Delegate Nancy Guthrie, 30th District

This week Ms. Leah Devine a Spanish and Basic Skills Teacher from East Bank Middle School in Eastern Kanawha County rallied her students to teach them about the Legislative process with a focus on the WV Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Control Act contained in SB135 and HB 2773.

These sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students studied the legislation and discussed the main points of the Bottle Bill, formed their opinions through class discussion, and then forwarded on their findings and positions to legislators.

Thirty three letters were sent in all. Twenty six, sixth and eighth grade students are in favor of the bill and 7 students opposed the bill. As a result of this one joint civics project the students are well versed and believe this kind of legislation if enacted will help create jobs and make their community more attractive.

The company interested in bringing this industry to West Virginia – NexCycle of California - wants West Virginia to grant them no special tax breaks, no corporate subsidies and no special treatment. They just need the legal framework to begin operation. The business has been up and running in California since 1986. NexCycle estimates the creation of over 200 green West Virginia jobs and believe they can make this new industry of the future profitable here just as it has been in California.

So thank you East Bank Middle School students and Ms.Devine for taking your time to engage in a public policy discussion that speaks directly to the environment we intend to leave to your generation. My hat is off to you. You are my Junior Genius’ award winners for the week.

To read a sample of the opinions submitted by East Bank Middle School 6th and 8th graders, visit the Junior Genius Corner.

What a difference your opinion makes. Last year Kanawha County Senator Dan Foster was able to move and see passed legislation that restricts the use of cell phones by student drivers. It is a good piece of public safety legislation and one that should make West Virginians proud. If it saves even one young life it will have served its purpose.

Somehow though, it didn’t seem fair to single out students without imposing similar restrictions on adult drivers. So this year I and several of my colleagues introduced a bill to extend the cell phone use restrictions to all drivers. Using cell phones when reporting emergencies is exempt.

The facts are indisputable. Distracted driving puts all of us in danger. This legislation will give us a means to begin gathering data on how many accidents result from drivers who become distracted while using cell phones.

The bill died in Committee once because so many members brought up other driver behaviors that also cause dangerous distractions. But then you all started to weigh in. Suddenly the bill is now being revived for further consideration. Legislation is an odd thing I’m finding out. I had few hopes for passage of this bill this year. Now, I’m cautiously optimistic.

On another note, I’d like to report that students in the 30th District of Kanawha County weighed in to oppose the Promise Scholarship idea to tie eligibility to a work commitment after graduation. At first blush it sounded like a good idea but after hearing from the student population in Kanawha County, I believe they have it right.

If we were cranking out job opportunities in the thousands it might be worth exploring but as our economy stands now, it seems an unreasonable expectation. So score one for the students of Kanawha County. Better we put the horse before the cart and create the jobs first. Then we can talk about revising the Promise Scholarship program requirements.

This last December an important summit was held to discuss improving and accessing services for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in West Virginia. Growing numbers of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are returning home with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury or both.

Neurological damage is manifested greatly from individual to individual but it is clear that a system that provides services both quickly and over long periods is desperately needed to return these important people back to productive lives in their communities. The foundation for this system of care once existed at the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center in Institute, which could still be renovated for this important purpose.

The organizations who participated in the December 2007 Summit included the West Virginia National Guard, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Brain Injury Association of West Virginia and the West Virginia Traumatic Brain/Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Fund Board.

As a legislator my promise is to look seriously at any strategy that is developed to improve the safety net for our Veterans and their families. We must do better to stand up and fight for the people who stood up to fight for us. The mission they have performed deserves more than just legislative chatter.

It started as a curiosity on something called an Eco-mmunity map on SundanceChannel.com - a nifty tool for raising awareness around the environment. I planted a flag on the Eco-mmunity Map called “The Challenge: Big Green Ideas Wanted for the Eastern End of Kanawha County, West Virginia". I thought, if you can green here, you can green anywhere. I hope you’ll take up my challenge and help make Kanawha County a more livable environment for those of us who call it home. — Sincerely, Delegate Nancy Guthrie

The response from the Sundance Channel was almost immediate. The Challenge caught the eye of an Associate Producer – Mipam Thurman. While in New York recently we met and were warmly greeted by the growing new world in green. And we’re on the map.

This site will be a portal to connect Kanawha County to the best in big new ideas to green up our communities. Join me as we explore ways to green up the eastern end of Kanawha County – from barge, rail, roadways to our communities. Together we can create smart streets and modern communities for the 21st Century with the help of our partners at the Sundance Channel and their world of partners as our guides.

Flu Season is upon us and I worry about you staying healthy throughout the winter. The American Lung Association was kind enough to send me their website link that let’s you type in your Zip Code to see where the closest place is near you to get your Flu Shot.

Each year, more than 226,000 Americans are hospitalized and 36,000 die from influenza-related complications. Yet, many people are unaware of how dangerous influenza can be, which is alarming given that most of us know a “face” of influenza whose good health or even life depends on getting vaccinated every year. In fact, more than 220 million people in the U.S. are recommended for annual immunization. That’s two out of every three people. Unfortunately, on average, fewer than half of the recommended individuals actually get immunized each year.

The CDC recommends that anyone with a chronic health condition such as asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder), diabetes, heart disease and cancer receive an annual influenza immunization. The CDC also recommends annual immunization for pregnant women; children ages 6 to 59 months; adults over the age of 50; health-care professionals; caregivers/household contacts of these groups and generally, anyone who wishes to reduce their risk of contracting influenza.

If you or someone you know falls into any of the categories listed above, it is easy to locate local vaccination clinics throughout the influenza season by visiting the American Lung Association’s Flu Clinic Locator online at the Faces of Influenza Web site. Vaccination typically begins in October and can continue through March. In most seasons, influenza virus activity doesn’t peak until February or March.

So go to www.facesofinfluenza.org type in your Zip Code and find out where you can get your Flu Shot. With the weather being as unpredictable as it has been, there is no telling what will come our way this winter.

I want all of us to stay healthy so take a minute from your day and locate the closest place near you to get your Flu Shot.