Answering questions about Education Superheroes, Hurricanes coverage and ... acorns?
We’re asking questions AND providing answers today.
Q: Why is The News & Observer seeking recommendations for “Education Superheroes” at Triangle K-12 schools?
Because isn’t it time? I have educators in my family. You probably do, too. No matter their role — from traffic safety to maintenance staff to classroom teachers to school principal — we count on them to support, educate and protect our children.
They deserve to be honored, and no one is better to understand who deserves the recognition than you — the parents, neighbors, partners and friends.
You’ll find nomination information in print editions and on The N&O’s digital sites.
T. Keung Hui, The N&O’s well-known public education reporter, explains what’s next: “Once we receive submissions, we’ll select nominees from our K-12 school communities to start off the voting. … The top vote-getters will move onto the next round. … As we get closer to the final stages, we will write about or post videos on the nominees selected. We’ll conduct a final poll to pick this year’s winner as the traditional school year ends.”
To nominate your person, fill out the form embedded in his story or go to https://bit.ly/3p4ILTt and tell us why you think they deserve to be named a Superhero in Education.
Q: Is that a Giant Acorn in downtown Raleigh? Or is it New Year’s Eve again?
Yes. There is a Giant Acorn at City Plaza. It appeared last week. If you’ve got visitors in town, stop by for a selfie. And if those visitors are here for the weekend, don’t forget Drew Jackson’s story on Raleigh’s favorite brunch spots, based upon your votes.
No. It’s not New Year’s Eve, the grand stage for the acorn. Nor is the Giant Acorn a figment of your blurry party-the-night-away-in-May imagination. (And if it is, respect private residences on your stumble-walk home. Don’t embarrass your parents.)
Q. Shouldn’t Raleigh have a Giant Acorn Festival?
Yes. What do we need to do to make this happen?
Q. Why can’t we get late-night coverage of the Carolina Hurricanes in our next-morning print edition?
The N&O’s print deadlines are early in order to make press runs and get editions delivered. This has been a problem for decades.
Here is the good news. If you have an email and a subscription, you have access to all of our stories when they post on digital sites, including the eEdition (a replica of the print pages).
We make an effort to transform post-deadline stories into eEdition pages similar to the print experience. The May 4 eEdition leads off with late-night stories from the state legislature AND coverage from Chip Alexander and Luke DeCock on the Canes’ Game 1 win in the second round of the NHL playoffs.
The eEdition also includes bonus pages on wide-ranging topics. Starting soon, you’ll see some of those bonus pages added to The N&O’s print edition. Expect weekly pages on topics that align well with the Triangle audience — from books, travel, home and garden on Sundays to science, health, finance, tech and fitness during the weekdays.
Q. Is it true The N&O editor can bring Tim Hortons to the Triangle?
I appreciate the online reader who commented after my travelogue column on the similarities between Toronto and the Triangle. Wrote Maple and Bacon (MAYBE not a name in the DMV files): “Bill — can you please use the power of your position to convince Tim Horton’s to open here? A column or two a week for a year or so might turn the tide!”
Here’s how you get things done in North Carolina:
Send a dozen of Tim’s finest — honey dip, honey cruller, Canadian Maple — to each of the corner offices at 16 W. Jones Street in Raleigh.
An announcement will appear like a wandering evening cloud: Shhhh! Consensus has been reached.
Dunkin lovers will protest. But you’ll get your crullers, no questions asked.
And this is why we need Education Superheroes and a Giant Acorn Festival.
Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. If there was a Giant Acorn Festival, he would sign up for the acorn tossing contest (media division, of course).
