News From Pocomoke City ~

POCOMOKE CITY POLICE CHIEF ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT-REPLACEMENT NAMED

NEWS RELEASE

Long- time Pocomoke City Police Chief Juergen D. (J.D.) Ervin has announced his retirement effective November 30, 2011. Prior to assuming his position in Pocomoke City in 1995, Chief Ervin served two years as the Chief of the Elkton, Maryland Police Department and 28 years with the Laurel, Maryland Police Department including 12 years as Deputy Chief.

Chief Ervin is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia and has served as President of the Maryland Municipal League Chiefs’ Association for the past 30 years. He has been active in several groups including the International Police Chiefs’ Association and the American Legion. He is a Vietnam-era Army veteran who served four years in the military police. In 1970-71 he served as Chief of Police in Pocomoke City.

Some highlights of Chief Ervin’s exceptional career in Pocomoke City have included:

● CALEA (Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies) National Recognition Certification; one of only 2 city police agencies on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to be CALEA-Certified or Recognized;

● Introduction of several youth-related programs including Christmas Party, Back-to-School event, Easter Egg Hunt, and fishing program;

● Two “National Night Out “events in the top 20 Nationwide;

● Receipt of over $1 million in State and Federal grants; and

● Significant reductions in overall crime rates through technology, training, enforcement and citizen engagement.

According to Mayor Bruce A. Morrison, “The City Council and I wish Chief Ervin well in his retirement, which is greatly deserved. He has done an outstanding job for our community for the past 16 years”. “With his previous experience in larger departments, he brought a new level of professionalism to our Police Department.” City Council Vice President Tracey Cottman added, “J.D. has done a great job as our Chief. Although we will miss him, he leaves the Police Department in excellent shape for the future.”

A retirement banquet for Chief Ervin is in the planning stages.

Coincidentally with Chief Ervin’s retirement, City Manager Russell W. Blake also announced the appointment of Captain Kelvin D. Sewell as Chief of Police. According to Blake, “Captain Sewell has been a great addition to the Police Department and has earned his promotion to Chief. His prior experience with the Baltimore Police Department has been very valuable and will continue to benefit the Pocomoke City Police Department in the future.”

Capt. Sewell is married with two children and is a resident of Pocomoke City which is required by City policy. He will take over as Chief of the Pocomoke City Police Department on December 1, 2011.

Mayor Morrison said, “Capt. Sewell has made an excellent impression on elected officials, police employees and the general public. We are glad that we are able to promote someone from within our own department to this important position.”

Councilwoman Cottman added, “Capt. Sewell is a man of character and integrity as well as an exceptionally well-qualified professional to be our Chief of Police. We look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

Good luck to you both.

from the ppe

Maj. Todd Godwin Replaces Sheriff Larry Giddens

Beginning August 1, 2011 Major Todd Godwin will begin his new job as Accomack County Sheriff.  He will fill the position for Sheriff Larry Giddens who has decided to take his retirement before his first terms ends at  the end of 2011.

Major Godwin was sworn in by (Ret) Judge Glen Tyler with  his wife and sons by his side.  Retired Judge Tyler was specially appointed to administer the oath.



Maj. Todd Godwin and family, Retired Judge Glen Tyler
Photo/ Linda Cicoira

The best of luck to you Sheriff Larry Giddens in your retirement.

Longtime Mounted Unit Horse, "Mr. President", Retires

OCEAN CITY – The OCPD this week announced the retirement of longtime Mounted Unit horse Mr. President, who has been a fixture in the resort for the last 17 years.

Mr. President, now 23 years old, officially retired last Thursday, July 15, after serving the OCPD since 1994. Known for his speed and durability, Mr. President routinely patrolled the south end of Ocean City including the Boardwalk, where he was involved in dozens of incidents over the years. In addition to his routine patrol duties, Mr. President was involved in several arrests, crowd control incidents, crime prevention events and search and rescue incidents.

According to the OCPD, the horse’s devotion to the town of Ocean City has been demonstrated through his hard work and participation at hundreds of public events and functions. In addition to his official police work, Mr. President became an ambassador of sorts for the town over the years and a favorite of residents and visitors, especially children.

Along with his on-duty work, Mr. President was also an asset to the OCPD in an off-duty capacity. As the senior horse in the OCPD stable, he was often tasked with training duties involving new riders as well as new horses. After a successful career and years of dedication, Mr. President will retire from the force.

He will continue to reside at the farm with the other police horses and will be under the supervision of retired OCPD officer and longtime rider Corp. Ray Land. According to the OCPD, not only will Mr. President be missed by his colleagues at the department, but he will be missed by the visitors and citizens which he served since 1994, the OCPD said.

www.md.coastdispatch.com

Smaller Social Security Checks in 2010

Millions face smaller Social Security checks next year as rising drug costs diminish payments

August 24, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise.

The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.

By law, Social Security benefits cannot go down. Nevertheless, monthly payments would drop for millions of people in the Medicare prescription drug program because the premiums, which often are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to go up slightly.

"I will promise you, they count on that COLA," said Barbara Kennelly, a former Democratic congresswoman from Connecticut who now heads the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. "To some people, it might not be a big deal. But to seniors, especially with their health care costs, it is a big deal."

Cost of living adjustments are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year, largely because energy prices are below 2008 levels.

Advocates say older people still face higher prices because they spend a disproportionate amount of their income on health care, where costs rise faster than inflation. Many also have suffered from declining home values and shrinking stock portfolios just as they are relying on those assets for income.

"For many elderly, they don't feel that inflation is low because their expenses are still going up," said David Certner, legislative policy director for AARP. "Anyone who has savings and investments has seen some serious losses."

About 50 million retired and disabled Americans receive Social Security benefits. The average monthly benefit for retirees is $1,153 this year. All beneficiaries received a 5.8 percent increase in January, the largest since 1982.

More than 32 million people are in the Medicare prescription drug program. Average monthly premiums are set to go from $28 this year to $30 next year, though they vary by plan. About 6 million people in the program have premiums deducted from their monthly Social Security payments, according to the Social Security Administration.

Millions of people with Medicare Part B coverage for doctors' visits also have their premiums deducted from Social Security payments. Part B premiums are expected to rise as well. But under the law, the increase cannot be larger than the increase in Social Security benefits for most recipients.

There is no such hold-harmless provision for drug premiums.

Kennelly's group wants Congress to increase Social Security benefits next year, even though the formula doesn't call for it. She would like to see either a 1 percent increase in monthly payments or a one-time payment of $150.

The cost of a one-time payment, a little less than $8 billion, could be covered by increasing the amount of income subjected to Social Security taxes, Kennelly said. Workers only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,800 of income, a limit that rises each year with the average national wage.

But the limit only increases if monthly benefits increase.

Critics argue that Social Security recipients shouldn't get an increase when inflation is negative. They note that recipients got a big increase in January — after energy prices had started to fall. They also note that Social Security recipients received one-time $250 payments in the spring as part of the government's economic stimulus package.

Consumer prices are down from 2008 levels, giving Social Security recipients more purchasing power, even if their benefits stay the same, said Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

"Seniors may perceive that they are being hurt because there is no COLA, but they are in fact not getting hurt," Biggs said. "Congress has to be able to tell people they are not getting everything they want."

Social Security is also facing long-term financial problems. The retirement program is projected to start paying out more money than it receives in 2016. Without changes, the retirement fund will be depleted in 2037, according to the Social Security trustees' annual report this year.

President Barack Obama has said he would like to tackle Social Security next year, after Congress finishes work on health care, climate change and new financial regulations.

Lawmakers are preoccupied by health care, making it difficult to address other tough issues. Advocates for older people hope their efforts will get a boost in October, when the Social Security Administration officially announces that there will not be an increase in benefits next year.

"I think a lot of seniors do not know what's coming down the pike, and I believe that when they hear that, they're going to be upset," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who is working on a proposal for one-time payments for Social Security recipients.

"It is my view that seniors are going to need help this year, and it would not be acceptable for Congress to simply turn its back," he said.

http://www.wtkr.com

If Washington would stop worry about putting food into the mouths of people in other countries America might be able to take care of these retired adults. And if they would stop giving aid to those crossing our borders there might be money for an increase. As usual, the government just can't run anything and keep in functioning for long periods of time. For most retired seniors it is all they have to look forward to and all they have to spend......Though never intended to be an only source of income for the retired they were duped into believing it was until a few years ago.........when most had already believed they could trust it. Doesn't the government plan ahead? Do they honestly think taxpayers can keep pulling money for taxes out of their a*****? Stop spending so much money overseas to care for others and take care of the wonderful Americans we have here!! They, like the veterans of America deserve SO MUCH MORE. They aren't getting the care they need and deserve.