Laurels to the estimated 3 million Americans whoíll volunteer on community projects today for USA Weekend Magazineís annual Make a Difference Day. Itís the nationís largest single day of service, with participants pitching in from Alaska to Hawaii.
Locally, a project organized through the Salisbury Appearance Commission will focus on making improvements in the 300 block of Shaver Street. Volunteers will work on exterior home repairs like painting, porch repair, picket fence installation, and sidewalk and landscaping work.
In Rockwell, the Amvets Ladies Auxiliary is sponsoring a Festival of Heroes at the townís community park. Participants will include police (whoíll do fingerprint IDs of children), fire departments, county rescue squad and emergency personnel and the National Guard. Children can enjoy facepainting and a bounce house, along with treat bags and refreshments.
You can find more information at http://makeadifferenceday.com

Dart to leaky gas caps, which waste fuel and release harmful vapors into the environment. Fortunately, thereís an easy solution. Get your vehicleís gas cap tested. You can get a free gas-cap checkup from 4:30-6:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 30, at Concordia Lutheran Church in China Grove. The event is being sponsored by the Center for the Environmentís Campaign for Clean Air. A leaky gas cap, which isnít obvious to the eye or nose, leads to evaporative fuel loss and contributes to ground-level ozone. Taken individually, the gas cap leaks can waste up to 30 gallons of gas a year. With millions of vehicles on the road, defective caps add up to a significant amount of pollution and wasted energy. Help cap the waste by getting your car checked.

Laurels to the 20th anniversary of Rowan-Cabarrus Community Collegeís South Campus, which was celebrated Friday in Concord. Today, Cabarrus and Rowan both benefit from the foresight of former RCCC President Dick Brownell and others who saw the need for a multi-campus institution and persuaded state leaders as well as local voters to support the project. The past two decades have brought extraordinary changes to the regionís economy, requiring new ways of thinking about the education and training of North Carolinians. RCCC hasnít merely been a part of that process but has helped lead the way for community colleges across the state.