Opinion

Last month Barbara and another member of Progressive Voices of Levy County, Drollene Brown, handed out single-payer literature at the farmer’s market in Williston. Almost everyone was willing to stop and discuss the issue. Most agreed that every American should have equal access to comprehensive health care. And some shared their own health care-related nightmares, such as the man who told how his employer had quit paying for health insurance in order to keep everyone’s wages the same, but then cut everyone’s wages anyway.

Drollene Brown said it best Tuesday. “You get around,” she wrote. Indeed I do.

Four years after moving to Florida, Iee^have now worked at four of the county’s newspapers. In those four years, Iee^have covered every government agency, except Yankeetown, driven hundreds of miles along the backroads and met scores of people and learned a lot about the state where I have always wanted to live.

To the editor:

I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank the teachers at the Williston Elementary School for their success in preparing our children for the FCAT writing test this year.

Being a parent of a fourth grader, I understand the work effort required to prepare children to receive a passing score on this test.

Not only did the WES students pass this test, but a large percentage achieved at least a 4 out of 6, which is a high standard set for the students to strive to meet.

Dear Editor,

Once again I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the successful AARP Tax Aide.

Levy County is one of our four counties in District 12. The Williston Library is one of two Levy host sites. Michelle Traylor and her staff generously made appointments throughout the season and furnished room for equipment, counselors and taxpayers. Your help is always appreciated.

The Williston Pioneer Sun News provides publicity for our free services, weekly hours and volunteer recruitment. Thanks for keeping taxpayers informed about this local benefit.

Dear Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to say, “thank you,” to the Williston Fire Department.

On the night before Thanksgiving our business caught on fire. Some of the chemicals we use are highly flammable. The fire started in the chemical room and wasn’t called in for some time. When the fire department arrived they faced a towering inferno complete with explosions, intense heat and a 500 gallon propane tank 20 feet from the blaze.

Whoever said, "Some things are not to be," said a mouthful. I have found that, although I may want to do something, it is not for me. Of course, the opposite is also true. Some things I do not want, yet somehow they find residence upon my person, and usually do not pay rent. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just choose everything you like in life?

Editor:

When I was a child, back in the dark ages as my children say, we had friends named Edith and Ray who lived in a Brooklyn apartment. We would visit them often, and then they moved to Queens. We went to see them for the first time in their new home, and we were sitting there talking shortly after we got there. Suddenly everyone’s mouths were moving, but you couldn’t hear what they were saying.

That’s because they had moved to Jamaica and were directly under the approach path for planes landing at Idylwild Airport, which is now called JFK.

Why are so many people against GMOs?

I am a student at the University of Florida, and for the first time I have learned about GMOs, which stands for genetically modified organisms. At first this sounds scary, but the main premise of this is to alter genetics in an organism, such as a plant.