A Fair Aberdeen Election?

You’ve no doubt heard about it by now, so here it is for your perusal – the full contents of the mysterious letter mailed Saturday to registered voters in the City of Aberdeen.

What’s so curious about the letter is the entity which purportedly mailed it, Concerned Citizens For a Fair Aberdeen Election, used the address for another prominent citizens group, Aberdeen Communities Together.

The letter, as you can see for yourself, asks for Art Helton, a former state senator and member of the New Harford Democratic Club; Steve Johnson, chairman of the city’s Economic Development Commission and a potential city council candidate if the Harford County Circuit Court validates his candidacy; and Steve’s wife, Julie, to be taken off the city voter rolls. The back of the letter contains a petition for citizens to fill out and mail to city elections judge and former city council president Gina Bantum regarding the rights of the trio to participate in Aberdeen elections. Continue reading A Fair Aberdeen Election?

Candidate Zero’s condition upgraded to Candidate Maybe (update)

Forced to keep quiet before the court of public opinion during last week’s Aberdeen candidate forum, Steve Johnson will get a chance to speak out today (Monday) in a much more official court when he makes his plea to be certified as a candidate for city council in the Nov. 6 election.

Johnson, chairman of Aberdeen’s Economic Development Commission, owner of Johnson Family Pharmacy in downtown Aberdeen and, until recently, thought to be a resident of Perryman, was invalidated by the city’s Elections Board last week, but will take the issue today (Monday) before the Harford County Circuit Court.

Under the city charter, candidates for elected office in Aberdeen must have resided within the municipal boundaries of the city for a minimum of two years. It is well known Johnson has been living outside the city (he acknowledged as much before us and a group of exasperated city residents a year or so ago). It is just as well known that this particular piece of election law is easily worked around. Continue reading Candidate Zero’s condition upgraded to Candidate Maybe (update)

Thanks for the Memories

Some field notes I scribbled down during Wednesday night’s candidate’s forum in Aberdeen:

The Master of Ceremonies mistakenly skipped over and forgot to announce the name of city council candidate Bernard DeWitt. Then, as the catcalls picked up in intensity and he recognized his mistake, the MC had to back up, bend over and look at DeWitt’s name tag before finally saying his name over the sound system.

As much as we all want to love, embrace her and support the idea of her dark horse candidacy, why oh why, did the first 5 words out of 19-year-old mayoral candidate Nicole Burlew’s mouth have to literally be “I don’t really know anything…”?

I was surprised to see every mayoral and city council candidate in attendance Wednesday and I mean EVERY – Steve Johnson, wearing a nice sports jacket, was seated on the periphery with the rest of us who will not be appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot. Recently invalidated as a candidate because he doesn’t reside within the municipal limits of Aberdeen, Johnson, according to the rules of the forum, wasn’t even permitted to submit a question for his one-time fellow candidates. I wonder what he might have asked? Continue reading Thanks for the Memories

In Atlas We Trust

As one Dagger reader in attendance described it, last night’s Aberdeen FOP candidates forum was “pretty vanilla.” That it was. There were no meaningful outbursts from the crowd, and only glimmers of passion from the candidates. Even the powerful Redshirts showed up in their new, more subdued blue shirts. The questions, written down by attendees and apparently selected for mildness by FOP officials, were beach balls. But some of what went down before – and after – the forum was a bit more interesting.

Before things got started, as 19-year-old mayoral candidate Nicole Burlew (who could make national news with her campaign if she sharpens her act just a bit) stood for a TV interview, we at the Dagger hung out in the background at Festival Park, booting a soccer ball around. Mayor Simmons stopped by, and it was only a matter of minutes before he’d removed his suit jacket and was bearing his right bicep, showing off fresh ink. Flew the guy up from Florida to do the job, Fred said, explaining that he’d been to famous tattoo shops in Vegas and South Beach, but could never find an “artist” qualified to give him his only tattoo: that of Atlas. Anyone who’s been in the War Room at City Hall might have noticed a statue of the Greek Titan, a revelatory symbol of Fred’s guiding philosophy; the same, still red from the etching now holds up a bluish sphere on the mayor’s arm. Just as the conversation turned to how clean the park looked, a homeless woman approached to ask Fred why he doesn’t put out ashtrays. Continue reading In Atlas We Trust

Off to the Races (updated again)

The City of Aberdeen will hold its municipal election for mayor and four city council members on Tuesday, November 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Senior Citizens Center at 7 Franklin Street.

The Harford County Municipal Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 128 will be sponsoring “Meet the Candidates Night” on Wednesday, October 10 at The American Legion Post 128, 44 N Parke Street. The doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. Organizers are advertising it as a chance for citizens to meet and ask questions of those running for office.

For those who can’t wait that long or won’t be attending, here is The Dagger’s take. Continue reading Off to the Races (updated again)

Former Aberdeen police corporal-turned-council candidate challenges mayor’s “law enforcement strategy”

By Rick Denu (candidate for Aberdeen City Council)
http://www.rickdenu.net/

The “Aberdeen Model” isn’t a Model at all!

The Aberdeen Mayor claims to have a “model law enforcement strategy”, which was only placed on paper weeks ago, that eliminates crime and now he wants to impose that ridiculous notion outside City limits; has crime been eliminated from Aberdeen?

Let me start by saying that Aberdeen’s Mayor is not a law enforcement professional, he is an insurance salesman whom became Mayor. He has absolutely no basis of knowledge to create, nor implement any crime model; that is the job of the Chief of Police. Continue reading Former Aberdeen police corporal-turned-council candidate challenges mayor’s “law enforcement strategy”

An ace in the hole: Dealing with the race card in Aberdeen

This is a story about hotdogs and why they are occasionally given out for free.

Since Matt already brought it up in an earlier comment, I suppose it’s time to discuss some racial implications that have worked their way into Aberdeen politics.

In case you missed it, there was a brief and seemingly innocuous statement printed in The Record newspaper a few weeks ago at the bottom of an election story. The blurb, attributed to Mayor S. Fred Simmons and buried in the final paragraph, indicated the mayor, who had already announced his intentions to seek re-election, was investigating the possibility of opening a second polling place for the upcoming Nov. 6 municipal election.

At face value, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it sounds like a damn fine idea – giving Aberdeen residents more opportunity and more convenience in voting, which would hopefully bolster what has typically been an abysmal voter turnout for city elections. But, as with most things in life, this idea unfortunately cannot be taken simply at face value. Continue reading An ace in the hole: Dealing with the race card in Aberdeen

« Previous Page