Statue of Donald Ross

Wasn't Moved After All

Nancy Heilman's letter to the editor (March 12) questions why a statue of Donald Ross was installed in the center of our village. She also asks, "Why not a statue of Leonard Tufts?" Not long ago, John Root opined the appropriate statue for the village should be Frederick Olmsted!

Some background. Two years ago, the Pinehurst Beautification Committee made arrangements to have a live blue spruce installed during the Christmas season in the center of the village. A beautiful circular brick foundation was constructed to -showpiece the 20-foot spruce. We asked the question, "What could we display in that high-profile area for the other 46 weeks of the year?"

We had many ideas and no funds to execute them. We asked Don Padgett for help. He quickly and generously offered to loan the village the fiberglass replica of the bronze statue of Donald Ross, which was residing in the hallway of the Donald Ross Grill, 91st hole, at the Pinehurst Country Club.

The bronze statue of Donald Ross is -proudly and permanently still at the 18th green of No. 2. He never left his sidekick Richard Tufts.

The Beautification Committee, which we now co-chair, has ambitious projects on their agenda. We believe taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund all of them. You can help. Contributions can be made directly to the -village, and hopefully you'll support our -various fundraising efforts. And, we would be thrilled to have a donated statue of Leonard or Richard Tufts ... or Frederick Olmsted.

Martha and Bart O'Connor

Pinehurst

Pardon My Mistake

To the editor, the Pinehurst Resort and the Village Beautification Committee: mea culpa, mea culpa.

Sorry for presenting, incorrectly, my position on the Donald Ross statue in the village. In the future, I'll get my facts straight regarding letters to the editor before I submit them. However, I still think a statue of Leonard Tufts in the village is a good idea. Put Donald in a garden overlooking the Archives.

Nancy Heilman

Pinehurst

Health Bill Is a Con

Every poll taken says Americans do not want the 2,000-plus page so-called health-care reform bill.

If Obama, Pelosi and Reid get their way, they will pull off the biggest con of the House of Representatives and in turn all of America.

They are proposing getting health-care through by using the reconciliation process. Here's their plan: The House has passed its version, and the Senate has passed its own. Pelosi will con, coerce, buy off or whatever else it takes to get the House to pass the Senate bill. Then Obama will sign it into law.

Now the con: The House will have been told that the Senate will now fix the bill through reconciliation. Reid will make some noise but get nothing done and blame it on the Republicans.

The Senate bill is now law. How's that for a simple plan?

Let's hope the Democrats in the House are not that simple.

Jack C. McVey

Pinehurst