Dear Editor,

On March 23,2013 11 members of the New Zion Baptist Disaster Relief Mission Team picked up 38 bags of trash on the side of the road. We began at the new Falmouth Bridge and walked for four and a half miles east on State Route 22. There were 38 bags full of pop bottles, beer bottles and various restaurant cups and wrappers.

It's a shame to see so much debris along the beautiful Licking River bottoms! Let's try to keep our Kentucky roads free and clean of unsightly debris!

Tammy Lockhart

New Zion Baptist
Disaster Relief Mission Team

Dear Editor,

Oakland Christian Church Youth Group a.k.a. Ridge Kids are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community by cleaning up four and a half miles of Milford Road. We collected 13 bags of garbage. This service project allowed us to earn much needed money for a summer trip. During our clean-up we found beer bottles and cans, pop bottles and cans, whiskey bottles, McDonald's bags and food. The strangest items were an eight track tape player and a toaster! We did not just do this for money, we want to help Mother Nature. This earth needs less alcohol and littering and more appreciation for Mother Nature's beauty.

Sincerely,

Della Bowling, Fifth grade student

Dear Editor,

We at Morgan Christian Church would like to say thanks for the opportunity to pick up trash along our assigned route. The money we raised will be used for the children attending Morgan.

We started our route on Saturday, March 9, and finished our first leg about 2 p.m. On Saturday, March 23, we completed our full route and picked up a total of 87 bags of garbage and a total of 12 tires.

The experience was fun and good fellowship for all.

Thanks again,

Steve Wood

Dear Editor,

Members of the Pendleton County Lady Cat Golf team cleaned up Hwy 609 on Saturday, March 23, 2013. We had a good turn out of support. We picked up 44 bags of trash. There were a lot of bottles, cans, cigarette packages and fast food containers along the side of the road. Thanks to all that showed up to help. Let's all do our part to keep Pendleton County beautiful.

Sincerely,

Lisa Cobb,
Pendleton County Lady Cat Golf Team

Dear Editor,

On March 23, 2013 17 members including four youth from the Butler Baptist Church Wellness and Youth Program picked up trash along highway 1657. We were amazed about just how much trash there was. We filled 27 bags of trash, along with finding five tires, and one gas tank. One item that was found numerous times were empty nasal decongestion tablet containers. These were probably left behind by those who were making meth. It's sad that there are those who don't care about littering along the road but are also making illegal drugs. We would encourage you to think twice before throwing something out alongside the road. We want to thank all who make this possible that we can help to keep our county clean.

Rev. Daryl Mullins,
Butler Baptist Church
Wellness and Youth Program

One of the purposes of the Opinion Page is to generate thought and discussion, and with that in mind, the following is offered. A former President of Falmouth Rotary sent me an e mail containing remarks by Ben Stein. Following are some of the more important points:

“I don’t like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don’t think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can’t find it in the Constitution and I don’t like it being shoved down my throat.”

A mother is one of the most famous and valuable individuals known to God. She is one who has been used, abused, and taken for granite. She is forgiving. She could see her son rob a bank on the six o’clock news and convince herself,  “THAT MAN WAS NOT MY SON!”

If I had to select a stereotype that fits what a mother should be, she may be similar to Marie Baron, the character on the TV show “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Her family is her life.

By: Lovina Eicher

The children went back to school after a week here at home for Spring break. My husband Joe went back to work on Tuesday. The house seems empty during the day. Daughter Susan is working four days this week but is home today. I am glad for her help. She is going to bake chocolate chip and monster cookies as our cookie jar has been empty too long. Our friend Barb from Bristol, Indiana came for a visit recently and brought two big bags of M&Ms. The children asked if we could make monster cookies with some of the M&Ms.

Nonpoint Source Pollution: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrological modification. The term "non-point source" is defined to mean any source of water pollution that does not meet the legal definition
of "point source" in section 502:(14) of the Clean Water Act.

"Point Source" pollution can be loosely defined as concentrated pollutants having originated from a pipe of some kind; usually an outlet pipe from an industrial source, but can also mean pollution coming from a ditch or other outlet with agricultural origins.

Pictured from left: Kurt Reiber, Freestore Foodbank; Don Fulford, Feeding America Kentucky's Heartland; Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes; Tamara Sandberg, Ky Association of Food Banks; Governor Steve Beshear; Cassia Herron, Community Farm Alliance; Representative Tom McKee; Tina Garland, Ky Farms to Schools; Fred Nesler, Ky Dept of Agriculture; Bill Wickliffe, Ky Dept of Agriculture; and Heather Hyden, Community Farm Alliance. Photo courtesy of Governor's Office.

Governor Beshear hosted a ceremonial signing of a bill this past week that will provide an incentive for farmers to donate to food banks. Beginning in 2014, Kentucky farmers donating fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry, pork, fish, or other edible agricultural products to a food bank will be eligible to receive a credit against their state tax liability equal to 10 percent of the value of the donated product.