Volume XVII, Issue 16 - April 16 - April 22, 2009 |
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Correspondence
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, 1629 Forest Drive, Annapolis, MD 21403 •
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Bravo, Burton and His Editor
Dear Bay Weekly:
In Candus Thomson’s tribute to Bill Burton in The Sun on March 29, 2009, she wrote, “Truth be told, Burton’s best writing came after he retired from The Evening Sun and reported to duty at Martin’s shop,” Bay Weekly.
That’s because Burton fell into the hands of a wise and wonderful editor. Sandra Martin had the good sense to let Burton write on any and every topic that interested him — and the skill to structure his ramblings. Well done, Bill and Sandra.
P.S. If Bill Burton is giving away his books with scribbles in the margins, I put dibs on the one about the wild turkeys. Who wouldn’t want a book annotated by Bill Burton?
–Sonia Linebaugh, Fairhaven Cliffs
Editor’s note: On April 23, as Candus Thomson reports, Burton will be inducted into the Maryland, D.C., Delaware Press Association Hall of Fame to which he was nominated by Martin. Burton will tell the story himself for Bay Weekly.
Linebaugh writes from first-hand experience. Part of Bay Weekly’s earliest team, associate editor in our early years and still a contributor, she’s done about every job in the paper but edit the ever-fluent Bill Burton.
Texting and Driving Won’t Mix in Maryland
Dear Bay Weekly:
I am happy to report that our efforts over the past year have paid off. By a vote of 133-2 in the Maryland House of Delegates, the Maryland legislature has passed Heather’s Law, a ban on text messaging while driving. Governor Martin O’ Malley will be signing the legislation in the next few weeks, and we plan to be in attendance.
Many tears, frequent sleepless nights and a lot of hard work have made this bill a success and Heather’s Law a reality. Kim and I cannot express our gratitude to all those who have helped save another family from losing a loved one needlessly.
Our work will continue to bring attention to the dangers of texting while driving and helping reduce the 40,000 families each year that feel the pain we do every day. While road traffic deaths are counted in the year they occur, a family remains bereaved forever.
We must pass legislation in every state to ban cell phones and texting while driving. We must have an education campaign in each state to warn the driving public of the dangers that exist every time we get behind the wheel. It is our mission. Although we savor this victory in Maryland, we must move forward in our effort to save lives.
This one is for you, Heather. We know you are smiling in heaven.