Letters to the Editor
We welcome your opinions and letters — with name and address. We will edit when necessary. Include your name, address and phone number for verification. Mail them to Bay Weekly, P.O. Box 358, Deale, MD 20751 • E-mail them to [email protected]. or submit your letters on line, click here
The High Cost of Following Your Dream
Dear Bay Weekly:
I loved the juxtaposition of your first-of-the-year feature article and editorial [Vol. XIII, No. 1: Jan. 6] from following your bliss to the struggle to survive in Chesapeake Country arts. I am currently living that dilemma — having, against all advice, quit my reliable day job of nine years to open a little nonprofit community arts center in North Beach.
I have fallen in love with what I do now. My quiet little hometown is evolving to a great place for an artist to live and work, and I am thrilled to be painting and drawing and squishing clay with folks of all ages through classes at Bay Arts Center and through our programs with Bayside Boys and Girls Club. But every month the rent is due, and having exhausted my savings, I now completely depend on arts patrons to keep our little growing arts center alive. From our little studio near the boardwalk, we have a great view of the Chesapeake — my daily reminder to be thankful for all the wonderful friends and supporters this change of career has brought me.
My heart aches for the loss of the Chesapeake Music Hall. For a young arts organization in need of mentors and examples, it does not bode well. So thanks for giving voice to both sides of that huge life-changing choice.
—Stacy Allen, North Beach
See for Yourself How Well Maryland Wastewater Treatment Is Working
Dear Bay Weekly:
I read with interest your recent article “A Royal Flush” [Dock of the Bay Vol. XIII, No. 2: Jan. 13]. Hopefully, new limits and increased funding will reduce Bay pollution. Environmental Proctection Agency data show that it is not uncommon for Maryland wastewater treatment facilities to be in non-compliance.
Thought you and your readers would be interested in how to check on the performance of Maryland facilities, using EPA’s ECHO website.
Echo is updated once a month; here’s how to retrieve information on non-compliant Maryland facilities.
- Go to www.epa.gov/echo.
- On the left side frame click on Water Data Search.
- On the main screen under Facility Characteristics enter 4952 for the four-digit SIC code.
- In the Geographic Location section select MD — Maryland
- Farther down the page in the Compliance Information section un-check the In-Compliance box.
- Click any of the Search buttons.
- You will get a search results summary page. For details on any facility, click on the facility name displayed in the first column.
It will be interesting to see if compliance status improves in the next few years.
—Jim Pilotte, Columbia
