Friday, 3/26 update from Senator Mary Beth Carozza

  

2021 Maryland General Assembly Update

Week 11: Wade’s Law Passing, Budget Clears Senate, and Celebrating Maryland Farmers

Annapolis, MD—Crossover Day, the deadline for bills to clear their original chamber to be considered in the opposite one has come and gone, and the work of the Senate of Maryland continues. Senator Carozza’s legislation to increase penalties for criminally-negligent driving causing life-threatening injuries passed the Senate, along with legislation to help restaurants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During a Senate Floor debate on March 24, Carozza also spoke out against legislation that would decriminalize drug paraphernalia and jeopardize public health. The Senate also passed the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, and celebrated Maryland agriculture.

Wade’s Law Clears Senate, House before Deadline

The Senate of Maryland unanimously approved Senator Mary Beth Carozza’s legislation, Senate Bill 17 Criminal Law – Life–Threatening Injury Involving a Vehicle or Vessel – Criminal Negligence (Wade’s Law) on Monday, March 22. Senator Carozza has championed this legislation since she first introduced it in 2017.

 

“I am so grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for passing this commonsense public safety legislation,” Senator Carozza said after the vote. “This legislation provides a just penalty for survivors like Wade Pusey and Je’Ani Lyles who have suffered life-threatening and life-sustaining injuries as result of criminally-negligent driving.”

This legislation would establish the offense of a life-threatening injury by motor vehicle or vessel as criminal negligence. A violator is guilty of a misdemeanor and if convicted is subject to a maximum of 18 months imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine. The current penalty for criminally-negligent driving causing life-threatening injuries is a $500 motor vehicle citation.

This legislation was prompted from a violent crash involving two Worcester County road workers, Scott Tatterson and Wade Pusey, who were struck by a criminally-negligent driver. The violent crash occurred on February 22, 2016, and left Mr. Tatterson dead and Mr. Pusey with several life-threatening and life-sustaining injuries. This case was brought to Senator Carozza’s attention by Wicomico County Deputy State’s Attorney Bill McDermott, who has continuously advocated for the passage of this legislation and first brought Wade’s case to Carozza’s attention when he worked for Worcester County. Mr. McDermott emphasized the fact that Senate Bill 17 is simply building on existing law to create a more just penalty for the crime of criminally-negligent driving causing a life-threatening injury.

Also joining Senator Carozza at the hearing this year was Je’Ani Lyles, who also suffered both life-threatening and life-sustaining injuries as the result of a criminally-negligent driver on June 18, 2018. Je’Ani’s mother, Carla Ortiz, described not only the horror of the crash with Je’Ani suffering a severing of her T8 vertebrae, multiple surgeries, and paralysis from the chest down but pleaded for a more just penalty to hold those who are criminally-negligent responsible for their actions.

“Let this be the year that we see Wade’s Law all the way through to final passage… My parents always taught me that if you believe in a just cause or action, then you keep working it, not for yourself, but for people like Wade Pusey and his family, Je’Ani Lyles and her mother, Carla, and for all the unnamed victims. We are completely committed to seeing this through for the sake of future victims. You keep fighting the good fight.”

The crossfiled version of this legislation, House Bill 855, was introduced by Delegate Wayne Hartman and passed the House of Delegates on March 22 by a vote of 130-4.

Restaurant Relief Bill Passes

On Crossover Day, the Senate also passed Senate Bill 205—Alcoholic Beverages - Sale or Delivery for Off-Premises Consumption which authorizes restaurants, bars, and taverns to sell and deliver certain alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption or delivery with the purchase of food after the Governor’s Emergency Order is lifted. This option has served as a lifeline to restaurants throughout Maryland during the COVID-19 pandemic and Senate Bill 205 extends it until 2023.

 

“I grew up in the restaurant business. Throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic, I have been working with our local restaurants on their very survival and keeping jobs in those restaurants,” Senator Carozza said when speaking out against amendments that would limit the timeframe of this relief initiative, noting that other states are moving forward with making alcohol to-go with food purchases permanent, which she supports.

“This legislation is essential to our Maryland restaurants’ long-term COVID-19 recovery,” Carozza added.

The crossfiled version of this legislation, House Bill 12, passed the House of Delegates on March 18, 2021 by a vote of 128-4.

Senate Passes FY 2022 Budget

The Senate of Maryland unanimously approved of Governor Larry Hogan’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget on Thursday, March 25. Included in this Senate-approved budget is $1.1 billion for the Rainy Day Fund; $572 million of federal funding provided for COVID-19 testing, contract tracing, and vaccinations; $371.5 million for community colleges; and $22 million for critical maintenance projects at State parks. Shore priorities include $2.8 million for the Ocean City Convention Center; and $2 million for Ocean City beach maintenance.

 

“The Senate-passed budget keeps the focus on COVID-19 recovery while funding key Shore priorities,” said Carozza.

 

Carozza Speaks Out in Opposition to Drug Paraphernalia Legislation

On Wednesday, the Senate voted to legalize drug paraphernalia over Republican opposition. Senate Bill 420—Criminal Law – Drug Paraphernalia for Administration – Decriminalization would decriminalize the possession of items such as syringes, spoons, needles and scales used to use and distribute heroin and other controlled dangerous substances.

 

“Given the opioid epidemic in our State, which has seen a resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Senate Bill 420 sends the wrong message and also removes an important tool for law enforcement to shut down drug dealers and identify those that would benefit from addiction counseling and treatment,” Senator Carozza said, noting her involvement with local opioid intervention teams. Carozza also mentioned that after marijuana paraphernalia was decriminalized in 2016, there was an uptick of public marijuana smoking on the Ocean City Boardwalk, impacting businesses and visitors in the community. 

 

“I will continue to oppose any bills that have a negative public safety impact and hurt Ocean City and the Shore’s family image,” said Carozza.

 

Celebrating Maryland Agriculture

This week members of the Maryland General Assembly participated in the Rural Maryland Council’s Maryland Day event honoring the farming and seafood industry. Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio spoke about these industries’ importance to the State of Maryland and its economy.

 

During the Eastern Shore Delegation meeting, the members received an update from Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Joseph Bartenfelder on the farming industry as a whole, emphasizing the important work that farmers are doing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“We are grateful to our Shore farmers for stepping up during this critical time,” Senator Carozza said.

 

SOMERSET PAGE RECOGNIZED IN SENATE

The Maryland General Assembly Student Page program is virtual for the 2021 legislative session to keep the participating students safe and healthy. Senate Pages are responsible for providing vital services to the legislature and have the opportunity to work directly with elected officials. This week, Xavier King, a senior at Washington High School in Princess Anne, served as a Senate Page.

 

Time Machine Preview

This Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye:

William B. Duncan was a prominent farmer, timberman,  businessman, and property owner in the Pocomoke City area and he encountered some attention getting events as evidenced in newspaper items from 1906, 1912, 1922, 1939, and 1947. He lived until age 97 (1963) and was survived by sons Clarence E., Marion S., Clinton K., Arville J., Linwood W., and Donald W. 

Also on this Sunday's Time Machine an editorial in Pocomoke City's Worcester Democrat newspaper from a century ago leads off with: "The criticism has always been made of public schools, that they grind the pupils through in one rut." 

                        

                                                           

                                                           

A Fire Story - Tanks for the Memory

Background: The town of West, near Waco in Texas, is a town of about 3000 people – about the same size that Pocomoke was in the 1950s. In 2013, a fire and explosion at a fertilizer plant in West killed 15 people, injured over 150, and destroyed or damaged almost 300 houses. When this made national news, I immediately remembered an incident from the 1950s and wondered, “How close did we come to this type of tragedy in Pocomoke?”

No research was done for this article. The following is based purely on memory. But memories are not always accurate. They alter a little each time we replay them mentally; they get diluted and tarnished by similar experiences over the years; they may even be affected by things we see in the movies or on TV. So the following is a brief description of events as I remember them. I hope that perhaps someone who has the facts can verify or contradict – as appropriate – any of what I describe below.

It was an afternoon and I was at my Dad’s store on Clarke Ave, next to Adkins across from the intersection with Walnut street. It was  sunny as I recall, perhaps during the summer as I was not usually at the store on weekdays during the school year, but maybe this was a Saturday. Just don’t know – no Idea what year it was or how old I was.

Fire sirens sounded Not that unusual an event.  But soon the engines came racing past our store and headed out Clarke Ave towards the railroad tracks. Over the next 30 minutes we watched a parade of fire equipment from nearby towns trek past our store; Princess Anne, Snow Hill, perhaps Onancock. We watched as a small but steady stream of people on foot headed out Clarke Ave.  Someone stopped in the store. “It’s that fertilizer place, Tilghman’s, she’s ablaze!”

I went out on the sidewalk in front of our store to see a wide column of dense, black smoke towering over the landscape, With each new puff, the column grew incrementally wider. I decided to walk up the street to get a better look. “Don’t get too close!” my Mom reminded me.

By the time I got up by the railroad tracks, some kind of perimeter had been established around the fire scene and the crowd was held back at least a block, perhaps two. But the thick column of smoke continued to billow skyward, with occasional flames visibly dancing through the roof of the structure. But next to the building sat a rather large metal tank; similar to what might sit next to an oil heated house, but larger. A fine mist of water was being directed towards that tank. The following are shards of conversation from people standing around me, obviously paraphrased after so much time:

“They have to keep that tank cool.”

“They’re wettin’ it down for sure.”

“It’s full of ammonia.”

“They can’t let the fire get to it.”

“If it blows, it’ll level the whole plant.”

“If it blows it might level more’ n that.”

“Could blow the town.”

While the latter was probably exaggerated, at that point, I decided that standing there was probably not the best of ideas and headed back to my Dad’s store. After a while, I looked up the street and now saw only thin wisps of black smoke rising, and eventually they were gone as well. Someone else stopped in the store and said that two engines were going to remain at the scene overnight.

Long after I no longer lived in Pocomoke, I would often drive out Clarke Ave past the site of this fire whenever I visited; I don’t know whether that plant was rebuilt and put back in use, but I do know that for many years, well into the 1970s and I think 1980s, I would see that tank, that seemingly caused so much consternation that day – still sitting ubiquitously there. A quick look now at google maps and street view shows no sign of the tank, or the plant, but I do think that the area once occupied by the plant can still be identified.

Would love to hear from anyone who knows the facts, and I certainly wont be upset if someone has information that contradicts anything I have written here; but how close did we come to disaster that day?

(Reader comment)

Anonymous said...

I remember the incident and, yes, the fertilizer complex has been razed. At one time I knew the owner, Nash Strudwick, and all the employees on a first name basis. I, too, am going strictly from memory with no research.

I think it was the anhydrous ammonia tank and that would have been pressurized just like a propane tank. I know anhydrous is NH3 and does not particularly like water so the fireman were probably trying to cool down the tank rather than put the actual fire out. Tilghman also stored huge quantities of ammonium nitrate and that was the stuff that exploded in the Texas City explosion and was also used in the Oklahoma City bombing by Timothy McVeigh. Ammonium nitrate is usually granules called "prills" and they will explode from compression or extended heat but, for some reason, they are relatively stable in just plain fire.

One additional hazard in the area is the petroleum dock behind the fertilizer warehouse. C. K. Duncan had four large pipes that ran underground from the river to their facility on Railroad Avenue. They were for kerosene, #2 fuel oil, regular gasoline and high test gasoline. A small tanker would come up the river and offload at that dock. At one time Tilghman also received dry fertilizer from a small freighter at the same dock.

"Crossover Day" update from Senator Carozza

 Wade’s Law and Restaurant Relief Bill Clear Senate on Crossover Day

Annapolis, MD—The Senate of Maryland unanimously approved Senator Mary Beth Carozza’s legislation, Senate Bill 17—Criminal Law – Life-Threatening Injury Involving a Vehicle or Vessel – Criminal Negligence (Wade’s Law) on Monday, March 22, which was the deadline for bills to clear their original chamber to be considered in the opposite one. Senator Carozza has championed this legislation since she first introduced it in 2017.

“I am so grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for passing this common sense public safety legislation,” Senator Carozza said after the vote. “This legislation provides a just penalty for survivors like Wade Pusey and Je’Ani Lyles who have suffered life-threatening and life-sustaining injuries as a result of criminally-negligent driving.”

This legislation would establish the offense of a life-threatening injury by motor vehicle or vessel as criminal negligence. A violator is guilty of a misdemeanor and if convicted is subject to a maximum of 18 months imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine. The current penalty for criminally-negligent driving causing life-threatening injuries is a $500 motor vehicle citation.

This legislation was prompted from a violent crash involving two Worcester County road workers, Scott Tatterson and Wade Pusey, who were struck by a criminally-negligent driver. The violent crash occurred on February 22, 2016, and left Mr. Tatterson dead and Mr. Pusey with several life-threatening and life-sustaining injuries. This case was brought to Senator Carozza’s attention by Wicomico County Deputy State’s Attorney Bill McDermott, who has continuously advocated for the passage of this legislation and first brought Wade’s case to Carozza’s attention when he worked for Worcester County. Mr. McDermott emphasized the fact that Senate Bill 17 is simply building on existing law to create a more just penalty for the crime of criminally-negligent driving causing a life-threatening injury.

Also joining Senator Carozza at the hearing this year was Je’Ani Lyles, who also suffered both life-threatening and life-sustaining injuries as the result of a criminally-negligent driver on June 18, 2018. Je’Ani’s mother, Carla Ortiz, described not only the horror of the crash with Je’Ani suffering a severing of her T8 vertebrae, multiple surgeries, and paralysis from the chest down but pleaded for a more just penalty to hold those who are criminally-negligent responsible for their actions.

In 2017 as a State Delegate, Senator Carozza first introduced Wade’s Law as House Bill 585, and it unanimously passed in the House of Delegates. In 2019, she reintroduced Wade’s Law as Senate Bill 248 and it unanimously passed the Senate but did not advance in the House before adjournment that year.

“Let this be the year that we see Wade’s Law all the way through to final passage… My parents always taught me that if you believe in a just cause or action, then you keep working it, not for yourself, but for people like Wade Pusey and his family, Je’Ani Lyles and her mother, Carla, and for all the unnamed victims. We are completely committed to seeing this through for the sake of future victims. You keep fighting the good fight.”

The crossfiled version of this legislation, House Bill 855, was introduced by Delegate Wayne Hartman and passed the House of Delegates on March 22 by a vote of 130-4.

Restaurant Relief Bill Passes

On Crossover Day, March 22, the Senate also passed Senate Bill 205—Alcoholic Beverages - Sale or Delivery for Off-Premises Consumption which authorizes restaurants, bars, and taverns to sell and deliver certain alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption or delivery with the purchase of food. This option has served as a lifeline to restaurants throughout Maryland during the COVID-19 pandemic and Senate Bill 205 extends it until 2023.

 

“I grew up in the restaurant business. Throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic, I have been working with our local restaurants on their very survival and keeping jobs in those restaurants,” Senator Carozza said when speaking out against amendments that would limit the timeframe of this relief initiative, noting that other states are moving forward with making alcohol to-go with food purchases permanent, which she supports.

“This legislation is essential to our Maryland restaurants’ long-term COVID-19 recovery,” Carozza added.

The crossfiled version of this legislation, House Bill 12, passed the House of Delegates on March 18, 2021, by a vote of 128-4.

Vaccinations eligibility update for Worcester County

(WBOC)

SNOW HILL, Md.– This week, the Worcester County Health Department, based on direction from the State of Maryland, is expanding COVID-19 vaccination coverage to include all adults age 60 and older.

View more info:

Worcester Health Expands COVID-19 Vaccinations to Phase 2 - WBOC TV

"Mel Says" Preview

                                                  

Look for Mel's full article this Wednesday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye.  Here's a preview:

A Fire Story - Tanks for the Memory

Background: The town of West, near Waco in Texas, is a town of about 3000 people – about the same size that Pocomoke was in the 1950s. In 2013, a fire and explosion at a fertilizer plant in West killed 15 people, injured over 150, and destroyed or damaged almost 300 houses. When this made national news, I immediately remembered an incident from the 1950s and wondered, “How close did we come to this type of tragedy in Pocomoke?”

(Reader comment)

Anonymous said...

I wait with bated breath. Really enjoyed his last offering and am truly looking forward to this one. Does it have anything to do with Wm. B. Tilghman Company on Clarke Avenue?

You know, I should remember Mel but I don't. I think he is maybe two or three years younger than me and I thought I know (or knew) almost everyone in Pocomoke City.

Time Machine: 1920, 1939, 1968, 2006.

Built in Pocomoke City and launched in 1920 the sail-powered schooner Lillian E. Kerr operated out of a home port at Prince Edward Island, Canada. News of a troublesome nature was made aboard the vessel in November of the following year and even more ominous news concerning the Lillian E. Kerr came in November of 1942.

August, 1920

Baltimore Sun  

In 1921 the Captain of the Kerr brought mutiny charges against a member of his crew following a fight aboard the ship. The Captain had found the crew member asleep at the wheel. The crew member attacked him with a knife and the two men fought on deck while the captain’s wife steered the vessel. The captain alleged that the crew member attacked him a second time and he was forced to shoot the violent man. The outcome of the charge is not known. 

Built as a three-masted vessel the ship was later sold to Capt. James L. Publicover of Le Have Nova Scotia. He added her to his small fleet of cargo vessels and made a major change to the appearance of the schooner by having her re-rigged as a four-master.                                                                                                                                              Sailstrait (website)                                          

Boston Globe

(4 photos and historical commentary from Sailstrait)

A little more than a year after leaving Charlottetown the Lillian E. Kerr was transporting a cargo of timber to Boston. During the night of  12-13 November 1942 she was overtaken by a convoy carrying war materials overseas. Although the Kerr was carrying running lights the ships of the convoy were not. She was rammed by a steamer called the Alcoa Pilot and went to the bottom with all of her crew except for one person was recovered but died soon after. The owner, Capt. Publicover, lost his son, son-in-law, and two nephews in the sinking.

The Gazette (Montreal, Canada)

View the full Sailstrait article on the Lillian E. Kerr.

https://sailstrait.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/lillian-e-kerr-an-icon-of-the-age-of-sail/

July, 1939

Worcester Democrat

Footnote: According to dollartimes.com the average retail price of gas in 1939 was 19-cents a gallon. A "good old days" price? Dollartimes says this was equivalent to $3.54 per gallon in 2021 dollars.  

The ESSO station at Market and Second Streets in 1963.

May, 1968

Democratic Messenger

August, 2006

(PPE reader comment)

Anonymous said...

Tony Bruce did not collapse in the parking for no reason. It is believed, and evidence supports, that he died of poisoning by his own hand (suicide). Evidence also supports that there were funds missing or misappropriated from some of the escrow accounts that he controlled as an attorney.

(tk for PPE said)

As a follow-up to above comment the latest published information we located regarding Mr. Bruce was an article below from the December 2, 2006 Daily Times.