Laurels to all who participated in this week’s Walk for Peace to raise awareness of domestic violence and the horrible toll it takes on families.
More than 60 women have died in North Carolina this year as a result of domestic violence. As grim as that number may be, it’s only the tip of the problem and doesn’t count the number of physically and emotionally battered women who live with the daily fear of what might happen next to them or their children. Events such as the peace walk and Domestic Awareness month, observed each October, provide much-needed support for domestic-violence victims, but there are ongoing needs 365 days of the year. The Family Crisis Council of Rowan County (a United Way agency) has a “wish list” of items, ranging from basics such as toilet paper and shower shoes to a laptop computer. Visit www.familycrisiscouncil.org or call 704-636-4718 for more information.
You can also help the cause by donating unused wireless phones to Verizon’s Hopeline project. Drop off phones at Verizon stores or download a postage-paid mailing label at www.verizonwireless .com/hopelinemailinglabel.
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Dart to the ongoing Mike Easley saga. The latest chapter involves questions about whether the former governor influenced the diversion of water from Jordan Lake to a ritzy golf club in Chatham County while the state was enduring a serious drought. The diversion of 450,000 gallons of water per day to the Old Chatham Club occurred in 2002, when Easley and other state officials were urging citizens to conserve water. What’s muddying the waters even more is the fact that Easley was a member of Old Chatham, and the club had waived his fees, saving him about $50,000. Meanwhile, the State Elections Board will convene Monday to begin a formal inquiry into Easley’s campaign committee and the reporting of non-cash contributions, including free airplane flights. Let’s hope the board can reach definitive conclusions on some of the issues dogging Easley. Beginning with coastal land deals and his wife’s sweetheart job deal at N.C. State University, Easley has been under a cloud of controversy for several months now. The ongoing taint of scandal isn’t good for state government or Easley’s legacy.
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Laurels to Davidson College hoops star Stephen Curry for sending out personal “thank you” notes to fans, students and alumni of the college who’ve supported him through three years of dazzling basketball play. A lot of people pen “thank yous,” but Curry did it in a big way, sending out 2,000 postcards at an out-of-pocket cost of about $3,000. Not that he’ll have any trouble paying the tabs; those pockets became a lot deeper when he signed a four-year contract with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors for $12.7 million. Nonetheless, when the headlines too often carry lurid tales about unsavory behavior by college and pro sports stars, it’s refreshing to see a young athlete make this kind of gesture, and it speaks well of the sports program that helped mold him.