Recent Editorial - July 2002

A celebration of America

July 3, 2002 - John Adams, one of the leaders of the colonial fight for independence, reportedly wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 2, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence “will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward, ever more.”

Lincoln blessed with young, brave ‘heroes’

July 5, 2002 - Just last summer we praised the actions of a young boy scout, Christopher Haney, 10, who rescued his neighbor, 9-year-old Samantha Edwards from a tree after she accidentally came in contact with a power line. We were proud of Christopher, and today we have another reason to be proud of a young Lincolnton boy whose brave actions probably saved the life ..

The saga continues at North Gaston

July 8, 2002 - The saga continues in the North Gaston High School grade tampering scandal. Now we hear that North Gaston’s former principal, forced out of his job in December after the scandal surfaced, has been drawing a salary any way. The school system reportedly put the principal on leave for a year after officials found “leadership concerns” when it was determined that a football player continued to play though he should have been found ineligible because of his grades.

Appreciating water

July 15, 2002 - Water availability is something we take for granted. It’s only during long, hot, rainless summers such as we have today that we find out just how important.

Street sign vandalism

July 22, 2002 - We’ve got problems with teen vandalism and it’s a lot more serious than it seems. The rash of street sign thefts and vandalism shouldn’t be dismissed as harmless pranks. County officials reported some 75 incidents of road signs either vandalized or stolen during the past few months. It’s likely the work of teens riding around at night and getting a laugh. Some of the signs stolen had first and last names. But the problem is that street signs are often of critical importance during a law enforcement or medical emergency. The same can be said of street numbers on homes, which all too often are not properly displayed. If an emergency responder misses a turn because a street sign was missing, or can’t find a home because an address is not visible, minutes are lost that could mean the difference between life and death.

Voters can focus on Lincoln primary election

July 29, 2002 - The primary election date has finally been set and Sept. 10 is not that far away. Voters should start doing their homework right away for this short election cycle. And keep in mind, there will be no runoffs.