RIP Dennis Lane

I knew Dennis Lane only slightly: I occasionally commented on [his blog][his blo], he commented on mine once or twice, and I met and talked to him several times at Howard County blogger meetups and other events. I can’t speak to his life as a private person and how he came to a [violent end][violent], and even if I could I wouldn’t: I don’t blog about my own private and family life, and won’t do so about others. However I did want to say a few words to mark his death. What I admired most about Dennis as a blogger was his ability to write frequently and seemingly extemporaneously on a variety of topics: local politics, real estate and business affairs, and just the normal goings-on of daily life. He mentioned recently that he hadn’t had time to blog as much as normal, but (as I commented on the post), even his “infrequent” blogging way outpaced my own truly infrequent offerings. I also enjoyed reading his [Business Monthly][Busines] columns, whenever I picked up a copy at a local establishment; it was one of the few things I read on paper rather than online. Leaving aside all his other contributions to Howard County, he’ll be sorely missed in the local blogging community, of which he was a founder and guiding light. A couple of other points: In 2012 four people were murdered in Howard County and I was acquainted with two of them, Mary-Marguerite Kohn and Brenda Brewington, who were shot at St Peters Episcopal Church in Ellicott City almost exactly a year ago. This year I think there have been two homicides in Howard County thus far, and I’m acquainted with one of the victims. Strange that in a placid suburban county of 300,000 violent death should so disproportionately strike people I know. FInally, it’s fitting that I first learned of Dennis’s death while reading a [blog post][blog po], in this case by TJ Mayotte. It’s a measure of how much I rely on [local blogs][local b] and hyper-local sites like [Ellicott City Patch][Ellicot] and [Explore Howard][Explore] for my knowledge of Howard County affairs. I guess one way to honor Dennis and what he meant to our local online community is to get off my rear end and blog some more myself. [his blo]: http://writing-the-wrongs.blogspot.com/ [violent]: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/ellicott-city/ph-exhow-police-homicide-ellicott-city-story,0,1605996.story [Busines]: http://bizmonthly.com/ [blog po]: http://rocketpoweredbutterfly.com/2013/05/10/one-last-wag/ [local b]: http://hocoblogs.com/ [Ellicot]: http://ellicottcity.patch.com/ [Explore]: http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/howard/ * Kiss-And-Fly-NYC (social@nightlifemoguls.com) - 2013-05-12 16:41{#147bb70b-001} Rest In Peace Dennis, You Will be Missed. Remembering Dennis Lane | Life and How to Live It - 2013-05-12 19:50{#147bb70b-002} \[…\] Columbia, Jessie X, HoCoLoco, Village Green/Town Squared, HoCo Connect, The 53, Frank Hecker, Steve Charing, HowChow, UK Desperate \[…\] superman721 (ghettotifg@gmail.com) - 2013-05-13 15:04{#147bb70b-004} THE PEOPLE THAT \[allegedly\] KILLED HIM WERE in my class both of them and trust me they were weird and technically cant he be charged with having sex with a minor \[omitted\] hecker - 2013-05-13 15:31{#147bb70b-003} I edited your comment to remove the last part -- specific allegations that might relate to potential criminal charges should be addressed by the authorities as part of the legal process. I also edited it to note that guilt has not yet been determined at this point.