Gauley mining will hurt W.Va. tourism

I used to think that state officials believed that mountains in tourist areas were worth saving. Now I know I was just being naive.

Gov. Joe Manchin's Division of Environmental Protection is allowing mountaintop removal on Gauley Mountain, which is next to Hawks Nest State Park and literally in the middle of West Virginia's whitewater rafting industry. On one side of Gauley Mountain is the New River Gorge National River. On the other side is the Gauley River National Recreation Area.

This area draws thousands of tourists annually. That number will only continue to increase unless the mountain is blown up and the rivers contaminated with toxic mine waste. The DEP didn't stop the destruction on Gauley Mountain even when the company was mining without a permit. Mountaintop removal/valley fill mining is wrong everywhere. But it startles me that Gov. Manchin appears perfectly willing to sacrifice a major tourist area for the benefit of the coal industry's short-term profits.

Dianne Bady

Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition

Huntington

Oxley fought cuts to music program

I just wanted to say "thank you" to Suzanne Oxley of the Cabell County Board of Education for her support she has shown for the music department at Huntington High School. The school administrators had requested a cut of four teaching positions in the school because the enrollment for the 2008-09 school year is down 43 students. I still don't understand how you can cut four teaching positions just for 43 students, but that is beside the point I am making. Anyway, they cut a full position in the music department and replaced it with a so-called half position. Music classes are being cut; students will be hurt by this in many ways.

Mrs. Oxley was the only board member who stood up for the students and tried to fight this. Unfortunately, the outdated and disconnected remaining board members did not support our children. There are 108 more students registered for music classes next year than there are this year. How can they constitute cutting that position? Our Board of Education has problems, people. Let's vote to change that this election and start by keeping Suzanne Oxley and voting out the other member up for election by replacing him with someone with a better understanding of the current and future generations in our schools.

Maria Stowers

Huntington

Courthouse workers bypass security

I recently was at a local courthouse and, as I thought everyone did, was made to go through the metal detector. Much to my horror, I realized the employees were allowed to bypass the detector. None of these employees was wearing a noticeable ID badge. A lot of violent acts are from either disgruntled or past employees, and now I suspect how those offenders made it through security.

Our tax dollars are not exactly at work when this breach of security is allowed in government buildings and our security is put at risk.

Cindy DeJarnett

South Point, Ohio