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Once upon a time, long long ago, a western prince and princess were spending a summer day on the sparkling waters of Lake James.  In the words of the prince himself, “It all began with the sighting of a bald eagle sailing majestically over our heads, as we set out for a summertime family paddle and picnic on Lake James. My wife and I looked at each other in utter disbelief at this never-before-seen sight – a bald eagle on Lake James! I knew right then something had to be done to protect this beautiful and special place.”

This prince, known locally as Paul Braun, founded “Citizens to Save Lake James”.  He and others worked together to obtain more than 7000 signatures calling for both protection and public access to the undeveloped shoreline of the lake.

Fast forward from 1998 through discussions, meetings, hearings, legislation and appropriations.  Like the Prince, friends, strangers, legislators, towns, cities, non-profits, Foothills Conservancy and Duke Energy/Crescent Resources fell under the spell of Lake James.  Governor Perdue played a pivotal, leading role in putting the spotlight on the project, resulting in collaborative and successful efforts to create the park.  Eventually, all worked together to preserve the beauty of Lake James and then expand a small state park by almost 3,000 acres and 30 miles of public shoreline. 

Recently the Paddy’s Creek portion of Lake James State Park, including a new public beach, was completed, calling for a celebration. I attended on behalf of Governor Perdue.  In the photo, Paul (in the middle) was joined at the ribbon-cutting by Representative Mitch Gillespie, Park Director Sean McElhone, Senator Joe Sam Queen, Judge Bob Hunter, Foothills Conservancy Director Susie Hamrick Jones, Representative Hugh Blackwell, and State Park Director Lewis Ledford.

If you would like to join Prince Paul Braun for a family paddle and picnic, please visit beautiful Lake James State Park in person and at the website, http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/laja/main.php.

Now that the summer beach reading season has ended, I’d like to recommend a good read that may change the lives of countless American Indian youth in North Carolina.

Saving for Post-Secondary Education in American Indian Communities is a new report from the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis. Its research is based on a survey conducted in March at the N.C. Indian Unity Conference, which engaged tribal representatives from across our state. The N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs is a partner in the annual gathering.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given the dismal graduation rate for American Indian students in North Carolina, the survey found that a low percentage of tribal families have a college savings plan. And few of those who are saving, or want to, were aware of the College Foundation of North Carolina’s NC 529 Plan, which provides a range of resource for participants.

It also found that American Indians “value education as a top asset in tribal communities,” and families that commit to saving even a modest amount for their child’s education enjoy a significantly higher rate in achieving their goals. Savings plans themselves affect attitudes and expectations for academic success, which in turn typically results in increased earnings potential for the degree-earning student.

The Commission supports students through such established programs as Educational Talent Search, which provides one-on-one educational and career counseling, and the Workforce Development Program, which funds career training that leads to economic self sufficiency.

As part of Gov. Perdue’s Career and College – Ready, Set, Go! initiative, we pledge to do our part to step up outreach and foster increased participation in post-secondary savings. It is vital to the success of our students and our communities – not just to help them achieve today, but also to build on tribal traditions and ensure their success for tomorrow.

Do you enjoy fall vegetables? Britt Farms of Mount Olive will offer state employees the opportunity to participate in a NC Greenmarket Fall CSA at the Polk House. A CSA (Community Shared or Supported Agriculture) provides the opportunity to pre-order a season’s worth of fresh, just- harvested local fruits and vegetables.  Vegetables will be available for weekly pick up at the Polk House.

Participating in a CSA is not only good for your health, but also supports the local economy and North Carolina farmers.  Become a locavore (one who eats locally-produced food whenever possible) and join the NC Greenmarket CSA.

The Greenmarket CSA is a partnership of the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the NC Tobacco Trust Fund and the Polk House Foundation.

Learn more at www.ncgreenmarket.com

Good things are happening at the N.C. Department of Transportation, and people are noticing.

I’m proud to announce the department received two national awards last Saturday night at the National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop in Boise, Id. NCDOT won “Best Photo” for an image of crews working hard to stabilize the mountains above I-40 in Haywood County after a rockslide shut down the road near the Tennessee state line last October. The department also won “Best Public Involvement Plan” for its Driving 95 campaign, which is currently under way and relies on broad public input to determine what type of improvements are needed along aging I-95 and how those improvements could be funded. It’s a great example of how NCDOT is trying to better engage citizens in an open and transparent way.

A NTPAW site selection committee also picked NCDOT to host the national conference in Raleigh in 2012. The department competed against four other states for the honor. The judges found NCDOT offered the breadth of expertise and the resources necessary to educate transportation communicators on the latest developments in their profession.

I congratulate for NCDOT for its great work and look forward to welcoming members of other state DOTs to North Carolina in 2012.

On September 10, Gov. Perdue presented the Long Leaf Pine award to Roy McGalliard, a teacher at Western Piedmont Community College.  Here is an excerpt of Gov. Perdue’s remarks:

“Roy was a state employee at Western Piedmont Community College from 1969 to 1994, where he taught English and drama, among other things.

He’s been a SEANC member since 1972.  Now this is a man who is dedicated to North Carolina. 
 
If you ask Roy why he chose to be a state employee for so long he’ll tell you about the time back in 1981 when he had a heart attack.  Roy had a heart attack while sitting in a car at a local gas station.  When a police officer arrived on the scene it was one of his former students.

When he got into the ER the two nurses that attended to him were both former students.  And as the Doctor approached, he looked down and asked, "Well Mr. McGalliard, I guess this means no American Lit class tonight."  Wouldn’t you know it; the ER Doctor was one of his current students. 

This story illustrates a simple fact about Roy and about all North Carolina’s state employees.

State employees make a difference for our citizens — plain and simple.  So today, it’s my privilege to induct Roy into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the highest honors our state can bestow.”

For more than 55 years, the Arc of Greensboro has been a resource for those with developmental disabilities and their families.  The organization helps this community in three key ways—by publicly advocating for those with special needs, by providing guidance and employment support for the Greensboro area’s working-age adults with disabilities, and individual case management.

Leaders of the Arc, along with some of those developmentally disabled that they work with, visited the Governor’s Office this week to meet with senior staff.  I helped provide the Arc delegation with information about Gov. Perdue, her office and the Capitol building where we met. 

Our discussion with them about how the Governor’s Office works will help peel back the curtain on what can appear to a complex state government.  I hope our meeting will generate some new advocacy ideas for the ARC and will broaden the horizons for the disabled who met with us.

They are capable people who want to live happy and independent lives like everyone else.  One man we met, named Jerry Ballard, is a talented painter.  He gave us one of his paintings of cardinal, the state bird, and it will be displayed in the State Capitol.

As the Governor’s Page Program Coordinator, I have the privilege of introducing  teenagers between the ages of 15-18 to state government. Each week, pages are assigned to a cabinet level agency or council of state office within the state government complex to assist employees with various tasks. In addition, pages have the opportunity to meet the Governor, attend press conferences and tour historic landmarks. 

More importantly, the pages have the opportunity to volunteer with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle packaging food packs for children.  This experience of giving back exposes the pages to the meaning of service.  The feeling of knowing that you’re making a difference in a child’s life by packaging food is indescribable and has a lasting effect on the pages.

If anyone is interested in learning more about the Governor’s Page Program please visit www.volunteernc.org.

Trooper A.M. Humphrey was patrolling south on I-95 in Robeson County when he noticed a stranded motorist at mile marker #9.  Jessica DePriest, her 2 ½ year old son Jakob and her 18 month old triplets Raychel, Rebekah and Kalob were stranded in their minivan.

Mrs. DePriest was on the way home to Hinesville, GA after visiting her parents in Dunn when her minivan started to act up and she decided to pull over.  She told Trooper Humphrey that her parents and a wrecker would be there in about an hour and that she was fine to wait.

Trooper Humphrey thought 24-year-old mother seemed distraught and didn’t feel comfortable leaving the family there waiting on the side of the road.

About five minutes later, he  noticed waves of heat coming from the engine and realized that the minivan’s engine was on fire and quickly grabbed two of the children and put them in his patrol car.

A Samaritan motorist, Bill Gorgonnie of Delaware, stopped and tried to put out the flames with his fire extinguisher.   It slowed the flames long enough for Trooper Humphrey to grab the other two children from the burning minivan.
 
Trooper Humphrey attempted to go back to the minivan and retrieve any clothes, medicine or toys that he could, but by then the minivan was fully engulfed.  Then, all of the sudden, the gas tank exploded.

Mrs. DePriest, whose husband is deployed to Iraq, stated that Trooper Humphrey was a “guardian angel” to her family.  Since then, the Wal-Mart in Lumberton gave the family four new car seats and the Lumberton Police department donated $100.00 to the family.

Since joining the Division of Non-Public Education in July, I have been afforded opportunities to engage with the home school community. This past weekend I was the guest of Heart for Homeschool Ministries, Inc.’s summer seminar, where DNPE education consultant Kristy Daughtry and I facilitated sessions.

Mari Fitz-Wynn and her late husband created Heart for Homeschool Ministries to provide a venue for novice and veteran home school families to network, partner and support one another. Mari is also the legislative liaison for North Carolinians for Home Education (NCHE), the oldest and largest home school organization in the state.

Participants left “fired up” and wanting more. Veteran homeschoolers indicated that  Mari’s seminars are always worth attending, and novices appreciated the opportunity to have questions answered by knowledgeable homeschoolers and DNPE representatives.

Through conversations with Sharon Henderson, NCHE Region 8 Director, Sandi Crosmun, NCHE Region 9 Director, and Diane Allen, a veteran homeschooler, I was able to learn more about the home school community and issues they face. During individual presentations, these women provided practical and unbiased information to novice homeschoolers. Their dedication to families, children and education is evident by the passion they exude and their willingness to support others.

This positive relationship is vital to the home school community as enrollment grows. Every child in North Carolina will impact the future of our state. Supporting families as they educate their children, whether in public or non-public schools, is important to having productive and actively engaged citizens who make this a great state to live, work and prosper.

As we continue to move through peak hurricane season, it is reassuring to know that the Governor’s Emergency Information Bilingual Hotline is prepared. More than 95 volunteer state employees, along with a cadre of community bilingual volunteers, have been trained as operators to provide critical, perhaps life-saving, information to callers. Using web-based technology, they are prepared to provide real-time information such as which shelters are open, what their current capacity is and if they are pet-friendly; which bridges or roads are closed; and which counties have issued evacuation orders. Operators will also provide information about housing assistance and the recovery process, as well as what donated goods are needed by survivors and if volunteers are needed.

Since Hurricane Floyd in 1999, volunteer hotline phone operators have answered tens of thousands of calls from people across our state that needed emergency information. Some of the volunteers trained for this year’s hurricane season have been hotline operators for 10 hurricane seasons! North Carolinians are fortunate to have these caring volunteers who serve as the friendly voices at the hotline – helping other people when they need it most.

Are you prepared for the hurricane season? Please visit www.readync.org (English) and www.listonc.org (Spanish) to learn how.