Our Red Oak is singing about the weather.

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Rainy spring brings "vomitoxin" to grain crops

Rainy spring brings "vomitoxin" to grain crops

By Frank Roylance Baltimore Sun “Maryland Weather” blog

http://weblogs.marylandweather.com/2009/07/rainy_spring_may_cause_vomitox.html

Retrieved August 10, 2009

Pictured is the Deoxynivalenol (DON) molecule (Click here for a larger image) http://twitpic.com/dp66h

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is warning farmers and grain elevator operators to check their wheat and barley crops for the presence of a fungus known as "vomitoxin" in their stored or unharvested grain. The troublesome pest does well when conditions are wet, as they were across much of the state this spring.

The fungus, more formally known as Fusarium head blight, or scab, produces a chemical called deoxynivalenol that renders the crop unmarketable, and unusable as feed. If animals eat enough of it, it causes excessive salivation, and irritated oral and gastrointenstinal tissues. The name alone suggests its symptoms.

Read the rest here: Rainy spring brings "vomitoxin" to grain crops

By Frank Roylance Baltimore Sun “Maryland Weather” blog

http://weblogs.marylandweather.com/2009/07/rainy_spring_may_cause_vomitox.html

20090810 Roylance Rainy spring brings vomitoxin to grain crops

http://twitpic.com/dp66h Deoxynivalenol molecule Rainy spring brings "vomitoxin" to grain crops http://tinyurl.com/l63wr4

Deoxynivalenol (DON) molecule Rainy spring brings "vomitoxin" to grain crops
http://tinyurl.com/l63wr4 Full http://tinyurl.com/rxeh8r

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/rainy-spring-brings-vomitoxin-to-grain.html http://tinyurl.com/l63wr4

Rainy spring brings "vomitoxin" to grain crops

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835 Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/ Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/kevindayhoff_soundtrack

Kevin Dayhoff: http://www.westgov.net/ Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Recent www.exlorecarroll.com columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent http://www.exlorecarroll.com/ columns by Kevin Dayhoff

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/06/recent-wwwexlorecarrollcom-columns-by.html

'Year without summer' killed crops ... and created a monster

Published June 21, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

It's halfway through June, and for those of us who love Maryland's melting heat and humidity, many are wondering — where is summer?

For me, though, thoughts turn to the birth of Frankenstein.

First things first. In 1816, there really was a "year without summer." Carol Lee, in her book, "Legacy of the Land," explains that the year without summer caused quite a bit of hardship in Carroll County. "Farmers in Maryland and elsewhere would remember 1816 as ... 'eighteen hundred and starve-to-death.' " According to Lee, there were freezing temperatures well into June.

What caused the year without summer? According to a July 2002 article in Smithsonian magazine, "Blast from the Past," by Robert Evans, the agricultural and economic catastrophe of 1816 was a volcanic winter, caused by the eruptions of Mount Tambora on the island of Sumbawa, in what we now know as Indonesia, April 5-15, 1815.

... village folk that it's not a bad idea to keep a torch handy on these cool summer nights.

When he is not playing with laboratory-harnessed lightning, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff at gmail.com or visit him at www.westminstermarylandonline.net. ...

Historic Blue Ridge College bell dedicated In Union Bridge
Published June 20, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
UNION BRIDGE — Several hundred folks braved threatening weather June 20 to witness the unveiling and dedication of the historic 1900 Blue Ridge College bell in Lehigh Square, the original site of the college which had thrived in Union Bridge from 1898 to ... ...

When city got 'sole' in the 1920s, it was cause for a celebration
Published June 14, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... be the guest speaker. There will be a retirement ceremony for worn flags. Guests may bring old flags for retirement. When he is not waving the flag, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com or visit him at http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/....

Remember when you could walk to work in Westminster?
Published June 7, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
When he's not on a "walk-about" in Westminster, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at...

Company H: from the Frizellburg greenhouses to the sands of Omaha Beach
Published June 3, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... (have) come a long way from the old parade field in Frizellburg.”

Dayhoff: New councilmember tackles alleged hit and run driver
Published June 1, 2009 by Westminster Eagle, Carroll Eagle
... Westminster city police arrived and took control of the situation. The accident is under investigation. All in a day’s work.

In 1925, planting the seeds of employment, production
Published May 31, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
When he's not roaming the streets of historic Westminster looking for old factories…

Celebration of memory and change
Published May 26, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
This year’s Westminster Memorial Day ceremonies witnessed many changes over the past — although the solemn tradition of 142 years continued. On Memorial Day the normal hustle and bustle of downtown Westminster paused to remember fallen veterans, and ... ...

Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Published May 22, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... We are deeply indebted to those who fought and died to give us the unalienable right to live free and cherish liberty in the pursuit of happiness. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster.

Mulkey is one of many, yet a special son of Carroll County
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

Recent www.exlorecarroll.com columns by Kevin Dayhoff

20090622 SDOSM Recent exlorecarroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoffart.com Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

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
http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
http://gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html
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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

20070317 Presidential limo okay after motorcade mishap in snow

Presidential limo okay after motorcade mishap in snow

Fortunately the mishap did not involve the presidential limo – pictured above.

Spring can some anytime now

March 17^th, 2007

True to form for Maryland weather, after a couple of mild days in which I actually saw some folks gallivanting-about in their short sleeves; Friday’s weather sure was a wake up call that winter is not quite over and we live in Maryland.

In Maryland, if you don’t happen to like the weather one day – just wait 24 hours, it is sure to change.

I really did not have to go out in the frozen mess on Friday. I was just a happy to enjoy a snow day and do some much needed and overdue research for some upcoming columns.

Pictured above are some images I captured late Friday evening of the snow monsters that dutifully prowl the Westminster streets during a snow event.

It looks like one of the vehicles in the presidential motorcade heading up to Camp David had a bit of a mishap: “President OK after vehicle in motorcade crashes.”

Fortunately the mishap did not involve the presidential limo – pictured at the top of this story.

####

20070308 Fog

Fog

March 8^th, 2007

Westminster’s early morning “rush hour” was greeted by a dense fog that fortunately burned off quickly.

Which of course, reminds me of:

Foghat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DT3Jo5psw

####

20070307 The dreaded winter four letter “S” word is back

WBAL Snow Advisory for Carroll County

March 7^th, 2007

Good morning - before you venture outside, be aware that the dreaded winter four letter “S” word is back. Hopefully for its last hoorah of the winter.

The Westminster City Street Department is already at work… true to form. No surprise here. I can only imagine they are getting a little tired of this.

I’m tired of winter. Spring can come anytime now.

_____

Issued at: 4:07 AM EST 3/7/07, expires at: 12:30 PM EST 3/7/07

Snow advisory remains in effect until 7 pm est this evening for northern central and western maryland, the district of columbia northern and northwestern virginia, and much of the eastern west virginia panhandle, A strong clipper weather system moving into the appalachian mountains early this morning will cross the mid atlantic today. Light snow will begin during the early morning hours and will begin to affect the morning commute.

1 to 3 inches of snow is expected today in the advisory area. Snow will end around nightfall.

A snow advisory means that periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

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####

20070226 The Happy Shoveler

The Happy Shoveler

(Too) early Monday February 26^th, 2007

20070226 Monday morning it snowed

Monday morning it snowed

Monday morning it snowed – the “Wonder Of It All.”

February 26th, 2007

For a Lauren Summerford “Jesusfreakhideout.com” January 2006 interview with the band – go here. She quizzed “the band's vocalist Derek Stipe on their name, their origin, and where they're headed…”

The band’s web site is here: www.mondaymorningmusic.com. Good for some tunes while working away at the keyboard.

####

20070220 How bad was last week’s snowstorm

How bad was last week’s snowstorm in Westminster Maryland?

Daily Photoblog: February 20th, 2007

While I was in Key West Florida last week, I would call the Westminster Street Department and Carroll County PIO, Vivian Laxton, W.A.B. as often as possible and raze them that I was in 90-degree weather and they were in temperatures in the single digits.

They were in the ice and the snow at all hours of the night and day, plowing snow and chipping ice and I was sitting on my back balcony strategically positioned with my laptop overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

They vowed to get me back.

Well, they did.

Pictured above is the igloo they made of my house with tons of snow which greeted me upon my arrival late Monday afternoon, February 19th, 2007.

Not to worry. I simply went inside and made a fresh cup of tea, hooked up the laptop and raised my office window just far enough that did not let too much cold air into the house, but my wife could still hear me as I cheered her on - - while she shoveled us out.

Man ole’ man was it hard work watching my wife do all that shoveling. Oh – she was happy to do it. You see, for Valentine’s Day I had purchased her a new snow shovel.

My wife is super. I’ll think I’ll keep her.

As for the Westminster Street Department; oh, I’ll get them back. Journalists in the print media may purchase ink by the barrel, but bloggers have an infinite amount of “ones” and “zeros” at their disposal. And me, I have the ink and the 1s and 0s.

Kevin
02/20/2007

20070216 County responds to major storm

County responds to major storm

Carroll County, Maryland, USA

February 16^th, 2007

While I was on the phone with Vivian Laxton, W.A.B., the public information officer for Carroll County; the picture above was my view from my office in Key West.

Ms. Laxton, please enjoy the picture and please know that the wind has picked up down here and the skies have become overcast. So much so that while I was talking with you on the phone, I had to put on a long sleeved shirt.

The bottom photo is from when I was I was talking with the Westminster Police Chief, Jeff Spaulding and Ashley Reams, a reporter with the Westminster Advocate, earlier in the day.

Yeah, I’m thinking of all of ya. We’re roughing it down here – and I know you care. I guess the temperature has dipped to the high 70s.

Anyway, now where was I? Oh, that’s right, the press release from Ms. Laxton, W.A.B., P.I.O. for Carroll County”

CARROLL COUNTY a great place to live, a great place to work, a great place to play

News Release

For more information, contact: Vivian D. Laxton, W.A.B., Public Information Administrator.

For Immediate Release

County responds to major storm

http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/releases/stormtotals.pdf

February 15, 2007 - Carroll County's Department of Public Works employees spent approximately 6,160 man-hours clearing 973 miles of county-maintained roads during and after the winter storm that moved through the area Tuesday and Wednesday, February 13-14.

Crews began treating roads at 4 a.m. on Tuesday and continued well into Thursday. One to 3 inches of snow fell during the day Tuesday. Between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday, another 6 to 7 inches of sleet fell over much of the county. When rain began to mix with sleet early Wednesday, the sleet soaked up the moisture like a sponge. The extreme weight of the
precipitation made it difficult for plows to move.

With approximately 110 employees clearing 50 snow plow routes, usually streets can be cleared of 6 inches of snow eight hours after the storm ends. Because of the heavy accumulation, the Valentine's Day storm took twice as long to clear. About 2,500 tons of salt were used by county crews. Sixty-two pieces of equipment, including 55 trucks, six motor graders and a rubber tire loader, were utilized by the county and its contractors to plow.

In addition, the county's Department of General Services had crews working from midnight Monday through Thursday to clear ice and sleet from parking lots at Carroll Community College, the Circuit Courthouses, senior centers, libraries, Carroll Area Transit Service, Board of Education, and county offices.

Approximately 51 employees worked to clear the lots and 2+ miles of sidewalks, half a mile of ramps and steps, and 15 trucks and numerous heavy-duty shovels and ice chippers. Two front-end loaders were rented to push the snow off the lots and to clear drains. The Bureau of Fleet Management worked 12-hour shifts to keep county trucks operating, fixing hydraulic lines and pumps, transmissions, rear axles, windshield wipers, and welds on plows.

The Office of Emergency Management continuously monitored conditions throughout the storm. The only major incident reported was a roof collapse at a barn in New Windsor. None of the 25 head of cattle inside was injured.

Because most businesses closed and residents stayed off the roads, the number of traffic accidents was kept to a minimum. Law enforcement agencies reported a total of 70 weather-related incidents through the duration of the storm, not counting in Westminster City.

# # #

20070214 Greetings from Key West

Greetings from Key West

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Valentine’s Day
Around lunchtime, when I took the picture above, I got a phone call from WJZ reporter Mike Schuh[1]. He was in Westminster tracking down a snow story.

For twenty years as an elected official, I got to work with many great journalists from the print, radio, and TV media. Mike Schuh is one of the best of the best. Always pre-occupied with getting it right and reporting relevant and community-oriented news – he is “real people.”

For more on Mr. Schuh – go here. And be sure to read his “A Bakers Dozen of Sensible Schuh's.”

Later – I checked in on how Mr. Schuh was making-out getting the story in Westminster. I was at Southernmost Point at the time… I’ll post that picture separately…

















UPDATE: For Mr. Schuh’s reporting of the snow event in Westminster go here: http://wjz.com/video/?id=24955@wjz.dayport.com

_____

[1] Mike Schuh, WJZ Channel 13 Reporter

February 14th, 2007

http://wjz.com/bios/local_bio_053095449

Mike Schuh joined WJZ Eyewitness News as a general assignment reporter in April, 1993. In 2002 Mike won a Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting. During his career at Eyewitness News he has also earned 7 Emmy Awards for Hard News Investigations, General News Reporting and Features Reporting.

Mike came to WJZ after reporting for other television stations in Indianapolis, Louisville, Missouri and Illinois. In 1983 he received his B.S. Degree in News Reporting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Mike lives near Towson with his wife and one very, very energetic daughter.