With joblessness in the state at a 25-year high and the needy standing in line for aid, some are making direct pleas for help online instead.
In recent weeks, dozens of people have posted requests for help on the Raleigh edition of Craigslist, the Web site that offers free classified ads. As Christmas approaches, many posts have taken a desperate tone, asking for used children’s clothing, shoes or toys, holiday decorations, even food and rent money.
Thousands of nonprofit agencies across the state are dedicated to easing the suffering of the poor, but Craigslist is a place where people can ask directly for immediate help and connect with sympathetic individuals, not bureaucracies. Especially during the holidays, it’s a high-tech tug on the heartstrings.
“I need some help really badly. My family and I have hit some really hard times and are unable to pay our rent for this month,” read a post Dec. 5 from Zebulon with the subject line, WE NEED A MIRACLE. “The amount is 350.00. I don’t know what we are going to do. We honestly just do not have the money. This is not a scam, I am being as real as I possibly can be. We need help. Can someone help us please!!”
Four days earlier, a woman wrote: “My husband and I are looking for children’s items for a newborn boy and a 7-year-old girl. We are really having a hard time right now, though I know everyone is. …
“We moved to Raleigh and have had a string of bad luck and are trying to put something together for Christmas.”
‘It’s hard to keep up’
Vicki Shearin of Louisburg never thought of asking for help from anybody until this year. Her husband, Ricky, is disabled by end-stage emphysema, and her job as a shift supervisor at a local drug store is barely enough to pay the bills and medical expenses. As he undergoes tests to see if he is a candidate for a lung transplant, she tries to make sure that he’s comfortable and that their three sons still living at home have what they need.
Looking through Craigslist, she sometimes noticed people offering goods for free if someone would pick them up. She went a step further and put up a note in the “for sale” category, under “wanted,” asking if anyone had jeans or shirts in her boys’ sizes he or she couldn’t use anymore.
“I’m not even asking for Christmas help,” Shearin said. “I was just basically trying to find some clothes for the kids. They go from a 10 to a 14 overnight, and it’s hard to keep up.”
Shearin used her home computer. Others post from public computers at libraries or use those of friends.
Craigslist, which is administered by a staff of about 25 people in California, did not respond to requests for interviews about needy persons’ use of the site to solicit help. But other Craigslist users often “flag” them and remove them. Sometimes, the user who objected will add a scolding or cautionary note.
On Dec. 16, one asked why those who need help don’t turn to family instead of strangers. On Dec. 19, another suggested that some of those asking for donations were collecting goods to re-sell later.
On Monday, a user at sale-966789084@craigslist.org wrote: “I recently responded to a post for used FREE tv. The tv we offered was a 20 inch color tv with remote less than 2 yrs old. The POSTER of the add declined the tv saying she did NEED a free tv but wanted it to be 32 inches or larger…. There is a huge difference between NEED and WANT.”
R.J. Moshay, spokesman for Triangle United Way Inc., said he didn’t know people were using Craigslist to appeal for aid.
“I always thought of Craigslist as, ‘I need a roommate, I want a car,’ ” he said
Read More:News & Observer
Start Spring Early with Indoor Gardening
(ARA) - Let’s face it — February, March and April can be gray and dreary months. You’re more than ready for spring to begin, but Mother Nature is on a different schedule. But you can jump start the season of growth early and bring it inside where you can enjoy it through those last moments of winter.
Stale, polluted air happens frequently when homes are closed up for the winter months. But houseplants help to lighten the mood and purify the air. A NASA study found that houseplants remove up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air inside a sealed chamber within 24 hours.
Start your spring season early by planting vegetables, herbs and flowers while winter is still in the air, so they’ll be primed for transplanting when the spring season actually arrives. You can watch the plants as they shoot their little green stems out of the fresh dirt, monitoring them as they grow larger and larger.
* Use loose potting soil to promote root growth. Outside, worms and insects tunnel through the dirt, naturally breaking it up to help plants spread their roots. To mimic their effect indoors, use potting soil mixed with peat moss, vermiculite and perlite to create a light texture that won’t compact after a couple of waterings.
* Keep the humidity level above 50 percent with a humidifier. Not only will your plants appreciate the extra moisture, but so will you. When the humidity drops below 50 percent, most plants suffer from water loss through their leaves, and it’s difficult to regain that water balance, even with frequent watering.
* Really bring spring inside your home with beautiful pots and decorating accents. Visit Montgomery Ward (www.Wards.com) to find unique gardening accents. A garden gate gives vines a place to climb and you can also use it to decorate your walls as a headboard or wall hanging. Imagine waking up in the morning to see the vine stems spiraling around the gate toward the window. Or search for elegant and decorative plant stands that match your decor, and bring to life a beautiful and scented herbal garden to spruce up your kitchen counters.
* Check the nutrient levels for your plants. Outdoor plants get nutrients reimbursed naturally, but indoor plants don’t have that luxury. Every time you water your indoor plants, you wash some of the fertilizer out of the soil. Not all plants like the same amount or kinds of fertilizer, so do a little research.
* Make sure the natural light is adequate. Some plants like direct sunlight and must be located near a south-facing window, while others prefer a few hours of indirect light. When plants don’t get the light they need, they start to appear very thin and frail. Also make sure as your plants begin to grow, that you rotate the pots so they grow straight, rather than bending unnaturally toward the source of light. If your house does not have enough natural light sourcing, artificial lights work as a good supplement.
* Take care of your plants when you leave home for more than a couple of days. You can always ask a neighbor to come in and make sure your plants get a good drink of water, or try the Oasis Plant Watering System available at Montgomery Ward (www.Wards.com ). Place drip lines in each of the plants, set the system for the number of days you’ll be gone and the gravity-fed system will irrigate your foliage twice a day. For plants that require more water, double up the drip lines, and enjoy your time away. When you return home, spring will await you inside.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
The brisk pace reflects predictions that general election turnout will set records this year
Louise Renner, 79, voted Thursday for the first time since 1976. Using a walker, she inched down Fayetteville Street from the Sir Walter Apartments to be one of the first to cast her ballot at the Wake Board of Elections office in downtown Raleigh.
Renner declined to reveal whom she was voting for but said that she wanted to make a statement by voting early.
“I’m so burned up with the way this country is being run,” she said. “It’s not just one thing, but everything.”
Val Simpson, 66, used to think that she would not live to see a black candidate with a real chance of becoming president.
“I’ve seen it all — the dogs, the marches — I’ve come full circle,” said Simpson as she stood in line outside the elections office near downtown Durham. “Thank you, Jesus, that I’m here to see it. Thank you.”
Civic duty, the sense they were making history or just the desire to get voting over with sent thousands to the polls for the first day of early voting in an election season expected to set turnout records.
Statewide vote totals were not available, and efforts to reach Gary Bartlett, executive director of the State Board of Elections, were unsuccessful. But in Durham, voters arrived at the election headquarters before 6 a.m., knowing they wouldn’t be able to get in until 9 a.m., said local elections director Mike Ashe. More than 6,250 people had voted in Durham by the end of the day.
“This is huge,” Ashe said. “It doesn’t take a genius to know this is a big election. There’s no incumbent president, no incumbent governor. Commissioners, taxes, we’ve got everything on this ballot. Obviously, the presidential election is driving this train.”
More than 6,000 Wake voters had cast ballots by 5 p.m., said Cherie Poucher, the county’s elections director. She said she was startled when she got to work and saw the line outside the building. “This election is of more interest than any other general election in the 18 years that I’ve been here,” she said.
N.C. a swing state
The presidential campaigns are paying unusual attention to North Carolina this year, with polls showing a tie between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. No Democratic presidential candidate has won the state since Jimmy Carter did in 1976.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin visited the state Thursday. McCain is coming to the state Saturday, and Obama is returning Sunday.
The atmosphere was electric Thursday as voters crowded polling places around the state.
Kenny McLawhorn, 18, a UNC-Chapel Hill freshman from Kinston, participated in his first election Thursday. He voted a straight Republican ticket, even though he said he was not happy with the way President Bush has conducted the war in Iraq.
“McCain I see as not as far right as Bush is,” McLawhorn said. “He’s more moderate, and Obama’s too far left.”
McLawhorn said early voting was convenient and exciting because North Carolina has become a swing state this election.
Both parties have emphasized early voting this year, but the feeling that Obama could win here appeared to energize his supporters.
When poll workers at Wake’s election headquarters unlocked the doors at 8:30 a.m., there were more than 50 early birds in a line that wrapped around a corner of the building. The Obama vibe was strong, with a handful wearing his name on buttons, T-shirts and, in one case, a baseball cap. As the line moved forward, at least two people loudly exclaimed to each other that he was why they were there.
At N.C. Central University in Durham, hundreds of students marched across campus to a polling place set up in a former church.
Carolyn Edgerton, 63, had been there hours earlier, waiting in a line that had grown to at least 40 by the time the doors opened.
Read More:News & Observer
RALEIGH - Opening night in the National Hockey League is all about new beginnings. A new season, with all its possibilities. New faces in the locker room. New hope.
So it will be tonight for the Carolina Hurricanes, who open the season against the Florida Panthers at the RBC Center.
The Hurricanes missed the playoffs the past two seasons, which causes veterans such as Rod Brind’Amour to burn with intensity. That the Panthers were the team that beat the Canes in the last regular-season game last season, denying Carolina a playoff spot, only adds to it.
“That rings a big bell for a lot of us,” defenseman Tim Gleason said Thursday. “It’s a new start, a different season and two points on the line, and there’s a little revenge there, obviously.
“But we need to forget about what happened last year. This game has been a long time coming. We’re rarin’ to go.”
To look about the Canes’ locker room Thursday was to quickly grasp how much has changed since opening night last year, of how many were not in the room.
Sergei Samsonov and Tuomo Ruutu were with the Chicago Blackhawks, Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves with the Ottawa Senators. Joni Pitkanen was with the Edmonton Oilers.
Anton Babchuk was playing in Russia. Michael Leighton was in the American Hockey League. Brandon Sutter was preparing for another year of junior hockey in Red Deer, Alberta.
As for Dan LaCouture, he was at home in Centerville, Mass., unsure what the year would bring. His hockey career, he feared, could be over at age 30.
For Samsonov, coming to the Hurricanes in early January — claimed off waivers — was a rebirth of sorts. In 38 games for Carolina, the winger had 14 goals and 18 assists and clearly enjoyed himself again on the ice.
“It had been a rough couple of years,” he said. “You start wondering which way things are going and wondering if you’ll ever get that opportunity again. Luckily, it did. Coming in, getting a fresh start, getting an opportunity, it made a whole difference for me.”
Trades brought Ruutu, Corvo and Eaves to the Canes last season. Babchuk, a former Carolina defenseman, re-signed with the team in the offseason, and defenseman Josef Melichar was signed to a one-year deal.
Eaves and Corvo came to the Canes in February. Corvo in particular was relieved; the defenseman played his best hockey of the season (21 points in 23 games).
“If you had said at the beginning of last year I’d be with Carolina, I’d probably put a pretty big smile on my face,” the defenseman said. “I wanted out of [Ottawa].”
Speaking of smiles, few players smile more than Pitkanen, the team’s most discussed newcomer. He came to Carolina in the big offseason trade that sent Erik Cole to Edmonton and has won over his teammates with an easygoing personality and some impressive hockey skills.
Read More:News & Observer
NO. 7 BROUGHTON AT NO. 1 WF-ROLESVILLE
7 P.M., TRENTINI STADIUM
WF-R WON 14-13 IN 2007
Top-ranked Wake Forest-Rolesville (5-1) faces red-hot Broughton. The 5-2 Caps upended Leesville Road last week. Broughton’s Emery Young averages 113 yards rushing, while WF-R QB Tim Hartman gets 119 yards passing.
NO. 5 WAKEFIELD AT NO. 9 LEESVILLE ROAD
7 P.M., PRIDE STADIUM
LEESVILLE WON 37-5 IN 2007
Wakefield (6-1) knocked off previously unbeaten and top-ranked Millbrook last week behind 407 passing yards by Drew Wilkinson. Leesville (6-1) is trying to rebound from a loss against Broughton.
SANDERSON AT NO. 6 MILLBROOK
7 P.M., WILDCATS STADIUM
MILLBROOK WON 14-3 IN 2007
Millbrook (6-1) saw its world turn upside down last week in a loss to Wakefield. Wildcats QB Brian Kass averages 171 passing yards, and Kuwon Eldridge gets 126 yards rushing. Sanderson QB Jeff Massey leads an option offense with 766 rushing yards.
NO. 12 DUR. JORDAN AT NO. 4 S. DURHAM
7:30 P.M., SPARTANS STADIUM
JORDAN WON 31-21 IN 2007
Southern Durham (4-2) is 2-0 in the PAC-Six because it outscored Northern Durham 35-28 and out-defended Hillside 12-9. Jordan (4-2) has battled injuries. After winning the first four games, the Falcons fell to Northern Durham 31-13 and Hillside 14-9.
Read More:News & Observer
What: Wake County Public Libraries’ annual storytelling festival, now in its 26th year, featuring two days of storytelling.
When and where: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Historic Oak View County Park, 4028 Carya Drive, Raleigh; 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday at Marbles Kids Museum, 201 E. Hargett St., downtown Raleigh
Who goes: All ages.
What to know before you go: The festival’s main event is the afternoonlong program at Historic Oak View County Park. It features continuous storytelling on the park’s spacious lawn for five hours.
Willa Brigham, host of the TV show “Smart Start Kids,” which airs on WRAL-TV on Saturday mornings, is the featured teller. But others also will be there to entertain kids of all ages.
For the hearing-impaired, there will be American Sign Language-interpreted stories from noon to 2 p.m. And tellers will offer some special stories for the youngest listeners. So if you’ve got young children in tow, be sure to check the program when you get there to find out where they are.
A hay ride shuttle with more storytelling will take you the short distance from the parking lot to the festival. Food will be sold on site, but feel free to bring a picnic, blankets and chairs to spread out and enjoy the stories. The event is free and open to the public. It will take place rain or shine.
If you can’t make it Saturday, or don’t get enough storytelling then, you can find Brigham performing at Marbles at 1 and 2 p.m. Sunday.
For more information about the storytelling festival, call Wake County Public Libraries at 250-1200 or go to www.wakegov.com/libraries/events/storytelling.
Read More:News & Observer
CARY, N.C. — Guitar Hero enthusiasts will get the chance to compete over two days at the visitRaleigh.com Benefit Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the John Entwistle Foundation for the chance to win a pair of tickets to the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio. The overall winner will have the opportunity to test their skills against 16-year-old Raleigh Guitar Hero whiz, Blake Peebles. The concert is slated for September 19 & 20 at Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary, N.C.
Competitors will perform an already selected challenge song and each score will be recorded. One winner will be declared on Friday and one on Saturday with each victor claiming a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame membership package. The two champions will battle on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for the ultimate prize of two tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The final contest winner will face Peebles on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. in an attempt to beat Guitar Hero’s fastest fingers.
A registration table will be set up for the contest just inside the amphitheatre entrance. Registration will begin on Friday, September 19 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 20 at 12:00 p.m. Once the competitor has registered, they may perform the challenge song and try to earn their best score.
Winning the contest isn’t the only way to get a ticket to rock and roll’s biggest night. A random drawing consisting of all registered Guitar Hero participants will take place for another chance to win a pair of tickets to the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
So, sharpen those skills on expert and bring it to the visitRaleigh.com Rock Hall Benefit Concert at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre for an opportunity to win rockin’ prizes.
Last March, Madonna, John Mellencamp, The Ventures, the Dave Clark Five, Leonard Cohen, and Gamble & Huff were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the Class of 2008. The 2009 finalists will be announced late this fall.
Tickets to the September 19-20 festival are on sale at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre box office and via Ticketmaster. The visitRaleigh.com Rock Hall Benefit concert is presented by the Town of Cary and sponsored by SunTrust Bank, American Airlines, Harris Wholesale, Raleigh News & Observer, 96 Rock, 850 The Buzz, Paragon Commercial Bank, Prime Mortgage Lending, French/West/Vaughan and Black Diamond Capital Group. Proceeds from the concert will benefit both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum’s educational outreach and the John Entwistle Foundation’s program of providing musical instruments and music lessons to disadvantaged youths through the public library systems in communities across the country. For more information, visit www.rockhallbenefit.com.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
SAS is going to high school.
The Cary software company is expanding a pilot programming course taught at Apex High School to nine other high schools this academic year.
Seven of the newly added schools are in North Carolina, including Cary High School and the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, and one each is in Florida and Alabama. The course will be available to high schools across the country beginning in January.
“I do think it is something that can be successful nationwide,” said Julie Oster, director of Apex High’s information technology-oriented curriculum. “It’s a skill that is in high demand … because SAS is used in so many industries. Statistical analysis is now everywhere.”
John Garrison, a senior at Apex High who took the SAS course last year, said it opened his eyes to the power of data. “It really allows for a lot of statistical analysis,” he said. “It’s a great platform for learning.”
The teen said he found the “syntax” of SAS — the basics of the programming language — easy. But it was harder to determine the best ways to process and manipulate data, which is at the heart of the company’s business intelligence and analytics software.
SAS, which has more than 4,000 workers in Cary, views the course as a way of doing good — enriching student curricula — as well as helping itself by spreading the word about the company and training what is potentially a new generation of SAS programmers.
That’s important because demand for SAS programmers exceeds supply. Demand is especially high at pharmaceutical and financial services companies that use SAS software.
The high school program is an extension of the company’s efforts to teach SAS skills at the university level.
That includes helping to develop N.C. State University’s master’s degree program in analytics and a data mining certificate program at Oklahoma State University.
Nor is SAS’s push into high schools unique. More schools are offering information technology curricula, and IT companies are eager to work with them. Cisco Systems courses were taken by 2,939 students at 47 high schools in North Carolina from October 2006 to October 2007, the company said.
“The same courses I’m teaching at high school, you can actually take at a community college or university,” said Geof Duncan, who teaches two Cisco courses — network engineering technology I and II — at Knightdale High School.
The first course teaches students to set up a wired or wireless network in a home or small office. The advanced course teaches skills such as configuring routers. Combined, the two courses are the equivalent of one college course.
Leslie Keller, the Apex teacher who worked with SAS to adapt its adult certification program for the high school level, views the course as useful even for students who don’t pursue a career in IT.
“All programming language is problem-solving and critical thinking, regardless of what the programming language is,” she said. “In addition, SAS offers a broader perspective and appreciation of data and how it can be beneficial and how it can be used.”
SAS’s sophisticated business intelligence and analytics software isn’t easily explained in a few words, but Keller has a pat description: “SAS takes data and turns it into useful information. It analyzes the data, creates reports from the data in many, many different ways.”
For years SAS has been approached by high schools interested in teaching SAS programming. Until now the company didn’t have a course to offer them, said Caroline McCullen, director of SAS education initiatives
Read More:News & Observer
(ARA) – If you’re torn between your concern for the environment and your need to make a living, good news is on the horizon. Rising demand for environmentally friendly alternatives for fossil fuels is opening up new career opportunities for professionals in a variety of fields.
Growing environmental concern and limited fossil fuel supplies are driving the growth of domestic and international markets for renewable energy systems, the U.S. Department of Energy reports. Rising demand for cleaner energy directly affects career opportunities in industries related to renewable resources.
“The 2008 economic forecast suggests that one of the newest, fastest growing markets for jobs will be alternative energy,” says Sheryl Decker, director of career services at Brown Mackie College – South Bend, Ind. Decker recently attended a business outlook panel presented by Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. “Growth opportunities appear in companies that are exploring the use of wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower and bioenergy power technologies.”
Millions of professionals already work in alternative energy industries, yet more are needed, including:
* chemists
* engineers
* sales and marketing professionals
* administrators
* managers
* clerical workers
* human resources
* information technology
* business
* finance
* law
“Professionals who are already in the workforce, and students seeking to enter into a green career, can prepare with a number of degree programs and continuing education courses,” Decker says. “Many different types of skills can be applied to these upcoming industries.”
“Alternative energy companies are seeking professionals to fill a wide variety of positions, including mechanical engineer, project manager, programmer analyst, IT sourcing specialist, administrative assistant and marketing director,” she says.
”Business Week” magazine reports that a growing number of professionals are moving to jobs in renewable energy fields to promote their own personal environmental concerns. While some intend to transfer existing skills to a different industry, others are making a mid-life career change simply to become part of the solution for the many environmental issues we face today.
The rising cost of oil is proving to be a catalyst for the further development of alternative energy sources. While substantial growth is happening now, Decker points out that many people don’t yet realize the opportunities it affords.
“People tend to overlook many untapped markets and job opportunities in their local employment arenas,” she says. “Networking can be an effective way to gauge the hiring needs in your area. I encourage everyone to join industry-specific organizations, volunteer in community activities, and become involved with the Chamber of Commerce. By becoming involved in the community and networking, you will see new doors opening with different job opportunities.”
To learn more about career training opportunities in alternative energy, and how to prepare for working in this quickly growing business sector, visit www.brownmackie.edu.
GARNER, N.C. — ASC Signal Corporation, (formerly Andrew Corporation Satellite Communications Group), today announced an agreement with Globecomm Systems, Inc. (GSI) to supply commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) antenna products. As GSI’s strategic partner and supplier, ASC Signal was selected to provide antenna products that support the recent major award to GSI by a global multilateral organization, which offers a potential revenue of $30 million over a three-year period.
ASC Signal’s antenna products allow Globecomm Systems to deliver a range of enhanced services and offer further support to their global customer. ASC’s antenna products will be supplied under a three-year IDIQ (Indefinite-delivery / indefinite-quantity) contract. These products include:
- 3.9 Meter F-1 compliant C-band Trifold® transportable antenna product
- 4.9 Meter Intelsat E-2 Ku-band type approved motorizable antenna
ASC Signal’s 3.9 meter antenna features a wide range of adjustment with the ability to view geostationary satellites, horizon-to-horizon, from any location worldwide. Its unique Trifold® reflector panels are cut from a single piece of precision spun aluminum.
Additionally, the innovative 4.9 meter Intelsat E-2 type approved Ku-band earth station antenna was developed for maximum accuracy and versatility. This low-maintenance antenna features a dual reflector Gregorian system that provides excellent pattern characteristics and high gain. Equipped with a self-aligning main reflector, it is also capable of reception and transmission for quad-band C-band, X-band, Ku-band and Ka-band configurations.
Previously, ASC Signal has supplied antenna products to GSI for the company’s other global projects. ASC Signal was selected by GSI due to its strong reputation and industry leading product line.
Dr. Russell Dearnley - Vice President, Earth Station Antennas and Solutions for ASC Signal, stated, “Being selected by GSI validates our shared goals of sustaining excellent customer service on a worldwide level.” He continued, “We are proud to provide GSI with our products. As we continue our dynamic growth, we are looking forward to building upon our existing synergistic relationship and collaborating with GSI on future projects.”
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
