Welcome Wymzie!

Talk about a woman who can write! Wymzie is just incredible and I have enjoyed her work for years now. I am so excited she has come on board with Salisbury News to share her thoughts and wisdom and let me assure you Ladies & Gentlemen, The Daily Times only wishes they had such talent! Welcome Aboard and do enjoy her work.

Don't forget to visit her own Blog at, wymzie.blogspot.com.

A.S.A.P. = Ray Lewis = Salisbury Festival = Chamber Of Commerce?

The word has been spreading about Ray Lewis sponsoring the Salisbury Festival. I've been told that Brad Belachicco (sp?) stated that Ray Lewis has not been indicted and that's why they accepted his sponsorship. However, even Mr. Pollitt stated, while this may be true, Ray Lewis has confessed.

Look, I like the Salisbury Festival and I think it's great for the community. However, to accept crooked money for such an event will keep me from making any purchases there, period. I will attend the event to take pictures but that will be it.

Mayor Tilghman should be outraged and the City should demand such sponsorship be denied and dropped immediately.

"The Salisbury Festival is the largest festival in Wicomico County and draws over 25,000 people for three days of activities. It is planned by the Chamber with assistance from Comcast Cablevision of Delmarva (the corporate sponsor) and many of our member companies and supporting community groups."

Call the chamber at 410-749-0144 or e-mail them at chamber@salisburyarea.com if you would like to voice YOUR opinion about YOUR stolen tax dollars being thrown into this event. What do YOU think?

Is There Such a Thing as a Cancer Belt?

Ever since we moved here in 1987, we have heard the words Cancer Belt.

My Grandparents who lived in the house in which we live both died of cancer. My Uncle Donnie who took care of them died of cancer. All three were heavy smokers, but why do some people get it and other don't?

Dozens of people that I have had the pleasure of knowing have died in the time that I have lived here and all from Cancer.

Why?

I have a couple of theories that I will share, now these are not based on scientific fact just plain old observation.

1) Nearly every weather system that develops on our continent goes from west to east, and we breath air blown all the way across the country blowing all of the good air mixed with all kinds of pollutants from other areas. Often during the summer, not only are we breathing all of those pollutants but we also end up drinking them and eating them. Many of the weather systems dump that weathers rain right smack on top of us with chemicals of all different sorts. Which leads me to my next observation...

2) If all of this weather from across the country rains or snows on us bringing all of the toxic chemicals right here to the ground on which we walk sow our seeds eat our vegetables, in the end seeps down into our groundwater, which in my backyard is exactly 4'1" from the surface.

3) If these various chemicals leach into our soil and eventually into our groundwater, then that means we are drinking all of them. This can't be good for us.

4) Additionally, we are host a huge array of factory farms not only on the eastern shore but the Shenandoah Valley, Pennsylvania, and western Maryland, all of whose water flows right to us.

We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Chicken farms create huge amounts of nitrogen. While nitrogen on very limited scale is good for the soil in mass quantities it is proven to cause cancer.

Moreover, all of the chemicals that we feed these animals including growth hormones and, antibiotics to name a few are not only being eaten when we purchase these animals in our local stores and ingest them, but they are also excreted in their waste.

Recently, it was reported on national news sources that pharmaceuticals have been found in our drinking water. What else is in there. They test for lead, ammonia, chlorine, and other things but are we testing for all of these other things and are we making provision to rectify these.

WBOC did a story the other day about how polluted the Pocomoke River is, because of an antiquated sewer system dumping millions of gallons a day of treated effluent into the river everyday from the Snow Hill, Sewer Treatment Facility. This town has got to address these issues post haste. They had the opportunity to have federal monies to replace it but a developer wanted to purchase a huge amount of land and was speculating on building a development that would double the current size of Snow Hill. Now that developer can't obtain the bonds necessary to install the system. The market is in the toilet, and he can't get the financing, and now we will all suffer.

I found a site factoryfarmmap.org this map will show you what factory farms are in your area, how many, and the top polluters.

According to the map Maryland is #10 in the nation for Broiler Chicken Production, and #23 out of 50 in polluters.

This is a very interesting site, and extremely informative. Check it out!

We owe to ourselves and our children to clean up our acts and take responsibility ourselves to make this a healthier place to live.

Oprah's Big Give

WMDT 47 is teaming up with Oprah's Big Give to give back BIG to the Child Advocacy Center:

The Child Advocacy Center offers a comprehensive array of services for families affected by abuse and neglect, including assessment, investigation, prosecution and treatment.

Oprah’s Big Give has pledged $10,000 to the Child Advocacy Center.

WMDT 47 in partnership with the Community Foundation is issuing a challenge to Delmarva. They will donate another $10,000 if the public can match its donation.

Now it's up to you - you can send in any donation to help us protect the smallest citizens of Wicomico County.

For more information on the Child Advocacy Center, please contact us at 410-713-3497 or visit our website at www.cacwicomicocounty.org

To make a donation, please write “CAC Challenge” in the memo line of your check and mail to:

Community Foundation
1324 Belmont Avenue Suite 401
Salisbury, MD 21804

The children of Wicomico County and the Child Advocacy Center thank you for your support!

The Making Of A World Champion

Many may not be familiar with the name or recognize Fernando Guerrero but millions of people will know exactly who this guy is world wide this Wednesday night as he debuts on ESPN II at 8:00 PM from the Bell Auditorium.

Fernando and his manager Hal Chernoff left this morning around 4:00 AM to Baltimore where they'll catch a flight to Augusta, Georgia for the 5th fight of Fernando's career. So far Fernando is 4-0, all 4 fights won by knock out! He'll be fighting a man named Valentino Galamo, who is 2-2. I just want to warn everyone, Fernando's fight could be earlier, it could be later?

Last week Fernando sparred with former World Champion Paul Williams. After asking Fernando what that experience was like he said, "It made me believe I belong in the ring and a Champion." Fernando wanted ALL other kids from the Salisbury area to know, they can do it to, they can make it, I did.

I asked his Coach, Manager, Best Friend and Dad, Hal, what makes Fernando so special? Hal explained how he's better than Roy Jones Jr. & Floyd Mayweather, (? sp) Hal's very proud of this young man and although Hal is Fernando's adopted Dad, (so to speak) he truly treats him like one of his own and disciplines him to teach him right or wrong.

Keep your eyes out for this young man Ladies & Gentlemen, he's truly special and this young man LOVES Salisbury, "It's my home." He hopes to win the Championship so he can bring HBO and ESPN right here to Salisbury and not have to travel any more.

UPDATE: I just read elsewhere: his fight will be on Wednesday Night Fights at around 10 PM ET or after the major league baseball game.

Last Nights City Council Work Session

Some good questions came up at the city council work session about Fire Station 16 from Debbie Campbell about keeping some emergency response there, but the questions still went unanswered. While most of the discussion focused on fires, Terry Cohen asked about EMS response because Louise Smith said she was comfortable with Chief See saying there was plenty of fire coverage from the stations at Beaglin, Brown and Fruitland. When Terry asked if there was ambulance service at Fruitland and Gary Comegys said "no," Louise said there were private companies to handle that.

Dee, dee, deeee, Louise. Companies like Lifestar don't do those kind of calls.

That wasn't Louise's only dee, dee, deeee moment of the night, either. When the council was considering a city in China to be a sister city, she asked the Derek Wu from Bennett High School (amazing, well-spoken young man of Chinese ancestry) where he learned to speak English so well. Derek didn't miss a beat, saying, "I was born in Oregon." So much for Louise touting her "multiculturalism" background. If she'd been listening, she'd have known Derek was American. (By the way, Derek is THE student representative to the Maryland State Board of Education, a first I think for the Eastern Shore. Congratulation, Derek!)

I have to admit, Louise did ask on the fire station if the matter of who owns Station 16 had been settled (been reading my blog, Louise?) But when the answer was not yet, but it "looked" like the city does, Louise didn't miss a beat just moving on ahead as though nothing mattered. Terry Cohen was the one who came back to it and said the issue had to be settled for certain before any RFP could go out. (Can't sell what's not yours.) Oh, and an FYI for certain hand-out requesters, the strip of land next to Station 16 is NOT part of this RFP. The council wants to keep it as open space.

There was an intense discussion on the large budget amendments Barrie Tilghman and the council majority tried to ram through and Paul Wilber's big legal bills to the city, but I'll post on that later today. It deserves its own space, including a few more dee, dee, deeees to come.

LIVE From The City Council Work Session

I will provide more details later but some very good questions have been brought up about the old Fire Station 16. The report Debbie Campbell asked for from See & Keenan were simply never provided as to why they shouldn't keep it as a 1st response Station and since Keenan retired before the report could be delivered, See is denying a request ever existed. I have been present at least 5 times when it was.

There were three other people here as potential buyers and as we all stood around discussing this at a break, no one believes that Station is worth much more than $250,000.00.

More to come............

Gannett Publishes Pocomoke Election Endorsement Letters In Wrong Paper

Pocomoke City lost a bit of local history when the Worcester County Messenger was sold out to Nationwide Corporate Giant Gannett, then rolled into the Worcester County Times, AKA Ocean City Times. In reading through the web based content with letters to the Editor I noted two letters of support for Bruce Morrison in his bid for re-election to the Pocomoke City Council last Tuesday April 1st.

The letters of support were published in the Ocean Pines Independent. WOW Does anyone check what they print there?

Click here to read them, they are very nice and supportive but a little bit late.

I find it incredulous that this publisher does not proof read advertising nor do they check content for context or if it is even in the correct publication.

Yes we supported Councilman Bruce Morrison in his election bid and its nice to see that Reverend Greg Powell wrote a nice letter of support and that Jimmy Hammond on behalf of the Pocomoke Fire Dept supported one of their own.

I am baffled as to who in Ocean Pines really cares about a Pocomoke City Municipal election and why these were not published last week in the Worchester County Times?

This is just one more example of what happens to a small town when they sell their souls & community assets to big business getting nothing for the community in return.

5th Annual Pork In The Park Brings Entertainment To The Community

Entertainment Line-Up Released

(Salisbury, MD) Do you love Bar-B-Que, the great outdoors and free live entertainment? The Wicomico County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism is excited to announce the schedule of its fifth annual Pork in the Park Bar-B-Que and Beer Festival to be held at Winterplace Park in Salisbury, MD on April 18-20, 2008.

Friday (4:00pm-10:00pm)

4pm Chris English

6pm The Bonedaddies

8pm The Couch Potatoes

Saturday (10:00am-10:00pm)

10:30am Mitchell’s Marshall Arts Demo

11am Feet of Fire Dance Co.

11am Red Knights Motorcycle Show

11:30am Northpointe Tabernacle Youth

1pm On the Edge

3:30pm Wi-Hi Steppers

4pm Jon Bolin, Acoustic Guitar

4:30pm Red Knights Motorcycle Awards

5pm KCBS BBQ Awards Ceremony

6pm Crawdaddies

8pm Tom Principato

Sunday (11:00am-5:00pm)

11am Squelin’ Wheels Car Show

11:30am Mitchell’s Marshall Arts Demo

12pm Jon Bolin, Acoustic Guitar

1pm Crossroads

3pm Julius Curcio

Strolling entertainers, including the Amazing Justini and Magician Chuck Flayhart will bring family-fun throughout the whole festival.

The festival is open from 4pm to 10pm on Friday, April 18, 10:00am to 10:00pm on Saturday and 11:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday. Admission is only $2 per person, and children under twelve are free.

The Pork in the Park National Bar-B-Que Cook-Off is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and sponsored by Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism as well as French’s, Harley Davidson of Ocean City, Perdue, Saturn of Salisbury, Farmer’s Bank of Willards, Comcast Spotlight, Delmarva Power, Pepsi, Froggy 99.9, Q105, Holt Paper, Clear Channel Outdoor, and WMDT 47.

For more information please visit www.PorkinthePark.org. If you would like to learn more about other upcoming programs offered by the Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism Department sign up for Recreation email alerts at www.wicomicorecandparks.org.

This weeks DVD releases:4/8/2008

"Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story"(starring John C.Reilly) is among this weeks DVD releases and having seen it, I have to say it was as bad as I expected but in a good way-it spoofs practically ever "Behind the Music"-style movie about the rise and fall of a famed musician that has ever been made. It borrows heavily from "Walk the Line" and also incorporates scenes from others like "The Doors".

Any "rock star-movie" cliche you can think of is satired here. Look for cameos from very famous faces, including a hilarious turn as a young Elvis by musician Jack White and Jack Black as Paul McCartney. I loved this movie but sadly admit some people will not find it funny. BTW, the unrated DVD version has a gratuitous male full-frontal nudity shot in deference to "Boogie Nights" (John C.Reilly also starred in this!)but this guy is not as developed as Dirk Diggler.

As each decade brings a different music style, Dewey adapts and does a "crossover" between stints in rehab. Hysterically funny movie!

Available in widescreen.

Other Theatrical Releases this week:

• "There will be blood"-deleted scenes on DVD
• "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep"- widescreen DVD
• "Lions for Lambs"-widescreen DVD

Classic re-releases

• "The 6th Day"-Bluray release
• "All about Eve"(1950)-2 disc DVD set

Tv on DVD

• "Matlock-The 1st Season"-7 disc DVD set
• "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-Season Six" Animated TV series on DVD

Also,George Romeros' "Day of the Dead" remake (2007) will be released this week on DVD,it stars Ving Rhames,Nick Cannon,and Mena Suvari(American Beauty). A must-see for true horror-philes.

What Say You Now Mayor, Chiefy & Firefighters?

Boy, people are passionate about their opinions. Here is what is correct. It IS economically feasible to place solar panels on a commercial application. Even with the lousy rebates in Maryland, it makes good economic sense AND--it is the RIGHT thing to do. I should know, I own the Wash 'N Vac Car Wash on Northwood Drive that was referenced in this piece.

I have a solar water heating system to aid in wash water heating that will pay back in less than three years, including the $2k rebate from the state.

The solar electric system is 6.3kW. This system will pay back in 10-12 years, maybe sooner if electric rates keep going up.....oops, I mean as electric rates continue to go up. The rebate from the state is $5k. I will also be able to sell renewable energy credits back to the power company. The details of that are still being worked out. Anyhow, the solar panels have a full 25 year warranty, the inverter has a ten year warranty. Where can this go wrong? I think the Sun is going to keep shining.

We also recycle part of our water; up to 50%. These are the right things to do as business people. It is a win, win.

I wanted to place more solar electric panels on this roof, but have decided to install some at my two Delaware locations. Delaware rebates 50% of the system costs up to $250k. The pay back will be much quicker there.

Brian Dayton
Wash 'N Vac, Inc.
P.O. Box 959
Seaford, DE 19973

Brian, THANK YOU! I have been trying to make this point for a good year or more and they always have excuses/lies. Wisdom and experience is what was needed to settle the minds of the Taxpayers and even though my Father In Law proved this years ago in the Library Downtown, having someone else come on board and share their experience is what was really needed. The Mayor and Fire Chief have once again failed the Taxpayers.

Say Goodbye To Home Equity In Maryland!

A very good friend in the mortgage business told me that a LOT of banks are freezing peoples home equity lines and lines of credit due to the nationwide foreclosure rate and real estate market, and the fact Maryland has been placed in a "declining market".

An example of what a travesty this is would be a couple that uses that line to pay for their kids education, after they worked to pay down their primary mortgage. No funds any longer. The same with retired people, they have a small mortgage (can't qualify to get another) yet have lived responsibly, and now have that "line" for emergencies and to live from, but they have found it's no longer honored.

These decisions are based on what's called a "declining market", which I am told all of Maryland is in. This is one of the standards the lenders look at.

Now, if a lender has not already done this, some people have "cashed out their line", or equity in full, for fear this is going to happen, and put it in an under funded savings account, which now puts the lender in more of a profitable position, and putting the person in a real debt, with payments that otherwise would not have happened. All of this is just compounding the position of once a strong country, now in DEBT more than ever, and growing.

IF this is happening as much as I am told, I sure hope the average person knows it's a possibility, because not everyone over financed, over spent, but considered these line of credits good planning, to now have the rug pulled from under them could be a real hardship. Just another step to sending the current economy into the worst free fall for the last 75 years.

Important Fundraiser

Local Government Tort Claims Legislation Clears the House

Legislation opposed by both MML and the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) cleared the House of Delegates and was heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee last week. Testifying in opposition to the bill was MML's Director of Government Relations Candace Donoho, MACo Executive Director David Bliden and a representative of Baltimore City's Office of the Solicitor. HB 16 extends the time required to file a claim against a local government from six months to one year. MML cited increased exposure to lawsuits, potential increased legal fees and increased insurance costs as reasons the bill would hurt local governments. The legislation will be voted on by the full Senate committee this week.

[source: Maryland Municipal League e-bulletin of March 31, 2008]

Talk about Absurd!

Fruitland Police Department Press Release

Case #: 08-133, 08-570, 08-657, 08-707 and 08-859

Incident: Malicious Destruction of Property (MDOP)

Charged: Two (2) juveniles, 14 yoa white male and 16 yoa AA male

During the month of March, both juveniles sprayed-painted several buildings, sheds, dumpsters and construction trailers in the Fruitland area. Subjects were released to the custody of their parents.

* * * * *

Case #: 08-818

Incident: MDOP and Theft

Charged: TROY ALAN CALLOWAY Buena Vista Ave, Salisbury, MD

W/M, DOB: 10/25/75

An Arrest Warrant was served on April 5, 2008 for charges pertaining to the MDOP and theft from soda machines in Fruitland.

So Do Tell Me Again Why The Salisbury Fire Department Couldn't Go Solar?

We were told it wasn't cost effective for the Salisbury Fire Department, (a $10,000,000.00 Fire Station) to go green and save taxpayers money by going solar. OK, so do tell me how this local Car Wash was able to do so and let me assure you, they don't have $10,000,000.00 invested into that building! I'll add, the Wicomico County Library in Downtown Salisbury also went Solar.

What say you now Chief See and Deputy Chief Gordy?????????

Furthermore:

OK, now that the BS has been spread by See & Gordy, NOW here's some FACTS and TRUTH.

Ladies & Gentlemen, when the Library Downtown was taken over, they had a 6,000 gallon boiler system in there costing the taxpayers $6,000.00 a year in oil. That was for the original 24,000 square foot building.

My Father In Law had Solar Panels installed back in, (ARE YOU READY) 1978 when they expanded the building to more than 50,000 square feet!

That being said, the solar panels, (which are STILL there today) covered 75% of the heating bills from that point forward and the oil heating system, which kicked in below 30 degrees only cost the taxpayers $1,200.00 PER YEAR after the solar panels were installed.

Yes, I waited till some of the Idiots got on here to defend why they DIDN'T install solar panels because I wanted to show just how stupid and uninformed they really are.

Many businesses are going solar because it makes sense! Barrie, See & Gordy don't care about YOUR tax dollars and the Library is living proof they're liars in more ways than one.

I guess I'll be seeing yet another lawsuit coming soon because every time I'm right about something and it makes them look really bad, they sue me. Oh well, I'm up for it.

Wymzie (Mrs. Boss Hogg) has Started Her Own 'Non-Political' Blog

Wymzie has started her own blog. I think I need a place to write about my many other interests other than politics.

As opinionated as I am, I feel strongly about a variety of issues and a political blog is not always the place to share them.

My blog will focus on my experiences and other woman who can identify with me. I will post topics regarding gardening, motherhood, spirituality, friendships, beekeeping, birdwatching, great recipes, the arts, living in mid-life, having an aged grandfather, and all of the wonderful things I learn from him, owning an old home, sex, marriage, great books I have or am reading and poetry, and car repair for girls.

All around life issues from the world according to wymzie.

I hope that all of you will check it out. Contribute to it, and share with me any ideas that you may have to make it a better, more fun, relevant and informative place to be .

I will continue to contribute to the Pocomoke Tattler, and to SalisburyNews.com, but I often times have writing that I have wanted to share and a political forum is just not the place to do so.

You can find me by Clicking on wymzie.blogspot.com

Hope to see you all there!!!

Community Event Wednesday

The Ben Layton Memorial Committee, whose members consist of Team in Training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society participants, are holding a Silent Auction this Wednesday, April 9th. The Silent Auction will be by invitation only and will be held at the Cactus Taverna from 6:30 to 9pm. All proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

This event is the first of two this year, with the second being the Ben Layton Memorial 5k run on Saturday, April 26th.

Brotherhood My Ass!

You don't like the title, turn off this Site!

Now I'm mad! I learned this morning that the City of Salisbury, Mayor Barrie Tilghman, Chief See and Deputy Chief Gordy are ONCE AGAIN trying to FIRE yet another 18 year veteran of the City, Mr. David Merritt of the Salisbury Fire Department.

That's right Folks. Here's yet another victim of their bullshit brotherhood crap where they'll do anything to advance and forget where they came from. They did it to my Wife after 18 years too.

If ANY ONE OF YOU have had the pleasure of getting to know this man, they do not come any finer! Dedication, honorable, fair and a true Brother, yet his Brothers are standing there watching yet ANOTHER person fall and get screwed by the system and those dumb Idiots just stand there and watch because they're getting flat screen tv's and new Fire Trucks as well as a new station.

So please, each and every one of you pieces of sh!t, don't come on here and talk Brotherhood to me. And as far as See & Gordy go, game on, you pieces of sh!t! Thank God your fat asses never got hurt on the job so bad you couldn't perform 100%, right?

I have lost all respect for these two and as it was my goal to rid of John Jacobs, Jim Rapp & Carrie Samis, See & Gordy are now next. Oh, if you think it's not possible, just look at Jacobs, Rapp & Samis. I'm batting a thousand!

Shorebirds Fireworks

If you missed the past couple of games, you also missed the Fireworks! Above are some samples of the fantastic show they put off the other night.