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For Thursday: Virginia has an opportunity to be on the cutting edge to turn energy conservation goals into innovation and economic development.

In Sunday's Current: Blacksburg has the preliminary results of its greenhouse gas inventory in hand and can start weighing how to become a Cool City, by Sierra Club standards. Clear already is that the town's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint will depend on the whole community's buy-in for success. Government operations account for only a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions that most climate scientists say are heating up the globe.

For Thursday: For a school struggling to find the right path to student success, William Fleming High's experiment with single-sex classes is worthwhile.

Curb Bush's thirst for war
Virginia's junior senator plans anew to keep President Bush from waging yet another senseless war.
The White House appears to be gunning for a unilateral military strike against Iran. This time, the bully president's mission must be aborted before he shoves a region balanced on the rim of chaos into the abyss of a widening war. Congress can stifle Bush's battle drum with Sen. James Webb's resolution clarifying that Bush cannot invade Iran without congressional authorization. True, the Constitution already limits the president's war powers, but Bush can't be trusted not to stretch the nation's law to his own ends.
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Lead safety needs city's commitment
How can Roanoke say it is dedicated to a program whose funding will expire at year's end?
Somewhat forgotten in the rush to pull lead-tainted toys from store shelves is that thousands of children in this country are exposed to lead on a regular basis in homes, including homes in Roanoke. With the help of grants, Roanoke has made small gains in recent years to educate residents about the dangers of lead-based paint. The city also has taken steps to reduce residents' exposure to deteriorating lead paint in their homes. But the efforts of Lead-Safe Roanoke are destined to slide if Roanoke does not fully commit itself to the program.
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Separating the SCHIP from the chaff
Elizabeth Strother

Surprised to see police officers, school nurses, teachers among the people in the Roanoke Valley who are looking for government-subsidized health insurance for their kids? People who have a home to live in, pay their bills, put food on the table and clothes on their children's backs and send them off to school? People who look a lot like you? Not your idea of people who are poor -- or poor enough, at any rate, to be less than self-sufficient?
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Wednesday's letters can be read here.

For Wednesday: Sen. Jim Webb says he plans to reintroduce a resolution that would make it clear to the president: He cannot invade Iran without Congressional authorization. It should go without saying, but this president and his stepped-up rhetoric against Iran needs a stern reminder.

For Wednesday: Roanoke must not allow the small gains it made to reduce citizens' exposure to lead-based paint in their homes slide for lack of money.

Easy fees instead of hard decisions
Abusive driver fees are the type of leadership voters can continue to expect from a Republican majority.
Candidates hope voters remain hopping mad over abusive driver fees and will vote against those who enacted them. Trouble is both Democrats and Republicans blame the other. Who's really to blame? The people who think it's good public policy to pay for roads this way, that's who.
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Review state death penalty systems
Halt executions until their weaknesses are addressed -- or abolish the inhumane practice forever.
An American Bar Association report citing problems in state death penalty systems has been unjustly criticized as reflecting an anti-death penalty agenda. The lawyers' organization, which has not taken a position on the death penalty, raised concerns about systemic failures serious enough to warrant a nationwide halt on executions, at least temporarily.
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Good or bad, SCHIP usurps states' rights
Scott Wolk
Wolk, of Roanoke County, is coordinator for the Constitution Party of Southwest Virginia.
Upon first glance at 6th District Rep. Bob Goodlatte's op-ed piece "Putting children first" (Oct. 22), one would be hard pressed to argue his position, whichever side of the aisle you tend to find yourself. I find the thought repugnant of a child, who has no real choice in the matter, without health care, should the need arise, because his or her parent doesn't have coverage, whatever the case may be. I know of no one who would be OK with it.
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Tuesday's letters can be read here.