Dear Editor, 

Small town hospitality is alive and well in Hazard. My husband was brought to the ARH emergency room and immediately we were made feel comfortable and assured. My stay will exceed past 8 days and I have nothing but praise to say about all staff.

Residents from Perry County and Knott County are working together to make a lifelong difference for children, and I had the opportunity to be part of it when I visited Hazard on April 19 for the Perry County Early Childhood Summit, hosted by the Save the Children. It was a chance for me to revisit this beautiful region of Kentucky that holds a special place in my heart.  The rolling, green hills of Kentucky were reminiscent of my mother’s former home in Korea, so she decided to make this state our new home after our first visit during my youth. 

Here in Eastern Kentucky, youth (17-25) voter turnout is low. According to the State Board of Elections in 2016 less than half of registered young adults voted (41.6 percent). 

As young adults, I feel that it is our absolute responsibility to fight the idea that we are apathetic. It is a shame that we were never instilled the idea that we should care or that our voices should be heard. We were silenced with shame for opposing ideas instead of working on common ground, which is all we want now. 

Communities grow through communication and interaction between the people in them. We at the Hazard Herald highly value the input of our readers and encourage any member of the community with something to say to submit a letter to our editor. All submissions must include a name, date, address and phone number (for verification purposes only).

If anyone has any doubts about some good still exists in this county, they should have been at the Perry County Conservation’s tree seedling giveaway this last Saturday.

Voicing support for solar

Each year Kentucky’s roads, rails, rivers, and airports carry more than $500 billion in freight to, from, and through our economy. Our employers such as UPS, Toyota, and Ford require a reliable and efficient transportation system, as do some forty-five hundred manufacturers and their nearly quarter-million employees spread across the Commonwealth. Infrastructure is the most essential, broad-based service that our tax dollars fund. But we are falling behind – in maintenance, in capacity, and behind our neighboring states as we compete for economic investment, job and wage growth, and a better quality of life.