Opinions for Stafford County Sun

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.

Uncivil War comes to Virginia

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:27:00 EDT

I more right to be here than you do…

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.

Only in our brave new world…

Wed, 07 May 2008 18:24:00 EDT

Good news! Consumer spending is on rise.

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.

Only in Stafford…

Sat, 03 May 2008 16:51:00 EDT

There is a time for all things.

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”?

Happy with Board’s decision

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:53:00 EDT

On behalf of Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust, owner of Aquia Towne Center, I want to thank Supervisor Paul Milde and the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, for their favorable consideration of the property’s rezoning application last month.

Only on Courthouse Road

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:28:00 EDT

Oh, the injustice of it all

HOLLIFIELD: Career fair mortifies

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:03:00 EDT

I knew I was in deep trouble at the fifth-grade career fair when I eased into the parking lot and the Highway Patrol's fancy display helicopter landed 50 feet from my truck.

CALLANDER: Thoughts on preserving Widewater

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:03:00 EDT

In the late 1980s Elaine Miller, a very bright and community-conscious woman, took me on an automobile tour of Stafford's rural Widewater peninsula, and I was awestruck.

BLANKENSHIP: Elsewhere it’s been downright cold

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:03:00 EDT

Talk about a one-trick pony: There are no easy solutions to climate change, bemoans a Washington Post editorial, which concludes that we must nevertheless "confront the menace of global warming."

Easter a danger zone

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:03:00 EDT

I never knew Easter could be so dangerous. But Mr. No-No did.

Some thoughts on a gallon of gas

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:03:17 EDT

Just after World War I the Congress, concerned about the price of gasoline, held a series of hearings. Leaders were worried that demand, which was reaching, by standards of the time, unimaginable levels, would outstrip supply. The fear was that the price of a gallon of gas might possibly reach as high as 25 cents.

Callander: Grackle invasion hits the area

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:03:00 EDT

When large flocks of black-colored birds visited our south Stafford neighborhood a couple weeks ago, I thought they must be flying through, perhaps heading north for the summer.

We need to act locally

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EDT

The Stafford County planners don’t seem to understand that to solve “global warming” all need to act locally.

Drought caused water shortage

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:56:00 EDT

The drought, having caused a water shortage and putting a tight grip on water usage has been rough on people, plants and animals.

STEGON: Hopefully they will vote for who they want

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:03:00 EDT

For the first time in my life I am actually following the presidential primaries. And by following them I mean watching CNN and reading the newspaper, along with catching the occasional debate on YouTube.

Service clubs good, for others

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:03:34 EDT

Was it my fault- The stock market has tanked and so have house sales, while gas prices remain outrageous.

A farewell to George Gordon

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:03:00 EDT

The small museum at the Stafford County School Board offices isn't fancy. But with a few glass cases, some wonderful old pictures, even a school bell from times gone by, it paints a warm picture of Stafford County in the early part of the 20th century.

HOLLIFIELD: Flush with excitement over best restroom

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:03:00 EDT

Nominations for the seventh-annual America's Best Restroom Award are being taken now through April 7, with an overall winner announced in August, if you can hold it that long.

CALLANDER: Logic can fix transportation woes

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:02:00 EDT

While our roads are congested and our commuter parking lots are at or above capacity, it would be smart to de-congest our heads and return to simple logic as it relates to resolving transportation issues.

BLANKENSHIP: End of an era, but life is good

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:02:53 EDT

HOLLIFIELD: Devil toads a big threat

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:02:14 EDT

Virginia inhospitable to Hillary

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:02:49 EDT

HOLLIFIELD: Where are my political suitors-

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:02:32 EDT

KENT: Trace Adkins: large, in charge

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:02:17 EDT

KERR: Putting some controls on payday lending

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:02:08 EDT

HOLLIFIELD: Media glare causes mom to go &Britney&

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:02:56 EDT

My mama has gone Britney in the glare of the media spotlight.

KENT: The Influx II: Jethro Tull Henley

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:02:17 EDT

HOLLIFIELD: I ask, Tim Conway answers

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:02:36 EDT

CALLANDER: Who we are voting for

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:02:49 EDT

On Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12, we have a chance to change the course of American history by voting in the 2008 Virginia Presidential primary. We vote at our usual polling places during the usual hours, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

HOLLIFIELD: Media glare causes mom to go &Britney’&

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:02:55 EDT

My mama has gone Britney in the glare of the media spotlight.

STEGON: No better choice for Hall of Fame than Art Monk

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:02:25 EDT

When I was in the fourth grade my teacher assigned the students to write a letter to our favorite Redskins player the week before Super Bowl XXVI against the Buffalo Bills.

KENT: Musicians Jumping On The Country Bandwagon

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:02:20 EDT

I open a music magazine and Jewel is discussing her new country album, being put out on the new offshoot of Big Machine Records and how she's always been country.

BLANKENSHIP: Latest on politics and dim bulbs

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:02:11 EDT

From Slick Willie to Trick Hillie: Elect one and get both. How could we be so stupid- I'll vote for anybody who can beat that pair. Bill is due to reap $30 million soon from a recent financial deal and Hillary has more skeletons in their closet than Mafia bosses ever did.

KERR: The fall and rise of Virginia’s Democrats

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:01:57 EDT

There are times in politics when your prospects get so bad that there is nowhere to go but up. No matter how trite that may sound, it's exactly what happened to Virginia Democrats in the 1990s. They didn't face a total collapse, but rather a slow but steady decline. In politics, that can be one of the most painful experiences imaginable

HOLLIFIELD: Oh no Mom, say you didn’t

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:01:55 EDT

As a small town's newspaper editor, it's never pleasant when you're scooped on your own Mom.

STEGON: Bring back the Opie and Anthony Show

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:01:24 EDT

Some things are just stupid, kind of like when I sewed a home economics project to my shirt in the seventh grade. Other things are just dumb, kind of like anything Homer Simpson has ever said.

KENT: Keith Urban, Ambassador of Hope

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:01:01 EDT

There's only one thing we get from that grim sense of satisfaction of being there to watch someone rise to the top ' watching someone fall back down again. We love underdogs, but we HATE former underdogs. Some of that falls on them becoming the establishment; some of that is having a new underdog to root for. We love Britney as a fresh-faced-if-naughty teenager; we make fun of her as she goes nuclear.

Blankenship: Now a word from our sponsor

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:01:00 EDT

CALLANDER: Orleans House closing marks dying way of life

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:01:23 EDT

KERR: Washington’s whiskey brings back the past

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:01:53 EDT

STEGON: If I want to pretend like I am rocking out, I am going to do that

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:01:38 EDT

HOLLIFIELD: Sick children hate clowns

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:01:02 EDT

With This Ring, I Freak Out

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:01:56 EDT

It's almost wedding season! This might not make sense to the unmarried masses. "But Paul," they say with an eyebrow reaching for the heavens, "isn't wedding season in the summer-"

Coming: County Taxes for Dog Parks-

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:01:45 EDT

If you're like me, when the idea first surfaced that our community of Aquia Harbour should finance and build a dog exercise park, I snorted--much as a bulldog often does-- but more in derision than habit.

If writers strike continues, what will happen to Oscar-

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:01:42 EDT

So how awesome were the Golden Globes- All those celebrities dressed to the nines, the great acceptance speeches and, of course, you heard about how what's his name showed up with old you know who- Oh right. None of that happened.