Some Goodness on Interstate 95
On Monday evening, Aug. 15, while returning from New York with an elderly parent and handicapped friend, a flat tire disabled our car near the Maryland House on Interstate 95. Unable to loosen the tight lug nuts, we raised the hood, hung a white handkerchief to the aerial and hoped to attract the attention of a state trooper. We became quite concerned when we failed to see even one police car on the highway during the hour that passed.
Fortunately, a kind young man named Mark stopped to offer assistance. He was able to loosen the lug nuts and helped us change the tire. He directed us to the nearby Mobil station and even met us there a few minutes later to make sure everything was OK. Mark refused to accept money for his assistance, and wouldn't tell us his last name so that we could thank him personally. We know only that he lives nearby.
It's people like Mark who restore our faith in the goodness of humanity. We hope Mark sees this and understands how much we appreciated his kindness.
Fran Ludman
Sheldon Laskin
Baltimore
Special Delivery
Kudos for the fine human interest article by Sherry Joe concerning letter carrier Madge Jones and her "buddy," Chris Schoenbrodt. The front-page lead picture was very enticing for the reader to turn to the appropriate page. What was particularly exciting to read was how your writer identified Chris. Sherry Joe wrote about the person Chris first, followed by "who has Down's syndrome."
As a member of the inclusion team at our school we strive to identify students first with all their strong qualities, followed by their identified disability. Your paper's sensitivity in reporting is commendable. Again, kudos to The Sun, to Sherry Joe and congratulations to Madge and Chris. You both can deliver mail to my home anytime.
Jim Antol
Fallston
Fire Costs
After reading Phyllis Brill's article, "Auditor asks improvements in fire companies' reports" (Aug. 1), it raised a few questions in my mind.
The first questions would be asked of Councilwoman Joanne S. Parrott. In the article, she was credited with stating "it would cost Harford about $23 million to support a professional fire department." My question is, in reality, what is it actually costing the residents of Harford County to support the emergency services system.
I know that I am asked by each, Abingdon Fire and Abingdon Ambulance, to make an annual donation (which I do) to help them provide their essential services. What is the total amount donated voluntarily by residents of Harford County?
What percentage of households in each of the 12 fire companies donate? What are the total number of households and businesses in each fire district? I would like to believe that all households and businesses do their share by donating money to maintain and upgrade these services but in reality, and for whatever reason, this is probably not the case. So here lies an inequity.
Emergency services are there for the unexpected, whether they are caused by Mother Nature or are man-made, which means we all need them. A very careful and very lucky person goes through life never needing these services. It seems to me that we should all pitch in and share the costs. I do not fault the 12 fire companies for they utilize a wide variety of fund-raising events to generate the money necessary to maintain the costly life-saving equipment and tools used to protect us.
County Council Auditor Michael Treherne informed The Sun that "Harford is the largest metropolitan county completely dependent on an all-volunteer firefighting force." This was all well and good when Harford County was considered a predominately rural subdivision, but with the growth rate experienced in Harford over the last 10 years, it is now a bedroom community of the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Perhaps it is time for the county and the 12 independent fire companies to plan for at least part of the fire service to become professional as the other metropolitan counties have.
Perhaps the time has also come for our Harford County representatives to design a blueprint for a more equitable system for funding services for all who reside in our county. After all, we do depend on it as if it were life or death.
Joseph Machovec
Abingdon
Enough Already
To anyone planning on moving to Harford County to escape the hustle and bustle of the busier areas, let me give you some advice: Don't do it. The Harford County Council is run by developers, not the people we elected to look out for our interests.
Just drive down Routes 24 or 924 and you will see strip-mall heaven. The intersection of Routes 24 and 924 is so busy that in the morning rush you will wait two or three lights before moving. Do they try to correct the problem? No, their solution is to give permission to build a hospital near the intersection.
The schools are becoming overcrowded, the water system is so strained that sprinklers are banned, the streams and nature areas are in trouble due to silt and runoff from development, traffic congestion on some of the major streets rivals downtown Baltimore and yet the council lets the development continue.
Enough already. I sincerely hope the members of the council are updating their resumes because they will need them after November.
Robert M. Lewis
Abingdon
Dem for GOP
Like the majority of citizens in Harford County, I am a registered Democrat. This year I will be voting for Ron Szczybor for county executive. I believe that you vote for the person who can do the best job, not for the party. I am convinced that Ron is the person to lead Harford County during the next four years.
I have known Ron for more than eight years and have found him to be a very savvy financial analyst and agree with the majority of commentaries that he has written for the Aegis and the Harford Business Ledger. Szczybor's extensive financial background gives him something not normally seen in politics -- an understanding of money.
Howard "Skip" Moulsdale
Abingdon
Questions to Ask
Election time is almost here again. The organization Citizens for Responsible Government of Harford County is working very hard to inform the public. We recommend that you ask the candidates these questions:
* Why isn't more emphasis placed on the kind of county growth that will yield higher revenues instead of higher expenses?
* Why isn't there a research library in Harford County for serious study to enable firms to improve, expand and be more competitive? Such a library would attract more high-tech businesses to Harford County.
* Why is there an excess of commercial retail development when current shopping centers are vacant and suffering?
* Why isn't there a regular open forum in Harford County where educational issues may be freely discussed at length? Why can't the schools give students more physical conditioning to improve their physical and mental health?
* Why aren't efforts being made to get the sheriff's deputies above petty county politics so that they can concentrate on their jobs without suspicions of conflicts of interest?
If you feel that elected officials aren't responding to your concerns and you are interested in helping the Citizens for lTC Responsible Government of Harford County, please join us. To do so or for more information, please call me at (410) 836-7824.
Lou Ann Hewitt
Bel Air
Who Will Lead Law Enforcement -- and How?
Soon, we will take to the polls and exercise one of our most cherished rights, that of electing those we believe to be the best of all candidates to the office they are seeking.
In addition, Harford countians will be asked to determine one of ++ the most critical issues ever put before them through the referendum process. That is to whether to leave the manner by which police services are delivered in the hands of an elected sheriff or opt for a new system and with it add an entire new bureaucracy to an already overburdened county government system.
As a candidate, I stand in defense of the office of sheriff and all the responsibility that has been entrusted to it. It has proven to be the most cost-effective of all systems that have a responsibility for the delivery of police services. If it were not so, // the cost per capita would be far greater for all the services being delivered in comparison with police agencies that are part of the county government system.
Interchangeable personnel are one of the greatest assets of the sheriff's office. Though specific duties are assigned, personnel that serve process and perform other tasks not directly related ,, to law enforcement are trained and certified police officers and, therefore, used to greatest advantage for the agency. The mere presence of this contingent alone presents a deterrent factor. . . .
When addressing the referendum question and its cost, bear this in mind: The cost to change the system will not occur at the point of conversion, it can only be determined as the result of the conversion and that is yet to come.
Then there is the second choice to be made: Who should lead the sheriff's office for the next four years?
Certainly the current office holder and his brand of management leaves a lot to be desired.
Wrought with political vindictiveness, he began his administration by reducing in rank and transferring four career members who collectively gave 85 years of recognized, dedicated and loyal service to the people of this county and to the sheriff's office. . . .
He then went on to replace them with those who were marginally motivated to do anything and some who were along for the free ride, their experience noticeably missing. In addition, one member was terminated and notified through the mail. Some members came to work to find their belongings boxed, sitting in the hall and their office doors locked. . . .
Is it any wonder that fear has struck the deputies who were not victimized by his insensitive political decisions who cry out now for change? . . .
Dominick J. Mele
Fallston
The writer is a candidate for Harford County sheriff.
As we proceed down the stretch toward primary election day, our campaign is taking on a different style from the '90 election. Over the recent weeks, all of us who are running for office have been making every effort to meet you, the voting public.
Recently it has been brought to our attention regarding candidates waving at various heavily traveled intersections during the day and rush hour in particular that there have been car accidents due to the distraction. Our team will not be waving this year and urge those that do to please use extreme caution. Public safety is first and foremost.
At our committee meeting, our neighborhood captains discussed knocking on doors and making telephone calls.
Most agreed that this was sometimes a real inconvenience and the committee decided to discontinue these methods, especially during the last two weeks before the primary because this
includes the Labor Day weekend family celebrations or family religious observances in our community, such as Rosh Hashana.
I know that a lot of effort and expenses has gone into yard signs. I would ask that all of us work together to insure that the yard signs are not disfigured and/or removed from a property without the owner's direct permission.
Robert E. Comes
Bel Air
The writer is Harford County sheriff.
I have lived in Harford County for more than 45 years. During this time, community activity and employment has brought me in contact with the sheriffs, from Raymond Fulkner to our present Bob Comes.
I believe the sheriff's department has been and is today a law enforcement agency that Harford County can be proud of and should keep it. I do not believe voters should give away their rights to elect the chief law enforcement office to the county executive regardless of who he or she might be. . . .
Bob Comes has served the people of Harford County well over 35 years in law enforcement where he rose to the rank of major in the sheriff's department before retiring to run for the county sheriff in 1990. I support Bob Comes for sheriff for another term.
Richard J. Wheeler
Joppa