Oceanway Convenience Store In Tasley Robbed

According to Sheriff Todd Godwin, on August 31, 2013 at approximately 09:19 p.m., the Accomack County Sheriffs Office received a report of a robbery that had occurred at the Oceanway convenience store in Tasley. 

Upon the arrival of deputies, it was determined that an armed subject dressed in dark clothing entered the store and robbed the clerk of an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect was described as a black male, approximately 60 with a thin build.

Assisting the Sheriffs Office in this incident were the Virginia State Police, Onley Police Department and Onancock Police Department.

Anyone with information on this or any other incident is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriffs Office at 757-787-1131 or 757-824-5666. 

Tips may also be submitted through the website at accomackcountysheriffsoffice.org. 

Source:

Calling all Grandparents To "FURNACE TOWN"

FURNACE TOWN

Free Day for Grandparents

Photo/Jo-Ann Rasmussen

 

Calling all Grandmothers & Grandfathers !

 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

"National Grandparents Day"

& to honor that Furnace Town is offering FREE Admission to all the wonderful Grandmothers & Grandfathers out there!!

 

12:00pm - 05:00pm

 

Photo/Jo-Ann Rasmussen

http://www.furnacetown.com/

https://www.facebook.com/furnace.town?fref=ts

Ladies Night Out!! ~ Don't Forget To R.S.V.P.

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

1916.. Two very different views on results of Worcester County's liquor prohibition; 1956.. Pocomoke fire claims race horses; 1930.. Stockton auto dealership; 1914.. Attractive salaries for House Of Correction employees; 1967.. Pocomoke's Pony Ranch drive-in. 

Although you may not find these items in a history book, they are a part of our local history and you can read more about it this Sunday right here at The Pocomoke Public Eye! 


Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!　

Mar-Va Theater This Weekend ~ TURBO

A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500.

Friday, September 6th

Saturday, September 7th

 

7 PM

 

Tickets:  $5

Pocomoke Fall Festival ~ SAVE THE DATE

Suspect Held At Gunpoint By Victim Until Police Arrive

RESIDENT HOLDS BURGLARY SUSPECT UNTIL POLICE ARRIVE

Joshua Luke Delp

(September 3, 2013) – On August 30, 2013, at approximately 11:45 a.m. Ocean City police responded to the 1700 block of Baltimore Avenue for a report of a burglary in progress. When officers arrived on scene, Ocean City Police Communications advised that the victim was actively holding the suspect down on the floor at gunpoint. The suspect, later identified as Joshua Luke Delp, 31, of Sinking Springs, PA, was quickly placed under arrest.

The victim, who is not being identified, stated that Delp entered through the unlocked front door of the unit then walked into the victims bedroom where he assaulted the victim. The victim then struck Delp, grabbed a shotgun which was hidden nearby and asked a roommate to call the police. The victim was able to hold Delp until police arrived.


Delp has been charged by Ocean City police with fourth degree burglary, third degree burglary and second degree assault. He was seen by a Maryland District Court Commissioner and released on $10,000 bond.

Submitted:
Ocean City Police Dept.

This Friday... Going To The Moon....

Hebron Volunteer Fire Company ~ GUN BASH

2nd ANNUAL POCOMOKETOBERFEST ~ This Weekend

One Arrested/ Searching For Another in Home Invasion On Marsh Market Road

Master Caine Wesley, Jr.

ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) - Deputies have arrested one person and are searching for another after a home invasion where one of the suspects was killed.

On Aug. 28, deputies in Accomack County responded to a report of shots fired at a home on Marsh Market Road near Sanford. While en route, deputies received a second call about two gunshot victims at a convenient store. One of the victims died.

Leon O'Bryan Crippen

Lt. Gerald Goga with the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office said further investigation revealed four suspects entered the home on Marsh Market Road and gunshots were fired during a robbery attempt by an occupant of the home. Two of the suspects were struck.

The deceased suspect was identified as 23-year-old Master Caine Wesley, Jr. of Nelsonia.

Warrants were issued for 26-year-old Lamesha Cropper of Salisbury, Md. and 22-year-old Leon O’Bryan Crippen of Temperanceville for robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery and armed burglary.

Goga said Cropper was arrested Wednesday by the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office and is being held pending an extradition hearing. Crippen remains on at large.

Anyone with information ask to call the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office at 757-787-1131 or 757-824-5666.

Source:

Ariel Castro Found Hanging in Cell ~ Pronounced Dead

Ariel Castro, 53, the Ohio man found guilty for the kidnapping and rape of three girls and holding them captive in his home for nearly a decade was found hanging in his cell Tuesday around 9:20 p.m.

Castro was housed at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, OH, serving a life term without parole. He was in protective custody, in a cell by himself where rounds were required every 30 minutes.

Upon finding Castro hanging in his cell, prison medical staff began performing life saving measures. 

Castro was transported to OSUMC shortly after and pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m. 

"A thorough review of this incident is underway and more information can be provided as it becomes available pending the status of the investigation," a spokesperson from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said in a statement.

Castro was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 1,000 years on August 1 for the kidnapping and rape of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus.

He plead guilty to 937 counts including aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and assault.
                                                               
The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old. They escaped from Castro's home on May 6 when Berry broke through a door and yelled for help.

Source:

Watercolor Art Class

NEW CHURCH VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE ~ PIZZA NIGHT

NEW CHURCH VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE

 

 

FRIDAY

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

5 UNTIL 8 P M

$10.00

CHEESE OR PEPPERONI

 

NO WAIT!

 

 

**Proceeds from this month's Pizza Night will be donated to a local firefighter whose house was burned down last month.**

 

$10 a pizza and donations will be accepted.

 

LADEE Rocket On Rocket Pad ~ Launch On Friday

NASA Photo

LADEE in the Fully-Stacked Minotaur V Fairing

NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft sits in the nose-cone at the top of the full Minotaur V launch vehicle stack. LADEE is the first spacecraft designed, developed, built, integrated and tested at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The probe will launch on a U.S. Air Force Minotaur V rocket, an excess ballistic missile converted into a space launch vehicle and operated by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Image credit: NASA Ames/ Zion Young.

PLEASE NOTE:
ARBUCKLE ROAD TO BE CLOSED FOR
ROCKET LAUNCH

On Friday, September 6, 2013 NASA is planning a LADEE Rocket Launch.

 

The launch will take place at 11:27 in the evening.  As many of you know Arbuckle Road is a VERY popular area for watching the launches from the base.

 

HOWEVER:  Due to the "DANGER AREA" projected for this launch Arbuckle Road will be CLOSED to the general public.
The roadway will closed at 8 P.M. and not reopen until after the the rocket launch/area is considered safe.

 

Persons residing on Arbuckle Road will be permitted to travel to their homes but must have proper identification.

Midway Sponsors "TEACHER APPRECIATION NIGHT "

 From Midway Chevrolet

This is open to ANY teachers of our local schools, public or private. All of us here at Midway want to show our appreciation to our teachers! Stop by for some good food, free school supplies, and chat with your fellow teachers!

 (No sales pitches, we promise!)

"Feathered Fiesta" !!

NASA Prepares for First Virginia Coast Launch to Moon

Image credit: NASA Ames / Dana Berry

In an attempt to answer prevailing questions about our moon, NASA is making final preparations to launch a probe at 11:27 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 6, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va.

The small car-sized Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a robotic mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust is being lofted into the lunar sky. A thorough understanding of these characteristics of our nearest celestial neighbor will help researchers understand other bodies in the solar system, such as large asteroids, Mercury, and the moons of outer planets.

"The moon's tenuous atmosphere may be more common in the solar system than we thought," said John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for science in Washington. "Further understanding of the moon's atmosphere may also help us better understand our diverse solar system and its evolution."

The mission has many firsts, including the first flight of the Minotaur V rocket, testing of a high-data-rate laser communication system, and the first launch beyond Earth orbit from the agency's Virginia Space Coast launch facility.

LADEE also is the first spacecraft designed, developed, built, integrated and tested at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The probe will launch on a U.S. Air Force Minotaur V rocket, an excess ballistic missile converted into a space launch vehicle and operated by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va.

LADEE was built using an Ames-developed Modular Common Spacecraft Bus architecture, a general purpose spacecraft design that allows NASA to develop, assemble and test multiple modules at the same time. The LADEE bus structure is made of a lightweight carbon composite with a mass of 547.2 pounds -- 844.4 pounds when fully fueled.

"This mission will put the common bus design to the test," said Ames Director S. Pete Worden. "This same common bus can be used on future missions to explore other destinations, including voyages to orbit and land on the moon, low-Earth orbit, and near-Earth objects."

Butler Hine, LADEE project manager at Ames, said the innovative common bus concept brings NASA a step closer to multi-use designs and assembly line production and away from custom design.

 "The LADEE mission demonstrates how it is possible to build a first class spacecraft at a reduced cost while using a more efficient manufacturing and assembly process," Hine said.

Approximately one month after launch, LADEE will begin its 40-day commissioning phase, the first 30 days of which the spacecraft will be performing activities high above the moon's surface. These activities include testing a high-data-rate laser communication system that will enable higher rates of satellite communications similar in capability to high-speed fiber optic networks on Earth.

After commissioning, LADEE will begin a 100-day science phase to collect data using three instruments to determine the composition of the thin lunar atmosphere and remotely sense lofted dust, measure variations in the chemical composition of the atmosphere, and collect and analyze samples of any lunar dust particles in the atmosphere. Using this set of instruments, scientists hope to address a long-standing question: Was lunar dust, electrically charged by sunlight, responsible for the pre-sunrise glow above the lunar horizon detected during several Apollo missions?

After launch, Ames will serve as a base for mission operations and real-time control of the probe. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will catalogue and distribute data to a science team located across the country.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington funds the LADEE mission. Ames manages the overall mission. Goddard manages the science instruments and technology demonstration payload, the science operations center and provides overall mission support. Wallops is responsible for launch vehicle integration, launch services and operations. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages LADEE within the Lunar Quest Program Office.

For more information about the LADEE mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/lade

Fall Car & Truck Show ~ Midway

Hogan's Group Grows to 55,000

For Immediate Release

September 3, 2013

Contact: Steve Crim

stevecrim@gmail.com

(410) 353-3116

Hogan's Group Grows to 55,000

ANNAPOLIS – Change Maryland, the state's largest and fastest-growing, independent, nonpartisan, grassroots movement, has surged to 55,000 members, from every single county and jurisdiction in Maryland. Founded in 2011 by successful business leader and former Maryland Cabinet Secretary Larry Hogan, the organization's primary mission is to increase the state's economic performance and job growth.

The group has built a dominating presence on social media with more people engaged online than the Maryland Democratic Party, the Maryland Republican Party and all of the potential statewide candidates of either party, added together. Change Maryland's Facebook page has a total weekly reach of over 376,534 people. No other citizen group in the state has ever accomplished what Change Maryland has, in just over two years.

Nearly half the organization's members are Democrats and Independents. The only way to bring about real change in Maryland is to build a coalition of Republicans, Independents, and fiscally conservative Democrats to work together. That is exactly what Change Maryland has been doing so effectively.

"We are uniting people of all parties to work together to bring reform, fiscal responsibility, and common-sense to Annapolis. This isn't just another fight between Democrats and Republicans, it’s more important than that. This is a fight for Maryland’s economic future, and it’s a fight worth fighting!" Hogan said.

Change Maryland gained national prominence with the production of numerous economic studies that have shown the impact of 40 consecutive O'Malley-Brown tax increases that take an additional $3.1 billion annually out of the pockets of struggling Maryland families and small businesses.

The group has highlighted the fact that Maryland is no longer competitive with other states in the region, that we have lost 6,500 businesses and that our unemployment rate has nearly doubled under the O'Malley-Brown Administration. A well-publicized taxpayer migration study by Change Maryland showed that the state had the largest mass exodus of any state in the region, and one of the worst in the nation.

Change Maryland hosted an Economic Summit on Improving Maryland’s Economic Competitiveness, which brought together economists, think-tanks, Federal, State and local government officials, and over 400 top business leaders, to focus on finding solutions to the state’s serious economic problems.

Change Maryland founder and Chairman Larry Hogan is also the founder, President and CEO of the Hogan Companies, leaders in economic development who have brought hundreds of companies and thousands of jobs to Maryland, and have done over $2 billion in business in the state.

Hogan left his business for public service as a State Cabinet Secretary from 2003-2007, helping to run the state government. He was responsible for appointing over 7,000 people to all three branches of state government and worked with every agency in the state.

In 2010, Hogan was the only serious challenger willing to take on Martin O'Malley, and was considered by many to be the presumed Republican nominee for Governor, until former Governor Bob Ehrlich decided to enter the race. Since then, there has been much speculation about Hogan as a leading potential candidate in for governor in 2014.

Just recently, Hogan stated that later this year he would give serious consideration to entering the race in 2014. Maryland's most powerful Democrat, Congressman Steny Hoyer called Hogan the toughest opponent he has ever faced in his entire career. Former Governor Bob Ehrlich called Hogan the only Republican in Maryland with a chance to win.

Accomack County Circuit Court / Thursday

By Wesley Edwards

Accomack County Circuit Court 
Thursday August 29, 2013


Marshall Handy was charged with possession of cocaine on November 17th 2012. Deputy Taylor in a routine traffic stop saw a razor blade with a white substance lying on the center console. The traffic stop was on Mason Road near Bloxom. Ms. Janice Jones was a passenger when the stop occurred. Mr. Hardy told the deputy that he would take the blame for everything. With a guilty plea Judge Lewis sentenced Mr. Hardy to five years suspended all but 30 days along with a suspended drivers license for 6 months.

Janice Jones was charged with possession of cocaine with a guilty plea as in the Marshall Handy case. However Ms. Jones had a smoking devise in her purse. She also plead guilty to this charge but stating she put it in her purse to try to help Mr. Handy at the time of the stop.. Both guilty pleas were with the understanding that they were being given under the first offender statute. Sentencing was handed down for probation for one year, a program of education, and with her drivers license suspended for six months with a provision for work + 100 hours of community service.

Arraignment

Jonathan Tykot was charged with indecent liberties with a child (minor) . He was arraigned under a not guilty plea with a trial date set for 2/3/14. Mr. Tykot asked for a jury trial.

A hearing on a Capias for Aaisha White was scheduled but as she didn't show up for court today no hearing was held. Ms. White was sentenced to four weekends more than a year ago of two days each, of which only one weekend was served. Judge Lewis told her attorney she would be in court on 9/12/13 or well provide transportation for her.

Robert Johnson, charged with Larceny on or about June 29th 2013 waived his right to a preliminary hearing and his grand jury hearing while entering a guilty plea. His case was continued for a pre-sentencing report.

Sentencings

Brian Clayton convicted on 2/21/13 of distribution of heroin has been in jail for nine months. Mr. Clayton on other charges owes approximately $9,000 dollars in restitution. The defendant read a lengthy letter of apology into the record while breaking down from time to time. Stating in the letter that he had a job when he was released from jail and would be rejoining his family which included two children. Judge Lewis told Mr. Clayton that his life was a mess but he was sentencing him to 10 years with all but one year suspended. His drivers license was also suspended except for work.

Isaac Scarborough convicted of grand larceny after a bench trial with a long record including over $24,000 dollars in delinquent child support payments was sentenced to 10 years with all but one year suspended.


Motion to Suppress

Donald Brown was in court for Marijuana charges going back to November 30th 2011. In the afternoon at approximately 3:15 PM ten to 12 officers including a swat team exploded into Mr. Brown's home to serve a state police search warrant. After his testimony and the testimony of a Northampton deputy and the state police Judge Lewis granted the motion to suppress under how the warrant was served.     
Source:

Got $3,000? Accused Arsonist Still Behind Bars

By Linda Cicoira
www.Eastern Shore Post
Accused arsonist Tonya Susan Bundick has been unable to come up with the cash she needs to get out of Accomack Jail.

About two weeks ago, Judge Glen Tyler of Accomack Circuit Court, set bond at $30,000 for the 40-year-old Hopeton woman. Bonding companies require 10 percent of the post. But
Bundick, who is accused of arson and conspiracy to commit the crime in connection with an April 1 fire in a house on Airport Drive near Melfa, is still behind bars.

Nearly 80 arsons were reported in Accomack from November 2012 to April2013. Bundick’s fiancé, Charles Robert Smith III, also known as Charlie Applegate,38, of Hopeton, confessed to a majorityof the fires. He told police Bundick set 15 unoccupied buildings on fire.

Bond was denied for Smith in Accomack General District Court. His lawyer filed papers to appeal the decision, but a date was never set for a hearing.

Both defendants have been in the county jail for about five months. In May, Tyler denied Bundick’s request for freedom after Commonwealth’s Attorney Gary Agar said he intended to
seek up to 70 indictments against her. That didn’t happen when a Grand Jury met in early August. The panel did indict Smith on 67 counts of arson and a count of conspiracy.

Tyler ordered bond arrangements for Bundick be made through a professional bond company. He did not favor a house being put up as collateral and ordered she be prohibited from leaving Accomack or Northampton County unless there is a medical necessity.

Agar argued against bond. He said while “two charges are more appropriate” at this time, “we don’t know how this case may proceed. There is a likelihood of her running … she is very
aware of the circumstances of her codefendant… a major threat of additional charges is over her like a dark cloud.”

Defense lawyer Shannon Dunham, said Bundick is not a flight risk since she is a lifelong resident of the shore.

TIME MACHINE ... 1941, 1923, 1889, 1977, 1900, 1938

(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)　




ACROSS THE USA
 
August, 1941
(The Salisbury Times)

LABOR DAY GAS SUPPLY

Washington, Aug. 25.-(AP)- Tanks of 100,000 filling stations in the east will be filled this Saturday and Sunday to make sure that Labor Day motorists need not be stranded because of the gasoline shortage.

In making this announcement Saturday, Ralph K. Davies, acting Defense Petroleum Coordinator, also disclosed that a quota system had been devised to divide the dwindling eastern stocks equitably during the rest of August. 

Gasoline suppliers will estimate how much is due each of their retail outlets for the remainder of the month. Effective today ay they will divide the number of gallons due each outlet into five equal daily quotas. These will be delivered daily if possible and if not, every other day. The station operator will figure out how much to sell each customer by dividing his quota by the average number of vehicles he serves.

Davies office issued a statement yesterday saying that motorists "ought to be prudent" in planning Labor Day trips and "if they can be satisfied with a short trip so much the better."



　
August, 1923
(The Frederick News- Frederick, Md.)

MARYLAND GAS PRICES FORCED DOWN

Reflection Of "Gas Price War" In The Mid And Central Western States

By The Associated Press

Baltimore, Aug. 14- The gas war in the west was reflected here when the local branch of The Standard Oil Company tonight  announced effective tomorrow a cut in one cent a gallon in wholesale and retail prices of gasoline in this state. Officials of Sherwood Brothers and other companies handling blended products also announced one cent cuts.

Standard gasoline will now sell for 22 cents, benzol for 25-cents, while the blend prices will vary with the brand, Sherwood being 27 cents.


　
November, 1889
(Petersburg Pike County Democrat- Petersburg, Ind.)

Levin P. Hall and his sister, society people of Somerset County, Md., who were convicted on October 9 of incendiarism, were both sentenced, on the 9th, to ten years in the penitentiary. Miss Hall was sentenced while she was lying in her bed sick, the judge going to the jail for the purpose.

Footnote: Other newspaper sources reported that the sentence was the shortest that could be given for arson, and that they were convicted of burning the storehouse of Cox & Miles in Fairmount.　


　
January, 1977

Pocomoke City residents were remembering the life of R. Harlan Robertson, Sr., prominent civic and business leader in the community, who passed away at age 99. In 1906 he and his brother Clarence founded Pocomoke Foundry And Machine Works, later known as Robertson Brothers. He served in the Maryland legislature as a Worcester County Delegate and later served on the Pocomoke town council from 1924-1938, and served for nearly two decades on the Worcester County Welfare Board. He was a longtime president of Citizens National Bank. Numerous memberships included the Pocomoke City Rotary Club where he was a former president. 


　
(Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan campaigns in
towns on the Eastern Shore and in Delaware.)

October, 1900
(Newark Daily Advocate- Newark, Ohio)

Salisbury, Md., Oct. 24.- The Democrats here gave their candidate a rousing ovation. A procession one mile in length marched from the depot to Firemen's park. Enthusiasm ran high. The crowd numbered 8,000. In his speech Bryan said that when a president forgets that he is a hired man he is not fit for the place. He asked his hearers to judge the political situation from a common sense view. While Bryan began speaking rain began to fall again. Few of the crowd left on account of the rain. At Hurlock four hundred turned out to hear Mr. Bryan.

Footnote: In Worcester County Bryan spoke in Berlin. 

　
　
March, 1938
(The Titusville Herald- Titusville, Pa.)

'Fat Man' Drops Dead, Pinning Attendant

POCOMOKE CITY, Md. March 8-(AP)- Granville L. Hall, five feet, seven inches tall and weighing 642 pounds, dropped dead today, pinning one of his attendants under his body.

A special coffin will be built for the 45-year-old man who had traveled with circuses throughout the East. A wall of his room will be torn out to move the body.

　　
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!

TIME MACHINE ... This Sunday's Preview

1941.. Managing Labor Day holiday's dwindling gas supply; 1923.. Maryland gas prices drop to 22 cents; 1889.. Two Somerset "society" people sentenced for arson; 1977.. Pocomoke City loses a prominent business and civic leader; 1900.. Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan campaigns on Eastern Shore; 1938.. Pocomoke City man was circus attraction.
　
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 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!　

Delmonte Purchases Farmland and Packing Houses In Bankruptcy Auction

It appears that the main purchaser of farmland and packing housings in the bankruptcy auction of the assets of East Coast Packers is Delmonte. The national company has purchased farmland plus a packing house in Mappsville. Benny Hall and Sons a local farming operation purchased the old Byrd Foods grading shed near Parksley.

The entry of a large and financially stable company like Delmonte is good economic news for the Eastern Shore. Plans are to resume growing vegetables and restore some of the economic activity lost when East Coast Packers ceased production in 2011. Since that time the acreage formerly used to produce tomatoes has been used to grow small grains.

Charles McSwain, the Economic Development Director for Northampton, stated that he had a conversation with Delmonte's Vice President of Operations in Florida last week and that pending court approval of the sale, Delmonte is anxious to come to the Eastern Shore and begin operations. 

Source:

Delegate Mike McDermott's Opinion.....

Delegate Mike McDermott's opinion: Maryland's business climate needs replenishing

August 28, 2013

Maryland’s governor made an appearance on the Ocean City Boardwalk the other day to laud the success of the beach replenishment program, which began 25 years ago.

If only the other problems faced by our state received the same attention, we would be like Virginia — dealing with billion-dollar surpluses instead of deficits.

Perhaps beach erosion is easier to see, but similar destruction is apparent elsewhere across Maryland for those who care to look.

The erosion of Maryland businesses more closely resembles Ocean City when the Inlet was formed; our response has been lackluster.

When Gov. Martin O’Malley and
his Senate choir took over from the Bob Ehrlich administration, Maryland had risen to No. 26 in the rankings as a state in which to do business.

That ranking has now fallen near the bottom of the barrel at No. 41.

If Ocean City had received similar attention 25 years ago, Ocean Pines could be advertising ocean-view property. When the situation dictated business relief, the liberal-progressive response was to increase the regulatory environment. Instead of reducing the tax burden, they doubled down in every imaginable way.

In fact, the past seven years has seen 72 tax and fee increases signed into law. The same folks who seem to understand the effects of storm surge and high winds on a strip of sand can’t seem to make a connection between a weak economy and the severe stress being leveled against business and industry in Maryland.

You pump sand onto the beach, not away from it. Maryland has been taking from businesses and, at the same time, reducing the amount of discretionary dollars in the pockets of consumers.

Compare this approach with other states in our region. The Democratic plan for Maryland’s economic development is welcome news to surrounding states whose ratings already reflect better policies: Delaware is No. 14; Pennsylvania, No. 19; West Virginia, No. 23; and Virginia, No. 27.

We should be leading the way with natural gas development and exportation; instead, we opt for a moratorium, costing us billions. We should have protected our grain and poultry farming interests, yet we are watching the decline of both with each new storm surge of regulations.

We should be sheltering our families from these destructive economic winds, not taking more from their paychecks.

Maryland’s Democratic leaders keep government interests afloat at the expense of all else.

A 29 percent increase in spending during the worst recession in our history is absurd.

They believe government spending will result in job creation.

By that theory, we should pump sand from the beach out into the ocean so we can achieve replenishment.

Increasing taxes on income, sales, gasoline, electricity, rain and septic do not “replenish” our people.

 Fee increases for businesses from 50 percent to more than 500 percent do not “restore” our economy.

“Erosion” is apparently in the eye of the beholder, but O’Malley and his Senate Democrats must have sand in their eyes if they are missing all of these signs.

Mike McDermott represents District 38B in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Source:

U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors Free Concert in Cypress Park September 25th

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors Free Concert in Cypress Park September 25th

            The internationally acclaimed U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors of Washington, D.C., will continue its long history of presenting free public performances when it appears at Cypress Park on September 25^th at 6 pm.  The Jazz Ambassadors’ concert in Pocomoke is sponsored by the City of Pocomoke and the Pocomoke Area Chamber of Commerce. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket. 

            As the premier touring big band for the United States Army, the Jazz Ambassadors travels thousands of miles each year throughout the nation and abroad, keeping the will of the American people behind the members of the armed forces and supporting diplomatic efforts around the world. Since its formation in 1969, the Jazz Ambassadors have appeared in all 50 states and throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

             The Jazz Ambassadors presents a diverse program of big band swing, Latin music, contemporary jazz, popular tunes, standards, Dixieland, and patriotic selections. Maestro Marvin Hamlisch, during a joint concert with the National Symphony Orchestra, exclaimed, “I can’t think of better ambassadors for our country!” Past performance highlights include the Montreux, North Sea, and Newport Jazz Festivals, World War II 50th anniversary commemorations in the United States and Europe, and performances in India and Japan. After performing with the Cincinnati Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Cincinnati Enquirer declared that “the musicianship was superb…The Jazz Ambassadors are polished and seamless virtuosos.”

            Members of the Jazz Ambassadors are selected by highly competitive audition and represent some of the finest musical talent in America. More than three decades of touring have earned them the title, “The Musical Ambassadors of the Army.” For additional information about the Jazz Ambassadors’ performance in Pocomoke City, please contact the City of Pocomoke at 410-957-1333 or call the Pocomoke Area Chamber of Commerce at 410-957-1919. To obtain free tickets by mail, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request to:   

ATTN: U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors TicketsCity of PocomokePO Box 29Pocomoke City, MD 21851

Distracted Driving Found To Be Cause of Crash For July 19 Crash At Bay Bridge

 The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police released the collision reconstruction report detailing the July 19, 2013, crash at the Bay Bridge (US 50/301). The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the crash was distracted driving on the part of the commercial-vehicle driver.

"Without a doubt, the MDTA's priority is the safety of its customers and employees. This crash demonstrates how critical it is that motorists devote their full attention to driving when operating motor vehicles," said MDTA Police Chief Colonel Michael Kundrat. "A primary reason for crashes on the Bay Bridge is from tailgating. Maintaining a proper following distance is one of the simplest things drivers can do to stay safe and keep other motorists safe."
On July 19 at 8:24 p.m., a three-vehicle crash occurred on the eastbound Bay Bridge. The crash involved an International truck/tractor pulling a semi-trailer, a Chrysler Sebring passenger car and a Mazda CX-5 SUV. The tractor-trailer operator, 29-year-old Gabor Lovasz of Canada, indicated to investigators that his attention was directed to his driver's side mirror due to flashing headlights behind him. When he looked forward again he noticed that the vehicles in front of him were stopping. He attempted to steer the tractor trailer to the left to avoid contact, but struck the left rear of the Chrysler, pushing it up onto the top of the barrier wall. A second impact from the tractor trailer then pushed the Chrysler over the wall, and the car fell approximately 27 feet into the shallow waters of the bay. The Mazda also was struck by the tractor trailer during the crash.

The investigation revealed that the Chrysler had slowed to approximately four mph when it was struck by the tractor trailer. Based on a data download of the tractor's Engine Control Module and Antilock Braking System, investigators believe that it was traveling between 47 and 51 mph just prior to the crash. Vehicle inspections by the Maryland State Police Automotive Safety Enforcement Division and MDTA Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Unit indicated no mechanical defects were present at the time of the inspections following the crash.

Mr. Lovasz had emigrated from Hungary to Canada as part of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker program, and his trip through Maryland was his first time driving unaccompanied in the U.S. The MDTA Police are charging him with failure to control speed to avoid a collision ($130 fine), unsafe lane changing ($130 fine), negligent driving ($280 fine) and speed greater than reasonable and prudent on highway ($130 fine).

The operator of the Chrysler, 23-year-old Morgan Jade Lake of Sunderland, Md., was able to unbuckle her seat belt, free herself from the vehicle and swim to safety at a nearby bridge pier abutment. She was transported via Medevac to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where she was treated for minor injuries. Neither Mr. Lovasz nor the driver and passenger in the Mazda were injured.

The July 19 crash report also references a crash from April 13, 2013, in the same location on the eastbound span involving two passenger vehicles. The April crash involved a vehicle coming to rest on the barrier wall. There were no injuries or structural damage to the bridge from the April crash.

"Both the April and July crashes were a direct result of distracted driving. Every one of us has immense responsibility behind the wheel," said Col. Kundrat. "With two similar incidents over the last few months, we are taking a closer look at this area of the bridge to evaluate what can be done to enhance safety. We're analyzing potential strategies including flashing Congestion Ahead signs, requiring headlight use during two-way traffic operations and additional rumble strips."
In the 60-year history of the Bay Bridge, the April and July crashes are the only known incidents where passenger vehicles rode up and rested on the barrier wall or went into the water. Overall, the safety record on the Bay Bridge is four times safer than the Statewide rate.

The NTSB issued its Preliminary Report on Aug. 19, 2013. The NTSB has the MDTA's full cooperation as it works to issue a final report. A timeframe for the completion of the final report has not yet been determined.

The MDTA Police's collision reconstruction report is available online at mdta.maryland.gov. The MDTA Police will have increased patrols over the Labor Day Holiday weekend at the Bay Bridge and all MDTA facilities with a focus on aggressive and distracted driving.

Stay Alert So No One Gets Hurt!  For Statewide traffic conditions, visit md511.org.  For the most up-to-date information follow us on Twitter at TheMDTA or on Facebook at facebook.com/TheMDTA.

Suspect Fatally Shot In Accomack Co. Home Invasion

WMDT Photo

WMDT
ACCOMACK Co., Va. - Investigators have questioned the owner of the Sanford, Va. home where an overnight shooting took place.

It happened on the 9000 block of Marsh Market Road, where Accomack Co. sheriff Todd Godwin tells WMDT that police received a call at 9:49 PM for a home invasion and shooting.

One suspect was reportedly shot and killed by the homeowner. A female suspect was wounded Another female suspect remains in the hospital recovering from wounds sustained during the alleged attempted robbery.
 
Two more suspects are still at-large.

Accomack Co. sheriff deputies, with a K-9 unit have been searching the grounds, tapping off both sides of the house since last night, according to Godwin.

Don Porter, a neighbor, says he knows the homeowner, Tyler Williams.

"I've known them all their life," said Porter. "The kids were fine as far as I'm concerned. [The shooting is a] tragic situation."
Porter says his wife woke him up after 10 PM Wednesday night to police sirens and flashing lights. The scene is something he says never happens in this quiet neighborhood. It's usually secure enough to leave his doors unlocked, says Porter.

But he admits, "after last night, the doors will be locked. It was a shocker."
According to Godwin, Williams was released and any possible charges against him would come from the Commonwealth's Attorney Gary Agar.

Agar said via phone that he will not be making any comments during the on-going investigation.

At this time, Godwin would not release any of the suspects names.

WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

Hope you have a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!

Hello,

I just finished reading your blog post about the importance of safe boating practices and really enjoyed the breakdown of information. As Labor Day approaches next week it marks the end of summer. All around the country people will be celebrating on the water, with a barbecue, traveling, or enjoying the last bit of sunshine on the beach.  

As many people are heading out on the water we must keep in mind proper boating safety, as the National Safety Council estimates nearly 400 fatalities will occur this Labor Day Weekend. With that our Safety Outreach Team created the “ 4 Elements of a Safe Labor Day Celebration ." I know as a boater this safety information will be helpful to you as well as your fellow sailors.

If you enjoy this information please feel free to add it to your site or blog. :)

Hope you have a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend!

Kindly,
Julia

Crisfield Mud Bog ~ Saturday

MAKE THE CRISFIELD MUD BOG PART OF YOUR LABOR DAY HOLIDAY PLANS

 

Saturday, August 31, 2013

(behind the Crisfield Elks Lodge)

 

ADMISSION:  $7.00 per person

Children under 10 FREE

( children must be accompanied by adult)

 

Foods and drinks provided by the Elks Lodge and local vendors! 

 

Photo/ BW

 

Gates OPEN ~10:00 AM
Events begin @ 1:00 PM

 

DRIVER REGISTRATION:
 10am - 12pm

 

 

"Mud Dobber" -Wright Townsend
Photo/BW

 

DON'T FORGET:

The Gambler's Race !!

 

For more info on the Gumboro~Crisfield Mudbog go to

http://www.gumborocrisfieldmudbogs.net/

 OR

 

Gumboro~Crisfield Mudbog

on facebook

 

 

To all my mud bog friends:  Due to illness I haven't been able to be at many of the mud bogs this year.  I am doing my best to make this one tomorrow and I can't wait!  Please stop by our tent to say hello!  Brenda.

CHECKPOINT STRIKEFORCE ~ August 31, 2013

NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2 days left to purchase pre-sale tickets for Pocomoketoberfest!

Come experience Pocomoketoberfest on Saturday, September 7^th from noon to 6 pm.  Pre-sale tickets are $20 and include a beer or wine glass and free samples. Enjoy two great live bands, local musicians Heather and Nathan and the Funky T from Philadelphia.  Over 30 vendors will be selling art, jewelry, crafts, food and more. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a great day in Cypress Park on the Pocomoke River.  The Pocomoke Area Chamber of Commerce at 6 Market Street will be open Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31 from 10 am to 4 pm for purchase of pre-sale tickets.  When glasses are sold out, ticket sales are over!  Pre-sale tickets are $20.  Tickets may be also be purchased online at pocomoketoberfest.com or at the gate September 7^th for $25.




Jennifer Rafter
Pocomoke Area Chamber of Commerce
410-957-1919
pocomokechamber@gmail.com

August 30, 2013

World Water Week Calls Attention to Growing Need for Clean Water

Food Tank: The Food Think Tank Offers Four Recommendations for Facilitating Universal Access to Clean Water

 

Contact: For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Danielle Nierenberg at danielle@foodtank.org or
202-590-1037

CHICAGO, IL – The planet’s entire supply of freshwater that can be used by humans and ecosystems amounts to approximately 200,000 cubed kilometers, or less than one percent of all freshwater resources. And, unfortunately, humans are using these limited resources faster than they can be replenished. According to the U.N. World Water Development Report (WWDR), the resources of approximately three and a half Earths would be required to maintain the consumption habits of the average European or North American to keep up with population growth.

The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) research shows that if everyone in the world followed typically Western consumption patterns, a 75 percent increase in water resources would be necessary to sustain them. The U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that two thirds of the world’s population will be living in areas with water scarcity by 2025. Throughout World Water Week, from September 1st through September 7th, Food Tank: The Food Think Tank will feature solutions and innovations that households, farmers, and governments can implement to conserve water resources.

According to the most recent estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation, 768 million people do not have access to clean water, and two and a half billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. Conserving the planet’s water resources and ensuring global access to clean water, while preparing for a global population of nine billion by the year 2050, is a cause for concern for eaters, farmers, and governments all over the world.

The effects of unclean water on the food system are multifold. Contaminated water plays a significant role in malnutrition—vomiting and diarrhea caused by water-borne diseases prevent the absorption of key nutrients in food. Children are particularly at risk of malnutrition caused by water-borne disease – Canadian non-profit Action Contre La Faim reports that among children, 1.5 million deaths are caused by inadequate sanitary conditions every year, 88 percent of which are directly caused by diarrheal disease.

Access to clean water is also crucial for farmers. Crops that are nourished with contaminated water can carry dangerous pollutants, such mercury and even arsenic, which can inhibit crop growth and potentially sicken people who consume the crops. Unfortunately, agriculture is not only a primary contributor to global water use – approximately 70 percent of the world’s water use is concentrated in farming – but also to water contamination. U.N. Water estimates that the food sector contributes 40 percent of organic water pollutants in industrialized countries, and 54 percent in developing countries.

“Actors in both the public and private sectors need to understand that chemical-intensive, ecologically unsustainable agricultural practices perpetuate a vicious cycle. Not only are they harmful to the soil and the water that are used to grow crops, but their environmental effects end up being harmful to the crops themselves – and the people who consume them,” says Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of Food Tank.

Researching Simple Innovations for Providing Clean Water to Households
There are already several low-cost, simple innovations that are available to households in areas with limited access to clean water. For example, SODIS is a method of solar water purification by which untreated water is placed in transparent bottles and heated and disinfected by UV rays. Charcoal filters and biosand filters can also remove impurities and pathogens from water.

The organization ECHO is training development workers to construct low-cost biosand filtration systems. However, further research and funding needs to be directed toward developing similar methods for at-home water purification.

Building Infrastructure for Communities
Giving communities the means to access water for personal consumption and for agriculture is a crucial step in global development. In Niger, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has constructed solar drip irrigation systems for market gardens. Their model has been replicated by other organizations, such as the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), which implemented a similar system in a women’s farming cooperative in Benin.

Drilled wells, although expensive to implement, are useful in helping communities access underground aquifers. Governments and nonprofits, such as The Water Project, primarily fund construction of this infrastructure, but there are also opportunities for the private sector to contribute. For example, People Water is a for-profit company, and its Drop for Drop program puts money from bottled water sales toward building and maintaining drilled wells in Haiti, India, and other developing regions.

Mainstreaming Organic Agriculture
Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics in animal waste all contribute to water pollution, causing health problems for eaters and damaging the environment. Water runoff from land treated with chemicals can contaminate water supplies.

By implementing organic fertilizers, agro-ecological pest-management methods, and raising livestock holistically and without antibiotics, farmers can prevent contamination of already scarce water supplies.

Implementing Low-Resource Farming Practices
For centuries, farmers across the world have used traditional methods that conserve water. As population demands on agriculture increase, global agricultural water consumption is expected to increase by 19 percent by 2050, indicating a need to expand on water-conserving farming methods. Both new techniques – such as solar-powered drip irrigation methods in Benin – and old – such as zai, an effective form of rainwater harvesting in Burkina Faso, should serve to inform the future of farming.

With research and funding into innovation and infrastructure, access to clean water can be improved on household, community, and national scales.

About Food Tank:
Food Tank: The Food Think Tank (www.FoodTank.org), founded by Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson, is a think tank focused on feeding the world better. We research and highlight environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity and poverty and create networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change.