Category Archives: Opinions
Unheralded tariff could hurt your access to news
Guest editorial
Until recently, most people probably didn’t have tariffs on their minds. It was widely reported the Trump administration 
planned to place tariffs on steel imports and other materials. Then came talk of possible trade wars and the effects those can have on the economy. However, a lesser-known tariff has been enacted that also could impact Americans’ lives.
And not in a good way.
When the new year began, the cost of importing Canadian
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When we were down by the sea
Before we moved to the farm at Grandmama’s at Sycamore Hill — so called because of the giant sycamore trees that dotted the front yard — we lived on the Chesapeake Bay in Cape Charles. 
We were small, probably 3 and 5, but there are things I remember.
Daddy worked across the bay in Norfolk. Mama would drive him to the ferry each morning. We’d go, too, of course, and if it was raining, one of us would hold a pot with a handle in the backseat under
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Courier Letters to the Editor 5-30-18
Library has a vital role in Liberty
Dear Editor,
I’m a 30-year resident of Pickens County. Even though my work as a socially engaged playwright has taken me throughout the U.S. and overseas, I’ve considered Liberty as my hometown and thrive on the small-town living atmosphere. Over the decades, I’ve watched the Liberty branch of the Pickens County Library grow from a small building to its current Sarlin branch in the heart of downtown Liberty. Its growth was made possible through the generosity, dedication and efforts of the Sarlin family and the greater community. Over the decades, the friendly and supportive staff has expanded as the library has kept up with cultural changes, reaching beyond books to
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You can’t go wrong with puppy love
It was 2002, they were running the Kentucky Derby and we were in the market for a puppy. We’d owned rat terriers for years, but had 
always bought them from breeders. But we enjoyed them so much we thought it would be fun — and possibly lucrative — to breed them. So I did some research, talked to a lot of people and found a breeder in Bluffton who was reported to have a good blood line. She had one male and two females and had two litters ready to go.
I called and talked to her, got prices and directions and went ahead and reserved a male.
We drove down with our map in hand, ate a great lunch, then followed
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Letters to the Editor
Let’s just not talk about sister city
Dear Editor,
I just watched the last Pickens County Council meeting video of May 14. Here is the link on Facebook, as they had not posted it on their main web page at the time I wrote this letter to the editor (chairman Roy Costner discusses sister city at approximately the 1:09:38 mark in the video): https://www.facebook.com/PickensCountySC/videos/581643405548502/.
Chairman Costner recommended they “not talk about sister city” any more and should pull it out of the budget and not fund this idea.
Watching the video made it clear to me the chairman is advocating to still pursue a connection with Karlsruhe through other means.
Costner seems to think there are only “seven people” who object to the sister city program initiative and that those seven are just throwing stones and being judgmental. He furthermore states that the majority of the Karlsruhe citizens attend church more than Pickens County citizens do and we shouldn’t be worried about the unvetted Syrian Muslim refugee problem they have or the fact the majority of their citizens are liberal-minded. My research shows that Germany is far from being churchgoing (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_attendance).
I don’t know about you, but I know liberals who go to church every Sunday … just because you go to church on Sunday doesn’t mean you are a conservative and have conservative family values. Is it just that Costner doesn’t understand the threat of liberalism ideology on our county, or is it he’s fine with our students “exchanging ideas” with liberals and being in an unsafe environment with Islamic refugees when they travel to Karlsruhe for cultural exchange? I am not sure which. But please know that the idea of student exchanges is not dead with this council. They just aren’t going to “talk about it” with the public any more, according to the video.
The No. 1 job of government is to protect its citizenry and keep them safe. Sending students over to Germany right now is not being safety-minded.
Stay vigilant, my friends, as they will be meeting behind closed doors calling it economic development and “not talking” about sister city and hoping you forget what they are up to. In other words, they are taking sister city out of the budget and not funding it and not talk about it … however, they will continue to pursue the idea of it in other ways.
Reminds me of a previous council who ignored the will of the people on building new schools and made it happen via the “Greenville Plan.”
Johnnelle Raines
Pickens
Bill could improve Medicare audiology services for seniors
Nearly one-fifth of South Carolinians — more than 940,000 people — rely on Medicare for health care coverage. More than half of these folks suffer from hearing loss, and 27 percent of them have been diagnosed with dizziness or a balance disorder. Mobility and communication are critical for health and well-being as we age. However, decades-old Medicare requirements prevent many older adults from having the same access to audiology services that the rest of America enjoys.
I see first-hand the hardship that my patients and their families
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Aging in place takes advance planning
If retirement is just around the corner, you have decisions to make, and the biggest is whether you’ll stay in your home. With no job to keep you tied to your current location, will you move to another state to be near children and grandchildren? Will you move to a warmer climate, or a city or state that’s cheaper?
If you’ve decided to stay right where you are, there are steps you should take now to make sure your home can meet your needs as the
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Be careful where you lay your eggs
We bought a new dryer last August, and it has been working beautifully. Until last Monday.
And then, after throwing in a load of wet clothes and setting the cycle, I was surprised to find the clothes weren’t dry. They weren’t even hot. Just a little warm. So I ran them through again, but the results were unchanged.
This went on for about three days until I realized there was something wrong.
So I got my booklet out of the file cabinet and called the Sears repair line. The dryer is still under warranty, and we’re dependent upon it.
After going through the regular number of recordings and numbers, I
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We are the caretaker of our own thoughts
I read a book years ago by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale called, “The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking,” and I recommend it as an inspiration and encouragement to your spiritual life.
Peale explains that our mind is filled with all types of thoughts and persuasions, but everyone is held accountable to manage them. We have the ability to resist and ignore the negative influences that hinder our life and to also embrace
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Short-timer? Plan your post-service benefits
If you’re about to leave the service, there are a number of transition services you need to know about. Your biggest issue will be timing.
Wherever you’re stationed, there is a benefits adviser available, as well as a Transition Assistance Program (TAP) manager. Their job is to help you through the process and make sure no stone is left unturned in getting you the benefits you need once you’re out.
As a first step, to learn about all the benefits and services available to you, go online (www.benefits.va.gov/TAP/) and select either Active
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