Letters to the Editor
People Who Care
The closing of “OnCURE’s” Sonora Regional Radiation Oncology Center at Sonora Regional Medical Center has forced many cancer patients to travel to Modesto for five to eight weeks of radiation treatments five days a week.
This was brought about by Sonora Regional Medical Center’s refusal to renew or extend Sonora Regional Radiation Oncology Center’s lease. They advised Sonora Regional Radiation Oncology center, which is greatly respected in the community that they were going to open their own radiation center. Sonora Regional Medical Center could have avoided the hardship on the cancer patients and radiation center if they just extended Sonora Regional Radiation Oncology Center’s lease until Sonora Regional Medical Center had obtained their radiation equipment and hired a staff. This could have been a smooth transition for everyone.
“OnCURE’s” Sonora Regional Radiation Oncology Center has always had the reputation that their patients come first. They arranged for their patients to receive radiation treatments at their facility in Modesto and they made it as comfortable as possible by supplying transportation for their patients.
They have their technician drive us from Sonora at 8:45 a.m. to Modesto. We all receive our radiation treatments and visit with Dr. Sien. They then have us back in Sonora by 1 p.m.
They have saved us many dollars in fuel costs and have made the trip very comfortable for all of us. We all appreciate the expense they have gone to and making us their number one concern.
“OnCURE” is planning on opening a new cancer center in Sonora in the near future. I hope the residents of Tuolumne County take into account how they treated their patients when their lease was canceled and support their new radiation center. They are committed to providing their patients with the best possible care.
– Gil Fryer, Tuolumne
Economy Getting You Down?
More specifically: Does the continuing decline of our regional economy get you down?
We are part of a new global economy defined by the end of cheap oil and easy credit. That means the old business models that built our community will no longer work.
Not to worry. There are answers. The best answers involve doing more with the tax dollars already dedicated to economic development rather than creating another government agency. Tuolumne County is a hundred miles away from the economic engine of the 21st century, Silicon Valley. Presently, that is far enough away to be an economic backwater, but it is also close enough to become part of the action.
We must plan a new course for our community, guided by both principles and an understanding of the latest market dynamics. The result of failing to adapt will be the never-ending decline of our community.
Once we recognize that tourism drives our economy, we can change our destiny by increasing the perceived value of our community. That is maximize the flow of dollars iAnto our community by first attracting as tourists those who can invest in our community. The key is to increase our visibility where our target audience shops. That means using the Internet and dedicating the resources to be visible on search engines like Google.
Next, we can develop the nightlifAe to complement the daytime recreational activities we are already known for. How many more people would come here if they knew we are a theater town? Once they come, we can transform our downtown into a boutique-shopping district.
The primary objective is to improve our quality of life by attracting those who could create their next start up in Tuolumne County with the associated jobs and increased regional vitality.
How should we pay for this? Merge the Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau under new leadership. The savings of $350,000 can be deployed to more effectively promote our region. Which ultimately will lead to increased prosperity for all. – David R. Paul, Cedar Ridge
