AND then there was this timely editorial, excerpted here from the July 21 Frederick News:

"Gov. William Donald Schaefer came to Frederick recently to help dig a ceremonial first hole for a new state office building, to be named the William Donald Schaefer Office Building.

"The office building is not a surprise; it's needed. The name of the office building is also not a surprise; but that name is not needed. We've written before in this space that naming a state building after a sitting politician reeks of paying off a political debt. . . .

"Did he want it named after himself? We doubt it. . . . But he went through with the ceremony and now Frederick gets to be the first community in Maryland to honor its governor by naming a building after him.

"Our suggestion earlier hasn't changed. We thought there were better names, including: 1. Something of historical significance, including the names of the first settlers to this county more than 300 years ago; 2. Naming it after one or more of the men and women of Frederick County who gave their lives for our country. Remember, we just finished honoring the veterans of D-Day; several from Frederick County died in that landing. The building could have been named after one of them. Their sacrifice was much greater than any ever made by Don Schaefer as governor. 3. Name it after someone in the community who has devoted their entire life to helping the community, someone like a kindergarten teacher with 35 years of service. Now there's a person who left a mark on the community.

"Picking Mr. Schaefer was too easy of a choice, and it smacks of politics."