Courts should help police, crime victims confine criminals
This letter is in response to "Slain officer's family keeps 24-year vigil" (Feb. 25) by Devon Spurgeon. The article walks the reader through the "sips of freedom" a convicted murderer has had since he was imprisoned in 1976 for killing Maryland State Police Sgt. Wallace J. Mowbray.
The article also speaks of the Mowbray family's conflict with the justice system regarding the release of Charles Edward Watson, convicted in the murder. Watson was sentenced to 95 years plus life. He served only six years before he escaped, and he pleaded guilty to get a reduced sentence at a retrial in 1991.
It is appalling that the system allows for the retrial and resentencing of a convicted murderer without the testimony of the surviving family members -- and without the courtesy of notifying them of the court dates.
It is even more ludicrous that the police department is not notified of the release of a felon who murdered a fellow law enforcement officer. How can we protect the citizens of Maryland when not given the opportunity to testify at a resentencing or parole hearing? At minimum, the victim's family should be informed of any change in the status a someone convicted in a murder. The Mowbrays should not be forced to live in fear as Watson enjoys his freedom.
Our goal is to meet with officials to rectify the notification procedures regarding the release of convicted murderers. Testimony of the surviving family members and law enforcement officers is crucial to the safety and well-being of our citizens.
David B. Mitchell, Pikesville
The writer is superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
Schmoke counts on state to take over city problems
Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke's response in a letter to the editor to The Sun's recent articles on the failure of the court system seems to be typical of all of his reactions to all city problems ("Solution for Circuit Court's problems is state takeover, like jail and college," Feb. 24). That is, of course, to make the state take over the functions.
Let's tally up his accomplishments to date: State takes over city jails; state takes over city schools; state should take over courts.
What's next? Police services? Snow removal? Trash?
If and when that happens, why would we even need a mayor?
Jeff Sattler, Baltimore
Community cannot handle such a large synagogue
I disagree with your editorial "Worship-free zones?" (Feb. 22). My community does not seek to bar appropriately sized religious institutions. We do wish to prevent a synagogue the size of a large supermarket from being inserted into the backyards of 17 homes in a rural conservation zone.
The proposed 65,200-square-foot structure would hold a 120-child day care center, a 350-seat banquet hall and a sanctuary that expands to accommodate 1,450 congregants. Har Sinai wishes to construct a massive complex for countywide commuters, not a neighborhood house of worship.
Har Sinai projects that this huge complex would daily generate 694 vehicular trips, consume 1,750 gallons of well water and discharge 4,750 gallons of effluent into the ground.
We should not permit such intensive use of rural conservation land on the ridge that divides the successfully preserved and rural Worthington and Caves valleys. We look forward to welcoming Har Sinai into the Owings Mills community when the congregation chooses a more appropriate site.
Marilyn Green Larach, Owings Mills
If money, courts can't save public schools, what can?
Mark Mlawler's article "Inching toward reform" (Feb. 22) seems to be a sad commentary on compliance reforms in Baltimore schools.
Court intervention hasn't increased the delivery of service to the students needing special education services. Teacher training seems to be an afterthought; proof that training might work can't be followed up because the system doesn't have the wherewithal to evaluate the training and ensure that it is implemented in the classroom.
Didn't the folks at North Avenue know how many teachers it had to train? Perhaps that is where the real problems lie. Does central office know what is or is not happening in the classroom? Will this be yet another excuse on the part of the system to fail to provide services?
We are told constantly that Baltimore needs more money to fix education. Money hasn't worked.
Not only is special education failing, but nearly half of the schools in the system have become state "reconstitution-eligible" schools. Perhaps fixing education in all arenas will help fix special education, too. But if a court order can't force reform, what can?
Diana L. Ward, Baltimore
State, county and residents not bypassing traffic woes
The Sun's advice about what the state should do in place of the canceled Brookeville bypass project ("Implementing Smart Growth," March 1) is exactly what the state is already doing.
The state is finding other solutions to Brookeville's traffic problems now rather than holding out the faint hope that a $15 million bypass might be built in a decade.
State officials have met twice with Brookeville residents and have established a community-county-state team to work on traffic problems.
The state is studying truck traffic through the town, and state police have been asked to crack down on overweight trucks using Route 97. At the initial meeting with Brookeville residents, three alternative solutions, including a roundabout, were proposed.
By working with residents, we have come up with other options that are under consideration, including efforts to slow traffic before it enters the town. The work group is also discussing ways to improve pedestrian safety. Any of these solutions could be implemented this year and would be far less expensive than a bypass, construction funds for which have never been appropriated.
These solutions can and will help manage traffic through Brookeville. Building another bypass would make only long-distance commuting easier and open up parts of Montgomery, Howard and Carroll counties to more sprawl.
Gov. Parris N. Glendening believes that if we are to change our patterns of growth, we must start saying no to projects that encourage growth where it was never intended.
John W. Frece, Annapolis
The writer is assistant to the governor for Smart Growth.
The kind of gift wrap you don't throw away
I was overcome with a sudden feeling of nausea when I viewed the photo in the Feb. 24 Business Section of The Sun showing an employee of an "upscale clothing store" in Palm Beach, Fla. holding two gift packages, each wrapped with uncut sheets of 32 $2 bills.
The photo caption indicated that $1 bill sheets are also available for gift wrap and that "the government began selling uncut sheets of bills more than 30 years ago."
Presumably, the government's intent was to sell these currency sheets to collectors just as the Postal Service does to stamp collectors.
For me, I will continue to make my gift purchases at "downscale clothing stores," using more conventional wrapping paper.
I would hope that the recipient of the upscale gift would be generous and careful in opening the package so that some unfortunate persons in need of charity may ultimately benefit from the uniquely materialistic transaction.
Sy Steinberg, Baltimore
Time for Pluto to resist downgrade
Plutoans of the universe, unite! We will not accept a proposed downgrading to a minor planet.
A downgrading would be the ultimate degrading. Since we were declared a planet in 1930 we have always been a celestial body of deep interest to earthlings.
To be reclassified as the largest minor planet in the solar system does us a deep injustice. We implore our fellow humans on Earth to resist this denigrating demotion in status.
Howard K. Ottenstein, Baltimore
Pub Date: 3/05/99