September 2012 archives

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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Sanitized: Political discourse has taken a turn for the 'say-nothing'

Is there anyone who does not wonder every once in a while if there is any politician -- local, state, federal or, lately, international -- who can possibly be taken at his or her word? Sometimes it seems like...

Friday, September 28, 2012

A tragic waste: News of teen's fate a sad day for family and community

They joined hands Saturday to put some faith back into their community -- the more than 1,000 people who gathered at the "God Belongs in My City" rally. They shared. They prayed; and they united in their quest to stop...

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Come on down: Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair is worth your time.

It is finally here -- the opening of the 2012 Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair. You have heard the stories about the funnel cakes, candy apples and all the other goodies at the fair. And you have seen that there...

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A gentleman: Lloyd Massey dedicated his life to helping farmers

He was a southern gentleman, a gentleman farmer. If you have ever met Lloyd Massey, you know that he was passionate about the Grange organization -- and the farmers and neighbors it represented. Mr. Massey understood that those who...

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

New skills: There is more than one way to plan a successful career

One of the biggest complaints from the public, and some officials, when people talk about the need for vocational education options for county students is the quality of the education they think they receive. For many people, used to...

Monday, September 24, 2012

Museum talk: Plans might be continuing, but it is your time to talk.

One of the most annoying things about public officials is that many of them actually believe their own press. So, if they manage to get a survey that reinforces a decision, they just assume that the community is 100...

Saturday, September 22, 2012

A tragic waste: News of teen's fate a sad day for family and community

They joined hands Saturday to put some faith back into their community -- the more than 1,000 people who gathered at the "God Belongs in My City" rally. They shared. They prayed; and they united in their quest to stop...

Friday, September 21, 2012

Here's the vote: Encourage registration, responsibility

The new push is to make it easier for potential voters to get their registrations in and to make them easily ready to cast their ballots. And that's fine. People should vote. It is a right and a responsibility...

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Do something: Pastor takes much-needed first step in community

Pastor Terry Jones is trying to motivate his community to do something more than just talk about the toll violence and drugs are taking on their city's neighborhoods. He is gathering churchgoers and community members together this Saturday to...

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Downtown pitch: In truth, Streetscape is laying a necessary foundation

The story of Center Street is, well, storied. So it should not be a surprise to anyone that some people might get upset about a project that tears it apart. But while the downtown revitalization is a critical component...

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Fresh start: UNC news not surprising

OK, let's pretend for a moment that no other university in the country is battling trouble with athletics and academics, and that there is nowhere else that boosters can become liabilities. But even under that assumption, it is likely...

Monday, September 17, 2012

Freedom to know: It should make you think -- the ways of other countries

One of the most cherished rights we have as Americans is one that is often misunderstood -- and underappreciated. Freedom of the press is a fundamental aspect of life in America. It allows news organizations to operate independently and...

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Sabers heard: The new foreign policy just not the answer, obviously

They call it saber rattling. The idea is that you send a message, a warning, that perhaps, just maybe, the enemy might have miscalculated in its latest attack, and that there is reason not to push any harder or further....

Friday, September 14, 2012

Ready to work: It is part of recovery

You can have all the new economic policies and stimulus programs in the world, but if there are no workers to fill the jobs, you are no better off than you were before the recovery. Getting Wayne County residents...

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Stand tall: U.S. has to have firm response to passage of events

It is nothing short of horrifying that protesters are storming embassies across the Middle East. And it is absolutely the right response to send reinforcements to make sure those who serve in embassies and at other U.S. installations around the...

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Shock, no awe: Incidents in Egypt and Libya sign there is real trouble

Yes, the first words out of President Barack Obama's mouth Tuesday should have been a condemnation of the cowards who stormed two embassies and killed four Americans -- not a nod to the upset radical protesters. It says something...

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Our job: Remember. It will never be the same for us. But we can honor those lost.

It isn't as hard for us. We aren't the ones remembering family members lost when the Twin Towers fell or when a plane hit the Pentagon. We are not telling our children stories about the father they never met who...

Monday, September 10, 2012

Trooper lost: We forget sometimes just how dangerous job can be

When we think about law enforcement personnel, we imagine them handing out tickets or taking leisurely patrols through neighborhoods. We might be aware that there are times when they face danger, but our real life understanding of that danger...

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Remember them: Local businesses are there every day of the year

It is not easy being a local or family-owned business these days. There are more pressures than ever to keep the bottom line in the black and to take care of the employees you have, while trying to maintain and...

Friday, September 7, 2012

Don't forget: There's still a need at local food pantries

It was not that long ago when the Salvation Army let its community know that the organization's food pantry was bare. And many people likely made a donation that day to help others in the community. But don't forget --...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Good men: Perhaps the message should be no more potshots

The speeches by both candidates' wives point to a factor that is often forgotten as each election season ramps up every four years. There are people behind those boxes on the ballot. Both first lady Michelle Obama and Republican...

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Gift of reading: It takes a community sometimes to give others a hand up

Imagine what it would be like not to be able to read. Think about having to rely on someone else to tell you what you were signing, or to not be able to share a story with your grandchild. For...

Sunday, September 2, 2012

A new racism: Don't listen to the haters -- or those with another agenda

There will always be idiots. So, no matter how much many of us might want to think that there is no longer prejudice -- or at least a much more limited amount -- in this community and around the...