The only old horse that was beaten recently during the public hearing about a proposed 692-apartment development in Celebrate Virginia North was incumbent Hartwood Supervisor Gary Snellings, who is seeking a third term ["Celebrate North project alive," May 8]. As usual, his claims about low proffers are indicative of an overall lack of understanding of 21st-century costs in providing quality development in a county that has doubled its population every 20 years since 1960....

Education: A reflection of ourselves In response to "This education question hasn't been answered" letter to the editor published May 6, the answer is quite simple: Any public education system worldwide is merely a reflection of the society in which it serves....

Why try Stewart back here in Virginia? Regarding the bomber, Laurence Alan Stewart II: No doubt the young man's mind is out of order. The Stafford County law enforcement agencies did a top-notch job ["Stafford wants shot at Stewart," May 8]....

How did 'W' do wrong? Let me count the ways Donnie Johnston caught grief for his column on the Bush presidential library ["A different take on Bush museum," April 26]. Many took umbrage with his reflections on Bush the man....

Ugliness, vitriol closes online comments Readers are no longer allowed to comment on Fredericksburg.com on letters to the editor, but readers have only themselves to blame....

4H show was great! Congratulations to all the participants in the 4H Livestock Show and Sale on May 8. It was a day filled with competition, friendship, fun, and also tears....

ON SUNDAY, the Some Gave All Foundation will be having the 7th annual Frazier/Mason Memorial Ride, which memorializes and honors the lives of Army Sgt. Nicholas Conan Mason of King George County and Marine Sgt. Joshua James Frazier of Spotsylvania County. Both men were killed in the line of duty in Iraq. In the first year of the Frazier/Mason ride, organizers intended it to include their families, friends, and some area bikers who support the military. No one would have guessed that over 600 motorcyclists would show up for the ride....

BOWIE, Md.--Well, this is a fine mess. After years of moaning about various "conspiracies" against them, conservative activists finally have a real (i.e., not manufactured by Fox or inflated by Limbaugh) piece of evidence to take before the court of public opinion....

Have members of Congress read Plato? It would be a stretch to assume that members of the present Congress have read Plato, but perhaps a short quotation might be read:...

THERE'S A FREEDOM in running, or so they say. The breeze in your face, the slap of your shoes on the pavement, the welcome air filling your lungs and blood pounding through your arteries, the body acting as it should. "God made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure," Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell famously remarked. And so it will be, for approximately 10,000 people expected to participate in Sunday's Marine Corps Historic Half. But the fun isn't just for runners, and it starts sooner than Sunday--today, in fact, at 3:30 when opening ceremonies kick off a weekend full of events. At 4 p.m., the three-day Healthy Lifestyle Expo opens at the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center--it's free and open to anyone. There's a Saturday 5K run and runner's bRUNch. Sunday, there are three races: the Historic Half, the Semper Fred 5K, and the Historic 10K--all beginning at 6:30 a.m. Groups, including…