Today's Letters: A choice for the hard-of-hearing

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published May 11, 2007

Captions cap off movie outing story, May 7

As a hard-of-hearing individual, I appreciate and applaud the exposure to some of the frustrations faced by the hearing impaired. However, it was difficult to determine if the article was written to illustrate the difficulties faced by the deaf and hard of hearing, or to plug the new theater opening in Wesley Chapel.

Specifically, you stated "within 40 minutes of their Wesley Chapel homes, the only cinema that provides assistance for the deaf is the AMC Veterans Expressway 24 in Tampa." Not a word was mentioned that by driving just an additional two minutes (according to Mapquest.com), a good run of open-caption movies are available in Port Richey. I myself had the pleasure of watching Wild Hogs last month at Regal Hollywood 18 Port Richey complete with open captions - no special equipment needed. I did not miss a word.

Open-caption films are another alternative available to the hearing-impaired. InSight Cinema, a nonprofit organization, provides open-captioned prints to mainstream theaters all over the country. It can take a few weeks after a movie is released for captioned versions to make their way to theaters, but I can say from experience, it is worth the wait. For many years, I did not attend movies because the "assisted listening devices" were all too often inadequate for me. It is a very frustrating experience to pay top price for a movie, turn in your driver's license to obtain the headphones, yet still be unable to understand much of the dialog.

I was very excited when Regal Hollywood 18 Port Richey began showing open-caption films. Each open-caption movie plays for three to five days, with two show times daily, making them pretty accessible. Granted, they aren't available Friday and Saturday nights, but it's still a good schedule. Regal Hollywood 18 Port Richey also has "descriptive audio" movies available to the sight-impaired as well.

It's a wonderful thing that more options will now be available to a larger segment of Pasco County's hearing-impaired population, and you did well to publicize that. It was a real disservice to your readers that you did not do the same when open-caption and descriptive audio films came to Port Richey. Until Mr. Welman's theater opens in Wesley Chapel next year, Ms. Harris, her boyfriend and all other hearing-impaired individuals have an additional choice: Regal Hollywood 18 Port Richey. I'd be happy to attend with them any time.

Cheryl Morrell, Port Richey

Politicians, do as you promised

Every elected person in our state government really scammed us. They promised to get the insurance companies in line, with reasonable rates. What a joke! Maybe the insurance companies promised them big money for their next election.

Now they want to do away with real estate taxes. What will cities do without this income? We'll be without firefighters, police, parks and many other things. It's time we citizens speak up loud and clear.

Do what you promised to do before the next election. Forget real estate taxes or new sales tax.

Ann Bully, New Port Richey

Get acquainted with turn signals

Are people ignorant or inconsiderate?

For the ignorant:

There's a device in your car usually found on the left side of the steering column called a turn signal.

It came free with your car, so use it!

Its sole purpose is to inform other drivers (and pedestrians) that you are going to make a change in direction. It should have a neat little arrow on it, indicating whether you're going to go left or right.

It also makes a clicking noise when in use - I'm sure most of you haven't heard that yet.

It is meant to be used before you change your direction, not after. In other words, you use it before you go into the turn lane, not after you're in the turn lane already and getting ready to turn.

Also of some minor importance is, you don't use it a nanosecond before you turn - you should give other drivers at least a few seconds' notice of your directional intentions.

For the inconsiderate:

You know what a turn signal is and have used it on rare occasions - maybe when there was a FHP car behind you.

Yes, we know you are very busy talking on your cell phone or having your morning cup of coffee and don't have a free hand to use the turn signal or you feel that you know where you're going and it's of no concern to the others on the road - let them guess if you're going to make a right turn or a left turn.

Then there's the helpless - those are the drivers who will drive 10 miles down U.S. 19 in the left lane (holding up traffic no less) with their left turn signal flashing and they turn right.

Come on, folks, this is basic stuff. Let's see those turn signals light up the highways.

Mel Abrahams, Bayonet Point

Business, not event, was focus 

Day deserved broader coverage letter, May 9

It sounds to me like somebody at this Yancy Street comics is a little bitter. The article they are referring to was about a woman whom raised five children, then took over her son's business and is doing well. It was not to promote free comic book day to me as it was published two days after the fact.

You would think another woman in the same business would be glad to see another woman doing well, not bitter because she wasn't mentioned. All I know is after reading her response, if my kids want comic books I will be going to Colossal comics and not Yancy Street comics.

Laura Burkhardt, New Port Richey

Farmers trying to protect crops

To all of our understanding neighbors who live next to our blueberry farm, we would like to thank you for all the support and understanding you have shown us.

As you probably know, we had a real big problem with birds this season. The boom, pop and pow as some folks called it was necessary for us to make it through harvesting. We work very hard all year to finally make it to the harvesting season, and to have the birds come in and destroy our crop would not only be heartbreaking, it would also put us in financial ruin.

We farm because we love it, we will never be rich doing this, and we are not trying to be inconsiderate, just trying to survive.

Brenda Short, Hudson

[Last modified May 10, 2007, 23:52:08]