Mother Lange
Editor: As one involved in the process of the canonization of Mother Mary Lange, foundress of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, I feel that I should react to your recent editorial.
It is very disconcerting to me that the editorial would lump together two such different persons as Queen Isabella and Mother Mary Lange. I agree that the effort to begin the cause of Queen Isabella may have had strong political overtones. But the process of canonization is so slow and careful that such a ploy would (and has already) come to be recognized.
In the case of Mother Mary Lange, your editorial overlooks the loving memory of the oblate sisters for their foundress. It ignores the concern of the Sulpician Fathers who helped found the community as well as the Redemptorists, the Jesuits, the Josephites and the priests of the archidocese of Baltimore who have ministered to Mother Lange and her sisters for over 160 years. And it fails to take into account the many lay people who have been ministered to and who have joined in the work of the Oblates over that same period.
At this point no one knows how much the effort will cost, but from past experience it will be in terms of thousands of dollars rather than a million. Suffice it to say that the work of education and ministry to the poor and underprivileged that the Oblate Sisters engage in will not suffer from this cause. Nor will the care and support of their elderly members be lessened.
If anything, it will be a further reason for the generosity of those who contribute now. As for the expenses of the cause, if the Lord wants it to succeed, he will provide the necessary means. It is in the spirit of the Oblates' motto: "Providence will provide."
Rev. John W. Bowen
Baltimore
The writer is the Sulpician archivist and chaplain to the Oblates'
Motherhouse.
Parking Disrespect
Editor: Handicapped parking spaces are all too frequently being usurped by those not entitled to them.
While a handicapped parking license may be on a family car, it is the handicapped family membeer and not the license that entitles one to park in a resereved space. To see a perfectly agile individual get out of the car, whether with a handicapped license plate or not, is a sign of lack of social conscience at the very least.
As one who cares for patients in need of such parking availability, it is my hope that the rest of you will give up your convenience for their ability to function. Physically limited patients should not need to make two or three trips to a mall or a store in order to obtain needed parking.
More designated parking spaces for the handicapped are clearly needed. But they will not be the answer if there is not public respect for them.
Mary Betty Stevens
Baltimore
Democrats Needed
Editor: Regardless of political affiliation, it should be gratifying to Americans to see a few signs of life in the Democratic Party. On a national scale, we have become a one-party country. This was never good and never will be.
There would be no concern about Dan Quayle inheriting the presidency if the Democrats could convince George Bush that he faces a serious challenge. This means no more Mondales or Dukakises. Only a competent opponent can assure Mr. Bush that he must select a running-mate qualified to succeed him.
At their national convention, the Democrats must find a way to control the zoo that assembles every four years; various splinter groups demonstrating diverse forms of dementia praecox, raving and ranting about their individual peeves and petulancies as millions of television viewers switch channels.
In the past several years it would have been impossible for Gladstone, Gandhi or Golda Meir, had they been eligible and available, to be nominated. Some group would have screamed each into submission.
It is imperative that the Democrats get their act together. The nation doesn't need another presidential election that is nothing more than a waltz through the woods.
W. K. Lester.
Round Bay.
Intern Minister
Editor: Diane Winston did a good job of describing Unitarian-Universalism's appeal. Thank you for printing it. Kim Harvey, the UU minister pictured there and described in the article, was intern minister at the First Unitarian Church at Charles and Franklin streets in Baltimore as part of her preparation for her ministry. Since then the Reisterstown fellowship has been added to the other churches that were then in the greater Baltimore area -- the Annapolis, Columbia and Towson churches.
William E. Mengel.
Baltimore.
Crime in Howard
Editor: As a 20-year resident of Howard County, I am concerned with the increased crime rate.
Within the past few months, there was a sexual battery thaallegedly took place in the Waverly Woods development.
On April 26, another incident occurred at Centennial Park, involving a 24-year old jogger who was allegedly raped in the afternoon.
The suspect in this case, a 15-year old resident of a state juvenile center in Carroll County, was on a center-sponsored field trip. He was charged as a juvenile with second-degree rape with a prior record of court-ordered therapy for attempting two sexual assaults in Prince George's County according to The Sun.
Perhaps the persons responsible for arranging this outing should be held as accountable as the person who committed the crime. How could four people supervise 39 participants in such an unstructured setting?
Let's protect innocent citizens. Please publish the dates these outings take place so I can stay home. I resent my tax dollars being spent on Centennial Park's staff and maintenance while non-Howard County residents are using this park. This is not a state park and should be restricted to use by county residents, if only to cut down on crime in the area. We don't want crime in our backyards.
Diane M. Fohl.
Ellicott City.
JFX Headaches
Editor: The Jones Falls Expressway northbound exit ramp to West Cold Spring Lane is closed due to overhead work taking place on the Cold Spring Lane bridge. This is something not readily seen by travelers on the JFX because you can't see what work on the bridge is being done from there.
Work on the south side of the bridge is complete. The north side bridge deck is now being worked on, requiring the shutdown of affected ramps. They are: northbound JFX to westbound Cold Spring Lane; southbound JFX to east and westbound Cold Spring Lane; westbound Cold Spring Lane to southbound JFX, and eastbound Cold Spring Lane to northbound JFX.
Work on the Cold Spring Lane bridge began in September 1989. The project was bid at $14.3 million. The project called for a new deck and parapets, numerous safety improvements, such as medians and new and improved signalization, as well as ramp reconstruction. The completion date was set 1 1/2 years from the start: March 29, 1991.
Along the way, however, the contract was modified to facilitate light-rail construction.
Then it was found that the four piers in the bridge substructure, over the JFX, had to be reconstructed in their entirety rather than repaired as originally planned.
This added another 90 calendar days and at an additional $1 million to the cost of the project. We anticipate completion by the end of this month.
Vanessa K. Collins
Baltimore.
The writer is the city Department of Transportation's public information supervisor.
Socialized Medicine
Editor: In the richest nation in the world, every citizen should have access to health care. Millions of us cannot afford the cost of medical treatment.
No one can devise a program that would be fair to each of us. However, with all of its flaws, socialized medicine would be a blessing for the average person.
Joseph Lerner.
Baltimore.
Baltimore's Iron-clad Treasure
Editor: Baltimore must be proud to have one of the four iron-front buildings in the United States that have been fully restored to their original, impressive 19th-century appearance.
I refer to the Marsh & McLennan Building at 300 West Pratt Street, which I had the pleasure of viewing recently. Developer Daniel S. Stone has given regal treatment to this five-story, cast-iron landmark which, when I last saw it had boarded up windows, cinder-block sealing its ground floor, and was still refered to as the old Robins Paper Co. Building.
The building holds much interest for our organization, Friends of Cast Iron Architecture, which is dedicated to the preservation of this fast-disappearing type of historic architecture all over the country, of which Baltimore at one time had countless examples and now has only a few.
For more than 10 years our group was outspoken in support of its preservation with letters and telegrams to then-Mayor and now Gov. William Donald Schaefer, whenever the suggestion of its demolition was revived. We appreciated the fact that he never did give the OK to that. Holiday Inn thought its site would make a good parking lot.
En route to New York City from Washington via Amtrak recently, I planned a one-hour stopover in Baltimore so as to get a fresh look at this 1870 surviving, restored iron-front, for which all missing decorative elements had been recast and replaced while its interior was transformed into a modern air-conditioned office building. It was resplendent, painted a pristine white.
What a pleasure to see it with my own eyes.
Margot Gayle.
New York.
The writer is president of Friends of Cast Iron Architecture.