O’Malley release

Governor Martin O’Malley Appoints Members to Harford and Wicomico County Boards of Education

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 29, 2009) –Governor Martin O’Malley today announced the appointments of two new members to the Boards of Education for Harford and Wicomico Counties. Governor O’Malley named Thomas P. Evans to Harford County Board of Education and Donald L. Fitzgerald and Larry W. Dodd to the Wicomico County Board of Education.

“I am proud to appoint Mr. Evans, Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Dodd to their respective local Boards of Education,” said Governor O’Malley. “Each appointee brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise, and represents the diversity of our State. I am confident that each appointee possesses the skill and the leadership necessary to ensure every child receives the quality public education they deserve. Even in these difficult times, we must continue to protect our investments in public education to ensure that every child receives a world class education and a better future. The people of Maryland are our greatest asset and our continued economic strength depends upon our ability to invest in them, and prepare our children today for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Below is background information on the appointees:

Harford County Board of Education Appointee:
Thomas P. Evans – Mr. Evans is a licensed Pharmacist for the State of Maryland and works as a Pharmacy Supervisor at Maryland General Hospital where he supervises all aspects of the pharmacy operation, plans and implements automation of medication dispensing. Prior to that, he worked as an Informatics Coordinator at St. Joseph Medical Center. He is the former Commissioner of the Maryland State Advisory Board on Medical Privacy and Confidentiality, a member of the Maryland Society of Health System Pharmacists, President and Founder of the Bel Air Investment Club, and a former member of the Fallston Community Council. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 1980, his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1983, and received his licensure to practice pharmacy in Maryland in August of 1983. Mr. Evans received his Masters of Administrative Science from the Johns Hopkins University in 1988. He is a resident of Fallston, MD. Mr. Evans’ oldest child attends Fallston Middle School.

Wicomico County Board of Education Appointees:

Donald L. Fitzgerald – Mr. Fitzgerald is a retired Vietnam Veteran and mechanic. In 1966, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served with the 227th Aviation Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry in Vietnam. In 1967, he served as Platoon Sergeant for the Signal Corps at Fort Knox, Kentucky and in 1968 was honorably discharged. From 1965 to 2002, Mr. Fitzgerald worked at E.I. DuPont where he worked as a Service Operator and then Mechanic. From 2000 to 2002, he served as President of SNEC, an independent worker’s union. Mr. Fitzgerald attended Wicomico High School and graduated in 1964. He is a member of Grace United Methodist Church, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 194, the Moose Lodge 654 and the Optimist Club of Salisbury. He is a resident of Salisbury. Mr. Fitzgerald coaches girls’ varsity softball and is a member of the Wicomico County Softball Federation.

Larry W. Dodd – Lieutenant Dodd is a Firefighter and Paramedic at the City of Salisbury Fire Department where he has worked since 1994. Lieutenant Dodd is also an MFRI EMT Instructor and Fire Instructor at the University of Maryland. From 2002 to 2006, he served as a member of the Wicomico County Council and from 2001 to 2005, he served as President of the MIEMSS Region IV E.M.S. Council. Mr. Dodd received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at Salisbury State University in 2000 and his Masters of Science in Applied Health Physiology from Salisbury University in 2004. He attended the University of Maryland Institute for Governmental Services Academy of Excellence from 2001 to 2005. He has two children attending Wicomico County public schools and is a member of the Beaver Run School PTA. He is a resident of Salisbury.

WBAL.com

The Aberdeen Test Center says staff will be creating several strong, loud explosions for the rest of the month and part of September.

Aberdeen Proving Ground officials made the announcement Tuesday but said the testing began Saturday.

Officials said the detonations will likely be heard and felt outside the boundaries of the military installation. The tests are also expected to create non-hazardous smoke and dust clouds in the area.

Detonations could be rescheduled depending on the weather conditions during the testing period.

Baltimore Business Journal

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $229.3 million contract to build a chemical defense complex at Aberdeen Proving Ground for the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, USAMRICD, a government agency charged with protecting the military from chemical and biological attacks.

The Army Corps awarded the contract Aug. 14 to Clark Construction Group LLC of Bethesda, which will build the new space for the institute’s research efforts. The government agency is part of the Defense Department’s U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command.

The 526,255-square-foot project, to be completed by May 2013, will include a central energy plant, administrative and support space, and new laboratories for work including animal testing.

Michael Dresser points out a SHA news release:

STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION TO ASSIST EXELON NUCLEAR WITH HALF-MILLION POUND TRANSFORMER MOVE THROUGH HARFORD COUNTY

Multi-Night Move to Affect I-95 and Several State Highways in Northeastern Harford County

(July 23, 2009) – The Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) and the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) are assisting Exelon Nuclear with a major oversized vehicle transport through northeastern Harford County scheduled to begin 9 p.m. Monday night, July 27. The specially designed oversized vehicle will haul a new half-million pound power transformer for Exelon’s Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in Delta, Pa.

The oversized vehicle, which is 16 feet wide, and moves 3-5 miles per hour, will travel from Havre de Grace to the Maryland State Line on six nights, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. each night. The vehicle will be escorted by Maryland State Police (MSP), SHA and Exelon’s private hauling contractor (Hake Rigging of Lester, Pa.). The vehicle will move to a pre-determined staging location each night.
(Continue reading…)

Rick Impallaria release

Censorship at the Bel Air Fourth of July Parade

The theme of the parade was “Patriots Then and Now”. A quick review of our history will recall that, in the years prior to 1776, England had instituted repressive taxes against the colonists to pay for their ongoing war with France. In response, the colonists protested by throwing Tea Parties — not only in Boston, but also in Cecil County and Annapolis. The protests eventually led to our independence being declared on July 4, 1776, the event which we were celebrating in the Bel Air parade. That was Patriots Then.

Patriots Now are fed up with government’s overspending, with paying taxes to bail out institutions, with government endangering our children’s and grandchildren’s future by monstrous debt. In response they are emulating their forefathers’ example. They are holding Tea Parties — in Boston, in Cecil County, in Annapolis, and all across the country. They are patriots determined to take our country back from the tyrants.

So, in the spirit of that theme, my parade signs read: “Delegate Impallaria says, Stop the Taxing,” “Delegate Impallaria says, Stop the Spending,” “Delegate Impallaria says, Support the Tea Parties,” “Delegate Impallaria says, Support the Constitution,” “Delegate Impallaria says, Happy Birthday, America.”

We carried these signs in the Kingsville Parade earlier in the day. As we approached the reviewing stand, the parade marshall read out each and every one over the loudspeaker, and then thanked me for supporting the positions of their community. So these signs represented not only my views, but the views of the Kingsville spectators, who voiced their agreement during the parade.

At the Bel Air Parade, however, my supporters and I were attacked by Mr. Michael Blum, the parade marshall, for carrying signs which clearly expressed the theme of the parade — Patriotism Then and Now.

If there truly had been objectionable material in anyone’s signs, the proper place for removal would have been the staging area, before appearing in public. But Mr. Blum stopped us on the parade route, ripping the “Support the Tea Parties” sign off our lead motorcycle, then stripping signs away from children as young as eight years old. Fortunately, my one niece, who is a true patriot, hid her sign, and for the remaining route we were left with “Stop the Taxing.”

As Mr. Blum and his cohort attacked the members of my group, the spectators were outraged at what they saw, and started booing Mr. Blum, calling him a “sign Nazi” and “a Communist”, and yelling “This day is all about patariotism and free speech.” It was obvious that the spectators were not offended by the signs, but were offended by Mr. Blum’s censoring of them.

Then, like true Nazis or Communists, they not only prevented my free speech, they attempted to confiscate my private property by refusing to return the signs. I was not about to stand for this. I repeatedly demanded they place the signs in my vehicle, and they repeatedly refused. All this was taking place in public, which was an embarassment to me, my family, and my supporters. When the van driver, my brother, got out and joined me, they realized that, in the famous words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “We shall not be moved,” and the parade would be held up even further, they finally returned the signs.

As one blogger put it, “he is sick and tired of *&%^ politicians walking in the parades.” I 100% agree with him, and that is exactly why we carried those signs. I believe it is the right of the people to know exactly what their elected officials stand for. If they do not support what I stand for, it is their option to boo or ridicule me. If they do, they have the right to support me for my representation of them.

Mr. Michael Blum’s actions are a total disgrace. He owes a public apology to every true American who believes in freedom of speech. He should also attend classes on the Constitution given by the Institute on the Constitution which are held at Boyle Buick. Or, he should just openly admit to his fascist/community beliefs which he so clearly demonstrated at the Bel Air Parade.

As for my family, my supporters and myself, we stand 100% behind the positions we have taken, and we proudly say that we will continue to support the patriots of the past by doing all we can to be patriots of the present.

Rick Impallaria
Delegate, District 7
rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us