53 beers on tap

Time for Dyer to resign

While I was doing my final training for my latest foray into masochistic behavior in the name of fitness (more in a later post) I've been following with interest the Allen Dyer saga.  As anyone following anything in the county for the past week would know, the other members of the Howard County School Board have voted to request that the Maryland State Board of Education remove Dyer from office.

But Allen Dyer himself should take the next step.  Allen Dyer should resign immediately.

I do not know how quickly the state board will act upon the local board's request, but the point remains this: whatever one may think of the validity of the allegations against Dyer, his presence on the board at this time creates  an untenable situation.  As long as Dyer stays on the Board, the Board will continue function as a semi-functional body.

If Dyer is so concerned about the issues contained within his various lawsuits against the county, he can continue to prosecute those lawsuits as a private citizen-- just as he did before he was elected to the board.  But this has become an embarrassment to the entire county.  Allen Dyer needs to do the right thing and step down immediately.

When did "meh" become short for "mixed use"?

Am I missing something from this article?  I'm a huge supporter of the redevelopment of US1, but this development seems to have been designed by committee.

Don't get me wrong, Asbury Courts could be painted pink and green and it would be an imporvement over the trailer park on that property.  But I'm disappointed that the developers decided to drop the retail component of the development and only build apartments.  That's not a mixed-use development; it's a residential development.

I disagree that this development should've have waited until the next comprehensive rezoning to be decided; it was the right thing to address it now.  But, something tells me that once again, we have a half-measure before us.

The one thing that doesn't make me totally poo-poo this development is that the surrounding community is OK with the solution.  That makes me feel OK-- not great, just OK.  Still, I think that if a developer sets out to build a mixed-use development, that they follow through with building just that. 

Lax is over, if you want it

Well, I didn't.  But my daughter's rec lacrosse season has ended, after a heartbreaking 6-4 loss in our league semifinals.  Funny, the score at halftime was only 1-1-- one of probably the lowest-scoring girls' or womens' lacrosse games ever-- but both teams lit up the scoring (relaytively) in the second half.  Just that the other girls scored more than mine did.

So we wound up tied for third in the league, and my daughter got to be selected as an all-star of their league-- definitely a high honor.  So that's nice.  And I had a group of 21 very nice girls to coach-- a good bunch and I will miss them.

The good news (or perhaps the bad news) is that now MM's back to his basass bloggery!  The summer isn't nearly as busy as the spring.  Hopefully there will be enough news in Howard County this summer to keep this blogger happy!  Right now, the results aren't promising.

Howard County dealin'

This is pathetic on top of  sad.  This article discusses a local resident-- physician and current active duty Army captain-- indicted on charges for illegal possession and distribution of oxycodone.  Which is better known as Oxycontin.

Yessiree Bob, here in the HoCo we only deal in the upscale stuff!  (actually, not, as any check of the criome blotter will attest.)

OK, so--here's what I want to see out of this arrest.  I want to see every single jackass who bought so much as 1/4 of a tablet from this guy or associates prosecuted for illegal possession of a controlled substance.  OxyContin is BAD stuff-- as or a little more addictive than heroin.

We'll see where this case goes in the following weeks and months.

RIP Dr. Death

Taking a break today from the typical HoCo crziness to note the passing of one Dr. Jack Kevorkian, aka, "Dr. Death", at the age of 83.  As you doubtless know, Dr. Kevorkian made is (in)fame through the practice of physician-assisted suicide of terminally ill patients.

This man's passing moves me.  Back when Kevorkian was actively practicing his craft, I thought this guy was the World's Biggest Villain.  He was a murderer, after all!  he talked these poor people into giving up hope and then he killed them!  I bet he loved it, too.

That was after I saw both my parents in-law die of cancer and before I saw my own grandmother fade into dementia.  After I saw all three of them linger on past the point of no hope, past the point where life was truly worth living, past their point where they had made their peace with God and Earth, if that was possible.  That doesn't mean that Jack Kevorkian became for me any sort of angel of mercy, but it did mean for me that maybe people should, while they do have sound mind, have the option of ending their and their loved ones' suffering with dignity.  For some palliative care is not an option.  Why then should this option remain unavailable?

RIP Carol Filipczak

A good friend of mine passed away several days ago.  Her name was Carol Filipczak and she passed away last Thursday at the age of 71.

I would be cad if I didn't recognize all the effort and energy Carol put into this community.  I first new her as a Board member of HCCA when I became involved in the organization, and during my presidency of HCCA.

Carol's community service activities were considerable and revolved around the environment and responsible government.  Her obituary gives a good accounting of everything she did to contribute to our community.  Of special note is her longtime service to the Howard County Transportation Board.

I am happy to report that as a volunteer, she worked with two generations of my family.  One summer my son went to the Howard County Conservancy to volunteer.  Putting his butt through his paces was none other than Carol.  And she sure didn't take it easy on him, either.  It was great.

Howard County is a little bit poorer place today because Carol Filipczak is no longer in it.  She will definitely be missed.