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The state Parole Commission has denied parole to Rob Coulthard, the former High Point resident who murdered his wife by poisoning 20 years ago.

I wrote about the case in my column July 2.

Coulthard was sentenced to life in prison for the crime, but under sentencing guidelines in effect in 1988, that made him eligible for parole after 20 years.

From now on, he will be eligible for parole consideration annually.

I know this decision is a big relief for the family of the late Sandra Coles Coulthard. I'm happy for them.

The Parole Commission received hundreds of letters from people exprressing opposition to Coulthard's parole. The commissioners listened.

The same effort may be needed again next year.

I'd go with Mo.

Maurice "Mo" Green is the better choice of the two finalists to lead Guilford County Schools, in my opinion.

My impression is based on listening to both speak and answer questions at a public meeting yesterday evening.

Green and Shirley Prince spent all day in Guilford County, meeting and greeting. I'm sure each won supporters, maybe in nearly equal numbers.

Ultimately, only 11 people count -- the members of the Board of Education who will select one or the other, maybe later today. But I hope they're getting plenty of feedback from constituents and will consider what they hear.

Both candidates handled the public session very well, and both used their opening statements to tackle concerns about their experience: that Green isn't an educator and Prince leads a very small school system.

"Let's address that question right up front and not beat around the bush," said Green, a lawyer who became general counsel to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before being promoted to deputy superintendent and chief operating officer.

He spoke about his mother, who became a teacher after her husband's death. "I revere educators," he said. He talked about community agencies he serves, many dealing with children's welfare. "This is something that's within me. I am where I am supposed to be in education."

Prince, superintendent in Scotland County since 1999, detailed her background as a teacher then administrator in New Hanover and Gaston counties -- giving her experience in larger systems. In Scotland, she's a "hands-on" superintendent, dealing with every facet of operations and administration. She would bring "the best of both worlds" to Guilford.

She didn't convince me on that point. I'm sure Prince is an effective hands-on leader, and she talked passionately about workiing with principals to make sure they can do their jobs effectively, but she only has 20 schools in Scotland County. The superintendent can't develop personal relationships with more than 100 principals in Guilford County. There are too many demands to take that hands-on approach to every part of the job.

Guilford County is a rough-and-tumble place for a superintendent, who has to get along with countless constituencies but can't be a pleaser. He or she has to accept that hard decisions will always make someone unhappy but push ahead anyway.

Green looks like he's made of stern stuff. He's been through battles in Charlotte-Meck as the right-hand man of a superintendent who came in to make big changes. And, by the way, that superintendent, Peter Gorman, showed up yesterday to demonstrate his support for Green. That said a lot.

Green speaks slowly, deliberately, choosing his words carefully and repeating phrases he wants to emphasize. Sometimes he refers to himself in the third person. When he doesn't have an answer, he readily says so. I never suspected he was faking it.

He repeatedly stressed the need to set high expectations -- for academic achievement, student behavior and for himself.

"We have to be excellent. Our students deserve nothing less. I require and demand excellence of myself. I am a 24-7 hardworking guy for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools ... and I expect the same from others ... of everyone and especially our students ... good is not good enough.

"Whatever your expectations are for me, mine will be substantially higher."

Related: school climate.

"I don't know that we are holding our students to the level that we should. We allow too much mess to go on."

It bothers him to see students walking around without books in their hands. How can they come to school without books? Let's change that, "and we'll work on opening them later."

Green frequently uses the expression "call the question." It means demanding accountability, getting things done.

In Charlotte-Meck, it means pushing for results at low-performing schools. "We reconstituted four high schools last year," Green said. They send in accomplished principals and let them pick their own top staff. Everyone else has to reapply for their positions. Those hired get substantial pay supplements, but to keep them they have to meet their goals.

"I am in favor of pay for performance, I truly am," he said.

Other comments ...

On neighborhood schools:

"I'm a big fan of having integrated schools. However, I'm a bigger fan of having kids wherever they are being educated to the highest levels." There's "something fundamentally right" about sending kids to school down the street. In the famous Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education integration case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971, attorney Green reminded, the plaintiffs just wanted their kids to go to their neighborhood school.

On working with principals: "I am your servant. The role I play is to serve you. You're doing the work."

On his first hundred days: "I don't come in with a Mo Green plan of action. I don't have one." He'll learn and listen and work with others to develop a plan to achieve community goals for the schools.

On the pace of progress:

"You're not likely to see a plan that has incremental progress for our students. If that's what you want, then send me back to Charlotte because that's not what I'm about."

Prince promised a fast start: "I have a pre-transition plan." She'd meet with senior staff and stakeholders, begin evaluating programs, seek a retreat with the board of education, develop a strategic plan "and launch it in the first 100 days."

She, too, believes in accountability for results. She sees good preschool programs as critical for ultimate success and noted the importance of removing obstacles to learning -- like untended health problems. Parents are responsible for taking an interest in their children's education, making sure they get enough rest and get to school on time. She favors flexibility in scheduling, especially when it comes to making sure high school students pass the state tests required for graduation. Some might learn enough U.S. history in 60 days to pass, Prince said by way of example, while others might need a whole year. If schools don't take extra steps, dropout rates will skyrocket.

On where she'd like to see GCS in five years: "I would see a school system where close to 100 percent of kids are graduating, and not only are they graduating, they are graduating college-ready."

That's a quick summary. I thought GCS might come up with a candidate who'd led a good-sized school district to some dramatic gains in academic achievement. Neither Green nor Prince fits the bill. I think Prince probably does a very good job in Scotland County. Green is a key player in taking some bold initiatives in Charlotte-Meck, but the jury is out on results.

Green strikes me as more capable of meeting the personal challenges that a superintendent will face here. I detect good instincts, good values, an ability to shape ideas and the skills to work within this sometimes stormy politically atmosphere. There is a calmness and strength of character apparent that would serve him well.

If I had a vote, it would go to Mo.

It surprised plenty of courtroom observers last week when Judge Henry Frye Jr. sentenced Sidney Lowe II to serve 15 months at the Guilford County prison farm ...

... including Sheriff BJ Barnes.

"The first I heard he was going to the farm, I read it in the paper," Barnes said today.

The thing is, judges don't make jail assignments, the sheriff said.

"It's my decision where I put these people."

And he's decided: Lowe is in the downtown jail.

"I don't put violent felons at the farm," Barnes explained. "I can't afford to have people out there who could be a problem."

The farm, a minimum-security facility, houses nonviolent offenders.

Lowe already has caused a problem at the jail, the sheriff said.

"Within three days we caught him with a shank in his cell."

He's not with the general population but in "segregation," Barnes said, because his lawyers expressed concerns about his safety.

Barnes said Lowe will be evaluated "in a few months," and if he's been "compliant," he may be reassigned to the farm.

In the meantime, he's not serving the easy time it first appeared he'd get ...

... no doubt a very unpleasant surprise for him and his family.

In ordinary circumstances, you'd expect Brian Martin to draw some hard time for serious, violent crimes.

But, of course, this is an unusual case because of the participation of Sidney Lowe II, son of the N.C. State basketball coach.

Judge Henry Frye Jr. let Lowe off easy last week. Will he do the same for Martin, who doesn't have a famous father?

Probably not. Martin says Lowe took the lead in the crimes they committed together. After showing Lowe such leniency, Frye can't possibly believe Martin's version of events.

I mean, somebody has to be the bad guy, right?

My column today:

Nationally, the press for High Point University has never been better.

“This once-sleepy institution in the hills of North Carolina has undergone a revival in the last couple of years, thanks in part to its jaw-dropping menu of student services,” The Chronicle of Higher Education noted in its July 4 edition.

Last week, an Associated Press story from New York about student amenities on college campuses led with HPU.

I sent copies of both articles to my 16-year-old niece in Michigan. A college that spoils students with concierge service, valet parking and birthday cake is her kind of place.

The news at home, though, has been a little less peachy. Or, as High Point City Councilman Latimer Alexander put it Monday, “The honeymoon, it’s just over.”

Alexander and other city officials have been fielding complaints from neighbors of the rapidly expanding university, some of whom feel almost run over. But he’s got his own gripe: Bicycling on West College Drive next to campus on a recent weekend, he was stopped by an HPU security officer who informed him he was on private property.

The university is petitioning the city to close West College, but it’s still a public street.

Some High Pointers think HPU, led by its energetic, charismatic and irrepressible president, Nido Qubein, is growing too fast with no end in sight. It now covers 140 acres, compared to only 90 just a few years ago. Almost ready to open a residential “village” that will house hundreds of students and offer bowling, movies and a steakhouse across West Lexington Avenue from the main campus, HPU is poised to swallow the College Village Shopping Center next, rumors say.

Except the rumors are wrong, Chris Dudley, vice president for community relations, told me Monday (Qubein is out of the country).

“The reality is the university has really expanded as much as we’re going to expand,” Dudley said. It may consider acquiring additional properties adjacent to residence halls, but “we really have what we need.”

Some neighbors remain unhappy — not surprising if they never counted on living near several hundred college students. Some complained about a new billboard facing their homes. It featured nice-looking college kids, but city officials say it violates the sign ordinance. Construction noise, heavy machinery and more activity naturally disturb nearby residents. And some think the school has become too vigilant about security.

“We take very seriously our promise to our parents that we are going to keep our students safe,” Dudley said. Security personnel now discourage pedestrians from cutting through the campus.

Alexander noted with concern the college’s tendency to build walls — with bricks and mortar, but in other ways, too. Offering everything students need on campus might keep their dollars out of the cash registers of local businesses.

Not so, said Dudley. The university operates a shuttle bus that takes students to Oak Hollow Mall and other retail centers. The concierge service makes reservations for students at High Point restaurants. Summer camp participants from out of town stay at the downtown Radisson. More than a hundred summer program students just attended the premier of “The Dark Knight” at a local theater. Increasing numbers of students and faculty boost High Point’s fortunes. And, area contractors are getting all the construction work.

“The university has a $321 million-a-year economic impact, and it’s growing,” Dudley said.

Everybody has a point. As a High Point resident, I am amazed and impressed by the university’s dynamic changes. A few years ago, I never would have thought to encourage a niece to apply. There’s a good reason why applications and enrollment are surging.

Yet, somehow, contradictions have emerged. While the university often hosts community events like a free, outdoor Arts Council concert Sunday, some in the community feel alienated. While it promotes public service, it risks creating an image of students who are pampered and self-indulgent. While it contributes immensely to High Point’s economy, its appetite for growth unnerves some.

I don’t see any impasse that can’t be overcome with time and good will. If HPU’s growth spurt has stopped, neighbors will relax. If more students spend money around town, businesses will benefit. And if the university welcomes the public for cultural and athletic events, or just to enjoy the beauty of the campus, relations will improve.

Honeymoons always end. It’s what follows that counts.

Thanks for reading. You can call me at 373-7039, email me at dgclark@news-record.com or, even better, post a comment here.

Kay Hagan has video from Coon Dog Day in Saluda.

Photos, too.

If she wins ...

Ron Wilkins, longtime High Point city councilman representing Ward 2, won't run for re-election this year, he tells me this morning.

One issue is health concerns. But he's not closing the door on a political comeback in the future.

I hope Wilkins will return to public service. He's given a lot to High Point over the years in many different ways. I'll write more about that in a future column.

For now, I wish him the best.

Update, 5:15 p.m. Tuesday: With Wilkins out, the field of candidates in Ward 2 continues to expand. As of today's filing, the contenders are Julius Clark, Tony Davis, Foster Douglas, Pride Grimm Jr. and Fitzgerald Waller.

The complete candidate list for Guilford County elections is here. High Point City Council filing ends Aug. 1

There is no primary in High Point, and no runoff. The candidate with the most votes on Election Day wins. Mathematically, in Ward 2 that could be someone with 20 percent plus one vote ...

... unless even more candidates get in the race. Then the theoretical threshold could drop further.

Charlotte-Meck school board member Trent Merchant calls Maurice Green "a no-brainer for Greensboro," the Observer reports.

Shirley Prince "would be sorely missed" by Scotland County Schools if she left for Guilford County, board chairman Buck Carter tells the Laurinburg Exchange.

What's your opinion about the two candidates?

Peace Corps director Ronald Tschetter strongly defends his agency in response to a critical assessment in Foreign Policy magazine by Robert Strauss.

Strauss, a former volunteer and country director, makes a case that the Peace Corps, approaching its 50th anniversary, has never figured out what it wants to be when it grows up.

Biting comments: "The reason the Peace Corps is overlooked as a development organization has a lot to do with the youth and inexperience of the majority of its volunteers. Equally important is its unwillingness to decide if it is a development organization or an organization with a mission 'to promote world peace and friendship,' as stipulated by Congress in the Peace Corps Act. It would like to be both, but finds itself falling short on both objectives because it cannot decide which is the more important.

"Many Peace Corps staff and volunteers see development work as a burdensome obligation undertaken only to legitimize the cultural exchange aspects of the agency. But without a focus on economic development and an improvement in standards of living, the Peace Corps is really little more than an extended, government-sponsored semester-abroad program. For applicants, the Peace Corps emphasizes the personal experience, not the volunteer’s development impact. That, of course, is not how the Peace Corps pitches itself to foreign governments, to whom it promises significant technical development assistance — only to provide predominantly recent college graduates who may or may not have any useful skills to offer."

I don't know much beyond the experience of Andrew and a few of his fellow volunteers in Tanzania 2005-07. It seems to me that two-plus years living without electricity, with limited water, lacking transportation and other conveniences can't be compared to a "semester abroad." He didn't have a "development" job unless teaching math to secondary school students for whom a competent, dedicated teacher is a rarity counts as development. It's developing human potential, isn't it?

I don't doubt that some of Strauss' criticisms are valid. The fact is, the Peace Corps doesn't send highly trained, professional development officers overseas. That's why its people are called volunteers and get paid about $5 a day. They live with the locals, like the locals -- a great way to get to know each other.

I suppose there are some goofballs who do a lousy job, some who don't last very long away from the comforts of home, some who make such a bad impression they ought to be sent home on the next plane.

Maybe there's a better formula. It is remarkable, I suppose, that PC gives volunteers, most of them in their 20s, just three months training then sends them to the middle of nowhere with next to no supervision and often no other Americans nearby and expects them to do tough jobs well on behalf of the U.S. government. The notion might even be crazy. But for the right type of American, that's half the attraction.

Any PCVs want to comment on Strauss' assessment?

N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Doug McCullough's re-election campaign looks like a book tour.

He's promoting "Sea of Greed, the True Story of America's Biggest Drug Raid," his account (with co-author Les Pendleton), of a case he prosecuted as an assistant U.S. attorney in the 1980s.

From the Web site:

"When the Coast Guard hailed a Gulf Coast shrimp trawler near Cape Lookout, NC on the 4th of July weekend, 1982, the routine stop set in motion a chain-of-events that ended with the U.S. invasion of Panama, overthrow of dictator Manuel Noriega, and one of the biggest drug busts in America’s history.

"Now more than 25 years later, the full story is revealed in a gripping true-life account by the man who brought the drug lord to justice.

"J. Douglas McCullough, the U.S. attorney who unraveled the Cayman Island cartel, reveals never-before-known facts of the case that began on the docks of the historic fishing village of Beaufort, NC when authorities found a shrimp boat full of marijuana."

You can read an excerpt here at metronc.com

Judges generally find it hard to attract voters' attention. They don't have televised debates, buy much advertising or hold big campaign rallies. But McCullough has put a few book signings and presentations on his schedule. His book has drawn a bit of press coverage, like this.

I can't say a thing about the literary merits of "Sea of Greed," but I can see its potential value to McCullough's campaign. I'd say he's taken a novel approach to running ... except his book isn't fiction.