Published: May 06, 2008 04:43 pm            

In Your View — 05/07/08

Opal Conley was one of a kind

A great loss has been experienced at Ashland Community and Technical College with the loss of one of the greatest teachers.

Yes, I was one of the many lucky enough to have Opal Conley as an instructor. I enrolled in every class she taught. Not only did she teach me about the human body and medical terms, but she was truly an individual with a kind heart and wonderful professionalism — someone we could admire.

When my mother had cancer, I took the tissue results to Mrs. Conley’s house and she explained to me what the results were.

She instructed many students in the science/medical fields. We should be thankful for her tireless work. Many times she went out of her way to help a student who was having difficulty.

She was one of a kind. Nowhere did I meet another instructor like her. She will be sadly missed.

Suzanne Smith, Ashland



Iraqi military still not ready

I am a World War II veteran and still remember that it took only six weeks to train for war. We were then fully equipped and sent to war for whatever the future held.

Preisdent George W. Bush and his generals have taken seven years to train the Iraqis, and he says they still need many years more. It makes one wonder if we are being told the truth about what his mission really is.

Cliff Barker , Morehead



Obama not ready to be president

When I heard Barack Obama give that speech at the Democratic convention, I told my husband that I had heard our first black president speak

People say Obama reminds them of President Kennedy. But J.F.K. knew what he was talking about. Obama only has an inkling.

This reminds me of the Reagan mania. While there still are people who will swear that the Reagan years and “Reaganomics” were the greatest, check his record and see what we’re still paying for.

I like Obama. I’m sure he will make a good president — one day, but not today. After Bush and Cheney, we need a president who knows what needs to be done an how to do it.

I would really like to vote for Obama because I love to hear him speak. However, at this time, I think he would be over his head as president.

Brenda Meikle, Raceland



Obama is true friend of workers

There’s a true friend of workers running for president: Barack Obama. While Hillary Clinton was helping pass NAFTA, Obama was working for a church group helping families whose lives were devastated by steel mill closings. While Hillary was living in the White House, Barack Obama was turning down jobs on Wall Street so he could help workers who had lost their jobs.

That’s why Barack Obama has pledged to change NAFTA to make it better for the American worker and to provide middle-class tax relief. Barack Obama knows the pain that working Americans feel because he comes from a blue-collar family. Barack Obama's grandfather worked on oil rigs and served in World War II in Patton's army. Barack Obama's grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line during the war.

If we want to protect American workers the choice in the Democratic primary on May 20 is clear.

Chris Kolb, Ashland



Blazer class plans 40-year reunion

The registration packets for the 40-year reunion of the Paul G. Blazer High School class of 1968 have been mailed to classmates. If you are a member of that class and have not received a packet, please call Debbye Moore Gumbert at (606) 928-2305 to request one.

In addition, the reunion committee has been unable to locate 22 of our fellow graduates. If you have current contact information on any of these classmates, please respond to pbhs68@aol.com or call the above number:

Marshella Blake, Mike Blevins, Eddy Bowling, Linda Brewer Martin, Renee C. Brown, Carla F. Castle, Richard A. Caudill, Donna Cook Yates, Glenna J. Ellis, Sherlyn Farrow, Nancy Griffith DeRenzo, Lois Horan, Barbara Johnson Bailey, Sandra M. Lanning, David Lovelace, John McWhorter, Brenda Pennington, Robert M. Queen, Diane K. Ryan, Timi Trawick McGill, Maria Angela Vilar and Sammy Woods.

The reunion will be Aug. 29-31.

Debbye Moore Gumbert, Ashland



Right to Repair Act protects consumers

The Tire Industry Association strongly urges Congress to pass the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act (H.R. 2694) in order to ensure that car owners and their trusted repair shops have the same access to safety alerts and repair information as the franchised new car dealer network.

Vehicles continue to become more sophisticated with virtually every system either monitored or controlled by computers. In fact, most new vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that are controlled by computers.

TPMS systems do not take the place of regular maintenance on tires but are intended to protect motorists from the dangers of operating a vehicle with underinflated tires. Keeping these systems updated and in safe working condition requires ready access to complete and accurate information from the car companies.

Right to Repair Act offers protection to car owners by making it illegal for vehicle manufacturers to withhold information necessary to diagnose, service or repair motor vehicles, including TPMS systems. Right to Repair ensures that car owners can have their vehicle serviced at the repair shop of their choice, whether it’s their neighborhood repair shop or a franchised new car dealer.

Please urge your congressional representatives to support the Right to Repair Act so that all American motorists can continue to enjoy the affordability and convenience of having their vehicle serviced at the repair shop of their choice.

Roy Littlefield, Executive Vice President, Tire Industry Association, Bowie, Md.

        

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