20070722 Mt Airy weighs water limits by Laura McCandlish

Mt. Airy weighs water limits

July 23^rd, 2007

Writing for the Baltimore Sun, Laura McCandlish has done a great job keeping Carroll County’s water woes in front of the public.

In her July 22, 2007 article, Mt. Airy weighs water limits, she explains well some of the challenges, the background and what the immediate future presents.

We need much more reporting like this. We have much work to do before any of us in Carroll County can rest comfortably that water will continue to come out of the faucet when we do the dishes, take a shower or simply reach for a glass of water.

Mt. Airy weighs water limits

Outdoor sprinklers may be restricted if drought persists

By Laura McCandlish | Sun Reporter July 22, 2007

[…]

Mount Airy and other Carroll municipalities that depend solely on groundwater are most vulnerable. Westminster issued voluntary outdoor watering restrictions on July 13, but the city's 115 million-gallon Cranberry Reservoir gives it a bit of a cushion, Westminster public works Director Jeff Glass said.

But if water levels in Westminster's reservoir and wells continue to drop, those restrictions could become mandatory, Glass said.

[…]

The voluntary restrictions come as Westminster and Mount Airy are trying to obtain new water sources to comply with consent orders that both localities recently signed with the Maryland Department of the Environment. Westminster is waiting for the state to sign permits to draw water from the Roop's Mill well, a 135,000-gallon-per-day emergency source that could now be used for new development, Glass said.

[…]

Read the rest of her article here: Mt. Airy weighs water limits

20070419 Body found near railroad tracks in Carroll County

Body found near railroad tracks in Carroll Co.

April 19, 2007, 3:02 PM EDT

For everyone who has been in touch wondering about all the police activity in New Windsor earlier today at the railroad tracks, Laura McCandlish of the Baltimore Sun has some answers…

Body found near railroad tracks in Carroll Co.

Maryland Midland Railway worker found dead man in New Windsor

By Laura McCandlish

Sun Reporter

Originally published April 19, 2007, 3:02 PM EDT

A Maryland Midland Railway worker discovered the body of an adult male along the railroad tracks in New Windsor at about 8 a.m., the Carroll County Sheriff's Office reported today.

No visible signs of trauma were found on the body, which was taken to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy, police said.

The sheriff's office is withholding the victim's name until his family is notified.

####

20061128 Rashomon, My Dinner with Andre and Picking out the perfect tree

Rashomon, My Dinner with Andre and Picking out the perfect tree

Picking out the perfect tree

Chasing windmills with Jim and Kevin – and Laura McCandlish

November 6th, 2006 – November 28th, 2006

Posted by Kevin Dayhoff

Baltimore Sun reporter Laura McCandlish does a wonderful capturing the essence of yet another “Jim and Kevin adventures in the quixotic.”

James E. Slater, Jr., AICP, QEP, the Carroll County Government Environmental Compliance Officer, and I got together Thursday, November 2nd, 2006, for the third year in a row, in our annual quest for the perfect Christmas tree for the front of the Carroll County office building on North Center Street in Westminster.

Ms. McCandlish rode along with us to witness yet another continuing sequence of Louis Malle’s “My Dinner with Andre;” the 1981 movie, written by and starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn – only with Jim and Kevin.

Meeting Ms McCandlish and spending several hours in the county van with her and Jim was delightful. Jim and I are both passionate about reading and writing and it was fun to have an english major along for the ride.

And yes, it is true, that to a certain extent true, Jim and I agree on very little politically. We even have some “pathway conflict” on approaches to environmentalism. We both love to read – and read, and read - - and we love to talk and talk and talk, about what we have read; especially the esoteric nuances of environmentalism and science – especially the natural sciences.

Thursday, November 2nd, 2006 was right before the general election in which, for the most part, Jim and I probably cancelled out many of each other’s votes and politics was one of the subjects de jour.

Ms. McCandlish had written several articles in which it was my feeling, the Baltimore Sun was attempting to fuel divisiveness in the county. (I know, you are, like, soooo surprised…) A divisiveness that may very well have been present in the county with a few local attention-getters - so desperate to be relevant, and insiders; but a divisiveness, that for the most part, in my view, does not exist in Carroll County.

For an outsider to read the articles, my concern was that they misrepresented Carroll County – or at least fed into stereotypes which only exist with the simplistically oriented.

To make matters worse, Ms. McCandlish writes quite well. I have enjoyed her work. She is persuasive and compelling and I wish that she confined some of that persuasive and compelling to “columns” and not news articles.

Memo to the local newspapers; Andrew Sullivan said it best in a post on August 17th, 2005, “This red-blue thing isn't real: it's a grid put down on the landscape by lazy pundits in order to foster a conflict that isn't there so the people who profit from conflict can work their way with us.”

For the most part, in my view, Carroll Countians certainly have their pathway conflicts and political disagreements; however, we are usually pre-occupied with family, sports and community - - not partisan political disagreements.

There are many of us in Carroll County who don’t play the red-blue game. And, as the election season wore down, most of us had - had it with a few vocal folks, for whom every disagreement in the county is some huge Kabuki Morals conspiracy laden death match.

It is more like Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 classic movie version of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s “Rashomon.” Everyone has a version of the truth. In Carroll County the analogy gets even better as the original movie was done in Japanese with Chinese subtitles and dubbed in English. Sounds like many of the conversations in Carroll County.

(The “Rashomon Affect,” if you will recall, is the dynamic in which the subjective analysis and resulting perception of an occasion by observers, is filtered, which causes many different but equally factual accounts of the event(s) in question.)

When we were all riding together, “Rashomon” came to mind several times, but Jim and I spared Ms. McCandlish of that esoteria. If you will recall, it rained, symbolically throughout the movie and the book. Just as it had been “raining” symbolically and literally in Carroll County in the weeks – months, just before the election.

Yet the day when Jim and I got together to pick out the perfect Christmas Tree for Carroll County citizens – it was a beautiful day…

Again, for emphasis, there are many conservatives and liberals in the county who are the best of friends and do not let their political disagreements get in the way of friendship, family, art, literature, community and kids.

At first when I discovered that Ms. McCandlish was going to go along with us for the ride, I felt concerned for her mental sanity as I am sure that she had not a clue as to what she was getting into.

To make matters worse, Jim, who I consider one of my best friends, and I had not had a chance to talk with one another for months and months.

So lots of conversations had been bottled-up, just waiting for some time together. To make matters worse, I was dead tired and bleary eyed from spending too much time with the laptop and peering into the abyss of a computer screen. I needed several cups of coffee and some Fox News while doing my vegetable routine on the living room couch. I was not in a mood for subtle diplomacy with a Baltimore Sun reporter as scrivener-voyeur.

Unfortunately, I have developed a huge distrust for Baltimore Sun writers, for which I do not have for most newspaper writers in general, unless they earn it.

Too many really really bad experiences…

Jim and I had done this routine several years ago with another Baltimore Sun reporter “who didn’t get it,” and the resulting article was less than desired. As soon as a number of our colleagues were told that a Baltimore Sun reporter was tagging along, they bailed. Who needs gotcha-journalism, when you’re having fun, and getting some time together and looking for a Christmas Tree.

Some reporters do not understand the “human aspect” of the folks who volunteer their free time for public service.

Although at first Ms. McCandlish had a bit of that “deer in headlights” look – justifiably so. But whoa, Ms. McCandlish was a real trooper and fit right in. She is welcome to be company anytime Jim and I decide to get together and chase a windmill or two around.

Jim and I talked a little politics until we both became worried that Ms. McCandlish was beginning to ponder whether she had a greater statistical probability of surviving the Jim and Kevin show as opposed to surviving the leap from a county van at 40 miles per hour.

Ms. McCandlish writes quite well and it was a pleasure to have a writer accompany us.

The county community Christmas Tree is a big deal, as hopefully it is one piece of iconography which will bring folks together as the holiday season approaches.

This year’s tree is beautiful and I couldn’t wait until Mike Whitson and his merry Bureau of Facilities folks men installed it and got the lights up.

Please enjoy Ms. McCandlish’s article while the hyperlink works. After the hyperlink goes dead, I’ll paste the rest of her article in this post. For now, please click on, “Picking out the perfect tree - Officials search high and low in county for holiday spruce that's a cut above the rest.”

Note: I began this piece on November 6th, 2006 and just today, November 28th, 2006, re-visited it. The link has gone dead – and I have pasted her entire piece here. It is a keeper. Thanks Ms. McCandlish.

####

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org http://www.thetentacle.com/ Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20061128 Picking Out the perfect tree by Laura McCandlish

Picking out the perfect tree by Laura McCandlish

November 5th, 2006 – November 28th, 2006

Later on this evening at 5:30 PM, Tuesday, November 28th, 2006, is the third annual County Tree-Lighting Ceremony in front of the Carroll County Office Building at 225 North Center Street.

Laura McCandlish, writing for the Baltimore Sun had a nice piece published on November 5th, 2006 on Mr. Jim Slater and me picking out the tree on Thursday, November 2nd, 2006.

Unfortunately, the link has gone dead, so I’ll paste her entire article in the blog.

Please find more stories by Ms. McCandlish in the Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun, click here.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/carroll/bal-ca.trees05nov05,0,6007720.story?coll=bal-local-carroll

From the Baltimore Sun

Picking out the perfect tree

Officials search high and low in county for holiday spruce that's a cut above the rest

By Laura McCandlish, Sun Reporter, November 5, 2006

Picking out the perfect tree

The first tree, in Sykesville, is too green from lack of sunlight and on the large side. And the third tree, in Westminster, is too squat and might be diseased. But the second tree, in Hampstead, is just right.

With lush, balanced branches tinted a true blue-green, the blue spruce lives up to its name.

"That is pretty darn close to being a perfect tree," says Jim Slater, Carroll County's environmental compliance officer.

The winning tree will be chopped down within two weeks, trucked to the County Office Building in Westminster and propped up outside on a stand in the water fountain to prepare for the holiday tree-lighting ceremony Nov. 28.
It's fast becoming an annual tradition.

The commissioners revived the tradition in 2004 after more than a 30-year hiatus. For unknown reasons, the tree lighting at the county office building had been discontinued in the early 1970s.

About 930 possible trees from 24 county properties were offered as candidates for the county tree this year, according to Vivian Laxton, the county's spokeswoman.

Normally, a van full of tree hunters treks out to choose the tree. But this year, it's Slater and former Westminster Mayor Kevin E. Dayhoff alone in the front seats of the cavernous county van. What they lack in numbers, they make up with enthusiasm.

Though on opposite ends of the political spectrum, Slater and Dayhoff are friends who share a passion for all things arboreal.

"We are the two grandparents of environmentalism in Carroll County," Dayhoff says as the van sets out for South Carroll.

Though it's early November, it's an unlikely day to search for a Christmas tree. The balmy weather, hovering around 70 degrees, and a vivid blue sky scream spring.

Westminster also took advantage of the mild conditions by starting to hang the city's holiday decorations last week.

Slater drives the van by dried cornstalks and rolling green pastures bathed in sunlight, framed by trees painted in fall colors - green turning to gold, crimson, rust and burnt amber.

The county's Environmental Advisory Council is in charge of selecting the tree. Member Brian Rhoten, who is an arborist, couldn't make it. He was busy judging a tree climbing contest.

During the drive, Dayhoff gleefully identifies passing trees.

"That's a beech over there," he says.

And later: "Oh, the holly trees are just outrageous!"

He and Slater extol the merits of various species of Christmas trees.

"The concolor [white] fir is the best Christmas tree ever," Dayhoff says.
Slater agrees.

"I believe it was originally bred in North Carolina, at the Biltmore Estate," Slater says. "I had one last year."

Why the concolor fir? They're aromatic, soft and supple to the touch, yet strong enough to withstand the weight of lights and ornaments.

"When you're decorating a blue spruce, you come back bloody," Slater says of the trees' sharp needles.

That's not a big issue for the county's outdoor tree. In fact, all three of this year's finalists are blue spruces.

"Another one that's gotten real popular is the Frazier fir," Slater says.

The first tree being considered, which partially obstructs the view of Joan Candy's home on Country Fair Lane, stands about 35 feet tall.

"It still has lights on it," Slater says, inspecting and snapping photographs of the spruce.

"Yeah, I used to decorate it when it was little, but I gave up," Candy says.
She planted the tree. How long ago?

"Long enough that it's grown that big," Candy says. Her husband, Albert Selby, a former Carroll Orphans' Court judge, died last year.

"It just seems appropriate to have the tree end up at the County Office Building," Candy says. "Maybe I could hang a little ornament on it with his name."

No one is home at the North Woods Trail home in Hampstead. But Slater and Dayhoff are instantly sold on the tree.

Heading to the third and last stop in Westminster, the sun melts toward the tree line. It's 4:30 but the sun is already starting to set.

There are two spruces in the yard at the home on The Strand. Neither will do. Nor will the more rampantly growing Norway spruce in the backyard.

The Hampstead tree ended up beating out the others. But Dayhoff said he appreciates all the offers.

"We like the idea of folks donating a tree grown too large or otherwise scheduled to be cut down," he says.

For the holiday tree-lighting on Nov. 28, the Winters Mill High School chorus, a flute quartet from Sykesville Middle School and an adult ensemble will all perform.

In addition to Christmas music, Hanukkah songs were sung in past years. Theresa Bethune of Westminster has volunteered to bake cookies for the event. The Westminster Ridge retirement community plans to donate hot cocoa.

More cookie bakers are also needed, Laxton said.

laura.mccandlish@baltsun.com

To volunteer, contact the Office of Public Information, 410-386-2804.

Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun

20061121 Yikes

Yikes

November 15th, 2006 – November 21st, 2006

Yikes, I take my eye off the ball for a couple of days and chaos has ensued…

And recently my life has not been my own…

Anyway, about a week ago or so, Crablaw posted a discussion of the unfortunate matter in Taneytown, whereby the city’s elected leadership, by a 3 – 2 vote, if I am not mistaken, have decided to “pass a resolution declaring English its official language but stopped short last night of a proposed change to the city charter,” according to an article in the November 14th, 2006 Baltimore Sun by Laura McCandlish

In the past, I have worked with most of the current elected leadership of Taneytown and they are a great group of folks, who are quite committed to their community and put in long hours.

I do not know Taneytown Councilman Paul E. Chamberlain Jr. In all candor, when Councilman Chamberlain first brought up the “English first” issue, I though it was campaign rhetoric in his bid to be relevant in his bid to unseat the popular Maryland Senator David Brinkley.

I consider Senator Brinkley to be a good friend and I have really enjoyed working with him for a number of years. I have not a clue as to what Councilman Chamberlain was thinking when he decided that he was going to jump from Taneytown councilmember to Maryland State Senator – and unseat Senator Brinkley?

The English First initiative sends the wrong signal to folks outside of Carroll County. Whether the legislation is a “statement” without force of law or just a publicity stunt, it is not a true signal of what we are as a greater community.

It has caused a “media storm” of unwanted attention to Carroll County for all the wrong reasons. We do so many things well in Carroll County. This legislation is a “damn shame.”

Historically Carroll County is a welcoming community.

By way of our roots, either as innkeepers and provisioners to travelers on their way west, or as shopkeepers or as folks looking to expand our economic base in the golden age of Carroll County’s small towns in the first part of the 1900s as communities looked to expand their economic base and attract folks to move to the country. Not too mention Carroll County’s agricultural roots, in which a visitor to the farm in the days before automobiles was a holiday and folks were welcomed with open arms.

Why even when Carroll County used German POWs for agricultural labor during WWII, there are plenty of stories and anecdotes about the German prisoners eating at the family dinner table on the farms…

A solution in search of a problem.

But Councilman Chamberlain’s continued pursuit has presented to those of us who are somewhat familiar with Taneytown, to be a solution in search of a problem.

I have not attempted to talk with Councilman Chamberlain, but I have played phone tag with Councilman James L. McCarron. Councilman McCarron is the gold standard of a locally elected official working hard for what is best for his city. I have served on several Maryland Municipal League committees with Councilman McCarron and we both served on the MML Board together.

I have some insight as to his thinking process when it comes to municipal government and I gotta tell ya, it means something to me when he says, as he as quoted in Ms. McCandlish’s article:

Councilman James L. McCarron denounced the measure. In his more than 22 years on the council, he said, no one ever came forward with a comment or complaint who didn't speak English.

"I have no problem making English the official language of the state of Maryland or even America, but to make it the official language of Taneytown is simply a nonissue," McCarron said. "It's not a unity resolution. It's a disunity one."
When someone is an elected community leader, one of his or her main responsibilities is to see to it that taxpayer dollars are handled as frugally as possible.

Introducing and pursuing municipal legislation, such as “English First” is a waste of taxpayer money and a waste of time for municipal elected and appointed officials.

On October 19th, 2005, I wrote a column in the Westminster Eagle titled, “20051019 WE Politics of personal destruction puts limits on future leaders

In that column I touched upon a number of “civility” matters…

In part: “Martin Luther King said it best; "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

I guess I’ve been guilty of being silent on this issue. As I mentioned above, I thought it was so much election bluster…

I respectfully disagree with Councilman Chamberlain… Ultimately he need not answer to me. He has to answer to his constituents and provide leadership for Taneytown as he sees fit…

The worst thing that can happen to a community is that everybody thinks the same way all the time. It will be catastrophic if potential leaders are unwilling to step out of the comfortable cocoon of their lives to assume a leadership role or proffer a different point of view for fear of the politics of personal destruction.

Spanish-speaking workers in our community.

Ultimately, we are talking about are fellow human beings who have come to this country - just like us or our ancestors, at some point in time - to make a better life for our families and work hard in a foreign land.

In October 1833, in the area we now know as Carroll County, a vote was taken as to whether or not we should form Carroll County. Did you know that the ballots for that vote were printed in German, and English, for all the non-German speaking citizens?

Our Spanish-speaking workers will learn English, just as German-speaking Carroll Countians eventually did. Perhaps we should extend a helping hand, instead of backhanding them.

Kevin

####

20061102 Carroll County Republican Club charged with violating two state election laws

Carroll County Republican Club charged with violating two state election laws

November 2^nd, 2006

All the local Carroll County newspapers have posted articles early Thursday evening, November 2^nd, 2006, that report that the Maryland State Prosecutor has filed charges against the Carroll County Republican Club president Scott Hollenbeck and club secretary Suzanne Primoff for “alleging violations of two state election laws.”

The Westminster Eagle article can be found here: EAGLE ALERT: Republican club charged with election law violations.

The Eldersburg Eagle article can be found here: EAGLE ALERT: Republican club charged with election law violations.

The Baltimore Sun - Carroll Sun article by Laura McCandlish, Sun Reporter, filed at 5:45 PM EST can be found here: “Carroll Co. GOP club said to violate election laws - 2 officers charged for failing to register group as political action committee.”

And the Carroll County Times article by Justin Palk. Times Staff Writer, can be found here: “Charges filed against Republican club.” Mr. Palk’s article is short; hopefully he will write more on Friday, November 3^rd, 2006. Update: To find his longer article, click here.

The Westminster Eagle article noted, “The statement by the State Prosecutor’s Office notes that, ‘All of those who have been identified ... are merely charged and are presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court.’ ”

For my previous posts about the matter of the negative campaigning in Carroll County please see:

20060925 Cartoon on Carroll County primary elections

20060908 Negative ads and fliers plague Carroll County primary election

20060907 Thoughts on the Carroll County primary election

In the September 6^th, 2006 issue of the Westminster Eagle and the Eldersburg Eagle, both Editor Jim Joyner and I wrote columns addressing the negative campaigning dynamic in what many recall as one of the most unpleasant election years in 16 years.

The title of my column is: “Just so no to reality TV in Carroll County election campaigns.”

The title of Mr. Joyner’s column is: “Final daze Voters should be aware of wild political finish.”

I also have a Tentacle column addressing this issue of negative campaigning. “Why go negative?”

The best background on this story was written by Justin Palk back on September 7^th and 8^th, 2006. I just tried the links to the stories and the Carroll County Times does not use permalinks – and the links are dead behind a pay wall.

On September 7^th, 2006, Mr. Palk wrote, “State probing election adverts” and on September 8^th, 2006, he wrote, “Candidates deny contact with group.”

A portion of the story which Mr. Palk wrote on September 7^th, reads:

Maryland's State Board of Elections is reviewing negative campaign ads from what appears to be a new Republican club in Carroll County for compliance with state law.

An organization calling itself the Carroll County Republican Club, which has sent out mailings to county residents, among other advertising, is not registered with the state as a political action committee, said Jared DeMarinis, director of the State Board of Elections' candidacy and campaign finance division.

DeMarinis said he could not comment further on the matter because the board is reviewing it.

In general, organizations that raise or spend money for a specific candidate in an election do have to register with the state, he said.

The ads and mailings, which list Scott Hollenbeck as the club's president, attack the sitting county commissioners and urge voters to back challengers in Tuesday's primary election.

Carroll County Commissioner Perry L. Jones Jr. rejected some of the claims made specifically about him in the ads, such as the accusations that he spends the night in Frederick County, rather than Carroll.

Other accusations are based on incomplete information, he said, such as statements criticizing him and Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge for having county cars, but fail to mention that they both pay leases for their vehicles, he said.

"In a way, it's humiliating, in a way it's hilarious," Jones said. "If we did half of what they say we did, we'd be sitting in the Carroll County lockup, I believe."

The ads contain other inaccuracies as well, including a statement that the county allows multiple housing units to be built on a single building permit, when the county requires one permit per unit, said Vivian Laxton, the county's spokeswoman.

Similarly, the county commissioners are not, as one ad states, considering any legislation that would permit them to impose a personal property tax, Laxton said.

The Carroll County Republican Club does not appear on the list of Republican clubs in Carroll on the Carroll County Republican Central Committee's Web site, and Joe Burns Jr., the committee's secretary, said he had not heard of the organization.

Hollenbeck did not return phone calls or an e-mail requesting comment for this article Wednesday.

Going negative

Negative politics work because it's always easy to find an area of disagreement to focus voters' attention on, and then attack repeatedly on that issue, Thomas Schaller, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, wrote in an e-mail. Even if a voter agrees with a candidate on three out of every four issues, he or she can still be persuaded to dislike that candidate on the fourth issue.

People also have better memories for critical messages rather than positive ones, which makes negative politicking a powerful tool, he wrote.

In terms of outright dirty tricks, it's key for the trickster to keep his or her fingerprints off the deed, because tricks have the potential to backfire disastrously if the trickster is caught, Schaller wrote.

The Westminster Eagle article this evening reports that Ms. Primoff and Mr. Hollenbeck, “were charged in Carroll County District Court on Thursday with alleged violations of election laws, namely:

•Engaging in campaign finance activity other than through a campaign finance entity, an offense that is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $25,000; and

•Causing the publication and distribution of campaign literature without a proper authority line, an offense is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.”

Ms. McCandlish reported what many political pundits are saying, on and off the record: "People have gotten tired of all this negativity of the extremists," said Tony Roman, an adjunct political science professor at Carroll Community College. "The Democratic Party is getting a boost out of this. If Beard gets elected, it gives them sort of a basis to start from."

She added: “Both Primoff and Hollenbeck have been outspoken critics of the current board of commissioners, all GOP moderates. Ed Primoff, a club member married to Suzanne Primoff, defended the club's actions today. If the club had agreed to register as a PAC, the state prosecutor would have dropped charges last week, Ed Primoff said.

He said the club rejected that offer. "Everything we did was reviewed by competent legal counsel, and they assured us that we were in compliance with all the Maryland election laws," Primoff said. "This club is fighting corruption and fighting for ideologies that we believe in."

Indeed, The Westminster Eagle article reveals, “In ads published this week, the CCRC contended that it acted in the primary as a political “club,” and not a political action committee.”

I found the ad on page two at this address: http://carrollstandard.com/standard_12p_11-1-06.pdf

In a Baltimore Sun article on October 28, 2006 entitled, “Republicans split in Carroll County - Democrat Beard gains GOP backing,” Sun writers Laura McCandlish and Mary Gail Hare wrote: “ ‘If the primary purpose is campaign finance, then clearly you have to register,’ said Mark J. Davis, the assistant attorney general for the board of elections. "But if the club only occasionally engages in campaign finance, then no registration is required. The laws on political clubs tend to be vague and should be clarified by the General Assembly, Davis added.”

However, in a broad-sweeping conversation earlier this evening with several political scientists, it was called to my attention that the state takes a dim view of folks participating in electioneering without registering and has been relatively consistent in taking the approach that whenever in doubt – register…

I was reminded of a series of instances in the 1986 campaigns in Baltimore County by our current governor, in which the question over registering political action committees was alleged and in that instance, the state pursued the matter, although, it was not clear to me as to the outcome of that example…

On September 8^th, 2006, Westminster Eagle Editor penned an article which examined the claims made in the ads and a response by Carroll County government on behalf of Commissioners, Dean Minnich, Perry Jones and Julia Gouge. County government responded because the ads made claims which some would consider a cause for action on the part of county government…

The piece, “County refutes ads, mailers attacking commissioners” 09/08/06
By Jim Joyner, begins:

“Carroll County officials this week refuted several claims made in political ads this past week by a group called the Carroll County Republican Club, saying the bulk of the organization’s accusations are false or misleading.

The group has distributed mailers, placed paid advertising in county newspapers — including The Eagle — and is reportedly also operating an automated messaging campaign, phoning homes in the county.

The bulk of the campaign is aimed at unseating the incumbent Board of County Commissioners, and suggests that voters opt for challengers.

Various aspects of the ad campaign claim… […] Read the rest here.

The fallout?

In a straight-down-the-middle news article written by Kelsey Volkmann in the Baltimore Examiner on October 31^st, 2006, entitled, “Zimmer, Beard face off in race for county commissioner seat,” she reported:

“For the first time in more than a decade, a Democrat has garnered support from Republicans for a Carroll County commissioners’ seat.

Dennis Beard, a Democrat with GOP support will face-off against Republican Michael Zimmer in next week’s election.”

Read the rest of the article here.

In conversation after conversation, the feedback that I continue to get from “folks in the grocery store check out line,” is enough already, we can’t wait for this election to over.

Amen.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org http://www.thetentacle.com/ Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20061029 The Carroll Sun’s campaign literature

The Carroll Sun’s campaign literature

October 29^th, 2006

Several folks have been in touch about the back-to-back articles by the Baltimore Sun - Carroll Sun branch of the Maryland Democratic Party in Carroll County.

The articles: “Commissioners - Two shun Zimmer as GOP splits support” and “Republicans split in Carroll County - Democrat Beard gains GOP backing,” have appeared in the October 28^th and 29^th, 2006 edition of the paper.

Much of it is inside-baseball that is not a great deal of concern of the many Moms and Dads trying to attend as many children’s athletic events this weekend as possible. Or the folks who are just intolerant of the esoteric machinations of who-struck-john or gotcha politics.

As an aside, the humor as when the Democratic Party opened a campaign headquarters in Westminster after decades of not having one was that it was not needed as long as the Baltimore Sun had an office in town. (In the interest of full disclosure, that is not an original thought - - it was shared with me by a liberal colleague…)

I was happy that the Dems opened a campaign headquarters in town because the more ideas on the table and candidates on the ballot, the better for Carroll County.

On my way home from dinner last night, I stopped the Dems’ headquarters, after I noticed Frank Rammes toiling-away in the front window.

I liked Frank when he was a Republican and I still like Frank, now that he has switched parties. I just wanted to say hi.

Politics is the business of community leadership and I admire everyone who steps forward to offer their services. When it comes to the business of leadership, may the best plan win – and leave the personal politics out of it.

Back to the Baltimore Sun Democratic campaign pieces; I only read them a moment ago and then I only scanned portions of it.

Yawn.

So what is new?

Actually they are both well-written, if you accept them for what they are – persuasive political rhetoric. If the articles had been labeled as “analysis” or if they had been offered as “columns,” that would have been appropriate.

News articles they were not.

I remember well when the dominant party in Carroll County was the Democratic Party. In those days it was quite conservative.

There was consistent and persistent friction between the conservative-wing of the Democratic Party and the more liberal wing. Much of it was just a rancorous as it is today – only it was the different factions of the Democratic Party doing the bickering.

It was around the late 1970s when the Carroll County Democratic Party started to veer abruptly to the left. Around the time that John Willis ran for the House of Delegates.

As time went on, many of the conservative Democrats left the party and it was not until around 1990 or so that the numbers of Republicans surpassed the registered Democrats.

I think that differences of opinion, whether from within a political party or between parties - - are good for Carroll County.

I rather like differences of opinion being tolerated within a party and I think that it is necessary. As the Carroll County Democratic Party leadership became intolerant of different points of view, many left the party.

Of that note, the Republican Party in Carroll County should pay close attention. As soon as the leadership of the Republican Party becomes intolerant of opposing points of view as to the direction of the party, folks will leave.

Hopefully, the leadership of the Carroll County Republican Party will continue to encourage differences of opinion, discussion and dialogue. The minute that those necessary disagreements are no longer tolerated, the party will cease to be relevant in Carroll County.

If anything, the Carroll County Democratic Party would be smart to get back to its conservative roots in order to win some folks back to the party.

Just as I was about to move on with my day, I got an e-mail from a colleague who spent a bit of time writing up a paragraph or two about the two articles and I found the commentary to be thought-provoking.

I will paste them below and then I’ll go back to work. For everyone who got in touch about the two articles… Thank You. I have saved them. In the future, they will be excellent examples as to why the Baltimore Sun has lost its credibility and relevancy… See: “20061029 The Sunset of the Baltimore Sun.”

Meanwhile, my colleague said:

Baltimore Sun Whacks Carroll GOP – Here’s a surprise –

The Baltimore Sun has run two articles in two days critical of Republicans – more specifically about the Republicans in the Baltimore metropolitan region’s stronghold of Carroll County.

Who’d of thunk it!

Competitive local primaries always disrupt party unity. Supporters have made heavy investments in their candidates – with time, money, talents, etc. – and strong emotions after a primary are expected.

Is this something new?

No.

Does this happen only to Republicans – No.

It is part of the fundamental nature of democratic governments – that democracies work best when they run on conflict. Carroll County Republicans have had significant internal controversies in the past:

1) the fight over the 1985 Orphan’s Court vacancy where three members of the Central Committee resigned;

2) the filling of a vacancy in the ballot for the 1986 sheriff’s race where several prominent Republicans supported the Democratic incumbent Sheriff Sensabaugh;

3) the 1990 state senate primary where the incumbent who lost to Larry Haines endorsed the Democrat Jeff Griffith;

4) the 1990 “Victory” slate for Republican central committee; and the list could go on.

Internal strife is not a sign of a party on the brink of collapse (as the Baltimore Sun and the doomsayers would have you believe) but instead symbolizes a big, open-tent, healthy local party that offers the best candidates and the best solutions to problems in Carroll County.

From my perspective …, these Carroll County internal battles are tame as compared to the infighting and back-stabbing... in the (Democratic) delegations from Baltimore City, Prince George’s County and elsewhere.

But the Baltimore Sun will never miss the opportunity to try and make Republicans look bad – no matter where they live in the state.

####

20060303 Westminster Director deployed to the Middle East

Westminster Director deployed to the Middle East

March 3rd, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

The latest of a seemingly never-ending string of new reporters writing for the Baltimore Sun in Carroll County has written an article in the February 28th, 2006 edition of the Carroll Sun on the Westminster Director of Planning and Public Works (DPPW) being deployed to the Middle East. I was interviewed for her article, however, I was not included…

Mr. Beyard is 1973 graduate of South Hagerstown High School, Hagerstown, MD and earned an A.A. Degree from Hagerstown Junior College, Hagerstown, MD in 1973. He then went on to earn a B.S. Degree from Towson State University, Towson, MD in 1977.

Mr. Beyard and I have worked together on quite a number of issues over the years.

My father-in-law, David S. Babylon, Jr., was the Westminster Common Council President when Mr. Beyard was hired on September 29th, 1987. Mr. Babylon always spoke very highly of Mr. Beyard. He was always aware, (as I became,) that Mr. Beyard has the consummate prerequisite knowledge, skills and abilities to competently look after all the affairs of Westminster in his purview.

Long before I became a Westminster elected official on May 10, 1999 – and shortly after Mr. Beyard arrived on the job, I met him when I was a member of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources District Conservancy Board (1988 – 1991.) The Conservancy Board worked with Mr. Beyard on some issues that had developed as the Maryland State Highway Administration planned to rebuild Westminster’s East Main Street.

I also had some contact with him as a member of the Carroll County Landscape Manual Committee (1987 – 1989.)

Later, when I was a member of the Carroll County Environmental Affairs Advisory Board (1994 – 1999,) I worked with Mr. Beyard on some “waste –to-energy” ideas; especially in 1997, when I was by the Carroll County Board of Commissioners to participate in the Carroll County Department of Public Works’ development of Carroll County’s Ten-Year Solid Waste Management Plan.

Mr. Beyard has always been a forceful advocate for Westminster (and his employees.)

When I was mayor (2001 - 2005,) the DPPW had one of the most difficult and complex jobs in the entire City of Westminster structure, which required nearly daily contact with Mr. Beyard.

If you read the Baltimore Sun article, the current administration of the City of Westminster is interested in making some structural changes to the management of the growing municipality. The merit and wisdom of those changes is the fodder for perhaps another column. Meanwhile, Westminster citizens voted for this group of community leaders and they, for the most part, were not bashful in telling potential voters that they aimed to make Westminster’s government bigger…

The DPPW was responsible for managing the City’s largest department. This department includes everything from providing safe drinking water, street maintenance, snow removal, parks and recreation, solid waste and recycling collection, comprehensive planning, housing and community development and wastewater treatment. Additional responsibilities added over the years included economic development, code enforcement, particularly with the property maintenance code, and service for the City on various boards.

The DPPW was responsible for all City activities, with the exception of finance and police. This includes well over 125 full and part-time employees with budgets totaling over $16 million. This equates to approximately 75% of all City employees and budget.

One of the many things to admire about Mr. Beyard is his commitment and service to our country. He enlisted in the U. S. Army Reserve on March 22, 1982 and served in the U. S. Army Reserve until February 12, 1997 when he was released from the Reserves to join the Maryland Army National Guard.

Since he first enlisted with the Army Reserve in 1982 as a Private First Class, he has completed extensive formal military classes and earned a number of commendations and awards for his service; not to mention that he has risen through the ranks steadily. As of September 1, 2005, his rank is that of Command Sergeant Major.

The Baltimore Sun picks up the story well at this point. Excerpted from the article:

Carroll official is called to active duty

Westminster planning chief Beyard, 51, to leave in June for Kuwait with National Guard

By Laura McCandlish, Sun reporter. Originally published February 28, 2006

The man integral to running the daily business of Westminster for nearly 20 years announced last night that he has been called to active duty in the Middle East.

Thomas B. Beyard, Westminster's director of planning and public works since 1987, told the City Council he will depart in mid-June for a deployment based in Kuwait with the Maryland Army National Guard. Beyard, 51, who joined the Guard in 1997 after years with the Army Reserve, expects to return to his job in late 2007.

I’m sure you join me in wishing Mr. Beyard well and God-speed as he continues to serve our community and our nation in another capacity. We are quite proud of him.

Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org http://www.thetentacle.com/ Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ and http://www.kevindayhoff.com/