Fox News Poll: Only 39 Percent Would Vote To Re-Elect Obama In 2012

The 2012 presidential race begins in earnest on Nov. 3 -- the day after the upcoming midterm elections -- and President Obama looks to be in trouble at the starting gate.

A Fox News poll released Friday shows that 54 percent of voters say they would vote for someone else rather than re-electing Obama if the presidential election were held today. That’s up from 47 percent in a January poll and 31 percent in April 2009

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Thirty-nine percent would vote to re-elect the president now, down from 43 percent in January. That's a dramatic drop from the 52 percent who felt that way in April, at his term's 100-day mark.

Click here for a PDF with full poll results.

GO HERE to read more.

You Make The Call

If you're anything like me, getting a DEAL on certain things makes me feel really good. Sam's Club has always been notorious for having great prices on many items but in this case it looks more like the big retail giant is seriously taking advantage of the consumer.

Over the past two or three winters, Sam's made it somewhat convenient, (price wise) to go up there and buy wood pellets by the bag or even by the skid. Last year when I found another local connection for pellets I chose to have them delivered to my home for around the same price Sam's Club was selling them for.

However, now is the time to expose one of our advertisers who deserves the special attention they deserve.

Delmarva Wood Pellets delivered two skids of pellets to my home last week for LESS money than you can buy at Sam's Club by the bag! If you want to pick them up, (just like you would at Sam's Club) they're only $4.00 a bag!

NOW is the time to stock up on pellets and if I were you, if you have a pellet stove, call this company up and get them delivered before they run out. Everyone who has a pellet stove knows, when you get closer to the end of the season these pellets are very difficult to find.

If you do not have a pellet stove, let me tell you something Folks. I have a 3,500 sq. ft. home and one stove heats my entire home. Do the math. I spend $500.00 a year to heat my home, that's it! To those smarty pants who want to comment saying it must be really cold in my home, my home stays at 85 degrees all winter! So if you do not have a pellet stove but you're thinking about one, they are very easy to clean and nothing like a wood burning fireplace.

Welcome To The Salisbury WalMart

I'm not kidding you when I tell you, this was displayed immediately as you walk in the front door of WalMart. Muir Boda, you should be VERY proud of yourself.

The Summer Of 2010

While many would like to believe we never break away from Salisbury News, you're wrong. In fact, we probably enjoyed one of the busiest summers I can remember.

One of our many trips away from Salisbury was this trip to Kings Dominion. We decided to pack up the Motor Coach once again and head somewhere that offered a lot of entertainment and since I hadn't been there since the 1970's, why not.

We considered Busch Gardens but when we checked around, many told us the prices were too much and the lines were forever long. On the other hand, many told us that Kings Dominion was not as clean. If you know anything about me, I like the underdog!

We hit the road after making on line reservations, (which I highly recommend) for both the amusement park and the campground. To our pleasure, we pulled into the campground and noticed it was directly next door to Kings Dominion. They offered a free shuttle bus to the park every 15 minutes. We thought this would be nice so we could go back and forth and have our main meals in the Motor Coach.

However, when we went to the park, that all changed. The prices for food were so reasonable, we chose to eat almost every meal there. on our second day we decided to take a break from the park and head back to relax for a little while and enjoy a private sit down meal. There's nothing better than a Felet Mignon on the grill while camping, (if you want to call it camping). There was a swimming pool at the campground and the fee was only $32.00 per night with full hook up. They also had a very nice general store and all kinds of additional things to do to keep you entertained outside the park.

Once we got into Kings Dominion, WOW! Talk about an incredible change. Whomever was making the claim that Kings Dominion wasn't clean was completely out of line. Mind you, the parking lot seemed to be in need of new pavement but so what. It was no different from traveling any road in Salisbury.

Here's the really cool part. We went there on the 3rd through the 5th of September. Folks, there were NO lines! We were able to walk right up to each and every ride, (with exception to maybe two rides). It was almost as if we had the entire park to ourselves. Every employee there was very courteous and they had a 50's section there that was just fabulous. In fact, that's where I'd go to relax and enjoy a rare but very relaxing cigar. I was like a little kid, sitting back and enjoying every single 50's song being played throughout that section of the park.

The only thing we didn't enjoy there, (believe it or not) was the food from Chick Felet. Yeah, we were surprised at that one but everywhere else we ate was very enjoyable. All that being said, I highly recommend Kings Dominion and a get away destination. It took about 3 hours to get there, not bad in a big Motor Coach. We took Rt. 50 over the Bay Bridge. One of the key reasons we chose not to go to Busch Gardens was two fold. The fee to take that beast through the Bay Bridge Tunnel as well as the major delays everyone experiences in the Hamptons and the backups at the smaller tunnels.

If I find the time down the road I'll share some of the many other locations we enjoyed within many of the Delaware State Parks. If you're a resident of Delaware, these Parks are only $24.00 a night with full hookup. Great fishing, boating and other activities. However, there's nothing like getting away and banging your aging body apart on roller coaster rides and being a kid, even if its just for one weekend a year.

Ehrlich Ad – We Need A Governor Who Tells The Truth

Martin O’Malley -
First He Makes Stuff Up …
… When Caught, He Covers Stuff Up
That’s the tag line for Bob Ehrlich’s latest ad:

As we noted yesterday, the O’Malley administration accidently released a damaging jobs report.  When the “mistake” (hiding the facts must be SOP in the O’Malley administration), they pulled the report.  Instead of worrying about how to help Maryland’s flagging economy, O’Malley and his minions were more concerned about the political fallout.

Rate Board Denies Postal Service Price Hike Plea

The independent panel that oversees the U.S. Postal Service has denied the agency's request to increase the cost of mailing a letter by 2 cents — to 46 cents.

The Postal Regulatory Commission announced its decision rejecting the requested price hike at a news conference Thursday.

In July, the Postal Service proposed raising first-class postage from 44 cents to 46 cents as part of a strategy for dealing with a worsening financial crisis. The Postal Service lost $3.8 billion last year, and the agency has been seeking other rate increases as well, including higher fees for periodicals, post cards and parcels.

The new rates would have taken effect next Jan. 2.

Chairman Ruth Goldway told reporters at a news conference that the Postal Rate Commission's vote to deny the rate request was unanimous on the five-member commission.

She said she believes that the requested rate adjustment is not because of the recent recession, as Postal Service officials have indicated, but was, rather, an attempt to address long-term structural problems.

More details

O'Donnell Vows To Control Her Political Message

After nearly disappearing from public view following her upset victory in Delaware's GOP primary, Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell re-emerged Friday vowing to control her political message and saying she is not concerned with how the national media portrays her.

In an interview with The Associated Press after opening her Wilmington headquarters, O'Donnell denied she had been ducking the media or had gone into hiding.

Instead, she said the campaign took some time to reorganize and take care of necessities as fundamental as telephones.

"We asked for time to regroup and reassess because people were telling us their phone calls weren't being returned, and that's not my heart," she said. "I want everybody to feel like they're a priority, so now our office is up and running and phones are being put in."

Since her primary win, media reports have questioned whether O'Donnell misspent campaign contributions and misled people about her educational record. She also has been the target of late-night comedy show barbs about things she said years ago as a frequent guest on TV talk shows, including that she dabbled in witchcraft as a teenager and believes that evolution is a myth.

O'Donnell said she has stopped paying attention to what the national media was reporting about her, and she declined to say whether she believes she has been treated fairly by the media.

"It is what it is," she said. "I'm not concerned about that. We've got a great media team in place and we're going to control our own destiny and make sure that our message gets out there the way we want it to."

O'Donnell also granted interviews to local reporters, who had seen and heard little from her in the past two weeks. She had said shortly after the primary that she would not speak to members of the national media but instead would focus on Delaware voters.More here

Communist Backing For 'One Nation' March Raises Eyebrows

The Communist Party USA’s open endorsement of Saturday’s One Nation march on the Mall in Washington shows just how radicalized the mainstream of the American left has become, says noted author Paul Kengor. Organizers such as NAACP President Ben Jealous have labeled the march as the “antidote” to the tea party movement. The event also is a response to Glenn Beck’s Aug. 28 “Restoring Honor” rally.

“We aren’t the alternative to the tea party; we’re the antidote,” Jealous told The Washington Post Thursday.

The NAACP put the team responsible for its annual Image Awards show in charge of organizing the One Nation rally, the Post reports.

“The fact that communists can now act so openly, locked arm in arm with fellow travelers in the ‘liberal/progressive’ left, shows just how far liberals and progressives have come. It’s a new day for the left, apparently,” says Kengor.

More

Sen. Thune Sees Third Party if GOP Strays

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said a third party could emerge as early as 2012 if Republicans stray from their principles.

Thune, a potential presidential candidate in 2012, predicted that if Republicans win majorities in Congress but don't follow through on their promises, it could cause a third party built in the shape of the Tea Party movement to take off.

"I will say this: If we do not govern according to our principles and if we don't follow through on the things we say we're going to do, I think there will be a third party in this country," the fourth-ranking Senate Republican said on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program, set for broadcast this weekend.More here

Noonan: The Twister Of 2010

On a recent trip to Omaha, Neb., I found a note prominently displayed in my hotel room warning of the possibility of "extreme weather" including "tornadic activity." The clunky euphemism was no doubt meant to soften or obscure what they were obliged to communicate: There may be a tornado, look out.

That's what's going on nationally. Tornadoes are tearing up the political landscape.

Everyone talks about the tensions between the Republican establishment, such as it is, and the tea-party-leaning parts of its base. But are you looking at what's happening with the Democrats?

Tensions between President Obama and his supporters tore into the open this week as never before, signifying a real and developing fracturing of his party. Mr. Obama, in an interview in Rolling Stone, aimed fire at those abandoning him: "It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election." The Democratic base "sitting on their hands complaining" is "just irresponsible. . . . We have to get folks off the sidelines. People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up. Bringing about change is hard—that's what I said during the campaign. . . . But if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place."
At first I thought this was another example of the president's now-habitual political ineptness, his off-key-ness. You don't diss people into voting for you, you can't lecture them into love. The response from the left was fierce, unapologetic—and accusatory. Mr. Obama had let them down, he'd taken half measures. "Stop living in that bubble," shot back an activist on cable. But Jane Hamsher of the leftist blog Firedoglake saw method, not madness. She described the president's remarks as "hippie punching" and laid them to cynical strategy: "It's about setting up a narrative for who will take the blame for a disastrous election." She said Mr. Obama's comments themselves could "depress turnout."
Take the blame? Disastrous? Setting up a narrative?
This isn't the language of disagreement, the classic to-and-fro between a restive base and politicians who make compromises. This is the language of estrangement. It is the language of alienation.
There is a war beginning in the Democratic Party, and the president has lost control of his base.

And part of what's driving it is what is driving the evolution of the Republican Party. The Internet changed everything. Everyone has facts now, knows who voted how and why. New thought leaders spring up and lead in new directions. Total transparency leads to party fracturing. Information dings unity. We are in new territory.

There's lots more here

Maryland's New Bicycling Laws Now In Effect

WASHINGTON - Rules of the road are changing in Maryland, and it's not just a texting ban or the fact that drivers have to go hands free on cell phones. There are some other new rules of the road that will affect drivers and bicyclists.

Peter Moe is the Maryland State Highway Administration's Bicycle Safety Coordinator. WTOP talked to Moe about Maryland's new rules of the road regarding cyclists. These are rules drivers need to be aware of and cyclists need to keep in mind as they travel the roadways.

One law welcomed by cyclists is the "three foot rule." Moe explains what that means for drivers.

"What you need to do now in the state of Maryland is give bicyclists at least three feet of space when overtaking them."

Another change repeals the law that basically forced cyclists to stick to the shoulder of roadways. Why shouldn't cyclists be required to stay on the shoulder?

"Because sometimes on that shoulder, there may be debris or obstacles that a cyclist has to avoid in order to travel safely," says Moe.

Moe says the repeal of the law means that cyclists now have some discretion. They can stay on the shoulder if they feel safest there, but can now "take the lane" on the road if they prefer.

Isn't that having it both ways?

GO HERE to read more.

Georgetown Delaware To Waive Building Permit Fees And Property Taxes For New Businesses

Joe:

 

I hope you read the article I sent you.  At the same time Maryland is trying to increase fees, start new fees, increase taxes . . . .Delaware is doing just the opposite.

 

I had to read it twice as I thought this type of activity was non existence.  Not in Delaware!!!

 

I say give the Sussex Economic Developer an A+.  Wow - I'm really impressed. 

 

GEORGETOWN -- County officials have presented a proposal that would seek to attract new business by offering temporary tax breaks and waiving building permit and code fees to companies that would create jobs.

County Administrator David Baker said he worked with staff to develop the plan, and will return with several more ideas next month.

"There's a real impetus for economic development, to encourage businesses to improve employment opportunities in the county," he said.

Unfortunately, Baker said there's little that the county can do, since it doesn't receive income taxes.

The proposed initiatives include a three-year property tax waiver and 50 percent reductions in building permit and code fees.

Baker said the annual cost of the programs -- estimated at $10,000 to $25,000 for property taxes; $30,000 for building permits and $15,000 for code fees -- would be offset by the county's $700,000 Town Economic Development fund.

"Our primary goal is economic development," he said. "When a prospective business contacts us and asks what can the county do for (them) . . . we want to provide some incentive for them."

Sussex County Council President Vance Phillips says he's open to the possibility, but believes the county should be cautious.

"I have a concern we could create unintended consequences that may be unfair to other businesses in the county," he said.

The county should also look into ways to eliminate some of the red tape that new businesses have to deal with, Phillips said.

Councilman George Cole said the county should do something, but limiting the tax base may not be the answer.

"A lot of time, all the county and the government can do is create an environment appealing and attractive to businesses that want to relocate," he said.

wmckelvey@dmg.gannett.com

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ARREST IN WORCESTER COUNTY

(OCEAN CITY, MD) – Members of the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit arrested a registered sex offender in connection with the possession of child pornography.

Lawrence King III, 41, of the 9000 block of Golf Course Road in Ocean City was arrested today and charged with thirteen counts of possessing child pornography. King is on Maryland’s Sex Offender Registry as the result of a conviction received in 2002. If convicted of the current charges, King could be sentenced to up to 65 years in prison.

The investigation into King’s activities began with the Anne Arundel County Police Department upon receiving information that King was in possession of child pornography. Troopers assigned to the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted Anne Arundel County Police with the execution of a search warrant this morning at King’s Ocean City residence.

During the search, investigators located images and videos of children performing various sexual acts. Evidence seized as a result of the search will be examined by the State Police Computer Forensics Laboratory.

King was taken before a Worcester County Court Commissioner and is currently being held without bond. House Bill 1046, signed by Governor Martin O’Malley, went into effect today prohibiting a District Court commissioner from authorizing the pretrial release of a defendant who is a registered sex offender.

The investigation into King’s activities are continuing. Anyone with information that may help police is encouraged to call Maryland State Police Headquarters at 410-653-4200.

The Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is comprised of police agencies from around the state. Its primary mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The Task Force works cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources to combat these crimes. Additionally, the Task Force provides community awareness campaigns helping to prevent the spread of these crimes through education.

CANDIDATES FORUM

CANDIDATES FORUM FOR THE CONTESTED POSITIONS OF WICOMICO COUNTY EXECUTIVE, COUNCIL AND STATE’S ATTORNEY

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6, 2010 AT 6 PM

ELK’S LODGE

401 CHURCHILL AVENUE

SALISBURY, MD

MODERATED BY DR. ADAM HOFFMAN OF SALISBURY UNIVERSITY’S INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (PACE)

LORA Meet And Greet

The Local Owner Restaurant Association (LORA) and the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce (SACC) invite you to attend a candidate meet and greet for all races in Wicomico County including the Maryland General Assembly District 37 and 38 races and the Governors race on Thursday, October 21 at Black Diamond & Lodge in Fruitland from 6-8 pm. All candidates have been invited and will be available if they accept the invitation. The LORA members will provide free appetizers and a cash bar.  This program will have each candidate at a table. Voters can visit them and ask them personal one on one question. Donations will be accepted and go towards LORA'S " Taste for Tomorrow Scholarship Fund" for future scholarships that go to Wicomico County students that are going into the Restaurant Hospitality field as a career.

Opportunities To Support Our Students and Schools

Saturday, Oct. 2
National Honor Society Yard Sale Wicomico High School Auditorium

The Wicomico High School chapter of the National Honor Society will have a yard sale on Saturday, Oct. 2 in the Auditorium lobby from 6-11 a.m. The money raised from this sale of donated items is used to purchase toys for the Salvation Army Christmas stockings. 410-677-5146

Saturday, Oct. 2
Applebee’s Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast Benefitting the Wicomico High School Boys & Girls Soccer Teams

Support the Wi-Hi Boys & Girls Soccer Teams at an all-you-can-eat Applebee’s Pancake Fund-raiser Breakfast from 8 -10 a.m. October 2nd. Tickets are $6 per person for all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage and beverage (coffee, orange juice, soda and tea). The breakfast will be served at the North Salisbury Applebee’s by members of the 2010 Wicomico High Boys & Girls Soccer Teams. For tickets or information, please contact Coach Cameron Ball at 410-677-5146 or cball@wcboe.org.

Several Schools Locked Down Friday After Incident In Community

Several Wicomico County Public Schools and the Central Office were locked down for about 30 minutes Friday, Oct. 1, in response to a law enforcement issue in the community. Schools were placed on code red and locked down around 10:45 a.m. after a man on foot reportedly carrying a firearm was seen crossing the grounds of the Central Office and Wicomico High School. Law enforcement detained an individual, and further details will come from law enforcement. At 11:13 a.m., with a suspect in custody, the precautionary lockdown was lifted at the Central Office and at James M. Bennett High, Glen Avenue Elementary and Wicomico Middle. Wicomico High remained in lockdown for another hour while law enforcement conducted a grounds search.

U.S. Apologizes For 1940s Syphilis Study In Guatamala

WASHINGTON — American scientists deliberately infected prisoners and patients in a mental hospital in Guatemala with syphilis 60 years ago, a recently unearthed experiment that prompted U.S. officials to apologize Friday and declare outrage over "such reprehensible research."
The U.S. government-funded experiment, which ran from 1946 to 1948, was discovered by a Wellesley College medical historian. It apparently was conducted to test if penicillin, then relatively new, could prevent infection with sexually transmitted diseases. The study came up with no useful information and was hidden for decades.
The government researcher who led the work in Guatemala also was involved in this country's infamous Tuskegee experiment, where from 1932 to 1972 scientists tracked 600 black men in Alabama who had syphilis but didn't know it, without ever offering them treatment.
"We are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said of the Guatemalan project Friday.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said President Obama had been briefed about the situation and planned to call Guatemala's president, Alvaro Colom.
"Obviously this is shocking, it's tragic, it's reprehensible," Mr. Gibbs said. "It's tragic and the U.S. by all means apologizes to all those who were impacted."
Strict regulations today make clear that it is unethical to experiment on people without their consent and require special steps for any work with such vulnerable populations as prisoners. But such regulations didn't exist in the 1940s.

The U.S. government ordered two independent investigations to uncover exactly what happened in Guatemala and to make sure current bioethics rules are adequate. They will be led by the prestigious Institute of Medicine and the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.
And while deliberately trying to infect people with serious diseases is abhorrent today, the Guatemalan experiment isn't the only example from what National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins on Friday called "a dark chapter in the history of medicine." Forty similar deliberate-infection studies were conducted in the United States during that period, Dr. Collins said.
In Guatemala, 696 men and women were exposed to syphilis or in some cases gonorrhea, through jail visits by prostitutes or, when that didn't infect enough people, by deliberately inoculating them, reported Wellesley College historian Susan Reverby. Those who were infected were all offered penicillin, but it wasn't clear how many were infected and how many were successfully treated

MORE.

STATEMENT FROM O'MALLEY-BROWN CAMPAIGN

Baltimore, MD -- O'Malley-Brown Deputy Campaign Manager Rick Abbruzzese released the following statement on Bob Ehrlich's newest attack ad:

"Bob Ehrlich is clearly lashing out with desperate attack ads that the media has already labeled "False" and "Misleading," because he knows his 24-year political career is slipping away."

"The truth is Maryland has created more than 33,000 jobs since January -- more the twice the national average."

When watching Bob Ehrlich's newest desperate attack ad, the people of Maryland should consider the following facts:

This week, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the largest business organization representing regional interests throughout the Greater Washington region, joined hundreds of business leaders to endorse Governor O'Malley "because of his demonstrated understanding of the key issues facing businesses and his track-record of including the business community in fashioning solutions to the region's most pressing challenges."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the successful businessman and independent three-term mayor of New York City endorsed Governor O'Malley for his result-oriented approach to effective government, job creation, and public education. Mayor Bloomberg has endorsed both Republican and Democratic candidates this year.

A new Washington Post poll out this week shows Martin O'Malley with an 11-point lead over Bob Ehrlich. The poll revealed that Marylanders trust Martin O'Malley on the state's top issue, the economy, over Bob Ehrlich, and that Marylanders do not trust Bob Ehrlich to tell the truth about his failed record raising taxes and fees and being the biggest spender in Maryland history.

Quote Of The Day

"Government can do something for the people only in proportion as it can do something to the people." --Thomas Jefferson

Andy Harris Receives Endorsement From Gun Owners Of America

SEVERNA PARK, Md. – Gun Owners of America endorsed Andy Harris in his bid for US Congress and gave Harris an “A” rating for his “unwavering support of the rights of gun owners.”

“Gun Owners of America is an organization that works relentlessly to protect Second Amendment rights,” said Andy Harris. “I am proud to have their endorsement and will fight in Washington to protect gun owners’ rights and the integrity of the Constitution.”

“Dr. Harris will bring his proven leadership to the Congress, and people across the country who value the Second Amendment will gain a trusted friend,” said the Gun Owners of America in the endorsement letter.

Harris also received an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association earlier this week.

Andy Harris is a Republican candidate running for Maryland’s First Congressional District.  Harris, a practicing physician, and his wife Cookie have five children. For more information, please visit www.andyharris.com.

Smoke Alarms: Up, Down And All Around

Salisbury Fire Department Reinforces Newer Smoke Alarm Recommendations
During Fire Prevention Week, October 3-9, 2010

In an effort to better educate communities throughout the U.S. about smoke alarm recommendations, the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA ) is promoting “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” as the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, October 3-9, which the Salisbury Fire Department is supporting locally. NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 88 years.

“Many homes in Salisbury may not have any smoke alarms, not enough smoke alarms, alarms that are too old, or alarms that are not working,” says Melissa Brown, Public Information Officer of the Salisbury Fire Department. “We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level (including the basement), outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. And, if a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced.”

According to Brown, smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in a fire. NFPA statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so. The association’s data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

NFPA and the Salisbury Fire Department agree that interconnected smoke alarms offer the best protection; when one sounds, they all do. This is particularly important in larger or multi-story homes, where the sound from distant smoke alarms may be reduced to the point that it may not be loud enough to provide proper warning, especially for sleeping individuals.

“Most people have a sense of complacency about smoke alarms because they already have one in their homes. Fire Prevention Week provides an excellent opportunity to re-educate people about smoke alarms, new technologies and expanded options for installation and maintenance,” says Judy Comoletti, division manager for NFPA public education. “Ultimately, we want this year’s campaign to serve as a call to action for households nationwide to inspect their homes to ensure that their families have the full smoke alarm protection that’s recommended.”

The Salisbury Fire Department offers the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.
Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Salisbury, please contact the Salisbury Fire Department at 410-548-3120, or check out our website, www.salisburyfd.com . To learn more about “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!,” visit NFPA’s Web site at www. firepreventionweek.org .