Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

20070101 Christmas in Kuwait


Christmas in Kuwait

December 30th, 2006/January 2nd, 2007


(For more information on the photo - please click here or here.)

Hat Tip: Mudville Gazette: “Mike Yon, in Kuwait

Milblogger Michael Yon writes From a Starbucks, on a U.S. Military Base, in Kuwait.”

Great post for everyone on the verge of being brainwashed by the U.S. main stream media:

Read the entire post: Christmas in Kuwait (And Qatar, and Hanoi, and Singapore, and Jakarta)

A couple of excerpts:

[…]

“… A couple weeks ago in Singapore, an opportunity arose to speak with a clutch of field-grade officers, most of whom were foreign veterans of the worldwide war. These officers were from countries such as Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. A common theme among our foreign allies is a concern that we Americans seem to think we are standing alone against a world teeming with enemies. Our military leaders of course know that we are not alone and that enemies do not lurk in every cave or under every rock. They know, too, that we have more allies than enemies, and even more who fit into neither category.”

[…]

[re-paragraphed by me]

This war is strange. I never hear soldiers worried about their own morale sagging. Contrary, the war-fighters here are more concerned to bolster the morale of the people at home.


Here in Kuwait [my added link], where the dining facilities are bedecked in Christmas decorations, soldiers stream in from Iraq on convoys and stream back north along those bomb-laden roads. The service members here are not all rear-echelon people who never see fighting or blood.


Yet their overall morale obviously is high.


Few of them know I am a writer, and so they speak freely at the tables around me. In Qatar, from which I’d just departed, I spoke with troops taking four-day R&R passes, some having just returned from the most dangerous parts of Iraq, and others heading straight back, and their overall morale was also very high.


The morale at war is higher than I have ever seen it at home; makes me wonder what they know that most Americans seem to be missing. [my added emphasis]

Again – Read the entire post: Christmas in Kuwait (And Qatar, and Hanoi, and Singapore, and Jakarta)

Also please read my December 20th, 2006 Tentacle column, “An Uneasy Truce,” in which I also touch upon some of these issues: “Christmas is within a week and my thoughts and prayers go out to the men and women in uniform who are deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

[…]

Whether you support the Bush administration's conduct of the war or not, hopefully, that is irrelevant when it comes to supporting our nation's military personnel in harm's way.


I have had the honor personally to know two individuals who have been deployed. One served a tour of duty a little over a year ago. The other is currently deployed in a support mission based in Kuwait, which involves actions in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

[…]

In spite of Sen. John Kerry's infamous "botched joke," uttered last October, which many interpreted as disparaging commentary on the level of education, intelligence and sense of endeavor of our fighting men and women, one is a college student majoring in management at a major university and the other has his master's degree.

[…]

In particular, the veteran who served in the Kurdish Province had several opportunities to view CNN reports on actions in which he participated and was dismayed by the slant and spin; to the point where he hardly recognized the events as reported.


It will be interesting to see just how our greater society will be affected in future years by the military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.


The experience of the politics over the war has caused many of them to lose faith in much of our country's national leaders because they play parlor-politics with the deadly opera of life and death in a combat zone.


And their experience with the news media has caused many veterans to not only distrust, but to disdain the traditional main stream media.

Speaking of Senator John Kerry – check out this post on “Blackfive:” “Jawn Carry - Looks Like 3rd BCT, 1st Cav, drew the short straw.

Michelle Malkin does the senator’s visit even more of the justice it deserves.

Bryan Preston sums it up: "I've never seen a snubbing so richly deserved."


I'm sure the Wall Street Journal will call this another of the blogosphere's "second-order distractions." But the troops think it's newsworthy and snort-worthy. And so do I.


Words have consequences.[my link added – or go here or here]

Please understand, for all the civilians out there, just how profound it is for military personnel to snub Senator Kerry. Military folks are usually publicly very respectful and deferential to elected officials, no matter what their personal feelings. It’s called professionalism and discipline. So for folks in the military to play hide and seek with Senator Kerry, it is quite noteworthy.

Additionally, David Ignatius, an Op-Ed columnist with the Washington Post made an attempt at addressing the disconnect that is going on between reality in the Middle East and the way it is being reported by the liberal United States main stream media.

His column is titled, “Their Christmas at War” and it was published in the Washington Post on December 22, 2006 on page A33.

It was a good beginning by Mr. Ignatius, but he got lost in the weeds about half-way through the piece. He did regain control of his column about two-thirds of the way through, but only after some off-topic commentary about: “A young woman who calls herself "Techno" has a small Christmas tree at the foot of her bed. She explains in her blog that she broke up with her boyfriend before joining the Army and coming to Iraq.”

Then: “…says he has learned two things from Iraqis: the importance of having a special place for your gun at home, and the requirement that "every male should have some sort of facial hair.”

Huh? WTF?

However, this excerpt made his column worthwhile:

This holiday season, America is struggling through a searing national debate about Iraq. The horror of the war feels immediate, even to people who've never been near Baghdad, but less so the humanity of the thousands of American soldiers who are serving there. That's part of the Iraq disconnect: The war dominates our political life, but the men and women in the midst of it often are nearly invisible. We see them in thumbnail photos in group obituaries but not as real, living people.

If you read soldiers' blogs, and I've looked at several dozen over the past few days, you see a recurring anger that the media aren't telling their story. So I'll let a few of the military bloggers speak for themselves. If you want to share in the conversation, a good place to start is http://milblogging.com, which collects blogs from soldiers deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.

Needless to say, the first thing most American soldiers are thinking about is getting back home. They wait for a magic acronym: RIP/TOA, which means: "Relief in Place/Transfer of Authority."

Read his column here.

Tentacle, Moonbat, Iraq War, Senator John Kerry, Military.

####

20070101 Robin Pool’s Country View Tuxedo and Wedding Accessories

Robin Pool’s Country View Tuxedo and Wedding Accessories

Winchester Exchange,

15 East Main Street Westminster, Maryland 21157

Phone: (410) 857-7601

http://www.countryviewtuxedo.com/

Sunday, December 31, 2006

20061231 BBC News: US Iraq death toll 'hits 3,000' on December 28, 2006

BBC News: US Iraq death toll 'hits 3,000'

Sunday, 31 December 2006

The death of a Texan soldier in Baghdad brings the total number of US troops killed in Iraq to 3,000, independent groups tracking casualties have said.

The US Defence Department confirmed that the soldier was killed by small arms fire in the capital last week.

The announcement came on the final day of 2006 and as the US military reached the end of the deadliest month for its troops in Iraq for two years.

The US president is considering the future strategy for troops in Iraq.

The figure was calculated by an independent website, Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, and by the Associated Press news agency.

The Pentagon confirmed the death of 22-year-old Dustin R Donica on 28 December as previously unreported.

"Every loss is regretted and there is no special significance to the overall number of casualties," Lt Col Mark Ballesteros said.

The BBC's Jonathan Beale, in Washington, says this grim milestone comes at a critical time for Mr Bush as he prepares to unveil a new strategy in Iraq, which may include increasing the number of soldiers on the ground.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6221805.stm

Published: 2006/12/31 21:27:01 GMT

© BBC MMVII

20061001 kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

As of October 1, 2006 kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Posted by Kevin Dayhoff on October 1, 2006 Cross-posted here.

Please add http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ to your bookmarks now.

For my latest posts please click here.

I’ve got lots of work to do on the new site, but little by little, I’ll get it done. I intend on my moving all the links eventually.

I will leave the site, which contains all the previous posts, up indefinitely…

For more information click here.

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/

Saturday, December 30, 2006

20061230 Crablaw calls to our attention a Sun article on Tom Schaller’s book

Bruce Godfrey at Crablaw calls to our attention a Baltimore Sun article on Tom Schaller’s book

December 29th, 2006

Writing for the Baltimore Sun, Andrew Green has a piece about UMBC professor Tom Schaller’s book, “Whistling Past Dixie: How the Democrats Can Win Without the South.”

A big thank you to Crablaw for calling the article to our attention.

In his post, Mr. Godfrey encourages his readers to be sure to read Mr. Green’s article.

I agree.

However, I’m encouraging “Soundtrack” readers to also
be sure to read Crablaw’s post about Dr. Schaller’s book.

For a previous post about Dr. Schaller and his book, please read: “
20061030 Appearance on the Mark Steiner Show.” And for other mentions of Dr. Schaller in “Soundtrack,” please click here.


I have come to really appreciate Dr. Schaller.
When I appeared on WYPR’s Mark Steiner show last October 30th, 2006, he was wonderful to chat with about current events, politics and the issues. To be certain, we agreed on very little, however, he was fun and engaging and kept it intellectual.

To be sure, we need more Dr. Schaller’s in the "public intellectual."
[1]

I have not read the
book; however, it is on my short list of “must” reading.

I have several colleagues who have read it and were excited about Dr. Schaller’s out of the box insights and fresh pragmatic approaches.

It is not really fair to comment on the book without reading it, nevertheless, my uninformed view is that Democrats will still have problems with some their party’s liberal positions in the Western United States. Positions on gun ownership comes to mind quickly.

Reading Mr. Green’s article reminded me of the “banter by way of song,” between Neil Young and the lead singer of “Lynyrd Skynyrd,” Ronnie Van Zant in the early 1970s.

What many in the public were not aware, is that the two talented songwriters and performers were quite good friends.

Nevertheless, on Mr. Young’s third album, one of my all time favorites, “After the Gold Rush,” released in 1970, there was a song entitled, “Southern Man.”

The lyrics
[2] to “Southern Man” were a biting critique of Mr. Young’s understandings of race relations in the south in the 1960s.

Ronnie van Zant responded with “Sweet Home Alabama,” in which he attempted to portray what was good about the south. (“Sweet Home Alabama” was written by Ed king, Ronnie van Zant and Gary Rossington.)
[3]

Mr. Green writes that “Virginia Democratic strategist and "Bubba vote" guru David W. "Mudcat" Saunders,” has taken umbrage with Dr. Schaller’s book.

Hopefully Mr. Saunders and Dr. Schaller can be great sports and get together some time and talk about the book and the future of the Democratic Party’s presence and strategy in the south.

That would be a great public forum at say, UMBC or UVa - - or somewhere. How about William and Mary in Williamsburg? Dr.
Simon Stow could be the moderator. (See “20061005 Breakfast and a class at William and Mary.”)

Read Mr. Green’s Baltimore Sun article here.

Read Bruce Godfrey’s Crablaw article here.

Buy Dr. Schaller’s book here.

Kevin

####



[1] Andrew Green wrote on December 27th, 2006 in the Baltimore Sun: “Schaller, 39, is a bespectacled, fast-talking political science professor who has been trying for the last few years to work his way into a career as a liberal talking head, or, as he calls it, "public intellectual."


[2] Lyrics to Neil Young’s 1970 "Southern Man"

Southern man; better keep your head; Don't forget; what your good book said; Southern change; gonna come at last; Now your crosses; are burning fast; Southern man.

I saw cotton; and I saw black; Tall white mansions; and little shacks. Southern man; when will you; pay them back? I heard screamin'; and bullwhips cracking; How long? How long?

Southern man; better keep your head; Don't forget; what your good book said; Southern change; gonna come at last; Now your crosses; are burning fast; Southern man.

Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown; I've seen your black man; comin' round; Swear by God; I'm gonna cut him down! I heard screamin'; and bullwhips cracking; How long? How long?


[3] Lyrics to Ed King, Ronnie van Zant and Gary Rossington’s Lynyrd Skynyrd’s early 1970’s “Sweet Home Alabama:”

Big wheels keep on turning Carry me home to see my kin Singing songs about the southland I miss Alabamy once again And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister young sing about her Well, I heard ole Neil put her down Well, I hope Neil Young will remember A southern man don’t need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord, Im coming home to you

In Birmingham they love the governor Now we all did what we could do Now Watergate does not bother me Does your conscience bother you? Tell the truth

Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord, Im coming home to you Here I come Alabama

Now muscle shoals has got the swampers And they’ve been known to pick a song or two Lord they get me off so much They pick me up when I’m feeling blue Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord, I’m coming home to you

Sweet home Alabama Oh sweet home baby Where the skies are so blue And the governors true Sweet home Alabama Lordy Lord, I’m coming home to you Yea, yea Montgomery’s got the answer

20061229 Best Quotes of 2006

Best Quotes of 2006

December 29th, 2006

Not in any particular order:

#1.

Affixed to the doors, including those leading to the Republican governor's inner sanctum and trophy room, are copies of an enlarged quote from the Democratic Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller.

The flyer reads: GOP leaders are "going to be flying high, but we're going to get together and we're going to shoot them down. We're going to bury them face down in the ground, and it'll be 10 years before they crawl out again."

Posted by Ann Marimow on January 18, 2006 at 6:28 PM ET | Permalink |

20060118 Fawell Motivational Speaking mmwp

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2006/01/motivational_speaking.html

Jon Ward says: “Mr. Miller made the comment in a speech nearly two weeks ago as the 2006 General Assembly in Annapolis was convening.”

20060123 Millers words fire up rivals wt

Miller's words fire up rivals

http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20060123-120031-7427r.htm

By Jon Ward
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published January 23, 2006

_____

#2.

I was trying to find a quote from Del. George C. Edwards for his 20060000 hb1436 “Bears,” “A law that would spread the joy of bears throughout Maryland.” But Sun Reporter Jill Rosen wrote that on March 27th, 2006 and did not attribute it to Delegate Edwards.

_____

#3.

[…]

Most delegation members were unaware of parts of the county where alcohol beverages licenses cannot be sold.

"Is that a bad thing?" Sen. Alex Mooney asked.

"It depends on whether you drink scotch or not," Mr. Clagett replied. "If you're me, that's not good."

Mr. Clagett explained why the change was needed. Delegate Rick Weldon responded, "So, this isn't the 'Galen couldn't find a bottle of Chivas' bill, then?"

[…]

20060213 Political Notes Clifford Cumber fnp

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOKS : CLIFFORD G. CUMBER

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/notebooks/display.htm?storyid=46578

Political Notes — Clagett calls for demise of dry districts

Published on February 13, 2006

_____

####

20061229 A New Blogger, “Free Market” has joined the blogosphere asylum

A New Blogger has joined the blogosphere asylum

December 29th, 2006

Hat Tip: Fineline

Welcome “Free Market” to the blogosphere asylum.

“Free Market” - A Libertarian leaning blog about the goings on in Howard County Maryland and the world.

Kevin

Friday, December 29, 2006

20061228 Real Editor seems to have annoyed ScrappleFace Editor


“Real” Editor seems to have annoyed ScrappleFace Editor

ScrappleFace Editor Responds to Real Editor

December 28th, 2006

In what is tantamount to must-read Internet, a “real” editor, from of all places, the Utopian Republic of San Francisco, seems to have attempted to take to task ScrappleFace for a satire piece he wrote, “One Year Later, Some Katrina Victims Still Slow to Respond,” and ScrappleFace drops the palliative vehicle of humor and responds.

The result is a very real and serious manifesto that cuts right to the quick of the matter, for not only the media’s response to Katrina, but much of what is wrong with our country today.

Please find the time to read his entire post: “ScrappleFace Editor Responds to Real Editor.” It is more than worth every minute of your time.

Mr. Scott wrote in his ScrappleFace post:

“In the immediate aftermath of Katrina, journalists sought someone to blame. They, predictably, found President George Bush was the best scapegoat. But in lashing out, yet again, at their favorite source of all discontent, they missed a bigger target. If anyone “out there” is to be blamed, it is the large, remote, centralized federal government which has become a surrogate father to so many millions of Americans.”

[Meanwhile… I wrote several columns about the tragedy of Katrina in The Tentacle:

October 5, 2005 “Kurosawa's History of Hurricane Katrina” American Anthropologist Ernest Albert Hooten once said: "History is principally the inaccurate narration of events which ought not to have happened." How will history record Hurricane Katrina?

September 14, 2005 “Katrina – Who Did What and When?” The intemperate criticism directed at the Hurricane Katrina response – the rescue and recover efforts – is more polluted than the floodwaters of New Orleans and contributes nothing to a noble American tradition of coming together at a difficult time and helping fellow Americans in a time of need.

And

September 9, 2005 “Shut up and call the cavalry” Compassion exceeds all else in importance on the Gulf Coast in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. Only the truly heartless can be left untouched. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and the rescuers.]

Mr. Ott begins the post by saying”

“… since ScrappleFace began, my little satirical stories have reached millions of people. Those who read them on the website, for the most part, understand the satirical context. However, thanks to the magic of clip-and-paste, many stories have been ripped from their context and distributed … causing consternation and ill-will in some cases. Normally, the vast editorial staff at ScrappleFace when notified of such offenses, dutifully ignores them, preferring to let the work speak for itself.

We simply continue to ply the trade of creating “fake but accurate” news that we learned in journalism school, and at the feet of Dan Rather and The New York Times.”

With that, he isn’t even warmed-up yet. It gets better.

Apparently, Mary Ratcliff, the editor of the “San Francisco Bay View,” took offense at one of the pieces and has decided to climb upon the soapbox of moral authority and lecture Mr. Ott.

Right from the get-go, one can tell what is coming. Usually such folks – total strangers – in a manifestation of their total disdain for authority and their moral superiority begin with the condescending salutation of addressing you by your first name…

“Dear Scott,

I hope the story you wrote, “One Year Later, Some Katrina Victims Still Slow to Respond“, is satire and is not based on comments actually made by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. An excerpt from your story had been sent to me, and I forwarded it to this list…”

Usually such folks are total hysterics who feed off the tender morsels of found tidbits of a story and at that - - they draw broad-sweeping, self-adulating conclusions that are inaccurate at best, if not intellectually reprehensible.

The “tender morsels” are then extrapolated to the far reaches of reduction add absurdum.

Witness:

“If your story is satire, please tell that to the people on this list. As you can see, your story has caused them immeasurable pain. Think for a moment how it would feel to be condemned by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the person next in line to become president of the U.S. if something should happen to the president and vice president…”

This priceless. San Francisco representative Nancy Pelosi has not even been coroneted the Speaker of the House and here, in one mere sentence, Ms. Ratcliff has her speaking with the imprimatur of the president. Oy vey.

Having been the CEO of a local government with a larger than average share of morally superior secular progressives in our esteemed constituency; that believes that the job of government is solve every problem known to humankind; I’ve been there and got the t-shirt.

Such folks are insufferable. Usually such precious moments are full of breathless thespian pious pithy protestations and appeals involving, “Do the right thing…;” “it’s for the children;” or “everyone agrees…”

If the performance is in a public setting, usually the local newspaper will ignore 90% of the thoughtful comments and responses of well-intentioned citizens and report upon the small minority of folks who attempted to promote their miss-guided agenda by being unpleasant.

In 2005 I chaired a public meeting in which one of these actors began to launch into a soliloquy only to pause to look around the room and discover that the press was not there. At that point she lamented the lack of the press and fell silent.

It was profound. In other words, if she couldn’t grandstand for the local press, which loves her theatrics and words of wisdom, it was not worth her time to venture an opinion. (And no, insiders should be aware that in this example it was not the “RO Factor.”)

Mr. Scott warms up by writing:

“Your email address indicates you are an editor of something. Part of an editor’s job is to check sources before “going to press.” You clipped and pasted a bit forwarded to you from a satire website and sent it out as if it were something that Rep. Nancy Pelosi said. Now, you have asked me to write to this group of people (on a listserv) who have endured some of the harsh realities of life, that I might somehow atone for the confusion you have caused.”

He then continues later with:

“Over the decades, we have ceded power, authority and responsibility to the federal government far beyond anything envisioned or desired by our founders. As a result, instead relying on our own intelligence, resources and ability to work with others in our communities to solve problems, we have turned to Washington D.C..

This is not a matter of ‘blaming the victim’, because the victim has become so immersed in this twisted view of human life that he cannot see what has happened. The federal government’s dehumanizing effect has torn up neighborhoods, torn apart families and turned brave, capable people into compliant recipients of redistributed wealth.”

Mr. Scott at this point just gets better and better – and better.

Read the entire post here.

I hope Mr. Scott runs for president in 2008.

####

20070101 CCBOC Agenda

The agenda for the Carroll County Commissioners for the first week of the New Year.

December 29, 2006

The agenda for the Carroll County Commissioners for the first week of the New Year seems to be, for the most part, the Winter Meetings of the Maryland Association of Counties.

Perhaps appropriately so, what with the changes as a result of the general election last November, not only in the Maryland Statehouse and the Maryland General Assembly, but among the ranks of the leadership in Maryland counties.

The winter meetings will be important for the commissioners to get to know their counterparts and develop some thoughts and plans for promoting the agenda of Maryland counties and Carroll County in the upcoming session of the Maryland General Assembly.

For more on the Maryland Association of Counties – go here.

For the agenda of the Maryland Association of Counties’ winter meetings – go here.

For previous posts on “Soundtrack” about the Maryland Association of Counties – go here.

Board of County Commissioners

Julia W. Gouge, President

Dean L. Minnich, Vice President

Michael D. Zimmer, Secretary

Carroll County Government

225 North Center Street

Westminster, Maryland 21157

410-386-2043; 1-888-302-8978

fax 410-386-2485; TT 410-848-9747

Agenda for the Week of January 1, 2007

Please Note: This weekly agenda is subject to change. Please call 410-386-2043 to confirm a meeting you plan to attend. All meetings will be in Room 300A, (Unless otherwise noted) Carroll County Office Building.

  • Indicates Outside Activities

Monday – January 1, 2007

Closed ~ Holiday

Tuesday – January 2, 2007

Wednesday – January 3, 2007

Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference

Commissioners Gouge, Minnich and Zimmer

Thursday – January 4, 2007

Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference

Commissioners Gouge, Minnich and Zimmer

Friday – January 5, 2007

Maryland Association of Counties Winter Conference

Commissioners Gouge, Minnich and Zimmer

Saturday – January 6, 2007

Sunday – January 7, 2007

8:05 a.m. “The Commissioners’ Report” – WTTR

Commissioner Minnich

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the Carroll County Government and its programs, services, activities, and facilities. If you have questions, suggestions, or complaints, please contact Ms. Jolene Sullivan, the Carroll County Government Americans With Disabilities Act Coordinator, at 410-386-3600/1-888-302-8978 or TTY No. 410-848-9747. The mailing address is 225 North Center Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157.

dms~12/28/06

CARROLL COUNTY

a great place to live, a great place to work, a great place to play

20061229 Governor Ehrlich Grants Clemency to 17


Governor Ehrlich Grants Clemency to 17

December 29th, 2006


From: Henry Fawell
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 11:34 AM
Subject: Governor Ehrlich Grants Clemency to 17

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: Office of the Governor

December 22, 2006

Shareese DeLeaver

Henry P. Fawell

(410) 974.2316

Dept. of Public Safety & Correctional Services

Jacqueline Lampell

(410) 339.5081

Governor Ehrlich Grants Clemency to 17

Over 200 pardons granted by Governor Ehrlich in less than four years in office.

ANNAPOLIS – Today, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. granted executive clemency to seventeen individuals. The Governor granted pardons to:

Ernest C. Atkinson, Jr., 58, convicted of larceny in 1971 and two counts of larceny after trust in 1975. He was sentenced to one year probation, $100.00 in fines and $10.00 in court costs, and two years suspended, five years probation, $4,279.91 in restitution, and $130.00 in court costs, respectively.

Derrick D. Dew, 41, convicted of distribution of phencyclidine and possession with intent to distribute heroin in 1986. He was sentenced to one year and one year concurrent and ordered to pay $95.00 in court costs.

George Diggle, 35, convicted of breaking and entering of a dwelling in 1989. He was sentenced to ten days suspended and one year unsupervised probation with the following special conditions: obey all laws and pay $300.00 in restitution through the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.

José M. Fernandez, Sr., 53, convicted of malicious destruction of property in 1977. He was sentenced to six months.

Carolyn D. Gray, 40, convicted of misdemeanor theft in 1998. She was sentenced to sixty days suspended and one year probation.

Zelda R. Harris, 47, convicted of possession of controlled dangerous substance in 1991. She was sentenced to six months suspended and one year probation.

Sandra D.E. Harrison, 51, convicted of distribution of heroin in 1975. She was sentenced to two years suspended and two years probation.

Lisa Elizabeth B. Jeffries, 27, convicted of second-degree assault in 1999. She was sentenced to thirty days suspended, one year unsupervised probation, $20.00 in court costs, and $35.00 to the Criminal Injury Compensation Fund.

Michael G. McCusker, 46, convicted of assault, discharging a firearm in a metropolitan area, possession of marijuana, and possession of controlled dangerous substance in 1982. He was sentenced to two years suspended, three years probation, alcohol and drug treatment, $75.00 in court costs, and $100.00 in fines, respectively.

Gerald G. Miller, 45, convicted of two counts of distribution of controlled dangerous substance in 1981. He was sentenced to twelve months suspended and twelve months unsupervised probation, and $500.00 in fines, respectively.

Wade R. Ryan, 35, convicted of assault and battery in 1995. He was sentenced to two years suspended, with credit for one hundred and one day served.

Sarah B. Coakley-Saccoccio, 27, convicted of malicious destruction of property in 1997. She was sentenced to sixty days suspended, one year supervised probation, $138.00 in restitution, and sixteen hours of community service.

Inna M. Shamis, 25, convicted of felony theft in 2000. She was sentenced to twelve months unsupervised probation and thirty-two hours of community service.

Brenda L. McGlone Thatch, 57, convicted of battery in 1991. She was sentenced to fourteen days and six months probation with a special condition of counseling and treatment through the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene.

Joseph N. Myers, Jr., 36, convicted of DWI and theft in 1990. He was sentenced to six months suspended and two years probation.

David J. Twigg, 38, convicted of felony theft in 1987. He was sentenced to ninety days suspended, two years supervised probation, $15.00 to the Criminal Injury Compensation Fund, and $5.00 in court costs.

“Each of these men and women pardoned by Governor Ehrlich have taken it upon themselves to improve their lives and become law-abiding citizens,” said David R. Blumberg, Chairman of the Maryland Parole Commission. “They have worked hard to earn a second chance and relief from the collateral consequences of conviction.”

The Governor also granted a medical commutation of sentence to Arnold Saunders, convicted of first-degree burglary in 2005. He was sentenced to four years in the Division of Correction. Saunders suffers from AIDS, Wasting Syndrome, and S/P Cryptococcus Meningitis. According to the Assistant Statewide Medical Director, his “prognosis is poor.”

The Secretary of State advertised clemency applications for grantees on December 8, 2006, in The Daily Record.

The Governor’s actions today bring the total number of clemency executive orders to 231, including 210 pardons, 15 commutations of sentence, and 6 medical commutation/paroles.

“Governor Ehrlich has truly revived the clemency power in Maryland and established a national model for the personal consideration of clemency cases,” said Chief Counsel Jervis Spencer Finney. “Hundreds of people have benefited, as has a State that has seen its scales of justice find a more equal and appropriate balance.”

* * *

Background:

Under Article II, Section 20 of the Maryland Constitution, the Governor may grant reprieves and pardons. A pardon is an act of clemency in which the Governor, by order, absolves the grantee from the guilt of the grantee’s criminal act(s) and exempts the grantee from any continuing penalties imposed by law for those criminal acts. A pardon does not remove a conviction from a person’s criminal record. The records of the conviction(s) continue to exist in both court and law enforcement files, unless the grantee obtains an expungement from the court(s) that originally presided over the case(s) in question.

The legal process to grant a pardon as set forth in Correctional Services Title §7-206 authorizes the Maryland Parole Commission (“MPC”) to review and make recommendations to the Governor concerning a pardon, commutation of sentence, or other clemency. This nonbinding recommendation is submitted to the Governor for review. The Governor may choose to accept, modify, or reject MPC’s recommendation. Governor Ehrlich’s guidelines for pardon consideration are set forth below:

No application for pardon shall be considered while the petitioner is incarcerated.

Misdemeanants must have been crime-free for a period of five (5) years from the date of sentence, release from incarceration, or release from parole or probation, whichever last occurred.

Except as provided in paragraph #4, felons must have been crime-free for ten (10) years from the date of sentence, release from incarceration, or release from parole or probation, whichever last occurred except, however, the Parole Commission may, at its discretion and in specific instances, consider cases in which only seven (7) years have elapsed.

Felons convicted of crimes of violence as in §14-101 of the Criminal Law Article and felons convicted of controlled dangerous substance violations must have been crime-free for twenty (20) years from the date of sentence, release from incarceration, or release from parole or probation, whichever last occurred, except, however, the Parole Commission may, at its discretion and in specific instances, consider cases in which only fifteen (15) years have elapsed.

For purposes of effectuating a pardon, the Governor must issue a written executive order under the great seal. In addition, pursuant to the Constitution of Maryland, the Governor “shall give notice, in one or more newspapers, of the application made for pardon, and of the day on, or after which, his decision will be given.”

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Thursday, December 28, 2006

20061227 Billy announces cooking classes for the next three months



Giulianova Groceria
11 East Main Street
Westminster, MD 21158
(410) 876-7425
http://www.brothersun.biz/index.html
http://www.brothersun.biz/cooking.html
Come to Westminster and enjoy the best of the old world, right here in Carroll County.
January Cooking Classes (11th and 25th)
Gnocchi Night featuring Five Sauces!
Bolognese
Marinara
Puttenesca
Vodka
Arrabiata
Fresh breads, appetizers, and desserts will be served! Bring your own vino!!
Cost is $25.00 Per Person. Reservations and deposits of 25% are being accepted now.
E-mail me or call the store at 410-876-7425.

February Cooking Classes (1st and 15th)
Homemade Pasta Night!
Capellini (Angel Hair) - served with sun dried tomato, garlic olive oil, and finished with parmigiano reggiano!
Tagliatelle (Long Flat Ribbons) - will be served to you in a panchetta cream sauce!
Pappardelle (Large Fettuccine) - coming at you in a crab marinara!
Fresh breads, appetizers, and desserts will be served! Bring your own vino!!
Cost is $30.00 Per Person. Reservations and deposits of 25% are being accepted now.
E-mail me or call the store at 410-876-7425.

March Cooking Classes (1st, 15th and 29th)
Fried Risotto Balls with fresh mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano
Stuffed Calamari with Crab and Shrimp Mousse
Italian Scrod (small cod) - broiled and topped with saffron bechamel
Cost is $35.00 Per Person. Reservations and deposits of 25% are being accepted now.
E-mail me or call the store at 410-876-7425.



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