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His moment of power

What does the lieutenant governor do? That's a tough one. But current North Carolina Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton came in handy Friday when Gov. Bev Perdue wanted to issue an executive order to "temporarily suspend motor carrier regulations so that transporters of essential fuels and utility services in North Carolina can operate above the maximum hours" during the weekend snowstorm, her office said.

Trouble was, Perdue was outside the state on vacation. Her staff reported only that she had gone to "a warm place." Lucky her (but she's due back for the opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro this very cold morning). The N.C. Constitution specifies that every time the governor leaves the state, the lieutenant governor becomes the acting governor.

Dalton apparently didn't take undue advantage of his temporary authority last week, but he did sign the executive order -- a rare exercise of power for someone in his office. And now he can return to whatever it is lieutenant governors normally do.

It's windy up there

A wind speed of 231 mph just isn't good enough anymore for New Hampshire's Mount Washington. The 6,288-foot peak recently was stripped of its record by the World Meteorological Organization, which now recognizes a 253-mph blow in Australia as the globe's top gust.

Let's pay homage, however, to our own Grandfather Mountain, where in 2006 the mile-high wind gauge got stuck at 200 mph, its maximum reading. Alas, the National Weather Service pooh-poohed the event, suggesting Grandfather Mountain measurements weren't scientifically reliable anyway.

Maybe not. But, safe to say, walking across the swinging bridge on a blustery day can teach anyone about the power of wind in North Carolina's high country.

Preserving the view

A visit to Grandfather Mountain invites a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where gorgeous scenery seems to roll on forever.

The parkway, marking its 75th anniversary this year, creates a wonderful illusion of boundless beauty. In fact, the park is generally narrow and in places not much wider than the roadway itself. It relies on "scenic easements," or agreements with landowners, not to spoil the view.

Last week, however, North Carolina Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr, along with several House members representing the state, began a process aimed at protecting more land. Their legislation would set aside $75 million over five years to acquire up to 50,000 acres of land along the parkway.

If approved, the addition of undeveloped property will help preserve spectacular scenery for generations of parkway visitors.

Trashing our water supply

The trash dumped into Randolph County's Muddy Creek (and pictured in Friday's News & Record) is disgusting.

"We've got stuff in here that Walmart hasn't got," area resident Jerry Boyles quipped to staff writer Taft Wireback, referring to aerosol cans, bottles, chairs and about everything else "from A to Z."

The people responsible for choking the creek with all that junk aren't thinking about the impact of their actions. Muddy Creek flows into Randleman Regional Reservoir, which before long will be providing drinking water for the region. They also may not realize that cleaning up the creek likely will end up raising water bills.

That makes their actions not only disgusting but an offense against everyone who will drink from the reservoir.