I am sad for Mary, who has contributed hugely to the folk community in the DC area. I am sad that WETA will apparently carry no more folk music. I began listening in the late 70s, when Traditions was on twice a week -- Weds. afternoon and Saturday night, I think it was.

But -- and I say this with relucance -- her program long ago lost me as a regular listener.

Once, the service she provided by reading long lists of "who's wheres" was vital.Now, in the internet age, it is a waste of bandwidth. I long for a folk music show that plays music, doesn't talk about it.

I appreciate Mary's decades of dedication to our community. I think it's a travesty that WETA has abandoned the folk music community. But I won't miss Traditions, since I rarely listened to it.