?????????ii iii. in mint iMrry Johnson, Shiloh choir member, became a first-time blood donor as T.J. Jackson, phlebotomist, takes his donation at the health fair. ? ?? ? ? -M Community residents listened as various speakers addressed health issues and literacy challenges at their stations. Ginger Marion registers a gentleman for the bone marrow program. Lottery from page 1 ginia towns that are located on major highways draw thou sands of people from North Carolina. The majority of bet tors who stop in Danville, the first stop in Virginia off Route 29, come from Winston-Salem and Greensboro. On that route, the billboard advertising Ed's Stop-N-Shop is the first thing motorists see after the "Welcome to Virginia" sign. Ed Gregory, owner of Ed's Stop-N-Shop, likes it that way. "This is primarily a lottery store," said Gregory, whose shop has been located at the exit for the past 20 years. Ed's Stop-N-Shop has carried lottery products since 1988, the first year of the lottery. Gregory has followed the movement toward a North Car olina lottery referendum care fully, as he should: every single car parked outside his store car ries North Carolina plates. Greensboro resident Jim Solomon spends a typical Sat urday traveling to Ed's Stop-N Shop in Danville. He doesn't make the drive every week, but the border usually beckons when a jackpot looks big. "You can't catch fish if you don't go fishing," he said with a smile. This week, the jackpot is at $14 million. Most out-of staters drive to Virginia on Sat urday to buy tickets for the fol lowing Friday's drawing. Solomon said he bought $50 worth of "Big Game" tick ets. He scratched through a stack of instant tickets as he chatted. "Double black jack," Solomon observed, explaining he had won double the dollar amount on the scratch-off ticket. He walked back up to the register to collect his prize of $2. Back with two more instant tickets, Solomon stated that North Carolina should get a state lottery. "It sure would save me a lot of driving." One of 11 lottery-free states left in the nation. North Carolina has flirted with the idea of state-sponsored games for some time now. Lottery ref erendum bills have been pro posed and killed in the General Assembly since 1989. Proponents point to states such as Georgia, which has used revenue from its lottery to provide over 20,000 Hope Scholarships, or Virginia, where 35 percent of the lot tery's revenue goes to K-12 school funding. Georgia's lot tery grossed $1.5 billion last year; Virginia's game came close to earning that amount. Four lottery bills have been introduced into North Car olina's General Assembly; one bill, introduced by Sen. Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, is mod eled in part after Georgia's Hope Scholarship program. He also earmarked 25 percent of proceeds to be used for the Clean Water Trust Fund. Any remaining revenue would be used to provide com puters and other technology to schools and to expand the early childhood education program, Smart Start, across the state. Rand's bill is currently in the senate's finance committee. Opponents either debate the argument from a religious or socially conscious stand point ? or both. Those opposed to a lottery call it a regressive tax; those people least able to pay end up squandering the most on tick ets. And, the opponents warn, those indigent players are over whelmingly African-American or Hispanic. Rep. Charles B. Neely Jr. of Wake County is one of those opponents. He said Lottery isn't good business because the long-term costs far outweight the benefits. "It takes money from those who can least afford it," said Neely. t Rand disagreed that a lot tery would prey on the poor and minorities. "People who play the lottery have a higher income/,than the average," said Rand. The lottery is voluntary, he said. "Nobody has to play. We don't tell people how to spend their money," Rand added. An independent study con ducted by Chilton Research Services for the Virginia Lot tery revealed that 78 percent of those who purchase lottery products are white, and 52 per cent of all players have incomes of $35,000 or more. Only 16 percent of all lottery players have incomes of less than $15,000, the same per centage of African-American players. Lottery products have grown more popular with Vir ginians since the state intro duced its first games in 1988. Of 9,600 Virginians polled ran domly last year, almost three fourths said they would vote in favor of a lottery if the election was held again. 57 percent of registered voters supported the lottery in the November 1997 referendum. The lottery seems consis tently popular with North Car olinians as well, who comprise 8 percent of all ticket pur chasers and 20 percent of "Big Game" players. The "Big Game" is what Ed Gregory banks on to keep lottery players coming in a steady stream from south. Even if North Carolina passed a lot tery referendum this year, it would take much longer to build the games tfiat Virginia and Georgia offer. "I don't think there's any thing like state loyalty as far as playing the lottery goes," said Gregory. "People go where the money is." 4 State jnaaue from page 1 Alston said the NAACP would not ask for an apology from Zoeller. "We'll leave that up to the Jayceeshe said. "They brought him here." Thrower was not available for comment. Zoeller issued a public apol ogy Monday, said a representa tive of Eddie Elias Enterprises, the company that represents the golfer. "My comments were not meant to be racially derogatory, and I apologize for the fact that they were misconstrued in that fashion," Zoeller's statement read. Zoeller added that he planned to speak with Woods as soon as possible. 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