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BENSTORMING
- by Ben Boehl -
12/30-Looking Ahead to the New Year
It’s hard to believe 2010 is over. This was a great year for me on a personal level. First, my daughter Emily was born on Feb. 1 and I received the opportunity to write my own column on March 4.
When I look back at the year, the first news event I remember is the 2010 Election. There was the excitement of the Joe Bartenfelder/Kevin Kamenetz race for County Executive. In Dundalk, there was the controversy of the debate between Jordan Hadfield & Todd Crandell and the Forward Together team. Both parties couldn’t agree on the format of the debate and it never happened. In the Perry Hall area, there was the controversy of County Council candidate Bill Paulshock’s residence. He lives in Kingsville, but filed under his business address to run in the 5th District race. The elections were a lot of fun and like I wrote in my Nov. 11 column, let’s do this again in two years, but we’ll have to wait until four.
Another story I’ll remember is finding out that Bill Bocklage is the man behind the American flag on the Back River Bridge in Essex. I was wondering who took care of the flag and Mr. Blockage wrote a letter describing his experiences on the bridge in April.
There were many other great people I met in eastern Baltimore County. At Geresbeck’s, there is 15-year employee Henry Creasy, who works with the shopping carts. Dundalk resident Charlene Osborne was another great person I wrote about this year. She wrote a book about being voted Baltimore’s Best Hon in 2009. I also met 81-year-old Bernard Zaworski, who is still swimming in the Maryland Senior Olympics. The Dundalk resident won two silver medals.
In May, I got to be a part of Ivy Hall as they celebrated their 25th year anniversary. The main event was the digging up of an old time capsule. Unfortunately, the time capsule didn’t survive 25 years of bad weather, but the highlight of the day was meeting the original owner and talking to the nurses who have been at Ivy Hall for the full 25 years.
There were many other great stories and people in 2010 and I look forward to meeting and hearing more great stories in 2011. Happy New Year.
12/23-Wishing My Readers a Very Merry Christmas

I started writing this column 10 months ago and I’m honored and humbled every time someone reads my column. I try to keep this column with a local angle. There are columnists that write about everyday life and situations, but I try to bring a local twist. I could write a universal column that readers outside the area could relate to, but my goal is to make the column relatable for only the residents of eastern Baltimore County. I love writing about the local schools, politicians and train gardens because those personal stories can rarely be found in the Baltimore Sun or the local TV/radio stations. The citywide media has to cover all of Baltimore City, County and the other surrounding counties. What makes the East County Times so successful is that we focus on the citizens in our community and I strive for that same approach with this column.
I want to thank readers like Joe of Rosedale, who is only 23. I met him at a wedding and he told me he enjoyed reading my column during the election. It’s great to see our youth with an interest in politics.
Another loyal reader is Kathy of Essex. Kathy was the first reader to e-mail me when the column started. She still sends me information and keeps me on my toes.
Another reader is Kristen of Perry Hall. She is the teacher of a program that my son attends on the weekend. We love to chat about politics and our community news before class.
I’m sure there are many more readers out there, at least I hope so. For a while, I thought only my mom read the column.
Seriously, I feel very honored when someone tells me they are a reader. I want to thank you and wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Four Teachers Receive National Board Certification
Congratulations to four local teachers as they have achieved National Board Certification. This list included:
* Robin Acton, mathematics/adolescence and young adulthood, Perry Hall High School
* Sharon Brown, generalist/middle childhood, Oliver Beach Elementary School
* Jane Dulin, English language arts/adolescence and young adulthood, Dundalk High School
* Rachel Lilley, mathematics/adolescence and young adulthood, Perry Hall High School
According to a press release from Baltimore County Public Schools, these teachers meet rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. They are in a class of 91,000 teachers that have achieved National Board Certification since 1987.
Patapsco Graduate Stars in Salisbury Play
When a student graduates from high school, we usually don’t get too much information on their accomplishments at college, but Salisbury University sent over information about a former Patapsco student.
Christine Stone, a Patapsco graduate of 2007, recently starred in the musical workshop production of ‘Rent ‘ at Salisbury University in November. She is a senior majoring in English and the daughter of Mike and Sandy Stone.
12/16-Counting Down the Christmas Season
Live Nativity at Chase Church
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the different train gardens in the area for the holiday season. On Monday, I was notified about another family-fun event in the area. Christian Fellowship Church of God in Chase invites you to see their live nativity scene with animals on Wednesday, Dec. 22 & Thursday, Dec. 23 from 7 - 9 p.m. at their church on 12723 Eastern Ave. This is not the first time the church has displayed a live nativity, but this is the first one in a few years. Paul White, an assistant with the church, said the event is to remind and educate everyone that Jesus in the reason for Christmas, after White met a girl a few years back who didn’t know who Jesus was.
“We decided to do this again because the community likes this. They love to stop by and this is an outreach to the community. They are reminded of the real meaning of Christmas,” White said.
The event is free and families are invited inside for cookies and hot chocolate.
It’s Still Better to Give Than to Receive
The old saying “it is better to give than receive” definitely applies during the holiday season. This is the time of the year where our society gives to those who are less fortunate. Here at the East County Times, we sponsored a little 7-year-old girl through the Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce with many gifts, and she should be a happy camper when she receives these gifts on Christmas Day. It’s not too late to donate to a national, state or local organization. We get notices all the time of the local charities that need help and here is a list of just the ones that contacted us. I’m sure there are many more great services throughout the area that need a helping hand this season.
Non-Perishable Food Drive
Ladies Auxiliary of Charles Evering Post #6506, 8777 Philadelphia Road, will be collecting non-perishable food items to benefit St. Clements Food Bank through Dec. 18.
Clothing and Toy Drive
The Essex Middle River Chase Lions Club is partnering with the East County Times, 1st Mariner Bank at Carroll Island and the new Lighthouse Cafe in Essex to collect new toys, adult and children’s clothing as well as hats, gloves and mittens for Christmas. The items are to be distributed to the homeless shelter at Franklin Square as well as local needy families. Any donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, call Lion Paul Rufe at 443-858-0167.
Food and Toy Drive
 The Hawthorne Civic Association, the Hawthorne Elementary School and St. Peter Evangelical Church of Eastpoint are combining efforts to provide five needy families with food baskets and gifts this Christmas.  For more information, call 410-686-9270 or using the “Contact Us” link on the HCA website at www.hawthornecivic.org.
Perry Hall Elementary Collecting Children’s Books
The Student Council at Perry Hall Elementary School will be collecting gently used children’s books through Friday, Dec. 17 to support the Trudy and Joe Book Swap Foundation. This foundation works to provide books for underprivileged children ages 4- 14. The school is located at 9021 Belair Road in Perry Hall.
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12/9-Smith Leaves “Renaissance” Legacy
On Monday, Kevin Kamenetz became the 12th Baltimore County Executive. Before we look ahead to Kamenetz, let’s take a look back at now former County Executive Jim Smith’s legacy, at least here in eastern Baltimore County.
In the Dundalk/Essex area, Smith proclaimed himself as the “Renaissance Man” by rebuilding the Essex, Middle River and Dundalk areas. Crime-ridden areas like Dundalk’s Yorkway Apartments and Essex’s Village of Tall Trees Apartments were destroyed and replaced with the new Heritage Square in Dundalk and the new Renaissance Square in Essex. A number of parks were also constructed and old parks received upgrades during Smith’s tenure.

James T. Smith
Eastern Baltimore County has seen changes over the past eight years with redevelopment, and many believe the revitalization of the troubled neighborhoods is the main reason why crime is near all-time lows.
Of course, critics of Smith’s redevelopment plans wonder if there was too much development. The most obvious criticism of Smith comes from the Perry Hall/White Marsh area where the increase of houses and population didn’t transfer
over to the building of more schools. The building of another high school was one of the main topics during the past election. Smith never felt a new high school was a necessity for the area. Some of that criticism has boiled over to the County emergency services. Back in the ‘90s, northeast Baltimore County was considered a rural region that only needed one police station and firehouse. With the population explosion, it’s gotten difficult for Police Precinct 9 and Fire Station 55 to cover from Kingsville to the city line and some feel Smith never addressed that issue too.
On the other hand, Smith will be remembered in these parts as a very proactive County Executive during tough times. He was in the area right after Tropical Storm Isabel hit the east side and was down in Dundalk after the collapse of a roof at the firehouse during the famous Double Blizzard of 2010.
On the fiscal side, Smith was successful in balancing the budget. Yes, the County might be in trouble today, but Smith was praised for having surpluses with the previous county budgets. Although, Republicans wished he would have given out tax cuts.
While Smith never raised taxes, he angered a lot of Republicans as they felt Smith promoted the agenda of Gov. Martin O’Malley and helped him get elected twice. He also funded other Democratic candidates in Baltimore County. In addition, many Republicans felt slighted as Smith thanked Democrats for their hard work during ribbon-cuttings, but rarely acknowledged or let the Republicans speak at the event. The local GOP never considered Smith a bi-partisan politician.
As a reporter, I enjoyed covering Jim Smith, as he was a great quote machine with a lot of enthusiasm. But there were times he went overboard with his excitement. “Today is a beautiful day,” or “Today is a great day in Baltimore County” were some his famous and oft-repeated quotes during the ribbon cuttings. But isn’t that all politicians?
Correction
The phone number for James Lanahan and Donald Thompson’s train garden in Perry Hall was incorrect. The correct number is 410-529-1457. I apologize for the error.
E-mail
E-mail your questions, comments and complaints to ben.storming@yahoo.com.
12/2-All Aboard the Local Trains

Ever since I was a kid, I loved train gardens. My parents and grandparents always put up a train garden for my brother and I every Christmas. The tradition continues, as my three-year-old son has been a big fan of trains since birth.
For us train buffs, there are many great train gardens across the region but as a local guy, I want to visit all the train gardens in eastern Baltimore County.
Wise Avenue
Obviously, I grew up with the Wise Avenue Volunteer Fire Company Train Garden on 214 Wise Ave. in Dundalk.  That garden opened last weekend for its 30th season and runs through Jan. 9, but is closed on Christmas Day. There is an admission fee of $1 and children under 7 are free. Weekday hours are from 6 - 9 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday hours are from noon - 9 p.m. For more information, call 410-288-0710.
Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society
Staying in Dundalk, I discovered the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society train garden a few years ago. It’s located at the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society Museum at 4 Center Place in Old Dundalk. Admission is free and the garden is open daily from noon - 8 p.m. starting Dec. 4 until Jan. 9. The garden is open from noon to 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. For more info., call 410-284-2331.
Perry Hall
Then I got a call out to an in-home train garden in Perry Hall. Don Thompson and Jim Lanahan have a train garden in the basement of their Perry Hall home. At first, it was a little unusual walking into their house with the kids and going down to their basement, but Mr. Lanahan was a friendly tour guide. They said it was close to the size of Wise Avenue’s train garden and they might be right. The garden was huge and covered the whole basement. Their garden is open until Jan. 2, from 6 - 8 p.m. during the week and on Saturday & Sundays from 1 - 8 p.m. Since the garden area has a limit in space, Thompson and Lanahan request visitors call for reservations and directions at 410-529-1457.
Are There More?
But is that it? I thought for sure there were other public train gardens in either Rosedale, Middle River, Edgemere or around White Marsh, but I can’t find one. I went to a great website called “Grandpa’s Holiday Train Garden Page for 2010” at www.wvmgrs.org/TrainGardens.htm and it has a list of the train gardens in Maryland, but didn’t mention any other ones in eastern Baltimore County. This presents a challenge to our readers. Am I missing an obvious train garden in eastern Baltimore County? Or maybe there is a top-secret train garden that only a few know about? Either way, if you know of one, please e-mail me at ben.storming@yahoo.com.
Dundalk Hon on TV
It was too late to get this in the paper, but Dundalk resident Charlene Osborne, voted Bawlmer’s Best Hon in 2009, will be making an appearance on WBAL-TV Channel 11 on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 9:15. Osborne will be interviewed about her book “My year as BALTIMORE’S BEST HON.”
11/24-CCBC and BCPS Join Forces for New Program
Since it’s Thanksgiving Week, not too much is going on in the area, but I did hear that the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) are joining forces to create a dual degree program called “Diploma to Degree.” The program provides an opportunity for high school students to earn an associate of arts degree while pursuing their high school diploma.
“The program, believed to be the first of its kind in Maryland, will allow qualified students to earn the associate degree in general studies at CCBC. Beginning in the summer of 2011, it will start as a pilot program with initial costs to be borne by CCBC. Students will be selected for the program next spring after applications are reviewed by the school system and CCBC. The program was developed by BCPS and CCBC educators who identified courses aligned to meet the requirements of an associate of arts degree. Students taking courses for the Diploma to Degree program will earn course grades and credits from both BCPS and CCBC,” a BCPS representative said in a released statement.
This announcement isn’t a shocker as BCPS Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston and CCBC President Dr. Sandra L. Kurtinitis have always had a great working relationship within the two systems. The only question I have is why wasn’t this done sooner? Sure both school systems have their flaws like every system in the country, but many consider BCPS and CCBC one of the top public school/community college systems in the state. Both have an amazing infrastructure and CCBC has the appearance of a mini-school system with three main campus all over the county. Some even say that CCBC is an unofficial extension of BCPS after Grade 12. The only difference, of course, is that students at CCBC still have to pay tuition while BCPS is a free public service.
Former Back River Rec Star Going to West Virginia
Last week I wrote an article on Kenwood High baseball star Shane Campbell who received an athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland. Campbell wasn’t the only local athlete to receive a scholarship as Akilah Bethel will play major Division I Women’s College Basketball at West Virginia University. Actually, Bethel is from Randallstown and played her high school basketball in the suburbs of Washington D.C., but played rec basketball for the Back River Rec. Council in Essex.
11/18-Looking Ahead to 2012/2014

Everyone is sick of politics and this column will return to focusing on other issues in eastern Baltimore County, but I thought I’d write one last column to wrap-up this political season.
With the 2010 Elections behind us, we look ahead to 2014. Can the Republicans find a candidate to challenge County Executive-Elect Kevin Kamenetz? Will Joe Bartenfelder return to politics? Have we seen the last of newcomers Ryan Nawrocki, Mike Ertel, Rani Merryman, Jordan Hadfield and Todd Crandell? Before we answer those questions, we need to look ahead to 2012.
Many readers wanted to know why more established Republican candidates didn’t challenge Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger and Senator Barbara Mulaski in 2010? With this being a strong Democratic state, it’s believed many Republicans didn’t want to take that chance and lose their state seats. With 2012 being an off-election year for state candidates, some Republicans may venture into the Congressional and U.S. Senate races. Here are some races to watch in 2012:
1st Congressional District
With Democrat Frank Kratovil winning in ’08 and Republican Andy Harris winning in ’10, this district could stay competitive for both Democrats and Republicans. With ’12 being an off year, could a powerful Maryland Democratic Legislator in this District (ie. Eric Bromwell or Kathy Klausmeier) be interested to going after this seat? How about County Executive Jim Smith? His term is over in December and he currently lives in the 1st District. He has name recognition and funds, but would he be interested in challenging Harris?
2nd Congressional District
Republicans say 2012 will be the year they take a serious shot at Ruppersberger’s seat. I still haven’t heard any official name, but a few Republicans told me that a serious candidate will challenge the five-term Congressman. Three names that come to mind are the trio of Republicans in the State’s 7th Legislative District (Pat McDonough, Rick Impallaria or J.B. Jennings), but we will have to wait and see.
Redistricting
Predicting Harris’ and Rupperberger’s challengers might be irrelevant because there will be some type of redistricting in both the Congressional and State districts. The question is how severe will the redistricting become? That’s a debate for another day, but even a little change could cause some controversy. Andy Harris lives in Cockeysville (located in the 1st Congressional District) and Dutch Ruppersberger lives a few miles down the road in Timonium (2nd Congressional District). If any slight redistricting takes place, both Congressmen could be locked into the same district for 2012.
U.S. Senate
After he decided not to run for Baltimore County Executive, Republican Pat McDonough told me he could challenge Senator Ben Cardin in 2012. This would be the perfect opportunity for McDonough as he could return to his House of Delegate seat if he were to lose to Cardin. He wouldn’t have had that luxury if he lost the County Executive race this year. McDonough has name recognition with his TV/radio shows and should be able to raise enough funds to compete with Cardin.
11/11-Let’s Do This Again in Two Years, Not Four
This election season was fun and exciting, but I think everyone is glad it’s over. With that being said, let’s come back and do it again in two years. The current system is set where Maryland Elections are held every four years, but it’s different on the federal level. The Presidency, which has term limits, is contested every four years, but members of Congress are challenged every two years.
When I asked Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger about term limits, he was against it and stated, “If you don’t like us, vote us out,” since there’s an election every two years. Well, if Maryland’s Delegates, Senators and County Council members don’t have term limits, why aren’t they on the ballot more often? Executive positions with term limits, such as the Governor and County Executive, should stay four years while state and county legislators should face elections every two years.
Local elections are also a boost for the local economy as candidates advertise on TV, radio and in newspapers. Somebody also makes money off those mailers and campaign signs. Wouldn’t  it be great to get an economic shot in the arm every two years instead of every four?
In addition, these elections promote civic pride. We all have candidates that we want to get behind or vote against, but we’re passionate either way.
Most importantly, more elections keep politicians honest when they have to answer to the public every two years.
The only downside to holding local elections with the Presidential Election is, well - the Presidential Election. Yes, there’s always great turnout when we vote for a president, but the primaries would cause trouble. Every state wants to move up its primary so it can be one of the first to select the Presidential nominees. Some states vote as early as January. During the Gubernatorial Elections, the primaries are held in September with the General being held in November. Maryland’s 2012 Presidential Primary is scheduled for February so the heart of the primary campaigns would take place around the holidays instead of the warm months of spring and summer. It might be a slight setback, but still something we should do every two years.
Two New Council Members
The Baltimore County Council will have five new members when it begins its new session with the new Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz on Dec. 6. Two of the councilmembers are David Marks (R-5) and Cathy Bevins (D-6). Marks defeated Democrat Mike Ertel.
“I was very appealing to Democrats and Independents. I also did well in Loch Raven and Towson. I broke even in Loch Raven and was competitive in Towson. I did well in Perry Hall too, but wouldn’t have won the election if I just carried Perry Hall.”
In his first two years as councilman, Marks would like to make government more open and transparent, schedule council work sessions at night so more community members can attend, approve the Perry Hall Community Plan and adopt a resolution of term limits for councilmembers.
“I’m going to be very visible like I was as Perry Hall Improvement Association President. I look forward to working across party lines, especially with Cathy (Bevins). We are going to be working on many of the same issues.”
Marks becomes the second Republican on the County Council. Marks and fellow Republican Todd Huff know they are outnumbered 5-2, but plan to work with the Democratic majority. The Republicans were hoping that Republican candidate Ryan Nawrocki was going to join them from the 6th District, but Nawrocki lost to Bevins.
“Ryan ran an exceptional race. He worked hard and I hope to see him back in 2014,” Marks added.
After election night results and absentee ballots, Bevins has a lead of over 300 votes and appears to be the winner. The provisional ballots still weren’t counted as of press time. Bevins could not be reached for comment.
11/4-At the End of the (Election) Day, Incumbents Will Stay
Well, it’s finally over. No major upsets to report from Tuesday night’s election as the incumbents had a big night locally. Our coverage area reaches into three Councilmanic Districts (one councilperson for each) and three State Legislative Districts (three Delegates and one Senator for each.) I’m not a math major, but that gives us a total of 15 local elected officials. Of those 15, 11 decided to run for re-election.
Of the 11 incumbents (seven Democrats and four Republicans), none lost. While the rest of the country might be in an anti-incumbent/anti-Democrat mode, all the incumbents were safe in Maryland. Some say the incumbents won because they’re doing a good job, while others say the incumbents were safe because of the lack of quality challengers. Either way, congratulations to all the winners and congratulations to all those who came up short but fought a hard campaign. Here is a look at some of the races. For full results, click here.
Republicans Get One Seat in County, But Democrats Take Rest
While no incumbents lost, there were some good races involving first-time candidates. David Marks turned a Democratic council seat into a Republican seat by defeating Democrat Mike Ertel. The Republicans almost won another race, but Democrat Cathy Bevins was leading Republican Ryan Nawrocki for the 6th District County Council seat at press time. Overall Democrats are happy they kept the top seat in Baltimore County as Kevin Kamenetz becomes the next County Executive with a closer-than-expected win over Republican Ken Holt. I predicted that Holt needed a big night from Ehrlich to translate into some votes for him. Ehrlich didn’t do well in Baltimore County (or across the state), but Holt only lost by seven percentage points. Some were predicting a double-digit win by Kamenetz.
Republicans Take Open Seats
The Republicans played musical chairs in the 7th Legislative District. First State Senator Andy Harris defeated Frank Kratovil in the 1st Congressional Race; next Delegate J.B. Jennings won Harris’s old senate seat by defeating Rebecca Nelson and newcomer Republican Kathy Szeliga took Jennings’ old seat as she and Incumbent Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria defeated the three Democrats. Another open seat was won by the Republicans in the 8th District. Former Delegate John Cluster won the vacant Todd Schuler seat as he edged out Democrat Ruth Baisden.
Closer Than Expected in 6th District House
All three Incumbent Democratic Delegates John Olszewski, Jr., Mike Weir and Sonny Minnick were all re-elected, but Republican Bob Long came short of 1,300 votes from taking third place from Minnick.
No Contest in Senate Races
Democratic Senators Norman Stone and Kathy Klausmeier easily won re-election as Stone defeated Bruce Kahl 58 to 42 percent in the 6th District and Klausmeier defeated Republican Dee Hodges 60 to 40 percent in the 8th District.
Mixing Politics & Government
Just like every American, County Executive Jim Smith has a right to express his political views, but does he have the right to do it on the County Government website? The County placed a press release on its site with Smith urging citizens to Reject Question A in Baltimore County. It didn’t matter because Question A passed, but who knew a government website was a place for a political soapbox.
10/27-The General Election is Finally Here
I did it in September for the primaries and I’ll do it again this week. Here are my top five General Election races to watch in eastern Baltimore County this Tuesday.
Honorable Mention
8th District Republican Senate Race - I wrote a few weeks ago that Republican challenger Dee Hodges has a tough road in defeating Senator Kathy Klausmeier, but if Republicans Ehrlich, Holt & Marks have a big night, it could result into some votes for Hodges.
1st Congressional District Race - In the 2008 election, the Kratovil vs. Harris battle was the only interesting local race. Now with a full slate of races, this one has gotten lost under the radar but should still be very competitive contest.
5) 8th District House Race (Republicans - Joe Boteler (I), John Cluster & Norma Secoura vs. Democrats Eric Bromwell (I), Cal Bowman & Ruth Baisden)
When Delegate Todd Schuler (D) decided not to run for re-election, both Democrats and Republicans went after his open seat. It appeared the Republicans would take back this seat in the summer, but Cluster and Secoura haven’t run strong campaigns. Now Bowman and Baisden both believe they can get that third seat.
4) 5th District County Council Race (Mike Ertel vs. David Marks)
Many people feel Republican David Marks is the favorite going into the race, which should scare some Republicans. Remember, the majority of voters are still Democrats. Marks is expected to do well in Perry Hall and Ertel is expected to do well in Towson. Since Perry Hall has around 4,000 more voters in the district compared to Towson, Ertel needs to get votes in Loch Raven and Parkville.
3) 6th District County Council Race (Cathy Bevins vs. Ryan Nawrocki)
As mentioned last week, this race appears to be too close to call. Republicans like Nawrocki’s chances because the district appears to be popular with Republicans. Democrats like Bevins because she has experience with county issues and has name recognition. The winner better hope that Councilman Joe Bartenfelder doesn’t want his seat back in four years.
2) Democratic County Executive Race (Ken Holt vs. Kevin Kamenetz)
This is still Kamenetz’s race to lose. He has big pockets and strong Democratic support. Being from the west part of the county, Kamenetz has a strong base in those districts. Holt should do well in the 5th and 6th Councilmanic Districts (Parkville, Perry Hall, Middle River, Kingsville & White Marsh) because he is from the area (Kingsville), has support from those conservative Bartenfelder Democrats and had two strong Republican candidates (Ryan Nawrocki and David Marks) running in those districts. The area to watch is 7th Councilmanic District (Dundalk/Essex). Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. has no Republican opponent and is a strong ally for Kamenetz, but Holt knows that Bob Ehrlich is popular in the area and hopes those Ehrlich supporters come out for him too. Could the 7th District determine the County Executive race?
1) Gubernatorial Race (Bob Ehrlich vs. Martin O’Malley)
O’Malley vs. Ehrlich in a rematch. Enough said.
10/21-Ehrlich Low Poll Numbers Hurt Local Republicans Too

Recent poll numbers show Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley expanding his lead over former Republican Bob Ehrlich. I’ll leave the reason why for the state and national reporters to determine, but those numbers aren’t good news for local Republicans. Ehrlich should still win the county and will probably win most precincts in eastern Baltimore County, but will he win by a lot? If the true Republican/conservative Democrat base isn’t excited about Ehrlich’s candidacy, they will stay home. That trickles down to the local races. In the County Executive’s race, Republican Ken Holt has an uphill battle against Democratic candidate Kevin Kamenetz. Holt needs those Ehrlich voters out at the polls. The same is true for County Council candidates Republicans David Marks (5th District) and Ryan Nawrocki (6th District). Both men feel confident in their races, but Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in most voting precincts throughout the county. If Ehrlich doesn’t post big numbers, the local Republicans won’t either.
County Council Races
Speaking of the Marks and Nawrocki, both are involved in two great local County Council races. One is in the 5th District and the other is in 6th District. There is literally no race in the 7th District as Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. is unopposed.
5th District
In the 5th District, Mike Ertel will face Republican David Marks for Vince Gardina’s open seat. Ertel defeated Bill Paulshock in the Democratic primary, but Paulshock said he would vote for Marks in November.
“Bill can do what he wants to do, but I hope all the people who voted and rooted for him will vote for me,” Ertel told me last week.
Paulshock’s lack of an endorsement could hurt Ertel as many Republicans have told me Marks is favored to win because he is the “Perry Hall” guy and Ertel is the “Towson” guy. There are more Perry Hall voters in this district. Ertel needs a good Democratic turnout for County Executive candidate Kevin Kamenetz, Senator Kathy Klausmeier and Delegate Eric Bromwell. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Ertel could benefit from a low Ehrlich turnout. Also, if either Democrat Cal Bowman or Ruth Baisden can retain Todd Schuler’s old seat, that could translate into some votes for Ertel too. Democrats probably thought Paulshock had a better opportunity to defeat Marks and that’s why he was on Joe Bartenfelder’s Democratic primary ticket. Paulshock is well-known in Perry Hall too and might have cut into Mark’s strong Perry Hall base. In addition, Paulshock is a business owner, which could have been appealing to those conservative Democrats that usually cross over and vote for Republican candidates.
6th District
It’s still hard to figure out the 6th District race. Democrats claim that Cathy Bevins has strong support all over the 6th District with her time in the Jim Smith Administration. Republicans claim the 6th District overlaps with the State’s 7th Legislative District, which has all Republican candidates, and that gives Ryan Nawrocki the edge. Of course, Democrats could say that Democrat Joe Bartenfelder held the seat for 16 years and the Republicans could argue back that Bartenfelder was a conservative Democrat and this seat will go to Nawrocki. This one should be fun to watch.
10/14-Incumbents Hard to Beat in 6th, 7th & 8th House and Senate Races
Here is a preview of November’s House and Senate Races for the 6th, 7th and 8th Districts.
6th House
Democrat incumbents Delegates John Olszewski, Jr., Sonny Minnick and Mike Weir, Jr. are all seeking re-election in the 6th District. They are being challenged by Republicans Ric Metzgar, Bob Long and Carlton Clendaniel. Republicans are hopeful that either Metzgar or Long can take a seat away from the Democrats, but which seat is winnable? Olszewski, Minnick and Weir are all considered moderate to conservative Democrats so there is no extremely liberal Delegate in the District. If you go by seniority, Minnick is seeking his fifth term, Weir his third and Olszewski his second. So Olszewski is the odd man out? No way, Olszewski has gotten the most votes in the past two elections. So whose seat can the Republicans get?
6th Senate
Republican candidate Bruce Kahl is challenging incumbent Democratic Senator Norman Stone. Kahl hopes to get some of those Jordan Hadfield supporters and Republicans voters, but it will be tough. Just like the Delegates, Stone is a popular conservative Democrat.
7th House
In 2006, there was an anti-Republican movement, but the three Republicans still got re-elected in the 7th District. This year appears to be an anti-Democrat movement, which means Republican Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria look to be safe. Can either Democratic challengers Kristina Sargent, Jeff Beard or Ward Morrow steal J.B. Jenning’s vacant seat or will it go to Republican Kathy Szeliga?
7th Senate
Even though this is Andy Harris’s old seat, Republican J.B. Jennings is really the incumbent. He’s one of the Delegates in the 7th District trying to become Senator. Democrat Rebecca Nelson is challenging Jennings and has a tough road ahead.
8th House
This is the most exciting race because one incumbent is Democrat Eric Bromwell while the other incumbent is Republican Joe Boteler and there is an open seat. Assuming Bromwell and Boteler get re-elected, four candidates (Democrats Ruth Baisden and Cal Bowman and Republicans John Cluster and Norma Secoura) are battling it out for one open seat.
8th Senate
Democratic Senator Kathy Klausmeier is extremely tough to beat. She is being challenged by Republican Dee Hodges. However, this might be a more interesting race than expected. Republicans Bob Ehrlich and Ken Holt are expected to do well in this region, but this is also the first time in years that a strong Republican County Council candidate (David Marks) is running for office. The 8th District overlaps with many of the precincts with the 5th Councilmanic District. Could that be enough to help Hodges be competitive?
 Long’s Signs Long Gone
We got a call from Republican House of Delegates candidate Bob Long who said a few of his 4’ by 8’ signs were stolen. One of the signs was located at the corner of Merritt Boulevard and Holabird Avenue and another was stolen in Essex. A police report has been filled and Long is offering a reward to anyone with information.
10/7-Hadfield & Crandell Endorse Ehrlich?
Just when you thought we heard the last from Jordan Hadfield and Todd Crandell after their primary losses in the 6th District Senate and House races, both men hope to influence the November Election. In a bit of a surprise, Democrats Hadfield and Crandell announced they are endorsing Republican candidate Bob Ehrlich for Governor. They stated that the Ehrlich platform is similar to their Blueprint for Progress.
“The Ehrlich platform, with its emphasis on lowering taxes and making Maryland more business-friendly, mirrors what we have been saying about our local needs from the very beginning,” the team said in a press release.
Of course, you have to wonder if their endorsement will burn a bridge with the Democratic Party. Cathy Bevins, Democratic candidate for the 6th District County Council, questioned the move on Hadfield’s Facebook page.
“So why didn’t you run as Republicans if you think Bob (Ehrlich) is the best choice for Maryland?” Bevins posted. Hadfield had not responded as of Tuesday.
Does this endorsement really matter? Many experts think Ehrlich will get plenty of votes in Dundalk/Essex with or without the Hadfield/Crandell endorsement. Could Hadfield and Crandell be positing themselves to join the Ehrlich Administration if the former Governor wins in November?
Ehrlich Endorses Metzgar
Speaking of Ehrlich and the Sixth District, the former Governor has officially endorsed Republican Ric Metzgar for the House of Delegates. This isn’t a huge surprise since Ehrlich endorsed Republican candidate Bob Long last week. Metzgar, Long and Carlton Clendaniel need all the Republican support they can get because they have an uphill battle in trying to defeat Democrat incumbents Delegates John Olszewski, Jr., Sonny Minnick and Mike Weir, Jr.
Perry Hall High Student Joins Elite Company
Congratulations to Becky N. Shasha of Perry Hall High School, one of only six students in Baltimore County to be named a semifinalist in the  2011 National Achievement Scholarship Program.
The program recognizes scholastically talented African American students across the nation and provides around 800 Achievement Scholarship® awards worth more than $2.5 million. The scholarship winners will be selected from the finalist group in the spring.
What Happened to the Supermarket?
During the summer, I remember seeing a sign for a “natural” food store that appeared to be moving into the old Circuit City building on Pulaski Highway. It looked like the outside of the building was going to be yellow and seemed ready to open, but I drove by a few weeks later and the outside of the building was painted brown and it turned into a furniture store. Maybe the deal fell through, but I was just amazed how the new furniture store came in and opened for business so quickly. And the supermarket is not moving into the old West Marine store either because a fitness center is scheduled to open. I wish the furniture store and the fitness center the best of luck, but what happened to the “natural food” store? I’m sure one of our readers knows what happened to that store? Right?

9/30-Kamenetz Vs. Holt in a Battle Over Bartenfelder Supporters
After defeating Joe Bartenfelder in the Democratic County Executive primary, Kevin Kamenetz now faces Republican challenger Ken Holt. On paper, Kamenetz is favored because the County’s predominantly Democratic and he has the funds. But Holt does have factors in his favor.
One advantage could be Bob Ehrlich. Even though he lost to Martin O’Malley statewide in 2006, Ehrlich still defeated O’Malley in Baltimore County. If Ehrlich can get more County voters out to the polls, Holt can benefit. However, Republican County Executive candidates Doug Riley (2002) and Clarence Bell (2006) couldn’t take advantage of Ehrlich’s popularity in Baltimore County to defeat Jim Smith.
Probably the biggest factor working for Holt is that some Joe Bartenfelder supporters are angry at how the campaign between Kamenetz and Bartenfelder turned negative. And Republicans have noticed.
Republican Steve Bailey sent a letter to the Baltimore Sun about his disapproval of the Kamenetz campaign.
“Joe Bartenfelder deserved better than to have his career ended by a campaign that attempted to portray him as a bigot. For 28 years he has faithfully served the residents of his legislative and councilmanic districts,” Bailey wrote in the letter.
Delegate Pat McDonough, who criticized Kamenetz of becoming too negative, reposted Bailey’s letter on his Facebook page too. Can Holt and the Republicans get to some of those supporters? Well, they’ll need them to win.
Kamenetz might need some help too. He needs a Bartenfelder endorsement. Will Kamenetz get it or will Bartenfelder actually endorse Holt? There is also the possibility that Bartenfelder won’t endorse either candidate.
Jim Smith’s Money
Even though he’s not running for any political office, some Republicans are concerned Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith will be a huge factor in November’s election. Smith has always been a strong supporter of O’Malley and is expected to campaign hard for Kamenetz now that his battle with Bartenfelder is over, but local Republicans are more concerned about Smith’s cash.
Steve Bailey, Republican candidate for Baltimore County State’s Attorney, and his campaign flied a request with the Campaign Finance Division of the State Board of Elections to prevent Smith, from participating in this year’s election as a member of a campaign “slate.” (See page 18 for full article.) Members of a slate are allowed to transfer an unlimited amount of money through the slate from one campaign to another if both campaigns are members of the same slate. With over $1 million in the “Friends of Jim Smith” slate, Bailey expects Smith to transfer the funds over to a few County Council candidates, including 6th District Democratic candidate Cathy Bevins.
Bailey is running against State’s Attorney candidate Scott Shellenberger after losing to him in 2006. Bailey claimed Smith transferred $435,000 to Shellenberger’s campaign in ’06 and is concerned it could happen again.
“Elections should not be decided by well connected politicians who raise vast sums of money from developers doing business with the county, and then circumvent the rules governing campaign contributions,” said Bailey. “This is just another example of a Baltimore County politician who believes that the laws apply to everyone but him.”
9/23- Winners Look to November While Others Might Look Ahead to 2014
Congratulations to all the winners of the primaries. I’ll focus on the winners in the next six weeks, but this week is about the candidates who weren’t successful and why.
Jordan Hadfield and Todd Crandell
They ran a good campaign, but they could only go so far in a Democratic primary. What could they have done differently to win? They could have run as Republicans. Now I don’t want to tell Hadfield and Crandell to change their beliefs and political philosophy, but if a conservative Republican candidate ran a strong campaign like Hadfield and Crandell, they could be successful.
The reason why the incumbents (Senator Norman Stone and Delegates John Olszewski, Jr., Mike Weir, Jr. and Sonny Minnick) are so tough to beat is they’re moderate to conservative Democrats. If a new Democratic candidate comes in with a more liberal approach, it scares the conservative Democratic voters in the Sixth District.
For argument sake, let’s say a strong candidate like Hadfield ran as a Republican against Senator Stone. Suddenly he gets the support of Bob Ehrlich, Andy Harris, Pat McDonough and other Republicans that can endorse and raise the stock (or even campaign funds). But challenging an incumbent Democrat as a Democrat is an uphill battle.
Rani Merryman
I wrote last week that it was the biggest surprise in eastern Baltimore County when Norma Secoura edged out Merryman for the last Republican seat in the 8th District. I thought Merryman ran a good grassroots campaign, but it might have been a little too grassroots. Secoura told me she was on the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee and was a Legislative Liaison for the Department of Transportation for Ehrlich. Merryman was an unknown candidate that ran as an unofficial “Tea Party” candidate in the Republican party. So Secoura’s victory might have been attributed to name recognition.
Charles “Buzz” Beeler
Beeler had a tough battle with Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. in the 7th District. Again, I don’t want to tell a candidate to changes his beliefs, but what if Beeler ran as a Republican? The Republican heavyweights might have rallied behind him because Olszewski is a strong ally of Gov. Martin O’Malley. Beeler got 35 percent of the vote, but might have got 10 percent more with Republicans voting for him in November. The main problem behind Beeler was that he tried to do everything by himself. He used his own money, never got any momentum or had visible supporters.
Al Redmer
It looked like Redmer’s Senate race with J.B Jennings would be competitive, but Redmer only got 37.5 percent of the vote. There were three things that hurt Redmer. First, he left the 8th District to enter the 7th District and faced a candidate in Jennings who was already in the district as an established Delegate.Next, popular Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria kept Jennings on their ticket. And finally, former Governor Bob Ehrlich endorsed Jennings over Redmer, who was Ehrlich’s Insurance Commissioner. Too much for Redmer to overcome.
Bill Paulshock
The most probable reason for Paulshock’s loss to Mike Ertel in the Fifth Councilmanic District was he lives in Kingsville but used his business address. However, another factor might have been the Bartenfelder loss. Paulshock was on the Bartenfelder ticket and voter turnout was low on the east side, which hurt Bartenfelder in the polls. That could have hurt Paulshock too.
9/16-Thoughts on The Primary Election Results

This year’s primary had low voter turnout, which was a little surprising because I thought voters would go to the polls due to the state of the economy. There weren’t too many upsets, which isn’t surprising, but not as competitive of races as I expected. Here is a look at some of the races. For full results, click here.
Kamenetz Wins
Going into the Election Day, I thought the Kevin Kamenetz - Joe Bartenfelder race would be close and I thought Bartenfelder was the slight favorite. Boy, was I wrong. Kamenetz won the race in convincing fashion. To his credit, Kamenetz used the power of TV to win with all those ads. Kamenetz can smile but can’t relax just yet. He now will have to face Republican challenger Ken Holt in November.
6th Legislative District
It looked as if the Hadfield/Crandell ticket was victorious in the 6th District. Hadfield had a comfortable double-digit lead over Senator Norman Stone in the early returns, but Stone emerged on top after all the precincts reported. Crandell was actually the top vote getter in the early returns but fell behind the three incumbents, John Olszewski, Jr., Sonny Minnick and Mike Weir, Jr.
The Hadfield/Crandell ticket brought a lot of energy to this election, but it’s tough to beat incumbents in a primary.
7th Legislative District
There wasn’t any suspense to either the Republican House of Delegates races. Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria got re-elected and newcomer Kathy Szeliga easily took the third seat. Kristina Sargent, Jeff Beard and Ward Morrow were the top three Democrats. With the endorsement of Bob Ehrlich, J.B. Jennings comfortably defeated Al Redmer in the Republican Senate seat. Jennings will now take on Rebecca Nelson in November after she defeated Jim Stavropoulos on the Democratic side.
8th Legislative District
I thought there was a bit of an upset in the Republican House race. As expected, Delegate Joe Boteler and former Delegate John Cluster were the top two vote getters, but Norma Secoura was leading Rani Merryman at press time. Merryman considered herself a Tea Party candidate and ran a good campaign. I thought she was strong enough to possibly challenge Cluster for the second seat. Secoura surprised me after it appeared her campaign was falling apart. Her campaign manager quit on her in August and Secoura received criticism from Republicans when she attended a Joe Bartenfelder fundraiser, but she might advance to November.
Democrats Ruth Baisden, Cal Bowman and Eric Bromwell were all unopposed in the House race and Senator Kathy Klausmeier had no opponent in her primary. She will face Republican Dee Hodges in November. Hodges easily defeated Benjamin Lawless on Tuesday. I thought Lawless had a shot to beat Hodges in the early summer. He is an Iraq War Veteran with a likeable personality, but he disappeared in the summer. Lawless didn’t campaign enough to make the race competitive.
 Council County Races
Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. beat Buzz Beeler in the 7th District. With a few incumbents being defeated on Tuesday and others giving up their seat, Olszewski will be the only returning member of the County Council. He has no Republican opponent in the primary.
In the 5th District, Mike Ertel went on to upset Bill Paulshock, even though Paulshock was on a ticket with Bartenfelder and Klausmeier. Ertel will face Republican David Marks in November. You have to wonder if that controversy with Paulshock’s Kingsville residence came back to hurt him. It was not a good night for the Bartenfelder ticket as Bartenfelder, Paulshock and Todd Schuler all lost their races. Cathy Bevins went on to beat Schuler and Steve Verch in the 5th District County Council race. County Executive Jim Smith endorsed Bevins. She will face Ryan Nawrocki in November after he beat Andy Peet in the Republican primary. I’ll have more on the election next week.
9/9-The Primary Election Only Five Days Away

The primary is almost here. One of the most exciting and frustrating parts of local elections is no polling data. That means we have to look at yard signs, political advertisements and general word of mouth from the public to figure out who is favored going into an election. Many times, we really have to wait until Election Night. With that being said, here are my top five primary races to watch in eastern Baltimore County this Tuesday.
Honorable Mention
7th District Republican House of Delegate Race - Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria should get re-elected, but there is an open seat. Either Jim “The Plumber” Berndt or former Andy Harris staffer Kathy Szeliga is favored to take the third seat.
6th District Democrat House of Delegate Race - Delegates John Olszewski, Jr., Mike Weir, Jr. and Sonny Minnick are expected to all get re-elected, but can Todd Crandell, Cassandra Brown Umoh or Jake Mohorovic can come close to stealing a seat away from the incumbents?
5) 6th District Democratic Senate Race (Jordan Hadfield vs. Norman Stone)
Stone is the favorite, but it will be interesting to see how Hadfield’s campaigning pays off against an extremely tough opponent. Hadfield has run an “in your face” campaign that makes you either love him or hate him. Can Hadfield get enough “love” to pull off the upset, or will all that campaigning still result in a lopsided loss to Stone?
4) 6th District Democratic County Council Race (Cathy Bevins vs. Todd Schuler vs. Steve Verch)
Anyone of these three could win. Schuler appeared to be the favorite. He is an experienced politician with name recognition, but his district as delegate covers Parkville, Perry Hall and Overlea. This councilmanic district covers Overlea, Middle River and White Marsh, which might be too conservative for Schuler. Bevins has run a good campaign and has the support of County Executive Jim Smith. Verch appeared to have been a long shot in the spring, but has campaigned hard in the past few months and has run on the platform of terms limits for council members.
3) 7th District Republican Senate Race (J.B. Jennings vs. Al Redmer)
Both candidates have been campaigning for this office for over a year now. Jennings has the endorsement of Bob Ehrlich, but Redmer has campaigned hard and should make this race close.
2) 5th District Democratic County Council Race (Mike Ertel vs. Gordon Harden vs. Bill Paulshock)
Even though Harden got endorsed by Smith too, this appears to be an Ertel vs. Paulshock showdown. Paulshock was the clear favorite when he jumped on a ticket with Joe Bartenfelder and Senator Kathy Klausmeier, but received criticism when accused of filing under his business address instead of his Kingsville residence, outside the 5th District. How will voters respond on Tuesday?
1) Democratic County Executive Race (Joe Bartenfelder vs. Kevin Kamenetz)
This wasn’t ranked number one just because it’s for the highest office in the county, it’s ranked number one because it’s been a very competitive (and nasty of late) race.

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9/2-Local Citizens Going After Big Political Offices
Over the past five months, I have concentrated on the local elections, the statewide races in the 6th, 7th & 8th Districts and the County Council races in the 5th, 6th & 7th Councilmanic Districts. I haven’t focused on the countywide races because there are too many to follow expect the County Executive race; however, there are some citizens of eastern Baltimore County that are running for countywide and statewide races. This isn’t an endorsement of any candidate. I just want to inform the community of our neighbors running for office.
Dundalk resident James Lynch is one of many candidates running for U.S. Senate against Barbara Mikulski. Lynch is a write-in candidate on the Democratic side. Republican Greg Bartosz grew up in Rosedale and graduated from Eastern Tech High School. He is running for Congress in the 3rd District. If he can beat out three other Republicans in two weeks, Bartosz will face Congressman John Sarbanes in November.
Charles Pepersack is a Rosedale resident running for Clerk of the Circuit Court in Baltimore County. This office is highly contested as Pepersack is one of three Republicans and the Democrats have five candidates. Dundalk resident William Evans is a Democrat running for re-election as an Orphans’ Court Judge. In addition, there are only two Republicans running for Sheriff in Baltimore County and both live on the east side. Overlea resident Raymond C. Boccelli will take on Middle River resident Richard F. Parron. The winner faces Democratic Sheriff R. Jay Fisher in November.
There’s at least one more local citizen running for office. We all know that Joe Bartenfelder is from Fullerton and Ken Holt is from Kingsville, but Democratic candidate Ron Harvey is running for County Executive too. Harvey is from Perry Hall.
Why Bother to Run?
I know money is always an issue for some candidates, but why do other candidates file if they aren’t going to campaign? I had a candidate tell me that he spent over $30,000 on a campaign and still lost. That’s a lot of money to spend, but there are low cost ideas out there to get your name and message out to the public. The most obvious one is Facebook. Many candidates added me and others as their friend. This way, we can follow the campaign and he/she can send out announcements and information on events. Some candidates don’t take advantage of this free service. Not only are there candidates without a “John Doe for Senate” page, there are some without a personal Facebook page. Don’t have a computer? There is the always popular stand on the street corner with your “vote for me” sign and wave to the passing motorists. Another good idea is to knock on doors in your community. In the end, the winners will probably outspend their opponents by advertising, buying yard signs and having a big staff to promote their message, but some candidates aren’t even trying to compete.
8/26-Candidate Forums Lacking All Over Eastern Baltimore County
As you’ve read over the last few weeks, there has been controversy with the Sixth Legislative candidates and the lack of a forum/debate, but the district isn’t alone. There are primary races all over the region with many open seats, but no forums or debates have been scheduled. Fifth District County Council candidate Bill Paulshock said he and Mike Ertel held a forum in Towson, but not down here in Perry Hall. Perhaps I wasn’t informed, but I’m unaware of any candidate forums that included all 6th District Democratic candidates Todd Schuler, Cathy Bevins or Steve Verch at the same venue. The same goes for the 6th District Republican candidates Andy Peet and Ryan Nawrocki.
In many situations, the candidates have a scheduling conflict or don’t participate because of a conflict. For example, the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) were scheduled to hold a forum for candidates of the 5th, 6th and 7th Coucilmanic Districts on Wednesday. I talked to some of the Democratic candidates to see if they were attending. With open seats in the Fifth and Sixth districts, all candidates have everything to gain, but many weren’t sure about attending. One candidate might have another obligation, another candidate doesn’t know if he/she would feel comfortable going since AFP is anti-Obama and appears anti-Democrat. That might be a fair point, but does that matter if that candidate is squaring off with other Democrats? Another candidate wants to know if he/she would benefit from a forum with 25- 50 people and would rather use the evening to knock on a few hundred doors. This upsets me because our reporter Diane Carliner was scheduled to cover this forum and all the candidates could reach out to the 35,000 readers of our paper. We’ll have to wait for Diane’s article next week to see what happened.
I covered an event last week, but some candidates weren’t present. It’s not fair to report on some candidates, but not others. What should a reporter do? I wish all candidates would show up so I could report on all of them.
Of course, who should organize these forums/debates? Major organizations (such as Marine Trades Association of Baltimore County and the Marshy Point Nature Center) have hosted the County Executive forums, but don’t host the local forums. What about the local community organizations? As we saw in Dundalk, many candidates are members of these organizations and it creates a conflict.
I guess that leaves the local newspaper. Steve Matrazzo of the Dundalk Eagle and I were asked to organize a debate between the candidates in The Sixth District. We have no problem contacting the candidates, coming up with questions and promoting to the community, but unfortunately there’s more. We’ve got to find a venue with proper seating and equipment such as a podium, microphones and a giant speaker system.
Perhaps the best approach is to get the community organizations to book the venues and invite us non-partisan reporters to moderate the forum/debate. It might be too late for the primary, but hopefully we can set-up forum/debates throughout eastern Baltimore County for the General Election.
8/19-A Republican Controlled Baltimore County Council?

I spoke to many candidates at the Perry Hall Town Fair, and all of them feel they have a shot to win, but Republican County Council candidates David Marks (5th District) and Ryan Nawrocki (6th District) are extremely confident. Both are competing for an open seat and have the benefit of being first-time candidates. Of course, both will face a tough Democratic opponent in November.
Marks is well known in northeast Baltimore County with his involvement in the Perry Hall Improvement Association. He will face either Bill Paulshock or Mike Ertel in the General Election, but is confident he can compete with either Democrat.
Nawrocki is also in a good position because the County’s 6th District overlaps with many of the voting precincts in the State’s 7th District (White Marsh, Middle River and Kingsville), which has all Republican delegates and a senator. Even though Democrat Joe Bartenfelder currently holds that seat, Nawrocki doesn’t feel any of the Democrats (Todd Schuler, Cathy Bevin’s or Steve Verch) are as conservative as Bartenfelder.
Currently, the Democrats hold a 6-1 advantage in the County Council, but victories by Marks and Nawrocki could close that gap to 4-3. I don’t follow west Baltimore County politics, but Nawrocki believes Republican Steve Whisler can win another open seat in the 1st District. That would create an unprecedented 4-3 Republican majority. If the Republicans can win four out of seven districts, they’ve got to believe Ken Holt can beat the Kevin Kamenetz/Joe Bartenfelder winner and become the first Republican Baltimore County Executive since Roger Hayden in 20 years. Hold on. Republicans shouldn’t get too excited, and Democrats shouldn’t panic just yet. Democratic voters still outnumber Republicans and the Democratic Party has deep pockets. Still, the Republicans can probably win at least one and/or two seats and cut that Democratic County Council majority down from 6-1 to 5-2 or 4-3.
Not Proud to be a Democrat or Republican?
One of our sales reps, Pam Spitell, made a great point. Almost all of the political signs in the yards and on the highways list a candidate’s name and the office that he/she is running for but don’t list that candidate’s party. Al Redmer is the only candidate I’ve seen with “Republican” on his signs. That includes Martin O’Malley and Bob Ehrlich. Are these candidates trying to distance themselves from their parties?
From a Box Factory to the Local Media
I would like to thank Steve Matrazzo of the Dundalk Eagle for his kind words about this reporter in his weekly column. It’s funny because I tell people all the time that Steve and I worked together. Most people aren’t surprised because many journalists cross paths all the time working at different publications, but as Steve mentioned in his column, we worked together at a box factory. It’s cool and ironic how we both had a career change and wound up in the local media.

8/12-Trying to Organize A Debate/Forum
The last two weeks, I wrote about the “Debate Over the Debate” and I think most readers are tired of all the fighting and want to see a debate. Well, last week I got an e-mail from candidates Delegate John Olszewski, Jr., Todd Crandall and Jordan Hadfield. They are tired of the fighting too and asked me to be one of the moderators for a debate. Now Senator Stone’s camp doesn’t believe it’s practical to have a debate because of the amount of candidates and that’s a fair point. The minor details of the format (debate or forum) can be worked out later. At this time, I just want all the candidates running for the House of Delegates and the Senate in the Sixth District to agree on a date. As of Tuesday morning, many candidates have agreed to an event on Monday night, Aug. 30.
So far, Delegate Sonny Minnick, Senator Norman Stone, Delegate Mike Weir, Delegate John Olszewski, Jr., Cassandra Brown-Umoh and Jordan Hadfield have agreed to an Aug. 30 event. Also there was concern the Republicans weren’t invited to the proposed debates. I talked to Bob Long and Ric Metzgar (two of the three Republicans that will face no primary opponents) and they agreed to allow the crowded Democratic field to debate without any complaints as long as they get an opportunity to debate the three Democratic winners before the General Election.
The next step is to find a venue. I’m hoping that CCBC-Dundalk will let the candidates use its theater for the event as it was scheduled to do with the cancelled debates. Hopefully everything will come together and we will have a date, time, venue and a format to report for next week’s issue.
Nine Republicans is a Crowd in the 7th District
I’ve written about the House of Delegates races in the Sixth District (Dundalk, Edgemere, Essex & Rosedale) with the debate situation and mentioned the Eighth District (Perry Hall, Parkville, Overlea & Towson) last week, but haven’t focused on the Seventh District (White Marsh, Kingsville, Middle River, southeast Harford County) since mid-June. Back then there were only five Republicans fighting for the three spots and then that total jumped to nine. Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria are favored to win two of the three Republican nominations, but that third slot is wide open as J.B. Jennings gave up his seat to enter the State Senate race. Realistically, seven Republicans (Brian Bennett, Jim Berndt, Marilyn Booker, Laine O. C. Clark, John Cromwell, Kathy Szeliga and Roger Zajdel) are fighting for potentially one slot.
It’s easier for the Democrats as only four candidates (Jeff Beard, David “Ski” Mioduszewski, James “Ward” Morrow and Kristina Sargent) are fighting for three nominations. Rebecca Weir-Nelson withdrew from the House race to compete in the 7th District Senate race. Of course, the three Democratic House winners will have an uphill battle in November in this Republican-friendly district.
8/5-The Debate Over the Debate Continues
Last week I wrote about the “Debate over the Debate” where the candidates for the Sixth Legislative District were set to debate first on June 30 and then on July 27, but both debates were cancelled. Although all 10 Democratic candidates were invited, there is tension between the incumbent Forward Together Team (Senator Norman Stone and Delegates Joseph “Sonny” Minnick, John Olszewski, Jr. and Mike Weir, Jr.) and the Todd Crandell and Jordan Hadfield ticket.
Bob Crandell, campaign manager for the Crandell/Hadfield team said the June 30 debate was cancelled because all of the members of the “Forward Together” team (except Delegate Weir) couldn’t commit to the event. Fred Theiss, “Forward Together” team campaign manager, said that only Stone couldn’t make the June 30 debate.
Then The League of Women Voters postponed the July 27 debate when it was revealed that organizer Karen Cruz is married to Rick Cruz, a member of the Crandell/Hadfield ticket.
But Crandell is angry that Cruz and Rhonda Crisp have been criticized for just trying to hold a debate. Both are admitted supporters of Crandell/Hadfield, not members of the campaign, and both are also leaders of community associations (Cruz is president of the Eastfield Stanbrook Civic Association and Crisp is President of the Dunlogan Community Association) that partnered with other leaders of community associations (some of which they claim support the “Forward Together” team) to give the community a debate. Crandell also stated that Cruz began organizing the debate before her husband Rick was selected on the ticket.
Theiss, who is president of the Wells-McComas Citizens Improvement Association, wants to know why his community organization wasn’t asked to sponsor the event.
“If Karen Cruz’s group is a sponsor and she’s a supporter of Hadfield - that’s fine, but why didn’t they call my group to make it fair?” Theiss asked.
Crandell said Cruz and Crisp agreed to pass the debate over to the League of Women Voters, but the “Forward Together” team still won’t settle on a date.
“They claim that they still want to debate, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Crandell said. Theiss denied Crandell’s statement.
“We have no problem with a debate, but we won’t maneuver with something that isn’t handled properly,” Theiss responded.
Thesis added that there will probably be a forum instead of a debate. Since the debate/forum is open to all candidates (10 Democrats and four Republicans) Thesis doesn’t believe there’s enough time for all 14 candidates to debate for two hours. Crandell told me his team prefers a debate, but would settle for a forum.
While these two camps have fought, other candidates have been overlooked. Cassandra Brown-Umoh, another candidate for the House of Delegates, stopped by my office to tell me she feels the incumbents don’t want to debate, but is angry that she wasn’t contacted about the cancellation of the July 27 debate. Brown-Umoh, Don Mason and Raymond Smith went to CCBC-Dundalk on July 27 because none of those candidates were notified.   
Kirby is Out
Democratic candidate Nicole Kirby has withdrawn from the 8th District House of Delegate race. This means that Delegate Eric Bromwell and challengers Cal Bowman and Ruth Baisden are the only Democrats in the race and will face three Republicans in the General Election.
Kush Returns
Even though he missed the filing deadline, Bill “Kush” Kushnerick  is still running for the State Senate seat in the 6th District. He will face Bruce Kahl in the Republican primary, but only as a write-in candidate. “It’s going to be a lot tougher this time since I am a write-in candidate,” he said.
7/29-The Debate Over the Debate
It’s the debate that didn't happened and might never happen. On Tuesday July 27, the candidates from the Sixth Legislative District were scheduled to participate in a Democratic Candidate Debate at CCBC-Dundalk, but the debate was cancelled. I made a few calls and found out that there was a conflict of interest when it was reported that one of the organizers of the debate, Karen Cruz, is married to Rick Cruz, who happens to be on Jordan Hadfield/Todd Crandell central committee ticket.
I spoke with Delegate John Olszewski, Jr.’s campaign manager David Janiszewski and he told me that he even though there was a conflict of interest with Karen Cruz organizing the event and Rick Cruz on the Hadfield/Crandell ticket, the incumbents/“Forward Together” team (Senator Norman Stone and Delegates Joseph “Sonny” Minnick, John Olszewski, Jr. and Mike Weir, Jr.)  didn’t back out of the debate.
“We were prepared to debate, but we understand the League of Women Voters backed out of the debate because of Ms. Cruz and that made CCBC uncomfortable and lead them to back out,” Janiszewski said.
Hadfield/Crandell’s campaign manager Bob Crandell (Todd’s father) admitted to me that both Karen Cruz and Rhonda Crisp are Hadfield/Crandell supporters, but Crandell said the women did everything they could do to avoid any controversy.
“The two ladies contacted other community associations to get involved and contacted the League of Women Voters to give the debate credibility,” Crandell said.
The first debate was scheduled for June 30, but there was a scheduling conflict and now the July 27 debate has been cancelled.
How Many Community Associations Should be Involved?
Another disagreement between the candidates is the amount of community associations invited to the debate.  The “Forward Together” is upset that only a handful of community organizations were contacted.
“Not all the community associations were represent and we felt like all members of the community should be able to participate and be heard. Not a select few,” Janiszewski added.
But Crandell responded by saying that there had to be a cut off somewhere.
“When they got 10 community organizations, we felt like that was enough. How many organizations are there in the District? Close to 100? It would have gotten crazy if they involved every  organization and that’s why we contacted the League of Women voters to make things fair.”
So What Happens Now?
Cruz and Crisp have been removed from planning the debate and the League of Women voters are in charge. There is talk that the debate could be held around Aug. 11, but a date hasn’t been set and the primary is only six weeks away. The League of Women Voters didn’t return my call.
Janiszewski said the “Forward Together” team had sent out four possible debate dates to the Hadfield/Crandell’s campaign, but haven’t gotten a response. Let’s hope these camps put their differences aside and give the voters in the Sixth District a true debate before Sept. 14.
7/22-Perry Hall Fair Rescheduled for August
Well, it hadn’t rained all summer until July 10, the day of the Perry Hall/White Marsh Town Fair. It was obviously rained out, but Perry Hall Improvement Association President Dennis Robinson told me that he hoped to reschedule the Fair. Well it was reported that the Fair has been rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 14. This is the first time in the Fair’s 13-year history that it was cancelled because of rain. I’m not sure how many vendors will or won’t be there with the new date; however, you can bet the politicians/candidates running for office will be there campaigning because the Fair is exactly one month before the primary.
Breaking Down the Democratic County Executive Race
Speaking of the primary, I’ve been trying to get a feel for the Baltimore County Democratic primary between Joe Bartenfelder and Kevin Kamenetz to determine which candidate has the upper hand at this point of the campaign. I’ve talked to other politicians and experts who follow the race and some say Bartenfelder is favored, some say Kamenetz is favored, but most don’t know. I’ve also been looking for political polls, but I haven’t seen one. Even if a poll was released this early, it might not be accurate because many voters are either undecided or uninterested in the candidates at this point.
I thought Kamenetz was going to deliver an early knockout blow before the candidates officially declared their candidacies. Kamenetz had over $1 million in campaign money and got some early powerhouse endorsements from Kweisi Mfume, former State Senator Mike Collins and Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. The Olszewski endorsement was a big deal because Olszewski works with both men on the Baltimore County Council and he represents Dundalk and Essex.
But Bartenfelder came right back with strong performances at the County Executive forums, got endorsements from Senator Kathy Klausmeier, Delegate Eric Bromwell and the rest of the Democratic ticket in the northeast and got life back in Dundalk and Essex when Senator Norman Stone, Delegate Sonny Minnick and their team endorsed him too. Both men have split most of the union/group endorsements. Kamenetz got support from The Laborers International Union of North America, The Teachers Association of Baltimore County and County Seal Democratic Club. Bartenfelder has been endorsed by Maryland State United Auto Workers, the United Food & Commercial Workers and Baltimore County Firefighters. And there is probably a lot I’ve left out for both camps.
Gardina Endorses Kamenetz
Kamenetz got another big politician to endorse him as Councilman Vince Gardina announced his support last week. But is that a good thing or a bad thing? On one hand, Gardina is the second councilman (along with Olszewski) to endorse Kamenetz and he worked with both Kamenetz and Bartenfelder. On the other hand, Gardina is not the most popular person in Baltimore County with his pension controversy.
 Again, who has the upper hand right now? Kamenetz or Bartenfelder? Do we have to wait until September? Republican candidate Ken Holt sure hopes so.
7/15-The 2010 Election is Set
Mason Files For Office
Former County Councilman Don Mason is running for the House of Delegates in the Sixth District. The Eastwood resident told me that he planned on running, but asked me not to report it until he filed. He filed on the last day, July 6. Mason wasn’t the only former officer to file for the House on the last day as former Delegate Jake Mohorovic filed and will try to reclaim the job he held from 1995 - 2003. Both men join a crowded Democratic field that includes eight candidates (Mason, Mohorovic, Todd Crandell, Cassandra Brown Umoh, Raymond Smith and the three incumbents - Sonny Minnick, John Olszewski, Jr. and Mike Weir, Jr.)
Lack of Republicans in Dundalk/Essex
While statewide and national republican candidates (Bob Ehrlich, George W. Bush and John McCain) have won most of the voting precincts in the area, the local Republican party still has trouble fielding candidates for local offices. The party has three candidates for the House of Delegates in the Sixth District (Carlton William Clendaniel, Ric Metzgar and Bob Long), but has no candidate in the Seventh District County Council race to face the John Olszewski, Sr./Buzz Beeler winner in November. There wasn’t a Republican candidate in the Sixth District Senate race until the last day. There was talk that Bill Kushnerick, who ran in 2006 for the Senate, was going to run this year, but he didn’t file. Both Republicans Paul Blitz and Steve Dishon said they weren’t going to run again for office in 2010 and they kept their word as neither filed.
The Republican candidate who filed for the Senate is Bruce Kahl. He is a resident of Essex and is known in the community as Senior Army Instructor JROTC at Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts.
Seventh District Senate Race
We all knew about the J.B. Jennings/Al Redmer Republican primary race, but the question was who (if anyone) would face them in the General Election. Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, whose term ends this year, was mentioned, but he decided not to run. Instead, two other candidates filed for the Democrats. Rebecca Weir Nelson withdrew her name from the House of Delegates race to enter the Senate race. She will face Jim Stavropoulos, Jr. in the Democratic primary.
Nothing to Report in the Perry Hall/White Marsh Races
Not to leave the northeast area out, but there is nothing new to report. Towson resident Gordon Harden joined the Democratic primary for the Fifth District County Council and will face Mike Ertel and Bill Paulshock. The winner will face the unopposed Republican David Marks in November. In the Eighth District House of Delegates primary races, it’s still the same four Democrats (Ruth Baisden, Cal Bowman, Eric Bromwell & Nichole Kirby) and the same four Republicans (Joe Boteler, John Cluster, Rani Merryman & Norma Secoura). Russ Mirabile filed for the House race and will run as an unaffiliated member of any party.
I’ll break down all the races again over the next two months.
7/8-Perry Hall Fair Moves
Dundalk just had the Heritage Fair, Essex has Essex Day in September and the Perry Hall-White Marsh area has its big festival this Saturday, July 10 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. with the Perry Hall/White Marsh Town Fair.
I’ll admit, I’m a little disappointed because the Fair is no longer at Perry Hall High School on Ebenezer Road. Instead, the Fair moved to the Honeygo Village Center.
But don’t blame the fair committee, as Baltimore County Public Schools forced the Fair to move by changing their policy, which no longer allows these types of events on school grounds. Former Perry Hall Improvement Association President David Marks told me that the Ebenezer Road location was a popular site, but the Fair needed to find a permanent home.
One of my new concerns is parking. I spoke to Lynn Richardson, President of the Perry Hall White Marsh Business Association, and she said parking will be available at half of the Weis parking lot and at Camp Chapel United Methodist Church lot. If those lots fill up, patrons can park at either Perry Hall Park or at the golf field on Chapel Road and take a free shuttle bus to the fair. So what is the over/under on politicians/candidates running for office at the fair? Since it’s an election year, I’ll say at least 50 and I’m probably underestimating.
Mount Carmel Football
As reported, Mount Carmel High School (MC) will start playing football in September and a bull roast will be held for the school at Chapel Hill Farms on Aug. 8. I wonder how long it will take for MC to field a successful team? Head coach Robb Johnson believes there is a lot of talent in the area and he might have a point. Chesapeake High School beat eventual state champion Eastern Tech during the regular season, Kenwood usually wins around six-to-seven games a year in a tough division and Eastern Tech just won a state title. Granted, Eastern Tech has no school boundaries like Chesapeake & Kenwood and has students from all over the east side of the county, but Mount Carmel can recruit those same type of students/players. With MC as the only Catholic high school in eastern Baltimore County, the school feels it can get students from Essex, Dundalk, Perry Hall, etc. This all starts with successful rec. programs like the Stembridge Colts at the pee wee level. Actually, adding football is a marketing tool, as many students didn’t attend the school because there was no football. In an era with declining enrollment in private schools, football can help turn around those numbers.
7/1-Local Hon Becomes Best Hon

Growing up in Baltimore, we all know about the Baltimore Hons and the Hon Fest that takes place in Hampden. Dundalk resident Charlene Osborne is not only a Hon, but she was voted Bawlmer’s Best Hon at the 2009 Honfest. She used Baltimore legend Blaze Starr as inspiration for her character.
Being Top Hon means a lot of responsibility and Charlene wrote and illustrated a book about her experiences as Bawlmer’s Best Hon.
Her book is called “My Year as Baltimore’s Best Hon” and it’s mostly a picture book of the events Charlene attended throughout the year. David Muse is credited as the principal photographer along with photographers Jaime Windon and Middleton Evans. The photos are excellent.
“It started off with me documenting my year as best Hon. It was my own yearbook,” Charlene said. “After we did so many activities, I realized that this was more than a personal yearbook and I wanted to share it.”
She is pictured in the Dundalk 4th of July Parade, bowling in Edgemere and she attended a benefit for Special Olympics at the Beach House in Dundalk. Charlene is also pictured with two Hons, Rita and Heidi Moore of Wilson Point.
Charlene told me her trip to Riverside Nursing Home in Essex was her most memorable visit.
“When we got there, we realized that the women in the nursing home were the real Hons from the ‘50s and ‘60s,” she said. “We took Elvis Presley music and it really brightened their day. I had a tear run down my cheek.”
On June 23, the Best Hon for 2010 was crowned, but Charlene has changed her title to Baltimore’s Favorite Hon. She also has adopted the nickname “Blaze Char.”
I invite everyone to meet Charlene, as she will be selling and signing copies of her book at the Dundalk Heritage Fair on July 4 and 5. You can purchase her book for around $40. If you can’t make it out to Dundalk this weekend, you can order a copy of Charlene’s book at www.honcavepress.com.
Web Only Content
If you made it this far through the column, you are only reading it on the web. We didn't have room for any politics in the paper, but I decided to put it here on the web.
Endorsements
How much are endorsements of a candidate worth? Some say nothing while others point out that if a voter knows nothing about the candidates running for office, he/she will use an endorsement as a guide to select the best candidate. With that said, I will only include the endorsements in the Baltimore County Executive Democratic race.
The Laborers International
 Union of North America, The Teachers Association of Baltimore County, County Seal Democratic Club, Maryland’s Attorney General, Doug Gansler, Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. and former Senator Mike Collins have endorsed Kevin Kamenetz. Joe Bartenfelder has been endorsed by the Maryland State United Auto Workers, the United Food & Commercial Workers, Baltimore County Firefighters and Senator Kathy Klausmeier’s team (Sen. Kathy Klausmeier, Delegates Eric Bromwell & Todd Shuler and Democratic candidates Cal Bowman, Ruth Baisden and Bill Paulshock)
And I’m sure there are more, but I don’t need either camp sending over any more endorsements for now. It appears to me that this race is still wide open and the Baltimore County Democratic Party is and will be divided until September.
6/24-Filing Deadline Approaches for Candidates

It’s hard to believe but the filing date for the Maryland Board of Elections is July 6. Only two weeks left for everyone to file. It will be interesting to see if any surprise candidates file at the last minute or if any potential candidates back out at the last minute. At least in two weeks, we will know who is officially running for office.
County Council Races
It’s been a few months since I wrote about the County Council races. Nothing has changed in the Seventh District, as Charles “Buzz” Beeler is the only Democrat to challenge incumbent Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. No Republican has filed at this time.
In the Sixth District, we all know about the three-way Democratic primary between Cathy Bevins, Todd Schuler and Stephen Verch. Well, now there is a Republican primary as Towson High School teacher and Parkville resident Andy Peet entered the race and will face fellow Republican Ryan Nawrocki in September. Peet’s announcement probably doesn’t sit too well with the local Republican Party as former Governor Bob Ehrlich endorsed Nawrocki to unite the party and to send a formidable Republican to face the Democratic winner in November. Now Ehrlich’s candidate needs to spend time, money and resources in a primary instead of saving it all for November.
Towson community activist Mike Ertel officially filed for the Fifth District seat and will face Bill’s Seafood owner Bill Paulshock in the Democratic primary. As of now, former Perry Hall Improvement Association President David Marks is the only candidate on the Republican side.
6/17-Can I Drive (or Wait) in Peace?
Maybe I’m a cold-hearted person, but when I’m driving and stopped at a red light, I don’t want people asking me for money or offering their services. At the intersection of Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue in Dundalk and at the intersection of Perry Hall Boulevard and Honeygo Boulevard near White Marsh Mall, sometimes a group of people will go to all four corners of the intersection and ask for money. I’ve seen churches, charity collectors, people selling flowers and other activities at the lights. Even though they aren’t asking for money, now the local politicians/candidates are hanging around these traffic lights with their signs and causing a distraction. Not only is it annoying, but dangerous. Dangerous to me, dangerous to other drivers and dangerous to that person. Especially when these individuals walk between traffic. If you want our attention, buy ad space in a newspaper or on a billboard. As a driver, it’s not always smart to roll your window down to a stranger. I know the best thing to do is ignore the situation, but when they knock on the window, it’s not that easy. The problem is that this type of behavior is legal as long as they have a permit. At both these intersections, there’s a nice wide concrete island to stand on as traffic passes. Is there an intersection in eastern Baltimore County with a similar problem and you would like to share it with us? E-mail me at ben.storming@yahoo.com.
An Update on the Seventh District House & Senate Races
About two months ago, I wrote a preview about the Seventh Legislative District. On the Republican side, Delegates Pat McDonough and Rick Impallaria announced re-election plans for the House of Delegates and Delegate J.B Jennings announced a bid for the State Senate. With Jennings’ seat open, Republicans Jim Berndt, Marilyn Booker, John Cromwell and Kathy Szeliga looked to fill the seat. Kingsville resident Roger Zajdel officially joined the Republican race last week. Two months ago, Rebecca Nelson was the only Democrat to file for the House. Now the democrats have two more candidates, David “SKI” Mioduszewski and James “Ward” Morrow filed in May. Mioduszewski hasn’t made much noise, but Morrow has taken shots at McDonough and Impallaria, calling their politics “right wing fringe issue ideologues.” (See Politician’ s Soapbox for more.) And on her Facebook page, Nelson called McDonough’s plan to introduce an Arizona style immigration law in Maryland as “close-minded and hateful.” It will be interesting to see if that type of approach will work in a district that is considered to be conservative.
Speaking of the 7th District being too conservative, County Executive Jim Smith said he will not be seeking the Democrat nomination for the State Senate seat in the District. Many experts believed Smith would have trouble beating a Republican in the conservative District. It appears now the winner of the Republican primary between Al Redmer and Jennings should go on to face little opposition in the General Election.
6/10-Trying to be Fair and Unbiased in an Election Year
Did you miss me? I took a break last week, and we got a bunch of calls and e-mails asking what happened to Benstorming. Okay, we didn’t get one e-mail or phone call, the story of my life.
I did get one phone call from someone who thought I was implying Senator Norman Stone was too old in my May 27 column when I was talking about his Senate race against Jordan Hadfield.
“Other than turning 75 before Election Day, Stone has a formidable opponent in the Democratic primary with Jordan Hadfield. Some thought the 11-term Senator might retire, but he is accepting Hadfield’s challenge.”
Now I shouldn’t have wrote “Stone is accepting Hadfield’s challenge” because Stone is the incumbent, but I never implied anything about the Senator being too old and not being capable to perform his job. When most Americans turn a certain age, they retire because they WANT to retire, not because they are incapable of working.
The caller said age shouldn’t be a determining factor when someone should retire. That’s true, but it was fair to wonder if Senator Stone THOUGHT about retiring after 43 years of service. However, with his re-election announcement, it sounds like the passion to serve his community is there. Hey, more power to the Senator. I’m ready to retire at 33, but my wife won’t let me.
The caller also criticized the local media for coverage of the Jordan Hadfield campaign. I can’t remember exactly what the caller said, but something like Hadfield was getting positive coverage. Now I can’t speak for the other papers, but that’s not true with the East County Times. When Hadfield made his announcement for the senate seat at a coffee shop in Edgemere, we didn’t cover the event or write an article about his candidacy. We also got invited to a Hadfield campaign fundraiser last Sunday and we declined his invitation. (We decline all fundraiser invites.)
Now Hadfield is a good self-promoter and sends out press releases to all the local papers. We run those releases just like we ran the release about Stone and “Forward Together” team’s re-election plans. The candidates that haven’t been seen in our paper or website haven’t sent over any information. We try to be as fair and unbiased as we can, but the old saying is true - “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
Helping Out a Fellow Columnist
Even though we are rivals for different community papers, I still have to promote an event for fellow columnist Anna Renault. Ravens Nest 8 will be holding a Breast Cancer Beer Pong Tournament on Friday, June 11 from noon - 3 p.m. at the American Legion Hall, 1331 Seling Ave. in Rosedale.
The cost is $50 per team with all proceeds going to Anna, who is an eight-time cancer survivor. If interested, go to Bill Bateman’s Express, 610-C Compass Road in Middle River, to receive your team’s sign-up forms.
5/27-Reaction to Living Next to a Sex Offender

Two weeks ago, I wrote about a Perry Hall resident that placed a sign in his window informing the public a sex offender lives in the house next door. I got some reaction from our readers and I want to share.
Kat writes: “Basically I have to question this guy’s sanity: putting up a sign like that, deface your own property, you have to wonder, is this the ‘only’ issue this guy has? Why not put up a sign for everything that bothers him. Does he even realize the negative attention he is calling to himself? why is he being so anal about his neighbor? (aren't u supposed to love thy neighbor?;)   so why be such a jerk, was this person or someone close to him a victim of a sexual crime? Does this person know the details of the case of the sex offender in question? because he should if he feels *that* strongly about it enough to post a sign, I bet people actually ASK him whatall the guy did! This sign-posting behavior, in my opinion, actually reeks of crassness & points to a rather juvenile or Neanderthal-like nature because it just seems to generate/instigate more unnecessary negativity in a world that is already full of it. I therefore don’t condone it.”
Tim writes: “Being a So Called Sex Offender I must say that these so called FEEL good Laws that have been passed and looked into are a waste of time and resources during these tough budget times. The new law making longer sentencing is a joke cause 99 percent or more cases are plead bargined out so this law will not do nothing but look good for the voters during election time. The Sex Offender list is a complete watse of time and dollars as you will read here.
  After the recent kidnapping and murder of 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell in Salisbury, an alleged sex offender by the name of Thomas J. Leggs Jr. was charged with kidnapping and burglary. Little Sarah's body was found badly burned on Christmas Day 2009.
Do sex offender registries really work? Consider the following:
Leggs already was listed on both the Delaware and Maryland sex offender registries.
Leggs was one of 172 sex offenders in Wicomico County. The sheriff's department had conducted at least seven routine checks on this individual. Each time, he was in compliance with the law.
His criminal history, however, suggests some serious problems.
In 1997, he was convicted of a third-degree sex offense involving a 12-year-old girl and sentenced to five years, with all but six months suspended.
In 2001, Delaware registered him as a "high risk" sex offender after he was charged with raping a 16-year-old girl on Rehoboth Beach. He served minimal prison time.
Most recently, in October 2009, he was charged with breaking into a home where a 21-year old female alleged she observed him standing next to her bed at 4:10 a.m. with his shirt off and his pants down to his knees.
Did the sex offender registry program in Delaware and Maryland work?
Only after the crime was committed did the registry possibly assist law enforcement personnel in the apprehension of a suspect. It did not prevent the crime.
If sex offender registries seem to be the wave of the future, should we also demand other registries for murderers, arsonists, thieves, etc.?
Certainly, as we get tougher with laws, I don't believe any employer will go out of their way to hire one of these offenders, do you?
If the offender then has difficulty getting a job in society, what might he or she do with a little extra recreational time on their hands?
Perhaps educating the public, both adults and children, to the potential dangers and behaviors of sex offenders might be more helpful.
If convicted as a sex offender involving children, perhaps the law should read the offender is not permitted to visit or live in a house where there are kids. Any violations of this release condition automatically will return the offender to prison.
I am afraid that tougher laws might sound really good and help get people really excited and elected, but the practicality and enforcement of them in preventing crimes in the neighborhood is slim to none.
Also, when the released prisoner has difficulty finding employment and adjusting to society because of a name on a registry, one should not be too surprised if that person returns to crime, sorrow visits a different community and another murder finds its way to the headlines of a local newspaper.”
Shirley writes: “I think we should adopt something like what Texas does where the sign is required in the Offender’s yard. I personally feel that once you have been convicted of a sex crime, especially one against a child, you should no longer have the same rights of privacy as an average citizen.  They are predators and should be clearly identified as such when it is known - in order for people or parents to be fully aware of the dangers nearby.  Unfortunately, it’s the ones we DON’T yet know about that pose the largest threat because they are on no one’s radar...until AFTER they commit come heinous crime.
However, I do feel that harassing them is inappropriate and unlawful, as long as they are not doing anything they are not legally allowed to be doing.”
Sixth District Preview
Last week, members of the Sixth Legislative District (Delegates John Olszewski, Jr., Mike Weir, Jr. and Sonny Minnick and Senator Norman Stone) announced they’re all seeking re-election in the Sixth Legislative District. While this does appear as major news, it’s interesting to see that Stone is officially running for re-election. Other than turning 75 before Election Day, Stone has a formidable opponent in the Democratic primary with Jordan Hadfield. Some thought the 11-term Senator might retire, but he is accepting Hadfield’s challenge. The real winners are the voting public, as they will have a choice in September.
As far as Olszewski, Weir and Minnick, they will face Hadfield’s running mate Todd Crandell and Cassandra Brown Umoh in the Democratic primary. Umoh has honestly run a non-existing campaign. She hasn’t advertised, sent out press releases or created a website or Facebook page. I found out her candidacy from the Maryland Board of Elections website. The only Republican running in this district is Essex resident Ric Metzgar, and it will be tough for an Essex resident to win in a district that is predominantly in Dundalk. But we will find out.
5/20-Ivy Hall Celebrates 25 Years in New Home

Pictured above is the plaque under which the time capsule was buried. Pictured below is original Ivy Hall owner Rick Cammack.

Ivy Hall Geriatric Rehabilitation Center celebrates its 25th Anniversary at its current location in Middle River.  A new building for Ivy Hall opened on May 17, 1985 on 1300 Windlass Drive. A time capsule was place in front of the building with the instructions to open on May 17, 2010. After a quick 25 years, it was time to open the time capsule on Monday.
Residents and workers of Ivy Hall went outside along with original owner Rick Cammack, who brought Ivy Hall back in 1977 and was there for the opening of the new building in 1985. He sold the business in 2001, but came back for the celebration.
“It was always a good facility and we tried to serve the community,” Cammack said. “And today I see you are still serving the community.”
Ivy Hall has over five nurses that have worked on the staff for more than 18 years. One of those nurses is Sue Hoeckel, who has worked at Ivy Hall for 32 years.
“I have worked here 32 years and have enjoyed every moment of it,” Hoeckel said. “I love the people and the patients. The building has changed a lot in time, but we still work as a team.”
Narupa Toolsee is another nurse who has been at Ivy Hall for 25 years. “I have stayed here because of the family atmosphere,” she said.
Unfortunately the time capsule was ruined. When workers dug it up, water and mud covered over a stack of papers, but the spirit of Ivy Hall was still strong.
“I hope everyone stays here as long as some of these ladies. It’s a wonderful place to work,” said current Ivy Hall Administrator Larry Schofield.
Cammack might have summed it up best. As he left, he told the employees, “You all still have a love for one another.”
Republican Primary
When you hear the words Republican Primary in Maryland, you usually think of one Republican that is unopposed and he/she will face a Democrat in the General Election. But there is an interesting Republican primary shaping up in the Eight Legislative Senate Race. Dee Hodges and Benjamin Lawless are battling it out for the Republican nomination to face Senator Kathy Klausmeier in November. One republican told me that the Republicans hope Hodges beats Lawless because they feel a woman has a better chance to beat Klausmeier. However, they feel that Hodges will have trouble with Lawless because of his strong personality and his service as an Iraq veteran. That race should be fun to watch.
Flag Needs to be Replaced
One of our readers (Leroy) wants to know who takes care of the flag near the entrance of Essex. After one acrosses Back River Bridge, there are three red cubes on the right side that say “Essex.” On top of one of the cubes is a flag that has deteriorated. Leroy wants to know who is responsible for that flag because it’s time to replace it. I’m not sure if the flag is on state property or private property, but Leroy is correct. A new flag is needed.
5/13-Supporting Our Troops
If you ask the average person if they “support our troops” all of them will say, “sure, I support the troops,” but Irene Spatafore says there is more than just claiming to be a supporter. She wants everyone to show their support in the form of donations.
I did a story on Irene and her group Angels Supporting Your Troops, Inc. back in December. It’s a group that collects items for the troops and sends those items over to Iraq and Afghanistan, but she is having trouble raising money to pay for her operation.
“We never had to beg for money before,” Irene said. “People send us money and that’s great, but I need someone who will send us $25 - $100 a month.”
Irene appreciates the individual citizen for giving their share but would like to get more help from the local businesses in eastern Baltimore County, such as the banks, car dealerships and funeral homes. Irene sent out 120 letters asking for help and only heard from 22.
“None of the big boys want to help us,” Irene explained. “I want to know why the funeral homes say they care about our veterans, but not today’s soldiers fighting in the war.”
Open House
Irene and the Angels will hold a special open house this Saturday, May 15 at their headquarters at the Sonshine Fellowship Church, 7201 Sollers Point Road in Dundalk from 2 - 6 p.m. The open house will have a Hawaiian theme with food and snacks.
“We invite everyone to come out to show them where the supplies are going and what we are sending our troops,” Irene added. “I want people to see what we do.”
Irene is always collecting troop items like sunblock, ibuprofen, pairs of socks, washcloths, gum, mints, sunflower seeds and other items. She will be collecting donations at the open house on Saturday. For more information about “Angels Supporting Your Troops,” call Irene Spatafore at 410-284-5275.
Living Next to a Sex Offender
I’m not saying I agree or disagree, but I was amazed when I rode by a house in Perry Hall and saw a sign that read, “Sex Offender Lives Next Door” with an arrow pointed to the next house. I looked the address up online and a registered sex offender does live at that home. This leads me to ask you if this is appropriate or not. Some would say that a sex offender is living in a neighborhood; it’s a neighbor’s duty to warn everyone about the sex offender. Of course, some would say that a sex offender is already on the sex offender registry and the neighbor doesn’t need to point out the obvious. Either way, I’m sure it’s awkward when both neighbors go outside at the same time to get their mail or morning paper. What do you think? E-mail me at ben.storming@yahoo.com.
5/6-Walsh Named 2010 CCBC Dundalk Outstanding Teacher
Congratulations to R. Michael Walsh III as he was named 2010 Community College of Baltimore County, Dundalk Outstanding Teacher by the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce during its Sixth Annual Outstanding Teacher Awards and Recognition Dinner. Walsh has been a faculty member at CCBC-Dundalk since 2007. Walsh teaches Speech and both intermediate and advanced reading and vocabulary in ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) and was nominated by F. Scott Black, dean of Liberal Arts at CCBC.
“In his relatively short career on the Dundalk campus, Michael has made a major impact on the campus and in the Dundalk community,” Black said. “His voter registration project resulted in over 250 new registered voters, most from the Dundalk community. He has worked with the Greening of Dundalk, the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, the Dundalk Renaissance Corporation, and local businesses to bring community members on campus to share with the students and to involve students with the Dundalk community. Michael’s most recent project is for his Mass Communications class to develop and assist with the implementation of a media plan for the Earth Day Festival sponsored by the Baltimore Art and Music Project.”
East vs. West Showdown
Now that Joe Bartenfelder and Kevin Kamenetz have officially announced and filed their candidacies for Baltimore County Executive, it appears that the Democratic primary is going to be an East vs. West showdown. Bartenfelder is from Fullerton and Kamenetz is from Owings Mills. While both candidates will probably claim their campaign is countywide, it’s hard not to look at this as a geographical battle. When Bartenfelder announced his candidacy at Towson University last week, the room was filled with eastside politicians. Delegates Sonny Minnick, Mike Weir, Todd Schuler and Senators Norman Stone and Kathy Klausmeier were in attendance. Kamenetz has the support of westside politicians like Senator Delores Kelly of Randallstown. I believe the only eastside politician supporting Kamenetz is Councilman John Olszewski and I’m not sure if any westside politicians support Bartenfelder. It will be interesting to see how the eastside and westside citizens of Baltimore County vote in September.
Mother/Daughter Look-a-Like Contest at Eastpoint Mall
In honor of Mother’s Day, Eastpoint Mall is holding their second annual Mother/Daughter Look-a-Like Contest on Saturday, May 8 at noon. Are you a mother with a daughter that looks like you or vice versa? If so, you could win a $500 Eastpoint Mall Shopping Spree and a stay at the Atlantic City Tropicana Casino & Resort. Second place winners get a $300 shopping spree and third place gets a $150 shopping spree at the mall. The top three will also get a Chick-fil-A prize pack. Registration takes place in front of Burlington Court at 11 a.m. or contestants can pre-register by picking up a registration form at the mall Management Office or at www.eastpointmall.com. Forms can be dropped off at the Management Office (underneath the Food Court) or faxed to 410-284-3766. Basically mothers and daughters will be judged on how much they look alike and dress alike.


 4/29-Chesapeake Attends World Championship
It’s only been two years, but Chesapeake High School has had success with the VEX Robotics program. Chesapeake just came back from the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas where they finished 51st.
Chesapeake qualified for the World Championships by having two of its teams finish in the top two for countywide championships in February during the Baltimore County STEM Fair.
Jason Bullerman is a teacher at the school and sponsors the team. “I don’t do all that much. It’s all of them (the students). I just sponsor the class and watch them come up with the product,” Bullerman told me back in March.
The VEX Robotics Design System is a part of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program, which encourages students to persuade careers in science, technology and engineering. The students work together to design a robot and compete with other schools.
Before the team went to Dallas, Chesapeake held a send off for the five students. The team was greeted by Chesapeake Principal Maria Lowry, Douglas Handy, Supervisor for the Offices of Career & Technology Education for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), and Vice President of BCPS Board of Education H. Edward Parker.
“It’s exciting to watch these students who are motivated by the program,” Parker said. “These students stay late at night. It’s also fun to watch them to work hard and solve problems.”
Handy told me that right now 16 of the 24 BCPS high schools have the VEX Robotics program. He hopes to expand the program.
“My goal is have a team at every school like we have with the sport teams,” Handy said.
County Executive Candidate Tour Comes to Middle River
The candidates running for County Executive have been all over the county campaigning and they will be in eastern Baltimore County for a County Executive Candidates Educational Forum at the Middle River Volunteer Ambulance Rescue Hall, 2000 Leland Ave. in Middle River. The event will take place Thursday, May 6 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. The Essex- Middle River White Marsh Chamber of Commerce and The Marine Trades Association of Baltimore County are sponsoring the event and they have invited candidates Joe Bartenfelder, Ken Holt and Kevin Kamenetz.
I had a chance to see these candidates three weeks ago in Perry Hall and I encourage everyone to come out and hear what they have to say. Admission is free and the event is open to the general public, but pre-registration is required. Contact Janelle Gwynn at 443-317-8763 or janelle@emrchamber.org by April 30.
Where are my e-mails?
A few weeks ago, I gave out my e-mail address at ben.storming@yahoo.com and I only got one e-mail. That was from Charles “Buzz” Beeler, who is running against John Olszewski, Sr. for the Seventh District seat. He just told me how he feels Olszewski is not going to have a “cakewalk” to re-election. But that’s it. I would love to hear more from our readers. I thought more candidates running for office would e-mail me just to let me know they are running.


4/22-Local Art Talent on Display in Community

Bernadette Szrom
It’s always great to hear inspirational stories of our youth no matter what the age group. This week Patapsco High School Center of the Arts student Bernadette Szrom won first place for her mural design in the 2010 Main Street Mural Contest. The contest is sponsored by the Dundalk Renaissance Corporation, which enlists the talents of local students in beautifying their community. Szrom is a senior in the visual art magnet program at Patapsco and her design depicting colorful shoppers was chosen as the artwork painted in the windows of the former Heritage Food Market in Center Place in old Dundalk. Szrom’s art teacher Bernie Zienkiewicz and classmates Jacob Lichty, Ryan Pachilis and Harry Mikula helped paint the design. On the other end of the spectrum, students at Essex Elementary have their artwork on display too. Essex art teacher Tracy Skeels had her students from Pre-K to Grade 5 create artwork that can be seen at the Essex Library until April 30.



Two New Stores at Eastpoint
Eastpoint Mall got another shot in the arm last week as the new Shopper’s World and DSW Shoes (Designer Shoe Warehouse) stores both opened for business on Thursday, April 15. Both stores got off to a great start as customers filled both locations as doors opened. Shopper’s sells a wide variety of items from clothing to furniture to appliances to toys. DSW obviously sells men’s and women’s shoes, along with handbags. Both stores share space at the old Steve and Barry’s building. The arrival of the stores means that Eastpoint has filled all its anchor stores.
Republican Candidates Start to Show
When Bob Ehrlich officially announced his candidacy for Governor, I wondered if the ball would get rolling for other Republican candidates. It sure did. Last week Republican David Marks announced he was seeking the vacant County Council Seat left by Vince Gardina in the Fifth District and Republican Ryan Nawrocki announced his intentions to run for County Council in the Sixth District. Nawrocki is only 26 years old, a resident of Rosedale. Nawrocki got an endorsement from Ehrlich, as Nawrocki served in the Ehrlich
Administration as a spokesperson for BWI Marshall Airport. The seat he is going after is being giving up by Joe Bartenfelder, who is expected to seek the County Executive position. Nawrocki probably won’t face much competition in the September Republican primary but will have a tough battle in November. Nawrocki should face the winner of the crowded Democratic primary. Todd Schuler, Cathy Bevins and Steve Verch will battle in September for the Democratic nomination.
More County Executive News
Nothing really new to report except that Democratic Councilman Kevin Kamenetz “officially” announced he is running for Baltimore County Executive at a news conference in Randallstown on Tuesday; Republican Ken Holt announced his bid for the office last week and Councilman and Democrat Joe Bartenfelder is scheduled to make his announcement at the Towson Center at Towson University on Friday, April 30 at 6 p.m.
Here is a look at some of the artwork from Essex Elementary School students that will be on display until the end of April at the Essex Library:





4/15-Still Swimming and Winning at 84
About three years ago, I did an article on 81-year-old Bernard Zaworski. The Dundalk resident showed off the medals he won at the Maryland Senior Olympics as a swimmer. Bernard, now 84, stopped by the office last week. Not only is he still swimming, he is still winning medals. Bernard won two silver medals at the 2010 Maryland Senior Olympics on Friday, April 9 at Salisbury University. He swam the 200-meter freestyle in six minutes and the 100-meter freestyle in three minutes.
“I told everyone this was my last time, but I don’t know. If my health continues to hold up, I might consider it for next year,” Bernard said.
He goes to CCBC-Dundalk every morning to train in the swimming pool and continued his training during the brutal winter months.
“When we had all that snow on the ground, my neighbor asked me where I was going,” Bernard said. “I told him I was going to swim and he told me I was crazy, but I love to swim.”
The End of an Era in Perry Hall
As Diane Carliner reported, Perry Hall Improvement Association President David Marks is running for the County Council. While this is big news for the political scene, it might be bigger news in Perry Hall as it’s losing its leader after 11 years. Marks officially stepped down as President and Vice President Dennis Robinson is the new interim PHIA President. 
In a statement, Marks called his time with the PHIA “one of the greatest opportunities” in his life. Marks is remembered for many accomplishments, including the extension of Honeygo Boulevard from Ebenezer Road to Belair Road, six new parks and, of course, the new Perry Hall Library. I think Marks was frustrated the area never got a new high school, but that’s probably one of the reasons he decided to run for office.
Seventh District Preview
Right now, the Republicans hold all three Delegate seats (Pat McDonough, Rick Impallaria & J.B. Jennings) and the Senate seat (Andy Harris) in the district, but there could be changes. First, Harris is challenging Congressman Frank Kratovil in the First Congressional District. Next, Jennings is giving up his delegate seat to go after Harris’s Senate Seat. McDonough has ruled out a run for County Executive in 2010 but is looking into the possibility of running for the U.S. Senate against Ben Cardin in 2012.
Until then, McDonough is staying put and he and Impallaria are expected to seek re-election.
With Jennings’s seat now open, many Republicans look to fill it. Jim Berndt, Marilyn Booker, John Cromwell and Kathy Szeliga are the Republicans running. Rebecca Nelson is the only Democrat to file for the House.
Of course, Jennings is taking a risk by going after that senate seat, as he will face tough opposition from former Delegate and fellow Republican Al Redmer. In another twist, rumors keep flying around that Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith could move from his Reisterstown residence into the Seventh District and challenge the Jennings/Redmer winner for Harris’s seat. Smith has the obvious name recognition and the contribution funds (over $1.46 million according to mdelections.org).
4/8-The Man Behind the Flag
I told was by multiple sources that the man behind the flag on Back River Bridge was an officer for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. When I received Mr. Bocklage’s letter, I knew it was him. Here is the letter :
“Please inform the writer of the Benstorming article that I am the one who takes care of the flag on Back River Bridge. He is right that it started just after 9/11.
I saw an elderly gentleman who took care of the flag originally. I do not know his name. There came a time when I did not see him or the flag anymore. That was about seven years ago. I decided that his tradition should be carried on and have been doing it ever since.
It gets changed about every three months or depending on how bad the weather was. You were right about the early part of the winter. The pole broke in two pieces. My good friend Sam Weaver of Weavers Boatyard saw the flag lying in the road in the snow. He stopped on the bridge and picked it up and returned it to me along with the eagle that was on top of the pole.
Needless to say, the 30-some inches made it impossible to get out there and replace it. I made sure that one would be there on my birthday, March 11. I love doing this. Sometimes people blow their horns when I am on the bridge and it really makes be feel good. There was a time that a funeral procession was passing by and I saw the driver of the hearse give me a salute as he passed. I understood that he could not blow his horn.
My name is Bill Bocklage. I live on Lance Avenue in Essex. I served four years in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1971. I became a Maryland Toll Facilities Police officer in 1973 (Maryland Transportation Authority Police). I retired from there in August 2009 - 35 1/2 years was long enough for me.
Thanks for the write-up in the paper. It made me feel proud.”
The Ehrlich Effect
Now that Bob Ehrlich has announced his plans to run for Governor, how will that affect local Republicans? Whether you like Ehrlich or not, he should be able to raise money, support and energy, especially in eastern Baltimore County. Now will local Republicans gain momentum and field quality candidates for the local County Council races and as of now, Ric Metzgar is the only Republican running for a seat in the Sixth District for the House of Delegates. Will others now join Metzgar? Also, will Republican Mike Pappas still run for Governor? With Ehrlich finally making his announcement, the rest of these questions should be answered shortly.
County Executive Race
Pat McDonough told me he is not running for County Executive, but will seek re-election in the House of Delegates. Meanwhile, former Delegate Ken Holt said he will seek the Republican nomination and face either Democrats Joe Bartenfelder or Kevin Kamenetz in the November election.
4/1-Will A Bridge Be Built?
Students at Kenwood High School are still shocked over the death of Anna Stickel, a freshman at the school. Anna was killed by an Amtrak train when she crossed the tracks near Aero Acres in January. Her mother Tara sent a letter to Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger asking that a bridge be built across the tracks. Jaime Lennon, a spokesperson for the Congressman said, “Congressman Ruppersberger supports a solution to the problem of students having to cross the tracks. Experts at Amtrak (who owns the property) are studying what the best solution is, whether it be a bridge or some other type of safety mechanism. We have to see what their recommendation is before we know what the safest, feasible solution is.”
In the meantime, Ruppersberger invited speakers from the Federal Railroad Administration to talk to the students at Kenwood High School about railroad safety. The program is called “Operation Lifesaver”.  Conductor Terry Ludban explained the dangers of crossing railroad trucks and played a video on railroad safety.
Ruppersberger attended the morning session, but I was to attend the late session for freshman, which was Anna’s class. It was tough to watch as I saw a few students running to the back of the auditorium in tears during the railroad safety video. It appears as if Ruppersberger favors a building of a bridge, but the decision ultimately is in the hands of track owners - Amtrak. Tara Stickel has started a facebook page dedicated to getting a bridge built. Go to facebook.com and type in the search “May you Rest in Peace Anna Stickel” for more information.
 Early Preview of Eighth District House of Delegates Race
The House of Delegates race in the eighth district (covering Perry Hall, Fullerton, Overlea and Parkville) is fun to watch because it’s possible, but not probable, that three Democrats or three Republicans could win. Republican Joe Boteler and Democrat Eric Bromwell look to retain their seats, but fellow incumbent Todd Schuler (D) is giving up his seat to go after a county council position. This creates an opening that both Democrats and Republicans believe they can win. Of course Democrats want that vacant seat and Boteler’s seat, while the Republican’s want the vacant seat and Bromwell’s seat.
Cal Bowman, Nichole Kirby  & Ruth Baisden (who lost by only 95 votes in 2006) are running on the Democratic side and Norma Secoura, Rani Merryman and former Delegate John Cluster are running as Republicans.
Hodges Running Against Klausmeier for Senate
Staying the Eighth District, I got e-mail from lady named Dee Hodges. I thought it was a letter for our “In Your Words” section; as it went on to criticize Senator Kathy Klausmeier for her vote against Senate Bill SB 397, an amendment named Health Care Freedom Act of 2010. As I read, I saw Hodges was more than just an angry citizen as she is a Republican running against Klausmeier for her Eighth District State Senate seat.
Mystery Man behind Flag on Bridge
I finally found out the man behind the mystery of the Back River bridge flag. Who is this mystery man? I’ll have his story next week.
3/25-Old Glory Still Flies in Essex
The flag is back! The flag on the Essex Back River Bridge on Eastern Boulevard is flying with pride. My publisher asked me what happened to the flag on the bridge. I went and looked and it was gone in the beginning of March. I guess the snow was piled too high and it took out the flag and its pole. The very next day I noticed it was back. This leads to the question, who is responsible for this flag? I believe the flag was placed on the bridge after 9/11 and the tradition is still alive almost nine years later. Whoever’s in charge takes excellent care of the flag. Whenever the Old Glory starts to fade or shows signs of deterioration, it’s replaced with a new flag. Even the double blizzard of 2010 couldn’t stop the tradition. But who is responsible? I would love to hear their story.
Wrestlers Have Big Hearts
Kudos to Jim Hardwich of Eastern Wrestling Alliance (EWA) in Dundalk. We got a call from someone stating that Hardwich and EWA gave out free tickets to people through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I found out that wasn’t all he does for the community. He also invited 17 people from The Arc of Baltimore to attend last Saturday’s EWA event. Hardwick and his wrestling organization have held fundraisers for organizations like Toys for Tots. “I’ve always been a guy that believes in giving to the community,” Hardwich said.
Will “Vote Them Out” Philosophy Work for New Candidates?
I’m not sure when the official political season kicked off (or if it has begun, as many of the candidates haven’t officially filed), but some candidates are lining up for the 2010 election. Jordan Hadfield, Ric Metzgar and Charles “Buzz” Beeler introduced themselves to the public at the Essex COP Meeting last week and all three had a similar message - the political system is broke and all three seem to be playing the anti-incumbent/“I’m about change” card. Hadfield took some shots at Senator Norman Stone and Beeler took his jabs at Councilman John Olszewski, but both criticized the system. Hadfield criticized the General Assembly as a whole for not passing important legislation, and Beeler blamed the entire County Council (except Joe Bartenfelder) for not “caring” about the citizens of Baltimore County. This election may not be that typical opponent vs. opponent showdown. Instead, many of these new candidates might take a “vote them out” philosophy. Will it work? We will find out in September and November.
I mentioned how Beeler attacked the County Council except for Bartenfelder. Interesting. With John Olszewski, Sr. endorsing Kevin Kamenetz instead of Bartenfelder for County Executive, could Beeler want Bartenfelder to return the favor by endorsing him over Olszewski? It probably won’t happen. If Bartenfelder beats Kamenetz in September, he’ll need an Olszewski endorsement for the General Election if Bartenfelder faces a strong Republican candidate.
3/18-Joseph Palczynski - Ten Years Later
It’s hard to believe, but this week marks the 10-year anniversary of the Joseph Palczynski incident. For those who were too young to remember or didn’t live in the area, Palczynski was accused of killing four people in eastern Baltimore County. The first three killings took place as part of a triple homicide in Bowleys Quarters when George and Gloria Shenk and David Meyers were shot to death after Palczynski tried to kidnap his estranged girlfriend Tracy Whitehead on March 7, 2000. The fourth murder happened in Chase when Jenifer McDonel was caught in a crossfire as Palczynski was trying to carjack another car and not McDonel’s car on March 8.
The story made national headlines when Palczynski took hostage of Whitehead’s family on Lange Street in Dundalk for four days starting March 18. The situation ended on March 21 with Palczynski being shot to death in the home by Baltimore County Police. There was a manhunt by police and a community in lockdown as and everyone was thinking, where is he going to strike next? Can’t believe it’s been a decade.
Kamenetz Gets Another East Side Supporter
Although he hasn’t announced his candidacy, Councilman Kevin Kamenetz has picked up another east side supporter for the Baltimore County Executive race. Essex resident and long-time Senator Michael J. Collins announced his support and is encouraging Kevin Kamenetz to run for County Executive. This comes two weeks after Councilman John Olszewski, Sr., also supported Kamenetz to run for County Executive. Kamenetz is from the west side and obviously needs big political supporters here on the east side. Well, he’s getting them.
Four Candidates in Essex
The Essex COP wants you to meet the candidates for this year’s election. They are calling it a “Meet and Greet.” They have invited candidates and invite you to attend their meeting on March 18 at 7 p.m. at the Essex School Cafeteria. The list didn’t include any incumbents, just challengers. I guess they want to introduce these gentlemen to the Essex community.
Guests include: Ric Metzgar, a Republican; Democrat Todd Crandell who will seek the Sixth District Delegate seat held by Sonny Minnick, John Olszewski, Jr., and Mike Weir; Jordan Hadfield who will challenge Senator Norman Stone for his Senate in the Sixth District; and Charles “Buzz “ Beeler who is challenging Councilman John Olszewski, Sr., for his Seventh District County Council seat.
Metzgar Reschedules Announcement
Speaking of Metzgar, he will officially announce his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in the Sixth District. The event was scheduled for last Saturday, but it was rained out. He will hold a ceremony this time on Friday, March 19 at 6 p.m. at his new office, located at 531B Eastern Blvd. in Essex.
E-mail
So what do you think of the column? Do you love it, hate it or don’t care about it? Send your comments by e-mail to ben.storming@yahoo.com.
3/11-A World Record at the Perry Hall/White Marsh Town Fair

With the Perry Hall/White Marsh Town Fair moving to the Honeygo Village Center, organizers hope to set a record this summer. I’m not talking about a local record, but a world record. Actually a “Guinness Book of World Records.” To put the 2010 Town Fair “on the map,” The Perry Hall-White Marsh Town Fair Committee wants ideas on how to get into the record books. They want your help, but they have three requests: “the contest should involve as little physical space as possible, the contest should not be dangerous, nor should it involve extreme noise or pyrotechnics and the contest should engage as many people as possible at the fair itself.” E-mail ideas with your name and number to David Marks at davidsmarks@verizon.net by Monday, March 22.  Go to the www.guinnessworldrecords.com to determine what may or not qualify.
Meet Henry at Gerebeck’s
Henry Creasy
Those who shop at Geresbeck’s Food Mart at 2109 Eastern Blvd. in Hawthorne might recognize Henry Creasy. He has been at the grocery store for 15 years. Henry is the guy who handles the shopping carts.
“All the people who shop here are nice. I love the customers. The management is also nice, especially my boss, Mr. Ken,” Henry said.
Even though he is 76 and his wife wants him to stop, Henry plans to keep working at Geresbeck’s as long as his health allows him.
“I’m not thinking about it (retirement). I don’t want to stop,” he added. “The job keeps me in shape and keeps me healthy. I would be bored if I didn’t work.”
Henry keeps busy with his eight children and 13 grandchildren. As I left, I told Henry good luck and maybe he will be working for another 15 years at Geresbeck’s. He laughed and said, “Hey, you never know.”
An Interesting County Council Race
With Joe Bartenfelder likely to run for County Executive, his seat is open and an interesting race could develop on the Democratic side. In the Sixth Councilmanic District (which consists of Overlea, Fullerton & Middle River), Delegate Todd Schuler is running against Cathy Bevins from the Baltimore County Government. Schuler, an Overlea resident, has decided not to run for a second term for the House of Delegates in the Eighth District, but has name recognition. Bevins, a Middle River resident, is known throughout the county as a member of the Jim Smith administration. She shouldn’t have any trouble raising money and will compete with Schuler.
Metzgar Running for Delegate
Ric Metzger, a Republican, will announce his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates in the Sixth District. He will hold a ceremony Saturday, March 13 at noon at his new office, located at 531B Eastern Blvd. in Essex. Metzgar lost the bid for the same office in 2006 when he ran on a republican ticket with Paul Blitz and Steve Dishson. Blitz said he is not running and I don’t believe Dishon has expressed interest in running for 2010.
3/4-New Column, New County Executive & New Stores
Welcome to the first edition of “Benstorming.” As many of you may know or maybe don’t care, I’ve been a reporter at the East County Times for the past three years. I’ve lived in eastern Baltimore County my whole life. Born and raised in Dundalk, I’m now a resident of Perry Hall. I’ve been married to my beautiful wife Mary for almost six years and we have two wonderful children, Drew and Emily. I’m a graduate of Patapsco High School, CCBC and Towson University. Don’t worry, I’m not going to be one of those columnists who talks about his personal life, but I decided we need a columnist for the paper. There are so many great stories in eastern Baltimore County and only so much space. This column will hopefully give our readers an opportunity to read stories about the local citizen who just turned 100 to this year’s election rumors and news.
2010 County Executive Race

Kamenetz with Olszewski
Let’s start off the column with a political bang. Councilman John Olszewski, Sr. (D-7) called us members of the press to make a huge announcement. He is “urging” Councilman Kevin Kamenetz (D-2) to run for the Baltimore County Executive position this year.
“I think Kevin will get out and share his vision with the public and show his leadership abilities. And at the end of the day, I think that is what people will look for in their next County Executive,” Olszewski said about Kamenetz.
Olszewski’s announcement is not an official endorsement because Kamenetz hasn’t declared his candidacy. Kamenetz promises a formal announcement in the next 40 days.
Of course, County Executive Jim Smith can’t seek a third term and this year’s race is wide open. As far as Olszewski, his announcement is huge because it ends the possibility of him seeking the County Executive position and it’s a blow to Councilman Joe Bartenfelder (D-6), who is also expected to run in the County Executive race.
On the Republican side, Delegate Pat McDonough (R-7) is contemplating a run for County Executive, but told me he wouldn’t commit to a decision until after the General Assembly Session in April. With the county facing a $150 million deficit, does anybody really want to be the next County Executive?
Seventh Councilmanic District Race
Olszewski’s announcement is bad news for Seventh District candidate Charles “Buzz” Beeler as Olszewski will likely try to reclaim his seat for a fourth term. Although expect Beeler, a former Baltimore County Police Officer, to continue his candidacy against Olszewski, as a Democrat.
New Stores
Is the economy turning around? Who knows, but the addition of large retail stores is a good sign for local jobs. Kohl’s Department Store opened its doors in Middle River on Sunday and the Baltimore Sun reported that Forever 21 would be the latest anchor store at White Marsh Mall. Forever 21 will fill the vacant Boscov store that’s been empty since 2008. Now if we could only get some retailers to move into the vacant buildings at the Diamond Point Plaza near Back River.