Christmas is coming to Pocomoke

Downtown Pocomoke City is a Winter Wonderland

            It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Downtown Pocomoke City. The town twinkles at night with holiday lights and decorations. Business owners are getting into the holiday spirit by decorating their stores while students from Pocomoke High School also participated by painting storefront windows with beautiful winter themed murals.

            The 42^nd Annual Pocomoke Christmas Parade will kick off the holiday season on Monday, December 1^st at 7:00pm. The parade will feature many beautifully decorated floats, high school bands, marching units, fire companies, and beauty queens. Santa Claus will also make his appearance at the end of the parade.

            On Friday, December 5^th the downtown will host the fourth annual Mayor’s Old-Fashioned Christmas Evening from 5:30pm to 8:30pm in the mini park and municipal parking lot on Clarke Avenue across from City Hall in downtown Pocomoke City.

            This event will feature many family-friendly activities including horse-drawn carriage rides, a Santa Claus house, and Christmas ornament and cookie decorating for the children. The town will light a large bonfire for toasting s’mores. Community vendors will serve free refreshments including hot chocolate, cider, peppermint sticks, hotdogs and more. There will also be wine tasting from Layton’s Chance Winery.

            Live entertainment will be provided all night beginning with music by the Pocomoke Elementary School Choir. At 6:00pm, Mayor Bruce Morrison will light the town’s Christmas Tree while Frank Henry performs ‘The Spirit of Christmas”. Additional entertainment includes a performance by the Dance Loft, The Pocomoke Gold Choir, Pocomoke High School Choir, and music by the very talented Brittany Lewis, Stephanie Blevins and more.

            This event serves as a fundraiser to support local churches and non-profit organizations. Admission is free, but some vendors will request small donations to support their organizations. Guests are encouraged to bring a canned good or nonperishable item to support the Samaritan Shelter’s Food Drive.

            A holiday wreath decorating contest and silent auction will be held to benefit the Costen House Museum. The public can bid on the wreaths decorated by Pocomoke area businesses and residents.

            There will also be a homemade chili cook-off which will start at 6:30pm and end at 7:30pm. Local residents and businesses will provide samples of their homemade chili to be voted upon by the public. Proceeds will benefit the Sturgis One Room School.

            Trackside Modules HO Modular Railroading Club will display their holiday train exhibit at 145 Market Street located next to Enchanted Florist in Downtown Pocomoke on the weekends of Saturday, December 13^th-14^th and December 20^th-21^st from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Admission is free, but small donations are appreciated.

            The Santa House in downtown Pocomoke City will also be open on Saturday, December 13^th and 20^th from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Bring your camera to take your children’s picture with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

            For more information or a full calendar of events please visit downtownpocomoke.com or call City Hall at 410-957-1333.

Pocomoke Solar Project

Pocomoke City’s 2.1 Megawatt Solar Project to be Largest Municipally-Owned in Maryland

Standard Solar helps city to take the solar lead in Worcester County

ROCKVILLE, MD—October 30, 2014 — Upon its completion in December, a 2.1 Megawatt (MW) solar array in Pocomoke City, MD will be the largest municipally-owned system in the state. Standard Solar, Inc., a leader in the full-service development, construction, integration, financing and installation of solar electric systems, developed and is installing the ground mount solar system at the City’s wastewater treatment facility. ClicktoTweet

The 6,150 panel array, which is expected to produce 2.9 million kilowatt-hours of power per year, will offset 2,067 metric tons of carbon dioxide which is equal to the CO₂ emissions from the electricity use of 284 average American homes for one year or the annual carbon offset of a 1,639 acre forest.

“Pocomoke City calls itself ‘The Friendliest Town on the Eastern Shore’ and now thanks to the foresight of City officials and this innovative solar project, it is well on its way to being known as the greenest town on the Eastern Shore,” said Tony Clifford, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Solar. “With no financial outlay required by the City, sizeable savings in electricity costs and positively contributing to its citizen’s environmental future, more and more municipalities are seeing the short- and long-term advantages of going solar.” 

Total cost savings are estimated to be more than $52,000 annually. Electricity produced by the system is expected to reduce the City’s electricity bills by more than $37,000 a year. Additionally, several local nonprofit organizations will participate in the City’s network to reduce their bills by nearly $15,000 annually, including the Delmarva Discovery Center, MARVA Theater, Samaritan Shelter and the Worcester County Developmental Center.

“Pocomoke City is proud to be in the forefront of Maryland municipalities when it comes to solar energy,” said Bruce Morrison, Mayor of Pocomoke City. “Our new solar system will not only help the town economically, but it also speaks to our commitment to environmental sustainability and will serve as an educational opportunity for all of us to learn about the importance of renewable energy.”

State Senator Jim Mathias, who represents Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset Counties, noted “As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I work tirelessly with my colleagues and business leaders to help grow industries like solar energy. I am excited to see solar come to Pocomoke City, and am eager to see our citizens continue to benefit from the innovative approach of these and other alternate energy sources. Thank you to the great partners at Standard Solar, and I look forward to continuing to work with them; together we make investments and create jobs and opportunities in Pocomoke City.” 

“The completion of this large solar project in Pocomoke City will make the southern Eastern Shore one of the leading solar areas in the state,” said State Delegate Norman Conway, who represents Worcester and Wicomico Counties. “These solar systems are helping our regional economy by allowing our local governments, educational institutions, businesses and homeowners to generate substantial savings on their electricity bills.”

The project was financed through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement by SunEdison, who will own the array.

Pocomoke City is home to approximately 5,000 residents and is located on the banks of the Pocomoke River, one of the top scenic rivers in America. 

About Standard Solar

Standard Solar, Inc. is a leader in the full-service development, construction, integration, financing and installation of solar electric systems. Dedicated to making Distributed Generation (“DG”) solar solutions more accessible, the company is leading the way to energy independence. The company is committed to offering responsible and energy cost-saving solar solutions that conform to the highest standards. Since 2004, Standard Solar has been developing solar projects to creatively solve the energy needs of commercial, industrial, educational, government, utility and other clients. The company’s Standard Energy Solutions (SES) division provides home energy solutions including home solar, energy efficiency and energy management services. Named one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in America for four consecutive years by Inc. Magazine, Standard Solar operates nationally and is headquartered in Rockville, MD. For more information, please visitwww.standardsolar.com.

PR Contact

Leah Wilkinson

WilkinsonShein for Standard Solar

703-907-0010

leah@wilkinsonshein.com

Pocomoke Christmas Parade Press Release

POCOMOKE CITY CHRISTMAS PARADE ASSOCIATION

P.O. Box 807

Pocomoke City, Maryland 21851

(410) 957-0802

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Mike Shannon (410) 726-5777

POCOMOKE PREPARES FOR ANNUAL PARADE

            On Monday night, December 1, 2014, Pocomoke City will be transformed into a “Winter Wonderland” as the town plays host to one of Delmarva’s largest nighttime Christmas parades.

            Always held on the first Monday night after Thanksgiving, the Pocomoke parade has become an Eastern Shore tradition and will attract over 100 units from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia along with thousands of spectators.

We have our web site up and running. This is where you will find the applications and rules for this year’s event. If you are interested in participating this year you should go to pocomokechristmasparade.com to register. If you have any questions you can contact Mike Shannon at 410-726-5777 and leave a message with your name, address and telephone number and type of entry.

            Each year the parade features marching bands representing high and middle schools from seven counties in three states.  Also featured will be beautifully decorated and lighted floats entered by schools, civic organizations, churches, and commercial enterprises.

            Clowns, marching units, fire departments, equestrian units, and of course Santa Claus will round out the two-hour event, slated to kick-off at 7:00 p.m. sharp.  The route will take the parade north on Market Street beginning at 14^th Street and ending at the Pocomoke River.

           

            Professional judges, including members of the National Judges Association (NJA), will score entries in many different categories.  Awards will be awarded immediately following the event to the top entries in each category.

A special thanks to the community of Pocomoke City and surrounding areas for the recent support given to us to continue this great tradition that has been a part of the town of over 40 years. 

In the event of inclement weather, the parade will be postponed until Tuesday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m.

Keep your appointment to vote!!!

Dear Pokomoke,
Don't forget the polls are open from 10am - 8pm today and tomorrow! And tomorrow is the last day you can early vote!

Click here to check your polling place!

AND...be sure to check your ballot for errors before you hit "cast your ballot" at the polls...I'm sure you've heard it all over the news -- there have been several faulty machines changing people's ballots this year!
Once you've voted:

• Tell friends that you voted; it will motivate them to get involved and do the same!
• Email friends and family to remind them that early voting has started and to vote HOGAN FOR GOVERNOR!
• Download our Facebook Badges and let everyone know that you voted for HOGAN!

We know that we have the momentum. But your vote, and getting your friends to vote, is critical to our GET OUT THE VOTE effort and it's the most important thing you’ll do this whole campaign.
Thank you for Your Support,

Larry Hogan
-=-=-
Hogan for Governor · 2635 Riva Rd, Suite 100, Annapolis, MD 21401, United States
This email was sent to pcitypubliceye@gmail.com. To stop receiving emails, click here.

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

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview.

1929.. Major train derailment at Onley claims nine lives; 1913.. Peninsula General Hospital's total annual expenses are $17,000; 2004.. A Princess Anne town official resigns abrubtly; 1955.. Worcester County contestant is new Miss Delmarva; 1908.. View the big newspaper ad by a Pocomoke City store; 1903.. More of the first-hand observations of a visitor to Chincoteague.

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!

Christmas Pocomoke Press Release

Breakfast in Bed

Hat Tip; Kacky

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