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Opinion

  • Do school bus seatbelts help?

    A cursory look at bulky, high-off-the road school buses raises doubts about their safety. But National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research indicates they’re surprisingly safe.

    In fact, its statistical data claim kids traveling to school on a bus are seven times safer than in the family car. A child, according to NHTSA, is much more likely to be injured waiting at a bus stop than riding the bus.

    But would requiring seatbelts on school buses make the trip even safer, as some parents suggest? The National Transportation Safety Board says no.

  • Community involvement important

    By Kevin Spurlin

    Grayson County Extension

  • Ads could end up on school buses

    If you’ve read The Declaration in recent weeks you should know about all the cuts involving the Grayson County school system.

    And if you read the daily papers and listen to the national news on television you will find the problem is nationwide.

    School systems are looking at every possible way to come up with funds to boost their reduced budgets, even cutting teachers.

    An idea, that isn’t an option in Grayson County so far, involves placing advertisements on school buses.

  • Flood insurance needed

    RICHMOND – With Spring having arrived, the chances of flooding increase. Many areas of the country have already experienced substantial flooding this year following one of the snowiest winter seasons in recent memory.

    Heavy rains, saturated soil, and the coming hurricane season can cause high water levels in areas not thought to be prone to flooding. The State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) Bureau of Insurance urges Virginians to plan ahead for floods and other potential weather-related natural disasters.

  • 2010 Census Q & A

    The census is a process that takes years of preparation to pinpoint the national head count on a particular day in this case, April 1. Months from now, the results will begin rolling out, telling us how we as a nation, as a state, a city, a community, even a neighborhood, have changed.

    Here are some questions and answers to consider as you prepare to be counted.

    • When will the form arrive?

    You should already have a form for the 2010 census.

    • What’s in the form? What do they want to know?

  • Census count is our duty

    Every decade, the federal government counts us. The feds do this to reapportion congressional districts and allocate tax dollars.

    Every decade, suspicious people hide from the U.S. Census Bureau and its workers, fearful that the government will use the data against them.

    Every decade, all manner of conspiracy theorists claim there is some nefarious intent in what amounts to a constitutional mandate.

    And every decade, most Americans ignore such ravings and fill out the form.

  • Shopping Diva

    The little girl is a “shopping diva.”

    She tells me this with a beaming smile after I pick her up from school.

    I raise my eyebrows questioningly.

    “My teacher told me so,” she says with a laugh. “So it must be true.”

    Her first grade class has been learning all about money, something in which the little girl has always had an affinity.

    Even as a toddler, she preferred the “big silver coins” over the “brown ones” and “green paper” was always better than change.

  • Acknowledge agriculture

    RICHMOND— March 20 isn’t a school holiday for kids, but National Agriculture Day is just as important to our society, according to Virginia Farm Bureau.

    That first day of spring each year signifies a time to celebrate and reflect on America’s and Virginia’s largest industry.

  • Where’s all the money?

    We are definitely living in the money age.

    If you attend a school board or board of supervisors meeting, money, or the lack of it, is always a hot topic.

    I was reading a story on the Bristol Herald Courier Web site last week about the mailing expenses of members of the House of Representatives in Washington.

    The article pointed out that 9th District Rep. Rick Boucher, who represents Galax and the Twin Counties, ranked seventh on the list of spending in mailings to his constituents.

  • Family thanks Nautilus friends

    My husband and I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our friends at Nautilus. When facing the possibility of a layoff you thought of us unselfishly. Your generosity and thoughtfulness in our time of sickness is deeply appreciated.

    We are so lucky to live in an area where people are willing to help others in the community however they can even when facing hard times themselves.

    Thinking of all of you.

    Teresa and Kenneth (Ethel)

    Richardson

    Whitetop

  • What kind of ‘mass...

    If you think that Christmas would be Christmas without the hubbub between Thanksgiving and December 25; what do you think a “Mass Meeting” will be without some activity on our part before they take place?

    Democrat or Republican, Independent or Libertarian, or simply, a citizen: how can our government be a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people” if we choose to ignore our responsibility. It cannot be done! We lose.

  • Consumers should protect themselves

    RICHMOND – It is never too early to become a more knowledgeable consumer. No matter what your age, knowing how to protect your financial well-being and where to turn for help are vital to successfully navigating today’s marketplace.

  • Winter weather safety reminder

    RICHMOND — As we prepare for yet another snowstorm, residents should remember basic winter weather safety. Be ready for extremely cold temperatures, high winds, low visibility and the possibility of power outages. Some guidelines for emergency preparedness during a winter storm include:

    Emergency supplies

    Be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for at least 72 hours, in case roads are blocked and/or there are power outages.

  • Singin’ for our supper

    My family’s Sunday theme dinners hit an all-time high in good food and fun Sunday when our traditional country food theme also included family members dressing as famous country music stars.

    While the menu consisted of such traditional fare as pinto beans and cornbread and scalded lettuce and onions, attendance was anything but “regular.”

  • Alleghany rescue: Plenty cold,...

    In the newspaper business, you never know where your workday will take you.

    Last Thursday, I wore a light jacket and street shoes, not expecting any heavy outdoor activity.

    Wrong.

    When I got to work about 8 a.m., I turned my police scanner on to hear an Alleghany Sheriff’s Department dispatcher dispatching rescue personnel to the Blue Ridge Parkway where a climber had fallen down a steep cliff in the section known as “ice rocks.”

  • Don’t read into this

    If there were such a thing as competitive reading, then the little girl would definitely be involved.

    She reads constantly, as much as she can, as fast as she can.

  • Passing the buck

    State budget cuts are almost always an exercise in passing the buck. Even if governors and lawmakers wanted to avoid pushing costs off onto local governments, the task would be virtually impossible.

    More than half of all state dollars go to cities and counties to pay for public schools, jails, police, sheriffs and mental health services.

    Outgoing Gov. Tim Kaine’s budget plan relies heavily on proposals that place new demands on local leaders already struggling with their own revenue shortfalls.

  • Toothless

    I know I’ve written about the little girl’s teeth (or lack of teeth) before, but the childhood milestone has become such a common occurrence in our household that I find myself with little else to write.

    After two years of wondering why my five year old, then six year old wasn’t losing teeth, it seems that’s all the seven-year-old little girl does.

    Every week there’s another tooth pulled. Every week there’s more unbudgeted money going under her pillow. I mean, really. -- the Toothfairy is about to break the Vaughn bank.

  • McDonnell drops transportation plan

    On the campaign trail last fall, Gov. Bob McDonnell promised Virginians he had a plan to fix the state’s broken transportation system.

    In 19 pages, he detailed how he would fund highways, rail and other improvements without raising taxes. Now, when it is time to put his plan into action, he punts.

    Last week, he announced he would not pursue transportation reform during the General Assembly session. He said lawmakers would not have enough time to evaluate his plan, and he would not have enough time to sell it.

  • Supporting rural Virginia

    One of the biggest challenges in my work is describing who Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) is and what it does. What does an Extension Agent do? Historically, those in “Extension” circles would say that Extension gives crop and livestock advice. Others recognize 4-H as a youth organization, but don’t always relate it to Extension. Seldom does anyone associate VCE and 4-H to Virginia Tech. Sure we bring Virginia Tech back to local communities, but what does that mean.