From: Inga Joyner

Jessup

I am responding to the (letter "Teen abortion rate prompted sex education curriculum," by Nancy Hudson) in the Feb. 27 newspaper.

Iam a teen parent. If I had had a sex education curriculum when I wasin middle school, maybe I would not be where I am now.

Also, I know Nancy Hudson personally, and she has taught me a lot. And I don't think she would tell the kids anything to hurt them.

The parents that gave the criticism need to go sit in on the class before they criticize. There are a lot of parents who don't even know these kids arehaving sex.

Also, if the teaching started at home there would be no need for a class.

But most parents need teaching as well as thekids.

They need to be taught that a relationship is not based on sex.

And if this class is a start to reducing teen pregnancy, thenI'm willing to help.

I think parents should be willing, too.

SUPPORT PROTECTION ACT

From: Raymond P. Bahr

Ellicott City

For the last 10 years Howard County has had a higher growth rate than any other county in Maryland.

This unfortunate trend is expected to continue because surrounding counties have stricter rural and agricultural zoning regulations. Consequently, growth continues to be directedinto our county.

Within its rural and agricultural districts, Montgomery County allows one dwelling unit per 30 acres of land. CarrollCounty allows one unit per 20 acres, and Baltimore and Frederick counties allow one unit per 50 acres.

In distinct contrast, the remaining rural and agricultural

land in Howard County is zoned at one unit per three acres.

With the lower unit per acre ratio in HowardCounty, more homes can and will be constructed at a lower cost than in the surrounding counties.

Thus, if a buyer is interested in a rural setting for a new home in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area, Howard County is easily the most economically attractive site.

Looking realistically at these economic factors, we can assume theremaining farm and forest land will fall quickly to three-acre homesites.

This unrestrained growth in Howard County will cause more stress on an already taxed infrastructure (roads, sewers, schools, 911 emergency response, etc.).

More congested roads, added pollution from automobiles, crowded schools, deteriorating ground water and overburdened landfills will continue to erode the quality of life we treasure in Howard County.

Two possible solutions exist. Howard Countycould rezone the western portion of our county to resemble the zoning in surrounding counties.

This would negate the incentives currently in place which are causing rampant growth and are overwhelming our remaining rural and agricultural land in Howard County.

The second solution would emanate from the proposed Maryland Growth and Chesapeake Bay Protection Act being debated in Annapolis.

If passed, this Act would accomplish the desired goals. Rural and resource areas would be zoned for one unit per 20 acres across the state.

This common ratio would nullify the incentives for building in Howard County as opposed to building in Montgomery, Carroll, Baltimore and Frederick counties.

If Howard countians work to let their elected officials know howthey feel about uncontrolled growth, and if their elected officials support the Maryland Growth and Chesapeake Bay Protection Act, we can save our valuable resources and maintain the quality of life we enjoy in the county.

TERM LIMITS UN-DEMOCRATIC

From: Dennis D'Adamo

Columbia

The introduction of Howard County Council bills47 and 48 should be seen and rejected as a part of the national Republican agenda.

Council bill 47 would limit County Council representatives to three elected terms in office.

Council bill 48 is a resolution asking Maryland's congressional delegation to endorse term limitations for members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

The voters of Howard County should note that the strategy of the Republican Party, on the national, state and local levels, is to gain through term limitation what they cannot gain on election day -- a Republican majority in elected office.

Here is a party that tried to eliminate the two-term limitation on the presidency during President Reagan's term but now wants to limit terms for offices dominated by Democrats.

These bills are the most partisan, blatantly un-democratic, anti-people and anti-election legislation ever introduced.

It is ironic that Councilman (Darrel) Drown (R-2d) campaigned asthe people's candidate and against growth but has spent his time in office voting to remove the growth cap and marching to the anti-democratic orders of the National Republican Committee.

Voters beware, these bills are not what they appear to be!

Editor's note: The writer is president of the Columbia Democratic Club and is a member of the county Democratic Central Committee.

RE-USE FREON AT THE PUMP

From: Jon Sanford

Nick Lee

Laurel

We have been working on an environmental project concerning the depletion of the ozone layer caused by Freon.

We are concerned about this because Freon, when released into the atmosphere, replaces ultraviolet ray-absorbing oxygen molecules with non-ultraviolet ray-absorbing oxygen molecules.

The result of this change is that ultraviolet rays can penetrate the ozone layer and harm life on Earth.

However, there is a way to limit this problem. Filling stations are often asked to repair auto air conditioners, a process that releases Freon. But machines are available to recycle the Freon so it can be put back into the cars.

We have conducted a survey of filling stations about the bill that might be passed requiring filling stations to recycle Freon that is removed fromauto air conditioners.

We sent 22 letters and got four back. The letters were sent to filling stations in Jessup (one), Columbia (seven), Laurel (11) and Ellicott City (three).

Of the four letters we got back, one filling station had a Freon recycling machine and supported the Freon bill. Another filling station supported the Freon bill, but didn't have a recycling machine.

There was also one filling station that didn't support the Freon bill because it wasn't a law yet and the recycling machine cost too much. And the last filling station didn't take Freon out of cars, but supported the Freon bill.

So in the overall outlook, three out of the four respondents support the Freon bill and remove Freon from cars. But only one out of the three filling stations that remove Freon has a recycling machine.

People can help us by asking the filling station attendant if the filling station has a Freon recycling machine the next time they go to get gas.

If the filling station doesn't have a Freon recycling machine, people could urge the filling station to purchase one.

Editor's note: The writers are seventh-grade students at Hammond Middle Schoolin Laurel.