An Accomack County deputy sheriff has been disciplined after a video of him speeding on Route 13 appeared on YouTube earlier this month.
The video on the popular Web site -- which allows anyone to upload content for public viewing -- has been watched more than 11,000 times.
The profanity-laced, eight-minute video, made by a 20-year-old male identified as Chura46 and posted May 5 on the Internet site, apparently was filmed from the interior of his Honda Civic and shows the car's speedometer reaching 100 mph briefly as he follows the deputy's cruiser down Route 13 through Melfa and Keller.
The man filming the deputy does not identify himself by name and had not been located for comment Friday. Throughout the video, he criticizes the deputy for speeding while committing his own moving violations -- including speeding and changing lanes in an intersection.
Accomack County Sheriff Larry Giddens said earlier this week that the incident happened May 1 and has been addressed internally.
The deputy, Jason Campbell, was disciplined for violating department policy by speeding, Giddens said. Campbell was not answering a call at the time and did not have his lights flashing as is required when an officer is exceeding the speed limit in the line of duty.
But it is unlikely the deputy's speed reached the 90 mph claimed by the video's maker, according to Giddens.
"He put the camera on his catch-up speed," Giddens said.
Giddens vouched for Campbell, who was hired in January.
"This guy's a good officer, but he's a young officer," he said.
He said deputies undergo more than 20 hours of classroom training in addition to field training before being put on duty.
Giddens was informed of the incident during the weekend by Campbell's supervisor. He would not comment on what disciplinary measures Campbell faced, but said speeding is not grounds for termination.
The Civic's driver repeatedly honked the car horn and tailgated Campbell after the two vehicles turned onto a secondary road in Keller. The deputy, after several minutes, pulled off the road into a dirt driveway.
But the man blocked the deputy's cruiser and continued filming as both men got out of their vehicles. He repeatedly challenged the officer to arrest him after Campbell asked the man to move his car.
"I want to be arrested," the man said. At the end of the clip, Campbell is seen re-entering his vehicle and driving off.
No charges were filed as a result of the chase and confrontation, Giddens said.
The video footage also shows both vehicles running a stop sign and the video maker changing lanes at a high rate of speed while going through an intersection on Route 13.
CAUTION!! THIS VIDEO CONTAINS OBSCENE LANGUAGE
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Obama vows not to send people to war without cause
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — President Barack Obama promised graduating midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy on Friday that, as their commander in chief, he will only send them "into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary."
In his first address to military graduates, Obama also pledged to invest in the men and women who defend America's liberty, not just in the weapons they take with them into battle.
"I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," the president told more than 1,000 graduates during a sun-splashed ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
Obama praised the role of Navy SEALS in freeing a U.S. sea captain by killing his Somali pirate captors last month.
"The extraordinary precision and professionalism displayed that day was made possible, in no small measure, by the training, the discipline and the leadership skills that so many of those officers learned at the United States Naval Academy," Obama said.
He said he has halted reductions in the Navy, is building up the Marine Corps and investing in the hardware — combat ships, submarines and fighter aircraft — they'll need to do their jobs. He also promised higher pay, enhanced child care and improved support and other benefits.
"In short, we will maintain America's military dominance and keep you the finest fighting force the world has ever seen," Obama said, as more than 30,000 watched from the stands.
The ceremony included the son of Obama's presidential rival, Sen. John McCain, who was among the proud parents. Had the Arizona Republican and Naval Academy graduate defeated Obama, McCain could have been the speaker.
Obama did not recognize McCain in his speech. But he did so before leaving the White House, praising the senator as he signed into law legislation giving the Pentagon new power to curtail wasteful defense spending. McCain was a sponsor of the bill.
"Senator McCain couldn't be here today because he's making sure he has a good seat to watch his son graduate from the Naval Academy in a few hours, and that's where I'm headed as soon as I catch my ride over here," Obama said at the bill signing in the Rose Garden.
Presidents typically deliver the commencement address at one of the service academies each year. Friday's speech was the third graduation address by Obama in the past nine days. He used the previous two to tackle issues that threatened to overshadow both events.
At the University of Notre Dame last Sunday, abortion opponents protested the president's appearance because he supports abortion rights. Obama jumped into the debate, telling graduates of the Roman Catholic university that people on both sides of the abortion issue must stop demonizing one another.
At Arizona State University, where Obama spoke on May 13, the issue was the school's decision not to award him an honorary degree on grounds that he hadn't accomplished enough. Obama said he agreed, saying no one's body of work is ever complete.
On Thursday, Obama delivered a different kind of speech, one in which he sought to regain control of the emotional debate over closing the detention center for suspected terrorists in Cuba. He denounced "fear-mongering" by political opponents and insisted that maximum-security prisons on the U.S. mainland can safely house the dangerous detainees he wants transferred out of Guantanamo Bay.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney countered the same day with a speech denouncing some of Obama's actions as "unwise in the extreme" and repeating his contention that the new president is endangering the country by turning aside Bush-era policies.
From DelmarvaNow
In his first address to military graduates, Obama also pledged to invest in the men and women who defend America's liberty, not just in the weapons they take with them into battle.
"I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," the president told more than 1,000 graduates during a sun-splashed ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
Obama praised the role of Navy SEALS in freeing a U.S. sea captain by killing his Somali pirate captors last month.
"The extraordinary precision and professionalism displayed that day was made possible, in no small measure, by the training, the discipline and the leadership skills that so many of those officers learned at the United States Naval Academy," Obama said.
He said he has halted reductions in the Navy, is building up the Marine Corps and investing in the hardware — combat ships, submarines and fighter aircraft — they'll need to do their jobs. He also promised higher pay, enhanced child care and improved support and other benefits.
"In short, we will maintain America's military dominance and keep you the finest fighting force the world has ever seen," Obama said, as more than 30,000 watched from the stands.
The ceremony included the son of Obama's presidential rival, Sen. John McCain, who was among the proud parents. Had the Arizona Republican and Naval Academy graduate defeated Obama, McCain could have been the speaker.
Obama did not recognize McCain in his speech. But he did so before leaving the White House, praising the senator as he signed into law legislation giving the Pentagon new power to curtail wasteful defense spending. McCain was a sponsor of the bill.
"Senator McCain couldn't be here today because he's making sure he has a good seat to watch his son graduate from the Naval Academy in a few hours, and that's where I'm headed as soon as I catch my ride over here," Obama said at the bill signing in the Rose Garden.
Presidents typically deliver the commencement address at one of the service academies each year. Friday's speech was the third graduation address by Obama in the past nine days. He used the previous two to tackle issues that threatened to overshadow both events.
At the University of Notre Dame last Sunday, abortion opponents protested the president's appearance because he supports abortion rights. Obama jumped into the debate, telling graduates of the Roman Catholic university that people on both sides of the abortion issue must stop demonizing one another.
At Arizona State University, where Obama spoke on May 13, the issue was the school's decision not to award him an honorary degree on grounds that he hadn't accomplished enough. Obama said he agreed, saying no one's body of work is ever complete.
On Thursday, Obama delivered a different kind of speech, one in which he sought to regain control of the emotional debate over closing the detention center for suspected terrorists in Cuba. He denounced "fear-mongering" by political opponents and insisted that maximum-security prisons on the U.S. mainland can safely house the dangerous detainees he wants transferred out of Guantanamo Bay.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney countered the same day with a speech denouncing some of Obama's actions as "unwise in the extreme" and repeating his contention that the new president is endangering the country by turning aside Bush-era policies.
From DelmarvaNow
Obama Rides to the Rescue of Harry Reid
Republicans are styling President Barack Obama’s fundraising trip next week to Las Vegas as a desperate measure to save the bacon of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has precipitously fallen in the polls, according to a report by The Hill.
What the opposition is hoping for is a reprise of the rise and fall of another leader – former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
While Democrats emphasize that the presidential trip has been planned for a long time and is not related to any perceived imminent danger of Reid, D-Nev., losing his seat, the numbers game indicates otherwise.
The latest poll by the Las Vegas Review-Journal contains little good news for the veteran politician.
Nearly half of Nevadans have had enough of Reid as the powerful Democrat heads into his re-election campaign.
About a third of the state’s voters would re-elect Reid if the 2010 election were held today, according to the poll, but 45 percent say they would definitely vote to replace him. Seventeen percent would consider another candidate.
Half of Nevada voters had an unfavorable view of Reid, while 38 percent had a favorable view and 11 percent a neutral opinion.
The Review-Journal noted further that Reid’s approval ratings at home have been subpar for years -- particularly since he ascended to Democratic leader in 2004 and to majority leader in 2006.
What’s more, hopes that things might take an uptick with the departure of President George W. Bush have not come to fruition. The Review-Journal described the poll as indicating voters bullish on Obama -- even as they are unhappy with Reid.
Much ado about nothing argue Reid loyalists, who point to the fact that the leader has already raised more than $5 million this quarter – after raising $2.2 million in the first quarter, according to The Hill.
Meanwhile, a Reid spokesman said they expect next week’s fundraiser to add “at least $1 million.”
“Don’t be tempted to Daschle-ize Reid,” one Democratic official told The Hill. “Nevada 2010 is not South Dakota 2004: George Bush not is at the head of the ticket, Barack Obama won Nevada by double digits and Reid has kept a very watchful eye on his own state.”
But others smell blood in the water.
Brian Walsh, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee was quick to lambaste the forthcoming Obama-Reid love-fest.
“Unfortunately for the majority leader, one night of rubbing elbows with President Obama and celebrity elites at a glitzy fundraiser is not going to mask a long voting record that’s increasingly out of step with Nevada,” Walsh said.
Walsh added that the big event, featuring such luminaries as Bette Midler and Sheryl Crow, “actually plays into Sen. Reid’s biggest problem facing reelection, which is the well-deserved feeling among his constituents that he consistently places Washington and special interests above the views and values of Nevadans.”
All pundit sparing aside, there’s still a very bright lining in the clouds for Reid – he still has no opponent in the race.
What the opposition is hoping for is a reprise of the rise and fall of another leader – former Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
While Democrats emphasize that the presidential trip has been planned for a long time and is not related to any perceived imminent danger of Reid, D-Nev., losing his seat, the numbers game indicates otherwise.
The latest poll by the Las Vegas Review-Journal contains little good news for the veteran politician.
Nearly half of Nevadans have had enough of Reid as the powerful Democrat heads into his re-election campaign.
About a third of the state’s voters would re-elect Reid if the 2010 election were held today, according to the poll, but 45 percent say they would definitely vote to replace him. Seventeen percent would consider another candidate.
Half of Nevada voters had an unfavorable view of Reid, while 38 percent had a favorable view and 11 percent a neutral opinion.
The Review-Journal noted further that Reid’s approval ratings at home have been subpar for years -- particularly since he ascended to Democratic leader in 2004 and to majority leader in 2006.
What’s more, hopes that things might take an uptick with the departure of President George W. Bush have not come to fruition. The Review-Journal described the poll as indicating voters bullish on Obama -- even as they are unhappy with Reid.
Much ado about nothing argue Reid loyalists, who point to the fact that the leader has already raised more than $5 million this quarter – after raising $2.2 million in the first quarter, according to The Hill.
Meanwhile, a Reid spokesman said they expect next week’s fundraiser to add “at least $1 million.”
“Don’t be tempted to Daschle-ize Reid,” one Democratic official told The Hill. “Nevada 2010 is not South Dakota 2004: George Bush not is at the head of the ticket, Barack Obama won Nevada by double digits and Reid has kept a very watchful eye on his own state.”
But others smell blood in the water.
Brian Walsh, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee was quick to lambaste the forthcoming Obama-Reid love-fest.
“Unfortunately for the majority leader, one night of rubbing elbows with President Obama and celebrity elites at a glitzy fundraiser is not going to mask a long voting record that’s increasingly out of step with Nevada,” Walsh said.
Walsh added that the big event, featuring such luminaries as Bette Midler and Sheryl Crow, “actually plays into Sen. Reid’s biggest problem facing reelection, which is the well-deserved feeling among his constituents that he consistently places Washington and special interests above the views and values of Nevadans.”
All pundit sparing aside, there’s still a very bright lining in the clouds for Reid – he still has no opponent in the race.
WTH Of Today
Well, other blogs have a "joke of the day" "Picture of Today" "Scoop of The Day" etc. etc.
Well, we are going to have the "WTH" (what the hell of today) of today, so here we go with our first WTH of today. Hopefully I'll be getting some local WTH of today in the near future.
EMT Posts Murder Victim Photo on Facebook, Gets Fired
On the list of stupid things to post to Facebook, photos from a murder scene have to be right up there at the top. Apparently, this never occurred to Mark Musarella, a now-former emergency medical technician (EMT) at Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island, New York.
While on EMT duty on March 30, the 46-year-old retired police officer was called to a murder in the West Brighton area of New York's forgotten borough. According to Fire Chief, while he was on the scene, he snapped a few pics of the 26-year-old victim, Caroline Wimmer, lying dead on the floor of her apartment with the cord of a hairdryer wrapped around her throat. For some inexplicable reason, Musarella turned right around and posted the images on his Facebook page -- as expected, he was swiftly fired by the hospital and the NYPD was notified.
What's worse, one source told the Staten Island Advance that Musarella may not have even learned his lesson: Although the murder scene picture has been taken down, someone with access to his profile told the newspaper that Musarella's Facebook page still had a photo from a car crash he may have responded to.
If you have to be told that posting photos of a murder scene is inappropriate, then something is clearly wrong. [From: SI Live, via: Fire Chief
Well, we are going to have the "WTH" (what the hell of today) of today, so here we go with our first WTH of today. Hopefully I'll be getting some local WTH of today in the near future.
EMT Posts Murder Victim Photo on Facebook, Gets Fired
On the list of stupid things to post to Facebook, photos from a murder scene have to be right up there at the top. Apparently, this never occurred to Mark Musarella, a now-former emergency medical technician (EMT) at Richmond University Medical Center in Staten Island, New York.
While on EMT duty on March 30, the 46-year-old retired police officer was called to a murder in the West Brighton area of New York's forgotten borough. According to Fire Chief, while he was on the scene, he snapped a few pics of the 26-year-old victim, Caroline Wimmer, lying dead on the floor of her apartment with the cord of a hairdryer wrapped around her throat. For some inexplicable reason, Musarella turned right around and posted the images on his Facebook page -- as expected, he was swiftly fired by the hospital and the NYPD was notified.
What's worse, one source told the Staten Island Advance that Musarella may not have even learned his lesson: Although the murder scene picture has been taken down, someone with access to his profile told the newspaper that Musarella's Facebook page still had a photo from a car crash he may have responded to.
If you have to be told that posting photos of a murder scene is inappropriate, then something is clearly wrong. [From: SI Live, via: Fire Chief
American Airlines Pilot Fails Breath Test
LONDON (May 21) - An American Airlines pilot failed a breath test at London's Heathrow airport, the airline said Thursday.
Fort Worth, Texas-based American said the pilot was given the test Wednesday after airport security staff alerted police.
The pilot, whom the airline declined to name, was supposed to operate a flight with 204 passengers to Chicago. The flight was delayed while a replacement was found and the plane eventually took off.
"The company has strict policies on alcohol and substance abuse and holds its employees to the highest standards," the airline's London office said. "Employees at all levels of the company are not allowed to be on duty whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol and regular screening is carried out."
Fort Worth, Texas-based American said the pilot was given the test Wednesday after airport security staff alerted police.
The pilot, whom the airline declined to name, was supposed to operate a flight with 204 passengers to Chicago. The flight was delayed while a replacement was found and the plane eventually took off.
"The company has strict policies on alcohol and substance abuse and holds its employees to the highest standards," the airline's London office said. "Employees at all levels of the company are not allowed to be on duty whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol and regular screening is carried out."
Gas prices drive travel plans
Someone needs to polish-up on their math. It may have been cheaper to fly only one person, BUT.... How about say four people in the car VS four flying?
SALISBURY -- Lorraine Esposito and her sister, Sandra Mari, flew to the Lower Shore from Florida for the holiday weekend while another family member, Al Lopez, drove.
Comparing notes Thursday in the lobby at the Hampton Hotel and Suites in Fruitland, they agreed flying was not only faster, but gas-wise, cheaper.
"We flew in; one in our party drove in," said Esposito said. "In the last few weeks, gas prices rose about 20 or 30 cents, and I found that taking a flight would be cheaper than driving."
The group was referring to Florida prices. But Maryland consumers also entered the holiday week after a double-digit increase a week earlier, to $2.27 per average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline the week of May 10, from $2.17, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
But guess what? Compared to last year this time, more folks will be traveling by car for the Memorial Day weekend, which for many vacationers starts today, said Ragina C. Averella, manager of AAA Public and Government Affairs. Expect 609,000 Marylanders, or 3.9 percent more, to travel by all modes at least 50 miles or more round-trip, compared to the same period last year. About 83 percent reportedly will drive.
"Motorists will undoubtedly see gas prices continue their uptick through the Memorial Day weekend," Averella said this week. "However, despite increases at the pump, 32.4 million people are expected to take to the highways this Memorial Day weekend for the official start of the summer driving season."
Averella said warmer weather and travel destination bargains are an allure for travelers at the official start of summer.
"After months of cabin fever, deep travel discounts and cheaper gas will lure many Americans out and about for the upcoming holiday weekend," she said.
Despite recent spikes, gas prices remain a whopping $1.50 lower in Maryland than a year ago, Averella said. Nationally, prices are about $1.48 lower than the period last year.
In Salisbury, the current average price of gas is $2.24, compared to $2.19 last week and $3.70 this time last year, according to AAA.
Despite a creep upward, energy analysts say don't expect a repeat of highs last summer when a record bull market in oil sent gas to above $4 a gallon. AAA reports crude oil at $56.41 per barrel through last week, slashed more than half the $124 per barrel price a year ago. According to the Energy Information Administration, the price of regular gasoline will average $2.23 a gallon through September, which is $1.60 below the same period a year ago.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,9);
Andy Miller, manning the front desk at the Hampton Inn in Fruitland, expects this weekend to be among the hotel's busier and attributed the close to 100 percent occupancy rate Thursday to good weather, commencement at nearby Salisbury University and the holiday.
"Some will stay the weekend, leftover people from the (SU) graduation," Miller said. "People are celebrating, staying a few extra days through the holiday. We've got a mixture of people coming from the airport and driving. Springtime is the beginning of our season as well."
Esposito and Mari, who flew in from Florida, were in town for the SU commencement and decided to stay the holiday.
"We'll stay till Sunday," Mari said.
Lopez, who drove from Florida, said the national downturn would otherwise have kept him home, had it not been for his daughter's graduation.
"I'd probably would have done a backyard cookout, gone to the theater," he said. "I would have stayed at home."
DelmarvaNow
SALISBURY -- Lorraine Esposito and her sister, Sandra Mari, flew to the Lower Shore from Florida for the holiday weekend while another family member, Al Lopez, drove.
Comparing notes Thursday in the lobby at the Hampton Hotel and Suites in Fruitland, they agreed flying was not only faster, but gas-wise, cheaper.
"We flew in; one in our party drove in," said Esposito said. "In the last few weeks, gas prices rose about 20 or 30 cents, and I found that taking a flight would be cheaper than driving."
The group was referring to Florida prices. But Maryland consumers also entered the holiday week after a double-digit increase a week earlier, to $2.27 per average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline the week of May 10, from $2.17, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
But guess what? Compared to last year this time, more folks will be traveling by car for the Memorial Day weekend, which for many vacationers starts today, said Ragina C. Averella, manager of AAA Public and Government Affairs. Expect 609,000 Marylanders, or 3.9 percent more, to travel by all modes at least 50 miles or more round-trip, compared to the same period last year. About 83 percent reportedly will drive.
"Motorists will undoubtedly see gas prices continue their uptick through the Memorial Day weekend," Averella said this week. "However, despite increases at the pump, 32.4 million people are expected to take to the highways this Memorial Day weekend for the official start of the summer driving season."
Averella said warmer weather and travel destination bargains are an allure for travelers at the official start of summer.
"After months of cabin fever, deep travel discounts and cheaper gas will lure many Americans out and about for the upcoming holiday weekend," she said.
Despite recent spikes, gas prices remain a whopping $1.50 lower in Maryland than a year ago, Averella said. Nationally, prices are about $1.48 lower than the period last year.
In Salisbury, the current average price of gas is $2.24, compared to $2.19 last week and $3.70 this time last year, according to AAA.
Despite a creep upward, energy analysts say don't expect a repeat of highs last summer when a record bull market in oil sent gas to above $4 a gallon. AAA reports crude oil at $56.41 per barrel through last week, slashed more than half the $124 per barrel price a year ago. According to the Energy Information Administration, the price of regular gasoline will average $2.23 a gallon through September, which is $1.60 below the same period a year ago.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,9);
Andy Miller, manning the front desk at the Hampton Inn in Fruitland, expects this weekend to be among the hotel's busier and attributed the close to 100 percent occupancy rate Thursday to good weather, commencement at nearby Salisbury University and the holiday.
"Some will stay the weekend, leftover people from the (SU) graduation," Miller said. "People are celebrating, staying a few extra days through the holiday. We've got a mixture of people coming from the airport and driving. Springtime is the beginning of our season as well."
Esposito and Mari, who flew in from Florida, were in town for the SU commencement and decided to stay the holiday.
"We'll stay till Sunday," Mari said.
Lopez, who drove from Florida, said the national downturn would otherwise have kept him home, had it not been for his daughter's graduation.
"I'd probably would have done a backyard cookout, gone to the theater," he said. "I would have stayed at home."
DelmarvaNow
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Heat Is on, Mandate postal vote for absentee ballots
There's nothing inherently shady or dishonest about absentee voting. In 38 of Washington state's 39 counties, it's the only way to vote -- polling places are in the rearview mirror -- and plenty of other jurisdictions around the country allow people to cast votes in absentia with no fuss. What's key, though, is that they require the absentee ballot to go out and come back via U.S. Mail. That's not how absentee voting works in Pocomoke and Snow Hill. Recent events show it ought to.
Our news pages have covered the unhappy election sagas in those towns this spring. In both places, it's perfectly above board for candidates and their supporters to be part of the 'chain of custody' of absentee ballots. Candidates can take applications for absentee ballots to city hall on a voter's behalf; they can also carry a completed, sealed absentee ballot from a voter to the ballot-counting spot. Each town has some safeguards built in to protect the secrecy of a ballot. But, still, the system breeds ill will: some candidates campaign almost exclusively by recruiting absentee voters in in-person visits, and they hand packets of completed ballots -- ballots they can safely assume contain votes for them -- to elections officials. Other candidates wonder, with reason, whether ballots their opponents think won't help them are sitting in a drawer somewhere. When in-person vote tallies and absentee vote counts diverge wildly, passions flare.
It's remarkable, when you think about it, for a town to permit candidates in its elections to handle ballots at all. The opportunity for suspicion of fraud is too high. We have a delivery system for documents that makes any interference with those documents a federal crime -- the postal system. It's time for Snow Hill and Pocomoke City to take advantage of it, as the county's other municipalities do, and ensure that a voter and his mail carrier are the only people who lay a hand on absentee ballots. We don't mean to impugn the candidates who won recent municipal elections -- they played by the rules as they understood them. But the rules do need changing.
www.delmarvanow.com
Our news pages have covered the unhappy election sagas in those towns this spring. In both places, it's perfectly above board for candidates and their supporters to be part of the 'chain of custody' of absentee ballots. Candidates can take applications for absentee ballots to city hall on a voter's behalf; they can also carry a completed, sealed absentee ballot from a voter to the ballot-counting spot. Each town has some safeguards built in to protect the secrecy of a ballot. But, still, the system breeds ill will: some candidates campaign almost exclusively by recruiting absentee voters in in-person visits, and they hand packets of completed ballots -- ballots they can safely assume contain votes for them -- to elections officials. Other candidates wonder, with reason, whether ballots their opponents think won't help them are sitting in a drawer somewhere. When in-person vote tallies and absentee vote counts diverge wildly, passions flare.
It's remarkable, when you think about it, for a town to permit candidates in its elections to handle ballots at all. The opportunity for suspicion of fraud is too high. We have a delivery system for documents that makes any interference with those documents a federal crime -- the postal system. It's time for Snow Hill and Pocomoke City to take advantage of it, as the county's other municipalities do, and ensure that a voter and his mail carrier are the only people who lay a hand on absentee ballots. We don't mean to impugn the candidates who won recent municipal elections -- they played by the rules as they understood them. But the rules do need changing.
www.delmarvanow.com
Relay walkers get set to pace all night
POCOMOKE CITY -- With this year's plans finalized, the 2009 South Worcester Relay for Life will kick off at 6 p.m., May 30, at the Lower Shore Family YMCA with the presentation of the colors by the Pocomoke High School MCROTC color guard and the singing of the national anthem by Jennie Ronne, the choral teacher at PHS.
After the invocation by Pocomoke Mayor Michael A. McDermott, Dr. Elizabeth Burke will speak on the subject of cancer. Burke is a dermatologist, practicing out of Salisbury.
Following a roll call, the survivors will be honored by being asked to walk the first lap. They will be followed by the caregivers and finally the team captains. Treated to a reception, the survivors have a special place that evening. They are the people who have faced cancer firsthand. Any survivor who is not registered can do so the night of the relay.
After the special laps everyone will begin to walk, an activity that will continue until 6 the following morning. Laps will have special names such as the Patriotic Lap, the Kids Lap, Breast Cancer Awareness, Life Savers and a number of others.
Also during the evening the walkers and others attending will be entertained by a number of groups. Divided Highway, a band playing local oldies with Jack Burton, will lead off. Caruso will play contemporary Christian music followed by a group of singers led by Brandy Trader. Another presentation will be by soloist Frank Henry. Two men who are well known to relay participants, Jerry Barbierri and Mike Shannon, will serve as DJs later in the evening.
A special event, the Ceremony of Hope, will be held at 9 p.m. with the lighting of luminaries. Each of the lighted bags has a special meaning to the donor. Some will celebrate the life of a survivor who has battled cancer while others are lighted in memory of a loved one who has lost the battle.
In addition to the entertainment there will be a number of activities including a frozen t-shirt contest, a scavenger hunt, a recycled runway contest and a free sing karaoke.
The evening -- by that point, the morning -- climaxes with a celebration lap, closing ceremonies including announcements of top fundraisers and teams, and finally a church service led by Jamar Jackson.
During the eight years that the relay was held in Pocomoke City, between $300,000 and $400,000 was collected to advance the fight against cancer. The teams more than doubled the $15,000 goal in the first year and built on that amount during the subsequent years.
In the 25 years after Dr. Gordy Kiatt first ran on a track in Tacoma, Wash. to make a statement about cancer awareness, the Relay movement has grown to include more that 3.5 million people around the world.
There is still time for anyone who wishes to get involved with the relay. Call Jennifer Holland at 410-957-4898 or Jo Ella Brittingham at 410-957-3512.
After the invocation by Pocomoke Mayor Michael A. McDermott, Dr. Elizabeth Burke will speak on the subject of cancer. Burke is a dermatologist, practicing out of Salisbury.
Following a roll call, the survivors will be honored by being asked to walk the first lap. They will be followed by the caregivers and finally the team captains. Treated to a reception, the survivors have a special place that evening. They are the people who have faced cancer firsthand. Any survivor who is not registered can do so the night of the relay.
After the special laps everyone will begin to walk, an activity that will continue until 6 the following morning. Laps will have special names such as the Patriotic Lap, the Kids Lap, Breast Cancer Awareness, Life Savers and a number of others.
Also during the evening the walkers and others attending will be entertained by a number of groups. Divided Highway, a band playing local oldies with Jack Burton, will lead off. Caruso will play contemporary Christian music followed by a group of singers led by Brandy Trader. Another presentation will be by soloist Frank Henry. Two men who are well known to relay participants, Jerry Barbierri and Mike Shannon, will serve as DJs later in the evening.
A special event, the Ceremony of Hope, will be held at 9 p.m. with the lighting of luminaries. Each of the lighted bags has a special meaning to the donor. Some will celebrate the life of a survivor who has battled cancer while others are lighted in memory of a loved one who has lost the battle.
In addition to the entertainment there will be a number of activities including a frozen t-shirt contest, a scavenger hunt, a recycled runway contest and a free sing karaoke.
The evening -- by that point, the morning -- climaxes with a celebration lap, closing ceremonies including announcements of top fundraisers and teams, and finally a church service led by Jamar Jackson.
During the eight years that the relay was held in Pocomoke City, between $300,000 and $400,000 was collected to advance the fight against cancer. The teams more than doubled the $15,000 goal in the first year and built on that amount during the subsequent years.
In the 25 years after Dr. Gordy Kiatt first ran on a track in Tacoma, Wash. to make a statement about cancer awareness, the Relay movement has grown to include more that 3.5 million people around the world.
There is still time for anyone who wishes to get involved with the relay. Call Jennifer Holland at 410-957-4898 or Jo Ella Brittingham at 410-957-3512.
Discovery Center offers new art class
POCOMOKE CITY -- The Discovery Center is offering an open art studio class time, with weekly sessions beginning June 11. Bring your watercolor painting in progress or start a new project in a relaxed open studio format, from 9 to 11:45 a.m. Paint, meet other artists, learn something new and build an art portfolio. An artist-instructor will be on hand to provide technical advice, support and critical feedback through informal individual and group critiques. Sessions will begin with a short demo or art lesson designed to enhance the knowledge of the watercolorist. Sign up by the month for $40 or pay $15 per single session.
Raffle and reception support award effort for all American City
POCOMOKE CITY -- Having been named one of the 30 finalists in the All-America Cities competition, Pocomoke City will send a group of leaders and citizens to Tampa, Fla. in June to compete for one of the winning slots.
To finance the trip, the group is planning a fundraising raffle. A 46-inch flat-screen television will be given away at the Great Pocomoke Fair on Aug. 22. Tickets for a chance to win the set are $10 each or three for $20 and are available at Pocomoke's City Hall or the Pocomoke Chamber of Commerce.
A reception will be held on Friday, May 29, at the Mar-Va Theater from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be hors d'oeuvres, musical entertainment and a cash bar. Donations toward the project will be welcome.
Pocomoke City was selected as a finalist from among the 5,000 applicants for progress in the following areas: construction of the new fire house, improvements to the MarVa Theater, improvements to the Sturgis One Room School Museum, and the youth projects sponsored by the Pocomoke City Police Department.
To finance the trip, the group is planning a fundraising raffle. A 46-inch flat-screen television will be given away at the Great Pocomoke Fair on Aug. 22. Tickets for a chance to win the set are $10 each or three for $20 and are available at Pocomoke's City Hall or the Pocomoke Chamber of Commerce.
A reception will be held on Friday, May 29, at the Mar-Va Theater from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be hors d'oeuvres, musical entertainment and a cash bar. Donations toward the project will be welcome.
Pocomoke City was selected as a finalist from among the 5,000 applicants for progress in the following areas: construction of the new fire house, improvements to the MarVa Theater, improvements to the Sturgis One Room School Museum, and the youth projects sponsored by the Pocomoke City Police Department.
UAW says it has reached deal with GM, government
Erm, This confirms everything I have thought about the unions. Why should a private business have to bow down to the government and the knee breaking UAW? This is the epitome of nanny government central control.
DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has reached a tentative deal with the government and General Motors Corp. that would cut labor costs and change the way a union-run trust for retiree health care is funded.
The union announced the deal in a short statement issued Thursday that gave no details, which were withheld pending meetings with members to explain the terms.
The move is a key step toward GM's efforts to restructure outside of bankruptcy court. The company, which has received $15.4 billion in federal loans, faces a June 1 government-imposed deadline to restructure or be forced into bankruptcy protection.
A big hurdle remains. GM needs bondholders who hold $27 billion in unsecured debt to forgive what they're owed for an equity stake in the company. Analysts have said it is nearly impossible that the required 90 percent of bondholders will agree to the offer.
Union members still have to vote on their deal, according to the UAW's statement. It makes no mention of factory closures or production of vehicles outside the U.S., items that the union has protested in Detroit and Washington as the deadline approaches.
GM plans to close 16 more factories, costing 21,000 hourly workers their jobs, as it tries to cut labor costs and shrink its manufacturing footprint to match lower demand for its products.
The Treasury Department, which has been overseeing GM's restructuring efforts, had no immediate comment. A message was left for a GM spokeswoman.
GM has about 61,000 hourly workers in the U.S. but plans to take that number down to 40,000 by 2010.
The Treasury Department's auto task force had pushed for the union to take GM stock in exchange for 50 percent of the $20 billion the company must pay into the trust, called a voluntary employees beneficiary association.
UAW officials have said the union's agreement with Chrysler reached last month will serve as a template for any deal with GM, but some differences had to be worked out.
At Chrysler, the UAW agreed to take 55 percent of the company's stock in exchange for roughly $6 billion of the $10.6 billion that Chrysler owes the retiree health care trust.
GM has said it is negotiating to give the UAW about 39 percent of its stock in exchange for roughly half the $20 billion it owes to the trust. Half the stock would go to the government, with 10 percent going to bondholders in exchange for wiping out $27 billion in GM debt. The remaining 1 percent would go to current shareholders.
Bondholders have resisted the 10 percent offer, saying they're getting too little for the amount of money they are owed. The offer expires Tuesday but could be extended.
A spokesman for a committee of GM's bondholders had no immediate comment on the union agreement.
If its bond exchange offer goes through, GM plans to issue 62 billion new shares and then do a 1-for-100 reverse stock split. The whole deal would severely cut the value of GM's existing shares.
Also under the Chrysler deal, workers will no longer get most of their pay if they are laid off and placed in the controversial "jobs bank." Instead, they will get a smaller amount of pay from the company to supplement state unemployment benefits. Cost-of-living pay raises also were suspended through 2011, and a provision was added for binding arbitration on a new contract through 2015.
The union also agreed to consolidate nonskilled labor job classifications into a team concept at all factories. Performance and Christmas bonuses will be suspended this year and next to help pay health care costs.
Ford Motor Co., which is not receiving government support, agreed in February to a revised contract with fewer concessions than the Chrysler deal. But the company has said it does not want to be at a disadvantage to its Detroit competitors, so it may eventually reopen negotiations with the union.
GM shares rose 15 cents or 10.3 percent, to $1.60 in afternoon trading.
DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has reached a tentative deal with the government and General Motors Corp. that would cut labor costs and change the way a union-run trust for retiree health care is funded.
The union announced the deal in a short statement issued Thursday that gave no details, which were withheld pending meetings with members to explain the terms.
The move is a key step toward GM's efforts to restructure outside of bankruptcy court. The company, which has received $15.4 billion in federal loans, faces a June 1 government-imposed deadline to restructure or be forced into bankruptcy protection.
A big hurdle remains. GM needs bondholders who hold $27 billion in unsecured debt to forgive what they're owed for an equity stake in the company. Analysts have said it is nearly impossible that the required 90 percent of bondholders will agree to the offer.
Union members still have to vote on their deal, according to the UAW's statement. It makes no mention of factory closures or production of vehicles outside the U.S., items that the union has protested in Detroit and Washington as the deadline approaches.
GM plans to close 16 more factories, costing 21,000 hourly workers their jobs, as it tries to cut labor costs and shrink its manufacturing footprint to match lower demand for its products.
The Treasury Department, which has been overseeing GM's restructuring efforts, had no immediate comment. A message was left for a GM spokeswoman.
GM has about 61,000 hourly workers in the U.S. but plans to take that number down to 40,000 by 2010.
The Treasury Department's auto task force had pushed for the union to take GM stock in exchange for 50 percent of the $20 billion the company must pay into the trust, called a voluntary employees beneficiary association.
UAW officials have said the union's agreement with Chrysler reached last month will serve as a template for any deal with GM, but some differences had to be worked out.
At Chrysler, the UAW agreed to take 55 percent of the company's stock in exchange for roughly $6 billion of the $10.6 billion that Chrysler owes the retiree health care trust.
GM has said it is negotiating to give the UAW about 39 percent of its stock in exchange for roughly half the $20 billion it owes to the trust. Half the stock would go to the government, with 10 percent going to bondholders in exchange for wiping out $27 billion in GM debt. The remaining 1 percent would go to current shareholders.
Bondholders have resisted the 10 percent offer, saying they're getting too little for the amount of money they are owed. The offer expires Tuesday but could be extended.
A spokesman for a committee of GM's bondholders had no immediate comment on the union agreement.
If its bond exchange offer goes through, GM plans to issue 62 billion new shares and then do a 1-for-100 reverse stock split. The whole deal would severely cut the value of GM's existing shares.
Also under the Chrysler deal, workers will no longer get most of their pay if they are laid off and placed in the controversial "jobs bank." Instead, they will get a smaller amount of pay from the company to supplement state unemployment benefits. Cost-of-living pay raises also were suspended through 2011, and a provision was added for binding arbitration on a new contract through 2015.
The union also agreed to consolidate nonskilled labor job classifications into a team concept at all factories. Performance and Christmas bonuses will be suspended this year and next to help pay health care costs.
Ford Motor Co., which is not receiving government support, agreed in February to a revised contract with fewer concessions than the Chrysler deal. But the company has said it does not want to be at a disadvantage to its Detroit competitors, so it may eventually reopen negotiations with the union.
GM shares rose 15 cents or 10.3 percent, to $1.60 in afternoon trading.
Ten things that Christian Conservatives and Ron Paul Libertarians Can Agree On!
Help me out folks. I have discovered the following three political realities:1. There are a ton of Christian Conservatives who are no longer happy with the Republican Party and are not actively participating.2. There are a ton of Libertarian Conservatives who are no longer happy with the Republican Party and not actively participating.3. In the meantime, Democrats are registering more Democrats and taking our country faster and faster toward Socialism.My question is simple. Christians and Libertarians have far more in common than they either group has with the current Democrat Party.Can all of you brainstorm with me to come up with 10 practical objectives that Christian Conservatives and Ron Paul type Libertarians can agree on?
I'll start.#1 - Eliminate the I.R.S. by implementing a flat-tax, national sales tax, fair-tax, etc.
I'll start.#1 - Eliminate the I.R.S. by implementing a flat-tax, national sales tax, fair-tax, etc.
Wicomico Board of ed and daily times attempt to scam tax payers
Wicomico Board of Ed and Daily Times Attempt to Scam the Taxpayers … AGAIN
May 21, 2009 by Cato Filed under Education, Fiscal Policy, Maryland, Media, Wicomico Politics
Never fear. The government is here to help you. In today’s case, it is the good folk at the Wicomico Board of Education (WCBOE) who are colluding with our own local version of Pravda to pick the pocket of the average, hard working citizen of Wicomico County.
The folks over at the WCBOE are going to scrimp and save to help fix a problem of their own making - a $2 million shortfall in the county budget which the board and Supt. John Fredericksen exacerbated by fighting the county’s request of a waiver of the state momentum of effort (MOE) rules. The Daily Times wants us to somehow believe that the WCBOE are the champions of our children.
It’s interesting. Just last week the WCBOE voted to increase the taxpayer paid portion of retiree healthcare benefits from 55% to 70%. Only board president Robin Holloway dissented. Yet, the $357,000 of taxpayer money to be spent on yet another juicy benefit for government workers and retirees would amount to almost 18% of the $2 million budget hole. The county’s budget will have been adopted before the public even gets a chance to find out whether Wicomico County teachers and staff will receive a pay increase next year, and how much.Where does Fredericksen plan on realizing savings? By deferring needed maintenance on school buildings, reducing school supplies and cutting school programs the WCBOE proves two things:
Public education in Wicomico County is about a lot of things, but it ISN’T For The Children
Public education in Wicomico County IS about keeping the board’s four employee unions happy.
I’m sure that Fredericksen and company will argue that we have to remain competetive in order to attract and retain teachers. Maybe. However, in a down economy this argument is specious to the point of being laughable. A few miles north, in Delaware, school district after school district has announced PAY CUTS, EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS, and even EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS. In neighboring and nearby states, teachers are paid less than what teachers earn here, yet we are told that our teachers and staff are grossly underpaid. The wage inflation spiral caused by this sad argument has finally caught up to us in tough economic times. It may actually come down to an ambulance not reaching its destination in time to save a life so that artificially high wages can be maintained at the WCBOE.
I know. Supt. Fredericksen and his faithful acolytes will claim that this argument is ridiculous. Really? I recall a conversation with some members of the Salisbury Career Firefighters a couple of years ago where they shared some comparative salary data with a group of ordinary citizens who were (and still are) fighting to get these people well deserved pay increases. Firefighters in Ocean City are paid 40%+ more than their counterparts in Salisbury. Yet, Salisbury is still able to hire personnel. Sure, their retention rate could be higher, but that is a consequence that must be endured until Salisbury can find the money to pay its public safety personnel better. Additionally, the good men and women at the SFD aren’t staging “work actions” like the teachers in Delmar, DE who are upset at a small pay cut.
Back to the Daily Worker on the Wicomico. Reading today’s piece we are to believe that Fredericken and company are heroes. However, we need to remember that this coverage is literally in a vacuum. Where was reporter Candice Evans last week when a majority of the WCBOE essentially gave county taxpayers the finger? She sure wasn’t at the board of ed meeting.
While we have all read about the problems between the Worcester Board of Ed and Worcester’s County Commissioners, the Daily Times has been mute about the WCBOE. While we have read coverage of the Indian River school district and pay raises for their teachers we get fluff, if anything, about the WCBOE. Did any of you read about the retiree healthcare windfall in Wicomico? Now I know that Daily Times managing editor Erick Sahler SWEARS that coverage, or lack thereof, of the WCBOE has NOTHING to do with the fact that his wife is the board’s public information officer. I’m just getting a tad skeptical.
Unfortunately, I consider myself a rational human being. I believe that coincidence is rare. Given the fair amount of coverage given to neighboring boards of ed, particularly in the past few months, I am more than skeptical about the Daily Times‘ relationship with our local school board. I’m reminded of piece I wrote almost two years ago where I criticized Sahler and his boss for continually failing to disclose their relationships to people or entities that they cover (at the time Executive Editor Greg Bassett’s wife was Communications Director for then-Rep. Wayne Gilchrest). Sahler’s response was essentially that if he had disclose his relationship with his wife he would also have to disclose that Op-Ed editor Susan Parker is in the symphony everytime the paper mentioned a concert. Sophistry at its worst.
We need fair, balanced, coverage of our county’s third largest employer. Instead, we receive none … or the lopsided pablum we enjoyed under the Barrie Tilghman administration (and seem to keep getting under the reign of the pretenders - Barrie Comegys and Princess Louise).
http://www.delmarvadealings.com/
May 21, 2009 by Cato Filed under Education, Fiscal Policy, Maryland, Media, Wicomico Politics
Never fear. The government is here to help you. In today’s case, it is the good folk at the Wicomico Board of Education (WCBOE) who are colluding with our own local version of Pravda to pick the pocket of the average, hard working citizen of Wicomico County.
The folks over at the WCBOE are going to scrimp and save to help fix a problem of their own making - a $2 million shortfall in the county budget which the board and Supt. John Fredericksen exacerbated by fighting the county’s request of a waiver of the state momentum of effort (MOE) rules. The Daily Times wants us to somehow believe that the WCBOE are the champions of our children.
It’s interesting. Just last week the WCBOE voted to increase the taxpayer paid portion of retiree healthcare benefits from 55% to 70%. Only board president Robin Holloway dissented. Yet, the $357,000 of taxpayer money to be spent on yet another juicy benefit for government workers and retirees would amount to almost 18% of the $2 million budget hole. The county’s budget will have been adopted before the public even gets a chance to find out whether Wicomico County teachers and staff will receive a pay increase next year, and how much.Where does Fredericksen plan on realizing savings? By deferring needed maintenance on school buildings, reducing school supplies and cutting school programs the WCBOE proves two things:
Public education in Wicomico County is about a lot of things, but it ISN’T For The Children
Public education in Wicomico County IS about keeping the board’s four employee unions happy.
I’m sure that Fredericksen and company will argue that we have to remain competetive in order to attract and retain teachers. Maybe. However, in a down economy this argument is specious to the point of being laughable. A few miles north, in Delaware, school district after school district has announced PAY CUTS, EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS, and even EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS. In neighboring and nearby states, teachers are paid less than what teachers earn here, yet we are told that our teachers and staff are grossly underpaid. The wage inflation spiral caused by this sad argument has finally caught up to us in tough economic times. It may actually come down to an ambulance not reaching its destination in time to save a life so that artificially high wages can be maintained at the WCBOE.
I know. Supt. Fredericksen and his faithful acolytes will claim that this argument is ridiculous. Really? I recall a conversation with some members of the Salisbury Career Firefighters a couple of years ago where they shared some comparative salary data with a group of ordinary citizens who were (and still are) fighting to get these people well deserved pay increases. Firefighters in Ocean City are paid 40%+ more than their counterparts in Salisbury. Yet, Salisbury is still able to hire personnel. Sure, their retention rate could be higher, but that is a consequence that must be endured until Salisbury can find the money to pay its public safety personnel better. Additionally, the good men and women at the SFD aren’t staging “work actions” like the teachers in Delmar, DE who are upset at a small pay cut.
Back to the Daily Worker on the Wicomico. Reading today’s piece we are to believe that Fredericken and company are heroes. However, we need to remember that this coverage is literally in a vacuum. Where was reporter Candice Evans last week when a majority of the WCBOE essentially gave county taxpayers the finger? She sure wasn’t at the board of ed meeting.
While we have all read about the problems between the Worcester Board of Ed and Worcester’s County Commissioners, the Daily Times has been mute about the WCBOE. While we have read coverage of the Indian River school district and pay raises for their teachers we get fluff, if anything, about the WCBOE. Did any of you read about the retiree healthcare windfall in Wicomico? Now I know that Daily Times managing editor Erick Sahler SWEARS that coverage, or lack thereof, of the WCBOE has NOTHING to do with the fact that his wife is the board’s public information officer. I’m just getting a tad skeptical.
Unfortunately, I consider myself a rational human being. I believe that coincidence is rare. Given the fair amount of coverage given to neighboring boards of ed, particularly in the past few months, I am more than skeptical about the Daily Times‘ relationship with our local school board. I’m reminded of piece I wrote almost two years ago where I criticized Sahler and his boss for continually failing to disclose their relationships to people or entities that they cover (at the time Executive Editor Greg Bassett’s wife was Communications Director for then-Rep. Wayne Gilchrest). Sahler’s response was essentially that if he had disclose his relationship with his wife he would also have to disclose that Op-Ed editor Susan Parker is in the symphony everytime the paper mentioned a concert. Sophistry at its worst.
We need fair, balanced, coverage of our county’s third largest employer. Instead, we receive none … or the lopsided pablum we enjoyed under the Barrie Tilghman administration (and seem to keep getting under the reign of the pretenders - Barrie Comegys and Princess Louise).
http://www.delmarvadealings.com/
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Somerset racial disparities eyed
Hmmmmm? It's evident that the NAACP has not looked at the breadwinner jobs at UMES. Hey NAACP! how about adding 51% white staff to UMES?
PRINCESS ANNE -- Civil rights leaders, labeling Somerset County "the most out of step" jurisdiction in Maryland and perhaps the nation when hiring or appointing blacks, are campaigning to reverse what they call a historical practice of passing over minority applicants.
On Tuesday, officials for the Somerset County NAACP Branch and the ACLU of Maryland jointly invited Somerset leaders to discuss reforms for "racial disparities" in a work force of about 243 employees of which about 13.5 percent are African-Americans.
At a noon news conference at St. James United Methodist Church in Westover, members of the two civil rights groups publicly invited Somerset officials to a June 11 forum to begin an open dialog on disparity in county hiring practices, citing the county's 42 percent African-American population -- the highest black population percentage of any Eastern Shore county with among the lowest number of black workers.
Sam Boston, Somerset County administrator, said he received the report Tuesday morning and had not had time to read it in its entirety. Although, he said, he sees no disparity in the county's hiring practices in recent years. Boston said he is willing to meet with the groups, and added that "I think County Commissioners are open to meet with them."
A spokeswoman at Somerset Human Resources said that Boston's office on Tuesday had requested employment numbers in order to review the situation.
Civil rights members also discussed representation of African-Americans in Somerset County government later Tuesday on National Public Radio's WEAA, 88.9-FM in Baltimore, said talk show host Marc Steiner, who said the issue has gained attention outside the local jurisdiction.
"It is my vision to bring all parties together in a town talk," Steiner said Tuesday from Baltimore, adding Somerset commissioners declined an invitation to join the broadcast because of a schedule conflict.
The civil rights groups delivered a report to County Commissioners detailing county demographics and racial diversity in employment they said show "deeply disturbing disparities" that also are evident at the Somerset Board of Education.
"This is an important day for the ACLU and the NAACP," said Meredith Curtis, an ACLU spokeswoman. "Somerset County is out of step with other counties in Maryland; we would like to see reforms enacted and start a process, put a plan in place, that would see that diversity is valued."
American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Debbie Jeon said the group's attempt to mend racial injustices in Somerset "goes back decades."
"It is deeply troubling to see the disparity today," she said, mocking the Somerset County motto, "Semper Eadem," which in Latin means "Always the Same."
"With the nation's first African-American president, it's striking how little has changed in Somerset County," she said. "There is a 42 percent African-American population, the highest on the Eastern Shore.
Kirk Hall, president of the Somerset NAACP Branch, said racial disparity also spills into other segments of county leadership and authority. Specifically, Hall pointed to the county Democrat Central Committee, which overlooked community activist and NAACP former president Ken Ballard and Clarence Bell, a businessman with expertise in law enforcement, for consideration as an appointee to the board of County Commissioners. The Democratic Central Committee forwarded two other names to Gov. Martin O'Malley, who will made a selection for the vacant position.
Hall said the commission appointment mirrored the county's past.
"No African-Americans have been elected or appointed to a top county office in the county's history," he said, adding that of the blacks hired, few have professional roles.
Now is the time, Hall said, to "expose the great racial disparity in the great Somerset County."
PRINCESS ANNE -- Civil rights leaders, labeling Somerset County "the most out of step" jurisdiction in Maryland and perhaps the nation when hiring or appointing blacks, are campaigning to reverse what they call a historical practice of passing over minority applicants.
On Tuesday, officials for the Somerset County NAACP Branch and the ACLU of Maryland jointly invited Somerset leaders to discuss reforms for "racial disparities" in a work force of about 243 employees of which about 13.5 percent are African-Americans.
At a noon news conference at St. James United Methodist Church in Westover, members of the two civil rights groups publicly invited Somerset officials to a June 11 forum to begin an open dialog on disparity in county hiring practices, citing the county's 42 percent African-American population -- the highest black population percentage of any Eastern Shore county with among the lowest number of black workers.
Sam Boston, Somerset County administrator, said he received the report Tuesday morning and had not had time to read it in its entirety. Although, he said, he sees no disparity in the county's hiring practices in recent years. Boston said he is willing to meet with the groups, and added that "I think County Commissioners are open to meet with them."
A spokeswoman at Somerset Human Resources said that Boston's office on Tuesday had requested employment numbers in order to review the situation.
Civil rights members also discussed representation of African-Americans in Somerset County government later Tuesday on National Public Radio's WEAA, 88.9-FM in Baltimore, said talk show host Marc Steiner, who said the issue has gained attention outside the local jurisdiction.
"It is my vision to bring all parties together in a town talk," Steiner said Tuesday from Baltimore, adding Somerset commissioners declined an invitation to join the broadcast because of a schedule conflict.
The civil rights groups delivered a report to County Commissioners detailing county demographics and racial diversity in employment they said show "deeply disturbing disparities" that also are evident at the Somerset Board of Education.
"This is an important day for the ACLU and the NAACP," said Meredith Curtis, an ACLU spokeswoman. "Somerset County is out of step with other counties in Maryland; we would like to see reforms enacted and start a process, put a plan in place, that would see that diversity is valued."
American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Debbie Jeon said the group's attempt to mend racial injustices in Somerset "goes back decades."
"It is deeply troubling to see the disparity today," she said, mocking the Somerset County motto, "Semper Eadem," which in Latin means "Always the Same."
"With the nation's first African-American president, it's striking how little has changed in Somerset County," she said. "There is a 42 percent African-American population, the highest on the Eastern Shore.
Kirk Hall, president of the Somerset NAACP Branch, said racial disparity also spills into other segments of county leadership and authority. Specifically, Hall pointed to the county Democrat Central Committee, which overlooked community activist and NAACP former president Ken Ballard and Clarence Bell, a businessman with expertise in law enforcement, for consideration as an appointee to the board of County Commissioners. The Democratic Central Committee forwarded two other names to Gov. Martin O'Malley, who will made a selection for the vacant position.
Hall said the commission appointment mirrored the county's past.
"No African-Americans have been elected or appointed to a top county office in the county's history," he said, adding that of the blacks hired, few have professional roles.
Now is the time, Hall said, to "expose the great racial disparity in the great Somerset County."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Oil Changes: How Often?
Do you really need to change your oil every 3 months/3000 miles?
I have been in the auto repair industry since 1972 ... hummmm, a simple calculation of the math illustrates that I have been in car repair for, uh, well, let's not go there. It makes me depressed. You do the math and keep it to yourself. At any rate, enough about my mid life crisis. Let's talk about oil change intervals.
For years the accepted oil change interval (as per the carmakers) has been every 3 months or 3 thousand miles, whichever comes first. Why? Because the oils of yesterday degraded and broke down when left in the crankcase environment for longer than the prescribed interval. The combination of heat, friction, and the oil oxidizing over time resulted in an unholy clothing of the engine's internal parts called sludge. As an automotive machinist for a good part of my career, I can tell you that sludge is an engine killer. Sludge takes a greasy, cake-like oily form and plugs oil return passages and acts like a sponge and soaks up good oil to grow its grotesque form starving the engine of vital lubricants. Once established, engine heat crystallizes it to a hardened rock of ughhhhhh, I have spent many an hour scraping and yes, sometimes chiseling established sludge from the inside of an engine before performing a machining operation on it! As the machinist prepares to perform a machine operation on a cylinder head, crankshaft, engine block or the likes he/she must clean their work meticulously before performing the prescribed operation. If the sludge is not cleaned properly, the result will be a failed engine.
Why this lesson about sludge? Because without clean good quality oil in your car's engine, it will develop sludge and cause premature engine failure.
Now more than ever before, vehicle engines operate at high heat and close tolerances. The reason for this is the Federal Emissions mandates the government has imposed on the carmakers. Vehicles have to emit a smidgeon of the tailpipe emissions they did a decade ago. Carmakers have risen to this occasion by increasing combustion chamber temps with higher compression engines, running leaner fuel systems, adjusting ignition timing for optimum emissions, narrowing cooling system water jackets, and tightening engine oil tolerances. All this makes for hotter running engines that emit less tailpipe emissions. Putting these demands on engines requires a lubricant that can stand up to this harsh environment. Hence, petroleum companies' work hand in hand with carmakers to develop engine lubricants to meet the requirements and demands of a particular powerplant, still delivering the advertised horsepower and torque output that consumers expect. Research and development between carmakers and petroleum companies has resulted in improved engine lubricants that properly lubricate your vehicle's engine as well as keep the inside clean of sludge buildup, AND CAN GO LONGER BETWEEN OIL CHANGES!
A pioneer in extending oil change intervals ...
A few years back, GM introduced a system called the OLM (Oil Life Monitor) system. This system had been in testing since 1984 and actually was put into some Buicks on a test basis. The goal of this system? To extend oil change intervals and attain bragging rights to having a more maintenance-free vehicle. The OLM monitors crankcase temp, moisture, and combustion chamber events (this represents the actual work the engine is doing while in operation). By closely monitoring these elements of engine operation the system can measure the serviceable life of the oil to within 10%. After officially introducing the OLM with virtually no engine failures attributed it the OLM, GM changes their service recommendations to what they called an "Enhanced Maintenance Schedule." With the Enhanced Schedule, the motorist need only follow the dictates of the OLM and have other scheduled services done at prescribed intervals.
Ford Motor Company has followed GM into the extended oil change interval march. In March 2007, Ford announced that they are revising engine oil change intervals to every 7500 miles. The reason? Quoting the article from the Associated Press dated March 22nd, 2007:
"Not only are modern oils better, modern engines are also better. You don't have carburetors metering poorly on winter mornings, tolerances are a lot tighter, and operating temperatures are typically a little hotter, helping to cook off the junk that accumulates in the oil. Ford contends that its customers prefer a set amount of miles between changes. The automaker also cites the environmental benefits that come from less waste oil, monetary savings, as well as extensive tests as positive aspects of the new recommendation."
Yes oil is much better than it used to be, engines are better protected with today's new lubricants but the same old logic still applies to the oil filter: always use a good quality filter when having the engine oil changed. The filter is the storehouse for dirt in the engine and when it doesn't do its job, the engine suffers internally. When dirt and grit are allowed to circulate over, within and on the engine bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, crankshafts, piston rings, camshafts and virtually all metal mating surfaces, they are damaged resulting in wider oil tolerances, lowered oil pressure and ultimately premature engine failure.
While I concur with R&D results over the years with respect to oil change intervals, I am still squeamish about leaving petroleum-based oil in an engine for 7500 miles. I guess I just know too much based on personal experience.
So while yes, I have revised my thinking regarding extending oil change intervals:
Here are my revised oil change recommendations: change regular petroleum based oils every 4-5 thousand miles and synthetic every 5-7 thousand miles.
There, those of you that for years have criticized me as being in the back pocket of petroleum companies for recommending 3 thousand mile oil changes, are you happy now?
'Til next time ... Keep Rollin'
I have been in the auto repair industry since 1972 ... hummmm, a simple calculation of the math illustrates that I have been in car repair for, uh, well, let's not go there. It makes me depressed. You do the math and keep it to yourself. At any rate, enough about my mid life crisis. Let's talk about oil change intervals.
For years the accepted oil change interval (as per the carmakers) has been every 3 months or 3 thousand miles, whichever comes first. Why? Because the oils of yesterday degraded and broke down when left in the crankcase environment for longer than the prescribed interval. The combination of heat, friction, and the oil oxidizing over time resulted in an unholy clothing of the engine's internal parts called sludge. As an automotive machinist for a good part of my career, I can tell you that sludge is an engine killer. Sludge takes a greasy, cake-like oily form and plugs oil return passages and acts like a sponge and soaks up good oil to grow its grotesque form starving the engine of vital lubricants. Once established, engine heat crystallizes it to a hardened rock of ughhhhhh, I have spent many an hour scraping and yes, sometimes chiseling established sludge from the inside of an engine before performing a machining operation on it! As the machinist prepares to perform a machine operation on a cylinder head, crankshaft, engine block or the likes he/she must clean their work meticulously before performing the prescribed operation. If the sludge is not cleaned properly, the result will be a failed engine.
Why this lesson about sludge? Because without clean good quality oil in your car's engine, it will develop sludge and cause premature engine failure.
Now more than ever before, vehicle engines operate at high heat and close tolerances. The reason for this is the Federal Emissions mandates the government has imposed on the carmakers. Vehicles have to emit a smidgeon of the tailpipe emissions they did a decade ago. Carmakers have risen to this occasion by increasing combustion chamber temps with higher compression engines, running leaner fuel systems, adjusting ignition timing for optimum emissions, narrowing cooling system water jackets, and tightening engine oil tolerances. All this makes for hotter running engines that emit less tailpipe emissions. Putting these demands on engines requires a lubricant that can stand up to this harsh environment. Hence, petroleum companies' work hand in hand with carmakers to develop engine lubricants to meet the requirements and demands of a particular powerplant, still delivering the advertised horsepower and torque output that consumers expect. Research and development between carmakers and petroleum companies has resulted in improved engine lubricants that properly lubricate your vehicle's engine as well as keep the inside clean of sludge buildup, AND CAN GO LONGER BETWEEN OIL CHANGES!
A pioneer in extending oil change intervals ...
A few years back, GM introduced a system called the OLM (Oil Life Monitor) system. This system had been in testing since 1984 and actually was put into some Buicks on a test basis. The goal of this system? To extend oil change intervals and attain bragging rights to having a more maintenance-free vehicle. The OLM monitors crankcase temp, moisture, and combustion chamber events (this represents the actual work the engine is doing while in operation). By closely monitoring these elements of engine operation the system can measure the serviceable life of the oil to within 10%. After officially introducing the OLM with virtually no engine failures attributed it the OLM, GM changes their service recommendations to what they called an "Enhanced Maintenance Schedule." With the Enhanced Schedule, the motorist need only follow the dictates of the OLM and have other scheduled services done at prescribed intervals.
Ford Motor Company has followed GM into the extended oil change interval march. In March 2007, Ford announced that they are revising engine oil change intervals to every 7500 miles. The reason? Quoting the article from the Associated Press dated March 22nd, 2007:
"Not only are modern oils better, modern engines are also better. You don't have carburetors metering poorly on winter mornings, tolerances are a lot tighter, and operating temperatures are typically a little hotter, helping to cook off the junk that accumulates in the oil. Ford contends that its customers prefer a set amount of miles between changes. The automaker also cites the environmental benefits that come from less waste oil, monetary savings, as well as extensive tests as positive aspects of the new recommendation."
Yes oil is much better than it used to be, engines are better protected with today's new lubricants but the same old logic still applies to the oil filter: always use a good quality filter when having the engine oil changed. The filter is the storehouse for dirt in the engine and when it doesn't do its job, the engine suffers internally. When dirt and grit are allowed to circulate over, within and on the engine bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, crankshafts, piston rings, camshafts and virtually all metal mating surfaces, they are damaged resulting in wider oil tolerances, lowered oil pressure and ultimately premature engine failure.
While I concur with R&D results over the years with respect to oil change intervals, I am still squeamish about leaving petroleum-based oil in an engine for 7500 miles. I guess I just know too much based on personal experience.
So while yes, I have revised my thinking regarding extending oil change intervals:
Here are my revised oil change recommendations: change regular petroleum based oils every 4-5 thousand miles and synthetic every 5-7 thousand miles.
There, those of you that for years have criticized me as being in the back pocket of petroleum companies for recommending 3 thousand mile oil changes, are you happy now?
'Til next time ... Keep Rollin'
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Pay As You Drive Insurance Trades Privacy For A Discount
Big Brother, Big Savings
Pay As You Drive Insurance Trades Privacy For A
Tim Goodwin doesn't spend much time behind the wheel of his 2004 Chevy Tahoe. Even though he only covers about 3,000 miles per year -- using it just for weekend trips -- he had, until recently, been getting no special deal on his insurance for driving so little.
Six months ago, the Springfield, Missouri property supervisor found a policy that gives him a break. So far he's saved about $48 -- or ten percent -- over six months compared to a traditional premium.
There's a catch; his insurance company, Progressive, is monitoring every move he makes behind the wheel.
Goodwin is fine with it, and says that just knowing that a small transceiver is reporting his driving behavior back to the insurance company helps him drive more carefully.
"There's this Big Brother thing, but it's good," Goodwin said. "Since I know I'm being watched, I'm on my best behavior."
Goodwin noted that he's now less likely to speed.
"You'll, in effect trade a degree of privacy for a lower rate" in such a pay-as-you-drive policy, explains Mike Barry, vice president of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute. "They know not only how many miles you drive but how and when you drive."
For now, MyRate is the only widely available pay-as-you-go auto policy -- available now in nine states (Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, and Oregon), with at least three more expected by the end of the summer. There are "tens of thousands" of drivers already enrolled, according to Progressive, and one in four existing customers of the company who've become eligible for the program have opted in.
Progressive says that MyRate may save up to 25 percent versus a traditional premium if you travel less than 10,000 miles per year, are a defensive driver, and rarely drive past midnight. What bad behaviors does the system look for? Sudden starts and stops, and driving during higher-risk times, will raise the rate -- by up to 9 percent in states where a surcharge is permitted. Progressive says that if you drive even once a week between midnight and 4 a.m. the policy probably isn't a good choice. On the flip side, smooth rural drivers who cover more than 15,000 miles a year could also save 20 percent or more.
Several other insurers, including Allstate, Unigard, and The Hartford, are testing usage-based policies; and GMAC Insurance now offers a low-mileage discount of up to 54 percent to drivers of late-model GM vehicles -- with mileage reported by the onboard OnStar communication and safety system. Another company, MileMeter, offers a system (only in Texas) through which customers pre-pay for a certain number of miles of coverage, as verified simply through the vehicle's odometer reading.
In various forms, pay-as-you-drive policies are already offered in Canada, the U.K., Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, and South Africa, but for now the wider adoption of such policies in the U.S. has been slowed by the differences between in requirements in each state.Why So Long Coming?
Tully Lehman, a spokesman for the insurance industry in California, a state that has recently laid the framework for pay-as-you-drive policies, says that the biggest concern with surveillance-based systems like Progressive's is privacy. But there are also worries with the misinterpretation of the driving-style data.
"For instance, when the company sees hard braking," it could be driver inattention or carelessness, Lehman said. "Or, it could be a dog in the road." It also could be any number of things that have nothing to do with the driver's behavior.
Another issue is that the very vehicle you drive might not qualify you for much of a discount if it has touchy brakes or spirited acceleration; the company doesn't correct for the fact that some cars are more "responsive" than others. A Buick driver, for instance, might get more of a discount than a Mini Cooper driver simply because of the way the vehicles respond. MyRate doesn't differentiate between drivers, either.
MyRate users are able to log in and see an assessment of their driving style, along with charts and graphs and a running trip record.
While privacy advocates might already be up in arms over the data set -- which won't be shared with third parties but could be kept for up to six years -- they'll be somewhat relieved to hear that MyRate doesn't have GPS capabilities. The system knows 'when' and 'how' you drive, but not 'where.' For that, we'll leave the controversy to the GPS locators in cell phones.
Tracking exactly where users go would create serious privacy concerns, admits Steve McKay, product manager for MyRate.
"Knowing location wouldn't add a lot to the predictive value either," McKay said.
The state of California in 2006 outlawed the pricing of policies by zip code, along with several other factors.
Although the future of pay-as-you-drive plans might rest in GPS-based systems that do track where you go, it's now looking like a distant future. California has also recently adopted new regulations that set the framework for pay-as-you-go policies, but the state's insurance commissioner, Steven Poizner, is especially conscious of the privacy concerns that the technology brings.
"I will not approve any auto insurance policy that aims to utilize GPS devices in order to obtain location data from consumers," Poizner said in a release last year.
State and federal governments also have their eye on GPS systems as a new way of figuring road tax in the future. With the projected long-term market swing away from conventional gasoline vehicles toward more efficient plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, many state officials are worried about dwindling revenue for highways. Currently, road taxes are collected via a per-gallon gasoline tax. Just earlier this year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed a mileage-based method for calculating road tax, and several states, including Oregon, have tested a GPS-based system that would assess road tax.Nudges Drivers To Be Safer And Greener
Drivers might simply choose pay-as-you-drive policies to get a break on their premium. But it'll likely save them even more in the long run; because they'll probably drive their cars gentler, get better gas mileage, put less wear on their vehicles, and be less prone to getting tickets.
"Just leaving the device in your car changes your behavior," Allstate spokesman Raleigh Floyd said. Because the company is scoring the driver's actions and there are measurable rewards for good behavior. "It becomes more game-like--and the benefit is that you're a safer driver."
Even Goodwin admits that he finds restraint in his Tahoe when he wouldn't have before.
"Now when I just want to floor it, I don't," he said.
They're likely to reduce their trips as well. According to a report from the Brookings Institution, if motorists paid for their auto insurance by the mile, driving would decline by about eight percent nationwide, significantly reducing carbon-dioxide emissions and gasoline consumption, and nearly two-thirds of drivers would pay less for auto insurance.
Major environmental groups and safety advocates are also on board; the ten-percent decline in driving anticipated by the Environmental Defense Fund would not only reduce air pollution and toxic runoff but also translate to saved lives, through a 17-percent reduction in crashes.
Even Progressive agrees that a pay-as-you-drive policy won't be right for everyone. Those who value their privacy or want to drive however they please can rest assured; there will still be traditional policies for the foreseeable future, experts say.
But if you're willing to take your insurer along for the ride, you might soon have a lot of money-saving options.
http://autos.aol.com/article/pay-as-you-drive
Pay As You Drive Insurance Trades Privacy For A
Tim Goodwin doesn't spend much time behind the wheel of his 2004 Chevy Tahoe. Even though he only covers about 3,000 miles per year -- using it just for weekend trips -- he had, until recently, been getting no special deal on his insurance for driving so little.
Six months ago, the Springfield, Missouri property supervisor found a policy that gives him a break. So far he's saved about $48 -- or ten percent -- over six months compared to a traditional premium.
There's a catch; his insurance company, Progressive, is monitoring every move he makes behind the wheel.
Goodwin is fine with it, and says that just knowing that a small transceiver is reporting his driving behavior back to the insurance company helps him drive more carefully.
"There's this Big Brother thing, but it's good," Goodwin said. "Since I know I'm being watched, I'm on my best behavior."
Goodwin noted that he's now less likely to speed.
"You'll, in effect trade a degree of privacy for a lower rate" in such a pay-as-you-drive policy, explains Mike Barry, vice president of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute. "They know not only how many miles you drive but how and when you drive."
For now, MyRate is the only widely available pay-as-you-go auto policy -- available now in nine states (Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, and Oregon), with at least three more expected by the end of the summer. There are "tens of thousands" of drivers already enrolled, according to Progressive, and one in four existing customers of the company who've become eligible for the program have opted in.
Progressive says that MyRate may save up to 25 percent versus a traditional premium if you travel less than 10,000 miles per year, are a defensive driver, and rarely drive past midnight. What bad behaviors does the system look for? Sudden starts and stops, and driving during higher-risk times, will raise the rate -- by up to 9 percent in states where a surcharge is permitted. Progressive says that if you drive even once a week between midnight and 4 a.m. the policy probably isn't a good choice. On the flip side, smooth rural drivers who cover more than 15,000 miles a year could also save 20 percent or more.
Several other insurers, including Allstate, Unigard, and The Hartford, are testing usage-based policies; and GMAC Insurance now offers a low-mileage discount of up to 54 percent to drivers of late-model GM vehicles -- with mileage reported by the onboard OnStar communication and safety system. Another company, MileMeter, offers a system (only in Texas) through which customers pre-pay for a certain number of miles of coverage, as verified simply through the vehicle's odometer reading.
In various forms, pay-as-you-drive policies are already offered in Canada, the U.K., Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, and South Africa, but for now the wider adoption of such policies in the U.S. has been slowed by the differences between in requirements in each state.Why So Long Coming?
Tully Lehman, a spokesman for the insurance industry in California, a state that has recently laid the framework for pay-as-you-drive policies, says that the biggest concern with surveillance-based systems like Progressive's is privacy. But there are also worries with the misinterpretation of the driving-style data.
"For instance, when the company sees hard braking," it could be driver inattention or carelessness, Lehman said. "Or, it could be a dog in the road." It also could be any number of things that have nothing to do with the driver's behavior.
Another issue is that the very vehicle you drive might not qualify you for much of a discount if it has touchy brakes or spirited acceleration; the company doesn't correct for the fact that some cars are more "responsive" than others. A Buick driver, for instance, might get more of a discount than a Mini Cooper driver simply because of the way the vehicles respond. MyRate doesn't differentiate between drivers, either.
MyRate users are able to log in and see an assessment of their driving style, along with charts and graphs and a running trip record.
While privacy advocates might already be up in arms over the data set -- which won't be shared with third parties but could be kept for up to six years -- they'll be somewhat relieved to hear that MyRate doesn't have GPS capabilities. The system knows 'when' and 'how' you drive, but not 'where.' For that, we'll leave the controversy to the GPS locators in cell phones.
Tracking exactly where users go would create serious privacy concerns, admits Steve McKay, product manager for MyRate.
"Knowing location wouldn't add a lot to the predictive value either," McKay said.
The state of California in 2006 outlawed the pricing of policies by zip code, along with several other factors.
Although the future of pay-as-you-drive plans might rest in GPS-based systems that do track where you go, it's now looking like a distant future. California has also recently adopted new regulations that set the framework for pay-as-you-go policies, but the state's insurance commissioner, Steven Poizner, is especially conscious of the privacy concerns that the technology brings.
"I will not approve any auto insurance policy that aims to utilize GPS devices in order to obtain location data from consumers," Poizner said in a release last year.
State and federal governments also have their eye on GPS systems as a new way of figuring road tax in the future. With the projected long-term market swing away from conventional gasoline vehicles toward more efficient plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, many state officials are worried about dwindling revenue for highways. Currently, road taxes are collected via a per-gallon gasoline tax. Just earlier this year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed a mileage-based method for calculating road tax, and several states, including Oregon, have tested a GPS-based system that would assess road tax.Nudges Drivers To Be Safer And Greener
Drivers might simply choose pay-as-you-drive policies to get a break on their premium. But it'll likely save them even more in the long run; because they'll probably drive their cars gentler, get better gas mileage, put less wear on their vehicles, and be less prone to getting tickets.
"Just leaving the device in your car changes your behavior," Allstate spokesman Raleigh Floyd said. Because the company is scoring the driver's actions and there are measurable rewards for good behavior. "It becomes more game-like--and the benefit is that you're a safer driver."
Even Goodwin admits that he finds restraint in his Tahoe when he wouldn't have before.
"Now when I just want to floor it, I don't," he said.
They're likely to reduce their trips as well. According to a report from the Brookings Institution, if motorists paid for their auto insurance by the mile, driving would decline by about eight percent nationwide, significantly reducing carbon-dioxide emissions and gasoline consumption, and nearly two-thirds of drivers would pay less for auto insurance.
Major environmental groups and safety advocates are also on board; the ten-percent decline in driving anticipated by the Environmental Defense Fund would not only reduce air pollution and toxic runoff but also translate to saved lives, through a 17-percent reduction in crashes.
Even Progressive agrees that a pay-as-you-drive policy won't be right for everyone. Those who value their privacy or want to drive however they please can rest assured; there will still be traditional policies for the foreseeable future, experts say.
But if you're willing to take your insurer along for the ride, you might soon have a lot of money-saving options.
http://autos.aol.com/article/pay-as-you-drive
Cable Boxes
Did you know that even though you may have the latest greatest TV set that it still will not receive ALL the cable channels? I didn't either.
I just spent my day connecting and programming cable boxes and remotes.
We get many more channels with the box than the latest greatest TV will receive. The cable companies are not making this info public, The first 2 boxes were free, the additional 2 boxes we needed cost 5 dollars per month.
General cable splitters will not work, you need satellite or digital splitters, (from radio shack) if you have a long run of cable (25 or more feet) you will also need a amplifier and it must be for digital signal or satellite, if you do not have these items it will drive you crazy trying to figure out why your box is not working. Now these are not the converter boxes, they are cable boxes and they hold the key to the extra channels on your basic cable service. After you install the boxes that you must drive to Salisbury to acquire then you have to call the cable company and activate each and every box.
Hope this info helps, I wish I had this info before pulling out my hair wondering why the boxes would not work after I installed them. The boxes need a strong signal and the proper splitters, the old cheap splitters will not work if you have a long run of cable.
I just spent my day connecting and programming cable boxes and remotes.
We get many more channels with the box than the latest greatest TV will receive. The cable companies are not making this info public, The first 2 boxes were free, the additional 2 boxes we needed cost 5 dollars per month.
General cable splitters will not work, you need satellite or digital splitters, (from radio shack) if you have a long run of cable (25 or more feet) you will also need a amplifier and it must be for digital signal or satellite, if you do not have these items it will drive you crazy trying to figure out why your box is not working. Now these are not the converter boxes, they are cable boxes and they hold the key to the extra channels on your basic cable service. After you install the boxes that you must drive to Salisbury to acquire then you have to call the cable company and activate each and every box.
Hope this info helps, I wish I had this info before pulling out my hair wondering why the boxes would not work after I installed them. The boxes need a strong signal and the proper splitters, the old cheap splitters will not work if you have a long run of cable.
Warriors come out survivors
SALISBURY -- The upperclassmen on the Pocomoke softball team had to feel like they were watching a horror film they had seen one to many times before. Same villain, same plot, same ending. But this year, something different happened
Instead of Colonel Richardson pulling away late to win its third straight 1A East region championship, the Warriors fought back, with one monster inning propelling to victory. Pocomoke scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to down the Colonels 8-5 and earn a trip to the state semifinals.
"A lot of hard work went into this," Pocomoke coach Ron Trostle said. "These girls played their hearts out today. We were down 5-1, and they didn't lose their drive or motivation. They knew they could do it. We can hit the ball, we struggled a bit today, but we can hit the ball and, by golly, they sure did."
The game was a relative pitching duel going into the sixth inning, as the Colonels led 2-1, but the offensive flood gates would open, as the teams combined to score 10 runs in the frame. After the first two Colonel batters in the sixth popped out to the shortstop and left field, respectively, third baseman Chandler Johnson dropped a single into left field.
Jen Post was next to the plate and delivered a hit that sneaked past the outstretched reach of the Warriors second basemen, advancing Johnson to third, while Post reached second safely. Ann Lee then reached first on a bunt that was mishandled, allowing Johnson to score, with Post racing to third. Post would then come around to score on a past ball, increasing the Colonels' margin to 4-1. Casey Edgell capped off the two-out rally with a double down the third base line that scored Lee, making Pocomoke's deficit 5-1.
With just six outs separating the Warriors from the end of their season, the outlook seemed bleak. However, Pocomoke's bats would come alive just in time to save the day.
Amber Holland lead off Pocomoke's half of the sixth with a double to center field. She was then driven in by a seeing-eye single off the bat of pitcher Annah Brittingham. Kasey Tapman drew a walk, before Skylar Hall delivered a single up the middle to score Brittingham, cutting the Colonels' lead to 5-3. Sarah Scher then drew a walk to load the bases for No. 8 hitter Taylor West.
-->(2 of 2)
West had grounded out and reached on an error in her two previous at-bats, but this turn she connected on the big hit the Warriors' desperately needed. West sent a flyball high into the outfield, where both the right fielder and the center fielder had a chance to make a play, but neither could come up with the catch, allowing two runs to score, knotting the game at five-all.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,5);
Still with no outs, Pocomoke would then take the lead, as a wild pitch allowed Scher to cross the plate, scoring the eventual game-winning run. Kelly Cowger helped to add to the Warriors' advantage as she laid down a sacrifice bunt along the third-base line. The third baseman gathered the ball and looked West back to the bag before firing to first. But West took off toward home, causing the first baseman to step off the bag and throw to the plate before getting the out. West was caught in a rundown, but skillfully avoided the tag of the Colonels' catcher, giving Pocomoke a 7-5 lead. Cowger would come around to score the Warriors' seventh and final tally of the inning, on a Kristie Denning single that landed in left field.
Pocomoke's comeback was still not complete, as Colonel Richardson still had to bat in the top of the seventh. Brittingham, however, promptly shut the door on any of the Colonels' hopes, allowing just a single to Steph Garey before the Pocomoke pitcher got the last two batters to fly out.
"Oh my gosh, I didn't know what to think, so many things went through my mind right when she caught the final out," Brittingham said. "I just wanted to scream, and I did, and it was the greatest feeling."
Instead of Colonel Richardson pulling away late to win its third straight 1A East region championship, the Warriors fought back, with one monster inning propelling to victory. Pocomoke scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to down the Colonels 8-5 and earn a trip to the state semifinals.
"A lot of hard work went into this," Pocomoke coach Ron Trostle said. "These girls played their hearts out today. We were down 5-1, and they didn't lose their drive or motivation. They knew they could do it. We can hit the ball, we struggled a bit today, but we can hit the ball and, by golly, they sure did."
The game was a relative pitching duel going into the sixth inning, as the Colonels led 2-1, but the offensive flood gates would open, as the teams combined to score 10 runs in the frame. After the first two Colonel batters in the sixth popped out to the shortstop and left field, respectively, third baseman Chandler Johnson dropped a single into left field.
Jen Post was next to the plate and delivered a hit that sneaked past the outstretched reach of the Warriors second basemen, advancing Johnson to third, while Post reached second safely. Ann Lee then reached first on a bunt that was mishandled, allowing Johnson to score, with Post racing to third. Post would then come around to score on a past ball, increasing the Colonels' margin to 4-1. Casey Edgell capped off the two-out rally with a double down the third base line that scored Lee, making Pocomoke's deficit 5-1.
With just six outs separating the Warriors from the end of their season, the outlook seemed bleak. However, Pocomoke's bats would come alive just in time to save the day.
Amber Holland lead off Pocomoke's half of the sixth with a double to center field. She was then driven in by a seeing-eye single off the bat of pitcher Annah Brittingham. Kasey Tapman drew a walk, before Skylar Hall delivered a single up the middle to score Brittingham, cutting the Colonels' lead to 5-3. Sarah Scher then drew a walk to load the bases for No. 8 hitter Taylor West.
-->(2 of 2)
West had grounded out and reached on an error in her two previous at-bats, but this turn she connected on the big hit the Warriors' desperately needed. West sent a flyball high into the outfield, where both the right fielder and the center fielder had a chance to make a play, but neither could come up with the catch, allowing two runs to score, knotting the game at five-all.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,5);
Still with no outs, Pocomoke would then take the lead, as a wild pitch allowed Scher to cross the plate, scoring the eventual game-winning run. Kelly Cowger helped to add to the Warriors' advantage as she laid down a sacrifice bunt along the third-base line. The third baseman gathered the ball and looked West back to the bag before firing to first. But West took off toward home, causing the first baseman to step off the bag and throw to the plate before getting the out. West was caught in a rundown, but skillfully avoided the tag of the Colonels' catcher, giving Pocomoke a 7-5 lead. Cowger would come around to score the Warriors' seventh and final tally of the inning, on a Kristie Denning single that landed in left field.
Pocomoke's comeback was still not complete, as Colonel Richardson still had to bat in the top of the seventh. Brittingham, however, promptly shut the door on any of the Colonels' hopes, allowing just a single to Steph Garey before the Pocomoke pitcher got the last two batters to fly out.
"Oh my gosh, I didn't know what to think, so many things went through my mind right when she caught the final out," Brittingham said. "I just wanted to scream, and I did, and it was the greatest feeling."
Spaceport reschedules Minotaur rocket launch
WALLOPS ISLAND -- The launch of a Minotaur rocket carrying a military satellite from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport has been rescheduled for Tuesday, with a backup date of Wednesday. The launch window for both days is 7:35 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The launch was originally set for May 5 and two additional attempts were made last Thursday and Friday, but bad weather and then a technical glitch with the flight termination system kept the rocket on the launch pad.
On Friday the launch was scrubbed at 10:43 p.m. with just two minutes left in the countdown.
Officials had to wait to set a new date until conflicts with range assets, including Monday's launch of the space shuttle, were resolved.
The 69-foot-tall rocket carries TacSat-3, a $60 million Air Force satellite that includes a hyperspectral imager designed to provide near real-time images to military personnel on the battlefield.
During its planned one-year mission in orbit 264 miles above Earth, the 880-pound satellite will be incorporated into military exercises to evaluate the potential of new technology designed to enable military personnel in a war theater to quickly obtain information and near real-time images about targets and battlefield conditions in their immediate vicinity.
Also on board is the Office of Naval Research's Satellite Communications Package and the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Avionics Experiment, along with PharmSat, a NASA experiment that could help scientists better understand how drugs work in space. Three 4-inch cube satellites, including one developed by Hawk Institute for Space Sciences in Pocomoke City, will be launched as secondary payloads.
The launch will be visible in the mid-Atlantic region. The NASA Visitor Center on Route 175 and the beach at Assateague National Seashore will be open to view the launch.
Updates will be posted before the countdown begins on NASA's Web site, www.nasa.gov/centers/ wallops/missions/ tacsat3.html.
Updates also will be provided by telephone on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.
Radio station 760 AM, which has a range of about five miles from the NASA Visitor Center, also will have updates.
The status also will be available during the countdown on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NASA_Wallops.
The launch will be Web cast at http://sites. wff.nasa.gov/webcast/.
The launch was originally set for May 5 and two additional attempts were made last Thursday and Friday, but bad weather and then a technical glitch with the flight termination system kept the rocket on the launch pad.
On Friday the launch was scrubbed at 10:43 p.m. with just two minutes left in the countdown.
Officials had to wait to set a new date until conflicts with range assets, including Monday's launch of the space shuttle, were resolved.
The 69-foot-tall rocket carries TacSat-3, a $60 million Air Force satellite that includes a hyperspectral imager designed to provide near real-time images to military personnel on the battlefield.
During its planned one-year mission in orbit 264 miles above Earth, the 880-pound satellite will be incorporated into military exercises to evaluate the potential of new technology designed to enable military personnel in a war theater to quickly obtain information and near real-time images about targets and battlefield conditions in their immediate vicinity.
Also on board is the Office of Naval Research's Satellite Communications Package and the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Avionics Experiment, along with PharmSat, a NASA experiment that could help scientists better understand how drugs work in space. Three 4-inch cube satellites, including one developed by Hawk Institute for Space Sciences in Pocomoke City, will be launched as secondary payloads.
The launch will be visible in the mid-Atlantic region. The NASA Visitor Center on Route 175 and the beach at Assateague National Seashore will be open to view the launch.
Updates will be posted before the countdown begins on NASA's Web site, www.nasa.gov/centers/ wallops/missions/ tacsat3.html.
Updates also will be provided by telephone on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.
Radio station 760 AM, which has a range of about five miles from the NASA Visitor Center, also will have updates.
The status also will be available during the countdown on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NASA_Wallops.
The launch will be Web cast at http://sites. wff.nasa.gov/webcast/.
Geraniums stolen from graveside
Family is distressed by theft of geraniums
Someone may have received a large and beautiful planter filled with pink geraniums either on or the day before Mother's Day. It wasstolen from my daughter's gravesite.
She was the mother of two children and sister to six siblings. She didn't get to have her flowers for Mother's Day. Her name is Stephanie Petitt and she has been gone four and a half years.
She was laid to rest in Pitts Creek Presbyterian Cemetery in Pocomoke City.
I wonder if the person who has the plants has been enjoying them as much as our family would have enjoyed seeing them there with our loved one?
Someone may have received a large and beautiful planter filled with pink geraniums either on or the day before Mother's Day. It wasstolen from my daughter's gravesite.
She was the mother of two children and sister to six siblings. She didn't get to have her flowers for Mother's Day. Her name is Stephanie Petitt and she has been gone four and a half years.
She was laid to rest in Pitts Creek Presbyterian Cemetery in Pocomoke City.
I wonder if the person who has the plants has been enjoying them as much as our family would have enjoyed seeing them there with our loved one?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
How many is that?
A Blonde is watching the news with her husband when the newscaster says 'Two Brazilian men die in a skydiving accident.'The blonde starts crying to her husband, sobbing 'That's horrible!!! Somany men dying that way!'Confused, he says, 'Yes dear, it is sad, but they were skydiving,and there is always that risk involved.'After a few minutes, the blonde, still sobbing, says, 'How many is a Brazilian?
Ex-city employee starts blog for protest
POCOMOKE CITY -- For Sharon Beyma, the April City Council election was the final straw -- it was time to blog.
Beyma, a Pocomoke City resident, supported District 4 candidate Stephanie Burke, who campaigned on a message of change and transparency in city government. Burke lost after 178 absentee ballots tipped the scale of the split 58-58 in-person vote in favor of her opponent, incumbent Tracey Cottman. Only four absentee ballots were filed for Burke.
"I've lived in Pocomoke City 30 years now," Beyma said. "I've raised two kids here and I'm just really tired with what I've seen happen here over and over again. It all came to a head with what I saw happen this last election."
Beyma, the former director of administrative services for the Worcester County Health Department started her blog, titled "Seeking Sunshine in Pocomoke," later that month. Through the forum she hopes to "enable open, honest, thoughtful discussion of what it takes to have open, transparent, accountable local government, both in general and specifically with regard to Pocomoke City." It's published at seekingsunshineinpocomoke .blogspot.com.
"When you get to be my age, you want to be able to say what you think and not be fearful," she said. "I think a lot of people in this town are fearful about speaking out."
Beyma, a certified public accountant, moved to Pocomoke City in the late 1970s with her husband who worked for NASA at Wallops Island.
In 1993, she took a job at town hall as the finance director. Beyma said her time working for Pocomoke city was an "eye opener" as she learned how things were done. She resigned in 1995 because, she "did not see eye to eye with the city manager."
"Sometimes the best lessons you learn are from making mistakes," Beyma said. "It was a mistake to take the job and another mistake not to leave sooner."
After resigning, she ran twice for the District 5 City Council seat, and was unsuccessful both times. A few years later, Beyma worked for the Worcester County Health Department and served there for more than a decade before she recently retired.
Now, fresh with time on her hands, she is back to tackling the things she thinks are wrong with the small town.
"I don't see any forethought for the city," Beyma said. "I see 'how do I stay in this position and maintain the power I have' but I don't see how to move forward -- and there is such a potential here -- but the current officials are stifling that potential because of their unwillingness to fully involve all people in town."
Beyma wants the Pocomoke City to utilize its Web site, posting meeting agendas, budgets and other town documents for public review The town should start broadcasting its council meetings, she said, either over the Internet or on TV, so that people who can't make it to town hall will have a chance to watch and increase public accountability for officials. And, in light of the recent election, Beyma wants the town to have a stronger, more autonomous board of elections and reassess the rules governing absentee ballots.
"I think there needs to be program put in place where people who might influence the absentee vote in the wrong way is minimized," she said. "I don't think you will ever get rid of it at all."
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090514/WCT01/905140342/-1/WCT
you can visit Sharons blog @ http://seekingsunshineinpocomoke.blogspot.com/
Beyma, a Pocomoke City resident, supported District 4 candidate Stephanie Burke, who campaigned on a message of change and transparency in city government. Burke lost after 178 absentee ballots tipped the scale of the split 58-58 in-person vote in favor of her opponent, incumbent Tracey Cottman. Only four absentee ballots were filed for Burke.
"I've lived in Pocomoke City 30 years now," Beyma said. "I've raised two kids here and I'm just really tired with what I've seen happen here over and over again. It all came to a head with what I saw happen this last election."
Beyma, the former director of administrative services for the Worcester County Health Department started her blog, titled "Seeking Sunshine in Pocomoke," later that month. Through the forum she hopes to "enable open, honest, thoughtful discussion of what it takes to have open, transparent, accountable local government, both in general and specifically with regard to Pocomoke City." It's published at seekingsunshineinpocomoke .blogspot.com.
"When you get to be my age, you want to be able to say what you think and not be fearful," she said. "I think a lot of people in this town are fearful about speaking out."
Beyma, a certified public accountant, moved to Pocomoke City in the late 1970s with her husband who worked for NASA at Wallops Island.
In 1993, she took a job at town hall as the finance director. Beyma said her time working for Pocomoke city was an "eye opener" as she learned how things were done. She resigned in 1995 because, she "did not see eye to eye with the city manager."
"Sometimes the best lessons you learn are from making mistakes," Beyma said. "It was a mistake to take the job and another mistake not to leave sooner."
After resigning, she ran twice for the District 5 City Council seat, and was unsuccessful both times. A few years later, Beyma worked for the Worcester County Health Department and served there for more than a decade before she recently retired.
Now, fresh with time on her hands, she is back to tackling the things she thinks are wrong with the small town.
"I don't see any forethought for the city," Beyma said. "I see 'how do I stay in this position and maintain the power I have' but I don't see how to move forward -- and there is such a potential here -- but the current officials are stifling that potential because of their unwillingness to fully involve all people in town."
Beyma wants the Pocomoke City to utilize its Web site, posting meeting agendas, budgets and other town documents for public review The town should start broadcasting its council meetings, she said, either over the Internet or on TV, so that people who can't make it to town hall will have a chance to watch and increase public accountability for officials. And, in light of the recent election, Beyma wants the town to have a stronger, more autonomous board of elections and reassess the rules governing absentee ballots.
"I think there needs to be program put in place where people who might influence the absentee vote in the wrong way is minimized," she said. "I don't think you will ever get rid of it at all."
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090514/WCT01/905140342/-1/WCT
you can visit Sharons blog @ http://seekingsunshineinpocomoke.blogspot.com/
POCOMOKE: Dealership on closure list won't really close
POCOMOKE CITY — Chrysler may be shedding dealers as part of its bankruptcy plan, but one Pocomoke City dealership on the list won’t be closing.
Frostrom Jeep-Subaru will no longer be selling new Jeep products, but Subaru and Frostrom’s used car sales are still going strong, says Mark Frostrom, president and general manager.
“We’re not anticipating any cuts. We’ll continue on as we are; we just won’t be selling any Jeeps,” Frostrom said.
In a court filing today, Chrysler asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez to reject dealer agreements for 789 dealers throughout the U.S. in an effort “to conserve cash and pursue transactions that maximize value.”
General Motors will also be notifying up to 1,100 dealers this week that their franchise agreements will not be renewed.
Frostrom said his location had been a Jeep dealership for 31 years, and many smaller dealerships had been affected. He expressed concern that although his location had fall-back products, others might not be so lucky.
“There are other parts of the country that will be harder hit,” he said.
But Frostrom hopes his dealership will continue on for decades.
The Japan-based owner of Subaru, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., earlier this month posted a second year of worldwide losses, but said in its earnings report that North American sales were a bright spot — U.S. sales were in fact projected to increase 3.8 percent this fiscal year.
Frostrom Jeep-Subaru will no longer be selling new Jeep products, but Subaru and Frostrom’s used car sales are still going strong, says Mark Frostrom, president and general manager.
“We’re not anticipating any cuts. We’ll continue on as we are; we just won’t be selling any Jeeps,” Frostrom said.
In a court filing today, Chrysler asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez to reject dealer agreements for 789 dealers throughout the U.S. in an effort “to conserve cash and pursue transactions that maximize value.”
General Motors will also be notifying up to 1,100 dealers this week that their franchise agreements will not be renewed.
Frostrom said his location had been a Jeep dealership for 31 years, and many smaller dealerships had been affected. He expressed concern that although his location had fall-back products, others might not be so lucky.
“There are other parts of the country that will be harder hit,” he said.
But Frostrom hopes his dealership will continue on for decades.
The Japan-based owner of Subaru, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., earlier this month posted a second year of worldwide losses, but said in its earnings report that North American sales were a bright spot — U.S. sales were in fact projected to increase 3.8 percent this fiscal year.
Debate looms as council sworn in
SNOW HILL -- Snow Hill's newest council members have been sworn in following victories in the heated May 5 election.
In their first meeting since taking office, Rebecca Bowman and Gerald Shockley helped approve the town's $2.1 million fiscal 2009-10 budget and listened to concerns about local absentee ballot procedures.
The budget includes $46,500 in cuts made Tuesday morning by the county and state to Snow Hill's police department, in lieu of taxes and highway user fee funds. Overall, the town's funding will be more than $1 million less than this year.
"We didn't get revenue and we had to pay more money for things," said Mayor Stephen Mathews. "But we have actually balanced the budget."
Bowman -- who is now the council treasurer -- and Shockley's council victories are the center of a debate in the town about the use of absentee ballots and the legitimacy of the election.
The Snow Hill Town Charter holds that "any qualified voter registered to vote in the town of Snow Hill is entitled to vote in any municipal election by absentee ballot." Bowman and Shockley presented ballots to voters while campaigning as a way for people to vote in their own home. While they were well within the law, some in Snow Hill were concerned about the legitimacy of the ballots, which were often turned in by the candidates themselves.
On the day of the election, resident David Suznavick filed a complaint alleging Bowman and Shockley had tampered with the ballots and may have intimidated voters. The mayor has recused the council from dealing with the issue, and Suznavick said he will take his complaint to Worcester County Circuit Court.
At this week's meeting, armed with about 40 signatures from town residents, he formally challenged the election results, which was won with the help of 161 absentee ballots for Bowman and Shockley. Only 20 ballots were cast for other candidates.
"We ask town elected officials, as well as Snow Hill Board of Elections officials to delay the certification of votes and swearing in of newly elected Town Council members until after a public meeting is convened, so elected and elections officials can resolve these issues under public scrutiny," wrote Suznavick in the letter addressed to town and election officials.
Since the vote tallies were certified by the town's Board of Elections, Bowman and Shockley took their seats despite the complaint.
Edward Lee, a politically active Snow Hill resident and a strong supporter of Bowman's and Shockley's campaigns, suggested the town look at bringing its absentee ballot regulations in line with the state, consider redistricting, and reconsider the composition and procedures of the Board of Elections.
Mathews said the voting rules would be looked at and changes made to the code.
"My recommendation is that we look at this at a later time and appoint a committee of residents to address the issues and make recommendations back to us," Mathews said.
jhopkinson@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 17
In their first meeting since taking office, Rebecca Bowman and Gerald Shockley helped approve the town's $2.1 million fiscal 2009-10 budget and listened to concerns about local absentee ballot procedures.
The budget includes $46,500 in cuts made Tuesday morning by the county and state to Snow Hill's police department, in lieu of taxes and highway user fee funds. Overall, the town's funding will be more than $1 million less than this year.
"We didn't get revenue and we had to pay more money for things," said Mayor Stephen Mathews. "But we have actually balanced the budget."
Bowman -- who is now the council treasurer -- and Shockley's council victories are the center of a debate in the town about the use of absentee ballots and the legitimacy of the election.
The Snow Hill Town Charter holds that "any qualified voter registered to vote in the town of Snow Hill is entitled to vote in any municipal election by absentee ballot." Bowman and Shockley presented ballots to voters while campaigning as a way for people to vote in their own home. While they were well within the law, some in Snow Hill were concerned about the legitimacy of the ballots, which were often turned in by the candidates themselves.
On the day of the election, resident David Suznavick filed a complaint alleging Bowman and Shockley had tampered with the ballots and may have intimidated voters. The mayor has recused the council from dealing with the issue, and Suznavick said he will take his complaint to Worcester County Circuit Court.
At this week's meeting, armed with about 40 signatures from town residents, he formally challenged the election results, which was won with the help of 161 absentee ballots for Bowman and Shockley. Only 20 ballots were cast for other candidates.
"We ask town elected officials, as well as Snow Hill Board of Elections officials to delay the certification of votes and swearing in of newly elected Town Council members until after a public meeting is convened, so elected and elections officials can resolve these issues under public scrutiny," wrote Suznavick in the letter addressed to town and election officials.
Since the vote tallies were certified by the town's Board of Elections, Bowman and Shockley took their seats despite the complaint.
Edward Lee, a politically active Snow Hill resident and a strong supporter of Bowman's and Shockley's campaigns, suggested the town look at bringing its absentee ballot regulations in line with the state, consider redistricting, and reconsider the composition and procedures of the Board of Elections.
Mathews said the voting rules would be looked at and changes made to the code.
"My recommendation is that we look at this at a later time and appoint a committee of residents to address the issues and make recommendations back to us," Mathews said.
jhopkinson@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 17
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thoughts for the day
I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
My wild oats have turned into prunes and All Bran.
I finally got my head together; now my body is falling apart.
Funny, I don't remember being absent minded...
All reports are in; Life is now officially unfair.
If all is not lost, where is it?
It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.
Some days you're the dog; some days you're the hydrant.
I wish the buck stopped here; I sure could use a few...
Kids in the back seat cause accidents.
Accidents in the back seat cause...kids.
It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.
Only time the world beats a path to your door is when you're in the bathroom.
If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.
When I'm finally holding all the cards, why does everyone decide to play chess?
It's not hard to meet expenses...they're everywhere.
The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter...I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I'm here after.
My wild oats have turned into prunes and All Bran.
I finally got my head together; now my body is falling apart.
Funny, I don't remember being absent minded...
All reports are in; Life is now officially unfair.
If all is not lost, where is it?
It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.
Some days you're the dog; some days you're the hydrant.
I wish the buck stopped here; I sure could use a few...
Kids in the back seat cause accidents.
Accidents in the back seat cause...kids.
It's hard to make a comeback when you haven't been anywhere.
Only time the world beats a path to your door is when you're in the bathroom.
If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.
When I'm finally holding all the cards, why does everyone decide to play chess?
It's not hard to meet expenses...they're everywhere.
The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter...I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I'm here after.
Where, oh where, has the helicopter landed?
PRINCESS ANNE -- If seeing is believing, the feds intend to get an eyeful "in the near future."
Md. police to conduct on-site inspection for feds of elusive Princess Anne aircraft
The elusive Princess Anne Police Department helicopter, guardedly moved from place to place to place to place -- and kept in recent years out of sight -- is on the radar of the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service that granted the aircraft to the town and is sending an inspector to see it for himself.
Maryland State Police Lt. Eugene Paluzzi said Tuesday that he decided to make the trip "soon," following inquiries last week about an Internet blog suggesting the helicopter was "hidden in a coop" on the Eastern Shore, apparently to conceal questionable activity.
Paluzzi is Maryland coordinator for the federal 1033 military Law Enforcement Support Office program, or LESO, that awards qualifying police departments with military surplus equipment, weapons or vehicles.
"I will be in Princess Anne physically to inspect," Paluzzi said Tuesday. "I will conduct an on-site audit. Somehow, the feds got ahold of the blog, called me and asked if the aircraft was there. The best way to find out is to come in the near future."
Not long after the U.S. Army surplus helicopter came into the custody of the Princess Anne Police Department in June 2005, the aircraft came under scrutiny by government leaders in the tri-county region. Elected officials in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties were reluctant to lend financial support and manpower for a proposed Tri-County Helicopter Program of allied agencies primarily on the Lower Shore. The program, conceived by former Princess Anne police chief Russell Pecoraro, would have engaged in police operations such as marijuana eradication.
In need of some repair, the OH-58C model helicopter, rather, went into storage, first for about three years at a private hangar at the Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport, then for about a month at an outside storage facility of a private landowner in Wicomico County. Later, the same property owner moved the aircraft to a private barn on Walston Switch Road, also in Wicomico, where it sat until early 2008, when Princess Anne officials moved it to a location in Somerset County, said current Princess Anne Police Chief Scott Keller.
Here and there
Through the moves, the helicopter hasn't cost taxpayers a cent, Keller reaffirmed Tuesday, saying he welcomes the federal and state inspection. "A property owner was gracious to store it for us, now we have it," Keller said. "The last time the media knew about it, they hounded the guy, kept coming by and photographing it. He asked if (we) minded hiding the helicopter."
On Tuesday, Keller and other town officials allowed The Daily Times to see the grayish aircraft with orange panels on the condition its location is not revealed. Engraved on its side is "26-C, U.S. Army, 0-15226." Keller cites security reasons and nuisance queries tied to the aircraft for keeping the storage location secret.
"This doesn't need to be a three-ring circus," he said.
Paluzzi said he spoke to Keller this week about the aircraft, and was satisfied it is safe with parts in place. "We haven't found much merit to what was in this blog, that it's hidden in a (chicken) coop," Paluzzi said. "This is not a theft issue."
Both Pecoraro and Keller have said they hoped to eventually get the aircraft off the ground for police work or sell it for parts after five years, or 2010.
Keller dismisses another recent suggestion that a private investigator was conducting an inquiry about the helicopter.
"I don't know what they are investigating; that's unclear," he said. "I'm angry; there is no story. This is a story without lights. You're beating a dead horse."
He stood Tuesday at the undisclosed helicopter location, envisioning a black-and-white painted aircraft, polished with a workable engine and displaying a seal representing allied police agencies.
"My goal is to keep service at an even level. I'd like to have the helicopter; I'd like to have a tri-county (police) lab," he said. "My ultimate goal is to operate the helicopter, get it in the air, at no cost to taxpayers. That's my vision for the future."
Grounded
Pecoraro shared the vision. A retired chief and detective at the Erie County Sheriff's Office in Buffalo, N.Y., he was a trained pilot for the department's aviation division. But the department's surplus helicopter program came under U.S. Department of Justice scrutiny after questions regarding the alleged illegal sale of aircraft parts, which is a program violation.
By the time the query ended with no wrongdoing ever uncovered, Pecoraro was chief at the 11-member Princess Anne Police Department and preparing to secure the department a surplus aircraft.
Pecoraro retired in 2008, but the Princess Anne Police Department's vision for a tri-county aircraft continues. Princess Anne Police Cpl. Rob Pinchak recalled a maneuver local law enforcement officers made last summer with the National Guard, a maneuver that tri-county allied agencies could do independently had they had an aircraft.
"We acted as observers on marijuana eradication," he said. "We're trying to promote (usage) of the helicopter. In the near future, we may get support."
What Princess Anne Police can't do, by law, is sell the $190,817-valued aircraft, said Kenneth MacNevin, public affairs officer at the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, or DRMS.
"The (Princess Anne Police Department) is not authorized to sell this aircraft because they received it after Sept. 30, 1996, and therefore, the LESO will not approve the sale," said MacNevin, whose agency is part of the Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency and manages the disposition of excess military property. Prior to 1996, local law enforcement agencies could sell, trade or barter awarded military surplus aircraft and specified other pieces of equipment after five years upon receipt, he said.
If Keller decides to not refurbish the aircraft, he has options, MacNevin said.
"They can retain the aircraft or aircraft parts, transfer them to another law enforcement agency or turn them in to the (DRMS)," he said.
Immediately, Keller has other priorities.
"Now, I'm concerned with the immediate needs of the department, such as cameras and computers," he said. "Once the economic crisis passes, we will write grants that justify if and when we need resources. Seventy five percent of the helicopter project is just having the helicopter. The other 25 percent is fixing it up."
dgates@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4641
Md. police to conduct on-site inspection for feds of elusive Princess Anne aircraft
The elusive Princess Anne Police Department helicopter, guardedly moved from place to place to place to place -- and kept in recent years out of sight -- is on the radar of the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service that granted the aircraft to the town and is sending an inspector to see it for himself.
Maryland State Police Lt. Eugene Paluzzi said Tuesday that he decided to make the trip "soon," following inquiries last week about an Internet blog suggesting the helicopter was "hidden in a coop" on the Eastern Shore, apparently to conceal questionable activity.
Paluzzi is Maryland coordinator for the federal 1033 military Law Enforcement Support Office program, or LESO, that awards qualifying police departments with military surplus equipment, weapons or vehicles.
"I will be in Princess Anne physically to inspect," Paluzzi said Tuesday. "I will conduct an on-site audit. Somehow, the feds got ahold of the blog, called me and asked if the aircraft was there. The best way to find out is to come in the near future."
Not long after the U.S. Army surplus helicopter came into the custody of the Princess Anne Police Department in June 2005, the aircraft came under scrutiny by government leaders in the tri-county region. Elected officials in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties were reluctant to lend financial support and manpower for a proposed Tri-County Helicopter Program of allied agencies primarily on the Lower Shore. The program, conceived by former Princess Anne police chief Russell Pecoraro, would have engaged in police operations such as marijuana eradication.
In need of some repair, the OH-58C model helicopter, rather, went into storage, first for about three years at a private hangar at the Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport, then for about a month at an outside storage facility of a private landowner in Wicomico County. Later, the same property owner moved the aircraft to a private barn on Walston Switch Road, also in Wicomico, where it sat until early 2008, when Princess Anne officials moved it to a location in Somerset County, said current Princess Anne Police Chief Scott Keller.
Here and there
Through the moves, the helicopter hasn't cost taxpayers a cent, Keller reaffirmed Tuesday, saying he welcomes the federal and state inspection. "A property owner was gracious to store it for us, now we have it," Keller said. "The last time the media knew about it, they hounded the guy, kept coming by and photographing it. He asked if (we) minded hiding the helicopter."
On Tuesday, Keller and other town officials allowed The Daily Times to see the grayish aircraft with orange panels on the condition its location is not revealed. Engraved on its side is "26-C, U.S. Army, 0-15226." Keller cites security reasons and nuisance queries tied to the aircraft for keeping the storage location secret.
"This doesn't need to be a three-ring circus," he said.
Paluzzi said he spoke to Keller this week about the aircraft, and was satisfied it is safe with parts in place. "We haven't found much merit to what was in this blog, that it's hidden in a (chicken) coop," Paluzzi said. "This is not a theft issue."
Both Pecoraro and Keller have said they hoped to eventually get the aircraft off the ground for police work or sell it for parts after five years, or 2010.
Keller dismisses another recent suggestion that a private investigator was conducting an inquiry about the helicopter.
"I don't know what they are investigating; that's unclear," he said. "I'm angry; there is no story. This is a story without lights. You're beating a dead horse."
He stood Tuesday at the undisclosed helicopter location, envisioning a black-and-white painted aircraft, polished with a workable engine and displaying a seal representing allied police agencies.
"My goal is to keep service at an even level. I'd like to have the helicopter; I'd like to have a tri-county (police) lab," he said. "My ultimate goal is to operate the helicopter, get it in the air, at no cost to taxpayers. That's my vision for the future."
Grounded
Pecoraro shared the vision. A retired chief and detective at the Erie County Sheriff's Office in Buffalo, N.Y., he was a trained pilot for the department's aviation division. But the department's surplus helicopter program came under U.S. Department of Justice scrutiny after questions regarding the alleged illegal sale of aircraft parts, which is a program violation.
By the time the query ended with no wrongdoing ever uncovered, Pecoraro was chief at the 11-member Princess Anne Police Department and preparing to secure the department a surplus aircraft.
Pecoraro retired in 2008, but the Princess Anne Police Department's vision for a tri-county aircraft continues. Princess Anne Police Cpl. Rob Pinchak recalled a maneuver local law enforcement officers made last summer with the National Guard, a maneuver that tri-county allied agencies could do independently had they had an aircraft.
"We acted as observers on marijuana eradication," he said. "We're trying to promote (usage) of the helicopter. In the near future, we may get support."
What Princess Anne Police can't do, by law, is sell the $190,817-valued aircraft, said Kenneth MacNevin, public affairs officer at the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, or DRMS.
"The (Princess Anne Police Department) is not authorized to sell this aircraft because they received it after Sept. 30, 1996, and therefore, the LESO will not approve the sale," said MacNevin, whose agency is part of the Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency and manages the disposition of excess military property. Prior to 1996, local law enforcement agencies could sell, trade or barter awarded military surplus aircraft and specified other pieces of equipment after five years upon receipt, he said.
If Keller decides to not refurbish the aircraft, he has options, MacNevin said.
"They can retain the aircraft or aircraft parts, transfer them to another law enforcement agency or turn them in to the (DRMS)," he said.
Immediately, Keller has other priorities.
"Now, I'm concerned with the immediate needs of the department, such as cameras and computers," he said. "Once the economic crisis passes, we will write grants that justify if and when we need resources. Seventy five percent of the helicopter project is just having the helicopter. The other 25 percent is fixing it up."
dgates@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4641
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
2 Sought in Grocery Store Parking Lot Robbery
LAUREL, Del.- Authorities are looking for two suspects wanted for pepper-spraying and beating a woman and her 6-year-old daughter during a robbery that occurred in the parking lot of the Food Lion in Laurel.
Laurel police say the robbery happened shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, May 8. Investigating officers learned that the victims had just arrived at the store, located on Route 13, when two male suspects dressed in all black and with black face masks and black gloves opened the passenger door to the car and pepper-sprayed the woman. The suspects then pulled her out of the driver's seat across the passenger's seat and forced her down onto the ground.
Once on the ground the suspects beat the woman and removed an undisclosed amount of cash from her. The victim's daughter tried to exit the passenger's side of the car to help her mother. That is when the duo turned on the child. The victim, who asked not to be identified, described what happened next, "My daughter comes from behind the seat and starts screaming, 'Please leave my mommy alone! Please leave my mommy alone!' And they maced her. She's 6, she weighs no more than 35 pounds and then they hit her in the face, closed-fisted." The suspects also pepper-sprayed the little girl just like they did to her mother.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Laurel Police Department at (302) 875-2244 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
Laurel police say the robbery happened shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, May 8. Investigating officers learned that the victims had just arrived at the store, located on Route 13, when two male suspects dressed in all black and with black face masks and black gloves opened the passenger door to the car and pepper-sprayed the woman. The suspects then pulled her out of the driver's seat across the passenger's seat and forced her down onto the ground.
Once on the ground the suspects beat the woman and removed an undisclosed amount of cash from her. The victim's daughter tried to exit the passenger's side of the car to help her mother. That is when the duo turned on the child. The victim, who asked not to be identified, described what happened next, "My daughter comes from behind the seat and starts screaming, 'Please leave my mommy alone! Please leave my mommy alone!' And they maced her. She's 6, she weighs no more than 35 pounds and then they hit her in the face, closed-fisted." The suspects also pepper-sprayed the little girl just like they did to her mother.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Laurel Police Department at (302) 875-2244 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
BAY: Chesapeake Executive Council charts new restoration plan
Keep yours eyes on this one folks, the big wigs in DC have long wanted the bay for their personal playground. For years they have tried to regulate the watermen out of business but the watermen have stood against them. The price of fuel last year really hurt a lot of watermen and they had to fold their business and that leaves us with less voices in Annapolis.
Write, call, or email your reps and voice your opinion against any and all regulation on the Bay.
BAY: Chesapeake Executive Council charts new restoration plan;
Mount Vernon, Va. — The Chesapeake Executive Council charted a new plan for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay today with short-term goals and a focus on government accountability.
An Executive Order was recently issued by President Barack Obama naming the Chesapeake Bay a national treasure and declaring his commitment to cleaning up the estuary.
Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Program said the organization will focus on two-year milestones to reduce pollution, the first deadline approaching in 2011 when nitrogen levels are projected to be reduced by 77 percent.
Write, call, or email your reps and voice your opinion against any and all regulation on the Bay.
BAY: Chesapeake Executive Council charts new restoration plan;
Mount Vernon, Va. — The Chesapeake Executive Council charted a new plan for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay today with short-term goals and a focus on government accountability.
An Executive Order was recently issued by President Barack Obama naming the Chesapeake Bay a national treasure and declaring his commitment to cleaning up the estuary.
Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Program said the organization will focus on two-year milestones to reduce pollution, the first deadline approaching in 2011 when nitrogen levels are projected to be reduced by 77 percent.
Surgery Lets Dad See Son for First Time
(May 11) - A rare and delicate operation restored the failing eye sight of a British father, allowing him to see his baby son clearly for the first time.
Stephen Armitage of Yorkshire, England was born blind in one eye. An infection in the other eye left the 36-year-old with hazy vision for the past three years, reported the Daily Mail.
But three months ago, surgeons in Leeds, England performed a seven-hour surgery to rebuild Armitage's infected eye. The groundbreaking operation was a success.
Armitage's biggest joy is to now be able to clearly see the faces of his wife, Kelly, and their two sons. His vision was impaired before the birth of second son, Harry.
"I hadn't seen Harry's facial reactions before or the way he communicates, I could only see his silhouette. Suddenly I was able to see his face," said Armitage.
His life has improved in other ways. He had not been able to read to son Joshua, 4, until the operation. And he no longer needs the help of friends and family to get around or complete everyday tasks.
Without the surgery Armitage's vision would have deteriorated further, said his lead eye surgeon James Ball. Ball had only performed the complicated procedure once before.
Armitage's restored sight is also due to an organ donor, as part of the surgery involved a cornea transplant.
Stephen Armitage of Yorkshire, England was born blind in one eye. An infection in the other eye left the 36-year-old with hazy vision for the past three years, reported the Daily Mail.
But three months ago, surgeons in Leeds, England performed a seven-hour surgery to rebuild Armitage's infected eye. The groundbreaking operation was a success.
Armitage's biggest joy is to now be able to clearly see the faces of his wife, Kelly, and their two sons. His vision was impaired before the birth of second son, Harry.
"I hadn't seen Harry's facial reactions before or the way he communicates, I could only see his silhouette. Suddenly I was able to see his face," said Armitage.
His life has improved in other ways. He had not been able to read to son Joshua, 4, until the operation. And he no longer needs the help of friends and family to get around or complete everyday tasks.
Without the surgery Armitage's vision would have deteriorated further, said his lead eye surgeon James Ball. Ball had only performed the complicated procedure once before.
Armitage's restored sight is also due to an organ donor, as part of the surgery involved a cornea transplant.
How bad is the economy?
How bad is the economy? The economy is so bad that:
1. CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
2. Even people who have nothing to do with the Obama administration aren't paying their taxes.
3. Hot wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
4. Obama met with small businesses to discuss the Stimulus Package: GE, Pfizer and Citigroup.
5. PETA serves chicken wings at their meetings
6. McDonalds is selling the 1/4- ouncer.
7. People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and are learning their children's names.
8. A truck of Americans got caught sneaking into Mexico ...
9. The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.
10. Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
11. People in Africa are donating money to Americans.
12. Mothers in Ethiopia are telling their kids, "finish your plate, do you know how many kids are starving in the US ?"
13. Motel Six won't leave the light on.
14. The Mafia has laid off judges. And FINALLY.
15. Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. So, the guy that made $50 billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $750 billion disappear.
1. CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
2. Even people who have nothing to do with the Obama administration aren't paying their taxes.
3. Hot wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
4. Obama met with small businesses to discuss the Stimulus Package: GE, Pfizer and Citigroup.
5. PETA serves chicken wings at their meetings
6. McDonalds is selling the 1/4- ouncer.
7. People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and are learning their children's names.
8. A truck of Americans got caught sneaking into Mexico ...
9. The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.
10. Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
11. People in Africa are donating money to Americans.
12. Mothers in Ethiopia are telling their kids, "finish your plate, do you know how many kids are starving in the US ?"
13. Motel Six won't leave the light on.
14. The Mafia has laid off judges. And FINALLY.
15. Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. So, the guy that made $50 billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $750 billion disappear.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Maryland pursues cell-phone jamming test
ANNAPOLIS -- Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to ask federal regulators to allow Maryland to hold a cell-phone jamming demonstration at a state prison to show the effectiveness of stopping inmate cell-phone use, which has been a safety threat in prisons around the nation.
The Federal Communications Commission can give federal agencies permission to jam cell-phone signals, but the Communications Act of 1934 doesn't allow state and local agencies to use the technology, which prevents cell-tower transmissions from reaching the targeted phone.
"Current attempts to ensure that cell phones stay out of prisons can easily be foiled and must be supplanted by the best technology available," Mr. O'Malley wrote in a letter to Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, who is co-sponsoring legislation in Congress to legalize cell-phone jamming at state and local prisons.
The Democratic governor wrote the letter to Maryland's senior senator to indicate his intent to request a demonstration and to update Miss Mikulski on the state's efforts to clear prisons of illegal cell phones.
"I am committed to seizing the opportunity that this legislative initiative has created to move law enforcement and the enhancement of public safety to the 21st century as cell phones become smaller and more difficult to find," Mr. O'Malley wrote.
South Carolina ran a demonstration in Nov. 2008 without federal permission, while Texas planned one, then called it off because of the federal restriction. The FCC has denied two recent requests from the District of Columbia and Louisiana for test jamming sessions.
Rick Abbruzzese, an O'Malley spokesman, said the time is right for the FCC to consider Maryland's request because Congress is taking up the issue and that there's a need for up-to-date data on how the technology can be used to prevent prisoners from using cell phones.
Inmates use cell phones to get around security, further gang activity and conduct criminal activity from behind bars, authorities say.
Last week, a Baltimore drug dealer who used a cell phone in the city jail to plan the killing of a trial witness was sentenced to life without parole. Patrick A. Byers Jr. was convicted of murdering Carl S. Lackl Jr., who had identified Byers as the gunman in a previous killing. Mr. Lackl, a 38-year-old single father, was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting outside his home in July 2007, a week before Byers was scheduled for trial.
Maryland corrections officials confiscated 947 cell phones in 2008 by using specially trained dogs and other security measures. That's a 71 percent increase in confiscations compared with 2006, according to the O'Malley administration.
Mr. O'Malley said the confiscations helped reduce serious assaults by inmates on staff by taking away a tool that inmates can use to coordinate attacks - resulting in a 32 percent drop from 2006 to 2008. Mr. O'Malley wrote that serious weapon assaults are down 75 percent over the same period.
"But while we have made progress, we can do much more to improve public safety and eradicate the harm caused by these cell phones by shutting them down," Mr. O'Malley wrote in the May 7 letter to Miss Mikulski.
Mr. Abbruzzese said state officials are working on the details of a demonstration, and it's not known where or when it would occur.
Chris Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulator affairs at CTIA - The Wireless Association, the industry's leading trade group, said he has concerns about cell-phone jamming affecting customers who live near prisons.
"While we don't want prisoners to have service inside the jails, we also don't want our customers to be impacted outside the jails," Mr. Guttman-McCabe said.
Examples of inmates using cell phones to further criminal activity have cropped up nationwide.
In Texas earlier this month, a death-row inmate and two relatives were indicted in a purported cell-phone smuggling case that led to a statewide prison lockdown. A grand jury also indicted Richard Lee Tabler on a felony retaliation charge for threatening to kill a state senator.
In Kansas, convicted killer John Manard planned his 2006 prison escape using a cell phone smuggled in by an accomplice. The following year, two inmates escaped another Kansas prison with the help of a former guard and a smuggled cell phone.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/11/state-pursues-cell-phone-jamming-test/
The Federal Communications Commission can give federal agencies permission to jam cell-phone signals, but the Communications Act of 1934 doesn't allow state and local agencies to use the technology, which prevents cell-tower transmissions from reaching the targeted phone.
"Current attempts to ensure that cell phones stay out of prisons can easily be foiled and must be supplanted by the best technology available," Mr. O'Malley wrote in a letter to Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, who is co-sponsoring legislation in Congress to legalize cell-phone jamming at state and local prisons.
The Democratic governor wrote the letter to Maryland's senior senator to indicate his intent to request a demonstration and to update Miss Mikulski on the state's efforts to clear prisons of illegal cell phones.
"I am committed to seizing the opportunity that this legislative initiative has created to move law enforcement and the enhancement of public safety to the 21st century as cell phones become smaller and more difficult to find," Mr. O'Malley wrote.
South Carolina ran a demonstration in Nov. 2008 without federal permission, while Texas planned one, then called it off because of the federal restriction. The FCC has denied two recent requests from the District of Columbia and Louisiana for test jamming sessions.
Rick Abbruzzese, an O'Malley spokesman, said the time is right for the FCC to consider Maryland's request because Congress is taking up the issue and that there's a need for up-to-date data on how the technology can be used to prevent prisoners from using cell phones.
Inmates use cell phones to get around security, further gang activity and conduct criminal activity from behind bars, authorities say.
Last week, a Baltimore drug dealer who used a cell phone in the city jail to plan the killing of a trial witness was sentenced to life without parole. Patrick A. Byers Jr. was convicted of murdering Carl S. Lackl Jr., who had identified Byers as the gunman in a previous killing. Mr. Lackl, a 38-year-old single father, was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting outside his home in July 2007, a week before Byers was scheduled for trial.
Maryland corrections officials confiscated 947 cell phones in 2008 by using specially trained dogs and other security measures. That's a 71 percent increase in confiscations compared with 2006, according to the O'Malley administration.
Mr. O'Malley said the confiscations helped reduce serious assaults by inmates on staff by taking away a tool that inmates can use to coordinate attacks - resulting in a 32 percent drop from 2006 to 2008. Mr. O'Malley wrote that serious weapon assaults are down 75 percent over the same period.
"But while we have made progress, we can do much more to improve public safety and eradicate the harm caused by these cell phones by shutting them down," Mr. O'Malley wrote in the May 7 letter to Miss Mikulski.
Mr. Abbruzzese said state officials are working on the details of a demonstration, and it's not known where or when it would occur.
Chris Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulator affairs at CTIA - The Wireless Association, the industry's leading trade group, said he has concerns about cell-phone jamming affecting customers who live near prisons.
"While we don't want prisoners to have service inside the jails, we also don't want our customers to be impacted outside the jails," Mr. Guttman-McCabe said.
Examples of inmates using cell phones to further criminal activity have cropped up nationwide.
In Texas earlier this month, a death-row inmate and two relatives were indicted in a purported cell-phone smuggling case that led to a statewide prison lockdown. A grand jury also indicted Richard Lee Tabler on a felony retaliation charge for threatening to kill a state senator.
In Kansas, convicted killer John Manard planned his 2006 prison escape using a cell phone smuggled in by an accomplice. The following year, two inmates escaped another Kansas prison with the help of a former guard and a smuggled cell phone.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/11/state-pursues-cell-phone-jamming-test/
Obama's response to wounded war veterans
HERE IS HIS RESPONSE WHEN OBAMA BACKED OFF FROM HIS DECISION TO LET THE MILITARY PAY FOR THEIR WAR INJURIES........WHAT AN EMPTY HEADED PERSON HE MUST BE....SEND THIS TO EVERYONE TO SHOW JUST WHAT HE THINKS OF OUR MILITARY WHO FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND GET HURT PROTECTING OUR FREEDOM!
Bad press, including major mockery of the plan by comedian Jon Stewart, led to President Obama abandoning his proposal to require veterans' private health insurance to cover the estimated $540 million annual cost to the Federal government of treatment for injuries to military personnel received during their tours on active duty. The President admitted that he was puzzled by the magnitude of the opposition to his proposal.
"Look, it's an all volunteer force," Obama complained. "Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now, they whine about bearing the costs of their choice? It doesn't compute...." "I thought these were people who were proud to sacrifice for their country,"
Obama continued.
"I wasn't asking for blood - just money. With the country facing the worst financial crisis in its history, I'd have thought that the patriotic thing to do would be to try to help reduce the nation's deficit. I guess I underestimated the selfishness of some of my fellow Americans.
Bad press, including major mockery of the plan by comedian Jon Stewart, led to President Obama abandoning his proposal to require veterans' private health insurance to cover the estimated $540 million annual cost to the Federal government of treatment for injuries to military personnel received during their tours on active duty. The President admitted that he was puzzled by the magnitude of the opposition to his proposal.
"Look, it's an all volunteer force," Obama complained. "Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now, they whine about bearing the costs of their choice? It doesn't compute...." "I thought these were people who were proud to sacrifice for their country,"
Obama continued.
"I wasn't asking for blood - just money. With the country facing the worst financial crisis in its history, I'd have thought that the patriotic thing to do would be to try to help reduce the nation's deficit. I guess I underestimated the selfishness of some of my fellow Americans.
Finally; The NASA Rocket launch was a Success
The new rocket carrying the satellite has successfully been launched.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
FBI uses Patriot Act on 16-year-old.
after this opens click on the "close to play button"
http://www.wimp.com/patriotact/
http://www.wimp.com/patriotact/
Wisconsin court upholds GPS tracking by police
MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin police can attach GPS to cars to secretly track anybody's movements without obtaining search warrants, an appeals court ruled Thursday. However, the District 4 Court of Appeals said it was "more than a little troubled" by that conclusion and asked Wisconsin lawmakers to regulate GPS use to protect against abuse by police and private individuals. As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights -- even if the drivers aren't suspects. Officers do not need to get warrants beforehand because GPS tracking does not involve a search or a seizure, Judge Paul Lundsten wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel based in Madison.
That means "police are seemingly free to secretly track anyone's public movements with a GPS device," he wrote. One privacy advocate said the decision opened the door for greater government surveillance of citizens. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials called the decision a victory for public safety because tracking devices are an increasingly important tool in investigating criminal behavior. The ruling came in a 2003 case involving Michael Sveum, a Madison man who was under investigation for stalking. Police got a warrant to put a GPS on his car and secretly attached it while the vehicle was parked in Sveum's driveway. The device recorded his car's movements for five weeks before police retrieved it and downloaded the information. The information suggested Sveum was stalking the woman, who had gone to police earlier with suspicions. Police got a second warrant to search his car and home, found more evidence and arrested him. He was convicted of stalking and sentenced to prison. Sveum, 41, argued the tracking violated his Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. He argued the device followed him into areas out of public view, such as his garage. The court disagreed. The tracking did not violate constitutional protections because the device only gave police information that could have been obtained through visual surveillance, Lundsten wrote. Even though the device followed Sveum's car to private places, an officer tracking Sveum could have seen when his car entered or exited a garage, Lundsten reasoned. Attaching the device was not a violation, he wrote, because Sveum's driveway is a public place. "We discern no privacy interest protected by the Fourth Amendment that is invaded when police attach a device to the outside of a vehicle, as long as the information obtained is the same as could be gained by the use of other techniques that do not require a warrant," he wrote. Although police obtained a warrant in this case, it wasn't needed, he added. Larry Dupuis, legal director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, said using GPS to track someone's car goes beyond observing them in public and should require a warrant. "The idea that you can go and attach anything you want to somebody else's property without any court supervision, that's wrong," he said. "Without a warrant, they can do this on anybody they want." Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's office, which argued in favor of the warrantless GPS tracking, praised the ruling but would not elaborate on its use in Wisconsin. David Banaszynski, president of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, said his department in the Milwaukee suburb of Shorewood does not use GPS. But other departments might use it to track drug dealers, burglars and stalkers, he said. A state law already requires the Department of Corrections to track the state's most dangerous sex offenders using GPS. The author of that law, Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, said the decision shows "GPS tracking is an effective means of protecting public safety."
That means "police are seemingly free to secretly track anyone's public movements with a GPS device," he wrote. One privacy advocate said the decision opened the door for greater government surveillance of citizens. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials called the decision a victory for public safety because tracking devices are an increasingly important tool in investigating criminal behavior. The ruling came in a 2003 case involving Michael Sveum, a Madison man who was under investigation for stalking. Police got a warrant to put a GPS on his car and secretly attached it while the vehicle was parked in Sveum's driveway. The device recorded his car's movements for five weeks before police retrieved it and downloaded the information. The information suggested Sveum was stalking the woman, who had gone to police earlier with suspicions. Police got a second warrant to search his car and home, found more evidence and arrested him. He was convicted of stalking and sentenced to prison. Sveum, 41, argued the tracking violated his Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. He argued the device followed him into areas out of public view, such as his garage. The court disagreed. The tracking did not violate constitutional protections because the device only gave police information that could have been obtained through visual surveillance, Lundsten wrote. Even though the device followed Sveum's car to private places, an officer tracking Sveum could have seen when his car entered or exited a garage, Lundsten reasoned. Attaching the device was not a violation, he wrote, because Sveum's driveway is a public place. "We discern no privacy interest protected by the Fourth Amendment that is invaded when police attach a device to the outside of a vehicle, as long as the information obtained is the same as could be gained by the use of other techniques that do not require a warrant," he wrote. Although police obtained a warrant in this case, it wasn't needed, he added. Larry Dupuis, legal director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, said using GPS to track someone's car goes beyond observing them in public and should require a warrant. "The idea that you can go and attach anything you want to somebody else's property without any court supervision, that's wrong," he said. "Without a warrant, they can do this on anybody they want." Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's office, which argued in favor of the warrantless GPS tracking, praised the ruling but would not elaborate on its use in Wisconsin. David Banaszynski, president of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, said his department in the Milwaukee suburb of Shorewood does not use GPS. But other departments might use it to track drug dealers, burglars and stalkers, he said. A state law already requires the Department of Corrections to track the state's most dangerous sex offenders using GPS. The author of that law, Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, said the decision shows "GPS tracking is an effective means of protecting public safety."
Chamber members divided on blogger
SALISBURY -- It's difficult to separate Web loggers from digital-age journalism.
So a public forum on "the impact of Internet communications on local politics" that excludes Salisbury News blog publisher Joe Albero, arguably the region's most politically charged and recognized blogger, is illogical.
At least that was the thinking behind a decision by the Local Legislative Committee of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce to invite Albero to be a guest speaker at the Thursday morning forum at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury.
Apparently, some members of the local business community disagree. The request for participation by the Salisbury News Web log site publisher has caused an uproar among Chamber membership, and some people want the invitation rescinded, said Brad Bellacicco, Chamber executive director.
"We're getting phone calls and e-mails from people venting about Joe Albero," Bellacicco said Friday. "He's a polarizing influence, so it is to be expected."
The May monthly forum also has invited Kye Parsons, Web managing editor at CBS affiliate television station, Salisbury's WBOC-Channel 16.
"The goal is finding out the long-term impact and tenor of the community discussion," Bellacicco said. "What is the impact of Internet communications in the future, and what's going on with this new forum for political activity."
Albero said the impact is phenomenal, and accepts some credit for the outcome of last month's municipal election that seated former councilman Jim Ireton as Salisbury mayor after a closely watched contest between him and Tilghman cohort, City Councilman Gary Comegys.
Albero and his Salisbury News have been gaining in popularity -- and notoriety -- over the last few years, when he launched the blog that frequently criticizes former Salisbury mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman and city Police Chief Allen Webster. Salisbury News in 2008 was ranked the Most Influential Political Blog in Maryland by BlogNetNews, a national consortium of top state, local and topic-focused blogs.
"I'm ranked No. 1, and so far, I've dominated 2009 for 16 weeks," Albero said.
And on Thursday, naysayers and supporters alike can expect him at the forum.
"I accepted the invitation," Albero said Friday. "There is no other (better) choice; it is the impression of the Chamber that Salisbury News had a big influence on Jim Ireton's election."
Matthew Creamer, chairman of the Chamber's Local Legislative Committee, cites the role of the Internet in the historic campaign that in November elected the nation's first black U.S. president, Barack Obama.
"In the most recent presidential election and Salisbury city election, some have said that nontraditional, community media played a part in election outcomes," Creamer said. "Blogs, chat rooms, YouTube, Twitter -- they are new ways to communicate."
Parsons is interested in bringing a unique perspective.
"It is a new form of media that just 10 years ago was in its infancy," he said Friday. "In today's time, the Internet is important when it comes to politics and elections; it can reach millions and millions, and it will certainly increase over time. I'm going to present a different viewpoint than Albero; I'm in a different business than he is."
Bellacicco expects the forum to attract a record number of members and guests, given that Albero has evolved into a household name.
Some local critics frown upon Albero's often conservative, content frankness, while others are angry about his printed criticisms of municipal leaders, the blogger said. Civil lawsuits were filed against Albero by Webster and Tilghman.
The lawsuit with Webster was settled out of court, while the judge ruled in Albero's favor in the Tilghman lawsuit.
Regarding defamation of character charges, Albero says this: "Webster sued me. Look where that went. Tilghman sued me. Look where that went."
And it is that curiosity factor that Bellacicco thinks will probably produce some possibly pointed questions at Albero.
"Oftentimes, these bloggers don't get a chance to be questioned in public about what's on their blog," Bellacicco said. "We expect a lot of people to come out and ask why they do it, and why they can put things there without verifying facts, and be aggressive and, even, nasty."
Some Chamber members, especially among those over age 30, are intrigued about the information age in general and its influence on politics and business in particular, said Creamer.
Chamber officials stand behind the invitation, underscoring the value of exploring digital news and information on politics.
"I had heard the name, 'Albero,' but I really don't know him," Creamer said. "The meeting is not about an individual or an individual blog. Mr. Albero has a local blog, and would be the person who would have an opinion. This is a Chamber of Commerce meeting -- not a public hearing."
Neither guest speaker anticipates that criticisms about Salisbury News or Albero will be a distraction.
"If it's drama you're expecting to see, don't come," Albero said.
dgates@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4641
courtesy http://www.delmarvanow.com/
So a public forum on "the impact of Internet communications on local politics" that excludes Salisbury News blog publisher Joe Albero, arguably the region's most politically charged and recognized blogger, is illogical.
At least that was the thinking behind a decision by the Local Legislative Committee of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce to invite Albero to be a guest speaker at the Thursday morning forum at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury.
Apparently, some members of the local business community disagree. The request for participation by the Salisbury News Web log site publisher has caused an uproar among Chamber membership, and some people want the invitation rescinded, said Brad Bellacicco, Chamber executive director.
"We're getting phone calls and e-mails from people venting about Joe Albero," Bellacicco said Friday. "He's a polarizing influence, so it is to be expected."
The May monthly forum also has invited Kye Parsons, Web managing editor at CBS affiliate television station, Salisbury's WBOC-Channel 16.
"The goal is finding out the long-term impact and tenor of the community discussion," Bellacicco said. "What is the impact of Internet communications in the future, and what's going on with this new forum for political activity."
Albero said the impact is phenomenal, and accepts some credit for the outcome of last month's municipal election that seated former councilman Jim Ireton as Salisbury mayor after a closely watched contest between him and Tilghman cohort, City Councilman Gary Comegys.
Albero and his Salisbury News have been gaining in popularity -- and notoriety -- over the last few years, when he launched the blog that frequently criticizes former Salisbury mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman and city Police Chief Allen Webster. Salisbury News in 2008 was ranked the Most Influential Political Blog in Maryland by BlogNetNews, a national consortium of top state, local and topic-focused blogs.
"I'm ranked No. 1, and so far, I've dominated 2009 for 16 weeks," Albero said.
And on Thursday, naysayers and supporters alike can expect him at the forum.
"I accepted the invitation," Albero said Friday. "There is no other (better) choice; it is the impression of the Chamber that Salisbury News had a big influence on Jim Ireton's election."
Matthew Creamer, chairman of the Chamber's Local Legislative Committee, cites the role of the Internet in the historic campaign that in November elected the nation's first black U.S. president, Barack Obama.
"In the most recent presidential election and Salisbury city election, some have said that nontraditional, community media played a part in election outcomes," Creamer said. "Blogs, chat rooms, YouTube, Twitter -- they are new ways to communicate."
Parsons is interested in bringing a unique perspective.
"It is a new form of media that just 10 years ago was in its infancy," he said Friday. "In today's time, the Internet is important when it comes to politics and elections; it can reach millions and millions, and it will certainly increase over time. I'm going to present a different viewpoint than Albero; I'm in a different business than he is."
Bellacicco expects the forum to attract a record number of members and guests, given that Albero has evolved into a household name.
Some local critics frown upon Albero's often conservative, content frankness, while others are angry about his printed criticisms of municipal leaders, the blogger said. Civil lawsuits were filed against Albero by Webster and Tilghman.
The lawsuit with Webster was settled out of court, while the judge ruled in Albero's favor in the Tilghman lawsuit.
Regarding defamation of character charges, Albero says this: "Webster sued me. Look where that went. Tilghman sued me. Look where that went."
And it is that curiosity factor that Bellacicco thinks will probably produce some possibly pointed questions at Albero.
"Oftentimes, these bloggers don't get a chance to be questioned in public about what's on their blog," Bellacicco said. "We expect a lot of people to come out and ask why they do it, and why they can put things there without verifying facts, and be aggressive and, even, nasty."
Some Chamber members, especially among those over age 30, are intrigued about the information age in general and its influence on politics and business in particular, said Creamer.
Chamber officials stand behind the invitation, underscoring the value of exploring digital news and information on politics.
"I had heard the name, 'Albero,' but I really don't know him," Creamer said. "The meeting is not about an individual or an individual blog. Mr. Albero has a local blog, and would be the person who would have an opinion. This is a Chamber of Commerce meeting -- not a public hearing."
Neither guest speaker anticipates that criticisms about Salisbury News or Albero will be a distraction.
"If it's drama you're expecting to see, don't come," Albero said.
dgates@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4641
courtesy http://www.delmarvanow.com/
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