M.O.V.E. campaign would help whole community

I am not one who keeps up with all of the politics in Rowan County.  I do, however, read the Salisbury Post and find there are causes that need to be supported when the cause is for the good of the whole community.

The M.O.V.E. (Lets make our visits enjoyable) movement that Whitey Harwood has continued to advocate is for the good of the whole community.  As for the help and support he has received, it has been none of these.

In 2016, Mr. Harwood and I met with two individuals with the Rowan County Health Department at Dan Nicholas Park, Amy Smith and Charlene Crofford.  Both stated they were interested in Mr. Harwood’s M.O.V.E. program and toured the park to look at where the “No Smoking” signs were placed. Both told Mr. Harwood he would hear from them and even wanted to use his M.O.V.E. inscription in the future for other programs for county parks.  As of this date no other contact has been made to Mr. Harwood from either of these ladies.

Mr. Harwood has spoken to Rowan Parks Director Don Bringle concerning M.O.V.E. several times and one response that stands above all others is that Mr. Harwood was told that limiting tobacco in the parks would be to hard to enforce. There is an NC law that prohibits drinking and driving. This is hard to enforce, but it is enforced one individual at a time. To limit tobacco in our parks, county and all cities would be one individual at a time with proper signage and enforcement.

As we go forth in 2017, I hope the good of the community as a whole will be considered for the elimination of tobacco in our parks, county and all cities.  It needs to be done and will be for the good of the whole community.

                —Jimmie Porter

                China Grove

Why online tickets?

I do not plan to buy tickets for Wine about Winter because I refuse to buy them online. Tickets should be sold by local merchants. I discussed this with a local merchant yesterday who said he would gladly sell tickets to the event. It gives people a chance to walk in the store, buy tickets and do some shopping while they are in there.

How does buying tickets online (and paying a processing fee) help our downtown merchants? Don’t say they take time to shop while they are busy running from one establishment to another to get their sips of wine. It doesn’t work that way. We have been there, done that and people don’t have time to shop in the stores during this event. They are busy socializing with other people in line and on the streets — not buying merchandise.

We should be supporting our downtown merchants — not giving business to an online service.

— Carol Worthy

Salisbury