PAT McDONOUGH LEADERSHIP TEAM NEWSLETTER
TITLE: “OPPRESSION HITS JULY 4TH PARADE”

The theme of the Bel Air Independence Day Parade was supposed to be “American Patriots, Then and Now!” Wow, talk about hypocrisy! Apparently, Michael Blum, Chairman, and other members of the Parade Committee, don’t have a clue as to what “patriotism” is really all about. Liberty and the Constitutional guarantee of free speech are the foundations of good old U.S.A. patriotism. Chairman Blum and his gang confronted at least three participants in the parade and seized, on one occasion, Delegate Rick Impallaria’s private signs. Blum and company actually yanked these signs from the hands of the children who were carrying them, including a couple of eight year olds.

The reaction from the crowd watching the parade was vitriolic, including shouts of “Sign Nazis or Communists” referring to the sign police. Although those sentiments may be a bit extreme, the crowd was obviously annoyed by Mr. Blum’s antics. The messages that were proclaimed on Delegate Impallaria’s signs were the following: “Support the Constitution,” “Support the Tea Parties,” and “Cut Taxes.” Remember, the theme of the parade was “American Patriots, Then and Now.”

Ironically, on the same day as the parade, more than 500 citizens showed up that morning at a Tea Party in downtown Bel Air. I am sure Chairman Blum was not in attendance at the tea party.

Delegate Impallaria was not the only elected official that Blum and his hit squad harassed during the parade. Prior to the Impallaria incident, Mr. Blum attempted to intimidate me and demanded that I remove my “Speak English” slogan, which was part of my Delegate Pat McDonough signs. I told Mr. Blum that the Constitution was more important to me than his opinion. The signs remained with me throughout the course of the parade, igniting loud cheers and a lively response from the patriotic crowd. I reminded Mr. Blum that my signs had appeared in five previous Bel Air parades without receiving any intimidation from him or anyone else.

Moreover, it is important to note that all of the other July 4th parades included signs and slogans from everyone. I had just departed from the Greater Kingsville Parade where not only were the signs welcomed, but the parade officials read them out loud as they passed by the reviewing stand. Apparently, parade officials all around the state support freedom of speech and expression. Mr. Blum has decided to turn Bel Air into a “free speech dead zone.”

Citizen Blum proudly boasts on his personal website that he is a “yellow dog democrat.” This type of individual, according to the popular definition, will blindly vote for anyone who is a democrat, even a “yellow dog.” This kind of narrow thinking means Blum is a predictable advocate for President Obama’s policies of more government, less liberty, and reckless spending.

The “yellow dog democrat” is probably deeply offended by the popular, growing TEA PARTY grassroots movement in Harford County. One could honestly ask the question, “Is Chairman Blum misusing his authority over the Bel Air parade to promote his own agenda and silence other opinions?”

Obviously, some type of action must be initiated to prevent this type of ugly incident from occurring again. A number of citizens have come together in order to review the options available, ranging from litigation to protest, and a replacement of Michael Blum with a fellow citizen who understands the true meaning of patriotism, free speech, and America’s birthday on July 4th.
(Continue reading…)

WBAL.com

Harford County’s board of education and the Harford County Education Association, which represents about 3,000 teachers in the county, reached an agreement Monday which will take effect Wednesday, pending ratification by both sides. The teachers are not seeing pay increases in the deal.

According to a joint statement by the school system and the union, the contract brought few changes to the contract, maintaining health care and pay standards. The announcement comes following four months of negotiations.

“My fellow Board members and I are glad that we were able to reach an agreement with the Harford County Education Association,” the board’s President, Patrick Hess, said in the statement. “In light of tough economic times, we have reached an agreement which is best for all involved.”

So if they didn’t get a pay raise and just maintained the current health plan, wouldn’t the union members receive a de facto raise by cutting out their apparently worthless union membership fees?

Harford County

Division of Agriculture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2009
Media Contact: C. John Sullivan, III at 410-638-3339
Ag Advisory Board Unveils “Buy Local” Barn Ads
Ongoing Campaign to Support Harford’s Farming Community
(Bel Air, MD – June 25, 2009) – - It is with great excitement that the Harford County Economic Development Agricultural Advisory Board announces the completion of the latest initiative in the Division of Agriculture’s Buy Local campaign.
In an advertising project reminiscent of the days when barns were used to promote everything from chewing tobacco to the local five & dime, two barns in Harford County were recently painted to feature the County’s ag logo, the slogan “Support Harford’s Farms – Buy Local,” and the County’s ag marketing website, www.HarfordFarms.com.
The purpose of the Buy Local campaign is to raise the public’s level of awareness about the availability of locally-grown food and other agricultural products. “In these tough economic times, it’s so important that as many of our hard-earned dollars as possible stay right here in Harford County,” stated Ag Advisory Board chairman Richard Holloway, a Darlington cattle farmer. “It’s about neighbors helping neighbors.”
Planning for the project began last year, when the Ag Advisory Board surveyed the farming community and asked farmers to nominate their barns to be a part of the project. Out of eight nominations received, the Board selected the barns of David and Michelle Hopkins of Havre de Grace, and Butch and Jamie Bachman of Fallston for this first round of paintings. They were selected primarily for their visibility and location along highly-travelled roadways. The Hopkins family sells produce from their farm stand, while the Bachmans’ son Andy sells eggs, broiler chickens, and bedding plants from the farm.
The County Executive’s Division of Agriculture handled the planning and execution of the project, working with the barn owners and arranging for barn artist Scott Hagan of Jerusalem, Ohio to complete the artwork.
( more )
Ag Advisory Board Unveils “Buy Local” Barn Ads
June 26, 2009
Page Two
The formal unveiling took place at the Hopkins barn in Havre de Grace on
Friday, June 26.
According to C. John Sullivan, III, Deputy Chief of Staff for Agriculture, the
next steps in the Buy Local campaign are to place the image of the barns on a billboard in the Route 40 corridor, and to reach out to Harford County restaurateurs and encourage them to add locally-grown food products to their menus.
“The public is really beginning to take note of where their food comes from,
and smart restaurant owners are catching on as well,” Sullivan stated. “For example, Bruce Bitner’s Grill, Little NY Deli, and My 3 Sons offer burgers made with all local beef, and many other restaurants have a selection of Harford County wine. We hope to expand upon this, and work to connect farmers with local restaurants.”
The Ag Advisory Board is comprised of 21 members of the agricultural
community, each of whom represents a specific agricultural interest. Its purpose is to advise the County Executive, the County Council, and the County Delegation to the General Assembly on agricultural issues of concern to Harford County’s agricultural community and to protect and enhance the profitability of agriculture.
For more information on Harford County Agriculture, log on to
www.HarfordFarms.com.
Barn locations:
Hopkins Barn
3827 Rider Lane
Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078
Bachman Barn
2601 Harford Road
Fallston, Maryland 21047
- 30 -
“Preserving Harford’s past; promoting Harford’s future”

Harford County Parks & Recreation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2009
Media Contact: Rod Bourn at 410-836-4000 or RBourn@Harford.edu
Ma and Pa Trail Group Donates $500
to Offset County Budget Cuts and Support Trail Monitors
(Bel Air, MD) – - The MA & PA Heritage Trail, Inc., a. Bel-Air based not-for-profit organization, made a $500 contribution today to Harford County Parks and Recreation Department to help fund trail monitor positions and keep public restrooms open at two of the trailheads.
The MA & PA Heritage Trail is a walking, running and bicycle trail located on portions of the former Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad corridor in Bel Air and Forest Hill. The group’s contribution comes at a time that the county government must address significant budget shortfalls by cutting staff and services in some departments.
“Harford County Parks and Recreation Department is extremely grateful to the MA & PA Heritage Trail organization for their generous and timely contribution that will help us to continue to provide services to the trail,” said Joe Pfaff, Director of Harford County Parks and Recreation.
The $500 contribution will help to pay the salaries for one fiscal year, starting July 1, of part-time trail monitors who patrol the trail for two hours each day, and also unlock and clean the public restrooms at Melrose Lane in Bel Air and Friends Park in Forest Hill.
“The MA & PA Trail is one of Harford County’s greatest recreational assets and it’s important that it continue to be supported with basic services,” said Rod Bourn, Board President of the MA & PA Heritage Trail, Inc. “Our primary mission is to work in partnership with Harford County Parks & Recreation to make the MA & PA Trail a great place to enjoy the local outdoors. In this difficult economy, we feel this is an opportunity to step up and take action to support the county and to support the trail.”
The MA & PA Heritage Trail, Inc. helps preserve the MA & PA Railroad corridor for the present and future generations of Harford County’s citizens. The organization’s more than 100 members also work to preserve the heritage of railroads in Harford County and to promote the development of trails for recreation and an alternate means of transportation. More information is available at www.mapatrail.org.
-
30 –
“Preserving Harford’s past; promoting Harford’s future”

WMAR

[...]

But a neighbor who claims he recruits people for the nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground claimed in a recent radio report that crime in the Winston Choice subdivision is already prompting transplants from the base realignment process to choose to live in Delaware.

[...]

“I was very surprised by this story,” said Harford County Economic Development Deputy Director Denise Carnaggio, “I feel very comfortable that the folks that have moved in from New Jersey and other who are moving from Virginia and Texas are very pleased with our quality of life, and they serve as our multipliers.”

The latest numbers show more than 75% of the early mover for BRAC have chosen to rent or buy homes in Harford County.

13% have opted for Cecil County, while just over 5% have located in Pennsylvania and less than 4% have headed for Delaware.

The resident sounding the alarm also claimed in a neighborhood of about 75 homes, criminals had broken into 15 cars.

But Aberdeen City Police have looked back at the crime numbers thus far this year, and they say crime in that area doesn’t merit this level of warning.

[...]