Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Friday, July 09, 2010

Rescue 911: Calling All Salisbury Fire Department Members


With all the talk about Mayor Jim Ireton NOT hiring a new Fire Chief, let this Post serve as an open forum for Salisbury Firefighters to speak their peace anonymously.


Let the Citizens know how you feel. Many are clueless to the multiple interviews and expenses of such. Many are not aware of just how low morale is within the Fire department, or is it?


Fire away Ladies & Gentlemen. Who do YOU want to be your next Fire Chief?

Another Cat Adopted Today

Hi Joe,
Just wanted to let you know that the calico that needed a home has found one,
Adopted today.

Thanks,
LP

BREAKING NEWS: Bay National Bank Seized By Regulators Today

Bay National Seized by FDIC

Late today, Federal regulators closed Bay National Bank with has one of its two branch offices in Salisbury. It is the 87th U.S. bank to fail this year.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency seized the bank, which had $282.2 million in assets and $276.1 million in deposits as of March 31. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. arranged for all the deposits and the two branches of Bay National to be purchased by Bay Bank, based in Lutherville, Md.

Bay Bank also bought "essentially all" the assets of the failed bank, the FDIC said Friday.
The FDIC said the failure is expected to cost the agency's deposit-insurance fund about $17.4 million.

Bay National’s deposits are being assumed by the new entity called Bay Bank FSB. Its two branches will reopen Monday as Bay Bank branches, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said.

Bay National depositors will automatically become depositors of Bay Bank, of Lutherville.

Bay Bank will led by CEO Kevin B. Cashen, a bank consultant and former executive with Chevy Chase Bank and Signet Bank.

Bay National first faced federal regulatory scrutiny 18 months ago, with regulators citing problem loans that drained the bank’s liquidity and capital. Despite talk of turning the bank around by raising new capital and a stock offering, the bank never was able to right itself.

According to Baltimore Business Journal,
"Throughout the bank’s ordeal with regulators, CEO Hugh Mohler has remained quiet. The usually press friendly banker has refused to give interviews in the past three months. He could not be reached for comment Friday.

Mohler, a former Mercantile Bankshares executive and Salisbury based president of Peninsula Bank, founded the bank in 2000 to focus on business lending in Greater Baltimore.

Mohler said in an earlier interview the bank ran into problems when the once hot real estate market in Canton and Federal Hill cooled and borrowers who had taken out loans to rehab houses in those neighborhoods had trouble repaying their loans."

Greg Olinde, a former Senior VP with Bay National has joined the staff of a Cambridge bank. Many locals had invested heavily in Mohler's bank and will lose tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Exclusive Gary Comegys Interview


Followed By Our 6 PM Nightly News.

Don't Miss Our 6 PM News Broadcast Tonight

EXCLUSIVE GARY COMEGYS INTERVIEW
Plus our regularly scheduled 6 PM News immediately following the interview.

Rasmussen: 67% Say Illegals Are Major Strain On Budget

As the country wrestles with a future of historic-level deficits, 67 percent of U.S. voters say that illegal immigrants are a significant strain on the U.S. budget.

Just 23 percent disagree and do not believe illegal immigration strains the budget, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Two-thirds of voters say the availability of government money and services draws illegal immigrants to the United States. Almost 19 percent think otherwise, while 15 percent are not sure.

These findings help to explain why 68 percent say gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States. Just over 25 percent believe that legalizing illegal immigrants is more important.

The majority support for controlling the borders has been consistent through several years of surveying.

Read the rest here>>

Chrysler's PT Cruiser Hits End Of The Road

Iconic vehicle was hit with consumers, but didn’t change with times

The PT Cruiser, one of Chrysler’s most successful and iconic vehicles, ends production Friday after a decade of service.

The retro-looking vehicle was launched in 2000 at a time when nostalgic car design was all the rage, inspiring a raft of revamped vehicles, from the redesigned Volkswagen Beetle to the updated Mini Cooper.

Chrysler’s design move was bold and it paid off handsomely. The PT Cruiser was an instant success, striking a chord with buyers. Chrysler sold more than 1.3 million of the vehicles in total, according to the Detroit News, with sales levels never dipping below 120,000 during the first eight years.

GO HERE to read more.

Salisbury Police Department Press Releases


On July 8, 2010 at approximately 10:28 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police received a call to respond to a vacant residence on the three hundred (300) block of Charles Street for the report of a burglary. Upon arrival the officers met with the complainant who advised the officers that the complainant was checking the property and discovered a subject inside of the residence without authorization. The officers checked the residence and located the below listed suspect sleeping. The suspect had made entry through a door to enter the residence.

ARRESTED: Kyle Marquis Colon, 18 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Third degree burglary
Fourth degree burglary
Trespassing
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201000027221

On July 8, 2010 at approximately 9:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect on two (2) outstanding Wicomico County District Court Bench Warrants for Violation of Probation.


ARRESTED: Ashley Marie Meadows-Simms, 22 years of age
Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES: Wicomico Co. District Court Bench Warrant-
Violation of Probation – CDS Possession
Wicomico Co. District Court Bench Warrant-
Violation of Probation - Theft
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking
CC # 201000027299/201000027300

LCB Defends Promotion, Questioned For Overstating Figures


OCEAN CITY — The Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) defended the liquor promotion that has sparked a new array of investigations and accusations against it in hopes of proving no law was broken.

Unfortunately for the LCB, the supplier who sold it the liquor shot a gaping hole in that defense when it said the numbers the LCB quoted were “severely overstated.”

As per Article 2B of Maryland State Law, the LCB must offer all licensees the same pricing for alcohol and they can’t sell a product for below cost unless the product in question has been discontinued.

In the instance of the March Stoli promotion that has sparked a controversy throughout Worcester County, three licensees claim to have paid three different prices on the same day and the promotion itself came into question when it was argued that selling a bottle of Stoli at $5 a bottle was far below cost, thus making it illegal from the start.

LCB Board member and spokesperson Larry Wilkinson provided the invoices from March 31, 2010, the last day of the promotion, which shows when the vodka was delivered to the LCB’s Snow Hill headquarters from the supplier William Grant & Sons.

The total invoice was for 4,236 bottles of Stoli at $17.17 (gross cost per bottle) or $72,699.08. However, after a massive depletion allowance/promotional credit of $52,663.98 was allegedly given back to the LCB, according to a summary of the transaction prepared by the LCB, the net cost for the LCB stood at $20,035.10 or $4.73 per bottle.

These numbers would affirm the LCB’s claim that it knew the numbers and didn’t violate any of the laws by setting the price at $5, which is still technically above the $4.73 a bottle that they quoted.

However, William Grant & Sons spokesperson James Curich, who said last week the company had no knowledge of the $5 promotion, said the more than $52,000 in depletion allowances was incorrect.

“That number that they are quoting for a depletion allowance is severely overstated, said Curich via phone interview yesterday afternoon. “Our records show that we paid them significantly less than what they are projecting. In fact, it was less than $10,000.”

GO HERE to read more.

Murder Conviction For Md. Teacher

A Baltimore County jury has convicted a former English teacher of killing her estranged husband and trying to kill their teenage daughter.

Jurors rejected arguments that 60-year-old Mary Koontz was mentally ill when she shot Ronald Koontz at his home in Glen Arm in June 2009.

Koontz was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder in her husband's death and first-degree attempted murder for firing at their then-16-year-old daughter, Kelsey, who was not injured.

Kelsey Koontz, now 17, cried after the verdicts were announced and later described herself as “relieved.” Ronald Koontz worked for more than 30 years in the county school system, mostly as an administrator.

Prosecutors argued that Koontz prepared meticulously for the “sneak attack” on her husband.

Caption This Photo

Senate Candidate Wants Obama Birth-Certificate Treatment

A Mexican-born candidate for U.S. Senate said he is considering a lawsuit against the Missouri secretary of state for discrimination because her office forced him to produce a birth certificate but "didn't make Obama show proof of citizenship" to appear on the ballot.

Hector Maldonado, 38, a self-described "Lincolnian Republican conservative," is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri. He was born one of 10 children in Durango, Mexico. His father is a migrant field worker who owns a small hog ranch in Perris, California.

Maldonado, a U.S. Army combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, explains on his website that he became a U.S. citizen in 1995. But he said Secretaryof State Robin Carnahan sent him a letter in May asking him to produce documentation.

"It said, 'Hey, you have to prove you're a citizen.' I ignored it," he said. "You know, Obama ignored it, so I figured I could get away with it, too."

Maldonado continued, "But it's not that simple. I didn't get away with it. I got a certified letter from Ms. Robin Carnahan's office saying that if I did not prove that I was a U.S. citizen, then I would be removed from the ballot."

He claims Carnahan's office gave him a deadline of May 12.

"I got all my documents together: my birth certificate, which is a Mexican birth certificate; my naturalization certificate; my orders sending me to Iraq and Afghanistan; my bronze-star citations and a couple of officer evaluations that say I'm a pretty good and effective leader," he said. "So I brought all this documentation, and they were only interested in the naturalizationcertificate. They made a photocopy of it."

Maldonado said he asked Carnahan's office if his citizenship documentation would be public record and available to anyone who wants a copy.

"They said, oh yes, absolutely, anyone that wants proof, we have it," he explained. "I said, OK, can you do me a favor then? I'm sure Ms. Carnahan requested the same of Barack Obama when he petitioned to get on the Missouri ballot to become president."

He added, "They had no response. They had nothing."

There's more here>>

Are Overdue Reports Concealing ObamaCare Impact On Medicare?

Every year, the Annual Report of the Social Security Board of Trustees comes out between mid-April and mid-May. Now it's July, and there's no sign of this year's report. What is the Obama administration hiding?

The annual report includes detailed information about Social Security and its financing over the next 75 years, produced by the Office of the Actuary of the Social Security Administration.

The Congressional Budget Office reported last week in its Long Term Budget Outlook that Social Security was already running a deficit this year. According to last year's Social Security Trustees Report, that was not supposed to happen until 2015, with the trust fund to run out completely by 2037.

With the disastrous Obama economy, the great Social Security surplus that started in the Reagan administration is gone completely.

Every year, the federal government has been raiding the Social Security trust funds to take that annual surplus and spend it on the rest of the federal government's runaway spending, leaving the trust funds only with IOUs backed by nothing but politicians' promise to pay it back when it's needed. Now even that annual surplus is gone. How soon will the trust funds run out completely now?

President Obama keeps telling us a fairy tale that he saved us from another Great Depression. But he is actually leading us into another Depression.

The National Bureau of Economic Research scores the recession as officially starting in December 2007. Thirty-one months later, with unemployment still near 10% and the work force still declining, the NBER says it still cannot determine an official end to the recession.

The longest recession since World War II previously was 16 months, with the average being 10 months. By next month, it will be twice as long as the previous postwar record since the latest recession started. The markets echoed by many pundits are now suggesting a renewed double-dip downturn may be starting, with the comprehensive Obama tax rate increases next year poised to pour napalm on this developing bonfire.

How soon will the trust funds run out with this utter failure of 1930s-style Obamanomics?

The implications for Social Security aren't what the Obama administration is hiding by delaying the annual trustees reports. Those annual reports also include information regarding Medicare over the next 75 years. What the administration is trying to hide are sweeping draconian cuts to Medicare resulting from the ObamaCare legislation, which the annual report will document.

Keep reading>>

LCB Profits Plunge Compared To Others


OCEAN CITY — The numbers continue to tell quite a story concerning the recent performance of the Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) as new reports surfaced this week on money given back to other counties.

Both Somerset and Wicomico counties released their unofficial numbers this week on the amount of funds paid back to their respective counties by their liquor control boards for 2010, and local residents, licensees, and politicians were unanimously awestruck by the figures.

Worcester’s LCB has come under fire in recent weeks after eyebrows were raised and proverbial liquor licensee lynch mobs were formed when their 2010 contribution to the county, and the county’s four municipalities was a mere fraction of last year’s numbers and hundreds of thousands of dollars less than what came in just five years ago, as well as accusations of price discrimination and possible collusion.

The reported $110,000 check that the LCB wrote to Worcester County (of which, the county gets roughly $55,000, and Ocean City approximately $22,000) is significantly less than the approximated $415,000 given back in 2009 and the $777,000 from 2008.

However, more questions arose this week when Somerset and Wicomico counties released their numbers and posted larger dollar amounts than Worcester County’s take, despite gross sales that even when added together, don’t come close to the more than $14 million that Worcester County LCB made in 2008, 2009 and reportedly will reach when the audited 2010 reports are released in upcoming weeks.

“The numbers don’t lie, and they never have,” said Mayor Rick Meehan. “How can you continue to bring in more than $14 million from year to year, but see your profits go down by more than $300,000 every year since 2008? That just doesn’t seem like it’s being run like a good business operation. No other business that I know of could continue to operate under those numbers and still justify their existence.”

Somerset County’s LCB reported $1.8 million in total revenue in 2010, cutting a check to Somerset County for $79,733, less than the $110,000 to Worcester this year, but if you factor in the money dispersed to the municipalities in the respective counties, Somerset County’s take of $71,065 was 23% more than Worcester’s take of $55,000 this year.

For comparison’s sake, in 2009, Somerset’s total revenue was $1.78 million, with $91,701 going to the county, but that total was much less than Worcester’s take.

Wicomico County Director of Finance Patricia Peterson said this week that although the total revenue for the Wicomico County LCB has yet to be released, officials do know that the money being paid back to the county will be $424,000.

Last year, Wicomico’s LCB reported a little more than $7 million in sales or half of Worcester’s total sales ($14.6 million), and gave its county $476,000, which was still slightly more than the Worcester LCB gave back that year.

GO HERE to read more.

NASA's Muslim Outreach: Al Jazeera Was Told First

Lawmakers across Capitol Hill, both Democrats and Republicans, were surprised to learn recently that the Obama administration has made reaching out to Muslim nations a top priority for the space agency NASA. They will probably be more surprised to learn that administration officials told the Middle East news organization Al Jazeera about it before they told Congress.

Rep. Pete Olson, the ranking Republican on the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, got a call from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on June 28, the day the White House released its new long-term plan for the space program. "He ran down some of the things from the president's new space policy, and mentioned outreach to Muslims," Olson recalls. "That stunned me. I didn't believe it."

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Democrat who chairs the subcommittee (and is also married to astronaut Mark Kelly), got a briefing from Bolden the same day, according to a spokesman.

As it happens, Bolden's calls to Giffords and Olson came several days after Bolden discussed the Muslim initiative with Al Jazeera. According to a NASA spokesman, Bolden sat down with Al Jazeera's Imran Garda on June 17, during a stop in Doha, Qatar. Bolden's Mideast trip, which was timed to mark the first anniversary of President Obama's June 2009 Muslim outreach speech, was devoted to pursuing "a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world."

Read more>>

Where's Abbas?

Speaking on the ABC network's "Good Morning America" program, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu sidestepped questions about whether he would extend the construction freeze, and repeated numerous times that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas must agree to face-to-face talks with Israel. He also provided Israel's nationalist camp with reason for concern.

Interviewer George Stephanopoulos began the talk by noting the very warm and friendly reception Mr. and Mrs. Netanyahu received from U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife. He then asked, "What concrete steps are you prepared to take" to advance the peace process with the Palestinian Authority?

"... The main thing that came out of these very good discussions I had with the President," Netanyahu said, "is that we want to advance peace. And the simplest way to advance peace is to put aside all the grievances and all the preconditions and all the excuses that have been put up to prevent me and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority from sitting down."

Netanyahu reiterated that he's "ready to sit down with him in Jerusalem, in Ramallah - that's 10 minutes away from my office - to discuss peace without preconditions. And if we do it, we can defy the world."

He implied that there could be "additional easing of movements" and economic projects – "but what we want to see finally is one thing. We want President Abbas to grasp my hand, get into a room, shake it, sit down and negotiate a final settlement of peace between Israel and the Palestinians."

Netanyahu repeated several more times his seemingly innocuous hope that Abbas would agree to direct talks, and added his insistence on "very strong security arrangements so that the areas that we vacate do not turn into Iranian strongholds for flying rockets and sending terrorists against us," as has occurred in Gaza and Lebanon.

More>>

Thank God Its Friday

What Will You Be Doing This Weekend?

The Town Hall Revolt, One Year Later

Democrats didn't get the message. Will Republicans do better?

Much has happened in the dense and shifting political landscape of the past 18 months—the quick breakdown along partisan lines in Congress; continuing arguments over spending, the economy and immigration; the big Republican wins in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts; the Gulf oil spill; falling poll numbers for the president and his party.

But the biggest political moment, the one that carried the deepest implications, came exactly one year ago, in July and August of 2009, in the town hall rebellion. Looking back, that was a turning point in both parties' fortunes. That is when the first resistance to Washington's plans on health care became manifest, and it's when a more generalized resistance rose and spread. President Obama and his party in Congress had, during their first months in power, done the one thing they could not afford to do politically, and that was arouse and unite their opposition. The conservative movement and Republican Party had been left fractured and broken by the end of the Bush years. Now, suddenly, they had something to fight against together. Social conservatives hated the social provisions, liberty-minded conservatives the state control, economic conservatives the spending. Health care brought them together. The center, which had gone for Mr. Obama in 2008, joined them.

Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats saw it coming. But it was a seminal moment, and whatever is coming in November, it started there.

It was a largely self-generated uprising, and it was marked, wherever it happened, in San Diego or St. Louis, by certain common elements. The visiting senator or representative, gone home to visit the voters, always seemed shocked at the size of the audience and the depth of his constituents' anger. There was usually a voter making a videotape in the back of the hall. There were almost always spirited speeches from voters. There was never, or not once that I saw, a strong and informed response from the congressman. In one way it was like the Iranian revolution: Most people got the earliest and fullest reports of what was happening on the Internet, through YouTube. Voters would take shaky videos on their cellphones and post them when they got home. Suddenly, over a matter of weeks, you could type in "town hall" and you'd get hundreds, and finally thousands, of choices.

The politicians, every one of them, seemed taken aback—shaken and unprepared. They tried various strategies—mollify the crowd, or try to explain to them how complex governing is. Sen. Arlen Specter tried that in early August 2009, in an appearance with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Faced with fierce criticism of the health-care bill as it then stood, Mr. Specter explained that see here, it's a thousand-page bill and sometimes Congress must make judgements "very fast." The crowd exploded in jeers.

More here>>

As The United States Collapses, Media Worships LeBron James

Alex Jones gives the inside scoop on basketball MVP LeBron James’ pivotal trade decision… err, I mean, rather breaks down how society has become obsessed with celebrity culture and taken its eye off of important world events, allowing corruption and global domination to take root. While LeBron announces his move to Miami, the mindless sports fans of America have essentially ignored larger problems.



GO HERE to read more.

The Obama-Pelosi Lame Duck Strategy

Democratic House members are so worried about the fall elections they're leaving Washington on July 30, a full week earlier than normal—and they won't return until mid-September. Members gulped when National Journal's Charlie Cook, the Beltway's leading political handicapper, predicted last month "the House is gone," meaning a GOP takeover. He thinks Democrats will hold the Senate, but with a significantly reduced majority.

The rush to recess gives Democrats little time to pass any major laws. That's why there have been signs in recent weeks that party leaders are planning an ambitious, lame-duck session to muscle through bills in December they don't want to defend before November. Retiring or defeated members of Congress would then be able to vote for sweeping legislation without any fear of voter retaliation.

"I've got lots of things I want to do" in a lame duck, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D., W. Va.) told reporters in mid June. North Dakota's Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, wants a lame-duck session to act on the recommendations of President Obama's deficit commission, which is due to report on Dec. 1. "It could be a huge deal," he told Roll Call last month. "We could get the country on a sound long-term fiscal path."

By which he undoubtedly means new taxes in exchange for extending some, but not all, of the Bush-era tax reductions that will expire at the end of the year.

[Do you get that? Trading tax cuts for new taxes. They must think we're stupid.-- Editor]

Other lame-duck possibilities? Senate ratification of the New Start nuclear treaty, a federally mandated universal voter registration system to override state laws, and a budget resolution to lock in increased agency spending.

Then there is pork. A Senate aide told me that "some of the biggest porkers on both sides of the aisle are leaving office this year, and a lame-duck session would be their last hurrah for spending." Likely suspects include key members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Congress's "favor factory," such as Pennsylvania Democrat Arlen Specter and Utah Republican Bob Bennett.

More from the WSJ>>

NEW FEATURE -- WHY WILL YOU VOTE FOR [CANDIDATE’S NAME]?

We are inviting the supporters of various candidates to sing their praises, one candidate at a time, beginning with those running for positions in the Wicomico County Government.

To prevent this from becoming a food fight between the supporters and bashers of a candidate, there are rules regarding the posting of comments, which will appear in each installment so that everyone who participates will be on notice.

WHY WILL YOU VOTE FOR JOE OLLINGER?

As a non-incumbent, Mr. Ollinger is running for Wicomico County Executive.

These rules apply to comments:

1. Only positive statements about the candidate will be posted. Comments that attack the candidate or anyone else will not be posted, and that includes "sneak attacks" – for example: "Because I want higher taxes and more spending."

2. Long personal accolades will not be posted – the goal is to present the pertinent facts not a facade about the candidates. Short accolades (25 words or less) are OK.

PLEASE: if you do not plan to vote for the candidate, don’t send any comment for this post.

Comegys Collects Paycheck But Refuses To Come To Work


Look, we all know and understand Gary Comegys has cancer and is experiencing difficult times. However, this is a part time job and enough is enough. As the Post below this one cries out from Louise Smith that the Council is gridlocked, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Does Louise Smith not get the fact that IF she swung her vote the other way once in a blue moon that they wouldn't be gridlocked?

If Gary Comegys was replaced, things would be much different. Gary, step down for goodness sake and let this City move forward. Am I the only one in the Press with the stones enough to simply tell it like it is? Does the President of the City Council have to make a complete fool of herself by writing a Letter to the Editor, simply to protect Gary Comegys and attack "other Council Members."

OK Gary, I'm sorry you have cancer. I hope you make a full recovery and every one's thoughts and prayers are going out to you. NOW, do us ALL a favor in return. STOP being so damn selfish and step down so someone else can fill that position.

Stop collecting a paycheck you didn't earn. Yeah, I know, Webster set the example but it doesn't make it right. Enough Already!

A Letter To The Editor By Council President Louise Smith

In 2008, two Salisbury City Council members were concerned about vacating the old Station 16 fire station on South Division Street. Fire Chief David See reported on the building's deficiencies, saying the facility didn't comply with today's safety or fire codes. The heating system is 20 years old with no central air conditioning; electrical and plumbing systems would require total replacement. Only one means of egress exists from the second floor.

On May 26, one council member said she heard about a fire sedan that was delayed because of the bridge. I requested a report on the number of emergency calls with delayed response times between May 1-31. No such incidents were reported to the assistant fire chiefs. All responses met the department's goal of four minutes -- which is more stringent than the national standard.

The record clearly indicates this facility is not needed to maintain a fire service. The building still sits empty.

A lease purchase error occurred over replacement of a dump truck; this was addressed to council on Feb. 18. This truck was to replace one destroyed in a fire.

Council support could not be secured for the budget amendment. Meanwhile, this truck cannot be returned; thousands of dollars in legal fees have accumulated. We now await the attorney general's opinion.

Planning and Zoning staff has held 33 meetings with individuals, eight council work sessions and one public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan during 22 months of preparation; it was pulled from the council's May 10 scheduled adoption to answer additional questions -- with a request for another stand-alone public meeting.

Acting Fire Chief Richard Hoppes was appointed May 1, 2009. Three names were supplied to the council on June 3 by the mayor. There was no majority for any candidate. It's been more than a year and still a new chief has not been selected.

On Aug. 26, 2009, I requested information on prelegislative meetings between the mayor, two council members and attorneys. A second request was made May 21. Not receiving any responses, on June 3 I repeated my request. On June 4 a reply came saying the mayor had not authorized release of this information and is considering executive privilege.

On June 24, I made a fourth request. Administration is waiting on the mayor for directions. More than a year and nothing has moved forward.

The list goes on.

Has cooperation yielded to inflexibility? Has legislation yielded to micromanagement? Has progress yielded to gridlock? Is the business of the city moving forward?

Ads That Just Don't Work Any More








GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY TO HOST U.S. SENATE FIELD HEARING ON SMART, EFFECTIVE, AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNING

Senators Warner (VA) and Cardin (MD) bring hearing to Maryland to focus on Governor O’Malley’s CitiStat and StateStat initiatives, bringing accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness to government

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 9, 2010)
– Governor Martin O’Malley will host U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (VA) and Benjamin L. Cardin (MD) for a field hearing of the Budget Committee’s Government Performance Task Force on Monday at the State House. Also attending the hearing from Maryland’s Congressional delegation is Congressman John Sarbanes.

The bipartisan Task Force, chaired by Sen. Warner, has a broad mandate to examine federal program spending, reporting and accountability. Senators Warner and Cardin are conducting the field hearing to learn more about the CitiStat and StateStat initiatives championed by Governor O’Malley, and used by Maryland’s state and local governments to effectively track spending, analyze results and evaluate government performance.

The July 12 meeting, which will be streamed live online, will be held at the Governor’s Reception Room in the Maryland State House.

Governor O’Malley pioneered CitiStat as Mayor of Baltimore ten years ago, a program that has been replicated dozens of times on local, state, federal, and international levels. CitiStat has helped three mayoral administrations in Baltimore streamline bureaucracy, improve the efficiency of city services and cut costs to taxpayers. In 2007, Governor Martin O’Malley extended CitiStat’s principles of accountability and transparency to Maryland state agencies by creating StateStat, and has extended its good governing principles to such actions as measuring clean-up efforts in the Chesapeake Bay, monitoring overtime costs for Corrections Officers, and deploying public safety resources throughout Maryland.

In October 2009, the Task Force on Government Performance was established to examine current federal program measurement systems that have been designed to ensure that policies are implemented efficiently and actually achieve the intended result. The Task Force will also examine how performance and program evaluation information is used during the budget process and draw on best practices from public, private, and non-profit experience, and from previous federal performance reform efforts.

Chrysler To Make 1st Two Payments On New Cars

Consumers can also return car within 60 days if unhappy with purchase

DETROIT — Chrysler Group says it will make the first two months' payments on most new vehicles bought this month in a bid to boost sales after a weak June.

Chrysler will pay up to $500 per month for a total of $1,000 on most vehicles. Customers also get the option of taking $3,000 to $4,000 in cash or making a "regret-free" purchase, in which they could return any new vehicle within 60 days if they're not satisfied. Other July incentives include zero-percent financing on most Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep vehicles. All the deals are set to end Aug. 2.

Automakers have been trying to limit incentives, which erode profits and hurt brand image. On average, incentive spending was down $169 per vehicle in June compared with the same month last year, according to auto information company Edmunds.com.

It might have fallen even further if not for Toyota Motor Corp., which normally offers few incentives but has pumped up spending since March after a spate of safety recalls. Toyota spent $2,117 per vehicle in June, more than double what it spent in June 2009.

GO HERE to read more.

Yard Sales

CLICK HERE for upcoming yard sales.

If you have a yard sale that you would like to post here, please send your request to atlanticjw@aol.com. Please type "yard sale" in the subject of your email. This service is free.

Today's Survey Question

What Products Will You Buy Generic?

NJ Governor Christie Looks To Privatize

New Jersey would close its centralized car inspection lanes and motorists would pay for their own emissions tests under a sweeping set of recommendations set to be released by the Christie administration today.

State parks, psychiatric hospitals and even turnpike toll booths could also be run by private operators, according to the 57-page report on privatization obtained by The Star-Ledger. Preschool classrooms would no longer be built at public expense, state employees would pay for parking and private vendors would dish out food, deliver health care and run education programs behind prison walls.

All told, the report says, New Jersey could save at least $210 million a year by delivering an array of services through private hands.

"The question has to be, ‘Why do you continue to operate in a manner that’s more costly and less effective?’ rather than, ‘Why change?’ " said Richard Zimmer, the former Republican congressman who chaired the task force.

Read more>>

A Chart Of Unemployment Since 1995

GO HERE to read more.

Obama's Unconfirmed 'Recess' Appointee to Run Medicare Advocated Rationing, Redistribution Of Wealth

(CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama today circumvented the Senate confirmation process by granting a recess appointment to Dr. Donald Berwick to be director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid.

Berwick, a professor at Harvard Medical School and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (a think tank), has expressed his disdain for free-market medicine and his “love” for Great Britain’s government-run health-care system, while advocating health-care rationing and using the health-care system to redistribute wealth.

GO HERE to read more.

New York Hotel Pioneers Birth Tourism

A New York hotel is staking its claim to have invented a new hospitality niche – birth tourism.

The Marmara Manhattan offers “an exclusive package for new mothers that wish to give birth in the USA”, with the additional bonus of the newborn child gaining US citizenship.

The hotel, which is part of the Turkish hospitality chain, exploits the 14th amendment to the US constitution, which states that all children born on American soil “are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside”.

The Marmara Manhattan, which is located in New York’s Upper East Side, told The Times: “What we offer is simply a one-bedroom suite accommodation for $5,100, plus taxes, for a month, with airport transfer, baby cradle and a gift set for the mother.” There are also medical fees of about £20,500.

However the price is a cheap and easy one to pay for US citizenship. Many will eventually use the newborn - known as an “anchor baby” - as a stepping stone for the immigration of extended family.

The hotel has so far sold 15 of the packages.

GO HERE to read more.

Did DOJ Try To Whitewash Black Panther Intimidation Case?

Did You Ever Expect the DOJ to Refuse to Prosecute:
Blacks for Voter Intimidation Against White Voters ?
States That Fail to Remove Dead or Felons From Motor Voter Rolls?

Obama administration has issued such mandates.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/rocking-the-vote/

Barack Obama Will Recess Appoint Donald Berwick

While Congress is on recess, Barack Obama will appoint Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or “CMS”.


Presidents tend to appoint controversial nominees with recess appointments because they otherwise can’t get the votes. Barack Obama has appointed a number of extremely controversial people via recess appointment when he otherwise hasn’t had the opportunity to name them czars — positions that don’t need congressional approval.


For example, Barack Obama named Kevin Jennings the “safe schools czar” bypassing congressional action. Jennings, who openly bragged about encouraging an underage boy to engage in a sexual relationship with a man who solicited the boy in a bus station bathroom, could never have been confirmed.


But for all the disgusting sordid stuff in Kevin Jennings’ past, Donald Berwick is far worse.
Donald Berwick openly wants to destroy the American medical system.

GO HERE to read more.

COMCAST

In the Daily Effort in the TV listings the Phillies game has been scheduled on CSN all week, as of last night there has been no Phillies games.

On the CSN station during this time it says that the Phillies game is suppose to be on and instead I have seen the Washington feed showing Virginia spring football practice, a six month old soccer game and a Team Tennis match, I have called Comcast 5 different times, E-Mailed the head of customer service twice, been to the local office and no one can give me an answer why this is.

If we suppose to get the game then we should be getting it, if not correct the information.

Is there anyone you know with Comcast I can talk with. In calling the Salisbury and Dover numbers I have reached Canada and Florida.

Thanks
Joe Gebhart

PS: The volumn on 31 is screwed up and I can't find anyone to complain to

Women & Men

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa. Half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful!

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe. Well developed and open to trade, especially for someone of real value.

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain , very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece, gently aging but still a warm and desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all conquering past.

Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel, has been through war, doesn't make the same mistakes twice, takes care of business.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada, self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.

After 70, she becomes Tibet. Wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages. An adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN

Between 1 and 80, a man is like Iran, ruled by nuts.

THE END.

Kratovil’s Sham Jobs Tour


First District Congressman only cares about jobs when his is on the line

ANNAPOLIS
– As Congressman Frank Kratovil poses for feel good photo-ops during his “Jobs Tour,” First District residents continue to grapple with the highest unemployment in Maryland. According to Maryland Republican Party Spokesman Ryan Mahoney, Kratovil has voted for Nancy Pelosi's job killing agenda 85 percent of the time while in Washington and only seems to care about First District jobs when his own is on the line.

“To launch a jobs tour while unemployment has nearly doubled in the First District is a slap in the face to his constituents,” said Mahoney. “Frank Kratovil has spent the last two years voting for job-killing legislation like the Stimulus and Cap-and-Trade, which has inundated our country with debt without producing a single real job for the Eastern Shore.”

The combined job losses at Kratovil’s tour stops alone total 8,190 since he took office. Unemployment across the entire First District averages well above the rest of Maryland.

“Maryland deserves a congressman less interested in sham job tours and touting the Pelosi agenda in Washington and more focused on creating real jobs to get his constituents back to work,” Mahoney said. “Kratovil can hold as many staged ‘Job Tour’ events as he’d like, but in the end his votes for Pelosi’s job killing agenda have failed to create a single real job for Marylanders.”

Drug Investigation Yields Three Arrest

Location:
18000 block Rehoboth Mall Blvd Rehoboth, De (Wal-Mart parking lot)

DATE and TIME:
Wednesday July 7, 2010 4:35 p.m.

Defendant(s):
Michael R. Lopez-29 100 block Chesapeake Drive Rehoboth, De
Michael J. Hicks-29 Unit block Lisa Ave. Ocean View, De
Quintin Brown-23 21000 block Elizabeth Ave. Rehoboth, De

Charge and Bond Information:
Lopez-20,500 secured bond remanded to Sussex Correctional Institute
Delivery of a Narcotic Substance
Maintaining a Vehicle for Keeping Controlled Substances
Conspiracy 2nd Degree
Possession of Hypodermic Needle and Syringe
Possession of a Narcotic Schedule III Substance
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Hicks-$19000 secured bond remanded to Sussex Correctional Institute
Delivery of a Narcotic Substance
Maintaining a Vehicle for Keeping Controlled Substances
Carry a Concealed Deadly Weapon
Conspiracy 2nd Degree

Brown-$1000 unsecured bond released
Consumption of a Narcotic
Hindering Prosecution

Resume:
The Delaware State Police Sussex County Drug Unit and members of the Governors Task Force while on routine assignment, Wednesday July 7, 2010 observed subjects Michael R. Lopez operating his Buick LeSabre in the Wal-Mart parking lot Rehoboth Delaware. The drug task force was familiar with Lopez from prior drug investigations. The Task Force took up surveillance on Lopez as he parked his vehicle. After a short moment Michael Hicks was observed entering Lopez’s vehicle. While Lopez and Hicks sat in the Buick officers observed the two individuals engage in a drug transaction.

Following this initial transaction Lopez exited his Buick and walked to a second vehicle. The second vehicle is a Ford Taurus occupied by Quintin Brown. Lopez again was observed entering the Ford Taurus and appeared to engage in a drug transaction with Brown. After the second transaction Lopez exited the Ford and walked backed to his vehicle where Hicks was still seated. After a brief interlude Hicks exited the Buick and was seen walking back toward his vehicle a Chevrolet S10 truck.

As Lopez, Hicks and Brown began to leave the area Delaware State Police conducted traffic stops on all three vehicles. As a result of this investigation State Police were able to determine that Lopez brokered a drug deal between Brown and Hicks. Brown upon being stopped swallowed eleven Endocet pills of 7.5 milligrams prior to police contact.

Upon searching Lopez an Oxycodone bill bottle containing 1 tablet of Buprenophine and Naloxone were located on his possession along with two hypodermic needles.

State Police after searching Hicks seized a pill bottle with a prescription for Endocet 7.5 milligrams. The prescription for the Endocet appeared to have been filled earlier that day July 7, 2010. Hicks also had in possession of a folding knife having a length of 3.75 inches.

Lopez, Hicks and Brown all were arrested for the above listed infractions. Lopez and Hicks were remanded to Sussex Correctional Center and Brown was released on $1000 unsecured bond.

State Police Searching For Leads Following Home Invasion

Location:
18000 block of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, De

DATE and TIME:
Wednesday July 7, 2010 1:30 a.m.

Suspect(s):
Black male, 5’06”, 175 lbs, white sleeveless t-shirt, white tennis shoes long black shorts with a yellow band around them
White male 6’00”, 180 lbs, gloves, white hat, orange t-shirt
White female 5’04”, 110-130 lbs, blue shorts, white t-shirt and white tennis shoes

Victim(s):
Five total victims
34 year old male of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, De
28 year old male of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, De
21 year old male of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, De
26 year old male of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, De
23 year old male of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, De

Resume:
Early Wednesday July 7, 2010, Delaware State Police investigated a home invasion in the 18000 block of Sherman Ave. Lincoln, Delaware. The home invasion was reported to police around 1:30 a.m.

State Police detectives were advised by the victims that they were all asleep at the time of the crime. The victims were sleeping on both the 1st and 2nd levels of the residence. It is unknown currently how the suspects were able to gain access into the residence. Once inside the house however the suspects systematically went room to room and confronted the victims. The suspects demanded money, drugs and also took the victim’s cellular phones. The suspects after obtaining these items duct taped the victim’s arms together. The white male suspect displayed a knife throughout the incident and at one point struck a 28 year old victim on his head with the handle of the knife. A 26 year old victim after being duct taped was also “head butted” by the white male carrying a knife. None of the victims required medical attention.

The suspects fled the scene to an unknown location. State Police K-9 along with others officers canvassed the area for the suspects however were unsuccessful in locating them.

Delaware State Police is seeking the publics help in solving this crime. Callers may remain anonymous. Tips may also be forwarded to law enforcement through tip lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-333 3 or on line at www.tipsubmit.com.

Pension System Moves Slowly On Selling Investments In Iran, Sudan


Two years after the General Assembly enacted a bill with much debate and fanfare that would stop investing state pension funds in companies doing business with Iran and Sudan, the pension system has sold off stock in just one company, Royal Dutch Shell.


The pension system, currently valued at $32.4 billion, sold its holdings in Royal Dutch Shell for $38 million in September.


Over a dozen other companies in the system’s funds have been identified as eligible for divestment, but officials cite a variety of reasons for not selling them. Two companies have voluntarily stopped doing business in Iran and Sudan after being asked to do so by a coalition of pension funds that includes the Maryland system.


GO HERE to read more.

Today's Wildlife Photo By Scott Phoebus

It's All Bush's Fault...From the Denver Post


Here's an opinion piece by Chuck Green, who writes "Greener Pastures" for the Denver Post/Aurora Sentinel, one of the more liberal papers in the country. Additionally, Mr. Green is a life long Democrat, which makes this a rather stunning piece...

DELMAR POLICE DEPARTMENT

Incident: Rape
Location: 500 block, E. Chestnut St., Delmar, MD
Date: 07-05-10
Arrested: Quamaine Huggins, black male, 18 Y.O.A., Delmar, DE

On 07-05-10 an officer of the Delmar Police Department responded to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for a report of an alleged rape that occurred in Delmar, MD. Further investigation revealed that on the evening of July 5, 2010 Huggins allegedly sexually assaulted the victim. The officer applied for and received a warrant for Huggins and Huggins was subsequently located and arrested on 07-08-10. Huggins is being held at the Wicomico County Detention Center without bond.

Charges:
Rape 2nd Degree
Assault 2nd Degree
Reckless Endangerment
False Imprisonment

President Barack Obama: "Support Martin O'Malley"

Since being elected Governor in 2006, Martin O'Malley has been a true champion for the people of Maryland.

He has restored a sense of fiscal responsibility and helped the state grow sustainably, expanding access to health care coverage, continuing to improve Maryland's schools, while also restoring the Chesapeake Bay. And, his four-year freeze on college tuition brought the cost of higher education within reach of middle class families.

Governor O'Malley has a lot more to contribute to your state -- and I hope you will do your part to ensure he has four more years to continue his work.

Please sign up to help out his campaign for re-election.

These next few years will be tough, and there is much we need to accomplish together.

And that job will be much easier if there are bold leaders like Governor O'Malley working with us to achieve the same goals.

But his path to re-election will not be easy. His opponent will have lots of support from corporate PACs and lobbyists.

That is why Governor O'Malley needs your support -- knocking on doors, making calls to your neighbors, and working to get the word out about his campaign for Maryland.

Can Governor O'Malley count on your help?

Get started here:http://md.barackobama.com/OMalley2010

Thank you,

President
Barack Obama

Mikulski’s Big Spending Continues

National Debt Increases $166 Billion in One Day

Annapolis: Last Wednesday the national debt rose by $166 Billion in one day. This is just another example in a long line of warning signs calling attention to the dramatic increase in our national debt.

In 1976, when Barbara Mikulski was elected as a member of Congress, the national debt was $670 Billion. Today, the national debt has surpassed $12 Trillion. That is a lmost a 2000% increase.

“Senator Mikulski has shown no leadership on cutting federal spending. In fact, Ms. Mikulski has shown reckless abandon with our tax dollars.” Commissioner Eric Wargotz said. “Barbara Mikulski and this Congress are taking the “American Dream” away from our kids and our grandchildren.

“As Queen Anne’s County Commissioner, just this year Eric Wargotz was able to cut $11 million in the county operating budget and he has lowered the property tax rate twice during his tenure. Commissioner Wargotz has put together clear plans for getting our nation’s debt under control. On www.wargotz.com he states, “As your U.S. Senator, I will work to institute fiscal discipline in Washington, voting against non-emergency, deficit spending, against bailouts and against pork-barrel earmarks which buy votes today and are paid by future generations.”

EHRLICH'S "FAUX" EDUCATION FACTSBALTIMORE, MD


The Ehrlich campaign seemed caught off-guard yesterday by Governor O'Malley's "Building Maryland's Schools" plan and was forced to put out "faux" facts of their own.

O'Malley's plan includes an additional $1 billion for school construction over the next four years to rebuild our schools and revitalize our communities. After a $1.3 billion investment in school construction during his first term, Governor O'Malley committed to meeting the recommendation of the Kopp Commission and providing $250 million for school construction annually over the next four years.

O'Malley's investment in rebuilding our public schools represents a 56% increase over Bob Ehrlich's one-term in office. Bob Ehrlich chronically-underfunded public school construction in our state, leading the Kopp Commission to declare that Maryland was facing a "crisis in school construction." In 2005, the Washington Post declared that the needs of Maryland schools were indisputable.

Yet, even with his failed record, the Ehrlich campaign declared inaccurately to WBAL-TV that Bob Ehrlich "spent almost twice as much as O'Malley on state support to public schools."

Now we know that Bob Ehrlich increased state spending by 33% when he was in office... But his claim about public education funding is just plain wrong. Bob Ehrlich actually failed to fully-fund Thornton and ignored the Geographic Cost of Education Index.

In addition to investing more to build Maryland's schools after four years of chronic-underfunding by Bob Ehrlich, a quick look at the numbers shows that Governor O'Malley invested approximately $21.7 billion to support public education in Maryland compared to Bob Ehrlich's $15.4 billion.

Bob Ehrlich's "faux" facts aside, Governor O'Malley has increased support for public education each year for the last four years The most recent FY2011 budget devotes $5.7 billion to public school operations, the highest level of funding in Maryland history and $1.2 billion more than was budgeted just four years ago. The O'Malley-Brown administration is also the first to fund the Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI) which was part of the 2002 Thornton Plan to provide additional aid to jurisdictions where the cost of education is disproportionately expensive.

GOV. O'MALLEY'S SCHOOL PLAN TO CREATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS


O'MALLEY'S
"BUILDING MARYLAND SCHOOLS"
PLAN TO CREATE
THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN MARYLAND


BALTIMORE, MD
-- Governor O'Malley announced his "Building Maryland Schools" plan to continue investing in building and restoring Maryland's public schools. O'Malley's plan builds on the $1.3 billion investment in school construction during his first term in office that created more than 9,000 construction jobs in the State of Maryland.

Governor O'Malley's plan includes an additional $1 billion for school construction over the next four years to rebuild our schools and revitalize our communities. O'Malley said that he is committed to meeting the recommendation of the Kopp Commission and providing $250 million for school construction annually over the next four years.

"Our Building Maryland Schools plan will not only help build Maryland's public schools, but it will create new jobs and put thousands of people to work in our state," said Governor Martin O'Malley. "School construction represents a significant portion of the state's capital budget - helping to build new classrooms for our kids and put thousands of Marylanders to work each year."

School construction has represented approximately 20 percent of the State's capital investments over the past four years, supporting 9,294 construction-related jobs. In total, Governor O'Malley has invested $1.27 billion in school construction during the past four years - a 56 percent increase compared to the Ehrlich administration.

Read more about the Governor's Plan to Build Maryland Schools.

Apparently A Year's Supply Of Honey Nut Cheerios Is Only 12 Boxes


Have you ever dreamed of winning a year's supply of Honey Nut Cheerios? No? Well, in case you did, you might have imagined a warehouse full of the honeybee-kissed circles of tedium. And you might have imagined incorrectly, because according to General Mills, just 12 boxes of the stuff should get you through a year.


BEAL LEADS SHOREBIRDS TO 5-1 SERIES OPENING WIN

Right-Hander Earns Staff High Sixth Win

Lakewood, N.J.
– Jesse Beal shutdown the Lakewood BlueClaws in innings two through six as the Shorebirds defeated the BlueClaws 5-1 on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Park.

The BlueClaws drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Jiwan James led off with a single to shallow left field. He was picked off by Jesse Beal but reached second as Delmarva failed to execute the rundown. Then, Carlos Ruiz, who is on a major league rehab assignment, hit a double into right-center field to score James.

The Shorebirds knotted the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning. Brian Conley was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Conley stole second and was sacrificed to third by Ty Kelly. Later in the inning, Conley scored on a wild pitch by Josh Zeid on a pitch that skipped through the legs of catcher Ruiz.

The ‘Birds took their first lead of the night in the sixth inning. Mike Mooney hit a lead off single up the middle. Then, Ty Kelly hit a one out single through the left side of the infield. Tyler Townsend then drew a walk to load the bases. Kieron Pope followed with a roller through the right side of the infield to score Mike Mooney. Steve Bumbry followed with a sacrifice fly to left-center field to plate Kelly.

In the ninth inning, the ‘Birds tacked on two more runs. With Justin Dalles at first, Garabez Rosa hit a mammoth homer onto the top of the hill over the field wall. It was his first home run since April 20.

Jesse Beal earned his staff high sixth win of the season in seven strong innings. He scattered seven hits and struck out four.

Kevin Landry tossed a scoreless eighth while Brian Parker shutdown Lakewood in the ninth inning.

The Shorebirds and BlueClaws play game two of the series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Pat Kantakevich makes the start for Delmarva.

SHOREBIRDS GAME NOTES: 7/8 @ Lakewood

PREVIEW: The Shorebirds embark on their first series of the season in Lakewood, New Jersey. The Shorebirds won the final two games of their most recent series against Hickory to split the set. The ‘Birds are in fourth place, four games behind the Lakewood BlueClaws, who own the top spot.

ROSA STRUGGLING: Shorebirds shortstop Garabez Rosa is 1-for-23 in his last seven games. His batting average has dipped to .243, the lowest it has been since April 10. Rosa was batting .302 on May 30.

BALL STAYING IN FIRSTENERGY: In 40 games at Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park, there have been only 33 homers hit. Lakewood has hit more than double the amount of homers on the road (36). Greensboro’s NewBridge Bank Park leads the league with 91 homers in 44 games. Rome’s State Mutual Stadium has seen the fewest homers hit (20).

ALL RIGHTIES: The upcoming series will feature all right-handed starters on both sides. The Shorebirds are batting .246 against righties, while Lakewood is batting .264 against righties. Delmarva’s active roster features three lefties and two switch hitters.

TOP DOUBLES TEAMS: Lakewood ranks first in the SAL in doubles (181) while Delmarva is second in the circuit with 168.

STREAKING: Right fielder Brian Conley is riding a seven-game hit streak into game one. He is 7-for-26 during the stretch. The seven gamer is a season and career high for Conley. Conley has more hits this season (73) then in his two minor league seasons combined (70). He was a SAL All-Star.

DON'T MISS HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER

Tomorrow Morning At 9:00 AM