Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Celebrating historic buildings, 'Irishtown' and spring fever
Published March 22, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle


Studying the economics of rewarding bad behavior
Published March 18, 2009 by Westminster Eagle


Are big financial mergers part of Westminster history? Bank on it
Published March 13, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle


Story of Carroll County today reads like a text book of success
Published March 11, 2009 by Westminster Eagle


One Westminster family's friend, and enemy, during the Civil War
Published March 6, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle


Sheryl gives advice on banking and toilet paper, one square at a time
Published March 4, 2009 by Westminster Eagle


In the 1800s, Parke was a giant in politics and the print media
Published February 27, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle


In the 1920s, somebody was going to go hungry
Published February 25, 2009 by Westminster Eagle


Which comes first: a great person, or the great deed needing to be done?
Published February 20, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
... historian Joe Getty once said about the history of Carroll County. He said it's the study of the ordinary lives of ordinary people ... all of which is extraordinary…

20090322 Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

February 8, 2008

Winter months turned up the heat to create fire departments
Published February 6, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Sixty years ago, Carroll County community leaders made good use of the winter months to get together and plan for fire protection. In a February 2006...

Not that our presidents are exactly trivial, but ...
Published February 4, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
The election and inauguration of our nation's first black president has had many wonderful benefits. However, for those of us who are history geeks, the...

When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents
Published February 1, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE More than 100 years ago, horse and buggy accidents were a staple of the "breaking news" diet of local newspapers. One example occurred Feb....

Remembering the life of former mayor David E. Walsh
Published January 28, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
On Jan. 27, 1927, former Westminster mayor David E. Walsh passed away. His passing was headlined in a newspaper article the next day. His granddaughter,...

Fitzhugh was just what the doctor ordered in Carroll's medical past
Published January 25, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
On Jan. 25, 1935, Dr. Henry Maynadier Fitzhugh, a well-known local physician, died at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore. Today, the name Fitzhugh is...

Even when Carroll County was dry, it really wasn't
Published January 21, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
The Union Bridge Pilot carried a curious news story on Jan. 21, 1921, under the heading of "Local Items," about a gentleman "who had violated...

60 years ago, Davis opened the first chapter of the library book
Published January 16, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Bob Allen's piece in last week's edition of The Sunday Carroll Eagle on the future of the Carroll County Public Library reminded me that it...

Martin Luther King and Marvin Gaye still show us the way
Published January 14, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
For those who remember the push-button, dashboard AM radios in your cars in the 1960s, you may want to sit down before your read another...

A connection of Biblical proportions and a few presidential pet projects
Published January 9, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
I'm excited about the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. It is quite a testimony to our great country to have overcome the yoke of...

20090208 Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents

When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents

February 4, 2009

Eagle Archives By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 2/01/09

More than 100 years ago, horse and buggy accidents were a staple of the "breaking news" diet of local newspapers.

One example occurred Feb. 1, 1896, when the now out-of-print American Sentinel carried a brief about a horse and buggy accident involving a mail carrier. Under the heading of "Taneytown Items," the paper reported:

"On last Monday afternoon when Mr. John Shriner, who carries the mail from this place to Harney, was leaving for home, his horse became frightened and, in some way, fell to the ground, breaking one shaft off his cart. When the animal regained his feet the broken shaft struck him on the heels causing him to run away.

"After he had run some distance the cart was upset and threw Mr. Shriner to the ground with great force. He was dragged some distance and finally delivered from his dangerous position by the horse getting loose from the cart, which was badly wrecked.

"Mr. Shriner was badly bruised and scarred, and has not been able to attend to his duties since the accident, but is now slowly improving and will soon be carrying the mail again."

So let me get this straight. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow are problems for postal carriers, but apparently being dragged by a horse is?

Years ago, Jay Graybeal wrote a column for the Historical Society of Carroll County about a number of horse and buggy accidents that were reported in the May 19, 1893, edition of the defunct Democratic Advocate. Apparently roaming farm animals were involved in several mishaps.

"Mr. Jesse Long, living near Tannery, was thrown from a wagon last Sunday evening. He was returning from Tannery Station, driving a young horse to a small wagon, when the bridle came off the animal's head. The horse started to run, and running against a cow in the road, upset the wagon and threw Mr. Long out. ... Dr. W. K. Fringer rendered medical services."

"On Monday morning as Mr. Wm. Burgoon, of Bachman's Valley, and his son were on their way to this city, the horse became frightened at a goat and ran off a bridge near the residence of Mr. Jacob Zacharias, on the Littlestown pike, and fell a distance of 14 feet down into a gully. Mr. Burgoon had a leg bruised, his son received a small cut near the eye, the carriage top was smashed and the harness broken."

Let that be a lesson. Don't let a horse get your goat ... or your cow.

Read the rest of the column here: When 'breaking news' was all about horse and buggy accidents

http://explorecarroll.com/community/2208/when-breaking-news-was-all-about-horse-buggy-accidents/

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Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll http://explorecarroll.com/ columns by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/cf7e5f

January 27, 2009

Fitzhugh was just what the doctor ordered in Carroll's medical past
Published January 25, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
On Jan. 25, 1935, Dr. Henry Maynadier Fitzhugh, a well-known local physician, died at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore. Today, the name Fitzhugh is...


Even when Carroll County was dry, it really wasn't
Published January 21, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
The Union Bridge Pilot carried a curious news story on Jan. 21, 1921, under the heading of "Local Items," about a gentleman "who had violated...


60 years ago, Davis opened the first chapter of the library book
Published January 16, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Bob Allen's piece in last week's edition of The Sunday Carroll Eagle on the future of the Carroll County Public Library reminded me that it...


Martin Luther King and Marvin Gaye still show us the way
Published January 14, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
For those who remember the push-button, dashboard AM radios in your cars in the 1960s, you may want to sit down before your read another...


A connection of Biblical proportions and a few presidential pet projects
Published January 9, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
I'm excited about the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. It is quite a testimony to our great country to have overcome the yoke of...


There is no such thing as a 'simpler time'
Published January 7, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
It's the first week of 2009 and, by now, most of us are back to work with the extra pounds of the holidays and the...


New Year celebrations filled with joy, hope ... and great food
Published January 2, 2009 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Well, The calendar on the wall tells me 2008 is now but a memory. Now we can look forward to the twists, turns and opportunities...


New beginnings, new hopes and new adventures of 2009
Published December 31, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Happy New Year. It is not happenstance that the month of January was named for the Roman god, Janus, who is pictured with two heads....


Carrying a tune, and its words of harmony, into the new year
Published December 28, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
As the 2008 Christmas and Hanukkah holidays come to a close, I do hope everyone has recovered from the shock and awe of spending the...


As Santa hits the road, fire department is a driving force
Published December 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Tonight's the night when all good little boys and girls go to bed and lay awake listening for Santa Claus. Last week I had the opportunity...

20090127 SDOSM Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff
His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/;
The Westminster Eagle /Eldersburg Eagle The Sunday Carroll Eagle - Opinion: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

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60 years ago, Davis opened the first chapter of the library book

60 years ago, Davis opened the first chapter of the library book

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 1/16/09

Other columns by Kevin Dayhoff on www.explorecarroll.com: http://explorecarroll.com/search/?s=Dayhoff&action=GO


Photo: The Davis Library in Westminster, MD, was dedicated on May 27, 1951 in the former Westminster Methodist Protestant Church building. According to a web site history of the Carroll County Public Library, "In 1958 a county-wide library system was established, with the Davis Library operating as the central branch." The Davis Library served as the Westminster Branch of the Carroll County Public Library from May 1958 to March 1980.

Bob Allen's piece in last week's edition of The Sunday Carroll Eagle on the future of the Carroll County Public Library reminded me that it was 60 years ago on Jan. 21, 1949, that another newspaper carried the headline:
"Library Donated By Mr. & Mrs. Davis, The Immanuel Methodist Church To Be Site ..."

The article, in the now-defunct Democratic Advocate, reported that "the donation of a library for Westminster to be known as The Davis Library was made by the Board of Trustees recently set up to secure a charter and establish and conduct the project."

The Jan. 7, 1949, minutes of an organization meeting for the library mention that the library "first occupied part of the Times Building in 1911, later moving to the Wantz building, then back to its present location in the Times Building in 1936."

The library in Carroll County began in 1863 in the Odd Fellow's Hall (now known as Opera House Printing Company), at 140 E. Main Street. The library moved to the Times Building in 1911.

The 1949 newspaper article continued by naming a number of distinguished citizens who were involved in forming the Davis Library:

"Those named by Mr. Davis to this first self-perpetuating board were: Walter H. Davis, K. Ray Hollinger, Gerald E. Richter, George K. Mathias, Samuel M. Jenness, Ralph G. Hoffman, Carroll L. Crawford, Norman B. Boyle and John R. Bankard ...

"The donors are Walter H. Davis and wife, Elizabeth R. Davis. Mr. Davis is one of Westminster's outstanding citizens. ... He is active in religious, public and civic affairs, served on the city council and as acting mayor for a time. He is head of the W. H. Davis Company, Buick automobile dealers and has been a resident of Westminster for over 50 years."

And for his donation, his name is forever etched in the book of Carroll County history.

From books to pets

In last week's column I noted that when Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech the night of his election, he promised his daughters a puppy. Many presidents vie for having the most unusual pets, however, President John Quincy Adams may take the cake.

Last week's Sunday Carroll Eagle history question was: What were President Adams' two pets?

Glenn Plott, Heidi Davis, Michael Sears, Ruth G Anderson, Sam Greenholtz, Richard Siehler, Bruce Sadler and Marian Goettee all knew that President Adams had an alligator and silkworms.

Sadler, this week's winner of the historic Sunday Carroll Eagle mug, wrote that "President John Quincy Adams was in the White House from 1825-1829. He was given a pet alligator by the Marquis de Lafayette, which he kept for a time in a bathroom in the East Room of the White House. He also had pet silkworms."

Anderson wrote that it was the president's wife "Mrs. Louisa Adams (who) raised silkworms! It is said that she had gowns made from the silk."
Greenholtz noted that he has "never been able to find out what the names of the silkworms were or if he "walked" them daily. ...

"While these are strange to say the least, I think that Calvin Coolidge with his raccoons and other White House pets certainly rank up there with weird "normal" animals," Greenholtz added. "Of course Taft, with Pauline the cow on the White House lawn is another tale to be sure."

Good points, Sam, but actually, President George W. Bush also has a pet cow -- though he keeps it on his Texas ranch.

Sears was curious to know if "you could pet a silk worm." However he was not so sure he would want to pet an alligator. Of course, as President-elect Obama will soon find out, there's no need for him to go looking for pet alligators -- he'll find himself up to his neck in them soon enough.

Getting back to the history of Westminster -- and for your very own Sunday Carroll Eagle mug -- here's this week's question:

What nationally famous person gave a presentation at the Odd Fellows Hall on Oct. 13, 1870?

Think you know? Drop me an e-mail at kdayhoff AT carr.org, with "Sunday Carroll Eagle" in the subject line.

When he's not talking with his pet stuffed animal named "Mr. Moose," Kevin Dayhoff may be contacted at kdayhoff AT carr.org.

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Martin Luther King and Marvin Gaye still show us the way

Martin Luther King and Marvin Gaye still show us the way

By Kevin Dayhoff

Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 1/14/09

For those who remember the push-button, dashboard AM radios in your cars in the 1960s, you may want to sit down before your read another word.

Last Monday was the 50th anniversary of the creation of Motown Records.

If you remember listening to Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Vandellas, The Miracles, The Commodores, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder on WCAO, congratulations ... you are getting old.

I'm not sure what the format of WCAO is these days, but during the 1960s and well into the 1970s, it was a popular "Top 40" station in Baltimore. In fact, WCAO was one of the first radio stations in Maryland. It began broadcasting in 1922.

By the 1960s, WCAO played a little bit of everything, from The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Steppinwolf and Cream to The Doors, Simon and Garfunkel, Glen Campbell and Percy Sledge.

However, my fondest memories are those that recall the Motown sound.

Berry Gordy, according to a "Morning Edition" segment on NPR by Ashley Kahn, was a songwriter and a former boxer when he started the record company on Jan. 12, 1959. It was first called "Tamla Records," but a year later was incorporated as Motown Record Corp.

He started it all with "an $800 loan from his family," according to a Sky News article, "Fifty Years of Motown Celebrated."

The article also noted: "Motown is seen as playing an important role in the racial integration of popular music. It was the first record label owned by an African-American to primarily feature African-American artists who achieved crossover success ...

"Gordy first signed The Matadors, who later changed their name to The Miracles, with their singer William 'Smokey' Robinson becoming the label's vice-president."

Gordy, who is now 79 years old, sold the company in 1988 for $61 million. Not a bad profit from that $800 investment.

Kahn writes that Robinson remembers the day Motown began.

"There were five people there. Berry Gordy said that day, 'We are not going to make black music. We are going to make music for everybody. We are going to make music that has great stories and great beats. We are going to write great songs.' "

And that's just what they did. They wrote great music that people love to this day. Kahn places the origins of the Motown sound into some historical context: "For black America, the 1960s were a decade filled with social protest and raw emotion -- especially in cities like Detroit. And yet this urban center produced uplifting songs of love."

This point was driven home by Jordan: "At Motown, 95 percent of the songs were written by young, black men. ... They wrote for the male and female artists, and brought to it a sense of vulnerability any English professor would be proud of. Coming out of Detroit, one of the harshest environments you could imagine, they elected to write love songs."

Perhaps as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, we can stop and ponder the words of Marvin Gaye from "What's Going On":

"For only love can conquer hate,

You know you've got to find a way,

To bring some understanding here today ...

Talk to me so you can see,

Oh what's going on ..."

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

http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/2080/martin-luther-king-marvin-gaye-still-show-us-way/

Twitter: Westminster Eagle: Jan 14 2009 - Martin Luther King and Marvin Gaye still show us the way by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/7tuksm

20090114 WE ML King Marvin Gaye still show us the way weked

Kevin Dayhoff
His columns appear in The Tentacle, www.thetentacle.com;
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A connection of Biblical proportions and a few presidential pet projects

A connection of Biblical proportions and a few presidential pet projects

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 1/09/09

I'm excited about the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. It is quite a testimony to our great country to have overcome the yoke of history to see an African-American take a turn in the Oval Office.

I'm particularly curious about the Bible that Mr. Obama has decided to use for his swearing-in ceremony.

According to the New York Times politics blog, The Caucus, Obama "will be sworn into office with the same Bible that Abraham Lincoln used for his first inauguration in 1861."

The "move further extends the parallels that Mr. Obama has drawn with Lincoln since he announced his candidacy for president in February 2007 in Springfield, Ill."

I've been curious ever since I first became aware of Obama's preoccupation with President Abraham Lincoln. Of course, who would not want history to reflect upon one's term of office as well as that of President Lincoln?

However, students of presidential history are aware that of all presidents, Lincoln may have had some of the most difficult years in the White House.

His entire tenure was marked with incredible national challenge and personal tragedy. While Lincoln was in office, he may have had one of the worst approval ratings in history.

In David Elton Trueblood's masterful 1973 portrait of Lincoln, "Abraham Lincoln: Theologian of American Anguish," the low esteem in which he was judged was driven home immediately in chapter one:

"In an editorial The Baltimore Sun said, 'Had we any respect for Mr. Lincoln, official or personal, as a man, or as President-elect of the United States, his career and speeches on his way to the seat of government would have cruelly impaired it.'"

Carl Sandburg's encyclopedic history of President Lincoln calls to our attention that right before Lincoln's renomination for election for his second term, the New York Herald said he was "a joke incarnated, his election a very sorry joke, and the idea that such a man as he should be the President of such a country as this a very ridiculous joke."

Ay caramba. This is but a brief glimpse of the scorn heaped upon President Lincoln while he was in office.

Nevertheless, when history had time to reflect upon Lincoln's accomplishments, it was determined that he was one of our greatest presidents.

Go figure.

I hope that history shines as kindly on President Obama as it has on President Lincoln. I pray for his success.

Read the entire column here: A connection of Biblical proportions and a few presidential pet projects

20090109 SCE A connection of Biblical proportions presidential pets sceked

http://explorecarroll.com/community/2029/connection-biblical-proportions-few-presidential-pet-projects/

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Westminster Eagle: There is no such thing as a simpler time

Westminster Eagle: There is no such thing as a simpler time

Kevin Dayhoff

Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 1/07/09

It's the first week of 2009 and, by now, most of us are back to work with the extra pounds of the holidays and the memories of 2008, and we're beginning to focus upon the challenges of 2009.

At gatherings I attended during the holidays, much of the conversation concerned the state of the economy.

On several occasions I heard folks yearning for "simpler days." To which I cringe. The concept of the "simpler days of yesteryear" is a myth perpetuated by the historically uninformed to make a point that we've somehow gone astray.

In the past several years, I have lamented over how the "Internet Age" has resulted in revisionist history obtusely retold in today's context in order to perpetuate a particular political agenda.

Pick a time of economic chaos in history. Or a time of war or great social change. Pick a year, any year, and an accurate portrayal of history will put into context immense challenges and how our nation successfully came together to face those challenges.

To be certain, it wasn't always pretty. However, as any of the great folks who have gone before us will tell you, there was nothing simple about overcoming the challenges of any day.

For whatever reason, in the middle of suffering through one of those soliloquies about how days gone by were simpler, my thoughts drifted to 1942.

It was less than a month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, that the dawn of the New Year in 1942 witnessed Carroll County engaged in the work of helping with the war effort.

According to "From Our Front Porch," a history of Carroll County in the 1900s by Jim Lee, "As the new year arrived, Carroll stepped up its efforts to prepare for potential enemy invasions. ... In Westminster, a blackout rehearsal (had taken place) on Dec. 12, at 9 p.m. Following that, a meeting of all county Civil Defense personnel was called for 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Westminster Firemen's Building."

As part of the efforts to protect Carroll County from the enemy, members of the Civil Defense units would work shifts "at an air raid lookout post" looking for enemy aircraft flying over the county.

Another local defense initiative saw "more than 1,100 Carroll countians signed up as Minute Men.

"The men wore a determined expression that boded no good for any invaders in Carroll County... Crack riflemen" were among the accumulated defensemen. "One man is keeping his fox hounds in excellent condition (to help) lookout for parachutists ..."

The book also reports that, "in February (1942) the City of Westminster informed residents it would provide sand to homes that could be used to extinguish fires from incendiary bombs."

Carroll County was not bombed or attacked, and by today's standards some of the events of the dawn of 1942 may seem silly for those predisposed to analyze history with a 20/20 hindsight sense of false superiority.

As we look forward to 2009, our own challenges seem overwhelming.

However, by rolling up our sleeves and applying a good dose of common sense, we will rise to the occasion ... just as we have in the past.

One can be sure that our efforts to overcome the challenges will not always be pretty, but we'll get there. It's in our heritage.

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

20090107 WE There is no such thing as a simpler time weked

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Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

December 24, 2008

As Santa hits the road, fire department is a driving force
Published December 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Tonight's the night when all good little boys and girls go to bed and lay awake listening for Santa Claus. Last week I had the opportunity...

Carroll shares a history of joining as a community in faith and song
Published December 21, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Some of the many reasons we have such a high quality of life in Carroll County can be traced to the religious traditions found in...

Antler envy: Why Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is probably a cross dresser
Published December 17, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
In an era when nothing is sacred, we are fortunate in Carroll County to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah -- and not the "winter festivities between...

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog
Published December 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The Christmas season means different things to different folks. I have many great childhood Christmas memories of growing up in Westminster. I'm biased of...

Shop Carroll for that hippopotamus this Christmas
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster certainly loves to pull out all the stops for the holiday season. This year is certainly no exception. The weekend after Thanksgiving featured the...

Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
... but here are entries the judges liked best Westminster's annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular "winners" in...

Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade ...
Published December 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster’s annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular “winners” in various parade categories was difficult because everyone — the...

In the end, Rutherford Hayes had the croquet balls to be president
Published December 4, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
For this Sunday's column, let's keep it light. May we discuss croquet? At my age, croquet is about as close to a contact sport as...

Luebberman marks 20 years with Westminster Fire Dept.
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Cake and stories were served Nov. 22 as about 30 members of the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department gathered at the John Street firehouse...

Letters
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Dayhoff right to lament loss of Pour House on Main St. I just wanted to say "BRAVO" to Kevin Dayhoff regarding his recent column in...

One turkey leg, early Thanksgivings and a pair of President Harrisons
Published November 30, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
We certainly hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are now enthroned upon the couch, watching football and relaxing with a pair of birds: a...

Waist is a terrible thing to mind
Published November 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it because it will be the first holiday in which my extended family gets...

Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids
Published November 23, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends and family. Perhaps because of our...

Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company
Published November 19, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
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...

At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'
Published November 16, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The fact that women gained the right to vote was a milestone that got mixed reviews in Carroll County after the 19th Amendment...

Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster
Published November 12, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Twenty years ago this week the community was abuzz in anticipation of one of Carroll County's most celebrated native sons, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. returning...

Patriotic, misty-eyed and corny about our Election Day
Published November 9, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Tuesday, after two years, 45 debates and $2.4 billion spent, American voters finally had their day. Is it just me, or does...

Junction and Lenny Moore explain what teens are thinking
Published November 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Nov. 6, Junction Inc. will host a substance abuse and awareness program sponsored by the Board of County commissioners at 6 p.m....

After this long campaign season, we have many reasons to celebrate
Published October 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This coming Tuesday is General Election Day, and I hope everyone takes the time to vote. Along with our freedom of speech, the right to vote...

Silvery Moon celebrates auxiliary's golden anniversary
Published October 29, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Fifty years ago on Sept. 2, 1958, the Carroll Hospital Center Auxiliary was officially formed. Its first president was Gladys Wimert. Other community leaders...

20081224 Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

December 24, 2008

As Santa hits the road, fire department is a driving force
Published December 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Tonight's the night when all good little boys and girls go to bed and lay awake listening for Santa Claus. Last week I had the opportunity...

Carroll shares a history of joining as a community in faith and song
Published December 21, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Some of the many reasons we have such a high quality of life in Carroll County can be traced to the religious traditions found in...

Antler envy: Why Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is probably a cross dresser
Published December 17, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
In an era when nothing is sacred, we are fortunate in Carroll County to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah -- and not the "winter festivities between...

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog
Published December 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The Christmas season means different things to different folks. I have many great childhood Christmas memories of growing up in Westminster. I'm biased of...

Shop Carroll for that hippopotamus this Christmas
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster certainly loves to pull out all the stops for the holiday season. This year is certainly no exception. The weekend after Thanksgiving featured the...

Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
... but here are entries the judges liked best Westminster's annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular "winners" in...

Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade ...
Published December 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster’s annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular “winners� in various parade categories was difficult because everyone — the...

In the end, Rutherford Hayes had the croquet balls to be president
Published December 4, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
For this Sunday's column, let's keep it light. May we discuss croquet? At my age, croquet is about as close to a contact sport as...

Luebberman marks 20 years with Westminster Fire Dept.
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Cake and stories were served Nov. 22 as about 30 members of the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department gathered at the John Street firehouse...

Letters
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Dayhoff right to lament loss of Pour House on Main St. I just wanted to say "BRAVO" to Kevin Dayhoff regarding his recent column in...

One turkey leg, early Thanksgivings and a pair of President Harrisons
Published November 30, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
We certainly hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are now enthroned upon the couch, watching football and relaxing with a pair of birds: a...

Waist is a terrible thing to mind
Published November 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it because it will be the first holiday in which my extended family gets...

Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids
Published November 23, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends and family. Perhaps because of our...

Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company
Published November 19, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
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...

At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'
Published November 16, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The fact that women gained the right to vote was a milestone that got mixed reviews in Carroll County after the 19th Amendment...

Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster
Published November 12, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Twenty years ago this week the community was abuzz in anticipation of one of Carroll County's most celebrated native sons, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. returning...

Patriotic, misty-eyed and corny about our Election Day
Published November 9, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Tuesday, after two years, 45 debates and $2.4 billion spent, American voters finally had their day. Is it just me, or does...

Junction and Lenny Moore explain what teens are thinking
Published November 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Nov. 6, Junction Inc. will host a substance abuse and awareness program sponsored by the Board of County commissioners at 6 p.m....

After this long campaign season, we have many reasons to celebrate
Published October 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This coming Tuesday is General Election Day, and I hope everyone takes the time to vote. Along with our freedom of speech, the right to vote...

Silvery Moon celebrates auxiliary's golden anniversary
Published October 29, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Fifty years ago on Sept. 2, 1958, the Carroll Hospital Center Auxiliary was officially formed. Its first president was Gladys Wimert. Other community leaders...

20081224 Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on Explore Carroll 12/14/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE

The Christmas season means different things to different folks.

I have many great childhood Christmas memories of growing up in Westminster.

I'm biased of course, but I can't imagine a better place in the world for the pageantry, art, decorations and music of Christmas in Carroll County.

Everyone has his or her favorite Christmas music. A few at the top of my list include: "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Johnny Marks.

Of course, my list also includes "The Chipmunk Song" sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958 and "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," written by John Rox and recorded in 1953 by Gayla Peevey -- who was just 10 years old at the time.

Other classics that come to mind are a little more offbeat and mischievous, such as "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Tommie Connor. Tommie was only 13 years old when it was recorded in 1952. The song was initially banned by the Catholic Church in several cities including Boston.

An account by entertainment journalist Robert Fontenot notes that the "cute novelty (song) about a kid who can't understand why mommy is cheating on daddy with Santa" was not cleared by the "Council of Churches" until a special conference took place.

Alas, before we throw snowballs at someone else, let's remember that Carroll County was also the scene of Christmas mischief as far back as the 1800s.

According to research for the Historical Society of Carroll County by Jay Graybeal, one of the earlier references in local newspapers about caroling can be found in the now-defunct Democratic Advocate on Jan. 3, 1873. The article indicates that not everyone on the community was well behaved on Christmas:

"Christmas masqueraders were out in full force on Wednesday (Dec. 24) and Thursday (Dec. 25) nights. If they would behave with more propriety when entering the residences of our citizens, they would be treated better, but as it is they seem to take the occasion for showing how rudely they can misbehave."

Ahhhhh, that holiday glow.

Read the entire column here

: This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

http://explorecarroll.com/community/1814/this-time-year-we-cant-get-enough-christmas-music-or-eggnog/

20081214 This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on Explore Carroll 12/14/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on Explore Carroll 12/14/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE

The Christmas season means different things to different folks.

I have many great childhood Christmas memories of growing up in Westminster.

I'm biased of course, but I can't imagine a better place in the world for the pageantry, art, decorations and music of Christmas in Carroll County.

Everyone has his or her favorite Christmas music. A few at the top of my list include: "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Johnny Marks.

Of course, my list also includes "The Chipmunk Song" sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958 and "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," written by John Rox and recorded in 1953 by Gayla Peevey -- who was just 10 years old at the time.

Other classics that come to mind are a little more offbeat and mischievous, such as "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Tommie Connor. Tommie was only 13 years old when it was recorded in 1952. The song was initially banned by the Catholic Church in several cities including Boston.

An account by entertainment journalist Robert Fontenot notes that the "cute novelty (song) about a kid who can't understand why mommy is cheating on daddy with Santa" was not cleared by the "Council of Churches" until a special conference took place.

Alas, before we throw snowballs at someone else, let's remember that Carroll County was also the scene of Christmas mischief as far back as the 1800s.

According to research for the Historical Society of Carroll County by Jay Graybeal, one of the earlier references in local newspapers about caroling can be found in the now-defunct Democratic Advocate on Jan. 3, 1873. The article indicates that not everyone on the community was well behaved on Christmas:

"Christmas masqueraders were out in full force on Wednesday (Dec. 24) and Thursday (Dec. 25) nights. If they would behave with more propriety when entering the residences of our citizens, they would be treated better, but as it is they seem to take the occasion for showing how rudely they can misbehave."

Ahhhhh, that holiday glow.

Read the entire column here

: This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog

http://explorecarroll.com/community/1814/this-time-year-we-cant-get-enough-christmas-music-or-eggnog/

By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on Explore Carroll 12/14/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

December 14, 2008 – posted (finally) on December 18, 2008

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog
Published December 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The Christmas season means different things to different folks. I have many great childhood Christmas memories of growing up in Westminster. I'm biased of...


Shop Carroll for that hippopotamus this Christmas
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster certainly loves to pull out all the stops for the holiday season. This year is certainly no exception. The weekend after Thanksgiving featured the...


Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
... but here are entries the judges liked best Westminster's annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular "winners" in...


Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade ...
Published December 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster’s annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular “winners” in various parade categories was difficult because everyone — the...


In the end, Rutherford Hayes had the croquet balls to be president
Published December 4, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
For this Sunday's column, let's keep it light. May we discuss croquet? At my age, croquet is about as close to a contact sport as...


Luebberman marks 20 years with Westminster Fire Dept.
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Cake and stories were served Nov. 22 as about 30 members of the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department gathered at the John Street firehouse...


Letters
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Dayhoff right to lament loss of Pour House on Main St. I just wanted to say "BRAVO" to Kevin Dayhoff regarding his recent column in...


One turkey leg, early Thanksgivings and a pair of President Harrisons
Published November 30, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
We certainly hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are now enthroned upon the couch, watching football and relaxing with a pair of birds: a...


Waist is a terrible thing to mind
Published November 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it because it will be the first holiday in which my extended family gets...


Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids
Published November 23, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends and family. Perhaps because of our...

http://explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&p=1&s=Dayhoff

20081214 Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

December 14, 2008 – posted (finally) on December 18, 2008

This time of year, we can't get enough Christmas music, or eggnog
Published December 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The Christmas season means different things to different folks. I have many great childhood Christmas memories of growing up in Westminster. I'm biased of...


Shop Carroll for that hippopotamus this Christmas
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster certainly loves to pull out all the stops for the holiday season. This year is certainly no exception. The weekend after Thanksgiving featured the...


Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade
Published December 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
... but here are entries the judges liked best Westminster's annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular "winners" in...


Everyone's a winner at the Westminster Holiday Parade ...
Published December 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Westminster’s annual Holiday Parade was a great time for all. Judges said determining particular “winners” in various parade categories was difficult because everyone — the...


In the end, Rutherford Hayes had the croquet balls to be president
Published December 4, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
For this Sunday's column, let's keep it light. May we discuss croquet? At my age, croquet is about as close to a contact sport as...


Luebberman marks 20 years with Westminster Fire Dept.
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Cake and stories were served Nov. 22 as about 30 members of the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department gathered at the John Street firehouse...


Letters
Published December 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Dayhoff right to lament loss of Pour House on Main St. I just wanted to say "BRAVO" to Kevin Dayhoff regarding his recent column in...


One turkey leg, early Thanksgivings and a pair of President Harrisons
Published November 30, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
We certainly hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are now enthroned upon the couch, watching football and relaxing with a pair of birds: a...


Waist is a terrible thing to mind
Published November 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it because it will be the first holiday in which my extended family gets...


Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids
Published November 23, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends and family. Perhaps because of our...

http://explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&p=1&s=Dayhoff

20081214 Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

A Waist is a terrible thing to mind

A Waist is a terrible thing to mind

Wednesday November 26, 2008 Westminster Eagle column by Kevin Dayhoff

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I’m looking forward to tomorrow because it will be the first holiday in which my extended family gets together with the presidential election finally behind us.

Like many families, our family was divided over whether to vote for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or Arizona Sen. John McCain. As a matter of fact, a few cousins were involved with Senator Obama’s national campaign efforts.

Tomorrow, crow will be served for the members of the family who voted for Senator McCain.

Oh, the political discussions will be good-natured. President-elect Obama is our president now and we’re all loyal Americans.

We also have vegetarians in our extended family. This is a great. Every family ought to have as many vegetarians as possible. It means that much more turkey for the rest of us.

Tomorrow we will be delighted to serve our vegetarian family members roasted pinecones in a béarnaise sauce; a side plate of dandelion greens in a fat-free raspberry pureed dressing, some anorexic carrots, and squash that tastes like spiced mud, topped with mulch.

Right before Thanksgiving, the vegetarians in the family were happy that a turkey was once again pardoned by President George W. Bush.

However, according to the President-elect Obama supporters in the family, immediately after the ceremony, the turkey was whisked away to be held in an undisclosed location without formal charges or access to legal counsel…

Nevertheless, we have a particularly fresh turkey for Thanksgiving. We took Dave Barry’s advice and invited Martha Stewart over to help us cook.

If you are not familiar with Mr. Barry; he has written for The Miami Herald since 1983 and is a Pulitzer Prize winner for commentary. He writes about issues ranging from the international economy to exploding toilets. Alas, he is the source of all of my cutting edge information.

Sometime around the time he wrote, “A Waist Is a Terrible Thing to Mind,” Mr. Barry called to our attention that in selecting a turkey, remember that the fresher it is, the better it will taste.

“That's why, if you go into the kitchen of top professional homemaker Martha Stewart on Thanksgiving morning, you'll find her whacking a live turkey with a hatchet. In fact, you'll find Martha doing this every morning. ‘It just relaxes me,’ she reports.”

If you plan to do your own cooking this Thanksgiving; according to Dave Barry, “your first step is to calculate how much turkey you need.”

“Home economists tell us that the average 155-pound person consumes 1.5 pounds of turkey, so if you're planning to have 14 relatives for dinner, you'd simply multiply 14 times 1.5 times 155, which means your turkey should weigh, let's see, carry the two ... 3,255 pounds.

“If you can't find a turkey that size, you should call up selected relatives and explain to them, in a sensitive and diplomatic manner, that they can't come because they weigh too much.”

Hopefully your Thanksgiving will be full of smiles and laughs, family and friends – and plenty of food.

And as we gather with our families over a Thanksgiving meal, please remember our firefighters, police officers and men and women in uniform, who all look after us so that we may enjoy the day.

May we ask that we be given patience, resolve, and wisdom in all that lies ahead for our great nation.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff at carr.org
####
http://www.kevindayhoff.net/
His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/; Westminster Eagle Opinion and Sunday Carroll Eagle: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

20081126 A Waist is a terrible thing to mind

At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'

At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'

Webmaster’s note: Some folks have been in touch looking for this column… Here ya go. Enjoy 11/27/2008 KED

By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 11/16/08

Sunday Carroll EAGLE ARCHIVE

The fact that women gained the right to vote was a milestone that got mixed reviews in Carroll County after the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920.

It was an argument four decades in the making.

In 1878, a constitutional amendment to grant women the right to vote was introduced by Sen. A. A. Sargeant of California. Suffrage supporters called the proposal the "Anthony Amendment," for Susan B. Anthony.

When President Woodrow Wilson delivered his State of the Union message to Congress in December 1916, women in the galleries unfurled a large banner that read, "Mr. President, What Will You Do For Woman Suffrage?"

In October 1920, after women were finally allowed to vote, local newspapers carried several articles about women and the election, according to research for the Historical Society of Carroll County by historian Jay Graybeal.

An Oct. 29, 1920, newspaper article carried the headline: "The Republican Meet, A Remarkable Gathering." The article read: "On Tuesday evening the Armory in this city was filled both to its seating and standing capacity with men and women voters of the county to hear the issues of the campaign discussed. ...

"The first speaker was Mrs. S. K. Herr, of this city. Mrs. Herr received an ovation as she rose to speak and was frequently interrupted by outbursts of applause. She urged the women not only to vote but to study the issues and candidates that they may vote intelligently."

The article goes on to report:

"The Republican women of Westminster district have arranged for (an instruction) room near the polling place in each precinct ..."

"The voting place in precinct No. 1 will be the old Farmers and Mechanics Bank building. ... Voting place in No. 2 is Herr & Babylon's shop. ... Voting place in No. 3 is Firemen's Building. ... In precinct No. 4 the voting place is on Liberty street ..."

After the election, the Nov. 5, 1920 issue of the old Westminster paper, American Sentinel, carried the headline: "Women Disappointed Them."

"The men and women who were so bitterly opposed to giving women the ballot must have been keenly disappointed on Tuesday. None of the distressing scenes, turbulent conditions, verbal or physical combats predicted have been reported from any voting place in Carroll county, the State of Maryland or anywhere in the country.

"The women did not lose their womanly dignity or sacrifice the respect of the men, and we have not heard of any babies neglected or husbands compelled to cook their own meals while their wives were electioneering around the polls.

"Perhaps a few women said and did some things that would have been better left unsaid and undone, but there are legions of men who do this on every election day." Shocking. Well, maybe not so much.

One thing is certain. Some 88 years later, we still say and do things on Election Day that are "better left unsaid and undone."

Read the rest of the column here: At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'

http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/1576/westminster-polls-1920-women-disappointed-them/

20081116 At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'

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

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

Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids
Published November 23, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends and family. Perhaps because of our...

Welcome to the Coffee Shop Bank and Trust Company
Published November 19, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
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...

At Westminster polls in 1920, the 'Women Disappointed Them'
Published November 16, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The fact that women gained the right to vote was a milestone that got mixed reviews in Carroll County after the 19th Amendment...

Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster
Published November 12, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Twenty years ago this week the community was abuzz in anticipation of one of Carroll County's most celebrated native sons, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. returning...

Patriotic, misty-eyed and corny about our Election Day
Published November 9, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Tuesday, after two years, 45 debates and $2.4 billion spent, American voters finally had their day. Is it just me, or does...

Sunday Carroll Eagle: Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids by Kevin Dayhoff

Sunday Carroll Eagle: Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids by Kevin Dayhoff

Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 11/23/08

This Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we at The Eagle hope you have a great turkey-day with lots of food, friends, and family.

Perhaps because of our long agricultural history, Thanksgiving has always been to be a special holiday in Carroll County. Me, I'm a fan of any holiday in which food is involved, especially turkey.

A lot happened in Carroll County history during the Thanksgiving holidays.

On this date in 1897, the old American Sentinel reported that "Thanksgiving day was observed in this city by the general cessation of business and by religious services in most of the churches. The union service at the Methodist Protestant Church was attended by a large congregation. The sermon ... was delivered by the Rev. C. S. Slagle, pastor of St. Paul's Reformed Church."

Not all the festivities were in churches and kitchens, however. The now-defunct Democratic Advocate reported on Nov. 24, 1922:

"On Friday evening an alarm of fire was sent in for a leaf fire at Western Maryland College. On the arrival of the fire company they were notified not to throw any water on the fire as they were initiating a student, it is said.

"Chief Shaeffer ordered the firemen to put the fire out at once, as it was close to a building. As the nozzlemen were throwing water on the blaze some students started throwing stones, one striking Fireman Harry Cootes in the head causing the blood to flow freely from his injury.

"This angered the members of the fire company and the students were chased with the stream of water. ...

"Two of the students were handled a little rough, but no serious harm was done to either."

And apparently the spirit was "in the air" during past holidays. According to the Baltimore Evening Sun, on Nov. 18, 1932, "an unlicensed radio station was shut down in Westminster by the Federal Radio Commission. ...

"The station broadcast music on Sunday afternoons. The signal was picked up in Pennsylvania. ...

"Investigators traced the signal to a farmhouse in Westminster. Homemade equipment was found at the home. Investigators made no arrest but reminded the unidentified youthful equipment owner that unlicensed broadcasts carried a penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine."

[…]

Meanwhile, for this Thanksgiving, let's join together in support of our fellow citizens who are less fortunate. Let us reach out with care to those in need of food, shelter and words of hope. May we also remember our men and women in uniform who are in harm's way, defending our freedom.

And finally, please remember to place a lemon slice in the dog's water bowl. Happy halidaze!

Read the entire column here: Turkey, stuffing, illegal radios and rowdy college kids

http://explorecarroll.com/community/1630/turkey-stuffing-illegal-radios-rowdy-college-kids/

20081123 SCE Turkey stuffing illegal radios and rowdy college kids sceked