Saturday’s letters: independence, virus testing, sewage spill, more

Fly flag, ring bells, celebrate independence

Happy Fourth of July in America! It is the 244th anniversary of the birth of our great country.

On July 4, 1776, the colonial delegates of the Continental Congress met in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, and voted that the Declaration of Independence be adopted and signed.

They declared complete independence from Great Britain and also declared certain rights to be unalienable — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I encourage you to read this outstanding document. We citizens thank the courageous Founding Fathers who defined the freedoms for all men and women of America.

Fly our beautiful American flag today as we ring the bells of freedom throughout the United States. Be proud to be an American and attend patriotic ceremonies.

God bless America, one nation under God.

Jean Maxwell Catsakis, Sara De Soto Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Nokomis

To mark Fourth of July, clean up our beaches

Celebrate this July 4 by exercising your personal liberty to throw away and recycle your trash, instead of leaving it at the beach.

While you’re at it, grab other people’s discarded litter. There’s plenty to go around: an endless supply of bottles, cans, hand wipes, food wrappers, foam cups, straws and paper receipts polluting the land and sea.

Make plastics a top priority because of their deadly toll on sea animals. Also, plastics release toxic chemicals as they break down over years.

But don’t stop there. Who can ignore the large arrays of crushed beer and energy-drink cans decorating the shoreline?

Despite this horror show, we still have beautiful sand and water — usually. People love our beaches, shore birds and sea turtle nests. They don’t come for the garbage.

I pick up other people’s detritus nearly every time I visit the beach. I applaud other people who do the same.

To learn more, there are several websites that describe garbage patches. One source, https://theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/, details five garbage sites in the oceans.

Sue H. Spigel, Sarasota

Chills, fever, fatigue, but no test results

I recently waited in a line of cars literally one mile long so I could receive a COVID-19 test via the state-run site by University Town Center mall, in Sarasota.

I had chills, fever, fatigue and body aches since the day prior, so I reported my symptoms to my employer, which requested I test negative before returning to work.

I have reached Day 8 with no test results.

I am fortunate enough to have an employer that pays its workers to stay home if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and/or awaiting test results, but I feel sad for those awaiting results while out of work without pay.

I am not going to pretend to know what it takes to produce rapid-response coronavirus tests, but what I do know is that mass testing should be a major priority in fighting this pandemic.

What good is testing if the results may not come back until after the virus may have left the subject?

And, if people who need to work every day to make a living are sick, and know test results may take more than a week, maybe they will go to work sick and not report their symptoms, thus spreading the virus.

We need more rapid-response testing for the masses. Period.

Adam Kreger, Sarasota

Wrong to hide sewage spill from residents

Doesn't the government have the responsibility to notify its residents of significant health risks that exist in the community?

The fact that Longboat Key was aware of a massive leak in the pipe that takes wastewater under Sarasota Bay to Manatee County’s utility system, and failed to notify the public until repairs were almost completed, is appalling.

This leak continued for nearly two weeks, spilling an estimated 26 million to 28 million gallons of raw sewage into the bay.

Many of us use the bay for kayaking, windsurfing, swimming, fishing and other activities and should have been warned of the health risks that this leak presented.

The story was significant enough to get national television news coverage, and warrants further investigation. The town has some explaining to do.

Dan M. Warren, Sarasota

Governor cuts funding for housing, homeless

From the state’s $93.2 billion budget, our governor decided to cut $1 billion, including $225 million for affordable housing and $250,000 for the Salvation Army.

Clearly, he is not concerned about the homeless. The balance, nearly $775 million, would have gone to educational institutions, vocational training, a psychiatric residency and the Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Also included would have been storm flooding management and water systems improvement, all projects and institutions desperately in need of whatever funds they can get.

Where is the caring? We are only talking about 1% of the entire budget.

Helga Williamson, Sarasota