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• Rabies exposure costly, dangerous
  Recent media reports about the numerous human exposures to a rabid raccoon in Beaufort County serve as a reminder that it can be a potentially deadly decision to handle a wild animal.

• Asking right questions about buffers can help protect or waterways
  I want to provide additional insight about the buffer issue addressed in the Packet's May 3 editorial. The challenge to protecting the May and Okatie rivers is controlling both the quantity and the quality of stormwater reaching these waterways. Buffers are one of several tools that must be used together to protect local water quality. When buffers are effective, they are very important to managing both.

• Better answers to student testing question than PACT
  Mention the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test, and the response is unanimous.

• USCB' bright future keeps Upshaw here
  In early March, I accepted a nomination to become a candidate for president of Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga. As a result, I have researched CSU's vision, performance record, plans and goals, visited the campus and interviewed with the University of Georgia system Board of Regents Committee.

• Public will have its say in regulations governing state's coastal area
  The Island Packet's April 24 editorial concerning House bill 5029 should be nominated for "The Chicken Little Award" for dubious achievement by the National Anxiety Institute. The referenced resolution simply requests that the state Department of Health and Environmental Control undertake actions, prescribed and required by the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act, to promulgate as regulations those policies of the South Carolina Coastal Zone management plan that are both relevant and appropriate.

• How do you want Hilton Head to handle recycling?
  At the Hilton Head Island Town Council retreat in December, a decision was made to evaluate different programs that would enhance our existing recycling program. I refer to our existing program because there is already a good deal of recycling being done in our community. All licensed waste haulers are required by town ordinance to pick up recyclables, for an additional charge, at a home or business owner requesting the service. Our county recycling convenience center, located off Dillon Road, has been a big success and is processing thousands of tons of recyclable materials dropped off by our more conscientious citizens.

• We all must watch out for our children
  Sexual child abuse is a critical issue in today's society. The growing statistics are shocking. But despite the alarming number of children victimized by sexual abuse, it remains one of the most under-reported crimes in America. April is Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month and serves as a reminder of the social responsibility each of us shares for the welfare of our community's children to report any reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect.

• Con: Too many big ticket items
  The Beaufort County School District has developed a $263 million five-year capital improvements plan that includes new construction, renovations, repairs and land purchases. The largest component of this plan is the $162.7 million referendum being presented for a vote Saturday.

• Con: We need some answers first
  As many of you know I have been and will continue to be one of the biggest supporters of education for children in Beaufort County. I have five children in schools in Bluffton. Three of them have spent years in mobiles, and this year, my daughter even has to eat lunch in her classroom because of a lack of space in the cafeteria. I was one of the biggest proponents of the May 2006 school referendum, joining with Lowcountry Kids First to get out the vote to pass it. By my memory, our precinct had the second highest turnout in the county, voting overwhelmingly positive.

• Pro: This is about catching up
  Time again to exercise your right to vote.This may be one of the more important votes of many you'll make this year. One that affects 22,000 children. The ones we hope will grow up and act responsibly as educated citizens in a democratic society.

• Pro: League of Women Voters endorses referendum
  The League of Women Voters of Hilton Head Island recognizes that the best long-term investment any community can make is in the education of its children. It does not, however, automatically endorse all school bond referenda. Instead, it judges each one on the merits.

• Careful planning behind referendum
  The big difference in the April 26 school referendum and previous ones is the thoroughness of the planning before arriving at the final number of $162.7 million. This sounds like a huge expenditure, but amounts to less than a good dinner for two at $16 to $24 annually for an owner-occupied home with an assessed value of $200,000.

• The time for change is now
  As our economy faces uncertain times and an impending tax increase, it is more important than ever that we, as Americans, believe that we can make change happen. We must speak out against an income tax system that for almost a century has punished us when we worked hard to earn a paycheck. Simple reform, like we have tried again and again, is not enough. As long as the federal government knows how much you make and how you make it, it will figure out how to get the rest. We must institute a system that will encourage investment and innovation and ensure America's economic growth and the American dream for future generations.

• Make sure Port Royal redevelopment done right
  In light of the Port of Port Royal deal faltering and the importance of that project, I want to express the views of our administration.

• District must go extra mile to gain confidence in building program
  My planning firm spent several months last year surveying school facilities in Beaufort County, analyzing how they are used, renovation needs, housing needs for programs, demographic trends and their impacts upon classrooms, and alternatives for assigning students to schools. We prepared a 1,500-page report, with many recommendations.

• Mall's future is bleak without theater
  The Mall at Shelter Cove is seeking additional density to build a state-of-the-art cinema complex, which will permit the mall to be a viable, upscale shopping center.

• No: Town standards must be maintained
  A college professor recently asked Randy Cohen, the columnist on ethics of The New York Times magazine, whether he should "up" the grade of a student who pleaded that a failing grade would mean she loses all financial aid, housing support and health insurance.

• Everyone benefits when students stay competitive in today's work force
  On the path to the American dream today, there is no detour around post-secondary education. Employers increasingly require their employees to have higher-level skills. Those without at least some education beyond high school find themselves at a serious disadvantage in the job market. Meanwhile, the ethnic and socioeconomic makeup of our citizenry is continuing to evolve across the country and here in the Lowcountry, and employers are relying more than ever on workers from the populations that are least likely to complete their education.

• Obama's significance for South Carolina
  I won't be voting for Barack Obama for president. There are too many vital issues -- from taxes and spending, to immigration and national security, to traditional values -- on which we have fundamentally different points of view about the right direction for our country. However, as the presidential campaign trail now makes its turn toward this state, and as South Carolinians make their final decisions on whom to vote for, it's worth pausing to take notice of something important that the Obama candidacy means for our corner of America.