Treasure Coast Newspapers

We don't need title of 'Mother' to be valued as women

I am not a mother of any child. It is a carefully chosen choice. Sadly, I have been labeled as selfish, hedonistic and irresponsible. I am far from those perceptions. In my opinion, I have mothered (or nurtured) in many other beautiful ways.

I have nurtured children as a dedicated teacher. Many are still heart connected. One calls me, “Marma” (Marcia/grandma) to her child. I have nurtured gardens helping bees to pollinate. I am nurturing a rescued Chihuahua. I have nurtured other family, friends' and neighbors' children.

Do not get me wrong; I applaud those women dedicated to mothering biological, adopted or fostered children. However, they are seen as being perfect just by the name of “mother” when many never deserve that recognition.

So, on Mother’s Day, I sing praises to those who cannot have, should not have or chose not to be mothers. I applaud those women serving and protecting our country. I love professionals who give of their hearts in careers dedicated to children. To many who volunteer at Big/Brothers/Sisters or Meals on Wheels or a myriad of other nurturing organization, I salute you.

Mother’ Day should be a day to value all women who nurture in whatever ways seem right for them. For me, it’s not about having children, It’s about being valued as women without the title of “Mother.”

Marcia Davis, Stuart

Improving security, infrastructure for electric utilities

I have been reading a number of articles in local and national print media regarding utility company issues pertaining to security of supply and potential liability for failures.

In California, PG&E’s proposed solution to minimizing potential wildfires caused by transmission line or equipment failures is to simply shut the power off to areas presenting potential risk for fires. They list a number of factors that they will take into consideration prior to a shutdown, such as wind velocity, drought conditions and brush level conditions that could provide fuel for wildfires.

And when these conditions occur, they propose to pull the plug.

In Florida, there seems to be a high level of interest in forcing Florida Power & Light to “harden” its delivery system by distributing primary and secondary power underground. On the surface, this potential solution seems reasonable, but many issues need to be considered.

First, burying high- and medium-high-voltage cables underground has a very high first cost and equally high maintenance cost. Hidden costs such as land acquisition, easements, and construction permits will be very expensive and time-consuming.

It seems to me that in both instances, there is a less-expensive and more-effective solution that needs to be taken into consideration. Here is my idea:

Using capital funds from utility companies, insurance companies, and local and state governments, offer a subsidized program that allows homeowners and businesses to purchase and install emergency generators for their properties. The generators need not to be sized to carry the full connected load for each property, just enough to carry critical loads such as refrigerators, life safety equipment and basic heating and/or air-conditioning equipment.

Over time, with enough people taking part in the program, the net impact and cost of service interruptions could be minimized, if not eliminated.

Robert Borton, Palm City

WWII veterans are invited to join Memorial Day parade

The Road to Victory Military Museum and the Stuart Parade Committee are seeking the involvement of WWII veterans across the Treasure Coast for the May 27 Memorial Day parade. The WWII veterans are encouraged to attend the parade and ride in a tram in the parade.

This is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and we would like to thank the brave men and women who fought for our freedom. All veterans and their families and friends are encouraged to attend, along with all area residents.

Participants will gather at 9 a.m.at a spot to be designated. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. After the ceremony, following the parade, all veterans and their families and friends are encouraged to attend a Veteran Meet and Greet at the Road to Victory Military Museum (319 SE Stypmann Blvd.). We invite the veterans to share their stories and we honor them for their service.

Members will be at the museum to invite area residents interested in volunteering, or students and young adults interested in the Victory Ranger program for guys and gals ages 14-20 years old. The Martin County Amateur Radio Association will be participating in a special amateur radio event, connecting with stations around the world about our Memorial Day activities.

Please contact us at facebook/roadtovictory or info@stuartparades.com, or stop in the museum, open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. Thank you, Treasure Coast!

Georgia Shurts, Stuart

More must be done to stop youth from using e-cigarettes

We agree with the Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board that more must be done to stop youth from using vapor products, including JUUL products.

Our company was founded to improve the lives of the world’s 1 billion adult smokers by eliminating cigarettes, because smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death. In Florida, 32,300 adults die from smoking-related illnesses annually, which is why we believe it is critical adult smokers have access to a true alternative to combustible cigarettes.

The fact it has taken off with youth is appalling to us. Many of us at JUUL Labs are parents and know that strong action is required. We implemented an aggressive action plan in November, overhauling our business with renewed focus on limiting youth access, appeal and use of JUUL products. We stopped the sale of non-tobacco and non-menthol-based flavored JUULpods to retail stores, enhanced our online age-verification, and exited our Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Another major step in the right direction would be to raise the purchasing age for tobacco products, including vapor products, to 21 in Florida. We have been actively supporting the efforts to do just that at the Florida State Capitol, because we believe it will take the industry and lawmakers working together to solve this urgent problem.

Ashley Gould is chief administrative officer at JUUL Labs in San Francisco.