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  I know you are surprised, but I have committed
to writing a little website update more frequently than in the past. This will all depend on my time and the time
of my website administrator who has recently taken on some long term commitments of his own. Please feel welcome
to email, call, write or visit us at anytime.
The following will get you
in touch with us.
Lora & Monte Starr
108 Friburg Rd.
New Bern, N.C. 28562
Lo’s email: lo@montestarr.com Cell 252-658-0287
Mo’s email: mo@montestarr.com Cell 252-675-1279
We do not maintain a home phone.
Happy Holidays and a great New Year
As you probably know by now, we have relocated to New Bern, North
Carolina and we love it. Certainly we miss our long time friends, but
we love the country, the people, the history and the activities of the
South.
 New Bern is in eastern North Carolina. The locals refer to it as “down
east”. We are only 35 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. For you Marines
(I understand there are no “former” Marines) we are 15 miles from Cherry
Point Marine Air Station and 35 miles from Camp Lejeune Marine Base.
The beaches here are awesome. In late summer the water temperature gets
up to 76 degrees. White beaches without seaweed, rocks, mud, cliffs,
and for the most part people. Our beach outings are very serene on
un-crowded beaches. Lora does have to travel to Greenville, N.C. (35
miles to the North) for shopping (Talbot’s, Steinmart, or Chico’s) but
other than that, this small town of 25K has plenty to do. We are busy
everyday with something. We (both) play a lot of golf and Lora has her
Mahjongg and Canasta groups along with the Garden Club. I also
participate in some of the Masonic Activities (fish fry, chicken fry,
and charity raising). I belong to 3 Shrine Clubs (secretary of one) and
one Shrine Unit. We also attend many of the Elks functions.
Lora and I have both become involved with the local theater companies
(3). She is the Treasurer of Rivertowne Repertory Players and I am a
Member at Large. I am also the head of the refreshment committee. We
put on some pretty big productions. West Side Story, Menopause the
Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, etc... We are having a great time with
the theater.
I also find time to do some fishing. This town is at the confluence of
two major rivers. The Trent River is ½ mile across where it dumps into
the Neuse River, 1 mile across, (adjacent to downtown). My buddy has a
boat dock at his house on the Trent and we fish frequently. We catch
Speckled Trout, Striped Bass, Flounder, Perch, Gar, and pan fish. We
catch “Striped Bass” all the time; they call them “Roc” back here. They
do have to be 18” or bigger to keep. No Problem. Since these rivers
lead right down to the Atlantic, they are “brackish” water (mixed salt
water and fresh water). Consequently we also catch crab and shrimp in
the rivers.
We happened to settle in one of the three towns in North Carolina with a
Shrine Temple. They have nearly 6,000 members and are 5th largest in
North America. They have 41 Shrine Clubs and 47 Shrine Units. Almost
all of the Shrine Clubs own their own property and almost all of the
Shrine Units are parade units. Parades are still big in the South.
I was talking with some guys one evening about starting a new Shrine
Unit. Well as things developed, we did. We formed a unit of 3 wheeler
motorized ice chests. I know it sounds foolish, but for us it is foolish fun. We
found a place where we could purchase these ice chests that were powered
by two 12 volt batteries. They move out at about 15 MPH and can travel
for 25 miles on a charge. We modified the front fork and installed
“baby ape hanger” handle bars. We wear beach clothes. Shorts,
“floweredy shirts”, and beach hats. We did win first place in our
division at the South Atlantic Shrine Assoc. Parade in Pigeon Forge, TN.
The parade lasted 4 hours. We are really having fun with this group.
Our family information remains pretty much the same. Lora’s mother
Hazel still lives in San Bernardino, CA with her mate Hal Owen. Hal is
of immense help to Hazel and still maintains the home by himself. He is
a great “father-in-law” and takes the best care of Hazel. Hal will be
87 in February. Hazel has slowed down somewhat and they are not
traveling as much. She continues to fight some nagging health
challenges.
Tyler (31), our son, is still doing well in Las Vegas. He has a close
lady friend, Cari Kennedy. She manages a Sammy’s Wood Fired Pizza
restaurant in Las Vegas. It is a very nice upscale Italian restaurant.
Tyler is the Asst. Manager of a Cheesecake Factory in Las Vegas. They
both are enjoying Las Vegas and each other. We saw them both for a week
in New England where they were visiting friends. We toured Nantucket,
Boston, Salem, the Freedom Trail, and the “Green Monster” (Fenway
Park-Boston Red Sox Park).
We are looking forward to a few trips in 2009. We plan on California
in May, Washington, D.C. maybe in the spring, and Greece in the fall.
Hopefully we will run into you somewhere.
Our love and light to you and yours.
Lora & Monte Starr
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