Octogenarians, let’s go to war

At times I either meet people or get a call requesting that I write about certain subjects. I’ll do that today, but first I want to deal with a personal issue.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

Last night on the national news a lady from North Carolina said she didn’t think she would vote for President Joe Biden because he was 80 and too old. Leaving the politics out of this, it was the “too old at 80” that got me.

Biden is three years younger than me and those who want to send us octogenarians to a rest home or put us out to pasture offend me. Yes, 80 is old, but it is a generalization to classify all 80-year-old people the same.

Some of the sharpest and brightest minds I know are over 80 years of age. Take my boss Terry Forcht, for example. He is one year older than me and Terry will tell you that work keeps you young. One of my best friends, Paul Jones, is 100 and he hasn’t skipped a beat. My mother was as sharp at 100 years of age as she was when she was younger.

 • I have talked to a few people about the Roy Kidd Ave. one-way issue. All who voiced an opinion were against it. This started when it was pointed out that some accidents have occurred at Main and Roy Kidd Ave. by a state highway department official and she suggested making that block from Main to Depot St. one-way.

The minute my wife read this in our newspaper she said, “That’s easy to fix. Just put a stop light on Main St.” That certainly makes more sense than making another street in Corbin one-way.

I have occupied an office for 35 years in this area and I know the problem. It is speed! Once traffic moves through the light at First and Main it speeds up to try to beat the light at Gordon and Main streets. Everyday we see a vehicle or two go twice the speed limit in this stretch of road. They fly! But I’m against putting up a stop light or making the street one-way. Really, none of this makes sense, so leave it alone.

• Although I have written about litter a thousand times the stretch of road from Hwy. 312 along Hwy. 770 leading across the bridge to I-75 could qualify as the nation’s number one litter problem. That is a stretch, but it is always full of litter. A caller suggested putting up cameras to catch those who litter. Not a bad idea but I doubt it will ever happen.

It could easily be stopped if cameras were installed. Just impose a fine of making the culprit spend every weekend cleaning the area for one year. Or if that didn’t work fine them $100,000. If that didn’t work send them to prison for life.

Obviously, I’m being facetious, but stiffer enforcement is needed. It is totally inexcusable to throw fast-food papers, plastic bottles or other litter from your vehicle’s window. But I can write about this until the end of time and there will be people littering. The only answer is for elected officials in southern Laurel County to keep it clean from litter.

The area is too beautiful for this to continue. I am aware that they do have workers there at times cleaning up the area. However, the next day litter starts to form. Thus, more attention must be given or it will still look like a garbage dump along that section of 770.