WBOC Reports On Rally For Mayor..

(wboc.com)

Rally Held in Support of Embattled Pocomoke City Mayor

Posted: Jul 30, 2015 10:19 PM EDT

By Nicole Edenedo

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. -- A rally held in support of Pocomoke City's mayor and council Thursday night produced about 100 signatures pledging support for the city's leadership after some in the community have called for the mayor's resignation. 

It's been nearly a month since a personnel issue sparked a firestorm in Maryland's "friendliest town."

Mayor Bruce Morrison has been in the eye of that storm fending off allegations of incompetence, corruption and racial discrimination.

In June, former police chief Kelvin Sewell was terminated by the city council with the mayor's approval. Sewell's attorney told WBOC his termination was allegedly racially motivated. Some residents have been calling for the mayor's resignation.

Until now Morrison has not appeared on camera for WBOC. But at Thursday night's rally, the mayor had his chance to finally speak out.

"It's been very very hard for our family," said Morrison. "You know, to be accused of something.

 I'm not...I've always been a friendly person. I've been a good mayor," the mayor said.

And that's how the rally's supporters say they feel as well.

The rally's organizer Robert Cowger says this isn't just about Morrison.

"It's to show that the residents of this town believe in the entire mayor and council," said Cowger. "The mayor doesn't really make the decisions. The council is the one that makes the decisions. He just follows through after the decisions are made from the council."

Morrison has been asked to resign by a group that formed in the wake of the police chief controversy called "Citizens for a Better Pocomoke." But Morrison says he will not resign.

Morrison says he stands firm in his belief that the town's issues can be resolved through open  discussions.

"It's what good for our whole town and that's what I want to see. I want to see this thing fixed and I want to see us to move forward," said Morrison.

Cowger says the media's portrayal of Pocomoke City as a town in the throes of racial tension and discrimination is not true.

"This town's title is the friendliest town and you know we don't have those kinds of issues and  stuff down here," said Cowger. "And to try to turn that into that and make it into national news, it's just nogt right."

Cowger says the letters of support have about 100 signatures.

The letters of support will be presented at the next city council meeting on Monday August 3rd  in Pocomoke City.

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview.

1955.. It almost happend- a consolidated High School to serve Pocomoke and Snow Hill; 1948.. Rotary honors one of Pocomoke City's oldest and most active citizens;  1935.. Excavation for Onancock post office unearths surprises; 1985.. Julian "Juke" Tyler becomes Crisfield's first city manager; 1903 .. Ad- Check these summertime clothing prices at I.H. Merrill in Pocomoke City.

It's this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye! 


Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .


When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.

Wallops Program Receives "Best" Award..

(excerpts from PRNewswire)

Wallops Aircraft Office Recognized as the Best in the Federal Government

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/

 -- NASA's Wallops Flight  Facility Aircraft Office in

Virginia has been recognized as the best small aviation

program in the Federal government by the General

Services Administration and  the  Interagency

Committee for Aviation Policy.

The Wallops aircraft team provides NASA and

 commercial platforms for worldwide airborne scientific 

research, technology development, cargo airlift, launch

range  surveillance and recovery, and remotely piloted 

aircraft systems and required chase operations.

The award is provided to agencies that have 

demonstrated their flight programs support for the

success of the agency's mission. An independent panel 

of aviation experts judge agencies based on aircraft

administration, operations, maintenance, training and 

safety.

In 2014, Wallops participated in 30 NASA airborne 

science missions, flying more than  2,000 flight hours

Both were records surpassing all previous marks

during the office's 45 years.

These aircraft support NASA missions across the
United States from the east to west coasts, as well as Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Africa and
Antarctica.

In addition, Wallops recently opened and conducted 

missions from a new Global Hawk Operations Center 

(GHOC-East) control center. The GHOC allows NASA to

conduct Global Hawk operations worldwide, including

missions to study Atlantic tropical storms.

When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.

THE GREAT POCOMOKE FAIR!

        See info at..

        http://www.thegreatpocomokefair.org/




When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.

YOUR VIEW?

Have a comment or opinion? You're welcome to share it here on The Pocomoke Public Eye! 

We're a family-friendly site so please keep the language and subject matter appropriate.

Some recent comments were:

(Sunday, 7/26)

	I hope that Ernie Leatherbury comes and takes the Chiefs job, he is a man of character and good looking to boot. on Pocomoke Remains In The News..	Anonymous	at 1:06 PM
	In the Pocomoke 2009 election, before the absentee ballots were counted the results were dead even at 58 each. There were 178 absentee ballots. How many elections do you know of where the absentee ballot number exceeds the number of in person votes? Now if the irregularities with the absentee ballots had not existed it still may have turned out the same. I do believe there was voter fraud in that election. on Pocomoke Petitioners..	Anonymous	at 12:13 PM
	See also http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2009/05/wymzie-stephanie-burke-loses-election.html on Pocomoke Petitioners..	SBeyma	at 11:59 AM
	Refer to http://thepocomokepubliceye.blogspot.com/2011/02/changes-made-in-pocomoke-election-laws.html on Pocomoke Petitioners..	SBeyma	at 11:53 AM
	Anon 10 am, Agreed to a certain extent; that is how Stephanie Burke forced the last changes by taking her concerns to the States Attorney at the time. That still does not mean the town administrator did not have to do a better job of assuring the local elections are conducted ethically and properly and that the election board and town had adequate training, which they do not have so far. Why is there no provision for write in votes, for example? on Pocomoke Petitioners..	SBeyma	at 11:49 AM
	I wonder if Lucas informed the DOJ reps of this tidbit at the meeting the other night? If true, the former chief and the citizens group really has a gem as their de facto spokeswoman. All of their credibility is shot if her man was one of the ones recently arrested. The first thing the citizens need to do before they worry about the mayor and council is to clean their own house. on Pocomoke Remains In The News..	Anonymous	at 10:09 AM
	SBeyma, while the election was local, they are overseen by the State of MD. Any election issues then fall to that particular county's States Attorney's Office. onPocomoke Petitioners..	Anonymous	at 10:00 AM
	I can remember seeing Honiss and whatever other seating council member up for reelection walking through neighborhoods, their back pocket full of absentee ballot forms. This was done with the full knowledge of city hall. Had we had the professional city manager the former city manager claimed to be, this would not have been possible. It was his duty to see that elections were conducted ethically and he failed miserably by intention. on Pocomoke Petitioners..	SBeyma	at 9:36 AM
	Oh really 10:13. And who might that fine upstanding citizen be? No wonder she's PO'ed. Taking a bite out of crime must have certainly taken a bite out of her pocketbook. I wonder if she is a user as well? This would explain the babbling nonsense that comes out of that mouth of hers every time she's interviewed by the media. Next time she's interviewed she needs to be asked about this. on Pocomoke Remains In The News..	Anonymous	at 8:15 AM
	9:27-Not so sure that the system was revised. I think it's more along the lines of Honiss died and isn't around to organize a Stuff the Ballot Box drive. I clearly remember the election where there were considerably more absentee ballots then there were more people who showed up to vote on election day. Yep-only those born yesterday thought everything was on the up and up. Those low information people and people who knew it was wrong, but chose to ignore. on Pocomoke Petitioners..

(7/25)

I grew up with Reuben Campbell (Sonny) Morrison and his little brother, Brucie. I've lost track of how many times Sonny has been in jail and I don't think much more of Brucie but at least he has never served time. Somehow he got himself elected Mayor so I've got to respect that but the key is the City Attorney. If he's any kind of lawyer he would have advised and prevented the Mayor and Council from doing anything blatantly illegal. Questionable, maybe but definitely not illegal. Brucie may come out of this with a whole lot of stink on him but I doubt there will be any charges. Your friend, Slim on Pocomoke Petitioners..

TIME MACHINE ... 1969, 1898, 1939, 1829, 1949.

"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; it 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 archives/historical archives material)


October, 1969..

                                                                                   The Salisbury Times



October, 1898
The Times (Washington, D.C.)

Fire At Crisfield, Md.

Crisfield, Md., Oct. 25.-  The business portion of Crisfield was destroyed by fire last night.  Eight stores, the Eastern Shore Hotel, the postoffice and the Adams Express office are among the buildings burned.  The loss is estimated at $40,000; small insurance.



July, 1939

                                                                        Easton Star Democrat (Easton, Md)

Footnote:

Gunther was a long established Baltimore brewery, with a heritage that pre-dated Prohibition (when it was spelled "Guenther").  The brewery operated until 1959, when it was purchased by Theodore Hamm, a large Minnesota-based brewery. Hamm was attempting to expand its territory into the East and bought Gunther as its first outpost.  Rather than continue to brew Gunther for local customers and introduce it's own brands over time, Hamm's instead eliminated Gunther's brand immediately (negating all the local loyalty).  Hamm's only stayed for three years before selling the brewery and brands to Schaefer, a large Brooklyn-based brewer. Schaefer reintroduced Gunther as one of its budget brands and won back some of the local customer base.  Schaefer itself continued in operation until 1976, when its operations and brands were sold.

(online text and logo courtesy http://heritage575.tripod.com/home.html )



July, 1829
The Hagerstown Mail (Hagerstown, Md.)

Myriads of Locusts, says the Snow Hill Messenger, have made their appearance in Somerset County, on the eastern shore of this state, and fears are entertained that they will do great injury to the fruit trees.



1949.. "More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette."

See the TV commercial here:

http://www.bestoldcommercials.com/camel-igarettes-doctors-choice-of-smoke/



Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .


When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.

Pocomoke Petitioners..

(wboc.com)

Petition for Pocomoke Mayor's Resignation Temporarily Recalled

Posted: Jul 24, 2015 10:23 PM EDT

By Nicole Edenedo

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. -- A petition calling for Pocomoke City's mayor to resign has been recalled temporarily by the group that requested it.

The Citizens for a better Pocomoke held a press conference Friday night at the House of Love Christian Center to officially call for Mayor Bruce Morrison's resignation.

Reverend James Jones, a spokesperson for the group, says the petition will be revised and released early next week.

WBOC also spoke to Mayor Morrison earlier today who says allegations of corruption and incompetence against him are false.

Morrison says he is not prepared to resign.

But Morrison and the group's leaders say they are willing to talk about a resolution.

"I would be willing to sit down with the mayor at any given time," said Jones. "We just want honesty. When he speaks, we want him to be straightforward and honest with us."

Mayor Morrison has declined to go on camera with WBOC but he did give a statement Friday about former police chief Kelvin Sewell, who was fired by the council weeks ago and prompted the group's formation. 

Morrison says the "chief works at the pleasure of the council," the decision was made by the council and the council acts on behalf of the people in Pocomoke City.

Pocomoke Remains In The News..

(wboc.com)

Some Pocomoke Residents Call For Mayor's Resignation, He Tells WBOC He's Staying

Posted: Jul 23, 2015 7:39 PM EDT

By Tyler Butler

POCOMOKE, Md.-  It's been a few weeks since the Pocomoke City Council voted to remove their police chief.  Ever since that sudden announcement, supporters of Kelvin Sewell have rallied behind the chief.

The matter even caught the attention of the justice department, who this week was in town looking into the situation.  The group who has been pushing for the chief's reinstatement is now calling for the mayor's resignation.

It's been a turbulent few weeks in Pocomoke.  A group calling themselves "Citizens for a Better Pocomoke" are petitioning for the mayor's resignation.

"He should be gone, because he got rid of the chief without letting us know what what and why, and because he has his own agenda.  He is an elected official, he speaks for us, and right now, he's not," Michelle Lucas said.

In a statement to WBOC, Mayor Bruce Morrison said:

"I became involved 11 years ago to make positive influence in our community, I believe I've done that successfully.  It's been a very unfortunate and an inaccurate deception of Pocomoke City that is being presented right now.  I have every confidence that we will weather the storm.  I intend to work with all the residents of pocomoke city for a positive outcome.  I have no intention of resigning of mayor of Pocomoke City at this time."

Not everyone though believes the chief should resign.  Long time residents like Marc Scher say Mayor Morrison has been good for Pocomoke.

"He should definitely stay, I feel he has worked really hard, he takes pride in the job he's done, and definitely I think he should stay," said Scher.

"It's important that he stay because he's concerned about Pocomoke, he loves Pocomoke, he's lived here all of his life, and we need a good man representing Pocomoke like he does," said Joanne Lusby.

But others say by getting rid of the mayor, the chief may be able to come back.

"Get rid of the mayor.  Because he has not been honest.  He's a liar.  He did not give the community no explanation, he wanted to do what he wanted to do.  if we stick together as a community, we can get our chief back," said Michelle Kellam-Brown.

The group behind this petition to remove the mayor would not speak to us on camera today.  They intend to formally announce the petition Friday evening in Pocomoke City.

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview.

 1969.. It's third straight county soccer title for Pocomoke High; 1898.. Crisfield suffers big fire loss; 1939.. A longtime former Maryland brewery in its heyday; 1829.. Mother Nature's unwelcome visitors come to Somerset County; 1949.. TV ad says this cigarette is smoked by more doctors than any other brand. 

It's this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye!

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers or something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? Please send to tkforppe@yahoo.com .


When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.

Department Of Justice Visits Pocomoke City..

A local news outlet's article reports on the 

purpose of a current visit to Pocomoke City by 

members of The Department of Justice 

Community Relations Service Division. 

http://www.wboc.com/story/29611314/department-of-justice-in-pocomoke-city

Susan Pusey Services Scheduled..

(delaware 1059.com)

 A Celebration of Susan's life will be held on 

Thursday starting at 11 a.m. at Pocomoke High

School; the doors will open at 10 a.m. for 

seating. Pusey's son Trever will lead the service

and arrangements have been made for several 

speakers to share their memories from Susan's

life.


Following Thursday's service, there will be a 

"Field Hockey Welcome Home Champions 

Parade"  from the high school, through town to

the draw bridge, similar to the many Susan 

experienced in her coaching career, but in the

opposite direction as we send Susan off to her

Championship into eternal life. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can 

be made to the Pocomoke High School, c/o

Annette Wallace, 1817 Old Virginia Road,

Pocomoke City, MD 21851 for the support of 

the field hockey program. 

Downtown This Friday!

When you're clicking around the Internet remember to check in with The Pocomoke Public Eye.  We strive to be a worthwhile supplement to your choices.