Darts & Laurels

Donors, ethics and egg sales

Laurel — To Dr. Leslie Karpas for organizing and Betsy Letterle for helping coordinate a bone marrow donor registration program. Credit also goes to the Black Bear Coffee House for providing space for the event, which signed up people as possible bone marrow donors. The transplants help people with blood-related diseases including leukemia and lymphoma. “Everybody can be a hero, everybody can save somebody,᾿ said Dr. Karpas.

Dart — To Thomas Wright, for his continued contemptuous attitude toward the state Legislature. The House is set to meet next week to consider removing Wright, an eight-term Wilmington Democrat who also faces criminal charges of fraud for his mishandling of campaign donations. The House hearing will start just 11 days before the criminal trial. Out of one side of his mouth Wright criticizes the timing. Out of the other, he spews arrogance. “How dare they sit in judgment," he says one day. A couple days later, he’s at it again: “Make an example out of me? Let the show begin." A man who fails to report campaign donations four years running and puts the money in his pocket is an embarrassment any way you look at him. Indeed, let the show begin and let’s get rid of him with all due haste.

Laurel — To one of the Times-News’ own, Pete McDaniel, for being an advocate for ethics in sports. McDaniel was sports editor of the Times-News for 13 years before becoming senior writer for Gold Digest and Golf World magazines. He has also co-authored several books including a best-seller, Training a Tiger, with the late Earl Woods, about his son, Tiger. There are no shortcuts to success,᾿ McDaniel told 350 high schools students at the Grove Park Inn, “and if you try a short cut, you are going to reach an ethical dead end." He named Michael Vick, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens as examples of athletes in trouble for cutting corners.

Laurel — To the Brevard High School agriculture class, for finding a local market for eggs produced on the school’s working farm. The egg sales provides the students working on the farm a practical lesson in economics while helping a small business. Katina Hansen, owner of Blue Ridge Bakery in Brevard, buys the eggs and uses them to make pasteries, cookies and cakes. “The eggs make the best cheesecake," Hansen said. Hansen said she had always used store-bought eggs until agriculture teacher Andy VonCanon approached her about buying 10 dozen eggs a week for about $1.50 a dozen. The bakery uses about 30 dozen eggs a week. Hansen said she would take more from the students if the farm’s chickens could produce them.