20060526 KDDC May 20 Willis St Tag Sale Pics

20060523 KDDC OC eyes use of electric minicars

OC eyes use of electric mini-cars

This is interesting. This just in from an:

Article published May 23, 2006 in the Salisbury Delmarva Daily Times.
OC eyes use of electric mini-cars
By Jay Hodgkins, Staff Writer

OCEAN CITY -- Presenters for a 100 percent electric, zero emission, lightweight DaimlerChrysler vehicle showed up at last week's Police Commission meeting, and Mayor Jim Mathias' eyes lit up.

After Mathias took the doorless four-seat Global Electric Motorcar -- a vehicle that passes all federal safety regulations to be driven on roads 35 mph and less -- for a spin with Town Councilmen Jay Hancock and Jim Hall, he brimmed at the possible uses for the town.

"It's timely in nature because of all the gas price problems and energy rates. It really does fit in, and it's something for the future of this town," Mathias said. "I hope (City Manager Dennis Dare) can look at it."

CleanCities.com President Luis MacDonald and Daniel MacDonald presented options of the vehicle that ranged from two-seat to six-seat models that had a range of 35 to 40 miles, could be recharged in a regular outlet at home within a few hours and could carry a 1,200 pound payload in the back bed area.

The vehicle was recently approved for use on Maryland roads by the Maryland General Assembly and the city of Baltimore is already using the vehicles in the Inner Harbor area, MacDonald said.

For Ocean City, the men pitched their initial intention to start business operations with condo associations and other private groups to shuttle members from their homes across Coastal Highway to the beach.

Police commission members, however, discussed a much wider range of uses from hotels renting the vehicles to vacationers to use by the police force around the Boardwalk or use by town officials and maintenance people.

Police were not as excited about the GEMs, however, as Ofc. Hugh Bean cited safety issues because of the light vehicle weight, people driving the vehicle on high-speed roads and a likelihood operators wouldn't use their seat belts in the golf cart-like vehicles.

"Trying to get people to understand what they can and can't do would be an insurmountable feat, and we'd be the bad guys for busting people," Bean said.

Chief Bernadette DiPino also said she saw too much trouble to support wide commercial use of the vehicles or town use, but admitted the vehicles were legal and anyone could purchase and drive the $8,000-to-$12,000 vehicles provided they follow the rules.

Looking for a wider vision for the vehicles, Mathias told police, "I hope as we pursue this we can pursue it with a can-do attitude and not a can't-do attitude."

"I'm not advocating we do this overnight," he said, "but paying attention to where the world is going, this is somewhere we want to go."

About the cars

 Ocean City was shown options of a vehicle that ranges from two-seat to six-seat models that can drive 35 to 40 miles, can be charged in a regular outlet and can carry up to 1,200 pounds. The vehicles pass federal safety regulations to be driven on roads 35 mph and less.

 The Maryland General Assembly recently approved their use in the state. Similar vehicles are already used by the city of Baltimore in the Inner Harbor area.

 Reach Jay Hodgkins at 410-213-9442 or jhodgkins@smgpo.gannett.com.

20060526 KDDC The 50 greatest conservative rock songs NRO

TOP 50 CONSERVATIVE SONGS

What a fun weekend quick read. Hat tip: Michelle Malkin calls our attention to a column by John J. Miller of the National Review Online in which he lists the top fifty all time best conservative rock songs.

TOP 50 CONSERVATIVE SONGS

By Michelle Malkin · May 26, 2006 09:21 AM

John Mellencamp? Sammy Hagar? Kid Rock? The Who? Yup, they're all on National Review's list.

Take a look--and bring your iPod.

_________________

The 50 greatest conservative rock songs.

May 26, 2006, 6:59 a.m.

Rockin' the Right

By John J. Miller

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week on NRO, we’ve been rolling out the first five and now all 50 songs from a list John J. Miller compiled that appears in the June 5 issue of National Review . Here’s a look at #1 and get the whole list—complete with purchasing links—here.

On first glance, rock ’n’ roll music isn’t very conservative. It doesn’t fare much better on second or third glance (or listen), either. Neil Young has a new song called “Let’s Impeach the President.” Last year, the Rolling Stones made news with “Sweet Neo Con,” another anti-Bush ditty. For conservatives who enjoy rock, it isn’t hard to agree with the opinion Johnny Cash expressed in “The One on the Right Is on the Left”: “Don’t go mixin’ politics with the folk songs of our land / Just work on harmony and diction / Play your banjo well / And if you have political convictions, keep them to yourself.” In other words: Shut up and sing.

But some rock songs really are conservative — and there are more of them than you might think. Last year, I asked readers of National Review Online to nominate conservative rock songs. Hundreds of suggestions poured in. I’ve sifted through them all, downloaded scores of mp3s, and puzzled over a lot of lyrics. What follows is a list of the 50 greatest conservative rock songs of all time, as determined by me and a few others. The result is of course arbitrary, though we did apply a handful of criteria.

What makes a great conservative rock song? The lyrics must convey a conservative idea or sentiment, such as skepticism of government or support for traditional values. And, to be sure, it must be a great rock song. We’re biased in favor of songs that are already popular, but have tossed in a few little-known gems. In several cases, the musicians are outspoken liberals. Others are notorious libertines. For the purposes of this list, however, we don’t hold any of this against them. Finally, it would have been easy to include half a dozen songs by both the Kinks and Rush, but we’ve made an effort to cast a wide net. Who ever said diversity isn’t a conservative principle?

So here are NR’s top 50 conservative rock songs of all time. Go ahead and quibble with the rankings, complain about what we put on, and send us outraged letters and e-mails about what we left off. In the end, though, we hope you’ll admit that it’s a pretty cool playlist for your iPod.

Read the entire list here: The 50 greatest conservative rock songs.

####

20060525 KDDC Westminster Fire Department Big Money Raffle

Westminster Fire Department Big Money Raffle

Thursday, May 25^th, 2006

Thursday evening was the occasion of the Westminster Fire Department’s Big Money raffle. This is the major fund raising event of the year for the Fire Department.

Attached to this post are some photos that I took. Unfortunately, my camera battery died on me early in the event and these are the only photos that I got.

As usual, it was a sold out event. There are only 3000 chances sold for $10.00 each. In return the ticket holder gets all the fried chicken, hot dogs, potato chips, pretzels, macaroni salad and sauerkraut that they can eat and a chance to win any of nine prizes. First prize is $10,000.00. Second prize is $1250.00. Third prize is $1,000.00. Fourth prize is $500.00. Fifth and sixth prize is $250.00 and seventh, eighth and ninth prize is $100.00.

This year’s $10,000.00 winner is a well-known community leader that is sure to do good things with the money.

I’m not sure how many years we have had this raffle, but the idea is certainly not new. According to an article from the J. Leland Jordan Collection, c. January 1896, provided to me by Jay Graybeal of the Historical Society of Carroll County, 210 East Main Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157, a number of years ago:

“In 1840 the citizens petitioned the legislature to pass an act enabling them to hold a lottery to raise $5,000 to purchase a new fire engine, build a new engine-house, town hall and market-house, but nothing came of it.”

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

####

20060525 KDDC Willis and Center St circa 1900?

Willis and Center St circa 1900?

Posted above is an undated picture, from my collection, of the intersection of Willis and Center Street looking southeast towards the Court House. Circa 1900? The source of the photograph is unknown and the photographer is unknown. If you are aware of any additional information about this photograph, please be in touch. Meanwhile, please enjoy.

Joe Trippi Fighting for his Eastern Shore home

Joe Trippi Fighting for his Eastern Shore home

From the Baltimore Sun: Fighting for his Eastern Shore home By Rona Kobell Sun reporter May 1, 2006

Political campaigner turns grass-roots environmentalist to protect the Chesapeake Bay

WITTMAN -- Just before the sun sets over Cummings Creek, Joe Trippi ambles over to say hello to Yoda, the one-horned goat, and Mrs. Lucky, one of his favorite ducks.

He seems a world away from where he was three years ago: inhaling Diet Pepsi, stuffing his cheeks with Skoal, and trying to elect an obscure former Vermont governor as president of the United States.

These days, when Trippi's not in Italy advising Romano Prodi's campaign or in Moscow addressing the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he is here, surrounded by old-growth pines and noisy chickens, trying to safeguard the Eastern Shore's open spaces from fast- encroaching development.

For the past several months, Trippi has quietly been working with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in an effort to stop the Blackwater Resort, a 3,200-home development slated to be built near Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Cambridge. He has joined the board of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, an organization dedicated to preserving the Shore's rural landscapes.

But his biggest plans are ahead of him. He wants to coordinate grass-roots gatherings and mass Internet drives in the style of the Howard Dean campaign, this time to rile the public about imminent threats to the bay. Trippi hopes to connect people who care about environmental issues, whether or not they live along the estuary and regardless of their political affiliation, and help them collaborate.

It's a different sort of cause for the inveterate campaigner, who has worked seven presidential runs. This one is not ideological, not focused around a cult of personality, and not likely to end anytime soon. It is, he says, about fighting for his home.

[…]

Trippi, 49, still advises congressional candidates, among them Democrat Kweisi Mfume, who is running for U.S. Senate in Maryland. But he seems to have settled in to life on the Eastern Shore.

In a barn on his 47-acre farm between St. Michaels and Tilghman Island, and just a few creeks away from the weekend homes of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney, Trippi is restoring one of the bay's few remaining two-masted wooden bugeyes. A smaller sailboat is tied to his dock.

There are few signs of the rumpled, mile-a-minute talker who ran himself and his young staff ragged. He looks relaxed in his faded jeans, denim jacket and work shirt.

"The second I get over the Bay Bridge, this big sigh of relief happens, and I let go," Trippi said.

[…]

Trippi's ability to tap into voter anger prompted Republican media consultant Frank Luntz to call him for the job of unseating Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Prodi, the challenger, was looking to refine his message and beat the incumbent billionaire. Prodi won by a hair; Berlusconi indicated that he will resign this week.

During their trips to Italy, Luntz said, Trippi spoke often of his beloved farm.

"His comment was, 'If you saw what I see every morning, you'd live there, too,'" Luntz said. "This is something very special to him. This is part of his definition of quality of life. He lives what he preaches."

[…]

Trippi has experience wrangling with developers. In the late 1990s, he and his wife, Kathleen Lash, fell in love at first sight with a 20-acre waterfront farm near St. Michaels. They bought it that day.

Before long, Trippi said, a developer bought the two large tracts on either side and got Talbot County to upzone all three parcels so his company could build hundreds of houses. By the time Trippi learned what had happened, county officials told him he could do nothing to stop it.

So, when the Cummings Creek farm went up for sale, Trippi offered the developer his farm in exchange. Trippi says his condition was that the company move to the new farm the barn and chicken coop he'd built with his sons. The developer agreed.

Trippi and Lash have settled into their new house, which is actually three structures - a one-room schoolhouse, an old waterman's cottage and a farmhouse fused together. Trippi's longtime friend, Newsweek contributing editor Peter Goldman, said the house is like the man - elements you wouldn't think to put together, but work once they're merged.

"If they try to move me off of this, we'll be seceding from the state of Maryland," Trippi said. "This is where I intend to die. As far as I'm concerned, this is where they're going to bury me."

rona.kobell@baltsun.com

Read the entire article here: Joe Trippi Fighting for his Eastern Shore home

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.trippi01may01,0,3860993.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

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

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

20060520 KDDC The Willis Street New England Bazaar

The Willis Street New England Bazaar

~ I took a number of photos of the day, which I hope to get posted soon…

May 20^th, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

On Saturday, May 20^th, 2006, the usually quiet Willis Street in Westminster looked like a New England bazaar as folks packed the street in search of bargains and treasures at the first annual Willis Street Tag Sale.

Willis Street is the neighborhood in Westminster adjacent to City Hall.

What is now known as Westminster City Hall was a large brick mansion, with wide porches on three sides, built by Colonel John K. Longwell in 1842.

The land on which the home was built, and referred to as "Emerald Hill" was Colonel Longwell's home. It was purchased from trustees of the Estate of David Fisher, and was a part of the entire tract, which now comprises West Street, Willis Street, Center Street, North Street, Longwell Avenue and extended to the Railroad Tracks.

When the home was completed, Colonel Longwell called it his "Mansion House," and it was considered one of the finest in the county. A plat of this area surveyed in 1907, referred to it as "Longwell's Addition to Westminster." Subsequently, with changes in ownership, the property became known as "Longwell Place."

Following the death of Colonel Longwell in 1896, the family continued to occupy the mansion until the death of his daughter, Sallie. Col. Longwell’s wife, Mrs. Sarah Longwell had preceded her daughter’s death.

At this time, in 1907, a portion of the property was developed into what we now know as Willis Street, west of Center Street. Several of the homes on Willis were built by the Shriver family.

With the generous cooperation of the Westminster Police Department and the Westminster Street Department, the street was closed from 8 AM through 1 PM to vehicular traffic for a New England style yard sale.

According to one of the Willis Street organizers, Mrs. Kirsten Vandervalk; “in New England, they don’t have “yard sales,” they have “tag sales.”

Apparently, a tag sale is an upscale yard sale.

Whatever one would like to refer to the event, by all reports the day was a huge success.

Various neighbors had different accounts as to why the day was such a great success except everyone said they enjoyed getting out on a pretty spring day and getting to see friends and neighbors after a long winter.

Also mentioned was getting the house cleaned out and most of all, everyone enjoyed raising money for a local community charity.

It was agreed by all the neighbors that they would donate a percentage of the proceeds to Shepherd’s Staff - A Christian Outreach and Support Center Serving the Needy in Carroll County. In the end, almost everyone donated extra beyond the percentage and even some visitors donated money specifically for Shepard’s Staff. Over $400.00 was raised.

Ms. Vandervalk worked in concert with a number of neighbors to organize the tag sale. Neighbors such as Sue Thomas, Nicky Smelser, Chris Fisher, Doris Wisner, Peggy Bair, Madeleine Miller, Joyce Myers, Jean Pacardi and Bonnie Bosley all served on “The Planning Committee.”

Ms Vandervalk said that she was “surprised to have as many visitors ask if this is going to be an annual event.”

Her response was “if there is a lot of interest and we can find a date, I have all the notes, work materials and hopefully it would be easy to do it again.”

The neighborhood sale was a great deal of work. But no one seemed to be complaining. “Everyone has a good time… It was well worth the effort,” said Ms. Vandervalk. “Neighborhoods are full of special people…”

Sue Thomas, one of the organizers of the event, “enjoyed the day.”

“It’s a great neighborhood” and the tag sale was a “nice neighborhood thing to do.” Mrs. Thomas gave most of her proceeds for the day to Shepherd’s Staff.

The Willis Street neighborhood is well known for an annual block party, lining the street with Christmas luminaries and Christmas caroling.

It was “no problem” working with the city to get approval for closing down the street for the day. Westminster Police Officers Tony Ott and Captain Randy Barnes handled most of the coordination.

The police and street department “were very customer service oriented, cooperative and helpful,” praised Ms. Vandervalk.

The day of the event, Lt. Ott showed up at 7 AM to get preparations underway. He promptly offered $1.50 for my farm truck that was used for ferrying tables and supplies for the event.

From antiques to boutiques were sold at the sale. Good used furniture, fine used clothing, stained glass, purses, sporting and gardening equipment, pots and pans and a “Blue’s Clues Thinking Chair.” (Hint: “Blue’s Clues for Parents” is a show on the “Nickelodeon Jr.” television network.)

Apparently folks were “fighting over” the thinking chair, according to Ms. Madeleine Miller, who was also quite happy that she was able to sell a “Jason” hockey costume mask.

At which point, Ms. Vandervalk remarked that “what is one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

Jeff Smelser, who, according to rumor, gave up playing golf “for the first time in 43 years,” so that he could attend the sale, was happy that he sold a pair of “vintage 1962 ‘212’ Head racing snow skis.”

He claimed that he was his wife’s “runner,” dutifully responding to ‘Do this,” and “Do that.”

Smart man.

In between assigned tasks, he was happy to get some yard maintenance accomplished during the sale.

Nicky Smelser “sold designer clothing and jewelry.” She was happy to spend time with so many visitors and neighbors and even happened across some of her “1965 classmates from Hampstead Middle School,” who were in the neighborhood yardsale-ing, err, tag sale-ing.

Madeleine Miller was amazed that bargain hunters arrived at 7 a.m. Some came all the way from Southern Maryland. She remarked that she “did not make a lot of money but got the house cleaned out and had a great time meeting a lot of neat people.” One the prizes she sold was a “St. Tropez print.”

Neighbors noted that Ms. Miller even “gift wrapped” many of her sales and even offered “packing service.”

Mrs. Vandervalk sold some pieces of furniture that had been in the family for several generations.

These folks were serious about having a yard sale – err, tag sale.

Ms. Miller said the event “brought back nostalgic memories.” She was "happy to see items go to a good home.”

It was beautiful day and everyone was so nice, several neighbors exclaimed.

It is events and neighborhoods like Willis Street that make Westminster a wonderful place to raise a family. In the end, everyone seems to be the winner. Col. Longwell would have been proud.

Hat’s off to Willis Street.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

####

20050526 KDDC Westminster Fire Department Big Money Raffle

Westminster Fire Department Big Money Raffle

Tonight, May 25, 2006 is the annual Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. #1 Big Money Raffle. Posted are pictures from last year’s event. This is usually a sold out event – to make plans to attend the 2007 event, contact a member of the Westminster Fire Department.

20060521 KDDC Pictures from the Jeff Graham Memorial Ride and Picnic

Pictures from the Jeff Graham Memorial Ride and Picnic

May 21^st, 2006

Over 100 motorcyclists turned out for a beautiful ride through four covered bridges and parts of Frederick County, Carroll County and southern Pennsylvania on May 21^st, 2006.

Back in Westminster, many more folks joined the riders at Dutterer Park in Westminster, Maryland for the Jeff Graham Memorial Ride and Picnic for the benefit of the “The NightTrain Foundation” in memory of Jeff Graham and in honor of the value of friendships.

There was plenty of pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers and cake to go around complimenting the smiles of friends who gathered to honor a Westminster native son and the value of friendships.

Jeff’s sister-in-law, Jalna Brown helped organize the day. If you would like more information about The NightTrain Foundation, contact Jalna Brown at Dutterer Florist at (410) 848-9350.

If you would like to make a contribution to the NightTrain Foundation, you can get in touch with either Ms. Brown or contact the Community Foundation of Carroll County at (410) 876-5505.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

####

Harry Sirinakis of Harry’s Main Street Grille in Westminster, Maryland.

Harry Sirinakis of Harry’s Main Street Grille in Westminster, Maryland.

May 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

20060500 HSirinakis

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20060524 KDDC Flower and Jazz Festival pics and posts

Westminster Flower and Jazz Festival

Flower and Jazz Festival pics and posts

Folks have been asking where the Flower and Jazz Festival pictures are posted.

They can be found at:

http://www.kevindayhoff.com/2006/05/20060516-kddc-wster-flower-and-jazz.html

or use this link:

20060516 KDDC Wster Flower and Jazz Festival Pictures

A write-up on the Flower and Jazz Festival has also been posted on the Winchester Report on The Westminster Eagle Web-site.

Or use this link:

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=721108&CategoryID=18298&show=localnews&om=1

20060524 KDDC And a glass of beer for my dog too

And a glass of beer for my dog too

Hat Tip: Mr. Smurf. Thanks

“

And a glass of beer for my dog too

May 24 - Napa Valley is a region known for its premiere wines and breathtaking vistas. So, it's no surprise that a beer produced in the region has gone to the dogs, literally.

Dog Star Brewing Company makes a specialty beer for dogs. Located in the heart of Napa Valley, founder Jamie Miller says she wanted Kodi, her 120 pound Akita, to be able to let loose and enjoy an icy cold one, but she worried about the negative effects alcohol has on pups. She went about creating a non-alcoholic beer for dogs, Happy Tail Ale.

In addition to being sold online, grocers are stocking the canine beverage on shelves in their pet section.

FEATURED SPEAKER: Jamie Miller, Founder of Dog Star Brewing Company

© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.

20060523 KDDC BE editorial MD legislators fail basic economics

Baltimore Examiner editorial: MD legislators fail basic economics

An editorial I wish I had written. It was emailed to me and I do not have a hyperlink to the Web-site… Editorial: Maryland legislators fail basic economics

The Baltimore Examiner Newspaper, The Examiner
May 23, 2006

BALTIMORE - A prevailing majority of representatives of “we the people” in Maryland consistently seem to work at proving themselves dopey when it comes to business.

The 2006 Wal-Mart legislation, that forces a single company to provide health care benefits is a case in point. The vast majority of people in the state and the country without health insurance work for small businesses — not the target of the bill. The law forces companies with 10,000 or more employees in the state (Wal-Mart is the only one) to pay at least 8 percent of their payroll toward health benefits.

Behaving that way means one thing — fewer jobs other than the ones fueled by taxes. Don’t you think large companies will have an incentive to move elsewhere once they near the 10,000 employee mark? Or choose elsewhere if they are planning a move to the East Coast?

And it shows that the legislature was more intent on punishing a single company than finding a way to insure more people in the state. Unfortunately, it’s not an isolated incident.

A review of some of their decisions on our behalf:

In 1999 legislators capped electricity prices at Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. for six years at prices 6.5 percent below 1993 rates, squashing electricity competition (who would compete for below market rates?) and paving the way for the looming 72 percent rate hikes.

Legislators are mulling whether to call a special session to reconsider the rate hike and the planned merger of BGE’s parent company, Constellation Energy, with FPL Group — a clear signal once again that business exists at the pleasure of the legislature.

» In December 2004, Gov. Ehrlich called the General Assembly into a special session to take “immediate action ... to ensure the costs of medical malpractice insurance are curtailed and that access to health care is maintained.”

Liability reform is the American Medical Association’s top legislative priority because “America’s patients are losing access to care because the nation’s out-of-control legal system is forcing physicians in some areas of the country to retire early, relocate or give up performing high-risk medical procedures.”

The General Assembly’s response: Maryland Patients’ Access to Quality Health Care act of 2004. The legislation trimmed about 3 percent off malpractice premiums — at a time when rates are rising in the double digits. It also raised taxes on HMOs, making it more difficult for small businesses, who employ the majority of people in the state, to purchase health care for employees. Since 1999, the number of small employers offering plans has declined by 13 percent. The 2004 legislation is not the only reason that many small business owners don’t offer insurance, of course, but it only made it more difficult.

» In January, the General Assembly passed legislation raising the minimum wage $1 to $6.15 per hour. In rich sections of the state where jobs are in short supply, this legislation will do nothing. In poorer sections it will decrease demand for jobs because for some businesses $1 an hour will make the difference between being able to hire someone or not.

Jim Brady, the Secretary of Business and Economic Development under Gov. Glendening, says he does not think that legislators purposely try to be anti-business. “It’s not a cabal, I just don’t think they think through the ramifications of what they do,” he said.

We wish they would.

Don’t you?

To prevent future Wal-Mart, et al laws, the business community must actively recruit candidates who understand economics and withhold support from those who don’t. We don’t need any more lemmings in the General Assembly taking us over an economic cliff.

Examiner

20060523 How Dems Store Their Bribes

How Dems Store Their Bribes

A photoshop that I wish I had done.

You can do whatever you wish with the information, I liked the photoshop art.

Nevertheless.

Does the word, “schadenfreude” come to mind?

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin

_________________

HOW DEMS STORE THEIR BRIBES

By Michelle Malkin · May 23, 2006 10:39 PM

Hot Air affiliate Flip Pidot of Suitably Flip, inspired by the Rep. William Jefferson case, has the photoshop of the day:

http://suitablyflip.blogs.com/suitably_flip/2006/05/a_pictures_wort.html

***

Meanwhile, Roger L. Simon notes Newt Gingrich's tin ear. Denny Hastert's got it, too. Glenn Reynolds has more.

***

Previous:

Foiled again!

20060524 KDDC June 4 Masterworks Chorale Concert.

June 4 Masterworks Chorale Concert

Both Dr. Margie Boudreaux and Westminster Advocate Editorial Assistant Jamie Chapman have reminded me of the upcoming Masterworks Chorale Concert featuring “Carmina Burana.”

The spring concert will be performed at Winters Mill High School at 7 PM on Sunday, June 4^th, 2006.

For additional information, go to the Masterworks website at www.masterworksofcc.org.

For a program note on the featured music, please go to:

http://www.kevindayhoff.com/2006/05/20060524-kddc-1937-carl-orff-carmina.html

or: www.masterworksofcc.org.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Here are the basics that Margie e-mailed me just today. And below, Lois Szymanski, with the Westminster Advocate has the story:

Carl Orff's spectacular choral work, Carmina Burana, will be performed by
the Masterworks Chorale of Carroll County, conducted by Dr. Margaret
Boudreaux, on Sunday, June 4, at 7pm in the Auditorium of Winters Mill HS.

The Westminster Ballet Theater, the Children's Chorus of Carroll County,
and the Westminster HS Percussion Ensemble are collaborating with Masterworks in this performance. The dual pianos will be played by Patti
Jimenez and Melanie Many.

Tickets are $10 if purchased in advance, and $12 at the door.

Depending on ticket availability the night of the performance children and students with ID are admitted free.

Due to limited seating advance purchase of tickets is strongly encouraged. Tickets can be purchased at Coffees Music and Stu's Music, both in Westminster, or from choir members (and from Margie Boudreaux).

For more information contact Margie Boudreaux at 410-857-2558, mboudrea@mcdaniel.edu, or go to the Masterworks website at www.masterworksofcc.org.

_________________

Westminster Advocate

Masterworks Chorale planning collaborative show for June 4
Lois Szymanski 24.MAY.06

“This show is going to be very different from the others we have had in the past,” Joanne Lott said of the Masterworks Chorale of Carroll County’s upcoming show.

Lott knows what she is talking about. She is not only the publicity director for Masterworks; she also sings with them.

On June 4, the group will hold its spring concert, featuring “Carmina Burana,” at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Winters Mill High School.

The show is conducted by Margaret Boudreaux. The big difference this year is the special guests planned for the show.

The Children’s Chorus of Carroll County, directed by Diane Jones, will be a part of the show, as will the Westminster Percussion Ensemble, led by Mark Lortz.

Perhaps the most intriguing change is the addition of dancers from the Westminster Ballet Theater, adding a whole new dimension to the performance, making it even more of a show. The dancers will be directed by Jeannette Sullivan.

“It’s an incredibly powerful and dramatic work, unmatched by anything else I know of from the 20th century,” Boudreaux said. “It basically is a commentary of the wild fluctuations we all experience in life, from the very highest to the very lowest moments.”

Boudreaux described what has evolved.

Boudreaux said the dancers will enact a love sought, lost and found again while the percussionists will make the performance powerful and add to the story.

Since it also is the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthday, they’ll also have a brief section before “Carmina Burana.”

“That will feature some of Mozart’s rounds that match the mood of Carmina and warm everyone up for the main event,” Boudreaux said. “That section will include two rounds for audience participation, a whole other level of ‘collaborative performance,’ which I really enjoy.”

Lortz, who has worked with Masterworks Chorale for about 10 years, enjoys the collaborative atmosphere of this performance.

“The best part about the production is the collaboration of many different elements in the community,” he said. “It truly is a team effort of amazing talent.”

There will also be two baby grand pianos, played by Melanie Many and Patricia Jimenez.

The musicians have never performed this piece and are excited to learn it all together, Lortz said.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this monstrous undertaking,” he said.

Boudreaux echoed his excitement.

“Working with the Children’s Chorus of Carroll County, the dancers from the Westminster Ballet and the percussionists from Westminster High School makes this an incredibly rich community event,” she said.

Admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door for adults. Students with a school ID and children will be admitted free after 6:45 p.m., if space allows.

Advance tickets are on sale at Coffey Music and Stu’s Music and from members of Masterworks Chorale.

If you go

What: “Carmina Burana,” Masterworks Chorale’s spring concert, featuring Children’s Chorus of Carroll County, Westminster Percussion Ensemble and Westminster Ballet Theater

When: June 4 at 7 p.m.

Where: Winters Mill High School auditorium, Gorsuch Road and North Center Street, Westminster

Tickets: $10/advance, available at Coffey Music and Stu’s Music and from Masterworks members or $12/door. Students with ID and children will be admitted free after 6:45 p.m. if space allows.

More information: Call 410-871-3371 or visit http://masterworksofcc.org.

- Special to the Advocate

20060524 KDDC 1937 Carl Orff Carmina Burana Boudreaux

20060524 KDDC 1937 Carl Orff Carmina Burana Boudreaux

Program Notes by Margaret Boudreaux

http://www.masterworksofcc.org/

Carmina Burana (1937)
Carl Orff (1895-1982)

“

Carmina Burana premiered in 1937, between the two world wars and on the rising wave of horrors that defined the 20th century. Orff subtitled the work “Cantiones profanae” (secular cantata), placing it in the realm of worldly life, bewildered by fortune’s whims, yet searching for love and beauty.

Orff used a medieval text found in the monastery of Benediktbeuern in 1803 and attributed to wandering students and goliards (for the most part, defrocked priests).

The text is German and Latin reflecting both the homeland and the education of the writers. The Latin texts parallel sacred texts the writers would have known, but with secular twists reflecting their disillusionment with a world they had ceased trying to understand.

The German texts depict love and springtime, parallel to the troubadour songs of nearby France. The music contains driving rhythms and jarring dissonances that then abruptly melt into beautiful harmonies and calming melodies.

Tonight’s performance interprets those mood swings with dance, a full battery of percussion, two pianos and both adult and children’s choruses. The percussion and pianos bring the timbres originally envisioned by Orff, best known for his percussion methods for teaching children music.

The dance illustrates the search for love, complete with despairing frustration, and finally optimism in the cycle of love and spring’s return. The mix of adult and children’s voices encompass life itself, from the very early to the later stages of our human drama.

Carmina Burana is in three main sections: Spring, In the Tavern and The Court of Love. Two identical “bookends,” the famous “O Fortuna” choruses, frame those three sections.

These address “Fortune” as a deity that arbitrarily rolls the dice of fate. The meaning of those texts is strangely in the shape of a reverse arch.

The first section depicts springtime with beauty, youth, and the promise of love.

The middle section depicts the emptiness and despair found in those who try to drunkenly drown away their perplexing existence.

The music of that section ranges from the hopeless cynicism and abandonment in the baritone solo that opens the section, “Estuans interius” (burning inside), to the bizarre satirical song of the roasted swan, once beautiful and white swimming gracefully on a lake, and now roasted for the feast, to the raucous “In Taberna,” humorously exposing the total mindlessness of the drinking crowd.

The beauty of love’s promise, ever present in the human heart evaporates the darkness of the tavern. The optimistic nature of the final section is underscored with the use of children’s voices reminding us of hope in the future however bleak the moment may appear.

Ultimately love triumphs in the spectacular soprano solo “Dulcissima,” at which point the chorus returns with the opening chorus reminding us of each day’s unpredictability.

Though Orff lived through one of the most terrifyingly challenging eras in history, the message he chose to portray in Carmina Burana is not new.

Consider this biblical passage: “There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people who are treated according to the conduct of the wicked, and there are wicked people who are treated according to the conduct of the righteous. I said that this is also vanity. So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 8:14–15).

Mozart’s contemporary, Voltaire, expressed a similar sentiment at the end of his scathing satire, Candide. After his futile quest for the “best of all possible worlds,” he reminds us that ultimately “we must cultivate our garden.”

The question then remains to each individual—what to do? Give in to despair . . . or . . . find a path to hope, meaning and love for others even in the brutal face of evil and darkness.

”

—Margaret Boudreaux

20060524 KDDC City employees our neighbors too by Lyndi McNulty

City employees our neighbors too by Lyndi McNulty

For more information on the Westminster Mayor and Common Council go to:

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/council.asp

and

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/mayor.asp

and

http://www.westgov.com/default.asp

“

Commentary: City employees our neighbors, too

May 24, 2006 by Lyndi McNulty

Small towns are great, especially Westminster, where we sometimes forget that elected officials are our friends and neighbors, too.

Recently, local residents asked the City Council and Police Chief Jeff Spaulding to make sure the traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue was obeying the speed limit.

Councilman Greg Pecoraro and Spaulding offered to meet with local citizens early one evening to observe traffic there.

There are not many places in the world that residents of a town can meet with local officials and take a walk with them, discussing traffic and other neighborhood concerns.

Westminster is really not so small now, but these busy city officials did not hesitate to schedule time to listen to residents.

Both Pecoraro and Spaulding pointed out that studies prove that stop signs do not slow traffic. However, a street scape plan is in the works for this street, which will provide bump outs, making the street appear smaller and slowing traffic.

What else do our officials do to better the community? Lots, and many things on their own time.

City Council President Roy Chiavacci works for seniors at Carroll Lutheran Village. He also volunteers for Change, an organization that works for people with developmental disabilities.

Chiavacci also served as the committee chairman of a local Boy Scout troop and served as a coach for baseball and football teams.

You will see other City Council members every day in the community.

Councilwoman Suzanne Albert, member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westminster, will again be helping with the bingo tent at the Fallfest celebration.

She is also past chairwoman of the Rape Crisis Center and is also a part-time Carroll Hospice team nurse.

Councilman Kevin Utz was a state trooper and past chief of the Westminster Fire Department, both for 28 years.

He is also a local business owner with a real estate office in downtown Westminster.

Of course, most residents in Westminster know Councilman Bob Wack, who worked endless hours making sure Access Carroll, a medical office that makes medical care available to those who cannot afford it, a reality.

Wack did everything from raising money to painting walls himself.

And who can say enough about Mayor Tom Ferguson?

When he is not dyeing Easter eggs with local children, you might see him picking up donations for the Carroll Lutheran Village auction in his pickup truck or being a fashion model in a fund-raising fashion show for the Arts Council.

He has been in the Rotary for over 31 years and actively works on the board of directors for the ARC.

Currently, he is working with the Community of Shalom to build a Boys and Girls Club in Westminster.

The best thing about our mayor and city council is that you can talk with them anytime about the city and work with them on committees to improve our community.

Your concerns are their concerns, as they make difficult decisions every day to make sure that you and your family have everything from parks to play in to a quality police force.

They were your friends and neighbors before they were elected officials, and they still are.

— Lyndi McNulty owns Gizmos Art in Westminster.”

20060524 Flower and Jazz Festival pics and posts

May 24, 2006

Flower and Jazz Festival pics and posts

Folks have been asking where the Flower and Jazz Festival pictures are posted.

They can be found at:

http://www.kevindayhoff.com/2006/05/20060516-kddc-wster-flower-and-jazz.html

or use this link:

20060516 KDDC Wster Flower and Jazz Festival Pictures

A write-up on the Flower and Jazz Festival has also been posted on the Winchester Report on The Westminster Eagle Web-site.

Or use this link:

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=721108&CategoryID=18298&show=localnews&om=1

20060524 Commissioner Jones honored for public service

Commissioner Jones honored for public service

The Westminster Advocate has the story:

Community Briefs – May 24 – Westminster Advocate

Commissioner Jones honored for public service

Carroll County Commissioner Perry L. Jones Jr. was honored April 27 with his alma mater Linganore High School’s Distinguished Graduate Award for Public Service. A member of the class of 1970, he is only the third recipient of this award.

Jones served on the Union Bridge Town Council for 10 years, from 1980 until 1990, when he was elected mayor. He served as mayor until 2002. That year, he was elected to an at-large seat on the Board of County Commissioners.

In 2005, Jones was selected as Maryland’s sole representative at the County Leadership Institute at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

He sits on the board of directors for the Maryland Association of Counties, serving as its treasurer in 2005. He also belongs to the Maryland Mayors Association and served on the Maryland Municipal League board of directors from 1998 to 2002. He was inducted into MML’s Hall of Fame for his public service.

In addition to his public offices, Jones has volunteered with the Union Bridge Fire Company for nearly 30 years. He was captain of the ambulance company and served on the fire company’s board of directors.

He is a member of the Union Bridge Lions Club and an American Community Leadership semi-finalist.

20060524 KDDC Commissioner Jones honored for public service

Commissioner Jones honored for public service

The Westminster Advocate has the story:

Community Briefs – May 24 – Westminster Advocate

Commissioner Jones honored for public service

Carroll County Commissioner Perry L. Jones Jr. was honored April 27 with his alma mater Linganore High School’s Distinguished Graduate Award for Public Service. A member of the class of 1970, he is only the third recipient of this award.

Jones served on the Union Bridge Town Council for 10 years, from 1980 until 1990, when he was elected mayor. He served as mayor until 2002. That year, he was elected to an at-large seat on the Board of County Commissioners.

In 2005, Jones was selected as Maryland’s sole representative at the County Leadership Institute at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

He sits on the board of directors for the Maryland Association of Counties, serving as its treasurer in 2005. He also belongs to the Maryland Mayors Association and served on the Maryland Municipal League board of directors from 1998 to 2002. He was inducted into MML’s Hall of Fame for his public service.

In addition to his public offices, Jones has volunteered with the Union Bridge Fire Company for nearly 30 years. He was captain of the ambulance company and served on the fire company’s board of directors.

He is a member of the Union Bridge Lions Club and an American Community Leadership semi-finalist.