Christopher Tomlinson in the Carroll County Times
February 4, 2019
A collection of the results of a recent search on mentions,
articles, columns, and work by local writer Chris Tomlinson…
Well-written, thoughtful, and interesting. Give him a good
read….
Christopher Tomlinson
On Jan. 10, the Board of County Commissioners had a lengthy
conversation about charter government and a motion was made — not a motion to
transition our county to charter government, but a motion to learn more about
charter by having county leaders from across the state come to Westminster to
educate...
Christopher Tomlinson
The year 2018 has left us, but not without bringing some
intriguing and exciting changes in local and state politics. Two new county
commissioners took their seats as two longtime members of the board were
retired by term limits. Carroll County voters managed to complete the reboot of
the Board...
Christopher Tomlinson
Last week, the Board of County Commissioners met with our
Annapolis delegation to propose several bills they would like to see introduced
during the upcoming General Assembly Session. The commissioners and members of
our legislative delegation discussed a number of bills that focused on
everything...
Christopher Tomlinson
For most, December means the start of the holiday season.
For some, the start of season is marked by unboxing lights and decorations. For
others, December is when newly-elected officials across Carroll County take
their seats. On Dec. 4, both the new Board of County Commissioners and the new
Board...
Christopher Tomlinson
Across the country, cable news pundits and talking heads are
breaking down the results of the 2018 midterm general election like coaches
breaking down film on a Monday. Democrats want to run the I formation
(investigate and impeach) now that they have recovered the ball in the House of
Representatives,...
Christopher Tomlinson
Last month, Commissioner Richard Weaver asked his fellow
commissioners if they would consider opening North Carroll High School’s
beautiful auditorium for public usage — an auditorium that is still in pristine
shape. Weaver made the motion, but he was unable to get a single commissioner
to second...
Christopher Tomlinson
This month, the 11th installment in the “Halloween” film
series hit theaters. Once again, moviegoers were terrified as Michael Myers
raised hell and committed dreadful acts. Unfortunately for Marylanders, it is
not Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger they should fear. The real
horror...
Christopher Tomlinson
Recently, Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, possibly the next
Speaker of the House, spoke at Martin’s Westminster at a fundraiser for the
Carroll County Republican Central Committee. Representative Jordan spoke about
his faith, politics, family and even his days as an amateur wrestler. What
registered...
Christopher Tomlinson
Last Monday, Maryland voters tuned into to watch the first
and only gubernatorial debate between Gov. Larry Hogan and his challenger, Ben
Jealous. Hogan reminded viewers what Maryland looked like before he took over
as our state’s executive, and made the argument why we need four more years
of...
Christopher Tomlinson
At the July 25 Board of Education work session, the clouds
parted, the heavens opened up and the prayers of thousands of Carroll residents
were answered. At long last, Carroll County Public Schools Superintendent
Stephen Guthrie announced his long-awaited retirement. Now, before any readers
get...
Christopher Tomlinson
Early last month, a downtown Westminster resident expressed
her concern at a Common Council meeting over the spike in criminal activity in
her neighborhood. A few weeks later, two separate shootings and an armed
robbery occurred in the heart of Westminster. More recently, a car was stolen
and later...
Christopher Tomlinson
Earlier this year, the Board of County Commissioners
organized the Carroll County Long Term Advisory Board. This advisory board was
put together to think past the usual five- to 10-year horizon line commonly
seen in county planning. They are tasked with advising the commissioners on
decisions and...
Christopher Tomlinson
On Sept. 5, the Mayor and Town Council of Manchester hosted
a meeting to discuss the traffic issues on Main Street. Drivers can spend up to
20 minutes crossing only a 2-mile stretch of road during the morning and
afternoon rush hours. Many Pennsylvanians use Md. 30 as part of their commute
to travel...
Christopher Tomlinson
This past Saturday, Democrat candidate for House of
Delegates in District 5, Emily Shank, held a fundraiser in downtown
Westminster. Her special guest was none other than Maryland’s Attorney General
Brian Frosh, who was greeted by two dozen rambunctious protestors (myself
included). I have to give...
Christopher Tomlinson
Maryland’s 2018 primary election has come and gone, and what
an election it was! Democrats selected Bernie Sanders-lite, Ben Jealous, to
challenge Gov. Larry Hogan. Four Democratic legislative leaders, Sens.
McFadden, Conway, Middleton and Del. Vallario, lost their primary races, which
means they...
Christopher Tomlinson
Recently, on Westminster’s Main Street, two women
participating in a peaceful protest were hit with small fireworks by an unknown
assailant. Thankfully the women only received minor injuries, and nobody was
terribly hurt. This was an assault pure and simple. Westminster Police are
taking the matter...
Christopher Tomlinson
Last week, Commissioner Doug Howard presented an idea to the
residents of Hampstead that would not only utilize the former North Carroll
High School campus but bring a high school back to their town. The idea that
Howard proposed was a charter school. According to the Maryland Alliance of
Public...
Christopher Tomlinson
Since the beginning of time in Maryland, our governor and
General Assembly reserved the power to decide on whether to sue the federal government
to themselves. If they decided to exercise that power, then the attorney
general would be instructed to move forward and file suit. This all changed
this...
Christopher Tomlinson
Less than two weeks ago, the board of trustees of Carroll
Community College made a decision that will change our local community college
landscape forever. The board decided to move forward with submitting applications
to the two major junior college athletic organizations with the full
intention...
Christopher Tomlinson
As a North Carroll High School graduate, I wistfully watch
with envy as other Carroll graduates prepare to attend their alma maters’ fall
homecoming football games. For those of us who claim North Carroll High as our
home, we will never again find ourselves seated in the bleachers of Powelson
Field...
Christopher Tomlinson
I spent this past Labor Day weekend in Ocean City, and had
an absolutely splendid end-of-summer getaway. The sun was shining bright, the
waves were crashing, and the crabs were jumbo-sized! However, what stood out
for me was the large number of tourists, particularly the number of families
with...
Christopher Tomlinson
Union Bridge, located in northwestern Carroll County, with a
population of under 1,000 residents, is a nice throwback to what a small rural
town may have looked like in the late 19th or early 20th century. This year, my
girlfriend and I visited this wonderful town several times: to attend the
Union...
Christopher Tomlinson
Millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. Whether
it be to start attending the gym, or to save money, we’ve all heard the same
old resolutions time and again. It would be refreshing to see local politicians
and candidates come out and say what they resolve to do in 2018. Since the
chances...
Christopher Tomlinson
Since the massacre that occurred Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School in Florida, Carroll County has witnessed multiple false
alarms within our own public school system. First, it was Francis Scott Key
High School, followed by North Carroll Middle School and Manchester Valley High
School,...
Christopher Tomlinson
’Twas a few nights before Session 2018, when all through the
State House every legislator was stirring, thinking of ways to make Maryland
great. On Jan. 10, all 188 state senators and delegates will reassemble for 90
days in Annapolis. With the governor and all members of the General Assembly
up...
Christopher Tomlinson
Before nibbling at some leftovers, I would like to confirm
that I did not receive a concussion on Thanksgiving Day playing touch football
in the backyard. With that being said, please brace yourself for the next few
paragraphs. Uncharacteristically, I am about to express some glowingly
positive...
Christopher Tomlinson
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, the Westminster Police Department and
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office were able to work together and take down two
suspects who they believe are the culprits behind almost a dozen vehicle
break-ins in the Westminster area committed over a five-day span. The man and
woman, both...
Christopher Tomlinson
With the 2018 legislative session now underway, one may have
missed the passage of one of the most controversial bills in recent memory.
Unfortunately, between the local media’s fascination with whether students in
our public schools can dress like cousins Bo and Luke Duke, or the national
media’s...
Christopher Tomlinson
It’s hard to fathom that Thanksgiving will be here in only
10 short days. As sure as the first frost, I will travel with my immediate
family up the mountainside to the cozy little town of Boonsboro out in
Washington County where my extended family lives. One of our cherished
traditions on Thanksgiving...
Christopher Tomlinson
On Dec. 22, President Donald Trump signed into law the Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The final version of the act brought several changes
to our tax system that many tax reform advocates have long desired. The act
repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate. The corporate tax rate was reduced
from...
Christopher Tomlinson
In the recently released second season of the hit Netflix
series “Stranger Things,” police Chief Jim Hopper explains to the young
telekinetic Eleven the definition of compromise. “It’s something that is kind
of in-between. It’s like halfway happy.” That’s exactly what Gov. Larry Hogan’s
Paid Leave...
Christopher Tomlinson
The Democrats in Annapolis have called an all-out blitz on
parental rights and youth recreational sports programs in Maryland via the
introduction of House Bill 1210. This bill introduced by Del. Terri Hill,
representing Baltimore and Howard counties, would ban — most commonly played
under the...
Wiley Hayes, Carroll County Times A question about
residence is settled, allowing a run for mayor
Christopher Tomlinson
This past spring, Carroll's cities and towns held their
municipal elections. Turnout was less than desirable. Some towns had fewer than
35 ballots cast, while others, such as Manchester, went from having nearly 500
residents vote two years ago, to barely tallying 100 voters in this year's
election....
Emily Chappell
The Carroll County Republican Central Committee added a new
member last week, though no vote was officially taken, creating internal
conflict among the group. Chris Tomlinson was officially sworn in on Tuesday,
Nov. 14, after being chosen by committee Chair Larry Helminiak. Tomlinson was
one of...
Editor: I wanted to take this opportunity to reiterate my
full support for Chris Tomlinson for mayor of Manchester. Although I currently
reside in Hampstead and (until very recently) served that town as a councilman,
I was born and raised in Manchester. More importantly, my family and many of
my...
Wiley Hayes, Carroll County Times
A hearing will be held soon to determine if Chris Tomlinson,
a resident of Manchester who filed a certification of nomination to run for
mayor in the upcoming municipal election, is eligible to seek town office. The
town's Board of Supervisors of Elections issued a letter Friday, April 10,
informing...
Extended bar hours won’t reduce drunk driving As someone who
has personally experienced the loss of a father-in-law due to a drunk driver —
and seen his broken family’s never-ending anguish — I found Mr. Christopher
Tomlinson’s Dec. 24 opinion letter “Keep Carroll Bars Open and Hour Later” as
appalling...
Wiley Hayes
Manchester will be moving forward with construction of a new
town hall expected to cost $2.1 million, but the means of financing the project
won't be decided until later this year. The Manchester Town Council voted
unanimously Tuesday night to approve the project on Victory Street near
Christmas...
My name is Christopher Tomlinson and I am a member of the
Carroll County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC). All nine committee
positions are up for grabs in the upcoming primary election on Tuesday, June
26. With 19 candidates on the ballot, how do Republican voters in Carroll
decide who to...
Christopher Tomlinson
Carroll County taxpayers who send checks to the Comptroller
in Annapolis soon should pay close attention to who they send to Annapolis to
represent them in the newly-created District 5 for House of Delegates in the
upcoming election. An examination of the voting records of the three incumbents
reveals...
Christopher Tomlinson
Recently, Donald Elliott, an incumbent in the House of
Delegates for nearly 30 years, defended his votes to levy both the flush tax
and the car tax.He said that he voted for these taxes at the urging of the
Ehrlich Administration to fund transportation projects and the Chesapeake Bay
cleanup. Now,...
Not that I don't find qualities in Carroll County to be
thankful for in your recent column Chris Tomlinson, but the headline made me
think about throwing up because make nice is not what I like to be told in my
morning newspaper.As disconcerting as bad news (and opinions) may be, I prefer
the precious,...
Incumbent delegates have been AWOL I am writing in response
to Mr. Tomlinson’s editorial that ran in the Times this week that told us
ridiculous stories about the “horrors” of electing Democrats to local office in
Carroll County and how we desperately need to re-elect our incumbent state
delegates....
Carroll Democrats condemns editorial cartoon The members of
the Carroll County Democratic Central Committee unanimously condemn the
editorial cartoon in the Nov. 15 Carroll County Times. The cartoon targets Dr.
Brenda C. Snipes, who was appointed by former Florida Republican Gov. Jeb Bush
as Broward...
A ray of light With all the upheaval in our country and
around the world, I recently has the opportunity to see a ray of light through
all this darkness. At an event at McDaniel College a few weeks ago, I met
several senior cadets of the college’s ROTC (Reserve Officer’s Training Corps)
program....
Oesterreicher would be asset as Circuit Court Judge I would
like to recommend Maria Oesterreicher as candidate to appointment in the
Circuit Court for Carroll County. Maria was appointed my attorney in a domestic
violence case. Not only did she see that I was represented, she worked hard to
ensure...
MAGIC held its fifth Capture the Flag Cybersecurity
Competition on April 21, with a new record set for total participants. More
than 160 students registered across nine locations throughout the country,
including the main arena located at the Community Media Center in Westminster,
as well as the...
I recently received a mailer from Sheriff Jim DeWees asking
me to support candidates on the ballot on Tuesday, June 26 in the Republican
primary. At the top was Gov. Hogan, who is running unopposed. There were other
familiar names such as Dels. Susan Krebs, April Rose, and Haven Shoemaker,
who...
Disagreements among GOP Central Committee members As a
member of the Carroll Republican Central Committee I want to alert voters about
deceptions being perpetrated by our committee. In September, we authorized our
current Chair and Vice Chair, Larry Helminiak and Karen Leatherwood, to create
a...
Programs offered at Lifepoint Church aim to help those
raising preschoolers
Emily Chappell
Seven people have applied for an open seat in the Carroll
County Republican Central Committee.The county's Republican Central Committee
received applications for a vacancy until June 17. The vacancy occurred when
Don Hoffman resigned during the monthly meeting in May.The applicants are:
Commissioner...
Heather Mongilio
Remarkable. Memorable. Historical. That was how Carroll
County residents who attended President Donald J. Trump's inauguration
described the experience. The new president was sworn in by Chief Justice John
Roberts at almost exactly noon on the steps of the Capitol Building in
Washington, D.C. Among...
In his March 1 letter to the editor, Manchester mayor
candidate Chris Tomlinson pushed his fictional narrative of speed camera use in
Manchester to create an issue where none exists. Apparently his mentor, Del.
Haven Shoemaker, was issued a traffic ticket due to speeding in a construction
zone....
The Lineboro-Manchester Lions installed several new members
at the club's dinner meeting Sept. 17 at Spargos restaurant in Manchester.
Christopher Tomlinson, Kim Boucher and Bruce Kleb were sponsored by club
President Andrew DeMario and past President Andrew DeMario Jr. The installation
was performed...
Apathy is the fuel for which the monster known as the status
quo thrives and survives on. In April 2015, I said that "the town (of
Manchester) is currently governed by apathy." Apathy meaning a lack of
interest, enthusiasm or concern. That statement could not be more true than in
2017 as we approach...
With the presidential race dominating the headlines, it is
easy to forget that voters will be able to decide on other races on Nov. 8. One
of those races is for the vacant United States Senate seat. Voters should think
long and hard about which candidate will put the safety and security of our...
Editor: On May 19, Manchester residents will have an
opportunity to break with the status quo and elect a new leader as mayor. My
name is Christopher Tomlinson and I ask for your vote this Tuesday. If elected,
I will promote business development, hold the line on taxes and unnecessary
spending,...
Carroll County Times staff
The filing deadline for the 2018 primary election was 9 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 27. Here is a list of candidates in local races that affect
Carroll County, according to the Maryland Board of Elections, including state
legislative and U.S. congressional races. An (i) after a person’s name
indicates they...
Westminster is only Carroll municipality that requires
reporting
Emily Chappell
Almost three months after an inconclusive vote, the Carroll
County Republican Central Committee named its newest member. Fallon Patton, 21,
of Finksburg, was named the newest member of the committee Tuesday, after Don
Hoffman resigned during the monthly meeting in May. Patton’s position was
filled...
Board of Education candidate Julie Kingsley's recent
reflection on Carroll County Public Schools' predicament regarding funding
offered no concrete solutions. However, Kingsley, a Howard County teacher and
union member, has made it abundantly clear via her statements in public
candidate forums...
On April 26, you published two letters from candidates for
the two different Carroll County central committees. I was struck by how
different the two letters were. Mr. Edelman's letter was urging all citizens to
vote without any pressure to vote for a particular person. Mr. Tomlinson's
letter basically...
Anyone reading District 5 Commissioner Doug Howard's recent
comments in the Carroll County Times slamming Gov. Hogan and our county
legislative delegation for not providing enough funding for education in
Carroll might have spit out his coffee and dropped his toast over Howard's
outrageous and...
Recently the Carroll County Times castigated Del. Haven
Shoemaker, R-District 5, over his bill prohibiting the use of automated speed
cameras on state roads under the headline: "Break the law, pay the
price." Using machines to enforce speed limits deprives drivers of their
constitutional right...
In the very near future, the Board of Education will have to
choose one of four options that the Boundary Adjustment Committee has presented
them. If one is given the opportunity to take a good look at all of the
proposed options, it becomes clear that only one option is best for the entire
county....
Editor: The 2015 Manchester Municipal Election was held a
little over a month ago. It was quite the journey leading up to May 19, but I
would not have had it any other way. I want to thank the residents of
Manchester for the great election cycle we had in our small town. The results
were unfortunately...
Jon Kelvey
Vincent Pacelli and Jennifer Warner won council seats
Jon Kelvey
Three candidates are running for mayor in Manchester's May
19 election, while an additional three candidates are competing for two seats
on the Manchester Town Council. The mayor and council members will each serve
four-year terms. The mayoral race features incumbent Ryan Warner, current
Councilwoman...
Marine, local business owner Charles Zincon, 93, of Westminster
He attended Westminster High School before he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the Pacific Theater throughout World War II. After returning home, he and his late wife owned Modern Ideal Laundry and Dry Cleaners on East Green Street in Westminster, for over 40-years.
Rest in peace brother, your watch is over we will take it from here, you duty is done here, God has your place in heaven. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
