Column

As I write this, I'm in the process of gearing up for a huge next couple of weeks. Between now and my next column, Hampden will have had both A Taste of Hampden (Oct. 25), and Hampden HalloweenFest (Oct. 31). A Taste of Hampden is a food benefit for the Hampden Family Center, which at this point looks to have a record turnout, and Hampden HalloweenFest is an annual Halloween celebration that involves trick or treating on The Avenue, as well as a costume contest. And, of course, a crazy (in a good way)

Last month, like many other hopeful parents, I had the wonderful pleasure of taking my two daughters back to school. In doing so, I dream about their potential and about what the future year holds for them, evoking the power and opportunity that springs from education. And while all students settle into their classrooms, many juniors and seniors are beginning to dream about life after high school. Unfortunately, it is the children of illegal immigrants who are weighed down by the fate that awaits them upon graduation.

A Taste of Hampden, the popular annual benefit for the Hampden Family Center, is Thursday, Oct. 25, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $30 each, with all proceeds earmarked for the center. As the number of great restaurants in Hampden increases, this event becomes more than a good charity event, but a bargain for foodies. You get to sample the offerings from a number of Hampden's award-winning restaurants, you get to enjoy tasty beverages, and you get to hang out with some awesome folks.

Whatever possessed Susan Reimer to pen her sorry rant ("At home with the Jesuses?" Sept. 24)? I submit that only a very few found it funny. Humor is not amusing when it wounds, when it makes you cringe and when it tramples on the sensitivities of others. Ms. Reimer surely crossed the line in suggesting "bitchy" as an adjective to describe the Blessed Virgin, to mention only one of her dubious choices of words. You blew this one, Susan. Lucky for you, Christians will turn the other cheek and hope you'll be in a better mood before you start the next column.

In Susan Reimer 's column ("At home with the Jesuses?" Sept. 25), she compares herself with Salman Rushdie. Mr. Rushdie published his works expressing his sincere beliefs with the knowledge that his life could be at risk. Ms. Reimer seems to have written her column with the aim of insulting all who believe in Jesus and respect his mother. Ms. Reimer seems to feel that she can do so with impunity. Her attempt at being cute fails miserably. Has The Sun sunk to this level? Annunziata Kurek, Elkridge

Students from Calvert Hall College High School's Peer Ministry group were honored at the Ravens' season opener on Sept. 10, and received free tickets to the game, T-shirts, a pre-game on field visit and recognition on the "Ravensvision" screens. The Honor Row award, given by the Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank and the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, honors "youth groups or organizations which provide outstanding service to their communities. " Calvert Hall's Peer Ministry group was selected for the award by a panel including representatives from the Office on Service and Volunteerism, the Ravens and M&T Bank.

Twenty minutes before September's First Friday, people came rushing into my store, Atomic Books, saying, "You need to do something. There is a crazy fight going on outside. " I immediately walked outside and noticed I didn't need to do anything. Baltimore's finest were already on the scene. From what I could discern, it was a Hampden girl fight. If you have not seen one of these, it's hard to explain. I have been in my share of altercations. I have seen a lot of fights. But there is nothing more terrifying than a Hampden girl fight.

About a dozen years ago, the Internet bubble had burst and many workers were forced to postpone retirement because their 401(k)s were wiped out by the bear market. Today, we're living through the aftermath of another bubble collapse and workers again are wondering when, or even if, they'll be able to retire. In the time between these two devastating events, I like to think that workers have become more informed and engaged in finances. When this column launched 13 years ago, many people didn't know about credit scores and that a lender judged whether they could borrow money and at what interest rate based on that number.

Regarding former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich's views on the U.S.-Israeli relationship, the fact that relations between the United States and Israel remain as strong as they ever have been is not just a Democratic talking point ("Can Jewish voters be sure of Obama's commitment to Israel?" Sept, 2). It's also the view of Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, who expressed it Sunday morning before the weekly Cabinet meeting.

In his recent column ("The left and right view the world in predictable ways," Aug. 5), former Gov.Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.outrageously distorts the views of liberals on all the issues he addresses and repeats the rhetoric rather than the reality of the right wing's positions. With respect to the latest massacre in Colorado, he asks the "inconvenient" question: "How many lives would have been saved if someone in that theater had access to firearms of their own?" I can answer than easily: none.