Jeffrey Smith
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On the article UPDATE: Housing Developer Closing Cross Road 3 Weeks
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On the article UPDATE: Housing Developer Closing Cross Road 3 Weeks
Jeffrey Smith
4:27 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
ReplyThere are several important factors to note about the process whereby the Perry Hall Library was replaced with a new facility:
1. The old library was a leased facility, on privately-owned land. Thus, the County did not have the ability to unilaterally do whatever it wanted at the site. It required agreement from the owner of the building/land, which proved not to be possible.
2. Thus, the best use of government funds was to acquire a new site (owned by the County) and build the best new library on the land that was possible.I consider this process to be a great success. Our library, one one of the least utilized branches, is now consistently one of the five busiest locations. The branch has great materials and great staff. Given the useage levels, it seems that the public at-large agree. The hard of work of my friend David Marks was, and continues to be, a great part of the success of our public library system.
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On the article Former Perry Hall 'Poor Little Rich Girl' To Be Demolished, Protest Planned
Jeffrey Smith
12:54 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The finances are a matter of public information, pulled from the Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation website ... anyone is free to access such information, and should so as to have the full set of facts in this instance. If the family was so concerned about the property, then it shouldn't have been sold in the first place. Once a sale has been completed, the new owner of any property has the ability to do what he or she wishes with any structures, within the bounds of existing zoning restrictions. We have other far more significant historical and cultural resources that warrant the collective attention of our community.
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On the article Former Perry Hall 'Poor Little Rich Girl' To Be Demolished, Protest Planned
Jeffrey Smith
12:59 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
ReplyIf folks do a bit of research, you will see that this piece of property is collectively held as part of the same tract as the diner (9006 Bel Air Road). The entire tract (0.312 acres) was purchased from Anna Schaefer for $525,000 in August 2000. I am doubtful that the current owner would be interested in sub-dividing the property and selling the house as a stand-alone site. Even if he were, the commercial value of the land alone would surely be far in excess of the original purchase price of $525,000. Do any of the advocates for this structure have the funds to accomplish that ... likely not, I suppose.
In any event, as someone who has been involved in the operation/restoration of historic structures for some time, everyone must be mindful of the significant costs associated with the operations, maintenance, and restoration of such sites. Both public and private resources for these purposes are quite limited. Priorities must be set, and not all sites warrant restoration. The Maryland Historical Trust has a metric that helps identify the most fruitful sites for restoration, and as has been noted already, Perry Hall does have a site of historical significance that should be a community priority.
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On the article Perry Hall High Principal Named 'Citizen of the Year'
Jeffrey Smith
1:18 pm on Friday, November 30, 2012
ReplyThis award is the perfect way to recognize the many wonderful ways that George Roberts and his steady presence have enriched the Perry Hall community!!
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On the article OPINION: Job Growth Shows in Perry Hall, Too
Jeffrey Smith
10:08 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
ReplyA recent article from the Washington Post provides a great summary as to why the work of the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be relied upon as non-partisan, scientific data.
Here is a short excerpt from the October 5th article: "The staffers who compute the U.S. unemployment rate work in an agency of the Labor Department. Officials who have overseen the work say it’s prepared under tight security with no White House input or supervision."
“To think that these numbers could be manipulated. ... It’s impossible to do it and get away with it,” said Keith Hall, a former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that calculates the unemployment rate.
“These numbers are very trustworthy,” said Hall, who was appointed by President George W. Bush and whose four-year term ended in January."
In any event, the reason why I shared just a few local examples of new businesses/jobs (there are many more I did not note ... Mission BBQ, new Walgreen's, etc.) were to provide visual proof that there is job growth. Are we where we need to be in terms of jobs, certainly not. But let's not minimize the importance of the new jobs we do have ... I am sure that the folks who now have these jobs are very happy they do exist.
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On the article Aug. 23: Perry Hall Giant 'Premiere Night,' Donation
Jeffrey Smith
11:16 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
ReplyTom ... I definitely agree with you. I was extremely impressed by both the layout and food options available in the new store. The salad bar was amazing, as were the seafood selection, and fresh meats. This will be a welcome addition to the community!
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On the article OPINION: Playing Chicken with Public Opinion
Jeffrey Smith
11:57 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
I have already made my views known on the underlying subject, and am comfortable with my position.
http://perryhall.patch.com/articles/equal-protection-under-the-law
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On the article OPINION: Playing Chicken with Public Opinion
Jeffrey Smith
11:51 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
Again, the safer response would have been to simply say, "I do not intend to comment on areas outside of the focus of our business." The same can be said for Starbuck's ... certainly they tend to be viewed as a "left of center" business. Why alienate those who disagree by stating the obvious for no reason.
For the record, here is a direct quote from the article in question:
"Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position. "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit."
That certainly will bother somebody ... just as General Mill's statement in support of same-sex unions upset conservative Christians.
"After the CEO of General Mills supported same-sex unions, the National Organization for Marriage, a key group supporting the marriage amendment, sent letters to 50 of the state's largest companies, urging them to remain neutral on the measure. On its website Thursday, the group, which is boycotting Starbucks for its gay marriage stance, blasted General Mills for declaring "war on marriage."
Again, my point is that this can play both ways, neither of which are good for business!
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On the article OPINION: Playing Chicken with Public Opinion
Jeffrey Smith
10:49 am on Monday, August 6, 2012
ReplyI think most folks are missing the entire point of this article ... namely that ANY political statements - by ANY business owner/executive - on ANY political topic - advocating ANY side of that particular issue - are going to upset some segment of the buying public. If a business wants to maximize its market share, it should refrain from doing ANYTHING that could potentially alienate current or prospective customers. A simple "we do not comment on political issues" would save both the Chick-fil-A's and the Starbuck's of the world a whole lot of unnecessary controversy. The focus for any service industry outlet should always remain on promoting the product, in this case chicken sandwiches. Any statements beyond references to the product are fraught with unneeded difficulties. This is the basic lesson of intro public relations ... do no harm to the brand or product.
Jeffrey Smith
4:27 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
There are several important factors to note about the process whereby the Perry Hall Library was replaced with a new facility:
1. The old library was a leased facility, on privately-owned land. Thus, the County did not have the ability to unilaterally do whatever it wanted at the site. It required agreement from the owner of the building/land, which proved not to be possible.
2. Thus, the best use of government funds was to acquire a new site (owned by the County) and build the best new library on the land that was possible.
I consider this process to be a great success. Our library, once one one of the least utilized branches, since replacement is now consistently one of the five busiest locations. The branch has great materials and great staff. Given the useage levels, it seems that the public at-large agree. The hard of work of my friend David Marks was, and continues to be, a great part of the success of our public library system.