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Opinion

  • News, like food, expires

    If you're a news organization, credibility is everything.

    It's your reputation, your standing in the community, even your bread-and-butter as your advertisers will not want to do business with you if you are not a credible source of information.

    To that end, it's very important to check the facts before sending a story to print, putting it on a web site, or broadcasting it over the airwaves.

    And even then, you're bound to make a mistake. It's not just a matter of IF, it's WHEN, because it will happen. And when it does, it's also important to correct that mistake.

  • Westboro vs. the Biebster

    The Westboro Baptist Church crazies are at it again, and apparently they do not have Bieber fever.

    Recently, the whackos from Westboro protested outside a Justin Bieber concert at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

  •
    Handle with care

    We don't know who did it, and it's possible we never will. Regardless, we hope it doesn't happen again, and neither do local school officials.

    Last week, someone unloaded a pile of old school files into a recycling bin at the City of Lebanon's recycling center on Woodlawn Avenue. Normally, this would be a good thing. Recycling is something more of us should do more often.

  • Oil for naught: What do we do next

    Our State Rep. Terry Mills has written a column about the results of a recent legislative survey. One question in particular caught my attention.

    "The nation is under increasing pressure to consider alternative energy sources. Would you be willing to have a nuclear power plant in Kentucky considered as an alternative?"

    According to Mills, 58 percent of the people who responded said yes, they would be OK with a nuclear plant in Kentucky. (To read all of the questions and results, read Mills column at www.lebanonenterprise.com.)

  • Responses good from legislative...

    A wide-ranging survey sent to 1,800 households in my district indicates the public has strong views on several issues tied to state government.

    About three out of four who responded, for example, believe Kentuckians should have the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment that would legalize expanded gaming.  Even more, about 83 percent, believe that if expanded gaming is approved, local voters should then have the right to decide whether they want it in their community.

  • Preschool and a puddle of tears

    Four years ago, I was waddling around like a fat penguin and being referred to as "sausage toes" by my doctor. The only shoes I could wear were flip-flops and my love for the summer sun was quickly diminishing with every pound I gained.

    Thankfully, for me and the sanity of everyone around me, I was only a few short days away from my planned C-section. It seems fitting that my delivery was planned down to the minute being that I have a touch (just a touch) of obsessive compulsive disorder.

  •
    Reader friendly

    It's a cliché in the movies and on television for a teacher to ask his or her students to write an essay about what they did during their summer vacation. If this was a movie based in Marion County, we hope at least a few children would write about their experience at the Marion County Public Library.

    Every summer, the library hosts a summer reading program. Through the program, school-aged children and teenagers have an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, get a meal and expand their minds.

  •
    Wide open

    "The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress." - Joseph Joubert, French essayist

    Having open discussions is crucial to making progress in any situation.

  • Time to take my own advice

    I'm a hypocrite.

    That probably won't be a surprise to anyone who knows me, but it's also the truth in more than one area of my life.

    It's not that I intentionally fall short of my ideals or that I say things with the intention of doing the opposite later. Nevertheless, it happens.

    As I write this, however, one particular thing is on my mind - texting and driving.

  •
    Jet-powered

    This past weekend in Marion County, you could have met people from all over the United States as well as Canada, China, England, France and South Korea.

    While we realize this could happen on any given day if you decided to take a tour of the Maker’s Mark Distillery, in this case we are talking about an event at the Lebanon-Springfield Airport.

    Jets Over Kentucky 2010 attracted approximately 130 radio-controlled model jet pilots with 214 planes. Each year, this event continues to draw more and more people to central Kentucky for days at a time.

  • Put away the vuvuzelas ... for now

    A few random thoughts now that I’ve had my fill of international soccer ...

    The World Cup may be over, but I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of the vuvuzela.

    I’ve heard about an iPhone app, and I’ve already seen and heard actual vuvuzelas during a few recent bouts by the Derby City Roller Girls.

  •
    Good investment

    The 21st Century Community Learning Center is a perfect example of what can happen when people work together for a common good.

    That common good in this case is the community's children and their education.

    In 2003, the Lebanon City Council was divided in its decision to approve a partnership agreement between the City of Lebanon and Marion County Board of Education to begin a new after-school program - the 21st Century Community Learning Center

  •
    Be cautious

    Last week's accident, which has left an 81-year-old Lebanon woman seriously injured, hit close to home for The Enterprise and its staff.

    The victim, Helen Smith, is the mother of Circulation Clerk Barb Battcher. And like most small businesses, we are like a family here at The Lebanon Enterprise.

    So, when word of the accident broke, it became much more than just a news story for us.

  •
    A Simple Man

    Today (June 17) I had the honor to bid farewell to a wonderful man by the name of Mark Mattingly. He was a big man, with a bold laugh, and was always involved with the City of Loretto. He also worked for Makers Mark in Loretto. I have known Mark for many years, and knew he was very involved with the community, but I in no way realized how much. He did what was expected of him, and did it well. Then he kind of faded into life! He never once expected recognition; just a simple thank you did it for him.

  • Restoring a right to participate

    Thursday, State Sen. Jimmy Higdon, State Rep. Terry Mills and the Rev. Jim Graf greeted convicted felons at the Marion County Library. Only a few people showed up, but the reason they were there will likely have at least some interest to many in our community.

    Convicted felons lose their right to vote, but, after they have served their time and paid all their fines, fees and restitution, they may have that right restored.

  • Be consistent on open government

    As both a former journalist and public official, I read with more than a passing interest the recent story, editorial, and column concerning the actions of the Marion County Board of Education.

  • Happy meal trip yields unexpected...

    As the economy goes to the dogs, many dogs end up discarded. The lucky ones either end up in a new home, a rescue group or end up at an animal shelter.  Such was not the case for one Golden Retriever, who found herself no longer the cute, golden-coated puppy with the large brown eyes adored by some family. As a “disposable” animal, she found herself on the road, alone, and finally ended up at the McDonalds in Springfield. You might not think it is such a bad place to be. There is, after all, plenty of food going out their door.

  • A watchdog

    What would my dad do?

    I have asked myself that question many times within the past week and a half.

    Apparently, the stars have been out of whack or something because some unbelievably strange things have happened to me in the newspaper world lately. I have found myself scratching my head, in utter dismay, and wondering to myself, "What would my dad do?"

  •
    Concrete support for cancer research

    If you thought you saw a cement truck with a big pink ribbon painted on it recently, you weren't hallucinating.

    Marion County Concrete has painted the ribbon on one of its trucks to convey a simple message: "Find a Cure."

    Jeremy Hodges, the owner and operator of Marion County Concrete, said they decided to paint the truck in memory of his mother-in-law, who died after being diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. He thought about how close his family was with his mother-in-law and with Relay for Life coming up, it seemed like a good time to do it.

  •
    Open for debate

    The Marion County Board of Education and Superintendent Donald Smith speak often about their desire to be "transparent."

    However, a discussion that took place last week during an executive session would seem to contradict that. That discussion, which involved a redistricting issue that could potentially affect an entire neighborhood, should have taken place in open session. But, instead, it was discussed behind closed doors.