20060106 Security Badge

Security Badge

The Winchester Report

By Kevin Dayhoff January 6, 2006 6 PM

Today was the day I had set aside to travel to Annapolis, present my press credentials, and be processed for a security badge.

Thanks to the Westminster Eagle and Patuxent Publishing Co, I may very well be the first blogger to be credentialed in Annapolis. I should mention that Patuxent Publishing Company is owned by Tribune, which also owns the Baltimore Sun.

For a really interesting piece on the affect of blogging and the internet media on government and state-level politics, please read the “Cover Story/Politics & Technology” of the July 2005 issue of Governing magazine, “Instant Influence” by Christopher Swope. Mr. Swopes invites the reader to review his piece with an opening line, which reads: “A new generation of web scribes is shaking up state capitol politics.”

Also of interest is an article entitled: “Web logs challenging mainstream media” by Ryan Pitts, in the Spokane Spokesman-Review on Thursday, October 14, 2004. Unfortunately, I did not get the URL address of the article when I clipped it and they have a paywall in front of their archives… It mentions Matthew Testa and Scott Hollenbeck from Westminster:

"Of the ones I've checked out, blogs are poorly written and boring diaries," said Matthew Testa of Westminster.”

"I trust the blogs because they are open and upfront about who they are," said Scott Hellenbeck (sic) of Westminster. "They don't have to make the big money like networks do, so they have different priorities and have to earn their audience."

I have enjoyed working with both gentlemen… Matthew, I hope that this blog is not one of those “poorly written and boring diaries.”

The process of getting my security badge was painless and quick. There were only a few folks in line. The Department of General Services police were very courteous and helpful. It took – perhaps 15 minutes. Of course, the picture for the badge is almost as bad as the photo on my driver’s license. Whatever.

I’m glad that my security badge identifies me as “media.” I would hate to have to wear a badge that identified me as a “lobbyist” – shades of Nathaniel Hawthorne and “The Scarlet Letter” - Salem, Massachusetts in the1630s under the leadership of Speaker Busch – err, John Winthrop.

Although considering the Maryland General Assembly majority party’s intolerance of dissenting ideas – perhaps mentioning The Scarlet Letter was Freudian:

“The religious sect was known for its intolerance of dissenting ideas and lifestyles. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses the repressive, authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind in general. The Puritan setting also enables him to portray the human soul under extreme -pressures. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, while unquestionably part of the Puritan society in which they live, also reflect universal experiences. (Cite)

In the past, I had a badge that identified me as an elected official and that badge was also quite helpful. Otherwise, standing in the lines to get through the checkpoints can be time consuming. Especially since, I always have a laptop and briefcase… And I’m always running late. I’ve gotten to know quite a few folks down there and every trip down the hall is measured in however many ‘conversation stops’ it takes. I guess this is a good thing – I mean it’s better than being ignored…

There have been a few articles written about the issue of security passes in Annapolis – in the last year. Since the decisions about security issues are being made by several pay grades above mine, I’m not sure what my 2 cents is worth. Besides, in the post 9/11 world, safety is an overriding concern.

Richard B. Weldon, Jr. (R – Dist. 3B, Frederick & Washington Counties) had a thing or two to say about the security badges in his piece: General Assembly Journal 2006 - Part 1.

Recently, on January 1, 2006, David Nitkin, with the Baltimore Sun, wrote a piece on the issue called “Lobbyists get a pass on lines.”

Unfortunately, the Baltimore Sun does not use permalinks, so the hyperlink will probably not work. The first several paragraphs of his piece are:

“A new security system in Annapolis means that visitors should expect longer lines outside the State House and other government buildings when the General Assembly session begins this month.

But most Annapolis lobbyists won't be waiting in them.

The professional State House lobbying corps, which boasts 14 members who earned more than $500,000 in 2004, has managed to preserve its rapid access to the historic capitol complex, overturning an earlier decision that would have made them stand outside and pass through metal detectors like day visitors.

The Maryland Department of General Services, which provides security at state buildings, had first determined that lobbyists should not receive the same entry privileges as the governor, the first lady, lawmakers, legislative services workers and members of the news media.

But some of the most powerful players in Annapolis, including former legislators who now work as lobbyists, refused to accept a decision handed down in November.

"I went ballistic. A couple of other people went ballistic," said lobbyist Bruce C. Bereano. "We brought pressure to bear and turned it around."

A few weeks after the fall ruling, state officials changed the regulation and decided that registered lobbyists can bypass the police and security equipment at the entrance to government buildings. The privilege will go only to those who are registered with the Maryland State Ethics Commission, undergo a background check and pay a $50 fee for their badges.

Among those fighting to maintain rapid access was Barbara A. Hoffman, the former chairwoman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee who became a lobbyist after a 2002 election defeat.”

Next trip to Annapolis is for Opening Day – The second Wednesday of every January – January 11, 2006, this year.

####

20051229 Community Foundation of Carroll County announces Philanthropists of the Year Award

20051229 Community Foundation of Carroll County announces Philanthropists of the Year Award.

Community Foundation of Carroll County announces Philanthropists of the Year Award.

December 29, 2005 by Kevin Dayhoff

Writers note: A shorter version of this article titled, “CFCC on lookout for good deeds in honoring philanthropists” appeared in the Westminster Eagle on 01/05/06

“Charitable giving comes from the heart and mirrors the soul. Community philanthropists deserve to be recognized,” said Kathy Brown, the Director of Shepherd’s Staff as she multi-tasked at the front desk, answering questions and waiting on customers.

“It’s marvelous what the Foundation is doing for families in Carroll County.”

Brown was referring to a recent announcement that the Community Foundation of Carroll County (CFCC) is looking for “nominations to recognize the exceptional generosity and strong commitment of extraordinary local philanthropists.”

Audrey Cimino, CFCC executive director noted, “This is something we have wanted to do for quite sometime. We want to recognize those heroes who give of their time and money to make a better community. And it’s not always the huge donations – it is the accumulation of all the small donations that make things happen. You could not put a price on the volunteerism hours.”

According their website, CFCC is an umbrella organization to facilitate philanthropic activities in Carroll County since 1993. That is when a steering committee of “James Wise, Arthur Valenzano, Calvin Seitz, Peggie Roland, Donald Hull, George Giese, William Gering, and Audrey Cimino, began the process of making the Community Foundation of Carroll County a reality.”

“Beginning with a gift of sixty thousand dollars from the Estate of Rosa B. Null, a Hampstead, Maryland resident, the Community Foundation has grown to 3.4 million dollars in endowments, operations funds, scholarships and funds managed for other community organizations.”

The press release announcing the new awards program states: “The Community Foundation of Carroll County is requesting nominations to recognize the exceptional generosity and strong commitment of extraordinary local philanthropists.”

Cimino said in the announcement, this “is the beginning of what we anticipate will be a long-tradition of honoring the philanthropic efforts of Carroll County residents and businesses. Often, the long-term impact of those efforts is not recognized. Our goal is to honor and thank those in our local community who consistently respond to needs with generosity and leadership.”

CFCC marketing chair Fred Teeter gives a lot of credit to CFCC Board Chair Linda Ryan for “getting behind this effort and giving it some legs. “The Foundation came up with this project because there is no countywide recognition program to recognize philanthropists in [Carroll] County. The objective is to award an individual or family, a business, an organization, and a youth who exemplify the spirit of giving through financial support, and volunteerism.”

“Through its partnership with the Carroll County Times,” CFCC will recognize Carroll philanthropists “during the first annual Carroll County Philanthropists of the Year awards program on April 5, 2006,” the announcement continued.

Hampstead mayor Haven Shoemaker thinks the award program “is a fantastic idea.”

When asked what private sector contributions means to municipalities, Shoemaker, president of the Carroll Chapter of the MD Municipal League said, “town governments can’t do it alone… [Hampstead] is just all-local government… We operate on a shoestring budget and without philanthropy; taxes would be a lot higher than they already are. For example, we really appreciate the Hampstead Lion’s Club providing citizens with recreation, baseball programs, and the like…”

“Charitable donations mean everything to us,” Brown said, referring to Shepherd’s staff, a Westminster based Christian outreach and emergency support center. “We depend on the charity giving of the community because we don’t accept any county state or federal funding.”

Commissioner Perry Jones said, “The generosity of the community has been critical to Carroll County being the great place that it is for all our families. Carroll is very fortunate to have the Community Foundation.”

Timmi Pierce, the new executive director of the Historical Society of Carroll County remarked that she had already discussed with her staff who to nominate. “Volunteerism is really a core element for a community. Carroll County has a rich history of generosity in the community that goes to back to the founding of the county.”

A nomination form must be completed in its entirety for each nominee, and mailed to the Community Foundation of Carroll County, P.O. Box 170, Westminster, MD 21158, postmarked by Thursday, January 12, 2006. Nomination forms are available on the web at www.carrollcommunityfoundation.org or by contacting Lisa Aughenbaugh, CFCC Project Manager, 410-876-8772 or Fred Teeter, 866-775-2185.

Forms are also available at the office of The Westminster Eagle, 121 E. Main St., Westminster, MD 21157, during regular business hours.

20060105 Enemy Imaging

Enemy Imaging

January 5, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff (1,127 words)

Former Georgia Senator Max Cleland (D) has resurfaced in the news once again. In Maryland? What the heck is going on here?

Last month Governor Robert L. Ehrlich announced hiring Bo Harmon to be his political director for his re-election campaign. The Baltimore Sun ran an article on December 10, 2005, which said, in part:

“Maryland Democratic Party spokesman Derek Walker said he was shocked that the governor would hire Harmon, and compared the political director to Joseph F. Steffen Jr., the former Ehrlich aide who was fired after admitting to spreading rumors about Mayor Martin O'Malley.

Democrats here and in Georgia immediately criticized the hire, saying Ehrlich is bringing to Maryland a virtuoso of nastiness who attacked the patriotism of Cleland, an Army veteran who lost three limbs in Vietnam.”

The Sun continued its criticism by calling the readers’ attention to a negative ad run by Senator Cleland’s opponent in the 2002 Georgia Senate race.

The ad used, what is known in the business as “enemy imaging.” Identifying an opponent with a nefarious character. Sorta like, running a picture of Governor Ehrlich with a fired state employee – Mr. Steffen.

The only difference is that after many folks, understandably, criticized the Chambliss campaign ad, the ad was taken off the air, changed and ran without the nefarious character images.

In the MD4BUSH–Steffengate saga; long after it has been revealed that MD4BUSH was a political dirty trick by democrats for which it has been suggested that several members of the Maryland Democratic Party have lost their jobs; the Sun is still running the negative ad which ‘enemy images’ Governor Ehrlich with Mr. Steffen.

So what is the rest of the Senator Cleland story? He lost his 2002 senate re-election bid because of his liberal voting record while serving in the senate and representing a conservative constituency.

Rich Lowry, writing in National Review on February 20, 2004, “Max Cleland, Liberal Victim,” put it best.

Democrat Senator Cleland “was on record supporting countless tax increases, and voted with his party's leadership against protecting the Boy Scouts from a campaign to keep them out of public schools and against banning partial-birth abortion. In many of these votes, he parted ways with his more conservative and popular colleague Miller, thus creating a major political vulnerability. He lost fair and square.”

This is what happened.

Senator Cleland returned home from Vietnam terribly wounded with injuries that would stop anyone but Superman. But he didn’t let being disabled stop him and he worked hard to recover and continue to serve his community and his country.

It was said best in a poignant Washington Post article on July 3, 2003, entitled “Political Veteran.”

After Mr. Cleland returned home from recovering from his injuries, in “1970, at 28, he became the youngest person ever elected to the Georgia Senate. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter appointed him to head the Veterans Administration. In 1982 he was elected as Georgia's secretary of state” and served until 1996.”

In 1996, when Senator Sam Nunn (D) decided to retire from the U.S. Senate after serving 24 years, Georgia Secretary of State Cleland tossed his hat in the ring. Senator Nunn had always been strong on national defense and Vietnam veteran Max Cleland seemed a perfect replacement.

He wasn’t.

In 1996, Mr. Cleland narrowly defeated his opponent, businessperson Guy Millner by 30,000 votes. He only got 49 percent of the vote.

Slate published an article by Michael Crowley on April 4, 2004 called: ““How the disabled war veteran became the Democrats' mascot.” It is not a poignant or deferential piece. Mr. Crowley wrote, “There was little reason to expect Cleland to be a star senator, and he wasn't.”

Of his 1996 campaign, Mr. Crowley wrote:

“In that campaign, Cleland made up for his lack of political skill—the Atlanta-Journal Constitution noted that he "has never been known as a deep thinker" and was prone to "platitudes" in debates—by harnessing the emotional power of his war injuries…”

After six years in the Senate, Senator Cleland’s re-election was in deep trouble at home. Although he could serve his southern constituency well enough on local Georgia issues, “Cleland's undoing was that he couldn't negotiate the dilemma facing many Southern Democrats — how to vote liberal in Washington while appearing conservative at home.” (Rich Lowry, February 20, 2004, “Max Cleland, Liberal Victim” National Review)

In the 2002 election, Senator Cleland was challenged by four-term conservative Republican congressman Saxby Chambliss, “who'd been elected in the "Contract With America" class of 1994.” (July 3, 2003, “Political Veteran” Washington Post)

Mr. Crowley wrote: “Most of Chambliss' attacks were based on Cleland's most "liberal" votes on social issues like partial-birth abortion. But in the race's closing weeks, Bush and Chambliss hammered at the fact that Cleland was voting with Senate Democrats against Bush's proposed Homeland Security Department because of its infamous provision limiting union rights. The message was that Cleland was kowtowing to big labor at the cost of protecting America.”

Then came those “GOP television ads.” They crossed the line. They were unnecessary and inappropriate and should have never been aired.

In the Washington Post July 3, 2003 article it was noted:

“both sides ran attack ads, but none was as controversial as Chambliss' homeland security spot. It opened with pictures of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. "As America faces terrorists and extremist dictators," said a narrator, "Max Cleland runs television ads claiming he has the courage to lead. He says he supports President Bush at every opportunity, but that's not the truth. Since July, Max Cleland voted against President Bush's vital homeland security efforts 11 times!"

After both democrats and republicans condemned the inappropriate ad, the ad was removed from the air.

Which brings us full circle. Since the Sun has brought it up. Beyond the issue of comparing how many articles the Baltimore Sun ran on MD4BUSH-Steffengate with how many articles it ran about the alleged criminal identity theft of Lt. Gov. Michael Steele’s personal financial records by Senator Schumer's staff at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee…

Now that MD4BUSH has been outed as a democratic dirty trick, the Sun needs to do a reality check and realize that by continuing to run the picture of Governor Ehrlich with Mr. Steffen on their web site, they may think that they are cleverly perpetuating a negative “enemy-imaging” ad on Governor Ehrlich.

What they are really doing is perpetuating a reminder of despicable gutter politics at its worse.

It is a rule of classier political practitioners that the family of an elected official or candidate for office is off limits – out of bounds. No matter what party to which they belong.

When is the Sun going to take the picture off their web site?

Just asking.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
####

The Tentacle A Tale of Two Introductions by Kevin E. Dayhoff

The Tentacle A Tale of Two Introductions by Kevin E. Dayhoff January 4, 2006

Tim Franklin was brought on board by Baltimore’s Sun in January 2004 to navigate the paper through the treacherous waters that has become the newspaper business in a new era. In December 2005, Bo Harmon was brought on board to navigate Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich through the treacherous waters that we have come to know as Maryland politics for the next election.

Each gentleman is well accomplished in their professions and came to Maryland with certain reputations. What does a analysis look like when comparing how well each have been welcomed to our great state?

In the case of Mr. Harmon, The Sun only told a misleading portion of the story. However, when one is informed of the rest of the story, quite a different picture emerges.

As you will see, if that approach had been employed when Mr. Franklin first came to town, it would have been misleading. When is The Sun going to retract their misleading “news” article on Mr. Harmon and set the record straight?

Let’s begin by comparing the articles on Governor Ehrlich’s hiring of Bo Harmon in the December 10, 2005, The Sun article entitled “Ehrlich hires '06 director,” with the coverage by the Gazette on December 16, “Don’t credit Harmon, says former boss.”

Read the entire column here: A Tale of Two Introductions

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=1416

20060104 SDOSM TT A Tale of Two Introductions ttked
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

20060104 Mike Schuh WJZ Channel 13

Mike Schuh WJZ Channel 13

January 4^th, 2006

Schuh Mike

Reporter

http://wjz.com/bios/local_bio_053095449

Mike Schuh joined WJZ Eyewitness News as a general assignment reporter in April, 1993. In 2002 Mike won a Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting.

During his career at Eyewitness News he has also earned 6 Emmy Awards for Hard News Investigations, General News Reporting and Features Reporting. Mike came to WJZ after reporting for other television stations in Indianapolis, Louisville, Missouri and Illinois.

In 1983 he received his B.S. Degree in News Reporting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Mike lives near Towson with his wife and one very, very energetic daughter.

Just the Facts

Position: Reporter

Year Hired: 1993

First TV Appearance: 1981

Favorite Story: 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics

Memorable Interview: John Travolta

Dream Interview: anyone who connect with the audience

Dream Job: being a better storyteller

First Story: Carbondale, IL city council meeting

Role Model: former NPPA Photographer of the Year Mark Anderson

Why I'm A Journalist: I love telling stories

Hidden Talent: pretty good carpenter/painter

Alma Mater: Souther Illinois Unversity at Carbondale

Hometown: Waukegan, IL

Kids: 1

Siblings: 5

Hobbies: restoring my home in an historic neighborhood

Favorite Food: Spicy Veggie Ho Fun with Tofu

Favorite Sports Team: Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Cubs

Favorite Destination: The Outer Banks Avon, NC

_____

Mike Schuh

January 4^th, 2006

Television NewsVideo Workshop

http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/workshops_and_seminars/TV_NewsVideo_workshop/2006/faculty/mschuh.html

Before joining the CBS O&O in Baltimore in 1993, Mike told stories in Cape Girardeau, MO, Louisville, and Indianapolis. Mike has worked for about a dozen general managers and news directors, all who have very different thoughts about what news should look and sound like. He has successfully adapted what he's learned here to keep his bosses happy while at the same time producing stories which keep him excited about his job. He is happy to discuss survival techniques.

A Bakers Dozen of Sensible Schuh's:

Be a good employee.

Don't whine.

Pretend you are a freelancer -- like you must impress the bosses every day or you won't be able to afford food.

Surprise the producers. Give them more than they asked for in less time.

Work hard on the little story and the boss will give you the big ones.

Keep your mind on the story, not on the station gossip. Spend at least 5-10 minutes exchanging ideas about the story on the way to the story. Good ideas snowball.

Communicate expectations, communicate needs, communicate wants.

What do I have? What do I need?

On the ride home, go through the sequences about what will work where.

Offer solutions, not just problems.

Stand up straight.

Eat your vegetables.

Wear glasses if you need them.

####

20060104

Tall in the Saddle By Katie V. Jones: 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County

Tall in the Saddle By Katie V. Jones

Westminster Eagle 01/03/2006 By Katie V. Jones

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=978&NewsID=687216&CategoryID=17320&on=1

Horses can be intimidating.

Ranging in all different sizes and colors, a horse - with its four legs, swinging head and flaring nostrils - might not be the choice animal for many to approach easily.

But at the 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County it is the horses, combined with the work of volunteers, that reach out to children and adults who face challenges every day - whether physically or mentally.

The program gives lessons and riding opportunities for people with varied disabilities, from developmental restrictions to physical conditions such as cerebral palsy.

For those with such limitations, the program offers a chance for mobility and a sense of freedom they can otherwise not achieve, and studies indicate that therapeutic riding can help people with disabilities improve muscle usage and flexibility, and can also benefit social and communications skills.

Therapeutic riding generally began as a therapy for disabled persons in the 1950s, after Lis Hartel of Denmark won a silver medal in the 1952 Olympics despite severe polio. She had to be helped on and off her horse at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland.

Today, many riders in the Carroll County program participate in horse shows and train for the Special Olympics.

"It is a great thing," says Chris Bradford, a volunteer for the riding club. "Even if you had a rough night and didn't get much response, you still feel it was worth it."

While the club rides under the 4-H flag, it provides riding lessons to anyone between the ages of 3 and up with a therapeutic disability, according to Peggy Roland, a volunteer and secretary of the program's Board of Directors.

"We seated 51 riders this past session," Roland, 57, says, noting that members come from all across the county, and even beyond.

The club has been in existence since 1978. It first began meeting outdoors at private farms, but eventually relocated to the Carroll County Agricultural Center.

In 1997, the club purchased a building in town and actually had it moved to its current location near the Ag Center and Carroll County Farm Museum.

"We can ride in the rain, (whereas) we couldn't before," Roland says, standing in the center of the large show ring.

"We can ride after dark ... though it is very yellow in here," she says, laughing at the lights.

With its high tin ceiling, the barn can also get very loud during heavy rain or wind.

For that reason, and others, it is always essential for volunteers to be present with the therapeutic riders. While some may need only a little assistance, others may need up to three volunteers.

Most classes at the center have between four or six riders. Add the volunteers and instructor, and the ring can be quite crowded - and loud.

"Volunteers are absolutely wonderful," Roland says. "We don't hold classes without them. They are here for the safety of the riders."
Volunteers are constantly being trained.

"I know a lot more now than I did," notes Bradford, who had only a little experience with horses before becoming a volunteer two years ago.
"I go early to play with the horses more, and do grooming," Bradford says. "I learn a lot, too. I'm still a rookie."

The four-legged volunteers, aka the horses, obviously are also a critical piece of the program. Many of the riders form a strong bond with their horse, and that connection can lead to both physical and emotional progress.

The horses in the 4-H program are evaluated throughout the year to make sure they can stand up to the rigors of the program - and that have the temperament needed.

Not all horses are accepted to become part of the therapeutic riding program.
"The horses have to be suitable for our riders," Roland explains. "Occasionally, horses won't catch on to it. There are different sounds. They have to walk to a block and be mounted.

"It is very, very different," she says. "If they can't adapt to that environment, we find a different home for them."

And some, she notes, simply get too old to remain in the program.

"Two times a season," she says, "we look critically at our herd."

These days, seven horses make up the club's mounts. Some are donated; others are on permanent loan or have a lease agreement.

This past year, the club had an agreement with the River Valley Ranch, in Millers, that allowed them to house their horses for nine months.

"It was a lot of fun to have their horses up. They were younger," Roland said. "We were really pleased how it worked out."

Riders in the 4-H program pay a minimum fee for either a five- or 10-week session of one-hour classes.

The club currently has a waiting list of potential riders.

"They do such a good job," Bradford said. "I recommend it to other people I know to volunteer. It is such a great thing."

The 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County is always looking for new volunteers, and hosts periodic training sessions. To volunteer or register for training classes, call Peggy Roland at 410-876-1760.

*****

Labels: 4H, 4H Therapeutic Riding Prog, Babylon Mrs Owl, Ag, Ag Carroll Co MD Ag Center, Animals horses, 4H Carroll Co 4H FFA Fair,

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

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Speaking of family, it is really hard to write a column when your wife keeps playing “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”, (by Gayla Peevey, 1953) on the computer next to you. “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas; I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you? He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue; Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do.”

Talk with you later. Many thanks to Rosa's fiance, (my nephew,) Frank Babylon for helping me set up this site.

KDDC 20051226

The Tentacle Who is Max Cleland? Kevin E. Dayhoff December 21, 2005

The Tentacle Who is Max Cleland? Kevin E. Dayhoff December 21, 2005

The Maryland Democratic Party’s election campaign website, otherwise known as Baltimore’s Sun (BS), ran a “news story” December 10 on Bo Harmon, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s selection to be his campaign manager.

In an attack ad that was offered as news, the BS cherry-picked convenient quotes to bestow partisan opinions upon unwitting readers – and to trash Governor Ehrlich. It is an old and tired trick in what the BS would like to pass as journalism.

The BS quickly promulgated the moon bat logic that Mr. Harmon is a craven campaign manager who ran “one of the most despicable campaigns in the history of Georgia, if not the nation," according to Georgia Democratic Party Chairman Bobby Kahn – “in the successful attempt to unseat Democrat Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia in 2002.”

Sounds like sour grapes more suitable for the National Enquirer or a partisan political newsletter, but hardly a news story.

Indeed, the article makes for an interesting study in the practice of political rhetoric. It has all the ingredients of a coherent political campaign. But, wait – isn’t the BS a newspaper that represents itself as adhering to the high journalistic standards of an impartial purveyor of the news?

[…]

Meanwhile, another coordinated attack by Michael Olesker was then conveniently published at the end of the first news cycle to reiterate the BS campaign platform planks promoted December 10.

The column reiterated what Rich Lowry referred to in a February 20, 2004, National Review article; as the “trumped-up mythology based on the idea that Republicans ‘questioned Cleland's patriotism’ in 2002.”

It all has to do with rehashing the 2002 senatorial election in conservative Georgia in which incumbent political moderate Senator Cleland, a disabled Vietnam veteran, lost to conservative U. S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss. Desperate Democrats claim Senator Cleland lost because Senator Chambliss’ campaign manager, Mr. Harmon, questioned Senator Cleland’s patriotism by lumping him together in an attack ad with the likes of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.

Mr. Olesker continued: “We already knew Ehrlich gave us the Prince of Darkness, Joe Steffen, and we already knew Ehrlich's attacks on hate radio, and we already knew the history of dirty tricks secretly orchestrated against Ehrlich opponents in a series of political campaigns. But we didn't suspect the smiling governor of Maryland would bring in the likes of Harmon, who gave new meaning to the term ‘gutter politics’ when he went after Cleland…”

Ya da ya da ya da.

Then there is the matter of a few curious sentences – that looked familiar. Mr. Olesker wrote that Senator Cleland: “On one of his first trips out, an old girlfriend pushed his wheelchair around Washington. Near the White House, the wheelchair hit a curb. Cleland pitched forward and fell out, flopping around in dirt and cigarette butts in a gutter.”

Compare this to the following written by Peter Carlson in The Washington Post, on Thursday, July 3, 2003, on page C01: “On one of his first trips out, an old girlfriend pushed his wheelchair around Washington. Near the White House, the wheelchair hit a curb. Cleland pitched forward and fell out, flopping around in dirt and cigarette butts in a gutter.”

Hmmm. Okay. Who among us has not missed a proper citation?

Then Mr. Olesker wrote, after he forgot to properly cite words that were not his own: “It took Harmon to put him back in the gutter, three years ago.”

Oh! Pleeeze!

[…]

Read the entire column here: Who is Max Cleland?

http://thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=1395

20051221 SDOSM TT Who is Max Cleland ttked
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Kevin Dayhoff Contact info

Kevin Dayhoff Contact info

December 21, 2005 December 3, 2008

"Life has a value only when it has something valuable as its object.” HEGEL, Introduction to Philosophy of History (1852)

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org.

Questions and feedback are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Email is best. Please be sure to put the word “Soundtrack” in the subject line. I read all of my mail, but cannot always respond due to time constraints.

Anonymous mail is forwarded to the Department of Homeland Security (please include your phone number).

All mail is subject to print, including your name. However, if you don't want me to publish your e-mail, or if you would like to remain anonymous, just let me know.

The statements made on this web site reflect the personal opinions of the author. All opinions and any and all mistakes that may appear in this blog are my fault and mine alone and are not in any way shape or form made in any official capacity or any past, present or future employers.

This blog is written for human consumption; however, it has only been tested on anthropomorphic replicants and android sheep. The Food and Drug Administration wanted it to be tested on animals. However, the animal rights activists protested, forcing me to abandon testing and release the distressed critters. I released them in the lobby of the animal rights office. I figured those friendly folks could best take care of the mice and we all shared a common goal – that the mice be free.

Therefore this material has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The long-term effects of reading this material remain uncertain. Please proceed at your own risk.

Unless noted, content is © Copyrighted to Kevin Dayhoff with all rights reserved.

All information is peripatetically verified when possible, cited as appropriate and applied in the real world at your own risk (except for insights gathered at séances at Barbra Streisand's house). If you find a mistake, let me know and I will correct it. Remember, not all potatoes can swim; always keep plenty of ice cream available and do not run with sharp objects in your hands.

©2006 Kevin Dayhoff All rights reserved.

All other trademarks and Registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

Other columns and materials may be found at:

The Tentacle http://www.thetentacle.com/

Westminster and Sunday Carroll Eagle Opinion http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ has moved to http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Westminster Maryland Online http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Associated Content page

Facebook

New Bedford Herald http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Dayhoff art at McNulty’s Gizmos

Dayhoff bio and disclosures

20081203 20051221 Kevin Dayhoff Contact info

20051214 McDaniel students tackle bioterrorism scenario by Heidi Schroeder for The Westminster Eagle

20051214 McDaniel students tackle bioterrorism scenario by Heidi Schroeder for The Westminster Eagle

McDaniel students tackle bioterrorism scenario

12/14/05, By Heidi Schroeder

Members of the Carroll County emergency response team gathered at McDaniel College last week to discuss the release of an aerosol of plague at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore.

But not to worry - there were no patients flooding area hospitals, nor emergency notices being released to the public.

Instead, experts gathered at McDaniel for a bioterrorism exercise in a class, "National Security in a Changing World," hosted by Dr. Volker Franke.

The exercise is a cumulative project for the 14 upperclassmen enrolled in Franke's class this semester. In the scenario, each student is assigned the role of a member of the county's emergency response team.

Members of the Carroll County emergency response team, including emergency management coordinator Bill Martin, health officer Larry Leitch, HAZMAT team chair Jeff Kreimer, hospital infection control coordinator Brenda Kitchen, and Westminster police chief Jeff Spaulding and public works assistant director Jeff Glass, also took part in the project, as students took those roles in the class.

Each student was assigned a role on the response team, and interviewed their corresponding official in preparation for the Dec. 7 exercise.

For the drill, students were broken into two teams of seven and asked to prepare for a briefing to the mayor of Westminster. Former mayor Kevin Dayhoff reprised his role for the exercise - becoming mayor again for the night.

After an initial briefing, each team was given two updates on the scenario and five minutes to strategize solutions to each.

Over the course of two presentations, each team created a response to the possible spread of the plague.

In the mock scenario, nearly 3,000 guests of the Meyerhoff are "exposed" to the aerosol during a sold-out performance.

Students proposed everything from road blocks and quarantines to hiding emergency responders in an underground bunker to avoid media scrutiny.

At the end of the evening, the officials in attendance credited the student for their research and solutions.

"I truly believe that scenarios are more difficult to deal with than the real thing," Spaulding said, explaining that there are hard facts in a real incident - which are not always evident in an exercise.

Senior Alicia Feuillet played the role of Carroll County Hospital Center's infection control coordinator. She complimented the members of the county's emergency response team on hand - including Martin, Leitch, Spaulding, Kreimer and Carroll County Volunteer Emergency Services Association liaison Leon Fleming - on the challenges of their jobs.

"We definitely learned to respect what you guys do," Feuillet said after her team's presentation.

Class after Sept. 11

After teaching national security classes at George Washington University and having prepared national security case exercises for Syracuse University for years, Franke first offered his national security course at McDaniel in the fall semester of 2001.

But before the semester was a month under way, four planes were hijacked in real life, and Franke's class changed - along with the rest of the world.

"Sept. 11 made me change the class and focus on terrorism," he said.

With this new focus, Franke contacted Westminster's then-mayor Dayhoff about participating in and helping to prepare an emergency response exercise at a local level.

"I wanted to show (the students) that terrorism is not just important when you live in New York City or Washington, D.C.," Franke said.

Franke credited Dayhoff with sharing information about who would be involved in an emergency response and for his continued participation in the class each year.

"Now, we actually have a following," Franke said.

One of those participants is Spaulding, who said afterward that he was impressed with students' responses, given that they had only their research to rely on.

"I think that they did their homework and they were very analytical in their approach," Spaulding said. "It's always good to hear other people's ideas.

This was the first year for Martin to fully participate in the exercise - in the past he had only participated in interviews, not in the actual briefings - but said he is already looking forward to next year.

"Exercise is becoming the norm," Martin said of the county's own attempts at emergency preparedness.

He said the students performed well both in research and under pressure.

"You're taking a bunch of young adults who have more than likely not been exposed to problems of that nature, particularly to that depth," Martin said. "I thought they did very well."

E-mail Heidi Schroeder at Heidi Schroeder@patuxent.com

WestGovNet: Colleges and schools McDaniel College, Colleges and schools McDaniel College Dr. Franke Fall BioTerrorism Simulation Exercise, Dayhoff Kevin Dayhoff press clippings

KevinDayhoffNet: Colleges and Universities McDaniel College, Colleges and Universities McDaniel College Dr. Franke Fall BioTerrorism Simulation Exercise, Dayhoff press clippings

NBH: colleges and universities mcdaniel, dayhoff press clippings, mcdaniel college franke fall biot sim ex]

Class projects puts McDaniel students on the front lines of a biological attack
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/51418.html

20031208 McDaniel College web site: Local leaders, political science students talk bioterrorism
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/51508.html

20051211 McDaniel students are tested on their studies by responding to a mock biological attack by Gina Davis for the Baltimore Sun
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/51845.html

mcdaniel college franke fall biot sim ex
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/tag/mcdaniel+college+franke+fall+biot+sim+ex

20051211 McDaniel students are tested on their studies by responding to a mock biological attack by Gina Davis for the Baltimore Sun

20051211 McDaniel students are tested on their studies by responding to a mock biological attack by Gina Davis for the Baltimore Sun

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/carroll/bal-ca.bioterror11dec11,1,4787835.story?coll=bal-local-carroll

A practical exam for disaster

McDaniel students are tested on their studies by responding to a mock biological attack

By Gina Davis, Sun Reporter, December 11, 2005

It's two days after a sold-out concert at the Joseph B. Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, where more than 2,000 music lovers were serenaded - and, unwittingly, poisoned at the hands of a bioterrorist who had covertly released an aerosol of plague.

Members of a Westminster emergency response team are huddled with the local mayor, cobbling together the city's strategy to deal with a possible outbreak of the pneumonic plague. They must put their heads together to present a solid plan to community officials and to reassure a near-panicked public.

For a group of McDaniel College students, the team effort is the culminating exercise of a class called National Security in a Changing World. It's their chance to put the book knowledge they have acquired during the past semester into practice.

"The goal is that students learn about national security and learn how to translate the classroom into a practical experience," says Volker Franke, a national security expert who has been teaching the course at McDaniel since 2001.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - which occurred during the course's first semester - Franke included further discussion about government response to terrorism.

"We had talked about terrorism, but it used to be two or so lectures," says Franke, who is also a case director for the National Security Studies program at Syracuse University in New York. "I revised the course to address those issues. Terrorism has become a bigger part of the course."

He says that in 2002 he incorporated a bioterrorism exercise in the class, but it was an ungraded discussion. Since then, he has developed a simulation exercise for students that takes them out of the classroom and engages them with community officials as they research the roles they must assume for the project.

Franke says he discussed his idea with then-Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff and came up with a list of roles for the students.

"I asked him, 'Who would your team be?" Franke says. "That's how we came up with the list of emergency responders. Then [Dayhoff] contacted other agencies within the county."

Dayhoff enlisted volunteers from various Carroll County offices, such as the health and public works departments.

The roles that Franke and Dayhoff decided would be critical to an emergency response team included: county emergency management coordinator, county health officer, city police chief, fire department spokesman, hazardous materials team chairman, city public works director and Carroll County Hospital Center's infection control coordinator.

This semester, the 14 students in Franke's class were divided into two teams and each participant was assigned one of seven roles on the emergency response team. During the course, they interviewed their real-life counterparts to gain an understanding of their roles and prepared descriptions of what they would bring to the situation.

"National security is not just about missiles, tanks and Marines," Franke says as the students arrived last week at a lecture room in Hill Hall for their mock disaster response planning drill, which counts for 15 percent of their grade.
"It starts at the local level," he says. "We have to bring it down to the level that pertains to them on a daily basis."

The exercise focuses on public officials' response to a bioterrorism attack in a command-center style arrangement. The students - in their roles as emergency responders - are seated at a semicircular table on one side of the room, while the real-life emergency responders are seated at an identical table across from them.

As part of the exercise, the real-life emergency responders listen as the students brief them on the status of the bioterror attack and the ensuing panic. The students then field a volley of questions from the experts.

"Mr. Incident Commander, you have thousands of people waiting for antibiotics and now you don't have enough. What's your plan?" Jeff Spaulding, Westminster's police chief, asks Mike Habegger, who has assumed the role of county health officer and director of the emergency response team.

"This is kind of unexpected," Habegger answers. "We will urge people to stay out of public places. It's very disturbing that people have not heeded our messages to stay home."

When one student suggests that local officials use a school as a quarantine site, the county's real health officer, Larry Leitch, questions that advice.

"Do you think it's wise to use a school building as a quarantine site?" Leitch asks. "Don't you think parents will be afraid to send their children back into that school?"

Students, undeterred, say they could use a large area, such as the gym, and install filters that would prevent bacteria from spreading to other parts of the building.
At two points in the exercise, students are given new information that they must quickly assess to reformulate their response plans.

In the end, the real-life emergency responders critique the students' response plans and their reactions to the evolving crisis. They tell the students how they would've responded had the exercise been real.

The students describe the exercise as eye-opening.

"With national security, you usually think, 'What can we do to prevent terrorism?' " says student Donnie Bell. "But there's really not much we can do other than try to stop it. What we have to do is figure out how to react."

gina.davis@baltsun.com

WestGovNet: Colleges and schools McDaniel College, Colleges and schools McDaniel College Dr. Franke Fall BioTerrorism Simulation Exercise, Dayhoff Kevin Dayhoff press clippings

KevinDayhoffNet: Colleges and Universities McDaniel College, Colleges and Universities McDaniel College Dr. Franke Fall BioTerrorism Simulation Exercise, Dayhoff press clippings

NBH: colleges and universities mcdaniel, dayhoff press clippings, mcdaniel college franke fall biot sim ex]

Class projects puts McDaniel students on the front lines of a biological attack
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/51418.html

20031208 McDaniel College web site: Local leaders, political science students talk bioterrorism
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/51508.html

mcdaniel college franke fall biot sim ex
http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/tag/mcdaniel+college+franke+fall+biot+sim+ex

20051209 Is Curry ready to jump ship

Is Curry grinding an old ax or ready to jump ship?

Wayne Curry – 1971 Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College, graduate.

Friday, Dec. 9, 2005

Former Prince George’s county exec Wayne Curry has had a famously rocky relationship with Senate President Mike Miller.

The two have bloodied each another in the boxing ring that is Prince George’s County politics for more than a decade. Miller supported Curry’s opponent in 1994. Curry has recruited candidates to run against Miller.

Curry even told us during the redistricting debacle of 2000 that he wanted Miller out of the county altogether.

So when Curry took an on-the-record shot at Miller on Monday after a legislative breakfast hosted by Annapolis lobbying firm, Rifkin, Livingston, Levitan and Silver, it could be seen as not that big of a deal.

But Curry, a Dem, is being considered as a running mate for Gov. Bob Ehrlich, and when he decides to weigh in on Democratic Party politics or one of the party leaders like Miller, we take note.

Read the rest here: Is Curry grinding an old ax or ready to jump ship?

####

20051212 Black Oak Associates wants center to help the environment

Black Oak Associates wants center to help the environment

Developer wants center to help the environment

Carroll County Times

By John G. Westerman, Times Staff Writer

Monday, December 12, 2005

Michael Trenery is a vice president for Black Oak Associates, an Owings Mills-based commercial developer that owns three shopping centers in Carroll County.

Black Oak Associates is managing the development of Main Street Eldersburg, an outdoor shopping center that is targeted to be built on the south side of Londontown Boulevard, east of Brevard Road in Eldersburg. The developer is EMS LLC.

Black Oak is seeking an environmentally friendly certification for the Main Street Eldersburg project. This certification, called silver LEED certification, is expected to cut operating expenses for the building by 30 percent and ease water usage by up to 40 percent.

Q: What do commercial developers like Black Oak do?

A: Black Oak Associates and Black Oak Management are a development management company. Black Oak Associates owns and manages five shopping centers in the greater Baltimore area. One of those shopping centers is in York, Pa. The others are in the Baltimore metro area and three are in Carroll County.

[…]

Q: Why are developers like Black Oak interested in putting projects in Carroll County?

A: If you look at the demographics, it is a growing population and it is a well-off community, and I think we recognize that.

[…] and it has very favorable demographics and is to an extent "understored" for certain categories. There are not a lot of stores in the market. There's not a lot of restaurants, there's not a lot of women's ready-to-wear and there's not a tremendous amount of specialty retailers.

Q: Can you explain the Eldersburg Main Street project?

A: That project is going to be about 83,000 square feet. It will be housed in eight separate buildings that are oriented toward a main street or a pedestrian corridor. No building will be larger than 20,000 feet. They range in size from 20,000 to about 5,000 feet. […]

Q: What is LEED certification?

A: There is an organization called the U.S. Green Building Council, and they have established a set of standards for designating buildings and different types of buildings as green buildings. In that broader category of green buildings, there are different levels, and to achieve those levels of certification within LEED, there is a score sheet that is tabulated, and there are certain requirements that you have to meet in order to obtain the points associated with that score sheet. They revolve principally around developing sites that are energy efficient, that minimize the use water that minimize the impact on the land, and in some cases are located adjacent to public transportation.

There are, I think, principally six categories that are looked at and they range from freight selection for the construction, and they evaluate methods of construction so that you minimize waste on site. And recycling. And it also looks at the recycled content and building materials, and this movement has come into its own in the last 10 years. Manufacturers are now responding, and they are making sure that they have product lines that have recycled content.

So, all of these items are evaluated through the use of this score sheet, and then if you successfully meet the category and the level that you are applying for, you are awarded the LEED designation. In this case, we're looking at a designation that is LEED silver certified for core and shell buildings. The reason we are doing that is because we are building essentially the exterior of the building. We're going to do the walls, roof, parking lots. We're going to do the mechanical systems and the electrical systems, but not including tenant-specific items.

[…] and we will be eligible for that provided we get the certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Q: How do you think developers like Black Oak envision Carroll County in another 10 to 20 years?

A: I think there will be an increase in commercial development as the county grows. Retail typically follows residential. Residential is the leading edge in the development. When people come to an area, after they've arrived in an area, they would like to see the types of products and services available to them within a reasonable drive for them. So, I think, over time you will see an increase.

Reach staff writer John Westerman at 410-857-7876 or westermanj@lcniofmd.com.

Labels: Carroll County Businesses and Economic Development, Eldersburg, Black Oak Associates, Environmentalism

20051207 Carroll Public Schools’ Extracurricular Activities teaches values

Carroll Public Schools’ Extracurricular Activities teaches values

December 7, 2005 by Kevin Dayhoff (680 words)

(Related – see: Sports in Carroll County Football Westminster High School, 20021019 Freestate Spectacular XVI Marching Band Competition)

Originally published in the Westminster Eagle

While researching last week’s column on the 1951 football game between City College and the Westminster High School Owls, I leafed through the 1951 and 1952 Owl yearbooks, graciously loaned to me by Dr. Dean Griffin. Each page rejoiced in wonderful extra-curricular school activities, a great community, wonderful teachers, school administrators and students who later assumed community leadership.

The same feelings occurred looking at my Westminster High School (WHS) yearbooks from 1969 to 1971, twenty years after 1951. Attending the game last Friday night brought back a flood of great memories of growing up in Carroll County in the 1950s and 60s. The more things change, the more they stay the same, only updated.

Last week was a great week for our community. The South Carroll Cavaliers and Westminster Owls advanced to the state football championships and the Westminster Christmas parade came back. These are all positive things that bring a community together – just as years ago.

School extra-curricular activities build citizens, leaders and community. These activities teach positive consequences for hard work and discipline, the value of teamwork and the pride and confidence that come with accomplishment or just knowing that you did your best.

My nieces play in a high school band. It is inspiring to go to band competition events and see hundreds of young adults proudly displaying the results of hours of practice, teamwork and discipline in finely choreographed routines.

In a recent long conversation, Superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools, Dr. Chuck Ecker agreed. He went on further to say that when he was growing up “near Uniontown… I came home [from school] and … had many other chores. Often today’s children don’t have many home responsibilities… [Extra-curricular activities] teach meaningful teamwork relationships with others. Today we have too many rights and not enough responsibilities. With school activities, students learn to have a responsibility for what is best for the team… And the consequences for not fulfilling those responsibilities come from their peers and not an authority figure. It’s more that just sports...” Dr. Ecker continued excitedly, mentioning school bands, music programs and theatre…

Caroline and I stopped at Harry’s after the Westminster Christmas Parade last Saturday for my routine “two with everything.” Two Harry’s hot dogs have been a “Dayhoff Nutritional Pyramid” staple since the 1960s.

As Kim Henn took our take-out order for dinner, she noticed our “Go Owls” buttons and shared her excitement about the football game against City. Ms. Henn, WHS Class of 2007, works at Harry’s, runs on the track team and maintains good grades. She explained that extra-curricular activities “have taught me time management skills… I realize the value of my time…” Ms. Henn is looking forward to a career in broadcast journalism. What she is learning by staying active will serve her well in her future professional life.

In my interviews with Dr. John Steers, Sr. and Dr. Griffin; the same words were repeated as to the values that extra-curricular activities taught them: inspiration, work ethic, overcoming difficulty, focus, tenacity and the adrenaline rush of hard work.

Dr. Griffin took the opportunity to reminisce about the careers of the 1951 Owl football team. Raymond Bankert went on to work many years at Westminster Bank and Trust Company. Allen Baugher continued the family restaurant business. Donald Copenhaver worked for Baltimore Gas and Electric in their Westminster office. Charles Barrick ran “Nubbins” on Washington Road. Charles Havens became a successful D.C. attorney and worked with the likes of Dean Rusk. Urban Bowman coached in the Canadian Football League. Dean Leppo worked with the county Sheriff’s Department.

All got their start in Carroll County Public Schools and learned to excel by participating in extra curricular activates.

Local attorney, classmate and teammate Bill Finch (WHS Class of 1972), says “extra curricular activities keep teenaged boys and girls occupied and tired… and this a good thing…” He mentioned sports and high school band. He cited that “various studies indicate that children involved in extra curricular activities have better academic performance.”

The grades are critical, but winning’s not bad either. Go Owls and Cavaliers.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at: kdayhoff at carr dot.org

20051207 Carroll Public Schools’ Extracurricular Activities teaches values

####