Solomons: Never Too Far to Enjoy
Dear Bay Weekly:
This is in response to Mr. David Roth, who wanted to know the distance from Prince Frederick to Solomons [Letters, Vol .IX, No. 46, November 15-21].
I have two suggestions as to why there are two different distances on the road signs. One is when the distances were recorded by the state. When new Route 2-4 was built, it was much straighter than the old road, which is now Route 765. This could shorten it a tad.
Were the town centers in place? The town centers grow out, and this could shorten the distance from Prince Frederick to Solomons also.
But I suggest that Mr. Roth get in the car and drive to Solomons and measure the distance in his car. There are plenty of great restaurants, shops and a wonderful museum to visit in Solomons so as not to waste his trip.
— M. McCormick, Solomons
Swans Sighted
Dear Bay Weekly:
I heard the distinct sound of swans arriving as Sitka the dachshund and I were walking this morning. Sure enough, seven tundra swans were feeding in the Bay off the end of North Shore Parkway in Cape Anne. At least all’s right with the world when the swans return.
— M.L. Faunce, Churchton
Clearly No Libra
Dear Bay Weekly:
While enjoying a quiet Sunday breakfast at Happy Harbor I read through this week’s issue of Bay Weekly. All was enjoyable until I turned to the horoscope for September.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You may be alarmed at how faithfully the news media is parroting the American government’s party line about the war. It’s not entirely the journalists’ fault. They have no access to even civilian satellite photos of Afghanistan because the Pentagon owns exclusive rights to them and isn’t sharing. Furthermore, few Western reporters have been able to see what’s going on for themselves in the war zones; most rely on military PR spokesmen to spoon-feed them propaganda.
As my husband was involved in Boston academia for many years, opinions such as those stated therein would hardly be shocking or upsetting for me. I am quite accustomed to individuals with views vastly different from my own. It was, however, both shocking and upsetting to read a newspaper printing material containing the terms “propaganda” and “information lockdown” without even a modicum of proof that this was indeed fact.
All newspapers have the protection of the Constitution and with that comes the responsibility of journalistic ethics. Even though the author of the material is a syndicated columnist, for you to print gratuitous drivel without attribution or verification is a serious violation of that responsibility. I trust you will take it more seriously in the future.
Yours truly,
— Peggy A. Cooney, Shady Side
Editor’s note: As far as we know, Rob Brezsny makes no inaccurate statements of fact in his Free Will Astrology column. The information that was coming out of Afghanistan, pictorial and otherwise, was indeed closely held and censored. That’s what happens during war, but former military spokesmen have commented widely that there are even tighter controls this time around. We may or may not share Rob Brezsny’s views, but we don’t care to engage in “information lockdown,” one of the terms that seems to have spoiled your grits.
