Darts and Laurels: Parade plans perfect for year of COVID-19

Published 12:43 am Sunday, October 25, 2020

Laurel to the ingenuity of Hen Henderlite and Shari Graham, who are working to ensure the city’s Christmas parade won’t go the same way as so many events have during COVID-19 — canceled or moved online.

The dynamic event planning duo have created a plan for the ‘Tis the Season Spectacular that will put parade floats and some musicians on the roadside and make parade goers the center of the show. Instead of standing on the sidewalk, attendees will pack into their personal vehicles and drive down Main Street in downtown Salisbury. Unlike the usual parade, the 2020 rendition will happen at night, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 25, which will offer some new and different opportunities to celebrate the holiday season in Salisbury, and Henderlite and Graham are cooking up ways to make the scenery look special, too, thinking about light shows and a sighting or two of snow.

To participate, attendees need to sign up for a time slot. For more information and to sign up for a slot, visit tistheseasonspectacular.com.

Dart to the curious decision by Norfolk Southern to move train-assembling operations near residential areas of Salisbury.

As Norfolk Southern told Post reporter Carl Blankenship for a story published on page 3A today (“Ordinance change needed to address night train noise”), the company is assembling trains here months after shuttering a yard across the river in Linwood.

The company has its own motivations for the move and has the ability and authority to continue what it’s doing. But the company should be a good neighbor and look for ways to minimize the impact on Salisbury and any other local residents. City officials should also look for ways to prod the company to be a good neighbor.

Laurel to the unprecedented turnout so far in the 2020 election.

Rowan County voters, like those across the country, are choosing early and absentee by-mail options like never before. As of Saturday night, local and state data showed nearly 37,000 ballots cast by Rowan County voters, including 28,880 doing so early in-person and more than 8,000 absentee by mail.

With a week of early voting and Election Day still left to go, it’s an encouraging turnout rate of 38%. Keep it up Rowan County. Let’s make this one of the best turnout years ever.