Leaving Hagertucky
I didn't really think I would be saying this, not for a long time anyways, but I will be leaving Hagertucky for New York at the end of this month. I never really planned on leaving to tell you the truth, I love it here and I like having farms all around me but in the industry I work in you have to follow the jobs to some extent. Someday I hope to return but for now I need to move on and continue to develop my career. I guess that means I will be changing my blog as well, not that I will ever give up Hagertucky since I do think I will come back some day.
Oh yeah, and if you are in the market for a house, let me know. I need to sell mine...
Mail Call: Why Shouldn’t We Develop the Dual Highway?
Why build another building on Dual Highway?
To the editor:
A beautiful piece of property at the point of Mount Aetna Road and Dual Highway has been wiped away, with numerous trees cut down only to build another office building.
Is it really needed? While other buildings sit empty on Dual Highway and the newest office building has yet to be finished?
There is so much talk about going green, it would seem that at least a couple of trees could have been left if the property had been planned better, but the only thing that matters is the green dollar.
It is a shame to see Dual Highway becoming more commercialized every year.
Carolyn Blitz
Hagerstown
Why shouldn’t the Dual Highway be developed? It seems to me that we need Hagerstown to bring in some new, more commercially viable office space so we can grow the service sector of the economy rather than try and pretend that manufacturing is going to keep this area alive. The only thing that is going to make Hagerstown thrive once again is the constant influx of technology driven businesses that need good office space to conduct their business in, without it we rely on businesses like Volvo Power Train to keep the economy is moving. Unfortunately, this is not going to be a long term solution since manufacturing is driven to the lowest cost economic center which is not Hagerstown, Maryland.
What will sustain Hagerstown? Technology, and despite what you may think, global warming. Hagerstown could actually regain its place as a major transportation hub in the region if the railways become a favored method of transportation because of fuel efficiency. If Hagerstown could bring in CSX and companies that make railway electronics to fuel the reemergence of the industry, we could be on the forefront rail transportation revitalization. So bring in new office space and encourage the development of office based service companies, after all do you want Washington County to have a 10% unemployment rate?
It’s Time Again! – July 4th at Antietam National Battlefield!
It's time once again to pay tribute to the founding of this great nation in Washington County, Maryland. You will never find a better group of people than at Antietam National Battlefield Park this Saturday on the 4th of July. The 30,000 - 35,000 spectators of the event will be there once again this year and we are looking forward to see them all there.
We also look forward to seeing all of our veterans and current service members there to be recognized, your actions have allowed us to celebrate this day for the past 233 years. Please come and be recognized by the crowd, we all appreciate how hard you have worked and fought for us.
If you need more information about the event, please take a look at the National Park Service's information page about the event.
An Open Challenge to President-elect Obama
Mr. Obama, With unprecedented popularity and influence within the 20 - 30 year old age bracket in the United States, it is time you harness that energy and drive your vision of change into our local communities and demographics. This is not a partisan effort, nor an effort that favors liberal or conservative thinking. It is a movement and idea that reconnects Americans with their heritage and communities that is needed now more than ever. We need to rediscover what makes this country great, we need to see the principles of what it means to be an American in everyday life. To this end I challenge you to push us towards a goal of involvement as Jack Kennedy asked us all to do over forty years ago.
1. Establish state level service commissions - We need organizations that promote service within our communities, this can't just be through social media or the Internet. We need people on the ground engaging the youth to do more for the places in which they live. You would be amazed at what we can do if you ask us. We believe in your message, hold us to account and you will not be disappointed. All we ask is that you establish the framework for us to work within and recognize us for our efforts.
2. Encourage state and local governments realize the value of a mobilized citizenry - We can move mountains if you ask us, but if you don't ask and inspire us to do so you will never realize this goal. There are vast untapped resources of human capital in our communities that have never been recognized because institutions do not understand how to reach them or understand that people want to be involved. In this economy, in this recession, we must learn to rely on each other more than ever because that is the American way. Help us become involved by making sure our public servants understand that which you already do.
3. Don't settle for less than our best - You will need to push us to continue our service, challenge us to do more with less, set forth lofty goals and show us the way to achieve them. We are asking you to push us to do more, my generation is asking you to push us as people who want to live up to the memory of our fathers and our grandfathers. We aren't soft, we just haven't been challenged like they were but now is the time for the challenge. We encourage to publically motivate us, call on us in speeches to do more and show us what can be done by average Americans.
4. Realize what you have done - Your platform of change has not only gotten you elected to the highest office in our country but has inspired masses of people who need hope. Don't underestimate what hope does to people or what kind of strength it will give them . Despite what others were saying in the campaign, the concept of hope counts for more than many other tangible promises or goods. Hope can inspire people to do great things and that is what you have brought to us. Realize this reality and use it to our country's advantage but do not take advantage of us. If you learn to harness this power and focus it on the betterment of our society we will once again be the pinnacle of what it means to be a free and democratic society.
These are my thoughts Mr. Obama, from a 26 year old who has never had the chance to be inspired by anyone like I have during this election. There are millions other like me waiting for you to lead us to the next great era of service and prosperity in this country. We want what every generation of Americans have before us; a safe place to live that is prosperous and not afraid of ambitious people willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. We are waiting Mr. Obama just say the word.
When All You Want to Do is Work…
What do you do when all you want to do is work in the town you live in, serve your community, and do what is best for your family? That is the situation I am in right now, I have applied for a job in Hagerstown, interviewed and now am waiting on whether or not I will get the position. The worst part is that I don't know if I will be considered seriously because I am younger than what they likely expect and it just makes me very anxious.
I guess I just had to write this down since I have been thinking about it for the past few days and at this point I just want to know one way or another. I guess I will find out...
Maryland: Four airlines apply to serve Hagerstown
WASHINGTON COUNTY — Four companies have applied to provide commercial air service out of Hagerstown Regional Airport through a federal subsidy.
2008 Mummers Parade – A Family Event?
I saw this in Mail Call today:
“I was calling to just let everybody know that I thought the Mummers Parade was one of the best that I’ve seen in probably the last 10 years.”
— Hagerstown
No Offense to anyone who really liked this parade this year, but the crowd that turned out for it was not something I would let my kids come out to. Constant swearing and vulgar comments. Hearing grown men and fathers talk about how they would have loved to knock someone out on their front porch while their kids are around?
Sorry Hagerstown, but you still have a lot of cleaning up to do before I consider these events worthwhile going to.
Relgion in Schools
The genius of mail call and this area:
“Inmate population, 9,000. If we can’t have religion in our schools, which is greatly needed, why in the world do we allow it in the prisons? ... Why do we allow religion in the prisons, and not in the schools?”
Maybe because in prisons no one is forced to sit through a service? Maybe because there is this little clause called separation of church and state in the constitution?
If you want your kids to have a religious education send them to private school. You have an option, don't complain if you don't want to take it.
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Dec | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 | ||||
Tags
Endicott Links
- Binghamton Mets
- Binghamton Philharmonic
- Binghamton Senators
- Binghamton University
- Binghamton Zoo
- Cider Mill Playhouse
- Press & Sun Bulletin
- Village of Endicott
- Visit Binghamton
Hagerstown Sites
- Antietam National Battlefield
- C&O Canal
- Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo
- Gathland State Park
- Hager House
- Hagerstown Aviation Museum
- Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum
- House of Kobe
- The Hagerstown Suns
- The Maryland Symphony Orchestra
- The Maryland Theatre
- Washington County Historical Society
Listen to This!
Politics
Railroads
Spam Blocked
WCG Stats
Herald Mail Makes a Play for More Balanced Commentary
The Herald Mail (http://www.herald-mail.com) recently announced that it is bringing in Rush' Limbaugh’s younger brother to balance out their commentary each week but I have yet to see the value in bringing in either far left or far right columnists to a paper. They are guaranteed to do only one thing, make 50% of the people at least somewhat happy, and 50% of the people at least somewhat unhappy. What ever happened to the value of having someone with a more balanced and thoughtful viewpoint? Why can we not find some more centrist columnists that don’t take one extreme or another but actually logically think through an argument and make real insights into the situation at hand.
Not once has a Rush Limbaugh or a James Carville done this because they are paid to create controversy. Unfortunately this is rarely helpful for the task of having a civil conversation about a topic. Me personally, it has come to the point where I don’t read or watch or any of them. Once people realize that the center is actually the way to get things done, the sooner this country can actually move forward and stop wasting time worrying about whether the right or left is more crazy.
Here is a compromise to get you thinking: Guns should be legal under the bill of rights but clearly the spirit of the document was not to allow people to keep high-powered assault rifles in their homes and create dangerous situations for their fellow citizens. People should be able to keep their hunting rifles and their handguns but turn over their AK-47s and AR-15s. You can protect your self filth an handgun or hunting rifle, but you don’t need to mow down the entire neighborhood with an assault weapon.