Letters to the Editor

Volume VII Number 12
March 25-31, 1999

Deale Needs Safeway

Dear New Bay Times~Weekly:

The proposed construction of the Safeway Store at the intersection of Routes 256 and 258 in ‘downtown’ Deale has been advertised since at least 1992 when I first visited, and then moved, here from Chevy Chase. The large sign at this intersection proudly and clearly proclaimed "the future home of Safeway." This was one of the inducements that caused me to choose Deale over other seaside communities in Calvert County. Year after year, that sign stood over undeveloped ground begging the question of when the Safeway would finally be built. I even accused the local realty company of repainting the sign every year in order to attract other prospective home buyers to the Deale area.

Now that construction of the new Safeway appears imminent, some ‘concerned’ citizens are petitioning against the project. They have distributed misleading sign-up sheets throughout the Deale/Churchton/Tracys Landing/West River/Shady Side area. Proported to be petitions for discussion of environmental concerns, these sign-up sheets in mass and in fact are being used wrongly as evidence of overwhelming citizen protest against the project. Unfortunately, there is no quasi-organized group of citizens in the area that is able to endorse this project. I am confident that the homeowners who would welcome the lower prices, gas savings and employment that Safeway would bring to Deale do not have the time to undertake such an effort. But assuredly they are pro-Safeway.

This project is absolutely in consonance with Janet Owens’ stated campaign policies and should be elevated as an example of responsible and smart growth strategy for our county. Should Safeway Stores utilize seaport architecture and best environmental practices to blend with the surrounding aura of the Deale Community, no further misleading nor misguiding protest groups such as SACReD would be effective in continuing to relegate Deale to a backwater community.

Our state and county officials have improved the schools, libraries and roads in the area in order to both support and attract a quality lifestyle for their citizens. It is now time for them to promote the Deale business community to the same level.

-Richard Phillips, Deale

California Girl Seeks Maryland Dirt

Dear New Bay Times~Weekly:

We're doing state research reports in my fifth grade class, and I will be reporting on the great state of Maryland. The reports are due in May and cover topics such as geography, population, history, economy and agriculture.

The reason I am writing is to ask if you could publish my letter in your newspaper. I am hoping some of your readers would write to me and tell me about their experiences, traditions and some history about their lives. In addition, I am requesting a dirt sample from your community for a science unit we are doing on U.S.A soil.

I live in Southern California and am sure many things about Maryland are different from where I live.

Also, if any of the citizens find time to reply, it would be great if they would enclose a copy of my published letter.

Thank you so much for taking the time for my request. Any information would be most appreciated.

-Kimberly Anthony,
Rancho Santa Margarita, California

| Issue 12 |

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