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
Showing posts with label Journalists Riordan-Penny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journalists Riordan-Penny. Show all posts

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Pennyland - Echoes of the Great Depression

Pennyland - Echoes of the Great Depression

November 27, 2008

Photo credit: Screenshot from http://www.pennyland.org/ and still from "Pennyland."

Feedback on “Penny Riordan, "Carroll Seniors," and the Great Depression:”

In addition to Ms. Penny Riordan’s excellent narrative on the Great Depression, Mr. Frank Thomas has called to our attention an excellent YouTube video – and website – featuring a soulful, insightful tune that really puts together a face and melody to a difficult time in American history…

Frank Thomas - http://www.pennyland.org/ - writes: “This is not meant as a political statement, but rather as an attempt to put a face on something that so often appears academic. If you don't or can't embed video on your blog, I would certainly value your opinion on this 5 minute film, as well as any help you might provide in sharing it with others. I thank you. In hard times artists, as much as anyone, need strong advocates to help share their work.”

Pennyland - Echoes of the Great Depression

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9-iz40K6o

A poignant movie by Frank Thomas inspired by "Pennyland" a song written by his brother, Eddie Thomas featuring Depression Era photographs from the Library of Congress and audio excerpts from Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 inaugural address.



Links:

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/11/penny-riordan-carroll-seniors-and-great.html

penny.riordan@carrollcountytimes.com

http://www.carrollfamiliespub.com/

http://www.carrollseniorspub.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T9-iz40K6o

http://www.pennyland.org/

20081127 Pennyland Echoes of the Great Depression


Penny Riordan, "Carroll Seniors," and the Great Depression






Penny Riordan, "Carroll Seniors," and the Great Depression




November 27, 2008

For those who have missed the reporting of Penny Riordan, the former education reporter for in the Carroll County Times, do not despair.

She is still with the paper; however she has become the editor of the newspaper’s “Carroll Seniors” publication.

The November 2008 edition of the paper has a great deal of excellent content on the Great Depression, which has certainly been in the forefront of the news these days as the nation continues to wrangle with economic turmoil.

Unfortunately, the content is not online. So you will have to walk on your feet to a nearby hungry store and pick up a copy at a newsstand. How delightfully quaint.

I recently grabbed a copy and revisited the joys of actually holding a newspaper in my hand as I poured over the excellent writing… You should do likewise. It is some great reading…

Kevin Dayhoff November 27, 2008



“Carroll Seniors” “The Great Depression: those who lived the decade compare it to the current economic crisis”


“Banks shutting down.

Stock market troubles.

Unemployment.

In today’s economy, these phrases are used often. But they also conjure up memories of another economic crisis that has been bough up a lot more in recent months: the great depression.

But for those who lived through the great depression, things going on in the economy today just don’t quite compare.”


Carroll Seniors is a free publication distributed by the Carroll County Times. It is produced by Penny Riordan, the former education reporter for the Times. Contact her at penny.riordan@carrollcountytimes.com or 410-857-7898.


It is available at libraries and senior centers throughout the county, as well as restaurants and doctor’s offices, including:


Panera Bread, Eldersburg
McDougal’s Pharmacy, Eldersburg
McDonald’s, Hampstead
Miller’s Market, Manchester
Manchester Pharmacy, Manchester
Mount Airy Bowling Center, Mount Airy
McDonald’s, Mount Airy
Taneytown Pharmacy, Taneytown
Tony’s Café, Taneytown
Washington Heights Pharmacy, Westminster
Bullock’s Family Restaurant, Westminster
Baugher’s Restaurant, Westminster


Penny Riordan
Editor, Carroll Families and Carroll Seniors
Contributor, Healthy Balance magazine and the Synergy section
Carroll County Times
201 Railroad Ave.
Westminster, MD 21158
phone: 410-857-7898

penny.riordan@carrollcountytimes.com

http://www.carrollfamiliespub.com/

http://www.carrollseniorspub.com/

20081127 Penny Riordan Carroll Seniors and the Great Depression


Kevin Dayhoff Westgov.Net: Westminster Maryland Online

Friday, April 04, 2008

20080401 Penny Riordan watch


Penny Riordan watch – on Kevin Dayhoff – Soundtrack: Riordan - Penny Riordan

Penny Riordan Watch - April 1, 2008

High schools to compete in Carroll Academic Challenge
If history is any guide, it is unlikely that the reigning Carroll Academic Challenge champions will repeat this year. Since the trivia and knowledge competition was created in 2004, a different high school has won every year. The first year, it was L...
Mar. 29, 2008;

Masks depict cultural identity
Activities include student creations Students at Cranberry Station Elementary School ended a month’s worth of multicultural activities, projects and assemblies Monday with a parade of masks. Video Students in third through fifth grade had mad...
Apr. 1, 2008;

Morse’s racial slur upsets many
Members of Carroll County’s minority community are split as to whether Board of Education member Jeff Morse should resign after using a racial slur, but said the comment reflects racism that still exists in the county. Morse used a racial slur ...
Mar. 22, 2008;

School board's Morse: I used racial slur
Carroll County Board of Education member Jeff Morse said he used an inappropriate racial phrase when describing layers of black rock he saw out at the Manchester Valley High School construction site earlier this month. Morse, who visited the site two...
Mar. 20, 2008;

Groups, board focus on filling Morse's seat
Some members of the community would like the vacant school board seat created by Jeff Morse’s resignation to be filled with a minority. But according to the Carroll County Board of Elections, it might be impossible for anyone to get on the ball...
Mar. 28, 2008;

Schools to revisit substance abuse policy
A committee charged with making changes to the school system’s substance abuse policy will hold the first of two public hearings on the topic Wednesday night. While most portions of the substance abuse policy are considered non-negotiable, what...
Mar. 18, 2008;

Morse resigns
Board of Education member Jeff Morse resigned from his post Wednesday afternoon, saying it was best for the board that he step down. Appointed by Gov. Martin O’Malley to fill a vacancy in May of last year, Morse came under fire last week after ...
Mar. 27, 2008;

Turning 100
Celebration pays tribute to Carroll’s newest centenarian MIDDLEBURG With one deep, robust breath, Mary Crawmer leaned over and blew out the candles on her yellow birthday cake with vanilla frosting. The cake had only three candles, but each s...
Mar. 25, 2008;

Minority liaison hopes to make classrooms feel more welcoming
Patricia Levroney, minority achievement liaison for Carroll County Public Schools, was awarded this year’s recipient of the Carroll County Human Relations Commission Award. The banquet is on March 31 at the New Windsor Conference Center. Q: How...
Mar. 24, 2008;

Schools get 3 new principals
Francis Scott Key, Winters Mill and Westminster high schools will have new principals this fall, after a vacancy was created at FSK when Principal Randy Clark moved to the new Manchester Valley High School. But all three of the new principals have co...
Mar. 24, 2008;

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

20070430 Fire destroys barn on historic Whittaker Chambers farm










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

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

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

References:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[…]

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

[…]

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

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

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

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

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

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

_____

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

______

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

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

[…]

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

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

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

[…]

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

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

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

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

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

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

_____

This is the Westminster Fire Department Public Information Officer Report:

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

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

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

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

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


Friday, October 13, 2006

20061013 Students in Action Summit at West Middle School


Students in Action Summit at Westminster’s West Middle School

October 11th and 12th, 2006

I had the pleasure to participate in the Students in Action Summit at Westminster’s West Middle School on October 11th and 12th, 2006.

Pasted above is my rendition of the events.

It was a cutting edge problem identification and resolution opportunity with the 6th, 7th and 8th graders at what may be the most diverse school in the Carroll County Public School system.

Much of the heavy lifting for the event is to the enormous credit of Assistant Principal Aurora Pagulayan.

I was also quite impressed with the level of intelligent participation of the school children, although I was not surprised.

In the last number of years, I have had a number of opportunities to participate in a great many Carroll County Public School’s student programs and events and I walk away consistently impresses with the school system, individuals such as Assistant Principal Aurora Pagulayan - - and most importantly, the young adults in the school system.

I am also consistently impressed with the number of community leaders who take time out of their hectic days to get involved in an effort to make a difference and a contribution.

Folks such as: Karen Edmunds, Neeta Pansuriya, Chris Roemer, Jackie Reiff, Andrea Shalal-Esa, Bonnie Andrews, Gary Honeman, Lauren Dundes, and Jim Rodriquez to mention only a few names that come to mind quickly.

Of course, one of the other good things the school system is always careful to do well is to feed us community volunteers. I am not a morning person and the coffee and fruit and pastries went a long ways with me.

Carroll County Times staff writer, Penny Riordan penned an excellent article on the event which appeared in today’s paper: “Finding Solutions: Racial slurs, lockers discipline among problems identified by students.”

Her article will help a great deal to understand the mechanics of the day. You can find it here.

When I catch-up from losing two half-days out of my schedule in the last several days, I will look forward to also writing about this exciting event.

Hats off to Westminster’s West Middle School Assistant Principal Aurora Pagulayan, the young adults at the school, the community leaders who gave so graciously of their time to participate and to the Carroll County Public School System for having the foresight and the leadership to roll up their sleeves and make such an important program happen.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org http://www.thetentacle.com/ Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Saturday, September 09, 2006

20060908 KDDC A Carroll County Times article on Bailey Laird



We were very happy to open-up the Carroll County Times this morning and see an excellent article on our friend Bailey Laird by Times writer Penny Riordan. When you get to “From China to Carroll,” you will also see a great picture of Ms. Laird at work in the classroom by Ken Koons.

The article begins:

For Linton Springs Elementary School teacher Bailey Laird, time spent teaching in China prepared her well for her first full year teaching all-day kindergarten.

"It was very challenging for me," she said. "I think it made me much stronger." Laird was a senior at Salisbury State University when she signed up to teach at an international school in Beijing. Students led the program, which meant Laird and her fellow student teachers did most of their lesson planning without a curriculum to follow.


Please read the rest of the article by clicking here.

####

Friday, September 08, 2006

20060908 KDDC A Carroll County Times article on Bailey Laird



We were very happy to open-up the Carroll County Times this morning and see an excellent article on our friend Bailey Laird by Times writer Penny Riordan. When you get to “From China to Carroll,” you will also see a great picture of Ms. Laird at work in the classroom by Ken Koons.

The article begins:

For Linton Springs Elementary School teacher Bailey Laird, time spent teaching in China prepared her well for her first full year teaching all-day kindergarten.

"It was very challenging for me," she said. "I think it made me much stronger." Laird was a senior at Salisbury State University when she signed up to teach at an international school in Beijing. Students led the program, which meant Laird and her fellow student teachers did most of their lesson planning without a curriculum to follow.


Please read the rest of the article by clicking here.

####

Monday, March 17, 2003

20030314 Maryland’s New Gov Off To Bumpy Start by Penny Riordan “Stateline.org”


Maryland’s New Gov Off To Bumpy Start


By Penny Riordan, Staff Assistant Friday, March 14, 2003

Maryland's first Republican governor in 36 years is getting a political baptism of fire as he seeks to implement his conservative agenda in the liberal-leaning Free State.

So far in the current legislative session, Gov. Robert Ehrlich's signature proposal to legalize slot machines is stalled in the General Assembly and his choice to head the Environment Department was rejected by the state Senate. Democrats control the legislature.

"He's really learning on the job," Baltimore Sun Statehouse bureau chief David Nitkin said of the governor's first few weeks in office.

Ehrlich is the first Republican elected governor since Spiro Agnew in 1966 and this is the first time since the Agnew administration that Maryland has different parties in power in the executive and legislative branches. Although legislators from both parties said after last year's election they had high hopes for the new governor, many have now given up hope for a productive legislative session. Ehrlich, a former state legislator and U.S. representative, defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in the race for the state's top office.

The centerpiece of Ehrlich's agenda is to help plug the state's $1.8 billion budget deficit by gleaning revenue from 10,500 slots that would be at placed at four Maryland racetracks. Currently the governor is still ironing out the details and has not submitted a bill to the General Assembly.

Ehrlich's proposal has alienated some of his old friends in the legislature. On Feb. 26, when newly elected House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) questioned why Ehrlich would put slot machines at racetracks in low-income and heavily black neighborhoods, Ehrlich accused Busch of racism.

"Just about everybody was shocked," said House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery). "(It eroded) a tone of civility that has existed in Maryland forever."

In addition to problems with his slot proposal, Ehrlich's nominee for secretary of the Department of the Environment was rejected by the state Senate on March 11. It was the first time in Maryland history that a governor's nominee has been turned down.

Lawmakers and legislative observers are asking if these political missteps can be attributed to growing pains or if this foreshadows four long years of partisan squabbling.

Tom Stuckey, a long-time Annapolis correspondent for the Associated Press, said any governor faced with a budget deficit and trying to legalize gambling would hit roadblocks with a Democratic legislature.

"They've certainly made some missteps but they are trying to learn," said Stuckey, who has been covering the General Assembly for 40 years. "Any one of these [issues] would make for a difficult beginning."

Stuckey also said that legislature has undergone some significant changes, with an unusually large number of freshman legislators and a brand new host of leaders in the House and Senate. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. is the only party leader returning from last year.

In the past, other governors have also gotten off to a rocky start. As soon as Ehrlich's predecessor, Gov. Parris Glendening took office, he was embroiled in a scandal over a pension deal he had arranged from his previous job as Prince George's County Executive. Gov. William Donald Shaefer, Ehrlich's predecessor twice removed, also had a difficult time forging relationship with legislators. Both were Democrats.

Despite Ehrlich's missteps, reporters and legislators say he is a friendly and approachable governor, which should work to his advantage in the long run.

They also say other elements of his agenda are being overshadowed by current problems. Ehrlich's other priorities include charter schools, faith-based programs and Project Exile, a crime-reduction initiative modeled after a Virginia program.

Riordan - Penny Riordan, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Maryland General Assembly Opera, Slots, Maryland State Budget,

20030314 Maryland’s New Gov Off To Bumpy Start by Penny Riordan “Stateline.org”


Maryland’s New Gov Off To Bumpy Start


By Penny Riordan, Staff Assistant Friday, March 14, 2003

Maryland's first Republican governor in 36 years is getting a political baptism of fire as he seeks to implement his conservative agenda in the liberal-leaning Free State.

So far in the current legislative session, Gov. Robert Ehrlich's signature proposal to legalize slot machines is stalled in the General Assembly and his choice to head the Environment Department was rejected by the state Senate. Democrats control the legislature.

"He's really learning on the job," Baltimore Sun Statehouse bureau chief David Nitkin said of the governor's first few weeks in office.

Ehrlich is the first Republican elected governor since Spiro Agnew in 1966 and this is the first time since the Agnew administration that Maryland has different parties in power in the executive and legislative branches. Although legislators from both parties said after last year's election they had high hopes for the new governor, many have now given up hope for a productive legislative session. Ehrlich, a former state legislator and U.S. representative, defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in the race for the state's top office.

The centerpiece of Ehrlich's agenda is to help plug the state's $1.8 billion budget deficit by gleaning revenue from 10,500 slots that would be at placed at four Maryland racetracks. Currently the governor is still ironing out the details and has not submitted a bill to the General Assembly.

Ehrlich's proposal has alienated some of his old friends in the legislature. On Feb. 26, when newly elected House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) questioned why Ehrlich would put slot machines at racetracks in low-income and heavily black neighborhoods, Ehrlich accused Busch of racism.

"Just about everybody was shocked," said House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery). "(It eroded) a tone of civility that has existed in Maryland forever."

In addition to problems with his slot proposal, Ehrlich's nominee for secretary of the Department of the Environment was rejected by the state Senate on March 11. It was the first time in Maryland history that a governor's nominee has been turned down.

Lawmakers and legislative observers are asking if these political missteps can be attributed to growing pains or if this foreshadows four long years of partisan squabbling.

Tom Stuckey, a long-time Annapolis correspondent for the Associated Press, said any governor faced with a budget deficit and trying to legalize gambling would hit roadblocks with a Democratic legislature.

"They've certainly made some missteps but they are trying to learn," said Stuckey, who has been covering the General Assembly for 40 years. "Any one of these [issues] would make for a difficult beginning."

Stuckey also said that legislature has undergone some significant changes, with an unusually large number of freshman legislators and a brand new host of leaders in the House and Senate. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. is the only party leader returning from last year.

In the past, other governors have also gotten off to a rocky start. As soon as Ehrlich's predecessor, Gov. Parris Glendening took office, he was embroiled in a scandal over a pension deal he had arranged from his previous job as Prince George's County Executive. Gov. William Donald Shaefer, Ehrlich's predecessor twice removed, also had a difficult time forging relationship with legislators. Both were Democrats.

Despite Ehrlich's missteps, reporters and legislators say he is a friendly and approachable governor, which should work to his advantage in the long run.

They also say other elements of his agenda are being overshadowed by current problems. Ehrlich's other priorities include charter schools, faith-based programs and Project Exile, a crime-reduction initiative modeled after a Virginia program.

Riordan - Penny Riordan, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Maryland General Assembly Opera, Slots, Maryland State Budget,