No Municipal Election For Pocomoke City This Year

Photo BW

By
Elaine Bean
POCOMOKE CITY — Since only two incumbent council members filed to run in the upcoming municipal election, the town will not hold an election this year.

Incumbent council members Diane Downing and George E. Tasker had already filed to run in the election and will automatically be declared the winners, according to city manager Russell Blake.

“There is no election required under our rules,” said Blake. “(Downing and Tasker) will be declared the winners.”

The cancellation of the municipal election will save the town and its citizens both money and effort.

“With no other candidates, we don’t need to go through the motions and expense of an election,” said Blake.

Downing, who represents the 2nd District, will be serving her second term as city council member.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue serving, because I enjoy it,” said Downing. “(Running unopposed) makes me feel like I’m doing something right.”

She was involved in bringing the Riverside Grill restaurant to Pocomoke City during her first term, part of her interest in downtown revitalization.

“That’s a big thing economically,” Downing said.

Downing would also like to see improvements in the condition of homes in Pocomoke City and is also interested in developing activity programs for youth.

“Maybe something that would hold their interest — an arcade, maybe. It takes time,” she said.

Tasker, who represents District 1, was elected in 2012 to fulfill the unexpired term of the late Bob Hawkins. This will be his first complete three-year term.

“I’m glad that no one ran against me,” said Tasker. “But sometimes it makes me wonder whether people really care when no one runs against someone unopposed. …Unless everyone thinks I’m doing the job. But I haven’t been in there long enough for anybody to think I’ve done a good job.”

Bringing businesses to downtown Pocomoke City and the industrial park is high on Tasker’s list of priorities. He is also concerned about flooding and other drainage issues.

“I want to see the downtown grow, and I’d like to see more youth programs come alive in town.

Maybe some open mentoring programs,” said Tasker.

Source:

Rep. Scott Rigell makes Statement About Delay of USS Truman’s Deployment

On Wednesday the Navy announced that the USS Harry S. Truman will not deploy on Friday as scheduled.

Congressman Scott Rigell released the following statement:

“This most recent announcement concerning the USS HARRY S TRUMAN and our carrier presence in the Persian Gulf is an early indication of the challenge our region will face if sequestration is not averted. I have supported, and the House has passed on two separate occasions, measures that would avert sequestration. As recently as today, I co-sponsored legislation to be introduced by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon that would avert these cuts for the remainder of this fiscal year by offsetting them with savings through attrition in the federal workforce with a national security waiver.”

“I urge the President and the Senate to consider these alternatives passed by the House to avert sequestration. The seriousness of this situation cannot be overstated. These cuts have the potential to devastate our region and, as we can see by today’s announcement, the impact on our community and our forward presence has already begun.”

Thousands Protest O'Malley's Gun Control

WBFF Photo

A huge crowd of gun rights supporters rallied in Annapolis Wednesday to protest a comprehensive gun control bill backed by Governor O'Malley.

Among the signs displayed by protesters on Lawyer's Mall outside the State House: "Armed people are safe and free."

The bill would ban the sale of military-style assault weapons and restrict the high capacity of magazines to ten rounds.

The measure also calls for those purchasing handguns to obtain a license and complete a firearm safety course.

But Shannon Alford, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, told the crowd "We know that law abiding citizens are the only affected by this bill because criminals don't follow laws."

Tim Rourke, who attended the rally, said "I'm not part of the NRA, I'm not part of any group, I'm a stay at home dad and I'm here cause they're not going to take my rights away."

A short time later, Governor O'Malley testified on behalf of his bill before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

"This is not about ideology, this is about public safety, this is about doing reasonable things that work to save lives, to prevent hopefully the sort of slaughter that our country sadly is a witness to far too often," said the Governor.

The Governor was referring to the recent school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where 20 young students and six staffers were killed.

"None of us having empathy in our heart and not ask ourselves is there not something that we could and we should be doing," said the Governor.

Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger also testified in favor of licensing new owners of handguns.

"Just like you wouldn't want your 15-year old to begin driving a car without proper licensing and training, we want to make sure that every gun owner also has proper training and licensing.

Senate President Mike Miller says, "It'll be a close vote on the licensing aspect but you got to remember, it only applies to future purchases, it doesn't apply to existing guns and it doesn't apply to rifles or shotguns."

The public hearing began at 1pm Wednesday but continued well into the evening, with more than 800 witnesses signed up to testify.

Source:Thousands Protest Governor O'Malley's Gun Control Bill

Woman Strikes Fiance' In Head/ Arresed Twice In One Day

Kathleen Theresa Machen

On February 6, 2013 at approximately 12:30 a.m. Ocean City police responded to 1210 Philadelphia Avenue in reference to an assault. Officers arrived at the scene and met with a male victim
who was bleeding from the head.  The victim told officers that he had been attacked while sleeping in his room by his fiancé, later identified as Kathleen Theresa Machen, 47, of Ocean City, Maryland.

The victim told police that he had been asleep, alone, in his room, when Machen came into the room and attacked him with a metal can of beans; striking him repeatedly in the head and causing several bleeding head wounds.  The victim advised he was able to get Machen off of him and get out of the room and flee to a friend’s room where he called the police.

Police located Machen and attempted to place her under arrest for assault. During the arrest Machen resisted police and was eventually subdued and taken into custody.  Prior to this incident, Machen had attacked the victim earlier in the day, striking him in the head with a beer can after which Ocean City police responded and arrested her for second degree assault. 

After the arrest for second degree assault, Machen was released on her own recognizance by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner with the specific stipulation that she was not to return to 1210 Philadelphia Avenue and to have no contact with the victim. As a result of the second attack, Machen was charged with:

 

First degree assault

Second degree assault

 Malicious destruction of property

 Resisting arrest

Machen was seen by an Ocean City District Court Commissioner and is being held on $250,000.00 pending a bond review later today by an Ocean City District Court Judge.  The victim was treated at the scene by Ocean City EMS. 
 
Ocean City Police Department

Ballet Theater of Maryland To Perform

MEDIA ADVISORY: POLICE WARN MOTORISTS YOU HOLD THE KEY.....

MEDIA ADVISORY:

POLICE WARN MOTORISTS

 YOU HOLD THE KEY

 WHILE COLLEGE STUDENTS HELP PUT

THE BRAKES ON AUTO THEFT

Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Marcus L. Brown will be joined by Baltimore City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, Howard County Deputy Chief Lee Lachman, Colonel Pete Evans of the Baltimore County Police Department, and Paul Holland, Vice President of the MD/DC Anti-Car Theft (ACT) Committee to educate Maryland motorists about the newest trends in auto theft.

Maryland’s Vehicle Theft Prevention Council, in partnership with the Maryland/DC Anti Car Theft Committee, will present $7000 in scholarship money to Towson University students for their winning entries into the fourth annual radio and television PSA competition. The public service announcement entries, in both the radio and television categories, were required to focus on new trends in auto theft.

Contrary to the belief, auto thieves do not focus solely on new vehicles. Award recipients produced thirty second spots that will be used in a media campaign to reach a target audience who is unfamiliar with the rapidly growing criminal enterprise. The PSA’s will be made available to all media for broadcast.

WHAT: Top Cops Reveal New Trends in Auto Theft
Scholarship Awards Presented to Student Producers

WHEN: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 1:00pm

WHERE: 2013 Motor Trend International Auto Show
Baltimore Convention Center
Main Showroom Floor, adjacent to KIA and VOLVO
One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

Hogan: Maryland is in "Race to Bottom" if Gov. Fails to Act on Education

Hogan: Maryland is in "Race to Bottom"

 if Gov. Fails to Act on Education

 

Annapolis - Change Maryland Chairman Larry Hogan called for tighter coordination between the O'Malley and Obama Administrations on key areas of education reform. According to the U.S. Department of Education's review of Maryland's performance in the Race to the Top initiative, the state failed to set clear expectations for principal and teacher evaluation systems.

"School reform in Maryland will be a 'race to the bottom' if the governor fails to get engaged in this," said Hogan. "It is a serious problem when the U.S. Department of Education cites a leadership failure in the state's ability to implement needed reforms."

Federal officials cited a leadership void when the state's education department was without a permanent superintendent.

In the second year of the $5 billion Race to the Top initiative, the Obama Administration singled out Maryland, Washington D.C. and Georgia as coming up short on progress in fundamental areas.   According to the U.S. Department of Education, Maryland did not set clear expectations for the 2011-2012 school year in the development of a teacher and principal evaluation system which rendered the data meaningless and inconsistent.  Lack of coordination between the state and local school districts was cited as the primary reason for the data collection failure.

"I would like to see Gov. O'Malley reach out to President Obama while he has his attention today and seek assistance on properly implementing the Race to the Top initiative," said Hogan. "Our students and their parents deserve a way to measure how effective their teachers are."

According to Education Week magazine - the source that O'Malley has used more than any other to tout his Administration's success - the rankings as weighted towards quality criteria such as evaluating teacher performance likewise show weakness in the public school system.  Under that criteria, Maryland's performance lags behind Virginia and Pennsylvania and joins Delaware and West Virginia in earning a "C" grade in that category.

"There can be no serious effort at education reform without proper procedures to evaluate teacher performance," said Hogan.  "Maryland is behind the curve on implementing the most sweeping, fundamental and systemic changes to public schools our nation has seen in a generation."

In the Education Week annual report card, Maryland earns a 76.5 score under the accountability for quality criteria.  Among the performance indicators this category measures are the degree to which teachers are formally evaluated.

Wednesday Specials ~ Riverside Grill Pocomoke

Wednesday

February 6, 2013

 -Maryland Crab Soup w/ 1/2 roast beef sandwich or side salad 6.99
 -NC Pulled Pork BBQ w/ coleslaw  and hush puppies 6.99
 -Pear and Bleu Cheese Salad 7.99
 -Cajun Shrimp Caesar Wrap w/ fries 8.99

 

Happy Hour 4-7

 w/ $1 off appetizers

 @ 8 pm: $5 crab dip

 $5 cosmos,

$2 Coors lt drafts

 $2 house wine

Postal Service To Cut Saturday Mail

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion annually, the financially struggling agency says.

In an announcement scheduled for later Wednesday, the service is expected to say the Saturday mail cutback would begin in August.

The move accentuates one of the agency's strong points — package delivery has increased by 14 percent since 2010, officials say, while the delivery of letters and other mail has declined with the increasing use of email and other Internet services.

Under the new plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday, but would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays.

Over the past several years, the Postal Service has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages — and it repeatedly but unsuccessfully appealed to Congress to approve the move. Though an independent agency, the service gets no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control.

It was not immediately clear how the service could eliminate Saturday mail without congressional approval.

But the agency clearly thinks it has a majority of the American public on its side regarding the change.

Material prepared for the Wednesday press conference by Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general and CEO, says Postal Service market research and other research has indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs.

CONTINUE STORY

Story Time At Worcester County Libraries

For more info go to:  http://www.worcesterlibrary.org/
OR  FACEBOOK

Frontier: The War of 1812 ~ Ballet At the Mar-Va Theater

 Frontier: `The War of 1812

Ballet by the Ballet Theatre of Maryland

Saturday, February 9 

 2  & 7 pm

Mar-va Theater and Performing Arts Center in Pocomoke

 

 

Frontier: The War of 1812 is a live dance multi-media performance that captures the fiery independence of colonial America as it forges itself into a nation. This production is inspired by the letters of Dolly Madison and other significant
women of the period and depicts major events of the war that shaped America’s destiny.

 

 

Tickets are $6.00 and go on sale at all branches of the Worcester and
Somerset County Libraries

 

This event is sponsored by the Worcester County Library Foundation, The Worcester County Arts Council,
and the Somerset County Library.

 

 

NASA, Industry Head To Richmond For 2013 Aerospace Days

 Leaders from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va., will join industry representatives Feb. 6 and 7 to meet with General Assembly members to promote aerospace in Virginia.

This is the eighth "Aerospace Days," which include meetings with legislators, briefings to various committees such as science and education, and other events to provide updates on current aerospace-related operations, initiatives, facilities and technology development in the Commonwealth, including:

ongoing efforts at NASA Langley and Wallops to continue NASA's exploration of Earth and space, support commercial cargo and crew space transportation development, and enable access to deep-space destinations with the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle and the Space Launch System;

construction of a new 135,000 square foot "integrated engineering services building" at NASA Langley and the recently opened, state-of-the-art Research and Innovation Laboratories at Hampton's National Institute of Aerospace;

the expanding and increasingly important efforts to increase and improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM education across the state by NASA and its partners, including the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and others.

Astronaut Anna Fisher – NASA's first mother in space - will also be speaking with legislators and participating in NASA education outreach efforts. Fisher flew as a mission specialist on STS-51A in November 1984.

Additional facts about aerospace in Virginia:

• Virginia's aerospace industry employs more than 28,000 people with a direct economic output of $7.6 billion and average salary of almost $100,000;
• NASA generates $1.2 billion and almost 11,000 jobs in Virginia;
• NASA provides STEM-related K-12 education programs, digital learning network, teacher enhancement, summer internships, pre-college and higher education programs in the Commonwealth.

• For more information on NASA's Langley Research Center, visit:
  http://www.nasa.gov/langley
  For more information on NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, visit:  
  http://www.nasa.gov/wallops
  For more information on the LADEE mission, visit:  
  http://www.nasa.gov/ladee
  
  Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/05/5167233/nasa-industry-head-to-richmond.html#storylink=cpy
  
  Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/05/5167233/nasa-industry-head-to-richmond.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/05/5167233/nasa-industry-head-to-richmond.html#storylink=cpy

Riverside Grill Pocomoke

Tuesday Specials

February 5, 2013

 -Beer-Cheese Soup w/ 1/2 sandwich or side salad 5.99
 -Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes and green beans 6.99
 -Thai Chili Shrimp Wrap w/ fries 8.99
 -Apple-Cranberry Salad 7.99

 @ 4 pm: 99 cent kids meals 

Happy Hour 4-7 w/ $1 off appetizers

@ 8 pm: 50 cent wings
 Buffalo Wings: 50 cents a wing tonight after 8

Crime Watch Meetings/ February

STOCKTON, MD.

Community Crime Watch Meeting

with

DFC Trotter

Friday

February 8, 2013 at 6:00 PM

To be held at the Stockton Firehouse

 Please bring you questions, comments or any concerns that you have.

The Community Crime Watch is one of the most effective means available for keeping crime out of our neighborhood.

 When neighbors work together with Law Enforcement, it creates one of the best crime fighting teams around.

STOCKTON VOL. FIRE CO. /Facebook


OTHER COMMUNITY MEETINGS

 Friday, February 15, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the New Bethel United Methodist Church in Germantown

Wednesday, February 20, 2012 at 6 p.m. at the Bishopville Fire Department

Fire Stations Have Responded To 44 Suspected Cases Of Arsons Since Nov. 14

by Eric Kane, 13News

WVEC.com

 

ACCOMACK CO.-- As volunteer firefighters continue battling the rising number of arsons on the Eastern Shore, they are seeing a burning hole in their bottom line.

The Accomack County Department of Public Safety says 14 fire stations have responded to 44 suspected cases of arson since Nov. 14,   They've sent an average of 20 volunteers to each fire and estimate hundreds of firefighters have now racked up close to 100 man-hours.

The department says they're also paying 65% more in fuel costs in order to fight these fires, increasing from $2,000 to $3,000 per month.

According to Virginia State Police, someone intentionally set two fires over the weekend, including an airplane hangar in Onley and an abandoned barn in Parksley.

“It was pretty shocking, it's so close to home,” said Ann Weinheimer.

Weinheimer lives just across the street from her brother's hangar. She says the community is fed-up with the fires, and she feels for the volunteers.

"It's just one night after another, and the resources, and the expense is, I would imagine, very challenging for them, but also physically draining," said Weinheimer.

With the serial arsonist still on the loose, people in Accomack County wonder what might be the next target.

While Weinheimer says she felt violated by the fire, she has a strong message for the person responsible.

"Get help, get help. Don't destroy our property.  I'm sorry for whatever is wrong, whatever is troubling or upsetting, but don't hurt other people."

Source:

Bill To Partially Close Gun Show Loophole Fails

Bill to partially close gun show loophole fails in committee vote

BY JIM NOLAN
Richmond Times-Dispatch Richmond Times-Dispatch

Any chance of even a modest tightening of Virginia's laws governing the ability to purchase firearms died Monday when a Senate panel overwhelmingly defeated a proposal to make available voluntary background checks for the private purchase of firearms at gun shows.
The Senate Courts of Justice Committee voted 11-3 to kill Senate Bill 1372, with Democrats and Republicans joining forces to scrap what had just several days earlier been promoted as a compromise on gun show regulation embraced by both sides of the debate.
In the end, some of the most ardent proponents of greater restrictions on firearms voted against the bill in protest, because they said it did too little to address the issue.

"It would only create the impression," said Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond, who has previously unsuccessfully carried gun show legislation. "It wouldn't do a thing."

And some of the traditional gun-rights opponents of background check legislation were happy to have Democratic support in killing a bill they did not find particularly offensive, but insisted would not prevent criminals from getting guns.

The bill would have required that a background check kiosk operated by Virginia State Police be present at gun shows to offer private sellers of firearms at the shows the chance to request a background check of their prospective purchasers.

Currently in Virginia, only federally licensed firearms dealers are required to perform background checks on prospective purchasers. There is no requirement for background checks on the private purchase, exchange or transaction of firearms anywhere in the state.

CONTINUE STORY....

PLAY TIME ! At The Library/ Adult Programs Too

Did you know that the Worcester County Library has programs for adults too?

Friday, February 1 through Thursday, February 14
Pocomoke Branch

Blind Date with a Book

Come to the library during the month of February and have a mysterious rendezvous…or a few if you’d like! Look for the display of tightly wrapped books, check one out and find out what it is when you get home! Spend some time getting to know your date. Even if your date turns out to be a dud, all is not lost. Fill out your “Rate Your Blind Date Slip”, which is located inside the book, and return it to the Pocomoke Library to be entered into a drawing for a prize!

Wednesday, February 13 at 1 pm
Pocomoke Branch

Antique Silver Appraisal

Silver appraiser John Gallagher will be on site to appraise your most treasured antique silver. Coins are not included as they have a different value system. Please limit to three pieces.

Activities vary throughout Worcester County so go to WORCESTER COUNTY LIBRARY  to see what's happening in your area!

"Educator Fairness Act" Passes in the Senate

Governor McDonnell's "Educator Fairness Act" Passes

 in the Senate on a 40-0 Vote

 

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement regarding the passage of his proposed "Educator Fairness Act" in the Senate today on a unanimous 40-0 vote. The bill had previously been passed in the House of Delegates last week. The Educator Fairness Act was part of the governor's All Students K-12 legislative agenda. The Educator Fairness Act extends the probationary window for teachers from 3 to up to 5 years, to allow for a more thoughtful examination of teachers being awarded continuing contract status, and to allow for an extended period of mentoring for new teachers. It also provides for a definition of incompetence to include one or more unsatisfactory performance evaluations and defines the relationship between the evaluation and the contract. This act will streamline the grievance procedure and will allow for an expedited decision to inform the teacher of the final outcome.

"I am pleased that members of both parties came together in the House and Senate to support these key reforms to Virginia's teacher contract and grievance system. We have incredible teachers in Virginia and these reforms will help ensure that our children always have the most effective educators possible in the classroom. Great teachers are the key to bright futures for our children. These reforms came together with the input and support of the VEA, the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, the Virginia Association of School Boards, the Virginia Association of Counties, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and others. I thank these groups for working with me and with House patron Delegate Dickie Bell and Senate Patron Tommy Norment throughout the legislative process. The Educator Fairness Act, along with other key education reforms and investments we are making this year, will enable Virginia schools to better recruit, retain and reward excellent teachers, and ensure that our children get the world's best education."

 

Pocomoke City Police Department / Press Release

POCOMOKE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRESS RELEASE

January 3 - 28, 2013

01-11-2013     Jerron Crippen age 27 of Pocomoke, MD was arrested and charged with 2 Degree Assault.

01-13-2013    Aaron Walker age 34 of Philadelphia, PA was arrested and charged with Disturbing the Peace.

01-14-2013   Savanta Selby age 44 of Ocean City MD was arrested and charged with Theft less $1,000. Selby also had an Outstanding Warrant from Wicomico County for an open  container violation.

 01-16-2013    William Mills age 43 of Chincoteague VA was arrested and Charged with Theft less $100 False Statement to a Police.

01-19-2013    Norman Clayton age 25 of Pocomoke City was arrested on an Outstanding Warrant for traffic violations.

01-19-2013   Charlie White age 58 of Mappsville, VA was arrested on an Outstanding Warrant for Failure to Appear.

01-27-2013    Latasha Blake age 28 of Pocomoke, MD was arrested and Charged with Disorderly Conduct.

01-28-2013     Carl Williams age 21 of Pocomoke, MD was arrested on an Outstanding Warrant for Possession of Marijuana.

 

Kelvin D. Sewell

Chief of Police
Pocomoke City, MD. 

February 4, 2013

Arrested A Second Time~ Guess He Didn't Get The Message

 Once again the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team was assisted by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Pocomoke City Police Department, and the Maryland State Police.

Sometimes a thug doens't "get it" the first time and for some unknown reason continues down the same path of life once given a second chance.  Maybe it won't take long before those who decided to continue to break the law will get the clear message that these law enforcement teams are NOT joking and will continue to clear the community area of such nonfunctioning crap as this!

Another great job from those who protect and serve!

Worcester County Sheriff's Office

On February 1, 2013, members of the Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team concluded a cocaine distribution investigation in the Pocomoke, Maryland area.

  As a result of this investigation a search and seizure warrant was authored for Christopher Shawn Harmon, Age 39, of Pocomoke, Maryland along with his residence on 8th Street, Pocomoke, Maryland. On this date, Harmon was observed operating a vehicle in the area of Linden Avenue at which time members of the Criminal Enforcement Team attempted to conduct a traffic stop of this vehicle in order to execute this search and seizure warrant.

Harmon subsequently fled in this vehicle on to U.S. Route 13, where he was observed discarding several glass vials of cocaine from the window of the vehicle. Harmon was stopped near the intersection of U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 113, Pocomoke, Maryland at which time he was taken into custody without further incident. Approximately 12.2 grams of cocaine was recovered from the roadway and Harmon’s vehicle. Harmon was transported to the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office where he was charged with the following offenses:

-Possession of cocaine
-Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine

Harmon was committed to the Worcester County Detention Center on a $25,000.00 bond.

 Harmon was just recently released on January 3, 2013 from the Maryland Department of Corrections stemming from a previous controlled dangerous substance conviction.

The Worcester County Criminal Enforcement Team was assisted by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Pocomoke City Police Department, and the Maryland State Police.


Submitted by Lieutenant Edward C. Schreier
Worcester County Sheriff's Office

Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Company Awards Banquet

The Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company held their annual awards banquet on Saturday, January 26, 2013.  Held the last Saturday in January,  the banquet recognizes the greatness of those men and women in the community who are always there  when called to aid those in harms way.  From fighting the most fierce fire to selling the most BBQ chicken tickets or manning the fire house during a storm each individual, in his/her own way,  complete the Pocomoke City Fire Company to make it the greatest that it is.

It is important to note also that some of these firefighters are second and third generation members of the firefighting families.

Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Co. Top Responders for 2012

(left to right)
Travis Cowger 192; Mike Dean 181; Tyler Fairman 179; Devin Fairman 149; Choppy Layton 136;Doug Mumford 117; Chris Vieira 116; Josh Weichmann 102; Bill Sparrow 116; Keven Hall 104; Richard Wimbrow 102 (not in photo) Chief Dicky Gladding 205; Asst. Chief Corey Dean 180; Capt. Eric Denston 125 Cadet Austin McGee 111 (there was a total of 261 alarms in 2012)

Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company Cadets

 

Cadets that attended the banquet: (l to r)
Austin McGee; A.J. Miller; Noah King; Steven Wright; Jordan Sharpley; Ethan Taylor

To be a cadet with the Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Dept. you must be between the age of 16 to 17 years, live within the are the fire department serves and maintain at least a "C" average in school.  (Please be sure to support them during their next fundraiser)

Many awards are given during the few hours of the banquet and I have just touched on a few.  It should be known that (to me) each individual from the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Department is special AND important...not because of who they are but for what they do!

Marion Butler, Sr. Awarded For 65 Years of Service


Maryland State Delegate, Norman Conway (L) presents a Certificate to Marion Butler, Sr. (R) for his 65 years of community service as a member of the Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Co.  President Andy Clarke (center)

Senator Jim Mathias (left) presents a certificate from the State of Maryland to Marion Butler, Sr. (right) for 65 years of service.  Andy Clarke (center) President of the PCVFD 
Marion Butler, Sr. has served Pocomoke City in many capacities throughout the years.

Other members of the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company with 60 plus years of service are:

Marion Butler, Sr. - Member since 1948

George Henderson, Jr. - Member since 1951

George Young, Jr. - Member since 1950

For more photos and more information about the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company visit their website.  Pocomoke City Fire Company
OR

"Like" them on their FACEBOOK PAGE

Photos are from the Pocomoke City Vol. Fire Company website.

Ravens Win Is Closer To Home Than You Might Think

Todd Washington

From WESR
Todd Washington will get his second Super Bowl ring in 10 years. Todd, a graduate of Nandua High School and son of coach Tony Washington and Earline Washington of Melfa is an assistant to the offensive line coach of the Baltimore Ravens who defeated the San Fransisco Forty Niners 34-31 at the Superdome in New Orleans last night.

Todd played along side of his brother TJ for Virginia Tech. He then joined the NFL playing for Tampa Bay. In 2003, Tampa Bay defeated Oakland 48-21 earning Todd his first Super Bowl ring.

Last night the Ravens held of a second half surge by the 49ers to win the game for Baltimore. The revamped offensive line in the playoffs was a contributing factor to the Ravens' advance through the playoffs to the Super Bowl.

The Washington family owns another piece of football history. Son TJ won a world championship ring for the now defunct European league. The game was called the World Bowl.

Congratulations to the Washington family. No one else from the Eastern Shore has ever owned a Super Bowl ring.

Source:

More Info on Todd Washington
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/coaches/Todd_Washington/0604a00b-4e2d-42bb-a560-51df6dbaa591

Field Notes By Delegate Mike McDermott

Feb. 3rd, 2013

Observations and Reflections on Legislative Activities

By Delegate Michael A. McDermott

 

 

 

Week 4  Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013
Tuesday Judiciary Committee Hearings:HB-116 would allow for what is commonly referred to as “one-way” wire taps for crimes involving vulnerable adults. Current law allows for use of this type of recording for a multitude of crimes from Murder to Obstruction of Justice. This bill would add crimes against vulnerable adults to the list. We heard from several folks about the need for this mechanism to assist in these crimes, particularly many that cannot even speak for themselves.HB-156 would increase the fee of removing a shopping cart from a store premise from $25 to $100. The penalty has been in place since the 1950’s and it is believed that the increased penalty would help keep people from removing the carts for fear of prosecution. This crime is already covered by the current Theft statute which carries a more significant penalty of up to $500. I suggested that Montgomery County create a local civil penalty to encourage enforcement that could target their particular problem with these cart thefts.HB-154 would provide that someone who is sentenced in a District Court case who is convicted and sentenced who is entitled a second (new) trial before the Circuit Court would  be allowed to have their sentence stayed pending the outcome of their appeal to the Circuit Court. It would act to release people from incarceration (who have already been convicted) while their case is on appeal. According to testimony, it is unclear if anyone is having difficulty receiving an Appeal Bond while they wait for their Circuit Court trial and this may not even be a problem.HB-152 seeks to limit the double jeopardy which can occur when a case is tried before a Federal Court which could also have jurisdiction in a State Court. It basically makes the government choose the jurisdiction in which it wants to pursue a case against an individual.

Special Committee on Gun Legislation: Today the committee received an overview of the O’Malley-Brown Gun Bill. We went over the major components of the legislation asking questions along the way for clarification. I have broken the bill down and, although it is not an exhaustive review, it provides a good overview. It can be viewed at this link: Gun Bill Overview.

Wednesday Session-State of the State Speech
Today, all the pomp and circumstance of a joint session in the House of Delegates where we listen to Governor O’Malley tell us how he sees the condition of our state. The governor began by referencing the Ravens, and, had he stopped there, it would have been the most uniting speech of his career. It went downhill from there. The governor is a big government guy and he believes it all the way. He pointed to a list of accomplished areas such as education where Maryland receives “number one” ratings from certain select sources. Essentially, if a state government is willing to outspend us as a percentage of their assigned state funding on education, they can dethrone us. This is also true for our willingness to spend money we do not have to provide various services across the board for anyone who asks. For instance, we are certainly not “number one” in the outcome of the education we provide, but let’s not look at those statistics. I do not blame the governor for drawing attention to areas where the state has been awarded a blue ribbon by some magazine or association, but our failure to be intellectually honest about how we achieve the ranking only hurts our future by focussing on the wrong measure of success: outcome!

Here are some of the governor’s concluding remarks. Where he refers to “a random shuffling of the deck”, he must have been alluding to this speech and our direction as a state. ..
“ I leave you with these thoughts:
Life is an ever evolving story of change and choice –letting go of things and ways that were, in order to reach for that which we have yet to achieve.
It is not some random shuffling of the deck, or a tossing of cards.  Life is an intentional process, and it calls for the goodness of our own intentions.
We, here in Maryland, are called to work at the center of this intentional movement.  For every decision we make, there is a future foretold.
Jobs and opportunity; public safety, public education, public transportation, the health of our people and the health of our planet. These are our concerns; and they are also the world’s concerns.”-Governor Martin O’MalleyGo here to read the entire speech

Wednesday Judiciary Hearings:HB-163 would eliminate the Office of Orphans Court Judge from Anne Arrundel County and replace them with the Circuit Court. It was supported by the Anne Arrundel Delegation but was opposed strongly by many judges of the Orphans Court across Maryland. Based upon what I heard and observed, this bill is going nowhere.HB-150 would require that a person who is involved in a motor vehicle accident where a fatality or serious injury occurs cannot refuse to submit to a test of breath or blood to determine alcohol concentration. This bill seeks to increase the number of drivers tested  and an overall strengthening of DWI enforcement in Maryland in accident cases. There was only token resistance offered by the Office of the Public Defender.HB-78 is the “Pit Bull” legislation which seeks to mitigate the court case which made all owners of Pitt Bull dogs liable for any attacks, damage, or bites inflicted by the dog. This bill would provide that an owner can provide evidence to show that they had no reason to believe the dog in question was previously aggressive (a rebuttable presumption). Effectively, this bill will widen the liability incurred by dog owners in general as opposed to being breed specific. The impression from the co sponsors of the legislation is that the bill is a compromise and does not reflect the will of the House of Delegates in a bill which was passed last year by the House. The hearing was long with many people testifying on the bill.

Thursday Afternoon Judiciary-Budget Briefing
We received our annual budget fiscal briefing by Director Warren Deschenaux of the Office of Policy Analysis from the Dept. of Legislative Services. Overall spending increases over 6%. There are hundreds of millions in new spending and some restoration funding. The budget includes a 3% COLA for State employees as well as Merit raises. Our debt service currently stands at $100 million, but more state spending involves trading current dollars for bonds (debt). This will increase our debt service in coming years to over half a billion dollars which will have a significant impact on future budgets. It is the proverbial kicking of the can down the road. The next two administrations will be addressing the folly of the current administrations spending policies.

There is a new $25 million fund for School Security (this will not go far across an entire state). The budget throws a one time bone to municipal governments by giving them a slight increase for local transportation issues. This is nowhere near the 90% amount the governor took from local government funding several years ago. Ironically, the governor does not call for increasing any funding for the counties in this regard. Some of these breakdowns can be found on page 5 at the above link.

Special Committee on Gun Legislation: Today the committee heard from Dr. Daniel Webster (John Hopkins) and Secretary Joshua Sarfstein (MD Dept. of Health) regarding studies on gun violence and firearms registration components instituted by various jurisdictions. The relevance of the information was questionable as there was no comparison/contrast with what Maryland is currently doing in this regard. Some information that would have been helpful was simply missing from the presentation.

Press Conference on Gun Bill: There was a Senate-House Press Conference on the O’Malley-Brown Gun Bill. Sadly, while Republicans are standing up to the assault on the 2nd Amendment, so far the Democrats have been mostly silent with any opposition. Only Senator John Astle and Delegate Kevin Kelly have spoken up against the bill.

Friday Morning Eastern Shore Delegation Meeting:
The Delegation met with Secretary Joshua Sharfstein of the MD Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. We also met with representatives of various Hospice organizations from the Eastern Shore who reported on their activities. We received an update from the folks representing the Healthy Families Programs and agreed to write a letter to support a funding increase. Minutes from the meeting are available at this link: Delegation Minutes 2-1-13.

 

 

Gumboro~Crisfield Mudbogs 2012 Season Banquet

GUMBORO-CRISFIELD MUDBOGS

2012 AWARDS BANQUET

 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Crisfield Elks Lodge- 4410 Crisfield Hwy.,

Crisfield, MD.

Banquet begins @6:30 PM

Tickets: $15.00 per person

Awards and trophies for the 2012 mudbog season will be presented.

Contact Charlie Price for tickets

410-330-6571

Baltimore Ravens WIN Super Bowl XLVII

WAY TO GO RAVENS !

 

Sunday -

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has released the following statement on the Ravens Super Bowl win :

“The Baltimore Ravens have proven that they are the team of destiny this year. We are incredibly proud of Coach John Harbaugh and our entire Baltimore Ravens team for bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Baltimore.

“Our Ravens have provided an inspirational lift for all of us to reach beyond our dreams this season. They are the heart and soul of Baltimore, and fans across our great State are celebrating in the historic accomplishments of this team. We look forward to the Ravens homecoming and the parade in the days to come.

“Congratulations to Joe Flacco for being named Most Valuable Player. We also wish Ray Lewis well in his future endeavors, and we are forever grateful for what he has done for Baltimore for 17 years. Go Ravens!”