From: Joseph "Zastrow" Simms
Community Relations
Annapolis Housing Authority
The new Pete Rose, his name (District 40 Del.) Howard Pete Rawlings, deserved to be in the Hall of Shame for his blast at the Orioles. Pete Rawlings thinks the Baltimore Orioles baseball team neglects blacks.
When the delegate told the Orioles to include more blacks in the celebration of the opening of thenew Camden Yards stadium, (Orioles President Larry) Lucchino rose, like cream, to the top, and responded, "Can we talk?"
How nice of Mr. Lucchino.
Rawlings is the delegate who introduced a bill to theGeneral Assembly to require that blacks in Maryland be called African-Americans. He is the chair of the committee that oversees the construction of our new $105 million ballpark. If he is so concerned aboutwhat blacks are called and about how many play baseball, where was he when contractors of color were bidding for jobs on the stadium?
The Orioles serve blacks in many more ways than by providing a few gifted athletes with opportunities to play ball. They sponsor a "Read Like A Pro" program for children, and bring those who do read to theirgames. They adopt city schools. (Oriole coach) Elrod Hendricks speaks all over the state about the dangers of substance abuse. Calvin Hill of Redskins and Cowboys fame serves on the Oriole's board and provides valuable service in the community. The team adopted a field in Cherry Hill for the kids there.
The delegate suggested the Orioles do more outreach. The Orioles should give 5,000 tickets to their opening to students who have good school attendance records. Mr. Rawlings suggested the Morgan State Choir be invited to sing at games. The Orioles need no prodding to ask them to sing, and that is one choir whose reputation stands on its own and needs no help from Mr. Rawlings.
Where was Mr. Rawlings when this little-known Annapolitan received over 30,000 tickets over a period of 20 years to Orioles ballgames for the kids of Annapolis? He said he was upset that he could get no response when he called the team office.
Little ol' me, who has beenso low that getting up was not on my mind, could call the Oriole's president's office and get right through. The staff was always gracious to us little people in Annapolis -- and we were asking for free tickets!
Mr. Rawlings, come out of your ivory tower. Take a busload of kids to a ballgame. The Orioles are always into helping the little man. Where were you when they were handing out tickets, food and T-shirts to children? Where were you when Coach Earl Banks of Morgan, Capt. Smith of the Recreation Department, and the principal of Lake Clifton School took thousands of kids through Operation Birdland?
Del.Rawlings was not there. I guess he did not know about it. I guess hedoes not know about the four black coaches on the team -- the most in league history. His whole agenda is about blacks being called African-Americans. He is more concerned about what we are called than about reading, school attendance, contracts for jobs and prevention of drug abuse.
Black people are satisfied being called black. The Orioles sure have not been neglecting blacks.
I am 250 pounds of unadulterated black, and I know that the Rainbow Coalition of blacks, whites, browns, and yellows are welcomed by the Orioles. Mr. Rawlings thinks blacks do not attend games, but I know black kids who know who CalRipken is and that he started a literacy program. They know who Eddie Murray is and that he donated $500,000 to Upward Bound. They know about newly acquired Glenn Davis and that he supports programs for inner-city kids.
Articles have been written by Ken Rosenthal defending the Orioles. They need no defending. Pete Rawlings should spend more time finding out how to serve our youth. He should work for them with parents and ministers instead of bashing the Orioles. They have won the hearts of urban blacks even if they are not winning pennants.
THANKS TO LEGGETT
From: Elsie Brown
Annapolis
This letter is being written to publicly thank Vincent O. Leggett, 39, for the many contributions he has made since arriving in Annapolis 10 years ago.
By way of background, Mr. Leggett was educated at the University ofMaryland Baltimore County and received a bachelor's degree specializing in urban planning and community development from Morgan State University in Baltimore. He is currently completing a master's degree inpublic administration at Central Michigan University.
He has over15 years of experience as a professional planner working with Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County public school systems. Based on his current dual role as vice president of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education and a member of the professional staff of Anne Arundel Community College, Mr. Leggett is respectfully known as "Mr. Education."
Mr. Leggett is a specialist in intergovernmental and community relations. He serves as board chairman of the Arundel-on-the-Bay Property Owners Association, co-chairman of the African American/Jewish Coalition of Anne Arundel County, and chairman of the Nomination Committee of Maryland Hall Center for the Creative Arts' board of directors. He also holds memberships in two area business organizations, Parole Rotary and Frontiers International Annapolis Club.
Mr. Leggett is married to Aldena Pinkney Leggett, formerly of Lothian, where theyattend church with their two sons, Clayton and Akil, at Mount Zion United Methodist Church. Mr. Leggett is the church's lay leader, and in his spare time, he is an avid reader, writer, hunter and golfer.
Recently, he has embarked on a new project, writing a book, "Blacks of the Chesapeake Bay: A Part of Maryland's Maritime History." Mr. Leggett has been researching this environmental issue for eight years, developing strategies to encourage the African-American community to participate in conservation and restoration initiatives pertaining tothe bay.
As you have read, Mr. Leggett is an indefatigable and affable person providing civic leadership to our community. He has received numerous plaques, citations and awards for his superior performance.
Mr. Leggett serves as a role model for countless young people, both black and white, in our community. Thank you for making Annapolis your home.
COUNCIL BACKS PACE
From: Jeanette Wessel
Executive Vice President
Anne Arundel Trade Council
The Anne Arundel Trade Council is proud to have nominated businessman and attorney MikePace to fill the at-large vacancy on the Anne Arundel County school board. This is particularly noteworthy because it is the first time in the Trade Council's history that it has nominated an individual fora position on the school board.
As proactive as we have become ineducational issues, it is most appropriate for the Trade Council -- the voice of business in Anne Arundel County -- to get involved in the school board selection process.
The Trade Council has a standingEducation Committee, which leads a wide range of efforts affecting the education of county youth. Through this committee, chaired by Meg Anderson of Maryland National Bank, the Trade Council acts as a clearinghouse among schools with specific requests and member businesses that offer help.
It also advocates and supports school-age child care in the public school system; awards a Trade Council scholarship annually; and participates in a project to coordinate curriculum revision at the high school and community college level in the county.
We have a wide view of the meaning of education. We sponsor the SPARK (Sharing People, Aid, Resources, and Knowledge) program of community service, and Trade Council volunteers will be restoring a house for the Christmas in April program that we are co-sponsoring with other community organizations.
Supporting Mike Pace for a position on the school board is entirely consistent with our goals of improving our county educational system. We believe the diversity and breadth of Mike's background would make him an excellent addition to the board.
ENDOF ENTREPRENEUR'S ERA
From: Francis H. Chaney
Lothian
In the recent passing of E. L. Gardner, our county lost a man of great stature. Earnie was a self-made man, the purest entrepreneur you would ever meet. Yes, he was outspoken, but he was always positive and just good old fun. To him the glass was always half full, not half empty.
People like Earnie Gardner are getting out of, or worse, losing the opportunity to get into, business. Earnie symbolized the belief that in America, you can be anything you want to be through hard work.
Earnie was my main competitor in Anne Arundel. Even though we had our differences, I had the greatest respect for Earnie. Just like my father, Earnie Gardner started with one truck in the 1940s, and ended up with many.
Earnie had one simple approach to success -- work hard. He was a symbol for today's middle class and blue-collar worker. Because of motivation and hard work, Earnie, like my father, had accomplished the "American Dream." Yes, he made money, but he also gave alot of people in Anne Arundel good jobs and dignity.
Faceless corporations are replacing individual initiatives. In today's world, nobody is responsible for themselves -- the legal system along with the complexity of government has in the short run created a "regulatory recession" and in the long run a monster that makes it easier to sue someone than to work hard and earn it. We are leaving the middle classwith no hope, only red tape.
It is now easier and a lot less stressful for today's worker to be an employee for a foreign-owned company, rather than an entrepreneur who puts his money where his mouth is -- in his local community.
Today you must be college-educated, speak quietly, know the right people, and be financially strong enough not to need a bank to have a chance of making it in what is becoming abureaucratic nightmare.
With optimistic people like Earnie, people were competitive but honest and right until proven otherwise. Over-regulation, combined with often hostile attitude toward business, hascreated an atmosphere where those in business are considered dishonest or wrong until proven innocent. In Anne Arundel County, and the rest of America, it's a shame, but true, that the era of the individualentrepreneur as a part of the "American Dream" is coming to an end. Earnie, we will miss you.