Time Machine Preview

 This Sunday here at The Pocomoke Public Eye:

2004  ..  Local columnist Edna Davy Muir recalls some of her Christmas memories.

1945  ..  The spirit of Christmas is evident at the Somerset County Jail in Princess Anne with Santa visiting there to spread cheer to two children of a woman prisoner (and a follow-up article on what happened when the charges against the woman were brought before the grand jury). 

1906  ..  A writer looks back to old fashioned Christmas's in the country from yet an even earlier time.

1958  ..  Letters to Santa.

1937  ..  From the Eastern Shore to across the bay Marylanders are aiding Santa to prevent empty stockings.

1935  ..  (Ad) Marva Theater Christmas Eve and Christmas Day movies.

Governor Hogan announces new restrictions and new relief package

 (WBOC)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday urged state residents to stay home for the holidays to help stop the spread of COVID-19, and also announced a new $180 million relief package to help businesses and people affected by the pandemic.

The governor issued an emergency order to limit travel to essential purposes only. 

View full news story:

Gov. Hogan Urges Residents to Stay Home for Holidays, Announces - WBOC TV

               

Skating at Snow Hill!

 

Holiday scams alert

 

(The County Times, Crisfield)

Crisfield PD and State Police both warn about scam callers

CRISFIELD — The Crisfield Police Department and Chief David Dalfonso remind everyone that with the holidays come the scammers and everyone needs to be on guard.

Residents should be suspicious of any telephone calls or mailings that come from a “government agency,” police department, or questionable charity requesting money — and if you are contacted and unsure if it is a scam, don’t hesitate to contact the CPD at 410-968-1323 to confirm.

Likewise, the Maryland State Police warns of similar schemes including scammers claiming to be the IRS, or a family member of the victim in need of bail money after an arrest.

In a frequent scam, the victim is told that they have won a contest or prize money, but in order to collect their winnings, they must buy gift cards totaling a small portion of the total prize they will eventually be sent by the scammer.

Phone numbers are also spoofed, or cloned, and one victim received a call that displayed “State Police” on her caller ID and the number 410-386-3000, which is the actual number for the Maryland State Police Westminster Barrack. When the woman answered the call, the person on the other end of the line told her a criminal complaint had been filed against her.

The victim asked for the caller’s badge number before the caller hung up on the victim.

Along those same lines but using the internet, one con artist spoofed the victim’s boss’s email address and sent out an email instructing the “employee” to go and buy gift cards and then text the codes on the back of the card to a different number saying the boss lost his phone.

“These scammers are using scare tactics and sophisticated technology to attempt to take advantage of the public,” a spokesperson for the MSP stated. “The Maryland State Police would never solicit personal information from any citizen over the phone.”

Anyone who receives such a phone call should hang up and then contact their local state police barrack. Callers may remain anonymous.

Maryland Guard to assist with vaccine distribution

 (WBOC)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (CBS/WBOC)- Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday the Maryland National Guard will be reactivated to assist with the state’s distribution and planning of the COVID-19 vaccine.

View full article:

Md. National Guard to Assist With COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts A - WBOC TV

Eastern Shore of Virginia loses a prominent citizen

 (WESR/Shore Daily News)

View article:

Robert S. Bloxom Sr. passes away - Shore Daily News

Time Machine: Holiday Season 1942, 1980, 1921, 1937, 1966, 1935, 1970.

 

December, 1942

Worcester Democrat

December, 1980

Daily Times (Salisbury)

  December, 1921

Democratic Messenger

December, 1937

Worcester Democrat

December 24, 1966- A seldom seen headline on the Eastern Shore..

A white Christmas on the Eastern Shore is more often than not just something that's dreamed about but it does occur occasionally.  In 1966, for example, Christmas was on a Sunday and a few inches fell overnight Friday into Saturday morning and left snow on the ground for Christmas day. The highest amounts were generally in Somerset County.  

December 26, 1935- A white Christmas dream became more of a nightmare.

Several inches of snow beginning on the 25th were whipped into large drifts that by the next morning were anything but a pleasant dream for those who had to take to the roadways.

   (Salisbury Times excerpts)

See a 2019 WMDT article about past times of a white Christmas on the Eastern Shore: 

https://www.wmdt.com/2019/12/our-last-white-christmas-story/

       

 Submitted by Kathy H. in 2013...

At Christmas time, my mind always goes back to about 1970.

 

I was young (20) and doing Christmas shopping in downtown Pocomoke City.  The air was crisp and cold and a light snow was falling.  The downtown area was lit up with Christmas lights in the storefront windows and Christmas carols were playing over a P.A. or loudspeaker system (I don't know what the technical term is) but I remember that it was beautiful.

 

At that time, you could do ALL of your Christmas shopping downtown - didn't have to go anywhere else. There was a 'five & diime' store, a 'dollar' store, a couple of department stores, a couple of shoe stores, a couple of dress shops, a men's clothing store, a couple of jewelry stores, a couple of catalog stores, a couple of hardware stores, a couple of pharmacies, a couple of banks, and a car dealer by the river.  Just turn the corner off of Market St. and go just one block down Clarke Ave. and there was a soda fountain shop, a couple of mom & pop grocery stores, and a fish market (I think). There may have even been a beauty salon on Willow St. between Second & Clarke (memory is fuzzy here). If you proceeded on to the next block down Clarke Ave., there was a second-hand store (clothing, etc.), a deli, and a small mom & pop clothing store.  Unbelievable isn't it?  Yes, all of those businesses were in the downtown area (at the same time).

 

I miss it when I get thinking about it.  It was different shopping like that than when you go into these huge chain stores and have to fight the crowds. Whole different atmosphere - the magic of Christmas has gotten lost in greedy commercialism.  Well, maybe that's a bit extreme, but right now I am savoring those wonderful memories of times gone by.

 

P.S.  You could shop without worrying about getting your purse snatched, or getting mugged or carjacked, etc.