The recent death of Davidson resident and W.A. Hough High School student Jocelyn Albright Desmond has given many of us cause to reflect – about teenage life, cyber bullying and suicide. Her loss is still a painful wound for both family and friends. Today her parents, Alan and Jaletta Desmond, are sharing their thoughts and feelings in a pair of letters published below.

Jocelyn, 17, died March 15. She was a Hough High junior, active in her church and at school, where she loved track and singing. But there were things the Desmonds did not know about their daughter until after her death. They reflected on both her life and death in letters read by friends at a March 17 funeral service, within a few days of her passing. Read the full story

By BILL THUNBERG
Lake Norman Transportation Commission

Recent discussion of the Red Line Regional Rail Project has been intense – and so has the dissemination of misinformation about the project. This discussion is the result of the Red Line Task Force’s referral of a draft business and finance plan for review by the communities along the line.

Public discussion of the project has included a considerable amount of very thoughtful input and intense questioning, as was intended. Unfortunately, this regional conversation has been seen by those opposed to transit and the transit tax as a surrogate target for the failed effort to repeal the transit tax. Transit is a part of the transportation plan for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region, and rail is a part of the transit and transportation systems designed to serve this region. Read the full story

Jocelyn Albright Desmond left us a couple of weeks ago, and our community is still mourning along with her family over the loss of such a bright and engaged fellow citizen. We’re looking for meaning as we try to fathom the news that the W.A. Hough High School teen took her own life.  Many of us are hugging our own children a little closer and wondering how to talk to them about her death.

On Friday, Jocelyn’s family issued a message of thanks for the outpouring of support from friends, their church and their children’s schools. As they mourn, family members also say they are encouraged by signs that people here – especially other teens – are learning something from the tragedy. Read the full story

To the Editor:

I’ve been pretty outspoken about pedestrian safety in Davidson over the past few months. (See Dec. 26, 2011, “Pedestrian safety, through the eyes of an obssessive walker”) But I want to report that I’m finding pedestrian safety along Griffith St., between Watson St. and the new convenience store/gas station, is surprisingly safe. I have been walking from Armour St. (along Watson) and crossing Griffith, heading toward Snap Fitness, for three months now and have never had a close call. Read the full story

As you may or may not be able to tell by my name, I am very Irish and this time of year my family prepares for its annual tradition: Irish Road Bowling. But, before I say more about that, I want to tell you about the St. Patrick’s Day traditions of some other proud Irish friends in Davidson.

SODA BREAD FOR THE FAMILY

Cathy Cunningham McKillop, the proud wife of Davidson College’s Basketball coach Bob McKillop and mother of three Davidson graduates, said she makes Irish soda bread for the family on St. Patrick’s Day. The family used to eat a corned beef and cabbage dinner, she said, but stopped that tradition when she realized her sons Matt and Brendan didn’t even like it. Read the full story

To the Editor:

The recent rejection of the mental health hospital in Huntersville was troubling to me. (See March 6, 2012, “Huntersville board rejects mental health hospital, 4-2.”) It seems that many people just do not understand the actual safety procedures that would be in place and/or the myths about those diagnosed with a mental disorder and in need of hospitalization are still alive and well. It appears the “not in my backyard” argument has won out over the actual reality and ramifications of such a facility.

The stigma attached to mental illness has defeated our responsibility to raise awareness of mental illness and help make sure that there is a place where the thousands of people in the lake Norman region who struggle with mental illness can find help if needed. Read the full story

John Woods is chair of the Metropolitan Transit Commission’s Red Line Task Force and mayor of Davidson.

By JOHN WOODS

Everyone, please take a deep breath! There has been a great deal of discussion, and misinformation, regarding the Red Line Regional Rail Project, and I would like to set the record straight on several issues.

Let’s first remember that we are not debating whether to implement the Red Line. We are instead working together on how and when to bring this project to life. Our communities have twice voted in support of transit, and our citizens continue to voice their support for bringing passenger rail to the North Corridor. So now we are doing the hard work: Figuring out the details of how to fund this initiative and make it a reality. Read the full story

To the Editor:

In the recent tradition of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Ben & Jerry’s in Davidson is sponsoring Occupy the Green this Friday, March 9, after school.  Whether you agree with Occupy Wall Street or not, it was founded on the idea of taking a stand against perceived injustice.  And that is what we want to do.  It saddens us the way that 5th Grade Fridays on the Green was ended. It’s part of what makes Davidson, well, Davidson. Read the full story