Glut of deer damages habitat for other animals
I wish to commend the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks for its responsible proposal to reduce the size of the whitetailed deer herd in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area.
The continued increase of deer has become a serious wildlife and habitat issue in the Eastern states, as well as a serious people issue.
In the absence of natural predators and other controls, the deer have outgrown the habitat and a balanced ecology. It is common to see forested areas where essentially all vegetation from the ground to as high as the deer can reach has been removed by deer.
The consequence of this is that all bird and other wildlife species dependent on ground level and lower tree- and shrub-level habitat are deprived of required places to nest, reproduce, feed and seek shelter. Those who respect our native wildlife should be concerned.
If such habitat destruction were the result of development or people clearing the forests, there would be an outcry. Because the instrument in this case is wildlife itself, there is hesitation.
Other components of the problem are the steady increase in Lyme disease, automobile accidents and the potential for children to get seriously hurt by approaching a wild animal under the assumption it is safe to do. The deer population needs to be reduced.
Dave Pardoe
Columbia
The writer is mid-Atlantic regional director for the National Audubon Society.
Vote Hartleb again for register of wills
Kay K. Hartleb is running for her fourth term as register of wills for Howard County. Most voters may have little understanding ++ about this office, but to those who come in contact with the probate process in Howard County, Ms. Hartleb's re-election is important.
She has done an outstanding job as register of wills, bringing a professionalism and caring to that office that is needed in government.
The register of wills has responsibility for overseeing the winding up of a person's affairs upon that person's death and to collect any taxes due.
This process is called probate. It involves tax laws, property laws, property assessments and a multitude of related rules and procedures. In some cases, very complex issues of law must be resolved. In other cases, persons with highly emotional concerns must be helped to understand the process.
Anyone who thinks that the register of wills is just another elective office that can be run like any other does not understand its complexity.
The register must combine a good understanding of probate rules and laws with the ability to deal with people during emotional times. Ms. Hartleb, and all the members of her staff, have that rare ability.
Ms. Hartleb deserves our continuing support on Nov. 3.
Michael W. Davis
Columbia
Incumbents kept promise on Route 99
In a time when some politicians behave wrongly, it irefreshing when other politicians do something right.
The one-mile stretch of Route 99 that the community of Mount Hebron has had to contend with has been the site of more than 85 accidents in a four-year period.
One of those recently involved a fatality. In the early '90s, I wrote to the State Highway Administration asking that bypass lanes be installed at four intersections to avoid rear-end collisions. I was told that my concerns might not be justified. Traffic engineers felt that this portion of Route 99 was not unsafe.
Last June, my worst fear was realized. On my way home from work, I came upon an accident involving my son.
He was rear-ended. His car was totaled. The other car was totaled, and my son was loaded into an ambulance. His injuries were neck- and back-related, which to this day still bother him.
Before the accident, Sen. Christopher J. McCabe and Delegates Robert L. Flanagan and Robert H. Kittleman attended community meetings and assured us they would help. They have, and I want to thank them. The SHA has improved two of the four intersections.
It is my fervent hope that the Route 99 intersections of Mount Hebron and McKenzie are scheduled to be improved.
Scott O. Miller
Ellicott City
Who will curb unsafe drivers?
I have witnessed numerous signs of drivers out of control, awell as lack of police monitoring and manpower. We need to change our leadership and our system of discipline.
In recent weeks, I have witnessed serious control and behavior problems in the area.
I was stopped at Bethany Lane and U.S. 40, waiting to turn left off U.S. 40. The light went yellow, and I watched a van from some distance back roaring along at about 60 mph. The light turned red and he continued to roll through the light. Fortunately, no one moved immediately when they had the green light; otherwise, someone would have been killed.
Every time I drive on U.S. 40 between Rogers Avenue and Rolling Road, I find vehicles passing at speeds up to 65 mph (in a 45 mph zone, with deer crossing warned). I nearly collided with an eight-point buck standing in the middle of my lane one evening. Because of the curving roadway, sight distance is limited.
Speeding is a serious problem on Interstate 70 (up to 75 mph), and even more serious with the tailgating 18-wheelers. It is also a serious problem on Route 29.
Which candidates will work to change these safety problems?
Our daughter-in-law Rita was driving into downtown Phoenix in August. She went into town with our grandson Joseph buckled in the middle of the back seat to pick up the cake and party food. Someone ran a red light and smashed into the right side of her car.
It flipped on its left side, smashing in the top of the windshield and door above the driver. The car skidded, struck something, flipped back onto the tires, bounced over onto the right side and kept skidding. You can just image the noise and shaking.
Joseph came out OK except for bruises from his seat belt, but covered with cake frosting and party food. Rita was bruised from all the banging and crashing. A number of people rushed to help them. Rita has recovered from headaches, pain and bruises, but needs to have surgery to repair one knee.
James M. Holway
Ellicott City
Meeder misled voters about Pendergrass
I was amazed by Hans K. Meeder's misleading statement in the League of Women Voters guide about Del. Shane Pendergrass record on growth.
Ms. Pendergrass ran for Howard County Council in 1986 because her daughter, then in first grade at Laurel Woods Elementary, had to sit on the floor to take an exam because of school crowding. She kept her promise to slow the pace of residential growth during her eight years on the council.
She voted for growth caps and against designating the Freestate property as mixed-use development in the general plan. She opposed rezoning the Rouse property as mixed-use development during comprehensive rezoning.
And, she built consensus for and introduced legislation to create the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Task Force, which ultimately led to the adoption of an adequate public facilities law for Howard County.
During her second term on the council, Ms. Pendergrass fought successfully to reduce mixed-use densities by almost half that proposed by Ecker.
She also proposed a number of amendments that made it more difficult for mixed-use development without adequate schools and roads being in place.
Unfortunately, the Republicans, with County Executive Charles I. Ecker's support, voted in 1996 to water down the toughest of these requirements.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Meeder has so few issues of his own that he must resort to negative and untruthful tactics.
Claire P. Ferguson
Laurel
Public apathy about president inexplicable
I'm sure you have readers like myself who have "had it" witThe Sun's unflinching support for the current occupant of White House. I'm a registered Republican, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I think the Republicans are any more fit to lead this country than the Democrats.
I cannot, however, understand public apathy toward what is happening to the office of President of the United States. Any occupant of the Oval Office who chooses to have sex there during normal business hours is not engaged in a private, personal activity. A large number of Americans have lost all respect for this man by the reckless disregard he has displayed.
What really gets me is the criminal behavior of our chief executive. Your newspaper, like many, continue to assess a minimum amount of culpability toward Bill Clinton.
He lied under oath in a civil case. He lied under oath to a federal grand jury.
No amount of wordsmithing can refute these facts. Lying under oath is a serious undermining of the judicial process. It's not a Ken Starr "witch hunt" or a Republican "railroading."
It's a shame that we don't have the collective moral fiber to demand the ouster of the president. He should be impeached for the good of the country and relegated to the basement of presidential achievement.
Greg Goodale
Columbia
Public should finance campaigns
The endless chase for donations in political campaigns is ouof control. For any candidate, fund raising could easily be a full-time job. The more time a candidate spends raising funds, the less time he has to get a message directly to voters. That is contrary to the concept of public service.
Fortunately, there is a better way. I support, and if elected will work for, partial public financing of political campaigns in Maryland. Public financing does not mean handouts for candidates. Rather, candidates who raise a certain amount of money from a wide base of small donors would qualify to receive matching funds from the state to continue their campaigns. It would be an extension of the public financing system that the state has in place.
This would give candidates the latitude to do what they should be doing: meeting with voters. In addition, public financing would reduce the influence of special interests in Maryland politics.
At a time when ethics and political integrity are of such concern, this simple reform is appropriate and necessary.
William C. Woodcock Jr.
Ellicott City
The writer is a Democratic candidate for House of Delegates in Legislative District 14B.
Pub Date: 10/18/98