News

Motorcycle crash victim's family deserves apology

Letters to the Editor
Published May 6, 2005

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Re: Common sense can save bikers' lives, May 4 editorial.

You and your careless staff are twisting the knives in those who have already lost someone so dear.

A young man named Adam Long was killed in a horrific motorcycle accident last week. He died early Friday morning at St. Joseph Hospital in Tampa. You were not there to see the grief of his family and friends. You were not there to here the nurses say that there was nothing else that could be done for him. You were not there to have to see a mother and father learn that their precious son was dead. It is a horrifying sight that I wish you nor anyone else ever has to witness.

But you did step up quickly to write an unethical report in which you mocked the death of this young man. You claim that he had no common sense. Perhaps you should learn all the facts before reporting such articles. Christine asked Adam to take her for a ride. He complied, but he only had one helmet. He insisted that she wear it.

I suppose someone without common sense would not have done that, but Adam did. And if it weren't for his common sense, things would have turned out worse for Christine than they have, and Adam's family would have been spared the heartache they are going through. But your article did not report this. Your article reported that some young man wasn't wearing his helmet and he died.

Adam was very responsible. He was attending college and working. He was an excellent rider who always used extreme caution, and often scolded those who did not. Before you go and point your judgmental finger it is important to present all the facts. Perhaps you could learn a lesson from Adam. He was not judgmental and he had more common sense than your entire staff.

The family and friends of this young man deserve some sort of apology for malicious and inaccurate reporting. It is a shame that all people one day must go through the loss of a loved one, but no one should try to make it worse. You and your staff have made it much worse for the family and friends of Adam Long.

-- Christina Riveros, New Port Richey

Riders can decide their own precautions

Re: Common sense can save bikers' lives, May 4 editorial.

The Pasco Times asked in an editorial whether riding a motorcycle without wearing a helmet is worth the risk, and that is a good question. Most people are well aware of the additional risk, even, believe it or not, most bareheaded cyclists. But because the experience of riding is so subjective, the only person in a position to decide whether it is worth that risk is the rider himself, not the legislature, not the Department of Transportation, not even the Pasco Times.

-- Doug Murray, Altamonte Springs

CARES fills a niche in health care system

Re: Hospital wants new clinic for uninsured, May 3.

In response to your excellent article, I would like to add some information. You have neglected to mention the CARES Senior Health Clinic located at the New Port Richey Claude Pepper Center in your list of clinics for the uninsured. CARES has been serving indigent elders since 1990. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs developed a geriatric model of limited health care utilizing retired licensed volunteer physicians and nurses.

The CARES Senior Health Clinic serves more than 250 patients annually. Other health related support includes gerontology counseling, nutrition counseling, physical fitness, health risk screenings, disease information, health risk assessment and medication management. The CARES Senior Health Clinic provides limited medical care to low-income and uninsured seniors, 55 and older.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday. The volunteer physicians are Drs. Thomas Konda, Walter Reich (medical director), Vasant Shah, Dean Ersig, Ngygen Vu, and Tin Chow. The clinic director is Lee Fenton.

As a local charity concerned about the health of people of all ages, we support the initiative of Morton Plant North Bay Hospital and Good Samaritan Health Clinic in assisting uninsured patients with basic health care services. We credit Sen. Mike Fasano for trying to assist people in accessing health care. CARES experience is that uninsured seniors are at high risk for hospitalization. We are happy to fill this niche in the health care system. The volunteer nurses and physicians are greatly appreciated for the work they perform for seniors at the CARES Claude Pepper Senior Health Clinic.

-- Bill Aycrigg, president/CEO, CARES, Port Richey

Fix County Road 54 before adding stores

It is upsetting to read the headline on May 4: Developer plans to transform CR 54 stretch along I-75.

Before any more development is done in this area, the roads need to be fixed. This is a horrible intersection! If anyone has tried to go anywhere in rush hour or on the weekends, it is a nightmare. Traffic backs up from all directions, and now we are going to add more businesses. Boy, this makes since.

It seems all we are worried about in Pasco County is bringing more business to the area. Let's try to do something to alleviate the congestion before we do more building and bringing in business.

As a new resident to the area, I find this very important. It seems that we are most concerned with everything along U.S. 19. Well, there is another part of Pasco County that seems to be forgotten about quite a bit. Do you think people are going to shop at CR 54 when it takes forever to get there? How about we start evaluating the situation a little better in Wesley Chapel and not along U.S. 19.

We do need some shopping but we also need some help alleviating the traffic.

-- Triscia Weakley, Wesley Chapel

Castle Doctrine won't make us safer

Re: Castle Doctrine gives people right to defend themselves, April 29 letter.

I would like to respond to people who feel the Castle Doctrine is an answer to their fears.

What intelligent and informed person actually believes that this new bill is about protection of house and home? The laws permitting that were already in place and have been for years. People like the letter writer have often been asked to give real statistics from police departments and not the spin version modified by the National Rifle Association that show how many people have actually protected themselves, their families or their property with guns vs. how many people have been injured, maimed or killed by moments of anger, intoxication, passion or mistakes with guns.

Having a gun or the legal authority to fire it does not provide any real protection. Florida's gun owners, and those in many other states, are not required to take and pass thorough or truly adequate education and training with their firearms. At least before they were held to some sort of standard of responsibility regarding what they did with those guns. This law virtually removes all personal responsibility from gun owners, and that is both terrifying and unconscionable.

When are we, as Americans and as human beings, going to stop blaming all our problems on somebody else while refusing to be responsible for our own actions and deeds? This seems to me to be just one more attempt to make individuals less responsible for the damage they do. Perhaps it is simply reflective of the view of the politicians in the Legislature, that personal responsibility is passe and we all need to live as if we were under siege and its is every man for himself?

May I suggest the Legislature be forced to reread the books Animal Farm, 1984 and Lord of the Flies. I suspect the legislators either never read them or couldn't comprehend them, but maybe it isn't too late.

-- Debi Drewes, Denver, Colo.

Studying art improves education

Re: All student activities need support, April 28 letter.

Absolutely! This support for arts education is located at Renaissance Academy in New Port Richey.

Dr. Janine Caffrey had the passion of many parents in the county and started Renaissance Academy two years ago. Renaissance breaks the mold by allowing arts education to be infused in students' academic schedule. This is provided because research has proved over and over that students will not only excel in their academic education with added arts education but they are more likely to graduate from college.

I'm biased because I am the mathematics and percussion teacher at Renaissance, but our students are extremely talented and appreciated. Students from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando and, of course, Pasco come to our school for quality academic education as well as to perform their talents.

-- Michael Siemion, New Port Richey

Strauber Highway needs attention

Re: Strauber road shouldn't be a race track, May 4 letter.

I agree. The Sheriff's Office needs to do something about Trouble Creek Road (Strauber Memorial Highway). People do use it for a speedway. Has anyone tried to ride a bike along that road?

The trash is unbeliveable. People should be ashamed of dumping trash! They should be fined if caught.

And, yes, the wildlife on that stretch is amazing! There really should be a bike path along the entire road. But, that is another matter all together. Let's stop the raceway and the trash dumping first.

-- John Gordon, Holiday

[Last modified May 6, 2005, 00:38:16]