Teen calls attention to drug use perils
April 30, 2008
Letter to the Editor
By Macey Dozler, Albion, NE
Dear Editor:
Teenage life has always been and always will be rough. As the years go by, it seems to be getting tougher for teens to cope with. In teenage years, there is always the pressure of popularity, looks, intelligence, friends, sex and one five-letter word with a crucial definition: drugs. Many parents think that in smaller towns, the drug usage is not as high as a large town. Sometimes parents are wrong. There are many side effects of doing drugs that people don’t think about until it is too late. Some of these are schooling, money issues, abusive relationships, unwanted pregnancy, family values and even death.
Schooling is one of the most important things that all kids need to succeed in life. Many teens don’t see that when they decide to start using drugs. Many drug users decide to drop out or get a GED. As years go on, more and more students are giving up on their high school education to get a job and support their drug habits. Most jobs don’t hire people without a college degree. To not finish high school is a guarantee to be flipping burgers for the rest of your life at a fast food restaurant, working for minimum wage.
Drugs are not free, nor are they cheap. Many teens who use drugs have stolen money or property from family members or other citizens to pawn off or trade for drugs. This creates big trust issues within a family and can create legal trouble. Many drug consumers spend their money on illegal substances and forget about personal hygiene, food, shelter or paying bills. Users often end up becoming strippers, prostitutes or private dancers to feed their addiction, because that’s the only job they can obtain with their unhealthy habit.
Complete Letter in Albion News Print Edition.
Molly’s Musings
April 30, 2008
Some tips for senior grads
By Molly Young
Four finals. One paper. Eight days. My freshman year at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln slipped into single digits. Dozens of Boone Central seniors, though, are about to begin their collegiate journey.
Here is my graduation present to the class of 2008: some bits of advice to make August a little easier. I am certainly not claiming to be the next Ralph Waldo Emerson, but I did learn a few things…
10. Regard free moments as blessings. Free time - hours to read, minutes to think, seconds to breathe - is a rarity. To illustrate, last August, I purchased three novels - a thriller, a mystery and a romance - to read in my spare time. The thriller thrillingly collected dust. The mystery mysteriously disappeared. The romance romantically rested.
9. Regard free things as blessings, too. Vendors itch to give students Frisbees and freebies at multiple campus events throughout the year. So what if the older generation - our parents, the Boomers - would consider these things “junk”? This year, local advertisers supplied half of my t-shirt wardrobe and several of my meals. The term “poor college student” wasn’t coined without merit.
Complete Column in Albion News Print Edition.
Notes from a Vagabond
April 30, 2008
It doesn’t say in the Constitution . . .
By Steve Fox
I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
With those 35 words, we will have a new president next January. I think it would behoove us as voters to look to the oath of office and the Constitution when deciding who to vote for. I think it’s important to see what the oath doesn’t say as much as what it does say.
Being the campaign season, I am hearing a lot of rhetoric from all candidates. We are hearing about hope and change and health plans and war and the economy. Really, how much power does the president have in these matters? I assert that if our leaders are following the Constitution, very little.
Change — there is nothing the president can do to make change, at least within the boundaries of the Constitution. He can’t amend the Constitution, he can’t make law. He is limited in power to only enforce the laws passed by congress.
Complete Column in Albion News Print Edition.
Perspectives
April 30, 2008
Chief Standing Bear deserves better
By Paul Hosford
Standing Bear just can’t seem to get a break. The famous Ponca chief, whose struggles to lay his son to rest in his native Nebraskan soil led to establishing that Native Americans were actually human beings, has been rejected twice now for depiction on American coinage. A few years ago his image lost out to Chimney Rock for a place on the Nebraska Quarter. Recently, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has advocated picturing Standing Bear on the newly redesigned Sacagawea dollar, which will now depict on its obverse a series of events in Native American history. Unfortunately, that too has been nixed.
The Ponca were allowed by treaty to keep lands near Niobrara, but a later error granted those same lands to the more numerous and violent Sioux, leading to years of bloodshed. The Ponca demanded redress from the government. Rather than correct the error, in 1877 the government sent troops who removed the Ponca to a reservation in Oklahoma.
Complete Column in Albion News Print Edition.
My Side of the Fencepost
April 30, 2008
Beware the easy solutions
By Jim Dickerson
As we amble into the final two weeks before Nebraska’s primary election, I always like to remember advice about elections given to me a long time ago.
The advice: Beware the easy solutions.
We voters are somewhat like idealistic children. We want a lot of things.
For example, we want an honorable end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the end, we want our presence there to have accomplished more good than harm in those countries and in Middle East, while still protecting our own security.
We want leaders to provide some workable solutions for our economy, for energy-driven inflation, for illegal immigration, the farm bill and etc.
We’d probably like to see wind power developed in Boone County, a resolution to contentious planning and zoning issues, more economic development and better roads.
All of these are complex issues, and no one has all the answers; but we are fortunate to have some very capable people running for public office.
Complete Column in Albion News Print Edition.
Farm Safety Day for kids
April 30, 2008
Farm Safety Day
Commissioners extend moratorium to July 15
April 30, 2008
Boone County Commissioners adopted an amended resolution Monday, extending the moratorium on conditional use permits for livestock feeding operations (LFOs)to July 15, 2008.
Last November, the commissioners adopted the moratorium to last until May 1, 2008, but the process of studying possible amendments to the county zoning regulations requires more time.
The commissioners action Monday means that no new conditional use permits for LFOs can be considered until the moratorium expires on July 15. Read more
Economic Development Series
April 30, 2008
Sales tax funds used conservatively
(Editor’s Note: Following is the final installment in a series about economic development efforts in Albion. The series provides information to local voters, who will decide at May 13 primary election whether to continue the city’s economic development plan and the one-quarter-cent sales tax for economic development.)
During the past 10 years, Albion’s local economy has benefitted from an economic development plan and the use of sales tax dollars for economic development projects.
At the same time, the Albion Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) has been conserving resources for the future.
“The board has always been well aware that the LB 840 sales tax was only a 10-year program,” said Bob Racek, an AEDC board member. “Since a window of only 10 years was assured, we wanted to conserve these funds.”
Voters passed the one percent city sales tax in March, 1998, and the city received the first sales tax revenues the following July. Under the measures passed by Albion voters, the city retained three-quarters of one cent for water and sewer systems and streets. The remaining one-quarter cent was reserved for economic development.
At that time, it was estimated that the sales tax would bring in $180,000 to $200,000 per year. The revenue stream for the city has actually averaged more than $225,000 per year since its inception.
Read more in the Albion News Print Edition.
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