Letters to the Editor, Oct. 31, 2018

Only qualified candidate!

There is only one qualified candidate for Register of Wills in Dorchester County and that is Doris K. Lewis.

Her qualifications are impeccable. She graduated from college with degree in business and legal studies. She worked for a number of years in a law office specializing in probate and business law before being elected to the Register of Wills office.

Maryland audits her office every two years and not once has the office failed the audit. That’s 22 audits in 44 years.

She knows the Annotate Code of Maryland which is a prerequisite for any Register of Wills. Most importantly, if you or a family member has been assisted by Doris and her staff, you know how compassionate and professional she is.

I have researched her opponent and cannot find any education or relevant experience listed. Side by side comparisons leave little to conclude but that Doris K Lewis is hands down the best candidate and should be re-elected.

We need to put qualifications before party.

Linda Chandlee

Cambridge

There is none better!

Shortly the 2018 election process will be upon us with early voting Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 and election day on Nov. 6, 2018.

There is one candidate who needs our greatest consideration representing Dorchester County Register of Wills Office — namely; Doris Keene Lewis. Mrs. Lewis has the education background to continue to do the job. Her education was in a concentration of real estate, corporate and probate law. Her hands-on experience in the Register of Wills Office and the prior years in a probate/real estate law office, cannot be matched by anyone.

She is familiar with the Estates and Trusts articles of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Tax General and the Maryland Rules which applies to the office.

Her opponent has never stepped foot into the Register of Wills Office to my knowledge. He has no experience dealing with probate. This is not something you learn overnight.

I have done probate work since 1986 in various legal offices and 19 years with the Register of Wills Office. Mrs. Lewis has always brought integrity, knowledge and honesty to the Register of Wills Office which she will continue to do. Everyone who walks through the door of the Register of Wills Office or calls our telephone number gets the very best knowledge and information available.

I hope that you will greatly consider the best candidate for the job of Register of Wills — Doris Keene Lewis. She loves her work and is a Dorchester County historian on families and land. No one can do the job better. Please vote Doris Keene Lewis Register of Wills during early voting and on Nov. 6, 2018.

Thank you,

Terry Dayton Wheatley

Cambridge

Vote for Doris!

I am writing this letter in support of Doris Lewis for Register of Wills for Dorchester County. I have known Doris, both personally and professionally for most of my life and I strongly believe she takes great pride and reponsibility serving the public in this office.

Please join me and vote for her on Nov. 6!

Colleen Curran-Bromwell

Cambridge

Vote your with your intellect — not your emotions.

To my colleague voters in Dorchester County:

A contributant to the malaise that is dragging Dorchester County down is the fact that voters have voted with their emotions and not their intelligence. From our schools to various government agencies voters have elected people who are horribly unqualified to lead us out of the chaos caused by a lack of vision, knowledge, and ability.

A new future awaits Dorchester if the voters will make intelligent decisions — based on a person’s ability to create a sterling future for Dorchester residents. The election polls are where we must start if Dorchester is to thrive as it should. Vote for the person — not the party.

When you vote with your emotions you elect your friends. They are not qualified to solve the problems, foresee the great potential that is before this county, and turn Dorchester around economically.

A very wise philosopher has said: “Any community deserves the politicians they elect.” Dorchester deserves and can elect better people to run our county.

Good office holders should be retained and unqualified ones should be replaced.

The following have done a good job and should be elected.

• Sheriff Phillips is an asset and should be re-elected. The county needs his knowledge and experience.

• Doris Lewis (Registrar of Wills) has done a great job and the county should re-elect her to this extremely important position. Her experience is vital to our county government.

• The County Council is floundering in its own mistakes and Jay Newcomb should be elected to give vision and direction.

• Addie Eckardt and Johnny Mautz are doing great work in Annapolis and deserve re-election.

Dorchester County deserves and vitally needs to elect experienced and successful people. We have to get away from “the good old boys” that have hurt our county and dragged us down economically. We can have a great future but it must start by electing qualified people and getting away from the “local yokel” syndrome.

The Rev. Robert G. Kirkley

A taxpaying landowner since 1971

Easier to be critical

The conservative British statesman Benjamin Disraeli during an 1860 speech before the House of Commons stated, “How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.” Therefore, to set the record straight, I wanted to address some of the criticism directed towards me personally as well as those directed to my Dorchester County Register of Wills campaign.

I resigned after 24 years as Town Manager (five years is the average for a Town Manager in one town) after accepting a job in Governor Hogan’s Administration to work for Secretary Bartenfelder at the Maryland Department of Agriculture. This position enabled me to help my fellow Dorchester Countians in its two most important industries — Agriculture and Seafood.

I must inform those people that would have you believe that I “had nothing to do with the Malkus/Choptank Bridge” that, although my Mentor Senator Cade and most importantly Senator Malkus were instrumental in getting Senate approval for the bridge’s funding that it still had to pass the House of Delegates and I was the Dorchester County resident Delegate at the time.

In regards to my knowledge of the Annotated Code of Maryland – specifically the Estates and Trust section: I served for four years on the House Constitutional and Adminstration Law Committee as well as eight years on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. These committees legislate/write the Maryland laws dealing with the administrations of estates/ wills/ probate.

In closing I note that many of the negative letters indicate or would have you believe that only one person elected 44 years ago can fufill the task of Register of Wills. I believe that these writers simply degrade the citizens of Dorchester County. There are many Dorchester Countains that can manage this office. This office was established in the Maryland Constitution in 1776. It was never ever meant to be manipulated to be an appointed position.

Sincerely,

Richard F. Colburn

Cambridge