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    Page The Lynchburg Times January 13 - 19, 011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    The Lynchburg Timeswww.lynchburgtimes.com

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    By Amanda IaconeVirginia Statehouse News

    Virginians could be toting ewer plas-tic bags when they go to the grocerystore or pharmacy.

    At least two delegates have proposedlegislation that would limit the avail-ability o the commonly used bags.

    Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke, hasled a bill that would ban retailersrom providing the bags to customers.And Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Henrico,

    said he will le legislation that wouldadd a 20 cent tax per bag or customerswho choose plastic over paper or reus-able bags.

    A bill to ban the bags died last year incommittee, Morrissey said.

    But he is hopeul that a tax wouldhave the same impact by drastically re-ducing the use o the bags and is morelikely to gain lawmakers support. His

    intent is not to provide a new revenuestream or the state, he said.

    Te purpose is to have people stopusing plastic bags , he said.Morrissey said similar taxes in Wash-

    ington, D.C., and in Ireland have dras-tically curbed the number o bags thatare used and reduced the number obags sent to landlls. Here in Virgin-ia bags also make their way to rivers,streams and agricultural elds, he said.

    Retailers would no longer have toprovide both paper and plastic, saving

    them money, Morrissey said.Its good or the environment. Itsgood or businesses and retailers andits good or consumers, Morrisseysaid.

    But increasing a tax while Virgin-ians are still hurting or jobs and theeconomy is still shaky will be a toughsell during the upcoming General As-sembly session, which ocially begins

    Wednesday, said Del. odd Gilbert , R-Woodstock.

    We should be talking about otherthings, Gilbert said. Weve got biggerproblems right now than trying to leg-islate how people behave.

    Gilbert said that while the new rev-enue would be welcome, governmentshould live within its means and thereis little appetite to impose another taxon consumers.

    I abhor the idea o taxing people tochange their behavior. I just think thats

    not good public policy, he said.Washington, D.C., enacted a 5-centtax, which took eect a year ago. Tetax applies to paper and plastic bagsprovided at business that have a oodor alcohol license, said om Moir, withthe Districts city council committeeon the environment and governmentoperations.

    We have seen a great reduction inunnecessary bag use, as well as a greatupswing in olks bringing reusable bagsto supermarkets and grocery stores,Moir wrote in an e-mailed response.

    Neighboring North Carolina hasbanned the bags rom the Outer Banksand West Virginia has no tax, accord-ing to the National Conerence o StateLegislatures.

    More states and municipalities areadopting laws to limit plastic bags,including laws that enact taxes, saidJ.R. olbert, assistant chapter director

    or the Virginia Chapter o the SierraClub.

    Its a very, very eective way to re-duce plastic bag use, he said.

    Limiting plastic bags reduces os-sil uel use and keeps the bags out othe waterways and protects crops. Tebags can destroy Virginia cotton crops,he said.

    Wares bill is House Bill 1498 and willlikely go beore the Committee on Ag-

    riculture, Chesapeake and Natural Re-sources.

    Legislators have until Wednesdaymorning to le bills or the upcomingsession.

    Delegates target plastic bags

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    January 13 - 19, 011 The Lynchburg Times Page 3Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    By Paige CunninghamVirginia Statehouse News

    For all o Virginias pressing issues,theres one that cant be put o untilnext years legislative session: ensur-ing that the state, and not the ederalgovernment, will run the new healthinsurance exchange.

    Its the one thing we need to do asa legislature, says Del. Patrick Hope,D-Arlington. Put our support behindthat.

    Hope is a member o the HealthReorm Initiative Councila groupormed last July by Gov. Bob McDon-nell to gure out the whats, wheresand hows o creating the exchange. In-tended to oer aordable coverage tolow-to-mid-range earners, exchangesmust be up and running in every stateby 2014.

    While the healthcare reorm carries a

    number o new requirements or states,businesses and individualsperhaps

    most notably an individual insurancemandate that sparked a lawsuit by At-torney General Ken Cuccinellitheexchanges are perhaps the most com-plex aspect, oering states lots o fex-ibility in how they can be conducted.

    I a state opts out o running an ex-change, the ederal government willstep up and take over. Tats not thepreerred scenario by Hope and hiscolleagues on the health reorm coun-

    cil, who recommended to McDonnelllast month that Virginia set up its ownexchange.

    Im airly condent that well do anexchange because I dont think anyonewants the ederal government to do it,Hope said.

    I legislators approve the opt-in, thestate needs to get to work right away.Hope says the exchange must be ready

    to go by October 2013 in order to meetthe January 2014 deadline.

    At that point, nearly hal a millionVirginians would become eligibleor partially government-subsidizedhealth insurance through the new ex-change.

    Tats according to the Common-wealth Institute or Fiscal Analysis,a nonprot thats been studying theederal healthcare reorm and how itwill impact states. President MichaelCassidy released on Monday a new

    report highlighting some o the chal-lenges Virginia aces in setting up anexchange.

    Although anyone may purchase in-surance through an exchange, theyremainly or those who cant get insur-ance through their employer and whoearn between 130 and 400 percent othe ederal poverty levelin otherwords, an income o $22,000 to $88,000or a amily o our.

    Depending on where they all in thatincome spectrum, those earners couldreceive subsidies to help pay or theirpremiums. A amily o our earning$22,000 would be expected to put 2percent o its income toward premi-ums, while amilies at the top end othe spectrum earning $88,000 wouldhave to pay 9.5 percent. Te rest o thecost would be covered by the ederalgovernment.

    Te Commonwealth Institute esti-mates that at least 400,000 Virginians

    will be eligible or subsidies throughthe exchangenearly hal o those cur-

    rently uninsured in the state. o givethose uture consumers a successulexchange, Cassidy says policymakersneed to ocus on a couple key areas.

    One o the biggest questions iswhether to run the exchange throughan existing state agency, create a newstate agency or set up an independentnonprot. Cassidy seems to lean to-ward the independent nonprot op-tion, since it could keep the exchange

    sheltered rom shits in state govern-ment.

    Te state needs to keep it immunerom political turnover no matter whatthey choose, Cassidy said.

    Cassidy also urged policymakers tomake sure industry groups that coulddirectly benet nancially rom the ex-change arent are part o governing theexchange.

    He oers additional considerations

    like making sure the exchanges dontenroll a disproportionate number othose with higher health risksthuscausing premiums in the exchange torise and enrollment to suerand o-ering consumer assistance programsthat allow Virginians to make inormeddecisions.

    Like a lot o things in lie, all theseoptions have pros and cons, Cassidysaid. What is most important is to

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    Insurance exchange decision looms

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    January 13 - 19, 011 The Lynchburg Times Page Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    By Amanda Iacone

    Virginia Statehouse News

    Some Democrats in the Virginia Houseo Delegates want drivers to pay a highergasoline tax to help pay down estimated $1billion shortall in transportation unding.

    Te move, however, is considered a non-starter or Republican lawmakers and theRepublican governor.

    I think it would be reckless and irre-sponsible to raise the gasoline tax, saidDelegate Bill Janis, R- Henrico. Im notin avor o raising the tax on gas especiallyright now with the economy. Te last thingwe want to do is to make it that much moredicult to do business in the state o Vir-ginia.

    Delegate Algie Howell, D-Norolk, hasled legislation that would increase the gastax by 10-cents per gallon. Delegate JimScott, D-Fairax County, has led a bill thatwould raise the tax to keep up with the risein gas prices. And Delegate Vivian Watts,

    D-Fairax County, says she will introduce

    similar legislation.Gov. Bob McDonnell, has proposed bor-rowing almost $3 billion to pay or overdueroad and transit projects around the state.He does not support increasing the gastax, said spokeswoman aylor Tornley.

    Te 17.5-cent gas tax is a regressive taxand hurts the poor and raises the cost ogoods and services rom groceries to deliv-ery services, Janis said.

    While the proposal is likely to generatea lot o discussion, Janis doesnt believemany lawmakers, Democrat or Republi-can, would support it this year, he said.

    But Watts said a tax hike should be con-sidered among other revenue sources,including the governors plan to borrowmoney, and is long overdue. Te tax hasnot been increased since it was enacted inthe late 1980s and has not kept up with in-fation nor with uel ecient vehicles thattravel more miles on less gas.

    What is being discussed may have a

    long-term additional cost and is only a

    short terms solution, Watts said o thegovernors plan.When the states gas tax was enacted in

    the late 1980s, the revenue made up halo all unding or construction projects.oday only 14 percent o all new transpor-tation construction dollars come rom thegas tax, she said, citing revenue estimatesor the current scal year.

    Tat is at the heart o our problems withconstruction. We are inches away rom notbeing able to match ederal unds, Wattssaid.

    Most ederal transportation dollars pay80 percent o a projects cost, and the statepays 20 percent.

    And almost no money is available thisyear to help pay or routine maintenanceon local roads and streets, Watts said.

    Fairax County, with a population oabout 1 million people, will receive enoughmoney to install a new trac light this year,Watts said. Instead all counties should be

    receiving millions.

    Larry Land, director o policy devel-opment or the Virginia Association oCounties, said that or several years almostno unding has been passed down to thelocalities to pay or secondary street con-struction. And some maintenance tasks,like grass mowing along medians, has beenreduced.

    Funding has been shrinking or years,sparking rustration among county levelocials, Land said.

    Because o that history o dwindling statesupport, county leaders are very interestedin the governors transportation proposal.But the county association has not yet de-cided whether it supports the plan, Landsaid.

    We support new transportation reve-nue rom myriad sources, the gas tax beingone o them. We are conscious that othersources would have to be evaluated, Landsaid.

    Legislators pitch gas-tax hike

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    Page The Lynchburg Times January 13 - 19, 011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    By Amanda IaconeVirginia Statehouse News

    Virginia Republican leaders rolled outa unied legislative platorm uesday a-ternoon ahead o Wednesdays start tothe General Assembly session.

    Gov. Bob McDonnell, fanked by Re-publican legislative leaders Lt. Gov. BillBolling and Attorney General Ken Cuc-cinelli, said the aim is to provide results,not rhetoric or Virginians this session.

    But Democrats questioned how Re-publicans will pay or their initiatives,adding that said some o their priorities

    are just election-year antics.In 2010, Virginia voters and (voters)

    around the county said we will not tol-erate the government spending moremoney than it collects, said Brian Coy,spokesman or the Democratic Party oVirginia. Te governors agenda is moreo the same. Its just a lot o debt withoutany way o paying or it.

    McDonnell reiterated his top prioritiesto increase unding or transportation

    and transit projects, make changes totax credits and other incentives to bringnew jobs to the state, as well as increaseaccess to higher education.

    Te governor said he plans to re-lease his revised proposal to privatizethe state-run liquor stores as soon asWednesday. He also said he would re-

    veal the latest plans rom his govern-ment reorm commission.

    Other ocials also outlined severalpriorities they will push during the leg-

    islative session.

    Cuccinelli said Republicans wouldpush orward a constitutional amend-ment to protect private property by lim-

    iting the use o eminent domain.Speaker o the House Bill Howell said

    he wants the Legislature to add languageto the state constitution to allow the Leg-islature to repeal ederal laws. He said itwould help deter uture expansion o theederal government.

    ommy Norment, Republican leadero the Senate, said the state needs to pro-tect its right to work laws, which givesworkers the option o joining a work-place union, by adding the language to

    the constitution. Tat would protectagainst ederal law changes that wouldmake it easier or workers to unionize.

    Te move by political leaders to pres-ent a united ront on the agenda marksthe rst time in many years that theRepublican leadership has worked as ateam to drat an agenda, Bolling said.Teir aim, he said, is to shrink govern-ment and get the states economy mov-

    ing.But Coy said the move to add language

    to Virginias constitution to repeal ed-

    eral laws and protect private propertyrom eminent domain are attempts toplacate ea Party activists who helpedelect McDonnell and other Republicanleaders.

    Tis is an election year. Tats whypeople want to make as much politicalhay as they can beorehand. Weve gotsome serious problems on our plate,said Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-BathCounty.

    Deeds also questioned how Republi-

    cans would pay or their proposed agen-da.

    Borrowing to pay or transportationprojects is not the way to address $4 bil-lion in road and transit needs during thenext our years, he said.

    Deeds agrees with the governors goalto increase access to higher education,though he questions how the GOP willpay or that increased access.

    And while he agrees that comprehen-sive changes to state eminent domainlaws are needed, especially related to

    how the state acquires property to wid-en highways, Deeds said the changesdont necessarily belong in the constitu-tion. Lawmakers time would be betterspent ocusing on transportation andreorming the underunded Virginia Re-tirement System, he said.

    Deeds applauded McDonnell orpitching a plan to save the pension sys-tem, but the senator said a dierent planis needed that wont saddle localitieswith an ununded mandate. McDon-

    nells current plan calls or localities tocome up with a 3 percent benets in-crease, worth more than $1 million orAlbemarle County, Deeds said.

    Lawmakers will have to work togetherto address these major issues, Deedssaid, because the houses o the Legisla-ture are divided. Democrats control theSenate while Republicans control theHouse o Delegates.

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    Republicans unveil joint agenda ahead of session

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    January 13 - 19, 011 The Lynchburg Times Page Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    By Paige Wineld CunninghamVirginia Statehouse News

    Virginia is not the only state to dip intounstable revenue streams to balance its bud-get. Lawmakers closed a $4 billion decit in

    Virginias two-year budget last year, partly bydeerring $750 million in payments into thestate pension und. Te state will have to pay

    back those deerments along with interest over the next 10 years.Tat kind o unsustainable budget balancing

    is going on all over the country, said research-er Eileen Norcross, speaking at George MasonUniversitys Mercatus Center on uesday.

    States seemingly balanced budgets are ac-tually teetering atop unstable revenues, Nor-cross said. She contends that many states areusing budget-balancing tactics that amountto no more than gimmickry and will leavethem worse o in the long run.

    Tese kinds o tactics surace in a number odierent orms, she says. Like using money orgeneral purposes that have been earmarkedor specic programs. Or relying on one-timeederal grants or inconsistent dollars romstate lotteries or cigarette taxes. Or even put-ting o payments into the pension und.

    Whenever a state uses these types o tacticsbecause it doesnt have enough ongoing rev-enues to cover ongoing expenses, its runninga structural deciteven i its balance sheetsadd up in a given year, Norcross says.

    For how long can you sustain state spend-ing on lotteries, dumping unds, bonding, allo these tactics, Norcross said. Eventually

    youre going to run out o steam.She oers as an example Maryland, which

    aced a $2 billion shortall last year.In response, lawmakers cut $1 billion. But

    they turned to other measures to make up the

    remaining $1 billion. Tey transerred $800million into the general und rom other undsand assumed $389 billion would be availablein extra Medicaid unding that Congress had

    yet to approve. Tey also used $25 million in

    other one-time revenues and $2.7 million inederal stimulus unds.

    And Marylands structural decit wasnt as

    large as what some states are conronting. Inscal year 2012, New Jersey will ace a $10.5billion decit (26 percent o the budget) whileCaliornia will grapple with a $19.2 billion de-icit (18.7 percent o the budget). Illinois topsthem all, acing a decit thats 47 percent o itsgeneral und budget.

    o some extent, the ederal stimulus pack-age passed in 2009 has sheltered states romthe ull impact o lagging revenues. In total,states used the stimulus unds to close $89.3billion in budget gaps in 2010.

    But now, states are acing another $26.7 bil-

    lion in decits in 2011, Norcross says. Andturning to one-time, unstable revenue sourceswont work orever.

    At some point, theyre not going to be ableto bond their way out, Norcross said.

    Norcross was joined by Steven Malanga, asenior ellow at the conservative-leaning Man-hattan Institute, and Mike Jerman, legislativedirector or U.S. Rep. Jason Chaetz, R-Utah,to talk about how states can nd their way outo ongoing decits.

    Without structural reormcutting ex-penses enough so that theyre ully covered

    by consistent, ongoing revenuesstates willcontinue to grapple with decits and citizenswill be shortchanged, Malanga said.

    Te game has been rigged against taxpay-ers over the years, he said.

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    Balanced budgets teeter atop unstable revenues

    ByAmandaIaconeVirginiaStatehouseNews

    WesternVirginialawmakersonWednesdayofferedstrongsupportforGov.BobMcDonnellsplanstore-

    formhighereducationandincreasefundingfortrans-portationprojects. InhissecondStateoftheCommonwealthaddressWednesdaynightbeforeajointsessionoftheVirginiaHouse of Delegates and Senate, McDonnell gavesomber acknowledgment tothe shootings thispastweekendinTuscon,Ariz.,thathavegripedthenation.Butthegovernorquicklymovedon totouthisworkduringthepastyearandreiteratedhiscurrentlegisla-tiveagenda,whichhehasrolledoutduringthepastmonth. McDonnell saidhisadministrationduringthe pastyearhasputthestateintheblackfiscallyandcreatedalmost70,000jobs.Hisspeechcappedoffthefirstday

    ofthe2011GeneralAssembly.Lawmakersspentthedaygreetingoneanotherandgettingreadyforthenext46days. Legislators face retooling thestates ailing publicpensionsystem,curbingtuitioncostincreasesandin-fusingbillionsintotransportationandtransitprojects. Thegovernorhasproposed$50millioninnewfund-ingtoprovideaidto undergraduatestudentsandtoencouragecollegesanduniversitiestooperatemoreefficientlywhileincreasinggraduationrates. Whilethegovernorwantstoreinvestinhigheredu-cation,hesaidthe fundingwillcomewithmorefis-cal accountability andcost-saving innovations fromschools.

    McDonnellsaid itis unconscionablethatcollegetuitionhasdoubledduringthepast10years. Thiswillhelpkeepthosecostsdown,Del.StevenLandes,R-WeyersCave,saidofthegovernorshighereducationreformproposals. Collegesanduniversitieshaveincreasedtuitionandfeestomakeupfordwindlingstatesupportreduc-tionsthatcameaslawmakerstriedtobalancethestatebudget,Landessaid. Hesaidthegovernorsplanwillrebalancehowuni-versities arefunded.Andthe focus onscience andmath-relatedfieldsistherightmove,Landessaid. Thatswherethejobsofthefuturearegoingtobe,hesaid.

    Frank Tamberrino,presidentand chief executiveofficerof the Harrisonburg-RockinghamChamber ofCommerce,isamongcommunityleadersinHarrison-burgwatchingcloselyhowmuchmoneyisbudgetedforpubliccollegesanduniversity. HarrisonburgishometoBlueRidgeCommunityCol-

    legeandJamesMadisonUniversity. Statedollarstotheuniversitiesimpactstuition,andrising tuitioncoupledwith theweak economyhaveslowedthegrowthinJMUsstudentpopulation,Tam-berrinosaid.

    Everythingwehaveheardsofar,keepingthebudgetundercontrol,tryingtolivewithinourmeans,resonatesverywellwithourmembershere,Tamberrinosaidofthegovernorsotherpriorities. Del.EdwardT.Scott,R-MadisonCounty,saidthemostimportantgoalforthissessionistocontinuecre-atingnewjobs.Andwhilethegovernorstransporta-tionplanwouldnotonlyreducecongestiononVirginiaroads,itwouldputpeopletowork,hesaid. Itisclearlydoable,hesaidoftheplantoborrowupto$3billion. Thegovernorstotalroadandtransitplanwouldpayforupto900projectsduringthenextfouryears. Itwouldalsoexpand anexistingrevenuesharing

    programthat bothAlbemarleand Culpepercountieshaveusedtobuildroads. Sen.EdwardHouck,D-Culpeper,saidhesupportsthegovernorstransportationplan.Imnotatallconcernedaboutit,Houcksaid.Itsagreatwaytogetpeopleworking.Buthesaidthegovernorsplantoprivatizestate-runliquorstoreshasalongshotofgainingsupport.HoucksaidtheLegislatureisntinthemoodtotackletheun-necessaryissue.Henotedthatthegovernordidnotdedicatemuchtimetotheprivatizationplaninhisspeech.ThegovernorsaidsellingtheABCstoreswouldgener-ateupto$300millionfortransportation.

    Houck praised the governor for making re-fundinghighereducationapriority.Thegovernorhasalsoproposedthatpublicemployeesfromuniversityprofessorstostatepolicebegincontrib-utingtotheirretirement.Hewouldoffsettheircontribu-tionwitha3percentpayraise.That would send an additional $300 million to theretirementsysteminayear.Thesystemcurrentlyis$17.6billionshort.Thestateborrowedmorethan$600millionfromthepensionsystemtobalancethe2010budget.Scottsaid theproposalisa bold first step.He saidreformsareneededtoensurethestatecanfulfillitspromisestostateemployeesandtoensurethestateis

    beingresponsiblewithtaxpayersdollars.Allthreelegislatorsagreedthegovernorsettherighttoneforthesession.McDonnellsaidthatrespectful,civildiscoursewillbestservethestate.Thatsetsthestagefortherestofthesession,Landessaid.

    Western Va. lawmakers support McDonnell transportation,higher ed plans

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    Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

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    OnJan.30,1972,inLondonderry,Northern

    Ireland,13unarmedcivil-rightsdemonstratorsareshotdeadbyBritishArmyparatroopersinaneventthatbecomesknownasBloodySun-day. The protesters, all Northern Catholics,weremarchinginprotestoftheBritishpolicyofinternmentofsuspectedIrishnationalists.

    OnJan.28,1986,thespaceshuttleChalleng-erexplodesjustafterliftofffromCapeCanav-eral,Fla.,killingthesevenastronautsaboard.TheO-ringsealontheChallengerssolidrocketbooster,whichhadbecomebrittleincoldtem-peratures,failed.Flamesthenbrokeoutofthe

    booster anddamaged theexternalfuel tank.Within73seconds,theshuttlebeganbreakingapart,thenplungedintotheAtlanticOcean.

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    January 13 - 19, 011 The Lynchburg Times Page 9Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    Parks Ofcials Seek

    AmeriCorps Applicants

    VirginiaStateParksofficialsareseekingapplicantstoserveasAmeriCorpsmembersthissummer.

    The AmeriCorps project will hire 34interpretersfromApriltoSeptembertoprovideparkguestswithstewardshipethics,culturalprogramsandaccesstonaturalparkresources. AmeriCorpsmemberswillreceiveastipendforliv-ingexpensesand,uponcompletionoftheirservice,willbeconsideredfora$2,350educationaward. The programs new positions stemfroma grant

    fromthe Corporation forNationaland CommunityService,whichfundslocalandfederalorganizationsthatusenationalservicetoaddresslocalissues. For more information, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/americorps.shtml.

    FletcherBabbCapitalNewsService

    House Welcomes Kirk CoxAs New Majority Leader

    ByTracyKennedyCapitalNewsService

    Delegate Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, dugthroughthepileofpapersonhisdeskuntilhefoundthepackethewaslookingfor.Hewantedtoreviewhisresearch onemore timebeforeleavingfor hispartyscaucusmeeting. ImafraidImgoingtomakethewrongmotion,Cox said.IfI moveto adjourn the session,thenthegovernorcantcomeandmakehis[StateoftheCommonwealth]speech.Ihavetomovetorecess. In December, Cox was elected House majorityleader by hisfellow Republicans aftertheir previ-ousleader,DelegateMorganGriffithofSalem,waselectedtoCongress.CoxhadpreviouslyservedastheMajoritywhipfortheRepublicans.

    Thiswillbeareallyinterestingchallengetryingtorepresentyourarea,whichisveryimportant,andtryingto bemajorityleader,anddoingthebudget,CoxsaidWednesdaybeforetheGeneralAssemblyconvenedatnoon.Itllbeabusysession.

    Lynchburgsnew local website MyLynchburg.netofferslocalusersafreewaytomeet,chatanddis-cusslocal,stateandnationaltopics.

    ThesiteoffersaquickloginwithFacebookorTwit-ter.Userscanalsomakeaseparateaccountonthesite. Memberscanpostaprofilewithphotosandbuildupauniqueblog,ifdesired. Facebookusersalsohavetheoption ofpullingtheirbasicprofilefromthesocialnetworkingsite. MyLynchburg.nethasfreeclassifiedadsandalo-calchatroom.Userscanalsoopenaprivatechatwithanotheruserwhilestillkeepinganeyeontheopenchatroom. Thereis evenarantsandraveforumalongwithnews,sportsandpopularlocalnewsfeeds.

    Businessesandgroupsareencouragedtojoinandposteventsinthecommunitycalendarandpostclas-sifiedads. Bestofall,everythingiscompletelyfree,eventheclassifieds. Itsaterrificnewwaytomeetotherlocalfolksandalsotopromoteyourbusinessororganizationwith-outspendingadime. So join the local discussion and community atLynchburgsnewestwebsite:MyLynchburg.net

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  • 8/8/2019 The Lynchburg Times 1/13/2011

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    Page 10 The Lynchburg Times January 13 - 19, 011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    After the Binge PresidentBarackObamasfirsttwoyearsin

    officewerefortheages:Rarelyhassomuchbeenspentsowantonlywithsolittlediscerniblepublicbenefit. Nondefensediscretionaryspendingaccount-edfor$434billionofthefederalbudgetin2008,withoutwidespread deprivation or riots in thestreets.Thiswasthe yearthatthen-candidateObamapromisedtoscourthebudgetlinebylineforwastefulnessandsaidinoneofthepresi-dentialdebatesthathisprogramwouldbeanetspendingcut. In2010,such spendingwas $537billionof

    the budget, a 24percentincrease. Throwinthestimulusandits$259billionofdiscretionaryspending -- a category that excludes entitle-ments--andtherun-upismuchhigher.Mostdepartments saw double-digit increases, andsomesawtriple-digitincreases.Forthefederalgovernment,2008-2010werethefatyears. Congresspassedbillswithoutknowingwhatwasinthem,andtooktherecessionaswarranttospendwithnoseriousregardtomeritorcon-sequences.Theresultingbursting-at-the-seamsfederalbehemothisabouttohaveitsturnon

    TheBiggestLoser. The election of2010wasnt aboutthe twopartiesgettingalong,althoughallthingsbeingequalmanypeoplewouldpreferthattheydid;itwasntaboutdefeatingincumbents,although

    manyofthemlost;itwasaboutasimplethree-wordsloganthatcapturedtheessenceoftheRepublicanprogram:StoptheSpending.

    SincetheendoftheBushadministration,theDemocratic plaint has beenthat Republicansareshamelessbudgetposeurs.Theytalk likefiscal hawks, butthey never deliver. Theteapartyopposesgovernmentonlyintheory.Thislineofargumentwillsoonbeabandonedinfa-vorofthechargethatRepublicansarewaginganunprecedentedlycruelassaultonthefederalbudget. ThisisnotTomDeLaysRepublicanCongress,fatandhappyinWashington.Itisfiredwithanardortodeliveronitspromisetolimitgovern-ment. Nearly 90 members of the Republicancaucusarefreshmen,shapedinthecrucibleoftheteaparty.InthecontextoftheHouseRepub-licancaucus,BudgetCommitteeChairmanPaulRyan--whohasa far-reachingplantoreformtaxesandentitlements--ispracticallytheestab-lishment. Thefirstorderofbusinessisto takenonde-fensediscretionaryspendingbackto2008lev-els.A two-year rollback doesnt sound overlyambitious,eventhoughitwouldrepresentmorethana20percentcutinspending.Thiswouldbeaspectacularfeat,lessliketurninganoceanliner around than throwing it in reverse andbackingitup.EveryinertialforceinWashingtonwillresistthischange. House Republicans willhaveto matchtheirzealwithstrategiccanny.Thelargerargumentoverthesizeofgovernmentinthiscountryisfarfromsettled.TheRepublicanpoliticalgoalmustbetomakeagovernment-cuttingagendaseemreasonableandpracticableratherthantheob-verseofObamasspendingrecklessness. Aftera carnivalofspending,itistheLentenseason.Itistimetoreflectonandrepentofour

    excess.Thequestionis nolonger howmuchmore,itshowmuchless.Thebingeisover.

    Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.

    Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

    1.RobertParissiwasfrontmanforwhat1970sgroup?2. Which groupreleasedIm IntoSomethingGood,andwhen?3.WhatwasFleetwoodMacsfirstNo.1hitintheU.S.?

    4.WhoreleasedLonelyTeenager,andwhen?5.DavidLeeRothhadmostofhisNo.1hitswithwhatband?6.NametheonlyalbumtheSilverBulletBandsawshoottothetopofthecharts.7. Namethe Millie Small 1964releasethatsbeen widely used, including being translatedinto Italian, Swedish, Serbian, German andmore.

    Answers

    1.WildCherry.ThegrouphadaNo.1hitwith

    PlayThatFunkyMusic.Parissinow livesinFloridaandplaysadultcontemporaryjazz.2.HermansHermits,in1964.ThesongreachedNo.1intheU.K.,butonlyNo.13intheU.S.3.Dreamsin1977.ThesongwaswrittenbyStevieNicks.4. Dion (DiMucci) in 1960. The song onlyreachedNo.12onthecharts,butisanoldiesstandardtoday.5.VanHalen.HisonlyNo.1solowasJustLikeParadisein1988.6.AgainsttheWindin1980.ItwonaGrammyforbestpackagingandforbestrockgroupper-formancewithvocals.7. My Boy Lollipop, amazingly enough. ItssaidthatRushLimbaughhasuseditasanup-datethemeonhisradioshow.

    Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

    Caesar Salad Wevegivenhigh-calorieCaesara healthymake-over. Wecoated the croutonswith cooking sprayinsteadofoliveoil,thenreplacedeggyolkwithlightmayonnaise to keepthe classicdressings creamytexture--withouttheclassicguilt.

    4ouncesItalianbread

    1clovegarlic,cutinhalfNonstickolive-oilcookingspray1/4cuplightmayonnaise1/4cupfreshlygratedParmesancheese3tablespoonfreshlemonjuice1tablespoonoliveoil1teaspoonanchovypasteCoarselygroundblackpepper

    1package(18-ounce)heartsofromainelettuce,tornintobite-sizepieces

    1.Preheatovento400F.2.Cutbreadinto1/2-inch-thickslices.Rubbreadslic-es,onbothsides,withcutsidesofgarlic.Cutbreadinto1/2-inchcubes;placeinjelly-rollpan.Spraybread

    liberallywithcookingspray.Bake10minutesoruntilgolden-brownandcrisp.Coolcroutonsinpan.3.Meanwhile,inlargesaladbowl,withwirewhisk,mixtogethermayonnaise,Parmesan,lemon juice,oliveoil,anchovypasteand1/4teaspoonpepper.4.Addlettuceandcroutonstodressinginbowl;tosstocoat.Makes6first-courseservings.

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    ItwasbelovedAmericancomedian,actor,producerandauthorBillCosbywhoofferedthefollowingadvicetonewparents:Alwaysendthenameofyourchildwithavowel,sothatwhenyouyell,thenamewillcarry.Those who studysuch things say thatittakesonesecondtovacuum1squarefootoffloor.Youprobablydontrealizeit--andyoucer-

    tainlydontnoticeit--butexpertsclaimthattheAtlanticOceanisgettingabout1centime-terbiggereveryyear,andthePacificOceanisshrinkingbythesameamount.Itsduetocontinentaldrift,theysay.IfyoureplanningatriptocentralAfrica,youcanpayavisittoboththeshortestpeopleintheworld(thePygmytribes)aswellasthetallest(theTutsi,alsoknownastheWatusi).Ifyoureablooddonor,youhelptomakeupasignificantminority.IntheUnitedStates,lessthan5percentofthepopulationdonatesbloodeveryyear.ItwasNobelPrize-winningRussianauthorBorisPasternakwhowrotethenovel(lateradapted to film) Doctor Zhivago. It wasoriginallypublishedin1957inItaly,togreatacclaim,butitwasntpublishedintheSovietUnionuntil1988.IfyoutookalltheTootsieRollsproducedevery year and placed them end to end,therewouldbeenoughcandytostretchtothemoonandback.Interestingly,theTootsieRollisntactuallyconsideredtobechocolate--notaccordingtothedefinitionusedbyfed-eralofficialssupervisingthecandyindustry,anyway.TheworldshighesttidesarefoundintheBayofFundy,locatedinNovaScotia,Can-ada.There,thedifferencebetweenhighand

    lowtidescanbeasmuchas50feet.

    Thought for the Day: I am free of all prejudic-

    es. I hate everyone equally. -- W.C. Fields

    Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

    Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

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    Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

    Michael Vick and the Eagles

    ItsKevin[Kolbs]team,saidMichaelVickatthebe-ginningoftheseason,justafteragamewherehehadjustcameoffthebenchtoelectrifythePhiladelphiafaith-fulandtheteamtoawin. Quarterbackcontroversy?OnelookatthegamefilmandcoachAndyReidsfaithin theformerfelonwasclearlyrewarded.Vickwasback--andbetterthanever.Hestillhadthespeed,hestillhadanarmcapableofthrowingfromoneendofthefieldtotheother,andhis

    headwasonstraight...twoyearsinafederalprisonwilldothattoaguy,apparently. Thisyearheputontwoperformancesfortheages--thethrashingoftheRedskinsat theirpark,andthefinal-quartercomebackthatseeminglydestroyedtheGi-antswilltoeverplayfootballagain.ThesewerenotonlythetwobestsingularperformancesoftheNFLseason,theywerethebestmomentsanyquarterbackhaseverputon,period. Ifhedoesntmentiontheworddoganymoreatpressconferences(orKolbforthatmatter),hisresurgencewillmaketheEaglesperennialcontenders.Nomatterwhatthevoterssay,VickwastheNFLMVPthisyear,handsdown.

    The Decision

    Thedeanofsportscolumnists,FrankDeford,crankilylamentedthatreally,notmuchhappenedintheworldof sports during thepast year. While I disagree, itshardtoarguethatthetopstoriesoftheyearrevolvedarounddecisions--mostofthemextremelypoorones.TigerWoodsdecisiontostepoutonhiswife(anditwasaverylargestaircase),BrettFavresdecisiontosendmoretextmessagesthantouchdownpassesduringhisbriefseasonasaJettwoyearsago,RexRyansdeci-siontouploadmoviesabouttootsiesyearsbeforetakingovertheheadslotinNewYork(thatsOK...NYisntaplaceknownformediascrutiny).But,no,it wasTheDecision,LebronJamesmonumenttonarcissism,anhour-longpress-conference-cum-reality-showwherehetreatedClevelandliketheloserona70sgameshow.Disgracefulasitwasdistasteful.

    Fair Weather Mayweather

    Hestheguywiththeprivatejets,theguywholikestomakeitraininstripclubsandgamblingparlors,theguywhoridesaSegwayupanddownthehallsofhishouse.HesFloydMayweather,andhemanagedtostayinthespotlightthispastseason,butwhenheheldallthecardstowhatshouldhavebeenthefightofthecenturysofar--a duel with Manny Paquiao-- Mayweatherfolded,complainingaboutthehandhedbeendealtintermsof

    drugtesting.Farewell,Floyd.

    Morenextweek...

    Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter and publisher of

    The Kansas City Luminary.

    Answers

    1.WillieStargell(296homeruns),ReggieJack-son(292)andJohnnyBench(290).2.TomSeaveroftheNewYorkMets(1968-76).3.DenversBrandonMarshallandNewEnglandsWesWelker.

    4.Itwas1968.5.Eleven.6.Formula1sMichaelSchumacher(2000-04).7.AnnJoneswas30whenshewonWimbledonin1969.

    1.Threeplayershitatleast290homerunsduringthedecadeofthe1970s.Nametwoofthem.2.Whowasthefirstpitchertostrikeout200ormore

    battersinnineconsecutiveseasons?3.From2007through2009,onlytwoNFLwidereceiv-ershadmorethan100catchesandmorethan1,000receivingyardseachseason.Nameeitherreceiver.4.Whenwasthelasttimebefore2010thattheUni-versityofDaytonmensbasketballteamwonapost-seasonNITtitle?5.TheNHLDraftin2010setamarkformostAmeri-canplayerspickedinthefirstround.Howmany?6. NASCARs Jimmie Johnson (2006-10) is oneoftwodriverstobeafive-timeconsecutiveseasonchampionin amajormotorsportsseries.Nametheotherdriver.7.In2010,FrancescaSchiavone,at29,becamethe

    oldestwomantowinherfirstGrandSlamtennistitlesincewhom?

    The Quest to Beat Jimmie

    Johnson Who isthe favoriteto win the Sprint Cupchampionshipin2011? Hah! Thinkofthepersonyouknowwhocarestheleast about NASCAR.Even he (orshe) canprobablyanswer thequestion. Itsthe sameguywhowonthelastfive,JimmieJohnson. Assportswriterand authorDamonRunyansaid(ormorelikely,wrote),Theraceisnotal-waystotheswift,northebattletothestrong,

    butthatsthewaytobet. ButNASCAR isfar toocompetitive foranydrivertoenteraseasonastheoverwhelmingfavorite, isnt it?Hopespringseternal duringeveryoff-season. Youknow,somestarsareborn,somestarsarecomingonnow,anditjusttakestime,saidNASCARchairmanBrianFranceinNovember2010.Ourjobistomakesurethatweareput-tingthebestracingintheworldforward,andletthosestorylinesandincredibleperformancesgettherecognitionovertimeastheywill,and

    thatswhatwedo. EachofJohnsonsfivechampionshipshavefeatureda different runner-up: Matt Kenseth(2006), Jeff Gordon (2007), Carl Edwards(2008),MarkMartin(2009)andDennyHamlin

    (2010). Itsnotuncommon,naturally,fortherunner-uponeyeartobeconsideredaprimecontender

    thefollowingyear,andthatcertainlyisthecaseforHamlin,whowontwomoreraces(8)thanJohnson. Kevin Harvick, the regular-seasonpointsleader,finishedarelativelyclosethird.Edwardswasfourthandtakesatwo-racewinstreakintothe2011seasonopeneratDaytonaInternationalSpeedway. Asisalmostalwaysthecase,KyleBusch,aprodigiouswinnerwhohasslumpednotablyinpast Chases,will getconsiderableattention,along with four-time champion Jeff Gordon,two-timechampionTonyStewartandothers.

    Harvick,whilepayingjusttributetoJohnsonsunprecedentedachievements,alsoreferredtoa golden horseshoe, thus suggesting thatgoodfortunehasntbeentheleastofJohnsonsvirtuesduringhisrunoftitles. ThenotionthatJohnsonsluckisboundtorunoutseemsabitlessinevitablenowthanit

    didfouryearsago.

    Monte Dutton covers motorsports for The

    Gaston (N.C.) Gazette. E-mail Monte at nas-

    [email protected].

    Who will unseat ve-time Sprint Cup

    champion Jimmie Johnson? Kevin Har-

    vick, seen at center after winning last

    years Daytona 500, came close. (John

    Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)

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    Page 1 The Lynchburg Times January 13 - 19, 011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    By Emily WilliamsTe Lynchburg imes

    At uesdays city council meet-ing, two men came beore the board,each seeking to up the zoning on theirproperty to a B-3 Community Busi-ness District. George Buster Walker,owner o the James River ProessionalBuilding walked away with his re-zone, and Robert Crocker, owner othe Acorn Hill Lodge, did not.

    Te reasons behind the results can beused to guide property owners hopingto rezone their own property, and giveothers a glimpse into the inner work-

    ings o Lynchburgs city government.

    Acorn Hill Lodge

    Robert Crocker owns the Acorn HillLodge on Old Forest Road. Te es-tablishment that began as a small bedand breakast with up to our guestsin 1996, was rezoned in 2004 to al-low or a eight-room lodging with spaand salon services. With an increasein business, and under recommenda-tion rom the Department o Health,Crocker requested the property be re-zoned again to allow or 17 rooms anda commercial kitchen.

    We are just trying to meet guest ex-pectations, said Crocker.

    Te conditional rezoning would al-low or two-story 3,721 square ootaddition to the existing acility, whichwould include our additional guestrooms, a laundry acility and banquethall seating up to 25 guests.

    Speaking in opposition to the rezon-ing at the uesday council meeting wasStephen Driskill, a neighbor o AcornHill. While Driskill agreed that Crock-er was a good neighbor, he voiced con-

    cern that upgrading the lodges zoningwould pave the way or uture owners

    to disrupt the areas residential eel.Restaurants by their nature need to

    be visible I dont want to sit on myront porch across the street and lookat a restaurant sign, said Driskill.

    Specically, Driskill worried aboutlight pollution rom a possible largersign allowed by B-3 zone and increasedtrac on the blind corner that is justater Acorn Hill on Old Forest Road.Crocker responded, explaining he washappy to work with the neighborhoodto meet their needs.

    We are out to be just a very riend-ly neighborhood community, said

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    A Tale of Two Zoning Requests

    Buster Walker will have to nd a new sign after the council ap -

    proved a B-3 zoning on his property.

    The entrance Acorn Hill displays two large notice to rezonesigns, a decision that is still up in the air.

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    January 13 - 19, 011 The Lynchburg Times Page 13Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    Crocker.Te members o the council were, on

    a whole, supportive o the business-mans desire to expand. Council Mem-ber Cary pointed out that Acorn Hillwas voted Lynchburgs best bed andbreakast and was a noteworthy local

    business.Tis is an excellent opportunity or

    amilies to come and leave their mon-ey right inside Lynchburg, said ViceMayor Ceasor Johnson in reerence tothe citys busy graduation season.

    Tere were, however, some concernsthat the current language o the con-ditional rezoning allowed or businesscreep into a residential neighbor-hood.

    We are metaphorically putting thecart beore the horse We are not de-

    ciding about who owns the businessbut the use o the land, said CouncilMember J. Randolph Nelson.

    As a result o these hesitations, theboard voted unanimously to table themotion indenitely until the Future

    Land Use Map o the property couldbe amended.

    James River Professional Building

    Next on the agenda was GeorgeBuster Walkers James River Proes-

    sional Building on Langhorne Road.Te existing building was built in 1989,ater an approved rezoning, despitethe act that land was designated a Re-source Conservation area. As part othe rezoning agreement, the land be-hind the property was donated to thecity as part o the Blackwater CreekNatural area and trees added to blockthe buildings rom the view o the biketrail.

    As o late, Walker has had troubleleasing all o the oces. He hoped thatby opening the space to more busi-nesses, such as small take-out stylerestaurants and small retailers, that hewould be able to ll buildings.

    Walker explained that he spoke withthe current tenants and the AgudathShalom Synagogue, a near-by neigh-bor, and there were no objections. Noone appeared at the meeting to speak

    in opposition.Te conditions o the rezoning in-

    clude that development be limitedto light retail, general oce or smallrestaurants with seating or 25 dinersor less. Among the uses not allowedunder the new zonings conditions areconvenience stores, lodging, theatersor greenhouses.

    Te council voted unanimously inavor o the changes.

    One step that Walkers case was ableto present to the council that Crock-ers wasnt was a motion to amend theFuture Land Use Map or FLUM. It iscouncil policy to amend this plan orthe city, though it is not legally re-quired or the council to change zon-

    ing.In the Acorn Hill case, the city plan-

    ning commission recommended thatthe rezoning go to council beore theFLUM amendment due to a mistakemade by city sta preventing the re-quest rom being heard by the councilsooner.

    So in the end, Crockers request willlikely be removed rom the table at theFebruary 8 meeting when the FLUM

    amendment can be addressed. Walker,on the other hand, has the go aheadto start advertising or small restau-rant clients in his oce space. Perhapshungry runners and bikers rom theBlackwater Creek trail will have a newplace or a post workout nosh. TeLynchburg imes will let you know!

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    Medicare Adds Free HealthServices

    Didyouknowyoucannowgetsomefreeser-vicesfromMedicare?Withthehealth-carereformlaws,yourenoweligibletogetcertaintypesoffreepreventivecare,startingin2011. Theseinclude:Annualvaccinations,suchasfluandpneumoniashotsPaptestsandpelvicexamseverytwoyears

    Nutritionhelp ifyou havekidneyproblemsordiabetesCholesterolbloodcheckseveryfiveyears Bonedensity testsfor osteoporosiseverytwoyearsMammogramsonceayearProstateexamsandPSAtesteveryyearDiabetescheckstwiceayearColonoscopyandscreeningsatvaryingtimes However, ifyou have a MedicareAdvantage

    plan,checkto besure youre covered onfreescreenings.Readthefineprint. Ifyouhittheprescriptioncostdoughnutholein2010,youllhavea50percentdiscountonname-branddrugsin2011. Ifyouneedmedicalequipment,changeshavebeenmadethere,too.Medicarenowputsallcon-tractsfor medical equipmentout forbid. If youhavethe originalMedicare, youll likely havetogetyourmedicalequipmentandsupplies,suchasoxygen,fromanapprovedsupplier.Ifyourcurrentsupplierisnotintheprogram,theonlywayyourequipmentwillbepaidforisifthatsuppliersignsup.Bewarewhiletraveling:Ifyoudontuseanap-provedsupplier,youllpayfullprice. IfyoudonthavetheMedicarehandbookthatwassenttoyoulastOctober,lookonlineatwww.medicare.govfortheMedicare&You2011Hand-book.Youllfinditrightonthefrontscreentoreadordownload.Lookfortheblueapplesymbolsin

    thehandbooktoseepreventive-careitems.Thesitealso has ZIPcode directory for equipmentsuppliers.OrcallMedicareat1-800-633-4227formoreinformation. Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personallyanswer reader questions, but will incorporate them

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    [email protected],Inc.

    Lupus Is Related toRheumatoid ArthritisDEAR DR. DONOHUE: My 28-year-old daughter,who has been healthy all her life, was recentlydiagnosed with lupus. Will she be able to livea full life, including having children. Is there acure? How about exercise and diet? -- R.K.

    ANSWER:Inthe1950s,adiagnosisoflupuscar-riedonlya50percentchanceoflivingforfivemoreyears.Sixtyyearslater,thechanceoflivingforatleast20moreyearsis90percent,andthemajorityoflupuspatientshaveanormallifespan. Pregnancyisdefinitelypossible.Doctorstelltheirlupuspatientstodelaypregnancyuntiltheillnesshasbeeninactiveforsixmonths.Thatkindofdelayin disease activityoccursin almost alllupus pa-tients. Lupusisinthesameclassofillnessasrheumatoidarthritis.Itsan autoimmunedisease,onebroughtonbytheimmunesystemattackingmanybodyor-gansandtissues.Jointsandmusclesaretargets.Thewrists,hands,elbows,kneesandanklesarethejointsmostofteninvolved.Skinrashesarecom-mon.Onerashisoftenmentioned.Itsarednessonbothcheeksconnectedbyaredbaroverthebridgeofthe nose. Thisis thebutterflyrash oflupus,seenlessoftenthanitistalkedabout.Thekidneys,heartandnervoussystemcanbeaffected.

    The outlookforan individual lupuspatientde-pendsonhowmanyorgansareinvolvedandhowwellthepatientrespondstotreatment.Thereisntacure.Therearemanycontrolmedicines.Lupustypi-

    callyhasperiodsofworseningandperiodswhenthe illness goesinto remission.Medicinesmakeremissionslongerandlonger. Lupushasnospecialdiet.Exerciseisencouragedwhentheillnessisinremission.Youoryourdaugh-tercancontacttheLupusFoundationofAmericaformoreinformationandforbecomingacquaintedwithotherpatientsinyourtown.Thewebsiteiswww.lu-pus.org,andthephonenumberis202-349-1155. Readersinterestedinlearningmoreaboutlupuscanorderthebookletonitandrheumatoidarthritisbywriting:Dr.Donohue--No.301W,Box536475,Orlando,FL32853-6475.Encloseacheckormoney

    order(nocash)for$4.75U.S./$6Canadawiththerecipientsprintednameandaddress.Pleaseallowfourweeksfordelivery.

    DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 66. I had been aheavy smoker, and I had a brother who died ofan abdominal aneurysm. My doctor insisted Ihave an ultrasound of my abdomen to nd out if

    I had one. (He thought he felt one.) It turns out Idont have an aneurysm, but I do have a porce-lain gallbladder. The doctor wants me to havesurgery right away. I have no pain. I feel good.He says its a cancer threat. Is this so? -- M.Z.

    ANSWER:Itisso.Aporcelaingallbladdermustberemovedbecauseofthehighriskofcancer. Thiskindof gallbladder got its name becausecalciuminfiltratesitswall.Thewallisinflamed,andgallstonesareoftenthecauseoftheinflammation.Even though you mighthave nogallstones andeventhoughyouhavenopain,youneedtohavethegallbladdertakenout,sogreatisthethreatofcancerdeveloping.

    Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer in -

    dividual letters, but he will incorporate them in hiscolumn whenever possible. Readers may write him

    or request an order form of available health newslet-

    ters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

    Education Benets Get

    Needed Boost ThePost9/11VeteransEducationalAssistanceImprovementsAct,alsoknownasS.3447,haspassed theHouseand Senate.The additionalbenefitsfillinholesleftinthefirstversionoftheAct.Amongthechanges:TheVAwillpayfeesandtuitionforstateschools,and$17,500forprivatecolleges.Schoolsontheapproved list(the Yellow Ribbonprogram) willkickinadditionalfunding.Active-dutypersonnelwillnowgetastipendofupto$1,000peryearforbooks,asveteranscur-

    rentlydo.Thatscalculatedat$41.67percredit,uptothe$1,000,ifyouareatthe100percentlevel.Thosewhochoosetogettheireducationvialong-distancelearningwillnowbeprovidedaliv-

    ingallowance.Thoseseekingoccupationorvocationeduca-tionwillnowbecovered.NationalGuardsmenwhoresponddomesticallytodisastersalsowillgetbenefits.Stipendsforlivingallowancewillbecorrelatedtoattendance.Feesforcertificationandlicensingtests,aswellasnationaltests,willbecovered.Active duty members with six yearsservicecantransferbenefitstoaspouseafteragreeingtoservefourmoreyears.Thatsnotrequiredfor

    thosewhoarealreadynearretirement. Tobeeligibleforaportionofyourbenefits,youmusthaveservedforatleast90daysafterSept.10,2001andreceivedanhonorabledischarge.Togetthefullbenefits,youmusthaveservedforthreeyearsafterthat.Ifyouserved30daysandweredischargedforaservice-connecteddisabil-ity,youllreceivefullbenefits. ThechangeswontgointoeffectuntilAugust2011,butthatgivesyoutimetoapplyandgetor-ganized.Gotogibill.comformoreinformation,in-cludingthenewBasicHousingAllowance(equaltoanactivedutyE-5).Dontskiptheblog.

    Write to Freddy Groves in care of King Fea-

    tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando,

    FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@

    gmail.com.Copyright2011KingFeaturesSyndicate,Inc.

    2011NorthAmericaSyndicate,Inc.AllRightsReserved

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    Page 1 The Lynchburg Times January 13 - 19, 011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

    ACROSS

    1Enjoysanenchilada5Cargocrane10Circusemployee15HilariousHoward18Whatyouusedtobe

    19Mennonitegroup20Cheer21Planted22Bovinejazzman?24Famedfabulist25Geometricfigure26ChrissieofThePretenders27Wartsandall29ActressMunson30MayIinterrupt?31CertainSemite34RockerCassidy37Pay39Bovineautoracer?

    44Fit45Crony46DirectorFerrara47Rocks-Trick50Yellowishbrown53Chasm56AdamsorAstor58Couch60MarisofNurses61LAXletters63Kimonocloser64Jab65Noisyracket66Mystical69Germancity71Electronicdevice72Sayplease73Beatit!74Bovineoutlaw?77Satiate

    78-Aviv79Free-for-all80Wordwithsisterorstory81Costumesparkler83ActorKjellin84Learnfast?85Sparetire87JohnnyYuma,forone88Mythicalbird89Periodictableabbr.90Gavesomeoneasmack93WriterRunyon97Rise99Goin101Beholds103Southernconstellation104SueofLolita106Bovineactress?110Cat-(65film)112Exodusedible

    113Prudishone114Melvillework115-DayNow(62hit)117Tobe,toBaudelaire120Entangle124Puzzledirection125Chutzpah128Bovinepublisher?131Ages132Churchlaw133Brinks134Bananarama,e.g.135ActressSusan136Endangeredanimal137Adjustawatch

    138Timetoevolve?

    DOWN

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    2Nauticalcry3WildersOur-4Dairytreat5Smidgen6Internistsorg.7Jet-settersneed8Egyptiandeity9Religiousbelief10Bristolbrew11Bristolbrew12JocularJackie13Schoolfoundedin144014Meal15Bovineboxer?16Proprietor17-Mine(85film)21JusticeAntonin23St.-to-be28Astound32Chicken-king33Icebergskin3568USOpenwinner

    36Exploit38Smallmall39Hydrotherapysite40ActorHunter41TVTarzan42FrancoofCamelot43Drop48Saladtype49Spongelike51Brightinventor?52LikeLincoln54Splintergroup55Alphabetsequence57Ingratiating59Silostuff

    62Victoriashusband66Itsspottedatzoos67Bovinebandleader?68Louisianauniversity70Geographicalabbr.

    71ClairdeLunecomposer73Celebrities75Carbomb?76Grabsallthegoodies77NeighborofHispaniola79Bobofbasketball82Proofletters86Rockhound?90Eager91CastleorCara92How-IsYourLove(77hit)94Deface95Supperscrap96Slangydenial98Stockings100TVlistingabbr.102Big-,CA105Shadeofmeaning107Ecclesiasticaltitle

    108Sage109Putthematchto110Portended111Thats-(53tune)112LoyorBlyth116AFaceintheCrowdactress118Discourteous119Theyreoftenbeaten121Curlycoif122Equineaccessory123Aphroditesson126-RyansExpress(65film)127Remnant

    129TVs-Haw130Presidentialmonogram

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