Down East Salutes Kinston as they Recover from Matthew

The people of (the real) Down East continue to contribute, volunteer and pray for the citizens of Kinston and all the communities devastated by Hurricane Matthew. We, of all people, understand the short-term shock and the long-term challenges of a storm. We will continue to give and help as long as there is a need. During the storm, our efforts to correct the misinformation that led to the proposed names of Kinston's new baseball team was put on hold. We respect the City of Kinston's current focus on repairs and clean-up, but we hope that once recovery progresses, OUR concerns re the reference to Down East in the ballteam's name will not be forgotten. As the people of Kinston have proven over and over throughout their history and especially during the past few weeks, they are deserving of their own team with a name that reflects their courage, strength and community pride. Kinston deserves some good news ... Naming this new ballteam for its proud hometown would be the "right" thing to do, especially now.