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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
$280M In State Budget Cuts Approved
Maryland's Board of Public Works unanimously approved $280 million in current-year budget reductions at its meeting Wednesday morning as state leaders braced for even deeper cutbacks in the coming months.
"We've made some very difficult decisions in the past 2 1/2 years," Gov. Martin O'Malley said. "But without fiscal responsibility, no progress is possible."
It was the fifth time that the three-member Board of Public Works, which includes O'Malley along with Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot, has had to make emergency budget cuts during O'Malley's tenure.
GO HERE to see more.
The Pill May Be Less Effective In Obese Women
But more research is needed before any recommendations can be made on contraceptive use based on a woman's body mass index, or BMI, a standard measure of the ratio between height and weight, Dr. Alison B. Edelman of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and her colleagues say.
There's been some evidence to suggest that the birth control pill may be less effective in obese women, but findings have not been consistent, Edelman and her team note in the journal Contraception. Very little is known about how drug metabolism in the body is affected by obesity, they add, while obese women have been excluded from most studies of oral contraceptives.
GO HERE to read more.
SOTOMAYOR'S CONFIRMATION VOTE RESCHEDULED - HERE'S WHY
Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor on these issues:
1. The Committee's questionnaire
2. Judge Sotomayor’s answers to it and her conduct
3. The docket of the DeLano case, 06-4780-bk, CA2
4. Statistics of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on the denial by the 2nd Circuit Judicial Council, of which Judge Sotomayor is a member, of 100% of petitions for review of dismissed judicial misconduct complaints during the 1 October 1996 thru 30 September 2008; a 12-year period.
Dr. Cordero expended Herculean efforts in faxing his 32-page report to every member except Franken who did not have a fax number at that time. As I said in my column, July 20, 2009, sometimes legal issues can become a bit confusing to the layman. On Congress' better days, they have proven to be so incompetent they couldn't boil water in Hell. However, it all comes down to this (aside from Sotomayor being judicially unqualified and a racist): Sotomayor is involved in a bankruptcy fraud scheme and she lied through omission on the questionnaire to the Senate Judiciary Committee to cover it up.
As a result of Dr. Cordero's efforts and the publicity generated by independent media (not by any MSM or cable media networks like FAUX, CNN, MSNBC), the full vote by the senate has been postponed. We the people have been burning up the phone lines to our U.S. Senator's offices and in particular, Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee. As of July 19, 2009, the Senate Judiciary's web site posted the full senate vote would be July 21, 2009 at 10:00 am.
GO HERE to read more.
10 Questions For Obama Tonight
For the first time in his presidency, Barack Obama is using a prime-time news conference Wednesday night to play catch-up.
With the public souring on both his handling of health-care reform and the economy, Obama is stepping to the podium for the fourth time in six months in hopes of convincing the public he’s got a plan, to get the economy back on track and a health overhaul that will expand care to all without busting the budget.
With Democrats fractured on health-care and the GOP sensing a major political opportunity, Obama is engaged in an inside-outside strategy, cajoling members of Congress in private White House sessions while using his bully pulpit to rally public support for his plan.
So it’s health care where we start with our 10 Questions for President Obama.
1) Is it still realistic that both chambers of Congress will pass health care bills before their summer recess in August? And how worried are you that missing the deadline could endanger your hopes of getting a bill this year?
GO HERE to read more.
Serious Accident On Rt. 50
Aquatic Water Park Coming To Salisbury?
While this massive 33 acre Water Park has been flying under the radar, residents on White Lowe Road are growing more concerned as the Wicomico County P&Z Department is now bringing it to a more public arena. The next step is a public hearing.
Morgan Hazel and Michael Tilghman are the master minds behind the indoor/outdoor center in which we're told there will be 4 Olympic sized swimming pools, a kiddie pool, a rec. center, fitness center, cafe and the whole nine yards.
The property was owned by the State but we have heard, (yet not confirmed) they have purchased the land from the State. The land is zoned A-1 Ag and that code does allow personal/private owned indoor/outdoor Rec. Center but would need a special acception for food, beverage and other amenities.
OK, here's the deal. Since this is a Blog, it is my opinion that IF a piece of property is zoned for a certain usage and the project falls within that zoning, I firmly stand behind the Developer. However, there are property owners very close to this facility that must be considered. Many people purchased their homes and property next to a State Park because they have always been known to forever feel as if nothing will ever be developed there.
Mind you, (I'd have to research the article) I know I wrote an article not that long ago where someone had asked me what I thought would bring the local economic & development back to the Eastern Shore and one of the project I had stated was that this are needed a big Water Park. Looks like some people were listening and listening good.
Neighbors are concerned about roads being made wider, crime and even what might happen to their shallow wells with such a massive draw on the water table. Mind you, my guess would be that their worries should be more focused on what the wells from local farms will do to their supply versus this Water Park. Once they fill up I'm certain they'll recycle whatever they can.
Anyhow, you heard it here first Folks. This is a major project and I'm confident everyone will want to hear your thoughts on such a project coming to our area.
U.S. Drug Agents Raid Jackson Doctor's Office
Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration entered the Armstrong Medical Clinic in north Houston to serve a search warrant in an effort to help Los Angeles police probing the death of the "Thriller" singer, said Rusty Payne, a Washington-based spokesperson for the agency.
Payne declined to give details because the Texas search warrant remained sealed.
GO HERE to read more.
Iran Reactor To Be Switched On In 2009
MOSCOW - Russian news agencies quote the country's nuclear agency chief as saying a Russian-built nuclear power reactor in Iran is still set to be switched on this year.
State-run RIA-Novosti and ITAR-Tass quote Sergei Kiriyenko as saying plans remain for a start-up of the reactor near the Iranian city of Bushehr by the end of the year.
Russia is helping Iran build its first nuclear power plant as part of a program Iran says is purely peaceful. The United States and Israel say it is meant to develop atomic weapons.
GO HERE to read more from MSNBC.
American Charged In Afghan Terrorist Attack
NEW YORK - An American has been charged with taking part in a rocket attack against a U.S. base in Afghanistan.
Court papers unsealed Wednesday in New York federal court also accuse Bryant Neal Vinas, a U.S. citizen who once lived in the New York City area, of receiving training from al-Qaida and providing the terrorist organization with information about the New York City transit system.
Vinas was believed to be cooperating in a terrorism case in Europe. His identity was kept secret since he was indicated late last year, and federal prosecutors refused to discuss the case on Wednesday, though it has now been made public, NBC News reported.
GO HERE to read more from MSNBC.
Senate Rejects Concealed Weapons Measure
WASHINGTON - In a rare win for gun control advocates, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a measure allowing a person with a concealed weapon permit in one state to also hide his firearm when visiting another state.
The vote was 58-39 in favor of the provision establishing concealed carry permit reciprocity in the 48 states that have concealed weapons laws. That fell two votes short of the 60 needed to approve the measure, offered as an amendment to a defense spending bill.
Opponents prevailed in their argument that the measure violated states rights by forcing states with stringent requirements for permits to recognize concealed weapons carriers from states that give out permits to almost any gun owner.
GO HERE to read more from MSNBC.
SEX OFFENDER ARRESTED AFTER TROOPER SEES HIM WITH A CHILD
(Westminster, MD) – A convicted sex offender is being held without bond in Carroll County after an alert state trooper saw him in the presence of a child and notified state probation officials who moved quickly to violate his probation.
The accused is identified as Charles B. Purdum, 35, of the 100-block of Stoner Avenue, Westminster, Md. Purdum is charged with violation of probation and is currently being held at the Carroll County Detention Center without bond.
On the afternoon of July 14, 2009, a state trooper assigned to the Westminster Barracks Criminal Investigation Section observed the accused walking through a retail store in Westminster. The trooper saw that Purdum was walking with a young boy and a woman. The trooper also observed that Purdum was alone with the child when the woman, later identified as his mother, was shopping in another area of the store.
Knowing Purdum’s status as a registered sex offender, the trooper contacted a sergeant at the barracks who coordinates the Carroll County Sex Offender Registry. An investigation was initiated and troopers contacted agents with the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation. Officials there confirmed Purdum was on probation and that he was to have no contact with boys under the age of 18.
Probation agents applied for a warrant to violate Purdum’s probation. A warrant for his arrest was issued yesterday. He was arrested by troopers shortly before 4:30 p.m. yesterday at the Westminster office of the Division of Parole and Probation.
Through further investigation, troopers learned the 10-year-old boy and his mother were acquaintances of Purdum. The investigation into that association is continuing.
Purdum had been maintaining compliance with the requirements of Maryland’s Sex Offender Registry regarding regular registration and providing an accurate and current address. He is currently on probation for a sexual offense he was convicted of in 2003.
Another Success Story
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
On July 20, 2009 at approximately 3:12 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Family Christian Store on North Salisbury Boulevard for the report of an employee theft. Upon arrival the officers were advised by store management that an employee had been taking U.S. currency from the store while falsifying returns.
ARRESTED: Kevin Jamar Deal, 21 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Theft (under $ 100) – 16 counts
Theft (under $ 500) - 4 counts
Theft scheme (over $ 500)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200900025430
On July 20, 2009 at approximately 9:54 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Food Lion Store on Nanticoke Road for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival, officers met with store employees who advised that the below listed suspect had been observed by employees taking meat from the store without making any attempts at payment. The suspect then fled from the store. Officers located the suspect on West Main Street and the suspect was positively identified. The property was recovered.
ARRESTED: Mark (nmn) Gortman, 52 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 100)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200900025470
On July 21, 2009 at approximately 2:15 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Macys Department Store at the Centre at Salisbury for the report of an employee theft. Upon arrival the officers were advised by store management that an employee had been taking U.S. currency from the store while falsifying returns.
ARRESTED: Linda Joyce Zissimos, 60 years of age Delmar, Maryland
CHARGES:
Theft (over $ 500)
Theft scheme (over $ 500)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200900025540
On July 21, 2009 at approximately 9:12 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to the Universal Market on Ocean Gateway for the report of a shoplifter. Upon arrival, officers met with a store employee who advised that the below listed suspect had been observed by employees taking items from the store without making any attempts at payment. The suspect then fled from the store. Officers located the suspect in the area of Nanticoke Road and the suspect was positively identified. The property was recovered and returned to the store.
ARRESTED: Bobby Ronald Goodwine, 42 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Theft (under $ 100)
Trespassing
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200900025587
CITY OF SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
Meeting #15
July 27, 2009 6:00 p.m.
City/County Government Office Building Room 301
Times shown for agenda items are estimates only.
6:00 p.m. CONVENE – LORD’S PRAYER – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
6:04 p.m. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
6:06 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA – City Clerk Brenda Colegrove
July 13, 2009 minutes 1a
Resolution No. 1804 - accepting donation of miscellaneous firefighting 1b
tools and equipment from Salisbury Fire Department Inc., Company
No. 1
Resolution No. 1805 accepting donation of miscellaneous firefighting 1c
tools and equipment from Salisbury Fire Company No. 2 Inc.
Resolution No. 1806 - accepting funds in cooperation with the 1d
Wicomico County Emergency Services through the Department of
Homeland Security to purchase equipment to be utilized by first
responders to meet the challenges posed by potential acts of terrorism
Resolution No. 1807 - accepting grant funds awarded through the 1e
Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to provide for
overtime reimbursement to officers participating in the Multi-
Jurisdictional Warrant Reduction/Service – Violent Offender Warrant
Reduction Program
Resolution No. 1808 - accepting funds awarded through the Bryne 1f
Justice Recovery Act from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and
Prevention to fund a Crime Analysis Geographical Information System
to enhance the Police Department’s ability to analyze and track crime
trends and geographical data
Resolution No. 1809 - approving Community Legacy application for 1g
funds to be utilized by Urban Salisbury, Inc. to procure detailed
architectural and engineering drawings for the Downtown Master Plan
streetscape improvements
Resolution No. 1810 – appointment of Dr. James C. Todd, III to the 1h
Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals for a term ending
July 2013
6:11 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Internal Services Director Pam Oland
6:16 p.m. PUBLIC HEARING – City Attorney Paul Wilber
Ordinance No. 2081 - reallocation of 2003 Series A Infrastructure 3
Bond proceeds
6:30 p.m. ORDINANCE – City Attorney Paul Wilber
Ordinance No. 2080 - 2nd reading - amending Chapter 15.32, 4
Plumbing Standards, of the Salisbury Municipal Code to adopt
fats, oils and grease regulations
6:35 p.m. RESOLUTION – City Administrator John Pick
Resolution No. 1802 - amending the tax deferral plan awarded to 5a
Salisbury Housing II, LLC for Gateway Village to reflect a change
in the name of the ownership entity
Resolution No. 1811 - accepting the donation of property located at 5b
317-323 and 325-327 Lake Street
7:20 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS
7:30 p.m. ADJOURN
Copies of the agenda items are available for review in the City Clerk’s Office
Room 305 - City/County Government Office Building 410-548-3140 or on the City’s web site www.ci.salisbury.md.us
The City Council reserves the right to go into closed session as
permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland 10-508(a)
Proposed agenda items for August 10, 2009 (subject to change)
Ordinance No. 2081 – 2nd reading – reallocation of 2003 Series A Infrastructure
Bond proceeds
Resolution – approving residential parking permit request on the 2003 block of
Powell Avenue
Resolution - introduction of U.S. 50W/Wicomico Housing Authority/Hebrew
Quality Insulation Annexation
P&Z Failed To Contact Property Owners
AFP Again Asks Wicomico Council for Evening Meetings
While the agenda for yesterday’s Wicomico County Council meeting may have been light, about 15 members of the Lower Shore chapter of Americans for Prosperity turned out to let their elected officials know that the time has come to make government accessible to the people. Kudos to chapter co-chairs Joe Collins and Julie Brewington, along with Sally Rogers for speaking up.
As I have mentioned before, this issue (which is near and dear to my heart) has finally been moved to the fore. Brewington and AFP deserve the lion’s share of credit for this. We need more citizen participation in our local government. The best way to get that is for ordinary citizens like you and I to attend city council, town commission, county council or commission meetings, planning commission hearings and BOARD OF ED meetings. Sure, federal and (to a lesser extent) state issues get all of the media attention. They’re the ones that tend to get our dander up. However, it is the local issues that can have the most direct (if not greatest) impact on our lives and the lives of our families, friends, and neighbors.
The proposal I proffered to the Wicomico County Council was fairly simple. I believe that at least 50% of all regular council meetings plus ALL important or controversial public hearings should be held in the evening. IF the council decides to move forward on this proposal, they need to commit to do so for at least one full year.
The reasoning behind this is simple. One of the primary arguments against evening meetings is that when they are held at night, the meetings are just as sparsely attended as daytime meetings. Fair enough! However, after untold decades of daytime meetings, the public needs time to become aware of a change to evening meetings.
Here in Wicomico County, it’s time for our county council to make a decision. It doesn’t need to be studied. It doesn’t need to be polled. Decide! Are working men and women going to have the opportunity to see their local government in action or not?
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Bernanke: “I Don’t Know” Which Foreign Banks Were Given Half A Trillion
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke was confronted yesterday by Congressman Alan Grayson about which foreign banks were the recipients of Federal Reserve credit swaps, but he was unable to provide an answer as to where over half a trillion dollars had gone.
Asked which European financial institutions received the money, which was handed out by The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a component of the Federal Reserve System, Bernanke responded, “I don’t know.”
“Half a trillion dollars and you don’t know who got the money?” asked Grayson.
As we have previously reported, the destination of trillions in bailout funds remains hidden after the Fed refused to disclose where it had gone despite a lawsuit filed by Bloomberg.
Bernanke said the Fed had a “long standing legal authority” to hand money to foreign banks under section 14 of the Federal Reserve Act, a claim contradicted by Bernanke’s own report, as Grayson soon highlighted.
Grayson said that he had investigated one of the arrangements, a $9 billion dollar package to New Zealand, which works out at $3000 dollars for every citizen of New Zealand.
GO HERE to read more.
Ocean City, Maryland Hosts Awareness Event For Maryland’s Missing Persons Cases
At last years event in Ocean City, the public response was wonderful and resulted in information about three ongoing missing person cases. The event will feature posters of Maryland's missing. "When people see the faces behind the names of the missing it seems to hit home, maybe it could happen to them and what would they do, what resources are out there " says Huntsman. There are now many additional tools to help. Information will be available about giving Family Reference/DNA Samples, so that all families with missing can get family reference samples into the CODIS computer system. Information about public access to the searchable database system, The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, NamUs, created by the Department of Justice's Office will also be available from the Maryland Center for Missing Children.
This coalition of Maryland missing person organizations, advocates, law enforcement and families of the missing will gather at this all day public awareness event on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland on Saturday July 25, 2009 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM at 501 South Atlantic Ave. OC, MD 21842. For more information contact Susan Bowerman at 304-261-3132 or Darlene Huntsman 410-586-3068
A Quote From Our Mayor Jim Ireton
Webster Finally Admits Salisbury News Is PRESS
First Swine Flu VaccineTrials Underway
Two biotechnology companies have started injecting adult volunteers in the southern city of Adelaide with their vaccines. Adelaide-based Vaxine began trials Monday with 300 subjects, and Melbourne's CSL has 240 people in its seven-month trial, which started Wednesday. The companies say their trials are the first tests of a swine flu vaccine on humans.
At least 41 people have died in swine flu-related illness in Australia, which is well into its winter flu season.
GO HERE to read more.
Va. Tech Gunman’s Mental Health Records Found
RICHMOND, Va. - Missing mental health records for Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho have been found, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said Wednesday.
Cho killed 32 people on April 16, 2007, then committed suicide as police closed in.
His mental health treatment has been a major issue in the investigation of the shootings. Those mental health records were missing from the university's counseling center.
GO HERE to read more from MSNBC.
The Daily Times Twists Story On Webster/Campbell/Cohen Day After Day
In recent days the Daily Times has attempted to twist this story around and seem to be quite upset that Campbell and Cohen simply didn't come forward and admit they had at least filed independent documents to the Mayor referencing this or that.
Look Daily Times, this is a personnel matter and CANNOT legally be discussed in the first place. Just because the Chief of Police wants to grandstand and even allegedly send information to their inside Blogger who will say anything, (including lies) just to gain attention, so be it.
However, Cohen and Campbell did exactly what they were supposed to do and did NOT fall in Webster's trap by exposing a personnel matter.
There is also talk about Webster asking the Mayor to pay his legal fees. Jim, that should tell you right there that the man can't afford to sue the City, fire him now and get it over with. The man is broke, especially after a wedding and honeymoon, (if you want to call it that).
Bye, Bye Chiefy
Roommates Charged With Hindering Prosecution
Date of Occurrence: Tuesday, July 21st, 2009, at 9:53 p.m.
Suspect(s):
Alisone Dawkins, 36, of the 1300 block of Melrose Place, Newark, Delaware
Jamilah Paige, 19, of the 1300 block of Melrose Place, Newark, Delaware
Danielle M. Blake, 22, of the 1300 block of Melrose Place, Newark, Delaware
Resume: Late last evening, a Troop 6 patrol officer was investigating a simple assault which took place on July 20th. During the course of this officer’s investigation, he identified a possible suspect- Alisone Dawkins. A computer check revealed Ms. Dawkins lived on Melrose Place in Newark and that she was also currently wanted on six active capiases.
Troopers arrived at the residence in question and immediately heard several voices coming from within. A Trooper knocked on the door and all went quiet inside. A few moments went by and a female opened the door. She was identified as Jamilah Paige. Ms. Paige advised Alisone Dawkins was not in the residence and claimed that she was the only person at home. She also elected not to let the Troopers check inside. A computer check revealed Ms. Paige was wanted herself on an active capias. She was told to get her shoes as she was going to be taken before a judge based on her wanted status.
While she was gathering her things, another female emerged from the living room in the apartment. This subject was identified as Danielle Blake. She claimed that there was no one else in the apartment and that she herself had not seen Ms. Dawkins for several months. After some banter back and forth with Danielle, Ms. Dawkins surprisingly came out of a back bedroom. She advised she just woke up. She was then taken into custody without incident. Finally, Danielle Blake was arrested for her part in hindering the Troopers investigation.
Aside from her capias, Jamilah Paige was formally charged with Hindering Prosecution. She was arraigned and released after posting a $134.00 bond.
Danielle Blake was issued a criminal summons for Hindering Prosecution. She was released without bond and her court date is pending.
Alisone Dawkins was arraigned on her active capiases and committed to the Baylor Woman’s Correctional Institute in lieu of a $26,310.00 secured bond.
The assault investigation is ongoing.
PCS Homes, (Woodcreek) In Delmar Attempting To Screw Property Owners
Hello Fellow Woodcreek (Delmar Md) Owners
If you paid more than $139,900 for your home (Which I did, I paid $210,000) you may be interested in attending the meeting Thursday, July 23rd at 7PM at Delmar Town Hall with the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to discuss the future of WoodCreek.
Our Builder, PCS homes is trying to build townhomes on the remaining lots for far less than we paid for our homes. As if the recession alone has not damaged our resale value, these townhomes will completely destroy our resale value. I believe most of us bought into this development with a thought of this being a stable friendly and safe place to live and raise our family. These homes may also qualify for section 8 housing if we do not take our stand
At the last meeting, only 7 homeowners attended the meeting at Town Hall. If we are to stop PCS from destroying our investments, we must unite together and take a stand for what is right.
Recovery-Funded Old Lancaster Pike Project Bid Awarded
Hockessin -- The Department of Transportation (DelDOT) has awarded the bid for the Old Lancaster Pike Streetscape Improvements to Mumford & Miller Concrete, Inc. of Middletown. The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project bid was awarded July 16 and will total $1,710,270.75.
Streetscape improvements along Old Lancaster Pike from Valley Road to Erickson Avenue will include new sidewalks, upgrades to curb ramps, drainage modifications, crosswalks, landscaping and lighting. The project was approved as an ARRA project for the 120-day obligation plan. Construction should begin in late August and last up to 10 months. This project will create and-or retain up to 60 jobs for Delaware construction workers.
"My administration is working hard every day to create jobs and get our economy moving," Gov. Jack Markell said. "The Old Lancaster Pike is a great example of how Recovery Act funds can be spent because it will get Delawareans back to work and improve our infrastructure."
"Many Delawareans know this stretch of road as the site of Hockessin's famous July 4th parade. This is a great project that will put people to work and make needed, practical improvements to a heavily used roadway," Lt. Gov. Matt Denn said.
"Our goal is to improve the safety of residents who want to walk to downtown businesses. This project will connect sidewalks that were not connected and widen the portions that were too narrow," Transportation Secretary Carolann Wicks said. "It will improve the signing and striping of crosswalks so people can cross the street more safely. Additional lighting will accommodate pedestrians later in the day, if perhaps, they're leaving a soccer game at Swift Memorial Park. Larger pipes will be put in so that water won't pool in the streets and freeze in the winter."
Wicks said many community partnerships were formed to complete the design and designate the project as part of ARRA. The Recovery Act partly focuses on projects that develop pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
Ken Murphy, president of the Hockessin Planning Partnership, said the vision for the redevelopment of Hockessin began almost a decade ago.
"The Old Lancaster Pike project is core to the Hockessin Village Plan, to our development of place, and economic redevelopment," he said. "We're very excited. This project is important because our vision considers pedestrian-friendly developments, so residents and community members can walk to the downtown area. I think other positive changes will occur because we've developed the center of the village. It's a dream come true."
Delaware's U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman said Delaware is to be commended for making good on the promise of delivering jobs and needed transportation improvements. "This is the good news we hoped for when we voted for the Recovery Act. Millions of dollars in local projects, quickly underway, and - most importantly - people back to work. We applaud Gov. Markell and Secretary Wicks for taking fast advantage of the funding we were proud to help provide. This is the cooperation our state and nation need to get back on track."
DelDOT's $140.9 million ARRA projects range from big-ticket items, such as the additional highway-speed E-ZPass lanes at the I-95 Toll Plaza and more than $25 million worth of paving and rehabilitation work statewide, to safety projects such as traffic signal projects, guardrail replacement and bridge maintenance. Funding is being targeted not just for traditional road projects, but also for transit projects such as the first phase of a new Dover Transit Center, upgraded park-and-ride facilities and new rail cars and buses. The project list also includes money for raising South Market Street in Wilmington out of the flood plain and funding to refurbish the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, both designed to enhance economic opportunities in those areas.
The History Of 'APRONS'
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect
the dress underneath,because she only had a
few,it was easier to wash aprons than dresses
and they used less material, but along with
that, it served as a potholder for
removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on
occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying
eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched
eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding
places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around
her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out
the hulls.
In the
fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that
had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was
surprising how much furniture that old apron
could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the
porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was
time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be
a long time before someone invents something
that will replace that ' old-time apron' that
served so many purposes.
Send this
to those who would know (and love) the story
about Grandma's aprons.
REMEMBER:
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies
Her granddaughters set theirs on the
They would
go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs
was on that apron.
Three Accused Of Letting Rats Chew Toes Off Ohio Baby
Pike County prosecutor Rob Junk says the baby's toes on one foot were gone when sheriff's deputies went to the home Sunday after receiving an anonymous tip.
The baby is in fair condition at a Columbus hospital.
A married couple and the 18-year-old boyfriend of the baby's mother are charged with felony child endangering. They were in court for an initial hearing Tuesday. They're jailed pending a plea hearing in two weeks.
The prosecutor says they all lived in the mobile home west of Piketon, a village noted for its old uranium enrichment plant.
He says the baby's mother is a juvenile. He won't identify her or say if she'll be charged.
In Health Care Fight, Defining Moment Nears For President
WASHINGTON — Six months into his administration, President Obama is at a pivotal moment. He has pushed through a $787 billion economic stimulus package, bailed out Wall Street and, on Tuesday, managed to beat the defense industry in the Senate, which voted to kill a high-profile fighter jet program.
On Wednesday night Mr. Obama addresses the nation in a prime-time news conference as the public, and lawmakers, are growing skittish over his next big plan, to remake the American health care system. How he handles the issue over the next several weeks could shape the rest of his presidency, shedding light on his political strength, his relationship with both parties in Congress and his appetite to fight for his own agenda.
With some fellow Democrats balking over his insistence that both the House and the Senate pass health legislation before the August recess, Mr. Obama has a tough decision to make: Does he take a hard line, demanding that lawmakers stick to his timetable — and risk losing the support of Republicans and moderate Democrats? Or does he signal flexibility, allowing lawmakers to take their time — and give opponents the chance to marshal their case against the bill?
“He’s got to be careful that while he ratchets up the pressure, he doesn’t bet his whole presidency on whether this gets done before the August recess,” said Kenneth M. Duberstein, who orchestrated President Ronald Reagan’s first-term legislative strategy. “He has a broad, broad agenda that he’s in a rush to enact, and if he’s not careful he will be viewed as a steamroller who tries to get things fast and not necessarily right.”
GO HERE to read more from the New York Times.
Power Outage In West Ocean City
Billions of People Expected To Die Under Current Codex Alimentarius Guidelines
Here is an excellent article about Codex Alimentarius which will become law in all countries who participate in the World Health Organization. Codex will outlaw nutrients, supplements, and herbs. Our food will become totally controlled by large corporations like Monsanto. We will be forbidden from growing our own food. It will affect the availability of vitamins. Interesting topic.
Barbara Minton
Natural News
July 21, 2009
Your right to eat healthy food and use supplements of your choice is rapidly vanishing, but every effort has been made to keep you in the dark about the coming nutricide. Codex Alimentarius is scheduled for full global implementation on December 31, 2009, and not a word has been spoken in main stream media about this threat to humanity. Yet, according to the projections of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a minimum of 3 billion people will die from the Codex mandated vitamin and mineral guideline alone. As the clock ticks toward this irrevocable deadline, the Natural Solutions Foundation (NSF) and its medical director, Dr. Rima Laibow, are feverishly working to change Codex guidelines. They need your help.
Former Nazi is father of contemporary Codex
Codex is the enemy of everyone except those who will profit from it, according to Dr. Laibow. She points to its association with those who committed crimes during the Nazi regime. At the end of World War II, the Nuremberg tribunal judged Nazis who had committed horrendous crimes against humanity and sentenced them to prison terms. One of those found guilty was the president of the megalithic corporation I.G. Farben, Hermann Schmitz. His company was the largest chemical manufacturing enterprise in the world, and had extraordinary political and economic power and influence with the Hitlerian Nazi state. Farben produced the gas used in the Nazi gas chambers, and the steal for the railroads built to transport people to their deaths.
While serving his prison term, Schmitz looked for an alternative to brute force for controlling people and realized that people could be controlled through their food supply. When he got out of prison, he went to his friends at the United Nations (UN) and laid out a plan to take over the control of food worldwide. A trade commission called Codex Alimentarius (Latin for food code) was re-created under the guise of it being a consumer protection commission. But Codex was never in the business of protecting people. It has always been about money and profits at the expense of people.
In 1962, the timetable was set for Codex to be fully implemented on a global level by December 31, 2009. Under Codex, committees were established to create guidelines on such topics as fish and fisheries, fats and oils, fruits and vegetables, ground nuts, nutrition, food for specialized uses, and vitamins and minerals. There were 27 committees in all, creating a huge bureaucracy. Under Codex there are over 4,000 guidelines and regulations on everything that can be put into your mouth with the exception of pharmaceuticals which are not regulated by Codex.
Codex is a weapon being used to reduce the level of nutrition worldwide
Codex is an industry dominated regulation setting organization, and as such has no legal standing. Participation in Codex is said to be voluntary. But Codex has risen to the level of de facto legal standing because Codex is administered by the WHO and FAO. They fund it and run it at the request of the UN. Since the WHO and FAO are supposed to be about health, there is conflict of interest. The committees of Codex work up guidelines, rules and regulations, and present them to a Codex commission for ratification. Once they are ratified and approved by consensus, they become mandatory for any country that is a member of the WHO.
Codex was accepted when the WTO was formed in 1994 as a means of harmonizing food standards globally for easy trade between countries. As a result, countries must harmonize with Codex if they want to have any standing in a trade dispute. When disputes arise and countries are pulled in to WTO, the one that is Codex compliant automatically wins, regardless of the merits of its case.
GO HERE to read more. They also provide a video.
Who Is Running the City of Salisbury?
Is it the Tilghman Times? Police Chief Allan Webster? City Administrator John Pick? I don’t know, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be our friend Jim Ireton – the man elected to the job.
We now have a Barrie Tilghman appointee waging a war in the newspaper against the mayor and two other elected officials. Unfortunately for Webster, he may be sacrificing other Tilghman appointees in a vicious attempt to protect his own job.
Will he be successful? Only time and Jim Ireton will tell. One thing is certain. If Ireton fails to act on this matter soon, there will be no question as to who ISN”T running Salisbury.
How To Reach Salisbury’s Mayor By E-mail
Things Got Ya Down? Well Then, Consider These
Still Having a Bad Day????
The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska was $80,000.00. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.
Still think you are having a Bad Day????
A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.
Are Ya OK Now? - No?
Two animal rights defenders were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn , Germany .. Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly.. The two helpless protesters were trampled to death.
What?!? STILL having a Bad Day????
Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet did not pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with 'Return to Sender' stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits. God is Good!
There now, Feeling Better?
Notes From The July 14 Meeting Of The Wicomico County Board of Education
“We are very capable of handling any challenge that comes before us, and we’re looking forward to a great school year,” Thompson said.
Board members thanked outgoing President Robin H. Holloway for her leadership over the past three years. Holloway’s term as a Board member has two years remaining.
"Hopefully Mark and I can continue the progress that that she (Holloway) has led us in through the past three years as president and eight years on the Board,” Wright said.
“I appreciate being able to serve,” Holloway said. “We have a lot to celebrate here in Wicomico Schools and I’m happy to be a part of that.”
The Wicomico County Board of Education is currently awaiting word from Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s office on the appointment of two new Board members.
During the July 14 meeting, the Board also:
Heard from Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen, in his monthly Superintendent’s Report, that:
The school system is waiting to hear from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office concerning the maintenance of effort arrangement with Wicomico County.
The process of bringing federal stimulus dollars to Wicomico Schools is progressing well.
A committee studying the issue of whether to change the minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement for participation in extracurricular activities is looking hard at raising the minimum GPA from 1.6 to 2.0. Wicomico may look at the method used in Dorchester County, where students with a GPA below 2.0 can participate if they also receive tutoring (1 hour of tutoring for a 1.9 GPA, 2 hours for 1.8 GPA, etc.). There will be ample opportunity for public comment on any proposed change before the Board holds a final vote.
Some 45 rising seniors (out of 200 still needing to meet the HSA graduation requirement to graduate in 2010) are participating in Bridge project training this summer. “I think the students are now actually believing that this requirement is a reality, and they’re now starting to comply with it,” Fredericksen said.
More than 1,000 elementary, middle and high school students are engaged in summer learning through various programs going on now in Wicomico Schools.
Staff is gathering quotes for conducting a school climate survey.
The Aspen Management Group, which is working with the Local Management Board to help young people who may be having gang involvement, is looking to collaborate with the school system on the project, one which could also be an option for some students at Choices.
Many school system administrators, principals, assistant principals and others will be engaged in learning next week through a two-day Leadership Academy, a one-day discipline summit, and a one-day student services summit. The meetings will take place at Salisbury University. Meetings to introduce the community to the revised Code of Conduct will take place Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 20.
The James M. Bennett High School project is going well.
The monthly Superintendent’s Webcast may be viewed at www.wcboe.org, with a printed text also available at the web site. A copy of the text can also be mailed out; call 410-677-4400.
School Bus Contract
Approved the request of bus contractor R. Jeffrey Holloway to add his wife, Leah Holloway, to the contract for Bus 57.
Table of rates
Received for information a proposed table of rates for fiscal year 2010. The proposed table of rates includes recommendations for changes in the hourly rate and mileage rate; the per vehicle allotment is still being studied. A number of bus contractors in attendance requested that the Board approve a new table of rates as soon as possible so they know what compensation they will receive in fy2010, a key piece of financial information for contractors seeking to borrow money to purchase new buses. The Board will hold a work session on the topic in the near future.
Reports
Approved the monthly Personnel Matters report for certificated employees and the Budget Transfers for the month of July, and received for information the monthly Personnel Matters report for classified employees and the updated grants report.
Appointment
Appointed William Cain, the assistant superintendent for administrative services, to complete the second year of a two-year term on the Maryland Association of Boards of Education’s Legal Services Association board of directors. He will complete the term begun by Charlie Bounds, who retired June 30.
Bid Awards
Awarded the contract for miscellaneous painting to R&R Coatings Inc. as the primary company and Pro-Coat LLC as the secondary company.
Awarded the bid for a four-year lease for computers, computer peripherals, interactive whiteboards and point-of-service touch screen terminals to M&T Bank as the low responsive and responsible bidder.
WCSO Press Release
Incident: Failure to Register as a Child Sexual Offender
Date: 07/20/2009
Location: District Court of Maryland, Salisbury, Maryland
Suspect: James Lee Elliott – W/M DOB 03/06/1949
Narrative: On 03/11/2009 James Lee Elliott was charged and arrested by the Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registry Unit for failure to register as a child sexual offender, making this arrest the second time in two years for the same offence. On 07/20/2009 Elliott was found guilty by the Honorable Gerald Purnell and sentenced to five years in the Maryland Department of Corrections. Elliott was convicted in the State of Delaware for sexually assaulting two mentally handicapped persons. Elliott was sentenced to 1 year in his first conviction.
Releasing Authority: Lt. R.E.Roberts
Update -- Closure Of Southbound Rt.141 Bridge Over U.S. 13
The closure was made necessary by a two-foot diameter pothole that was discovered on Thursday, July 16th in the right lane of the bridge deck. Canal District Maintenance personnel closed the lane to traffic, and DelDOT inspectors immediately inspected the hole. A steel plate was placed over the pothole and the lane was closed until a more thorough inspection could be conducted on Monday, July 20th. That inspection confirmed that the concrete deck would require patching. Because of the proximity of the hole to the southbound left lane, a full closure of the southbound bridge lanes is needed. While the closure is in effect, DelDOT crews will also patch other nearby areas.
The bridge was inspected as recently as May 2008, and while some surface deterioration was noted, it was not cause for immediate concern. DelDOT Bridge Maintenance personnel indicate that the pothole was caused by water getting into an expansion joint since an overlay was placed on the bridge surface over five years ago.
The recommended detour is as follows:
Route 141 soutbound to U.S. Route 13 southbound.
U.S. Route 13 southbound to Route 273 eastbound.
Route 273 eastbound to Route 141.
Detour signs will be posted in the area. Drivers should plan alternate routes in order to avoid delays in the area.
The closure is expected to last at least two weeks.
Patriot Vs. Politic
I would like to address two incidents which occurred at the Fourth of July Parade in Bel Air.
The first was the booing of Gov. Martin O’Malley and his family, U.S. Rep. Frank Kratovil and Attorney General Doug Gansler. This was extremely negative and immature. This parade was to be a celebration of Patriots, Then and Now, not a partisan attempt to show favoritism of one political party while showing hatred toward another. This was not patriotic at all, but disgraceful. Showing disrespect for our elected officials was uncalled for. The lady buys into the progressive myth that all Americans are Patriots. But how does she define “Patriot”? Webster’s defines is as “a person who loves his and loyally or zealously supports his own country”. Do the individuals booed meet this definition? Or are they power seeking professional politicians who pay little to no attention to the Constitution they are sworn to uphold and protect? Are they essentially plunderers who use their political power to appropriate their fellow citizens wealth for purposes not sanctioned by the Constitution? If they are Patriots, then the booing was out-of-line and deserves condemnation. If they are not, then booing is the minimum they deserved.
The second was an attempt by socalled Teabaggers to hijack the parade for blatantly partisan political purposes. They claimed to be supporting the theme of the parade, which was “Patriotism: Then and Now.” Yet holding up a sign saying “Support the Constitution” along with signs reading “Support the Tea Parties,” “Stop the Taxing,” “Stop the Spending,” clearly changed the message from unity and patriotism to one of
partisanship. The Tea Bag movement has nothing to do with patriotism, nor free speech. It consists of a group of people claiming they are protesting the paying of taxes, similar to the reasons for the Boston Tea Party. Guess they don’t quite understand their own history: the Boston Tea Party was against taxation WITHOUT representation. It’s not quite the same thing now, is it?
They also like to protest government spending. Where were they when the Bush Administration demanded and initiated the Wall Street bailout? Where were they during the budget deficits that have plagued every single Republican administration since 1980?
As I recall, of the last three presidents, only Bill Clinton had a balanced budget. Where were they when Reagan almost tripled the national debt, and George W. Bush almost doubled it? Now it’s suddenly all President Obama’s fault?
As the lady admits, the theme of the parade was “Patriotism: Then and Now”. Is the lady suggesting that the participants in the 1773 Tea Party were not “Patriots”? If not, how can she object to modern day Patriots raising the same issues as were raised by that Tea Party at a celebration of “Patriots: Then and Now”? With regard to the lady’s claim to be a historian, does the lady actually believe the 1773 Tea Party would not have occurred had there been "representation"; or was the real issue the heavy handed government that was stifling the freedoms of the colonies? What the lady fails to understand is that the fundamental objection of the modern Tea Party Patriots is that the Federal government no longer adheres to the Constitution; it consistently exceeds its legal authority; it ignores the amendment procedure to the Constitution, making massive changes without legal authority. This is not a partisan issue; both Democrats and Republicans are involved. It also involves a run-away judiciary and a cowardly Congress that has failed to use its power to balance the other branches as the Founders intended. Spending and Tax levels are the symptoms of this problem; not the problem itself. And our fellow Americans who are willing to stand up and confront this issue are today’s brave Patriots; not you who hide behind political correctness and are afraid to confront the power hungry plunderers who currently control much of our government.
The purpose of the parade was to be one of commemorating our Declaration of Independence, and of patriotism, NOT protesting the things one does not like about this country or our political leaders. That should have been left for another time and place. Mr. Blum was right to try to remove the signs. Clearly he recognized that they were neither in keeping with the theme, nor the tone of the parade. He was right, because the result was anger, vicious attacks and name calling.
Barbara McNamara
Joppa
What the Tea Party Patriots were doing was exactly what the lady says was the purpose of the parade; “commemorating our Declaration of Independence, and of patriotism”. Patriotism is not blind, the way the lady apparently would like it to be. [The blind one is supposed to be Justice, but that’s a subject for another day.] Patriotism wants the best for our country; it aspires for greatness. The Tea Party Patriots recognize that our Government has wandered far off the path established by our Constitution and to save our land, we need to restore ourselves to that path. Denying Patriots their right of free speech is just another example of how far we strayed. Such denial rightly results in anger.
Jon Bauman, the Woodlands, Texas...
Local Soccer Club’s Fields Turfed
Location of Incident: Kirkwood Soccer Club, 1220 River Road, New Castle, Delaware, New Castle County
Date and Time of Occurrence: Saturday, July 18th, 2009, at approximately 10:30 p.m.
Suspect(s): Four juvenile white males
Resume: On Monday, July 20th, an official affiliated with the Kirkwood Soccer Club responded to work and found that several of the club’s fields were turfed. A further inspection deemed the damage was significant and would cost an estimated $10,000 to repair.
The club has a surveillance video system which showed four white males unlawfully trespassing at their facility on July 18th at approximately 10:30 p.m. The footage captures the subjects as they used a Mazda pick-up truck, belonging to the Kirkwood Soccer Club, to turf the fields. The truck was parked at the facility. The keys were not kept with the truck; however, they did in fact go missing about three weeks prior to this incident.
After the damage was done to the grounds, the juvenile suspects put the truck back in its original parking space. Before they fled the scene, the suspects proceeded to smash out the windows to the Mazda.
The surveillance video is not available at this time and could possibly be disseminated at the end of the week. In the meantime, anyone with information pertaining to this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
Looking At Veggies In A Whole New Light
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopene and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart.. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone
strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from
all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.