20080109 Westminster Eagle: Districting plan faces hearing in January by Bob Allen

Westminster Eagle: Districting plan faces hearing in January by Bob Allen

Posted January 17, 2008

01/09/08 By Bob Allen

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=978&NewsID=867252&CategoryID=17320&on=1

Bill would create four districts, one at-large

The latest proposal to expand the Board of County Commissioners from three to five members will be open for public comment at a hearing set for Jan. 19 in Westminster.

State Del. Donald Elliott (R-Dist. 4B) said he co-created the plan with State Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Dist. 9). It calls for four commissioners to be elected by districts with a fifth elected at-large, or county-wide.

The at-large commissioner would serve as president of the Board of Commissioners.

Under the plan, Carroll voters would vote for two commissioner candidates, one running in their district and one at-large.

On the eve of the General Assembly opening in Annapolis this week, Elliott said he believes his proposal has enough bipartisan support to get it through the assembly. A similar plan failed to make it to the floor in 2006, mostly because of disagreement over how and where district lines should be drawn.

"Last (time) a lot of people felt the (commissioner) districts should align with state legislative districts," Elliott said. "This time, that has been done to the extent that it could be done."

The failed proposal also differed in that it called for five commissioners, all elected by district. That's what voters selected in a 2004 referendum.

Elliott said his four-district plan is a compromise that carves out districts as equitably as possible, based on population, a per capita balance between registered Republicans, Democrats and independents and geography.

"The bottom line is, we are trying to make a compromise with this," Elliott said. "I feel very strongly that with this county growing the way it is, a change in governance is in order."

Skeptics have said the new proposal should not go forward because it differs from the five-district plan chosen in the 2004 referendum -- and as a result may eventually be overturned in court.

Elliott says his proposal does not need to go to referendum and is on solid legal ground.

"We're not violating the public's wishes," he said. "We have checked with the Attorney General's office and we have a written opinion from them that this is not in violation of the referendum and that we are not doing anything illegal.

"For some of these people (who oppose his plan), they are using that (argument) as a way to try to kill this bill, as in the past," he added. "There are still people who want three commissioners and others who still want five at-large commissioners.

Janet Jump, former president of the Board of Elections who also served on the committee that drew up the initial districting plan, likes Elliott's revised plan and thinks a commissioner-by-district system is long overdue.

"Carroll County is very diverse; South Carroll is a world away from North Carroll," Jump said. "These (sectional) differences deserve to be honored and recognized in running the county government, and the present system doesn't do this."

"I think creating districts is the only way we can recognize these differences," she said.

Elliott said his plan is modeled after Charles County and it works effectively there.

"I've talked to people in Charles County and other counties (where the board of commissioners has been expanded) and they told me it does make a difference," he said.

The new five-commissioner plan has been submitted to members of Carroll's delegation to Annapolis. The delegation will vote on it sometime after taking public comment at the Jan. 19 hearing.

"If approved by the delegation, it will be dropped in the hopper and be voted on by the Maryland General Assembly," he said. "Hopefully this time we have bipartisan support we need."

The public hearing on the proposed five-commissioner plan and other local bills proposed for the 2008 General Assembly is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 19, in Room 003 of the County Office Building, 225 N. Center St., Westminster.

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20080102 Recent Westminster Eagle columns

Recent Westminster Eagle columns

Kevin E. Dayhoff Thursday, January 03, 2007

Something we really must talk about

01/02/08 By Kevin E. Dayhoff Email this story to a friend

On Christmas Eve, while many friends and families were preparing to get together and celebrate the holidays, the friends, colleagues and loved ones of Smithsburg police officer Christopher Nicholson, 25, gathered to bury him.

On Dec. 19, Officer Nicholson and the stranger he tried to help, Alison ... [Read full story]

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Christmas comes early for families, and for some secret (trooper) Santas

12/27/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff Email this story to a friend

On Sunday, Dec. 16, members of the Maryland Troopers Association Lodge 20 were joined at the Westminster Fire Hall by members of the State Police Explorers Post 56, Cub Scout Pack 150 and Carroll County Chapter K of Gold Wing Road Riders to make sure that families on their "most wanted list" had a n... [Read full story]

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Reaching out to the troops is a mission with 'evergreen' appeal

12/19/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff Email this story to a friend

Early this month, on Dec. 1, more than 300 volunteers gathered at the Carroll County Ag Center for Operation Christmas Tree to pack 5,000 live decorated Christmas trees for the troops in Iraq.

I had only been in the 40'-by-60' tent (supplied by Kay-Lyns Party Rental), for minutes when one voluntee... [Read full story]

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Greeting the Ghosts of Christmas TV past

12/12/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff Email this story to a friend

Christmas, as much as any holiday, is a time for childhood memories.

For many baby-boomers, television has always served as an early warning system that the holiday is rapidly advancing. Whether it is the plethora of consumer-oriented commercials or Christmas holiday specials, most everyone's chil...[Read full story]

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Singing with one voice for a worthy cause

11/28/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff Email this story to a friend

On Nov. 17, members of our community packed St. John Catholic Church to hear the talented and beautiful voices of artists who came together and donated their time for our community -- and for a worthy cause.

Musical groups including the McDaniel College Madigal Singers, Old Line Statesmen Barber Shop Chorus (under the direction of Jeff Liebknecht), the Children's Chorus of Carroll County, New Life for Girls Choir, Masterworks Chorale, Westminster Trombone Choir and the Coram Deo performed a benefit concert for Carroll County Domestic Violence Safe House.

Connie Sgarlata, director of the Office of Family and Children's Services, said both the audience and the performers were moved by "the solidarity that the music and words created in our effort to address domestic violence."

Sgarlata's comments were echoed by McDaniel College professor of music Dr. Margie Boudreaux and Diane Jones, the Children's Chorus of Carroll County artistic director. Both noted that the music was wonderful -- the message was clear. [Read full story]

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

20080102 Recent Westminster Eagle columns

20080102 Recent Westminster Eagle columns

20071228 Recent Westminster Eagle columns

Recent Westminster Eagle columns

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Friday, December 28

Christmas comes early for families, and for some secret (trooper) Santas

On Sunday, Dec. 16, members of the Maryland Troopers Association Lodge 20 were joined at the Westminster Fire Hall by members of the State Police Explorers Post 56, Cub Scout Pack 150 and Carroll County Chapter K of Gold Wing Road Riders to make sure that families on their "most wanted list" had a n... [Read full story]

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Reaching out to the troops is a mission with 'evergreen' appeal

Early this month, on Dec. 1, more than 300 volunteers gathered at the Carroll County Ag Center for Operation Christmas Tree to pack 5,000 live decorated Christmas trees for the troops in Iraq.

I had only been in the 40'-by-60' tent (supplied by Kay-Lyns Party Rental), for minutes when one voluntee... Congressman Roscoe Bartlett… [Read full story]

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Greeting the Ghosts of Christmas TV past

Christmas, as much as any holiday, is a time for childhood memories.

For many baby-boomers, television has always served as an early warning system that the holiday is rapidly advancing. Whether it is the plethora of consumer-oriented commercials or Christmas holiday specials, most everyone's chil... [Read full story]

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Singing with one voice for a worthy cause

On Nov. 17, members of our community packed St. John Catholic Church to hear the talented and beautiful voices of artists who came together and donated their time for our community -- and for a worthy cause.

Musical groups including the McDaniel College Madigal Singers, Old Line Statesmen Barber S... “With One Voice”… Programs sponsors included organizations such as the GFWC Women’s Club of Westminster, and businesses such as Skyline Network Engineering, Lehigh Cement, PNC and New Windsor State Bank, Stu’s Music, the Law and Mediation Center, Opera House Printing Company, Steven Silberman, the law firm of Cromwell and Unglesbee and Douglas Deming of Zero Balancing and Message Therapy. They all came out in force to make a difference in our community.

… Connie Sgarlata, director of the Carroll County Office of Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland echoed the remarks of many, including McDaniel College professor of music Dr. Margie Boudreaux and Diane Jones, the Children’s Chorus of Carroll County artistic director… [Read full story]

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20071220 Westminster Eagle columns from Nov 28 through Dec 19

Westminster Eagle columns from Nov 28 through Dec 19

Kevin E. Dayhoff Thursday, December 20

Reaching out to the troops is a mission with 'evergreen' appeal

12/19/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Early this month, on Dec. 1, more than 300 volunteers gathered at the Carroll County Ag Center for Operation Christmas Tree to pack 5,000 live decorated Christmas trees for the troops in Iraq.

I had only been in the 40'-by-60' tent (supplied by Kay-Lyns Party Rental), for minutes when one voluntee...
[Read full story]

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Greeting the Ghosts of Christmas TV past

12/12/07 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

Christmas, as much as any holiday, is a time for childhood memories.

For many baby-boomers, television has always served as an early warning system that the holiday is rapidly advancing. Whether it is the plethora of consumer-oriented commercials or Christmas holiday specials, most everyone's chil... [Read full story]

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Singing with one voice for a worthy cause

11/28/07 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

On Nov. 17, members of our community packed St. John Catholic Church to hear the talented and beautiful voices of artists who came together and donated their time for our community -- and for a worthy cause.

Musical groups including the McDaniel College Madigal Singers, Old Line Statesmen Barber S... [Read full story]

20071128 Westminster Eagle columns September 19 through November 28 2007

Westminster Eagle columns September 19 through November 28 2007

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Posted Tuesday, December 11

Singing with one voice for a worthy cause

11/28/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Email this story to a friend

On Nov. 17, members of our community packed St. John Catholic Church to hear the talented and beautiful voices of artists who came together and donated their time for our community -- and for a worthy cause.

Musical groups including the McDaniel College Madigal Singers, Old Line Statesmen Barber Shop Chorus (under the direction of Jeff Liebknecht), the Children's Chorus of Carroll County, New Life for Girls Choir, Masterworks Chorale, Westminster Trombone Choir and the Coram Deo performed a benefit concert for Carroll County Domestic Violence Safe House.

Connie Sgarlata, director of the Office of Family and Children's Services, said both the audience and the performers were moved by "the solidarity that the music and words created in our effort to address domestic violence."

Sgarlata's comments were echoed by McDaniel College professor of music Dr. Margie Boudreaux and Diane Jones, the Children's Chorus of Carroll County artistic director. Both noted that the music was wonderful -- the message was clear.

[Read full story]

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Visiting the CIA for an Iron Chef Thanksgiving

11/20/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Email this story to a friend

Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much for which to be thankful, and of course friends, family -- and food -- come to mind.

Over the recent Veterans Day weekend, Miss Caroline and I ventured to Hyde Park, N.Y., for a two-day conference on "The Presidency and the Supreme Court."

The conference took place at The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and examined the relationship between past presidents and the Supreme Court, the political process of Supreme Court nominations and the court's influence on social issues, civil rights and governmental power in times of war and crisis.

The conference was fascinating. We had the opportunity to meet and chat with a number of published historians and presidential and Supreme Court scholars.

We also met folks like former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, former White House counsels John W. Dean, C. Boyden Gray and Beth Nolan, former U.S. Senator from Maryland Paul Sarbanes and National Public Radio Senior Correspondent Juan Williams.

Legal Affairs Correspondent for National Public Radio Nina Totenberg was the moderator for the event.

However, I must say the highlight of the weekend was catching up with Rudy Speckamp

[Read full story]

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One more helping of grits, with a Dr. Pepper and a side of fruitcake

11/15/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Email this story to a friend

Most people who know me know that I like to eat.

And regular readers of this column know that one of my favorite foods is grits.

After the Aug. 1 column in The Eagle, "Song of the South: No grits, no glory," I heard from many folks who also like grits.

Mike Shaw of Shaw Farms wrote that he "j...

[Read full story]

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Jerry Barnes: county state's attorney and veteran

11/07/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Email this story to a friend

As Veterans Day fast approaches -- it's this Sunday, Nov. 11 -- it's appropriate to remember that service to our country is a cherished tradition in Carroll County.

And so it was that in May 1968, Jerry F. Barnes joined the U.S. Army.

Today, we know Mr. Barnes as Carroll County State's Attorney.

But it was back then that the Westminster High School graduate, class of 1966, received his draft notice.

According to a biographical sketch written by Carmen Amedori, Mr. Barnes joined draftees from Carroll County "on a school bus at the (Westminster) Post Office downtown," and headed for Fort Holabird in Baltimore -- and then promptly to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Mr. Barnes noted that fellow Carroll countians Mark Main, Eddie Sensabaugh and Sam Greenholtz were at Fort Bragg at the same time.

Mr. Barnes eschewed being drafted for two years and, instead, enlisted for three years. At first he wanted to be a helicopter pilot, but after a series of events he signed up for Special Forces -- the Green Berets.

Barnes' Vietnam experience is one of a number of profiles by Ms. Amedori appearing in a new publication from the Historical Society of Carroll County, "Tours of Duty: Carroll County and the Vietnam War," by Gary D. Jestes and Jay A. Graybeal. (The book will be released this Sunday at a book signing, 1 to 3 p.m. at the Historical Society, 210 E. Main St., Westminster.)

[Read full story]

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Billy Bob threw something off the Route 140 bridge

10/31/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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It was 40 years ago, the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from "Mama" that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor "said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."

I first heard that song, "Ode to Billy Joe," by Bobbie Gentry that summer on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio.

It was also in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential "Southern Gothic" genre of storytelling. (To refresh your memory, the song can be found on the Web at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc.)

Other examples of authors of the Southern gothic genre of writing include William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Truman Capote and Harper Lee.

Tennessee Williams once described the genre as stories that reflect "an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience."

Who can forget: It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day. And mama hollered at the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet."

[Read full story]

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More Headlines

OK, so who was Herb Ruby?

09/26/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Email this story to a friend

That's the question we posed last week when we talked about the placement of the Ruby Field sign at Westminster High's football field.

Let's begin this way -- when was the last time you attended a Friday night local high school football game?

We all know that local sports teams are one of the strongest glues that bind our community together. For hot dogs, pizza, entertainment and getting together outside in the fresh air with your family, friends and neighbors, there is hardly anything better than Friday night high school football games.

Well, we have Coach Ruby to thank for our Friday night high school football traditions in Carroll County.

Yep, it all started in 1947 when he became the first high school football coach in Carroll County.

After Coach Ruby graduated from Bridgewater College in 1941, he actually played semi-professional baseball for the Staunton Presidents of the Virginia Baseball League.

Read the entire story here: OK, so who was Herb Ruby?

Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

09/19/07 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

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I had the pleasure of attending the "rededication" of the Ruby Field sign under the scoreboard at the Westminster High School football field right before the Westminster v. Francis Scott Key football game on Friday evening, Sept. 7.

A gathering of friends and family of the late Coach Herb Ruby was in attendance.

In the tradition of Coach Ruby himself, it appears the sign rededication was the result of folks working together as a team to benefit the community as a whole.

It got downright humorous as everyone gave the credit for the effort to someone else. This, too, is fitting as a tribute to the late Coach Ruby -- he was known for putting athletes, the team and the community above himself. He abhorred having attention drawn to him individually.

The little ceremony wasn't a splashy affair. It was essentially a small group of folks gathered to pay their respects. A few stories were traded back and forth -- in somewhat hushed tones. A photo was taken and everyone quickly went about their business.

Coach Ruby would have approved.

Over the roar of opening night, the pre-game excitement from the large crowd, football players warming-up and cheerleaders and the band practicing, my conversation with Carroll County Superintendent Dr. Chuck Ecker and Jim Head (my high school football coach, by the way) turned to the history of Ruby Field.

When "new" Westminster High School opened in fall 1971, the sign did not accompany the move from the school's former football field on Longwell Avenue, the "old" Westminster High grounds where the school operated from 1936 to 1971.

Read the entire story here: Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

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And please report dead links…

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

20071115 Westminster Eagle columns Aug 1 through Nov 15 2007

Westminster Eagle columns Aug 1 through Nov 15 2007

November 15^th, 2007

Kevin E. Dayhoff Wednesday, November 14 One more helping of grits, with a Dr. Pepper and a side of fruitcake

Most people who know me know that I like to eat.

And regular readers of this column know that one of my favorite foods is grits.

After the Aug. 1 column in The Eagle, "Song of the South: No grits, no glory," I heard from many folks who also like grits.

Mike Shaw of Shaw Farms wrote that he "j... [Read full story]

Jerry Barnes: county state's attorney and veteran

Westminster Eagle: November 7, 2007

As Veterans Day fast approaches -- it's this Sunday, Nov. 11 -- it's appropriate to remember that service to our country is a cherished tradition in Carroll County.

And so it was that in May 1968, Jerry F. Barnes joined the U.S. Army.

Today, we know Mr. Barnes as Carroll County State's Attorney.... [Read full story]

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Billy Bob threw something off the Route 140 bridge

Westminster Eagle: October 31, 2007

It was 40 years ago, the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from "Mama" that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor "said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge."

I first heard that song, "Ode t... [Read full story]

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OK, so who was Herb Ruby?

Westminster Eagle: September 26, 2007

That's the question we posed last week when we talked about the placement of the Ruby Field sign at Westminster High's football field.

Let's begin this way -- when was the last time you attended a Friday night local high school football game?

We all know that local sports teams are one of the st...

[Read full story]

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Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

Westminster Eagle: September 19, 2007

I had the pleasure of attending the "rededication" of the Ruby Field sign under the scoreboard at the Westminster High School football field right before the Westminster v. Francis Scott Key football game on Friday evening, Sept. 7.

A gathering of friends and family of the late Coach Herb Ruby was... [Read full story]

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Thursday, October 25 2007 Wm. Jennings Bryan stirred the pot in 1900 visit By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, October 17 2007 Celebrating a Westminster 'citizen soldier' By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, October 10 2007 We can honor county's firefighting history by preventing disaster By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, October 03 2007 Early television in Carroll got a great reception By Kevin E. Dayhoff,

Special to the Eagle Wednesday, September 12 2007 'An extraordinary guy who did extraordinary things'

Wednesday, September 05 2007 Day at State Fair fills us with Carroll County pride By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 29 2007 Coffee, doughnuts and ice cream in Boston By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 22 2007 County fair emerged with Carroll's agricultural awareness By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 15 2007 Bergman: Closing credit for a master of cinema By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 08 2007 Agriculture in Carroll has always been 'fair' game By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Wednesday, August 01 2007 Song of the South: No grits, no glory By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Links: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=978&show=archivelist&searchsel=archives&om=1&requesttimeout=100

If any of the links have expired for a piece of which you would like to read, e-mail me at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com. Thanks.

20071109 Veterans Day and Remembering Vietnam: “The Wall at 25” by the Smithsonian Channel

Veterans Day and Remembering Vietnam: “The Wall at 25” by the Smithsonian Channel

November 9^th, 2007

Paull Young, Smithsonian Channel Community Administrator, has been in touch in reference to my post on “Soundtrack” on November 3rd, 2007: 20071101 Smithsonian Channel: Tribute to Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets:

Hi Kevin,

I saw your post on the Smithsonian Channel and wanted to share this promo for ‘The Men Who Brought Dawn’:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iQ2pyEZefs

The Smithsonian Channel is airing a special block of programming ‘America’s War Stories’ (on Direct TV) featuring both ‘The Men Who Brought Dawn’ and a new documentary ‘Remembering Vietnam – The Wall at 25’ that Jan Scrugg (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund founder and president) calls “the best documentary about the wall I’ve ever seen”. After reading your post I thought you might like to check it out.

You can view a promo of the show here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJrCN83mb8o

Remembering Vietnam will be streamed live on the Smithsonian Channel website (www.smithsonianchannel.com) concurrent with its High Definition premiere on Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11 at 9pm EST / 6pm PST. You can get all the information about it here.”

A big thank you to Paull Young, the Smithsonian Channel Community Administrator, for being in touch.

For more information on the program, Remembering Vietnam: “The Wall at 25” by the Smithsonian Channel, please read my colleague at The Westminster Eagle’s article in the Wednesday, November 7^th, 2007 edition of the paper, “Documentary recalls a life on 'The Wall' By Heidi Schroeder.”

Please note that unfortunately this link is not a permalink. A permalink will be assigned to the article after the piece is placed in archives. So if you are reading this post several weeks after it is published, please go to The Westminster Eagle, and look for the article in archives.

For more information on Lance Cpl. Muriel Stanley Groomes, a Carroll Countian who was killed in Vietnam on Nov. 2, 1968, please read my column in The Sunday Carroll Eagle, this Sunday, November 11, 2007.

And my Westminster Eagle column for Wednesday November 7^th, 2007 is Jerry Barnes: county state's attorney and veteran : “As Veterans Day fast approaches -- it's this Sunday, Nov. 11 -- it's appropriate to remember that service to our country is a cherished tradition in Carroll County. And so it was that in May 1968, Jerry F. Barnes joined the U.S. Army. Today, we know Mr. Barnes as Carroll County State's Attorney....” [Read full story] [Again - - Please note that unfortunately this link is not a permalink. A permalink will be assigned to the article after the piece is placed in archives. So if you are reading this post several weeks after it is published, please go to The Westminster Eagle, and look for the article in archives.]

Finally, my column in this Sunday’s The Tentacle will also be on Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes and the Remembering Vietnam: “The Wall at 25” by the Smithsonian Channel:

“Remembering Vietnam - The Wall at 25,” is the subject of a stunning original Smithsonian Channel Documentary. The program will be simultaneously web-streamed on the Smithsonian Channel Website - www.smithsonianchannel.com with its on-air broadcast to DirecTV subscribers on Channel 267 this evening at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

My colleague at The Westminster Eagle, Heidi Schroeder and I were provided an advance copy of the documentary. We had been contacted for research information by Lynn Kessler-Hiltajczuk last summer.

Ms. Kessler-Hiltajczuk is a writer-producer for Alexandria-based LK Productions and served as an independent producer for the program. She was looking for additional information on Lance Cpl. Muriel Stanley Groomes, a Carroll Countian who was killed in Vietnam on Nov. 2, 1968.

Ms. Schroeder writes that in “addition to a history of The Wall's construction and interviews with veterans, the documentary provides a sneak peek into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection, which features over 100,000 items that have been left at The Wall.”

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund founder and president Jan Scruggs calls the program "the best documentary film about the wall I've ever seen." After reviewing it several times, I could not agree more.

[…]

_____

REMEMBERING VIETNAM: THE WALL AT 25

A stirring, surprising and emotional history of a national shrine devoted to remembrance and reflection. The famous “Wall” celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Remembering Vietnam: The Wall at 25 goes back in time to tell the story of the memorial through the eyes of those who conceived it, those who were instrumental in pushing it through bureaucratic and political resistance, those intimately involved with its 25-year history, and those it honors. Above all, the documentary tells the story of a place that is more than a memorial – it is a place where old wounds are healed.

Press Release Source: Smithsonian Networks

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071031/nyw096.html?.v=101

'Remembering Vietnam - The Wall at 25,' Original Smithsonian Channel(TM) Documentary, to be Streamed on Smithsonian Channel Website on Veterans Day (Sunday, Nov. 11)

Wednesday October 31, 11:00 am ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- "Remembering Vietnam - The Wall at 25" - - an original documentary about the history of the famous monument in Washington, D.C. -- will be streamed on www.smithsonianchannel.com, the Smithsonian Channel website, concurrent with its premiere on Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11 at 8 pm and 11 pm ET/PT.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund founder and president Jan Scruggs calls it "the best documentary film about the wall I've ever seen."

"We felt this documentary was so powerful that we wanted to make it possible for this moving and important program to be seen by all Americans as we honor the soldiers who have fought for our country this Veterans Day," said Tom Hayden, General Manager, Smithsonian Networks.

The one-hour documentary is produced by filmmaker Lynn Kessler, and is part of a package of original programs to be shown in honor of Veterans Day beginning Friday, November 9 and continuing through Sunday, November 11.

Smithsonian Channel is currently available on DIRECTV's Channel 267.

ABOUT SMITHSONIAN NETWORKS:

Smithsonian Networks (SN) is a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution. It was formed to create new channels that will showcase scientific, cultural and historical programming largely inspired by the assets of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. The networks will feature original documentaries, short- subject explorations and innovative and groundbreaking programs highlighting America's historical, cultural and scientific heritage. Visit them on the internet at www.smithsonianchannel.com

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Source: Smithsonian Networks

20071104 Columns and essays on Grits – The story so far.

Columns and essays on Grits – The story so far.

November 4^th, 2007

My Sunday Carroll Eagle column for November 4^th, 2007 column is on grits. I’ve already received some fun feedback. I’ll post it on Soundtrack, when I find a spare moment.

Meanwhile, please enjoy the story so far…

August 1, 2007 Westminster Eagle column: Song of the South: No grits, no glory

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=archivedetails&pnpid=978&om=1&ArchiveID=1295063&requesttimeout=100

Westminster Eagle column:

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?NPV2Datasource=mywebpal&pnpid=978&show=newscast&CategoryID=18317

Winchester Report: Song of the South: No grits, no glory: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=837916&CategoryID=18298&show=localnews&om=1

The Winchester Report: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=978&show=newscast&CategoryID=18298&om=1

Food Grits – on Soundtrack:

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Food%20Grits

20070905 Song of the South: No grits, no glory:

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/09/20070905-song-of-south-no-grits-no.html

20071003 Living and loving in the age of asparagus

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/10/20071003-living-and-loving-in-age-of.html

20070802 Welcome to the Outer Banks Grits Grill

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/08/20070802-welcome-to-outer-banks-grits.html

20071101 Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

November 1, 2007

My October 31, 2007 – Wednesday Westminster Eagle column is up on the Westminster Eagle web site and it pertains to one of my favorite forms of literature, Southern Gothic storytelling and one of my favorite songs from my teenage years, “Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry.

I lost most the following paragraphs to my word limit…

Ms. Gentry was born Roberta Streeter in nearby Chickasaw County, Mississippi, on July 27, 1944, where she grew up in severe poverty on her grandparents’ farm. Her grandmother facilitated her exploration of writing and music when she traded a family cow for a piano. At the age of seven, Ms. Streeter – Gentry wrote her first song, “My Dog Sergeant Is a Good Dog.”

When Ms. Gentry first released the song, it was the “B” side of a debut “forty-five” which featured a song, “Mississippi Delta.” Disk jockeys became more intrigued with “Ode to Billy Joe” and started giving it considerable airtime – and it crossed over from country music stations to “Top 40.” It topped the charts for four weeks in August 1967, sold three million copies, and won her three Grammy awards.

The narrator of the story is not identified in Ms. Gentry’s haunting and mysterious tale of a young man who commits suicide. The song comes to mind as Halloween is upon us and thoughts wonder to trick or treating or the community Halloween Parade - and ghost stories. Carroll County is awash in ghost stories for your enjoyment. That is of course, if you believe in ghosts. Do you believe in ghosts?

The column started out as an “evergreen,” an obligatory column for a particular seasonal event in the year.

Many of my colleagues who write for newspapers abhor “evergreens,” however I have always seen them as a challenge to come up with a different angle on a perennial topic, in this case, a piece on Halloween.

The piece started out very differently as when I neared deadline I jettisoned the customary tome on ghost stories in Carroll County with the standard fare on the origins of Halloween.

I got off on a tangent with a variation on the old “Crybaby Bridge” standard and quickly left quite a bit of work on the cutting room floor. To wit, most of the following, along with an additional 400 words were killed off:

As with many of our customs, observances and holidays, Halloween evolved over many centuries as a combination of several non-Christian ancient harvest celebrations and rituals combined with religious celebrations. The roots of Halloween go back as far as the 5^th century BC in Celtic Ireland, when October 31 was celebrated as “Samhain,” the Celtic New Year.

For the economic historian, it is widely accepted that Halloween came to America along with the significant Irish wave of immigrants as a result of the economic hardships brought on by the Irish potato famine from 1845 to 1851.

Halloween is upon and thoughts wonder to trick or treating or the community Halloween Parade.

And ghost stories. Carroll County is awash in ghost stories for your enjoyment. That is of course, if you believe in ghosts.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Among some of the old favorites in Carroll County are the Ghost of Furnace Hills; the Civil War soldier that roams around in Cockey’s Tavern; the ghost of the old Rebecca at the old jail, which now houses Junction, a drug abuse treatment center; and the headless apparition of Marshall Buell at the old Odd Fellows Hall in Westminster.

[…]

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Let’s go watch Billy Bob throw a public official off the Rt. 140 Bridge

October 31, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff (706 words)

It was forty years ago in the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from “Mama” that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor “said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

I first heard the song, “Ode to Billy Joe,” by Bobbie Gentry that summer on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio. It was also in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential - “Southern Gothic” genre of storytelling.

To refresh your memory, the song can be found on the web at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc.

Other examples of authors of the Southern gothic genre of writing include William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Truman Capote, and Harper Lee. Tennessee Williams once described the genre as stories that reflect “an intuition of an underlying dreadfulness in modern experience.”

Who can forget: It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day… And mama hollered at the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet." And then she said she got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge. Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

Of course another intriguing feature of the story is that it takes place in Carroll County: “And brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show.”

Ms. Gentry has to this day remained circumspect about the haunting and mysterious tale of Mr. MacAllister, but one thing we do know is that the “Carroll County” she is referring to in the song is “Carroll County Mississippi.” Come to find out, there are approximately 13 places in the United States called “Carroll County.”

The song comes to mind as Halloween is upon us and thoughts wonder to ghost stories. Carroll County is awash in ghost stories for your enjoyment.

Halloween ghost stories are fascinating as often they involve aspects of unexplained historical events, enigmatic dialogue, and inexplicable characters. However, over the years, I have become much more enamored with Southern gothic storytelling, which is frequently more creative – and often more disturbing in the manner it which it peels away the layers of a community or society; yet does not tell a reader ‘what to think,’ but nevertheless causes the reader ‘to think.’

Just like Halloween stories, the song’s plot makes known several themes. The first of which is obvious in that just like many popular Carroll County Halloween stories, it reveals a snapshot of life in a particular period in history.

But it is the other prominent theme that is particularly disturbing as it peels away the layers of indifference that contemporary society shows towards our fellow human beings – or in the case of “Ode to Billy Joe,” the loss of life.

In present day Carroll County, every other public hearing is “Halloween” as this theme often manifests itself in the cavalier manner in which folks will often engage in character assassination in the pursuit of a particular agenda.

In the song the family of the narrator nonchalantly mentions the gentleman’s death: “Billy Joe never had a lick of sense/ pass the biscuits, please.” Of course the narrator of the story cares: “Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite? I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite.” Other than that, they may as well been having a dinner conversation about the weather.

Happy Halloween. By all means, please enjoy some of the old favorites in Carroll County like the Ghost of Furnace Hills; the Civil War soldier that roams around in Cockey’s Tavern; the ghost of the old Rebecca at the old jail, and the headless apparition of Marshall Buell at the old Odd Fellows Hall in Westminster.

Better yet, the next chance you get, go to the Carroll County Public Library and re-read Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” or Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”

Or, of course, you can attend a good ole’ Carroll County public hearing and really see a modern day horror story unfold in real time - “and watch she and Billy Bob throwing public officials off the Rt. 140 Bridge.”

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr AT org

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