Laurels to the great lineup of outdoor events and activities on tap this weekend with Salisbury’s OctoberTour, the Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival and related activitiess.
Providing the weather cooperates (which looked a bit iffy heading into today), this is a great opportunity to get an inside (and outside) look at some of Salisbury’s historic homes and enjoy great music by local and regional performers. Along with visiting the eight homes on this year’s tour today and Sunday, you can also enjoy a Civil War living history encampment and a lantern tour of the Old Lutheran Cemetery (tonight, 7-10 p.m.). Meanwhile, the Blues and Jazz Festival offers a soulful slate of performances, stretching late into this evening. Let’s also extend laurels to the anonymous benefactor whose generosity ensured that this year’s event will be free, as in the past. The stage will be at the corner of South Church and West Fisher streets (unless rain forces a change of venue).
Along with providing great entertainment, the weekend’s events also support the Historic Salisbury Foundation, Relay for Life and some other worthy causes. Put on comfortable shoes, head for downtown ó and hope for sunny weather.
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Dart to the bizarre episode in which two horses were shot in the head in a barn off Old Beatty Ford Road. Animal abuse of any kind is inhumane and a sign of a troubled mind, but as horse owner George Stirewalt said, it takes a particularly “sick individual” to commit this kind of act. While both horses are recovering, that doesn’t lessen the depravity of the attack. Someone out there has information that could help bring charges against the perpetrator and perhaps prevent another violent outburst. If simple human decency isn’t sufficient motivation to help solve this crime, then perhaps the $10,000 reward will loosen some tongues.
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Laurels to Thursday’s groundbreaking for the Fisher Street Theater, which will be the venue for the Piedmont Players Theatre’s youth performances. This is another stellar example of the community’s commitment to the arts ó and to ensuring that future generations carry on the tradition. Salisbury has a vibrant crop of young musicians and singers, young visual artists and young actors, the latter being currently showcased in the PPT’s youth production of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” The community has no shortage of young people who are energetically engaged in the arts, and it’s also fortunate to have some generous sponsors who help provide the means to encourage anddevelop young talent. If you’re interested in helping to sponsor the new children’s theater, more information is available at www.piedmontplayers.com.