BY PAULA TATE★ EDITOR

What started as anunexpected phone call forcosmetology instructor

Kim Phillips ended with agreat learning experiencefor some of her students atRidgeview High Schooland an example of “givingback by whatever meansyou are able.”

A Dickenson Countynative who left the commu-nity as a child and foundsuccess in her profession asan adult was looking forsome way to help the placeshe still considers home.

Shelia CulbertsonFerguson has enjoyed afour-decade career as ahairdresser and owns a suc-cessful salon in Kingsport,Tennessee.

Ferguson, the daughterof M.C. and MarieCulbertson, was born inand lived at Nora as achild. The family moved toAbingdon when she was12.

“I always refer toDickenson County as homeand come to the cemeteryon Ramsey Ridge once ortwice a year,” she said.

As an adult, Fergusonchose the career path of a

hair stylist. “I have been ahairdresser for 40 years andstill love it as much todayas when I started.”

Ferguson, owner of HairBenders Salon, said sherelied on education andtraining to become the bestshe could be at her profes-sion. She eventuallybecame an educator andmodel room coordinatorfor Redken.

“This has given me theopportunity to travel allover the country” andopened so many possibili-ties, she noted.

In turn, Ferguson want-ed to show young womenin Dickenson County whoare interested in careers inher profession some of thepossibilities for theirfutures.

“I wanted to do thesame for (the DickensonCounty) cosmetology pro-gram, show them the possi-bilities and help with basicneeds of this program. Justgiving back a little,”Ferguson explained.

Phillips first learned of

Ferguson’s desire to dosomething good for thecounty cosmetology classwhen she received a call atRidgeview around mid-October from one ofFerguson’s clients, awoman who was a formerteacher in neighboringWise County.

“She began to explain tome that Shelia was origi-nally from this area andwas searching for a con-nection with the cosmetol-ogy program so she couldgive back. This ladyexplained to me what anamazing career Shelia hashad and that she owned afabulous high-end salon inKingsport. I had no clueshe even existed,” recalledPhillips.

Several weeks passedbefore Phillips contactedFerguson via Facebook,and they began correspon-ding with each other.

“Basically, she said‘Tell me what you haveneed of.’ I really couldn’t

■ WEATHER PAGE 3 ■ OBITUARIES Page 4 ■ OPINION Page 6 ■ SPORTS Page 1B ■ IN TOUCH Page 4B ■ CLASSIFIEDS Page 6B

WEDNESDAY ■ DECEMBER 16, 2015

USPS 684-350

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CLINTWOOD, VA. VOL. 33, NO. 50

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County employees receive active shooter trainingBY JEN DAVIS★ STAFF WRITER

CLINTWOOD — A small group ofcounty employees and some other localresidents received training last week theyhope they’ll never have to put in action.

The Dickenson County Sheriff’s Officeconducted two active shooter and work-place safety classes Thursday, Dec. 10 —at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. — at the DickensonCenter for Education and Research.

The classes, a collaborative effort bythe sheriff’s office and WorkforceDevelopment Services, covered tech-niques individuals can use if they findthemselves in a dangerous situation.About 20 people took advantage of thetraining.

“The course is intended to make peopleaware of what to do and what not to do tosurvive an active shooter,” stated trainingfacilitator Sgt. Jarrod Salyer with the sher-iff’s department.

Salyer is one of several county officerswho completed an active shooter basiccourse as part of his job training.

The idea to offer the training locallycame about when Melissa Mullins,Workforce Development Services special-ist, contacted Maj. Scott Stanley with thesheriff’s office about conducting a classfor her clients. “The idea snowballed fromthere,” Mullins said.

Mullins then contacted Mitzi Sykes,interim director of the IndustrialDevelopment Authority, and both decidedit would be a great idea to open the cours-es to county employees and anyone whowanted to attend.

When asked why they decided toattend the class, some audience memberssaid they deal with irate customers and, attimes, are concerned for their safety.Others simply wanted to be prepared incase of tragedy.

Higher education,

prison needs in bond plan

BY JEFF LESTER★ STAFF WRITER

Gov. Terry McAuliffe proposes a $2.43 billionbond package including funds to put the University ofVirginia’s College at Wise’s nursing program in a ren-ovated former library building, make upgrades tolocal state parks and improve correctional facilities.

McAuliffe announced Wednesday, Dec. 9 that hewill present the bond proposal with the budget pack-age he will introduce tomorrow, Dec. 17.

The bond package’s chief focus will be to strength-en Virginia’s research and workforce development inhigh-demand fields at colleges and universities,according to a press release. Also, it will include “keypriorities” such as upgrades at the Port of Virginia,state parks, serving veterans, “transforming” the juve-nile corrections system and protecting natural assets.

According to a list of projects, items of local inter-est include:

• HIGHER EDUCATION. One item is renovationof UVa-Wise’s Wyllie Library to house the nursingprogram.

College spokeswoman Kathy Still confirmed thatthe college has requested $12.4 million to relocate thenursing program from Darden Hall to the library

Alpha seeks to pay top

executive bonusesBY JEFF LESTER★ STAFF WRITER

A U.S. bankruptcy judge has been asked to approvepaying millions of dollars in performance bonuses to 17top executives of Alpha Natural Resources.

A Dec. 3 petition filed by Alpha’s attorneys in theRichmond bankruptcy court urges the court to allow Alphato move forward with its incentive program for top execu-tives.

The program offers performance incentives for meet-ing several benchmarks in the areas of cost savings,enhancement of liquidity of assets, safety and environ-mental factors.

Proposed bonuses would total about $7.4 million formeeting performance goals and could rise to as much astwice that amount if goals are exceeded.

The petition will be among several topics discussedduring a Thursday, Dec. 17 hearing in the Richmond court.

Alpha filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection inAugust as it seeks to shed debt and reorganize itself.

MAKING THE CASEThe petition notes that challenges in the coal industry

have only intensified since the company filed for bank-ruptcy, making senior management “particularly critical”to completing the Chapter 11 process.

Senior managers have worked tirelessly to maximizethe company’s value for the benefit of its creditors, thepetition states. Along with day-to-day operation manage-ment, it notes, their efforts include “innumerable meetingswith creditor constituencies and their advisors . . . monthsof work on an in-depth, top-down, bottom- up review ofthe Debtors’ operations as part of a comprehensive effort

Planning and leading last week’s active shooter training for coun-ty employees were Scott Stanley (left) and Jarrod Salyer with thecounty sheriff’s department and Melissa Mullins with WorkforceDevelopment Services.PLEASE SEE TRAINING, PAGE 4

Ridgeview High School Cosmetology II students pose with county native Sheila Fergusonat her Kingsport salon. Students became acquainted with Ferguson when she contactedinstructor Kim Phillips asking how she could help them in some way.

Former resident sets example of giving back however you can

PLEASE SEE BOND, PAGE 3

PLEASE SEE GIVING, PAGE 4 PLEASE SEE ALPHA, PAGE 3

PAGE 2 ■ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 ■ THE DICKENSON STAR

The Dickenson Star(684-350)

Published weekly, every

Wednesday, at Clintwood, VA 24228

By AHP of Virginia.

Periodical Postage Rate paid

at Clintwood, VA and

at additional mailing offices

(ISSN #1081-1885).

POSTMASTER

send address changes to

The Dickenson Star, P.O. Box 707,

Clintwood, VA 24228.

Subscriptions: $35 per year inside

Dickenson County; $53 in market

area; $64 elsewhere.

Member of Virginia Press Assoc.

& National Newspaper Association.

PHONE (276) 926-8816

Hearing & Balance

SUBMITTED BY EDITH FAYE REDDEN★ DICKENSON COUNTY HISTORICALSOCIETY VICE-PRESIDENT

The Christmas season brings backmemories for almost everyone. Many peo-ple do not realize it, but memories are apart of our history.

Most of the time, those memories arenever recorded. However, JeanneShannon, who grew up in the Osborne Gapsection of Dickenson County, had the fore-sight to write down her Christmas memo-ries; and she has given the HistoricalSociety permission to share this particularstory with our readers.

Shannon presently resides inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, and is theauthor of the book “Stars Scattered LikeSeeds,” which tells of her early life inVirginia.

Shannon is the daughter of Tolly andDella Boyd. Her great-great grandfatherwas Morgan Lipps, who played a promi-nent role in the early history of theDickenson and Wise County area.

***

REMEMBERING A CHRISTMASSEASON IN DICKENSON COUNTY

It was the first week of December,sometime early in the 1940s. Anemic sun-light washed the barren fields. Coldbreezes rustled the fodder shocks. In earlyevening the stars appeared, and the whitemoon, while we sat in front of the fireplaceeating our supper of corn bread crumbledinto sweet milk. (By “we” I mean my par-ents, Tolly and Della Boyd, my grand-mother, Palmyra Lipps Boyd, and me.Occasionally the circle around the fireincluded Daddy’s cousin from BuchananCounty, Crofford Boyd, and Osco Bush, aneighbor who helped Daddy around thefarm from time to time.)

Not long after breakfast one day thatweek I reminded Daddy that it was time tofind a Christmas tree. (It was my “rule”that the tree had to be put up as early aspossible in December.) Agreeably, Daddywent out and hitched our brown mare,Molly, to the corn sled. She stamped andsnorted; her breath was clouds of steam. Icarried Nancy, my favorite doll, andclimbed into the sled. Nancy was wearinga red print dress and matching bonnet thatour neighbor Goldie Fleming had made forher from a feed sack, a “chop sack.”

Daddy rode Molly as she pulled thesled down the path by the lower barn, intothe woods, and through the creek at its

shallowest spot. White Oak Creek was thestream’s proper name, but we alwayscalled it “the creek.” Holly bushes alongthe bank glistened with red berries. Wewent on into the deeper woods below thegraveyard, where Granny’s parents andsome of her brothers and her son Aubertwere buried. Their tombstones glinted inthe frosty sunlight.

Everywhere there were evergreens —black pine, spruce pine, and holly —standing out vividly among the bare winterbranches of oaks and maples and alders.Daddy cut a young spruce pine and loadedit into the sled. I rode home beside it, bury-ing my face in its evergreen fragrance andholding Nancy up so that she could smellit too.

At home I put Nancy in her doll car-riage and Daddy set the tree up in the frontroom. He placed it, as always, in front ofthe window that looked west, that saw thesky turn orange and gold at sunset, thatsaw the sign that marks the county bound-ary line. On the other side of that sign wasWise County, where my mother was fromand where her relatives still lived.

We got out the decorations and hungthem on the tree: ropes of gold and silvertinsel, a tangle of icicles, and a big silverstar that Mama had made from tinfoil. Andthree metal ornaments, flat circles withscalloped edges that made them seem likemany — petaled flowers — roses. One sil-ver, one bronze-gold, and one a shimmer-ing, glowing red. The red rose was myfavorite. Of course there were no lights on

the tree. Electricity had not yet come tothat part of Dickenson County.

That month Mama taught me to sing“Away in a Manger.” She had written outthe song and made copies of it using herHectograph — a primitive apparatus formaking copies in the days before theThermofax, the Ditto machine, and theXerox machine- — and taught it to herpupils in the one-room school at Osborne’sGap. Then she pinned a copy of the song tothe wall beside the Christmas tree, andevery day I studied it. Jesus as a little babywith a “sweet head” asleep in the hay wasvery different from the Jesus who alwaysseemed to be nailed to the cross or preach-ing a sad sermon in Sunday School les-sons.

Earlier that month Mama had lookedthrough the Sears, Roebuck andMontgomery Ward catalogs and orderedthe Christmas treat she would give herpupils, a custom that all the teachers in thecountry schools observed. She sent for azinc peck bucket full of hard candies —red, green, orange, lemon yellow, and pep-permint-striped. Somewhere, maybe fromthe catalog, maybe from MilburnSwindall, the storekeeper at Camp Creek,she had obtained a supply of little paperbags (“pokes,” we called them). When thecandy arrived she and Daddy spent anevening sitting by the popping fire andcarefully measuring out a portion for eachchild and putting it into a poke.

On another evening they studied theplays and skits in Mama’s teachers’ maga-

zines, The Normal Instructor and TheGrade Teacher, and decided on one topresent at Osborne’s Gap School’sChristmas program.

On the last afternoon of school beforethe Christmas holidays, the program waspresented and the public was invited. Ofcourse Daddy took me to see it. (Yearslater Mabel Short, who saw me there, toldme I was wearing a little red corduroy out-fit, but I don’t remember that — althoughI do remember the outfit.) I didn’t go toschool regularly in those days. Daddytaught me at home, and a visit to the schoolwas an exciting event for me.

I waited excitedly for the program tobegin. The curtain was a white sheetdraped over a clothesline, and Mamapulled the “curtain” back and forthbetween scenes. I don’t remember whichplay was presented, but I remember thatthe children sang carols, probably “Awayin a Manger” and “Silent Night.” One ofthe older girls (I think it was Oma Short)was dressed in a red Santa Claus outfit andgave out the pokes of candy to the pupils.

Before this, Daddy had gone to theNorland Post Office at Camp Creek to pickup the packages of Christmas presentsfrom our relatives in Ohio, Kentucky, andWest Virginia. Popcorn balls and fruitcakeand boxes of chocolates; ties and socksand handkerchiefs and aprons. A jumprope and a toy xylophone for me, and a bigpicture book of “The Night BeforeChristmas,” with Santa riding in an indigosky behind his reindeer, Dancer andPrancer and Donder and Blitzen and theothers (that was before Rudolph of the rednose joined the team). Mama and Daddyhad told me Santa Claus didn’t exist, but Ithink I had figured that out before theyexplained it.

On his trip to the Post Office Daddyhad stopped at Milburn Swindall’s storeand bought oranges and bananas andMello-Moon candy bars, and this yeareven tangerines. And English walnuts andpecans and big Brazil nuts. They were atreat, but no better, really, than the blackwalnuts that grew on trees on our farm.

The day before Christmas, Daddy wentto the chicken yard and grabbed a hen andchopped her head off with an axe. Sheflopped and flopped around the yard, thenlay still. I hated the sight of chickens suf-fering, but could never keep from watch-ing when Daddy killed one.

Granny and Mama picked her feathersoff. Probably they were checkered “dom-mer hen” feathers, for we had more “dom-mers” (Dominickers) than any other kind

Memories of Christmas at Osborne Gap

This Osborne Gap School

was the second building bear-

ing the name. The one-room

building was built in 1908

about 100 yards from the site

of the first school. When the

third Osborne Gap School

building was constructed, the

second school was used as a

church. This photo can be

found in the book ‘School

and Community History of

Dickenson County, Virginia’

published by Mountain

People and Places and is

used with permission from

Dennis Reedy, editor of the

book.

The Swindall Store, located at Norland, is pictured around 1940. Mr.

and Mrs. Milburn E. Swindall are shown seated on the porch. The

photo was taken from the book ‘Meet Virginia’s Baby’ and is used with

permission from the Sutherland family.

Everywhere therewere evergreens

standing out vividlyamong the bare

winter branches ofoaks and maples

and alders.

PLEASE SEE MEMORIES, PAGE 4

building that will be vacat-ed in 2016 when the newmulti-story library con-struction is completed.Nursing needs more space,including expanded labora-tory space, Still said, andthe old library fits the bill.

If funding is availablein the new budget comeJuly 2016, UVa-Wisecould start the process tochoose an architect, and arenovation design could beapproved in 12-18 months.The whole project could bedone within three years,Still said.

Also, the bond packageincludes “major mechani-cal” upgrades at somecommunity collegesincluding MountainEmpire.

• PARKS. The packageincludes construction of amaintenance complex atthe Southwest VirginiaMuseum in Big Stone Gap,along with a retaining wallat Natural Tunnel StatePark’s Lovers Leap trail.

Further, it includesfunding to acquire land forstate parks, but no specificsare included. The gover-nor’s office did notrespond to a request fordetails — specificallywhether this would includethe proposed Clinch Riverstate park.

“We do not have anydetails on this yet, andprobably won’t until Dec.17,” state Department ofConservation andRecreation spokespersonShannon Johnson said inan email yesterday.

• PUBLIC SAFETY.The package includes roofreplacement at Red Onionand Wallens Ridge stateprisons, along withupgrades at other facilities.

Further, the bond pro-posal calls for building twonew juvenile correctionalcenters “to allow juvenilesto be closer to home toenhance family interac-tion.”

Currently, there are twolocated in central Virginia:just outside of Richmondand in Goochland County.

BACKGROUNDMcAuliffe’s press

release called the bondpackage the largestresearch-oriented capital

investment in Virginia his-tory, and the largest invest-ment in state parks.

Overall details include:• RESEARCH: $100

million over two years incompetitive grants forresearch activities; addi-tional $40 million over twoyears in cash incentives forresearch and matchingfunds to secure federalgrant funding; funds torenovate research labs,purchase equipment andattract top talent; incen-tives for public-private ini-tiatives and centers forexcellence at public col-leges and universities.

• PARKS: $140 millionoverall for development,enhancements and repairsat state parks.

• PORT: $350 millionfor the Port Authority toenhance the capacity andoperations at NorfolkInternational Terminals,providing for the anticipat-ed growth in cargo result-ing from the widening ofthe Panama Canal.

• VETERANS: $29.3million to allow for the fullconstruction of a secondveteran’s care center previ-ously approved for plan-ning by the GeneralAssembly; $4.7 for fullconstruction of the previ-ously approved VirginiaWar Memorial expansion.

• PUBLIC SAFETY:$90.5 million for new juve-nile corrections centers;$135 million to expand thecentral region forensics’and medical examiner’slaboratory; $40 million torenovate a prison, replaceroofs, and replace emer-gency generators; $110.4million to expandVirginia’s sexually violentpredator facility.

• NATURAL ASSETS:$59 million for improve-ments and upgrades tolocal wastewater treatmentsystems to help clean upthe Chesapeake Bay.

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Join Us This Saturday In Helping SupportThe Food Bank of Wise County

BRING 2 CAN FOOD ITEMS AND WATCHA SPECIAL KIDS MOVIE FOR FREE

The Peanuts Movie @ 10:30 & 12:30Big Hero 6 @ 10:30 & 12:30

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas@ 10:30 & 12:30

MONDAY IS SENIOR DAY!Special Pricing Every Monday For Seniors

60+ All Shows – All Times $5.00*TUESDAY IS FAMILY DAY!

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Special Pricing For MatineesStarting Before 6:00 p.m. - $6.25*

Cold blast to interruptmild December

BY WAYNE BROWNING★ NATIONAL WEATHER OBSERVER

A mild December weather patternwill be interrupted by an abrupt shot ofcold air that will send temperatures andwind chills tumbling into Friday andSaturday, before winds become strongand gusty yet again in advance of thenext storm system. This will be the cold-est shot of air since March.

A wave of low pressure developingalong a cold front that brought highwinds to the mountain region intoMonday, with 40 to 60 mile per hourgusts being common, will generate awet Thursday in advance of this coldblast.

Right now, as of this writing, fore-cast models keep the deep moisture andcold air separated to continue the streakof little snow. Some snow showers andflurries will be possible as the cold airpours into the mountains into Friday,but with no good sources of moistureany accumulations are expected to belight for most places. This could alwayschange a bit, so stay tuned.

Looking ahead to Christmas weekfinds another major storm system likelyto spin up across the western-centralUSA, with a wet pattern developingalong the Appalachians. Several fore-cast models have been showing an

excessive rainfall potential setting up for some where in theOhio and TennesseeRiver drainage basins.This is a trend that willneed to be followedclosely and updated nextweek.

Chances for a whiteChristmas are low, butcannot yet be ruled com-pletely out. Snow loversmay be depressed by alack of December snow;however, might I remindeveryone that December 2014 produced only a trace of thewhite stuff. A significant change, or flip-flop in the generalpattern across the USA remains likely after the New Year.Timing of that change cannot yet be known, but odds of itoccurring remain above average.

Long Ridge of Sandy Ridge: 44.07

Clintwood NWS: 46.54Norton Water Plant: 59.35

Big Cherry Dam: 65.80

YEAR-TO-DATE PRECIPITATION (IN INCHES)

NationalWeatherService

ForecastFrom

Charleston,W. Va.

Wednesday:Sunny. High

near 66.Wednesday

Night:Showers

likely. Lowaround 46.Thursday:

Showers likely.

High near 54.Thursday

Night: Mostlycloudy.

Low around31.

Friday: Mostlysunny.

High near 41.

OBSERVATIONS RECORDED DEC. 8-14 AT 7 A.M. DAILYE-mail weather reports to nws441825@comcast.net.Web site address:http://www.highknoblandform.com/

CLINTWOOD ■ ELEVATION 1560 FT.NWS OBSERVER WAYNE BROWNING

LONG RIDGE ■ ELEVATION 2650 FT.OBSERVERS WAYNE AND GENEVIE RINER

Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun MonPrec .11 .00 .06 T 00 00 .00High 47 53 56 58 65 68 69Low 33 25 36 40 45 43 54

Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun MonPrec. .03 .00 .06 T T 00 N/AHigh 45 49 51 52 58 63 N/ALow 38 37 40 43 50 54 N/A

THE DICKENSON STAR ■ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 ■ PAGE 3

Corrections, clarifications

We publish corrections of fact that come to our attention andclarifications that make the news more understandable. ContactEditor Paula Tate at 276-926-8816 or e-mail ptate@coalfield.com.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Bond

to restructure the Debtors’ businesses; and . . . the devel-opment, and initial implementation of elements of, avalue enhancement plan to improve the immediate andlong-term liquidity of the Debtors.”

Meanwhile, the petition explains, top managers haveseen “substantial portions” of their compensation dimin-ish significantly as the value of the company’s equityplummeted. Further, it notes, previously earned deferredcompensation now has the status of unsecured claims,executive retention agreements are no longer viable, andthe senior managers “justifiably perceive uncertainty withrespect to their potential continued employment” withAlpha. Pressure on senior managers continues to increase.“For certain of the Debtors’ senior management thesepressures have proven too much, and they have left theDebtors.”

Alpha’s attorneys also filed petitions asking the courtto seal certain documents that contain details about thesenior managers’ identities, salaries and awards theymight receive under the incentive program.

While the company seeks approval to pay top execu-tives’ bonuses, last month it petitioned the court to termi-nate health premium subsidies and some other benefitsfor about 4,580 retirees. Alpha says the benefits costabout $2.7 million in 2014 and represent an overall liabil-ity of about $125 million. A hearing on that matter is setfor Jan. 21, 2016.

The bankruptcy trustee last month named a committeeof five Alpha retirees, including founding chief executiveMichael Quillen, to represent the interests of retirees asthe Chapter 11 process moves forward.

Copies of court filings in the case and other case infor-mation can be found at www.kccllc.net/alpharestructur-ing.

General information from Alpha can be found atwww.alpharestructuring.com or by calling a toll-freeinformation hotline at 888/249-2703.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Alpha

of chicken. They put piecesof paper into the fire in thecook stove to make a highflame, and held the nakedchicken body over the fireto “swinge” it—to singe offthe pinfeathers. Then theystewed the chicken andmade dumplings.

We ate it at noon onChristmas day, withcooked cushaw and home-canned green beans andpickled beets and severalother vegetables.Sometimes Mama woulddip pickled corn out of thecrock and heat it for specialmeals like this.

Desserts were apple pieand chocolate pie thatMama made, and stackcake (gingerbread withapple sauce between thelayers) that was Granny’sspecialty.

Years went by, the1950s came, and we wereliving in a different place,in the Hurricane communi-ty near Wise. I was in highschool by then. Still theChristmas tree was deco-rated with the same ropesof tinsel and the samemetallic ornaments withtheir scalloped edges. Myfavorite was still the onethat resembled a red rose. I

would sit in the Decemberevenings and watch itslowly turn in the littlebreezes from the WarmMorning heater in the liv-ing room (our new homedidn’t have a fireplace).The light played on it, andno fire, no light, had everseemed warmer.

Over the years Mamabought new Christmasornaments, including somelittle red bells with goldstripes around the top.Somewhere along the waythe metallic roses were lost.Maybe Mama gave themaway to relatives — sheloved to give more than toreceive. I still have thestriped bells, and when Iput them on my tree in NewMexico I remember that mymother’s hands touchedthem. But nothing canreplace that lost crimson,glowing rose of long ago.

***

Milburn Swindall, whowas mentioned in thisstory, and many of his fam-ily members were alsofrom the Osborne Gaparea. The HistoricalSociety has for sale thebook Swindall - AustinFamilies of Virginia andNorth Carolina 1622-1995,

which was published bythe E. J. and HettySutherland family. It ispresently being offered fora special price of $25 (plusshipping and handling).

Also available is thebook Meet Virginia’s Baby- A Pictorial History ofDickenson County Virginiafor $80. The HistoricalSociety also has about 50copies of the book TheHeritage of DickensonCounty Virginia 1880-1993at a price of $65.

The first 46 HistoricalSociety articles which haveappeared in The DickensonStar have been compiledinto two volumes entitled:Stories of Yesteryear Vol. I

and Stories of YesteryearVol. II. Additional photosand information have beenincluded in these volumeswhenever possible. Thesebooks may be purchasedfor the price of $15 each.Shipping and handlingmust be added if the booksare to be mailed.

For more informationon these books and manyothers, please contact theHistorical Society atdchs1880@yahoo.com orP.O. Box 52, Clintwood,VA 24228, or 276-926-6355. If no answer, pleaseleave a message (includingyour name and phone num-ber) and one of our volun-teers will return your call.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Memories

PAGE 4 ■ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 ■ THE DICKENSON STAR

Only$700 Each

Includes theobituary & poemlaminated into a

3 1/4” x 9” bookmark.

Several Poemsto choose from.

CallJo Hamilton926-8816

LENEDA FARMERJONESVILLE

Leneda Farmer, age 87 of Jonesville, passed awaySunday, Dec. 13, 2015 at Holston Valley MedicalCenter, Kingsport, Tennessee.

A native of Dickenson County, she was a daughter ofthe late Landon and Winnie Cyphers Willis. In additionto her parents, she was preceded in death by her hus-band, Gaines A. Farmer; sisters, Bea Belcher, MelsterOwens, June Adkins and Glade Woods; and brothers,Bill, Gene, Wayne and Rex Lowe.

Leneda was a very loving and caring person whospent most of her life as a devoted homemaker. She wasa member of Beech Grove Baptist Church in Jonesville. 

Survivors include three sons, Ron Rose and wifeMerl of Bushnell, Florida, Dennis Rose and wife

Colleen of Breaks, and Gaines Avery Farmer and wifeCathie of Jonesville; six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; and manynieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m.Wednesday, Dec. 16, at Robinette Funeral Home inJonesville, with a funeral service to begin at 7 p.m.  Thefamily will also receive friends from 5-7 p.m. onThursday, Dec. 17, at Haysi Funeral Home in Haysi,with a funeral service to begin at 7 p.m.  The funeralservices will be officiated by Rev. Dennis Jones.

The graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. onFriday, Dec. 18, at Russell Memorial Cemetery inLebanon. 

Online condolences may be sent towww.RobinetteFuneralHomes.com or www.haysifuner-al.com. 

“Run, hide, fight” wasthe overall message of theday.

Salyer and Stanleyexplained ways individu-als can remove themselvesfrom a dangerous situationsafely, barricade them-selves from a threat, orhow to fight back if thereare no other options. Thesetechniques can be used ifanyone finds himself orherself in a dangerous situ-ation at work or in a publicsetting, they instructed.

The hope, of course, isthat the training will neverbe needed here.

However, “with theunfortunate events hap-pening in the world rightnow, Paris, SanBernardino, California, themovie theatre shooting inColorado, it is importantpeople know what to do ifthey are placed in that situ-ation” Stanley explained.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Training

believe what I was hearing,” saidPhillips.

“I have a close relationship with myproduct supplier, who graciously sup-plied lots of Redken supplies and prod-ucts for Miss Kim and her students,”Ferguson said.

Phillips explained that in 2011-12,due to budget constraints in the schooldivision, funding for the cosmetologyprogram’s consumables was cut in half,along with other cuts in the division.

“It wasn’t just my program. I stilloperate on that same amount to date.But I learned from a very early age tomake the most of what you have, andthat’s when creativity kicks in. Mostimportantly, I learned to walk by faithand not by sight. To just believe thateverything will be alright,” saidPhillips, who has strong religiousfaith.

As Phillips and Ferguson began tocorrespond, Phillips had the idea to takeher Cosmetology II students on a fieldtrip to Ferguson’s Kingsport salon “sothey could see first-hand what can beaccomplished from hard work and ded-ication and continued education, whichis a must in the field of cosmetology,

and especially from a DickensonCounty native. That made it even bet-ter.”

Eight students made the trip on Nov.17. The hospitality they received duringthe visit was “wonderful,” notedPhillips. Students received free giftbags, a “yummy” Italian lunch.

All of Ferguson’s staff was kind,“which made the students feel really atease and not so intimidated,” notedPhillips.

“The students learned many newcolor techniques and the ‘Victoria’sSecret haircut,’ which was a big hit. Notto mention we left her salon that daywith a huge load of resources to bringback to school with us. Everythingfrom mannequin heads to hair color andother products and more. I just reallyappreciate her kindness and generosi-ty,” said Phillips.

“It’s already been an amazing yearwith us being in our new salon here atRidgeview, and this just made it thatmuch better,” she added. “To me, in myopinion, this is a testament of answeredprayers and a great example of whatthose who are able should be doing,which is pouring into the next genera-tion by whatever means that you areable.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Giving

THE DICKENSON STAR ■ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 ■ PAGE 5

Senior Life Solutions

People. Trust. Experience.

Helping seniors focus on the future.

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Four County Transit will be closed Thursday, Dec. 24and Friday, Dec. 25 for the Christmas holiday.

No buses will run on these days. The regular operatingschedule will resume Monday, Dec. 28.

Four County Transit is a fully coordinated public tran-sit system which serves Dickenson, Buchanan, Russelland Tazewell counties.  It is operated by AppalachianAgency for Senior Citizens.

For more information, please contact 276/963-1486(toll-free 1-888-656-2272) or visit www.fourcountytran-sit.org.

Four CountyTransit alters

schedule

Dickenson and Wise County VirginiaCooperative Extension offices recentlyconducted a Coalfield Advanced Master

Cattleman’s Course. The course took place at the Coalfield

Agricultural Center and consisted of sixprograms instructed by special guests

from Virginia Teach. Guests included: Dr. John Currin and

Dr. Dee Whittier, Virginia Tech Extensionveterinarians; and Dr. Scott Greiner,

Virginia Tech Extension beef specialist.  Each program focused on a different

topic related to cattle production. Some ofthe topics included; herd health, vaccina-tion programs, advanced reproduction pro-tocols, advanced nutrition, calving tech-

niques, and marketing strategies.The Dickenson and Wise County

Extension offices would like to extend a

special thank you to Robo’s Drive-In,Lonesome Pine Soil and WaterConservation District, and the Wise-Dickenson County Farm Bureau for spon-

soring the weekly meals for the program.The Coalfield Beef Cattle and Land

Use Association members have beengroup marketing cattle for a number ofyears and selling those cattle through tele-auction sales and video sales. The groupmarketed 140 calves this fall through theVirginia Quality Assured feeder calf sale.By group marketing, the members wereable to add more than $26,000 to the cur-rent load of calves over the weekly in-barnsale price.  If you are interested in partici-pating in future Extension educationalprograms or becoming a member of theCoalfield Beef Cattle and Land UseAssociation, please contact the DickensonCounty Extension Office at 926-4605.

Participants in a

recent advanced

master cattleman’s

class participated in

six programs

instructed by two

Virginia Tech

veterinarians and

a beef specialist.

Master cattleman’s class focuses on production topics

Elizabeth Mullins, a Ridgeview High School senior, assists Dr. DeeWhittier during a Coalfield Advanced Master Cattleman’s Course.They are demonstrating proper birthing techniques for delivering acalf.

Letters • Commentary • Personal Observations

PAGE 6

WEDNESDAY ■ DECEMBER 16, 2015

TheDickenson Star

The Dickenson Star

PUBLISHED WEEKLY, EVERY WEDNESDAY BY AMERICAN HOMETOWN

★ Editor: Paula Tate

★ Sports Editor: : Kevin Mays

★ Advertising Representative: Candacee Sutherland★ Bookkeeper: Georgette Hamilton

Rather than assert itself, Congress takes breaksBY LEE H. HAMILTON

Not many people outside of CapitolHill paid attention last month when thecongressional leadership released nextyear’s legislative schedule. Its headlinefeature is a strikingly long summerrecess: half of July and all of August,along with a few spotty weeks of workbefore the November election. There areplenty of other breaks as well; in all, theHouse will be in session for less than one-third of the year, and the Senate only a bitlonger.

I suppose we could take Congress totask for not working hard enough, andI’m sure plenty of people will do so. Butthe schedule reveals an even more seriousissue: it suggests that Congress, or at least

its leadership, is unconcerned about howineffective and even irrelevant the institu-tion has become when it comes to policymaking.

This has been a long-term trend, withplenty of responsibility to be laid at thefeet of political leaders in both parties.Even some recent signs of progress, likethe rewrite of the Elementary andSecondary Education Act, aren’t enough.Many people, within Washington andbeyond, now take Congress’s weakenedstate for granted, almost as if it’s the nat-ural order of things.

That is because wherever you turn,

Congress has lost ground as an institution.The contrast with the presidency is espe-cially stark. Every President in recentmemory has expanded the power of hisoffice, and for good reason. The modernworld demands quick, decisive action,and Americans like presidents who actforcefully. Yet the result is that the bal-ance of power has shifted dangerouslytoward the President.

This is especially apparent on twofronts where Congress ought to be res-olute. One is the budget — the basic blue-print for the government — which is nowlargely the President’s responsibility.Congress cannot even produce a realbudget any more; every year, it kicks theserious fiscal questions down the road —from hard decisions on tax reform to even

harder decisions on spending. Its defer-ence to the President is even more strik-ing when it comes to committing U.S.forces overseas. Members of Congresshappily criticize the President on issueafter issue, lamenting that they cannottrust him and cannot work with him. Yeton some of the most important questionsthe government faces — whether, how,where, and when to intervene using mili-tary force — they defer utterly to theWhite House.

They do the same with the regulatoryagencies. Members love to criticize theEPA, for instance, but rarely put theirwords into legislative action, and they failrepeatedly to do the kind of routine,

Hamilton

To the Editor: On behalf of the Dickenson County Chamber of

Commerce, we would like to thank all who attendedour 2015 Annual Membership Banquet at the BreaksPark on Dec. 4.

We would like to especially thank Del. WillMorefield and April Breimann, Southwest VirginiaCommunity Collge President Dr. Mark Estepp, JeffHess (and wife) from VTC Visitor Center in Bristol,Marlon Colley from Virginia Beach and Eli Fixlerfrom New York for traveling a distance to attend ourbanquet.

We would like to acknowledge Haysi Mayor LarryYates, Clinchco Mayor Jarvis Deel and ClintwoodTown Council member Doris Rife and any othercouncil members or elected officials that I may havemissed for attending our banquet.

Our most pleasant surprise of the night came whenSanta and Mrs. Claus appeared at our banquet.Thanks to Ron Peters and his wife Eliza for playingthe roles.

We appreciate all the businesses and individualswho donated items for our silent auction. Yourthoughtfulness and commitment to our chamber andcommunity is outstanding.

The chamber’s pledge to you is to continue our“Shop small, shop local” and “Support our communi-ty, support our businesses” campaigns. Our smallbusinesses are the backbone of our community andcounty, and without you, our whole county wouldsuffer. We thank you for all the hours you put intoyour business to offer us a service.

We would like to thank the Breaks Interstate Parkfor the great hospitality and delicious food. Thanks toour DJ’s, Chic’nman and Mr. Chubbs, for providingmusic at our banquet. We would like to thank theladies and gentlemen who helped with the silent auc-tion, half-and-half tickets and entrance admission.We extend special thanks to chamber board memberRoy Mullins for all his work in picking up auctionitems in Clintwood and Kirsten Deel in Haysi for allher help, plus all the others who helped.

Sincere thanks to our board of supervisors andcounty administrator for the support they have givento our chamber and tourism department. We want towish BOS members Gary Hall, Delano Sykes andDonnie Rife the very best of luck and offer our heart-felt thanks to you for all you have done for us and ourcounty. We appreciate Supervisor Donnie Rife for hiscontribution to the chamber at our banquet and for the

Many helped make chamber business banquet a success

L e t t e r

PLEASE SEE HAMILTON, PAGE 7

★ Publisher/Executive Editor: Jenay Tate

PLEASE SEE LETTER, PAGE 7 SEE GANNAWAY, PAGE 7

Gannaway

This year’sSurplusGrain winner

an easychoice

BY GLENN GANNAWAY★ STAFF WRITER

It’s time for this year’sSurplus Grain award.

The Surplus Grainawards are presented tothose individuals whoseprosperity depends on acivilization that producessuch an abundant foodsupply that it can not onlysuffer idiots but makethem rich. Without farm-ing, Surplus Grain hon-orees would have to spendall their time hunting andgathering their daily mealinstead of frolicking in thespotlight. And in a worldwithout agriculture, someof them would probablystarve.

A world that produceslots of surplus food, free-ing most people from thenecessity of gatheringberries and hunting squir-rels or whatever the localdelicacy may be, giveshumans time to do otherthings. If 2 percent of thepopulation grows food forthe other 98 percent, mostof us can spend our dayscoming up with thingslike politics and power,books, automobiles,iPhones, $1,000-a-pieceprescription pills, and the29th remake of “Batman.”

We briefly considered

Welcome immigrants, but strengthen policies

BY MORGAN GRIFFITH★ NINTH DISTRICTREPRESENTATIVE

Last week, the House of Representativespassed the Visa Waiver Improvement andTerrorist Travel Prevention Act (H.R. 158)by a vote of 407-19. 

While I believe we should welcomelegal immigrants, we must continuallyreview our policies as threats to our nation-al security emerge. Accordingly, this impor-tant bill, which seeks to prevent our enemiesfrom entering the United States through ourvisa-waiver program, is another step for-ward in strengthening our national securityby improving our system, increasing ourborder security, and tightening up our lawsfor those who overstay their work, travel, orstudent visas. 

More information on this legislation canbe found in my column of Dec. 9.

BILL OF RIGHTS DAYI was recently reminded by a constituent

from Southside that on Dec. 15, 1791, theUnited States adopted the Bill of Rights,which protects the inalienable rights thiscountry holds dear. 

To summarize them briefly: the FirstAmendment protects the freedom of speechand religion, the Second the right to keepand bear arms, and the Third restricts thequartering of soldiers in private homes. 

The Fourth Amendment guards againstunreasonable searches and seizures, theFifth guarantees the rights to due process,the Sixth establishes a number of rights of a

defendant in a criminal trial, and theSeventh provides for jury trials in civilcases. 

The Eighth Amendment prohibits exces-sive bails or fines, the Ninth clarifies that therights listed are neither explicit nor exhaus-tive, and the Tenth Amendment makes clearthat power not given to the federal govern-ment is reserved to the states or the people.

These rights, granted by God, have beentested by the storms of history.  Even today,the ship that is our Republic continues to betossed on stormy seas.

But through it all, whether on calmwaters or in stormy seas, the Bill of Rightshas served to protect that ship and all citi-zens during tumultuous times. We mustcontinue to guard and defend these rights,even if in the short term, doing so may seeminconvenient or troublesome.

BERGDAHL AND THE TALIBAN 5The House Armed Services Committee

(HASC) last week released a report pertain-ing to the Administration’s swap of fiveTaliban prisoners in order to return to theUnited States a man who, under the bestinterpretation, walked away from his post –Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. According to HASCChairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), “Ourreport finds that the Administration clearlybroke the law in not notifying Congress of

Gri f f i th

PLEASE SEE GRIFFITH, PAGE 8

painstaking oversight offederal agencies that wouldhelp eliminate wastedresources and bureaucraticoverreach.

At the same time,they’ve handed economicpower to the FederalReserve. Fifty years ago,the ordinary American whocould name the chair of theFed was rare. Today, it’shard to pick up a newspa-per without reading aboutJanet Yellen and the Fed’sboard of governors.Because Congress hasessentially given up on try-ing to shape fiscal policy, ithas put the Fed in charge ofkeeping the economygrowing.

Meanwhile, theSupreme Court has becomethe principal way our coun-try deals with a host oftough issues like abortionand affirmative action.These are matters that, ide-ally, would be wrestledthrough the legislativeprocess. Instead, they’re upto the Court.

Congress these days isfailing to assert its respon-sibilities under theConstitution — it is farfrom being the co-equalbranch our Founders envi-sioned. And many of itsmembers agree. They don’tbelieve the institution theyserve is doing its job —they’d point, for instance,to immigration reform,which Speaker Paul Ryanrecently announced theHouse would not eventouch next year, despite the

pressing need. Here is anissue practically beggingfor rolled-up sleeves onCapitol Hill. Yet instead ofaction, they get a congres-sional schedule that sendsmembers back to their dis-tricts for most of the year.

Which may be the mostdistressing part of it all.Instead of being concernedenough about Congress’s

weakness and inactivity totake action, its leaders, atleast, appear to believe thatmany of the toughest issueson the national agenda arebeyond their capability toresolve.

— Lee Hamilton is adistinguished scholar,Indiana University Schoolof Global and

THE DICKENSON STAR ■ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 ■ PAGE 7

We built it just for you.

People. Trust. Experience.

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CONVENIENT DRIVE THRU

Pha rmac is ts: Jon Suther land & Patr ick McCartyPharmacy Techs: Denise West , Pr isc i l la Prater , Donna Stacy

Courtney Nelson & Maranda Ramey

West EndPharmacy

Employee of the Month

Allene is pictured here with her Team Lead, Lora Sutherland (left) and FacilityManager, Ezra Powers (right). This is the second time that Allene has won thisaward this year, and third time overall We want to thank Allene for her dedicationand hard work and we wish her continued success.

Serco in Clintwood, VA would like to recognize our Employee of theMonth for November . . . Allene Pelton.

faith he has in our ability to move forward. Thanks toDel. Will Morefield and to Rick Mullins for their dona-tion to our chamber.

Appreciation goes out to the chamber board of direc-tors and administrative assistant Wilma Smith for theirwork in our chamber and visitor center.

We look forward to meeting the newly-elected repre-sentatives in our county and working with them in thecoming years.

Our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and happyNew Year!

Rita Surratt, President/CEO, Dickenson County Chamber

Director of Tourism, Dickenson County

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Letter

Taylor Swift, a pure prod-uct of the Age ofAgriculture, as a primeSurplus Grain candidate.Swift this week was nomi-nated for several Grammymusic awards despite anapparent inability to sing intune. But the 2015 SurplusGrain honoree has gotta be. . . Donald Trump.

I know a lot of peoplelike Donald Trump. Well,at least judging from theopinion polls and thecheering masses that showup at his rallies. But yougotta wonder why the com-mon folk would support aguy who was born with asilver spoon in his mouthand, to my knowledge, hasnever expressed any partic-ular interest in the affairsof the common man otherthan maybe inviting one ortwo fake commoners ontohis TV reality show.

No hunting-and-gather-ing for this dude. The sonof a real-estate developer,Trump took over hisfather’s business andpromptly ran afoul of theU.S. Justice Department,which accused his compa-ny of violating the FairHousing Act — gee,there’s a friend of the littleguy for ya! Let’s vote forTrump! It’s akin to beatingourselves over the headwith our own hammer!

Later in his real estatecareer, Trump acquired acasino, a move that helpedpush him into bankruptcy.How, you may ask, do yougo bankrupt running a casi-no, given the supply of

gambling addicts? But inany case, the poor guy hadto sell his 282-foot yacht. Ittook the death of his fatherin 1999 (the man hadn’t cutThe Donald out of his will— go figure) to restoreTrump’s financial health.

Much of Trump’s cur-rent popularity dependson his willingness tostomp on some poorraggedy-tail refugees. Ihad always thought thatstomping on the little guy,and especially when he’sdown, was contrary to theAmerican spirit. Butthings have changed. Thecontemporary Americanseems to revel in displaysof power.

Trump, meanwhile,continues to try to committhe political equivalent ofsuicide by cop. In the wakeof his latest pronounce-ment, even RepublicanHouse Speaker Paul Ryanwas startled into saying,“whoa, Donald, boy.”

It’s as if Trump neverhad entertained any seriousnotion of actually being theRepublican nominee.Every time he makes aspeech, the subtext issomething along the linesof, “Hello! Did you hearwhat I just said?? Can youbelieve I just said that? Govote for Jeb Bush. Please!So I can take that job asFox News’ new primetimeshow host! Because myinheritance is about to runout and I might have to sellthe yacht! And lay off thecrew, which I pay a premi-um rate of 50 cents aboveminimum wage!”

O captain! my captain!

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Gannaway

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Hamilton

BY TOM PURCELL

Open enrollment is mak-ing me miserable.

Like millions of self-employed Americans whohave been buying their ownhealth insurance for years,my policy, which I had likedand wanted to keep, has near-ly doubled in cost sinceObamacare became law.

What a fine policy minewas. I purchased it in 2005when I moved back toPittsburgh. It gave me broadaccess to lots of doctors andmy maximum out-of-pocketcost could not exceed $1,500a year.

But Obamacare muckedit all up.

First, I got a letter tellingme my policy was canceledfor failure to meetObamacare guidelines. (“Ifyou like your insurance, youcan keep your insurance” myeye!) A few weeks later,though, the policy was rein-stated for reasons neither Inor my insurer could everfigure out.

For the moment I washappy. Sure, the premiumhad gone up 35 percent, butat least I got to keep the poli-cy. But for 2016, the premi-um jumped another $100 permonth. (Obamacare will “cutthe cost of a typical family’spremium by up to $2,500 a

year,” said the President.Yeah, and I am the King ofEngland.)

So, for the past twoweeks, I’ve been loggingmany hours searching forlower-cost alternatives.

I went to the Obamacareexchange and entered myinformation. The good newsis that there are lots of plansthat have monthly premiumslower than my current plan.The bad news is that thedeductible costs are about$6,500 a year — $5,000more than my currentarrangement.

In fact, to find a policysimilar to what I have, I’dhave to purchase the “gold”level, which is $200 to $300more than the high premiumI am paying now.

So I looked into non-prof-it healthcare cost sharingministries — faith-basedorganizations through whichmembers voluntarily shareeach other’s medical bills.Rather than pay a monthlypremium to an insurancecompany, members send in amonthly “gift” at significant-ly less cost.

Consider: A bronze planfor UPMC in Pittsburgh has a$6,500 deductible and a $300monthly premium. A bronzeplan for Christian HealthcareMinistries has a $5,000deductible and a $45 month-

ly cost — that’s right, only$45!

There is no foolproofguarantee that such ministrieswill cover a member’s med-ical costs — they are notrequired to keep a reserve —and they don’t cover preex-isting conditions or the out-come of non-Christianbehavior, such as out-of-wedlock pregnancy.However, they’ve beenaround for decades andmembers report extremelyhigh levels of satisfaction.

If I go that route, I mayalso consider accident andindemnity insurance foradded protection. An acci-dent policy would pay a fixedamount if I suffer an injury tocover the cost of an ambu-lance ride or a hospital stay.An indemnity policy wouldcover me in the event of aserious health ailment, suchas a stroke or a heart attack— both of which are likely

now that Obamacare is legal. The truth is I’m not sure

what I am going to do, but itagitates me to no end that I,and millions of others, haveto work so hard to devise anaffordable health insurancestrategy.

Obamacare has complete-ly upended a system that thevast majority of Americanswere happy with — drastical-ly increasing our costs — inorder to expand insurancecoverage, says Forbes, toonly 2.7 percent moreAmericans.

That’s madness. We couldhave expanded coverage tothe small number of newlyinsured — the poor and thosewith pre-existing conditions— without disrupting one-sixth of the U.S. economy. 

That’s why open enroll-ment is making me miser-able. It’s more like openseason on healthcare con-sumers.

the transfer.”“Leading up to the transfer, DOD officials misled

Congress as to the status of negotiations,” ChairmanThornberry also said.

For example, talking points devised by the Department ofDefense (DOD), the State Department, and the NationalSecurity Council advised officials to say they were “notinvolved in active negotiations with the Taliban” based on thedubious justification that negotiations with the Taliban weretaking place through Qatari intermediaries.

Disturbingly, at least three of the “Taliban 5” terroristsincluded in this prisoner swap have been in contact with ter-rorist organizations.  One terrorist apparently attempted torejoin. The degree of contact for the other two is somewhatuncertain, but the contact has encouraged terrorist organiza-tions.

Last year, I joined 248 of my colleagues – including 22Democrats – in supporting H.Res.644, which condemned theAdministration’s transfer of the Taliban 5.

Unfortunately, many Congressmen including myself mayread future DOD statements with a grain of salt. While I wantto be supportive of our defense operations, I do not want tobe misled.  I don’t think the American people want to be mis-led either.

ANOTHER BROKEN PROMISE��When trying to sell the American people on their plans for

health care reform in February of 2010, then-Speaker of theHouse Nancy Pelosi said, “This [health care] bill is not onlyabout the health security of America. It’s about jobs. In its life,it will create 4 million jobs — 400,000 jobs almost immedi-ately.” But a report released last week by the nonpartisanCongressional Budget Office found, “The labor force is pro-jected to be about 2 million full-time-equivalent workerssmaller in 2025 under the [Affordable Care Act] than it wouldhave been otherwise.”

Health care premiums and taxes increasing underObamacare, and the labor force is being hurt as well.

Despite the law not having fulfilled broken promises,Pelosi said last year about Obamacare, “I believe it’s a win-ner.” Many Americans – myself included – strongly disagree.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free tocontact my office.  You can call my Abingdon office at276/525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540/381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my websiteat www.morgangriffith.house.gov. 

Also on my website is the latest material from my office,including information on votes recently taken on the floor ofthe House of Representatives.

PAGE 8 ■ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015 ■ THE DICKENSON STAR

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e.t. ExperiencLimited time offer; subject to change. Taxes and fees additional. Unlimited talk feature for

direct U.S. communications between 2 people. General Terms: Domestic only unless

otherwise specified. Capable device required for LTE speeds; Fastest LTE Network

based on download speeds. Coverage not available in some areas. Network Management:

Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated or restricted for misuse, abnormal use,

interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or significant

roaming. See brochures and Terms and Conditions (including arbitration provision) at

www.T-Mobile.com for additional information. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. T-Mobile and the

magenta color are registered trademarks of Deutsche Telekom AG. © 2015 T-Mobile USA, Inc.

Qualify and switch to America’s

Fastest 4G LTE Network.Get T-Mobile® service with a discount of at least $10 a month.

Plan includes:

• Unlimited Talk

• No Annual Service Contract

• $19.99/month before Lifeline discount

Are you eligible?You may qualify based on your income or if you’re currently eligible to receive

public assistance such as Medicaid, Food Stamps (SNAP) or Supplemental

Security Income (SSI). Your eligibility varies by state.

Discounted wireless service is provided under the Lifeline assistance program.

Lifeline is a government assistance program that provides only eligible

consumers with discounted service that is nontransferable and is available

for only one line per household. A household is defined, for purposes of the

Lifeline program, as any individual or group of individuals living at the same

address that share income and expenses. T-Mobile offers Lifeline service only

in areas where the company has Eligible Telecommunications Carrier status.

You may find more information about Lifeline and other wireless services

available from T-Mobile USA, Inc. at www.T-Mobile.com.

See if you qualify and learn how to apply at

www.T-Mobile.com/lifeline

or call 1-800-937-8997.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Griffith

Open season on healthcare consumers