These are difficult times for so many people in our county, with prices rising every day for just the essential items needed to survive. The gas prices, oil prices, electricity, food, housing, clothing, medical and rising insurance premiums to mention a few. Also causing stress is the rising number of lay-offs and plant closures not only here but throughout North Carolina that affect our economy.

Can you just try to imagine for a moment all of the challenges listed above plus a cancer diagnosis? Wow — that stops me in my tracks. There are folks in our county facing just this very dilemma. They need our help.

Most of us think, “What can I do? This is out of my control.”

I encourage you to join the Relay For Life of Cary, Apex, and Morrisville (CAM). CAM Relay For Life is how we fight back against cancer, both symbolically and literally. The steps we take represent the battle a cancer patient faces on the path to recovery, and the donations we collect ensure the American Cancer Society can continue its mission to eradicate cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.

At Relays in our community, we can find friendship, healing and empowerment. We celebrate the lives of those who have cancer or had cancer. We remember those we have lost. We fight back against a disease that takes too much from us. Relayers can take action to eliminate cancer.

Are you doing everything you can to battle this disease? Every step you take today is another life saved tomorrow. We must commit to finding new ways to save as many lives as we can. We owe it to everyone who has ever faced cancer and those who will.

They are depending on you and me. I am committed to doing what I can. Will you help?

Please join us any time from 10 a.m. April 26 to 10 a.m. April 27 at Panther Creek High School field for the 11th annual CAM Relay. The opening ceremony and starting laps are dedicated to those fighting cancer and their caregivers. Danny’s Bar-B-Que provides a luncheon after the opening lap for survivors and caregivers.

For information on registration, donations, and purchasing a luminary, visit camrelay.org.

David S. Tyree and Lara Autry, Chairs, Relay For Life of Cary, Apex, and Morrisville

Retired businessmen give valuable advice

April 27 to May 3 is National Volunteer Week. The purpose of this week is to recognize and celebrate the efforts of volunteers at the local, state and national levels. This year’s theme is “Inspire By Example.” One volunteer group that demonstrates this spirit is SCORE.

SCORE is a nonprofit group of volunteers dedicated to the formation, growth and success of small businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration began sponsoring SCORE in 1964 and since then, SCORE has grown to 389 chapters with 10,500 volunteers throughout the country.

These retired and working executives and business owners donate their time and expertise as volunteer business counselors and provide free confidential, one-on-one counseling. In addition, SCORE in recent years implemented e-mail counseling. Over 1,000 virtual volunteers are ready to answer any small-business question, any time — day or night. Small-business owners can find an expert to answer their questions from anywhere in the country.

In North Carolina, the 16 SCORE chapters have over 400 volunteer members and provide individual counseling and business workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. In Fiscal Year 2007, SCORE helped over 15,000 start-up and existing business clients.

Christy Curtis, owner of C.C. and Company Dance Complex in Raleigh, is an example of a small-business owner who took advantage of this valuable resource.

We at the U.S. Small Business Administration are honored to be associated with these committed SCORE volunteers who help North Carolina’s small businesses succeed.

We encourage business owners and those who are just thinking of starting a business to call SBA at (800) 827-5722 or visit sba.gov or score.org to find out more about SCORE.

Lee Cornelison, SBA North Carolina district director

Skepticism on Cary Park

What a novel idea! Children who live in Cary Park will actually attend the new neighborhood school.

Many parents hope that this might be a trend in the future amid ever-rising gas prices and a generel dissatisfaction of the school board’s performance.

Watch out Cary Park! Your proximity to the new school will not save you very long from the annual reassignment craze.

Ildiko Trombitas, Cary

Illegal immigrants cost taxpayers

At long last, we see politicians at all levels of government, crawling out of the woodwork, in search of money and votes. By now most of you have made your annual offerings to the Federal and state governments, and the politicians in turn will finds hundreds of ways to waste billions of your tax dollars. One major issue that almost all politicians wish would go away is illegal aliens and their actual cost to the taxpayers.

For instance, let’s look at the cost of educating illegal alien children in our schools. Currently, the cost of education in Wake County is about $9,450 per child; this figure includes debt service on bonds. The cost is divided between federal, state and local dollars, with the federal money only accounting for about 5 percent. The numbers I have heard “whispered in the wind” put the number of illegal alien children in our schools somewhere between 10,000 to 15,000. At minimum, the cost for all this illegal alien children this year is over $94 million dollars just in Wake County. We could build three elementary and one middle school with that kind of extra money.

According to various studies by the Heritage Foundation, the average illegal alien worker cost the U.S. taxpayers about $22,000 per year in benefits. Multiple that number by any number you think is reasonable for the illegal aliens currently in the U.S. This is money that could be used for infrastructure, education or paying down the national debt. The only people I see who benefit from all the local illegal alien labor are builders, service industry, landscapers and the politicians they own. So if you get a chance or just e-mail anyone running for public office, ask them what they are going to do about all the illegal aliens in our nation and state. Please, hold their feet to the fire on this issue.

Mike Dodson, Cary