For the first time in history Maryland voters are eligible to vote early starting today. Election Administrator Diane Loibel explains.

Loibel says they anticipate 20 percent of voters will vote early. Maryland joins 31 other states that offer early voting. Statewide there will be 46 early voting centers available for Marylanders to vote at for the primary and general elections.  Any registered voter may choose to vote early. The Allegany County Early Voting Center will be open starting Friday, September 3, 2010 through Thursday, September 9, 2010, except for Sunday, September 5, 2010 when the Early Voting Center is closed. The Early Voting Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. each day of early voting. The Early Voting Center in Allegany County is located at the Allegany County Office Complex, 701 Kelly Road, Suite 212, Cumberland, MD. The Early Voting Center is accessible for voters with disabilities. The regular hours of the Allegany County Board of Elections Office are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. However, the office hours will be extended to be the same as those of the Allegany County Early Voting Center, September 3 - 9, 2010, as stated above.  The telephone number of the Allegany County Board of Elections is 301-777-5931.

 

AAA Mid-Atlantic projected approximately 637,200 Marylanders will take a trip at least 50 miles round-trip away from home this Labor Day holiday weekend, a 9.1 percent increase from 2009.  While the holiday travel forecast is based on travelers’ intentions and historical data as of late July, the auto club now questions if the current path of Hurricane Earl will drive some travelers to stay home. 

AAA Mid-Atlantic expects the national average price of self-serve regular gasoline to be between $2.65 and $2.75 per gallon during this holiday weekend.  Maryland’s average price is projected to hold steady at approximately $2.60 a gallon heading into the holiday weekend.  

 

 

·         The average distance traveled by Marylanders this Labor Day holiday weekend is expected to be 754 miles round-trip, 119 miles more than the nationwide average for holiday travel.  

·         Nearly 50 percent of Marylanders intend to log between 50 and 400 miles round-trip, while 24 percent will travel over 1,500 miles round-trip. 

·         The majority of the state’s travelers, 41 percent, intend to travel with one other adult, while 37 percent of respondents expect to travel with family.

·         Median spending is expected to be $731 this Labor Day, which is approximately 5 percent higher than the median spending nationwide. 

·         Visiting friends and relatives (56%), dining (55%) and touring/sightseeing (30%) were named as the three top primary activities by the state’s travelers this Labor Day weekend.

 

According to AAA’s Leisure Travel Index, airfares over the Labor Day holiday weekend are expected to increase nine percent from last year with the lowest round-trip rates moving up to $179 for the top 40 U.S. air routes.  Weekend daily car rental rates will increase seven percent to an average of $46.  Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase six percent from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $139 per night compared to $132 last year.  Travelers planning to stay at AAA Two Diamond hotels can expect to pay two percent more at an average cost of $102 per night.

 

·         Stay abreast of local forecasts both at your departure city and your destination.

·         Check your airline flight status before leaving for the airport.

·         Check with your hotel for local updates on the storm’s impact.

·         Monitor weather conditions on a regular basis as things can change quickly.

·         Travel with only a carry on bag when flying to give you greater flexibility if your schedule changes and so that you will have necessities with you if you are delayed.

·         Pack “emergency” creature comforts with you like snacks, rain coats, and extra clothing, etc. A flashlight with extra batteries, radio and extra water are a good idea if going to a beach house.

·         Heed all evacuation advisories and/or orders

 

 

Maryland will now participate in the national ‘Helmets to Hardhats’ initiative.  Helmets to Hardhats is a free, non-profit program that connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military members to quality career opportunities and full-time, paid apprenticeships in the construction industry. Established in 2003, it is designed to help servicemembers successfully transition back into civilian life by connecting them to opportunities in the skilled trades that provide family-supporting wages, medical benefits and a reliable pension plan.  The program’s website, www.helmetstohardhats.org receives between 25,000 and 30,000 unique visitors per month and has led to the successful placement of thousands of veterans in construction apprenticeship training programs, which range from two to five years and include more than 80 trades, including bricklaying, plumbing, carpentry, ironworking and many others. Maryland’s participation in the Helmets to Hardhats program will support Governor O’Malley’s Skills2Compete initiative – the statewide effort to increase the number of Marylanders who achieve at least two years of post-secondary education or training to meet the demands of Maryland’s diverse workforce – and the Maryland’s Commitment to Veterans (MCV) initiative. MCV is a coordinated effort managed by the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs to connect veterans across the entire spectrum of state government with services, benefits and employment opportunities.

As early voting officially begins in Maryland and with the primary less than two weeks, Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and the Office of Attorney General have set up a hotline and email to receive complaints of voter intimidation, voter suppression, and voter misinformation.  Beginning Friday, September 3, Marylanders can call the Attorney General’s voter hotline at 1-866-298-8245 or file a complaint via email at voting@oag.state.md.us.   To answer questions about issues other than voter intimidation or fraud, Marylanders should call the Maryland State Board of Elections at 1-800-222-8683

 

Crowds could top 100,000 at a free air show this weekend in Martinsburg. The West Virginia Air National Guard 167th Airlift Wing is behind the Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Air Show at the air base in Martinsburg.  The event will benefit the United Way of the eastern panhandle.  167th Commander Colonel Roger Nye says $200,000 has already been raised and all expenses have been covered thus far. Parking is expected to be the biggest challenge of the weekend. Col. Nye says State Troopers, county sheriff's deputies, city police and members of the National Guard will help.  Nye is also asking those coming to the air show to be patient. "Everybody will be screened coming through the gate. Our biggest goal is to make it absolutely safe for everyone to be there," Nye said.  Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 10 o'clock Saturday morning. The air show will continue through Monday. More information is available at www.martinsburgairshow.com

Cumberland city hall will be closed on Monday in observance of Labor Day. Allegany County Government offices, except the Board of Elections, will be closed on Monday as well and there will not be any fixed route bus service and para-transit (All Trans vans) will not operate on Monday, September 6, 2010.

 

The first observance of Labor Day is believed to have been a parade of 10,000 workers on Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, organized by Peter J. McGuire, a Carpenters and Joiners Union secretary. By 1893, more than half the states were observing a "Labor Day" on one day or another, and Congress passed a bill to establish a federal holiday in 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill soon afterward, designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day. So who are we celebrating? There are about 154.4 million people 16 and older in the nation's labor force in May 2010 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 83% Percentage of full-time workers 18 to 64 covered by health insurance during all or part of 2008. 78% Percentage of workers in private industry who receive a paid vacation as one of their employment benefits.

Americans work in a variety of occupations. Here is a sampling:

 Occupation                         Number of employees

Teachers                                       7.2 million

Chief executives                          1.7 million

Janitors and building cleaners     2.1 million

Computer software engineers     1.0 million

Aerospace engineers                   137,000

Electricians                                 874,000

Registered nurses                      2.8 million                                           

Social workers                          729,000                                                

Clergy                                       441,000

HairdresserS                             773,000

Chefs                                       351,000

Customer service reps              1.9 million

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs     373,000

Firefighters                               293,000

Roofers                                     234,000

Pharmacists                              243,000

Machinists                              409,000

Musicians,                               186,000

Artists                                     213,000

Gaming services                     111,000

Tax preparers                          105,000

Service station attendants      87,000

Inspectors, testers                  751,000

Farmers and ranchers           751,000

7.6 million
Number of workers who hold down more than one job. So-called moonlighters
comprise 5 percent of the working population. Of these, 4 million work full time at their primary job and part time at their other job.

 

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Maryland eggs are ok to eat. Eggs for sale in the free state are not part of the recent recall. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and local health departments, is working to ensure eggs that are part of the nationwide recall are not being sold in Maryland.  Consumers should check the codes on cartons of eggs in the shell to verify they are not from plants involved in the nationwide recall of shell eggs implicated in outbreaks of Salmonella enteritidis.  None of the plants in the recall are registered to pack eggs for sale in Maryland and to date, MDA inspectors have not found eggs from the affected plants in Maryland. Information previously released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes the brand names and plant numbers.  Many of the brand names are packaged by multiple egg producers and not all eggs labeled with that brand are involved in the nationwide recall.  Affected plant numbers are P1026, P1942, P1946, P1413, P1720, P1663 and P1860.  This information can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton.  Maryland consumers who find any of these plant numbers on packages of eggs should destroy or return the eggs for a refund. When purchasing eggs, consumers should only select those that are clean, uncracked and refrigerated.  The carton must be labeled with grade, size, safe handling statement, net contents, packer’s registration number, lot number and the name and address of the packer or distributor. When handling eggs, consumers should refrigerate shell eggs at all times; discard cracked or dirty eggs; wash hands, cooking utensils and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs; cook eggs until both the white and the yolk are firm; avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs; and refrigerate unused or leftover egg containing foods promptly.   All producers who are packaging eggs for sale in Maryland must register with the Maryland Department of Agriculture annually and label eggs sold in Maryland with their plant number.  None of the plants that are part of the recall are registered to pack eggs for sale in Maryland.  To ensure that eggs from these non-registered plants have not inadvertently been shipped to Maryland, MDA has stepped up inspection activities.  To date, MDA inspectors have not found eggs from the affected plants in Maryland. As part of the registration process, producers must supply flock information to verify the chickens originated from hatcheries that are monitored for Salmonella enteritidis sanitation through the National Poultry Improvement Plan.  A complete list of producers and distributors, including their plant number, registered to pack eggs for Maryland can be found on MDA’s website at www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/egglawreg_lst.pdf.  MDA routinely inspects wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and other food service locations to verify eggs being sold or used in Maryland meet registration and other food safety requirements.  The eggs are inspected to ensure they are clean and the shell is unbroken both of which can be risk factors for egg contamination by bacteria such as Salmonella.  All sellers of eggs in Maryland, including small producers selling at farmers’ markets, farm stands, etc.  are required to follow MDA’s regulations for egg safety. Many of the eggs sold in Maryland come from producers who participate in the Maryland Egg Quality Assurance Program that was started in 1992 or similar programs in surrounding states.  These programs include production standards to minimize the risk of Salmonella enteritidis in eggs.  The FDA’s new mandatory program is modeled after these standards.  The combination of MDA’s inspection program and the egg quality assurance programs has resulted in a significant decrease in egg related Salmonella enteritidis outbreaks in Maryland since the early 1990s. Consumers who have questions about whether the eggs they are purchasing are involved in the recall may call the MDA Food Quality Assurance Program at 410-841-5769. For more information about Maryland’s Egg Inspection and Egg Quality Assurance Programs, visit www.mda.state.md.us/licenses_permits/food/index.php Food safety information and details about the current recall are available at www.fda.govA member of a volunteer fire department is charged with setting a fire. According to Pennsylvania State Police 34 year old Charles Whipkey of Confluence, PA intentionally set a fire on Hughart Street in Confluence. He was a member of the Confluence Volunteer Fire Department. The fire caused about 60 thousand dollars in damage. Whipkey is being held on 20 thousand dollars bond.

A man wanted in three states is arrested in West Virginia. On August 21^st West Virginia State Police troopers were conducting a traffic stop and during the stop troopers learned one of the passengers in the car 21 year old Vincent Bielarski of South Carolina was wanted for warrants in Florida, Maryland and Virginia. When troopers searched the car they found more than 130 Oxycodone tablets, 15.5 grams of marijuana and more than one thousand dollars in cash. Bielarski and 22 year old Kristopher Craft of Martinsburg who was also in the car were arrested and charged with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.  

Maryland is awarded one of the federal government’s Race to the Top (RTTT) education grants.  The State’s grant is worth up to $250 million over four years. The $4.3 billion federal program is aimed at boosting student achievement, reducing gaps in achievement among student subgroups, turning around struggling schools, and improving the teaching profession. A delegation led by Governor Martin O’Malley and State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick outlined the State’s plans for  RTTT before a U.S. Department of Education panel just two weeks ago. Maryland was one of nine states and the District of Columbia receiving a grant in the second round of RTTT.  Delaware and Tennessee were the only grantees selected in the first round of the initiative earlier this year.  Maryland did not apply in the first round. Maryland spent the past nine months crafting a detailed grant proposal designed to continue the momentum of the nation’s number one ranked education system, using a collaborative and transparent process.  Twenty-two of Maryland’s 24 school systems joined in the application process, along with the Baltimore Teachers Union, the Prince George’s Education Association, and scores of other state education and business groups.   Governor O’Malley in June signed an Executive Order creating the Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness.  The Council—made up of teachers, principals, education experts, and elected officials—will spend the next six months developing a model evaluation system for educators required by the Education Reform Act of 2010.  The Council will begin meeting this week.

 

Maryland’s primary RTTT reforms will:

 

 

 

·         Redesign the model for preparation, development, retention, and evaluation of teachers and principals.

 

·         Fully implement the innovative Breakthrough Center approach for transforming low-performing schools and districts.

 

Maryland developed its RTTT proposal with unprecedented engagement and openness.  A draft application was placed on the Maryland State Department of Education website in April inviting commentary, and state officials held more than 80 meetings with local systems, organizations, and teacher’s associations over the past six months.  In addition, the State held 40 focus groups with teachers and principals.

            

Maryland’s public schools, recently ranked for the second straight year as the nation’s best by Education Week, have benefited from earlier reform efforts.  The Sondheim Commission report in 1989 launched Maryland’s move into school accountability, one of the first states in the nation to do so.  A new State Curriculum, new collaboration and funding brought about by the Bridge to Excellence Act, and new student-level accountability programs followed about a decade later. 

A Frostburg man faces charges after allegedly crashing and sinking his boat. According to Maryland Natural Resources Police on August 22^nd 48 year old William Bender had allegedly been operating the pontoon boat at a high rate of spend when he allegedly hit a dock owned by David Klueter. The boat then traveled through the dock then another 100 feet where it hit another dock owned by Caryn Gill. The impacted caused the dock to move three feet off its base and it damaged the moored vessel sinking his boat. At about 3 in the morning on the 22^nd Bender allegedly awoke Gill and used her phone to call his wife for a ride home. He did not tell Gill he had just struck the dock and sunk his boat there. Bender is charged with negligent operation of a vessel, failure to keep proper lookout and avoid a collision and speed too great for conditions relating to a boating accident. Bender is due in District court to face the charges on October 28^th.

If your child attends a public Pre-K program in West Virginia they'll be eating at least one meal while they're there and it has to meet federal guidelines. New regulations went into place at the start of this school year for meals served in Pre-K programs whether they're at public schools, day care or church schools. The regulations were approved by the West Virginia Department of Education last year when they learned that some state-funded Pre-K's weren't offering meals even though some ran as long as 7 hours.

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and sixteen other state attorneys general are calling on craigslist to immediately take down the Adult Services portion of its website due to continued prostitution advertisements and growing public frustration. The multi-state letter, to craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark, contends that craigslist cannot – or will not – adequately screen these ads, so it should stop accepting them altogether and shut down the Adult Services section. Craigslist remains a hot spot for prostitution ads, despite efforts it has made, since its 2008 public pledge to attorneys general, to better police its own website. In July 2010, two girls who said that they were trafficked for sex through craigslist wrote an “open letter” to craigslist officials, pleading for the elimination of the Adult Services section. The girls’ poignant account told a horrific story of brutalization and assault suffered not just by them, but also by untold numbers of other children, the attorneys general said. The attorneys general call recent blog posts and public statements from Buckmaster and Newmark, including a CNN interview, “deeply troubling” because they seem to imply that victims, law enforcement officials and children’s advocates are at least partially to blame for these incidents due to their failure to provide craigslist with police reports, ad copy, or links documenting these heinous crimes. In the letter, the attorneys general said that this position fails to acknowledge that craigslist is the only party positioned to stop these ads before they are published.  While the perpetrators may eventually be apprehended and brought to justice, the victims – assuming they survive – will carry the scars for life, the attorneys general said.

 

The City of Cumberland reminds all Federal, State and local political candidates and supporters that the City of Cumberland Zoning Ordinance regulates political signage. The City prohibits political signs in excess of six (6) square feet in all residential zoning districts and prohibits political signs in excess of thirty-two (32) square feet in all non residential zoning districts. The placement of political signage requires the consent of the property owner and the City will remove political signs in violation of these regulations. Billboard structures are, however, a permissible use for political signs. A rule of thumb for candidates and their supporters to follow is to place signs only on private property with the consent of the property owner and within allowable dimensions outlined in the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Another common problem is the placement of signage on public land and right-of-ways. The City of Cumberland prohibits the placement of political signage in the public right-of-ways within its corporate limits and, if found, will be removed. Candidates are being asked to cooperate with these regulations and if candidates have further questions, they may call contact the Department of Community Development at 301-759-6442.