Dear Gary,

Hey, this is the old coffee drinker but I don’t drink coffee. I now have an amazing drink called Spark. Dan Dixon says that I now can be called “Sparky.” Thanks, Dan, I really like the new name.

With a Spark in one hand, I got to thinking about ‘rumors.’ As of late, though thankfully it’s quieted down, we’ve heard many rumors about our hospital. Some, but certainly not all, may be true; but, like the old telephone game that many of us have played where one person whispers something to another and that person passes it on and after it goes in each ear and leaves each mouth it soon grows to where the original person no longer recognizes it. Facts get distorted and inferences run rampant. Like Will Rogers used to say “All I know is what I read in the papers and then I only believe half of that”.

Well, here is another rumor and with every fiber in my body, I hope it isn’t true. The rumor is that the Drip Line may be closing. I hope that this is a rumor that isn’t true. I’ve heard that it isn’t making money or even paying for itself. But, so what? Even if it doesn’t turn a profit, or even pay for itself, it is still a necessary service and an added convenience It is a service to anxiously waiting families of a patient in surgery. It is a service to families who come to support patients, and it is service to the many employees of our hospital.

The food served is incredibly good. The sandwiches are excellent with ample contents. The soups or salads and other condiments are scrumptious and the attitude of those who prepare and provide the service are very relaxed and friendly. This service is right next to where friends and relatives of patients, anxious to hear the news and results of the medical services being provided, can quietly support each other.

I hope that this is just an unfounded and wild rumor but even if it is true that it doesn’t pay for itself is no justifiable reason not to provide the service. If turning a profit is what justifies existence then many people have no reason to exist because of their debt. Gee, come to think about it, our government certainly has no reason to exist because of our large debt and lack of profit.. Anyway, give this some thought and if you think as I do, let your voice be heard.

Sparky, the ex coffee drinker,

Randy Middleton

Tonasket