Dear Editor: I have always been proud to tell people about the small town where I spent my childhood, where my family has spent their entire life, indeed, where classmates of mine have grown, become integral parts of the city business and government. But no more. This is regarding my parents, who have never done anything but abide by the law, paid their taxes, worked and lived in Connellsville. They have supported all things local financially when possible, morally and spiritually, always, as have me, my children and their children. The last several years of my parents’ life have been made a living hell due to my father’s ongoing decline. He has been hospitalized 18 times, has had several heart attacks, two strokes, received nine units of blood due to an ulcer in his stomach caused by medicine to keep his arteries open, and suffers from Alzheimers disease. They’ve lived for almost 15 years in a rented home. They have always paid their rent on time. When their kitchen ceiling fell, it took eight months until the landlord saw fit to repair it. Electric and sewage problems were never repaired despite ongoing requests. They are 78 and 79 years old, respectively, and in a time when they have certainly earned a chance for a little peace, they are being treated so poorly that for the first time in my life I am ashamed to say where I come from. My parents pay $625 a month, no utilities included for a pathetic “slum” hole of a house where the rent has increased $200 in the past one and one-half years despite nothing ever being done. They are being harassed on a monthly basis, despite all the health and other difficulties they face daily. They live on a pension. They have no prescription plan. From the time they wake until night, they feel like an animal trapped in headlights, desperate and backed into a corner. What a travesty and what an awful way to spend someone’s “golden years.” My mother’s every minute is spent trying to care for my father’s fairly advanced Alzheimers, which requires 24 hours/seven days a week care and supervision. She is desperately working to “clean up” her yard and porch, trying to find a place to move and trying to explain to a husband who doesn’t understand and cannot cope, why the rent keeps going up, why people keep coming weekly into a yard with no trespass clearly posted. Despite $625 paid monthly, telling them they have every right to come in the yard, change locks, walk into their house at any time they want. They’re threatened with the health officer despite many homes in the entire Connellsville area in much worse disrepair. My husband and I are both seriously ill, and while helping as much as possible, we can’t do all that we wish we could to help. I can truthfully say that not one person, place, agency or anything else has offered them a little help instead of piling more and more on to their already broad and tired shoulders. While drug dealing, arson, insurance fraud and many other things are pretty rampant, I guess it’s much easier to spend time making the last years of local, hometown people living here through the loss of both their sons, their physical decline and no money to obtain legal help, much harder and sadder than it should ever be for anyone. I’d like to see the landlord or anyone else spend one day being my mother. Anyone who has ever lived with Alzheimers certainly would know. Maybe there are a few people in this town who still have a bit of compassion to care for their fellow humans and to you, I say, please put my parents in your prayers this holiday season, to all who choose to hurt, not just my parents, but others in general, who like my parents’ landlord offer to “have their men” help them for a fee of $600. People can’t be bothered to help unfortunate others unless compensated. I wish you all a holiday season, snug in your nice, warm, comfortable working and in good repair homes, able to sleep at night not worrying about anyone less fortunate. I pray everyday that they can and will survive this terrible time, and that I can find someone to help them. But you know, if this ends up being too much for them to bear and the stress and heartache harms or kills one or both of them, I will never forget, and I will never again be proud or even tell anyone I was born and raised in Connellsville Holly Channing Garland Yukon

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