Candidate Filings Ended at Noon Today!

The slate is set for the Primary Elections in May!

Congrats to Jeff Belton who will take over School Board District 6; Deena Hayes- District 8; Nancy Routh, At-Large School Board seat too! Sen. Katie Dorsett, Commissioner Linda Shaw, Clerk of Court David Churchill, Commissioner Bruce Davis and Sheriff BJ Barnes have primary opposition.

WOMACK REPORT: When Greed Is Good!

Tony Womack get started in Spring Training with the Cincinnati Reds.

Greed is good....when it comes to 2nd Base!

Reds also pick up outfielder Quinton McCracken who played at South Brunswick High School near Southport, NC.

Can u spell "implosion"?

P-o-r-t-s

Comments on Rhino Cartoon.

I saw the Mohammad cartoons in the Rhino Times this past week. First chance I've had to reflect on them in our local paper. First, I believe the cartoons themselves are shameful and should be rebuked by all. This is my primary comment. This is plainly disrespectful to one of the three or four primary religions in the world. Even if you are not Islamic or are fervent in fighting global terrorism, the cartoons are truly distasteful.

Secondly, on the Rhino, (and while this fervor certainly spikes readership)I am not in strong opposition to the cartoon being printed. While I am sensitive to members of the local Islamic community and denounce the cartoon, the paper was very restrained in its editorializing and I believe they wanted to make a point. I don't think Willie and John wanted to print the article to stick it to local muslims. They took the position of printing a distasteful cartoon, rather than drawing the reasonable conclusion not to print it (which many media organizations decided). Each position seeks to make a point. One seeks to show a wide audience the ugly truth. The other seeks make a point by not exercising it's power to show it to a wide audience. Whether that point was right or not is yet to be seen.

My hope is that the energy generated by the cartoon's printing in the Rhino will generate some MUCH NEEDED dialogue within the ecumenical community. I was pleased to see Rabbi Guttman and Rabbi Havivi make a joint statement in the News and Record about it. While I am not taking issue with the Rhino as they did, I believe the Rabbi's statement tells us that the leadership in the local Jewish community believes the cartoon is wrong. I agree.

New Willie Nelson song?

I heard Willie Nelson had a new song released on Valentine's Day.....something about cowboys?

Good Deeds Raises $$ for USOA

Members of the Good Deeds Team can be seen raising money for United Services for Older Adults this past Monday! This volunteer effort has been a major success over the past year!

The Wiz..

The Wiz was performed at Hampton Leadership Academy this past Thursday and Friday.

Mrs. Michelle Thigpen can be (vaguely) seen with flowers. She is the Principal of the Thigpen household, as well as Hampton!

Accidents DOOOO Happen to Vice Presidents...

Back in 1988 (when I was sitting Vice-President of DECA at Pender High School) I went duck hunting with my brother and friends on the NE Cape Fear River outside of Burgaw NC.

The weather was a chilling 20 degrees outside at dawn that day. Our group was triangulated as a a flock of ducks came came speeding into our view. Several of them broke from the flock and moved toward the water and I followed them in the sights of my 12 gauge shotgun. Instinctively I pulled the trigger, only to find within seconds.......

I had sprayed several decoys.....yeah, innocent decoys huddled in the frigid waters. Plastic and Foam spead everywhere in a cloud of smoke as I released the trigger and recovered my senses. I had never been so ashamed of this act I perpetrated under the second amendment.

(My brother and his friends have NEVER let me forget)

While I did not spray a helpless 78 year old man with birdshot, it's important for us to remember accidents do happen. Let's not be too hard on our Vice President.

Extreme Makeover: Greensboro Recording Office!

Monday (New carpet, workstations and getting new chairs..)


Saturday (Where'd it go?)


Friday (The Barricade)

For some, EMS is a life, not a career.....

Tammy Wilson lost her life to her long battle with Cancer. Charlie Porter, former EMS Director, was quoted saying that Tammy was one those who EMS was a life.

It is important for us to remember people like Tammy who saw her job as a way of life. About 30 years ago, a EMS tech named Billy helped get my father from Burgaw to Wilmington in record time in helping save his life. That kind of commitment is a great testament those who help us every day.

Tammy leaves behind two children, Megan and Collin along with her husband Keith Wilson. They are in my prayers and hope they'll be in yours too.

State of Our Values

State of our Values, a movement by Sojourners Community.

Coretta Scott King

I believe that there is a plan and a purpose for each person's life and that there are forces working in the universe to bring about good and to create a community of love and brotherhood. Those who can attune themselves to these forces - to God's purpose - can become special instruments of his will."
- Coretta Scott King, in her 1969 autobiography My Life with Martin Luther King, Jr. She died in her sleep Monday night at age 78.

I met Coretta Scott King a couple of years ago at Bennett College where I read a resolution in her honor. As I stood to read the resolution, my heart told me that the words where not nearly enough to describe the meaning of her life and journey.

At the end of the resolution we stood together and I told her what thousands have said before, "Thank you".

I'll always be grateful to God for the opportunity to be in the presence of such a powerful influence on our world.

Remembering Sen. Ham Horton- Forsyth County

Ham was a good Republican. He kept it in the middle of the road and never really entered into personality politics. He was well reasoned in his arguments on policy and politics and I have his family in my thoughts and prayers.

I met Ham when I was interviewing for the NC Institute of Political Leadership in 1994. We entered into a discussion of welfare reform and exchanged views on several other issues. We disagreed on some things and grudginly agreed on others, but he made me think and I walked away from the interview better for the experience. I look back seeing how much more I needed to learn. He wore a bright bow tie and was introduced as a "Former NC Senator" and that put me on my toes. The discussion was the kind that featured an honorable adversary in views and good listening and exchange.

He returned to the NC Senate later that year and I made it into the NCIOPL. I'd like to think Ham supported my application. haha