If They Can Have A Safe Room At A Fire Station, Why Not ALL Schools?

I had this thought today I thought I'd share with all of you.

Have you ever been to the new Fire Station 16 at night?

The only way you can access the building is to enter a "SAFE ROOM". The Safe Room doors lock behind you. Once you are in there you have to be buzzed in or out. The room has bullet proof glass.

IF they can provide this for a Fire Department, why haven't they been installed in every School across America?

I've added the above image to go along with a comment I recently put up on this Post. The door knob simply disappears when locked. 

KOPNISKY AWARDED COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S FITNESS COUNCIL CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

December 21, 2012 (Salisbury, MD) Mr. Gerard Michael Kopnisky, is the final 2012 recipient of a Certificate of Excellence from the Wicomico County Executive’s Council on Fitness and Healthy Living. Fitness Council Chair Tom Brown presented Mr. Kopnisky with the certificate at the Fitness Council’s meeting on November 13, 2012.

Mr. Kopnisky was born with according to him, a “serious mix” of heart defects that have resulted in numerous open heart surgeries since he was 7 months old. “I wasn’t even expected to survive. One thing the doctors did say was the less I weigh, the less work my heart will have to do,” Kopnisky said. Gerard Kopnisky, now 41 years old, is a chef and acknowledges that in his profession maintaining a healthy weight is a struggle. At his highest, he weighed 258lbs. His motivation to lose the weight and live a healthy and active life comes from his wife and two sons.

“I’ve been blessed with the gift of life,” Kopnisky said. He changed the types of food that he eats – focusing on whole foods, fruits and vegetables and eliminating all pre-made, processed foods. Every day, regardless of the weather, Kopnisky walks two miles in 22 minutes. Since losing weight he has improved cardiac function and feels more upbeat. He now weighs 198lbs. Kopnisky offered these words of encouragement, “Anyone can lose weight. Focus on quality foods and stay away from boxed, bagged and convenience food items. Exercise and enjoy the life God has given you. If I can do it with all that I’ve been through, you can too. Just put your mind and feet forward.”

The Wicomico County Executive’s Council on Fitness and Healthy Living is committed to its mission to promote and encourage citizens of all ages throughout Wicomico County to adopt a personal goal of physical activity and responsible living habits to ensure a healthy quality of life.

To nominate someone who has made a positive difference by improving their health, email their story totleebrooks@wicomicocounty.org.

Public Health Alert For Maryland Providers

Maryland's Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, is now offering several free key enhancements: counselors available live 24/7; counseling services provided to teens (previously, services were available only to adults); enhanced online support offered through Web Coach®, now including Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT); and a text support program, Text2Quit.

Since 2006, the Maryland Tobacco Quitline has provided free proactive and reactive tobacco cessation counseling, along with NRT to Marylanders. During that time, the Quitline has served over 100,000 residents, and has a 97 percent customer satisfaction rate. Individuals using quitlines have success rates up to seven times greater than those trying to quit alone.

In addition, the Quitline is now offering expanded services to assist pregnant women quit smoking. This new, enhanced counseling program includes more intensive, increased counseling sessions — a series of 10 free proactive calls to registered pregnant women — focusing on the individual needs, obstacles, and barriers of each caller. Calls are strategically placed during the pregnancy and postpartum, with sensitivity to relapse prevention.

More information is available on the Maryland QuitNow Web site and onMDquit.org, which assists healthcare professionals in referring their patients to the Maryland Tobacco Quitline.

Ocean City Police Department Welcomes Five Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy Graduates

New OCPD Officers and Chief DiPino pictured from left to right:
OFC Neshawn Jubilee, OFC Philip Paterson, Chief DiPino,
OFC Michael Kirkland, OFC Benjamin Berry, OFC Kenneth Reed

On December 18, 2012, the Ocean City Police Department proudly graduated five new officers from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy’s 69^th police academy class.

Officers were formally recognized as certified police officers of the Ocean City Police Department, after 24 weeks (950 hours) of intense training. 

The recruit class was comprised of various law enforcement agencies from all over Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  These officers continued the long established tradition ofOCPD officers by graduating from the police academy with top honors. 

Four of the five OCPD officers finished in the top four performace standings of the class as follows:

• OFC Benjamin Berry -Pistol Expert Award and was recognized for having an overall 100% pistol proficiency during training.       
• OFC Neshawn Jubilee – Pistol Expert Award           
• OFC Michael Kirkland – Pistol Expert Award            
• OFC Philip Paterson  - Pistol Expert Award                                  
• OFC Kenneth Reed  - Academy Class Leader               

“It’s an honor to welcome these five officers to our department,” said Ocean City Police Chief Bernadette DiPino.  “They exemplify all that is good in law enforcement and will serve the Ocean City community with pride, integrity and professionalism.”

After their graduation from the police academy, the five new officers will enter into a nine week field training program.  During this time they will hone the skills they have acquired in the police academy under the direct supervision of a veteran OCPD field training officer.  They will be routinely evaluated and critiqued on their performance and judgment and will be exposed to the various shifts and divisions that make up the OCPD.

Delaware City Woman Arrested In Connection With Greenwood Double Homicide

Location:
Residence located in the 28000 block of Liden School Road, Greenwood, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

Victims:
Harvey Cashwell-76 of Greenwood, DE
Carolyn Cashwell-66 of Greenwood, DE

Defendant, Charges, and Bail Information:
Christiana M. Evick, 31, Delaware City, DE (Photo Attached)
Murder 1st (2 counts)
Robbery 1st (2 counts)
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (4 counts)
Burglary 2nd
Conspiracy 1st

Arraigned at JP Court 2 and currently being held without bail at Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution

Resume:
Greenwood, DE- The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit has arrested a Delaware City woman in connection with the April 26th double homicide in Greenwood.

Christiana M. Evick, 31 of Delaware City was arrested this afternoon by State Police Homicide Detectives for her involvement in the murders of Harvey and Carolyn Cashwell.

The investigation into this incident began at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Thursday April 26, 2012, after Troopers were called to a residence located in the 28000 block of Liden School Road in Greenwood. Concerned neighborhood residents called State Police after they had not seen the elderly couple or observed any activity from the house since Sunday, April 22, 2012. Upon arriving at the residence, Troopers attempted to make contact with the couple to check on their welfare, but received no response. Troopers then made entry into the home at which time they located the couple deceased. The couple is identified as Harvey Cashwell-76 and his wife Carolyn Cashwell-66, both of Greenwood.

Through further investigation, detectives learned that Christiana Evick and her boyfriend, Michael P. Emory, had been evicted from a residence they rented from the victims approximately six month prior to their death. On Friday April 27, 2012, Emory and Evick were apprehended at the Greenwood Inn.

Emory was arrested for Theft by False Pretense after it was determined he had allegedly pawned a ring belonging to Carolyn Cashwell. He was subsequently committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on the Theft by False Pretense charge as well as a violation of probation warrant. On Tuesday May 1, 2012, Detectives obtained a warrant charging Michael Emory with two counts of Murder 1st, four counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Burglary 2nd, and Theft under $1,500.00. He was arraigned at JP Court 2 and is currently being held without bail at the Sussex County Correctional Institution.

Evick was arrested for two counts of Theft of a Firearm after it was determined she allegedly stole two guns from a couple she was living with on Flat Iron Road in Harrington in order to bail Emory out of prison for offenses unrelated to this incident. She was incarcerated at WCI and has been on Home Confinement at her residence in Delaware City since being released from prison. On Friday December 21, 2012, Evick was brought to Troop 3 by a relative where detectives obtained a warrant charging Christiana Evick with the above listed crimes. She was arraigned at JP Court 2 and is currently being held without bail at Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.

In Living Color - Wanda's Blind Date

Another Accident On Rt. 13

This accident is in front of the Greene Turtle.

Scottish Accent Trapped In Elevator

The Best Christmas Present

This morning we welcomed home US Army PFC Jon Prouse. There was a crowd of over 100 that showed up over a holiday weekend in support of a local hometown hero that has been in Afghanistan for the past 13 months.  Welcome Home Jon and thank you for your service!
 We would also like to thank all of our viewers that took time away on such  busy holiday weekend to come out and support a very humble Prouse family.

  

Make Wedding Planning Easy At The Delmarva Bridal Showcase

Salisbury, MD – Planning a wedding can be very time consuming and stressful. Ease the stress and save time at the Delmarva Bridal Showcase on Sunday, January 6th at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. From diamonds and dresses to rehearsals and receptions, the Showcase is a one stop shop for all of your wedding needs. The event is sure to be every bride’s best resource for planning a Delmarva wedding.

Throughout the day, elegant fashion shows will feature bridal gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, tuxedos and honeymoon attire. There will also be live bands performing on the stage, as well as chances to win a free honeymoon and other great door prizes. Don’t forget to stop by each of the cake and catering vendors for tasty samples of their best recipes. Whether your wedding is a year away or right around the corner, the Delmarva Bridal Showcase has something for everyone.

Tickets for the Showcase are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Brides can register prior to noon on December 24th to receive free admission. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.delmarvabride.com.

America’s Failing Mental Health System: Families Struggle To Find Quality Care

When Paul Raeburn needed immediate help for his suicidal son, he had few good options. The teen had threatened to sit on nearby railroad tracks until a train came. Even though Raeburn, a leading health and science writer, was in a position to know more about the best available mental health services and treatment options for his son than most, when a crisis hit, he felt he only had one choice: to call the police and risk that his child would wind up incarcerated rather than hospitalized.

“I tried to physically restrain him, but that’s not easy with a teenager,” Raeburn says, “I had no other option and this doesn’t seem like an ideal situation to take care of our sick kids.”

While it’s not clear whether mental illness— alone or in combination with a developmental disorder—played any role in the devastating tragedy in Newtown, CT, the shootings have triggered a much-needed discussion about how we care for psychiatric patients. The debate has thrown a harsh light on the piecemeal nature of America’s mental health system, which is leaving too many children and young adults, like Raeburn’s son, without the resources they need.

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Car Accident On Rt. 13

2 car crash with injuries. Rt 13 south at Foskey Ln. South bound traffic limited to shoulder of road.

Lee Dorman Dead: Iron Butterfly Bassist Dies At 70

 

LOS ANGELES — Lee Dorman, the bassist for psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, has died at age 70.

Orange County sheriff's spokeswoman Gail Krause says Dorman was found dead in a vehicle Friday morning. A coroner's investigation is under way, but foul play is not suspected.

Krause said Dorman may have been on his way to a doctor's appointment when he died.

Iron Butterfly was formed and rose to prominence in the late 1960s. Its second album, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," sold more than 30 million copies, according to the band's website. The title track's distinctive notes have been featured in numerous films and TV shows including "The Simpsons," "That `70s Show" and in the series finale of "Rescue Me."

Douglas Lee Dorman was born in September 1942 and had been living in Laguna Nigel, a coastal city in Southern California, when he died.

A message sent through the band's website was not immediately returned.

A Facebook Comment I Thought Worthy Of A Post

Why does the news keep saying schools are safer today than they used to be?? Years ago you didn't need locked doors and police officers in schools. Years ago you didn't have crazy people running up in the schools killing people. All the media is doing is giving the crazies more reason to prove them wrong. Schools are not safer, malls are not safer, no place is any safer. People are getting sicker.

Housing Segregation: The Great Migration And Beyon

Between 1910 and 1960, the Great Migration saw 6 million African Americans move from the rural South to the industrial North. Through public policy and private action, the black migrants were largely segregated into neighborhoods that were almost exclusively black. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 required the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to take “affirmative” steps to end housing discrimination and promote integration. But 45 years of the federal housing discrimination ban has failed to break up that segregation. Move your mouse over the national map to see the how the segregation formed during the Great Migration and click on the city maps to see to the right of the national map how, despite the law, segregation has remained firmly intact in the nation’s most segregated cities.
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Social Conservative Pharisees

During the recent US presidential election campaign, former House Representative Ron Paul made a controversial statement: That the social conservative message was a "loser".

The comment alienated some that other less principled campaigners courted for votes. They courted in vain as the message in practice ended up a vote loser. But the point of principle is that he said it as a family man married for over 55 years; as a committed Christian; as a medical doctor having delivered over 4000 babies into the world; and as an uncompromising pro-life defender of the unborn.

Yet the statement was absolutely right, for one primary reason:

Looking to the state to clean up society is like giving it a bath in a sewer. Superficially, it looks like cleaning up, but in the end, the filth and stench are far worse.

Hitler was a social conservative. J. Edgar Hoover was a social conservative. The worst enemies of Jesus – the Pharisees – were hard core social conservatives. Yet many Christians have thought that to be a Christian meant to be a social conservative.

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Dog Found in Fruitland

Found on Clyde Ave in Fruitland. Contact 410.543.9413 or 917.346.8349. Thank you.

Piers Morgan Does It Again! The Guy Can't Help But Embarrass Himself

Good ol’ Piers Morgan never disappoints! The British “journalist,” who was run out of the UK for publishing false news stories is at it again; embarrassing not only himself but also his profession, as well as further damaging whatever credibility still existed at mainstream media propaganda outlet CNN.

All year, Piers has been on a crusade against the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Personally, if I was living in a foreign country I’d be a bit more sensitive to their unique culture and history, but not Piers! Amazing, considering he was already chased out of his home country years ago. Lucky us!

The most popular thing I ever posted on my website was a video in which Jesse Ventura made him turn red in the face in front of a live studio audience (that post received 122 comments), so I couldn’t resist posting this one…

If you are pressed for time, skip to minute 6. This is where Piers starts losing it and resorts to name calling. You know someone has no argument when all they can do is shout names.

Enjoy!

No Sting: Feds Won't Go Undercover To Prove Housing Discrimination

The four-bedroom house advertised on Craigslist sounded like just what Claire Rembis and her husband had been looking for. It sat on two verdant acres with plenty of room for their seven home-schooled children to run and play. And the $850 monthly rent was much cheaper than the prices for other homes they'd looked at.

Rembis loaded her family into their Dodge van and drove the 80 miles from Dearborn to Hudson, Mich. After the landlord's brother showed them the property, they called the landlord and told her they "loved it."
Three days later, Rembis got a call from the landlord saying she was dropping by to see how the family lived. It seemed strange, but Rembis really wanted the house, so she agreed. The landlord looked around, noted how tidy Rembis kept her home, and then asked to meet her children.

"I notice you are a woman of color," the landlord said. "Are you concerned about living in that area?" Hudson is about 96 percent white, according to the U.S. Census. Rembis is biracial; her husband is white.

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Census Of Agriculture To Gather Critical Farm Information

DOVER – Delaware’s farmers are being encouraged to complete the 2012 Census of Agriculture, a vitally important tool that helps agriculture advocates, policymakers and others make informed decisions about the future of agriculture.

For the first time, the Census will gather specific data about conservation techniques, including conservation tillage, cover crops and conservation easements, to show the impact of farmers’ positive environmental practices. That information is vital to telling the complete story of agriculture’s contributions, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee said in urging farmers to complete the Census.

“The Census is critical to helping everyone understand the scale and strength of Delaware agriculture, and it is critical that farmers complete it,” said Kee, who recently recorded a public service announcement about the Census. “Farming is Delaware’s No. 1 industry, worth $8 billion, and the Census is the best tool to help us gather information about it. It is an important snapshot of our industry’s growth and successes.”

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Biden Reaches Settlement With Pfizer Over Improper Marketing Practices

Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden today reached a settlement agreement with pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer that resolves allegations the company engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in promoting its drugs Zyvox and Lyrica. Biden joined 33 other State Attorneys General in the $42 million nationwide agreement. Delaware will receive $633,000, which will be paid to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Fund.

“Doctors and patients rely on drug manufacturers for accurate and reliable information about their products when making critical decisions about their use of life-saving medications,” Biden said. “We’re acting today and will continue to be vigilant in acting to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for marketing their drugs only for uses that are safe and approved.”

Pfizer’s antibacterial drug Zyvox has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain types of infections, including those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as “MRSA.” Biden and his fellow Attorneys General allege that Pfizer made misleading and unsubstantiated claims in marketing Zyvox as superior to the long-established antibiotic vancomycin, even though Zyvox has not been demonstrated by substantial evidence to be superior to vancomycin for certain uses as Pfizer marketed. Moreover, the Attorneys General allege that Pfizer continued to make superiority claims after it received a Warning Letter from the FDA claiming that a Pfizer advertisement misbranded Zyvox by making misleading and unsubstantiated implied superiority claims.

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Massive Psy-op? Obama Can Ban Guns By Himself - And He Will

Even without Congress, Obama could act to restrict guns ... Unburdened by re-election worries and empowered by law to act without Congress, U.S. President Barack Obama could take action to improve background checks on gun buyers, ban certain gun imports and bolster oversight of dealers. Prospects for gun control legislation intensified in the wake of the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, as more pro-gun rights lawmakers said on Monday they were open to the possibility while Obama and three cabinet members met at the White House to discuss the subject. – Reuters

Dominant Social Theme: Gun control is necessary now. Too much blood has been spilled.

Free-Market Analysis: We would be all for gun control except for two things: It doesn't work and it seems to be part of what we call directed history. The goal is to reduce the ability of individuals to fight back against world government.

There is almost no doubt more "controls" are on the way. This Reuters article explains how and why. Reuters is a bought-and-paid-for mouthpiece of the power elite, in our view. So when Reuters publishes an article like this, we pay attention.

The thrust of the Reuters article is that President Barack Obama has plenty of power within the executive branch to curtail the purchase and usage of firearms. The article also points out that because Obama has won a second term, he doesn't have to make so many political calculations.

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Bankruptcy Finally Ends Father’s 4-Year Struggle To Repay Dead Son’s Student Loan

Back in June, we told you about the California man who had spent years trying to sort out his late son’s student loans, only to keep running into dead ends and and roadblocks. Now, after four years of struggling to figure out how much is owed and to whom, he’s finally getting some relief.
ProPublica provides an update on the father, who earns around $21,000 a year in his job as a gardener.

When his son died only a few months after graduating college in 2008, the small amount of federal aid he’d received was discharged. But since the dad had cosigned on the remaining private loans, he was on the hook if the private lenders opted to keep the debt alive, which they did.

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Is 98% Price Accuracy Acceptable For Grocery Stores?

Odds are that you’ve been overcharged at some point in your life. Mistakes happen. The big question is: Is there any acceptable level of overcharging?
This is what we’re left wondering after seeing the latest investigation by CBS 5 in San Francisco into an apparent overcharging problem at Safeway stores.

As we told you about in November, undercover reporters were not only being overcharged at Safeway stores, but many of these stores were in violation of a court order requiring them to either give the customer the overcharged item for free or a $5 gift card.

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Sorry Your Dog’s Food Had Metal Bits In It, Our Metal Detector Was On The Fritz

It’s important that the food you give to your loved ones is safe, and that includes what you feed your pets. A dog food company in the United Kingdom has had some explaining to do after a customer found plastic and metal bits in the dry food she fed all four of her dogs before realizing the stuff was contaminated. The company is blaming its metal detectors for the issue.

The woman says she bought a bag of food from her local pet store and didn’t notice anything was amiss at first, reports the BBC.

“They tucked right in because it was the morning feed, it wasn’t until I poured it into a container that I could see the bits reflecting in the light. It’s awful and completely unacceptable,” she said. She went back to the store and a manager said the food would be removed from the shelves.

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The Myth Of Second Amendment Exceptionalism

It’s a familiar drill for millions of travelers: bare feet shuffling on a cold floor, belt off, emptied pockets, personal effects exposed for maximum humiliation. This surely constitutes an unreasonable search and seizure without probable cause, explicitly prohibited by the Fourth Amendment. Yet we cede this constitutional right to the executive authority that controls our borders millions of times every day.

When it comes to protecting freedom, Americans, including those on the Supreme Court, recognize that personal liberties must often be modified for the safety and protection of others. Yet today’s gun rights advocates routinely cite the Second Amendment of the constitution—the right to bear arms—when threatened by commonsense proposals to limit, but not eliminate, modern-day weaponry. Constitutionally protected freedoms are routinely curtailed in the name of public safety, morality, or even convenience. Our right to free speech is routinely regulated through obscenity laws. Slander, libel, pornography; we’re muzzled all the time. So, too, are our rights to assembly and religion compromised. You can’t stage a protest at noon in the middle of Times Square. A parent can’t deny a child lifesaving medical care or education.

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School Security: Why It’s So Hard Io Keep Kids Safe

As children across the country returned to their first day back in the classroom since 20 first-graders and six adults were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., parents probably took a second look at the doors and fences that are supposed to keep their kids safe. If they hadn’t thought much about school security before the Sandy Hook tragedy, they are certainly thinking about it now.

I know I was. My youngest daughter typically files into school with her kindergarten classmates, her big backpack overwhelming her little body. On Monday, I walked her in. I hugged her, whispered “stay safe,” then continued on to the office. After Sandy Hook, I asked the secretary, are we rethinking school security?

At my daughters’ public school in Washington state, there is next to none. The front door remains unlocked throughout the day; visitors are supposed to sign in at the office but no one enforces that. (I know; I’ve skirted the policy myself many times when I’ve been in a hurry to drop off something they have forgotten.) The situation is even worse at my son’s school, where visitors enter without being seen by anyone in the office, which is tucked away from the entrance. His former public school in North Carolina swung to the opposite extreme: all guests were met at the entrance by a security guard, who photographed them and required an ID before printing out a badge that had to be worn while in the school. Meanwhile, in the New York school system, my aunt has to pass by surveillance cameras to reach the classroom where she teaches.

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HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER 12-22-12

Christmas

Let me begin by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Even though the Christmas season has changed dramatically since I was enthralled by the prospect of the arrival of Santa Claus, everyone can still bring back the spirit of Christmas.

When I was in the second grade in 1950, St. Francis held a midnight Mass. Being one of the two smallest boys; I was one of the lead pair of acolytes in the Christmas procession that led to the altar. The adrenaline rush that got me up the aisle quickly wore off and I was just like any other seven-year old at that time of night. When we had finished marching up the aisle and were seated, I think I immediately fell asleep. I continued this ritual throughout my early years at St. Francis.

Christmas did not officially begin until well after Thanksgiving. It was about the second week of December that the stores started decorating and displaying their Christmas wares. The stores downtown all had fabulous merchandise. White and Leonard Drug Store had a toy display set up on the second floor. L. W. Gunby Hardware Store had a special “not-for-sale” Christmas display in their window that showed many antique toys.

The annual Salisbury Christmas parade was always on a Saturday and the route was always right up Main St. where the music of the bands would reverberate off the buildings. This was because the stores were prohibited from opening on Sunday, and the local merchants loved the fact that the parade brought many shoppers downtown to shop until they closed at 9 PM. The parade had bands from the local high schools and many floats from local organizations.. At the end of the parade was good ol’ St. Nick. We had one motorcycle in the Salisbury Police Department fleet at that time, and it was always ridden by Sgt. Paul Barnett. In time, he donned a red suit and became known as Sgt. Santa Claus.

Many organizations spent a lot of time on their floats, and the results were everything a young boy full of the season could ask for. It always seemed to instill in everyone a generous amount of Christmas cheer that carried over throughout the entire season.

Usually, the majority of presents were clothes that were sorely needed. But there was always that special large toy that I had been asking for since October. One year, my father and mother (Santa) got me a tin filling station. Years later, they admitted that putting it together after I went to bed was quite a task for my Pop. Now, he was a mechanical engineer, but I don’t think his work included tin filling stations. He was much better at the gas pumps at real filling stations. It was a great thrill when I raced downstairs on Christmas morning and saw it.

We were never the type of family that scrimped all year and went all out at Christmas. As I came into my years of having a car, I might get a set of tires in September along with a hearty “Merry Christmas”. My father’s brothers and sisters were all in Buffalo, and their package was always eagerly anticipated, because they always gave toys. Mom set up her nativity scene every year with the baby Jesus carefully missing until Christmas day, and we always had a real tree. The only outside lights we had was one string of Christmas lights around the front door. Early on, my parents didn’t put up the tree until my sister and I had gone to bed. That must have been a lot of work in a very short time. But, I’m sure the looks on our little faces as we came down the stairs on Christmas morning made it all worthwhile.

Christmas can still be a time of magic if you just remember why we are celebrating the occasion. No matter what the stores proclaim in their never-ending pursuit of the almighty dollar, we can still wish someone a “Merry Christmas”. If you have the proper spirit, nothing can diminish the joy you will feel at this very special time of the year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

My Friend Jay Savage Informs Me...

Someone has tried to set the Arby's Corp. office on Ward Street on fire. An explosive was set & smoke is in the building. Arby's was having problems up at their North Store by Centre Road.