Last night’s council meeting might be the fastest on record, clocking in at 4 minutes, 44 seconds.
From the Pledge of Allegiance to the open public forum, the whole meeting took less time than it takes to find a parking space near the Old Courthouse and navigate through the security checkpoint.
Was it the fastest ever? (more…)
Democratic state Sen. Jim Brochin, who represents the 42nd District, is known for his stamina when it comes door-to-door campaigning.
But I’m pretty sure even he has never tried what Jordan Hadfield and Todd Crandell did last weekend during the Blizzard of 2010.
Hadfield and Crandell, two Dundalk Democrats running for Senate and House of Delegates respectively, took door-to-door to the next level. The two candidates put out the word on Facebook and Twitter and their Web sites that they would be going out in the district shoveling out anyone who wanted it. (more…)
Let’s face it, nothing is as political in any county as snow removal.
County executives have been nearly run out of town on a rail because of it. That’s why executives hold annual press conferences to tell county residents how they are preparing to keep the streets clear when the snow arrives.
Add to the political fodder a Monday night press release from county Republican Central Committee Chairman Chris Cavey, who criticized County Executive Jim Smith and the County Council for what he desribed as a failure to properly plan for last weekend’s blizzard.
“Everyone knew it was coming,” Cavey said. “They were calling it Snowmageddon and stuff like that.” (more…)
Think you know a lot about county government, the council and the County Charter?
Well, strap on your thinking caps and try this pop quiz.
The 60-question quiz comes courtesy of Debbie Patchak, the council administrator.
A couple of rules, though.
First, no asking others for the answers. Second, no looking it up on the Internet or anywhere else. Play fair.
I’ll post the answers on Friday.
The Ravens are headed to the playoffs Sunday, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by our local and state officials.
County Executive Jim Smith fired off an e-mail Wednesday morning entitled “Wacco for Flacco” and encouraging county employees to participate in purple Fridays.
“Throughout the season you have displayed your purple passion by wearing your Raven colors on Purple Fridays,” Smith wrote. “It has been great seeing all of that purple walking the halls in our county offices. As great as it’s been, I know that we can take it up a notch this Friday. Grab those jerseys, get out those purple skirts, find those purple ties and let’s send the Ravens off in style.” (more…)
By all accounts, Ann Brobst was as tough as they come during her 30 years as an assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore County.
But that demeanor cracked just a little bit when Brobst, who was sworn in as a Circuit Court Judge Dec. 16, found out about her appointment to the bench.
“It was crazy,” Brobst said of what she described as “the third happiest day of my life” behind the birth of her two children.
Brobst, a Towson resident, was in Judge Ruth Jakubowksi’s courtroom prosecuting her daily allotment of ne’er-do-wells and bad guys when an assistant came in and told her there was a call for her.
After getting back to her office, she learned that the call was from Gov. Martin O’Malley, informing her of her appointment. But the good news came with a catch.
“You’re not allowed to tell anyone until they notify all of the new appointees,” Brobst said she was told.
Excitement got the better of the courtroom-hardened prosecutor.
“I had to close the door to my office,” said Brobst, explaining that her hands became clammy and she had to sit down for a few minutes.
“I never did calm down,” she said with a laugh.
Brobst went back to court never telling anyone, not even her boss Scott Shellenberger, of the news. She continued to prosecute cases, but admits the rest of the day was a bit of a blur.
“My last case was a plea agreement with a person who huffed paint and then went crazy,” Brobst said. “I do remember that, and I’ll probably go to my grave remembering that.”
It’s that time when we begin to look forward to the year ahead. But before we charge into 2010 let’s pause a second and look back on 2009.
That’s where you come in.
I’m putting together my list of the top five political stories for 2009 and I want to hear your thoughts.
Leave your suggestions, lists and comments below.
We’ll compare notes next Thursday when I run down my list on Maryland’s Morning News on WBAL 1090 AM and here on the blog.
Pick anything you want. The only requirement is that they be local to Baltimore County.
I’ll be taking a few days off as we round out the year but I’ll still try to toss a few things up here and there.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Kwanza or Festivus and best wishes for a happy new year to everyone.
Visitors to Steve Whisler’s campaign Web site are seeing spots — a little cyber snow, if you will
The “flakes” drift across the screen and collect at the bottom before disappearing and collecting again. A perpetual online snow globe.
Whisler, a Republican who is running for County Council in the 1st District, didn’t know about the Web site weather until I mentioned it.
He attributed the effect to a small, but enthusiastic, group of volunteers who help him run his site.
“You want to keep them on message, but you certainly don’t want to squelch their initiative,” Whisler said after getting a look at his site.
“What do you think?” Whisler asked me during a Monday phone conversation.
For the record, I don’t have an opinion. I’m just glad I don’t need and eye exam.
There are two types of people in Baltimore when it comes to saving parking spaces after snowstorms: Those who do it and those who lie about it.
We’ve all claimed that freshly cleared patch of asphalt with a lawn chair or traffic cone or other piece of furniture. Sure, it’s against the law, but this is as American as the Sooners staking claims in Oklahoma.
Let’s face it, we’re a little goofy when it comes to snow.
The 12-inches plus in the forecast will have us descending on stores like swarms of locusts and stripping the shelves bare of milk, bread and toilet paper as if being locked in the house without these essentials for a few days would have us re-creating The Donner Party.
But apparently we’re also a little violent. Crocodiles aren’t this territorial.
At a Friday news conference, Police Chief Jim Johnson urged county residents to be courteous and not steal someone else’s space.
After the conference, Johnson told me that police receive “dozens of phone calls after any major snowfall related to citizens not showing courtesy to other citizens” who have just cleared out a parking space.
“It’s a major issue,” Johnson said.
“There are physical confrontations,” Johnson said. “It’s neighbor against neighbor and the bad blood often lasts after the snow is gone.”
Remember, it’s just a parking space.
And I’ll be watching mine.
Councilman Bryan McIntire stood out just a little bit last Monday night during the Pledge of Allegiance that opens every council legislative session.
While his six colleagues recited the words with their hands over their hearts, McIntire saluted the flag for the first time in his nearly 15 years on the council.
After the meeting, McIntire said the change was the result of a recent change in military regulations.
McIntire spent 21 years in the Maryland National Guard as part of the 110th Field Artillery unit that was stationed at the Pikesville Armory. McIntire retired as a major and the executive officer for the unit.
McIntire has a reputation as the unofficial protocol officer on the council. He routinely can be found making sure the lights above the carvings of historic law related figures are turned on before council meetings or explaining to visitors the proper way to display the flag or the meaning behind the county seal.
That unit, which traced its lineage to the Revolutionary War and the Battle of North Point during the War of 1812, was deactivated in August.
McIntire said he decided to go with the salute after learning of the change in the regulations.
“Most people don’t know who was in the military or not,” McIntire said. “I can go either way.”
Lt. Kristopher Baumgartner, a spokesman for the Maryland National Guard, was unable to provide additional information about the change.
The Defense Appropriation Act of 2009 does allow retired members of the military and those not in uniform to salute the flag during the National Anthem and during parades, but he could not confirm (nor deny) that retired military members are authorized to salute during the pledge.
Baumgartner said it’s a little unusual because members of the military do not recite the Pledge of Allegiance and saluting indoors is usually only done when members of the military appear at certain military boards.