The unblinking eye

“The unblinking eye.” May 28, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff

Your brain is turning into mush…

“There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits. — Opening narration – The Control Voice – 1960s

(“The Outer Limits originally was broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on the U.S. television broadcasting network ABC; in total, 49 episodes.”)

“The unblinking eye.” May 28, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff
20090530 FB Twitpic SDOSM The unblinking eye

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Law and order councilmember Tony Chiavacci

Law and order councilmember

Westminster Maryland - Newly elected councilmember tackles alleged hit and run driver and detains him until police arrive.

By Kevin Dayhoff Sunday, May 31, 2009 4:00 pm

A reliable source reports that if you wish to be an alleged hit-and-run driver in Westminster, you may not want to do it in front of newly elected Westminster councilmember Tony Chiavacci’s house on Willis Street, just a couple houses down from Westminster City Hall and the Westminster police station.

Reports of the councilmen’s heroic law-and-order behavior are, as yet, unconfirmed by phone calls to the Westminster city police, Westminster elected officials and Councilman Chiavacci’s home.

However, it has reported that earlier today, a loud crash was heard on the quiet bucolic Willis Street, the historic neighborhood noted for its large homes and well manicured lawns.

One witness shared that upon further investigation into the matter, it was revealed that an eastbound driver had apparently traveled from the direction of Westminster City Hall towards Center Street when he was alleged to have hit several parked automobiles.

Soon after the parked cars were hit, the offending auto stopped in the street and the driver attempted to flee. That’s when councilman Chiavacci sprang into action by running and tackling the individual.

As a crowd of older citizens gathered around, the alleged offender was reported to have been heard screaming, “Get off of me.” A request that the son of a career retired Maryland State Police officer did not seem to be in the mood to oblige.

Fortunately for the alleged hit-and-run driver, Westminster city police arrived very quickly and took quick control of the situation.

-30-

20090531 SDOSM Law and order councilmember

People Chiavacci Tony, Law Order, Westminster Police Dept chron, Westminster Police Dept chron, Public Safety Traffic Safety, Westminster Police Traffic Safety, Current Events,

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff: Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

People Chiavacci Tony, Law Order, Westminster Police Dept chron, Westminster Police Dept chron, Public Safety Traffic Safety, Westminster Police Traffic Safety, Current Events,

Kevin Dayhoff: Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net

Jazmine and me

Jazmine and me

May 9, 2009

One of my dates at the annual Westminster Maryland Flower and Jazz Festival, May 9th, 2009, Jazmine Myers, took a moment away from her many investigations for a candid picture. Jazmine lives in town, just a couple doors down from Grammy…

20090509 FlowerJazzFest Jazmine
Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

In 1925, planting the seeds of employment, production
Published May 31, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... with a nugget that no one else could rival -- Mayor Dorsey of Mount Airy was … When he's not roaming the streets of historic Westminster looking for old factories, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com....

Celebration of memory and change
Published May 26, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
This year’s Westminster Memorial Day ceremonies witnessed many changes over the past — although the solemn tradition of 142 years continued. On Memorial Day the normal hustle and bustle of downtown Westminster paused to remember fallen veterans, and ... ...

Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Published May 22, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... We are deeply indebted to those who fought and died to give us the unalienable right to live free and cherish liberty in the pursuit of happiness. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster.

Mulkey is one of many, yet a special son of Carroll County
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... thanks to Mount Airy councilwoman Wendi Peters and American Legion Post 191 commander Roy True for their help with this column. We will resume the history trivia quiz next Sunday. In the meantime, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at…

Celebrating Cockey's Tavern, birthplace of Carroll County
Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... you know the answer? If so, drop me an e-mail at kevindayhoff@gmail.com. Be sure to add Carroll Eagle in the subject line. Thanks. When he's not hanging around old haunts such as Cockey's Tavern, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at …

Utz elected as new mayor of Westminster
Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... with 130 votes; Eleanor DeMario, 105; William Gill, 130; and William Hughes, 58. — compiled by Kevin Dayhoff Incumbent, two newcomers elected council Hampstead Hampstead Town Councilman Wayne Thomas won election along with newcomers Jamey Ayers and ... ...

Dayhoff: The rebirth of the Cockey's Tavern building in Westminster
Published May 12, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... column in the Carroll Eagle of The Baltimore Sun for more of the rich history of Cockey’s. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him …

Crunching numbers, and historic perspective, in Westminster election
Published May 12, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... “I’m humbled and anxious to get started.” The writer, Kevin Dayhoff, is a history columnist for The Eagle newspapers. He served as ... did his grandfather Frank Thomas Babylon for several years in the 1890s. Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com. ...

Utz elected as Westminster mayor
Published May 11, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... the top vote-getter of the evening with 512 votes.Others in the council race were Darcel Harris (130 votes), Eleanor DeMario (105), William Gill (130) and William Hughes (58).— compiled by Kevin Dayhoff...

For municipalities that still exist, elections renew a call to activism
Published May 10, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... who was the first mayor? Think you know? Drop me an e-mail at kevindayhoff@gmail.com. Be sure to add Carroll Eagle in the subject line. Thanks. When he is not handicapping the municipal elections, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com....

20090531 Recent Explore Carroll Columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoffart.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff
Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Westminster Fire Department engine 32 responds

Westminster Fire Department engine 32 responds
Sunday, May 24, 2009

Westminster Fire Department engine 32 responds… pictured here on Uniontown Road, Sunday, May 24, 2009.

Dayhoff Daily Photoblog
20090524 WFD engine on UTR
20090524 WFD engine 32 on UTRbsm.jpg

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/
http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/

Westminster Fire Hydrant Flushing Scheduled

City of Westminster

56 West Main Street
Westminster, MD 21158
Phone (410) 848-9000
Fax (410) 848-7476
Press Release

Contact: Mike Zechman

Phone: 410-848-5043

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, May 29, 2009

Fire Hydrant Flushing Scheduled

The City of Westminster, Department of Public Works, wishes to inform the public that Utility Maintenance Department personnel will systematically flush fire hydrants throughout the City from 8 pm to midnight on June 1, 2, and 3. This will cause some discoloration to the water and it is advisable to refrain from doing laundry the following day.

The Department recommends opening all faucets first thing in the morning and running until it is clear. In addition, draw enough water the night before to allow for your morning usage, such as making coffee, etc. Residents can rest assured that even if water is discolored that it is still fully treated and potable.

Please bear with us during this procedure as it is necessary for continued quality service.

Areas affected are:

Old Westminster Pike area
East of the city, including Walnut Ridge
Poole Meadows
East Main Street area, including Middlebrook
Hahn Road

For more information, please contact the Westminster Department of Public Works at 410-848-9000.

-End-

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

4-H Therapeutic Riding Program riders competed at Thorncroft Equestrian Center

Eleven 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program riders competed at the Thorncroft Equestrian Center

4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County
700 Agriculture Center Dr Westminster, MD 21157

Open to all. 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County is a Maryland not-for-profit organization.

www.trp4h.org

May 27, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Eleven riders representing the 4-H Therapeutic Riding Program of Carroll County competed at the Thorncroft Equestrian Center, Malvern, PA, in the Handicapped Riders Event of the Devon Horse Show this past Memorial Day weekend.

Syd Lea, Sarah Baugher, Sarah Thomen, Brian Watkins, Heather Hoenig, Mary Beth Stone, Ralph Gemmill, Erin Strevig, Gabby Middendorf, Cari Watrous and Megan Roland each competed in Dressage, Trail, and Equitation classes.

Four also showed as a Quadrille, ridden to the music from “Men in Black”.

Heather Hoenig was the recipient of the coveted Brushwood Trophy, awarded to
The Best Rider with Disabilities.

Rascal, a 25-year young Appaloosa, owned by Laura Heller and loaned to 4-H TRP, was the recipient of the Francis P. Hayes Trophy, awarded to the Champion Therapeutic Horse.

Encl:

jpg: men in black = Cari Watrous & Handsom, Megan Roland & JJ, Syd Lea & Rascal, Mary Beth Stone & Hobbs

jpg: rascal hre horse of the year 09 = Heather Hoenig mounted on Rascal, aides = Karen Scott, Barb Peters receiving trophy blanket

20090527 11 4H TRP riders competed at the Thorncroft Equestrian Center

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Deter Thieves by Uglifying Your Camera

Deter Thieves by Uglifying Your Camera

A few years ago, blogger Jimmie Rodgers's camera was stolen while volunteering in an impoverished Brazilian community, so he did what any sane person would do: He bought an new camera and made it ugly.
Mon May 18 2009, by Adam Pash,

http://lifehacker.com/5259519/deter-thieves-by-uglifying-your-camera

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Recent columns and articles in Explore Carroll by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent columns and articles in Explore Carroll by Kevin Dayhoff

Celebration of memory and change
Published May 26, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
This year’s Westminster Memorial Day ceremonies witnessed many changes over the past — although the solemn tradition of 142 years continued. On Memorial Day the normal hustle and bustle of downtown Westminster paused to remember fallen veterans, and ... ...

Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Published May 22, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... We are deeply indebted to those who fought and died to give us the unalienable right to live free and cherish liberty in the pursuit of happiness.

EAGLE ARCHIVE: Mulkey is one of many, yet a special son of Carroll County
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... thanks to Mount Airy councilwoman Wendi Peters and American Legion Post 191 commander Roy True for their help with this column. We will resume the history trivia quiz next Sunday. In the meantime, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com....

Celebrating Cockey's Tavern, birthplace of Carroll County
Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
Thanks. When he's not hanging around old haunts such as Cockey's Tavern, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com....

Utz elected as new mayor of Westminster
Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... with 130 votes; Eleanor DeMario, 105; William Gill, 130; and William Hughes, 58. — compiled by Kevin Dayhoff Incumbent, two newcomers elected council Hampstead Hampstead Town Councilman Wayne Thomas won election along with newcomers Jamey Ayers and ... ...

Dayhoff: The rebirth of the Cockey's Tavern building in Westminster
Published May 12, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... column in the Carroll Eagle of The Baltimore Sun for more of the rich history of Cockey’s.

Crunching numbers, and historic perspective, in Westminster election
Published May 12, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... “I’m humbled and anxious to get started.” The writer, Kevin Dayhoff, is a history columnist for The Eagle newspapers. He served as ... did his grandfather Frank Thomas Babylon for several years in the 1890s. Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com. ...

Utz elected as Westminster mayor
Published May 11, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... the top vote-getter of the evening with 512 votes. Others in the council race were Darcel Harris (130 votes), Eleanor DeMario (105), William Gill (130) and William Hughes (58).— compiled by Kevin Dayhoff...

For municipalities that still exist, elections renew a call to activism
Published May 10, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... who was the first mayor? Think you know? Drop me an e-mail at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com. Be sure to add Carroll Eagle in the subject line. Thanks. When he is not handicapping the municipal elections

Dayhoff: How water drove the growth Westminster ... and still does
Published May 4, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... 200 years after our community banded together to maintain a steady and reliable water supply. Feedback, questions, and comments are welcome in the readers’ comments section below. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com....

Readers revel in the details of the great baseball tater caper
Published May 3, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... who declared the caper the "hidden-ball trick to end all hidden-ball tricks." No history trivia question this week -- I'm missing the baseball game on TV. When he is not watching baseball, Kevin Dayhoff may reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com. ...

DAYHOFF: Cutting a ribbon on history at the Westminster Water Treatment Plant
Published April 29, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... prosper. Note: next week's column will review a more in-depth history of the story of the early Westminster water systems. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster, where he served as mayor from 2001 to 2005. When he is not enjoying a great glass of Westminster ... ...

Cutting the 'Horse Train Stop' of Sykesville out of Howard County
Published April 26, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... line. Thanks. If you answer correctly, your name might be drawn for the coveted Carroll Eagle coffee mug, suitable for use in any county. When he's not straddling the line between two counties, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com....

Dayhoff: Getting the Community Media Center out of the closet
Published April 21, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... of not only the Community Media Center, but also everything that is great about our community.

Thoughts turn to baseball and Jackie Robinson
Published April 17, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... is this week's winner of the famed Carroll Eagle mug. For an extended version of this column, with even more on Jackie Robinson, go to explorecarroll.com. When he's not enjoying April showers, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com. ...

Dayhoff: Recalling Jackie Robinson, the great American experiment
Published April 15, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... comments below. That’s my two cents. What’s yours? Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster.

Mills' contributions to hospital follow a healthful tradition
Published April 12, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... me with information for this week's column. If you'd like to learn more about the work of the foundation, give her a call at 410- 871-6200. When he is not eating sushi with Sherri Hosfeld Joseph ...

Recalling the devastating Westminster fire of 1906
Published April 8, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... Spring Carnival. It is never too early to start teaching your children fire safety. As history shows us -- it's everyone's concern and it can be a matter of life and death. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster.

County jail started out 0-for-1 when it came to holding prisoners
Published April 3, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... you know? Drop me an e-mail at kevindayhoff@gmail.com. Be sure to add Carroll Eagle in the subject line. Thanks. When he's not "climbing down the spouting" to get away from his cell phone, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at kevindayhoff@gmail.com....

Dayhoff: A brief review of the Westminster Navy, and its role in American history
Published April 1, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... Navy; a proud heritage few Carroll Countians know. Now you know it too. Well, perhaps not. Happy April Fool's Day. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff AT gmail.com, or add your thoughts to the readers' comment section below....

20090527 SDOSM Recent cols and arts in Explore Carroll by KED

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Flame of Hope Arrives in Carroll County June 3 2009

Flame of Hope Arrives in Carroll County!

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kelley Wallace/SOMD
PH: 410-789-6677 x117
Cell: 443-386-7965
E-mail: kwallace AT somd.org

OR

Chief Jeff Spaulding
Westminster Police Department
PH: 410-848-4646
E-mail: jspaulding AT westgov.com

Flame of Hope Arrives in Carroll County!

Carroll County Law Enforcement Officers Join Forces to Escort the Special Olympics Maryland Torch, Ensuring its Safe Passage to the 2009 SOMD Summer Games

Law Enforcement officers representing the police agencies throughout Carroll County will be out in force on Wednesday, June 3rd beginning at 8:00 AM, escorting the Special Olympics Maryland “Flame of Hope” from five (5) separate points around the county to Westminster. There they will join together and officially present the Flame of Hope in a brief ceremony at noon at City Hall. It is the duty of these Law Enforcement Torch Runners to ensure that the Flame is protected until it is delivered to the waiting hands of Special Olympics athletes on Friday, June 5th at the Opening Ceremony for the Special Olympic Maryland Summer Games held at Towson University, Towson Maryland.

This portion of the Torch Run Relay is part of the Central Leg, and Torch Run volunteers from the Maryland State Police, Sykesville PD, Hampstead PD, Manchester PD, Taneytown PD, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the McDaniel College Office of Campus Safety, Springfield Hospital Police, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Office of the State’s Attorney, Maryland Police Training Commission and Westminster PD will escort the flame through various municipalities around the County, eventually converging at McDaniel College and traveling in a unified “Final Leg” along Main Street to City Hall in Westminster. The law enforcement volunteers are raising funds in conjunction with the run by selling Torch Run T-shirts, holding events, and soliciting donations. (See end of press release for details on each of the 6 legs).

“We are proud to join our brother and sister law enforcement and correctional officers from around the world in demonstrating our support for these very special members of our community,” stated Chief Jeff Spaulding of the Westminster Police Department. “We are particularly pleased that we will be joined on each of our runs by Special Olympics athletes from right here in Carroll County. It is a great opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing relationship between law enforcement and Special Olympics that we enjoy in Maryland.” Chief Spaulding invites the community to attend a short ceremony at Westminster City Hall following the Final Leg during which the Special Olympics Athletes who participate as Torch Runners will be honored for their participation.

Statewide, the Maryland Torch Run Relay consists of four different legs – Eastern, Western, Central and Southern – and during the week of June 1st to 5th, thousands of law enforcement Torch Run volunteers will cover hundreds of miles, eventually converging on Towson where the individual flames will be united in the Final Leg Ceremony, and then officers from around the state will travel the final three (3) miles to the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies at Towson University. It is there that the “Flame of Hope” is handed off to Special Olympics athletes who have the honor of lighting the cauldron and officially declaring the 2009 SOMD Summer Games open. Carroll County will be represented by Chief Jeff Spaulding and other members of the Westminster PD in the Final Leg on Friday, June 5th.

The Maryland Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is a year-round movement whose goal is to raise both funds and public awareness for the athletes who train and compete in Special Olympics Maryland. When it began in 1986, only a handful of officers participated, raising about $50,000. Since that time, the Maryland Torch Run has grown tremendously, including volunteer officers from nearly every law enforcement agency and correctional facility in Maryland, raising more than $3.8 million for Special Olympics Maryland in 2008 – the largest single fund raising effort for Special Olympics in the world.

For more information about the Carroll County Torch Run Relay, or to support the Torch Run Relay by purchasing a commemorative Torch Run T-shirt for $10, contact the Westminster Police Department at (410) 848-4646. For more information about Special Olympics Maryland and the 2009 Summer Games, contact Kelley Wallace at (410) 789-6677 x117 or visit http://www.somd.org/.

THE CARROLL COUNTY TORCH RUN EVENT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING LEGS:

Sykesville Leg – Members of the Maryland State Police, Maryland Police Training Commission, Sykesville PD, and the Springfield Hospital Police. Runners/bicyclists will depart Maryland Police Training Commission Training Facility @ 8:15 AM and travel north on Route 32, Johnsville Road, west on Liberty Road to Route 97, to McDaniel College.

Hampstead/Manchester Leg – Members of the Hampstead PD, and Manchester PD. Runners and bicyclists will depart Manchester PD @ 9:00 AM and travel south on Route 27 to McDaniel College.

Taneytown Leg – Members of the Taneytown Police Department, Office of the State Fire Marshall and the Carroll County Crisis Response Team. Runners/bicyclists will depart the Taneytown Bowling Center @ 9:00 AM and travel east on Route 140 to WMC Drive to McDaniel College.

Mt. Airy Leg – Members of the Maryland State Police. Runners/bicyclists will depart Mt. Airy @ 8:00 AM and travel north on Route 27 to McDaniel College.

Union Bridge/New Windsor Leg – Members of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Runners/bicyclists will depart the Union Bridge Fire Hall @ 9:00 AM and travel east through New Windsor on Route 31 to McDaniel College.

Final Leg – Includes all participating law enforcement agencies in Carroll County (see above) to include members of the McDaniel College Department of Campus Safety, Office of the State’s Attorney and Westminster Police Department. Runners/bicyclists will depart McDaniel College @ noon and travel east along Main Street to City Hall where a Torch Run welcoming ceremony and celebration will take place.

# # #

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoffart.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff
Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Explore Carroll most emailed

Explore Carroll most emailed

http://www.explorecarroll.com/

Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Westminster Eagle

State using goats as lawnmowers along Hampstead Bypass
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Logic and reality need not apply in the world of political thought
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Ramping up for the bypass
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

For parents, a mix of pride and fear for our soldiers
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Movie Guide
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Kindred Spirits
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle

10 Days 05-24
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Soldiers on the other Side
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

Gamber opens carnival season
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

20090527 SDOSM Explore Carroll most emailed

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Explore Carroll most read

Explore Carroll most read

http://explorecarroll.com/

Dayhoff: Celebration of memory and change
Posted: May 26th, 2009 in Westminster Eagle

Body identified in Hampstead truck fire
Posted: May 23rd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Grand: Whether off-shore or in deep pockets, tax loopholes need a quick fix
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

Long and short end of the stick
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Eldersburg Eagle

For parents, a mix of pride and fear for our soldiers
Posted: May 22nd, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Troopers arrest 2 in connection with Manchester burglaries
Posted: May 19th, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Three New Windsor candidates win unopposed
Posted: May 13th, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Incumbent holds on to seat in Hampstead
Posted: May 13th, 2009 in Carroll Eagle

Dayhoff: The rebirth of the Cockey's Tavern building in Westminster
Posted: May 12th, 2009 in Westminster Eagle

Dayhoff: How water drove the growth Westminster ... and still does
Posted: May 4th, 2009 in Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle

20090526 SDOSM Explore Carroll most read

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

More on Maryland's Missing Millionaires

More on Maryland's Missing Millionaires

May 26, 2009

When Governor O'Malley and Democrat legislative leaders proposed increasing the tax rate on Maryland's highest income earners - Republican Senators stood in floor debate and stridently argued that millionaires would flee the state. Some Senators even provided evidence from lawyers and accountants about the ease with which this class of taxpayers could legally change their status of residency.

The Republican debate was rebuffed as being "anecdotal." Over the GOP's objections, the Democrats passed their "tax the wealthy" plan.

As opined in the Wall Street Journal today, the short-sighted Democrat tax plan combined with the hefty Maryland estate tax has made Maryland a bad environment for millionaires. And they are fleeing - leaving a shortfall in taxes that they used to pay which results in higher taxes for you and me.

See www.mdsenategop.com.

20090526 SDOSM More on Marylands Missing Millionaires

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Carroll County Memorial Day services

Carroll County Memorial Day services

Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle

... services on Monday related to Memorial Day. As we pause to ... Westminster will host its annual Memorial Day Parade and Service on ... at 410-848-6179.Sykesville memorial The Sykesville American Legion Post ... front of the Hampstead War Memorial, on the corner of routes ... ...

Carroll County will host several services on Monday related to Memorial Day. As we pause to thank service men and women past and present, we iffer this list for those who'd like to take part in local ceremonies. Happy Memorial Day.

Westminster memorial parade The City of Westminster will host its annual Memorial Day Parade and Service on Monday, beginning at 10 a.m. The parade steps off on Pennsylvania Avenue and follows main Street to the Westminster Cemetery, Church Street. If parade is canceled due to weather, the service will be held at National Guard Armory, Hahn Road, Westminster. Call Daniel Bohn at 410-848-6179.

Sykesville memorial The Sykesville American Legion Post 223 will host its 22nd Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. Monday at the legion hall, 7327 Slacks Road, . Guest speaker will be J.D. Larson, department sergeant of arms. Legion scholarship winners will give readings and legion member Jerry Broos will play “Taps.” For more information, call 410-795-7242

Mount Airy service Mount Airy American Legion Gold Star Post 191 will host its annual Memorial day service at 11 a.m. Monday at Pine Grove Chapel, South Main Street, Mount Airy. Not everyone will be admitted for service; loudspeaker will be provided outside. For information, call 301-829-9161.

Taneytown observance American Legion Hesson-Snider Post 120 will host a Memorial Day observance with a guest speaker and refreshments at 2 p.m. at the post hall, 9 Broad St., Taneytown. For more information, call 410-756-2219.

Hampstead service Hampstead will host a service at 9 a.m. Monday in front of the Hampstead War Memorial, on the corner of routes 30 and 833. The parade is canceled.

List of articles and columns on Memorial Day in Explore Carroll

Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Published May 22, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... gather together, after the traditional Memorial Day parade, to our express ... 20, 1899, was an important day in our neighboring community of ... for it was on that day that the Carroll County Military ... the important topics of the day, when they could have gathered ... ...


EAGLE ARCHIVE: Mulkey is one of many, yet a special son of Carroll County
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... at Carroll County's Vietnam Memorial Park, located across the street ... addition to the Carroll County Memorial, Pfc. Mulkey may be found ... Line 017, on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington. Next time you ... service. As we gather this Memorial Day as a community to ... ...


Soldiers on the other Side
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... dedication ceremony held at Loudon Park's annual Confederate Memorial Day celebration June 6. Pyle, who also helps ... the "Adopt A Confederate" link. The Sons of Confederate Veterans' 2009 Confederate Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m ... ...


For parents, a mix of pride and fear for our soldiers
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... they have children fighting our wars overseas. Memorial Day is a holiday to remember ... I imagine many parents do every day, she supported him in his decision ... is so important to be a part of honoring heroes this Memorial Day. One "milmom" posted ... ...


10 Days 05-24
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... -795-6043. Monday, 05-25 Memorial Day The City of Westminster ... -4505. Wednesday, 05-27 Senior Day The Carroll County Health Department will host a senior day on Wednesday, 9 a.m. to ... ., Westminster. General admission $5; all-day pass is $10. The event ... ...

20090524 SDOSM Carroll County Memorial Day services

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

List of articles and columns on Memorial Day in Explore Carroll

List of articles and columns on Memorial Day in Explore Carroll

Carroll County Memorial Day services
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... services on Monday related to Memorial Day. As we pause to ... Westminster will host its annual Memorial Day Parade and Service on ... Sykesville memorial The Sykesville American Legion Post ... front of the Hampstead War Memorial, on the corner of routes ... ...


Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Published May 22, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... gather together, after the traditional Memorial Day parade, to our express ... 20, 1899, was an important day in our neighboring community of ... for it was on that day that the Carroll County Military ... the important topics of the day, when they could have gathered ... ...


EAGLE ARCHIVE: Mulkey is one of many, yet a special son of Carroll County
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... at Carroll County's Vietnam Memorial Park, located across the street ... addition to the Carroll County Memorial, Pfc. Mulkey may be found ... Line 017, on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington. Next time you ... service. As we gather this Memorial Day as a community to ... ...


Soldiers on the other Side
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... dedication ceremony held at Loudon Park's annual Confederate Memorial Day celebration June 6. Pyle, who also helps ... the "Adopt A Confederate" link. The Sons of Confederate Veterans' 2009 Confederate Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m ... ...


For parents, a mix of pride and fear for our soldiers
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... they have children fighting our wars overseas. Memorial Day is a holiday to remember ... I imagine many parents do every day, she supported him in his decision ... is so important to be a part of honoring heroes this Memorial Day. One "milmom" posted ... ...


10 Days 05-24
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... -795-6043. Monday, 05-25 Memorial Day The City of Westminster ... -4505. Wednesday, 05-27 Senior Day The Carroll County Health Department will host a senior day on Wednesday, 9 a.m. to ... ., Westminster. General admission $5; all-day pass is $10. The event ... ...

20090524 SDOSM List of articles columns on Mem Day in Explore Carroll

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Memorial Day: It is not the reporter…

Memorial Day: It is not the reporter…

May 24, 2009

At this point approximately 1.5 million men and women in uniform have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. For me, I’m a free speech kind of guy and I do not give a rat’s ass if you are for, or against the war.... Just remember this....

To paraphrase a quote that is attributed to Zell Miller:

It is the Soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.

It is the soldier, not the reporter, who gives us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the preacher, who gives us freedom of religion.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer who gives us freedom to assemble.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who gives us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, not the politician, who gives us the right to vote.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who makes all of this possible, day after day after day!

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.

20090524 SDOSM Memorial Day: It is not the reporter…

20090524-D9000-in-the-sandb.gif

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Annual%20Memorial%20Day

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Camp Upshur USMCR 1972

Camp Upshur USMCR

We were awfully young...

Kevin E. Dayhoff, USMCR, Top Row - First Right
K Company, 4th Platoon, Marine Corps Development and Education Command, Camp Upshur, Quantico, VA 11 June - 21 July 1972 USMCR

19720611 to 19720721c K Co 4th Platoon Quantico Vasm.jpg
19720000 FB SDOSM Camp Upshur Group Pic K Co USMCR
20090524 SDOSM 19720000 Camp Upshur Group Pic K Co USMCR

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

This is for the soldiers…

This is for my friends in the sandbox in the line of fire

This is for the soldiers…

ThisIsForTheSoldiers.org (by Lizzy Palmer)

This rocks. Since once again this Memorial Day I have friends over in the sandbox in the line of fire, this is for them…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB0jigYknwM




1.5 million people have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They risk their lives every day to defend you. Now you can really show your support, whether you are for or against the war.

Please visit ThisIsForTheSoldiers.org.
http://thisisforthesoldiers.org/
Tour footage courtesy of USO:
http://www.uso.org/
Music by Drowning Pool:
http://www.drowningpool.com/

********NOTE********
This video was made by, 15 year-old, Lizzy Palmer.
As a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, who has friends in the line of fire, I felt compelled to share this with you.
People, like Lizzy, give me faith in the youth of America and the world.
Please check out her channel:
http://www.youtube.com/FlutieCutie

I have chosen to Re-post this, on my channel, to bring attention to this worthy cause. Videos, like this, can make a difference. Videos, like this, are what is good about YouTube. Please rate, fav, comment, and share, on this, and/or the original:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsfwNT...
I want as many people, as possible, to be made aware of this orginization.
Thanks for your time.
-Allen

*****
Remember Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervaMPt4Ha0



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW1toLy_FMQ



20090524 SDOSM ThisIsForTheSoldiersorg by Lizzy Palmer

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Defense chief praises soldier in pink boxers

Defense chief praises soldier in pink boxers

GI jumped into action with flip-flops, too, after surprise Taliban attack

AP Fri., May 22, 2009

Photo by David Guttenfelder / AP: Zachery Boyd, in pink boxers, was routed from his sleep on May 11 by Taliban fire on a base in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan's Kunar Province. With him are Cecil Montgomery of Many, La., far right; and Jordan Custer of Spokane, Wash.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates says American soldiers have more than their military might and training on their side in the war in Afghanistan. Some have pink underwear.

Gates told an audience in New York about Specialist Zachary Boyd, routed from sleep by enemy fire on his post in eastern Afghanistan.

"He immediately grabbed his rifle and rushed into a defensive position clad in his helmet, body armor, and pink boxer shorts that said 'I Love New York,'" Gates said Thursday night.

[…]

"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said, adding that Boyd may have hit on a new kind of psychological warfare. "I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban.

[…]

Read the entire story here: Defense chief praises soldier in pink boxers

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30887233/?GT1=43001

20090524 DEFSEC praise soldier in pink shorts

Related:

U.S. defense chief lauds soldier in pink boxers

Gates: Solider in Pink Boxers Has "Special Kind of Courage"

Soldier Battles Taliban in Pink Undies

Soldier Pink Boxer Picture Draws Attention

Photo of US soldier in pink boxers turns iconic

View related photos

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

MSP has made a positive ID made of man found in burning truck

Maryland State Police has made a positive ID made of man found in burning truck

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 23, 2009

POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION MADE OF MAN FOUND IN BURNING TRUCK

(Hampstead, MD) � A forensic examination has resulted in the positive identification of the man whose body was found inside a burning truck on a Carroll County church parking lot early yesterday morning.

The victim is identified as Duane F. Fuller, 39, of the 2600-block of Susanann Drive, Hampstead, Md. The identification was made through the use of dental records by forensic experts at the Office of the State Medical Examiner.

The cause and manner of Fuller's death remain under investigation. The circumstances surrounding his death continue to be investigated by State Police criminal investigators from the Westminster Barracks and deputy state fire marshals from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

At about 4:15 a.m. yesterday, members of the Hampstead Volunteer Fire Department responded to extinguish a fully-engulfed pick up truck that was seen burning on the parking lot of a church in the 1600-block of Cape Horn Road, Hampstead. Fuller's body was found inside a 2006 diesel Ford utility pick up truck with a crew cab after fire personnel extinguished the blaze.

The truck belonged to Sunrise Safety Services of Glen Burnie. Fuller was employed by that company and was involved in work on the Hampstead Bypass, which is near where the victim was found.

The investigation is continuing.

###

CONTACT: Mr. Gregory ShipleyOffice of Media Communications & Marketing410-653-4236 (Office) 410-653-4200 (through Headquarters Duty Officer)

20090523 SDOSM MSP has made a positive ID made of man found in burning truck

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

Two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats. None of the cats, humans, or engineers were mistreated in the making of this film. They were however, slightly annoyed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHXBL6bzAR4



I lost it at the cat-yodeling segment.

20090523 SDOSM An Engineers Guide to Cats

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

http://explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&y=0&p=1&s=Dayhoff

Dayhoff: Maryland National Guard Company H, had its beginnings in the flower business
Published May 22, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
We are deeply indebted to those who fought and died to give us the unalienable right to live free and cherish liberty in the pursuit of happiness. Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com....

Mulkey is one of many, yet a special son of Carroll County
Published May 22, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... thanks to Mount Airy councilwoman Wendi Peters and American Legion Post 191 commander Roy True for their help with this column. We will resume the history trivia quiz next Sunday. In the meantime, Kevin Dayhoff may be reached at

Celebrating Cockey's Tavern, birthplace of Carroll County
Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... When he's not hanging around old haunts such as Cockey's Tavern,....

Utz elected as new mayor of Westminster
Published May 18, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
… — compiled by Kevin Dayhoff

Dayhoff: The rebirth of the Cockey's Tavern building in Westminster
Published May 12, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
… column in the Carroll Eagle of The Baltimore Sun for more of the rich history of Cockey’s.Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster.

Crunching numbers, and historic perspective, in Westminster election
Published May 12, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
... The writer, Kevin Dayhoff, is a history columnist for The Eagle newspapers. He served as ... did his grandfather Frank Thomas Babylon for several years in the 1890s.

Utz elected as Westminster mayor
Published May 11, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
— compiled by Kevin Dayhoff...

For municipalities that still exist, elections renew a call to activism
Published May 10, 2009 by Carroll Eagle

Dayhoff: How water drove the growth Westminster ... and still does
Published May 4, 2009 by Carroll Eagle, Westminster Eagle
... 200 years after our community banded together to maintain a steady and reliable water supply. Feedback, questions, and comments are welcome in the readers’ comments section below.

Readers revel in the details of the great baseball tater caper
Published May 3, 2009 by Carroll Eagle
... who declared the caper the "hidden-ball trick to end all hidden-ball tricks." No history trivia question this week -- I'm missing the baseball game on TV. When he is not watching baseball…

20090523 Recent Explore Carroll columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Md Natl Guard Co H began in the flower business

The Maryland National Guard Company H, from Carroll County had its beginnings 110 years ago in the flower business.

From its roots in a Frizellburg flower business, to the shores of Normandy on D-Day, part of the family tree of the famed 29th Division, Company H, from Carroll County started to grow 110 years ago.

By Kevin Dayhoff, May 20, 2009

Next Monday is Memorial Day. It is a solemn day that Carroll County has faithfully observed for 142 years

Hopefully I will see you and your family at the historic Westminster Cemetery when we gather together, after the traditional Memorial Day parade, to our express our profound gratitude for the acts of brave patriots who gave their full measure to preserve our way of life.

Just after last year’s observances of Memorial Day, I wrote a Sunday Carroll Eagle column on D-Day, and the fact that many Carroll Countians served in the 29th Division - which along with V Corps and the 1st Infantry Division made up the total of 34,250 troops, 3,300 vehicles - who landed at “Omaha Beach” that faithful day on June 6, 1944, at 6:30 in the morning.

For several months after that column appeared, many readers asked for more information on the 29th Division and its humble beginnings in Carroll County as Company H of the Maryland National Guard

As a matter of fact, the D-Day column came as a result of reader feedback from an earlier column on the history and tradition of the Memorial Day observances in Westminster.

Folks also took me aside during last year’s Westminster’s Memorial Day ceremonies and contacted me after I had the opportunity to talk about the Memorial Day holiday and D-Day on WTTR with Gail Jones, the guardianship program coordinator for the Carroll County bureau of aging, on the “Carroll Senior News” program.

Then the topic came up again when I was honored to be the guest of George Miller and Paul Garver last year at the Westminster Senior Center for a Memorial Day program.

I promised that I would fill-in more of the history of Company H this year, in time for the 2009 Westminster observance of Memorial Day.

Candidly, the history and tradition of Company H of the Maryland National Guard and the 29th Division will remain a long-term project because one could write a lengthy book on the topic.

For this installment, we’ll just introduce you to the early roots of Company H and we’ll see what further questions arise and take it from there.

[…]

Read the entire column here: http://tinyurl.com/rb7542

Memorial Day http://www.explorecarroll.com/ Md Natl Guard Co H began in flower business Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/rb7542
http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/2941/dayhoff/

20090520 sdosm Md Natl Guard Co H began in the flower business

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Military Maryland National Guard, Dayhoff writing essays history, History Carroll Co, History 1890s, Ag Horticulture, Military Md Natl Guard Co H, Military 29th Divsion, Dayhoff writing essays military, Annual Memorial Day, Military Memorial Day,

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

City of Westminster Fire Hydrant Flushing Scheduled

City of Westminster Fire Hydrant Flushing Scheduled

City of Westminster
56 West Main Street
Westminster, MD 21158
Phone (410) 848-9000
Fax (410) 848-7476

Press Release
Contact: Mike Zechman
Phone: 410-848-5043

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, May 23, 2009

Fire Hydrant Flushing Scheduled

The City of Westminster, Department of Public Works, wishes to inform the public that Utility Maintenance Department personnel will systematically flush fire hydrants throughout the City from 8 pm to midnight on May 26 and 27. This will cause some discoloration to the water and it is advisable to refrain from doing laundry the following day.

The Department recommends opening all faucets first thing in the morning and running until it is clear. In addition, draw enough water the night before to allow for your morning usage, such as making coffee, etc. Residents can rest assured that even if water is discolored that it is still fully treated and potable.

Please bear with us during this procedure as it is necessary for continued quality service.

Areas affected are:

Carroll Meadows
Eden Farms
Devlin Square
Sullivan Road
Hahn Road
Cranberry Road
Westminster Town Mall
Cranberry Square
Airport area

For more information, please contact the Westminster Department of Public Works at 410-848-9000.

-End-

20090520 City of Westminster press release hydrant flushed

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

It was a lovely day to protest.

It was a lovely day to protest.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Pictured are the airport protesters at the Carroll County office building in Westminster Maryland.

Seems they are also protesting Carroll County commissioners Julia Gouge and Mike Zimmer.

Dayhoff Daily Photoblog
20090521 Airport protesters

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Text of Dick Cheneys National Security Speech at AEI

Text of Dick Cheneys National Security Speech at AEI

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/21/raw-data-text-dick-cheneys-national-security-speech-aei/

RAW DATA: Text of President Obama's Speech on National Security [2009-05-21]
Obama 'Distracted' by Biden's 'Indiscipline,' Book Asserts [2009-05-21]

Obama Remains Steadfast in Plan to Close Gitmo, Blisters Bush Administration [2009-05-21]

Trade Deficit Widens to $27.6 Billion in March [2009-05-12]

Comedian Wanda Sykes Draws Fire With Cracks About Rush Limbaugh's Health, Patriotism

RAW DATA: Text of Dick Cheney's National Security Speech at AEI

Former Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a speech at the American Enterprise Institute addressing the critical issues of national security and providing a blueprint for keeping American safe in the future.

FOXNews.com Thursday, May 21, 2009

Thank you all very much, and Arthur, thank you for that introduction. It's good to be back at AEI, where we have many friends. Lynne is one of your longtime scholars, and I'm looking forward to spending more time here myself as a returning trustee. What happened was, they were looking for a new member of the board of trustees, and they asked me to head up the search committee.

I first came to AEI after serving at the Pentagon, and departed only after a very interesting job offer came along. I had no expectation of returning to public life, but my career worked out a little differently. Those eight years as vice president were quite a journey, and during a time of big events and great decisions, I don't think I missed much.

Being the first vice president who had also served as secretary of defense, naturally my duties tended toward national security. I focused on those challenges day to day, mostly free from the usual political distractions. I had the advantage of being a vice president content with the responsibilities I had, and going about my work with no higher ambition. Today, I'm an even freer man. Your kind invitation brings me here as a private citizen - a career in politics behind me, no elections to win or lose, and no favor to seek.

The responsibilities we carried belong to others now. And though I'm not here to speak for George W. Bush, I am certain that no one wishes the current administration more success in defending the country than we do. We understand the complexities of national security decisions. We understand the pressures that confront a president and his advisers. Above all, we know what is at stake. And though administrations and policies have changed, the stakes for America have not changed.

Right now there is considerable debate in this city about the measures our administration took to defend the American people. Today I want to set forth the strategic thinking behind our policies. I do so as one who was there every day of the Bush Administration -who supported the policies when they were made, and without hesitation would do so again in the same circumstances.

When President Obama makes wise decisions, as I believe he has done in some respects on Afghanistan, and in reversing his plan to release incendiary photos, he deserves our support. And when he faults or mischaracterizes the national security decisions we made in the Bush years, he deserves an answer. The point is not to look backward. Now and for years to come, a lot rides on our President's understanding of the security policies that preceded him. And whatever choices he makes concerning the defense of this country, those choices should not be based on slogans and campaign rhetoric, but on a truthful telling of history.

Our administration always faced its share of criticism, and from some quarters it was always intense. That was especially so in the later years of our term, when the dangers were as serious as ever, but the sense of general alarm after September 11th, 2001 was a fading memory. Part of our responsibility, as we saw it, was not to forget the terrible harm that had been done to America … and not to let 9/11 become the prelude to something much bigger and far worse.

That attack itself was, of course, the most devastating strike in a series of terrorist plots carried out against Americans at home and abroad. In 1993, terrorists bombed the World Trade Center, hoping to bring down the towers with a blast from below. The attacks continued in 1995, with the bombing of U.S. facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; the killing of servicemen at Khobar Towers in 1996; the attack on our embassies in East Africa in 1998; the murder of American sailors on the USS Cole in 2000; and then the hijackings of 9/11, and all the grief and loss we suffered on that day.

Nine-eleven caused everyone to take a serious second look at threats that had been gathering for a while, and enemies whose plans were getting bolder and more sophisticated. Throughout the 90s, America had responded to these attacks, if at all, on an ad hoc basis. The first attack on the World Trade Center was treated as a law enforcement problem, with everything handled after the fact - crime scene, arrests, indictments, convictions, prison sentences, case closed.

That's how it seemed from a law enforcement perspective, at least - but for the terrorists the case was not closed. For them, it was another offensive strike in their ongoing war against the United States. And it turned their minds to even harder strikes with higher casualties. Nine-eleven made necessary a shift of policy, aimed at a clear strategic threat - what the Congress called "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States." From that moment forward, instead of merely preparing to round up the suspects and count up the victims after the next attack, we were determined to prevent attacks in the first place.

We could count on almost universal support back then, because everyone understood the environment we were in. We'd just been hit by a foreign enemy - leaving 3,000 Americans dead, more than we lost at Pearl Harbor. In Manhattan, we were staring at 16 acres of ashes. The Pentagon took a direct hit, and the Capitol or the White House were spared only by the Americans on Flight 93, who died bravely and defiantly.

Everyone expected a follow-on attack, and our job was to stop it. We didn't know what was coming next, but everything we did know in that autumn of 2001 looked bad. This was the world in which al-Qaeda was seeking nuclear technology, and A. Q. Khan was selling nuclear technology on the black market. We had the anthrax attack from an unknown source. We had the training camps of Afghanistan, and dictators like Saddam Hussein with known ties to Mideast terrorists.

These are just a few of the problems we had on our hands. And foremost on our minds was the prospect of the very worst coming to pass - a 9/11 with nuclear weapons.

For me, one of the defining experiences was the morning of 9/11 itself. As you might recall, I was in my office in that first hour, when radar caught sight of an airliner heading toward the White House at 500 miles an hour. That was Flight 77, the one that ended up hitting the Pentagon. With the plane still inbound, Secret Service agents came into my office and said we had to leave, now. A few moments later I found myself in a fortified White House command post somewhere down below.

There in the bunker came the reports and images that so many Americans remember from that day - word of the crash in Pennsylvania, the final phone calls from hijacked planes, the final horror for those who jumped to their death to escape burning alive. In the years since, I've heard occasional speculation that I'm a different man after 9/11. I wouldn't say that. But I'll freely admit that watching a coordinated, devastating attack on our country from an underground bunker at the White House can affect how you view your responsibilities.

To make certain our nation country never again faced such a day of horror, we developed a comprehensive strategy, beginning with far greater homeland security to make the United States a harder target. But since wars cannot be won on the defensive, we moved decisively against the terrorists in their hideouts and sanctuaries, and committed to using every asset to take down their networks. We decided, as well, to confront the regimes that sponsored terrorists, and to go after those who provide sanctuary, funding, and weapons to enemies of the United States. We turned special attention to regimes that had the capacity to build weapons of mass destruction, and might transfer such weapons to terrorists.

We did all of these things, and with bipartisan support put all these policies in place. It has resulted in serious blows against enemy operations … the take-down of the A.Q. Khan network … and the dismantling of Libya's nuclear program. It's required the commitment of many thousands of troops in two theaters of war, with high points and some low points in both Iraq and Afghanistan - and at every turn, the people of our military carried the heaviest burden. Well over seven years into the effort, one thing we know is that the enemy has spent most of this time on the defensive - and every attempt to strike inside the United States has failed.

So we're left to draw one of two conclusions - and here is the great dividing line in our current debate over national security. You can look at the facts and conclude that the comprehensive strategy has worked, and therefore needs to be continued as vigilantly as ever. Or you can look at the same set of facts and conclude that 9/11 was a one-off event - coordinated, devastating, but also unique and not sufficient to justify a sustained wartime effort. Whichever conclusion you arrive at, it will shape your entire view of the last seven years, and of the policies necessary to protect America for years to come.

The key to any strategy is accurate intelligence, and skilled professionals to get that information in time to use it. In seeking to guard this nation against the threat of catastrophic violence, our Administration gave intelligence officers the tools and lawful authority they needed to gain vital information. We didn't invent that authority. It is drawn from Article Two of the Constitution. And it was given specificity by the Congress after 9/11, in a Joint Resolution authorizing "all necessary and appropriate force" to protect the American people.

Our government prevented attacks and saved lives through the Terrorist Surveillance Program, which let us intercept calls and track contacts between al-Qaeda operatives and persons inside the United States. The program was top secret, and for good reason, until the editors of the New York Times got it and put it on the front page. After 9/11, the Times had spent months publishing the pictures and the stories of everyone killed by al-Qaeda on 9/11. Now here was that same newspaper publishing secrets in a way that could only help al-Qaeda. It impressed the Pulitzer committee, but it damn sure didn't serve the interests of our country, or the safety of our people.

In the years after 9/11, our government also understood that the safety of the country required collecting information known only to the worst of the terrorists. And in a few cases, that information could be gained only through tough interrogations.

In top secret meetings about enhanced interrogations, I made my own beliefs clear. I was and remain a strong proponent of our enhanced interrogation program. The interrogations were used on hardened terrorists after other efforts failed. They were legal, essential, justified, successful, and the right thing to do. The intelligence officers who questioned the terrorists can be proud of their work and proud of the results, because they prevented the violent death of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of innocent people.

Our successors in office have their own views on all of these matters.

By presidential decision, last month we saw the selective release of documents relating to enhanced interrogations. This is held up as a bold exercise in open government, honoring the public's right to know. We're informed, as well, that there was much agonizing over this decision.

Yet somehow, when the soul-searching was done and the veil was lifted on the policies of the Bush administration, the public was given less than half the truth. The released memos were carefully redacted to leave out references to what our government learned through the methods in question. Other memos, laying out specific terrorist plots that were averted, apparently were not even considered for release. For reasons the administration has yet to explain, they believe the public has a right to know the method of the questions, but not the content of the answers.

Over on the left wing of the president's party, there appears to be little curiosity in finding out what was learned from the terrorists. The kind of answers they're after would be heard before a so-called "Truth Commission." Some are even demanding that those who recommended and approved the interrogations be prosecuted, in effect treating political disagreements as a punishable offense, and political opponents as criminals. It's hard to imagine a worse precedent, filled with more possibilities for trouble and abuse, than to have an incoming administration criminalize the policy decisions of its predecessors.

Apart from doing a serious injustice to intelligence operators and lawyers who deserve far better for their devoted service, the danger here is a loss of focus on national security, and what it requires. I would advise the administration to think very carefully about the course ahead. All the zeal that has been directed at interrogations is utterly misplaced. And staying on that path will only lead our government further away from its duty to protect the American people.

One person who by all accounts objected to the release of the interrogation memos was the Director of Central Intelligence, Leon Panetta. He was joined in that view by at least four of his predecessors. I assume they felt this way because they understand the importance of protecting intelligence sources, methods, and personnel. But now that this once top-secret information is out for all to see - including the enemy - let me draw your attention to some points that are routinely overlooked.

It is a fact that only detainees of the highest intelligence value were ever subjected to enhanced interrogation. You've heard endlessly about waterboarding. It happened to three terrorists. One of them was Khalid Sheikh Muhammed - the mastermind of 9/11, who has also boasted about beheading Daniel Pearl.

We had a lot of blind spots after the attacks on our country. We didn't know about al-Qaeda's plans, but Khalid Sheikh Muhammed and a few others did know. And with many thousands of innocent lives potentially in the balance, we didn't think it made sense to let the terrorists answer questions in their own good time, if they answered them at all.

Maybe you've heard that when we captured KSM, he said he would talk as soon as he got to New York City and saw his lawyer. But like many critics of interrogations, he clearly misunderstood the business at hand. American personnel were not there to commence an elaborate legal proceeding, but to extract information from him before al-Qaeda could strike again and kill more of our people.

In public discussion of these matters, there has been a strange and sometimes willful attempt to conflate what happened at Abu Ghraib prison with the top secret program of enhanced interrogations. At Abu Ghraib, a few sadistic prison guards abused inmates in violation of American law, military regulations, and simple decency. For the harm they did, to Iraqi prisoners and to America's cause, they deserved and received Army justice. And it takes a deeply unfair cast of mind to equate the disgraces of Abu Ghraib with the lawful, skillful, and entirely honorable work of CIA personnel trained to deal with a few malevolent men.

Even before the interrogation program began, and throughout its operation, it was closely reviewed to ensure that every method used was in full compliance with the Constitution, statutes, and treaty obligations. On numerous occasions, leading members of Congress, including the current speaker of the House, were briefed on the program and on the methods.

Yet for all these exacting efforts to do a hard and necessary job and to do it right, we hear from some quarters nothing but feigned outrage based on a false narrative. In my long experience in Washington, few matters have inspired so much contrived indignation and phony moralizing as the interrogation methods applied to a few captured terrorists.

I might add that people who consistently distort the truth in this way are in no position to lecture anyone about "values." Intelligence officers of the United States were not trying to rough up some terrorists simply to avenge the dead of 9/11. We know the difference in this country between justice and vengeance. Intelligence officers were not trying to get terrorists to confess to past killings; they were trying to prevent future killings. From the beginning of the program, there was only one focused and all-important purpose. We sought, and we in fact obtained, specific information on terrorist plans.

Those are the basic facts on enhanced interrogations. And to call this a program of torture is to libel the dedicated professionals who have saved American lives, and to cast terrorists and murderers as innocent victims. What's more, to completely rule out enhanced interrogation methods in the future is unwise in the extreme. It is recklessness cloaked in righteousness, and would make the American people less safe.

The administration seems to pride itself on searching for some kind of middle ground in policies addressing terrorism. They may take comfort in hearing disagreement from opposite ends of the spectrum. If liberals are unhappy about some decisions, and conservatives are unhappy about other decisions, then it may seem to them that the President is on the path of sensible compromise. But in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground, and half-measures keep you half exposed. You cannot keep just some nuclear-armed terrorists out of the United States, you must keep every nuclear-armed terrorist out of the United States. Triangulation is a political strategy, not a national security strategy. When just a single clue that goes unlearned … one lead that goes unpursued … can bring on catastrophe - it's no time for splitting differences. There is never a good time to compromise when the lives and safety of the American people are in the balance.

Behind the overwrought reaction to enhanced interrogations is a broader misconception about the threats that still face our country. You can sense the problem in the emergence of euphemisms that strive to put an imaginary distance between the American people and the terrorist enemy. Apparently using the term "war" where terrorists are concerned is starting to feel a bit dated. So henceforth we're advised by the administration to think of the fight against terrorists as, quote, "Overseas contingency operations." In the event of another terrorist attack on America, the Homeland Security Department assures us it will be ready for this, quote, "man-made disaster" - never mind that the whole Department was created for the purpose of protecting Americans from terrorist attack.

And when you hear that there are no more, quote, "enemy combatants," as there were back in the days of that scary war on terror, at first that sounds like progress. The only problem is that the phrase is gone, but the same assortment of killers and would-be mass murderers are still there. And finding some less judgmental or more pleasant-sounding name for terrorists doesn't change what they are - or what they would do if we let them loose.

On his second day in office, President Obama announced that he was closing the detention facility at Guantanamo. This step came with little deliberation and no plan. Now the President says some of these terrorists should be brought to American soil for trial in our court system. Others, he says, will be shipped to third countries. But so far, the United States has had little luck getting other countries to take hardened terrorists. So what happens then? Attorney General Holder and others have admitted that the United States will be compelled to accept a number of the terrorists here, in the homeland, and it has even been suggested US taxpayer dollars will be used to support them. On this one, I find myself in complete agreement with many in the President's own party. Unsure how to explain to their constituents why terrorists might soon be relocating into their states, these Democrats chose instead to strip funding for such a move out of the most recent war supplemental.

The administration has found that it's easy to receive applause in Europe for closing Guantanamo. But it's tricky to come up with an alternative that will serve the interests of justice and America's national security. Keep in mind that these are hardened terrorists picked up overseas since 9/11. The ones that were considered low-risk were released a long time ago. And among these, we learned yesterday, many were treated too leniently, because 1 in 7 cut a straight path back to their prior line of work and have conducted murderous attacks in the Middle East. I think the President will find, upon reflection, that to bring the worst of the worst terrorists inside the United States would be cause for great danger and regret in the years to come.

In the category of euphemism, the prizewinning entry would be a recent editorial in a familiar newspaper that referred to terrorists we've captured as, quote, "abducted." Here we have ruthless enemies of this country, stopped in their tracks by brave operatives in the service of America, and a major editorial page makes them sound like they were kidnap victims, picked up at random on their way to the movies.

It's one thing to adopt the euphemisms that suggest we're no longer engaged in a war. These are just words, and in the end it's the policies that matter most. You don't want to call them enemy combatants? Fine. Call them what you want - just don't bring them into the United States. Tired of calling it a war? Use any term you prefer. Just remember it is a serious step to begin unraveling some of the very policies that have kept our people safe since 9/11.

Another term out there that slipped into the discussion is the notion that American interrogation practices were a "recruitment tool" for the enemy. On this theory, by the tough questioning of killers, we have supposedly fallen short of our own values. This recruitment-tool theory has become something of a mantra lately, including from the President himself. And after a familiar fashion, it excuses the violent and blames America for the evil that others do. It's another version of that same old refrain from the Left, "We brought it on ourselves."

It is much closer to the truth that terrorists hate this country precisely because of the values we profess and seek to live by, not by some alleged failure to do so. Nor are terrorists or those who see them as victims exactly the best judges of America's moral standards, one way or the other.

Critics of our policies are given to lecturing on the theme of being consistent with American values. But no moral value held dear by the American people obliges public servants ever to sacrifice innocent lives to spare a captured terrorist from unpleasant things. And when an entire population is targeted by a terror network, nothing is more consistent with American values than to stop them.

As a practical matter, too, terrorists may lack much, but they have never lacked for grievances against the United States. Our belief in freedom of speech and religion … our belief in equal rights for women … our support for Israel … our cultural and political influence in the world - these are the true sources of resentment, all mixed in with the lies and conspiracy theories of the radical clerics. These recruitment tools were in vigorous use throughout the 1990s, and they were sufficient to motivate the 19 recruits who boarded those planes on September 11th, 2001.

The United States of America was a good country before 9/11, just as we are today. List all the things that make us a force for good in the world - for liberty, for human rights, for the rational, peaceful resolution of differences - and what you end up with is a list of the reasons why the terrorists hate America. If fine speech-making, appeals to reason, or pleas for compassion had the power to move them, the terrorists would long ago have abandoned the field. And when they see the American government caught up in arguments about interrogations, or whether foreign terrorists have constitutional rights, they don't stand back in awe of our legal system and wonder whether they had misjudged us all along. Instead the terrorists see just what they were hoping for - our unity gone, our resolve shaken, our leaders distracted. In short, they see weakness and opportunity.

What is equally certain is this: The broad-based strategy set in motion by President Bush obviously had nothing to do with causing the events of 9/11. But the serious way we dealt with terrorists from then on, and all the intelligence we gathered in that time, had everything to do with preventing another 9/11 on our watch. The enhanced interrogations of high-value detainees and the terrorist surveillance program have without question made our country safer. Every senior official who has been briefed on these classified matters knows of specific attacks that were in the planning stages and were stopped by the programs we put in place.

This might explain why President Obama has reserved unto himself the right to order the use of enhanced interrogation should he deem it appropriate. What value remains to that authority is debatable, given that the enemy now knows exactly what interrogation methods to train against, and which ones not to worry about. Yet having reserved for himself the authority to order enhanced interrogation after an emergency, you would think that President Obama would be less disdainful of what his predecessor authorized after 9/11. It's almost gone unnoticed that the president has retained the power to order the same methods in the same circumstances. When they talk about interrogations, he and his administration speak as if they have resolved some great moral dilemma in how to extract critical information from terrorists. Instead they have put the decision off, while assigning a presumption of moral superiority to any decision they make in the future.

Releasing the interrogation memos was flatly contrary to the national security interest of the United States. The harm done only begins with top secret information now in the hands of the terrorists, who have just received a lengthy insert for their training manual. Across the world, governments that have helped us capture terrorists will fear that sensitive joint operations will be compromised. And at the CIA, operatives are left to wonder if they can depend on the White House or Congress to back them up when the going gets tough. Why should any agency employee take on a difficult assignment when, even though they act lawfully and in good faith, years down the road the press and Congress will treat everything they do with suspicion, outright hostility, and second-guessing? Some members of Congress are notorious for demanding they be briefed into the most sensitive intelligence programs. They support them in private, and then head for the hills at the first sign of controversy.

As far as the interrogations are concerned, all that remains an official secret is the information we gained as a result. Some of his defenders say the unseen memos are inconclusive, which only raises the question why they won't let the American people decide that for themselves. I saw that information as vice president, and I reviewed some of it again at the National Archives last month. I've formally asked that it be declassified so the American people can see the intelligence we obtained, the things we learned, and the consequences for national security. And as you may have heard, last week that request was formally rejected. It's worth recalling that ultimate power of declassification belongs to the President himself. President Obama has used his declassification power to reveal what happened in the interrogation of terrorists. Now let him use that same power to show Americans what did not happen, thanks to the good work of our intelligence officials.

I believe this information will confirm the value of interrogations - and I am not alone. President Obama's own Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Blair, has put it this way: "High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al-Qaeda organization that was attacking this country." End quote. Admiral Blair put that conclusion in writing, only to see it mysteriously deleted in a later version released by the administration - the missing 26 words that tell an inconvenient truth. But they couldn't change the words of George Tenet, the CIA Director under Presidents Clinton and Bush, who bluntly said: "I know that this program has saved lives. I know we've disrupted plots. I know this program alone is worth more than the FBI, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency put together have been able to tell us." End of quote.

If Americans do get the chance to learn what our country was spared, it'll do more than clarify the urgency and the rightness of enhanced interrogations in the years after 9/11. It may help us to stay focused on dangers that have not gone away. Instead of idly debating which political opponents to prosecute and punish, our attention will return to where it belongs - on the continuing threat of terrorist violence, and on stopping the men who are planning it.

For all the partisan anger that still lingers, our administration will stand up well in history - not despite our actions after 9/11, but because of them. And when I think about all that was to come during our administration and afterward - the recriminations, the second-guessing, the charges of "hubris" - my mind always goes back to that moment.

To put things in perspective, suppose that on the evening of 9/11, President Bush and I had promised that for as long as we held office - which was to be another 2,689 days - there would never be another terrorist attack inside this country. Talk about hubris - it would have seemed a rash and irresponsible thing to say. People would have doubted that we even understood the enormity of what had just happened. Everyone had a very bad feeling about all of this, and felt certain that the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and Shanksville were only the beginning of the violence.

Of course, we made no such promise. Instead, we promised an all-out effort to protect this country. We said we would marshal all elements of our nation's power to fight this war and to win it. We said we would never forget what had happened on 9/11, even if the day came when many others did forget. We spoke of a war that would "include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success." We followed through on all of this, and we stayed true to our word.

To the very end of our administration, we kept al-Qaeda terrorists busy with other problems. We focused on getting their secrets, instead of sharing ours with them. And on our watch, they never hit this country again. After the most lethal and devastating terrorist attack ever, seven and a half years without a repeat is not a record to be rebuked and scorned, much less criminalized. It is a record to be continued until the danger has passed.

Along the way there were some hard calls. No decision of national security was ever made lightly, and certainly never made in haste. As in all warfare, there have been costs - none higher than the sacrifices of those killed and wounded in our country's service. And even the most decisive victories can never take away the sorrow of losing so many of our own - all those innocent victims of 9/11, and the heroic souls who died trying to save them.

For all that we've lost in this conflict, the United States has never lost its moral bearings. And when the moral reckoning turns to the men known as high-value terrorists, I can assure you they were neither innocent nor victims. As for those who asked them questions and got answers: they did the right thing, they made our country safer, and a lot of Americans are alive today because of them.

Like so many others who serve America, they are not the kind to insist on a thank-you. But I will always be grateful to each one of them, and proud to have served with them for a time in the same cause. They, and so many others, have given honorable service to our country through all the difficulties and all the dangers. I will always admire them and wish them well. And I am confident that this nation will never take their work, their dedication, or their achievements, for granted.

Thank you very much.

20090521 Text of Dick Cheneys National Security Speech at AEI

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/