Roses to Odom Williford of Chapel Hill, who won first prize in the inaugural "Celebrate Green Central" Art and Writing Contest, sponsored by Central Carolina Community College.

Students were invited to create projects around the theme of "Reduce, reuse, and recycle."

Odom, a sophomore at Woods Charter School, created a quilt made of repurposed plastic bags to symbolize the more than 9 trillion plastic bags that are used in the U.S. every year.

These bags end up in creeks, in rivers, in oceans, on the sides of roads, in trees, and in our ever-expanding landfills.

Dare County has already banned the use of plastic bags by retailers.

We should think about doing it, too.

The backing of Odom's repurposed quilt is made of sustainable, reusable bags, several made from recycled plastic bottles.

Odom invites everyone to say "No" to the question, "Is plastic OK?" the next time you're in the grocery check out line. And when you remember to bring your own bags to the grocery store and then they don't even have to ask.

His quilt is on display at the Chatham Community Library in Pittsboro on the CCCC campus.

Raspberries to Kevin Wolff, candidate for mayor of Chapel Hill, who seems to have broken the silence he usually observes when he runs for office by introducing an ugly note into the campaign.

Several residents reported Wolff handing out copies of an alarming flier.

"Attention! Please Help!" it reads in bold type at the top, and then it goes on: "Three hours ago a 4 year old girl was reported missing. The parents said the girl was last seen playing on the playground in HOMESTEAD PARK. The parents also said that there was an unknown man talking with the little girl before she vanished. Please join us in the park now to search for the missing girl."

As we're clutching our hearts and hurrying out the door to help, we come to this: "No, this did not actually happen today, but it will if a Men's Homeless Shelter is put next to Homestead Park."

The flier goes on to reiterate the inevitability of that awful occurrence: If the shelter is put there, "then a child will be assaulted, molested, kidnapped, or killed in that park. It's not a matter of if this will happen ... It is a matter of when."

As a campaign tactic, the flier represents an unwelcome alarmism. Worse, in painting the homeless as murderous criminals who want to prey upon our children, it plays upon the worst sort of stereotype.

It's a sad commentary, especially in a town that considers itself progressive and compassionate.