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Earlier this month, I spent Storytime at the Reynolda Manor Branch of the Forsyth County Public Library in Winston-Salem.  I read to a crowd of eager young library fans, and we had a ball!

As Secretary of Cultural Resources, I oversee the State Library, which works with public libraries around North Carolina.  Summer reading programs have just concluded at our public libraries, but there are lots of activities year-round – free, fun, educational programs that cover art, music, and history, along with other reading activities.

Libraries are important community gathering places, and have also become portals for information about job hunting skills, resumes, and other things that our citizens are hungry for.  The State Library tells me that libraries are busier than ever helping patrons of all ages.

If the late, great Dr. Seuss had been a North Carolinian, he might have said:

In North Carolina, we love to read.
Kids and grownups love to read indeed.
Libraries, it can be agreed
Will grow our future at lightning speed.
So, volunteer to read, fill a need, plant a seed.
That’s how we’ll succeed.

Raleigh was the site of an important meeting on Wednesday – one that could change the state’s future in very positive ways. As the Governor’s Tribal Liaison, I was proud to join a panel of state and federal 2010 Census representatives to seek ethnic media’s support in reaching historically undercounted populations.

Discussion focused on more effectively communicating the importance and confidentiality of the Census as a means to increase participation. Other efforts include scrutiny of Census maps to identify previously uncounted pockets and the hiring of local Census takers familiar with their communities.

Acknowledging that some underserved communities have a historic mistrust of the Census, officials have streamlined the 2010 survey to include just 10 basic questions that can be answered in 10 minutes or less. Census forms will be received nationally by mid-March, in advance of the official April 1 Census Day.

Census officials say that for each citizen who goes uncounted, the state misses an opportunity to receive about $1,000 in federal funds and services – for each of the next 10 years. As Bob Coats, Governor Perdue’s Census Liaison said, “I don’t know of any community in North Carolina that can let go of that kind of money.”

When citizens mail back their surveys, instead of making Census takers go door to door, the process becomes significantly more cost effective, allowing more resources to be directed to vital services.

Accurate census data means more than just money for our fast-growing state. It could change district lines and add or subtract the number of legislators who represent North Carolina interests in Washington. It could increase and improve services to disadvantaged populations, or it could end them.

The bottom line is that – regardless of where they live, what they look like or what they believe – there is not a single unimportant person in our state. Participating in this swift and completely confidential process will provide each and every North Carolinian the chance to do their part to improve our state.

Last week I had the opportunity to join Governor Perdue and the Vice-Governor of the Hunan Province in China, Mr.Yu Laishan, for a lunch and discussion. The purpose of the Vice-Governor’s visit was to share information about his fast-growing country and help gain a mutual understanding of our countries’ similarities and differences. Nearly 67 million people live in the Hunan province, making it China’s 7th-most populous area. The region lies in the southeastern part of China in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and epitomizes an area with a large agricultural presence that has begun emphasizing industrial development in the last decade.

The relationship between the Hunan Province and North Carolina began in 2006 when the remains of an American “unknown” soldier were identified in the Hunan region. The soldier’s DNA matched that of a North Carolina fighter pilot who had died nearly 60 years prior during World War II and had been missing in action ever since. The pilot was a member of the elite “Flying Tigers” – a US Air Force group that was recruited by the President to defend China against Japan and whose tactical victories have been credited with giving Americans the first signs of hope against the Japanese. The Hunan people built a memorial for the unknown soldier and tended to his grave for more than half a century until his body was returned to US soil. In 2006 the body of that soldier, Pilot Robert Holye Upchurch, was returned to his family in North Carolina. Our state was finally able to give a hero his welcome home. 

I had the good fortune yesterday to enjoy the outdoor beauty of western North Carolina while working with a dedicated group of volunteers in the "Land of Waterfalls" – better known as Transylvania County. I spent yesterday afternoon constructing a hemlock rail fence alongside a popular hiking trail in DuPont State Forest with the Friends of DuPont Forest, a volunteer service organization that works to enhance the public use and enjoyment of this state-owned forest while also protecting its abundant natural resources.

I truly enjoyed this day of service, part of the "United We Serve" campaign, a national volunteer effort announced earlier this summer by President Obama and supported by Gov. Perdue. This work, in this place, was especially meaningful to me, as I spent many years as city manager of Brevard, the county seat in Transylvania County.

Working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Friends of DuPont Forest showed me first-hand just how important the work of this and other volunteer groups are to our state parks and state forests, and to other state resources such as its aquariums, the Museum of Natural Sciences and the N.C. Zoo. The Friends of DuPont Forest – a nonprofit organization – schedules trail-building and maintenance workdays under the able leadership of DuPont's forest supervisor, David Brown. The Friends group also sponsors building projects and upgrades, promotes fundraising for the forest and provides information to assist the more than 130,000 people who visit DuPont State Forest each year.

I highly recommend a visit to DuPont State Forest – as well as the educational state forests, all operated by the N.C. Division of Forest Resources. The 10,400 acre DuPont State Forest is located in Henderson and Transylvania counties between the towns of Hendersonville and Brevard. The Little River runs through the forest, and contains four major waterfalls; the forest also boasts five lakes, and more than 80 miles of roads and trails shared by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.

The teamwork I experienced yesterday, as well as the Friends of DuPont Forest’s partnerships with many other volunteer groups, all go to show that “United We Serve” is indeed how necessary work is completed at our treasured natural resources, enabling these great places to continue to serve the needs of the public, today and in the months and years to come.

There are bears all over New Bern, North Carolina!

Luckily these bears are of the friendly variety, made of fiberglass, and decorated by artists from Craven, Pamlico and Jones counties.  They were created in celebration of New Bern’s 300th anniversary.  What started from a small committee of civic-minded citizens, the project has blossomed into a non-profit organization with a vision for fiberglass bears decorating local businesses and public locations for the upcoming yearlong celebration of New Bern’s 300th birthday.

The hand painted bears may be sponsored by anyone and after their completion, an “adoption ceremony” is held. These occasions have been marked with celebrations from a few dozen folks to crowds of over 100 people! Governor Perdue was in New Bern recently to dedicate the newest bear, which was sponsored by the Coastal Women’s Forum.  Currently it is roaming City Hall.

Both the New Bern City Council and Craven County Commissioners have wholeheartedly supported the endeavor. The impact of the bears has already been felt as they have developed quite a tourism buzz.  Sightseers have stepped into the visitor’s bureau specifically asking to see the town’s new talisman. Ten bears are out and about in the New Bern area and soon there will be 3 times that number!

For those seeking information on Bear Town Bears may visit www.beartownbears.org or contact Co-Chair Barbara Lubsen at 252-349-5438.

Twenty years ago, as an employee of the Charlotte Minority Business Development Center, I was responsible for planning the local Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week activities.  I am still involved in MED Week activities, but now from the perspective of an advocate on the statewide level. 

MED Week was initiated in 1983 by presidential proclamation to celebrate the accomplishments of minority entrepreneurs and businesses.  National MED Week will be observed Aug. 26-28 in Washington, D.C. 

While Governor Perdue declared August as Minority Enterprise Development Month in North Carolina, minority business resource agencies and advocates across the state have planned special activities that are scheduled through October.  As we have done for the past decade, the HUB Office will support local MED Week activities currently planned in Fayetteville, Asheville, Raleigh and Durham by serving as facilitators or presenters in various workshops, seminars and awards functions.

MED Week activities are essential events for the minority business community. I know firsthand the hard work that goes into planning them, so I applaud the minority business resource agencies for the time and hard work that goes into planning MED Week activities. As the 2001 National MED Week Advocate of the Year Award recipient, I consider it a privilege to remain involved in this important undertaking. I am proud of the HUB Office’s historic support of this initiative and our continued role in promoting minority business development throughout the year.

As we celebrate Women’s Equality Day on Wednesday, it is important that we pause to remember Mrs. Febb Ensminger Burn – the unsung heroine whose firm advice to her son led to passage of the 19th Amendment, which in 1920 gave women the right to vote.

After President Wilson introduced the amendment to the U.S. Congress in 1919, 36 state general assemblies had to approve it before it could become law. One day after North Carolina defeated the measure by just two votes, Tennessee’s General Assembly was at a stalemate with the votes equally divided.

The debate attracted national attention as Tennessee was poised to become the 36th state to pass the amendment. Harry T. Burn, the youngest member, intended to vote against ratification until he received a telegraph from his widowed mother urging him to support the 19th Amendment.

Burn’s pivotal vote illustrates how advocacy at all levels can have an impact. Last fall, echoes of that momentous occasion were felt in North Carolina when citizens demonstrated their confidence in female leadership by not only electing a woman governor but also a female majority to the Council of State.

The N.C. Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission strives to help empower women to succeed and to seek leadership opportunities of all sorts. We thank Gov. Bev Perdue for declaring Wednesday as Women’s Equality Day Women in North Carolina and encourage all citizens to support continued advocacy for equality of women’s rights.

Yesterday, First Gentleman Bob Eaves joined North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) board members for a 21st century classroom experience hosted by SAS.   The meeting featured students, parents and Cary teachers who described how technology affects their teaching and learning environments.   They talked about experiencing science and mathematics rather than just hearing about those subjects.  And who needs to buy notebooks and pencils when you can organize all of your information and materials on your notebook laptop?  

Participants experienced this one-to-one laptop learning when we completed a history assignment to create a virtual civil rights museum.  Thank goodness for the middle school students who were our “coaches” and helped us navigate the technology to find primary documents, access videos, use pictures and even create our own Avatars for the museum.   Mr. Eaves worked on his portion of the assignment with staff and their student “coach.”  It seemed like they enjoyed this online research more than simply copying information onto index cards.

The session gave everyone the opportunity to experience how differently today’s students think, learn and communicate in a global environment by using technology.   Mr. Eaves and NCBCE members were so engaged in our assignment, it was hard to stop.   Imagine classrooms where all students are this excited about learning – so excited, in fact, they don’t want to stop working on their assignments. This kind of classroom already exists in many North Carolina public schools, thanks to the collaboration between private and public partners.

Governor Perdue continues her efforts to make sure schools are ready for 21st century students – all K-12 public schools now have access to broadband technology and work continues to expand the one-to-one laptop project. If we’re going to keep students excited about learning, we need to realize that they don’t remember life before the internet – Skype, Twitter and blogging are part of their everyday life outside school, so we can’t expect them to shut down those tools during the time they spend at school.   How would your life change without the technology you use at work and play?

The NCBCE Web site features videos that communicate how students, business leaders and teachers feel about today’s schools.  Please visit www.ncbce.org and look for the Having Our Say video series.

As manager of the Governor’s Emergency Information Bilingual Hotline, I can proudly say that state employees and community volunteers always step up to the plate to help when severe weather roars through our state. 

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Hurricane Floyd disaster in North Carolina.  Just 13 hours before landfall, the Governor’s Emergency Information Bilingual Hotline was activated for the first time.  For the next five weeks, more than 380 dedicated state employees and bilingual community volunteers donated more than 4,000 hours serving as hotline operators providing callers with valuable emergency information at a time when it was most needed.  More than 25,000 calls were answered during the first two weeks of operation.

Last week, the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, housed in the Governor’s Office, conducted a hotline briefing for more than 80 state employees.  These employees, representing nine cabinet-level agencies, will serve as operators if the hotline is activated during the 2009 hurricane season. They are prepared to share important emergency information with callers such as the location of the nearest shelter and whether it is pet friendly, if evacuation orders have been issued in their county or which highways may be closed.  They also will provide callers with information about what supplies might be needed by the survivors and if volunteers are needed in the clean-up efforts.  And they will provide recovery information that can help survivors begin to gain a degree of normalcy in their lives.     

The dedication and spirit of volunteerism displayed by the 2009 “class” of hotline operators are just as strong as that of the very first “class” in 1999.  They are prepared and stand ready to respond by providing accurate, up-to-date, and often life-saving, information to people in our state who may be in harm’s way.   

This is an important week for volunteerism and preparedness across the nation.  Preparing for disasters is this week’s focus for President Obama’s summer volunteer initiative, United We Serve.  There are many ways people in North Carolina that can volunteer in disaster preparedness activities that can result in better prepared families, communities, schools, houses of worship, senior centers and workplaces.  Visit www.citizencorps.gov to learn about the more than 200 N.C. Citizen Corps community preparedness volunteer programs and teams in the state.  Visit www.serve.gov to see if there is an existing preparedness project in your community where you might volunteer.  If you don’t see a project, why not create your own project and register it on the Web site – the “how to” toolkit is right there for you on the Web site.    

Also, learn how to prepare yourself and your family for disasters and learn what to do when disasters occur by visiting www.readync.org.  I hope as you are traveling in our beautiful state you will see one of our ReadyNC billboards and be reminded that everyone should be prepared for disasters.

This week I had the chance to accompany Gov. Perdue on her visit to Sparta Elementary School in Alleghany County.   Superintendent Cox, Principal Barnes, the students, teachers and community leaders gave us a warm welcome.  The governor had the chance to talk to teachers about how technology is making a difference in their classrooms and about diagnostic testing. 

As part of the President Obama’s “United We Serve” campaign for public service and volunteerism the governor spokes with students about the responsibility of giving back to their communities and she read the book “I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off A Little Self-Esteem” by actress Jaime Lee Curtis to first graders at the school.