The Eastern Shore Railway Museum
On Wednesday Virginia Gov. Bob O'Donnell signed two bills outlawing synthetic marijuana and bath salts. This means that the drugs that once gave users a legal high could now land them in jail.
Doors open at 6:15 PM
Silent Auction and 50/50
All proceeds will be donated to the Courtney Bloxom Fund to purchases special physical therapy equipment costing about $19,000.00 and with other expenses associated with Courtney's care.
Taylor entered Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles two months ago for treatment of symptoms of congestive heart failure. She was 79 years of age.
Frankie JupiterThis is what Channel 47 WMDT wrote:
The homeowners who accused Ward of mortgage fraud attended the hearing and admit they're pleased with Judge Laurie Bennett's decision to accept the terms of today's settlement between Ward and the Maryland Commission of Financial Regulation. According to the settlement, Ward agreed to cease and desist mortgage lending for 7 years."7 years is a long time," says Myra Frazier, the attorney for the homeowners, "I think it's going to have a detrimental impact on his business and I think that more importantly it will prevent future people from being victimized this way." "I'm very happy about that," homeowner, Vicki Ivey, tells WMDT 47 News. "He doesn't need to be practicing or lending...I'm relieved about that." Ivey entered into a mortgage agreement 2 years ago with Ward's company, The Money Centre in Salisbury. Ward's construction company built her home in Princess Anne.
Right now, Ward owes the State of Maryland $75,000 for the investigation and fees. It will be another 2 months before a final settlement order will be drafted, which will include changes to the mortgages and individual settlement plans for each homeowner. The State estimates there could be up to 50 mortgages in question. Ivey and her husband Lloyd say they don't mind the wait considering it took over a year for them to get to this point. The only disappointment of the settlement hearing, Ivey admits, is the fact that Ward was a no show at Tuesday's hearing. "This is a slap on the wrist, again. For him to admit what he's done, but he doesn't show any remorse. Why wasn't he here to say, and look at us, at least to say that he did us wrong?"
Ward's attorney, Melvin Caldwell, said he could not be at the hearing because he was out of town. Caldwell maintains the lending violations are nothing more than "technical violations".
WMDT confirmed Frank Ward is still on the ballot for Pocomoke City Mayor. The city election is in exactly 2 weeks, on Tuesday, April 5th.
Source; wmdt.com http://www.wmdt.com/Global/story.asp?S=14300454
Maybe a smile face tomorrow.This is a fun quiz. Listed below are 10 direct quotes. You have to guess which American politician said it. Your four choices are: Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin Former VP Dan Quayle President Barack Obama Former President George W. Bush Ready? Here we go! 1) "Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 2) "I've now been in 57 states I think I have one left to go." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 3) "On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience here today." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 4) "What they'll say is, 'Well it costs too much money,' but you know what? It would cost, about. It it it would cost about the same as what we would spend. It. Over the course of 10 years it would cost what it would costs us. (nervous laugh) All right. Okay. We're going to. It. It would cost us about the same as it would cost for about hold on one second. I can't hear myself. But I'm glad you're fired up, though. I'm glad." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 5) "The reforms we seek would bring greater competition, choice, savings and inefficiencies to our health care system." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 6) "I bowled a 129. It's like - it was like the Special Olympics, or something." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 7) "Of the many responsibilities granted to a president by our Constitution, few are more serious or more consequential than selecting a Supreme Court justice. The members of our highest court are granted life tenure, often serving long after the presidents who appointed them. And they are charged with the vital task of applying principles put to paper more than 20 centuries ago to some of the most difficult questions of our time." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 8) "Everybody knows that it makes no sense that you send a kid to the emergency room for a treatable illness like asthma, they end up taking up a hospital bed, it costs, when, if you, they just gave, you gave them treatment early and they got some treatment, and a, a breathalyzer, or inhalator, not a breathalyzer. I haven't had much sleep in the last 48 hours." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 9) "It was. interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of I don't know what the term is in Austrian, wheeling and dealing." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush 10) "I have made good judgments in the past. I have made good judgments in the future." A. Barack Obama B. Dan Quayle C. Sarah Palin D. George W. Bush Sorry. This was a trick quiz. All of the correct answers are the same person. Each of these quotes are directly from President Barack Obama. And now you know why he brings his teleprompter with him everywhere he goes ... even when talking to a 6th grade class!!! Clueless Hat Tip; Kack |
SALISBURY, Md.- A mayoral candidate in Pocomoke City is under investigation for allegedly scamming people out of their homes, according to Maryland legal documents. 
As a way of saying THANKYOU the Shore BEEF and BBQ will be serving a FREE outside buffet to the local active firemen.
100% of these proceeds go the Courtney Bloxom Fund.
Please continue to pray for Courtney. Your prayers are being heard and are deeply appreciated.
Jurors had some fun recently when recommending a sentence for Randy P. Broward in a Newport News gang murder conspiracy case — including selecting a blue marker to fill out some of the paperwork in the case.Broward, 33, of Hampton, was accused of, among other things, ordering three gang underlings to kill three men — a plot that was foiled when one of the gang members went to his mother about the command, and she got the police involved.
The 12-member jury gave him the maximum prison time — life plus 237 years — for the 20 charges. They also fined Broward $75,000 on four of the counts, explaining later that they chose that number because Broward forced a prostitute and gang member to give him 75 percent of her earnings.
Jurors also told prosecutors that they chose blue ink when filling out the verdict and sentencing forms — a bid to tweak Broward, a member of the Bloods gang, which favors all things red. Blue is the color of their bitter rivals, the Crips.
"They went out and got a pen that was clearly blue, like a magic marker," said Senior Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Chad Perkins. "They wanted him to take that back to his cell and think about it."
Source; dailypress http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-crime-notebook-0320-20110319,0,7960760.story
Wednesday March 23, 2011
6-8 PM
Don's Seafood Restaurant
US Hwy 13/Lankford Highway
South of Pocomoke City
JOIN US FOR A TIME TO CHAT,
REFRESHMENTS, AND SHARE
YOUR THOUGHTS FOR
POCOMOKE CITY.
Registration required---(443) 735-8462
RICHMOND, Va. -- The body of Taylor Anderson, a 24-year-old graduate of St. Catherine's School and Randolph-Macon College who was in Japan on a teaching program when the earthquake and tsunami struck, has been found, her family announced today. The Midlothian family said in a statement that they were told in a phone call from the U.S. Embassy in Japan.
"It is with deep regret that we inform you that earlier this morning we received a call from the US Embassy in Japan that they had found our beloved Taylor's body," the family said in the statement. "We would like to thank all those who's prayers and support have carried us through this crisis. Please continue to pray for all who remain missing and for the people of Japan. We ask that that you respect our privacy during this hard time. "
Taylor Anderson had been has been teaching English to kindergarten, lower school and junior high school students in Ishinomaki, a coastal city of about 163,000 in the Miyagi Prefecture as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program for more than two years. She was due to return home in August.
Source; www.timesdispatch.com
~CELEBRATE THE SEASON~
Thundershowers around today.......take an umbrella.
Winter has left us and Spring is finally here! Melson's Tractor Pull has it's schedule for the season and just waiting for the first race day! 
Your favorite drivers will be there so be sure you are! Fun for the whole family and now it's all in ONEday.
Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities
By Delegate Mike McDermott
March 14th-18th, 2011
On Monday evening prior to session, there was a significant union rally on the Lawyer’s Mall which greeted us as we moved toward the State House. It was all about the Governor’s budget and their dislike for what has been proposed by the O’Malley Administration. I found it interesting that the governor actually came out and took the stage to speak to the crowd and proclaimed, “I don’t like the budget either!!!” Of course, the crowd was happy about this proclamation. So, I guess it may be true for democratic governor’s in Annapolis...you can have your cake and eat it too!
On Tuesday morning, the session was brief and we only voted on one bill:
HB-209: Vote 139-0 On Third Reader in Favor. Authorizing the purchase of agricultural land preservation easements if the land meets specified requirements and is subject to specified regulations governing the use of the land; clarifying that specified provisions of the Act do not exempt a landowner from complying with specified local laws or State or local requirements; prohibiting land subject to agricultural easement from being used for specified purposes; allowing a landowner to reserve up to three 1-acre lots to construct single-family residential dwellings, etc.
On Tuesday afternoon, I met with a sub committee to review the Child Neglect statute being championed by Lt. Governor Brown. We made many recommendations for changing the bill and hope to have it ready for committee soon.
On Tuesday, the following bills were heard in the Judicary Committee
HB-1174: Would give more power to the Division of Parole and Probation when it comes to reimposing sentences for violations of parole or probation. It would allow for lesser sentences on minor offenses and should reduce some prison costs.
HB-899: Would provide police powers to a unit within the Division of which deal specifically with the apprehension of offenders on Warrant Retake Orders. Currently, officers are not able to arrest for violations which occur in the process of their warrant service or other related actions.
HB-677: Would make it a crime in Maryland for any municipality or government to grant “sanctuary status” to illegal aliens. It would require the state to enforce federal laws addressing illegal immigration. It was argued clearly on both sides, but it is clear that Maryland is fast becoming a sanctuary for illegal immigrants due to our lax enforcement policies and the current lack of enforcement by authorities from ICE.
HB-724: Would increase the statute of limitations for 4th Degree Sex Offense from one year to three. This bill will probably be amended to allow for extended limitations in the case where a victim is a juvenile.
HB-898: Would not allow for Bondsmen to fail to collect the full amount of their bond premium through various finance arrangements made with bonding companies. It does not allow for these companies to finance bonds, merely have an arrangement for collecting payment over time.
HB-1207: Would allow local government entities to prohibit the sale of drug paraphernalia to a minor. It allows for the revocation of business licenses, etc by the local authorities for violations. It is believed that this type of tie in would impact the sale of drug paraphernalia items to minors locally. Based on questions asked, the bill may create confusion across county or municipal boundaries.
HB-1075: Would repeal the Death Penalty in Maryland. This bill seeks to respond to the finding of the Maryland Commission on Capitol Punishment completed in 2008 which recommended abolishing the death penalty in Maryland in favor of Life in Prison.
HB-1074: Would provide an exemption for any Division of Correction employee or other related service employee to exempt themselves from participating in the process of a state execution. This is a no brainer, though, in all fairness, we simply do not exercise the death penalty in Maryland.
HB-804: Would require the MVA to place a certain notation on the driver’s license and state issued ID’s of convicted sex offenders. It is said this may aid law enforcement officers in identifying potential bad guys who may be involved in an abduction when stopped for another violation.
HB-1128: Would alter the definition of sexual contact to include any penetration by any part of the body or object. The current law does not make provision for penetration by other parts of the human body. Some recent cases have made this an issue that needs to be addressed according to some state’s attorney’s who testified in favor of the bill.
On Wednesday, the following bills were heard in the Judiciary Committee:
HB-1277: Would set the policy of the State so as to encourage the use of special needs trusts or supplemental needs trusts by individuals with disabilities of all ages to preserve funds in order to provide for the needs of the individuals not met by public benefits and to enhance their quality of life. The bill encourages self reliance on the part of those with disabilities.
HB-1296: Would allow for the electronic transmission of Eviction related documents. This is currently being done manually by the Clerks and Sheriff’s Office personnel. This would save time and certainly speed up the process by which these papers are transferred and eventually served.
On Thursday morning, the following bills were presented for Third Reader:
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #18
HB 86
Third Reading Passed (104-33)
HB 110
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 263
Third Reading Passed (136-0)
HB 435
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 463
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 481
Third Reading Passed (137-3)
HB 486
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 507
Third Reading Passed (94-46)
HB 522
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 581
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #19
HB 621
Third Reading Passed (137-2)
HB 630
Third Reading Passed (135-5)
HB 634
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 667
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 674
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 679
Third Reading Passed (103-35)
HB 727
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 729
Third Reading Passed (108-32)
HB 749
Third Reading Passed (119-20)
HB 833
Third Reading Passed (130-3)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #20
HB 837
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 849
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 864
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 877
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 913
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 972
Third Reading Passed (130-10)
HB 994
Third Reading Passed (122-9)
HB 1017
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 1018
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 1025
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 1088
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
On Thursday afternoon, the Judiciary Committee heard the following bills:
HB-1118: Requiring the juvenile court, in specified child in need of assistance hearings, to send written findings to specified individuals and agencies if the court finds that specified reasonable efforts were made but that a specified condition exists. Bills like this are generally procedural applications which may slightly modify one aspect of an existing law.
HB-1190: Seeks to expand a pilot program dealing with children in need of supervision to Cecil County and Prince Georges County. The program has been used successfully to divert children from the juvenile delinquency system. They wish to see it work in a more rural county. The bill carries a fiscal note of $250,000.00 and this may be a stumbling block.
HB-790: Seeks to create a crime of Home Invasion and see it classified as a violent crime. There was testimony that these crimes are often being treated as property crimes instead of violent offenses. We heard from several victims of home invasions.
HB-1305: Would expand the notification that a school receives when a student is arrested for certain offenses. It would add the charges of drug distribution to the offenses reported to certain school officials. This makes a lot of sense.
HB-825: Would provide a method for a juvenile defendant who has been waived to adult court to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals. This may create some unnecessary delays in criminal trials for a very low number of instances annually in Maryland. I think it may need further review before implementation.
On Friday, the following bills were voted on during the morning session:
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #21
HB 124
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 128
Third Reading Passed (118-22)
HB 245
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 268
Third Reading Passed (138-1)
HB 279
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 376
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 417
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 466
Third Reading Passed (127-11)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #22
HB 476
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 506
Third Reading Passed (136-2)
HB 535
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 637
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 643
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 944
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 1093
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #23
HB 38
Third Reading Passed (108-30)
HB 188
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 195
Third Reading Passed (102-36)
HB 203
Third Reading Passed (133-4)
HB 286
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 413
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 453
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #24
HB 456
Third Reading Passed (130-8)
HB 468
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 479
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 482
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 542
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 543
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 545
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 590
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #25
HB 596
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 597
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 600
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 741
Motion Special Order until 3/22 (Delegate Feldman) Adopted
HB 752
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 793
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
HB 888
Third Reading Passed (140-0)
Third Reading Calendar (House Bills) #26
HB 940
Third Reading Passed (133-6)
HB 953
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 973
Third Reading Passed (137-0)
HB 996
Third Reading Passed (139-0)
HB 1028
Third Reading Passed (125-14)
HB 1095
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
HB 1119
Third Reading Passed (138-0)
On Friday afternoon, the Judiciary Committee voted on the following bills:
Favorable: HB-921, HB-1072, HB-1118, HB-1174
Unfavorable: HB-835, H-872, HB-1037,
Mark your calendar. On March 19th, a full Moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset. It's a super "perigee moon"--the biggest in almost 20 years. "The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993," says Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC. "I'd say it's worth a look."
Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. It is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other (apogee): diagram. Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the Moon's orbit.
"The full Moon of March 19th occurs less than one hour away from perigee--a near-perfect coincidence1 that happens only 18 years or so," adds Chester.
A perigee full Moon brings with it extra-high "perigean tides," but this is nothing to worry about, according to NOAA. In most places, lunar gravity at perigee pulls tide waters only a few centimeters (an inch or so) higher than usual. Local geography can amplify the effect to about 15 centimeters (six inches)--not exactly a great flood.Indeed, contrary to some reports circulating the Internet, perigee Moons do not trigger natural disasters. The "super moon" of March 1983, for instance, passed without incident. And an almost-super Moon in Dec. 2008 also proved harmless.
Okay, the Moon is 14% bigger than usual, but can you really tell the difference? It's tricky. There are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameters. Hanging high overhead with no reference points to provide a sense of scale, one full Moon can seem much like any other.
The best time to look is when the Moon is near the horizon. That is when illusion mixes with reality to produce a truly stunning view. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects. On March 19th, why not let the "Moon illusion" amplify a full Moon that's extra-big to begin with? The swollen orb rising in the east at sunset may seem so nearby, you can almost reach out and touch it.
Don't bother. Even a super perigee Moon is still 356,577 km away. That is, it turns out, a distance of rare beauty.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/
While out running errands today stop by Shore Beef and BBQ for lunch or take something home for dinner.
Dear Worcester County Residents,
I have been in office as your Sheriff for three months. As your sheriff, I ride our county roads every day and sometimes at night. One day a week, when possible, I leave the office and patrol the county the entire day, always looking at ways to better serve and make you safe.
In December 2010, I was sworn in as your sheriff. I immediately appointed my chief deputy, J. Dale Smack, and operations officer, Col. Doug Dods, two outstanding individuals and leaders.
I then met with my command staff about promotions in our agency. Promotions can be very difficult when you have so many good deputies and very few openings. I am blessed to have outstanding employees sworn and civilian.
In January, two sergeants were promoted to lieutenant, Lt. Andy McGee and Lt. Eddy Schreier. With these promotions, I am able to have someone in command until 3 a.m. and sometimes later. Previously, when command staff went off duty at 5 p.m., to speak with command you had to wait until the next morning. With the opening of slots at Ocean Downs, a commander is able to maintain the impact it has on our county and see if we need to address any issues.
Det. Sgt. Nate Passwaters was promoted. He is in charge of the Criminal Enforcement Team (narcotics, tobacco, high profile criminals). Team members are the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, feds, Virginia State Police, Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, and just recently, the Ocean City Police Department and the Maryland State Police have also joined with us. Having these agencies all working together to cross state lines and throughout our county targeting drug dealers is outstanding. Many arrests have been made and more will come.
Promoted to sergeant, Matt Crisafulli, our D.A.R.E. deputy assigned to our schools to teach the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and bullying of other students. More programs are being looked at by our School Resource Deputies, as we are reaching out to our students to be more productive in school and be model students.
Three deputies were promoted to corporal. Cpl. Katie Edgar, who now is in charge of our K-9 program, Cpl. Bethany Ramey, who is a member of our CET, and Cpl. Lisa Maurer, who is part of our civil division, as well as our agency quarter master. All of these promotions will better serve the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and our county.
Later this year, more promotions are expected. With retirements this past year, I have hired four new trainee/deputy sheriffs — two from Pocomoke, one from Snow Hill and one from Somerset County — and they will graduate in June from the Police Academy. I want to give our young people the opportunity to begin their career with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and hopefully, they will end their career with us.
With retirements and the new positions, this is a savings in our budget. A new policy that I have enacted is, anyone I hire full time who resides outside of Worcester County has one year to relocate here, in order to have a take home vehicle.
I have hired a retired Worcester County Sheriff captain part time to manage our evidence room. This position was being held by a full-time lieutenant. This is another huge savings in our budget and frees up time for the full-time lieutenant to handle other duties. I have hired a retired detective/ Maryland State Trooper to work in the child advocacy center on crimes that are committed on our children. This detective worked many years in this field and we are very fortunate to have him on board. This position is funded by a grant and will cover costs of salary, vehicle and equipment.
I have assigned two part-time deputies to our sex offender program. We have reached a high of 84 and that figure is going to increase with new laws coming in effect. We constantly monitor these individuals, where they live and their work place.
More bars and stores will be checked throughout our county to make sure they are not selling alcohol or tobacco to minors. I expect businesses to train their employees to look for false ID’s.
At one time we provided court security for only two courts; today, we provide coverage for seven courts, plus our government center. The parttimers handling these duties do an outstanding job.
We recently met with the county on our budget for 2011-2012. We have been told not to ask for any additional money in the new budget. We will honor that request and our budget committee has shuffled money around in accounts to cover other accounts. Using our part-time deputies in differ- ent roles and reassignments of fulltime deputies makes our agency better. I will continue to look at ways to make our county a safer place.
Meetings are being set up throughout the county for county residents to come and voice their concerns. Please be a voice for your community. If you see any suspicious activity, give us a call. Be involved for a safer county.
This past week, our agency honored retired Sheriff Charles T. Martin at the Grand Hotel in Ocean City. Many of his relatives and friends and law enforcement attended this event to honor Sheriff Martin for 16 years of outstanding service to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and our residents. We will certainly miss him.
Reggie T. Mason
Sheriff of Worcester County
The Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce announced Friday that it will not be holding the Seaside Festival that was advertised for June 3, 2011.
