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I remember as a little kid hearing a retailer describe the sales tax as "a penny for the governor."
Wow, I thought. What a deal for the governor.
Soon, down in Cabarrus County, it might be a half-penny for Bruton.
If you shop at Concord Mills mall, you could be helping cover the payoff to Bruton Smith for his not-going-anywhere, never-was-going-anywhere race track, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Wow. What a deal.
As today's editorial notes, Guilford County's law-enforcement agencies watch each others' backs.
Their mutual-aid agreements work well, thanks to the unified Guilford 911 system. Dispatchers, who monitor the location of every police and emergency services vehicle in the county at all times, can send officers from one department into another jurisdiction when the need arises.
This is a good One Guilford principle in action. If you're in a crisis, you want the nearest officer to respond. Whether he or she works for the county, for Greensboro or for High Point doesn't matter so much. They're all there to serve the public.
That said, the local agency maintains primary responsibility for its own territory. Each agency is supposed to have sufficient manpower to properly cover its jurisdiction without assistance from others too often.
Greensboro's planned annexation of the Cardinal area will put police resources, already stretched thin at times, to the test. So it was interesting to find out that Chief Tim Bellamy and Sheriff BJ Barnes have been talking about an arrangement that would have the sheriff's office continue to provide police coverage there after annexation.
There's logic to the idea. While the city gains the 3,300 acres and 8,800 residents, the county loses all that from its law-enforcement responsibility (although, technically, the sheriff has law-enforcement jurisdiction everywhere in the county). The point is that the sheriff already has the manpower to cover the area; the city doesn't, at least not yet.
Apparently there are some potential holdups. One has to do with paperwork. The city is required to report crime data in its territory, and that could be skewed if the sheriff is administering the area. That seems like a minor problem. More seriously, there's the issue of followup. Sheriff's deputies could patrol the area and respond to calls, but would police need to pick up long-term criminal investigations? Would there be complications when handing off cases from one agency to another?
Then I suppose the city and county would have to work out what level of policing the city would require and how much it would pay for it. And what about accountability? The city council ultimately is accountable for police services in the city, but whom would Cardinal residents hold accountable for their police service if it's actually provided by the sheriff? Of course, they vote for the sheriff like other county residents, so maybe they'd feel they could hold him accountable.
Interesting issue to watch.
In case you missed our editorial last Saturday, we agree with Martin Lancaster about enrolling illegal immigrants in North Carolina community colleges.
Anyone have a different opinion?
Or is it everyone?
My column today:
My son, Andrew, 26, recently completed two years' service with the Peace Corps in Tanzania. He taught math at a secondary school for girls near Lushoto. Here's a Q&A:
How would you sum up your experience in Tanzania?
The first year was probably the hardest of my life; the second was the best year of my life.
What made the difference?
The first year it's all about adjustments, getting used to a new life, being on your own in a way you've never had to before. The second year, not only are things easier, you start to see the impact you're having. ...
Are Hillary Clinton's Democratic rivals so keen to bash her that they'll defend Iran's Revolutionary Guard?
Listening to yesterday's NPR debate from Iowa, it appears so.
Clinton was attacked for supporting a Senate resolution declaring the RG a terrorist organization.
A pretense for the Bush administration to order an attack, her critics said.
An unprecedented designation for a nation's armed forces, they added.
Joe Biden even blamed the resolution for driving up world oil prices -- a nutty claim that NPR "fact-checking" refuted this morning.
The State Department has listed Iran as a state sponsor of international terrorism since 1984. The RG is Iran's instrument for carrying out that support for terrorists. So why wouldn't the RG itself be called a terrorist organization?
Then there are its internal security functions -- little things like arresting women for showing their face in public and harassing other people who don't adhere strictly enough to Islamic law.
These guys aren't quite like the N.C. National Guard. Attacking Hillary Clinton for calling them what they are is going after the wrong villain.
Here's a report about the RG by the Center for Stratetic and International Studies.
You've probably heard of Hallock, Minn., only if you check the continental U.S. temperature extremes regularly, as I do.
Yesterday, Hallock tied its all-time low for the date at -19 degrees.
It warmed up to +1 in the afternoon.
As I write this, it's a balmy +5 with light snow falling, so the cold snap apparently is over.
Hallock is way up in the northwest corner of Minnesota, near the border with Canada and the North Dakota state line. I'm sure it's a lovely place to visit, except between November and April.
Leonard Pitts was working up a fine moral outrage in his column today about the Muhammad teddy bear story in Sudan ...
... until he tried to make a larger point -- at the expense of "fundamentalists" of all faiths.
"Islam is not the problem," Pitts wrote. "Fundamentalism, however, is. And that, as we should know from our own experience, is a mindset that is not confined to one faith.
"To the contrary, every faith has them, these rigid doctrinaires who would sacrifice their very humanity for the fool's gold of theological purity, these people so eager to live the literal law of their holy books that they miss the point of those holy books, shedding compassion, kindness and plain common sense along the way."
I think Pitts is flat-out wrong. Fundamentalism was not the problem in the Sudan incident. Blame it instead on extremism, ideological totalitarianism or hostile intolerance.
People can be Moslem fundamentalists -- believers of the fundamentals of Islam -- and want nothing to do with killing a teacher for naming a teddy bear Muhammad.
As for fundamentalists of other faiths, since when in modern times are they convicting, jailing and threatening to kill people who "insult" their religion? Southern Bapists might kick you out of their convention, but that's a far cry from "stone the infidel."
Nor, in my view, do Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus or even Moslems necessarily shed compassion, kindness and common sense, as Pitts alleges, simply by trying to live by the fundamentals of their faith.
What happened in Sudan was outrageous. So is trying to associate it with the views of religious people elsewhere.
Here's the Wake County school construction cost analysis mentioned in today's editorial, "Tough test for schools."
It compares costs in Wake County to several peer school systems, including Guilford County.
As you can see, there are many, many variables that make direct comparisons difficult. I took the most significant bottom line number to be total project cost per student, a measure that puts Guilford very much on the high end of this evaluation. It's way back on page 77 of the report.
However, I'm not discounting the possibility that there are good reasons for that.
Nevertheless, there's got to be a push here for lean facilities so as many of our education dollars as possible can go for instruction rather than construction.
Compliments to the College of William and Mary for how it dealt with its feather flap.
Its Web site presents plenty of information about the new, featherless W&M logo ...
and links to President Gene Nichol's not-very-veiled remarks about the total idiocy of the NCAA.
He notes that W&M just posted the best graduation success rate for student-athletes of all public universities in the country ... while the NCAA has been obsessed with ruffling two feathers in the logo.
Now they're gone, and no one's offended anymore -- except everyone who thinks there are real issues that need attention.
I don't have any connections to W&M, but people who do should be proud of how the venerable institution in old Williamsburg conducted itself through this feathered fiasco.
The High Point hit-and-run that badly injured 8-year-old Mariah Rogers is a developing story. If they haven't already, police are getting close to filing charges.
It's a serious case because the driver of the vehicle passed a stopped school bus, ignoring the stop arm, and fled the scene after striking the child.
Police were able to track down the vehicle quickly and determine who the occupants were: two girls, one 16 and the other 17.
The question was which was driving. Making a conclusive determination was holding things up.
The obvious upright thing to do would be for the driver to admit it. Going back to the time of the accident, of course, the upright thing would have been to stop the car, get out and offer assistance to the victim, then immediately surrender when police arrived.
You can understand how a teenager might employ very faulty judgment in a moment of panic and try to get away. It's a different story now. By not admitting her role, she's as good as trying to implicate her passenger. Just guessing, but I'd say she's being advised by an attorney to admit nothing.
This might not be an easy case to prosecute if there isn't strong evidence indicating who was at the wheel at the time of the accident. Police may have surveillance video taken a few minutes before the accident, but that doesn't prove the same person was driving a few minutes later. It could come down to one girl's word against the other's in court. I'd say that friendship is history.
Justice shouldn't be denied by a she said, she said standoff. The young woman responsible for this terrible incident should come clean and try to get the best deal possible from prosecutors based on her youth and immaturity.
In a case like this, though, I think North Carolina law properly treats 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. If you're old enough to drive, you're old enough to take responsibility for the decisions you make as a driver. And I doubt in this matter that the public would be satisfied if legal proceedings were handled behind the wall of confidentiality in juvenile court. Accountability is due.
Links:
Our editorial today.
State Rep. Dale Folwell's legislative Web page.
A CNN report in which Folwell is featured.
I'm all for healing, but Greensboro also has to stop the bleeding.
To their credit, the mayor and members of city council are focused on public safety. People will develop a greater sense of trust when they feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods, on the streets and going out to eat at a Mexican restaurant.
We can't forget the five killings that infamously occurred in Greensboro 28 years ago. But when seven people have been murdered in the last two weekends, there are more urgent priorities today. Dealing with them will promote trust.
An anti-Christian hate crime, authorities say.
Good Lord.
The victims include 16-year-old twin sisters. The killer hated them? And the other individuals he gunned down?
What possessed him?
More reporting: The gunman was shot and killed by a female security guard who was fired at but continued advancing and firing, a witness says. Two male security guards, both armed, did not fire at the intruder.
Armed security guards at a church? What's the world coming to? It would seem insane ... if this had not happened. One of those guards, not yet identified, likely saved many lives. She said she was praying as she was firing, a witness reported.
Of lesser magnitude but still disturbing, was the intent of the Greensboro College nativity scene vandalism also hateful? Was the culprit sending a message?
"This was the destruction of a set of values," President Craven Williams said.
I'll save more detailed comments for another time -- maybe on the blog, probably for a Sunday editorial -- but, quickly, I was very impressed with the City Council's special meeting on crime today.
First, it made clear that the new council, just sworn into office last week, has put public safety at the top of its agenda. The recent surge in violent crime creates an emergency situation, council members said, and they're determined to deal with it.
As Mike Barber said, the council is accepting responsibility; it's going to hold the city manager responsible; and it would be in his best interest to hold the police chief responsible. Barber just left out one line of accountability: voters have to hold their elected representatives responsible.
Second, despite the chain of command spelled out above, the council did not filter its questions and concerns through the city manager. It heard directly from Chief Tim Bellamy and Bellamy's top staff. And it made requests directly to the chief.
Now, the council can't act as a nine-headed city manager all the time, but on this occasion it was exactly the right thing to do. The police brass, the manager and the public all could see how seriously council members regard the issue of crime; they could feel the passion and determination. It was crystal clear that the council is in charge and it's responding directly to citizen concerns. So this was a valuable exercise, and it ought to be repeated from time to time, whether the subject is crime, water, coliseum management or anything else that rises to the forefront of public concern.
Third, a very specific action was taken. By a unanimous vote, the council directed City Manager Mitch Johnson to find $500,000 to supplement the police budget right now.
Fourth, the council expressed a determination to work with community groups and other organizations, like Guilford County Schools and the DA's office, to address these issues. There was heated conversation about whether GPD is getting sufficient cooperation from those entities. Police say no; council members want to know why not. I look forward to more discussion about that.
Fifth, the council wants to take a longer view. Zack Matheny's motion to launch an assessment of police operations by an outside agency was put off until the Jan. 25 planning meeting, but that proposal should and I believe will be approved. If the council is going to plough more resources into the department, probably needed, it must make sure that police operations and structure are efficient and effective.
Finally, a small point. Or maybe not. Although this meeting was only called yesterday, every council member attended. All were engaged and attentive throughout the 2-hour-plus session. If there are divisions and distrust in Greensboro, guess what? Those symptoms were not evident this afternoon on this issue. This council appears united and focused. That is bound to make a difference.
Here's our initial news report.
My column today:
Martin Lancaster climbed out on a shaky limb a while back. But his branch looks as sturdy as a steel girder compared to the twig Erskine Bowles perched on last week. ...
Continue reading "Tuition break for illegals lacks support" »
The N&O reports that N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney will hold a press conference this afternoon on the subject of indicted Rep. Thomas Wright.
Wright's troubles have been building for a long time, and legislative leaders have dealt with them like they always do.
Wait for the courts to handle it.
Thank goodness state and federal prosecutors haven't been as lenient lately about crooked legislators. If it were up to the General Assembly itself, all the messes would be swept under the rug.
Check Mark's blog.
Speaking of a mess, it looks like Mecklenburg County Democrats have really screwed up their selection of a new sheriff. And bankruptcy and residency issues aren't the only troubling questions about sheriff-designate Nick Mackey. There's also the matter of his resignation under pressure from the Charlotte-Meck police force in 2003.
Finally this afternoon comes the sad story of the Randy Parton Theatre boondoggle in Roanoke Rapids. Dolly herself has rushed to the defense of her little brother. This is enough to make you wish for the quiet controversy of Sparta's teapot museum. Carolina Journal reporting here.
DA Doug Henderson was bashed at Tuesday's emergency Greensboro City Council meeting for not going after troublesome nightclubs police would like to shut down under state public nuisance laws.
Funny no one from the city attorney's office spoke up to say, "Hey, we can handle that."
Today's editorial reiterates what Henderson told our news staff after that meeting Tuesday: The law allows the city to pursue nuisance-abatement actions.
Maybe this isn't a big deal. After all, how much impact can it have on the city's overall crime rate to close down a couple of dives where the patrons like to shoot and stab each other? But police apparently think it's worth doing. And Greensboro ALE supervisor Alan Fields, who's had lots of experience doing this sort of thing, says it really does cut crime as other bar owners clean up their act. I guess if you establish a more orderly environment, violence is less likely to break out.
The problem here was, Henderson told police to ask the city attorney's office for help and, according to Chief Tim Bellamy, the city attorney's office told police it couldn't do anything.
That position seemed to change 180 degrees yesterday. I left a couple of detailed messages for Deputy City Attorney Becky Jo Peterson-Buie and finally heard back from her late in the afternoon. She told me that, according to her office's reading of the law, the city could initiate nuisance-abatement proceedings (emphasis mine, and I got the impression that maybe the city attorney's office hadn't read the law before). Traditionally, the DA's office had taken the lead in such matters, she added. (That's true, at least in Guilford County; former DAs Jim Kimel and Stuart Albright had done so.) Given that the present DA isn't inclined, I asked, would the city attorney's office take on that task? "If the police department requires our assistance, we will be happy to help in any way," she said.
Now that that's settled, we'll expect lawsuits seeking to shut down a couple of hot spots on the police department's public nuisance list.
Note: Ben Holder had a strong post on this subject yesterday.
The man chosen by Mecklenburg County Democrats to serve as sheriff may be denied the office because he's been turned down for a surety bond, the Observer reports.
That's actually good news for county commissioners, who are supposed to rubberstamp the party's choice but were balking on Nick Mackey even before this latest news.
A record of personal bankruptcy and resignation-under-pressure as a police officer isn't a good resume for sheriff.
Mackey obviously had political appeal, but that shouldn't be the main requirement.
Of course, sheriff is a political office.
On a related subject: A former Buncombe County sheriff is charged with running a gambling operation through his office, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.
How much restitution or community service could make up for the destruction of Greensboro College's nativity scene?
To my ear, Dan Fogelberg's best work came from his collaborations with jazz flutist Tim Weisberg.
This should be the headline: "Multimillionaire former hedge fund consultant attacks corporate greed"
Two quotes from Saturday's story about the fights at Grimsley really hit hard.
Senior Daniel Aronson describes a teacher who tried to break up a fight:
"He had blood on his shirt. His glasses were busted."
Is this what we're asking of our teachers today? I mean, besides pushing kids to make the grade on end-of-course tests?
Junior Shan Carter from Hampton Homes, commenting on rivalries between neighborhoods, which apparently sparked the fights: "This is where I come from, and I don't feel like anybody should disrespect my home."
This would make more sense: "This is where I come for an education, and I don't feel like anybody should disrespect my school."
Grimsley is one of the best high schools in Guilford County, but it's not having a good year in terms of student behavior. Don't kids have any pride in their school? Some of them seem determined to drag it down -- or get themselves kicked out, throwing away the opportunities it provides them. That's no way to earn respect.
I guess there are two ways to react during an armed robbery attempt.
Defend yourself. Or submit.
Most of the time, submission is safer.
It wasn't for Jennifer Vincek and Jeffrey Peck, murdered at a Statesville convenience store early Sunday.
Vincek, a 29-year-old mother of three, "did everything we ask store clerks to do during a robbery," Statesville police Chief Steve Hampton told the Record & Landmark.
"She was kneeling on the floor when the suspect shot her in the right leg and then in the head, police said," according to the newspaper report.
Peck, a customer, was shot in the chest.
In Greensboro, meanwhile, Don Le defended himself.
In that business, keeping a gun handy sounds like a good idea.
The City Attorney's Office says a petition for a higher minimum wage in Greensboro is invalid. The Greensboro Minimum Wage Petition Committee says it's good.
The City Council can take a stab at the question this evening if it wants, but it might prefer to seek a third opinion.
My opinion is that the City Attorney's Office is right, but no one calls me Your Honor. Eventually, real judges might decide this interesting case.
Assistant City Attorney Terry Wood, in a Dec. 10 memo, pointed out that petitioners didn't gather enough signatures.
The city ordinance (2.71) says: "Voters seeking to propose an ordinance subject to initiative shall proceed by way of initiative petition addressed to the Council and containing the full text of the proposed ordinance. Any initiative petition must be filed with the city clerk and must be signed by qualified voters of the city equal in number to at least 25% of the qualified voters of the city who voted at the last preceding election for City Council members."
The petition was filed with the city clerk Dec. 3, a year after the petition was registered with the county board of elections office. A year ago, petitioners set out to collect the required number of signatures based on the voter turnout in November 2005. Unfortunately for them, by the time they filed their petition, another city election had occurred, and it drew a much larger number of voters. Thus, their 25 percent threshold was raised, and they failed to meet it.
Responding for the petitioners, Edward L. Whitfield, who is not a lawyer, complains this isn't fair because, beginning their campaign 11 months before the November 2007 election, they would have had to guess at how many signatures they needed. True. But they could have avoided that problem by filing their petition before Nov. 6, 2007. Then the November 2005 election still would have been the most recent and stood as their (shorter) yardstick.
Wood also cites General Statute 160A-174(b)(2) that prohibits a local ordinance that "makes unlawful an act, omission or condition which is expressly made lawful by State or federal law." Wood argues that the fact the state has enacted its own minumum wage, which is lower than the proposed Greensboro minimum wage, means the city can't make it unlawful for Greensboro businesses to pay wages that the state regards as lawful.
Whitfield answers that the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 "specifically provides that states and municipalities can set higher standards than the federal minimum," and that many do.
I'm sure Whitfield is right about that, to an extent. However, he may be overlooking the fact that, in North Carolina, city governments are considered legal extensions of state government and can't exert powers not authorized by the state. Therefore, while North Carolina cities may raise local minimum wages above federal standards as the FLSA says, they can only do so with permission from the state.
That's just my interpretation, but we've certainly seen the state dictate what cities may do in terms of smoking regulations, to cite one example. Raleigh can do the same here, too. But perhaps that should be tested in court.
From the standpoint of local autonomy, I could argue for granting discretion to municipalities. But I could argue the other way from a public policy perspective. After all, different wage standards from city to city and county to county could create lots of confusion and inequity.
So, that's my take. People smarter than I am will have to decide who's right or wrong.
I see a wide disconnect between John Edwards' political pronouncements and his personal practices, but this headliner by the National Enquirer looks like a ruthless, irresponsible attack.
The story appears to lack credible substantiation.
The Edwards campaign says it's false. The NE admits (near the bottom of the article) that it's been unable to get comment from the woman. So what's it got besides hearsay?
Well, there's timing -- a couple of weeks before the Iowa caucuses, where Edwards is closely contending with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
This is very shady. Is it a plant by another campaign, or just business as usual for a scandal sheet?
I'm a fan of our state parks and hope Haw River State Park can expand to its full potential.
But I've really been turned off by some of the rhetoric used by opponents of the proposed Patriot's Landing development, specifically the repeated (ad nauseam) reference to the project as a "gated golf course community." The implication seems to be that the privileged few who reside in such sheltered enclaves are particular enemies of the people whose property rights ought to be forfeit for the general good.
Why should there be an injection of class warfare into this issue? And, is it assumed that the State always should be granted first option on choice land regardless of any private interest?
The environmental arguments against Patriot's Landing may be strong enough to prevail, but let's leave "gated golf course community" out of it. Living in an exclusive development isn't a crime against the people.
Carolina football players really get no respect.
Global warming is regarded as a crisis but in some parts of our country people are a lot more worried about the heating crisis.
High Point incentives pay off big. These companies will make a significant economic impact in the Triad but, more importantly, make High Point a player in the biotech industry.
Were the incentives necessary? Given the prompt decision to expand in High Point, I doubt outside bids were strongly considered. A quick Internet search doesn't turn up news reports about incentives offers elsewhere, only High Point. Still, there's no doubt other cities and states would give a lot to gain these companies, so saying no would have been an unwise gamble for High Point.
I'm on vacation until Dec. 26. Have a good one.
Wishes for peace and joy, from my family to you and yours.
(We're wearing gifts from Andrew's friends in Tanzania.)
I hope everyone's had a great Christmas. Some of my highlights:
* Visiting Asheville's Grove Park Inn Sunday afternoon to see the seasonal decorations, including hundreds of finely crafted gingerbread houses. (Some of the best entries were featured on "Good Morning America" Monday.)
I enjoy the venerable GPI for its architectural twists and turns. Follow a hallway to a corner furnished with comfortable armchairs and a view overlooking downtown or distant mountains. The next corridor might lead to an inviting cafe. We found a table in the Great Hall in time to snack on potato soup, bread, crackers and coffee/tea to the rhythms of a jazz combo.
A room costs you plenty at this 90something-year-old landmark, which once provided digs for the likes of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Margaret Mitchell and Thomas Edison. But wandering around the sprawling complex and grounds, at least at this time of year, is free -- a Christmas gift for visitors.
* Speaking of gifts, the town of Columbus was decked out in holiday lights, and the lighted cross on Tryon's Peak, visible for miles, provides a yuletide beacon to travelers approaching the North Carolina state line on I-26 from the south.
* Monday was the finest kind of day you'll have in the mountains -- cool and clear. Andrew, Kenny, brother-in-law Ray and I took advantage by walking up White Oak to Sunset Rock. From that vantage point, Lake Lure came into view to the northwest, and higher peaks and ridges stretched across the far horizon. Soaking in the majestic scenery as we inhaled a sack of sandwiches, we could have lingered but a chilly wind overpowered the sun's warmth, pushing us on our way. We descended Skyuka Mountain Road, completing an 11-mile trek in just under five hours. I'll tell you, those other guys were sore today.
* And, of course, the family Christmas celebration itself -- a larger gathering this year thanks to the addition of little Toby, born on Labor Day -- the first new baby in this extended family in 18 years. We've really been missing something. How can you have Christmas without a baby?
The nation's most fouled-up airport yesterday was Detroit Metro, where thick fog forced delays and cancellations.
The Free Press reports.
My mom was flying out of Detroit Metro yesterday after spending Christmas with my sister and family.
Mom's morning flight to Charlotte was scrubbed.
Her rescheduled flight was grounded.
The next available alternative: 9:30 p.m. to PTIA.
Backed up on the runway, it took off an hour late ... and landed at almost midnight.
Like Mom, most of her fellow passengers had been waiting all day to get out of Detroit ... and Greensboro wasn't the destination many had in mind. Some had wanted to fly into Raleigh-Durham, some Charlotte.
At least Mom had someone to pick her up and a place to stay.
But suitcases? No.
The scene at baggage claim was sad: weary travelers waiting forlornly for bags that were not there; a carousel displaying luggage owned by people who were somewhere else.
Now and then someone would grab a suitcase for a closer look, only to shrug in disappointment and drop it back on the belt.
At the Northwest Airlines office, a harried attendant explained that a thousand pieces of luggage were still in Detroit but would be sent southward by truck early today. But to arrive where, and when? And will Mom's bags be with them, anyway?
After all, if all those unclaimed suitcases at PTI were supposed to go somewhere else, what's to say hers weren't sent to Kansas City?
In these circumstances, as orphaned suitcases go round and round and round in front of you, could you adapt the Crosby Stills & Nash philosophy to alleviate baggage claim frustrations?
If you can't be with the luggage you love, love the luggage you're with .... love the luggage you're with ... love the luggage you're with ...
The San Francisco Chronicle offers a gripping account of a Siberian tiger's escape and fatal attack on a zoo visitor Tuesday.
Any criticism of police for killing the animal should be dismissed. The responding officers, armed only with handguns, faced an extremely dangerous predator. They ought to be commended for their skill and courage.
Police also were called on to search the poorly lighted zoo grounds on the chance that other big cats might be loose -- a scary assignment, to say the least.
Questions remain about what triggered the attack and exactly how the tiger got out of its enclosure. Zoo officials seem to be trying to blame the victims.
Then there's the issue of keeping such a magnificent animal as a rare Siberian tiger cooped up in a zoo. But if not there, where? They're threatened in the wild -- but maybe not to be trusted anywhere around people.
Zoos educate the public about animals and provide captive breeding opportunities. But are there better ways to accomplish those objectives?
WRAL.com reported last night:
"Raleigh -- The clock was ticking Wednesday night as lottery officials pushed hard for people to buy the remaining lottery raffle tickets.
"Some convenience stores had lottery representatives on site urging customers to buy the $20 tickets. Since the raffle started in early November, people have not been buying the way lottery officials had hoped."
Lottery officials, Mike Easley, Jim Black and everyone else responsible for putting North Carolina in the numbers racket might hope that all of us empty our pockets for lottery tickets.
Sending paid employees out to "urge" customers to buy is out of bounds.
Urge me to save water, governor. Urge me answer the call for jury duty. Urge me to fulfill other obligations of good citizenship.
But don't urge me to waste my money on your gambling scheme. You're not getting the first dollar from me.
If it's not raking in the loot you want, lay off those "representatives" who are out badgering people to buy. Put their salaries to better use. I sure don't want to see one of them next time I go into a convenience store. I might get an urge to be very unfriendly.
Update: The New York Times reports on measures some states are adopting to jack up lottery revenues, including high-dollar scratch-off tickets. Next? Maybe video tickets (allowed by North Carolina's lottery law, by the way).
Greensboro's newly seated City Council passed an important test yesterday, voting unanimously to release further details of a sexual assault complaint lodged against three police officers.
(Here's our news story.)
All nine council members deserve thanks for backing up earlier promises to support more openness in government.
Four -- Trudy Wade, Mary Rakestraw, Mike Barber and Sandra Anderson Groat -- went a step further and voted to deliberate in public rather than in closed session.
Beyond that, Wade and Rakestraw refused to participate in the closed session when the majority voted to discuss the issue in private.
You could make the case that Wade and Rakestraw owed it to their constituents to argue their position in the closed meeting, but I appreciate the fact that they made a stand on a point of principle. If you believe it's not right to shut out the public, then don't take part in it.
All nine came around to the right conclusion and deserve thanks. They showed they really represent the people. But they'll truly be standing with the people when they discuss the people's business where the people can see and hear.
Many years ago, on a Mother's Day afternoon, my son Kenny fell on his bicycle and broke his arm. It wasn't an ordinary break, but a bow fracture.
David Ross was the orthopedic surgeon on call. He arrived in minutes, leaving whatever Mother's Day activities he had with his family, and performed the surgery, which required straightening the bone. The outcome was perfect.
I had an occasion sometime later to thank his wife, Stephanie, for giving him up on that special occasion. I suppose it was business as usual for the Ross family, but it meant a lot to ours for our son to be attended to by an expert practitioner.
So, it's a grievous loss for the Ross family, and for many others in the High Point area, that Dr. David Ross was killed in a car crash Thursday. A talented healer is gone because of a moment's lapse in attention, or judgment, or who knows what.
Compounding the tragedy, his vehicle struck a minivan driven by another outstanding person, causing her death. Connie Farlow, a financial secretary at Hopewell Elementary School in Randolph County, was recovering from breast cancer. She was only 41.
I'm sad for both families. These two fine people touched many lives, and they'll both be missed terribly in the High Point/Trinity community.
This seems like an appropriate time to think back on milestone years.
The biggest for me was 1977, which Margaret and I rang in down in Atlanta. We went to see the Peach Bowl, a miserable affair played on a cold, rainy day. Carolina lost to Kentucky, 21-0. The concession stands ran out of hot drinks.
That was a bad omen for Carolina sports because in March the Heels lost to Marquette in the national basketball championship game.
Things picked up as 1977 progressed, however. Within a few weeks, beginning May 15, I graduated from college, started my first permament job and got married.
It's been pretty tough to top that, although the years when our sons were born are certainly memorable, too.
Don't think my life hasn't been extraordinarly exciting these past couple of decades. It just hasn't produced as many life-changing events in a single year.
What are your big years?