Community Corner

'Northern States are Laughing at Us': Severna Park, You Said It

Should schools be closed for cold? Will marijuana be legalized in Maryland? Severna Park Patch readers weighed in on local stories this week.

Severna Park residents shared their thoughts on local stories from schools staying open despite the cold to marijuana's possible legalization in Maryland.

Here's a roundup of some of the heartfelt, serious and funny comments—you said it!

Parents Blast AACPS for Cold School Day Decision
On Tuesday, temperatures in Maryland were below freezing, colder than they had been in the last 20 years. Parents railed at the school system because students stood outside at cold bus stops while other jurisdictions delayed or canceled classes. Readers in Severna Park saw both sides of the argument.

"...it was absolutely stupid to have kids standing at the bus stop in this mess. If [it's] too cold for pets, [it's] too cold for kids. Really, you'll call school off when no snow comes, but you'll leave it open on coldest day of the year." —Lisa Pendry-Jerman

"I think it is absolutely insane to keep children home because it is cold outside. All of the northern states are laughing at us right now. If the school doesn't have heat, that's one thing. But otherwise, children should be in school. All the parents complaining about this will be the same ones who are upset that AA County has to extend the school schedule in June because we took too many 'snow' days." —Cathleen Johannes via Facebook

Ultimately, the superintendent issued an apology on Friday, after the school system was criticized for the second time this week for a decision to open schools on time. The apology came on the heels of Friday's freezing rain that resulted in dozens of crashes across Anne Arundel County.

"I want to closely examine the system we have in place and, where possible, make changes to increase the flexibility when it comes to making weather-related calls." —Superintendent Mamie Perkins

Anne Arundel Libraries Expand Hours
The Anne Arundel County Public Library System announced it is standardizing its hours so all branches will be on the same schedule. One citizen said this will save him gas. Here's why.

"This is a big deal to oldens like me who can never seem to remember if the library is open yet today, or if it has closed already! It will save me gas—I can't count the number of times that I have pulled up to the library and it has closed already or not opened yet! Hey, when you are retired (I wish!), you can't even remember what day it is let alone what time the library opens or closes. This will be a great help." —David Arthur Liddle

Letter from a Recovering Addict: The Truth About Pot
The former director of Baltimore County's Office of Substance Abuse, who is a heroin addict, wrote a letter to the editor voicing his opinion on marijuana, namely that it should remain illegal. Another individual in recovery responded that this was "ridiculous," in a comment on Severna Park Patch's Facebook page.

"When it's legalized, the state will be able to control the quality and tax it, providing a much-needed source of income for the infrastructure of health care and education. Right now it's a multibillion dollar business with no oversight and no benefit to our society. Legalizing marijuana is going to happen. It's necessary. In my opinion, it's ridiculous for you to expect the legal system to take responsibility for your behavior and addiction." —Glenn Bosshard via Facebook


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