Opinion

  I noticed in a local publication a list of the names of the 2012 Graduates of Vinton-Shellsburg High School with an invitation to sponsor a senior in a future edition. If past practice holds true, students will be pictured in what amounts to an advertisement for the sponsor and, I suspect, a revenue producer for the publication. What caught my eye was that in bold print over the list of names was the encouragement, “Call early for best selection!” Several of the names had been crossed through, having already been selected.

  My children and grandchildren dragged me out to a local golf course a couple of weeks ago. You know – one of those fantastic summer days in the middle of March. I had a great time with the family, but my golf game hurt. I used to love to play the game, but I haven’t really played for over two years. I don’t think I had my clubs out all of last year.

  I Corinthians 13:7   Love Endures All Things Jesus, who was one with God, infinite and all powerful, could have called it quits when he found out he was to be confined to the finite space of a womb and the weakness and frailty of a human body. Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords could have said, "No thanks" when he saw the lowliness of his stable birthplace or the dirt floor of his Nazareth home or the humbleness of his parents -- a simple teenage girl and a carpenter.

Venus was looking over my shoulder. I wonder what Grandpa would have thought of that. I am sitting, right now, on the concrete slab that when I was born was used to support the metal framework of a corn crib. All I can hear are the birds chirping and the wind rustling through the trees. Other than the laptop in front of me, the only other sign of modern civilization I can see is the power line near the road.

  This afternoon, when the Vinton-Shellsburg boys track team travels to the Solon track meet (although the event is being held in Tiffin due to construction on the Solon track), it will be encountering a city, and a school district, in mourning. 2011 Solon graduate Brett Smith died Monday, of leukemia. Vinton area residents were introduced to Smith in February of 2011.

  New taxes coming with the Affordable Health Care Act: (1) Individual and employment mandates to purchase health insurance. (2) Medicare Payroll tax hike from 2.9 to 3.8 per cent. (3) Investment surtax of 3.8 percent (4) Cadillac Plan excise tax on high cost health insurance (5) Limitations on use of Health Savings Accounts & Flex Spending Accounts (6) Medicare Cabinet tax on purchase of over the counter meds (6) Haircut of medical itemized deductions allowed (7) New tanning tax of 10 percent (8) Excise tax on Medical Device Manufactures (9) Employer reporting of health insurance on employee W-2 All this and more and the deficit will continue to grow and the cost curve of medical care will not be lowered.

              I would like to compliment each and every person who got up early to attend one or more of the ecumenical Holy Week services here in our city of Vinton.  These services are an opportunity for members of various churches to gather together, as Christian brothers and sisters, to worship our one Lord.

  Have you ever heard the phrase, “Dead Men Don’t Tell Tales”?  There’s even a song titled with this phrase.  I’m not sure how popular the song is (the song I viewed on YouTube only had 132 hits), but I’m quite sure that thoughts of death and the dead are not popular.  Think about it: aside from the last funeral you attended, when’s the last time you thought about your own death?  My grandfather used to say we can be sure of at least two things: death and taxes.

  Ari (short for Arianna) got halfway across the bridge and sat down. It was a moment this grandpa has been dreaming of for years. Nobody noticed in the spring of 2003, shortly after I arrived in Vinton, that I had begun clearing the brush and weeds from the woods and pasture of the area we still call "Grandpa's farm, although he's been gone for almost 10 years.

    Vinton Today Editor Dean Close has been asking some silly questions of area people. So we thought it only fair that he have to answer them for himself. Q. Is there anything that you ask your wife not to cook, ever again? A. Beans. Navy Beans. Black beans. Refried beans. Chili Beans. Kidney Beans. She cooks them fine but I just do not like any of them.