Thumbs up, thumbs down

July 23, 2010

Thumbs up

o To the new Meritus Health Center, formerly known as Washington County Hospital, which announced last week that it will open for business on Dec. 11, when patients will begin to be transferred from the old hospital to the new one. Another milestone in the community's access to enhanced health care.

o To 80-year-old Darce Easton of Hagerstown, who went skydiving for the first time to celebrate her birthday. Her sense of adventure is inspiring!

o To all the young participants who braved the heat at the Washington County Ag Expo and Fair this week. It's nice to see kids actively involved in farm life and doing productive things outside of the home.

o To the organizers, participants and army of volunteers who made one of the area's most unique summer events - the MUDD Volleyball Tournament - a huge success last Saturday. The tournament at Citi raises thousands for the Community Free Clinic of Washington County - and is a lot of fun, too.

o To Marissa Pinto Burt and fellow Downtown Beautification Committee members for their persistence in getting new welcome signs for the Borough of Greencastle, Pa. The first of four signs was installed June 16. Every community needs dedicated, caring volunteers such as these.

Thumbs down

o To the Maryland Department of Human Resources, where 3,000 clients had their Social Security numbers and other personal information posted online for all to see. An employee has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. The state needs to quickly find out what happened and ensure Marylanders that it won't happen again.

o To the state-owned, money-losing Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort near Cumberland. Once again, the state is trying to find someone-this time offering a bunch of financial sweeteners tied to slot machine gambling-to take over the failing resort. Millions of our tax dollars have been spent to keep Rocky Gap open. Will 1,500 slot machines provide the revenue to save it? Perhaps it's time to put this colossal white elephant out of its misery and just shut it down.

o To the Baltimore Orioles. It wasn't too long ago that the Orioles' excellence on the baseball diamond provided some relief for Marylanders during the dog days of summer. Now, the only relief the O's provide is of the comic variety, as the once-proud franchise has the worst record in the major leagues. It's tough to watch - literally.

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