Thursday, July 7, 2011

"Between Fences" Exhibit Comes To Snow Hill Library

SNOW HILL -- The Julia A. Purnell Museum and the Snow Hill community, in cooperation with the Maryland Humanities Council, will begin its exploration of the cultural history of fences and land use when it hosts the local showing of "Between Fences," a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition.


"Between Fences" will be on view at the Snow Hill library from July 1 through Aug. 20.


Through a selection of artifacts, photographs and illustrations, "Between Fences" examines the multiple meanings behind this everyday icon.

Between Fences will be in Snow Hill from July 1 to August 21.

The open hours of the exhibition are as follows: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-4pm. Wednesdays: 12-7pm, except on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10, 3-7pm. Fridays: 10am-5pm, except July 1 (4-8pm) and Aug. 5 (1-8pm) Saturdays: 9am-1pm, except Aug. 6 and Aug. 13 (9am-4pm)

It is free to the public.

Guilty Plea For Breaking Into Soda-Vending Machines

Written by
Nancy Drury Duncan
EASTVILLE -- A man who was part of a national criminal ring that breaks into beverage-vending machines and takes the money has pleaded guilty in Northampton Circuit Court.

James Tyson, 57, of Severna Park, Md., was convicted of grand larceny and will be sentenced after guidelines are prepared.

Calling it "one of the most interesting crimes in a long time," Commonwealth's Attorney Bruce Jones told the court about the events that led to Tyson's arrest.

He and another man went into the visitor's center at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, where there are a lot of vending machines, Jones said.

One of the men moved the surveillance camera and the other began to take paper money from the machines using lock-picking tools, he said.

The amount taken was estimated to be between $800 and $1,000.

The machines were stocked by the Coca-Cola Co. Jones said he was told the company has a person who only job is to investigate this kind of crime, which he said costs Coca Cola billions of dollars annually.

Jones told the court that Tyson was part of a larger ring of thieves across the country who do this.

Jones said he was told that an expert can made between $100,000 to $200,000 annually and has resulted in the repositioning of public drink machines.

She asked that he be sentenced, but the court waited to get information on the sentencing guidelines for the crime.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110702/ESN01/107020306/Guilty-plea-comes-in-soda-machine-thefts?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Eastern Shore News|s

Last Space Shuttle To Launch On Friday - Weather A Factor

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s last space shuttle launch this week may have to contend with lousy weather.

There’s a 60 percent chance that rain or thunderstorms will delay Friday’s planned liftoff of Atlantis, Kathy Winters, the shuttle weather officer, said Tuesday. The weather improves with each passing day, as the launch time gets slightly earlier.

Friday’s launch time is 11:26 a.m.

The countdown clocks were set to start ticking Tuesday afternoon. The four astronauts assigned to the 12-day flight arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Monday.

Atlantis will make one final supply run to the International Space Station before retiring. As many as a million spectators are expected to jam the Cape Canaveral area for the historic send-off.

Jeremy Graeber, NASA test director, said the launch team is doing its best to put off any emotions associated with the end of the 30-year shuttle era, until Atlantis flies.

“The team gets into the mode of this-is-launch-countdown, and that’s really the focus that everybody has,” Mr. Graeber told journalists. “The rest of the emotion that really comes with the end of the space shuttle program, I think, will really kind of roll in as launch is completed.”


Astronaut Chris Ferguson (left), commander of the last space shuttle mission, looks on as his fellow crew members, (from left) pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, wave American flags after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Monday, July 4, 2011. The space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to lift off Friday morning on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Chris

Mr. Graeber, for one, can’t wait to take his seat in Launch Control. “It’s a really cool job … and [getting] to do it one more time is a great feeling,” he said.

Atlantis is loaded with thousands of pounds of food, clothes, experiments and other supplies for the orbiting complex. NASA wants to stockpile a year’s worth of provisions in case commercially sponsored cargo ships get delayed. The first such launch is targeted for later this year.

NASA is under orders to get out of the Earth-to-orbit business and focus instead on trips to true outer space: an asteroid and Mars.

This will be the 135th flight for the shuttle program and the 33rd for Atlantis, the last shuttle to be retired. Discovery was first in March, followed by Endeavour at the beginning of June. Each shuttle will head to a museum.

NASA said it must launch Atlantis by Sunday — choosing the best two out of three days — otherwise it will have to wait until at least July 16. That’s due to an unmanned rocket scheduled to lift off next week.

If the crowds are as huge as anticipated, NASA said, it will try Friday and then probably wait until Sunday to give launch controllers enough time to deal with the heavy traffic and get some rest.


Source;  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/5/storms-may-wash-out-last-space-shuttle-launch/

Northampton Sheriff Offers Summer Security Tips

Written by
Sheriff David Doughty

On behalf of all of us at the Northampton County Sheriff's Office, I hope you and your family are excited to jump-start your summer plans in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Here are some safety tips to help keep your family safe during these busy summer months.

If you're traveling out of town, as so many of Northampton County families are planning to do this summer, keep your travel plans private -- don't "broadcast" when you are traveling away from home, when you are home alone or where your children are if they aren't with you.

Sadly, Facebook and other social media outlets are providing would-be criminals with a wealth of information and knowledge that they can use to commit crimes against people in our community.

Just as important, now that school is out, know who your children are with and the parents of their friends.

We all can do our part to reduce crimes of opportunity by keeping your garage doors closed and locked, back doors and windows locked, and cars locked. Remember to keep your valuables out of plain sight.

As always, it is my privilege to serve as your sheriff and I urge you to contact my office if you have any concerns about crime-prevention efforts in your community.

Make no mistake, my fellow law enforcement officers and I will continue to strive to do everything in our power to serve and protect the citizens of Northampton County.

And please, I hope you'll continue to be an important partner in our efforts to keep Northampton County secure by reporting crimes and suspicious activity when you see them so that we can do our very best to keep our county a safe place to work, play, live and raise our families.

I deeply appreciate your continued support.

The writer is sheriff of Northampton County. Reach him at 757-678-0458.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110706/ESN02/107060367/Sheriff-offers-summer-security-tips?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Eastern Shore News|s

Third Attempt To Launch Rocket Today

NASA decided to scrub Wednesday's rocket launch from its Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore.


The launch attempt was for two NASA sounding rockets carrying experiments to study the ionosphere, according to Keith Koehler with the NASA Office of Communications.


The next launch attempt will be Thursday, July 7 with a launch window from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m.


The facility will not attempt a launch on the Space Shuttle launch day which is currently scheduled for Friday, July 8.


Koehler said the Wallops tracking systems will be supporting the shuttle launch.

The webcast for the July 7 launch attempt at Wallops will begin at 8:30 a.m. and can be followed at

Launch status also is available at the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Newspaper Price To Increase?

It was brought to my attention this afternoon that very shortly the Daily Times and Eastern Shore News will increase in price. 

Daily Times will increase to $1.00 per daily paper.  No word on the cost for Sunday paper.


The Eastern Shore News  will increase to $.75 per paper.

Has anyone else heard this?

Worcester Co. Sheriff's Office Searching for 2 Sex Offenders



Delmar James Cubbage
WBOC
By Kyle Parsons

SNOW HILL, Md.- The Worcester County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday it has arrest warrants on file for two men wanted for violating Maryland's sex offender laws.

Police are seeking 20-year-old Delmar James Cubbage of Bishopville. He is wanted for failing to re-register as a sex offender within three days of moving to a new location.
Edward Lee Robbins  Jr.

Police are also seeking 28-year-old Edward Lee Robbins Jr. of Ocean City. He is wanted for failing to re-register as a sex offender within three days of moving to a new location.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these two men is asked to contact the Sheriff's Office at (410) 632-1111. Tipsters may also call Maryland Crime Solvers at (410) 548-1776.

Source; http://www.wboc.com/story/15034412/worcester-co-sheriffs-office-searching-for-2-sex-offenders?clienttype=printable

Local Man Andy Linton Accepts Award For Service Dept. At Midway

Midway Service Earns Honor For Perfect Customer Satisfaction Rating

The Service Department at Midway in Pocomoke was recently honored for receiving a 100% Customer Satisfaction Index in the first quarter of 2011.


The perfect "CSI" rating reflected the responses of "completely satisfied" from Midway's service customers in several areas of customer satisfaction, including the quality of the work performed as well as the timeliness in which it was completed.

Dan Beck, Regional Facilitator from General Motors, spoke in lofty terms when describing the feat: "Congratulations to Midway! To achieve a perfect customer satisfaction score for three months running is an amazing accomplishment - unprecedented in this area, and perhaps the entire country."


Photo: Midway Service Manager Andy Linton (L) accepts award from GM Regional Facilitator Dan Beck (R). They are joined by the Midway Service Department staff.

For his part, Midway's Service Manager Andy Linton relayed how proud he is of each member of his department: "From our service advisors to our technicians, from the Parts Department to the detail and clean-up crew, every satisfied customer is the result of a total team effort. I am very excited to accept this for everyone who has worked so hard to achieve what this award represents."

Source;  shoredailynews.com

Record Numbers In Ocean City For July 4th

If you visited Ocean City over the Fourth of July weekend, you probably felt a bit of a crush. Tourism officials in the resort city estimate the crowds were among the largest for the holiday in nearly 20 years.

The population swelled to some 330,688 on Saturday and Sunday, according to Ocean City estimates. That compares with 318,368 in 2010 - an increase of nearly 5 percent.

The numbers were the highest since 2003, when the town recorded 342,952 for the first weekend in July, and ranks in the Top 5 Fourth of July weekends since 1992.

Officials said estimates for July 4, the holiday itself, put the population at 354,106 - the highest single day estimate on record for that date.

So if your square of sand seemed smaller than usual, it probably was.

Source;  http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/oc-blog/bal-ocean-city-md-july-4-crowds-20110705,0,6908.story

Suspect Arrested For Stabbing Man Has Bail Denied

According to Major Todd Godwin, on Thursday, June 30 at approximately 12:39 a.m., the Accomack County Sheriff's Office received a report from the Eastern Shore 911 Center regarding the stabbing of a male subject at Dublin Farms Labor Camp in Horntown.

Further investigation revealed that a man had been stabbed in the head as a result of an altercation with his roommate. The victim was transported by Oak Hall Ambulance to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, MD where he was treated and released.

The suspect was identified as George Jenkins, age 39 of Sanford, Florida. Jenkins was arrested on a charge of malicious wounding and is being held in the Accomack County Jail with bond denied.

The Accomack County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Virginia Marine Police.

Source; shoredailynews.com

New Verizon Plans to Cap Wireless Data Usage

Are you a wireless data glutton or a nibbler?

Many Verizon Wireless customers will have to figure that out — perhaps as soon as this week — as the country's largest wireless carrier is set to introduce data plans with monthly usage caps.

Here's some help determining which plan will work for you, even if you don't know how many megabytes are in a gigabyte.

Verizon hasn't said what its plans will look like. But because AT&T introduced capped data plans a year ago and T-Mobile USA eliminated its unlimited data plan in May, this is well-trod ground.

The new Verizon plans will most likely apply only to new customers or people trading up to smartphones.

They could also apply to smartphone users buying new phones.

The tricky thing about capped data plans is that few people have a clue how much a megabyte of data is, so they don't know much to sign up for. By contrast, a minute spent talking on the phone is easy to understand, and many people have learned roughly how many minutes they use every month.

For AT&T, the introduction of data caps has gone quite well, but some customers are complaining because their data usage reports are hard to decipher. AT&T says 90 percent of its customers on capped plans stay within the limits, but it won't say how much those who go over end up paying, on average.

Verizon now charges $30 a month for an unlimited smartphone data plan.

Here's a look at potential caps:

•Less than 200 megabytes per month.
It's possible Verizon could have an entry-level plan for $10 or so per month with a very low data limit, such as 75 megabytes per month. But any plan with less than 200 megabytes per month should be considered mainly a tease. It will be very hard to stay under the limit.

Email, automatic software updates and other data consumption in the background will easily eat up 75 megabytes in a month. That could leave you paying $10 or more in overuse fees.

•200 megabytes per month.
This is a popular size, offered by both AT&T ($15 per month) and T-Mobile ($10). When it introduced this plan, AT&T said 65 percent of its subscribers consumed less than 200 megabytes.

But that was a year ago. The average monthly data consumption for a smartphone user back then was 230 megabytes per month, according to an analysis of phone bills by The Nielsen Co. In the first quarter of this year, the figure had grown to 435 megabytes per month.

It's still possible to get by on 200 megabytes per month. If you're a light user, stay away from heavy-usage applications such as online music streaming and Netflix video. Use Wi-Fi rather than the phone's cellular network as much as possible. Wi-Fi usage doesn't count toward your data limit.

•2 gigabytes per month.
This is AT&T's "standard" plan, for which it charges $25 per month. T-Mobile charges $20. This will be enough for most people. If you like to stream online music or videoconference for hours on end, or watch Netflix movies, you'll blow past it.

•5 gigabytes per month.
T-Mobile charges $30 for this tier, or $10 more than the 2-gigabyte plan. Verizon would likely charge substantially more. This would be for those who spend a lot of time on their phones. Laptop cards generally come with this data limit.

What if you don't want to bother with any of this?

Sprint Nextel Corp. still offers unlimited data, seeing it as a crucial way to keep and attract customers who are tempted by an iPhone at Verizon or AT&T. However, offering an all-you-can-eat data buffet gets expensive. Sprint raised the fees for all its smartphones by $10 per month this winter to $30.

Source;  http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/business/2011/jul/06/TDBIZ01-new-verizon-plans-to-cap-wireless-data-usa-ar-1153877/?sc_cid=RTD-NEWS-7amDlyNews

Mosquito Invasion

I don't live anywhere near Locustville, Va. but I can tell you that this is the honest truth about the mosquitoes in Virginia!  You can't go outside at anytime of the day or night.  There is just no outside activity at all - unless you are one of those lucky persons that mosquitoes don't care for.

  Personally, I don't think rain makes a bit of difference.  Neither does tall grass or heat!  There is no standing water and I don't want to deter them with a Bounty sheet or spray myself with OFF.  I just want them DEAD! 

Frankly, I think there are so many of them that the bats, purple martins, etc. are all SICK of eating mosquitoes.

Ms. Hillman- you have my sympathy!

LOCUSTVILLE -- Marilyn Hillman has to prepare herself for battle before she steps into her back yard.

The enemies are small but ferocious. Hillman is suiting herself up to fight mosquitoes.

"I have to wear a lot of clothes," she said. "I cover from neck to ankle to wrist."

A lot of rain during hot weather has had many on the Eastern Shore swatting mosquitos in recent weeks.

As of Wednesday, some parts of Accomack County had received 9.7 inches of rain in just 12 days, according to Tommy Custis, farm manager at the Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Painter.

That amount of rain is normal for a period of three months.

Tuesday night alone, 1.71 inches of rain fell at the experiment station -- and one inch of that was received over a period of 20 minutes.

Nobody was complaining about the rainfall after dry local conditions.

"The rain is good," said Custis. "If we could space it out, it would be better."

But that high volume of rain created an ideal environment for mosquitos.

"The rain wakes them up," said Tom Kuhar, the entomologist at the Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

He said last weeks heavy rain caused eggs to hatch and that the warm weather lead to mosquito growth.

"Whenever we have standing water, we get an increase in mosquitoes," he said.

Residents like Hillman have tried to do their best to ward them off. One of the best ways to do this is with a mosquito repellent, although wearing as much clothing as possible helps as well.

For those opposed to using insect repellent, most people say putting a dryer sheet in a pocket can help deter the insects.

Humans aren't the only one effected by the surge in mosquitoes. Animals are also affected. Horses suffer the worst from bites.

"Mosquitos aren't a huge threat for household pets. Horses are different; they can be effected by West Nile," said Jack Hiler, a veterinarian who lives Belle Haven.

Household pets are unlikely to become ill due to mosquito bites but they still feel the sting. Pet owners can apply topical creams such as Advantix to their pets in order to keep away the pests.

Hillman is certainly being affected by the insects. As part of her daily routine, she tries to empty out any containers in her yard that have standing water in them.

However, on a recent morning, she was overwhelmed.

"I couldn't stand it outside this morning," she said. "You can't take a walk, you can't sit on the porch. You walk outside and you are inundated by more mosquitos than I've seen in my life."

Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110702/ESN01/107020303/Shore-battles-mosquito-invasion?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Eastern Shore News|s

Rocket Launch Today

The launch from NASA Wallops  Flight Facility that was canceled from yesterday will take place today.

From Yesterday


Four NASA suborbital sounding rockets carrying experiments to take measurements in the ionosphere will be launched between July 5 and 23 (including weekends) from NASA’s Launch Range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The project is studying neutral and charged particles in the ionosphere and how each affects the way the other moves resulting in currents in the region. The variations matter because all of our communications and GPS satellites send signals through the ionosphere. A disturbed ionosphere translates to disturbed signals, so scientists want to know just what causes the ionosphere to behave in specific ways.

During the launch period NASA will launch two pairs of rockets consisting of a Terrier-Improved Orion and a Black Brant V. The rockets in each pair will be launched 15 seconds apart. Only one pair of rockets will be launched on any day.

Based on the approved range schedule, the rocket pairs are set for launch between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT. The experiments on the Terrier-Improved Orion rockets will release lithium in the ionosphere. The resulting clouds are not expected to be visible to the naked eye but will be seen by special cameras on the ground.


The rockets will be visible in the Wallops area.


The NASA Visitor Center will open at 8:30 a.m. on launch day for viewing the launch.


The launch will be webcast beginning at 6:30 a.m. on launch day at: http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/webcast


Launch status can be followed on Twitter at: http://www.Twitter.com/NASA_Wallops


Launch status also is available at the

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Casting Call for Tides of Time


 
July 5, 2011  For Immediate Release
For additional Information: Jeanne du Nord
410-651-0757; LH123@comcast.net

Casting Call for Tides of Time

The folk drama Tides of Time by Jeanne du Nord will be presented at Olde Princess Anne Days October 15 & 16. There are four female and four male roles. The play was written to take into consideration the busy schedules of community theatre participants. Each character acts out a vignette scene. This minimizes the need for long ensemble rehearsals. Casting will be done on an individual basis. To discuss or for an appointment, call 410-651-0757 or email LH123@comcast.net.
 TIDES OF TIME - A folk drama of Somerset on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay
 
TIDES OF TIME To Be Performed At Olde Princess Anne Days
tide

      Selected scenes from
            Tides of Time
                      by
           Jeanne du Nord
     will be presented  during
     Olde Princess Anne Days,
      October 15 & 16, 2011.
The play drew critical acclaim when first produced
in 1993 at the Arena Theatre in Baltimore.

 "TIDES OF TIME displays a sure grasp of character development, sense of time and place and story through line. The characters, fully drawn, nuanced and complex, easily entice us to enter their world and relive their individual stories which magically complement and counterpoint each other (in the) the haunting reality of unremarkable lives lived in an ordinary town against a background of eternity."
                                                                                   Tazewell Thompson
                                                                                   Theatre Critic and Artistic Director
                                                                                   Syracuse Stage
                                                                                   Syracuse, NY

       The selected short scenes from the folk drama will include -
                    Shelling Peas                                         The Amen Corner
                    Back When I was In School                  Why Save The Past?
                    The Beauty of Dying Young                   Teddy Bears In The Attic
                    The Duck Hunter                                   Gotta Have A Nickname 

Email: moreinfo@teacklemansion.org 
 
 
 
 
.

Casey Anthony NOT GUILTY of Murder

Jury finds Casey Anthony not guilty of murder, manslaughter, aggravated child abuse; guilty of providing false information to law enforcement.

Casey Anthony is not guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of her two-year-old daughter Caylee Marie.
After deliberating for less than 11 hours over two days, a jury decided this afternoon that prosecutors did not prove Casey Anthony was guilty of capital murder in the death of the toddler her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Marie, a 12-member jury found this afternoon.

Casey Anthony embraced defense attorney Jose Baez when the verdict was read, but the courtroom was silent. The prosecutors in the case, Jeff Ashton and Linda Drane Burdick, looked somber.

As soon as the jury left the courtroom, Casey hugged Baez, and then the rest of her defense team. All of them appeared to be crying. Defense team appeared giddy -- all were smiling, including Casey, while she was being fingerprinted.

"While we're happy for Casey, there are no winners in this case," Jose Baez said. "Caylee has passed on far, far too soon."

He then went on to say the prosecutors in this case were incredible adversaries.

Her parents, George and Cindy Anthony, walked out of the courtroom while Casey Anthony was being fingerprinted.

The verdict means 25-year-old Anthony was found not guilty of all charges except for four counts of providing false information to law enforcement officer.

She will be spared a death sentence, but could still potentially face years behind bars in a Florida prison.
She will be sentenced Thursday at 9 a.m.


2011 Chesapeake Celtic Festival


 
crab with bagpipe
NEW THIS YEAR ---

CELTIC ROCK CONCERT
Featuring 
GAELIC MISHAP
SATURDAY  7:30

For more, visit www.celticfest.net
2011 Chesapeake Celtic Festival

October 1 & 2

Furnace Town
Living Heritage Museum
Snow Hill, MD

Something for Everyone....
*Music  *Dancing  *Comedy  *Storytelling
*Sheepherding  *Genealogy  *Clans
*Athletics *Bagpipes *Animals      
*Re-enactment  Groups  *Martial Arts  
*Craft Demonstrations *Celtic Wares 
*Cultural Presentations
*Flowers of the Forest 
*Imported Beers and Ales
*Wine Tasting  *Whiskey Tasting
*Celtic and Chesapeake Culinary Delights
*Ceilidh
AND MORE
 
 
 

NASA Rocket Launch

From NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
7:00 AM  The launch team reports that the shelters covering the rockets will be moved until the rain in the area clears. They don't expect this happening until around 8 a.m.

Countdown has started this morning towards the opening of the launch window for a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion and Black Brant V sounding rockets. The launch window is 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The webcast begins at 8:30 a.m


Four NASA suborbital sounding rockets carrying experiments to take measurements in the ionosphere will be launched between July 5 and 23 (including weekends) from NASA’s Launch Range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The project is studying neutral and charged particles in the ionosphere and how each affects the way the other moves resulting in currents in the region. The variations matter because all of our communications and GPS satellites send signals through the ionosphere. A disturbed ionosphere translates to disturbed signals, so scientists want to know just what causes the ionosphere to behave in specific ways.

During the launch period NASA will launch two pairs of rockets consisting of a Terrier-Improved Orion and a Black Brant V. The rockets in each pair will be launched 15 seconds apart. Only one pair of rockets will be launched on any day.

Based on the approved range schedule, the rocket pairs are set for launch between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT. The experiments on the Terrier-Improved Orion rockets will release lithium in the ionosphere. The resulting clouds are not expected to be visible to the naked eye but will be seen by special cameras on the ground.


The rockets will be visible in the Wallops area.


The NASA Visitor Center will open at 8:30 a.m. on launch day for viewing the launch.


The launch will be webcast beginning at 6:30 a.m. on launch day at: http://sites.wff.nasa.gov/webcast


Launch status can be followed on Twitter at: http://www.Twitter.com/NASA_Wallops


Launch status also is available at the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.

New Law In Effect For Personal Watercraft

If you own a personal watercraft such as a jet ski or wave runner, and you're under 50 a new law that went into effect July 1 says you need a state license. Between 6 and 8 hours is required to take the course.

The new law replaces one that required the license for all boaters under the age of 35.

Contact the local Coast Guard Auxiliary for information on how to take the course.

Source; shoredailynews.com

Ronald Reagan Statue Unveiled In London

Monday  July 4, 2011
A statue of former US president Ronald Reagan has been unveiled to mark 100 years since his birth.

Foreign Secretary William Hague paid tribute to Mr Reagan at the ceremony at the US Embassy in London this morning.

He said: "It is a great honour for me personally to take part in a ceremony for a man who changed the political landscape at the time I first became involved in it."

He was joined by former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice as the 10-foot bronze figure was revealed.
Ms Rice represented the late president's widow Nancy Reagan at the ceremony, which coincided with the US Independence Day celebrations.

Mr Hague said: "He joins the ranks of great men and women whose statues adorn our London streets; Nelson, Wellington, Lincoln, Churchill, Roosevelt, Edith Cavell and Nelson Mandela.

"Statues bring us to face to face with our heroes long after they are gone.

"Ronald Reagan is without question a great American hero; one of America's finest sons, and a giant of 20th-century history. You may be sure that the people of London will take this statue to their hearts.

"Those who stop and look will be reminded of President Reagan's extraordinary achievements, and all that he stood for as a man and a leader of men and women."

He added that Mr Reagan's great political ally, former prime minister Baroness Thatcher, could not attend the ceremony.

Mr Hague said: "She has asked me to say these words to you: Ronald Reagan was a great president and a great man - a true leader for our times. He held clear principles and acted upon them with purpose.

"Through his strength and his conviction he brought millions of people to freedom as the Iron Curtain finally came down.

"It was a pleasure to be his colleague and his friend, and I hope that this statue will be a reminder to future generations of the debt we owe him."

The statue of Mr Reagan was commissioned as part of a year of celebrations to mark what would have been the 100th birthday of the former US president.

It will stand alongside existing statues of other illustrious American presidents such as Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin D Roosevelt.

Although the embassy is moving from its central London home next year, the statues will remain at their current Grosvenor Square location.

The statue was commissioned by the Reagan Memorial Fund Trust.

Mr Reagan died in 2004 at the age of 93, having served as US president between 1981 and 1989.

To acknowledge Mr Reagan's contribution to the end of the Cold War, a piece of the Berlin Wall will be installed in front of the statue.

Lady Thatcher once said he had "a higher claim than any other leader to have won the Cold War for liberty and he did it without a shot being fired".