Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems
Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
20070317 Shades of Britney
March 17, 2007
I picked up new glasses the other day. I did not choose a Britney Spears eyewear frame. I did not have time to get a tattoo and my head shaved on the way home.
Already go that t-shirt in July 1972 in USMC Reserve boot camp…
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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 17th, 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
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
It looks like one of the vehicles in the presidential motorcade heading up to
Fortunately the mishap did not involve the presidential limo – pictured at the top of this story.
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Thursday, March 15, 2007
20070314 This week in the Westminster Eagle
March 14th, 2007
Westminster Eagle
The high cost of twin tragedies at Bowling Brook
Last Thursday must have been another long and difficult day for Bowling Brook Preparatory Academy.
It was on that day that the academy's last remaining eight students boarded a van and left. Then the prep school's license was turned over to an official from the Maryland Department of Juvenile Serv...[Read full story]
Education Notes County opens enrollment for prekindergarten
The Carroll County Pubic Schools prekindergarten program is accepting applications for the 2007-08 school year. Children must be age 4 by Sept. 1, 2007. Students will attend classes five days a week for two-and-a-half hours at no cost to parents.
Appli...[Read full story]
Competition is sweet at Mid-Atlantic cake show
The sweet smell of butter cream frosting and cake filled the Carroll County Agriculture Center over the weekend as the Mid-Atlantic Cake Show and Wedding Cake Competition brought cakes of all sizes and shapes from states as far as Texas, Ohio and New Jersey together.
"It has been a very good show,...[Read full story]
Pillows for soldiers are one mom's mission
There's nothing like resting your head on a comfortable pillow at the end of a long day.
But that luxury isn't always available to many American soldiers currently serving overseas.
Staffers and families at TriStar Martial Arts in both Eldersburg and Westminster recently held a collection to try...[Read full story]
News Briefs Mudgett's Finksburg center faces review
The proposal for a new shopping center at Dede Road and Route 140 in Finksburg will face the county's Planning and Zoning Commission next week.
The Mudgett family, which owns and operates the existing Mudgett Auto Body on Dede Road, is seeking approval for...[Read full story]
Local Scout traveled globally, acted locally on path to Eagle
All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but it helped make Westminster's Ian Ellett an Eagle Scout
At a Scouting "Court of Honor" this past Sunday, Ellett, 17, was recognized for more than 12 years of hard work as a Scout with Troop 2040, and most notably for the past two years, when he com...[Read full story]
A little kick in the Irish
At a glance, it looks like a game of soccer. When you watch a little longer, though, one starts to notice elements of football, too. And volleyball.
And even basketball?
Gaelic football, the national sport of Ireland, has found a following here in Carroll County, and Westminster resident J...[Read full story]
A foundation for Habitat, Westminster
The details are still being ironed out and the contracts haven't been signed, but the city of Westminster and the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity are already hoping their deal to build a home on a vacant tract on Union Street will set an example for providing housing for low- to moderate...[Read full story]
Recreation
Balanced effort helps North Carroll girls win 3A-2A title
Track and Field
The North Carroll girls' team got a big lift from a newcomer to the indoor circuit, while the Liberty boys relied on a wildly successful veteran at the indoor track and field state championship meet.
North Carroll utilized title performances from senior Katie Hursey and junior Je...[Read full story]
Focus on People
Group efforts Legion Riders' efforts benefit Carroll Hospice
The Legion Riders of Westminster, based at Carroll American Legion Post 31, recently donated $500 to Carroll Hospice. The riders had decided to make Carroll Hospice the group's primary charity.
Gina Stanley, legion rider charity liaison officer, is ...[Read full story]
Business Briefs
Main Street Minute Smiling faces remind us: Don't worry, be happy
Last week we had another cold, snowy day -- another of those days when the children go from being happy about no homework to being crabby about being bored.
With the cloudy days overshadowing the sunny ones lately, it's easy to share their bad moods...[Read full story]
Opinion
No matter who counts it, traffic will remain a point of dispute Editorial
Who's better at counting cars? The county or developers?
Speakers at a hearing last week said it doesn't matter, because both parties have to work with the same rules and standards when conducting traffic studies.
County officials are considering a change in the way Carroll considers...[Read full story]
The Passing Parade
Worth the price of a ticket
Wouldn't you know it, after all the meetings I attended over the years open to the public, I missed the one recently -- a county "roundtable" meeting where the proposed bond bill was discussed -- that had a true element of excitement to it.
Fortunately, I saw a video of it, confirming what I'd hea...[Read full story]
For Better or Worse
If it can't take the heat, it's not likely under warranty
"What's wrong?" Doug asked, walking into the kitchen to see me standing over a cold oven holding a tray of seasoned Cornish hens stuffed with wild rice.
Sitting on the countertop were four porcelain ramekins filled with creme bržlŽe mixture. ...
OK, who am I kidding?
I was trying to heat up th...[Read full story]
Community Calendar
Community Calendar ARTS
> The Carroll Community College Campus Activities Board Spring Film Series continues this week. Films begin at 7 p.m. and are shown at the theater in the Scott Center, 1601 Washington Road. The movies are free and open to the community, but children must be accompanied by a parent or guardia...[Read full story]
Community Rallies behind Bowling Brook On March 2, Bowling Brook Preparatory Academy in Keymar announced that after 50 years in operation, it would close on March 9.
The closing comes in the wake of the death of one of the students on January 23.
Since the closing was announced, many Carroll Countians have rallied in sup...[Read full story]
[Local news archives]
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Wednesday, March 14, 2007
20070314 Grocery Store check out line literature
Grocery Store check out line literature
March 14, 2007 Daily Photoblog
I was minding my own business in the grocery store check out when I noticed a couple of folks ahead of me getting all animated and gesturing towards the grocery store check out line literature.
Amused and curious; when I got to that place in line I looked to the shelf and just cracked-up.
Hey, whatever floats your boat?
Who knows – maybe the articles are true?
It was first time I have ever seen folks actually purchase these papers. Except when I was younger I would purchase them from time to time for collage materials.
I could go on – but I guess I’ll stop while I’m behind.
What a hoot.
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20070313 Community Rallies behind Bowling Brook
Community Rallies behind Bowling Brook
03/13/07
by Kevin Dayhoff
Respond to the Westminster Eagle about this story
Email this story to a friend
On March 2,
The closing comes in the wake of the death of one of the students on January 23.
Since the closing was announced, many Carroll Countians have rallied in support of the academy suggesting that it would be better to meaningfully address and correct what precipitated the tragedy than close the academy.
Delegate Donald Elliott said the day Bowling Brook closed “was a sad day and it is my hope that it will again be restored to a place in the juvenile services system.
“Over the years we have all had contact with the young men from Bowling Brook, it was always a very positive experience,” he said. “In fact, where other places have difficulty hosting a juvenile services facility, Bowling Brook has enjoyed the affection of the community.”
Delegate Nancy Stocksdale recounted many experiences in which the young men of Bowling Brook had left a positive impression upon her and the community. (She has circulating a letter about Bowling Brook. Please find it below.)
She said that she has been “grieving just as if it was my school.”
Delegate Stocksdale added that if this terrible incident had happened in another facility… she doubted that the state would’ve closed down the whole place. “You take care of the problem. You fix it. Instead of isolating a tragic instant from the rest of the good work of the institution (the state) choose to convict the entire school.”
Tom Welliver said, “I have worked closely with these young men on numerous occasions. They were well mannered, respectful - and assisted with tremendously positive attitudes.”
For many years, the Bowling Brook students helped with the
Larry Collins, Carroll County Agriculture Center General Manager said, “The young men from Bowling Brook have been to the Ag Center many times and served in many different capacities… They have been excellent across the board. It would be a shame to lose such an important resource in our community.”
The Junior Woman’s Club of Westminster is circulating a letter which cites that Bowling Brook had “an 86 percent success rate. (Please find a copy of the letter below.)
Only 14 percent of the youth were arrested or referred back to the state agency within a year of their release. … The state average for group homes is 50 percent, but we have heard as low as 10 percent success rates. … We hate to see the success of the program overrun by this one failure.”
It is rare that a community rallies to have a juvenile facility in their own back yard. But all of us have a stake in saving young men for a productive future and in those efforts; Bowling Brook is part of the answer.
What is now necessary is for Maryland Juvenile Services Secretary Donald W. DeVore and Gov. Martin O’Malley to hear from
Please review the letters from the Delegate Nancy Stocksdale and the Junior Woman’s Club of Westminster and then find a moment of your time to write to: Governor Martin O’Malley, Office of the Governor,
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From: Delegate Nancy Stocksdale
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 3:30 PM
Subject:
Dear Friends:
I am writing concerning the
I am saddened by the loss of a student there, and I offer my sincerest sympathy to his mother. I do not know all the circumstances, but I have always believed in the school and its program. Unfortunately, the Public Defender, Nancy Forster, made a statement on the day of this tragic event that she was “closing this school down because it is not safe.” She then proceeded to remove all the
I have attended awards luncheons at Bowling Brook where I witnessed the tears of the mothers who were so proud of the positive changes they saw as they watched their sons receive awards for their accomplishments in the program. I have seen the many trophy cases displaying the trophies earned from the achievements of the sports teams, and I have seen the pride in the faces of the students as they moved up through the ranks and accepted greater responsibility as “thoroughbreds,” a designation for seniors.
I have had an interest in that school since I first went there in 1993 on a tour with Congressman Bartlett. As a retired teacher, I have a special interest in the educational program at Bowling Brook, and I learned that approximately 80% of the students there pass the GED test. I think this is a great accomplishment considering the fact that some students come there with a 3rd grade reading level. Professors from
You may have seen the students competing in sports at our local schools or working for one of the many non-profit organizations in our communities. I know they have helped the
They have been there for us and now I am asking that you help troubled youth who may benefit from Bowling Brook’s program by writing letters of support for the Bowling Brook Preparatory School to Governor Martin O’Malley at http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail (telephone: 410-974-3901), and Donald DeVore, the Secretary of Juvenile Services at devored@djs.state.md.us (telephone: 410-230-3101).
I would appreciate it if you would ask as many people as you know, who are familiar with the school or who have attended functions where the Bowling Brook boys helped, to write letters or make phone calls. Although it may already be too late, Governor O’Malley will realize how we feel about the successful program. While many communities fight to keep juvenile facilities out of their neighborhoods, we need to fight to keep these good neighbors.
Thank you. I am grateful for your support.
Sincerely,
/s/
Nancy R. Stocksdale
####
Governor Martin O’Malley
Office of the Governor
March 8, 2007
Dear Governor,
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the importance of the
Through our group’s events, we have had the experience to work on volunteer projects with the Bowling Brook students. It has always been a very positive experience working with these students. Every single one of them seemed eager to help, was extremely polite and greatly added to the efficiency of our event. Without their help – our work and time would be doubled. In our interactions with the students, they have shared their thoughts on the Bowling Brook program and how it has improved their lives.
In light of the serious issue that has occurred over the past few weeks at the school, our organization still strongly supports keeping this program open. There have been so many successes that have kept hundreds of young adults from returning to the penal system or a life of criminal behavior. On Oct 5, 2005, the
Our hope is that you will see the positive impact
Sincerely,
A member of GFWC Junior Woman’s Club of
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20070314 Bowling Brook, a sad tale of several tragedies
“Bowling Brook: A Sad Tale”
http://www.thetentacle.com/author.cfm?MyAuthor=41
The Tentacle[1] - March 14, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff (1335 words)
Last January 23 one of the very young men that Bowling Brook Preparatory Academy had tried so hard to mold into a lifetime of hope and future, Isaiah Simmons III, 17, died at the academy.
The death of the young man is tragic and our hearts and prayers go out to the young man’s family. The tragedy is exacerbated in that the young man who had expressed anger over an absent father now leaves behind a daughter who was 22 months old at the time of his death.
In published accounts, the mother of his child, a 10th grade student, “was having a hard time accepting Simmons' death.”
Mr. Simmons, who had only arrived at the academy two weeks earlier, ran afoul of the law after committing an armed robbery. Published accounts report that he had “used a box cutter to rob another juvenile of a cell phone.”
He died while being physically restrained after it is alleged that he threatened to shoot another student. In a January 27 Bowling Brook press release it was revealed, “When Isaiah became threatening, our staff responded for his safety and the safety of others. Isaiah's aggressive behavior continued over a period of time during which he was restrained humanely consistent with state-approved discipline policies and counseled throughout to de-escalate the crisis.”
A transcript of the 911 tape reveals a Bowling Brook employee saying, “It was the same thing we do all the time when we have an aggressive kid. I don't know what happened. He was in a restraint, and then he stopped responding.”
For many years Bowling Brook, which was founded in 1957, has accepted juvenile offenders into the academy. On January 23 there were 170 young men at the academy. 74 were guests of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.
Bowling Brook had developed a reputation, not as much as a juvenile services facility but more like an elite private school that became a nationwide model for everything that could be done right in an effort to truly give young men a second chance and mold them into productive futures from an uncertain past.
In recent years, as the state has poured $737,000 into capital improvements for the facility, Bowling Brook Academy had come to be considered “a highly touted private residential treatment facility for aggressively adjudicated young men” according to the 2004 – 2005 annual report of the Office of the Independent Juvenile Justice Monitor.
As other state-run juvenile facilities were being closed, Bowling Brook, with the encouragement, aid, and support of the state, had grown to fill a needed gap as to where to treat juvenile offenders as their numbers exploded.
The numbers are mind-numbingly. Governor Martin O’Malley’s “Transition Committee for Juvenile Services Report,” issued on February 21, 2007 cites: “In 2005, the agency served 4,888 youth on probation, 1,681 in community-based aftercare, and over 2,400 in committed placements. The Department received over 53,000 intake referrals in 2005, but many youth were referred multiple times. The Committee strongly recommends that the new administration proceed quickly with making strategic, evidence-based reforms and that it avoid repeating the mistakes of past administrations by addressing problems proactively.”
These numbers have been increasing for many years. The Maryland General Assembly’s response, even after legislation was enacted in 2004 mandating regional facilities of no more than 48 juvenile offenders, was to overwhelmingly pass House Bill 1148 and Senate Bill 503 in 2005 exempting Bowling Brook from the 48 juvenile capacity limit.
The state’s reliance on Bowling Brook had become increasingly desperate after Maryland closed the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School on June 30, 2005 after a federal lawsuit accused the state of failing to protect juvenile offenders from physical violence. Over and over again, Bowling Brook stepped up to the plate to fill in the gaps.
After investigating the Hickey School and the Cheltenham Youth Facility in Prince George's County for two years, the U. S. Justice Department had issued a scathing report in 2004. The report revealed that there was a “deeply disturbing degree of physical abuse" by staff and examples “in which staff members did not intervene in fights…” according to the Washington Post.
For many years and several administrations, Maryland has grappled with how to respond to what some consider an epidemic of youthful offenders. There has been legislation, reports, outside independent committees, joint legislative committees, public outcry, lawsuits, and an enormous amount of money spent.
However the governor’s transition committee which had examined the Department of Juvenile Services said in the second sentence of their report, “We discovered an agency that is dangerously dysfunctional, trapped in a cycle of reacting to scandals and deferring proactive reforms.”
But throughout all the years of hand wringing and the gnashing of teeth over what to do about an adequate and appropriate approach to saving youthful offenders and restoring them to productive lives; one institution was being heaped with praise – Bowling Brook.
In an October 5, 2005 Baltimore Sun article, “Susan B. Leviton, who heads the juvenile law clinic at the University of Maryland,” was quoted to say, “It's a fantastic program.”
The article noted that Stacey Gurian-Sherman, who heads an advocacy group for families of delinquents, calls Bowling Brook “a model residential facility, and it's right in our own backyard… The one drawback to Bowling Brook is there is only one of them… We need to be building more Bowling Brooks.”
At a time when Maryland continues to face a structural deficit, the article recited, “The cost of the nonprofit school is $41,000 a year per student – less than the $65,000 a year the state spends to keep a youth at Hickey.”
Yet, on March 2 another tragedy occurred when it was announced that the Bowling Brook would close. For many the decision to close the school is illogical at best. Why not meaningfully address and correct the factors that precipitated the tragedy but otherwise support the one very juvenile services facility in the state that is making a positive difference. The tragic death of this young man is situational problem – not systemic. Fix the problem.
This tragedy shocks everyone, but the reaction to a problem must never exacerbate the problem or exceed prudence. Ironically, the closure of Bowling Brook is now part of the problem. Closing Bowling Brook is certainly not “addressing problems proactively” with “strategic, evidence-based reforms.”
Within days of the announcement to close the academy, the governor announced the need to spend $6.8 million dollars to re-open the Victor Cullen juvenile facility – for 48 students. Spending $6.8M on Victor Cullen is not the answer. The answer is Bowling Brook.
Since the announcement that Bowling Brook was closing, public officials and private citizens alike have publicly touted Bowling Brook for the good work they have accomplished with hundreds – if not thousands - of young men over the last fifty years and how the academy has positively interwoven itself into the Carroll County community fabric.
A letter being circulated by the Junior Woman’s Club of Westminster says, “On Oct 5, 2005, the Baltimore Sun quoted an 86% success rate. Only 14% of the youth were arrested or referred back to the state agency within a year of their release… The state average for group homes is 50%, but we have heard as low as 10% success rates. 80% of these boys are graduating from High School. We hate to see the success of the program overrun by this one failure.”
It is rare that a community rallies to have a juvenile facility in our own back yard. But Bowling Brook is one of the rare examples of leadership and excellence in our world today.
This is the third Maryland administration in a row to get handed this mess. The solution is to not duplicate past mistakes, but build upon what has been done well. Bowling Brook has done it well and is part of the solution.
In a clearer light and with a fresh look, many hope that Governor O’Malley will reassess the decision to close the facility.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr AT org
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Friday, March 09, 2007
20070308 Winchester Report: “A Sordid Saga.”
“Union Mills reservoir and the pumpkin patch”
As appeared in my “Winchester Report” blog on the Westminster Eagle web site:
A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
Note: see also, “20070307 A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
By
Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in
Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch&...[Read full story
_____
A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
03/08/07
By
Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in
Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch” farm just north of
The Chambers’ Pipe Creek Farm was the scene of the “pumpkin papers” incident in which a former communist spy; Whittaker Chambers, defected to become a champion of the anti-communist cause at the beginnings of the cold war in 1948.
Mr. Chambers hid U.S. State Department documents in hollowed-out pumpkins on his
The “pumpkin papers” named a local Baltimorean and
The national, if not international story of intrigue, spies, and the beginnings of the cold war all took place in
It is now almost 60 years later and intrigue and conspiracy continue to abound.
Since January,
The misinformation seems to continue to grow legs and is about as far from the position of
I attended what appears to be the genesis of the misinformation; the December 14th, 2006 “Public Hearing ~ Carroll County Water & Sewerage Master Plan.”
The public hearing was poorly attended except for a couple of gentleman who politely and eloquently expressed concern for their property which seemed to be involved in the proposed reservoir. Anyone can understand that. However, assurances were made by county officials that they were sensitive to the concerns of the citizens.
Somehow, from there, the alarm was quickly spread that the county was about to begin “seizing” land for the project even though that has not been the practice and policy of past commissioners and there seems to be no indication by the present Carroll County Board of Commissioners to go in that direction.
But, the casual reader and any person seriously interested in this aspect of our national history could read certain news accounts and walk away with the impression that the pumpkin patch will cease to exist as a result of the reservoir project. This is not true.
In the Internet age, where news is 24/seven, there is an epidemic of misinformation getting legs and if it is repeated often enough “it becomes true.”
Folks who have been “had” by the great “seizing” conspiracy are in good company - with ah, count them, 12 members of Congress who wrote to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on January 12th, 2007.
They wrote, in part;
“We are writing to express our support for continued preservation of an important National Historic Landmark located within
So far – so good. From what I am aware of the attitude of
So what is the problem?
It’s in the next paragraph:
“We understand that the
The letter is signed by Members of Congress, Ros-Lehtine,
Well, it is true that the Commissioners are considering the creation of a Union Mills Reservoir. As has been considered since the mid 1970s when the City of
As I wrote on February 28th, 2007 in my Westminster Eagle column titled, “Recalling when B's Coffee Shoppe was all abuzz:”
In line with expanding the city's water supplies, in the mid-1970s, plans were made for
When the $5 million dollar reservoir was presented to the public, the public rose up in arms saying the city did not need the water and that the project was a waste of ratepayer money.
By September 1976, the project was shelved.
History, of course, has proven that the council was correct in pursuing the project and we would be in a lot different position today if it had been allowed to go forward.
However, fast forwarding to today, the waters of the proposed reservoir will hardly come within a mile of the present day unmarked location of the “pumpkin patch” which now rests in an otherwise nondescript field.
The Carroll County officials who are in a decision making role in this matter are keenly, and personally, interested in preserving the integrity of the site of the “pumpkin papers” – so it is simply baffling as to how this matter got all wound around the axles of misinformation.
Why didn’t the gang of 12 Congressmen contact
Unfortunately another one of the Congressman who has been “had” in this saga was Congressman Roscoe Bartlett who wrote to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners on January 3rd, 2007.
Congressman Bartlett wrote in part:
“It is my hope that the Commissioners of Carroll County will value, even treasure, this very special farm, that you will do all in your power to keep it whole, and protect its integrity for this and future generations to study and know.”
And here lies the really bizarre part of the story. Contrary to what is being circulated, the Union Mills reservoir project will add another layer of historic protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” which is already in agricultural preservation -- and preserve the site in perpetuity.
This is a good thing. The county wants a watershed protection easement which will concurrently give the site addition historic protection.
The “lake” area of the Union Mills reservoir will only encompass approximately 325 acres. The balance of the 2,200 acres needed by the County that surround the “lake” are for the purposes of watershed protection. The county commissioners have reported that the county already owns 1500 acres of the needed watershed protection area – to be preserved in perpetuity.
Nevertheless, in situations like the Chambers Pipe Creek Farm, where the county can get a watershed protection easement on the property, rather than purchasing it, this is a good thing.
This watershed protection will add an additional layer of protection for the historic “pumpkin papers” site, which again, is almost a mile from the waterline.
In a response to Congressman Bartlett’s January 3rd, 2007 letter, which he penned in addition to the gang of twelve Congressmen’s January 12, 2007 letter, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners wrote on January 18th, 2007:
“With regard to the Pipe Creek Farm specifically,
The Pipe Creek farm is already protected from future residential development by easement sold to the
On a final note, the Union Mills reservoir was needed and should have been built in the 1970s. The need for water in
To not go forward with the Union Mills reservoir would be an abrogation of one of the basic responsibilities of elected officials to
In their January 18th, 2007 letter, the Carroll County Board of commissioners wrote:
“The need for a surface water supply for communities in northern
Our reservoir concept, with minimal impact to the Pipe Creek Farm, satisfies both of these fundamental principles of government: protecting our past while planning for our future.”
Current Events
20070305 “Better options than burning our trash” Carroll County Times letter to the editor by Sally Sorbello
“Better options than burning our trash” Carroll County Times letter to the editor by Sally Sorbello
Letters to the Editor for Monday, March 5, 2007
Better options than burning our trash
Editor:
In response to the Feb. 14 letter by Brenda M. Afzal titled, "Waste-to-energy is a waste of time," I would like to say thank you.
This letter was a factual counterpoint to the propaganda written by the executive director of the Northeast Md. Waste Disposal Authority, whose job it is to persuade people to believe that waste to energy is somehow not incineration - even though trash is burned and reduced to ash in this process.
Not only are waste to electricity schemes polluting, they are also inherently uneconomic. At a recent tour of the Covanta plant in Montgomery County, I was told that $40 million a year is budgeted for their trash burner. And the sale of electricity does not sufficiently offset the costs.
Many communities, including nearby Harrisburg, Pa., are struggling with huge financial debt as a result of their incinerator contract. Even if Montgomery County recycles more than other counties in Maryland, think of how much more it could be recycling with an annual budget of $40 million. It would take a fraction of that amount to have the best recycling program in the country.
Not only are waste incinerators expensive, they do not eliminate the need for a landfill. For every ton of trash that is burned, one third of a ton remains in the form of toxic ash. And this toxic ash must be handled very carefully. Any leaks of ash from the landfill could contaminate soil and water with heavy metals, dioxins and furans.
Doesn't it make more sense to invest taxpayer dollars in a comprehensive recycling and education program before any talk of burning trash? It would cost much less, it would pollute much less, it would stimulate the economy by creating jobs and it would show that Carroll and Frederick counties are too smart to let resources go up in flames. Waste incinerators burn useful recyclable materials along with trash.
For all interested in learning more, please attend a meeting of the Environmental Advisory Council on Tuesday, March 13, at 3 p.m. in room 003/004 of the Carroll County Office Building, 225 North Center Street.
Neil Seldman, a recycling expert, will be speaking at this meeting. For over 30 years, Seldman has helped communities worldwide to expand economic opportunities through greater recycling.
Sally Sorbello
Frederick
20070307 This week in the Westminster Eagle
Turtle soup for Meals on Wheels
Deborah Goff works with "turtles in training" in the McDaniel College Pool. Meals on Wheels is hoping residents adopt the turtles, at $5 each, with proceeds providing hot meals for program recipients
Feed the turtle.
No, that's not a campaign promoting University of Maryland basketball, but rather an effort to boost coffers for Carroll County Meals for Wheels.
On April 28, the pool at McDaniel College will go green as hundreds of rubber turtles "race" to the finish as part of Meals on Wheels' campaign. Between now and then, the organization is hoping residents grab onto the effort to "adopt" the turtles.
"I'm almost 100 percent positive there has never been a turtle race in Carroll County," said Deborah Goff, the volunteer event coordinator. "This is something everybody...[Read full story]
A sordid saga of communists, reservoirs, congressman, and pumpkins
By Kevin Dayhoff March 8th, 2007
Contrary to what is being circulated; the Union Mills reservoir project in Carroll County will add another layer of protection to the site of the “pumpkin papers,” and this national treasure is not threatened.
Recently the old Whittaker Chambers “pumpkin patch&...[Read full story]
Local News
Should city weigh in on smoking? Walk into a downtown Westminster bar on any night and you can be enveloped in a veil of smoke.
Yet a recent study by the U.S. Surgeon General states second-hand smoke is a dangerous health factor, and the Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County last week requested that the Westminster M...[Read full story]
Teens and seniors have a ball Dance party for all ages at Westminster Ridge
Lorrie West came prepared to last Tuesday's Winter Ball at Westminster Ridge Retirement Community. Waiting for the event to start, she sat in a downstairs hallway clutching a small plastic bag.
Inside the bag? Her "dancing socks."
"It'll be nice fo...[Read full story]
Spring forward; change batteries We're one step closer to spring as Daylight Saving Time returns this Sunday when clocks "spring" forward one hour this Sunday, March 11, at 2 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Volunteer Emergency Services Association is reminding residents that the switch is also a good time to change the batteries in home smok...[Read full story]
Recreation
North Carroll, South Carroll teams finish fifth in states High school wrestling
COLLEGE PARK -- The ultimate athletic success finally came to two Carroll County wrestlers on Saturday night at Cole Field House.
Liberty's Eddie Digman and Alex Grassi of Century were the only Carroll wrestlers to win state championships at the 38th annual Maryland State W...[Read full story]
Opinion
Trooper Workman's return to duty is cause for celebration Editorial
It's hard to fool a State Police trooper (and we don't recommend that you try), so it wasn't shocking that Maryland State Police Trooper First Class Eric Workman apparently sensed he was going to get a special greeting when he showed up for work on Monday.
Maybe it was the banner stret...[Read full story]
Doug... A Little Deeper
Time for 'Extreme Makeover, Presidential Edition'
It's hard to believe we're already talking about the presidential election of 2008, but with each passing election, the next one seems to start even earlier.
We barely had the Ehrlich and Steele signs down and people were already talking about McCain, Guiliani, Romney and others.
On the Democrat...[Read full story]
Kevin E. Dayhoff
History of slavery leaves many rivers yet to cross
A good portion of the present day quality of life in Carroll County was built through history on the backs of African-Americans in bondage.
It's about time we talked about that and recognize their work.
On March 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Board of Education Office Building, 125 N. Court St., We...[Read full story]
Wolf at the Door
Reading the hand signals, and the signs of party politics At the recent Person of the Year dinner hosted by our sister publication, The Eldersburg Eagle, honoree Patricia Greenwald hadn't gotten more than two or three sentences into her well-deserved acceptance speech when my wife leaned over and whispered, "She's been a teacher."
As Greenwald continued,...[Read full story]
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