The Pilot Newspaper - Opinion Section

Local Media Issue Invitation to Debate
And then there were three. (Cont.)

Birdie, No Bogeys
Birdie: By Matt Massei, vice president of golf and club operations at Pinehurst Inc., for landing the big job as general manager of Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire. (Cont.)

Submitting Letters
The Pilot welcomes letters from readers. Our address is 145 West Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387 Letters can also be faxed to (910) 692-9382, or emailed to sbouser@thepilot.com. All letters must be signed with name, phone number and city of residence and may be edited for length and content. The length limit is 300 words.

COLUMNS -- Friday, June 30, 2006

SCOTT MOONEYHAM: Stopping Annexation Has Consequences
As a boy some 30 years ago, I often roamed the roads and trails that stretched out from the home of a childhood friend, Paul Weber, who lived near Raleigh's northern city limits. (Cont.)

LARRY McGEHEE: Lee's 'Mockingbird' Would Be Hard to Top
Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville, Ala., turned 80 on April 28 this year. Her novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," now taught in three-fourths of the nation's high schools, turns 46 on July 11. (Cont.)

STEPHEN SMITH: Band of Brothers: Lipton's E Company Comrades Dwindling
Of the original 117 members of E Company, 506th Paratroop Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne -- better known these days as the Band of Brothers -- who gathered at Fort Bragg for a group photograph before they were shipped overseas to participate in the D-Day invasion, only 33 were still with the unit at the end of the war. (Cont.)

GEORGE PENCE: Keillor Is Turning Into a Curmudgeon
Garrison Keillor is a favorite of mine. He is a liberal with a sense of humor and generally has amusing things to say. I read his syndicated column and enjoy the benefit of a laugh along the way. (Cont.)

Protecting the Spirit of Old Glory
LUBBOCK, TEXAS -- As we celebrate our magnificent freedoms on Independence Day, we should take a moment to reflect on our flag, and how we can best honor it. (Cont.)

PUBLIC SPEAKING -- Friday, June 30, 2006

Thanks to Police for Hot Day's Happy End
(Cont.)

Say No to Roundabout
The Mayor and Village Council of Pinehurst, by Resolution #06-16, have formally requested the Department of Transportation (DOT) to construct an unnecessary roundabout at the intersection of N.C. 2 and Carolina Vista, the scenic roadway connecting the venerable Carolina Hotel with the Member's Club. (Cont.)

Who Would Call Him 'Cut and Run Casey'?
U.S. General George Casey is now advocating a pullout plan from Iraq that goes further than what even most Democrats in the Senate called for. (Cont.)

Exploited Laborers
I was listening to NPR's "Morning Edition" and was disturbed by an interview with representatives of a national labor organization. This group went to Jordan to investigate working conditions of the factories in that area. (Cont.)

Why We're Involved
This is in response to Sara Miller (letter, June 28), 'Apocalypse Coming.' (Cont.)

Still Honest People
I certainly want to thank the person who found my car keys in the Wal-Mart parking lot and hung them on the side mirror of my car. (Cont.)

COLUMNS - Wednesday, June 28, 2006

STEVE BOUSER: Quit Trying to Clutter Up Our Constitution
Do I like to see people burn, stomp, urinate on or otherwise desecrate the American flag? No. It tends to make my blood boil. (Cont.)

FLORENCE GILKESON: An Era Ends: Miller's Restaurant Has Gone Smoke-Free
Nat Miller is entitled to an award for courage. (Cont.)

ANDY THOMAS: Computer Changeover: A Stressful Moment
Last week, my new computer arrived. (Cont.)

SCOTT MOONEYHAM: Perception Is Equally Important, Governor
I recently wrote that Mike Easley isn't the kind of person easily swayed by the bowing and scraping that comes with holding a powerful office like governor. (Cont.)

D.G. Martin: Past Helps Us Better Understand Present
Some political "old hats" will tell you that to get a feel for today's politics, you have to understand what happened in 1972. Things haven't been the same since, they say. (Cont.)

PUBLIC SPEAKING - Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Historic Lincoln Speech Rings True for Today
On January 12, 1848, Abraham Lincoln, Representative from Illinois, delivered a speech in the House of Representatives. He condemned the U.S. role in the Mexican War. (Cont.)

Thanks to Dodson
Thank you, Jim Dodson, for sharing these very personal memories in the June 25 column. (Cont.)

Delta Pricing Costly
Can someone please help me understand how Delta thinks they will be successful, given the pricing for flights from SOP? Recently, I decided I would price a trip in September to see my aunt who lives near Spokane, Wash. (Cont.)

Energy Issues Complex
Like Charles Ferrell, whose June 23 letter appeared in The Pilot, perhaps most Americans would like to see a renewable energy source as an alternative to gasoline produced from oil. (Cont.)

Our Son Has a Dollar He Will Never Spend
I read Jim Dodson's June 25 column about a visit with Arnold Palmer with much enjoyment! (Cont.)

Apocalypse Coming?
Did you hear that? (Cont.)

Backing Off for Arnie
Jim Dodson, thank you for sharing an inside story with all of us so-called golfers (June 25). It brought tears to my eyes, as I am a big follower of Arnie Palmer to this day. (Cont.)

Ethanol a Boondoggle
In response to Charles Ferrell's June 23 letter: (Cont.)

COLUMNS - Sunday, June 25, 2006

Are We Safer?
This is reprinted with permission from The News & Observer of Raleigh. Acting on a tip from a friend, Timna Understein logged onto North Carolina's Internet registry of sex offenders last year and found there a neighbor in her Chapel Hill community of Southern Village. (Cont.)

DUSTY RHOADES: Good News: Beer and Pizza Keep You Healthy, Sort Of
Newspapers are often criticized for not reporting enough "good news." (Cont.)

JOHN HOOD: Use and Abuse of Political Euphemisms
For their deceptive and harmful misuse of language, I'm not going to rake politicians and news organizations over the coals. (Cont.)

FRED WOLFERMAN: On Hillary's Proposal For a Privacy Czar
Headline, The New York Times, June 17, 2006: "Hillary Clinton Proposes Creation of 'Privacy Czar.'" (Cont.)

SCOTT MOONEYHAM: Canes Games: Penalty Box for Pols?
When the Carolina Hurricanes took the ice for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals, the politicians didn't. (Cont.)

PUBLIC SPEAKING - Sunday, June 25, 2006

Oil Crisis Looking Like A Doomsday Scenario
The absence of a sound, coherent and comprehensive energy policy demonstrates the affluent society's overconsumption and waste and its love affair with oversized vehicles. (Cont.)

Sad Story
She was found by my neighbor perhaps murdered, abused by being forced to remain outside on a rainy, cold night, definitely neglected, positively alone and dead. (Cont.)

Pinecrest Band Deserves Respect
As a resident of Moore County, a former deputy with the Moore County Sheriff's Office, now in Iraq training the Iraqi police, and a parent of a student at Pinecrest High School, I was stunned to receive an e-mail from my daughter stating that the school board has dropped the band from the school curriculum. (Cont.)