Customer loyalty, Alzheimer's battle, sales avalanche | letters

Personal attention increased buyer loyalty

Thank you for printing Timothy Goeglein's Ode to Howard (September 12). We shopped there often to buy Mom's favorite collectible: Belleek porcelain from Ireland.

My fondest memory involves the wonderful customer service.

My sister wanted to buy a birthday present for a friend, so she went to Stillman's. The clerk kept ignoring her. Finally she decided to go to Howard.

Not only did she find the gift she wanted, but she was treated just as kindly as the adult buyers.

Mom wrote a thank you letter to the owner. He asked if he could post her letter in the employee break room. As his own thank you for my family being “valued customers” he gave us a £5 gift. Box of Russell Stover candies. Customer service like this no longer exists and I am saddened by the loss but will always remember it.

Patricia G. Stahlhut

Fort Wayne

The fight against Alzheimer's requires continued attention

In 2014, I made the difficult decision to place my mother in a nursing home.

She had been living with Alzheimer's disease for several years. Although my goal was to care for her at home, I found that this was no longer possible given the unique challenges that an Alzheimer's diagnosis presents. This disease doesn't care who you are, what stage of life you are in, or how capable your family is of caring for you. It is a devastating and sometimes decades-long battle, and we must better support people with Alzheimer's and their families.

As an attorney for the Alzheimer's Association for three years, I have been convinced that Congress must understand the toll this disease takes and support our policy priorities. Our tireless efforts have led to significant progress in the fight against Alzheimer's, but we can't stop now.

Thanks to Congress and our nationwide network of dedicated advocates, we have made incredible progress in our fight against Alzheimer's. By continuing to invest in Alzheimer's and dementia research, care and support, we can make a real difference to the diagnostic and treatment landscape.

I call on my Representative Jim Banks and Senators Mike Braun and Todd Young to support dementia research at the National Institutes for Health, as well as the NAPA Reauthorization Act, the Alzheimer's Accountability and Investment Act, and the BOLD Reauthorization Act. We can't stop now!

Visit alz.org to learn more.

Debbie Woodroof

Fort Wayne

The cannabis tax could trigger an avalanche of revenue

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick has a plan to legalize marijuana in our state. The point, of course, is to collect $172 million in taxpayer money every year. How often does a politician miss the opportunity to spend more money?

Maybe we should take a closer look at other sin taxes. How about legalizing prostitution? Think of the tax money this would generate. If we could raise enough sin taxes, maybe I could eventually afford my property taxes.

William Cook

Leo Cedarville

Essay competition

Our Bicentennial Contest asks adults, “What makes Allen County really special to you?” For students in grades 5-12, “What is your bold vision for the future of Allen County?” 300- to 350-word essays, including full name, age , city and phone number should be emailed to [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. Monday.