In Today’s Herald: Online Vacation Stops

By request…we’ve added an online form to our web page for subscribers to enter vacation holds and stops. To see the form, go here.

 

Newspapers: History Will Always Need Its First Draft

This is a column written this week by Beth Grace, the executive director of the North Carolina Press Association. A former bureau chief for the Associated Press, Beth has spent 30 years in the newspaper business.

by BETH GRACE

On Nov. 5, I remembered all over again why I love newspapers.

As fast as presses around the world could crank them out, newspapers trumpeted in the largest possible font the outcome of the most historic presidential election of our lifetime – of any lifetime, perhaps.

Everyone, everywhere wanted to share and remember this moment. They talked, phoned, e-mailed, watched TV and listened to the radio. But those who wanted to keep the memory close did what most of us do in times of national trouble or triumph.

They bought the newspaper.

Actually, they bought hundreds of thousands of newspapers.

In North Carolina alone, weekly and daily newspapers produced a few hundred to almost 40,000 extra copies that day when people – subscribers, mingling with those who rarely or never read the paper — began streaming into their lobbies seeking souvenir editions.

Newspapers broke speed records that day to produce more copies (sold at the regular price – no mark-up, mind you) to anyone and everyone who wanted one.

Let me tell you — the crowds that day, that rare chance to order a second press run, the outpouring from subscribers and those who haven’t touched a page of recycled newsprint in years warmed a lot of ink-stained hearts in the newspaper industry.

It’s not every day we are reminded that no matter how hard the economy has hit us, no matter what anyone says about the future of print, no matter what else is happening in the world, newspapers matter.

Newspapers are important.

Newspapers are vital to our collective memory and history.

Newspapers are what publisher Philip Graham once called the “first rough draft of history,” the first place we turn – even now, even with an ocean of information just a mouse click or two away – to learn, to understand, to remember.

They’re the destination of choice for people anxious to read the whole story — and the story behind that story.

Newspapers are a sort of “everyman’s souvenir” of the moments that change our world.

There are some who believe that the electronic media – TV, satellite radio, web sites — will one day erase the need for the printed word and newspapers will cease to exist.

I don’t believe it.

And, I suspect, neither do the thousands and thousands of people who bought those extra papers on Nov. 5.

Nor do those who saved the paper the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the day after man first walked on the moon, the day after Sept. 11, 2001.

Nor do the many, many people who still subscribe faithfully, who know and savor the joy of reading the paper cover to cover with their morning coffee.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s absolutely no reason you can’t save a clip from TV, snatch a screen-shot off the web or download a podcast to your MP3 player.

Gosh, you’ll be able to enjoy those for historical e-moments for … what? About an hour and a half — right up to the moment that technology is wiped out by the next new thing, which based on my on experience will be completely incompatible with whatever you already have in your home.

Newspapers don’t have that problem.

We are the ultimate user-friendly software.

No download instructions needed.

No switch. No mouse. No card. No cord.

Just open your eyes, read and remember.

And here’s the really interesting thing: Newspapers do this every time they publish.

The history of our own lives, our own communities, our own world is reported with the same vigor and dedication every day, every week of the year.

As avidly as we gathered up those Nov. 5 editions, we save and tuck away, safely encased in plastic and secured in a drawer or memory box, the papers that carry the major headlines of our lives: our graduations, our weddings, the birth of our kids, the deaths of our loved ones, the big award our son just won, the job promotion our daughter landed.

For just pocket change, we hold the first draft of our own history, our own life story in our hands.

This is why I don’t believe those who say newspapers won’t always be with us.

Of course they will.

History will always need its first draft.

The Herald’s Facebook Page

 

I created a Facebook page for myself a few months ago so I could check out what was on my older son’s page. Social networking is the “new” thing for his generation, and Facebook (and, for some, MySpace) is the way to communicate. All three of my kids have had e-mail addresses for some time, but even e-mail for that crowd is passe – it’s either texting or Facebooking, it seems.

I’m down wit dat, as they say (except for the girl who almost ran into meon US 1 last week while she was texting and driving at the same time…in full disclosure, though, I’ve becoming somewhat adept at texting while driving), but sometimes I wish my oldest, Zachary (just turned 16) would pick up the phone instead of having several ongoing conversations at once via his cell phone and computer.

Anyway…back to Facebook…I’ve been contacted by many old friends through my Facebook page and it’s been interesting to note the ages of people I know who have such pages – the average age is certainly increasing. Still, in an effort to reach the youngers, our Editor, Billy Liggett, has created a Facebook page for The Herald. You can read his post about it here.

And check out the page if you get a chance…

The Racist & Backwoods Herald

IN THE HERALD | ‘It’s a d*#^ shame!’

http://media.podhoster.com/therant/racistcall.mp3″

The voice mail message (click on the “play” button to hear it – be forewarned that it contains cursing) above came in on our after-hours voice mailbox from a caller who didn’t identify herself. She was upset with our front page Wednesday – mad that we pictured presidential loser John McCain along with our new President-elect, Barack Obama. She says that because of The Herald’s racism – we’re racist because we pictured McCain – she’s going to call on subscribers in Lee County and all over central North Carolina to cancel their subscriptions.

You can read Editor Billy Liggett’s take on the message here.

From my listening of the message, she seemed to be upset mostly because she thought the big “story” on the front page was tied to the McCain photo. She saw the “cutline” or caption under the Obama photo and must have thought that little bit was all we had to say about our new president…and because the story (actually about Obama’s win) was wrapped around a McCain photo, she associated that with a story about McCain. The two photos (and the captions) and the story are all part of one package; the dominant photo (of Obama) goes hand-in-hand with the headline and the story. Maybe she later read the story and changed her mind, but if so, she didn’t call us to let us know…

Judge for yourself. I had a hard time with this one. I don’t see us including a picture of the “other” presidential candidate on the front page as racist or “backwoods.” (By the way, it was Jerry Lewis, the comic actor, not Jerry Lee Lewis, the cousin-marrying musician and entertainer, who talked about Sanford being backwoods a few years ago…)

Billy, on his blog, explained that we had an early deadline for Wednesday’s. With just a short AP story available to us, and the page already designed, he had limited time and options for finishing it up. I thought the page looked great and that our election coverage in general was very good. (For a look at how other North Carolina papers displayed this historic news, go here. Most papers had Obama on the front; just a few had both Obama and McCain.)

Tuesday was historic, and people all over the country were buying up copies of Wednesday’s newspapers as collectors’ items. We sold out of our single copies even though we had a larger-than-usual press run.

Any election will stir emotions. But as I told a good friend of mine today – who, incidentally, dislikes McCain so much she’s going to frame our front page with his picture snipped out – a chief component of racism is stereotyping. Racism is simply discrimination based on conventional notions (stereotypes) that are wrong. In this case, I think the caller was also wrong. She saw the McCain photo on the front page and made a judgment without asking all the pertinent questions.

Maybe she’ll call back before calling the rest of our readers…

In Today’s Herald: Slimming Down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVERTING BACK | Web width back to where we were…

You’ll notice today’s Herald’s width is reduced – pages are 11″ wide, down from 12.5″ the last seven weeks. We were at 11″ width most of this year until our print conversion to Durham; the Herald-Sun has made change from 12.5″ as well, starting with the Monday edition.

Consolidation among newsprint manufacturers and the closure of a number of North American mills in the last two years has driven newsprint prices up. Many newspapers are making adjustments to compensate…

In Today’s Herald: What’s In a Name?

In today’s edition, we have more coverage of the debate over naming the new park at Pineland and Martin streets after City Councilman Walter McNeil. Editor Billy Liggett’s story says that local residents are upset with some members of the council’s reluctance to name the part after McNeill. We also have two letters to the editor on the subject. And you can see our editorial in Sunday’s edition…

In Today’s Herald: GOP Mess

You can read about the latest goings-on with the Lee County Republican Party in Tuesday’s Herald, and check Thursday’s edition for an editorial about our advice for the local organization. In the meantime, Charlie Parks has been named treasurer in the local organization (replacing Jim Pitts) and Vice Chairman Keith Clark has resigned.

You check read more in Thursday’s Herald; for a personal perspective on Keith’s resignation, see his blog

In Today’s Herald: Joe’s Sign

The “Local Joe’s” sign issue isn’t going away. Callers to us have been wondering if owner Joe Delvecchio is getting the ordinance-mandated $100/day fine for violations, but as Chelsea Kellner reports in today’s edition of The Herald, Joe has a few more tricks up his sleeve to stave off taking down the sign.

Plan A: removing the “Local” off Local Joe’s Tap and Grill’s sign as a tem­porary fix; done by painting over the top section of the contro­versial 22.5 square foot sign – making it six and a ­half feet smaller to hang downtown in accordance with city ordinance
Plan B: reworking the vintage Wagoner’s Jewelers sign that previously hung above the entrance, with the pub/restaurant’s name in neon lights and an old-fashioned hanging clock. That sign is still too big, but Joe is hoping for an ordinance amend­ment allowing historic signs of reasonable size.

Read more in today’s Herald…

In Today’s Herald: BRAC

In Tuesday’s edition of The Herald, Jon Owens reports from Monday’s BRAC update meeting…

– 40,000 new residents to N. C.
– 6,100 new residents to Lee County
– 2,200 new homes here
– 1,000 new jobs

Owens writes that “an influx of new residents with the military’s base reloca­tion and closure efforts at Fort Bragg is sure to cause some strains to Lee County.” But he quotes retired Brig. Gen. Paul Dordal, the director of the BRAC Regional Task force, as saying that Lee County is in a great position to reap a bounty of rewards from the expansion of Fort Bragg as well.

Read the full story in Tuesday’s Herald…

In Today’s Herald: Character Makes a Difference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARACTER CLASS | Good manners in Tramway

Check out Reporter Chelsea Kellner’s great story in today’s Herald about Character Education at Tramway Elementary School…

In Today’s Herald: AYP Scores, More

You’ll find Chelsea Kellner’s coverage of the release of the 2007-2008 preliminary AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) rates in today’s Herald. Individual school results can be found here and state results here.

Only three of 14 schools in the Lee County System met federal “No Child Left Behind” standards, owing in part to higher requirements. That’s 21 percent…other local results: Chatham County, 53 percent; Harnett County, 24 percent; Wake County, 24 percent.

Also in today’s Herald, you can read reporter Jonathan Owens’ story about a possible ordinance that would ban smoking at all Lee County government buildings, plus a couple of great reviews: Susan Farrington’s look at the Dead Sea Scrolls at the N. C. Museum of Natural Sciences and Rose Pate’s look at Michelle Richmond’s novel “No One You Know.”

Why So Serious?

NOT ON THE BATWAGON | Give me X-Files instead

Count me as one of the people who didn’t love “The Dark Knight.” Too dark. Too much killing. Too much dialogue that I couldn’t hear because of the loud music.

Editor Billy Liggett gave it rave reviews. You can check it out on his blog, and check out our coverage of the blockbuster film in Sunday’s edition.

Both my sons, Zachary and Addison, also loved it. Zachary has written about the film, plus added his thoughts on this year’s best performances and his favorite films of all-time, on his site.

Me?

I’m waiting for Friday…and the return of the X-Files.

Movie Night with Batman…er, Josh Hamilton

You can read Herald Sports Editor Alex Podlogar’s great post on his blog for more about this epic achievement, but most of all you have to see what Josh Hamilton did last night…I’m not a huge baseball fan anymore, but Hamilton’s story – his incredible comeback – is enough to inspire anyone. What he did in last night’s MLB Home Run Derby was astonishing.

Wife Lee Ann and I finished up a bunch of chores and were sitting down to watch a movie last night, and I called my son Zachary, who’s on a mission trip in Hendersonville, to see if he knew where our copy of “Batman Begins” was. Lee Ann’s been wanting to see it in preparation for the new “Dark Knight” film. Zach didn’t know where the DVD was, but while I had him on the horn I asked him how Josh Hamilton did in the Derby. I figured it would have been over by then.

“He’s just coming up,” Zach said.

Batman indeed.

We watched Hamilton hit home run after home run in Yankee Stadium as Zach and I texted each other about the prodigious blasts. I was teary-eyed by the time Hamilton was done.

Gotham City will never be the same…

Storms Brewing in N. C. House 51 Race

A minor salvo in what promises to be a highly interesting N. C. House District 51 battle between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Love Sr. and Republican challenger Linda Shook, who sits on the Lee County Board of Commissioners, was lobbed last week. Shook took exception to Love’s role in sculpting and voting for a “watered-down” House bill regarding forced municipal annexation, saying Love – a long-time member of the N. C. House a generation ago who returned to the seat when it was vacated by John Sauls – “led the charge” to weaken the bill. (Love’s retort was that only the term of the moratorium was shortened, and it was done so at the request of the bill’s sponsor; see story in Tuesday’s edition of The Herald.)

Things may now be escalating.

It started with news reports about an $80,000 annual raise that Mary Easley, wife of Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat, received from N. C State University that apparently by-passed the rules of the UNC system. The 88 percent salary boost – Mrs. Easley is an executive-in-residence at NCSU – was given by her supervisors despite a policy that says the UNC Board of Governors must approve raises of more than 15 percent of $10,000.

Mary Easley’s raise has everyone in an uproar. (See our editorial in today’s edition for more on that.)

Now add the respective chairmen of the Lee County Republican and Democrat parties to the mix.

Republican Chairman Richard Littiken went on the offensive, sending the follow message on July 2 to Rep. Love about the raise, referencing a story on the WRAL website, and “pork barrel” spending in the state’s budget…the message was forwarded to me on Wednesday:

Rep. Love,

Please see the Mary Easley story from WRAL below. This is government corruption at it’s highest level. I am surprised with all your years of experience in the General Assembly on the Appropriations Committee that this kind of appropriations waste could happen. As Chairman of such a powerful subcommittee I ask that you stand up for the taxpayers of Harnett and Lee County and call for Mary Easley to step down for the remainder of her husband’s term as Governor?

With gas at $4/gallon, the taxpayers of NC House District 51 can no longer afford for State Government to continue to abuse the State’s Treasury. Will you vote against the budget if your Democrat Leaders in the NCGA do not remove this and other pork barrel appropriations?

Best,
Richard Littiken

Littiken’s message indicated it was copied to people on his party’s e-mail list. It didn’t mention Shook by name, but the inference was that Rep. Love, in his position in the House, was going to be held partly accountable for the raise and other fiscal toe-stubs in the budget in a “guilt by association” tie.

Here’s Rep. Love’s response:

Richard,

Received your e-mail message of July 2, 2008, regarding Mrs. Easleyʼs raise from $90,300.00 to $170,000.00. I agree this increase is way out of line and shows extremely bad judgment on her part, especially while her husband is still in office. The hiring and salary policies at N.C. State University also merit some serious attention. I have already registered by objections about this huge salary increase with both the Governorʼs people and the Universityʼs representatives here at the General Assembly. Perhaps your complaint should have directed also to the U.N.C. Board of Governors, President Erskine Bowles, and N.C. State Chancellor James Oblinger.

Individual salaries are not specifically set in the budget document. The money used in this instance was included in the 2007 budget which, as you know, I voted against. I have always been a fiscal conservative and committed to eliminating excessive and wasteful spending. If the budget presently before us has elements that I object to, I will not hesitate to vote against it again.

As for your request that I call for Mary Easley to step down for the remainder of her husbandʼs term as Governor, I will agree if you first demand that Linda Shook step down as a County Commissioner . Mrs. Shook and her business owe taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, and yes, the Lee County Tax Office. Also, according to the records at the courthouse, she owes a former landlord $70,000.00 for non-payment of rent. To me, this raises questions about her ability to handle her own affairs much less those of the county and state.

Representative Jimmy L. Love, Sr.

Love’s message contained a “cc” to the House District 51 List; he also sent a copy to Don Trabold, chairman of the Lee County Democrat Party, which said:

Don:
Herein find an e-mail message from Richard Littikin and my response. I would ask you to send this to all Democrats on your list.
Thanks.
Representative Jimmy L. Love, Sr.

Trabold complied. Of course, Shook’s financial issues, related to her investment in “Golfing by Design,” a business she helped create with her son, have been documented in previous stories in The Herald. No doubt that her bankruptcy filing will be an issue in the campaign. But Republicans, according to one person who contacted us, said that Love may have violated state law in sending out the message – deemed “political” by the caller – in his capacity as a state representative.

Stay tuned to The Herald for more coverage about the race that – we hope – will be mostly about issues affecting local voters and the state of North Carolina.

Oak Ranch Trail Ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OAK RANCH EVENT | Annual fund-raiser for kids

Oak Ranch is one of The Herald’s community partners and each year we’re a major sponsor of its Wild West Family Fun Day & Trail Ride. It was the subject of a “Take 5” interview with Oak Ranch’s Phill Richmond a couple of weeks ago. Here the latest ad for Saturday’s event (this will appear in Friday’s edition of The Herald)…