Common Sense

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A plan to change the names of 500 roads in Berkeley County as part of an enhanced 911 system will cost businesses and homeowners millions of dollars and damage the county's tourism business by using "generic, sterile names that have no identification with our county," according to a suit filed against the county. The costs will stem from address changes that will have to be made on car registrations, licenses, bank accounts, letterheads and business advertising, according to the suit filed by Berkeley County Citizens for Common Sense 911. The suit claims that the plan uses no logical numbering sequence and will cause widespread confusion, and that the county is discriminating against a large part of the population by requiring them to buy and erect their own street signs.

People should be wary of telemarketers pitching war-related products or investments, a spokesman for the North American Securities Administrators Association said. Spokesman Jerry Munk said he wasn't aware of any reports of war-related scams, but they have occurred in the past. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, there were approximately six companies taking advantage of anthrax fears and making false claims about the prevention and cleaning capabilities of their products, Munk said.

Rowland's JFK 50 Mile column deserves praise To the editor: Kudos to columnist Tim Rowland for his column, “ Runners, conservationists really can get along. ” (Dec. 11, 2011) This column should be reprinted in textbooks as a perfect model of opinion writing. It has all the classic elements of great column writing, 1. objective analysis, 2. balance, 3. vision, 4. common sense, and offers 5. possible solution to a problem. During the course of this column, Rowland discloses intimacy with the subject revealing potential personal bias, yet he literally demonstrates he can do the virtually impossible and see the whole forest despite all the trees.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Dissatisfied Berkeley County residents will have until the end of April to lodge complaints with the Berkeley County Commission over proposed street name changes that are part of a new enhanced 911 system. Thursday's decision by the county to extend the appeal process came on the same day Berkeley County Circuit Court Judge David Sanders ruled against two groups that had filed for injunctions to derail the address change process. The hearing drew more than 60 people to the second-floor courtroom in the Berkeley County Courthouse to listen to arguments on the county's right to rename private roads.

To the editor: This letter is in support of Dori Nipps and her candidacy for a seat with the Washington County Commissioners. The position I held with the Washington County Public Schools until my retirement this past June presented me with an excellent opportunity to observe Mrs. Nipps as an elected member of the Washington County Board of Education. In my opinion her decisions and actions were guided by common sense, compassion and a conviction that every child must have the opportunity to acquire a quality education.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A citizens' group upset with Berkeley County's road name changes and other aspects of a new 911 system went before a grand jury with complaints about the County Commission last week, but no action was taken. cont. from news page Specifics about the latest tactic taken by Berkeley County Citizens for Common Sense 911 have been shrouded in the secrecy afforded grand jury proceedings, and the principals are saying little. Willard Wynne, Common Sense 911's treasurer, confirmed that members of his group appeared before the grand jury last week in connection with their dissatisfaction with the 911 project.

Last week's question: Recently, Hagerstown Community College announced it might face $1 million in state budget cuts. Is this the best place to cut the budget? o No. Cut the roads budget. We need education, but can live with potholes. - 7 votes (4 percent) o No. Cut the police budget. They write too many tickets. - 8 votes (4 percent) o No. Cut state lawmakers' perks. When we suffer, so should they. - 160 votes (83 percent) o Yes. "Book learning" and college mean less than common sense.