Hospital tragedy

Matt Nichols is to be commended for speaking out about his wife’s tragic death. Modern medicine and its hospitals bring hope to us when we have to enter one. Hospitals and insurance are a huge issue in Maine.

In late 1986, we nearly lost our dad, then 61, to a hideous disease — spinal meningitis — during a spinal laminectomy in a Rhode Island hospital.

We never were told how or why he contracted this extremely painful illness, while in a hospital, which had a number of construction projects ongoing.

He endured a two-week recovery in a head-low format after having a 13-inch drainage incision. He spent more than two months in Portland at a rehab facility learning to walk again.

My point here is our near loss was nearly 30 years ago. Today, in the 21st century, the Nichols’ deserved better odds — but it’s like rolling the dice or flipping a coin. Will you walk out of a hospital in better shape or not?

My sincere sympathy and condolences to their families.

Dennis Marrotte

Westbrook

Well done, Bangor

I would like to pass along our sincere thanks to all of the Senior League World Series tournament administrators, volunteers and workers, including the bus drivers and staff at the Holiday Inn.

The East Regional Champs from KAU Little League in Kennett Square, Penn., were overcome with their kindness and support. They run a first class tournament, and we were thrilled to have been a participant. We gave it our best shot, came up a run short, but it does not diminish the love we felt from the town of Bangor. Well done, Bangor, Maine.

Rob Jones

Kennett Square, Penn.

Rudy Vallee version

Concerning the “Maine Stein Song,” having graduated from the University of Maine in the mid-1960s, and clearly remembering the instruction during orientation that we well-beanied freshman received in the true and proper “Maine way” to sing the song, when did it become permissible for the band to play it incorrectly?

The portion of the tune that accompanies the words, “Let every loyal Maine man sing,” should go down the scale, not up, as in the better known, Rudy Vallee version. I do my best at athletic events to maintain my UM credibility, but I wonder if there was an official switch of versions that I didn’t hear about?

Bonnie Fortini

Machias

GOP top 11

Congressional Republicans need to stop obstructing and pass legislation that is in the national interest such as:

  1. Provide significant infrastructure funding so that bridges, roads, sewer systems and electric transmission lines are safer, creating jobs for many young people.
  2. Increase the minimum wage. A minimum wage tied to increased productivity would pay $16.54 per hour (it is now $7.25). Henry Ford understood that his workers could only buy his cars if they had enough income.
  3. Restore and protect all Americans’ voting rights.
  4. Tax credits to companies that bring jobs back to the U.S.
  5. Fund the implementation of Obamacare.
  6. Fund research and development in clean energy and energy efficiency, health care, transportation and pollution controls to bring 21st century jobs.
  7. Pass immigration reform, so the 11 million can start to fully join this country. Didn’t all of us come “from away”?
  8. Pass a veterans’ jobs bill to help give returning soldiers income rather than thoughts of suicide.
  9. Provide more support for elementary and high school education methods that enable students to attain proficiency in reading and math.
  10. Fund Social Security by raising the income cap.
  11. Support a reduced carbon cap on power plants.

Maine U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith in her 1950 Declaration of Conscience speech stated, “I don’t believe the American people will uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we Republicans are not that desperate for victory.”

Pamela W. Person

Orland