I would personally like to say thanks to everyone that was involved and helped me with my fundraiser for Relay for Life/Singing for a Cure on March 26. Every dollar counts and yours just might be the one that finds the cure.

My special thanks go out to Empty Pockets-Donnie Clay, Conrad Heffner and Rhonda Bateman, Bruce Hedden and the Gospel Mountaineers, Curtis Blackwell and the Fescue Four, Kirsten Hedden and Michella Hedden. They provided very great singing and entertainment.

The N.C. General Assembly is confronting many urgent and contentious issues in the 2011 session. Among these are the budget shortfall, redistricting and a trough-full of social issues arising as the result of the power shift of the last election. But, one very promising ray of light appearing through the haze of political maneuvering is the introduction of House Bill 135 and Senate Bill 367. These companion bills each are entitled “The Efficient and Affordable Energy Rates Bill.” There are currently 14 legislators who have attached their names to these bills as sponsors, including Western North Carolina House members Patsy Keever and Susan Fisher.

March 25th was the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in NYC. The fire started on the ninth floor. Fire truck ladders could only reach the sixth floor. One-hundred and forty-six young girls and a few boys died either within the factory or from jumping out windows. The door that was not engulfed in flames was locked, as the owners said, to deter theft. At the trial it came out theft amounted to $15 -$20. They also wanted to keep union organizers out.

These were the same girls who in 1909 organized for better working conditions and better wages. They were beaten and arrested. At the time of the fire most wages were $0.14 per hr. Adjusted for inflation that would be $3.18 today. The aftermath of the fire was public outrage and new laws to protect workers.

Shop Franklin. Shop local. Support your local businesses. You hear it all the time. But most of the time, you don’t really think about it. That is until you need a donation for a fundraiser or a benefit. The local business community is by far the best when it comes to donations. Even with the economy being as tough as it is, local businesses never fail to support whatever fundraiser is happening, whether it is for school events, benefits for the sick or fundraisers for charitable organizations.

The Macon County Academic Foundation would like to thank all of the local businesses who donated to our recent fundraiser. We had an abundance of items donated even in these tough economic times. We sincerely appreciate the many restaurants who donated the BBQ and food for the dinner. We would also like thank all of the individuals who attended the event and supported us with their money. We always try to be mindful that this was hard earned money and try to be as careful as we can with spending it.