Ashley Beasley, the reigning Miss Johnston County, and Michelle Denning, executive director of the Miss Johnston County Scholarship Pageant, were special guests at the Ava Gardner Museum's Festival Gala on the evening of Oct. 9.

I'm glad other gala guests from New York, Illinois, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and a number of North Carolina cities were able to meet the two young women, because they are fine representatives of not only Johnston County but our state as well.

Miss Beasley was a preliminary talent winner and third runner-up in the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant. She will use her local and state scholarships to continue her pursuit of a master's degree in nutrition at Meredith College. She is a part-time dance instructor with Carolina Dance Productions in Clayton.

As Miss Johnston County, she has worked very hard for numerous worthy causes, and her main focus has been Tech Kids, a project aimed at providing computer technology for children from all socio-economic backgrounds, so they will be able to one day compete in the new global economy.

Speaking of the high-tech age we are now in, it is high time to stop calling local and state pageants "beauty contests." It has been about 80 years since not much was required of contestants but to be beautiful in face and form, wear a bathing suit and parade across a platform without stumbling.

Like Miss Beasley, today's pageant contestants and winners are indeed beautiful, but greater emphasis in judging is on their talent, character, intelligence, opinions concerning current issues, personality, poise, ability to speak well in public, community service and life goals that will help strengthen homes, communities, states and, thereby, perhaps even our struggling nation. (Even local pageants that do not send winners on to state competitions have similar criteria in judging.)

I hope local folks who know pageant contestants will give them all the support they can, and if they know or meet a "Miss," I hope they will remember the meaning behind her banner and crown and will say not only "Congratulations" but "Thank you very much!"

Doris Cannon

Whitley Heights

What does the GOP stand for?

Amidst historical challenges to our nation's prosperity, when ideas and solutions are the valued currency, the Republican Party is effectively bankrupt. Having instead opted to trade on fiction and hyperbole, this once great party is resolved to tell you about a boogeyman in your closet rather than a good idea to save your home from foreclosure.

Good ideas and good solutions are not exclusively owned by one party, one group or one individual. They don't even require genius as much as common sense. However, good ideas and good solutions have one mandatory requirement that Republicans are failing to satisfy - offering them up.

In a recent letter, Mark Otto, director of communications for the Johnston County Republican Party, cited discredited cost estimates to derisively criticize programs passed by Congress and supported by Rep. Bob Etheridge. An essential component to Mr. Otto's argument was absent from his letter. He failed to offer one GOP idea or GOP solution.

One year ago this month, our nation's economy was in chaos and on the verge of a catastrophic collapse. Congressman Etheridge and other Democrats acted, saving millions of jobs and whole industries. Disagree with those actions if you want, but the fact is Democrats stepped up, made hard decisions and acted to preserve the nation. That is called leadership, and today our economy is indisputably on the rise while the GOP is still chasing that elusive boogeyman in your closet.

Challenges still remain. As of this letter, more than 40 million Americans have zero health insurance, and our nation is still dangerously dependent on foreign oil. For all Mr. Otto has to say in opposition to the efforts of the Democratic Party to address these significant challenges to our nation's prosperity, he and his party remain voiceless when asked for solutions and defiant to compromise.

It's unfortunate what has become of the party of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, two remarkable Republicans with vision, foresight and compassion. They were known for their ability to compromise. Yes, I am a Democrat, but I am an American first, and I know we all suffer when one party fails to stand for anything except to stand in the way.

Jerry Dodson

Chairman, 2nd Congressional District

N.C. Democratic Party

A month to be aware

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As America recognizes this month, domestic violence continues in the lives and homes of Americans of all ages.

Victims of violence face fear, hopelessness, desperation and isolation. Spouses are battered by partners, children witness the abuse of a loved one, and seniors are victimized by family members. What tragedies in the cycle of violence.

In the Johnston County community, we are fortunate to have Harbor Inc. as our safe shelter and housing for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Harbor provides wonderful help, hope, safety and healing to victims.

During October, let's recommit ourselves to ending violence within our homes, our communities and our country. With support of Harbor and all domestic violence-prevention programs, we can help break the cycle of violence.

Sherry Harris

Board member, Harbor