Thumbs up to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and conductor Elizabeth Schulze, for agreeing on a contract that will keep her directing the MSO through the 2011-12 season. Schulze, who came to Hagerstown in 1999, has drawn many talented musicians here to play. And, according to associates, she gives generously of her time for volunteer duties such as conducting the public school system's All County Orchestra program.
Thumbs up to the Johns Hopkins Research Center, for spending the last 20 years in Washington County studying a number of medical conditions, including atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty substances on the inner lining of the arteries. If too much material builds up and the oxygen supply to the heart is reduced, a heart attack might occur. Thanks to the researchers studying such ailments.
Thumbs down to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has racked up so many foul-ups that it just might need a permanent spot in this column, for failing to recover less than 1 percent of the $1 billion it squandered through such practices as providing people with free housing, then sending them money to pay for housing. Can we fire somebody, please?