Cancer Society needs volunteer drivers

Dear Editor:

The American Cancer Society needs the fullest possible support of the Ashe community for its volunteer Road to Recovery transportation program.

The transportation program involves volunteers who drive cancer patients to and from their medical treatments. They provide a crucial service to patients whose families and friends cannot drive them every day. Many patients must have radiation treatments every day for five or six weeks, and doctors advise that they don’t drive themselves or take public transportation.

Drivers are an important part of a patient’s recovery, providing moral support and a sympathetic ear. Volunteers can be retirees, students, housewives and even working people with some time to spare. The main requirements are the desire to help other and to meet people, of course, and a car in good working condition.

We hope that people in your community with a morning or afternoon available every week or month will participate in the life-saving program. A person can volunteer as often as he or she wishes. We provide training, support materials, and other assistance.

Anyone interested in volunteering can call the American Cancer Society representative, Lisa Bottomley at (336)657-7290. Thank you for your valued support.

Sincerely,

Lisa Bottomley

American Cancer Society

Mission Delivery Director

Do away with candy at local banks

Dear Editor:

Banks used to be purveyors of honesty and concern for the environment. Unfortunately, now is not the case.

I speak, of course, of the candy made available to customers. The hard candy portion while appealing very much to kids is most certainly very bad for their teeth.

The environmental harm comes from the paper stick in the end, which is used to hold the candy while it is eaten. Unfortunately, often it is discarded along our roadways. We don’t need additional refuse. The paper used to make these sticks comes from the death of trees.

Yadkin Valley should take the lead and come up with a much better substitute.

Eddie “Easy” Jones

Grassy Creek

Where’s the common sense in road improvements?

Dear Editor:

The usage of the highway system along with the many great projects have baffled me over the last few years.

It began with the millions of dollars spent on improvements of Hwy. 16 from Jefferson through Glendale Springs. A highway that had many straight passing zones and very little traffic. Why? To bring more tourism into Ashe County? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to widen and improve Hwy 221 from Deep Gap?

But then common sense has never had a place in Ashe County road improvements, has it? Just because the majority of tourists are going to climb the mountain from Wilkes County on the improved Hwy 421 doesn’t mean we should take advantage of it, does it? Nah, that would be using common sense.

And then someone wanted to change the four-lane into West Jefferson to a three-lane with left turn lane? No passing, just left turns. Left turns seem to be very popular with officials making such suggestions. I think a little common sense may have been used in choosing not to go that route.

Now we are finally getting a red light at the big intersection of Hwy 194 and Hwy 88 at the base of Radio Hill. I actually had to wait 17 seconds the other day to turn left and two days later, I actually had to slow down to “yield” to a car traveling west on 88. Thank goodness for the wise decision to solve that traffic congestion intersection.

Now, how long did it take, and how many accidents had to happen to get the red light at the intersection of Hwy 163 and Hwy 221? How many accidents have happened at Hwy 88 and 194? I understand they are going to route trucks through Jefferson? I am sure the people of Jefferson are excited about that. Does that fall into the category of using “common sense”? I’m sure a lot of locals would have something to say about that.

What happened to common sense for the last several years of getting behind a loaded truck going up Radio Hill with no passing zone when a couple of slow traffic passing zones would have made a big difference.

I will say, however, that the new stop signs and beautification of West Jefferson is wonderful and may save the town. However, I think that changing the intersection going into town from Hwy 194 on the Radio Hill end to make an easy right turn and using the Backstreet as a bypass (with improvements of course) would have been a wiser move with more common sense.

Oh well, it will be interesting to see what they come up with next. And, I could be mistaken but that’s the way I see it.

Robert Hartsoe

Creston