With so much modern infrastructure featuring soaring atriums and deep subterranean transit systems, it’s not easy to imagine getting by without escalators. However, this efficient people mover was conceived in a far simpler, down to earth time. The first patent for a moving stairway was obtained on this date in 1859 by Nathan Ames, however, it was never built. The first practical escalator was built by Jesse Reno in 1896 at Coney Island, New York. Reno called his device an “inclined elevator.” The longest escalator in the western hemisphere is 230-feet long, at the Wheaton, Maryland station of the Washington Metro System. Making and installing escalators and elevators in the U.S. is a $2.6 billion a year business. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
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115 out of 115 in the state of NC ranking in Graduation Rates? PATHETIC to say the least!!! How ironic that the article directly under that headline in today’s Daily Dispatch mentions the expansion of another one of the internet casinos. I have a simple solution to help with the graduation rate…..keep the moms/pops out of the casinos and make em’ stay at home with “lil johnny” or “lil susie” until all the schoolwork is complete for that day and possibly even take time to read em’ a book!!!! Here’s another statistic for you: Search all the Superintendants in the state of NC and see how many of them have a Doctoral Degree!!! Seems as if VCS hired its current Superintendant and if I’m not mistaken he only has a Master’s Degree? How can you preach/teach higher education when the head of the system doesn’t practice what VCS wants its students to achieve? Way to go Vance County……you made another not so famous Top Ten List!!!
and this problem just ain’t going away. It is the issue of parents who don’t value education and maintain a home where a child can begin to succeed. if you look at those kids who are falling out/dropping out of school, the majority are from families that are in generational economic stress,lack of resources, and generally did not have a good experience in their education. It will take a while to change this, and the only way I can see to have that impact is to get people back to work and supporting/sustaining their family. Of course, the jobs we need are barely attainable with this workforce ( that dropped out). The family structure we need to succeed is working families promoting a work ethic and value system that values education, and the rights and properties of others.
Godd old Vance County leading the state again . For Vance County the motto should be “we don’t need no better education cause it was good enough for Papa so its still good enough for me”.Unfortunatly you can’t still get a job at the mill cause it is gone.When wiil we the people wake up and demand that our education system improve.