Letters to the Editor

For the Chelsea Standard

Thank you, Chelsea

To the Editor: When someone leaves this world for the next, you expect some flowers, food, prayers, and thoughts from others that care. When our brother Brian Darwin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last spring, we thought we had seen the epitome of caring at a benefit at Chelsea Fairgrounds in which a substantial amount of money and the spirits of Brian and his family were raised. But the outpouring of generosity of spirit and love for him and his family this past week surpassed anything we’ve ever witnessed.

The Mitchell family stepped up with an offer to use their funeral home for visitations, which were packed with mourners both days. The Chelsea Bulldogs dedicated the game to Brian Friday night. Chelsea’s St. Mary Church willingly agreed to hold the service, which was filled to their capacity of 700 people. Arbor Hospice’s chaplain delivered a beautiful eulogy, and Brian would have been so proud to hear his four children stand up and speak, as well as friends who had traveled some distance to be there.

The luncheon at the UAW was put on by Linda Collins of Thompson’s, who donated the benefit supper last May, and deserves not only citizen of the year, but possibly sainthood. Once again the Chelsea Athletic Boosters came through with desserts and help in setting up and cleaning up afterward.

In addition, there had been over a thousand hits on his Web site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/briandarwin.

It’s impossible to thank every single person who offered condolences, brought food, sent flowers, called, came, or helped in some way these past months and this past week. There is Brenda’s family and friends, their children’s friends, people who grew up with Brian in Ann Arbor and Chelsea, his parents and siblings and people who had only met him once. It was an amazing tribute to a great guy and to his family, and it made us so proud to be a part of this community. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it.

Bill and Marsi Darwin,

Waterloo

Get your flu shot

To the Editor: I am sorry to be a bit tardy with this comment on Elaine Owsley's recent piece on vaccinations.

I grew up as a USAF dependent; we always had to keep our shot records up-to-date, and all my life I have been a believer in getting the shot rather than the disease.

During the summer, I spent five weeks in various places in Africa, including Cameroon in West Africa and Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa in southern Africa. In order to enter Cameroon one must have had the Yellow Fever vaccine – I think not to protect the traveler but to prevent travelers from bringing the disease into Cameroon. In addition to the Yellow Fever shot, I also had the vaccine for typhoid and the one for tetanus, pertussis and diphtheria as well as the polio vaccine, although I had had both the Salk and the Sabin vaccines when they first became available.

The polio vaccine was recommended by the international health organization I consulted, but also by my son and daughter-in-law who are currently living in Douala, Cameroon. When one is visiting in Cameroon, it is clear why: there are a considerable number of people in the equivalent of wheelchairs (operated by using the hands to turn a bicycle-type mechanism) because they had polio rather than the polio vaccine.

As Elaine pointed out in her well-reasoned piece, when she and I were children, our mothers spent the summer months in fear that their children would contract polio. It is because of vaccines that in this country mothers no longer have that fear.

The man in the handcart selling greeting cards outside the small local supermarket where my daughter-in-law shops is ample demonstration that Elaine is right about vaccines.

By the way, my son and daughter-in-law have also had the meningitis vaccine, which I elected not to receive because I would not be traveling in the meningitis belt in Africa, as well as Hepatitis A (which I have also had) and Hepatitis B. Better safe than sick!

Gloria Johnson

Oklahoma City, OK

Transition meeting

To the Editor: The state of the world concerns me, and has for some time. I’ve been worried about climate change when I read about people in parts of the world who have had drought for years on end and even some parts of our own country. I worry when I hear that the polar ice caps are melting.

I’ve been hearing that soon, we will see the world’s oil production decline to the point that we will feel the effects in our everyday lives. In fact, we already have, with gas and fuel oil prices going up.

I’ve been afraid that the economy is so unstable I may not be able to retire, and I hear of many others who have lost their homes, and that soup kitchens have never been so busy.

I don’t like feeling like a victim of circumstances, so when I heard that there was a grass roots movement designed to empower communities to become more sustainable more localized, I was intrigued. Earlier this year, I, along with three other Chelsea people, took the Transition Town Training in Ann Arbor.

We have since formed an initiating committee, whose mission is to bring awareness of these issues to Chelsea, and to begin envisioning with the entire community ways in which we can become more resilient.

I invite you all to learn more about the transition movement and be a part of the discussion on Saturday at the Michigan Friends Center for a day called “Living Lightly Presents: Transition Towns: Use Less, Live More.” We also offer 15 different skills that will be taught for things such as Passive Houses, Poultry-raising, bee-keeping, worm composting, a hoop house demonstration and more.

The conference is free. A lunch of fresh, local foods will be available for $10. To register, call 734-475-1892 or see www.michiganfriendscenter.org/registration.html.

Cathy Muha

Lima

Hospital a blessing

To the Editor: Thirty years ago when my family came to this community, there were a lot of cows in the fields, and farm equipment going down M-52 that you had to pull over for. Today, those things are still there, but not as much. Yes, there has been some change in this community, as well as change in ownership of businesses, properties, and households.

Almost every day I pass by 775 S. Main Street and do not give it a second look. I have attended functions, meetings, auctions, and yes, done business there, but never have I had to use this facility. My personal doctor, Rebecca Patrias, gave me a referral to Dr. Jennifer Kulick, a surgeon in the Professional Building on the hospital grounds.

My primary diagnosis was colon cancer and surgery was a must. To my surprise, my doctor said that we could take care of everything right here at Chelsea Community Hospital. From the CAT scan to X-ray, to Heather at scheduling, the attention to detail was second to none.

As I arrived early on the day of my surgery at the hospital, there was no confusion from the check-in clerks to the waiting room personnel, from anesthesia to the pre-op and post-op nurses. I stayed at the hospital for four days and, again, from the nursing student on her first day of rotation, to dietary, to the floor nurses and the aides, to all of the volunteers, there was nothing that I asked for that I did not receive; everyone on the Medsurg East Wing was always four steps ahead.

The support that my family has received from this community is mind-blowing, and I can never repay all of the kind words, prayers, food, gifts, flowers, and John Deere Stickers that were presented to me.

You all have heard about the new ownership of the hospital, and I, for one, was a little skeptical about the change. When big business buys out small business there are always issues. I want to tell you that from point A to point Z, there was never an issue about anything, and I mean nothing! So, I ask all of the surrounding communities and counties, know that we have a gem right here in our own backyard. If you need medical procedures, doctors, surgeons, or a hospital, you can find what you need right here.

And to the new owners of the Chelsea Community Hospital, please keep up the same high standards that we have come to expect from this facility. Small town community employment makes all the difference in the world. So, if I may say again to Ms. Kathleen Griffiths, Phil Boham, the Board of Directors, and to the hospital’s doctors, nurses, volunteers, and everyone in between, you do make a difference; and I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. And to Dr. Jennifer Kulick and Dr. Rebecca Patrias, thank you, thank you, your early detection and treatment saved my life.

Johnny Mitchell and family

Review EMS provider

To the Editor: I recently read an article in the Detroit Free Press stating that Northville Township has switched EMS providers “primarily because of the cost to residents and their insurers, who pay for the ambulance calls.” The article further states that Community EMS, who is taking over the service, will cost the patient $68 to $220 less than Huron Valley Ambulance, which previously had the contract.

I also read, in that same publication, reports on our economy. Like many people in Washtenaw County, I continue to grow more and more concerned about the economic state of our nation (and county) on a daily basis. I read about necessary changes in healthcare because people already cannot afford medical care. I read that politicians can’t agree on the “necessary” changes and that real reform will be delayed. Lastly, I am receiving many flyers in the mail regarding renewing millage or millage increases.

As a Washtenaw County resident, I began to think of the ambulances that I see in the area that I live. These ambulances are indeed Huron Valley ambulances, the same EMS provider that Northville Township just terminated services with.

In these times, change is absolutely necessary. We have to change our way of looking at the way our government does business. The days of the governmental procurement of a $2,000 hammer are over. I do believe that change starts with common sense.

During an emergency it is easy to overlook the charges involved for the ambulance ride, but once all is restored to normal and that bill arrives, the excess charges are quite evident. It is my understanding that Wayne and Oakland counties have several private EMS services competing for these contracts. Why isn’t there competition for these services in Washtenaw County?

It appears that no one is reviewing the charges being passed onto the citizens of the county. If we are being charged $68 to $220 more for ambulance service shouldn’t we look for change?

A monopoly doesn’t benefit Washtenaw County’s residents, it hurts them.

Cathy Barrett

Dexter

‘Don’t feed the deer’

To the Editor: When is Chelsea going to stir itself to action about the growing problem with property damage brought about by the herd of protected deer in our midst? While many may regard the deer as a charming aspect of life in Chelsea others feel the effects of a relatively large animal grazing on property vegetation, leaving “calling cards” and when available, helping themselves to food left out for the woodland birds. I have young neighbor children running through my yard and thus I feel disposed to clean-up after the deer have done their business, to avoid mishaps with the kids.

When I first moved to Chelsea there was an occasional encounter with deer crossing the road. Then as now motorists became vigilant at known locations for deer and a driver would be tipped-off by brake lights ahead that a crossing was in progress. I do not know the current statistics, but I have seen a number of car-deer collisions, mainly along Freer Road. In the winter, I have near-misses on a weekly basis, and I would bet many readers have experienced the same.

And is it my imagination or are the deer looking fat and overfed? Remember when deer used to run across Freer Road? Now they do this over-stuffed waddle from curb to curb. And they have gone from graze-and-move-on tactics to just sleeping in the back yard, or so my neighbors report. Well, at least that may cut down on the car-deer incidents.

Being a nature-lover, I do not mean to alarm those that hold affection for our “grazing neighbors.” Many times I have observed deer while on evening walks. People have reported things like deer peering into the windows at the Wellness Center. I witnessed an amusing scene years ago of a small group of them drinking from my son’s plastic-turtle sandbox full from the previous night’s rain. Of late, this cuteness factor has worn thin.

In this paper from the DNR in March 1999, the DNR touched on the problems associated with supplemental feeding of deer. The report included studies done on incidence of damage to landscape vegetation and more importantly, diseases carried by deer as a result of overpopulation. The main point of the paper was feeding deer in the winter in the area near your home is creating an increased potential for deer-borne diseases and creating problems for landowners due to sustained grazing.

Bottom line: People feeding the deer actually makes the problem worse. Stop, I beg you, stop feeding the deer.

Howard Holmes

Chelsea