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

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

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

20080430 This week in The Tentacle

20080430 This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Seeing Red-Eye in the Camera

Kevin E. Dayhoff

The discussion and debate over speed and red light cameras continues to reverberate. It is one of a number of headaches lingering in the aftermath of the recent and unusual session of the Maryland General Assembly.


Las Vegas Finale

Tom McLaughlin

Las Vegas was built and runs on tips” was the advice given to the bus load of passengers as we returned from the Grand Canyon in a not so subtle hint. To make sure we got the point, on the “menu” at the National Geographic Center where we were served the most god- awful lunch probably prepared from the remains of animals on failed expeditions, was advice on how much to tip him, which was between $5-$10 depending on the service.


Tuesday, April 29, 2008

New Know-Nothings

Roy Meachum

When the county commissioners overwhelmingly rejected the notion of adopting English as Frederick's official language, I could but stand and cheer. The proposal came from Charles Jenkins, and I have no reason to doubt his motives.


Hardly Ablesons

Nick Diaz

I’m an ardent admirer of the United States of America, my adopted country, which welcomed me to these shores a half century ago. This great country has provided me with opportunities I wouldn’t have faced, had I remained in Communist Cuba.


Monday, April 28, 2008

General Assembly Journal 2008 – Volume 11

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

Any General Assembly wrap-up would be incomplete without a scorecard of the work of the Frederick County Delegation. Normally, this column avoids conflict with other delegation members, and focuses on the back-and-forth with the county. Not this time, kiddies! Ahead: some serious onion peeling!


Free Money!

Steven R. Berryman

Congratulations for being smart enough to be in the United States of America. Everything is free here. And when you run out of money to spend, we’ll give you some of that, too. In Frederick County, if you can’t read this, I’ll bet there will be a sign on a bus in Espanol repeating it soon.


Friday, April 25, 2008

Why the Uproar?

Roy Meachum

Reading closely the Pennsylvania Democratic primaries this week, it's difficult to see why the Clinton camp is in such a joyous uproar.


Thursday, April 24, 2008

Republican of the Year

Patricia A. Kelly

My mom, Dorothy Kelly, recently featured in the Frederick News Post with a headline that included the word “Opinion,” was born in Tioga, Texas, on April 14 1925 to Raymond and Dovie Bodovsky, farmers, is the 2007 Republican of the Year for Frederick County.


A Prime Example

Chris Cavey

Last week was quite an adventure…a two-day trip to St. Paul, Minnesota – site of the 2008 Republican National Convention. The goal for the trip was to “scout out” the city, the Maryland Delegation’s hotel accommodations, and available venues. The best part, however, was my side trip to the State Capitol.


Order from The Smorgasbord

Joan McIntyre

The newest trend is mini burgers. I’m going one better and giving you four mini-articles this week. Would you like bacon, or cheese, or fries on the side?


Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The Winds of Darkness

Kevin E. Dayhoff

On April 12, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced his administration’s opposition to the construction of wind power generators on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.


Days in The Desert

Tom McLaughlin

"Good luck to you" is the farewell greeting stated to people when used instead of "bye" or "have a nice day" here at Sam’s Town Casino and R.V. Park.


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

"Mr. Inside" Out

Roy Meachum

For a little shy of 25 years, Josef Ratzinger furnished John Paul II a strong base. While the ebullient Polish prelate toured the outside world, kissing earth and babies by the score, the man who would become Benedict XVI tended to inside chores.


Keeping the Basket Full

Farrell Keough

I have the great privilege of enjoying a variety of friends. It is likely that my ability to keep and keep up with these people is more a tribute to my wife, (She Who Must Be Obeyed), than to my sterling personality.


This is NOT a Test! – Part 2

Steven R. Berryman

Now that you have been exposed to the various levels of potential hazards hanging over us all like Damocles’ sword in Part 1 on yesterday’s TheTentacle.com, the onus to take action now lies squarely on you.


Monday, April 21, 2008

General Assembly Journal 2008 – Volume 10

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

Last week, we spent some time considering the end of the General Assembly session. The conclusion: Rest easy Marylanders, the legislature has gone home for the year.


This is NOT a Test! – Part 1

Steven R. Berryman

Your radio or television begins the strange squealing, coded sounds you have heard so often before. “Here we go again” is the first thought that comes to mind. Programming is instantly interrupted. In disbelief, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) continues with “This is NOT a Test!”

20080429 Carrie Knauer and Johnny Depp in Westminster

20080429 Carrie Knauer and Johnny Depp in Westminster


Carrie Knauer and Johnny Depp

April 29, 2008

Carrie Ann Knauer, the Dean of the Carroll County Times’ newsroom is pictured above on April 14th, 2008, at her desk at the Carroll County Times when Johnny Depp, a past flame visited with her...

She has been writing for the newspaper since Feb. 2002.

She received her BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, in December 2001. She has made her home in Westminster and may very well be the longest serving Times reporter at this point…

For more posts on Soundtrack on Carrie Ann Knauer – the Rachael Ray of Westminster click on: or type in Knauer in the search engine box in the upper left hand top of the blog…

Picture by Kevin Dayhoff 04/14/2008 www.kevindayhoff.net

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

20080429 Carrie Knauer and Johnny Depp in Westminster


Carrie Knauer and Johnny Depp

April 29, 2008

Carrie Ann Knauer, the Dean of the Carroll County Times’ newsroom is pictured above on April 14th, 2008, at her desk at the Carroll County Times when Johnny Depp, a past flame visited with her...

She has been writing for the newspaper since Feb. 2002.

She received her BA in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, in December 2001. She has made her home in Westminster and may very well be the longest serving Times reporter at this point…

For more posts on Soundtrack on Carrie Ann Knauer – the Rachael Ray of Westminster click on: or type in Knauer in the search engine box in the upper left hand top of the blog…

Picture by Kevin Dayhoff 04/14/2008 www.kevindayhoff.net

20080428 The Havenator

20080428 The Havenator

The Havenator

April 28, 2008

In a recent phone call to a certain quintessential town in Carroll, I was greeted on the phone by the friendliest and perkiest town official, who put me through to the “MML Employee of the Year.” (“Meoy” – for short. Pronounced ‘meow.’)

As I chatted with Meoy, WAB, I remembered that I have had a number of requests to post the “Havenator Series” on the blog.

Soooo, without further adieu – here goes:

_____

“Q” May 10, 2008

Hampstead Mayor Havenator Q. Shoemaker and former-Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff share a moment as they reminisce about the “old days.” October 10, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff (with a Chris Ammann photo.)

“The Operation on Q.” May 13, 2004 Hampstead Mayor “The Havenator” Q. Shoemaker undergoes an “operation at the hands of his family and Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff.

*****

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff

http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

http://gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html

Kevin Dayhoff’s Facebook photo album

Kevin Dayhoff’s Facebook page

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

Monday, April 28, 2008

20080428 The Havenator

The Havenator

April 28, 2008

In a recent phone call to a certain quintessential town in Carroll, I was greeted on the phone by the friendliest and perkiest town official, who put me through to the “MML Employee of the Year.” (“Meoy” – for short. Pronounced ‘meow.’)

As I chatted with Meoy, WAB, I remembered that I have had a number of requests to post the “Havenator Series” on the blog.

Soooo, without further adieu – here goes:

_____

“Q” May 10, 2008

Hampstead Mayor Havenator Q. Shoemaker and former-Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff share a moment as they reminisce about the “old days.” October 10, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff (with a Chris Ammann photo.)

“The Operation on Q.” May 13, 2004 Hampstead Mayor “The Havenator” Q. Shoemaker undergoes an “operation at the hands of his family and Westminster Mayor Kevin Dayhoff.

*****

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff

http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

http://gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html

Kevin Dayhoff’s Facebook photo album

Kevin Dayhoff’s Facebook page

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

20080428 CCBOC Agenda for the week of April 28 2008

Carroll County Board of Commissioners Agenda for the week of April 28, 2008


Please Note: This weekly agenda is subject to change. Please call 410-386-2043 to confirm a meeting you plan to attend. All meetings will be held at the Carroll County Office Building

Room 311. (Unless otherwise noted)

  • Indicates Outside Activities

Monday ~ April 28, 2008

Tuesday ~ April 29, 2008

10:00 a.m. Administrative Session ~ Closed

4:00 p.m. Chamber of Commerce PM Connections

Eldersburg, MD

Commissioner Zimmer

Wednesday ~ April 30, 2008

10:00 a.m. Opening Remarks

Carroll County Special Olympics Spring Games

Westminster Sr. High School

Commissioner Zimmer

10:30 a.m. Volunteer Recognition Ceremony & Luncheon

Mt. Airy Sr. & Community Center

Commissioner Zimmer

Thursday ~ May 1, 2008

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

County Office Building ~ Room 311

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

County Office Building ~ Room 311

Introduction of "Buddy" the Therapy Dog

State's Attorney's Office ~ Mr. Jerry Barnes

Relocation of Visitor Center

Department of Economic Development ~ Mr. Larry Twele

Bid Approval

Breathing Air Compressor, Re-Fill Station and Installation

Bureau of Purchasing ~ Mr. Rich Shelton

Office of Public Safety ~ Mr. Scott Campbell

Bid Approval

Cured In Place Pipe Liner ~ Pipe Rehabilitation System

Department of Public Works ~ Mr. J. Michael Evans

Bid Approval

Air Business Center Stormwater Management

Department of Planning ~ Mr. Steve Horn

Request to Consider Exercising the Option to Purchase

an Upper Patapsco Rural Legacy Easement on Property

Owned by Cleveland W. & Grace A. Bateman

Request Approval of Transfer

Capital Budget Resolution #C-12 ~ Recreation & Parks Self Help Projects

Department of Recreation & Parks ~ Mr. Jeff Degitz

Chief of Staff Time ~ Mrs. Cindy Parr

Administrative Session ~ Closed

5:00 p.m. Chamber of Commerce PM Connections

Mt. Airy, MD

Commissioner Zimmer

Friday ~ May 2, 2008

Saturday ~ May 3, 2008

Sunday ~ May 4, 2008

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

Commissioner Zimmer

20080428 Westminster mayor and Common Council Agenda

Westminster mayor and Common Council Agenda

City Council

City Council Members | Minutes of City Council Meetings

CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND

Mayor and Common Council Meeting of April 28, 2008

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 P.M.

Planning and Zoning Commission – Reappointment of Nancy Palmer

Mayor’s Recognition – Jeremy Sell

2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF APRIL 14, 2008

3. PUBLIC HEARING:

Capital Improvement Program – Thomas Beyard

4. CONSENT CALENDAR:

March Departmental Operating Reports

Uniformed Police Services Detail Agreement – Genuine Gold

5. REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR

6. REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES

7. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

Ordinance No. 780 – Levy of Taxes for Fiscal Year 2009 – John Walsh

Resolution No. R08-8 –Medford Quarry Pipeline Easement –

Condemnation Authorization

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

a. None as of April 24, 2008

9. NEW BUSINESS:

a. Cancellation of the Meetings of May 26 and June 23, 2008

a. Closed Executive Session and Discussion of Personnel Matter

10. DEPARTMENT REPORTS

11. CITIZEN COMMENTS

12. ADJOURN

Note: The Mayor and Common Council will hold a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget and Constant Yield Tax Rate on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 7:00 P.M. in City Hall.

19220428 CC Pageant WMC Athletic Bowl to be dedicated June 10

Pageant WMC Athletic Bowl to be dedicated June 10

Democratic Advocate, April 28, 1922.

The Carroll County Pageant

On Saturday afternoon, June 10, the New Athletic Bowl will be formerly dedicated not only to Western Maryland College but to all of Carroll County.

The event will be celebrated by a beautiful festival of peace called "The Sheathing of The Sword." Watching the pageant, on the hillside around the bowl, there will be seated people from Carroll and sister counties of the state.

Every day messages are coming in from people in Salisbury, Snow Hill and Easton, from Frederick, Hagerstown and Cumberland, from Baltimore and Washington saying that we may expect full cars from there to witness "The Sheathing of The Sword."

Messages have also come from people in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey. Old students, former residents of the county, acquaintances and some who never even heard of Carroll county, before.

Representatives are expected from the Pan American Union and the American Peace Societies. The flags for one episode are being loaned through the courtesy of The Pan American Union.

Everybody is wondering how in the wide world we have been able to assemble a cast of 1,000 from the college and county. Next time we'll tell you.

Democratic Advocate, April 28, 1922.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

20080428 Sykesville Mayor and Town Council Agenda for Monday April 28 2008



MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF SYKESVILLE

AGENDA FOR

MONDAY, April 28, 2008, 7:00 P.M.

QUORUM: Mayor

MINUTES: Town Clerk

TREASURER’S REPORT: Town Treasurer

PUBLIC CONCERNS

BUSINESS

  1. South Branch Park – Charrette continuation – Sean Davis
  2. Carroll County Community Center – Marion Ware
  3. Public Safety Report – Chief Williams
  4. FY 2009 Annual Budget – Introduction
  5. Constant Yield Rate – Introduction
  6. Solid Waste and Recycling Initiatives – Update
  7. Infrastructure Financing – Update
  8. Providing Wireless Access in the Town House Meeting Room – Next Meeting
  9. Commercial Solid Waste Rates – Adjustment for Inflation for FY 2009 – Public Hearing
  10. May 26th Meeting Falls on Memorial Day – Reschedule for May 27th?

OTHER:

CLOSED SESSION:

1 Legal Consultation –

2 Property Acquisition –

3 Personnel –

Spring Clean-Up Day

Saturday May 10, 2008

on Friday night May 9, place items curbside

Bundle items no larger than 4'x4'

No chemicals, solvents, paints, rubble, auto parts,

pallets, yard waste, or tires. We cannot take items that

are too heavy or won't fit in our trucks

Metal items, refrigerators, appliances, and furniture

will be picked up Monday May 12, 2008

Destination Sykesville Workgroup

Tuesday May 13, 2008

7 pm at the Town House

The Mayor leads this group of residents, business owners,

and others working to increase the number of visitors to the town

The public is welcome to attend and join the workgroup

Police / Town Resident Town Meeting

Wednesday May 14, 2008

7 pm at the Sykesville Police Department

Youth Advisory Meeting

Wednesday May 21, 2008

7 pm at the Sykesville Police Department

20080427 Past Carroll County Ag Center Tractor Pulls


Pictures and videos from the 2003, 2004, and 2007 Carroll County Ag Center Tractor Pulls

April 27, 2008

This year’s annual Carroll County Tractor and Truck Pull will be held today, April 27, 2008. Please see: 20080427 Carroll County Tractor and Truck Pull

20080425 Carroll County Ag Center Tractor Pulls

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

Storyboard for video

Carroll County Tractor and Truck Pulls, Carroll County Agriculture Center, www.ccag.biz, Westminster, Maryland 21157

The Carroll County Tractor and Truck Pull has been a popular annual event for many years. In this feature are a few pictures and short videos from the 2003, 2004, and 2007 pulls.

In the 2003 photos, take note of the new Carroll County Danele Shipley Arena under construction.

Yes, that is Maryland State Delegate Paul S. Stull (R) District 4A, Frederick County at the controls of the sled…

Special credit to Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Reba McEntire, and Natalie Cole.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff

www.livejournal.com/

http://gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html

E-mail him at: kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

20080427 Carroll County Tractor and Truck Pull


CARROLL COUNTY TRACTOR & TRUCK PULL

April 27, 2008

CARROLL COUNTY AGRICULTURE CENTER

WESTMINSTER, MD

(Rain date - May 4, 2008)

Admission $12 - 8 and under free

Farm Stock 9 a.m. - 12:00 noon

6000 8000 13000

Sanctioned by East Coast Pullers

Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League

Class Pull 1 p.m.

Modified Tractors 3 & 4 Engines

62001b 2WD Trucks

9500 Super Stock/Pro-Stock

Pro Stock Diesel FWD Trucks

Kids Pedal Pull at Noon

For Information and Rules call 410-848-9426

Breakfast served 9-11 a.m.

Food served all day

NO PETS ALLOWED • NO GLASS CONTAINERS

20080426 The Sunday Carroll Eagle


Sunday Carroll Eagle on "Soundtrack"

Saturday, April 26

Westminster came of age by following railroad tracks

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=895826&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

04/21/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

One of my fondest memories of growing up in Westminster is the railroad. More than 50 years later I still live within easy earshot of the train whistle as the train chugs its way through town.

The railroad is interwoven throughout much of the fabric of Westminster history.

Joseph... [Read full story]


Fire in Westminster and a hunk-a hunk-a burning love in Hampstead

04/13/2008 by Kevin Dayhoff


King’s sad anniversary reminds us of Carroll’s own history

04/06/2008 by Kevin Dayhoff


Parades, impact fees, mail service ... and Dwight Dingle in a bathtub?

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=890542&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

04/02/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Time for a little spring-cleaning, in which we'll catch up with answering some readers' questions.

Recently I was asked about Easter parades in Westminster. I have no recollection of any such parades, but local historian Joe Getty noted in an article he wrote a number of years ago for the Historical Society of Carroll County that, "Easter Monday parades were held in Westminster in 1884, 1885, and 1887. After a short lapse, a large parade was held in 1892"


Rolling out a few good eggs, and our Easter Sunday best

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=888582&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

03/26/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Happy Easter. Yes it's not quite warm outside, although warmer weather should be around the corner. And yes, it seems like Christmas was just yesterday.

We all have favorite Easter memories. For those of us who grew up in a church, Easter marked the opportunity to wear our "Easter Sunday best," i.e. new clothes.


Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=885695&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

03/14/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Many people have been commenting about how early Easter is this year. In fact, the last time Easter was as early as March 23 was 1913.

But a later Easter doesn't ensure good weather for Holy Week. I wonder how many readers remember the Palm Sunday blizzard of 1942. It was the fifth worse snowstorm in Carroll County history, as folks were greeted by 22 inches of snow on March 29, 1942.

20080316 The Carroll Sunday Eagle: Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety by Kevin Dayhoff

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080316-carroll-sunday-eagle-palm.html


20080309 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080309-sunday-carroll-eagle-history.html

Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

Sunday Carroll Eagle March 9, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

I cannot find my March 9th, 2008 Sunday Carroll Eagle column on the Westminster Eagle web site.

Pasted below, please find the column as it was written. It is my understanding that the column was altered for publication…

Ever since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, many of us has felt that the best management approach to solid waste was source reduction and recycling. It would take 18 long years to get the Maryland Recycling Act passed in 1988. That legislation required a recycling rate of 20 percent.

Twenty years later, getting the recycling rate increased is still illusive. In 1998, on the 10-year anniversary of the law, the Baltimore Sun ran a lengthy analysis in which the Maryland General Assembly member who spearheaded the recycling initiative, Montgomery County Sen. Brian Frosh, admitted “that recycling has been costlier than expected. His 1988 bill predicted significant cost savings…”

Later in the article, the $250 million cost of recycling 2.5 million tons was compared to the $83 million it would’ve cost to landfill it instead. The rest of the article went downhill from there.

Those of us who are opposed to landfilling were less than pleased. Four decades after the first Earth Day, the recycling rate in Carroll County is only around 30 percent.

20080309 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080309-sunday-carroll-eagle-history.html


Traffic always made us see red

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=881679&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

Traffic always made us see red

02/29/08 By Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

The concern over traffic congestion, safety and speeding tend to surface with every discussion of growth and quality of life in Carroll County. I was recently approached by folks and asked how I felt about red light and speeding cameras, and it got me thinking about Carroll County's past attempts to marry growth and speed control.

Perhaps the first mention of an effort to address the problem of speeding in our county came on or about June 20, 1839. According to a history of the Westminster Police Department, it was then that a speeding ordinance was passed stating:

"No person shall run or drive through the town of Westminster at an improper gait except in case of necessity."


The life, and the lasting local influence, of Robert Moton

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=873699&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

02/01/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Construction continues these days at the site of the 28,000-square-foot former Robert Moton School on S. Center Street in Westminster -- it's across from the Carroll County Health Department.

After approximately $2.3 million in renovations, the Carroll County Board of Elections, Carroll Department of Recreation and Parks and Change Inc., a nonprofit that works with the developmentally disabled, are slated to move their offices there.

Questions about the old school building are posed to me from time to time, but the question I'm asked most frequently, especially from younger folks who are new to Carroll County, is "Who was Robert Moton, anyway?"


For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

January 13, 2008 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

20080113 Westminster Municipal Band: For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080113-westminster-municipal-band-for.html

For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

Sunday Carroll Eagle

01/11/08 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Below please find the long – unedited version of the column…

Just before the holidays got into full swing, I had the pleasure of attending the Westminster Municipal Band’s end of the year Christmas party and annual meeting.

It is certainly not a very well kept secret that this former Westminster Mayor and his family are madly in love with the Westminster Municipal Band. And it's not just because I'm a washed-up trumpet player.

Usually when one thinks of the Westminster Municipal Band, visions of “Mom, Country, and Apple Pie” come to mind.

The purpose of leadership today is to build community. Certainly one of the chief builders of our community has been the Westminster Municipal Band.

However, the rich history of the band includes being part of rapid deployment force to hotspots around the globe, a machine gun section, and a rumored reputation of being a heavy metal grudge-garage band. Who knew?

If a Greek mythologist were to write the history of the Westminster Municipal Band, they would write the Band's Mother is the history and tradition of the Westminster Community and the Father is the 29th Division National Guard Regimental Band. That Greek mythologist would also want to write that the band's ancestral home is Belle Grove Square and that it's midwife was Mayor Joseph L. Mathias.

The roots of the present Westminster Municipal Band are found in 1920, but “there are records of a Westminster Band dating back as far as 1860,” according to the band’s director, Sandy Miller, in a July 2004 interview.

However, to the best of our knowledge, it was 1893 when it was first incorporated as the Westminster City Band of Carroll County.

It was around this time that Company H First Infantry Maryland National Guard was organized in Frizzleburg in 1898. This unit later evolved into the famous 29th Division of the Maryland National Guard. Part of the Westminster Municipal Band's lineage can be traced back to the First Maryland Infantry Band consisting of the Westminster Units of the Maryland National Guard.

20080113 Westminster Municipal Band: For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080113-westminster-municipal-band-for.html


Shedding a little light on early Christmas tree decorations

December 23, 2007 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff


Christmas reminds us of worry, and glory, of downtown business

December 16, 2007 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff


20071104 The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071104-sunday-carroll-eagle-column-of.html

Gist worried about being forgotten but not quite gone

The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

Below please find my October 28th, 2007 column and it was submitted.

Sunday Eagle

Ghost Stories in Carroll County

October 28th, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff

Of the horror stories of Carroll’s yesteryear, none was greater than the very real fear of being buried alive. In today’s world, society’s collective faith in the modern advances of the medical arts has gone a long way in alleviating the fear of being buried alive; a fear which was rampant in the 1800s.

A few years ago, local historian Jay Graybeal retold an account by Ruth Gist Pickens about the fear of being buried alive held by one of Carroll County’s most prominent citizens in the 1700s, Colonel Joshua Gist.

It seems that Colonel Gist maintained a coffin in a portion of his bedroom for the last years of his life; “into which he would have his personal servant lay him out and then call the family to comment on his appearance. Each time he would ask them to promise not to bury him until the third day after his death.”

20071104 The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071104-sunday-carroll-eagle-column-of.html



When it comes to beets, timing is everything

IN THE GARDEN WITH MR. BEE

I haven't grown beets for a while. So when I mentioned to Judy, my wife, that I'd learned of a variety -- "Lutz Green Leaf" -- that remains tender as it grows larger, she suggested that I sow some seeds right away.

Timing is important, you see, especially when it comes... [Read full story]


Two for the Show

They come from opposite ends of the county and their sports are as different as night and day, but Tyler Mullen of South Carroll High School and Cammeron Woodyard of Winters Mill have one thing in common -- they each ended their high school careers as state champs.

And without their leadership and... [Read full story]


Stream is proving ground for healthy water

On a chilly late March morning, Ted Hogan, an environmental scientist with Hunt Valley-based URS Corp., threads his way through briar patches, bogs, locust groves and back yards as he follows a meandering stream that runs through several Eldersburg subdivisions.

Now and then, Hogan, a cont... [Read full story]


Spring is a great time to get kids reacquainted with outdoor Carroll
MOM ON A MISSION

It's taken some time, but spring appears to finally be arriving. The days are getting warmer, my weeping cherry is turning into a beautiful fountain of pink and the birds are flocking to our feeders.

Hearing the kids' faint voices outside on the swing set while I'm making dinner...
[Read full story]


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