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Saturday, August 7, 2010
After Four Decades Antique Car Is Reunited With Its Owner
About 40 years ago in a Pennsylvania barn, he found a neglected body and motor of this American classic, which he lovingly restored and displayed at car shows. A few years later, a buyer talked him into parting with it, a move he later regretted.
His sons recently opened a garage door, and there was the car he had restored so long ago. It had turned up on eBay and his sons, remembering how much he had missed it over the decades, bought it for their 90-year-old father.
When new, the Cord knocked Detroit on its tailpipe. Sleek, low-slung, gorgeously styled, the Cord had disappearing headlights, no running board and a powerful engine. It was also so far ahead of its time that production ceased a year later. Only about 2,000 were made, and all are prized by collectors today.
"On a Saturday night, we'd walk down Broad Street in Philadelphia and look inside Shore Brothers' showroom," Reeve said, recalling his youth. "No one ever dreamed of owning a Cord or even having the money to put gas in one."
Now, Reeve again owns the Cord, No. 769, made in February 1936. Only 16 Cords were sold new in Maryland that year.
Reeve, who lives in Lutherville, is the retired owner of Baltimore Finishing Works — once Baltimore Paint Removing — on Huntingdon Avenue in the Remington section of Baltimore. His two sons, Richard "Rick" and Michael, now operate the business founded by their grandfather in 1921. Over the years, the elder Reeve has owned and restored many classic cars. His first car was a used 1931 Lincoln that he bought for $50 in 1937 or 1938.
"By that time, big cars were worthless and expensive to operate," he said. "I traded it for an Hispano-Suiza. If I had it still, it would be worth $500,000."
In 1970, he heard about a Cord in Pennsylvania and tracked it down to a barn in York County's Dallastown. The body was in a barn and the motor sat "in the muck." He got it for $300, called in all sorts of experts to help with its restoration, and reassembled the car outside his business.
In the two years that Reeve owned the Cord in the 1970s, he took it to car meets. It was a star attraction of the Towsontown Parade. He loved explaining the car and its innovations and even had brown-toned fliers made that began, "This was the car that came out of the farmlands of Indiana in the late summer of 1935 to write a whole new chapter in automobile history."
At a meet near Washington, a funeral director approached him and offered $10,000 with a Mercedes-Benz SL thrown in. Reeve considered the offer a few days and wound up selling the car and plowing the money he made on it back into his business. At the time it seemed like a prudent thing.
But of all the many vehicles Richard Reeve restored, that maroon-and-black Cord stood out. It made a deep impression on his sons, who learned to drive behind its wheel. Both sons own classic cars, and their father kept telling them they should own a pre- World War II vehicle.
About three weeks ago, one of his sons, Rick, thought about the Cord. He tapped the four letters C-O-R-D into a computer search engine and up popped an eBay listing for one. And it was not just any Cord, but, unmistakably, the Reeve Cord. He consulted his brother, jumped into the bidding, and beat 11 other potential buyers. But the bid did not meet the seller's minimum.
Rick Reeve began negotiating with the Cord's owner, Mark Cord (no relation to Cord's founder, Errett Lobban Cord), a custom cabinet maker who lives in Charlotte Hall in Southern Maryland. They struck a deal: $43,000 for the same car the elder Reeve restored.
It still runs and is in mint condition, although it needs new tires. All these years it has been kept in climate-controlled garages by the three parties who owned it since Reeve.
"When I drove it, it sounded tremendous," Rick Reeve said. "I want my father to take it up to Panera's and show it to his cronies."
On July 18, the Reeve sons lured their father away from his home under the pretext of a family gathering in Finksburg. They handed him the Cord owner's manual and watched as he began to realize that something was up. Then they raised the door to the garage, and his jaw dropped.
Then he got behind the wheel and was off, climbing the hills of Carroll County.
www.baltimoresun.com
McDermott; Leading GOP Delegate candidate appealing disciplinary action
It is alleged that McDermott improperly secured a spare service weapon, according to his lawyer in a published report. Worcester County Sheriff Charles Martin placed McDermott on desk duty and stripped him of police powers as of July 22, months after this incident occurred. While a subsequent internal review by fellow members of the Sheriff's Department recommended McDermott's police powers be restored, Sheriff Martin has kept McDermott in his deskbound status.
However, some observers see this as a politically motivated act. Sheriff Martin, who is a Democrat and not running for re-election this year, participated in this television commercial for current Delegate (and McDermott's likely opponent) Norm Conway. Delmarva Dealings blogger G.A. Harrison alleges the weapon in question was confiscated by Martin last fall from McDermott's office.
All this raises some interesting questions about timing. McDermott has been on the campaign trail since last September, which means Mike was likely already into the fray when the incident occurred. Had the incident been taken care of immediately it may have slowed McDermott's initial groundwork or induced possible GOP candidates to jump in earlier, so it seems the timing was meant to sway GOP voters into voting for two of Mike's three (perhaps weaker) primary opponents (District 38B is a two-Delegate district.) The obvious "what if?" question concerns the timing had only two entrants been in the GOP primary - would this have come out as an "October surprise"?
The obvious best-case scenario for all involved will be for the matter to be swiftly resolved and return the election to where it belongs - a discussion of the issues facing voters in the Wicomico/Worcester district.
VIA: Examiner.com
Injuries and Arrests After D.C. Metro Flight
Metro spokeswoman Cathy Asato says transit police got a report of a fight at the L'Enfant Plaza station about 11 p.m. Friday. She said four people were taken to area hospitals — two adults and two juveniles. She said one of the adults was seriously injured, while the other three had minor injuries.
Asato said one adult and two juveniles were taken into custody.
Metro transit police are investigating.
County Inspector Told This Little Girl To Close Her Lemonade Stand
The apology sweetened up some sour feelings and made 7-year-old Julie Murphy eligible to resume selling her Kool-Aid and water concoction for 50 cents a cup.
Last week at a local arts fair, Julie and her mother were surprised when a county inspector asked to see their restaurant license.
They didn't have one. The inspector told them they would face a fine of up to $500 if they didn't stop selling lemonade.
Other vendors urged Julie and her mother not to leave. A second inspector arrived and the two inspectors were surrounded by a crowd of vendors supporting Juilie and her mother.
Ultimately, Julie and her mother packed up the stand, and as Julie left the fair she was crying.
But Julie has prevailed.
Jeff Cogan, chairman of Multnomah County, says the health inspectors were "just following the rule book" but they should have given the girl and her mom a break. On Thursday, he talked with Julie's mom to apologize.
"A lemonade stand is a classic, iconic American kid thing to do," he told The Oregonian. "I don't want to be in the business of shutting that down."
And how does Julie feel about this?
Her mother, Maria Fife, said she and her daughter appreciates the apology.
But the sweet and sour tale of lemonade stands at the Portland art fair might not yet be over.
According to the Oregonian, one vendor at the local arts fair is planning a "lemonade revolt" the next time the fair is held — later this month.
Cogen says he doesn't know what he'll do if a bunch of fair vendors try selling lemonade without a license.
As it turns out, lemons may present county officials with something of a pickle.
Four Found Dead In Trash Filled Apartment
Prince George's County, Md., police say the amount of trash is hindering the investigation of the bodies found in the makeshift apartment above a detached garage at a home in Riverdale.
The victims were two women and a boy and girl under the age of six.
Officers found the bodies early Friday after responding to a call from someone at the property who reported an assault. Police wouldn't say how the victims died.
Police Chief Roberto Hylton said whoever killed the victims may have known them, and the slayings attack appeared to be "personal" rather than random.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Police Question If Officer Was Legally Allowed To Carry A Gun
The department released a redacted version of the police report of the shooting of the dog, named Bear-Bear. Department officials released a statement Friday saying that after further investigation, the officer's "legal authority to carry a firearm became questionable."
The department still has not named the officer, who they said fired his personal weapon in the shooting.
Police said they initially closed the incident, and that the State's Attorney's Office, after reviewing the case, instructed the officers not to file charges.
The officer's attorney, David Putzi, said this week that his 32-year-old client was acting in self-defense in an attempt to stop an attack on his dog, a German shepherd named Asia.
But Rachel Rettaliata, the husky's owner, said the dog has a history of being friendly. Her brother had taken 3-year-old Bear-Bear for their daily trip to Quail Run community dog park when the husky was shot.
Rettaliata said her brother told her that the dogs began to play roughly and that the off-duty officer asked him to call off the dog. But before he could move, the officer shot Bear-Bear, she said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Many Amtrak Services Canceled On the East Coast Due To Derailment
The railroad is still shut down south of Quantico, Va., on Friday after a CSX Corp. coal train derailed there a day earlier, blocking all tracks. Virginia Railway Express reports that five train cars fell and ripped up the tracks.
Service may be restored Saturday, but Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said he is unsure when CSX will complete the cleanup.
Major cancellations include Amtrak trains running between Washington and Newport News, Va., and from New York to Miami, Charlotte, N.C., and Savannah, Ga. Auto train service between Lorton, Va. and Sanford, Fla. is also affected.
Virginia Railway Express has canceled Fredericksburg line trains on Friday.
The Bay Queen Bakery and BabyCakes
I stopped by the Bay Queen Bakery a few weeks ago to buy one and was delighted to see how numerous the selection is!
The BabyCake is tucked into its own little box which is a lovely idea but I really don't know how they can get ALL the flavor in that box! Making a decision is NOT easy and I finally chose the Strawberry Baby Cake with the yellow cake layers filled with strawberry mousse then iced with buttercream frosting.
And was it ever so delicious! This truly is a "cake for two" (or three) as mine was on this day. But the three of us agreed on the moistness and the flavor. The Smith Island BabyCake truly is absolutely wonderful! It's a tiny cake with huge, wonderful flavor, packed into a box, and "made from scratch with love."
I hope you will try one soon! (or try two)
You can find the Bay Queen Galley and its BabyCakes in downtown Pocomoke, Maryland right next to the MarVa Theater.
Reminder: The BabyCakes will be moving. The Bay Queen Galley will be opening the restaurant at the Days Inn in Pocomoke and will be open at this new location on September 1st.
Here is a listing of all the flavors for the BabyCakes so you can maybe make up your mind before you get there.
Banana~ Fresh banana, yellow layers and buttercream. The sides of the cake are coated with ground walnut.
Carrot Cake~ Carrot cake with cream cheese icing.
Chocolate Mint~ Peppermint butter cream between chocolate layers. Iced with chocolate gananche.
Chocolate Peanut Butter~ Chocolate ganache and ground peanut butter cups with yellow layers.
Coconut~ Butter cream, yellow layers and coconut.
Coconut/Lime~ Fresh lime curd and coconut between yellow layers. Then iced with butter cream, coated with coconut and topped with lime curd.
German Chocolate~ Fresh coconut pecan icing between chocolate layers. It is iced with chocolate butter cream and topped with the coconut pecan icing.
Lemon~ Fresh lemon curd, yellow layers and butter cream.
Lime~ Fresh lime, yellow layers and butter cream.
Mounds~ Yellow layers, chocolate ganache and coconut.
Oreo~ Chocolate layers with crushed Oreos and butter cream .
Piña Colada~ Pineapple mousse between yellow layers. Iced with butter cream and coated with coconut.
Red Velvet~ Red velvet layers with cream cheese icing.
S’mores~ Graham cracker cake with chocolate ganache and marshmallow icing between layers. Iced with chocolate ganache.
Strawberry~ Fresh strawberry mousse between yellow layers, iced with butter cream
Strawberry/Lime~ Fresh lime curd with strawberry mousse between yellow layers and iced with your choice of butter cream or chocolate ganache.
Traditional~ Chocolate ganache and yellow layers.
"All made from scratch with love......."
12th Annual Snow Hill Blessing of the Combines
So here is your chance to see exactly what it is the farmers use on this good old Eastern Shore when they harvest some crops.
The Blessing of the combines will be given by the Rev. Sumner Jones.
Activities for ALL ages will be ongoing throughout the day from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
Other activities planned for the day are as follows:
(and more)
Craft Booths
Local Artistis and their work
Hay Rides
Face Painting
Food vendors
Dove Release
Tootsie the Clown
Pie Eating Contest
T-shirts
Petting Barnyard
Scales-n- Tales Presentation by Pocomoke River State Park
Antique Car Show next to the Pocomoke River to benefit Coastal Hospice
Annual Wheat Threshing, Steam & Gas Engine Show
Wheat Threshing, Steam & Gas Engine Show
will be held
AUGUST 6, 7, 8, 2010
on Rt. 313 between Denton and Federalsburg, Maryland
Official opening 10 AM each day. Events throughout each day.
Plenty of good food. Breakfast begins at 7 AM.
Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Crab Cakes and Fried Chicken served daily from 10 AM until ?
Steam Engines, Antique Tractors, Gas Engines, Antique Cars, Miniature Sawmill,
Sawmill, Rock Crusher, Steam Models, Miniature Steam Train, Threshers
Flea Markets - Daily Parade - Blacksmith Shop
Tractor Games
PARADE OF EQUIPMENT 5 PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY, 4 PM SUNDAY
Secret Service Investigating Amusement Company's "Obama Target Game"
Irvin Good Jr., president of Goodtime Amusements, said Wednesday he didn't imean to offend anyone by offering "Alien Attack" at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Big Time fair in Roseto. But the game sparked a complaint.
"I guess we made an error in judgment, and we apologize for that," said Good, who has had the game for about six weeks. "I voted for the man. It wasn't meant to be him. If they took it that way, we apologize."
Players paid $1 per shot, or $5 for six shots, to fire foam darts at targets on his head and heart. Those who hit their mark won a stuffed animal.
Cindy Wofford, special agent in charge of the Philadelphia office of the Secret Service, said her agents are looking into the game and will determine if there were any direct or indirect threats to the president. They will share their findings with the U.S. attorney's office.
"We take these kinds of things very seriously," Wofford said.
The White House issued a statement Wednesday through spokeswoman Moira Mack saying it disapproves of using the president's name and likeness for commercial purposes. The longstanding policy precedes Obama.
Federal law prohibits anyone from knowingly displaying any print or likeness of the presidential seal. Violators can face a fine and up to six months in prison. The U.S attorney's office in Philadelphia declined to comment on the matter.
Good said the game's design periodically changes and has again been changed to no longer depict the image of the man. It was designed by one of his workers, Good said, and he should have realized it would create a problem. Goodtime Amusements has been in business for 26 years, he said.
Good said he received one complaint about the game after it first appeared. He decided to remove it if another person complained, which happened during the recent Roseto fair, which dates to 1883 and raises money for the church's school.
The Rev. Jim Prior of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a parish of the Catholic Diocese of Allentown, was not available for comment, according to a woman who answered the phone Wednesday at the church. Matt Kerr, spokesman for the diocese, said Prior would have pulled the game if he'd known it was there.
But Kathryn Chapman of Medford, Mass., said her family told the church about the game. She visited the fair July 24 as part of her family's reunion, which has been held in Roseto for decades to celebrate the family's roots in the borough, named after Roseto Valfortore of Italy.
She said her brother, Bob, noticed the game the night before and told her she had to see it. When she visited the next day with her 14-year-old son, she said, she was flabbergasted.
"I couldn't believe they would have a game where you could shoot any president, George W. Bush or President Obama, and that there were targets on his forehead and heart, and that you would win a prize for shooting the target," Chapman said.
"You got a stuffed animal for becoming a sniper," she said.
She said she spoke with the operator of the game and later with Good, both of whom cited "freedom of speech." Good said he told Chapman he would remove the game. But Chapman said the last thing Good told her was, "I don't care what you think."
Other members of her family spoke with church members, who said they were unaware of the game, she said. Chapman said if the game's maker disagreed with the health care bill, the game should have been shooting darts at the bill, not the president.
"What are these messages we're sending our kids?" Chapman said. "The fact that this was held on Catholic Church property blows my mind."
Roseto Council President Michael Romano said he didn't see the game at the fair and did not receive any complaints. But he said the depiction was "clearly Obama" and was in "poor taste," especially considering the number of young children at the fair.
"I was sad to hear it was there," Romano said. He added that Goodtime should guarantee that there will be no other political satire-type games in the future. The diocese's Kerr said using the company will be up to the parish.
Rocketry For Campers
But a strong wind that blew across campus might mean postponing the launch, said Berit Bland, a NASA employee working with this year's Reach for the Stars science camp.
The students could launch one or two as a test before setting off the rest, she told them.
"That's the nature of the beast in rocketry," she said. "Safety is the number one issue."
As the first one soared into the air, apparently unaffected by the wind, a cheer went up from the 35 students, their parents and other spectators.
"It's a lot of fun," said Taylor Dumpson, 14, who will be entering Wicomico High School in the fall, and has spent the past four summers in the camp.
The camp, which runs for two weeks, is held in cooperation with NASA and Mid-Atlantic Institute for Space and Technology, a non-profit association based in Pocomoke. Students from Worcester and Wicomico counties learn about robotics from engineers who work at NASA and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The camp's focus is to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and at least one participant said she is headed in that direction.
"At first I just wanted to go to camp because it sounded like a lot of fun, but it's opened my eyes to the engineering field." said Samantha Dykes, 14, who is in her third year at the camp and will enter Snow Hill High School in the fall.
The campers work alongside high school and university students, who are participating as interns in the STEP UP (Science, Technology and Engineering Pipeline for Underserved Populations) program sponsored by NASA and the Mid-Atlantic Institute.
They also launch, track and analyze the flight path of their rockets, said Brenda Dingwall, equal opportunity manager at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and the camp's program director.
One-third of the participants are teens with disabilities, while another third are considered at-risk. The rest are traditional students, Dingwall said.
The camp also helps build teamwork.
"We deliberately pair them with kids they don't know," she said. "It's very interesting to see what happens."
Va. ACLU Urges Localities to Ignore Cuccinelli's Opinion
The ACLU of Virginia urged Virginia police chiefs and sheriffs today to ignore a recent opinion from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli that says police officers can question individuals about their immigration status during a stop or arrest.
Rebecca Glenberg, ACLU's legal director, said the Cuccinelli opinion cited no Virginia law to back it up. Attorney Generals' opinions are advisory and do not have the force of law.
She said the Cuccinelli opinion likely would lead to racial profiling.
Cuccinelli addressed the possibility of racial profiling Wednesday in an interview with CNN.
"Being in Virginia, I can tell you that given our race history, we're very sensitive to not allowing for racial profiling, not allowing the kind of abuse of the legal process as happened in the '40s, '50s, '60s [which] we had to work our way out of frankly, through the '70s and on," Cuccinelli said.
"The way we avoid it in this situation is we apply the same rules to everybody."
Cuccinelli noted that the new Arizona immigration law required law enforcement officers to inquire about immigration status. Cuccinelli's opinion said that Virginia's law enforcement officers may make such inquiries, but they are not required to do so.
He said he expects that local governments around the state will devise their own policies for how their police and sheriffs should proceed.
Also today, Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said he is asking Congress to subpoena Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for information about criminal illegal aliens that ICE is no longer taking into physical custody.
Stewart's inquiry follows a car crash in Prince William County that killed one nun and critically injured two others.
Carlos A. Martinelly Montano is charged in the crash with third-offense driving under the influence, involuntary manslaughter and driving on a revoked license.
The three nuns were less than 4 miles from their spiritual home at the Benedictine Sisters of Virginia monastery near Manassas when their car was struck head-on by a vehicle driven by Montano, a native of Bolivia and an illegal immigrant.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security opened an investigation Tuesday into how an illegal immigrant managed to avoid deportation, even after repeated arrests before Sunday's crash.
Phone Scam In Worcester County
Police say this is a fraudulent account used for the purpose of defrauding people.
They also say a legitimate Law Enforcement agency will not ask you to send money anywhere to secure the release of a person.
If you receive a call of this type, you are advised to ask for the name and call back number for the alleged agency. Then call your local law enforcement agency to help you verify whether or not this is a legitimate call or someone trying to commit a crime.
Pocomoke: Community Meeting With Police
Siren Testing On Saturday For Worcester County
In the event of an actual emergency, the sirens would be used as additional means to warn the surrounding communities of imminent danger and the need to tune to either radio, television or the internet for information.
Off-Duty Federal Officer Fatally Shoots Dog In Dog Park
Citing their investigation, Anne Arundel County police still have not named the officer, who they said fired his personal weapon in the shooting Monday of Bear-Bear, a brown-and-white husky who died a few hours later.
Police, who did not provide a report, said they initially closed the incident amd there was no evidence of criminal activity. They did not respond to questions about other circumstances surrounding it.
The officer's attorney, David Putzi, declined to identify him, citing online threats made against him and his family. However, Putzi provided some information about his 32-year-old client, who he said fired his weapon only when faced with an aggressive dog whose handler "could not or would not" step in to stop an attack on the officer's dog, a German shepherd named Asia.
The account is very different from the one offered by Rachel Rettaliata, the husky's owner, whose brother had taken 3-year-old Bear-Bear for their daily trip to Quail Run community dog park.
The investigation into the dog park shooting was reopened Wednesday on the demand of County Executive John R. Leopold.
On Thursday, the Humane Society of the United States joined the investigation after offering to lend its expertise and resources to the county police department. Justin Scally, a Humane Society investigator, expects to begin Friday morning with what he called a "very difficult investigation" into the only fatal shooting of a dog at a dog park that he knows of.
Meanwhile, thousands of online posts from people across the country and two Facebook pages have expressed support for the owners of Bear-Bear, and a gathering in was held at the park Thursday evening.
Earlier in the week, some had speculated that Asia, the German shepherd, may have been a police dog, but county police said Thursday that that wasn't the case.
Putzi said his client served about two years in the Army and is a sergeant in the Army Reserves who has completed two tours in Iraq totaling 26 months, and has worked for about three years as police officer.
"There is absolutely no history on him being some sort of renegade or flying off the handle," Putzi said. Rather, he received the Army achievement medals and two Army commendation medals, and was nominated for but did not receive a Bronze Star, Putzi said.
Maryann Hodges, a spokeswoman for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, the Army and Marine base in Northern Virginia, said the civilian police officer was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, because of the Anne Arundel County investigation.
Putzi said his client's dog, Asia, is a pet adopted through a rescue group. The man came to the park with his wife, who had the dog on a leash.
Bear-Bear and Rettaliata's brother were the only others there, according to his account. The couple asked if Bear-Bear was friendly, and after being told yes, they allowed the dogs to interact, Putzi said.
The dogs played briefly, then separated. But when Bear-Bear approached again, Putzi said, the situation changed.
"This dog was trying to get the dog down by the neck, the jaws of the husky were around the German shepherd's neck," the lawyer said. When the couple tried to intervene, the dog became aggressive toward them as well, Putzi said.
When Rettaliata's brother did not take control of the husky, Putzi's client shot the dog, the attorney said.
In responding to the officer's account, Rachel Rettaliata said, "If I were in his shoes, I probably would tell them the same thing."
Her pet, also a rescue dog, has a history of being friendly, she said. Her brother told her that the dogs began to play roughly and that the off-duty officer asked him to call off the dog. But before he could move, the officer shot Bear-Bear, she said.
"In my personal opinion, a firearm never had to come into the picture," she said.
Both sides said they welcomed the addition of the Humane Society to the investigation.
Scally, the investigator, said the organization regularly helps police departments with cases involving animals. Scally said he also hopes to do some work with Quail Run dog park.
"Working with the community is a big part here," he said. "We hope to help them make the park safer."
When word of Bear-Bear's fatal shooting became public Tuesday, police said the matter was closed and there was no evidence of a crime, evoking public criticism. On Wednesday, County Executive John R. Leopold, saying he was "deeply troubled" to hear of the shooting, said he contacted Chief of Police James Teare to insist on a full investigation.
www.baltimoresun.com
Using "Noah's Ark" To Save Sealife
Rudloe has launched Operation Noah's Ark, using his four-acre facility an hour south of Tallahassee to preserve more than 350 different specimens — everything from sharks to starfish, shrimp and batfish — in an environment that includes a grassland and duplicates high and low tides. And he's not doing it two-by-two. The fiddler crabs, for instance, number around 50,000.
"We have this endless supply of critters and water out there," said Rudloe, 67, whose enchantment with the Gulf and its inhabitants date back some 40 years. "We have to get as many animals in there as we can and then if the conditions permit, be able to put some of them back and get some things started."
Though the broken oil rig has been capped since mid-July and little heavy crude is visible on the Gulf, Rudloe said he's still committed to the project."I don't believe that the oil is gone," Rudloe said. "It's still out there in cold water, little tiny droplets that could come spilling up here in the wrong conditions of one or two hurricanes."
Rudloe's Dickerson Bay laboratory is about 20 miles from the easternmost point where oil has been reported on Florida's Panhandle. Still, he worries about oil fouling his 50 tanks, which use saltwater pulled through an 800-foot pipeline from the Gulf. He is installing filtration systems just in case.
"If everything is dead, the marshes are black, the water is foul ... we still want to keep the place going," Rudloe said. "We would have to have live support systems where we can keep things alive."
Rudloe estimates the project could cost $1.2 million. He can't afford that kind of financial hit, coming at a time his wife — noted marine biologist Anne Rudloe — is battling a serious illness. The nonprofit, licensed facility, which attracts about 18,000 visitors annually, depends on admission fees, memberships and donations.
"We're bleeding green," Jack Rudloe said.
Rudloe said he hopes BP PLC will help fund the project; BP said it couldn't provide information on Rudloe's claim.
"If anybody should come to anybody, BP should be coming to him and say 'OK,'" said Robert Seidler, a Sopchoppy, Fla., filmmaker who has observed the Rudloe's operation for decades. "Nobody has the collective knowledge of the area like the Rudloes do. Every trend, storms, floods, red tides. He knows all of that."
Rudloe, who provides specimens for university and medical research, is well known nationally among marine biologists.
A New York native who moved to Florida in his early teens, Rudloe, who is self-taught, has joined with his wife to write books on the Gulf ecosystem along with articles for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and other publications.
Rudloe has gotten some outside help since the spill. Pennsylvania-based Martin Marine shipped a $25,000 water-oil separator that Rudloe said could save the day, sifting out petrochemicals.
"We have a way to fight back. We can clean our water and go on living."
He will also use roughly 50 large water tanks to store "healthy seawater" to maintain hundreds of other critters, including sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sponges, sea horses and spinybox fish.
The BP spill isn't his first clash with oil companies.
In 1989, Rudloe cut his Exxon credit card in half and put it inside a plastic sandwich bag filled with oil to protest a spill created when the Exxon Valdez tanker dumped an estimated 32 million gallons of crude oil into pristine Alaskan waters after it grounded on a reef.
But that doesn't come close to the disaster threatening the Rudloe's lifetime of work.
"Where are the protections these companies were supposed to build in?" Rudloe asks. "I don't think anything really has been learned. We're just as dumb now as we were then."
Thomas J. Leggs, Jr. Convicted of Burglary In Ocean City
Leggs stood accused of breaking into the apartment of a woman who turned him down for an overnight stay after a boozy cab ride home.
Pamela Sima, 24, testified in Circuit Court that Sept. 11, 2009, she awoke at about 4 a.m. to find Leggs standing over her bed -- shirtless, undoing his belt and taking his pants down to his knees.
"After it happened, it really affected my life," she told Judge Thomas C. Groton III prior to Leggs' sentencing. "For the rest of my time there, I slept with a knife by my side and a phone in my hand."
Sima also testified she had rejected his romantic advances on a date one week earlier.
A Worcester County Circuit Court jury deliberated for 20 minutes before reaching a guilty verdict Thursday. The jury found Leggs not guilty on a related charge of property destruction.
Worcester County State's Attorney Joel Todd sought the maximum sentence of three years incarceration on the burglary charge, citing Leggs' criminal record and his being on the Maryland and Delaware sex offender registries.
Sima said she was unaware of any of his criminal history while they were dating. Leggs was not accused of committing any sex offenses against her.
They first met in late August 2009, Sima said, and had gone on at least one dinner date before meeting for drinks Sept. 2 at Pickles Pub. That night, Leggs walked her home.
She later told police the two kissed, but he had come on too strong and was trying to take her clothes off "with me saying no plenty of times."
According to Sima's testimony, a week later they ran into each other at the Cork Bar. Leggs apologized for his behavior. When she flagged a taxi home, Leggs joined her in the car, uninvited.
Once at her house, he asked to stay over, repeatedly telling her that his roommates weren't letting him stay at his place, she testified. She said no, went inside and locked the door behind her.
Hours later, when she found him at her beside, she yelled at him to get out. She heard the front door open and close. But when she got out of bed to make sure he was gone, she found him standing in her living room.
"The fact that he would try to trick her into thinking he had left shows just how criminal his intentions were," Todd said. "The defendant is a dangerous individual. The best the criminal justice system can do is warehouse (him) for as long as we can for the good of the citizens of the state of Maryland."
When Leggs did leave, Sima called 911. Responding police officers found two window screens removed outside the first-floor apartment, one of which was bent out of shape.
A wooden window frame was damaged, police said, as if someone had pried away the screen. They also found scuff marks on the exterior beneath one of the windows. This evidence was the basis for a charge of malicious destruction of property, police said.
A warrant was issued for his arrest Sept. 29. He was arrested Oct. 29, and posted $10,000 bond the same day.
In the courtroom, Leggs wore a lime-green polo shirt, blue pants and black sneakers. He sported a bushy goatee and short-cropped hair. He often turned to comment into the ear of his attorney.
Leggs wore no handcuffs or leg braces of any kind because Todd wanted the jury to decide the case on the facts presented, not on the biases that shackles inevitably bring, he said.
Wicomico County sheriff's deputies escorted Leggs to the Snow Hill courtroom from Salisbury, where he is being held on charges of kidnapping, abusing and killing sixth-grader Sarah Haley Foxwell.
Her family reported her missing Dec. 22. Leggs was arrested Dec. 23. After a search that involved thousands of volunteers, her burned remains were found Dec. 25 in a wooded area by a team of investigators.
Leggs was indicted on murder and sex offense charges in February in Wicomico County, where the killing took place. In May, court officials announced his death penalty trial on those charges will be moved to Cecil County.
Leggs did not testify during Thursday's trial. At sentencing, he declined to make any comments to the judge following the vigorous advice of his attorney, Arch McFadden.
"Where's the corroborating evidence?" he said. "I submit to you: zero. Were there fingerprints taken? Was there eyewitnesses?"
McFadden -- who declined reporters' requests for comment -- was also critical of a lack of photographic evidence from the scene. He said he would file an immediate appeal.
Ocean City Police Officer Nicole Thornes, who responded to Sima's 911 call, testified that photographs taken at the scene were submitted to the department's forensics unit. However, when prosecutors went to retrieve the photos to be used as evidence, "they were misplaced somehow," according to Todd.
Ocean City Police spokesman Mike Levy said "there could be any number of reasons for that," and any cause would not be clear unless an internal investigation was conducted.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
"Back To School Supply" Drive For Accomack County Students
The Salvation Army -- Accomack County Service Unit is conducting a "Back to School Supply" drive for students in Accomack County Public Schools during the month of August.
School supplies collected will be donated to each elementary and middle school classroom.
Persons wishing to help, may drop off school supplies at the Salvation Army office located at Calvary Bible Church, 22344 Front St. in Accomac on Thursdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Some of the items needed are: pencils (regular & colored), ink pens, pocket folders, scissors, spiral notebooks, glue (liquid & stick), pencil sharpeners, protractor rulers, notebook paper (wide ruled), compasses, pencil erasers, pencil pouch crayons (8 and 24 count), highlighters, backpacks, hand wipes, paper towels, subject dividers, graph paper and composition books
For a complete list of supplies by grade level, call 757-787-7995.
Monetary donations for this project may be mailed to Salvation Army at P.O. Box 342, Onley, Va. 23418. For additional information, call Earline Washington at 757-787-8321, Jesse Poulson at 757-87-1311, Ann Bonniwell at 757-442-9478 or Ann Dowden at 757-665-5094.
To learn more about other Accomack County Salvation Army projects, contact Julia Spickofsky at 757-302-9077 or Brenda Holden at 757-787-8590.Worcester Co. Sheriff's Officer Lt. Michael McDermott Temporarily Stripped Of Police Powers
Worcester County Sheriff Charles T. Martin confirmed Wednesday that McDermott's power to arrest was taken away July 22 and said the lieutenant is now on administrative office duty. An incident involving McDermott is being investigated, Martin said, but he declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is a personnel matter.
"Those powers remain suspended until they are reinstated by me or the case is adjudicated," Martin said. "It's something that is going to be adjudicated within the system, and he knows the system as well as I do."
The investigation has nothing to do with McDermott's run for the legislature, Martin said. The sheriff, a Democrat, will step down at the end of his fourth term in November because of health reasons.
According to Michael Davey, McDermott's lawyer, the suspension stems from a 2009 incident concerning the location of a service weapon assigned to the lieutenant. The gun was in McDermott's office, Davey said.
"I'm guessing it should have been secured in a better location than his locked office," Davey said, adding that the situation leading to the charges against his client are still unclear. "We are assuming that is the basis for his suspension."
On July 27, the emergency suspension board -- comprised of members of the Sheriff's Office -- reviewed the charges and recommended that McDermott's powers be reinstated, Davey said. However, their decision is not binding, and final say in the matter will come down to Martin.
"At this point we are trying to get his police powers returned by the sheriff based on the recommendations of his own staff," Davey said. "We are trying to determine what the basis of this suspension was because we just don't know at this point."
This Weekend At The MarVa Theater
Friday and Saturday night August 6th and 7th
Showtime: 7 p.m. Admission: $5.00 Rated G
Be there for a chance to win a Toy Story 3 toy!
NASA Rocket Launch A Success
The rocket launched at 5:15 a.m. It's mission, according to NASA, was to "flight qualify the new production Nihka rocket motor, the third stage in the Black Brant X."
The next mission from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility is expected no ealier than August 23.
Anyone Interested In Buying Some Beer?
WEST POINT, Miss. (AP) - Three people have been arrested after they were found passed out after drinking 11 cases of beer allegedly stolen from a club.
Clay County Chief Deputy Eddie Scott tells the Commercial Dispatch that Barbara Dewberry; her son, David Hurst and her 17-year-old grandson, all of Mantee, are accused of burglarizing the County Line Club near West Point last week. Scott says cash and 20 cases of beer went missing.
Scott says dispatchers were tipped that people were trying to sell beer to neighbors shortly after the burglary.
He says deputies found the three passed out at one of their houses in Mantee. He says they apparently drank more than 11 cases of beer after they failed to find buyers.
He says the remaining beer and some cash were recovered.
Cases Heard In Accomack County Circuit Court
Daniel Mains, 24 of Norfolk, was found guilty of driving while being a habitual offender.
Carl Wingender, 40 of Belle Haven, was sentenced to two years imprisonment with all time suspended for credit card fraud and credit card theft.
Davon Davis, 21 of Painter, was found guilty of armed burglary, attempted robbery and possession of a sawed off shotgun.
Gil Byrd, 59 of Onancock, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with all but 60 days suspended for felony shoplifting.
Brittany Edwards, 20 of Hallwood, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but four days suspended for burglary and grand larceny.
Rahiam Hope, 21 of Tasley, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but one year suspended for eluding and leaving the scene of an accident.
Lavar Crawford, 24 of Norfolk, was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment with all but 5 years suspended for eluding, reckless driving and driving without a license.
Joseph Davila, 22 of Onancock, was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment with all time suspended for writing bad checks.
Tony Linton, 48 of Sanford, had probation revoked for burglary and grand larceny.
www.shoredailynews.com
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
From the National Weather Service
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL DELMARVA COUNTIES UNTIL 1 AM THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE PENINSULA WILL CONTAIN POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS AND LIGHTNING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ALSO ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM THURSDAY FOR DORCHESTER, SOMERSET, WICOMICO, WORCESTER, AND ACCOMACK COUNTIES; AND FROM 11 AM TO 10 PM THURSDAY FOR KENT, SUSSEX, QUEEN ANNE'S, TALBOT, AND CAROLINE COUNTIES...A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED...THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S...THIS COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE...DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS, STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM, AND STAY OUT OF THE SUN IF POSSIBLE.
Pocomoke Mayor Mike McDermott Stripped Of Police Powers In Worcester County
Worcester County Sheriff Charles T. Martin confirmed that McDermott’s power to arrest was taken away on July 22, and said McDermott is now on administrative office duties. An incident involving McDermott is being investigated, Martin said, but he declined to comment on the specifics of the case because it is a personnel matter.
“Those powers remain suspended until they are reinstated by me or the case is adjudicated,” Martin said. “It’s something that is going to be adjudicated within the system, and he knows the system as well as I do."
See continuing coverage in Thursday’s The Daily Times.
www.delmarvanow.com
Pocomoke; Armed Robbery
Case # 10-0124
LOCATION: Goose Creek Store (Stockton Rd. Pocomoke, MD)
Pizza Hut Restaurant (Linden Ave. Pocomoke, MD)
CRIME: Armed Robbery
VICTIM: Goose Creek Store - Pizza Hut Restaurant - Pocomoke City MD.
NARRATIVE:
On June 9, 2010 at approximately 2335 hours the store clerk of Goose Creek Store located 2322 Stockton Rd. Pocomoke was attempting to close the store for the
night, when she was confronted by three masked men who had just entered the store.
One of which was brandishing a handgun. All three were demanding money, while one was pointing a handgun at the clerk.
The suspects were able to get an undisclosed amount of currency and fled the
area on foot.
During the investigation, it was also learned that approximately 30 minutes prior to the robbery at Goose Creek Store, The manager at Pizza Hut Restaurant (located on Linden Ave Pocomoke, MD) contacted the Pocomoke City police Department, advising that three masked men had just attempted to rob him at gun point, while he was exiting and closing the business for the night.
The clerk advised he was able to enter his vehicle and drove away. Nothing was
taken by the suspects reference the Pizza Hut.
The Worcester County Bureau of Investigations was asked to investigate these two
Robberies in Pocomoke, City.
From the information obtained by the restaurant manager matched the same description, such as physical description, clothing as the given by the clerk at
Goose Creek.
During the investigation information was learned that the three suspects listed
below were involved in the robberies.
The Investigations are continuing.
The First Suspect: Dorian Rashawn Johnson, age 19 – (Pictured Below)
originally from Baltimore,MD and now residing in Pocomoke, MD.
(Arrested & held at the county jail on $250.000.00 Bond)
Second Suspect: Decarlo Marcus White, Age 19 from Pocomoke, MD. WANTED & believed to be still in the Pocomoke City area.
If located call Pocomoke City police 410-957-1600 or The Worcester County Bureau of Investigation (410) 352-3476
Third Suspect: Dexter Barthelamew Wise, Jr. Age 23 (From Laurel Delaware)
(Located)
Each have been charged with a total of 23 Criminal Offenses, to include Armed
Robbery, Assault First Degree, Reckless Endangerment, Conspiracy to commit
robbery.
"The Rollover"- From Sunday July 25, 2010- Crisfield Mud Hop
The entire day of the Crisfield Mud Hop was an exciting and challenging day for everyone. Some trucks never made it through the muddy trench (most getting stuck near the 100ft. marker) and required the cable for pulling them out.
Most of the trucks with the larger motors, bigger tires, etc. had very little difficulty with the attempt and gave all of us some scary moments by going side to side in the pit, racing to the other end. There had been some close calls during the day that made everyone ooh and aah.
But it wasn't until the Unlimited Class took their turn that we really got our scare for the day.
The driver was not injured in this accident.
Accomack County Circuit Court
Richard Copes, 31 of Withams, was found guilty of robbery, grand larceny and abduction.
Christopher Barcroft, 21 of Cheriton, was found guilty of 2 counts of burglary and 2 counts of grand larceny.
Elmore White, Jr., 44 of Mappsville, was found guilty of possession of cocaine and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with all but 3 suspended.
Wilbert Watson, 47 of Bloxom, was found guilty of 3rd offense shoplifting.
Steve Kilgore, 24 of Exmore, was found guilty of armed burglary, attempted robbery, use of a sawed-off shotgun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Douglas Bragg, 26 of Painter, was found guilty of possession of cocaine and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with all but 3 suspended.
Kerwin Mears, 25 of Accomac, was found guilty of 2nd offense possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, 2nd offense possession of marijuana.
Edward Trader, Jr., 28 of New Church, was found guilty of credit card larceny and obstruction of justice.
Charles Shields, 51 of Painter, was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with all but 7 months suspended for distribution of cocaine.
Charles Miller, Sr., 61 of New Church, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with all but 5 years and 1 month suspended for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm while in possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Martese Creekmore, 20 of New Church, was sentenced to a youthful offender program for robbery, grand larceny and abduction.
Dashon Scarborough, 25 of Atlantic, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with all but 6 years suspended for burglary, grand larceny and 2 counts of uttering.
Christopher Philips, 27 of Parksley, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment with 7 years and 3 month to serve for grand larceny and 5 counts of obtaining money by false pretense.
www.shoredailynews.com
Odd Looking Reptile Is Captured By Teen Fishing In Patapsco River
A two-hour search on Monday evening by Natural Resources Police failed to find a trace of the critter. But Eric Hammack Jr., the 16-year-old fisherman who first reported the reptile on Sunday, returned to the pond off Belle Grove Road in Patapsco Valley State Park on Tuesday. He had decided to try luring the gator with a hunk of chicken on a string.
"I fished for, like, an hour and a half," he said. Then he had to leave for a while. And when he came back, there was a 21/2-to-3-foot caiman on the line. Caimans are close relatives of alligators.
The critter was hooked. Hammack had come with a net and a container to put it in, but the animal by then was snagged under a fallen tree.
So Hammack called the Department of Natural Resources Police and Anne Arundel County animal control officers, who were on the scene in about 45 minutes.
The animal control folks "are looking for somebody to take control of it, either a zoo or someone who has the proper permits to take care of it," said Sgt. Art Windemuth, a spokesman for the DNR Police.
Even so, DNR officials say they encounter one or two cases like this each year. Travelers acquire a caiman or a small alligator somewhere, bring it back to Maryland and then release it when it grows too big to handle.
And Hammack can go back to regular fishing. Still, it was pretty exciting along the Patapsco for a while, he said. "It was fun. I could do it again."