When he was a freshman, he won the state championship in the 103-pound weight class. When he was a sophomore, he won the state championship in the 119-pound class. When he was a junior, he won the state championship in the 125-pound class.

And last weekend he won the state championship in the 135-pound class.

Mock became only the seventh high school wrestler in state history to win four individual titles.

The crown he won last weekend in the state 4-A tournament in Winston-Salem capped a remarkable year: Mock lost only a single match all year, to an out-of-state opponent in a holiday tournament.

He completed his run through the state tournament in dominant fashion. He pinned his first opponent in just 45 seconds, pinned his second in just over three minutes and outpointed his semifinal opponent 17-1. In the championship match, he took just over a minute and a half to take the match with a pin.

With that, he did a celebratory backflip and walked off with a real rarity -- four state championships in four years. Congratulations, Corey.

Raspberries to the Chapel Hill Town Council for treating itself to a fine dinner to the tune of $1,200 at a time when the town should be looking to save every penny it can find between the cushions.

The council kicked off its annual retreat last weekend with a dinner for 30 -- elected officials and senior staff members -- at The Franklin Hotel. The biggest issue facing the town just now, of course, is the dismal economy, and at the retreat the council came up with a broad plan to bridge an estimated $5.2 million gap between expenses and revenue (and not the good kind) during the fiscal year beginning July 1. Among the strategies they will likely turn to in order to absorb the shortfall are delaying new debt, freezing employees' salaries, leaving vacancies unfilled and deferring capital projects.

With the town staring at such a grim economic outlook, it's hard to believe it didn't occur to anyone that a fancy dinner for 30 might not send quite the message taxpayers want to hear.

It's not the money. While $1,200 (plus tax and service charge) is real money to most of us, relative to the town budget it's peanuts. But at a moment like this, when people are fearful and times are lean, even symbolic gestures are important.

Roses to Zach Ward, who has turned Carrboro into a must-stop venue for working comics and comedy improv troupes throughout the nation.

Ward, who runs DSI Comedy Theater in Carr Mill Mall, organizes what has outgrown its original name -- the DSI Improv Festival -- and is now known as the North Carolina Comedy Festival.

For two weeks earlier this month, something on the order of 500 standup comics and improv groups from all over the nation flooded into little Carrboro to perform (and to eat, drink, shop and otherwise support local businesses).

Thanks largely to Ward's indefatigable efforts, performers and their fans all over the country have come to know Carrboro. They come here every year to make us laugh. During times like these, that's especially welcome.

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