Patty Musgrove

It's bad enough that programs are being cut all over the place, pushing back budgets and monies that help educate, pay for community needs and support our local programs, but it seems that people are already starting to lose their minds!

I think all parents would agree with me that sending their children out to catch the bus is one of the most frightening experiences lately. I cannot imagine the feeling of the bus drivers when a car or truck comes flying by at 40 to 50 mph, making a conscious decision to switch lanes in order to pass a bus that is definitely stopped in the road with the obvious flashing lights and extended stop sign visible in the lane he just chose to get into.

The newspaper seems to be, to me, the last of the tangible written word. I enjoy the paper for many reasons, more recently because I am writing for it and my articles are printed. But I also see the news paper as a daily reminder of our most wonderful asset in America, freedom of speech (and press). It can be found on the benches of local coffee houses, and sometimes in the waiting rooms of local business.

Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

With back-to-school just around the corner, plenty of people are wondering if this will be another year of putting school off. No money, no day-time available hours for classes, no transportation, no child care help. Most grants and loans seldom help the person working through adverse circumstances.