The Daily Times Wants To Be Just Like Joe Albero

Not only is The Daily Times now posting all the crime stats, (which is a really good thing) from the SPD but now when you go to their Home Page and look at their top news stories, look what they send you to! I posted my story at 9:10 AM this morning and they decided it was so good that they better follow my lead. Click the link below and it takes you to the same story/facts. ROTFLMAO!

DATA CENTER: Maryland tax rates by county, municipality - 2:31 PM

Oh, do tell me, what does the Daily Times cost per day and what does Salisbury News cost per day? Just wondering!

Salisbury Fire Boat Sunk To Bottom Of River For 2nd Time In Two Weeks!

Click on images to enlarge.

Yes, this boat has sunk twice in two weeks and the SFD still refused to pull it out of the water. The Dock Master told me it some how got caught up under one of the piers and as the tide rose the boat kept filling with water from heavy rains and flipped and sunk. I have owned boats for many years and let me assure you, I would never tie up a boat that would have enough room to slip under another dock and get snagged!

The last time, Fire Fighters were claiming it was a total loss, (two weeks ago) and as I saw pictures, the brand new motor the City just bought last year was above the water and safe. I guess it wasn't good enough the first time since the bilge pump failed, leave it in the water again and this time DO IT RIGHT!

Everyone knows from my past articles just how desperate See & Gordy have been about getting that new Boat. This should tell each and every one of you that they are so dumb, they simply put that boat that sunk just two weeks ago BACK into the water to finish the job! I wouldn't give these guys 2 cents for anything in the future!

So let me ask you Taxpayers of Salisbury, just how much of this CRAP are you going to take?

Oh, as for those Idiots who dared me to come close to any one of them, I did just that and every single Fire Fighter that was there was VERY respectful. I got in no ones way, took up close shots right along where they were standing and left the scene. Thank you Gentlemen for being so kind.

What about FINES? I used to live on the Bay in West Ocean City and boats would sink every year. The SFD Boat has now sunk twice, were they ever fined???? Oil & Gas pollute the river and the fines are VERY steep! I want to know if they were fined the first time and this time?

It can also be seen on 47 & 16 News. I wonder how they got there? LOL

The Plaza Continues To Fall Apart

There are multiple problems with the Downtown Plaza but seriously, who designed these left over plumbing pipes and a wire going through it as a design? If you look at the last pole, it's bent and the wire is not only busted off of it, there was black electrical tape holding it together before it got ripped off here again.

The brick walls are constantly getting hit by vehicles and even the patio area in front of one of the restaurants is buckling and not safe. I know money is tight in the City, (why, I don't know) but either this is a place of pride or it's a junk yard in the making?

Perhaps Citizens can come up with their own ideas and designs of what they think the Plaza could look like and propose it to the City Council, like they did with the Rt. 50 Bridge going into Ocean City? It wouldn't cost the City anything and finally the people that pay the bills in the City could be a part of the pride with an end result.

Anything has to be better than what they did the last time with the place. What do all of you think about the Plaza and the future of it?

Who Does This Work?

I want to know who does this kind of work locally? I saw this the other day and thought, I want one done to one of my vehicles that has Barrie Tilghman all over it and says, "GOING SOON!"

Now I just need a local company to handle the idea. No, I haven't decided what picture to use but yesterday's Post with that orange colored shirt might work well, eh?

I'm Back!

It has been such a bummer lately taking pictures with my camera. If you hadn't noticed, the photos have been way off, until last night!

Last night I met up with my friend Steve at the Basketball Tournament and showed him how bad things were with my camera. He looked at it and agreed something was very wrong. With the push of a few buttons he had my pictures as sharp as the day I received the camera. As a matter of fact, it encouraged me to play with it myself and get the time and date straightened out on both of my cameras and now I'm good to go.

To see the difference, just look at the Rick Pollitt Post yesterday and then look at the pictures of the Basketball Tournament. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

So to my friend Steve, (who is always there for me) THANK YOU!

Basketball Takes Center Stage At Wicomico County Civic Center

There is a great Basketball Tournament going on this weekend at the Civic Center this weekend. It's raining, it's a boring weekend, for $7.00 ALL DAY you can hang out and watch some great competition. I was there last night and it really was enjoyable. Snow Hill was down by 10 points their entire game and in the end, (right at the end) they came back to win by 10 points. It was an exciting game to say the least.

County Tax Rates

2007-2008 County Tax Rates
Below is a list of counties in Maryland, and their property tax rates in effect on July 1, 2007. *All rates are shown per $100 of assessment.

Note: The Department of Assessments and Taxation provides tax rate information on our website as a courtesy to the citizens of the State of Maryland. The Department does not regulate or collect taxes, these are functions of local governments. If you have questions regarding the rates listed below please contact the tax billing and collection office for the the appropriate County.

JURISDICTION COUNTY RATE TOWN/SPECIAL TAXING
DISTRICT TAX RATE

GO HERE for the results. It will blow you away.

WICOMICO COUNTY EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT GRANTS

Prior to delivering the annual “State of the County” address, Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., unveiled the county’s Community Enrichment Grants Program. An amount of $50,000 for grants to non-profit organizations was submitted by Pollitt and approved by the County Council last June for the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget.

In announcing the program, Pollitt said, “It is important that our citizen’s lives be enhanced by exposure to the arts and uplifting social and recreational opportunities. I believe that a community thrives when government works in partnership with its citizens to create the ideal place that we call ‘home.”

Pollitt said that applications for the program are available from his office in the Government Office Building. He also encouraged citizens to contact him by phone at 410-548-4801 or by email at rickpollitt@wicomicocounty.org.

The deadline for applications to the Community Enrichment Grants Program is February 12th.

Public Works Press Release

THERE WILL BE NO TRASH, BULK, OR RECYCLING PICK UP ON TUESDAY - JANUARY 1, 2008

PICK UP REGULARLY SCHEDULED FOR THAT DAY ONLY WILL HAVE PICK UP ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2007

Breaking News!

At 6:00 AM this morning there was a stabbing at the WCDC. The victim was stabbed multiple times in the back and once in the head.

At 10:00 AM the WCDC contacted the WCSO about the stabbing and asked that their Team, (Wicomico County Bureau Of Investigations) come in and investigate. No inmates are talking, the victim refuses to say anything and the suspect refuses to talk.

More importantly, because so much time has passed before the Detention Center contacted the WCSO, the crime scene was completely compromised. The victim was taken to PRMC, treated and released back to the WCDC.

It Was 60 Years Ago Today!

"It's Howdy Doody Time" When you visit my friend Totmom's Blog you'll see a Post about how today is the 60th Anniversary of the Howdy Doody Show.

The names and faces have changed but the Show lives on right here in Salisdoody. Nevertheless, how old are YOU feeling right about now?

Mayor Barrie Tilghman Denies Sheriff Lewis A City Parking Pass

Mayor Barrie Tilghman told the County she will not give Sheriff Mike Lewis a Parking Pass in the City of Salisbury.

On many occasions, Sheriff Lewis comes into the City in an unmarked Dodge SUV to take care of business. One day, County Council President John Cannon noticed Sheriff Lewis putting quarters into a Meter and said, don't you have a Parking Pass? Sheriff Lewis replied, no.

That being said, Council President Cannon went through the proper channels to ask for a Pass for Sheriff Lewis and the Mayor denied the request. Now let's see, Brew River is in the County, isn't it? So is Market Street Inn, right?

I'm not at all suggesting that Sheriff Lewis would ever be on the lookout for Mayor Barrie Tilghman but if it were me, let's not even go there. County Council Members get these Parking Passes as well as the City Council. I guess now that Barrie has joined the Hillary Clinton Team, she thinks she's above the law and can't be touched? How quickly she forgot what happened to her Daughter.

This could be Political Suicide for Barry Tilghman, that's for sure. In the very least, there's a sky blue Volvo that I'm confident all County Deputies will now have tattooed in their brains while driving down the road, day or night.

Salisbury Is A Pain In The Ash!

WalMart & Sam's Club sites are full of fly ash used to stabilize the mudholes both sites became just before paving. As a certified FOB the city said sure no problem bring all you need in. Joe this came from DP & L Indian River Site and was hauled in there for 2 weeks in every dump truck available to Interstate out of Delmar,MD This stuff happened behind the scenes and if the water wells adjacent to these sites become contaminated who's bill will that be on? I'll bet Salisbury's because they authorized it like many other things "Sure fob go right ahead."

The exact problem at the locations mentined and this doesn't include health issues!

"consistent testing. In addition, to reduce costs, cement manufacturers have been known to use too much fly ash (typical construction specifications permit substituting fly ash for just 15% of the cement) in the production process. As a result of one such case, after an earthquake in Taiwan in 1999, many buildings collapsed. Problems with fly ash used as a fill material in cement construction has also been documented in the United States. In Chesterfield County, Virginia, at least 13 buildings built around 1997 developed problems, including floors heaving upward and cracking, because fly ash fill that had been exposed to moisture was used in their construction."

Another Worthy Comment

I stumbled across this blog by accident and I was compelled to add my 2 cents. I am not from this area nor am I a firefighter. What I found here is totally amazing and paltry. If I understand the scenario the correctly - an off duty fireman arrived at the scene first and ran into a building without regard to his health and safety to save if not the occupants the structure itself. It this true!? What is wrong with you people? What is all this petty squabbling about? If it was my home and I knew there was an off duty fireman there I would be begging him to help. In my uneducated opinion I would think the amount of damage a fire can do in a mere five minutes would be intangibly Huge. The man should be commended and recognized for a selfless act (which rarely happens this in the day in age). All of you that condemned him or attacked his character should be ashamed of yourselves. What happened to the fireman’s creed? Does it exist there?

I keep thinking back to when I was in elementary school and all the boys wanted to grow up to be firemen. Firemen were considered brave, kind, considerate heroes. If the comments made on this blog are from his fellow firefighters it is no wonder there are no heroes left in the world. You are showing your true character and I would be ashamed to have my children want to grow up to be like you.

An Interesting Comment On The WCDC

A VERY close look is required when dealing with 3D (Director Doug Devenyns). Just who is this guy, anyway? He claims years of experience in the Navy, but no one has yet witnessed any Military knowledge out of him. Take a good look at the way he is standing in the photo offered to get here. There's no Military pride or training in him. Was he really in the Military, or could it be 3D isn't who he claims to be?

One of his first actions upon assuming control of WCDC was to throw out all the "books", the rules and regulations, the descriptions of how jobs are to be accomplished while on duty. These have yet to be replaced with anything - except when someone from the Standards or DoJ demand to see one, and then it sort of magically appears out of thin air. Of course, the moment Standards or DoJ leaves, so does that bit of paper, never to be seen until requested by someone else.

Since his appointment as Director of WCDC, inmates have committed suicide and not been found for HOURS, have managed to get cell phones and cell phone batteries into the facility so that they can conduct drug deals or threaten potential witnesses. They conceal their actions behind blankets hung like curtains, and routinely use officers to get contraband smuggled in. Officers have affairs with inmates, which used to be against the rules, but since those rules are gone, there's nothing to stop the practice now. Those who get caught doing wrong wait for months to see whether they'll be punished or not, and most often nothing happens to them. To say that morale is low is a gross understatement. Officers are leaving WCDC in droves. The number of experienced officers is shrinking to an alarming rate, and many of the new officers are so afraid of the inmates that they don't even show up to an ASAP (inmate brawl) to back up their fellow officers.

DDD has never stood a post in a jail and knows almost nothing about security, leadership or support of his staff, yet he has charge of a jail. Who's brilliant idea was this? His ignorance is glaring and, if allowed to continue, will get some officer killed, if not more than one. He's already had one escape, which Dopy and the Seven Dwarves did nothing about. How long before there is a mass break out of U.S.Marshall inmates? The tax payers of Wicomico and the residents of all three states are not safe while Director Doug Devenyns is in charge of the jail.

The Fire In Delmar, It Was Wayne Barrall Sr.'s Home!

Looks like common sense doesn't run in this Fire Fighters Family? My earlier Post expressed how neighbors had been complaining how tons of white smoke would regularly come out of this chimney and it was only a matter of time.

It doesn't surprise me Wayne Jr. is now using a camera and not instructing or fighting fires. I will say, I'm certainly glad no one was hurt but this is the type of fire someone should have known better. We're not talking about faulty wires. We're talking about someone not taking proper care of their chimney and now their home stinks, bad! It's probably a bit water logged now too.

Fire Moments Ago In Downtown Delmar

After another Tip, I was asked to check out a fire in progress in Downtown Delmar, Delaware. While speaking to the neighbors, this home is constantly burning huge fires in their fireplace and they said it was just a matter of time. One Fire Fighter said when they first arrived there were flames coming out of the chimney. Delmar quickly responded and got things under control in no time. Salisbury arrived after a while to back Delmar up. The DT, 47 & 16 were nowhere to be found. LOL Thanks Fire Woman.

Snagged!

While this woman litters all over this parking lot in Downtown Salisbury, she wasn't too please that I was snapping pictures while she dumped trash off this car seat all over the ground. So, do you know this woman? What's her name? Where does she live?

Today's Wildlife Photo

The AZA Goes Into Damage Control Mode

"AZA-accredited zoos are safe. Until this incident, there had not been a visitor fatality resulting from an animal escape at an AZA-accredited zoo."

Yes, this is true. HOWEVER, they fail to mention the Keeper Staff Deaths possibly in the hundreds. Zoo's are in fact to be designed to keep the public safe, duh. However, look at what happened in Salisbury with the Jaguar. Both Bears got out at one point where the current interim Director used carrots to walk Chumley back into his Exhibit. The male Bison got out of his Exhibit because a Zookeeper didn't have the pin on properly on one of the gates and he simply pushed his way through and got out. Everyone had gone to lunch at the Zoo and some lady and a child in a stroller came up to the Office and told the Staff the Bison had escaped.

So the AZA can go pound their chest all they want, it's HUMAN ERROR that causes these severe problems at a Zoo and to think the Salisbury Zoo is WINGING it and the chances of error grow much stronger without a consistent and professional Staff.

"The San Francisco Zoo is a great zoo, it's an accredited AZA member in good standing, and it has our support during this difficult time." Yeah, that's what you'd expect from the AZA when someone is current on their dues.