Commentary Index For 2007/12/30

Published Sunday, December 30, 2007

THE TRIBUNE'S VIEW
Stadium at 63
By HENRY J. WATERS III, Publisher, Columbia Daily Tribune
We have been gazing on the moonscape at the intersection of Stadium Boulevard and Highway 63 South wondering what might be developed there. Now we hear of tentative plans for two projects slated to include a senior housing project, an auto dealership, a grocery store and assorted other goodies.

JOHN DARKOW CARTOON

First Night should be accessible to all
By Free First Night Committee members
The mission statement of Columbia’s First Night celebration gets to the heart of what a community festival should be about: "To unite the community through a shared cultural celebration, to deepen and broaden the public’s appreciation of the visual and performing arts."

OPEN COLUMN
Global warming refutations increase with science
Editor, the Tribune: Each week we learn from Ken Midkiff that manmade catastrophic global warming is an undeniable certainty. Yet the number of published scientists who have become skeptical has only grown over the past year.

OPEN COLUMN
Good parenting negates effect of kids’ birth order
Editor, the Tribune: In response to Joyce Hulett’s Dec. 13 column on birth order stereotypes: I am the oldest of seven, three daughters and four sons. I and all of my siblings exhibit first-birth traits, middle-child traits and youngest-child traits.

OPEN COLUMN
Rational facts should dictate narcotics laws
Editor, the Tribune: Hank Waters’ astute arguments for sane narcotic laws deserves greater exposure: e.g., reprinting in USA Today and other papers with large voter readership.

OPEN COLUMN
Smoking study only cares about life versus revenue
Editor, the Tribune: At the end of the day, smoking results in early death.

OPEN COLUMN
Ban on smoking a hypocritical move
Editor, the Tribune: Having just finished reading the fine article on the smoking ban, I felt compelled to see whether I can get my questions answered.

State’s death penalty must be reviewed
By DIANN RUST-TIERNEY and COLLEEN CUNNINGHAM
What do law enforcement officers, prosecutors, crime victims’ advocates and both Democratic and Republican state legislators have in common?

Zep fans: Babbitt for a postmodern world
By DIANA WEST
I finally found people even touchier than Islamic fanatics: Led Zeppelin fanatics.

Global warming fails to heat up election
By ELLEN GOODMAN
Because this is the list-making time of year, allow me to add a tiny trophy to Al Gore’s very full shelf: the prize for the most elegant speech of 2007.

Poinsettia bracts are not so bad
By DAVE BARRY
We have some important news for those of you who’ve been harboring an urge to eat poinsettias. This news comes from an article in the Harrisburg, Pa., Patriot-News, sent in by alert reader Karen Durkin. The article makes this fascinating statement.