Goodby Outside World

I read with great interest the article by Howard Mann on Feb. 18 (“Touring a Retirement Village: A Stranger in ‘Paradise’ ”).

I’ve visited friends, my peers, who live in lovely mobile home parks. To me the parks are like never-never lands for adults in their second childhoods. From morning through half of the night their days are spent playing games, dancing, taking excursions or just passing away the hours, days and years, in personal gratification.

There’s no mention of involvement with the outside in community participation with clubs, churches, organizations, school classes or visiting nursing homes, etc. Nothing seems to be done to make this world a better place to live.

Reminds me of that song sung by Peggy Lee--”Is That All There Is?”

LOUISE HOWARD

La Mirada

Keep Up the Fight

Reading “A Turnoff to Drug and Alcohol Abuse” (by Lynn Simross, Feb. 21), I felt joy, anger, sadness and disappointment. I was very impressed with the Hardys, and what they have done, and what they are trying to do.

I was angry and sad with the society and the bureaucrats of today. The Hardys have been doing something for 14 years on a shoestring that the city, state or government hasn’t been able to do with any amount of money, rules or regulations.

How dare the license board give a handful of meaningless words, served by a well-paid person, who probably doesn’t even understand what’s going on? And to someone who has had a success with children, when the same children probably came from a well-licensed facility before coming to the Hardys.

I realize that rules and regulations are very necessary and important. I also realize that the end product tells the story about most things. Can anybody explain to me why there are so many children on drugs and alcohol? We are rich in money, and we have a lot of rules and regulations.

I just want to say to the Hardys and any of the other interested people like them, keep up the good work. Fight a good fight, it’s worth it.

ESTHER WISE

La Puente

Ode to the DC-3

I just read Paul Dean’s wonderful article about the DC-3 (“The Little Airplane That Could,” Feb. 24). It kinda got me all choked up at the end. I am not particularly into aviation although I am partial to history. Your piece was an excellent recount of the history of something many people have taken for granted for so long. I can recall all of the jokes I have made about clunky old DC-3’s. I’ll show a little more respect from now on.

Thanks for such a great story. It proved, once again, that old axiom: “They don’t make ‘em like they used to!”

LENARD DAVIS

Newport Beach

Everyone, I suppose, has an unusual tale to tell about that most remarkable airplane, the DC-3. I enjoyed your article very much. As one who was a part of the aviation manufacturing business from 1939 to 1970, I, too, think it was the very best airplane ever built. I say this although I worked for another company.

In about 1953, I was working as second shift supervisor of a department and after about 9 o’clock had nothing to do so I sometimes read the aviation trade magazines in our visitors’ lobby. In one, probably Aviation Week, there was an article concerning the conversion of some of the DC-3s to gliders . It stated that the only major changes were to remove the engines and propellers, put a hemispherical metal covering over the engine fire wall and a tow hook and weight in the rear to correct for the change in center of gravity. It was superior to any glider built at that time. As I recall, it towed faster, landed slower and had a remarkable glide ratio of about 14 to 1.

TOM S. KILBY

Mission Viejo

And More on Ulcers . . .

Allan Parachini’s article about ulcers and the Center for Ulcer Research and Education, which appeared in the Feb. 19 View section (“A Look Into the Mysterious and Elusive World of Ulcers”) was informative and quite accurate with one exception.

The drug sucralfate (Carafate) is as effective in ulcer healing as cimetidine (Tagamet) and rantitidine (Zantac). The drug’s effectiveness is not in question, but only its mechanism of action, since it does not neutralize or inhibit acid secretion as do other drugs.

Your article has focused public attention on this important health problem and is appreciated by the CURE Investigators.

GEORGE SACHS

director, CURE

JOHN WALSH

associate director

JANET ELASHOFF

deputy director

GARY VAN DEVENTER

director, CURE Clinic

Allan Parachini’s article on peptic ulcer in today’s Times is worthy, in my opinion, of high praise from all groups of Times readers.

Medically, his explanation of the knowledge we now have is accurate and indeed succinct. For the layman, his anecdotal reports of ulcer therapy successes and failures are most revealing.

As a reader of The Times for more than 60 years, I can attest to the excellent quality of its medical reportings. Parachini’s contribution of today is rated among the very best of them.

M.M. RUBIN MD

Santa Monica