Solution in sight for dump offenders

Good for the county.

After many years of observing a problem with trucks hauling trash to the dump, and leaving a goodly portion of the load on the highway instead of at the dump, the county is going to do something about it.

To be fair, officials had tried to deal with the problem earlier by placing a $5 fine on vehicles that arrived at the dump without having their loads properly covered and secured.

Trouble is, the small fine wasn't having any effect.

So now, the county is installing a camera system at the dump which will record evidence against violators. That information will be sent to the sheriff's office, and offenders could face a $200 fine.

We doubt there will be many repeat offenders.

Maybe some exercise and foot-eye coordination learned in youth will help residents who hope to safely cross Meridian Road on U.S. 93.

Pedestrians report having to dash through the crosswalk there as if they were in a military zone.

The problem is that southbound traffic on U.S. 93 at Buffalo Hill is moving at about 45 mph. A dedicated right-turn lane onto Meridian Road does nothing to slow traffic and gives no indication that pedestrians might be sprinting for their lives, even if they have a lighted "walk" sign in their favor.

The onus, of course, is on drivers to watch for pedestrians. Reconfiguring the intersection could help.

But pedestrians be warned. Even if you seem to have the right-of-way and no traffic bearing down on you, that could change at a rate of 45 miles per hour, so be careful out there.

Know that feeling of coming home from work and having no obligations for a few hours? The sweet indulgence of reading a book, watching a movie, tinkering at a leisure activity or going for a walk?

It's no surprise that children need the same time to play.

A new study by the American Academy of Pediatrics says that play time - the real stuff, not activities organized by parents - is part of healthy development.

The academy encourages parents to herd their children away from the computer screen and television and ease up on structured activities long enough to let their children romp.

Unfettered, uninhibited, bug-chasing, role-playing, giggling, whooping fun. Many of us remember that, and the tools for fun are as simple as they ever were. Dolls and blocks and swings and sleds and imagination are among them.

Sure, there's something to be said for organized sports, music and French lessons, but one of the best things we can do for our children is to make sure they have time to play.