This Group Didn’t Want to Pay an Automatic Gratuity, Restaurant Responds by Locking Them Inside & Calling Police

Have you ever gone to a restaurant with a group of friends (or a large family) and had an automatic gratuity (i.e. tip) added to your bill because of the size of your party?

We’re sure it has happened to most of you. Many restaurants do this.

So here’s a question: what happens if the server waiting on your table is lousy? Should you still have to pay the automatic gratuity?

While many people feel you shouldn’t be forced to pay a tip if the service is unacceptable, one group in Texas found out the hard way that some restaurants view the policy as non-negotiable.

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Megyn Kelly Apologizes for Black Guest Who Called Tucker Carlson a ‘Bow-Tying White Boy’

In a tense segment on Megyn Kelly’s “America Live,” Fox News Contributor (and Democrat) Jehmu Greene spun a little out of control when she attacked fellow contributor Tucker Carlson as a “bow-tying white boy” when he called her out for a bad defense of Elizabeth Warren. Greene was specifically trying to argue that the revelation of Warren’s previous attempts to pass herself off as Native American would actually hurt the Republicans more than the Democrats, because many non-white voters would identify with Warren, and feel offended by the GOP calling her qualifications into question.

Carlson completely rejected the idea, even going so far as to laugh at it. Greene was not pleased:

“You see Scott Brown really questioning her qualifications because he has to appeal to white, working-class voters who feel marginalized because of affirmative action,” said Greene. “This smells real stank to women who do not like being called on their qualifications.”

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Can You Pick Out the Flag Gaffe on Obama‘s New ’Julia’ Site? We Did

The Obama campaign’s new “Life of Julia” tool has led to no shortage of mocking parodies of the faceless, fictional female guided through life by the president’s programs.

The efficacy of Obama’s policies — and the hardships “Julia” would befall under a Romney administration — are certainly up for debate. One thing that’s not? Whoever created Julia and her world really should have brushed up on their flag etiquette.

From “The Life of Julia,” age 25:

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'Occupy Wall Street' Organizer Slings Insults During Heated Debate on 'Hannity'

HARRISON SCHULTZ, "OCCUPY" PARTICIPANT: We never left. We were just tired. I mean, anarchy isn't easy. This is a lot of work. We had to hibernate for awhile, but today we are resurging. The energy is really good out in the streets.

The problem here is capitalism. That's what needs to change. That's what is failing all of these people. I personally don't care about this election. I know other people are working on it.

But I am looking at far, far more radical alternatives than political alternatives. I would like to actually see a new form of politics entirely.

Video

Here

Obama Warns Supremes: Don't Overturn Healthcare Reform

The Obama administration warned the Supreme Court this week via papers filed with the Court that if Obamacare is struck down, there will be an “extraordinary disruption” in Medicare. Medicare was not discussed during the Supreme Court arguments, since it was not a Constitutional issue. This is a practical argument, not a legal one; it’s the Obama administration applying pressure to the Supremes.

But that’s what the Obama administration does – they focus on the politics of the situation rather than on the legalities. If they can’t win on the law, they figure, they’ll push the Court to act via “empathy,” President Obama’s favorite legal standard. And if they lose, they’ll blame the Court for destroying Medicare.



It’s a win-win for the Obama administration: if the Court strikes down Obamacare, Obama will blame the Court for harming Medicare. If the Court upholds Obamacare to prevent an “extraordinary disruption” in Medicare, Obama gets what he wants.

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Sprinklers Required in New Maryland Homes

A new Maryland law will help extinguish the consequences of quick-moving  fires.

The state joins Prince George's County in requiring the installation of sprinkler systems in new homes. The law has been effect in the county for 20 years.

A demonstration put on by the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy showed the difference a sprinkler system can make.

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OccupyOakland Protesters Cry When Police Runs Over Their Bike

#OccupyOakland Protesters Cry When Police Runs Over Their Bike

Suddenly, property damage isn't so funny to the #Occutards.

Video  Here

WARNING: Offensive language.

Ted Nugent Explodes on Morning Show Interview

Ted Nugent lived up to his "Motor City Madman" reputation during a television interview with "CBS Morning News."

The rocker, hunter and political activist sat down with Jeff Glor in his first on-camera appearance since being interviewed by the Secret Service for comments about President Barack Obama made during recent a National Rifle Association meeting in St. Louis.

The cordial interview from Nugent's Texas ranch took a bizarre turn when Glor hinted that for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to win he'll need support from moderates. Nugent said he was not moderate and ...

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Secret Service Escort Says US Agents 'Showed No Respect'

One of the Colombian escorts at the center of the Secret Service scandal emerged from hiding today, recounting in detail her night in Cartagena with a member of President Obama's protective detail and saying she fears for her safety.

 

Dania Suarez, a 24-year old dark-haired beauty, appeared on a call-in show carried by Colombia's W Radio and Carocol Television Friday morning, telling callers the agent was "heavily intoxicated" and everything in his luggage and his papers was left open in his room and could have been easily stolen. 

Asked if she had been a spy could she have removed the papers, Suarez said, "Absolutely, absolutely."

"Clearly, in those moments, if I had wanted to, obviously, I could have done so," she said.

Suarez says she met the agent at a disco where they danced and she began to rub her hands over his body

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Americans Favor Limited U.S. Role in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most Americans want U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and oppose a significant long-term commitment to support that nation's economy and security, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Friday.

But the poll also indicated that most Americans favor keeping some U.S. forces in Afghanistan to help train that nation's troops, and to continue missions targeting al-Qaeda.

Taken together, the findings suggest "Americans essentially want to be done with Afghanistan," said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson.

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Two Egyptian Presidential Candidates Endorsed Jihad Against US

Two Egyptian presidential candidates have endorsed jihad against the United States and one of them even supports al Qaeda.  MEMRI TV (the Middle East Media Research Institute) has released archival footage of Al-Mun’im Abu Al-Futouh and Hamadein Sabahi from 2004 and 2005 which show them stating their hatred of the United States in absolutely unequivocal terms.

Abd Al-Mun’im Abu Al-Futouh, who is calling himself a “Moderate” Islamist, was a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood. He co-founded the Al-Nahda party, which sees Islam as central to Egypt. Supported by Salafi Islamists, Gama’a Islamiyya, the Islamist group Wasat, and Google executive Wael Ghonim, he said in 2004:

“Like all members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and around the world, I personally hope to have a chance to bear arms to confront the U.S. occupation in Iraq…  This is a matter of religion, not of politics. When a Muslim land is occupied, jihad becomes an individual duty”

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First Grader Suspended for Sexual Harassment

In Aurora, Colorado, a first-grader was suspended for sexual harassment after singing a line from an LMFAO song to a girl in his grade.  “I’m sexy and I know it,” D’Avonte Meadows crooned. He was thrown out of school for harassment because the school’s discipline code reads that his behavior had “negative effects on the learning or work of others.”

Predictably, the boy’s mother was shocked that D’Avonte was punished: “I could understand if he was fondling her, looking up her skirt, trying to look in her shirt … That, to me, is sexual harassment. I’m just, I’m floored.  They’re going to look at him like he’s a pervert. And it’s like, that’s not fair to him,” said Stephanie Meadows.



Of course, Ms. Meadows also acknowledged that D’Avonte had done the same thing last month while “shaking his booty near the girl’s face” and been warned by the assistant principal to stop. 

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Reexamining the Trayvon Martin Shooting

The shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin has seen the media at its sensationalist worst. Press reports have cast Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman, as a trigger-happy vigilante looking to make trouble where there was none. Attached to this storyline has been the charged subtext that Zimmerman acted out of racial prejudice, confronting Martin simply because the latter was black. Not surprisingly, this media-made version of the shooting has roiled racial passions across the country, turning a tragedy into a referendum on American race relations and setting up one of the most polarizing legal cases in recent history. But there is in fact far more to the story, as a recent Reuters’ investigation illuminates.

Reuters‘ report provides a complexity to the story that has been so sorely missing until now. Among other things, it calls into question the notion that white racism was the motivating factor in Martin’s shooting. That narrative was never entirely convincing, and not just because the mixed-race Zimmerman never fit into the media’s neat white-gunman-black-victim allegory. The New York Times‘ designation of Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic” was only the most strained attempt to impose a racial framework on the shooting.

Reuters‘ report muddles the racial element even further. It points out that Zimmerman was not only half-Hispanic but he also had black roots, tracing back to his Afro-Peruvian great grandfather on his mother’s side. So far from harboring anti-black racial resentments, he appears to have sought out the company of black friends and colleagues. In 2004, for instance, Zimmerman, an insurance agent, teamed up with a black friend to start up an insurance office.

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US Jobs - What Jobs? Jobs Report Shows Lackluster US Economy

Today's Index data report caused the market to lean toward its worst week in 2012, as data showing employers added fewer jobs than forecast intensified concern about the pace of economic recovery. It should come as no surprise to anyone who lives in Wicomico as the unemployment rate has increased from the 4th quarter 2011 to present. Please keep in mind that the unemployed who fall out of the system and are still unemployed are dropped from the unemployment data base - thus the true unemployment number is masked. That is why today's data shows compelling evidence that the economy is worsening as people are out of work. Today's numbers show the actual payroll employee numbers are down and even Fox news financial analyst - Rick Santelli - was surprised by the low number of 115,000 new hires as opposed to the street estimate of 160,000.

How does this number relate to Wicomico's latest projected budget estimate? For one - the latest Wicomico budget estimate included robust job growth numbers in that the State income tax revenues are projected to be about 5 million dollars above last years revenue numbers. Today's job report helps to blow a hole in that estimate.

The Dow index is down 168 points as of this writing.

Maryland Business For Responsive Government On Official Announcement Of Special Session

“It’s a pretty sad day in Maryland when the legislature re-convenes just to raise taxes on hard working Maryland families and businesses
to support its spending habit,” MBRG President Kimberly M. Burns said. “I hope folks will be paying attention.”

Have A Wonderful Summer

Please, take care of yourself.

A recent joint study conducted by the Department of Health and the Department of Motor Vehicles indicates that 23% of traffic accidents are alcohol related.

This means that the remaining 77% are caused by fools who drink bottled water, Starbucks, soda, juice, energy drinks, and stuff like that.

Therefore, beware of those who do not drink alcohol. They cause three times as many accidents.

This message is sent to you by someone who worries about your safety.

Ravens To Hold Three Public Training Camp Practices

The Baltimore Ravens have announced plans for three practices that will be open to the public during training camp.

Last year, the team moved training camp from McDaniel College in Westminster to its headquarters in Owings Mills, because of a delay due to the NFL lockout. 

The team later decided to move training camp to Owings Mills, a facility that is not open to the public.

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Trooper Assaulted During Altercation At School

Location: Glasgow High School, 1901 South College Avenue, Newark, DE

Date of Occurrence: Friday May 4, 2012 at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Victim:
40 year old male Delaware State Trooper assigned to Troop 2, Newark, and School Resource Officer at Glasgow High School

Defendants, Charges, and Bail Information:

Jayjuana D. Craig, 17, (Female) Wilmington, DE (No Photo Available)
Resisting Arrest
Conspiracy 2nd
Offensive Touching of a Law Enforcement Officer
Theft < $1,500.00
Escape 3rd
Disorderly Conduct

Arraigned at JP11 and committed to New Castle County Detention Center on $750.00 secured bond.

Michael Robertson, 17, Wilmington, DE (No Photo Available)
Assault 2nd on Law Enforcement Officer
Resisting Arrest
Conspiracy 2nd
Terroristic Threatening
Disorderly Conduct

Arraigned at JP 11 and released to family member on $2,500.00 unsecured bond pending arraignment in Family Court.

Bahir Ramsey, 20, Newark, DE (No Photo Available)
Endangering the Welfare of a Child
Hindering Prosecution

Arraigned at JP11 and released on $1,000.00 unsecured bond pending arraignment in NCC CCP.

Resume:
Newark, DE- The Delaware State Police are investigating an assault on a Trooper that occurred at Glasgow High School.

The incident occurred at 2:30 p.m. on Friday May 4th as the School Resource Officer was making an arrest of Jayjuana Craig for an earlier altercation between her and another student. As the Trooper was placing the handcuffs on Craig, Michael Robertson pushed the Trooper allowing Craig to break free and flee from the school. The Trooper then became involved in a physical altercation with Robertson which resulted in deploying his departmentally issued Taser on the student, who was taken into custody after a brief struggle.

Troopers as well as Officers from New Castle County PD were dispatched to the school to assist in locating Jayjuana Craig. Bahir Ramsey was contacted in the area of Cobble Creek Curve in Newark attempting to shield Craig with his body. When the Officers questioned him about her location, he denied knowing where she was.

Jayjuana Craig, Michael Robertson, and Bahir Ramsey were all transported back to Troop 2 where they were charged with the above offenses and arraigned at JP11. Craig was committed to New Castle County Detention Center on $750.00 secured bail. Robertson was released to a family member on $2,500.00 unsecured bail and Ramsey was released on $1,000.00 unsecured bail.

The Trooper was taken to Christiana Emergency Room where he was treated for an unspecified injury he sustained in the altercation with Robertson. He was later released.

None of the defendants were injured.

Oyster Planting Season

The Oyster Recovery Partnership says it has begun its planting season by placing 31 million oysters on nearly 10 acres in Harris Creek.

The nonprofit environmental group says small oysters grown at the University of Maryland's Horn Point Hatchery were planted this week. The partnership says a recent expansion of the hatchery means it can plant up to 2 billion small oysters a year.

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Con Artists Working In Salisbury

Dear Mr. Albero,

I just wanted to let your readers know that there is a pair of con artists working in Salisbury. It is a white couple with a baby or children in the backseat of a small sedan. They ask for gas money to get home with their sick baby. The couple has been seen at Petsmart and in front of the Regal Cinema. They have scammed at least four other people I know out of money. If you see them, get their tag numbers and report them. Save your money for people who really need it.

Thanks for all you do for the community with your blog.

SPD Press Release

On May 3, 2012 the Salisbury Police Department conducted an undercover operation targeting prostitution violations. The operation is part of ongoing proactive crime reduction initiatives
under the Safe Streets program. The below listed individuals were arrested:

Juwan Elizabeth Walston, 36yoa of Salisbury, MD was charged with Prostitution.

Christine Marie Chase, 33yoa of Salisbury, MD was charged with Prostitution and CDS Possession – Not Marijuana.

Walston and Chase were released to Central Booking.

D.C. Council Member Catania Comes up With $20M for Health Coverage for Illegal Immigrants

D.C. Council member David A. Catania has found an additional $20 million in the budget to continue offering free health insurance to 19,000 undocumented immigrants, reversing a proposal by Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) that could have restricted them from receiving emergency care.

Catania (I-At Large), chairman of the council’s Health Committee, has made full funding of the Alliance Insurance program a chief priority as the council prepares for final budget deliberations.

But the council would be restoring the health insurance program at the same time it is scaling back other government services, including millions in services for the poor, potentially sparking fresh debate about whether city benefits for undocumented immigrants are too generous.

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POWER IS OUT IN SALISBURY

From the college all the way up to north Salisbury, power is out. There are traffic cops everywhere directing traffic because all the lights are out. More to come.

O'Malley Calls Special Session to Complete Budget

BALTIMORE - Gov. Martin O'Malley has decided to send lawmakers back to work.

The Democratic governor announced Friday that he will convene a special legislative session May 14 to complete work on a budget that left the state with $512 million in cuts.

Lawmakers failed to pass an income tax package in the final hours of the annual 90-day session last month, trigging the cuts largely at the expense of education and public services.

"There is too much at stake not to move forward," O'Malley said in a news release issued by his office. "I'm confident that we can come together with the Senate President and House Speaker to complete this most important work for the people of our State."

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Local Elections 2012: Our Last Chance For A Political Solution

There is little doubt, even amongst the most uninterested and apathetic of people, that America has reached the threshold of a dangerous new era in 2012. Economically, the paper thin facade of recovery created by Federal Reserve fiat easing is beginning to fade, and the debt turmoil we currently see in the European Union is beginning to surface right here at home. Socially, Americans are being subversively divided by the false left/right paradigm and the exploitation of artificially induced race tensions by the mainstream media. Politically, Barack Obama’s presidential approval rating has hit all time lows, and the approval rating for Congress has hit a historic bottom. The path our country has been set upon can only lead to disaster; that much is certain.

One has to, at some point, begin to wonder if there is anything that can be done to turn back the tidal wave of impending crisis and encourage some modicum of reason in the midst of so much ignorance. The ideal, after all, is to avoid the flames of the fire, rather than diving straight into them.

In the Liberty Movement, there are as many particular solutions suggested as there are people. Some desire to work within the system and apply Constitutional principles to government once again. Others believe that the time has long passed for a regeneration of our original legal framework, and that the most we can do is ride out the inevitable deterioration of the U.S. with the goal of rebuilding after the smoke clears. Each activist has his or her own unique vision as to how this might play out. Personally, I do not see this as an ‘either/or’ proposition. We should, as freedom loving individuals, pursue both avenues with equal determination and measure.

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WELLS FARGO WILL FAIL

At the start of the financial crisis in 2007, the top four retail banks — Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo — were printing money by turning residential mortgages into securities of various toxic flavors and selling them to investors. In many cases, these securities were deliberately fraudulent, part of a breakdown in the legal protections against such activities put in place during the Great Depression.

Wind the clock forward to 2012 and three of these four behemoths have largely withdrawn from the secondary market for home loans, especially loans purchased from other banks. Weighed down by litigation and other concerns, Bank America, Citi and JPMorgan have been withdrawing from most aspects of the market for real estate finance other than writing new business for their own portfolios and then only profitable business.

But the last of the four banks, Wells Fargo, has thrown caution to the wind and is aggressively writing new business in both residential and commercial real estate loans. The $1.3 trillion asset lender is now the dominant player in the secondary market for mortgage loans and has actually managed to grow its market share and assets when other large banks are shrinking their books.

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Wicomico County Correctional Officer Fired This Week, Could Face Charges

A Correctional Officer of 20 plus years of County service was fired this week. He was in charge of one of the Road Crews. He transported an inmate under his charge to the Inmates's family residence to get something to eat. The Inmate went through the front door and ran out the back door. Now the Officer is under investigation for aiding and abetting an escape.

The Officer broke the trust bestowed on him by Director K, and the citizens of Wicomico County and should pay the consequences for his stupidity. He acted above the law and those whom act above the Law are now sitting behind bars.

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 5-5-12

Harmon Field

A fond memory of my youth was going to Harmon Field with my Dad to watch the fast-pitch softball games. To a young boy, watching Woody Hodges launch one up on Newton Terrace was something to behold. So many memories come back when I start thinking about the original players back in the 1950’s and how I came to know them as real human beings later in life when I grew up. The crazy motion of Johnnie Crockett pitching is surely one of my more vivid memories.

Harmon Field was first located on Carroll St. near where Camden Ave. starts. It was on a piece of land purchased in 1925 by an Ohio philanthropist named William E. Harmon. Mr. Harmon had made his fortune in real estate and gave plots of land all over the United States for the express purpose of building playgrounds. He started this in his native Ohio in 1912 and continued to do so until his death in 1928, at which time his wife continued the practice until her death in 1948.

The original plot of land remained a vacant lot throughout the 20’s and 30’s because of the Depression and other projects which took precedence. The building of the City Park was one of these projects. With the persistence of Don Bowden, all efforts were made after the war to see that a ball field was built. With the financial aid and efforts of many local businessmen, Mr. Bowden saw his dream come true. Local contractors graded and compacted the ground for a baseball diamond and furnished materials to set up fences, temporary bleachers, a make-shift concession stand and other basic needs for a playground.

Thus began the first era of Harmon Field softball. By the 1950’s, they had erected lights for night games, a wide array of playground equipment for the youngsters and a masonry building behind home plate for the umpires and a concession stand.

When the Health Department needed more space as it outgrew the Watson Memorial Building, the Harmon Field site was deemed perfect for the new facility as it was near the hospital. This presented a problem as the deed from the Harmon Foundation specifically stated it was to be used for recreation and nothing else. Of course this was 1965 and the Harmon Foundation was a distant memory. The county attorney finally tracked down the surviving daughter-in-law of one of the Harmon sons in Paris, France. Working through the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, the county attorney agreed to pay her a substantial amount to get her to agree to use the land for anything but playgrounds. The new Harmon Field was to be next to the YMCA on Churchill Ave. near the Elks golf course.

The Golden Age of the new Harmon Field had to be around the mid-1970’s when Jack’s ruled the softball world. That was the last of fast-pitch softball around here and it was something to watch. The tournaments drew from the best of the East Coast and lasted from Friday night until Sunday, when the finals were held. They were definitely something to watch.

PUBLIC NOTICE 8-5-12

THE SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL WILL HOLD AN OPEN SESSION ON SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2012 TO ENTERTAIN A VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSULTING WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, STAFF AND CONSULTANTS FOR ADVICE AND ABOUT PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION AS PERMITTED UNDER THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND SECTION 10-508(a)(7)(8).

THE OPEN SESSION WILL BE HELD STARTING AT 1 P.M. IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS (ROOM 301) OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING (125 N. DIVISION STREET). THE PUBLIC CAN OBSERVE THE MOTION, ANY DISCUSSION AND THE VOTE TO CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION AS NOTED ABOVE.

AP Apologizes For Firing Reporter Over WWII Scoop

NEW YORK (AP) - In World War II's final moments in Europe, Associated Press correspondent Edward Kennedy gave his news agency perhaps the biggest scoop in its history. He reported, a full day ahead of the competition, that the Germans had surrendered unconditionally at a former schoolhouse in Reims, France.

For this, he was publicly rebuked by the AP, and then quietly fired.

The problem: Kennedy had defied military censors to get the story out. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Harry Truman had agreed to suppress news of the capitulation for a day, in order to allow Russian dictator Josef Stalin to stage a second surrender ceremony in Berlin. Kennedy was also accused of breaking a pledge that he and 16 other journalists had made to keep the surrender a secret for a time, as a condition of being allowed to witness it firsthand.
Sixty-seven years later, the AP's top executive is apologizing for the way the company treated Kennedy.

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PUBLIC NOTICE 5-5-12

THE MAY 7, 2012 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELED. THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSION WILL BE HELD ON MAY 21, 2012 AT 1:30 P.M. IN CONFERENCE ROOM 306 OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING.

AS A REMINDER, DURING THE MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE FY13 BUDGET PROPOSED BY THE MAYOR AND THE CONSTANT YIELD TAX RATE PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD.

THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS ARE HELD ON THE 2ND AND 4TH MONDAYS OF EACH MONTH, BEGINNING AT 6:00 P.M. IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS (ROOM 301).

Mayor Jim Ireton Wants To Kill My Dog

Hi Joe,

I really need some help and I'm hoping you can help. Attached is a photo of my ferociously dangerous killer attack dog and I need to find him a good home with a warm loving family before Monday or the mayor is sending someone over to take him and have him killed.

About six months ago my dog Jake got out of the house and went down the road and barked at one of the neighbors. He gave the guy quite a scare the neighbor who claims to own dogs and knows turned his back and ran for his house something a grade school student is taught not to do. Jake continued to bark and chased him into the house. Jake never bit him but did nip at his heavy winter coat. I was down there in a matter of minutes wrestled Jake down to the ground and since he had slipped out of his collar I picked him up by his legs and carried him home. 911 was called but he dog was home and put up so they decided to let the incident go. This was not sufficient for the neighbor so he called animal control the next day and complained. ACO Stewart came out the next day (now 2 days later) investigated the complaint and determined that there was insufficient evidence to consider the dog dangerous and issued us a ticket for Dog at Large. I paid the ticket and hoped that would be the end of it.

Four months later Jake got out again and headed straight down for the same neighbors house and was barking at the neighbors live chickens in the back yard. My wife immediately followed him down there and retrieved him and put him back in the house.Several minutes later after my wife had put the dog away gathered up our two children and put them in the car (any parent can tell you that's never a quick or easy task) the neighbor appeared at my home swinging a shovel around and screaming obscenities that he was going to kill that damned dog. My wife replied I'm sorry I don't have time to deal with this rite now I have places to be and left. Once again Animal control was called and once again ACO Stewart determined that the Jake was not dangerous and that since he was retrieved so quickly that there was not even enough circumstances to issue a ticket. He explained to the neighbor that this was not even considered and incident and that if anybody was in the wrong it was the neighbor for brandishing a weapon and making violent threats.

This infuriated the neighbor so he started calling my landlord and harassing him. My landlord (Ed Owens) is an older man and very scared of being sued so after 7 months of living there with the dog in peace and harmony the landlord determined he was going to enforce the no pets clause in my lease. I told the landlord I would try to find Jake a good home but I was not willing to take him to the humane society because he didn't deserve to be killed. We have been exhausting ourselves ever since then trying to find a good home I even went out to hallelujah acres to see if Sally would take him until our lease was up and we would take him back when we found a new home. she unfortunately was over full and could not keep him.

The neighbor continued to harass my landlord and apparently he even started calling the mayors office. so my Landlord threatened me with eviction. Again I told the landlord that I have been and will continue to look for a good home for Jake but I am not willing to take him to a shelter that's going to kill him. I feel that it's not fair to Jake he hasn't done anything to deserve to be killed and we as his owners have a moral obligation to what's right and what's best for Jake. The landlord started the eviction proceedings.

Yesterday my wife found a note on the door from animal control that said they were there to take the dog. I called and talked to ACO Stewart and asked why. he replied that his supervisor had called him while he was on his way home and told him to go back and get the dog by orders from the Major. Now mind you that there was only one ticket six months ago for dog at large and he has never bit anyone. I explained to ACO Stewart that we are in fear for Jakes life so much that we don't even let him out of the house unless he is on a leash because the neighbor keeps sneaking over and opening our back yard gates hoping that Jake will run out and get into trouble and he might go to the extreme of throwing poisoned food over the fence to kill Jake.

So here I am after eight months of living in this house and I'm being evicted by my landlord, being harassed at every point by the neighbor and the ACO has given me until Monday to get rid of a member of our family or the Mayor is going to have him killed.

Now I'm not the kind of person who try's to toot his own horn but I am an active member of the community who participates in many charitable events such at Chefs for Habitats, Tastes for tomorrow, The Great Clue caper, Zoobilation, Women supporting Women and many more. I am reaching out to you in hopes that you may know someone out there who can give Jake a good home. Thank you for taking the time to read this very long letter and I hope you can help.

Thanks,

Michael Smith
Executive Chef
715-290-0292

Arizona Bans Funding to Planned Parenthood in Abortion Fight

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill banning abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from receiving money through the state, her office said in a statement.

The Republican-backed Whole Woman's Health Funding Priority Act cuts off funding for family planning and health services delivered by Planned Parenthood clinics and other organizations offering abortions.

"By signing this measure into law I stand with the majority of Americans who oppose the use of taxpayer funds for abortion," Brewer said in a statement.

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Special Session

ANNAPOLIS – Maryland State Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp commended today’s announcement by Governor Martin O’Malley that the General Assembly will convene for a special session beginning on May 14, 2012 to finalize Maryland’s budget and protect the State’s Triple AAA bond rating. "I am pleased to advise the rating agencies that, in line with Maryland’s historical tradition of strong fiscal management, lawmakers have come together and will return to Annapolis to complete their work on the fiscal 2013 budget," said Treasurer Kopp.

"The cooperation between the Governor and the legislative leadership reflects their recognition that such action is necessary to ensure that Maryland remains a fiscally prudent and socially responsible State," said Treasurer Kopp. "I am confident that lawmakers will take the necessary actions to craft a fiscal package that moves Maryland forward."

SAFE KIDS LOWER SHORE MARYLAND PRESENTS SAFE KIDS’ DAY 2012

(Salisbury, MD). On Saturday, May 12, 2012, Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland will present Safe Kids’ Day from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm at Mid-Delmarva Family YMCA. Children and their families are encouraged to attend this free event to learn about injury prevent topics in a fun, interactive environment that rewards kids for learning. There will be door prizes and a prize scavenger hunt with a grand prize of a $100 gift card for a bike from Salisbury Schwinn. The first 100 children to complete a bicycle safety course will receive a free bike helmet. Activities include hand washing at Germ City, child ID and fingerprinting, face painting, and more. Children should bring a bathing suit for a water safety lesson. Mascots, such as Vince and Larry the Crash Test Dummies, will also be making appearances.

This year’s Safe Kids’ Day theme is sports safety, focusing on hydration and concussion. Proper hydration and recognition of heat illness signs and symptoms (such as nausea, dizziness and el­evated body temperature) can help reduce the risk of severe sports-related heat illness. Each year in the United States, more than 38 million children and adolescents participate in sports, and more than 3.5 million children ages 14 years and under receive medical treatment for sports injuries. Approximately two-thirds of all sports-related injuries leading to emergency department visits are for chil­dren.

Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland encourages parents and caregivers to actively ensure that their children to have the proper gear for their activities and/or sport. They also recommend supervising the amount of liquid that their children are taking in during their time of play in order to keep them properly hydrated. Parents and caregivers can learn more about these issues at Safe Kids’ Day!

To learn more safety tips and information, visit Safe Kids at http://www.safekids.org/. For more information, contact Tammy Griffin, Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland Coordinator, at 410–219-7480.