Volunteers deserve kudos for festival
The many friends, family, Rowan Blues and Jazz Society members and volunteers of all ages did an awesome job at the 10th Annual Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival. It is impossible to list all by name that took care of the many important tasks at the festival site. They came from Maryland, Richmond, Charlotte, East Spencer, Florida and Salisbury.
Some were first-timers. Others, like Ms. Cooper and her entire family, volunteer every year.
The Board of Directors appreciates your contribution to the preservation of blues and jazz. Special thanks for the Salisbury High ROTC who demonstrated their usual efficiency to get the job done with precision.
Thank you again for all of your time and talents in making the festival a success this year. We look forward to your valuable assistance in 2009 and invite you to join the festival planning committee. Others who may want to assist with the festival plans should call 704-636-2811 for more information.
ó Eleanor Qadirah
Salisbury
Qadirah is president of Rowan Blues and Jazz Society.
Encourage children
I really enjoyed attending an evening performance of “Aladdin” at the Piedmont Players Theatre (PPT). Theatre and arts are very important, and as a community, we must continue to encourage and support the children of Rowan County.
I’m currently an intern with the Rowan County Youth Services Bureau (RCYSB), and I truly enjoy working with this youth-oriented agency. I plan to work with disadvantaged youth upon my graduation from college. RCYSB invited me to attend the play performed by many local youth including two young men who are enrolled in the RCYSB’s Times 2 mentoring program.
When I was watching the play, I was pleased to see how much fun the cast was having. These young and extremely talented actors and actresses did a terrific performance in front of a huge crowd made up of the local community. The young performers came from diverse backgrounds, different schools, ages ranging from elementary school to high school, different races and ethnicities, and so on.
They interacted wonderfully together. After the show, the children were willing to learn how to improve their next performances from PPT director, Reid Leonard. They were already eager for their next showing.
After watching the performance, it’s clear to me that Piedmont Players Theatre offers local youth many opportunities to have an outlet to express themselves on stage through singing, acting, dancing, and costume and stage design. The children were filled with so much energy and confidence. The performance would not have been possible without the sponsorship of Altrusa International, the PPT staff and volunteers and continued support from the local community. Keep up the great work!
ó Alicia Pigott
Salisbury
Thanks, pastor
I would like to thank my preacher, James (Joe) Black of Eastside Baptist Church, for being the best preacher in Rowan County. This man lives what he preaches and preaches what he lives.He is the most humble and caring person I have ever met.
What I love about him is, when he is preaching the word of God, he tells it just the way the Bible says. He loves to tell people about Jesus and what Jesus can do for them. If you want him to pray for you or a problem you may be facing, all you have to do is ask him.
I am speaking for my whole church when I tell everyone how blessed our church family really is to have such a loving and dedicated man of God standing before all of us every Sunday and Wednesday, week after week. Our preacher will always take the time for any person, whether it is to talk or to just listen to what you may need to say to him.
We just wanted him and his lovely wife, Mickey, to know how we truly feel about the both of them, We all love you both and appreciate you more than you will ever know. You both are the very best! Thank you both for being there for all of us.
ó Teresa K. Harrison
Salisbury
Dole is a big help
Sen. Elizabeth Dole and her staff are exemplary. Our daughter hired a moving company to move from Washington, D.C., to North Carolina. Instead of moving her belongings directly to North Carolina, as per the contract, the items were taken to New Jersey for four extra days.
Complaints to the moving company were ignored. In order to get her belongings, we had to pay in cash twice the contract price.
I called Senator Dole’s office. Within five minutes her staff called back to secure our complaints about the moving company. Senator Dole’s office made arrangements with us to meet the van at a designated weigh station in North Carolina.
The contents were weighed, our daughter’s belongings were unloaded and the truck was forced to reweigh. The moving company had falsely charged our daughter by more than a thousand pounds!
Thank you, Senator Dole.
ó John and Dawn Isenberg
Salisbury