Please encourage Congress to pass cancer research act

To the editor:

It is unacceptable in this day and age that there is a cancer for which the relative five-year survival rate is still in the single digits at just 6 percent. It is particularly unacceptable when you consider that the overall five-year relative survival for all cancers is now 67 percent and the overall cancer incidence and death rates are declining, while the incidence and death rates for pancreatic cancer, the nation’s fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death, are increasing.

This situation cannot be allowed to continue.

Congress has the power to change these statistics by passing the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act (S. 362/H.R. 733), which will ensure that the National Cancer Institute develops a long-term comprehensive strategic research plan. The bill has overwhelming bipartisan support, including nearly half of the Senate and over half of the House. On June 26, advocates from Ohio will join more than 550 individuals from across the country in Washington, D.C., for the sixth annual Pancreatic Cancer Advocacy Day to thank Sen. Sherrod Brown for his support of the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act and to urge him to work for its passage before the end of the year.

Please join me in supporting those traveling to our nation’s capital by contacting our members of Congress to ask them to pass the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act. Go to knowitfightitendit.org to learn more.

Together, we can make a difference in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Cheryl Holbrook
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Columbus Chapter

Thank you from the Lozano family for tremendous help

To the editor:

My family and I would like to thank those who participated in the Dave Lozano Fundraiser held on May 18 at the American Legion Hall here in Westerville. The event was a huge success thanks to all who worked so diligently in organizing it. An estimated 170 plus attended to dine on the delicious food from Antonio’s, participate in the auction and raffle, listen to music, and visit with friends they haven’t seen in years. It was like a good ol’ high school and family reunion.

There are several individuals who deserve honorable mention for all of their time, effort, and commitment in hosting the event. I would first like to thank Sean Canavan for his 45 years of friendship, loyalty and endless commitment for helping my family and I as we’ve struggled thru my illness. I’m truly blessed to have him by my side and the event was indicative of his caring. Tom Ullom, our own Westerville firefighter and classmate, who’s always worked for the behalf of others, was there to organize, recruit, and contact others who could help. His selflessness and commitment to helping this community, his co-workers, and friends is always front and center.

So many others deserve mention including Greg Chamblin, Rita Vaccari and family (Antonio’s), Mark Reckner, Karyn Housset, Danny Roush, Toni Tiburzio Gundling, Rob Maneely, Tim Duffy and David Bruns. There are many others to thank and I just want to tell you all how blessed I am to know you, so touched by your prayers, generosity, and humanity.

Finally in closing, I need to express my love for my wife Jane and family, Samantha, and David. It has been a grueling battle since last November and I’ve needed to rely on them ,for everything. They’ve given up so much and have worked tirelessly to care for and support me. I also want to tell all my sisters, brother, nephews and nieces I love you and thanks for taking care of your little, or bigger, brother. We’re blessed to have each other.

God bless you all.

Dave Lozano

Westerville Central baseball team deserves recognition

To the editor:

In our endeavors to spread the word about prostate health, Central Ohio Men Against Prostate Cancer often interacts with older adults. But, we were pleasantly caught off guard when we were recently approached by the Westerville Central High School Baseball Boosters, whose players wanted to support our organization by designating a game as a fundraising event, Step up to the Plate, for COMAPC.

It is commendable that these young men, under the guidance of Coach Keifer, decided to put themselves out in front of such an important mens’ issue. In these tight economic times, the team’s effort raised more than $500, which will be used to bring awareness about prostate cancer and offer free testing to those who do not have access to screening services.

The players’ parents and friends who turned out to watch a rainy, Wednesday-night baseball game learned more about a disease which claims the lives of one out of every six American men, and one in four African American males.

We are most grateful for this successful collaboration, which we hope can become an annual event. Westerville can be proud of these young citizens.

James M. Meeth
Central Ohio Men Against Prostate Cancer

Thanks for helping out, volunteering at Pointview

To the editor:

With the school year concluded, we would like to thank all those who volunteered or contributed in some way, to the activities and events this year at Pointview Elementary.

An especially big thank you goes to Mary Medors, district sales manager for Pierre’s Ice Cream, for generously volunteering to provide ice cream for one of the events.

Without all of your help, in so many ways, we would not have been able to make these days as special for the students and the teachers. It was much appreciated.

New Horizons Retired Westerville Teachers

Doris Sadler
and Kathy Montgomery

Public-sector attack off the mark

To the editor:

I am afraid that the fulsome story in the June 7 ThisWeek Westerville News & Public Opinion about Jim Burgess and his efforts to repeal the school tax levy that was passed last March was not a helpful addition to the debate on this subject.

While it may be the case that the school board has been spending money unwisely, the remedy for this is not to take a meat ax to their budget, but to replace some of the school board members with others who hold fresh views or who will take a more critical look at expenditures and priorities. This of course has already begun to occur as of the election last November.

At this point, however, I do not believe that voters have adequate facts about school district expenditures, since the information coming from both sides seems partial and one-sided.

But there is one statement frequently made by the anti-levy group that I think needs to be challenged. They, and more broadly the entire Tea Party movement with whom they apparently are allied, complain that public employees are paid more than those who work in the private sector.

Perhaps this sometimes is true, but if so, what does it mean? That public employees are paid too much? Could it not just as well mean that private employees are paid too little? In an economy in which the richest have been able to substantially increase their share of the national income during the last 40 years and the incomes of ordinary working people have stagnated, why do people point to private sector salaries and wages as some sort of a standard?

The Tea Party members would do better to devote their efforts to curbing the gigantic salaries, bonuses and pensions paid to many corporate executives before they attack the much more modest salaries and wages paid to public employees.

Thomas Storck