Local News and Events

NOAA says the developing 2026–27 El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of becoming a very strong event during the fall and winter.For homeowners on the Monterey Peninsula, I think that is worth paying attention to—but not panicking over.A strong El Niño does not guarantee that Monterey County will have an extraordinarily wet winter. We have seen strong El Niño events behave very differently in California. What it does mean is that this is probably a good year to take a closer look at how an individual property may handle significant winter weather.And around the Monterey Peninsula, that question can have very different answers depending on where the home is located.In Pebble Beach, one of the things I would be looking at is the combination of mature trees, wind and sa... 10/01/2026

Historic Dilworth Opens Its Doors for Its 52nd Annual Home Tour  Dilworth's Annual Home Tour returns for its 52nd year on October 2nd and 3rd, 2026. If you love visiting historic homes and gardens in beautifully preserved neighborhoods, this tour in one of Charlotte's loveliest historic neighborhoods is a "must see" and "must do."     Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 Dilworth Home Tour in Charlotte. If you love touring historic and architecturally interesting homes, if you love historic neighborhoods, you should definitely come out to the 2026 Dilworth Home Tour, Charlotte's oldest home tour in one of the City of Charlotte's oldest and most picturesque neighborhoods. 2026 marks the 52nd year of this perennially popular home tour in the Queen City, which will showcase six homes and g... 09/30/2026

Join the National Caregivers' Month Kick-offJoin the National Caregivers' Month Kick-off on November 4, 2026, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Arc Montgomery County in Rockville, MD! Enjoy interactive activities, resources, dynamic speakers, and more! Don’t miss this chance to connect and celebrate caregivers in our community!This is a Montgomery County, Maryland announcement. Stargazer Oriental Lily, Lilium oriental hybrid, Kentlands Photowalk,Gaithersburg, Maryland USA IMG 5285Canon PowerShot G11 CameraPhotograph by Roy KelleyRoy and Dolores Kelley Photographs 10/07/2026

Donate a BikeHave a bike gathering dust in your garage or shed? Give it a second life! @MCDOTNow and @RockBikeHub are collecting gently used adult and children’s bikes and bike parts on Oct. 16. Repaired bikes will go to Montgomery County residents in need.Info: https://ow.ly/SFuY50ZSng3 Zinnia, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden,Richmond, Virginia USA IMG 1130Canon PowerShot G11 CameraPhotograph by Roy KelleyRoy and Dolores Kelley Photographs 10/06/2026

Super Movers in their 80s and BeyondBy Kristie Leong M.D.Your walking speed after 80 might protect your brain more than crossword puzzles ever could. Researchers followed nearly 4,000 older adults and found something striking: The fastest walkers in their 80s, called “super movers." were about 50% less likely to develop cognitive decline than their slower peers. These weren’t elite athletes. They simply walked significantly faster than others their age (top 9%). And they preserved more hippocampal volume—the brain’s memory hub—even when some still showed Alzheimer’s-related plaques. Why does this matter?Walking pulls on muscle, balance, heart, lungs, and nerves at once. Contracting muscle releases BDNF, a key protein that supports neuron survival and brain growth. In short: muscle healt... 10/05/2026

World Heart Day…Don’t Miss a Beat It’s World Heart Day, and one that is important to me. I’ve written about this before, so be patient.  Over 25 years ago, for over 4 months, Larry chased down a medical issue. He saw a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, and had tests from top to bottom.  During that time, he continued to dive and participate in other sports.  But something was not right. Then, one night, our friend and neighbor had a massive heart attack in our driveway. Larry was with him until the ambulance came, but it was too late.  The next day, Larry had an appointment with his cardiologist. Though the doctor had been reluctant to do an angiogram, I told him that if he didn’t, we were going to another doctor.  He agreed and set him up for that afternoon. The next morning he had t... 09/29/2026

Who doesn’t like pizza? I know I do!I, for one, don’t think I’ve ever said no to a good slice of pizza. And fortunately, living in Austin means we have plenty of choices when that pizza craving hits!Whether you like your crust thin and crispy, thick and airy, wood-fired, coal-fired, piled high with toppings, or simply topped with cheese and pepperoni, Austin’s pizza scene has something for just about everyone.So, in no particular order, here are some Austin pizza spots worth putting on your list:🍕 Austin's Pizza Westlake — An Austin original serving the city since 1999, with classics, build-your-own pies and local favorites like the MoPac. They now have four Austin-area locations.🍕 Baldinucci Pizza Romana — Something a little different! Their Roman-style pizza has a thicker, airy crust ... 10/03/2026

 Celebrating National Coffee Day: September 29 Apparently, Drinking Coffee Every Day Wasn’t Official Enough National Coffee Day is today, September 29th. However, I’m not entirely sure why coffee needs a special day. It already has every morning.Think about it... Coffee has somehow convinced perfectly rational adults to stand in a drive-thru line twelve cars deep for something they could make at home in four minutes. We’ve built entire kitchen stations around coffee in our homes. We own machines that grind it, brew it, foam it and hiss at us.   We have strong opinions about beans we couldn’t identify in a police lineup. And somewhere along the way, ordering “a coffee” became so hopelessly complicated that you may now need to specify the size, roast, temperature, milk, syrup, number of s... 09/29/2026

Open House Meeting - Improve the Wilkens Ave AreaThe Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration is hosting an Open House meeting to discuss improvements to the Wilkens Avenue area and to provide feedback on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Priority Area recommendations.September 28, 20266 pm - 7:30 pmBaltimore County Public Library - Arbutus Branch -855 Sulphur Spring Rd, Arbutus, MD 21227For more information, contact:  dprice2@baltimorecountymd.gov    09/27/2026

Bill Salvatore of Arizona Elite Properties featured a post toRe-Blog today on Active Rain. Good post by Nina today, andworthy of our daily Re-B. Gilbert AZ  GILBERT ARIZONA HOMES FOR SALE, Bill Salvatore, AZVHV / HelpingArizona Heroes, New-Construction Advantage, Realtor, sell my house, 2026Market, Chandler #Sellmyhouse #whatsmyhomeworth #homevalues#2026market #ArizonaEliteProperties #ChandlerAZ#yourValleyProperty #GilbertRealtor #AZVHV#buyingaHome #LiveinSunnyAZ #BillSalvatore Death, Secret Maps, and $40,000 Scarves The Wildest Stories for National Scarf Day   September 27 is National Scarf Day! So, how many of you are actually scarf people? Do you wear them for warmth, wear them because they look great,  have a collection tucked away in a drawer that hasn't seen daylight in years? Per... 09/27/2026

When A Community Event Suddenly Means Even More.  Sometimes an event you have been planning for months takes on a whole new meaning.   Saturday September 26, 2026, in Meridian, Texas, we held the 2nd Annual Raymond Trujillo Memorial Car Show, an event my family and I started last year in memory of Raymond Trujillo who entered, organized and held many car shows in his time.  When we began planning this year's show, we knew we wanted the proceeds to benefit the Meridian Volunteer Fire Department. What we could not have known was just how meaningful that decision would become. In the past two weeks, our community watched our volunteer firefighters battle a major wildfire near our town.  This wildfire was serious enough that our entire town had to be evacuated.  For those of us who live and... 09/27/2026

As fall arrives and temperatures begin to drop across much of the country, it is a great time to focus on staying active, mobile, and healthy.Chiropractic adjustments are best known for helping improve joint motion, decrease musculoskeletal discomfort, and support better physical function. Research has also shown that spinal manipulation may temporarily influence certain stress, inflammatory, and immune-related biomarkers, although chiropractic care has not been proven to prevent illness or directly “boost” the immune system.Regular chiropractic care can be one part of a healthy lifestyle that also includes quality sleep, regular exercise, proper nutrition, hydration, stress management, and time outdoors. As colder weather approaches, don't let stiffness and inactivity become your new r... 09/29/2026

The latest episode of my podcast has been released – Harlem Transformed - Arts, Education, Technology Transformations and can be heard at www.Harlem-Stories.com or your favorite podcast app. In this episode we discuss the Innovation Triangle- largely focused, but not limited to, the changes that are occurring in Manhattanville. The programs being developed encourage STEM education and investment in the Arts in Harlem.  In case you missed any of previous episodes you can also listen at the same link above or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and others under the name Harlem Stories. If you like this episode, hit the Like Button, Subscribe and tell everyone you know about the podcast. Thank you for listening to Harlem Stories. 09/28/2026

 It's Ask A Stupid Question Day Today, September 28Today's The Day To Finally Ask the Questions Everyone’s Thinking (But No One Asks Out Loud)!  "He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask is a fool forever." Mark Twain Ever had a question pop into your head and immediately think, “Nope. I’m not asking that out loud”? Well, today you get a free pass! It’s National Ask A Stupid Question Day. Today is devoted to the questions we’re normally too embarrassed to ask. So go ahead... Ask why we park on driveways and drive on parkways. Ask why “abbreviated” is such a long word. Ask why do we press harder on the remote when the batteries are dying. Ask why we call it lipstick if you can still move your lips.  Today, there are no stupid questions — although there may be some ... 09/28/2026

Auburn Homecoming 2026: A Day on the Plains and What It’s Like to Live HereIf you want to understand Auburn, Alabama, spend a Saturday here during football season.If you really want to understand Auburn, experience Homecoming.I’ve lived in the Auburn–Opelika area since 1988, graduated from Auburn University and have watched this community change tremendously over the years.But Homecoming still brings together many of the things that make Auburn distinctive.Yesterday I walked campus with my camera and captured pieces of Auburn Homecoming 2026 as they were actually happening.Not staged real estate photographs.Not stock photography.Just Auburn.People walking Thach Concourse.Crowds around Haley Center.Tailgates surrounding Jordan-Hare Stadium.Live music near Plainsman Park.Alumni gathering ... 09/27/2026

In a 6-1 vote on June 25, 2026, the Fresno City Council approved a policy that removes one of the most significant friction points in the local affordable housing development process. The new ordinance grants ministerial approval to residential projects that reserve at least 20 percent of their total units for lower-income renters in designated zones of the city. What that means in practice is that qualifying Fresno affordable housing developments can now bypass review by the Fresno Planning Commission and the City Council entirely, moving directly from application to approval without the months-long public hearing process that has historically added cost, delay, and uncertainty to projects already operating on thin development margins.The vote places Fresno alongside a growing number o... 09/27/2026

Are you into Arizona Ghost Towns or a new Subdivision to live in? Well, I know that some people like to live a bit "off the grid" as they say. Well we have both ghost towns and new subdivisions here in the Grand Canyon state. Ask me about either as you have come to the right place. If you are not into fixer uppers, I can help you either way, give me a call or text at 480-242-6500.Goldfield Ghost Town (Pixabay)If you don't; like Ghost Towns and are thinking of moving to Arizona and buying a home, I can help you with that as your Buyer's REALTOR. I can also recommend where to live like Scottsdale, Gilbert or Chandler maybe in Phoenix at the Biltmore? Many choices for sure. However, we do have "Ghost Towns" in Arizona. It may be better to not buy a home in these towns, but maybe just visit... 09/26/2026

One of the things I enjoy about living and selling real estate on the Monterey Peninsula is that there are always local stories I either didn't know or never knew the whole story behind.This is one of them.Most people who have been to Pebble Beach know the Lone Cypress. It's probably the most recognizable landmark on 17-Mile Drive.But years ago, there were two other trees that visitors stopped to see.They were known as the Witch Tree and the Ostrich Tree.Neither one is there anymore. The Ostrich TreeThe Ostrich Tree was actually two Monterey cypress trees growing together near Cypress Point.From the right angle, the unusual shape looked enough like an ostrich that the name stuck.It eventually became one of the landmarks people looked for as they traveled 17-Mile Drive.A storm brought it... 09/26/2026

Death, Secret Maps, and $40,000 ScarvesThe Wildest Stories for National Scarf Day September 27 is National Scarf Day! So, how many of you are actually scarf people? Do you wear them for warmth, wear them because they look great,  have a collection tucked away in a drawer that hasn't seen daylight in years? Personally, I have an amazing collection of Hermes scarves that I could never afford to replace at today's prices and I do "bust mine out on occasion." "When I wear a silk scarf I never feel so definitely like a woman, a beautiful woman."Audrey Hepburn Scarves seem like a pretty innocent accessory. After all, what could possibly be interesting about a piece of fabric you wrap around your neck or your waist or your handbag? Apparently, quite a lot. Turns out, there’s a lot more wrapped... 09/27/2026

If you've been thinking about joining the Watersound Club, the clock is running. The initiation fee goes from $75,000 to $125,000 on January 1, 2027, a $50,000 jump. ⛳The Date That MattersTo lock in the current $75,000, a completed application has to be submitted by December 10, 2026. It's still subject to the Club's approval process, including a full criminal and financial background check, so don't wait until December to start the paperwork.Two Ways In Apply: submit an application, get approved and pay the initiation fee. This is the route the December 10 deadline applies to. Buy in Watersound Camp Creek: membership comes with the home, with no separate initiation fee, so you're not racing the deadline. What Membership Costs Each Month Lifestyle: $1,260 a month plus tax, with unlimite... 09/26/2026