20060517 KDDC Jeff Graham and the Power of Friendships

Jeff Graham and the Power of Friendships

May 17th, 2006

My latest column in the Westminster Eagle has been posted.

Kevin E. Dayhoff Wednesday, May 17 Local ride in memory of Jeff Graham celebrates the power of friendships or you may find it here.

The Westminster Eagle does not use permalinks. So, if you are reading this post after about a week or so – you will have to go to: Local news archives to find it in archives. Click on the radio button next to my name and adjust the date span search…

Meanwhile, pasted below is the unedited, album cut version of the same column. Please enjoy.

_________________

Much has been written about the value of friends in our lives. The concept of friendships has been the source of everything from the whimsical, to novels and movies, and serious scientific studies.

This Sunday, folks from the greater Carroll County community will come together to celebrate friendships at the “Jeff Graham Memorial Ride and Picnic.”

Last September 14, 2005, Carroll County lost a good friend when Jeff Graham lost his life in Delaware, while doing one of the things he loved best, riding his motorcycle, “Casey,” with friends.

Some of the community knew Jeff as the husband of local businesswoman and community leader, Lori Welsh-Graham, a co-owner of Stewart N. Dutterer Flower Shop Inc. of Westminster.

The flower shop, a Westminster business fixture since 1919, has decorated for the inaugurations for presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. However, you would never know that by spending time with Jeff. Being pretentious was not his style.

Others knew him as a master automotive technician for International Foreign Car Service Inc. in Westminster.

Graduates of Westminster High School class of 1980 knew him as a classmate.

Some knew him as Fluffy and Murphy Graham’s best friend.

Celebrants of St. John Catholic Church in Westminster knew him as a member of the church.

Others knew him from his love of restoring and fixing automobiles and vintage Victorian homes.

However, everyone who had the honor of spending time with Jeff knew him as a soft-spoken, quick witted, big huggable, teddy bear of a guy and a committed friend.

In memory of the life and work of Jeff and in honor of his committed friend, Steve Shatzer, a retired Westminster Police officer, this Sunday there will be a motorcycle ride and picnic in Jeff’s memory and to benefit a foundation started as a legacy to Jeff.

His wife, Lori, to whom he was married for 23 years, recently shared that the foundation called “The NightTrain Foundation,” was named after the model of Harley that Jeff rode. The NightTrain Foundation is a fund within the Community Foundation of Carroll County.

“In (the foundation’s) mission statement it refers to mentoring young people to strive at what they do and to always lead by example. And to make time for friends. I feel that Jeff and Steve both have and are doing just that. The scholarships go to young people interested in Automotive/Motorcycle Mechanics and Law Enforcement,” she elaborated.

The purpose statement describing the foundation states, “A key element of the Foundation is to commit funds for programs with children in mind. Consideration will be given to Shop with a Cop, the Literacy Council, COPS: Concerns of Police Survivors and other funds as deemed by the advisors.”

Of both Steve Shatzer and Jeff, the foundation statement wrote, “It was/is the goal of each of these men to always do the best in his career and to encourage others, especially youth to do the same. They are both good examples of the importance of honesty, hard work and friendship.”

“The Foundation is in memory of Jeff but more so, it is in honor of true friendships,” wrote Lori.

Everyone has their own concept of what is a good friend. Although everyone’s version is different, one thing for certain, most folks place a high value on our friendships.

For the luckiest among us, especially me, our spouses are our best friends.

No matter what your version of friendship is, there is no disagreement that friends give us a sense of belonging to a bigger picture and contribute to our satisfaction with life and our sense of self-worth.
Friends are often the folks with whom we like to spend time doing things together and sharing life experiences. Friends are people we trust. They are folks in whom we confide and believe will always act in our best interests.
Friends are travelers along the voyage of life, whom we respect. Folks in whom it is easy to agree and most importantly disagree and easily respect their right to their opinion.
Friends are always there for you. They are the special folks in our lives in which we enjoy aiding in their accomplishments are supportive in your own endeavors. They are the folks we like to help and enjoy letting them help us.

Recently a memorial plaque in Jeff’s honor was dedicated at Panera Bread. Many friends, including Sam Greenholtz and Pastor Richard Krebs attended.

Former Westminster Common Council Member Sam Greenholtz said in a recent e-mail, “… I really think that you should mention Mark Bomse, Vice President of Greenberg Commercial for donating the space in front of Panera Bread and for providing the monument honoring Jeff. This is something they do in the communities they serve.

“They recognize prominent deceased community leaders by placing these monuments throughout the property. Mark worked through the GWDC (Greater Westminster Development Corporation) to get this accomplished and we look forward to Greenberg providing more as time goes on - although we are in no hurry to find people to honor if you know what I mean.”

Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding shared a few words at the dedication on behalf of the City of Westminster.

In preparing his remarks, Chief Spaulding took the opportunity to speak with many of Jeff’s friends. What he found was why Jeff is such a study in everything a person would want in a friend: Quiet and supportive; quick witted; a keen sense of humor; a big kid at heart:

“Quiet and supportive – Jeff didn’t like to be the center of attention, but was very comfortable… quietly supporting (his wife, Lori’s) efforts to improve our community and make Westminster a better place to live and work. He did the same for all of his friends – if you needed Jeff, he was there to help at any time and in any way he could.

“Jeff had a keen sense of humor that was often 2-steps ahead of his “victims”. There was frequently a little gleam in his eye that reminded you that he was quietly scheming to get you. As Steve Shatzer put it, ‘it would sometimes take me a minute or two to figure our he got me.’

“‘A big kid at heart’ - Jeff loved to have a good time and he greatly enjoyed the simple things in life – such as taking a motorcycle ride with a group of friends to get some ice cream on a warm summer evening. He also enjoyed greatly spending time with kids – typically children of friends such as Tyler Plank and Garrett Wimmer. Jeff helped Tyler get into dirt bike and go-cart racing, and was apparently so successful that Tyler once told his dad that he was firing him and hiring Jeff as his coach and surrogate father. As Willy Plank told me, ‘for a fellow with no kids, he had a lot of kids.’

Chief Spaulding concluded his remarks by saying what we can only hope that our friends would say about us:

“The phrase I heard repeated time after time was “Committed friend” – … once (Jeff) was your friend he was a friend for life. There wasn’t anything that Jeff wouldn’t do for you or your family. This is clearly Jeff’s legacy and our reason for gathering today - to take a moment and celebrate just how much Jeff touched so many of us in his quiet but positive way.

“And this legacy clearly extends to Lori - and to their entire extended family. The Dutterers have been committed friends to the Police Department and the greater Westminster community for decades – never failing to do what is necessary and appropriate to improve the quality of life for our community.

“It is said that “a good friend is hard to find, difficult to lose and impossible to forget”. This garden will serve as a consistent reminder of Jeff’s legacy of friendship, dedication and self-less service to those gathered here today - and through his extended family - the larger Westminster Community.”

Murphy Graham said that Jeff was “a loyal friend, who was always there for me.”

Tony Ott, who helped map out this Sunday’s motorcycle ride, said Jeff “was a good guy and good friend… He loved to ride motorcycles and this (Sunday’s) ride is a celebration of friendship and Jeff’s life by folks whose lives he touched.”

The Memorial Ride on May 21 will take off at 1PM from Westminster Crossing (Bed, Bath and Beyond Center) and tour covered bridges in Frederick and York Counties. At 4 p.m., there will be a picnic in Dutterer Family Park with Food and Fun for all.

“I really hope the events and scholarships that are given by the foundation celebrate Jeff's love for his work, love for his adopted kids and love for his family and friends,” emphasized Lori.

Jeff’s sister-in-law, Jalna Brown has been helping to organize the day. If you would like more information about celebrating friendships with Jeff’s friends this Sunday, contact Jalna Brown at Dutterer Florist at (410) 848-9350. If you would like to make a contribution to the NightTrain Foundation, you can get in touch with either Ms. Brown or contact the Community Foundation of Carroll County at (410) 876-5505.

To paraphrase Chief Spaulding, who said it best, the greater Westminster community owes Jeff and Lori Graham thanks “for their ongoing stewardship of the spirit of “community” and “friendship” that make Westminster such a special place to live and work.”

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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20060517 Power Line gives some context on poll numbers

Power Line gives some context on poll numbers

http://powerlineblog.com/

May 17, 2006

Some Context on Those Poll Numbers

“How many times have we seen headlines like this one, from UPI this morning: "Iraq war drags Bush to record poll low." So many "record lows" have been announced in President Bush's poll numbers that the casual headline-watcher could be excused for thinking that no President in history has ever been so reviled.

“As we noted here, however, Bush's poll numbers are typical for just about any president at his low ebb. Bush, according to UPI, is currently at 33 percent. Here are the low water marks for presidents from Lyndon Johnson through Bill Clinton:

*Johnson: 35%
*Nixon: 24%
*Ford: 37%
*Carter: 28%
*Reagan: 35%
*Bush I: 29%
*Clinton: 37%

“Contrary to what you might surmise from screaming newspaper headlines, every president from Johnson to the present has gone through a period when his poll numbers were around where Bush's are now; in several instances, lower. So maybe it's time to ease off on the poll hysteria and get back to talking about the substantive pros and cons of the president's policies.”

Posted by John at 07:25 AM

####

20060517 KDDC Guns Cigars and Liberals

I follow a number of blogs that emanate from the eastern shore. “Justice for All” is one such site. I’m behind on my reading and have spent the last hour or so trying to catch up and came across this one that I will post in honor of Ken Kandell of the Westminster Cigar Company.

Hat tip: Justice For All?

May 3^rd, 2006

Guns, Cigars, And Liberals....

http://reallifejustice.blogspot.com/2006/05/guns-cigars-and-liberals.html

..... three of my favorite subjects all in one very funny article by my now favorite criminology professor Mike S. Adams. I can vouch for the La Flor Dominica and the 230 grain hollow point. Both have one heck of a bang.

Three great cigars and why I smoked them

May 3, 2006
by Mike S. Adams

I have a new favorite cigar. It is the La Flor Dominica Double Ligero Chisel. This 6-inch, 54-ring wedge is one of the few natural wrapper cigars in my humidor. Once you taste the rich, woody (and slightly spicy) flavor of this full-bodied beauty, you’ll understand why I love it. This Dominican figurado leaves some kind of mild fruity taste on the palate that I can’t identify. I plan to smoke 100 more until I find out just what that taste is.

Read the rest here: http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/mikeadams/2006/05/03/196029.html

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20060517 KDDC Westminster City Budget column directory

20060517 KDDC Westminster City Budget column directory

A Directory of pieces that I have written on the Westminster City Budget/Westminster City Administrator position, to date:

20060517 KDDC WE 20060503 Tales of the Wster City Budget

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

20060517 KDDC WE 20060503 Tales of the Wster City Budget

Many folks have been in touch as to where/how

they can find my Westminster Eagle column on the Westminster City Budget.

Please find it pasted below in its entirety:

Tales of the Liberty Pole, squawking geese and the Westminster city budget

20060504 The Six Makes No Cents

5 May 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

"The Six Makes No Cents" May 3, 2006 (c) Kevin Dayhoff.

Kevin Dayhoff - http://www.kevindayhoff.com/index.html

20060503 KDDC Speak or forever hold your peace

5 May 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

“The county tax rate is fifty cents on the $100, the lowest of any county in the State, and the municipal rate is but twenty cents on the $100, five of which are for water.” Fast forward to the present. ...

Kevin Dayhoff - http://www.kevindayhoff.com/index.html

20060430 An analysis of the FY 2007 Westminster City Budget

30 Apr 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

An analysis of the FY 2007 Westminster City, Carroll County, Maryland Budget Why a tax increase is not necessary. The following was posted on the Westminster Eagle Website on April 30, 2006. ©2004 MyWebPal.com. All rights reserved. ...

Kevin Dayhoff - http://www.kevindayhoff.com/index.html

The section that in which I wrote about my view of the idea to bring a City Administrator to the City of Westminster is found in:20060430 An analysis of the FY 2007 Westminster City Budget

If it saves you a minute – what I wrote is:

Rescind the recent decision to hire a City Administrator.

Not mentioned in this list is the newly created City Administrator position, which has been reported to cost $100,000. Perhaps we may want to amend that cost by adding the $22,500 for the consulting group hired to find this person and additional dollars for benefits, relocation expenses, office space, staff support and computer equipment. It has been whispered that this new position will cost the taxpayers as much as $200,000 – over a penny to the tax rate.

Hiring a City Administrator is an affront to the employees and destroys a sense of team. Westminster citizens “hired” the mayor to do this job. In 1991, the last time the city hired a City Administrator it didn’t work. Previously in the 1980s, the City also did away with the position in lieu of the department-director cabinet form of government. It works. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

Money to be used on the City Administrator is not necessary and could be better spent elsewhere. The City Administrator will only add an additional insulating layer between employees and the elected officials. The City Administrator position does not have support of many employees. Often citizens currently have direct access to city employees and can get things done quickly and efficiently. The City Administrator adds a complicating layer between public and city departments.

A City Administrator is another step towards “Big Government.” Westminster has never been tolerant of “Big Government or “tax and spend” management.

####

20060517 KDDC WE 20060503 Tales of the Wster City Budget

20060517 KDDC WE 20060503 Tales of the Wster City Budget

Many folks have been in touch as to where/how

they can find my Westminster Eagle column on the Westminster City Budget.

Please find it pasted below in its entirety:

Tales of the Liberty Pole, squawking geese and the Westminster city budget

05/03/06

By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for any local government is preparation of its annual budget.

There simply is never enough money to go around.

Even before there was a Carroll County, Carroll Countians have not tolerated big government and have always agitated for the lowest taxation rate possible. Perhaps we get it honestly from the gentleman for whom the county is named, Charles Carroll.

"In the late 1750s, when Catholics in Maryland were faced with a double tax on their property to pay for defense against the French and Indians É Charles Carroll of Carrollton became so angry that he declared he would go 'anywhere so long as there be freedom ... ' " (From "A brief history of É the Department of Assessments and Taxation," Karen Hare and Dr. Edward Papenfuse, 2002.)

In March 1791, when George Washington was president, the federal government passed The Whiskey Tax.

In a published account by local historian Jay Graybeal, "Col. Joshua Gist and the Whiskey Boys," it is noted that: "Farmers were morally outraged by the tax and they led the open revolt in the summer of 1794. É Public orations and heated discussions led to open warfare on July 16, 1794.

"Rebels attacked the homes of tax collectors and destroyed the stills of farmers who had obeyed the tax law."

Alas, the rebellion came to Westminster that summer.

Miss Mary B. Shellman wrote of the event: "A mob of men, known as the" Whiskey Boys," marched into Westminster and set up what they called a "Liberty Pole."

Becoming alarmed and knowing the personal bravery of Col. [Joshua] Gist É was sent for, and responded immediately. Riding into town with a drawn sword in his hand, he ordered the pole to be cut down, and dismounting, he placed one foot upon it, and stood there until the pole was cut in pieces, the whiskey boys leaving quietly while it was being done."

Fast forward to the present.

After several years of a depressed economy, when tax revenues for Westminster actually decreased in at least one year and the state balanced its ailing budget on the backs of local government, our city government recently announced a budget that included a 6-cent tax increase.

A wise person once said, "Taxation is the gentle art of picking the goose in such a way as to secure the greatest amount of feathers with the least amount of squawking."

A tax rebellion has come to Westminster this spring, and folks are squawking that core services can be maintained without a tax increase.

Roads need repair, and there continue to be increased demands for services in the face of rapidly escalating costs.

Most importantly, city employees have gone for too many years without an appropriate adjustment in their pay and benefits. Westminster has one of the finest municipal public works, water and wastewater treatment and police departments in the state.

However, now more than ever, they need our support.

Fortunately, this budget year is witnessing a surge in income tax and property tax revenue. The budget is still excruciatingly tight, and our elected officials have no doubt worked hard to trim the budget as best as possible.

However, they need our help. It is important that citizens get involved.

There is no need to be angry like Charles Carroll or have "Liberty Pole" demonstrations.

Get in touch with your elected officials today. Please be friendly, positive and constructive.

After all, our elected officials, who are struggling with their responsibilities, are our friends and neighbors.

The City of Westminster is asking residents what they think of the proposed budget for the coming year - with its proposed tax rate increase of 15 percent. My opinion on this matter can be found in The Winchester Report at The Westminster Eagle's Web site, www.thewestminstereagle.com.

There you'll find my thoughts - where are yours? Let us know what you think by writing to The Westminster Eagle at thewestminstereagle@patuxent.com.

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

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of their respective owners.

20060517 KDDC Tentacle Column Water Wars

"Water Wars"
(c) Kevin Dayhoff

Water Wars

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

My latest column for The Tentacle has been posted:

The Water Wars Are Heating Up

Kevin E. Dayhoff

“The increasing problems over water availability as a key component of the current warfare over growth are only going to continue to be complex, contentious and difficult.”

Read the rest at: http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=1605

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

####

20060516 KED 12 ½ cent Westminster Bank Note

20060515 KDDC Immigration Reform White House Fact Sheet

White House Immigration Reform Fact Sheet

Below please find the Fact Sheet on President Bush’s Immigration reform address Monday, May 15^th, 2006, and some links to the White House page to obtain additional information:

Video: President Bush Addresses the Nation on Immigration Reform

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060515-7.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/immigration/

http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2260

_________________

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 15, 2006

Fact Sheet: Overview: Comprehensive Immigration Reform

President Bush Addresses the Nation on Immigration Reform
In Focus: Immigration

Tonight, President Bush Discussed His Vision For Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The five clear objectives of comprehensive immigration reform are securing our borders, creating a temporary worker program, making it easier for employers to verify employment eligibility and continuing to hold them to account for the legal status of workers they hire, dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants who are already here, and honoring the great American tradition of the melting pot.

• The President Believes America Can Be A Lawful Society And A Welcoming Society At The Same Time. We will fix the problem of illegal immigration, and we will deliver a system that is secure, orderly, and fair.

1. The United States Must Secure Its Borders

Securing Our Borders Is The Basic Responsibility Of A Sovereign Nation And An Urgent Requirement Of Our National Security. President Bush's proposals to better secure our borders include increasing the number of Border Patrol agents, ending the practice of "catch and release" along the southern border, eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to returning illegal immigrants to their home countries, and sending National Guard members to the border for temporary assignment to assist the Border Patrol during the transition as new Border Patrol agents are added and new technology comes online.

Since President Bush Took Office, We Have Increased Funding For Border Security By 66 Percent And Expanded The Border Patrol From About 9,000 To 12,000 Agents. Over the past five years, we have apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering America illegally.

By The End Of 2008, We Will Have Increased The Number Of Border Patrol Officers By An Additional 6,000. When these new agents are deployed, we will have more than doubled the size of the Border Patrol during the President's Administration.

We Launched The Secure Border Initiative, The Most Technologically Advanced Border Enforcement Initiative In American History. We will construct high-tech fences in urban corridors and build new patrol roads and barriers in rural areas. We will employ motion sensors, infrared cameras, and unmanned aerial vehicles to detect and respond to illegal crossings.

The President's Plan To Increase Border Security Will Take Time To Fully Implement, So The President Is Announcing Several Immediate Steps To Strengthen Border Enforcement During This Transition:

• In Coordination With Governors, Up To 6,000 National Guard Members Will Be Sent To Our Southern Border. The Department of Homeland Security, and specifically the Border Patrol, will remain in the lead. The Guard, which will be deployed in shifts, will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads, and providing training. Guard units will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities -- that duty will be done by the Border Patrol.
• This Initial Commitment Of Guard Members Would Last For One Year. After that, the number of Guard forces will be reduced as new Border Patrol agents are added and new technologies come online. These 6,000 troops account for less than 2 percent of the total National Guard force of more than 440,000. We have enough National Guard members to secure our border while continuing to respond to natural disasters and to win the War on Terror.
• The United States Is Not Going To Militarize The Southern Border. Mexico is our neighbor and friend. We will continue to work cooperatively to improve security on both sides of the border, confront common problems like drug trafficking and crime, and reduce illegal immigration.
• We Will Increase Federal Funding For State And Local Authorities Assisting The Border Patrol On Targeted Enforcement Missions, And We Will Give Them The Specialized Training They Need To Help The Border Patrol And Other Federal Officers Apprehend And Detain Illegal Immigrants.

We Will Work To Ensure That Every Illegal Immigrant We Catch Crossing Our Southern Border Is Returned Home By Ending The Practice Of "Catch And Release." For many years, the government did not have enough space in our detention facilities to hold illegal immigrants while the legal process unfolded. Most were released back into society and asked to return for a court date, but did not show up when the date arrived.

• To End "Catch And Release," We Will Continue Expanding The Number Of Beds In Our Detention Facilities And Continue Expediting The Removal Process To Cut The Average Deportation Time. We are making it clear to foreign governments that they must accept back their citizens who violate our immigration laws. As a result of these actions, we have ended catch and release for illegal immigrants from some countries. The President will ask Congress for additional funding and legal authority to permanently end catch and release at the southern border once and for all.

2. To Secure Our Border, We Must Create A Temporary Worker Program

President Bush Supports A Temporary Worker Program That Would Create A Legal Path For Foreign Workers To Enter Our Country In An Orderly Way, For A Limited Period Of Time. This program would match willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs Americans are not doing. Every worker who applies for the program would be required to pass criminal background checks, and temporary workers must return to their home country at the conclusion of their stay.

• A Temporary Worker Program Would Meet The Needs Of Our Economy, Ease The Financial Burden On State And Local Governments, And Add To Our Security. A temporary worker program would give honest immigrants a way to provide for their families while respecting the law, would replace illegal workers with lawful taxpayers, and would enable us to make certain we know who is in our country and why they are here.

3. We Need To Hold Employers To Account For The Workers They Hire

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Must Include A Tamper-Resistant Identification Card For Every Legal Foreign Worker So Businesses Can Verify The Legal Status Of Their Employees. This card should use biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamper-proof. This would leave employers with no excuse for violating the law, and it would help us enforce the law.

4. We Must Deal With The Millions Of Illegal Immigrants Already Here

The President Opposes Amnesty. President Bush opposes giving illegal immigrants an automatic path to citizenship because it would be unfair to those who are here lawfully, would compromise the rule of law, and would invite further waves of illegal immigration. The President supports increasing the annual number of green cards that can lead to citizenship, but for the sake of justice and security, the President is firmly opposed to amnesty.

President Bush Believes That Deporting Every Illegal Immigrant Is Neither Wise Nor Realistic. There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation.

President Bush Believes Illegal Immigrants Who Want To Stay Should Have To Pay A Meaningful Penalty For Breaking The Law, Pay Their Taxes, Learn English, And Work In A Job For A Number Of Years. The President also believes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. Those who meet our conditions should be able to apply for citizenship but approval will not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law.

5. We Must Honor The Great American Tradition Of The Melting Pot

The Success Of Our Country Depends Upon Helping Newcomers Assimilate Into Our Society And Embrace Our Common Identity As Americans. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language.

The House And Senate Must Pass A Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill

All Elements Of This Problem Must Be Addressed Together. The House has passed an immigration bill. The Senate should act by the end of this month so that the House and Senate can work out their differences and send the President a comprehensive bill to sign.

America Needs To Conduct This Debate In A Reasoned And Respectful Tone. Feelings run deep on this issue and as we work it out, all of us need to keep some things in mind. We cannot build a unified country by inciting people to anger, or playing on anyone's fears, or exploiting the issue of immigration for political gain. We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say.

# # #

Immigration Reform

20060515 KDDC Clifford the Big Red Dog

Clifford the Big Red Dog

Gotta run. Can’t talk now. “Clifford the Big Red Dog” is on TV.

4 PM - WETA

http://pbskids.org/clifford/

http://pbskids.org/clifford/parentsteachers/about_program/slide_show.html

http://pbskids.org/clifford/parentsteachers/about_program/program_summary.html

20060515 KDDC Dale Wimbrow sings “The Good Old Eastern Shore.”

Dale Wimbrow sings “The Good Old Eastern Shore.”

From The Salisbury Delmarva Dailey Times Online Special

http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

May 15^th, 2006

The Voice of an Angel:

“With a ukulele and "the voice of an angel," Dale Wimbrow of Whaleyville recorded a number of songs about Delmarva in the 1920s and 30s. His most popular, "The Good Old Eastern Shore," remains a classic. Hear it now and read more about Winbrow in our online archive.”

http://www.delmarvanow.com/assets/mp3/A721086414.MP3

Note: The picture is from the Delmarva Dailey Times’ Web-site. It appeared with no attribution – so I’ll credit the Delmarva Dailey Times.

20060514 KDDC Water and Growth Issues in Carroll Co

Water and Growth Issues in Carroll County

Kevin Dayhoff

April 3^rd, 2006 – May 14^th, 2006

Update May 14^th, 2006: I wrote the piece pasted below as one of those free-association exercises that writers go through as they are trying to organize and fathom an issue.

Sometimes pieces such as this are refined and become columns. More often than not they could become a “diary entry” if one had the time to collect them properly in a body of work.

This piece merely got lost in my computer filing system, until I reconvened working on this week’s Tentacle column and rediscovered it.

… I’d like to write a piece about the future of “Smart Growth” in Maryland….

Every time I begin such a piece I get distracted by the results of the recent election in Mount Airy and what those results indicate, if anything, for the future of managed growth discussions.

Then I get distracted by water allocation and appropriation issues.

And Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances (APFO) and what that means for the future of managed growth issues.

Or the results of the bitter and contentious discussions over municipal annexation that took place in the recent session of the Maryland General Assembly.

Then there is the study recently released by the University of Maryland National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education about APFOs and Smart Growth issues.

Reality Check Plus (www.realitycheckmaryland.org) is conducting a series of exercises on growth issues…

I cannot ever remember getting ‘writers-block.’ I usually get ‘writer-overwhelmed.’

Meanwhile, as I sort all of this out. Below is a piece I wrote on April 3^rd, 2006, as I tried to find some bearing on some of the growth issues in Carroll County.

I hope that most of the text below will get refined and re-appear in a future column. The again, it would appear that some of the words and concepts will get jettisoned like so much of the flotsam and jetsam of contemporary conversations as to how to proceed with growth issues in Maryland.

Meanwhile, it appears below in its unedited stream-of-consciousness first draft.

_________________

Water Issues in Carroll County

Kevin Dayhoff

April 3^rd, 2006

Water and wastewater treatment has always been in issue in Carroll County since the first settlers came here in the early 1700s.

And one thing is for sure, water and all the accompanying issues are sure to continue to be complex, contentious and difficult.

All water in Maryland is owned by the state. All uses of water, including safety, distribution, rate setting, use of, discharge into and just anything else that is remotely associated with water is by state permit.

A never-ending alphabet soup of complex byzantine federal, state and local regulations, laws, special commissions, committees and authorities regulates the permits.

Some of which are conflicting and all of which have spawned a cottage industry in Maryland for the full employment act of bureaucrats, lawyers, hydrologists, lawmakers, environmental groups, special interests groups and engineers. All of which, in many cases know a piece of the elephant but haven’t a clue as to what an elephant looks like.

The subject is awash with the pollution of misunderstandings, political rhetoric, outrage, conspiracy theories and misinformation.

Not a week goes by when an article in the newspaper does not appear about secret meetings, intrigue, ethics violations, fraud, misconduct, complicity and conspiracy. It reminds one of a giant gerbil, churning out news items as if it is twirling around in its own wheel of self-importance and inflated delusions of influence.

Ay caramba.

Sadly, the reactionary conversation - often involving unpleasant public hearings, uninformed conspiracy theories, political spinelessness and personal attacks - distorts and polarizes the collective discourse to such an extent that it renders many citizens skeptical about any discussion over growth and development.

Indeed, I have no anxiety over a publication, an advocacy group or a candidate for elected office taking a position; I just hate it when they pretend to be impartial. Or better yet, couch their panderings on the mantel that they are not “no-growthers”, with no plan that has any relationship with rules, regulations or laws – or reality.

In the next 25 years, the population of Maryland will increase by 1.5 million.

Not all 1.5 million need to live in Carroll County. Nevertheless, as much as I would like to live in a Westminster with the simplicity and population density of 1958, that is just not possible.

Usually the news items spewing-forth from this never-ending well of rhetoric result because someone has decided that they are all the sudden an “expert” – read: self-involved know-it-all.

They disagree with a public official who has worked tirelessly for peanuts, away from their family and loved ones, to try and negotiate the byzantine complexity of water laws and regulations for the greater good of a community they love.

It is okay to disagree, confine your disagreement to the issues or increase your dosage.

Then the citizen-experts and the sycophant elected officials in their pocket, leak to the newspaper misleading information that only tells a portion of the story. Many of the newspaper reporters in the area are young, new on the job and it never seems to dawn on them to ask follow-up probing questions or give an issue context and perspective. The articles are short and have become derisively known as “McArticles.”

Many of these newspaper items are written by a reporter or an editor that has all the wisdom or knowledge of a Monday-morning quarterback, who makes ten-times the amount of money the public official makes and works half the hours.

More often than not, the news reporters are like sea gulls, who visit a small town newspaper long enough to knock all the pictures off the wall and soil all over the floor and then leave town for a better job. The public official is often personally and financially invested in the future of his or her community and is hear to stay and clean up the mess.

The folks who produce this fish wrap ought to consider that they need to maintain and honor a public trust to the very same citizens for whom we all serve.

In the words of Dan Rodricks in a similar commentary, these public officials “should be thankful for one small blessing – (they live in Carroll County in 2006,) not Salem 1692. In Salem, they hanged you or crushed you under stone. Here they just humiliate you and raise doubts about your integrity.”

Thankfully, in Carroll County we have some of the state’s leading experts hard at work, to lead us into the future. Folks such as Hampstead town manager Ken Decker; Sykesville town manager Matthew Candland and Sykesville mayor Jonathan Herman; Westminster’s public works experts Tom Beyard and Jeff Glass; Union Bridge mayor Bret Grossnickle, Mount Airy council president John Medve and councilwoman Wendi Peters and Carroll County hydrogeologist Tom Devilbiss and Jim Slater, who runs the county environmental department.

There’s more, but I just wanted to assure you that all is not despair.

Water will never ever be as cheap as it is now. Just in the City of Westminster alone, in order to keep up with recent new federal and state regulations, a new water treatment plant to the tune of $5 million dollars or so, and a upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant may cost as much as $11 million, are in the works. All of this expense will barely add one more drop of additional water capacity.

As a result of recent droughts, the pressure is on the Maryland Department of Environment to scrutinize, to the letter of the law, all water allocation permits for municipalities.

Meanwhile, no one wants any more developments (in the middle of a corn field,) and anti-sprawl public policies dictate that future development occur in a municipality where the various public infrastructures, including water and sewer capacity are located.

Only, the recent interpretations of the water allocation permits, in many cases, will not allocate enough water for municipalities, for their present needs, never mind, any future growth for community employment of economic development.

And, perhaps most importantly, there are huge numbers of the municipal populations that have no interest in any more houses anywhere near their municipality – period.

Having grown up in Carroll County in the 1950s and 60s - when we had quality of life - I could personally care less if not one more house is ever built in Carroll County. But that is simply not a practical or realistic position. So, if growth is inevitable, how can it be managed as well as possible so as to ensure some quality of life?

Having said that, we can’t take away a person’s property rights by plebiscite or angry mob, so if the houses come, I want the developer to donate ball fields, school sites and upgrades in the roads and water and sewer capacities and keep taxes low.

Besides, if you grew up in Carroll County before all the growth and accompanying congestion – and you are still here, you have learned to roll with it and change what you can and learn to deal with what you can’t change.

It has been called to my attention that behind my house in Westminster was once one of the larger and oldest farms in Carroll County. It has long since given way to a housing development with loud mechanical cows that eat the grass with a roar.

More that once I have been asked if this turn of events has made me unhappy.

“Do I miss the cattle and open space?”

To which I enjoy responding: “Yeah, it’s just terrible. I once had fields and cows out back. Now I have friendly neighbors, with children playing and laughing. Folks who throw parties, in which I often feel the need to call – and ask them to turn up the volume when they are playing heavy metal.”

A community is like a box of crayons, there are sharp ones and dull ones, short ones and tall ones, some colors I like and some with names I don’t understand, but they all fit in the box well with a little negotiation. All it takes is a little patience, benefit of doubt, a little humility and humanity.

Let’s come together and agree or disagree graciously as we explore what is best for our greater community and our children. Gracious gets gracious in return. Leave the personal pollution out of it.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

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20060514 KDDC May 16, 2006 is the Carroll Non Profit Center Dedication

Tuesday, May 16, 2006 is the dedication the Carroll Non Profit Center

May 10^th, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff ©

My column in this week’s Westminster Eagle is: “Celebrating the dedication of the county's splendid new guinea pig: Carroll's Non-Profit Center .” Please be aware that the Westminster Eagle does not use permalinks, so if you may need to find the original column in news archives: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=archivelist&pnpID=978&om=1

Below please enjoy the unedited, album-cut long version of the column:

After more than four years in the making, the “Carroll Non Profit Center” in Westminster will have a grand opening dedication on Tuesday, May 16, 2006.

Many have wondered about the $4 million, 40,000-square-foot three-story brick building built by Anverse, Inc., that is located on a 3.15-acre parcel on Clifton Boulevard (near Wal-Mart and the Westminster Post Office.)

Once again, Carroll County, Maryland is on the cutting edge.

The idea seems simple enough; however, multi-tenant nonprofit centers like the Carroll Non Profit Center (Center) are a new concept. There are only one or two other such centers in the country.

As a matter of fact, Marty Sonenshine, the executive director of Anverse calls the project “our guinea pig.”

According to the “Nonprofitcenters Network,” multi-tenant centers increase visibility, lower overhead costs, enable cross-organizational collaboration and synergy and create new hubs of economic activity in the community.

Audrey Cimino, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Inc. one of the grateful tenants of the Center, expressed it this way:

“The gift that Anverse, Inc. has given our community will have ramifications far into the future. They have provided a platform for growth, enrichment, cooperation and partnerships that we are only beginning to realize. The clients who receive services and benefits, the donors who support our various projects and the general public of Carroll County are the beneficiaries of a most extraordinary good deed.”

Many of the non-profits that are located in the Center receive support for their operations and work in the community from the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Inc.

If you would like to contribute to this great community based organization or learn more about the Center, please call (410) 876-5505 or visit their Web-site at: http://www.carrollcommunityfoundation.org/.

Anverse Inc., a Cartersville Georgia-based foundation was formed in 2000 and purchased the property in 2002 for $690,000. According to published accounts, the foundation reported $871,317 in expenses on its 2002 tax return “for the purchase of land and initial planning for a ‘non-profit center in Westminster.’’’

However, much of this story begins when in around 1984, Prestige Communications began a new era in the quality of life for a coach potato and cable television service in Carroll County was born.

After sixteen years of operation, the company “and its 118,250 subscriber accounts in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland were sold to Adelphia for about $700 million.” (This, according to a 2003 Baltimore Sun article written by Mary Gail Hare and Jennifer McMenamin.)

Wanting to give back to the community from which it had so profited, Anverse, “the country's eighth-largest grant-making operating foundation in 2001;” was formed from “4,000 shares of stock in Prestige Communications, valued at $191.1 million, according to Anverse's 2001 tax return.” (Baltimore Sun 2003.)

Once the decision to build the Center was made, Anverse hired Mark Krider, who had worked for Anverse family for a number of years to be the mid-wife for the project.

“Mark Krider has been patient, hard working, diligent and effective in making this innovative community investment happen,” complimented Ms. Cimino. “Our community owes Mark a debt of gratitude.”

The Carroll Non Profit Center broke ground in November 2004 and opened its doors to approximately 20 tenants in January 2006.

Some of the tenants include: Carroll Technology Council; Catastrophic Health Planners; Child Care Choices; Community Foundation of Carroll County; Habitat For Humanity; Head Start of Carroll County; Carroll County Branch # 7014 of the NAACP; United Way Community Partnership of Carroll County; and the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation.

The non-profit organizations in Carroll County are the conscious of our community and play a vital functional and leadership role in the social fabric of our society.

Like many areas of the country, non-profits in Carroll County have an increased presence in our community for various reasons including decreased public support for services.

According to an article in the Daily Record, last fall by Kara Kridler: “Maryland nonprofits added more than twice as many jobs as their for-profit counterparts in 2003, part of a five-year run during which the nonprofit sector has largely kept the state's job market afloat, according to a new study.”

“A Johns Hopkins University report found employment growth among nonprofits was nearly 2 percent in 2003, the latest year for which data is available. Meanwhile, the larger for-profit sector, which employs nearly 1.8 million people, grew just 0.1 percent,” wrote Kara Kridler.

Carroll County has always been a generous community and in the past. Much of the generosity was the result of individual community stepping up to the plate to extend a helping hand.

Examples of individual generosity in difficult times are numerous and the stuff of legend in Carroll County.

In the very early 1950s, when the Ward Avenue apartments in Westminster, burned to the ground, local business leader and Westminster city councilman, Scott Bair Sr., let it be known to the displaced tenants that they could go to Mather’s on Main Street and buy clothes - and he paid the bill.

In days gone by, many of the community leaders that were members of the service clubs or the fire company, for example. They were also the captains of local industry and elected officials.

Increasingly, many elected officials, not all to be sure, are disconnected with the rest of the community as they squabble over issues of “inside baseball” and bitter partisan politics which has little relevance to the day-to-day quality of life of Carroll Countians.

“Who said what to whom and when,” “white hats” and “black hats, accusations of “secret meetings” and who has the latest version of some bizarre conspiracy theory fills the pages of the local papers as local families struggle to raise their children, put food on the table, pay their utility bills and provide meaning to their lives.

Ay caramba.

Meanwhile a new leadership class is evolving in Carroll County. It is the folks like the executive director of the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Audrey Cimino; Jeff Sprinkle, director of the Carroll County YMCA; Carroll County Children’s Chorus director, Diane Jones; president of the local NAACP Branch President Charles Harrison, Virginia Harrison, with Carroll Citizens for Racial Equality, the local scout leader, and PTA/PTO president...

But getting back to more of the positive and Carroll’s experiment with a multi-tenant nonprofit center; often real estate is not a core competency for non-profits. Most do not own their own space, which leaves them vulnerable to the vagaries of the real estate market. This eats away at financial resources and impedes the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

According to Nonprofitcenters Network, “more than 80% of nonprofits do not own their own space. These organizations typically must allocate 20% (second only to personnel) of their expense budget to rent, thereby exposing over 1/5 of their cash assets to the profit driven fluctuations of the real estate market.”

Carroll County United Way director Pam Zappardino agreed, “In terms of importance, not only does it give the non-profits low cost space for their offices but this allows the organizations plow more money back into the community where it is needed.”

“And the center also gives the non-profits a chance to work together, network and be more effective in delivering even better services to the community. “For the United Way the center provides a much more visible place for us to do our work,” elaborated Dr. Zappardino.

Dr. Zappardino said that she “expected to enjoy the better space but has found it fun to be there.” Instead of being in an isolated office all to herself, she “enjoys talking with the other folks in the hall.” Recently she stayed late into the evening to help another organization. “The people here are just great.”

Charles Harrison, president of the CC Branch of the NAACP #7014 called the Center:

“Terrific. This unifies our efforts. Because we are all volunteers, for many years the local branch operated out of homes and we had meetings where we could. Now we have one place to maintain our files, records and documents. This provides stability and community focused point of contact.

“Everyone in the community knows where we are. This provides credibility as a viable part of the CC community this is evidence by increased memberships community based inquires.

“Being in the Center allows us to network to be around other nonprofits and community leaders who have the same concerns. The NAACP’s issues are the community’s issues. Diversity continues to be a hidden asset in our community and the NAACP is taking a leadership role in exploiting this asset to move the community forward.”

Not only does the Center provide stability, it also facilitates all the advantages of one-stop shopping for targeted populations, increases visibility and allows individual organizations the strength of numbers to work together and accomplish more than they could by themselves.

The Center serves as one big incubator of ideas, efforts and cooperation in order to help other nonprofits throughout the county and ultimately serve the community better.

A written statement provided by Ms. Cimino highlights that “Anverse’s commitment to the nonprofits of Carroll County is not limited to the occupants of the Center.”

“Anverse maintains both the building and the property on which it sits and has provided a Project Manager and Maintenance Engineer who are available daily to the tenants.

“Seminars on various non profit topics are being planned and will be offered to tenants and other Carroll County non-profits as well, to build and improve skills,” wrote Ms. Cimino.

Everyone interviewed for this column raved about the two thousand square foot meeting room and the grant research library for organizations that typically have little access to professional advisers, accountants and lawyers.

The resource library and meeting room are available to all Carroll County non-profit organizations and are already being widely used.

A recent Harvard Business School article discussed “the factors that contribute to successful high-performance social enterprises.” It established “a connection between enterprises that link economic value with social value.”

To take a picture of this success, one need look no farther that the Carroll Non Profit Center at next Tuesday’s dedication - the guinea pig that could.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

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20060514 KDDC May June 2006 Downtown Wster MSN

May/June 2006 issue of the Downtown Westminster Main Street News

Stan Ruchlewicz, the administrator of economic development for the City of Westminster has just posted the May/June 2006 issue of the Downtown Westminster Main Street News. You can retrieve it here: http://www.westgov.com/assets/MainStNews051206.pdf

20060514 KDDC As West Wing Leaves Office

As 'West Wing' Leaves Office

Last Will and President

As 'West Wing' Leaves Office, a Last Chance to Debrief the Staff

By Jennifer Frey - Washington Post Staff Writer

May 14, 2006

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/interactives/galleries/westwing/gallery.html

"C.J., Josh, Toby, Sam - the men and women of TV’s "West Wing" arrived in 1999, and Washington greeted them like rock stars. We tried to elbow into their entourage; we yearned to get inside their faux-D.C. bubble. We even managed to make it a bipartisan event.

"Rep. Tom DeLay crowed about plans to add a House majority whip to the cast. Madeleine Albright made a late-night visit to a taping in Georgetown. Alan Greenspan professed his addiction to the program. And Mayor Anthony Williams managed to get his name linked to "The West Wing" by announcing that the show had "pumped $2.6 million into the local economy" in its first season."

Read the rest of the article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/interactives/galleries/westwing/gallery.html

It is worth going to the article on the Washington Post web-site for the character descriptions it has available…

More informationon the "West Wing" series can be found here:

http://www.tv.com/west-wing/show/189/episode_guide.html

20060512 Our 2006 Fair Book Ad

20060512 KDDC 2006 CC Fair Weigh In Day Pictures

2006 CC Fair Weigh In Day Part 1 Pictures

Friday, May 12^th, 2006