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FROM THE PUBLISHER
Hello, devoted supporters! You will find positive content that will inspire and motivate you tremendously in this issue. There are articles explaining the metaverse, some unique grocery shopping tips, the power of flowers, your quality of life when you age, and much more. In addition, you will learn about architectural design through MRM Design Group, which will increase your knowledge of detailed beautification of your landscape, in the event you want to expand or enhance your work or living space. Your quality of life is held to the highest regard! Our goal is to stay connected to you through our insight on a larger level. We ask that you stay tuned as we have methods that will produce more engagement and interaction through our positive media. A final request: Please keep an eye out for new members of our Editorial Team who will undoubtedly add to our knowledge of the various industries we cover! Sincerely, Joseph Crawford The City Insight Magazine www.thecityinsightmag.com
PRESIDENT & CEO FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Joseph Crawford jcrawford@thecityinsight.com EDITORIAL editor@thecityinsight.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kathryn Alley Shayna Cohen Joseph Devine Meredith Duce E Frazier Tanushree Kanungo Tobin Kaplan Sheyenne Kreamer Stephanie Whitten LIAISONS Rene Daughtry (Technology) Lynn DelGaudio (Health) Jennifer Harris (Business) Sheyenne Kreamer (Non-Profits) SALES Visit www.thecityinsightmag.com/ business-services Or Call 919-881-4121 MARKETING Tiara Sanders CLIENT SUPPORT clientsupport@thecityinsight.com We have the following opportunities: • Contributing Writers and Editors • Sales Representatives and Affiliates • Internships Email hr@thecityinsight.com The City Insight, Inc is published bi-monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without the written permission of The City Insight, Inc is strictly prohibited. 2007-2022 Copyright All Rights Reserved
WHAT’S INSIDE WELLNESS ACTIVITY: FLOWER POWER THE MYSTERIOUS METAVERSE
...9 ...11
CREATING A NEW LEVEL OF INNOVATION THROUGH SMALL BUSINESS TEAMS ...14 WHAT NFTS ARE AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR US? ...18 TOP 5 GROCERY TIPS
...22
HEALTHY SUMMER IDEAS
...24
COVER STORY MRM DESIGN GROUP: AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND READY TO TAKE ON YOUR NEXT PROJECT! ...28 The City Insight, Inc. P.O. Box 28857 Raleigh, NC 27611 Phone: 919-881-4121 info@thecityinsight.com www.thecityinsightmag.com
SIGNS IT'S TIME TO REPOT OR TRIM ...35 THE KEYS TO QUALITY OF LIFE WHILE AGING, PART 3: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? ...37
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Wellness Activity: Flower Power By Kathryn Alley
In a bustling season of picnics and bridal showers, awards ceremonies and high school proms, the world anticipates the coming pause of summertime. A full calendar of events can be simultaneously wonderful and draining, leaving room for burnout. To prioritize wellness of the body, mind, and soul, mindfulness activities offer a fun outlet of rest, dedicated to bringing one’s attention toward the present moment. Some consider mindfulness activities to be a gentle workout for the mind. Instead of a jog on the treadmill, mindfulness activities give stimulation to the mind in activities that reduce stress and delight the imagination. As it is springtime, there is no better way to exercise mindfulness than through a beautiful floral gift. Inspired by Scandinavian influencer and TikTok icon, Matilda Djerf, flowers are a simple way to brighten a physical space as well as one’s person9
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al mind space. The wellness activity of using fresh cut flowers to brighten a room is proven to increase serotonin levels and lift spirits. When we purchase a bouquet of flowers, there is a conscious understanding in the activity that a traditional display of affection is being shown toward ourselves. That is, when we give ourselves an intentional present for the purpose of relaxation, we can experience true happiness. Having a living plant to take care of and nurture is a tangible illustration of the tender caretaking of our minds in wellness activities. The visual of the flowers creates a perfect metaphor for growth, strength, and new life born in light. The author, Thomas Starr King, writes that “the spirit of a person’s life is ever shedding some power, just as a flower is steadily bestowing fragrance upon the air.” Flowers are vastly unique, presenting distinct fragrances and color patterns that shine in a room like a kaleidoscope of magic. There is a reason that brides are traditionally decorated with flowers; or tombstones are adorned with loved ones’ favorite roses. Flowers are the wondrous universal language gap. When we don’t have enough words to express sympathy, adoration, and gratefulness, the gift of a flower conveys all. Each petal and stem work together to create a harmonious symphony of beauty, boosting up the minds and smiles of all who are nearby. Flowers are a powerful mindful tool to add towards a wellness practice. Whether it be for yourself or shared with family and friends, the gift of a flower secures anxieties and stress like no other, encouraging our minds to breathe in the sunlight and watch as peace and beauty prosper. 10
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The Mysterious Metaverse By Joseph Devine
In recent months, a variety of new, and often confusing, tech terms have been tossed around by news sources, social media, and the internet at large. One of the more controversial ones is the ‘Metaverse’. And, as one can imagine from the vague name, some are confused as to what the Metaverse is in concrete terms. The Metaverse is a concept created and developed by Meta (formerly Facebook) and based on Virtual Reality (VR) technology. VR technology utilizes headsets that are worn by users that project a completely fabricated 3D environment around them. This 3D environment can be interacted with via the use of handheld controllers, which are projected into the world and act as ‘hands’. Essentially, imagine the Holodeck from Star Trek but with headsets and controllers instead of a giant room hologram. Using VR headsets, Meta is attempting to create virtual spaces wherein people can work, shop, and entertain themselves. In the Metaverse, at least as Meta has marketed it, people will be able to
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create avatars of themselves and socialize, work, and perform leisure activities in a whole new way. A user in San Francisco could watch a movie with someone in London and have their friend right next to them in the virtual space. Or you could virtually shop in a grocery store without actually leaving your home. However, Meta’s primary focus seems to be on virtual workspaces. Since 2020, there has been a heavy shift towards remote work in many sectors and professions. The Metaverse seems to be trying to straddle the middle-ground between in-person workspaces and completely remote work. Using the Metaverse, employees could theoretically work with one another ‘in-person’ without having to leave a home office. Meetings could be had from different continents, but everyone is sitting at the same table in a virtual meeting room. Conceptually, the Metaverse is attempting to make the science fiction concept of a completely virtual world a reality. It is trying to blend real life experiences with technology while providing a service that movies and shows have teased us with for decades. However, it remains to be seen if a virtual universe is actually something anyone wants. So far, the response to the Metaverse outside of Meta itself has been decidedly lukewarm. Some may see it as a novelty but may quickly lose interest once it’s no longer new. Some may find the Metaverse to be another in a long line of tech ideas that try to fix things that aren’t broken. Whatever anyone’s view may be, it seems that Meta truly believes in its creation, so we’ll surely see more of it the next few years.
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Creating a New Level of Innovation Through Small Business Teams By Sheyenne Kreamer
Our series of articles so far has addressed the idea that you were designed to create. We have also explored the idea that small businesses can choose to create collaboration teams rather than tackle the journey of solopreneurship by themselves. As described in our last article, creating collaborative sales & marketing teams is one way to engage in a simpler form of business, but is there a way small businesses can come together to form a whole new level of innovation? Let's talk for a moment about where this idea comes from. Believe it or not, it's corporate America. I remember early in my corporate career being trained to be a leader and facilitator of what they were calling “quality circles”. The idea was that the people closest to the problems the company was facing were likely the people who best understood the root causes of the problem, and were best able to brainstorm and come up with a new solution. That makes sense, right? In the corporate environment, it involved not only digging into the root causes of a problem, but also determining what that problem was costing the company. The team would then talk through the root causes until they could develop a solution – not just a band-aid – that would make the problem disappear. thecityinsightmag.com 14
When the problem disappeared, the profit would go up. As long as the cost of the solution could be covered by the increase in profit, it would make sense to move forward, and the managers would normally approve of it. Now imagine this. What if you can take a group of small business owners who are well versed in some of the challenges that are disrupting our communities and get THEM to brainstorm together about how to solve them? What if those same small business owners can engage with groups in their communities to find out where their greatest concerns are? Is it possible that we can all work together to build real solutions in our communities, instead of waiting for “someone else” to do it for us? Our experience would suggest that it's not only possible, it's necessary. Here's an example. We recently spent some time in a local high school talking to students. We found that about 1/3 of them planned on going to college after high school. About 1/3 wanted to start their own business. The final 1/3 really had no clue. We know that our high schools serve the college-bound students very well, but what about the other two thirds of the population? Does this start to explain why we only have a 40-50% graduation rate in many of our colleges?
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If the problem with our graduation rates is actually caused by our students not being given enough career options to seriously explore during their high school years, is there something we can do about that? We have a small business team that says there is, and they are calling it “Careers Reimagined”. In this case, a group of small business owners have come together and created an apprenticeship-style learning experience that gives students hands-on experience in learning some of the key skills for becoming an entrepreneur. This core program can also be modified and adapted to work with mentors from any industry that has an interest in helping to build a pipeline of future employees. The trades industry is one possibility that has been suffering from a lack of skilled talent. The program not only addresses the hard skills of entrepreneurship like sales & marketing, but also addresses communication skills, technology skills and self-care that leads to physical and mental wellness. What other new ideas can be created through collaborative problem-solving teams? Do small businesses hold the key to helping our communities find more health, more prosperity, and more peace? Stay tuned to this series to explore further!
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What NFTs Are and What They Mean for Us? By Joseph Devine Recently, a new trend has taken off in financial circles and online. You may have heard news about digital pieces of art being sold for, sometimes, tens of millions of dollars. You’ve also probably heard these pieces of art be referred to as NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. However, many still struggle to really identify what an NFT is, or what it’s for. To understand NFTs, it is important to understand the system they exist in. NFTs are part of a blockchain, which is a large, decentralized set of highly protected data. These blockchains protect data and make it available to only those authorized to view it. Blockchains can be used for many different purposes, but the two most well-known applications are cryptocurrency and NFTs. A cryptocurrency is essentially a digital currency protected by the blockchain and not created by a central authority. This makes the cryptocurrency extremely difficult to counterfeit, as well as relatively free of governmental influence. Likewise, an NFT is a piece of digital content which has been embedded in the blockchain for Etherium, a cryptocurrency. Being embedded in the blockchain makes NFTs, be they pieces of art, documents, or any other information, completely unique and identifiable. This makes the owner of the NFT verifiable, making the actual ‘ownership’ of digital content possible . Many, such as Mitchell Clark from The Verge, liken it to owning the original of a famous painting. Despite the numerous copies 18
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available of almost any famous painting ever created, there will always only be the one original. NFTs work on the same concept of ownership. Anyone can download the image of an NFT, but it still won’t be the NFT, as the copy lacks the verification from the blockchain. So, now that we know a little bit more about NFTs, one may ask what the implications are for such items? It seems that much of the focus on NFTs is around the sale of digital art. As mentioned above, the draw of some to NFTs is the ability to be a verified owner of a digital piece of content. This has seen digital artwork explode in price, with some NFT art pieces going for well over $50 million. This, though, carries many of the hallmarks of an economic and cultural bubble, such as the rapidly inflating price of many NFTs, and a staggering number of scams being conducted. However, NFTs are not just art and inflated prices. As stated before, any form of digital content can be an NFT, and having the ability to verify the authenticity and ownership of a document digitally, without the need of paper copies, authentication numbers and the like. These types of NFTs could work to counteract the counterfeiting or forging of documents such as contracts or deeds to property. In the end, we will just have to wait and see if these more useful forms of NFTs manage to gain a larger foothold in everyday life, or if their poor reputation and nebulous existence proves too much to overcome.
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TOP 5 GROCERY TIPS By Tanushree Kanungo
Groceries are such an important part of our chores and livelihood. We all do grocery shopping in person or online these days to obtain our necessities. Some of us enjoy doing it, while for others, it is not even remotely exciting. We all have shopped for groceries for ourselves, friends, neighbors, and maybe for strangers, in order to help. Though groceries may not be the most exciting thing to do; we do it for our survival. We all have our own ways of grocery shopping but ever since the pandemic hit, our lives, our ways of shopping, especially grocery shopping, have changed. Previously, grocery shopping over the weekends would mean a small family outing which probably ended with ice cream or chocolate shake, but now people in most families prefer to leave their children at home to limit their exposure to unwanted germs. People mostly opt for online grocery delivery which seems to be more convenient and time saving. You may or may not like grocery shopping, but here are a few survival tips which can help you to shop with ease.
1. Planning
Nobody has the time to shop for hours at a grocery store. Make a list of the items you need to purchase. Keep a notebook in one of the kitchen drawers and every time you realize you need an item, write it down. Okay, you find writing it down is old school, never mind. Use your phone to make your list. There are lots of apps which make it super simple as long as you know how to find that list. Many people still find writing it down to be more useful. This of course, is your choice.
2. Avoid buying in bulk
Unless you have a big family or you are running a community kitchen, try not to make bulk purchases. There could be some items in your grocery cart which you might get bored of eating 22
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after a day or two, or perhaps a week. If you buy in small quantities, and you like any dish or item, chances are greater you will head back to the store to buy it again.
3. Coupons
Coupons are a great way to get discounts on the items in your cart. Look for a weekly deal or any deal of the day to save on items. You may not get big discounts, but coupons will still be useful to trim down the final bill.
4. Meal planning
This helps a lot when you buy your vegetables or meat. A meal planner gives you a better idea to buy the required ingredients for the daily lunch and dinner menu. That way you know exactly what to buy and it stops you from buying unnecessary items.
5. Eat
Exactly! If possible, eat your meal before you go grocery shopping. Walking through the store makes you feel hungry, and you may end up buying too many snacks. A full tummy will be less tempting to buy those snacks and occupy your pantry space. Instead, buy a banana or a fruit bar which will be pocket friendly and satiate your hunger. Grocery shopping will be less time-consuming and more efficient if you can use these tips. Happy shopping folks!
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Healthy Summer Ideas By Tanushree Kanungo
Summer is almost here, summer is almost here! How do you think I know? I see green leaves all around. That is how I know! Some of us have already started spring cleaning, cleaning the clutter and making way for summer items. Summer is always a time for parks, more social meets, children enjoying outdoors, and more picnics and barbecues. The days are longer, and we tend to spend more time outdoors trying to soak more sun and savor more of the summer days. Let's keep a few tips in mind while we enjoy the summer.
1. Exercise
We love sunny days and it's the perfect time to run outdoors. Put on your running shoes and hit the outdoors. You can run, go for a brisk walk, jog, or walk with your pet. People enjoy doing yoga or meditation outdoors too. Summers don't stay all year round, so make the most of it. 24
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2. Play
When it comes to playing, choose anything that has been your favorite over the years or you wished to play during the winter months. If you have never played anything, summer is the best time to try a new sport or hone your existing skills. Football, soccer, and tennis; basically, everything can be played under the sun. So just get inspired and head outside!
3. Hydration
Summer means sweat and feeling fatigued. Make sure you are always hydrated, especially with water. We all love those coladas, cold coffees, iced teas and not to forget the ice creams and sodas, but water works best for our bodies.
4. Sunscreen
We all love to be out in the sun but we need to protect our skin from the rays as well. Make sure to use a good quality sunscreen to protect yourself from the harmful rays that cause damage to skin. Don't forget to add sunglasses, hats, or umbrellas too.
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5. Eating
Summer season brings lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. The markets are filled with ripe peaches, cherries, mangoes, and other varieties. Make sure to eat seasonal. Eating seasonal food not only tastes awesome but also adds a lot of benefits to our bodies.
6. Hair
During summer months we tend to sweat, which makes our hair look greasy. Make sure to wash your hair followed by a good quality leave-in conditioner. The conditioner will leave the hair soft and moisturized.
7. Pets
Never leave your pets in the car for a quick run to the grocery stores. The sun and the heat makes it uncomfortable for the pets to sit inside the cars. Take them along and they will surely thank you. Enjoy each day of the summer season. The days are longer, so make sure you cherish every moment of the season and make memories. We hope you find our tips useful.
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COVER STORY
By E Frazier
An Architectural Firm with Years of Experience and Ready to Take on Your Next Project! 2022 is another year of record real estate development and sales and services that go along with a successful project. Whether you are a new developer, building your first home, or updating your current home, you will need someone to assist with the planning. This is where MRM Design Group, P.A. comes in. MRM Design Group was founded in 1987 by Jonathan L. Melvin, who has more than 4 decades in the overall landscape design, and construction industry. Jonathan L. Melvin is a registered landscape architect and recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA). Licensed to do work in all of North Carolina, MRM Design Group is a landscape architectural firm with years of experience. MRM Design Group is affectionately known as “backyard architects”, and the owner, Jonathan Melvin, is known for having an eye for what looks good for picking out colors, textures, and 28
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unique geometric shapes. MRM Design Group is your one-stop shop providing comprehensive services from everything from the design of your project to the implementation, including administrative management. What does this mean for the customer? It means that MRM Design Group can offer you comprehensive services and is a one-stop shop for everything that you need to make your project a success. In addition to MRM Design Group’s repeat customers, they are ready to take on new customers, from residential projects to large-scale commercial projects. In mid-2022, the real estate market is seeing a slight change, with higher interest rates and a small inventory of homes available for sale. For the homeowner, who wants to keep their grounds but enhance or expand their living space, one way is by adding an outdoor living space. It’s a great way to enhance your property while utilizing your grounds. MRM Design Group can offer hardscape services to complement your home with outdoor living spaces that can include such things as an outdoor kitchen, or outdoor seating area. Your home is your oasis, so why not add some relaxing elements such as water features, a koi pond, or a tranquility garden, just to name a few? Adding outdoor living to your property provides the best of two worlds, functionality and beauty of grounds. Some studies show that enjoying outdoor living can actually improve health and wellbeing.
www.mrmdesigngroup.com thecityinsightmag.com 29 252-972-4400
Homeowners who incorporate their landscape into their living space, get the most value for their property, which can increase property value. This allows you to receive additional entertaining space, while improving your health. For the new homeowner who just purchased a new property and desires to make it feel like their own; the existing homeowner who wants to update or make changes to their property, or the homeowner who wants to update their home, MRM Design Group is your go-to choice for design renovations. “We have customers who want landscaping design to include a terrace, fire pit and seating area, and even a dining area with an outdoor kitchen”, said Mr. Melvin, “this is the type of hardscape services you can expect from MRM Design Group.” One example of what a homeowner can expect from MRM Design Group is as Mr. Melvin explains, “we had a homeowner completely gut their home and we did a master plan design to include a circular driveway with lighting and landscaping. We also designed and placed an outdoor building which served as a structure with an outdoor kitchen.” 30
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Mr. Melvin also stated, “Our creative practical approach, with the courage to be different. We don’t follow fashion; we create it. I always say, a good design saves money, so you are not chasing rabbits with marginal ideas. Any successful attempt has a plan. As people go through lifestyle changes, we are there to help them make the transition as they update and upgrade their grounds. One area of specialty for MRM Design is custom design pools which can also include spas, pool decking, fencing, storm drainage, lighting outdoor structures, and pool and bathhouses.” Are you looking to add a water feature such as a Koi Pond? MRM has you covered! For your complete outdoor vision, MRM Design can create and implement it! For the property owner who is getting ready for a new build, MRM Design Group can advise on the placement of the building on the lot, taking advantage of topography. MRM Design Group offers options that will be more functional to a homeowner’s lifestyle. For coastal builds, MRM Design can design your ground, considering the environmental easements for the property. “We place the house so that it fits and stays within the setbacks and easements, and in compliance with local regulations.” MRM Design Group has done many waterfront properties. MRM Design Group also offers construction administrative services that consist of checking on the general contractor and providing their client with feedback. This includes handling administrative actions such as getting bids and applicable paperwork associated with the project. MRM Design is strong on communication and educating its customers on the services they are providing. MRM Design services address code, zoning requirements, and applicable regulations. MRM Design Group’s founder states, “We like to do things uniquely and stay within the budget.” For the commercial developer or property owner, MRM Design Group offers services that will benefit your plans. MRM has an 31
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impressive portfolio of projects they have worked on, such as providing services to Beaufort Community College, of which they created a master plan design to layout new roadways and parking, “our work at BCC improved campus circulation”, explained Mr. Melvin. East Carolina University has also been a former client. MRM Design Group provided many different services to ECU, one being the design plan for the Geometry Building on campus. MRM Design Group has also provided services for one of North Carolina’s community colleges by designing a parking lot. When designing parking, they also can handle the engineering that goes with it. Residential developers can find MRM Design Group as a great choice for providing design services for subdivision entrances, in addition to working with designing signage and logos for signage, and working with the naming of properties. MRM Design Group can assist with many different aspects of your commercial project. However, hardscaping is not just for the residential customer, but developers are also seeing the benefit in how expanding their property, by incorporating outdoor living into their communities add amenities that attract more clients. Today, most people want to get the best bang for their buck, so whether it’s moving into a rental community or new housing development, the amenities should be pleasing and offer the comforts of outdoor living, with the convenience of it being in your backyard. It can be a plus for commercial rental properties to emphasize outdoor living to potential residents. More than just providing plantings, MRM Design Group is your one-stop shop for all things related to retaining walls, plazas, courtyards, pools, and water features such as drives, arbors, lighting, draining, and more. “I have done work from Murphy to Manteo”. MRM Design Group is your choice for an experienced landscape architect. MRM Design offers a holistic design continued on page 34 32
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mrmdesigngroup.com 252-972-4400
covering anything exterior, including site planning and parking layouts. For some commercial design work, MRM Design Group has provided its services to include Nortel when it was Northern Telecom. MRM Design Group’s expertise in designing walkways and plaza areas is one area that really makes a building aesthetically pleasing. Additional services MRM provides are grading engineering. For both residential and commercial projects, MRM Design Group can provide you with options that require less maintenance. MRM Design Group prides itself on making wise choices for its clients and not wasting money on non-beneficial items. Their administrative management is a plus for those who want to add quality control to the project. MRM Design Group, one of a few landscape architectural firms in North Carolina, is your one-stop shop for your exterior design plans, providing a holistic approach. “We look at the big picture and put all of the components together as a good design saves the client money”, stated Mr. Melvin. MRM Design Group has been in the business for many years, they are sensitive to what will save their client money and have a variety of resources that only time, and experience can bring. Make sure to get in touch with them immediately if you or someone you know is in need of a landscape architectural firm that truly cares about the finished product! For more information about MRM Design Group, visit: www.mrmdesigngroup.com or Call 252-972-4400!
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Signs It's Time to Repot or Trim
By Meredith Duce
Each of your household plants grow at their own speed. Snake plants grow slow and steady, while your ivy may need to be repotted each spring. Learning the language of your household plants includes understanding when to repot. So, welcome to springtime and take note of your plants language; it may be time to upgrade their space. Five Signs it’s Time to Repot: 1. Root-bound 2. Roots coming out of the bottom or top 3. Yellow leaves 4. Loss of leaves 5. Stagnation of growth The growth of your household plants continues based on the nutrients available, and repotting your plant gives your green some new and fitting nutrients. In varying times your plant will outgrow their containers, so depending on the plant, you may need to repot each spring or every 2 to 5 years. The plant’s roots are likely to be the first to indicate a need for more nutrients. This could be shown in roots extending past the bottom of the pot, or the roots may take the shape of your container, making the plant “rootbound”. A root-bound plant is identified by the roots encircling the top or
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bottom of your pot, showing the roots need more room to grow. Additionally, the plant could be asking for a larger living space, if its roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot. The best way to check, each spring get your hands a little dirty and gently investigate the interior of your pot. The roots aren’t the only source the plant may use to show its needs. The leaves of a plant turning yellow can indicate overwatering or a lack of nutrients, or maybe both. If the leaves of your plant are dying off frequently, or the plant isn’t growing any new leaves (or stems dependent on the plant) the plant could be craving more nutrients. The leaves or flowers can’t grow if the plant is overcrowding its living space. The combination of yellowing, or loss of leaves and over-grown roots are strong indicators it’s time to move. What’s Next? 1. Repot and Re-soil 2. Trim and Refresh There are two options this spring if your plant has outgrown its space. First, you can repot and continue the growth of your household plant, verifying with a safe source the type of soil or fertilizer your plant needs moving forward. In contrast, if you’re happy with the size, there is still work to be done so plants can live in your ideal sized pot. Trimming the leaves and outside roots then adding some new potting mix will keep your plant healthy into the next season. If the goal is to grow, change its size. If you want to maintain, trim and refresh. The best time to repot is Spring, so before the season is over make sure you’re doing what’s best for your potted plants. Fast Facts in Repotting: • Your Ivy plants need to be repotted every 1 to 3 years • The household snake plants need to be repotted every 3 to 10 years • Succulents need a repot every two years • Spring is the best time to repot (or trim)
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The Keys to Quality of Life While Aging, Part 3: What Does It Mean to You? by Stephanie Whitten
"We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." - George Benard Shaw Everyday of our lives we have thoughts of planning for the future, for our families, savings, 401K, and life insurance. That way we can retire and live the remainder of our time comfortably with money, to do things with family and maybe travel. But do we really consider how we want those things to happen? Make sure to keep in mind of health and wellness, mental and physical, and sexual health. What does quality of life mean to you? Is it the hope of good genes and things we don’t have control over? The control over our lives, body and environment, is something we all want to have for as long as possible. The fact gives the thought of having to give up anything in life because you are not able to do it any longer, is not even in your vocabulary. I decided to ask a few of my clients and patients, what quality of life as they were aging meant? The answers were not shocking at all. As a matter of fact, the answers should be something that people at any age would find important to incorporate into their lives. In no particular order, they mentioned overall health and
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wellness, sleep, having hobbies, visiting with family and friends, exercising that includes physical and mental, laughter and having fun, and last but not least, having a good intimate sex life. All of these had equal weight, except the family and friends component. That was the most important thing that was noted. Overall health and wellness to them meant that they were eating nutritious foods, having doctors appointments, and taking medicines correctly. Getting good sleep was important to them for recovery from the day and to help mentally. Hobbies helped to continue to do things that they were passionate about, which they felt contributed to keeping them mentally sharp. Visiting with family and friends kept bonds and connections to loved ones to provide a support system, and discourage loneliness and depression. Exercises like walking, golf, yoga, dancing, and hiking were key, but water exercises seemed to be popular for less stress on the joints. Laughing and fun relieves stress and who doesn’t like to laugh! Having someone that they could talk to about things in common and with a positive intimate sex life, was just as important to them for quality of life and they felt that all of the things listed above helped to enhance that part of their life. This is the 3rd of 4 articles in researching the stereotypes of aging and I have found that the things we want as we age is no different than younger years, except we definitely know what we want and we want to live just as determined, as we did earlier in our life. In the last installment, I will share my own keys for quality of life. Visit me on FB @wholebodyfitnessandwellness
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Recent Book Bans and Why "Banning" is Dangerous By Shayna Cohen In a new wave of state and local legislation, school districts across the country are moving to ban more books, prohibiting the teaching and distribution of books which they believe to promote inappropriate or radical ideas. Most of the banned books are novels that feature protagonists of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically transgender characters. However, the bans go beyond just stories– schools are also banning nonfiction books which discuss similar historical themes. Many politicians, schools, and parents in favor of book bans defend their argument on moral grounds, claiming that the ideas presented are too dangerous for their children to read. United States-based non-profit organization PEN America, dedicated to protecting free expression and digital equality around the world, published an Index of recently banned books in April 2022. By reviewing documents, news stories, and school curricula, PEN America has totaled 1,145 unique book titles that were banned from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. Book bans in the last year have taken place in 86 school districts across 26 states, affecting over two million students.
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As mentioned, a majority of banned books are works of fiction including Black, Muslim, Jewish, gay, or transgender characters and themes. The specific statistics provided by PEN America are striking: 33 percent of stories feature LGBTQ+ protagonists (7 percent have specifically transgender characters), and 41 percent of all banned books feature protagonists of color. This new wave of book bans in schools is dangerous and sets a scary precedent for what could come. Banning stories that touch “taboo” subjects prevents students from learning about the realities of our world. Whether the topics are dark and heavy, or beautiful and free, stories allow us to look at our world through the lens of anyone but ourselves– of someone who has valuable ideas to share about their realities. In a world where diversity and inequalities are ever-increasing, reading about the experiences of other ethnicities, religions and genders is vital to ensuring understanding and compassion. Without free access to a variety of books in schools, students are more likely to be taught only one or a few narratives, which history has proven will have negative effects on a population. This is especially important for the younger generation, students in K-12 who are just entering “the real world". Stories allow the reader to construct their own understanding of the world around them. Students should be able to explore the vast world of ideas on their own, and synthesize what they read with their own experiences to shape their worldview. Especially for students of color and gay or transgender students, having access to stories written by people like them can provide comfort, solidarity, and the promise of belonging in a strange and sometimes cruel world. Continuing to ban books in schools across America will only have negative consequences. As a lifelong avid reader, I have learned so much through reading stories about lives I will never live and experiences I will never have. Preventing students from the opportunity to read honest and free stories, and use what they have learned to understand themselves and the world around them– will not only create a generation of insecure and sheltered American youth, but a future world of misunderstanding and division. thecityinsightmag.com 40
nage, and working with the naming of properties. MRM Design Group can assist with many different aspects of your commercial project. However hardscaping is not just for the residential customer, but developers are also seeing the benefit in how expanding their property by incorporating outdoor living into their communities add amenities that attract more clients. Today most people want to get the best bang for their buck so whether it’s moving into a rental community or new housing development www.wellnessprosolutions.com you want the amenities to be pleasing and to offer the comforts of outdoor living with the convenience of it being in your Register to receive backyard so to speak. It’s can be plus for commercial rentala coderesidents. and free properties to emphasis outdoor living promo to potential shipping! More than just providing plantings, MRM Design Group is your one-stop shop for all things related to retaining walls, plazas, courtyards, pools, and water features such as drives, arbors, lighting, draining, and more. “I have done work from Murphy to Manteo”. MRM Design Group is your choice for an experienced landscape architect. MRM Design offers a holistic design covering anything exterior, including site planning and parking layouts. For some commercial design work, MRM Design Group has provided its services to include Nortel when it was Northern Telecom. MRM Design Group’s expertise in designing walkways and plaza areas is one area that really makes a building aesthetically pleasing. Additional services MRM provides are grading engineering. For both residential and commercial projects, MRM Design Group can provide you with options that require less maintenance. MRM Design Group prides itself on making wise choices for its clients and not wasting money on non-beneficial items. Their administrative management is a plus for those who want to add quality control to the project. MRM Design Group, one of a few landscape architectural firms in North Carolina, is your one-stop shop for your exterior design plans, providing a holistic approach. “We look at the Professional Solutions for Daily Wellness! big picture and put all of the components together as a good design saves the client money”, stated Mr. Melvin. MRM Design 41
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and their divine service! Recovery from any kind of addiction is the stepping stone for an individual to lead a healthy and self-directed life. However, transitioning from one phase to another is a tedious journey; the complete recovery from addiction takes some time. This is where things like recovery programs and recovery communities come in, which offer a supervised environment. The basic treatment programs do not usually include an aftercare system; these programs do provide an extraordinary rehab environment but fall short of providing the long-term support that is essential to stop an addict from falling into relapse. The relapse rate in the US is estimated to be between 40% and 60%. This is where the recovery communities play a major role; communities such as the Recovery Communities of North Carolina include non-profit organizations. The sole purpose of these organizations is to give back to the community and provide mutual support that enables an individual to recover more efficiently.
Impact of Recovery Communities of North Carolina A recovery community drastically impacts the decisions taken by an individual and ensures that they find a way to commit to their new life. Here is a look at how the recovery homes have an impact on the lives of those who they serve. Expert Guidance The people who need help get expert guidance from the volunteers and house managers. These people are always available to guide the people struggling to maintain good 42
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behavior and encourage them every day if anything goes wrong. These places have a set of rules, and the staff motivates these people to follow these rules; however, if someone keeps breaking the rules, they face things like curfews. These places also keep a check and balance with regular drug tests that guarantee a clean environment.
Emotional Support One of the most important impacts of these recovery communities is the emotional support they provide. An individual can find people going through the same phase or find alumni who have been through this phase in the past. This creates a sense of empathy among peers and allows them to discuss their concerns confidently and find role models. The relationship with other people also eliminates the factor of loneliness that an addict might have been facing for a long time. Healthier Appearance An addict usually goes through a lot and loses all sense of well-being; it takes a toll on basics things like healthy eating, appearance, and personal hygiene. However, the recovery communities have a huge positive impact on these things. The addicts start noticing that things like their skin, eyes, and teeth are getting better because they have been eating healthier, drinking more water, and sleeping better. The end goal for an addict is to progress towards everyday life, and if it comes down to making a new life for themselves, they have the strength and courage to do so. It also provides a sense of independence as the person is now more comfortable with deeds like finding a job or establishing new healthy relationships. The freedom of choice is discovered by an addict who transitions back to mainstream life. We Are Here For You, So Contact Us Today! Please call 919-231-0248 to make an appointment Hours of Operation: 10am-6pm Monday-Friday You can also check us out online at rcnc.org
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Having the Conversation About Addiction Recovery, Wellness and Citizenship Through Advocacy, Education and Support? Recover y Communities of North Carolina May Have the Answer! RCNC Vision: • North Carolina promotes a culture that supports addiction recovery for individuals, families and communities • North Carolinians seeking addiction recovery have access to the highest quality care, services, and support
• North Carolinians in addiction recovery are equal and valued members of our State
• North Carolinians in addiction recovery have opportunities to achieve their fullest educational, occupational and civic potential • Recovery from addiction is a celebrated reality
We are here to help, visit us at: 5245 Capital Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27616 (919) 231-0248 www.rcnc.org
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By Tobin Kaplan
The UNC Tarheels and the 2022 Men's Basketball Tournament For those who don't know, the University of North Carolina has arguably the most excellent basketball program ever. They were an underdog coming into this past tournament and shocked the nation as they made the National Championship game. Also, Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, career was ended by North Carolina. Duke and North Carolina are historic rivals, and many thought this North Carolina team deserved the utmost praise as they were the team that triumphed over Coach K, in his final game. North Carolina made it to the national championship game, led by Brady Manek, Caleb Love, and RJ Davis. First-year head coach Hubert Davis took over the reins from Roy Williams, a legend who won three national championships as the Tar Heels head coach. UNC fans shouldn't feel upset that they lost this national championship because their star player, guard Caleb Love, is only a sophomore. 45
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Love will probably play at UNC for one or two more years, so there's a good chance that UNC will make it to at least another national championship game. Coach Hubert Davis has shown he is more than capable as a leader to take championship-caliber players to a championship game. Davis was in tears as he won the ACC, the conference that North Carolina plays in, as UNC beat Duke to win the ACC conference. The poise Davis displayed the whole regular season, and the post-season was exemplary. Unfortunately, Davis or his players didn't show the coolness when they needed it most in the national championship, as UNC blew a fifteen-point lead to Kansas. A cinderella-Esque season came to an end in the national championship game, unfortunately for UNC. However, there's a lot to build up from because of the success this season brought to UNC. Now, it's time to implement all of North Carolina's lessons from this past regular season, especially the postseason. Davis received high praise from Roy Williams. Williams is a legendary North Carolina head coach who won many individual accolades as North Carolina's head coach and many collective. Most of which were three national championships. Williams stepped down as North Carolina's head coach, and many saw Davis's task of trying to be a coach of Williams's caliber as a tall task. However, Williams had high praise for Davis and all he accomplished this past season as the Tar Heels head coach. Williams said about Davis winning the ACC conference championship: "It's perhaps the greatest moment in my basketball career. I've never had any more faith and love for one man, and to think he's just won it—he's been better than I ever was." Williams and Davis were upset with North Carolina losing to Kansas in the National Championship game. However, both were thrilled that, as an underdog, they made it to the National Championship game. 46
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