Dart to Rowan County Commissioner Jim Sides for not realizing when it’s time to declare victory and move on. He has brought ample attention to the way city surveyors cut brush on private citizens’ land while mapping out a new sewer line. Now citizens and surveyors will be more wary. Dragging the city manager into court to get $2,222 in compensation, as Sides has done ó and vowing to appeal a decision he didn’t like ó looks more like a personal vendetta than a point of principle. The ever-stubborn Sides says this is a classic David vs. Goliath struggle, but David would not have wasted his sling on this one.
nnn
Laurel to the late Skip Prosser, Wake Forest University basketball coach, who died Thursday. Prosser emphasized education and teamwork for his players, and influenced the entire campus with his wit, intelligence and positive attitude. And he set a notable record, taking three schools to the NCAA tournament in his first year at each ó Loyola, Xavier and Wake. Wake Forest has lost a great coach and a perfect example of good sportsmanship. There will be other great coaches, but no one can fill Prosser’s shoes.
nnn
Dart to the construction crew which inadvertently cut the phone lines to the Meroney Theatre this week, hindering patrons who were calling to buy tickets for “Crimes of the Heart.” Between snafus like that and the disruption of business for Fisher Street establishments, lots of people will be glad when street improvements are complete in Salisbury’s entertainment district.
nnn
Laurel to Susan Owen-Leinert and the Memphis Opera and Song Academy. A native of Rowan County and an opera singer of international renown, Owen-Leinert and husband Michael Leinert tried to get an opera and song academy off the ground in Rowan County in 2005. It didn’t fly, but now, the academy has found a home in Tennessee. The Memphis Opera & Song Academy ó which instructs and inspires opera singers on the verge of international careers ó had its first two-week session this spring, with 18 participants from 11 states. Brava!
nnn
Laurel to the supporters of the Nathan Brown House restoration that’s under way off U.S. 52. In conjunction with the Old Stone House, the project will bring 18th and 19th century history to life in Granite Quarry for years to come.
nnn
Laurel to the fine folks in China Grove, headed up by Lee Withers, who pulled off yet another Farmers Day, number 26 to be exact. Many visitors said it was the best one yet. May the same be true of next year’s event.
nnn
Laurel to the pleasant summertime weather of the past week ó 90 degrees, with less than 50 percent humidity on Friday. Enjoy it while you can. And keep praying for rain.