FREE The
II, Issue 2 • January 13, 2011
Pollard St. market robbed
On Monday, January 10, 2011 at approximately
8:30 pm members of the Lynchburg Police Depart-
ment responded to 200 Pollard Street, the Sunshine
Express Market in reference to a robbery. Upon ar-
riving on scene, police officers found the store clerk
inside the business and unharmed. The investiga-
tion revealed that two suspects armed with guns,
wearing dark clothes, and wearing masks covering
their faces, entered the business, and then exited
with an undisclosed amount of U.S. Currency.
This incident is currently under investigation by
the Lynchburg Police Department’s Criminal Inves-
tigations Division.
Anyone with any information regarding this crime
or the identity of the suspect is asked to call De-
tective J.T. Loyd at 455-6178,or Crime Stoppers
at 1-888-798-5900, visit the Central Virginia Crime
Stoppers website at www.cvcrimestoppers.org to
enter a web tip, or text “CVCS plus your message”
to 274637.
Black History Month
Programs for all ages at
the Legacy Museum
The Legacy Museum of African American History
has planned several events to commemorate Black
History Month 2011.
At noon on Saturday, February 5, members of the
Black Theatre Ensemble will discuss the group’s
FREE in Kroger, Food Lion, McDonalds & hundreds of other places!
Lynchburg Times
winter production, “A Soldier’s Play,” and how they
prepared for their roles in the play. Then, they will
perform several age-appropriate scenes from the
show.
This special program for young people will be
held at the Legacy Activity Center, 415 Monroe
Street , Lynchburg .
“A Soldier’s Play”, is a Black Theatre Ensemble
production directed by Tony Camm. Performances
at the Academy Warehouse Theatre are February
4 and 5 at 8 P.M. and February 6 at 3 P.M.
There is no charge for these events, but gener-
ous donations will help assure future programs and
exhibits. For additional information, call 845-3455.
Council makes entire city
Technology Zone
The Lynchburg City Council voted unanimously
Tuesday to designate the entire city as a technol-
ogy zone. The action was made in hopes of pro-
moting the city as a technology hub and attracting
more technology firms to the area. It joins 20 other
towns and cities in the state that have made their
entire locality a technology zone.
“I think this is fantastic,” said Council Member
Turner Perrow.
Lynchburg is currently home to the offices of a
number of businesses the fall under this technol-
ogy classification, including Areva Inc. and The
Babcock and Wilcox Company. The average wage
for employees at these technology firms is $41.66
an hour as opposed to the city average of $18.16
an hour.
In March 2002, the city enacted two technology
zones encompassing the downtown area and the
Lynchpin Industrial Park. As of Tuesday, no com-
panies had applied to be considered under the
zones.
In order to qualify, a company must meet a mini-
mum new net capital investment of $100,000, and
hire five new fulltime employees which work within
the zone, are provided health benefits and earn at
least twice that of the federal minimum wage.
Once a company meets the requirements, the
city will provide reimbursement of business license
taxes on a sliding scale for five years starting at 75
percent. Any technology business currently located
in the city will also be eligible for these incentives.
LU Law Students Want to
Help With Your Taxes
The Liberty University School of Law announced
Wednesday that it will make the Volunteer Income
Tax Assistance Program (VITA) available to low
and middle income tax payers. VITA, in it’s third
year at LU, will be staffed by volunteer law students
and be free of cost.
“The program has been very successful because
of the commitment of our students. I am very proud
of them for using their legal skills to help those in
need,” said Mathew Staver, Dean of the Liberty
School of Law.
The program will take place on January 31, Feb-
ruary 1-4 and February 7-11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
in the law school’s Mountain View Room. Appoint-
ments are available, but not required.
For more information on LU’s VITA program and
tax document preparation visit www.law.liberty.edu
or call Christopher Pitera at 804-678-8285.
Centra School of Practical
Nursing graduation
The Centra School of Practical Nursing program
held graduation exercises recently at Chestnut Hill
Baptist Church.
This year’s graduates were: Ashley Elizabeth
Vol.
Bond, Tracy Burford Edwards, Jessica Beard
Goode, Myesha Lashay Johnson, Robin Denise
Kidd, Tanya Gail Martin, Jeremy Scott Million, Char-
quenta Jefferson Myers, Erin K. O’Connor, Patricia
Ann Patterson-Cooper, Kara Gibson Payne, Steph-
anie Lee Roach, Summer Dawn Glover, Catherine
Helen Selmer, Cheryl Marie Shupe, Chasidy M.
Tappen, Amanda Sirois Thacker, Laurie Nichole
Thomas, Dawn Mayhew Turk, and Candace Rena
Younger.
Catherine Selmer received the academic excel-
lence award, which recognizes the graduate who
earned the highest academic average during the
nursing program.
Dawn Turk received the faculty award given to a
graduate for outstanding achievement and contri-
butions to the school and community.
Music City welcomes
Lynchburg native son
Ross Key - Ross Key Country - will showcase
his music throughout the month of April in grand
fashion while in Nashville, TN. With performances
at prestigious venues such as The Listening Room
Cafe, The Bluebird Cafe, and the historic Tootsie’s
Orchid Lounge, Key is making his debut in Nash-
ville a memorable one. He will be attending the Tin
Pan South festival, a four day fundraising event for
songwriters sponsored by the Nashville Songwrit-
ers Association International (NSAI).
Currently, his hit single, Saturday Night, is num-
ber one on the local country music chart at Reverb-
Nation.com and has held that position since early
January 2010.
Those who wish to purchase the single release
CD, can do so by visiting Amazon.com and search-
ing for ‘Ross Key Country’ under their music cat-
egory. It’s also available as an Mp3 download at
Amazon.com and ReverbNation.com. For more
information and appearance dates, visit www.re-
verbnation.com/rosskeycountry.
Page  • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

Delegates target plastic bags The Lynchburg Times

By Amanda Iacone
Virginia Statehouse News
Virginians could be toting fewer plas-
tic bags when they go to the grocery
store or pharmacy.
At least two delegates have proposed
legislation that would limit the avail-
ability of the commonly used bags.
Del. Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke, has
filed a bill that would ban retailers
from providing the bags to customers.
And Del. Joe Morrissey, D-Henrico,
said he will file legislation that would
add a 20 cent tax per bag for customers
who choose plastic over paper or reus-
able bags.
A bill to ban the bags died last year in
committee, Morrissey said.
But he is hopeful that a tax would
have the same impact by drastically re-
ducing the use of the bags and is more
likely to gain lawmakers’ support. His
intent is not to provide a new revenue
stream for the state, he said.
“The purpose is to have people stop
using plastic bags,” he said.
Morrissey said similar taxes in Wash-
ington, D.C., and in Ireland have dras-
tically curbed the number of bags that
are used and reduced the number of
bags sent to landfills. Here in Virgin-
ia bags also make their way to rivers,
streams and agricultural fields, he said.
Retailers would no longer have to
provide both paper and plastic, saving
them money, Morrissey said.
“It’s good for the environment. It’s
good for businesses and retailers and
it’s good for consumers,” Morrissey
said.
But increasing a tax while Virgin-
ians are still hurting for jobs and the
economy is still shaky will be a tough
sell during the upcoming General As-
sembly session, which officially begins
www.lynchburgtimes.com
Wednesday, said Del. Todd Gilbert , R-
Woodstock.
“We should be talking about other
things,” Gilbert said. “We’ve got bigger
problems right now than trying to leg-
islate how people behave.”
Gilbert said that while the new rev-
enue would be welcome, government
should live within its means and there
is little appetite to impose another tax
on consumers.
“I abhor the idea of taxing people to
change their behavior. I just think that’s Publisher & Editor:
not good public policy,” he said. Dan McDermott
Washington, D.C., enacted a 5-cent dan@lynchburgtimes.com
tax, which took effect a year ago. The
tax applies to paper and plastic bags
provided at business that have a food
or alcohol license, said Tom Moir, with
the District’s city council committee
on the environment and government
operations.
“We have seen a great reduction in
unnecessary bag use, as well as a great
upswing in folks bringing reusable bags
to supermarkets and grocery stores,”
Moir wrote in an e-mailed response.
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banned the bags from the Outer Banks
and West Virginia has no tax, accord-
ing to the National Conference of State
Legislatures.
More states and municipalities are
adopting laws to limit plastic bags,
including laws that enact taxes, said
J.R. Tolbert, assistant chapter director
for the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra
Club.
“It’s a very, very effective way to re-
duce plastic bag use,” he said.
Limiting plastic bags reduces fos-
Angie Buterakos
angie@AdvertiseLynchburg.com
540-683-9197
Sales Team:
Dianne Tranks: 434-258-3326
dianne@AdvertiseLynchburg.com
Michael Bull: 540-660-1199
michael@lynchburgtimes.com
Alison Duvall: 540-551-2072
alison@lynchburgtimes.com

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Legislators have until Wednesday Emily Williams
104 Candlewood Court, Lynchburg, VA 24502 morning to file bills for the upcoming emily@lynchburgtimes.com
Visit our website at www.BeJobReady.org to see Cynthia’s story! session.
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com
Insurance exchange decision looms
By Paige Cunningham
Virginia Statehouse News
For all of Virginia’s pressing issues,
there’s one that can’t be put off until
next year’s legislative session: ensur-
ing that the state, and not the federal
government, will run the new health
insurance exchange.
“It’s the one thing we need to do as
a legislature,” says Del. Patrick Hope,
D-Arlington. “Put our support behind
that.”
Hope is a member of the Health
Reform Initiative Council—a group
formed last July by Gov. Bob McDon-
nell to figure out the whats, wheres
and hows of creating the exchange. In-
tended to offer affordable coverage to
low-to-mid-range earners, exchanges
must be up and running in every state
by 2014.
While the healthcare reform carries a
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number of new requirements for states,
businesses and individuals—perhaps
most notably an individual insurance
mandate that sparked a lawsuit by At-
torney General Ken Cuccinelli—the
exchanges are perhaps the most com-
plex aspect, offering states lots of flex-
ibility in how they can be conducted.
If a state opts out of running an ex-
change, the federal government will
step up and take over. That’s not the
preferred scenario by Hope and his
colleagues on the health reform coun-
cil, who recommended to McDonnell
last month that Virginia set up its own
exchange.
“I’m fairly confident that we’ll do an
exchange because I don’t think anyone
wants the federal government to do it,”
Hope said.
If legislators approve the opt-in, the
state needs to get to work right away.
Hope says the exchange must be ready
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Join our forum at www.mylynchburg.net
January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 
to go by October 2013 in order to meet
the January 2014 deadline.
At that point, nearly half a million
Virginians would become eligible
for partially government-subsidized
health insurance through the new ex-
change.
That’s according to the Common-
wealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis,
a nonprofit that’s been studying the
federal healthcare reform and how it
will impact states. President Michael
Cassidy released on Monday a new
report highlighting some of the chal-
lenges Virginia faces in setting up an
exchange.
Although anyone may purchase in-
surance through an exchange, they’re
mainly for those who can’t get insur-
ance through their employer and who
earn between 130 and 400 percent of
the federal poverty level—in other
words, an income of $22,000 to $88,000
for a family of four.
Depending on where they fall in that
income spectrum, those earners could
receive subsidies to help pay for their
premiums. A family of four earning
$22,000 would be expected to put 2
percent of its income toward premi-
ums, while families at the top end of
the spectrum earning $88,000 would
have to pay 9.5 percent. The rest of the
cost would be covered by the federal
government.
The Commonwealth Institute esti-
mates that at least 400,000 Virginians
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will be eligible for subsidies through
the exchange—nearly half of those cur-
rently uninsured in the state. To give
those future consumers a successful
exchange, Cassidy says policymakers
need to focus on a couple key areas.
One of the biggest questions is
whether to run the exchange through
an existing state agency, create a new
state agency or set up an independent
nonprofit. Cassidy seems to lean to-
ward the independent nonprofit op-
tion, since it could keep the exchange
sheltered from shifts in state govern-
ment.
“The state needs to keep it immune
from political turnover no matter what
they choose,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy also urged policymakers to
make sure industry groups that could
directly benefit financially from the ex-
change aren’t are part of governing the
exchange.
He offers additional considerations
like making sure the exchanges don’t
enroll a disproportionate number of
those with higher health risks—thus
causing premiums in the exchange to
rise and enrollment to suffer—and of-
fering consumer assistance programs
that allow Virginians to make informed
decisions.
“Like a lot of things in life, all these
options have pros and cons,” Cassidy
said. “What is most important is to
have key principal imbedded in that
structure.”
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Page  • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

DiscoverLynchburg releases
Viral Video series….in
multiple languages!
With the constant growth in popularity of the in-
ternet, mobile technology and viral marketing op-
portunities, The Lynchburg Regional Convention and
Visitors Bureau (discoverLynchburg) launched one
of its marketing initiatives for 2011…a series of viral
videos. The videos, one for each local and regional
attraction and recreational site, are short, packed
with information and loaded with striking images.
“This format is perfect for use on internet sites
such as YouTube and Facebook” said Beckie Nix,
Director of the LRCVB. “The videos are fast and easy
to watch, and more importantly easy to pass on and
share. This is where you see the value of internet
marketing actually multiply, thus the term ‘viral’.
Each of the videos is between one and 2 minutes
in length and is released not only in English, but in
multiple foreign languages as well. “We are really
pushing for our share of the International travel mar-
ket’ said Nix. “They have longer to stay, and typically
more money to spend than domestic travelers, and
Lynchburg is so accessible now from the DC area”.
The first three videos in the series, the Blue Ridge
Parkway, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest and the
Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center, are already com-
plete, translated and posted on discoverLynchburg’s
website, YouTube channel and Facebook pages.
The videos can be viewed in English, French, Span-
ish and German.
“We will be launching the rest of the series sys-
tematically over the next few months, and I believe
Amazement Square is next on the list” Nix added.
“What a great way to spread the word about all
Lynchburg has to offer…and to be able to literally
share that information in other languages for poten-
tial visitors around the globe!”
For more information please contact ‘discover
Lynchburg’ at 847-1811 or go to www.discoverlynch-
burg.org

Join the discussion on our

new site:

• Chat
• Local Profiles
• Free Classifieds
Login with:
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 

Legislators pitch gas-tax hike

By Amanda Iacone
Virginia Statehouse News
Some Democrats in the Virginia House
of Delegates want drivers to pay a higher
gasoline tax to help pay down estimated $1
billion shortfall in transportation funding.
The move, however, is considered a non-
starter for Republican lawmakers and the
Republican governor.
“I think it would be reckless and irre-
sponsible to raise the gasoline tax,” said
Delegate Bill Janis, R- Henrico. “I’m not
in favor of raising the tax on gas especially
right now with the economy. The last thing
we want to do is to make it that much more
difficult to do business in the state of Vir-
ginia.”
Delegate Algie Howell, D-Norfolk, has
filed legislation that would increase the gas
tax by 10-cents per gallon. Delegate Jim
Scott, D-Fairfax County, has filed a bill that
would raise the tax to keep up with the rise
in gas prices. And Delegate Vivian Watts,
D-Fairfax County, says she will introduce
similar legislation.
Gov. Bob McDonnell, has proposed bor-
rowing almost $3 billion to pay for overdue
road and transit projects around the state.
He does not support increasing the gas
tax, said spokeswoman Taylor Thornley.
The 17.5-cent gas tax is a regressive tax
and hurts the poor and raises the cost of
goods and services from groceries to deliv-
ery services, Janis said.
While the proposal is likely to generate
a lot of discussion, Janis doesn’t believe
many lawmakers, Democrat or Republi-
can, would support it this year, he said.
But Watts said a tax hike should be con-
sidered among other revenue sources,
including the governor’s plan to borrow
money, and is long overdue. The tax has
not been increased since it was enacted in
the late 1980s and has not kept up with in-
flation nor with fuel efficient vehicles that
travel more miles on less gas.
“What is being discussed may have a
long-term additional cost and is only a
short terms solution,” Watts said of the
governor’s plan.
When the state’s gas tax was enacted in
the late 1980s, the revenue made up half
of all funding for construction projects.
Today only 14 percent of all new transpor-
tation construction dollars come from the
gas tax, she said, citing revenue estimates
for the current fiscal year.
“That is at the heart of our problems with
construction. We are inches away from not
being able to match federal funds,” Watts
said.
Most federal transportation dollars pay
80 percent of a project’s cost, and the state
pays 20 percent.
And almost no money is available this
year to help pay for routine maintenance
on local roads and streets, Watts said.
Fairfax County, with a population of
about 1 million people, will receive enough
money to install a new traffic light this year,
Watts said. Instead all counties should be
receiving millions.
Larry Land, director of policy devel-
opment for the Virginia Association of
Counties, said that for several years almost
no funding has been passed down to the
localities to pay for secondary street con-
struction. And some maintenance tasks,
like grass mowing along medians, has been
reduced.
Funding has been shrinking for years,
sparking frustration among county level
officials, Land said.
Because of that history of dwindling state
support, county leaders are very interested
in the governor’s transportation proposal.
But the county association has not yet de-
cided whether it supports the plan, Land
said.
“We support new transportation reve-
nue from myriad sources, the gas tax being
one of them. We are conscious that other
sources would have to be evaluated,” Land
said.

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Page  • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011
Republicans unveil joint agenda ahead of session
By Amanda Iacone
Virginia Statehouse News
Virginia Republican leaders rolled out
a unified legislative platform Tuesday af-
ternoon ahead of Wednesday’s start to
the General Assembly session.
Gov. Bob McDonnell, flanked by Re-
publican legislative leaders Lt. Gov. Bill
Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuc-
cinelli, said the aim is to provide results,
not rhetoric for Virginians this session.
But Democrats questioned how Re-
publicans will pay for their initiatives,
adding that said some of their priorities
are just election-year antics.
“In 2010, Virginia voters and (voters)
around the county said we will not tol-
erate the government spending more
money than it collects,” said Brian Coy,
spokesman for the Democratic Party of
Virginia. “The governor’s agenda is more
of the same. It’s just a lot of debt without
any way of paying for it.”
McDonnell reiterated his top priorities
to increase funding for transportation
and transit projects, make changes to
tax credits and other incentives to bring
new jobs to the state, as well as increase
access to higher education.
The governor said he plans to re-
lease his revised proposal to privatize
the state-run liquor stores as soon as
Wednesday. He also said he would re-
veal the latest plans from his govern-
ment reform commission.
Other officials also outlined several
priorities they will push during the leg-
islative session.
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Cuccinelli said Republicans would
push forward a constitutional amend-
ment to protect private property by lim-
iting the use of eminent domain.
Speaker of the House Bill Howell said
he wants the Legislature to add language
to the state constitution to allow the Leg-
islature to repeal federal laws. He said it
would help deter future expansion of the
federal government.
Tommy Norment, Republican leader
of the Senate, said the state needs to pro-
tect its right to work laws, which gives
workers the option of joining a work-
place union, by adding the language to
the constitution. That would protect
against federal law changes that would
make it easier for workers to unionize.
The move by political leaders to pres-
ent a united front on the agenda marks
the first time in many years that the
Republican leadership has worked as a
team to draft an agenda, Bolling said.
Their aim, he said, is to shrink govern-
ment and get the state’s economy mov-
Financial Success
in 12 Simple Steps
If you need to re-set your New Year reso-
lutions and start again, consider using the
financial success list below from the Na-
tional Foundation for Credit Counseling
(NFCC). There are 12 steps in all. Check
off each one as it’s accomplished, perhaps
one a week.
1. Track spending for a month. Write
down every dime you spend. At the end of
the month, you’ll know where your money is
really going.
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com
ing.
But Coy said the move to add language
to Virginia’s constitution to repeal fed-
eral laws and protect private property
from eminent domain are attempts to
placate Tea Party activists who helped
elect McDonnell and other Republican
leaders.
“This is an election year. That’s why
people want to make as much political
hay as they can beforehand. We’ve got
some serious problems on our plate,”
said Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath
County.
Deeds also questioned how Republi-
cans would pay for their proposed agen-
da.
Borrowing to pay for transportation
projects is not the way to address $4 bil-
lion in road and transit needs during the
next four years, he said.
Deeds agrees with the governor’s goal
to increase access to higher education,
though he questions how the GOP will
pay for that increased access.
2. Create a budget you can live with, us-
ing the figures from the above step.
3. Reduce your debt. Stop using credit
cards and spending money until you have
your finances under control.
4. Commit to save. Put away 10 percent
of your take-home pay, and save any extra
money until you have an emergency fund.
5. Review your credit report. By law you
get one free report per year from each of
the big three reporting agencies. This is
your opportunity to find errors and have
them fixed. Call annualcreditreport.com at
1-877-322-8228 for your free reports. It will
verify via phone who you are.
6. Get your FICO score. Whether you’re
at the top or bottom of the scale, you need
to know. If your number is less than it was
in the past, you need to investigate why.
7. Get organized. Whether it’s a shoebox
or a more elaborate setup, what’s important
is that you know where to find things.
8. Stop incurring late fees. Pay your bills
on time, ideally the day you get them. Not
only do late payments cost you money in
fees, but too many of them on your credit
And while he agrees that comprehen-
sive changes to state eminent domain
laws are needed, especially related to
how the state acquires property to wid-
en highways, Deeds said the changes
don’t necessarily belong in the constitu-
tion. Lawmakers’ time would be better
spent focusing on transportation and
reforming the underfunded Virginia Re-
tirement System, he said.
Deeds applauded McDonnell for
pitching a plan to save the pension sys-
tem, but the senator said a different plan
is needed that won’t saddle localities
with an unfunded mandate. McDon-
nell’s current plan calls for localities to
come up with a 3 percent benefits in-
crease, worth more than $1 million for
Albemarle County, Deeds said.
Lawmakers will have to work together
to address these major issues, Deeds
said, because the houses of the Legisla-
ture are divided. Democrats control the
Senate while Republicans control the
House of Delegates.
report will drop your credit score.
9. Stop paying overdraft fees. The more
organized you are about your finances,
the less likely you are to overdraw your ac-
count.
10. Contribute to Flexible Spending Ac-
counts or Health Savings Accounts to lower
your taxable income.
11. Check your insurance and be sure it
covers your current needs. Ask about dis-
counts.
12. Consider refinancing your mortgage.
A lower interest rate can save you money in
the long run.
For more information go to the NFCC
website at www.DebtAdvice.org, or call 1-
800-388-2227 to find a certified financial
counselor. The website also has a Twitter
link with a helpful hint each day. They’re
worth reading.
David Uffington regrets that he cannot person-
ally answer reader questions, but will incorporate
them into his column whenever possible. Write to
him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O.
Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-
mail to columnreply@gmail.com.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 

Balanced budgets teeter atop unstable revenues

By Paige Winfield Cunningham
Virginia Statehouse News
Virginia is not the only state to dip into
unstable revenue streams to balance its bud-
get. Lawmakers closed a $4 billion deficit in
Western Va. lawmakers support McDonnell transportation,
higher ed plans
By Amanda Iacone
Virginia Statehouse News
Western Virginia lawmakers on Wednesday offered
strong support for Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plans to re-
form higher education and increase funding for trans-
portation projects.
In his second State of the Commonwealth address
Wednesday night before a joint session of the Virginia
House of Delegates and Senate, McDonnell gave
somber acknowledgment to the shootings this past
weekend in Tuscon, Ariz., that have griped the nation.
But the governor quickly moved on to tout his work
during the past year and reiterated his current legisla-
tive agenda, which he has rolled out during the past
month.
McDonnell said his administration during the past
year has put the state in the black fiscally and created
almost 70,000 jobs. His speech capped off the first day
of the 2011 General Assembly. Lawmakers spent the
day greeting one another and getting ready for the next
46 days.
Legislators face retooling the state’s ailing public
pension system, curbing tuition cost increases and in-
fusing billions into transportation and transit projects.
The governor has proposed $50 million in new fund-
ing to provide aid to undergraduate students and to
encourage colleges and universities to operate more
Virginia’s two-year budget last year, partly by
deferring $750 million in payments into the
state pension fund. The state will have to pay
back those deferments — along with interest
— over the next 10 years.
That kind of unsustainable budget balancing
lege and James Madison University.
State dollars to the universities impacts tuition, and
rising tuition coupled with the weak economy have
slowed the growth in JMU’s student population, Tam-
berrino said.
“Everything we have heard so far, keeping the budget
under control, trying to live within our means, resonates
very well with our members here,” Tamberrino said of
the governor’s other priorities.
Del. Edward T. Scott, R-Madison County, said the
most important goal for this session is to continue cre-
ating new jobs. And while the governor’s transporta-
tion plan would not only reduce congestion on Virginia
roads, it would put people to work, he said.
“It is clearly doable,” he said of the plan to borrow up
to $3 billion.
The governor’s total road and transit plan would pay
for up to 900 projects during the next four years.
It would also expand an existing revenue sharing
program that both Albemarle and Culpeper counties
have used to build roads.
Sen. Edward Houck, D-Culpeper, said he supports
the governor’s transportation plan.
“I’m not at all concerned about it,” Houck said. “It’s a
great way to get people working.”
But he said the governor’s plan to privatize state-run
liquor stores has a long shot of gaining support. Houck
said the Legislature isn’t in the mood to tackle the un-
is going on all over the country, said research-
er Eileen Norcross, speaking at George Mason
University’s Mercatus Center on Tuesday.
States’ seemingly balanced budgets are ac-
tually teetering atop unstable revenues, Nor-
cross said. She contends that many states are
using budget-balancing tactics that amount
to no more than “gimmickry” and will leave
them worse off in the long run.
These kinds of tactics surface in a number of
different forms, she says. Like using money for
general purposes that have been earmarked
for specific programs. Or relying on one-time
federal grants or inconsistent dollars from
state lotteries or cigarette taxes. Or even put-
ting off payments into the pension fund.
Whenever a state uses these types of tactics
because it doesn’t have enough ongoing rev-
enues to cover ongoing expenses, it’s running
a structural deficit—even if its balance sheets
add up in a given year, Norcross says.
“For how long can you sustain state spend-
ing on lotteries, dumping funds, bonding, all
of these tactics,” Norcross said. “Eventually
you’re going to run out of steam.”
She offers as an example Maryland, which
faced a $2 billion shortfall last year.
In response, lawmakers cut $1 billion. But
they turned to other measures to make up the
remaining $1 billion. They transferred $800
million into the general fund from other funds
and assumed $389 billion would be available
in extra Medicaid funding that Congress had
yet to approve. They also used $25 million in
other one-time revenues and $2.7 million in
federal stimulus funds.
And Maryland’s structural deficit wasn’t as
large as what some states are confronting. In
fiscal year 2012, New Jersey will face a $10.5
billion deficit (26 percent of the budget) while
California will grapple with a $19.2 billion def-
icit (18.7 percent of the budget). Illinois tops
them all, facing a deficit that’s 47 percent of its
general fund budget.
To some extent, the federal stimulus pack-
age passed in 2009 has sheltered states from
the full impact of lagging revenues. In total,
states used the stimulus funds to close $89.3
billion in budget gaps in 2010.
But now, states are facing another $26.7 bil-
lion in deficits in 2011, Norcross says. And
turning to one-time, unstable revenue sources
won’t work forever.
“At some point, they’re not going to be able
to bond their way out,” Norcross said.
Norcross was joined by Steven Malanga, a
senior fellow at the conservative-leaning Man-
hattan Institute, and Mike Jerman, legislative
director for U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah,
to talk about how states can find their way out
of ongoing deficits.
Without structural reform—cutting ex-
penses enough so that they’re fully covered
by consistent, ongoing revenues—states will
continue to grapple with deficits and citizens
will be shortchanged, Malanga said.
“The game has been rigged against taxpay-
ers over the years,” he said.

Join the discussion about

efficiently while increasing graduation rates. necessary issue.
While the governor wants to reinvest in higher edu- He noted that the governor did not dedicate much time
cation, he said the funding will come with more fis- to the privatization plan in his speech.
cal accountability and cost-saving innovations from The governor said selling the ABC stores would gener-

this on our new site:

schools.
McDonnell said it is “unconscionable” that college
tuition has doubled during the past 10 years.
“This will help keep those costs down,” Del. Steven
Landes, R-Weyers Cave, said of the governor’s higher
education reform proposals.
Colleges and universities have increased tuition and
fees to make up for dwindling state support – reduc-
tions that came as lawmakers tried to balance the state
budget, Landes said.
He said the governor’s plan will rebalance how uni-
versities are funded. And the focus on science and
math-related fields is the right move, Landes said.
“That’s where the jobs of the future are going to be,”
he said.
Frank Tamberrino, president and chief executive
ate up to $300 million for transportation.
Houck praised the governor for making re-funding
higher education a priority.
The governor has also proposed that public employees
from university professors to state police begin contrib-
uting to their retirement. He would offset their contribu-
tion with a 3 percent pay raise.
That would send an additional $300 million to the
retirement system in a year. The system currently is
$17.6 billion short. The state borrowed more than $600
million from the pension system to balance the 2010
budget.
Scott said the proposal is a bold first step. He said
reforms are needed to ensure the state can fulfill its
promises to state employees and to ensure the state is
being responsible with taxpayers’ dollars.

officer of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of All three legislators agreed the governor set the right

Commerce, is among community leaders in Harrison-
burg watching closely how much money is budgeted
for public colleges and university.
Harrisonburg is home to Blue Ridge Community Col-
Login with:
tone for the session. McDonnell said that respectful,
civil discourse will best serve the state.
“That sets the stage for the rest of the session,” Landes
said.
Page  • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

Voted BEST MORNING SHOW in the state by

the Virginia Association of Broadcasters • On Jan. 26, 1788, the first Australian penal
colony is established, and 736 convicts ban-
ished from England land in Botany Bay. During
the next 60 years, approximately 50,000 crimi-
nals were transported from Great Britain.

• On Jan. 29, 1845, Edgar Allan Poe’s famous

poem “The Raven,” beginning “Once upon a
midnight dreary,” is published in the New York
Evening Mirror.

• On Jan. 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pre-

toria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is
discovered. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and chris-
tened the “Cullinan,” it is the largest diamond
ever found. The Cullinan was later cut into nine
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• On Jan. 24, 1935, the first canned beer goes
on sale. In partnership with the American Can
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Join Brian and Mari Weekdays from 6am - 10am on The Morningline. Va. It had taken two years of research to de-
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conversation by calling the studio line at 846-8255 or 866-338-1059.
• On Jan. 27, 1965, the Shelby GT 350, a ver-
sion of a Ford Mustang sports car developed
by American auto racer and car designer Car-
roll Shelby, is launched. The Shelby GT 350
featured a 306 horsepower V-8 engine and
remained in production through the end of the
1960s.

• On Jan. 30, 1972, in Londonderry, Northern

The Morningline Ireland, 13 unarmed civil-rights demonstrators
Glenn Beck Rush Sean Neal Jason are shot dead by British Army paratroopers in
with Brian & Mari 10am - Noon Limbaugh Hannity Boortz Lewis an event that becomes known as “Bloody Sun-
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News•Talk • On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challeng-

er explodes just after liftoff from Cape Canav-

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eral, Fla., killing the seven astronauts aboard.
The O-ring seal on the Challenger’s solid rocket
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LYNCHBURG
peratures, failed. Flames then broke out of the
booster and damaged the external fuel tank.
Within 73 seconds, the shuttle began breaking
apart, then plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.

© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com
Parks Officials Seek
AmeriCorps Applicants
Virginia State Parks officials are seeking applicants
to serve as AmeriCorps members this summer.
The AmeriCorps project will hire 34 interpreters
from April to September to provide park guests with
stewardship ethics, cultural programs and access to
natural park resources.
AmeriCorps members will receive a stipend for liv-
ing expenses and, upon completion of their service,
will be considered for a $2,350 education award.
The program’s new positions stem from a grant
from the Corporation for National and Community
Service, which funds local and federal organizations
that use national service to address local issues.
For more information, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/
state_parks/americorps.shtml.
– Fletcher Babb
Capital News Service
January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 
House Welcomes Kirk Cox
As New Majority Leader
By Tracy Kennedy
Capital News Service
Delegate Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, dug
through the pile of papers on his desk until he found
the packet he was looking for. He wanted to review
his research one more time before leaving for his
Now
party’s caucus meeting.
“I’m afraid I’m going to make the wrong motion,”
Cox said. “If I move to adjourn the session, then
the governor can’t come and make his [State of the
Commonwealth] speech. I have to move to recess.”
Open!
In December, Cox was elected House majority
leader by his fellow Republicans after their previ-
ous leader, Delegate Morgan Griffith of Salem, was
elected to Congress. Cox had previously served as
the Majority whip for the Republicans.
“This will be a really interesting challenge – trying
to represent your area, which is very important, and
trying to be majority leader, and doing the budget,”
Cox said Wednesday before the General Assembly
convened at noon. “It’ll be a busy session.”
Bentley Commons
Assisted Living is
Lynchburg’s new local website MyLynchburg.net Now Open
offers local users a free way to meet, chat and dis-
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The site offers a quick login with Facebook or Twit-
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Facebook users also have the option of pulling VHUYLFHij0HGLFDWLRQ
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news@lynchburgtimes.com Lynchburg, VA 24502
www. BentleyCommons.com
Page 10 • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

1 clove garlic, cut in half
Nonstick olive-oil cooking spray
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
liberally with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes or until
golden-brown and crisp. Cool croutons in pan.
3. Meanwhile, in large salad bowl, with wire whisk, mix
together mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, olive
oil, anchovy paste and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Caesar Salad 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon anchovy paste
Coarsely ground black pepper
4. Add lettuce and croutons to dressing in bowl; toss
to coat. Makes 6 first-course servings.

We’ve given high-calorie Caesar a healthy make-
over. We coated the croutons with cooking spray
instead of olive oil, then replaced egg yolk with light
mayonnaise to keep the classic dressing’s creamy
texture -- without the classic guilt.
4 ounces Italian bread
1 package (18-ounce) hearts of romaine lettuce, torn
into bite-size pieces
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut bread into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Rub bread slic-
es, on both sides, with cut sides of garlic. Cut bread
into 1/2-inch cubes; place in jelly-roll pan. Spray bread
• Each serving: About 140 calories, 8g total fat (2g
saturated), 7mg cholesterol, 280mg sodium, 13g total
carbs, 2g dietary fiber, 4g protein.
For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our web-
site at www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
• It was beloved American comedian, actor,
producer and author Bill Cosby who offered
the following advice to new parents: “Always
end the name of your child with a vowel, so
that when you yell, the name will carry.”

• Those who study such things say that it

many of them lost; it was about a simple three-
word slogan that captured the essence of the
Republican program: “Stop the Spending.”
Since the end of the Bush administration, the
Democratic plaint has been that Republicans
are shameless budget poseurs. They talk like
fiscal hawks, but they never deliver. The tea
party opposes government only in theory. This
line of argument will soon be abandoned in fa-
vor of the charge that Republicans are waging
1. Robert Parissi was frontman for what 1970s
an unprecedentedly cruel assault on the federal
group?
budget.
takes one second to vacuum 1 square foot
of floor.
• You probably don’t realize it -- and you cer-
tainly don’t notice it -- but experts claim that
the Atlantic Ocean is getting about 1 centime-
ter bigger every year, and the Pacific Ocean
is shrinking by the same amount. It’s due to
continental drift, they say.
• If you’re planning a trip to central Africa, you
can pay a visit to both the shortest people in

After the Binge

2. Which group released “I’m Into Something
Good,” and when?
3. What was Fleetwood Mac’s first No. 1 hit in
the U.S.?
4. Who released “Lonely Teenager,” and when?
5. David Lee Roth had most of his No. 1 hits
with what band?
6. Name the only album the Silver Bullet Band
saw shoot to the top of the charts.
7. Name the Millie Small 1964 release that’s
been widely used, including being translated
into Italian, Swedish, Serbian, German and
more.
Answers
1. Wild Cherry. The group had a No. 1 hit with
“Play That Funky Music.” Parissi now lives in
Florida and plays adult contemporary jazz.
2. Herman’s Hermits, in 1964. The song reached
No. 1 in the U.K., but only No. 13 in the U.S.
3. “Dreams” in 1977. The song was written by
Stevie Nicks.
4. Dion (DiMucci) in 1960. The song only
reached No. 12 on the charts, but is an oldies
standard today.
5. Van Halen. His only No. 1 solo was “Just Like
Paradise” in 1988.
6. “Against the Wind” in 1980. It won a Grammy
for best packaging and for best rock group per-
formance with vocals.
7. “My Boy Lollipop,” amazingly enough. It’s
said that Rush Limbaugh has used it as an up-
date theme on his radio show.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
President Barack Obama’s first two years in
office were for the ages: Rarely has so much
been spent so wantonly with so little discernible
public benefit.
Nondefense discretionary spending account-
ed for $434 billion of the federal budget in 2008,
without widespread deprivation or riots in the
streets. This was the year that then-candidate
Obama promised to scour the budget line by line
for wastefulness and said in one of the presi-
dential debates that his program would be a net
spending cut.
In 2010, such spending was $537 billion of
the budget, a 24 percent increase. Throw in
the stimulus and its $259 billion of discretionary
spending -- a category that excludes entitle-
ments -- and the run-up is much higher. Most
departments saw double-digit increases, and
some saw triple-digit increases. For the federal
government, 2008-2010 were the fat years.
Congress passed bills without knowing what
was in them, and took the recession as warrant
to spend with no serious regard to merit or con-
sequences. The resulting bursting-at-the-seams
federal behemoth is about to have its turn on
“The Biggest Loser.”
The election of 2010 wasn’t about the two
parties getting along, although all things being
equal many people would prefer that they did;
it wasn’t about defeating incumbents, although
This is not Tom DeLay’s Republican Congress,
fat and happy in Washington. It is fired with an
ardor to deliver on its promise to limit govern-
ment. Nearly 90 members of the Republican
caucus are freshmen, shaped in the crucible of
the tea party. In the context of the House Repub-
lican caucus, Budget Committee Chairman Paul
Ryan -- who has a far-reaching plan to reform
taxes and entitlements -- is practically the estab-
lishment.
The first order of business is to take nonde-
fense discretionary spending back to 2008 lev-
els. A two-year rollback doesn’t sound overly
ambitious, even though it would represent more
than a 20 percent cut in spending. This would
be a spectacular feat, less like turning an ocean
liner around than throwing it in reverse and
backing it up. Every inertial force in Washington
will resist this change.
House Republicans will have to match their
zeal with strategic canny. The larger argument
over the size of government in this country is far
from settled. The Republican political goal must
be to make a government-cutting agenda seem
reasonable and practicable rather than the ob-
verse of Obama’s spending recklessness.
After a carnival of spending, it is the Lenten
season. It is time to reflect on and repent of our
excess. The question is no longer how much
more, it’s how much less. The binge is over.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
the world (the Pygmy tribes) as well as the
tallest (the Tutsi, also known as the Watusi).
• If you’re a blood donor, you help to make
up a significant minority. In the United States,
less than 5 percent of the population donates
blood every year.
• It was Nobel Prize-winning Russian author
Boris Pasternak who wrote the novel (later
adapted to film) “Doctor Zhivago.” It was
originally published in 1957 in Italy, to great
acclaim, but it wasn’t published in the Soviet
Union until 1988.
• If you took all the Tootsie Rolls produced
every year and placed them end to end,
there would be enough candy to stretch to
the moon and back. Interestingly, the Tootsie
Roll isn’t actually considered to be chocolate
-- not according to the definition used by fed-
eral officials supervising the candy industry,
anyway.
• The world’s highest tides are found in the
Bay of Fundy, located in Nova Scotia, Can-
ada. There, the difference between high and
low tides can be as much as 50 feet.
Thought for the Day: “I am free of all prejudic-
es. I hate everyone equally.” -- W.C. Fields
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com
This could be your ad
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Advertise in The Lynchburg Times
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The Quest to Beat Jimmie
Johnson
Who is the favorite to win the Sprint Cup
championship in 2011?
Hah!
Think of the person you know who cares the
least about NASCAR. Even he (or she) can
probably answer the question. It’s the same
guy who won the last five, Jimmie Johnson.
As sportswriter and author Damon Runyan
said (or more likely, wrote), “The race is not al-
ways to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,
but that’s the way to bet.”
But NASCAR is far too competitive for any
driver to enter a season as the overwhelming
favorite, isn’t it? Hope springs eternal during
every off-season.
“You know, some stars are born, some stars
are coming on now, and it just takes time,” said
NASCAR chairman Brian France in November
2010. “Our job is to make sure that we are put-
ting the best racing in the world forward, and let
those story lines and incredible performances
get the recognition over time as they will, and
that’s what we do.”
Each of Johnson’s five championships have
featured a different runner-up: Matt Kenseth
(2006), Jeff Gordon (2007), Carl Edwards
(2008), Mark Martin (2009) and Denny Hamlin
(2010).
It’s not uncommon, naturally, for the runner-
up one year to be considered a prime contender
the following year, and that certainly is the case
for Hamlin, who won two more races (8) than
Johnson. Kevin Harvick, the regular-season
points leader, finished a relatively close third.
Edwards was fourth and takes a two-race win
streak into the 2011 season opener at Daytona
International Speedway.
As is almost always the case, Kyle Busch, a
prodigious winner who has slumped notably in
past Chases, will get considerable attention,
along with four-time champion Jeff Gordon,
two-time champion Tony Stewart and others.
Who will unseat five-time Sprint Cup
champion Jimmie Johnson? Kevin Har-
vick, seen at center after winning last
year’s Daytona 500, came close. (John
Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)
Harvick, while paying just tribute to Johnson’s
unprecedented achievements, also referred to
a “golden horseshoe,” thus suggesting that
good fortune hasn’t been the least of Johnson’s
virtues during his run of titles.
The notion that Johnson’s luck is “bound to
run out” seems a bit less inevitable now than it
did four years ago.
Monte Dutton covers motorsports for The
Gaston (N.C.) Gazette. E-mail Monte at nas-
carthisweek@yahoo.com.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 11
1. Three players hit at least 290 home runs during the
decade of the 1970s. Name two of them.
2. Who was the first pitcher to strike out 200 or more
batters in nine consecutive seasons?
3. From 2007 through 2009, only two NFL wide receiv-
ers had more than 100 catches and more than 1,000
receiving yards each season. Name either receiver.
4. When was the last time before 2010 that the Uni-
versity of Dayton men’s basketball team won a post-
season NIT title?
5. The NHL Draft in 2010 set a mark for most Ameri-
can players picked in the first round. How many?
6. NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson (2006-10) is one
of two drivers to be a five-time consecutive season
champion in a major motorsports series. Name the
other driver.
7. In 2010, Francesca Schiavone, at 29, became the
oldest woman to win her first Grand Slam tennis title
since whom?
Answers
1. Willie Stargell (296 home runs), Reggie Jack-
son (292) and Johnny Bench (290).
2. Tom Seaver of the New York Mets (1968-76).
3. Denver’s Brandon Marshall and New England’s
Wes Welker.
4. It was 1968.
5. Eleven.
6. Formula 1’s Michael Schumacher (2000-04).
7. Ann Jones was 30 when she won Wimbledon
in 1969.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Michael Vick and the Eagles
“It’s Kevin [Kolb’s] team,” said Michael Vick at the be-
ginning of the season, just after a game where he had
just came off the bench to electrify the Philadelphia faith-
ful and the team to a win.
Quarterback controversy? One look at the game film
and coach Andy Reid’s faith in the former felon was
clearly rewarded. Vick was back -- and better than ever.
He still had the speed, he still had an arm capable of
throwing from one end of the field to the other, and his
head was on straight ... two years in a federal prison will
do that to a guy, apparently.
This year he put on two performances for the ages
-- the thrashing of the Redskins at their park, and the
final-quarter comeback that seemingly destroyed the Gi-
ants’ will to ever play football again. These were not only
the two best singular performances of the NFL season,
they were the best moments any quarterback has ever
put on, period.
If he doesn’t mention the word “dog” anymore at press
conferences (or Kolb for that matter), his resurgence will
make the Eagles perennial contenders. No matter what
the voters say, Vick was the NFL MVP this year, hands
down.
The “Decision”
The dean of sports columnists, Frank Deford, crankily
lamented that really, not much happened in the world
of sports during the past year. While I disagree, it’s
hard to argue that the top stories of the year revolved
around decisions -- most of them extremely poor ones.
Tiger Woods decision to step out on his wife (and it was
a very large staircase), Brett Favre’s decision to send
more text messages than touchdown passes during his
brief season as a Jet two years ago, Rex Ryan’s deci-
sion to upload movies about tootsies years before taking
over the head slot in New York (that’s OK ... NY isn’t a
place known for media scrutiny). But, no, it was “The
Decision,” Lebron James’ monument to narcissism, an
hour-long press-conference-cum-reality-show where he
treated Cleveland like the loser on a ‘70s game show.
Disgraceful as it was distasteful.
Fair Weather Mayweather
He’s the guy with the private jets, the guy who likes to
make it rain in strip clubs and gambling parlors, the guy
who rides a Segway up and down the halls of his house.
He’s Floyd Mayweather, and he managed to stay in the
spotlight this past season, but when he held all the cards
to what should have been the fight of the century so far
-- a duel with Manny Paquiao -- Mayweather folded,
complaining about the hand he’d been dealt in terms of
drug testing. Farewell, Floyd.
More next week ...
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter and publisher of
The Kansas City Luminary.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Page 12 • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

A Tale of Two Zoning Requests

The entrance Acorn Hill displays two large “notice to rezone”

signs, a decision that is still up in the air.
By Emily Williams
The Lynchburg Times
At Tuesday’s city council meet-
ing, two men came before the board,
each seeking to up the zoning on their
property to a B-3 Community Busi-
ness District. George “Buster” Walker,
owner of the James River Professional
Building walked away with his re-
zone, and Robert Crocker, owner of
the Acorn Hill Lodge, did not.
The reasons behind the results can be
used to guide property owners hoping
to rezone their own property, and give
others a glimpse into the inner work-
ings of Lynchburg’s city government.
Acorn Hill Lodge
Robert Crocker owns the Acorn Hill
Lodge on Old Forest Road. The es-
tablishment that began as a small bed
and breakfast with up to four guests
in 1996, was rezoned in 2004 to al-
low for a eight-room lodging with spa
and salon services. With an increase
in business, and under recommenda-
tion from the Department of Health,
Crocker requested the property be re-
zoned again to allow for 17 rooms and
a commercial kitchen.
Buster Walker will have to find a new sign after the council ap-
proved a B-3 zoning on his property.
“We are just trying to meet guest ex-
pectations,” said Crocker.
The conditional rezoning would al-
low for two-story 3,721 square foot
addition to the existing facility, which
would include four additional guest
rooms, a laundry facility and banquet
hall seating up to 25 guests.
Speaking in opposition to the rezon-
ing at the Tuesday council meeting was
Stephen Driskill, a neighbor of Acorn
Hill. While Driskill agreed that Crock-
er was a good neighbor, he voiced con-
cern that upgrading the lodge’s zoning
would pave the way for future owners
to disrupt the area’s residential feel.
“Restaurants by their nature need to
be visible… I don’t want to sit on my
front porch across the street and look
at a restaurant sign,” said Driskill.
Specifically, Driskill worried about
light pollution from a possible larger
sign allowed by B-3 zone and increased
traffic on the blind corner that is just
after Acorn Hill on Old Forest Road.
Crocker responded, explaining he was
happy to work with the neighborhood
to meet their needs.
“We are out to be just a very friend-
ly neighborhood community,” said

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Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com
Crocker.
The members of the council were, on
a whole, supportive of the business-
man’s desire to expand. Council Mem-
ber Cary pointed out that Acorn Hill
was voted Lynchburg’s best bed and
breakfast and was a noteworthy local
business.
“This is an excellent opportunity for
families to come and leave their mon-
ey right inside Lynchburg,” said Vice
Mayor Ceasor Johnson in reference to
the city’s busy graduation season.
There were, however, some concerns
that the current language of the con-
ditional rezoning allowed for business
“creep” into a residential neighbor-
hood.
“We are metaphorically putting the
cart before the horse… We are not de-
ciding about who owns the business
but the use of the land,” said Council
Member J. Randolph Nelson.
As a result of these hesitations, the
board voted unanimously to table the
motion indefinitely until the Future
January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 13
Land Use Map of the property could
be amended.
James River Professional Building
Next on the agenda was George
“Buster” Walker’s James River Profes-
sional Building on Langhorne Road.
The existing building was built in 1989,
after an approved rezoning, despite
the fact that land was designated a Re-
source Conservation area. As part of
the rezoning agreement, the land be-
hind the property was donated to the
city as part of the Blackwater Creek
Natural area and trees added to block
the buildings from the view of the bike
trail.
As of late, Walker has had trouble
leasing all of the offices. He hoped that
by opening the space to more busi-
nesses, such as small take-out style
restaurants and small retailers, that he
would be able to fill buildings.
Walker explained that he spoke with
the current tenants and the Agudath
Shalom Synagogue, a near-by neigh-
bor, and there were no objections. No
one appeared at the meeting to speak
in opposition.
The conditions of the rezoning in-
clude that development be limited
to light retail, general office or small
restaurants with seating for 25 diners
or less. Among the uses not allowed
under the new zoning’s conditions are
convenience stores, lodging, theaters
or greenhouses.
The council voted unanimously in
favor of the changes.
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One step that Walker’s case was able
to present to the council that Crock-
er’s wasn’t was a motion to amend the
Future Land Use Map or FLUM. It is
council policy to amend this plan for
the city, though it is not legally re-
quired for the council to change zon-
ing.
In the Acorn Hill case, the city plan-
ning commission recommended that
the rezoning go to council before the
FLUM amendment due to a mistake
made by city staff preventing the re-
quest from being heard by the council
sooner.
So in the end, Crocker’s request will
likely be removed from the table at the
February 8 meeting when the FLUM
amendment can be addressed. Walker,
on the other hand, has the go ahead
to start advertising for small restau-
rant clients in his office space. Perhaps
hungry runners and bikers from the
Blackwater Creek trail will have a new
place for a post workout nosh. The
Lynchburg Times will let you know!
emily@lynchburgtimes.com
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Page 14 • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011
Medicare Adds Free Health
Services
Did you know you can now get some free ser-
vices from Medicare? With the health-care reform
laws, you’re now eligible to get certain types of
free preventive care, starting in 2011.
These include:
• Annual vaccinations, such as flu and pneumonia
shots
• Pap tests and pelvic exams every two years
• Nutrition help if you have kidney problems or
diabetes
• Cholesterol blood checks every five years
• Bone density tests for osteoporosis every two
years
• Mammograms once a year
• Prostate exams and PSA test every year
• Diabetes checks twice a year
• Colonoscopy and screenings at varying times
However, if you have a Medicare Advantage
Education Benefits Get
Needed Boost
The Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance
Improvements Act, also known as S. 3447, has
passed the House and Senate. The additional
benefits fill in holes left in the first version of the
Act. Among the changes:
• The VA will pay fees and tuition for state schools,
and $17,500 for private colleges. Schools on the
approved list (the Yellow Ribbon program) will
kick in additional funding.
• Active-duty personnel will now get a stipend of
up to $1,000 per year for books, as veterans cur-
rently do. That’s calculated at $41.67 per credit,
up to the $1,000, if you are at the 100 percent
level.
• Those who choose to get their education via
long-distance learning will now be provided a liv-
plan, check to be sure you’re covered on free
screenings. Read the fine print.
If you hit the prescription cost “doughnut hole” in
2010, you’ll have a 50 percent discount on name-
brand drugs in 2011.
If you need medical equipment, changes have
been made there, too. Medicare now puts all con-
tracts for medical equipment out for bid. If you
have the original Medicare, you’ll likely have to
get your medical equipment and supplies, such as
oxygen, from an approved supplier. If your current
supplier is not in the program, the only way your
equipment will be paid for is if that supplier signs
up. Beware while traveling: If you don’t use an ap-
proved supplier, you’ll pay full price.
If you don’t have the Medicare handbook that
was sent to you last October, look online at www.
medicare.gov for the “Medicare & You 2011 Hand-
book.” You’ll find it right on the front screen to read
or download. Look for the blue apple symbols in
the handbook to see preventive-care items. The
site also has ZIP code directory for equipment
suppliers. Or call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227 for
more information.
Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally
answer reader questions, but will incorporate them
into her column whenever possible. Write to her in
care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box
536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to
columnreply@gmail.com.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
ing allowance.
• Those seeking occupation or vocation educa-
tion will now be covered.
• National Guardsmen who respond domestically
to disasters also will get benefits.
• Stipends for living allowance will be correlated
to attendance.
• Fees for certification and licensing tests, as well
as national tests, will be covered.
• Active duty members with six years service
can transfer benefits to a spouse after agreeing
to serve four more years. That’s not required for
those who are already near retirement.
To be eligible for a portion of your benefits, you
must have served for at least 90 days after Sept.
10, 2001 and received an honorable discharge.
To get the full benefits, you must have served for
three years after that. If you served 30 days and
were discharged for a service-connected disabil-
ity, you’ll receive full benefits.
The changes won’t go into effect until August
2011, but that gives you time to apply and get or-
ganized. Go to gibill.com for more information, in-
cluding the new Basic Housing Allowance (equal
to an active duty E-5). Don’t skip the blog.
Write to Freddy Groves in care of King Fea-
tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando,
FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@
gmail.com.
© Copyright 2011 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com
Lupus Is Related to
Rheumatoid Arthritis
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My 28-year-old daughter,
who has been healthy all her life, was recently
diagnosed with lupus. Will she be able to live
a full life, including having children. Is there a
cure? How about exercise and diet? -- R.K.
ANSWER: In the 1950s, a diagnosis of lupus car-
ried only a 50 percent chance of living for five more
years. Sixty years later, the chance of living for at
least 20 more years is 90 percent, and the majority
of lupus patients have a normal life span.
Pregnancy is definitely possible. Doctors tell their
lupus patients to delay pregnancy until the illness
has been inactive for six months. That kind of delay
in disease activity occurs in almost all lupus pa-
tients.
Lupus is in the same class of illness as rheumatoid
arthritis. It’s an autoimmune disease, one brought
on by the immune system attacking many body or-
gans and tissues. Joints and muscles are targets.
The wrists, hands, elbows, knees and ankles are
the joints most often involved. Skin rashes are com-
mon. One rash is often mentioned. It’s a redness on
both cheeks connected by a red bar over the bridge
of the nose. This is the “butterfly” rash of lupus,
seen less often than it is talked about. The kidneys,
heart and nervous system can be affected.
The outlook for an individual lupus patient de-
pends on how many organs are involved and how
well the patient responds to treatment. There isn’t a
cure. There are many control medicines. Lupus typi-
cally has periods of worsening and periods when
the illness goes into remission. Medicines make
remissions longer and longer.
Lupus has no special diet. Exercise is encouraged
when the illness is in remission. You or your daugh-
ter can contact the Lupus Foundation of America for
more information and for becoming acquainted with
other patients in your town. The website is www.lu-
pus.org, and the phone number is 202-349-1155.
Readers interested in learning more about lupus
can order the booklet on it and rheumatoid arthritis
by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 301W, Box 536475,
Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money
order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the
recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow
four weeks for delivery.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 66. I had been a
heavy smoker, and I had a brother who died of
an abdominal aneurysm. My doctor insisted I
have an ultrasound of my abdomen to find out if
I had one. (He thought he felt one.) It turns out I
don’t have an aneurysm, but I do have a porce-
lain gallbladder. The doctor wants me to have
surgery right away. I have no pain. I feel good.
He says it’s a cancer threat. Is this so? -- M.Z.
ANSWER: It is so. A porcelain gallbladder must be
removed because of the high risk of cancer.
This kind of gallbladder got its name because
calcium infiltrates its wall. The wall is inflamed, and
gallstones are often the cause of the inflammation.
Even though you might have no gallstones and
even though you have no pain, you need to have
the gallbladder taken out, so great is the threat of
cancer developing.
Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer in-
dividual letters, but he will incorporate them in his
column whenever possible. Readers may write him
or request an order form of available health newslet-
ters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
© 2011 North America Syndicate, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com January 13 - 19, 2011 • The Lynchburg Times • Page 15
Page 16 • The Lynchburg Times • January 13 - 19, 2011 Read every issue online at www.lynchburgtimes.com

The Lynchburg Times Crossword: BOVINES The Lynchburg Times The Lynchburg Times

Sudoku! Hocus-Focus
ACROSS 78 - Aviv 2 Nautical cry 71 “Clair de Lune”
79 Free-for-all 3 Wilder’s “Our -” composer
1 Enjoys an enchilada 80 Word with sister or 4 Dairy treat 73 Celebrities
5 Cargo crane story 5 Smidgen 75 Car bomb? by Henry Boltinoff
10 Circus employee 81 Costume sparkler 6 Internists’ org. 76 Grabs all the goodies
15 Hilarious Howard 83 Actor Kjellin 7 Jet-setter’s need 77 Neighbor of by Linda Thistle
18 What you used to be 84 Learn fast? 8 Egyptian deity Hispaniola
19 Mennonite group 85 Spare tire 9 Religious belief 79 Bob of basketball
20 Cheer 87 Johnny Yuma, for one 10 Bristol brew 82 Proof letters
21 Planted 88 Mythical bird 11 Bristol brew 86 Rock hound?
22 Bovine jazzman? 89 Periodic table abbr. 12 Jocular Jackie 90 Eager
24 Famed fabulist 90 Gave someone a 13 School founded in 1440 91 Castle or Cara
25 Geometric figure smack 14 Meal 92 “How - Is Your Love”
26 Chrissie of The 93 Writer Runyon 15 Bovine boxer? (‘77 hit)
Pretenders 97 Rise 16 Proprietor 94 Deface
27 Warts and all 99 Go in 17 “- Mine” (‘85 film) 95 Supper scrap
29 Actress Munson 101 Beholds 21 Justice Antonin 96 Slangy denial
30 “May I interrupt?” 103 Southern constellation 23 St.-to-be 98 Stockings
31 Certain Semite 104 Sue of “Lolita” 28 Astound 100 TV listing abbr.
34 Rocker Cassidy 106 Bovine actress? 32 Chicken - king 102 Big -, CA
37 Pay 110 “Cat -” (‘65 film) 33 Iceberg’s kin 105 Shade of meaning
39 Bovine auto racer? 112 Exodus edible 35 ‘68 US Open winner 107 Ecclesiastical title
44 Fit 113 Prudish one 36 Exploit 108 Sage
45 Crony 114 Melville work 38 Small mall 109 Put the match to
46 Director Ferrara 115 “- Day Now” (‘62 hit) 39 Hydrotherapy site 110 Portended
47 Rock’s - Trick 117 To be, to Baudelaire 40 Actor Hunter 111 “That’s -” (‘53 tune) How to play: Place a number in the empty boxes
50 Yellowish brown 120 Entangle 41 TV Tarzan 112 Loy or Blyth
53 Chasm 124 Puzzle direction 42 Franco of “Camelot” 116 “A Face in the Crowd”
in such a way that each row across, each column
56 Adams or Astor 125 Chutzpah 43 Drop actress down and each small 9-box square contains all of
58 Couch 128 Bovine publisher? 48 Salad type 118 Discourteous the numbers from one to nine.
60 Maris of “Nurses” 131 Ages 49 Spongelike 119 They’re often beaten
61 LAX letters 132 Church law 51 Bright inventor? 121 Curly coif Difficulty this week: Challenging
63 Kimono closer 133 Brinks 52 Like Lincoln 122 Equine accessory
64 Jab 134 Bananarama, e.g. 54 Splinter group 123 Aphrodite’s son
65 Noisy racket 135 Actress Susan 55 Alphabet sequence 126 “- Ryan’s Express” © Copyright 2010 King Features Syndicate, Inc. © Copyright 2010 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
66 Mystical 136 Endangered animal 57 Ingratiating (‘65 film)
69 German city 137 Adjust a watch 59 Silo stuff 127 Remnant
71 Electronic device 138 Time to evolve? 62 Victoria’s husband 129 TV’s “- Haw”
72 Say please
73 “Beat it!”
74 Bovine outlaw?
DOWN
66 It’s spotted at zoos
67 Bovine bandleader?
68 Louisiana university
130 Presidential
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77 Satiate 1 Decorate glass 70 Geographical abbr.

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