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Lets not fight A recent article suggested we reopen the issue of one organization representing all the people with PD. References were made suggesting one Board Director write a letter to the others suggesting formation of one united organization. As a member of the PD Community in an active attempt to orchestrate harmony for the last three years that suggestion just will not ever be entertained or implemented by any of the significant Board Chairman. It is unrealistic to think that any organization will dissolve itself in the current climate. All efforts in the past to weld together the various elements met with disaster. In fact there was more disharmony on this list and in the community when the organizations were being pushed to merge. Now no one is really challenging the Nationals and there are all working productively in their area of expertise. Why rock the boat at this time. Since the first of the year the Nationals have sponsored 46 new researchers investigating PD subjects. The NPF calls these seed grants the PDF and APDA call them something else but all are making the grants to get new researchers with fresh ideas working on a cure for PD. All the Nationals are basically working to accomplish this goal in the manner they perceive to be the most effective use of there skills and talents. My observation has been that there are not enough researchers in PD subjects to utilize the full assets available to our community if the Udall Bill is funded in full. I further believe that the NIH will approve any good quality grants presented to them. As an example the NPF was presented with requests for 126 grants for research. Only 16 were meritorious enough to pass the Peer review committee and generally the 16 were felt to less than the very highest quality. It will take someone researching the issue to stumble onto the cure. WE need to give as many researchers as possible the opportunity to do this for us. The latest area of exploration appears to be in the stem cell area. We in the Parkinson Alliance with our Pennies for Parkinson Campaign would like to raise funds to support four research projects in this new area. Join in our campaign to raise funds for this new and promising research and lets not waste time on opening old wounds. Thanks for reading these musings from one who waded through the battle fields the last three years for PD projects. Dale Severance 59/13