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Hail to Our War Heroes; Where Are Our Peace Heroes?
Dear Bay Weekly:
What a read! Bob Bockting’s memoir of his days as an Army Air Corps cadet 60 years ago [Vol. XII, No. 46: Nov. 4] challenges Neville Shute’s great novels in bringing to life the dash, derring-do and stoic bravery of the flyers of World War II.
What I’d like to read now are equally powerful stories of peace making. Fat chance. For America, nowadays, war is where it’s at.
—Ada Oliver, Baltimore
Stop Governor Ehrlich’s ‘Fire Sale’ of Maryland Land
Dear Bay Weekly:
I’m outraged that the Ehrlich administration is planning to sell “surplus” public land to private developers. Many of these parks and forestlands have been owned by the state for a very long time. They were paid for by the people of Maryland and in some cases were part of Forest Legacy funds from the federal government.
Our dwindling open space is more than a place to get away from the stresses of modern life, even though that is important. The lands were carefully chosen areas that will preserve the wildlife of our state and protect the air we breathe and the water we drink — and thus, the health of every person in Maryland. Most of these lands are within the watershed of Chesapeake Bay and help to keep pollution from entering the Bay that Gov. Ehrlich professes to care about.
Even with the state facing deficit, this kind of fire sale to a few, no doubt well-connected, developers is not likely to balance the budget for years to come. Is Gov. Ehrlich planning on conducting these sales until nothing is left?
I urge all Marylanders who find this plan to be outrageous to write to the governor and to their state representatives telling them to stop this plan.
—Ellen Pepin, Gambrills
Beach Kids Remember
Dear Bay Weekly,
I would like to publicly thank Bobby Abner and his committee for planning and hosting the wonderful Beach Kids Reunion on November 13 at Abner’s Crab House. Most of us who attended the event grew up in the 1950s and ’60s “in the beach” — which means we lived in North Beach, Chesapeake Beach or Randle Cliffs. Some of us still call it home. Others came from far and wide to reminisce.
As emcee, Bobby thanked some of those who helped shape our lives; for example, Paul Caporratto for being the baseball coach, Wes Morgan for being the scout leader and Mildred Finlon for the bus trips to bowl and roller skate. He also mentioned Beach School, the wonderful school we all attended, and many of the businesses that no longer exist. We all got a kick out of the display of photographs and just being together again. Thank you to everyone involved for providing that wonderful opportunity!
—Gerald W. Donovan, Chesapeake Beach
