Friday, November 08, 2013

Westminster Wakefield trail a fitting site for Terry Burk runner's memorial on Saturday morning, November 16, 2013

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-1103-20131111,0,434181.story

Dayhoff running, Dayhoff writing essays, Dayhoff writing essays running, Seasons Fall, Sports Running, Sports Running Wakefield Valley Trail

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2013/11/westminster-wakefield-trail-fitting.html

Westminster Wakefield trail a fitting site for Terry Burk runner's memorial on Saturday morning, November 16, 2013 [Eagle Archives]...

On Saturday, Nov. 16, members of the Westminster Road Runners Club, as well as friends and family, will honor the memory of Terry Burk on the Wakefield Valley Community Trail.

The observance will be held near the Tahoma Farm Boulder Park and historic Fenby Farm Quarry and Lime Kiln Park at 730 Tahoma Farm Road in Westminster.

[...]

"Over the years the eight-foot wide paved Wakefield Trail, the city's first hiking and biking trail, has developed one leg at a time, inspired in part by the legacy of Burk, who ran with the Road Runners Club for many years. Today, the 2.1 mile linear park trail extends from Long Valley Road to Uniontown Road. Planning began in earnest for the trail in 1994." http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-1103-20131111,0,434181.story

[...]

Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz, members of the Westminster Common Council and a fellow runner, Abby Gruber, Westminster's recreation and parks director, have joined with Community Foundation executive director Audrey Cimino, and other members of the runners club in planning the event…. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-1103-20131111,0,434181.story

The ceremony will coincide with the annual running of the Flying Feet Burk Memorial 5K

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Wakefield Valley Community Trail https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=215239526327018628982.0004e9d7d7d2e28fdd55a&msa=0&ll=39.569391,-77.014074&spn=0.016541,0.027573

730 Tahoma Farm Road: In a November 7, 2013 article I wrote for the Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archives-1103-20131111,0,434181.story, I reported, "Over the years the eight-foot wide paved Wakefield Trail, the city's first hiking and biking trail, has developed one leg at a time, inspired in part by the legacy of Burk, who ran with the Road Runners Club for many years. Today, the 2.1 mile linear park trail extends from Long Valley Road to Uniontown Road. Planning began in earnest for the trail in 1994."

View Wakefield Valley Community Trail in a larger map

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Related: Fall and spring are beautiful times of the year to run, especially trail running.

By Kevin Dayhoff, October 20, 2013 Westminster Maryland Online, www.kevindayhoff.org http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2013/10/fall-and-spring-are-beautiful-times-of.html

Labels: Dayhoff running, Dayhoff writing essays, Dayhoff writing essays running, Seasons Fall, Sports Running, Sports Running Wakefield Valley Trail - See more at: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2013/10/fall-and-spring-are-beautiful-times-of.html#sthash.k7LzXMEK.dpuf

[…]

Okay, well anyway; as old man winter approaches, there is arguably no prettier season in Carroll County than the vibrant tree leaves of fall. This is when, for a short period of time, trees are allowed to act-out and show some additional passion with a dazzling wardrobe of color. Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-eagle-archives-20131008,0,5094609.story

[…]

Best place to park is on Tahoma Farm Road, off of Rte. 31, New Windsor Road, west of Westminster, over by the Tahoma Farm Boulder Park, http://www.westgov.com/recreation/rec_parks_tahoma.html, near the Lime Kiln, http://www.westgov.com/recreation/rec_parks_lime.html

For the latest news on the Lime Kiln, go here for a good story by Brett Lake for the Westminster Advocate: http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/advocate_of_westminster/news/westminster-no-plans-to-repair-lime-kiln/article_312ed0be-9107-11e0-a026-001cc4c03286.html

For more information on running, where to run, and upcoming running events go the Westminster Road Runners Club website, at https://sites.google.com/site/wrrclub/links

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Walking Running or riding a bicycle

“19990512 runners KED2” Kevin Dayhoff, May 12, 1999

Westminster Road Runners Club https://sites.google.com/site/wrrclub/links

Wakefield Valley Terry Burk Community Trail http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Sports%20Running%20Wakefield%20Valley%20Trail

Running http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Sports%20Running

Dayhoff running http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Dayhoff%20running

St Michaels Talbot County nature Trail http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Sports%20Running%20St%20Michaels%20Nature%20Trail

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/1999/05/walking-running-or-riding-bicycle.html

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/1999/05/walking-running-or-riding-bicycle.html

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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Patuxent Publishing Co., The Carroll Eagle: www.explorecarroll.com: http://www.explorecarroll.com/search/?s=Dayhoff&action=GO
The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com http://www.thetentacle.com/author.cfm?MyAuthor=41

Westminster Patch: http://westminster.patch.com/search?keywords=Dayhoff

Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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Thursday, November 07, 2013

Law firms lead on benefits for LGBT employees - The Washington Post

Law firms lead on benefits for LGBT employees - The Washington Post:

By Catherine Ho, Published: November 3, 2013

"Law firms are moving more quickly than any other industry to offer equitable benefits for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and their families, according to a survey of 688 major U.S. corporations done by the District-based Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Law firms are outpacing the banking and financial services industries — historically the sectors that offered the best benefits — on improving family leave, partner coverage, retirement options and other benefits, said Deena Fidas of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which consults with companies on policies and benefits for LGBT employees, including diversity managers and leadership committees at law firms." ...

Read more; http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/law-firms-lead-on-benefits-for-lgbt-employees/2013/11/01/71cd8f90-4242-11e3-a751-f032898f2dbc_story.html#!

'via Blog this'

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

FAA personal electronics devices rule changes won't affect all passengers yet.

FAA personal electronics devices rule changes won't affect all passengers yet.:

By Jeff Friedrich

"On Nov. 1*, Delta became one of the first airlines to gain FAA permission to implement new rules that will allow passengers expanded use of electronic devices below 10,000 feet. This occasioned hashtag-level excitement about regulatory reform:"

Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/11/06/faa_personal_electronics_devices_rule_changes_won_t_affect_all_passengers.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content

'via Blog this'

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Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Rand Paul and the Washington Times part ways after evidence of plagiarism.

Rand Paul and the Washington Times part ways after evidence of plagiarism.:

By Elliot Hannon

Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/11/05/rand_paul_and_the_washington_times_part_ways_after_evidence_of_plagarism.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content

"It’s been a tough week for Rand Paul. The Kentucky Senator has faced a growing wave of accusations of plagiarism in his speeches and writings. The instances of plagiarism started with the somewhat absurd with Rachel Maddow calling Paul out on giving a speech with lines swiped from the Gattaca movie Wikipedia page, but throughout the week more new accusations began to pile up. The most serious (so far) being the almost verbatim, unattributed reuse of a The Week essay in Paul's weekly Washington Times op-ed. (You can see the offending paragraphs here.)"

Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/11/05/rand_paul_and_the_washington_times_part_ways_after_evidence_of_plagarism.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content

'via Blog this'

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Rand Paul plagiarism: Buzzfeed catches GOP senator ripping of The Week column in Washington Times op-ed.

Rand Paul plagiarism: Buzzfeed catches GOP senator ripping of The Week column in Washington Times op-ed.: By Josh Voorhees

Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/11/05/rand_paul_plaigerism_buzzfeed_catches_gop_senator_ripping_of_the_week_column.html

"Another day, another example of Rand Paul playing fast and loose with the rules of attribution. After some digging, BuzzFeed's Andrew Kaczynski found that sections of a Washington Times op-ed that the Kentucky Republican penned in September appear "nearly identical" to those found in an essay written by Dan Stewart of The Week that ran only days before. One of several examples of the almost word-for-word cribbing, as flagged by Kacynski (who may want to think about practicing his dueling just to be safe)." Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/11/05/rand_paul_plaigerism_buzzfeed_catches_gop_senator_ripping_of_the_week_column.html

'via Blog this'

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Obituary for Honorable Luke K Burns Jr

http://www.prittsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Luke-Burns/#!/Obituary

The Honorable Luke K. Burns, Jr., 79, of Westminster, Maryland, died on November 3, 2013, at Carroll Hospital Center following a brief illness.

Judge Burns was born on January 27, 1934, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the son of the late Luke Kenny Burns, Sr. and Mary Jane Reed Burns. He was predeceased by wife Sally Burns in 1989. He is survived by his wife, Marcia Burns, whom he married in 1999.

He attended Loyola Blakefield High School in Baltimore. He was educated by the Jesuit order, studying Greek and Latin, and received his B.A. from Fordham University in New York in 1957. He received his LL.B. from University of Baltimore School of Law in 1964. He was admitted to practice law in Maryland in 1964 and was a member of the Maryland and Carroll County Bar Associations.

He began the private practice of law in Baltimore. In 1972, he moved to Carroll County and entered practice with Stanford Hoff and Charles Stoner. He remained in private practice until 1978, when he was appointed by the Governor as Associate Judge of the District Court of Maryland for Carroll County. On September 28, 1979, he was again appointed by the Governor, then to the Circuit Court of Maryland for Carroll County. Judge Burns successfully stood for election twice, and he served as Judge until his retirement on January 23, 2004. From the date of his retirement until his death, Judge Burns continued to preside over cases in the Circuit Court for Howard and Carroll Counties as a visiting Judge.

Judge Burns presided over thousands of cases during his distinguished career. He was a kind, compassionate, and thoughtful jurist. Attorneys both in the local community and across the entire state held Judge Burns in high regard. He was as a mentor for countless attorneys and took pride in their development as seasoned lawyers.

As a jurist, his greatest joy was presiding over adoptions. After adoption regulations changed in 1984, Judge Burns offered to take over the handling of adoptions from the other judges. On the day of his retirement, one of the final matters on his docket was an adoption. “It's the best thing I do,” he said. “I will miss doing adoption cases.”

Judge Burns loved books and was an avid reader. He was also a passionate sports fan, beginning in his youth when he would travel by train by himself to Philadelphia to see the Philadelphia A's play, and throughout his entire life, following high school, college and professional teams. In later years he enjoyed playing golf and vacationing in Florida.

Surviving in addition to his wife are son and daughter-in-law, Robert M. and Jennifer Burns of Nashville, TN.; daughter and son-in-law Nancy and Michael Reilly of Philadelphia, PA; grandchildren Kathleen Blair and Sarah Margaret Burns, Jean Adelaide, Michael Luke, Peter John, Robert William, Mark Augustine and Sally Elizabeth Reilly; step children and spouses Parker and Vicki Leimbach of Westminster and Ashley and Matthew Baker of New Oxford, PA; and step grandchildren Justus Kirk, Austin Jenkins and Jacob David Leimbach, Coy Jenkins and Cade Whitman Baker; sister-in-law Lucy Horn Burns. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins in the Maryland area.

He was predeceased by brothers John Reed Burns, Sr. and Joseph Patrick Burns.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, November 7, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at Pritts Funeral Home and Chapel, 412 Washington Rd., Westminster.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Friday, November 8, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Catholic Church, 43 Monroe St., Westminster. Interment will be in Westminster Cemetery with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be made in his name to Carroll Hospital Center-Cardiac and Stroke Program, 200 Memorial Ave., Westminster, Md. 21157

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Honorable Luke K Burns Jr please visit our Sympathy Store.

http://www.prittsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Luke-Burns/#!/Obituary

Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel

412 Washington Road

Westminster, MD, US, 21157

(410) 848-7533

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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Westminster Patch: http://westminster.patch.com/search?keywords=Dayhoff

Speaking of bullying the copyright thugs strike again

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2013/11/speaking-of-bullying-copyright-thugs.html

Speaking of bullying the copyright thugs strike again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPCFZ0nvRUs

Middle school football team's life-changing play

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/can-learn-lot-middle-school-football-team-video/

You know - you can't make this up...

This Middle School Football Team Went Behind Their Coaches’ Backs To Do Something Incredible (Video)

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Middle school football team's life-changing play

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPCFZ0nvRUs

This Middle School Football Team Went Behind Their Coaches’ Backs To Do Something Incredible (Video)

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2013/11/speaking-of-bullying-copyright-thugs.html

Speaking of bullying the copyright thugs strike again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPCFZ0nvRUs

Middle school football team's life-changing play

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/can-learn-lot-middle-school-football-team-video/

You know - you can't make this up...

This Middle School Football Team Went Behind Their Coaches’ Backs To Do Something Incredible (Video)

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IPS - Middle East & North Africa: ‘I Sold My Sister for 300 Dollars’



	‘I Sold My Sister for 300 Dollars’ Annabell Van den Berghe Amani has just turned 22. Two months ago she fled from the civil war in Syria and left her house in capital Damascus. After a dangerous nightlong trip she arrived at Zaatari, the refugee camp just over the border in Jordan, where her parents and two sisters had already lived for over a year. In ... MORE > >

	Jordan's Farmers Struggle to Weather Climate Change Elizabeth Whitman Abu Waleed isn't quite sure where to begin his litany of grievances. Bugs that chomp their way through the mint he grows, or the dry well that forces him to pump water from a half kilometre away? Or perhaps the 160 dinars he spent on spinach seeds only to see scant growth after planting. For the ... MORE > >

	For Kurdish Women, It’s a Double Revolution Karlos Zurutuza "I got married when I was 14 and I already had four children at 20," recalls Nafia Brahim. In her fifties now, she is working hard so that no other woman loses control of her life. Brahim is one of 12 members of the assembly that runs the Centre for Training and Empowerment of Women in Qamishli, ...MORE > >

	A ‘Green Intifadah’ Takes Root Pierre Klochendler “O green Battir, mother of the air,” Mariam Ma’mmar sings in praise of her village. As the hot season draws to a close, the land – her people’s strength – dries up. Not here in her Battir, where a peaceful form of resistance against the Israeli occupation is taking root. The 5,000 people of ... MORE > >

	Iraq Retakes Washington Centre-Stage, Briefly Jim Lobe Ten and a half years after invading U.S. troops ousted President Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, Iraq re-emerged here this week, if only briefly, as a major foreign policy agenda item. The occasion was the visit of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki whose main purpose was to secure greater U.S. ...MORE > >

	Fragile Peace Holds on a Syrian Island Karlos Zurutuza "The whole region is under control but be careful in the city centre," says a Kurdish militiaman at the eastern gate of Qamishli, 600 km northeast of capital Damascus, confirming rumours about breaches in Syria’s relatively stable northeast. Sandwiched between Turkey and Syria, this city of ...MORE > >

	Saudi Arabia, Sans Human Rights, Seeks Council Seat Thalif Deen When Saudi Arabia permitted women to vote but not drive, a newspaper cartoon last year captured the double standard with dark irony. As a group of women in burqa wait in line to vote at a polling station in Riyadh, an aggressive-looking polling agent tells the women, "We have a small problem ... MORE > >

OP-ED: Bahraini Opposition Shuns Bogus Dialogue Emile Nakhleh Bahraini opposition groups announced on Tuesday their opposition to participating in the dialogue that is supposed to start tomorrow. According to the Bahrain Mirror, the five opposition groups that signed the joint statement included al-Wifaq, Wa’d, al-Minbar, al-Tajammu’, and al-Ikha’. The ... MORE > >

U.S. Jews Less Hawkish on Iran Jim Lobe Despite renewed calls in Congress for increasing pressure on Iran, support for a U.S. attack against the Islamic Republic has declined markedly over the past year, according to the latest in an annual series of polls carried out by the American Jewish Committee (AJC). Asked whether they would ... MORE > >

	Syrians Under Siege Now in Egypt Hisham Allam Mahmoud Abu Yousef, 28, sits in one of the suburban subway stations of Egyptian capital Cairo selling socks. He had fled Syria with his wife and one-year-old child this February after his parents and three brothers were killed in the civil war that has been raging in his country since March ... MORE > >

	“Terrorist Groups Are Displacing Kurdish People” Karlos Zurutuza Kurdish fighters have emerged as a powerful player in the Syrian war thanks to the Yekîneyên Parastina Gel (YPG - “People's Protection Units”), a seemingly well-organised armed group which has so far proved capable of defending the territory it claims in northern Syria. IPS spoke to Redur Khalil ...MORE > >

	Refugees Eating Dogs to Beat Starvation Mutawalli Abou Nasser Acute food shortages have reached desperate levels in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus. Leading religious figures in the camps have issued a fatwa permitting the killing and consumption of cats, dogs, mice, rats and donkeys. “We have been under siege for three months. There is nothing left ... MORE > >

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Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey Wins Re-election

BREAKING NEWS

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 8:05 PM EST

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey Wins Re-election, Exit Polls Show
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/nyregion/chris-christie-re-elected-governor-of-new-jersey.html?emc=edit_na_20131105

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey won re-election on Tuesday, defeating his Democratic rival, State Senator Barbara Buono, by a crushing margin. The victory vaulted him to the front ranks of Republican presidential contenders.

In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 700,000, Mr. Christie won decisively, making impressive inroads among younger voters, blacks, Hispanics and women – all groups that Republicans nationally have struggled to attract...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/nyregion/chris-christie-re-elected-governor-of-new-jersey.html?emc=edit_na_20131105

Big Money Flows in New Jersey Races to Thwart Christie Agenda

By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE

Democrats and unions spent more than $35 million in the state trying to prevent any shifts in the Legislature that would give Gov. Chris Christie more power... http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/nyregion/in-new-jersey-big-money-flows-to-foil-christie.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20131105&_r=0

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Westminster and state officials cut the ribbon on downtown sidewalk retrofit project

Westminster and state officials joined together Tuesday morning to cut the ribbon on over 200 new disabilities-compliant sidewalk curb cuts throughout downtown Westminster

By Kevin E. Dayhoff,

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Westminster city officials and representatives from four Maryland state government departments gathered together Tuesday morning in front of the Westminster Recreation and Parks Family Center on Longwell Avenue to celebrate, and cut the ribbon, on an unprecedented groundbreaking $318,000 partnership that resulted in the completion of 214 new or rebuilt ADA-compliant curb ramps in the downtown area.

“What a wonderful project this is and with so many partners, said Westminster mayor Kevin Utz in prepared remarks for the occasion, after he was introduced by Mark Vernarelli, spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

“With these partners 4 curb ramps were reconstructed, 64 curb ramps were modified and 164 new curb ramps were installed…” Because of this partnership, “over 200 ADA Compliant curb ramps now exist in Downtown Westminster,” explained Utz.

Utz read-off a long list of state secretaries and dignitaries who traveled from state offices in Baltimore and Annapolis for the occasion; including MD Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Gary Maynard, Deputy Secretary J. Michael Stouffer, Public Safety Works Coordinator John Rowley, Director of Corrections Felicia Hinton, and Facility Administrator Leonard Rice.

Also present were Department of Disabilities Secretary Catherine Raggio, Deputy Secretary George Failla, Jr., and Access Maryland Director Cari Watrous as well as MD Department of Housing & Community Development: Assistant Secretary Carol Gilbert, Director of Community Programs Cindy Stone, and Project Manager Dona Sorce.

Along with Tony Romano, a representative of Romano Concrete Construction and Ronnie Townes, 21, an inmate who helped build the curbs; MD Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Coordinator, Career and Technology Programs Ken Weeden, Field Director of Correctional Education Jack Cunning, and David Bordley were there to cut the ribbon and discuss the unprecedented city, state and private partnership.

According to information provided by the department of public safety, DPSCS, the project was “Grant-funded thanks to work by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development … The curb project is the largest project of its kind ever done by inmates in the DPSCS Public Safety Works community project initiative. The inmates learned concrete skills from Romano Concrete, a longtime and valued partner with DPSCS.”

Westminster mayor Kevin Utz was joined by Westminster Common Council president Dr. Robert Wack, council member Tony Chiavacci, city administrator Marge Wolf, public works director Jeff Glass, police chief Jeff Spaulding, , Community Programs Specialist Sandy Anderson, city engineer Mike Matov, assistant street superintendent Wayne Reifsnider and recreation and parks director Abby Gruber.

Planning for the project began in earnest after a similar, but much smaller partnership was called to Glass’ attention in the summer of 2012. “We submitted the grant application on August 27,” said Anderson. “The actual work on the sidewalks began last May.”

“I’m very pleased that what initially started as a conversation with Secretary Maynard and Secretary Skinner has become a model partnership between the City of Westminster and three state agencies – Disabilities, Public Safety and Corrections, and Housing and Community Development,” said MD Dept. of Disabilities Secretary Catherine Raggio. “As a result of this partnership, we now have sidewalks that are safer and more accessible for individuals with disabilities, seniors and others.”

“DPSCS worked with the MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation to secure the partnership with Romano Concrete---with whom DPSCS inmates previously worked on the Eastern Shore at Cambridge in a similar but smaller project,” according to information provided by DPSCS. “This project is the first to give inmates DLLR on-the-job certifications.”

“It’s been a great project… It’s made a big difference for (getting around) downtown,” said Glass. Wolf and Utz agreed. “Everybody was a winner,” said Wolf.

Maynard called the inmate restorative justice initiative, “groundbreaking.” “This is our largest community curb project yet,” said the DPSCS secretary. “Our inmates have built or rebuilt more than 200 curbs, getting valuable skills training from Tony Romano and his concrete tradesmen, and helping this nice town become more accessible in the process.

“We call projects like these Public Safety Works ‘restorative justice’ programs, because they allow inmates who want to pay society back with a really meaningful way to do that.

“On any given day, we have more than 350 inmates out across the state of Maryland doing meaningful projects. Right now, inmates are rebuilding a skipjack on the Eastern Shore, gleaning fresh produce for the Maryland Food Bank, planting millions of oyster spat, restoring battlefields, cemeteries and playgrounds, and helping cities and non-profits with all kinds of projects they couldn’t do otherwise.

“We are very serious about this particular kind of project here in Westminster---where inmates get actual skills training from professional tradespeople. We’re having inmates trained in hazardous materials abatement and they’re taking down the old House of Correction prison in Jessup, a deconstruction that’s saving taxpayers at least five million dollars compared to the cost of demolition. It’s the only project of its kind in the country.

“These skills should serve the inmates well and give them a leg up on jobs when they get out and go home. I would love to talk to you today about how Public Safety Works might be able to help your agency or non-profit.

Maynard also elaborated upon how the partnership with the city gave the prison inmates an opportunity to learn job skills. “We may be in charge of keeping people locked up,” continued the secretary, “but what we really want is to set people free; to free them from addictions and anger issues, give them education and job skill training, and turn them into productive taxpaying citizens. After all, almost all inmates will one day be getting out.”

“We are very serious about this particular kind of project here in Westminster---where inmates get actual skills training from professional tradespeople,” remarked Maynard.

“This project, however, is about so much more than curbs and concrete,” said Utz in agreement. “With this project, the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) provided training for the inmates. With this project the state corrections department has provided construction experience and positive community participation for the inmates. With this project the inmates have received certification from the DLLR for on the job training. With this project the inmates participated in a major community project.

“Maynard was all smiles as he thanked the city and invited city officials to talk about more opportunities for partnerships. “Thank you again for this wonderful collaborative effort, and thank you, Mayor Utz, for allowing the Dept. of Public Safety and Correctional Services to perform this important work in Westminster.”

Utz added, “At this time I’d like to personally thank the inmates for their hard work. Their work was crucial to the success of this project. Concrete lasts a long time. We hope that the experience gained from this project will last even longer. Thank you.”

http://www.scribd.com/doc/187198582/Westminster-and-state-officials-cut-the-ribbon-on-downtown-sidewalk-retrofit-project

Westminster and state officials cut the ribbon on downtown sidewalk retrofit project by Kevin Earl Dayhoff

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