Let’s celebrate, strengthen families
During Thanksgiving week, the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA encourages families throughout Rowan County to join thousands of people and organizations across the United States during National Family Week to celebrate and strengthen the connections they have to each other and to their communities.
Many families are struggling with financial challenges, work and family balance, and social issues that can make it difficult to provide a supportive family situation for all family members. At the YMCA, we believe strong families are the foundation of strong communities. The Y’s commitment to families grows from its commitment to children and youth. The YMCA seeks to help families with opportunities to be active and play together, with programs like child care and after-school enrichment that help children grow in spirit, mind and body while parents work, and by connecting families with community resources.
“National Family Week: Connections Count” embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, education, safe and affordable child care, housing and support from community networks and institutions.
As we prepare for the holiday week, consider what you can do to celebrate and support families during this week of recognition ó and throughout the year.
Visit the Hurley YMCA or www.nationalfamilyweek.org for information and inspiration. The Hurley YMCA is a branch of the Rowan County YMCA and a member agency of the United Way of Rowan County.
ó Sandy Flowers
Salisbury
Flowers is executive director of the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.
Where’s my bailout?I feel that the auto industry did this to themselves. Why? I’m glad you asked. When gas started skyrocketing a year or so ago, wouldn’t it have been a smart idea for the “Big Three” to maybe cut back on production of their gas guzzling line of vehicles? Maybe even to the point of only producing special-order trucks and SUVs? And while doing that, saturate the market with fuel-efficient vehicles.
Now, I’m not an auto manufacturing CEO by any means, but I think that might have helped, along with reasonable salary cuts (especially for upper management) and putting those five- and six-digit yearly bonuses back into the company instead of in their pockets. There is no reason to shut company doors due to wasteful spending (incredible wages) and no common sense (making huge trucks and SUVs) when our economy is on the verge of crumbling.
By the way, where the heck was my bailout when I had to file for bankruptcy five or six years ago? Where’s my bailout now? My job has been cut to four days a week because of a soft economy. Uncle Sam, a little help please.
ó Gerry Morales
Salisbury
Dress duress
Where have the well-groomed and well-mannered young adults and children gone? Today’s young people don’t seem to have much respect for themselves or others, sad to say for the country. We get back what we give.
Look around and see what’s going on. Some young females dress and look like squeezed grapes, coming out of their tops, their bottoms and in between. Some males dress as if they had found their clothes in a rag bag. Where are the parents? Don’t they have a word called “No!”?
The so-called rich and famous are not much better as role models. Just look at how they act, dress and live. The more I see and hear, the more I think of the good old “bad days” of the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. In those days, men, women and children dressed like ladies and gentlemen. On special occasions, women wore hats and gloves. People had pride in themselves and in their country. The rich and famous of the old days were people you could respect and admire. If they did something wrong, they would try to hide it, with little public scandal.
I’m pleased to hear and see that some of our young people are doing well, and that gives me some hope for them to take over the future of our great country. Also, thank you, members of our services, for helping make the world a better place. I salute you all.
ó William Terheun
Salisbury