Why Does Charm City Get The 15-Foot Statue Of Edgewood’s Own Rock Star Frank Zappa?
May 9, 2008
It was in Edgewood that Frank Zappa first inserted radioactive pellets into his nostrils. Now he’s being honored, sort of, with a 15-foot statue that was donated by his Lithuanian fans to the City of Baltimore. But why Baltimore? True, Zappa - the guitar-playing, anti-drug musician - was born in Charm City, but, as I’ve already mentioned, it was in Edgewood where he might have gotten off to his mind-bending start.
Let me get one thing off my chest from the get-go here, I’m much more a fan of Zappa’s story than I am his music. Blasphemy you say? Well, try to find a song of his that can compete with stories of his early life in Harford County. Zappa’s dad worked at what was then known as Edgewood Arsenal, but today is known as the Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground. Zappa’s got some pretty good recollections from those days, including tasting DDT and wearing space helmets that left you to drown in your own vomit. Good stuff. Continue reading Why Does Charm City Get The 15-Foot Statue Of Edgewood’s Own Rock Star Frank Zappa?
“Why Didn’t I Call?” A Night In Shock Trauma Through The Eyes of a Drunk Driver
May 8, 2008
My mouth had struck so hard that some of my teeth remained embedded in the steering wheel where the EMS team had to literally pick them out. This was the scene and it wasn’t pretty. Allow me to repeat that, my mouth had struck so hard that some of my teeth remained embedded in the steering wheel. Some other teeth had fallen to the floor uprooted from their home, they would never be the same.
From my lower lip to my chin there was nothing but serrated flesh, it had been completely ripped apart - gaping wide open - revealing my gums and the jagged dentin that remained. My smile no longer ruled. Just raw nerves totally exposed, and shocked as hell to be disconnected from their dominion. My jaw was now gazing out in all its glory and menacing in a world where it had no business and I would surely pay the price. It was a freakish and bloodied mess. What had I done? Continue reading “Why Didn’t I Call?” A Night In Shock Trauma Through The Eyes of a Drunk Driver
1,000 Words About a Picture: Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie and Sen. Hillary Clinton White Marsh Photo-Op
May 8, 2008
Perhaps as a last-ditch effort to help drum up support for the sinking presidential candidate, or maybe just to show it off before it became completely irrelevant, Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie unveiled a photograph last week showing him and Sen. Hillary Clinton meeting, shaking hands and evidently discussing the state of the Union while she was campaigning in Baltimore County.
Guthrie, a Democrat representing the Edgewood and Joppatowne area, passed the picture along to a small group of associates and, upon further inquiry, explained the photo opportunity came in mid-February when Sen. Clinton made a stop at the General Motors Allison Transmission Plant in White Marsh. Continue reading 1,000 Words About a Picture: Harford County Councilman Dion Guthrie and Sen. Hillary Clinton White Marsh Photo-Op
Miller, Martin, Cullum Elected to Havre de Grace City Council
May 7, 2008
Miller -490
Martin -458
Cullum -412
Correri -375
Anderson -356
Gamatoria -326
Walker -174
It was a beautiful Election Day in Havre de Grace on Tuesday; it seems like it is every year, although maybe that’s because I still have lingering frostbite from the frigid Aberdeen Election Day of this past November.
This was a strange election for Havre de Grace, really unlike any other I can remember from my 8 years or so covering elections in Harford County. There were no issues that truly caught traction, no real spats or bad blood between any of the candidates (at least none which was spilled publicly) and no one running for office with a bold plan for change. Continue reading Miller, Martin, Cullum Elected to Havre de Grace City Council
HAVRE DE-CISON 2008 - 7 Candidates Seek 3 City Council Seats in Havre de Grace On Tuesday
May 2, 2008
Seven candidates will be on the ballot Tuesday in Havre de Grace and your votes will determine, which three of them will end up sitting at the dais for the next two years as members of the City Council.
For those who want a final look at the candidates, a forum has been organized for Sunday night at 8 p.m. in the Havre de Grace police station. We’ve also compiled some information here on each of the candidates and are offering Dagger readers, regardless of whether they live within the municipal boundaries of Havre de Grace, to cast your votes now for which three candidates you would like to see as the next Havre de Grace City Council members. Continue reading HAVRE DE-CISON 2008 - 7 Candidates Seek 3 City Council Seats in Havre de Grace On Tuesday
“Do Not Mourn The Dinosaurs.” Instead, Let’s Try To Avoid Their Fate
May 2, 2008
Dinosaurs! The name itself infers impending awesomeness. It is derived from the Greek words ‘deinos’ (terrible) and ’saura’ (lizard). Already you know you are in for a show. Where do I find these terribly awesome lizards? Nowhere. You can find bones, fossils, footprints and even coprolites (fossilized poop).
I have been enamored with these ancient creatures as long as I can remember. I was even rewarded for being potty-trained with a trip to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum to see the bones (I remember that trip clearly, I mean I was 17). I had dinosaur sheets, shirts, and books galore. I also forced my mother to take me to the Maryland Science Center every spring when the animatronic T-Rex came to town. I am even currently reading Stephen Jay Gould’s, Bully for Brontosaurus. Continue reading “Do Not Mourn The Dinosaurs.” Instead, Let’s Try To Avoid Their Fate
“A Classic Method of Wrapping Fresh Fish” And Other Uses For A Local Newspaper, Courtesy Of A Local Politician
May 2, 2008
The prolonged battle between Aberdeen City Councilman Mike Hiob and local newspaper The Record continued this week with the politician getting in the latest jab - a list of the top “uses” for the newspaper he read during Monday night’s city council meeting, which include wrapping fish, washing windows and checking to see how many headlines were ripped from The Dagger.
This war of attrition has been going on nearly since Hiob took office in November 2003 and was likely fueled by Hiob’s dislike for what he has called “sensational headlines” and “wrong information” in the paper and the newspaper’s dislike of Hiob’s propensity for verbose, minute and typically unwarranted/unjustified criticism - or nitpicking. Continue reading “A Classic Method of Wrapping Fresh Fish” And Other Uses For A Local Newspaper, Courtesy Of A Local Politician
Del. Jennings: Maryland’s Taxes Are Among The Highest In The Nation
May 2, 2008
Dear Editor,
It is truly remarkable what a difference two (2) years can make. If we could journey back to ‘2006’, Marylanders were in a state of disgust over the imminent increases in energy costs. Demanding change in Annapolis, the State elected a new Administration that promised to thwart energy hikes and cut taxes on both personal income and property for middle-income Marylanders. Surprisingly enough, Marylanders elected this new Administration despite a 60% approval rating of former Governor Ehrlich’s performance during his term.
Now, two (2) years later and under the Leadership of Governor O’Malley, Maryland received a “change”. Unfortunately, Governor O’Malley has delivered a “change” - unexpected and undesirable to Marylander’s expectations. In only his first term, Governor O’Malley raised all three (3) of its major tax rates. Continue reading Del. Jennings: Maryland’s Taxes Are Among The Highest In The Nation
Forget Wall Street, Invest In Something That Really Has Growth Potential - American Celebrity
May 1, 2008
This installment of Ask A Smartass will attempt to tackle a question that has been on the minds of many Americans these days: Is our country in a recession? Warning: if you hate to hear about money issues or you love capitalism with all of your heart, you may not want to proceed in reading.
Due to a new experimental investing strategy in the country, the economy has hit a recession. Investments have been the strength of the United States economy, so when this risky experimental investment started, many thought nothing of it. But now, as investors have clearly made bad decisions, the entire country is suffering. You may be asking yourself, what is this new investment strategy? Well, it is all the rage now to invest in celebrities. Since they make so much money, why not have them take on shareholders and boost their income while taking others along for the ride.
This was a great idea. But when this started some years back, a lot of investors sunk their money in big names like Britney Spears, Ben Affleck and Lindsay Lohan. With Britney’s unbelievable meltdowns, her investors are experiencing net losses. And those who went ahead and decided to invest in her little sister Jamie Lynn … well, they got double screwed. Sometimes mental instability can be an asset when investing in a celebrity, like Russell Crowe or Quentin Tarantino. But Britney has what we celebrity investors like to call “the wrong kind of crazy.” And her sister is on her way there, let’s face it. Continue reading Forget Wall Street, Invest In Something That Really Has Growth Potential - American Celebrity
You WILL Get Wet On This Ride: Harford’s Last Creek Crossing Still Has A Home On Tabernacle Road
April 22, 2008
Unless you were born and raised in the area, spent some time in the Boy Scouts or like to burn away your weekends cruising the twisting back roads of Harford County, chances are you’ve never heard of Tabernacle Road. It’s really not much of a road - just a winding gravely path through the woods near the Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation - but if you’ve ever tried to traverse it you’re not likely to forget the experience.
Tabernacle Road holds the last public ford in Harford County. That is to say, in order to travel across the county roadway from one end to the other requires crossing a body of open water. Rather than channel the bubbling creek under the roadway or building a bridge over the small waterway, the county has instead allowed Tabernacle Road to plunge right through the meandering flow.
Like the Jericho Covered Bridge in Joppa, the Tabernacle Road ford is a throwback to bygone era and something of a local landmark that you won’t find marked on many maps. It’s also become a rite of passage for many a Harford County high-schooler to test their mettle (and metal too, I suppose) by crossing the ford during periods of high-water - with varying levels of success. But could the ford soon become a distant memory?
