Recent articles in the Carroll County Times by Staci L. George

Recent articles in the Carroll County Times by Staci L. George

August 15, 2008

County to hold first information session for veterans
Carroll County will host its first veterans muster Saturday to give Maryland veterans a chance to learn more about benefits and services offered by federal, state and nonprofit agencies. “They may not know they have certain benefits or know whe...Aug. 15, 2008

Fundraiser to be held for memorial
Organizers are hoping a consignment fundraiser Saturday in Eldersburg will help fund the state’s first Angel of Hope garden. The JOSH Foundation, short for Joining Others Seeking Healing, will hold its Children’s Consignment Charity Fundr...Aug. 15, 2008

Three-day walk to honor mothers, help fight cancer
Kristi Bozzell lost her mother to breast cancer. So did Sue Conklin. So when Heather Davidson asked them, along with her sister-in-law Krista Davidson, to be on her team for the three-day walk benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the decision requ...Aug. 8, 2008

20080815 Recent articles in the Carroll County Times by Staci L George

Gannett Blog: Gannett said laying off 600 newspaper employees

20080813 Gannett Blog: Gannett said laying off 600 newspaper employees

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

According to Gannett Blog, “An Independent Journal about Gannett Co. Inc., Gannett said laying off 600 newspaper employees; pub's memo discloses total 1,000 jobs getting axed

Updated at 11:44 a.m. ET on Aug. 14: The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., is among the first newspapers reporting layoffs on Thursday.

Earlier: A Maryland publisher told employees late Wednesday afternoon that Gannett is eliminating 1,000 newspaper jobs, or about 3% of the troubled newspaper division's workforce -- and that about 600 employees are being laid off, a Gannett Blog reader says.

The reader provided a copy of a memo that Daily Times Publisher Rick Jensen e-mailed about 4 p.m. today at the paper in Salisbury. "Across Gannett’s Community Publishing division, about 1,000 positions will be eliminated -- about 3% of the workforce,'' the memo says. "Of the 1,000 positions, about 600 employees will be laid off."

Jensen would be the first Gannett executive to publicly confirm recent speculation that GCI is cutting jobs across the company -- and the first executive to disclose details of such cuts. A broad downsizing would come as the nation's top newspaper publisher reels from its surprisingly weak second-quarter earnings. That report sent Gannett shares plunging to new lows, further raising investor pressure on CEO Craig Dubow and his senior team.

No timetable given

I've asked chief Gannett flak Tara Connell for comment. I've e-mailed Jensen, and Daily Times Executive Editor Greg Bassett as well. Moments ago, Bassett e-mailed this reply, saying only: "Jim Hopkins is in my in box? All the way from Europe? I must be big time! Cheers!"

[…]

Earlier: Blogger says Corporate's silence on layoffs is telling

Read the rest of the post here: Gannett said laying off 600 newspaper employees; pub's memo discloses total 1,000 jobs getting axed

Gannett Blog Labels: Buyouts, Earnings, Layoffs, Louisville, Salisbury, This Just In, USA Today

http://gannettblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/memo-gci-laying-off-600-newspaper.html

20080813 Gannett Blog: Gannett said laying off 600 newspaper employees

Kevin is wondering...

August 14, 2008

Kevin is wondering ...

what happens when you stick a kitchen knife in an electric socket?

The Adventures of Mr. Moose on Facebook

20080814 KED Knife in socket

This week in The Tentacle August 13 2008

This week in The Tentacle August 13 2008

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
They shoot dogs, don’t they?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In Prince Georges County on the evening of July 30, the home of the Berwyn Heights’ Mayor Cheye Calvo was the scene of a home invasion.


Beer Olympics
Tom McLaughlin
They’re back! After watching the March Past during the opening of the games in Peking (old spelling), I settled in to watch some of the sports. And wonders of wonders who did I see? Those two great representatives of American dirty old men, Misty May and Kerri Walsh. They were playing the great American sport – beach volleyball.


Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Media Furies
Roy Meachum
The Bruce Ivins tragedy starkly revealed the trashy shape of America's media. Print and electronic alike, they have become modern versions of Greek playwright Aeschylus's Eumenides; the Furies of ancient Rome, they resound still in the Yiddish phrase: Kein eine horah. "Not one listening" is a prayerful cautionary against the 40,000 beasties that always hover waiting to strike all those who earn praise.


Perception Often Worse Than Truth
Farrell Keough
Perceptions are a tricky thing. There are times in life when a person can feel so strongly about a situation they are willing to suffer the consequences of people believing they are either wrong or have some nefarious intent.


Monday, August 11, 2008
Hanging it up…
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
…a stethoscope, that is. On August 8, Dr. Wayne Allgaier snapped the closure on his leather medical kit for the last time. Last Friday, he hung the stethoscope up for the last time.


T. Boone & Slim Pickens
Steven R. Berryman
What does a famous Texas oil baron do to ensure some personal legacy at age 80? He becomes an alternative energy activist, and starts a web site with a link to his own MySpace page, of course!


They’re Not Just Athletes…
Derek Shackelford
Last Friday the 2008 Summer Olympics games opened in Beijing, China, where the government has come under scrutiny because of proclaimed human rights violations. The air quality – to some degree – has been deemed unhealthy. The government has been criticized for neglect of some of its citizens and the economic disparity is widely known. And its capital punishment policy has been questioned.


Friday, August 8, 2008
Greasepaint Missing
Roy Meachum
Not only the greasepaint was missing Wednesday from the justice department's dog-and-pony show. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's crew left behind their costumes. U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Taylor lacked the red bulb on his nose. The performance would have been hilarious except a Frederick man wound up dead.


Thursday, August 7, 2008
Breaching Our Security
Tony Soltero
"To protect and to serve." The venerable slogan of police forces nationwide. And, for the most part, law enforcement performs its duties professionally, effectively and within the constitutional bounds that distinguish America from repressive, totalitarian societies, such as the country currently hosting a major world sports event.


Obama vs. McCain
Patricia A. Kelly
I read and I listen. Answers are elusive, dandelion fluff on a summer breeze. One says the other said…the other says he didn’t, but that the other did….There are funny ads, outrageous ads. Always, politics, when something closer to the truth is so needed.


Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Insufficient Funds
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Recently the Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League has been the focus of some unwanted and undesirable attention.


Voting White
Tom McLaughlin
Race is – and will continue to be – a very big factor in the presidential election. Sen. Barack Obama has called for change; however, his skin color will be too much of a change for many. White, not John McCain, will win the election.


Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Guilty or Not?
Roy Meachum
The apparent suicide of a Fort Detrick scientist was the weekend's conversational rage. Everyone knows someone who knows someone – that’s how it went.


One’s Inexperience and Immaturity
Joan McIntyre
Those aspiring to elected office need to learn before applying that it's a tough job and requires an equally tough skin. Do you question why I use the phase "applying?"


Monday, August 4, 2008
Who's watching the watchers?
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Picture a rally against the death penalty or a gathering of anti-war protesters. Peace signs, Grateful Dead music, chanting, tie-dyed clothing, and soap-box speeches about injustice, inequality, and corrupt abuse of power.


“Mega Trends” Become Non-Sequiturs
Steven R. Berryman
Seems like chaos rules anymore when analyzing the changing trends in world happenings and trying to make things make sense. Much of it just doesn’t follow, as in non-sequiturs. There are just too many data points now for old method.

20080813 This week in The Tentacle August 13 2008

Monday August 11 2008 Interview of the President by Bob Costas NBC Sports

Monday August 11 2008 Interview of the President by Bob Costas NBC Sports

August 14, 2008 - I enjoyed the Monday, August 11, 2008 interview of President George W. Bush by NBC sports reporter Bob Costas. I was happy to find the following transcript on the White House web site:

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 11, 2008

Interview of the President by Bob Costas, NBC Sports

International Broadcasting Center
Beijing, The People's Republic of China

White House News
Photos
In Focus: Summer Olympics 2008

Photo caption: President George W. Bush speaks with Bob Costas of NBC Sports during an interview Monday, Aug. 11, 2008, while attending the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. White House photo by Eric Draper

8:55 A.M. (Local)

Q All right, Al, we thank you. In a few minutes we'll have more of the women's team qualifying from Sunday afternoon here in Beijing. But now, live, we're joined by President George W. Bush, who has been at these games since the Opening Ceremony. You say the Opening Ceremony. You've seen Michael Phelps and company at the pool. You went to beach volleyball, the USA's win over China in basketball last night. What are your impressions so far?

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I think the Chinese are being great hosts. The venues are fantastic. And our team is fired up -- and so am I. I'm excited to be here. It's -- it's such a thrill to watch our men and women compete.

Q You met with the ballplayers before the basketball game last night.

THE PRESIDENT: I did. (Laughter.)

Q What was their response to you?

THE PRESIDENT: Their response was -- well, first of all, obviously these are great stars. And their response was, thanks for coming; we are really, really honored to represent America. And I was impressed by them. And of course they go out and put on a great performance.

Q And winning 101 to 70. Our time here is limited. We'll get to as much as we can. The Opening Ceremonies were glorious. There's much to admire about China's people, China's culture, and its present accomplishments. But this remains an authoritarian state –

THE PRESIDENT: That's true.

Q -- with an abysmal human rights record. In the long run, is China's rise irreconcilable with America's interests?

THE PRESIDENT: No. In the long run, America better remain engaged with China, and understand that we can have a cooperative and constructive, yet candid relationship. It's really important for future Presidents to understand the relationship between China and the region, and it's important to make sure that America is engaged with China -- even though we may have some disagreements.

Q You met with President Hu Jintao not just at the Opening Ceremony, but privately since then. Did you press him on the full array of American concerns -- human rights, press freedom, Tibet, China's support of rogue regimes like Sudan and Myanmar?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes -- and North Korea, and Iran.

Q It was all on the table?

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, absolutely, every time -- every time. And you got to understand something, Bob, I don't need the Olympics to advance America's agenda. I've met with Hu Jintao a lot since I have been the President. And, yes, I had a full range -- listen, we agree with them on a lot of things. And we disagree with them on things. And that's the way the relationship is going to be. It needs to be, as I mentioned, constructive and cooperative.

Q This past week you restated America's fundamental differences with China.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q But given China's growing strength and America's own problems, realistically how much leverage and influence does the U.S. have here?

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I don't see America having problems. I see America as a nation that is a world leader, that has got great values. And leverage is -- I don't think you should look at the relationship as one of leverage. I think you ought to look at the relationship of one of constructive engagement where you can find common areas, like North Korea and Iran, but also be in a position where they respect you enough to listen to your views on religious freedom and political liberty.

Q If these Olympics are as successful as they are shaping up to be, most people believe this only further legitimizes the ruling party in the minds on most Chinese citizens. And even absent true liberty as we understand it, the lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese people are much better than they once were. Therefore, what's the party's incentive to reform?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, if you're a religious person, you understand that once religion takes hold in a society it can't be stopped. And secondly, I think the Olympics are going to serve as a chance for people to come and see China the way it is, and let the Chinese see the world and interface and have the opportunity to converse with people from around the world. This is a very positive development, in my view, for peace.

And who knows how China is going to progress? They've been through some very difficult political times -- the Cultural Revolution, for one, where the leadership actually created violent anarchy and society turned on itself. All I can tell you is, is that it's important for the United States to be active in this part of the world with all countries, and to stay engaged with China.

Q Moving away from China for just a second. During the Opening Ceremony we saw you conferring with Vladimir Putin.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q We now know you were talking about the conflict that had erupted that day –

THE PRESIDENT: That's true.

Q -- between Russia and Georgia. Now, Georgia is a former Soviet republic that is sympathetic to the West –

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- and that is attempting to embody many Western values. But just as you need China, you need Russia strategically around the globe. You got to walk a fine line. What did you say to Putin?

THE PRESIDENT: I said this violence is unacceptable -- I not only said it to Vladimir Putin, I've said it to the President of the country, Dmitriy Medvedev. And my administration has been engaged with both sides in this, trying to get a cease-fire, and saying that the status quo ante for all troops should be August 6th. And, look, I expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn bombing outside of South Ossetia.

It was just interesting to me that here we are trying to promote peace and harmony and we're witnessing a conflict take place.

Q Right, no Olympic truce in this case.

THE PRESIDENT: There wasn't. And I was very firm with Vladimir Putin -- he and I have got a good relationship -- just like I was firm with the Russian President. And hopefully this will get resolved peacefully. There needs to be a international mediation there for the South Ossetia issue.

Q A couple more quick things.

THE PRESIDENT: Sure.

Q China is a nation that warmly received Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who has since been indicted by the International Court on charges of genocide.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q Then this past week they revoked the visa of Joey Cheek, an exemplary Olympian who had planned to come here not to directly protest China's government, but to call attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q What's your reaction?

THE PRESIDENT: My reaction is I'm sorry Joey Cheek didn't come, he's a good man. Joey Cheek has just got to know that I took the Sudanese message for him. My attitude is, is if you got relations with Mr. Bashir, think about helping to solve the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. That was my message to the Chinese government.

Q As you attempt to press these points with them, do you find Hu Jintao not just warm toward you personally, but is he receptive? Do you sense any movement?

THE PRESIDENT: It's hard to tell. I mean, it's -- all I can tell you is, is that it is best to be in the position where a leader will listen to you. I went to church here, and I'm sure the cynics say, well, you know, it was just a state-sponsored church. On the other hand -- and that's true. On the other hand, it gave me a chance to say to the Chinese people, religion won't hurt you, you ought to welcome religious people. And it gave me a chance to say to the government, why don't you register the underground churches and give them a chance to flourish? And he listened politely. I can't read his mind, but I do know that every time I met with him I pressed the point.

Q Your father has longstanding connections to China. He was an envoy here even before we established an official ambassador's position, during the 1970s, and he is here with you on this trip. So there's a connection, a family connection.

THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. Yes, there's a great connection. You know, I can remember riding my bike around Beijing in 1975, and it is –

Q Only bikes then, just about.

THE PRESIDENT: -- unbelievable how far this has changed. I mean, it is -- and he feels the same way. And we were honored yesterday when the President, Hu Jintao, invited my dad and me and Laura and my sister and my daughter, my brother, for dinner. It was a -- lunch. It was just a great gesture of kindness.

Bob, it's very important for the American people to know that coming here gave me a chance, obviously, to root for our team, and you've captured that, but it's also coming here is a sign of respect for the Chinese people. And this is a big, important nation. We'll have our differences, we'll have our agreements. But in order to find common ground and to move the world toward peace, it is important for this country to show respect for the people of the country.

Q Briefly, one more sports question.

THE PRESIDENT: Sure.

Q You have been outspoken -- your past connections to baseball; you used a State of the Union speech to do it, to talk about performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Marion Jones recently petitioned you for clemency.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q She's serving time because of involvement in the BALCO case -- one-time Olympic hero. We know many Olympians and in your favorite sport and mine, baseball, big names -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens. What's your feeling about this and how much do you, as an American, trust the integrity of the sports you watch?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, you know, let's just talk about baseball. Obviously one of the great things about baseball is we can compare the records of the players of the '50s to the '60s and the '70s, and obviously the 1990s, and it is very important for there to be a -- for the sport to be clean so that the great continuity and the history of baseball is real. And secondly, we don't want adults sending mixed messages to children, that it's okay to shoot up drugs in order to become a star, because it's not okay.

Q Are you going to go to a few more events before you leave?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to swimming here -- if you'd ever let me off this set. (Laughter.)

Q All right. You are dismissed.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir.

Q Thank you, Mr. President.

END 9:04 A.M. (Local)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080811.html

20080811 Interview of the President by Bob Costas NBC Sports

Carroll County Sheriff’s Department: Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics

Carroll County Sheriff’s Department: Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics

“Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics”

Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, August 13, 2008 ----

Sheriff Ken Tregoning and members of the Sheriff’s Office are concerned that inaccuracies cited by Commissioner Julia W. Gouge during an open session on August 7, presented a false perception to the public about the resolution of criminal investigations. A copy of the presentation, which includes the questionable statistics, is currently available on the county webpage at: http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/ccpd/docs/UCR.pdf

The information, which attempts to show a correlation between the costs of investigating certain crimes among several law enforcement agencies by dividing their operating budgets by crime, ignores the commissioner’s decision to continue transferring all 911police calls to the Maryland State Police. The practice of transferring police calls away from the 911 center where sheriff’s deputies are dispatched significantly reduces the total crimes going to the sheriff’s office. Consequently, the numbers presented by Commissioner Gouge were intended to create the false impression that certain crimes investigated by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office are more costly.

Further, the total numbers of law enforcement officers in each comparison are misrepresented; for example the Resident Trooper Contract funds 45 Troopers, not the number listed. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office budget figures include costs for 14 non-police employees. These oversights were designed to distort the cost of personnel funded under the Sheriff’s Services Operating Budget and the contract for State Police Services.

The study cites only the “Part 1 Crimes”; however, there are 99 incidents police respond to and investigate listed in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. On the contrary, during the same years cited by Commissioner Gouge, 2005 and 2006, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office led Carroll Law Enforcement in the total number of arrests. In fact, during 2006 sheriff’s deputies made 1388 arrests, and according to the Maryland State Police’s Crime in Maryland Report, achieved the highest local “Part 1 Crimes” closure rate at 41%.

According to the International City/County Management Association, interrupting crimes in progress and pursuing fleeing suspects’ accounts for less than twenty percent of law enforcement activity. Historically, most police calls are not criminal incidents but incidents that include landlord/tenant disputes, prowlers, noise complaints, graffiti, disturbances, missing persons, littering, juvenile complaints, nuisance calls, etc. Consequently, the public should have information about total police activities and not just “Part 1 Crimes.”

Therefore, policing in Carroll County and nationally, involves keeping the peace more than enforcing the law. The confusion caused by this information is regrettable and was a disservice to the public and the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office and its employees remain “committed to excellence in delivering comprehensive police services focused on preventing and reducing crime, fear and disorder.” Similar to the sheriff’s offices in 98% of counties nationwide, we are your “County Police Agency”.

20080813 CCSD Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics

“Target practice for Prince George's police” By Rob Tornoe for PolitickerMD

“Target practice for Prince George's police” By Rob Tornoe for PolitickerMD

August 11, 2008

You've probably already heard about the incident involving the Prince George's county police department raiding the home of Berwyn Heights mayor Cheye Calvo, shooting and killing his two dogs after he brought in a 32-pound package of marijuana that had been delivered to his doorstep…

[…]

20080811 “Target practice for Prince George's police” By Rob Tornoe for PolitickerMD

The MSM’s Latest Embarrassment by Jennifer Rubin

20080810 The MSM’s Latest Embarrassment by Jennifer Rubin

Did ya notice: “Commentary” – “Contentions” - The MSM’s Latest Embarrassment by Jennifer Rubin - 08.10.2008?

The MSM’s Latest Embarrassment

When John Edwards admitted Friday that he lied about his affair with filmmaker Rielle Hunter, a former employee of his campaign, he may have ended his public life but he certainly ratified an end to the era in which traditional media set the agenda for national political journalism.

Read the rest here: The MSM’s Latest Embarrassment

http://www.commentarymagazine.com

“Commentary” – “Contentions” -

20080810 The MSM’s Latest Embarrassment by Jennifer Rubin

20080812 Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council Agenda

20080812 Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council Agenda

Carroll County ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Karen Merkle, Chair

Meeting /Agenda, Tuesday August 12, 2008 @ 3:00 p.m.

Room 003/004, Carroll County
Office Building

Cynthia M. Parr
Chief, Administrative Services
225 N Center Street, Room 300
Westminster, MD 21157-5194
Telephone: 410-386-2232
Fax: 410-386-2485
cparr@ccg.carr.org

All meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month. If an afternoon meeting, it will be from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.; if an evening meeting, it will be from 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M., in Room 003/004 of the County Office Building unless otherwise noted.

Notice of each meeting will be sent to local media prior to each meeting and will also appear on the website ccgov.carr.org under meetings/agendas.

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of June 10, 2008 Minutes

3. Communications

4. Open Forum
An opportunity for County residents to express concerns or propose issues not already before the Council, as future EAC Agenda items; three (3) minutes per
Presentation.

5. Presentations:

a. Doug Howard, Executive Director, Carroll Area Transit System Transportation Services and Environmental Considerations

b. Dawn Eldridge, Community Health Improvement Area Manager, CCHD Resource Conservation Coalition “ Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County.

6. New Business

a. Nominations and selection of Vice Chair

b. Review of Bylaws and Chapter 16

c. Adoption of the 2009 meeting dates

d. Adoption of EAC Environmental Awards Categories

7. Council Members Issues for future consideration

8. Announcements from the Chair

a. The September EAC meeting, will be an afternoon meeting Tuesday,
September 9, 2008, @ 3:00 p.m. in Room 003/004 of the County Office
Building

9. Adjourn

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the Carroll County Government and its programs, services, activities, and facilities. If you have questions, suggestions, or complaints, please contact Ms. Jolene Sullivan, the Carroll County Government Americans With Disabilities Act Coordinator, at 410-386-3600/1-888-302-8978 or TTY No. 410-848-9747. The mailing address is 225 North Center Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157.

Environmentalism EAC - Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council

Manic Monday: Massive Attack - Dissolved Girl August 11 2008

20080811 Manic Monday Massive Attack Dissolved Girl

Manic Monday: Massive Attack - Dissolved Girl

August 11, 2008

It’s been Monday all day. Word has it that it will be Monday for quite a few more hours… At least I have two of my three columns due for this week filed. Right now I need a snack and a nap…

Massive Attack Dissolved Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT8QT4BEOTo




David Sylvian - Orpheus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2dgMNm64Mg



More: Art Music electronica Massive Attack

Art Music electronica

Art Music electronica Sylvian – David Sylvian

Westminster Council Meeting agenda for August 11 2008

20080811 Westminster Council Meeting agenda for August 11 2008

City Council

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/agenda.asp

City Council Members Minutes of City Council Meetings

CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND

Mayor and Common Council Meeting of August 11, 2008

AGENDA

1. CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 P.M.

Presentation of Check – Robin Ford

Mayor’s Recognition – Award of Eagle Scout Badge to William Ehmann

2. SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Westminster Skate Park Renovation – Ron Schroers

3. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF JULY 28, 2008

4. REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR

5. REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES

6. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

Resolution No. R08-9 - Main Street Improvement/Maple Street Program

Funding Application – Marge Wolf

7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

a. None as of August 7, 2008

8. NEW BUSINESS:

a. None as of August 7, 2008

9. DEPARTMENT REPORTS

10. CITIZEN COMMENTS

11. ADJOURN

*THE MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE JOHN STREET QUARTERS OF THE WESTMINSTER FIRE COMPANY. FREE PARKING IS AVAILABLE.

Baugher’s restaurant Westminster, MD circa 1950

19500000 Baugher’s restaurant Westminster, MD circa 1950

An aerial photo of Baugher’s restaurant from approximately 1950:

History Westminster pictures

20080811 Baugher’s menu August 11 to September 21 2008 for Matthew Gunby and Jamie Schmidt

20080811 Baugher’s menu August 11 to September 21 2008 for Matthew Gunby and Jamie Schmidt

Baugher’s Menu August 11 to September 21 2008

July 2nd – July 29th

Westminster, MD 21158
Farm: 410-848-5541
Restaurant: 410-848-7413
Market (at the Rest.): 410-848-7490
Bakery (at the Farm): 410-848-5313

Labels: Restaurants, Baugher’s, 20061031 A Baugher's Halloween

Breakfast Specials
(Available until 11:30 AM)

Monday – Friday only
Breakfast Clubhouse

Three slices of toast with two scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, mayonnaise and american and swiss cheeses. Served with hand-cut home fries.
$4.50

Monday
Corned Beef Hash w/Two Eggs
$4.25

Country Ham w/2 Eggs
$5.95

Tuesday
Buckwheat Hotcakes
2/$3.55

BLT Omelet w/Cheese
$4.45

Wednesday
Sweet Potato Pancakes
$3.45
One of Five Breakfast
(Egg, Bacon, Sausage, Biscuit and Hot Cake)
$4.25

Thursday
Chip Beef & Hominy
$3.75

Country Ham w/2 Eggs
$5.95

FRIDAY
One of Five Breakfast
(Egg, Bacon, Sausage, Biscuit and Hot Cake)
$4.25

Buckwheat Hotcakes
2/$3.55

Saturday
Corned Beef Hash w/Two Eggs
$4.25

Pudding and Hominy
$4.65

Try a feature omelet:
Three Cheese $3.15
(American, Swiss & Cheddar)
Bacon and Cheese… $4.35
Mushroom and Cheese… $3.40
Sausage and Cheese… $4.75
Vegetable… $3.40

August 11th _ September 21st

*Any substitute is extra*

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wrap
Our tex-mex style chicken salad, cheddar cheese and shredded lettuce wrapped in a flour tortilla. Served with your choice of side.
$5.25

Bayside Grilled Chicken Salad
A large tossed salad topped with grilled chicken breast strips, cheddar cheese, chopped onion, tomato wedges and crumbled bacon. Served with old bay-ranch dressing.
$6.95

Honey-Mustard Ham Pretzelwich
Grilled ham, melted provolone cheese and honey mustard sauce on a pretzel roll. Served with potato chips and a dill pickle.
$4.95

Our New Recession Fighter
Daily Soup (Cup) and Sandwich Special
(Available until 4 PM)

Monday Pork BBQ $5.40
Tuesday: ½ BLT $3.45
Wednesday: ¼ Cordon Blue Sub $3.75
Thursday: ½ Ham Salad $3.85
Friday: ½ Baked Ham & Swiss $4.05

Kids Eat FREE
4 PM till Close
Monday Night:

One free Kids Meal w/ the Purchase of each Adult Entrée.

Join Mr. B’s Kids birthday Club. Ask your server or cashier for information.

August 11th _ September 21st

*Any substitute is extra*

Kevin Dayhoff Sunday Carroll Eagle and Westminster Eagle columns and articles from June 25, 2008 through August 3, 2008

Kevin Dayhoff Sunday Carroll Eagle and Westminster Eagle columns and articles from June 25, 2008 through August 3, 2008

August 3, 2008

Fire and water have been volatile mix in Sykesville
Published August 3, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
It was 85 years ago, in the late afternoon of Monday, July 30, 1923, that an historic and terrible rainstorm hit Sykesville and other areas...

Destructive behavior from those contentious combines
Published July 30, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Saturday evening, the air was hot, thick and muggy, flavored with anticipation and seasoned with a hint of petroleum fumes. More than 5,000 fans...

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life
Published July 25, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places. Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are...

Viva la bicyclette de Carroll
Published July 23, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Today, as you are reading this, the 95th Tour de France is in Stage 17. This year's race began on July 5. After 23 days,...

Memories from City Hall and e-mail from the great beyond
Published July 20, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Westminster purchased the property for its City Hall, on Emerald Hill Lane, from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September 1939 for the grand...

Appreciating Tony Snow's passion for life
Published July 16, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Saturday, July 12, former White House press secretary Tony Snow, 53, died of cancer. I certainly never knew him, yet after following his too-short career for...

Westminster's Civil War role didn't end at Corbit's Charge
Published July 13, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The last several weeks have been busy in Carroll County, and one of the busiest was during the June 27-29 events surrounding the commemoration of...

Smith & Reifsnider was too hot to handle in July 1938
Published July 9, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Seventy years ago, Carroll County was reeling from the aftermath of fireworks of an unwelcome variety -- one of the biggest fires in the county's...

What a concept: sharing the wealth and pain of tax increases
Published July 6, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
"Gov. (William Preston) Lane does not like taxes ... but as long as you have colleges to take your money, ... you are to have...

The merry marry month of June
Published July 2, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional...

Years ago, trip to the beach required help from a little ferry
Published June 29, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE For many Carroll County residents, summertime means an opportunity to make an annual family trek to Ocean City, Md. Some of my fondest childhood memories...

Westminster's past included days of swine and meters
Published June 25, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do...

20080803 Kevin Dayhoff Sunday Carroll Eagle and Westminster Eagle columns and articles from June 25, 2008 through August 3, 2008

20080810 I just noticed P. Kenneth Burns coverage of the home invasion of Mayor Calvo in Berwyn Heights

I just noticed P. Kenneth Burns coverage of the home invasion of Mayor Calvo in Berwyn Heights over at “Maryland Politics Today.”

August 10, 2008

Be sure to check it out:

The E List: Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson
August 9th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
Now to the latest addition to our honor roll of people who disrespects the intelligence of the constituency….Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson.Jackson is being added for a number of reason, including not apologizing for the flawed drug bust on the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo.In his first interview with The Washington Post [...]

Calvo Exonerated
August 9th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his family was cleared of any wrong doing in regards to the package containing 32 pounds of weed inside. That package was set to go to a different destination and not to Calvo’s wife, Trinity Tomsic, as addressed on the package.The Washington Post reporting today that Prince George’s [...]

Prince George’s County: Calvo Deserves Respect
August 8th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
As promised, the on going knowledge campaign to bring light to the arrogance and mismanagement of the Prince George’s County Police Department under chief Melvin High.On July 31, Prince George’s County Police Officers and the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s raided the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo after he signed for a package addressed [...]

The E-List : Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin High
August 7th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
And now for the continuing saga of people who give public service a bad name, the latest addition to MarylandPT’s E-List.Tonight it’s Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin High who seems not to be leaving quietly, nevermind the fact that this guy was able to hold on to his job for five years despite the [...]

Berwyn Heights: Dogged
August 6th, 2008 by P. Kenneth Burns
Prince George’s County SWAT team and county narcotics officers burst into the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo last week after officers saw the mayor accept a package that was delivered by officers posing as delivery men. That package which was traced from Arizona contained just above 30 pounds in marijuana.Calvo in a [...]

20080810 I just noticed P. Kenneth Burns coverage of the home invasion of Mayor Calvo in Berwyn Heights

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

20080808 Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in email to friends

20080808 Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in email to friends

Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends

Retrieved Saturday, August 8, 2008

Related:
20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080731 Washington Post: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayors Home Kill His 2 Dogs

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

20080806 Calvo’s Counsel’s statement

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

Web editor’s background note: The mayor of Berwyn Heights, Cheye Calvo, had his home invaded Wednesday evening, July 30, 2008.

I have briefly worked with Mayor Calvo in the past, but I do not know him well. What I do know is that he is a very soft-spoken, kind, conscientious and an extraordinarily capable and competent person, who loves his community and is extremely well-liked by everyone.

For this to happen to him is simply an outrage…

His front door was broken-through and heavily armed folks invaded his home. In the melee that ensued, his two black Labrador dogs were shot and killed and he and his mother-in-law were tied-up, while his home was ransacked.

The police did not have far to look for the folks who did this. It was the Prince Georges County Sheriff’s Department – who, oops, made a mistake. Oh, nevermind…

I retrieved the following from the Baltimore Sun on August 8th, 2008. It can be found here: “Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends”

If you think that citizens are outraged, well, you are right. Go here and read the comments… If you have a comment – go here and leave your comments.

For a timeline, this e-mail must have been distributed July 31, 2008?

Baltimore Sun: Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends

Dear Friends and Neighbors-

Yesterday evening, as my mother-in-law prepared dinner and I changed clothes hurrying to head to a community meeting, a heavily-armed county SWAT team burst through our living room door and shot and killed both of our dogs. There were loud voices. In the sights of two high-caliber weapons, I was ushered downstairs in only my boxer shorts before I was bound and forced to kneel on the floor. My mother-in-law was bound face down in the kitchen. The dead body of my bigger and older dog, Payton, laid in a pool of blood on the other side of the living room.

It was some time before someone spoke to me other than to yell orders. I was told there was a warrant but was never shown one. After many questions and much anger, I was told that they had intercepted a package addressed to our house that contained 32 pounds of marijuana. The large, white box, which I just had retrieved from the front porch, sat unopened on a living room table.

The county police then proceeded to turn our house upside-down. I was moved to the kitchen, where I could see my little dog, Chase, lying in his own pool of blood. My mother-in-law watched them shoot him while he was running away. After about 90 minutes, they finally removed my restraints, which tied my hands behind my back. About the same time, Animal Control came to remove our dogs. Emotions overtook me; I broke down and sobbed.

They asked questions. Through my anger, hurt, and confusion, I answered them. Trinity came home from work a little after 8:00 pm, and they questioned her outside. We both were and remain in shock. It does not make sense, but shared what we could. About three-and-a-half hours passed before they acknowledged that they had found nothing to connect us to the box, but could not be 100 certain whether or not we were involved. The package alone was enough to arrest us all, they said, but they would not so long as we continued to cooperate.

Then they left. The broken front door remained open and unsecured. Blood from my dogs was pooled and tracked throughout the house. Our belongings were pulled from drawers, closets, and trunks and tossed about, piled in the middle of rooms and on tables and beds.

A Berwyn Heights officer on the scene helped me get the door shut. Just after midnight, I began to clean up the blood. We put a few things back. Trinity and I tried to sleep. Instead, we both laid there through the night as disbelief, fear, and anger played off one another. We try to make sense of it. They invaded our home and killed our dogs! That, above all else, can't be undone.

A friend came this morning to secure the door. People have begun to call, and the outpouring of friendship and support brings tears to my eyes. The media calls have begun, as well.

I wanted to get this out so that you at least hear the story from me. This promises to be a lengthy process, which will involve telling and re-living this story time and again. Hopefully, the healing will begin soon.

Warm regards,

Cheye

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-mayoremail0808,0,4607054.story

Labels: 20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot. MD municipality Berwyn Heights, Law and Order Lunacy, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

For coverage of this outrage in the Baltimore Sun:

 1.
Police chief expresses regret over drug raid By Gus G. Sentementes ,Sun Reporter
August 9, 2008
news
...yesterday that a suburban Washington mayor and his wife were "innocent victims...into the house of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and shot the dogs. Calvo and his...package of marijuana addressed to the mayor's wife, Trinity Tomsic. This...
 2.
FBI opens probe into raid at home of Prince George's mayor By Gus G. Sentementes ,Sun reporter
August 8, 2008
news
...Friday that a suburban Washington mayor and his wife were "innocent victims...into the house of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and shot the dogs. Calvo and...relationship between Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and a woman handcuffed during...
 3.
Police clear names of Maryland mayor and his wife in drug raid that left their 2 dogs dead By BRETT ZONGKER ,Associated Press Writer
August 8, 2008
news
...HEIGHTS, Md. (AP) _ A small-town mayor whose dogs were killed in a drug...Friday he called Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic...scheme. A SWAT team raided the mayor's home July 29 after intercepting...
 4.
Mayor Cheye Calvo describes raid in e-mail to friends
August 8, 2008
news
...wanted to get this out so that you at least hear the story from me. This promises to be a lengthy process, which will involve telling and re-living this story time and again. Hopefully, the healing will begin soon. Warm regards, Cheye
 5.
Prince George's raid prompts call for probe By Doug Donovan ,Sun reporter
August 8, 2008
news
...stopped, two dogs lay dead. A mayor sat in his boxers, hands bound...into the home of Berwyn Heights' mayor last week seized the same unopened...found, and no one was arrested at Mayor Cheye Calvo's home in this small bedroom community...
 6.
Prince George's raid prompts call for probe By Doug Donovan ,Sun reporter
August 7, 2008
news
...stopped, two dogs lay dead. A mayor sat in his boxers, hands bound...into the home of Berwyn Heights' mayor last week seized the same unopened...found, and no one was arrested at Mayor Cheye Calvo's home in this small bedroom community...
 7.
Police: 2 arrested in marijuana-smuggling scheme that prompted raid on DC-area mayor's home By Associated Press
August 6, 2008
news
...marijuana to a Washington, D.C.-area mayor's wife. The home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic, was raided...Capital Beltway," gets a small stipend as mayor and works at the SEED Foundation, a nonprofit...
 8.
D.C.-area mayor's house is raided
August 1, 2008
news
...the home of a Washington-area mayor, killing his two black Labrador...County police said Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo brought a 32-pound packa

20080806 Calvo’s Counsel’s statement

20080806 Calvo’s Counsel’s statement

Joseph
Greenwald
& Laake

Attorneys at Law Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.
6404 Ivy Lane · Suite 400 Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
(301) 220-2200 · Fax (301) 220-1214
www.jgllaw.com

Timothy F. Maloney
Direct Dial: (240) 553-1206
Direct Fax: (240) 553-1748
Email: TMaloney@jgllaw.com

August 6, 2008

This statement was released today by Timothy F. Maloney, counsel for Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic:

These arrests confirm that Trinity Tomsic was a random victim of identity theft at the hands of major drug traffickers. This crime was compounded by law enforcement when it illegally invaded the Calvo home, tied up the mayor and his mother-in-law, and killed the family dogs. The suggestion that Mayor Calvo’s mother-in-law’s reaction to seeing a SWAT team in her front yard justified an illegal no-knock entry is outrageous.

The statement that the Calvo family dogs were threatening law enforcement is demonstrably false. The killing of the family dogs was premeditated. The deputies were aware of the presence of the dogs and began firing immediately upon entering the house. One dog, Chase, was shot in the back while running away in the rear of the house. The second dog, Payton, was shot where he was found, some distance from the front door.

Mayor Calvo and his wife are outraged that law enforcement appears to be blaming the victims for this outrageous invasion into their home. Innocent citizens have a right to be safe and secure in their homes, especially from the very officers who are sworn to protect them. Two beloved and innocent dogs are dead. Two innocent people were tied up. Three innocent people had their reputations unfairly impugned by law enforcement incompetence.

Since this incident occurred, the Calvos have received reports of similar misconduct involving entry into the homes of other innocent County citizens. The defensive statements today by the leadership of both agencies demonstrates that the Sheriff’s Department and the County Police Department have already reached their own conclusions in this case without ever speaking with members of the Calvo family about what happened to them. It is clear that neither agency can conduct an independent review into the law enforcement misconduct that occurred here, nor are they willing to review their policies involving no-knock entry and the killing of innocent family pets.

The Calvos will be holding a press conference tomorrow, August 7, 2008 at 2 p.m. at their residence at 8522 Edmonston Road, Berwyn Heights, Md.

####

Attorneys at Law Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.
6404 Ivy Lane · Suite 400 Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
(301) 220-2200 · Fax (301) 220-1214
www.jgllaw.com

FRED R. JOSEPH (1943-1997) ANDREW E. GREENWALD WALTER E. LAAKE, JR. STEPHEN A. FRIEDMAN BURT M. KAHN MICHAEL D. JACKLEY STEVEN M. PAVSNER BARBARA A. JORGENSON TIMOTHY F. MALONEY DAVID BULITT DOV APFEL JAY P. HOLLAND TIMOTHY P. O'BRIEN JERRY D. MILLER STEVEN B. VINICK PAUL F. RIEKHOF CARY J. HANSEL LAWRENCE R. HOLZMAN BRIAN J. MARKOVITZ VERONICA BYAM NANNIS DAVID S. COAXUM AMY L. PELLICIOTTA JASON L. LEVINE ROBB A. LONGMAN SHANNON L. HAMMOND REGINA L. SCHOWALTER DARA B. GRUNDFAST JOSEPH M. CREED KOUSHIK BHATTACHARYA NAKIA V. GRAY Of Counsel: BARBARA E. PALMER

_____

Related:
20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080731 Washington Post: Police Raid Berwyn Heights Mayors Home Kill His 2 Dogs

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

20080807 ABC 7 News: “Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo”

ABC 7 News - Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo

http://cfc.wjla.com/external.cfm?p=calvo080708

WJLA News Search Results for 'Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo'

Friday 08/08/08 8:22pm
Mayor and Wife Exonerated in Drug Smuggling Scheme

Thursday 08/07/08 7:07pm
FBI Opens Civil Rights Case in Mayor's Home Raid

Wednesday 08/06/08 8:27pm
Police: Two Arrested in Marijuana Shipping Plot; Raid on Mayor's Home Defended

Wednesday 07/30/08 6:33pm
Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

Related: 20080801 Berwyn Heights mayor’s home invaded dog shot

20080730 WJLA: Berwyn Heights Mayor Targeted in Drug Raid

20080730 Berwyn Heights Mayor suffers home invasion dogs shot, Law and Order Lunacy, MD municipality Berwyn Heights, People MD Calvo – Cheye Calvo

More: Here, here, and here.

ABC 7 News - Statement of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo

http://cfc.wjla.com/external.cfm?p=calvo080708

August 7, 2008

Thank you for coming today to our home. Trinity, her mom, Georgia, and I are very pleased that two arrests have been made and that a large quantity of drugs have been seized.

It is a great relief to us to be removed from the glare of suspicion. We knew we were not involved. Our friends, neighbors, and community knew we were not involved.

But people who didn't know us did not really know what to think. Apparently, based on yesterday's statement, the Prince George's County Police Chief still doesn't know what to think. But I think the rest of the world now knows what happened, and we are relieved that the truth has finally come out.

Trinity was an innocent and random victim of identity theft. Apparently, so were four or five other County residents whose names and addresses were stolen, and used as addressees on drug packages. However, Trinity and our family have not been treated as victims of a crime.

Instead, our home was invaded. Our two beloved Labrador retrievers are dead. My mother-in-law and I were tied up for nearly two hours. A shadow was cast over our good names. We were harmed by the very people who took an oath to protect us.

But now that truth has come out, the leadership of our two county law enforcement agencies have made things worse. They have falsely blamed the dogs' death on the dogs. They have blamed their illegal no-knock entry on my mother-in-law for shouting when she saw a SWAT team in the yard. And, although the rest of the world now knows it, the Chief of Police can't quite bring himself to say the word "innocent" –

Although he certainly isn't casting suspicion on the other five County homeowners whose identities were stolen by the deliveryman.

Sheriff Jackson said yesterday that his deputies were "engaged" by our dogs. This is simply false. The deputies opened fire and executed our dogs the very second they broke down our front door. The thoughtless execution of Payton and Chase was premeditated, without provocation, and appears to have been done for sport.

The officers were aware of the presence of our dogs before they broke down our front door. They had seen Payton earlier when the undercover officer delivered the package to our house. They had seen me walk both dogs through the neighborhood moments before the invaded our home. In fact, I waved to them.

Payton was shot some distance from the front door. He was shot where his body was found, near the entrance to the kitchen. After Payton was shot, Chase reacted to the gunfire and ran away from the deputies. He was hunted down and shot in the back while he fled. His body was found in the rear of the house.

We loved our dogs. Our community loved our dogs. They were a part of our family. They didn't deserve to die.

They don't deserve to be blamed for their deaths.

I call upon Sheriff Jackson to retract his false statement that our dogs "engaged" his deputies, as well as any suggestion that his deputies were justified in shooting our dogs. I also call upon law enforcement to release the photographs they took of our dogs after they were shot.

These images are shocking. They will show you what they did to them, and where they were located when they were killed. These photographs will tell the truth, if law enforcement refuses to do so.

I also call upon Sheriff Jackson to retract his statement that the "no-knock" invasion of our home was justified because my mother-in-law screamed when she saw the SWAT team in our yard. Last week, the spokesperson for the County police said the officers were justified in breaking down our door because a no-knock warrant had been issued.

This, too, turned out to be false. No such warrant was ever sought or obtained. In fact, when law enforcement invaded our house, they knew nothing about us except that someone had addressed a package containing marijuana to Trinity.

Although more than a dozen officers were at our house all day, they did not spend five minutes investigating who we are and what our lives are about. If they had, they would have found that we are regular, law-abiding, community-minded people. We have spent our lives in community service and certainly are not a threat to the public safety.

What is now most disturbing is that the Police Chief and Sheriff have reached public conclusions about the propriety of what happened without conducting any investigation whatsoever, and without ever talking to us at all. They are defending the indefensible.

They are unable to apologize for themselves. They are unable to investigate themselves. And they are clearly unable to reform themselves to make sure that this does not happen to any other innocent family in this County.
In this regard, we are already receiving reports of similar misconduct, including service of warrants at the wrong address, excessive use of no-knock entries, and other unjustified killings of family pets.

This has happened before, and without oversight, it will happen again. Our community is losing confidence in law enforcement based on what they did, and how our leadership has responded to what they did.

For this reason, we have asked the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice to investigate not only what happened to us, but also the larger question of policies and practices of County law enforcement agencies in executing warrants.

We have witnessed a frightening law enforcement culture in which the law is disregarded, the rights of innocent occupants are ignored, and the rights of innocent animals mean nothing. We would never have believed it if we hadn't seen it for ourselves.

Major Magaw, who heads the County's Narcotics Enforcement Division, has denied the existence of no-knock search warrants. This is despite the passage of House Bill 577, which was a 2005 amendment to Maryland's search warrant statute, which specifically provides for such warrants upon a proper application to a judicial officer.

What other statutory protections and civil rights are believed not to exist in Prince George's County? Why are senior law enforcement officials unaware of basic principles of Maryland law.

We need the Federal government to intervene and educate County officials about the rights and protections to which all American citizens, including those in Prince George's County, are entitled.

My family has come to deeply understand the pain and personal sorrow that results from injustice at the hands of our government, particularly the injustices that occur all too frequently here in Prince George's County.

We know that we are blessed in so many ways with the love and comfort of our community, our friends, and our families - -not to mention too many complete strangers. What saddens us most is that all too often, these injustices go unnoticed by law enforcement officials and those who are victimized are forced to suffer in silence.

When these actions first occurred, and I was on the floor, bound in my boxer shorts, looking over at the dead bodies of our wonderful, loyal family members, my initial reaction was that there had been a terrible, terrible mistake.

Now that the County has arrested the people responsible for this, and I have been forced to listen to them defend their actions without even reaching out to hear our story, it has become clear tome that the problems we face in the police and sheriff's departments are systemic, and today my family and I with our many friends begin to speak out to ensure that, though we are certainly not the first victims of brutal injustice in Prince George's County, we bring about far reaching changes that will make us among the last.

Trinity, Georgia, and I cannot turn the back the clock. Bullets cannot be put back in the guns. We may have our good names back, but we will never get our dogs back.

And we may never recover a sense of security and confidence in our law enforcement leadership.

We want to make clear that we support law enforcement and know that they have a difficult and important job to do. In my five years as Mayor, I have had the privilege to work with many outstanding law enforcement professionals, particularly Berwyn Heights Police Chief Patrick Murphy.

I want to thank Chief Murphy for his support through this tough time and for setting a fine example in our community of what policing should be.

Berwyn Heights is living proof that citizens can live safely inside the Beltway and our low crime rate speaks volumes about Chief Murphy's leadership.

Chief Murphy and his officers are largely responsible for the success of our Town because of their style of policing, their understanding of the importance of training and accountability, and their close partnership with the community.

This is the type of leadership that we must demand from our County law enforcement officials.