Sign up, Maryland, for military ‘brats’

The Details: Delaware just became the 10th state to sign the Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children. That puts the proposal over the top to proceed for the more than 1 million children who have to move often because their parents are reassigned. Our General Assembly passed it on to a task force for further study. Let’s speed things up. This Interstate Compact is a great idea. It’s one small thing to help members of our armed services, their children and, ultimately, America by ensuring these kids don’t wash out on education because of moves.

Guarding those who

serve by guarding us

A 90-day reintegration process helps Maryland National Guard members returning from Iraq adjust to civilian life.

The Details: The largest state deployment since World War II puts special strains on these citizen soldiers, who are returning from a war with no distinct battle lines and deadly threats literally around every corner.

Now they get help in the emotional, psychological and physical readaptation to civilian life through counseling sessions on day 30, 60 and 90 after return. Maj. William Bickel, Towson, said he had to relearn that his hometown is safer than Baghdad. “It was tough realizing I could drive … and not have to be constantly aware of my surroundings.” This is the least we can do for them.

World Youth Day

uplifts awareness

Eighty people from the archdiocese of Baltimore attended the Vatican’s 10th anniversary international event, this time in Sydney, Australia.

The Details: Learning about other cultures within the unifying force of faith is a valuable experience for all, but especially the young. The Baltimore travelers joined 225,000 from around the world. As 16-year-old Meghan Srankle said, “Even though we had different languages and different customs, it was great to see that we could all come together.”

Taking erosion-control

into your own hands

Richard and Maureen Roden are working on a project to control erosion near their home — or they were until they found explosives in the rock their contractor was using.

The Details: In addition to handling the explosive situation with remarkable aplomb, they deserve to be commended for taking the project on. Erosion causes algae blooms that kill aquatic life, and fills the Bay with silt, keeping light from getting to the bottom and ultimately resulting in fewer crabs for summer feasts.

Howard reduces

carbon footprint

Howard County officials has saved thousands on fuel since last year in a gradual switch to hybrid vehicles.

The Details: Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced last year that the county would switch to hybrid vehicles whenever possible, hoping to help the environment and reduce the county’s carbon footprint. Now the county has not only helped the environment, it has saved thousands of taxpayer dollars. Who’s next?

WORST

Taxpayers can get

release if not relief

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett refuses to release income tax returns that could alleviate the, um, confusion about whether he paid taxes on about $1 million in property sales since 2004.

The Details: He blames confusion and inattention for not putting the sales on required financial disclosure forms. But the 6th District Republican assures us he did pay taxes on any gains. We should just take his word for it because nothing requires him to release his income tax returns? Just because it’s not required doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea.

No student teachers

left behind, either

When history reckons a final balance on the No Child Left Behind Act, certainly a debit will be the phenomenon of professional teachers not letting student teachers learn.

The Details: Teachers so fear failing to meet the act’s annual progress standards some reportedly resist turning their classrooms over to student teachers. Donna Wisemann, dean of the University of Maryland School of Education, said “Teachers are very hesitant to have student teachers because they want to have full control of their classrooms.” Were kids getting B-team education from student teachers in the past? This is not supposed to be a program for regular teachers to slack off while an apprentice does the work. It’s supposed to help future teachers learn to be better teachers.

Pole vaulting over

legal bounds

Police shot the Berwyn Heights mayor’s two black Labs last week in a drug raid.

The Details: Police shot the second dog in the rear, according to The Examiner’s report. It was running away and police chased it in order to shoot it. How could anyone be afraid of a dog running in fear, after another dog, its companion, was killed in front of it? And why would police interrogate anyone for hours next to the bloody bodies of their dead dogs?

Now we find out the Sheriff’s Office didn’t have the right kind of warrant to even enter the mayor’s home without knocking. The Sheriff’s Office is offering apologies, but that won’t revive the dogs.

Making roads unsafe

for everyone

Two men are charged with killing eight people while participating in an illegal street race.

The Details: The people killed? Investigators say they were watching a street race apparently unrelated to the one that killed them. The men are charged with eight counts each of vehicular manslaughter as well as reckless driving and street racing. Adrenaline junkies need to find a new, less fatal, fix.

Street racing isn’t only dangerous for the drivers and the onlookers, it’s dangerous for the rest of the unsuspecting citizens forced to drive at night.

Bye-bye,

clean water

President Bush last week proposed slashing Bay funding by $23 million.

The Details: The cut includes funds that would have gone to erosion control and conservation. The budget proposal said the cut programs would be covered by other, already-funded, programs in the area. But the experts are singing a different tune. Ann Swanson, the executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, said cutting the fund would erase the promise of clean water. Hyperbole, perhaps.

But the Bay is Maryland’s lifeblood. This is one cut we can’t afford.