Voices From The Readers – August 24, 2018

Voices From The Readers – August 24, 2018

Hypocritical Views In OC

Editor:

Mayor Meehan and the OC Council should stay consistent on their beliefs.

Over the past year, there has been a heated debate involving the offshore wind project in Ocean City. Despite that fact the project would add 9,700 new jobs in Maryland, make significant contributions to our state tax revenues and result in more than $1.8 billion in new in-state spending, Mayor Meehan and the Ocean City Council have maintained opposition to the project. Both the Mayor and City Council have taken a position saying the turbines would be an “eye sore” and “ruin the view” our beaches provide.

However, their stance on protecting the view and what is considered an eye sore seems to drastically change in other areas. Every single day those who visit our beaches see massive banner airplanes and big boats covered in advertising that block the view of both the sky and ocean. These boats and planes are also a lot closer and easier to see than the turbines that would be constructed 17 miles offshore.

If Mayor Meehan and the council are going to continue the narrative that turbines will ruin the view and are eye sores, they should at least be constant by banning eye sores like banner airplanes and advertising boats that block the view from our beaches. If not, they should stop lying to the public about the project and allow this economic opportunity to be built on the Lower Shore without having hypocritical and weak arguments coming from officials fighting against the best interests of the region.

Jared Schablein

(The writer is the chair of the Lower Shore Progressive Caucus, a non-partisan affiliate of Our Revolution and Progressive Maryland fighting for progressive values in Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Dorchester counties).

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No Offshore Wind Turbines

Editor:

(The following letter was addressed to President Trump with a copy forwarded to this publication.)

We want to protect the natural ocean beauty of the eastern horizon at Ocean City, the fisheries and the small businesses that depend on tourism.

We retired and live in a condo which we purchased for the ocean view and want to continue to see that beauty without it being marred by ugly wind turbines by day and the unnatural glow of high-intensity flashing red aircraft warning lights by night.

We are strongly in favor of the reduction of dependence on fossil fuel; but we should not create visual pollution, destroy fishing groundshurt the tourist industry, reduce housing values (and thus the tax base) to obtain this.

The ocean and beaches off of the Maryland and Delaware coast are protection areas for the medically important horseshoe crabs. The plan is to build wind turbines in the Carl N. Shuster, Jr. Horseshoe Crab Reserve and then let a huge electrical cable come ashore, decimating the horseshoe crab preservation areas.

US Wind, the company building one of the wind farms, is an Italian company, not a US company in spite of its name. US Wind is fully owned by Italian based Renexia SpA., a subsidiary of Toto Holding Group SpA. This arrogant Italian company would not dare even suggest building a wind farm off of the Italian Amalfi Coast and sully the view from Sorrento and the Isle of Capri.  So why is it okay to destroy the view in Maryland and Delaware? To them we are just in Hillary’s basket of deplorables, people that Obama say just want to cling to their guns and religion, to which we can now add fishing rods and view.

Please stop this offshore wind farm from destroying our beach communities. Please stop the taxpayer subsidies and electricity surcharges that pay for this destruction. Wind farms don’t run on wind; they run on taxpayer subsidies.

In 2016 you easily carried the counties affected: Worcester County, and Sussex County. We strongly support you; but we need your help now.

Let’s Make America Great Again and Keep America Beautiful from Sea to Shining Sea.

Robert Borghese

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Hermit Crab Questions

Editor:

I know this might sound trivial. I’m local. I bought a hermit crab the other week and paid for the little wire cage that they sell at the store and the sponge that that comes with it. When I got home, I did some research on these crabs and realized that I had nothing close to what I needed to take care of this creature. I ended up going out to the store and getting everything that I needed to take care of this hermit crab, which included an entire new tank. After reading that they do better in social groups, I got him a few more friends.

So for the past two weeks my focus has been on these little critters. Every time I go up-and-down the Boardwalk and look in the stores, I realize these stores are not nearly equipped to even have these in these cages. It’s actually very cruel and inhumane. I’ve done some research online and found that there is no regulations on these creatures even though they are living, breathing animals. They’re pets and labeled as living souvenirs, yet Ocean City has no regulations on how they are sold and kept.

In walking one strip of the Boardwalk yesterday, I passed by five souvenir shops and inside those shops I saw horrible conditions where there were overcrowded, unsatisfactory conditions and actually pieces of claws laying at the bottoms of these cages. Not only are the living conditions horrible, but the painted shells that they live in are toxic to these animals. The toxins leak into their bodies and can shorten their lifespans by up to 10 years. Yes, these guys can live up to 10-plus years in captivity.

I’ve done a lot of reading and the way that they get these creatures into these painted shells is torture, sometimes even ripping them out of shells and forcing them into these painted shells.

Did you even realize that in the wild they actually dig down into dirt, and need at least 4 -6 inches of subterrain to dig down into? When is the last time you saw any dirt at the bottom of any cages on the Boardwalk? Not to mention two to three extra shells per crab, fresh water and salt water and hiding places. They also need humidity to breathe properly, heat, fresh food daily and baths weekly. They do not get this on the Boardwalk.

And the biggest question of all: what happens to all of these at the end of the season? I’ve heard several different things and one of the most disturbing is that they get tossed into a dumpster.

I guess my question is, I would love to have a report done on these. Let’s find out what really happens and why isn’t it regulated? The practice of selling these on the Boardwalk has been going on for way longer than I can remember, yet it never seems to bat an eye with anyone. Maybe it’s time that it’s brought up and some questions are answered and this practice is stopped. They are God’s living creatures.

Robyn Baker

Ocean City

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Brake Safety Month

Editor:

When it comes to vehicle safety, the brake system is at the top of the list. Brake Safety Awareness Month is the ideal time for drivers to stop and make sure their brakes are working properly before the new school year and colder temperatures arrive.

Motorists can put a stop to any potential brake problems by recognizing the signs and symptoms that their brake system may need maintenance or repair. Typical warning signs include the car pulling to the left or right, noises when applying the brakes, an illuminated brake warning light, brake grabbing, low pedal feel, vibration, hard pedal feel and squealing. Several factors that affect brake wear include driving habits, vehicle type, operating conditions and the quality of the brake lining material.

For routine maintenance, drivers should check their vehicle’s braking system at least once a year. A thorough inspection should include brake lining wear, brake fluid level, rotor thickness, condition of hoses and brake lines, brake and dash warning lights, as well as taking the car for a test drive to detect other potential brake system problems.

Drivers should never put off routine brake inspections or any needed repair, such as letting the brakes get to the “metal-to-metal” point, which can be potentially dangerous and lead to a more costly repair bill.

Rich White

Bethesda

(The writer is the executive director of the Car Care Council.)

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Book Sale Thanks

Editor:

We would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped with the 19th Annual Friends of the Ocean Pines Library Book Sale.

The categories of helpers and volunteers (80-plus) include set-up crew on Thursday, membership sign-up on Friday, rovers, checker and cashiers on Friday, Saturday and Monday, our food service volunteer, the special collections volunteer and all the breakdown crew who gathered 100 boxes of leftover books that went to local charities on the Eastern Shore.

We also thank the volunteers who helped people to their cars with their purchases. And finally, to the staff of the Ocean Pines Library, who tolerate the disruption on the last weekend of July each year, thank you.

On the 19th year of the sale, records were again broken bringing in over $11,000.

This sale would not be possible without the generous donation of books from the Ocean Pines community, and the ongoing sorting of those donations by the “Backroom Gang.”

This is not the end of the book sale. Recently published books in good condition are sold year-around in the back of the library near the turtle tank. Please stop by and check those shelves.

Our sale dates in 2019 are July 26, 27 and 29, and all proceeds go to the Friends of the Ocean Pines Library

Jim Meckley

Eileen Leonhart

Ocean Pines