Supply rocket headed to space station explodes

ATLANTIC, Va. (AP) - An unmanned commercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after liftoff Tuesday evening, with debris falling in flames over the launch site in Virginia. No injuries were reported following the first catastrophic launch in NASA's commercial spaceflight effort.

The accident was sure to draw criticism over the space agency's growing reliance on private U.S. companies in this post-shuttle era. NASA is paying billions of dollars to Orbital Sciences and the SpaceX company to make station deliveries, and it's counting on SpaceX and Boeing to start flying U.S. astronauts to the orbiting lab as early as 2017. This was the fourth flight by Orbital Sciences to the orbiting lab.

The Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket blew up over the beachside launch complex at Wallops Island. The company said everyone at the site had been accounted for, and the damage appeared to be limited to the facilities. And nothing on the lost flight was urgently needed by the six people living on the 260-mile-high space station, officials said.

Flames could be seen shooting into the sky as the sun set.
Orbital Sciences' executive vice president Frank Culbertson said things began to go wrong 10 to 12 seconds into the flight and it was all over in 20 seconds when what was left of the rocket came crashing down. He said he believes the range-safety staff sent a destruct signal before it hit the ground.

Bill Wrobel, director of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, said crews were letting the fires burn out late Tuesday and set up a perimeter to contain them in the darkness.

This was the second launch attempt for the mission. Monday evening's try was thwarted by a stray sailboat in the rocket's danger zone. The restrictions are in case of just such an accident that occurred Tuesday.

Culbertson said the top priority will be repairing the launch pad "as quickly and safely as possible."

He said he could not guess how long it will take to determine the cause of the accident and to make repairs. Culbertson said the company carried insurance on the mission, which he valued at more than $200 million, not counting repair costs.

He stressed that it was too soon to know whether the Russian-built engines, modified for the Antares and extensively tested, were to blame.

"We will understand what happened - hopefully soon - and we'll get things back on track," Culbertson assured his devastated team. "We've all seen this happen in our business before, and we've all seen the teams recover from this, and we will do the same."

The Wallops facility is small compared to NASA's major centers like those in Florida, Texas and California, but vaulted into the public spotlight in September 2013 with a NASA moonshot and the first Cygnus launch to the space station.

Michelle Murphy, an innkeeper at the Garden and Sea Inn, New Church, Virginia, where launches are visible across a bay about 16 miles away, witnessed the explosion.

"It was scary. Everything rattled," she said. "There were two explosions. The first one we were ready for. The second one we weren't. It shook the inn, like an earthquake."

Culbertson advised people not to touch any potentially hazardous rocket or spacecraft debris that came down on their property or might wash ashore.

Immediately after the explosion, the launch team was ordered to maintain all computer data for the ensuing investigation. Culbertson advised his staff not to talk to news reporters and to refrain from speculating among themselves.

"Definitely do not talk outside of our family," said Culbertson, a former astronaut who once served on the space station.

This newest Cygnus cargo ship - named for the swan constellation - had held 5,000 pounds of space station experiments and equipment for NASA, as well as prepackaged meals and eagerly awaited crab cakes, freeze-dried for safe eating. It had been due to arrive at the orbiting lab Sunday.

By coincidence, the Russian Space Agency was proceeding with its own supply run on Wednesday, planned well before the U.S. mishap. And SpaceX is scheduled to launch another Dragon supply ship from Cape Canaveral in December; some items may be changed out to replace what was lost on the Cygnus.


  (Below VVV is a comment from Twitter)
_______________________________________________________
  Chris Hadfield        ✔ @Cmdr_Hadfield Follow

Water, oxygen & food are critical consumables. Should have lots for now. Next resupply launch is Russian, tomorrow, & @SpaceX in December.

8:00 PM - 28 Oct 2014

_______________________________________________________

 

 

NASA space station program manager Mike Suffredini told reporters that the station and its crew have plenty of supplies on board - about five months' worth - even without the upcoming launches.

Among the science instruments that were lost: a meteor tracker and 32 mini research satellites, along with numerous experiments compiled by schoolchildren. Suffredini promised the experimenters would get a chance to refly their work.

The two Americans, three Russians and one German aboard the space station were watching a live video feed from Mission Control and saw the whole thing unfold before their eyes.

Until Tuesday, all of the supply missions by the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and California-based SpaceX had been near-flawless.

President Barack Obama has long championed this commercial space effort, well before NASA's space shuttles were retired in 2011. He's urged that NASA focus its human spaceflight effort less on nearby orbit and more on destinations like asteroids and Mars. He was informed of the accident while on a campaign trip in Wisconsin.

SpaceX's billionaire founder and chief officer Elon Musk - whose company is the face, in many ways, of the commercial effort - said he was sorry to learn about the failure. "Hope they recover soon," he said in a tweet.

Support poured in from elsewhere in the space community late Tuesday night.

"Very sorry to see the Antares rocket launch failure," said Chris Hadfield, a former Canadian astronaut who served as space station commander last year. "Spaceflight is hard. Very glad that no one was hurt."

John Logdson, former space policy director at George Washington University, said it was unlikely to be a major setback to NASA's commercial space plans. But he noted it could derail Orbital Sciences for a while given the company has just one launch pad and the accident occurred right above it.

The explosion hit Orbital Science's stock, which fell more than 15 percent in after-hours trading.


 

Source; AOLNEWS.COM

Cause sought for space-supply rocket explosion

 
ATLANTIC, Va. (AP) - The owners of a commercial supply ship that exploded moments after liftoff promised to find the cause of the failed delivery mission to the International Space Station and warned residents to not touch any debris they might stumble across from the craft, which was carrying hazardous materials.

Crews planned to hit the ground at daybreak Wednesday to search for pieces of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo module, which blew up Tuesday night just moments after lifting off from NASA's launch complex at Wallops Island, Virginia, said Bill Wrobel, director of the facility.

The cargo ship was carrying 5,000 pounds of experiments and equipment for NASA, as well as prepackaged meals and freeze-dried Maryland crabcakes for a Baltimore-born astronaut who's been in orbit for five months. 

All of the lost materials will be replaced and flown to the 260-mile-high space station, NASA space station program manager Mike Suffredini said. He said astronauts at the station currently have enough supplies to last until spring.

The accident could draw scrutiny to the space agency's growing reliance on private U.S. companies in the post-shuttle era. NASA is paying billions of dollars to Virginia-based Orbital Sciences and the California-based SpaceX company to make station deliveries, and it's counting on SpaceX and Boeing to start flying U.S. astronauts to the orbiting lab as early as 2017. It was the fourth Cygnus bound for the orbiting lab; the first flew just over a year ago. SpaceX is scheduled to launch another Dragon supply ship from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in December.
Until Tuesday, all of the supply missions by Orbital Sciences and SpaceX had been near-flawless.

President Barack Obama has long championed this commercial space effort. He was in Wisconsin for a campaign rally and was kept informed.

Orbital Sciences' executive vice president Frank Culbertson said the company carried insurance on the mission, which he valued at more than $200 million, not counting repair costs. The explosion hit Orbital Science's stock, which fell more than 15 percent in after-hours trading.

By coincidence, the Russian Space Agency was proceeding with its own supply run Wednesday, planned well before the U.S. mishap.

John Logdson, former space policy director at George Washington University, said the explosion was unlikely to be a major setback to NASA's commercial space plans. But he noted it could derail Orbital Sciences for a while given the company has just one launch pad and the accident occurred right above it.
At a news conference Tuesday night, Culbertson and others said everyone at the launch site had been accounted for and the damage appeared to be limited to the facilities.

He noted that the cargo module was carrying hazardous materials and warned residents to avoid any contact with debris.

"Certainly don't go souvenir hunting along the beach," he said.

Things began to go wrong 10 to 12 seconds into the flight and it was all over in 20 seconds when what was left of the rocket came crashing down, Culbertson said. He said he believes the range-safety staff sent a destruct signal before it hit the ground, but was not certain at this point.

This was the second launch attempt for the mission. Monday evening's try was thwarted by a stray sailboat in the rocket's danger zone. The restrictions are in case of just such an accident that occurred Tuesday.

Culbertson said the top priority will be repairing the launch pad "as quickly and safely as possible."

"We will not fly until we understand the root cause," he said, adding that it was too early to guess how long it might take to make the rocket repairs and fix the launch pad. It will take a few weeks, alone, to assess the damage and extent of potential repairs.
Culbertson also stressed that it was too soon to know whether the Russian-built engines, modified for the Antares and extensively tested, were to blame.

"We will understand what happened - hopefully soon - and we'll get things back on track," Culbertson assured his devastated team. "We've all seen this happen in our business before, and we've all seen the teams recover from this, and we will do the same."
The Wallops facility is small compared to NASA's major centers like those in Florida, Texas and California, but vaulted into the public spotlight in September 2013 with a NASA moonshot and the first Cygnus launch to the space station.

Michelle Murphy, an innkeeper at the Garden and Sea Inn, New Church, Virginia, where launches are visible across a bay about 16 miles away, saw the explosion.

"It was scary. Everything rattled," she said. "There were two explosions. The first one we were ready for. The second one we weren't. It shook the inn, like an earthquake. It was extremely intense."

Among the instruments that were lost from the cargo module: a meteor tracker and 32 mini research satellites, along with numerous experiments compiled by schoolchildren.
The two Americans, three Russians and one German on the orbiting space station were watching a live video feed from Mission Control and saw the whole thing unfold, Suffredini said.

Source; AOLNEWS.COM

Evenflo to expand harness buckle recall

Evenflo has recently expanded its recall to address a safety defect regarding harness buckles to now include the “Embrace 35” rear facing infant car seat. The defect can cause the harness buckles on these seats to become difficult or impossible to unlatch. A sticking or stuck harness buckle in a rear facing infant car seat poses a significant safety risk to the child in the event of a motor vehicle crash or any other emergency situation where the infant must be quickly removed from the car seat.

Evenflo’s recall expansion addresses more than 202,346 infant seat buckles in the Embrace 35 model manufactured between December 2011 and May 2013. Evenflo previously recalled more than 1.3 million convertible and booster car seats for the same safety defect. 

What does this mean for me?

Letting parents, guardians, and caregivers know about this recall is crucial, and you’re a large part of that. Your spreading the word about the harness buckle safety defect to your followers can make the difference in a child’s life. If their car seat is affected by this recall, parents are encouraged to contact Evenflo to get the free replacement buckle as soon as possible. Follow these steps:

• Contact Evenflo for instructions on how to obtain a free remedy for your child safety seat;

• Always properly restrain infants and children in a car seat or booster until the child is big enough to wear a seat belt properly;

• Assess the operation of your child safety seat harness buckle;

• Consider acquiring or using an alternative car seat for transporting children until your Evenflo seat is fixed;

• Install the replacement buckle on your Evenflo seat as soon as you receive it.

• Register your child safety seat and file safety complaints with NHTSA at safercar.gov.

Over 7.4 million car seats have been recalled due to this harness buckle safety defect, including Graco and Baby Trend models. Share this with your followers and friends and encourage those affected by the recall to reach out to Evenflo.

You can read the full recall report on our website SaferCar.gov.

"Illegal" Brown Super PAC transfers large sums to secretive national group; Ceases fundraising amid state investigation

ANNAPOLIS, MD – October 27 – Following Hogan-Rutherford's official complaint detailing illegal coordination by Anthony Brown's campaign, a Brown-allied Super PAC, "One State One Future," has now ceased fundraising operations and transferred money to "American Families First Action Fund," a group that had been dormant for four years.  

The latest finance report from the Brown campaign showed that the group suddenly received an infusion of cash from the Super PAC and that "One State One Future" had ceased buying advertisements or making other expenditures in benefit of Anthony Brown's campaign. The Hogan campaign submitted its complaint of illegal coordination to the State Board of Elections last month.

"If Anthony Brown's Super PAC isn't running advertisements and transferred all their money into this previously-dormant group, is this an admission that they broke the law?" asked Hogan campaign manager Steve Crim. "While we have not heard back from Board of Elections on the status of our complaint, it has become clear that Brown and his campaign have broken the law. Why has no one confronted the Brown campaign and American Families First, which now appears to be paying for the $1.1 million in false, desperate attack ads against Larry Hogan? The people of Maryland deserve answers."

In addition to being dormant for the last four years, "American Families First Action Fund" has no website or social media presence, and has not revealed any of its other donors.

#   #   #

For more information and interviews, contact Hannah Marr M: (443) 935-3684, hmarr@hoganforgovernor.com
Web: www.hoganforgovernor.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/Hogan4Governor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChangeMaryland

Look to the Sky!

The Orbital Sciences Corporation Antares rocket, with the Cygnus spacecraft onboard, is scheduled to launch this evening, Monday, Oct. 27 at 6:45 PM EDT. The spacecraft will deliver over 5,000 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station, including science experiements, experiment hardware, spare parts and crew provisions. This is the third contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA.  Weather remains 98% go for launch.

TIME MACHINE ... 1962, 1920, 1956, 1930, 1996, 1903.

"Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore."  Our tradition runs deep.  Excerpt from a letter to the editor from a visitor to Newtown, (former name of Pocomoke City) published in the Baltimore Sun, April 28,1847.

This place (Newtown) is a pretty snug little village, containing about 500 clever and hospitable inhabitants; is has good wide streets, quite clear of that "eye sore," known mostly over the Peninsula by the name of "deep sand"; the houses, though built of frame, are generally built substantially and with some discretion and taste; there are two neat, new, and quite handsome frame churches in it; as for the merchants of the place, suffice it to state that they are very clever and hospitable.  F. Mezick, Esq., the landlord with whom I stopped, and his very obliging and jolly assistant, are richly deserving of a passing notice, for the good treatment and the extension of the many civilities to "the stranger."

(Reader-friendly viewing of news archive/historical archive material)

(Halloween)
October, 1962
The Salisbury Times

(Excerpt)

Four Towns In Worcester Plan Ghostly Activites

Pocomoke City is planning a week-long celebration, said James Morrison, member of the town's Jaycees, who are sponsoring the program there. Store windows will be painted by pupils of the lower grades in the elementary school, he said, then they will be judged by the number of votes (a penny is a vote) placed in the ballot boxes in front of the windows.  A $5 prize will be given to the class painting the best window.

J. William Robertson, chairman of the parade, said that the parade itself will be held on Halloween night beginning at 7PM.  Contestants will line up between 6:30 and 7 p.m. at various downtown locations. They will be divided into four age groups, he said, and prizes will be given to the funniest, the most original, and the best dressed parader in each group.

At 8p.m. there will be a dance on Willow Street, Mr. Robertson said. Music will be provided by the "Sparks," a combo made up from members of the high school band.

At 10p.m. there will be a free movie at the Marva Theater, he said.

Footnote:  Snow Hill, Berlin, and Newark were also planning Halloween activities, including a parade in each community.

October, 1920
The Washington Post

DOCTOR IS JAILED UNDER "DRY" LAW

Admits Prescribing and Selling Liquor to "Sick" Cannery Hands.

Special toThe Washington Post.

Baltimore, Md., Oct. 11.-  Admitting that he unlawfully prescribed whiskey on the Eastern Shore on at least six occasions, Dr. Samuel Alexander Ross, of Crisfield, Md., was sentenced to four months in jail today by Judge Rose in the United States court. He is the first physician to be jailed under the prohibition laws in the Maryland district.

According to revenue agent Herman E. Parks, Dr. Ross was engaged in an extensive illegal traffic with canning house proprietors and other businessmen. One transaction, according to the government man, involved the sale of 24 pints of whiskey.

There were 38 charges against Dr. Ross and he pleaded guilty to five of them, requesting that he be sent to jail at Princess Anne, near Crisfield, rather than the city jail. The court took the request under consideration.

Among other offenses the physician is said to have prescribed 33 pints of whiskey and sold them between July 6 and July 16, dating the prescriptions from Crisfield. He admitted that he was not in Crisfield during that period and dated the others ahead of time. He told the court he operated all along the Eastern Shore, prescribing and selling liquor for the canning houses, where employees were reported to be "sick."

February, 1956

Somerset and Worcester Counties lost one of their prominent agricultural leaders with the death of J. Miles Lankford.  He was active in farm and civic organizations in the two counties, a member of the State Forests And Parks Commission, and was proprietor of the Southern States Co-operative Store in Pocomoke City.  His father was the late state senator Edward B. Lankford.

August, 1930 (Time Machine archive)
(The Daily Mail- Hagerstown, Md.)

LIGHTS MATCH AND BUS CAUGHT FIRE

POCOMOKE CITY, Aug 25. (AP) -  At 3 o'clock in the morning 14 passengers enroute on a bus from New York to Cape Charles that halted here for a few minutes were hurriedly driven into the open as fire destroyed the vehicle.  Some were cut and bruised in rushing for the door.  Blame was placed on a passenger who alighted as the stop was made at a filling station and stuck a match to light a cigarette.  The passengers were transferred to a train for the rest of the journey. The bus was owned by the Pennsylvania Railway Transit Company.

January, 1996
The Somerset Herald (Princess Anne)

(Excerpts)

First phase of renovations begin this month at Crisfield High School

According to Crisfield High School principal John D. Samus, the first phase of the school's long awaited renovation will begin Jan. 17. This portion of the renovation will include the newer wing of the building.

Footnote: Former students will recall the reshuffling of classroom and office space during this renovation period. Auditorium and cafeteria renovations were to begin the following September.


(A visitor to Chincoteague writes his observations.)

August, 1903
The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Va.)

PART 2 (continued from last week)

Chincoteague is out of the world in the sense that it is a few thousand acres of land surrounded by water, but in other senses it is close to what outsiders are pleased to call the world. Franklin City and Greenbackville are only six miles away. Franklin is the terminus of one branch of the Pennsylvania Railway. There are three mails to and from the island every day. The Baltimore papers are received by noon of the day on which they are printed, and the Philadelphia papers come in on the same train. There are but few dailies taken on the island. Many weeklies come to the Chincoteague postoffice.

There are forty-four licensed stores of various kinds ln Chincoteague. D. J. Whealton, the wealthiest man on the island, is the proprietor of one of the largest general stores I have seen anywhere. The stock carried is probably worth $25,000. The trade at all the stores appeared to be good. The islanders have plenty of money, and they spend it.

The oyster and clam industries form the chief sources of income. I was told of one man who had made for several weeks an average of between $25 and $30 a week digging and marketing clams. The clam industry is comparatively new, but several persons have told me that it will soon become more profitable than oystering, unless the Baylor survey (public access to naturally producing oyster areas) is broken by act of the Legislature. What I have seen in this oyster country in the past week convinces me that legislation breaking the survey would mean much suffering, if not starvation to Chincoteague. 

Captain J. T. Rowley, who deals more extensively in clams than any other man on the island, sold seven million clams last winter a year ago, and last winter he sold between five million and six million. He is rich, and growing richer. The hundreds of men and women who sell him clams are making good livings. They could not do so if the Legislature throws open the State oyster beds to pre-emption by individuals. It is the constant fear of such action that makes the average Chincoteaguer grow old before his time.

But I was talking of the prosperity of the people of Chlncoteague.

"There is not another place of three thousand inhabitants in the United States where more than ninety per cent of the people own their own homes," said Captain Rowley the other afternoon, as we were driving over the island behind his fast horse. "There are very few renters on the island, though, of course, there are no large landholders."

Just about that time Captain Rowley stopped In front of a tiny house in the pine grove a few yards away. It was a frame structure, one story high, and not an inch over twelve feet square. I admitted that I hardly thought a person could live in so small a house.

"A man and his wife and five children live there." said the Captain, as he started up his horse. "The oldest child is a boy twelve years of age, and he works with his father every day, making good money."

(More from this article next Sunday.)


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!



"Somewhere Over The
Rainbow Bluebirds
fly.."

Flying On For JMMB.
Her Pocomoke Public
Eye postings (April,
2008 to June, 2014)
kept us informed. 

Every Sunday On The Pocomoke Public Eye..

<1800<1850<Time<1900<1950<Machine<2000<<

It's reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archive and historical archive material, primarily of local interest. 

This week we share items from 1962, 1920, 1956, 1930, 1996, and 1903.

Check back tomorrow, 10/26, right here!

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

1962.. Pocomoke City planning week-long Halloween celebration; 1920.. Prescriptions for whiskey send Crisfield doctor to jail; 1956.. Lower shore loses an agricultural leader; 1930.. Passengers flee burning bus at Pocomoke City stop; 1996.. Crisfield High renovations to begin; and more of the observations made by a visitor to Chincoteague in 1903.

Although you may not find all of 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!

Caption This Photo

Hat Tip; Kacky

Accidental release of murder suspect latest O'Malley-Brown failure to place Marylanders at risk

Despite assurances by Lt. Gov. Brown that administration addressed “issues” at Baltimore Detention Center, a state correctional facility went full weekend unaware that dangerous murder suspect was accidently released

Lt. Gov, Anthony Brown: “We took far-reaching, decisive action in response to the recent safety and personnel issues discovered at BCDC.” – Baltimore Sun primary candidates questionnaire

Annapolis, MD – October 21, 2014 – Gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan today issued the following statement following reports that a state-run corrections facility in Baltimore accidentally released a murder suspect. 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/crime/blog/bs-md-ci-inmate-mistaken-release-folo-20141021-story.html

 

“The lives and safety of Marylanders are once again at risk because of a colossal management failure in an O’Malley-Brown Administration agency.  Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on numerous occasions assured Maryland families that his administration had addressed the horrific problems in the Baltimore City Detention Center, which was overtaken by a dangerous street gang under their watch.  

http://abcnews.go.com/US/gang-leader-impregnates-maryland-female-prison-guards/story?id=19033048

 

“How many examples do overtaxed Marylanders need that Anthony Brown lacks the management and leadership skills necessary to run our state government?” Hogan asked.  

“Despite spending $288 million of our tax dollars, he couldn’t build a functioning Health Exchange website; despite 40 straight tax hikes, he raided billions from environmental and transportation trust funds; despite warnings, assisted living facilities with track records of abuse and neglect were awarded tens of millions in state contracts; and now we learn that a state-run detention center didn’t realize for a full weekend that it failed to detain a murder suspect.”

“As governor, I’ll hold my administration accountable to the people who pay their salaries.” 

“What should be done to correct and prevent problems at the state-run Baltimore City Detention Center?” - Baltimore Sun 2014 gubernatorial primary questionnaire 

“We took far-reaching, decisive action in response to the recent safety and personnel issues discovered at BCDC. – Anthony Brown response to Sun questionnaire

#   #   # 

For more information and interviews, contact Adam Dubitsky at O (443) 221-4450, M (240) 625-2683 adubitsky@hoganforgovernor.com or visit www.hoganforgovernor.com

Web: www.hoganforgovernor.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/Hogan4Governor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChangeMaryland

Authority: Hogan-Rutherford Committee to Change Maryland.  John C. Wobensmith, Treasurer

Times Endorses McDermott...Kinda..Sorta

“Times Endorses McDermott for Senate...Kinda, Sorta…”

by Delegate Mike McDermott

The DailyTimes rightly states, “It’s time for change in Annapolis” and then makes the case for that change by pointing out the failed policies which have continued to provide high unemployment, increased burdens on business, and no recovery from the Great Recession.

They go on to outline their rejection of Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor in favor of Larry Hogan with words that they should have also utilized to endorse me for the Senate seat in District 38.

“Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown/Senator Jim Mathias, the Democratic candidate for governor/Senator, has a distinguished career. His dedication to public service is remarkable. Sadly, however, he comes out of the same mindset that’s helped create Maryland’s current economic problems. Is Brown/Mathias likely to set a new course for the state and for job creation? It is hard to see that happening.”                -The Daily Times 10/19/14

To further their point, the Times goes on to highlight several key issues they believe Hogan will address. They are the same issues and policies that I have fought for in the House and campaigned on in the district:

• Lessen the tax burden.

• Reduce the impact of burdensome regulations, an especially important issue for the     Eastern Shore’s poultry industry.

• Promote jobs and the middle class.     -The Daily Times 10/19/14

Yet, the Daily Times appears bifurcated when they consider our future. They believe we need a new pilot, but they think the navigator should keep his job. I think the Times did a nice job on the Hogan piece so allow me again to offer another minor correction to make it perfect in closing:

“When you vote, in early voting starting Thursday or at the polls on Nov. 4, think of the economy. Better yet, think of your children and grandchildren. Which candidate will best serve their futures?

In our view, it is clearly Larry Hogan and Mike McDermott.”

-The Daily Times 10/19/14

I could not have said it better myself!

Sheriffs Who Are Protecting Liberty

An increasing number of sheriffs are rising to resist federal overreach in their counties.  About 100 of them met in mid-September at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.  

The gathering was organized by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association -- a group that was formed by former Sheriff Richard Mack.  It was a time of mutual encouragement, where several sheriffs shared their experiences in resisting federal overreach.

Sheriff Mike Lewis of Wycomico County, Maryland was one of the sheriffs in attendance.  He got national attention recently for saying that the feds better not try grabbing guns in his county.


“I can tell you this,” Lewis said, “if they attempt to do that, it will be an all-out civil war. No question about it.”

Another attendee, Sheriff Denny Peyman of Jackson County, Kentucky, was equally blunt.  “My office will not comply with any federal action which violates the United States Constitution or the Kentucky Constitution which I swore to uphold.”  

Gun Owners of America presented Sheriff Peyman with the “Nullifier of the Year” award last year because of his strong commitment to defend the Constitution -- and the Second Amendment in particular.

Source: [GOA CLICK HERE]

Vote For Enchanted Florist Pocomoke

VOTE FOR US!!!!!!! Go to choice.delmarvanow.com and vote for 10 or more businesses. You will be entered in a drawing for a $500 gift certificate to the business of your choice. Go to shopping and scroll down to florist and click our name.......Your vote would be appreciated, make us your number one choice!!!!! Thank you

Business After Hours

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Regent Homes by Beracah

1609 Ocean Highway

Pocomoke City

5:00 - 7:00 PM

HALLOWEEN PLANNER NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:October 20, 2014

CONTACT: Gayle Waters, Pocomoke City Police, 410 957-1600, PocomokePD@comcast.net

Trick-or-Treat? Drink-or-Drive?

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

Pocomoke City, MD; Halloween is quickly approaching, which for many people means celebrating with alcohol. As you carve your pumpkin or pick out a costume this year, keep in mind that one of the best choices you can make is to drive sober or designate a sober driver to get you home safely. Chief Kelvin Sewell and members of the Pocomoke City Police Department is reminding all drivers that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving because every Halloween there are still some people who think they can drive after drinking.    

 “We want people to remember: like ‘Trick-or-Treat;’ ‘Drink-or-Drive.’ One or the other, but never both,” said Gayle Waters. Before you take your first sip of alcohol on October 31, figure out who your designated sober driver will be.  If you wait until you’re ‘buzzed’ to make a decision, you may decide to drive. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, which means that driving “buzzed” brings very serious consequences. In 2012 alone, there were 10,322 people killed in drunk–driving crashes. Those were preventable deaths that happened when drunk drivers failed to plan ahead.  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Halloween is a statistically dangerous night for drunk driving. In 2012, almost half (48%) of all crash fatalities that night involved a drunk driver.

 Chief Kelvin Sewell recommends these simple tips for a safe Halloween:        

·         Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.

·         Always designate a sober driver.

·         If you are drunk, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.

·         Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.  Designate a sober friend to walk you home.

·         If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement, it’s your responsibility.

·         If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

House Of Pocoween

TIME MACHINE... 1969, 1905, 1977, 1937, 1960, 1903

"Friendliest Town On The Eastern Shore."  Our tradition runs deep.  Excerpt from a letter to the editor from a visitor to Newtown, (former name of Pocomoke City) published in the Baltimore Sun, April 28,1847.

This place (Newtown) is a pretty snug little village, containing about 500 clever and hospitable inhabitants; is has good wide streets, quite clear of that "eye sore," known mostly over the Peninsula by the name of "deep sand"; the houses, though built of frame, are generally built substantially and with some discretion and taste; there are two neat, new, and quite handsome frame churches in it; as for the merchants of the place, suffice it to state that they are very clever and hospitable.  F. Mezick, Esq., the landlord with whom I stopped, and his very obliging and jolly assistant, are richly deserving of a passing notice, for the good treatment and the extension of the many civilities to "the stranger."

(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)

April, 1969
Evening Capital (Annapolis, Md.)

Renowned Mansion Destroyed

BERLIN, Md. (AP)-  The mansion on an estate where the great racehorse Man O'War trained burned to the ground today.

Richard Ketterman, caretaker for the 1,500 acre spread, said the three-story frame house with at least 21 rooms was a total loss. He estimated the loss at $500,000 since the house was filled with antiques and at least 100 paintings of famous racehorses.

The estate, between Berlin and Ocean City, now called Winchester, was bought by the late Samuel D. Riddle in 1917, the same year that Man O'War was born.

Most of his horses had been transferred from the estate to Garden State Park by Trainer Oscar White.  The flames did not reach any of the stables.

Ketterman said the fire in the house started around 7 a.m. and two hours later it was in ruins.  Firemen from four towns were hampered by the lack of water, having to  pump it from a creek one-quarter of a mile away.  

Footnote: The property encompassing the estate has been developed as the Glen Riddle new homes community in recent years.

November, 1905
The Washington Post

OYSTERMEN RAIDED COURT

Mob Released Prisoner and Made Magistrate Revoke Sentence.

Held Him A Captive Until He Yielded.

Paraded Crisfield, Md., in Triumph.

Threatens Planters. 

Special to the Washington Post.

Crisfield, Md., Nov. 29-  A mob of several hundred oystermen this afternoon attacked the courthouse, rescued Ralph Nelson, just convicted of raiding oyster beds, and captured Justice G. W. Kennedy, whom they released only after they had forced him to revoke his decision.

Nelson was arraigned on the charge of raiding oyster plantations of the Tangier Packing Company, in Tangier Sound, and it was alleged that he and his friends had been defying the law for a long time.  After trial to-day, he was pronounced guilty by the magistrate.

The announcement of the verdict was a signal for an attack by the oystermen, who throunged the court. A rush was made, in which the prisoner was taken from the court officers, and the magistrate was captured.

For about an hour Justice Kennedy was held prisoner by the mob, before he was induced to revoke his verdict, declaring he would never try another oyster case.

Nelson and his friends then paraded the streets in triumph.  The mob declared there shall be no planting of oysters, and threatens to raid and tear up the beds that already exist in these waters.

March, 1977 (Time Machine archive)

A health care clinic was being readied to open in Pocomoke City in the former school building at Fourth & Walnut Streets. A fund drive for the clinic's start-up operation was underway and the City Council was making a $5,000 contribution.  A physician assistant, Theodore Holt, was hired for the clinic's operation.

(Correct reference would be "Smith Island.")  
October, 1937
The Daily Mail (Hagerstown, Md.)

Smith's Island Soon Will Have Paved Road

SMITH'S ISLAND, Md., Oct. 7. (AP).-  Smith's Island motorists-all twelve of them- soon will be able tlo whiz up and down a paved road, as least as much as it is possible to whiz on a three-mile stretch.

Whizzing is not possible at all now. The only roads now on this Chesapeake Bay isle are little more than trails, with occasional spaces wide enough for cars to pass one another or turn around.

But the Somerset county commissioners over on the mainland about ten miles away voted $800 to surface the road from Ewell to Rhodes Point.

The County commissioners opposed the appropriation at first on grounds their were no traffic problem(s). Islanders replied:

"Without roads how can we have a traffic problem?"

May, 1960 (Time Machine archive) 
(The Salisbury Times)

Pocomoke Kiwanis Entertain Team

 POCOMOKE CITY-  The Pocomoke Kiwanis Club had as their guests on Monday evening the varsity basketball team of the Pocomoke Boys Club.

 Ben Cohen introduced the leaders of the club, Avery Smith and Dave Wagner.  Mr. Smith introduced the boys to the club and praised them on the excellent way they played during the season.  He then awarded a trophy to the most improved player. This award went to Jerry Smith. 

(A visitor to Chincoteague writes his observations.)
August, 1903
The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Va.)

PART 1

CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND, ACCOMAC COUNTY, VA., August 7.-Many attempts have been made to tell the outside world of Chincoteague and its inhabitants, and all that I have seen have failed. I came to the island with very hazy ideas concerning the nature and appearance of the people and their manners and customs. I cannot say that I have learned all there is to know concerning Chincoteague and the Chincoteaguers in the course of my stay, but I have learned enough to make me look forward with anything but pleasure to the time tomorrow morning when I must board the Franklin City boat and say good-bye to Chincoteague, probably for good, for though this old world is small it is very busy.

I do not believe that one-half the boys and girls of Virginia, who are studying geography, could tell where Chincoteague is if asked the question offhand. The other half would say it is an island off the coast of Virginia, inhabited by about 3,000 people and wild ponies. A few of the older generation who have come here would tell stories to illustrate the primitive way in whlch the people live. A smaller number, imbued with the ladder day spirit of commercialism, would tell of the money the people make off the oysters and clams, and the fish and crabs, and would speak of the number of stores on the island, and the volume of business done.

After spending some days on Chincoteague I find it impossible to give any of the descriptions I have given above. It may be the air, but I think it is the people; at any rate, I have found in Chincoteague that which makes me hate to leave. The island is so contradictory. It is up-to-date in many ways; it is fifty years behind in others. There is a railway terminus only six miles away, but three hundred or four hundred ponies run wild on the island, and men with money in their pockets walk along the main streets of the town in their bare feet, and nobody thinks of looking at the feet. Those facts seem to me to state in a satisfactory way the contradictory conditions on Chincoteague.

Chincoteaguers are amphibious, living on an island half a mile wide and seven miles long, those three thousand islanders have occasion to know much more of the sea than of the land. Only a very small fraction of the vegetables eaten on Chincoteague are grown on the island, and more than six hundred vessels of various sizes are owned in Chincoteague and call Chincoteague the home port. An average of one sailing craft for every five of population is probably greater than at any other sea town in the country.

(More from this article next Sunday.)

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!


"Somewhere Over The
Rainbow Bluebirds
fly.."

Flying On For JMMB.
Her Pocomoke Public
Eye postings (April,
2008 to June, 2014)
kept us informed.