Letters to the editor: Who in Williamsport wants a new library?

Williamsport library patron wonders who in the community wants to relocate the facility

To the editor:

I have a been a patron of the Washington Country Free Library since I was a young child and its main branch was located on Summit Avenue. My husband and I are both avid readers, and we have used various branches of the library for years.

We moved to Williamsport in 2016 and we were delighted that the town has its own library. It is convenient, parking has not been a problem, and the staff does a great job. We also like and respect the fact that the library was built to memorialize the students who were killed in 1935.

We were dismayed to read the article in the Feb. 13 edition of The Herald-Mail that stated the library might be moved to a location on Hopewell Road. The idea of traveling to Hopewell Road is not convenient to us, and county Public Works Director Andrew Eshleman even states in the article that there are "traffic challenges" at an "already congested intersection." A trip to the library should be a pleasant and relaxing outing, not a stressful experience with traffic.

More:Something old or something new? County officials review options for Williamsport library

Williamsport Mayor Green is quoted in the article as saying that renovating the existing library would mean "just eating up the entire [Byron] park." I question this, and would certainly like to see a plan of how updating the existing library would affect the park. I like the idea of the library being near the park. It is a good reminder to the folks using the park for a variety of activities that reading is also a convenient and fun activity.

Mayor Green is quoted as saying the town supports the proposed site. I would be interested to hear how many Williamsport residents and library patrons have been approached about this major change to our community.

Vickie LaytonWilliamsport

Campaign signs are a hazard for drivers and should be removed

To the editor,

I believe it is time for former delegate Neil Parrott to remove his permanent campaign signs that were installed on local roadways. These signs are firmly planted in the ground on 4-by-4 wooden posts. They appear on Md. 68, Showalter Road and possibly others that I do not travel on a regular basis.

Legitimate sign posts and utility polls are a hazard for drivers who happen to lose control and leave the roadway. As a traffic engineer, Neil Parrott should know this.

Stuart BrownKeedysville

Columnist's criticism of 'experts' off the mark

To the editor:

Responding to the Feb. 12 column by Lloyd “Pete” Waters is challenging because his conclusions seem so broad as to be nonsensical. “Fire the experts!” he says. I’ve heard that somewhere. I think that was the approach taken in Phnom Penh in 1975.

Aside from taking issue with Waters’ too-common dismissal of “experts,” he makes a serious factual error when writing about the political maneuvering prior to the invasion of Iraq during the administration of President George W. Bush. A great many “experts,” in fact, warned against the invasion, and protested that the pretense that Bush used for the invasion was utterly fraudulent. The problem was not the experts in the foreign policy and intelligence community. The problem was that expert advice was disregarded by the Bush Administration, which let political motivations and wishful thinking dominate fact-based expert opinion.

Yes, the world is complicated, and its complexity seems to vex Mr. Waters. The answer, however, is not to “fire the experts.” We live in an age that demands more education and more educated opinions. I hope that Mr. Waters will consider this truth before he urges broad dismissal of expert opinion.

Eric SchwartzWilliamsport

Career and Technical Education Month a chance for students to learn about programs

To the editor:

How do you help someone struggling to find or chart their path? What should I tell my child or grandchild to do?

My answers to these questions are identical: Consider career and technical education. As Allegany College of Maryland celebrates national Career and Technical Education Month, nothing makes me prouder than seeing students prosper through CTE programs.

CTE opens doors by offering individuals a way to gain skills and earn credentials in an abbreviated time with minimal cost, from one-semester programs to two-year associate degree programs. It empowers the next generation of skilled workers, leaders and entrepreneurs.

The suggestion of training or college can be met with intentional or unintentional pushback when adults are struggling to find a job. But behind every pushback is a valid concern — the ability to pay, family responsibilities or lack of adequate childcare, negative experiences at the high school or college level, or a fear of failure. This is where a small college that prioritizes affordability and student success can help. We offer services designed to uplift every student, including financial aid, scholarships, free use of technology, tutoring, counseling, a food and supply pantry, and more. Much of this information is located at www.allegany.edu/career-and-technical-education.

For youth, I encourage students and their guardians to visit www.mdcteworks.org to learn about career options, CTE career clusters, and college pathways. Why? Because it may improve their chance of graduating from high school. In 2020, Maryland CTE students had a high school graduation rate that was 13% higher than non-CTE students. We offer high school and technical center graduates advanced standing when they enroll in related programs at ACM.

If I can offer or present additional information about CTE to you, a loved one or organization, please contact me at 301-784-5567.

Dr. William R. RocksDean, Career EducationAllegany College of Maryland

America will collapse like ancient Rome without a strong cultural center

To the editor:

United we stand. Divided we fall.

Americans are free to be as individualistic and eccentric as they please, but our culture until recently has been moderate and skeptical, rooted in faith and the awareness of human tragedy and sinfulness.

Since the 1960s, however, many of the leaders of our culture have been attacking the moderate center, seeking to marginalize the majority in their desire to empower the minority.

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In addition, with the advent of advanced social media, intelligence operatives of Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, and even Venezuela, among others, have been flooding the American internet with divisive, inflammatory postings, seeking to exploit our much-publicized internal conflicts.

It is now time for American culture to unite around broadly understood Judaeo-Christian values, while protecting and valuing the rights and contributions of other religious and cultural groups who choose to live patriotically outside the mainstream.

Without a strong center of American culture that promotes faith, family, service, self-sacrifice, education, hard work, and the abundance of victories and social successes in our nation's history, America will collapse as ancient Rome did — much to the gratification of China, Iran, Russia and North Korea, who have been working surreptitiously to bring us down since the advent of international social media.

We are not the invulnerable superpower that we once were. We no longer can afford the luxury and self-indulgence of national self-hatred. Our enemies are getting stronger, and we are aiding them by our incessant cultural warfare.

Sam CuthbertHagerstown

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This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Campaign signs, Career & Technical Education, American culture discussed