Vehicle license plates long a topic of interest [Column] Eagle Archives
On April 12, 1946, Maryland Gov. Herbert O'Conor "announced his decision to provide permanent automobile registration tags for motor vehicles in the State," according to a local newspaper.
The Westminster newspaper, the Democratic Advocate, reported O'Conor to have "declared," that using two license plates on each motor vehicle in the state will "save $60,000 annually."
More research is needed to understand how two license plates would save the state money.
"This is the plan we intended to inaugurate a few years ago, but due to the war, and the shortage of metals, our plan had to be delayed," O'Conor said.
One thing is for sure. A quick search of the Maryland General Assembly website indicates that license plates are a perennial hot topic.
During the 2013 regular session, for example, there were 11 bills proposed, ranging from providing special tags for "United States Armed Forces," to changing the law so that only one "registration plate" would be required per vehicle.
For a number of years, the single plate legislation has been introduced by Del. Donald Elliot, a Republican who represents District 4B that includes parts of Carroll and Frederick counties.
In the session that concluded last week, legislators submitted eight bills for consideration, including Elliott's.
The 2014 legislative initiative failed, after receiving an unfavorable report from the Environmental Matters Committee.
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Oriole baseball history includes loss to Westminster in 1885 [Column]
Eagle Archives
#Baseball, #Westminster, #Orioles, #History, #Carroll County, #Maryland,
Roses are red, violets are blue. I hate snow ... and you should too.
For those with a bad case of chionophobia — a fear of snow — no worries, spring is near. We know this because last Monday was Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles.
After yet another unexpected Maryland snowstorm, the weather gave way to warmer temperatures and blue skies on March 31.
According to The Baltimore Sun, "a sellout crowd of 46,685 filled the ballpark" to see the Orioles defeat the defending world champion Boston Red Sox, 2-1.
Baseball has a long history in Baltimore. The current Baltimore Orioles franchise began playing baseball in 1954 in the old Memorial Stadium on 33rd Street, after it was announced on Sept. 28, 1953, that the St. Louis Browns were moving to Baltimore.
Historian Jay Graybeal researched the event for the Historical Society of Carroll County several years ago and wrote, "One of the great stories from the County's sports history is the June 1885 baseball game between the Westminster Base Ball Club and the Baltimore Orioles. …"
Graybeal quoted an old newspaper article which noted, "The Westminster Base Ball Club on Monday last, the 22d, won the most remarkable victory in their history, defeating (the) Baltimore team by a score of 9 to 7."
On that same date in 1962, Boog Powell became the first player to hit a ball over the hedge in center field at Memorial Stadium, according to a book of Orioles history by Ted Patterson.
Go Orioles.
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March 30, 1923: A gang of 25 Baltimore men attempted to rob Carroll County distillery.
The robbers received some buckshot in the hide, but no liquor.
By Kevin Dayhoff, March 30, 2014
On March 30, 1923, in the depths of prohibition, a local newspaper rang the alarm that “About 25 men, all from Baltimore, it is reported, attempted to raid McGinnis Distillery in Carroll County, just east of Westminster.”
It needs to be noted that although prohibition, known as the “Volstead Act,” did not go into effect throughout the nation until January 20, 1920; Carroll countians voted to outlaw the sale of alcohol in the county six-years earlier - in 1914, according to research by historian Jay Graybeal for the Historical Society of Carroll County.
Prohibition remained the law of the land until President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Cullen-Harrison Act on March 23, 1933.
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Westminster Methodist minister Lowell Ensor helped raise awareness of civil rights in 1940s
[...]
By Kevin Dayhoff, March 25, 2014
In 1945, institutional racism in Maryland was a hot topic. In part, the discussion was driven by pragmatism in that, according to research by historian Kenneth D. Durr, more than 20 percent of the population in Baltimore was said to be black. But because of housing segregation laws, the city's black population was squeezed into 2 percent of the city's land mass.
Lowell Ensor would later assume the office of president of the college, now McDaniel, on July 1, 1947, according to Lightner's history of the college, "Fearless and Bold." He served until June 30, 1972, and died in 1975.
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Current tensions in Ukraine bring back memories of Cold War
Eagle Archives
By Kevin Dayhoff, March 19, 2014
Who can remember the school air raid drill in which you were to hide underneath your desk – or in the hallway? Remember, drop to the floor, duck and cover your head, to protect yourself from flying debris and getting burned by the nuclear blast. Some schools distributed dog tags so that the bodies of the dead students could easily be identified.
On March 16, 1972, an article in The Carroll Record explained one of the basic building blocks of the Cold War era, the fallout shelter.
"Today's Paper Has Community Fallout Shelter Plan — The new community fallout shelter plan for Carroll County is included in this newspaper. …"
The article reported, "According to the County commissioners, 'The information developed in the plan could save the lives of thousands of persons in the event of attack. …' "
The recent tensions between Russia and the West over the civil unrest in the Ukraine and Crimean Peninsula have renewed an interest in Cold War nostalgia.
[…]
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Streets and history of Westminster intersect at odd angles [Eagle Archives]
Many residents today may not recall the crazy-quilt "dog leg" intersection of John, Bond and Main streets, or the equally mismatched collision of Main and Liberty streets, Railroad Avenue, and the train tracks in Westminster.
Years ago, these intersections did not look anything like they do now. Today, they form a perfect "cross."
But years ago, a motorist traveling south on John Street or Railroad Avenue had to make a 90-degree right turn onto Main Street, then hang a quick left to get on either Liberty or Bond Street and get through the intersection.
It may have worked well enough in the horse and buggy days. But by the 1970s, it was nuts.
Finally, sanity ruled and the two intersections and the bridge over the railroad tracks on East Green Street were rebuilt in the mid-1970s.
Many years ago, the area that we now know as John and Carroll streets in Westminster was known as the "space between."
Related
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Westminster Patch:
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Westminster Methodist minister Lowell Ensor helped raise awareness of civil rights in 1940s
[...]
By Kevin Dayhoff, March 25, 2014
In 1945, institutional racism in Maryland was a hot topic. In part, the discussion was driven by pragmatism in that, according to research by historian Kenneth D. Durr, more than 20 percent of the population in Baltimore was said to be black. But because of housing segregation laws, the city's black population was squeezed into 2 percent of the city's land mass.
Lowell Ensor would later assume the office of president of the college, now McDaniel, on July 1, 1947, according to Lightner's history of the college, "Fearless and Bold." He served until June 30, 1972, and died in 1975.
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By Kevin E. Dayhoff, kevindayhoff@gmail.com
Story | April 21, 2014 | 12:04 PM
... just endured are hard on a city — and expensive. In a recent edition of the city's newsletter, Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz wrote, "The City has spent all $100,000 of our snow budget plus an additional $50,000 in contingency funds purchasing ...
By Kevin E. Dayhoff,
Story | April 15, 2014 | 5:52 AM
On April 12, 1946, Maryland Gov. Herbert O'Conor "announced his decision to provide permanent automobile registration tags for motor vehicles in the State," according to a local newspaper.
By Kevin E. Dayhoff,
Story | April 8, 2014 | 5:38 AM
There were actually at least two sports stadiums in Northeast Baltimore at 33rd Street and Ellerslie Avenue in what was once a city park by the name of Venable Park. The first, Baltimore Municipal Stadium, began operations Dec. 2, 1922.
By Kevin Dayhoff, kevindayhoff@gmail.com
Story | March 25, 2014 | 12:16 PM
In 1945, institutional racism in Maryland was a hot topic. In part, the discussion was driven by pragmatism in that, according to research by historian Kenneth D. Durr, more than 20 percent of the population in Baltimore was said to be black.
By Kevin Dayhoff,
Story | March 19, 2014 | 8:06 AM
"Today's Paper Has Community Fallout Shelter Plan ? The new community fallout shelter plan for Carroll County is included in this newspaper. ?"
By Kevin Dayhoff,
Story | February 5, 2014 | 4:37 AM
... received an imported breech-loading shotgun. Throughout his career he gave away 5,000 guns representing sales of 5,000,000 cigars!" When he is not admiring the artwork on the old cigar labels,Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at .
By Kevin E. Dayhoff,
Story | February 17, 2014 | 1:57 PM
... City, a vast collection of skyscrapers and a thriving economic center that may be best described as the Hong Kong of Latin and South America. If he is not showing pictures of his trip to Panama to friends, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at
By Kevin Dayhoff Story | February 12, 2014 | 3:15 AM
... College: 621 employees • Carroll County Commissioners: 587 employees • Carroll Community College: 509 employees • Evapco: 440 employees When he is not counting the days until spring, KevinDayhoff may be reached at .
By Kevin Dayhoff, Story | March 4, 2014 | 8:42 AM Many residents today may not recall the crazy-quilt "dog leg" intersection of John, Bond and Main streets, or the equally mismatched collision of Main and Liberty streets, Railroad Avenue, and the train tracks in Westminster. Years ago, these intersections did not look anything like they do now.
Long-standing history of ground-rent on property in Westminster [Column] By Kevin E. Dayhoff,
Story |
March 11, 2014 |
1:12 PM In the last several weeks, articles in the Baltimore Sun report that a ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals "tossed-out” an ambitious legislative effort" to address what some lawmakers perceived as abusive practices on the part of some ground-rent owners in Maryland.
E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
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