20031110 Westminster Mayor and Council Meeting Minutes

20031110 Westminster Mayor and Council Meeting Minutes

City Council

Minutes of City Council Meetings Agenda for next City Council Meeting

MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING

CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND

November 10, 2003

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/minutes/111003.asp

QUORUM:

A meeting of The Mayor and Common Council was held in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 1838 Emerald Hill Lane, on the evening of November 10, 2003, at 7:00 p.m. Mayor Dayhoff; Council President Halstad; Council Members Albert, Chiavacci, Ferguson and Wack; Department Heads Beyard and Urban; City Attorney Walsh; and Acting Westminster City Police Chief Brewer were present.

Minutes

On motion of Mrs. Albert, seconded by Mr. Ferguson, the Minutes of the Meeting of October 27, 2003 were approved as presented.

Public Hearing:

Mayor Dayhoff conducted a public hearing on the City of Westminster’s Public Housing Agency Plan. Ms. Karen Blandford summarized the federally mandated five-year plan. Ms. Blandford indicated that the requirements stipulate that the plan be updated annually and the document is not a strategic planning document. Ms. Blandford stated that the Section VIII program in the City of Westminster serves 289 families. Ms. Blandford stated that graduates of job training programs would not be eligible for assistance unless their children are under three years of age. Council President Halstad requested that a provision be included to ensure that recent graduates, within six months of graduation be eligible for assistance. Ms. Blandford advised The Mayor and Council that a timing provision could be included but staff’s recommendation would limit the time restriction to four months of graduation. Mayor Dayhoff requested that Ms. Blandford and Mr. Walsh work together to define “Government Action.” Ms. Blandford advised that would occur.

Ms. Josephine Velazquez indicated her concern with the program and the potential for loopholes that could be created to abuse the program. Ms. Blandford addressed the plans on how to combat program abuse.

The Mayor closed the Public Hearing at 7:28 and closed the public record as well.

Consent Calendar

On motion of Mr. Ferguson, seconded by Mr. Chiavacci, the consent calendar was approved as presented which consisted of the acceptance of a sanitary sewer easement at the Carroll County Agriculture Center, Good Cause Waiver No. GCW 03-11 and Job Reclassifications.

Reports from the Mayor:

… Noted that he attended the Maryland Municipal League Legislative Conference.

Reports from Standing Committees:

Mrs. Albert indicated that she is working with the residents of Manchester Avenue to resolve parking related concerns of the business and residential community.

Mr. Ferguson indicated that BGE had a very successful meeting with the residents of West Green Street.

Mr. Ferguson noted that he had received a complaint about taxicab operators in Carroll County.

Mr. Chiavacci congratulated Mr. Ferguson for being the Westminster Rotary Club Outstanding Citizen of the Year.

Dr. Wack noted that BGE representatives were able to address many concerns of the residents on West Green Street and would follow up with those that required more investigation.

Mr. Halstad deferred his time to Mr. Frank Johnson, Special Assistant to Commissioner Gouge to discuss the County’s growth initiatives.

Mr. Johnson outlined the County’s growth initiatives to date and discussed in length Carroll County’s development deferral process.

Mr. Halstad announced that Mr. Steve Horn, Planning Director and Mr. Steve Powell, Chief of Staff, Carroll County Government would attend the December 22, 2003 meeting of The Mayor and Common Council to further discuss the County’s growth initiatives.

Mr. Ferguson noted that he attended the Carroll County Landlords Association meeting and States Attorney Jerry Barnes gave an overview of the Nuisance Abatement law as outlined in the Annotated Code of Maryland. Mr. Ferguson indicated that many of the members of the Carroll County Landlords Association own property in Westminster.

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

Mr. Halstad summarized Resolution No. R03-10 – Annexation No. 53 “Arnold Property.” Mr. Chiavacci inquired about the result of the Public Hearing. Dr. Wack indicated that there was some concern on behalf of the community but overall the applicant had sufficiently addressed many of the site specific concerns. Mr. Chiavacci requested staff to work with the developer and the community to ensure that all parties are involved in the site planning process. On motion of Dr. Wack, seconded by Mr. Ferguson, Resolution No. R03-10 – Annexation No. 53 “Arnold Property” was unanimously adopted.

On Motion of Mr. Chiavacci, seconded by Mrs. Albert, Ordinance No. 712 – Arnold Property “R-10,000 Residential Rezoning” was unanimously introduced for consideration.

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS:

Mr. Urban stated that the 2003 Annual Audit was completed in October 2003. The City expects include General Fund Contributed Assets in the 2004 Audit.

Mr. Beyard reminded The Mayor and Common Council of the Planning and Growth Session scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 2003 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at McDaniel College.

CITIZEN COMMENTS:

Ms. Josephine Velazquez, 59 Pennsylvania Avenue, commended the Westminster Police Department for its prompt response to her report of a party at a property near her home.

Mr. Erik Horgos, Westminster, Maryland, indicated his support of the infill annexation of the Arnold Property. Mr. Horgos expressed his concern with the proposed layout of the development.

Council President Halstad adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.

SHAWN SIDERS

20031000 Dayhoff Inc Pocomoke City

20031000 Dayhoff Inc Pocomoke City

Dayhoff Inc Pocomoke City

Photo by Pocomoke City Police Chief J. D. Ervin

One day I arrived at a Maryland Municipal League meeting and sat beside Pocomoke City Police Chief J. D. Ervin as was my habit. And he presented me with this photo from the old Campbell Soup factory grounds in that city.

I later had the pleasure of seeing the building before it was torn-down.

What fun picture.

11/14/2003

####

20031111 Vets Day idea list of things to send to military in Iraq

Vets Day Idea list of things to send to Military Personnel in Iraq

City of Westminster Office of Mayor Kevin Dayhoff
P. O. Box 710 – City Hall, Westminster, MD, 21158
November 11, 2003

Today, on Veterans Day – as every day, it is important that we not only remember our men and woman in uniform serving our country and protecting our freedoms, but it is particularly important that we do something to support them. One way that you can help our military as they serve us, is to send them some items they need.

Scott Jeznach, who works for The City of Westminster, recently found the following request in the 82nd Airborne Division Association newsletter of October 2003:

Our troops in Iraq are in need of hard-to-get supplies and would be most grateful for any assistance we can give them.

They have requested baby wipes with Aloe, bar soap, deodorant, foot cream, foot powder, sun block, chapstick, disposable razors, shaving cream, hand lotion, q-tips, batteries, fans, insect repellent, paper, pens, envelopes, stamps, nuts, beef jerky, hard candy, gum, snacks and powdered drinks.

December 20th, 2006 UPDATE:

Please send any of the above to

CSM Thomas Beyard
TF AVCRAD 06-08
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
APO AE 09366

LTC David E. Smith

Division Chaplain

82^nd Airborne Division

APO AE 09384

LTC Smith CSM Thomas Beyard will make the distribution to our troops there.

Please feel free to enclose a note indicating who you are, where you are from, and expressing your support of their work protecting our freedoms.

If you have any questions, please contact Scott Jeznach or Mayor Kevin Dayhoff.

####

20031106 Trying not to judge Chief Justice Taney

http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.taney06nov06,0,5030183.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Trying not to judge Chief Justice Taney History: The 'shrine' home of Taney, who has a thorny legacy because of Dred Scott, will be presented more impartially.

By Jeff Barker, Sun Staff, November 6, 2003

FREDERICK -- Nowhere is Maryland's ambivalence toward Roger Brooke Taney more evident than in this city, his adopted home.

Taney, the second- longest-serving chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, had a house here that now bears a plaque proclaiming it "a national shrine."

But Taney (pronounced TAW-nee) is best known for writing the 1857 Dred Scott decision holding that black Americans were not citizens, so "there's a lot of animosity about the house," says Dick Wettrich, who lives next door.

The difficulty in handling Taney's legacy is apparent as the Frederick County Historical Society prepares exhibits for the house and slave quarters he owned here from 1815 to 1823. The society acquired the buildings this year and is revisiting the manner in which they are presented to the public.

The society is planning a less reverential, more impartial approach -- one that doesn't judge whether Taney was a hero, villain or something in between.

"Taney was an enigmatic character," says Mark Hudson, the society's executive director. "We want to be as truthful and forthright as possible."

For 35 years, the house was owned by a foundation whose president, former Alderman H. Thomas Summers, calls Taney "a great man."

"He swore in seven presidents, including Abraham Lincoln," Summers says. "Dred Scott was a bad decision, but he was backed by other members of the court. Everybody makes mistakes during their lifetime."

The foundation donated the house to the historical society in June, mostly because of difficulty maintaining it.

The house sits in an old section of downtown Frederick where many of the residents today are black. The three-story brick home -- featuring many portraits of the long-haired, lanky-looking chief justice -- is connected by a breezeway to a slave quarters in the back.

Visitors to the home have long been greeted by the marble plaque declaring the structure a shrine, but it is probably going to be removed as part of the "reinterpreting" process, Hudson said. "The connotation of a shrine is that this is a great person and I don't necessarily challenge that, but our interpretative approach is going to be more objective," he said.

Also being removed is a bust of Taney -- a copy of a statue at Frederick City Hall -- that sits in a parlor room. The bust wouldn't have been there when Taney occupied the house, and the society says it wants all of the furnishings to be as authentic as possible.

The society doesn't know what to do with a large painting of Taney swearing in Lincoln. The painting has long hung in the house but it includes notables of the time who either weren't at the swearing-in, or weren't in the spots they are depicted in. "It doesn't accurately reflect history. It's stylized," Hudson said. "But it's been here a long time."

The society plans to close the house for several months beginning in mid-December while it makes the changes. It is informally soliciting comments from the neighborhood on what would be suitable for display.

In the 1857 decision, Taney said that Scott, a longtime slave suing for his freedom, was not a citizen and that no slave -- nor their free descendants -- had standing to sue in the federal courts. He based his ruling on an interpretation of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Of the latter document, he wrote: "It is too clear for dispute that the enslaved African race were not intended to be included, and formed no part of the people who framed and adopted this declaration."

But analyzing Taney, who was born in Calvert County but made Frederick his home, is no simple task.

In 1819, he successfully defended a Methodist minister from Pennsylvania accused of inciting slaves to riot. In his argument, Taney called slavery "a blot on our national character" left over from Colonial times.

Taney, who also served as U.S. attorney general and treasury secretary, "was known for his astute and acute legal mind," said Maryland Archivist Edward C. Papenfuse. "Do I believe he was a racist at heart? Yes. He was a strong believer in slavery. Was he a creature of his time? Yes. Should we ignore his historical contributions? No."

One of the Taney statues sits on the grounds of the State House, not far from one of Thurgood Marshall, the court's first African-American justice. There are also statues of both men in Baltimore.

In Frederick, an outdated, barracks-style public housing complex in an area known for crime bears Taney's name.

Willie Mahone, a black Frederick attorney, said he tried years ago to get the name changed -- he wanted it named after Marshall -- but authorities resisted.

Mahone keeps a copy of the Dred Scott decision in his desk -- "as a reminder," he said. When asked to pose for a newspaper photograph years ago, he chose to stand in front of Taney's statue at City Hall "because I wanted to imagine him turning over in his grave."

He applauded the historical society "for saying they're not going to do a governmental endorsement of the concept that he's a great man. It's proper to let the public make its own determination."

Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun

20030222 Audrey Cimino’s vocalist performing bio

AUDREY CIMINO

Vocalist

February 22, 2003

Audrey’s performing credits start at the age of three when she was lifted on to a tabletop at the local VFW hall in her hometown of Burlington, Vermont to sing, Papa Won’t You Dance With Me. She fell in love with the applause and hasn’t stopped singing since.

During her high school years Audrey sang in the school’s chorus and several other smaller vocal groups. She was also a repeat qualifier for all-state chorus. On weekends she was the lead vocalist for the town’s big band jazz orchestra that was formed by several former members of the Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller orchestras. During this period she also placed second in the state of Vermont level of the Talentville USA competition. This was a national competition that pitted a variety of performing talents against one another.

After moving to Baltimore in 1973, Audrey’s performing focus centered on theatre for a long while. Her theatre credits include leading roles in Oliver, Kiss Me Kate, Gypsie, Kiss of the Spider Woman, All My Sons, Nunsense, Into the Woods, Man of La Mancha, the King and I, and Fiddler on the Roof among others. She did continue during this span, however, to do solo vocalist work for weddings, variety shows, and voice-over vocals for industrial films.

In recent times, Audrey has also been guest vocalist with the Carroll County Jazz Ensemble and Herb Sell’s Jazz Quintet among her solo performances. She has also stayed active in choral music, singing with two church choirs during this period, as well as the Carroll County Choral Society and the Masterworks Chorale of Carroll County. During the past couple of years she has joined with her husband, Joe, in performing professionally for large group events. Their music selections offer a collage that spans from theatre to the classic tunes of the 1940’s.

Away from the performing arts, Audrey is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Maryland.

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20031007 In Defense of Rush by Mary Katharine Ham/Richmond County Daily Journal

Editorials: IN DEFENSE OF RUSH: The media need to call it both ways

By Mary Katharine Ham/Richmond County Daily Journal

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

All right, hold on to your hats, folks, because this white girl's about to write about race and Rush Limbaugh.

If you haven't heard already, Limbaugh resigned from his position as a commentator for ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" after being lambasted by the media for remarks he made Sept. 28 about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

His comments went a little something like this: "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

Now comes the part where the media get to shake their collective head and tremble with manufactured outrage over Limbaugh's "incendiary" remarks, as they like to call them.

Limbaugh's "insensitive" remarks have been plastered on every sports page, sports show and newscast in the country for the past week. Newspaper coverage of his comments has been paired with "it serves that bigot right" columns from sportswriters giddy with the chance to jump on the Rush-bashing bandwagon.

So, why the rush to hang Rush? Does the punishment fit the crime?

First, it is certainly true that McNabb has not shined recently, even according to McNabb.

Whether the media give him too much credit for his team's performance is debatable, but it's certainly a valid sports opinion open to discussion on any sports show. So Rush is safe so far.

Now, here's where Limbaugh did the unthinkable. He mentioned McNabb's race.

Limbaugh claims McNabb is overrated because the sports media are concerned about the status of black quarterbacks in the NFL. Are they?

Of course they are. If there wasn't social concern for the status of black athletes and coaches in the NFL, there would not have been such a stink over the Detroit Lions hiring Steve Mariuchi (a white coach) before interviewing any black candidates.

Any guess who that stink was raised by?

That's right, the nation's sports media - the same media which now claim to be socially un-concerned with the performance of black QBs and coaches in the NFL.

Whether you agree with Limbaugh's comments, they're neither totally off the wall nor racist. Limbaugh mentioned McNabb's race, but didn't disparage it. I can't count the number of times I've heard mainstream sports journalists refer to McNabb's race, so what's the difference?

Make no mistake about it, the problem is not what was said, but who said it.

Limbaugh is a conservative, white man who, in the eyes of the overwhelmingly liberal media, has no right to talk about race. As soon as the word "black" comes out of his mouth, he's a racist.

On the other hand, if you're a minority or a liberal, you can say pretty much whatever you want and the press, ever the rooter-out of racism, has nothing to say about it.

Take Dusty Baker, who is black. The Chicago Cubs manager made some gross ethnic generalizations in July when he said:

"Personally, I like to play in the heat," he said. "It's easier for me. It's easier for most Latin guys and easier for most minority people.

"Your skin color is more conducive to the heat than it is to the light-skinned people, right? You don't see brothers running around burnt and stuff, running around with white stuff on their ears and nose and stuff."

And what did the press do? It didn't demand an apology; it didn't call Dusty a bigot.

In fact, very little was written about the incident. Conservative critics roared that white men would have lost their jobs for comments like that.

In fact, two white men already had.

In the late 80s, sports commentator Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder and Dodger executive Al Campanis were both fired for making racial statements very similar to Baker's.

And it's not just sports where racist remarks from minorities are treated with kid gloves.

New York City Councilman Charles Barron attended a reparations rally in Washington, D.C., in August 2002. The black councilman addressed a crowd of several thousand, including many reporters, saying: "I want to go up to the closest white person and say 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing' and then slap him, just for my mental health."

You probably never even heard this before I wrote it, did you?

That's because only Reuters news service wrote a story on it. Evidently, the other reporters didn't think it was a story, even though it was an elected official, speaking in a public forum, making violent threats based solely on race.

Barron's response to criticism from conservative radio broadcaster Steve Malzberg was that he was using a form of humor called "black hyperbole" that "y'all wouldn't understand because you're uptight and you're gonna take it where it was not intended." (WABC Radio, Aug. 18, 2001.)

Maybe Rush should try that.

But the double standard doesn't stop there. As long as you're liberal, you're safe it seems.

Take Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), a white man and former member of the Ku Klux Klan who used the "n-word" twice in one interview on Fox News in March 2001.

Did you hear about that one? Probably not.

The New York Times ignored the story. CNN did one report, according to Newsmax.com, a conservative news Web site.

California's Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante addressed the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists in 2001 using the "n-word." The press has yet to publicize the incident during the California recall race, in which Bustamante is the Democrats' best hope to defeat Republican front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger.

If the press is going to cast itself as racism's biggest enemy, it should fight it on all fronts instead of creating it where it doesn't exist.

But the liberal press is on a witch-hunt.

Not for racists, but for white conservatives it can portray as racists. Limbaugh has made that point many times and now the media are clamoring for all they're worth to prove him right.

If you want a witch worth hunting, start looking for corrupt journalists. You won't have to look very hard.

Contact reporter Mary Katharine Ham at 997-3111, ext. 19; e-mail mkham@yourdailyjournal.com

http://www.yourdailyjournal.com/articles/2003/10/07/news/editorials/oped02.txt

20031013 Westminster Choir College by The Daily Princetonian

Westminster Choir College by The Daily Princetonian

Higher Education in Princeton — The other institutions

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2003/10/13/page3/

Westminster Choir College

By Zack Surak, Princetonian Senior Writer

Imagine walking on to one of the smallest campuses you've ever seen. As you walk into a dramatic hall — similar in beauty and presence to Princeton's Nassau Hall — images of venerated men and women stare at you from the depths of the canvases that line the walls. History resonates from the soul of the building.

The rest of the interior is reminiscent of the elegant beauty of Prospect House with antique artifacts indicating a rich history. But the setting is not that of Prospect House or Nassau Hall.

As you ascend to the main lobby up a story from the entrance, a wall of singing suspends you in your tracks. Peering into the room awash with late afternoon sunlight, you see a woman — no more than 25 years old — standing adjacent to a black grand piano. She is sweetly singing an aria from an opera that this writer never had the privilege of hearing. The notes range at least three octaves and the emotions of the lyrics are played out on the singer's face.

Then, the surreal scene is interrupted. A member of the small audience calls out, "More legato . . . suspend . . . suspend . . . and release."

[…]

Westminster is a small music college with an undergraduate program of roughly 330 students pursuing scholarship in music. Classes include music education, organ performance, piano, sacred music, theory and composition, voice performance and music theater.

At the graduate level, Westminster also has about 110 students who are working towards a Master of Music degree.

The story of Westminster began in 1920 when John Finley Williamson established the Westminster Choir at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio. Within a few short years, Williamson had his volunteer choir singing at a professional level at national venues.

The early success motivated Williamson to start the Westminster Choir School in 1926 to professionally train musicians. The school moved to Ithaca, New York, in 1929 and became part of Ithaca College.

Then, in 1932, the institution moved to be close to major cities with symphonic orchestras and to a seminary that would complement the school's study of sacred music. With the help of Charles Erdman, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church and professor at the Princeton Theological Seminary, the Westminster Choir School moved to Princeton and was renamed Westminster Choir College.

At the time, Princeton President John Hibben helped Westminster's move as he lobbied the New Jersey governor for approval of college's charter. In those first years, Hibben also made the University chapel available for choral services and allowed the college to use University grounds for Westminster's annual spring festival. Close ties were forged between the University and Westminster.

Westminster continued to expand its renown during the 20th century, attracting many prominent musicians to its conservatory and faculty.

Then, in 1992, Westminster merged with Rider University.

Today, Westminster continues to attract topflight musicians. The school is home to musicians from 40 states and 18 countries.

[…]

Read the entire article here: Higher Education in Princeton — The other institutions

####

Westminster Choir College Princeton New Jersey, New Jersey,

20031012 Councils standing up to county executives sun

http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-te.ar.control12oct12,0,3775928.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Across the suburbs, councils standing up to county executives

Miscommunication, tight finances inspire struggles over control

By Ryan Davis Sun Staff October 12, 2003

In Baltimore's largest suburban counties, where the county executives carry most of the clout, the counties' part-time councils are testing the limits of their power.

Anne Arundel County Council members, already complaining of being powerless, were shocked to learn this month that the county had hired a new $90,000-a-year manager for a position they didn't know existed.

They passed legislation Tuesday to prevent a recurrence.

Baltimore County Council members have sought the power to reject any new position proposed by the county executive, with whom they have clashed, and they derailed one of his top nominees.

Even in Howard County, where the council members say they are content with the status quo, the balance of power will be debated in the coming months.

Where the politicians have butted heads there are two common ingredients: communication troubles and tight finances.

"You get more of that sort of stuff during tough times," said Michael Sanderson, legislative director for the Maryland Association of Counties.

Most debates over the balance of power center on who controls the purse strings. Children learn in grade school how a bill becomes a law. It's basically the same everywhere.

But how a state or local government passes a budget is a different story. There's little uniformity, so there's room to fight about it.

It is generally accepted, Sanderson said, that Maryland's governor has the most budgetary authority of any in the United States. That power structure largely carries over to the executives in Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties, as well.

"The executives run the show, and the council is a policy-making body," said Victor Tervala, a consultant with the University of Maryland's Institute for Governmental Service.

It's different from the way local governments operate in many other states, where an appointed, full-time county manager runs the day-to-day government, but that manager must answer to the elected council members.

It also differs from the system used by most of the 17 smaller counties in Maryland. In counties such as Carroll, the powers of the executive and legislative branches are combined in a county commission.

And it's even different from more populous Montgomery County, where the council wields far more power.

In Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties, the executive develops a budget, the council reviews it and adopts it. But there is little the council can do to change it.

Battles for control, Sanderson said, typically focus on three issues:

 What the council can add and subtract from the county executive's proposed budget. Howard and Anne Arundel county councils can cut money from the budget and then add dollars back to the school board budget. Baltimore County's council can only cut.

 Position control, where the council has authority over not only how much money a county department gets, but also how many - and what type of - employees it gets. None of the three counties has this power, though Baltimore County sought it this year and Anne Arundel passed legislation seeking it Tuesday.

 Line-item veto, which allows the county executive to cut parts of a passed bill - a power that pertains to more than just budget issues. Only Anne Arundel's county executive has this power.

Though squabbling over control can turn public, as it has in Baltimore County, it often goes undetected.

Anne Arundel County Council members lamented last week that hundreds of residents will pack their chambers for a vote on new development. But only five people watched as they debated usurping some authority from County Executive Janet S. Owens.

"This is much more important," said Anne Arundel Republican Edward R. Reilly of Crofton.

The debate has not always followed partisan lines.

In Baltimore County, County Executive James T. Smith Jr. is a Democrat, and so are six of the seven council members. When the Anne Arundel County Council voted Tuesday to give itself increased oversight of Democrat Owens' budget, two of the council's three Democrats supported the bill.

Instead, budget and communication problems ignited power struggles. "In some circumstances the communication is not quite as good as it should be," said Anne Arundel County Councilman Ronald C. Dillon Jr., a Republican.

Tervala, the Maryland government consultant, said power struggles are typically personality-driven, and several former county executives agreed.

"I don't think the structure is nearly as important as the people involved and whether they have an earnest desire to make the system that exists work," said former Anne Arundel County Executive Robert R. Neall.

The friction can increase when there isn't much money to go around, said Sanderson of the counties association. If fewer programs are funded in a budget, it's more important to the politicians who decides what makes it into the spending plan, he said.

Council members in Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties have said their goal is to win more checks and balances on the size of government.

Owens' administration argued last week that by taking control of how many employees can work in a department, the part-time legislators on the council are trying to cross the line from policy-making into managing.

"On the one hand they're saying they don't want to micromanage, but this is micromanaging," Owens said.

Baltimore County's Smith declined to comment for this article, but he has said that giving the council control of each government position would be disastrous for efficiency.

Former Baltimore County Executive Donald P. Hutchinson said the stability of the region's county governments starts with having one person responsible for spending. And the county executive is the only politician accountable to all of the county's voters, not just one district.

"Generally speaking, everyone who runs for political office wants the power," Hutchinson said. "In some cases you want more power than the office is supposed to have."

In Howard, the county is entering its charter review process, which occurs every eight years. One proposal would give County Executive James N. Robey line-item veto power in exchange for allowing the council to add to the budget in more areas than education.

However, County Council members said they are not seeking change.

Council Chairman Guy Guzzone said the council has occasional miscommunication with Robey, but said, "It shouldn't lead to governmental structure changes just because you have a gripe because you didn't hear about something from the executive."

Baltimore County has weighed structural change this year. The council members, most of whom adopted former County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger's "teamwork" approach, said they have experienced repeated communication problems with Smith, a former judge in his first year as executive.

Councilman T. Bryan McIntire said Smith hasn't changed his style from that of a judge who makes decisions without consulting others.

The friction began, McIntire said, before Smith took office. Voters passed a council-backed referendum last year that has forced Smith to seek council approval of his appointees and their salaries.

Smith's nominee for his No. 2 post withdrew from consideration after the County Council complained about her and her proposed $140,000 salary.
Relations got worse when the council made what Smith called a naked power grab that would limit his ability to hire.

The council backed away when Smith agreed to provide a quarterly report on who is making what. But if that report proves insufficient, council members McIntire and Stephen G. Samuel Moxley said, they will revive the issue.

The power struggle has moved beyond control over the budget. The most recent hot issue is whether Smith should be allowed to appoint Orioles principal owner Peter G. Angelos to the county's Revenue Authority board.

In several ways, Anne Arundel's council is following Baltimore County's lead in seeking more power. But the Anne Arundel council may reach further.

The issue emerged in

Annapolis after the county endured a tumultuous budget process this spring. The administration surprised the council, telling its members what officials had known for months: A new law enforcement communications system had more than doubled in price from $15 million to $35 million.

Even though the council made budget cuts to avoid Owens' proposed pay freeze, she laid off 18 employees while keeping money in contingency accounts. Though several council members disagreed, they were powerless to stop her from doing so.

That prompted a council push for a charter amendment next year that would allow the council to cut from one part of the budget and add to any other.

Then, last month, Anne Arundel County hired John P. O'Connor, former secretary of the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, as an assistant personnel manager. Before hiring O'Connor, the county reclassified the vacant position into a higher salary range, paying $90,000 a year. The Owens administration said the council should have been aware of the change, but council members insist they weren't.

Citing O'Connor's hiring as an example of unchecked spending, the council voted Tuesday to give itself more control. Under the passed legislation, Owens would need council approval to reconfigure or increase staffing.

The bill's sponsors, Reilly in particular, said they wanted to spark a philosophical debate. Instead, it turned into a yelling match between the council's vice chairman and the county's budget officer.

"Simmer down," council Chairwoman Cathleen M. Vitale told them.

But even though the bill passed, the county executive says she will not only veto it, she is also exploring if it was legal for the council to pass such a bill.

"You've got so many elected officials," Owens said. "They all want to be county executive, and I think they all should run."

Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun

4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County

4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County

January 21st, 2001 - 20031008 KED Mucking Out Stalls.JPG

The 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program is always seeking volunteers, ages 14 and up, to help with lessons at the 4-H arena at the Agriculture Center in Westminster. Horse experience is a plus, but is not required. for more information go here http://www.trp4h.org/index.html or call 410-876-1760.

4-H Therapeutic Riding provides a program of therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults with disabilities.

For over 20 years, this all-volunteer organization has served more than 1,500 individuals with a wide range of disabilities.

Therapeutic riding uses horses to make positive contributions to the physical, cognitive, emotional and social well being of individuals with disabilities.

The program serves as a training center for Special Olympic athletes competing locally and at the Special Olympic World Games.

Following standards of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, adaptations are made to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in various riding activities.

The program emphasizes cognitive, behavioral, psychological and physical goals for each participant.

My wife, Caroline, serves as a volunteer NARHA certified instructor, Board member and Treasurer. She also serves on the Carroll County Agriculture Center Board representing 4-H Therapeutic Riding and as the Ag Center Treasurer.

I volunteer also – mostly in a grounds maintenance – property management capacity, but I been known to do whatever I’m asked.

I designed the original landscape design for the property and, along with Caroline and many other volunteers, helped install the plants and build run-in sheds.

I grew up participating in 4-H.

In the past, I have taught many classes for the Cooperative Extension Service, served on numerous committees including: the Carroll Co. Agriculture Program Advisory Committee of the University of MD Cooperative Extension Service; the Cooperative Extension Service Maintenance Conference Planning Committee. I also served on a special Carroll & Frederick County agricultural community advisory taskforce for Dr. Raymond J. Miller, University of Maryland Vice Chancellor for Agricultural Affairs in the 1980s.

January 21st, 2001

For more posts on the 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County on “Soundtrack”go here: http://tinyurl.com/qltzfn The web site may be found here: http://www.trp4h.org/

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/4H%20Therapeutic%20Riding%20Prog

SDOSM 20010121

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/05/4-h-therapeutic-riding-program-of.html

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

20031008 Two Cows

TWO COWS

October 8^th, 2003

Political humor with an edge – the story of two cows…

DEMOCRAT

You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. You vote people into office that put a tax on your cows, forcing you to sell one to raise money to pay the tax. The people you voted for then take the tax money, buy a cow and give it to your neighbor. You feel righteous. Barbara Streisand sings for you.

SOCIALIST

You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor. You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

REPUBLICAN

You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. So?

COMMUNIST

You have two cows. The government seizes both and provides you with milk. You wait in line for hours to get it. It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE

You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE

You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point you have to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow, which was a gift from your government.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE

You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION

You have two cows. You sell one, lease it back to yourself, and do an IPO on the 2^nd one. You force the 2 cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses. Your stock goes up and you sell out and retire rich.

FRENCH CORPORATION

You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows. You go to lunch. Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION

You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains. Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION

You have two cows. You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour. Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows but you don’t know where they are. While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman. You break for lunch. Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You drink more vodka. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 12 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka. You produce your 10^th, 5-year plan in the last 3 months. The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION

You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two. You don’t milk them because you cannot touch any creature’s private parts. Then you kill them and claim a US bomb blew them up while they were in the hospital.

POLISH CORPORATION

You have two bulls. Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

FLORIDA CORPORATION

You have a black cow and a brown cow. Everyone votes for the best looking one. Some of the people, who like the brown one best, vote for the black one. Some people vote for both. Some people vote for neither. Some people can’t figure out how to vote at all. Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which is the best-looking one.

NEW YORK CORPORATION

You have fifteen million cows. You have to choose which one will be the leader of the herd, so you pick some cow from Arkansas

Rec’d 20031008

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20030928 Longwell Family Center during Fallfest

Longwell Family Center during Fallfest

Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland

City of Westminster Old Armory Building - Longwell Family Center. Pictured here during Westminster Fallfest September 28, 2003 by Kevin Dayhoff

Fallfest

Westminster City Recreation and Parks

Daily Photoblog

20030926 List of Carroll County Volunteer Fire Departments and the Chief of each Department

20030926 List CC Vol Fire Departments

List of Carroll County Volunteer Fire Departments and the Chief of each Department

Carroll County Volunteer Fire Fighter Departments

As of September 26, 2003

Fire Departments http://www.carr.org/ccg/emerserv/firedept.htm 20030926 Gamber - Co. 13 Chief: Todd Leppert 410-795-3445 Hampstead - Co. 2 Chief: Herb Raver 410-239-4280 Harney - Co. 11 Chief: Donald Yingling, Sr. 410-635-6373 Lineboro - Co. 7 Chief: Shawn Utz 410-374-2197 Manchester - Co. 4 Chief: Donald Nott 410-239-2286 Mount Airy - Co. 1 Chief: Gene Mellin 301-829-0100 New Windsor - Co. 10 Chief: Rick Fritz 410-635-6373 Pleasant Valley - Co. 6 Chief: Mike Gist 410-848-1977 Reese - Co. 9 Chief: Marion Davidson, Jr. 410-848-7172 Sykesville/Freedom - Co. 12 Chief: Bob Chesney 410-795-8021 Taneytown - Co. 5 Chief: Brett Six 410-756-6253 Union Bridge - Co. 8 Chief: Chad Green 410-374-2197 Westminster - Co. 3 Chief: Kevin Utz 410-848-1800 Winfield - Co. 14 Chief: Greg Dods 410-795-1333

20030917 Halloween Trick or Treating memo for October 31, 2003

Westminster, Maryland Halloween Trick or Treating

MEMORANDUM – September 17^th, 2003

TO: Council Members

Thomas Beyard

Laurell Taylor

Dean Brewer

Joe Urban

John Walsh

Carroll County Times

The Baltimore Sun - Carroll County

WTTR Radio

SUBJECT: HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREATING

Each year, The Mayor and Council designates a night for Halloween Trick or Treating. Pursuant to your approval at the Council Meeting of September 22^nd, 2003, I would like to recommend that Halloween Trick or Treating take place on the evening of Thursday, October 31, 2003.

Trick or Treating should be conducted between the hours of dusk and 8:00 p.m. and be restricted to children age 12 and under plus accompanying parents or adult guardians. Residents who wish to participate by providing treats to the children should turn on their outside light. Children are advised to wear some light colored clothing so as to be more visible to motorists and to go to homes in their immediate neighborhoods with lights. Motorists should pay particular care on the evening of October 31^st with so many children walking around City streets.

KEVIN E. DAYHOFF

Westminster Mayor

20030827 Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Rollingstone.com: The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Aug 27, 2003

Update: Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower

1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of the Band
79 Cliff Gallup of the Blue Caps (1997)
80 Robert Quine of the Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of the Kinks
89 D. Boon of the Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of the Doors
92 & 93 Fred "Sonic" Smith, Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time

For more – go to: The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Music

20030827 Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

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