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Published Jun 03, 2008 McCaul will be missed Ken Odor I can still see him, rising to address the Hanover Board of Supervisors on yet another zoning case. He may have moved slowly making his way to the podium, as one does when one reaches their 90s, but Eugene “Bud” McCaul’s presentations were the product of a mind of a far younger man. McCaul passed away last week, at the age of 91. Brief and clear, they made it easier for a reporter like myself, largely unschooled in zoning issues, to understand the case. Always delivered with professionalism and courtesy, they were a pleasure to listen to. He was something to see, and to admire - a man who loved his work and kept on doing it decades… Read more... Published May 27, 2008 Memorial Day musings Ken Odor Memorial Day is a special day every year, but perhaps more so this year than most. As I prepared to attend the Memorial Day service at Hanover’s Veterans Memorial last weekend, I couldn’t help thinking about what next year’s observances might be like. With the two likely candidates for president holding very divergent views on how to bring the war in Iraq to a close, things could be very different, depending on who is the commander in chief. Would next year’s ceremonies take place as U. S. troops withdraw or are already withdrawn from the Middle East under a Democratic president, who seems to think that because mistakes were made, all the efforts… Read more... Published May 27, 2008 Animal Control overzealous? Ken Odor Reporter Amy Condra’s story on recent visits by Hanover Animal Control officers to county homes to check on rabies vaccinations and dog licenses makes us wonder if perhaps the department is being a bit too zealous in fulfilling its duties. No one would argue that dog owners should not be required to license their animals, and everyone wants to help keep rabies under control in the county. For the persons mentioned in the article, wouldn’t a warning with follow-up have done the job just… Read more... Published May 20, 2008 If the shoe fits… Ken Odor The recent back and forth between President Bush and his possible Democratic successor, Barack Obama, over Bush’s comments on appeasement before the Israeli parliament, offers an insight into what is at stake in the upcoming election. That the president should offer his thoughts on how the U.S. should deal with unfriendly powers and draw lessons from history strikes many as imminently reasonable. It struck others as a veiled attack on a specific candidate. Obama’s campaign claimed Bush was after their candidate when he spoke in Israel. The president’s office has said he was referring to former President Carter’s meetings with Hamas leaders. … Read more...Published May 13, 2008 Free health care? Afraid not Ken Odor A trip to the vet can be worse than a heart attack, it seems. Or it might give you one after you get the bill. With good health insurance, a human being may get off by paying just a small fraction of the total cost of a serious medical procedure, whereas when Rover or Kitty Kat gets sick it’s cash on the barrel head. I base this observation on personal experience, both from paying the bills for my own health care, and having taken animals to the emergency vet several times (not here in Mechanicsville, I might add). Of course you don’t really get away with not paying the bill for your heart attack, knee surgery, facelift or whatever. You just pay for… Read more... Published May 06, 2008 Slowing down Ken Odor As gasoline has risen in price, I’ve been trying to lighten my foot on the accelerator of the old heap I drive around. It doesn’t seem to me that many others are doing the same. As I creep along in the right lane at the speed limit, large SUVs and other snazzy looking newer vehicles roll up on my rear end and tailgate, waiting for me to pull over into the old folks home I guess. Seems like everyone else on the road is still in a hurry to get where they’re going, no matter how much it costs. For those of us who subscribe to the laws of supply and demand, it appears the demand for speed is still outweighing the cost of the supply of gasoline. … Read more...Published Apr 29, 2008 Hands off my dough! Ken Odor April is the month when all curmudgeonly old conservatives whip out their time honored diatribe against taxes. Not that we (I count myself among them) disagree with the reality that governments need to collect money to provide the services their citizens demand, but some of us find fault with the manner in which they are collected. Nothing new under the sun here either. But it’s worth bringing up in this day of runaway federal spending and calls for new money for the state during troubling economic times. At least with local personal property taxes one gets a bill that has to be paid by a certain date. However younger folks and those who have never… Read more... |
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