Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the U.S. Census Bureau detailing the substantial involvement of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in the 2010 Census. Included among the 126 pages of documents, obtained by Judicial Watch under threat of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, is ACORN's original Census partnership application. The document describes 18 different areas of responsibility requested by the community organization, which is under investigation in multiple states for illegal activity during the 2008 election, including voter registration fraud.
The documents also list the types of organizations ineligible for partnering with the U.S. Census. They include: "...Hate groups, Law enforcement, anti-immigrant groups, any groups that might make people fearful of participating in the Census..." The release of these Obama Commerce Department documents comes in the wake of an Obama Department of Homeland Security report released in April linking opposition to illegal immigration to "rightwing extremist radicalization."
In its official statement responding to the ACORN controversy, the Obama Commerce Department downplayed ACORN's participation in the Census, and labeled "baseless" the notion that ACORN would be involved in any Census count. However, the Census Bureau offered ACORN the opportunity to "recruit Census workers" who would participate in the count. Moreover, as an "executive level" partner, ACORN has the ability to "organize and/or serve as a member on a Complete Count Committee," which, according to Census documents, helps "develop and implement locally based outreach and recruitment campaigns."
According to its application ACORN also signed up to: "Encourage employees and constituents to complete and mail their questionnaire; identify job candidates and/or distribute and display recruiting materials; appoint a liaison to work with the Census Bureau; provide space for Be Counted sites and/or Questionnaire Assistance Centers; sponsor community events to promote participation in the 2010 Census," among 18 requested areas of responsibility. The documents also show the decision to add ACORN as a partner occurred in February, long after the January 15th Census partnership application deadline. (One Census official had bet "it was under Bush.")
Among other conclusions from the documents:
The Census Bureau requested that ACORN "help us highlight [ACORN's] innovation and hard work and share best practices so other organizations can learn from your experiences."
Members of the Census Bureau and Department of Commerce staff assigned to organize the 2010 Census were unaware of when the decision to involve ACORN was made, how the Census Bureau choose and defined partners, or whether partners received payment.
The Census Bureau did not conduct background checks on the 3.7 million people hired to conduct the 2000 Census, unless a preliminary name check provided a match. Overall, 8% of the applicants, or over 300,000 people, were considered risks for hire.
According to the U.S. Census documents, among other things, census data is used to allocate $300 billion in federal funds. Census data also "determines how many seats each state will have in the House of Representatives as well as the redistricting of state legislatures, county and city councils, and voting districts."
"Given its history of illegal activity and fraud, ACORN should be nowhere near the 2010 Census," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "And shame on the Obama Commerce Department for continuing to demonize conservatives by lumping together law enforcement and anti-immigration groups with 'hate groups.' This discriminatory policy raises First Amendment concerns. Indeed, these documents provide further evidence that the Obama administration is politicizing the 2010 Census."
Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Census on March 23, 2009. After the Obama Commerce Department stonewalled, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit on May 14, 2009. The documents were released to Judicial Watch on May 15, 2009.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Another Successful Launch At Wallops Island
It was another successful launch Thursday at NASA in Wallops Island. The Terrier-Orion sounding rocket launched Thursday afternoon. It's much smaller than the Tac Sat 3 rocket launched earlier this month.
It's mission is to act as a research vessel to collect information. The goal is that engineers will be able to figure out how to best bring experiments to Earth from the International Space Station.
Speaking of the ISS, NASA officials plan to launch the shuttle Endeavour on June 13 to deliver parts for a Japanese laboratory complex to the International Space Station. That launch will take place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Shuttle Atlantis just returned from its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope last weekend.
For more info and video check out The Pocomoke Tattler
It's mission is to act as a research vessel to collect information. The goal is that engineers will be able to figure out how to best bring experiments to Earth from the International Space Station.
Speaking of the ISS, NASA officials plan to launch the shuttle Endeavour on June 13 to deliver parts for a Japanese laboratory complex to the International Space Station. That launch will take place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Shuttle Atlantis just returned from its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope last weekend.
For more info and video check out The Pocomoke Tattler
Worcester County court briefs
The following cases were heard in Worcester County District Court in Snow Hill by Judge Gerald V. Purnell on May 22 and May 26, 2009.
Navetoria Labrelle Dix, 26, of the 10000 block of Germantown Road, Berlin, was charged with disorderly conduct. Nol pros was entered.
John Mark Davis, 49, of the 1000 block of Linden Drive, Pocomoke City, was charged with theft of less than $100. Nol pros was entered.
Celena Lucille Bastian, 29, of the 100 block of Pebble Drive, Millsboro, was charged with possession of marijuana, driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol or alcohol and drugs, driving while impaired by controlled dangerous substance, driving under the influence, driving while impaired by alcohol, negligent driving, failure to stop at steady circular red signal and driving on suspended, out-of-state license. The verdict for the fifth charge was guilty. For all other charges, nol pros was entered.
Darnell Camper Jr., 25, of the 200 block of Walston Avenue, Salisbury, was charged with violating exparte/protective order and harass: a course of conduct. Both charges were placed on the stet docket.
Shanika Nicole Camper, 25, of the 9000 block of Reedy Cove Drive, Berlin, was charged with assault-second degree. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Karen Cindy Carpenter, 51, of the 200 block of Broad Street, Berlin, was charged with contributing to the condition of a child. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Taja Lashea Hudson, 22, of the 7000 block of Reserve Circle, Gwynn Oak, Md., was charged with assault-second degree. Nol pros was entered.
Rodney Collier, 20, of the 500 block of Young Street, Pocomoke City, was charged with theft of less than $500 value. Nol pros was entered.
Larry Louis Adkins, 33, of the 200 block of Purnell Street, Snow Hill, was charged with peace order: failure to comply. Nol pros was entered.
Jeffrey L. Rapp, 23, of the 50 block of Teal Circle, Berlin, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to control vehicle speed on highway to avoid collision, unsafe backing of motor vehicle and licensee failure to surrender recovered original license after duplication issued. For all charges, nol pros was entered.
Lisa Lancaster, no date of birth given, of the 600 block of Ocean Parkway, Berlin, was charged with four counts of bad check uttering/nonsufficient funds/under $500. For all charges, nol pros was entered.
Roderick Collier, 18, of the 500 block of Young Street, Pocomoke City, was charged with burglary-fourth degree and malicious destruction of property valued at more than $500. Both charges were placed on the stet docket.
Andrew Edward Buhner, 20, of the 20 block of Westminster Court, Berlin, was charged with possession of marijuana. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Rasheema Schoolfield, no date of birth given, of Cropper Court, Pocomoke City, was charged with assault-second degree. Nol pros was entered.
Joanne Lee Norris, 46, of the 38000 block of Old Stage Road, Delmar, Del., was charged with theft of $500 plus value. The verdict was guilty.
The following cases were heard in Worcester County District Court in Ocean City by Judge Daniel R. Mumford on May 20, 2009.
Michael Edward Curry, 42, of the 100 block of Sandy Hill Drive, Ocean City, was charged with assault-second degree. The verdict was guilty.
Karen Ann Rosemond, 43, of the 100 block of Bering Road, Ocean City, was charged with harbor felon/fugitive and resist/interfere with arrest. The verdict for the first charge was probation before judgment. Nol pros was entered for the second charge.
Karen Ann Rosemond, 43, of the 100 block of Bering Road, Ocean City, was charged with harbor felon/fugitive. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Christina Cahall Hartman, 33, of the 900 block of Deep Creek Avenue, Arnold, Md., was charged with stealing three T-shirts from Fishtales. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Rebecca Faith Cakar, 37, of the 600 block of Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, was charged with assault-second degree. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Ronald Eugene Flawd Jr., 43, of the 600 block of Baltimore Avenue, Ocean city, was charged with assault-second degree. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Ronald Eugene Flawd Jr., 43, of the 200 block of Trimper Avenue, Ocean city, was charged with trespassing on private property. The verdict was guilty.
George Donald Elzey, 55, of the 2000 block of Sparrow Lane, Ocean City, was charged with noise violation, resist/interfere with arrest and assault-second degree. The verdict for the second charge was guilty. Nol pros was entered for the other charges.
Robert Charles Harding, 51, of no fixed address, was charged with assault-second degree and disorderly conduct. Nol pros was entered for the first charge. The verdict for the second charge was guilty.
Timothy Glen Triplett, 19, of the 6000 block of Bartholow Road, Sykesville, Md., was charged with trespass: private property. Nol pros was entered.
Patricia Carol Abbott, 48, of the 2000 block of Gull Way, Ocean City, was charged with assault-second degree. Nol pros was entered.
Luis Scott Miller, 19, of the 400 block of William Street, Berlin, was charged with controlled dangerous substance manufacture/distribution-narcotics and possession of controlled dangerous substance. The first charge was placed on the stet docket. The verdict for the second charge was probation before judgment.
Navetoria Labrelle Dix, 26, of the 10000 block of Germantown Road, Berlin, was charged with disorderly conduct. Nol pros was entered.
John Mark Davis, 49, of the 1000 block of Linden Drive, Pocomoke City, was charged with theft of less than $100. Nol pros was entered.
Celena Lucille Bastian, 29, of the 100 block of Pebble Drive, Millsboro, was charged with possession of marijuana, driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol or alcohol and drugs, driving while impaired by controlled dangerous substance, driving under the influence, driving while impaired by alcohol, negligent driving, failure to stop at steady circular red signal and driving on suspended, out-of-state license. The verdict for the fifth charge was guilty. For all other charges, nol pros was entered.
Darnell Camper Jr., 25, of the 200 block of Walston Avenue, Salisbury, was charged with violating exparte/protective order and harass: a course of conduct. Both charges were placed on the stet docket.
Shanika Nicole Camper, 25, of the 9000 block of Reedy Cove Drive, Berlin, was charged with assault-second degree. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Karen Cindy Carpenter, 51, of the 200 block of Broad Street, Berlin, was charged with contributing to the condition of a child. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Taja Lashea Hudson, 22, of the 7000 block of Reserve Circle, Gwynn Oak, Md., was charged with assault-second degree. Nol pros was entered.
Rodney Collier, 20, of the 500 block of Young Street, Pocomoke City, was charged with theft of less than $500 value. Nol pros was entered.
Larry Louis Adkins, 33, of the 200 block of Purnell Street, Snow Hill, was charged with peace order: failure to comply. Nol pros was entered.
Jeffrey L. Rapp, 23, of the 50 block of Teal Circle, Berlin, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to control vehicle speed on highway to avoid collision, unsafe backing of motor vehicle and licensee failure to surrender recovered original license after duplication issued. For all charges, nol pros was entered.
Lisa Lancaster, no date of birth given, of the 600 block of Ocean Parkway, Berlin, was charged with four counts of bad check uttering/nonsufficient funds/under $500. For all charges, nol pros was entered.
Roderick Collier, 18, of the 500 block of Young Street, Pocomoke City, was charged with burglary-fourth degree and malicious destruction of property valued at more than $500. Both charges were placed on the stet docket.
Andrew Edward Buhner, 20, of the 20 block of Westminster Court, Berlin, was charged with possession of marijuana. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Rasheema Schoolfield, no date of birth given, of Cropper Court, Pocomoke City, was charged with assault-second degree. Nol pros was entered.
Joanne Lee Norris, 46, of the 38000 block of Old Stage Road, Delmar, Del., was charged with theft of $500 plus value. The verdict was guilty.
The following cases were heard in Worcester County District Court in Ocean City by Judge Daniel R. Mumford on May 20, 2009.
Michael Edward Curry, 42, of the 100 block of Sandy Hill Drive, Ocean City, was charged with assault-second degree. The verdict was guilty.
Karen Ann Rosemond, 43, of the 100 block of Bering Road, Ocean City, was charged with harbor felon/fugitive and resist/interfere with arrest. The verdict for the first charge was probation before judgment. Nol pros was entered for the second charge.
Karen Ann Rosemond, 43, of the 100 block of Bering Road, Ocean City, was charged with harbor felon/fugitive. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Christina Cahall Hartman, 33, of the 900 block of Deep Creek Avenue, Arnold, Md., was charged with stealing three T-shirts from Fishtales. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Rebecca Faith Cakar, 37, of the 600 block of Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, was charged with assault-second degree. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Ronald Eugene Flawd Jr., 43, of the 600 block of Baltimore Avenue, Ocean city, was charged with assault-second degree. The charge was placed on the stet docket.
Ronald Eugene Flawd Jr., 43, of the 200 block of Trimper Avenue, Ocean city, was charged with trespassing on private property. The verdict was guilty.
George Donald Elzey, 55, of the 2000 block of Sparrow Lane, Ocean City, was charged with noise violation, resist/interfere with arrest and assault-second degree. The verdict for the second charge was guilty. Nol pros was entered for the other charges.
Robert Charles Harding, 51, of no fixed address, was charged with assault-second degree and disorderly conduct. Nol pros was entered for the first charge. The verdict for the second charge was guilty.
Timothy Glen Triplett, 19, of the 6000 block of Bartholow Road, Sykesville, Md., was charged with trespass: private property. Nol pros was entered.
Patricia Carol Abbott, 48, of the 2000 block of Gull Way, Ocean City, was charged with assault-second degree. Nol pros was entered.
Luis Scott Miller, 19, of the 400 block of William Street, Berlin, was charged with controlled dangerous substance manufacture/distribution-narcotics and possession of controlled dangerous substance. The first charge was placed on the stet docket. The verdict for the second charge was probation before judgment.
Students from Pocomoke, Snowhill, and Berlin are last link in Baltimore-to-Shore tree chain
Worcester County students had the chance to get their hands dirty as close to 200 students helped restore a portion of the Nassawango Creek Nature Preserve by planting trees.
Students from Berlin Intermediate School and Pocomoke and Snow Hill middle schools spent Thursday and Friday planting nearly 1,000 trees that they had raised in their classrooms during the past year in the Nassawango Creek Preserve.
"They were so enthusiastic," said Deborah Landau, a Nature Conservancy conservation ecologist. "With them being the ones to have started the seedlings, it's like they have a relationship with the trees."
With the help of Nature Conservancy and National Aquarium in Baltimore staff, the middle-schoolers went through the entire process of planting the Atlantic white cedars they had grown. Students located low, wet areas for the trees, which have been threatened in recent years with the draining of land that occurs for farming and development, and planted them. They then added a pellet, designed to give the tree a bitter flavor, to protect it from grazing deer, and flagged it.
The students planted Atlantic white cedars, Landau said, because those used to grow along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, but have been greatly diminished since settlers cut them down to use for building and later as once-marshy land was drained for farming. To help reestablish the cedars in the Nassawango area, Landau and other Nature Conservancy staff burned an area of unhealthy loblolly pines, returning nutrients to the soil, and had the students plant the trees there.
Landau said the entire project gave the students a better understanding of their environment.
"They were asking thoughtful questions," she said, "and we talked about preserving as well as actively restoring land."
Susan Land, a seventh-grade teacher at Pocomoke Middle School, said her students really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Nassawango Preserve.
"Not a lot of them get to come out like this in the fresh air," she said.
The students were not the only ones who benefited. Three organizations -- the Nature Conservancy, Maryland Conservation Corps and National Aquarium -- were pleased with the serendipitous way the project turned out.
It was the Baltimore Aquarium that obtained a grant to purchase the seedlings, but then its planned planting location fell through. At the same time, the Nature Conservancy had been preparing the Nassawango land for Atlantic white cedars, but was not able to get the trees it had planned on. And so, with the help of Maryland Conservation Corps staff who provided local students with guidance during the growing process, the Nature Conservancy and the National Aquarium combined their projects, planting the aquarium's trees at the Nature Conservancy's site.
"It worked out perfectly," Landau said. "It's a nice partnership and everybody benefits."
Students from Berlin Intermediate School and Pocomoke and Snow Hill middle schools spent Thursday and Friday planting nearly 1,000 trees that they had raised in their classrooms during the past year in the Nassawango Creek Preserve.
"They were so enthusiastic," said Deborah Landau, a Nature Conservancy conservation ecologist. "With them being the ones to have started the seedlings, it's like they have a relationship with the trees."
With the help of Nature Conservancy and National Aquarium in Baltimore staff, the middle-schoolers went through the entire process of planting the Atlantic white cedars they had grown. Students located low, wet areas for the trees, which have been threatened in recent years with the draining of land that occurs for farming and development, and planted them. They then added a pellet, designed to give the tree a bitter flavor, to protect it from grazing deer, and flagged it.
The students planted Atlantic white cedars, Landau said, because those used to grow along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, but have been greatly diminished since settlers cut them down to use for building and later as once-marshy land was drained for farming. To help reestablish the cedars in the Nassawango area, Landau and other Nature Conservancy staff burned an area of unhealthy loblolly pines, returning nutrients to the soil, and had the students plant the trees there.
Landau said the entire project gave the students a better understanding of their environment.
"They were asking thoughtful questions," she said, "and we talked about preserving as well as actively restoring land."
Susan Land, a seventh-grade teacher at Pocomoke Middle School, said her students really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Nassawango Preserve.
"Not a lot of them get to come out like this in the fresh air," she said.
The students were not the only ones who benefited. Three organizations -- the Nature Conservancy, Maryland Conservation Corps and National Aquarium -- were pleased with the serendipitous way the project turned out.
It was the Baltimore Aquarium that obtained a grant to purchase the seedlings, but then its planned planting location fell through. At the same time, the Nature Conservancy had been preparing the Nassawango land for Atlantic white cedars, but was not able to get the trees it had planned on. And so, with the help of Maryland Conservation Corps staff who provided local students with guidance during the growing process, the Nature Conservancy and the National Aquarium combined their projects, planting the aquarium's trees at the Nature Conservancy's site.
"It worked out perfectly," Landau said. "It's a nice partnership and everybody benefits."
Town hosts photo contest, show
CHINCOTEAGUE -- The Chincoteague Cultural Alliance presents a photo contest and show, called Give Us Your Best Shot: A Day in the Life of the Islands. Contest participants are invited to start taking photos on Friday, June 19 and will have until 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 to enter them into the contest in one of four categories: nature, people, structures and 'the unexpected.'
Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place contestants in each category.
A registration fee of $20 (for those over 13) allows each contestant to enter 2 photos. Entries -- digital only -- should be submitted for judging at the Chincoteague Senior Center between noon and 2 pm on Saturday.
To pre-register, visit the www.chincoteagueculturalalliance.org. Call 757-894-2540.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place contestants in each category.
A registration fee of $20 (for those over 13) allows each contestant to enter 2 photos. Entries -- digital only -- should be submitted for judging at the Chincoteague Senior Center between noon and 2 pm on Saturday.
To pre-register, visit the www.chincoteagueculturalalliance.org. Call 757-894-2540.
Idol competition set for June
At Pocomoke City's Cypress Festival, a Pocomoke Idol contest will showcase the area's singing talent. Contestants can enter the June 11 event in Cypress Park by registering after 6 p.m. The contest will begin at 7 p.m. Prizes of $100 for first place and $50 for second place will be awarded.
Call 410-957-0802.
Call 410-957-0802.
Yard sale at Pocomoke High will benefit Rotary
There will be a large yard sale Saturday in the morning at Pocomoke High School. All proceeds go to support the charities of the Pocomoke Rotary Club, the sale sponsor.
Furnace Town holds Strawberry Day
SNOW HILL -- Gather the family and head for Furnace Town Living Heritage Museum on Sunday to enjoy Strawberry Day. Between 1 and 4 p.m., a variety of strawberry desserts will be sold, and the winner of the best strawberry dessert contest will be announced, with entries sliced. Judging will be based on taste and presentation. In the past there have been pies, cakes, tortes, rolls, a charlotte and a strawberry dessert lasagna. Deadline to register for the dessert contest is May 29 at 5 p.m.
Luscious desserts will be served by Furnace Town volunteers. Strawberry shortcakes, strawberry soup, ice cream sundaes, strawberry salsa and strawberry lemonade and other strawberry dishes will be available in The Gathering Room at the Visitor Center.
Strawberry Day is included in Furnace Town's daily site admission of $5 for adults, $4.50 for adults over 60 and $3 for children 2-13. A special tasting admission is also available for an additional $3, which will allow visitors to taste a sample of all the dishes. There will also be desserts available for purchase. Call Furnace Town at 410-632-2032 or furnacetown1832 @aol.com.
Luscious desserts will be served by Furnace Town volunteers. Strawberry shortcakes, strawberry soup, ice cream sundaes, strawberry salsa and strawberry lemonade and other strawberry dishes will be available in The Gathering Room at the Visitor Center.
Strawberry Day is included in Furnace Town's daily site admission of $5 for adults, $4.50 for adults over 60 and $3 for children 2-13. A special tasting admission is also available for an additional $3, which will allow visitors to taste a sample of all the dishes. There will also be desserts available for purchase. Call Furnace Town at 410-632-2032 or furnacetown1832 @aol.com.
Cypress Festival Coming Soon and adding a pageant
Following the opening ceremonies at Cypress Park, the 2009 Pocomoke Cypress Festival will kick off Wednesday, June 10, with an event new to the festival this year, the Little Miss and Miss Cypress Pageant.
Girls who enter the pageant will compete in two different categories — 5 to 6 years old for the little misses and 15 to 17 years old for the big misses. They must live within a 15-mile radius of Pocomoke City to be eligible. Any girl or parent interested in the contest can contact the Chamber of Commerce at 410-957-1919 by June 1.
Both Wednesday and Thursday will be the wristband nights for the rides by Sherwood Amusements. Wristbands to ride all night will be on sale for $8 each at the Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Shore Lanes and T’s Corner. The cost of the wristbands the nights of the rides will be $15.
One of the hits of recent festivals, the Pocomoke Idol, will return for the third year Thursday night. There will be two divisions in the competition — adult for entries 17 years and older and youth for entries 16 and younger.
Only 10 entries in each division will be allowed. Contestants will be allowed to bring their own music or choose from the available selection that night. The winner in each division will receive $100 with the runner-up receiving $50.
On Friday night, Slakbone, a modern rock band, will entertain people attending the festival. The band also plays a touch of classic rock.
Saturday events begin at noon with a soccer tournament sponsored by the YMCA.
Also at noon will be another event new to the festival — a ‘Rain Gutter Regatta’ sponsored by Cub Pack 143. Cubs who have constructed their sailboats from BSA kits will enter them in a regatta, which consists of using their breath to push the boats along the rain gutters. The first three in each den category will receive medals as will the best-appearing boats in several themes. Anyone belonging to a Cub Pack on the Lower Shore can enter. For information, call Craig Holland at
410-726-7958 or e-mail captcraig5@hotmail.com.
The car show and the bike show will also return that afternoon.
One of the top attractions, the Duck Derby, will be on the Pocomoke River later in the day at a time depending on the tide. Tickets for ownership of a duck are available at the chamber booth. Once purchased the ducks can be cheered on to victory.
Entertainment that evening will be provided by Divided Highway, a local band playing oldies with Jack Burton.
Saturday evening will conclude with a fireworks display.
Anyone who wishes to see a complete schedule with times of the events can visit www.pocomoke.com and click on the Calendar of Events. Information is also available by calling 410-957-1919.
Girls who enter the pageant will compete in two different categories — 5 to 6 years old for the little misses and 15 to 17 years old for the big misses. They must live within a 15-mile radius of Pocomoke City to be eligible. Any girl or parent interested in the contest can contact the Chamber of Commerce at 410-957-1919 by June 1.
Both Wednesday and Thursday will be the wristband nights for the rides by Sherwood Amusements. Wristbands to ride all night will be on sale for $8 each at the Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Shore Lanes and T’s Corner. The cost of the wristbands the nights of the rides will be $15.
One of the hits of recent festivals, the Pocomoke Idol, will return for the third year Thursday night. There will be two divisions in the competition — adult for entries 17 years and older and youth for entries 16 and younger.
Only 10 entries in each division will be allowed. Contestants will be allowed to bring their own music or choose from the available selection that night. The winner in each division will receive $100 with the runner-up receiving $50.
On Friday night, Slakbone, a modern rock band, will entertain people attending the festival. The band also plays a touch of classic rock.
Saturday events begin at noon with a soccer tournament sponsored by the YMCA.
Also at noon will be another event new to the festival — a ‘Rain Gutter Regatta’ sponsored by Cub Pack 143. Cubs who have constructed their sailboats from BSA kits will enter them in a regatta, which consists of using their breath to push the boats along the rain gutters. The first three in each den category will receive medals as will the best-appearing boats in several themes. Anyone belonging to a Cub Pack on the Lower Shore can enter. For information, call Craig Holland at
410-726-7958 or e-mail captcraig5@hotmail.com.
The car show and the bike show will also return that afternoon.
One of the top attractions, the Duck Derby, will be on the Pocomoke River later in the day at a time depending on the tide. Tickets for ownership of a duck are available at the chamber booth. Once purchased the ducks can be cheered on to victory.
Entertainment that evening will be provided by Divided Highway, a local band playing oldies with Jack Burton.
Saturday evening will conclude with a fireworks display.
Anyone who wishes to see a complete schedule with times of the events can visit www.pocomoke.com and click on the Calendar of Events. Information is also available by calling 410-957-1919.
Pocomoke earns state title
The Pocomoke softball team entered Saturday's MPSSAA 1A state championship game against Fort Hill expecting a low-scoring game. Sentinels senior pitcher Sheri Beavers had given up just two earned runs all season, and the Warriors had one of their two standout freshmen on the mound in Anna Brittingham.
But it was Brittingham who proved to be the better pitcher on this day, allowing just two Fort Hill hits and striking out 11 to make the Warriors' two runs stand up for a 2-0 victory and the title.
"It is amazing," Brittingham said. "I never thought I would come and actually win the state championship. It is just the best feeling in the world. I was told this team could hit like crazy, and I was coming out thinking, 'I don't know if I'm going to win.' Luckily, I came out and had my focus going."
The victory gave Pocomoke its first state softball crown after previously not making it past the semifinals in three attempts.
"When the season started, I knew we had a good team, but I never dreamt of being in the state championship and beating a team that was defending state champs," said Pocomoke senior catcher Kirstie Dennig, who earned her first softball title after already winning four for field hockey. "We are part of history now."
The Warriors missed an early opportunity in the top of the first inning when Beverly Weaver drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a groundout, then was held at third on a two-out single by Brittingham. She would then attempt to score on a passed ball and was tagged out at the plate by Beavers.
But Brittingham, who said she traditionally struggles in the first inning, showed no sign of it in the bottom of the first, striking out the first two hitters, using her rise ball and then drawing a pop-up from Beavers. She used that pitch frequently in the game, going to it in key situations and racking up the strikeouts.
"I love when a girls swings at a rise-ball, because they just look foolish," Brittingham said. "I just love it so much. It is just a great pitch, and I work on it all the time."
Pocomoke didn't waste an opportunity in the top of the second when freshman Skylar Hall had a smart at-bat, drawing a walk from Beavers and advancing to second on a wild pitch. Senior Sarah Scher then laced a solid single to pit runners at first and third with one out. Taylor West beat out a bunt single, and the throw back to Beavers from the first baseman sailed into foul territory, and Hall showed some heady baserunning by scoring on the play, scoring for a 1-0 Pocomoke lead.
Brittingham sandwiched a pair of strikeouts around a Fort Hill triple in the bottom of the second, then pitched a one-two-three third. With the lead in hand, she started to cruise.
"I felt completely comfortable in about the third inning, when I saw almost the whole lineup and I saw what they could do and just worked with that," Brittingham said.
As the game when on, Brittingham seemed to get stronger and more confident, which spelled trouble for the Sentinels.
"I think she did," said Dennig, who had a great view behind the plate. "I think all the excitement and momentum and knowing we had the early lead and had to hold them. We know how people can come back, because we are a clutch team and we come back. I think she had that in her head, and she just got stronger and stronger every inning."
Pocomoke had two on with one out in the top of the fifth, but Fort Hill escaped without a run.
They were not so lucky in the top of the sixth, when shortstop Kasey Tapman singled, moved to second on a passed ball, then scored on a one-out single by Scher.
"Everybody was just trying to get their hit, trying to get on base," Scher said. "The pitcher was really good, I have to give it to her, but we were prepared. We practice every day, and we also have great pitchers to practice from."
Scher called it a "good comfort run," but with just six Fort Hill outs to go in the game, it was huge.
"Getting one is great, but in my gut I didn't think one was going to be enough against this team," Pocomoke coach Ron Trostle said. "Getting that second one, you breathe a little better."
Brittingham gave up her final hit of the game on a changeup to the No. 9 hitter in the bottom of the sixth. But she got the next three hitters to escape without issue, then struck out two of three in the seventh.
Scher led Pocomoke at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Tapman, Brittingham, Dennig and Amber Holland each had one hit.
"I think we peaked at the right time," Trostle said, "and the season speaks for itself."
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
FBI Annual Report on Internet Crime
The FBI’s Internet crime complaints are on the rise,. A total of 275,284 complaints were received in 2008—up from 206,884 (33 percent) over 2007. Total dollar loss reported in 2008 was $265 million—up from $239 million in 2007. The average individual loss was $931. The chart below shows the number of complaints received and dollar loss totals for the past five years:
YEAR COMPLAINTS RECEIVED DOLLAR LOSS
2008 275,284 $265 million
2007 206,884 $239.09 million
2006 207,492 $198.44 million
2005 231,493 $183.12 million
2004 207,449 $68.14 million
FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Shawn Henry said, “This report illustrates that sophisticated computer fraud schemes continue to flourish as financial data migrates to the Internet. It also underscores the need for continued vigilance on the part of law enforcement, businesses, and the home computer user to be aware of these schemes and employ sound security procedures.”
YEAR COMPLAINTS RECEIVED DOLLAR LOSS
2008 275,284 $265 million
2007 206,884 $239.09 million
2006 207,492 $198.44 million
2005 231,493 $183.12 million
2004 207,449 $68.14 million
FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Shawn Henry said, “This report illustrates that sophisticated computer fraud schemes continue to flourish as financial data migrates to the Internet. It also underscores the need for continued vigilance on the part of law enforcement, businesses, and the home computer user to be aware of these schemes and employ sound security procedures.”
GRAND OPENING: Gala to welcome Delmarva Discovery Center
Museum and heritage center on Pocomoke River cuts ribbon June 25
A world of dreams, discovery and learning on Delmarva opens with a June 25 ribbon cutting ceremony and reception welcoming the Delmarva Discovery Center on the Pocomoke River in Pocomoke City.
The grand opening gala begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception, and at 6:30 p.m., a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the region’s center of local culture that includes a museum of Lower Shore art and history and a store with works by local artisans. Planned also is a restaurant.
Gala tickets are $20 each and limited. Tickets include “Tastes of Delmarva” cuisine provided by Watermen’s Inn and music by Moonstruck. Tickets are 10 percent off for Discovery Center members.
For ticket information, call 410-957-9933
More Information and directions click here
A world of dreams, discovery and learning on Delmarva opens with a June 25 ribbon cutting ceremony and reception welcoming the Delmarva Discovery Center on the Pocomoke River in Pocomoke City.
The grand opening gala begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception, and at 6:30 p.m., a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the region’s center of local culture that includes a museum of Lower Shore art and history and a store with works by local artisans. Planned also is a restaurant.
Gala tickets are $20 each and limited. Tickets include “Tastes of Delmarva” cuisine provided by Watermen’s Inn and music by Moonstruck. Tickets are 10 percent off for Discovery Center members.
For ticket information, call 410-957-9933
More Information and directions click here
Obama Admits He is creating a U.S. Long Term Debt Load that is “Unsustainable” Yet He keeps Spending
After going on a multi-Trillion Dollar spending spree, Barack Hussein Obama called his current deficit spending “unsustainable.” He went on to warn of ballooning, inflationary consumer interest rates and the financing of government programs with money borrowed from other countries.
This comes at a time when millions in the private sector are being thrown out of work, in an Obama Administration expending hundreds of billions in taxpayer funds to keep federal, state and local civil servants employed. Huge sums of private sector taxpayer dollars are being routed to states and municipalities for hiring of even more marginally productive civil servants, providing raises and supporting their exorbitant early retirement benefits with life long medical coverage.
“We can’t keep on just borrowing from China,” Obama said at a town-hall meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, outside Albuquerque. “We have to pay interest on that debt, and that means we are mortgaging our children’s future with more and more debt.” Obama failed to say that due to his spending, interest alone on his debt creation will be at least $850 billion annually within ten years.
Holders of U.S. debt will eventually “get tired” of buying it, causing interest rates on everything from auto loans to home mortgages to increase, Obama said. “It will have a dampening effect on our economy.”
Acting as if impending economic doom isn’t being created by his own administration, Obama revised his own budget estimates, raising his understated deficit projections for this year to a record $1.84 trillion, up 5 percent from the February estimate. The revision for the 2010 fiscal year estimated the deficit at $1.26 trillion, up 7.4 percent from the February figure. The more independent Office of Management and Budget projected next year’s budget will end up at $3.59 trillion, compared with the $3.55 trillion it estimated previously.
Acting clueless to economic issues, Obama glossed over the fact that in his first year, his deficits will equal that of President Bush’s total accumulated deficits during eight years in office.
Falling back on blaming retiring private sector workers collecting Social Security and Medicare they have paid in to for years, Obama claimed, “Most of what is driving us into debt is health care, so we have to drive down costs,” he said. This is “fed speak” for reducing benefits to private sector retirees.
This is the ploy of federal employees, whose average salary is $76,000.00. Obama failed to mention that every federal employee just received a salary increase and that 70% of them routinely receive bonuses up to $25,000 annually. However, this is dwarfed by income earned by State and local employees and does not include incredible retirement benefits after only 20-25 years and lifelong medical coverage.
Civil Servants are considered to be the least productive workers in America. None the less, while millions of private sector workers are losing their jobs and Obama points fingers at their receiving benefits they have paid in to for years, hundreds of thousands of new “make work” public sector workers are being hired, pandering to their Unions and vying for their votes.
This comes at a time when millions in the private sector are being thrown out of work, in an Obama Administration expending hundreds of billions in taxpayer funds to keep federal, state and local civil servants employed. Huge sums of private sector taxpayer dollars are being routed to states and municipalities for hiring of even more marginally productive civil servants, providing raises and supporting their exorbitant early retirement benefits with life long medical coverage.
“We can’t keep on just borrowing from China,” Obama said at a town-hall meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, outside Albuquerque. “We have to pay interest on that debt, and that means we are mortgaging our children’s future with more and more debt.” Obama failed to say that due to his spending, interest alone on his debt creation will be at least $850 billion annually within ten years.
Holders of U.S. debt will eventually “get tired” of buying it, causing interest rates on everything from auto loans to home mortgages to increase, Obama said. “It will have a dampening effect on our economy.”
Acting as if impending economic doom isn’t being created by his own administration, Obama revised his own budget estimates, raising his understated deficit projections for this year to a record $1.84 trillion, up 5 percent from the February estimate. The revision for the 2010 fiscal year estimated the deficit at $1.26 trillion, up 7.4 percent from the February figure. The more independent Office of Management and Budget projected next year’s budget will end up at $3.59 trillion, compared with the $3.55 trillion it estimated previously.
Acting clueless to economic issues, Obama glossed over the fact that in his first year, his deficits will equal that of President Bush’s total accumulated deficits during eight years in office.
Falling back on blaming retiring private sector workers collecting Social Security and Medicare they have paid in to for years, Obama claimed, “Most of what is driving us into debt is health care, so we have to drive down costs,” he said. This is “fed speak” for reducing benefits to private sector retirees.
This is the ploy of federal employees, whose average salary is $76,000.00. Obama failed to mention that every federal employee just received a salary increase and that 70% of them routinely receive bonuses up to $25,000 annually. However, this is dwarfed by income earned by State and local employees and does not include incredible retirement benefits after only 20-25 years and lifelong medical coverage.
Civil Servants are considered to be the least productive workers in America. None the less, while millions of private sector workers are losing their jobs and Obama points fingers at their receiving benefits they have paid in to for years, hundreds of thousands of new “make work” public sector workers are being hired, pandering to their Unions and vying for their votes.
Worcester balances new budget
The Worcester County Commissioners balanced its 2009-10 budget a week before the funding document is scheduled to be approved on June 2.
At the final work session Tuesday, commissioners trimmed the remaining $327,000 needed to close the $13.9 million shortfall in revenues expected for next year. In the process, officials agreed to fund the Board of Education's maintenance-of-effort budget, restore money cut by the school system for textbooks and classroom materials and delayed capital projects to find money for a new senior center in Berlin.
Cuts to county departments and capital projects, along with changes in the way employee retirement and health benefits are paid, combined to shrink the $189.5 million budget for the current year down to $175.6 million expected for next year.
However, while no reductions to county personnel -- including furloughs and layoffs -- were made on Tuesday, the option is still on the table.
"If you think this money crisis is over, you've got your head in the clouds," Commissioner Bud Church said. "Next year is going to be worse."
The county will forgo a $2.43 million storage facility and $70,000 worth of improvements to the Public Works office at the Isle of Wight in order to use the money to build a new Berlin senior center. The old building will be converted into a dental clinic by the health department with the help of grant funding. By using money already set aside for other projects, the county will not need to obtain a bond for the $2.5 million senior center. The bond payment would have cost about $225,000, but now that amount, combined with $102,000 taken from the county's $500,000 undesignated construction fund, will be used to resolve the final $327,000 budget shortfall.
The Board of Education will receive the $72.3 million county allotment required by state law. In the 5-2 vote approving the school's budget, the commissioners restored $565,447 for text books and other classroom materials, an amount that was taken from the money requested for salaries. That amount can be trimmed, they said, without laying people off due to teacher retirements and those who choose to leave the system.
"The money is in the budget for the teachers they already have, except for those that have retired," Commission President Louise Gulyas said. "So they really aren't going to lose anything."
Commissioners Church and Judy Boggs did not support the final BOE budget. Boggs said she voted against the allotment because she disagreed with making the decision to fund maintenance-of-effort at a work session last week without more information from the board. Church, a former BOE member, accused the commissioners of "micromanaging" the school system.
The draft general fund budget allows for county employees to keep their take-home cars, for seven replacement vehicles for the sheriff's office and for board member mileage reimbursement. Local nonprofit service organizations will have a 10 percent reduction in county grant funding and there is no money allocated to any county cultural or historical organization.
Grants for Snow Hill, Pocomoke City and Berlin were reduced by 11 percent from last year, and Ocean City will be cut by slightly less than 9 percent.
At the final work session Tuesday, commissioners trimmed the remaining $327,000 needed to close the $13.9 million shortfall in revenues expected for next year. In the process, officials agreed to fund the Board of Education's maintenance-of-effort budget, restore money cut by the school system for textbooks and classroom materials and delayed capital projects to find money for a new senior center in Berlin.
Cuts to county departments and capital projects, along with changes in the way employee retirement and health benefits are paid, combined to shrink the $189.5 million budget for the current year down to $175.6 million expected for next year.
However, while no reductions to county personnel -- including furloughs and layoffs -- were made on Tuesday, the option is still on the table.
"If you think this money crisis is over, you've got your head in the clouds," Commissioner Bud Church said. "Next year is going to be worse."
The county will forgo a $2.43 million storage facility and $70,000 worth of improvements to the Public Works office at the Isle of Wight in order to use the money to build a new Berlin senior center. The old building will be converted into a dental clinic by the health department with the help of grant funding. By using money already set aside for other projects, the county will not need to obtain a bond for the $2.5 million senior center. The bond payment would have cost about $225,000, but now that amount, combined with $102,000 taken from the county's $500,000 undesignated construction fund, will be used to resolve the final $327,000 budget shortfall.
The Board of Education will receive the $72.3 million county allotment required by state law. In the 5-2 vote approving the school's budget, the commissioners restored $565,447 for text books and other classroom materials, an amount that was taken from the money requested for salaries. That amount can be trimmed, they said, without laying people off due to teacher retirements and those who choose to leave the system.
"The money is in the budget for the teachers they already have, except for those that have retired," Commission President Louise Gulyas said. "So they really aren't going to lose anything."
Commissioners Church and Judy Boggs did not support the final BOE budget. Boggs said she voted against the allotment because she disagreed with making the decision to fund maintenance-of-effort at a work session last week without more information from the board. Church, a former BOE member, accused the commissioners of "micromanaging" the school system.
The draft general fund budget allows for county employees to keep their take-home cars, for seven replacement vehicles for the sheriff's office and for board member mileage reimbursement. Local nonprofit service organizations will have a 10 percent reduction in county grant funding and there is no money allocated to any county cultural or historical organization.
Grants for Snow Hill, Pocomoke City and Berlin were reduced by 11 percent from last year, and Ocean City will be cut by slightly less than 9 percent.
Baking Powder Mailed from Va. to Md. Sparks Probe
Maryland State Police are investigating the mailing of a letter with baking powder inside from Virginia to Annapolis.
Police say an employee at the Maryland District Court Administration building opened a letter with white powder inside about 9 a.m. Wednesday. The letter was opened in a room for sorting mail for the District Court.
The building was evacuated while troopers, hazmat teams and emergency crews examined the scene and decontaminated four people in the office where the letter was sent.
Virginia police are assisting in the investigation because the letter was mailed from Richmond.
Employees were let back in the building at noon and no one was injured.
Police say an employee at the Maryland District Court Administration building opened a letter with white powder inside about 9 a.m. Wednesday. The letter was opened in a room for sorting mail for the District Court.
The building was evacuated while troopers, hazmat teams and emergency crews examined the scene and decontaminated four people in the office where the letter was sent.
Virginia police are assisting in the investigation because the letter was mailed from Richmond.
Employees were let back in the building at noon and no one was injured.
Former Del. State Trooper Facing Sex Charges Commits Suicide
SMYRNA, Del.- Authorities say a former Delaware State Police trooper arrested earlier this month for having inappropriate sexual relations with a woman he had arrested has killed himself.
The body of 32-year-old Joshua Giddings was found at around 6 p.m. inside a shed outside his home on Wheeler Circle in Smyrna. According to authorities, foul play is not suspected and the incident is being investigated as a suicide by the Smyrna Police Department.
Until recently, Giddings was a 7-year veteran trooper of Delaware State Police with the rank of corporal. Earlier this month Giddings had been charged with sexual extortion, receiving a bribe and official misconduct after being accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual relations with a 39-year-old woman he had arrested for shoplifting.
According to police, the arrest was the culmination of an investigation into the woman's allegations of misconduct by Giddings.
The woman alleged that she and Giddings engaged in a sexual act while he was acting in his official capacity as a trooper. According to police, an investigation into the allegations substantiated that on Thursday, March 19 at approximately 8:06 p.m., Giddings was working in a patrol capacity when he was dispatched to JC Penney's at the Christiana Mall for a report of a female shoplifter in custody.
Police say Giddings arrested the woman for a single count of shoplifting and for capias charges from a local court related to traffic offenses. According to police, after the arrest the woman and Giddings agreed that if she performed a sexual favor that Giddings would not immediately take her to court to face the shoplifting charges and capiases. Police say that instead, he issued her a criminal summons to appear at a later date in court.
Police say that with the woman under arrest and detained in the police vehicle, Giddings drove to a nearby, secluded area and engaged in a sexual act with her. Giddings then concluded his interaction with the woman and drove her home, according to police.
Once DSP was notified of this allegation, an investigation was immediately launched and Giddings was suspended with pay and benefits. During the investigation, detectives secured a clothing item belonging to the victim, which was found to contain traces of seminal fluid. Consequently, detectives later obtained a search warrant to obtain DNA from Giddings.
Police say the physical evidence obtained by detectives from the victim's clothing and the DNA sample obtained from Giddings were sent to the state's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for comparison. Police say the two samples matched the DNA profile of Giddings and supported the allegation brought forth and warranted the aforementioned charges.
Arrest warrants were obtained and on Monday, May 11, Giddings was arrested and ultimately removed from the force.
Crime In Chincoteague Down
Chincoteague's crime rate has fallen according to a new state report. The Crime Analysis report says there were 148 serious crimes committed in 2008. That's actually 64 fewer crimes than in 2007. The police department says there have been no layoffs in the force and that has helped them keep a stronger presence in the community. "We have a lot of houses that are only occupied during certain times of the year, so when they're empty we keep a closer eye on those," Chincoteague Assistant Police Chief Randy Mills. The Chincoteague Police department plans to unveil a "neighborhood Program" program June 3rd. The Assistant Chief says it will help raise awareness on criminal activity in the town.
Has anyone ever seen a yearly crime report for Pocomoke?
Has anyone ever seen a yearly crime report for Pocomoke?
Suspect On The Loose, Considered Extremely Dangerous
From the WMDT website
Ocean City Police are searching for a man they say is extremely dangerous. Dallas Roman is wanted in both Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Police say he was spotted in Ocean City earlier this month, and possibly last weekend. They say he skipped a sentencing hearing for a violent crime in Pennsylvania and he's wanted for a paternity suit in Maryland.
They believe he may be armed. If you have any information or see Roman, do not approach him, call 410-723-6600.
Ocean City Police are searching for a man they say is extremely dangerous. Dallas Roman is wanted in both Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Police say he was spotted in Ocean City earlier this month, and possibly last weekend. They say he skipped a sentencing hearing for a violent crime in Pennsylvania and he's wanted for a paternity suit in Maryland.
They believe he may be armed. If you have any information or see Roman, do not approach him, call 410-723-6600.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
International treaty gives foreign troops identity of American gun owners
Obama wants other countries to have a list of American gun owners?
I would consider this high treason. Why would other countries even need this info when they do not have a constitution much less a second amendment. What say you?
Watch and weep!
I would consider this high treason. Why would other countries even need this info when they do not have a constitution much less a second amendment. What say you?
Watch and weep!
County leaders feel shortchanged by stimulus
Almost $4 billion is headed to Maryland in federal stimulus money. Counties across the state fought for their share of the money, dedicated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, for roads, education, building infrastructure and creating jobs.
While some jurisdictions were successful in securing their share of the funding, Worcester County was not so lucky, its government has concluded.
"Stimulus money, everybody in the world wants to get it," said Worcester County Administrator Gerry Mason. "But I'll tell you who's not getting it -- us."
A list of Worcester County's "shovel-ready" projects submitted to the state earlier this year went largely unfunded by federal authorities in charge of choosing the plans worthy of ARRA funds.
Thus the replacement of the Mystic Harbor wastewater treatment plant, capping and closing the Berlin rubblefill, a Route 50 service road, a water tower and the Ocean Pines-GlenRiddle utility interconnection will all have to wait for better economic times.
"We really did get shortchanged in this," said Commissioner Judy Boggs. "And what we did get, we didn't have any say over."
Of the $3.9 billion slated for Maryland in loans and grants, county staffers say only $10.3 million will be spent in Worcester County. However, the majority of that money -- about $8.13 million -- will be spent directly by the state to resurface and maintain state roads; enhance teacher retirement benefits; give Community Service Block Grants; and make investments in the local workforce. County officials have little say in how this state money is spent.
Worcester County's coffers will only see $1.5 million, of which $1.4 million will go toward special education initiatives and Title 1 schools, according to the figures. The remaining $41,716 allotted for the county will fund laptops for the sheriff's department.
Grants to Pocomoke City for an enhanced nutrient removal system for the town's wastewater treatment plant and local public safety services and $97,000 slated for Ocean City in justice assistance funding make up the rest.
Figures compiled by Gov. Martin O'Malley's office, however, show more stimulus funds going to Worcester -- $16.4 million, including $3.9 million that is the county's share of federal funds bulking up Maryland's Medicare and Medicaid spending. The figures, available to the public via a StateStat Web site, www.statestat.maryland.gov, also tally stimulus spending on Worcester roads as reaching $7.2 million, compared to the county government's figure of $5 million.
While some jurisdictions were successful in securing their share of the funding, Worcester County was not so lucky, its government has concluded.
"Stimulus money, everybody in the world wants to get it," said Worcester County Administrator Gerry Mason. "But I'll tell you who's not getting it -- us."
A list of Worcester County's "shovel-ready" projects submitted to the state earlier this year went largely unfunded by federal authorities in charge of choosing the plans worthy of ARRA funds.
Thus the replacement of the Mystic Harbor wastewater treatment plant, capping and closing the Berlin rubblefill, a Route 50 service road, a water tower and the Ocean Pines-GlenRiddle utility interconnection will all have to wait for better economic times.
"We really did get shortchanged in this," said Commissioner Judy Boggs. "And what we did get, we didn't have any say over."
Of the $3.9 billion slated for Maryland in loans and grants, county staffers say only $10.3 million will be spent in Worcester County. However, the majority of that money -- about $8.13 million -- will be spent directly by the state to resurface and maintain state roads; enhance teacher retirement benefits; give Community Service Block Grants; and make investments in the local workforce. County officials have little say in how this state money is spent.
Worcester County's coffers will only see $1.5 million, of which $1.4 million will go toward special education initiatives and Title 1 schools, according to the figures. The remaining $41,716 allotted for the county will fund laptops for the sheriff's department.
Grants to Pocomoke City for an enhanced nutrient removal system for the town's wastewater treatment plant and local public safety services and $97,000 slated for Ocean City in justice assistance funding make up the rest.
Figures compiled by Gov. Martin O'Malley's office, however, show more stimulus funds going to Worcester -- $16.4 million, including $3.9 million that is the county's share of federal funds bulking up Maryland's Medicare and Medicaid spending. The figures, available to the public via a StateStat Web site, www.statestat.maryland.gov, also tally stimulus spending on Worcester roads as reaching $7.2 million, compared to the county government's figure of $5 million.
Students are last link in Baltimore-to-Shore tree chain
SNOW HILL -- Worcester County students had the chance to get their hands dirty as close to 200 students helped restore a portion of the Nassawango Creek Nature Preserve by planting trees.
Students from Berlin Intermediate School and Pocomoke and Snow Hill middle schools spent Thursday and Friday planting nearly 1,000 trees that they had raised in their classrooms during the past year in the Nassawango Creek Preserve.
"They were so enthusiastic," said Deborah Landau, a Nature Conservancy conservation ecologist. "With them being the ones to have started the seedlings, it's like they have a relationship with the trees."
With the help of Nature Conservancy and National Aquarium in Baltimore staff, the middle-schoolers went through the entire process of planting the Atlantic white cedars they had grown. Students located low, wet areas for the trees, which have been threatened in recent years with the draining of land that occurs for farming and development, and planted them. They then added a pellet, designed to give the tree a bitter flavor, to protect it from grazing deer, and flagged it.
The students planted Atlantic white cedars, Landau said, because those used to grow along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, but have been greatly diminished since settlers cut them down to use for building and later as once-marshy land was drained for farming. To help reestablish the cedars in the Nassawango area, Landau and other Nature Conservancy staff burned an area of unhealthy loblolly pines, returning nutrients to the soil, and had the students plant the trees there.
Landau said the entire project gave the students a better understanding of their environment.
"They were asking thoughtful questions," she said, "and we talked about preserving as well as actively restoring land."
Susan Land, a seventh-grade teacher at Pocomoke Middle School, said her students really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Nassawango Preserve.
"Not a lot of them get to come out like this in the fresh air," she said.
The students were not the only ones who benefited. Three organizations -- the Nature Conservancy, Maryland Conservation Corps and National Aquarium -- were pleased with the serendipitous way the project turned out.
It was the Baltimore Aquarium that obtained a grant to purchase the seedlings, but then its planned planting location fell through. At the same time, the Nature Conservancy had been preparing the Nassawango land for Atlantic white cedars, but was not able to get the trees it had planned on. And so, with the help of Maryland Conservation Corps staff who provided local students with guidance during the growing process, the Nature Conservancy and the National Aquarium combined their projects, planting the aquarium's trees at the Nature Conservancy's site.
"It worked out perfectly," Landau said. "It's a nice partnership and everybody benefits."
Students from Berlin Intermediate School and Pocomoke and Snow Hill middle schools spent Thursday and Friday planting nearly 1,000 trees that they had raised in their classrooms during the past year in the Nassawango Creek Preserve.
"They were so enthusiastic," said Deborah Landau, a Nature Conservancy conservation ecologist. "With them being the ones to have started the seedlings, it's like they have a relationship with the trees."
With the help of Nature Conservancy and National Aquarium in Baltimore staff, the middle-schoolers went through the entire process of planting the Atlantic white cedars they had grown. Students located low, wet areas for the trees, which have been threatened in recent years with the draining of land that occurs for farming and development, and planted them. They then added a pellet, designed to give the tree a bitter flavor, to protect it from grazing deer, and flagged it.
The students planted Atlantic white cedars, Landau said, because those used to grow along the East Coast from Maine to Florida, but have been greatly diminished since settlers cut them down to use for building and later as once-marshy land was drained for farming. To help reestablish the cedars in the Nassawango area, Landau and other Nature Conservancy staff burned an area of unhealthy loblolly pines, returning nutrients to the soil, and had the students plant the trees there.
Landau said the entire project gave the students a better understanding of their environment.
"They were asking thoughtful questions," she said, "and we talked about preserving as well as actively restoring land."
Susan Land, a seventh-grade teacher at Pocomoke Middle School, said her students really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Nassawango Preserve.
"Not a lot of them get to come out like this in the fresh air," she said.
The students were not the only ones who benefited. Three organizations -- the Nature Conservancy, Maryland Conservation Corps and National Aquarium -- were pleased with the serendipitous way the project turned out.
It was the Baltimore Aquarium that obtained a grant to purchase the seedlings, but then its planned planting location fell through. At the same time, the Nature Conservancy had been preparing the Nassawango land for Atlantic white cedars, but was not able to get the trees it had planned on. And so, with the help of Maryland Conservation Corps staff who provided local students with guidance during the growing process, the Nature Conservancy and the National Aquarium combined their projects, planting the aquarium's trees at the Nature Conservancy's site.
"It worked out perfectly," Landau said. "It's a nice partnership and everybody benefits."
Delmar man killed crossing Route 13
Police have identified the pedestrian killed Sunday night in a traffic accident on Route 13 across from Salisbury University as Eric Steven Parkinson of Delmar.
The 20-year-old had been a student at Wor-Wic Community College for the past two years and had planned on someday becoming a math teacher at the college level, said his mother, Ronda Parkinson.
"He was terrific. He had a beautiful personality. He was always living life so comically. Everything was just so light to him," she said when reached Monday afternoon, holding back tears on the telephone.
Witnesses on the scene at 11 p.m. Sunday night said that Parkinson stepped in front of a vehicle from the median on northbound Route 13, across from the Hardees, while the light was green.
The accident is currently under investigation, but Maryland State Police Sgt. Andre Bratten said there is no evidence at this time that the driver's speed played a role in the crash.
"The only cause noted is that the pedestrian failed to yield the right of way to the driver," Bratten said Monday.
The area where Parkinson was struck is directly above an underground passage for pedestrians who cross the highway along Bateman Street.
Police identified the driver of the vehicle in the accident as Elida Trevino, 49, of Salisbury. In the crash, her maroon-colored GMC Jimmy sustained severe dents to the hood, and its windshield was shattered in spots.
Emergency personnel found Parkinson about 40 feet from where the vehicle struck him. He was pronounced dead on the scene and then transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
The death toll for pedestrians killed on Lower Shore highways has climbed in recent times.
On May 16, a Stephen Decatur High School student, Matthew B. Barcase, 16, of Ocean Pines, died after being hit when trying to cross Route 50 in West Ocean City.
On Jan. 11, a 40-year-old man was struck and killed by a Jeep Cherokee when attempting to cross Route 13 in Delmar.
In April 2007, an Ohio woman was struck and killed when walking on Route 13 near Laurel. In March 2007, a 20-year-old woman and her 4-year-old daughter died in Pocomoke City after being struck when trying to cross Route 13 in Pocomoke City. That same day, a 36-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter died after being hit when crossing 62nd Street in Ocean City.
Ronda Parkinson said her close-knit family is having a difficult time coping with her son's death.
Parkinson is a 2007 graduate of Delmar Senior High School, his mother said.
In addition to graduating with academic honors, his mother described him as one of the greatest baseball players in the school's history. He was a first baseman and regular on All-star teams when growing up, she said.
In addition to his mother, Parkinson is survived by his father, Dennis J. Parkinson Sr., his older brother Dennis J. Parkinson Jr., and his sister, Desirae Parkinson, a 10th-grade student.
"To lose our baby is so hard. Everybody loved him," his mother said.
The 20-year-old had been a student at Wor-Wic Community College for the past two years and had planned on someday becoming a math teacher at the college level, said his mother, Ronda Parkinson.
"He was terrific. He had a beautiful personality. He was always living life so comically. Everything was just so light to him," she said when reached Monday afternoon, holding back tears on the telephone.
Witnesses on the scene at 11 p.m. Sunday night said that Parkinson stepped in front of a vehicle from the median on northbound Route 13, across from the Hardees, while the light was green.
The accident is currently under investigation, but Maryland State Police Sgt. Andre Bratten said there is no evidence at this time that the driver's speed played a role in the crash.
"The only cause noted is that the pedestrian failed to yield the right of way to the driver," Bratten said Monday.
The area where Parkinson was struck is directly above an underground passage for pedestrians who cross the highway along Bateman Street.
Police identified the driver of the vehicle in the accident as Elida Trevino, 49, of Salisbury. In the crash, her maroon-colored GMC Jimmy sustained severe dents to the hood, and its windshield was shattered in spots.
Emergency personnel found Parkinson about 40 feet from where the vehicle struck him. He was pronounced dead on the scene and then transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
The death toll for pedestrians killed on Lower Shore highways has climbed in recent times.
On May 16, a Stephen Decatur High School student, Matthew B. Barcase, 16, of Ocean Pines, died after being hit when trying to cross Route 50 in West Ocean City.
On Jan. 11, a 40-year-old man was struck and killed by a Jeep Cherokee when attempting to cross Route 13 in Delmar.
In April 2007, an Ohio woman was struck and killed when walking on Route 13 near Laurel. In March 2007, a 20-year-old woman and her 4-year-old daughter died in Pocomoke City after being struck when trying to cross Route 13 in Pocomoke City. That same day, a 36-year-old woman and her 3-year-old daughter died after being hit when crossing 62nd Street in Ocean City.
Ronda Parkinson said her close-knit family is having a difficult time coping with her son's death.
Parkinson is a 2007 graduate of Delmar Senior High School, his mother said.
In addition to graduating with academic honors, his mother described him as one of the greatest baseball players in the school's history. He was a first baseman and regular on All-star teams when growing up, she said.
In addition to his mother, Parkinson is survived by his father, Dennis J. Parkinson Sr., his older brother Dennis J. Parkinson Jr., and his sister, Desirae Parkinson, a 10th-grade student.
"To lose our baby is so hard. Everybody loved him," his mother said.
2 Fired Md. ECI Guards Plead Guilty to Assault
Two fired Maryland correctional officers pleaded guilty Tuesday to assaulting a defenseless inmate at a state prison and agreed to testify against seven co-workers charged with beating the man over a two-day period.
Timothy Mellott, 23, of Woodbridge, Va., and Lucas Kelly, 29, of Frostburg, Md., each pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine. No sentencing dates were set. The other seven officers have pleaded not guilty.
They acknowledged brutalizing Kenneth J. Davis, 42, who is serving 19 years for a series of robbery convictions in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties in 1998. Davis is housed at the Eastern Correctional Institution near Westover, according to the Division of Correction.
Assistant Attorney General Jason Abbott, who is prosecuting the case, told Washington County Circuit Judge M. Kenneth Long that the episode began March 8, 2008, when Davis hit Mellott in the face during an apparently routine check during the night shift at the medium-security Roxbury Correctional Institution near Hagerstown.
Two other officers broke up the fight, handcuffed Davis behind his back and escorted him to the Administrative Segregation Intake Area, or ASIA unit, a holding area inside the medical dispensary where troublesome inmates are sometimes housed.
Davis was cooperative during the trip to the ASIA unit, Abbott said.
The party was met in the ASIA unit by Lt. Robert D. Harvey, 62, of Hagerstown and Correctional Officer Keith Morris, 27, of Warfordsburg, Pa., who were told of the attack on Mellott, Abbott said. He said Harvey led Davis to a cell and kicked him in the midsection, knocking him to the ground.
Morris then entered the cell and punched Davis, followed by Mellott, who punched the inmate and kicked him in the back, Abbott said.
Davis remained handcuffed and did not attempt to hit or kick the officers during the beating, he said.
Harvey, Mellott and Morris are among four defendants from the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift. The role of the fourth man, Scott Boozel, 28, of McConnellsburg, Pa., wasn't explained.
Kelly is among five other officers charged with assaulting Davis the next day during the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift. Abbott said four of those officers- Kelly; Reginald Martin, 38, of Chambersburg, Pa.; Michael Morgan, 39, of Fort Ashby, W.Va.; and Justin Norris, 24, of Martinsburg, W.Va.- learned of the attack on Mellott during morning roll.
"There was an implicit agreement among the defendants to go to the ASIA unit to find Kenneth Davis," Abbott said.
He said they got in a van, drove to the medical dispensary, entered through a physical therapy door and met officer Tyson T. Hinkle, 33, of Martinsburg, W.Va. Hinkle accompanied them to Davis' cell, where they found the inmate on the floor, Abbott said.
Once again, Davis did not threaten the officers or try to hit them, Abbott said. He said they kicked Davis numerous times in the body and genitals while he tried to protect himself by curling into a ball.
Abbott said Kelly, when questioned by investigators, initially denied any knowledge of the beating. But he later admitted his involvement and provided the names of the assailants.
Kelly, who represented himself, declined to comment after the hearing.
Mellott and his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Charles Bailey, also declined to comment.
Timothy Mellott, 23, of Woodbridge, Va., and Lucas Kelly, 29, of Frostburg, Md., each pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine. No sentencing dates were set. The other seven officers have pleaded not guilty.
They acknowledged brutalizing Kenneth J. Davis, 42, who is serving 19 years for a series of robbery convictions in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties in 1998. Davis is housed at the Eastern Correctional Institution near Westover, according to the Division of Correction.
Assistant Attorney General Jason Abbott, who is prosecuting the case, told Washington County Circuit Judge M. Kenneth Long that the episode began March 8, 2008, when Davis hit Mellott in the face during an apparently routine check during the night shift at the medium-security Roxbury Correctional Institution near Hagerstown.
Two other officers broke up the fight, handcuffed Davis behind his back and escorted him to the Administrative Segregation Intake Area, or ASIA unit, a holding area inside the medical dispensary where troublesome inmates are sometimes housed.
Davis was cooperative during the trip to the ASIA unit, Abbott said.
The party was met in the ASIA unit by Lt. Robert D. Harvey, 62, of Hagerstown and Correctional Officer Keith Morris, 27, of Warfordsburg, Pa., who were told of the attack on Mellott, Abbott said. He said Harvey led Davis to a cell and kicked him in the midsection, knocking him to the ground.
Morris then entered the cell and punched Davis, followed by Mellott, who punched the inmate and kicked him in the back, Abbott said.
Davis remained handcuffed and did not attempt to hit or kick the officers during the beating, he said.
Harvey, Mellott and Morris are among four defendants from the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift. The role of the fourth man, Scott Boozel, 28, of McConnellsburg, Pa., wasn't explained.
Kelly is among five other officers charged with assaulting Davis the next day during the 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift. Abbott said four of those officers- Kelly; Reginald Martin, 38, of Chambersburg, Pa.; Michael Morgan, 39, of Fort Ashby, W.Va.; and Justin Norris, 24, of Martinsburg, W.Va.- learned of the attack on Mellott during morning roll.
"There was an implicit agreement among the defendants to go to the ASIA unit to find Kenneth Davis," Abbott said.
He said they got in a van, drove to the medical dispensary, entered through a physical therapy door and met officer Tyson T. Hinkle, 33, of Martinsburg, W.Va. Hinkle accompanied them to Davis' cell, where they found the inmate on the floor, Abbott said.
Once again, Davis did not threaten the officers or try to hit them, Abbott said. He said they kicked Davis numerous times in the body and genitals while he tried to protect himself by curling into a ball.
Abbott said Kelly, when questioned by investigators, initially denied any knowledge of the beating. But he later admitted his involvement and provided the names of the assailants.
Kelly, who represented himself, declined to comment after the hearing.
Mellott and his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Charles Bailey, also declined to comment.
SEVERE WEATHER ALERT
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FOR KENT AND SUSSEX COUNTIES EFFECTIVE FROM 9 PM TONIGHT TO 2 AM WEDNESDAY. WINDS AND TIDES WILL CONSPIRE TO GENERATE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW AREAS ALONG THE SHORE. PLEASE MOVE YOUR VEHICLES OUT OF FLOOD PRONE AREAS.
To our Readers
This as you know is a brand new blog, I'm pleasantly surprised at the number of readers we have already in such a short time.
I would like to hear what YOU the reader would like to see and read.
Please don't be shy, email me or simply post in a reply what you want to see more of. If you haven't figured it out yet I'm very conservative so my train of thought leans to posting toward the right thinker but I don't want to limit this blog to things that lean to the way I think, I need reader input.
Tell me what you want to see and read and I'll do my best to post things of reader interest.
Thanks for viewing The Pocomoke Public Eye. And thanks to the other blogs that have linked to this site, it is greatly appreciated.
Please contact me at...
Pcitypubliceye@gmail.com
I would like to hear what YOU the reader would like to see and read.
Please don't be shy, email me or simply post in a reply what you want to see more of. If you haven't figured it out yet I'm very conservative so my train of thought leans to posting toward the right thinker but I don't want to limit this blog to things that lean to the way I think, I need reader input.
Tell me what you want to see and read and I'll do my best to post things of reader interest.
Thanks for viewing The Pocomoke Public Eye. And thanks to the other blogs that have linked to this site, it is greatly appreciated.
Please contact me at...
Pcitypubliceye@gmail.com
Sotomayor Video: Judges Make Policy, Latinas Better Than Whites
Watch and see if this is reported by the main stream media. This is Obamas new ultra liberal supreme court Justice pick.
Do you think a judge should 'Dictate' from the bench?
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's pick to become the newest Supreme Court justice, is on the record with some controversial remarks about 'diversity,' 'judicial activism' and female judges vs. male judges.
For example, the New York Times reported that in 2001, at the annual Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture, Sotomayor had this to say:
“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences,” she said later, regarding non-white, female judges, “our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.”
Also, there is a 2005 video of Sotomayor, speaking with potential law clerks, saying that a “court of appeals is where policy is made.” She added: “And I know — I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don’t make law. I know. O.K. I know. I’m not promoting it. I’m not advocating it ...”
Regarding Sotomayor's chances to avoid a filibuster of her nomination, Senator Orrin Hatch told Politico, “I'll tell you one thing, I'm not very happy about judges who will substitute their own policy preferences for what the law really is; who think that they can run the country from the bench when they actually have a limited role. And that role is to interpret the laws made by those who have to stand for reelection."
Despite Hatch's misgivings, Democratic Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York sent a personal letter to President Barack Obama asking him to appoint a Latino to fill the next vacancy on the United States Supreme Court Back in April.
“It’s long overdue that a Latino sit on the United States Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor and Ken Salazar are two candidates who would make outstanding justices. They have top-notch legal minds, years of experience, moderate approaches to the law, and would make history by being the first Latino on the court,” Senator Schumer said.
"We are fortunate in New York State to have jurists of the caliber and intellect that Judge Sotomayor has exhibited during a lifelong career of service to the bench. As an accomplished jurists, as a woman, and as a Latina she would bring to the United States Supreme Court a much needed voice. We must be committed to diversity on our nation’s highest bench. These candidates will restore the balance that we so desperately need on the Court,” Senator Gillibrand said.
Do you think a judge should 'Dictate' from the bench?
Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's pick to become the newest Supreme Court justice, is on the record with some controversial remarks about 'diversity,' 'judicial activism' and female judges vs. male judges.
For example, the New York Times reported that in 2001, at the annual Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture, Sotomayor had this to say:
“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences,” she said later, regarding non-white, female judges, “our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging.”
Also, there is a 2005 video of Sotomayor, speaking with potential law clerks, saying that a “court of appeals is where policy is made.” She added: “And I know — I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don’t make law. I know. O.K. I know. I’m not promoting it. I’m not advocating it ...”
Regarding Sotomayor's chances to avoid a filibuster of her nomination, Senator Orrin Hatch told Politico, “I'll tell you one thing, I'm not very happy about judges who will substitute their own policy preferences for what the law really is; who think that they can run the country from the bench when they actually have a limited role. And that role is to interpret the laws made by those who have to stand for reelection."
Despite Hatch's misgivings, Democratic Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York sent a personal letter to President Barack Obama asking him to appoint a Latino to fill the next vacancy on the United States Supreme Court Back in April.
“It’s long overdue that a Latino sit on the United States Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor and Ken Salazar are two candidates who would make outstanding justices. They have top-notch legal minds, years of experience, moderate approaches to the law, and would make history by being the first Latino on the court,” Senator Schumer said.
"We are fortunate in New York State to have jurists of the caliber and intellect that Judge Sotomayor has exhibited during a lifelong career of service to the bench. As an accomplished jurists, as a woman, and as a Latina she would bring to the United States Supreme Court a much needed voice. We must be committed to diversity on our nation’s highest bench. These candidates will restore the balance that we so desperately need on the Court,” Senator Gillibrand said.
GM (Government Motors) presents new car!
In a special news conference today, Government Motors announced its new concept car…
The new GM (Government Motors) proudly introduces the 2010 Obama….This car runs on hot air and broken promises. It has three wheels that speed the vehicle through tight left turns.
It comes complete with two Teleprompters programmed to help the occupants talk their way out of any violations.
The transparent canopy reveals the plastic smiles still on the faces of all the “happy” Democrat owners.
The new GM (Government Motors) proudly introduces the 2010 Obama….This car runs on hot air and broken promises. It has three wheels that speed the vehicle through tight left turns.
It comes complete with two Teleprompters programmed to help the occupants talk their way out of any violations.
The transparent canopy reveals the plastic smiles still on the faces of all the “happy” Democrat owners.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day Flags Half Staff
Taking a look around our small town today I noticed several municipal flags that are flying FULL staff. Several local business also.
Our local Police station was flying full staff and that was to me the most disturbing. Especially with the police occupying the old Amery building.
So on a day as historic as this day why not take all of 5 minuets to follow the flag protocol in remembrance of our fallen hero's? And more so this goes to our civil servants.
I was more saddened than disgusted I think.
If you cannot fly your flag half staff, protocol calls for a black ribbon atop the flag. This is real simple folks, it is, in my opinion very disrespectful to the families of those they lost protecting our freedom to not take 5 minuets to at least show respect in honor of those millions that met the ultimate sacrifice.
Our local Police station was flying full staff and that was to me the most disturbing. Especially with the police occupying the old Amery building.
So on a day as historic as this day why not take all of 5 minuets to follow the flag protocol in remembrance of our fallen hero's? And more so this goes to our civil servants.
I was more saddened than disgusted I think.
If you cannot fly your flag half staff, protocol calls for a black ribbon atop the flag. This is real simple folks, it is, in my opinion very disrespectful to the families of those they lost protecting our freedom to not take 5 minuets to at least show respect in honor of those millions that met the ultimate sacrifice.
Memorial Day History
Memorial Day History a Great read
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.
In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.
There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."
The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.
But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html
1 Dead, Another Hospitalized in Motorcycle Accidents in Worcester
As the weather breaks and we move closer to the dog days of summer it is a very enjoyable event to fire-up the two wheeler for a ride to cool off and let mother nature perform it's natural wonders in the form of fresh air, the cool breeze of an evening ride and a swallowed bug every now and then. Please ride respectfully and careful, wear your helmet and riding gear (protection) even the most seasoned rider can be subject to a mistake by a unsuspecting motor vehicle driver. Remember it's not always the motorcyclist fault, and riding has it's own draw backs when others are not paying attention and can lead to a fatal accident by no fault of the cyclist.
Please ride to ride again. Be aware of your surroundings. A cautious rider is a safe rider, your loved-ones will thank you.
Be safe and enjoy your bike, don't be a statistic. Your family needs you.
WORCESTER COUNTY, Md - Police say there were two serious crashes Saturday night (5-23) involving motorcycles in Worcester County.
The Worcester County Sheriff's Office say the first accident happened on St. Martins Neck Road. The motorcyclist died of his injuries and his passenger received minor injuries, police say.
Authorities did shut down the roadway as officials cleared and investigated the scene.
The second motorcycle crash happened on Eagles Nest Road. In that accident, police say the passenger of the motorcycle, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered a serious head injury and was airlifted to Shock Trauma.
The driver was taken to the hospital with his condition unknown at this time.
Investigators with the Worcester County Sheriff's Office say in both accidents it appeared both drivers were speeding and had been drinking.
Police have not yet released the names of the people involved.
At 3 p.m. Today, Americans Asked to Take a Minute to Reflect
Americans are being asked to stop whatever they are doing at 3 p.m. local time Monday to share a minute on Memorial Day and honor those who have died in the cause of freedom.
"The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday," according to the White House Commission on Remembrance. Congress established the National Moment of Remembrance.
"The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom," the Commission on Remembrance said on its Web site.
"It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans."
Observances are to include an interruption of Major League Baseball games; the pausing of the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington; and the National Grocers Association and Food Marketing Institute asking shoppers to pause in stores nationwide to remember the fallen.
"We want our citizens to contemplate the ties that bind us and take a moment to put 'Memorial' back into Memorial Day," said Carmella LaSpada, executive director of the Commission on Remembrance.
Children touring Washington inspired the idea when LaSpada asked them what Memorial Day meant and they said that's when the swimming pool opens, according to the commission's Web site.
Courtesy WBOC.COM website
"The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday," according to the White House Commission on Remembrance. Congress established the National Moment of Remembrance.
"The Moment does not replace traditional Memorial Day events; rather it is an act of national unity in which all Americans, alone or with family and friends, honor those who died for our freedom," the Commission on Remembrance said on its Web site.
"It will help to reclaim Memorial Day as the sacred and noble holiday it was meant to be. In this shared remembrance, we connect as Americans."
Observances are to include an interruption of Major League Baseball games; the pausing of the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington; and the National Grocers Association and Food Marketing Institute asking shoppers to pause in stores nationwide to remember the fallen.
"We want our citizens to contemplate the ties that bind us and take a moment to put 'Memorial' back into Memorial Day," said Carmella LaSpada, executive director of the Commission on Remembrance.
Children touring Washington inspired the idea when LaSpada asked them what Memorial Day meant and they said that's when the swimming pool opens, according to the commission's Web site.
Courtesy WBOC.COM website
ECI Death Mix Up
An inmate at the Eastern Correctional Institute is dead and in a mix-up, the wrong family was notified. The Department of Corrections says two cellmates were on a recreation break. Johnnie Hughes went to take a shower and when he came back to his cell, William Beatty was dead. Prison officials mistakenly notified Hughes' family that he was the cellmate who died. They say as soon as they realized the error, they put Hughes in touch with his loved ones. Officials say Beatty's death appears to be suicide. The Corrections Department says ECI is the state's largest prison and is extremely well-run.
Remembering Those Who Served… Memorial Day 2009
To those brave men and women who have gone before and who are serving today.
Thank you.
Remember Me…
Thank you.
Remember Me…
Sunday, May 24, 2009
WTH Of The Day
Fresh from a proposal to
charge residents extra fees for street lights , D.C.’s latest effort to generate revenue is to ticket residents for parking in their own driveways.
No, :that isn’t an exaggeration
Beverly Anderson is mad as hell. She just started to get tickets for parking in her own driveway.
That’s right. The District of Columbia is ticketing people who park their cars in their own driveways.
“This is clearly an attempt by the city to extort money out of property owners,” Anderson tells WTOP.
Anderson has received two of the $20 tickets in the past month. Anderson has owned the Capitol Hill house (and the driveway, so she thought) for more than ten years and has never gotten a ticket. And she’s not alone.
It turns out that D.C. has an odd, obscure law stating that the land between the front of your house and the street, otherwise known as your driveway and front yard, falls under a bizarre classification known as “private property set aside for public use.” Essentially, though owners have to pay for its maintenance and upkeep (they can be fined if they don’t), it’s considered public property. Which apparently means that, technically, you can’t park your car on it. The city recently dusted off the law, and began writing parking tickets if any part of a resident’s car is parked between the front facade of their house and the street, even if it’s parked in the driveway.
When Anderson complained, one D.C. official told her that if she wanted, she could pay the city to lease the land between the front of her house and the street, which would allow her to park her car there legally.
WTH?
charge residents extra fees for street lights , D.C.’s latest effort to generate revenue is to ticket residents for parking in their own driveways.
No, :that isn’t an exaggeration
Beverly Anderson is mad as hell. She just started to get tickets for parking in her own driveway.
That’s right. The District of Columbia is ticketing people who park their cars in their own driveways.
“This is clearly an attempt by the city to extort money out of property owners,” Anderson tells WTOP.
Anderson has received two of the $20 tickets in the past month. Anderson has owned the Capitol Hill house (and the driveway, so she thought) for more than ten years and has never gotten a ticket. And she’s not alone.
It turns out that D.C. has an odd, obscure law stating that the land between the front of your house and the street, otherwise known as your driveway and front yard, falls under a bizarre classification known as “private property set aside for public use.” Essentially, though owners have to pay for its maintenance and upkeep (they can be fined if they don’t), it’s considered public property. Which apparently means that, technically, you can’t park your car on it. The city recently dusted off the law, and began writing parking tickets if any part of a resident’s car is parked between the front facade of their house and the street, even if it’s parked in the driveway.
When Anderson complained, one D.C. official told her that if she wanted, she could pay the city to lease the land between the front of her house and the street, which would allow her to park her car there legally.
WTH?
President Barack Hussein Obama, On Foreign Soil, Said The United States Was NOT A Christian Nation?
Will the MSM show this? I can answer that... Nope!
Rep Randy Forbes (R-VA) responds to the Moonbat Messiah’s declaration before a Muslim audience that America does not consider itself a Christian nation:
Rep Randy Forbes (R-VA) responds to the Moonbat Messiah’s declaration before a Muslim audience that America does not consider itself a Christian nation:
More Green Death, A liberal Death Trap And News The MSM Will Not Report
The Smart ForTwo is the reknowned Daimler product commonly referred to as "The Smart Car". A two-passenger, rear-wheel drive auto, the ForTwo is among the tiniest production cars ever seen on American roads.
The EPA rates the Smart vehicle at 36 miles-per-gallon (combined city and highway driving), barely beating the Obama administration's recent directive of 35.5 MPG for entire auto fleets by 2016.
Put simply, Obama and the Democrats want you and your family driving in these unsafe vehicles.
Oh, don't get me wrong, Smart Cars have performed reasonably well in some controlled tests.
Crash tests have shown that the Smart, while having little in the way of crumple zones, has performed better than might otherwise be expected. That said, NHTSA's testing group gave the ForTwo mediocre marks in both frontal passenger protection as well as rollover. It awarded the vehicle its highest score in exactly none of the testing categories.
As for those big government Statists (AKA "Democrats") who say, "well, there won't be any SUVs in the future", I simply ask: will there be tractor-trailers? Pickup trucks and heavy vans for business? If so, the physical mismatch between these types of vehicles endangers anyone inside the rolling death traps.
In January of this year, The Seymour Herald reported on one such encounter, which -- fortunately -- was not a fatal accident.
A two-vehicle collision on Chapman Highway Monday afternoon stalled traffic for at least an hour near Shiloh Church Road.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Teresa Melas, 41, of Knoxville, received non-life threatening injuries in the accident. She was driving a Mercedes-Benz Smart car that was traveling west on Chapman Highway.
Melas was removed from the car with the Jaws of Life, and was flown to an area hospital by a Lifestar helicopter, which landed on Chapman Highway at the intersection of Shiloh Church Road.
...Rupprecht, who had recently returned home from basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., said he was driving a white | Direct Links | Movies world | Software world | Download PC Games | Mediafire Links | Celebrity PicturesChevy Camaro in the right westbound lane of Chapman Highway when the tiny car driven by Melas passed his car and clipped its front driver’s side tire.
“She was going really fast and when she hit his front wheel, her car came around in front of us and she hit the embankment and turned over,” said Ranieri. “It scared us, because her car went way up in the air and we were afraid it would land on us.”
[Passenger] Ranieri said she looked in the mirror and saw Melas’s car flip over several times behind them. Ranieri said it scared her because the car was lightweight and “flying like paper.”
In another instance, reported on AutoBlog Green:
...While driving along on I-95 in Connecticut at 70 mph, a [Smart Car] driver who goes by the name of "evilbean42" on the Smart Car of America forum (SCOA), was on the receiving end of a bump from a car which had been bumped by a car which had veered from the exit lane into the next, somewhat occupied, lane...
The momentum sent the Smart into the guard rail off of which it bounced "like a ping pong ball" and rolled three times back across the highway into the opposite guardrail whereupon it righted itself. The seat-belted evilbean42 opened the door and emerged unscathed, thanks to his Smart friend.
And this Edmunds reporter's eight-year old daughter intuitively knows that riding in a Smart Car is, well, dumb.
Although I'm not exactly keen on strapping my life's most precious cargo into the Smart's passenger seat, I have on occasion offered to take my eight-year-old daughter for a ride around the block just so she could see what the diminutive ForTwo feels like...
She vehemently refuses. Just doesn't seem safe, she says... She's always happy to pose in the Smart Fortwo, just don't ask her to ride in it.
While there are still very few Smart ForTwo's on American roads, other "fuel-efficient vehicles" have proven exceedingly poor performers when matched against larger vehicles.
This photo depicts a fatal accident in which an undersized gas-sipper (not a ForTwo) met up with a semi.
And these photographs illustrate an SUV and a normal-sized sedan after they smashed into each other. The driver of the SUV was unharmed while, tragically, the driver of the sedan was killed by the impact.
Knowledgeable commenters at Reddit observed the crash test footage and noted that the "Smart ForTwo has a tiny crumple zone, and as a result it's coming to a much more violent stop at the end. Notice how the rear end of the vehicle comes flying up off the ground."
The fact about the ForTwo is simple - there just aren't enough of them driving around right now to determine what actually happens. Far fewer of them have been in serious accidents. However... "In the 40-mile-per-hour frontal collision into a stationary barrier, Institute president Adrian Lund stated "We recorded a high head acceleration when the driver dummy's head hit the steering wheel through the front airbag." For responders, his indicates that the institute's test dummy used up all of the available ride down room in the Smart's seatbelt system and interior space as the crash occurred."
The test dummy hit the steering wheel THROUGH the airbag in a 40 MPH crash test. 'the crash test engineers also noted that during the collision, the driver's door unlatched. This also occurred during side-impact crash testing conducted by the NHTSA."
Still feel safer in that little Smart ForTwo? Personally, I think the thing is a little deathtrap but like I said, not enough of them have been wrecked to see. I have seen people driving them like complete assholes, though. Speeding through traffic and cutting into small holes that the ForTwo's size allows for, so it oughta be pretty soon...
And given the fact that modern SUV bumper levels are about shoulder-high for a typical Smart Car occupant, well, the results of a high-speed impact won't be pretty.
Protect your family. Protect your children. Say "Hell, no!" to the Statists that want to control the size of the cars you can buy, what types of lightbulbs are legal, how much water you can flush, and every other trivial aspect of your life. Say no to the Corpulent Government Democrats.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Pocomoke Softball Wins State Championships!
Pocomoke High School Softball team won the State Championships with a score of 2-0 versus Fort Hill. This is the first time in years that the Softball team won a state championship and also puts an end to the High School's spring sports season. The team was coached by Sgt. Major Ron Trostle. This year alone, 5 different teams made it to state championships (Soccer, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Field Hockey, and now the Sofball Team)
Anna Brittingham pitched a shutout in the win, the team’s most sucessful run since the school went to the state semi-finals in 1992.
Congratulations Pocomoke High School Softball!
Anna Brittingham pitched a shutout in the win, the team’s most sucessful run since the school went to the state semi-finals in 1992.
Congratulations Pocomoke High School Softball!
WTH For the Day
Twin Boys Have Different Fathers
(May 19) -- Mia Washington, of Dallas, gave birth 11 months ago to her sons Justin and Jordan. The boys, who were conceived naturally, were born just seven minutes apart -- but medical tests show they're half-brothers, not full brothers.
Washington, it turns out, had a fling with a man other than her partner and ended up conceiving a child with both men. DNA tests from Clear Diagnostics, a local lab, showed there is no chance the boys have the same father, according to Fox 4 in Dallas.
Fox 4 asked doctor Chris Dreiling how such a pregnancy could happen. If a woman releases more than one egg during ovulation and has sex with more than one man during that time, her eggs can be fertilized by different men, he said.
But Dreiling added that such cases are extremely rare.
Washington had the boys' DNA tested after noticing their facial features were different. Her fiance, James Harrison, who fathered one of the twins, has decided to forgive her and raise both children as his own. The identity of the other father hasn't been disclosed.
Washington told Fox 4 she takes responsibility for what she did.
"I'm trying to let everybody else know: Don't put yourself in my shoes, because it can hurt and it does hurt, but you still have to go on with life," she said.
New Study Reveals Poor Roof Strength in Some Small SUVs
Kia Sportage gets poor rating
by Associated PressWith HP wireless printers, you could have printed this from any room in the house. Live wirelessly. Print wirelessly.
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Text Size A A A WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Kia Sportage sport utility vehicle received poor ratings Tuesday in new roof strength tests designed by the insurance industry to give consumers a better sense of how their vehicles might perform in a serious rollover crash.
The Volkswagen Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Honda Element and Jeep Patriot received top scores among a dozen small sport utility vehicles tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Mitsubishi Outlander received the second-highest score of acceptable. Roofs on the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape merited the second-lowest rating of marginal.
The test results apply to 2009 model year vehicles. The institute tested 2008 versions of the Sportage and Element because 2009 models were not available at the time. The institute said there were few changes between model years and no changes to the roof.
The test results for the Sportage also apply to the Hyundai Tucson, which shares the same vehicle underpinnings. Results for the Escape also apply to the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner, which also have the same platform.
The institute, based in Arlington, Va., released its first results of new tests on vehicle roof strength. The institute conducts crash tests on new vehicles and provides consumers with safety ratings in side, front- and rear-end crashes.
More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollover crashes in the United States and the government has been considering tougher roof requirements for several years. The standards have not been significantly changed since 1973.
Current vehicles need to withstand direct pressure of 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle. The rules only apply to vehicles of 6,000 pounds or less, excluding many SUVs and pickup trucks. In the test, a metal plate is applied to one side of the roof to simulate it striking the ground.
The Bush administration considered a standard of 2.5 times the vehicle weight but did not finalize it. The Obama administration could release new requirements by late April.
Under the institute's criteria, a vehicle roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight to receive the top score. For the second-highest rating, a roof must withstand a force of 3.25 times the vehicle weight.
The second-lowest score applies to vehicles with a strength-to-weight ratio of 2.5 and anything lower receives the worst rating.
Automakers said it was difficult with a single test to measure a roof's ability to protect motorists in a rollover crash.
Kia spokesman Alex Fedorak said the institute's rating "by itself, does not provide a complete assessment of a vehicle's ability to protect occupants in these complex events." He said anti-rollover technology called electronic stability control has been standard equipment on all Sportage SUVs since 2005.
Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said claims data from the insurance industry indicates that the Escape "performs well in all types of accidents, including rollovers." The Escape has anti-rollover technology along with sensors that help detect and prevent rollovers.
Honda spokesman Chris Naughton noted the CR-V had performed well in government and IIHS crash tests. He said it was "important that any safety test be considered in the context of overall safety performance."
Read More About Safety
by Associated PressWith HP wireless printers, you could have printed this from any room in the house. Live wirelessly. Print wirelessly.
Print Share
Text Size A A A WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Kia Sportage sport utility vehicle received poor ratings Tuesday in new roof strength tests designed by the insurance industry to give consumers a better sense of how their vehicles might perform in a serious rollover crash.
The Volkswagen Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Honda Element and Jeep Patriot received top scores among a dozen small sport utility vehicles tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue and Mitsubishi Outlander received the second-highest score of acceptable. Roofs on the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape merited the second-lowest rating of marginal.
The test results apply to 2009 model year vehicles. The institute tested 2008 versions of the Sportage and Element because 2009 models were not available at the time. The institute said there were few changes between model years and no changes to the roof.
The test results for the Sportage also apply to the Hyundai Tucson, which shares the same vehicle underpinnings. Results for the Escape also apply to the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner, which also have the same platform.
The institute, based in Arlington, Va., released its first results of new tests on vehicle roof strength. The institute conducts crash tests on new vehicles and provides consumers with safety ratings in side, front- and rear-end crashes.
More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollover crashes in the United States and the government has been considering tougher roof requirements for several years. The standards have not been significantly changed since 1973.
Current vehicles need to withstand direct pressure of 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle. The rules only apply to vehicles of 6,000 pounds or less, excluding many SUVs and pickup trucks. In the test, a metal plate is applied to one side of the roof to simulate it striking the ground.
The Bush administration considered a standard of 2.5 times the vehicle weight but did not finalize it. The Obama administration could release new requirements by late April.
Under the institute's criteria, a vehicle roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight to receive the top score. For the second-highest rating, a roof must withstand a force of 3.25 times the vehicle weight.
The second-lowest score applies to vehicles with a strength-to-weight ratio of 2.5 and anything lower receives the worst rating.
Automakers said it was difficult with a single test to measure a roof's ability to protect motorists in a rollover crash.
Kia spokesman Alex Fedorak said the institute's rating "by itself, does not provide a complete assessment of a vehicle's ability to protect occupants in these complex events." He said anti-rollover technology called electronic stability control has been standard equipment on all Sportage SUVs since 2005.
Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said claims data from the insurance industry indicates that the Escape "performs well in all types of accidents, including rollovers." The Escape has anti-rollover technology along with sensors that help detect and prevent rollovers.
Honda spokesman Chris Naughton noted the CR-V had performed well in government and IIHS crash tests. He said it was "important that any safety test be considered in the context of overall safety performance."
Read More About Safety
Pocomoke Students rewarded during Sports Banquet
Way too go Pocomoke students!!
On Thursday, May 21, 2009, Pocomoke High School students were awarded for their performance during the spring sports seasons. Multiple awards were given out to people for their sportsmanship, gameplay, and their overall attitude. Each player on the Tennis, Baseball, and Softball teams were recognized for playing in the sport which they participated in. This year, the Softball team was able to make it to the State Playoffs, which their game will be on Saturday located at University of Maryland College Park, for the first time in years. Coaches were also honored for their work with the team. Congratulations Pocomoke Students for your awards and for all your achievements!
US Navy Award
Andrew Timmons and Amber Holland
US Army Award
Kirstie Denning and Zach Hall
US Marine Award
Sarah Scher and Johnathan Ritter
Rotary Club Sportsmanship Award
Brianna Hall and Logan Becker
Bayside Scholar Athlete
Zach Hall and Amber Holland
Manager of the Year
Darrius Purnell and Ashley Northam
William Fredrick Dryden Award
Darrius Purnell and Sarah Scher
MVP - Tennis
Emily Leonard and Andrew Timmonsn
MVP - Baseball
Logan and Jordan Becker
MVP - Softball
Anna Brittingham
Sportsmanship award - Tennis
Brian Yeager
Gatorade Packet - Baseball
Eric Breithut
Player of the year Packet - Baseball
Logan Becker
Sportsmanship award - Softball
Taylor West and Dannielle Collick
Wilbert J. Mills Jr. Award
Sebastian Cartwright
On Thursday, May 21, 2009, Pocomoke High School students were awarded for their performance during the spring sports seasons. Multiple awards were given out to people for their sportsmanship, gameplay, and their overall attitude. Each player on the Tennis, Baseball, and Softball teams were recognized for playing in the sport which they participated in. This year, the Softball team was able to make it to the State Playoffs, which their game will be on Saturday located at University of Maryland College Park, for the first time in years. Coaches were also honored for their work with the team. Congratulations Pocomoke Students for your awards and for all your achievements!
US Navy Award
Andrew Timmons and Amber Holland
US Army Award
Kirstie Denning and Zach Hall
US Marine Award
Sarah Scher and Johnathan Ritter
Rotary Club Sportsmanship Award
Brianna Hall and Logan Becker
Bayside Scholar Athlete
Zach Hall and Amber Holland
Manager of the Year
Darrius Purnell and Ashley Northam
William Fredrick Dryden Award
Darrius Purnell and Sarah Scher
MVP - Tennis
Emily Leonard and Andrew Timmonsn
MVP - Baseball
Logan and Jordan Becker
MVP - Softball
Anna Brittingham
Sportsmanship award - Tennis
Brian Yeager
Gatorade Packet - Baseball
Eric Breithut
Player of the year Packet - Baseball
Logan Becker
Sportsmanship award - Softball
Taylor West and Dannielle Collick
Wilbert J. Mills Jr. Award
Sebastian Cartwright
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