H.L.Mencken

I want to pass along something I read in a biography titled " MENCKEN - The American Iconoclast, The Life and Times of the Bad Boy of Baltimore "

Harry was not an avid reader, until late one summer afternoon, while looking through the magazine Chatterbox, he began reading "The Moosehunters."

No sooner had Harry finished "The Moosehunters" than his Dad bundled the family into his carriage for the bumpy ride to Ellicott City.

This ride, his visit to Ellicott City, by his own admission was to determine the whole course of his life.

" It was gaping into the window of the old Ellicott City Times office that I got my first itch for journalism, and into that sad but gaudy trade all my days have been devoted."

After I read this I wasn't sure how to summarize my thoughts, should we close our curtains or leave them open. Then I realized it's not our curtains but our minds we should be thinking about. As Mencken wrote in his own obituary " I have believed all my life in free thought and free speech."

Howard County Issues newspaper

The latest issue of the Howard County Issues newspaper has hit the news stands.

I mention this paper for different reasons. This is a fairly new news paper, devoted to issues in Howard County, and it is my believe that promoting it will benefit the residents of Howard County. At this point it has some growing to do. It bills it's self as "A civic publication from the Independent Voter Group". One editor is an Independent, the second is a member of the Green party, but it seems to favor the Republican Club this month as it did last month with what amounts to a full page free ad. I mention this because free space in a news paper is a donation, even if not reportable. As I said it needs to grow a little, and I believe with growth there will be more independent dissemination of the news and opinions.

As a member of the Howard County Farm Bureau, I appreciate the front page coverage for our Farm Bureau President's comments.

I do wish the address of the Java Grande Coffee Cafe would have been included with the interesting article about this new business.

A very good sign is the news that Howard County Issues is planning to be at the Main Exhibition hall at the Howard County Fair. From my personal experience, the cost of renting and manning a location at the fair calls for honest commitment.

This free paper can be found at the local Howard County libraries.