3 Up, 3 Down
3 Up
OPENING UP: In an era when federal government is increasingly closed despite the campaign promises of President Barack Obama, Republican state attorney general candidate Ken Cuccinelli is offering his own promises. During a Virginia Coalition of Open Government conference Friday at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel in Staunton, he pledged to redouble his efforts to increase access not only to the state budget in its final form, but to the process itself, and he hinted that he might push to open up the Attorney General’s Office to the public – specifically discussions regarding issues not involving litigation. We second both emotions.
SKEPTICISM: That maligned gesture known as the raised eyebrow got a boost Thursday when the slobbering cable network hounds discovered that, gasp, 6-year-old Falcon Heene hadn’t flown off in a UFO balloon after all. Maybe if the boys at CNN quit monkeying with the weird graphics, they could get round to asking real questions about the legitimacy of a story.
YAHOO, WAHOOS: Let’s get it in quick before it changes: the University of Virginia, somehow, is undefeated in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Read this before 4 p.m.
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AGRIWHAT? Area farmers looking for practical advice on turning their farms into tourist destinations left muttering Thursday night from an agritourism presentation in Hermitage. County officials and Hermitage Hills Farm and Stable owner Craig Nargi touted it as a launching point for the growing movement, but they delivered mere words of hope (and a standup comedian) instead of know-how. Agritourism could mean economic viability for struggling farms in the county. But Nargi didn’t even answer the question he said he gets so often: “Well, what is it?”
RAMMED: Rush Limbaugh’s bid to own a piece of the St. Louis Rams had the NFL worried about image? Calling Michael Vick. From where we’re sitting, Rush still won. Has anybody watched the Rams lately?
SAY IT AIN’T SO, BEAU: Last week, Beau Biden, son of VP Joe, thought his pop’s Senate replacement, Mike Castle, was right for the job: “[He] has served our state well.” Now, Beau might run for the seat. What gives, son?
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Reader Reactions
It boggles my mind that the News Virginian could make a negative out of an attempt to develop a new “industry”. For a paper that always calls upon the City to do something proactive, the attitude expressed in this editorial would seem contradictory to the previous editorials calling on the City for action and leadership. Perhaps the only proactive responses the News Virginian wants are those that fit it profile of what is acceptible.
Agri-YES-Thanks for your point of view, the message was received clearly by so many of our participants. I chose not to be stuffy with all facts and figures, we reached our audience with appropriate support, meeting everyone in the room and discussing our topic. The real issue at hand was awareness, if nothing else, people had an opportunity to help grow this subject. Mr. Garber presented a clear view with his speech on how farms look for alternative means of income. The rain dampened the event, but the spirit of the topic had growth. Typically presentations loose there effect with too much material, our presentation included a video of which visually compared impacts of equine business and how the area economy in effected. The comedy was a thank you gesture in the form of entertainment of taking time to listen.
Learning is a process I never stop, presentations should be more than drama, there are organizations that are not supportive of our agenda, and clearly we brought that to light Thursday as well. The level of support at the legislative level, as well as BOS from Augusta county understood the importance, and where we are going next. Unfortunately our “end game” is a far off place currently, this was merely a place of learning on our time. I still value all points of view, but when you alter your career in attempt to survive economically you have a learning curve, while the mechanics are worked out. We still like your paper though!
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