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

Saturday, July 03, 2010

George H Miller, ‘A True Patriot’ of Westminster has died at the age of 89



Miller remembered as a veteran and for his tireless service to his country and the community

George H. Miller (March 21, 1921 - June 24, 2010)

June 30, 2010

By Kevin Dayhoff kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

Friends and family gathered at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home Wednesday evening to say goodbye George Henry Miller. He died at his home on Thursday, June 24, 2010. He was 89 year old.

Miller wore many hats over the years and was known by many as a tireless supporter of the community.

Miller was, in recent years, a fixture at the Westminster Senior Center where he enjoyed participating in the various activities and coordinated many Memorial Day programs.

In a 2005 recognition written about Miller for being named the “2005 Outstanding Senior Volunteer,” then-Westminster Senior Center Manager, Paul Garver noted that Miller has been a volunteer at the senior center since 1997 and served “as president of the Westminster site for two years.

Garver praised Miller as “a caring volunteer… chairman of the Sunshine Committee,” who visited “senior center participants who are recovering in the hospital and attends funeral services for those who pass away.”

“George is often referred to as ‘Mr. Patriot’ around the center. He always leads us in the Pledge of Allegiance… He also planned our first Patriot’s Day Program on September 11, 2002…”

It was “through the hard work and dedication of” of Miller that the Westminster Senior Center had a flagpole, observed another old undated senior center memo shared by the family at the funeral home.

“Through his determination, the pole was finally completed on September 10, 2001…” Miller got the American Legion Post #31 to donate the American flag and Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes to donate the Maryland flag.

Of course, anyone who knew him knows that Miller was hard to say no to...

Kenny Williams remembered Miller Wednesday evening “as a member of the church” - St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Carroll County Coin Club. Williams appreciated Miller’s military service during World War II and how he supported veterans.

Miller was a life member and held various positions in the V.F.W. Post 467, which he joined on May 25, 1948. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 31, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Aerie 4378 and the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1381.

Miller was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II; when he served in the 84th Infantry Division, 326th Field Artillery and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

In family papers shared at the funeral home, we learn that Miller was born on farm on March 21, 1921 in Millers Station. He was the son of the late H. Walter and Ella Florence Lippy Miller.

He is survived by his wife, Agnes Stephan Miller, whom he married on March 8th, 1947.

Miller left “Manchester High School after the eleventh grade to join the United States Army,” according to information provided by the family Wednesday evening.

“After his enlistment date of December 8, 1939, George was stationed at Fort Hoyle, Maryland…” After transferring to Camp Gordon, Georgia, next to Camp Howze, Texas, and then on Fort Dix, New Jersey; “on September 20, 1944, George set sail for England. He arrived in England on October 1, 1944, after a rough crossing of the Atlantic…”

“George served in the Ardennes and saw action at the Battle of the Bulge. His last commander in Europe was the legendary General Patton. George returned to the United States at the end of the war and was honorably discharged from the Army on October 31, 1945 at Camp Meade, Maryland.”

According to an old undated newspaper article by Lois Szymanski, shared by Miller’s family, Miller “enlisted in the Army in 1939 and worked with horse-drawn artillery until 1940…”

The article detailed that Miller was one of “Four speakers (that) brought the past to life for seventh-graders at East Middle School In a program designed to let students know about history from those who have lived it…”

As for his service in World War II in the Battle of the Bulge, Miller was quoted, “The snow was 4 feet deep, and the temperatures were way below freezing. Once things thawed out, we had to fight our way through the thick mud.”

Wednesday evening, members of the V.F.W. Post 467 performed the V.F.W. Memorial Chapel Service. The leadership of the V.F.W., proudly remembered Miller’s service and sacrifice for our country and along with the nods of agreement among those who had crowded into the funeral home, Thomas Williams, the current commander of the local Westminster V.F.W. mourned the loss of yet another veteran of World War II.

“He was a hero. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge,” said Williams. “As a younger member of the post, I always looked-up to George.”

After the ceremony Wednesday evening, Williams and retired Lt. Col. Ron Hollingsworth, the current V.F.W. officer of the day room, exclaimed simultaneously, with a smile, “George was one tough old bird,” in reference to what he went through during World War II – especially in the Battle of the Bulge.

V.F.W. Chaplain Earl Seipp said, “I was bred and raised in Westminster. I’ve known George and (his wife) Agnes all my life…. Some men grope the high road and some men grope the low road and in between on the misty flats, the rest drift to and fro…” George took the high road said Williams. “Cream always rises to the top. I think George fits both of these sayings.”

Hollingsworth, a veteran of two tours in Vietnam in 1966 and 1969, recalled “the first time I went to Miller’s house. His garage was meticulously organized and cleaner than most houses. It was full of military mementoes… Military hats, banners, decorations… it was like a military museum.

I could talk about George for hours about his service - to our country, our community, and the younger members of the V.F.W. He was a fountain of information. A very bright man. I will definitely miss him,” said Hollingsworth as his voice trailed off.

After the war, Miller returned home and worked in the vending business and later transitioned to security and detective work. For a brief period, perhaps in the 1950s, although the family could not recall the exact date, Miller operated a gas station at the corner of Main and Bond Streets out of a little building that in recent years has served as an eatery.

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s he coached Little League baseball.

In another yellowed newspaper clipping, this one dated simply, “1970,” served notice that “George Henry Miller, a 49-year-old vending machine company employee and part-time security guard, filed last week as a Democratic candidate for county sheriff.

“Miller, a veteran… and former official of various veterans’ groups, called for ‘better relations with other elected officials’ as he entered the race against incumbent Sheriff H. LeRoy Campbell, a Republican.

“Declining to take issue with Campbell’s performance during the primary campaign, Miller said he favored ‘positive communications with deputies and other law enforcement officers throughout the county.’

“Miller, whose father was an Orphan’s Court judge in Westminster…” The article goes on a great length about Miller’s accomplishments.

Another yellowed newspaper article with a date of only “August 17,” was an article written by now-Carroll County Commissioner Dean Minnich.

“Security Man Is Straight Shooter,” begins with “You know who George Henry Miller is by what he says and by what he does. He is one of that country-bred-and-reared … men that doesn’t play around with double meanings and fancy manners. Some things are right and some things are wrong…”

The article goes on to detail that Miller “runs the local office of the Bay State Detective Agency, a security firm which employs about 30 guards and keeps watch over local business and industrial properties for 700 hours a week.”

The article delineated his service in the Army, rising to the rank of first sergeant… “I liked the Army,” Miller is quoted. “I’d do it again…”

Minnich wrote of Miller’s participation in the Battle of the Bulge: he “remembers being the third man in line to leave a ditch. The first two were shot down, but he survived…”

“He visits the sick, attends the funerals…, and sends cards and baskets to the grieving. There is a sense of community and a system for doing the right thing. He is a man who believes in setting standards and then working to meet them. And those who don’t meet the standards can expect to suffer the natural consequences…”

Minnich also detailed that Miller “was instrumental in the construction of a second (baseball) diamond on Gist Road in Westminster…” Minnich quoted Miller, “I went to the commissioners and I said, ‘Look, we need another ball field to help keep those kids off the streets…’

“While they were building it,” noted Minnich, “he was out there every day. He was as involved with that as he has been with the other things he believes in.

“In 1970, after years as a deputy and a friendship with the incumbent sheriff, LeRoy Campbell, he decided to run for the office on the Democratic ticket … but today still counts Campbell as a friend, and he is still a deputy. He disagreed (with Campbell,) but disagreed with honor.”

Anyone who knew Miller is aware that he was always straightforward and positive. In addition to being known as a hardworking, honorable, honest man, who cared greatly for his fellow man and his community, his son Dale, mostly remembered his Dad Wednesday night as “a true patriot.”

“Every parent passes on to their children a special gift. My father gave us the gift of patriotism and love of country… He truly was a member of ‘The Greatest Generation.’”

Surviving in addition to his wife are a son, Dale H. Miller; a granddaughter, Chelsea E. Miller; siblings, Lois Neumann, Charles Ivan Miller, Herbert Eugene Miller, Helen Dickens, Evelyn Nott, and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his son, Sidney Dwight Miller and siblings, Louella Sanders, Ruthetta Redding, Pauline Roth, Ethel Detter, and H. Walter Miller, Jr.

His memorial Service was held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home, 91 Willis St., Westminster. At his request his body was donated to the Maryland State Anatomy Board.

0 COMMENTSLINKS TO THIS POST

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20100703 Kevin Dayhoff - Soundtrack_ George H Miller, ‘A True Patriot’ of Westminster has died at the age of 89 http://tinyurl.com/35gppe4

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Friday, July 02, 2010

C. Scott Stone announced today that he is a candidate for State Senator representing District 5

C. Scott Stone announced today that he is a candidate for State Senator representing District 5. Stone, a former, long-time member of the Board of Education of Carroll County, decided to seek this position because of his experience, competence, proven community leadership, and common sense approach to solving problems.

"The district needs a State Senator who will protect its interests during tough economic times," Stone said. "I will guard the district's interests and work amicably toward resolving Maryland's budget woes."

Stone, an engineer, served on the non-partisan Board of Education for 14 years. Initially elected to a six-year term in 1992, he was re-elected to four-year terms in 1998 and in 2002. His third term on the Board of Education expired in December 2006.

Stone is the 2008 recipient of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education's prestigious Charles W. Willis Memorial Award. Limited to a single honoree annually, the award represents recognition by board member peers of outstanding service at the local and state level, and is MABE's highest honor.

"I have had the honor of representing Carroll Countians as a school board member and as an active member of many community organizations," Stone said. "It would be an honor to continue that balanced representation and strong leadership as State Senator for District 5."

If elected, Stone vows to introduce legislation authorizing community organizations in Carroll County to conduct a gaming contest or casino night.

"I continue to believe that State legislators should support the efforts of community organizations that serve each one of us day-in and day-out," Stone said. "As State Senator, one of my first official acts will be to introduce legislation authorizing community organizations in Carroll County to conduct a gaming contest or casino night."

For more information, please visit http://www.CScottStone.com

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

The Downtown Westminster MD Main Street News for July and August 2010

The Downtown Westminster MD Main Street News for July and August 2010

By Stan Ruchlewicz at sruchlewicz AT westgov DOT com

Westminster Administrator of Economic Development

Westminster Maryland


[20100700 MainStNews-52-July-August.pdf]

Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, Economic Development, Stan Ruchlewicz, Main Street


The Downtown Westminster MD Main Street News for July and August 2010                                                                                                                              

July 1, 2010

Westminster Econ Dev S Ruchlewicz, People Ruchlewicz-Stan, Westminster Econ Dev, Westminster File Main St, Westminster Econ Dev Main St News, 

*****

Thursday, July 01, 2010

U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd by Kevin Dayhoff

U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd by Kevin Dayhoff

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3836

June 30, 2010

(Un)Equal Treatment by The Press

Kevin E. Dayhoff

A short 47-word statement on Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s, (D., WV) website simply said: “The family of U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd,… tearfully announces the passing of the longest serving member of Congress in U.S. history. He was 92.


“Byrd died peacefully at approximately 3 a.m. at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Further details will be made available as soon as possible.”


That short statement contrasts greatly with the legendary eloquent oratory of the gentleman known for his extraordinarily long speeches in which he would wax poetically about the history of England and Greece, and traditions of the Senate – both the American and Roman Senate.



Of course, some of his legendary ability to stand and speak for hours on end is not necessarily the stuff of which to be proud.


It was Senator Byrd who, according to a history published by the U.S. Senate, “At 9:51 on the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert C. Byrd completed an address that he had begun 14 hours and 13 minutes earlier. The subject was the pending Civil Rights Act of 1964…”


For those who study history, Senator Byrd – a Democrat – spoke in opposition to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.


There is much to be admired in Senator Byrd, Nov. 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010. And to be certain, you will hear and read about his fascinating life in glowing terms by the liberal media in the next several weeks to come.


Perhaps that is as it should be.



Read the rest here:http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3836

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

This week in The Tentacle http://www.thetentacle.com/

This week in The Tentacle http://www.thetentacle.com/

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Don’t Just Complain, Do Something!
Joan McIntyre

Last call, there are three days left to file for elected office for this year’s elections. I think this may possibly be the most unusual and, in many ways, exciting election cycle many will see in their lifetime. The Republicans got their rear quarters handed to them in the 2008 elections. Incumbents are gunning for you this time around. No one is safe, and this as it should be.


Does an ideal candidate exist?
Amanda Haddaway

Recently friends and I were talking about elected officials who often resort to name calling and personal attacks. I find this behavior to be reprehensible and unfitting of community leaders.


Ken Griffey, Jr., All Star
Derek Shackelford

Baseball has been called America’s pastime. There are many reasons for this depending upon the sources drawn from. One reason is that baseball has brought families together for the enjoyment of playing and watching the sport together.



Wednesday, June 30, 2010

(Un)Equal Treatment by The Press
Kevin E. Dayhoff

A short 47-word statement on Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s, (D., WV) website simply said: “The family of U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd,… tearfully announces the passing of the longest serving member of Congress in U.S. history. He was 92.


Presumed Innocent
Tom McLaughlin

Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – One of the implied guarantees of our U. S. Constitution, and whose concept has been upheld by the Supreme Court in numerous rulings, is the presumption of innocence. A government must presume a person has not committed any crime unless the evidence, which usually must be overwhelming, proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that an individual is guilty. Then, and only then, can the government deprive an individual of life or liberty.



Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Vatican “Astonishment”
Roy Meachum

Belgian police raided Catholic files and wound up holding the bishops of Belgium in custody for hours. They were seeking to unearth records on church clergy who sexually abused youths.


Watch Carefully and Learn
Farrell Keough

We are coming to the 11th hour for people to register and run for office in this year’s elections. Once everyone’s name is out there, the smears and rumors will start. All it takes is an innuendo that so-and-so was involved in this-or-that to make the public question their integrity or standing in the community.



Monday, June 28, 2010

Governing Frederick County – Part 2
Earl 'Rocky' Mackintosh

Up until just 50 years ago the economy of Frederick County ran purely on the business of agricultural. Our 12 incorporated areas (Frederick City, Thurmont, Middletown, Brunswick, etc.) were centers of trade that served the farming community.


Campaign Diary – Family and Friends
Michael Kurtianyk

My wife Brenda planned a great Father’s Day dinner for our family, and her sister’s family, at our house. The weather was hot, and it was great spending time with family. My nephews (9 and 4) had stayed over the previous two nights, and so it was a full house all weekend.



Friday, June 25, 2010

Mouthy General
Roy Meachum

By coincidence, when President Harry S Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in 1951, Army duty took me to the U.S. Military Academy.


No Solace for Illegals
Joe Charlebois

Death in the desert, drowned in a river, robbed, assaulted by “coyotes” (human trafficking smugglers), are what some illegal immigrants have faced on their way to United States. Working long hours in fields, pushed into prostitution, working in sweatshop-like conditions are what some illegal immigrants are subject to when the “succeed” in crossing the border.


2010 Election Candidates – County Offices
John W. Ashbury

As a public service TheTentacle.com will publish every Friday the list of candidates who have filed for the various elective offices which will appear on the ballot in the September Primary Election. If errors appear, please notify me at info@thetentacle.com. [Note: As of June 17, the filing dates for all candidates are no longer listed on the state and county websites.]


2010 Election Candidates – State Offices
John W. Ashbury

As a public service TheTentacle.com will publish every Friday the list of candidates who have filed for the various elective offices which will appear on the ballot in the September Primary Election. If errors appear, please notify me at info@thetentacle.com



Thursday, June 24, 2010

My Frederick
Patricia A. Kelly

I started to back out of my driveway (actually a private city right-of-way) the other day, and what did I find blocking my way but a bicycle and cart, one of several in the alley and garage across from me.


Going in the Red for Green
Adam Avery

Our Frederick Board of County Commissioners and Frederick County Board of Education recently held a joint meeting. One of their agenda items was the proposition to install a green roof on a portion of the new roof constructed at Lincoln Elementary School. Such a project should be cost prohibitive during good economic times. Such a project shouldn't even be discussed during bad times.



Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The First Among The Many
Kevin E. Dayhoff

The name Isaac Smith is not necessarily a household word for most people. He died on May 17, 1792. From various accounts we learn that he was a man of many talents including a war hero, farmer, doctor, and politician.


Pandas, Pandas and More Pandas – Part 2
Tom McLaughlin

Ya’an Bifeng Xia, China – The introduction of the panda into wild was the topic of my conversation with Dr. Tang Chunxiang, director and professor of the Ya’an Bifeng Xia (Green Mountain Valley) of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, about 150 km from Chengdu, China. Dr. Tang was gracious enough to grant me time from of a very busy schedule.



Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Deadly Hayward Intersection
Roy Meachum

Patience came to me, as I older grow. Maybe it’s a natural tendency to slow things down in the twilight years.


A Cuban History Lesson – Part 2
Nick Diaz

In my last installment, I mentioned how this November I’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of my arrival in the U.S.A. from my native Cuba. My mother and I flew out of Michael Moore’s paradise on Election Day, 1960; my father joined us on the day of John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration, January 20, 1961.

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown says people who were opposed to health-care reform are racists

Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown shows innocent interns what Washington is really like

By Chris Moody - The Daily Caller | Published: 06/30/2010

http://dailycaller.com/2010/06/30/ohio-democrat-sherrod-brown-shows-innocent-interns-what-washington-is-really-like/

During a bipartisan education seminar for congressional interns last week, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown told a crowd of young people that those who opposed the Democrats’ health-care reform plan were on the wrong side of history, much like segregationists who opposed the Civil Rights movement.

While most speakers who participate in the summer lecture series discuss what it’s like working in Washington or use the time to motivate the internship class, some who were present during the Tuesday meeting said Brown took the opportunity to launch what they considered to be “a partisan attack.”

“He said that people who were opposed to health-care reform were similar to the bigots and racists that were against desegregation reform,” a Republican congressional intern who attended the lecture told The Daily Caller. The intern requested not to be named. “It was ridiculous,” he added.

Read more, if you have the stomach for it: http://dailycaller.com/2010/06/30/ohio-democrat-sherrod-brown-shows-innocent-interns-what-washington-is-really-like/

20100630 DC Ohio Dem Sherrod Brown shows innocent interns

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Memorial And Funeral Arrangements For U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd

Memorial And Funeral Arrangements For U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd

http://byrd.senate.gov/

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2010

9:45 a.m.
Hearse arrives at U.S. Capitol, Senate Steps

9:50 a.m.
Honor Guard to proceed with casket up Senate Steps, into U.S. Senate Chamber, where casket will be placed upon the Lincoln Catafalque

10:15 a.m. – 12 noon
Senator Byrd’s family will receive Members of the Senate and House who wish to pay their respects

10:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
U.S. Senate Chamber Public Galleries open to all those who wish to pay their respects

U.S. Capitol restrictions:
http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/Visit/Visitor%20Safety%20and%20Policies/

10:30 a.m.
U.S. Senate Chaplain Dr. Barry Black will offer prayer

5:50 p.m.
Aircraft to arrive at Yeager Airport,
Charleston, West Virginia

6:00 p.m.
Casket transported to Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse,
300 Virginia Street, East
Public procession ending at West Virginia State Capitol
Casket moved to Capitol Rotunda

9:00 p.m. – 12:00 midnight
Public viewing in Rotunda of State Capitol

FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2010

12:01 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Public Viewing in Rotunda of State Capitol

11:30 a.m.
Memorial Service and Celebration of Life
West Virginia State Capitol
Capitol’s North Plaza

12:30 p.m.
Memorial Service and Celebration of Life concludes

TUESDAY, JULY, 6, 2010

11:00 a.m.
Funeral Service
Memorial Baptist Church
3455 North Glebe Road
Arlington, Virginia

Please click here to leave your condolences for the Byrd family.

Biography of Senator Byrd

U.S. Senate Records of Senator Byrd

Photos of Senator Byrd's Life and Career

Statement from President Obama

Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden

Statement from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Statement from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki

Statement of Senator Jay Rockefeller and Sharon Rockefeller

Statement from Governor Joe Manchin

Statement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Statement from Charleston Mayor Danny Jones

United Mine Workers Remember Senator Byrd

Statement from Local Emergency Managers

Statement from U.S. Senator Tom Harkin

20100701 sdosm Memorial Arrangements For US Sen Robert Byrd

*****


Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Meet the key personalities who are building the tea party movement


Party of the People

As originally published in Newsmax magazine.

http://w3.newsmax.com/a/jun10/party/

Meet the key personalities who are building the tea party movement into the most dynamic and influential political force in modern times.

Rick Santelli had no clue he was about to deliver “the rant heard ’round the world.”

In retrospect, the events of Feb. 19, 2009, were surreal, the CNBC business editor says.

“It was very similar to a lot of my early-morning hits going back for years . . . so no, I would have never expected that one would have been the type of lightning rod it turned out to be. Not in my wildest dreams,”he tells Newsmax in an exclusive interview.

Santelli, a meat-and-potatoes guy who has ridden the same commuter train into the Windy City for 31 years to do the job he loves, reporting from the Chicago mercantile exchange trading floor, was ready at 8:35 Eastern time that morning when history’s little red tally light flickered on.

He unleashed a jeremiad that sparked a political grassfire that continues to alter the landscape of national politics.

For starters, he decried the Obama administration’s plan to modify mortgages. Bailing people out of mortgages they couldn’t afford in the first place just promoted more “bad behavior,”he said.

Behind him on the exchange floor, staffers began cheering. Santelli asked whether they wanted to help pay their neighbors’ mortgages. In response, they booed like angry fans at a ballgame.

Then Santelli uttered the words that will live on in infamy, or honor, depending on your point of view.

“We’re thinking of having a Chicago tea party in July,”he said. “All you capitalists that want to show up to Lake Michigan, I’m going to start organizing.”

After his segment ended, he took a little walk, as is his custom, “looking at some of my charts, getting ready for my next spot, not thinking much of it.”

His diatribe had lasted less than five minutes, but that was enough.

“All of the sudden, my BlackBerry literally started to go off like a Las Vegas slot machine,”Santelli recalls. “And it pretty much didn’t stop for about 72 hours. I am not kidding. It was the most unbelievable thing.”

CNBC began repeating the clip. Soon it was posted on YouTube and went viral.

“I would say within about 25 minutes after I finished the rant,”he says, “all of the sudden I sensed that something had really happened that was big.”

How Santelli’s tirade electrified the grass roots is just one of many fascinating tea party stories that largely have gone untold. In the movement’s early days, there were rallies that nearly failed to materialize, unlikely bystanders who became tea party heroes, and radicals on the left who converted to join the patriotic grass-roots conservatives.

Still, the movement’s most interesting chapters may lie ahead: There are indications it has achieved critical mass and could deliver a decisive blow in the midterm elections. High unemployment and the legislative maneuvers used to pass healthcare reform are fueling the fire.


Media Criticism

The White House seemed to sense a threat immediately, on Feb. 19, reacting like an amoeba poked with a pin. The day of the rant, two top officials visited CNBC to defend administration policies. The next morning, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs used Santelli’s name six times. Politico labeled the remarks “unusually personal.”

“I’m not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives,”Gibbs huffed, apparently aiming to characterize Santelli as a fat cat. “But the American people are struggling every day to meet their mortgages, stay in their jobs, pay their bills, send their kids to school.”

Initially, the media appeared to be more interested in criticizing the dissent than covering it. Matt Lauer’s on-air interrogation of Santelli on the Today show was so one-sided that MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan came to Santelli’s defense, pointing out that he was really just promoting “behavioral economics 101.”

By then, BlackBerrys and cell phones were buzzing all over the place. High-tech conservative sites around the country with arcane names such as TCOT, DontGo, and Grassfire.org were on fire. “Our networks just went bonkers,”Matt Kibbe, CEO of the conservative FreedomWorks organization, tells Newsmax. “I mean, all of this anger was out there. There were a lot of organizations out there, but all of our activists, they started posting Santelli’s rant.

“And within 24 hours, we had put up a little website, IamWithRick.com. And it just exploded.”

Michael Patrick Leahy, the founder of Top Conservatives on Twitter (TCOT), tells Newsmax: “Literally that very next morning I had four or five direct messages from people on Twitter saying, ‘Hey, let’s hold another conference call. Let’s do something about this.’”

Leahy, who is also co-founder of the popular Nationwide Tea Party Coalition, is credited widely with being the very first activist to press for an actual tea party protest.

But he says that his idea emerged from a collaborative process among grass-roots conservatives.

“I knew if we could pull off a simultaneous, nationwide event, the likelihood that it would catch fire was very high,”he says.

The day after Santelli’s verbal fusillade, conservative activists logged onto a conference call that included Leahy and other movement leaders such as Eric Odom, Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, and Stacy Mott. They agreed to organize simultaneous rallies around the nation. Ordinarily, convening so many events in such a short time frame would be impossible.

Their goal was to host events in 20 cities, drawing 10,000 attendees. “We ended up with 51 cities and 30,000 people,”Leahy says. “I mean, it just took off.”Clearly, the rant heard ’round the world had grazed a raw nerve in many American voters. In the months ahead, the response would make life miserable for the likes of President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Further momentum flowed into the movement when former Majority Leader Dick Armey, the chairman of FreedomWorks, became its de facto spokesman. Armey, a former college economics professor who went on to represent Texas in Congress, teamed up with House Speaker Newt Gingrich to lead the Contract with America revolution that swept through Congress in 1994. Armey proved to be the movement’s ideal figurehead, using his gift for interesting sound bites to promote the tea party’s objectives of greater liberty, lower taxes, and smaller government. Of course, the success of the Feb. 27, 2009, tea party event was just the beginning. It led to the first Tax Day Tea Party, on April 15, which drew 1 million attendees to events in more than 900 cities across the nation.

Having been unable to stifle the movement’s birth, the Obama administration’s next tactic appeared to be to ignore it, hoping it would just go away. On April 15, 2009, the White House issued a statement that Obama was “unaware”of the rallies — some of which occurred just a few blocks from the White House.

Democrats’ awareness level rose sharply, however, during the nation’s sweltering summer of discontent over healthcare reform. Activists crowded into town hall meetings around the country, making their voices heard.

The only thing that expanded as rapidly as the tea parties: misconceptions about them. Some of those myths, debunked with facts, include the following:

Myth: The tea party is mostly a bunch of men.

Fact: A March 2010 Quinnipiac poll found that 55 percent are women gravely concerned about the future of their families.

Myth: Tea party members are poor and uneducated.

Fact: In an April 2010 CBS/New York Times poll, 20 percent of tea party members reported a household income of $100,000 or more, compared with 14 percent of non-tea party members. Seventy percent of tea party members have at least some college-level education, compared with 53 percent of non-tea party members.

Myth: Tea party people are virtually all Republicans.

Fact: An April 2010 Winston Group poll showed that 40 percent of tea party members identify themselves as either Democrats or independents.

Myth: Most Americans don’t like what the tea parties stand for.

Fact: Voters responding to a survey said, by a 48 percent to 44 percent tally, that the average tea party member has views on major issues closer to their own than President Obama, according to a Rasmussen Reports analysis in April. Congress fared even worse: 47 percent to 26 percent.

Myth: Tea partyers are all white.

Fact: The April Rasmussen poll found that 20 percent of tea party activists do not identify themselves as white, and 6 percent identify themselves as African-American. That’s approximately the percentage of blacks in the overall U.S. population. The prominent roles played by African-Americans in the movement, including the Rev. C.L. Bryant, entertainer Lloyd Marcus, and Project 21’s Deneen Borelli, reflect the movement’s ongoing effort to diversify.

More convincing than the polls in debunking the misconceptions are the tea party activists’ accomplishments.

They helped elect Republican governors in New Jersey and Virginia, and played an important role in turning Ted Kennedy’s seat into Scott Brown’s seat in Massachusetts. They also fell just one Bart Stupak short of derailing the president’s controversial healthcare reforms. That is an amazing track record for a movement the White House had scorned as out of touch with ordinary Americans.


Improving Perceptions

This year’s Tax Day Tea Party illustrated how much the young movement had matured in such a short time. Suddenly, it seemed, the cable networks couldn’t imbibe enough tea.

They practically welcomed Dick Armey back to town as returning royalty.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you again!”chortled a CNN field producer who greeted Armey on April 15 as he stepped out of his car and onto the National Mall.

The producer gushed over a previous Armey interview she described as “one of my most favorite interviews my entire life.”The effusive CNN producer stopped short of asking Armey for his autograph, but a lot of the sign-waving tea party members did just that. One even asked him to sign the shirt on his back — while he was wearing it.

Looking fresh off the ranch in boots, black jeans, a denim shirt, a black suede jacket, and, of course, his trademark Stetson, Armey and CNN’s John King began strolling shoulder-to-shoulder, circumnavigating the Washington monument as two cameras taped them having what looked like a cordial chat.

How would Armey define success for the tea party in the coming midterms, King wonders.

“If in fact, there is a successful coalition between the Republican Party and the grass-roots activists towards the electoral outcomes in November,”Armey says, “then the first obvious test of success would be the Republicans in the majority.

“We will look at that new Republican majority and say, ‘All right you guys, you won yourself a chance for a beginning. You stay true, we’ll continue to work with you and be supportive of you.

“‘But if you start drinking backsliders’ wine, you are going to find out that you have a very, very unhappy group of grass-roots activists.’”

A pause in the taping to avoid filming a row of portable toilets in the background gives one tea party activist in the crowd a chance to heckle King.

“Talk about RINOs, what a fake tea party you are,”the sign-waver yells at King. “Last year, ‘Oh the tea party’s a joke.’ Now look at you, Anderson!”

King, it seems, occasionally is mistaken for Anderson Cooper, the CNN host who disparaged tea party participants by labeling them with the sexually derogatory “tea bagger”name. Cooper is not the tea partyers’ favorite cup of tea, to put it mildly.

The heckler’s remarks reflect the perception of tea party members that the same media personalities who voiced skepticism or even derision about the movement a year ago now are jostling for face time with tea party leaders.

Tobe Berkovitz, a communications and politics professor at Boston University, says that, as the tea parties grew — by some estimates their numbers now exceed 15 million members — their portrayal in the media has changed discernibly.

“I think they sort of went from folks in tinfoil hats to folks who have some influence over electoral politics in the United States,”he says. “And because they were influencing things towards conservative and Republican candidates, they went from [being thought of as] perhaps a whacky, zany army of politicos to a dangerous political force.

“I think that shift probably started with Virginia and New Jersey, and really hit its peak with the special election that was in Massachusetts.”


Incumbents Beware

Will the tea parties prove to be change agents for the elections coming up in 2010 and 2012?

That may hinge on whether the movement’s snowball effect continues. In March, Rasmussen asked voters whether they considered themselves a part of the tea party movement, and 16 percent said yes. By April, that number jumped to 24 percent — enough to make even deniers sit up and take notice.

The tea party’s rise corresponds with plummeting confidence in government. A recent Pew study showed that nearly 8 in 10 Americans no longer trust the federal government. Brewing tea party rancor together with disgust over Washington is not a mix incumbents look forward to in November.

Sal Russo, chief strategist of the Tea Party Express, tells Newsmax that the tea parties took off when average Americans realized they still could make a difference and be heard. Ramming unpopular legislation through Congress, he says, awakened a sleeping giant.

“People were sitting at home throwing their slippers at the TV set, angry, and they were saying, ‘Honey, we’re so out of the loop here. Everybody seems to like this guy [President Obama], and it’s like he seems to be abandoning the Constitution, and what’s going on?’”Russo says.

He adds, “They didn’t know what to do. And so we realized that people had to see that millions of Americans are sharing their views. And that if they got off of the couch and engaged in concerted action, they could actually change America and get it back.”

Concerned perhaps that the tea party movement is capable of wielding an increasing amount of clout, Team Obama appears to be looking for a way to make nice with grass-roots conservatives.

In April, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said tea party activists could prove helpful in forcing politicians to deal with the deficit. Geithner’s comments suggested that the administration had decided to be more circumspect in challenging the tea party juggernaut.

Democrats hope to use political jujitsu in the midterms by turning the tea party’s energy against the Republicans. Strong third-party candidates, they say, will siphon off GOP votes and push Republicans too far to the right, thereby alienating swing voters.

One flaw in this reasoning: Polls suggest that the tea parties are closer to independents’ views than the president on a wide range of issues: taxes, healthcare reform, deficits.

“You look at the bailouts, you look at the trillion-dollar deficits, and the tea party has very legitimate concerns about the direction of the country and growth of government,”FreedomWorks economist Wayne Brough tells Newsmax.


Powerful Force

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., predicts the tea party legions will have a massive impact in November.

“The people who are still paying taxes are saying, ‘You know what? We’re not chumps,”she says, adding, “I am really proud of the reinvigorated American spirit . . . The tea party movement is just a reinvigoration of the American spirit . . . we are free men, and we intend to live that way.”

“They know how much territory they have lost in liberty and freedom,”says Tom Borelli, a fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research. “They know it is going to be a long battle, but they are prepared. The tea party leaders I’ve met . . . are very, very committed and energetic.”

Today, those energies are being directed at restoring the limited-government principles of a Constitution that many believe both political parties have trampled on.

Now that the tea parties have thrived despite unfounded accusations of ignorance, racism, and violence, a new tack is emerging against them: Some pundits say they’ve peaked and are declining. Crowds since the big 9-12 rallies have diminished, according to those pundits, who predict the movement will lose steam as the employment rate rises.

Tea party leaders respond to such talk with quiet confidence. In many ways, they say, the movement has entered a stealth phase, in which it’s gradually building strength in towns and neighborhoods across the nation.

Leaders such as Armey, Russo, Leahy, and Kibbe say the off-year election battles in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts provided some valuable lessons. Tea party activists learned about the importance of having a very strong “ground game,”the get-out-the-vote activities that are so important to changing actual political outcomes.

Plenty of high-profile events remain on the tea party calendar, including rallies on July 4 and Sept. 12. But the movement’s stealth strategy focuses on more prosaic work: developing organizations at the state, precinct, and even neighborhood levels.

University of Virginia political science expert Larry Sabato tells Newsmax that activist tea parties in local precincts will prove to be a powerful, albeit unpredictable, political force.

“The tea party, being localized and grass roots, will have different effects in different places,”he says. “In some states and districts, the tea party will bring energy and enthusiasm to the GOP ticket, since the group is overwhelmingly Republican and conservative in orientation. In other places, tea party candidates, especially independents on the November ballot, could split the GOP vote and help Democrats. It’s too early to know how many cases of each there will be.”

When asked about reports that the tea parties are off the front burner and simmering down, Russo smiles and says, “Well, as Ronald Reagan used to always say, ‘Let’s be happy they are underestimating us, because that means we are going to win.’”

Grass-roots conservatives will experience “a tremendous victory”in November, Russo predicts.

If so, the tea party’s triumph will recall a fateful February morning in Chicago when Rick Santelli bared his soul to a restless nation.

That already seems like a long time ago. But Santelli remembers it every time strangers approach to tell him how his words restored their faith that a citizen’s lone voice in the wilderness still matters.

“A lot of people say the same thing when they recognize me,”Santelli says. “They always start out saying, ‘Thank you.’ And they say: ‘We were thinking this, many people were thinking it, these were the kinds of conversations we were having around the table. But you made us feel more emboldened to actually go forth and feel brave enough to start challenging the things we think we disagree with, or the things we want to change with regard to our government, our leaders, or the programs they put forth.’” In other words, they thank Santelli for showing them how to rant.

As originally published in Newsmax magazine.

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

Ehrlich names Mary Kane to ticket as Lt. Governor

Maryland gubernatorial candidate Bob Ehrlich announces his running mate on Facebook and YouTube

At 10:47 a post on Facebook announced”

Meet Bob Ehrlich and Mary Kane on July 1st

June 30, 2010 at 10:47pm

Please join us on July 1st (This Thursday) at 1:30pm as Bob Ehrlich introduces the next Lt. Governor at Blueford Drew Jemison STEM Academy, at 1400 E. Biddle Street, Baltimore, 21213

And then on YouTube:

Bob Ehrlich Announces Lieutenant Governor Pick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOMvtQZ8qNk









For more information, read http://tinyurl.com/27ks2a7 Al Forman on Investigative Voice
RUNNING MATE — Ehrlich names Mary Kane to ticket as Lt. Governor


http://investigativevoice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4694:running-mate-ehrlich-names-mary-kane-to-ticket-as-lt-governor&catid=25:the-project&Itemid=44


Investigative Voice


Wednesday, 30 June 2010 22:16

mary-kane




Former Md. Sect. of State Mary Kane was named tonight to be Bob Ehrlich's running mate for lieutenant governor.


ANNOUNCEMENT MADE ON FACEBOOK PAGE
EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING VIA YOUTUBE


By Alan Z. Forman
In line with predictions made by Investigative Voice nearly three months ago, Bob Ehrlich tonight named former Maryland Secretary of State Mary D. Kane to be his running mate as he attempts to unseat the governor who unseated him in 2006.

The announcement was made just hours ago on Ehrlich's FaceBook page.


Kane, 48, is the first Republican woman to serve as Maryland's secretary of state. The native of Wilmington, Del. is a graduate of Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md. who was admitted to the Maryland bar in 2001.

Investigative Voice first identified her in early April as the front-runner for the Number 2 spot on Ehrlich's ticket as lieutenant governor just two days after he threw his own hat in the ring to run against his gubernatorial adversary, current Gov. Martin O'Malley, who defeated him in his 2006 bid for a second term in Annapolis.


In making the much-anticipated announcement, Ehrlich said — in a video posted on YouTube — that he had "found that Maryland partner" to help him "turn Annapolis around...


"That partner is Mary Kane."

Read Mr. Forman's excellent analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/27ks2a7

http://investigativevoice.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4694:running-mate-ehrlich-names-mary-kane-to-ticket-as-lt-governor&catid=25:the-project&Itemid=44


20100630 sdosm Meet Bob Ehrlich and Mary Kane on July 1st


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