Bloomberg Gun-Control Group Facing Internal Backlash Amid Growing Profile

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is losing part of his arsenal of local leaders as more and more long-time members of his gun-control group Mayors Against Illegal Guns say they aren’t happy with the coalition’s trajectory and want out.

While the group apparently is growing in membership overall amid an effort to assume a larger profile in the national gun debate, it's turning some members off. In the past five months, 50 members of the group have quit. Many say they did so because the organization abandoned its mission statement of going after illegal guns, and instead used its political clout to go after lawmakers who supported gun rights.

Most recently, the mayors of Rockford, Ill., and Nashua, N.H., dropped out after saying they felt misled by Bloomberg.
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Federal Judge Rejects Veterans

A federal judge has ruled against a group of veterans seeking health care outside of the VA medical system. District Judge Claudia Wilken says veterans harmed by government experiments failed to prove the VA is incapable of helping them. The lawsuit dates to 2009. It was filed by veterans who were guinea pigs in tests of chemical agents, germs and new drugs. The experiments ended in 1976. The ruling points out many VA outreach programs, including a 2006 letter offering disability benefits to those harmed by the experiments. The government also released the veterans from any secrecy oaths they'd taken in connection with the experiments.

THE VIDEO OF A THWARTED ROBBERY ATTEMPT THAT WILL LIKELY MAKE YOU CHEER

It’s not often that you can read a story about an attempted robbery and cheer at the end. But that’s exactly what you’re likely to do after you see the surveillance footage of such an attempt taken earlier this year inside a Norfolk, Virginia, restaurant that is now going viral.

On Sunday, a video uploaded to YouTube in May was posted on Reddit. It shows a man in a bulky jacket walking into what’s being identified as The Wing Zone in Norfolk, appearing to stick something through his pocket, exchange some words with two workers, and then escort them to a back room: 
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Gaining Public Trust?

After a long silence, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has weighed in on the IRS scandal. The IRS is trying to bounce back from it's tarnished reputation, but it might be easier said than done. Lew recently spoke on the IRS's improper targeting of conservative groups. An article in The Hillreports that Lew said that mistakes were made, but there is no evidence that the White House or political officials were the front men in the scandal. He also acknowledged that the IRS has a long way to go in gaining the public's trust back.

FBI Raid Nets 3 Maryland Pimps, Local Leads

Three men the FBI is calling "pimps" are under arrest in Maryland as part of an anti-sex trafficking sting.

While no juveniles were recovered from D.C., Maryland or Virginia during Operation Cross Country, one agency says juvenile prostitution is a problem in the Washington area.

"It is absolutely happening here," says Staca Shehan, the director of case analysis division for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"One of the cities involved in Operation Cross Country is Washington, D.C. and the Northern Virginia area. That doesn't mean there was a bigger problem here than elsewhere, but it means the problem exists here," she says.
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MASH 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Green Paint Popping Up On Landmarks Across D.C.

WASHINGTON - A woman has been arrested in the green paint vandalism at the National Cathedral, the Associated Press is reporting.

D.C. Assistant Chief Peter Newsham said the woman was arrested in the area of the cathedral Monday after green paint was found splattered there.

He said the woman would likely face charges of destruction of property.
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Does This Interview Regarding Obama’s Past Indicate He Is Pushing For Social Unrest Today?

Earlier this week, while he was in Illinois, Barack Obama may have revealed what he truly would like to see happen within the United States. You see it was while Obama was a student at Occidental College that he had time to spend with a man named John Drew. Both were at that time avowed students of Marxism and went to all the Marxist ideology courses and meetings they could attend. Obama was in fact a member of the Democratic Socialist Alliance. This was revealed when I had the privilege of having the only known interview of Dr. John Drew.

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More Than 100 Teens Rescued In Weekend Sex-Trafficking Raids, FBI Says

More than 100 teenagers involved in sex trafficking and exploitation were rescued over the weekend in coordinated raids encompassing more than 70 cities, the FBI said Monday.

The youngest child was 13 years old, the agency said.

The raids resulted in the arrest of 150 “pimps” involved in the commercial exploitation of both adults and children, said Ronald Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigative division.

It was the FBI’s largest action to date focusing on the recovery of sexually exploited children, and took law enforcement agencies to streets, motels, casinos and social media platforms, Hosko said. He said he hoped it would focus attention on sex trafficking, “this threat that robs us of our children.”
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NY Muslim Steals, Claims That Victimized Just Because He Was Muslim

Muslim Storeowner Steals $5 Mil Lottery Ticket from Infidel, Gets 25 Years in JailThis is a story about an immigrant and small businessman who was victimized just because he was Muslim.
Mike Ashkar said his nephews and brother have unfairly been judged by the public based on flimsy evidence.

“Everybody’s having a field day with Andy’s story,” Mike Ashkar said.

“There’s no proof, but nowadays it doesn’t matter. If you’re an Arab and a Muslim, you’re guilty until proven innocent. They want to slam you right into the ground.

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So God Made The Dog

Sharia Law Blocked

The House approved a bill that keeps judges from considering sharia law in state court decisions.

Instances of American judges using sharia law in rulings make the measure necessary, said Sen. E.S. “Buck” Newton, a Wilson Republican and the legislation’s Senate sponsor. It would protect people’s constitutional rights from being taken away by foreign laws.

“It follows legislation that has been proven in five other states that has not been challenged to date,” said Rep. Chris Whitmire of Brevard, a Republican and the bill’s House sponsor. “This protects women and minorities, it ultimately protects our U.S. and state constitutional rights.”

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Property Tax Question

In my case the property taxes are based on the state and county assesment, not on the purchase price of the property. Even though I bought a distressed house and land for $16,500 some years ago they still based the taxes on the prevaling value of other properties, some as much as 15 miles away. So the QUESTION is how much will Salisbury, Wicomico Co & the State be billing the
owners of the down-town Fire House building. It seems like we (the Public) will be getting screwed again by the city by having to subsidise the tax bill. So what's new?

Sheriff's letter to NAACP

This is the letter from Sheriff Mike Scott of Lee County, FL to the local head of the NAACP. It is a masterpiece of reasoned common sense and articulate diplomacy. 

It would be hard to add (or delete) even one word to this masterpiece of communication that would make it any better. It is stated absolutely perfectly.

http://cdn2.winknews.com.s3.amazonaws.com/media/63f332dbd749b563e96ed13334e7ddcf.pdf

Sheriff’s Team Working To Seize Guns From Thousands In Illinois

An Illinois sheriff’s team is crisscrossing the Chicago suburbs in an effort to seize guns from thousands of people whose right to own a firearm has been revoked, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

According to the paper, more than 3,000 people in Cook County have failed to surrender their revoked Firearm Owners Identification Card, or FOID, which is required to legally buy guns or ammunition.

Sheriff Tom Dart said he thinks many of the 3,000 continue to possess firearms.
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Ford Motor Co. Fuels Profits With Innovation, Not Government Bailouts

About the only good news in Detroit these days is coming from Ford Motor Co., which last week reported significant profits in the second quarter and record sales in North America and Asia.

Amid the Motor City’s money woes and rivals’ sluggish performance, the nation’s second-largest automaker has succeeded in reinventing itself based on market demands while eschewing the “quick fix” of government bailouts.

On Wednesday, less than a week after Detroit became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy, Ford announced that its net income rose 19 percent in the second quarter, to $1.2 billion, and that its operating profit had risen by $726 million, to $2.6 billion.
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John Glenn's True Hero

(CNN) -- For half a century, the world has applauded John Glenn as a heart-stirring American hero. He lifted the nation's spirits when, as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, he was blasted alone into orbit around the Earth; the enduring affection for him is so powerful that even now people find themselves misting up at the sight of his face or the sound of his voice.

But for all these years, Glenn has had a hero of his own, someone who he has seen display endless courage of a different kind:

Annie Glenn.

They have been married for 68 years.

He is 90; she turned 92 on Friday.

This weekend there has been news coverage of the 50th anniversary of Glenn's flight into orbit. We are being reminded that, half a century down the line, he remains America's unforgettable hero.

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USSSA Opening Ceremonies Tonight

Even Liberal Media Isn't Falling For Obama's Tired Economic Message

Forget Obama’s enemies. Even MSNBC turned critic after his latest lame economic speech this week.

Of course, that’s easy. Just don’t ask most liberal journalists about the many Obama scandals – IRS, Associated Press, Rosen, Benghazi, etc. – they will claim that the president is scandal free.

Still, you take what little you can get.

On the network’s “Morning Joe,” host Joe Scarborough was joined by NBC’s Chuck Todd skewering the president during post-speech analysis. 
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How The Establishment Will Attempt To Bring Down The Liberty Movement

How does one destroy an idea? Further, how does one destroy the truth? Corrupt governments have been struggling with this dilemma since men wore loincloths and worshiped fire. Fortunately for those of us in the “lower strata” of social organization, honorable ideas and indelible truths have a life of their own. Even when a culture as a whole remains oblivious and unguarded, the facts tend to rise to the surface one way or another. The reality which elitists at least partly understand, is that the truth cannot be destroyed, but it can be forgotten, at least for a time.

This is a never-ending process. New generations arise, greater awareness builds, old but astonishing concepts of freedom are rediscovered, and the machine must struggle once again to keep the cogs in line. The truth is a metaphysical force. When you do battle with the truth, you do battle with the universe, and the universe's Kung Fu is superior to your Kung Fu.

Oligarchs and tyrants still attack the foundations of natural law and natural liberty by conning the public into believing that these inherent belief systems are “antiquated” or “passe”, but this strategy has a limited effect as long as strong freedom champions exist. Liberty based movements and organizations are often tenacious, intelligent, socially savvy, and much more willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause than the enemy is willing for his cause. The truth, when wielded by formidable warriors, rolls forward like a high velocity electric storm.

Because of this dynamic, criminal governments and their puppeteers have taken a simpler path, moving to cripple and defame the speakers of truth in a manner that they hope will stain and sully the truth itself.

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Obama Pays al-Qaeda $150 Per Month In Syria

NYC Welfare Food Is Shipped In Barrels To The Dominican Republic - Then Sold On The Black Market

Food-stamp fraud in New York has turned into foreign aid — to black-market profiteers in the Dominican Republic.

Last week, The Post revealed how New Yorkers on welfare are buying food with their benefit cards and shipping it in blue barrels to poor relatives in the Caribbean.

But not everyone is giving the taxpayer-funded fare to starving children abroad. The Post last week found two people hawking barrels of American products for a profit on the streets of Santiago.

“It’s a really easy way to make money, and it doesn’t cost me anything,” a seller named Maria-Teresa said Friday.

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Obama Has Approved Tens Of Millions To Pay The Salaries For The Syrian Rebels

WASHINGTON — The United States has been paying thousands of Syrian police officers who deserted the regime of President Bashar Assad.

Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama has approved tens of millions of dollars to pay the salaries of police officers who joined the rebels. They said the officers were working to maintain order in rebel-controlled territory, mostly in northern Syria.“There are literally thousands of defected police inside of Syria,”  Assistant Secretary of State Rick Barton said. “They are credible in their communities because they’ve defected.”

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Middle East Headlines: Global Demand For Saudi Oil Dropping / Egypt Revolution & Aftermath

In open letters to high-ranking Saudi officials published on Sunday, Prince Alwaleed, a nephew of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, expressed alarm over the fact that "92 percent of the government budget relies on oil" revenues.

"The world's reliance on OPEC oil, especially the production of Saudi Arabia, is in a clear and continuous drop," he wrote in a letter, which addressed to Ali al-Naimi, the Saudi Arabian minister of petroleum and mineral resources.

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80% Of US Adults Are Near Poverty, Rely On Welfare, Or Are Unemployed

Despite consumer confidence at a six-year high, the latest AP survey of the real America shows a stunning four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, are near poverty, or rely on welfare for at least parts of their lives amid signs of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream. Hardship is particularly on the rise among whites, based on several measures. Pessimism among whites about their families' economic futures has climbed to the highest point since at least 1987.

"Poverty is no longer an issue of 'them', it's an issue of 'us'," as 'the invisible poor' - lower income whites - are generally dispersed in suburbs (Appalachia, the industrial Midwest, and across America's heartland, from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma up through the Great Plains) where more than 60% of the poor are white.

More than 19 million whites fall below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four - accounting for more than 41% of the nation's destitute - nearly double the number of poor blacks and as one survey respondent noted "I think it's going to get worse."

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North Carolina Ends Tenure, Pay Increases For Higher Degrees

North Carolina took the first step to change their education system and make it better for the children. Governor Pat McCrory (R) signed a bill that eliminates teacher tenure and eliminates automatic pay increases for any teacher who earns a master’s degree.

Many states do allow an automatic increases when a teacher receives a higher degree, but it does not always mean better teaching. Teachers in elementary and high schools will not receive tenure and salaries will be frozen for the fifth time in six years.

North Carolina is the first state to pass this type of bill. The Wall Street Journal said other states have talked about using student performances as a way to evaluate teachers. McCrory said 56% of the budget will go to K-12, which is 1% above the previous budget.

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Mob Of Teens Brutally Attack Man In Heart Of Little Italy

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A man is brutally attacked by a group of teens in Little Italy. Police say four of the attackers are in custody. Three of them are juveniles.

Monique Griego has more.

The victim was walking home from work when he was attacked near Bank and Exeter Streets. Police say the brutality of the crime is why three juveniles arrested are being charged as adults.

A brutal attack in the heart of Little Italy. Police say a man walking home from work at an area restaurant is attacked and severely beaten near Bank and Exeter Streets by a mob of at least ten teens.

Four of the alleged attackers, three of them minors, have been arrested and charged.

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Delaware State Police Issues Gold Alert

Gold Alert Subject:

Andrew S. Thompson, 18, Lewes, DE (no photo available)
White male, 6'00" tall, 125 lbs., blond hair, blue eyes

Location Last Seen:

20000 block of Pine Road, Lewes, DE

Date and Time Last Seen:

Sunday July 28, 2013, at 8:50 p.m.

Resume:
Lewes- The Delaware State Police has issued a Gold Alert for a missing Lewes man.

The Delaware State Police is currently searching for Andrew S. Thompson, 18. He left his residence in the 20000 block of Pine Road around 8:50 p.m. Sunday evening and has not been heard or seen from since. He is described as a white male, 6'00" tall, 125 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes.

Andrew Thompson’s medical condition is such that there is a genuine concern for his safety.

If anyone has any information about Andrew Thompson’s whereabouts, they are asked to contact Troop 7 at 302-644-5020, or by utilizing the Delaware State Police Mobile Crime Tip Application available to download at: http://www.delaware.gov/apps/. Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

Police: Ga. Waffle House Patron Opens Fire On Would-Be Robber, Wounding Him

UNION CITY, Ga. – Authorities say a customer at a Waffle House outside Atlanta shot and wounded a suspect who was trying to rob the restaurant.

Police say the shooting happened early Monday, when a gunman tried to hold up a Waffle House in south Fulton County.

Union City police Det. Gloria Hodgson says the suspect entered the Waffle House just before 2 a.m., armed with a pistol and demanding money.

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Questions Raised About $240,000 State Loan To Greene Turtle

Board members question use of money for Towson expansion
An O'Malley administration plan to lend $240,000 to a Towson sports bar to finance its expansion is raising questions about the role of government in promoting economic development.

This week, the Board of Public Works opted to delay deciding whether to approve the loan to the Greene Turtle in Towson, whose franchise owners want to double its size to meet an anticipated increase in competition from nearby projects.

State and local development officials called the loan necessary to keep downtown Towson vibrant, especially at a time when private financing is difficult to secure. They said the loan is similar to support the state has provided to small businesses in other commercial centers.

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When Insults Had Class

These glorious insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.

· A member of Parliament to Disraeli:
"Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."

"That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

· "He had delusions of adequacy." Walter Kerr

·"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Winston Churchill

· "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow

· "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."

- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

· "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

· "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." Mark Twain

· "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.." Oscar Wilde

· "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend, if you have one."

- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second .... if there is one."

- Winston Churchill, in response.

· "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." Stephen Bishop

· "He is a self-made man and worships his creator." John Bright

· "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." Irvin S. Cobb

· "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." Samuel Johnson

· "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." Paul Keating

· "In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." Charles, Count Talleyrand

· "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." Forrest Tucker

· "Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" Mark Twain

· "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." Mae West

· "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." Oscar Wilde

· "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination."

- Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

· "He has Van Gogh's ear for music." Billy Wilder

· "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." Groucho Marx.

3 Reasons Ag-Gag Laws Are Unconstitutional

Utah, like several other states, has made whistle-blowing a crime. If you want to let the public know which agricultural companies are breaking laws — including those addressing animal cruelty, worker safety, the environment and food safety — then Utah wants you in prison. Statutes criminalizing this kind of whistle-blowing are commonly known as “ag-gag” laws.

It seems rather obvious that ag-gag violates the Constitution (free speech, anyone?), and a group of individuals and organizations has just filed a federal lawsuit arguing exactly that. The Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, investigative journalism site Counterpunch, and five individuals (including activist Amy Meyer and journalist Will Potter), started litigation in Salt Lake City alleging that Utah’s ag-gag law is unconstitutional.

Ag-gag is also an extreme and frightening example of wealthy special interests controlling our government to our detriment. The only ones ag-gag laws help are the owners of factory farming facilities that torture animals, abuse workers and sell tainted meat, dairy and eggs to consumers. The animals, workers, the environment and we the people get nothing but screwed.
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Fired Employee Charged In Family Dollar Double Slaying

DEARBORN, Mich. -- A fired assistant manager at Family Dollar has been charged with killing two workers last week in a crime that the police chief said "shocks the conscience of all civilized people."

Lavere Bryant, 34, of Dearborn, Mich., who records show is a convicted sex offender, was arraigned Wednesday under heavy security in Dearborn District Court on two counts of first-degree murder and a multitude of other charges. Judge Sam Salamey ordered him held without bond.

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WaterCar Panther - Fastest Amphibious Car In The World!

Caption This Photo 7-29-13

Obama-Speech

I am DEFINITELY not an Obama fan but I must say this is very impressive. Give it a look, see and a listen. The attached Obama short speech was delivered spontaneously and without the aid of his ubiquitous teleprompter, apparently while vacationing at Camp David. Delivered outdoors, it was apparently taped by an alert news person with a handy video camera. The sound is rather good considering the outdoor conditions and the apparent spontaneity of the event. Listen carefully to his words. Give credit where credit is due, he actually makes more sense than anything he has said in over four years as President and two years prior to that while on the campaign trail. P.S. He also looks much better without the TV makeup!

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA

AUGUST 1, 2013 SPECIAL MEETING 10:00 a. m.

Government Office Building Room 301

Times shown for aeenda items are estima[ es onlv.

10: 00 a.m. CALL TO ORDER

10: 01 a.m. WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMEN7S

10:04 a. m. ORDINANCE - City Attomey Mark Tilghman 1

Ordinance No. 2259- 2" d reading- amending and supplementing Ordinance No. 2044, passed by the Council on December 17, 2007, approved by the Mayor on December 19, 2007 and effective on December 19, 2007, as amended and supplemented by Ordinance No. 2069, passed by the Council on January 12, 2009, approved b}• the Mayor on January 13, 2009 and effective on January 13, 2009, as further amended and supplemented by Ordinance No. 2139, passed by the Council on February 28, 201 l, approved by the Mayor on March I, 2013, and effective on March 3, 2013, in order to authorize and empower City of Salisbury to use and apply a portion of the proceeds of the$ 3,605,000 City of Salisbury Public
Improvements Bond of 2008 issued on January 22, 2008( the" 2008 bond") originally allocated to a project identified therein as "Waverly Drive Storm Sewer Project" to a project identified herein as" Salisbury Zoo- Animal Health Building Construction' and( iil ro costs of construction as well as engineering of repairs of the Riverwalk alone the Wicomico River East Prong, all as further described herein; providing that this title is a fair statement of the
substance of this ordinance; and otherwise generally relating to the use of proceeds of the 2008 bond.

10: 10 a.m. RESOLUTION- Interim Ciry Administraror M. Thomas( Tom) Srevenson 2

Resolution No. 2310 - amending and supplementing Resolution No. 1620; adopted by the Council on January 14, 2008, approved by the Mayor on January 15, 2008 and effective on January 15, 2008, as amended and supplemented by Resolution No. 17 0, adopted by the Council on January 12, 2009, approved by the Mayor on January 13, 2009 and effective on January 13, 2009, as further amended and supplemented by Resolution No. 2034, adopted by the Council on February 28, 201 I, approved bti the Mati or on March 1, 201 I and effective on March I, 201 I, in order to authorize and empower City of Salisbury to use and apply a portion of the proceeds of the $ 3, 605.000 City of Salisbury Public Improvement Bond of 2008 issued on January 22, 2008 ( the " 2008 bond") ( i) originally allocated to a project identified therein as " Waverly Drive Storm Sewer Project' to a project identified herein as
Salisbury Zoo- Animal Health Building Construction" and ( ii) to costs of construction as well as engineering of repair of the Riverwalk along the Wicomico River East Prone, all as further described herein; authorizing, direction or empowering City officials and employees to take certain actions with respect to the 2008 bond; and otherwise generally relating to the use of proceeds of the 2008 bond.

10: 1 a. m. AWARD OF BIDS—Assistant Director Internal Services - Procurement 3 Catrice Parsons

Award of Contract No. I 17- 10 Rebid Animal Health Building- Salisbury Zoo Park

10: 20 a. m. ADJOURNMEN7'

European Banks Get Stung By Detroit

Hi Joe

Looks as though Detroit is taking down some of Europes banks in the recent Bankruptcy filing. European banks invested over 1 billion dollars in municipal bonds offered by Detroit. As if Europe isn't already in a precarious position - now they are even more exposed than ever before.

All told, European banks bought a total of about $1 billion of the Detroit bonds, according to industry officials familiar with the transactions.

"I think you're going to see more of these Detroit-type situations" involving banks that aggressively pushed into lucrative but ultimately risky deals, said William Mahnic, an associate professor of banking and finance at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324328904578619993814520624.html
More on Detroit's Bankruptcy - European Disruption

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323993804578615743557178704.html