Boards

If Alex Hekemian knocks on your door during this election you'll find him pleasant to talk with. You'll likely say that he sounds reasonable. He is a good man and is passionate in his beliefs. However his beliefs do not represent mine. When I was on the Village Board and he was our CA Representative, my experience was that he often offered an obstructive perspective. Alex was part of an early Columbia that was vibrant and innovative. But Alex and his supporters seem uncomfortable with the idea of today's Columbia being vibrant and innovative again.

My experience as a past member and Chairman of the CA Board of Directors showed me that there are four important characteristics of CA Board Member: 1. Open Minded. You need to see all the different points of view before making a decision. 2. Love of Columbia. You will work hard for the community with little in return. 3. Independence. Governing Columbia Association is about more than one or two issues. You need to be loyal to your Village and the betterment of Columbia. 4. Experience.

Many thanks to the Baltimore Sun for an eloquent editorial on the Ben Carson saga ("Ben Carson and the price of free speech," April 13). This is a work of art! The Sun's staff has captured the essence of free speech with professorial precision. And, have accepted free speech that may be controversial, as long as it stays in context. We also got a lesson in what happens when our so-called free speech becomes aberrant, degrading, and outside the limits of good taste. This piece should also send an alert to those who are steadfast in their defense of Dr. Ben. Loyalty and preconception must be tempered with common sense and reality.

Kudos to Susan Reimer for her column exploring the difficulties experienced by mothers traveling alone with babies and toddlers ("Babies on a plane: Can the rest of the flying public cut mom some slack?" April 4). As a grandmother of five, I have witnessed first-hand the tribulations moms with young children endure whenever I travel with my daughter and daughter-in-law. One must be physically fit, mentally strong and spiritually sound to juggle the incredibly cumbersome equipment, deal with a baby whose ears are popping and entertain restless toddlers unaccustomed to being confined in tight quarters - all while enduring the withering looks of other passengers.

Eleanor E. Jaeger, a homemaker and former department store sales associate who was a longtime active church member, died Sunday of complications from a broken hip at the Knollwood Nursing Home in Millersville. The Annapolis resident was 99. The daughter of a roofer and a homemaker, Eleanor Esther Plumhoff was born in Baltimore and raised on Maple Avenue in Overlea. She was an Eastern High School graduate and married John Roedel Jaeger Jr., a research chemist, in 1936. He died in 1967.

The city's Board of Estimates on Wednesday formally approved an overhaul of the city's speed cameras and the replacement of a police-towing company accused of overcharging customers. The panel voted 4-1 to approve a $2.2 million payment to Brekford Corp., the city's new speed camera vendor, for a purchase of 72 speed cameras. In January, the city's speed and red light camera system experienced a near-complete shutdown during what city officials called a problematic transition from previous contractor, Xerox State & Local Solutions.

Columbia cybersecurity firm Sourcefire Inc. named John Becker, a longtime member of its board of directors, as the company's new CEO on Monday. Becker comes to Sourcefire from a position as CEO of ScienceLogic, a Reston, Va., company that sells network monitoring software and services. Before that, he led a series of information security companies that were each sold. He has served on Sourcefire's board since 2008. Becker steps in after Sourcefire founder and chief technology officer Martin F. Roesch led the company on an interim basis for nearly a year.

As I have listened to the debate about the development of SW it has been pointed out that the plan must conform to the Howard County Planning Board input "passed but don't touch the trees. " I find this very touching! Because I have seen the HC Planning Board pass plans that have stripped sites of 80 to 90 percent of their trees at Robinson Nature Center, Riverdale development and Gateway. I hope the Planning Board has at last started to do its job as it relates to Columbia. Marsha McLaughlin said that DPZ has ended up the "Gate Keeper for Columbia" by default.

Mail-in voting for the CA Village elections is underway and one community leader to especially support is Alex Hekimian of Oakland Mills. Alex has for years represented us well on the CA Board of Directors. For example, he believes in reducing CA's annual assessments and fees to make Columbia more affordable. Times are hard for many of our residents; did you know that 212 homes/condos in Columbia are currently in mortgage foreclosure? (Zillow.com) Seeing that CA collected about $62 million in revenue in FY 2012, it's clear that CA needs checks and balances.

Long Reach has two contenders for the CA Board of Directors. Ed Coleman, the incumbent, is pledging to serve with a balanced approach of Long Reach interests. Looking for initiatives combined with common sense and solid management approaches he provides an innovative yet logical view. As a former Long Reach representative on the CA Board, I believe planning for the future but keeping the fiscal and representative interest of the constituents a priority is of the utmost importance.