January 2007 archives

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Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Well-deserved: Dr. Ed Wilson never thinks he deserves honor for work

The last time someone wrote something nice about Wayne Community College president and community volunteer Dr. Ed Wilson, he complained, politely, that the tribute was too much, that he did not really deserve the credit or accolades he had been...

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

New kind of hero: Racehorse’s story is one of courage and love

Discussing the loss this week of thoroughbred racer Barbaro is hardly the same as some of the human losses that have been recorded over the past few months and years. From heroes in Iraq to treasured members of the community...

Monday, January 29, 2007

It’s time to talk: Want to fix education? Then let’s discuss real problems

There are a whole lot of people who are finally starting to broach a subject few of us really know how to tackle — the real problems in our schools. There is plenty of advice from all over about how...

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Action, not talk: Mental health system needs immediate attention

Hearing the comments at a recent gathering of local representatives of government agencies and support organizations about providing mental health services to Wayne County patients ought to make county and state officials pause — and the rest of us a...

Friday, January 26, 2007

Lawmaker limits: Too many years in office can be positive or a negative for some

The decision by former Speaker of the House Jim Black not to seek another term after many years of service in the N.C. House is the end to another rather sordid chapter in state politics. But his smart decision to...

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Eye for an eye? Death penalty question this time is about ‘painless’ death

The time to talk about the validity of the death penalty is not when inmates sue the state to stop their executions because officials cannot guarantee they will die painlessly. So, the issue to discuss right now about 33-year-old Marcus...

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

A real message: Much will be said; voters will have to find truth in rhetoric

You have heard the phrase “beware of prophets bearing false witness”? Well, in today’s political climate, determining who is really ready to address an issue and who is just simply jumping on the bandwagon of criticism is tougher than usual....

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Still listening? President will outline agenda, and we should tune in

Those involved with the State of the Union address were out talking it up this morning — new proposals, a domestic focus and a little bit about President Bush’s decision to put more troops in Iraq. It is not unusual...

Monday, January 22, 2007

Nothing to ignore: Concerns over gang violence topic for county to consider

Hearing that concerns over gangs are not uncommon in North Carolina or around the country, and that the problem is not as bad as it could be here, should be little comfort for those whose children just might encounter one...

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Talk about reality: Academic success requires more than a better building

Americans talk all the time about the importance of education — and what it will take to make this nation’s students the best they possibly can be. They lament the quality of schools and they wonder what it will take...

Friday, January 19, 2007

Thinking ahead: Waiting not best plan when it comes to safeguarding base

Members of the North Carolina Advisory Commission on Military Affairs do not want North Carolina to wait until an announcement of another round of Base Realignment and Closure commission meetings to get to work on keeping the state’s base count...

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Oversight: Keeping organizations healthy takes more than good intentions

The story surrounding the failure of The Lighthouse is a sad one. It is an example of good intentions not quite being enough to live up to the enormous requirements of keeping an organization functioning. In other words, wanting to...

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

A new resource: Public service and volunteers might be unexplored answer

There is a much-overlooked resource that this county — and others like it across the nation — are not capitalizing on as much as they should as they try to plan and grow their futures. It isn’t more tax money...

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Just the facts: Paying attention to debate now will save us time later

Wayne County Commissioner Jack Best is right. The recent discussions concerning the condition of school facilities in Wayne County should be one of the primary concerns for anyone who wants to see this community grow and remain prosperous. Taking care...

Dream realized? There has been progress, but there is still work to be done

If he were still alive, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be be 78 years old today. And decades after his “I have a dream ... “ speech, one has to wonder — would he be pleased...

Saturday, January 13, 2007

What is justice? Duke case should scare anyone who values truth

The more you read about the Duke University rape-sexual assault-kidnapping case, the more you should worry about what can happen when politics and justice mix. Nearly a year after the case first hit the news, the accuser who reported that...

Friday, January 12, 2007

You did it: Pulling together means 28,800 lives will be forever changed

There are hundreds of Wayne County residents who can count themselves among the reasons United Way of Wayne County 2006-07 campaign chairman Geoff Hulse could announce at last night’s wrapup event that the organization had achieved its $1.44 million goal....

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Are we too soft? Maybe Americans need a little more shaking up

The debate over the right move in Iraq is not over — and both sides of the issue have points that should be considered before and while the nation’s leaders make changes to the policy. But during his speech Wednesday,...

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

With courage: As leaders make their cases, Americans have to listen well

Tonight, Americans will hear President George W. Bush’s proposals for the next moves for Iraq. The early previews are predicting that he will talk about adding more than 20,000 troops as well as a few strategies for turning management of...

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Serious talk only: We’re looking for the best and brightest, not just politicians

Don’t think the hoopla over who is running and who isn’t in the 2008 presidential race is the only rumor mill that is going when it comes to elections. Before the national stage in 2008, there will be some local...

Monday, January 8, 2007

No waiting allowed: Development is going to come; we will decide form it takes

Wayne County officials need to stay on top of everything from transportation to economic incentives if this area is going to get its share of the Raleigh growth boom. It is too easy to think that by simply not making...

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Just like Congress: Will the spirit of cooperation bring an end to schools debate?

OK, you are probably sick of hearing about the school facilities plan. Who isn’t? It seems like the topic has been on the lips of politicians and others in this county for years — and with nothing to show for...

Friday, January 5, 2007

Higher standards: Are we really ready for them?

Everybody talks about how much more we want from our schools — and how much more pressure needs to be put on school leaders to get there. We rant, rave and fingerpoint — all in the name of improving education....

Thursday, January 4, 2007

100 days of what? New Democratic action plan sounds like politics as usual

OK, they won. So, it should be no surprise to anyone that the first words out of the mouths of the new leaders of the Democrat-led House of Representatives would be what they plan on doing right away now that...

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

You brought it: Community really rallied behind United Way’s efforts

Tuesday afternoon at the library will never be the same — not after Cincinnati Reds Manager Jerry Narron came to town and spent a couple of hours reading to youngsters as part of the United Way’s Bring It On campaign....

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Teach them to fish: Minimum wage increase not longterm solution to poverty

The minimum wage rate is going up — and there will be positives and negatives that will go along with that decision in North Carolina. And the federal government is also expected to take up the cause of national increase...