February 2007
Smoke-free Restaurants and Bars!
This and other issues...
Why a Smoke-free Law?
Crime Study Underway
GreenScape is Here Again!
Greetings!
I want to thank so many of my constituents for their strong support for the proposed legislation to make Annapolis bars and restaurants smoke-free. I have placed this ordinance on the City Council legislative agenda. It will be introduced on Monday, February 12th, at 7:30 p.m. This will be a legislative session of the City Council, and no public testimony will be permitted. However, you can demonstrate your support by being present. Come show support for smoke-free restaurants and bars in Annapolis. The meeting will be held in City Council Chambers at 160 Duke of Gloucester Street.
Hope to see you there!
Why Go Smoke-free in Local Bars and Restaurants?
Secondhand smoke is not just annoying, it's deadly. Each year, more than 1,500 Maryland citizens die from secondhand smoke. In June 2006, the US Surgeon General's report confirmed there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that no air filtration device on the market can remove all of the carcinogens found in secondhand smoke. The only way to fully protect the health of employees and customers of bars and restaurants from secondhand smoke is to pass smoke-free laws.*
Passing this law will help protect public health. Since 1996, all employees in Maryland are protected from the deadly dangers of secondhand smoke in the workplace except restaurant and bar workers. All workers deserve protection from known dangers in the workplace and everyone has the right to breathe healthy air. Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals and is known to be a human carcinogen. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke inhale many of the same toxins as smokers. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and increases risk for heart disease and lung cancer.
In Maryland, Prince Georges, Montgomery, Howard and Talbot counties have already passed smoke-free laws pertaining to bars and restaurants. Other cities, including Washington, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and hundreds of other localities and 16 states have successfully passed smoke-free laws. Our citizens and workers deserve healthy air inside their bars and restaurants as well.
TAKE ACTION! Your immediate action can help achieve a smoke-free Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Maryland! Attend the Annapolis City Council meeting on Monday, February 12th, at 7:30 p.m. Call your elected state and county officials. Tell them you support legislation for smoke-free restaurants and bars.
Click here for more on what you can do.
*Source: www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060627.html
Local Crime Gets Careful Scrutiny
Responding to the frustration of a number of Ward 7 residents, and with the support of Mayor Ellen Moyer, Annapolis Police Chief Joe Johnson and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Jim Teare, Alderman Sam Shropshire has asked Lee Caudle, Ward 7 resident and former senior administrator with the Federal Reserve Board, to head a nonpartisan Crime Study Initiative in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.
While crime statistics are documented by the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County police departments and other law enforcement agencies, the causes, effects and prevention of crime are not always easily understood. The numbers and types of criminal activities in the city and county have fluctuated over the past ten years with the exception of home invasions and thefts, which sharply increased during October and November 2006.
The objective of this city-county study is to produce a multi-tiered econometric--a thorough analysis of past and present criminal activities in the city and county with the intent of further improving community safety. It will include both a cross sectional analysis and a time series analysis, combined with economic, demographic and crime data. Subjective data from case histories will be included categorically. This information will be personally validated by the police officers involved.
Dr. Theodore Allison has agreed to structure this crime study and utilize his expertise to validate the study. Formerly employed as staff director for Bank Activities at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, he also served as assistant to the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors and was responsible for United States currency and anti-counterfeiting measures.
Ms. Caudle and Mr. Allison have brought together a panel of outstanding professionals. Craig Cusimanio, a resident of Ward 7, has a dual degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland and has worked for the US Department of Justice. Col. Carl Baker serves with the National Institute of Justice and is Chief of Police of Chesterfield County, Virginia. He formerly served as Virginia State Deputy Director for Public Safety and as superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
Mike Tagg has a degree in accounting with an emphasis on emerging markets and banking. His expertise will allow the study group to look at purchasing power and exactly how that purchasing power affects crime, criminals and victims.
Sgt. Frank Tewey has served as a police officer with the Anne Arundel County Police Department for 17 years and holds a degree in mathematics, and Cpl. Kenny Brown has been an officer with the Annapolis Police Department for the past 17 years and formerly served in the US Army. Both officers have a history of working narcotics.
County Councilman Josh Cohen and Alderman Shropshire have agreed to give guidance to the study. Aldermen David Cordle and Mike Christman have also offered their support. Former State Delegate Don Lamb-Minor has offered to lend his expertise with technology. State Senator John Astle and Speaker of the House of Delegates Michael Busch have also offered assistance.
"Now wouldn't it be interesting," says Ms. Caudle, "if a small group of volunteers could make a difference because they stepped outside the box and looked at things with a whole new perspective?"
The study is expected to take six to eight months and results will be shared with the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County police departments.
GreenScape 2007 is Underway!
GreenScape is almost here again. A lot of us are really excited about getting out and planting some flowers and trees in our neighborhoods.Simply complete the order form and bring it to the March 15th meeting. Click here to find the GreenScape 2007 instructions and order form on the City's website.
Let's work together for an even more beautiful Ward 7 and Annapolis!
Quick Links...
Alderman Sam Website
Annapolis City Council
Back Creek Nature Park
Annapolis Maritime Museum
