20080518 Sunday Carroll Eagle running chron as of May 18 2008

Sunday Carroll Eagle on "Soundtrack"

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Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s

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05/16/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Prohibition became the law of the land after the 18th Amendment went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920, but Carroll Countians had already voted to outlaw the sale of alcohol six years earlier in 1914.

Throughout the roaring '20s, until prohibition was repealed on Dec. 5, 1933, by the 21st Amendment, many legendary accounts of stills, moonshiners, speakeasies and enforcement raids became a part of a folklore and story-telling tradition in the county.

If only half of the stories are true, Carroll County must have been an interesting place back then.

A May 18, 1923, newspaper account stirred the kettle about one such event -- a May 5 raid on the North Branch Hotel by prohibition agents.

Read the entire column here: Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s

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Roads, reservoirs, property rights and four-letter words

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05/09/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

The state of the roads has always been a hot topic in Carroll County and, recently, funding street maintenance is a cause of great concern for Westminster officials in the budget process.

History frequently mentions street projects. In the Westminster municipal election of 1890, the issue bitterly dividing the community was the condition of the streets. Some 550 citizens voted to decide whether or not the city should take out a bond for $25,000 for street upgrades.

Nearly 40 years later, on April 27, 1927, an emergency bill was passed in the General Assembly that authorized Westminster to borrow "Seventy-five Thousand Dollars, to be secured by a bond issue É (to) be used and applied exclusively to the paving and improving of the streets, curbs and gutters of the town."

Alas, then-Gov. Albert C. Ritchie vetoed it.

(The year of 1927 was not a good one for Westminster in the Maryland legislature. Another bill passed by the legislature provided "for the extension of the (city) limits of Westminster." It was also vetoed. What did we ever do to Gov. Ritchie?)

Speaking of roads, a reader's question asked why there are so many sharp curves on old county roads?

The answer is: In days gone-by, roads went in between and around property lines. Agricultural fields and property lines were more important than straightening out roads and using eminent domain -- the means by which government takes land for public projects -- was out of the question.

And that leads to another question posed in the past several months, asking if Carroll County government has ever used eminent domain to acquire property? The short answer is no, never.

Eminent domain is a four-letter word in Carroll. Property rights have always been a sacred cow in Carroll County.

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Panic, depression, recession ... and Dick Cheney in a rabbit suit

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05/02/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

This is the time of the year when a young man's fancy turns to the budget process of Carroll County government and the eight municipalities.

In reading through historical economic accounts (which beats reading the most recent fiscal accounts, by the way) budget processes have never been easy.

The economy dominates the news these days; especially the number of people losing their homes to foreclosure.

Read the entire column here: Panic, depression, recession ... and Dick Cheney in a rabbit suit

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Westminster came of age by following railroad tracks

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04/21/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

One of my fondest memories of growing up in Westminster is the railroad. More than 50 years later I still live within easy earshot of the train whistle as the train chugs its way through town.

The railroad is interwoven throughout much of the fabric of Westminster history.

Joseph... [Read full story]

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Fire in Westminster and a hunk-a hunk-a burning love in Hampstead

04/13/2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

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King’s sad anniversary reminds us of Carroll’s own history

04/06/2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

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Parades, impact fees, mail service ... and Dwight Dingle in a bathtub?

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04/02/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Time for a little spring-cleaning, in which we'll catch up with answering some readers' questions.

Recently I was asked about Easter parades in Westminster. I have no recollection of any such parades, but local historian Joe Getty noted in an article he wrote a number of years ago for the Historical Society of Carroll County that, "Easter Monday parades were held in Westminster in 1884, 1885, and 1887. After a short lapse, a large parade was held in 1892"

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Rolling out a few good eggs, and our Easter Sunday best

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03/26/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Happy Easter. Yes it's not quite warm outside, although warmer weather should be around the corner. And yes, it seems like Christmas was just yesterday.

We all have favorite Easter memories. For those of us who grew up in a church, Easter marked the opportunity to wear our "Easter Sunday best," i.e. new clothes.

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Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety

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03/14/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Many people have been commenting about how early Easter is this year. In fact, the last time Easter was as early as March 23 was 1913.

But a later Easter doesn't ensure good weather for Holy Week. I wonder how many readers remember the Palm Sunday blizzard of 1942. It was the fifth worse snowstorm in Carroll County history, as folks were greeted by 22 inches of snow on March 29, 1942.

20080316 The Carroll Sunday Eagle: Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety by Kevin Dayhoff

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080316-carroll-sunday-eagle-palm.html

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20080309 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080309-sunday-carroll-eagle-history.html

Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

Sunday Carroll Eagle March 9, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

I cannot find my March 9^th, 2008 Sunday Carroll Eagle column on the Westminster Eagle web site.

Pasted below, please find the column as it was written. It is my understanding that the column was altered for publication…

Ever since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, many of us has felt that the best management approach to solid waste was source reduction and recycling. It would take 18 long years to get the Maryland Recycling Act passed in 1988. That legislation required a recycling rate of 20 percent.

Twenty years later, getting the recycling rate increased is still illusive. In 1998, on the 10-year anniversary of the law, the Baltimore Sun ran a lengthy analysis in which the Maryland General Assembly member who spearheaded the recycling initiative, Montgomery County Sen. Brian Frosh, admitted “that recycling has been costlier than expected. His 1988 bill predicted significant cost savings…”

Later in the article, the $250 million cost of recycling 2.5 million tons was compared to the $83 million it would’ve cost to landfill it instead. The rest of the article went downhill from there.

Those of us who are opposed to landfilling were less than pleased. Four decades after the first Earth Day, the recycling rate in Carroll County is only around 30 percent.

20080309 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080309-sunday-carroll-eagle-history.html

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Traffic always made us see red

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Traffic always made us see red

02/29/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff

The concern over traffic congestion, safety and speeding tend to surface with every discussion of growth and quality of life in Carroll County. I was recently approached by folks and asked how I felt about red light and speeding cameras, and it got me thinking about Carroll County's past attempts to marry growth and speed control.

Perhaps the first mention of an effort to address the problem of speeding in our county came on or about June 20, 1839. According to a history of the Westminster Police Department, it was then that a speeding ordinance was passed stating:

"No person shall run or drive through the town of Westminster at an improper gait except in case of necessity."

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The life, and the lasting local influence, of Robert Moton

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02/01/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Construction continues these days at the site of the 28,000-square-foot former Robert Moton School on S. Center Street in Westminster -- it's across from the Carroll County Health Department.

After approximately $2.3 million in renovations, the Carroll County Board of Elections, Carroll Department of Recreation and Parks and Change Inc., a nonprofit that works with the developmentally disabled, are slated to move their offices there.

Questions about the old school building are posed to me from time to time, but the question I'm asked most frequently, especially from younger folks who are new to Carroll County, is "Who was Robert Moton, anyway?"

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For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

January 13, 2008 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

20080113 Westminster Municipal Band: For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080113-westminster-municipal-band-for.html

For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

Sunday Carroll Eagle

01/11/08 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Below please find the long – unedited version of the column…

Just before the holidays got into full swing, I had the pleasure of attending the Westminster Municipal Band’s end of the year Christmas party and annual meeting.

It is certainly not a very well kept secret that this former Westminster Mayor and his family are madly in love with the Westminster Municipal Band. And it's not just because I'm a washed-up trumpet player.

Usually when one thinks of the Westminster Municipal Band, visions of “Mom, Country, and Apple Pie” come to mind.

The purpose of leadership today is to build community. Certainly one of the chief builders of our community has been the Westminster Municipal Band.

However, the rich history of the band includes being part of rapid deployment force to hotspots around the globe, a machine gun section, and a rumored reputation of being a heavy metal grudge-garage band. Who knew?

If a Greek mythologist were to write the history of the Westminster Municipal Band, they would write the Band's Mother is the history and tradition of the Westminster Community and the Father is the 29^th Division National Guard Regimental Band. That Greek mythologist would also want to write that the band's ancestral home is Belle Grove Square and that it's midwife was Mayor Joseph L. Mathias.

The roots of the present Westminster Municipal Band are found in 1920, but “there are records of a Westminster Band dating back as far as 1860,” according to the band’s director, Sandy Miller, in a July 2004 interview.

However, to the best of our knowledge, it was 1893 when it was first incorporated as the Westminster City Band of Carroll County.

It was around this time that Company H First Infantry Maryland National Guard was organized in Frizzleburg in 1898. This unit later evolved into the famous 29^th Division of the Maryland National Guard. Part of the Westminster Municipal Band's lineage can be traced back to the First Maryland Infantry Band consisting of the Westminster Units of the Maryland National Guard.

20080113 Westminster Municipal Band: For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080113-westminster-municipal-band-for.html

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Shedding a little light on early Christmas tree decorations

December 23, 2007 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

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Christmas reminds us of worry, and glory, of downtown business

December 16, 2007 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

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20071104 The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071104-sunday-carroll-eagle-column-of.html

Gist worried about being forgotten but not quite gone

The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

Below please find my October 28^th, 2007 column and it was submitted.

Sunday Eagle

Ghost Stories in Carroll County

October 28^th, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff

Of the horror stories of Carroll’s yesteryear, none was greater than the very real fear of being buried alive. In today’s world, society’s collective faith in the modern advances of the medical arts has gone a long way in alleviating the fear of being buried alive; a fear which was rampant in the 1800s.

A few years ago, local historian Jay Graybeal retold an account by Ruth Gist Pickens about the fear of being buried alive held by one of Carroll County’s most prominent citizens in the 1700s, Colonel Joshua Gist.

It seems that Colonel Gist maintained a coffin in a portion of his bedroom for the last years of his life; “into which he would have his personal servant lay him out and then call the family to comment on his appearance. Each time he would ask them to promise not to bury him until the third day after his death.”

20071104 The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071104-sunday-carroll-eagle-column-of.html

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When it comes to beets, timing is everything

IN THE GARDEN WITH MR. BEE

I haven't grown beets for a while. So when I mentioned to Judy, my wife, that I'd learned of a variety -- "Lutz Green Leaf" -- that remains tender as it grows larger, she suggested that I sow some seeds right away.

Timing is important, you see, especially when it comes... [Read full story]

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Two for the Show

They come from opposite ends of the county and their sports are as different as night and day, but Tyler Mullen of South Carroll High School and Cammeron Woodyard of Winters Mill have one thing in common -- they each ended their high school careers as state champs.

And without their leadership and... [Read full story]

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Stream is proving ground for healthy water

On a chilly late March morning, Ted Hogan, an environmental scientist with Hunt Valley-based URS Corp., threads his way through briar patches, bogs, locust groves and back yards as he follows a meandering stream that runs through several Eldersburg subdivisions.

Now and then, Hogan, a cont... [Read full story]

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Spring is a great time to get kids reacquainted with outdoor Carroll
MOM ON A MISSION

It's taken some time, but spring appears to finally be arriving. The days are getting warmer, my weeping cherry is turning into a beautiful fountain of pink and the birds are flocking to our feeders.

Hearing the kids' faint voices outside on the swing set while I'm making dinner...
[Read full story]

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More Headlines News Briefs

Movies

Honorable Mentions

Greenmount Station on a fast track after expansion

Education Notes

Greenmount Station's Crab and Cheddar Quiche

Stage Presents

Parades, impact fees, mail service ... and Dwight Dingle in a bathtub?

New Windsor agency helps distribute life-saving device

News Briefs

Movies

I wanted to teach about 911, but instead I dialed a wrong number

'Hotel' Reservations

For pages, Annapolis is an open book

Education Briefs

Your Top 10 ...

Rolling out a few good eggs, and our Easter Sunday best

Rejoice, Christ is Risen

Oh deer, spring is here

News Briefs

Movies

Local acts soar to Top 10 in Carroll's 'Idol' competition

Fighting the urge for an Easter bonnet and all the thrills upon it

Education Briefs

Captain Dan rides on the seafood wave

'Sitting' pretty means having faith in who's watching the kids

Reaching Out

Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety

News Briefs

Movies

Helping people kick butts

Fighting the 'Fix'

Eye of the Beholder

Bevy of basket cases

Asking 'why' should come before offering 'what I think'

Traffic always made us see red

Toy show, auction connects with childhood memories

Our 'cherry-ice' trees offer a delicious winter scene

News Briefs

Museum unveils Taylor's 'wild' vision

Movies

Display of Pride

Birthday gifts? Tread lightly ... in high heels and boxing gloves

A turtle's pace, but a day of reckoning for Solomon

Working on the Railroad

To raise healthier kids, should we get more physical in school?

Researching a few 'first class' experiences in Carroll County

News Briefs

Movies

Maggie's continues to grow on Westminster

Chicken Champagne

All Aboard!

What the wiki?!

Web series helps teens connect to the world

The life, and the lasting local influence, of Robert Moton

Sportsman's Hall ... and airplane hangar

Skating history, from party 'crashing' to fitness

Reaching Out

News Briefs

Movies

Mason bees buzz in as honeybees buzz out

Education Notes

Coming clean to ease pain of cancer

All Skate!

We can't understand the kids, but in this case it's a good thing

20080518 Sunday Carroll Eagle running chron as of May 18 2008

20080516 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s by Kevin Dayhoff

Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s

05/16/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Prohibition became the law of the land after the 18th Amendment went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920, but Carroll Countians had already voted to outlaw the sale of alcohol six years earlier in 1914.

Throughout the roaring '20s, until prohibition was repealed on Dec. 5, 1933, by the 21st Amendment, many legendary accounts of stills, moonshiners, speakeasies and enforcement raids became a part of a folklore and story-telling tradition in the county.

If only half of the stories are true, Carroll County must have been an interesting place back then.

A May 18, 1923, newspaper account stirred the kettle about one such event -- a May 5 raid on the North Branch Hotel by prohibition agents.

As a result, the paper reported: "More than 300 signatures were attached to a petition filed Tuesday in the office of Amos W. W. Woodcock, United States District Attorney, asking for the closing of the North Branch Hotel, at North Branch, on the border of Baltimore and Carroll counties."

Even before that, on Dec. 15, 1922, the old Democratic Advocate railed about the "law of unintended consequences" in an editorial titled, "Does Prohibition Prohibit?"

It says, "The United States has now been subject to constitutional prohibition for nearly three years. During that time there has been more drunkenness, more deaths from alcoholism, more theft, more robbery, more murders and other heinous crimes, than ever transposed in the history of the United States during a similar period prior to the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment.

"Young men and boys who were never seen at a saloon during the old wet regime now get gloriously hilarious on home brew home-made wines and last, but not least, hard cider.' "

Certainly Carroll Countians did not find these events "gloriously hilarious" and they were in such an uproar over concerns about lawlessness, crime and enforcement of prohibition that a "Law and Order League for Carroll County" formed in August 1926.

An Aug. 6, 1926, newspaper account reported the "executive committee of the Law and Order League for Carroll County met in the Community Room, 3rd floor, Wantz Building, Monday evening, August 2nd. In attendance was a list of who's who in the county, including a representative of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

"Mr. George Mather, president of the organization, presided. Rev. E. R. Spencer, pastor of the M. E. Church, in Mt. Airy, led in prayer."

High spirits, indeed

From prayer and booze we get to bravery and last week's Sunday Carroll Eagle trivia question, which asked: Who was the Confederate cavalry commander who was delayed on his way to the Battle of Gettysburg by "Corbit's Charge" as his unit came through Westminster on June 29, 1863?

Many folks got it right.

Elaine and Bob Breeding, Herb Howard, Matt Candland, Robbie Foster, Ruth Anderson and Mike Devine all knew that it was Major General, CSA, James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart, who died at the age of 31 on May 12, 1864.

His wife, Flora, "wore the black of mourning for the remaining 49 years of her life," according to Civil War historian Derek Smith.

This week's winner of the coveted Sunday Carroll Eagle mug is none other than Matt Candland, who also happens to be town administrator for Sykesville.

He may very well be one of the few folks in Carroll County who are aware that on April 17, 1931, the portion of Sykesville located in Howard County since 1904, seceded from the town and "unincorporated." But that's another story.

For this week's trivia question, let's stick with storytelling and booze.

Who was the Baltimore writer who earned fame for his detective novels written between 1923 and 1934? Here's a hint: Alcohol, prohibition, and mysterious women played a prominent role in his classics, which included "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Thin Man."

I have often wondered just how much the newspaper accounts of the distillery raids, bootleggers, robberies, and mayhem in Carroll County influenced his work.

Just imagine Sam Spade roaming around Carroll County looking for the black figurine in "The Maltese Falcon." Perhaps the hotel that the character, Joel Cairo, was staying was really the North Branch Hotel in Carroll County.

At any rate, this author maintained a torrid romance with Lillian Hellman for 30 years until his death in 1961.

Can one imagine this writer and Ms. Hellman sitting at the counter at Baugher's for lunch as they visited for a day in the country? I certainly can.

If you know who this famous author is, drop me a line at kdayhoff@carr.org, and I might just pull your name for the coffee mug. And please put Sunday Carroll Eagle in the subject line. Thanks.

When not reading old detective novels, Kevin Dayhoff can be reached at kdayhoff@carr.org.

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=902857&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

20080516 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s by Kevin Dayhoff

20080514 Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

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Kevin E. Dayhoff Wednesday May 14, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Rhodes offers a helping hand to those in need
Recently I had an opportunity to catch-up with one of Carroll County's true whirlwinds, Laura Rhodes.

We first compared notes on the Rock Ball, this week's fund-raiser for Granite House, one of the largest nonprofit mental health care organizations in Carroll County.

Rhodes is currently program ...
[Read full story]

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Dr. Herlocker set a pace in more ways than one
This evening, folks from throughout the mid-Atlantic region will descend upon Westminster's historic Main Street for a traditional rite of spring -- the annual Westminster Road Runners Club Main Street Mile.

Main Street will be closed to traffic for the run at 7 p.m. The Main Street Mile attracts ...
[Read full story]

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More Headlines Days of bicycles, playgrounds, swamps and turkeys

Jeff Morse incident is a lost opportunity

Inns and hotels important in the early history of Carroll County

Hypocrisy and poor money management plague client No. 9

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

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

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

Looking at Bowling Brook one year later

'Tech Tax' will have crippling impact on Carroll

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

How culture and song can save a nation

Dr. Martin Luther King's enduring words

Courthouse history seems to match theatrical flair of current case

Something we really must talk about

20080511 Roads, property rights, recklessness, four letter words, reservoirs, and ruin by Kevin Dayhoff

Roads, property rights, recklessness, four letter words, reservoirs, and ruin

Long version of my Sunday Carroll Eagle column for Sunday, May 11, 2008

By Kevin Dayhoff (826 words)

Writer’s note: A shorter version of this column appears in the Sunday Carroll Eagle on May 11, 2008: Roads, reservoirs, property rights and four-letter words Below please find an earlier – longer draft of the column… KED

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Road construction and maintenance has always been a hot topic in Carroll County and recently, funding street maintenance is the cause of great concern for Westminster officials in the budget process.

History frequently mentions discussion of funding street maintenance in Westminster. In the Westminster municipal election of 1890 the issue that bitterly divided the community was the condition of the streets. Approximately 550 citizens voted in that election to decide whether or not the City should take out a bond for $25,000 for street improvements.

In another example, on April 27, 1927, an emergency bill was passed in the Maryland General Assembly that authorized Westminster “to borrow Seventy-five Thousand Dollars, to be secured by a bond issue… not exceeding four and one-half per cent… (to) be used and applied exclusively to the paving and improving of the streets, curbs, and gutters of the town…”

However, Governor Albert C. Ritchie vetoed it. 1927 was not a good year for Westminster in the Maryland legislature. Another bill passed by the legislature provided “for the extension of the (city) limits of Westminster.” It was also vetoed.

This leads me to a reader’s question from some time ago: why there are so many sharp curves on old county roads. The answer is that the roads went in between and around property lines. In days gone-by, agricultural fields and property rights were far more important than straightening out roads and using eminent domain was totally out of the question.

This brings to mind a question poised by a number of folks in the last several months: has Carroll County government ever used eminent domain in its history to acquire property?

The short answer is no – never. Eminent domain is a “four letter word” in Carroll County. Property rights have always been a sacred cow in Carroll County.

In days gone by, our county population was considerably smaller and we were a close-knit community; therefore government was always able to come to mutually agreeable terms when it came to projects involving the good of the greater community.

The long answer is that a number of years ago - in the only example of eminent domain even being discussed was a convoluted road right-of-way dispute in the southern part of the county. A solution was eventually found in which eminent domain was ultimately not used.

Recently, the term, eminent domain, has been used rather recklessly by folks that are obviously not aware of our history and traditions.

Which brings us to the anniversary of another reason eminent domain is so unpopular in Carroll County – Liberty Reservoir. One reader has asked whether or not Carroll County used eminent domain for Liberty Reservoir. Oh my goodness, what a sore subject. Again, the short answer is no – wrong government; that was Baltimore City.

On April 10, 1931, Governor Ritchie signed into law the “Legislative Act of the Patapsco River Basin,” which allowed Baltimore City to condemn and completely destroy the town of Oakland Mills in Carroll County. (Governor Ritchie must have really not liked Carroll County.)

Ill feelings about that legislation have long-since become a part of the “personality” of Carroll County. Diana Mills Scott has written an excellent account of the (horrible) “story of a Carroll County community lost to the waters of Liberty Reservoir,” for the Historical Society of Carroll County and our own Bob Allen wrote about it in the Jan. 6, 2008, edition of the Sunday Carroll Eagle ("Awash in History.")

The legislation said: “The City of Baltimore had complete authority to remove mills, factories, workshops, stores, farms, churches, graveyards, school houses, dwelling houses, out houses, or anything that hindered the updating of the Baltimore City water system.” (I’m not making this up.)

Salt is poured in the wound every time Carroll County government has to write a check to Baltimore City for Carroll County water made available by Liberty Dam(n).

Okay, now that we have got that little bit of unpleasant history behind us; last week’s Sunday Carroll Eagle history trivia question must have been much harder than I anticipated. I asked: “What American president made a whistle-stop appearance in Westminster on May 4, 1912?”

It was President Theodore Roosevelt. Only one person got it right. The person who got it right must be hiding in an undisclosed location with Vice-President Dick Cheney as they only identified themselves as “PATMD1950.” Another day – another mystery.

For this week's Sunday Carroll Eagle trivia question for the famed coffee mug, let’s try Civil War history. Who was the legendary Confederate cavalry commander, who was delayed on his way to the Battle of Gettysburg by “Corbit’s Charge,” as his unit came through Westminster on June 29, 1863. On this date in 1864, he was mortally wounding in Battle of Yellow Tavern in Virginia.

Think you know? Drop me a line at kdayhoff@carr.org, and I might just pull your name for the incredible coffee mug. And please put Sunday Carroll Eagle in the subject line. Thanks.

When he is not watching the History Channel with a big bowl of grits, Kevin Dayhoff can be reached at kdayhoff AT carr.org

Eminent domain Carroll County Commissioners

20080511 Roads, property rights, recklessness, four letter words, reservoirs, and ruin by Kevin Dayhoff

20080512 West Middle School to celebrate its 50th anniversary

Westminster West Middle School to celebrate its 50^th anniversary

By Kevin Dayhoff May 12, 2008

This Saturday, West Middle School, 60 Monroe Street in Westminster, will celebrate its 50^th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Currently one of nine middle schools in the county for grades six through eight, it was originally built in 1958 alongside the William Winchester Elementary School on a 24-acre portion of the old Albaugh and Babylon farm.

When it was first constructed it was named the Westminster Junior High School and it housed grades seven through nine.

This Saturday the festivities will include 1950s food refreshments, videos and interviews and an antique car show. If you are one of the more than 20,000 students who attended either the middle or junior high school there, this is a wonderful time to revisit. The event is open to the public.

For more information please call the school at 410-751-3661 or go the school’s 50^th anniversary web site at: www.carrollk12.org/wml/anniversary.htm.

Kevin Dayhoff can be reached at: kdayhoff@carr.org

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20080511 Bryan Schutt watch

Bryan Schutt watch

May 11, 2008

One of the latest reporters, who write for the Carroll County Times, that I have been following recently, is Bryan Schutt.

He has only been with the paper since March of 2008. He came to the Times after he earned his B.A. in Journalism in December of 2007 at Penn State University. And for a Yankee, he really doesn’t write badly at all.

Of course, as many readers are aware, I read writers. Too often, the headline for any particular article is misleading and the lead paragraph – the slug – is all too often a compromise between a writer and a copy editor who wants to punch up some interest in the piece.

So I read writers – not headlines.

I first met Mr. Schutt at the Main Street Mile event in Westminster and he asked good questions. He is typical of so many of the new young reporters that arrive at the Times; eager and energetic.

Of course, some of the new ones present as clueless and have an attitude. He seems to have some confidence. There is a big difference between attitude and confidence.

However, as I mentioned before, he asked good questions. And for the female readers, he looks like he is an avatar from GQ.

Of course, one of the first assignments they often get is Westminster city government. What a tough assignment as the current administration has mistaken transparent government to mean translucent; and no group of elected officials around manages the news as well as these folks.

As is so often the case with young reporters, especially at the Times, they fail to challenge their sources.

Anyway - one of several pieces I have taken notice of recently were the two articles on hybrids. I own a Prius and I love it.

*****

As gas prices continue to climb, companies are looking for new ways to power autos In 1985, a Ford Escort was rated at 26 combined miles per gallon. Twenty-three years later, the new heavily advertised Ford Focus is rated at a combined 28 mpg, according to fueleconomy.gov, a Web site that rates fuel efficiency. A 1988 Honda Civic r... May. 11, 2008

Hybrid owners pleased As a retiree, 66-year-old Kenneth Vrtacnik is determined to be economical. “Any way I can save, as far as the environment goes, I try to,” Vrtacnik said. The Westminster resident said he used to commute to Washington, D.C., astride his Ha... May. 11, 2008

Manchester to review fiscal year 2009 budget Fighting the same rising costs of health care, electricity and gasoline prices as other towns, Manchester’s town officials said they worked to save money and create a balanced budget that provides similar services to the town, at similar prices... May. 12, 2008

Taking to the skies: Maryland residents experience one-of-a-kind ride in World War II training plane There were no decorated pine trees, no sprinkled and shaped cut-out cookies and no familiar ringing sounds from the Salvation Army bell but sure enough, it was Christmas at the Carroll County Regional Airport Sunday for two Maryland residents. Vid... May. 12, 2008

Westminster overhauls Capital Improvement Plan Budget concerns became a reality in Westminster Monday, when the proposed Capital Improvement Plan featured a scaled-back fiscal year 2009 budget. The Westminster Common Council was presented with a CIP drastically different from the one originally a... Apr. 29, 2008

Westminster Flower & Jazz Festival offers gift ideas for mom Flowers and mothers go hand in hand, and Westminster has a history of successfully joining the two for its annual Flower & Jazz Festival. Always scheduled for the day before Mother’s Day, the festival is a prime opportunity for last-minute Moth... May. 9, 2008

Driven by her dad’s influence, Nancy Weller isn’t easily intimidated and is certainly capable of pulling her own weight Big-block engines, turbo chargers, and plain-old raw horsepower used to be exclusively under a man’s domain, but not anymore. Video Nancy Weller of Taneytown has been competing against and beating her male counterparts in tractor-pull compe... Apr. 28, 2008

City officials tout budget document's new look Westminster’s new budget document represents a bright spot in an otherwise tough fiscal year to plan, according to city officials, and now, they say it’s time for residents’ input. While the old budget was about 25 pages of numbers,... May. 5, 2008

History lives Today, Dan Graf of Hampstead will be at work as a plant operator for Maryland Paving. Video Sunday, Graf was roughing it outdoors, dressed in his wool Confederate uniform and battling Union soldiers. Graf was one of about 300 re-enactors taking pa... May. 5, 2008

Postage rates to increase Soon-to-be graduates and married couples getting ready to mail thank-you cards and invitations might want to make a trip to the post office to stock up on Forever Stamps before May 12. In tune with other rising costs across the country, many of the U... May. 3, 2008

Special Olympics Sportsmanship, activism primary themes of county games Video Hundreds of athletes and volunteers crowded Westminster High’s Ruby Field for the annual Carroll County Special Olympics Wednesday. Competitors, ages 8 to 58, competed in a range of ... May. 1, 2008

Proposed Westminster plan focuses on water, sewer issues Although city officials say Westminster needs additional funding for street work, water and sewer funds make up the majority of the six-year Capital Improvement Plan that was proposed during this week’s Common Council meeting. The water and sew... Apr. 30, 2008

Carroll Police Brief for Monday, May 12, 2008 Theft Milton Charles Humble, 26, of the 4300 block of Middleburg Road in Union Bridge was arrested Sunday by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and charged with being a fugitive from justice from the state of Pennsylvania. His original charges... May. 12, 2008

Carroll Police Briefs for Monday, April 28, 2008 Driving while impaired - Ryan Dorsey, 35, of the unit block of James Street in Westminster, was arrested by Westminster police Saturday and charged with driving while intoxicated and driving while impaired. He was released on his own recognizance. - ... Apr. 28, 2008

Westminster council delays budget hearing Westminster city officials decided to hold off on the fiscal year 2009 budget public hearing because they believe the city government needs to re-evaluate the lack of funds put forth for city streets in the Capital Improvement Program. Instead, the C... May 6, 2008

20080503 Dog park not in Carroll County budget – but ya don’t mess around with Jim

Dog park not in Carroll County budget – but ya don’t mess around with Jim

May 7^th, 2008

As if developing the Carroll County Budget is not difficult enough this year, here comes a debate and discussion about a “dog park” that is not even in the budget.

I have often wondered why newspapers print letters to the editor that state things that are not true by most accepted standards… In this case, the item was brought to the commissioners’ attention and they voted it down…

As far as the commentary as to what a paper reports upon and what it does not – that has been an item of discussion since the beginning of newspapers and that debate will continue for eons into the future.

Although I can certainly understand the writer’s frustration, writing so caustically about the paper’s sense of prioritization may very well not be a well-considered strategy.

I suggest that the writer pull out an old copy of the Jim Croce classic, “You Don't Mess Around with Jim” the next time he considers hitting the “send” button.

“You don't tug on Superman's cape/You don't spit into the wind/You don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger/And you don't mess around with Jim”

*****

Letters to the editor Saturday, May 03, 2008

Dog park not in county budget

by Carroll County Commissioner Michael D. Zimmer

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/05/03/news/opinion/letters/letters661.txt

Editor:

On April 28 the Times printed a letter to the editor containing inaccurate information regarding county funding for a dog park in our budget process.

The writer was under the mistaken impression that such an appropriation was supported by the Board of Commissioners. This is actually the direct opposite from the truth.

This was a proposal requested by our Parks and Recreation Department, but not recommended by the Budget Department in the recommended budget. Such items receive a direct appeal to the board from the department head and an up or down vote by the commissioners.

In this case when the Parks and Recreation head made his appeal I told him that I could not support such an appropriation under any circumstances and that I was not persuadable on this point.

On April 16 when the board deliberated and voted on various budget requests all three of us voted not to fund the dog park. There were a number of significant proposals from me that occurred at that meeting. As of the writing of this letter the Times has not reported on the content of this meeting.

For example the Times did not report on my suggestion that we offer tax relief during the meeting. It did not report my request to delete a future position from the County Attorney's office and cease having a designated liaison to the General Assembly from the County Attorney's office. And the Times hasn't reported that I suggested defunding the position of Planning and Development Policy Coordinator.

I don't blame the letter writer for not knowing the facts on the dog park being voted down. He's obviously using the Times as his primary news source.

Michael D. Zimmer Eldersburg The writer is a member of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners.

Dog park isn't worth the cost

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/04/28/news/opinion/letters/letters665.txt

Editor:

It was with total dismay and astonishment that I read the article on the county commissioners' support of a dog park costing over $70,000.

A dog park? Talk about government being involved in every aspect of our lives.

This is further evidence that county taxes should be lowered. The commissioners obviously have more money than they know what to do with.

How about giving some of it back to the taxpayers instead of blowing it?

William Yost Westminster