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February 20, 2013

In Your View

Anonymous The Independent The Daily Independent Wed Feb 20, 2013, 06:00 AM EST

ASHLAND — Change name back to Ashland

I want to address the name change being talked about for Paul G. Blazer High School back to Ashland High School. Some background: My mother and father, Jack and Kitty Lynch, produced a large family that has been a part of Ashland Independent Schools on a continuous basis since 1954 when my oldest brother started at Crabbe.

Since then there has been a direct decedent of my parents attending Ashland schools up to this date. That includes 13 Blazer graduates (not including three daughters-in-law); three current great-grandchildren; with at least four yet to start. That is 58 continuous years of a Lynch decedent being educated through the Ashland schools.

My family’s connection includes two of my brothers playing on the state baseball champions of 1966-68, both of whom were named Mr. Baseball. There have been seven Lynches who have played in the Sweet 16 basketball tournament, one on the 1996 state runner-up team.

Five Lynches are listed in top 50 scoring leaders for basketball with one being at No. 11. We have a Lynch decedent playing softball for the Kittens. One Lynch was a teacher and coach at Coles for a few years. One Lynch did substitute teaching at Blazer. My point is my family’s three generations is more entwined to the school history than Paul G. Blazer’s contribution.

Yes, Mr. Blazer was generous with his wealth in some areas of building and initial growth, but for the past 50 years the bulk of the financial support to Ashland schools has been made by residents.

I do not take Mr. Blazer’s generosity lightly, but I do acknowledge the perspective of fact and reality.

I am in favor of changing the name back to Ashland High School because the name Ashland represents supporters of the past, present and future.

David Lynch, Ashland

Bill would help save lives in state

During the past several years, this and many other Kentucky newspapers have chronicled the worsening narcotic (opioid) pain medicine epidemic sapping the life and vitality of our residents. Our state’s political and medical leadership have been engaged in reducing harm from pain medicines and heroin for several years. But at least so far, the trend line is still deteriorating, demonstrated by the fact more of our residents lose their lives each year.

Several states have adopted a new opioid harm reduction strategy by expanding access to the pain medicine antidote known as Narcan, or naloxone, injection. Naloxone is a very old medication used every day in emergency medicine, ambulances and operative recovery rooms to reverse the effects of opiod pain medicines.

At least 10 states have passed laws permitting the medical and pharmacy practices of naloxone access to high-risk patients. Laws are needed so physicians can prescribe a medication for the patient that will likely be administered by a third person. Prescriptions can generally only be in the hands of the patient and administered by the patient. That is not possible in this case. The rescuer is acting as a Good Samaritan and needs protection from laws in which the person could be liable for the illegal practice of medicine, criminal battery for administering a medication to an unconscious person and potential civil liability.

Rep. Thomas Burch, D-Louisville, has introduced HB 79, which is designed to initiate this practice in Kentucky.

This bill is an excellent start for our state.

House Bill 79 should be heard and adopted to help our state reduce opioid-related mortality as has occurred in other states adopting the practice. States with these laws now have a lower per capita opioid mortality rate than Kentucky. Please urge your legislator to pass HB 79.

Daniel Wermeling, pharmacist, Lexington

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