By Staff
The City of Washington should send Friends of Brown Library a card of thanks for providing much-needed help to the city-run library.
After learning Brown Library was experiencing extremely severe problems with its computer system, Friends of the Brown Library decided to allocate about $10,000 to buy a new server and four compatible computers for the library. The library’s aging computer system faced the likely possibility of its system crashing, which would result in the library losing its catalog and data files.
The library’s current budget does not include the money needed to correct the problem.
Instead of complaining about the city not being able to come up with the money to solve the problem, Friends of the Brown Library chose to act. Washington could use more such groups that choose to act rather than complain. The city has more than Friends of the Brown Library to rely on when it comes to acting instead of grumbling.
Take the Pine Needles Garden Club for example. It recognized the need for helping those in need of assistance. Instead of grumbling that someone should do something to help those who need assistance, the club chose to act. It developed and carried out its Crabs on the Move project, which is much more than just a public-art enterprise.
Last year, the first installment of Crabs on the Move raised money for charities or organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Zion Shelter and OPTIONS to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Those entities and the people they serve are better off because someone decided to do something instead of do nothing.
When it found out about the library’s problem with its computer system, Friends of Brown Library didn’t worry about where to place blame for that problem occurring. The group’s first concern was to help.
Without that help, Brown Library may have been forced to shut its doors or greatly reduce its services. That would have been a disservice to its patrons.
The city, the library and its patrons should be glad Friends of Brown Library is more concerned with offering a helping hand instead of pointing an accusing finger.
Time for pride
For the Washington High School Science Olympiad team, winning a regional Science Olympiad title and moving on to the state’s Science Olympiad competition is like Tiger Woods winning a major golf tournament — it’s expected and usually happens.
The team continues to take on and defeat teams representing larger high schools with more resources. Over the years, WHS teams’ placements at regional, state and national competitions show that members of those teams have studied, practiced and studied even more to develop the school’s reputation as an entity to respect when it comes to Science Olympiads. The school’s five state-level science titles — three Science Olympiads and two Ocean Bowls — in the past five years are solid proof that the study and practice of science is alive and well at WHS.
Instead of spending too much time with a PlayStation 3, these students are spending a lot of time at their work stations in the laboratory.
That’s good for them, good for Washington High School and good for Beaufort County. It’s good for the world, too. Perhaps the next Jonas Salk, Marie Curie or Albert Einstein is at Washington High School and preparing for the state Science Olympiad competition next month.
As this team takes pride in its work, the community should take pride in this team.