Budget woes dominate Westminster mayor and council meeting

To the left, please find an image of my news brief on the meeting of the Westminster mayor and Common Council on Monday, September 28, 2009. The news brief appeared in the Carroll Eagle on Sunday, October 4, 2009 on page 3.

Oct. 4, 2009 p3 Carroll Eagle Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/kcern Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/10/budget-woes-dominate-westminster-mayor.html http://tinyurl.com/ydumjah

http://twitpic.com/kcern Westminster Eagle News Brief: Budget woes dominate Westminster mayor and council meeting http://tinyurl.com/ydumjah

Below, please find the news brief as it was filed. The “long version” of my article on the meeting has not, as yet, been posted on www.explorecarroll.com. Hopefully it will be posted on Monday, October 5, 2009… If not, I’ll post it here on the blog…

Westminster Eagle News Brief: Budget woes dominate Westminster mayor and council meeting

Westminster Eagle – http://www.explorecarroll.com/

September 28, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

Westminster City Hall - The meeting of the Westminster mayor and Common Council last Monday began with plenty of smiles, but the mood quickly turned somber as a discussion on budget woes dominated the balance of the evening.

Mayor Kevin Utz conducted a public hearing on the 2009 Comprehensive Plan for Westminster. Later in the meeting the council voted to adopt the plan after more discussion of how proud the council and staff were to have received such good feedback from the state on how well the plan was developed and written.

Council president Damian Halstad brought up “Budget Amendment No. 1” for adoption. Utz explained “this reduction in the budget came as a direct result of the governor’s reduction in highway user revenues…”

Other council member joined-in as it was explained that the state Board of Public Works recently voted to not send $818,000 in revenue due the city from taxes collected by the state designated for the city’s coffers – in order to balance the state budget.

A press release describing the budget amendment explained, “The State of Maryland reduced the Highway User Revenues from $747,580 to $74,758 and Police Aid from a budgeted $400,000 to $254,826.”

City administrator Marge Wolf said that she expects the state to withhold an additional $329,000 from the city in January.

According to the press release: “Among the cuts approved by the Common Council were cancellations of the paving contract, technology purchases and a police vehicle which totaled $267,950 in capital expenditures; diversion of the $100,000 contingency reserve to operating accounts…

“… conversion of $215,000 of Union Street property proceeds to operating accounts; reduction of departmental operating budgets by $155,086; revision of the take home vehicle policy to institute a partial employee payback of costs by $15,768; and captured $65,000 in savings from reduced tipping fees.”

Wolf tried to put a bright face on a bleak picture at that by remarking that “this is not the best of times, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have good projects underway.”

As if on cue, Lori Graham, representing the business community, gave a report on the “Midnight Madness,” downtown business celebration held in conjunction with Fallfest. She also gave an update on plans for the upcoming community ‘electric’ Christmas parade.

“The community has its share of problems but we still come together to do good things,” said Graham.

Want to learn more about the recent meeting of the Westminster mayor and council meeting? For a longer version of this story go to http://www.explorecarroll.com/.

- 30 –

Dayhoff Media Westminster Eagle, MD State Budget, People Graham-Lori, Westminster Council Meeting Notes, Westminster Council Mtgs, Westminster Finance Budget, Westminster Mayor 2009 Utz Kevin

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Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet By Kevin Dayhoff

Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet By Kevin Dayhoff, Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 4/21/09

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the rededication ceremony for the Carroll County Community Media Center.

More than 80 people attended, and it was a reunion for many of us who have watched this great community asset come out of a closet in a basement at what was then Western Maryland College to become a first-rate facility with many talented artists.

Marion Ware, executive director commented that “the rededication was to celebrate five years in this shared community resource… and to recognize all the people and organizations that have made the vision … of community and connections possible.”

It was five years ago on Nov. 21, 2004, that the Community Media Center was dedicated, after years of work and much public discussion and debate.

A newspaper clipping from September 2002 announced: “The county commissioners signed an easement agreement Thursday with the Carroll County Board of Education for the media center organization to take over land on Old Washington Road near Westminster Senior High School….”

“‘We are finally able to get this done,’ said Marion Ware (in 2002), director of the Community Media Center and Carroll Community Television Channel 19. The organization will now build a 7,948-square-foot building that will include a main studio control room. The building will be centered next to the county Career and Technology Center and Carroll Community Center.”

Most of the younger folks in the community take for granted cable television and public access television, or PEG (public education and government television.)

Many do not remember the days in Carroll County when we only had reception for three television stations, on a good day – and they went off the air around midnight.

Although cable TV has been around in the Unites States since around 1948, my memory and old files are not serving me well as to when the discussions to bring cable TV to Carroll County began.

I can recall discussions about bringing cable TV – and the accompanying public access television, to Carroll as early as the late 1970s; and reading newspaper articles about it in the very early 1980s.

It took a great deal of public discussion and debate before the county entered into an agreement with Prestige in March 1984 with the enactment of county ordinance 41-A. This granted Prestige cable a 15-year cable system franchise for Carroll County.

In return for not being charged for use of the county rights of way – and in return for having a relative monopoly, Prestige agreed to provide a portion of the revenues to the county and municipal coffers and fund cable access TV for our citizens.

I remember when I first watched public access television in the mid-1980s, I was instantly hooked. It opened-up a wonderful new world for artistic expression, education, transparency in government and learning more about our growing community.

As the service has grown over the years, the possibilities continue to be unlimited.

I have grown to love watching various government meetings and cringe-worthy public hearings from the comfort of my living room couch, with a cup of coffee and a bag of chips.

Since the 1980s, I have had the sheer delight to participate in a number of interviews and locally produced shows about art, government and everything that is great about our local community.

All of this has been made possible by the hard work and visionary outlook of countless individuals.

The Community Media Center as we know it today is located in a relatively state-of-the-art facility on Washington Road; but the facilities were not always so great.

According to the Community Media Center’s history on its web site: “Channel 19 - Carroll's public access channel—started in 1989 first in a small studio in a bank building on Main Street. Then it moved to the basement of the Community College beneath a gym and weight room — not an ideal location for recording or working.”

I have fond memories of working on an art production called the “Sozra Sound Project” in the bank building in 1992. It was collaborative art project with a great co-op of talented artists, and married music, performance art and painting.

After most of the folks left the rededication ceremonies last Friday, several of us stayed behind to reminisce.

I really enjoyed talking with Pat Flaherty - with whom I worked with on the Sozra Sound Project. Then there's Bob Johnson - who has been around “since the beginning,” Michael Armacost - who started in 1992, Dick Slechter - 1993, and Ken Birnie.

They all took turns recalling the beginnings at Western Maryland College before 1989 and other visionaries who were involved such as Dr. Bob Sapora and George Shearer.

We talked about how the local public access initiative was known as “Channel 50” around 1986 and later as “Channel 55” when it later moved to space in the early formulations of Carroll Community College, when it was still a part of Catonsville Community College.

The early pioneers of the service worked with begged and borrowed equipment, sweat equity and hard work that went into getting it off the ground.

At one point, Birnie exclaimed that “we were all happy to get out of the closet” at Western Maryland.

Well Ken, we are all glad and the community has greatly benefited. Last Friday was indeed a celebration – of not only the Community Media Center, but also everything that is great about our community.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster.

http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/2773/dayhoff-getting-community-media-center-closet/

20090421 WE Getting the CMC out of the closet weked

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Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet

Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet

By Kevin Dayhoff,

Posted http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 4/21/09

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the rededication ceremony for the Carroll County Community Media Center.

More than 80 people attended, and it was a reunion for many of us who have watched this great community asset come out of a closet in a basement at what was then Western Maryland College to become a first-rate facility with many talented artists.

Marion Ware, executive director commented that “the rededication was to celebrate five years in this shared community resource… and to recognize all the people and organizations that have made the vision … of community and connections possible.”

Read the rest here: http://tinyurl.com/dj3z8q

http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/2773/dayhoff-getting-community-media-center-closet/

Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet
Published April 21, 2009 by Westminster Eagle

Thoughts turn to baseball and Jackie Robinson
Published April 17, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

Dayhoff: Recalling Jackie Robinson, the great American experiment
Published April 15, 2009 by Westminster Eagle

20090421 SDOSM snip WE Getting the CMC out of the closet

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Arbor Day in Westminster

Arbor Day in Westminster

For this article and other community and family oriented news about Carroll County go to: http://www.explorecarroll.com/

Workers put the finishing touches on planting one of the three Yoshino cherry trees at Belle Grove Square on Thursday. From left to right, Westminster assistant street department superintendent Wayne Reifsnider, city arborist Eric Schlitzer, and Tree Commission chair Joe Barley. Kevin Dayhoff photo

Arbor Day in Westminster

Planting kicks off city's tree replacement effort

Posted 4/03/09

WESTMINSTER — In commemorating Arbor Day, the City of Westminster Tree Commission this week announced a project to replace dead or dying trees in downtown Westminster.

As part of the effort, the city planted three cherry trees at Belle Grove Square in a ceremony April 2. At the event, Mayor Tom Ferguson read an Arbor Day proclamation.

The trees are replacements for others that were in poor health. Another three trees, also replacements due to poor health, will be planted on Willis Street in cooperation with the Parkview condominium association.

An additional 11 trees will be installed on West Main Street, Pennsylvania Avenue and John Street, replacing trees that have been removed or have died.

http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/2694/westtrees/

20090403 WE KED Arbor Day in Westminster weked
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
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Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company by Kevin Dayhoff

Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company by Kevin Dayhoff

Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 11/19/08

Click here for more columns by Kevin Dayhoff on http://www.explorecarroll.com/

Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company by Kevin Dayhoff

I was sad to see last week that the Pour House Café on East Main Street in Westminster was closing.

The unreal irony of the untimely demise of a popular local gathering place came with another piece of news from last week: According to ABC News: "Even as the company was pleading the federal government for another $40 billion dollars in loans, AIG sent top executives to a secret gathering at a luxury resort in Phoenix last week."

"Reporters caught the AIG executives on hidden cameras poolside and leaving the spa." I'm not making this up.

It was reported that AIG spent an estimated $343,000 on the junket.

I'll venture a guess that just the interest on that $343,000 alone could have kept the local Main Street shop in business.

No word as to whether owners of the Pour House considered lobbying the U.S. Treasury Department for a piece of the $700 billion bailout plan passed by Congress in the waning weeks of the 2008 presidential campaign.

But hey, why not? Everyone else is. According to an article in the International Herald Tribune, the "Treasury Department is under siege by an army of hired guns for banks, savings and loan associations and insurers -- as well as for improbable candidates like a Hispanic business group representing plumbing and home-heating specialists."

We all heard the rhetoric during the election campaign about how everyone is so concerned about "Main Street."

I kinda expected Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Senate Banking Committee chairman Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), to show up on Main Street in Westminster, order a vente double-shot mocha latte with lowfat soy and hand the Pour House a check.

Nah. That could never happen. These folks don't really know where "Main Street" is.

The other avenue of approach for the coffee house would have been to convert itself into a bank. I read the same day that the credit card company, American Express, was converted into a bank like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs -- so that it was eligible for a handout from the government.

As soon as the "Coffee Shop Bank and Trust" opens, it could take $343,000 junkets and be eligible for great seven-figure bonuses.

Hey, bean counting is bean counting.

Right after the news was revealed about the $343,000 AIG junket, the Federal Reserve System announced it was going to increase the company's bailout by $27 billion to a total of $150 billion.

Those folks who run AIG are no fools. That's a great return on misappropriating $343,000 of taxpayer dollars.

Along the same lines, I felt really bad to read a Reuters article that reported that "Wall Street bonuses could tumble 41.3 percent." Tumble?

Well, I tumbled out of my chair to read that economists "say each securities industry job on average paid $379,000 last year."

Now, according to Reuters, "Wall Street' high flyers are likely to see their bonuses take a brutal hit this year -- bonuses could be cut in half to $16 billion." Now that's brutal.

All this for an industry which Jay Leno described best: "The United States," he said, "has developed a new weapon that destroys people but it leaves buildings standing.

"It's called the stock market."

Is this a great country or what?

####

http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/1621/welcome-coffee-shop-bank-trust-company/

20081119 WE Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Co weked

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20081031 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns

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E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr DOT org
His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/; Westminster Eagle Opinion and Sunday Carroll Eagle: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

September 5, 2008

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Dayhoff explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

20080905 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff – July 23, 2008

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff – July 23, 2008

Related: “explorecarroll” website unveiled for the Westminster, Eldersburg and Sunday Carroll Eagle

July 23, 2008

Viva la bicyclette de Carroll
Published July 23, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Today, as you are reading this, the 95th Tour de France is in Stage 17. This year's race began on July 5. After 23 days,...

Memories from City Hall and e-mail from the great beyond
Published July 20, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Westminster purchased the property for its City Hall, on Emerald Hill Lane, from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September 1939 for the grand...

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Published July 13, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
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Smith & Reifsnider was too hot to handle in July 1938
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Seventy years ago, Carroll County was reeling from the aftermath of fireworks of an unwelcome variety -- one of the biggest fires in the county's...

What a concept: sharing the wealth and pain of tax increases
Published July 6, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
"Gov. (William Preston) Lane does not like taxes ... but as long as you have colleges to take your money, ... you are to have...

The merry marry month of June
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As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional...

Years ago, trip to the beach required help from a little ferry
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Westminster's past included days of swine and meters
Published June 25, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do...

20080723 Recent WE and SCE columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster will impose job cuts by Katie Jones for the Westminster Eagle

20080718 Westminster will impose job cuts by Katie Jones for the Westminster Eagle

Westminster will impose job cuts

Layoffs, revision of benefits announced

By Katie V. Jones

Originally Posted on the Westminster Eagle 7/16/08

Westminster Mayor Thomas Ferguson announced Monday the elimination of several jobs within city government as a means to cut the city’s budget in the face of what he called a “challenging year.”

A press release issued Monday said the cuts are needed “to facilitate a balanced budget.”

The city will not fill two vacant positions in the Office of Finance and the Mayor’s Office, and will eliminate the position of Housing Rehabilitation Coordinator and Manager of Planning.

Additionally, the city’s Code Enforcement Officer and Section 8 Housing Inspector positions will be merged into one job, and the City Clerk position will be trimmed from a full-time position to part-time.

Two administrative assistant positions will be cut, but two “staff assistant” positions will be created.

The release said a severance package, including pay and benefits, will be set up for employees whose positions have been eliminated.

In addition, the release announced changes to current city employees’ benefit packages.

Employees will be asked to double their contribution to health care policies from 7 percent to 14 percent.

Also, retirees’ health care benefits will be modified, and employees hired after July 1 of this year will not be eligible for this benefit, the press release stated.

“This has been a challenging year for the city as revenues have declined and expenditures have continued to increase,” said Ferguson in the release.

“Our three-year operating projections do not indicate this situation will improve significantly in the immediate future,” he addded. “Accordingly, I am reluctantly outlining the steps we have taken to adapt to this financial situation.”

Borrowing $3.5 million

The job cuts were not discussed at Monday’s meeting of the mayor and council.At the meeting, though, city officials did discuss how they would spend the $3.5 million loan that the council authorized in a special session July 9.

The bond money is targeted at road overlay projects, and Jeff Glass, director of public works, briefed the council on which streets would be slated for repairs and the possible order of completion.

Glass said that while his office has organized 11 groupings of streets for “some orderly fashion,” the future contractor of the project may have their own suggestions on how the work should proceed.

Glass noted that while plans are to complete all 11 groups, the rising cost of asphalt could prevent all from completion.

At the special session on July 9, Ferguson had noted that if asphalt prices continue to rise, the city may opt to stall the road repair program and return some of the $3.5 million without using it.

Prices, he said at last week’s meeting, are “going due north,” and will already affect the number of projects the city thinks it can accomplish.

The general obligation bond will be with BB&T Bank and is structured for nine years, with a two-year interest-only component. If the city chooses not to use the full amount, there is no penalty for early repayment, officials said.

At Monday’s session, the council agreed to put the overlay project out to bid instead of extending an existing order with C.J. Miller. While this will delay the project, it is necessary, Ferguson said, to get “the best price we can.”

That process will take 30 days, which Glass described as “the fast track.”

“It has to be advertised and the companies have to put their bids together,” he said. “Thirty days is cutting it.”

While Glass was fairly confident that the first two groups of streets would proceed as planned, Ferguson reminded everyone that the proposal was a “plan.”

“This is a plan and it is subject to modifications and change,” he said.

Jim Joyner contributed to this story.

http://www.explorecarroll.com/news/221/westminster-will-impose-job-cuts/

Recent Westminster and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

July 6th, 2008 – posted July 9, 2008

What a concept: sharing the wealth and pain of tax increases
Published July 6, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
"Gov. (William Preston) Lane does not like taxes ... but as long as you have colleges to take your money, ... you are to have...

The merry marry month of June
Published July 2, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional...

Years ago, trip to the beach required help from a little ferry
Published June 29, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE For many Carroll County residents, summertime means an opportunity to make an annual family trek to Ocean City, Md. Some of my fondest childhood memories...

Westminster's past included days of swine and meters
Published June 25, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do...

My columns are found on the website here: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

I write for three of the newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing Group, the Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle and Eldersburg Eagle. The Patuxent Publishing Group is owned by “Tribune.” Tribune also owns the Baltimore Sun – and as a matter of fact, the Sunday Carroll Eagle is distributed in the Sunday edition of the Baltimore Sun – see: 20071021 Baltimore Sun: “To our readers”)

My columns and articles appear in Westminster Eagle Opinion: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ - The Westminster Eagle: http://www.explorecarroll.com

and The Sunday Carroll Eagle Opinion: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ - The Sunday Carroll Eagle: http://www.explorecarroll.com/ – distributed in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun.

20080706 recent Westminster and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

“explorecarroll” website unveiled for the Westminster, Eldersburg and Sunday Carroll Eagle

“explorecarroll” website unveiled for the Westminster, Eldersburg and Sunday Carroll Eagle

June 26th, 2008 – posted July 9, 2008

On June 26, 2008 our new Westminster, Eldersburg and Sunday Carroll Eagle website were all combined into a new website: http://www.explorecarroll.com/.

Check it out and bookmark it.

My columns are found on the website here: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

I write for three of the newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing Group, the Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle and Eldersburg Eagle. The Patuxent Publishing Group is owned by “Tribune.” Tribune also owns the Baltimore Sun – and as a matter of fact, the Sunday Carroll Eagle is distributed in the Sunday edition of the Baltimore Sun – see: 20071021 Baltimore Sun: “To our readers”)

My columns and articles appear in Westminster Eagle Opinion: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ - The Westminster Eagle: http://www.explorecarroll.com/

and The Sunday Carroll Eagle Opinion: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ - The Sunday Carroll Eagle: http://www.explorecarroll.com/ – distributed in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun.

20080626 “explorecarroll” website unveiled for the Westminster, Eldersburg and Sunday Carroll Eagle

20080625 The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history

The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history

June 25th, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

Photo caption: Looking east on the south side Main Street of Westminster Maryland at St. John Catholic Church in the 1920s. The church was built in 1865. On June 19, 1952 the storm blew through town and toppled the steeple at 4:45 in the afternoon. As a result the structure was subsequently deemed unsafe in 1968.

The last church service was held on February 4, 1968. The structure was demolished in early March 1977 and replaced with the Westminster Branch of the Carroll County Public Library in March 1980. (The image is from an old file collection. The photographer is unknown. Kevin Dayhoff)

Writer’s note – a shorter version of this column appeared in the print edition of the Westminster Eagle on June 25, 2008.

_____

June is “invasion month” in the city of Westminster. Over the years, a sampling of the invasions over the years has involved bugs, hogs, parking meters, dust, flies, manure, and Southern troops have made historic appearances in the city and caused quite a ruckus.

Ay caramba – where to begin?

Throughout history there have been many critter problems in Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do with the city’s hog population.

Many thanks go to Laurel Taylor, the Westminster City Clerk who gave me a hand a while back in getting to the bottom of the controversies.

As early as October 1, 1860, an ordinance was enacted by the Westminster mayor and common council, which prohibited “the running at large of hogs and swine” in the city.

On October 9, 1860, “the price per head for the impoundment of errant swine was reduced from $2.00/head to $1.00/head. The daily fee for impoundment was reduced from $1.50 to $.50.”

The following year, on June 12, 1861 the minutes of the common council proceeding note: “Moved and seconded that the Ordinance relating to Hogs running at large in the City of Westminster be enforced and that after the 1st of July 1861 all hogs or swine found in the streets will be taken up and disposed of as directed by Ordinance heretofore (illegible - passed?) by the Board and that ....Joseph Shaw publish a Notice of the same to the Citizens of Westminster prior to 1st July 1861.”

Dogs running loose seem to have also been a problem because in 1866, an ordinance took effect that prohibited dogs from running at large in the City unless they were muzzled.

The minutes of the meeting at which that Ordinance was adopted contain a warning: “Attention is hereby called to the Ordinance already existing relative to swine running at large, which will be rigidly enforced.”

However, the problems associated with hogs persisted and in October 1895 a special council meeting was called after “Dr. J. Howell Billingslea and a committee of citizens who went before them to urge immediate action in the interest of the public health,” according to an October 12, 1895 article in the now defunct American Sentinel newspaper.

The newspaper article noted that Dr. Billingslea was “convinced that the hog pens, even when kept as clean as possible, are disease breeders and a constant menace to the health of the people in towns of any considerable size, a fact about which there can hardly be a dispute…

“January 1st, 1896, is spoken of as the period at which the prohibition will likely go into effect. While such a measure will work hardship, probably in many cases, it seems to be necessary to the preservation of the health of the community.”

The article did not go into detail as to what “hardships” would occur.

In June 1946 another controversy erupted in downtown Westminster – parking meters.

On May 24, 1946, the now defunct Democratic Advocate reported that parking meters “from Charles Carroll Hotel to Anchor street, (became) a reality Tuesday morning when a force of men started drilling holes for the erection of the meters.”

The proposal by the city to install parking meters was quite controversial and the subject of litigation. However, the newspaper reported, “The injunction was denied by Judge Clarke, some time last April, and an appeal was under way but later dropped by the opposers…

“Charles Armacost, popular contractor of Finksburg, has charge of the placing the meters in position. The work is being done very rapidly.”

Of course, parking in downtown Westminster ebbs and flows in controversy. I can recall more than a few spirited conversations about the parking meters well into the late 1950s and 60s.

For many of us, one enigma remains and that is why parking was removed from the south side of Main Street in front of where the downtown branch of the Carroll County library is located.

Many of us who grew up in Westminster recall parking on that side of the street – in front of where St. John Catholic Church was then located. The came along “progress” and a center turn lane – that is hardly ever used - was added for the entire block and the parking removed.

Nevertheless, in spite of the critter challenges and the parking meters, the city has survived. Whether we will survive the city’s current “tax, borrow, and spend” initiatives remains to be seen.

####

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
####

www.kevindayhoff.net
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E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

20080625 The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history

20080625 The hogs and parking meters of Westminster’s past history

20080618 Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

20080618 Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

June 18, 2008

Kevin E. Dayhoff Sunday, June 18 Why I can't say the 'S' word Friday, June 20 is officially the first day of summer and, for those of us who like it hot, it doesn't come a day too soon.
In recent years, summer months are as busy as the rest of year. Gone are the lazy southern Carroll County summers.
However, growing up in Carroll in the 1950s and '60s, sum... [Read full story]


Paul Causey was the mortar that built many lives in Carroll On May 25, folks filled Grace Lutheran Church in Westminster to say good-bye to one of our community's unsung heroes, Paul Causey. Like Mr. Causey, the folks who came to celebrate his life of 81 years are the foundation of our community.
Mr. Causey would have been annoyed over all the fuss and att... [Read full story]


Food, canning history and eating my way across Westminster On May 3, 1946, a newspaper article carried a story that Carroll Countians opened "approximately 3,163,000 cans of food É annually."
"Citizens of Carroll County can anticipate dramatic developments in canned foods during 1946, many of these products having first been packaged for the armed forces... [Read full story]


Pecoraro makes 'superdelegate' stand in advance of convention Political and presidential historians are often quick to point out that the Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the Unites States.
However, many folks may not be aware that much of the roots of the party are arguably in Maryland.
The U.S. Democratic Party, and specifically, the Ma...[Read full story]


Pictures are worth a thousand words, but not the whole picture Last Wednesday, the Humane Society of the United States released videotape of an "undercover investigation" which claimed to show the "shocking abuse of 'downer' cows occurs not just at slaughter plants but É at livestock auctions and stockyards around the country," according to the humane society p...[Read full story]


More Headlines

For this year's prom, 'Come as you are' ... and stay a while

College may be expensive, but the experiences are priceless

Rhodes offers a helping hand to those in need

Dr. Herlocker set a pace in more ways than one

Days of bicycles, playgrounds, swamps and turkeys

Jeff Morse incident is a lost opportunity

Inns and hotels important in the early history of Carroll County

Hypocrisy and poor money management plague client No. 9

Beet juice, Romeo and Juliet and the 1856 Guano Islands Act

Trouble with trash is nothing new, but the technology may be

Don't let 'wrap rage' leave you in stitches

Looking at Bowling Brook one year later

'Tech Tax' will have crippling impact on Carroll

It's easy to demonstrate for peace; harder to work for it

How culture and song can save a nation

Dr. Martin Luther King's enduring words

Courthouse history seems to match theatrical flair of current case

Something we really must talk about


http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?NPV2Datasource=mywebpal&pnpid=978&show=newscast&CategoryID=18317

20080528 Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Food, canning history and eating my way across Westminster
On May 3, 1946, a newspaper article carried a story that Carroll Countians opened "approximately 3,163,000 cans of food É annually."

"Citizens of Carroll County can anticipate dramatic developments in canned foods during 1946, many of these products having first been packaged for the armed forces...
[Read full story]

---

Pecoraro makes 'superdelegate' stand in advance of convention
Political and presidential historians are often quick to point out that the Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the Unites States.

However, many folks may not be aware that much of the roots of the party are arguably in Maryland.

The U.S. Democratic Party, and specifically, the Ma...
[Read full story]

---

Pictures are worth a thousand words, but not the whole picture
Last Wednesday, the Humane Society of the United States released videotape of an "undercover investigation" which claimed to show the "shocking abuse of 'downer' cows occurs not just at slaughter plants but É at livestock auctions and stockyards around the country," according to the humane society p...
[Read full story]

---

For this year's prom, 'Come as you are' ... and stay a while
May is prom season in Carroll County -- one of the most anticipated nights on a young adult's calendar.

It's also the time of the year when many young adults are looking forward to the end of the school year or graduation ceremonies and parties.

The celebrations bring another set of challenges ...
[Read full story]

---

College may be expensive, but the experiences are priceless
Any family with a high school senior is well aware that April is crunch time for the college selection process.

In conversations with parents and students over the last several months, folks have told me that they are simply overwhelmed with myriad factors that must be considered in choosing a col...
[Read full story]

---

More Headlines Rhodes offers a helping hand to those in need
Dr. Herlocker set a pace in more ways than one
Days of bicycles, playgrounds, swamps and turkeys
Jeff Morse incident is a lost opportunity
Inns and hotels important in the early history of Carroll County
Hypocrisy and poor money management plague client No. 9
Beet juice, Romeo and Juliet and the 1856 Guano Islands Act
Trouble with trash is nothing new, but the technology may be
Don't let 'wrap rage' leave you in stitches
Looking at Bowling Brook one year later
'Tech Tax' will have crippling impact on Carroll
It's easy to demonstrate for peace; harder to work for it
How culture and song can save a nation
Dr. Martin Luther King's enduring words
Courthouse history seems to match theatrical flair of current case
Something we really must talk about

20080521 Westminster Eagle: Pecoraro makes 'superdelegate' stand in advance of convention

Pecoraro makes 'superdelegate' stand in advance of convention

05/21/08 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Political and presidential historians are often quick to point out that the Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the Unites States.

However, many folks may not be aware that much of the roots of the party are arguably in Maryland.

The U.S. Democratic Party, and specifically, the Maryland Democratic Party "is among the oldest, continuous existing political organizations in the world," according to a brief history of the Maryland Democratic Party written by Carroll County historian and former Maryland Secretary of State John T. Willis.

Mr. Willis is considered by many to be a nationally known authority on political history -- especially Democratic Party history.

In his historical account he notes that it was on this day in 1827, "that a meeting of Andrew Jackson supporters organized a political structure in the State designed to help one of the national founders of our Party win the PresidencyÉ"

Five years later, on May 21, 1832, the first national political convention of the Democrat Party was held in Baltimore.

According to Willis, it "was held at the Atheneum (and Warfield's Church) É located on the southwest corner of St. Paul and Lexington Streets. Twelve delegates from each county and six delegates from Baltimore City were invited to attend."

From 1832 to 1872, eight of the 12 Democrat party national conventions were held in Baltimore. Considering that two of the main routes to Baltimore, from all points west, travel through Carroll County, an historian's imagination can run wild as to what national political figures may have passed through Carroll in those days.

Fast-forwarding to the present, as the Democratic primaries draw to a close, presidential historians are looking forward to a very busy summer.

However, one portion of the drama of the longest presidential campaign in history may be coming to an anti-climatic finish, as presidential candidate and Illinois Senator Barack Obama seems to be close to a mathematical edge over his rival for the Oval Office, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

In one important development that made national news, just last Friday, Westminster Common Councilmember and Democratic National Convention superdelegate Greg Pecoraro endorsed Senator Obama.

The term, "superdelegate" is relatively new in our political lexicon.

It's actually an informal term coined for a credentialed delegate at the presidential convention who is either a party leader or an elected official. For example, Gov. Martin O'Malley is another superdelegate.

They are free to endorse whomever they choose at the national convention.

Mr. Pecoraro's announcement was carried by outlets as far and wide as the Associated Press, Time magazine's political blog, "The Page," as well as the highly entertaining and controversial political blogs "The Daily Kos" and "The Huffington Post."

In a statement released on Obama's Web site, Pecoraro said, "Today, I am very excited to join the large majority of Maryland Democrats who expressed their enthusiasm for Senator Obama's candidacy in our state's presidential primary. Like them, I believe Barack Obama is the right leader for our time."

Pecoraro praised Senator Clinton, too, but ultimately decided: "I strongly believe that Senator Obama offers us the best opportunity we have had for many years to turn away from the politics of division and despair, and look towards an America of opportunity and progress."

Mr. Pecoraro will join Maryland's 99 delegates who will vote at the Democratic National Convention, which will be held this year from Aug. 25 through the 28th in The Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.

Mathematics has been a preoccupation of many political observers for the past number of months as the numbers involved in the convention are bewildering.

One published account estimates that it will cost approximately $15 million just to prepare The Pepsi Center for the estimated 35,000 folks who are expected to attend. That includes more than 15,000 members of the media.

However, it's the sheer numbers of the delegates that is mind-boggling -- there are 4,048 voting convention delegates attending.

In a phone conversation with Pecoraro the other day, he seemed unfazed. He said he's attended every National Democratic Convention since 1980 except one.

Moreover, he said it's a great honor to be a part of history and that he was looking forward to this year's convention.

He's not the only one. Outside of the summer blockbusters in movie theaters, it might be the best source of suspense we'll see this summer.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kdayhoff@carr.org.

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