Opinions for Stafford County Sun

Only in Stafford County…

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:42:00 EDT

Hey, turn off that water…

Someone’s ‘eyes’ are watching us

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:41:00 EDT

We know that it is important for companies to track the behavior of consumers. We know that with this information, they are better able to target customers and “meet their needs.” But when video cameras get involved, we think marketing research has gone too far.

BLANKENSHIP: July 4th’s real skyrockets: In your mail

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:39:00 EDT

If thoughts of Independence Day ring a little hollow now at the gas pump, that’s understandable. For the outrageous gasoline prices reflect our outrageous dependence on foreign oil. And it’s of our own design.

CALLANDER: Mother Nature’s acts bring back memories

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:38:00 EDT

News about flooding or potential flooding along the Mississippi River in Missouri and Illinois, just as the vacation season is in full swing, reminds me of a great vacation my family and I took many years ago to that precise location.

Reader: Some pets do live in luxury

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:33:00 EDT

In my opinion, this is such a true statement, “Dogs will never go without the best!” Being an owner of a rescued doggy who was abused for years just makes me feel that a dog deserves the best of treatment, having gone through all of the hard work the puppy mills put them through, it is time to treat and give the best that you can for the time they are here.

Only in Stafford County…

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:12:01 EDT

Is that a relative she’s sleeping with?

Campaign against grey squirrels unfair

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:09:00 EDT

The ongoing campaign against grey squirrels in the UK is grossly unfair and doesn’t stack up factually.

Tim Russert will be missed

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:07:00 EDT

Tim Russert, a long-time host of “Meet the Press” had a heart attack at age 58 on Friday, June 13, 2008. He had a long list of accomplishments after his name; he interviewed many guests, actors, comedians, politicians and many others. Just name it; he did it!

BPOL tax would have negative effect

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:44:00 EDT

Right now, businesses across our nation and our Commonwealth are facing very challenging times. Stafford County’s businesses are not immune from the uncertainties that are affecting companies large and small across America. Indeed, the pressures of difficult economic times are keenly felt by every Stafford business.

Housing: Issue just takes time

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:42:00 EDT

So the housing market has plunged and people are having economic difficulties. Many people are losing their homes and other people can’t get loans. That doesn’t mean that the government needs to step in.

CALLANDER: Folk nostalgia for UMW’s Centennial

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:37:00 EDT

Once in a while in Fredericksburg we have an opportunity to see a world-class performing act. The Kingston Trio, that famous folk group, performed in April at the University of Mary Washington, and it was such a fabulous performance that two months later my foot is still tapping and I’m still listening to the CD and watching the DVD that I purchased that evening.

Democratic governors can’t keep promises

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:33:00 EDT

On June 19, Gov. Tim Kaine hosted a meeting in Fredericksburg to promote his transportation agenda that would raise taxes by $1.1 billion. Can it be a coincidence that he chose to end his “Transportation Town Hall Tour” in Speaker Bill Howell’s legislative district?

Only in Stafford County

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:24:00 EDT

If close Drew and Stafford Middle School’s we could save 1.5 million bucks per year…

Good news and bad, on Virginia’s rivers and streams

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:20:00 EDT

The state’s latest report on the quality of Virginia rivers and streams contained more good news than bad.

KERR: ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ deserves a chance

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:19:00 EDT

The American Gray Squirrel, is, as anyone who reads this column knows, is my favorite of the woodland animals that live with us in the suburbs.

BLANKENSHIP: Suffering from a bad case of the blues

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:17:00 EDT

Maybe it’s because local politics has become so dysfunctional, with our county board of supervisors now dominated by those hock-tooey Democrats.

Reader offers insight on weather

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:06:00 EDT

The article, “Tornado, heat invade county”, with all its information, should alert us to stay cool and be very careful taking good care of ourselves in the excessive hot weather.

Reader opposes BPOL tax up for consideration

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:26:00 EDT

A BPOL tax will cost Stafford residents, not businesses.

Only in Stafford County…

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:53:00 EDT

“Did you know the county is considering a business tax?”

City loses a hero

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:50:01 EDT

Many law enforcement personnel have been sworn in for duty over the years, but what must they think when they step out each day or night on the job?

Blankenship: Who will it be come election time?

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:47:01 EDT

Say there, Barack and John, “Will you love me in December as you do in May?” — and June?

CALLANDER: Facing local weather worries

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:46:00 EDT

Conditions converged to create some extreme turbulence in the skies last week, bringing home the importance of preparedness.

Reader in awe of little creatures

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:49:00 EDT

It is incredible to hear just how many “little patients” have been admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, 50,000 (as of 2008) since it opened its doors in 1982.

Reader encourages ordinance opposition

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:48:00 EDT

Stafford taxpayers beware. When you received your tax assessment for 2008, you were elated to see that the assessment on your home was reduced, but the assessment on your land was increased.

Only in Stafford County

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:45:00 EDT

Every little bit helps…

KERR: What goes into making a gallon of gas?

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:40:00 EDT

There is hardly anyone who watched TV as a kid in the 1960s who can’t sing the theme song of the “Beverly Hillbillies.”

CALLANDER: Obama/Clinton - the dynamic duo

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:37:01 EDT

Obama and Clinton should be on the Democratic Party ticket together this fall. They both lasted through the June primaries; they both won many victories and garnered many votes.

Don’t judge on Anthem incident

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:36:00 EDT

Barack Obama has been much maligned for an incident in 2007 where he did not put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem at a campaign event.

Editorial Cartoon

Wed, 28 May 2008 18:44:00 EDT

And now in Stafford County…

Strive to live for others

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:20:00 EDT

On Memorial Day, America remembered. As the nation mourned those who made the highest sacrifice, its sorrow translated into sweet celebration. We are sad because those we have lost were so good. Their virtue has not disappeared but remains to comfort survivors and to guide them.

BLANKENSHIP: You go grads; now get to work

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:18:00 EDT

So it’s time for another crop of youngsters to be hurled out into the cold, cold world.

KERR: Consider our addiction to time

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:15:00 EDT

There is probably no other society in human history, save perhaps the Japanese and the Germans, that worries so much about time as we do.

Lohan story about animal cruelty

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:13:00 EDT

News stories about Lindsay Lohan allegedly filching a college student’s fur coat — and the student’s subsequent lawsuit — seem to have missed the real crime.

Reader discusses depression article

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:11:00 EDT

As I was reading this article, one does not need to discriminate between race, religion, and color.

Reader: Ordinance should be passed

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:09:00 EDT

I do not mince words. I want Stafford County to do whatever it can to battle illegal aliens and to specifically target them by passing an ordinance to limit the number of unrelated persons living in a home.

Editorial Cartoon

Thu, 22 May 2008 01:11:00 EDT

Only in Stafford County…

High fuel cost changes driving

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:29:00 EDT

Gas prices continue to creep upward like ivy up a tree, strangling consumers’ ability to travel.

BLANKENSHIP: Spent your rebate check yet?

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:26:01 EDT

Many people, no doubt, have spent their tax rebate checks. Sorry to say, I already have, and also my wife’s, way back in February, long before they ever arrived.

CALLANDER: County’s playing big brother

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:16:01 EDT

Stafford County is going too far in trying to limit the number of unrelated persons living in a home. What is being considered is an affront to civil rights, and it’s simply illogical.

Road improvements needed for safe travel

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:11:00 EDT

I have been a homeowner and active voter since 2004. I live at 106 Hope Road. While my recent activities have been confined to e-mails to my county supervisor and letters to the Stafford County Sun with the single focus on improvements to Hope Road, mainly from U.S. 1 east to Old Concord Road, I would like to address some greater county-wide problems and offer some possible modifications to the six-year service plan.

Goal is to get better with education

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:10:00 EDT

Dr. Frank Withrow wants to see the U.S. repair its education needs through the eyes of the student.

Scholar with cancer inspires reader

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:43:00 EDT

This story is truly amazing and just so inspiring to the mind to read that someone who has had so much trauma in her life and on top of that has to fight a type of brain cancer that is inoperable, now has to be a mighty and a strong survivor

Supervisor Woodson sets record straight

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:42:00 EDT

I ran on a campaign for change, and I am keeping the campaign promises I made to manage growth, control spending and preserve our natural resources.

Fuel prices are a pain in the pump

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:40:00 EDT

High fuel prices have made us think twice about needing to go places; grocery shopping, traveling, etc.

Editorial Cartoon

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:27:00 EDT

Uncivil war comes to Virginia…

Reach out to those in need

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:34:01 EDT

In the wake of destruction, many south Stafford families are left to pick up the pieces of their lives after a tornado ripped through their homes late last week.

KERR: A look at Jim Webb’s ‘new’ GI bill

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:32:00 EDT

Even as our nation was mobilizing to fight World War II, we were thinking about the future of our veterans when the fighting would end, generating an unusual and forward-looking discussion.

CALLANDER: Compromise can remedy roadblocks

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:30:02 EDT

Bipartisanship can go a long way in coping with transportation nightmares. We need leaders who spend less time grandstanding and more time working together to come up with viable answers. Our state legislators could learn a lesson from a recent bipartisan success here in Stafford.

Editorial Cartoon

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:24:00 EDT

Only in our brave new world…

KERR: Sneezing my way through spring

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:48:00 EDT

Nature gave trees and grasses a problem to solve. Just like any other species, plants and trees need to share genetic information with one another to reproduce, but at the same time, unless we’re talking about a plant from a science fiction movie, they have a problem. They can’t move from place to place.

BLANKENSHIP: Don’t blame Bush for everything

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:46:00 EDT

I’m worried about George Bush. Granted, his administration has prevented any further terrorist attacks since 9/11. That’s good, and may we never really know just how good.

Off and running

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:44:00 EDT

Democrat Mark Warner officially has launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Virginia Republicans will nominate their candidate later this month. Most observers expect Jim Gilmore easily to defeat Del. Bob Marshall. If all goes according to assumptions, two former governors will compete for the seat now held by John Warner, who will retire at the end of his term.

Editorial Cartoon

Sat, 03 May 2008 16:51:00 EDT

Only in Stafford County…

Article offers helpful hints

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:44:00 EDT

Spring cleaning does not have to be done in the house only. Taking care of yourself is important, too.

Reader: ‘Us chickens better beware’

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:42:00 EDT

One has to wonder whose agenda Ms. Kirkman, a Stafford County planning commissioner, is really pushing. In

Planning Commissioner concerns reader

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:38:01 EDT

I am very concerned about the performance of Widewater Planning Commissioner Cecilia Kirkman based on her recent letter to the Stafford County Sun: “Safety Concerns Go Beyond Hope Road”.

CALLANDER: Supervisors deserve proper compensation

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:33:00 EDT

There’s a movement afoot to discredit members of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors who voted to raise their salaries last year and who aren’t willing to eliminate that pay increase in this tough budget year.

BLANKENSHIP: Ah spring, birthdays and canna lilies

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:31:00 EDT

What’s new? Well, for one thing it’s springtime. And despite a long drought last year, my flowering plants have survived and flourished so far. Some do look battered but unbowed

Teenage drinking a continued epidemic

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:29:00 EDT

There are no quick fixes to solving the current underage-drinking epidemic.

Only in our brave new world…

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:19:00 EDT

I can’t believe gas prices are going up to $4 a gallon

Reader: Editorial page’s ‘bad’ is good

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:05:00 EDT

I take offense at the blatantly anti-gun attitude demonstrated by the item, “The bad…Va. Issues 60% More Permits for Guns” that recently appeared on your editorial page. It should have read, “The good…More Virginians are taking responsibility for the defense of themselves and their loved ones.

Preservation vital to local history

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:01:01 EDT

The battles of American history; U.S. Indian wars, Pocahontas, the Civil War, the American Revolution, historical remnants all stand out in this lovely and historical state of Virginia, Stafford County, to name a few.

Reader disappointed after local meeting

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:59:01 EDT

I’m extremely disappointed in Democrat Supervisor George Schwartz (Falmouth), who presides over the Stafford Board of Supervisors.

CALLANDER: Maintaining quality of life in Stafford

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:54:00 EDT

“Green” is the word of the month. While some talk green as in ecologically sustainable living for Earth Day, others talk green as in dollar bills.

KERR: Advice for Virginia’s Republicans

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:52:00 EDT

Normally the Republicans don’t ask me for advice. I can understand, and what’s more, most of the time they seem to get along just fine without my help. However, Virginia’s Republican Party is in trouble and if it doesn’t do something, and soon, it’s going to be, politically at least, on the outside looking in.

Teen touched many during his short life

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:50:00 EDT

Justin Whitaker seemed to touch many people in his short life. He lived for 18 years, but it seems to be that of a life lived longer, because he was able to reach and inspire so many people in the time that he was here.

Women integral part to Iraq success

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:09:01 EDT

It is shameful how the people who whined that we “didn’t finish the job” in the first Persian Gulf War are now the same ones who lament the sacrifice necessary to do so today [Sun editorial: Far too many lives lost in Iraq, March 28-April 3].

Reader: Catholics don’t worship pope

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:01:00 EDT

I’m certain Mr. Blankenship managed to raise the ire of many Christians in his last column and I am one of them

Local mother sends thanks to Bill Howell

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

While I know it’s not an easy job, I want to personally thank Speaker Bill Howell for fighting against unnecessary tax hikes, especially the gas tax. His continued leadership on responsible spending and lower taxes is much appreciated by this mother of four.

Only in our brave new world

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:22:00 EDT

So Hilllary Claims she was under sniper fire.

BLANKENSHIP: Blame lawyers for mortgage mess

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:53:00 EDT

Be honest now. Did you ever read all the fine print when you signed up for a home mortgage?

Maybe John Wayne had it wrong

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:47:00 EDT

America is often called a litigious society. In other words, we sue one another over just about anything.

Hokies, Virginians unite on anniversary

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:44:00 EDT

Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded two dozen others at the Blacksburg college, before killing himself.

Take note: slow for the cone in the zone

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:11:00 EDT

When you’re on the highway, one glance at the kids in the backseat, a grab at the cell phone, or even changing the radio could cost a life - possibly your own.

Safety concerns go beyond Hope Road

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:08:01 EDT

I’m glad to see the Sun covering important road safety issues. Unfortunately, the April 4 article regarding Hope Road contains several factual errors that likely left readers with the wrong impression.

Reader: Parenting column misses mark

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:07:00 EDT

How nice. In his Parenting column last week, Jonathan Hunley pilloried recent public musings by “two seemingly intelligent women” concerning the two democratic presidential front-runners.

Supervisor: Organ donation important

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:06:01 EDT

April is Organ Donor Month. It is a time when my family reflects on a tragic event in our lives.

BLANKENSHIP: Obama, and thoughts on church life

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:57:00 EDT

He hit a home run. That was my first reaction to that memorable speech by Barack Obama. That was before all the pundits hailed its greatness, its deficiencies and his gall.

A second chance at a career

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:17:00 EDT

The Middle College program at Germanna helps high school dropouts transition into college and the work force, meeting an important and easily overlooked need in the community.

CALLANDER: Media fairness needed

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:05:00 EDT

Freedom of the press is an integral part of our democracy, but from
what I’ve been seeing lately, for a better America our mass media
should spend more time reporting fact and far less time distorting and
sensationalizing the news.

Walk for epilepsy unifies participants

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:47:00 EDT

I had a wonderful time going up to Washington, D.C. for the National Epilepsy Foundation Walk.

Disgusted at Stafford County Sun

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:47:00 EDT

How disgusting that the Stafford County Sun publishes a picture of children selling live rabbits on the front page of Talk of the Town

Tornado advice may be useful

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:45:00 EDT

The information mentioned in “Officials: Prepare for tornados” explains quite clearly that one needs to be prepared for what anything life may choose to bring.

Only in Fredericksburg…

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:21:00 EDT

Just because our streets are overcrowded and you can’t get there from here doesn’t mean Kalahari will not be a roaring success.

Candidates’ focus missing the mark

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:47:00 EDT

Hillary Clinton did not have to dodge sniper fire in Bosnia. Barack Obama thinks his grandmother is a “typical white person,” whatever that is. John McCain can’t keep the factions in the Mideast straight. These are interesting gotcha moments, but they are not nearly so important as what each of the candidates proposes to do about the nation’s entitlement crisis.

Illegible writing is on the wall

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:24:00 EDT

If I were writing this with a pencil, you probably couldn’t read it.

Board meets with tough choices

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:08:00 EDT

Members of Stafford’s board of supervisors considered a difficult question recently: Should the county allow businesses that would generate substantial truck traffic to locate in the courthouse area?

Watch helps memories tick on

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:06:00 EDT

Most families have a little something, a trinket or a token perhaps, that connects them to a generation before them. It can be anything. A tea service that belonged to a special aunt, a pen your grandfather used to carry, or in the case of a friend of mine, a St. Christopher’s medal that his dad wore during the Korean War. The possessions can be surprisingly commonplace, but for various reasons, they become a representation of the person who once owned them.

Former editor says he’s still standing

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:03:00 EDT

When I made the decision to leave as editor of this fine paper and return to my home state of Minnesota in November 2005, it was for three reasons.

Animal issues missed

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:48:00 EDT

I am a Virginia voter, social worker, animal lover, trained Emergency Animal Services Rescue volunteer and full-time mom.

Books are loved by many

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:50:00 EDT

Baby-boomers collect books they loved as kids

Only in our brave new world

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:26:00 EDT

It is definitely a bear market in spite of all the bull coming out of D.C.

HOLLIFIELD: Beware avenger in fringe

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:03:00 EDT

Terrorists burned pieces of my childhood during the early morning hours of March 16.

KERR: How blue is the state of Virginia-

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:03:00 EDT

Virginia Democrats, after winning the Governorship in 2005, a U.S. Senate seat in 2006 and last year the majority in the Virginia Senate, are understandably optimistic about their future.

BLANKENSHIP: Economy’s woes hit the aging

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:03:00 EDT

See those storm clouds gather. They're not just bringing April showers. Rather, go fetch the handbasket, for that's what the U.S. economy is going to hell in.

Watch-out for highway workers

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:52:00 EDT

Every year in the United States more highway workers are killed than police and firefighters combined.

Business owners being treated unfairly

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:51:00 EDT

The small business owners of Aquia Towne Center are not being treated fairly at all by Ramco-Gershenson.

Reader: Milde proves action speaks louder than words

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:55:00 EDT

The 2005 board of supervisors election was hotly contested.

Wegmans a leader

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:54:00 EDT

On behalf of the American Cancer Society’s National Capital Region, I applaud Wegmans

Snake fear

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:53:00 EDT

One of the most common fears is a “fear of snakes” and I would like to add to that, what about the “fear of rats”?