The students — 50 from public schools, four from charters and the top speller from local home schools — have been studying word lists, learning root words and playing Scrabble to get ready for the regional tournament, which is open to the public at Duke’s Page Auditorium on March 6.
The university stepped in to foot the bill for the event after Scripps spelling bee officials came to the area to solicit sponsors. As the sponsor, Duke will cover the cost of the regional event and will send the regional winner and a chaperone to the national competition in Washington, D.C.
If the regional bee is a success, Duke representatives say that they hope to expand the regional event to other counties.
We thank the university for stepping in to support the spelling bee, which seems like a good marriage of the university’s devotion to education and the objectives of Duke’s Office of Durhma and Regional Affairs.
We hope the community will turn out to support the university’s efforts and the young spellers.
n There’s more good news: In a two-day blitz, volunteers with the Missions of Mercy and Durham County Health Department will bring free dental care to 1,000 adults in Durham County.
The free, temporary clinic will offer X-rays, cleanings, fillings and extractions.
Other sponsors include the North Carolina Dental Health Fund and the Alamance Open Door Dental Clinic, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. They all deserve praise for seeing and addressing a serious gap in health care services.
The clinic is first-come, first-served on March 12 and 13 at the National Guard Armory on Stadium Drive. Registration begins at 6 a.m. both days, and the clinic hopes to clear 500 clients each day.
Dental care is often unaffordable for households under financial strain, but it’s a key element of overall health. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report early findings that link oral health to cardiovascular health, premature births and diabetes. Dental care can lead to early identification of osteoperosis and some cancers.
It’s important that everyon in our community has access to basic dental care, and we applaud those who organized the event.
n Sharon Elliott-Bynum went to Kenya and came back with a mission.
Elliott-Bynum founded Durham’s CAARE center — Case management of AIDS and Addiction through Resources and Education — starting with a free medical clinic for the uninsured.
She didn’t stop there. The center at 214 Broadway St. is open for addiction counseling five days a week. They’ve added a chapel, a food pantry, a workout room and a coffee shop.
And when Elliott-Bynum discovered that local senior citizens could use a place to go, CAARE added an exercise program that also does health screenings and sends seniors home with groceries from the food pantry.
The next step: A plan to get a 15-bed dorm for homeless veterans. Elliott-Bynum is trying to get the Department of Veterans Affairs to approve the project, an expansion of CAARE’s three existing veterans’ homes.
For all that she’s done, and for what comes next, Elliott-Bynum gets this week’s Durham Grit Award.
