Wine & Cheese Ownner Amanda Hill props open the door to her new store at 209 N. Herritage Street. Her new shop opens at 8:00 am Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007.

Believing that there is "a wonderful opportunity to grow my business," Amanda Hill, owner of Kinston's popular Wine and Cheese Emporium, has moved her store to 209 N. Herritage Street to be closer to many of her customers. The official opening was 8:00 am Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007.

Ms. Hill's new wine and cheese shop is located in a newly renovated building formerly the site of a coffee store, across the street from another popular Herritage Street destination, The Briary.

"All my new neighbors have been phenomenal in welcoming me into the neighborhood," she said, lugging in some of the last boxes of wine to be placed on the shelves. "I've received huge support for moving downtown."

Hours for the Wine & Cheese Emporium will be:

Tues.-Fri. 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sat. - 8:00 am to 2:00 pm

Amanda Hill, owner of the Wine & Cheese Emporium, peers through a shelf filled with wines in her new shop at 209 N. Herritage Street, in preparation for her official opening at 8:00 am, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007.

Ms. Hill has owned the 16-year-old business for the past three years. A Lenoir County native, she is a 1994 graduate of N. Lenoir High School, and earned an associates degree in the Culinary Arts Department at Lenoir Community College in 1996. She was employed in the hospitality industry until three years ago when she acquired the Wine & Cheese Emporium. The store moved to downtown from a Vernon Avenue location near the US Hwy. 70 bypass.

Pride Board Chairman Hardy Creech II hailed Ms. Hill's decision to move to downtown. "Hers is the perfect profile of the types of business we hope will come to downtown: small, locally owned stores which serve specialty markets. Welcome Amanda," he said.

Pride and the Lenoir County Council on Aging Launch a "Walk Around Town" Health Exercise

Starts at Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007 at Noon.

Leigh Abel, executive director of the Lenoir County Council on Aging, with help from Pride of Kinston, has launched a three-day-a week "Walk Around Town" aimed at encouraging downtowners and downtown advocates to take up walking as a means of exercise and weight loss.

The three routes combine opportunities to get better acquainted with downtown features and architecture with individuals' desire for better health strategies.

The "Walk Around Town" gets underway on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2007 at noon. Walkers are urged to gather at the Council on Aging, 112 E. Blount Street on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Maps with directions will be provided.

"This is a fun, no-hassle project," according to planners for the walk. "There are no dues. No fees. No commitments. No jogging. No towels. And no guarantees...just walking around town as an interesting way to learn more about Downtown Kinston and to get healthier as do it." The promotional material promises participants that they can "quit whenever you want to....with no guilt!"

The walking routes are as follows:

Mondays - The Queen Street Walk Start at 112 E. Blount, walk to Queen Street and turn right up the east side of Washington Ave., cross over and watch the construction progress of the Neuse Regional Library as you stroll all the way down the west side to Bright St., cross over to the east side of Queen and return to Blount and the Council on Aging.	Wednesdays - The McLewean and River Walk Again, we start at 112 E. Blount, walk to McLewean St., turn south and walk to Bright St.. Turn right, walk to Queen and the Cultural Heritage Museum, take a right, walk to King St., turn left and walk to Herritage; cross Herritage to the Tiffany West Park, follow the riverbank sidewalk to the gazebo at Neuseway Park, walk along Gordon St. to Herritage, turn left and amble along to the neat shops, stores, restaurants all the way back to Blount, ending at the Council on Aging.	Fridays - The Queen & River Walk Start at 112 E. Bount St., walk to the west side ofQueen St., and turn south and walk to King St. Turn right and go to the Tiffany West Park to pick up the riverbank sidewalk, walk to the gazebo at Neuseway Park, to Gordon St. Take a left onto Herritage, walk to Blount and then back the the Council on Aging.

NEWS BRIEFS

• "RUN FOR THE RIVER" - Registrations to run in the Kinston 8000: Run for the River 8k race, Mar. 24, 2007, are beginning to arrive at Pride's offices. The race, sponsored by Pride in cooperation with the Kinston-Lenoir County Parks & Recreation Department, has earned the support of the Kinston-Lenoir County Tourism Development Authority which is contributing $2,300 to help with marketing expenses. Thank you Tourism Development Authority!
   
  Lenox China is donating a very classy first place china bowl adorned with the Run for the River logo to be presented to the 1st place male and female runners in the Mar. 24 race. These and other donors to the race are being featured on Pride's website.
   
• RETIREMENT LIFESTYLES - Look for the Feb. 2007 issue of Retirement Lifestyles, a magazine which caters to retirees. This issue will carry a 16-page insert promoting Kinston and Lenoir County as a retirement destination. Many local amenities and opportunities will be featured in this special edition. Lenoir County Commissioner Earl Harper spearheaded this effort.
   
  
• HOME GARDENERS - The Home Gardeners Garden Club, which contributed funds to Pride to replace broken pots on Herritage, has come forth again with a larger donation to assist Pride's Design Committee - headed by board member Shirley Herring -in its downtown beautification efforts.
   
• CIVIL WAR SYMPOSIUM & EXHIBITION - The Lenoir County Historical Association and the Community Council for the Arts are looking for handcrafted artifacts created during the Civil War Era (1800's) to exhibit during the annual Civil War Symposium, to be held Mar. 1-2, 2007. Individuals and institutions in possession of quilts, baskets, furniture, ironworks, coverlets, boxes, cradles, clothing, rugs, tools, artwork, needlepoint, pottery and other items unique to the 19th Century are encouraged to contact Niki Litts at the Community Council for the Arts: 252-527-2517. Deadline for submission is 2:00 pm Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007.
   
  The exhibition will be on display in the Council's main gallery Feb. 27, 2007 - March 10, 2007.