Communities in Schools is hosting its second annual golf tournament, Fore Kids Sake on Aug. 26 at Pinehurst No. 8. Tournament is a best ball format with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Registration is $200 per player and includes lunch, course beverage, prizes, awards and goody bag. Contact Andi Korte at 528-2173 or by e-mail at andikorte@yahoo.com.

Dear Community, Dear Friends,  

As a parent of a child with a cognitive disability as well as a relative to another, I consider the word "retard" very offensive. As a child, my mother was quick to educate us on how offensive this is to our family and others.  

Today it is a word that is tossed around thoughtlessly, few people even understanding the true meaning of the word.  It is through education that we can stop this from happening.    

I'm forwarding information to you for you to share with everyone you know regarding a new movie called "Tropic Thunder" that belittles people with cognitive disabilities.   Please do your part to help put a stop to discrimination and abuse of people with disabilities. Boycotting this movie offers a great opportunity to share information about individuals that have developmental abilities and to put a stop to the "R" word

Christine Garton

FSN of the Sandhills

Program Coordinator

Mother of a child with a disability

910-246-8059 ext.25  

 --- On Thu, 8/14/08, Irene Zipper wrote:

From: Irene Zipper
Subject: Re: [fsn_programs] FW: The Arc of the United States calls for national boycott of film Tropic Thunder
To: "FSN Affiliated Programs Mailing List"
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 8:49 AM

 

Parent to Parent USA is among the many groups that has been involved in discussions with Dreamworks, and FSN of NC staff have reviewed a draft of a letter that is to be published in the New York Times.  One major concern is that this film not only makes use of an offensive term, but denies the valuable contributions that individuals with disabilities make to our society.  One of the discussions has been about whether letters should be coming from advocacy organizations or from individuals with disabilities themselves.  I think they should come from both, and it is important to emphasize the valuable contributions that all individuals are able to make to the society.   This movie seems to undermine that message, unfortunately  

Irene Nathan Zipper, MSW, PhD
Director
Family Support Network of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
CB #7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
(919) 966-6395
http://www.fsnnc.org/

    -----Original Message-----
From: Sue Price [mailto:SuePrice@vnet.net]

Subject: The Arc of the United States calls for national boycott of film Tropic Thunder

Dear Friends,  

I am writing this in response to several phone calls and emails we received about the movie Tropic Thunder, which hits the theaters today. Here is some information we received from The Arc of the United States which describes the movie and it's impact on individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Background: Tropic Thunder is an action/adventure/comedy scheduled for nationwide release on August 13 and promises to be one of the blockbusters of the summer. DreamWorks is the film's producer and Paramount is its distributor. 

The film features popular actors Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black as self-absorbed actors filming a big-budget war movie on location. Through a series of freak occurrences, they are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, a fading action star who earlier failed in his bid for an Oscar as "Simple Jack," a man with an intellectual disability. "Simple Jack" is featured as a film-within-a-film, with Stiller sporting a classic institutional bowl haircut and bad teeth. The film within-a-film's slogan is "What he doesn't have in his head, he makes up for in his heart." A satirical plot synopsis quotes a critic as saying that Speedman's Jack was "one of the most retarded performances in cinema history."

Status: A small number of disability advocates was able to screen the film on Friday, August 8.  Their assessment of the film was that it was far worse than anything they could have anticipated.  According to David Tolleson, the Executive Director of the National Down Syndrome Congress who attended the screening, "it provides real ammunition for cruelty" especially for the film's target audience of adolescent males.  "Not only is the Simple Jack character highly central to the film's plot, it is portrayed in the most demeaning way," according to Tolleson.  In perhaps the single most offensive scene in the film, Matthew McConaughey, who plays a Hollywood agent, speaks to the film's main character who wants to adopt a child.  "Well, at least you still have a choice.  I'm stuck with mine," states McConaughey while pointing to a photograph of his teenage son who appears to have an intellectual disability. There has been mounting outrage from the disability community as the film's content is gradually becoming known.  For excellent coverage of the issue, see http://capwiz.com/thearc/utr/1/LLMRJBOBNK/JPDRJBQIYG/2272335441 and related posts. Hundreds of comments have been posted on the blog expressing outrage about the movie.

Representatives of a number of national disability organizations, including The Arc's Executive Director Peter V. Berns attended a screening of the movie and state that it is even worse than they imagined. As a result, Arcs across the country, in collaboration with other disability groups, are calling for a national boycott of the file.

What can you do? Join us in boycotting this offensive film. Forward this email to your colleagues, friends and family asking for their support. All of us have friends and relatives spread out across this country. Our voice will be more powerful if we join together. Consider sending a letter to Dream Works expressing your outrage at the hurtful language used in the movie. (I have attached a sample letter to use if you wish)  Please consider that this is also a great opportunity for us to educate our community about People First Language! As educators, families and professional in the field, we all how damaging and hurtful this derogatory language is. Now is our chance to speak about this important issues to our children, friends and neighbors. We have an opportunity to make a real difference here, and I hope we can count on you to do whatever you can to help. Thanks so much.  

Sue Price
Executive Director
The Arc of Cabarrus County, Inc.
P. O. Box 1367
Concord, NC 28026-1367
704-788-1616  

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead, Cultural Anthropologist and Author

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The various programs of the Boy Scouts stress being prepared.  Most people think we mean being prepared for emergencies, and that is part of it.  We also mean being prepared for live in general.

During these tumultuous economic times, it is interesting to note that Scouts are taught fiscal management as part of earning their Eagle rank.  They are being prepared to become fiscally responsible adults.   The boys have to discuss and understand financial principles with a banker or broker.  Boys are not expected to learn this just for Eagle, but are taught throughout the Cub program about saving their money.

Did you know that Scouts also teaches the boys how to be an adult that is not dependent on their parents?  How to cook, clean, and wash cloths are all part of this.  While being prepared for an emergency is what you may first think of, it is also being prepared to be a great person. 

Join us in helping your son become a great person.  Call me at 695-7252 to find the nearest Cub Scout Pack or Boy Scout Troop to your home.

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When the new stepfamily is formed, those members don't have a shared history or traditional way of doing things. Each person may have very different beliefs as a matter of fact. In addition, the newly married parents may not have had much time to adjust to their own new relationship. The children of stepfamilies are facing probable feelings of loss, anger, jealousy, guilt, and certain confusion over how to handle the complicated adjustments that are needed.

So, what are some concrete steps we can take to start this new family growing in the direction of making it's own traditions at the same time it is adjusting to the newness? In order for the members of this family to build bonds, or grow strong roots, the following actions will be the fertilizer that works on that growth:

• acknowledging and mourning the kids' losses
• developing new skills in making decisions as a family
• fostering and strengthening new relationships between parents, stepparent/stepchild, and stepsiblings
• supporting one another
• maintaining and nurturing original parent-child relationships

• Always remember that each ingredient does not have an immediate effect. Have patience, this takes time!

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I wanted to let everyone know about a new dental practice in Southern Pines.  We had such a wonderful experience there!  The name is Hometown Family Dental Center and they see children and adults.  One big plus is that they take ANY kind of insurance.  That is usually hard to find around here because most dentists want you to pay upfront.  My oldest daughter has had some congenital dental problems that have been difficult and we decided to transfer to this dentist a few weeks ago.

The hygienists are wonderful and great with children.  The facility is spotless and the doctor we have, Dr. Malhotra, was truly a blessing.  I left there this week planning on sending them a thank you card, something I have never wanted to do after seeing a dentist!

 In the past few weeks, my oldest has had some difficult procedures and almost all the employees stopped in her room and checked on her and talked to her and really cheered her up during the whole process.  She liked them so much that my youngest was not scared at all to go in for her appointment.

 The office is located next to STARS Charter School on US 1 North right on the outskirts of Southern Pines.  I definitely recommend it!

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One day, long after my youngest stepson (Nick) had finished high school and was out of the house, I found out when it really became them against me!

Back in Nick's junior year in high school, he came downstairs dressed in a suit and tie for school. When I asked him what in the world was going on with that, he told me that his shop class was having a photo taken for the yearbook. He went off to school, as did my other kids, and I really never thought about that morning again.

Several years later, my eldest daughter and I were having an experience which involved her driving my car with me as a passenger while she had her learners permit, and she got pulled over by a policeman for running a yellow light. He let her off with a warning, and as we drove towards home, I commented that I was really surprised that Nick made it through his whole beginner driving experience without ever having gotten a traffic ticket.

That was when my daughter smirked and said: "Well, Mom, that's not exactly true!" She went on to ask if I remembered the day that Nick went to school in a suit and tie. She then revealed the true story about that day.

Nick had gotten a speeding ticket on the way home from school one day while driving his truck a little too fast. Trying to avoid being punished by parents as well as the law, he (with my daughters/his stepsisters' help) came up with the class photo story. Then he went to court instead of school that day, paid the fine for his ticket, came home at the usual time after school and I was none the wiser!

The fact that all of that deception went on, and that he had broken the law as well as having skipped school and gotten away with it, was amazing and shocking. But the strongest feeling that rose up in me was not anger, but extreme satisfaction. After years of the big stepbrother being against my biological daughters, those same kids stuck together and turned against me! Hallelujah! My kids, biological and step had bonded into regular siblings without me even knowing!

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I was deeply moved by comments in a report from former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona in his testimony before Congress on childhood health and obesity. His most alarming statement was this: Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits, and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.   In my travels, I see many bright, smiling faces, but all too often, I also see evidence of unhealthy lifestyles among our young people. As we look ahead to our 100th Anniversary, we need to be mindful of the surgeon general's startling observations about the health and well-being of our younger generation. Among the findings in his report were the following:   Over the past 20 years, the rates of overweight young people doubled in children and tripled in adolescents. Today nearly two out of every three American adults and 15 percent of American kids are overweight or obese. That's more than 9 million children-one in every seven kids-who are at increased risk of weight-related chronic diseases. Today pediatricians are diagnosing an increasing number of children with type 2 diabetes-which used to be known as adult-onset diabetes. Research indicates that one-third of all children born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetime. Tragically, people with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. These complications are likely to appear much earlier in life for those who develop type 2 diabetes in childhood or adolescence. Our role is clear; we must continue to aggressively build and promote programs that help build healthier lifestyles for our Scouts. Increased daily physical activity and healthier eating habits are key solutions here, according to the surgeon general's report. As Scout Leaders, we must do all we can to mirror the surgeon general's initiatives and set the example for encouraging these healthy choices, not only for our Scouts, but for their parents and peers as well. Their future is Scouting's future. I encourage you to offer any ideas you have in this direction.

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A suggestion for the "Ladies Night Out".  I haven't been to The Darling House, but I have been to The May Street Market at 1010 N. May Street in Southern Pines and can recommend it to you!  On Friday nights, there is a live band from 7:00 - 10:00.  There are lots of friendly people who have a great time!   Last Friday night the band was Joyner, Young and Marie and people were dancing in the aisles!   The band is loud, but that seems to be a part of the fun.  I can recommend The May Street Market Burger and the popcorn on the tables is great!  The website for The May Street Market is http://www.maystmarket.com/.  On the website, you can find the schedule for the bands, the menu, etc.  I recommend that you plan ahead and call The Market for reservations, 910-692-4110.   Morris Pennington, the owner, will reserve a table for you and your friends.  I have seen tables for 2 and tables for 10 or more.  Morris will remember your name and make you feel welcome and appreciated.  The atmosphere is casual and comfortable.   Friendships have been made and there have even been weddings and birthday celebrations at this unique place in Southern Pines.   Breakfast and Lunch are also served.  If you decide to give The Market at try, I hope that you have a great time. 

Lucretia Pinnock - Realty World - Pinnock Real Estate - 910-692-6767

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Friday, July 11 was Ladies Night Out.  For 6 years my 2 friends and I have gone out every month for Ladies Night.  Sometimes there are just the 3 of us, sometimes there are as many as 10 of us.  Usually we have 4 or 5.  Last night 6 of us went to The Darling House in Pinehurst.  My recommendation:  Don't go.  The food is good, not great.  The place is VERY small with only 1 table (maybe 2) that can accommodate more than 4 people at a time and smokey.  The service was good - our waiter was very nice and did a great job.   And it was very loud.

So why do I say don't go?  Because of the extremely rude customers and an owner who allowed the customers to be rude to us, who did not handle the situation as it should have been handled.  When we go out for Ladies night we ALWAYS stay at least 2 hours.  We order appetizers, main meals, drinks, coffee, and dessert.  We talk and laugh and have a GREAT time.  We had been at The Darling House for maybe 1.5 hours when we noticed an older man standing very close to our table, pretending to watch the tv, but mostly glaring at us, giving us nasty looks and commenting loudly about how long we were taking.  At the 1.5 hour mark we were just finishing up our desserts, but still drinking coffee.  The customer stood there off and on for at least 30 minutes.  No one at the restaurant, employee or owner, asked him to stop or even seemed to notice what he was doing.  About the same time we noticed the owner also staring at us, not smiling, not saying anything, just looking.  We were seated near the kitchen so he would walk over to the pickup window but then turn around and stare at us.  I was pretty sure it was the owner because he looked like the man pictured in the Pilot when they first opened.  Our waiter confirmed that it was the owner.  

As we were leaving the incredibly rude customer, who had been seated at a table, said loudly "FINALLY."  That annoyed 1 of my friends enough that she went back and told the waiter about what happened and told him that if they had nicely asked us to leave, we would have been fine.  The waiter pointed out the owner whom she also spoke to.  He did not apologize but gave excuses.

None of us would have been insulted if the owner or the waiter had politely asked us to vacate the table because they had customers waiting.  I have been asked that before after sitting at a table for 2 hours.  It is completely understandable.  But to just stand around and glare at us and to allow customers to do the same is completely unacceptable.  You can be sure that not one of us will ever go back there.  And we will all be passing the word about what a terrible place it is.

If you are looking for great food, great atmosphere, a place where you can spend 2 hours enjoying the food and company, owners who are friendly and speak to every customer and who would NEVER let a customer bother another customer, then head over to Chef Warren's in Southern Pines.  I would suggest that the owners of The Darling House head over there and take some notes.  Maybe even ask for some advice from Marianne and Warren because they won't last long in the customer service industry with the attitude they have.

I sent a letter to The Pilot about this but they won't print it.  They consider it a "private dispute."  I consider it letting people know when there is a bad restaurant out there.  

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I hope that you had a wonderful time when you celebrated the 4th of July.  Tell about your celebration and you can win a prize for your story or picture! 

What did you do on the 4^th of July? What are your traditions for the Birthday of America?  As I watched the fireworks with my family, I reflected on our Independence Day celebrations.   Our history as a nation is one of strength and courage.  And, I began to wonder if our children know the history of The Star Spangled Banner, the History of Our Flag, and the stories of the Revolutionary War.  With that in mind, I went to The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines.  This is a wonderful bookshop, and worth a visit for sure!  I found some beautiful books for  my grandchildren that tell the stories of the men, women and children who have been a part of making The United States of America the great nation that it is. 

I decided that it would be fun to hear about the traditions of other families.  Then, I had the idea of a contest.  Everyone loves a contest.  So, draw a picture, write a poem a song, or write a story about your Independence Day Traditions.  Mail it or drop it by my office, Realty World - Pinnock Real Estate  at 115 E. Pennsylvania Ave. in Southern Pines, or 15 Dawn Road in Pinehurst.  Or send it to me in an e-mail -  lucretiapinnock@nc.rr.com.  The prize is a beautiful book  AMERICA   THE MAKING OF A NATION  by Charlie Samuels and a trip for Ice Cream! 

On the 4^th of August, the winner will be announced and the prize will be awarded.   Be sure to include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number with your entry.

Following are some quotes that I found in several books that I purchased at The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines.

"On July 4, 1776, the original thirteen colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. This new United States of America adopted a constitution in 1787.  The next year, on the fourth of July, the citizens of Philadelphia held a parade in celebration.  Over the years, this practice continued.  The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, has become a time for flags, parades, picnics, and fireworks."

"The diligent Stars and Stripes waved on through the long and pounding night, while patriots prayed that they would see their flag at morning's light"

"From a boat in Baltimore Harbor, Francis Scott Key observed the British bombing of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.  During the night he saw only glimpses of the American flag through the smoke and flare of light.  The next morning, he was so happy to see the flag still flying that he began writing a poem.  Later, this poem was put to the tune of another song and became America's national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner".  The flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" was made by Mary Pickersgillo and her daughter, Caroline.  It measured thirty feet by forty-two feet.  It was wide as most two-story houses are tall!  Today, that restored flag is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D. C."

"Betsy Ross, a seamstress, did sew one of the earliest versions of the flag for the Pennsylvania Navy in 1777.  As for who made the very first flag, it is still a mystery"

"There is nothing wrong with America that faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens cannot cure"  Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America

"Do not destroy that immortal emblem of humanity, the Declaration of Independence."  Abraham Lincoln

"Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."  Benjamin Franklin

"The Liberty Bell is a very significant symbol for the entire democratic world."  Nelson Mandela

"To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race."  Calvin Coolidge

 

George Washington 1^st President  1789 - 1797 was "America's Greatest Commander"

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.  Jesse Helms, Senator from North Carolina died on July 4, 2008

"American women stopped buying British stuff.  It was a boycott. (Maybe we should call it a girlcott. Or a ladycott.)  Buying British fabric became a big fashion "no".  Making homemade cloth was the cool thing to do.  Tea drinking slowed to a drip as patriotic families turned to chocolate, coffee, and cider.  Tempers started to boil."  The Boston Tea Party was in 1773 when 342 crates of tea were thrown into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act.

"We possess a Spirit that will not be conquered.  Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband, John, who because the second American president in 1797."

"It is not in numbers, but in unity that our great strength lies...  From Common Sense by Thomas Paine. 

"The American Revolution lasted for eight long years. (1775 - 1783).  The end of the war, thousands of soldiers and regular people were dead.  Tens of thousands were hurt or disabled.  Houses were robbed and burned, barns and shops destroyed, animals stolen, and crops ruined.  Our world had changed forever" 

God Bless America!

Presented by Lucretia Pinnock, Realty World - Pinnock Real Estate, 910-215-6957, 115 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines, NC 28387

 

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