BREAKING NEWS! PEDESTRIAN DEAD IN WEST O.C.

A pedestrian is dead after being struck by a car on Route 50 in West Ocean City near Hooper's Restaurant.

The victim, a 16 year old male, may have been attempting to cross the heavily traveled roadway when he was hit. Ocean City paramedics were on the scene within minutes and a State Police medivac helicopter summoned, but the victim expired at the scene before transport could be attempted.

Route 50 traffic is fully blocked in both directions, and will be until until police investigation is completed. Eastbound traffic lanes are backed up for miles. Police advise motorists to use Route 90, but warn that traffic will be heavy and that waits may be long. Traffic in Ocean City is said to be particularly dense tonight due to several special events, including the classic car weekend.

More details as they are available.

BREAKING NEWS! FITZWATER STREET SHOOTING!

Salisbury police and rescue vehicles are now at Fitzwater and Hill Streets in response to a shooting that just occurred. Initial reports indicate that the victim was shot in the back with a shotgun. The victim's condition is unknown.

More to follow.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION DENIES REQUEST FOR WAIVER OF MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT FUNDING

The Maryland State Board of Education has denied the request of three Maryland counties to waive the Maintenance of Effort funding requirement. Wicomico, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties all appealed to the State Board of Education last month.

Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr. responded to the decision with the statement that follows.

“By denying Wicomico County’s request for a waiver from the State-mandated Maintenance of Effort standard; indeed by denying all of the requests before them, the State Board of Education has carelessly and irresponsibly put millions of dollars in essential State funding for local schools at risk.

“We made it clear to the Board in our appearance in Baltimore that Wicomico County, after requiring nearly all of our departments to slash their budget requests by as much as 10 percent, is not in a position to fund the Board of Education to the extent necessary to meet the State’s demands. In fact, our appeal to them was our last resort. For a body which has as its only purpose to support and encourage a high-quality learning environment for our schoolchildren, the State Board’s actions are inexplicable.

“That being said, I am determined to see that Wicomico’s schoolchildren are not made to suffer for the lack of the State’s ability to recognize the reality in the field from their high-rise offices in Baltimore. We will immediately renew our discussions with the County Board of Education and impress upon them that they must now find, from within their department, the means to reach the MOE standard if we are to save over $4 million in available State funds. I have every confidence that we can do it.”

Statement By Superintendent Dr. John Fredericksen

Statement by Superintendent Dr. John Fredericksen on State Board's Denial of Wicomico's MOE Waiver Request

Statement by Dr. John Fredericksen, Superintendent of Schools, on the Maryland State Board of Education’s decision Friday to deny Wicomico County’s request for a Maintenance of Effort waiver of $2 million:

We look forward to having the opportunity to work with County Executive Rick Pollitt and the Wicomico County Council to complete the budget process for fiscal 2010. We fully anticipate that we will be able to work out ways within our budget that will allow the county realize the $2 million in savings it needs while ensuring the appropriate level of funding for the school system to leverage new state aid of approximately $4.6 million.

In making these funding decisions with the county, we will all be looking for ways to make the best possible use of county and school system resources to minimize the effect of any cuts on the students of Wicomico County Public Schools.

The school system is already prepared for a variety of funding scenarios. Earlier this year, at my direction, staff prepared budgets that reflect a slight 1 percent increase, flat funding, and a 5 percent cut.

The Board of Education will hold its second Budget Input Session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, at the Board Office. The public is invited to attend and give input on the fiscal 2010 budget. The Board will adopt a final fiscal 2010 budget by June 30.

Please note: The State Board’s MOE waiver decision letter is posted at:

http://marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/stateboard/decisions_moewr.htm

Please note: The decision letter states incorrectly that the Wicomico County Board of Education opposed the MOE waiver and spoke at a state hearing on the waiver April 27. The Board of Education members received information on the county's MOE waiver request too late to take a position as a Board. Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen presented the school system’s opposition to the waiver request both before the hearing and at the hearing.

"White African-American" Sues N.J. Medical School

By Chelsea-Badeau


Can a white person be an African-American? Paulo Serodio, a 45-year-old naturalized American of Portugese heritage born in Mozambique, says yes. He is suing the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey for discrimination that he says led to his suspension.

He told ABCNews.com that his instructor, Dr. Kathy Ann Duncan, asked the students for self-definitions during a discussion on culture and medicine. Serodio identified himself as a “white African-American.” He says Duncan later told him never to refer to himself as that again, because it was “offensive” to others in the class.

Serodio said that he made a similar reference in another class and also wrote an article in the student newspaper titled, “A More Colorful View Than Black and White.” He says these actions led to harassment from other students and ultimately his suspension for unprofessional conduct.

"I wouldn't wish this to my worst enemy," Serodio said. "I'm not exaggerating. This has destroyed my life, my career."

While Serodio’s suit, which asks for reinstatement at the school and monetary damages, is bringing new attention to the meaning of the term “African-American,” it’s not a new debate.

In 2004, a white high-school student (born in Johannesburg) named Trevor Richards was suspended from an Omaha, Nebraska school after distributing posters that promoted him as a candidate for the school’s "Distinguished African-American Student" award. WorldNetDaily.com reported that this story sent “shock waves across America as debate rages over who can claim rights to the term ‘African-American.’”

What does “African-American” mean? Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the term as “an American of African and especially of black African descent.”

So if only people of black African descent should be allowed to refer to themselves as African-American, what is Serodio? "There are people of all races who are African," Serodio told ABCNews.com. He said he had no problem identifying himself in that way until Duncan’s class.

Will we, as Americans, ever get to the point where we drop the titles and just become Americans?

In college, I studied abroad in Australia. One of my roommates was from Ireland. When she was introduced to some other exchange students, she asked one of the girls what she was, and the girl replied, “I’m Irish.” My roommate said, “No you’re not. I’m Irish.” The girl was from America. Her great grandparents were from Ireland. My Irish roommate couldn’t understand why she had referred to herself as Irish and not American.

I think we can celebrate the uniqueness of our own individual heritages and backgrounds without getting wrapped up in unnecessary titles that often hold little meaning for the people using them. Maybe I am an eternal optimist (something I have been accused of in the past), but I would like to think that at some point in the future, Americans will be less concerned with specific titles and identifications and just relate as Americans that share the same concerns, hopes, and dreams.