By SAM HATCHER

Congratulations to Bernie Ash on his recent appointment to the post of Wilson County Veterans Affairs Officer.

Mr. Ash, a Lebanon businessman, member of the County Commission and most importantly with respect to this appointment, a Vietnam veteran, will serve this office well.

Working in concert with County Mayor Randall Hutto, Mr. Ash has a full agenda ahead of him.

While many times the services provided by this office go under the radar so-to-speak, it is no less a very important and vital resource for those who have so unselfishly dedicated a portion of their life to the service of our country.

Our veterans deserve the recognition espoused by this office and the services provided.

We look forward to what plans Mr. Ash may have and how he will move forward to fulfilling the responsibilities of the Veterans Affairs Office.  

To the Editor:

Ten years after George W. Bush and his foreign policy advisors planned to invade the Iraqi people months before Sept. 11, 2001 and seize their oil for “the powers that be,” thousands have needlessly died and trillions of dollars cunningly dispersed.

Yet the conspirators did this with complete impunity and now they’re in on dividing up the rest of the take – 110 billion barrels of oil. Meanwhile, since many of the troops have come home the U.S. taxpayers are obliged to pay thousands of corporate mercenaries up to a thousand dollars a day or roughly $3.2 billion a year, counting the most expensive embassy in the world, to protect it for those privileged few.

By ANNE DONNELL

Personal writing – you know, journals, diaries, “scribbles” – can be raised above the ordinary, and that happens probably more commonly than expected. Anyway, that’s what we have here: excerpts from an excellent recent trip log kept by my childhood friend, Laura Triebold.  Laura and her husband David are Wisconsin dairy farmers. She’s also a nurse with two masters degrees. You’ve heard from her before when she graciously permitted me to share some of what she wrote about one of their annual trips to Spain. This time it’s Australia and New Zealand, a trip began Christmas Eve, 2011. I love armchair traveling with them; Laura (“Lollie” to me and to her grandchildren) is very observant and checks out details. It all comes to life. The following is #12 Sticker Shock.

By SAM HATCHER

Early voting continues.

The numbers of those who are to cast votes in the Tennessee Presidential Primary are not expected to break any past voter turnout records. That's the story across Tennessee, likely across Wilson County and for that matter that's been the story in primary elections that have already been held.

There are nine Republicans listed on the ballot and only one Democrat.

Election day itself, now recognized as Super Tuesday because of the participation of multiple states, is Tuesday, March 6.

By GEORGE ROBERTSON, M.D.

I must admit that I have enjoyed the mild winter so far, but I did get a little excited when we had a forecast of snow recently. Up until then the sleds had just been rusting in the storehouse and the heavy winter coats, gloves and hats were catching dust in the closet.

Even the suggestion of snow sends my thoughts back to the fun times when everyone would get out of school and business as usual came to a standstill. I think we all need a break from the fast pace of life, and any excuse, like a snowfall that shuts things down, is a welcome relief. Looking back on times like that I've never been left with remorse on not having completed that day at work.