Lippy's Response to Board Criticisms
Thanks for allowing me -- for the last time I hope -- to respond to your editorial, "Lame Ducks and Lame Brains" (Dec. 21). I've paid dearly over the years for correcting every distortion, error and omission appearing in your columns, but, alas, it's embedded in my nature.
It would appear an act of courtesy for the old board to yield the decision on the Stoner land to the new board. Certainly, that is more important to the new members than to the lame ducks. Besides, what damage has been done? The option remains intact until Dec. 15.
Some other examples of what you call indecision and I call being thorough:
* Telemechanique building: The consultant's environmental work has just been completed. Would you rather we had bought the property, discovered a crushing environmental problem and passed this on to the taxpayers? . . .
* Detention center: Are you aware work on the addition of 24 beds to the present site is going along rapidly? . . . A Band-aid? Yes, but a huge Band-aid that will give us valuable time to continue planning for a new building and rounding up the required money.
* A decision has been made to abandon a local incinerator plan. . . .
Your prime responsibility is to publish the performance of elected officials. You cheapen that responsibility when you descend to the level of ridicule and insult. . . .
Elmer Lippy
Manchester
The writer is former Carroll County commissioner.
Too-Rosy View on Farm Law
The Nov. 28 editorial, "Explaining the Right to Farm Ordinance," describes an ordinance that most everyone could agree with. Unfortunately, that's not the ordinance that the Carroll County Board of Commissioners planned to adopt. . . .
Anyone who believes that public health laws will not be affected should read the ordinance carefully. Unfortunately, the public has had only a few weeks to consider the actual language. . . . The Sun would perform a valuable service by reproducing the controversial language in the ordinance, and letting readers judge for themselves.
Richard E. Geyer
Mount Airy
LTC
Uniting Against Racism at Western Maryland
The Western Maryland College community has been violated by a series of reprehensible incidents of racism this semester. In September, white separatist literature was received by students through the mail and brochures were left outside of the rooms of some African-American and international students living in Rouzer Hall.
Then, on Nov. 1, a racial epithet was burned into the eighth green of the college golf course and a similar act of vandalism occurred on the tennis courts below Albert Norman Ward Hall on Nov. 22. . . . These events have rightly attracted the attention of the media. They should not be ignored. We at Western Maryland College and the entire community must stand together in demonstrating that racism affects us all.
Those of us on campus have united . . . and come together on several occasions to express our feelings, offer counsel and share information. We are proud of our students who have rallied to show solidarity and have worn plaid ribbons as a visible sign of their commitment to diversity.
On Nov. 28, upon return from the Thanksgiving break, more than 250 students joined members of the faculty and administration, as well as local citizens, at a candlelight vigil held outside of Hoover Library. Students organized a sit-in on Dec. 7, and faculty continue to encourage their dialogue in classes. . . . With the Student Government Assembly, the college has offered a $500 reward for information which will help us discover the person(s) responsible for these atrocious acts.
We appreciate the calls of concern and the support we have received from community leaders as we have been dealing with these violations. It is disappointing to us all that even in our close-knit campus family, such abhorrent instances of racism occur. We believe, however, that our community is strengthened by our united response.
Together we learn that we all share responsibility for the common good.
Robert H. Chambers
Westminster
The writer is president of Western Maryland College.