Coalition attacks violence on many fronts


The Vance County Coalition Against Violence will take a week off from its meeting schedule out of respect for faith, but the move doesn’t show any lessening of faith in the coalition’s cause.

The coalition has strong ministerial representation, so it’s not surprising that the group won’t meet on Maundy Thursday, the Holy Week commemoration of the Last Supper.

Elnora O’Hara, the coalition’s chairwoman, said the weekly meeting schedule will resume March 31.

At that time the coalition will have plenty to talk about.

This past Thursday, Andrea Harris presented a draft of a letter the group plans to send to Gov. Mike Easley and other state elected and appointed officials. The coalition wants to bring them to Henderson on one day to give Vance County the same kind of aid and attention as Cabarrus County got after Pillowtex closed in 2003.

Peter White, a retired state Highway Patrol trooper, took charge of a program to create a volunteer community patrol to supplement and support the police. Chief Glen Allen responded positively to the idea, which Oxford uses. (See the excellent Daily Dispatch article for more details.)

Allen met with the committee working on a citizens advisory panel to his department Thursday afternoon. Cathy Ringley said the committee will serve a dual purpose for Allen: He’ll have a group to present and respond to public concerns, and the members of the group can bring information from the chief to the public.

O’Hara also reported progress on an effort to establish a midnight basketball program, for which organizer William Ragland has gained the help of J.F. Webb basketball coach Steve Powell; a motorcade as a one-time event, with as many cars as possible rolling through areas such as Flint Hill and Red Hill to send a message that Henderson won’t accept crime anymore; and a parenting program O’Hara is working on with the Cooperative Extension Service.

And the coalition continues to build toward its all-day faith summit April 23.