Letter to the Editor
Volume VII Number 50
December 16-22, 1999

Concerned with Deale

Dear New Bay Times Weekly:

Regarding the proposed Safeway in Deale. People against it are:

• Concerned about traffic;
• Concerned about water levels. Could wells go dry?
• Concerned about the environment;
• Concerned about the town changing;
• Concerned about the effect on local merchants.

People for it are:

• Concerned about the elderly who drive down dangerous Muddy Creek Road to get to a large grocery store;
• Concerned that the town, as it is, isn't working well. Too many businesses have not been able to make it here and many are struggling. They want to try something else;
• Concerned about the heavy stream of traffic and pollution, because most people seem to head 20 minutes north and south of here to do most of their shopping. We're becoming a bedroom community;
• Concerned that if the proposed shopping complex at Wayson's Corner, half the size of Annapolis Mall, goes in and everyone shops there, the town of Deale will die. They don't want to see an ugly little boarded-up town.

We say these are all valid concerns. All of these concerns need to be communicated to those people with the expertise and authority to make a decision. Our prayer is that they will listen to everyone's concerns and carefully consider the effects on our little town, making a good and fair decision based on all the facts.

Our concern is, in a day and age where we have aggressive drivers and violence in schools and homes, we need to set an example for our children. We have heard that people are afraid to voice their opinion: People yell in their face, several neighbors and friends have stopped speaking and some say there were even a few fist fights.

Let's all take a deep breath and calm down. Everyone should have the right to voice their opinion. Mature adults should be able to listen to one another's concerns and discuss a problem without getting angry, yelling or taking it personally. If we aren't careful, with or without a Safeway, we could turn into an ugly little town.

Above our inside doorway at Sentimental Fools hangs a sign: Deale: A small town is like a big family. As a family, we're sure we will work through this.

Our gift shop also serves as the Deale Welcome Center, and we'd like everyone to know you're welcome here - whether you're for or against the Safeway or have no opinion at all.

-Karen Crandell & Robin Harris, Deale

| Issue 50 |

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