Dart to $1 billion in delinquent state taxes. Thatís the amount approximately 300,000 corporate and individual taxpayers owe North Carolina from prior tax years, according to N.C. Revenue Secretary David Hoyle. Some people have fallen behind on their taxes because theyíve lost jobs or had businesses fail, and they deserve some sympathy and leniency. But the sheer size of the tax bill suggests a lot of these nonpayments are the result of those who willfully avoided payment. In fact, the state has labeled at least 600 of them as ěhardcoreî delinquents. While state tax officials are optimistic they can eventually recover at least $444 million of the total in arrears, the checks wonít arrive soon enough to make much of a dent in the stateís $2.6 billion budget deficit.

Laurels to all the senior citizens who participate in and support the Salisbury/Rowan Senior Games, which got off to a good start this week and will continue with events into early May. The local Senior Games & Silver Arts program has more than 700 participants who are fulfilling the organizationís mission of ěstaying fit while enjoying the company of friends, family specators and volunteers.î The games offer events and friendly competitions for a variety of activity levels and interests, from tennis to shuffleboard and even horseshoes. While the games are fun, theyíre also great encouragement for seniors to remain physically active and enjoy the many benefits that result, from higher cognitive functioning to lower health costs. For more information, visit www.seniorgames.org or call 704-216-7780.

Laurels to Statesville musician and songwriter Stan Clardy for going bravely where few have gone before. His song ěI Need My Spaceî is one of 10 finalists in NASAís Space Rock song competition. The winnerís song, chosen by an online vote, will be played as a wakeup call for the Space Shuttle Endeavor crew. In addition to being a space enthusiast, Clardy is also a Civil War buff and has created a popular one-man show, ěSoldiers in Gray: A Musical Journey,î which he has performed around the country. You can listen to ěI Need My Spaceî and the other finalists and cast your vote for the winner at https://songcontest.nasa.gov/home.aspx.