After reading the May 14 “Community” section of the newspaper, I felt compelled to write in response to the story about the Boneyfiddle Tea Room's murder mystery dinner nights.

Having spent over eight years working with crime victims' families during my employment with the state of Ohio, I felt saddened to read a story that reported these nights being a “delightful evening of murder.” What part of a murder does one consider “delightful?” Is it the discovery of the bloodied body, the identification of the body by family members at the morgue, or perhaps it results from the years of appeals and court dates that finally end with the victims' families witnessing an execution?

Parents of Murdered Children, whose national headquarters is based in Cincinnati, is involved with a program whose acronym is “M.I.N.E.” These letters stand for “Murder Is Not Entertainment.” Murder is without a doubt not entertaining to family members whose loved ones were tragically ripped from their lives. Domestic violence is, unfortunately, a situation that has resulted in numerous tragic deaths in Scioto County. This article states that the female victims of these “murder mystery dinners” were murdered by “male culprits.” Is this really funny? Are these domestic violence stories something to laugh at? Do any forms of murder belong in the comics?

Many families in this area still and will always have open wounds because of or from the murder and untimely death of sons, daughters, husbands, wives and grandparents. I strongly encourage the residents of Scioto County to take a look at what is considered “entertainment,” because “fun,” “delightful” and “tragic death” do not belong in the same sentence.

SallyAnn McChesney

Otway

Last chance to participate in, support cystic fibrosis awareness month

On behalf of the tens of thousands of Americans with cystic fibrosis, including some in the Portsmouth area, I would like to take this opportunity to tell your readers about this life-threatening genetic disorder. I am pleased that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has designated May 2006 as National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month and that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution (H.Con.RES.357) to recognize this month as well. As a family member of someone with CF, I am keenly aware of the importance of raising the profile of CF in the minds of all Americans because I believe that, together, we can make a difference.

More than 30,000 people nationwide have this life-threatening disease. In addition, more than 10 million Americans are genetic carriers. Carriers each have one copy of the defective CF gene, but do not have the disease and its symptoms. It takes two copies of the gene for a child to be born with cystic fibrosis. For people with CF, the defective gene causes the body to produce a faulty protein that leads to abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and can result in fatal lung infections. The mucus also obstructs the pancreas, causing difficulty for a person to absorb nutrients in food. Prompt, aggressive treatment of CF symptoms can extend lives of those with this disease.

With the support of the CF Foundation, there has been tremendous progress in cystic fibrosis research and care. The median age of survival has improved from early childhood in the 1950s to 36.8 years of age today. However, CF continues to be a critical health matter, as most people with cystic fibrosis must battle lung disease for their entire lives. The CF Foundation continues striving to ensure a brighter future for those with cystic fibrosis for supporting CF research and specialty care. The CF Foundation's “pipeline” includes more than 25 promising CF therapy candidates in clinical trials and six others in laboratory development. Any one of them, or a combination, could have a profound impact on the lives of people with CF.

The CF Foundation relies solely on the generosity of individuals and corporations to help fund its support of lifesaving research and specialty care. Your readers can help by volunteering their time or donating to the CF Foundation. I ask the people of Portsmouth and the surrounding area to contact the CF Foundation at (800) FIGHT CF to volunteer their time and support and to get involved in “Great Strides,” the CF Foundation's national fundraiser taking place through the month of May at more than 500 sites throughout the country. In addition, your readers may visit www.cff.org to learn more about how they can join the fight against CF.

Carla Litreal

Portsmouth