This historic town on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay is the county's crown jewel, its Kubla Khan. More than any town around, it has the right to be different. And it is.

The Havre de Grace along the waterfront is different from the Havre de Grace along Old Post Road, which is different from the Havre de Grace along Pulaski Highway or Route 40. Even the downtown area of Havre de Grace is different. But all of this disparity is held together by the town's juxtaposition to the River and the Bay.

We suppose the main contrast is between old and new. Havre de Grace has been around a long time, and it is older than any other town in the county. New people, new construction, new housing, and new businesses are constantly struggling to establish themselves in a town that seems to like itself just the way it is. It is this struggle between old and new that sets the tone. In the end, the new establishment will gain the upper hand, but we hope it respects the history of the old in doing so.

My father and I used to play golf with Mayor Hutchins over at Ruggles in Aberdeen. Back then it cost $20 a year to play all you wanted to. Now Havre de Grace has Bulle Rock in its back yard, and it costs $135 plus incidental expenses to play a round of golf there. This is progress. But we need to remember the 25-cent loaf of bread and the $20-a-year golfing in order to keep our perspective on living.

Think about it. Fifty years ago Havre de Grace was the hub of Harford County, you could buy a loaf of bread for a quarter, listen to WASA-AM, the county's only radio station, fish off one of the piers along the waterfront, and play golf any time for $20 a year. Now that was living. Let's see if the new Havre de Grace can do it one better.

DM