The Daily Dispatch - Saturday, January 2, 2009 by The Daily Dispatch

CMYK Dispatch All-Area football team

Reaching toward Heaven

American Profile magazine

Sports, Page 1B

Faith, Page 1C

Inside Today SATURDAY, January 2, 2010

Volume XCVI, No. 2

(252) 436-2700

Grant OK’d for planning U.S. 1 sewer Commissioners to hear report on $40,000 funding By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer

In their meeting on Monday, the Vance County Board of Commissioners will hear a report that a Capacity Building Grant has been approved by the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center. The grant will provide $40,000 to conduct planning for a sewer project along U.S. 1 South. A match of $4,000 will be required. Nancy J. Smith is scheduled to represent the planned Henderson Collegiate Charter School, which has requested temporary use of land at 938 County Home Road adjacent to the former Vance Manor property as a temporary site for the school. Modular buildings would be placed on the property and used by the school until a permanent site for the school is available. The Vance County Properties Committee supports the request with certain conditions. County Manager Jerry Ayscue recommends that the commissioners approve leasing the property for three years at $1 per year. Other agenda items include: • Recognition of Charles Wilson as a community hero. • Presentation by Julie Reid of the Kerr-Tar Council of Governments of bids Please see GRANT, page 3A

Index Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 6A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 7A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Faith. . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4C Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 5C Classifieds. . . . . . . 6-7C

Weather Today Mostly sunny

High: 34 Low: 18

Sunday

www.hendersondispatch.com

Financing GHS hospital upgrade Public comment due Monday on county borrowing $13.5 million By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

OXFORD — The Granville County Commission on Monday will hold a public hearing on a proposed contract for financing a substantial upgrade of the Granville Health System hospital in Oxford, but no vote is expected after the close of the comment period. County Finance Director

Michael Felts told the newspaper Thursday he is going to ask the commission to hold off taking any immediate action and to leave the public hearing open until the next commission meeting. The financing plan needs approval from the Local Government Commission (LGC), which is staffed by the state treasurer’s office and has helped cities with their finances since the Great Depression.

Felts said that a meeting is set for Wednesday with the LGC and that there are many available financing options. Felts said an example is the Build America Bonds part of the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, better known as the Obama administration’s economic stimulus program to boost the weak national economy. The purpose of Build America Bonds is to help repair and up-

grade infrastructure. And Felts said there are so many options that a meeting with the LGC could not have been set prior to Monday. Felts previously said the plan calls for the county to obtain approximately $13.5 million in bank loans to help finance the project, which includes expanding the emergency department, Please see GHS, page 3A

One last smoke

Daily Dispatch/Luke Horton

George Shelton, a cook at the Golden Corral in Henderson, enjoys a cigarette in the restaurant’s smoking section Friday. Starting today, smoking will be prohibited in certain public places, including restaurants and bars, throughout North Carolina.

N.C. smoking ban at restaurants, bars detailed By The Associated Press

Here are some key details about the ban on smoking in North Carolina’s bars and restaurants, which starts today. WHERE NOT TO SMOKE: All indoor areas of nearly every restaurant and bar in the state are covered by the ban. Smoking also is prohibited in enclosed areas of hotels and inns if the establishment prepares and serves food or drink. Places such as convenience stores and bowling alleys also are nonsmoking zones if the businesses comply with sanitation laws for eateries.

EXCEPTIONS: Outside restaurant or bar patios are exempt from the ban unless they have a roof and a wall or side coverings on all sides or all sides but one. Nonprofit private clubs that serve food or drink such as country clubs and those run by fraternal organizations like Kiwanis and Elks largely can permit smoking. Hotels and inns under the ban can still set aside 20 percent of their rooms for smokers. Cigar bars are exempt when they meet several requirements, as well as Hookah bars that neither provide food nor operate a bar.

ENFORCING THE RULE: Restaurants must post no-smoking signs, remove indoor ashtrays and tell people to extinguish their cigarettes or cigars. Customers who refuse to comply can face an infraction and pay a fine of up to $50. A business that chooses not to comply will face two warnings from local health officials before they can receive penalties of up to $200 a day. There are no criminal charges. WHERE TO COMPLAIN: Anyone who observes a possible violation can file a complaint by contacting a county health

department directly. They also can call (800) 662-7030 or fill out a form available at http://www. smokefree.nc.gov THANK YOU: People who’ve had a positive experience at a place of business with the ban can send a message at the Web site. Anti-smoking advocates also want residents to visit restaurants on Tuesdays in January to show their support for the new law. Sources: House Bill 2; Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch of the N.C. Division of Public Health; N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund.

Obama begins '10 with terror on his mind

Sunny and cold High: 33 Low: 18

Details, 3A

Deaths Creedmoor Lester D. Wooten, 52 Henderson Barbara A. Terry, 45 Oxford Calvin T. Downey Warrenton Carl Bullock, 67

Obituaries, 4A

50 cents

Senator: ‘Somebody screwed up big time’ By CALVIN WOODWARD and PHILIP ELLIOTT Associated Press Writers

HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama is reviewing reports from homeland security officials as his administration tries to determine what U.S. policy and personnel failures preceded the attempted Detroit jetliner bombing. Intelligence officials, meanwhile, prepared for what was shaping up to be uncomfortable hearings before Congress about miscommunication among anti-terror agencies and

sweeping changes expected under Obama’s watch. Democrats joined a chorus led by Obama in declaring the government’s intelligence procedures in Obama need of repair. Among them, Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said that when the government gets tipped to trouble as it did before a 23-year-old Nigerian man boarded the Northwest Airlines jet with explosives, “someone’s hair should be on fire.” One senior administration official told reporters traveling with the vacationing president: “The failure to share that information is not going

to be tolerated.” The official, like others involved in the reviews, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence discussions. The Senate Intelligence Committee announced Jan. 21 hearings as part of an investigation to begin sooner. “We will be following the intelligence down the rabbit hole to see where the breakdown occurred and how to prevent this failure in the future,” said Sen. Kit Bond of Missouri, top Republican on the committee. “Somebody screwed up big time.” Few questioned that judgment, even if some Democrats rendered it in more measured tones. Please see OBAMA, page 3A

Forecasters: Cold snap heads for N.C. RALEIGH (AP) — Forecasters say the coldest stretch of weather in years if not decades could be heading for North Carolina. While temperatures won’t be falling to record lows, the National Weather Service says the duration of the cold weather is unusual. Highs could struggle to get above freezing for the next week in areas from Raleigh west. Please see COLD, page 3A

Our Hometown

The Daily Dispatch

Try a new resolution this year: play!

Mark It Down Today Dee’s Music Barn — Dee’s Music Barn, 3101 Walters Road, Creedmoor, will be featuring the Woodard Band at 7 p.m. For more information, call (919) 528-5878. Ridgeway Opry House — Performing are Julia Morton, Jackie Turner, Joyce Chisenhall, Ronald Puett, Donnie Gillam, Matt Nelson, Evylena Norwood, Freida & Delores, and Allen & Betsy Reid and The Home Folks. Guest Band: The Strum Family. Doors open at 6 p.m. Music starts at 7 p.m. Coming Jan. 9: Tri-County Blue Grass Band.

Monday Planning board — The City of Henderson’s Planning Board will meet at 3:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. Oxford Commission — The Oxford City Commission’s agenda meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. in the City Commission meeting room of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro St. Granville Commission — The Granville County Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the County Commission meeting room, 145 Williamsboro St.

Tuesday Elections board — The Vance County Board of Elections will meet at 11 a.m. in the Board of Elections office in the Henry A. Dennis Building, 300 S. Garnett St., Henderson. Zoning board — The City of Henderson’s Zoning Board of Adjustment will meet at 3:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave.

Wednesday Joint replacement class — Rehabilitation Services at Maria Parham Medical Center will offer a class from 3:304:30 p.m. in the classroom at the hospital for those who are planning to have joint replacement surgery. The class will be taught by licensed physical and occupational therapists and will cover exercise recommendations, rehabilitation therapy needs, equipment needs, pain management strategies and what to expect after you have your surgery. The free class is offered to anyone who has elected to have shoulder, knee or hip replacement surgery, regardless of the hospital where the surgery will be performed. Call Ben Soyden at (252) 4361235 for more information. Lake Gaston Association — The Lake Gaston Association will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center at the Lake Gaston Baptist Church on Route 903, one mile north of Eaton Ferry Bridge, near Littleton. Guest speaker will be Brady Martin, newly elected president of the Lake Gaston Chamber of Commerce. The meeting is open to members and non-members. For further information call (252) 586-6577, or, toll free 1-888-586-6577. Economic Development Commission — The Oxford Downtown Economic Development Commission will meet at 8 a.m. in the mayor’s conference room of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro St. Clean-up Henderson — The Clean Up Henderson Committee will meet at 8 a.m. in the conference room of the municipal operations center, 900 S. Beckford Drive.

Thursday Concert — The Catawba College Concert Choir will present a concert for the community at the First United Methodist Church at 7 p.m. The choir, under the direction of Paul E. Oakley, will be beginning a choir tour in Henderson with a variety of musical styles. The concert is free. Chess Club — The Henderson/Vance Chess Club, affiliated with the U. S. Chess Federation, meets at the First United Methodist Church from 6-9:30 p.m. All are welcome, adults and youths, novice or experienced. For more information, call Rudy Abate at 438-4459 (days) or 738-0375 (evenings). Childbirth classes — Prepared childbirth education classes are held at Granville Medical Center, 1010 College St., in Oxford, every Thursday night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the first floor conference room. Women who are scheduled to deliver their babies at any hospital are welcome to attend. To register for the classes, call the Childbirth Education Department at (919) 690-3208. There is a $50 fee for classroom materials. Genealogical society — The Granville County Genealogical Society #1746 Inc. will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Granville County Commissioner’s Meeting Room on Williamsboro Street in Oxford. Guest speaker will be Allen Dew, owner of the Cemetery Census web site and a member and webmaster for the society. Dew started working on cemetery surveys in 1995 and has documented more than 30 counties including Granville, Chatham, Caswell, Alamance, Wake and Surry counties. He will discuss some of the best methods for photographing cemeteries and grave markers. Nonmembers are welcome. Public Works Committee — The Oxford City Commission’s Public Works Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in the engineering conference room of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro St. The committee will discuss the findings of a 30-year master plan for sewer and water services.

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Parents, while making your resolutions this year, why not include a “new resolution” that will improve your relationship with your child? Make a resolution to play with your child more during this new year. According to Carolyn WebsterStratton, Ph.D., many parents underestimate the value of play and consider Vickie it “frivoJones lous and Cooperative unproExtension ductive.” Other parents realize the benefits of play but see no need to get personally involved in it. It is true that very young children engage in a certain amount of spontaneous play, but it is also true that the instinct toward creative play gradually disappears without adult intervention to stimulate its development. There are many benefits of play. It provides opportunities for children to learn who they are, what they can do and how to relate to the world around them. Play helps to build a warm relationship and strong attachments

between family members. Through play you can also help your children to solve problems, test out ideas and explore their imaginations. As well, playtime with adults encourages the development of vocabulary so that children learn to communicate their thoughts, feelings and needs. An important step in playing with your child is to follow his lead, ideas and imagination rather than imposing your own. Don’t structure or organize activities for him by giving commands or instructions. Don’t try to teach him anything. Instead, imitate his actions and do what he asks you to do. You’ll soon discover that when you sit back and give him a chance to exercise his imagination, he will become more involved and interested in playing, as well as more creative. This approach will also foster the development of your child’s ability to play and think independently. When young children are playing, they tend to repeat the same activity over and over again. Children need to rehearse and practice an activity in order to master it and feel confident about their abilities. If they are pushed into a new activity, they may get frustrated and give up playing with their parents because they feel

Tips from the Vance Co. Parenting Task Force Playing with your child When playing with your child: • Don’t engage in a power struggle over the rules or who won. • Don’t worry if a card game is transformed into something altogether different, such as tickets to a movie, airplanes or a creative design. • Don’t correct or criticize your child when he is playing. Instead praise and encourage his imagination and creativity.

• Don’t take over what he is doing. • Laugh, have fun and share your feelings of joy. Source: “The Incredible Years” by Carolyn WebsterStratton By Vickie Jones, N.C. Cooperative Extension

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“How to play with your child” is one of the many evidence-based approaches taught to parents of children ages 3-5 at the Vance County Cooperative Extension Service. The ‘Incredible Years’ basic parenting program provides parents with guidelines to help prevent behavior problems from occurring, and also offers strategies to promote social, emotional and academic competence. We are now taking registrations for a morning and an evening series beginning in January 2010. Parents can attend either 15-week series free of charge. Classes meet once per week. A small meal, class materials, weekly door prizes and incentives are provided to participants who attend the program. For more information or to register, please call Vickie Jones at (252) 438-8188.

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the challenge is too great. Pace the play according to your child’s tempo. Allow plenty of time for him to use his imagination. Don’t push him simply because you are bored — wait until he decides on his own to do something different. Children move much slower than adults from one idea to another. Pacing slowly will help to expand your child’s attention span and encourage him to concentrate on one activity for a period of time. When playing with your child, watch for the cues she gives you. If she’s not interested in playing with a puzzle or learning a game, move on to something she does want to do. You can offer new activities periodically, and when she shows interest, you can respond supportively. Finally, be sure to prepare your child for the end of a play session. Five minutes before the end of a play period, you could say, “In a few minutes it will be time for me to stop playing with you.” When five minutes have passed simply state, “Now it’s time for me to stop playing. I enjoyed this time with you.” Walk away and ignore any pleading. When they realize that there’s a regular play period every day, they’ll have less need to protest, knowing that there will be another op-

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From Page One

The Daily Dispatch

FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR HENDERSON TODAY

TONIGHT

SUNDAY

Mostly Sunny

Clear

Sunny

34º

18º

33º 18º

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Mostly Sunny

34º 19º

37º 19º

38º 21º

Almanac

Sun and Moon

Temperature

Sunrise today . . . . . .7:25 Sunset tonight . . . . .5:11 Moonrise today . . . .7:42 Moonset today . . . . .8:53 Sunrise tomorrow . .7:25 Sunset tomorrow . . .5:11 Moonrise tomorrow .8:56 Moonset tomorrow . .9:30

Raleigh -Durham through 6 p.m. yest. High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Normal High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Normal Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Record High . . . . . . . . .75 in 1985 Record Low . . . . . . . . .13 in 1977

a.m. p.m. p.m. a.m. a.m. p.m. p.m. a.m.

Moon Phases

Precipitation Yesterday . . . . . . . . . Month to date . . . . . . Normal month to date Year to date . . . . . . . . Normal year to date .

... ... .. ... ...

. . . . .

.0.00" .0.00" .0.12" .0.00" .0.12"

Last 1/7

First 1/23

New 1/15

Full 1/30

Lake Levels Elevation in feet above sea level. Data as of 7 a.m. yesterday. 24-Hr. Lake Capacity Yest. Change Jordan 240 218.1 -0.8 Neuse Falls 264 253.7 -0.3

24-Hr. Capacity Yest. Change 203 200.1 +0.3 320 308.5 -0.1

Regional Weather Henderson 34/18

Winston-Salem Durham 36/19 33/17 Asheville 26/9

Rocky Mt. 36/19

Greensboro 33/17 Raleigh 37/20 Charlotte 37/18

Fayetteville 38/19

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Cape Hatteras 37/27

Wilmington 40/22

Today

Sun.

City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Asheville Boone Burlington Chapel Hill Chattanooga Danville Durham Elizabeth City Elizabethton Fayetteville Goldsboro Greensboro Greenville Havelock Hendersonville

26/9 21/10 34/18 36/19 35/18 32/18 36/19 34/21 26/11 38/19 39/19 33/17 37/21 39/20 28/11

33/17 39/19 38/20 39/20 42/24 40/23 36/27 39/19 37/20 31/17 35/19 36/19 37/19 40/22 33/17

pc sn s s s s s s mc s s s s s s

26/11 21/12 34/18 36/19 37/18 32/16 36/19 35/22 27/11 38/19 39/19 33/17 37/20 37/21 27/14

s pc s s s s s s s s s s s s s

High Point Jacksonville Kinston Lumberton Myrtle Beach Morehead City Nags Head New Bern Raleigh Richmond Roanoke Rapids Rocky Mount Sanford Wilmington Winston-Salem

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

33/17 38/21 37/20 38/21 41/24 38/27 35/28 37/21 37/20 32/19 35/19 36/19 37/19 39/23 33/17

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

Weather (Wx): cl/cloudy; pc/partly cloudy; ra/rain; rs/rain & snow; s/sunny; sh/showers; sn/snow; t/thunderstorms; w/windy

This map shows high temperatures, type of precipitation expected and location of frontal systems at noon.

Cold Front

Stationary Front

Warm Front

Low Pressure

and at home, the creation of an intelligenceinformation overseer and countless declarations of intentions to cooperate, it was already clear that the country’s national security fiefdoms were still not operating in harmony before the attempted bombing Dec. 25. The preliminary assessment is part of a continuing, urgent examination that officials said Thursday is highlighting signals that should not have been missed. One likely outcome, they said, was new requirements within the government to review a suspicious person’s visa status. Officials are tracing a communications breakdown that would have had grave consequences except for the attacker’s fumbling failure to detonate an explosion and the quick response of others on the flight. Now Obama, like George W. Bush before him, is struggling to get the nation’s disparate

intelligence and security agencies on the same page. In the heat of hindsight, even Obama and some fellow Democrats are excoriating a system they thought was on the mend in the years after the 2001 terrorist attacks. “The president was direct in his assessment that intelligence failures were a contributing factor in the escalation of this threat,” Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair wrote to employees. “This is a tough message for us to receive. But we have received it, and now we must move forward and respond as a team.” An anxious father’s pointed warning that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, accused of trying to destroy the Northwest plane, had drifted into extremism in Yemen, an al-Qaida hotbed, was only partially digested by the U.S. security apparatus and not linked with a visa history showing the young man could fly to the U.S.

GHS, from page one constructing a new surgical suite and constructing a new central energy plant building. Felts previously said the health system would come up with the rest of the funding for the project, which is expected to cost at least $20 million. The N.C. Division of Health Service Regula-

Forecasters say there are some indications the weather with highs in the 30s and lows in the teens could last up to two weeks. A cold snap like that was last seen in January 1977. A wind chill advisory has been issued for the mountains. Once the temperature dipped below

GRANT, from page one

Today’s National Map 110s 100s 90s 80s 70s 60s 50s 40s 30s 20s 10s 0s

Obama received a preliminary assessment ahead of meetings he will hold in Washington next week on fixing the failures of the nation’s anti-terrorism policy. Administration officials said the system to protect the nation’s skies from terrorists was deeply flawed and, even then, the government failed to follow its own directives. Obama began his new year with a secure phone call with counterterrorism adviser John Brennan and National Security Council chief of staff Denis McDonough to discuss the reviews. A day earlier, Obama spoke separately with Brennan and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who announced she was dispatching senior department officials to international airports to review their security procedures. Despite billions of dollars spent to sharpen America’s eye on dangerous malcontents abroad

ay yd

tion already approved a certificate of need for the county-owned hospital, which is located at 1016 College St./U.S. 15. The County Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the commission meeting room, 145 Williamsboro St. Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.

er Ev

High Pressure

Yesterday’s National Extremes High: 82° in Boca Raton, Fla. Low: -26° in Williston, N.D.

for work on four properties under the 2007 Scattered Site program. • A request by Sheriff Peter White to retire K-9 Officer Argo because of medical reasons. Argo is 10 years old and unable to perform his duties because of pain caused by deterioration of his hips. Ayscue recommends that the commissioners “Declare K-9 Officer Argo as surplus property and approve his sale to his partner/trainer, Sgt. Wesley Parrish, for $1.”

That was one prominent lapse the review is addressing, said U.S. officials familiar with the process. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been made public. Other clues were missed too, such as conversations between the suspect and at least one al-Qaida member that U.S. authorities are studying now. The form of the conversations, whether written or by phone, has not been disclosed and it is not known whether U.S. officials intercepted them before the attack or found them later. Also, in the year before the Fort Hood, Texas, shooting rampage in November that killed 13 people, a joint terrorism task force overseen by the FBI learned of the Army suspect’s repeated contact with a radical cleric in Yemen who encouraged Muslims to kill U.S. troops but did not relay the information about the major to superiors.

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COLD, from page one

Regional Cities Today

OBAMA, from page one

freezing Friday evening, forecasters say it might not get above 32 degrees again until Tuesday or Wednesday. The weather service says check pipes and bring pets inside.

ay yd er Ev

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Contact the writer at dirvine@ hendersondispatch.com. X

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Planning Board to hear request on subdivision By DISPATCH STAFF

The Planning Board will conduct a public hearing Monday on a subdivision request by Gary Lee Jones regarding two lots on nearly five acres of property at 2563 N.C. 39 S. The property is in a moderate-to-low-density zoning district. The Planning Board meeting is set for 3:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave.

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Saturday, January 2, 2010

News Briefs Three children die, father injured in N.C. crash MARION (AP) — Authorities say three children from North Carolina have died after their father crashed into a tree on a rural road in McDowell County. Troopers told The Asheville Citizen-Times that speeding appeared to cause the crash Thursday afternoon outside Marion. Authorities say 14-yearold Jordan Reel, 5-yearold Timberland Reel and 3-year-old Gavin Reel were all killed. Investigators haven’t determined if they were properly restrained in the vehicle. Investigators say the children’s father was driving and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Police investigate human bones found near N.C. coast WILMINGTON (AP) — Police say they have found several human bones in a secluded area along the North Carolina coast. Authorities told the Star-News of Wilmington a skull and other bones were found by officers this week after a man looking for antique bottles first discovered some of the remains. Wilmington police say the bones are believed to be from the same body. They will be examined by an anthropologist and a medical examiner to try and determine the identity of the person and the cause of death. Officers will examine the area for the next few weeks to look for more bones or other evidence. The remains were found in an area often used as an illegal dump about 100 feet from the Cape Fear River.

Police: Robber kidnaps two women from N.C. church STATESVILLE (AP) — Authorities say a masked man walked into a North Carolina church, demanding money then kidnapping two women after finding out the church safe was empty.

Police told multiple media outlets the man let the women go unhurt after using their ATM cards to get money during the Thursday afternoon robbery. The Rev. Donald Shuman says the suspect was wearing a ski mask and gloves when he came to Broad Street United Methodist Church in Statesville, sticking a gun in the faces of the church’s receptionist and business manager. A surveillance camera at one of the ATMs got a picture of the suspect, who investigators have not identified.

Off-duty officer kills would-be robber at ATM GREENVILLE (AP) — Authorities say an offduty police officer shot and killed a would-be robber at a North Carolina ATM. Pitt County Sheriff Mac Manning told The Daily Reflector that deputy Zackary Odom was in his car in Greenville withdrawing money Wednesday night when he saw a man coming up to him with a gun. Manning says Odom shot the robber after he demanded money, and 19-year-old Antonio Lacy died at the hospital a short time later. Odom has been on the job less than four months, but the sheriff thinks he did everything right. But to make sure, Manning turned the case over to the State Bureau of Investigation. Manning says Odom has not been placed on leave.

Va. man turns 100 on New Year’s Day LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — For years when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, the Christ Temple Apostolic Church

F REE

in Lynchburg collected a special offering and wished Maryland Johnson a “Happy Birthday.” This year, church members wished Johnson a happy 100th birthday. A deacon for 65 years, Johnson donated his home for use as a parsonage about 10 years ago. Christine Witcher said her father always helped the church, even lighted the furnace in the winter. The former chauffeur for the founder of Consolidated Shoe Company and mailman for the Norfolk and Western Railroad has 12 children, 28 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren. Witcher said her father encourages his children to live right, whether that means giving a poor man a hot meal or fixing up the soles of his shoes.

Vendor denies Times Square van charges NEW YORK (AP) — A street vendor arrested after a parked van caused a bomb scare in Times Square denies forging the vehicle’s registration and other charges. A defense lawyer told the Daily News Friday that 36-year-old George Freyre doesn’t even own the van. Prosecutors say he told police it was his. Authorities shut down part of the tourist hub for hours Wednesday after realizing the van had been parked for two days with blacked-out windows and no license plates. It contained only clothes and a peddler’s stand. Freyre, who lives in nearby New Jersey, was released without bail after his arraignment Friday. He also is charged with using a bogus law enforcement parking placard. Defense lawyer Bruce Wenger says Freyre turned himself in to police only because “they were looking for him.”

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Deaths Carl Bullock WARRENTON — Carl Bullock, 67, of 719 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., died Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009, at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. Funeral services will be conducted Sunday at 2 p.m. at Oak Level United Church of Christ in Manson. The Rev. Leon White, pastor, will officiate, and burial will follow in the church cemetery. He is survived by four sisters, Barbara Talley of Richmond, Va., Gloria Ashford of Warrenton, Jocelyn Thornton of Holly Springs and Imogene “Jean” Steverson of Summerfield; four brothers, Randolph Bullock of Plainfield, N.J., James Earl Bullock of Landover, Md., Reginald Bullock of Eldersburg, Md., and Gerald Bullock of Richmond, Va.; five nieces, four nephews, four great-nieces, and three great-nephews. The body will be on view today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Boyd’s Funeral Services chapel in Warrenton. Arrangements are by Boyd’s Funeral Services.

Calvin T. Downey OXFORD — Calvin Thomas Downey of 213 Mimosa St. died Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, at his home. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Betts & Son Funeral Home in Oxford.

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HENDERSON — Barbara Alston Terry, 45, of 676 Beck Ave. died Dec. 28, 2009, at Duke University Medical Center. She was born in Vance County and was the daughter of George Howard and Irene Bullock Alston. She joined Mt. Zion

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Memorial services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at the Eakes Funeral Chapel in Creedmoor by the Rev. Toni Stevens. Surviving are his wife, Elley K. Wooten of the home; two daughters, Kelley Jo Martin and Amy Tilley, both of Creedmoor; three sons, Larry Roger Wooten, Austin Daniel Wooten and Joshua Adkins, all of Creedmoor; stepmother, Donna Gail Wooten of Ohio; two sisters, Mary Lou-Ellen Swartzwelder of South Point, Ohio, and Thelda Margaret Hamilton of Kentucky; two stepsisters, Rebecca Lynn Olson of Pennsylvania and Michele Marie Sammons of Kentucky; two brothers, James Edward Wooten and George Jefferson Wooten, both of Ohio; sa tepbrother, Robert E. Lege of Kentucky; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, Larry Wooten. Omission of flowers is requested and memorials may be sent to the University of North Carolina Lineberger Cancer Center, Campus Box 7295, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599-7295. Arrangements are by Eakes Funeral Home of Creedmoor.

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United Church of Christ at an early age and attended Vance County public schools, graduating from Northern Vance High School in 1982. She was employed with United Home Agency as a CNA. Funeral services will be conducted Sunday at 2 p.m. at Progressive Faith Missionary Baptist Church by Minister Dr. Wesley Crews. Burial will follow in Blacknall Cemetery. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her husband, Carnell Terry of the home; a son, Jajuan Montese Alston of the home; five sisters, Velma Williams, Lorraine Yancey and Tammy Alston, all of Henderson, Georgia Terry of Townsville and Josephine Foster of Newark, N.J.; and two brothers, Howard Alston and Zane Alston, both of Henderson. The body will be on view today at the funereal home from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The family will receive friends at the residence. Funeral arrangements are by Davis-Royster Funeral Service.

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Business & Farm

The Daily Dispatch

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Car industry gets makeover, but not for the better WASHINGTON (AP) — The car industry got a historic makeover in 2009, most of it not for the better. General Motors and Chrysler almost went broke and now largely owe their survival to billions in taxpayer money. Sales tanked and auto workers lost jobs in droves. And China became the world’s biggest auto market. But there were signs of hope. The Cash for Clunkers rebate program briefly revived auto lots and helped sell more fuel-efficient cars. Ford managed to avoid bankruptcy. Sales of some vehicles have picked up a little in recent months. Automakers are now staking much of their future on building more fuel-efficient cars like plug-in hybrids and other electric vehicles. But they’ll have to work hard in the new year to bring buyers back. How much did the auto industry change in 2009? Here are some telling numbers.

U.S. DOWN, CHINA UP 9.4 million: Auto sales in the U.S. in 2009 (January through November) 12.3 million: Auto sales in the U.S., January to November 2008 12 million plus: Auto sales in China, January to November 2009 17.3 million: Auto sales in the U.S. in 2001

9.2 mpg: Average increase in fuel efficiency under Clunkers 15,013: Toyota Prius hybrid cars sold under program 16,263: Ford F-150 pickup trucks sold under the program One: Limousine traded in

JOB WOES (figures from November) 658,000: Auto industry jobs in 2009 809,000: Auto industry jobs in 2008 1.32 million: Auto industry jobs in 1999

AP Photo

SHRINKING GOLIATH Four: Number of GM brands planned by 2010 Eight: Number of GM brands at start of 2009 235,000: General Motors global work force in 2009 853,000: General Motors global work force in 1979 75 cents: General Motors closing share price on May 29, 2009, last day of trading before bankruptcy $69: General Motors closing share price on May 28, 1999 Three: Total GM CEOs in 2009 Three: Total GM CEOs from 1990 to 2008

In a Dec. 28, 2009, file photo, employees assemble car parts at a factory of Chinese auto maker JAC Motors in Hefei, in central China’s Anhui province. China has overtaken the U.S. as the world’s biggest market for automobiles.

GOVERNMENT MOTORS $80.7 billion: Total amount of government loans to auto

CLUNKERS $2.85 billion: Total value of Cash for Clunkers rebates

companies (GM, Chrysler, GMAC and Chrysler Financial) $2.5 billion: Amount repaid by late December 60.8 percent: Government’s GM stake 9.8 percent: Government’s Chrysler stake 0 percent: Government’s Ford stake

THEY’LL GET YOU WITH THE FEES $1.55 billion: Estimated auto industry bankruptcy fees (GM and Chrysler’s attorneys, advisers, others) $82.29 billion: GM assets at time of bankruptcy filing $457 million: GM market value on last trading day before Chapter 11 filing SALES ACCELERATE, DECELERATE 161,819, up 17 percent: Ford Fusion mid-size sedan sales from January to November, and increase over 2008 283,243, down 34 percent: Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck sales from January to November, and decrease from 2008 GAS OR ELECTRIC? 365,416: Ford F-Series pickup trucks sold in U.S. in 2009, through November Zero: Plug-in gas-electric hybrid vehicles sold in U.S. by major automakers in 2009, through November At least 12: Number of manufacturers planning plug-in gas-electric vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2013

OFFICIAL BALLOT FOR THE 2009 “BEST OF VANCE COUNTY” 65. Best Golf Course Business _______________________ 66. Best Church Supplier Business _______________________ 67. Best Medical Wear Business _______________________

People 1. Best Contractor Name _________________________ 2. Best Electrician Name _________________________ 3. Best Pharmacist Name _________________________ 4. Best Doctor Name _________________________ 5. Best Nurse (RN, LPN) Name _________________________ Location________________________ 6. Best Medical Assistant (CNA, office assistant) Name _________________________ 7. Best Dentist Name _________________________ 8. Best Optometrist Name _________________________ 9. Best Insurance Agent Name _________________________ Business _______________________ 10. Best Waiter/Waitress Name _________________________ Restaurant ______________________ 11. Best Car Salesperson Name _________________________ 12. Best Hair Stylist Name _________________________ Salon __________________________ 13. Best Sales Team Business _______________________ 14. Best Auto Mechanic Name _________________________ Business _______________________ 15. Best Attorney Name _________________________ 16. Best Elected Official Name _________________________ 17. Best Real Estate Team Business _______________________ 18. Best Real Estate Agent Name _________________________ 19. Best Dental Hygienist Name _________________________ Office _________________________ 20. Best CPA Name _________________________ Firm __________________________ 21. Best Chiropractor Name _________________________ 22. Best Barber Name _________________________ 23. Best Veterinarian Name _________________________

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Your ballot automatically enters you in the 2009 “BEST OF VANCE COUNTY” SWEEPSTAKES!

2009

Goods & Services 24. Best Restaurant Business _______________________ 25. Best Caterer Business _______________________ 26. Best Roofing Co. Business _______________________ 27. Best Sign Company Business _______________________ 28. Best Nursing Home Business _______________________ 29. Best Bank Bank __________________________ 30. Best Tires Business _______________________ 31. Best Clothes Business _______________________ 32. Best Body Shop Business _______________________ 33. Best Jewelry Store Business _______________________ 34. Best Pet Services Business _______________________ 35. Best Used Cars Business _______________________ 36. Best Dry Cleaner Business _______________________ 37. Best Hair Salon Business _______________________ 38. Best Furniture Store Business _______________________ 39. Best Pest Control Business _______________________ 40. Best Gas/Service Station Business _______________________ 41. Best New Cars Business _______________________ 42. Best Cosmetics Business _______________________ 43. Best Muffler Shop Business _______________________

44. Best Florist Business _______________________ 45. Best Home Improvement Company Business _______________________ 46. Best Nursery/Garden Center Business _______________________ 47. Best Car Wash/Detail Business _______________________ 48. Best Shippers Business _______________________ 49. Best Gift Shop Business _______________________ 50. Best Funeral Services Business _______________________ 51. Best Nail Salon Business _______________________ 52. Best Barber Shop Business _______________________ 53. Best Carpet Dealer Business _______________________ 54. Best Drug Store Business _______________________ 55. Best Manufactured Homes Business _______________________ 56. Best Plumbing Company Business _______________________ 57. Best Appliance Store Business _______________________ 58. Best Electronics Store Business _______________________ 59. Best Mattress Dealer Business _______________________ 60. Best Heating & Cooling Co. Business _______________________ 61. Best Preschool or Day Care Center Business _______________________ 62. Best Print Shop Business _______________________ 63. Best Internet Provider Business _______________________ 64. Best Wireless Store Business _______________________

68. Best Mexican Food Business _______________________ 69. Best Italian Food Business _______________________ 70. Best Chinese Food Business _______________________ 71. Best Cup of Coffee Restaurant or Store ________________ 72. Best Pancake and Waffles Restaurant ______________________ 73. Best Stew Restaurant or Deli _________________ 74. Best Hot Dogs Restaurant or Grill _________________ 75. Best Hamburgers Restaurant or Grill _________________ 76. Best Barbeque Restaurant ______________________ 77. Best Fried Chicken Restaurant ______________________ 78. Best Chicken Sandwich Restaurant ______________________ 79. Best Hushpuppies Restaurant ______________________ 80. Best Fast Food Restaurant or Grill _________________ 81. Best Salad Bar/Soup Restaurant or Grill _________________ 82. Best Buffet Restaurant or Deli _________________ 83. Best Pizza Restaurant or Delivery Service ________ 84. Best Steaks Restaurant ______________________ 85. Best Seafood Restaurant ______________________ 86. Best Iced Tea Restaurant or Grill _________________ 87. Best Ice Cream Location________________________ 88. Best Milkshakes Location________________________ 89. Best Desserts Restaurant, Deli or Bakery ___________ 90. Best “Southern Style” Meal Restaurant ______________________ 91. Best Home-Cooked Breakfast Business _______________________ 92. Best Chicken Tenders Business _______________________ 93. Best Fish Sandwich Business _______________________

RULES FOR ENTRY 1. At least 50% of the questions must be answered on your ballot. 2. When voting on names, please put the first and last names and put “jr.”, “III”, etc. when applicable. 3. When voting the name of a chain (for example: Hardee’s Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds, etc.) be sure to specify which location.

4. No mechanical reproductions of “answered ballots: will be accepted. 5. All answers must be applicable to Vance County for eligibility. 6. Send your completed entries to “The Best of Vance County” Retail Dept. P.O. Box 908, Henderson, N. C. 27536

7. Ballots must be received by January 25, 2009. 8. One entry per person. 9. Must be 18 years or older to participate. 10. Complete list of rules are available at The Dispacth

Name (Please Print) ________________________________________ Address____________________________ Telephone (Home) ______________________ (Day) _____________ Signature____________________________

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Opinion

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Cheney’s war vs. underwear

Editorial Board: James Edwards, Publisher • jedwards@hendersondispatch.com Luke Horton, Editor • lhorton@hendersondispatch.com Don Dulin, News Editor • ddulin@hendersondispatch.com 304 S. Chestnut St./P.O. Box 908 Henderson, N.C. 27536 PHONE: 436-2700/FAX: 430-0125

Daily Meditation For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. Luke 21:4

Our Opinion

New laws protect pets

For pet lovers and owners, there are few situations more frightening than discovering Rover or Fluffy missing from home. Adding to the misery would be the discovery that a missing dog or cat has been picked up by an animal control officer and euthanized before the owner has an opportunity to claim it. As a number of new-year laws went into effect on Friday, one approved last July under the sponsorship of Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, streamlines local government animal shelter rules for people attempting to find their lost pets. The new legislation puts into place a required 72-hour holding period, provides for a minimal number of hours for the shelter to be open for viewing, and gives the public the right to view every animal being held in the shelter. Pet lovers and owners can take solace in knowing that standard procedures have been put in place and that they have some time to act if a dog or cat becomes missing. A pet that is found not wearing a rabies vaccination tag and whose ownership cannot be determined may be impounded by an animal control officer under the guidelines established by the local county board of commissioners. The officer shall make a reasonable effort to locate the animal’s owner during the 72-hour period, and animal control officers with access to microchip scanning devices are allowed to scan the pet and utilize any information that may be available through a microchip to locate the owner, if possible. Adoption or euthanasia procedures would be implemented if the animal is not reclaimed by its owners during the impoundment period. The law also sets procedures for a person who comes to a shelter looking for a lost dog or cat to be able to view every animal being held at the shelter. A minimal number of hours for viewing was established — at least four hours a day, three days a week — for those with lost pets to have access to the shelter. According to information available on the internet for each of the three local animal shelters, Warren and Granville appear to comply with the new hours already. Vance’s shelter, however, is listed as open for only 10 hours — from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays and 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Presumably a new schedule will be announced soon. If the shelter houses animals that must be kept apart from the general public, for example, for health reasons or safety concerns, the shelter is required to make reasonable arrangements that allow pet owners to see if their pets are among those animals. If a rescue organization appointed as an agent of the shelter is given possession of a dog or cat that is taken off the shelter premises, at least one photograph which depicts the head and face of the animal should be on display at the shelter for viewing by the public for a 72-hour period. For so many dog and cat lovers, the family pet is just that — family. It’s good to know that reasonable procedures are in place with our animal control officers and shelters that give us pet lovers an opportunity to rescue our pets should they stray from home or become lost.

Quotable “This decade’s over. Let’s get a better one going.” David Fraley of Las Vegas, who lost his job as a supermarket liquor clerk in March.

Has Dick Cheney forgotten 9/11? The one halfway-good memory from those awful days immediately following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks was the spirit of national unity it triggered. As I wrote at the time, nothing focuses the mind like the knowledge that there’s somebody out to kill you simply for being American. “We are a nation comprised of many tribes,” I wrote. “But times like these test how truly united we can be behind a common purpose as one American people.” I’d say that spirit lasted for maybe a good heartwarming week or two before we fell back into partisan bickering. President Barack Obama is not getting nearly that much time after the fortunately fumbled Christmas bombing on board a jetliner by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who shall henceforth and forever be known as the underwear bomber for the delicate location of his explosives. Grabbing the fear-mongering prize, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R., Mich.) fired off a fundraising letter to denounce Obama “and his left-wing cronies” for “decisions that should frighten us all.” After that, it is with unintended humor that Hoekstra notes, “There should be no partisan rancor when it comes to keeping our citizens safe.” Right. None whatsoever. Rep. Peter King (R., NY)

chimed in with complaints that Abdulmutallab was not put before a military tribunal, perhaps to be interrogated more thoroughly. Yet the Bush administration sent a very similar case, so-called shoe bomber Richard Reid, to civilian courts. The case of Reid, who tried to bring down a jetliner by detonating his own shoes, is instructive as we Clarence evaluate the Page remarks of former Vice Tribune Media President Services Cheney. Reviving his Grumpy Old Man act in a statement to Politico, Cheney said Obama “seems to think if he has a low-key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won’t be at war.” Low-key response? That’s gratitude for you. Cheney gives Obama no credit for how closely the new president’s military actions and policies mirror those of the administration he replaced — even when actions like his troop buildup in Afghanistan have outraged much of his left-progressive base. President George W. Bush was on vacation during the shoe-bombing attempt, as Obama was during the at-

tempted underwear bombing. Bush took six days to respond to Reid’s attempt. The Obama White House issued a background statement on Christmas calling the underwear bomb incident an “attempted terrorist attack,” which was more specific than Team Bush’s early statements. Cheney also failed to mention how two key figures in al-Qaida’s Yemen movement, which has claimed responsibility for the attempted underwear bombing, were released from Guantanamo by the BushCheney administration. Cheney fumes about Obama’s avoidance of Bush’s cherished term “war on terror,” as if there was no problem with Bush-Cheney’s obsession with war metaphors. In fact, “terror” is a tactic, not the enemy. Fighting terrorists calls for a smart combination of military, counterintelligence and international police work, whether the cases end up in civilian courts or military tribunals. Instead of partisan bickering about whether Team Obama says “war” often enough, Americans should be focusing on what President Obama correctly called a “systemic failure” of our defenses against terrorism. The failures that allowed Abdulmutallab to board that plane despite numerous warning signs are similar to the military’s internal failures that led to the recent killing of 13

people at Fort Hood, Texas, allegedly by an Army officer who corresponded with a radical American cleric in Yemen. Among the lessons the attempted Christmas bombing reveal: We still need to teach our intelligence agencies to talk to one another. Bush’s Department of Homeland Security was designed to streamline the ability of various agencies to track terrorists in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. It still isn’t working. Our search-and-scan security checkpoints at airports keep guarding against earlier terrorist methods, while the terrorists keep coming up with new ones. The shoe bomber led to our having to remove our shoes at airports. What now? Will we have to remove our underwear? Finally, our leaders need to level with the public. Obama’s Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made a big mistake by declaring too soon that “the system worked,” when it obviously had not. Like Bush’s saying “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of job” after Hurricane Katrina or Sen. John McCain saying “the fundamentals are strong” while our economy collapsed, Napolitano tried to reassure the public but ended up making us angry. Instead of pretending that a system is working when it really isn’t, good leaders enlist help from all sides to work better.

Other Views DHHS’ no-bid service contracts risky

While saving money on the state’s over-budget Medicaid program for the poor is laudable, trying to reach that goal by pushing no-bid service contracts can be a risky proposition. With the General Assembly’s blessing, the Department of Health and Human Services can circumvent, for six months, the competitive bid process. The rationale is that quickly finalizing contracts will help generate substantial savings during the recession. However, that gives DHHS way too much discretion without sufficient oversight. Unless the agency’s clients are properly served, any money saved will be a hollow accomplishment. And questions are being asked about the $33 million dering tens of millions of their Medicaid diabetes supplies own people through collectivism and oppression. When that didn’t pact with a company that relocated to Charlotte from work, they embraced markets, Florida, where it left a trail and the poverty rate dropped of questionable business from 64 percent to around 8 practices, lawsuits and percent today. bankruptcy. As it always does, capitalism Letting contracts under drove innovation over the last a veil of secrecy inevitably decade. The BlackBerry was introduced in 1999, but the iPhone leads to questions. Did the state get the best deal posdidn’t exist in 2000, nor did the sible? What went into the iPod. YouTube was a fantasy, decision-making process? and no one could even imagine Could another vendor have why you’d ever need something like Facebook or Twitter (in fair- provided a superior product or service for less, had it ness, some people still ask that also been notified? There’s question). iTunes was launched no way of knowing. in 2003, and five years later it Ideally, heightened transwas outselling Wal-Mart as the parency should compensate No. 1 music retailer. Governwhen competition lags. But ment-funded basic research in despite rumblings that this medical science deserves some credit for breakthroughs, but it’s deal included a Prodigy promise to move production worth remembering that lots of countries invest in basic research. from China to Charlotte and America, with its markets, stands create 150 jobs, the contract lacks specific incentives. alone as the leading, arguably Even if company officials sole, source of medical innovation. can adequately explain Every good thing capitalism past problems, enough red helps produce — from singing flags are waving to justify careers to cures for diseases to staggering charity — is credited closer DHHS scrutiny and to some other sphere of our lives. proceeding cautiously. To protect taxpayers, checks Every problem with capitalism, and balances need to be in meanwhile, is laid at her feet. Free markets are in disrepute place. State contracts first must these days, particularly by the people running Washington. For assure clients that they’re them, government is the solution getting the highest level of service from reliable providand capitalism is the problem. If they have their way over the next ers. Opening the process to all qualified bidders is the decade, they won’t cure what allegedly ails capitalism — people best way of doing it. To do otherwise understandably will still steal and lie — but they will impede everything that raisesfears of favoritism and makes capitalism great. And that abuse. will be bad for everyone, even The News & Observer, Raleigh NPR.

Capitalism fingered as fiend of ’09 On the last day of 2009, that awful year, I was listening to a report on National Public Radio (yes, I’m a listener). Reporter Tamara Keith presented a bynow-familiar recap of the worst financial and corporate scandals of the decade, from Enron and Martha Stewart to Tyco and Bernie Madoff. It was a depressing slog of greed, venality and theft. When the report was over, “Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep summarized the report with a tart: “The decade in capitalism.” I don’t want to single out Inskeep, since he was doing what pretty much the entire media establishment has done, particularly of late: reducing “capitalism” to its alleged sins. And that’s the point. There are few areas of life where a thing responsible for so much good gets so little credit for it. Imagine if I were to collect the most infamous deeds of AfricanAmericans over the last decade — say, Michael Vick’s dog-fighting scandal and O.J. Simpson’s most recent criminal exploit — and then put a bow on it with the phrase “the decade in black America.” What if I did the same thing with Jews? Bernie Madoff, the face of Jewish America! Do the scandals of Rod Blagojevich, Charlie Rangel and John Edwards define the Democratic Party from 2000 to 2010? Do Abu Ghraib and the balloon boy sum up America? Consider NPR. As a brand, it claims to be standing athwart capitalism because it’s “public.” What that means exactly is a bit unclear, since it still allows corporations to fund its programming

in exchange for audio endorsements none dare call commercials and relies on the kindness of listeners to keep it afloat — listeners Jonah who, one way Goldberg or another, make their Tribune Media money from Services you-knowwhat. Indeed, speaking of the decade in capitalism, National Public Radio failed to mention that Joan Kroc, widow of Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, left more than $200 million to NPR in 2003. In a similar vein, the decade of capitalism saw one of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffett, pledge more than $30 billion to a foundation created by another offspring of capitalism, Bill Gates, for the purpose of aiding the world’s poor. Capitalism doesn’t just create generous wealthy people, but generous poor people, too. Americans give twice as much to charity as the most generous European nations, and the most generous Americans are, in fact, poor Americans. But forget philanthropy. Since 2000, hundreds of millions of people in China and India — home to a plurality of the world’s poor — have lifted themselves out of poverty and illiteracy thanks to capitalism. China started to embrace markets as a last resort in the late 1970s. First they tried mur-

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Dear Abby

News From The Light Side SATURDAY Morning / Early Afternoon 1/2/10

On this date: In 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In 1900, Secretary of State John Hay announced the “Open Door Policy” to facilitate trade with China. In 1929, the United States and Canada reached agreement on joint action to preserve Niagara Falls. In 1935, Bruno Hauptmann went on trial in Flemington, N.J., on charges of kidnapping and murdering the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was found guilty, and executed.) In 1959, the Soviet Union launched its space probe Luna 1, the first manmade object to fly past the moon, its apparent intended target. In 1965, the New York Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath to a contract reportedly worth $427,000. In 1974, President Richard M. Nixon signed legislation requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 miles an hour. (However, federal speed limits were abolished in 1995). Ten years ago: Retired Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr., known early in his career for modernizing the Navy and later for order-

One year ago: President George W. Bush branded Hamas rocket attacks on Israel an “act of terror” and outlined his own condition for a cease-fire in Gaza. President-elect Barack Obama and his family arrived in Chicago after a holiday vacation in Hawaii. AirTran Airways apologized to nine Muslims kicked off a New Year’s Day flight to Florida. Actor John Travolta’s 16-year-old son, Jett, died at the family’s vacation home in the Bahamas. Today’s Birthdays: Country musician Harold Bradley is 84. Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is 68. TV host Jack Hanna is 63. Actress Wendy Phillips is 58. Actress Gabrielle Carteris is 49. Movie director Todd Haynes is 49. Retired AllStar pitcher David Cone is 47. Actress Tia Carrere is 43. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is 42. Model Christy Turlington is 41. Actor Taye Diggs is 39. Rock musician Scott Underwood (Train) is 39. Rock singer Doug Robb (Hoobastank) is 35. Actor Dax Shepard is 35. Actress Paz Vega is 34. Country musician Chris Hartman is 32. Rock musician Jerry DePizzo Jr. (O.A.R.) is 31. R&B singer Kelton Kessee (IMX) is 29. Actress Kate Bosworth is 27.

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