2010 TOYS FOR TOTS

One of the greatest gifts in life is getting together with good friends. While that's tough to beat, getting together for a bike ride, well, that's really tough to beat. However, getting together with friends, going for a bike ride, getting escorted from Ocean City on Rt. 50, then the Bypass and ultimately ending up at the American Legion in Salisbury, well, I can't think of any better way to spend my day.

Now, the only thing that can top ALL of that is when you can do so for the kids. That's right Folks. This weekend was the TOYS FOR TOTS Ride where around 250 local bikers got together to raise thousands of dollars and hundreds of toys for those kids in need.

I'd like to thank the Maryland State Police and the Wicomico Sheriff's Office for closing down Rt. 50 and the Bypass for this event. It made everyone feel very special and every one of these men and women deserved it.

Candidate Matt Maciarello Holds Fundraiser At Main Street Gym

This 6 hour long fundraiser was the event of the political season. Hour after hour guests continued to arrive, many of them wishing they had been there earlier. Quite a few thousand dollars was raised by this single event that included a silent auction. A. Kaye Kenney was the big winner of a custom Fernando Guerrero Jacket. It was a good time had by all and the beef, well, it was to die for!

Matt Maciarello Works The Crowd At Wine Fest

Being a genuine "nice guy," Matt Maciarello introduced himself and shook hands with literally hundreds, (if not thousands) of people over a two day period at the Wine Festival. Folks, If you ever though I'm a busy man, this guy is just everywhere.

In between events over the weekend he was also going by homes to drop off signs, install signs and even fixing signs that had blown over during the high winds. Matt Maciarello is earning your vote. Rain or shine, he's out there knocking on doors. He wants you to know who he is and what he stands for.

Lt. Governor Brown Attends Wine Festival

Lt. Governor Brown came through the Wine Festival this past weekend with County Executive Rick Pollitt in tow. Notice how I cropped the picture.

You're Kidding Me, RIGHT?

Here I was driving down Rt. 50 and I come upon this vehicle, (thinking to myself) who the heck is this guy! As I moved into the left lane and started passing him, the next thing I know this guy starts waving at me with a big smile on his face. Before I could see who it was I thought, (being a good republican) should I flip him the bird?

The next thing I knew I saw his face, the big old smile and it was none other than my friend Rick Pollitt. Man, did I feel bad for my thoughts. Let me say this Folks. The one thing I have noticed about Rick Pollitt is that when he is out doing personal things, he's in his personal vehicle and not burning taxpayers gas.

Sorry Rick but you can't blame me for thinking what I was thinking. My Mom always told me, whenever someone flips you the bird it means you're #1. LOL

A Class Act

Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis has been taking quite a bit of his spare time to go out and install these signs throughout Wicomico County to thank YOU for your support. Mike is running unopposed in this election, yet he'll never take for granted YOUR support.

Hey GA, Look Where I Found Waldo

Congressman Frank Kratovil went out of his way to make sure I was able to capture these images in support of our next Wicomico County States Attorney Matt Maciarello. I knew I liked this guy for some reason.

Somerset Recreation And Parks

Dad Life (Father's Day Opening 2010)

A Liberal Halloween

AFP-Maryland Kicks Off “NOW or NEVER Maryland” Bus Tour Friday

-Three day tour will stop at a dozen rallies around state to advocate free market issues-

ANNAPOLIS – The Maryland chapter of Americans for Prosperity will kick off the “NOW or NEVER Maryland” bus tour on Friday in Berlin, MD at 8am.  The bus will stop at a dozen rallies around the state over a three day period to advocate for free market policies and educate citizens on where lawmakers stand on important issues.

“If Marylanders do not rally for freedom now, they should be prepared to never have it again,” said AFP-Maryland state director Dave Schwartz.  “Over the last year the government has taken over our health care, lawmakers have created record-high deficits and our state budget is out of control.  The big-government ideas have failed.  Citizens of Maryland deserve an alternative – less taxes, a friendlier business climate to create jobs and a government that is more responsive to those who fund it.”

Details of the “NOW or NEVER Maryland” bus tour, along with the locations and times of each stop, can be found at www.NowOrNeverMD.com.  Confirmed speakers at the various rallies include: former US Senate candidate Jim Rutledge, former Gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy, Congressional candidate and TEA Party activist Charles Lollar, former Maryland first lady Kendel Ehrlich and AFP National President Tim Phillips.

Rally Locations – Friday, October 22^nd

Berlin (Gull Creek Community Center) – 8am

Salisbury (City Park) – Noon

Easton (old Lowe's parking lot) – 3pm

Centreville (Courthouse Square) – 6pm

2010 Wine Festive Breaks Previous Record In Attendance

The 2010 Wine Festival in Wicomico County blew away their previous attendance record in a very big way. People came from all over the East Coast to attend this event. The morning was a bit chilly and windy but that didn't stop those who wanted to try out the different wines.

You have to give props to the Parks & Rec. Department as well as the Tourism Department for delivering yet another major success in economic & development to the County. This is two weekends in a row they have delivered. Much of the money from these events goes to help curb the overhead costs of running the parks and recreation in Wicomico County.

We can't forget Bike Week, Pork in the Park and the Beer Festival. ALL of these events deliver a great time and bring millions of dollars right here to Wicomico County.

Salisbury Firefighters Out In Full Force This Weekend

Salisbury Firefighters were out in full force passing out FREE Smoke Detectors and batteries. If you do not have a smoke detector and or are worried your batteries might be near their end of life, contact the Salisbury Fire Department and they will be more than happy to come by and drop one off, install one and or replace your battery. Great work SFD!

Wheels That Heal Car Club Raises Funds For Those In Need

The Wheels That Heal Car Club was out again this past weekend raising money for those people who need it the most, especially in such trying times. No matter where I went this entire weekend, candidate Matt Maciarello was there greeting people.

It should be noted, as many of you know, I attend a LOT of events pretty much daily. I have never once seem Seth Mitchell out and about attending these events. I guess the man believes he has this race in the bag. LOL

Memory Walk

On a brisk Saturday morning, hundreds of people gathered for the annual Alzheimer's Association Walk in Downtown Salisbury. They served food and drinks for everyone in attendance and WMDT helped organize everyone for the event.

DiCarlo Printing Is More Than Just A Printer

The DiCarlo Family not only provides full service printing to our community, they also take it a step further by educating the public with the history of Salisbury.

A prime example is this exhibit of "The Great Fire" in Downtown Salisbury. Children were bused in from all over the County to come visit this exhibit showing images of the fire as well as much of the actual equipment used to fight the inferno.

Our hat is tipped to the DiCarlo Family for going the extra mile this past weekend as well as the Salisbury Fire Department for displaying their equipment on the Downtown Plaza. When the children were finished visiting the exhibition they were greeted by the SFD in which they gave a breakdown of their equipment as well as fire prevention techniques.

Chocolate? Nah. Butterscotch Blondies!

Maybe you've forgotten (if you've ever had them) how good these are-- try them this holiday season!

Butterscotch Blondies

¾ cup (1-1/2 sticks) margarine, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-2/3 cups butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together margarine and sugars until fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  On low speed, add flour and baking soda; then finally butterscotch chips and nuts.  Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch pan.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.Here's more butterscotch goodies!

Always A Good Time On 3rd Friday In Downtown Salisbury

Are you a "regular" on 3rd Friday's? The Albero household is and so are many of the regulars I have seen every month time and time again.

Mayor Ireton has done a fantastic job promoting Downtown Salisbury and giving it a boost. If you've never been, you really should give it a try. You never know who you're going to run into.

WBOC May Have Chopper 16 But SBYNews Has Ladder Truck 16

This past Friday I was given the rare opportunity to get inside the bucket on Ladder Truck 16, (located on the Downtown Plaza). We extended that puppy as far as it would go and I was able to snap off a few pictures rarely see by others.

I want to thank Mr. Gordy for allowing me this experience. I was joined by State Senator Rich Colburn.

Lisa Murkowksi Funded By 'Rent-An-Eskimo' Racket

Sen. Lisa Murkowski's write-in candidacy is being funded by $100,000 contributions from a handful of Alaska corporations that have been handsomely subsidized by the federal government. These six-figure donors have pulled in billions of taxpayer dollars thanks to special legislative favors from Murkowski and her mentors -- the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R), and Lisa's father, former senator and governor, Frank Murkowski (R).

"Alaskans Standing Together," a special campaign committee, was formed late last month to attack Republican nominee Joe Miller and support Murkowski through ads. In late September AST took in $800,000 from nine Alaska Native Corporations -- unique, privileged, and politically connected for-profit entities created in the 1970s by legislation written by Stevens.

While the companies are technically owned by the natives, the taxpayer-funded spoils from these contracts accrue to the well-connected nonnative lobbyists, subcontractors, and executives in the "Alaska mafia" made up of aides, friends and donors of Stevens, the Murkowskis, and Rep. Don Young (R). Meanwhile the 130,000 Alaska Natives, who are shareholders in the ANCs, have received $720 million over the last nine years, which comes to $615 per native annually. In effect, the natives are unwitting frontmen for this racket.

Critics on Capitol Hill say this is worse than Jack Abramoff's exploitation of Indian tribes, and, in a dark joke, dub the ANCs with the politically incorrect name "rent-an-Eskimo."


Read more at the Washington Examiner

Salisbury News Helps Kick Off 2010 Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign

SbyNEWS helped the Salisbury Salvation Army kick off the 2010 Red Kettle Campaign with a $5,000 donation. Joe Albero, publisher of SbyNEWS, presented the check to Major Ken Morris, Corps Officer at SbyNEWS’s Salisbury offices.
Albero emphasized the importance of the Salvation Army and the Red Kettle Campaign:

All of the money collected locally, whether dropped in the kettles or donated online, goes to local programs. This is, by far, the Salisbury Salvation Army’s largest fundraising effort each year. The dollars we donate during this holiday season will not only help assure families in need will have a Christmas meal and Christmas toys for their children, the funds will also support after school programs for disadvantaged kids, aid to our seniors, and emergency food and financial assistance to our needy friends and neighbors.

In attendance was Sandy Fitzgerald-Angello, Vice President & Dealer Operator of Pohanka of Salisbury. Albero cites Fitzgerald-Angello and Pohanka’s “Pay It Forward” program as the inspiration behind SbyNEWS’s donation:

Sandy has shown what can be accomplished by working with your customers to help improve the community. Thanks to SbyNEWS’s readers and our generous advertisers, who have seen the value of teaming with us, SbyNEWS is fortunate to be able to help the Salvation Army and thereby serve our neighbors on the Lower Shore. We encourage our readers and everyone else in the Salisbury area to get involved; by donating in person, online, or volunteering their time and ringing a bell at one of the kettle locations.

SbyNEWS readers will also be able to participate directly in the Red Kettle Campaign. By clicking the Red Kettle logo prominently displayed on each page, readers can donate from the comfort of their own home or office.
Albero called on each member of the Lower Shore community to participate in this worthwhile effort by donating their time, their treasure, or both. “Even though times are tough, the folks of Delmarva have always gone above and beyond in helping those less fortunate than ourselves. This Christmas season can’t be any different. I hope that we all pull together and again show one more reason why this is such a great place to call home.”

Pani Pit Pizza

Hi Joe,
 
I saw a couple times on SBY news where you promoted the new pizza shop. My husbands also italian so the only time we get true italian hoagies or anything is when his family comes down to visit or we travel north.

We decided to try it out friday and it was great. Even our 18 month old loved it! (See the attached
picture)

Thanks for informing us!
-megan

Foreclosure Crackdown May Prompt Short Sales

Real estate agents expect more lenders to sell homes in Maryland at a loss instead of foreclosing if the state's Court of Appeals approves a new rule giving courts more power in the foreclosure process.

With the potential crackdown on foreclosures -- a response to a national investigation into unfair foreclosure practices that includes hundreds of falsified documents in Maryland -- banks may be more amenable to "short sales" to avoid a drawn-out foreclosure proceeding.

Short sales occur when a financially distressed homeowner owes more to the bank than the home's value. To enable a sale, the bank agrees to forgive part of the homeowner's loan.

"[Banks] have been dragging their feet in short sales," said Dennis Melby, district vice president of the Maryland Association of Realtors. "But if they go to foreclosure and it's dragged out for even longer ... this lights a fire in them to finish."

The Maryland judiciary's Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure has passed an emergency proposal that would give judges more oversight in foreclosure proceedings. The rules, which include requiring people who have signed a legal document to attest to its validity in court, could slow down the process.

The emergency proposal, which is scheduled to go before the Court of Appeals on Tuesday, addresses recent revelations that hundreds of false affidavits have been filed in Maryland courts, primarily by bank employees who signed off on foreclosure documents without reading them.

Alan M. Wilner, chairman of the rules committee, called the acts "an assault on the integrity of the judicial process."

The committee said thousands of documents may need to be examined for fraud for which a special examiner should be appointed. They propose those additional costs be charged to the foreclosing party except in cases where the borrower's affidavit is being examined.

But real estate agents said the rule change, if approved by the appellate court, doesn't change the larger picture -- it can't give homes back to people who can't afford the payments.

"At closing when you signed all those documents you agreed to pay that mortgage," said Joe Doman, a Re/Max agent who specializes in short sales. "People are looking for a loophole to get out of it."


Read more at the Washington Examiner

White House Not Budging On Tax Hikes For Wealthy

Obama administration continues to push for Congress to let the Bush tax cuts expire for the wealthiest Americans, teeing up a lame-duck standoff in Washington once lawmakers return from the campaign trail.

GO HERE to read more.

Facebook Apps Transmitted Personal Info

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that 10 popular Facebook applications have been transmitting users' personal identifying information to dozens of advertising and Internet tracking companies.

GO HERE to read more.

Nevada's Angle May Emerge As Biggest Dragon Slayer In New Senate

The stakes are high on Nov. 2 for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But for his GOP challenger, Sharron Angle, the stakes might actually be higher.

If she defeats Reid on Nov. 2, Angle will become more than the junior senator from Nevada. She'll be widely embraced by Republicans as a folk hero who rose from obscurity to topple one of the most powerful, and partisan, Democrats in Washington.

“It’s a whole range of things,” said Jon Ralston, a top expert in Nevada politics. “Familiarity breeds contempt. He’s (Reid) not charismatic. He’s said all kinds of things over the years that have come back to haunt him. The Democratic agenda is unpopular in this state, and he is the face of that. You put it all together and you have a guy who would be dead in re-election if not for one, his own money and machine and two, the candidate who has been nominated to face him.”

Ralston also believes that Angle won the debate last week that pitted a seeming political novice against one of the most powerful politicians in the United States.

“Angle won because she looked relatively credible, appearing not to be the Wicked Witch of the West (Christine O'Donnell is the good witch of the tea party) and scoring many more rhetorical points,” he wrote Sunday in The Reno Gazette-Journal. “And she won because U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., looked as if he could barely stay on a linear argument, abruptly switching gears and failing to effectively parry or thrust.”

But the paper Sunday endorsed Reid over Angle.

And so it has gone for Angle, 61, a one-time longshot who has, more than most candidates this year, benefited from the anti-establishment wave coursing through the electorate. She catapulted past two prominent and well-funded opponents in the GOP primary by positioning herself as a conservative die-hard who would not carry water in Washington for party insiders.More on this>>

Dem Ads against GOP Not Accurate On FairTax Proposal

Democrat lawmakers struggling to find support from a skeptical electorate are using a Republican tactic to win votes by claiming their opponents will raise taxes if elected into office.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is just one of several Democrat candidates saying the FairTax -- a levy that replaces the federal income tax with a 23 percent sales tax on everything, including the purchase of a new home or car – is backed by Republicans and will bust family budgets if enacted into law.

Research supplied by FairTax.org shows that Democrats in 16 districts have run at least 31 ads blasting Republicans for supporting the tax. But many of these ads neglect to mention the levy is essentially a national sales tax that would replace the current federal tax system.

FactCheck.org recently slammed the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for running ads that omitted this fact.

“Democrats are accusing Republicans of supporting a 23 percent sales tax on everything, which would be on top of all existing taxes… it’s misrepresenting by omission of the FairTax idea,” FactCheck.org director Brooks Jackson told The Hill.

“It’s very deceptive,” Philip Hinson, national spokesman for FairTax.org, said of the ad.

“It just speaks to the desperation of the Democratic Party because they see an absolute tsunami developing and they can’t come up with anything better than this,” he added.

The FairTax replaces income and payroll taxes with a national sales tax that would likely be collected at the state level. It also provides a rebate for incomes that are below the poverty line.

More here

Israel Builds World's Largest Underground Hospital

A critical phase began last week in the construction of a massive underground hospital at the Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. The underground facility, built to withstand rocket attacks, will be the world's largest.

 No concrete was poured in central or northern Israel for two days anywhere but at the construction site, due to the fact that all available equipment and workers had been hired to pour the roughly 7,000 cubic meters of concrete needed to make the hospital's base.

“This is a historic moment, not only for Rambam, but for the entire State of Israel,” said Rambam Director Professor Rafi Beyar. “For a period of two years, we have coped with unexpected, difficult and weighty logistic problems regarding this construction. We overcame the obstacles, and with the help of our friends – donors and Ministry of Health officials – we are on the right path.”

The hospital will serve as both a medical facility and a parking lot. At most times, the facility will provide space for 1,500 employees and visitors to park their cars. However, in case of emergency, the facility will quickly become a 2,000-bed hospital protected from both conventional rocket attacks and chemical or biological warfare.

The hospital will be able to generate its own power, and will store enough oxygen, water and medical equipment to get by for at least three days.

Due to its location, the facility is not only underground, but is eight meters below sea level in a beachfront city. Special pumps have worked around the clock to move underground saltwater back to the sea, allowing builders to keep working.

In late October, work will begin on the Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital. Following that, builders will begin construction on new oncology and cardiology wards.

(Source)

Related Story: Rambam Hospital First in World with Advanced Security System

Fiorina's Polish Converting Skeptics

The first female head of a Fortune 20 company — and the first to be fired by its board — Carly Fiorina was anything but a dazzler when she debuted on the political stage during the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain in 2008.

But that was then.

Now, Mrs. Fiorina's polished performance in her bid in California to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer is turning heads among influential social and religious conservatives. Win or lose, they say, the former Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO's campaign-trail transformation and her political convictions make her a top-of-the ticket contender for the Republican Party down the road.

"Carly Fiorina could easily be a presidential candidate," said Larry K. Burbach, a Burbank advertising executive and social conservative. He was one of many attendees at a recent private gathering of conservatives who were wowed by an address by Mrs. Fiorina.

Besides being impressed by her fiscal know-how — critiquing the state of California's tax structure, environmental regulations and state employees retirement benefits on businesses — they admired her general election strategy of emphasizing her opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, a risky move in a liberal-leaning state.

"Carly Fiorina showed the kind of leadership that we so desperately need," said Beverly LaHaye, chairwoman of Concerned Women for America. "The ovation she received from some of America's leading conservatives said it all."

While former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has parlayed defeat as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008 into a national political platform, a victory by Mrs. Fiorina in the nation's largest state would quickly elevate the former CEO's profile while giving her time to hone her policy and political skills on Capitol Hill.

But first she has to defeat Mrs. Boxer. Polls show Mrs. Boxer, a three-term incumbent Democrat, holding an average 3 percentage point lead, leaving Mrs. Fiorina well within striking distance of becoming the first California Republican elected to the Senate in 22 years.

About 3 percent of voters remain undecided. A poll released over the weekend by Reuters/Ipsos had Mrs. Boxer ahead by 1 percentage point.


More from The Washington Times

The Lemon Continues

Hi my name is Josephene Shockley. Your viewers may remember a story on sby news titled " MY Lemon" back in June of this year.

 

Sadly to say I have uncovered that Preston has ripped off my daughter in the sum of $3,632.86 to be exact.

 

I came about this discovery because in doing my bank records Chase had taken an extra payment from my account in May of this year prior to the buyback of this vehicle which to this day after sending Mr. Jamie Dimon CEO of  JP Morgan Chase the documents proving this.It's nice to know that a big company like Chase keeps money they know does not belong to them but that another story. I knew something was wrong but i didn't know what.

 

My daughter has yet to receive a statement for the new auto loan yet she still continues to make her payments chase response was she doesn't need statements. After going through her records I noticed three contracts dated for June25,2010. What they were doing is beyond me who makes a customer sign three contracts all with different amounts and different percent rates addresses. Strangely enough Preston didn't want her to come up and sign the paperwork at their place  they sent a salesman down to a parking lot on the west side of Salisbury to do the paperwork strange very strange. 

 

I had an expert look over the contracts and came up with what they did wrong keep in mind Mr. Wilson Jr. agreed to refund the full purchase price for the 2009 Ford Focus  with the only stipulation that my daughter had to buy from his dealership which she did. Mr. Wilson left this on the answering machine (which I still have the recording), also telling this to my daughter and son Ford and Chase I have the letters from the companies proving this. I hope I would not have to come back and report this but they have left me with no choice Mr. Wilson's assistant Dianne Vincent nor the general manager Chris Marks or the finance manger Jamie will not let me speak to Mr. Wilson I tried to call his cell phone but won't call back. I was told he was at a car show in Detroit and didn't have time to speak with me not that he can help with this whats done is done and also that I was the meanest "curse word" old miserable lady they had ever meant.

 

I hope i could report back that this was all a misunderstanding and they had fixed their problem. If the viewers are wondering why I'm writing this my daughter this whole ordeal has become to over exhausting for my daughter to handle emotionally and physically. My daughter has given me written permission to handle these concerns for her I may be 71 but I'm a fighter who won't quit. I'm enclosing my phone number in case Mr.Wilson wants to contact me and a breakdown of what the refund and purchase should have been $21,271.02(2009 purchase price)-$13,741.94 (payoff of loan) = $7529.08 to be refunded to customer-$3000 that was refunded to customer = $4529.08 that should be applied as cash down payment on the new car $22,297.36 (2010 purchase price) -$3750 (ford rebates) - $4,529.08=$14018.28 to be financed the amount the contract reads is $17,651.14 (amount financed) - $14,018.28 the correct amount that should be financed=$3,632.86 the difference that Preston owes my daughter. simple add and subtraction.

 

The way the contract reads is the price of the car was price jacked over $3,180 plus taxes on one of the three contacts.

 

Thank you Sby news

Christine O'Donnell

Mr. Joe Albero,

As you well know, I'm an avid reader of Salisbury News, you know all to well I find what you report to be accurate and for the betterment of Salisbury, Wicomico, Maryland, and the State of Delaware.

I was born and raised in Salisbury, I moved to Wilmington, Delaware three years ago.

I've always followed politics, and now with the race between Mr. Chris Coons and Ms. Christine O'Donnell, I found myself writing you this.

On October 12, 2010 I organized a candle light vigil at Dravo Plaza on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware.  This vigil was to remember the recent deaths attributed to suicide in the last 6 weeks due to harassment and bullying.  As has been reported in all media outlets, several teenagers who were perceived homosexuals or out homosexuals committed suicide after bullying in school. 

  

In emails sent to Christine O'Donnell's campaign I invited her to attend this candle light vigil.  I made it clear in the invitation that I was not asking her to advocate for gay rights.  I made it clear that I was asking her to take a stand against bullying.  To make it clear that we cannot stand for bullying that is killing American teenagers.  Although we did recognize those gay teens who committed suicide I made sure that people from any background knew where to get help if they were suicidal. 

 

This is the email that I sent to Ms. O'Donnell.  I sent this letter to all the email addresses listed on her campaign website on a numerous number of occasions.  Not only did she neglect to attend but she didn't even respond.  Ms. O'Donnell did not respond nor did anyone from her campaign. 

Ms. Christine O'Donnell:
My name is Ryan Stevenson, I would like to cordially invite you to a candle light vigil on October 12, 2010 at 7:00 PM at Dravo Plaza on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware.
We are gathering to remember the teenage victims of suicide from across the county. The suicide victims we are gathering to remember were known victims of homophobic harassment.
We are requesting your attendance not because we want you to advocate for gay rights, although we wouldn't mind it either. We asking you to attend so you as a candidate for United States Congress can stand with us and make it abundantly clear that violence and bullying against any group, including the gay community, will not be tolerated on any level.
In your new ad you say you are one of us. We are anticipating a very large crowd, that shows the Delawareans are taking a stand, show Delaware that you are one of us; stand with us on Tuesday night.
I assure you as the event organizer that all participants, speakers, and attendees will be treated with respect as we will be there to remember the young lives lost this last month and to appeal to school age and college students that suicide is not the answer. You are welcome to speak as well, that is your decision.
Regardless of political views the harassment and bullying of Delaware and America's youth is not right. So I am asking you again, please stand with us on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 7:00 PM at Dravo Plaza on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware.

Respectfully

Robert “Ryan” Stevenson
Event Organizer

  

Ms. O'Donnell did not have any events for that night listed on her campaign website.  I'm writing you this because I want to know why Ms. O'Donnell neglected to attend or respond. Why hasn't she acknowledged the crisis of bullying in schools?  Why has she not, as of yet, released a statement in relation to bullying in schools.

For the record, Mr. Chris Coons was invited and did attend.  Also in attendance was staff from Governor Jack Markell's Office and Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden's Office, we also read statements from Governor Markell, Lieutenant Governor Matthew Denn, Attorney General Beau Biden, and Wilmington Mayor James Baker.  We also had speakers from Delaware universities, Miss Wilmington America, Mr. John Brady, Delaware Clergy, and the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of Delaware. 

This is NOT just a gay issue, I don't want people to view this as just a gay issue.  Bullying is a issue in all schools in America.  

Ms. O'Donnell, you failed the children of Delaware by not taking a stand.  Ms. O'Donnell, you failed the parents of children who are bullied by not taking a stand.  Ms. O'Donnell, you failed Delaware schools by not taking a stand.  Ms. O'Donnell, you failed the people of Delaware.

Joe, I thank you.

Ryan Stevenson

Moms, Teach Your Daughters About Money Too

Financial knowledge is just as crucial as reading, writing and math

Laura Wellington was left in the financial dark when her husband, Dean, died in 2002.

At age 35, Wellington was a widow with four children; a boy, 9, and three girls aged 3 through 7. She also became the head of her husband's two small information technology businesses. Like many couples, before her husband's death, she took care of the day-to-day household expenses, and he handled bigger money issues like insurance and investing.

"I knew a certain amount of what was going on," she recalled. But the majority of the decision making was left to Dean.

When he was gone, the Ridgewood, N.J., mom had to make sense of everything on her own.

Stereotypes say situations like Wellington's usually involve women who lose their husbands late in life, then face financial uncertainty as they puzzle through bank accounts and investments for the first time. But it's not just older women who leave the big money questions to their husbands. Despite strides in the workforce, traditional roles are still common at home. Women as young as their 20s frequently defer financial decision making to their spouses or even their fathers.

GO HERE to read more.

The Mother Of All Blondes

Man To Give $1,000 For Each Jobless Worker Hired

Philanthropist is promoting a $250,000 effort called Hire Just One

NEWTOWN, Pa. — A suburban Philadelphia philanthropist who believes charity is a powerful incentive thinks he can help get Americans back to work one donation at a time.

Gene Epstein, 71, is promoting a $250,000 effort called Hire Just One, with plans to make $1,000 donations to charity in the name of businesses that hire an unemployed person and keep the worker on the payroll for at least six months.

Epstein, who amassed a personal fortune through car sales and real estate investments, has set aside his money for the first 250 hires — and thinks thousands more jobs could be created if others took on his idea, too.

GO HERE to read more.

Baltimore Cop Killed Over Parking Space

An off-duty Baltimore City Police Department detective was killed on Saturday night in a dispute over a parking space.

The Associated Press reported that a preliminary police investigation has revealed that a suspect struck the off-duty officer with a large rock or piece of concrete.

Detective Brian Stevenson, an 18-year-veteran, was celebrating with a friend for his birthday on Sunday. He would have turned 38 today.

After sustaining head trauma, Stevenson was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he later died.

The suspects, described as a man and a woman, fled the scene. Interviews with witnesses on the scene led investigators to "people of interest," who have been taken into custody, according to the Associated Press.

Police did not say how many people had been taken into custody.

Source

Tea Partiers Get The Constitution Wrong

Tea Party evangelists claim the Constitution as their sacred text. Why that’s wrong.

Since winning the Republican senate primary in Delaware last month, Christine O’Donnell has not had trouble getting noticed. When the Tea Party icon admitted to “dabbl[ing] into witchcraft” as a youngster, the press went wild. When she revealed that she was “not a witch” after all, the response was rabid. O’Donnell has fudged her academic credentials, defaulted on her mortgage, sued a former employer, and campaigned against masturbation, and her efforts have been rewarded with round-the-clock coverage. Yet few observers seem to have given her views on the United States Constitution the same level of consideration. Which is too bad, because O’Donnell’s Tea Party take on our founding text is as unusual as her stance on autoeroticism. Except that it could actually have consequences.

Last month, the candidate spoke to 2,000 right-wing activists at the annual Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. She wore a black suit and pearls, and swept on stage to the sound of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Most of the speech was unremarkable: a laundry list of conservative platitudes. But near the end she veered into stranger—and more revealing—territory. O’Donnell once told voters that her “No. 1” qualification for the Senate is an eight-day course she took at a conservative think tank in 2002. Now she was revisiting its subject: the Constitution.

GO HERE to read more.

CPR Switch: Chest Presses First, Then Give Breaths

Heart group flips the old "ABC" -- airway, breathing, compressions -- to "CAB"

DALLAS — New guidelines out Monday switch up the steps for CPR, telling rescuers to start with hard, fast chest presses before giving mouth-to-mouth.

The change puts "the simplest step first" for traditional CPR, said Dr. Michael Sayre, co-author of the guidelines issued by the American Heart Association.

In recent years, CPR guidance has been revised to put more emphasis on chest pushes for sudden cardiac arrest. In 2008, the heart group said untrained bystanders or those unwilling to do rescue breaths could do hands-only CPR until paramedics arrive or a defibrillator is used to restore a normal heart beat.

GO HERE to read more.

Debate Comes Up Short Again On Policy Proposals

If elected again as Maryland’s governor, Bob Ehrlich would eliminate traditional pensions for new state employees and give them defined contribution plans like the 401(k)s that dominate the corporate world.

That’s one teensy bit of news – as in something you’ve never heard before – that came out of the second televised debate between the Republican ex-governor and incumbent Democrat Martin O’Malley.

GO HERE to read more.

Second County Considers Immigration Law Enforcement

Washington County stands to become the second Maryland jurisdiction to join a controversial immigration program when it completes its planned jail expansion next year.

Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore said the county is eyeing the 287(g) program, which gives some powers of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to local deputies.

"Once we get some additional space, we will certainly consider implementing the 287(g) program in its entirety," Mullendore said.

Jail overcrowding is the main reason why the county is not participating now, Mullendore said. The sheriff's office needs the space for local prisoners and can't provide beds to federal agencies, he said.

GO HERE to read more.

Sorting Out Tax Consequences Of Asset Sales

If you sell something for a profit, you can expect the government to take its cut.

More »

My Fellow District 4 Voters

My name is Craig Theobald and I’m asking for your vote for the Worcester Board of Education on November 2nd. . Please take a few moments to find out why.

This past school year I became a "Community Volunteer" at the Worcester Technical High School. I donated over 400 hours to the teachers, staff and students that year and continue to do so this year. I’m retired and I have the time to dedicate myself for the betterment of our community. I enjoy giving back and I hope you’ll give me the chance to make a difference.
 
While volunteering at the school, I saw some things that concerned me. I listened to the teachers, staff and students and I heard about the problems they face. I saw wasteful spending and some staff that work very hard for very little money. So, I did some research. As a retired police officer, that kind of thing comes naturally to me. Here’s what I found:

1. School Security is virtually non-existent. This will be the first thing addressed when I become a member of the school board. This should be a concern to us all!

2. Taxpayers spend $80,000.00 a year to have a private company take our school’s trash to our own landfill! Can you believe it? Just to take out the trash! Let’s take out our own trash and put that money in the classroom.

3. The School Board members each are paid a "stipend" of $5,000.00 a year. "Stipends" are just a way to pay someone without calling it a paycheck. Over the 4 year term of the 7 of the school board members, that’s $140,000.00 of your tax dollars. And how much time do they work for that money? They meet for 3 hours a month. I want to change this. I’ll do it for $1.00 a year or $4.00 for my entire 4 year term. I’ll turn the other $19,996.00 over to fund school programs. That money belongs in the classroom!

Our teachers, staff and students need to be safe at school and I will make our schools a safer place. And our teachers, staff and students will do better if waste is trimmed and that money goes where it belongs, in the classroom.

But to do that, I’ll need your vote on November 2nd
.
My name is Craig Theobald and I’m asking for your vote for Board of Education, District 4

This mailing was paid for by the candidate.
Authorized: Judith Kolarik, Treasurer

WNC Candidate Forum TONIGHT!

THE WICOMICO NEIGHBORHOOD CONGRESS, INC.

Sponsors a

PUBLIC FORUM OF CANDIDATES FOR WICOMICO COUNTY COUNCIL

(Contested Seats Only)

on

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010

7 to 9 PM

In the

Amphitheatre of Guerreri Hall (GH 101)

WOR-WIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CANDIDATES INVITED:

At Large: Dave Cowall -- Bob Culver – Matt Holloway -- Ed Taylor

First District:  David Goslee -- Sheree Sample-Hughes

Fourth District:  Bob Caldwell -- Dave MacLeod

Candidates Will Be Questioned on Significant Issues Expected to Face the County Council during the Next Term – 2011 through 2014 by DON RUSH of WSCL/WSDL (Public Radio Delmarva)

Doormats

Bank Account

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with  his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is  legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual  description of his tiny  room, including the eyelet sheetsung on his window.

I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'

'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.

Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.

Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.

'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the  parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away.. Just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!

Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank.

I am still depositing.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less. 
 
Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

Fire On Division Street

SBYNews Interviews

Hello Joe,

    

This coming election I believe voters will be going to the voting booth with more information about each candidate than ever before. This is all because of the time and effort by SBY News. I know that because of work it is difficult for me to get to all the public forums. Now I can simply go to SBY News and view them at my leisure. What is especially good about this is that if you weren't quite sure about what the candidate said you just go back and listen again. Your recent interview with former councilmen Ed Taylor brought back some memories that I almost forgot about. When you asked about the possibility of any tax breaks for the citizens Mr. Taylor made it quite clear that in this current economic climate this was not the time for any tax reductions.  I wish you could have followed up and asked Mr. Taylor exactly what kind of economic conditions would be suitable for him to give the taxpayers a little break. I seem to remember a time when Councilmen Mathews wanted to reduce the Piggy Back Tax from 60% to 45% after an unexpectedly large revenue windfall for the county. Mr. Taylor voted against that measure. So by watching that SBY News interview and remembering what has happened before it seems to me that there is no way a taxpayer will get any kind of tax break from him. It was also clear from the interview that Mr. Taylor is no fan of the revenue cap on property tax rates. In fact he said it cost the county 50 million dollars.I don't know about you but I would rather see that money in the hands of our county taxpayers than in the hands of many county departments. The interview also brought up something that I believe most voters have forgotten about. Wasn't Mr. Taylor on the County Council that  voted for the 24-26% increase in property tax rate and that started the push for the revenue cap? I'm sure someone will correct me on that if I'm wrong about that. Without having SBY News Interviews as a reminder a lot of this information might just have slipped into the back of my memory. Thanks Joe for the great job of keeping the voters informed informed about our county.

 

John Palmer Jr.

Vietnam And Yom Kippur Wars Were Closely Connected, Newly Released U.S. Documents Reveal

Henry Kissinger, at 50, was at the height of his powers: secretary of state and national security advisor, hero of the negotiations that led to America's withdrawal from Vietnam, master of the mediation between Israel and Egypt and Syria. Golda Meir, a woman of 75, was Israel's prime minister. When the two met, they were usually accompanied by colleagues, aides and transcribers.

Nguyen Van Thieu was a military man and a politician, the president of South Vietnam and Kissinger's contemporary. Like the prime minister of Israel, he was a cranky and ungrateful client of the United States government. On November 29, 1973, about a month after the end of the Yom Kippur War, in a meeting of the crisis management team he headed in Washington, Kissinger confessed: "I've always had this secret desire to get Golda [Meir] into negotiations with [President] Thieu. What a scene that would be! They both deserve each other."

A week later, Kissinger met with South Vietnamese foreign minister Vuong Van Bac, who asked for fighter planes and antitank weaponry.

"If you promise not to record this," Kissinger said, "I'll tell you one of my secret wishes - that is to get President Thieu into negotiations with the Israeli prime minister. That would be a match. Your president is a real pro. The Israelis also want anti-tank weapons. So let the Israeli prime minister and President Thieu negotiate to see who would get our antitank weapons. No, seriously, I appreciate your need for antitank weapons."

Kissinger hastened to reassure Bac: "[Let] me say again we will do the maximum possible to preserve your independence and integrity."

In other words, the United States would act only within the bounds of what was actually possible; the administration would do only what Congress approved.

Or as Bac heard a year later from a new president, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon's successor, "I want to reassure you we will support President Thieu in every way - economically, politically, diplomatically. Our problem is not us, but on the Hill." These are quotes from secret U.S. documents released last week, just as transcripts of Golda Meir's war cabinet from the terrible days of October 1973 were revealed. The American papers are included in the last volume of Vietnam War documents published by the U.S. State Department - extending until the fall of the regime in South Vietnam and the occupation of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City ) in April of 1975.

Last week Kissinger was the main speaker at a conference convened at the State Department, his old stomping grounds, to mark this last volume's publication.

He spoke about the polar differences between the two sides at the end of the 1960s and the start of the '70s. The Americans sought a compromise; the North Vietnamese a victory, to replace the regime in the south and to unite the two halves of Vietnam under their rule. When they became stronger militarily, they attacked; when they were blocked, they agreed to bargain; when they signed an agreement, they waited for an opportunity to break it and win.
Read more here

IDF Confirms Attack On Northern Gaza

One Palestinian was killed and two other injured in an IDF strike in northern Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian sources report.

A statement by the Israel Defense Forces said that Israel Air Force attacked a terrorist cells planning to launch Qassam rockets or mortar bombs at Israel.

According to Palestinian reports, Israel Navy attacked a Hamas training facility north of Gaza city. Gaza hospital confirmed that one man was killed and two other were wounded, one of whom in critical condition.

"The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers, and will continue to act firmly against terror," an army statement said Sunday, adding that Israel held "Hamas solely responsible for the situation in Gaza and for maintaining the peace there.

According to the Israeli military spokesman's office, a total of 165 rockets and mortars have been launched from the Gaza Strip at Israel so far this year.

More here

DHS: 'Assassins? We'll Put Up Warning Signs'

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned Arizona law enforcement officials in May that Mexican drug cartels were deploying assassins to kill bandits highjacking their drug loads in the Vekol Valley, 70 miles inside Arizona. Then the federal government set up signs in the region to warn American citizens away from this area of U.S. sovereign territory.  

That local law enforcement would be left to confront agents of a foreign cartel coming across the international border of the United States to carry out a deadly drug war on U.S. soil is further evidence that the federal government is not doing its duty to secure the border, said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu.

“This is confirmed intelligence that Mexican drug cartels are now working in concert to protect their drug loads in the United States, literally, to send well-armed, military trained--even with ballistic vests--up to my county,” Babeu told CNSNews.com.

“This clearly is no longer a public safety issue,” he said. “This is a national security issue. The violence is bleeding into America and we must stop it.”

The DHS sent an e-mail on May 13, 2010 to several law enforcement agencies warning that Mexican drug cartels were deploying “sicarios” (assassins) into the western part of Pinal County, Ariz., to “take out” bandits that were robbing drug smugglers who had entered the United States from Mexico through the Arizona desert.

The e-mail was made public this past Friday, Oct. 15 (five months later), after local media in Arizona obtained the e-mail and questioned local law enforcement about it.
Here is more

Frau Merkel States The Obvious

Attempts to build a multicultural society in Germany have "utterly failed", Chancellor Angela Merkel says.

In a speech in Potsdam, she said the so-called "multikulti" concept - where people would "live side-by-side" happily - did not work.

Mrs Merkel's comments come amid recent outpourings of strong anti-immigrant feeling from mainstream politicians.

A recent survey showed that more than 30% of Germans believed Germany was "overrun by foreigners".

The study - by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation think-tank - also showed that roughly the same number thought that some 16 million of Germany's immigrants or people with foreign origins had come to the country for the social benefits.

Speaking to a meeting of young members of her Christian Democrats (CDU), Merkel said allowing people of different cultural backgrounds to live side by side without integrating had not worked in a country that is home to some four million Muslims.

"This (multicultural) approach has failed, utterly failed," Merkel said.

Merkel faces pressure from within her CDU to take a tougher line on immigrants who don't show a willingness to adapt to German society and her comments appeared intended to pacify her critics.

Mrs Merkel told the gathering on Saturday that at "the beginning of the 60s our country called the foreign workers to come to Germany and now they live in our country... We kidded ourselves a while, we said: 'They won't stay, sometime they will be gone', but this isn't reality.

In her speech, the chancellor specifically referred to recent comments by German President Christian Wulff who said that Islam was "part of Germany" like Christianity and Judaism.

While acknowledging that this was the case, Mrs Merkel stressed that immigrants living in Germany needed to do more to integrate, including learning to speak German.

"Anyone who does not immediately speak German", she said, "is not welcome".
More here

Christine O'Donnell: Where’s My Party?

Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell ratcheted up her frustration with the National Republican Senatorial Committee Thursday for its reluctance to help finance her campaign to defeat Democratic challenger Chris Coons, according to Fox News.

“The Republican Party on the state level or on the national level, neither have come in to help me close the gap in the polls,” O’Donnell said, noting the Democratic Party has upped the ante by running more ads against her. “And my opponent…there’s so much to attack him on, yet the NRSC refuses to play, and that baffles me because he’s a sitting duck. There’s a lot to go after him [on].”

During her debate with Coons Wednesday night, O’Donnell acknowledged the difficulties she’s had with Republican leadership ever since she launched her campaign against party favorite Rep. Mike Castle, whom O’Donnell defeated in the state GOP primary.

“I've had to fight my party to be here on this stage to win the nomination, and to some extent I am still fighting my party,” she said.

Here's more

MSP Press Release

DATE & TIME: 10-16-10 @ 0855hrs
LOCATION: Pittsville, Wicomico Co., MD. 21801
CASE NUMBER: 1054-009245
CRIME: 1. 2nd Degree Assault
Accused: Joseph Worley Sr of Pittsville, MD

BRIEF RESUME: On the above date and time, Tfc Goldman responded to an assault in Pittsville, Md. Investigation revealed Joseph Worley Sr had assaulted his stepdaughter at the residence. The step daughter received minor injuries as a result of this incident. Joseph Worley was placed under arrest for assault and transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center for Processing.