I don’t readily embrace the social media age that we now live in. I was raised in an earlier time before the advent of social media, the cell phone and all the other trappings of the current generation.
That’s why I often underestimate the reach and the power of social media when someone is trying to get a message out. In this case the messages are that extending mass transit lines along York Road will have many detrimental impacts and that many in the area do not care to see a town center at the end of West Ridgely Road. When one of our board members, Jason Rommel, suggested that he would create an on-line petition to support these efforts. I thought it was a good idea, but I underestimated its’ impact. To date more than 3,200 people have signed the petition, which is about three times the number that I expected to see. So, let’s congratulate Jason for his efforts.
Speaking of the reach of our efforts, I recently received an email from a college student out in California who saw a news piece broadcast by WBFF, channel 45. This student is taking a course on the growth and evolution of suburbia, and one of the images in the newscast was the signs around the area that read “Save Suburbia,” curtesy of another board member, Lisa Baldanza. This student wanted to get one of these signs as a gift to his professor. As is the case with the petition, who would have thought that the reach of our message could have extended that far and wide?
By the way, if you have not sent an email to County Executive John Olszewski, Jr., yet to express your dissatisfaction with creating a town center and transit-oriented development at the end of Ridgely Road, please do so. (johnnyo@baltimorecountymd.gov)
Eric Rockel
Vice President, GTCC