Incident: Possession of Marijuana and Theft
Date of Incident: 1 November 2008
Location: 500 block of Loblolly Lane, Salisbury, MD
Suspect:
1. Michael J. Espejo, 21, Salisbury, MD
2. Ryan J. McHugh, 20, Salisbury, MD
3. Ryan W. Crim, 20, Salisbury, MD
4. Daniel J. Backman, 20, Salisbury, MD
5. Mark Isenstadt, 20, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 1 November 2008, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the theft of street signs in the Loblolly Lane area in Salisbury, MD. During the course of the investigation, a deputy located a cache of street signs in plain view on the porch of a residence in the 500 block of Loblolly Lane. While investigating the theft of these signs, the deputies entered the residence and located marijuana along with several large marijuana smoking devices. The residents of the house were identified as the five listed above.
At the conclusion of the investigation, McHugh, Crim, Backman, Isenstadt, and Espejo were arrested on 24 November 2008 and transported to the Central Booking Unit where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. McHugh, Crim, Backman, and Espejo were detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner in lieu of $10,000.00 bail. Isenstadt was released on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Theft under $500.00
Theft Scheme
Note: Michael Espejo was charged with Theft under $500 and Theft Scheme only.
Incident: Hit and Run Accident
Date of Incident: *30 November 2008
Location: 12100 block of Laurel Road, Sharptown, MD
Suspect: Catie Elizabeth Cowgill Jordan, 19, Seaford, DE
Narrative: On 30 November 2008 at 1:30 AM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office investigated a Hit and Run accident that occurred in the 12100 block of Laurel Road just outside of the town of Sharptown. During the investigation, the deputy learned that a vehicle left the roadway on Laurel Road, struck the front porch of a house and continued westbound on Laurel Road until the vehicle became disabled just west of the residence struck. The deputy located the vehicle with extensive front end damage, disabled and unattended on the side of the road. During the investigation, the deputy managed to identify and locate the driver, Catie Jordan, and she was charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
Jordan was charged on a Maryland Uniform Traffic Citation and released on her signature.
Charges: *Leaving the Scene of an Accident
Failure to Control Speed to Avoid an Accident
Incident: Assault 1st Degree
Date of Incident: *30 November 2008 Location: 100 block of Newport Circle, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Jordden William Synclair Barkley, 24, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 30 November 2008 at 11:41 AM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 100 block of Newport Circle for a reported altercation where the aggressor was alleged to be armed with a knife. Upon arrival, deputies located both Jordden Barkley and another subject, later identified as the victim. Investigation revealed that both Barkley and the victim, who was five months pregnant, had been involved in a verbal altercation when Barkley chased the victim into another room and pushed the victim into a wall. The victim ran into a bedroom where Barkley chased the victim, grabbed the victim and dragged the victim back into the living room where Barkley slammed the victim on the floor. At this point, the victim stated that Barkley pulled out a knife and held the knife against the victim’s stomach and threatened to cut the baby out of the victim.
Barkley was arrested and taken to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Barkley was detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner of $35,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 1st Degree
Assault 2nd Degree
Reckless Endangerment
Carry a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause injury
Incident: Possession of Marijuana
Date of Incident: 2 December 2008
Location: Sandpiper Ct and Flamingo Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: 1. Samuel Curtis Russ, 19, Salisbury, MD
2. 17 YOA male juvenile, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: *On 2 December 2008 at 8:00PM, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of suspicious subjects standing around a vehicle on a dead end street. Upon the deputy’s arrival, a subject later identified as Samuel Russ, fled from the area into the woods. With the assistance of other deputies, Russ was located and found to be wanted on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation. A search of the area where Russ was hiding revealed a baggie containing marijuana. Additionally, a juvenile male who was with Russ at the location where he fled from, was also discovered to be holding a bag containing marijuana.
Russ was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Russ was released by the Commissioner on Personal Recognizance on the marijuana charge, however was held on $10,000 pre-set bond on the Violation of Probation Warrant
The 17 YOA male juvenile was released to a parent at the Sheriff’s Office.
Charges: Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Incident: Arson, Disturbing School Operations
Date of Incident: 12-03-2008
Location: Choice, Adventist Drive Salisbury MD.
Narrative: On December 3, 2008 at approximately 12:55 p.m., deputies of the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a fire in the portable building at Choices on Adventist Drive, Salisbury MD. The Salisbury City Fire Department responded to extinguish the fire and clear the building of any smoke. All students were evacuated from the building and no injuries were reported from the fire. The Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating the fire at Choices.
Several students at Choices became disorderly and were asked to refrain from disturbing the school process during the fire. Sheriff’s deputies requested additional patrol units and MSP to help control the area and monitor student activity. Seven students refused to comply with the deputy’s request to stop acting disorderly and were subsequently charged. A sheriff’s deputy was assaulted while arresting 1 juvenile. Eventually, 10 students were charged with the following:
1) Writ of attachment for a 15 y.o.a. juvenile male
2) Writ of attachment for a 17 y.o.a. juvenile male
3) Juvenile referral for a 15 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to School
4) Juvenile referral for a 15 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to School
5) Juvenile referral for a 15 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to School
6) Juvenile referral for a 15 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to School
7) Juvenile referral for a 14 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to School
8) Juvenile referral for a 16 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to School
9) Juvenile referral for 16 y.o.a. juvenile male Disturbing School Operations-Released to Parent
10) Juvenile referral for a 15 y.o.a. juvenile male Assault, Resisting Arrest, Disturbing School Operations-released to Parent
Releasing Authority: Lieutenant Babe Wilson Date: December 3, 2008
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Can A Child Get Justice?
This link - http://www.slate.com/id/2205851 - is to a more detailed report on what happened yesterday in this incredible case that should never have seen the light of day. The following is from the AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts girl's awful experience on a school bus is at the heart of a case argued in the Supreme Court Tuesday over limits on lawsuits about sex discrimination in education.
The 5-year-old kindergarten student in Hyannis, Mass., told her parents that in 2000 a third-grade boy repeatedly made her lift her dress, pull down her underwear and spread her legs.
Local police and the school system investigated, but found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges or definitively sort out the story, according to court records. The district refused to assign the boy to another bus or put a monitor on the bus, records show.
Upset with the school district's response, parents Lisa and Robert Fitzgerald sued the district in federal court under both Title IX, which bars sex discrimination at schools that receive federal money, and a provision of a Civil War era, anti-discrimination law that was designed to enforce the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.
The issue for the court is whether Title IX, enacted in 1972, rules out suits under the older provision.
A federal judge ruled that the Fitzgeralds could not sue under the older law because Congress had subsequently passed Title IX. The Fitzgeralds also lost on their Title IX claims. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling.
The justices appeared skeptical of the idea that Congress, in legislation expanding protection from discrimination, would cut back on the ability to sue for violations of constitutional rights. But they also wondered whether the Fitzgeralds ultimately would win their lawsuit.
"But in this case, as we get down to what this case is about, we have a determination by a court that the school district acted reasonably in relation to these complaints," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said.
Justice John Paul Stevens said, "You may still lose the lawsuit even if you win here."
Charles Rothfeld, representing the parents, agreed that the Fitzgeralds might lose, but said their constitutional claims should at least be heard in court.
Among the advantages of pursuing a lawsuit under both provisions is that the older one allows claims to be made against individuals, while Title IX is restricted to institutions. Plaintiffs also can be awarded punitive damages under the older law, but not under Title IX.
A decision is expected by late spring.
The case is Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee, 07-1125.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Massachusetts girl's awful experience on a school bus is at the heart of a case argued in the Supreme Court Tuesday over limits on lawsuits about sex discrimination in education.
The 5-year-old kindergarten student in Hyannis, Mass., told her parents that in 2000 a third-grade boy repeatedly made her lift her dress, pull down her underwear and spread her legs.
Local police and the school system investigated, but found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges or definitively sort out the story, according to court records. The district refused to assign the boy to another bus or put a monitor on the bus, records show.
Upset with the school district's response, parents Lisa and Robert Fitzgerald sued the district in federal court under both Title IX, which bars sex discrimination at schools that receive federal money, and a provision of a Civil War era, anti-discrimination law that was designed to enforce the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.
The issue for the court is whether Title IX, enacted in 1972, rules out suits under the older provision.
A federal judge ruled that the Fitzgeralds could not sue under the older law because Congress had subsequently passed Title IX. The Fitzgeralds also lost on their Title IX claims. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling.
The justices appeared skeptical of the idea that Congress, in legislation expanding protection from discrimination, would cut back on the ability to sue for violations of constitutional rights. But they also wondered whether the Fitzgeralds ultimately would win their lawsuit.
"But in this case, as we get down to what this case is about, we have a determination by a court that the school district acted reasonably in relation to these complaints," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said.
Justice John Paul Stevens said, "You may still lose the lawsuit even if you win here."
Charles Rothfeld, representing the parents, agreed that the Fitzgeralds might lose, but said their constitutional claims should at least be heard in court.
Among the advantages of pursuing a lawsuit under both provisions is that the older one allows claims to be made against individuals, while Title IX is restricted to institutions. Plaintiffs also can be awarded punitive damages under the older law, but not under Title IX.
A decision is expected by late spring.
The case is Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee, 07-1125.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
DEMAND DESTRUCTION HITS WICOMICO COUNTY
Not only does high gas prices effect peoples driving habits. . . but so does higher sales taxes effect peoples spending to.
Wicomico County Sales Tax Collection Totals
FY 2003 (08/02 - 07/03) $55,487,221
FY 2004 (08/03 - 07/04) $60,701,335
FY 2005 (08/04 - 07/05) $68,168,174
FY 2006 (08/05 - 07/06) $76,160,447
FY 2007 (08/06 - 07/07) $76,254,189
FY 2008 (08/07 - 07/08) $75,832,624 *
*Amount reflects 20% increase in sales tax rate from 5% to 6%
Theoretically speaking, you should reduce FY 2008 sales tax collection totals- $75,892,624 - by a factor of .8333 - (5% divided by 6% - sales tax rate increase) - to reflect the true decrease in sales transactions for Wicomico County. Thus the true indicator in sales tax collections for Wicomico County shows a net collection amount for FY 2008 to be $63,193,853.33 or a decline of $12,698,770.67 in sales tax collections for Wicomico County upon factoring-in the 20% increase in sales tax rate.
Bottom line - the citizens in Wicomico County purchased substantially less during fiscal year 2008 in comparison to previous years.
This is referred to in economic terms as Demand Destruction.
Look out Delaware - here they come.
Wicomico County Sales Tax Collection Totals
FY 2003 (08/02 - 07/03) $55,487,221
FY 2004 (08/03 - 07/04) $60,701,335
FY 2005 (08/04 - 07/05) $68,168,174
FY 2006 (08/05 - 07/06) $76,160,447
FY 2007 (08/06 - 07/07) $76,254,189
FY 2008 (08/07 - 07/08) $75,832,624 *
*Amount reflects 20% increase in sales tax rate from 5% to 6%
Theoretically speaking, you should reduce FY 2008 sales tax collection totals- $75,892,624 - by a factor of .8333 - (5% divided by 6% - sales tax rate increase) - to reflect the true decrease in sales transactions for Wicomico County. Thus the true indicator in sales tax collections for Wicomico County shows a net collection amount for FY 2008 to be $63,193,853.33 or a decline of $12,698,770.67 in sales tax collections for Wicomico County upon factoring-in the 20% increase in sales tax rate.
Bottom line - the citizens in Wicomico County purchased substantially less during fiscal year 2008 in comparison to previous years.
This is referred to in economic terms as Demand Destruction.
Look out Delaware - here they come.
Breaking News
The Salisbury Daily Times has LAID OFF 12 Employees so far today. More to come........
PAC-14 - The Prettyman Proposal
After lunch yesterday afternoon the Wicomico County Council finally got around to the reason I bothered to show up - a discussion of PAC-14. The conversation started off with a brief discussion of a proposal for a 4-4-1 board structure (4 members appointed by the county, 4 by Salisbury, and one joint appointment). The conversations then moved to a "compromise" of having 3 members appointed by the county, 3 by the city and 3 by the "community" (or "membership).
One problem with the 3-3-3 structure was when to allow the "membership" to have board seats. Should it be right away? Should it be after they reached a certain number of members? Should it be after the "membership" showed the ability to raise a certain amount of funds to aid in the operation of PAC-14? There didn't seem to be a real consensus as to when that should occur.
At this point Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman (R-2) spoke up. She wanted to offer a different solution for people to think about:
She was clear that she wasn't advocating for any particular solution, but that the council should at least think about it.
Admittedly, this was not the solution that I was looking for. I happened to be more in agreement with a form of the 3-3-3 proposal. However, Prettyman's proposal is not only intriguing - it has merit.
Read More ...
One problem with the 3-3-3 structure was when to allow the "membership" to have board seats. Should it be right away? Should it be after they reached a certain number of members? Should it be after the "membership" showed the ability to raise a certain amount of funds to aid in the operation of PAC-14? There didn't seem to be a real consensus as to when that should occur.
At this point Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman (R-2) spoke up. She wanted to offer a different solution for people to think about:
Set a PEG fee and let that provide the funding for PAC-14. Government could then get totally out of PAC-14.
She was clear that she wasn't advocating for any particular solution, but that the council should at least think about it.
Admittedly, this was not the solution that I was looking for. I happened to be more in agreement with a form of the 3-3-3 proposal. However, Prettyman's proposal is not only intriguing - it has merit.
Read More ...
Salvation Army Morning Update
Click images to enlarge
Thankfully, the blanks are being filled. There are still many more that need a committment. Please, if you have an hour in your day that you can contribute, do so, you won't be sorry. We'll keep everyone updated to the availability of time slots volunteers are needed. THANK YOU, to all that are stepping forward to help this organization in its efforts to raise funds in order to help those in need.
XMAS GIFT FROM BARRIE & BUBBA & MORE COMING
Every Salisbury property owner will soon be receiving the initial sewer and water bill at the higher rates needed to raise funds to pay the costs of the system. Recall the budget game that Barrie played last Spring – no recommendation for the rates – so that she could say that the Council decided on its own to raise them. Bubba Comegys went along with her scam, but Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen demanded that Barrie present the full budget details.
As a result, Barrie was forced to disclose that it is necessary to raise the sewer and water rates by more than 50% (over several years) to meet the expenses. In June, the initial and lesser rate increase (step 1) was adopted when the budget was passed. And more recently Barrie has disclosed that even more money will be needed, and proposed raising it by increasing the impact fee on new construction and development. But there's a big problem: not much growth is underway or being planned, so guess who must pay even higher water and sewer charges than were originally presented.
Thus, we can look forward to even greater sewer and water fees, beginning next year – the higher bill you get this fall is but the first phase of the huge increase that will be coming.
Be sure to say Merry Christmas to Barrie and Bubba, early and often.
As a result, Barrie was forced to disclose that it is necessary to raise the sewer and water rates by more than 50% (over several years) to meet the expenses. In June, the initial and lesser rate increase (step 1) was adopted when the budget was passed. And more recently Barrie has disclosed that even more money will be needed, and proposed raising it by increasing the impact fee on new construction and development. But there's a big problem: not much growth is underway or being planned, so guess who must pay even higher water and sewer charges than were originally presented.
Thus, we can look forward to even greater sewer and water fees, beginning next year – the higher bill you get this fall is but the first phase of the huge increase that will be coming.
Be sure to say Merry Christmas to Barrie and Bubba, early and often.
A Wonderful Story
Last week I did a story about the Christmas Boat Parade and we received what I thought was a fantastic comment and it went as follows.
"Bryan Fykes said...
I just wanted to pop on here and Thank you, Joe, for telling us about this. We hadn't heard about it anywhere else, and my kids went nuts when they saw all of the boats.
and to 10:54- jealous much? I don't own a firetruck, but I love to see them decorated in holiday parades. I don't have a big house, but I love to see lots of lights on a really big house... exactly because I can't do it myself. It gives me a goal when my 2 year old son says he wants to ride on the big boats someday. I will work my fingers to the bone to do that for him if I have to. You see show-offs, I see the American dream. I see the possibilities and it gives me hope. And I need that hope this Christmas, since neither my wife or I have a job. So if I was like you I would say to you "quit flaunting in my face that you CAN pay your bills." learn to see the possibilities, not wallow in self pity.
Bryan Fykes"
That being said, one very dear friend of mine who was in the Boat Parade saw this message and immediately called me. He said, Joe, do you know this Bryan Fykes? I remembered the name but couldn't put two and two together. Once this friend reminded me it was someone who had made a comment I instantly recalled the comment as it touched me as well as many others as well.
Nevertheless, he asked me if there was any way I could contact him. I asked why it was so important and he said, I want to take Bryan and his Son out on my boat and fulfill his dream. My response was, you know this doesn't surprise me about you but that's one hell of an offer and a unbelievable thing to do.
As busy as things have been it slipped my mind today but as a higher power would have it, I received a call tonight that just blew me away! The person calling said they wanted to fill in a spot at Sam's Club and ring the bell and she gave me her first name but I couldn't hear the last name. So I asked, what was your last name again? FYKES. I said, is your Husband the guy that wrote that wonderful comment on the Boat Parade? She said, that's the one. Talk about unbelievable.
I proceeded to tell her why this was so important and she just couldn't believe what I had told her. Arrangements are being made to make sure Bryan and his Son get out for the experience of his lifetime. All because they wanted to donate their time for the Salvation Army.
My friend will read this Post and let me know if he wants his name known but I know him well enough to know, he's not about all that. He told me that if he was in Bryan's shoes, he'd want his Son to experience the same and he certainly has NOT forgotten where he came from. Great things are happening right here on Salisbury News.More importantly, I've got the greatest friends on earth!
"Bryan Fykes said...
I just wanted to pop on here and Thank you, Joe, for telling us about this. We hadn't heard about it anywhere else, and my kids went nuts when they saw all of the boats.
and to 10:54- jealous much? I don't own a firetruck, but I love to see them decorated in holiday parades. I don't have a big house, but I love to see lots of lights on a really big house... exactly because I can't do it myself. It gives me a goal when my 2 year old son says he wants to ride on the big boats someday. I will work my fingers to the bone to do that for him if I have to. You see show-offs, I see the American dream. I see the possibilities and it gives me hope. And I need that hope this Christmas, since neither my wife or I have a job. So if I was like you I would say to you "quit flaunting in my face that you CAN pay your bills." learn to see the possibilities, not wallow in self pity.
Bryan Fykes"
That being said, one very dear friend of mine who was in the Boat Parade saw this message and immediately called me. He said, Joe, do you know this Bryan Fykes? I remembered the name but couldn't put two and two together. Once this friend reminded me it was someone who had made a comment I instantly recalled the comment as it touched me as well as many others as well.
Nevertheless, he asked me if there was any way I could contact him. I asked why it was so important and he said, I want to take Bryan and his Son out on my boat and fulfill his dream. My response was, you know this doesn't surprise me about you but that's one hell of an offer and a unbelievable thing to do.
As busy as things have been it slipped my mind today but as a higher power would have it, I received a call tonight that just blew me away! The person calling said they wanted to fill in a spot at Sam's Club and ring the bell and she gave me her first name but I couldn't hear the last name. So I asked, what was your last name again? FYKES. I said, is your Husband the guy that wrote that wonderful comment on the Boat Parade? She said, that's the one. Talk about unbelievable.
I proceeded to tell her why this was so important and she just couldn't believe what I had told her. Arrangements are being made to make sure Bryan and his Son get out for the experience of his lifetime. All because they wanted to donate their time for the Salvation Army.
My friend will read this Post and let me know if he wants his name known but I know him well enough to know, he's not about all that. He told me that if he was in Bryan's shoes, he'd want his Son to experience the same and he certainly has NOT forgotten where he came from. Great things are happening right here on Salisbury News.More importantly, I've got the greatest friends on earth!
I Just Can't Help Myself
Desperate for hits and attention, Michael learned that he was getting the majority of visitors to his Site because people were Googling "White House Christmas Cards" and his Site would pop up because he did an article about it some time ago.
Since he learned that, he just put up another Post titled, "2008 White House Christmas Card." Sorry Folks, that just cracked me up to no end. That's not how you get Influential Michael! Oh, that's right, he never got it in the first place. Happy Blogging.
I had to come back and add this because I started cracking up realizing that now whenever someone Googles White House Christmas Card, because we have so many more visitors, they'll now come here instead/first. I didn't mean to do that Michael but it is what it is. ROTFLMAO.
Since he learned that, he just put up another Post titled, "2008 White House Christmas Card." Sorry Folks, that just cracked me up to no end. That's not how you get Influential Michael! Oh, that's right, he never got it in the first place. Happy Blogging.
I had to come back and add this because I started cracking up realizing that now whenever someone Googles White House Christmas Card, because we have so many more visitors, they'll now come here instead/first. I didn't mean to do that Michael but it is what it is. ROTFLMAO.
To ALL The So Called Men Out There
Ladies & Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Kitty. Kitty was born and raised here on the Eastern Shore and God Bless Her, she's 88 years old. Kitty has been involved with the Salvation Army since she was 10 YEARS OLD!
Her beloved Husband passed away in 2006 but was very involved with the Salvation Army, it was his favorite charity.
So tell me Guys, are you willing to stand out in the cold for a couple of hours to give others a break? Or shall I call Kitty and ask her to come out and Volunteer?
We Need People to fill those open spots. If you can only do a couple of hours at a time, that's a BIG help! Many of the elderly are filling in most of the schedule and I want some of the younger generation out there sticking it out for a great cause.
We have been fortunate enough to have several companies come on board and even challenge the competition. You join up, we'll post your information and you can believe one thing, there are thousands of people coming here each and every day and you WILL be rewarded for Volunteering. It's the best form of FREE advertising you can get.
If you have the time, please contact the Salvation Army at 410-749-7771 ext. 100 and let them know you read it here on Salisbury News and they'll make sure they update the schedule with your company name on it. If you'd like to e-mail me with the time, date and company information please do so at, alberobutzo@wmconnect.com . I won't get to it until tonight though, I'll be out ringing the bell all day today.
Kitty, God Bless You.
HOW NOT TO "SHARE THE WEALTH"
Today (Dec. 2) the new Capitol Visitors Center opened in Washington DC. The facility required the removal from the site of more than 60,000 truckloads of soil. The total cost is immense, as are the budget overruns, which put Barrie Tilghman to shame. The following commentary is from Marc Fisher's blog, "Raw Fisher".
Even before the huge cost overruns and mind-numbing construction delays, even before we learned that a giant holding pen for tourists was going to cost more than Washington's new baseball stadium, the idea of funneling visitors away from the glorious outdoor view of the Capitol and into a marble-clad tunnel only fed my cynicism about big federal projects.
Four years and a stunning $400 million in extra costs later, the center -- a vast underground network of tunnels, meeting rooms, exhibition halls, eateries and security barriers -- opens today.
As a public works project and an expenditure of the taxpayers' money, the Visitor Center is an obscenity. The watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste called it "among the most wasteful examples of botched construction projects ever promulgated by the federal government." The center is going to cost us more than $620 million.
Even before the huge cost overruns and mind-numbing construction delays, even before we learned that a giant holding pen for tourists was going to cost more than Washington's new baseball stadium, the idea of funneling visitors away from the glorious outdoor view of the Capitol and into a marble-clad tunnel only fed my cynicism about big federal projects.
Four years and a stunning $400 million in extra costs later, the center -- a vast underground network of tunnels, meeting rooms, exhibition halls, eateries and security barriers -- opens today.
As a public works project and an expenditure of the taxpayers' money, the Visitor Center is an obscenity. The watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste called it "among the most wasteful examples of botched construction projects ever promulgated by the federal government." The center is going to cost us more than $620 million.
A Coment Worthy Of A Post
Jedadiah Cross Said...........
"Here is a great example of a real leader. Mike Lewis rings the bell with Joe Albero for all to see. You wont see Chief See and Webster doing this. They are told by the Mayor to stay away and not to speak. Puppets of the Mayor and disliked by many. I applaud Mike Lewis for being a real man and showing a good example by ringing with Joe. This is one time where the two stooges could polish their image and choose not to. If they would drop their guard for a few minutes, they would probably learn to get along. Its a step in the right direction at least. Thank you Joe and Mike for making a difference in our community."
To Chief See & or Chief Webster. I will be at WalMart from 1:00 TO 6:00 pm today if you'd like to join me? I truly welcome the opportunity in the spirit of the Holidays. Joe Albero
ALL Puppies Were Adopted On Saturday!!!!!
"Hey Joe,
ALL the puppies were adopted on Saturday! And so were a couple of adult dogs, kittens and adult cats...incredibly busy day but so great! It is what we work so hard for. Thanks for your help.
Linda"
YOU PEOPLE ROCK!!!!!!!
A Desperate PAC 14 E-Mail
Subject: Urgent Call to Friends of Pac 14
From: "MIchael Goodson"
Date: Tue, December 2, 2008 10:30 am
..As a Friend of PAC 14 we want to thank you for your continued support.
As you know there has been a great deal of conversation in regard to PAC 14 lately. As PAC members you have already stated your desire for PAC 14 to be fully funded and have a Community Media Center from which to serve the community.
In this regard, we have created a survey from which we can qualify and clarify
the sentiments of our supporters and their desires related to PAC 14. Please
take a moment as soon as you receive this to please go to
http://pac14.epetitions.net and fill out this very important survey.
Sincerely,
PAC 14
I strongly suggest EVERYONE get on there and tell them how ALL of you really feel.
From: "MIchael Goodson"
Date: Tue, December 2, 2008 10:30 am
..As a Friend of PAC 14 we want to thank you for your continued support.
As you know there has been a great deal of conversation in regard to PAC 14 lately. As PAC members you have already stated your desire for PAC 14 to be fully funded and have a Community Media Center from which to serve the community.
In this regard, we have created a survey from which we can qualify and clarify
the sentiments of our supporters and their desires related to PAC 14. Please
take a moment as soon as you receive this to please go to
http://pac14.epetitions.net and fill out this very important survey.
Sincerely,
PAC 14
I strongly suggest EVERYONE get on there and tell them how ALL of you really feel.
15th Annual CAT COUNTRY “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” Helps Feed Area Needy
(Salisbury, MD) – With the need to re-stock the rapidly depleting shelves of area food banks and food pantries greater than ever this year, the CAT COUNTRY “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” returns for its 15th year of collecting cans and non-perishable food items to benefit Delmarva’s needy residents.
Since 1994, the CAT COUNTRY “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” has raised almost 400,000 cans of food for families in need in Maryland and Delaware. The tradition continues in 2008 when the “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” begins Wednesday December 3rd at 3:00pm and continues through Friday December 5th at 5:00pm.
“Throughout the broadcast, listeners will be directed to sponsor locations where they can drop off canned goods and other non-perishable food items to help the less fortunate,” said General Manager Joe Beail. Beail added, “with recent newspaper articles and television stories highlighting the increased need for help, this year’s event couldn’t have come at a better time to really make a difference for Delmarva’s needy.”
Among the food pantries and food banks that will benefit from this year’s “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” are:
-- Dagsboro Church of God
-- 7 th Day Adventist Church in Millsboro
-- Christian Storehouse of Millsboro
-- Georgetown Wesleyan Church
-- Cape Henlopen Food Basket in Lewes
-- and Salisbury Outreach Services in Salisbury.
During this year’s event representatives from these organizations will take to the airwaves to discuss the need for help this year and how your donation will help their organization.
Several area businesses will sponsor a drop-off box for this year’s “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” – they include:
-- The Bank of Delmarva, with locations in Delmar, four locations in Salisbury, Rehoboth,
Dagsboro, Seaford, Laurel and Ocean City.
-- The Hen House in Laurel
-- Suburban Propane in Millsboro and Fruitland
-- Hocker’s SuperCenter in Clarksville and G&E Supermarket in Ocean View
-- Grand Rental Station in Rehoboth
-- Tull Ramey Limited and Century 21 Tull Ramey in Seaford
For more details visit www.catcountryradio.com. 97.5 & 105.9 CAT COUNTRY is a Delmarva Broadcasting Company station.
Since 1994, the CAT COUNTRY “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” has raised almost 400,000 cans of food for families in need in Maryland and Delaware. The tradition continues in 2008 when the “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” begins Wednesday December 3rd at 3:00pm and continues through Friday December 5th at 5:00pm.
“Throughout the broadcast, listeners will be directed to sponsor locations where they can drop off canned goods and other non-perishable food items to help the less fortunate,” said General Manager Joe Beail. Beail added, “with recent newspaper articles and television stories highlighting the increased need for help, this year’s event couldn’t have come at a better time to really make a difference for Delmarva’s needy.”
Among the food pantries and food banks that will benefit from this year’s “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” are:
-- Dagsboro Church of God
-- 7 th Day Adventist Church in Millsboro
-- Christian Storehouse of Millsboro
-- Georgetown Wesleyan Church
-- Cape Henlopen Food Basket in Lewes
-- and Salisbury Outreach Services in Salisbury.
During this year’s event representatives from these organizations will take to the airwaves to discuss the need for help this year and how your donation will help their organization.
Several area businesses will sponsor a drop-off box for this year’s “Feed-A-Friend Marathon” – they include:
-- The Bank of Delmarva, with locations in Delmar, four locations in Salisbury, Rehoboth,
Dagsboro, Seaford, Laurel and Ocean City.
-- The Hen House in Laurel
-- Suburban Propane in Millsboro and Fruitland
-- Hocker’s SuperCenter in Clarksville and G&E Supermarket in Ocean View
-- Grand Rental Station in Rehoboth
-- Tull Ramey Limited and Century 21 Tull Ramey in Seaford
For more details visit www.catcountryradio.com. 97.5 & 105.9 CAT COUNTRY is a Delmarva Broadcasting Company station.
MARDELA SPRINGS VOL FIRE CO CHICKEN & SHRIMP DINNER
Mardela Springs Volunteer Fire Co.
Chicken & Shrimp Dinner
Saturday December 6, 2008
Cost $20 per person
All you can eat
Sides, Beverage and Beer included in Ticket
At the Firehouse
Time 6 pm to 8 pm
All proceeds benefit
Mardela Springs Volunteer Fire Co.
For Tickets call
Wallace 410-749-5820
Jim 410-546-9769
Phil 410-546-4951
Or the Firehouse
410-749-5997
John Cannon Dives in Bed With Dems ...
... Ego Far More Important Than Principle or Party
It was my understanding that when this new county council came to office in 2006 that the Republican majority had agreed to rotate the presidency and vice presidency of the county council. This is fairly standard among local governing bodies.
After one year as President of the Wicomico County Council, John Cannon refused to step aside. Rather than make a big deal, his GOP "colleagues" didn't make a fuss. However, this year there was evidently a decision to make a change.
Outgoing council VP Stevie Prettyman (R-2) nominated Councilman Joe Holloway (R-5). What did John Cannon (? - At Large) do? He nominated Councilman Bill McCain (D - At Large). McCain, whose legendary intellectual acumen has led some to believe he is the bastard child of Salisbury Councilwoman Louise Smith, was elected 4 - 3 with Cannon finally showing his true stripes. This vote is particularly telling given that Holloway is probably the most fiscally conservative member of the council while McCain is the most profligate spender in the crowd.
Read More ...
It was my understanding that when this new county council came to office in 2006 that the Republican majority had agreed to rotate the presidency and vice presidency of the county council. This is fairly standard among local governing bodies.
After one year as President of the Wicomico County Council, John Cannon refused to step aside. Rather than make a big deal, his GOP "colleagues" didn't make a fuss. However, this year there was evidently a decision to make a change.
Outgoing council VP Stevie Prettyman (R-2) nominated Councilman Joe Holloway (R-5). What did John Cannon (? - At Large) do? He nominated Councilman Bill McCain (D - At Large). McCain, whose legendary intellectual acumen has led some to believe he is the bastard child of Salisbury Councilwoman Louise Smith, was elected 4 - 3 with Cannon finally showing his true stripes. This vote is particularly telling given that Holloway is probably the most fiscally conservative member of the council while McCain is the most profligate spender in the crowd.
Read More ...
I Warned You About this Months Ago, and You Thought I Was Nuts...
Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, December 1, 2008; Page A01
The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.
The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said.
There are critics of the change, in the military and among civil liberties groups and libertarians who express concern that the new homeland emphasis threatens to strain the military and possibly undermine the Posse Comitatus Act, a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.Read More
Fools Call It A Recession. I Call It A Depression!
Ladies & Gentlemen, this was the parking lot at the Salisbury Mall at 6:30 PM last night. When I went inside to meet some friends it was a ghost town! There is absolutely NO WAY during this time of the year that ANYONE can deny that things are REALLY BAD!
Sure, there's probably lots of cars in the parking lot on weekends but where's the one hour long lines like there used to be this time of year? Money has dried up and the fools who are buying on credit will probably be relieved by yet another Bailout. However, it won't go to YOU. It will go to the Credit Card Companies financing you, like they deserve it!
Pinch those pennies people because the pictures don't lie. Make this a very small Christmas because it's about to get a whole lot worse!
See Dancing With The Stars With Wicomico County
(Salisbury, MD) Join Wicomico Recreation as it travels by bus to Washington DC’s Verizon Center for a special Dancing with the Stars on Thursday, January 29.
The hit television show is hitting the road this winter and bringing an entirely new cast of celebrities and professional dancers with it. The fourth Dancing with the Stars tour features an entirely new ensemble of the most popular and exciting competitors from the hit ABC show, including celebrities Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene and Marlett Matlin.
The Wicomico Recreation Bus Trip will depart from the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Thursday, January 29 at 3:30pm. The price is $114 per person. Price includes transportation, show ticket and driver tip. Registrations are being accepted at the WY&CC Box Office (open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm) and online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org.
For more information please call 410-548-4900 ext. 113 or email kmcinturff@wicomicocounty.org.
The hit television show is hitting the road this winter and bringing an entirely new cast of celebrities and professional dancers with it. The fourth Dancing with the Stars tour features an entirely new ensemble of the most popular and exciting competitors from the hit ABC show, including celebrities Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene and Marlett Matlin.
The Wicomico Recreation Bus Trip will depart from the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Thursday, January 29 at 3:30pm. The price is $114 per person. Price includes transportation, show ticket and driver tip. Registrations are being accepted at the WY&CC Box Office (open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm) and online at www.WicomicoRecandParks.org.
For more information please call 410-548-4900 ext. 113 or email kmcinturff@wicomicocounty.org.
Wicomico County Sheriff's Office Press Releases
Incident: Theft
Date of Incident: 25 November 2008
Location: 6800 block of Cherry Walk Road, Quantico, MD
Suspect: Gregory Lee Newcomb, 29, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 25 November 2008 at 9:50 AM, a deputy from the WCSO responded to a business in the 6800 block of Cherry Walk Road and met with a victim in reference to a theft committed by an employee. According the victim, an employee by the name of Gregory Newcomb, stole power-tools from the business and sold them at a pawn shop in Salisbury. During the investigation, the deputy met with Newcomb and confirmed these events.
Newcomb was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Newcomb was released by the Commissioner on Personal Recognizance.*
Charges: Theft over $500 (2 counts)
Theft under $500
Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 26 November 2008
Location: 1000 block of Delaware Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect:
1. Jeffrey Alan Wiggs, 39, Salisbury, MD
2. Cindy L. Ebert, 46, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 26 November 2008 at 7:39 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 1000 block of Delaware Avenue for a reported altercation between Jeffrey Wiggs and Cindy Ebert. During the investigation it was determined that both Wiggs and Ebert were in a mutual physical altercation and both had injuries consistent with their accounts.
Both Wiggs and Ebert were placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit at the Wicomico County Detention Center where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance both Wiggs and Ebert were detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner; Wiggs in lieu of $10,000.00 bond and Ebert in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 26 November 2008
Location: 6100 block of Steve Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Edmond Francis Cormier Jr., 51, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 26 November 2008 at 6:43 PM, a deputy from the WCSO responded to a residence in the 6100 block of Steve Street for a reported altercation involving the residents. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that Edmond Cormier was in an argument with another resident when Cormier broke off a piece of a wooden banister and brandished it as a weapon. The investigation revealed that Cormier began chasing the victim while swinging the wooden banister and eventually managed to strike the victim in the back.
Cormier was placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Cormier was detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Rogue and Vagabond
Date of Incident: 28 November 2008
Location: 7400 block of Maple Street, Pittsville, MD
Suspect: Donzel Haywood Henry, 44, Berlin, MD
Narrative: On 28 November 2008 at 12:46 AM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of an individual who was seen entering vehicles in the Pittsville area. Upon arrival, the deputies located an individual matching the description provided by the complainant, later identified as Donzel Henry of Berlin, MD. During the investigation, the deputies confirmed that Henry was the same individual seen by the complainant entering the vehicles. The deputies managed to locate the owner of the vehicles entered by Henry who confirmed that someone had in fact entered his vehicles.
Henry was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Henry was detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Anyone with any information about any other incidents of this nature or those that believe they may have been a victim is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891
Charges: *Rogue and vagabond
Possession of Burglar’s Tools
Incident: Burglary
Date of Incident: 28 November 2008
Location: 20400 block of Nanticoke Road, Nanticoke, MD
Suspect: Frank Peter Gavern 3rd , Nanticoke, MD
Narrative: *On 28 November 2008 at 3:16 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 20400 block of Nanticoke Road in Nanticoke, MD. Upon arrival, they met with a complainant who advised that Frank Gavern had just been witnessed kicking open the front door of a residence. Upon the deputies’ arrival, they located Gavern inside the residence and observed him to be visibly intoxicated. During the course of the investigation, the deputies spoke with the homeowner, who was out of town, via telephone and learned that Gavern had been threatening to kill the homeowner and was not supposed to be inside the residence.
Gavern was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Gavern was detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner in lieu of $15,000.00 bond.
Charges:
Burglary 1st Degree
Burglary 2nd Degree
Malicious Destruction of Property
Incident: Disorderly Conduct
Date of Incident: 29 November 2008
Location: 700 block of N. Westover Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Dominic Rashad Russell, 23, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 29 November 2008 at 10:38 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office were investigating an altercation at a residence in the 700 block of N. Westover Drive when Russell exited the residence yelling loudly and belligerently. A deputy on the scene attempted to warn Russell about his demeanor when Russell replied back with a statement which made the deputy believe that Russell was not interested in heeding the warning. Russell continued walking down the street yelling loud and profane comments about law enforcement to the level where residents began looking out of windows to see who was causing the commotion.
Russell was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Russell was released by the Commissioner on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Disorderly Conduct
Failure to Obey a Lawful Order
Date of Incident: 25 November 2008
Location: 6800 block of Cherry Walk Road, Quantico, MD
Suspect: Gregory Lee Newcomb, 29, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 25 November 2008 at 9:50 AM, a deputy from the WCSO responded to a business in the 6800 block of Cherry Walk Road and met with a victim in reference to a theft committed by an employee. According the victim, an employee by the name of Gregory Newcomb, stole power-tools from the business and sold them at a pawn shop in Salisbury. During the investigation, the deputy met with Newcomb and confirmed these events.
Newcomb was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Newcomb was released by the Commissioner on Personal Recognizance.*
Charges: Theft over $500 (2 counts)
Theft under $500
Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 26 November 2008
Location: 1000 block of Delaware Avenue, Salisbury, MD
Suspect:
1. Jeffrey Alan Wiggs, 39, Salisbury, MD
2. Cindy L. Ebert, 46, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 26 November 2008 at 7:39 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 1000 block of Delaware Avenue for a reported altercation between Jeffrey Wiggs and Cindy Ebert. During the investigation it was determined that both Wiggs and Ebert were in a mutual physical altercation and both had injuries consistent with their accounts.
Both Wiggs and Ebert were placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit at the Wicomico County Detention Center where they were processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance both Wiggs and Ebert were detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner; Wiggs in lieu of $10,000.00 bond and Ebert in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Assault
Date of Incident: 26 November 2008
Location: 6100 block of Steve Street, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Edmond Francis Cormier Jr., 51, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 26 November 2008 at 6:43 PM, a deputy from the WCSO responded to a residence in the 6100 block of Steve Street for a reported altercation involving the residents. Upon arrival, the deputy learned that Edmond Cormier was in an argument with another resident when Cormier broke off a piece of a wooden banister and brandished it as a weapon. The investigation revealed that Cormier began chasing the victim while swinging the wooden banister and eventually managed to strike the victim in the back.
Cormier was placed under arrest and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Cormier was detained by the Commissioner in the Detention Center in lieu of $10,000.00 bond.
Charges: Assault 2nd Degree
Incident: Rogue and Vagabond
Date of Incident: 28 November 2008
Location: 7400 block of Maple Street, Pittsville, MD
Suspect: Donzel Haywood Henry, 44, Berlin, MD
Narrative: On 28 November 2008 at 12:46 AM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of an individual who was seen entering vehicles in the Pittsville area. Upon arrival, the deputies located an individual matching the description provided by the complainant, later identified as Donzel Henry of Berlin, MD. During the investigation, the deputies confirmed that Henry was the same individual seen by the complainant entering the vehicles. The deputies managed to locate the owner of the vehicles entered by Henry who confirmed that someone had in fact entered his vehicles.
Henry was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Henry was detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner in lieu of $5,000.00 bond.
Anyone with any information about any other incidents of this nature or those that believe they may have been a victim is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office at 410-548-4891
Charges: *Rogue and vagabond
Possession of Burglar’s Tools
Incident: Burglary
Date of Incident: 28 November 2008
Location: 20400 block of Nanticoke Road, Nanticoke, MD
Suspect: Frank Peter Gavern 3rd , Nanticoke, MD
Narrative: *On 28 November 2008 at 3:16 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in the 20400 block of Nanticoke Road in Nanticoke, MD. Upon arrival, they met with a complainant who advised that Frank Gavern had just been witnessed kicking open the front door of a residence. Upon the deputies’ arrival, they located Gavern inside the residence and observed him to be visibly intoxicated. During the course of the investigation, the deputies spoke with the homeowner, who was out of town, via telephone and learned that Gavern had been threatening to kill the homeowner and was not supposed to be inside the residence.
Gavern was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Gavern was detained in the Detention Center by the Commissioner in lieu of $15,000.00 bond.
Charges:
Burglary 1st Degree
Burglary 2nd Degree
Malicious Destruction of Property
Incident: Disorderly Conduct
Date of Incident: 29 November 2008
Location: 700 block of N. Westover Drive, Salisbury, MD
Suspect: Dominic Rashad Russell, 23, Salisbury, MD
Narrative: On 29 November 2008 at 10:38 PM, deputies from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office were investigating an altercation at a residence in the 700 block of N. Westover Drive when Russell exited the residence yelling loudly and belligerently. A deputy on the scene attempted to warn Russell about his demeanor when Russell replied back with a statement which made the deputy believe that Russell was not interested in heeding the warning. Russell continued walking down the street yelling loud and profane comments about law enforcement to the level where residents began looking out of windows to see who was causing the commotion.
Russell was arrested and transported to the Central Booking Unit where he was processed and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner. After an initial appearance, Russell was released by the Commissioner on Personal Recognizance.
Charges: Disorderly Conduct
Failure to Obey a Lawful Order
MERRY CHRISTMAS -- YOU'RE FIRED -- BY GANNETT
As Gannett's mass layoff spreads, tally passes 600; Second big wave to slam
papers on Wednesday; Thousands more employees are still vulnerable.
Gannett launched what is likely the biggest mass layoff in newspaper industry
history yesterday, slashing 655 jobs by early this morning, in an increasingly
desperate bid to return the troubled 102-year-old publisher to prosperity. The
final tally could run into the thousands.
Source: http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/breaking-gannett-launches-mass-
layoff.html
Request -- please post info on any layoffs at the Daily Times this year.
papers on Wednesday; Thousands more employees are still vulnerable.
Gannett launched what is likely the biggest mass layoff in newspaper industry
history yesterday, slashing 655 jobs by early this morning, in an increasingly
desperate bid to return the troubled 102-year-old publisher to prosperity. The
final tally could run into the thousands.
Source: http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/breaking-gannett-launches-mass-
layoff.html
Request -- please post info on any layoffs at the Daily Times this year.
Educators Holiday Celebration At The Fountains!
Come experience the holidays in the Grand Ballroom at The Fountains!
12/18 - Thursday - 6PM
Educator's Holiday Celebration Dinner
This dinner is open to anyone working in the education field - The Board of Education, teachers, principals, PTA, custodians, cafeteria employees and all other staff - present or retired. This festive evening features served holiday dinner, cash bar and entertainment . Reserve tables for your whole school or just a few. Friends and family welcome too. Tickets are $25 reservations are required.
410-749-5445
Happy Holidays!
12/18 - Thursday - 6PM
Educator's Holiday Celebration Dinner
This dinner is open to anyone working in the education field - The Board of Education, teachers, principals, PTA, custodians, cafeteria employees and all other staff - present or retired. This festive evening features served holiday dinner, cash bar and entertainment . Reserve tables for your whole school or just a few. Friends and family welcome too. Tickets are $25 reservations are required.
410-749-5445
Happy Holidays!
The New State Cake
The other night at our Parade Party, a friend invited me to go to the Library with her the following day to watch a Smith Island Cake Demonstration. I told her I wasn't sure that I wanted to go. The next morning my daughter reminded me about it and I agreed to go. I called my friend and couldn't get a hold of her, and thought she was probably on her way there.
My daughter and I walked to the Library and were pleasantly surprised at the turnout. Thirty five folks turned out for today's demonstration! Unfortunately, my friend was not there, and boy did she miss out.
Shortly after arriving we were introduced to Dana Evans, owner of Classic Cakes in Salisbury.
Dana began to tell us the history of Smith Island Cakes. She said that no one that she knows is sure of the origin and who actually made the first super thin multi-layered cake. But she does know that she has been making them all of her life, as was her mother, her grandmother, and her great grandmother.
Some poking around on the internet verifies what Dana say's that no one really knows the origin. Some believe that it was brought over by the original settlers from Whales, some say it's just always been here.
Dana believes that the reason that there are so many layers is because life moves slower on the Island, therefore the women had more time to bake more layers.
I like Dana's reason.
Dana allowed us all to ask her questions and she happily answered them as she assembeled one of her popular Banana Walnut Cakes.
Many of the spectators questions were recipe oriented and she good naturedly answered them with guarded precision to not allow any secrets to get out.
Dana with the help of the Heritage Foundation petitioned the Maryland State Legislator last year to make the Smith Island Cake, Marylands State Cake .
She said that she submitted 430 slices of the Traditional Flavor (yellow cake with chocolate fudge icing) to the State House on the day that the bill was submitted for a vote. (If only all bill submissions could be accompanied by a slice of cake)
She told the story of a woman name Frances Kitchen who was a Smith Island resident who people often assume created the cake because she wrote two cook books and include her version of the cake in her second book. But, Dana said that her grandmother was older than Mrs Kitchen and she had always made them. Mrs. Kitchen has long since passed away, so the mystery continues.
Six years ago Dana and her family left the Island to open her business in Salisbury two weeks before Easter. Having no idea how popular the cake was and how many people knew about it, she was overwhelmed with business for the holiday and it has only grown from there. She said that she never imagined that she would have the business that she has today.
Classic Cakes makes cakes for several restaurants in the area including Ocean City. They also provide Brides an unusual alternative to a traditional white wedding cake.
Dana works with daughter and thirteen other employees. She has fined tuned the business to an assembly line style of production and says that they can assemble one of these delicious masterpieces in just three minutes . Watching this demonstration makes this almost hard to believe. While she did work steadily the entire time she was speaking her skilled hands were able to execute the final product of divinty with perfection.
Classic Cakes is located at 1305 S. Division Street in Salisbury or you can call them at 410-860-5300.
They have a great web site where you too can watch a demonstration of how they make these wonderful cakes at www.classicsmithislandcakes.com
According to Dana, the bakery stays swamped with orders but are usually able to fill the orders very quickly. If you are interested in having one of her creations for the holidays she recommends placing your order by December 23, as she will be closing on the 24th at noon.
This is a great story of woman who took her homespun skills and changed the world around her for the better, and in the process brought recognition to a beautiful tradition from a traditional community that could have easily been lost in our 'Instant' society.
Congratulations Dana, you are an inspiration!Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Bell Ringing Schedule UPDATE
Click on images to enlarge
The schedule has been updated by the Salvation Army as of 5:00pm this evening. THANK YOU, to all that have volunteered to give of yourselves. We still have a lot of slots to fill, so PLEASE, if you can, take a couple of hours and help those that help many, within our community. We will keep you updated as we are updated.
Contact either Joe via email at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or via phone 410-430-5349 or call the Salvation Army at 410-749-7771 ext. 100
Remember, 'Tis better to give than receive.
Notice To The Campus Community
Dear Campus Community,
At approximately 4 a.m. today two Salisbury University students near
Severn Hall were approached by three suspects displaying a weapon and
demanding money. Because these students made detailed observations of
their assailants and promptly reported the incident to University Police
on the campus emergency telephone system, University officers were able
to react immediately. A speedy apprehension was made by the Fruitland
Police assisted by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.
Safety is Salisbury University’s paramount concern. University
Police has been working collaboratively with area police agencies to
increase the safety of our students and the local community. We ask
that you exercise caution when moving on and near campus both in daytime
and in evening hours. University Police offers an escort service at
night for students who feel particularly uncomfortable walking alone.
Students may access the Escort Service by calling ext. 3-6222.
We want to praise the students, University Police and their colleagues
in area agencies for their excellent work on this incident.
Dr. Ellen J. Neufeldt
Vice President of Student Affairs
Salisbury University
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801
410-543-6080
At approximately 4 a.m. today two Salisbury University students near
Severn Hall were approached by three suspects displaying a weapon and
demanding money. Because these students made detailed observations of
their assailants and promptly reported the incident to University Police
on the campus emergency telephone system, University officers were able
to react immediately. A speedy apprehension was made by the Fruitland
Police assisted by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.
Safety is Salisbury University’s paramount concern. University
Police has been working collaboratively with area police agencies to
increase the safety of our students and the local community. We ask
that you exercise caution when moving on and near campus both in daytime
and in evening hours. University Police offers an escort service at
night for students who feel particularly uncomfortable walking alone.
Students may access the Escort Service by calling ext. 3-6222.
We want to praise the students, University Police and their colleagues
in area agencies for their excellent work on this incident.
Dr. Ellen J. Neufeldt
Vice President of Student Affairs
Salisbury University
1101 Camden Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801
410-543-6080
HUMAN EVENTS Article: Thinking Anew and Acting Anew: A People’s Bailout Or A Politicians’ Bailout?
Thinking Anew and Acting Anew: A People's Bailout Or A Politicians' Bailout?
by Newt Gingrich
America is about to enter the post-Bush era. Two recent events -- the terrorist attack in Mumbai and the collapse of CitiBank -- are vivid warnings about the complex, uncertain and potentially very dangerous time we are about to enter.
In the New York Times last week, columnist Tom Friedman made the following stunning point:
It is vital that every American understand the implications of Friedman's last sentence. "The financial meltdown involved a broad breakdown in personal responsibility, government regulation and financial ethics."
Righting such a systemic wrong requires far more than the Pelosi-Paulson model of crony capitalism, predatory politicians and micromanaging bureaucrats. In fact, in the face of the scale of collapse Friedman is describing, throwing trillions of the American peoples' dollars into a cynical, corrupt, unethical system is exactly the wrong thing to be doing.
And the scale of the problem we face in the financial world is matched by the scale of the challenges we face in the national security world.
Both these challenges require new thinking.
"As Our Case is New We Must Act Anew and Think Anew"
I often quote President Abraham Lincoln at times like this because he captured the challenge so perfectly in his annual address to Congress on December 1, 1862:
"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present and the occasional is piled high with difficulties, and we must rise to the occasion. As our case is new we must act anew and think anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country."
Lincoln's call to think anew and act anew is especially important today because of the establishment nature of the team President-elect Obama is gathering. I write this with admiration and not with criticism.
The Danger of Looking to the Past in Times of Dramatic Change
President-elect Obama has done a good job of assembling sophisticated and highly respected teams for both national security and economic-financial policy.
Yet these two events -- Mumbai and CitiBank -- should remind us that knowledge about past systems and confident expectations based on past rules can actually be a detriment in dealing with periods of dramatic change. Peter Drucker wrote brilliantly about this problem in The Age of Discontinuities. Drucker argued that one can be an expert on the period before the discontinuity and one can learn to be an expert on the new period emerging after the discontinuity but during the discontinuity itself there is a real danger of past knowledge becoming very misleading.
Drucker's argument is illustrated expertly in David Halberstam's study of Vietnam War policy making in Washington, The Best and the Brightest. The new team being assembled by President-elect Obama would do well to heed its lessons.
A New Team of "Whiz Kids" In Washington DC?
Halberstam argues that it was precisely the confidence and the certainty of the team of "whiz kids" President Kennedy assembled which led them to make assumptions that proved to be false and to reject fact-based information which conflicted with their previous theories of how the world should work. They rushed into policies in Vietnam confident that what Halberstam called their "brilliant policies that defied common sense" would enable them to impose their will on reality. But with agony they learned that a harsh and unyielding reality was imposing its price in blood and treasure on America.
The new Obama teams for national security, finance, and the economy should ponder deeply the lessons of Drucker and Halberstam and question whether the theories and principles they are bringing into office are in fact the right solutions for today.
Mumbai and Citibank should be sufficient proof that the election of a new president has not changed any of the fundamental challenges facing America and threatening the civilized world.
How Much Damage Could a Mumbai-Style Attack Do To An American City?
The terrorist assault on Mumbai is a profound reminder that the world remains dangerous and there are many terrorists dedicated to destroying liberty and the rule of law as we know it.
For America, the scale and coordination of the Mumbai attack are a grim warning that our Homeland Security preparations are almost certainly inadequate.
If the Department of Homeland Security were to run a series of exercises in the first six months of 2009 replicating the Mumbai attack in cities like Boston, Charleston, Baltimore, Savannah, New Orleans, Houston, Long Beach, San Francisco and Seattle, it would be shocked to discover how much damage a ship-based assault team using simple weapons could inflict on an American city.
Pragmatic Decision Making Versus Institutional Reform
And if the Department of Homeland Security had the courage to go a step further and run tests involving simulated nuclear and biological weapons, the results would be so horrifying Americans would demand a crash program of preparedness beyond anything the current authorities can imagine.
The new Obama national security team is competent and professional and he is to be commended for his courage in recruiting Senator Clinton, Secretary Gates, and General Jim Jones. These three nominees are intelligent, tough minded, and hard working.
The greatest danger they will face is in their own belief that hard work and methodical pragmatic decision making can substitute for strategic planning and institutional reform.
America's Immediate National Security Threats:
The fact is Mumbai is a grim reminder that more than seven years after the attack of 9/11 the United States and its allies have no solutions to the most difficult problems of terrorism on the planet.
The long-term challenge of China as an economic, scientific and technological competitor requires a national security based assessment of the requirements for change in America. If we are to remain the leading power in the world 25 years from now we have to reform litigation, taxation, regulation, education, health, energy, and infrastructure. The scale of change needed is greater than the New Deal but in a fundamentally different direction.
As Tom Friedman has written in other columns and in several best selling books, the United States needs an extraordinary level of achievement to remain the most productive and most creative country in the world. And our national security leadership depends on precisely those characteristics as well.
Out: Republican and Democrat. In: Honesty, Productivity, Creativity, Effectiveness
The key words describing the kind of reform that will solve our economic and national security challenges in the next decade will not be liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat.
They will be:
Why Would You Give One More Dime of Your Taxpayer Money to a Company That Paid $400 Million to Name the New York Mets' New Baseball Stadium "Citi Field"?
But for now, it's worth stating what should be obvious: The Pelosi-Paulson centralized government, politician defined, bureaucratically implemented bailout system fails to meet the test of any of these four words of reform. It will not lead to more honesty, productivity, creativity or effectiveness.
Remember the reason for Tom Friedman's disgust over the article about Citigroup: "Because in searing detail it exposed -- using Citigroup as Exhibit A -- how some of our country's best-paid bankers were overrated dopes who had no idea what they were selling, or greedy cynics who did know and turned a blind eye."
Why would you vote for another $350 billion to go to people and institutions which fit that condemnation? Why would you give one more dime of your taxpayer money to a company that paid $400 million to name the New York Mets' new baseball stadium "Citi Field"?
A Politicans' Stimulus Package or a People's Stimulus Package?
It's the very bankruptcy of the current establishment which makes Congressman Louie Gohmert's (R-TX) tax holiday proposal so intriguing.
Congressman Gohmert has calculated that the amount Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Paulson will be advocating for the second installment of the bailout -- $350 billion -- is more than the amount needed to allow every American to have a two month tax holiday from both the FICA (Social Security and Medicare) and income tax.
Let me repeat that: What Pelosi and Paulson are proposing to pour into crony capitalism is more than what it would cost to give every American taxpayer a total federal tax holiday for two months.
Which do you think would do more to get America growing again? $350 billion to failing managements, "overrated dopes" and "greedy cynics" or allowing every American to simply keep all their money for January and February?
The Money You Will Keep? Your Monthly Income Multiplied by .66
For the working poor a FICA tax holiday (the $350 billion Paulson was going to send to Wall Street would simply be used to cover the revenue losses in the Treasury so Social Security and Medicare would not lose a penny) will be a dramatic increase in take home pay. This one act will save more homes from bankruptcy than any centralized government bureaucratic red tape ridden system.
If you want to figure out how much Rep. Gohmert's tax holiday would save you, Jed Babbin of Human Events has this advice:
But there's more.
Speaker Pelosi's desire for an additional $700 billion Washington centered, government stimulus program would actually create the opportunity to offer an additional four months of FICA and income tax holiday for the American people.
If the American people knew they were going to have no personal federal taxes until July, 2009 how much debt could they pay down? How many mortgages would be saved? How many college tuitions could they pay? How much could they invest to rebuild their retirement accounts?
This is an example of what President Lincoln meant by "thinking anew."
Send me a note at Newt@newt.org letting me know what you think of the tax holiday idea.
And if you like the idea of not paying federal taxes until July, 2009, please send this newsletter on to your friends and encourage them to speak out on these new solutions.
And remember, coming next week: The four key words to getting America moving again and how to apply them to federal, state, and local government.
Your friend,
P.S. My friend and advisor, Randy Evans, has written an insightful piece on what's next for the Republican party. You can read it here.
P.S.S. John Mauldin has written an excellent column on the need for new thinking about our economic challenges, which you can view at his website.
HE Newsletter – December 2, 2008
American Solutions has initiated two new projects for the coming year.
The American Solutions Airline Passengers (ASAP) initiative is an effort to improve technology and reduce flight delays. The current air traffic control system uses analog radar technology from the 1950's. A new system, called NextGen, using global positioning satellites has been proposed. It would allow planes to fly closer together while increasing safety and would boost the capacity of our airways by about 40 percent. Best of all, it would eliminate nearly all delays, except for those caused by weather. It would mean more efficient airlines, using less fuel, having higher profits and higher wages, and offering better service at lower costs.
It is time for a twenty-first century solution. Become an American Solutions Airline Passenger, and join the action team! Submit your travel "horror stories" to our blog.
American Solutions is calling for a repeal of Sarbanes-Oxley. Now, with signs that our economy is moving toward recession, Congress should take this opportunity to repeal the law for four reasons: It was insufficient at preventing insolvencies and accounting shortfalls in companies such as Bear Sterns, Lehman Bros., American International Group (AIG) and Merrill Lynch; It takes longer for a company to enter the Capital Market. In addition, by creating criminal liabilities for board members, Sarbanes-Oxley has made it harder to find experienced members to join corporate boards; it initiated a movement among smaller public companies to return to private status or merge; it is resulting in a trend where companies choose to go public on foreign, not American, stock exchanges.
Get involved with this movement and share your stories.
-----------
Read more articles like this at HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE!
http://www.humanevents.com/
by Newt Gingrich
America is about to enter the post-Bush era. Two recent events -- the terrorist attack in Mumbai and the collapse of CitiBank -- are vivid warnings about the complex, uncertain and potentially very dangerous time we are about to enter.
In the New York Times last week, columnist Tom Friedman made the following stunning point:
I spent Sunday afternoon brooding over a great piece of Times reporting by Eric Dash and Julie Creswell about Citigroup. Maybe brooding isn't the right word. The front-page article, entitled "Citigroup Pays for a Rush to Risk," actually left me totally disgusted.The Pelosi-Paulson Model of Crony Capitalism, Predatory Politicians and Micromanaging Bureaucrats
"Why? Because in searing detail it exposed -- using Citigroup as Exhibit A -- how some of our country's best-paid bankers were overrated dopes who had no idea what they were selling, or greedy cynics who did know and turned a blind eye. But it wasn't only the bankers. This financial meltdown involved a broad national breakdown in personal responsibility, government regulation and financial ethics.
It is vital that every American understand the implications of Friedman's last sentence. "The financial meltdown involved a broad breakdown in personal responsibility, government regulation and financial ethics."
Righting such a systemic wrong requires far more than the Pelosi-Paulson model of crony capitalism, predatory politicians and micromanaging bureaucrats. In fact, in the face of the scale of collapse Friedman is describing, throwing trillions of the American peoples' dollars into a cynical, corrupt, unethical system is exactly the wrong thing to be doing.
And the scale of the problem we face in the financial world is matched by the scale of the challenges we face in the national security world.
Both these challenges require new thinking.
"As Our Case is New We Must Act Anew and Think Anew"
I often quote President Abraham Lincoln at times like this because he captured the challenge so perfectly in his annual address to Congress on December 1, 1862:
"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present and the occasional is piled high with difficulties, and we must rise to the occasion. As our case is new we must act anew and think anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country."
Lincoln's call to think anew and act anew is especially important today because of the establishment nature of the team President-elect Obama is gathering. I write this with admiration and not with criticism.
The Danger of Looking to the Past in Times of Dramatic Change
President-elect Obama has done a good job of assembling sophisticated and highly respected teams for both national security and economic-financial policy.
Yet these two events -- Mumbai and CitiBank -- should remind us that knowledge about past systems and confident expectations based on past rules can actually be a detriment in dealing with periods of dramatic change. Peter Drucker wrote brilliantly about this problem in The Age of Discontinuities. Drucker argued that one can be an expert on the period before the discontinuity and one can learn to be an expert on the new period emerging after the discontinuity but during the discontinuity itself there is a real danger of past knowledge becoming very misleading.
Drucker's argument is illustrated expertly in David Halberstam's study of Vietnam War policy making in Washington, The Best and the Brightest. The new team being assembled by President-elect Obama would do well to heed its lessons.
A New Team of "Whiz Kids" In Washington DC?
Halberstam argues that it was precisely the confidence and the certainty of the team of "whiz kids" President Kennedy assembled which led them to make assumptions that proved to be false and to reject fact-based information which conflicted with their previous theories of how the world should work. They rushed into policies in Vietnam confident that what Halberstam called their "brilliant policies that defied common sense" would enable them to impose their will on reality. But with agony they learned that a harsh and unyielding reality was imposing its price in blood and treasure on America.
The new Obama teams for national security, finance, and the economy should ponder deeply the lessons of Drucker and Halberstam and question whether the theories and principles they are bringing into office are in fact the right solutions for today.
Mumbai and Citibank should be sufficient proof that the election of a new president has not changed any of the fundamental challenges facing America and threatening the civilized world.
How Much Damage Could a Mumbai-Style Attack Do To An American City?
The terrorist assault on Mumbai is a profound reminder that the world remains dangerous and there are many terrorists dedicated to destroying liberty and the rule of law as we know it.
For America, the scale and coordination of the Mumbai attack are a grim warning that our Homeland Security preparations are almost certainly inadequate.
If the Department of Homeland Security were to run a series of exercises in the first six months of 2009 replicating the Mumbai attack in cities like Boston, Charleston, Baltimore, Savannah, New Orleans, Houston, Long Beach, San Francisco and Seattle, it would be shocked to discover how much damage a ship-based assault team using simple weapons could inflict on an American city.
Pragmatic Decision Making Versus Institutional Reform
And if the Department of Homeland Security had the courage to go a step further and run tests involving simulated nuclear and biological weapons, the results would be so horrifying Americans would demand a crash program of preparedness beyond anything the current authorities can imagine.
The new Obama national security team is competent and professional and he is to be commended for his courage in recruiting Senator Clinton, Secretary Gates, and General Jim Jones. These three nominees are intelligent, tough minded, and hard working.
The greatest danger they will face is in their own belief that hard work and methodical pragmatic decision making can substitute for strategic planning and institutional reform.
America's Immediate National Security Threats:
The fact is Mumbai is a grim reminder that more than seven years after the attack of 9/11 the United States and its allies have no solutions to the most difficult problems of terrorism on the planet.
• The Saudis are still shipping money overseas to recruit for the most militant wing of Islam.America's Long-Term National Security Needs
• The Iranians are still trying to develop nuclear weapons so they can dominate the Persian Gulf and eliminate Israel from the face of the Earth.
• Pakistan has more nuclear weapons and is more unstable today than it was in 2001.
• The Taliban and its Pashtun allies in Northwestern Pakistan are as entrenched as they were in 2002 and are regaining strength in Afghanistan.
• The erosion of Western rule of law under the onslaught of internal Islamic demands is continuing to spread through Great Britain, Holland, and other countries.
The long-term challenge of China as an economic, scientific and technological competitor requires a national security based assessment of the requirements for change in America. If we are to remain the leading power in the world 25 years from now we have to reform litigation, taxation, regulation, education, health, energy, and infrastructure. The scale of change needed is greater than the New Deal but in a fundamentally different direction.
As Tom Friedman has written in other columns and in several best selling books, the United States needs an extraordinary level of achievement to remain the most productive and most creative country in the world. And our national security leadership depends on precisely those characteristics as well.
Out: Republican and Democrat. In: Honesty, Productivity, Creativity, Effectiveness
The key words describing the kind of reform that will solve our economic and national security challenges in the next decade will not be liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat.
They will be:
• HonestyNext week I will focus on these four words and what they will mean for public policy in 2009.
• Productivity
• Creativity
• Effectiveness
Why Would You Give One More Dime of Your Taxpayer Money to a Company That Paid $400 Million to Name the New York Mets' New Baseball Stadium "Citi Field"?
But for now, it's worth stating what should be obvious: The Pelosi-Paulson centralized government, politician defined, bureaucratically implemented bailout system fails to meet the test of any of these four words of reform. It will not lead to more honesty, productivity, creativity or effectiveness.
Remember the reason for Tom Friedman's disgust over the article about Citigroup: "Because in searing detail it exposed -- using Citigroup as Exhibit A -- how some of our country's best-paid bankers were overrated dopes who had no idea what they were selling, or greedy cynics who did know and turned a blind eye."
Why would you vote for another $350 billion to go to people and institutions which fit that condemnation? Why would you give one more dime of your taxpayer money to a company that paid $400 million to name the New York Mets' new baseball stadium "Citi Field"?
A Politicans' Stimulus Package or a People's Stimulus Package?
It's the very bankruptcy of the current establishment which makes Congressman Louie Gohmert's (R-TX) tax holiday proposal so intriguing.
Congressman Gohmert has calculated that the amount Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Paulson will be advocating for the second installment of the bailout -- $350 billion -- is more than the amount needed to allow every American to have a two month tax holiday from both the FICA (Social Security and Medicare) and income tax.
Let me repeat that: What Pelosi and Paulson are proposing to pour into crony capitalism is more than what it would cost to give every American taxpayer a total federal tax holiday for two months.
Which do you think would do more to get America growing again? $350 billion to failing managements, "overrated dopes" and "greedy cynics" or allowing every American to simply keep all their money for January and February?
The Money You Will Keep? Your Monthly Income Multiplied by .66
For the working poor a FICA tax holiday (the $350 billion Paulson was going to send to Wall Street would simply be used to cover the revenue losses in the Treasury so Social Security and Medicare would not lose a penny) will be a dramatic increase in take home pay. This one act will save more homes from bankruptcy than any centralized government bureaucratic red tape ridden system.
If you want to figure out how much Rep. Gohmert's tax holiday would save you, Jed Babbin of Human Events has this advice:
Most Americans pay about 25 percent of their income in federal income tax and another 7.25 percent in FICA (Social Security and Medicare taxes). Computing how much money Gohmert's tax holiday would leave in your family's checkbook is very simple.If a Two Month Tax Holiday Sounds Good, Why Not Six Months?
Take your monthly income (the gross amount shown on your pay stubs before tax and any other withholding) and multiply it by 0.66. That amount is roughly what Gohmert's two-month tax holiday will leave in your pocket.
But there's more.
Speaker Pelosi's desire for an additional $700 billion Washington centered, government stimulus program would actually create the opportunity to offer an additional four months of FICA and income tax holiday for the American people.
If the American people knew they were going to have no personal federal taxes until July, 2009 how much debt could they pay down? How many mortgages would be saved? How many college tuitions could they pay? How much could they invest to rebuild their retirement accounts?
This is an example of what President Lincoln meant by "thinking anew."
Send me a note at Newt@newt.org letting me know what you think of the tax holiday idea.
And if you like the idea of not paying federal taxes until July, 2009, please send this newsletter on to your friends and encourage them to speak out on these new solutions.
And remember, coming next week: The four key words to getting America moving again and how to apply them to federal, state, and local government.
Your friend,
P.S. My friend and advisor, Randy Evans, has written an insightful piece on what's next for the Republican party. You can read it here.
P.S.S. John Mauldin has written an excellent column on the need for new thinking about our economic challenges, which you can view at his website.
HE Newsletter – December 2, 2008
American Solutions has initiated two new projects for the coming year.
The American Solutions Airline Passengers (ASAP) initiative is an effort to improve technology and reduce flight delays. The current air traffic control system uses analog radar technology from the 1950's. A new system, called NextGen, using global positioning satellites has been proposed. It would allow planes to fly closer together while increasing safety and would boost the capacity of our airways by about 40 percent. Best of all, it would eliminate nearly all delays, except for those caused by weather. It would mean more efficient airlines, using less fuel, having higher profits and higher wages, and offering better service at lower costs.
It is time for a twenty-first century solution. Become an American Solutions Airline Passenger, and join the action team! Submit your travel "horror stories" to our blog.
American Solutions is calling for a repeal of Sarbanes-Oxley. Now, with signs that our economy is moving toward recession, Congress should take this opportunity to repeal the law for four reasons: It was insufficient at preventing insolvencies and accounting shortfalls in companies such as Bear Sterns, Lehman Bros., American International Group (AIG) and Merrill Lynch; It takes longer for a company to enter the Capital Market. In addition, by creating criminal liabilities for board members, Sarbanes-Oxley has made it harder to find experienced members to join corporate boards; it initiated a movement among smaller public companies to return to private status or merge; it is resulting in a trend where companies choose to go public on foreign, not American, stock exchanges.
Get involved with this movement and share your stories.
-----------
Read more articles like this at HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE!
http://www.humanevents.com/
This Week's DVD releases 12/02/2008
One of this weeks hottest DVD releases is "Casablanca:The Ultimate Collectors Edition", which is a 3-disc special edition of the classic 1942 film, just in time for the holidays. Young or old, this movie is a must-have for any serious videophile!
Theatrical releases
"The Chronicles of Narnia:Prince Caspian"-144 minutes,rated PG,widescreen,3 disc set,also on blu-ray-fantasy
"Stepbrothers"-98 minutes,rated R single disc or unrated 2-disc set,widescreen,w/digital copy,also on blu-ray-comedy
"Wanted"-110 minutes,rated R,single disc or 2-disc set available,widescreen,w/digital copy,also on blu-ray-action
Other DVD movie releases
"The Contract"-also on blu-ray
"Curious George:Leads the Band and Other Musical Mayhem"-animated,fullscreen
"The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)"-2 disc set,also on blu-ray
"The Longshots"-also on blu-ray
"The X-Files:I Want to Believe"-3 disc set w/digital copy
"White Dog"(1982)Criterion Collection-widescreen,also on blu-ray
TV on DVD
"Law & Order:The Sixth Year"-5 disc set
"Mythbusters:Big Blast Collection"-2 disc set
"The Best of Dr.Katz"-fullscreen,animated series
"Saturday Night Live:The Complete Fourth Season"-7 disc set
Here's The Salvation Army Bell Ringing Schedule
Click photos to enlarge.
All of the spaces that are white, (with no names) are the spots we need to fill. Perhaps your Boss is interested in having you fill in the blanks and we can post the updates where everyone can see who has helped out. Nice plug for your business!
To those already on the schedule, God Bless All of you. If we can find people to fill in 2 hours at a time that would be great! You can call me directly at 410-430-5349 to fill in the blanks but you're welcome to call the Salvation Army as well at 410-749-7771 ext. 100 and we'll do our best to keep each other updated. You can also reach me at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com .
Thank You for your support.
Joe Albero
Press Release: From Jim Ireton
Daily Times Grapevine Caller Gets It Wrong
The Wicomico Neighborhood Congress has accomplished much in the previous 3 years...including:
-Crime - educating residents about the issue of gangs in Salisbury and Wicomico County through a Forum on Crime in Delmar
-Environment - educating residents about the pollution in the Wicomico River and tributaries through a Forum on the Environment at Mallard Landing in Salisbury
-Growth and Development - educating residents about the issues and options that Wicomico faces through a Forum on Growth in Hebron
Local, regional, and national experts have been brought to Wicomico County by the leaders of the congress in order to give citizens the resources and options they need to bring change. The Neighborhood Congress has always had as its mission the educating and empowering of the community. The support from County Executive Pollitt, City Councilwoman Debbie Campbell, and many other elected and appointed county and city officials, and all the expertise they have brought to this endeavor, has been greatly appreciated. The recent Fall Forum on Foreclosure was cancelled when a national speaker pulled out. Any questions please contact Jim Ireton at 410-749-5712.
The Wicomico Neighborhood Congress has accomplished much in the previous 3 years...including:
-Crime - educating residents about the issue of gangs in Salisbury and Wicomico County through a Forum on Crime in Delmar
-Environment - educating residents about the pollution in the Wicomico River and tributaries through a Forum on the Environment at Mallard Landing in Salisbury
-Growth and Development - educating residents about the issues and options that Wicomico faces through a Forum on Growth in Hebron
Local, regional, and national experts have been brought to Wicomico County by the leaders of the congress in order to give citizens the resources and options they need to bring change. The Neighborhood Congress has always had as its mission the educating and empowering of the community. The support from County Executive Pollitt, City Councilwoman Debbie Campbell, and many other elected and appointed county and city officials, and all the expertise they have brought to this endeavor, has been greatly appreciated. The recent Fall Forum on Foreclosure was cancelled when a national speaker pulled out. Any questions please contact Jim Ireton at 410-749-5712.
Want to Know Where Joe Is?
Joe is at the present time standing in front of the Grocery entrance at Walmart on the North end of town. I thought I'd post his location in response to the many that have asked where Joe is going to be. Now you know where you can find him.
He's the guy wearing the red Salvation Army apron.
He's the guy wearing the red Salvation Army apron.
Berlin Christmas Parade
BERLIN CHRISTMAS PARADE
Thursday, December 4th at 7:00 pm
Fire Department trucks, local merchant floats, horses, cars . . . and Santa!!!
The parade starts at the Berlin Fire Department on Main Street and marches through Downtown Berlin.
Sponsored by Berlin Lions Club and town merchants.
For more information, please call 410-641-4245.
Thursday, December 4th at 7:00 pm
Fire Department trucks, local merchant floats, horses, cars . . . and Santa!!!
The parade starts at the Berlin Fire Department on Main Street and marches through Downtown Berlin.
Sponsored by Berlin Lions Club and town merchants.
For more information, please call 410-641-4245.
I Have No More Time For Blogging
Ladies & Gentlemen:
Over the last 4 days I have been out doing what I feel is a wonderful thing for our community with some unbelievable people. I have been ringing the Bell at Sam's Club and WalMart and I can't tell you enough just how rewarding it is.
That being said, the Salvation Army is extremely short handed this Holiday Season and has asked me to help them in any way I can. So, that being said, I have committed myself to the Salvation Army until the Holidays are over and or we can achieve enough Volunteers to fill in the gaps for me.
Later today I will be Posting a schedule in which we'll need filled. I will be working the Sam's Club location for the next 8 days from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, excluding Sunday. Now of course I'd like a break during that time and if anyone can fill in parts on those days and or the entire shift, that would be wonderful. If not, I'll cover it but I won't be Blogging.
The Salvation Army does incredible things for this community and if we can't get the Firefighters, Police Officers, Elected Officials, States Attorney's Office, Public Works, City and County Employees to help out in their spare time, that's cool, we'll make it work one way or the other.
There are evening shifts available as well as day shifts but we need your help. As for this Blog, well, I do this for all of you. I do not advertise and I do not make a penny at this. I am making the decision to give of my time elsewhere until people step up to the plate and free me up so I can get back to what I do best, pester the crap out of some and bring issues to every one's attention you might not hear elsewhere.
If you'd like to contact me directly you may do so by calling me at 410-430-5349 or alberobutzo@wmconnect.com . Again, I'll be back later with a schedule and thank you for considering helping a great cause. In the mean time, see ya at Sam's.
Salisbury Police Department Press Releases
On November 25, 2008 at approximately 11:33 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department received a call to respond to the Walmart Department store for the report of an internal theft. Upon arrival, the officers were advised by security personnel that the below listed suspect, an employee, had been observed making fraudulent transactions to purchase items from the store.
ARRESTED: Jenney Lee Arvey, 19 years of age Snow Hill, Maryland
CHARGES:
Theft (over $ 500)
Theft scheme
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043276
On November 25, 2008 at approximately 2:55 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department arrested the below listed suspect for an assault reported on October 20, 2008. The investigation of the assault revealed that on that date, the suspect assaulted a family member following an argument. The suspect had struck the juvenile victim in the face and head several times and had choked him. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
ARRESTED: Hammond Cleo Taylor, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Second degree assault
Second degree child abuse
Reckless endangerment
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800040960
On November 25, 2008 at approximately 5:38 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect following the investigation of an assault that occurred on September 6, 2008. The investigation revealed that on that date the suspect assaulted two (2) victims with a machete following an argument in a residence. The victims received minor injuries and one (1) of the victims was treated and released from the Peninsula Regional Medical Center. The second victim refused medical treatment. The suspect was arrested without incident.
ARRESTED: Phillip Daniel Thomas, 24 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
First degree assault (2 counts)
Second degree assault (2 counts)
Reckless endangerment (2 counts)
Possession of a dangerous and deadly weapon
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800033595
On November 27, 2008 at approximately 11:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department were on routine patrol in the area of U.S. Route 13 and Homer Street and attempted to stop a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. The suspect failed to stop for the officer and attempted to flee from the area in his vehicle. The vehicle stopped in the intersection of Hillcrest and Spring Garden and the suspect fled from the vehicle on foot. The officers pursued and caught the suspect behind a residence on Bryn Mawr Avenue. The suspect was taken into custody and a search of his person, incident to arrest, revealed a quantity of suspected cocaine and a quantity of suspected marijuana. The vehicle was also checked and a loaded handgun was found in the passenger area with additional ammunition.
ARRESTED: Jemar Andre Gardner, 19 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
Possession of marijuana
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
Wearing and carrying a handgun
Possession of a prohibited firearm
Possession of a handgun while under 21 yoa
Possession of ammunition while under 21 yoa
Numerous traffic violations
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043555
On November 28, 2008 at approximately 8:47 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations in the area of Church St. and Isabella St. During the traffic stop, the vehicle was consensually searched and as a result the officers located a quantity of suspected marijuana
ARRESTED: Russell John Bagnall, 26 years of age Rockaway, New Jersey
CHARGES:
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043678
On November 29, 2008 at approximately 12:35 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations in the area of Carroll St. and Waverly Drive. During the traffic stop, the suspect exited the vehicle and attempted to discard a smoking device. The officers retrieved the smoking device and found that it contained a quantity of suspected cocaine.
ARRESTED: Michael Jerome Lewis, 37 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043696
On November 30, 2008 at approximately 6:50 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department received a call to respond to the Golden Corral Restaurant on Naylor Mill Road for the report of a theft. Upon arrival, the officers were advised by restaurant employees that the below listed suspect had entered the restaurant and started eating food from the salad bar without permission or making any attempts at making payment. The suspect left the restaurant and was located by the officers a short distance away.
ARRESTED: Michael Andrew Hodges, 34 years of age Fruitland, Maryland
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 100)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043869
ARRESTED: Jenney Lee Arvey, 19 years of age Snow Hill, Maryland
CHARGES:
Theft (over $ 500)
Theft scheme
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043276
On November 25, 2008 at approximately 2:55 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department arrested the below listed suspect for an assault reported on October 20, 2008. The investigation of the assault revealed that on that date, the suspect assaulted a family member following an argument. The suspect had struck the juvenile victim in the face and head several times and had choked him. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.
ARRESTED: Hammond Cleo Taylor, 36 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Second degree assault
Second degree child abuse
Reckless endangerment
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800040960
On November 25, 2008 at approximately 5:38 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police arrested the below listed suspect following the investigation of an assault that occurred on September 6, 2008. The investigation revealed that on that date the suspect assaulted two (2) victims with a machete following an argument in a residence. The victims received minor injuries and one (1) of the victims was treated and released from the Peninsula Regional Medical Center. The second victim refused medical treatment. The suspect was arrested without incident.
ARRESTED: Phillip Daniel Thomas, 24 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
First degree assault (2 counts)
Second degree assault (2 counts)
Reckless endangerment (2 counts)
Possession of a dangerous and deadly weapon
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800033595
On November 27, 2008 at approximately 11:00 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department were on routine patrol in the area of U.S. Route 13 and Homer Street and attempted to stop a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations. The suspect failed to stop for the officer and attempted to flee from the area in his vehicle. The vehicle stopped in the intersection of Hillcrest and Spring Garden and the suspect fled from the vehicle on foot. The officers pursued and caught the suspect behind a residence on Bryn Mawr Avenue. The suspect was taken into custody and a search of his person, incident to arrest, revealed a quantity of suspected cocaine and a quantity of suspected marijuana. The vehicle was also checked and a loaded handgun was found in the passenger area with additional ammunition.
ARRESTED: Jemar Andre Gardner, 19 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
Possession of marijuana
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
Wearing and carrying a handgun
Possession of a prohibited firearm
Possession of a handgun while under 21 yoa
Possession of ammunition while under 21 yoa
Numerous traffic violations
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043555
On November 28, 2008 at approximately 8:47 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations in the area of Church St. and Isabella St. During the traffic stop, the vehicle was consensually searched and as a result the officers located a quantity of suspected marijuana
ARRESTED: Russell John Bagnall, 26 years of age Rockaway, New Jersey
CHARGES:
Possession of marijuana
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043678
On November 29, 2008 at approximately 12:35 am, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the below listed suspect for traffic violations in the area of Carroll St. and Waverly Drive. During the traffic stop, the suspect exited the vehicle and attempted to discard a smoking device. The officers retrieved the smoking device and found that it contained a quantity of suspected cocaine.
ARRESTED: Michael Jerome Lewis, 37 years of age Salisbury, Maryland
CHARGES:
Possession of cocaine
Possession of CDS/paraphernalia
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043696
On November 30, 2008 at approximately 6:50 pm, Officers of the Salisbury Police Department received a call to respond to the Golden Corral Restaurant on Naylor Mill Road for the report of a theft. Upon arrival, the officers were advised by restaurant employees that the below listed suspect had entered the restaurant and started eating food from the salad bar without permission or making any attempts at making payment. The suspect left the restaurant and was located by the officers a short distance away.
ARRESTED: Michael Andrew Hodges, 34 years of age Fruitland, Maryland
CHARGES: Theft (under $ 100)
DISPOSITION: Released to Central Booking CC # 200800043869
Found Puppy
Hey Joe.....we are loyal viewers of your blog. Thanks for all you do!
Yesterday as we were leaving work here @ Milford Street Professional Center, there was a pit bull puppy roaming our staff parking lot. This puppy obioulsy belongs to somebody!!! She is affectionate, obedient, and full of personality!!!! I would love to find her rightful owner...PLEASE HELP!!!
She is a pit bull and she has black and brown markings.
Please have owners call me ASAP!!!
Nicole 443-523-2880
THANKS JOE!!!!!!!
Yesterday as we were leaving work here @ Milford Street Professional Center, there was a pit bull puppy roaming our staff parking lot. This puppy obioulsy belongs to somebody!!! She is affectionate, obedient, and full of personality!!!! I would love to find her rightful owner...PLEASE HELP!!!
She is a pit bull and she has black and brown markings.
Please have owners call me ASAP!!!
Nicole 443-523-2880
THANKS JOE!!!!!!!
A Mother's Worst Fear
"My story is hard to tell but needs to be heard..... i moved back to the eastern shore in October of 2001 from Annapolis. Things had changed, people had changed and i didn't know a lot of people here anymore so i went to work for my mom and started my life over... My sister turned 21 in July of 2003 and i took her out on the town being the older sister and we wound up at a local nightclub where i met my soon to be ex husband. Everybody there loved him. They all told me they had only known him a short time but truly seems genuine. After dating a few weeks he told me that he had to take these state mandated classes they were "no big deal" of course i asked what they were for he told me that when he was 18 he met a girl at a haunted park and they made out and her parents found out and pressed charges she was 15 at the time. Which was a similar story he told everyone at the bar... well to me kids will be kids that wasn't anything to hang over someones head for the rest of their life....boy was i wrong....
I got pregnant while on birth control and i figured i am a mature 25 year old adult i will do the right thing so we got married and my daughter was born on June 2 2004 and the nightmares began. A few days after my daughter was born, my soon to be ex husband was arrested for sexually assaulting the girl across the street... he swore it was a set up someone targeting him just for having his picture on the sex registry. I believed him... i fought for him and he was found not guilty after being retained in Jessup for my daughters first 10 months of her life... then when he came home he was never here.. always out with guys, shooting pool, working extra shifts in a bar, you name it he did everything except be a father or a husband.
On March 28 2006, we were shooting pool together on a league at a local bar and when i came out of the bathroom i saw my soon to be ex husband with his hands down another woman's pants playing the mega touch machine.... My mouth dropped i was in shock if he did this when i am in the same building what was he doing when i wasn't with him.... i kicked him out that night. However i am still being to nice at this point in time because we drew up a guideline of visitation, child support everything including the fact that he didn't want my daughter left with his own parents or have her stay at there house for more than an hour... From April till June i let him visit my daughter twice a week as agreed upon. In the beginning he didn't even visit with her he chased me around the house making threats starting fights i had to call the police to get him to stop cursing me and threatening me. He got so violent and irate with me it was bad for her so i would leave the house for a hour so they could spend quality time together only my idea of quality and his idea of quality defiantly have two different definitions.. that was my biggest mistake ever. i left my daughter with a monster.... during one of his episodes he punches holes in the hallway of my house because my daughter wouldn't stop crying.. my daughter acted out his behaviors at 2 years old.. a couple weeks go by and i was giving my daughter a bath and i was on the phone with a friend and when i went back into the bathroom after getting a towel out of the hallway my daughter was inserting a baby nemo toy into her vagina and i gasped and said" what are you doing?" she replied with " nemo is giving me kisses" i was in shock to say the least and my girlfriend told me i had to calm down and take her to er for exam. Social services was called and an exam was done that said her Hyman was intact but there were cuts and bruises that could be self inflicted but the behavior is learned... the hospital and social services told me that excessive petting and touching is almost impossible to prove and that without rock solid evidence or a confession don't expect anything to come of this. He was asked by social services to take a lie detector test and he declined and the the case was closed. I immediately put my daughter into counseling where she has been ever since and still continues to go. She had to relearn what was appropriate touching, who is and isn't aloud to touch there, etc...My soon to be ex husband also became very violent with me. There were many times he would throw objects at me threaten to kill me if i kept her from him you know the rest; same story different girl i had to get a protective order to protect myself and my little girl...The order expired in July of 2007 i was worried i was going to have to battle for divorce yet nothing so my lawyer and i decided to give him a year to make a move...NOTHING... he only ever made four child support payments,so he is behind a little over $14000.00, he lives six houses away from me and no note, no knock on the door nothing done by him to show he cared or wanted to be a part of her life
In September of 2008, i amended my divorce papers to read i want sole custody; no visitation for the father and the father is to have no obligation to the child; no child support no visits, surrender your rights to her and i will leave you alone forever.... he now is fighting me for joint custody and visitation. i just cannot do it.... i failed my daughter once by leaving her alone with the worst monster any mother fears....I am now being told that he is probably going to get supervised visitation and i am not OK with that why, because our state gives fathers the right to their children no matter what their criminal background is. I didn't have enough evidence to convict him of assaulting his own child, her testimony and acting out what daddy did wasn't enough .... put yourself in my four year old daughter shoes... she has to sit a a table with a man she doesn't know that sexually assaulted her when she was too little to know better... and what is she going to think of me for letting this happen when she gets old enough to understand everything.
I still to this day do not know the truth about what happened with why he is on the sex registry for Maryland other than he sexually assaulted little girls between the ages of 10 to 14 and in Delaware he raped a 16 year old girl all of which I found out after I threw him out of my house. This man has committed countless other uncharged sexual acts in our community but i cannot say what they are but i am asking for help... if he has assaulted you or someone you know help them take the steps forward to take action so this man can rot in jail for the rest of his life and so my daughter can have the normal life i have created for her... what is the old saying" you have to break the cycle for the abuse to stop" please help me break the cycle he can NEVER see her again.....
http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch/search.do?searchType=detail&anchor=false&id=3763588
http://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov/cgi-bin/sexoff.cgi/d?opt=00002430
The first link is Maryland showing he has been convicted of sexually assaulting a child the second link is Delaware showing he was convicted of raping a girl between ages of 16 and 17...."
Editors Note: The balance of this story, (as I know it) is in the state of Maryland the laws need to change to protect the CHILD. Even this Father should respect the fact that he allegedly doesn't want to play the roll as a Father by paying child support and or consistent visitation to his own child. It seems that the only time he cares is when the Mother wants to take him away for all the right reasons. We need to contact our Senators and Congressmen to demand these laws be changed to better protect the child.
I personally know the Mother and Child in this case and feel their pain. Perhaps our new Congressman Frank Kratovil can open his busy schedule for this case and at least let this woman and child be heard. His past history as a States Attorney would certainly help her cause and quite frankly he could make one hell of a name for himself in the State for doing so.
If any of our readers have a similar situation or as requested in the above message, know of someone who has been abused by this man in the past, please don't hesitate to let us know so we can help this child's future.
I got pregnant while on birth control and i figured i am a mature 25 year old adult i will do the right thing so we got married and my daughter was born on June 2 2004 and the nightmares began. A few days after my daughter was born, my soon to be ex husband was arrested for sexually assaulting the girl across the street... he swore it was a set up someone targeting him just for having his picture on the sex registry. I believed him... i fought for him and he was found not guilty after being retained in Jessup for my daughters first 10 months of her life... then when he came home he was never here.. always out with guys, shooting pool, working extra shifts in a bar, you name it he did everything except be a father or a husband.
On March 28 2006, we were shooting pool together on a league at a local bar and when i came out of the bathroom i saw my soon to be ex husband with his hands down another woman's pants playing the mega touch machine.... My mouth dropped i was in shock if he did this when i am in the same building what was he doing when i wasn't with him.... i kicked him out that night. However i am still being to nice at this point in time because we drew up a guideline of visitation, child support everything including the fact that he didn't want my daughter left with his own parents or have her stay at there house for more than an hour... From April till June i let him visit my daughter twice a week as agreed upon. In the beginning he didn't even visit with her he chased me around the house making threats starting fights i had to call the police to get him to stop cursing me and threatening me. He got so violent and irate with me it was bad for her so i would leave the house for a hour so they could spend quality time together only my idea of quality and his idea of quality defiantly have two different definitions.. that was my biggest mistake ever. i left my daughter with a monster.... during one of his episodes he punches holes in the hallway of my house because my daughter wouldn't stop crying.. my daughter acted out his behaviors at 2 years old.. a couple weeks go by and i was giving my daughter a bath and i was on the phone with a friend and when i went back into the bathroom after getting a towel out of the hallway my daughter was inserting a baby nemo toy into her vagina and i gasped and said" what are you doing?" she replied with " nemo is giving me kisses" i was in shock to say the least and my girlfriend told me i had to calm down and take her to er for exam. Social services was called and an exam was done that said her Hyman was intact but there were cuts and bruises that could be self inflicted but the behavior is learned... the hospital and social services told me that excessive petting and touching is almost impossible to prove and that without rock solid evidence or a confession don't expect anything to come of this. He was asked by social services to take a lie detector test and he declined and the the case was closed. I immediately put my daughter into counseling where she has been ever since and still continues to go. She had to relearn what was appropriate touching, who is and isn't aloud to touch there, etc...My soon to be ex husband also became very violent with me. There were many times he would throw objects at me threaten to kill me if i kept her from him you know the rest; same story different girl i had to get a protective order to protect myself and my little girl...The order expired in July of 2007 i was worried i was going to have to battle for divorce yet nothing so my lawyer and i decided to give him a year to make a move...NOTHING... he only ever made four child support payments,so he is behind a little over $14000.00, he lives six houses away from me and no note, no knock on the door nothing done by him to show he cared or wanted to be a part of her life
In September of 2008, i amended my divorce papers to read i want sole custody; no visitation for the father and the father is to have no obligation to the child; no child support no visits, surrender your rights to her and i will leave you alone forever.... he now is fighting me for joint custody and visitation. i just cannot do it.... i failed my daughter once by leaving her alone with the worst monster any mother fears....I am now being told that he is probably going to get supervised visitation and i am not OK with that why, because our state gives fathers the right to their children no matter what their criminal background is. I didn't have enough evidence to convict him of assaulting his own child, her testimony and acting out what daddy did wasn't enough .... put yourself in my four year old daughter shoes... she has to sit a a table with a man she doesn't know that sexually assaulted her when she was too little to know better... and what is she going to think of me for letting this happen when she gets old enough to understand everything.
I still to this day do not know the truth about what happened with why he is on the sex registry for Maryland other than he sexually assaulted little girls between the ages of 10 to 14 and in Delaware he raped a 16 year old girl all of which I found out after I threw him out of my house. This man has committed countless other uncharged sexual acts in our community but i cannot say what they are but i am asking for help... if he has assaulted you or someone you know help them take the steps forward to take action so this man can rot in jail for the rest of his life and so my daughter can have the normal life i have created for her... what is the old saying" you have to break the cycle for the abuse to stop" please help me break the cycle he can NEVER see her again.....
http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch/search.do?searchType=detail&anchor=false&id=3763588
http://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov/cgi-bin/sexoff.cgi/d?opt=00002430
The first link is Maryland showing he has been convicted of sexually assaulting a child the second link is Delaware showing he was convicted of raping a girl between ages of 16 and 17...."
Editors Note: The balance of this story, (as I know it) is in the state of Maryland the laws need to change to protect the CHILD. Even this Father should respect the fact that he allegedly doesn't want to play the roll as a Father by paying child support and or consistent visitation to his own child. It seems that the only time he cares is when the Mother wants to take him away for all the right reasons. We need to contact our Senators and Congressmen to demand these laws be changed to better protect the child.
I personally know the Mother and Child in this case and feel their pain. Perhaps our new Congressman Frank Kratovil can open his busy schedule for this case and at least let this woman and child be heard. His past history as a States Attorney would certainly help her cause and quite frankly he could make one hell of a name for himself in the State for doing so.
If any of our readers have a similar situation or as requested in the above message, know of someone who has been abused by this man in the past, please don't hesitate to let us know so we can help this child's future.
WCCPTAs Legislative Night
DECEMBER 4, 2008
6:30 PM
GLEN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARYLAND PTA AND WCCPTAs INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT EVENT.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS
PUBLIC EDUCATION CONCERNS WITH YOUR
CONSTITUENTS FROM THE LOCAL TO THE
STATEL LEVEL, INCLUDING Mr. Norman Conway,
Delegates Paige Elmore and James Mathias,
Mr. Rick Pollitt, among others,
IN AN INFORMAL, RELAXED SETTING.
6:30 PM
GLEN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
MARYLAND PTA AND WCCPTAs INVITE YOU TO ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT EVENT.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS
PUBLIC EDUCATION CONCERNS WITH YOUR
CONSTITUENTS FROM THE LOCAL TO THE
STATEL LEVEL, INCLUDING Mr. Norman Conway,
Delegates Paige Elmore and James Mathias,
Mr. Rick Pollitt, among others,
IN AN INFORMAL, RELAXED SETTING.
Black Friday Fire Lane's Own Barney Fife
Last Friday, Chief See, (Barney Fife) was cruising up and down the Boulevard looking stern just trying to nab that criminal parking in the Fire Lanes. The one bullet wonder didn't get a chance to shoot off his load ed gun and went home once again completely frustrated.
We have yet to see the Fire Department out looking for violators since this day and probably won't again until Black Friday next year. What would we do without this guy! He's so impotent to Salisbury.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)