Opinion

So many times, we hear complaints that there's nothing to do. Well, we don't want to hear that for at least the next few weeks, because judging from our Calendar of Events page, there's no possible way anyone couldn't find something fun to do.

This past Tuesday night alone was a treat - with a performance by the renowned Vienna Boys' Choir and then a public meeting to discuss proposals for the Heartland Parkway.

To live in a nation in recession, Taylor County residents have certainly stepped up to the plate in the name of children.

Saturday's St. Baldrick's event, which raises money to support cancer research for children, raised $30,000, which is $10,000 more than the goal.

Take a glance at the photos on today's Front and Accent pages and those in a slideshow on our Web site at cknj.com. And then thank those who shaved their heads - in honor of our children.

Commonwealth Cleanup Week starts Sunday. Have you made your plans to help?

Commonwealth Cleanup Week is an annual weeklong event geared toward cleaning up Kentucky's communities. And all across the state, groups are gearing up to clean roadsides and parks in their communities.

Last year, more than 5,151 people participated in the statewide event, picking up 14,860 bags of trash along 1,846 miles of roadway and cleaning up 26 dumps statewide. Participants also collected and recycled 337 appliances and 3,956 tires.

Whether it's through a parent, a spouse, a child, a grandparent, a friend, or even ourselves, cancer will reach out its deadly hand and touch us all. And that's why we should all be concerned with research into its cure.

What may have killed us 50, 20 or even just a few years ago, is now treatable - thanks to research.

And that's what gives us hope.

As the second leading cause of the death in the U.S., cancer will affect all too many of us. We each have a risk - experts say half of all men and a third of all women will be diagnosed with some form of the disease.

Change can be a good thing. At least sometimes.

Changing the look of downtown Campbellsville is definitely a good thing. We can’t help but wonder if a few of the changes planned for streetscape and beautification don’t necessarily fall into the “sometimes” category.

New, handicapped-accessible sidewalks and walking paths are definitely a plus. Closing the main entrance to the library parking lot, though, we’re not as sure about.

Did you know there are math problems in today's newspaper? What about a language arts quiz? Or a science or social studies project in the making?

Well, local teachers have known this for years. That's why many are firm believers in the Newspapers In Education program, a worldwide initiative that promotes the use of newspapers in the classroom.

Educators say using the newspaper in their classrooms provides a real-world connection that is motivating and adds real-life dimension to their classrooms.

Report cards - they're either dreaded or anticipated. They keep us as parents informed about how well our children are doing in school. And good report cards are a sign that our schools are teaching our children what they need to know in their journey to adulthood.

A story on today's front page explains our local schools' report cards, which provide information on schools' and districts' progress. All Kentucky students are expected to reach "proficiency" - or scores of 100 on state tests - by the year 2014. And that's not too far off in our future.

"I wish you shelter from the storm

And a cozy fire to keep you warm

And most of all

When snowflakes fall

I wish you love."

-Albert A. Beach

English lyrics

Love is in the air ... and in our newspaper pages.

Between Valentine's Day this Saturday, the winning love letters on today's front page, a story about the Happiness and Opportunity through Marriage Education program, or H.O.M.E., and the Bridal Feature on page 8A, we're celebrating love.

As difficult and inconvenient as the past week has been for many residents of Taylor County, it has been an enlightening week as well.

With the ice storm of last Tuesday - and then the inch and a half of snow that followed the very next day - more than half a million people across the state lost electricity. Though Taylor County didn't get the worst of what Mother Nature had to offer, we still had thousands without electricity and heat.