Theres no need to be obnoxious

Dear Editor:

During these difficult times, its very important for all of us to work together to maintain social distancing between ourselves and others.

The vast majority of people are making a real effort. However, there are individuals who are completely ignoring the advice we've been repeatedly given. These people are ignorant, inconsiderate and selfish and their actions endanger us all.

I like to ride the KVR trail regularly and every day I encounter a few individuals who flout the rules. Yesterday, after having encountered considerate and responsible people for most of my ride, I encountered my first obnoxious individual.

I was walking across the trestle as close to my side as I could and just when I was nearly across, two older women walked onto the trestle. I expected them to walk as close as they could on the opposite side. However, one of them walked right down the middle very close to me. I mentioned to her that she was not social distancing and she said that I was overreacting and continued walking down the middle of the trestle. In the next couple of minutes, I encountered two more people also in the middle of the trail and refusing to move. My comment received a similar reaction in each case.

I encountered more people today who refused to move to the side of the trail.

The most egregious example occurred in "the dip"northeast of Lakeview Cemetery. As I was about to go through, I noticed a young family at the lowest point of the dip. They were taking up more than half of the trail. The father was on my side of the trail. I rang my bell and asked him to give me room to get past and he refused. I mentioned social distancing and received the same answer as I had received from the other people who are not taking distancing seriously, but this time, it was spiced with profanity.

We encounter similar behaviour when we are walking and on our occasional shopping trips.

Its imperative that failure to socially distance legislation be passed so offenders can be fined and it needs to be enforced. These people don't need to be "educated. They know exactly what they're doing. Otherwise, this type of behaviour will continue and endanger us all.

Al Martens

Penticton

More praise for health-care stars

Dear Editor:

Last week, I experienced a severe pain crisis requiring an ambulance trip to the hospital for a three-day stay. I want to thank everyone who was there for me:

My daughter and son-in-law who came and unlocked the door for the ambulance crew;

The ambulance crew who so carefully removed me from the floor onto a stretcher;

The Emergency Room staff who cared for me, including doctors, nurses, lab technicians, my niece and other team members;

The porters who took me up to a bed on the second floor;

The nursing staff on the second floor;

The cleaning staff and the kitchen staff;

The phyiso and occupational therapy staff;

The doctors who took charge of my care;

My family doctor for his ongoing follow up;

My pharmacist who explained my medications and does home delivery;

Dr. Cleveland of the pain clinic who saw me as an urgent care case;

The records department that posted my report on MyHealthPortal.

And everyone else whom I have unintentionally overlooked.

With all these amazing people on staff at PRH, I am confident that we are as well prepared as we can be for whatever transpires in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fern Gibbard

Penticton

Walkers, dont forget your scoop

Dear Editor:

I love to walk as many people do. It seems that since the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot more people just going for walks which is such a great exercise, physically and mentally.

I am also finding there seems to be a lot more dog dropping on the sidewalks and walk ways. Please, if you are walking your pet, be sure you take along something to pick up after your pet. Leaving it on the sidewalk or walkway is a health hazard along with a mess for others to dodge or otherwise.

At this time, we are concerned about our environment and health so lets clean up after your animals so we all can enjoy our exercising. Lets stay fit and healthy

Hilda Bailey

Penticton

New information on making masks

Dear Editor:

Thursdays article on homemade masks suggests using furnace-filter material in homemade masks. Some internet research found that many furnace, vacuum, etc. filters contain glass fibers which could harm your lungs. Cutting of the material may release more particles.

3M Filtrete is a common furnace filter material. The following is a direct quote from their website: Our filters are designed to be used in HVAC systems, and the filter media has not been tested to be used as a face mask for respiratory protection. Altering any of our 3M Filtrete air filters is not recommended or supported by 3M or the Filtrete brand. Customer safety is our number one priority.

Bob Cole

Osoyoos

Appreciation for local columnist

Dear Editor:

It was a surprise to me not to find Jim Taylors Sharp Edges column in the Okanagan Weekend edition on March 21.

Consequently, I was so pleased to find his column Isolation causes its own problems, (Okanagan Weekend, March 28) until I was halfway through the article to learn that Jims wife had passed away two weeks earlier. Let me say, Jim, I am so sorry to hear of your wifes passing. You are not over-sensitive to the issue of isolation, as you questioned.You have so clearly articulated the need for human interaction; how basic it is to good health. Since I cant pat you on the back or shake your hand, just know that I along with your many readers and friends send condolences, not only to your but to all who have lost loved ones.

Your thoughtful, intelligent commentary in the paper is deeply valued and appreciated by so many. Will we re-assess our reactions to a crisis? Most assuredly! Will we slide back into old ways as if nothing had changed? Some might, but most wont.

As you wrote, We humans are social creatures. Perhaps this temporary isolation is a time for individual and group reflection. It is an opportunity to deeply consider our important relationship with family, friends, neighbours, health-care workers, community support workers and the planet we all inhabit.

For most, this is a time of going forward with greater respect and care for each other. Best wishes and keep writing!

Sandra Nicolson

Summerland

Situation in U.S. is much different

Dear Editor:

Response to Ted Wiltses suggestion of closing walkways in Penticton (Okanagan Weekend, letters, April 4).

The reason the U.S. is suggesting wearing masks is because they have done very little so far to control the pandemic. They need to show they are doing something.

Canada has been much more proactive and we are, for the most part, self-isolating and keeping our distance as suggested. The folks using the walkways are not coughing and sneezing on everyone as you imply, but are being cautious and are following the rules.

Perhaps you should personally visit the walkways and see for yourself before throwing out unnecessary and uneducated ideas. The Americans are not doing a good job of managing the pandemic, and I for one, do not listen to their unusual and unscientific suggestions, when our own federal, provincial, and civic governments are doing a great job in setting standards based on scientific knowledge.

I use the walkways to get my daily exercise and am very glad that we have these areas available to us, and we all know that following the guidelines will get us through this mess.

Paul Beattie

Penticton

Happy song list lacked Can-con

Dear Editor:

Re: The 25 happiest songs, by James Miller (Okanagan Weekend, April 6).

Good one, music is helping us all get through the crazy times. And heres some ideas for when you do your Canadian list: Share the Land (The Guess Who), Sunny Days (Lighthouse), Takin Care of Business (BTO), Something to Live For, (Barney Bentall), Life is a Highway (Tom Cochrane), Where Theres a Will (Sass Jordan), Hand in My Pocket (Alanis Morrisette), Go For Soda (Kim Mitchell), Fly at Night (Chilliwack), Old Dans Records (Gordon Lightfoot), Raised on Robbery (Joni Mitchell) OK, its kind of naughty ... but its Joni Summer of 69 (Bryan Adams), Heart of Gold (Neil Young), Up! (Shania Twain) and Havent Met You Yet, (Micheal Buble).

And now I will go back to doing the Caddyshack dance, a.k.a. the gopher shuffle.

Bob Vincent

Penticton

John Denver belongs on list

Dear Editor:

Good effort but a little too restrictive. Why not more diversity of beat and era? Scotch and Soda (Kingston Trio) never put on an LP Sunshine on my Shoulders (John Denver), Country Roads (John Denver, again), Its a Beautiful Morning (The Rascals) and This Ole Riverboat (The Back Porch Majority, Randy Sparks third folk group creation.)

Glenn Sinclair

Penticton

I think it was the Fourth of July

Dear Editor:

I enjoyed reading your list of happy songs and would like you to know you missed Saturday in the Park by Chicago from 1972. I remember it well when I cut grass for the neighbours letting it blast as I filled my gas tank on my little transistor radio.

Back then with less songs on demand, there was a certain thrill when your favourite song was played at unexpected moments suddenly cheering you up!

Paul Clark

Kelowna

What? Where were The Rascals?

Dear Editor:

Thank you James Miller for your list. Now I can add a few more up lifting songs to Spotify. If I can suggest, A Beautiful Morning by The Rascals could have been included. The song picks me up every time I hear it and never grows old.

By the way, my brother and I were paperboys back in the early 60s when we lived on Government Street. I proudly tell friends out in Naramata I was born in the old hospital. My wife and I are avid readers of The Herald.

Colin Ballance

Penticton

Nine happy songs he would include

Dear Editor:

1. You Are My Sunshine. written by Jimmie Davis in 1940. Sung by Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy in a 1940s Oater. Gene sang it with a wide smile on his face. He had charisma and he expressed himself well. By dabbling in real estate, Gene ended up a multi-millionaire and owned the California (Los Angeles) Angels.

2. Oh, Happy Day by a Canadian group of Torontos St. Michaels Choir School, that called themselves The Four Lads. This deep-sounding song of sunny daisy over dark clouds of gray won me a prize for naming it as the best happy song out in the world of 1964.

3. Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Deutschendorf Jr., known professionally as John Denver, with his lilting voice that spreads the joy in his heart to all who hear him.

4. Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. This immense repetitious song is of joy from the heart of him who gives. Leonard is repeating something he knows a lot about and that is the joy of being alive.

5. Let the Sunshine In by The Fifth Dimension. From Hair, this invite is to the positive side of life.

6. Sugar, Sugar by the Archies. Written by Jeff Bailey, it has an unforgettable snappy, wanting call of love to it. It was a four-week No. 1 single in 1969 that oozed happiness and kept in my memory for many years to come. What an upbeat song it was! Love, joy, happiness rolled up.

7. Dancing Queen by ABBA. Their only No. 1 hit in North America has that ABBA beat and performance that goes with it. Two gorgeous gals singing harmoniously about dancing and moving to the music with that ABBA beat. Inviting happiness in, is the message.

8. Africa by Toto brings back all the happy memories one has if one is ever on safari in the dark continent like I experienced in Uganda in 1971-72. Being surrounded by vibrant people and strange animal life and fauna is spewed out harmoniously and happily to all who will listen.

9. Aint No Sunshine When Shes Gone by Bill Withers is an upbeat, warm and memorable song about how good it was to love and to be loved by that someone special. True happiness!

Thank you for your list. Its great and I recognized most of them and looked up the ones I missed. Good for you. Well done.

Leo (Puckshot) Jacques

Read the rest here:
Letters to the Editor: Tuesday, April 7, 2020 | Opinion - pentictonherald.ca

Comments are closed.