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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

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Taking Home Tearman’s Tips

Dear Bay Weekly:

It was great to see [old friend] Margaret Tearman’s byline and to read her thoughtful, informative, detailed article on architectural salvage, recycling and restoration. We are planning a green demolition of a 1920s’ row house in Baltimore in anticipation of creating a 21st century home with many green features, and her article was timely and helpful.

–Susan Walther, Baltimore

100 for Arundel Habitat for Humanity

Dear Bay Weekly:

How exciting it was for me to open up April 3’s Bay Weekly [Vol. xvi, No. 15] and read Margaret Tearman’s article “In with the Old.” All of the information was thorough and complete, and the photographs featuring both our staff and volunteers were perfect.

Arundel Habitat for Humanity is getting ready to dedicate its 100th house on July 19 in Annapolis. We have been building low-cost houses and selling them at no profit and no interest to low-income families for over 20 years.

Thank you for including us in your paper.

–Dan Ellis, Executive Director:

Arundel Habitat for Humanity

What’s Not to Love about Cake?

Dear Bay Weekly:

Thank you so much, Diana Beechener, for your excellent coverage in Dessert Decision 2008 [Vol. xvi, No 15: April 18] and the multi-layered effort that went into naming our new State Dessert. Frivolous? Hardly. As your article helped reveal, culinary tourism is a powerful and growing economic force. Especially for the embattled folks of Smith Island. Besides, what’s not to love about cake? Hooray for all who helped make it happen.

–Elise Kolaja, Chestertown

HB 581 Won’t Promote Unwise Development

Dear Bay Weekly:

The April 10 Bay Weekly editorial regarding the General Assembly session expressed an unwarranted concern that legislation allowing local governments to use Bay Restoration (flush tax) funds to set up a community sewerage system “could promote unwise development.” In fact, the legislation specifically prohibits the counties from initiating a project that serves any lot without an occupancy permit granted on or before October 1 of this year.

The county administration was pleased to work with Del. Bob Costa (sponsor of HB581), the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to ensure that this and other environmental safeguards were included in this legislation, and I intend to submit one North County and one South County capital project to implement this legislation in the near future.

–John Leopold,

Anne Arundel County Executive

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