RASPBERRIES to UNC and Duke for using some of the region's dwindling water supplies in a manner that can only make passersby wonder whether they've stumbled into some sort of Bizarro World.

Despite the worsening drought, both universities have continued to water the fields on which their field hockey teams play. Those fields, you may or may not know, aren't grass. They're artificial turf.

Officials say the International Hockey Federation requires colleges to saturate the synthetic turf before all practices and games. Watering the turf apparently helps athletes' cleats grip the surface, resulting in fewer slips and injuries. Well, rules are rules and nobody wants to see athletes get hurt. So under normal conditions, water away.

But conditions now are anything but normal. We're locked in a drought of frightening severity. OWASA's reservoirs are down to about half full, and the level sinks lower every day. We've watched our lawns, shrubs and trees wither. We're under tight conservation rules, and the governor has asked North Carolinians to cut their water use in half by Halloween.

As emergencies go, this one is quiet, calm and slow-building, but it's an emergency nonetheless. If we can't water the real grass, it's time to stop watering the artificial stuff.


ROSES to Strowd Roses Inc., the Triangle Community Foundation and the Carolina Center for Public Service, who have combined forces on a project to benefit students at three local elementary schools. Strowd Roses and the Triangle Community Foundation have pledged $375,000 in grants to the Carolina Center to implement a three-year project designed to help schools address the achievement gap. The project will gather data, provide resources and develop strategies to help the schools meet students' needs, improve their environment and boost their academic performance.

Researchers at the School of Social Work, educators in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system and community members are collaborating to make it work. As Jack Richman, dean of the School of Social Work, pointed out, the wonderful thing about this plan is the way it reaches across boundaries to bring various people and institutions to bear on a common issue.


ROSES to Charles and Shirley Weiss of Chapel Hill, who recently donated $50,000 to the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle to establish a $100,000 endowment for up-and-coming solo artists.

The Weisses established the gift to ensure that the orchestra can continue to identify and cultivate emerging, young international soloists. Funds from the endowment will allow talented young musicians to participate with the orchestra while continuing their musical careers.

Giving is nothing new to the Weisses. They've provided financial support to the Chamber Orchestra for decades, provided funding for many programs at UNC and established a fellowship program designed to support graduate students who are committed to improving quality of life in contemporary communities.