Bernie understands the system’s not working

“Nobody who works 40 hours a week should be living in poverty.” Bernie Sanders said that. He understands that business as usual isn’t working for millions of hardworking Americans who remain cut off from affordable education, a decent job, a secure retirement.

The people of Vermont know Bernie best, and they like him. A lot. He won 85% of the vote in the state’s Democratic primary. In fact he got more votes than all five Republican candidates and his Democratic opponent combined. Vermonters know Sanders can be trusted. He doesn’t revise history, shade the facts, or flip-flop on important issues. You know where Bernie stands and what he intends to accomplish. Americans of all political stripes trust Bernie more than any other presidential candidate. (The least trusted? His primary opponent and the likely Republican nominee.)

Democrats! If Ted Cruz scares you, if Donald Trump makes you want to pack your bags, then be aware that poll after poll shows Senator Sanders is the Democrat most likely to win the general election. Vote for Bernie on Tuesday, April 19.

Bruce Ferguson

Callicoon Center, NY

Cheap local natural gas? Just a pipe dream

It is admirable to think of ways to boost Sullivan County’s lagging economy by searching for cheap and reliable energy supplies. It has been suggested in our community that the Millennium Pipeline expansion and proposed gas compressor station might somehow be related to our gaining access to inexpensive natural gas for the county.

There are reasons why Millennium cannot offer us cheap gas. The most compelling being that they are not a gas utility company; they are simply a gas transit company.

Perhaps a utility company could hook us into the pipeline and create lines to service our county. Pipeline hook-up could have happened anytime since it was built here in the 1930s. And pipeline hook-up could happen in the future without any pipeline expansion or gas compressor station being here at all. The reason it has not happened is that it is not cost effective to build the enormous and costly infrastructure to service such a small market. No utility company will ever make this investment. This decision has nothing to do with Millennium’s pipeline, pipeline expansion, or its proposed compressor station.

The purpose of this proposed gas compressor station is to push volumes of gas through Sullivan County. The destination may be the eastern seaboard, but more likely it will wind up in Europe where it may boost their economy. Oversupply here will then diminish, causing the price of gas to rise in Sullivan County. Millennium will make higher profits and we will long be forgotten.

Cheri Dorr

Barryville, NY

Together, we can find a cure

I am a sassy, active and independent woman who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a little over two years ago. After my diagnosis, I set out to learn as much as I could about the disease.

A problem that plagues the research and medical community is that Parkinson’s affects everyone differently. Some patients experience predominantly motor symptoms, others are more disabled by non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety and cognitive decline. While the gold standard treatment provides symptomatic relief of tremor, no therapy exists to slow or halt disease progression. So how do we get there?

The combined direct and indirect costs of Parkinson’s disease are estimated to be in excess of $25 billion a year in the United States alone. Yet, the National Institutes of Health budget for Parkinson’s research in 2015 was only $146 million (less than 1% of Parkinson’s disease costs). Approximately one million Americans are currently suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and with the increasing proportion of the aged population, the prevalence of the disease is expected to double by 2050.

Without increased public awareness and increases in federal and nonprofit funding, progress toward finding effective treatments is stalled. Patients, their caregivers and researchers need your support.

I decided that I would help by coordinating the first-ever Pocono Fox Trot in 2015 a 5k walk/run to raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. More than 200 individuals participated in 2015, and we raised nearly $25,000 for research. Plans for the second Pocono Fox Trot are underway. It will be held at 8 a.m. on June 18 at Ann Street Park in downtown Milford, PA.

Please visit the Pocono Fox Trot website at PoconoFox Trot5K.com to learn more about the event, sign up to participate, or make a tax-deductible donation.

April is Parkinson Awareness month. This is your chance to make a difference.

Marcia Guberman, Founder

Pocono Fox Trot

Milford, PA