Pocomoke High School Dedication

Written by

Bill Kerbin

POCOMOKE CITY -- After years of holding classes amid construction, Pocomoke High School will dedicate its newly renovated and enlarged facility at ceremonies on Saturday, Sept. 24.

The program, beginning at 10 a.m. (doors will open at 9:30), will include student performances and comments by Jon Andes, superintendent; Board of Education president Bob Hulburd; County Commissioner President James (Bud) Church; Pocomoke Mayor Bruce Morrison; and Kiana Smith, student representative to the Board of Education. Following the comments, the ribbon will be cut to officially dedicate the school.

The project, costing $42 million, or $1 million under the bid price, increases the school's footprint from 74,000 to 125,000 square feet.

Another feature that Principal Tyrone Mills points to with pride is the fact that it finally allows for the removal of the temporary buildings in place when he attended the school in the 1970s.

A state-of-the-art building, it will be heated and cooled by a geothermal system. Although he expects to see energy savings, Mills said that they will learn more about the extent after the school has been open for a while.

The classrooms, which are all larger than the previous rooms, have Smart Board technology. Each of the rooms will have a LCD TV that will be available for school announcements throughout the day, eliminating the need for the morning announcement session. They will be available for broadcasting events from other parts of the school as well.

A completely new science wing includes 24 lab stations in each room as well as a number of computers. The labs include hoods over stations, automatic gas shutoffs and showers in each room incase of a possible spill.

New to the school are two full computer labs as well as five wireless mobile computer carts, which can be taken to any of the classrooms when the labs are in use. A system using cameras in the hallways, the parking lots and the athletic complex provides security for the school.

With the construction of a new and larger gymnasium the school now has an auxiliary facility in part of the former gym. It can be used by both the physical education department and the ROTC.

"Our fitness room is second to none," Mills said. Also, the new gym doubles the seating capacity for games from about 490 to almost 1,000. The renovated auditorium now has seating for almost 500 people.

The new field for the outdoor athletic facility is permanent turf. It allows for play in the rain unless there is a downpour.

Mills called the transition a "community project," saying there was cooperation from all segments of the community. The Mar-Va Theater was used for events. Practice and games for sports teams were held at Newtown Park, Cypress Park, the YMCA, Pocomoke Middle School and Pocomoke Elementary School.

He also complimented the custodial staff for their extra efforts during the construction as well as the parents who had to take students to the games and practices.

Mills said that with the cooperation of the construction management company, the Board of Education, the County Commissioners and the staff that the construction turned out to be "a very smooth project."

"I can't thank everyone enough," he said.

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110915/WCT08/109150344/Pocomoke-High-to-dedicate-new-facility?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Worcester County Times|s

~ At The Mar-Va Theater This Weekend~

SUNDAY SHOWING @ 2:00 PM
SMITH ISLAND CAKE RAFFLED AT EACH SHOW

Sanchez Pleads Guilty In Johnny Strand Murder

Gee- Improper documentation.  All this time he's been in this country illegally and no one botherd to check!

Fernando Carillo Sanchez



Fernando Carillo Sanchez, 24 of Accomack pleaded guilty to the murder of Johnny Strand in Accomack County Circuit Court Thursday morning. Strand, the popular manager of Pizza Hut in Onley was found dead by relatives on the morning of May 1, in his bedroom at his mobile home on Pine Ridge Drive near Melfa, when they went to check on him when he didn't show up for work that day.


The relative Gladys Church found his trailer locked and went to the Sheriff's Department to report Strand as missing. Because he had only been missing a few hours the Sheriff's Department asked Church to check the trailer. Church and her son went to the trailer, used a credit card to gain entry and discovered Strand's body.

Medical examiners determined that a baseball bat found at the scene was the murder weapon and that the perpetrator delivered 8 blows to the back of Strand's head, which Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Agar said was conclusive evidence that the murder was not in self defense.

Johnny Strand

Agar stated in is summary Sanchez then located the keys of Strand's Ford Expedition, turned all of the lights off and locked the door on the way out, indicating that the murder was premeditated.

On May 4, the Expedition was spotted at the Shore Stop in Accomac. The Sheriff's Department quickly found it near a trailer at Dreamland Homes. After interview all of the individuals riding in the car it was determined that Sanchez was the driver and had obtained the vehicle a few days prior.

Sanchez pled guilty to first degree murder. Circuit Court Judge John C. Morrison Jr. accepted the plea and the plea agreement which called for 35 years in the State Penitentary with 15 years suspended pending payment of court costs by Sanchez and good behavior for the 35 year term. Sanchez's presence in the country without proper documentation is considered a violation of good behavior.

Source; shoredailynews.com

Shore Beef and BBQ - Today's Special

FRIDAY  SPECIAL

Pit beef sandwich w/side

Drink   ~ $7.50

ALL MEATS COOKED ON THE PREMISES.

Follow Shore Beef and BBQ on Facebook

New hours...........

18-Wheeler Flipped Over On Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

An 18-wheeler has flipped over on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel at the trestle close to the Eastern shore side.

 No injuries have been reported at this time. Crews are working to clear the accident.


 Right now all northbound and southbound lanes are closed

Please use caution.

Stolen Tanker Located

PHILADELPHIA -- A tanker truck carrying more than 3,300 gallons of gasoline that was stolen from the Eastern Shore has been found in Philadelphia.

The theft of the 2008 International truck occurred sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning in the 25000 block of Commerce Lane, according to investigators.


The 10-wheeler truck has the logo of Alger Oil Inc., which services the upper Eastern Shore, northern Delaware, Harford County and southern Pennsylvania.


Kent County sheriff's Sgt. Glenn M. Owens told 11 News on Wednesday that the truck was discovered abandoned in southwest Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon, and still contained the fuel.


Owens said the tanker was not damaged and that the Philadelphia police crime lab was processing the vehicle.


If you have any information regarding this continuing investigation, call investigators at 410-778-2279.

Source;  http://www.wbaltv.com/r/29186683/detail.html

Arcadia High and Middle School CLOSED

Arcadia High School and Arcadia Middle School will be CLOSED TODAY due to a problem with the water supply.

Pat Robertson ~ Now An Expert On Alzheimer's Disease?

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson told his "700 Club" viewers that divorcing a spouse with Alzheimer's is justifiable because the disease is "a kind of death."

During the portion of the show where the one-time Republican presidential candidate takes questions from viewers, Robertson was asked what advice a man should give to a friend who began seeing another woman after his wife started suffering from the incurable neurological disorder.

"I know it sounds cruel, but if he's going to do something, he should divorce her and start all over again, but make sure she has custodial care and somebody looking after her," Robertson said.

The chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network, which airs the "700 Club," said he wouldn't "put a guilt trip" on anyone who divorces a spouse who suffers from the illness, but added, "Get some ethicist besides me to give you the answer."

Most Christian denominations at least discourage divorce, citing Jesus' words in the Gospel of Mark that equate divorce and remarriage with adultery.

Terry Meeuwsen, Robertson's co-host, asked him about couples' marriage vows to take care of each other "for better or for worse" and "in sickness and in health."

"If you respect that vow, you say 'til death do us part,'" Robertson said during the Tuesday broadcast. "This is a kind of death."

A network spokesman said Wednesday that Robertson had no further statement.

Divorce is uncommon among couples where one partner is suffering from Alzheimer's, said Beth Kallmyer, director of constituent services for the Alzheimer's Association, which provides resources to sufferers and their families.

"We don't hear a lot of people saying 'I'm going to get divorced,'" she told The Associated Press. "Families typically respond the way they do to any other fatal disease."

The stress can be significant in marriages though, Kallmyer said, because it results in the gradual loss of a person's mental faculties.

"The caregiving can be really stressful on a couple of levels," she said. "There's the physical level. There's also the emotional level of feeling like you're losing that person you love."

As a result, she said, it's important for couples to make decisions about care together in the early stages of the illness, when its effects aren't as prominent.

Source;  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jvAlkr6Xs5EvPHUYxddmxo1gI0SA?docId=395831e8750b4910bfb8522a900199b7

Pizza Hut Manager Trial To Begin Today

Johnny Strand



ACCOMAC -- The trial of the man charged with the May 2010 murder of popular restaurant manager Johnny Strand will get under way Thursday morning in Accomac.

Fernando Carrillo Sanchez, 24, of Accomac, is charged with second-degree murder. He elected to have the case heard in a bench trial -- meaning a circuit judge will decide the case -- rather than by a jury.

Strand, 49, a well-known community figure, was for years the manager of the Onley Pizza Hut, after having started out as a dishwasher when the restaurant opened in the early 1990s. The restaurant was dedicated in his name in a ceremony held three months after his death.

Testimony at a preliminary hearing in General District court last summer revealed that a relative of Strand found him dead in his Pine Ridge Drive home in Melfa on May 1 when she went to check on him after he failed to pick up her son from his night job at Perdue.

Gladys Church said she and her son drove to Strand's home about 2 a.m. and saw that no lights were on and his SUV was not there.

They went there again in the afternoon after Strand did not answer his phone despite her repeated calls.

Church testified that after using a credit card to gain entrance through the locked door she found Strand lying naked, face-down and covered with blood in his bed.

An investigator for the Accomack County Sheriff's Office testified that Strand had trauma to his head from multiple blows and said there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle at the home.

Fernando Carrillo Sanchez

A blue Little League baseball bat covered in blood was found under the bed where Strand lay.

An autopsy report concluded that Strand died from blunt force trauma to the head and said his body had eight lacerations to the sides and back of the head and two lacerations on his left eyebrow.

Carillo Sanchez, a Guatemalan native who later told officials he never attended school and was sick as a child, was arrested several days after Strand's body was discovered and after the victim's missing vehicle was found in the Dreamland mobile home park on U.S. Route 13 in Accomac where the accused lived.

Carillo Sanchez confessed after being questioned by an investigator with the help of an interpreter.

He said he was forced into sex with Strand, according to Investigator Anthony Bright's testimony at the preliminary hearing.

The accused also claimed Strand hit him with the baseball bat, but Bright said he saw no wounds or bruising on Carillo Sanchez' body.

Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Agar said during a hearing this summer Carillo Sanchez has been evaluated and was "slower than average, but found competent to stand trial."

Source;  http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110914/ESN01/109140341/Trial-to-begin-in-Johnny-Strand-slaying?odyssey=mod  

 
REST IN PEACE, JOHNNY STRAND.

TIME MACHINE Preview ... Community Superstars of Pocomoke's Past; Heading To The Beach In 1865; Dust Cloud Covers Half Of U.S.

Recalling some names of those who contributed to Pocomoke City in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's!

Heading to the beach on the lower Eastern Shore...but there's no Ocean City yet; where's THE place to go?

ACROSS THE USA

It's 1934 and a 1,500-mile long dust cloud darkens half of the nation.

Read more this Sunday on the Pocomoke Public Eye!


Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

'Web Cam 101 For Seniors' Turns Oregon Oldsters Into YouTube Celebrities

A couple from northwestern Oregon who are Internet newbies have found themselves the unwitting subjects of an instant viral video, thanks to a little help from a grandkid.

Bruce Huffman, 86, and his wife, Esther, 79, of the Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville, recently purchased their first laptop computer –- an aqua colored beauty with a built-in webcam.

Late last month, the couple sat down together and tried to figure out how to make a video with the webcam, something a granddaughter had painstakingly attempted to teach Esther a few days beforehand.

"I was trying to figure out how to do the videos and didn't know the thing was actually running," Esther told The Huffington Post. "All the while, Bruce was kind of amusing himself because he was bored. He was being quite an actor."

The nearly three minute video captures Bruce making funny faces, singing, burping and at one point, during a moment of levity, he got a little flirtatious with his wife. "See how pretty your hair is?" he said. "Just drop your dress a little bit and see your boobies."

Esther, focused on the task at hand, shot down the request. "Come on stop it. No, no, no," she laughed.
When the couple's granddaughter later saw the video, she titled it "Web Cam 101 for Seniors" and uploaded it on YouTube.



"I did not know anything about YouTube, but apparently, it is spreading like wildfire," Esther said.
While the accidental celebrities are surprised by the amount of attention the video is garnering, they said they are happy that people are enjoying it.

"We certainly didn't plan it, but there is so much bad news out there. We are glad we could put something fun out there. We like to have a good time and if it makes people laugh, that's ok," Esther said.
There is, however, one thing she would change going back.

"I wouldn't have looked that way," she said. "I guess I have to quit chewing gum. I look like a cow chewing gum so quickly."

While their candid video is endearing the modest couple to the World Wide Web, they have no immediate plans of making another video.

"We're still trying to figure out how to work it," Bruce said. "But we're having fun trying."

VIA: AOLNews

Rogers Enters Race For Accomack County Sheriff

David A. Rogers, Sr.

ACCOMAC -- David A. Rogers Sr., 36, of Belle Haven, has entered the race for Accomack County Sheriff in the November election.

Rogers was a lieutenant with the Sheriff's Office when he resigned July 18 to enter the campaign.

Rogers' career with the department started in March 2003 as a correctional officer. He worked hard, receiving several promotions before attaining the rank of lieutenant of the patrol division.

Rogers was raised in Painter by his mother Mary Onley, the artist Mama Girl, and stepfather Donald.

They worked the fields of the Shore for Duer Produce in Painter.

Rogers stated the fieldwork humbled him and gave him a strong work ethic.

Rogers graduated from Nandua High School in 1993. He joined the U.S. Army and served his tour in Germany before being honorably discharged.

Rogers worked for Bundick Well & Pump for eight years. While there, he also traveled with his mother. He also worked as a driver for Davis Disposal in Painter.

Rogers states he has put a lot of thought into being sheriff. He has watched very closely the affairs of the department and will implement changes.

Rogers said his faith in God is a significant part of his life.

"Strong leaders are those with strong religious convictions and that's what I have," he said.

Rogers stated he wants the citizens to know that the Sheriff's Department belongs to them and that active participation in it will greatly increase the department's success rate.

Rogers wants a deputy assigned to Tangier two weeks a month if housing is located, and a partnership with Eastern Shore Community College for training.

Rogers lives with his wife Kenya and their two children. A third is in college.

Source;   http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110914/ESN01/109140342/David-Rogers-announces-for-county-sheriff-s-seat?odyssey=mod

Shore Beef and BBQ ~ Wednesday

SHORE BEEF AND BBQ

WEDNESDAY SPECIAL

Beef Brisket Sandwich/side

Drink   ~ $7.50

Have lunch AND dinner from

Shore Beef and BBQ

New Hours Coming Soon

FBI Helping Search For Stolen Gas Tanker

(AP)A tanker truck containing more than 3,000 gallons of gasoline was stolen, according to the Kent County, Md., Sheriff’s Office.

The 10-wheel truck bearing an Alger Oil logo on the tank was stolen from Commerce Lane in Worton late Monday or early Tuesday. The truck has Maryland license plates: 310E03.

Alger services the upper Eastern Shore and Harford County in Maryland, northern Delaware and southern Pennsylvania, and officials said the delivery trucks aren't usually seen outside the areas they serve.

The FBI has been alerted and is assisting with the search for the tanker, Sgt. Glenn Owens said. Nothing about the investigation points to terrorism, but in light of a possible terror threat linked to the 9/11 anniversary and the proximity to Washington, they are taking precautions.

Source:  http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/FBI-Helping-Search-for-Stolen-Gas-Tanker-129771553.html

OCPD Narcotics Detectives And Wor. County CET Shut Down Drug Ring

A few weeks ago Worcester County Sheriff Reggie Mason spoke with numerous sheriff's within the county and state lines and pledged that they would all give "110 percent" to ridding the abundance of drugs in all of our communities. 

This time they didn't have to cross a county line OR a state line...... they just entered the city. 

GREAT JOB - GREAT TEAM WORK!!

Ocean City Police in cooperation with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Criminal Enforcement Team have for the past two weeks been arresting indicted suspects in connection with the illegal distribution of drugs in south Ocean City.

The investigation into the illegal activity began last December and over the past eight months detectives have made an estimated 40 hand-to-hand drug deals in OC, from 20 different suspects.

The drugs purchased include:  crack, powder cocaine, heroin, PCP, marijuana, ecstasy, oxycodone, buprenorphine, suboxone patches and clonazepam.

As a result of the investigation, police obtained grand jury indictments for the suspects charging them with 62 criminal charges.

As of today, 19 of the suspects have been arrested and police say they hope to arrest the last person shortly.
=================================================

OCPD OBTAINS 20 GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS FOR 20 SUSPECTS

In December 2010, Ocean City Police Narcotics Unit members conducted an investigation into to the illegal distribution of drugs primarily on the south end of Ocean City. 

Narcotics detectives worked in conjunction with OCPD patrol officers who had been aggressively enforcing illegal drug activity in this area for several months.  Because of the initial information obtained by patrol officers, narcotics detectives made numerous contacts with area residents, which led them to persons believed to be selling drugs.  Undercover detectives were able to make several undercover purchases of illegal drugs from various dealers. 

Over the last eight months detectives made almost 40 hand-to-hand drug deals in Ocean City and the surrounding area, from 20 different suspects.  The drugs purchased were: crack, powder cocaine, heroin, PCP, marijuana, Ecstasy, Oxycodone, Buprenorphine, Suboxone patches, and Clonazepam.

On August 23 of this year, as a result of this investigation, OCPD narcotics  detectives obtained grand jury indictments for 20  suspects. There were 62 criminal charges in this case. The charges included CDS Distribution, Conspiracy to Distribute CDS, Possession of CDS, and Distribution of CDS in a Drug Free School Zone.

Beginning August 31 OCPD Narcotics and General Assignment detectives as well as Worcester County Sheriff’s Criminal Enforcement Team (CET) began arresting the indicted suspects. A total of 19 arrests were made during the operation.  OCPD expects to have the remaining person in custody shortly. 

The Circuit Court preset bonds on the indicted suspects ranged from $25,000 – $200,000.

Source; http://www.wgmd.com/?p=34769

Southbound Lanes CLOSED

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL  - Southbound lanes at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel are closed.

Police are inspecting the span after a barge hit the bridge around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Traffic is alternating (northbound and southbound) in the northbound lanes.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Police did not have a time for when the 3-mile chunk of southbound 13 would reopen.

No injuries were reported

Source;  http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/barge-hits-bridge-at-cbbt

Local Woman Says Lies Were Posted About Her On Facebook Site

Written by

Carol Vaughn ~Staff Writer

ACCOMAC -- A local woman is incensed about rumors being spread about her love life on the social networking site Facebook's page called "Accomac Cheaters."

She is worried her young children may someday see the postings on the Internet, where information -- and misinformation -- sometimes remains accessible for a very long time, even after its creators think they have deleted it.

"In five years my son may come across this," she said, adding, "You work your whole life for your character -- that's all you have."

The woman consulted an attorney within hours of being made aware of a disparaging, expletive-laden posting about her on the page, Accomac Cheaters.

Now she is considering filing a civil lawsuit against the page's creator and is inviting others who consider themselves victims of attacks on the site and similar sites, and who may want to be added as parties to a civil lawsuit, to email her at esvafacebookvictims@gmail. com.

Because it is sometimes difficult to ascertain who developed a page on Facebook, the woman even paid $50 to an online locator service to find out the creator's IP address -- the unique numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

"This is just people that are targeting people. It should be prosecuted for the language alone," she said.

There are actually several Facebook pages dedicated, at least ostensibly, to outing cheating Eastern Shore of Virginia spouses and significant others.

And for better or worse -- just like the broken marriage vows the sites claim to expose -- the pages are popular, although rife with language that would make a sailor blush.

Easternshore Cheaters currently has 94 friends, while Exmore Cheaters has 802 friends, Accomac Cheaters has 1,059 friends and a page called Eastern Shore VA Cheaters has 1,061 "likes" but no postings in the past month or so.

The woman said she has sent five reports to Facebook about why the site where she was mentioned should be shut down, but has not yet heard back.

A statement of rights and responsibilities on the site says Facebook's operators "do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help to do that, which includes the following:"

Among the points that follow is this: "You will not bully, intimidate, or harass any user," along with the next point, which states, "You will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic images."

A little further down is this: "You will not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory."

The offended woman, whose name is being withheld by the News, also has an email address for people who have posted on the sites and now want to come forward with identifying information about the account holders. That address is esvafacebook info@yahoo.com.

Source;   http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110910/ESN01/109100303/Local-woman-claims-wrongdoing-by-Facebook-site-trying-to-expose-it?odyssey=mod

Accomack County Landfills Waive Tipping Fees

 Accomack County landfills will be waiving tipping fees for storm debris through Sept. 17.

Haulers will be required to provide the name and 911 address of the location where the debris originated.

TWO GREAT EVENTS - ONE ALL DAY ADMISSION PRICE

FALL ATV JAMBOREE

AND

DEMOLITION DERBY

Saturday, September 17, 2011

at

Pocomoke Fairgrounds

Admission:  $7.00

FOR BOTH EVENTS

ATV Registration ~ 9:00  am

Event Begins        ~ 10:00 am

For more information:

   http://www.thegreatpocomokefair.org/atv.html

Demolition Derby Registration ~  2:00 pm

Event Begins                           ~  4:00 pm

For more information:  http://www.thegreatpocomokefair.org/dderby.html

PAY ONE PRICE PER PERSON AND STAY ALL DAY!

Body Of Woman Found Is Alice Davis

Alice Davis

WMDT 47 News - Maryland State Police say they have been notified that the body found in Somerset County Sunday is that of missing Wicomico County teacher, Alice Davis.


The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, confirmed her identification through dental records. A cause of death has not yet been determined, however officials say there is trauma to the body and that further forensic examinations and tests are being conducted.


Her body was found in the woods Sunday, about a quarter-mile from Loretto Road in Princess Anne. This is on the property of the House of Jacob Church and police say the church goers were in the area and unexpectedly spotted it and called 911


Davis was an English teacher at Parkside High School, where she has worked since 1983. She was reported missing on September 4. Last Wednesday the prime suspect in her disappearance, her husband, Jess Davis took his own life.


The investigation is ongoing.

Source;  http://www.wmdt.com/story/15444999/breaking-news-body-identified-as-alice-davis

Mysterious Gray Blobs Left Behind By Hurricane Irene

If you've spent alot of time on the local beach and have been paying attention to what is on the sand - or maybe even floating in the water- you have seen these.  I've seen them in the past up and down the beach after a hurricane or nor'easter.  The objects that don't find their way back out into the ocean dry on the beach and when dry become stone-like..  In fact, if I searched long enough through shells and stones gathered long ago by my now adult children I'm sure I could find some. 

Depends on where your mind is at the time if you think they look like human body waste and smell like it too.  Most people that have been doing the "beach thing" for many years think they look like something natural that washed in from the ocean and they smell like marsh.

If you want to think they smell like p***, go ahead. 

Most of Hurricane Irene’s impacts—heavy rain, high winds, downed trees, coastal erosion, and storm-tide flooding—are all too familiar to the storm-weary residents of Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern seaboard.

But based on post-storm queries to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, one impact remains a mystery—what are all those “gray blobs” floating atop waterways and strewn along beaches?

Blob reports and queries have been streaming into VIMS since Irene passed by on the last weekend of August. The blobs—encountered by boaters and beachgoers in Hampton Roads, Mobjack Bay, the Poquoson River, the York River, and as far away as Long Island—have been described as being of “various sizes,” with the smallest “around the size of a baseball.” Reports of their texture range from “kind of rubbery or leathery” to “kind of soft.” They’ve also been described as “ash gray” and “foul smelling." Cathy Hopkins of Hampton reports that they're "pretty gross.”

Theories about what the objects might be are as numerous as the incoming reports: Old crab floats? Sewage? Tar balls? Ambergris from whales? Sea turtles?

VIMS professor Emmett Duffy has a simpler explanation. “They’re potato sponges” says Duffy, a self-professed “friend of the sponges” who is renowned in marine science circles for his discovery of complex, cooperative societies among sponge-dwelling Caribbean shrimp.

Duffy explains that like other sponges, potato sponges make a living by filtering microscopic food from seawater. They draw the water into and through channels in their porous bodies by the beating of countless tiny hairs (flagella) on their cells.

Potato sponges, which comprise a diverse group within the genus Craniella, are normally inconspicuous animals (yes, they are animals) that inhabit shallow coastal habitats around the world, growing to about the size of a soccer ball. They look like, well, potatoes and attach to the seafloor with a network of protein fibers and glassy, needle-like “spicules” that form something like an anchor.

But when weather conditions cause large waves and strong currents to scour the seafloor, they can dislodge large numbers of these sponges, freeing them to float to the surface and wash ashore. Clogged with storm debris and no longer able to filter feed, the sponges die. Then they start to smell as decay and bacteria move in to consume the carbohydrates and collagen that form their body.

Potato sponges are not poisonous—Dr. Duffy even found a recipe for potato sponge cake on the Food Network (but it turned out to require regular potatoes). Nevertheless, VIMS scientists caution area residents to avoid touching them as a precaution, as their glassy spicules can irritate the skin and eyes.

Source;  http://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/topstories/irene_blobs.php

Great Pocomoke Fair- 2011 Winners...........

It takes many volunteers to make any fair a great one.  Pocomoke should be so very proud of what the  fair committee and volunteers of the Great Pocomoke Fair have accomplished! 

If you have a rose garden, a flower garden keep the Great Pocomoke Fair in mind for next year and be sure to enter!  You don't have to be a professional photographer to enter either! 

There's a whole list of items you can enter.......  Just like these winners below did.

Great Pocomoke Fair

2011 Champion and Reserve Champion WinnersAdults:

Katherine Allen – Mardela Springs
Champion: Apple Pie
Dried Flower Arrangement
Reserve Champion: Pound Cake
Peach Pie
Silk Flower ArrangementVivian Calder – Mardela Springs
Reserve Champion: Cut Flowers, OtherDean Ennis – Pocomoke
Champion: Ducks
Reserve Champion DucksMark Frostrom, Jr. – Pocomoke
Champion: Poultry
Reserve Champion: PoultryAlan Gravenor – Salisbury
Champion: Shaped candy
Three Jars of Fruit
Plain Rolls
Reserve Champion: Green Beans
Bar Cookies
Drop CookiesCharity Martin – Willards
Champion: Color photo – Flower/plantThomas Morton – Parsonsburg
Champion: Garden Display
Reserve Champion: Bell PeppersKathy Payne – Pocomoke
Reserve Champion: Candy, otherLinda Redmond – Temperanceville, VA
Champion Sewing, Casual Dress
Miscellaneous Craft
Reserve Champion: Sewing, Child’s Play outfitJetta Reynolds – Princess Anne
Champion: Scrapbook, individualKathe Selph – Salisbury
Champion: Cake, other
Cut Flowers, Salvia
Reserve Champion: Yeast bread, otherBarry Ward – Pocomoke
Reserve Champion: Color photo – Landscape

* * * * *

Seniors (Youth 14-18 years old):
Sarah Dorey – Salisbury
Champion: Cut flower – Aster or Daisy
Sour/Dill Pickles
Sewing – skirtShelby Ennis – Pocomoke
Champion: Cake, other
Reserve Champion: Miscellaneous craftNathaniel Fleming – Pocomoke
Champion: Garden Display
Reserve Champion: Cut flowers – other perennialSara Fluhart – Pungoteague, VA
Champion: Color photo – BuildingWesley Myer – Pittsville
Champion: Meat Goat
Reserve Champion: Meat GoatAdam Phillips – Delmar
Champion: Dairy Goat
Netherlands Dwarf Rabbit
Reserve Champion: Dairy Goat
Chinchilla rabbitCody Pusey – Snow Hill
Reserve Champion: WatermelonCourtney Scott – Pocomoke
Champion: Hanging silk flower arrangement
Muffins, miscellaneous
Cookies, other
Shaped candy
Reserve Champion: Layer Cake
Vegetable or Vegetable & Nut Bread
Color photo – Landscape
Peanut butter fudge* * * * *Junior (Youth 8-13 years old):
Kacie Ball – Salisbury
Champion: Poultry, any other purebred large
Reserve Champion: Netherland Dwarf rabbit　Kelley Bundick – Pocomoke
Champion: Color photo – miscellaneous
Cookies, other
Reserve Champion: Color photo – landscapeBradley Dorey – Salisbury
Reserve Champion: Bread & Butter Pickles
Rock or Shell craftBrent Ennis – Pocomoke
Champion: Cut flower – Aster or Daisy
Onions, red
Reserve Champion: Cut flower – ZinniaWilliam Evans, III – Townsend, DE
Champion: Poultry
Reserve Champion: PoultrySophie Fleming – Pocomoke
Champion: Pecan PieMichelle Growden – Parksley, VA
Champion: Cake, otherCaleb Humphrey – Oak Hall, VA
Champion: Peanut butter fudge
Reserve Champion: Drop cookiesJake Mitchell – Townsend, DE
Reserve Champion Poultry
Poultry, single comb bantamCole Olson – Pocomoke
Champion: Swine
Reserve Champion: Swine (2)Lura Ring – Westover
Champion: Dairy Cattle
Sheep
SwineNate Robinson – Mardela Springs
Reserve Champion: Butternut SquashHannah Webster – Princess Anne
Champion: Pickled Beets
Miscellaneous craft* * * * *Child (under 8 years old):
Logan Frostrom – Pocomoke
Champion: Poultry, Rose comb bantamMark Frostrom, III – Pocomoke
Champion: Poultry, Old English bantamCassie Knight – Pocomoke
Champion: Cut flower – Vinca
Crossbred doe rabbitJayson Ring – Westover
Reserve Champion: Dairy cattle
Market lamb

http://www.thegreatpocomokefair.org/

"Good Neighbor Day" Held At Enchanted Florist

Things have really been happening in downtown Pocomoke!

Last week the Enchanted Florist on Market Street downtown held a "Good Neighbor Day" with all donations going to the Pocomok City Samaritan Shelter. (They also gave away free roses).

Here is what they collected!

136 packaged food items, paper towels, toilet paper, plates, cups, and several cash donations!

GREAT JOB!!!

So many seem to forget that the Samaritan Shelter is even there.......

I'm sure those at Enchanted Florist  won't turn any donations away........you might not get the free rose but your donation, large or small, will go towards a very worthy cause.

News From The Great Pocomoke Fair

Here is some data I received concerning The Great Pocomoke Fair.  I had NO idea there could possibly be so many entries.  And maybe once and for all this will put a lid on alot questions people have had concerning the change of dates for the fair. 


Please consider being a volunteer next year.

　

Great Pocomoke Fair

2011 Champion & Reserve Champion Winners

Narrative

The Great Pocomoke Fair is an open Fair, not a 4-H Fair. Therefore, we accept entries from the surrounding counties and states. We had entries from all three states making up the Delmarva Peninsula.

This year there were 76 participants (up from 64 in 2010) who submitted 829 entries (up from 680 in 2010) for competition. There were 38 adult participants, 14 Seniors (ages 14-18), 19 Juniors (ages 8-13), 4 Children (under 8 years old) and 1 handicapped participant.

Almost 700 entries were displayed in the grandstand building – 650 were reviewed by 6 judges on Thursday, tallied, and ribbons added by Fair opening at 5 p.m. The 49 cakes and pies that were submitted Thursday afternoon were judged Thursday evening (2 judges). There were 59 cut flower entries, 173 vegetable entries, and 155 preserving (canned goods) entries. In addition there were 77 small animals (chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits) and 54 livestock (calves, goats, sheep, swine) entries. This year animal judging occurred on Thursday evening, Friday evening, and Saturday – 131 entries reviewed by 3 judges. All of the judges for the grandstand exhibits and those tallying the entries and placing the ribbons are volunteers.

For 2011, the Great Pocomoke Fair will pay $5,944 in premiums. We will receive $1,300 from our grant from the Maryland Agricultural Fair Board. The balance we have to raise on our own. The premium checks must be issued before we can apply for our State grant.

Our kitchen made $2,066.00 and we raised $351.00 on selling the cakes and pies for a total of $2,417.00 in food sales. Someone asked a committee member why we had the food vendors instead of doing it all ourselves. Two reasons: the food vendors are all non-profits – most from the Pocomoke community and they depend on events like the Fair to raise funds for their projects – we are trying to support the Pocomoke community. #2 – VOLUNTEERS and SUMMER HEAT – we don’t have enough volunteers to prepare that much food and that kitchen is very hot in July and August – the grandstand building is not air-conditioned.

Some people thought we were crazy to change the Fair dates after 20 years. However in 2010 when we opened, Somerset schools had been open 4 days and Wicomico and Worcester were preparing to open on Monday. Somerset students were doing homework – not baking cookies and finishing craft project for the Fair. For 2011, we moved away from the opening of schools. That also meant that flowers were still blooming and vegetables were still growing and it was noticeable in the grandstand. In addition, by moving the Fair dates, at least for this year - we were not faced with an unwelcome attendee – Hurricane Irene.

By altering our entry and judging times for the livestock, for the first time our barn was full – 131 entries in all - a lot of work for Norman Ennis and his volunteers setting up the pens but a wonderful sight for the Fair committee.

The Fair dates for 2012 have been set at August 2-4, 2012. We are reviewing the schedule and discussing further modifications for 2012.

Suggestions and volunteers are welcome.

Look for the Great Pocomoke Fair on Facebook