Letters to the Editor

Fine cancer care

I would like to take issue with a statement in your article on the Hollings Cancer Center's application for designation as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. Your second paragraph states that if the center achieves such designation that "more Lowcountry cancer patients can get state-of-the-art treatment here instead of having to go somewhere else."

As medical director of the Roper-St Francis Cancer Center, I would like to assure the people of the Lowcountry that state-of-the-art treatment is currently available in the Charleston area. Our center, as well as others locally, currently has access to all FDA approved cancer drugs as well as skilled teams of doctors, nurses, and technicians to administer them. Our center, as well as others, collaborates with national and international study groups and pharmaceutical companies in clinical trials of new uses of approved medicines and trials to determine the effectiveness of promising experimental drugs.

Our Cancer Center is fortunate to have physicians who have trained at top cancer centers such as Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Duke, UNC, M.D. Anderson, Mass General and others who have chosen to practice within the Charleston area. We are fortunate to have the latest technological advances such as the Da Vinci robotic surgical device and the Cyberknife radiation system.

While it would be great for the Hollings Cancer Center to achieve NCI designation to assist in the laboratory and research goals of an academic medical center, the residents of the Lowcountry should feel comfortable that top-notch state-of-the-art cancer care is already readily available within our community. The need to "go somewhere else" is only necessary for the most experimental of new therapies.

DAVID M. ELLISON, M.D.

Doughty Street

Suite 280

Charleston

Senseless deaths

I have been driving the length of Harborview Road twice daily for eight years. I'm not writing to complain about the traffic, to state my opinion about widening the road or whether or not to install stop signs or stop lights, or to complain about the multitude of birthday, political candidate, hail damage repair, or who can mow my lawn notices. I write about something that is absolutely heartbreaking.

About a month ago, I witnessed a great white heron attempt to fly across Harborview at the pond area. It was struck by a vehicle and flung across the roadway and came to a crashing halt in a crumbled heap in a neighboring yard. The spectacle was heart-wrenching.

All who travel Harborview daily have no doubt noticed the flock of Canadian Geese who chose to have their babies right there along the roadway, and we've each watched them feed and grow. The day before yesterday, to my deep sadness, one of the mature males was lying dead in this same area, obviously struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross the road.

It's no wonder why they choose to cross there. At the area I speak of, the pond literally flows underneath the roadway. Their deaths seem so pointless. Can't we James Islanders come up with a solution to these senseless and preventable deaths? I love my critters, and I know I can't be the only one that cares about their future.

LISA MORRIS

Creekside Drive

James Island

Exceptional man

The Medical University of South Carolina and our community lost a devoted friend with the death of J. Walker Coleman III. Walker was one of those exceptional individuals who quietly worked behind the scenes for numerous organizations, shunning recognition. He epitomized the word "gentleman" and "friend" and will be sorely missed by the university and by our community.

JOE AND GINNY GOOD

Parrot Creek Way

Charleston

Pump scam

Can someone explain: If profits from gasoline are only a couple of cents per gallon, and the price per barrel of sweet crude oil has dropped almost $19 a barrel in the last two weeks, why hasn't the price of gas at the pump dropped in proportion?

We the people are getting ripped off big time and Congress needs to get off their tails and do something. I am a U.S. Navy retiree and am sick and tired of being hosed by the same government I swore to protect.

TOM McDEVITT

Sandy Drive

Moncks Corner

Stop expressway

The Cross Island Expressway Toll Road will not help working people or Johns Island. It will have more negative results than positive. Yes, we all know that development is coming, but this expressway will only exacerbate the situation.

As we continue to pave our wetlands, the quality of our creeks and rivers will degrade even more. Many pieces of property will be split in half. There is land on this island that has been in families for generations. We know that many residents of Kiawah and Seabrook do volunteer work on Johns Island. But that does not mean that people who live on Johns Island want to have a toll road expressway across our island.

To get to these areas where you do your volunteer work, it is still necessary to travel some distance on River or Bohicket roads. Unless improvements are made to these existing roads, nothing will change for anyone traveling on these major arteries. People will still have trouble getting in and out of their driveways, people will still want to drive too fast, and the current dangers will still be there.

This toll road won't help Johns Island residents get home. We will still have to get off the expressway and use the roads that the people from Kiawah and Seabrook will leave for us while they use the expressway. It won't even help most of the workers going to Kiawah and Seabrook, because many of them use Main Road to get off Johns Island. Working people are not going to use a toll road when other roads are available.

Fix and improve our roads on Johns Island first, and make them safe before you come in here with your toll road expressway ideas. We told you no 13 years ago and we're still telling you no. Johns Island does not want to be the sacrificial lamb for the convenience of Kiawah and Seabrook.

PATRICIA A. LUCK

Pinelog Lane

Johns Island

Bring back Beck

Where is James Beck and his tennis column?

I coach the girls' tennis team at Wando High, and James has done a good job of giving us publicity. The players get really excited when they see their names in the paper. He is the only person who cares about tennis at The Post and Courier.

I know this from experience. We won the AAAA state championship for the fourth year in a row, but who graced the front of the sports section, and in color — Bishop England's volleyball team.

Charleston is a tennis town. We have the Family Circle tournament here every year. Thousands of people go to it, and I know most of those people have read James' column.

BECKY WILLIAMSON

Detyens Court

Mount Pleasant

Bad examples

Sen. Robert Ford must feel he is above the law by parking in the fire lanes. Such abuses of power seem to be the norm, just as Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's speeding. No wonder "every person in the country" has lost confidence in our elected officials. Whatever happened to the term "lead by example" in this country?

I am handicapped and often have to walk across entire parking lots because the handicapped parking is full and not always by people with handicaps. There will always be those who think they are privileged and break the law, especially after they have witnessed bad examples like this one. These people deserve to be ticketed and fined.

However, it is totally unacceptable when an elected official says he has "got no problem with it" and breaks the law. A legislative tag does not make you better than someone else nor does it allow you to break the law. As a taxpayer for 35 years I find this kind of behavior outrageous.

DEBORAH PARRISH

W. Mariner's Cay

Folly Beach

---

Notice about comments:
The Post and Courier is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Post and Courier does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our Web site.
Full terms and conditions can be read here.

---

Comments

This article has  0 comment(s)