Thumbs up, down — Idling trucks waste fuel

By Joanie Morris
Kannapolis Citizen
• Doug Goodnight called to tell us about a thumbs down he observed in Landis.
Work is being done on the railroad crossing there and Goodnight saw one of those trucks that can run on the road or the railroad tracks.
“It just sat there and idled for hours,” he said. Goodnight thought added the truck driver should have turned his truck off, because of the waste of fuel. Oil was up $8 a barrel on Friday, when Goodnight called. “We’re all going to have to change. The more we talk about it, the more people will get used to it.”
• From the Kannapolis City School System, Millie Hall is getting a big ol’ thumbs up. Hall has served on the Kannapolis City School Board for 30 years — the entirety of the board’s time. From Director of Community Relations Ellen Boyd comes this:
“Everyone in Kannapolis City Schools wants to give a big thumbs up to Millie Hall for her remarkable 30 years of service on the Kannapolis Board of Education. She’s been a tireless champion for our children and community, and we’re extremely proud of her. Thank you, Millie, for all your contributions and accomplishments!”
• We’d never forget to add in our own 2 cents — or two thumbs as the case may be — so we’re giving the new budget for the city a little of both.
Thumbs down to the budget for the absence of curbside recycling funding. A few months ago we harped on this, and now we get to do it again.
With the onslaught of new people coming to the area, this is going to be one of those services that is expected. For Kannapolis to be one of the only larger cities in the area that doesn’t offer this service is not good news.
• However, we’re giving a thumbs up to no tax increase. That’s got to count for something, right? We just won’t mention that with revaluation, the city’s getting more money this year anyway than they did last year.
• Speaking of thumbs, my own brother e-mailed in, giving me a taste of my own medicine. Jody wrote, “Thumbs down to junk stored in one room of my house by my ‘baby sister.’” Yep folks, I still have stuff stored at my mom’s house — now my brother’s house since he bought it from her. The secret’s out. I’m a pack rat. He’d love for me to come clean that room out and I’d love nothing better than to be left alone about it.
That’s about all we’ve got for you this week. There is more going on in Kannapolis than we have thumbs for.
That’s what you, the reader, are here for. We’d like to get your opinion on some thumbs up and thumbs down that you see around town. Whether it’s citizens blatantly disregarding the water restrictions by doing something they aren’t supposed to — deserving of a big thumbs down in these dry times — or someone you know celebrating a big milestone you feel deserves a big thumbs up — a la Millie Hall — let us know about it.
Call the Citizen office at 704-932-3336 or e-mail editor Joanie Morris at jmorris@kannapoliscitizen.com with your thumbs.