THE GAZETTE
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 g
Biggest disappearing acts of 2013 • The Grahams. After 80 years the Graham family sells the struggling Washington Post to billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, which, ironically, helped kill classified advertising. Also disappearing in 2013 was the Post’s ombudsman position, the readers’ advocate. • The Allbrittons. Bob Allbritton sells eight TV stations, including the D.C. area’s WJLA (Channel 7), to Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcasting. • The Washington Examiner. Drops its print edition, abandons local news and MY MARYLAND becomes an BLAIR LEE online national news service. • Maryland Life Magazine. Closes its doors due to circulation and ad shortfalls. • Baltimore’s Grand Prix. The city’s Labor Day IndyCar race never made financial sense and finally dies a quiet death. • Ed Papenfuse. This living piece of Maryland history, the state archivist, retired after collecting and preserving precious state artifacts and records for 38 years. • Sen. Norman Stone. The senator from Dundalk is calling it quits after 13 terms (52 years) in Annapolis. When they tried gerrymandering his district in 2002, the senator — quiet, dignified and humble — sued and won. Who says nice guys finish last? • Alex Mooney. This Frederick Republican lost his Senate seat in 2010, so he became state GOP chairman and, in 2013, moved to West Virginia, where he’s running for Congress. • Delegate Sam Arora. No Montgomery lawmaker ever lost re-election by raising taxes, failing to bring home the bacon or selling the county down the river. But Montgomery delegate Sam Arora was shunned by the Democratic party and saw his career ended for voting against gay marriage. • Morris A. Mechanic Theatre. Baltimore’s playhouse for touring Broadway plays is razed after a 40-year run. • Little Italy. Five restaurants in Baltimore’s iconic eating district close in
2013. End of an era? • White Flint. Montgomery’s upscale mall is being replaced by a trendy mixed-use town center. • Blockbuster. Another Internet victim, the once-pervasive home video chain announced that its last 300 stores are closing. • The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk. Canceled, again, the traditional spring bridge-closing and pedestrian walk fell victim to state budget cuts. • Incandescents. General-service incandescent light bulbs phased out in 2013 by government edict after 100 years of use. • Redskins “Hogettes.” Football fans cross-dressed as sows? Weird, yes, but it got them on TV every week. The Hogettes call it quits after 30 seasons.
Worst moves of the year • As Maryland’s Obamacare website exchange crashes spectacularly, its director, Rebecca Pearce, goes on a Caribbean vacation and, when she returns, is dismissed from her $175,000 job. • Responding to gay activists, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett asks the Fillmore Music Hall to cancel a band whose lyrics offend homosexuals. • The Anne Arundel school system suspends a 7-year-old who nibbles his breakfast pastry into the shape of a gun. • Several thousand Baltimore city residents are awakened before 6 a.m. when the mayor’s back-to-school celebration robocall is sent too early. • Andre Henry, suspected of committing eight Montgomery County burglaries, is finally nabbed when he leaves two pages of his criminal court records at the scene of his latest break-in. • Ignoring the city legal department’s opinion that the bill is unconstitutional, the Baltimore City Council requires that a majority of workers for city contractors and citysubsidized projects be Baltimore city residents. • Brunswick elementary school students are stranded at bus stops when the school system fails to notify parents of new bus stop locations. • Ocean City Councilman Brent Ashley, linking tourism decline with unsightly saggy pants, proposes a ban on clothing hanging more than 3 inches below the waistline. Ashley says he wants to turn Ocean City into
“Maryland’s first crack-free city.”
Best moves of the year • The state increases ICC speed limits to 60 mph. • Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Newman vetoes the council’s “rain tax.” • Maryland’s highest court rules that it’s up to the legislature, not the courts, to decide the state’s negligence standards. • State health authorities shut down four abortion clinics after a patient dies and widespread violations are discovered. • When a female cop sues Baltimore city for firing her because she married a convicted murderer who’s a gang member of Dead Man Inc., the court dismisses her case. • Salvation Army volunteers find a $1,300 gold coin dropped into their kettle by an anonymous donor outside a Frederick Giant. • Heroic WSSC workers refuse to give up on a broken valve that threatens a countywide water shutdown in the midst of July’s heat wave. Working non-stop in waist-deep underground water, they fashion new parts and save the day. • Angela McCaskill, Gallaudet U.’s chief diversity officer, who was fired when she signed a petition bringing Maryland’s same-sex marriage law to referendum, sues the school for unlawful discrimination. • State Sen. Bobby Zirkin, a Democrat, crosses party lines, endorsing Republican Sen. Allan Kittleman for Howard County executive. • Managers of Baltimore’s Burns Arena cancel “Touch of Flavor,” a twoday event featuring classes on hot wax, sex-dungeon safety and rope bondage, because children also use the arena. • NFL Ravens star receiver Torrey Smith gets married, cuts off his dreadlocks. Blair Lee is chairman of the board of Lee Development Group in Silver Spring and a regular commentator for WBAL radio. His column appears Fridays in the Business Gazette. His past columns are available at www.gazette. net/blairlee. His email address is blairleeiv@gmail.com.
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COMMISSIONERS OF POOLESVILLE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS Notice is hereby given that three Public Hearings will be held on February 18, 2014 at 7:30 PM at 19721 Beall Street, Poolesville, Maryland for the purpose of the Commissioners of Poolesville receiving public comment on Proposed Ordinance 197, to amend the zoning map of the Town of Poolesville, Proposed Ordinance 198, to repeal Appendix B of the Poolesville Code, titled “Zoning” and enact in its place a new Appendix B with the same title for the purpose of revising in a comprehensive manner said zoning code; eliminating the Central Business District and General Commercial Zone; creating a Commercial Zone; establishing a 2+ acre transition zone, codification of design standards in the Commercial Zone; revision of the Use and Development Standards, modification of parking requirements, modification of Sign standards and expansion of the definition section and proposed Ordinance No. 199 to remove the Wellhead Protection from the Zoning Code Appendix B to the Poolesville Code by adding a new Chapter No. 24. Copies of these proposed ordinances are available at Town Hall. 1890813
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LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR
Speed cameras an obvious effort to feed county coffers
Long ago living in New England, I was constantly reminded by traditionally aloof New Englanders that if I drove South always remember to watch for southern speed traps. These speed traps, said the New Englanders, had only one real purpose, to line the pockets of southern politicians. I never did have enough money or a car to test that theory but now many years later I find the concept seems to be alive and well in Montgomery County. Oh to be sure, I just received a ticket for allegedly exceeding the speed limit. The camera clicked and unless I want to spend time and money I do not have to fight the charge, I will have to pay up. What is so sad about this scheme is its transparency. The camera program is an obvious effort to pull more money into the county coffers. Despite all the false rhetoric about improving public safety, I doubt anyone who has taken a close look believes otherwise. So perhaps the “Yankees” were correct and the old South is alive and well in Maryland armed with fancy new technology and glib public relations people. For my part, I absolutely agree that driving a car in Montgomery County has become a very dangerous sport. Drivers are reckless. Very excessive speed combined with aggressive behavior is everywhere. Rude, boorish behavior is the norm. Drivers are inattentive. In recent years, I have been struck three times by cars whose drivers were not paying attention. ... People cover their plates with plastic so they can
speed but not have their plates detected. The important point is that the speed camera scam does very little to address these problems and, in fact, makes the problem worse because it results in fewer traffic patrols as more is left to the cameras. There is a lot more that could be said in criticism of the program but instead I will offer two suggestions which if adopted should reduce the number of complaints and benefit all of us. First, funds raised in this manner should not contribute to the general fund. Instead the revenues (net) should be directed to the most needy. Shelter programs might head the list. In an ideal world offending drivers might be given an opportunity to contribute to an officially approved charity of their choice but here I may be unrealistic in thinking the county could be that creative. Second, all incentives to push the envelope should be removed. This means capping the payments and return on investment to companies at some predetermined level even if the number of tickets issued at a given location continues to increase. Start with these two changes and then address the more complex issue of how many cameras are enough and where exactly should they be placed and most importantly why. If we can clean up our rivers by paying for plastic bags, surely we can help improve the lives of the most unfortunate by paying for our unintentional lawlessness.
A.J. Corazzini, Bethesda
More opposition to Cabin Branch I am offended by the letter written to the editor from Sandy Barrier [“More support for Cabin Branch,” Sept. 4]. I am part of the Clarksburg community that she refers to as supporting the outlet mall and I am adamantly opposed to an outlet mall. It is no surprise that the owner of the Clarksburg Town Center, a commercial enterprise, would welcome more people to spend more money in
his shops (as reported by Sandy Barrier). However, the people who live in Clarksburg and who appreciate Clarksburg for more than an area of unnecessary shopping opportunities are opposed to an outlet mall. Sandy Barrier may be an outlet mall fan but she does not represent the Clarksburg community.
Karon deSilva, Clarksburg