Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Mack Paul is laying out principles for the school system and why he feels they're better than the Republicans when it comes to education.

In an op-ed piece today, Paul writes that "support for schools should not be a partisan issue." But he goes on to say that the Democratic Party "stands out in its support of public education" as he cites a timeline of local and state leaders such as Terry Sanford, Jim Hunt and Vernon Malone.

Paul writes that the Democratic Party will uphold two fundamental principles as the assignment issue unfolds in the Wake County school system.

Should Enloe High School be renamed amid questions about whether it was named for a segregationist?

As noted in today's article, Wake County school board chairman Ron Marigotta and school board member John Tedesco said they want to review Enloe's name. They're citing the history lesson that Duke University historian Tim Tyson gave about William G. Enloe's role in Raleigh's integration while he was mayor from 1957 to 1963.

“I wouldn’t want to name a school after a segregationist,” Margiotta said. “We could certainly honor an African American.”

The Rev. William Barber ratcheted up the threat of legal action against the Wake County school board at tonight's state NAACP mass meeting at Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh.

Barber, president of the state NAACP, solicited donations for legal fees for a possible lawsuit, collecting nearly $1,500. He also got parents to give their names to lawyers as potential plaintiffs in any legal action.

“Lawyers might have to get in the courts,” Barber said. “Some of us might have to get in the streets. Some of us might have to go to jail. Forward ever, backwards never.”

School board candidate Rita Rakestraw is touting her endorsements and her support for an impact fee in her latest campaign mailers.

In this new mailer sent this week, the catch phrase is "it's time growth helps pay for itself." Rakestraw says she'll put the focus back on the classroom by easing the taxpayer pressure to keep pace with growth.

Rakestraw says one solution "would be impact fees on new growth that help defray costs of school construction allowing existing dollars to go towards inside the classroom."

A woman who lost to Rosa Gill for a seat on the Wake County school board in 1999 now hopes to replace her.

Doris Burke, a retired educator, is the only applicant so far to fill the vacancy caused by Gill taking a seat in the General Assembly. Gill had beaten Burke to win her first term on the school board.

"I would welcome this opportunity to continue to help meet the elementary and secondary educational needs of Wake County by serving in this position," Burke wrote in her cover letter.

Two faithful readers passed away recently with The N&O on their minds near the end of their lives. 

The first was Sen. Vernon Malone of Raleigh, who died in April. Malone, 77, died on a Saturday after mowing his lawn and relaxing with his daily newspaper. That prompted various jokes when his friends and family gathered to honor him. "Saint Peter reached out and grabbed Vernon's hand, and the last thing he saw was The News & Observer," Gov. Beverly Perdue said during a service honoring Malone. Perdue said that image made her "just guffaw." Insert your own joke here (actually, insert it below). Read more about the Malone service here.

Another loyal N&O reader, Russell Buxton III of Cary, died 10 days ago. Buxton, 74, had been ill in recent years but was determined to make it to his 50th wedding anniversary on June 21, The N&O's Ruth Sheehan reported. He made it. He died June 24.

When his children were younger, Buxton used The N&O to stimulate debate at the dinner table. He would clip out an editorial or opinion column, especially those opposing his children's views. Then he would ask his son and daughter to argue the other side. 

His wife, JoAnn, told Sheehan: "Russell was always willing to share his views but he was particularly vocal during the last six months." Which might explain the note he wrote me about three weeks ago. He said The N&O was soft. "The N&O used to be a hard-hitting paper on Democrats as well as Republicans on exposing where money goes when it shouldn't go there, abuses of power, etc.," he wrote. "I wish you would get back your edge."

We're working on it, Mr. Buxton. If you have a good tip, please send it our way.  

--John Drescher

The executive committee of the Wake County Democratic Party has named Rosa Gill to fill the state House seat being vacated by Dan Blue.

Gill narrowly defeated Bernard Allen Jr. this evening, picking up 21 votes, one more than needed. Gov. Bev Perdue still needs to appoint Gill but under state law she has to take the Democratic Party's choice because Blue is from that party.

The school board will now have to pick a replacement for Gill's District 4 seat, which covers Southeast Raleigh. The other eight members will appoint a replacement to finish out Gill's term, which expires November 2011.

Rosa Gill won't be leaving the school board quite so soon.

The executive committee of the Wake County Democratic Party chose state Rep. Dan Blue tonight to fill the state Senate seat of the late Vernon Malone. Gill was nominated by fellow school board member Lori Millberg, but she declined it and instead backed Blue.

Gill might still be in the running for Blue's House seat when it's filled at a later date by the executive committee.

We'll find out tonight whether Rosa Gill will be leaving the school board for a seat in the state Senate.

The Wake County Democratic Party will meet tonight to pick a replacement for the late Vernon Malone. Of the eight candidates, state Rep. Dan Blue was endorsed by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association.

Even if the Democratic Party picks Blue, there's a chance that Gill would be asked to fill his state House seat. Paul Terrell, the Republican candidate who was beaten by Blue in November, says he'll run against Gill if she's in that seat.

If picked for either post, Gill's seat on the school board would be filled by the other eight members. The new board member would serve the rest of Gill's term, which expires November 2011.

You can count Wake County school board chairwoman Rosa Gill as one of the candidates who want to fill the District 14 seat of state Senator Vernon Malone.

Gill said she will be among the speakers who will make their case to replace Malone, who died April 18, at a forum Saturday sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, a civil-rights organization.

While the forum won't determine who will get the seat, the RWCA will make a recommendation to the Wake County Democratic Party after the meeting.