Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Before You Remove Any Trees, Contact Your Insurance Company

I have received reports of trees falling down in the Camden Road area, Riverside Drive and over by the Hospital.

Before you hire a company to come out and remove these trees, CALL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY FIRST. Ask them what you need to do, according to their guidelines. The reason I say this is, I had a friend who had a tree fall onto their home and they had it removed right away. They then called their Insurance Company to put in a claim and because they had already removed it, the Insurance Company would not pay the removal fee to take it down or take it away.

Some policies may vary but be sure to contact them first and take lots of pictures.

Gas Price Gouging In Wicomico County

Friday Night

Same Station Saturday Morning




And the Winner is, Gordy Tiger Mart, the highest gas prices in Town!

Letter The The Editor


Arby's on route 50 was struck by lightning and half the roof is gone.

"Joe,

I have a concern about our local fire departments. I am listening to the scanner as this storm passes through and the Salisbury Fire Department is being dispatched for 10 calls at this time. These are BS calls that are not emergencies and do not require the assistance of the Salisbury Fire Department. These calls are are for debris in the roadway, cable and telephone wires down, and tree branches in the roadway. The fire department is not in the highway business, not in the cable business, not in the telephone company building, they are not tree surgeons, they are not electricians. Why are they being dispatched to these calls? Why are they responding to these calls. The firefighters are responding in an emergency mode with lights and sirens on. They are driving way to fast for nothing. I hope no one gets killed when they wreck going to the BS call. When they get there they say yep wires are down call the power company. Call Comcast. Call Verizon. Call public works. I hope the fire fighters don't get injured using a chain saw or coming in contact with a high voltage power line. This is rediculous. I thought fire departments were obligated to respond to emergencies such as medical emergencies and fires?? So what happens if there is a fire with subjects trapped? Are they going to be committed to the tree down or abandon that call and respond to the fire? I think the reason they are responding those calls is so they can go to the city and ask for more new fire trucks and more firemen.

Mayor Ireton are you listening?"

Florida Fire Chief To Be Prosecuted Over Fatal Wreck

Story by news4jax.com
http://www.news4jax.com/news/19406278/detail.html



JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --

The State Attorneys Office plans to prosecute a Jacksonville police officer and a Jacksonville Fire-Rescue district chief in connection with separate accidents that killed two drivers over 70 years old.

Assistant State Attorney Mark Borello told Channel 4 that Officer Marcus Kilpatrick will be charged with culpable negligence and giving a false statement in connection with the Jan. 14 wreck that killed 86-year-old Matthew Brice Ogden Jr.

Borello said district Fire Chief Adrian D. Johnson will be charged with culpable negligence as a result of a Nov. 21 wreck that killed Howard H. Corrigan, 75.

Ogden died after pulling into the path of Kilpatrick's patrol car on Merrill Road. The Florida Highway Patrol's investigation found Kilpatrick was driving 98 mph in a 40 mph zone in pursuit of a vehicle suspected of having illegal window tint just before the patrol car struck Ogden's pickup truck.

The FHP says Officer Marcus Kilpatrick was going 98 mph trying to catch up with a car suspected of having windows tinted darker than law allows when he struck a pickup truck driven by 86-year-old Matthew??Ogden??Jr. ??AUDIO: 911 Calls After Fatal Officer-Involved Crash JSO Radio Calls After Fatal Officer-Involved Crash Kilpatrick told investigators the emergency lights were on at the time, but witnesses disputed that.

In addition to bringing charges against Kilpatrick, prosecutors are asking him to resign from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

The second case involves Johnson driving a JFRD sport utility vehicle colliding with Corrigan's car at the intersection of 21st and Liberty streets. Proscutors said Johnson went through a red light without his siren on.

State law allows emergency vehicles to violate traffic laws, but only when lights and sirens are used and care is taken to protect life and property.

"Despite the fact that both the police officer and the fire chief were on duty and operating in the scope of their duties, we felt the driving patterns in each of those cases, separately, was to the level that it warranted criminal charges," Borello told Channel 4's Adam Landau.

The charges are all first-degree misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in jail.

A JFRD batallion chief's SUV responding to a call with lights and siren on struck a pickup truck at the intersection of Libery and 21st??Street. Kilpatrick has been working desk duty since his accident. Sheriff John Rutherford said he will not discuss the specifics of the case until after the FHP, the state attorney's office and his internal review board complete investigations.

Johnson, a 21-year fire department veteran of JFRD, is president of the Jacksonville Brotherhood of Firefighters. He returned to duty after the fatal wreck.

The state attorney's office notified attorney Steve Pajcic on Thursday that charges were imminent. Pajcic is representing both the Corrigan and Ogden families and has filed notice of intent to sue the city.

Tire Amnesty Day - Wow! That's A Lot Of Tires!

Today's Tire Amnesty Day at the Wicomico County Landfill has come to a close. The result? Over seven full trailer loads of passenger, riding mower, motorcycle, truck and farm tires, including several tons of steel and aluminum rims and wheels. Wicomico County Landfill spokesman Billy Lambert said that this was a very successful day for the program, which has been made available to the public for the last several years.

One donor, a Wicomico County farmer hauling two monster tires in the back of his pickup, commented, "I stored my tractor and big truck tires all year for this. It saved me fifty bucks, and fifty bucks is fifty bucks." When it was pointed out that he only had two tires with him, he said "My wife's in the truck behind me with the rest of our load. I'm taking her out to lunch after."
So, what do we see as a result of this program? Fewer tires on the side of the road and in vacant lots and thousands fewer places for mosquitoes to breed. A win-win event.
Wicomico County, as part of the statewide program sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment, expects to do it again next year. We'll keep you posted!

Where Can You Go To Get That Special Mother's Day Gift?






PARKER PLACE ON THE DOWNTOWN PLAZA
They open at noon tomorrow, even on Mother's Day. They'll be open until 5:00 today. If you've never been, this place is really cool. Its right at the very end of the Downtown Plaza and their prices are very reasonable. In fact, I don't know how they do it with prices this low. The variety of plants and flowers is fantastic. Click on any of the images above to enlarge to get a better look around. Come on Folks, support a local business owner and support the Downtown Plaza.

HISTORICAL COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER


THE LUMBER CAMPS – part 3

Another good story out of the lumber camp days of 1905-10 was the one about the train. This was not one of the large trains that carried my grandfather from one job to another, but one of the smaller trains used to haul the cut timber out of the woods to the lumber mill where it was dressed down to workable sizes. Apparently he had worked his way up to a position of responsibility and was the engineer of one of these trains. There was only a two man crew – the engineer and the fireman whose sole responsibility was to keep enough wood in the boiler to keep the engine running at peak performance. The financial set-up was for each man to receive $1.50 a day to make 2 runs out of the woods to the camp. If they made an additional run they received a 50 cent bonus. However, if they failed to make the required 2 runs, they were docked a full dollar. He proudly declared that he always made 3 runs, thereby earning the bonus. He said he was highballing it one day and the excessive speed caused the train to jump the tracks and imbed about half the engine into one of the sand banks put there for that very purpose. Grandpop and his fireman walked back to the camp and informed the boss that his train was in the sand bank. The boss told him that there were 2 shovels in the corner and for him and his fireman to start digging it out. This would have entailed a lot of work with no pay. At this point he told his boss again that HIS train was stuck in the sand, and he left to find another job. Apparently, they didn’t check resumes in those days and a job could be had by any man for just showing up and “fogging the mirror”. Advancement was made by way of your work performance and he was seldom outworked by any man, a trait learned early and practiced throughout his entire life. He worked 6 twelve hour days every week for the next 60 years

RESPONCES ON BEER BY SEVEN YEAR OLDS

BEER BY SEVEN YEAR OLDS

'I think beer must be good. My dad says the more beer he drinks the prettier my mom gets.'

--Tim, 7 years old

'Beer makes my dad sleepy and we get to watch what we want on television when he is asleep, so beer is nice. '

--Mellanie, 7 years old

'My Mom and Dad both like beer. My Mom gets funny when she drinks it and takes her top off at parties, but Dad doesn't think this is very funny..'

--Grady, 7 years old

'My Mom and Dad talk funny when they drink beer and the more they drink the more they give kisses to each other, which is a good thing.'

--Toby, 7 years old

'My Dad gets funny on beer. He is funny. He also wets his pants sometimes, so he shouldn't have too much.

--Sarah, 7 years old

'My Dad loves beer. The more he drinks, the better he dances. One time he danced right into the pool.'

--Lilly, 7 years old

'I don't like beer very much. Every time Dad drinks it, he burns the sausages on the barbecue and they taste disgusting.'

--Ethan, 7 years old

'I give Dad's beer to the dog and he goes to sleep.'

--Shirley, 7 years old

AND THE BEST RESPONSE

'My Mom drinks beer and she says silly things and picks on my father. Whenever she drinks beer she yells at Dad and tells him to go bury his bone down the street again, but that doesn't make any sense.'

--Jack, 7 years old

Hal Chernoff Hangs With The Fullmer Brothers





Coach Hal Chernoff with two of the three fighting Fullmer brothers. Gene fought and beat Carmen Basillio and Sugar Ray Robinson. He was a middle weight champ in the Mid 50s. All are in Salt Lake City for the Golden Gloves Championships.

Driver's Ed


Back before Driver's Ed was something that parents had to pay $300 and up for, it was offered for free as a one credit course in high school. Yeah, free.
New cars were loaned to the school system by local dealerships in exchange for the cheap advertising they got from the cars being driven around with big signs on their sides and backs.
The instructors were high school teachers who got a couple of hundred dollars each semester in addition to their salaries for their normal course instruction. Ours were the the wood and metal shop teachers, two guys who were't surprised when a student screwed up while operating a machine.
One of the class requirements, usually scheduled for just before lunch, was to watch a series of really weird, gory movies that were supposed to drive home the point to the students that they could avoid becoming roadkill by following traffic rules, but usually just caused a couple of the kids in each class to either puke or faint and fall out of their seats, or puke then faint and fall out of their seats. The janitor was always close at hand with a canister of that schoolbus vomit absorbant stuff, and the school nurse was there to see that the unlucky were brought back to consciousness. Then there were those who were just plain grossed out and, of course, the very few who sat in rapt attention. If the group was lucky, the class clown was there to provide comic relief (and then get a smack in the back of the head from the teacher for his efforts, which, as always, was pretty funny in itself and a welcomed distraction from the films.)
For a look at a two-part classic of these creepy "educational" films, go here and here. For another, go here, and see some seriously wooden acting to accompany the yuck factor.
Warning: Real gore, real moans and screams, no seatbelts, no airbags, no SteadyCam, bad B-movie soundtracks and some very unlucky cows.

1909 FORD Model R

1909 FORD Model R
Show this to your children and/or grandchildren
THE YEAR 1909
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! The year is 1909. One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
Of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least
One full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
(Mainly becasue there was a firearm of some sort in almost every home! An armed society is a POLITE society!!)
I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself. From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD - all in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND

MSP Press Release


LOCATION: 814 Manoa Blvd Apt B, Salisbury Wicomico Co., MD.

CASE NUMBER: 09-54-004442

CHARGES: 1. Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance W/ Intent to Distribute - Marijuana
Possession of CDS – Marijuana
Resisting Arrest
Hindering a police investigation
Suspects: Darnell La Bryant Townsend (B/M 22 years old)
Salisbury, Md.

BRIEF RESUME: On 05/08/09 at approximately 2220 hours Troopers responded to 814 Manoa Blvd Apt B for a 911 hang up. Contact was made with Townsend. Townsend was found to have a warrant for violation of parole. Townsend was arrested. A search of his person revealed the CDS. Townsend was transported to the Wicomico County Detention Center.

Last Reminder - Free Scrap Tire Disposal Today


Wicomico County residents are invited to get rid of their scrap tires free of charge (a savings of $5 per tire) today at the landfill on Brick Kiln Road. Open for drop-off from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., up to ten tires per vehicle will be accepted. One visit per resident. No commercial or business tires.

Same program and rules in Worcester County, but hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.