Showing posts with label Diversity Hispanic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diversity Hispanic. Show all posts

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Westminster celebrates diversity at Tristreet block party

Westminster celebrates diversity at Tristreet block party

By Kevin Dayhoff, 3:45 p.m. EDT, September 17, 2013


Fully equipped with a spatula, sunglasses, hat and an apron, Darcel Harris was all smiles Sept. 15 as she answered questions, cooked hamburgers and hot dogs and helped coordinate activities for over 300 folks who attended the 11th annual Pennsylvania Avenue – Tristreet Association block party in Dutterer Family Park in Westminster.

The event included multi-cultural food dishes made by residents, local fruits and vegetables donated by local farmers, dancing, pie eating contests, and educational activities for children provided by the Westminster Police Department, the Carroll County NAACP and GROW Mission (God’s Regeneration of Westminster) – one of the many local grassroots community organizations in which Harris participates.

According to Harris, the March 2013 recipient of the of the 21st annual Carroll County Human Relations Commission achievement award, the neighborhood get together was the brainchild of former Westminster City Councilwoman, 1991-1995, Rebecca Orenstein.

Orenstein, 71, recently passed away on Aug. 31.





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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
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/
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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Taylorsville United Methodist Church: The Story Chap 9 Intro Accepting Foreigners


The Story Chapter 9 Introduction

OCT 30, 2012

Ruth gleaning the fields of grain.

Chapter 9 continues in The Story with a family saga that is so real that it could almost be any of our families. This story could be placed in almost any place or context. It is about a family of Israelites that could not find food during the famine and so they went to a foreign country, Moab to find work and food. Moab is across the Jordan river from their home village of Bethlehem.

After Naomi’s husband and sons die she decides to go back home to Bethlehem, one daughter-in-law, Ruth comes with her.

Let’s tell the story of Ruth a little differently: There is famine in the land, the family of 3 was starving, so they left Mexico, El Salvador, (you fill in the place) and they went to the United States where there were jobs. The boys marry local women, but then the dad and the boys all die, leaving all three women on their own. The Mom decides to go back to Mexico; do the daughters-in-law go back with her?

[…]

This foreign woman ultimately became part of the genealogy of Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer!




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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
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/
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Monday, October 29, 2012

English as the official language proposed in Carroll County MD


“English Only” Up in Carroll County by Kevin E. Dayhoff October 24, 2012

In Carroll County, a hearing is scheduled in New Windsor on October 30 to gather public input on a proposed ordinance, similar to the one passed by Frederick County officials in February to designate English as the official language of the county.

In Frederick County, the proposal passed by a vote of 4-1 and, according to the Associated Press, “requires official actions of Frederick County to be taken only in English.”

Of course, nevermind that federal and state laws mandate that various government agencies offer assistance to non-English speakers.

If a predominant number of the members of the Frederick and Carroll County Boards of Commissioners were from the Democrat Party, Republicans would be screaming bloody-murder about such legislation being a waste of taxpayers’ time and money… Oh, well, nevermind, moving right along here…

Although the idea for such an ordinance in Carroll County has been discussed since last winter, or earlier, the proposal was introduced by the Board of Commissioners September 27.

The entire kerfuffle over “English only” piqued my curiosity since our area of the state has only spoken English for approximately 25 percent of our history… In our modern history, anecdotal accounts indicate that German was the predominant language in Carroll up to around the time of the Civil War, especially in the northern and western portions of the county.

My thoughts were immediately channeled into a column I wrote October 20 in The Baltimore Sun, “Strictly speaking, Carroll's predominant language was once German.”

“In October 1833, in the area we now know as Carroll County, a vote was taken as to whether or not we should form a new county in Maryland from portions of Baltimore and Frederick counties.”

Much of the opposition to forming a new county came from the predominant German population in Taneytown, Manchester and Hampstead. “Some of those folks were not really sure they wanted to form a new county – especially with a minority that spoke English and owned slaves, and well, perhaps were not as well educated or cultured as the German population.

“There was a great deal of concern that the English speakers would never learn German – and thus would exploit the generosity of the German majority. Paying extra taxes to support the English speakers was also of great concern…

Ultimately, the October 1833 referendum was defeated.” … http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5414

Related – also see: Eagle Archive: Strictly speaking, Carroll's predominant language was once German by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/8hvbfy2



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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
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/
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Hearing on Carroll County's English language bill set for Oct. 30

October 20, 2012 http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/news/ph-ce-newsbriefs-1021-20121020,0,1472763.story


The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. at the New Windsor Community Building, Community Meeting Room, 1100 Green Valley Road, New Windsor.
This ordinance, if passed, would recognize English as the language in which all official county business will be conducted.

The ordinance, as proposed, can be read HERE

For commentary on the proposed ordinance, from an historic point of view, by Kevin Dayhoff, go to: Eagle Archive: Strictly speaking, Carroll's predominant language was once German by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/8hvbfy2




In October 1833, in the area we now know as Carroll County, a vote was taken as to whether or not we should form a new county in Maryland from portions of Baltimore and Frederick counties.

A bill authorizing the vote passed the General Assembly on March 2, 1833, according to "Carroll County Maryland, A History 1837-1976," by Nancy Warner, and "Advocates of the new county sprang into action" to help promote the vote.

They formed committees to write pamphlets containing arguments advocating a vote in favor of a new county. Several of my ancestors, the Warfields were members of this committee.
Some of the pamphlets were even printed in English — a special consideration, since the predominant language in Carroll County at the time was German.

Anecdotal accounts indicate that German was the predominant language in Carroll up to around the time of the Civil War, especially in the northern and western portions of the county… http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/neighborhoods/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archive-1021-20121020,0,7714126.story

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From my undisclosed location, LOL, I’d like to say, thanks so much for the feedback.

Ya know, I'll bet you may also like "Celebrate Eat More Chicken ‘Buy-cott’ Day” Kevin E. Dayhoff August 1, 2012 http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5261 It got national attention. …

Most young conservatives do not give a rat’s behind about the “English only” or the gay marriage thing. Those who were born between 1981 and 1999, the Millennials, [http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/oct/14/dale-mcfeatters-millennials-the-cheapest/?partner=RSS] are now living at home with their parents after being away for years at college.

They are facing unsustainably high education debt, with the economy in turmoil, high unemployment, a dismal economic future and diminished prospects for the American dream of owning a home. The Millennials are collectively and totally bewildered by the prurient preoccupation of older Republicans in who people sleep with and what language they speak… in the face of an economic Armageddon…

Thanks again for reading the column and Explore Carroll.

As always, your thoughtful consideration is appreciated regardless of the outcome on any particular issue. Whether we agree or disagree, always find my door open for friendly civil and constructive dialogue.

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Carroll County government website:


Proposed Ordinance: English as the Official Language of Carroll County
Proposed Ordinance No. 2012-__ Notice of Public Hearing

Public Hearing: Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 7:00 p.m., New Windsor Community Building, Community Meeting Room, 1100 Green Valley Road, New Windsor

Although the idea for such an ordinance in Carroll County has been discussed since last winter or earlier; the proposal [20120927 CC Draft Ord English as the official language,] was introduced by the board of commissioners on Thursday, Sept. 27: http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/attorney/ordinance/2012-Ordinance-English.pdf

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English for Speakers of Other Languages

Carroll Community College: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Adult Education Program Now Administered by Carroll http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2007/07/carroll-community-college-english-for.html July 19, 2007 http://www.carrollcc.edu/about/news/release/174




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Rising number of Latinos spurs English language debate in Carroll County -
Hispanic population, though still relatively small, has more than tripled since 2000 By Julie Scharper, The Baltimore Sun October 6, 2012




Search on the Baltimore Sun for Shoemaker:

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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
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/
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Rising number of Latinos spurs English language debate in Carroll County By Julie Scharper, The Baltimore Sun

Rising number of Latinos spurs English language debate in Carroll County -
Hispanic population, though still relatively small, has more than tripled since 2000 By Julie Scharper, The Baltimore Sun October 6, 2012
Adrian Barrera leads a crew of migrant farm workers from Mexico who pick apples at Baugher Farms. The migrants work on the farm for 8 months out of the year, then move on to work somewhere else or return to their native country until the next growing season. (Barbara Haddock Taylor, The Baltimore Sun / October 6, 2012)


Amid the quaint brick storefronts of Westminster's Main Street, Lily's Mexican Market sells Virgin of Guadalupe statues, sacks of dried beans and paddle-shaped cactus leaves. A mile away, the aisles of Las Palmeras grocery store are stocked with Salvadoran cheeses and pastries. A nearby Catholic church draws more than 200 people to a Spanish Mass each Sunday.

Mexican and Central American immigrants have flocked to Carroll County over the past decade, drawn by pastures and orchards that remind them of the rural villages in which they were raised. Some followed family members here; others sought to live among those who share their traditional values. Many say they felt welcome here, at least until a commissioner began a push to make English the county's official language… http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bs-md-ca-latinos-in-carroll-20121006,0,4715149,full.story

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Also see related:

Hearing on county's English language bill set for Oct. 30


The Board of County Commissioners will hold its public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 30, regarding the proposal to designate English as the official language of Carroll County.

The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. at the New Windsor Community Building, Community Meeting Room, 1100 Green Valley Road, New Windsor.
This ordinance, if passed, would recognize English as the language in which all official county business will be conducted.

The ordinance, as proposed, can be read HERE

For commentary on the proposed ordinance, from an historic point of view, by Kevin Dayhoff, go to: Eagle Archive: Strictly speaking, Carroll's predominant language was once German by Kevin Dayhoff http://tinyurl.com/8hvbfy2




In October 1833, in the area we now know as Carroll County, a vote was taken as to whether or not we should form a new county in Maryland from portions of Baltimore and Frederick counties.

A bill authorizing the vote passed the General Assembly on March 2, 1833, according to "Carroll County Maryland, A History 1837-1976," by Nancy Warner, and "Advocates of the new county sprang into action" to help promote the vote.

They formed committees to write pamphlets containing arguments advocating a vote in favor of a new county. Several of my ancestors, the Warfields were members of this committee.
Some of the pamphlets were even printed in English — a special consideration, since the predominant language in Carroll County at the time was German.

Anecdotal accounts indicate that German was the predominant language in Carroll up to around the time of the Civil War, especially in the northern and western portions of the county… http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/neighborhoods/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archive-1021-20121020,0,7714126.story
*****

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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
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/
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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Eagle Archive: Strictly speaking, Carroll's predominant language was once German

Eagle Archive: Strictly speaking, Carroll's predominant language was once German

Press 1 for German


In October 1833, in the area we now know as Carroll County, a vote was taken as to whether or not we should form a new county in Maryland from portions of Baltimore and Frederick counties.

A bill authorizing the vote passed the General Assembly on March 2, 1833, according to "Carroll County Maryland, A History 1837-1976," by Nancy Warner, and "Advocates of the new county sprang into action" to help promote the vote.

They formed committees to write pamphlets containing arguments advocating a vote in favor of a new county. Several of my ancestors, the Warfields were members of this committee.
Some of the pamphlets were even printed in English — a special consideration, since the predominant language in Carroll County at the time was German.

Anecdotal accounts indicate that German was the predominant language in Carroll up to around the time of the Civil War, especially in the northern and western portions of the county… http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/carroll/neighborhoods/westminster/ph-ce-eagle-archive-1021-20121020,0,7714126.story

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Sunday, February 1, 2009

The Santa Cruz River Band at the Portico Feb 15 2009

Sunday, February 01, 2009

February 1, 2009

The Santa Cruz River Band at the Portico
St. John's in Westminster.
Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009 6-8 PM
Tickets: $15 in Advance, $20 at the Door
Sponsored in Part by United Hands of Carroll County

Contact Info Phone: 4107262337 Email: ca17th AT yahoo.com

20090215 The Santa Cruz River Band at the Portico Feb 15 2009
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Carroll Community College: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Adult Education Program Now Administered by Carroll


Carroll Community College: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Adult Education Program Now Administered by Carroll


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

CONTACT: Sylvia Blair

Executive Assistant to the President

410-386-8411

Carroll Community College Offers Adult Education

for County Residents

Carroll Community College (Carroll) has received a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education to provide adult education programs to county residents. The grant marks the beginning of a transition for educating adult learners. For the past 30 years, adult education programs were provided by Carroll County Public Schools. For the first time, the community college will provide oversight of adult education.

The program will be housed and administered by staff from Carroll Community College at the Business and Employment Resource Center at 224 North Center Street in Westminster.

Karen Merkle, vice president of Continuing Education and Training, said the program is a good fit for the community college. "Our primary mission is to serve adults. By offering this program, we are serving a very important need," Merkle said.

"Learners in adult education improve their academic skills while enhancing their life skills," said Becki Maurio, director of the Adult Education Program at Carroll. "Lessons present material in a meaningful way. For example, math problems might be based upon the measurements that construction workers do or the calculations which determine a child's grade average. Reading local newspaper articles and writing letters to local officials or potential employers improve basic literacy skills."

"Carroll Community College will provide not only an adult learning environment in which learners can thrive, but also the bridges to post-secondary education and career training which so many graduates find are necessary to compete in today's job market," Maurio said.

GED Preparation

GED Preparation helps students who have not yet earned a high school diploma to improve the basic skills they need at work, home, and in life.

Classes are small and provide instruction in reading, writing, math, and workplace skills. Classes also help students prepare for the five areas of the GED exam.  These areas include reading, writing, social studies, science, and math.

Registration sessions start students on the right foot. Students learn about the program and take placement tests. Advisors meet with students to recommend classes based on skills and schedules. Students can also review and brush-up on skills by taking practice GED tests.

Once students pass the GED, the diploma issued by the Maryland State Department of Education is accepted by colleges and universities. Some colleges may require additional admissions standards.

External Diploma Program

The External Diploma Program (EDP) is a method for earning a high school diploma that is designed for mature adults who have learned life skills at work, at home, and in the community. The program evaluates students not just on "book knowledge," but on life skills including:

Reading

Writing

Mathematics

Oral Communication

Critical Thinking

Occupational Awareness

Participants are asked to demonstrate high school-level skills in real-life situations. Some examples include reading a map, writing a letter to a potential employer, figuring out loan interest, comparison shopping, showing skills from a trade or occupation, and demonstrating home management experience.

Information sessions are held year-round, free of charge. At the information session, potential students will learn more about the program. At that time, skills will be assessed.

What are the advantages of the External Diploma  Program? Because the program is designed especially for adults, the External Diploma Program is:

 Based on life skills

Self-paced-most participants graduate in six to ten months

Conducted weekly through one-on-one appointments you schedule with your assessor

Not classroom-based

Combination of take home assignments and written and oral assessments at center locations

The diploma issued by the Maryland State Department of Education is accepted by colleges and universities. Some colleges may require you to meet additional admissions standards.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

What is ESOL? ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages . ESOL classes for adults are part of the adult education program and meet at various locations throughout Carroll County with instructors from the community college.

ESOL students practice reading, writing, and speaking skills through real-life contexts. For example, a beginning class was improving its English by practicing the skills needed to find a job. Lessons included reading newspaper ads, role-playing phone conversations with prospective employers, and talking about how to prepare for a job interview. Another class recently finished a unit on housing. Students compared apartment ads, interpreted abbreviations and security deposit requirements, and determined which option would be best for their family.

In past years, ESOL students have come from up to 30 different countries. Some of the most common languages are Spanish, Arabic, and Russian.

For more information about any of these programs, please call 410-386-2550.
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Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
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/
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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

20061121 Yikes

Yikes

November 15th, 2006 – November 21st, 2006

Yikes, I take my eye off the ball for a couple of days and chaos has ensued…

And recently my life has not been my own…

Anyway, about a week ago or so, Crablaw posted a discussion of the unfortunate matter in Taneytown, whereby the city’s elected leadership, by a 3 – 2 vote, if I am not mistaken, have decided to “pass a resolution declaring English its official language but stopped short last night of a proposed change to the city charter,” according to an article in the November 14th, 2006 Baltimore Sun by Laura McCandlish

In the past, I have worked with most of the current elected leadership of Taneytown and they are a great group of folks, who are quite committed to their community and put in long hours.

I do not know Taneytown Councilman Paul E. Chamberlain Jr. In all candor, when Councilman Chamberlain first brought up the “English first” issue, I though it was campaign rhetoric in his bid to be relevant in his bid to unseat the popular Maryland Senator David Brinkley.

I consider Senator Brinkley to be a good friend and I have really enjoyed working with him for a number of years. I have not a clue as to what Councilman Chamberlain was thinking when he decided that he was going to jump from Taneytown councilmember to Maryland State Senator – and unseat Senator Brinkley?

The English First initiative sends the wrong signal to folks outside of Carroll County. Whether the legislation is a “statement” without force of law or just a publicity stunt, it is not a true signal of what we are as a greater community.

It has caused a “media storm” of unwanted attention to Carroll County for all the wrong reasons. We do so many things well in Carroll County. This legislation is a “damn shame.”

Historically Carroll County is a welcoming community.

By way of our roots, either as innkeepers and provisioners to travelers on their way west, or as shopkeepers or as folks looking to expand our economic base in the golden age of Carroll County’s small towns in the first part of the 1900s as communities looked to expand their economic base and attract folks to move to the country. Not too mention Carroll County’s agricultural roots, in which a visitor to the farm in the days before automobiles was a holiday and folks were welcomed with open arms.

Why even when Carroll County used German POWs for agricultural labor during WWII, there are plenty of stories and anecdotes about the German prisoners eating at the family dinner table on the farms…

A solution in search of a problem.

But Councilman Chamberlain’s continued pursuit has presented to those of us who are somewhat familiar with Taneytown, to be a solution in search of a problem.

I have not attempted to talk with Councilman Chamberlain, but I have played phone tag with Councilman James L. McCarron. Councilman McCarron is the gold standard of a locally elected official working hard for what is best for his city. I have served on several Maryland Municipal League committees with Councilman McCarron and we both served on the MML Board together.

I have some insight as to his thinking process when it comes to municipal government and I gotta tell ya, it means something to me when he says, as he as quoted in Ms. McCandlish’s article:

Councilman James L. McCarron denounced the measure. In his more than 22 years on the council, he said, no one ever came forward with a comment or complaint who didn't speak English.

"I have no problem making English the official language of the state of Maryland or even America, but to make it the official language of Taneytown is simply a nonissue," McCarron said. "It's not a unity resolution. It's a disunity one."
When someone is an elected community leader, one of his or her main responsibilities is to see to it that taxpayer dollars are handled as frugally as possible.

Introducing and pursuing municipal legislation, such as “English First” is a waste of taxpayer money and a waste of time for municipal elected and appointed officials.

On October 19th, 2005, I wrote a column in the Westminster Eagle titled, “20051019 WE Politics of personal destruction puts limits on future leaders

In that column I touched upon a number of “civility” matters…

In part: “Martin Luther King said it best; "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

I guess I’ve been guilty of being silent on this issue. As I mentioned above, I thought it was so much election bluster…

I respectfully disagree with Councilman Chamberlain… Ultimately he need not answer to me. He has to answer to his constituents and provide leadership for Taneytown as he sees fit…

The worst thing that can happen to a community is that everybody thinks the same way all the time. It will be catastrophic if potential leaders are unwilling to step out of the comfortable cocoon of their lives to assume a leadership role or proffer a different point of view for fear of the politics of personal destruction.

Spanish-speaking workers in our community.

Ultimately, we are talking about are fellow human beings who have come to this country - just like us or our ancestors, at some point in time - to make a better life for our families and work hard in a foreign land.

In October 1833, in the area we now know as Carroll County, a vote was taken as to whether or not we should form Carroll County. Did you know that the ballots for that vote were printed in German, and English, for all the non-German speaking citizens?

Our Spanish-speaking workers will learn English, just as German-speaking Carroll Countians eventually did. Perhaps we should extend a helping hand, instead of backhanding them.

Kevin

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