demand up 25%

Many in our community may not be aware of the impact these tight economic times have on seniors and the home bound in our community. The number of Meals on Wheels clients has increased by 25 percent in the each of the past two years. Our current clients can only afford to pay for a third of the cost of our meals. We are so fortunate that the Walmart Foundation has recognized this need in our community and has donated $25,000 to support the important work we do. Thank you, Walmart Foundation!

Our job is not done. We still need to seek ways to fund the rest of our costs this year and look to our Chapel Hill-Carrboro community for support. We do not receive any funds from state or federal programs. Please consider a mid year donation to Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels (chcmow.org) and please continue to support our local Walmart as they do generously support charitable organizations in our community.

Celia Sandford

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels

Deer? Dangerous?

Referencing letter to the editor from a Carrboro person with a concern about the “burgeoning, unchecked-by-predator deer population” (CHN June 13), might I offer another perspective?

The author obviously has a sense of the checks and balances set up by Mother Nature. However, she fails to realize the actual reason for the above problem; it is, in fact, the unchecked human population and its encroachment upon other creatures’ environments.

Our overpopulation has placed massive pressures not only on the environment, but also on the other creatures within that environment. Scientists have been warning humans for years about our adverse effects upon our world, yet no one has seriously suggested we check OUR population growth.

I would remind the author of the letter that the deer were here first as were the bison, wolves, wild cats, birds and even the insects. We have the capacity to consider all life and our impact on our planet, yet humans continue to over populate and encroach more and more upon other creatures’ habitats – unchecked – through some absurd sense of entitlement! And so “now” we consider a beautiful animal such as the deer dangerous!? REALLY?!

May I suggest the person from Carrboro retrace human history and then decide which is more dangerous – deer or humans!

Peter terKuile

Durham

Forget the guns,

lock the bathroom

Dr. Kristen Rogers’ letter “ASK about guns” was offensive and false (CHN, June 24, bit.ly/KylLMZ). She says that we should “ask” if there are guns in homes where our children play. It’s none of her business if there are guns in my house or your house. I plead the fifth, or as Obama does when caught supplying guns to Mexican drug lords, I claim executive privilege.

As to the good doctor’s statistics, she claims that “gun violence” kills eight “children” per day. That would round up to 3,000 deaths per year. The problem with her stats is that her definition of “children” includes 18- and 19-year-old teenagers and her term “gun violence” includes homicide and suicide. If you are counting only gun accidents that result in death there were 613 in the year 2007 according to the CDC for all ages.

By comparison there are roughly 30,000 poisoning deaths per year and 3,600 drowning deaths per year. The most dangerous objects in the average home are the medicine cabinet, the toilet, and the bathtub. So the next time your child wants to play in someone’s home, ask them if they have a bathroom and if they keep it locked. Dr. Roger’s letter was ridiculous, misleading and offensive anti-gun propaganda.

Alan Culton

Hillsborough

Blood supply down after June drop-off

The American Red Cross blood supply has reached emergency levels with 50,000 fewer donations than expected in June. This shortfall leaves the Red Cross with half the readily available blood products on hand now than this time last year.

The Red Cross is calling on all eligible blood donors – now more than ever – to roll up a sleeve and give as soon as possible. All blood types are needed, but especially O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative in order to meet patient demand this summer.

An unseasonably early start to spring may be a contributing factor to this year’s decrease in donations. Many regular donors got an early start on summer activities and aren’t taking time to give blood or platelets. In addition, this year’s mid-week Independence Day holiday has reduced the number of scheduled Red Cross blood drives. Many sponsors, especially businesses, are unable to host drives because employees are taking extended vacations.

Unfortunately, patients don’t get a holiday from needing blood products. The need is constant. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion. Blood and platelets are needed for many different reasons, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients, premature babies – when there are complications during childbirth – and for patients receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.

“Every day, the Red Cross must collect more than 17,000 pints of blood for patients at more than 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country. Of that, the Carolinas Blood Services Region must collect approximately 1,600 pints per day,” says Delisa English, CEO of the American Red Cross Carolinas Blood Services Region. “We need donors to make appointments in the coming days and weeks to help us ensure that all patient blood needs can be met. Each pint of whole blood can help save more than one life.”

“There is always the chance that a physician could postpone an elective surgery if the needed blood products aren’t readily available or, in a worst case scenario, have to forego a more serious procedure because of a shortage of blood.” English adds. “Our goal is to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Emily Everett

Regional communications officer

American Red Cross

One from the art

There are so many worthwhile causes and charities that need our support here in Chapel Hill. And because it is such a marvelous community, I know that most people do their share to support such groups. We do it with dollars, we do with our time as volunteers, and we do it by taking a special interest in this array of vital causes.

Since I moved to Chapel Hill, 20 years ago, I have always made it a point – as a professional artist – to set aside a significant portion of the pieces I create during the course of the year, to contribute outright to a number of groups in our town. I welcome the opportunity to do so. These groups, several of which have become very important to me, range broadly in the kind of work they perform. Their silent auctions and fund raising gatherings are usually quite successful.

I feel it important to support these groups, whether by monetary donations, supporting them by any professional expertise one has to offer, or donations of art, antiques or services to aid fundraising activities. Most of all it’s fun. And there’s always the warm feeling that some part of you--not only that which comes from your wallet, but which comes from your heart, will help Chapel Hill become stronger. If there is a cause out there that could make use of a portion of my work, just say the word; yes: groberts42@gmail.com

Vincent Daddiego

Chapel Hill