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    <title>Columnists for Stafford County Sun</title>
    <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/</link>
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        <title>Columnists for Stafford County Sun</title>
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    <description></description>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Stafford County Sun</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-07-02T17:31:33-05:00</dc:date>

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         <item>
          <title>Callander: Face it: Animals need county&#45;run shelter</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_face_it_animals_need_county-run_shelter/38493/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
We&#8217;ve been hearing for some time about a proposal to put a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals compound on the site of the old Brooke Nursing Home.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:07:55 EDT</pubDate>
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          <title>Blankenship: Beyond the land of the free</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_beyond_the_land_of_the_free/38490/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
So we&#8217;re again celebrating Independence Day. Hooray for the U.S. of A!           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:30 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_beyond_the_land_of_the_free/38490/#When:16:00:30Z</guid>
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          <title>Gold: The Tale of Two Ws</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_the_tale_of_two_ws/38024/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It seems to me&#8230;as long ago as 1859, Charles Dickens saw the current Walmart controversies and the love affair with Wegmans when he wrote &#8220;It was the best of times, it was the worst of times&#8230;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:56:54 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_the_tale_of_two_ws/38024/#When:16:56:54Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: A missed opportunity to save open space</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_a_missed_opportunity_to_save_open_space/38012/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It&#8217;s is a resource whose value is difficult to quantify. Some people would argue it&#8217;s not important and not worth paying for. Others would tell you it&#8217;s invaluable.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:05:25 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_a_missed_opportunity_to_save_open_space/38012/#When:16:05:25Z</guid>
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          <title>This Sunday, celebrate Dad</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/this_sunday_celebrate_dad/37928/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
STAFFORD &#8212; In writing a Father&#8217;s Day column this week, I needed two things: inspiration and sources.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:53:53 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/this_sunday_celebrate_dad/37928/#When:14:53:53Z</guid>
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          <title>Gold: Get involved &#8212; not snowed &#8212; in election process</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_get_involved_not_snowed_in_election_process/37925/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It seems to me&#8230;now is the time to get involved in the election process. With the primaries over, we know who the candidates are; now we must learn what they stand for.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:45:16 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_get_involved_not_snowed_in_election_process/37925/#When:14:45:16Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Lots of higher taxes ahead</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_lots_of_higher_taxes_ahead/37574/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Brace yourself. We&#8217;re fixing to get clobbered with higher taxes on lots of things. Why? Lots of reasons. Two stand out.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:07:55 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_lots_of_higher_taxes_ahead/37574/#When:20:07:55Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Republicans campaign at Democratic Primary</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_republicans_campaign_at_democratic_primary/37562/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The most noteworthy happenings at the polls on Tuesday had nothing to do with the Democrats&#8217; nominating primary for governor.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:52:24 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_republicans_campaign_at_democratic_primary/37562/#When:17:52:24Z</guid>
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          <title>Hollifield: Newspaper industry &#8216;blowed up&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/hollifield_newspaper_industry_blowed_up/37370/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Newspapers are in trouble. 

I know, because I read about it online. (Ha, ha. That&#8217;s a funny joke. I&#8217;ll remember to tell it to the guy beside me at the unemployment office.)            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:51:32 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/hollifield_newspaper_industry_blowed_up/37370/#When:19:51:32Z</guid>
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          <title>Ask Emily: Encourage pregnant wife</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/ask_emily_encourage_pregnant_wife/37369/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Dear Emily: My wife is two months pregnant and refuses to eat food that is good for her and then baby.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:38:30 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/ask_emily_encourage_pregnant_wife/37369/#When:19:38:30Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: The BPOL debate continues</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/the_bpol_debate_continues/37355/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Business and Professional Licensing Tax, known as the BPOL, was approved by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors last year. It follows an example set by Fairfax, Prince William and Spotsylvania counties. It requires businesses of all kinds, ones with store fronts, as well as those run out of the garage, to register and pay a tax on their revenues. The vote on this new tax was one of the most heated debates the county board of supervisors has had in years and it&#8217;s still raging.&nbsp;             ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:49:11 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/the_bpol_debate_continues/37355/#When:17:49:11Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Will the GOP retake Richmond?</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_will_the_gop_retake_richmond/36892/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
So I drive a Town Car, live in a gated community, and vote Republican. What&#8217;s not to like about that? What&#8217;s more, we Virginians next fall get to start turning our fine state red again, like God always meant it to be.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:18:09 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_will_the_gop_retake_richmond/36892/#When:22:18:09Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Finally, new library breaks ground</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_finally_new_library_breaks_ground/36346/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Once in a while in this opinion column writing business you advocate for something and it actually comes to fruition. When that happens, I pinch myself and ask, &#8220;Is this for real?&#8221;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2009 17:26:13 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_finally_new_library_breaks_ground/36346/#When:21:26:13Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Seen any stimulus money?</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_seen_any_stimulus_money/36345/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
They are really throwing money around nowadays.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2009 17:23:16 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_seen_any_stimulus_money/36345/#When:21:23:16Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Democratic primary offers good choices</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_democratic_primary_offers_good_choices/35937/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
While Stafford Republicans head to Richmond for a May 30 convention to nominate their candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, Stafford democrats and independents have an opportunity to nominate the Democratic candidates via a primary June 9.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2009 10:58:15 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_democratic_primary_offers_good_choices/35937/#When:14:58:15Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Stafford stands up to the recession</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_stafford_stands_up_to_the_recession/35676/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
We all know just how serious the national economic situation has become. The U.S. Gross Domestic Product, the sum of everything we buy, invest and consume, is down over six percent.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2009 16:01:28 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_stafford_stands_up_to_the_recession/35676/#When:20:01:28Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Realize the effects of alcohol</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_realize_the_effects_of_alcohol/35661/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Need it happen every spring? Graduation means celebration. That means booze. That means death for young people.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2009 14:55:01 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_realize_the_effects_of_alcohol/35661/#When:18:55:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Gold: It sure is easy being green</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_it_sure_is_easy_being_green/35072/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It seems to me&#8230;at the risk of contradicting Kermit the Frog, &#8220;It is easy being green.&#8221;&nbsp; And, it&#8217;s not only easy, it&#8217;s smart!            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2009 15:43:10 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_it_sure_is_easy_being_green/35072/#When:19:43:10Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Master planning moves in right direction</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_master_planning_moves_in_right_direction/35050/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
If you stay in contact with county officials and other people in the know, you might have known about the redevelopment sessions going on as part of &#8220;shaping a master plan&#8221; for specific areas of our county.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2009 11:30:22 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_master_planning_moves_in_right_direction/35050/#When:15:30:22Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: When will things get better?</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_when_will_things_get_better/34640/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Forgive me, but I have misplaced my optimism. I&#8217;m sure it&#8217;s somewhere, because it has stood me in good stead for these many years           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:40:57 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_when_will_things_get_better/34640/#When:18:40:57Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Interest rates only a mobster could love</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_interest_rates_only_a_mobster_could_love/34633/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
I have two credit card accounts and for the most part I pay them off whenever they&#8217;re due.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:27:16 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_interest_rates_only_a_mobster_could_love/34633/#When:18:27:16Z</guid>
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          <title>Gold: Importance of language often overlooked</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me...importance_of_language_often_overlooked/34194/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It seems to me&#8230;one of the most important abilities we humans have that sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom is language.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:14:10 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me...importance_of_language_often_overlooked/34194/#When:18:14:10Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Stand up for the unemployed</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_stand_up_for_the_unemployed/34186/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Our usually calm governor is outraged with the actions of the Virginia House of Delegates in rejecting $125 million in federal stimulus money intended to extend unemployment benefits.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:40:40 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_stand_up_for_the_unemployed/34186/#When:17:40:40Z</guid>
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          <title>Editor&#8217;s Column: Rush for guns not safe idea</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editors_column_rush_for_guns_not_safe_idea/33786/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For those of you who missed it, an interesting report appeared this past week on &#8220;20/20&#8221; titled, &#8220;If I Only Had a Gun.&#8221;            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:39:07 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editors_column_rush_for_guns_not_safe_idea/33786/#When:22:39:07Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Read it while you can</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_read_it_while_you_can/33785/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Someday soon, oldtimers may regale their grandkids about the good old days when there was a daily paper upon which many words were printed, one which arrived at the doorstep or nearby.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:52:57 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_read_it_while_you_can/33785/#When:21:52:57Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Redistricting:&amp;nbsp; Nothing democratic about it</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_redistricting_nothing_democratic_about_it/33778/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
I&#8217;ve got news for you. Elections for the House of Delegates, State Senate, and yes, even our members of Congress aren&#8217;t as democratic or representative as you might think.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:28:47 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_redistricting_nothing_democratic_about_it/33778/#When:21:28:47Z</guid>
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          <title>Editor&#8217;s Column: Proposed SPCA important for community</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_proposed_spca_important_for_community/33365/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Last week, the Stafford County Planning Commission put off its recommendation to the county&#8217;s board of supervisors regarding a conditional-use permit for a proposed Stafford SPCA.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:20:36 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_proposed_spca_important_for_community/33365/#When:20:20:36Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Who&#8217;s entitled to public utilities?</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_whos_entitled_to_public_utilities/33334/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
One of the issues of the times here in Stafford is who should get public water and sewer service and who shouldn&#8217;t be entitled to such modern niceties.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:40:35 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_whos_entitled_to_public_utilities/33334/#When:17:40:35Z</guid>
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          <title>It seems to me&#8230;The story of Average Joe</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me1/32889/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It seems to me&#8230;the average Joe in this great US of A is getting more of a shock treatment than a stimulus.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:46:58 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me1/32889/#When:17:46:58Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Visit a different world nearby</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_visit_a_different_world_nearby/32886/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
So the writing is on the wall and in your bank statements: Times are tough.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:36:27 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_visit_a_different_world_nearby/32886/#When:17:36:27Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Stafford&#8217;s railroading past</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_staffords_railroading_past/32881/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Governor Tim Kaine&#8217;s office has announced that Virginia will soon begin paying for new passenger trains.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:17:38 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_staffords_railroading_past/32881/#When:17:17:38Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: The opossum on the porch</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_the_opossum_on_the_porch/32568/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Even though I live in the suburbs I am always surprised by just how many wild creatures manage to make their lives in the scant bits of habitat that still remain.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:52:35 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_the_opossum_on_the_porch/32568/#When:14:52:35Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Don&#8217;t blame TV for financial woes</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_dont_blame_tv_for_financial_woes/32557/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Like many others who have had their savings savaged in the past year, my thoughts have darkened nearly every day lately over the financial fiasco running amok both on Wall Street and in Washington.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:29:07 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_dont_blame_tv_for_financial_woes/32557/#When:14:29:07Z</guid>
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          <title>Gold: It seems to me&#8230;</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_it_seems_to_me/32552/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It Seems To Me&#8230;the old expression, &#8220;Money Makes the Word Go Around&#8221; is most appropriate to describe a recent meeting of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:07:05 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_it_seems_to_me/32552/#When:14:07:05Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Guest Op&#45;Ed: Conservation Easements: Preserving open space, rewarding landowners</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/guest_op-ed_conservation_easements_preserving_open_space_rewarding_landowne/32153/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The current recession may have slowed the rate of farmland being destroyed by residential and commercial development in Stafford County, but when things pick up again the bulldozers will once more be threatening our farms, forests and other open spaces.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:24:39 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/guest_op-ed_conservation_easements_preserving_open_space_rewarding_landowne/32153/#When:15:24:39Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Things out of whack? Just wait</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_things_out_of_whack_just_wait/32143/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
I was there when a former county supervisor stood up recently and, in effect, said he was totally ashamed of how Stafford&#8217;s current board has degenerated.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:32:42 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_things_out_of_whack_just_wait/32143/#When:14:32:42Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Stafford County schools at risk</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/stafford_county_schools_at_risk/31304/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stafford County Schools are facing one of the most serious financial crises in their history.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:10:24 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/stafford_county_schools_at_risk/31304/#When:20:10:24Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Now we face a taxing future</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_now_we_face_a_taxing_future/31147/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Time does fly. The Super Bowl, the Inauguration and the stimulus law are already just a memory, and now we must focus on springtime despite its most hated feature. Hint: April 15.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:31:47 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_now_we_face_a_taxing_future/31147/#When:23:31:47Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: New urban areas could stop sprawl</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_new_urban_areas_could_stop_sprawl/30799/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
&#8220;Urban,&#8221; unlike &#8220;suburban,&#8221; is a word we don&#8217;t hear mentioned often in describing Stafford County.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:14:32 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_new_urban_areas_could_stop_sprawl/30799/#When:16:14:32Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Strong words from our new bosses</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_strong_words_from_our_new_bosses/30784/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
They make things worse: President Obama says we face disaster, or at least a grave crisis. And now here comes his new Attorney General to call us cowards.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:38:47 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_strong_words_from_our_new_bosses/30784/#When:15:38:47Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: A day without e&#45;mail</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_a_day_without_e-mail/30294/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It wasn&#8217;t much of a news item.&nbsp; I guess it was a slow news day, because it got picked up by news services all over the country. But the White House, shortly after President Obama took office, announced that it had lost its e-mail service.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:43:40 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_a_day_without_e-mail/30294/#When:15:43:40Z</guid>
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          <title>Editor&#8217;s Column: Hunting show a crying shame</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editors_column_hunting_show_a_crying_shame/30292/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Has anyone seen this television show on Stafford&#8217;s local cable channel, which airs Appalachian Outdoors Television? The show airs in some neighboring counties, too. If not, here&#8217;s a basic summary of what I have seen several times while flipping channels, and this last time, decided to linger even longer, despite simmering in anger and discomfort. 

           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:37:09 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editors_column_hunting_show_a_crying_shame/30292/#When:15:37:09Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Newt wowed capacity crowd</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_newt_wowed_capacity_crowd/30291/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
They looked like they had won. That was the most interesting thing about last week&#8217;s Lincoln-Reagan Day dinner, sponsored by the Stafford County Republican Committee. &#8220;It was the biggest dinner yet in this place,&#8221; enthused committee chair Susan Stimson over the turnout, which filled the 500-diner capacity of the Fredericksburg Expo Conference Center on Feb. 12. 

           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:34:08 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_newt_wowed_capacity_crowd/30291/#When:15:34:08Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Autism requires medical insurance, too</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_autism_requires_medical_insurance_too/30281/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
As the cases of diagnosed autism in children have skyrocketed in recent years, the cry for government to do something has intensified, but things are looking bleak for autism treatment legislation in Virginia this year.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:11:25 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_autism_requires_medical_insurance_too/30281/#When:15:11:25Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Stafford&#8217;s silt problem</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_staffords_silt_problem/29812/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Stafford County has a long history of problems surrounding development, water runoff and siltation. It may seem like a modern environmental problem, but it&#8217;s not.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:41:48 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_staffords_silt_problem/29812/#When:16:41:48Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Hurry up and go away, winter</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_hurry_up_and_go_away_winter/29808/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
&#8220;Spring will be a little late this year.&#8220; Perhaps not physically, for it&#8217;s only a few weeks hence. But that moody song title had only the emotions in mind. And never mind the sprouting of the tulips.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:29:25 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_hurry_up_and_go_away_winter/29808/#When:16:29:25Z</guid>
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          <title>Editor&#8217;s Column: Watch out for police impersonators</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editorial_watch_out_for_police_impersonators/29323/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
As if we don&#8217;t have anything else to worry about these days, a police impersonator is reportedly prowling the local highways.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:05:13 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editorial_watch_out_for_police_impersonators/29323/#When:17:05:13Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Dark thoughts on an upsetting winter</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_dark_thoughts_on_an_upsetting_winter/29321/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Today please consider my profound observations below, lest the depthy mood I&#8217;m now in dissolves once again into retirement&#8217;s comforting incoherence and lengthy nap.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:46:36 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_dark_thoughts_on_an_upsetting_winter/29321/#When:16:46:36Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: The issue is ice, not snow</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_the_issue_is_ice_not_snow/29319/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
President Barack Obama apparently thinks the Washington, D.C. region is too wimpy when it comes to handling bad weather.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:15:20 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_the_issue_is_ice_not_snow/29319/#When:16:15:20Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Some advice for the Democrats</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_some_advice_for_the_democrats/28884/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Democrats in Virginia are riding high. Election 2008 was the culmination of one of the greatest comebacks in political history. Just a few years ago it looked like the Democratic Party of Virginia was headed for permanent minority status. However, beginning in 2001 things started to change.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:19:16 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_some_advice_for_the_democrats/28884/#When:19:19:16Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Locals contribute to long road to equality</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_locals_contribute_to_long_road_to_equality/28878/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Yearly, at the Martin Luther King birthday celebration in Fredericksburg, Multicultural Outreach Effort (MORE) puts on a fabulous program honoring the civil rights leader and showcasing area talent and leadership.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:56:19 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_locals_contribute_to_long_road_to_equality/28878/#When:18:56:19Z</guid>
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          <title>Bell: Snow &#8212; still a welcome break</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_snow_still_a_welcome_break/28877/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
As a kid, snow was always your best friend. It meant that school may be out, and playtime may be ahead. Always exciting, snow presented a welcome break from routine. As they called out the names of school cancellations over the radio, there were likely many fingers crossed. And, I can bet that nothing has changed.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:53:02 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_snow_still_a_welcome_break/28877/#When:18:53:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Editor&#8217;s Column: Celebrities high&#45;tail it to D.C. for Inauguration</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editors_column_celebrities_high-tail_it_to_d.c._for_inauguration/28451/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Washington, D.C. was the place to be Tuesday, even for the country&#8217;s most sought-after celebrities.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:04:24 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/editors_column_celebrities_high-tail_it_to_d.c._for_inauguration/28451/#When:19:04:24Z</guid>
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          <title>Letter: Article missed &#8216;greatest dog&#8217;</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/letter_article_missed_greatest_dog/28431/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Reader: Article missed &#8216;greatest dog&#8217;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:51:21 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/letter_article_missed_greatest_dog/28431/#When:17:51:21Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Race, Obama and Virginia</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_race_obama_and_virginia/28430/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
This week we watched history. It was more profound, more encouraging, and more uplifting than most of what we&#8217;ve had to face the past few years. Barack Obama, a black man from Illinois, became the President of the United States.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:45:25 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_race_obama_and_virginia/28430/#When:17:45:25Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Tough times? Not for Fed workers</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/tough_times_not_for_fed_workers/28416/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
What a bunch of crooks, I concluded many years ago upon moving from Chicago to Virginia. I left a place full of mob bosses and dirty politicians.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:56:41 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/tough_times_not_for_fed_workers/28416/#When:16:56:41Z</guid>
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          <title>It seems to me&#8230;Taxing, banning not ideal solutions</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me...taxing_banning_not_ideal_solutions/27914/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The state of the economy is foremost on the minds of most everyone and nowhere is it more important than in our Commonwealth of Virginia, especially in the Fredericksburg area. Every county surrounding Fredericksburg is experiencing a severe revenue shortfall and the cuts in jobs and services continue. And what the short and long-term effects of these cuts will be is yet to be assessed.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:31:48 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me...taxing_banning_not_ideal_solutions/27914/#When:17:31:48Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Religious groups need meeting place</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_religious_group_needs_own_place/27911/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Have you noticed those churches meeting in strip-shopping centers or in office buildings? Have you wondered why religious groups meet at our public schools or even hold events on school grounds? Or have you lamented that churches often nowadays look more like warehouses than the gorgeous cathedrals or charming chapels of yore?            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:23:01 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_religious_group_needs_own_place/27911/#When:17:23:01Z</guid>
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          <title>Letter to the Editor: Fur&#8217;s mean, not green</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/letter_to_the_editor_furs_mean_not_green/27902/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
With official invitations to President-elect Barack Obama&#8217;s inauguration being printed on recycled paper, attendees being encouraged to carpool, and ball buffets featuring all-organic hors d&#8217;oeuvres, the upcoming inauguration promises to be the &#8220;greenest&#8221; in history.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:02:26 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/letter_to_the_editor_furs_mean_not_green/27902/#When:17:02:26Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Will it rain on Obama&#8217;s parade?</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_will_it_rain_on_obamas_parade/27898/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The new president would be inaugurated the next day. Washington was all abuzz, filled with political revelers eager to celebrate the official return of the White House unto Democratic hands.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:53:02 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_will_it_rain_on_obamas_parade/27898/#When:16:53:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Kaine throws the GOP a curve</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_kaine_throws_the_gop_a_curve/27448/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Not too long ago I was saying that the Democrats would be hard pressed to find a new &#8220;wedge&#8221; issue to help them stay on their winning streak in 2009.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:33:52 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_kaine_throws_the_gop_a_curve/27448/#When:15:33:52Z</guid>
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          <title>Letter: Movie review inspires pet owner</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/letter_movie_review_inspires_pet_owner/27050/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Movie review inspires pet owner           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:33:25 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/letter_movie_review_inspires_pet_owner/27050/#When:18:33:25Z</guid>
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          <title>Op&#45;Ed: Cheating Sleep</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/op-ed_cheating_sleep/27049/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In this season of downy flake, it might be tempting to think that poet Robert Frost had teens in mind when he wrote: &#8220;The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.&#8221;            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:31:29 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/op-ed_cheating_sleep/27049/#When:18:31:29Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Last look at year of woe</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_last_look_at_year_of_woe/27027/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The headline for my column here two years ago bawled, &#8220;Good riddance to 2006.&#8221; The Iraq war was raging, the Redskins flopping and the Congress turning Democrat.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:15:32 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_last_look_at_year_of_woe/27027/#When:17:15:32Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: The year that was</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_the_year_that_was/27022/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
For the past several weeks I have been warily eyeing the new Sport and Health fitness center on Garrisonville Road.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:35:57 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_the_year_that_was/27022/#When:16:35:57Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Don&#8217;t elect chair countywide</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_dont_elect_chair_countywide/26700/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
You might think that the topic of electing the board of supervisors chairman countywide is truly a non-partisan issue and that it&#8217;s being brought up strictly for the betterment of our community.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:31:03 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_dont_elect_chair_countywide/26700/#When:21:31:03Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Our glass still more than half full</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_our_glass_still_more_than_half_full/26699/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
&#8220;It was the best of times, it was the worst of times&#8230;&#8221; Thus began perhaps the longest, yet most intriguing opening sentence of any classic book.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:24:40 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_our_glass_still_more_than_half_full/26699/#When:21:24:40Z</guid>
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          <title>Eleanor Mae Zanella</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/eleanor_mae_zanella/26680/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Eleanor Mae Zanella, 79, of Sarasota, Fla., died Dec. 8.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:18:30 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/eleanor_mae_zanella/26680/#When:19:18:30Z</guid>
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          <title>Roger H. Hallock</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/roger_h._hallock/26679/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Roger H. Hallock, 74, of Stafford County, died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, after a brief illness and discovery of advanced cancer.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:16:11 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/roger_h._hallock/26679/#When:19:16:11Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>John I. Fritter</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/john_i._fritter/26678/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
John I. &#8220;Johnny&#8221; Fritter, 79, of Stafford County, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008, at his home.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:15:42 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/john_i._fritter/26678/#When:19:15:42Z</guid>
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          <title>Wendy Jill Flowers&#45;Harrison</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/wendy_jill_flowers-harrison/26677/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Wendy Jill Flowers-Harrison, 65, of Stafford, died Dec. 3, 2008.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:14:04 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/wendy_jill_flowers-harrison/26677/#When:19:14:04Z</guid>
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          <title>Donna Kay Carver Dupus</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/donna_kay_carver_dupus/26676/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Donna Kay Carver Dupus, 71, of Enid, Okla., died Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008 at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:13:05 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/donna_kay_carver_dupus/26676/#When:19:13:05Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: An answered prayer at Valley Forge</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_an_answered_prayer_at_valley_forge/26669/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
During its long history the American military has celebrated many wartime Christmases. Often they have been in difficult circumstances a long ways from home.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:46:28 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_an_answered_prayer_at_valley_forge/26669/#When:18:46:28Z</guid>
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          <title>Bell: Empathy important over holiday season</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_empathy_important_over_holiday_season/26467/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
John Quinones, special correspondent for &#8220;Primetime Live,&#8221; appeared in the spring on &#8220;The Oprah Winfrey Show&#8221; to share results of a special experiment he did to test what people would do in trying situations. The episode aired again Tuesday, but it bears a second look around the holidays.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:40:16 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_empathy_important_over_holiday_season/26467/#When:15:40:16Z</guid>
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          <title>It seems to me</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me/26463/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
IT SEEMS TO ME&#8230;there must be someone who can explain what affects the price of gasoline.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:30:36 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/it_seems_to_me/26463/#When:15:30:36Z</guid>
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          <title>Watch out what you spend this season</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/watch_out_what_you_spend_this_season/26460/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
With few days left to shop this season, how are you doing? 
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:20:48 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/watch_out_what_you_spend_this_season/26460/#When:15:20:48Z</guid>
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          <title>Pop Culture: The annual Christmas letter</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/pop_culture_the_annual_christmas_letter/26452/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
You know the one. It arrives the day after Thanksgiving.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:47:07 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/pop_culture_the_annual_christmas_letter/26452/#When:14:47:07Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Stafford grad makes us all proud</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_stafford_grad_makes_us_all_proud/26445/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It&#8217;s always pleasing to hear that a product of Stafford County Public Schools has gone on to successfully follow starry-eyed dreams.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:25:02 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_stafford_grad_makes_us_all_proud/26445/#When:14:25:02Z</guid>
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          <title>Country Connection: Local area isn&#8217;t booming with concerts</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/country_connection_local_area_isnt_booming_with_concerts/26399/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
While we are all busy planning for the holidays, the families, the food and the chaos, your favorite artists are planning your summer.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:37:55 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/country_connection_local_area_isnt_booming_with_concerts/26399/#When:19:37:55Z</guid>
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          <title>GOLD: There is more to Charlie and Penny&#8217;s story</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_there_is_more_to_charlie_and_pennys_story/26243/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The whole story about Charlie Williams and his horse Penny hasn&#8217;t been told. I know the Stafford Board of Zoning Appeals rendered their Solomon-like decision that sounds to me as though they tried to make everyone happy.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:48:42 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/gold_there_is_more_to_charlie_and_pennys_story/26243/#When:19:48:42Z</guid>
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          <title>KERR: Why I am a holiday music junkie</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_why_i_am_a_holiday_music_junkie/26242/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Several radio stations in our area start playing Christmas music, nonstop, immediately after Thanksgiving. There is also one station that for some bizarre reason offers a day of Christmas music in July.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:41:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_why_i_am_a_holiday_music_junkie/26242/#When:19:41:00Z</guid>
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          <title>BLANKENSHIP: That red light ain&#8217;t Rudolph&#8217;s nose</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_that_red_light_aint_rudolphs_nose/26241/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Bless the festive sights of Christmas. The decorations, the colorful displays, the myriad red lights ...           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:33:54 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_that_red_light_aint_rudolphs_nose/26241/#When:19:33:54Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: An elected chairman for Stafford</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_an_elected_chairman_for_stafford/25715/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It may not seem like it, but local government, particularly in a county like ours, is always changing. Case in point: Stafford County currently has seven supervisors, each of whom is elected from a separate district. But that hasn&#8217;t always been the case.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:31:54 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_an_elected_chairman_for_stafford/25715/#When:17:31:54Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Bell: What is this world coming to?</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_what_is_this_world_coming_to/25654/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
What is the world coming to these days? When people make that comment, it verges on embarrassing, because they inevitably age themselves by at least 30 years.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:55:38 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/bell_what_is_this_world_coming_to/25654/#When:20:55:38Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: So let the Big Three crash, but not mine</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_so_let_the_big_three_crash_but_not_mine/25642/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
I love my car. Just like my four Town Cars before it &#8212; not one of them bought new &#8212; my current &#8217;04 model has heated seats. They suit my aging bottom just fine this winter.
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:23:30 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_so_let_the_big_three_crash_but_not_mine/25642/#When:19:23:30Z</guid>
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          <title>Bell: Excuse a turkey this Thanksgiving</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/excuse_a_turkey_this_thanksgiving/25261/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Not to be a downer on Thanksgiving, but there are plenty of good things about Thanksgiving to focus on. Turkey doesn&#8217;t even have to be the main one. As an alternative to eating turkey this Thanksgiving, consider &#8220;pardoning&#8221; a feathered friend. 
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:49:26 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/excuse_a_turkey_this_thanksgiving/25261/#When:16:49:26Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Stock your kitchen to fatten your wallet</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/stock_your_kitchen_to_fatten_your_wallet/25234/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Like many people who face a long commute to work, I found myself spending upward of $100 each week just to make it to and from my paycheck. Something had to give, so I began to look at other areas where I could pinch pennies and cut costs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:30 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/stock_your_kitchen_to_fatten_your_wallet/25234/#When:15:00:30Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Race remains complex issue in South</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_is_race_an_issue/25223/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The election of Barack Obama as America&#8217;s first African-American president has moved our nation to a new chapter on race relations. Stafford County, once a Civil War battleground, has experienced a transformation as well, supporting Obama with 46 percent of its vote.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:11:25 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_is_race_an_issue/25223/#When:14:11:25Z</guid>
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          <title>Do your Black Friday homework before you go</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/do_your_black_friday_homework_before_you_go/25221/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Black Friday is one of those terms that you hear thrown around a lot these days. The constant attention to this most important shopping day of the year can leave people wondering what all the fuss is about.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:03:16 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/do_your_black_friday_homework_before_you_go/25221/#When:14:03:16Z</guid>
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          <title>Callander: Stafford&#8217;s political landscape shifts</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_staffords_political_landscape_shifts/24903/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It turns out that victorious Mark Warner&#8217;s decision to run for the U.S. Senate bolstered Barack Obama in Virginia and in Stafford County. Our bipartisan hero can now reflect on just how far Virginia has come since his days as the state Democratic Party chairman in the early 1990s.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:02:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_staffords_political_landscape_shifts/24903/#When:20:02:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Gold still makes the heart flutter</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_gold_still_makes_the_heart_flutter/24900/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
It&#8217;s a strange stock to own. Its shares are traded on the Pacific Exchange and as a rule they don&#8217;t go for much.&nbsp; It&#8217;s called the Sixteen-to-One Gold Mine and its located in the desert just outside Sacramento, Calif.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:21:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_gold_still_makes_the_heart_flutter/24900/#When:19:21:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Virginia Democrats show &#8216;animal&#8217; instinct</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/virginia_democrats_show_animal_instinct/24527/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In &#8220;Animal House&#8221; &#8212; the movie, not the legislative body &#8212; when the Deltas vow revenge on their tormentors, Bluto sputters: &#8220;I&#8217;m not gonna take this! Wormer, he&#8217;s a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer &#8212; &#8220; Fellow frat boy Otter interrupts: &#8220;Dead!&#8220;            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:51:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/virginia_democrats_show_animal_instinct/24527/#When:13:51:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Hollifield: Accident points to digital revelation</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/hollifield_accident_points_to_digital_revelation/24520/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
I found out which is my most important finger, and it wasn&#8217;t the one I thought. It took nearly slicing it off to gain this knowledge, and, to be honest, the epiphany wasn&#8217;t worth the blood loss.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:38:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/hollifield_accident_points_to_digital_revelation/24520/#When:13:38:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Kerr: Like it or not, Election 2009 is under way</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_like_it_or_not_election_2009_is_under_way/24516/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
So the election is over. The robo-calls have stopped, the roadside signs are slowly being picked up, very slowly, they&#8217;re still littering Route 610, And my mailbox, instead of being full of political mailers, is now packed with Christmas catalogs and store fliers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:29:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_like_it_or_not_election_2009_is_under_way/24516/#When:13:29:00Z</guid>
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          <title>Blankenship: Salutes for a special Thanksgiving</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_salutes_for_a_special_thanksgiving/24511/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Approaching Thanksgiving and the season of good cheer, let&#8217;s all be thankful for the many things. Thanks should go to the nice company that recently sent me a free sample of some Extreme Acai Berry Melt Away Tablets. 

           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:03:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_salutes_for_a_special_thanksgiving/24511/#When:13:03:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Blankenship: election postmortem&#8212;&#45; blue</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_election_postmortem_blue/24202/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Approval of Stafford&#8217;s road bond referendum was a happy surprise for me. I had expected it to lose because of our county&#8217;s worsening economy, a reflection of what spelled disaster for the GOP efforts elsewhere this fall.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:17:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_election_postmortem_blue/24202/#When:21:17:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Callander: Good for the school board</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_good_for_the_school_board/24201/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Good for the Stafford County School Board. They refused to close any Stafford schools despite budget pressures. They gathered what facts they could from staff and they listened to parents of school children who attend the schools in question.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:13:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/callander_good_for_the_school_board/24201/#When:21:13:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>What Rover is trying to tell you</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/what_rover_is_trying_to_tell_you/24136/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Unfortunately we humans just don&#8217;t &#8220;speak dog&#8221; very well.&nbsp; Therefore as a dog trainer and canine behavior consultant, I consider one of my most important jobs to be an interpreter of &#8220;doggie language.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:58:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/what_rover_is_trying_to_tell_you/24136/#When:19:58:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Blankenship: Honoring great deeds, special vets</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_honoring_great_deeds_special_vets/24122/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Time marches on, and it&#8217;s already time again for my annual Veteran&#8217;s Day column. 
           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:54:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/blankenship_honoring_great_deeds_special_vets/24122/#When:18:54:00Z</guid>
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         <item>
          <title>Kerr: I&#8217;ll take an Obama Haircut and a McCain Ale</title>
          <link>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_ill_take_an_obama_haircut_and_a_mccain_ale/23678/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Political pollsters from Gallup to Harris, from Zogby to Mason-Dixon, use all sorts of sophisticated political polling techniques.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:34:00 EDT</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.staffordcountysun.com/scs/news/opinion/columnists/article/kerr_ill_take_an_obama_haircut_and_a_mccain_ale/23678/#When:16:34:00Z</guid>
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