Andy Taylor Destroys Mayberry

What's wrong with this picture?

You Ain't Gonna Believe This One, Folks! Then Again...

The Planning & Zoning Commission hearing on the old mall began with a bang and went out with a banging…

Of rubber stamps, that is.

At the request of the developers and the City, the Findings of Fact for the whole mall redevelopment plan was pulled from the agenda. You know, to accommodate the great promised revision for lower density and mixing residential and commercial space like real urban villages do. But wait! After such a momentous keeping our word start, what happens?

Well, they go right ahead with a public hearing to do something they didn’t need to do: toss out the county parking lot and bring in the land Eckerd’s and the bank sit on. Oh, they’ll still work out a deal with the county for the lot. After all, they got a nice $6 million tax break for that oh, half a million tops, slab of pavement.

But they didn’t need to do anything with either of these pieces of land because they are going to be revising the plan anyway, right, with the developers holding public input meetings, right?

But wait! The developers have scheduled the Great Revision And Public Exchange (GRAPE) meeting just a week away! How generous (not!) GRAPE, better known as the Fabulous All-inclusive Revision Charade Exemplar (FARCE) with a whole week’s notice shall certainly compel hundreds of citizens to drop their scout meetings, church choirs, candidate forums, and non-refundable tickets to Third Day and The David Crowder Band concert at the Civic Center in a heartbeat! (Then the Civic Center won’t have to worry about parking on mall property.)

Excellent comments from the public as to why all of this should be tabled and considered as part of the Sacred Revisions were endured by the obviously shut minds behind the table.

Then, the room was hushed by a Tale of the Bizarre. Chairwoman Corinne LesCallette called for the room to clear for a closed session. Uhhhh, a closed session? Even P&Z Director Jack Lenox had to catch his breath. He asked her what code she was referring to for a closed session. LesCallette drew a blank, so Puppet Cathcart tried to slip her a lifeline with “Legal issues?” LesCallette said, “Uh, the legality of what we’re being asked to do,” or some such. Lenox jumped back with a couple of criteria needed to hold a closed meeting and LesCallette seemed stumped. Finally, Lenox, as gentlemanly as he could, tells her this doesn’t meet criteria for a closed meeting.

Oooookaaay. LesCallette finally “got it” and asked the Commission their wishes, i.e., give us a motion, boys and girl, and let’s go home.

The resounding roar of rubber stamps pounding away was heard clear to the State Line. You cannot make this stuff up.


When Bill Duvall referred to "The Fix Is In," he wasn't kidding. Worse, both the Commission and the developers want to waste busy people's time pretending to listen. That just sucks.

The photos above of Lenox and LesCallette were taken exactly in the moment while the two argued over the rules.

PROGRESS?

The Downtown Plaze, 3 Days Later!

Once again I was depressed to see the Downtown Plaza as a complete disgrace to the City of Salisbury. Usually when I report something, (photos) the Mayor jumps right on it and gets it cleaned up, unless it's the river at the Zoo. In this case, the Plaza looks like crap and it's time someone start pushing the Mayor to get it cleaned up. I stated 3 days on here because I took this photo at the end of the work day and it would be expected this mess will still be there in the morning. Is the Mayor rebelling against my Blog? Is she refusing the clean things up again like she did at the Zoo? There is a crew each and every day down on the Plaza, so this is the only thing that makes any sense. What a shame!

Jim Rapp Forgets To Thank The Blogs!

Jim Rapp wrote a Letter the Editor today thanking everyone but the Blog Sites? Here we are promoting the Night of the Living Zoo, they have a RECORD attendance and is it a question to anyone else why they had such a huge turn out? The Blog Sites have far more circulation than the Daily Times and I think they should show their appreciation for a job well done on our behalf. If not, well we're just not going to help them again. Jim always seems to forget the people who helped make things a success and instead always takes the credit himself. You need to change your ways Jim Rapp. Maybe he got his instructions from Ron Alessi?

Are We Tired Of It Yet?

Slick Barrie Tilghman & Chief Webster, But Not Slick Enough!

Although they'll only run this add once, I've been on the lookout for it for weeks and it popped up in yesterdays Daily Times. No heads up by the Times either, mind you. In my opinion, this ad should be run for several days and the fact that it's not, (unless I'm wrong) clearly shows the City is doing everything it can to keep this under the table as best as possible.

However, this Blog Site is slammed daily with hits and it's growing each and every day. The horses are up for auction Folks and you must act quickly if you have any interest in them. Click on the image and it will enlarge it enough for you to be able to read it clearly.

To Mr. & Mrs. Hearne,

Thank You so very much for all the unconditional love, concern and financial support over so many years that these horses have received from you and gifted to the Salisbury Police Department. Coming from two serious animal lovers, (Jennifer and I) we hope this means something to you as we'll enjoy trying to live up to your standards. If only the Former Chief were still alive, things would be quite different!

A Letter To The Editor By Jim Ireton 10-16-06

October 16, 2006

Dear Editor,

It comes as welcome news that the City of Salisbury is going to work with the developers of the old Salisbury Mall to reduce density and achieve a better mix of residential and commercial space. Why? Because the mall project has been promoted as an “urban village,” and its current plan does not meet that design goal.

When I served on the Salisbury City Council, a Planned Residential District (PRD) was approved in 1998 for St. Albans Commons, the adjacent vacant land adjoining the mall. It is on this plan that the mall petitioners based their recommendations to the Planning & Zoning Commission on September 18 to achieve a true urban village with St. Albans Drive as its walkable main street.

Given the announcement by the city that the current plan before the Planning & Zoning Commission is “unacceptable,” it would be prudent for the commission to put further consideration of the current plan on hold at their hearing on Thursday, October 19, at 2:45 p.m.

With the plan destined for revision, it does not serve the citizens or the developer to approve the current plan. It does not have to be approved to maintain the Tax Incremental Financing deal of $14 million from the city, for as City Council President Mike Dunn said, the deadline can easily be extended by the council.

Mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman was quoted as saying, “Who would spend $3 million plus dollars to demolish a property without approval to develop it?” At this point, it is not the developer’s choice. On July 7, 2006, the city ordered demolition and removal of the structure by January 5, 2007. The city must enforce what it has ordered.

The demolition will only increase the property’s value, and once the revised plan with a true “urban village” is approved, the owners will have a handsome return on their investment. With the owners’ affiliation with Alex Brown Realty, Inc., a Baltimore-based investment firm that advertises it has done projects nationwide costing $1.5 billion, the financial hardship argument carries little weight.

Therefore, demolishing the old mall should not be an issue from either a legal or a financial viewpoint.

The current plan’s commercial space proposal is subject to legal challenge because it does not meet the code’s standard of being constructed primarily for the neighborhood it’s serving. A large commercial complex more than half the size of the Salisbury Mall, facing away from the neighborhood the plan says it serves, clearly is not in compliance with either the letter or the spirit of the zoning code.

The mall petitioners were upfront about their concerns and their grounds for appeal, and the Judge heartily supported this most important point. Let’s learn from the past year that it’s not so important to do things quickly as it is to do them right, and to do them well. If we don’t have time to do it right the first time, when will we have time to do it over? As Judge Newt Jackson said, “Zoning is democracy at its most grassroots level.”

Jim Ireton, Former Salisbury City Council Member
Salisbury

GM Loses Bet With Ford

In a recent test conducted by Ford & GM in Pittsville, GM claimed their vehicles always land on all fours, (four tires) if dropped from above. Obviously this was not the case. The driver has still yet to be found and goes by the name Ronnie. Rumor has it he looks very similar to one local candidate running for County Executive and speaks just like him too.

Back By Popular Demand, You Make The Caption?

Click on image to enlarge.

Parade Magazine Honors Ret. Sgt. Mike Lewis With "This Years Top Cops" Award.

If you haven't seen the charismatic Mike Lewis on the Eastern Shore these past two days there's a very good reason why.

Mike has been in Connecticut receiving an honorary award from Parade Magazine which has a circulation over 30,000,000 per week! The article says he recovered over $25,000.00 and hundreds of pounds of drugs, leading to the arrest of 17 suspects.

Mike and his Bride will be returning home this evening to continue his successful campaign for Sheriff. One more reason why he's been so successful at convincing Wicomico County he's the right man for the job as Sheriff.

This Is What A Candidate Does When He/She Really Wants To Win!

John Cannon read the polls and saw that it takes face to face campaigning to win and he's doing what it takes to please the people that count. My hat is tipped to a man that listens and follows the right direction. Then again, what do I know?

Tia's Closes Forever!

I've been trying to warn "everyone" that when the economy drops, retail goes first! I was told this restaurant closed its doors without "any" warning to its employees. Once again, something you won't read about and or see in The Daily Times.

UPDATE, I stand corrected. Within moments of this post going up I received a call from The Daily Times and they did in fact cover this story. It was in the Business Section on a Sunday some 2 weeks ago.

Dee, Dee, Deeeee!

If you can't make a U-Turn on Rt. 50, DON'T TRY!

The Sanford & Son Junkyard Clearance

As I was taking these photos Randy Taylor popped out of his building and I asked where everything was. In a snitty reply he said it was winter time and it was going to be too cold to have everything sitting outside so they were clearing things out to make way for plants in the spring.

Can someone tell me why I'm always seeing this guy during the daytime hours hanging out on the Plaza when he's supposed to have a job at a Bank?

The Downtown Plaza

No matter how often they close the Plaza down, they're not cleaning it and keeping it up. But they're watering those plants!

I'll Get You My Pretty, And Your Little Dog Too!!!!

When you're in Oz, (I mean Salisbury) watch out for the Witch and her Flying Monkeys!





Click on image to enlarge.

The Signs Keep Popping Up Everywhere!

Whoops, is this a free plug for ABBA Bail Bonds? Not really, it's designed to promote CJ Jannace for County Executive.

Say Goodnight Gracie!

Jim Rapp Removes Alessi Signs

As I was driving down Camden Avenue today I looked over towards Jim Rapp's house and there wasn't a single vehicle in front of his home. That being said, it was very evident there were NO Ron Alessi signs, (there were two of them) while neighbors all around that area had signs up everywhere. Few Alessi signs but nevertheless they still had signs up.

Could Alessi have had enough association with Jim Rapp and ask that his signs be removed? Enquiring minds want to know!

We're Going To SMOKE The Competition

As the Jannace campaign continues to gain momentum, Independent Voters could play a major roll in the final results of this competition.

Fortunately the Republicans now have someone qualified to do the job through Charles Jannace and they no longer have to throw away their vote to Ron Alessi and or Rick Pollitt.

With Charles & BJ as a team, this is a race between Jannace and Pollitt and that's all there is to it any more.

That being said, Rick is a wonderful man, as is Charles Jannace. The question lies, who can actually make a difference for the better? Who can perform and make those changes happen? If you want growth, vote for Pollitt. If you want better Schools, controlled growth and developers actually answering to the County, instead of the other way around, vote for Jannace. Visit their Websites and become educated, THEN GET OUT TO THE POLLS AND VOTE.

Your vote is very important to Wicomico County. Please don't waste your vote on Ron Alessi as there's no way the man can even come close to winning. If you want a Republican in office, vote for Charles Jannace. If you can't decide, well, I like Mickey Mouse AND Donald Duck!

What's It Been, 2 Weeks?

Date: October 12, 2006
Press Release: Candidate Support
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 111 set criteria to endorse candidates vying for positions in Wicomico County Government. During this process, the criteria was not met. However, the information that was received from members of the lodge during this process produced the following results. The lodge felt that this information was important to give to the voters of Wicomico County . While this is not a formal endorsement for any of the candidates, the results below show by percentage, the support for each candidate.
County Executive
Richard Pollitt 45%
Ronald Alessi 32%
Charles Jannace 23%



County Council District 1-Unopposed
Sheree Sample-Hughes 100%
County Council at Large
Melvin Caldwell 41%
John Cannon 41%
William McCain 13%
Brenda Hughey-Jones 5%
County Council District 2-Unopposed
Stevie Prettyman 100%
Clerk of Court
Mark Bowen 57%
James Gillespie 43%
County Council District 3
Gail Bartkovich 88%
Michael Pretl 12%
Sheriff
Mike Lewis 95%
Kirk Daugherty 5%
County Council District 4
Bryan Brushmiller 79%
David MacLeod 21%

County Council District 5
Joe Holloway 70%
Ed Werkheiser 30%
Release By: Mark Wagner, FOP #111 President410-543-1185

Ren Takes The Show Today In New Jersey!!!!!

We're on a major roll this weekend Folks. Ren won his very first Major today with handler Cassandra Williams. Yesterday she and Nemo took the Show in New York and finished him and today she took the Show in New Jersey, this girl is HOT!

Ren has pretty much won every show he has entered but today was a Major and he only needs one more Major and one more point and he too will be finished! Unbelievable! The Eastern Shore is rocking and rolling with winners this week!

Let's see, how many awards has the Zoo received in the past few years? Before Jim Rapp came along the Salisbury Zoo was recognized as one of the top 10 small Zoo's in America. Karma Barrie, Karma.

Harvard Mechanical Is Adding 300 New Jobs

I heard recently Harvard Mechanical will be adding 300 new jobs to the area. Now don't get too excited Folks, these jobs are $6.50 an hour positions, (for the most part) and will bring in an unbelievable amount of additional traffic to the Old Mall area!

We sat there and watched what seemed like hundreds of cars pulling out of their parking lot at lunch time and this was only one side of a two sided entrance cars can get in and out of from this parking lot.

If the Old Mall were smart they'd open a Fast Food Restaurant just across the street and make a killing! More importantly, who the heck does this Mayor think she is trying to fool everyone that traffic won't be a problem after they build out the Old Mall into residential and commercial properties? Oh, for any of the Idiots that live near the Old Mall and supposedly think it's not going to be a problem, they have pills for your mental conditions.

Sell NOW and get the heck out of that neighborhood before it's too late!

Stops At R. R. X-Ings........ NOT!

Not on Naylor Mill Road anyway!

This truck cruised right over the R.R. Tracks at a good 40 mph yesterday. Why put the sign on the back if you're not going to obey it?

The Harris Family Treated The Jannace Campaign To A Wonderful Boat Trip Down The Wicomico River

Good friends and fellowship were achieved this evening thanks to the Harris Family.

The spread was unbelievable and everyone had a fantastic time.

Did I mention that the Harris Family were the ones that donated the $5,000.00 for the Otters at the Salisbury Zoo and Jim Rapp took credit for the whole thing?

Say Goodnight Gracie!

NEMO IS A CHAMPION!!!!!!

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Nemo has just won"Best Of Winners" at the New York Show just moments ago and he is finished, he's a Champion and is immediately retired!

This is BIG NEWS! Salisbury has another Champion Dog handled by Cassandra Williams!!!!

The Night Of The Living Zoo

BOO!














Don't forget to bring your children out tonight to the Salisbury Zoo for their annual Halloween event. This is the final night for the event.

Last night there were groups of teenagers just hanging out just outside the entrance of the Zoo.

I doubt very seriously this is the kind of crowd the Zoo was expecting as this event is more for children, not teenagers. As long as their paying though, who cares, right?

It's a huge fund raiser for the Zoo and with the weather holding out it should bring in some $35,000.00 for the Zoo. We'll have to see if Ron Alessi announces the figures at the next Zoo Commission Meeting?

The Old Mall Owner Meets With City Officials

Hello Chief, Inspector, Chief, Inspector.
Chief, Chief, Inspector, Inspector.
Inspector, Chief, Chief, Inspector.
Inspector, Chief, Inspector, Chief.

Hey, Guys, can we make the decision if we can open a XXX Rated Peep Show Shop here or not? I thought it was a Strip Club?
No, the Bikers want a Pudding Wrestling Club here.
What's this rumor of a Key Club?
Will you have a Fire Pole in the joint?

They're Gone, LET'S PARTY!

Very soon after the authorities left the Old Salisbury Mall, one of the Owners of the Mall decided it was time to clean up and have a little fun.

Tell me, would you bring this home to Momma?

Shame On You Bubba!

The Abbott and Costello couple were at it again!

Although his head was turned and we couldn't exactly hear what he was saying, it seemed obvious Mike Dunn was tearing Bubba a new one for something or other. Why just look at his guilt.

Then again, maybe he was discussing the Write In CJ Jannace for County Executive Sign in the background? All I can say is from the looks of things is, I've been a baaaaaad boy Abbott.