THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050277
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 35 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 170 lines
I am writing in response to the parody written by the editor on ``crying wolf'' in the April 23 Coast.
I realize there is ``freedom of the press,'' but there is also ``freedom of speech.'' I anticipate I will be chastised for speaking out, but after five months on the Board of Commissioners, I have learned to live with this.
Until now, Mr. Speer's idea of an ``editorial'' has been to impress us with his antique cars, his sailboat and his quiet, ``wolf-free'' life on the Outer Banks. I do not consider the ``Life and Times of Ron Speer'' to be editorials. Especially when my letters are watered down so they are completely unrecognizable.
Mr. Speer, there ARE wolves in Dare County - many of them disguised in sheep's clothing. And, as long as these wolves pass themselves off as sheep, not giving the shepherds or the real sheep the information needed to distinguish between the two, we will remain oblivious as to whether we should follow the flock, and we too, like God's sheep, could go astray.
Without being able to speak out in the ``Letters to the Editor,'' the sheep cannot enjoy the freedom of letting each other know what courses should be taken to escape the wolves or even that concerns are shared. Without the deliverance of local news posted accurately and fairly, neither are we forewarned of dangers lying ahead.
We all perceive wolves of different fashions - but this is our God-given choice. We do not need to be mentally led through life by anyone choosing to make our decisions for us. As much as any of us would like to live in an ``Ozzie and Harriet'' world, this is not possible.
So even in this lovely land of Dare (and it truly is a lovely land), one still must be very cautious, lest we DO go astray and be one of the fattest and wooliest of sheep to be carried off in the night. We must prevent that possibility, as one can NEVER be sure.
Shirley Hassell
Dare County Commissioner Repugnant statement
A story in The Virginian-Pilot North Carolina News section on April 21 quoted North Carolina Rep. Henry Aldridge, R-Pitt, who reportedly said that rape victims can't get pregnant because ``. . . the juices don't flow.''
I found Rep. Aldridge's inane statement repugnant and terrifyingly stupid. He is a member of our body of lawmakers! He is a disgrace to the assembly and an affront to ALL women.
He should be censured by his fellow members and voted out by the citizens of Pitt County.
Betty Peck
Nags Head Pledges mount
On behalf of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, I would like to thank the Outer Banks community for their tremendous initial response to our ``Reduce, Secure & Improve'' building fund campaign.
Pledges to date are already more than $65,000, with a goal of $150,000 for this 2-year campaign to reduce the mortgage debt on the Chamber of Commerce building in Kill Devil Hills. Companies large and small are joining the drive, doing their part to reduce this major expense for the Chamber. Special thanks to Larry Ott of Falcon Cable TV for providing professional commercials and complimentary airtime to promote the campaign, and to Michael Noland of the Kitty Hawk Land Company/Currituck Club, which is donating all proceeds from a May 9 golf tournament to the building fund campaign.
Robert E. Wells
President
Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Defending Hassell
I am getting quite disturbed by people that in letters to this column are condemning Commissioner Hassell. She is the only one who questions anything that comes before the board. For example, recently a county finance person came to the board to ask them to authorize the spending of $100,000 more for a surety bond dealing with the Water Department. By his own testimony, the cost came into play because the man he dealt with initially was inexperienced in writing this type of bond.
When Commissioner Hassell asked if he was certain that the new agent knew how to write this bond, everyone on the board but one looked at each other in a way that showed their displeasure that Hassell had questioned the man. It was less than five minutes and they had approved the spending of your and my tax dollars.
I have been attending the meetings since February of this year and am appalled at the lack of interest and attendance at the meetings. The time of showing of the commissioners' true colors comes on the agenda under the item titled ``Consent Agenda.'' When they get to that point of the agenda, there are usually only five or six persons present in the audience.
It is because of this lack of interest that Dare County is in the political turmoil that it is. I know many people can't take off work to attend meetings, but there are plenty of retirees that I know could come out to the meetings twice a month. Quit believing second-hand information; come out and see these elected officials as they are and not as they present themselves at election time.
J.O. Strauss
Kill Devil Hills 'Dirty Water Bill'
The House of Representatives is poised to effectively repeal the Clean Water Act. This May, they vote on H.R. 961, a ``Dirty Water Bill.'' H.R. 96l abandons the longstanding goals of the Clean Water Act by allowing more toxins in our waterways, relaxing the act's standards on stormwater management and enforcement, and gutting wetland protection.
The Clean Water Act is an effective law in promoting the health of not just wildlife and humans, but also the economy. Many commercial and sports fishing businesses are dependent on fish that live and spawn in wetlands. Money magazine ranked clean water as the No. 2 concern when choosing a place to live last year, above low taxes and good schools. In addition, tourism is the No. 1 industry in North Carolina and No. 2 in the nation. Why? Because of our clean water and beautiful beaches.
Unless everybody who cares about having a clean ocean and sounds, safe beaches and dependable drinking water demands that federal standards and protections are kept strong, Congress will weaken the Clean Water Act beyond recognition. This is not the mandate I intended our representatives to take to Washington.
Brant L. Wise
Chairman
Surfrider Foundation A worthy project
The article ``Questioning Family Ties,'' written by Perry Parks, which appeared in the North Carolina News section of The Virginian-Pilot on Sunday, April 23, deserves some clarification.
The Family Ties program is part of the Pasquotank County Smart Start and is administered by River City Community Development Corporation (RCCDC), a community-based economic development organization. The Family Ties contract is between RCCDC and the State of North Carolina. It required that a survey be conducted of families with children in the 0-5 age cohort to determine socio-economic needs of these children. This is on foundation for the implementation of the Smart Start Program. The Family Ties project managed by RCCDC has been recognized statewide as one of the most responsive and effective in achieving its contracted goals and objectives.
The partnership, a coalition of public and private organizations, was formed as the coordinating body to guide Smart Start activities. RCCDC, as the implementing agency for Family Ties, makes regular reports to the partnership on the activities being implemented in the program.
The partnership, in its communication to state officials, requested that the state's contract with RCCDC be terminated without formal inquiry, substantiation or documentation of instances of financial mismanagement. It was reported that the partnership ``suspects no wrongdoing'' and was only ``seeking more details.'' However, no formal request has yet been made to RCCDC for such information.
Indeed, all of the funds budgeted for this project have not been used because the project will not be completed until mid-May when a final report is completed. This report will include a financial audit that will then be submitted to the partnership and the state. The contract requires that funds not expended in this project be returned to the state.
The overriding philosophy and concept of the Smart Start Program is a collaborative effort with community-based organizations. RCCDC is very committed to this concept; so much so that it committed financial and staff resources two months before state funds were available. Unsubstantiated and undocumented accusations by the partnership will not encourage broad-based community support of this state-wide initiative.
We accept the fact that the partnership as a coordinating body has a right to question the management of any of its projects, but we wonder if such action (a request for contract cancellation) would be taken against the Department of Social Services or the Health Department without an inquiry. We can only conclude that this is a deliberate action by the partnership to tarnish the reputation of RCCDC and set in motion negative factors aimed at preventing RCCDC from renewing its contractual relationship on this project and, in the process, discourage other such community-based organizations from meaningful participation in this program.
Bruce A. Boyd
Chairman
Earl M. Brown Jr.
Member
River City CDC Board of Directors by CNB