Adopt A Shelter Animal Postage Stamps Now Available

On Friday a new set of 10 first-class stamps bearing the faces of cheerful dogs and cats went on sale nationwide. The stamps were designed to promote adoption of animals from shelters.

The stamps are part of a "Stamps to the Rescue" campaign to encourage pet adoptions from shelters and to raise funds to buy food for animals that live in shelters.

The photos taken photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce features the faces of five cats and five dogs whom have all been adopted from a shelter in New Milford, CT.

This isn't the first time the postal department has brought awareness to cats and dogs. Cat, dog stamps push adoption of shelter animals. Previous postage stamps featuring cats and dogs have included a 13-cent stamp of a kitten and puppy playing in the snow in 1982; a set of pet stamps in 1998 and in 2002 when a kitten and puppy were featured on the "Neuter or Spay" stamps.

If you are looking for a new puppy or kitten consider the animal shelter in your area. Most animal shelters can be found on line and feature a "Pet Of the Week". You would be so surprised to see the animals that had to be given up because a family that once loved them so much could no longer care for them. And it would break your heart to see the amount of once loved animals are given up by those that are elderly.

These animals aren't bad animals. These animals have just fallen upon some hard luck and need you to give them a new home filled with love. If you can not keep a pet consider the "foster" program. They all help but they can't be successful without your donations and dedication.

These are just two of the adopted animals in my family.

(above) This is Broccoli (the cat) and Sprout (dog). Both of these animals were adopted from a shelter. Sprout just graduated from obedience school this week.

This is Lenore and still lives at a shelter until she is old enough to go into the "foster care" program. Lenore, along with her brothers and sisters, had to be bottle fed when they arrived at the shelter. She has already has a foster parent.

$224 Million in Mega Millions Lottery Drawing Tonight

Tonight across the United States, millions of lottery ticket holders will be hoping to match all of the Mega Millions winning numbers to win a

$224 million jackpot.

There's still time to get your ticket!!

'NO- PHONE ZONE DAY'

This is wonderful! I used to get so mad when I found out that I had stepped on a piece of gum that some moron had spit out of his or her own mouth. I learned to step around that.

The problem now is dodging the morons that have cell phones to their ears OR are texting while they are walking. If I bump into you I don't mean to......... I'm looking for gum. If you would hang up that cell phone you would have seen me coming. And if you are texting/talking while driving your car and you hit me and I live through it you can best believe I will kick your butt! In the event that you kill me you had better believe my family will take care of your phone problem.

Folks, talking/texting on the phone while driving OR walking is senseless! Have you truly become so disassociated from yourself you need to hear someone elses voice constantly?
We wouldn't need laws to prevent this is you would take the responsibility to JUST NOT do it!!!
Remember Oprah's "random acts of kindness"? Well, her new campaign of kindness is anything but random.

Today is Oprah's national "No-Phone Zone Day," a grassroots campaign that is asking all Americans to be kind and save lives by not using their cell phones -- texting or dialing by hand -- while driving. She is also dedicating her entire show today to the campaign. Why all this hoopla?

Research shows that these activities can prove to be, not only dangerous, but deadly. In fact, one new British study found that "texting while driving slows reaction time more than being drunk or high," writes Sari Harrar in O, The Oprah Magazine.

In addition to these pledges, Oprah is also asking folks to sign her No Phone Zone pledge, promising not to text or use hand-held phones while driving. More than 200,000 people -- including several celebs -- have signed the pledge so far.

The Governors Highway Safety Association, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and many other national safety advocate groups and individuals are teaming up with Oprah to support this cause. Even Maryland's State Highway Administration is using their overhead highway signs today to show their support.

And what good grassroots campaign would be without local rallies? Expect to see some 24 states and several cities, including Altanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., honoring the day with their own events.

www.usatoday.com

After 80 Years Nancy Drew Still Draws Readers

By Bob Minzesheimer, USA TODAY

If Nancy Drew — still an amateur detective after all these years — aged like the rest of us, she'd be 98.

But Nancy remains a plucky teenager solving crimes in River Heights, USA, 80 years after the debut — on April 28, 1930 — of the first of 371 books credited to Carolyn Keene, a pen name for scores of ghostwriters.

A new anniversary edition of the first book, The Secret of the Old Clock (Grosset & Dunlap, $6.99), begins with a familiar image: "Nancy Drew, an attractive girl of eighteen, was driving home in her new, dark-blue convertible."

The writing was formulaic, the plot twists implausible, but it's Nancy Drew herself, "daring, intelligent, with tons of initiative," who continues to appeal to young readers, says Melanie Rehak, who wrote Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her in 2005.

All three women who have served on the Supreme Court —Sandra Day O'Connor, 80, raised on an Arizona ranch; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 77, who is Jewish, and Sonia Sotomayor, 55, a Puerto Rican, both from New York — cite Nancy Drew as an early influence.

"One of the raps against Nancy was she was a privileged, upper-class white girl who was perfect," Rehak says. "But children are willing to look beyond that if they like the character."

The books are especially popular with girls "whose moms steer them toward the series because of their own happy memories of it," says Karen MacPherson, a Takoma Park, Md., librarian.

Many, she says, prefer the older books to the newer, updated offshoot series, in which Nancy uses a cellphone and, most recently, becomes an "eco-detective."

The original books, revised in 1959 to omit racial stereotypes, were aimed at teens ages 13 to 16, but now appeal to younger readers. (The anniversary edition of Old Clock uses the revised text.)

"The original books had a thriller quality that's harder to achieve in modern settings," Rehak says. "They were more atmospheric, with tea parties and a girl in high heels and pencil skirts. Girls still like that."

The series was created by Edward Stratemeyer, a dime-novel genius who ran a kind of fiction factory that produced the Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins.

Rehak has no doubts Nancy Drew will be celebrated on her 100th anniversary, "still handed down generation to generation."

www.usatoday.com

Wounded Veterans Ride Bikes Through Baltimore

( Written by: Brent Jones)
Sgt. Miguel Antia, an Army Airborne Ranger whose body is peppered with seven gunshot wounds from a 2005 attack in Iraq, survived that incident only to find himself suffering from a debilitating disease he contracted while on duty in South America last year.

Antia has spent the past five months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, battling leishmaniasis, a disease caused by parasites that causes skin sores and spleen damage and nearly paralyzed him permanently. Bedridden until the past couple of months, Antia has since undergone a speedy and somewhat miraculous recovery, leaving him strong enough to participate Thursday in a 13-mile bike ride through Baltimore designed to help other injured veterans.

"I volunteered to do this ride because it is taking care of our own," Antia said. "It helps our morale. If your morale goes down, then everything else goes south."

Antia and more than 30 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are riding bikes for three days in Maryland to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit group that provides services to those injured in combat.

The cyclists departed Thursday afternoon from Under Armour headquarters in Baltimore for a three-hour ride, followed by trips to Andrews Air Force Base and Annapolis today and Saturday.

Most of the cyclists lost limbs during the wars and use adaptive equipment to bicycle.

Sgt. Larry A. Draughn Jr., 22, said he was participating in his first organized bike race. Draughn did so without his legs, which he lost after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan last May.

Draughn spent months going from hospital to hospital, learning how to live with his injuries.

"It's great that people support us and the other wounded vets," Draughn said. He joined the Marines in January 2007 after proposing to his girlfriend. "I knew I was going to be starting a family, and I wanted to serve my country."

Army Sgt. Jack Schumacher lost his right leg last year after a bomb went off in Afghanistan. A Washington native, Schumacher, 25, has served since June 2005 and done tours in Iraq.

Dozens of Under Armour employees and other onlookers cheered the veterans as they set off for the Baltimore ride.

"It's awesome to see people come out and spend their free time with you just to support you," Schumacher said.

The project is in its seventh year, switching from cross-country rides the first three years to regional routes since 2007.

Vice President Joe Biden helped launch this year's tour, welcoming the veterans at the White House on Wednesday before they rode through the streets of Washington.

"We do it to assist the warriors in their rehabilitation," said Steve Nardizzi, executive director of the Wounded Warrior Project. "It gives them the opportunity to get out of the hospital and see that they can be physically active again."

The route took the riders from the Inner Harbor to Fells Point, through East Baltimore, Lake Montebello and Waverly, and back downtown.

It was Antia's first time participating, and he said he plans to use some of his vacation after he returns to duty to volunteer in future rides.

"I feel great," said Antia, originally from Greenwich, Conn. "Everybody helps each other push up hills. The support we get, it's good."

www.baltimoresun.com

Wonder What Bernie Did Today..................

Bernie Madoff
Born 4/29/1938 in Queens New York and married to Ruth.... or was. It's hard to say who he is dedicated to now..............

Former stockbroker and financial advisor........NOW a COMPLETE THEIF and TOTAL LIAR!

Serving 150 years imprisonment and forfeiture of $170.179 billion in Butler Federal Correction Institution..........(in case you're stupid enough to want to send him a card).

I mention his birthday only because I wonder if it was all worth it and can't help but wonder how he spent his day........................
Release date: 11/14/2139.................. Now that's ALOT of birthdays!!!!! Suck it up, Bernie!!

The Rural Sign Painter

Do you know what "shadders" are?

Hummingbirds Have Arrived!!

Usually around the 19th of April every year the hummingbirds return to my yard. I've been a little lax on looking for them this year even though I have seen small dark images dart past the kitchen window and some of my friends have already been feeding them. Rudy, our resident cat, has been in "my" kitchen window a little more often than in his recently and I should have known why.

It was my mission yesterday to get at least one of my seven feeders filled with fresh nectar to hang just outside the kitchen window. That accomplished I went about the rest of my morning leaving Rudy our resident cat to stand guard in the window. Within a short period of time the hummingbirds were there! That's fine with me and Rudy seemed proud of his discovery. The more the merrier!!

This morning, just at the crack of dawn, they were feeding and Rudy began his watch. He's still standing in the window watching.......... Clearly, when you stop and observe them they are quite amusing and hummingbird watching is not for slow movers. Did you know that hummingbirds are attracted to bright vivid colors, not just red? If you wear a brightly colored shirt and sit outdoors you'll be surprised to see that you can attract them.

So, if you have hummingbird feeders get them out. If you don't have a feeder because you don't think you have hummingbirds I suggest you invest in one anyway to try to attract them. The feeders can be purchased at any dollar store for just a few dollars. No need buy the commercial nectar you see in the stores. Hummingbirds will drink the clear nectar you can make right at home. I've done it for years.

This year I will have seven feeders for these delicate tiny birds and by June all of the feeders with be occupied off and on from dawns early light until almost dark and even after dark. My favorite time is when the mimosa trees in our yard blooms and the hummingbirds along with the honeybees head for the trees and go into a nectar feeding frenzy.

And as soon as I have the time Rudy, the resident cat, is getting his own bird feeder for his own window. He's been in my way for two days.

Hummingbird Nectar
Add 1 part white sugar with 4 parts water
Boil solution for 1 to 2 minutes to disolve
Be sure to allow water to cool before filling feeder
Leftover solution can be stored in the refrigerator

Suspects Still Being Sought By Accomack County Sheriff's Office

According to Sheriff Larry Giddens, an extensive investigation conducted by the Accomack County Sheriff's Office in connection with several robberies reported during the months of March and April of 2010 has led to the identification of five suspects. The investigation involved two residential robberies in Parksley and Mappsville and a robbery at the El Remolino Store in Tasley. Felony warrants have been obtained for the following suspects and the suspects have been entered into the Virginia Criminal Information Network and the National Crime Information Center as wanted persons.

Keshawn Terrell Kellam, age 21 of 29340 Bayside Road, New Church. Description of this suspect is black male, approximately 58 and 150lbs. Kellam is wanted on charges of 1 count of Robbery and Use of Firearm in Commission of a Felony.

Juarez Dolman Barrios, age 21 of 34 Johnson Road, Onancock. Description of this suspect is hispanic male, approximately 52, small build. Barrios is wanted on a charge of Attempted Robbery.

Keyron Montrell Bess, age 27 of Beartown Road, Mappsville. Description of this suspect is black male, approximately 511, 158lbs. Bess is wanted on charges of 1 count of Robbery and Use of Firearm in Commission of a Felony.

Jermaine Curtis Blake, age 21 of 30448 Greta Road, Atlantic. Description of this suspect is black male, approximately 55, 135lbs. Blake is wanted on charges of 1 count of Robbery and Use of Firearm in Commission of a Felony.

Keenen Scott Goodwine, age 18 of 33207 Nocks Landing Road. Description of this suspect is black male, approximately 54, 125lbs. Goodwine is wanted on charges of 1 count of Robbery and Use of Firearm in Commission of a Felony.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of these suspects is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriffs Office at 787-1131 or 824-5666.

www.shoredailynews.com

Photos of suspects are a few posts back.

Bodie Island Lighthouse To Be Renovated

NAGS HEAD, N.C. (WAVY) - The Bodie Island Lighthouse has been a beacon near Nags Head since 1872. Now, the landmark is getting a facelift, that many say is long overdue.

With its signature black and white stripes, the Bodie Island Lighthouse stands 156 feet tall. Its sweeping beam of light can be seen for up to 19 miles at sea and is in need of repair.

"In the last three years we have a lot of pieces that have fallen off the light house, a lot of rust," said Doug Stover, a historian.

The renovation project includes replacing the windows and balconies and all the metal; repairing all 214 stairs; refurbishing the marble floors; extensive work to the lantern...and even a fresh coat of paint.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse is one of four working lighthouses in the Outerbanks with a long history of folklore and mystery.

"We've heard anywhere from bodies washing ashore to potentially a land owner who's name was Bodie so we still don't know," said Stover

One person who may know is 94-year-old John Gaskill, whose father was the last principal keeper. For 21 years his family worked the lighthouse.

"My early chore there was filtering the kerosene for the light for the night," Gaskill said. "It was three gallons, best I can remember. I would measure it for him; that was my first job."

Other jobs like cutting the grass and painting the lighthouse kept Gaskill busy. When he turned 17, he enlisted in the Navy and moved away. In his retirement he has returned to the lighthouse as a volunteer--perhaps to clear up a few mysteries/

"I lived here from 1919 to 1933," he said. "Practically every summer--at least parts of every summer--and never knew of a body washing ashore."

And although most ships these days use modern technology like GPS for guidance, it's still nice to know the Bodie Island Lighthouse and its beacon will once again keep a silent watch over the waters, which are known as the graveyard of the Atlantic.

"It will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up to think of what went on here years and years and years ago," said Larry Cooley, a visitor at the lighthouse.

After the renovations are completed the lighthouse will be open to the public.

www.wavy.com

POCOMOKE CITY: 8 month investigation yeilds cocaine arrest

A Pocomoke City man has been arrested on 15 counts of cocaine possession and distribution.

Police spent eight months investigating Jeremy Deshawn Moore, 29, before executing a search and seizure warrant at Moore's residence Wednesday. He is being held at the Worcester County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team,the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force and the Pocomoke Police Department were all involved in the investigation, which is ongoing.

VIA: DelmarvaNow.com

"WW II Posters Found"

I wonder whatever happened to this kind of thinking. I got a lump in my throat when I read this. I "grew up" thinking: patriotism, it is the AMERICAN way! I am glad to see that somebody saved them. The statement at the end says it all!

I guess we are the last generation to see, or even remember anything like these? Whatever happened? Political correctness (or "re-education") happened, lack of God's name happened, lack of personal responsibility happened, lack of personal integrity and honesty happened, lack of respect and loyalty to our country happened, lack of being an American happened. Did all of these die along with common sense?!?
I'm proud to be an American!

Hat Tip; Kack

Parksley Fire Dept. Hosts Fire Covention

PARKSLEY — The Parksley Volunteer Fire Company will host more than 50 fire companies from all over the Delmarva Peninsula and more than 250 people during the 81st Delmarva Volunteer Firemen’s Association Convention.

The three-day event will be held Thursday, April 29, Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1 in the town of Parksley. Also taking place will be the 76th convention of the Delmarva Ladies’ Auxiliary.

It is the 12th time Parksley has hosted the firemen’s convention — the most of any Delmarva town, said Wayne Marshall, a Parksley volunteer and the company’s fire convention committee publicity chair. It was held last year in Lewes, Del.

The popular event ends with a 2 p.m. parade on May 1 from Metompkin Elementary School on Bennett Street and turning on Dunne Avenue, ending at the fire hall. Almost 50 trophies will be presented to appearing companies in various categories. The public is invited to watch the parade procession.

The public also is invited to an April 30 memorial service for volunteer firefighters from all over Delmarva who have died in the past year. It will be held at 9 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church.

The event begins at 6 p.m. on April 29 with a reception at the Parksley fire hall featuring food and beverages. Friday the convention opens at 9 a.m. and meetings throughout the day feature a Past President’s Luncheon.

April 30 events begin with a 6 p.m. social hour and continue with a 7 p.m. banquet.

Association officers will be installed for 2010-11. In addition, inductions for the Firefighters’ Hall of Fame and Ladies Auxiliary Hall of Honor will be made.

Parksley volunteer firefighter Ricky Taylor is the outgoing association president — Parksley has had seven past presidents of the association. The association has 92 member companies in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

The company gets to host the convention during a special year — 2010 is the 75th anniversary of the Parksley Volunteer Fire Co.

www.delmarvanow.com

Accomack County Sheriff"s Dept. Needs Help In Finding These Men

Accomack County deputies are searching for five suspects wanted in a string of robberies over the last month.

Keshawn Kellam, age 21, and Keyron Bess, age 27, are wanted for robbery and using a gun in a felony.

Jermaine Blake, age 21, and Keenen Goodwine, age 18, face the same charges, and 21-year-old Juarez Barrios is wanted for attempted robbery.

Deputies say the five men robbed two homes in Parksley and Mapsville, along with a store in Tasely.

If you have any information related to these crimes please call the Accomack County Sheriff's Office.

www.wtkr.com