Feds: Coworkers’ yogurt tainted

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Research dollars needed to end pancreatic cancer
Steve Jobs, one of the world&rsquo;s most influential inventors and thinkers, recently died of pancreatic cancer.
 Besides his obvious and irreplaceable contributions to humankind, Steve&rsquo;s life and death highlight the woeful lack of attention pancreatic cancer receives. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in this country. Sadly, the National Cancer Institute spent only 2 percent of its 2010 budget on this form of cancer.
We never will know how many more contributions that Jobs and others like him would have made to society. Their deaths are harsh reminders of the relentlessness of this cancer and of the lack of pre-screening methods and effective treatment options.
It also is a stunning reality that even those people who have unlimited access to the highest level of care available cannot defeat this insidious disease. To make progress against this disease, it is imperative to know it and fight it, so one day we can end it.
If you want more information about pancreatic cancer, go to www.pancan.org/learnaboutpc. 

Jim Connors

and

Susie Connors

Volunteers, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate
of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Scranton
Writer: W-B Twp. mayor misses boat on free bus
I would hope that Wilkes-Barre Township Mayor Carl Kuren would know that one of the most important responsibilities as an elected official is to act in the best interests of the township&rsquo;s residents. 
Don&rsquo;t you think it is important, mayor, that you respond to legitimate questions regarding the use of public resources? You still have not answered the question that was raised: Why are you seemingly using a township bus to provide free transportation for your political supporters and friends to (1) a camp for a political rally (that was in the newspaper) and (2) to baseball games?
You now question whether we would stop the use of the bus for seniors and others. How outrageous a statement! It is sad and unfortunate that you resort to using such scare tactics in your flier to the residents.
 Remember who purchased the first bus &ndash; when the Republicans said that was a terrible idea? Yes, it was the Democrats.
My wife and I are drivers for the American Cancer Society, taking people of all ages for their treatments, and there are other great volunteers in this community who do good work and help each other every day. In my opinion, these people deserve great leadership, and your scare tactics are unforgivable.

John J. Bryan

Candidate for mayor
Wilkes-Barre Township
Week honors actions of emergency nurses
Emergency nurses specialize in rapid assessment and treatment when every second counts, particularly during the initial phase of acute illness and trauma. Emergency nurses must tackle diverse tasks with professionalism, efficiency and, above all, caring.
Emergency nursing is a specialty area of the nursing profession that is like no other. Emergency nurses must possess both general and specific knowledge about health care to provide quality patient care for people of all ages. Emergency nurses must be ready to treat a wide variety of illnesses or injuries, ranging from sore throats to heart attacks. There are approximately 100,000 emergency nurses in the United States.
This year, from Oct. 9 to 15, the Emergency Nurses Association is celebrating Emergency Nurses Week. 
Emergency Nurses Day is today. This year&rsquo;s theme &ndash; Emergency Nurses, Excellence in Action &ndash; reflects the dedication of emergency nurses in the United States and around the world.
The Pocono Chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association applauds all emergency nurses on their well-deserved day of recognition. 

Deborah Clark

Emergency department nurse manager
Community Medical Center
 Scranton
and
President, Pocono Chapter
of the Emergency Nurses Association
Article shouldn&rsquo;t have mentioned man&rsquo;s past
I think the article The Times Leader printed (&ldquo;Noxen man dies in crash,&rdquo; Sept. 27) was out of line. I can see reporting on the accident itself, but to bring up his past (25 years ago) was very disrespectful.
Donnie served his time and he moved on, so why can&rsquo;t the newspaper move on?
The article caused a lot of unnecessary grief and stress among his family and friends. Donnie paid his debt and grew as a person. Donnie was a great person; why couldn&rsquo;t you print something about his good qualities instead of what he did 25 years ago?
 Let people rest in peace! 

Amanda Derolf

Noxen
Council candidate urges severance tax on drilling
The present financial debt in Luzerne County grew out of the past administrations. The corruption was due to apathy.
 To lay off county workers will not solve debt problems. To do so would only create more unemployment, and unemployed people cannot pay taxes. But, there are unpaid taxes by businesses that took advantage of loans and forgiveness by the county. 
Also, salaries at Luzerne County Community College skyrocketed, and I believe a streamline approach is needed there. Thorough audits also are needed. The county, in cooperation with the chamber of commerce and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, could invite foreign and out-of-state manufacturers to hire here. 
I totally disagree with Gov. Tom Corbett&rsquo;s proposal calling for 75 percent of collections of a county-based per well fee on natural gas drillers to go to host counties and 25 percent to the state for pipeline inspections, road and bridge repairs, etc. Luzerne County is not expected to host many wells, therefore, any water degradation or infrastructure damage the county incurs due to nearby drilling will be solely Luzerne County&rsquo;s problem. The taxpayers of Luzerne County deserve to have more revenue coming into their county via a true severance tax collected and administered by the state government. 
Let&rsquo;s face facts: All small businesses in Luzerne County pay taxes. I have no intention of giving foreign gas companies and national gas companies a free ride on taxes with the pipeline that will be running through Luzerne County, and I intend to tax every single cubic foot of it. 
If Gov. Corbett is so na?ve about severance tax, that&rsquo;s his problem. The governor&rsquo;s proposal allowing a county-imposed fee of $40,000 per well is not even enough to cover one county road worker&rsquo;s annual salary. I believe the taxpayers in Luzerne County should not carry the mistakes of the gas industry. 
The other factor that creates corruption and financial problems is that people do not vote. Get out and vote even if you don&rsquo;t vote for me. Vote as if your life depends on it. It does! 

Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt

Candidate, Luzerne County Council 
Kingston
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Research dollars needed to end pancreatic cancer Steve Jobs, on