THUMBS UP to Sylvia Greene for her sculpture commemorating 9/11. It is a poignant piece, actually finished a few days before the terrorist attacks in 2001, but "Vision II" nonetheless is a fitting memorial to that tragic day. Greene is a noted Lenoir artist, and "Vision II" is on display at the Hickory Museum of Art. It's a great addition to the museum's extraordinary treasury of fine art.
THUMBS UP to continued progress toward economic recovery by the area's economic development groups. A project announced earlier for Alexander County is growing. Once projected to bring 128 new jobs, the Caye Home Furnishings project has now grown to 165 jobs. Two other companies are in the mix at a former Broyhill plant, and the eventual payroll will be bigger. Industrial Timer and North Carolina Foam and Sales will be in the facility near Alexander Industrial Park. The Alexander County commissioners are happy, and the Alexander Economic Development Corp. has worked hard to assure investment in the county. We're not talking about a lot of jobs, but every one counts as the area tries to dig itself out of the economic doldrums. Manufacturing probably will never be as big as it once was, but investing in the Unifour is still viable and a good bet for employers.
THUMBS UP to Gov. Beverly Perdue for vetoing the so-called confidentiality bill passed in the recent legislative session. Perdue rightly notes that the bill increased the documents and records the General Assembly can be kept secret. North Carolina historically has been at the forefront on public access to government. We must not backtrack now. Government cannot operate under a cloak of secrecy. Our open meetings — or government in sunshine — law is among the strongest in the nation. Any bill that dilutes the people's access to public business deserves an unqualified THUMBS DOWN.
THUMBS UP to Hickory High School, Mountain View Elementary School and all the other schools and groups that took time out Thursday to observe Constitution Day. It's good that children learn about the building blocks of our nation, and the Constitution is the document, the concept, upon which all that is America rests. It embodies the notion of God-given rights, equality and government by the people. It is the United States of America. Our children must know intimately this deepest of all liberty's roots.
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