House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and DCCC Chairman Steve Israel are among top House Democrats calling for N.Y. Rep. Weiner to resign.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., decides to seek treatment following sexting scandal.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., will request a short leave of absence from the House following sexting scandal.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, June 11, 2011
BREAKING NEWS: Body Recovered in Ocean City Inlet
A body has been recovered in the Ocean City Inlet. The unidentified body is believed to be from a small boat which capsized earlier today.
Ocean City to Host Flag Day Ceremony on Sunday
Ocean City will hold a special Flag Day ceremony at 12 noon on Sunday, June 12, at the opening of the O.C. Air Show.
A combined team of the U.S. Navy Seals and the 101st Airborne Jump Team will fly the National Colors to the drop zone in the vicinity of 16th Street on the beach. Once on the ground, the team will present the U.S. Flag to one of the country’s veterans.
Air Show narrator, Larry Strain, will serve as the Master of Ceremony for the Flag Day ceremony, which will kick off Sunday’s air show. The fourth annual O.C. Air Show will fly over the skies of Ocean City on Saturday and Sunday, June 11-12, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. both days. Rehearsal day for the air show is on Friday, June 10 from noon until 4 p.m.
Worcester County Shows Increase in Real Estate Sales
Maryland’s housing market as a whole might not be showing momentum, but numbers for Worcester County were promising this spring, and reflected a 28 percent increase in unit sales volume on a year-over-year basis. In 2011, 152 units sold in the month of April in Worcester County, compared to 2010, which saw 119 units sold. This is compared with Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions combined, which were down nearly 17 percent on a year-over-year basis.
This data would suggest that a renewed enthusiasm for vacation or second homes is building. However, the short end of the stick is that Worcester County also experienced a sharp reduction in median sales price, to the tune of a 16 percent reduction. In 2010, the average sales price was $310,165. Data from April 2011 indicates an average sales price of $266,942. Statewide, median sales prices fell 7 percent between April 2010 and April 2011.
The other factor heavily influencing our local market is inventory. Measured in terms of months it would take to sell all the active inventory, statewide is sitting at 8.2 months of inventory. However, Worcester County is one of the 13 Maryland juris- dictions still experiencing double-digit months of inventory with 15.2 months of current inventory. The sunny side of this data is that in April of 2010, we were at 21.6 months, so things are improving along with our recent up tick in sales volume. This is an important number to watch over the coming months, as fewer inventory in our area is more likely to result in prices stabilizing.
HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER
John H. Dulany & Son
John H. Dulany & Son was extensively engaged in the growing and canning of food products in Fruitland from its founding in 1899 through the 1970’s. Mr. Dulany’s father, I. H. A. Dulany, brought his family up from the Eastern Shore of Virginia and had the most prosperous store in Fruitland.
He started the canning factory along with a man named Johnson, and they had a canning operation in Fruitland. Shortly after that, Mr. Johnson resigned and it became just the I. H. A. Dulany & Sons. It remained this way until 1919, when his son, Ralph O. Dulany, joined him. The Dulanys attempted to do some canning in Salisbury with a Mr. Hastings. The records show them as canners in Salisbury in 1919 and again in 1924. The elder Mr. Dulany died in 1925, and his son ran the company for many years.
Also in 1920, the Dulanys started up a shirt making operation, which they ran until 1926. The shirt making operation was supposed to supplement the income of the workers after the canning season was over. Low wages due to piece work always kept them looking for both good foremen and mechanics. They found out that it was a lot easier to get into the shirt making business that out of it. A business in Salisbury bought them out in 1926 and they never got into the business again.
Ranking as one of the larger business units of the Shore, its development was not characterized by any phenomenal growth, but it steadily forged ahead through the years in enlarged facilities, modern improvements, and additional lines.
Originally, its efforts were confined entirely to canning tomatoes, other items being added from time to time to meet an increased demand. The newer items were berries, peaches, sweet potatoes, lima beans, string beans, peas and asparagus. In 1935, they began canning white, or Irish, potatoes. They already packed sweet potatoes in syrup, using a method that was owned and controlled by the Dulany Company.
They contracted with local farmers to buy their harvests. This amounted to over 600 acres. The personal control that the Dulany Company had over the growers insured them the quality that earned them the reputation in the industry as a high quality producer. At the time, they had over 300 employees packing their brand in the peak season, which was from May to November.
They were also pioneers in the process of preserving fresh fruit and vegetables by freezing. This process was inaugurated by the company in 1912. Starting with strawberries, it was extended to lima beans, corn and stringless beans. The frozen process was done at Norfolk, Va., where the company kept two large plants operating with more than 900 workers. The parent company and general offices were still located in Fruitland.
The distribution of Dulany products covered a wide area. Locally, it included the nearby large cities, and large shipments were made to the Middle West and extreme West Coast. Shipments for the West Coast, designated as water transportation, were made by steamship from Baltimore and went through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. From Los Angeles, some of the products were loaded on ships for ports in the South Sea Islands. These Islands, Mr. Dulany said, offered the best market for canned Irish potatoes. The Eastern Shore products supplied the world.
How many of us remember the daily notices that came over the radio in the 1950’s and 1960’s for different shifts for different vegetables to report for work?
The Dulany Company was sold in 1967 to the Green Giant Company. It has since closed down in Fruitland and there is no more Dulany Company.
How to Avoid Flood-Damaged Used Vehicles
Disastrous flooding, such as what the Midwest and Southeast has recently suffered, tends to, well, flood the used car market with damaged vehicles that pass the eyeball test. There are ways to avoid falling victim to unscrupulous resellers try to move water-addled rides, though.
AutoWeek offers a guide of what to keep in mind when you're on the hunt for a cheap used car that actually works.
Before driving off a used car lot, it's always a good idea to check out a vehicle history report. Cars sold at auctions are not required to adhere to National Auto Auction Association policy, which requires sellers to disclose vehicle conditions, including flood damage. It's best to only commit to deals that are subject to a successful professional vehicle inspection.
Visual signs of flood damage include water in the spare tire well in the trunk, a musty odor in the carpeting and mud on the seatbelts.
What precautions do you take when buying used vehicles?
Used-Car Shoppers Should Watch Out for Potential Flood Damage [AutoWeek via MSN]
Wicomico Council to Meet Monday AND Tuesday
The Wicomico County Council is scheduled its (10th?, not really, but almost) LAST BUDGET WORK SESSION on Monday at 9AM in the council chambers. Among items on the agenda is discussion of providing level funding to the office of the County Executive.
On Tuesday at 10 AM, the council will meet in council chambers to vote on the FY 2012 budget.
Trustees – Social Security and Medicare Need Reform
Chuck Blahous and Robert Reischauer, the two independent trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Fund, had a sober warning Friday: act quickly or the nation's two most popular entitlements are in serious danger.
“The earlier we act to deal with these problems, the better off we're gonna be, certainly better off the vulnerable populations are gonna be,” said Blahous, referring to low-income seniors and those already receiving benefits.
The Medicare hospital trust fund will be unable to pay promised benefits in 2024, five years earlier than previously thought.
Come Meet Joe Albero, George Chevallier & G.A. Harrison From Salisbury News TODAY
Bridgeville-area Brothers Arrested for Cocaine Distribution
Police agencies in the state wrapped up a year-long investigation into cocaine distribution in the Coverdale Crossroads community with the arrests Wednesday of two Bridgeville area brothers, police said today.
Miguel Serpa, 27, of Booker T. Washington Street, was charged with resisting arrest, eight counts of delivery of cocaine, four counts of maintaining a dwelling for keeping illegal drugs, three count of drug paraphernalia possession, six counts of conspiracy, possession of a firearm by a person prohibited and possession of cocaine.
His 32-year-old brother Antonio, also of Bridgeville, was charged Wednesday with six counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of drug paraphernalia possession, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for keeping illegal drugs, possession of a dwelling for keeping controlled substances, possession of a deadly weapon during a felony, possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited and two counts of conspiracy.
State and New Castle County police SWAT teams raided three homes Wednesday at Nat Turner Drive, Jones Dogwood Drive and Booker T. Washington Street, said agency spokesman Cpl. Bruce Harris.
“Breastaurants”?
I have to admit; I’m just not hip enough. I never heard of the term until coming across this post. At least we know that travelling employees of the Wicomico Board of Ed will be able to have some variety while on the road. I’m sure that “Hooters” was getting a bit old. – Ed.
Eating establishments known as "breastaurants" — which pretty much means exactly what you think it does — are gaining in popularity, as chains with names like Twin Peaks and Tilted Kilt compete with Hooters (which brings in about $1 billion a year in revenue) to offer "a different level of service and attentiveness" to their customers.
According to experts quoted by Entrepreneur magazine, the chains offer "comfort" to their male customers. And beer too:
“The concept has grown in spite of the recession by focusing equally on upscale comfort food, full bars with extended beer choices, a full menu of sports on TV, and waitresses in tight shirts and short shorts. But the most important aspect of these restaurants is the same element that powers most successful eateries: customer service.
Why is this segment so popular? "It starts with comfort," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, a food-industry consulting firm in Chicago. "These concepts are growing by offering a different level of service and attentiveness.
They provide a service to men who may not have a person at home to take care of them in the same way. That's important to a number of people, and it drives them back.”
The owner of Twin Peaks says his chain is a "highbrow" alternative to Hooters, "where the waitresses are pretty and friendly" and wear uniforms that "are more finished." Finished with plaid halter tops, short-shorts and boots, that is.
Tilted Kilt, meanwhile, considers itself a "PG-13" alternative to its competitors. "When a guy empties his pockets on the dresser and his wife sees a Tilted Kilt receipt, it's going to be fine," founder Ron Lynch (who really should have used Twin Peaks as the name of his chain) told Entrepreneur.
'Breastaurants' Ring Up Big Profits [Entrepreneur]
Heather Glen Community Yard Sale–TODAY
Heather Glen, off Parker Road between Old Ocean City Road and Salisbury Christian School, is hosting their community yard sale TODAY from 7AM until …
Come one. Come all.
For directions, CLICK HERE
300 Rounds Fired in Border Shootout
U.S. law enforcement officials exchanged about 300 rounds of gunfire with suspected drug runners during a pre-dawn shootout across the Rio Grande, but only about six came from the suspects, authorities said Friday.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, whose Rangers were involved in the shootout, said such an overwhelming response was standard given the United States' zero tolerance policy when guns are pointed at its authorities. Department officials previously said the Americans were under "heavy fire," but they've since backed away from that.
The incident began about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, when U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted a Dodge Durango near the lightly populated border town of Abram, Texas, said Steve McGraw, director of the Department of Public Safety Director. He joined officials from Border Patrol and Texas Fish and Wildlife for a news conference Friday in Weslaco, roughly 250 miles south of San Antonio and just north of the river separating Mexico and the U.S.
Ghadafi Forces Kill 22 in Misrata Shoot-Out
Libyan government forces pounded the outskirts of the rebel-held city of Misrata on Friday, killing at least 22 people, a hospital physician said.
The doctor at Hikma Hospital, who would only give his first name, Ayman, saidMoammar Gadhafi's
forces used tanks, artillery and incendiary rockets in the bombardment of Dafniya, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) west of Misrata. He said at least 61 people were wounded in the attacks which began about 10 a.m. local time.
Gadhafi forces had renewed their shelling near Misrata on Wednesday. The city is one of the few footholds rebels have in western Libya and controls the country's largest port.
Obama Sides Against Britain in Falklands Dispute
The Obama administration once again has sided with Argentina -- and by default, against Britain -- in the ongoing dispute over the island chain at the center of a 1982 war.
In a move one British conservative analyst called "hugely insulting to Britain," the Organization of American States earlier this week adopted a declaration calling for negotiations between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the "sovereignty" of the Falkland Islands. While the U.S. delegation did not speak in support of the measure, it ultimately joined a consensus adopting it.
However, Britain does not consider the sovereignty in question. After the British fended off an Argentine invasion of the nearby islands in 1982 -- a war in which hundreds died on both sides -- the government continues to assert control over the Falklands and grant islanders British citizenship.
Britain has resisted international calls for the two nations to negotiate the issue -- which makes the U.S. position all the more peculiar.
It appears that President Obama is attempting to surpass Jimmy Carter’s record for “Most Allies Abandoned by a One Term President”. – Ed.
Wallops Launches Rocket to Test New Technologies
NASA has launched a rocket from Virginia's Eastern Shore to test new technologies.
The agency says the Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket was launched at 7:16 a.m. Friday from its Wallops Island Flight Facility. The launch was delayed a day after an unsuccessful attempt on Thursday due to a failed ignition caused by a short circuit in a ground electrical support system.
The Small Rocket/Spacecraft Technology platform, known as SMART, and the Autonomous Flight Safety System are among the technologies to be tested.
NASA says it plans another launch of a Terrier-Improved Orion later this month to conduct educational experiments. The launch window is June 23 to June 29 between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Shooter’s Family Alleges That FBI Knew Son was Dangerous
The family of Carlos Bledsoe, who is accused of shooting and killing an Army private and injuring another outside a military recruitment center in Arkansas in June 2009, says the FBI has a lot to answer for in the case -- suggesting the federal government was aware that Bledsoe was a jihadist in training even before the shooting.
“We're asking for (Attorney General) Eric Holder ... to give my son a fair trial, and the only way he can get a fair trial is in federal court,” Melvin Bledsoe, the suspect’s father, said in a recent interview. “I think it's not in federal court because the FBI and the federal government knows that the FBI dropped the ball – point blank.”
Dozens Killed During Syrian Protests
Syrian forces shelled a town in the country's restive north and opened fire on scattered protests nationwide, killing at least 32 people on Friday, activists said. Hundreds of Syrians streamed across the border into Turkey, trying to escape the violence.
A Syrian opposition figure told The Associated Press by telephone that thousands of protesters overwhelmed security officers and torched the courthouse and police station in the northern town of Maaret al-Numan, and the army responded with tank shells. The man spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Syria's state-run television appeared to confirm at least part of the report, saying gunmen opened fire on police stations in Maaret al-Numan, causing casualties among security officials.
NY Court Rules That Lap Dances Subject to Sales Tax
This should prove interesting to enforce. I guess NY will start putting tax cops in all the strip clubs. – Ed.
The owners of a strip club in New York state have spent the last half decade arguing that they do not owe $125,000 in sales tax on cover charges and lap dances because the dirty dances fall under the tax exempt category of "dramatic or musical art performance." Alas, the NY State Supreme Court Appellate Division disagrees.
In issuing the ruling, the court wrote that its problem with the club's claim isn't that naked ladies dancing can't be considered an artistic performance, the club just didn't do enough to make its case: "In short, petitioner was denied the requested relief due not to the nature of its business but, rather, because of the inadequacy of its proof."
To make its case, the club brought in an expert on the art of exotic dance. "We brought in the foremost expert in the field," said the club's lawyer. "if they are not going to believe her I don't know who you believe."
However, the court said that the expert had not actually witnessed any dances at this particular club and that she based her opinion on dances seen at other clubs. Additionally, the DVD submitted to the court as evidence contained no footage of lap dances, making it all the more difficult for the judges to rule for the club.
The club plans to appeal the decision.
New York court rules private lap dances not tax exempt [Reuters]
Allen Family Foods Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
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Allen Family Foods announced Thursday it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to sell most of its assets to an affiliate of Mountaire Farms of Delaware.
Allen, based in Seaford, said it planned to complete the sale to Seaford Milling Co. (the Mountaire affiliate) within 45 days. But it noted in a statement that an auction required by bankruptcy court may produce a higher bidder.
The company plans to retain its grow-out farms and related farmland.
Allen’s statement said, “The poultry industry has been under severe stress due to historically high corn prices, caused primarily by an oversupply of broilers. As a result, the company has incurred significant operating losses.”
The company has been in operation for more than 92 years.
The company's website says it was founded in 1919 by Charles C. (Clarence) and Nellie G. Allen and now employs about 2,400 people in Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina.
Dalai Lama Admits to Being a Marxist
Usually what we hear from the Dalai Lama is an insistent yet soothing voice for compassion and peace.
So Tsering Namgyal, a journalist based in Minneapolis, was jolted by the Dalai Lama's talk to 150 Chinese students this month at University of Minnesota. Writing at Religion Dispatches, he says:
Midway through the conversation, His Holiness, much to their surprise, told them "as far as socio-political beliefs are concerned, I consider myself a Marxist ... But not a Leninist," he clarified.
After all, China is constantly pressing to legitimize its takeover of Tibet in world opinion. Meanwhile, the Buddhist spiritual leader is the global symbol of Tibetan opposition what they consider the obliteration of their independence and religious culture.
The Dalai Lama, who withdrew from his political position as head of the Tibetan government in exile earlier this year, is still the face of the cause to most Americans.
Should we be surprised? It is ironic that his country was brutally occupied by Marxists and that he was forced into exile. - Ed.