A single flower adds a poignant touch to the outdoor memorial site. (Photo by Tom Adkinson)

(A personal note: When Sept. 11 rolls around every year, Americans pause to remember and reflect on that date in 2001. Here’s what goes through my mind.)  NEW YORK – A couple of years ago, I was in New York City …

I Never Wanted To Visit the 9/11 Memorial Read more »

A gallery of portrait paintings shows many of the looks Ava Gardner could adopt. Image by Tom Adkinson.

SMITHFIELD, N.C. – Expectations for small-town museums often are understandably low, but expect to be impressed at the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield. It delivers the ultimate small-town-girl-who-hit-it-big story in a prominent location on Smithfield’s main street. One of Hollywood’s …

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