In letters to us and our sister paper The Charlotte Observer, the president of the N.C. Association of Registers of Deeds criticized our story last week about association spending.

The letter, which you can read here, says the story contained "distortions and half truths."

The letter also notes that the association voted to raise private funds to provide two, $2,500 scholarships each year to the family members of registers of deeds, who are county-elected officials making in some cases more than $100,000 a year. The association members also decided to open the scholarships up to the family members of rank and file employees in the registers of deeds' offices.

As for the conferences, association president Wayne Rash said they are mostly about public business, not having fun. A conference schedule (see PDF below) shows the four-day conference  has no business conducted on Saturday; a golf tournament, reception and banquet on Sunday; a Monday evening cookout at a nearby mountain park; and a reception, banquet and dancing at the conference's close on Tuesday evening.

One of the conference work sessions on Tuesday afternoon was originally entitled: "Today's Technology=Election Wins." One of the speakers confirmed his part of that session was to help registers of deeds use social media to get re-elected. (See second PDF below.)

Much of the association's money comes from dues charged to registers of deeds offices, conference registration fees and contributions from vendors who do business with the officials.

Documents:

The Tarheel Swimming Association has put its 41st annual summer recreational league into its history book, with the Prestonwood Piranhas again winning the overall title.

This year, the league grew to than 10,400 athletes ages 18 and younger on 78 teams from community pools around Wake County, TSA president Bob Goudreau reported.

Competition was held on Tuesday nights in June and July unless postponed to Wednesday because of storms. Nineteen teams won division championships.  

N.C. Central University is dipping deeper into its endowment than is customary to help its cash-strapped students cope with the rising cost of college.

The university will spend about 8.5 percent of its $19 million endowment next year, a  jump from the standard 5.5 percent it usually takes each year. Doing so will yield an extra $142,000 that the university will use for scholarships.

(image courtesy citytown.com)

At a university where more than 90 percent of students receive financial aid, the extra money is expected to benefit 142 students who will receive grants of $1,000 each.

A committee of the university's trustee board approved the unusual move Tuesday, and the full board will likely give its blessing Wednesday.

NCCU and most universities generally take 5 or 5.5 percent of its endowment each year, based on a three-year rolling average, for scholarships and other uses. But mounting budget cuts and rising college costs prompted the move, officials said Tuesday during meetings of the university's board of trustees.

Read Wednesday's News & Observer for more.

Academic achievements, extracurricular activities and strong essays have earned three young athletes Touchstone Energy Sports Camp scholarships to sharpen their basketball skills this summer.
 

Have fun and support a great cause tonight by heading to AMF Capital Lanes in Raleigh.

From 6:30 to 9 p.m., the nonprofit Raleigh Jaycees Community Impact Fund will conduct the sixth annual Bowl-A-Thon to raise money for the Wake County 4-H Camp Scholarship Program. Bowlers and spectators are welcome.

From the weekend - a story about how big-time athletics intersects with academics.

When UNC won the national basketball title last year, the folks who run the university's financial aid office may have cheered loudest.

Here's why - Universities get royalties from the sale of licensed merchandise. The more stuff you sell, the more money you get, and when a school wins a national title, sales explode.

At Carolina, the money goes to scholarships, creating a direct connection between athletic success and access to higher education.

Here's the story. 

A little more than two weeks remain for young tennis players in western
Wake County to expand their skills and their educations.

April 16 is the deadline for applications for the Western Wake Tennis Association Scholarship Program.

Elementary, middle and high school students can apply for scholarships
for summer tennis camps, and graduating seniors can apply for academic
scholarships toward their first year in college.

Scheduling conflicts for two of the headliners have forced cancellation of the Moton, Noel and May Celebrity Golf Classic. 

The event hosted by new N.C. Central University men's basketball LeVelle Moton and former
University of North Carolina basketball teammates David Noel and Sean
May had been scheduled for  Aug. 17 at Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh.

New N.C. Central University men's basketball LeVelle Moton and former
University of North Carolina basketball teammates David Noel and Sean
May will host their second annual Celebrity Golf Classic at 8:30 a.m.
Aug. 17 at Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh.

Proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Raleigh and N.C. Central scholarship funds.

Among the invited guests are many other well-known Triangle sports figures, according to an event news release.