Richard Burr Speaks At Williamston Rotary
Senator Richard Burr was the speaker today at the Williamston Rotary Club. The turnout was impressive, with almost every major local official coming to hear Senator Burr speak.
The Luncheon Was Well Attended
Tom Volk, President of the Rotary club delivered the opening remarks and then turned the meeting over to Leon Allen to introduce Senator Burr.
Tom Volk, Rotary President
Senator Burr gave an impressive speech. This is not surprising since Senator Burr is a man of passionate beliefs. His speech covered a range of topics, health care, medicaid financing, tobacco, lagging growth in rural areas, energy policy, the off shore drilling moratorium, etc.
Leon Allen Delivers The Introduction
When he spoke of medicaid financing he made one comment that got quite a laugh. First he commented on the fact that North Carolina was the sole state that still required counties to fund a portion of medicaid. He then cautioned that he had to be discreet with his comments on this since the press was present. After a pause he said, "This is insane". So much for discreet.
Senator Richard Burr
Senator Burr concluded his speech with some powerful stories. Richard and his wife try to dine together as often as possible, and on one recent occasion when she came up to Washington, their dinner was at Walter Reed Hospital with some of our troops. Before the meal, they visited with some of the recent arrivals back from Iraq. The first soldier they visited had lost his lower left leg and his left arm from the elbow down. He also had bad shrapnel wounds on his left torso. As they were about to leave the soldier asked him if Senator Burr could help him with a favor. When Senator Burr said he would try the soldier explained that they had some great prosthetics at the hospital and he would soon be nearly as good as new. He wanted to know if Senator Burr would help him get approval to "get back to his unit in Iraq"?
There was a long silence. This is our next generation. Our nation has no shortage of men and women of courage and commitment, who understand as well as any the importance of what our nation stands for and what we are accomplishing in Iraq. If there was a dry eye in the room, it sure wasn't mine.
Greenville Choral Society Concert - Press Release
Martin County Arts Council
Sponsors the Greenville Choral Society Concert Choir in Upcoming Concert
The Martin County Arts Council will sponsor the Greenville Choral Society Concert Choir and the Chamber Chorale on Sunday, March 26th beginning at 3:00 PM
The concert location is the Martin County Auditorium on the campus of Williamston High School. The high school and auditorium are located on the west side of US Hwy 17 Bus. between US 64 & 17 overpass and downtown Williamston.
The concert highlights songs from “The Golden Age of Broadway” and features baritone Dr. John Kramar a member of the ECU Music Faculty. There are selections from Oklahoma, South Pacific, Brigadoon and My Fair Lady among others.
The Greenville Choral Society Concert Choir has been performing for over thirty years. Members come from a wide range of occupations – medical, business, education, judicial as well as retirees. Dr. Daniel Bara from ECU is the present artistic director and conductor.
Performances held outside of Greenville are a special treat for the regional community.
Advance tickets are $5.00 – Tickets sold at the door are $7.00 each
Tickets can be purchased at MAST Pharmacy (across from Martin General Hospital) or from a Martin County Arts Council Member.
To order by mail for pickup at the door: Send a check payable to “MCAC” for the total number of tickets (at $5.00 each) to:
“Golden Age” Tickets
Martin County Arts Council
P.O. Box 1134
Williamston, N.C. 27892
Be sure to include the name of the person who will pick up the tickets at the auditorium. (Please mail your ticket orders no later than Thursday, March 23.)
2006 Martin County GOP Convention - March 9th
The 2006 Martin County GOP Convention is tomorrow evening (March 9) at the Hitchin Post Restaurant, Hwy.17, Williamston, NC. The schedule for the event is as follows:
6:30 - Registration
7:00 - Guest Speaker - N.C. State Auditor Les Merritt
7:30 - Meal to be served (ordered Dutch earlier in evening from menu)
8:00 - Convention Business (organize precincts, elect delegates)
Call or email Martin County GOP Chairman Alvin Lewis for additional info: alvinrlewis@email.com (252) 792-4191
Plymouth High Threatened With Closure
Several Schools In East On Poorly Performing List
March 5th, 2006 - Associated Press (WITN TV)
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A state judge has warned that unless 19 of the state's poorly performing high schools start doing better, he'll order them closed unless the state makes sweeping changes, including replacing principals at the schools.
"Superintendents and principals have run out of room and run out of time," Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. said in a 17-page letter to state Superintendent June Atkinson and State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee. "The state is clearly and ultimately legally responsible."
On the list of schools to be closed are Bertie County High, Hertford County High, and Plymouth High School in Washington County.
One quote from the article is appropriate to our current local school problems at all levels. "Those schools also would be required to begin reform plans modeled after the small-school approach promoted by the state's New Schools Project." Large consolidated schools have the highest failure rate. More and more people are noting that the education establishment fascination with large schools is losing support among people knowledgeable about the problems. Why are our educational leaders still promoting consolidation here in the Inner Banks?
