“I’m willing to do almost anything to help because I would never want to be in that situation.”

— Ebony Valentine, owner, Elove’s Braids & Beyond, on collecting bottled water

for the residents of Flint, Mich.

“If we have a sun, why are we burning our natural resources for energy?”

— Quentin Hippert, Overton Elementary fifth-grader, in message placed in a bottle for artist Bryant Holsenbeck’s installation at Waterworks

“The point is, if we didn’t create the situation, we shouldn’t be responsible for the solution.”

— Kenny Hardin, City Council member, on drainage pipe causing problems on the J.C. Price American Legion Post’s property

“It’s gerrymandered and it’s always been. The Democrats were in control for 140 years. The Republicans drew the maps one time and it’s a problem.”

— N.C. Rep. Carl Ford, on judges’ order to redraw the first and 12th congressional districts

“The one thing I learned from Paul (Smith) was you should listen twice as much as you speak.”

— Charlotte Gardner, former N.C. House member, on the late state Sen. Paul Smith