Letters on breast-feeding, ammo checks, South High volunteers
Should support breast-feeding
As a member of the Wichita Area Breastfeeding Coalition, I want to thank Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell for his amended motion to keep the Women, Infants and Children peer counseling program. Although I do not support the WIC funding cuts made by the County Commission, I appreciate the efforts to keep the WIC peer counselors.
I am concerned about Commission Chairman Richard Ranzau’s statement that the county does not need to be in the “breast-feeding business.” Our local hospitals and health care providers recognize the impact of breast-feeding on public health. This is evidenced by the recent designation of Wesley Medical Center as a “baby-friendly” hospital, ensuring evidenced-based maternity practices that support breast-feeding, and Via Christi’s award of the Centers for Disease Control EMPower grant to work toward becoming a “baby-friendly” hospital.
Community programs such as the WIC peer counselors increase breast-feeding duration rates and help women meet their long-term breast-feeding goals. The economic impact of healthier babies in terms of decreased infant morbidity and mortality, decreased medical expenses related to pediatric disease, and return on investment to employers when parents miss work less often with sick children cannot be overstated. Wichita and Sedgwick County should be a community supporting breast-feeding.
JOLYNN DOWLING
Derby
Gun law lesson
I would like to thank The Eagle for printing the short article “Initiative seeks to tighten Calif. gun laws” (Oct. 16 Nation & World). Kansas could learn a valuable lesson and require on-the-spot background checks for ammunition sales. Those who steal guns have to buy ammo, and a background check would show they didn’t own a gun – so where did they get it?
Wouldn’t it be nice if The Eagle could use all the print space now dedicated to shootings to print more good news, like the expansion of the Delano Hometown Bakery, and the fact you can always get a good lunch at the Old Mill Tasty Shop, and enjoy amazing theater, dance and music at our local colleges, all of which were included in the same Oct. 16 issue of The Eagle?
JUDY L. YOUNG
Wichita
Amazing students
The South Central Neighborhood Association would like to thank the amazing members of South High National Honor Society who helped us complete a very successful neighborhood cleanup on Oct. 10. They worked very hard loading all of the debris into the packer trucks, covering an eight-block area for each team. They were hard workers and pleasant volunteers who made the cleanup a very pleasant experience.
These students are positive role models for the community and represent their school well.
JANET PRICE
Wichita
Letters to the Editor
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This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Letters on breast-feeding, ammo checks, South High volunteers."