There’s no viable alternative energy

I’m a chemical engineer who loves the outdoors. I’ve spent countless hours picking up trash, cleaning streams and improving animal habitat.

That being said the American empire is crumbling. While we’re obsessed with our carbon footprint, China, Russia, and India are building their empires. While we’re trying to turn food into energy, limiting drilling and demonizing U.S. oil and gas companies, China, Russia and India are making deals with countries worldwide for their oil.

We want to be less dependent on foreign oil but our actions will only make us more dependent. Currently, there’s no viable alternative energy source on the horizon. Ethanol is a net energy loser and results in more land being tilled for agriculture and higher food prices. The same goes for biodiesel.

Electric cars need electricity, most is made from burning coal; the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. Nuclear is the cleanest choice but no one wants a nuclear plant next door.

We can produce our own energy sensibly and cleanly, and over time we will come up with alternatives. Government cannot mandate it. We need to untie the hands of our energy companies and never ever even think about passing “cap and trade.” It will be the nail in America’s economic coffin.

We need to be sensible, not wasteful. We need to teach our kids true economics and science, not global warming and bailouts. If we want to maintain our standard of living, we need to quit being so naïve. Our politicians need to pressure other countries to adopt our current environmental standards, ease drilling restrictions and quit pushing global warming and cap and trade legislation.

Just ask your grandparents, the air and water is much cleaner now, also there are more polar bears now than ever.

Ron Thompson, Catlettsburg



Ted Kennedy left his mark on nation

Life has a way of not turning out as planned. That was the case with the Kennedy family. Joseph and Rose Kennedy had nine children, four of which were sons.

The family patriarch was fond of saying one of his sons, if not all, would grow up to be president. Joseph Kennedy Jr., the eldest, died in a plane crash while serving in World War II.

Next in line was the one son who would be president, JFK. Then of course there was Robert F. Kennedy. The last born son was Edward M. Kennedy, who would hold his brother John's seat in the Senate for nearly half a century.

Senator Kennedy was the brother blessed with a long life. He came from behind his brother's shadows to become one of those few senators history will not forget. Watching the funeral services over the weekend, there was a sense of closure.

The burial and celebration of life for this brother was expected, not born out of tragedy. He had lived to draft some 300 laws with an additional 1,000 that he had a role in creating. We can think him for the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Ryan White CARE Act. He collaborated with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch to produce the latter, to assist those who suffer from HIV/AIDS and have inadequate health care.

Universal health care is now within reach thanks to Senator Kennedy making that his number one priority these past 50 years in the Senate. The late Joseph and Rose Kennedy have grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren who will carry on the family legacy of public service for decades to come.

As President Kennedy once said, “The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.”

David Murphy, Flatwoods



Day filled with fond memories, sadness

August 30 was a day of sadness but also a day of fond memories of Denise and Chuck Leadingham for me and my husband.

On August 30, 2008, my husband and I were with two very important people to us when tragically they were taken. We were on a trip to see Moundsville prison, a place both Denise and Mitchell had longed to go and Chuck and I were along for the ride, literally. We were on our motorcycles and having a great time, riding, eating dinner and staying all night.

We toured the prison on Saturday after a wonderful ride up on Friday afternoon. We started on our journey home when we were almost to Marietta when Mitchell turned and realized that they were down. We turned and went back to them. We sat, held and talked to them until the EMS arrived.

The EMS, the Ohio State Police, Washington County Police and Marietta Hospital were so kind to us. We were four hours from home and had to wait on our friends to get to us so they could trailer our bike and bring us home. The state police and Washington County Police never left our side through the whole ordeal. Even when our friends arrived, they made it possible for us to bring their bike home with us as well.

We send out thoughts and prayers to our friends and family and thank everyone who said a kind word or spoke a silent prayer. Thank you so much to the community of Ashland and surrounding area for making a terrible ordeal one that was handled with great respect and love for two wonderful people. Chuck and Denise, rest in peace and know we love you and miss you.

Peggy Tolliver and Mitchell Tolliver, Ashland



Drugs can be as effective as stents

In 2004, more than one million coronary stent procedures were performed in the United States and approximately 85 percent of these procedures were done on patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). On those with stable CAD, no benefits were observed with stents, as they did not reduce the risk of death, heart attack or other cardiovascular events over those receiving optimal medical therapy (aggressive drug treatment and lifestyle changes).

The cost of 850,000 stent procedures would be approximately 5.6 billion dollars while the cost of aggressive drug treatment for the same group would be approximately $2 billion for medical costs for 10 years. Costs of medications following stent procedures would probably exceed drug costs for non-stent patients because of the high cost associated with Plavix.

How many consumers with stable CAD would choose a stent if they were given the options and allowed to participate in the decision-making process?

Dick Reynolds, pharmacist, Portsmouth



Mark Maynard’s columns praised

I have been a sports fan for 62 of my 74 years in Greenup. I love baseball, basketball, football and follow and read about all sports. I have read sports pages from all over.

I subscribe to The Independent and Herald Dispatch and several sports magazines. I have never read anything anywhere more interesting and clearer than Mark Maynard’s columns. Whether it be past history, yesterday’s events or sports in the future, about people, places and locations, these are a good as I have read anywhere. I look forward to Mr. Maynard’s stories each day.

Jimmy Doran, Greenup



Blazer class plans 40-year reunion

The Ashland Paul G. Blazer High School class of 1969 will be having its 40-year class reunion Sept. 11-12. There will be a meet-and-greet time 6 p.m. on Friday night, Sept. 11, and a buffet dinner at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, call Nancy Schnitzker at (606) 324-4481. Hope to many classmates at the reunion.

Nancy Schnitzker, Ashland