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Polite, passive dissent on Helms
They didn’t make a scene. They didn’t object. They didn’t even vote no.

But neither did members of the Legislative Black Caucus vote in favor of a resolution praising the memory of the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. Those sitting out the votes last Tuesday in the state House and Senate included Reps. Alma Adams and Earl Jones and Sen. Katie Dorsett, all of Greensboro.

Maybe it’s considered a violation of legislative courtesies to pass on a measure like this. Kind words about a departed politician generally aren’t disputed. There’s no sense in reviving partisan debates of days gone by.

But Helms was unusually divisive. He fought bitter battles that left scars and hard feelings. He harbored old attitudes about race. It’s a lot to ask of some legislators to endorse a pronouncement that, “Throughout his long public career, Sen. Jesse Helms was a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina ... .” Not everyone remembers him as an advocate for all the people of North Carolina. Those who don’t believe he was should be true to themselves and their constituents. In those circumstances, a polite, passive dissent was an honorable response.

Just leave those gators alone
Alligators aren’t exactly new to southeastern North Carolina.

“Researchers say the alligators have been here for millions of years,” the Wilmington Star News noted last week. So the reason for increasing contacts with humans recently may be encroachment into areas once left to the toothy reptiles.

Relocating them isn’t a solution, says Tim Padgett, a biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “We are in gator country, so just use common sense,” Padgett recommends. “If you see an alligator, just leave it alone.”

Spartans grab ACC action
Greensboro sits in the center of ACC territory — a perfect place for a basketball-ambitious local university to grab a piece of the action.

UNCG announced last week that its men’s team will host ACC members Wake Forest, N.C. State, Clemson and Maryland this season in its new home arena, the Greensboro Coliseum.

That just happens to be the site of the 2010 ACC Tournament. Playing UNCG earlier will let the four visiting teams gain some familiarity with the venue.

The Spartans hope the tougher competition and bigger crowds will help them build a better program. They have to. Playing ACC teams is good, but success depends on giving them a game. ACC-area fans have high standards.

Helping out home buyers
A bill sponsored by Sixth District Rep. Howard Coble that extends and broadens a tax credit for would-be home buyers provides a welcome boost to a national housing market that has yet to fully recover.

His proposal would extend through 2010 the $8,000 tax credit set to expire at the end of this year. It also would make the credit, now limited to first-time purchasers, available to all home buyers and modify some stringent earnings limits.

Despite some positive signs that the recession may be easing, substantial recovery won’t happen until the nation’s faltering real estate segment gets back on its feet.

Republican Coble’s suggested fixes deserve bipartisan congressional support.

Pam Allen’s legacy
Former school board member Pam Allen died last week after a battle with cancer.

Whether you agreed or disagreed with her on the issues, there was no doubting her dedication during her full decade on the board, from 1992 to 2002. She was vice chairman when she lost her re-election bid in 2002.

Allen was consistently committed to community causes. She had served as president of the Greensboro PTA Council and was involved as well in a wide variety of arts initiatives.

She lost her bid for her fourth term, incidentally, to current board member Nancy Routh. Some of Allen’s opponents targeted her for her support to move an arts magnet program from Morehead School to Peeler and her allegiance to former Superintendent Terry Grier.

But her willingness to give of her time and her energy to her community was unquestioned.