Dart to the people behind the phony tax-break scam revealed here recently. Someone passed out forms suggesting that the Internal Revenue Service would give black citizens tax credits or refunds of $40,000 as reparations for slavery.

There is an active reparations movement in the United States, but the government is not giving out money. If it were, the announcement would be much bigger than a bogus IRS form bearing no name, phone number or return address.

Scam artists have been charging people across the country to help them fill out these fake forms. It is unscrupulous to take money from people under such pretenses, and cruel to raise false hopes.

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Laurels to the several Rowan County families who have put their money where their mouth is when it comes to farmland preservation. The latest couple to join the ranks was Steve and Melanie Blount. They bought a 57-acre farm off Potneck Road from a relative earlier this year and donated the conservation easement to the LandTrust for Central North Carolina. Actions speak even louder than words.

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Laurels to the enduring nature of art. An item in this week’s Post may have rung a bell with some readers. “A few artistic twists and turns add spice to RDU Airport project,” the headline said, and it was accompanied by a photo showing huge sculptures made of elm and maple branches. The artist behind the creation is none other than Patrick Dougherty, who set Salisbury tongues wagging in 1985 by creating a twig “beehive” outside the Waterworks art gallery. Critics questioned whether Dougherty’s work was really art back then, but his huge sapling-and-twine sculptures keep popping up. The airport is paying him $12,400 for his latest creations. Payment may not be part of the criteria for art, but it sure helps artists keep going.

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Dart to the cost of heating homes, which seems to rise as fast as the temperature has dropped. Although natural gas suppliers had been warning since early summer that bills would be higher this winter, many customers were still surprised at how quickly they hit the triple digits. Piedmont Natural Gas has imposed three rate increases in the past four months, with another coming in January — and that may not be the last hike for the season, especially if an unusually cold winter further tightens supplies.

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Laurels to the group of Alcoholics Anonymous members who are offering to provide free transportation for New Year’s Eve revelers who’ve had one too many for the road. One of the participating AA members gave a succinct reason for not drinking and driving during the holidays — or any other time: “That’s total insanity, like putting a loaded gun to your head.” To get a free lift home, call 637-1116.