Restoring Honor Rally - My Perspective

As both a Christian and a Conservative, I feel called to share my experience from Saturday's Restoring Honor Rally in D.C. Having followed Glenn Beck for a few years now and been anxiously awaiting this day since it was announced a year ago, I knew the rally was going to be an event to remember. What I didn't know was how profoundly it would affect me and what I would feel compelled to stand up for afterward.

I decided to go to the event alone so that I could truly soak up each moment the day had to offer. Along the way I met so many strangers that instantly felt like friends due to the fact that we had all come together for the same reasons; with the same passion for God and Country. Probably one of the things that affected me the most was the fact that with all the strangers I met and interacted with, we were all from different states (and in one case a different country). None of us were "duplicates," and all of us wanted to represent our State with pride! Of course I was there to help represent Maryland, but within minutes I met people from Hawaii, California, Ohio, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Holland.

When I asked the woman from Holland why she felt compelled to travel so far to witness this event, she said that it's already too late for Europe; that many from her country feel that the United States of America is the "last hope" for this world. Little does she know that many of us who attended Glenn Beck's rally are afraid that if the U.S. doesn't change it's course soon and go back to our founding principles, that it will be too late for our country as well.

Being at the rally refreshed my spirit, though... and my hope... While the media is trying to say this was a "tea party" event, I can tell you as an up-close witness that it was not. There were people from all walks of life and from all sides of the political debate who chose to come together as one to show that God and Country do go together. They must go hand in hand in order to get us back on track. The Founding Fathers had the vision to put a great foundation under us, but it is wavering right now. Too many of our principles and morals are being smashed by complacency, immorality, and "political correctness." What started out as a Nation Under God, has turned into a place where Christian Conservatives are being oppressed and we are made out to be on the "fringe" of society. I think this rally showed that we are not on the "fringe" but represent a large portion of the constituency, and the folks on the inside of the beltway need to listen.

The program started out with Glenn introducing direct descendants of the Native Americans who met the Pilgrims, and there was a direct descendant of people who were aboard the Mayflower. That was a pretty powerful reminder to see them arm in arm on the stage. As Glenn Beck put it, "and with malice towards none, they got into their boats and they came... God's chosen people, the Native Americans, and the Pilgrims...People came together, in different faiths, in the spirit of God, and the first thing they did was pray together."

This rally was not about telling everyone they have to be a Christian Conservative. It was about uniting people of all faiths to stand up together arm in arm; it was about asking each individual to look inside themselves to discover their true core beliefs and to do inventory to see if we are each living the life we should. Glenn Beck was saying that the way back to honor is through God. The way to fix our problems with government is through Him, because if we all do our personal inventory, we will know what we need to stand up and demand of the politicians who represent us.

On the radio yesterday, Mark Kreslins from Mid-Maryland Live asked me if I felt Glenn Beck got it right. Is God the solution to the terrible politics happening in D.C.? My answer is a resounding YES! If every politician followed the 10 Commandments, or at least lived by the Golden Rule, our country would be in a much better place. Not only would We The People stand up, but our elected officials would finally realize that lying, adultery, deceit and selfishness would not be accepted. They would have accountability and know that if they don't get it right, they are voted out. George Washington and the Founding Fathers gave this Nation a great gift... we no longer have to fight with guns, as they did. We get to fight for righteousness as a Republic, without bloodshed. The government they set up is "one nation under God," for the people, by the people. Glenn Beck did a wonderful job of reminding us of this.

In Frederick County, we have a big election coming up. My hope is that every voter looks at each individual candidate and measures their worthiness to represent us. Character counts and so does selflessness for the greater cause. What do our candidates and incumbents stand for; what have they done for their community to make it a better place? Will they listen and put their constituents first? Do they live by the Golden Rule? I am basing my vote on that in both the Primary and again in November. Will you join me on Election Day and honor your responsibility as a citizen of this great country and vote? I'll see you at the polls.

1st Annual Frederick Idol Fundraiser to Benefit CALM

Do you have what it takes to be
Frederick's Shining Star & the first Frederick Idol 2010?

If you think you do, join CALM (Frederick County Community Mediation & Conflict Resolution Center) for the first annual Frederick Idol 2010. Auditions will be held on Sept 8th-9th from 6:30-9:30pm at 629 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701 (@ the Bernard W Brown Community Center. There will be a $10 donation registration fee per contestant. All proceeds from this Fundraiser will benefit CALM. The Grand Finale will be on Sunday October 24th, 5:30-8:30pm at the Frederick Community College JBK Theater. For Registration forms and questions, please email calmfrederick@aol.com

Audition Registration Form
Audition Rules
Frederick Idol Flier

RCS_2558 - Brazil Day Photos - Frederick, Maryland

RCS_2558 - Brazil Day - Frederick, Maryland, originally uploaded by CraigShipp.com Photos - Events / People / Places.

For videos see: www.frederick.com/Brazil_Day_2010__Frederick_Maryland-a-1...

Elyse Finds Businesses On Frederick.com

Elyse Finds Businesses On Frederick.com, originally uploaded by CraigShipp.com Photos - Events / People / Places.

And, you can too Frederick.com

Frederick County Commission for Women to Host Ladies' Golf Tournament

Please join us for the Frederick County Commission for Women 6th Annual Golf O.P.E.N. (Offering Philanthropy, Education and Networking) on October 7, 2010. We will have a great day of golf at the beautiful Maryland National Golf Club in Middletown, MD (www.marylandnational.com). The event will include a 4-person scramble, champagne luncheon and awards reception following the tournament. We will also feature a Women's Health Fair during lunch, where local organizations share information about women's health and wellness. Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9:00 a.m. Special Offer: Included with your online registration is a 1-year subscription to Golf Digest (a $10 value). Register online now at http://www.golfdigestplanner.com/16240-FCCFW/ and remember to invite your friends to play. Thank you for your support of the Frederick County Commission for Women!

IMG_7530 - Brazil Day Entertainment

IMG_7530 - Brazil Day Entertainment, originally uploaded by CraigShipp.com Photos - Events / People / Places.

See you this Sunday at the Frederick Fairgrounds http://www.facebook.com/Brazilday http://twitter.com/BrazilDay

For video clips see: www.frederick.com/articles/article.asp?artID=379

Anti-Gang Strategy

The Frederick Police Department (FPD) is pleased to announce two major milestones in our continuing anti-gang strategy in the City of Frederick. The Frederick Police Department’s anti-gang strategy consists of an integrated, multifaceted response consisting of a multi-pronged approach to combat gangs through enforcement/community policing, education, prevention/outreach, and investigation/intelligence sharing. We believe that combating gangs must be a team effort not only from within the agency but through our partnerships with citizens, schools, businesses, prosecutors, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. In addition to arresting criminals, outreach, education, and prevention efforts are critical. We also believe that combating gangs is inextricably linked to combating an array of other, often related criminal activity, to include illegal drugs, certain violent crimes and property crimes, graffiti, prostitution and human trafficking, and terrorism.

Aggressive enforcement efforts as illustrated by the fact that the FPD continues to lead all county agencies in arrests, in fact generally making as many arrests as all other county agencies combined, are a key component of our strategy. As noted, however, prevention and outreach efforts are also critical. It is in these areas that two major milestones have been reached. The FPD has been a leader in aggressively making efforts to educate, inform, acknowledge, and discuss gangs in our community. To that end, in the past five years, the agency has presented more than ninety gang seminars in an effort to inform and educate our community about gangs, why people join gangs, how they operate, why they exist, and to discuss our anti-gang strategy in depth. These presentations have been given in a variety of venues including Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) meetings, Homeowner Association meetings, Board of Realtors, schools, churches, etc. We are proud to acknowledge that our own Detective Robert Marker is recognized across the State of Maryland as a top resource when it comes to gang operations and information. A companion outreach effort includes our Gang Resistance Education and Training Program (G.R.E.A.T.), which we have been presenting to school children for about the past seven years. To date, this school based education program designed to teach children to withstand the lure of gangs has been presented to over three thousand Frederick school children.

The FPD will continue these strong efforts of enforcement/community policing, education, prevention, investigation/intelligence sharing, and outreach.

If you are interested in becoming involved in your Neighborhood Advisory Council meetings so that you can regularly meet with City officials, including members from the police department, or you are interested in requesting a seminar on gangs as part of our anti-gang strategy, please call Ms. Michele Bowman on 301-600-2091.

RCS_1557 - PPF FFF with Sawyer Brown

RCS_1557 - PPF FFF with Sawyer Brown, originally uploaded by CraigShipp.com Photos - Events / People / Places.

For video clips see: www.frederick.com/PPF_FFF_2010-a-1609.html

Armed Robbery

At approximately 9:30 p.m., 08/20/10, officers of the Frederick Police Department responded to a reported armed robbery near Baker Place East in the 1300 block of Key Parkway.

Investigation revealed that the victim was walking on a foot path behind Baker Place East when she was approached by a black male armed with a handgun. The suspect then robbed the victim of an undisclosed amount of cash and then left the area on foot.

The suspect is described a s a black male, approximately 6’00” tall with a stocky build. He was wearing a white T-shirt , dark pants and white athletic shoes.

Anybody with information about the robbery or the identity of the suspect is urged to contact Detective Morgan at 301-600-1259. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call 301-600-TIPS (8477)

Scooter Theft

On 8/18/10, OFC Lapp of the Frederick Police Department’s Directed Patrol Unit, was patrolling in the area of W12th and Neidig Ave. At approximately that time he observed a motor scooter, being operated by Timothy S. FROCK, fail to stop for a stop sign. At that time the scooter was also occupied by another male juvenile passenger. OFC Lapp initiated a traffic stop and observed the driver fail to stop for another stop sign in the area of Invader Alley and Kossman Alley. Moments later the scooter came to a stop and both occupants attempted to distance themselves from the scooter. After establishing identities, MVA checks revealed that FROCK was unlicensed and did not possess a moped permit. FROCK was arrested. A follow-up investigation revealed that the scooter was also stolen but not reported as the owner had not been aware that the scooter had been stolen.

RCS_0939 - Rocky Ridge Parade

RCS_0939 - Rocky Ridge Parade, originally uploaded by CraigShipp.com Photos - Events / People / Places.

For video see: www.frederick.com/Rocky_Ridge_Parade-a-1607.html

RIVIERA RAFFLE

AN EVENING ON THE RIVIERA RAFFLE OFFERS EXCITING CULINARY OPPORTUNITY COURTESY OF VOLT

Frederick, Maryland – The planning committee of An Evening on the Riviera proudly announce a rare and unique raffle to be drawn at the event on October 8, 2010. Chef Bryan Voltaggio and VOLT restaurant have generously donated two private cooking classes with up to six persons per class. Classes will be held simultaneously in the Chef’s Kitchen at VOLT followed by lunch in the Chef’s Dining Room.

“VOLT…is the best restaurant in the Maryland suburbs—elegant and unfussy. American cooking in an atmosphere as cool as it is serene,” wrote Washingtonian in its July 2009 Best of Issue.

DC Modern Luxury Magazine notes, “Chef Bryan Voltaggio’s style of combining seasonal ingredients with judicious flashes of molecular gastronomy drives a menu unlike any in the city. He turns seasonal and local into lusty and soulful.”

“This is the perfect opportunity to experience cooking with one of the finest chefs in the country today, all while supporting your community and neighbors in need,” says An Evening on the Riviera Chairperson, Heidi Horine. “We truly appreciate the kindness and generosity of VOLT owners, Bryan Voltaggio and Hilda Staples.”

All proceeds from the raffle go to support the charities benefiting from the event, which are The Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County and the Women’s Giving Circle. Tickets for the raffle are $30 for 1 (2 chances to win) or $50 for 2 (4 chances to win). Chef’s schedule will determine the date of the classes. Drawing will be held on the evening of the event, October 8th. Ticket purchasers need not be present to win.

Raffle tickets can be purchased by calling The Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County at 301-600-1875 or by visiting our website at www.EveningontheRiviera.com.

Mountain City Elks Parade

Street Closing and Parking Information for August 22, 2010

On Sunday, August 22, 2010 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the Mountain City Elks Lodge #382 will conduct their annual parade. The parade route will start on South East Street and proceed west on East All Saints Street. The parade will continue across South Market Street and conclude in the 100 block of West All Saints Street.

Due to parade preparation, southbound traffic on South East Street from East Patrick Street to East All Saints Street will be closed to traffic from 1p.m. until the start of the event. For the duration of the parade, parking and vehicular traffic will be restricted along East All Saints Street, West All Saints Street, and portions of S. Bentz Street. Visitors and residents are encouraged to select alternate traffic routes.

Motorists should be aware that West All Saints Street from Ice Street to S. Bentz Street will be closed until 8 p.m. for post parade activities.

Michael Kurtianyk's Campaign

The Landon House in Urbana was a perfect setting for a political fundraiser. To support Michael Kurtianyk's campaign for Frederick County Commissioner visit: http://michaelk2010.com/site/

This just in: Maryland State Delegate Galen Clagett (Dem - District 3A) has announced his endorsement of Michael Kurtianyk, Democratic candidate for Frederick County Commissioner.

"As a former County Commissioner and current State Delegate, I understand the unique challenges that Frederick County is currently facing and will be facing in the years ahead. We need to elect people who have the ability to listen to problems, research both sides of the issues and determine the best course for action for the citizens of Frederick County. Michael Kurtianyk has those abilities and will work hard for Frederick County. I am pleased to support him for County Commissioner," said Clagett.

The delegate's endorsement comes on the heels of Kurtianyk's endorsement from the Frederick County Association of REALTORS®.

Kurtianyk will compete for one of five spots in the Democratic primary on September 14 to advance to November's general election. For more information on Kurtianyk's campaign, please visit his website atwww.MichaelK2010.com.

Parental Abduction

On 08-13-10, members of the Frederick Police Department’s Patrol Division responded to White Plains, New York to take custody of Andres Avelino Caceres, who had been captured there due to parental abduction charges. On August 4th, OFC Hanner received a complaint of parental abduction. The complainant had advised that Mr. Caceres had forced his way into her residence on Heather Lane and took custody of the couples 12 year old son. Mr. Caceres and the complainant had been recently divorced and Mr. Caceres had been living in a separate residence in New York for over a year. The mother of the child advised Mr. Caceres had called her several times since taking the child. He advised he was in New York and he was keeping the child. The mother feared Mr. Caceres was going to return to his home country, Peru. White Plains is where Mr. Caceres had been making his home for the past year. After confirming custody with the proper court paperwork, OFC Hanner obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Caceres and notified authorities in New York. New York authorities were able to locate Caceres and the child. Caceres was arrested and the child returned unharmed to his mother. Mr. Caceres waived Extradiction and was returned to Frederick on 8-13-10, where he was taken to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center where he is being held on a $20,000 bond.

Counterfeiting Arrests

Wednesday August 11, 2010 11:31 AM EDT - Counterfeiting Arrests

On Friday August 6, 2010 the Thurmont Police Department was alerted to individuals passing counterfeit twenty dollar bills at various business locations in Thurmont. Suspect descriptions and a description of the suspect’s vehicle were provided by witnesses. A female and two male suspects were identified, located and detained at the Thurmont Police Department. Subsequent interviews of these suspects led to the identity of additional suspects. On Saturday August 7, 2010 a Search & Seizure Warrant was served at an address on Terben Court and evidence was seized in connection with manufacturing of the counterfeit bills. United States Secret Service was notified on Friday August 6 and agents of the Secret Service assisted with the investigation and subsequent arrests of the following individuals:

Brandon Joseph Harris
Age 23
Thurmont, Md
5 Charges: Counterfeiting,Possessing Forged Currency, and Manufacturing Counterfeit Currency

Sean M. Hillis
Age 24
Frederick, Md.
10 Charges: Counterfeiting, Possessing Forged Currency, and Manufacturing Counterfeit Currency, Theft, and Attempted Theft

Lucas Clark Cassidy
Age 19
Thurmont, Md.
5 Charges: Counterfeiting, Possessing Forged Currency, and Manufacturing Counterfeit Currency

Caleb Thomas Horvat
Age 23
No Fixed Address
7 Charges: Counterfeiting, Possessing Forged Currency, and Manufacturing Counterfeit Currency, Theft, and Attempted Theft

The effected businesses were Roy Rogers, McDonalds, Burger King, Sheetz, Wendy’s. No charges have been filed against the female suspect at this time.

Media release was prepared by:
Lt. P. Allen Droneburg
Deputy Chief of Police
Thurmont Police Department

Armed Robbery

On 08-09-10 at approximately 2232 hrs. officers of the Frederick Police Patrol Division responded to a reported armed robbery at Waverly Beer and Wine, 45 Waverly Drive in Frederick. The initial investigation revealed that two B/M suspects robbed the store at gunpoint. An undisclosed amount of U.S. Currency was taken from the business and the suspects fled on foot. It is believed the suspects had a vehicle waiting a short distance from the scene that facilitated their getaway. Multiple units canvassed the area immediately after the incident but were unable to locate the perpetrators. No one was injured during the incident and the investigation is being conducted by FPD/CID. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Frederick Police Department at 301-600-2100, or anonymously at 301-600-8477.

New FrederickNews Contributor

Be sure to check out my postings at http://twitter.com/kevindolan

A conflict of interest

On Tuesday, August 10, 2010 our BoCC will be deciding on who will fill one of the vacancies on the County's Solid Waste Advisory Committee.  Last month the committee conducted interviews and has recommended Mr. Dan Locke (Chief of Mont. Co's Division of Solid Waste Services) to join the committee.  (Daniel Locke recommendation -please scroll down to page 7)

As a member of the NMWDA, Mr. Locke has a clear conflict of interest since the NMWDA will be significantly benefiting by the placement of its Regional Incinerator in Frederick County. 

I would also like to provide some additional information to the LTE Mr. Locke wrote over 2 years ago.

1.) The electricity revenue made by Mont. Co. trash incinerator in fiscal 2007 was $17 Million, but Mr. Locke fails to share that AFTER all revenues are calculated, the subsidy to operate and pay the debt service was $38 Million.

2.) The electricity revenue for fiscal 2008 was $26M, however, Mont. Co. still had costs of nearly $33 Million in order to operate the facility.

3.) How the Mont. Co. incinerator "breaks even" is that there is a System Benefit Charge (as does Fred. Co.) in order to make-up any shortfalls in electricity and ferrous revenues.  This "fee" found on the property tax bill is part of what they define as Revenue - please don't assume Revenue is just the electricity revenue.  Mr. Locke describes this "fee" as solely a fee to subsidize recycling, but if you were to read the bond prospectus for Mont. Co.'s incinerator the subsidy for its incinerator is also assured by this fee. 

4.) The statement that Mont. Co's waste services are "mid-range" may be due in part to the fact that their trash incinerator cost half of what Frederick and Carroll Counties are planning to spend.

5.)  Also, please note that the Mont. Co. System Benefit Charge is spread among 4 times the population of Frederick, and an unknown (at least by me) amount of business retail space as compared to Frederick.

Thank you,
Caroline Eader

MontCo solid waste services chief disputes column on WTE Originally published March 09, 2008 The Feb. 4 column of Katherine Heerbrandt, ("Tra$$$h") contained several errors regarding solid waste management in Montgomery County. To help clarify the issue we wanted to share the following information relating to our service. Regarding the statement that "The promised recovery of projected costs at break even levels was bogus," our Solid Waste System operates on a break even (full-cost-recovery) basis, as do most enterprise funds, such as water and sewer funds operated by most jurisdictions. Fees are set to cover the county's actual solid waste management expenses, and, thus, are not subsidized by taxes through the county's general fund. The fee paid by Montgomery County residents -- for very comprehensive waste and recycling services -- is in the middle range of other jurisdictions in the region, particularly when considering full cost accounting. Next, revenue from selling the energy generated from our WTE facility was not $2 million as stated in the commentary, but $17 million. That was in FY 2007. In FY 2008, due to the recently increased market value of electricity, it is projected to be $27 million. The statement that "Once the plant was operational, homeowners started to see something new on their tax bills every year, a $200 solid waste fee" is not correct. The System Benefit Charges did not increase by $200/year when the WTE opened; rather another set of fees just replaced the earlier system of refuse collection and tipping fees which included general fund support. The new system, introduced in FY96, covered all solid waste costs, as it continues to do to this time. In that first year, the new Base System Benefit charge was $56.26/household. In addition, homeowners paid a $66.64/household Disposal Fee that was charged in lieu of residential haulers paying a tipping fee to the county. Because the residents' haulers no longer paid a tipping fee, they could not pass that along to their customers. Thus, the County's Disposal Fee did not represent an increase, merely a different way to recover costs. At the same time, in order to pay for county recycling program costs, which otherwise had to be subsidized by the county general fund, the county introduced an Incremental System Benefit Charge of $65.54/home. Again, that was for recycling -- not disposal -- services and simply represented a new means of paying for recycling costs that avoided any subsidy from county general funds and assured a full-cost recovery without taxes. The county continued to provide refuse collection for homes receiving that service from the county, but again its refuse collection fee provided full-cost recovery for that service, as well. Finally, we would like to address the assertion that "Fees for waste disposal will rise sharply at least twice to meet the debt service obligation before it's paid off or refinanced in 2016." Actually, because of roughly constant scheduled debt service, increasing capacity utilization, and the increasing market value of electricity, the solid waste fees in Montgomery County have either generally declined or stayed about the same over the years. And, when compared to inflation, they have substantially declined. Daniel E. Locke is chief of Montgomery County's Division of Solid Waste Services. He writes from Rockville.

RCS_0499 - Dog Days of Summer Frederick

RCS_0499 - Dog Days of Summer Frederick, originally uploaded by CraigShipp.com Photos - Events / People / Places.

For video clips see: www.frederick.com/American_Travelling_Morrice__Dog_Days-a...

August 11 Event

Something for everyone to put on their calendars....


Good Morning Candidates for County Commissioners!
CALM (the Frederick County Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Center) will be hosting an evening with the Candidates for County
Commissioners and voters of Frederick County on the topic of Solid Waste
on August 11th from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Community Room at the C. Burr
Artz Library on Patrick Street.

The discussion will focus on reduce/reuse/recycle, resource recovery, Zero Waste, waste reduction and
trash incineration. The idea is to promote face-to-face discussion and
education about the resource recovery issues which are important to the
voters without speeches or written answers. We know 2 hours is not
enough time to focus on all the issues surrounding this topic but we
hope this meeting will spark an interest to learn more and more meetings
such as this one will be held in the future.

How it will work: participating citizens will sit in circles and
candidates will rotate every 15 minutes; depending upon the number of
candidates who respond there may be more than one candidate in a circle;
each circle will have a trained facilitator who will keep the dialogue
focused on the topic and allow voters to interact with the candidates.
This was very successful in the recent city election and we are hoping
to replicate (with a few minor changes) this past success.

We ask that all candidates send their RSVP to CALMFREDERICK@AOL.com
by July 30, 2010 and that you plan to arrive at the Library by 5:45 p.m.
on the 11th. We will begin promptly at 6 p.m. with a 5/10 minute
tutorial on the guidelines and directions for the evening.

Candidates are encourage to post this event on their web-sites,
facebook pages and via listservs. We will provide PR via local media.
Also, we do not have emails for Jerry Trout, Roy Taylor or Ralph
Whitmore. If any of you know these folks and have an email address for
them please pass it on to us. Thank you!

We look forward to having you all participate in this countywide event.
If you have questions please call me directly at 301-606-4578.

Kate

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by
understanding" Albert Einstein

Kate Cullen Palmisano, MSW

Caroline

I wonder how many of you are using Twitter? I just started using it today and I would like to learn more about it. twitter.com/CarolineEader

The After Show #003 - Aug 4, 2010

Note: Video starts after 12 seconds of dead air.

Possible Roofing Scam

On today’s date, 08-04-10, at approximately 1445 hours, Sgt. Wayne Trapp and Ofc. Kyle Jones with the Frederick Police Department responded to the 600 block of Fairview Ave. in regards to suspicious persons doing roofing on a home. Sgt. Trapp arrived to locate two males doing roofing work. Due to the poor workmanship of the roofing work and lack of licensing, Sgt. Trapp suspected that the roofers were taking advantage of the elderly resident and charging outrageous rates for unnecessary work. Sgt. Trapp was able to retrieve the resident’s money.

Sgt. Trapp is asking that anyone who has had contact with two Hispanic males driving a white GMC pick-up truck displaying Florida license plates solicinting residents for roofing or paving jobs to contact him at 301-600-1258. The suspects in this case have been identified and advised not to do any more work until properly licensed. Charges against the two individuals are being considered in this case. Sgt. Trapp would also like to advise all of the residents of the City of Frederick to always check to see that contractors are properly licensed in the State. Residents who have concerns are welcome to request police assistance should they feel that they are involved in a possible scam. Residents may also call the Better Business Bureau to ascertain whether or not contractors have pending complaints and whether they are licensed and in good standing with the State.

Strong Arm Robbery

On 08/01/2010 at 1607 hrs Officers of the Frederick Police Department responded to the 1400 block of Key Parkway for a reported strong-arm robbery.

Police made contact with the victim who was confronted by a Hispanic man who tried to steal her purse and cell phone that she was carrying. The victim resisted and the suspect fled the area on foot southbound on Key Parkway.
The victim stated that the suspect was wearing a black shirt, blue shorts, black hat and sandals. A check of the area for the suspect was conducted by police but met with negative results.

The investigation is being investigated by the Frederick Police Criminal Investigations Division. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Frederick Police Department at 301-600-2100 or anonymously at 301-600-8477.

Impaired-Driving - August/Labor Day Enforcement

Frederick, Maryland – The problem of impaired-driving is a serious one. While America witnessed a decline in the number of impaired-driving fatalities from 2007-2008, the numbers are still too high. That’s why the Frederick Police Department announced today they are joining with other federal, state and local highway safety and law enforcement officials across the nation in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving this August through the Labor Day holiday.

The Frederick Police Department, along with their local and State law enforcement partners in Frederick County, will have saturation patrols and DUI checkpoints before and during the holiday in an effort to prevent and reduce traffic accidents. We also will support any DUI Check Points conducted by the Mid Western Highway Safety Task Force under Checkpoint Strikeforce.

In 2008 there were 8,137 impaired driving crashes in Maryland. Nearly 4,291 persons were injured in these crashes and 164 people lost their lives. In Frederick County there were 285 impaired driving related crashes, 6 of those resulted in fatalities.

Kim C. Dine, Chief of Police, Frederick Police Department said, “Our officers will be out there saving lives and reducing traffic accidents by enforcing traffic safety laws. Our proactive approach includes efforts at educating the public and apprising our citizens ahead of time to improve voluntary compliance. Enlightened communication with our citizens is one of the best ways to improve safety and the quality of life in our City. We want our citizens to know we will be out there protecting them and saving lives."

In every State as well as the District of Columbia it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. Approximately 10,000 police agencies will participate in the year’s mid-August through Labor Day crackdown, including law enforcement officers representing every State, the District of Columbia and many U.S. cities and towns.

According to the latest data, 32 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationwide involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 g/dL or above – an average of one fatality every 45 minutes.

Whether you are having friends and family for a cookout, enjoying a day camping or at the lake, or attending a party, if you plan on using alcohol, do not drive – and never let your friends drive if you think they are impaired. Designating a sober driver before the celebration begins and making sure friends don’t drive drunk are just two simple steps to help avoid a tragic crash or an arrest for impaired driving.

Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is simply not worth the risk, not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be really significant. Violators often face jail time, loss of their driver’s licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial costs include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential los of job or job prospects.

Don’t risk your freedom, your career, your license, or your life this August. Designate your sober driver before the party begins.

For more information, please visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.