Consolidation

Jean Marie Zawitoski, a former registered nurse who was active in Southwestern Baltimore County Democratic politics for years, died March 2 at a hospital in Englewood, Fla., from complications of a fall. The longtime Relay resident was 84. Jean Marie Given, the daughter of a glass worker and a school teacher, was born in Baltimore and raised in Morrell Park. Graduating in 1944 from Western High School, she earned her nursing degree three years later from St. Agnes Hospital School of Nursing.

Among the ideas floating out of the State House for closing Maryland's $1.6 billion budget gap, consolidating some agencies sounds pretty appealing. After all, the distinction between the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment is probably lost on most Marylanders anyway, and a lot of people probably have never even heard of the Maryland Higher Education Commission, so why not merge it in with the Department of Education? In reality, these agencies do different things, but there is good reason to think they could do them more efficiently — and better — together than they do apart.

The Baltimore County Council, five of whose members are newly elected to office, unanimously approved a government reorganization Monday that could save about $8 million. The plan, proposed by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, consolidates several county departments and eliminates more than 140 positions, most of which are currently vacant. The plan calls for folding three agencies — the Office of Community Conservation, the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Workforce Development — into existing departments, combining the jobs of labor commissioner and human resources director, and merging the duties of three other positions into an Office of Administrative Law. "These are organizational changes that will promote efficiency," said Fred Homan, the county administrative officer.

Dutch insurer Aegon's North American base in Baltimore will add more jobs next year when the company's Louisville, Ky., operations are consolidated with offices in the city and in Little Rock, Ark. The exact number of jobs that will relocate to Baltimore is unknown at this point, but Aegon spokesman Greg Tucker said Thursday that more jobs will likely move to Baltimore than to Little Rock. Of the 400 jobs in Louisville, the consolidation will affect 280 jobs. The information technology department of 120 people will remain there, Tucker said.

With Father Patrick Carrion away, a nun led a morning service last week at St. Mary Star of the Sea, directing the gathering of 15 worshippers in Catholic hymns and prayers, and distributing the Communion that the priest had consecrated before leaving. The pastor could not find another priest to fill in for him while he left his South Baltimore congregation to take a brief vacation. He returned in time to say four weekend Masses, but in the meantime left condensed daily worship services to Sister Victoria Staub.

Consolidated Pharmaceutical Group and its owner agreed Monday to pay $250,000 in fines, never again own a business in Maryland and sell its long-dormant Brooklyn Park penicillin-making site as part of a plea to criminal charges stemming from abandoning the plant, where officials said acids and toxic chemicals were leaking. When the company ceased production in 1999, it "shut the door and just left," said Michelle Barnes, an assistant attorney general. But the plant still held more than 50,000 gallons of hazardous chemicals, including some that, under certain conditions, could have combined into deadly cyanide gas, she said, adding that "the danger to the community was significant."

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. said Tuesday that it is laying off 37 employees at its Middle River site, part of nationwide cuts in its mission systems and sensors division. The company notified 472 U.S. employees Tuesday their jobs are being cut. Most affected employees will stay on for two weeks before leaving with severance packages, the company said. The Middle River site, which specializes in a missile launch system used on Navy ships, will employ 531 people after the cuts.

As the parent of a freshman at Cardinal Gibbons, I am saddened by the potential closing (though the Archdiocese insists it's a "consolidation') and outraged at what they aren't saying. My son was accepted at several archdiocesen schools and Gibbons after the eighth grade. After visiting the campuses, the choice was clear. Did other schools have nicer facilities? Absolutely! Are they quality institutions? Without question. Did they offer my son the warm and welcoming feeling of a family?

Facing rising costs and falling enrollments, the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore will close 13 of its 64 schools at the end of the academic year, officials told employees and families on Wednesday. Parents reacted with anguish and anger as word spread of 12 K-8 schools and one high school, Cardinal Gibbons School. All are in Baltimore or Baltimore County. "This is a major blow," Ted Ewachiw said at Sacred Heart of Mary School in East Baltimore, where he picked up his two children after school Wednesday.