From: James J. Riley
Severna Park
Tell me it's a joke, Stokes (Del. Charles W. Kolodziejski), that you and Sen. (Phil) Jimeno plan to introduce a bill to change the state sport from jousting to bowling. The mere introduction of a bill costs state taxpayers over $20,000.
How can you in all good conscience waste taxpayer money on such a piece of frivolous legislation during these austere times?
The projected state budget deficit for fiscal year 1993 is $1.2 billion. Unemployment is the highest it has been in six years. Over 500,000 Marylanders have no health insurance. More and more Marylanders are applying for Medicaid. Our prisons are overcrowded, and the homicide rates in some of our communities have reached epidemic proportions.
With all the problems that beset our citizens today, couldn't you have found a more worthwhile venture to ply your legislative talents?
Stokes, why not change the state sportto marbles? Both you and Senator Jimeno, it seems, have definitely lost yours on this piece of legislation.
REJECT ZONING APPEAL
From:John R. Leopold
Former state delegate
As a member of the Maryland General Assembly and an elected representative of the people of Brooklyn Park during the comprehensive rezoning process several years ago, I attended a number of community meetings on the subject of rezoning of the Ballman Avenue property known as the Clift and Kramer properties and expressed my support of community residents who opposed R10 zoning for the property.
During a public hearing last year before Administrative Hearing Officer Robert Wilcox, I testified in support of the current R5 zoning designation and against the R10 zoning request of the landowners. I am writing to respectfully urge the Board of Appeals to sustain the decisions of the County Council and the County Administrative Hearing Officer and reject the appeal of the landowners for R10 zoning.
Whether the issue is adequacy of school capacity or the exacerbation of existing traffic hazards -- both of whichare cogent arguments -- the residents of Brooklyn Park have a right to a quality of life as they have justly defined it, and I strongly support their efforts to reject any further zoning density on the property.
RESIDENTS MUST BE ACTIVE
From: Mrs. Gerry Brown
Odenton
I am not a member of the board of directors of the Greater Odenton Improvement Association, but I was asked to take minutes of the past two meetings in absence of the secretary.
The Dec. 4 meeting was announced publicly the night of the election (but GOIA President) Mrs.(Mary) Chewning did not show up! Instead, she was appearing at the Halle Cos. community meeting, telling them of her "general plans" once she takes office as newly elected president of GOIA.
On the Jan. 8th meeting, she did attend and was installed but she had "no agenda" and had not one idea to share with the board of directors.
It was apparent she was not interested in the goals and work of the organization. Mrs. (Pat) Wellford had painstakingly prepared outlines, copiesof the bylaws and procedures, had arranged for an audit of the booksand for committee reports to help the new president. Her comment when leaving was that she didn't want that stuff.
The big-time developer succeeded in disrupting the organization and swaying many local business people such as Mrs. Chewning into supporting his efforts against the residents.
The community of Odenton has allowed the "old guard" to do the work of preserving the quality of life for the residents. It is a compliment to this dedicated and respected group. However, all Odenton residents must get out to the meetings and support them in the future so this sort of thing never happens again.
Editor's note: the writer has been a member of the Greater Odenton Improvement Association for 26 years.
SALVATION ARMY THANKS
From: Maj. JessDuncan
Salvation Army
Thanks to the generosity of your readersand the fine publicity generated by the Anne Arundel County Sun, theSalvation Army of Annapolis was overwhelmed by the outpouring from the community this past Christmas season.
More than 500 families looked to the Salvation Army for help and we were able to meet every need, even those 25 families who came to us on Christmas Eve. We received over one thousand Angel Tree gifts, thanks to the help of the Annapolis Mall, Annapolis Bank & Trust, the Bank of Maryland, 1st American Bank, and Mary's Consignment Shop.
These gifts were distributed to local children in need, along with 500 of the smartest bears you've ever seen who were dressed by many local individuals, particularly many members of the Annapolis Quilting Guild.
We have also to thank the state employees who outdid themselves in the help they providedto 60 families. We owe much to Susan Bacon Jones, Jenny Pardoe, and Helene Hill, who organized that effort.
Project Care and Share brought in over 18,000 items of food in 1,800 grocery bags. These went along way toward helping the Salvation Army fulfil its mission of providing a Christmas dinner for every family in need. Other wonderful community food drives were conducted by Joe Conte and his staff, the Cleaning by Riley staff, and the Inner Circle.
We received so much help from local Scout and Brownie troops, schools and individual families and organizations that we ran out of stuffing stockings. Over 1,600 of these stockings, stuffed with small gifts and toys, were distributed in the Annapolis area. We should also mention that your contributions allowed us to help more than 100 single, elderly senior citizens and many members of the local prison populations.
BACKGROUND TO AGE RULE
From: Joe Cannon
Maryland City
An article in the Jan. 7, 1992, issue of the Anne Arundel County Sun ("Wrestling enthusiasts denounce age rule") indicated that wrestling coaches, directors, and parents, feel their youth wrestlers are being victimized by an "arbitrary decision," made by Joe McCann, the director of the Departmentof Recreation and Parks, that doesn't allow them to participate in competitive county sports until they are 8 years old.
Two years ago, following months of discussion on the subject, including a crowded open meeting at which the majority of the attendees were in favor of the 8-year-old minimum age, the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board unanimously recommended that the Recreation and Parks Department set the minimum age for competitive county sports at 8 years of age. This recommendation was accepted by the department and has become department policy. It is unfair to single out Joe McCann as the architect of this policy, since it was proposed to him by the Advisory Board.
In addition to teaching the participants the fundamentals of wrestling, coaches have other responsibilities as well. One of these is to project a positive role model image, and comments such as "I'd knock histeeth out" if someone would not allow a 7-year-old to wrestle, in myopinion, is not indicative of someone who should be involved in youth sports.
The policy does not stop parents from making decisions as to what they want their children to do. However, it does prohibit children under a certain age from participating in competitive county sports. While I support this minimum-age policy, parents can still enroll children in their community wrestling programs, if they so desire, and coaches can still teach them the necessary moves and fundamentals, without the added pressure of competition. Once they reach the minimum age, they can then compete.
Editor's note: The writer is the chairman of the Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks Advisory Board.