Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Tuesday's bill signing in Annapolis

 

WORCESTER AGRITOURISM, VETERANS, AND MORE BILLS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR HOGAN TODAY

One day after the Maryland General Assembly adjournment sine die, Senator Mary Beth Carozza today participated in a bill signing ceremony with Governor Larry Hogan and presiding officers Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne with 79 bills signed into law in the Governor’ State House Reception Room in Annapolis.

 

The Worcester County agritourism bills (Senate Bill 32 sponsored by Carozza and House Bill 12 sponsored by Delegates Hartman and Otto), which passed both chambers unanimously, would add Worcester County to the list of 18 other jurisdictions in which farm structures used for agritourism activities are exempted from certain commercial building requirements.

 

“The Worcester County agritourism legislation allows for a successful tool to give more local farm families the opportunity to offer agritourism activities on their farms,” said Carozza. “It’s a win-win for both the farm families who may need to diversify and pull in additional revenue just to keep the farm and for tourists who will have more options to explore and experience our local farms.”

 

The bill has strong support from the Worcester County Commissioners and its tourism office, Greater Ocean City Chamber of Commerce, Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, Maryland Tourism Coalition, Maryland Farm Bureau, and Agriculture Grow and Fortify.  

 

In addition to Senate Bill 32, several other bills that Senator Carozza cosponsored or supported were signed into law:

  • House Bill 882, Natural Resources – Pocomoke River Wildland – Alteration of Boundaries: This Maryland Department of Natural Resources bill would add approximately 80 acres of the Pocomoke State Forest as new type Wildlands and would exempt approximately two acres of the Pocomoke State Forest to allow the construction of an elevated walk-way that would connect the Town of Snow Hill directly to the Pocomoke State Park. The trail would create a trail network from Snow Hill to Pocomoke City and has significant social, recreational, and economic benefits.

 

  • Senate Bill 5, General Provisions - Commemorative Days - Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day, sponsored by Senator Obie Patterson and cosponsored by Carozza, designates the fourth Thursday in March as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. This would make Maryland the ninth state and the District of Columbia to pass a law officially honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, comprised of nearly 1,000 Black pilots who flew during World War II and were supported by more than 15,000 cooks, security personnel, and other staff support. The Tuskegee Airmen are credited with integrating the military as their resolve in World War II included the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

 

  • Senate Bill 94, Public Health - Maryland Suicide Fatality Review Committee, sponsored by Senator Addie Eckardt and also cosponsored by Carozza. This bill establishes the Maryland Suicide Fatality Review Committee (State team) to identify and address the factors contributing to suicide deaths and facilitate system changes in the State to prevent suicide deaths.

 

 

Senator Carozza pictured with Delegates Otto and Hartman during Worcester County Agritourism bill signing. 

 

Senator Carozza and Delegate Otto pictured with Department of Natural Resources Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, DNR Legislative Officer Bunky Luffman of Delmar and DNR team.

 

Senator Carozza pictured with Senator Patterson with the Governor’s official resolution commemorating the fourth Thursday in March as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day.


Coming to former Phillips Crab House location..

 (The Dispatch)

"..the operators say they hope to open the all-you-can-eat seafood and prime rib buffet before Memorial Day."

View news article:

04/11/2022 | New Restaurant To Take Over Phillips Crab House Property | News Ocean City MD (mdcoastdispatch.com)


$1.2 billion in state funds for Camden Yards. Did you know?

 

Excerpt from statement by Chairman and CEO of the Baltimore Orioles John Angelos:

View full statement: 

Orioles chairman/CEO John Angelos statement (mlb.com)


Monday, April 11, 2022

History beneath our feet

 (WESR/Shore Daily News)


"The Eastern Shore of Virginia is rich in history. Often times, when we think about history, we think of books, landmarks, old documents or buildings. In actuality, history is all around us including just a few inches beneath the surface of the ground we walk on. This week, in the first of a two part series, Kelley visited with Tom Kellam as he shared his love of metal detecting and some of the interesting pieces of lost history he found."

View the 10-minute video presentation:

SHORE PERSPECTIVES: Tom Kellam reflects on the history beneath our feet - Shore Daily News

Rocket Lab's Groundbreaking at Wallops

 (Shore Daily News picture)





"WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (WAVY) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin was among those celebrating the groundbreaking of Rocket Lab USA’s first launch site and the manufacturing of its new, reusable rocket, Neutron.

The site will be on Wallops Island near Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2, the company’s launch site for the Electron launch vehicle.

Youngkin delivered remarks during the groundbreaking event Monday at Wallops Island.

The company delivers reliable launch services, spacecraft components, satellites, other spacecraft as well as on-orbit management solutions that make it faster, easier, and more affordable to access space.

The Neutron rocket is expected to be operational in late 2024 and is designed to deliver a 17,600-pound payload to low Earth orbit, and may ultimately support human spaceflight."

View Facebook video:

(3) Facebook Live | Facebook

View news story from Yahoo!Finance

Rocket Lab Breaks Ground on Neutron Production Complex in Wallops, Virginia (yahoo.com)

Pocomoke Fire Centennial Commemoration this Saturday

 

CENTENNIAL OF GREAT POCOMOKE FIRE TO BE COMMEMORATED ON APRIL 16

On Easter Monday, April 16, 1922, a devastating fire destroyed 15 acres in the downtown section of Pocomoke City.  The conflagration left 250 residents homeless, devastated scores of businesses and homes, and resulted in a loss of $25 million in today's dollars.

For three hours Maple, Clarke, Second, and Market Streets were a sea of flames.  High winds then whipped the fire up Front Street where it destroyed numerous homes in the residential section.

During the early stages of the fire, the town's telephone exchange building was in extreme danger.  Yet the phone operators maintained their posts and called for aid from fire companies across the peninsula.  The phone exchange was eventually destroyed, but not before help was on its way.  The Pennsylvania Railroad dispatched special trains to convey fire apparatus and firefighters to Pocomoke City.

Fire companies from Seaford, Laurel, Delmar, Salisbury, Snow Hill, Berlin, Ocean City, Cambridge, Princess Anne and Crisfield answered the call to assist the Pocomoke Fire Company in battling the blaze.  As quoted in The New York Times on Tuesday, April 18, 1922, "but for the splendid teamwork of the fire companies the entire town would have been destroyed."

To commemorate the Centennial of the great Pocomoke City Fire of 1922, the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company will host an Open House and Ceremony on Saturday, April 16.  Those Fire Companies listed above have been invited to attend and will be recognized for their assistance in containing and extinguishing the fire.

The Open House, which will feature antique fire equipment and historical materials regarding the fire, will be held at the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company, 1410 Market Street, from 1PM to 4PM on Saturday April 16. The recognition ceremony will take place at 3PM.

According to Lt. Chip Choquette, chairperson of the Centennial, Pocomoke City experienced three devastating fires prior to 1922.  The fire of December 1888 led to the establishment of the Pocomoke City Volunteer Fire Company.  The fire of April 1922 led to the purchase of more advanced fire fighting equipment and the rebuilding of the town's downtown section with masonry buildings and wider streets to prevent fires of this magnitude from recurring in the future.  These efforts proved beneficial and as a result the town has not sustained a major conflagration in 100 years.    


Senator Mary Beth Carozza's report on final week of legislature

 

2022 Maryland General Assembly Update

Week Thirteen: Final Countdown With Passage of Highway User Funds Bill, Shore Budget Priorities, Governor’s Vetoes and Overrides, and Crisfield High School Visit

 

Annapolis, MD – Today, Monday April 11,  the Maryland General Assembly will adjourn sine die at midnight. During the last full week, marathon and double sessions were the norm in both committee and the Floor sessions during these final days of deliberations. This week’s highlights include passage of legislation returning Highway User Funds to local governments, Shore priorities covered in Capital Budget, the Governor’s vetoes and override votes, and Crisfield High School in Somerset County visiting Annapolis. 

 

Local Transportation Funds and Shore Budget Priorities 

In the last full week, an agreement worked out between the Governor and the legislature to increase transportation funding for local governments was reached which has been a top priority for the Maryland Municipal League and Maryland Association of Counties Organization (MACo). Senator Carozza, who represents 11 municipalities and three counties in District 38, cosponsored Senate Bill 726 sponsored by Senator Cory McCray. District 38 Delegate Carl Anderton, who is the former Mayor of Delmar, is the House sponsor (HB 1187).

 

Under this agreement, the share of the transportation funding for local jurisdictions will increase from 13.5 percent to 15.6%  in FY24, and by FY27, the percentage will increase to 20%. The proposed municipal portion of that Local Share of the Highway User Fund (HUR) is 2.4% in FY 24; 2.7% in FY 25; 3% in FY 27; and 2.4% form FY 28 onwards. Without this proposal, the municipal share would drop from the current level of 2% to 0.4% beginning in FY 24. County governments share is 3.2 % today.  In SB 726, it goes to 4.8% for FY 26-27.

 

“Returning the Highway User Funds back to the local jurisdictions has been a top priority for Governor Hogan and our Shore Delegation, and this is record-level funding for municipalities and long-term certainty for local projects,” said Carozza. “I especially want to thank Delegate Anderton for his leadership, knowledge and persistence on this matter and with this successful outcome.”   

 

The Maryland General Assembly on April 7th passed the Capital budget which includes Shore and District 38 priorities. Local projects included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Capital Budget are $150,000 total for a 10-unit hangar at Crisfield Airport in Somerset County; $200,000 total for the renovation and expansion of Somerset County Courthouse in Princess Anne; $200,000 total for the Delmar Community Center; and $200,000 for safety improvements and renovation of the Ocean Pines Fire Department South Station in Worcester, which is in addition to the $1.35 million included in Governor Hogan’s supplemental budget.

“Funding for these local projects will go a long way in advancing economic development, community, and public safety priorities in District 38,” Senator Carozza said, noting that capital funding is applied specifically towards construction and renovation work throughout the State of Maryland. 

Vetoes and Overrides

As expected, Governor Hogan vetoed several bills including abortion expansion, paid family leave, attorney child interrogations, and new licensed firearm dealers requirements. Senator Carozza supported the Governor’s vetoes which were overridden by the supermajority in both the Senate and House of Delegates.

 

Several local businesses contacted Carozza directly to express their opposition to Senate Bill 275 – Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program and House Bill 1021 Licensed Firearms Dealers Security Requirements. SB 275 mandates that every employer with 15 or more employees (well below the Obama administration standard) must participate in the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program and contribute an indeterminate amount per employee to the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. In his veto letter on SB 275, Governor Hogan wrote,  “After two years of a devastating global pandemic… a new $1.6 billion dollar regressive statewide payroll tax is the worst thing lawmakers could be imposing on Maryland employers and employees.”

 

In addition to her Senate Floor remarks in support of the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 275, Carozza also commented on her strong opposition to House Bill 937 – Abortion Care Access Act. She said, “With House Bill 937, Maryland becomes even better known of having the very top most liberal expansive abortion laws in the country. We open up Maryland so all kinds of providers can perform abortions instead of physicians. We have no limits so these providers can perform abortions right up to birth, no parental notification for minors 13 years old and under, no requirement to give basic mental health services information to women who have had an abortion and are showing signs of distress or depression, and not even a requirement that life-saving care would be provided if a baby was born live during a botched abortion. Speaking on behalf of my constituents, we don’t want Maryland to be known for a far-reaching expansive abortion law… and I am not proud of Maryland becoming known as an abortion destination.”

 

Crisfield High School Visit to Annapolis

After a two-year delay due to the pandemic, the 10th-grade students from Crisfield High School with teacher trip coordinator Mr. Randy Laird, Crisfield Teacher of the Year Ms. Vestina Davis, history teachers Ms. Erin Walbert and Mr. Justin Ihnat, and bus driver Mr. Hank Ward made it Annapolis and toured both the oldest-working State House in the country and the Naval Academy. It was my distinct honor to greet the Crisfield High School group with Delegates Charles Otto and Carl Anderton, and to bring the students into the Senate Gallery where I introduced them to my Senate colleagues.  “The students saw us in action in the closing days of the session, and I am glad they made the extra effort to travel to Annapolis this session,” said Carozza.

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Time Machine: 1961, 1830, 1899, 2012, & local history author TV segment

 


NEXT SUNDAY'S TIME MACHINE WILL BE A SPECIAL EDITION COMMEMORATING THE ONE HUNDRETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRE WHICH DESTROYED MUCH OF POCOMOKE CITY'S BUSINESS DISTRICT AND DOZENS OF RESIDENCES. 


August, 1961


News Journal (Wilmington)


August, 1961


Salisbury Times

(PPE reader comment)

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I remember well this cast of characters. Luther Parsons was always, well, different. Leroy Conant I never could figure out how he became mayor as he wasn't the friendliest fellow in town. This led to an interesting progression of short-term mayors including the aforementioned Klein Leister, Jack Killmon and even Evelyn Parsons! Evelyn was a real novelty as it was very unusual to have a female official of any sort, much less mayor, in the 1960s. J. Dawson Clarke finally stepped up to rescue Pocomoke City from its follies.


November, 1830

Snow Hill Messenger


September, 1899

Evening Journal (Wilmington)



November, 2012




Chincoteague Beacon


The Bay Bridge







Friday, April 8, 2022

Time Machine Preview

 This Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye:

1961  ..  Watered his private lawn during water emergency; sparred with mayor-


1961  ..   Says flare-up with city employee not a factor-

1830  ..  Fair warning-



1899  ..  Two school boards for Worcester schools-


2012  ..  Accomack tallying Sandy damage-


Plus TV segment with local history author Jim Duffy commenting about the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Concerns voiced to Worcester Board of Elections

 


(WMDT)

Some Worcester County community members joined in on the Worcester County Board of Elections meeting Wednesday morning to voice their concerns over election integrity.

View news story:

Worcester Board of Elections hear residents concerns over voting in the county - 47abc (wmdt.com)


 

Pocomoke Community Garden - Clarke Ave. & Willow Street

Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Carvel Hall transfer agreement

                               

(WMDT)


CRISFIELD, Md. – Crisfield Mayor Barry Dize has announced the settlement of Carvel Hall to Phoenix Real Estate Holdings.

View news story:

Crisfield's Carvel Hall to Phoenix Real Estate Holding - 47abc (wmdt.com)

 At The Pocomoke Fairgrounds

Monday, April 4, 2022

Reminder to Virginia phone users in Area Code 757 areas

 Area Code 757

The date is drawing near, April 9, when phone users in the Area Code 757 region will need to use the 3-digit Area Code plus the 7-digit local number when placing calls.  Failure to do so will result in your call not being connected.

Those seeking new phone service on and after May 9 might be assigned a new Area Code 948.



Sunday, April 3, 2022

Update from State Senator Mary Beth Carozza

 


April 3, 2022

2022 Maryland General Assembly Update

Week Twelve: Record Tax Relief Signed into Law, Shore Budget Highlights, Rushing Bills to the Governor, Redistricting Update

 

Annapolis, MD – We are less than two weeks from the Maryland General Assembly adjourning sine die on April 11th. This week’s highlights include a bill signing with Governor Hogan and legislative leaders enacting the largest tax cut package in state history, Shore budget priorities, the rush to send bills to Governor Hogan by April 1, and a redistricting update.

 

Retiree Tax Relief

Senator Mary Beth Carozza joined Governor Hogan and legislative leaders at a Friday bill signing ceremony as the Governor signed into law the largest tax cut package in state history, including the Retirement Tax Elimination Act (SB 405), which will provide an additional $1.86 billion in long overdue tax relief for Maryland retirees, families and small businesses. This includes a $1.55 billion reduction in taxes for retirees 65 and older who make less than $100,000 in retirement income and $150,000 as a couple.

 

“For the past eight years, Governor Hogan has been pushing and working on retiree tax relief, and I have cosponsored all of his retiree and other tax-relief bills both as a Delegate and Senator. Going back to my early door-to-door visits with constituents back in 2013, I constantly heard from local retirees that they wanted to stay in Maryland but some were leaving for more retiree-friendly states,” said Carozza. “I want to thank Governor Hogan for making retiree tax relief a top priority and for being so persistent in seeing it all the way through into law.”

 

Budget Priories and Shore Highlights

With a record $7 billion Maryland budget surplus, Governor Hogan submitted supplemental budgets for fiscal year ’23 including $350 million for tax relief for retirees, working families and small businesses this year; $2.4 billion in the Rainy Day Fund; $50 million to support tourism; $36 million to support economic development and revitalization, $35 million to restore funding for providers serving victims of crime, and $30 million to serve 1,350 youth on the Autism Waiver waiting list.

 

The Governor’s $2.8 billion supplemental budget submitted on March 28th makes key investments in some of his administration’s core priorities, including support for police and public safety, an expanded cyber readiness and workforce initiative, and critical infrastructure and public health investments. This supplemental budget also funds top priorities for county leaders and local governments.

 

This supplemental budget also includes $1.35 million for safety improvements and renovation of the Ocean Pines Fire Department South Station in Worcester; $550,000 for a 10-unit hangar at Crisfield Airport in Somerset County; and $350,000 for Delmar streetscape upgrades on South Pennsylvania Avenue in Wicomico.

 

“Governor Hogan has always supported priority Shore projects tied to public safety and economic and community development. On behalf of our Shore community, I extend our deep appreciation to the Governor for his strong and steadfast support of these Shore priorities,” said Carozza. 

 

Rushing Bills to the Governor

Several contentious bills that the Governor may veto were rushed through the legislative process to be presented to the Governor by April 1st. By sending the bills to the Governor by this date, the legislature would have time to debate and override his vetoes before adjourning for the session. These include bills on marijuana legalization, paid family and medical leave, climate change, and abortion expansion. Carozza voted against these bills.

 

Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

“It makes no sense to legalize the recreational use of marijuana when we are in the middle of an opioid crisis, especially when overdose deaths have significantly increased during the pandemic, and we certainly don’t need a constitutional amendment to put legalizing marijuana on the November ballot,” said Carozza. (Senate Bill 833 and House Bill 1)

 

Paid Family and Medical Leave

Carozza said the legislature also jammed through a paid family and medical leave bill, Senate Bill 275, without proper vetting. “This mandate, imposed on both employers and workers, would give up to 24 weeks of paid family and medical leave. It’s a payroll tax, and the bill proponents couldn’t even tell us the cost. During the Senate Finance Committee voting session, even some of the Democrats who voted for it called it a ‘hot mess’, said Carozza. “There were so many basic, unanswered questions like just figuring out the cost share that it simply was irresponsible to vote for a major new government program without knowing the impact on employers and workers alike.” .

 

Other legislation that already has been sent to the Governor includes the omnibus climate change bill, Senate Bill 528 and the abortion bill, House Bill 937 that would have devastating impacts on Maryland businesses and consumers, and on women's  health respectively. The abortion bill expands abortion providers beyond physicians to include other healthcare occupations, including nurses and physician assistants, even though they do have similar educational or practical experience and do not perform surgical procedures under their scope of practice. Additionally, taxpayers would pay $3.5 million a year on abortion training plus the several millions dollars a year that Maryland taxpayers already pay each year for 4,000 abortions under Maryland’s Medicaid program. The Climate Change bill “would have far reaching and devastating impacts on fossil fuel suppliers, many which are small businesses, sharply increase the costs for businesses required to retrofit, result in rent increases for those living in apartments and condos, and drive up overall energy costs by limiting options for consumers,” said Carozza.

 

Redistricting Update

The Maryland General Assembly passed a new version of a congressional map on March 30th to replace the one that was thrown out by Anne Arundel County Senior Judge Lynne A. Battaglia. Not only did she call the congressional map an “extreme partisan gerrymander,” but she also claimed that the map violated the state constitution’s equal protection, free speech and free elections clauses. A new version of the map was quickly drafted by the Maryland Senate and House, despite Republican objections, to meet the judge’s March 30 deadline. In addition, the Maryland Attorney General has filed a notice to appeal the decision by Judge Battaglia.

 

“I voted against the 8-0 (8 Democrats to 0 Republicans) Congressional map back in December, and I voted against the new 7-1 March 30h Congressional map as it’s pretty close to the same status quo gerrymandered map that we’ve had for the past 10 years,” said Carozza.