Football fans littering carelessly, purposely in city 0) neighborhood

I was gratified to see your report on the amount of trash found in our neighborhoods after the recent football game at the new stadium. As a 10-year resident of Washington Village, I've grown accustomed to a certain amount of cleanup after games, although the amount left by baseball fans pales into insignificance.

What you neglected to mention in your report was that some of the trash was not merely strewn, but systematically placed. Because of customary road closures during a game, I was forced to take back roads to get from Russell Street to my house. These roads approach the southern edge of the stadium. I was #F appalled to find empty beer bottles and cans standing on end, lining the curbsides and the bridge wall over the Middle Branch, like so many high school sports trophies. Maybe their former owners were coming back later for target practice? Or perhaps like Hansel and Gretel, they needed something to lead them back to their cars after the game?

This is an intentional affront to the citizens of Baltimore and the stadium's neighbors, and another source of pollution to the Patapsco, and subsequently, the bay.

Margaret Cederstrom

Baltimore

Emphasis was on conflict in coverage of youth events

The article "Civil rights leaders criticize N.Y. police for dispersing march" (Sept. 9) emphasized the negative rather than reporting the positive elements of the NAACP-supported Atlanta Youth Rally.

I, and perhaps other readers, would have been interested in knowing about the specific content of the workshops presented in Atlanta and the positive goals expressed by the young people of color who attended. Without this important information, the article seemed to suggest that conflict within the civil rights movement was of predominant interest.

Will we never see these bright and shining stars?

Carol Emory

Sparks-Glencoe

Maryland Artists Collection brainchild of Doris Patz

We read with interest the article ("Maryland walls, Maryland art," Aug. 23) concerning the University of Maryland University College's Maryland Artists Collection. The article was informative but unfortunately did not capture the essence of the inception of the collection.

Obviously, John Dorsey was not aware of the origins of this unique collection. Therefore, we wish to set the record straight.

Doris Patz conceived of the idea of an assemblage of works of Maryland artists, and it was through her tireless efforts in the state's artistic community that we were encouraged and convinced to contribute original pieces.

In 1981, John Toll, then-president of the University of Maryland, opened the collection by dedicating the gallery to Ms. Patz. Over the years, she has continued her efforts to expand the collection.

We, a group of Maryland artists, wish to pay tribute to Ms. Patz for her foresight in recognizing the need to honor Maryland artists and for her dedication in making her idea a reality.

Eugene Leake

Monkton

This letter was signed by five other Maryland artists.

I found John Dorsey's article of great interest indeed. My husband and I were privileged to donate a Donald Coale painting the UMUC collection when asked by our dear friend Doris Patz.

I was familiar with this project from its inception. Ms. Patz did much more than help Bylee Massey. The Maryland Artists Collection was indeed her brainchild, and she was the one who obtained the core collection through her contacts with local artists and collectors and her dedication to the university.

While the article is most informative, it treated far too casually the one person who was responsible for the project's inception and its success. Kudos to Ms. Massey for her efforts, but I feel certain that she would wish Doris Patz to receive credit where credit is due.

Barbara Katz

Baltimore

Article on Nanking book offered us nothing new

What was the point of the article "Breaking the silence" (Sept. 13, Perspective section), about Iris Chang's "The Rape of Nanking"? Contrary to the subhead, the book is not new. It was published nearly a year ago and was widely reviewed at the time, with the author making numerous appearances locally at book signings and on talk shows.

What's particularly bothersome is that the writer contributed nothing new to Chang's account; it was simply a rehashing of what Ms. Chang has already reported, relying very heavily on direct quotes from her and others.

I've become increasingly dissatisfied with the Sunday Sun, especially the editorial and local pages.

While I'm voicing my criticisms, just how long-term are you expecting the Reading by 9 series to be?

For readers who would like to see that space devoted to topics of wider variety, it would make more sense to gather those articles and publish them at monthly intervals as an educational supplement.

S. H. Johnson

Baltimore

Doctors' drug dependence may harm rather than cure

The Sun reports that a study shows that children of immigrant parents are healthier than children of U.S. born parents ("Immigrant children possess surprising health advantage," Sept. 10). The article adds that the experts are surprised because immigrants often live in a condition of poverty and have no health insurance.

Perhaps the reason is that our doctors, with their dependency on drugs for treatment, do more harm than good.

Karl Berger

Baltimore

We have Lewinsky report, where's Whitewater?

As honorable statesmen, members of Congress released Kenneth Starr's $5 million account of the sordid details of President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Since the release was for the good of the country and not for political gain or to embarrass Mr. Clinton, I think now they should release Starr's $40 million detailed account of the Whitewater witch hunt. Helen Covington

Baltimore

Care to rephrase that, Congressman Gilchrest?

The Sun quotes Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest as saying, "If I was an American citizen, I would want to see it (Clinton tape)."

Could we please be enlightened as to what citizenship Mr. Gilchrest claims?

Bill Burnham

Baltimore

It is so sadly ironic to read the statement by U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, a Maryland Republican, referring to Bill Clinton's supposedly secret grand jury testimony: "If I was an American citizen, I would want to see it."

An American citizen would also seek to satisfy his voyeuristic desires by reading the lewd Starr report as well.

However, if he truly did consider himself an American, he should stop and realize that the calculating, dogged pursuit, at any cost, of the nation's freely elected leader, serves little purpose other than severing the last tenuous strings of respect Americans have for politicians and government.

I am sure that in November, when voter turnout in Maryland is abysmally low, Mr. Gilchrest and other Republicans will blame voter apathy on the president without considering that had Republicans not openly gloated about the president's, and the nation's, problems, we would be less apathetic.

van L. Balkan

Baltimore

Release of Starr report vindictive and idiotic

After hearing the remarks Trent Lott made about his embarrassment over the Clinton mess, I am even more embarrassed.

That our elected officials voted to release the Starr report on the Internet will never cease to amaze me. The explicit sexual details were totally unnecessary and only made Kenneth Starr look like a vindictive idiot and the Republicans and Democrats who voted for the release more idiotic.

Dolories M. Bell

Fallston

Pub Date: 9/22/98