Showing posts with label Technology Westminster Ting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology Westminster Ting. Show all posts

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Westminster Mayor Utz recognizes Superintendent John A. Rawlings, Sr., for 30-years of service to the city



Westminster Mayor Utz recognizes Superintendent John A. Rawlings, Sr., for 30-years of service to the city http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2015/08/westminster-mayor-utz-recognizes.html

My story on the August 10, 2015 meeting of the Westminster Mayor and Common Council got bumped at the very last minute for space limitations. Please find it on my community website, www.kevindayhoff.org - Westminster Maryland Online: everything that is great about Westminster, Carroll County Maryland.

And he ran my picture of Superintendent John Rawlings in the Carroll Eagle section of the Baltimore Sun Sunday edition, August 16, 2015.

John Rawlings is awesome… Westminster councilman Greg Pecoraro and Tony Chiavacci, Westminster council president Dr. Robert Wack, Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz, Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding, Westminster councilwoman Dr. Mona Becker and Suzanne Albert.

The Westminster mayor and common council are doing some good things for our community. Read my article here: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2015/08/broad-range-of-topics-discussed-at.html

Read all my articles in the Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/search/dispatcher.front?Query=Kevin+Dayhoff&target=all

Please enjoy.

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Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: 
Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com

My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/


See also - Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art www.kevindayhoff.com: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, music, culture, opera... Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem. “Deadline U.S.A.” 1952. Ed Hutcheson: “That's the press, baby. The press! And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!” - See more at: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/#sthash.4HNLwtfd.dpuf
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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Broad range of topics discussed at the Westminster mayor and common council meeting Monday night

Ting, the Westminster broadband technology project, to begin residential installations soon


At the meeting of the Westminster Common Council Monday night, August 10, 2015, Westminster officials had a wide range of issues on the agenda. From left to right: Dr. Mona Becker, Tony Chiavacci, Council President Dr. Robert Wack, Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz, Suzanne Albert, and Greg Pecoraro.



Westminster Mayor Kevin Utz, (L) recognizes Superintendent John Rawlings, Sr., for 30-yrs of service to the city at Mon night’s council http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2015/08/at-monday-nights-meeting-of-westminster.html

Westminster Mayor Kevin R. Utz, on the left, recognizes Superintendent John A. Rawlings, Sr., for 30-years of service to the city at Monday night’s council meeting as Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding and Finance Director Tammy Palmer look on. August 10, 2015 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

By Kevin E. Dayhoff

At the meeting of the Westminster Common Council Monday night, Westminster officials had a wide range of issues on the agenda; including an employee recognition, new trucks and equipment purchases, a new playground equipment initiative, and an update on the city’s fiber technology project.

The meeting began with a mayor and common council recognition of the city’s wastewater superintendent John A. Rawlings, Sr., for thirty-years of service.

With his wife and family present, Westminster Mayor Kevin R. Utz acknowledged how Rawlings and his department have saved the city a “great deal of money over the years” by their diligence, and innovative management approaches to an ever-increasingly complex aspect of government. Westminster councilwoman Mona Becker, a professor of environmental studies at McDaniel College agreed; reporting how she takes her environmental geology and chemistry classes to the treatment plant for field trips.

This was followed by a progress report on the Westminster Ting fiber technology initiative, by Valerie Bortz, the Westminster Ting city manager.

“Exciting things are happening,” said Bortz as she reported that the city’s fiber project is “getting ready to go live this week.” Bortz reported that soon Ting will begin making scheduled fiber installations in homes in Westminster.

Bortz also reported that the city recently was given a 2015 Community Broadband Innovative Partnership of the Year award by The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA.) According to a recent release found on the city’s Ting broadband fiber web page, “NATOA is a professional association for local governments … [to] help these communities get better access to telecommunications and broadband Internet services. These awards are intended to recognize people, towns, companies and initiatives each year that advanced the cause of broadband deployment and adoption in local communities.”

A discussion among the councilmembers ensued about continued efforts to get the word out about the broadband fiber initiative. It was noted that there remain many questions about “What is Ting;” how does it bring value to the city and what does it means to Westminster citizens.

In a recent e-mail interview with Westminster councilmember Tony Chiavacci, he noted, “As far as the value. There is a lot. True high-speed internet access … not what we currently have; but gig service - is going to be as important in the future as electricity and roads are to us today.

“We feel this project puts us many years ahead of most of the rest of the nation and it will position Westminster to be on the front of this technology. The hope is by us being out in front, we will attract business and individuals to Westminster that need this level of service, and cannot get it elsewhere. Thus, providing high paying jobs opportunities, increasing the average income, and pushing property values up in our area. As well as allowing people to work where they live versus commuting out of the area every day.”

With Ting, “you are driving a Ferrari instead of a Chevette,” said Chiavacci at the council meeting.

Jeff Glass, the city’s public works director then presented several equipment and truck bids for the council’s deliberation and approval. Glass also asked for the approval of this year’s annual roadway resurfacing and paving contract. This past winter was hard on Westminster’s streets and the councilmembers are anxious to begin addressing the roadway repairs and improvements.

Abby Gruber, the director of recreation discussed with the mayor and council a project to rebuild the aging playground equipment at Dutterer Park. According to a release by Gruber, after an upcoming planning session, on “October 9, 2015, volunteers from The City of Westminster, The Boys & Girls Club of Westminster, and Habitat for Humanity, along with BGE will build a great new place for kids to play in one day. The project is in partnership with KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most.”

In other news, Utz reported that the Wakefield Valley golf course task force recently held its first meeting to develop long term planning for the use of the large property at the west end of town that will be transferred to the city in the near future.

There were no ordinances or resolutions – or old business to discuss and after departmental reports the meeting adjourned after a little over an hour. 
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Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: 
Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com

My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/


See also - Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art www.kevindayhoff.com: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, music, culture, opera... Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem. “Deadline U.S.A.” 1952. Ed Hutcheson: “That's the press, baby. The press! And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!” - See more at: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/#sthash.4HNLwtfd.dpuf
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Saturday, June 27, 2015

June 26, 2015: Westminster Ting – Crazy fast internet

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Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: 
Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com

My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/


See also - Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art www.kevindayhoff.com: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, music, culture, opera... Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem. “Deadline U.S.A.” 1952. Ed Hutcheson: “That's the press, baby. The press! And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!” - See more at: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/#sthash.4HNLwtfd.dpuf
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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

City of Westminster takes step toward World-Class Broadband

City of Westminster takes step toward World-Class Broadband

Westminster, MD (April 16, 2013) With a vision of enabling world-class broadband access for its residents and businesses, the City of Westminster, Maryland is gauging the interest of private sector companies in providing ultra-high-speed Internet service over a City-built fiber optic network.

The City has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify potential partners that would operate, maintain, and sell consumer broadband services over the Citys planned infrastructure.

The network, which would connect to every home and business in the City in a “fiber-to-the- premises” (FTTP) architecture, would be able to match the capabilities of the most powerful broadband networks in the world, including the systems that Google is building in Kansas City and Austin, Texas, and the ultra-fast municipal network in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Westminster does not lie on any major highway routes, despite having a significant commuter population and being only 35 miles from Baltimore. The FTTP network project is the chance for Westminster to become a major destination on the highways of the 21st centurybroadband. Such a network would make Westminster one of the countrys most connected communities, belonging in the same category as places like Kansas City, Austin, and Chattanooga. A gigabit network would open up new applications for businesses, critical resources for the health care sector, and telework options that could bring an economic boom to the City.

Todays RFI is the latest development in a strategic broadband plan that began last fall, when the Westminster Common Council unanimously voted to commission a study on broadband expansion for the City. The Citys plans also build on the Carroll County Public Network (CCPN) and the soon-to-be-complete, federally funded Inter-County Broadband Network (ICBN).

All interested respondents are asked to submit a letter of intent via email by April 19, 2013 to rmiller@westgov.com, or via hard copy to: City of Westminster
Attn: Robert Miller
56 W. Main St. Westminster, MD 21157
Complete RFIs are due by May 3, 2013. The full RFI is available here:



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Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: 
Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com

My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/


See also - Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art www.kevindayhoff.com: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, music, culture, opera... Ad maiorem Dei gloriam inque hominum salutem. “Deadline U.S.A.” 1952. Ed Hutcheson: “That's the press, baby. The press! And there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing!” - See more at: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/#sthash.4HNLwtfd.dpuf
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