Sunday, June 2, 2013

6-Year-Old Using Cross Walk Struck By Car

Jasmine Denise Shuman
OCPD Arrest Driver after a Collision Involving 6-Year-Old Pedestrian Crossing in a Crosswalk

On June 1, 2013, at approximately 1:45 p.m. Ocean City Police and EMS responded to the area of 19th Street and Baltimore Avenue, in reference to a child being struck by a vehicle.


Officers and paramedics arrived at the scene and determined a 6-year-old female and her mother were crossing Baltimore Avenue from east to west in the crosswalk at 19th Street.  The child was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound on Baltimore Avenue. 

The child was treated at the scene by OC EMS and later flown by Maryland State Police helicopter to the University Of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma for further treatment.

The vehicle, which initially stopped after the collision, left the scene but was later located and stopped by an OCPD foot officer as it was about to head west over the Route 50 Bridge at North Division Street.  The driver of the suspect vehicle was identified as:

Jasmine Denise Shuman, 18, of Salisbury. The investigation determined that Shuman was the operator of the vehicle that struck the 6-year-old pedestrian and left the scene.

Shuman was arrested and has been charged with:
  • Failure to Immediately Stop at Scene of Accident involving bodily injury (20-102a1)Failure to Immediately Return and Remain at the Scene of an Accident Involving Bodily Injury (20-102a2)
  • Failure of Drive Involved in Accident to Render Reasonable Assistance to Injured Person (20-104a)
  • Failure of Driver Involved in Bodily Injury Accident to Furnish Required ID and License (20-104b)
  • Failure of Vehicle Driver in Bodily Injury Accident to Exhibit License to a Police Officer (20-104c)
  • Failure Vehicle Driver in Accident to Report Bodily Injury to Nearest Police (20-104d)
Shuman was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and was released on $5000 unsecured bond.

At the time of this release the 6-year-old child is being treated for injuries related to the crash and is in stable condition.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

TIME MACHINE ... 1952, 1850, 1933, 1914, 1906


(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)
 
 
May, 1952
(The Salisbury Times)

Several Mysterious Explosions Shake Shore Naval Base Area

CHINCOTEAGUE- First came the big boom. Buildings on the Navy base shivered and shook. Residents of the naval station ran outdoors, fearing an explosion or a bomb. They complained of intense pressure on the ear drums.

Then came another boom. The concussion was of equal intensity. Then another. And another. And another.

The naval base switchboard became jammed with telephone calls. Everyone wanted to know what was going on to interrupt the Saturday afternoon serenity of the Eastern Shore of Virginia for miles around.

Officers began immediately to determine the source of the concussion. It didn't take long to find out that it wasn't coming from the naval base.

That started off an investigation in the Fifth Naval District by the Navy to find out what was the cause. So far nothing has turned up from Norfolk headquarters to shed any light on the origin of the mystery blasts from seaward.

Reports were received from at least two points in Accomack County that the blasts shook plaster off the walls. One report came from the ancient Accomack County courthouse in Accomac, 20 miles away. A home owner in Chincoteague said plaster was knocked off his walls.

It was heard in Onancock, 28 miles away. Folks in Pocomoke City heard the blasts, too. People in Pocomoke City, like those on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, are used to target practice with big guns in nearby Chesapeake Bay. But these blasts, they said, were the severest of all. Nobody counted the number, but the Navy said there were "several."

The Navy didn't discount the possibility of a distant thunderstorm as the cause, saying maybe freak atmospheric conditions caused the concussion to have such intensity.

There was also a possibility that freak conditions could have caused the concussion to stem from firing ranges many miles from here.

The blasts were heard between 2:30 and 4 P.M. Saturday.

What deepens the mystery is the knowledge throughout the armed forces that Saturday is traditionally a day off except in an emergency, hence why would any service units be in action? No emergency in this area is known to exist.


  
August, 1850
(Burlington Hawk Eye- Burlington, Iowa)

Henry A. Wise.- The Snow Hill (Md) Shield, published in Worcester County, opposite Accomac(k), Va., states that at a reform meeting, held in Temperanceville, on Saturday, Mr. Wise, who is a candidate for the Virginia reform convention, provoked an altercation with Mr. David Wallop, an influential democrat, who opposes Mr. Wise's election. Mr. Wise is said to have made some reckless declaration, which Mr. Wallop pronounced a "d______d lie." (newspaper's spelling.) Upon this, Mr. Wise dealt him a blow, which would probably cost Wise his life, but for the interference of bystanders, who prevented further difficulty. Wallop is still unredressed; and as both are men of high mettle, "the end is not yet."
 
 
(Time Machine archive, Sept., 2011)

Thanks to former Pocomoke resident M.W. of Columbia, Md. for contributing the following item this week:

The newest issue of the Keystone - the magazine of the Pennsylvania Railroad Historical Society - has an interesting article about another Eastern Shore train wreck. At about 3:15 in the morning on April 2, 1933, the Northbound Cavalier passenger express derailed in Wyoming Delaware - just south of Dover - killing the engineer and fireman, injuring numerous passengers, and destroying much of the Wyoming Ice and Cold Storage Plant. What makes the story interesting is that the Boston Red Sox baseball team occupied the back 3 Pullman cars of the train. They had played a spring training exhibition game in Norfolk, and were on their way north to Newark for another exhibition game. So they had boarded the train in Norfolk, which was then floated across the train car ferry to Cape Charles, and then North through Delmarva with brief layover in Delmar where the train changed crews. Article gives lots of details about the investigation and determination of cause of crash etc. The Red Sox team players were not injured, but got off the train and helped other passengers and received a lot of praise. The team trainer provided first aid until police and ambulance crews arrived. Just another interesting bit of shore history.

 
January, 1914
(The Daily News- Frederick, Md.)

The Bible In The Schools

A bill introduced in the House by Mr. Gatch, of Baltimore County, by request, makes compulsory the reading of a chapter of the Bible at the daily opening exercises of each public school in the State.
 
 
May, 1906
(Ledger-Enterprise, Pocomoke City)

(Excerpts of facts about Worcester County)

The banks of the county are the First National and the Commercial, at Snow Hill; the Pocomoke National, the Citizen's National and E. G. Polk's Savings Bank at Pocomoke City; the C. B. Taylor Banking Company, the private bank of L. L. Dirickson, Jr., the Exchange Savings Bank, at Berlin; the Stockton Bank, at Stockton, and the George L. Barnes & Company at Girdletree. The individual deposits subject to check, as shown by the last statements, aggregate over $1,450,000.

The Equitable Building and Loan Association of Snow Hill is now building a handsome home in Snow Hill, and will open a banking department soon.

Pocomoke City, Snow Hill and Ocean City have excellent electric light and water works systems. The lines of the Diamond State Telephone Company and the Pocomoke Telephone Company cover the county in every direction, and first-class town and county service is given by both companies, and through the Diamond State Telephone Company first-class long-distance service is also given.

There are five newspapers in the county: the Democratic Messenger at Snow Hill; the LEDGER-ENTERPRISE and Worcester Democrat, at Pocomoke City; the Berlin Herald and the Berlin Advance at Berlin.
The schools rank among the highest in the State. The religious denominations represented by churches are the Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Southern Methodist, Old School Baptists, the Disciples of Christ, New School Baptist and Roman Catholics. There are 86 white and 20 colored schools in the county.

The county Court House is one of the handsomest on the Peninsula and was built around 1895 at a cost of about $35,000. The jail was built at the same time and thoroughly equipped. 


 
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. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

Parksley Volunteer Fire Company Boat and Bucks Giveaway!

ONE WEEK  LEFT !!
One week away from the Parksley Volunteer Fire Co's Boat and Bucks Giveaway!
 
 If you don't have your ticket yet be sure to get it soon before the event is sold out!
 
$40 ticket gets you a chance to win 250 bucks every 15 minutes and a 2013 carolina skiff dlv boat/motor/trailer combo.
 
Unlimited food and beverages are included in the ticket price.
 
Entertainment provided by Hit n Run Mobile Music.
6-10pm next Saturday night!
 
Get your ticket online at www.parksleyvfc.org
 

 

Attempted Burglary Leads To High Speed Chase / Arrests Made

Worcester County Sheriff's Office
 
An attempted burglary of a South Point home Saturday morning led police on a high-speed pursuit into Delaware that ended with two suspects in custody.
 
 It started about 9 a.m. when two African-American males attempted a burglary of a home in the 11800 block of Porfin Drive, according to Maryland State Police.
 
 The homeowner fired shots at the suspects, who fled, according to Worcester County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Ed Schreier. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home, and spoke with the homeowner, he said.
 
 Over the radio, police said to be on the lookout for the two males driving a white minivan with Virginia tags. A Maryland State Trooper in the area of Route 50 and Route 113 saw the minivan, and attempted to stop it. The drivers didn’t pull over, and the pursuit began.
 
State police and Worcester Sheriff’s deputies pursued the minivan up Route 113 at speeds exceeding 100 mph.
 
 The chase continued into Selbyville, where the suspects turned onto Delaware Road, and bailed out of the car. The suspects were found and taken into custody without incident.
 
 Schreier said Delaware State Police now have the two suspects in custody. He said fugitive warrants must be issued in Maryland. Once Maryland authorities have proper extradition paperwork in place, the suspects can be taken back into Maryland.
 
 The suspects’ names are not available at this time.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Hot Cars ARE Fatal To Dogs!!

There is NO such thing as
"JUST FOR A MINUTE"
When it comes to leaving a dog in a hot car!
 
AND....
THERE IS NO EXCUSE!!
 
DON'T DO IT!
 
 

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview


1952.. Mysterious booms shake lower Eastern Shore; 1850.. Rough And Tumble politics in Temperanceville; 1933- Boston Red Sox players help at scene of Delmarva Train accident; 1914.. Bible bill introduced in Maryland legislature; 1906.. Pocomoke newspaper reports facts about Worcester County.

Although you may not find these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at 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. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!

Studio Day at the Chamber with Artist Charlotte Poore

POCOMOKE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
 
Studio Day at the Chamber
with
 Artist Charlotte Poore
 
 
  In 2005, Charlotte Poore and her husband moved to Captain's Cove.  During the last five years, she has studied art with Julie Ricken, Diana Davis, Barbara Schmidt, Doris Glovier, Tracey Arvidsen, Willie Crockett, and Nancy Carver Thompson.  She is currently a member of the Worcester County Arts Council and the Captain's Cove Arts and Crafts League.
 
Come by the Chamber to see Charlotte at work 
 Saturday, June 1, 2013 
from 10 am to 3 pm.
 

OCPD Reminds Citizens of the New Skateboarding Rules

Ocean City Police would like to remind citizens of the changes to the skateboarding rules during the summer season. On October 1, 2012, Ocean City Mayor and City Council approved an amendment to the town’s skateboarding ordinance. Since then, skateboarding is permitted on the boardwalk during the same times as bicycling.

While skateboarding is still prohibited throughout the rest of the city with the exception of the skate park, skateboarders now have another option.

Beginning on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, skateboarding is permitted between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. of the same day. During Springfest and Sunfest (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), skateboarding is permitted between 2:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. of the same day.

Outside of the summer season, skateboarding is permitted on the boardwalk with no time restrictions.

OCPD reminds skateboarders that stunts and tricks are still not allowed on the boardwalk.

Anyone with questions about the skateboarding amendment should call OCPD at 410-723-6610.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Department

UPDATE On Bomb Scare In Onley, Virginia

A black briefcase was found abandoned at the CVS pharmacy in Onley Friday afternoon.

The store was closed and the parking lot was blocked awaiting the arrival of the State Police bomb squad which was in route.

When the bomb squad arrived, they opened the case and found it to be empty.

CVS will be open for business as usual today.

Source:

Driver Fails to Yield to Pedestrian in Crosswalk

On May 30, 2013, at approximately 1 p.m. Ocean City Police responded to a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and 17th Street.

The driver of the vehicle, Arun Chainani, 44, of Arlington, VA, was driving westbound on 17th Street and was waiting to make a left turn onto southbound Baltimore Avenue. Chainani, who was yielding to a vehicle traveling eastbound in the intersection, attempted to make the left turn but failed to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian that was in the crosswalk.

The pedestrian was treated by Ocean City EMS and transported to Atlantic General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

Chainani was cited by Ocean City Police with failing to exercise due care to avoid a pedestrian collision.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Department

Locals Appreciation Weekend At Delmarva Discovery Center

Locals Appreciation Weekend
 
The First Weekend of Every Month
 50% off Admission for Locals!
(Sussex, Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset
 and Accomack Counties)
 
PLUS  The Delmarva Discovery is now open
7 days a week 10 AM - 4 PM
 
Don't forget to visit
 
And COMING  SOON!!
 
 
 

Friday, May 31, 2013

Bomb Squad Called To CVS On Lankford Highway/ Onley

Photo/WESR
EARLIER TODAY...

ONLEY -- A State Police bomb squad was called Friday afternoon to the CVS pharmacy on Lankford Highway here to investigate a suspicious package.

A black briefcase was found abandoned on the south outside wall at the CVS pharmacy in Onley Friday afternoon.


The store was closed and the parking lot was blocked awaiting the arrival of the State Police bomb squad.

Marines Will LOSE Hot Meal At Afghan Base

  WE SEND AID TO OTHERS WE DO NOT KNOW WHO LIVE HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD BUT WILL NOT FEED OUR TROOPS THE  THREE DAILY MEALS THEY NEED ?? DESERVE????


Marines at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan will lose a key daily meal starting Saturday, and they’re not happy about it.

The cuts will force some to forgo a hot breakfast and others to work six-plus hours without refueling on cooked food, according to nbcnews.com.

The midnight ration service supplies breakfast to Marines on midnight-to-noon shifts and dinner to Marines who are ending noon-to-midnight work periods. The base plans to replace the dishes long offered at midnight with pre-packaged MREs.
The moves, though unpopular with many Marines on the ground and their families back home, are emblematic of the massive drawdown of American troops in Afghanistan and the dismantling of U.S. military facilities. More than 30,000 U.S. service members will leave Afghanistan in coming months as the U.S. prepares to hand responsibility for security to Afghan forces in 2014.

To fill the hot food gap in Afghanistan, a group of U.S.-based military advocates and military-family members recently launched a Facebook page — called “Breakfast for Bagram” — to spur food donations that will be mailed to troops all around Afghanistan. The page states: “We are here to help collect and send non-perishable breakfast type foods to the deployed troops on the 17 bases in Afghanistan that are not currently serving breakfast ‘hot chow’ and Midnight chow due to the budget cuts.”
Read more at nbcnews.com.

Source:

Decaying Biblical Theme Park Complete With Bethlehem For Sale CHEAP

A crumbling religious theme park in Connecticut that has been closed for nearly 30 years had $150,000 slashed off its asking price last week.

Holy Land USA, in Waterbury, was shut for renovations by founder John Baptist Greco in 1984. When Greco died two years later, it was left in the hands of a group of nuns and has fallen into disrepair.

The eerie 9,472 sq ft site was listed for sale in 2011 for $775,000, which then fell to $500,000. Then, last Monday, the figure for what is suggested as a 'single family home' tumbled to $350,000.

Holy Land USA opened in 1958 and included sprawling replicas of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Garden of Eden and some catacombs.

Greco built the attraction from construction debris. The park also featured a chapel, some large sculptures and massive displays of Bible verses.

At the center of the site was a 56-foot-high cross and a large Hollywood-style illuminated sign reading Holy Land USA that was visible from the nearby interstate highway.

At its peak, in the 1960s and 70s, the theme park was bringing in around 40,000 visitors a year.

But after Greco's death it was willed to the Religious Sisters of Filippi, and it has been abandoned ever since. But people have continued to visit the site and it was the scene of a murder in 2010.

Francisco Cruz, 20, of Waterbury, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for raping and killing 16-year-old Chloe Ottman near the Holy Land cross on July 15, 2010. Since then there has been much debate about what to do with the site.

The listing for the property describes: '5 large buildings, with 1 Chapel located on 17.7 acres, this is HOLY LAND, many fantastic opportunities here, close to highways, easy access!'

There are 14 rooms, 5 bathrooms and 2 parking spaces on the former theme park.












MORE PHOTOS...

An Important Reminder From Pocomoke Animal Hospital



An important reminder from Pocomoke Animal Hospital

 
LEAVING YOUR PET IN YOUR CAR FOR JUST
10 MINUTES CAN BE DEADLY!
 
 
To "like" their Facebook page click HERE

Cyber Criminals Using Photo-Sharing Programs to Scam Victims

If you are planning to buy a vehicle online, beware. Cyber criminals are posting ads on the Internet without pictures, providing photos only upon request. Sometimes these images are sent as attachments, other times as a link to an online gallery—but in either case, the photos can and often contain malware that infects the victim’s computer.

This malicious software will direct the victim to a fake website—run by the cyber criminals—that looks nearly identical to the site where the ad was originally seen. When the victim agrees to purchase the item and makes the payment, the criminals stop all correspondence, and the victim never receives the merchandise.

The FBI urges consumers to protect themselves when shopping online. Here are a few tips for staying safe:

  • Be cautious if you lose an online auction but the seller contacts you later saying the original bidder fell through.
  • Make sure websites are secure and authenticated before you purchase an item online. Use only well-known escrow services.
  • Research to determine if a car dealership is real and how long it has been in business.
  • Be wary if the price for the item you’d like to buy is severely undervalued; if it is, the item is likely fraudulent.
  • Scan files before downloading them to your computer.
  • Keep your computer software, including the operating system, updated with the latest patches.
  • Ensure your anti-virus software and firewalls are current—they can help prevent malware infections.

If you have fallen victim to this type of scam, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Source:

Does Something Seem To Be Eating Your Landscape?

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO...

If you have telltale signs of big beasts roaming around your yard— small trees chewed to bits and massive damage to flowers and other greenery (not to mention droppings)—

hang scented car air fresheners on trellises, trees, shrubs, bushes and fence posts…anywhere the deer and the antelope play on your property.

The smell—especially mint—will chase them away.

If you have some old CDs or DVDs that you don't use anymore, tie a string through the center hole of each, and attach them to bushes and trees so they can swing and spin. The shiny glint and constant movement of the CDs will scare off most animal trespassers.

Virginia Governor Plan To Restore Felon Voting Rights

Republican Governor Bob McDonnell will take a concrete step forward for voting rights Wednesday as he unveils a new plan to help nonviolent felons have their voting rights restored.

Currently, Virginia is one of only four states that do not automatically restore voting rights to felons once they’ve served their time, instead forcing felons to directly petition the Governor to have their rights restored after a two-year waiting period. Under the new McDonnell plan, the governor’s office has nixed the waiting period and will instead notify nonviolent felons in a letter that their rights have been restored once the office has verified that he or she has served all time and paid all debts owed.

The change means thousands of nonviolent felons in Virginia could get their voting rights back in time to vote in the upcoming gubernatorial election, although it still puts the onus on the Governor’s office to take action on each felon. Until now McDonnell could only take action on the applications his office had already received, a process considered too cumbersome.

“In many ways it’s the culmination of a career of effort to fix this issue in Virginia,” McDonnell’s spokesman tells the Richmond Times Dispatch.

McDonnell has been a champion of felon voting rights since before he became governor and campaigned on the issue of rights restoration.

During his term, he approved applications at a higher rate than his predecessors, restoring voting rights for nearly 5,000 former felons—including some prominent ones like Scooter Libby.

Unfortunately, that  heightened attention still barely made a dent in total number of former felons in Virginia who have yet to see their rights restored, estimated to be more than 350,000. In 2012, President Obama won Virginia by a margin of just over 100,000 votes.

Even under the new improved process, the administration will be able to restore rights only on an individual basis, which McDonnell’s office says is the furthest action he’s legally able to take. During his State of the Commonwealth address earlier this year he pressed lawmakers in the Republican-controlled state house to move forward with a constitutional amendment to provide a better solution for blanket restoration, but the legislation that followed his call to action ultimately failed.

Recent polling has found a majority of Virginians support restoration of voting rights for felons who’ve served their time.

“While today’s announcement represents a positive step forward, Virginia still needs a more permanent solution through a Constitutional amendment from the General Assembly to automatically restore civil rights for all citizens who have served their time,” said Judith Browne-Dianis, co-director of the civil rights organization the Advancement Project. ”We hope to build on this development in order to move Virginia fully toward America’s promise of a robust and inclusive democracy.”

READ MORE ....

Accomack CountyCircuit Court Hearings/ Sentencings

By Wesley Edwards
 Accomack County Circuit Court

Eric Harmon  charged with abuse, neglect of a child and DWI second offence. Sentenced under plea agreement to five years suspended, drivers license suspended for three years, plus $500 dollar fine and must attend Alcohol program approved by court.


David Nalls charged with possession of cocaine and distribution of cocaine. Sentencing to be on 8/5/13 after plea agreement is reached.

Ramon Lopez, bail hearing,  charged with aggravated Sexual Battery of a minor. Bail was set at $50,000.

Sentencing

Maybelle Rew, charged with 7 counts of welfare fraud, pleaded guilty on five counts over thirty two months. She was sentenced to 5 years with 5 years suspended, plus 12 months on false application with all but 30 days suspended and permitted to serve time on weekends.

Dietrick Downing, charged with distributing of marijuana two counts. Sentenced to 5 years with all but 10 days on count one suspended. On count two sentenced to five years with all but twenty days suspended. With probation for five years and drivers license suspended plus court cost.

Christian Wescott was charged with possession of meth. He was sentenced under first time program with treatment program and one year on probation along with drivers license suspended for six months.


Ronald Norwood was charged with Grand Larceny (from the local Walmart) sentenced to five years with all but 30 days suspended with unsupervised probation for the remainder of sentence.

Markiece Harmon, charged with Grand Larceny sentenced to 5 years with all but 12 months suspended (already served 5 months) with probation for four years.

Michael Douthat, charged with sexual abuse, sentenced to 60 days suspended for 5 years with good behavior plus court cost.

Edward Smith, charged with Bomb/Burn threat. Defendant did not appear due to illness in hospice care. To be revisited in July 2013.     

Japanese Mayor Apologizes For His Remark Concerning U.S. Troops

Japanese mayor apologizes for saying U.S. troops should visit adult entertainment more often

TOKYO (CNN) – A controversial Japanese politician apologized Monday for suggesting that U.S. military service members should use the adult entertainment industry in Japan more often to relieve sexual frustration and reduce aggression.

But he didn’t back down over comments he made about the Japanese military’s use of forced prostitution during World War II.

Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka, stirred outrage in Japan and around the world with a series of comments this month about the treatment of women by the military.

He had said May 13 that he had told a U.S. military commander during a trip to a base on the island of Okinawa that the adult entertainment business in Japan should be “utilized more” by U.S. personnel.

“I told him there are places that operate within the boundaries of the law which can be used for releasing sexual frustration, so they (the U.S. military) should fully utilize it or the Marines won’t be able to control their aggressive sexual desires.”

In a statement delivered Monday at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan in Tokyo, Hashimoto acknowledged that his comment “could be construed as an insult to the U.S. forces and to the American people, and therefore was inappropriate.”

Hashimoto, who is also a co-leader of the nationalist Japan Restoration Party, said he retracted the remark and apologized for it.

He said it was prompted by “a strong sense of crisis” he felt in light of a series of recent sexual abuse cases involving U.S. service members in Japan.

‘Comfort women’ controversy

But he said comments attributed to him that described women forced to become prostitutes to entertain Japanese troops during World War II as “necessary” had been taken out of context.

On May 13, he said “anyone would understand” the role of “comfort women” when soldiers were risking their lives and you wanted to give them “a rest.”

“Comfort women” is the term used for the 200,000 women whom historians estimate were forced to become sex slaves for Japan’s former Imperial Army.

Hashimoto’s comments about them had provoked an international outcry, especially in Asian countries occupied by Japan during the war, such as South Korea and China. The U.S. government called the words “outrageous and offensive.”

Hashimoto didn’t offer an apology Monday for those comments, claiming that he had been talking about sexual violations by military personnel in a more general sense.

He also disputed that forcible recruitment of women during the war was conducted as government policy.

“I stated that ‘the armed forces of nations in the world’ seemed to have needed women ‘during the past wars,’ ” he said. “Then it was wrongly reported that I myself thought it as necessary for armed forces to use women and that ‘I’ tolerated it.”

Japan not only culprit, mayor says

He repeated the assertion he made previously that “sexual violation in wartime was not an issue unique to the former Japanese army.”

“The issue existed in the armed forces of the U.S.A., the UK, France, Germany and the former Soviet Union among others during World War II,” he said.

“It also existed in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea during the Korean War and the Vietnam War,” Hashimoto added, using the official name of South Korea.

“If only Japan is blamed, because of the widely held view that the state authority of Japan was intentionally involved in the abduction and trafficking of women, I will have to inform you that this view is incorrect,” he said.

He did, however, recognize that the Japanese military had caused suffering to comfort women."

We must express our deep remorse at the violation of the human rights of these women by the Japanese soldiers in the past, and make our apology to the women,” he said.

In 1993, the Japanese government released a statement acknowledging the “immeasurable pain and suffering” endured by thousands of women forced into sex during World War II. It even vowed to include the comfort women issue in new junior high school textbooks for the first time.

Source:

Thursday, May 30, 2013

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview.



1952.. Mysterious booms shake lower Eastern Shore; 1850.. Rough And Tumble politics in Temperanceville; 1933- Boston Red Sox players help at scene of Delmarva Train accident; 1914.. Bible bill introduced in Maryland legislature; 1906.. Pocomoke newspaper reports facts about Worcester County.

Although you may not find these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at 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. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting! 

Worcester County Law Enforcement Officers ~ Special Olympics Maryland Summer Games

Worcester County Law Enforcement Officers Participate in Statewide Torch Run Relay to Support the Special Olympics Maryland Summer Games

Law enforcement officers representing all of Worcester County will be on the run on Monday, June 3rd at 8:00am taking part in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Relay for Special Olympics Maryland.  Their mission: to escort and protect the Special Olympics ‘Flame of Hope’ as it makes its way toward the opening of the 43nd Anniversary Summer Games at Towson University, June 7-9.

This year marks the 28th Anniversary of the Maryland Torch Run, a movement that began in 1986 with a handful of officers raising $5,000, and has grown into a true year-round effort that involves thousands of officers and sponsors raising over $3 million in 2012.  Since its inception, the Torch Run has taken very seriously its role as “Guardians of the Flame”, and the Relay is an important and celebrated part of every Special Olympics competition.

The schedule for Ocean City/Worcester County’s portion of the Torch Run is as follows (all times are approximate and subject to change):

Monday, June 3, 2013
  • 8 – 8:30am: Pre-Event Ceremonies, 27th Street and the Boardwalk, Ocean City, MD
  • 8:30am: Torch Run Relay Begins.  Run will proceed from 27th Street to N. Division Street.
  • 9:15 – 9:30am: Run Concludes at N. Division Street with Photo Opportunity and Refreshment.
*We will load bus to proceed to Historic Downtown Berlin, for the second leg of the Relay 
  • 10:00 – 10:15am: Meet at Worcester Preparatory School for Pre-Run Pep Rally
  • 10:15am: Begin Second Leg through Historic Downtown Berlin
  • 10:45-11:00am: Conclude Second Leg at Berlin Fire Department (approx. 1 mile run)
*More Refreshments and Photo Opportunities to follow run   

  This local portion of the Torch Run Relay is part of a much larger effort.  Statewide, the Maryland Torch Run Relay consists of four different legs – Eastern, Western, Central and Southern – and throughout the entire week, thousands of Torch Run volunteers


will cover hundreds of miles, eventually converging on Towson where the individual flames will be united in the Final Leg Ceremony and then officers from around the state will travel the final 2.5 miles to the Opening Ceremony at Towson University.  It is there that the Flame is handed off to the Special Olympics athletes who have the honor of taking the final lap with the torch and then lighting the cauldron and officially declaring the 2013 SOMD Summer Games open.
 
 
Our local Torch Run Leg is always very well attended and is by far the most beautiful leg of the states Torch Run relay, incorporating the refreshing Ocean City boardwalk and the beauty and charm of historic downtown Berlin, Maryland.
 
 
Contact the Ocean City Police Department for more information and to learn how you can participate in this year’s event.
 
Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

Search Concluded For Missing Elderly Lady From Berlin

Worcester County Sheriff's Office reported last evening....
5/29/13
Today we concluded our third day of searching for Ms. (Helen Stephanie) David.

All areas of South Point have been searched by ground, by air and by boat.

We continue to ask the public to check their properties and report anything out of the ordinary to the Sheriff's Office at 410-632-1111.

Today (Wednesday) concluded a coordinated search by Civil Air Patrol, Natural Resources Police, and Search and Rescue Teams from as far as the Western Shore.

 Sheriff's Office ATV's searched the wooded areas along Route 611 and many side roads around the South Point area.

 Message Boards are in place along Route 611 asking for the publics assistance in locating Ms. David.

At this time, the search teams have been scaled back.

We would like to thank all those who have participated in this search and continue to do so at this time.

Flyers with Ms. David's photograph and description have been distributed to business all along the 611 and West Ocean City area.

We are asking that you share this information with your friends and relatives who live in the Northern Portion of Worcester County as well as those who may travel to the county of the next several days.

SPCA EASTERN SHORE VIRGINIA ~ YARD SALE

 
SPCA  Yard Sale
 
June 1st
8am-noon

26528 Lankford Hwy.
 Onley, VA 23418

For more information:  SPCA Eastern Shore Virginia

Rocket Launch Scheduled June 4 From Wallops

WALLOPS ISLAND, VA – A Black Brant XII suborbital rocket carrying the Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER)is scheduled for launch between 11 and 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 4, from NASA’s launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

The backup launch days are June 5 through 10. The rocket may be visible to residents in the mid-Atlantic region.

With CIBER, scientists will be studying when the first stars and galaxies formed in the universe and how brightly they burned their nuclear fuel.

Jamie Bock, CIBER principal investigator from the California Institute of Technology, said, “The objectives of the experiment are of fundamental importance for astrophysics: to probe the process of first galaxy formation. The measurement is extremely difficult technically.”



This will be the fourth flight for CIBER on a NASA sounding rocket. The previous launches were in 2009, 2010 and 2012 from the White Sands Missile Range, N.M. After each flight the experiment or payload was recovered for post-calibrations and re-flight.

For this flight CIBER will fly on a larger and more powerful rocket than before. This will loft CIBER to a higher altitude than those previously obtained, thus providing longer observation time for the instruments. The experiment, which will safely splash down in the Atlantic Ocean more than 400 miles off the Virginia coast, will not be recovered.

The NASA Visitor Center at Wallops will open at 9:30 p.m. on launch day for public viewing of the launch.

The mission will be available live on Ustream beginning at 10 p.m. on launch day at: http://www.ustream.com/channel/nasa-wallops

Mission status on launch day can be followed on Twitter and Facebook at:http://www.twitter.com/NASA_Wallops or http://www.facebook.com/NASAWFF

Mission status also is available on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.

More information on CIBER and the NASA Sounding Rocket Program is available at:  http://www.nasa.gov/sounding rockets.



www.nasa.gov

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

BUSTED!! OCPD and Worcester Co. Sherriff Crack Down On Drugs

During this Memorial Day weekend, the Ocean City Police Criminal Investigation Division and Narcotics Unit, as well as the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Enforcement Team, conducted multiple undercover drug enforcement operations at various locations in Ocean City. These plain clothes drug investigations resulted in eight felony arrests, one citation, and the seizure of various drugs and paraphernalia.


The following people were charged with various drug charges by Ocean City Police:
  • Shawn Matthew Gilmore, 25, of Ocean City, MD
  • 17-year-old juvenile male of Stevensville, MD
  • 16-year-old juvenile male of Easton, MD
  • James David Brooks, 25, of Snowshoe, PA
  • Danielle Clarissa Jones, 32, of Randallstown, MD
  • Rodney Lamont Burnett, 32, of Baltimore, MD
  • Thomas Edward Dalton, 27, of Bryans Road, MD
  • Jeremy Adam Thomas, 27, of Welcome, MD
Police seized approximately $600 in cash, a 2002 Chevrolet Trail Blazer, a 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe, assorted drug paraphernalia, and multiple controlled dangerous substances.

Citizens are encouraged not to buy, use or sell illegal drugs in Ocean City and Worcester County. Police remind citizens that undercover officers will be actively ensuring the safety of residents and visitors this summer on the boardwalk and throughout the town of Ocean City.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

Drunk Driver Hits Intoxicated Pedestrian

Daniel Allen Marshman
On May 25, 2013, at approximately 7:30 p.m. Ocean City Police responded to a pedestrian collision on Baltimore Avenue north of 19th Street. The pedestrian, identified as Gina Marie Corio, 26, of Staten Island, NY was intoxicated, did not use a marked crosswalk and failed to yield to a vehicle when she was struck by an SUV driven by Daniel Allen Marshman, 46, of Gordonville, PA.

During the on-scene investigation, witnesses related to officers that Marshman, had been driving the vehicle at the time of the collision, Officers also suspected that Marshman was under the influence of alcohol. Officers, who suspected that Marshman was under the influence of alcohol, administered a field sobriety test, which he was not able to successfully complete. Marshman was charged with Driving under the influence of alcohol and agreed to a chemical test.  The results of the test indicated a .15 Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC).  Corio, who was also under the influence of alcohol, was cited for illegally being in the roadway.

Ocean City Police are committed to enforcing drunk driving and pedestrian safety. Police urge citizens to utilize the many safe modes of transportation available in the town of Ocean City.   Citizens are also reminded to always use marked crosswalks and “Walk Smart”.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Department

Cypress Festival Tug- O- War- Blast From the Past!!!


WHERE'S YOUR COMPETATIVE SPIRIT???


Teams Wanted for Tug-O-War
 at the Cypress Festival!
 
By Jennifer Rafter,
 Executive Director
Pocomoke Area Chamber
 of Commerce
 
Remember this event? These photos were taken by Jim Glovier at the 1990 Cypress Festival. Back by popular demand, compete in the ultimate team sport, Tug O War, at the Cypress Festival. Better yet, convince your nemesis to pull against you! Show that your team has what it takes to win in the competitive test of strength and teamwork.

Weigh in is at 6 pm on Friday, June 14. $100 per team to enter and winner takes all! For more information see
www.pocomokecypressfestival.com or call the Pocomoke Area Chamber of Commerce at 410-957-1919.

Please
contact the Chamber as well if you can identify the people pictured here:
 
Cypress Festival Tug-O-War 1990
Jim Glovier Photo