Beech Tree News Network

One of Kentucky’s best-kept secrets is the Barren Academy of Virtual and Expanded Learning.

While the commonwealth loses 10,000 students from each graduating class, only 110 students currently are enrolled in the academy. Nevertheless, BAVEL offers the right kind of alternative to tip the scales in the other direction.

Not only does it offer all Kentucky students – regardless of where they live – the opportunity to acquire a high school diploma while every single class online, but it’s getting top-quality results at very low costs.

Back on Your Feet Again

There are many times in everyone’s life when we all have to pick ourselves up from our boot straps and soldier forward.  We all go through times when we are down and heart-broken. These are times when faith in God and good friends come in very handy.

My grandparents and my parents both had apple trees in their yards. Those trees are connected to some of my childhood memories. My siblings and I climbed my parents’ trees and ran around them to catch lightning bugs as well as imaginary “bad guys.” Those apple trees provided protection when playing Hide-and-seek and shade in the heat of the day.

More importantly to my grandparents and parents, those trees produced apples. According to the Internet (www.nutrition-and-you.com), apples are a healthy food choice:

The Hole In The Sidewalk -  In September, my sister, Marsha, directed my attention to the following:

Autobiography In Five Short Chapters, By Portia Nelson, 1980

1)  I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost…I am hopeless.

It isn’t my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

2)   I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

How good are you at walking and chewing gum at the same time — mentally speaking?

For instance, can you vigorously support measures that really protect our nation, such as a strong military, yet at the same time oppose wasting money under the guise of enhancing “homeland security?”

Recently, as Kentuckians in communities across the commonwealth prepared to memorialize the 10th anniversary of the deadliest attack by terrorists on American soil, a reporter asked me whether Department of Homeland Security spending has made us safer.

The United States isn’t the only government that’s had its credit rating lowered. Two agencies also recently downgraded Kentucky’s bond rating.

In reducing the commonwealth’s rating, Moody’s Investors Service pointed to two major problems: too much debt and underfunded public pensions.

Enter the latest news that in addition to Kentucky’s current $31 billion worth of unfunded pension liabilities for government retirees, the commonwealth’s pension-fund stocks are taking a beating on Wall Street, losing $1.7 billion since July 1.

Ah, fall break! Many public schools have a fall break built into their calendars, usually in October. In Kentucky, about 78 percent of the public school districts have a fall break, whether it’s a long weekend or a week. In my opinion, fall break is a good addition to the school calendar.

Grandfathering - One late afternoon, I stepped out onto a friend’s porch and heard the sound of a neighbor’s voice.  He was singing an old folk song in that forlorn, mournful tone that reminded me of my Papaw Mattingly and the way he used to sing as he rocked me.  I was barely three years old when he died, but I have always held onto the impression of him.  That’s the way it is with a grandfather memory and the absence of a grandfather memory as well.  I had a grandfather just long enough to know what those who never had one missed.

Paying for Higher Education takes Center Stage During College Savings Month - As we conclude this month, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the importance of college savings since Congress has declared September “College Savings Month.” While it’s true that our current fiscal situation may not seem like the ideal time to think about financially planning for college, it’s important to remember that tuition costs are constantly rising and, therefore, investing in education is a financially smart and responsible move.

Although far too few Kentucky 2011 high school graduates were ready for college, our students did improve their performance on this year’s 36-point ACT college entrance test – going from an overall composite score of 19.4 in 2010 to 19.6 this year.