A SHAME — In language usage sometimes if a word is used incorrectly enough, and widely so, it becomes acceptable. But not to me.

Take “sneak.” I sneak. I sneaked. I have sneaked. Oh, no. The past tense is now, for some, “snuck.” As in it snuck up on me. Lord, have mercy. Terrible. Simple terrible.

NICE — The fairly new history sign at Stewart Parkway is nice. One half has the Declaration of Independence, and one half provides an overview of the history of Washington.

It’s a bit unfortunate that there are punctuation errors in the history portion. Three. One comma where there should not be one; and two places where commas should definitely have been used.

Not important, some may say. Nitpicking. Oh, my. Then perhaps I shouldn’t mention — again — that some of the Waterfront signage wants us to put trash in “receptables.” Correcting those signs is obviously not a priority.

DID YOU KNOW? — In 1889 Statesville became the first city in North Carolina to have its own electric plant, followed by Wilson, Fayetteville and Washington. Interesting.

NOT AN “E” — In a recent “Pets of the Week” feature in the WDN a dog featured for adoption was named “Lightening.” I don’t think so. Correctly spelled, his name would be “Lightning.” Not an uncommon error. One spelling denotes a growing lighter. The other, figuratively, means you better run for cover. You know, thunder and . . . Except in the pup’s case, not really so. I’m sure.

WRONG — Respectfully, please let me suggest that the full-feathered headdress used for the Town of Chocowinity, the middle school, and before that the high school is, well, wrong. Such a headgear was used by some of the native Americans in what is now the western part of the U.S. Not so, eastern tribes. It’s a historical fact.

ONCE AGAIN — Now, wouldn’t it be really nice, and appropriate, if somewhere in the Turnage Theatre there were portraits or photos, with accompanying bios, of Cecil B. DeMille and Murray Hamilton? Perhaps prominently placed in the corridor or walk-through leading to the theater.

DeMille was one of the founding fathers/leading moguls of Hollywood, and Murray, ( I can use his first name because I knew him.) an actor with a highly recognizable face and voice, was in almost innumerable Broadway plays, TV productions and movies. For those who don’t now recognize his name, you would, if you’re over 40, do so if you were to see just a moment of one of his movies that runs occasionally on TV.

Murray, and his wife, a renowned singer of popular songs with her siblings, are both interred at Oakdale Cemetery.

DeMille wasn’t actually born here because his family, an acting troupe, happened to be in New England at the time. There are DeMille family plots at both Oakdale and in the churchyard at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

OPERA SOLOIST — And, did you know that Norman Cordon, years ago, was a mainstay as a soloist at the Met? His roots were in Bath.

‘Til next time. Thanks for taking a few minutes to read my scribblings.