Many are committed to Neal Smith’s vision
North Carolina lost a great treasure this week with the passing of Neal Smith, but as the Salisbury Post pointed out in its editorial page Friday, he left a treasure behind in the form of the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
Neal did a great service for the people of North Carolina and Rowan County by pushing for this old Southern Railway site to be preserved and developed into the museum you see today. His tireless dedication to this museum, knowing what it could do for the surrounding community, did not end with just sponsoring a piece of legislation. Neal served on the N.C. Transportation Museum Foundation’s Board of Directors for 28 years, from the organization’s inception in 1977 to 2005.
In that time, Neal saw Spencer Shops transformed from a neglected industrial site into one of our state’s finest educational and cultural institutions. Anyone who has followed the story of this museum can attest to the progress that’s been made here, and this is something that Neal was very proud of.
There’s a lot of work left to do, but I know that the staff, volunteers, board members and many other supporters who have invested their time and resources here are dedicated to seeing complete the transformation that Neal helped begin more than 30 years ago.
ó W. Sturges Bryan
Bryan is president of the North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation.
Dedicated to the job
I remember when my dad (James Schmierer) first started working as a police officer in East Spencer. It sure seems like a lot longer the six years ago. He’s worked long hours and has always tried to do a good job. Dad stuck it out and made a difference when others just quit or walked away. That kind of dedication doesn’t grow on trees. It’s about time he gets the credit for it.
ó Brandon Michael Schmierer
Rockwell
Board’s move puzzling
With the controversy of involuntary annexation notwithstanding, I am having some difficulty understanding how the Rowan County Board of Commissioners can vote to hire a law firm and pay for it with some of my county tax money to fight the annexation effort by the city of Salisbury. It perhaps becomes more clear when we understand that the board chairman lives in the area proposed for annexation, but I guess our county attorney has checked into all of this and everything is perfectly legal.
Nonetheless, it appears to me that there is more than one “small-minded embarrassment” sitting on the board today.
ó Jim Bigger
Salisbury