House of Hope is

a worthy mission

Regarding the proposed House of Hope program for just-released prisoners:

The N.C. Governor's Crime Commission has awarded Westside Community Foundation Inc. $245,000 for a transitional housing program. This is a mission of Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church, 719 S. Caldwell St., and Rev. Clary Phelps, and it needs community support.

Prisons and jails are overflowing. What to do? Build more? Released prisoners without help usually end up back in prison.

Generous Salisbury citizens could assist this mission by befriending these prisoners — they need jobs, training, education, friends, social activities, decent clothes. Most have had poor family lives, been abused, suffered from mental illness. Churches, Sunday schools and civic groups could help.

What an opportunity for Salisbury to lead the state in this important program. It would cut crime and make a safer place for everyone.

— Mary M. Carter

Durham (former Salisbury resident)

High achiever

I am the mother of two very special children. My son is 12 years old, my daughter is 7, and both have cerebral palsy. My son attends North Rowan Middle School. He attended North Rowan Elementary, and my daughter is currently there. He has always done well, making A-B honor roll. He cannot speak but uses a device to do his school work and homework and someone transfers it to paper for him. Since being at North Middle, he has made a lot of people proud. He has made straight As all year and was inducted into the Junior National Honor Society. He also received many awards, including the President's Education Awards Program for Outstanding Academic Excellence and Presidential Awards pin.

We, as the parents of Michael Ranson, are very proud of him. He has really worked hard to achieve anything, and he has sure made us proud.

We would like to thank Mrs. Debbie Hoffman (Michael's one-on-one aide) for all she has done with Michael for the past six years, helping him at school. His home-care helper, Shasta, has helped him a lot, too. He had a lot of help from both of them. Mom and Dad work 40-plus hours a week and the homework gets harder.

We would like people to know that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve most anything. Michael cannot sit without assistance, cannot write, cannot do most physical activities that we take for granted, like walking and talking. But his mind works great with the technology out there.

— Angie & Dallas Ranson

Spencer

Consistent record

As a conservative, I have watched Sen. Elizabeth Dole as she has performed in the U.S. Senate. Her voting record has consistently been for the working N.C. citizen, and not for special intrest groups. She is an honest woman who can't be swayed by false reports in the main stream media that cherry picks information in order to sway people into false insecurities. She has stood firm on her convictions, and not licked her finger and stuck it in the wind to test how she should vote on issues. I am proud to call Elizabeth Dole my senator.

— Pam Barringer

Oakboro

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