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Opinion

  • Museum ‘Pioneers&...

     Saturday is a good time for families to get acquainted or re-acquainted with the Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany.

    The museum will have its annual Heritage Pioneer Days, a living history event that shows off the rural life of the area in days gone by.

  • New city budget

     The budget for the city of New Albany for the next fiscal year was adopted Monday night, and generally we think the Board of Aldermen did a decent job with the numbers in what will be a tough revenue year.

    The city’s general operating budget is $5.2 million, down about $29,000 from what the city expects to spend this year.

  • ‘Minimal’...

     Gov. Haley Barbour’s decision to cut $172 million from the state budget because of a shortfall in state tax revenues will hit public schools hard. A total of $158.3 million will be cut from education – from the kindergarten through university level.

  • Charitable giving

     The United Way has kicked off its annual charity campaign and the goal is $2.1 million across the seven counties that are part of the United Way of Northeast Mississippi.

    That big number is not what is important to us here in Union County though. What’s important here is how much money we contribute from this county because that is the source of funds available to be spent on worthy causes here.

  • Letters to the Editor:

     Dear Editor:

     

  • Deplorable puppy mill

     More than 80 dogs and a dozen other animals were rescued from a Union County puppy mill this week by the Union County Sheriff’s Department and the Human Society of the United States.

    The animals, many with health problems and living in unsanitary conditions, were carted off to the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society, where they will be evaluated and eventually put up for adoption.

  • Letter to the Editor

     Dear Editor:

     

    I am a Pit Bull owner. My husband and I own a “red nose pit” named Highway. I was alerted to the story in your paper by my husband while I was at work today. 

  • Economic good news

     Two recent pieces of economic news about Union County are encouraging.

    First, Union County’s employment trend from the state Center for Policy Research and Planning is one of the best in the state.

  • Improving test scores

     The results of the Mississippi Curriculum Test are in and both the New Albany schools and the Union County schools did pretty well.

    Dr. Charles Garrett, New Albany superintendent, said, “Compared to last year, our district tested above the state average on everything. Of 18 tested areas, we improved in 12 from last year.”

  • Football with extra cheese

     When I was in sixth grade, I won the long addition contest in my class. In case you don’t know what that is, I’ll explain.

    Two students would go to the chalkboard (hopefully, some of you remember what those were) and write a long column—usually 15 or so—two-digit numbers read off by the teacher. 

  • Music and football

     It was an idyllic Friday night in New Albany. The skies were clear, the stars bright and the temperature comfortable.

    The parking lot was full, the concession stand was humming with activity, the stands were packed and several hundred fans were standing along the fence.

    The scene was perfect.

  • Avoiding a quick fix

     The Union County School Board this week had to decide whether to continue on a course of upgrading the electrical systems in its schools or set out on a different course.

  • Finding a ‘proper&...

     We’re in search of a “proper” dog. My wife and I have very different views about what that is.

  • It’s school time again

     Classes are underway in both the New Albany and the Union County schools, which means it’s a good time to promote several things related to safety.

    First, let’s concentrate on slowing down, especially near schools and crosswalks. During the summer we tend to forget about school speed limits. When school starts, we have many more students crossing the streets near schools.

  • Dreaming larger

     From the 1989 movie, “Field of Dreams,” comes the memorable quote, “If you build it, he will come.” It’s been used many times since to capture community aspirations for quality-of-life improvement projects.

    We think of “Field of Dreams” when we drive past the New Albany Sportsplex. We built it and they have come. By any measure, the project has been a success.

  • Teens and having a car

     My wife told me I shouldn’t write this column. She’s a bit superstitious about it, and she’s afraid I’ll jinx our son, Joe.

  • A prudent increase

     The Union County School Board has voted to request a 4 percent increase in ad valorem taxes for the 2009-2010 year. Under Mississippi law, the Union County Supervisors are required to grant the request.

    The board decided to request the tax increase even though the preliminary estimate of the amount the county will receive in state money has been increased by $120,000.

  • Planning for growth

     Union County residents will have an opportunity to find out more about a proposed county comprehensive plan at a meeting at 5 p.m. Monday in the Union County Courthouse.

    We encourage county residents to attend and offer their thoughts on the proposal drawn up by Slaughter and Associates, planners from Oxford.

  • Life’s lessons learned...

     Forty-two years in the newspaper business. It can’t have been that long, I thought, as I was looking at the story in last Friday’s Gazette about me becoming publisher of the newspaper.

    But it has been that long. In fact, 42 years only counts the time I was working for a newspaper.

  • Waste treatment

    New Albany is awaiting word on whether it will receive $855,000 in money from President Obama’s stimulus package to make a much needed upgrade to its wastewater/sewage collection and treatment facilities.

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