Giving Tree
Dear Editor: The staff at Sitka Community Hospital would like to extend our gratitude to the United Methodist Church for sponsoring this past year’s Giving Tree, to Wells Fargo Bank for hosting the tree, to the Giving Tree volunteers, and to the people of Sitka for their immense and continuing generosity.
On Christmas morning, the long- term care residents and swing bed patients were greeted by an unbelievable mound of presents — each a piece of evidence of the boundless capacity for love and support that this community holds. Some of the presents they received through the Giving Tree included fleece blankets, warm clothes, and an assortment of personal care items that will all surely be put to good use through the cold winter months.
Other organizations and individuals donated time and gifts as well, including the members of the Sitka Community Hospital Auxiliary and the Salvation Army. We’d also like to thank Trish and Dirk White for asking what our long term care residents need and for consistently providing whatever it may be without fail, year after year. Finally, we are writing to show our appreciation to all of the Sitka Community staff who worked tirelessly throughout the holidays, and contributed their own gifts to put under the tree.
It was such a pleasure to wrap the endless stream of presents that flowed in through the month of December, and to consider the vast number of Sitkans whose kindness and altruism are far-reaching in bettering health and happiness.
Gunalchéesh, and Have a Very Happy New Year!
Adrian Chiem, Long Term Care Activities Fellow,
Sitka Community Hospital
Cell Phones
Dear Editor: It disturbs me to see the Health Summit/Bike Friendly Community Groups’ goals slide from simply ludicrous to the patently absurd. (Phone free driver appreciation drawing, Jan. 8 Sentinel.)
This action builds on Doug Osborne’s Dec. 15 letter in which he attempts to forge two issues. He seeks to link the problem of unlit bicycles to ‘‘distracted motorists’’ (cell phone users). But these issues are apples and oranges. The former is a valid complaint involving public safety, while the latter is a tempest in a teapot.
The way to improve bike safety is to require bicycles be illuminated, like every other municipality in America. The way to do that is to issue warnings and citations until bicyclists comply. Not offer up city prizes in phony ‘‘phone free driver appreciation drawings.’’
Bert Bergman told me he was cited after his son’s unlit bike collided with a motor vehicle. That Chief Schmidt tore up the ticket, later, to his credit. Warnings and citations need to go out before accidents occur. As prophylactic to ensure compliance in the cyclist community, for illuminating bicycles, and wearing reflective clothing.
Osborne attempts to use statistics to link distracted drivers to unlit bikes. He claims bike fatalities nationally increased from 56-73. Crediting that to distracted drivers. However, viewed in the context of a U.S. population of 400 million, Osborne’s arguments slide into the realm of mathematical insignificance.
Last year, the cell phone issue was thoroughly vetted in the Alaska Legislature, where, our duly-elected representatives quite reasonably, and properly, made it a felony to have a motor vehicle accident ‘‘while operating a screen device’’ (texting). Not included were flip phones, which required less attention from drivers. Taxi operators use them in the same way police use radios. And, despite using them, almost continuously, neither group is ‘‘having four times more accidents’’ as Osborne suggests. If Doug is right that ‘‘most people can’t even talk and drive,’’ maybe they should work up to it, by chewing bubble gum while driving.
Or, maybe Mayor McConnell should direct city hospital, and police, staff to desist from invoking the name of the municipality in promoting winter cycling and silly promotions such as the ‘‘Phone free driver appreciation drawing.’’
Sigurd D. Rutter, Sitka
