tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17795985348231982422024-03-13T17:50:25.749-04:00Duck AroundA progressive blog about Maryland’s Eastern Shore, music, media and kids. And getting off my lawn.duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-40298289344998095982016-11-08T15:26:00.003-05:002016-11-08T15:27:07.567-05:002016 Camden Chat Alumni POTUS election chatCome talk about the election here starting at 7 pm.<div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-78214254463783443852010-08-02T14:46:00.005-04:002010-08-02T15:32:12.537-04:00Complete transcript of Mayor Ireton's remarks on housing leigslation<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Remarks by Mayor James Ireton, Jr.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Salisbury Safe Streets Legislative Initiatives</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">August 2, 2010</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Good afternoon:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I’d like to welcome our department heads, neighborhood leaders, law enforcement officials, and the citizens of Salisbury to the kick-off event for Salisbury Safe Streets Week.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">When I ran for the office of mayor in 2009, I made making this city safer and improving its neighborhoods two of the main goals of my campaign. Today, I announce the 2010 Salisbury Safe Streets Legislation package as a needed effort to reach those goals.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In many ways, the City of Salisbury is gaining momentum in the fight against crime. The city has a 12.2% decrease in violent Type 1 crimes for 2010. </span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Robberies are down 35% for 2010.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Burglaries are down 18% for 2010.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Motor Vehicle thefts are down 19% for 2010.</span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">This legislative package is but one of the ways that this administration is fighting crime on our city’s streets. Our process is a holistic approach, and one that is showing results. Our other efforts over the past 14 months are worth noting:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">We received 327K grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention that we are using to continue our Safe Streets Coalition. The 327 thousand dollars keeps Safe Streets officers on the streets and patrolling our neighborhoods effectively. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the federal stimulus dollars, we added 4 police officers to the streets of Salisbury.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The Crime Task Force efforts continue to focus on how to help in the training of unskilled workers, overcoming the roadblocks faced by our youth, improving the access to services for our citizens, and shutting down the hubs of illegal activity. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Our city departments are another part of our holistic approach. With unprecedented efficiency, our Neighborhood Services Task Force, with members from city and county departments, has identified properties and issues on our streets, and worked quickly to address the crime and blight that bring the property onto our radar in the first place.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So with all the work and efforts of the Safe Streets Coalition, the Crime Task Force, Neighborhood Services Task Force, our Neighborhood Roundtable, our work with neighborhood associations, and a mayor and five city council members, why is there still a struggle for peace and quiet in our neighborhoods? Why do the same police and code officials have to visit the same properties over and over? Why are homeowners and renters – the true victims of crime – continually pitted against one another?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Why? Because our city housing code works against us, not for us. Our housing code is antiquated, written to protect special interests, and is part of the cause of our crime problems. It’s part of the reason we struggle with attracting new residents into our neighborhoods, and it’s part of the reason our home values have declined.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Our city’s staff is doing its job as best it can under the antiquated code. Yet, our neighborhoods are still suffering, crime still permeates every corner of our city and the number of violations in this city are simply too high. For example:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">A March sweep through Camden found 345 SPD calls for service and 122 code violations</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">April 2010 – Church Street sweep found 540 calls for service, 260 code violations</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">A July list of top property offenders found 634 SPD calls and 330 code violations</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">2 people found dead in Parkside Apartments – 283 calls for service to Emory Court in the last 18 months</span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Last year our four neighborhood code enforcement officers logged 10,000 code violations. 10K code violations with 4 officers! Mr. Stevenson and I often hear that we don’t have enough code enforcement officers for Salisbury, yet I have come to have the exact opposite reaction. Clearly, we have too many code violations.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Enough I say, this documentation of excessive calls to SPD and excessive code violations, this drain on city resources and taxpayer money is cause for our citizens, both renter and homeowner, to say enough. Things must change, behavior must change and responsibility must be restored.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">But the current city code just doesn’t meet today’s needs. With this legislation, we will take a long-needed step forward. This 2010 Safe Street Legislative Package is the first of many steps we will take to begin to clean up our housing code, clean up the slum and blight, to clean up our image as a city, and reduce our crime rate.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">These initiatives are:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">The Community Association Empowerment Act of 2010. It provides a means for community associations, or the city, to abate nuisances created by properties used for the purpose of prostitution and related acts.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">The Crime Free Lease Addendum to be added to all new leases written in the city. It provides for the termination of tenancy for engaging in criminal activity or engaging in illegal or unlawful activity. Criminal convictions are not required to be in breach – verified calls for service are sufficient to establish cause for breach of lease. For years, rental owners have told us they are powerless to do anything about problem tenants. This legislation will give them the power, and the responsibility, to evict those who cause trouble and crime in our city.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">The Tenants’ Bill of Rights to be added to all new leases in the city. It will empower tenants by informing them how to contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, and their local Legal Aid Bureau. It also informs tenants of the maximum number of unrelated individuals allowed to occupy that rental unit. Ignorance of the law will no longer be an excuse to break it. That applies to renters as well as rental owners.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Three Strikes Provisions: This will allow the city to recover a portion of the costs associated with the repeated calls for service to the SPD and NSCC. The responsibility to prevent violations at a property belongs to the landlord, and this city will hold them to it. The city will contact the property owner after 3 verified calls for service, directing the property owner to prevent further violations. The Crime Free Lease Addendum will give them the right to expel a problem tenant. If they don’t after three verified calls for service within 12 months, the following will occur:</span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>On the 4th verified call: A $100 administrative fee will be imposed.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>On the 5th verified call: A $250 administrative fee will be charged, </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and the owner must </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">present a management plan to </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>avoid further calls.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>On the 6th verified call within 12 months, there will be a $500 fee charged, </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and the city will revoke or suspend registration of </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>the property for one year.</span><br /><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">Amortization – Requires non-conforming multi-family houses to conform to applicable zoning laws, laws that should have been conformed to in 1936, 1959, 1983, or 1991.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">15.24.110 – Code Compliance sweeps of the city as authorized by the housing code to prevent blight and decay.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">BZA (Building & Zoning Appeals) Code – increase the burden of proof requirement that a dwelling is a legal use of a non-conforming use from 50% (preponderance of evidence) to 75% (clear and convincing evidence).</span></li></ul></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;font-size:14.1667px;">That’s what is in the legislation. Now, I ask for help and assistance in making Salisbury better. We must get this legislation voted on and passed by the City Council. The renters and homeowners of Salisbury are both saying – enough. It’s not a time for turf battles and stalling tactics. It’s time to make this city safer.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I want to talk directly to the three groups who are sure to have great interest in this legislation. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>To the members of SAPOA</b>: this city desires your help, but it will not wait for it. It is a shared responsibility we have to keep the citizens of this city, both renter and homeowner, safe. We, as a city government, do our best to provide police protection, fire protection, emergency medical assistance, parks, playgrounds, clean streets and working street lights.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">But property owners must do their part to keep houses in our neighborhoods safe and in good standing with the city’s requirements. Clean streets aren’t enough – properties must be maintained by their owners. Houses with dozens of calls for service for our police department and code enforcement office, houses with too many people in too small a space, houses illegally being used with too many units help create as unsafe a neighborhood as any broken street light. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The city’s government and the mayor’s office have been criticized by many in the rental community in the past year. Yet, I say to the renters and homeowners that elected me that my stance has not changed. I will say again: Police your own, and the city of Salisbury won’t have to. If rental owners, homeowners, and renters follow the law, they won’t be subject to its consequences. But there will be no negotiations with those who fail to follow the law.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The vast majority of rental owners in this city provide safe, affordable housing to many of our city’s residents. But we will continue to strive for every house, apartment, townhome and living space in this city to be in good standing with this updated code. And if they’re not, this city will not shy away from its responsibilities and the city will take action. The legislation announced today will make the city’s housing code clearer and its consequences appropriate for the conditions our neighborhoods face today. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The City of Salisbury will clean up its neighborhoods and we’d like the cooperation of all property owners to do so. But we won’t wait for it. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>To our renters and homeowners</b>:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">If we are to have a meaningful drop in our crime rates, if we are to restore neighborhoods that families want to live in, if we are to restore order in our most violent and decay ridden neighborhoods, if we are to feel safer on our streets, you must come forward and support this legislation. Do not wait. Make sure that your neighbors know that help has arrived. I remind our citizens that this is what I said I would do. I remind all that this is the direction the voters said to take. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b>And to the members of the City Council:</b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">For too long, this city’s housing code had been a confusing mess of layer after layer of regulations added on and pieced together every couple decades to a code first written in 1936. When we added to housing and zoning codes in 1959, 1983, and 1991 we continued to piecemeal the code. We wrote laws that threw a bone to neighborhoods while they protected the rental industry at every turn. In the end though, the city never came up with a mechanism to make non-conforming houses conform. We simply never went back and took a count or mapped anything. We must rectify that mistake this year. The comprehensive approach being proposed will bring the city’s housing code into the 21st century, and it deserves action.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I will ask City Council President Louise Smith to bring this legislative package to the council as soon as possible. It is legislation that deserves a vote – not month after month of work sessions, reviews and study. We don’t need work sessions to know our housing code needs updating – we have plenty of legal bills that show that. We don’t need research to know the city needs the ability to recoup the cost of ridiculously high calls for service volumes.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">We need this comprehensive, common-sense approach to making our city’s neighborhoods safer, and we need it now. I make this simple request of Council President Smith – let this legislation have an up-or-down vote, and let that vote happen before Thanksgiving. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The future of Salisbury doesn’t deserve to die in a collection of endless committee review sessions. If the council members wish to maintain the status quo, let them be on record. If they wish to support this comprehensive update of the city’s housing code, they deserve a chance to do so. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Council members have received the legislation within the past week. It is already scheduled for a worksession in September. I anticipate the members of the City Council will have questions and concerns, and we’re ready to answer them. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">But this legislation deserves a vote before Thanksgiving. Do not let another winter start before we’ve tackled a problem almost 75 years in the making. I urge a vote on this legislation this fall.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In the end, the root cause of what hurts neighborhoods, the root cause of what hurts property owners, the thing that makes renters and homeowners feel unsafe – is bad behavior. The only thing the municipality has to address bad behavior is law. The City Council and I can choose to make history – or we can settle for the status quo. I choose for Salisbury to clean up its code, clean up its neighborhoods – I choose for Salisbury to make history. Thank you.</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-46132639015368410712009-12-06T22:02:00.000-05:002009-12-06T22:03:24.650-05:00<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: right; WIDTH: 480px"><embed height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" wmode="transparent" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed402.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fpp105%2FDuckAround%2F2009%2520Salisbury%2520Christmas%2520Parade%2Ffeed.rss"></embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/redirect/album?showShareLB=1" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" /></a><a href="http://s402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/2009%20Salisbury%20Christmas%20Parade/" target="_blank"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-77577262031918494652009-05-17T17:25:00.001-04:002009-05-17T17:25:14.237-04:00<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTI*MjU5NTQ*NzUyOSZwdD*xMjQyNTk1NTAwNjA3JnA9Mzg2MzYxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmdD*mbz1lNGFiMjhiZDdjMWY*Mzg4YmM3MjVlMDM1OWI1NzBlYyZvZj*w.gif" /><div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://static.photobucket.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf?rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed402.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fpp105%2FDuckAround%2FTwo%2520Sentz%2520Day%2520at%2520the%2520Range%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" > </embed><a href="http://photobucket.com/redirect/album?showShareLB=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" /></a><a href="http://s402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/Two%20Sentz%20Day%20at%20the%20Range/" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-26421006811716883832009-05-02T10:40:00.005-04:002009-05-02T10:45:55.526-04:00Opening Day - An American Tradition<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Most of Wicomico County's elected leadership was in attendance at the annual Optimist Softball Opening Day in Salisbury. The league, run by the Wicomico County Parks and Recreation Department with sponsorship by the Optimist Club for the teams, held its Opening Day parade of teams at the Optimist Fields behind Prince Street School.<br /></span><br /><img src="http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/100_0766.jpg" width="33%" /><img src="http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/100_0764.jpg" width="33%" /><img src="http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/100_0768.jpg" width="33%" /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, Wicomico County Council President John Cannon, Wicomico County Council Vice President William McCain and Maryland Delagate Norm Conway were in attendance and spoke, but it was left to Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton to throw the first pitch.<br /></span><br /><img src="http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/100_0772.jpg" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For the record, it did cross the plate, and on only 1 bounce. Not bad for a tennis player. Good form, though.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The Salisbury Optimist Club pays the fee for each team, and for its city teams, pays for uniforms as well. They supply announcers and scorekeepers for all games held at Optimist Field, which covers about half the league's games. The Optimist League will be holding a golf fundraiser on August 1st. Write the Optimist Club at PO Box 744,<br />Salisbury, MD 21803 for more information, or contact them on their website at </span><a href="http://www.salisburyoptimist.org/"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://www.salisburyoptimist.org/</span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Thanks to Don Fitzgerald and all the people from the Optimist for their work in keeping this league alive. Now if we can just get the county to do something to improve the fields not in Salisbury....</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-39820456668090166322009-04-13T13:16:00.003-04:002009-04-13T13:18:51.236-04:00Could we have a tie?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The latest on the Salisbury District 1 Council race, courtesy of </span></span><a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090413/NEWS01/90413024/1002"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">delmarvanow.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">SALISBURY — A count of absentee ballots this morning shows that Cynthia Polk and Shanie Shields are tied up in votes heading into the final count Friday.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 36px;font-family:Arial;font-size:24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-size:19px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The candidates for the District 1 Salisbury Council seat each have 130 votes. Heading into this mornings canvassing by the Wicomico County Board of Elections Office Polk led by 127 votes to Shields’ 126 votes. On election night, Shields had more votes.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="aa"></span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="pp"></span>Five votes are expected to be counted Friday afternoon, according to election officials. That number could increase if more ballots postmarked by the election date arrive before then.</span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 36px;font-family:Arial;font-size:24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-size:19px;"><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></p></span></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-91558232439958134412009-04-13T13:11:00.002-04:002009-04-13T13:15:10.504-04:00One week.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In one week, Salisbury gets a new mayor. Just seven more days.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In one week, Mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman will see her last term as mayor expire. Just seven more days.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In one week, Jim Ireton will become mayor, and deliver an inaugural address to the "five co-equal partners" he will have in running the city, namely, the City Council. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In one week, the clock starts ticking on "Swimmable and Fishable in 10 Years." The plans for making Salisbury "The Safest City in Maryland" begin. And the actions needed to put "Neighborhoods First" begin in earnest.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In one week.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">In one week, I hope you'll join me to attend the City Council meeting and see Jim Ireton sworn in as the city's next mayor. See you there.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-12439099285294118612009-04-10T11:32:00.003-04:002009-04-10T11:36:21.568-04:00Happy Brithday, Andrew<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/Sd9nXVMQlMI/AAAAAAAAAGc/AV5u7wDsIV0/s1600-h/Drew+Piano+Church+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/Sd9nXVMQlMI/AAAAAAAAAGc/AV5u7wDsIV0/s320/Drew+Piano+Church+004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323086935098430658" /></a><br />Happy 9th birthday to my youngest tax deduction, Andrew William Duck. <div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-48638744764977910822009-04-05T13:15:00.004-04:002009-04-05T13:19:44.210-04:00Photo of the Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dashboard.metallica.com/ivergence/image/04apr0409_pic30.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://dashboard.metallica.com/ivergence/image/04apr0409_pic30.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Jason and Rob, kickin' it together at Metallica's induction ceremony for the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night in Cleveland. All my Met fans know why this is important. As for the rest of you, well, trust me - it is.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-59115307220255023812009-04-05T12:59:00.004-04:002009-04-05T13:04:19.129-04:00With "friends" like these...<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The Daily Times did decide to endorse a candidate. And, shockingly, it</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">WASN’T Gary</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Comegys. They endorsed Jim</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ireton</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">for mayor of</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Salisbury</span></span></span></span></st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">.</span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I think.</span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Using some of the most twisted logic yet displayed in this campaign while simultaneously smearing Jim and praising</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Gary</span></span></span></span></st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">,</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090405/OPINION01/904050328/1014/OPINION"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">they came to this conclusion</span></span></span></a><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> It's understandable how all of us might long for the days when inclusive-minded, big-thinking people who really understood what made a community special were in charge of our local government. Names like Frank Morris, W. Paul Martin, Sam</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Siedel</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">and Elmer</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Ruark</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">fit that mold. Can Jim</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Ireton</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">demonstrate the type of leadership required to place his name onto such a list?</span></span></span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><u1:p><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"> A tall order, yes -- but he merits an opportunity to try.</span></span></span></span></span></u1:p></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><u1:p><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></u1:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><u1:p><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></u1:p><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><u1:p></u1:p></span></span><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So after spending, conservatively, 12 column inches accusing Jim of being “an impassioned but undisciplined neighborhood advocate”, of “employing the divide-and-conquer playbook”, and this gem, in the</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">paragraph</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">after</span></span></i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">the Times says</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ireton</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">offers the best hope for the city...</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><u1:p></u1:p><blockquote>There are questions about his temperament, as well as his ability to rise above the racket that will inevitably surround him. And, while some have been put off by his demeanor, there is ample hope that he can sufficiently stem any defensive tendencies and prove wrong those who doubt he has the people skills to lead.</blockquote></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">...The Times editors decided to endorse Jim.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">With friends like these, who needs enemies? I could spend lots of space and words proving the</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">DT</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">wrong on every charge, allegation and smear, in this endorsement, but we'd be beating our heads against the wall doing so. The Times isn't going to change, and there's no competition to force them to change.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So, gee, thanks, Daily Times, for endorsing Jim</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ireton</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" ;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">for mayor. I think.</span></span></span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-20935671086611721182009-04-05T11:39:00.002-04:002009-04-05T13:04:39.596-04:00In case anyone cares...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I'm not TwoSentz. Never said I was. Some people can't be bothered to read the author of a post on a blog with multiple contributors. Sad, really.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-68576388361558759852009-03-26T18:27:00.004-04:002009-03-26T18:30:48.191-04:00And so it begins in earnest...<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">It’s unfortunate Mayor Tilghman has lowered herself to engage in the politics of personal destruction again. In her press event today, she accused Jim Ireton of lying about crime and disparaging city employees.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Nothing could be further from the truth.</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">So what did Jim say Tuesday that has the Mayor so infuriated? Watch for yourself.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" "><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Crime Speech PART ONE:</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeDJ3yLkNMU </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" "><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Crime Speech PART TWO:</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTbcY9uJ5_c </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Here’s most of the data he cited Tuesday:</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">-----------</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></span></p><blockquote><span style=" "><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">We stand here today in a city that was second in 2007 only to </span></span></span></span></span><st1:place><st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Baltimore</span></span></span></span></span></st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span></span></span></span><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">City</span></span></span></span></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> among municipalities in violent crime incidents. A city second only to </span></span></span></span></span><st1:place><st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Baltimore</span></span></span></span></span></st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span></span></span></span><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">City</span></span></span></span></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> among municipalities in forcible rape incidents. When looking at acts of violent crime per resident, </span></span></span></span></span><st1:city><st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Salisbury</span></span></span></span></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> is actually ahead of </span></span></span></span></span><st1:place><st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Baltimore</span></span></span></span></span></st1:placename><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span></span></span></span><st1:placetype><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">City</span></span></span></span></span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span class="apple-style-span"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">. As of 3 weeks ago, we are still seeing more Part One crimes year-to-date than we have seen in the last two years in the same time period.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">What does that mean to us? Part One crimes, year-to-date for January and February: 2007, 495 and in 2008, 489 and now in 2009, 522.</span></span></span></span></span></blockquote><span style=" "><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">----------</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">That’s what he said. EVERY WORD IS TRUE. Every. Single. Word. And the per capita statistics he cited were true, too. No apologies needed.</span></span></span></span></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-62390091603941143352009-03-24T17:49:00.003-04:002009-03-24T18:01:19.590-04:00Changing "Maryland! My Maryland!"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />From </span></span><a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090324/NEWS01/90324040"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">delmarvanow.com</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><p></p><blockquote><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller is suggesting that a state commission examine Maryland's state song and consider changing some stanzas.</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Legislation that would have changed some of the words to "Maryland! My Maryland!" has failed in a House committee. A Senate version of the bill remains in a committee.</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And why would the legislators of Maryland want to change such a historic state anthem? Well, let's take a look at a few of the lyrics:</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"></span></span></span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The despot's heel is on thy shore, </span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maryland!</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">His torch is at thy temple door,</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maryland!</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Avenge the patriotic gore</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">That flecked the streets of Baltimore,</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And be the battle queen of yore,</span></span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maryland! My Maryland!</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p></span><p></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So who's the despot whose heel is on thy shore? This guy:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.uptake.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/abraham-lincoln-picture.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://www.uptake.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/abraham-lincoln-picture.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Yeah, Abraham Lincoln.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maryland's state anthem (sung to the tune of "O, Christmas tree", by the way) was a call for secession to the South in 1861. So I can see where some may feel it's just a little out of date.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Some other chocie lines from the state's official song:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I hear the distant thunder-hum,Maryland!The Old Line bugle, fife, and drum,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maryland!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb-</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Huzza! She spurns the Northern scum!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">She breathes! She burns! She'll come! She'll come!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Maryland! My Maryland!</span></span></div></blockquote><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">So, uh, really - "She spurns the Northern scum?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I don't need a tune like "Almost Heaven West Virginia" or "Hang On, Sloopie" (official state rock song of Ohio, really), but I do think we can do better than "She spurns the Northern scum!" Even if I agree with it whenever I get cut-off by a car with New Jersey tags on the Rt. 13 Bypass... </span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-66604917842889324082009-03-17T19:36:00.005-04:002009-03-17T19:54:47.631-04:00Swimmable and fishable in 10 years<a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090317/NEWS01/90317059&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL">http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090317/NEWS01/90317059&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL</a><div><br /></div><div>That's what Jim Ireton promised today. Within the next 10 years, we will see the Wicomico River swimmable and fishable again. </div><div><br /></div><div>On a day when Gary Comegys laid out his vision for the city, called "One Salisbury," all anyone is going to remember is "Swimmable & Fishable in 10 years."</div><div><br /></div><div>Twenty one days until the election. Just sayin'. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-68842880745037874012009-03-15T11:51:00.008-04:002009-03-15T15:53:37.923-04:00Three weeks left, and nowhere to go<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">DISCLOSURE: I'm now volunteering for Jim Ireton's campaign, so take my takes with a grain of salt. Or a whole salt mine. Whatever works for you.</span><div><br /></div><div>So, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Times</span> decided there was sufficient news interest in the dirt being tossed around in the Salisbury mayoral race, and decided to address it all in one fell swoop.<div><br /></div><div>My first reaction was, "Really? This is what you're covering? Admitted gossip and rumor?"</div><div><br /></div><div>And after a few reads of the article on <a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090315/NEWS01/903150302&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL">Gary Comegys</a> and the article on <a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090315/NEWS01/903150301/-1/newsfront2">Jim Ireton</a>, I changed my mind. Slightly.</div><div><br /></div><div>To its credit, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Times</span> did present each man with every known rumor, allegation and possible slander and allowed each to answer. They brought each candidate in and asked the questions to each man's face. </div><div><br /></div><div>I would have preferred to read their complete answers - it would have made for a great read on the delmarvanow.com site - but, if nothing else, each man got to answer the questions directly. And we get all this nonsense out of the way with three weeks still left to discuss the issues the citizens of Salisbury REALLY care about.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">So, here's what we learned about Gary </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Comegys</span>:</div><div><br /></div><div>*Gary Comegys lost a child support suit with his ex-wife. He disputed the amount of time he needed to pay an increased amount of child support, and apparently reverted back to the original amount when the child reached 18. She sued, she won. Next question. </div><div><br /></div><div>*Gary Comegys started a business with his 2nd wife and it failed. He declared bankruptcy. He says now he wished he hadn't declared bankruptcy. [<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">EDIT</span>: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">To be clear, they had the business declare bankruptcy.</span>] <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">[EDIT AGAIN</span>: After re-reading the passage again, it's not clear if this was a personal banruptcy or a corporate one. I could only find online records of banruptcy in federal courts back to 2004.]</div><div><br /></div><div>*Gary said he voted for zoning for the old mall under assumptions that later proved not true. I don't know enough about the whole mall mess to even have an opinion on the believability of this assertion.</div><div><br /></div><div>*Gary didn't finish college. I don't know that Gary has ever said he did. There is some confusion over the use of the term "engineer" that I do think he glossed over.</div><div><br /></div><div>*Gary says he really can do math. I'd point at Salisbury's city budget deficit and argue differently, but he's right in saying his job requires it. No argument there.</div><div><br /></div><div>*He says he left the board of the Wicomico Humane Society on his own. I didn't know he was even ever on it.</div><div><br /></div><div>*He and the firefighter volunteers don't seem to get along on the topic of seceding from city control. Except that the paid firefighters just voted to endorse Jim Ireton. Make of that what you will. He did apparently abstain from the pension vote.</div><div><br /></div><div>*The Sassafras Meadows mess, is, well, a mess. The way it reads, Gary had no idea his buddy Mike Dunn's family had been involved in the transaction. Right.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div>*And since the Cottages at Riverhouse campaign event never took place, everything's just hunky-dory. Right.</div><div><br /></div><div>*And his infamous nap apparently happened while he was home recovering from shoulder surgery. Seems reasonable. And no, no sarcasm is intended there. I've had shoulder surgery, and the recovery is not fun.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">And about Jim </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Ireton</span>:</div><div><br /></div><div>*He left the city council in 1999 to move away from Salisbury mostly over money, but some personal issues were involved, too. His time on the council doesn't come across as very pleasant. Since he left before the end of the school year, his certificate was "held" for a year by the state. Standard procedure in Wicomico County, by the way.</div><div><br /></div><div>*His Open Meetings Violation was the results of a procedural mistake that he owned up to.</div><div><br /></div><div>*He is going to serve his full term as mayor. Period.</div><div><br /></div><div>*The $25 ticket in Rehoboth was addressed. Really, it's a non-issue. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px; font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;"><blockquote>"I beat myself up now for being stupid and being out on the beach," he said. "Maybe if I thought at one point three years ago I was going to run for mayor of Salisbury, maybe I would have had my watch on."</blockquote></span>*He's consistently said the city needs better control over the conditions of rental properties and that landlords need to be licenced.</div><div><br /></div><div>*He supports impact fees, but did vote not to assess them on one project while he was on the city council. He does want an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.</div><div><br /></div><div>*He was against the city's solution for Camden neighborhood flooding, because he says it didn't solve the problem, just create new problems.</div><div><br /></div><div>*Jim is probably going to go half-time teaching. The quote they used from Jim wasn't the nicest thing he's ever said, but then again, I didn't expect the Times to make him look good, either. </div><div><br /></div><div>*Jim hasn't asked that the mayor's salary be raised. He has questioned the timing of the mayor's Salary Commission report, which will be released after Barrie Tilghman is gone. How convenient for Barrie.</div><div><br /></div><div>OK, now that THAT'S out of the way, can we talk about crime, neighborhoods and the river now?</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-61880984121158606212009-03-13T18:41:00.003-04:002009-03-13T18:56:08.152-04:00Guitar Hero: Metallica<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.metallica.com/images/ghscreenshots/band15.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 232px;" src="http://www.metallica.com/images/ghscreenshots/band15.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.metallica.com/images/ghscreenshots/band8.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 281px;" src="http://www.metallica.com/images/ghscreenshots/band8.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.metallica.com/images/ghscreenshots/band7.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 281px;" src="http://www.metallica.com/images/ghscreenshots/band7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div><br /></div><div>I just may need to take a day off of work to enjoy this one. Street date is March 29.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-90897263525344218002009-03-04T21:04:00.007-05:002009-03-04T21:25:29.929-05:00And, I'm back: Reactions to Tuesday in Salisbury<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Jim Ireton won, and won big Tuesday night in the primary of the Salisbury mayoral race. Disclosure: I volunteered on a couple of occasions and made a bunch of phone calls Tuesday for Jim. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Now that that’s out of the way, let’s look at what we know from the results, what’s reasonable to extrapolate from the data, and what comes next.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">First, the raw numbers:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">=================<br />Registered Voters 12557 - Cards Cast 1394 - 11.10%<br />Total Votes - 2053<br /><ul><li>Robert Caldwell - 522 / 25.43%</li><li>Gary A. Comegys - 560 / 27.28%</li><li>Michael Della Penna - 132 / 6.43%</li><li>Jim Ireton - 839 / 40.87%</li></ul>=================<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />A few reminders about Salisbury's primary process:<br />* It is a non-partisan primary - no one has party affiliations next to their names.<br />* Each voter can select two candidates, but it not mandated to - if you desire, you can vote for just one.<br />* Voters cannot give both votes to just one candidate. You can vote for one, you can vote for two, but you can't vote for one twice.<br />*Top two candidates proceed to the general election, conveniently held a month later, April 7.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">WHAT WE KNOW</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">:<br />Jim Ireton will proceed to the general election with 40% of the cumulative vote total.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Gary Comegys currently holds a 38 vote lead over Robert Caldwell for the second and last spot on the general election ballot.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Absentee ballots will be counted Thursday. There are 149 to be counted. Those voters may have voted for one or two mayoral candidates, and there's no way of knowing until they are physically counted Thursday. We may have an additional 149 votes or an additional 398 votes. If they break the way the general did, about 60% will vote for one candidate only, and the remaining 40% will have voted for two. In either case, some, and probably a majority, of those ballots will be marked for Jim Ireton, either alone or in additional to Caldwell and Comegys.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">:<br />Gary Comegys should, but may not, advance as the second candidate. Since there's only a 38-vote difference, it's possible, though not probable, Robert Caldwell could pass him. But I'd rather be Gary Comegys than Robert Caldwell going into the absentee ballot count.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As Joe Albero noted on SBYNews, some of the math from Tuesday isn't heartening for Gary Comegys. There were 1394 voters in the election casting a total of 2,053 votes. That means, as Joe points out, that 738 people cast just one vote for mayor. And that's more than half the people who voted.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">WHAT WE CAN GUESS:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Jim's 13 percentage point victory is a problem for Gary Comegys, no matter how he chooses to spin it. Even if you take the favorite theory of Comegys' apologists - that his people just voted for Comegys while Ireton piggybacked on outsider support for Caldwell along with Ireton's base - the numbers don't work for Comegys. Those "Caldwell and Ireton, too" votes would have to break somewhere on the order of 65/35 in favor of Comegys for him to overtake Jim Ireton. And I can't foresee a circumstance where Comegys picks up a substantial amount of Caldwell supporters, let alone two-thirds of them. If they were voting for Caldwell, and adding Ireton as a message or a second thought, they aren't going to suddenly switch to the government incumbent. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />A vote for Caldwell was a vote against the status quo, and the status quo is exactly what Gary Comegys represents and wants to continue. If he wants to run on his record, there will be some very happy people running the Jim Ireton campaign.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">QUESTIONS THAT ARE LEFT</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">:<br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Does Gary Comegys go negative?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Some of his supporters certainly are. Just browse the comments on delmarvanow.com and other local blogs. Some of the stuff is vile, and most importantly, irrelevant. I won't even validate the smears by repeating them here. It may indeed get worse. I wouldn't read the Grapevine on delmarvanow.com if you're squeamish until after the election. And you might want to wait an additional week.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Does Gary Comegys run on his own record</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">, or against the 16 months Jim Ireton served on the City Council 10 years ago? He's kind of between a rock and a hard place - if he harps on Ireton's votes from a time when Clinton was still president, he's wallowing in the past. If he runs on his own record, he's opening himself to charges of being beholden to landlords and other special interests with the evidence being contained in his comments and votes while on the City Council. Don't be surprised if he tried to wage a campaign focused on Jim Ireton 10 years ago instead of Salisbury 10 years from now.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">How does Jim Ireton deal with his time on the council?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> The facts are there - he was elected, and well short of the end of his term, he resigned and moved. Now he's back, and wants to be mayor. People are going to have tough questions he needs to be able to answer. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Is The Daily Times guilty of bias?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> More disclosure - I worked for The Daily Times as a reporter and editor for 3.5 years back in the early 1990s, and enjoy good personal relationships with Erick Sahler, Managing Editor, and Greg Bassett, Managing Editor. They were great co-workers, and have been great professionals in all my dealings with them since I left. I've called concerning stories on my Wi-Hi Wrestling Team and also when I worked on the campaign to reject the 2000 Revenue Cap proposal. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />But I am left wondering after looking over some of the coverage in the last week. Politicians always complain they aren't treated fairly, so I was pretty cynical. But here's a few quotes from stories the last week that made me say "Huh? Really?"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />From the </span><a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090301/NEWS01/903010327/1002/NEWS17"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Voter's Guide</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> on Sunday, questionable phrasings in bold and italic:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ireton, 39, has been a teacher </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">on and off</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> for 17 years. He taught at St. Francis de Sales School in Salisbury from 1993-97 and at Northwestern Elementary in Mardela Springs from 1997-99. He served 17 months on the Salisbury City Council from April 1998 to August 1999 before </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">quitting</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">taking odd jobs</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> with Alternative Resources Corp. in Linthicum, Md., then came back to Salisbury to work at WBOC-TV for the remainder of 1999. From 2000-2004, he </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">started a master's program</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and taught at Mount Royal Elementary/ Middle in Baltimore, then taught the next two years at Medfield Heights Elementary in Baltimore. He returned to the Lower Shore in 2006, teaching for two years at East Salisbury Elementary. His </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">current place of employment</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> is Westside Intermediate. Ireton is active in the Democratic Club and is chairman of the Wicomico Neighborhood Congress and a member of the city of Salisbury Recycling Committee.</span></blockquote><blockquote><br /></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Really, he's taught for the vast majority of those 17 years. Government officials traditional resign, not quit. And I have no idea why the writer used "taking odd jobs" as a description of his work in Linthicum. And why not note Jim's finished his mastered, instead of just saying he started it? And he's a teacher at Westside Intermediate. Current place of employment? What's that's about?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />And from the article </span><a href="http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090304/NEWS01/903040382/-1/newsfront2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">concerning Tuesday's results</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">SALISBURY -- Former councilman Jim Ireton </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">made it through</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> the city primary Tuesday by a landslide vote, more than 300 ahead of City Council Vice President Gary Comegys.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Comegys said he was still delighted to get the support he did.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />"I'm going to work extra hard between now and the general election to win this," he said.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Ireton gave a confident speech to a captive audience at Flavors of Italy on Main Street.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"I'm going to be the next mayor," he said.</span></div></blockquote><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Well, Jim said a lot more than that, but that's a great quote for a reporter. But "made it through"? How about, oh, I don't know, WON? There's a pretty short way of saying what Jim Ireton did Tuesday.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />But, more importantly to me, why does the man who just got beaten by 13 percentage points get the first quote? Everything I learned at the University of Maryland's Journalism school says most important first, then give facts in descending order of importance. So Gary Comgey's reaction is more important the the man who garnered 13 percent more votes?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br />Maybe I'm being paranoid, but there's a case to be made there's a pattern developing.</span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-1363969467629531652009-02-07T20:30:00.007-05:002009-02-07T21:16:19.738-05:00Life, it gets busy sometimes.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sorry I've been, well, nonexistent on my own blog lately. No excuse except for the sheer busyness of life.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I had to run the Delmarva Classic in the Civic Center for the first time. That went well. Thanks to Joe <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Harbinson and all the crew at the WY&CC for that!</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/SY42udqAjVI/AAAAAAAAADk/0oKrfWq8A_g/s320/iPhone+Pictures+1-17-09+016.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300233983324360018" /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ali and I went to see Metallica in Newark, NJ. That was awesome.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/SY433A0TWBI/AAAAAAAAADs/KZD_gsDEhBA/s320/Ali+Birthday+026.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300235229713356818" /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Ali and I went to NYC. That was awesome, too.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/SY48O34xJXI/AAAAAAAAAD0/TUdqXdVeTrE/s320/NYC+Trip+Photos+(and+some+extras)+054.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300240037679539570" /><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Throw in a couple of swim meets, a visit to Hopkins, and well, my day job, it's been a busy month.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I promise to have my thoughts on Kratovil's vote on the stimulus package at some point. Soon.</span></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-56030171602477389722009-01-28T20:12:00.003-05:002009-01-28T20:24:38.080-05:00Rep. Kratovil (Md-1st) votes AGAINST stimulus bill<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://media.washingtontimes.com/media/img/photos/2008/10/30/Kratovil.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In addition to every single Republican member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md-1st) votes against President Obama's stimulus bill. He was one of 11 Democrats to do so, presumably after securing permission from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to do so. </span></span><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/01/28/house-gop-sticks-together-in-opposing-stimulus-bill/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">From the Washington Wire of WSJ.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">:</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 9px; "></p><blockquote><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 9px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">President </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Barack Obama</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> extended an olive branch to House Republicans in a Capitol Hill meeting on Tuesday, but not one member of the GOP conference voted in favor of the nearly $900 billion </span></span><strong><a href="http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll046.xml" target="_"blank"" style="color: rgb(2, 83, 183); text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">economic package approved 244-188</span></span></a></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> this evening.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 9px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">After a day of spirited debate on the House floor, 177 House Republicans voted en masse against the proposal. Joining them were 11 House Democrats, including Reps. </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Allen Boyd </span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">of Florida, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Bobby Bright</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> and</span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Parker Griffith</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Alabama, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Jim Cooper</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Tennessee, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Brad Ellsworth</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Indiana, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Paul Kanjorski</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Pennsylvania, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Frank Kratovil</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Maryland, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Walt Minnick</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Idaho, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Collin Peterson</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Minnesota, </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Heath Shuler</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of North Carolina, and </span></span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Gene Taylor</span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> of Mississippi.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 9px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Bright, Parker, Kratovil and Minnick are freshman lawmakers, while Boyd, Cooper, Ellsworth, Peterson, Shuler and Taylor are members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition. [EDIT BY DUCKAROUND: Kratovil has previously announced his intentions to join that caucus. Not sure if he's officially joined yet.]</span></span></p></blockquote><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 9px; "></p></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">As a freshman Democrat in a largely Republican district, Kratovil could almost have been expected to cast this vote. I'm sure he does honestly believe in his vote against this bill, as he has stated he won't vote for any stimulus package that doesn't have much more oversight and accountability than the bailouts passed under Pres. Bush and this package proposed by Pres. Obama.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">But, let's be honest, it does give him convenient cover against a run by Andy Harris in '10. He can say he stood up to increased Washington spending, and demanded more oversight. The first bill he co-sponsored would eliminate the automatic raised Congresspersons get adjusted for inflation. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">For someone just getting introduced into big-time elected office, Frank Kratovil seems to have learned some lessons very quickly.</span></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-11176223675527279182009-01-28T19:54:00.002-05:002009-01-28T19:56:48.518-05:00And here's why I love The Sword<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">"How Heavy This Axe" from "Gods of the Earth".</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">It's like Black Sabbath got a new singer in 1972 rather than 1979. Their guitar tone is to kill for. I can't wait to see these guys.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/m9KbmRTgigQ&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/m9KbmRTgigQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-52787887736181139232009-01-28T19:42:00.004-05:002009-01-28T19:57:16.080-05:00Just 3 days 'till 'Tallica....<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So my daughter and I make the journey north on Saturday to enjoy the musical stylings of The Sword (love that band! Lars was right about something!), Machine Head, and the mighty Metallica.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It will be the 7th time I've seen them, and the first for my oldest offspring. (Note to self - see The Offspring this year...) In celebration, I'll post a video a day of something Metallica has played this tour. Unless I forget one day. Or decide to post two in a day. You'll understand.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So, in installment #1, here's "Ride the Lightning" from Dutch TV last year.</span></span><br /><div><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nKDQVFfz9xU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nKDQVFfz9xU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-13808817721577386412009-01-28T16:21:00.005-05:002009-01-28T16:24:07.618-05:00From 1981 - Newspapers on Computers! Who Knew?<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/28/125510/761/553/690000"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Saw this on DailyKos</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5WCTn4FljUQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5WCTn4FljUQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">"We're probably not gonna lose a lot, but we're not gonna make much, either." - </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">San Francisco Chronicle</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"> executive, 1981.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">How right they were.</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-61897715408785127902009-01-27T20:01:00.004-05:002009-01-27T20:14:20.495-05:00In other news, I finally join 2006<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Well, I've finally taken the Facebook plunge. It's amazing how fast people find you - I've had about half a dozen people from my graduating class at Parkside find me in the last 24 hours. I'm listed as William Duck. Makes me sound older. :)</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br />And the weirdest part? I didn't know my own sister was already on Facebook!</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-1353915949732060572009-01-21T16:17:00.006-05:002009-01-21T16:24:36.673-05:00Words Fail Me.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Those who know me know I'm not a reticent guy. I talk. A lot. Usually too much. But faced with this yesterday, I didn't do much talking. The occassion simply called for silence.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img width="450" src="http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp105/DuckAround/e474f6f0.jpg" /><br />Sure, it was cold getting in line for Silver Ticket Security at 5:30 a.m. Yes, it was cold standing from 5:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. No, I couldn't see very well.<br /><br />But the sound I will remember is the sound of 1.5 million people listening to every word President Obama spoke. You could hear a pin drop on grass when his Inaugural Address began, and you could hear a pin drop on grass until moments after he finished.<br /><br />There wasn't much grand poetry in his address. He didn't offer the lifting language of the campaign. You didn't want to run through a wall for him after listening to him like in the campaign. This was a speech full of hard realities, and a firm conviction to set things right.<br /><br />This isn't the speech we wanted. But it was the speech we needed.<br /><br />More later tonight.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1779598534823198242.post-67346040341413946542009-01-14T22:37:00.003-05:002009-01-14T22:43:23.059-05:00Goin' to DC!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">And in this case, I don't mean the Delmarva Classic...<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/SW6wtm5IqeI/AAAAAAAAADM/xmEJHn5C2p8/s1600-h/InaugInvite.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UXShCiE7-ds/SW6wtm5IqeI/AAAAAAAAADM/xmEJHn5C2p8/s400/InaugInvite.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291360909787703778" /></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I found out last night that I was one of five lucky constituents to be picked in Rep. Frank Kratovil's lottery for Inauguration tickets. These are the good ones, too - my wife and I will be right behind the Reflecting Pool, behind where Members of Congress will be sitting. When Kratovil's staff showed me on the map included with the invite where those without tickets would be standing, he pointed to an are three inches below the map on the counter. I gotta admit, I smiled a little.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">I'll try out the functions of this new doo-hickey of a phone I have, and see if I can't do a little live-blogging from the Inaugural activities.</span></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">I have no idea what this does, but it looks cool.
http://duckaround.blogspot.com</div>duck aroundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15731145597530781107noreply@blogger.com2