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GSIW members accuse Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata of scapegoating bus problems on Don Haydon

Members of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition accused Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata of scapegoating Don Haydon for the bus problems and said he's the one who should be relieved of his duties.

During the public comment session at Tuesday's school board meeting in which speakers were repeatedly warned not to discuss specific personnel, several GSIW members lamented the senior staff who've left Wake since Tata became superintendent.

Lynn Edmonds complained about Wake's longtime staff being replaced by people with no experience working in school systems. who come from the "free market or the corporate world," or being graduates from the Broad Superintendents Academy.

1348232466 GSIW members accuse Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata of scapegoating bus problems on Don Haydon The News and Observer Copyright 2011 The News and Observer . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

What to Watch on Sunday: A Mike Wallace tribute and a batch of new shows

60 Minutes (7pm, CBS) - Tonight, a tribute to longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace, who died last week at the age of 93.

Titanic (9pm, ABC) - The conclusion to Julian Fellowes' miniseries based on the sinking of the Titanic.

The Good Wife (9pm, CBS) - Alicia is forced back into the public spotlight by Peter's latest political rival.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (9pm, UNC-TV) - An adaptation of Charles Dickens' unfinished story about an opium-addled choirmaster (played by Matthew Rhys, who was Kevin Walker on "Brothers & Sisters") who believes his nephew stands between him and the woman he fancies. When the nephew goes missing, the question is, did the uncle murder him or did someone else?

Nurse Jackie (9pm, Showtime) - Carmelo Anthony has a small part in tonight's episode, which focuses on Jackie's stint in rehab.

The Celebrity Apprentice (9pm, NBC) - Clay is still in the game. Tonight, the teams must design two original puppets and perform an improvisational show with a Henson Alternative troupe. Expect: drama drama drama.

NYC 22 (10pm, CBS) - A new series about six NYPD rookies trying to balance their personal lives with work. Tonight, rookies go on their first patrol and try to prevent a gang war and a domestic murder. Here's Adrienne's review.

Mad Men (10pm, AMC) - Tonight's cryptic episode summary: Lane makes an interesting friend and Pete plays host to an assortment of guests.

Girls (10:30pm, HBO) - In the premiere of a new comedy about a group of twentysomething women navigating life in New York, Hannah (Lena Dunham) gets shattering news from her parents and then loses her unpaid internship. This series is crazy good. Here's my full review.

What to Watch on Saturday: 'Downton Abbey' creator takes on 'Titanic'

Titanic (8pm, ABC) - The three-hour opener of a new miniseries that uses real and fictional characters to dramatize the events leading up to the luxury liner's sinking in 1912. Tonight, tension between First and Second Class passengers, and a Catholic engineer from Belfast looks forward to his new life in America. This is from Julian Fellowes, the creator of "Downton Abbey." Fellowes gives his upstairs-downstairs treatment to the Titanic story, but the buzz isn't as strong as it was for "Downton." But -- it has Linus Roache (right)! The one-hour conclusion airs tomorrow night at 9.

Must Love Cats (8pm, Animal Planet) - In the season finale, John Fulton visits a kindergarten for kittens (awww!) and cats that help prison inmates.

The Firm (9pm, NBC) - Another random episode of "The Firm!" Mitch and Ray meet with Andrew, who offers to help expose Kinross and Clark to the FBI. Meanwhile, Abby tries to prevent the next murder, and Mitch prepares to take on Kevin Stack. If my math is correct, two more episodes after this one.

Tanked (9pm, Animal Planet) - Season 2 opens with Wayde and Brett visiting a familiar client in New York to install a shark tank in an orthodontist office.

A Night to Remember (10pm, TCM) - This 1958 classic film based on the book by Walter Lord recreates the sinking of the Titanic.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Josh Brolin hosts and the music guest is Gotye.

What to Watch on Tuesday: 'Justified' finale, Len Goodman explores Titanic legacy

Glee (8pm, Fox) - "Glee" returns to the schedule and with it, Blaine's older brother -- a hotshot (and hot) Hollywood actor played by Matthew Bomer ("White Collar").

Titanic with Len Goodman (8pm, UNC-TV) - The legacy of the Titanic is explored by "Dancing with the Stars" judge Len Goodman (left), who once worked as an apprentice welder for the company that built the ship. Goodman visits Belfast, where the Titanic was built, and Southampton, England, home to many of the dead. He also meets with descendants of passengers and crew.

Deadliest Catch (9pm, Discovery) - A slashed quota for crabs forces the captains to make choices about where to fish in the Season 8 premiere.

New Girl (9pm, Fox) - A nervous Jess invites Russell to spend a weekend at the loft and he ends up getting along a little too well with the guys. Also, Winston starts working for a radio shock jock and meets Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (appearing as himself).

Justified (10pm, FX) - In tonight's Season 3 finale, Raylan (Timothy Olyphant, left) is raging after a friend's murder and goes after everyone he holds responsible, leading up to a final showdown with a surprising twist.

Body of Proof (10pm, ABC) - The past comes back to haunt Megan in the Season 2 finale, when evidence in a homicide case points to a serial killer she helped convict.

Also tonight, Hope's serial killer mother is the focus of a tabloid TV show on "Raising Hope" (9:30pm, Fox).

What to Watch on Sunday: Some favorites return on Showtime

Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron (8pm, NGC) - National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron, who also directed the blockbuster "Titanic" film, assembles the world's leading experts on the sunken ship to investigate lingering mysteries of how and why the "unsinkable" ship sank.

Nurse Jackie (9pm, Showtime) - Season 4 opens as the hospital has been taken over by a multinational corporation and placed in the care of a no-nonsense doctor (Bobby Cannavale) who is eager to make changes to the hospital and staff. Meanwhile, Kevin and Jackie have split and Jackie's troubling encounter with a fellow drug user (Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong) helps propel her into rehab. I got to watch nearly the whole season and it's worth sticking with.

Great Expectations (9pm, UNC-TV) - The conclusion of newest version of the Charles Dickens classic. Tonight, Pip is in London, where his guardian explains his allowance. In time he learns the ways of gentlemen, and he falls further in love with Estella.

The Killing (9pm, AMC) - Sarah searches for Rosie's backpack, while Richmond comes to grips with his diagnosis of paralysis, and Mitch finally turns up.

Keep reading for more shows.

What to Watch on Thursday: Elvis, Elmo and the Titanic

Titanic's Final Mystery (8pm, Smithsonian) - A new documentary investigates a century of theories behind the sinking of the Titanic and uncovers new forensic evidence that proves the most likely theory for the disaster.

God is the Bigger Elvis (8pm, HBO) - A documentary about a famous movie star from the late 1950s and early 1960s who walks away from Hollywood at the height of her fame to become a cloistered Benedictine nun. Here's more on Dolores Hart's fascinating story.

Community (8pm, NBC) - The war between Abed and Troy intensifies, prompting Jeff to try to negotiate a truce between the former best friends while the rest of the group choose sides.

Person of Interest (9pm, CBS) - The Machine produces five numbers linked to New York's crime families, which prompts Reese and Finch to suspect that Elias has plans for his competition.

Scandal (10pm, ABC) - An entertaining new series in which a former White House communications director, played by Kerry Washington (right), runs a Washington, D.C., crisis-management firm. Here's my "Scandal" review.

Being Elmo (10pm, UNC-TV) - This Independent Lens documentary, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, tells the life story of Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind the popular Sesame Street character, Elmo. It's pretty enchanting. Adrienne has a full review.

Awake (10pm, NBC) - Michael tries to end a delicate hostage crisis and negotiates with a patient who is threatening to blow up a mental hospital. Meanwhile, his sleepless nights adversely affect his life and work.

Experience the Titanic

It happened one hundred years ago, but you can follow the Titanic's Twitter feed as if it were happening today. @TitanicRealTime tells us that the ship has completed her sea trials and is waiting to be deemed sea-worthy.

What to Watch on Sunday: There's just too much on TV tonight.

Wow. There is so much on TV tonight we're going to have to use our jump to fit it all in. We have the premieres of "Game of Thrones" and "The Killing," plus several season finales. Don't forget to click "Read More" to get everything.

Academy of Country Music Awards (8pm, CBS) - Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton host, and Kenny Chesney leads with nine nominations. Garner's Scotty McCreery is up for Best New Artist.

The Killing (8pm, AMC) - A two-hour Season 2 premiere picks up where Season 1 ended -- Detective Linden (Mirielle Enos, right) realizes her partner, Detective Holder (Joel Kinnaman, right), has been lying to her and that the arrest of mayoral candidate Darren Richmond (Billy Campbell) was a mistake. So yeah, they are still searching for Rosie Larsen's killer, which is fine with me. This slowly-paced drama isn't for everyone, but I love it and I'm happy it's back.

Celebrity Apprentice (8pm, NBC) - A special three-hour "Celebrity Apprentice" tonight includes the mixing of teams in the second half of the show. The first challenge, though, will be to create and sell a guidebook about New York City, with Regis Philbin judging the final product. In the second part of the episode, the newly formed teams must create an interactive health segment.

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (8pm, UNC-TV) - Tonight, Gates helps Barbara Walters and Geoffrey Canada (Harlem's Children Zoo) research their family trees.

Roxboro native lost with the Titanic

 

This month marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. The tragedy and its victims dominated the front pages of the nation's newspapers for weeks. The headlines noted the loss of "a number of prominent people, including John Jacob Astor and wife, and other millionaires." On April 18, 1912, there was this small item on the front of The News & Observer:
 
It is highly probable that Roxboro furnished one of the victims to the Titanic disaster. A message from Cochran of the Mail Department at Washington, confirmed the fear of his mother that Mr. O. S. Woody, who was in the post sea service, was on board the Titanic.
 
He had written his mother when he last sailed from New York that he would return on the Titanic.
 
The mother is almost crazed with grief and suspense since hearing that the ship went down and of course she has little hope that he was saved. Mr. Woody was an excellent young man and his mother and sister there have the deep sympathy of the town. 
 
 
In 2003, Sharon O'Donnell, a distant relative of Woody, recalled what she had learned about her ancestor's fate.
 
He was body number 167, recovered from the dark, icy waters of the North Atlantic after the Titanic disaster. His name was Oscar Scott Woody, a sea postal clerk on the ship's ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912.
 
[...]
 
American sea post clerks like Oscar Woody earned about $1,000 a year, according to the Postal Museum's Web site. That salary was considered a small fortune by many at that time. These clerks were very skilled in handling large amounts of mail. They traveled aboard luxurious ships, took their meals in a separate dining room and were allotted an allowance for their board while in a foreign country.
 
Woody received his travel orders to Europe and arrived there from New York on April 2 aboard the S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. Upon arriving in Plymouth, England, he was instructed to go to Southampton and return to New York on the Titanic, setting sail April 10.
 
... Woody was one of five mail clerks on the journey, in charge of sorting responsibilities and the safe delivery of letters, postcards and packages heading across the Atlantic. The Titanic.com Web site reports that the ship was transporting 6 to 9 million letters.
 
On the night of the tragedy, the postal workers and other crew members were celebrating Woody's birthday. He was to turn 44 at midnight --about 20 minutes after the ship's collision with the iceberg. The celebration ended early because it became apparent that something dreadful had happened.
 
The mail holding area was one of the first to fill up with water. When water started coming in, the dedicated clerks lugged many of the heavy mailbags to the next level of the ship. Of course, it was all in vain.
 
[...]
 
His few personal belongings, such as his pocket watch, are now in various museums, including the U.S. Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. There is a small exhibit with a few of his artifacts at the Person County Museum of History in Roxboro. In Southhampton, England, the origin of the Titanic's voyage, there is a plaque memorializing the five postal workers, who all perished on the voyage. Woody was buried at sea. --The News & Observer  9/18/2003

Debating the changes in the student assignment policy

Wednesday's Wake County school board policy committee discussion had a lot of emotion and some colorful statements.

As noted in today's article, the committee rejected proposed student assignment policy changes that would eliminate all references to diversity in favor of making neighborhood schools a priority. The action came after a good deal of discussion on the role of diversity in student assignment.

It culminated in committee chairwoman Debra Goldman getting applause from the crowd, which had several members of the Great Schools in Wake Coalition, after she didn't second the motion to recommend the changes.

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