Frank Hazzard
-
The Basics
-
Frank on Patch
-
More Stuff
Comments
-
On the article Poll: Should MD 32 Expand to Four Lanes Through Clarksville?
-
On the article UPDATE: Overturned Tractor Trailer Shuts Down 29 South
-
On the article Howard County Death Notices through May 24
-
On the Blog Post Hanover Company Profits by Selling Refurbished Office Furniture
-
On the article HoCo Blogs Party Scheduled for Wednesday
Frank Hazzard
8:53 am on Thursday, April 12, 2012
ReplyIt was great to see everyone last night. -Frank (Green Business Matters)
-
On the article 40 Years After Agnes
Frank Hazzard
7:39 am on Thursday, April 12, 2012
ReplyAgnes was the most significant Maryland storm in a lifetime. It brought torrential rain and high winds. I was eight at the time and have some vivid memories of the destruction. Ellicott City was totally under water. Numerous Howard County bridges were completely swept away. A road that ran from Ellicott City to Elkridge was never rebuilt. Many houses were flooded. It was a major deal in these parts. Anyone of my generation and older will certainly remember Agnes. I commend the Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway for its efforts to remember the tragic events and honor the lives lost.
-
On the article Living Locally: Milk and Homemade Cheese
Frank Hazzard
9:31 am on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
ReplyGreat point! I don't know for sure. It depends on how far things are shipped. some milk sold in Howard County comes from New York state. Milk that is produced in Maryland probably saves fuel no matter how it gets to your cereal bowl. Food that is delivered to homes might not save fuel until the density of customers is high enough to make efficient use of a delivery vehicle. However, when we can drive a reasonable distance to the source of our food (farms), buy it there and take it home, we are probably saving some fuel. And we could save twice as much if we were to take a neighbor with us. One implication of being a locavore is that you have to accept eating what's in season. If you want strawberries 12 months per year, you have to accept that they will be trucked 2,500 miles from California to your local grocery store except for a 45-day period in late spring of each year. Overall, I think locally grown food is more environmentally friendly, but it's very difficult to calculate exact impacts and know for sure.
-
On the article Living Locally: Milk and Homemade Cheese
Frank Hazzard
8:04 am on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
ReplyPeople often speak of sustainability in terms of a three-legged stool, with the legs being "planet" (environment), "people," and "profit" (economics). If any of the legs is missing, the stool topples. The "buy" and "eat" local movements are a great example of consumers' ability to reinforce all three legs. Farmers get retail prices for their products, which substantially improves their economic situation and their families' lives. And the environment benefits because less fuel is required to ship food to the point of consumption. Although these concepts seem elementary to some, they remain novel to most Americans.
-
On the article Howard County's Speed Camera Fines Exceed $100,000 in 7 Weeks
Frank Hazzard
8:22 am on Sunday, January 8, 2012
ReplyI assume that eventually speed cameras will spread beyond school zones to other areas. Before that happens, I encourage our leaders to review our speed limits and consider raising them where they are inappropriately low. When I travel to Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York, I am reminded that our speed limits are lower than theirs. There is a reason why so many people are speeding here. I contend that speed limits have not been adjusted to keep pace with the improved technology (suspension, steering, brakes) with which modern vehicles are built.
-
On the Blog Post 10 Sustainable New Year's Resolutions for Businesses
Frank Hazzard
12:44 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012
ReplyHi, Ohai,
I agree it may seem dumb at first glance. However there are examples of companies that pay slightly higher wages and benefit from doing so. Wegmans and Lowes come to mind. Here is the rationale for paying higher wages:
1) It's hard for people to live on minimum wage.
2) Minimum wage workers tend to move from job to job because there is little incentive to stay at a minimum wage job.
3) There are costs related to attrition that are lessened if workers stay longer at jobs.
Frank Hazzard
1:14 pm on Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Matthew Kircher makes a great point. The heavy volume of traffic on Route 32 is largely due to Carroll County residents passing through Howard County on their way to and from jobs at Fort Meade and elsewhere along the I-95 corridor. Those "through" commuters have favored the expansion for years. This situation is very similar to the one is Montgomery County when making Route 29 limited access was being debated. We residents of Howard County were all for it because we wanted to traverse Montgomery County quicker, but local Montgomery residents resisted because the road they were going to have to live next to wasn't really being built for them.
Sooner or later, as traffic continues to worsen, even those Howard County residents with concerns about growth will concur with widening the road. The problem is that it will take more than five years (some say 10 years) to complete the project once begun. Five-10 years of rolling back-ups twice a day is a lot of misery.