Sadly, Hyde Park cut down shade trees

I am thoroughly ashamed of the people of Hyde Park. I cannot believe they are going to ruin Hyde Park Square and cut down the trees. It's such a charming little area, and the trees help give it shade and old-world charm.

Now they want it to look like Rookwood Commons. Why anyone wants that I have no idea. I guess in Hyde Park individualism does not exist. It's become cookie cutter like no other.

Betsy Kline, Okeana

Breast examinations are still important

For years women were told that breast cancer is best detected by a three-fold approach: mammograms, self-exams and exams by physicians. Now, the American Cancer Society says monthly breast exams are not important. Mammograms detect cancer sooner; there is no survival benefit to self-exams.

This is not so because last summer I felt a small mass I had not felt the month before. Unfortunately, my surgeon did not detect anything - come back in December after my annual check-up and mammogram. There was nothing on the mammogram of my right breast. But the doctor palpated the mass I had felt for months. A needle aspiration indicated atypical cells. A biopsy was scheduled.

My husband and I met with the surgeon and evaluated the pathology report. My tumor was 1.6 cm, invasive lobular cancer (ILC). ILC frequently is not detected by mammography or ultrasound.

I had a lumpectomy and lymph-node dissection. No more cancer was detected, at first. Further lymph node evaluation revealed micrometastases in two nodes. The three-prong approach to breast cancer detection is still best. ILC is not common, but women with it may not get treatment soon enough if they do not perform monthly exams.

Kathy Underwood, Springfield Township

Seniors voted heartily in school elections

I am writing in response to Howard Wilkinson's article on May 8 "Black vote for schools was key." If this were a motion instead of a headline, I would ask him to amend it to read "African-American seniors in Cincinnati's predominantly African-American neighborhoods a major factor for school bond issue victory."

I had the privilege of serving as the presiding judge of ward 13-H in Rescue Temple Church, 824 Mann Place in Avondale. During the 13-hour period (6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.) that the polls were open, the ballot count at the close was 75. During the time period, the huge majority of those voting were African-American senior citizens. Many of them were there when the polls opened. Some voted with obvious physical challenges. They came on crutches, in wheelchairs, and with reading difficulties. One gentleman said he had voted consistently for 60 years.

The Board of Elections advised that the actual count in ward 13-H was 47 for, 15 opposed to the Bond Issue 3, a winning percentage of 75.8. It's quite clear in this ward; senior African Americans led the charge to victory on May 6.

Donald K. Anthony, North Avondale

DARE program is waste of money

The Ohio House of Representatives recently indicated it knows the DARE Program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is ineffective and not worthy of the $3 million of Ohio taxpayers' dollars the state had been budgeting. Members of the Ohio senate looking to cut waste in government should also get to know these facts about DARE.:

• In the 20 years since DARE began, studies have consistently shown that DARE has no significant effect on students' use of drugs.

• The General Accounting Office of the U.S. Government found a "no significant differences in illicit drug use between students who received DARE ... and students who did not."

• Estimated costs of DARE annually: $1 to $1.3 billion.

• In 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General placed DARE under the category of "Ineffective Programs."

• The National Academy of Sciences has called DARE ineffective.

• The U.S. Department of Education prohibited schools from spending its Safe and Drug-Free Schools' money on DARE because they did not consider it effective in reducing drug use. The money the state has been wasting on DARE could be more effectively employed on drug court treatment programs that are sorely short of funds.

Edward J. Orlett, Drug Policy Alliance, Columbus