The USN’s Latest Submarine: SSN-778 New Hampshire
GROTON, Connecticut (AP) -- The Navy's newest attack submarine, the New Hampshire, was christened Saturday, delivered eight months ahead of schedule and $54 million under budget.
The US Navy is set to begin sea trials on SSN-778 New Hampshire in the coming weeks and I can't wait to see what she can do. I am very proud of my home state's seafaring past and proud of the contributions our soldiers and sailors have made to the military over the past centuries. We wish you God speed New Hampshire and are thankful to having you protecting our waters.
Citizens to Hagerstown: No Federal Prison in My Back Yard!
Concerned citizens, it is time to stand up and ensure your voices are heard, especially if you live in the Robinwood area of Hagerstown. There is an active proposal on the table to the city council to potentially put a federal prison in back of HCC. This is completely unacceptable an bust be stopped. Please see the letter I sent to the council below:
Dear Ms. Nigh,
I am writing you this evening as a concerned citizen after reading the article in the Herald Mail about the potential usage of the 220 acre plot of land behind the Robinwood Medical Center for a Federal detention center. I would like to support your assertion in the article as you were quoted as saying "not in my lifetime" which is the correct response to any proposal of this nature. Not only is this a largely residential area but there are also schools near by and residents of the neighborhoods surrounding this parcel of land such as myself do not need to compound our worries by having a prison in our back yards. I understand that there are needs for such facilities and Hagerstown being a relatively rural area makes sense in many ways but not in an already developed area of the city. The Robinwood vicinity is quickly becoming a residential and commercial hub outside the city limits and having a prison in the area will decrease land values, potentially increase the crime rate and significantly impact the quality of life for residents.
I applaud you for your stance on this proposal but it is imperative that the other council men and women take the same stance for the sake of our community and not cave to any supposed incentives for this type of development. There may be a short term financial gain in such a deal, but the long term damage to the surrounding community will cause irreparable harm.Thank you,
Jonathan
I would encourage anyone else concerned about this proposal to do the same the story about the land can be found on the Herald Mail Website.
Volvo Powertrain to "Idle" 59 More Workers
HAGERSTOWN — The Volvo Powertrain plant in Hagerstown laid off 59 workers this week as the heavy-duty truck market continues to skid, officials said Wednesday.
The layoffs, effective this past Monday, are in addition to the 99 workers idled here in April.
The two furloughs reduce Volvo’s work force at the local plant, which makes engines and transmissions for Mack and Volvo trucks, to 1,278 employees.
Volvo Powertrain is going to "idle" 59 more workers this week as the economy continues to falter during what is now essentially a recession. Between rising fuel and food costs, the demand for large vehicles, construction equipment and large trucks just isn't what it used to be which makes sense. But how one of Hagerstown's largest employers will weather the rest of the storm is an important question that has yet to be answered. Hagerstown is built on these types of businesses, especially since the rail yard was dismantled decades ago. Hagerstown needs these businesses to continue the renewed growth that we have seen over the past several years. The money that these workers spend in town help revitalize the downtown area, clean up the old industrial complexes that no longer are in operation and ensure that Hagerstown's cultural growth continues into the future. I hope that Volvo can find someway to continue their operations well into the future as losing these employers hurts the town, the people and the companies.
Should the Government Limit Gas Mileage?
"To the Hagerstown caller who commented on bad gas mileage: Spot on. If the government limited weight to under 3,800 pounds and power to under 300 horsepower, then this wouldn't be a problem, but we are American."
Why should the government limit the gas mileage of vehicles? Since this is a free market (somewhat) and consumers are supposed to vote with their dollars which is why they will stop buying gas guzzling vehicles eventually. You want to remove the SUVs and large trucks that people don't need from the roads? keep the gas prices going up, it's only a matter of time until people can no longer afford to drive them. Or if we want to look at this from a green perspective then the government should tax the heck out of the larger vehicles on the road and that will force people to change. We may be Americans but hit us in the pocketbook and people will change.
Cub Cadet 33 Inch Walk-Behind Mower
So I have now had the chance to use my new Cub Cadet Mower two times now in the Maryland heat and I must say I am pretty impressed. We have about .7 acres of land to mow and it gets the job done in about 1 hour once you get the hang of it.
There are a couple of things that you have to remember about this mower though when comparing it to other large walk-behinds. The first is that this is not a true commercial mower so you should not expect it to perform like one. It does not have independent motors for each of the wheels so no power steering on this one. You will need to push it around the turns and the faster you are going, the harder it is to push. What this likely means is that wives are not going to want to use this thing to mow the lawn. The good news for guys is that it is great exercise and if you work a desk job like I do, it feels really good to go out and use this mower on the weekends.
Secondly, this mower is going to take a bit more maintenance than your average 20 inch push mower. This mower has grease ports that you will need to re-fill every 8 hours or so. You will need to check the battery occasionally since the mower has an electric starter (a awesome feature) and it will drain eventually. There are also two blades on this mower instead of one so you will need to take that into account when getting ready to replace the blades or sharpen them.
But with all of that in mind, I can't complain one bit about this piece of machinery. For anyone that really doesn't want a rider but has a lawn that needs more than a 20 inch push, this is the mower for you. Not only will it take you no time to mow your lawn but you will also look really good doing it.
Let Them Rot in Solitary for Life
So the terrorists that attacked the US on 9/11 want to die for their cause at the hands of US militar justice? I hope the military tribunal does not give them this satisfaction but rather locks them up in solitary confinement at a Federal supermax prision for the rest of their lives. Just keep them in a small cell, no TV, no religious materials, maybe a magazine or two but that is it. The last thing we want to do is allow these cowards to become the rallying cry for their causes.
So please, make Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and these criminals serve their time in prison alone, locked away from the world that they so desperately want to manipulate. That is what they truly deserve.
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