Proud to Be a GreenScaper
Dear Bay Weekly:
I want to add my thanks to all who participated in so many different ways to bring GreenScape into the neighborhoods of Annapolis. This was the most successful effort to date, not only in the number of projects but by the greater number of people who were involved.
Since the very beginning, GreenScape has been more than an environmental or beautification effort. Yes, its projects have created gardens, parks and playgrounds. But it also does something intangible. It builds communities. It connects people. It endows stewardship.
That is why I think it is one of the best investments the city of Annapolis makes in its annual budget. By bringing people together to improve those special places, we’ve instilled a pride in community that manifests itself in many ways. But all of them make for a better place for us to be living and raising our families.
To those who organize and orchestrate this very special event, we all owe tremendous thanks. It represents months of hard work. To those who plan projects and maintain them, you represent what is best about living in a caring community: the willingness to give of your time and energy to make Annapolis look and feel better. And to those who come out every year to spend a few hours with friends and neighbors, congratulate yourselves on time well spent. But
I think you already know that in the good feeling it gives — and produces.
Thank you for making me so proud to be a GreenScaper.
— Ellen Moyer, Mayor of Annapolis
How to Save Water
Dear Bay Weekly:
Water is a precious resource and we need to protect and conserve our water supply, be it public or well. This time of drought has reminded me of simple steps we used to take at my grandmother’s house to save on her water bill.
1. Don’t leave faucets dripping. If your faucet is dripping at a rate of one drip per second, you can waste 2,700 gallons per year.
2. Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden or for cleaning around your home.
3. Turn water faucets off while brushing your teeth, washing your face and washing dishes.
4. Sweep outdoor patios and driveways rather than using a hose.
5. Refrigerate a container of water for cold drinking water instead of allowing the faucet to run until the water is cold.
6. Buy a rain gauge to see how much rain or irrigation your garden has received.
7. Shut the water off when you are finished using it. This sounds like common sense, but a surprising number of people leave water running both in and outside of their houses.
For some of us, limited available water was the norm. Maybe some of those old-time practices might allow us to survive this drought — and save money, too.
— Mary Marsh, Arnold
Department of Corrections
The allegation that Gov. Parris Glendening and his wife Jennifer Crawford are expecting twins — reported by the Washington Post and noted in Bay Weekly [Dock of the Bay: “Out of Session: A Fairly Green Ending to General Assembly,” Vol. X, No. 15] — proves to be an April Fool prank perpetrated by the governor in an apparent spirit of exuberance.
In fact, the Glendenings say they are expecting a single child, a girl named Gabrielle.
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