On the evening of Saturday March 10, while driving home from work on Jones Ferry Road I saw a deer that had been severely injured lying beside the road. This animal was still alive, but it was obvious it could not move other than to lift its head.

When I got home I called the Orange County sheriff's department to report this and request someone go the scene and put the animal down. The dispatcher took my information and thanked me for calling. Fifteen minutes later as I sat down to dinner the phone rang and a State Wildlife representative called to inquire if I was the person making the injured deer report and if I was in a position to go out and put this animal out of its misery. I told the person that I was almost 10 miles away and it would be difficult for me to return. The representative told me she would send someone out to take care of the injured deer.

Imagine my anger and outrage when I drove past the scene on my way to work Sunday morning and saw this same injured deer lying beside the road still struggling for life. I did not have the means to dispatch this poor animal with me or I would have stopped and done so. Instead I called my good friend and hunting partner David and asked him to go out and do what had to be done. As always, David understood the situation and did what I asked him to do.

I can think of no practical reason why this had to happen this way. Imagine lying beside a road for 12 hours in pain and with no mercy in sight. As for the people and agencies involved in this sad spectacle I can only hope a larger measure of mercy will be shown to you should the need ever arise.

Ken Horne

Chatham County

Protect workers’ rights

A bill proposed in the N.C. Senate and moving through the legislature, SB 575, would radically change the rights of workers across UNC-system schools.

SB 575 would remove public university employees from the legal guarantees provided to them under the State Personnel Act and give sole and complete authority to the Board of Governors to manage SPA positions.

With this change, the Board of Governors would act in whatever way it saw fit to determine the parameters of employment for UNC System employees, including setting health and disability benefits, wages, grievance policies, disciplinary measures and human resources policies.

There would be no higher authority, no external, objective system of checks and balances to catch possible or actual abuses of power.

The consequences of this legislation are that workers could face an even more difficult work environment, becoming essentially “at-will” employees who can be fired without any explicit justification and without any method of legal redress, both of which they are currently entitled to under the State Personnel Act.

We as a community acting collectively cannot allow this legislation to move forward. Say no to SB 575. For more information about this bill and the problems it will bring, go to http://bit.ly/xaXtMf.

Zaina Alsous

UNC-CH Student Action with Workers

It takes a village – and CPR

A year ago today, March 21, 2011, I suddenly dropped dead at my job at the FedEx Global Education Center on the UNC campus. The cause was a sudden cardiac arrest, but no one knew what was going on at the time. Thanks to the quick actions of my colleagues in the study abroad office, I am alive today.

Everything aligned in my favor: Annabel, a temporary worker, found me on the floor of my office and immediately called 911; Mark, our director of information systems, heard her call for help, ran to my office, and initiated CPR. Mark continued pumping on my chest until emergency responders arrived, including campus police, firefighters, and Orange County paramedics. I can’t imagine how frightened Mark, Annabel, and others in my office were at the time.

It took several shocks from a portable defibrillator to get my heart started again, but without a doubt, CPR saved my life. There were also heroic actions taken by emergency responders, and doctors and nurses at UNC Hospitals. If you’re going to drop dead, it certainly helps to do it just a couple blocks from a major hospital.

There are many unsung heroes in this story and thanking everyone has been one of our greatest challenges. There was a recovery period, and I was in a medically induced coma. As I lay in a hospital bed at UNC Hospital, friends, neighbors, colleagues and mere acquaintances were busy supporting our family. Meals were coordinated, the dog was walked, our two school-age children were cared for, cards, letters, flowers, balloons and emails arrived.

We are grateful to our Southern Village community, our friends on the Bynum listserv, the Chapel Hill Early School, the UNC community, and everyone who came to our aid. Thank you. From the bottom of my now-pacemaker-wired heart – thank you.

I’ve learned a lot from the experience, including a new respect for CPR. I encourage book clubs, neighborhood groups, high school and college groups, running clubs, and others to contact their local health department or the American Red Cross to find out where they can complete CPR training.

One year ago today, my colleague Mark Nielsen, stepped up the plate and put his hands to my heart. It worked. CPR can save a life; it saved mine.

Janet Walters

Chapel Hill

Bad for business

North Carolina’s proposed Amendment 1 is bad for business. It will interfere with employers’ ability to recruit talent and their right to provide competitive benefits to their employees.

It also signals to employers, employees, and entrepreneurs that North Carolina is not welcoming to the diverse, creative workforce that we need to compete in the global economy.

We should not do anything that diminishes any corporation's interest in locating or remaining in North Carolina. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce opposes Amendment 1 and is asking each of our 1,100 employer members, their 80,000 employees and voters statewide to vote against Amendment One on May 8.

Aaron Nelson

President and CEO

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce

‘Great Main Street’

Whether it’s Franklin Street or Weaver Street, North Carolina is filled with great central gathering places. Now you can nominate your favorite to be recognized as a “Great Main Street."

As part of "Great Places in North Carolina," an initiative sponsored by the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association, folks can nominate and vote on a People's Choice for a great main street anywhere in North Carolina. Go to www.nc-apa.org/greatplaces for more information. Don’t delay. Nominations close on March 30. Then the online voting will begin!

An expert panel will also select three "Great Main Streets" across the state and a "Great Place in the Making" from nominations submitted by APA-NC members

Final selections will be announced in late May. Help us recognize the places that make North Carolina great!

Fleming El-Amin

N.C. Chapter of the American Planning Association

Take a walk

Let’s get spring started right by being active!

Walking is a great way to get in your daily activity. All you need is a pair of good walking shoes and comfortable clothes.

There are many benefits to walking:

Increases cardiovascular endurance

Lowers the risk of heart attacks

Lowers blood pressure and prevents high blood pressures

Manages weight

Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes

Reduces cholesterol levels

Improves muscle tone

Increases aerobic capacity

Eases back pain

Speeds up metabolic rate

Slows down bone loss and helps to prevent osteoporosis

Increases energy throughout the day

With all of these great health benefits – walking is the way to go! Poet Carrie Latet says: “Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.”

If you are interested in learning more about walking, walking groups, or places to walk in Chatham County, contact me at the Chatham County Public Health Department at 919-545-8442. Also visit the Active Chatham webpage at http://bit.ly/y2jTLs.

Megan Bolejack

Health educator