Surprisingly, it took us longer to come up with the least defining moments than it did the best defining momentsand we think, overall, that speaks well for a community that more often than not is looking to better itself.
With 18 days left in this year, we feel we can safely sum up the five highs and five lows over the course of 2013. Crime reports are not factored into this commentary because, based on our readership numbers, we understand it is persistent.
The five best defining moments:
The Will Hawkins homecoming. The support summoned for this little boy in the aftermath of a near-fatal mishap, showed how the Roanoke Valley can respond in a time of trouble. We witnessed, on one of the hottest days of the year, how love, family support and community outpouring can make a difference for loved ones and those observing the events through news accounts and social media.
Roanoke Rapids City Council. We may disagree with them on some of their reasons for going into closed-session and a few of the decisions they have made, but the city's governing panel has shown us incredible fiscal management, a willingness and passionate desire to not live in the shadow of the Roanoke Rapids Theatre and try to temper that debt by searching out solutions to ease that situation. City Manager Joseph Scherer is a strong advocate of economic development within the city and the movement to negotiate with the owner and to hopefully be able to market the WestPoint building is a testament to that.
The Weldon High School Marching Band. When our two local bands bowed out of the Roanoke Rapids Christmas Parade last week because of less than desirable conditions, the Charger brigade did not. This serves as not only a testament to these kids, but to their band leadership as well as the overall leadership within the school system. The Weldon High School Band exemplifies the definition of what community pride and spirit is all about. When you have a community event such as this, you don't bail, but keep the show going on.
Sheetz, Dunham's and Popeyes. Contrary to what several readers said about our editorial a few months ago, you have to look at these as positive gains for our community because they are. Are they the salvation? No, and that's what we said, but you never say no to something that adds dollars to the tax base and puts people to work.
The HRMC, Novant announcement. Roanoke Rapids and the surrounding communities need a thriving hospital. The intended merger will hopefully give HRMC the stability it needs to continue to care for those in need well into the future.
The five least defining moments
The credit.com report. In a report that was statistically iffy at best, Roanoke Rapids was labeled the third poorest city in America. Nothing rallied the naysayers and doomsayers more than this report, despite all the efforts being made behind the scenes to improve our community. Shoddy statistical analysis and shoddy journalism at its finest, the report was at best half true and at worst fodder for the Chicken Little crowd in our community to continue on their path of negativity.
Attitude. The attitude that we as a community have is often shameful. Civic pride is lacking when, even at our best, we find reason to mock the good things. If you don't think this attitude goes unnoticed, you would be wrong. It's time for the complainers to start speaking out at the proper venues, instead of sitting behind Facebook and Twitter slinging cyber slurs at those who are trying to make a difference.
School merger. It is just not time. It makes no economic sense, it makes no educational sense and certainly makes no sense for the betterment of the county as a whole. Reports show the dire economic consequences that could arise and those for merger fail to see there are solutions beyond consolidation that could work — mainly the sharing of resources.
The rejection of the Littleton KIPP offer. That Halifax County commissioners turned down a viable offer from KIPP to turn the Littleton industrial building into a school, is something the county's governing panel needs to reconsider. The commissioners should give thoughtful consideration to negotiate for a better price, but to flatly refuse the first offer is questionable at best. Education in the county is suffering and we believe an alternative solution like KIPP would help put a missing piece of the puzzle together.
Roanoke Rapids High School test scores. Roanoke Rapids High School failed to meet expected growth under the READY testing model. This is not acceptable and we can only say we are glad the school system is working proactively to change that as the high school has always been a source of pride in the community — Editor
