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Smoking ban brings mixed emotions Bill will help save lives, Holliman says
New law, pleases some, bothers others BY KARISSA MINN
BY KARISSA MINN
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
The first day of 2010 will be the last day that North Carolina smokers are allowed to light up as they dine out. Beginning Saturday, Jan. 2, smoking will be banned inside most of the state’s restaurants, bars, and lodging establishments. Exceptions include lodging establishments that do not serve food for pay, cigar bars and private clubs. Hotels and motels still can designate up to 20 percent of their rooms as smoking rooms. D av i d s o n County’s own Rep. Hugh Holliman, Democratic House Majority Leader in the N.C. Holliman General Assembly, sponsored the bill as a response to the dangers of secondhand smoke. “I think it’s a great step forward for the health of our citizens,” Holliman said. “I’m real proud that we were able to do that. I think it will save an estimated 1,600 lives per year in North Carolina. That doesn’t count all the money we spend on heart attacks, asthma attacks and lung disease.” Business owners and managers are required to post signs clearly stating that smoking is prohibited, remove indoor ash-
TIMES PHOTO/KARISSA MINN
The sight of cigarettes and ashtrays in restaurants will no longer be seen after the smoking ban goes into effect on Jan. 2. trays and smoking receptacles, and ask anyone who is smoking indoors to extinguish the tobacco product. A patron who continues to smoke after being told to stop can be fined up to $50. Businesses who do not follow these requirements could face a fine of up to $200 per day. Individuals who see violations of the new law are encouraged to first notify the business owner, then the local health department if the violations continue. Holliman said that most of the feedback he has heard about the bill has been “very positive,”
Nine arrested for illegal alcohol sales BY ELIOT DUKE
though there are some people who say that it infringes upon the rights of individuals and businesses. Davidson County Commissioner Fred McClure, who plans to run against Holliman in 2010, is one of them. “A good percentage of the restaurants in Davidson County have already gone to no smoking,” McClure said. “The reason they have done that is because the people that they serve have pretty much demanded it. The fair market generally will dictate most of the standards that we have to have.” McClure said that he under-
Staff Writer
A pair of Davidson County veteran’s organizations were the focus of a four-month investigation by the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division into alleged gambling and illegal alcohol sales. Nine people were arrested as a result of the investigation and are facing a variety of charges, including selling alcoholic beverages without a permit, gambling and possession of spirituous liquor. Denton Amvets Post 240 and Allied Veterans of the World in Southmont are the two locations where the alleged illegal activity occurred. “We received a number of complaints indicating illegal ABC outlets were wide open and operating as night clubs,” ALE Special Agent Chris Poole said. “We will continue to investigate other illegal ABC outlets and gambling establishments in Davidson County as information becomes available
See CHARGES, Page 6
See BILL, Page 6
See PLEASES, Page 6
Vigil held for Ledford grad injured in wreck BY ELIOT DUKE
Staff Writer
stands the health concerns behind the law, but he thinks that the state government is intruding too far into the private sector. “My wife passed away with lung cancer in 2003, so I am not on the [soapbox], necessarily, for smokers’ rights,” McClure said. “But I am very much on the box for businesses’ rights, and government staying out of individual and business enterprises.” Hollman said that while individuals certainly have the
Cindy Addison smoked a cigarette with a friend at lunch Wednesday, enjoying one of the last times they would be dining out together for a while. On Saturday, a new law goes into effect that will ban smoking inside most North Carolina restaurants and bars. Addison, a Trinity resident, isn’t content to just step outside for a smoke, especially in the winter. “It’s 27 degrees out there sometimes, and they expect people to stand in it,” she said. “We’re probably going to start brown-bagging it and just sitting either in her truck or in mine at lunchtime.” Addison said that restaurants themselves should be able to decide whether or not to allow smoking, and non-smokers can choose to go somewhere else. “I think it’s going to hurt a lot of businesses,” she said. Greg Stephens, owner of Harrison’s Restaurant in High Point, is worried that one of those businesses will be his. “I think that people who want to be able to drink, eat and smoke at the same time
When Ryan Fitzgerald was at Ledford High School, he was known for his toughness and strict work ethic. Whether in the classroom or on the playing field, the threesport student athlete faced every challenge with everything he had, both mentally and physically. “You wish you could coach 100 kids like him,” Chris Adams, Ryan’s baseball coach at Ledford, said. “When you see all this outpouring of support it’s just a testament
to Ryan and his family. I always knew what I was going to get from Ryan and that was everything he had. The thing that touched me about [the vigil] was seeing all the former players from all of the sports Ryan was involved in. They He is as quality a kid as you’ll be around. He is truly genuine and I just know he’ll be fine.” As of Wednesday night, Fitzgerald was still facing the biggest challenge of his young life. Five days after his early Christmas morning car accident
TIMES PHOTO/LARRY MATHIS
Friends of Ryan Fitzgerald gather at Ledford High School See VIGIL, Page 6 Tuesday for a candlelight vigil.
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