Archive for August, 2005

Civic Participation

Friday, August 19th, 2005

Over the past year, the Durham County School Board has been trying to calm the heated debates and tensions that have erupted during public comment periods at its meetings. To quell the disruptions, board members have decided to change the way the comment period is organized. But are the new regulations muting debate? And how do you balance the democratic right to be heard with the ability of a board to do its work? Host Melinda Penkava speaks to Gail Heath, chair of the Durham School Board; Nicole Hannah-Jones, reporter with the Raleigh News and Observer; and Kelly O’Brian, acting director of the North Carolina Civic Education Consortium. Listener call-in. (53:00)

Civic Participation

Martin Clark

Thursday, August 18th, 2005

As a circuit court Judge in southern Virginia, Martin Clark has seen a long parade of hardened criminals and hapless losers. He’s transformed several real life defendants into characters in his novels “The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living” (Knopf/2000) and “Plain Heathen Mischief” (Knopf/2004). Melinda Penkava talks to Martin Clark about his work as a judge and the workings of his novels. Listener Call-in. (32:00)

Martin Clark

Anti-Terrorism Drill

Thursday, August 18th, 2005

A four-day anti-terrorism drill wraps up on Thursday in eastern North Carolina. Local, state and federal officials, members of the military, and civilian volunteers have participated in the drills. Some of the events included a hostage exercise, a mock chemical spill, and a chemical weapon simulation. Host Melinda Penkava talks about snags and successes of the drill with Paula Brown, regional coordinator for the state Division of Emergency Management. (12:00)

Anti-Terrorism Drill

John McCann

Wednesday, August 17th, 2005

John McCann, a columnist for the Durham Herald-Sun, on the message sent by the death of Peter Jennings.

John McCann

Kinston Mystery

Wednesday, August 17th, 2005

Two caskets were excavated from a hilltop cemetery in Kinston last month and sent to the Smithsonian for analysis. Who was inside? And why does the Smithsonian care? Host Melinda Penkava speaks with Charlie Ewen, professor of historical archaeology at East Carolina University about the historical significance of the caskets. (10:00)

Kinston Mystery