Roses to Amanda Arrington, whose love of dogs has become a calling that promises to improve the lives of animals throughout the state.

Arrington, who several years ago founded the Coalition to Unchain Dogs in Orange and Durham counties, was named last year the North Carolina director for the Humane Society of the United States. In that position she will spend a lot of time and energy working to nudge the General Assembly to adopt legislation to protect the welfare of animals in the state. She also will remind the residents of the state of their role in making that happen.

If the past is any guide, she'll be an effective advocate.

Three years ago Arrington, convinced that the practice of keeping dogs tethered -- tied to ropes or chains -- for long periods of time was detrimental to their physical and emotional health, launched a grassroots campaign to have the practice barred or restricted.

It was an impressive effort. Arrington didn't just make her appeal on emotional grounds; she marshaled a lot of evidence that the long-term tethering of dogs damages them and, not incidentally, tends to make them more aggressive and therefore dangerous to people and other animals.

Although the coalition's push sparked opposition, it bore fruit. Durham County banned tethering and Orange County imposed significant but reasonable restrictions on the practice.

Most important, Arrington and her group didn't just push the county commissioners to act. They acted themselves, sending teams of volunteers to build fences for dog owners who couldn't afford them. Those fences allowed the residents to unchain their dogs and let them run free in the yard.

Now Arrington will expand her focus to the whole state. The animals of North Carolina are fortunate to have her on their side.

Roses to the Eno River Association, which last week closed the deal on two key tracts to be added to Eno River State Park.

The parcels are small, totaling only 65 acres, but they fill in two gaps that had interrupted the park's acreage along the banks of the Eno. The river in the area includes several rare species of mussels, and one of the two new tracts holds an old slave cemetery, which will now be permanently protected within the state park.

The Eno River Association worked for several years with the family that owned the acreage.

The park is one of the treasures of this part of the state, and the association that helped create it more than 30 years ago continues to do superb work. Its patient, collaborative approach has become a model for other conservation organizations.

Roses to Robin McMahon, a French teacher at Smith Middle School, who once again won a European Union grant of about $86,000 to fund a remarkable learning opportunity for her students.

The grants are intended to help U.S. individuals and communities learn about the EU. They are not targeted to middle school or even high school students. Recipients generally consist of colleges and universities; when McMahon's grant application last year was accepted, it made Smith the first public secondary institution in the nation ever to receive one.

This year she did it again. The grant will fund special programs of study and a 10-day trip to Europe for 36 students and six teachers.

Felicitations!

Please send suggestions for Roses & Raspberries to Dave Hart, associate editor, at dhart@nando.com.