Farewell

How shocking that a 20-year-old college senior who worked in Rep. Andy Harris' congressional office drank a glass of wine at her farewell party last summer! ("Md. lawmaker under fire for underage drinking by intern," Jan. 4.) That should have been Page One news. Why doesn't The Sun put political blogger Joe Steffen, who broke this non-story, on its editorial board? He would fit right in. Marie Mullen

It was only fitting that our colleague, Ken Murray, retired this week without any fanfare. That was typical Kenny. He didn't want any speeches, farewell ceremonies, cakes or gifts. We all knew that when Kenny retired, it would be like Jonathan Ogden, except instead of turning in his jersey, Kenny would turn in his computer and shut off the lights without a word being said. He basically closed out the final chapter of his long and distinguished career as one of the best pro football writers in America recently with a dinner that included the same bunch of guys he had been covering the Ravens with since 2000.

Here we are at the half-way point in the competition. The reward for remaining in contention is participation in DWTS's special Halloween show next week. One thing's for sure. Frustrations are surfacing and they're being voiced. It makes for an awkward viewing experience, but maybe it's just a tactic to keep interest and avoid a mid-season slump. Last night it was pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy who vented his frustrations. Tonight there was a little bit of an apology. And while Maks didn't apologize for his opinions expressed to judge Len Goodman, he did admit that DWTS is not, as he called it last night, his show . Tonight we heard the gripes of contestant Chaz Bono, who said he was fed up with judge Bruno Tonioli referring to him as things like a cute penguin or an Ewok.

It is with great sadness that in 10 days I will be saying goodbye to The Baltimore Sun. Ten years ago, we relocated to New Jersey, and we still read the newspaper daily. The news The Sun carries gets us through our daily conversation as we often use the website to check on team scores, see neighborhood news and just reminisce about Baltimore. We don't plan on buying the subscription ("Baltimore Sun to begin charging users of its web site," Sept. 24) as we have decided to check out other news sources to see if we like them.

When Koji Uehara, the Orioles' first dip into the Asian talent pool, arrived in Baltimore in 2009, one of my favorite things to watch that season was Koji interacting with his new Orioles teammates, especially the awkward high fives like the one pictured above (a photographer snapped that one last August). In my defense, should-have-been relievers Mark Hendickson and Alfredo Simon and the immortal Adam Eaton joined Uehara in the Opening Day rotation that year, so pretty much any distraction from the actual baseball part was quite welcome.

With lights flashing and sirens blipping, a steady stream of Bel Air Police Department cruisers and unmarked vehicles drove in a procession down Main Street early Monday afternoon, paying tribute to the department's late deputy chief, Armand Dupre. A 33-year-veteran of the town police department, Mr. Dupre died at his White Hall home on July 26 after battling cancer for a little more than a year. He was remembered by former colleagues as a dedicated, true blue police officer.

Marianne Banister's farewell from Baltimore television after more than 15 years of co-anchoring the 6 and 11 p.m. news at WBAL-TV was an unusually modest and subdued one. Unlike the farewells for Sally Thorner at WJZ and Mary Beth Marsden at WMAR in December of 2009, there were no video montages of Banister's career at WBAL. There were no extended farewells or family members and colleagues coming onto the set to say goodbye. Banister's final words to Baltimore viewers at the end of the 11 p.m. newscast lasted 35 seconds, and only 17 seconds were actual words of farewell.

It was with sadness that I learned of the imminent closing of Open Doors Career Center after a story that ran July 1 in our paper, which stated that the nonprofit organization was forced to officially dissolve as of June 30 in response to budget cuts over the past few years. I don't know a lot about the agency, but was compelled to take a closer look after hearing the news that Open Doors would be shutting its doors. Founded in 1979, the center originally served displaced homemakers and at-home moms and over the next three decades expanded its programs to serve teens and seniors.

At 12:01 Friday morning, it will be over. Much has been made these past few weeks about July 15, when the 10-year juggernaut of a movie franchise comes to a close with its final installment: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. " My son, his four friends, my husband and I will be at the Senator Theatre to watch it. (Not seated together, mind you; my teenage son practically begged us not to sit near him and his friends.) When the final credits roll, I will be crying. Not for Harry — I already know how he turns out — but because the movie marks an end to my son's childhood.

Editor: After 39 years of teaching Life Skills (Family and Consumer Sciences), formerly known as Home Economics, to approximately 15,000 students, I have decided to retire. North Harford Middle School has been my base for 34 of those years and Havre de Grace Middle School the previous five years. Those years have afforded many wonderful teaching experiences and I hope that my students have enjoyed their time in my classroom as much as I have enjoyed watching them learn and mature.  Some of my students experienced their very first candlelight meal with a formal table setting; others enjoyed learning to cook delectable dishes; still others were able to sew items for themselves or for gifts. Hopefully, all of them learned the value of a dollar and the economics of running a household, babysitting skills, first aid, as well as the importance of community service. I am deeply grateful to the parents of my students and to the many businesses that supported our various school projects. A special thanks to Saubels, formerly Graceton, for all the patience, kindness and great service they provided me for my classroom.