Carroll County Times Opinion

I don’t wish to appear critical of people whose hearts are clearly in the right place. These are well-meaning folks who want to act now. It’s the hurry that is most concerning.

As the country continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, a second health crisis is quietly brewing beneath the surface. A mental health crisis.

Letters to the editor published in the May 26 edition of the Carroll County Times.

The pandemic shut practically everything down in Maryland for more than two months. With Maryland looking to reopen, local elected officials find themselves making tough decisions on what is best for their constituents, and some of those decisions are better than others. Although we are unable to sit back and enjoy America’s pastime, here is my post-game analysis on which local leaders are hitting home runs and which ones are striking out.

The Carroll Technology Council became an independent nonprofit organization in January 2004. In 2020, the Tech Council rebranded as the Carroll Technology & Innovation Council to better suit the needs of its members and the direction of the organization.

Letters to the editor published in the Carroll County Times on May 26.

I’ve learned I don’t know it all, but along the way, I did learn something really important: Even if you don’t know it all, you can probably find the answer on Google.

Letters to the editor published in the May 24 edition of the Carroll County Times.

Who received a thumbs-up (or down) from the Carroll County Times this week?

Carroll County can be proud of the excellent opportunity the community college gives, not only for those seeking credits to advance their careers, but also for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution.

Letters to the editor published in the May 23 edition of the Carroll County Times.

Schools are being forced to abide by directives of 10 or fewer people in massive auditoriums or stadiums. Meanwhile, customers are free to roam big-box stores by the dozens if not hundreds.

Despite what some on the Left claim, the problem is not the institutions. The problem rests in those who are charged with temporary custody of them.

Letters to the editor appearing in the May 22 edition of the Carroll County Times.

It’s generally accepted that we can no longer do what we did 60 years ago, when every back yard had a steel drum or trash pit where paper and other flammables carried the particles toward Heaven. At some point, some people will toss their trash from a moving car rather than pay to have it disappear.

The challenge of getting American children vaccinated was already increasing before the COVID-19 outbreak. Now it has become urgent.

Letters appearing in the May 20 edition of the Carroll County Times.

This virus isn’t going away any time soon. The search for a safe and effective vaccine will take time. Even with thousands of researchers working to produce one, you just cannot speed up the process. It’s wildly optimistic to expect a reliable vaccine before the end of this year, foolish to rely on one being available that soon. The elements that control economic recovery are rather murkier.

Letters to the editor appearing in the May 19 edition of the Carroll County Times.

Hogan is doing things the right way. Go slow and see what happens. If the infection rate stays relatively level or goes down over the next couple of weeks, then open up more businesses. If it goes up markedly, then some closures may be warranted.

The Historical Society of Carroll County is collecting pictures, video clips and written submissions of Carroll County residents’ experiences during the pandemic through the Society’s COVID-19 Preservation Project.

Psychologists call it negativity bias. We simply pay more attention and dwell more on bad things than good things. Insults loom larger than praise. Traumatic events make more of an impression than happy ones. And we respond in kind.

On Saturday, a warm, sunny mid-May day, Cotton & Co. was, indeed, open. Hogan cleared the way for her and so many others to get back to business last week when he declared that, as of Friday at 5 p.m., Maryland would enter the first stage of his three-phase recovery plan. That opened the door for many businesses to, well, open their doors, albeit at half capacity.

Letters to the editor appearing in the May 17 edition of the Carroll County Times.

Letters to the editor appearing in the May 16 edition of the Carroll County Times.

Who received thumbs up from the Carroll County Times this week?

This unique moment in history has given us a better appreciation for how connected we are to the 7.8 billion other folks who share the planet. We do live in a global village after all, and a bug that hatched in Wuhan quickly found its way over 7,600 miles to Mount Airy.

Letters to the editor published in the May 15 edition of the Carroll County Times.