Evolution

Smart folks? To the editor: I really enjoy your newspaper and I hope you won't mind my asking a question about one of your articles on the 0pinion Page (June 4), "Aleshire: Knowledge. " I am an independent voter and new to your area, so I would like to know why the young man stressed many times: "Government should be in the hands of the people," which is of course, a very true phrase. Even his opposition made that very clear before the election, I believe. But now the election is over, why does Aleshire feel he must defend himself?

While recent studies show a resistance to some feature of science, the fact remains that this resistance goes back hundreds of years to the birth of science. Today, it is primarily in biology — then, it was in astronomy. A newly released study by two scholars at Penn State University of 926 high school biology teachers in 49 states and the District of Columbia shows some troubling results. Twenty-eight percent replied that they consistently taught what was called for about evolution.

Club meetings Frederick Secular Humanists FREDERICK, Md. ? Sunday, Jan. 13, 2 p.m., Frederick Friends Meetinghouse, 723 N. Market St. John Carlton Hagerhorst, creationist/pantheist, will present his alternative views of the scientific theory of evolution, the origin of the human concept of "God" and the evolution of humanity. Mack Golden Bulldogs MAUGANSVILLE ? Monday, Jan. 14, social hour with coffee and donuts at 9:15 a.m., meeting at 10 a.m., U.A.W.

“I just heard on TV where the producers of movies for television and the theaters have said that people don’t want to see Christmas stories anymore. How asinine can that be?” — Falling Waters, W.Va. “You know, I hear these gobbledygook people on these talk shows and everything, and the pundits, saying that the Obama’s gonna have a competition in 2012 from his own party. Sen. Feinstein is one of them. Well, let me tell you something about Sen. Feinstein.

Guitar slinger Joe Bonamassa started playing at age 4, opened for BB King at age 12 and cranked out eight blues albums by the time he reached 30. The bluesman isn't showing signs of stopping. "For 30 years old, I've been in the business a long time," said Bonamassa during a phone interview. "But I don't think you ever get complacent and think, 'I've found it,' and go on autopilot as an artist. " For Bonamassa, music is a constant evolution. He's bringing his brand of blues to downtown Hagerstown Saturday for the 12th annual Western Maryland Blues Fest.