Change at top for Clean Water Management Trust Fund

Robert Howard offered his resignation Friday as chairman of the board of trustees of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The independent state agency gives grants to local governments and nonprofits for projects that improve water quality and protect waterways.

Howard, who is in the real estate business in Brunswick County, has served on the board since its formation in 1996. Gov. Mike Easley appointed him chairman in 2001.

The trustees have become increasingly divided under Howard's chairmanship, with some members chafing at his leadership style. Last month, Bill Holman, the fund's highly regarded executive director, tendered his resignation, effective late this month, to take an appointment at Duke University.

Howard sent out a letter, dated Dec. 1, thanking other trustees for their service and saying he had notified the governor that it was time for a new chairman to be appointed. Howard said that he expected to remain on the board. He could not be reached for comment.

Howard said he expected the governor to name a new chairman in the next few days. One possible candidate is Phil Baddour, a Goldsboro lawyer and former House majority leader who serves on the board.

Gubernatorial homework

State Sen. Fred Smith of Clayton is not a governor yet, but he was hanging out with them at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Florida last week.

Smith, a likely candidate for governor in 2008, spent a couple of days at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, attending workshops and meeting privately with GOP governors.

Smith met such governors as Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Rick Perry of Texas and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas as well as Gov.-elect Charlie Crist of Florida, according to Karen Rotterman, a consultant who is helping Smith.

Auditor eyes mental health

State Auditor Les Merritt's office is performing a statewide review of mental health spending.

The financial collapse in October of New Vistas-Mountain Laurel, the major mental health service in the mountains, and questions about the salary of the Albemarle Mental Health Center's program director prompted the audit.

"We wanted to take a broad look at how mental health is being delivered in North Carolina," said Chris Mears, Merritt's spokesman.

Some regions have struggled under a 2001 state law that shook up the state mental health system. The law took responsibility for treating mentally ill patients away from local governments in favor of private agencies.

Before New Vistas-Mountain Laurel closed, HopeRidge Centers for Behavioral Health, a private agency spun off from the Forsyth County public mental health office, fell into debt and shut down in 2005.

Essay is student opportunity

Any high school junior reading "Under the Dome" should consider this offer from U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge: Win an essay contest, serve as a congressional page.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, will sponsor a page for the spring 2007 semester. Pages live in Washington, attend a special school and serve in the U.S. Capitol delivering letters and legislation and performing other duties.

Interested students must live in the 2nd Congressional District, which includes all of Johnston, Harnett and Lee counties, and parts of Wake, Chatham, Sampson, Cumberland, Nash, Franklin and Vance counties.

The 500-word essay should be titled "Why I Would Like to Serve as a Page in the U.S. House of Representatives," and include letters of recommendation from teachers or community leaders. Details are available at www.house.gov/etheridge or by calling (888) 262-6202. The deadline is Friday.