Most movie buffs know the first film with a partial soundtrack was “The Jazz Singer,” with superstar Al Jolson. But not too many can name the first movie with a full-length soundtrack, which opened on this date in New York in 1928. It was “The Lights of New York,” about the murder of a crime boss, a film which has faded into obscurity. After “The Jazz Singer” stunned the country, movie studios scrambled to change over from silent films to what were then called the “talkies.” It was a technical revolution that completely changed the making and viewing of movies, as you may have heard. In 1928, Americans went to the movies an average of about twice a week. Now, we average a little over four films a year in a theater. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at <www.census.gov>.
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Who will run for public office ,and who will be their behind the scenes bosses?
This as heard today on local news—“There will be live refreshments”–. when giving info on an event–!
Alan Wooten’s recent articles and editorials in the Dispatch had me wondering who would be first to file for city council. So I wondered into the Dennis Building yesterday a little before noon. I truly expected to see one or more of the current city council members already there and waiting for the church bell to announce the noon hour. Instead the silence in the hallway reminded me of the public’s silence when given the opportunity to speak at the city council or county commissioners meetings. Around ten minutes after the noon hour a young man walked in to file for city council.
I stayed about an hour and no one else filed in that first hour of the two week filing period.
Historical Character…..one person I know of that has decided to run is a local barber named Arnold Booth. Good luck to him and as I post previously he has a trait that puts him ahead of most of the current elected officials…..He has COMMON SENSE and doesn’t have an agenda. He also won’t be told what to do or how to vote unlike some of the others!!!!
I hope you are right, and he decided to run under his own volition.
I notice we never hear about the schools on here. Why doesn’t HiH visit the school board meetings and write us details about what our superintendent is doing ? Is it because nobody cares about the kids anymore ? The only way we can expect our municipal leadership to get better is to demand better of our students….that is what leads to better local and national leadership !
Brakeman, you asked a very good question. I for one have more interest in the city and county government than I do the school board. That is why I have not taken the time to observer their meetings. Brakeman I encourage you to attend the school board meetings and post your observations and comments on HiH.
Brakeman, while I was looking through VGCC’s catalog of fall 2013 courses I wondered how the school meets their mission “… to provide excellent, outcome-based education and training programs …”
Starting half way down page 17 and continuing through the first quarter of page 23 are courses the student should have mastered before graduating high school. When proctoring an end of grade 4th grade mathematics exam at one charter school I learned that the student needs a working knowledge of basic algebra and geometry plus elementary statistics to pass. At an earlier time in my life I observed the educational process at a local non-public school where an understanding or trigonometry and calculus were required when entering high school. And in an even earlier time in my life I watched ‘pre-school’ children lean arithmetic and geometric operations before I was taught the letters of the alphabet.
All of this reflection has me asking why does the local community college need so many classes covering operation with integers, fraction and decimals, polynomial applications, and integrated reading and writing? Is there that much disparity between charter and non-public education compare to traditional public education? Is it a sign of a failure of the county’s school system or a failure of the county’s parenting? How does VGCC, “… promote and sustain the global competitiveness and the intellectual, economic, social and cultural development of [their] students and communities”, when they need to spend so much time and energy teaching what should be known when handed your high school diploma.
Michael, The fact that a charter school teaches that, or that a public school does not, answers your question. It IS parenting, or lack thereof. Parents involved in their children’s education are migrating to those entities that will challenge their children, and they ( parents) are involved there, just like at their homes. The public schools have far too many children whose parents are not involved, or priortize their children as the first and foremost responsibility of their lives.
However, that does not mean the public schools could not step it up and expect more. But their failures rates will go up, further teacher frustration, etc., etc., so they teach to that norm, which ain’t doing nobody no good! Guess I need one of those college English classes!
Did you see just how LITTLE sara coffey knows about city govt. today when she appeared on WIZS 1450 Town Talk? She stumbled a lot when Tom Hannon asked about the $$$1.8 million that was supposed to be repaid didn’t she? Too funny!!! And you wonder why the city is in the shape it’s in? You don’t have to wonder……just listen to your elected officials!!
I did tune in to hear Sarah Coffey–but soon realized she was in a dream world when she said the City was making progress–or words to that effect. George Rush was being too polite with his questions–so I turned it off. Sorry to have missed Tom Hannon’s questions about the Embassy mess–I had hoped he’d call!
Tom brought up what the candidates for mayor said about 10 years ago when a caller to WIZS asked if the money was to repaid in dollars and not just the city getting a building. I remember what all 3 said. They all said it was their understanding that the $1.8 million would be repaid to the city treasury when the library was finished and debt free. Bill Fleming brought that same point up several times when he was a host on Town Talk. He even calculated one time how much the $1.8 would amount to with interest. Now some people seem to have amnesia regarding the money.
George Rush asked a great question. He asked where the contract was between the city and the Embassy or if there was a contract. I hope you can’t just walk into the city council and ask for money without paperwork…no matter who you are.
I saw on another topic that they hoped that the Vance Co. Schools wouldn’t consider the disbarred lawyer DeCillis before next school year. Isn’t that exactly what ex-attorney D.Bernard Alston did when his Law License was suspended? Didn’t he go into Warren County and get a job as a Teacher? As if VCS aren’t bad enough? Why would you consider hiring or even giving him the opportunity to be interviewed for a position when he has been ORDERED not to practice Law in the state of NC or any other state for the next 5 years? Where are the days when a Teacher was a Role Model? Who knows…..he may run for office within local city/county govt? He meets the seemingly 1 criteria in that he has a pulse!!!!! On a lighter note….I heard a caller into WIZS Town Talk show today say that George or Sam Watkins need to run for office. My grandmother said that was insane b/c from what she has witnessed they have more influence not being around the horseshoe!!! I also witnessed it at a city council meeting when the Mayor put every speaker on a 3 minute limit except for Sam Watkins who spoke for approximately 4-5 minutes. You should have seen the expression on the Mayor’s face b/c it seemed as if he were afraid to interrupt this particular speaker. As I have seen on this site earlier……ONLY N HUNNERSON!!!!
I have heard a person within law enforcement/court enforcement say that if you wish to find out the TRUTH then the last place you should look should be a Court Room. Too many people with individual agendas and it seems those with $$$ get away with alot more than alledged criminals who are represented by the State b/c they can’t afford an atty. They also said that the State pays a % for state appointed attorneys to get a guilty verdict(even if it’s a plea bargain or lesser charge) b/c it gives the impression that a Guilty Verdict was rendered. The last time I was in Court(5+ years ago) was for a Traffic Infraction and I saw more disrespect and dishonesty in the 3+ hours I sat in the gallery than I see in the average week!!! I guess the older you get the more you become aware of certain things?
I guess I am very old-fashioned. I feel that engineering coursework is not the answer to success for ‘all’ of our kids. Gov. McCrory said it best when campaigned for office…he said “I’m going to say something that is not politically correct…’Not every kid needs nor desires a college degree..students in high school should be given the opportunity to pursue a trade, skill, or small business type of career in lieu of a 4-year degree’ I did not pursue a 4-year degree; I had no desire to go to a university; I did achieve a 2-year degree @ VGCC. I was not required to know Spanish, Algebra, Trig, or Advanced Studies in high school or VGCC I have done very well working hard, paying my taxes, thinking smart, and being honest. I discipline my spending habits, I take care of my family, and I have managed to stay out of the WRAL news like many others who bought a $500,000 house in Wake County; drove a BMW, and they got laid off and lost everything. I sometimes feel we have missed the boat and have put ‘over educating’ over teaching common sense, hardworking ethics, and character like my family taught me. Again…like someone else implied….it has to start with the parents.
Brakeman, this may surprise you; I agree with you on the need for everyone to have a college degree. I was a happy junior high school student when the Russian’s put Sputnik in outter space. My father said at dinner that night you are going to college. I could not spell college and had no idea what he was talking about. I’m pleased that I did earn an undergraduate degree. More for what I learned than the sheep skin its self. The degree opened a door to a world of work that was unfamiliar to me. I was lucky in that. My father never earned a degree from some school he spent his life owning his own business. My father did stay current with technological changes in his field of work, although he would not have said it that way. The point I was trying to make was this; why does a community college that is educating students for a wide range of career opportunities or further advancements it in learning need to use so much of their resources covering what the students who graduated from high school did not learn.