce Feiler addresses in his...
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Our Savior Lutheran’s Chicken Pie Dinner Is Sat., February 15
Hickory – Our Savior Lutheran Church’s Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) announces...
Read MoreFreed Prisoner Hinton To Speak On March 20 As Part Of Library’s Just Mercy Read & Discussion
Newton, NC – The Catawba County Library, in collaboration with Catawba Valley Community College, is initiating a community read and discussion series of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, an unforgettable true story about the...
Read MoreSenior Citizens Sweetheart Dance Is Thursday, Feb. 8
Newton, NC—There’s sure to be love it the air at the Newton Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Senior Citizens Sweetheart Dance. This year’s dance for sweethearts 55 years old and older is 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, on...
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Hickory PD Offers Business Safety Seminar On Feb. 22 & 23
Hickory – The Hickory Police Department is offering our Business Safety and Security Seminar...
Read MoreRidgeview Library Hosts DIY Edible Valentines Mon., Feb. 5
Hickory – Hey teens, come and celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Ridgeview Branch Library! Monday, February 5, starting at 5:30 pm individuals ages 10 and up are invited to create and decorate an edible Valentine’s Day treat...
Read MoreClose To Home Art Exhibit Opens Feb. 2 At Caldwell Arts
Lenoir, NC – The Caldwell Arts Council is pleased to announce the art exhibit “Close to Home” featuring work by the following artists: Photography on display by Ron Schwartz (Lenoir NC; http://ronschwartzphoto.com),...
Read MoreTickets For Seussical, The Musical On Sale At The Green Room
Newton, NC – Tickets go on sale Friday, January 26th for The Green Room Community Theatre’s 3rd musical of this season- , The Musical. This production will be performed in the McCreary Theatre at The Old Post Office...
Read MoreLenoir Comedy Club Benefit Is Sat., Feb. 3
Lenoir, NC – Jen Kober is the performing comedian this year at the Lenoir Comedy Club on Saturday, February 3rd, 2018 at 7 PM, at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, located at 1913 Hickory Blvd SE, Lenoir, NC 28645. The...
Read MoreComedy Kitchen Witches Opens Next Friday, Feb. 9, At HCT
Hickory – In The Kitchen Witches, a comedy opening February 9th at 8pm in the Firemen’s Kitchen at the Hickory Community Theatre, the plot centers around two cooking show hostesses but there are two supporting characters...
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CVCC Sets February Classes, From Spanish To Creative Writing
Hickory – Adobe Illustrator-Introduction. This class will teach the students to create...
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Mediterranean Diet For Better Health At Beaver Library, Feb. 6
Hickory – Good nutrition is a key component to good health. On Tuesday, February 6th at 6:00...
Read MoreCall For Artists For Statesville’s Spring Art Crawl, April 27
Statesville, NC – The Spring Art Crawl is set for Friday, April 27, from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm and we are looking for artists to exhibit their work! The Spring Art Crawl will highlight more than 40 artists in over 30 different...
Read MoreHostiles (**) R
Moving at roughly the same pace as a funeral dirge, filmmaker Scott Cooper’s third film, Hostiles, is a well-intentioned effort eventually undone by its sheer over-length and overall sluggishness. It’s clear that Cooper is...
Read MoreFinding Purpose
Where will you be at the end? Not literally, but rather where will you be as a person, as an active part of the human condition? Will you be a contributing member of society or will you rely on the contributions of others to...
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Not So Super Of A Matchup
Super Bowl 52 has given us a matchup that fans outside the New England or Philadelphia areas seem...
Read MoreJanuary Blu-ray Releases By Adam Long
Warner: Geostorm (2017) (* ½) When climate control satellites go on the fritz it’s up to Gerard Butler to save the world in this misfire from last fall. Extras include three featurettes. It (2017) (***) The second adaptation of...
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Love Is Not Just Love
(This column is a Can You Imagine Classic, from 2016.) At six, going on 16, Sunshine is very...
Read MoreGold From 1857 SS Central America Ship Goes On Display
By Amanda Lee Myers, Associated Press Santa Ana, CA (AP) – More than $50 million worth of gold bars, coins and dust that’s been described as the greatest lost treasure in U.S. history is about to make its public debut in...
Read MoreEPA Official Wore Disguise To Spy On Driving Test
Madison, WI (AP) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp wore a fake nose and sunglasses to try to help her daughter pass a 2011 Wisconsin driving test after she failed her initial...
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Blood Test To Detect Eight Cancers Is Promising
By Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer Scientists are reporting progress on a blood test...
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Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (***) R
It’s been said that the trick to a successful biopic focusing on a public figure’s life is to...
Read MorePhantom Thread (*** ½) R
It’s no secret to any regular readers of this column that I’m a tremendous fan of filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s work. I have been from the early days of his career, getting on board after experiencing his second film Boogie...
Read MoreSuper Bowl Is Set
NFL Football’s version of the Final Four came and went last week and while the victors were not so surprising, the final scores were. Trailing early in Sunday’s AFC championship game, Tom Brady rallied the heavily favored New...
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Cryptic Cryptid
It’s winter, so it’s cold. When it’s cold in the winter, it can snow…and it did. The predicted...
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Actors Reunite In Hickory Community Theatre’s Comedy The Kitchen Witches, Feb. 9-25
Hickory – Two local actors are reunited as the female leads in The Kitchen Witches, a comedy...
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Hickory Community Theatre’s Hit Comedy “Lend Me A Tenor” This Thursday – Sunday Only!
Hickory – Only four performances remain in the run of the Hickory Community Theatre’s...
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Community Relations Council Has Mar. 2 Deadline For Grants
Hickory – The City of Hickory Community Relations Council (CRC) is currently seeking...
Read MoreHS Shakespeare Monologue Competition Deadline Is March 16
Lenoir, NC – High school students from traditional, home and private schools in Caldwell and contiguous counties (Burke, Catawba, Watauga, Avery, Alexander and Wilkes counties) are invited to participate in the 6th Annual...
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Ninth Annual Rotarian Idol Sets February 1 & 3 For Auditions
Hickory – The Thursday Rotary Club of Hickory has announced dates for its musical...
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Lenoir-Rhyne University Institute For Faith & Learning Hosts Reverend Jason Coker, February 1
Hickory – Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Institute for Faith and Learning (IFL) will continue its...
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A Story For Our Time: Lisa Camichos Speaks On The Orlando Plan At Library, On Thursday, February 1
Hickory – Join Hickory High School teacher Lisa Camichos on Thursday, February 1st at...
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Ironwood Estates Orchids Free Open House Feb. 9-14
Hickory – The public is invited to Ironwood Estate Orchids for an Open House and Sale at the...
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Free History of Exodus Movement Classes Are January 29 – February 26
Hickory – History of the Exodus Movement will be held Monday nights at 6:30pm, January 29...
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Guy Hollar Memorial Golf Tourney Is April 24 At Rock Barn
Hickory – College classmates of the late Rock Barn Golf Course Director of Grounds Guy...
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Bras Because Cancer Benefit Is Friday, January 26, At Moretz Mills
Hickory – Bras Because – because sometimes cancer patients need emotional and...
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Lend Me A Tenor • Theatre Review Now Playing At Hickory Community Theatre
By Carys Bowen I saw Lend Me A Tenor last Saturday, it’s the comedy that’s playing at Hickory...
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Hickory Soup Kitchen Spaghetti Dinner Benefit Friday, January 26
Hickory – Save the date for our Annual Spaghetti Dinner to benefit the Hickory Soup Kitchen....
Read MoreHickory Police Department’s Polar Plunge Is Set For Saturday, February 24 On Lake Hickory
Hickory – Want to get a warm fuzzy from something extremely cold? Come join us at the 13th Annual Polar Plunge! The Hickory Police Department will be hosting the 13th Annual Polar Plunge on Saturday, February 24, 2018 to...
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OUTright Youth’s 8th Annual Event At Cafe Rule On Saturday, February 3
Hickory – OUTright Youth’s Board of Directors invites you the 8th Annual Signature Event on...
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Building A Resume, February 1 & 8 At Ridgeview Branch Library
Hickory – Are you trying to re-enter the work force or move forward in your career? Nicole...
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Full Circle Arts Calls For Artists For My North Carolina, February 22 – 24
Hickory – Full Circle Arts of Hickory is looking for artists in the greater Hickory area to...
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February Seniors Morning Out Has Valentine’s Parties, Heart Health & Black History Month
Hickory – Seniors Morning Out participants will enjoy a variety of activities in February...
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LRU Welcomes Poet Laureate Horne Tonight, January 18, At 7pm
Hickory – Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Visiting Writers Series (VWS) will present Poet Laureate...
Read MoreTai Chi Classes At Patrick Beaver Library Each Monday Starting January 25
Hickory – Tai Chi classes will be offered at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library on Monday evenings at 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. from January 29th – March 5th. This low-impact exercise takes you through a series of martial arts...
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Cast Set Of Comedy “Kitchen Witches”, Opening February 9 At Hickory Community Theatre
Hickory – The Hickory Community Theatre has announced the cast of its upcoming production of...
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Free Essential Oils Class At Newton Depot On Saturday, February 3
Newton NC – There will be a free Essential Oils Class at the Newton Depot, Live Naturally, A...
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Doing Diplomacy: What’s It Like To Work For The World On Thurs., Feb. 8, At Drendel Auditorium
Hickory – Our planet is powered by global human relationships. Hickory International...
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Ridgeview Library Hosts Let Freedom Ring: Music & Poetry Of Black History Thursday, January 22
Hickory – Bright Star Theatre, a national professional touring theater company, is bringing...
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WAXmd Sponsors Blood Drive On Thursday, January 25, 11am
Hickory – January is National Blood Donor Awareness month! Did you know one pint of blood...
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Beaver Library Hosts Bestselling Authors On Thursday, January 25
Hickory – Bestselling authors Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse will be at Patrick...
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Free Workshop Aims To Make Us ‘Scam Smart’ On Saturday, January 27
Hickory – A representative from the NCDOJ Attorney General’s Office will lead a workshop at...
Read MoreLenoir-Rhyne Announces Speakers For 2018 Alex Lee Leadership Lecture Series • Starts Jan. 31
Hickory – The Charles M. Snipes School of Business and Economics of Lenoir-Rhyne University in partnership with the Alex Lee Foundation has announced its speakers for the 2018 Alex Lee Leadership Lecture Series. Speakers will...
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“Volume Five” Performs Saturday, January 27 At Old Rock School’s Bluegrass At The Rock
Valdese, NC- The Old Rock School Welcomes Volume Five to perform for the Bluegrass at the Rock...
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I, Tonya (***) R
I’ll have to give it to the filmmaking team behind the biopic I, Tonya. They managed to drum up a...
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Call Me By Your Name (**) R
The final twenty minutes of director Luca Guadagnino’s film Call Me by Your Name contains a scene...
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One Is Fun!
Remember when you turned one year old? You were dressed in the cutest little outfit with matching...
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The Rest Of Us
Lil’ Red…the wife, Mrs. Chainsaw if you please, is a fanatic about naps. That seems like a...
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NFL’s Version Of Final Four
Oddsmakers back in August did not see this coming. Well, they likely saw the New England Patriots...
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Beethoven & Bartok At WPS On January 20, Featuring Tesla Quartet
Hickory, NC – The second Friends of the Quartet Chamber Classics concert will be held at...
Read MoreReverend Reggie Longcrier To Honor MLK At LRU On Monday, January 15
Hickory – In honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs will host the Rev. Reggie Longcrier in P.E. Monroe Auditorium at 10am on January 15. Longcrier has spent the...
Read MoreTop Ten Films Of 2017
In the year 2017 I saw a total of 353 films. That’s not quite, but almost, an average of one per day. Of those films, roughly 110 were theatrical releases with a release date sometime between January 1 and December 31 of the...
Read MoreInsidious: The Last Key (**) PG-13
When the original Insidious was released nearly seven years ago I was giddy with delight. It was the kind of horror film I had been waiting for although I wouldn’t have guessed that prior to the experience of seeing it. It was...
Read MoreThe Post (***) PG-13
Steven Spielberg’s The Post is a solid, though not exceptional, retelling of the events leading up to the 1971 publishing of The Pentagon Papers, brought to prominence by notorious whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg. The focus here...
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Fighting Death, Without Freezing To It
The recent chill of wintery weather has not been kind to anyone (unless you enjoy freezing your...
Read MoreSpoiler Alert
We’ve grown up being warned by our parents to ‘do’ or ‘don’t do’ certain things. For instance, “Don’t frown, or your face will freeze that way.” “Don’t swallow watermelon seeds or one will grow in your stomach.” “If you don’t...
Read MorePanthers Had Their Chances
Missed opportunity after missed opportunity led to the Carolina Panthers bow out of the playoffs as they fell to New Orleans by a 31-26 count. Carolina outplayed the Saints throughout the entire contest, but four field goals on...
Read MoreThis Sunday, January 14, Hickory Music Factory Honors The Harris Brothers, Byron Bean & More!
Hickory – The Hickory Music Factory will honor the Harris Brothers, Byron Bean, and Pat and Kay Crouch for their years of musical contribution to our area. The Hickory Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Rick Cline will...
Read MoreTimeless Comedy, Lend Me A Tenor, Opens This Friday, January 11, At HCT On The Jeffers Stage
Hickory – Ken Ludwig’s farcical comedy Lend Me a Tenor begins performances this Friday, January 12th on the Jeffers mainstage of the Hickory Community Theatre. The play is set in a September during the 1930s, in the hotel...
Read MoreHDDA Elects Board Of Directors For 2018
Hickory – The General Membership of Hickory Downtown Development Association (HDDA) recognized retiring members and elected new members and officers of the board of directors during a recent meeting. Completing two...
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Astronomy Buffs, BoBfest At CSC On Saturday, February 3, Is For You!
Hickory – BoBfest: Regional Gathering of Amateur Astronomers returns to Catawba Science...
Read More“A Streetcar Named Desire” At The Green Room, Shows January 12-28
Newton, NC – The Green Room Community Theatre is excited to announce the opening of A Streetcar Named Desire, the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Tennessee Williams. Considered one of the greatest plays written for the...
Read MorePruning Discussed At Advanced Gardener Meeting On January 11
Hickory – Join Dr. George Place, Catawba County Cooperative Extension Director, at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library on Thursday, January 11th at 6:00 p.m. for the initial presentation in the 2018 Advanced Gardener Series. ...
Read MoreGuest Director Rick Seay Helms Comedy ‘Tenor,’ January 12
Hickory – The Hickory Community Theatre has brought on Rick Seay as a guest director for the upcoming comedy Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig, opening January 12th in the Jeffers Theatre. Seay is a relative newcomer to...
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December Blu-ray Releases
Warner: The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) (** ½) is the latest in the ongoing series of animated films...
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Molly’s Game (***) R
The true life story of Molly Bloom, a failed skier who opted for a second career as the operator...
Read MoreSee ya next year! No…no you won’t.
“There is an ounce of fact for every pound of science fiction.” – Chainsaw December 22nd 2017, 9:45 p.m. EST. A familiar scenario, one that’s played out time and time again, perhaps since time began? Or at least since...
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It’s So Cold
Shivering timbers, how cold is it? Freakin’ cold! And colder elsewhere because I received a text...
Read MorePanthers Playoff Talk
The Carolina Panthers are making a return visit to the NFL playoffs this weekend. Carolina will square off against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. The Panthers will have to put a pair of negative thoughts out of their...
Read MoreNew Year’s Eve Events All Around North Carolina
Mountains New Year’s Eve Street Party , 6-10pm, downtown Bryson City Bring the whole family and gather around the train depot for live music, hot cocoa and popcorn, a kids’ activity area, movie screening and more. Free...
Read MoreA Newcomer & A Familiar Face In HCT’s Comedy Lend Me A Tenor, Opening January 12
Hickory – A major part of the farcical nature of Ken Ludwig’s comedy Lend Me a Tenor centers around a case of mistaken identity between two characters. In the Hickory Community Theatre production, opening January 12th in...
Read MoreAll the Money in the World (***) R
Director Ridley Scott’s second film in the calendar year of 2017—that in itself being quite an accomplishment for a film director who is now in his eighties—was being groomed as an early Oscar contender in early fall. The...
Read MoreThe Darkest Hour (** ½) PG-13
The historical drama The Darkest Hour is basically a retelling of events previously depicted in director Christopher Nolan’s smashing success from last summer Dunkirk, and the end result is roughly the same. Which is to say, not...
Read MoreNever Ending Story
Our lives are a never-ending story because it’s the only story in which we have exclusivity. The plots are ours to direct with twists and turns or…sail as smooth as the wind. Action and adventure elements in a variety of...
Read MoreAnd so…that’s how it ends! NO, WAIT…
And so that’s how it ends. John Q., my yellow, stuffed bear side-kick made a new friend—William the lobster. Which means we have yet another roommate, since I decided to let William stay with us… upon John’s humble, eloquently...
Read MoreA Cabaret Christmas With Jackie Finley & Friends, Mon. Dec. 18
Hickory – Award-winning vocalist Jackie Finley, national recording artist, Noel Freidline; percussionist, Rick Cline; Allen Finley; Johnny White; and Carolyn Ousler will present “A Cabaret Christmas,” Monday,...
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Elf, The Musical Has Final Three Shows This Thursday – Saturday At Hickory Community Theatre
Hickory – The funny and charming Christmas show, Elf, the Musical, has its final...
Read MoreHickory Community Theatre Announces Cast Of Comedy Lend Me A Tenor, Coming Jan. 12
Hickory – Guest director Rick Seay has just announced the cast for the Hickory Community Theatre’s upcoming production of Ken Ludwig’s farcical comedy, Lend Me a Tenor, which opens January 12th and continues through the...
Read MoreBigfoot Sculpture Erected Where Some Search For Creature
Whitehall, NY (AP) A nearly 12-foot-tall sculpture of Bigfoot has been erected in an upstate New York town where some say the legendary creature stalks the woods. Paul Thompson told The Post-Star of Glens Falls that he got the...
Read MoreGreat White Shark Tagged By Group In North Carolina Sound
Swan Quarter, NC (AP) A juvenile great white shark tagged by a research group surfaced Saturday inside Pamlico Sound west of the Outer Banks. A satellite ping sent to Ocearch.org on Saturday located Bruin just off Swan Quarter...
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi (***) PG-13
Before I get on with the business of reviewing one of the most anticipated films of 2017, I’ll go...
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The Three Other Reindeer
“Ohhh… Jingle bells, Batman smells! Robin laid an egg! The Batmobile lost a wheel. And the Joker...
Read MoreDear Santa
Dear Santa, I could ask you for a new puppy or baby doll that talks. I could ask you for more games to play on my Xbox. Or, maybe bring my little brother a bright red fire truck with a ladder that climbs to the moon. I could ask...
Read MoreFinal Performance Of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Is This Sat., Dec. 16, At HCT’s Jeffers Theatre
Hickory – The Hickory Community Theatre has one more performance of the family Christmas comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, this Saturday, December 16th at 2:30pm in the Jeffers Theatre. In this...
Read MoreRick Simerly At Jazz On Tap, Sunday, December 17, 7pm, The Olde Hickory Tap Room
Hickory – On Sunday, December 17, the Olde Hickory Tap Room in Hickory will host world renowned jazz trombone artist Rick Simerly from 7 till 10pm for great Christmas Jazz classics. Rick is considered one of the top jazz...
Read MoreComedian James Gregory’s HCT Show Is New Year’s Eve, 8pm
Hickory – Get in some laughs before the year ends with James Gregory, “the Funniest Man in America” when he makes his ninth annual appearance on the Mainstage at the Hickory Community Theatre on Sunday,...
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Free Gifts
The best gifts given aren’t tied with a bow. They don’t fit in a box, to be packaged and sent. Nor...
Read MoreHoliday Fave ‘Best Christmas Pageant’ December 9 & 16, At Hickory Community Theatre
Hickory – The Hickory Community Theatre is presenting two public performances of the hysterical Christmas comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, based on her popular novel. The first performance of the...
Read MoreComedy Soap Opera At Hibriten High School, Dec. 7, 8 And 10th
Lenoir, NC – The Bold and the Young is a soap opera in trouble. One of the leading men is no longer making Soap Opera Digest’s Top 10 Hunks list and the cast constantly argues causing long filming times and constant...
Read MoreTrade Alley Art Supports Habitat For Humanity & The Rudy Project With Event Saturday, December16
Hickory – Trade Alley Art, a cooperative of local artists and artisans, will donate 15% of their proceeds from each purchase to Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley on Saturday December 16 from 3pm until 8pm. Trade...
Read MoreFoothills Post-Polio Christmas Holiday Social Is Mon., Dec. 18
Shelby, NC – The Foothills Post-Polio Support Group, will hold their meeting on Monday, December 18th. at 6pm at the conference room of the Life Enrichment Center of Shelby. The conference room is located at the back of...
Read MoreAudiences Love Elf, The Musical At HCT! Four Shows, Thursday-Sunday, This Week & Next
Hickory – The smash hit Christmas delight, Elf, the Musical, brought audiences to their feet during its opening performances at the Hickory Community Theatre this past weekend. The charming, tuneful extravaganza returns...
Read MoreThe Commedia Cinderella Saturday, December 9, At The Green Room
Newton, NC – The Green Room Community Theatre is thrilled to present The Commedia Cinderella. On Sat. Dec. 9th, 2017 at 3pm, there will be a ONE TIME performance of this comical version of Cinderella. The show is...
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For A Good Cause
For the record, Have Chainsaw Will Travel (and the writer thereof) has no qualm with, nor holds...
Read MoreWonder Wheel (** ½) PG-13
Woody Allen’s latest film as director/writer, like his last three or four films (I’ve honestly lost count at this point), is another foray into material that he’s mined before but that won’t be a total surprise for those who’ve...
Read MoreThe Disaster Artist (***) R
After several less than stellar forays behind the camera, actor James Franco has finally struck gold with his behind the scenes take on the making of the infamous cinematic atrocity, The Room. The Disaster Artist, which relates...
Read MoreNovember Blu-ray Releases
Lionsgate: The Hitman’s Bodyguard (**) (2017), is a serviceable action entry starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. Extras include outtakes, deleted/extended scenes, three featurettes. The engrossing thriller from last...
Read MoreConnecticut Airport Therapy Dogs Offer Help During Holidays
Windsor Locks, CT (AP) A Connecticut airport is giving stressed travelers the chance to hug a therapy dog during the holiday season. Officials at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks say their six-month pilot program...
Read MoreTexas Prisons Have Curious Book-Banning Guidelines
Dallas (AP) The children’s book “Where’s Waldo? Santa Spectacular’’ is among the 10,000 books banned from Texas prisons, but Adolf Hitler’s autobiography “Mein Kampf’’ makes the cut. The Texas Department of Criminal...
Read MoreHickory’s Tim Peeler At Poetry Hickory On Tuesday, December 12
Hickory – Hickory’s Tim Peeler, the first poet to read at Poetry Hickory 11 years ago, returns on December 12 to read from his 3 new books, bringing the monthly series full circle. A past winner of the Jim Harrison...
Read More19th Annual Winter Art At The Farm This Saturday, December 2
Hickory – The 19th Annual Winter Art at the Farm will be held at the Farm, located at 5726 Grace Chapel Road in Hickory, NC, on Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. Stop by to share refreshments and browse...
Read MoreCity Of Newton Toys For Tots Drop Off Points, Through Dec. 22
Newton, NC – The Catawba County Marine Corps Reserve is seeking donations of toys for local children to help make their holidays a little brighter this year with the 2017 Toys for Tots campaign. The city of Newton has two...
Read MoreEighth Annual Home For Christmas Concert At HUB On Dec. 8 & 9, With Dan Truhitte
Hudson, NC – The 8th Annual Home for Christmas Concert will be presented at the Hudson Uptown Building, (HUB), 145 Cedar Valley Road, Hudson, NC 28638 on Friday and Saturday, December 8th and 9th. Special guest will be...
Read MoreA Cabaret Christmas Show With Jackie Finley & Many More, On Monday, Dec. 18, At HCT
Hickory – Award-winning vocalist Jackie Finley, national recording artist Noel Freidline, percussionist Rick Cline, Allen Finley, Johnny White and Carolyn Ousler will present “A Cabaret Christmas” on Monday, December 18 at...
Read MoreSalinity’s Green Fairy Fest For Hickory Community Theatre Is Sunday, Dec. 10, 3-8pm
Hickory – Join us on December 10th for our first Green Fairy Fest. We will have wonderful, local artists showing and selling their works. While you are there you can have a private session with some very talented readers....
Read MoreMiracle On 34th St. On November 30 – Sunday, December, 3 at J. E. Broyhill Center
Lenoir, NC – “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” So says Kris Kringle in one of the most cherished holiday films of all time. Foothills Performing Arts production of Miracle on 34th...
Read MoreLast Flag Flying (***) R
The first thing that jumped out at me regarding filmmaker Richard Linklater’s latest effort, Last Flag Flying, was its low key approach to the material. It reminded me of some of the better films made during that highly regarded...
Read MoreThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (***1/2) R
Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s third film as a director, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, is the sort of follow up effort I expected after McDonagh’s directorial debut, the outstanding 2008 film In Bruges. The...
Read MoreA Flicker Of Flame
Metaphor – met·a·phor /ˈmedəˌfôr,ˈmedəˌfər/ noun; a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. A thing regarded as representative or symbolic of...
Read MoreFree Shipping
Thanksgiving leftovers stored in tiny containers Silently await the strike of hunger pangs…or More than likely will be forgotten During the clamor of holiday shopping Diverting the commotion of frenzied crowds Black Friday...
Read MoreHCT Is First NC Community Theatre To Perform Elf • Coming Dec. 1!
Hickory – The planned production of the “junior” edition of Elf the Musical at Hickory Community Theatre has been upgraded. Under special arrangement with the show’s publishers, the Theatre has received the rights to...
Read MoreOne-On-One Sessions, “Ask Me Your Computer Questions” At Beaver Library Friday, Dec. 1
Hickory – Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is offering one-on-one sessions for those that have general usage questions related to PC computers in the “Ask Me Your Computer Questions” tutoring sessions on 12/1/2017,...
Read MoreHickory Choral Society’s 40th Anniversary Membership Drive
By Donald W. Mott Hickory – The Hickory Choral Society is sponsoring its annual membership drive and hopes to have a record-breaking membership year to help celebrate its 40th anniversary. Memberships in the Hickory Choral...
Read MoreHCT Welcomes Newcomer Kat Reese To Elf The Musical, December 1-17
Hickory – In the story of Elf the Musical, on stage December 1st through 17th at the Hickory Community Theatre, one of the crucial characters is Jovie, a department store elf that becomes Buddy the Elf’s love interest. At...
Read MoreLady Bird (***) R
If you’ve seen any number of films featuring actress Greta Gerwig’s acting or writing talents then you’re probably pretty familiar with her onscreen persona. It’s hard to articulate precisely but there’s a uniqueness there...
Read MoreJustice League (**) PG-13
The latest exhibit in the ongoing attempts of Warner Brothers to launch DC Comics as a serious contender to the cinematic throne of competitor Marvel Comics, Justice League, is a tough cookie to assess. Being that it’s neither...
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Thank you!
Gratitude isn’t a seasonal pastime. Never has been. However poignant it seems, once a year we are...
Read MoreHappy Thinksgiving
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! And a one…and a two and a… Grab your coat and let’s get hopping! Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la…la! Time to do holiday shopping!Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la…la! Don we now our gay apparel! Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-WOAH…hold...
Read MoreAuditions For A Streetcar Named Desire November 20 & 21, At The Green Room
Newton, NC – This is your chance to step into the spotlight! The Green Room Community Theatre is holding auditions for the upcoming production of A Streetcar Named Desire, a show playing in the intimate Black Box Theatre...
Read MoreHistory-Themed Trivia Game At Ridgeview Rec. Center, Tuesday, November 21
Hickory – Hey, kids! Would you like a chance to show off your history knowledge? Ridgeview branch library is having a history themed Jeopardy-style game on Tuesday, November 21, beginning at 4:30 pm. We’ll play in teams...
Read MoreHickory International Council Grants Have January, 31 Deadline
Hickory – The Hickory International Council (HIC) is currently accepting applications for grants of up to $500 for community organizations that provide programs supportive of the goals, purposes, and projects of the HIC....
Read MoreMeet Buddy The Elf, Star Of HCT’s Elf The Musical, Playing December 1-17
Hickory – Fairly new to Hickory, but by no means new to theatre, Juan Holquin is playing the lead role of Buddy in Elf the Musical, coming up on the Jeffers Theatre stage from December 1st through the 17th. Tickets are now...
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