Correspondence (All)

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 •E-mail them to editor@bayweekly.com. or submit your letters on-line by clicking here.

Article - Correspondence; by Susan Shaw - 8/26/10

Summer School for County Officials Beat the Beaches

Dear Bay Weekly: I am writing about Marilyn Recknor’s article “Beating the Summer School Blues” (Aug. 19) on the Maryland Association of Counties conference. It is the best explanation I have ever seen of the work that gets accomplished in Ocean City. It truly is summer school for community leaders. Again this year, I did not get out on the beach, because the classes consume so much time. Yes, there is a crab feast, but even there, I was catching up with state officials and...

Article - Correspondence; by Jennifer O’Connor - 8/26/10

PETA Says No SeaWorld

Dear Bay Weekly: Federal officials have determined that SeaWorld is at fault in the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau and issued citations for three safety violations, including one for willfully exposing employees to life-threatening hazards. A willful violation is defined as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. SeaWorld was fined $75,000. SeaWorld should take Brancheau’s death as the wake-up call it is and immediately begin...

Article - Correspondence; by Hugh F. Trigs - 8/19/10

Proud to Welcome Heroes

Dear Bay Weekly: I can’t recall a time in the recent past that I was ever more proud to be an American then I was on August 14. On that day, I had the distinct privilege to stand along Route 260 at 7:15am along with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other Americans and welcome a busload of wounded soldiers from The Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. These American heroes were coming to the Chesapeake Beach area for a weekend of fishing and relaxation, and that’s exactly...

Article - Correspondence; by Susan Shaw - 8/19/10

Loving the Water

Dear Bay Weekly: Thank you for your lovely editorial [Aug. 5] about the new Edward T. Hall Aquatic Center in Prince Frederick. Many people had a dream of an indoor aquatic center going back 25 years. I got on board about 16 years ago. The dream of a community pool where everyone could learn and exercise year-round seemed so doable at the time. With persistence, that dream is now a wonderful reality enjoyed by so many like you. This exceptional addition to our community gets kudos wherever I go...

Article - Correspondence; by Richard Honafous - 8/19/10

Which Way the Wind Blows

Dear Bay Weekly: Because American jobs are important, I think Bay Weekly should keep its readers informed as to where the wind generators coming to Anne Arundel County are manufactured. It’s my understanding some of the president’s stimulus money went to China for the purchase of wind generators made in China to be used in a wind farm in Texas. Clearly that would support Chinese jobs. It makes sense to support our economy and only use wind generators made here in the USA! –...

Article - Correspondence; by Kay L. Parris - 8/19/10

Pruning Blueberries for Bigger Fruit

Dear Bay Gardener I have a few blueberry bushes that are about seven years old that have produced nicely but are getting a little scraggly. I have been trimming runners and eliminating water shoots, but I’m not certain of the best time to prune the large bushes for renewal growth. Instinct tells me that pruning in late summer or early fall would give them a chance for growth once the weather cools, but I would love to have your expert advice. I always read your column in Bay Weekly....

Article - Correspondence; by M.B. Lefkowitz - 8/12/10

Beechener Gave Me Hope

Dear Bay Weekly: I’d like to add my belated praise for Diana Beechener’s July 15 story “Hope Is In the Melody,” on the group that entertains wounded soldiers. In a time when so much news evokes cynicism, I’ve rarely found a story so moving. Well done! –M.B. Lefkowitz, Holland Point

Article - Correspondence; by Elisavietta Ritchie - 8/12/10

A Cheer for the CLEAR Act

Dear Bay Weekly I was pleased to see the recent oil spill response bill (CLEAR Act) pass the U.S. House of Representatives with full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund included. All of us should take a moment to thank Congressman Steny Hoyer for his part in shaping the legislation and in helping build bi-partisan consensus in this hard-won victory. The CLEAR bill is important on many levels. While its overarching purpose is to improve safety standards for offshore drilling, it...

Article - Correspondence; by Vicki Marsh - 8/12/10

Start Lavatera from Seed

Dear Bay Gardener My son-in-law has a Lavatera shrub that I want a cutting from. How do I go about getting a good start from the original plant? I can’t find a Lavatera. The only nurseries that have them seem to be in England or Ireland. –Vicki Marsh, Deale A Lavatera plants are grown almost exclusively from seeds. Cuttings root poorly and do not perform well; they don’t transplant well either. The seeds are easy to germinate, but they have about a three-month dormancy period after they have...