Wednesday, October 5, 2011

FALL FESTIVAL ~ This Weekend

Teens Alcohol Drinking Problems Could Be Found On Facebook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - College students' Facebook pages might hold clues to which of them are at risk for alcohol dependence and abuse, according to a new study.

Researchers found that students who had pictures or posts about getting drunk or blacking out were more likely to be at risk of drinking problems, based on a screening test. That was not necessarily the case for students who mentioned alcohol or drinking on their pages, but not in a way that showed that they drank too much or in unhealthy situations.

It's possible that Facebook pages could help schools find out who needs to be assessed for alcohol-related problems -- although privacy and ethical concerns might make that complicated, researchers said.

The question is whether "what's being found on these sites... is actually predictive of clinical conditions," said Dr. James Niels Rosenquist, a social media researcher and psychiatrist from Massachusetts General Hospital who wasn't involved in the new study.

The findings suggest that messages on Facebook sites do seem to be linked to what happens in the "real world," he told Reuters Health.

Dr. Megan Moreno from the University of Wisconsin-Madison led a team of researchers from her university and the University of Washington in Seattle who surveyed the Facebook pages, including photos and posts, of 224 undergrads with publicly-available profiles.

About two-thirds of those students had no references to alcohol or drinking on their pages. The rest of the pages mentioned or had pictures of social, non-problematic drinking or more serious and risky alcohol use, including riding in a car while drunk or getting in trouble related to drinking.

The researchers brought all the students in for a 10-question screening test used to determine who is at risk for problem drinking. That test assesses the frequency of drinking and binge drinking as well as negative consequences from alcohol use.

Close to six in ten of the students whose Facebook pages had references to drunkenness and other dangerous drinking scored above the cutoff showing a risk for alcohol abuse and dependence, as well as other drinking-related problems.

That compared to 38 percent of students who had more minor references to alcohol and 23 percent of those who didn't mention alcohol or drinking at all, according to findings published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

In addition, close to one in five Facebook-implicated risky drinkers said they had an alcohol-related injury in the previous year.

Moreno and her colleagues proposed that peer leaders such as residential assistants could be trained to use Facebook to see who is at risk for problem drinking, and refer those students to get screening. Or, parents and administrators could talk to a school's counselors if they were worried about alcohol-related content on a student's page.

"You might have someone who, if they write in a Facebook posting about being drunk... that might be a red flag," Rosenquist told Reuters Health.

But, he added, with social media "you get very small snapshots into people's lives," so perusing Facebook pages alone might not be enough to see who needs to be screened for alcohol problems.

And there are other concerns as well, he said, including how appropriate it is to go scouting on students' pages for certain information.

Moreno said that a college RA already has a connection with students and is there to look out for them -- and this study is showing that "there is some legitimacy in approaching students that you're worried about," including if that worry is coming from Facebook posts.

But, she added, "Paying attention to people's privacy concerns is really big."

Moreno suggested that universities could have links to the health center or to online screening tests show up as Facebook advertisements for students who use terms such as "blacked out" on their pages.

"With the targeted messaging, there's not that (feeling) that someone you don't know is creeping on your profile," she told Reuters Health.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/oPnFuO Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, online October 3, 2011.

Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/lifestyle/sns-rt-us-drunk-facebooktre79266y-20111003,0,2308676.story

Hank Williams, Jr. Apologizes - Again

I suppose those doing the Hank Williams, Jr. interview on  "Fox & Friends" just about peed their expensive under panties when he belted out his comments.  The news media still doesn't get it!... and neither do some others.  Can't we be grown and sensible enough to let things like this just pass by?  Besides, isn't Williams allowed "freedom of speech"?  Where do you draw the line?  How in America can you tell someone what NOT to say?  Did anyone ever stop to think that perhaps Hank Williams, Jr.  said out loud what others have been thinking?  Maybe not in those words..................but I'll bet close enough.

I don't suppose Hank Williams, Jr. has to worry about what Obama or the American people think of him.  And I doubt seriously if his comment or removing his song from Monday Night Football will make or break him........He still has plenty of friends.

Sounds like Hank Williams Jr. is ready for some apologizing. Wait, make that a lot of apologizing.

The clearly chastened country singer has offered yet another mea culpa, after a comment he made comparing Pres. Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler prompted ESPN to pull his intro from "Monday Night Football."

In the apology, published on the singer's web site, Williams admitted that his comment was "dumb," adding, "Sorry if it offended anyone."

Williams still contended, however, that he wasn't thrilled about the concept of Obama and Republican house speaker John Boehner golfing together.

"I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports, and this time it got the Best or Worst of me," Williams writes. "The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over."

In an earlier statement, Williams admitted that his comment was "extreme...I have always respected the office of the President."

Williams made his inflammatory statement on Fox News talk show "Fox & Friends." Grousing about Obama and Boehner playing golf together over the summer, Williams said it was like "Hitler playing golf with Benjamin Netanyahu."

Elsewhere during his appearance, Williams referred to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as "the enemy."
Williams' comments were enough to make ESPN yank its regular opening, which features Williams singing "All My Rowdy Friends," from this week's "Monday Night Football."

"We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast," ESPN said in a statement.

Source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/us-hankwilliamsjr-idUSTRE7940BC20111005

Shore Beef and BBQ

WEDNESDAY SPECIAL
Pit Beef Sandwich w/side
Drink ~ $7.50

**NOTE**
Located on Front Street (Snyder building) in Accomack County

"See all our New Church customers on Thursday, 11-6"

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

CHILD NEGLECT - Officially A CRIME In Maryland

BALTIMORE - Child neglect is officially a crime in Maryland.

Under the new law, child neglect is a misdemeanor crime. If convicted, parents or guardians could face up to five years in prison, a fine up to five thousand dollars or both.


Parents or guardians who are not able to properly care for their children because of poverty or homelessness will not be charged.


Last year-- Maryland child protective services says there were nearly 4,150  cases of child neglect.

Source;  http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/baltimore_city/child-neglect-is-now-officially-a-crime-in-maryland

October Is Adopt-A-Dog Month

Questions to God from just about any dog...........
Eddie (adopted)

Dear God: Is it on purpose our names are the same, only reversed?


Dear God: Why do humans smell the flowers, but seldom, if ever, smell one another?


Dear God: When we get to heaven, can we sit on your couch? Or is it still the same old story?


Dear God: Why are there cars named after the jaguar, the cougar, the mustang, the colt, the stingray, and the rabbit, but not ONE named for a Dog? How often do you see a cougar riding around? We do love a nice ride! Would it be so hard to rename the 'Chrysler Eagle' the 'Chrysler Beagle'?


Dear God: If a Dog barks his head off in the forest and no human hears him, is he still a bad Dog?


Dear God: We Dogs can understand human verbal instructions, hand signals, whistles, horns, clickers, beepers, scent ID's, electromagnetic energy fields, and  Frisbee flight paths. What do humans understand?


Dear God: More meatballs, less spaghetti, please.


Dear God: Are there mailmen in Heaven? If there are, will I have to apologize?

Love your friend -
the dog



Contact your local animal shelter and ask about becomming a foster parent.  Give a dog the chance to love you. 

SHORE BEEF and BBQ ~ Tuesday & Wednesday Location

TUESDAY SPECIAL

Pulled Chicken Sandwich w/side
Drink ~ $7.50

**PLEASE NOTE **

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY  ~ SHORE BEEF and BBQ will be located on Front Street (the old Snyder Building) in Accomack County.  Hope to see you there!!

Sign Up To Be A Volunteer For the Friends of the Nature Trail

The Nature Trail Committee is still looking for community sprited people to volunteer to keep the Pocomoke Nature Trail alive and growing.


For many years the nature trail has been growing and it is so very important to keep this project alive and growing in the future.  Here is where the "next generation"  can step in.  Here is YOUR chance to have a role in being one of the Friends of the Nature Trail.
You know, the Pocomoke River is a beauty by boat but it is just as wonderful to see from the nature trail.


Needed for this continuing project are:
Planners
Money Raisers
Schedulers
And of course citizens to help build.

It's a beautiful part of Pocomoke.  Pocomoke belongs to YOU.  Grab a friend or relative or two and become members of the Friends of the Nature Trail.


Here's the number to call.  Pocomoke City Hall/ (410)957-1333


Give them your name and tell them what part you would like to play in keeping the nature trail growing into the future.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting Tonight

A G E N D A
POCOMOKE CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING
7:30 p.m., Monday, October 3, 2011
City Hall
1.      Call to Order, Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.

2.      Review and approval of minutes from meeting of September 12, 2011.

3.      Review and approval of bills to be paid.

4.      Mr. Mike Kleger, Vice President and Ms. Leslie Michalik, of P.K.S., to present annual audit report for year ending 6-30-11.

5.      Discuss letter from Delmarva Discovery Center requesting additional funding for their operations (letter dated 9-20-11).

6.      Review of bids for demolition of vacant house at 707 Clarke Avenue.

7.      Resolution No. 450 authorizing the submission of 2011-2012 Community Legacy Grant Application.  (Emergency Resolution)

8.      Resolution No. 451 authorizing Mayor to sign revised agreement with Shore Bank for acquisition and renovation of property at 1500 Market Street for use as police station.
(Emergency Resolution)

9.      Continue discussion of certain delinquent business taxes recommended to be written off.

10.  Discuss request from the Samaritan Shelter for gift certificate for their “Annual Christmas Gift Basket”.

11.  Review letter from Chamber of Commerce requesting use of Winter Quarters Golf Course for annual golf tournament on 10-21-11.

12.  Consider request from Pocomoke High School for placement of ad in 2012 yearbook.

13.  City Manager to present summary of proposals for replacement of butterfly valves at water treatment plant.

Comments from the Audience.
Mayor and Council Items.
Adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel, real estate, and legal matters as permitted under the provisions of Sec. 10-508 (A), (1), (7), (8) of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and to perform executive actions.
AGENDAS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE TIME OF CONVENING.

Small Plane Crashes Into Chesapeake Bay- Search For Woman Continues

An elderly woman was missing and her pilot son swam to shore after a small plane crashed into the Chesapeake Bay near , on Sunday, officials said.

The single-engine plane went down about 3:30 p.m. after the pilot declared an emergency and told air traffic controllers at Patuxent River Naval Air Station that he was having trouble with the plane and didn’t think he could make it to Tangier Island Airport in Virginia, the Coast Guard said.

The pilot -- whose name and hometown have not been released -- said he was trying to make it to Smith Island, Maryland State Police said, and his plane disappeared from radar.

A search began by the Coast Guard, Maryland State Police and state Natural Resources Police.

About 8 p.m., residents reported the pilot was on Smith Island and said he had swam to shore. He was flown by state police helicopter to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salsibury, Md.

At the hospital, the man told police his mother was on board the plane he owned. He said both were able to get out of the plane after it crashed and before it sank, police said.

The pilot said his mother died while they were in the water.

The search for the mother is continuing.

State police, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, which police said is believed to have happened within three miles of Smith Island.

October Is Adopt-A-Dog Month

Frederick - a foster dog
Letter to God from a foster dog;

Dear God:  

Let me give you a list of just some of the things I must remember to be a good Dog. 
1. I will not eat the cats' food before they eat it or after they throw it up.   

2. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just  because I like the way they smell.  
3. The Litter Box is not a  cookie jar.  

4. The sofa is not a 'face towel'.  

5. The  garbage collector is not stealing our stuff. 
6. I will not play  tug-of-war with Dad's underwear when he's on the toilet. 
7.  Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is an unacceptable way of saying  'hello'.  

8. I don't need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm under the coffee table  
9. I must shake the rainwater out of my fur before entering the house - not after. 
10. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt. 
11. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch. 
12. The  cat is not a 'squeaky toy' so when I play with him and he makes that  noise, it's usually not a good thing.

Your friend,
Frederick - the foster dog

Angel Food Ministries Shuts Down For Good

So many residents on the Eastern Shore are familiar with the Angel Food Ministries.  Many of you already know that the non-profit organization has closed it doors and no  low cost foods are being delivered to the local churches.  Please take note!  The fact that  Angel Food Ministries food goods are no longer available  is NOT the fault of the church you have been using to pick up your food.


To read more about Angel Food Ministries and how the Wingo family (the organizations founder(s) used (alleged) used their nonprofit organization - that so many families depended on- to get rich on the monies intended to pay their vendors, etc.  In other words ,  the church paid the Angel Food Ministries the monies you paid and the Wingos- I guess-  pocketed it!  Keep in mind now that these goods were shipped all over America and so many other places.



Angel Food Ministries which said earlier this month that it would not be able to distribute its discounted food for the month of September, announced this week plans to shut down for good.

“Angel Food Ministries has considered many options regarding our future,” reads a message posted on the ministry's website. “At this time we regret to inform you that we have not found a solution that will allow Angel Food Ministries to continue to distribute food on a monthly basis and have decided to cease operations.”

AFM is a Georgia-based nonprofit that was founded in 1994 by Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo to provide discounted food items to the poor and needy. Approximately 500,000 families a month purchased from the organization prior to its shutdown.


The message on the ministry's website claims 98 percent of its customers that placed an order for September have already received a full refund. AFM says that it has been able to return $24 million to church host sites and other partner organizations. And AFM intends to work with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide refunds to the remaining 59 customers who used SNAP benefits to place their orders.


Though the economy may have had an impact on the organization, The Christian Post reported Sept. 12 that the charity has also found itself in questionable legal and financial situations involving the Wingos. The FBI in 2009 opened an investigation into the Wingos that is ongoing.


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that AFM has laid off all 90 of its full-time staff members and put its headquarters up for sale. In order to save money on energy costs, the ministry also got rid of food in its cold storage facility by either returning it to its vendors or by donating it to food banks and charities.


Though no charges have yet been filed against the Wingos, an anonymous spokesman for Angel Food told the AJC that the ongoing FBI investigation hurt the ministry's image and its relationships with both churches and its customers. The spokesman also said the investigation resulted in “considerable legal expense” for the organization.


The question now remains what will the ministry's host sites do to provide for the needs of local AFM customers who have come to depend on the discounted food program.


“Right now we just don't have an option available to us for anything real immediate,” said Kevin Davis, senior pastor of First Assembly of God in Farmington, Mo., in an interview with The Christian Post on Friday.


Davis says his church has been a host site for AFM for nearly eight years, and served between 50 and 60 families per month leading up to this week's announcement. Davis has heard of other ministries similar to AFM's, but doesn't expect to begin a new program before the beginning of 2012.


“We're definitely saddened by the fact that that has happened, but right now we're just kind of re-evaluating things for the future,” he said.


Juan Villalobos, pastor of the Hispanic ministry at Triangle Christian Church in Raleigh, N.C., ran an AFM host site but did not hear about the ministry's shut down until The Christian Post contacted him.


“Sad. Very, very, very sad. This news is disappointing in many ways,” Villalobos said when he heard the news.


Villalobos says he's been working with AFM for about two years, and the number of families his host site feeds varies between 35 and 60 per month. Going forward, he says, his plan is to start by “knocking on doors,” going to local supermarkets to ask for donations, or possibly even starting a food bank.


"It's hard, but we have to do it. We have to. If we want to help people, if we want to...show the community we love her and we are taking care of them in the way that we can, we have to do it."

Source;  http://www.christianpost.com/news/angel-food-ministries-shuts-down-for-good-56415/

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Plane Crash

According to WBOC

A single-engine aircraft has crashed 8 miles off Tangier Island into the Chesapeake bay. 

According to the United States Coast Guard 2 people are on board.   Maryland National Resource Police, MSP and Coast Guard are currently searching for the plane.

TIME MACHINE ... Pocomoke High!


The 42.8 million dollar renovation of the "old" Pocomoke High School is completed. Some of us still think of this facility as the "new" school, with our memories of the "old" PHS being that of the former building on Market Street which was Pocomoke High for almost three decades up through the late 1950's.

But if the sentiment by a considerable segment of the public and the Board Of Education had prevailed the new high school would not have been constructed at its present location. In fact there would not have been a Pocomoke High School. It would have been a consolidated school located between Pocomoke and Snow Hill to serve both towns and the surrounding areas.

January, 1955

During the first week of January,1955, about 350 citizens from Pocomoke and Snow Hill, who had been organized as fact-finding groups, attended a meeting at Stephen Decatur High, the new consolidated school serving Ocean City and Berlin. They toured the school and were to gather information and opinions and forward their findings on to the Worcester County Commissioners, and legislators.

It was reported that the cost of a consolidated school would be $1,500,000, while separate schools would each cost half that amount.

Following the meeting it was reported that about half of those in attendance were favorable to Pocomoke and Snow Hill sharing a consolidated school similar to Stephen Decatur, a much lesser number favored two separate schools and the remainder were reserving opinion. Pocomoke and Snow Hill PTA 's were to host meetings the following week to gather public opinion on the matter and as to whether a county-wide referendum should be held.

At the following week's meetings, in a close vote of 184 to 166 Snow Hill residents favored a consolidated school between Snow Hill and Pocomoke. At the Pocomoke meeting the vote was 172 to 72 in favor of a consolidated school. By a wider margin Pocomoke and Snow Hill residents voted against the issue being decided by a county-wide referendum.

Stockton residents presented the County Commissioners with a petition favoring the consolidated school, signed by 175 of 201 of its citizens who were approached.

The heads of the fact-finding committees from Snow Hill and Pocomoke expressed the opinion that a consolidated school would be more practical than two separate schools. The Board Of Education appeared to agree with proponents that better educational facilities at a lower cost could be provided with a consolidated school.

But a delegation of city officials and businessmen headed by the mayors of Pocomoke and Snow Hill told the County Commissioners that they favored separate schools for each community and their respective city councils had voted resolutions in support of that choice.

Proponents for a consolidated school claimed support for their cause was in the majority. They had meetings with the County Commissioners, Board Of Education, and members of Worcester County's state legislative delegation but the final decision of the County Commissioners was to pursue separate High Schools for Pocomoke and Snow Hill, and Worcester County's members of the state legislature favored that choice as well. In March, 1955, the Maryland General Assembly passed a bond bill funding construction of separate new High Schools for Pocomoke and Snow Hill. 

 

January, 1930

(Site selected for a new PHS on Market Street)

An injunction against building a new Pocomoke High School on a site selected by Worcester County Commissioners was denied in Circuit Court. County Commissioner Charles L. Mason and 20 area residents were seeking the injunction, claiming the County Commissioners authority was limited to a site within Pocomoke City's corporate limits.

The site selected by the commissioners was at Ninth Street which marked the city boundary. The Circuit Court ruling upheld the right of the Board Of Commissioners to determine the site.

Footnote: PHS was located on Market Street between 10th and 11th streets, but did those streets exist in 1930? When the school was constructed perhaps Ninth Street, as referenced above, was the closest street adjacent to the site selected for the school location. Anyone know more?

 

December, 1971

An investigation was continuing into a fire which destroyed the old Pocomoke High School building on Market Street which had become Pocomoke City Elementary School after the new High School building was constructed near the south end of Cedar Street. Students were safely evacuated from the building when the school fire alarm sounded, most thinking it was a routine fire drill. Principal John W. Tatem discovered the fire which was believed to have started in an area near a boiler room but there was no indication that the boilers were a cause of the blaze. Flames quickly enveloped the structure. The building was bricked on the outside but most of the internal framing was wood. Following the blaze only the shell of the walls remained. Portable classrooms near the building were saved.

 

ACROSS THE USA

January, 1950

The new year was bringing changes to Social Security with a boost in the program's tax but also increased benefits to citizens. As reported by the Associated Press...

If the house bill is passed and signed by Pres. Harry S. Truman, it will bring this much added security to Americans:

The lowest pensions, now $10 for a single retired worker, will rise to $25 a month. The top pension for an aged couple, now $85, would be $126.

 

 

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

October Is "Adopt A Dog Month"

October is American Humane Association's
Adopt-A-Dog Month
Miss Lady (adopted)

What Can An Adopted Dog Bring To Your Life?

There are as many responses to that question as there are dogs in this world! That’s why -- during American Humane Association’s Adopt-A-Dog Month celebration in October -- we’re encouraging people to adopt a shelter dog and experience the joy of finding their own answers.
Are you looking for:
  • an exercise buddy?
  • a best friend and confidant for your child?
  • a dog you can train with to learn animal-assisted therapy?
  • a partner in agility competitions?
  • a constant companion for your favorite senior citizen?
  • a fuzzy face to greet you after a hard day at work?
An adopted dog can be all these things -- and so much more!
Milton (adopted)
Your local shelter is the perfect place to find dogs of every type, size, age and personality -- all waiting for a loving home. Or, if you prefer a particular breed that isn’t currently available at a shelter, go online to find a breed-specific rescue group in need of adopters like you.

Find out what a shelter or rescue dog can bring to your life this October during Adopt-A-Dog Month!

Source;  http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/programs/special-initiatives/adopt-a-dog-month/

U.S. Travel Alert After Awlaki Death

(Reuters) - The State Department issued a worldwide travel alert on Saturday warning of the possibility of anti-American attacks in response to the killing of two top al Qaeda members.

The warning came a day after U.S. officials said Anwar al-Awlaki, identified as "chief of external operations" for al Qaeda's Yemen branch, was killed in an attack by missiles fired from multiple CIA drones in Yemen.

"The death of Awlaki, in the near term, could provide motivation for anti-American attacks worldwide from individuals or groups seeking to retaliate against U.S. citizens or interests because of this action," the State Department said.

The drone strike also killed Samir Khan, an American who served as editor of a glossy magazine used as a propaganda and recruitment tool by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Source; http://www.wtkr.com/news/sns-rt-usa-travel-warning-idustre7901p920111001-story,0,3921909.story

Saturday, October 1, 2011

TIME MACHINE Preview ... Pocomoke High!

PHS... Something New, Something Old.

In January, 1955 what was probably the most written about page one local news issue could have changed the course of Pocomoke High School history!

It's this Sunday on The Pocomoke Public Eye!



Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

AGENDA ~ Pocomoke City Mayor and Council Meeting

A G E N D A
POCOMOKE CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETING
7:30 p.m., Monday, October 3, 2011
City Hall
1.      Call to Order, Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.

2.      Review and approval of minutes from meeting of September 12, 2011.

3.      Review and approval of bills to be paid.

4.      Mr. Mike Kleger, Vice President and Ms. Leslie Michalik, of P.K.S., to present annual audit report for year ending 6-30-11.

5.      Discuss letter from Delmarva Discovery Center requesting additional funding for their operations (letter dated 9-20-11).

6.      Review of bids for demolition of vacant house at 707 Clarke Avenue.

7.      Resolution No. 450 authorizing the submission of 2011-2012 Community Legacy Grant Application.  (Emergency Resolution)

8.      Resolution No. 451 authorizing Mayor to sign revised agreement with Shore Bank for acquisition and renovation of property at 1500 Market Street for use as police station.
(Emergency Resolution)

9.      Continue discussion of certain delinquent business taxes recommended to be written off.

10.  Discuss request from the Samaritan Shelter for gift certificate for their “Annual Christmas Gift Basket”.

11.  Review letter from Chamber of Commerce requesting use of Winter Quarters Golf Course for annual golf tournament on 10-21-11.

12.  Consider request from Pocomoke High School for placement of ad in 2012 yearbook.

13.  City Manager to present summary of proposals for replacement of butterfly valves at water treatment plant.

Comments from the Audience.
Mayor and Council Items.
Adjourn to Executive Session to discuss personnel, real estate, and legal matters as permitted under the provisions of Sec. 10-508 (A), (1), (7), (8) of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and to perform executive actions.
AGENDAS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE UNTIL THE TIME OF CONVENING.

Maryland Closes Loophole With New Texting Law

SILVER SPRING, Md. (WUSA) -- Maryland has made it illegal to text and drive, but lawmakers discovered some loopholes in their original law. Those gaps will be closed with a new law that will take effect Saturday.

What you should know:

1. Not only can you not text and send messages but no longer will you be able to read and receive texts.
2. The law applies both while
driving or stopped at a light.
3. Police can stop you if they see you texting; before police needed another traffic violation to cite you for texting (secondary offense) but now they can stop you just for texting ( a primary offense).
4. You can be fined $70 and get 1 point on your driver's license but if police determine texting caused an accident, the fine
jumps to $110 and 3 points.
5. Your driver's license can be suspended with as little as 8 points and revoked at 12.

You can also be criminally responsible if texting caused an accident that resulted in a death.

Lon Anderson, AAA Spokesperson, says, "When you get right down to it, texting and driving is stupid. You are begging to be in an accident."

Mirta Hanc says, "Yeah, I'm guilty as charged. I find myself from time to time. I try not to. But the new law will change my behavior.  I think so."

Friday, September 30, 2011

FREE Admission To Art Show

Fifth Annual 
COSTEN HOUSE Art Show
At the Delmarva Discovery Center
Downtown Pocomoke City
Saturday ~ October 1, 2011
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION

Stop by and see the amazing work done by local  artists
It's not too early to shop for Christmas..........

Wor. Co. Child's Advocacy Center -"Cricket Center" - To Hold Benefit

Children's Resource Intervention Center -
Kids Empowerment Team

Some Worcester County citizens may not be aware that there is a center for children that have been traumatized by physical or sexual abuse.  The Cricket  Center provides a much needed safe environment  for these children at a time when their whole world seems to be falling apart.


The Cricket Center could use the publics support.


Written By: News Editor, Shawn J. Soper


BERLIN -- Worcester County’s Cricket Center, created five years ago to advocate on behalf of victims of child physical and sexual abuse, is making a difference for the most vulnerable in the community, but the program continues to rely on the generosity of area residents to perpetuate the unfunded mandate.


The county’s Child Advocacy Center, or Cricket Center, housed in a satellite office on the Atlantic General Hospital campus, provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the growing problem of child physical and sexual abuse in the community. Using a “one-stop shopping” approach, the Cricket Center includes child protection workers, medical and mental health professionals, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, AGH and Life Crisis staff all under one roof with the goal of easing the trauma of the young victims and their family members and facilitating the emotional healing process.


“In the past, a victim of child abuse or sexual abuse would first be taken out of school by a social worker, interviewed by the police, returned to school, then taken for a medical exam, probably interviewed by another police officer and then somebody from the state’s attorney’s office to begin the prosecution process,” said Cricket Center Program Manager Wendy Myers this week. “What we found out was that the system in place was, in most cases, re-traumatizing the victim. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. That’s just the way the system was set up.”


To that end, Worcester County’s Cricket Center, and similar child advocacy centers all over the state and across the country, combines all of the needed resources under one roof, easing the burden on the victims and their families with a comprehensive approach.


“It’s a safe environment where child victims and their families can speak with social workers, tell their stories to law enforcement officials and prosecutors, get the medical attention they need, meet with a SAFE nurse and Life Crisis officials all under one roof,” said Myers. “It provides an environment where they feel safe and can get the help they need without being dragged all over the county to the different resources. It’s a one-stop shop, kind of the Wal-Mart for child abuse.”


Myers said victim interviews are recorded and are admissible in court, often preventing the victims telling and retelling their stories, which can cause them to relive the trauma sometimes months later when the cases go to trial. In some cases, the fear of testifying against the accused is a deterrent to coming forward in the first place.


“There are often times when the kids don’t even have to take the stand,” said Myers. “Not always, because a defendant has a right to face his or her accuser in Maryland, but we can often prevent a child from going to court and testifying against their abuser.”

Child physical abuse and sexual abuse is a growing problem, but more often than not, the accused is someone familiar to the young victim. Statistics show 80 percent of the time the accused is someone with whom the child has a relationship of some sort.


“We were all warned about the scary stranger in the bushes, but most of the time, it’s someone the child knows and often closely,” said Myers. “It might be the boyfriend or girlfriend of a parent, someone who lives in the house or even an aunt or uncle.”


All of the services provided by the Cricket Center are free to the victims and their families, but finding the funding to sustain the program has become increasingly difficult. Worcester County’s Cricket Center, and similar programs across Maryland are mandated by the state, yet the state does not provide a dedicated funding source.


“We are not a line item on any budget,” said Myers. “We did get some financial support from the county for the physical building, but there are no funds dedicated for the daily operation. We do receive some grant money, but otherwise, we are completely supported by community donations. The community has been extremely generous, and without the support of the residents of Worcester County, we honestly could never make it.”
 
To that end, the Cricket Center is constantly battling to stay ahead of the funding curve with a series of fundraisers throughout the year.


The program’s next significant event is the Crickets on the Bay scheduled for next Sunday, Oct. 9, at Macky’s Bayside Bar and Grill from 4-9 p.m. The $50 admission price includes dinner and an open bar along with live music from “Bad Mojo.” The highlight of the evening will likely be a chance for participants to win a diamond valued at $3,500 donated by Park Place Jewelers. The event replaces the Cricket Center’s more formal black-tie gala held each year.


Tickets will not be sold at the door, although they can be purchased in advance as late as the day before the event. For more information, contact the Cricket Center at 410-641-0097, ext. 4204, or visit www.thecricketcenter.com for more information about the event.