Comment Archives: Stories
Re: “This week in disappointment: the budget, fracking again”
A hearty congratulations to NC for dropping to 47th among the 50 states for per-student support for K–12 public schools. We now lead only Arizona, Utah, and Texas, and we are below both South Carolina and Mississippi. Congratulations for showing North Carolina's teachers, who have suffered the worst pay cuts of ANY state over the past decade, how much they matter to us. And congratulations to the Republican party for its exciting new budget, which cuts pre-K funding for poor kids, slashes school aid, eliminates all teacher assistant positions in the second and third grades (only kindergarten and first grade teachers would still be allowed an assistant—if the local school board wanted to pay for it), eliminates caps on class sizes in grades K–3, and cuts $400 million from what the schools need to maintain current funding plus enrollment growth. This shows INCREDIBLE foresight and wisdom! I'm so proud that my fellow North Carolinians showed such acumen in the voting booth, and that our elected officials--who either don't have kids in public school, or don't give a damn about them if they do--have such a keen ability to discern the difference between what is good for this state, and for children, and what is bad.
Re: “Public Schools First NC is sounding the alarm”
The behavior of this legislature is irrational and destructive. What is WRONG with these people.
One mistake: "North Carolina has dropped to 48th ... and now leads only Arizona, Utah and Texas."
Re: “Parents and environmental activists concerned about sewage sludge fields near schools”
The Sewage Sludge Action Network has become involved in helping parents and concerned citizens in Alamance County, North Carolina to halt spraying of sewage sludge adjacent to elementary schools. With reports of higher than normal student illness and absenteeism rates, the practice needs to stop. The City of Burlington and the Alamance County Board of Education have been put on notice having been provided ample scientific evidence to suggest a causal relationship. To not act in protecting children from being exposed to the dangerous chemicals and pathogens contained in sewage sludge constitutes nothing less than willful negligence.
Re: “This week in disappointment: the budget, fracking again”
Wright School is the crown jewel of the state mental health system for children. It serves children and families with great success where other programs and interventions have failed with lasting results. It is truly a one of a kind program and has 50 years of positive results to back up this claim. I sincerely hope that our state rethinks this budget and choses to keep Wright School open. Thanks for shining a light on this issue. Save Wright School.
Re: “Lights, camera, eat! Favorite films about food”
and "Last Holiday" to stir up your gastric juices and "Madeline" (chocolate cake scene) to squelch them
Re: “How Carol Peppe Hewitt and Slow Money NC are raising funds for farmers, one loan at a time”
We are incredibly grateful to Carol and Maryah, both of whom believed in us and played key roles in making Cocoa Cinnamon possible.
Slow Money was key in our making the final push to get open. Without it, we would have had to create a pre-beta category for opening - something far more skeletal than the way in which we have actually been rolling out. :)
Maryah has left her mark in the shop profoundly. Her work, gels with the other work in the shop to make a cabinet of curiosities/fixins station that is one of a kind and a key design element in the shop. Maryah made the glass compartment coffee table and headed a team of volunteers, even when extremely busy, the re-fashioning of our outdoor tables, made from the old window shutters at Brightleaf into new and quirkily shaped curved tables and benches.
We are incredibly grateful to both Maryah and Carol. Working with both of them has made our startup possible and much more fruitful.
Leon Grodski de Barrera
Cocoa Cinnamon
Re: “Under scrutiny, Wake County schools rethink long-term suspensions”
She's going to be serving a really long-term suspension now!
Re: “The Galaxy's not so far, far away: Carolina RailHawks deactivates Dynamo 3-1, will host MLS champs next Wednesday in U.S. Open Cup”
wonder if Bruce Arena will call up Andrew Shue for this match?
Re: “How Carol Peppe Hewitt and Slow Money NC are raising funds for farmers, one loan at a time”
Wonderful!
Re: “Sustenance and survival: the story of Yamazushi”
Charles, to echo Nancy's comment and expand on it, I can tell you that Mr. Yamazawa expressed a similar sentiment. In the most spiritual of Japanese food traditions, a chef won't even cook with garlic, onion or any other root vegetable. Pulling a vegetable from its root is considered killing the plant.
I asked Mr. Yamazawa if he thought printing a soon-to-be vegan concept would deter some current or potential customers, and he said of course -- but with a smile. As highlighted in the story and in Nancy's comment, this is an elegant, personal form of Japanese cuisine that the Yamazawas are excited to share. I hope you do try it. As far as I know, seafood is still a part of the menu. And it is delicious.
Re: “New AFL-CIO report evaluates worker health and safety”
Thanks for covering this! It's a shame that so many workers in North Carolina risk life and limb to bring home a paycheck when it doesn't have to be that way. NC DOL needs to step up to its duties to protect and serve the interests of working people, not the businesses (and campaign contributors to Cherie Berry) that it's supposed to regulate.
Re: “Sustenance and survival: the story of Yamazushi”
For much of its history, Japanese cuisine was heavily influenced by Buddhist and Shinto teachings that forbid killing and the consumption of meat. The general public did not eat meat until after the Meiji Restoration - latter part of the 19th century. Yamazushi is recreating a very traditional, very elegant form of Japanese cuisine rarely seen in the US, much less in North Carolina, and it's very exciting.
Re: “One N.C. county says "no" to fracking”
Fracking in Pennsylvania, years ago, led to massive water table destruction (based on Halli's special sauce) and about $40,000 per home was required to keep the tap water from becoming a flame thrower. Hats off to Anson County.....New York researchers requested five years of research, before they would even issue preliminary comments on the subject, must less approve it!!! What else will this current General Assembly, Koch Brothers, Pope and the like destroy and mutilate in NC to reap their profits off the citizens of this "once progressive" State?
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
I've sat in on political discussions with James and can attest to his seriousness about our situation at the local, national, and world levels. He's no baby kissing glad hander who is in it for the money and power. I'm also a life long registered Independent because when I first registered in 1972 I realized that both parties were too much about business as usual. Its only gotten worse. The business of America is BIG business. James is not that kind of lackey.
Re: “Three new art spaces testify to downtown Durham's increasing vitality”
In that case I would edit article to this:
"Such "whatevers" include the strange, wonderful, deconstructive show called The Wooster Group's "Diary of Anne Frank," a Little Green Pig production that is not your typical Anne Frank play..."
Re: “Gubernatorial candidate James Protzman could rouse the Democrats”
Hi, all, you may remember me as MTBinDurham from BlueNC and other spots.
Here's why James has a long way to go before he gets my support -- I'm not interested in symbolic runs; I want someone who's going to actually get into office. Winning office at the state level is a long and messy process. "Speaking truth to power," or any other number of vacuous slogans and phrases, isn't going to get anywhere.
The progressive I'm going to support is going to be one who shows he can go to North Carolina's small towns where the economy is the worst, jobs are scarce, and the Democratic party is scarcer. Show my you can get those towns not just excited, but organized and motivated to do the tedious work of turning out people to vote and getting everyone moving in the same direction, and I'm on board. Writing internet missives from a comfy chair in Chapel Hill isn't what makes a governor.
Re: “Duke study: High levels of methane in drinking water wells linked to fracking”
I bought a older home a few years ago and had to have a new well dug but now theres something wrong with my water i had it tested and it tested high for methane gas and oil i cant use the water at all and i have stayed sick since i bought the property is there anything i can do or anyone i can speak to about the situation i also have a old store near my home that still has the gas drums in the ground could that be the source of the gas in my water?
Re: “Live: Phil Cook and his Guitarheels celebrate Ry Cooder”
Great review.
Re: “Why Aqua NC customers are furious about their service”
Our community has had several residents complain to Aqua's so-called President, only to get the same form letter back from them saying the exact same thing.
Re: “Parents and environmental activists concerned about sewage sludge fields near schools”
This article fails to address the difference in how sludge is applied to fields. The contractor used by Alamance/Burlington applies by aerial spray which allows the sludge to be carried off site by the wind. Neighbors report spray on their houses, cars, playground equipment, etc. Not only can the particles disperse off site, but they can be breathed in. Although regulations stipulate that application should not occur on windy days, the state doesn't have inspectors to ensure regulations are followed, leaving the truck drivers to regulate themselves.
The waste water treatment process (which includes the materials collected from septic tanks) separates solids from liquids. Liquids are directed back into the water system and solids are commercially composted and/or applied to land. Everyone, rural and urban residents, contributes to the production of sludge, and we are all paying for it. But we can't avoid it. Some activists believe that waste-to-energy will eliminate the problem but waste-to-energy is really just efficient incineration and, like sludge, will need to be heavily regulated and inspected.