Category Archives: North Carolina

Mr. Otterbourg and Alcoa

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Those of you who live in Winston-Salem may remember that we have a daily newspaper called the Winston-Salem Journal.  You may also remember that the newspaper used to employ an editor by the name of Ken Otterbourg, and that Mr. Ottberbourg left the paper a while back after having a bit of a disagreement with senior management at Media General.  When he was still with the paper I liked the fact that Mr. Otterbourg tried to take the online lead by penning a blog and I was also impressed that he was willing to take the abuse that comes with that territory.  If nothing else his blog made the paper feel a little more personal, at least to me, so I was sad to see him and his blog go.  I'm not sure what he's up to these days but I was happy to see his name pop up in my news reader as the author of this article, Alcoa and the great North Carolina power grab, in Fortune.

To power its operations, Alcoa (AA) built a series of enormous hydroelectric dams, four in all, along a 38-mile stretch of the Yadkin River as it cuts through the heart of the state. But with the smelter disassembled and the ingot room gone cold, the power is a commodity, sold into an electrical grid hungry for clean energy. Alcoa's federal license, received in 1958, has expired, and it operates the dams under an extension as it seeks relicensing for another 50 years' use of the river.

In another era Alcoa would already have its license. But North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue and officials in Stanly County, home to three of the dams, are asking federal regulators to do what they have never done before: say no. Their message is simple. With the smelter and the local jobs and much of the tax base gone, they say Alcoa's right to the license, its right to make money from the river, has vanished. They want control of the river — and the revenue it generates — returned to the public.

Says Keith Crisco, North Carolina's secretary of commerce: "Everybody's done a good job of making this a complicated issue, but to me it's pretty basic: There's an economic asset there, and it's our job today to get the best value for the people of North Carolina."

The battle over the Alcoa dams — and it is a battle, fought on both a grand and often personal scale by armies of lawyers, lobbyists, and neighbors — is about the control of a resource. But it's also about what, if any, obligations corporations have to the places like Badin that they leave behind as their businesses change. As Stanly County's manager Andy Lucas puts it: "They're giving us the crumbs off the king's table. That's our water. It should benefit us."

Meet the President?

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President Obama is making his way to Forsyth Tech next Monday.  My oldest has a class (International Biz) at Forsyth Tech every M-W-F, so there's a chance he could see the President.  He asked me if it's okay if he misses a class or two at Career Center or West Forsyth if he has the chance to see the President.  In my mind meeting/seeing the President is about as good an excuse for a potentially unexcused absence as you're ever going to have so he's going to get the green light.

Progress

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Unfortunately the folks in Forsyth County, NC have been getting a lot of practice in dealing with teachers accused of inappropriate conduct in their school system.  In the latest instance, news came out today that a teacher and a teacher's assistant at Moore Magnet Elementary have been accused of inappropriate conduct and they've been suspended with pay until the police department completes an investigation. If you click through to the story you'll note this sentence at the end: "WXII isn't identifying the teacher or teaching assistant because neither has been charged with a crime."

While it's never good that a teacher's been accused of misconduct, this story at least shows that the folks at WSFCS and the local media have learned their lessons.  You may recall that administrators at WSFCS were accused of mishandling previous cases of teachers accused of inappropriate behavior by opting to hand investigations themselves rather than immediately contacting the police or sheriff's departments. This case makes it sound like they've finally gotten the message that they are to turn these cases over to the authorities right away.  

You also may recall that the local media has been in the habit of identifying the accused teachers, even before they're accused of a crime.  This, of course, has had a devastating effect on the teachers, some of whom have been cleared of any wrongdoing.  The fact that the media is protecting teachers' reputations from being unnecessarily damaged by a kid making false accusations because they're upset with the teacher is a good thing. (Let's hope that the rest of the local media follow WXII's lead). On the other hand the fact that the teachers have been suspended prevents them from doing any further harm if they are guilty of misconduct.

All in all this is a much needed improvement over how similar cases have been handled in recent years.

West Forsyth High School Announcement on Cyberbullying

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Just received the announcement below via email from the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School system. I haven't watched the video yet, but I plan to:

November 1, 2010

Parents and Guardians,

Starting on November 3rd through November 10th, your student will view a video clip titled, "Cyberbullying: You Can't Take it Back" by Netsmartz through their 4th period class. Netsmartz is a site created to educate teens, parents, and educators concerning the use of technology and the Internet. In a continued effort to provide all students a safe and caring environment that enables them to work to their optimum potential, students will watch the video and teachers will hold a class discussion on the topic. The Guidance Department believes in order to be effective in addressing the issue of bullying everyone must be involved – faculty, students, and parents.

We encourage you to watch, "Cyberbullying: You Can't Take it Back." The link is provided below. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Guidance Department at 336-712-4403.

http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.htm#realcanttake.
"Cyberbullying: You Can't Take It Back" (Part 2 of 3) A teen regrets his participation on a web site created to rate others at his school.

West Forsyth Guidance Department

Endorsements for Kennedy

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Billy Kennedy, the Democrat running for the seat in NC-5 against incumbent Rep. Virginia Foxx, has recently picked up two endorsements.  The first was from the Winston-Salem Journal, which isn't surprising since they'd probably endorse a cardboard cutout over Foxx.  The second, and in my opinion, more important endorsement came from Zach Galifianakis.  Don't know Galifianakis?  Well, he's the one-man wolf pack from The Hangover and native of Wilkesboro. From Mark Binker's post at the News & Record about the endorsement :

So why does Galifianakis care? He’s from Wilkesboro, for starters. His parents still live there. He owns property in the county. And he has deep family ties to the Democratic party. His uncle, Nick Galifianakis, served in the N.C. House and the U.S. House, and ran unsuccessfully against Jesse Helms for U.S. Senate in 1972. In fact, it was Nick Galifianakis’ Greek heritage that prompted Helms’ famous slogan: “Jesse Helms: He’s One of Us.”

Two Takes

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Earlier this week the two candidates for Congress from North Carolina's fifth district debated each other. Here's what their respective campaigns sent out via email afterwards.

First, from incumbent Virginia Foxx:

Foxx Wins Congressional Debate

Ashe County, NC — Today Congresswoman Virginia Foxx debated her opponent at a public forum in Ashe County.  In the debate, Foxx highlighted her fiscal conservatism and her vision to get North Carolina back to work.  She also exposed her opponent's extremely liberal views on taxes, government spending, and health care.
 
Voters know that there is just one proven conservative in this race—and that’s Virginia Foxx.  Today’s debate illustrated that Virginia embraces common sense conservative ideas like reducing government spending, keeping taxes low and slashing job-killing federal red tape. 

 But the debate also exposed how out of step her opponent, Billy Kennedy, is with North Carolina voters.  He supports big government programs like the trillion dollar health care bill, a job-killing energy tax and the failed stimulus program.

 The choice this election is between strong conservative values or Washington’s failed liberal policies. Unfortunately Virginia’s liberal opponent would be a rubber stamp for big-government policies that mean more government, more debt and less freedom. In fact, Kennedy can't stop talking about all the new spending he supports.  North Carolina simply cannot afford to send big spenders like Kennedy to Washington.

Virginia is working to keep America the land of the free and a country of opportunity for everyone.  And she isn’t afraid to take on the liberals who run Washington.  As today’s debate made clear, Virginia Foxx is a conservative voice that North Carolina families and small businesses can depend on.

I think it's cool that all one needs to do to win a debate is to declare yourself the winner.  I need to remember that in the future.

Now from Foxx's challenger Billy Kennedy:

The Good Lord Gave Us Brains Too

October 13, 2010

Dear Friends,

Do you want to know how badly Billy Kennedy beat Virginia Foxx in last night's debate?

Click here to see one outstanding exchange.

Last night Billy showed voters he is up to the task of representing us in Congress, and he very clearly demonstrated why we are so proud to stand beside him.

The stakes couldn't be any higher.  Want you join us with a contribution of $10, $20, or $30 dollars?  

Our grassroots campaign is gaining traction everyday.  With an enthusiastic endorsement from the Winston-Salem Journal and a resounding win in last night's debate, we have the momentum to surprise all those Washington insiders who say it can't be done.

Early voting starts tomorrow and we are only 20 days away from the election.  Your contribution will help us share this message with voters from Watauga to Winston-Salem. 

Billy came out swinging at last night's debate.  The standing-room-only crowd agreed that Kennedy had won the night.

The incumbent seemed genuinely shocked that the audience was not with her. The greatest shock, no doubt, was that she found herself completely undone by a farmer from Bethel.

Join with us now.  We need you.

All best,

Jaret Glazer
Billy Kennedy for Congress
Finance Director

Once again I like the self declaration of victory, but I have to award style points for the headline, which referenced a line of his during the debate.  Anytime the "liberal" candidate can preempt the "ultra-conservative" candidate with a reference to God you have to give him props. 

Who knew that winning or losing was subjective? Oh wait, it's politics; everything's subjective.

 

Only in Florida

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It appears that I'm going to have to ease up on teasing Florida for all the whacky news it produces.  Apparently we here in North Carolina have our fair share of weird news too, and sometimes residents of our state even team up with residents of Florida to create unique news event. Exhibit A would be the folks from Hickory, NC who tried to bury a loved one at sea off the coast of Florida and it just didn't work out right:

They chartered a local fishing boat, the Mary B III, and Lasky's widow, Sharon, her pastor and other family members, along with the boat's captain and crew, motored four miles offshore from Port Everglades. They tendered their final goodbyes and consigned Lasky to the deep. Family members then fished for a spell in his memory…

But the sea proved no resting place. Though weighted down, Lasky's body resurfaced Saturday. About 9:30 that morning, a fisherman reported a man's body floating about four miles offshore. Its wrappings had come undone. Sheriff's marine deputies raced to the scene, along with the Coast Guard. Homicide detectives waited onshore…

Collins said his office usually handles three to four sea burials a year, most off the shores of Florida or North Carolina, whose Outer Banks are a popular area.

Who knew?

Protecting Our High School Kids from the President of the United States of America

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Today I received the following message from our kids' high school:

West Forsyth families… this message is to inform you that President Obama will be giving a back-to-school speech on Tuesday, September 14  at 1 p.m. He gave a similar speech last year in which he encouraged students to work hard, stay in school and graduate.

The school system will be showing the President's speech again this year. If you would prefer your student not watch the speech, please send a note with him or her on Tuesday.

Thank you.

I truly, truly, truly don't get this.  What have we come to when a back-to-school speech from the President is treated like sex-ed?  And I don't say this just because it's this President.  I'd say it if we were talking about either President Bush, President Clinton, President Reagan, President Carter, etc.  

What's even more troubling is that these are high school kids we're talking about. I can't believe parents feel like their kids aren't mature enough to take what they hear from the President, evaluate it, discuss it and then make their own judgments. 

For the record I don't really blame the school administrators; they're obviously reacting to feedback they received last year and are putting a system in place in anticipation of a similar reaction from parents this year. I'm just supremely disappointed that some members of my generation feel like they've raised kids who aren't smart enough to figure out for themselves whether or not a speech from the President is an innocuous message of encouragement, or some sort of "liberal propaganda" disguised as a back to school speech.  

Why are Residents of Charlotte Behaving Like Floridians?

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From the article:

The woman allegedly punched her husband in the face breaking his nose and causing injury to his eye.

Police said she then jumped out of the truck and walked away naked.  They say she later broke into the school which set off all kinds of alarms. 

The 58-year old woman is now in jail for assaulting her husband and claims she doesn't know how she ended up in the school naked. 

Only in Charlotte.

Goodness Grows in NC – Guest Post from Yarddawg

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Frequent commenter and buddy of mine Yarddawg sent this along and it's worth sharing.  Enjoy!

There are many sources of information concerning organic foods. There are also many viewpoints and information sources on the subject. There is also a significant price premium (up to 60% more) consumers pay to go "organic" versus conventionally grown foods. This is BIG business and therein lies the crux.  Although highly disputed by organic proponents, in 2009, the British Food Standards Agency found “There is no evidence of additional health benefits from eating organic food,” declared Gill Fine, the FSA’s director of dietary health. Organic proponents have fought back. The full Times of London article gives more insight. Another article by the popular garden writer Don Engebretson AKA The Renegade Gardener also paints an even harsher, more frightening, critique of the popular myth of the benefits of organics. Click on The Renegade Gardener and then click on Myth of the Week. It's the first article listed, named  "Organically produced food is safer than conventionally produced food". It is eye-opening and, pardon the pun, food for thought. If that's not enough to make you question things this Business Week article titled, The Organic Myth, will at least make you think. 

The British findings conclude, both organically and conventionally grown foods are equal in taste, nutrition, and both equally safe for consumption.Proponents of organics went bonkers, in my opinion, due in part to the unpleasantness associated when the inconvenience of scientific facts disputed the prevailing organic propaganda. It's also a bit of the smallest person in the room who's usually the loudest. Organic food production is estimated to be maybe 3% of the total US food production.  And, oh yeah, price too…. 60% more than "regular" food is quite an incentive to raise Hell and protect your turf. Many in the "religion" of organics have gained a rather elitist, almost cult-like following. The bad news on organics is this price premium all but excludes families struggling to make ends meet. After all, why should consumers pay way more for the same taste, safety, and nutritional value?  Supermarket chains like Whole Foods and others, virtually built their businesses on the heels of the organic movement and its appeal to granola heads. If you don't believe me pick an afternoon, any afternoon, and observe the regular cast of characters frequenting any Whole Foods Supermarket. Now don't get me wrong I shop there too but I'm very selective on the items I purchase. 

Here's something to be aware of. Both organic growers and non-organic growers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers have to make a profit to survive. Wal-Mart, to the dismay of many, has now joined the organic fray and many in the organic camp are not at all pleased with this development.  Again, the elitist attitude possibly comes into play. The evil empire strikes again. This move is a potential game changer. If organic food ever becomes more price competitive and available to lower income consumers, a large company like a Wal-Mart will likely lead the way. I have no lower or higher opinion of a Wal-Mart than I do of a Whole Foods. They are both the same for me…. Corporations. Both businesses operate for profit and shareholder return and will do what they have to do to optimize business results and profits. It baffles me though why one entity is considered as an evil empire and the other a good corporate steward. You can also throw Trader Joe's into the same mix. TJ's $8 billion in sales and the fact it is so secretive and less than transparent makes this firm even more troubling.

As you may have guessed I'm more than a wee bit cynical about organics and the purveyors of organics but not totally close minded. I like to hear differing viewpoints. I just don't buy into all the organic hype at this point.  Admittedly opinions on this subject are all over the place and frankly there are many on both sides pumping out hyperbole and misinformation. Profiteers are also lurking trying to make a quick buck. The best advice for anyone seeking true information on organics is to seek out university or extension based research information which is probably the most reliable and certainly the least biased. This NC based info from NC State University is a pretty good starting point.

GrimesTomato
 

The best advice I can give is this. If you don't grow your own food, make every effort to visit or get to know and buy from a reliable local farmer or from a local farmer's market rather than a corporation or supermarket chain. Stay close to individual farmers and eliminate as many middlemen as you can. In season follow the 40 mile rule. In other words support local and regional farmers whose transportation costs are much lower and the savings are passed on to consumers. I have routinely purchased local produce such as heirloom tomatoes for $1.50 to $2.00 per pound at local farm markets all season long. The same products from the aforementioned trendy chain were $3.99 per pound (see photo) just today and from Pennsylvania. I've seen them for as much as $5.99 out of season or when there is no local competition. By the way, is there a town named Pennsylvania, NC? Other deals of the day at WF were Bison Tenderloin for a mere $26.99 per pound and some unpronounceable French cheese for $24.99 per pound. And don't get me started on bottled water which costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $8.00 or more per gallon. Get it? The quote often attributed to P.T. Barnum ; " There's a sucker is born every minute." Well if he really said it he certainly wasn't kidding. So, when possible, I only buy fresh, in season, produce from local growers. Organic vegetables and fruits or any produce coming from Chile or milk powder shipped from New Zealand to go into a French owned, US made, organic yogurt or other place 9,000 miles away isn't very green. Fruits and vegetables from Chile in February are picked green, shipped green, arrive green,are sold green, and usually taste green for my taste. Some importers also use an artificial ripening chemical (ethylene, acetylene, calcium carbide, to name a few lovelies we consume) to mask the early harvesting taste. Canning and preserving local stuff offers superior taste versus the plastic tasting stuff available in winter any day. To find local farmers and producers in our area click on NC Farm Fresh. Then select a product and county from the drop down menus. Other options are available to filter search results even more.

When possible Buy Local and remember….. Goodness Grows in North Carolina.

Yarddawg