Opinion»

From The Editor

Make chicken salad

There was a time when I lived with several of my friends. There was a house in a community several miles from the farm where we and the owner’s brother would spend our time when not working. We actually didn’t work the farm much except for a little planting, tobacco harvesting and on hog butchering day.

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Rick Gray

Elementary fairness

Four years ago, the Commonwealth Book Club read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers - a book which surveys some of the latest research on the factors contributing to human success.

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Charlie Todd

Winning the election by a hair

In this space last May, we mentioned 26 potential candidates for the Republican nominee, one of whom will in all likelihood face Barack Obama in the Presidential election this fall. Of those named, all 26 are still alive and perhaps interested in the nomination, which may not be determined before the party’s Tampa convention in August.

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Rep. Randy Forbes

Three years later, did the stimulus work?

It was early 2009. The economy was in decline and the world was watching Washington to see what it would do. We need to jump start the economy, leaders in Washington said. We have to take strong measures in order to keep unemployment from rising, we heard.

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Michelle Collins-Robinson

I’m a lady

The word “Lady” has been used to describe certain females, males, and four legged creatures.

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Lt. Pete Hypes

Dotted and crossed

Getting old is a reality of this life. The problem is, are you ready for that time to come? Many would say that this is not the role of a pastor, but I have found myself, on more than one occasion, having to guide people through the difficult decisions that aging brings.

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Rise and Shine in the Dogpound

Max with dentist, moms

Hello and welcome back to the wonderful dental world of the Dogpound. A few weeks ago I wrote about my experience with my dentist and the impression he tried to take of my back teeth. Well, in about the same time frame I had to go to another dentist to have a root canal done.

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Dr. Todd Reynolds

I’m walking, yes indeed

Regular exercise is among the most beneficial health-promoting activities we can do for ourselves. There is no drug or medical treatment that can even come close to the benefits gained with regular physical activity.

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Gardening With Gita

Know a plant’s needs

Now that spring is here to stay, the excitement and frequency of making trips to garden centers is rising exponentially, making temptations difficult to resist; so, while easier said than done, it makes sense to assess the available space, soil and light conditions, and microclimate of different areas of the garden before yielding to temptation.

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Leigh Burke

The realization of a caregiver

I have a friend who is currently caring for her older adult mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I recently asked my friend the question, “What is it that you wish you had known before you started taking care of your mother that you know now?” I found her answer interesting.

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Gena Lashley

Happy ice cream day

Mother’s Day, a glorious day of rest and relaxation for Mothers all over the world, a day when massages are given and breakfast is had in bed, a day when your children are perfect and a day where you get to sit on the couch watching marathons of Real Housewives eating ice cream out of the carton.

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Anthony Barnes

Menopause and weight gain in the midsection

Question of the Month: I expected to gain weight during menopause but I didn’t think that most of it would be in my midsection. This is not where I usually put on weight. Is there a reason for this?

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John Hall

The accidental journalist decides to take a break

My high school English teachers would certainly be amazed by my positive (I think?) contributions to this newspaper over the last three years. It has been a great deal of fun, and I must admit I have at times enjoyed those 15 seconds of fame.

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Dr. Robert Owens

Can you see the vision?

A very impressive teacher once told me, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” This has stuck with me for more than 30 years. From that day forward, I’ve made planning an important part of everything I do. I take it so seriously I plan to be spontaneous.

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Letters To The Editor

Thank you to those who make Chester a better home

I am writing to remind the Chester community that it has many honest, caring and responsible merchants who support our area with heartfelt service to those they serve.

Replacing builder tax with meals tax?

Regarding the Chesterfield BOS effort to eliminate or reduce the proffer fees for home builders, I was struck this week by a possible connection between your news article and your opinion piece – one on the proffer system, and the other on the proposed new meals tax.

‘Citizens against proffers tax’ is a front for developers

In response to your column (“Proffer opponents hire Mad Men”) I must agree that the supposed horrible damage done to the Chesterfield economy by the proffer system is very overstated.

County needs more citizen input

I have read the various articles on the cash proffer situation in the County and how they chose members to be on the proffer committee. I can’t say that I agreed with the selection process or the final recommendation to the BOS. I would like to recommend that the county set up a web site that outlines the subject being studied (Proffers, Electronic Signs, ETC.)