The DREAM Act will be voted on next week! It would allow promising youth who have grown up in America to become full citizens and taxpayers, if they complete two years of college or military service. Tell Congress to reject these anti-immigrant voices and make the DREAM a reality.

The Boy Scouts of America has turned 100 years old in 2010 and continues to serve boys ages 7 through 18 in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and young men and women ages 14 through 20 in Venturing.  The values of scouting through its first hundred years continue to provide emphasis on citizenship, service, and physical and spiritual health. 

Troop 116 prepares to salute the return home of Scoutmaster Randy Spruill

The local Scouting organization is actively recruiting men and women over 21 years of age who would like to volunteer to serve the youth in our area. Needs are many and include volunteers to perform administrative, training, and mentoring roles.  Some might work with youth, but there are needs for those who are willing to work with other adult volunteers to help them organize, provide leadership skills training, assist in program development, help run multi-unit activities and programs, function as liaison between unit leaders and district leaders, or assist units and the district with fund raising activities.  These specific roles are primarily as unit commissioners, district roundtable staff, and district committee members.  Interested volunteers can contact Larry Proctor, District Commissioner, at larry@theproctors.info or at (252) 202-0006.

"The map is one way to tell our story, to share what makes our island a special place, and to help preserve the sense of place that has supported our community for generations," said Susan West, a Buxton resident.

Guests attending the fundraiser are invited to identify and map cultural, natural, and business assets in the island's seven villages. Cultural assets might be a church, a place where children play, or a place with special significance, such as an old fish camp or mail boat landing.A natural asset might be a favorite place to watch sunsets, and a business asset might be a shop that sells locally-produced art or jewelry or locally-caught seafood. Assets could include museums, historic buildings and sites, celebrations and events, commercial and charter boats, piers, fish houses, trails, nature reserves, fishing, hunting and bird-watching guide services, motels, watersport businesses, tackle and bait shops, community organizations and services, landmarks and historic place-names, and marinas.

The seafood dinner fundraiser benefits the Hatteras Island Food Pantry and Hatteras Meals, Inc.  Last year the event raised almost $3000, and helped stock the pantry's shelves for the holiday season.

The Mapping Project is a community-based initiative funded under a NC Rural Economic Development Center) innovative economic development grant awarded the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center.  Asset mapping is one part of a regional community-based initiative led by the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center in Harkers Island. The primary goal of the grant is to catalyze job retention, supplemental income generation and small business development in natural resource-based and asset-based sectors, especially the commercial fishing and emerging eco-/heritage tourism industries, in villages located along the Outer Banks Scenic Byway.  Duke University also provided funding for the Mapping Project. For more information, contact West at (252) 995-4131 or email ridgeroad@earthlink.net.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, a leading national nonprofit organization headquartered in New York, will be presenting the nation's first Alzheimer's disease "Together for Care" telethon on December 4 in 16 major NBC markets and telecast nationally. Hosted by Al Roker, it brings together leading celebrities, including performances by Kris Allen, Shontelle and Wilson Phillips.

Now is the time to unveil Alzheimer's disease--bring the disease front and center to the American public at a time when the incidence is skyrocketing. With the first wave of baby boomers turning 65 next year--and advanced age the greatest known risk factor for the brain disorder, it is time to rally the nation together to let people know help is available and raise funds for care and cure. AT AFA, we often refer to Alzheimer's disease to where AIDs was a dozen years ago--it's time to talk about it. We believe holding this telethon will get the nation talking.For more information, visit www.alzfdn.org.