Letters to the Editor

Call Senator Specter

To the editor:

As I moved to the area with my wife and twoyear old son in December 2003, I drove my frontwheel drive car in two feet of snow up toward North Hollow Heights. The few people I knew at the time from the medical staff assured me that spring would come one day.

One of my first patients, the Krone family, gave me a CD titled, "Middle of Nowhere." I used to look at the map framed on the CD more than I listened to it.

Slowly, but surely, I came to know more people here. I served patients in Coudersport, Emporium and sometimes Shinglehouse. I was entrusted with responsibilities which I tried to fulfill to the best of my clinical knowledge and skills. I have always felt pride and satisfaction in doing so.

For the past few years, I served as chairman of infection control for the hospital and worked with the state on projects to provide a safe environment for patients. I worked as chairman of the quality and safety council and was supported by wonderful board members, our CEO and Dr. Shifrin, our quality control chief.

As a member of the Med Ex committee and board of directors, I was always encouraged to express my views and opinions about multiple aspects of managing this valuable asset and prioritizing policies based on patient-centered care.

My daughter, born here, is now five years old. My family has always felt safe and cared for. Today, as I am leaving the area to relocate closer to my family, I do not have enough words to express how I feel.

Before I left, hundreds of my colleagues hugged me and many of my patients cried in my office. Nobody seems ready to bid me farewell. My family in Potter County has grown and I feel this is a relationship that will remain. I may, at some point, ask my family down south to move closer to the bigger family I have here.

Syed B. Bhat, MD

Special Baseball Team

To the editor:

This was a special season for the Coudersport Purple team, champion of the Potter-McKean Babe Ruth Baseball League with a 17-1 record.

Many of our boys were drafted by Coach Shawn Wolfinger. Little did he know that Purple would go on to win two league titles and go 42-7 over the next three years.

Our boys started this season after having suffered a tremendous loss of their teammate and friend, Matt Wolfinger. We would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to Coach Shawn, Karen, Kevin and Aaron Wolfinger. We have dedicated our 2009 league championship to our fallen teammate and brother, Matt Wolfinger.

We have also been without one of our biggest fans in Mr. John Rigas, who has been away from his home, his family and his friends for nearly two years. Our thoughts and prayers are also with Mr. Rigas and his family.

Behind the plate we had Caden Whitman, who picked off runners at key times. At first base was Jeffrey "Tippy" McManus, who dug a lot of balls out of the dirt and could stretch like no first baseman we ever had.

At second base we had Chris "Twan" Rigas, who had a way of waiting until the last second to get the runner out at first base. At shortstop, Mike Miller and John Michael Rigas were solid all year. Third baseman Mitch Freeman was strong, even though he liked to send Tippy into the weeds on a ball hunt once in a while.

Each member of our outfield ran like a deer, Brian Kane in left, Alex Hutcheson in center and Creighton Hayes, the fastest right fielder in the league.

Our little guy was Jacob Swede, who our team seemed to rally around. Our other little guys were Xavier Furman, Cameron Kockler, Trey VanWhy, and Philip Andrus. Each of these players stepped up at important times, while Jacob gave pitchers fits trying to throw him strikes.

In fact, every player on the team came through with a big hit or a big play at one time or another.

Our pitching staff was led by John Michael Rigas, Mike Miller, Brian Kane, Alex Hutcheson, Caden Whitman, and Chris (Cy Young) Rigas. I guess they liked walking the eight and nine hitters, just to get the coaches worked up. They always came back to get the big outs, though.

On behalf of the coaches, thank you to all of these boys for a memorable season. Charlie Wadsworth Coudersport

Smarter Spending

To the editor:

Funding prevention, treatment and recovery support for drug and alcohol addiction results in an economic stimulus. This is what I have been telling my legislators for the last six months, and I feel like I've been shouting it from the rooftops for over ten years.

A Columbia University study just reported that for every dollar our government spends on the societal burdens of substance abuse, we spend only three cents on treatment. The study is called "Shoveling Up," because we spend our money shoveling up the consequences of addiction rather than solving the problem.

Pennsylvania spends a conservative $5.3 billion dollars a year on burdens from addiction. This includes justice, education, health, child and family assistance, mental health and public safety. At the same time we spend only 3.2 percent of that amount to solve the problem.

Governor Rendell pointed out recently that prisons are one of the largest mandates of our state budget. With effective treatment programs, recidivism can be cut at least in half. Instead our prisons are filled while rehab beds go empty.

Documented studies show the recovery-oriented system of care can yield a 40-60 percent recovery rate. In other words, there is a way to solve the problems of addiction, return people to society as functioning individuals and relieve a good portion of societal burdens.

Legislators need to take charge of this issue. Over time Pennsylvania's drug and alcohol treatment budgets have been cut so severely that the organizations equipped to offer recovery services have had to downsize, offer incomplete service, and some are doomed to close if budget cuts continue.

Our leaders have fallen behind the public. Polls show 75 percent of Americans support prevention and treatment. We can save a generation of children with prevention. We can reduce societal burdens with recovery. And wouldn't it be better for low-risk, offenders to be treated rather than incarcerated?

It is time to be responsible with our money. It is time to solve the problem. It is time to speak out. Allen McQuarrie Doylestown