Smoking ban lesson: never say never
Five or six years ago, I wrote a letter to the Salisbury Post regarding smoking in public places.
I was offended that as a non-smoker I had to be exposed to secondhand smoke. The backlash was interesting. You could say the article rattled a few chains of those public-smoking citizens. I received phones calls and the Post received opinions from the smokers.
I mentioned in the article that I had moved here from Los Angeles. I went on to say how that city was totally smoke-free in public places. The point I was making was if a big metro City like L.A. could be smoke free, what a great improvement if North Carolina would someday get on the band wagon and become smoke free.
There were quite few responses to my article. One reader thought I should go back to LA. This reader reminded me of the fact that I was living in the tobacco capital of the world and that (a prohibition on smoking in restaurants and bars) was never going to happen.
Never say never! I was thrilled when I heard that the law has been passed banning smoking anywhere in public places. Talk about one giant step for mankind. Oh yeah! Dinning out will become something we can enjoy again.
I think non-smokers have vindicated. Living in Salisbury just got even better, if you can imagine that!
ó Cindy Sentell
Granite Quarry
Invest in education
As we approach the end of a school year and reflect on how prepared or unprepared students are to move onto the next level, we pause and ask the question “Have we done all we can for these generations in providing them with an education that will prepare them to one day lead our nation?”
Yes, there will come a day when this generation will be our nation’s leaders. Can we rest knowing they have received the quality of education our nation has stood strong on? Well, I can’t rest because I believe our educational system is failing our children. Nationwide we see budget cuts in education resulting in teacher shortages, which grossly affects the children. We must cry out for a bailout. The investment in our children’s education is a must for our nation to continue its growth.
We can’t afford to lose good teachers. I urge all citizens to stand and be heard for the sake of our children’s education.
ó Felicia Massie
Salisbury
More on being poor
In the Sunday (May 17) Postscripts, Commissioner Raymond Coltrain is quoted as saying he “grew up poorer than a church mouse” and milked cows by hand.
Well, we were so poor, we didn’t even have a cow.
ó Whitey Harwood
Mocksville
Duped on city taxes
The proposed garbage fee/tax decrease is just one way to pick everyone’s pocket.
On a typical $125,000 home, the tax would drop $12.50 while the fee would be $36. Add to that the water/sewer increase, and you have an increase of $59.62 yearly.
And, of course, garbage fees are more easily increased. Please be at the city’s meeting June 2 and voice your opinion.
ó Michael Turner
Salisbury
Uniting against cancer
A heartfelt thank you to all of the team captains, surviors, sponsors, committee members and team members that particpated in the 2009 Relay For Life of Rowan County.
It was another successful year, with 93 teams, more than 1,500 team members and more than $350,000 raised to date. Many teams are still raising funds to help us reach our goal of $405,000. Rowan County is truly a community that comes together in the fight against cancer! Thank you for your support in this fight.
Join us for the wrap-up celebration at First Baptist of Salisbury on May 26 at 6 p.m.
ó Brooke Moose
Concord