TARBORO —
Kudos to all of our town, county and state employees who worked to get our streets and roadways ready for Friday’s inclement weather.
The preparation effort got under way on Thursday and continued Friday. Friday night, as the ice was coming to an end, there were trucks out sanding and grading ice off the surface with bladed trucks.
The work of those crews didn’t end then, but continued on Saturday as crews were still sanding, salting and scraping the ice off the roadways.
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What about the “No Budget, No Pay Act” that was overwhelmingly passed last week in the House of Representatives?
While there have been a wide mixture of comments regarding its passage, it clearly puts the ball in the Senate’s court — where there has been no budget submitted for four years, but plenty of criticism of the Republicans for there not being one.
The only problem with that is the Democrats have held the majority and could have passed a budget.
Still, despite the “No Budget, No Pay Act,” it’s not like the pay will actually be withheld — only placed into a trust until a budget is completed.
The one thing it does do, however, is shine the spotlight where it belongs and, if no budget is forthcoming, the onus will be on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his party.
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To the south of us, a Jacksonville, N.C. church’s plan to use a dead vulture to ward away the live ones seems to be working.
The Daily News of Jacksonville reported Bethlehem Baptist Church contracted with the U.S. Agriculture Department to use vulture effigies to ward away live birds that were destroying the church roof.
The dead bird went up about a month ago. Vultures that used to flock to the church roof now hang out elsewhere.
The USDA also has used bird effigies to reduce the potential for bird strikes on military planes, including at New River and Cherry Point air stations. The USDA hung effigies from the water towers in Jacksonville and Havelock.
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Gaston County commissioners have unanimously voted to ask North Carolina lawmakers to pass a bill that would keep the names of people who own gun permits from the public.
Commissioner Tracy Philbeck told the Gaston Gazette that he doesn’t want media outlets to request the list and publish it like a newspaper in New York did.
Currently, the name, age and home address of anyone who gets a gun permit in North Carolina is public information. Philbeck says 41 states already keep that information private.
Gaston County Sheriff Alan Cloninger says if he was asked for a list of gun permit owners in Gaston County, he would defy North Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act and not release the list.
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Since Stephanie and I adopted Bridget from the St. Tammany Parish Humane Society, this AP story from Jefferson, N.H. caught my eye ... it’s about a sled dog that has lost its sight, but not its love to pull and run ... it makes for long column but is a good read.
“When Gonzo started tripping over his food dish three years ago, no one could explain or stop the Alaskan husky’s quickly advancing blindness. But a veterinarian offered some simple advice: “Run this dog.”
“Gonzo, one of 120 dogs at Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel, was happy to comply. With help from his brother, Poncho, he soon resumed his place pulling a sled all over New Hampshire’s North Country to the delight of tourists and his caretakers, who quickly realized that if Gonzo didn’t treat his blindness like an obstacle, neither would they. Given the dog’s obvious eagerness, he was allowed to continue on as usual.
“Even though he’s blind, he still knows when hook-ups are happening. He’s still very aware,” said kennel manager Ben Morehouse. “When you have a dog such as Gonzo, with such a want and a drive and a desire ... you try it, you hook up, you see what happens.”
A frenzy of excited barking engulfs the kennel whenever Morehouse and other staffers haul out a sled. The chosen team is outfitted with harnesses and booties; those left behind scramble onto their doghouse roofs and howl. Gonzo and Poncho are lined up side-by-side, usually toward the back of the eight-member team — “brains to brawn” is how Morehouse describes the order.
“A lot of people say everything about dog sledding is efficiency. Gonzo and Poncho are not the most efficient sled dogs out there. They won’t set a speed record, they won’t pull the most you’ve ever seen,” Morehouse said. “To be honest, they’re probably some of the goofiest dogs you can put in harness. But they’re just fun.”
Some dogs at the kennel, including Gonzo and Poncho, were born there. But it’s also home to what kennel owner Neil Beaulieu calls “second-chance” dogs — former professional sled dogs a bit past their prime — as well as dogs rescued from bad situations.
The barking continues as the dogs pull away from the kennel onto a snow-packed trail. Within a few minutes, however, they settle into a nearly silent rhythm, the sled’s runners skimming through the woods. While the other dogs look straight ahead, Gonzo often lifts his head up and to the right, using his hearing and sense of smell, said Karen Tolin, who has worked her way up from volunteer “poop scooper” to business partner in the years since she first came to Muddy Paw.
When Gonzo first went blind, Poncho didn’t treat him any different, she said. But then he realized his brother needed help.
“At first, he’d be a little bit nervous when Gonzo would lean into him. And then somehow — I don’t know how dogs communicate — he learned that he was utilizing him to determine where the turns are and how fast they were going. And he would let him do that — he wouldn’t get as grumbly as he did in the beginning.”
Usually if a dog trips, the others just keep going, Morehouse said.
I’ve never seen it with any other dog,” he said. “There’s definitely a bond there and communication beyond what we do with the two dogs, between the two of them themselves.”
Beaulieu describes a spring day when he took the pair for a ride on a trail known for its deep snow, and Gonzo strayed to the edge of the trial and stumbled. With the team still moving forward, Poncho reached over, dug his head in the snow and pulled his brother out, grabbing his harness with his teeth.
“He essentially picked him out of the powder ... threw him back on the trail and never skipped a beat,” Beaulieu said. “I’ve run dogs in a lot of places, all over the country, and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen sled dogs do.”
Sled tours range from 20-minute trips from the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods to a 50-mile overnighter billed as the “Longest Dog Sled Ride in the Northeast.” Money from the tours help support what Beaulieu says has become a main focus — finding loving homes for dogs that might otherwise be killed.
“It’s become much more than just a sled dog kennel,” Beaulieu said. “A lot of shelters deem sled dogs unadoptable, and they put them down. For myself and the entire crew here, we know that’s false. They are very adoptable.”
(John H. Walker is editor and publisher of The Daily Southerner. He can be reached at editor@dailysoutherner or 823-3106.)
Opinion
Random thoughts on a Monday ...
- Opinion
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My 13 years have been lucky
It was 13 years Sunday that a drought was broken in Big Spring, Texas, After that, we ate Mexican for dinner with a gathering of family and friends.
The next day, a Saturday, Stephanie and I joined one another in marriage under a beautiful little gazebo by Comanche Trail Lake, fed by the historic spring from which the community draws its name. -
We Salute...
Each Friday, The Daily Southerner will recognize individuals, groups and businesses in Edgecombe County who have gone “above and beyond” in their effort to make this a better place to work, play and raise a family.
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Benghazi: We need the real truth
The American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya, was attacked on Sept. 11, 2012 by a heavily armed group. The attack began during the night at a compound that is meant to protect the consulate building. A second assault in the early morning the next day targeted a nearby CIA annex in a different diplomatic compound. Four people were killed including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Ten others were injured.
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With much thanks and love …
The past month has been interesting, to say the least.
As I grew up, my first cousins — a group of us that have simply been referred to as “The Cousins” would often joke that when we died, we knew it would be as the result of a heart attack. That’s the history of the Walker family and my Dad and his seven brothers and sisters, as heir parents had, died of heart-related issues.
But along the way, something else happened, Cousins Joyce, Dudley, Don, Kenneth, Howard and Jimmy all died after a courageous battle with cancer.
Dudley and Don and Jimmy and Howard were brothers. But we were much more than cousins. We were a true Southern family in that no matter how far away we might move, we always wound up back at Granny Walker’s. -
Favoring Immigrants over Citizens
Should Immigrants ever be given more favorable treatment than those of us who are already U.S. citizens? Apparently President Obama believes this should be the case when it comes to Obamacare. When it comes to the terms of the immigration reform bill and Obamacare almost 11 million illegals will be given a provisional legal status to live and work in this country.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Princeville, the oldest African American community in North America, through the years has had many hurdles and set backs since it was established.Yet with its resilience, it has some how, through some miracles has always bounced back to stay the course of normalcy as best as it could envision. Yet, we must be ever so reminded that our earthly job of being responsible and accountable for and to ourselves shall never cease, until our journey is finished.
This beckoning call for volunteers is being directed to all the local residents who are concerned and aware of the deplorable existing condition of the cemetery on N.C. Highway 111.
This appeal is specifically for churches, community organizations, and all concerned able body men, women and young folks to respond. The purpose of the tentative meeting is to organize a special committee of volunteers within the community, to assumed the responsibilities and duties of maintaining the cemetery. This is where our deceased loved ones are laid to rest and one day for sure some or most of us, if it’s God's will, shall lay rest in this cemetery. It's about pride and cultural respect and decency that we the living owe our beloved ones who's gone over.
Please call or respond to the contact information below and we'll get in touch and arrange a special meeting to start this project. It's no secret that it's an eyesore and a reflection of what we collectively think of ourselves as well as about of our deceased. This mindset can change. With the weather changing, the grass will be growing. Once again we'll be faced with the cosmetic upkeep. There are some simple tasks we as concerned residents can come together as a concerned unit/group to maintain the appearance of our cemetery.
Calling all concerned men and women and children residing in historic Princeville.
Those interested please call (252) 823-3740
Milton Bullock
Native of Princeville
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
Thursday, May 2, is the National Day of Prayer all over the United States. I would like to challenge every minister of the gospel to bring a group from his or her church and meet us on the Town Square across from Edgecombe County Courthouse at 11:45 p.m. Thursday for prayer and unity.
After looking through the phonebook and newspaper church page, there appears to be more than 300 churches in Edgecombe County of multiple faiths. Yet each year we barely have 25 people respond to the advertising for National Day of Prayer.
Prayer has no respective person and does not practice segregation, yet the church segregates itself every Sunday morning. As a blood bought believer in Jesus Christ, I ask all who believes that Jesus was born of virgin, died on the cross and rose on the third day to meet me with an expressive tongue of prayer for our local, state and national leaders. Are you up for the challenge.
Viola Harris -
We Salute...
Each Friday, The Daily Southerner will recognize individuals, groups and businesses in Edgecombe County who have gone “above and beyond” in their effort to make this a better place to work, play and raise a family.
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We Salute...
• ELLIS “BUDDY” HOOKS, on being named to receive the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD.
Hooks will be officially recognized on May 14.
• ALL PARTICIPANTS in the 76th EASTERN CAROLINA 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOW, held this week at the East Carolina Agriculture and Educational Center.
• Members of the TARBORO HIGH BOOSTERS CLUB, employees of the TOWN OF TARBORO, members of the GOLDEN K KIWANIS CLUB and all others involved in the successul staging of the 20th TARBORO EASTER CLASSIC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT, Despite chilly, wet weather on Thursday, today’s weather is forecast to improve to the point of being a perfect day at the ballpark.
• Edgecombe County businesses recognized for their efforts to promote a safe work place, including Keihin Carolina System Technology, Inc., Air System Components, ABB, Inc., Piedmont Natural Gas, Tarboro Resource Center and QVC, Rocky Mount , Edgecombe-Martin County Electric Membership Corp., Hillshire Brands-Sara Lee Bakery and N.C. Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions, Tarboro Branch Office.
• LT. FLEMING THOMPSON, a 2005graduate of Tarboro High School, on being named the United States Air Force’s 23rd Bomb Squadron NAVIGATOR OF THE YEAR.
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What makes smart people do stupid?
It really gets me to see those you would think are smart people do what are obviously stupid things. I’ve just read about what has been going on in the city of Stockton, Calif. The population of Stockton is about 300,000. It is next to a beautiful downtown waterfront and sports a handsome $46 million glass hockey arena and single-A baseball team, playing in a new taxpayer-financed stadium. Sounds great, but actually this is part of the terrible financial problems the city is experiencing.
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