TAZEWELL COMMITTEE DECIDES BEST ACTION IS NO ACTION AGAINST TIME MAGAZINE

TAZEWELL, Va. - The squabble between leaders in Tazewell County and Time
magazine is over.

A month after a two-page article detailing the region's rampant drug
problem prompted widespread ire from community leaders who argued the
national report painted a negative picture of Tazewell County, a committee
appointed for the purpose of responding to the article has decided no
action is the best course of action.

"You can never win when you get into a writing battle with someone who buys
ink by the barrel," Dan Bowling, the Southern District Board of Supervisors
member, said.

After two meetings, the committee decided not to respond to Time magazine,
and to instead continue working to promote positive news in the region,
County Administrator Jim Spencer said.

"The recommendation was not to respond to the article, and to continue
doing positive things," Spencer said. "Again, we are trying to do things
positively, and portray what we are doing in a positive fashion."

The county can't win a prolonged public relations battle with the magazine,
board vice chairman Bill Rasnick said.

"We all know if you wrestle with a skunk what will happen to you," Rasnick
said. "So let's don't get involved in a match with a skunk."