Town Hall discussion in Elizabeth City this Friday follows Fayetteville, Asheville meetings on Monday. North Carolina's state government faces a large budget shortfall. It is critical that elected officials hear from folks in their communities about the importance of public programs and services so they can make budget decisions that support communities and families and do not undermine the state's economic recovery.

The institutions North Carolina families rely on -- education, health care, unemployment insurance, housing assistance, child care, just to name a few -- are in jeopardy this year. That's why Together NC, a collection of more than 60 non-profit organizations, service providers, and professional associations who have come together to promote wise choices that will build shared prosperity for all, are conducting a series of Town Hall meeting across the state about the importance of public investments.
 Friday, May 22 in Elizabeth City.
9 a.m.-11 a.m.
Pasquotank County 4-H Extension Office
1209 Mcpherson St
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
Local Sponsor: United Way

Dare Home Health and Hospice, an agency of the Dare County Department of Public Health (DCDPH), will host the Second Annual Continuing the Journey on Sunday, May 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Outer Banks Arboretum and Teaching Garden.  The Outer Banks Arboretum and Teaching Garden is located next to the Baum Center in Kill Devil Hills.

The purpose of this event is to provide helpful tools to those involved in the grieving process and to those currently suffering from the loss of a loved one,'' comments Anne Thomas, Dare County Health Director.  Visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the arboretum and visit areas set up with various activities that are designed to help people move forward in the grieving process. Memory flags, poetry, music and a labyrinth are a few of the tools that will be available at the event.
``Loss is a part of the cycles of life and comes in many forms,'' explains Ellie Ward, Nursing Director for Dare Home Health and Hospice. ``This event is meant to provide a place and a way to express and share grief to cope with a loss in our lives, loss of a loved one to death or disease, loss of a job, loss of a relationship and more.''
 
Henrietta MacIntyre attended last year's program after the loss of her husband. After attending, she wrote to the staff and volunteers who organized the event commenting on how much the experience meant to her and helped her along her journey.
``This program filled me with a heartwarming experience that moved me forward to a higher and broader level in my `growing with grief','' she wrote.
 
This event is supported by Gallop Funeral Services, Inc., the Outer Banks Fiber Guild and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension of Dare County.  For more information call Fran Veihmeyer, with Dare Home Health and Hospice, at 475-5056.

 May 21st at 5:30 pm
The Weeping Radish Restaurant
Caratoke Hwy, Jarvisburg, NC
At 5:30, you can try one of Weeping Radish  brewed beer or  a great lemonade.  Then, you are invited to a self-pay dinner. The restaurant   features products from the Brewery, the Butchery and the Farm. The menu concept is very different: It is not the chef who decides what to have on the menu for the entire year, but the fresh products from the butchery and the farm will determine what the chef will offer. 

A special meal option will cost around $12.00, and includes choice of beverage, and choice of four main course options.   If you wish to order off the main menu, please feel free to do so (or add a dessert). If you plan to attend, an RSVP  would be appreciated: LWVCurrituck@gmail.com

After our meal, we will take a tour of the Weeping Radish operations. Watch a qualified German Master Butcher make old fashioned natural hot dogs, using all local hormone and antibiotic free ingredients from sustainable farms.