To the Friends of Four Seasons letter writing committee: Those of us opposing Four Seasons for taking up our hard won Critical Areas acreage, tapping into our diminishing water supply, or compounding local traffic gridlock, wouldn't dream of denying you "deserving empty nesters" the splendor of the Eastern Shore.  We offer you your choice of condos, there's even a new one at the Narrows, starting at just $675,000! 

Retirement communities stretch from historical Chestertown to charming Easton, both with hospitals; plus the Shore's many assisted living facilities.

You ask us to consider your wishes. Native Islanders  would have liked to enjoy the Canada geese in Lee Bell's fields, to see Dr. Benton's farm guarding the waters of the Chester River like a sentinel, or to watch Bus Tanner plowing on his tractor each spring.

We realize that's all past, but untrammeled residential growth is no answer. 

Without mentioning the development plans for the Narrows, White's Heritage, Piney Narrows, Lowery's field, Pier One, or Breeding's farm, Kent Island's charm is that these acres have been the same since William Claiborne came in 1631.

This is Kent Island's heritage. We voted in zoning to protect it.  We agreed to Critical Areas laws to protect the Chesapeake Bay. Why are these current County Commissioners and their stacked planning commission "selling" those Critical Areas to a series of megabuilders?  Their sewage goes into the Bay too.

This doesn't deal with the fact that our shore's main aquifer is diminishing at an alarming rate.  Water here is a precious finite resource.  We have no replenishable reservoirs.  Yet our Current County Commissioners cavalierly dispense it to the highest bidder. 

We've lived through "Reach the Beach", a cake-walk compared to the traffic gridlock these County Commissioners have set up for us.  After Hovanian's millions of dollars to the county, few fixed income retirees and native Islanders will be able to afford his price.  I can guaran-dam-tee our tax rate won't diminish! 

Regarding your "wishes" and what you've "earned", consider what lifetime Islanders deserve. 

BETTYE SPEED
Stevensville 
©The Star Democrat 2002 

 September 06, 2002 

 It's sad to see a few longtime Queen Anne's County residents writing in to praise and congratulate the county commissioners for bringing the Hovnanian developer to its knees by having them offer our county so many financial gifts. They share their visions which sound just like Hovnanian's two- page ads!

What's their motivation to distort the facts? It must either be their concern for their community or there's some gain for them. That would be shameful and I hope it's not true. We may eventually find out. More importantly, who put them up to this? 

It's bad enough that I personally witnessed our commissioners, some of their zoning and planning members, and their attorneys show disrespect and contempt for Queen Anne's citizens, but it's insulting to watch their miraculous transformation as the election approaches.

When I read some of their election materials I thought they all joined the Responsible Growth PAC! Unfortunately, this isn't a bad joke, their true positions are the reason so many citizens got together and started the Responsible Growth PAC and the Kent Island Defense League.

The coming primary will set the tone of building and development of Queen Anne's County. The Sept. 10 primary is your chance to vote for well-managed growth, not the explosive growth of those familiar incumbent names.

STEVE KOUGOURES, Chester

©The Star Democrat 2002