Dayhoff Soundtrack

Thursday, May 03, 2007

20070430 CCBOC Agenda

The agenda for the Carroll County Commissioners

for the week of April 30, 2007

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 April 30, 2007 ~ Revision 3

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 – April 30, 2007

8:45 a.m. Waste-to-Energy Tour

Lancaster, PA

and Northern Landfill in Westminster

Commissioners Gouge, Minnich & Zimmer

6:00 p.m. Planning & Zoning Commission

County Office Building ~ Room 003

Commissioner Gouge

Tuesday – May 1, 2007

8:30 a.m. Taneytown Economic Development Commission Meeting

Taneytown, MD

Commissioner Zimmer

10:00 a.m. Board of County Commissioners Open Session

Carroll County Office Building ~Room 003 (Lower Level)

Presentation of the Airport Draft Master Plan by United Research Services (URS)

Office of Performance Audit & Special Projects ~ Mr. Gary Horst

Bid Approval

Design Services ~ RFP Requirements Replacement for Bridge CL282 Falls Road

Over Indian Run

Bureau of Purchasing ~ Mr. Rich Shelton

Department of Public Works ~ Mr. J. Michael Evans

Tuesday – May 1, 2007 ~ Continued

Bid Approval

Intersection Improvements Marriottsville Road & Marriottsville Road No. 2

Bureau of Purchasing ~ Mr. Rich Shelton

Department of Public Works ~ Mr. J. Michael Evans

Briefing on Upcoming Public Hearing

Environmental Ordinance Changes

Department of the County Attorney ~ Ms. Kimberly Millender

Department of Planning ~ Mr. Steve Horn

Town of Sykesville Annexations ~ Discussion & Action on Waiver of Zoning

Department of Planning ~ Mr. Steve Horn

Chief of Staff Time ~ Mr. Steve Powell

CLOSED ~ Land Acquisition

ADMINISTRATIVE ~ Closed

~~7:00 p.m.~~ ~~The ARC of Carroll County Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner~~

~~Martin’s Westminster~~

~~Commissioner Zimmer~~

Wednesday – May 2, 2007

11:45 a.m. Performing in the Carroll County Public Library Puppet Show for

Carroll County Public School Kindergartners ~ Westminster Library

Commissioner Zimmer

7:30 p.m. FY08 Budget Public Hearing

Carroll Community College ~ The Scott Center

Commissioners Gouge, Minnich & Zimmer

Thursday – May 3, 2007

9:30 a.m. Board of County Commissioners Open Community Discussion

County Office Building ~ Room 300 A

Thursday – May 3, 2007 ~ Continued

10:00 a.m. Board of County Commissioners Open Session

Public Hearing ~ Environmental Ordinance Changes

Chapter 114 ~ Floodplain Management

Chapter 115 ~ Forest Conservation

Chapter 134 ~ Landscape Enhancement of Development

Chapter 191 ~ Stormwater Management

Chapter 218 ~ Water Resource Management

Department of the County Attorney ~ Ms. Kimberly Millender

Department of Planning ~ Mr. Steve Horn

Board of Health Meeting

Larry Leitch ~ Health Officer, Carroll County Health Department

Charles Zeleski, Assistant Environmental Health Director

Exercise Option to Purchase ~ Dobson Property ~ 704 Old Westminster Pike

Department of Public Works ~ Mr. J. Michael Evans

Review & Approve Family Self Sufficiency Application

Department of Management & Budget ~ Mr. Ted Zaleski

Department of Citizen Services ~ Mrs. Jolene Sullivan

Request Approval ~ Victim Witness Assistance Unit Support Staff Grant ~ Year 2

Department of Management & Budget ~ Mr. Ted Zaleski

States' Attorney ~ Mr. Jerry Barnes

Overview & Review of FY2008 Continuum of Care for the Homeless Program

Department of Management & Budget ~ Mr. Ted Zaleski

Department of Citizen Services ~ Mrs. Jolene Sullivan

Bid Approval

Purchase of One (1) 2007 Ford E350 Cutaway Utility Van per State Contract

Bureau of Purchasing ~ Mr. Rich Shelton

Department of General Services ~ Mr. Ralph Green

Bid Approval

Purchase of One (1) Skid Loader per State Contract

Bureau of Purchasing ~ Mr. Rich Shelton

Department of General Services ~ Mr. Ralph Green

Thursday – May 3, 2007 ~ Continued

Request Approval ~ On Behalf of Bond Authority

Department of Citizen Services ~ Mrs. Jolene Sullivan

Chief of Staff Time ~ Mr. Steve Powell

ADMINISTRATIVE ~ Closed

Friday – May 4, 2007

9:00 a.m. Performing in the Carroll County Public Library Puppet Show for

Carroll County Public School Kindergartners ~ Westminster Library

Commissioner Zimmer

Saturday – May 5, 2007

2:00 p.m. Eagle Scout Ceremony

Hampstead, MD

Commissioner Zimmer

Sunday – May 6, 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.

Posted: 07/07/06

CARROLL COUNTY

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

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

20070502 Quote of the day

Quote of the day: “Big Mistake”

May 2^nd, 2007

“The biggest mistake is believing there is one right way to listen, to talk, to have a conversation--or a relationship.” Deborah Tannen Communications Expert

Thanks TC

20070502 My view of the Iraq Supplemental and the Presidential Veto

My view of the Iraq Supplemental and the Presidential Veto

May 2^nd, 2007

My view of the Iraq Supplemental and the Presidential Veto can be found in two Tentacle columns:

Dems declare war on Mormon Crickets by Kevin E. Dayhoff April 4, 2007

One Who Listens by Kevin E. Dayhoff April 18, 2007

Demonstrators recently gathered at Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's Frederick office to theatrically illustrate their unhappiness over his vote on the emergency Iraq and Afghanistan supplemental funding legislation.

I’ll deal more with One Who Listens in another post another time…

For more history of the use of the presidential veto power see: “20070502 Presidential Vetoes from 1789 to present.”

For more information on the presidential veto of the Iraq Supplemental funding bill see: 20070502 Wielding the presidential veto by Laura Smith-Spark BBC News

Read the president’s reasons for vetoing the bill here: 20070502 President Bush’s talking points on veto of the Iraq Supplemental

Also – be sure to review again: 20070421 Dems exit stage left

Meanwhile in Dems declare war on Mormon Crickets I wrote:

Dems declare war on Mormon Crickets by Kevin E. Dayhoff April 4, 2007

As a result of the Democrats' quick action in Congress in the last few weeks, Americans may soon rest easy in the knowledge that we will be saved from the true terrorists in our world today - Mormon crickets.

I have certainly slept easier with this knowledge, and one can only be sure that you are comforted also.

Meanwhile, in a relatively mundane matter which certainly pales in comparison, presidents have used the veto pen 2,551 times since 1789 and many are looking forward to the 2,552nd as soon as the Iraq war supplemental spending bill hits the desk of President George W. Bush.

The first exercise of the executive veto power took place on April 5, 1792, when President George Washington vetoed legislation which would have changed the manner in which seats in the House of Representatives were calculated.

Fast-forwarding to current events, the Senate passed its version of the emergency Iraq supplemental funding bill 51 - 47 on March 29, following the House passage on March 23 by a vote of 218-212. Both bills included language which sets timetables for withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Both measures are offensive on several fronts. One, setting a date-certain timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq sends a signal to our enemies that we are about to surrender. Such a reckless declaration endangers our troops, demoralizes our men and women in uniform, and emboldens our enemies.

Read the rest of the column here: Dems declare war on Mormon Crickets

####

20070502 President Bush’s talking points on veto of the Iraq Supplemental

President Bush’s talking points on veto of the Iraq Supplemental

Straight To The Point:

President Bush: "It Is Time To Put Politics Behind Us And Support Our Troops With The Funds They Need"

President Bush Vetoes Iraq War Supplemental, Invites Bipartisan Congressional Leaders To White House Meeting Tomorrow "To Work To Resolve This Matter As Quickly As Possible"

"We need to give our troops all the equipment and the training and protection they need to prevail. That means that Congress needs to pass an emergency war spending bill quickly. I've invited leaders of both parties to come to the White House tomorrow and to discuss how we can get these vital funds to our troops. I am confident that with goodwill on both sides, we can agree on a bill that gets our troops the money and flexibility they need as soon as possible."

- President George W. Bush, 5/1/07

President Bush: "[M]embers of the House and the Senate passed a bill that substitutes the opinions of politicians for the judgment of our military commanders. So a few minutes ago, I vetoed this bill." "Here is why the bill Congress passed is unacceptable": (President George W. Bush, Statement On The Iraq War Supplemental, The White House, 5/1/07)

1. "First, the bill would mandate a rigid and artificial deadline for American troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq." "It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. ... Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure and that would be irresponsible."

2. "Second, the bill would impose impossible conditions on our commanders in combat." "That means American commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. This is a prescription for chaos and confusion, and we must not impose it on our troops."

3. "Third, the bill is loaded with billions of dollars in non-emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror." "Congress should debate these spending measures on their own merits and not as a part of an emergency funding bill for our troops."

President Bush: "The need to act is urgent. [W]hatever our differences, surely we can agree that our troops are worthy of this funding - and that we have a responsibility to get it to them without further delay."

"Without a war funding bill, the military has to take money from some other account or training program so the troops in combat have what they need."

"Without a war funding bill, the Armed Forces will have to consider cutting back on buying new equipment or repairing existing equipment."

"Without a war funding bill, we add to the uncertainty felt by our military families. Our troops and their families deserve better and their elected leaders can do better."

20070502 Wielding the presidential veto by Laura Smith-Spark BBC News

Wielding the presidential veto by Laura Smith-Spark BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6597545.stm

Last Updated: Wednesday, 2 May 2007, 13:22 GMT 14:22 UK

PRESIDENTS' VETOES

Highest number exercised:

F D Roosevelt (1933-45) - 372

G Cleveland (1885-89 & 1893-97) - 346

H S Truman (1945-53) - 180

DD Eisenhower (1953-61) - 73

Most recent presidents:

Ronald Reagan (1981-89) - 39

George Bush (1989-93) - 29

Bill Clinton (1993-2001) - 36

George W Bush (2001-) - 2

Figures for regular vetoes only; pocket vetoes are not included

Wielding the presidential veto

By Laura Smith-Spark BBC News, Washington

George W Bush used his veto for the first time on a stem cell bill

US leader George W Bush has exercised his presidential veto for only the second time in seven years of office.

The move was prompted by the approval by Congress of a bill linking war funding to a timetable for withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq.

The Democrat-controlled Congress passed the bill narrowly despite Mr Bush's repeated threats to veto it.

Once the bill was presented to Mr Bush, he had 10 days in which to return it to Congress with his objections - but opted instead to wield his veto within hours.

Both the House and Senate would have to muster a two-thirds majority in favour of the bill if they were to override the veto.

Given the Democrats' slim majorities they are highly unlikely to succeed, meaning the legislation will have to be revised and approved in both Houses again before returning to the president.

Read the rest of the article here: Wielding the presidential veto by Laura Smith-Spark BBC News

####

20070502 Presidential Vetoes from 1789 to present

Presidential Vetoes from 1789 to present

Information from: Office of the Clerk
U. S. House of Representatives
http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/house_history/vetoes.html

Presidential Vetoes

(1789 to Present)

Since 1789, the President has had the authority to veto legislation passed by Congress. This authority is one of the significant tools in the President's legislative dealings with Congress. It is effective in directly preventing the passage of legislation undesirable to the President, and the threat of a veto can bring about changes in the content of legislation long before the bill is ever presented to the President.

There are two types of vetoes available to the President. The "regular veto" is a qualified negative veto, which is limited by the ability of Congress to muster the necessary two-thirds vote of each House for constitutional override. The other type of veto is a "pocket veto." This veto is actually an absolute veto that cannot be overridden; it becomes effective when the President fails to sign a bill after Congress has adjourned and is unable to override the veto.

President	Congresses	Regular Vetoes	Pocket Vetoes	Total Vetoes	Vetoes Overridden
George Washington	1st- 4th	2	.....	2	.....
John Adams	5th-6th	.....	.....	.....	.....
Thomas Jefferson	7th-10th	.....	.....	.....	.....
James Madison	11th-14th	5	2	7	.....
James Monroe	15th-18th	1	.....	1	.....
John Quincy Adams	19th-20th	.....	.....	.....	.....
Andrew Jackson	21st-24th	5	7	12	.....
Martin Van Buren	25th-26th	.....	1	1	.....
William Henry Harrison	27th	.....	.....	.....	.....
John Tyler	27th-28th	6	4	10	1
James K. Polk	29th-30th	2	1	3	.....
Zachary Taylor	31st	.....	.....	.....	.....
Millard Fillmore	31st-32nd	.....	.....	.....	.....
Franklin Pierce	33rd-34th	9	.....	9	5
James Buchanan	35th-36th	4	3	7	.....
Abraham Lincoln	37th-39th	2	5	7	.....
Andrew Johnson	39th-40th	21	8	29	15
Ulysses S. Grant	41st-44th	45	48	93	4
Rutherford B. Hayes	45th-46th	12	1	13	1
James A. Garfield	47th	.....	.....	.....	.....
Chester A. Arthur	47th-48th	4	8	12	1
Grover Cleveland	49th-50th	304	110	414	2
Benjamin Harrison	51st-52nd	19	25	44	1
Grover Cleveland	53rd-54th	42	128	170	5
William McKinley	55th-57th	6	36	42	.....
Theodore Roosevelt	57th-60th	42	40	82	1
William H. Taft	61st-62nd	30	9	39	1
Woodrow Wilson	63rd-66th	33	11	44	6
Warren G. Harding	67th	5	1	6	.....
Calvin Coolidge	68th-70th	20	30	50	4
Herbert C. Hoover	71st-72nd	21	16	37	3
Franklin D. Roosevelt	73rd-79th	372	263	635	9
Harry S. Truman	79th-82nd	180	70	250	12
Dwight D. Eisenhower	83rd-86th	73	108	181	2
John F. Kennedy	87th-88th	12	9	21	.....
Lyndon B. Johnson	88th-90st	16	14	30	.....
Richard M. Nixon	91st-93rd	26	17	43	7
Gerald R. Ford	93rd-94th	48	18	66	12
James Earl Carter	95th-96th	13	18	31	2
Ronald Reagan	97th-100th	39	39	78	9
George Bush*	101th-102nd	29	15	44	1
William J. Clinton	103rd-106th	36	1	37	2
George W. Bush	107th-110th	2	.....	2	.....
Total	............	1486	1066	2552	106

* President Bush attempted to pocket veto two bills during intrasession recess periods. Congress considered the two bills enacted into law because of the President's failure to return the legislation. The bills are not counted as pocket vetoes in this table.

Source: Congressional Research Service

20070430 Fire destroys barn on historic Whittaker Chambers farm

Fire destroys barn on historic Whittaker Chambers “Pumpkin Papers” farm

Monday evening, April 30, 2007 approximately 35 fire fighters from Carroll County, Maryland and Adams County, Pennsylvania responded to a fire which destroyed a barn that was over 150 years-old on the Whittaker Chambers’ “Pipe Creek Farm” (the old Thomas Farm) just north of Westminster, Maryland.

April 30^th, 2007 Kevin Dayhoff http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

References:

My Tentacle column for Wednesday, May 1^st, 2007 is on the “The Legacy of Whittaker Chambers:”

On Monday evening, a tragic fire destroyed a circa-1850 barn on the historic Whittaker Chambers "Pumpkin Patch" farm just north or Westminster in Carroll County.

Interestingly enough, most of those attending the fire were not aware of the significance of the farm, which made history in 1948.

More than 45 years after his death on July 9, 1961, Whittaker Chambers continues to have a profound impact on the conservative movement in the United States.

Mr. Chambers was an accomplished writer and editor, who had been a member of the Communist Party of the United States from 1925 to 1937. He renounced communism in 1937.

After he defected from the Communist Party and abandoned his role as a Soviet spy, he became a courageous and vocal critic of communism and acquired lasting fame for outing Alger Hiss "as a fellow member of his underground Communist cell in the 1930s," according to Dr. Lee Edwards.

Dr. Edwards, writing for the Heritage Foundation in April 2001, called Mr. Hiss "a golden boy of the liberal establishment."

[…]

The site of the “Pumpkin Papers” has, over the years, come to be considered a national treasure by conservatives as many consider Whittaker Chambers to be a true American patriot of the first order.

[…]

In recent months, the “Union Mills Reservoir” project, first suggested by the City of Westminster in the mid-1970s has been revived by the Carroll County Commissioners. Unfounded concerns immediately surfaced that the much-needed water project has threatened the site of the “Pumpkin Papers,” and the Chambers’ “Pipe Creek Farm,” that was granted “national landmark status” in 1988 by Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel.

Fortunately, I have been led to a clear understanding that the Carroll County Commissioners share the view of many that everything possible needs to be done to preserve the “Pumpkin Papers” site yet nevertheless, take care of the commissioners’ basic “health, safety, and welfare” responsibilities to greater Carroll County.

Read the rest of my Tentacle column here: “The Legacy of Whittaker Chambers.”

Penny Riordan, writing for the Carroll County Times also wrote about the fire:

“Fire causes damage at historic farm” A late afternoon fire burned a barn to the ground and severely damaged a shed at the historic Chambers Farm off Bachmans Valley Road in Westminster Monday. The farm, which is listed as a National Historic Landmark, was where former owner Whittaker Ch…

For other posts on Soundtrack about Whittaker Chambers please click: Chambers – Whittaker Chambers and the “Pumpkin Papers”

_____

The call for the fire went out at 4:40 pm and the fire was declared under control by 5:45 pm. (I arrived with the canteen crew at 6:15 and took these pictures of the scene after the fire had been gotten under control.

As I wrote in my Tentacle column which came out this morning, “The Legacy of Whittaker Chambers:” Interesting enough, most folks attending the fire were not aware of the history or the significance of the farm, which made history in 1948.

It was Whittaker Chambers (April 1, 1901 – July 9, 1961) who was called to testify on August 3^rd, 1948 in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC.) Mr. Chambers had been a member of the Communist Party of the United States from 1925 to 1937. He renounced communism in 1937.

In several sessions in front of HUAC, he identified Alger Hiss, “a golden boy of the liberal establishment, as a fellow member of his underground Communist cell in the 1930s,” but offered little in the way of corroborating evidence.

Subsequently, Mr. Hiss, who denied he was a communist spy, sued Mr. Chambers for libel on October 8^th, 1948. Under pressure to provide materials to support his claims, and in response to a subpoena from HUAC, it was in December 1948 that Mr. Chambers retrieved various materials he had secreted in a hollowed-out pumpkin on his Carroll County farm. The press immediately named them the “Pumpkin Papers.”

Although it was not confirmed, the destroyed barn is believed to be adjacent to the December 1948 pumpkin patch. And a nearby building also heavily damaged, is hypothecated to be the “steer building” where Mr. Chambers and HUAC member Richard Nixon, once met to review the pumpkin patch materials.

______

When I turned in my copy for the Tentacle column, I had to cut it for word limit.

Pasted-in here are a few outtakes, juxtaposed in context:

[…]

Over 45 years after his death on July 9, 1961, Whittaker Chambers continues to have a profound impact upon the conservative movement in the United States.

William F. Buckley Jr., who later became steadfast friends with Whittaker Chambers, called him “the most important American defector from Communism.”

Mr. Chambers was an accomplished writer and editor who had been a member of the Communist Party of the United States from 1925 to 1937. He renounced communism in 1937.

[…]

After he graduated from high school in 1919 he enrolled in Columbia University, where his classmates came to consider him to possess a first rate mind and a gifted writer.

His classmates included the celebrated “Objectivist” poet, Louis Zukofsky; art historian Meyer Schapiro; and author and literary critic, Lionel Trilling, whose 1947 novel about an affluent communist family, “The Middle of the Journey,” is said to have been based on a main character fashioned after Mr. Chambers.

In her 2002 book, “Red Spy Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth Bentley,” historian Kathryn Olmsted referred to Mr. Chambers as being “brilliant, disturbed, idealistic, - and dysfunctional.”

In his first brush with public controversy, he abruptly left Columbia after he wrote “A Play for Puppets” in October 1922, under the pseudonym, “John Kelly,” for “The Morningside,” a college magazine which had been brought back to life by John Erskine in 1920.

The New York press excoriated him as an “enfants terribles,” for being, what was considered at the time, sacrilegious, profane, and blasphemous. (Read today, it would be considered “mildly ribald,” according to July 2006 essay by Tim Woods, “Zukofsky at Columbia” in “Jacket Magazine.”)

It is suggested that Mr. Chambers left Columbia in January 1923 in anticipation of being expelled for his writings in “The Morningside,” a college magazine, which the New York press excoriated as sacrilegious, profane, and blasphemous.

_____

This is the Westminster Fire Department Public Information Officer Report:

At 16:39 (4:39 PM) Carroll County firefighters from Westminster, Pleasant Valley and Reese were dispatched for a barn fire on Saw Mill Road near Bachman’s Valley Road. The first units on the scene found a 40 x 60 barn well involved with smoke visible for several miles. Chief 3-1 arrived on the scene first and assumed command. He immediately requested a tanker task force for water supply. There were exposure problems and access was limited to certain areas around the fire. Water supply was established from a pond on Bachman’s Valley road.

Subsequent units responding in addition to those on the initial alarm were from Taneytown, Manchester, New Windsor, and Littlestown in Adams County, Pennsylvania. There were approximately 35 firefighters from the above department.

The fire was placed under control at 17:45 (5:45 PM) and the tanker task force was released at 18:45. Units stayed on the scene until 20:00 (8 PM) for overhaul.

The barn was over 100 years old and was on the farm known as the Whitaker Chambers Farm. Cause and determination of the fire is under investigation by Maryland State Fire Marshall.

April 30^th, 2007 Kevin Dayhoff http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

20070501 Westminster Senior Center to be closed Wednesday

Westminster Senior Center to be closed Wednesday

Carroll County Government News Release

For more information, contact: Vivian D. Laxton, W.A.B,

Public Information Administrator

For Immediate Release

Westminster Senior Center to be closed Wednesday

Construction also shuts down Bureau of Aging offices

May 1, 2007, 7:30 p.m. – Construction is requiring the closure of the Westminster Senior Center and the Carroll County Bureau of Aging offices on Wednesday, May 2.

Both facilities, located at 125 Stoner Avenue, are expected to reopen on time Thursday, May 3.

Seniors who usually eat lunch at the senior center can attend any of the other four senior centers in the county – Taneytown, Greenmount, Mount Airy, and Eldersburg – for their meals.

Residents who need to conduct emergency business with Bureau of Aging staff can call Jolene Sullivan, Director, Department of Citizen Services at 410-386-3600. Regular business will resume Thursday.

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