Published: March 06, 2009 03:09 pm      

In Your View — 03/08/09

Russell students can be proud

This is in response to the “In Our View” about Russell being humbled. I agree with much of it, except for a few things.

I don't agree that Russell's academic competition reputation for excellence has “crash-landed.” These kids are still academically excellent. Our kids, teachers and community do not have to hold our heads in embarrassment. We’re still proud of how Russell excels academically.

A few people made an error in judgment; they are the ones who may be embarrassed. Don’t punish the rest. Would you rather our school be performing horribly? Would you rather these kids be struggling academically?

I’d be happy for any school that does well academically or in football or at anything. Greenup usually wins the cheerleading competition. Would people be happy if they all suddenly performed awful? I wouldn’t be, I figure they practice more and try harder. Good for them!

Most of these students probably will compete for personal gain because most study, learn and perform first for themselves. I have two sons who both go to Russell. Neither are on the academic team, but I am very glad they go to a school that is noted for its standing academically because that means they will get a great education.

Don’t indicate to these kids that they should be ashamed or embarrassed. They didn’t have a thing to do with the mistakes that were made.

It will have a positive impact on most students. They will have learned. You don’t have to cheat in order to win or get ahead.

Russell has excelled for many many years academically, and it was not because of cheating. As a parent of two Russell students, I’m proud of our school and all the students on the academic team. Hold your heads high!

Rebecca McLaughlin, Flatwoods



Recycling makes one feel goodM

I am writing in regards to the previous stories about recycling.

Recycling is a wonderful thing. You won’t get rich, but it makes you feel great.

My husband Carl and I ran Rumpke Recycling for many years (16), and we have had Ashland Recycling since 2005.

At Rumpke, Carl was plant manager, equipment trainer, baler trainer and operator. I was scale master and buy-back clerk.

During its years of operation, Rumpke recycled millions of pounds of material. One year it was over five million pounds. When the Rumpke facility moved to Jackson, Ohio, we were hired by Progress Rail to run its recycling center.

It was great to see all the familiar faces coming to Ashland Recycling.

If the city needs any help of any kind, feel free to contact us. It would be a pleasure to share our experiences in recycling with the city.

Here is some trivia about recycling:

-- During World War II, women recycled enough steel straps from their brassieres to build a battleship.

-- It takes 24 aluminum cans to make a pound.

-- Plastic soda bottles are made into carpet.

-- It takes 10 large trees to make one pound of paper.

Peggy Ball, Ashland



Racism is alive with different hue

Racism is alive and well in America. Consider the following, which I researched from a CNN study, keeping in mind that CNN is a news source with an ultra-liberal slant.

Exit poll results show that 95 percent of African Americans voted for the black candidate during the November 2008 presidential election. Please try to imagine the outrage if 95 percent of white voters had voted for the white candidate! (Slightly over 50 percent did.)

The liberal media would probably have had an absolute conniption fit, and the Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Barney Frank, Barbara Boxer, Tyler Murphy crowd would surely have gone ballistic! There would likely have been rioting that would have made the events of Watts seem like a picnic in the park by comparison, and lame duck President Bush may have had to bring troops back from Iraq to quell violence in the streets at home.

Well, think about it: Racism is racism, regardless of the source. Racial profiling is racial profiling, whether it happens during a routine police traffic stop, during a job selection under Affirmative Action quotas, or while in the privacy of the voting booth.

Indeed, racism is alive and well in America. It just has a different hue than that which the media has been selling to the American public.

Dan Long, Hitchins



Keep your money, give us your stuff

In this time of change and challenge, we as Americans are being asked to dig deep, sacrifice and do our part to help the economy. Everyone is wondering when and where it will end. The stock market continues to spiral downward, while the price of food, clothing and gas inches higher each week.

If there was ever a time in which Goodwill was needed, it is now. We are living in unchartered times. Our steel has yet to be really tested and we’ll all need to pull together to get through this.

But I’m hopeful that we will. I know many people are feeling helpless to do much of anything, but you can help and you don’t have to travel very far to do so — just walk to your closets, basements and garages. Goodwill needs and wants your gently used items. It’s a great way to give back to your community.

Keep your cash, you’ll need it, but give us your stuff, we can use it. We’ll sell your items in our retail store. Then, every book that’s bought, each toy or game, all the clothing and household furnishings, helps us to provide training services, counseling and work opportunities for people right here in our community.

I used to say that we serve people with disabilities and disadvantages, but really we serve people with “diverse-abilities.” Everyone has something to contribute and you with your donation of a bag of clothing, a sofa or a toaster can help them to reach their fullest potential and that helps all of us.

Kimberly B. Lewis, Executive director, Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area, Huntington, W.Va.



Just say no to fire-safe cigarettes

So, the price is about to go up on cigarettes in Kentucky. We might as well drive to another state to purchase cigarettes for the same cost — one’s that are not fire-safe cigarettes.

I went to Kenova and purchased cigarettes. You won’t believe the difference!

Say no to fire-safe cigarettes. Is Kentucky trying to kill its citizens?

Tamara Watkins, Ashland



Bible clubs needed more than ever

As the world grows increasingly secular in its base and financial cuts are being made across the board, we pray that Bible clubs will not be eliminated in our schools.

This is the worst thing that could possibly happen to our young people today. They need encouragement, hope and eternal security to settle their young minds. What better place to obtain these values than in the fellowship of of other believers in their school where they spend many hours?

Kathleen Chamis, Ashland



Greed is standing in the way of right

I am embarrassed to call myself an American. It is criminal the way we treat the weakest in our great country when it comes to health care. We, as a nation, are letting greed stand in the way of what is right. Why?

Rebecca Ramsey, Rush