Litter

Firing prosecutors politicizes justice There is a reason the statue of justice wears a blindfold: No one is above the law, everyone should be equal before the law and no one should be persecuted by the justice system because of his or her politics. The loyalty of federal prosecutors should be to those they serve and the impartial administration of justice, not to a political party. But apparently Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, the Bush administration's Justice Department and the White House disagree ("Bush aide urged firing prosecutors," March 13)

Go here: With spring here, many folks may feel like getting out and about. If you want a taste of quaint, quiet rural village life in a spectacular waterfront setting, visiting Whitehaven on the banks of the Wicomico River is a treat. The old two-room schoolhouse has been converted to a museum and community center, where you can learn about the history of the village, which has about 30 full-time residents. The population swells a bit on weekends and in summer, as several houses are maintained by out-of-towners.

Message in a bottle? That's just trash One day you are at the beach enjoying your hard-earned vacation. It's a wonderful, sunny day. The sand looks great after being groomed last night. The waves are coming in nice sets. The dolphins are playing offshore. You decide to go ride your boogie board in the surf. Just then, out of nowhere, comes a glass bottle and slams you in the head. Or perhaps, as you are walking out in the surf to get to those perfect waves, you step on a large piece of glass from a bottle that has just smashed against the rock jetty.

East Columbia Girl Scouts Julia Correll and Nicole Dell Losonsky received the 1993 Philena Chase Strappelli Leadership Development Award at ceremonies last month.The award is in honor of Ms. Stappelli, who was executive director of Central Maryland Girl Scouts for 22 years. The financial assistance award enables Girl Scouts to participate in projects that will promote leadership and enrich their knowledge, skills and experience.Julia, a graduate of Oakland Mills High School, has been in scouting for 12 years and previously received the Girl Scout Silver and Gold Awards, the Living Faith Award and Lutheran Church's Religious Award.

Litter CrisisEditor: The litter in the Federal Hill-Cross Street area is a neighborhood disgrace.While so many have moved back to the city, taking pride along with longtime residents, trying to make this neighborhood as it once was long ago or even better, some care not, along with visitors to the area.A street cleaner has not been seen since last fall. Street cleaners should not be necessary, however, if the human element were responsible for individual litter. Trash receptacles are on practically every corner of these streets.

Recycling is up in Baltimore, water consumption and home electricity use down. Thousands of trees have been planted in the past year to green up the urban landscape, while new bicycle lanes and bus and water taxi service offer residents cleaner ways to get around town. But the city's waters remain too filthy to swim in, and the streets are still littered with trash and illegal dumping. Nor is it clear just how many "green" jobs have been created. A little over a year after the City Council adopted an ambitious plan for improving the environmental, economic and social welfare of all its residents, Baltimore is making incremental progress toward sustainability on a number of fronts, while progress remains elusive on others.

No feline wants to be outshone by the fun facilities afforded to local canines. Luckily for them, Howard County cats have posh digs designed for their needs at The Purr-fect Hotel, in Highland. By offering private multilevel cat condominiums, TV and music entertainment and even designated hiding places, the hotel's staff proves to know their clientele. But boarding cats presents unique challenges and considerations, according to Dr. John Cunningham, veterinarian and owner of the Highland Veterinary Hospital, which has been boarding cats for nearly 30 years, and The Purr-fect Hotel, which was added in 2005.

The other day, during a hike along the Gunpowder River, we came upon a spot where the river bends and meets a small feeder creek.There were large boulders on the bank, which is common along much of the Gunpowder. Below the rocks was a pool full of ducks.We stopped by the big rocks to have a look, but the ducks didn't seem to appreciate the gawking.A couple of them immediately swam out to the main current, caught it, surfed over riffles and disappeared downstream. Soon, all the ducks -- there were at least a dozen of them -- followed.

There's lot of talk in Baltimore about the war on drugs. But from the look of things, the trash problem is also worth fighting. In an attempt to clean up the city, Mayor Martin O'Malley has designated March 24 and 25 "Super Spring Sweep Thing." It's expected to be the city's largest cleanup effort. In the program, each participating neighborhood association identifies five sites that need cleaning, then organizes volunteers to help clear trash in those areas. City officials provide brooms, shovels, rakes, gloves, trash bags and trucks to haul away the garbage.

MIAMI -- I'll make this as clear as I can. I hate smoking. Always have. It probably doesn't help that my parents, both smokers, died of cancer, but truth is, I was no fan of the habit even before that. From the time I was a small boy, I considered smoking the filthiest custom imaginable. As a rule, I consider smoking bans one of the precious few signs of intelligent life on earth. It's great to enter the supermarket, the concert hall, the workplace and know I'll be able to breathe, unaffected by someone else's cloud of exhaust.