frederick local yokel

Let’s end this week on a high note!!!

April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 fclocalyokelLeave a comment

With all our talk of untucked craziness and hissy fits this week, it’s been really easy to lose sight of the good happening in our county government. Today, County Executive Jan Gardner held a press conference to highlight her budget for the Fiscal Year 2017. Now this isn’t a done deal, there’ s still a bunch of hearings and county council meetings to be held, but oh how wonderful it is to have an executive who knows how important it is to invest in our community services. Here’s some of our faves:

The budget provides $10.5 million in funding to the Frederick County Public Schools above the minimum required Maintenance of Effort (MOE) level and an additional $500,000 in one-time funding for school technology.

Frederick Community College (FCC) plays an important role in lifelong learning and training adults of all ages for the workplace. The budget reflects an investment of $700,000 to help keep community college affordable and accessible. This investment will provide salary improvements for staff and make improvements to campus security.

The budget proposes adding three librarians to restore operating hours at our regional libraries – C. Burr Artz, Urbana and Thurmont. This will allow expanded hours until 9 p.m. during the week at these locations, facilitate greater use of the community rooms, and accommodate the needs of our library patrons.  The long-awaited Walkersville Branch Library will move forward with construction. A significant portion of this project is funded by library impact fees and state funding.

The budget meets increasing demand for early childhood intervention services providing for two Occupational Therapists, a Speech Language Pathologist and funding for substitute therapists.

CREST is Frederick County’s first higher education center. It is uniquely designed to provide higher education in science and technology fields specifically to provide advanced degrees to meet workforce needs for local biotech and life science companies. The budget proposes $40,000 in annual funding to match city and state funds.

This budget provides for a new pay scale for both deputies and corrections staff. It is critically important that we pay competitive wages to value our existing employees and attract the best and brightest to work in our community. In addition, the budget provides for two new deputies for courthouse security, one new deputy for narcotics, and a fiscal services director. Division of Fire and Rescue Service.

The top priority in Fire and Rescue is to improve staffing levels to staff equipment and meet growing call volume. To achieve this goal, the budget adds 12 new firefighter positions. The budget also funds a firefighter/EMT recruit class, supports the fireparamedic conversion approved in the current fiscal year, and provides equipment and training support.

9-1-1 communications is a busy place and our call takers are on the front line of almost every emergency. On average, a call taker handles 50 calls per hour. The budget provides for four new call takers to meet growing call volume. These positions are part of a three year plan to increase current capabilities and to staff closer to industry standards.

Fulfilling a campaign promise to restore the county’s longstanding productive partnership with our non-profit human service agencies, the budget provides a modest increase of $250,000 to Community Partnership Grants. Grants awarded this year went to over 20 human service non-profit agencies in the county to provide for basic human needs, such as food, housing, medical care, car repair so people can get to work, and other basic needs.

The capital improvement program for FY 17 includes funding for the first phase of construction of the Othello Park near Rosemont and Brunswick, which will add needed sports fields and recreational opportunities in this area of the county. The capital budget also provides for planned upgrades to the Kemptown Park near Mount Airy/Monrovia. The Point of Rocks Commons Park also will move forward in the upcoming year.

In the face of a dramatic rise in overdoses and fatalities stemming from heroin and opiod abuse, the State of Maryland has decided to transition Health Departments away from providing direct substance abuse treatment to an oversight role. Treatment programs will shift to private sector providers. The Frederick County Health Department has been approved to continue the substance abuse program in the detention center as well as the methadone treatment program. Because the state will no longer directly support these programs, the budget provides gap funding to continue these critical substance abuse treatment and prevention programs.

There’s much more so read the entire proposal here.

The future is looking great for our county!

Scientology is not going to bully our county council!!!

April 14, 2016 fclocalyokel1 Comment

At the April 19th meeting the county council is going to present their findings in response to yet another lawsuit brought forth by Social Betterment Properties (AKA Scientology, Narconon, Xenu’s leftovers). Read the whole resolution here if you please, or just read through our highlights:

First off, many structures on the property are not that old. (That’s right young’un’s the 1960’s was not that long ago.)

Anecdotal information does not meet the standard of proving whether or not something is historic. You will have to do better than that!

The structures on this property are neither unique nor rare.

The criteria was not met and this decision was NOT based on religious discrimination of any individual, group or person. (Tangent-What’s the difference between an individual and a person?)

Billy is still the only hold out. But to the rest of our council members: We here at the Yokel salute you! Thank you for sticking to your guns and not allowing litigation to bully you into changing your minds.

Workshops shouldn’t be this painful-April 12 County Council edition

April 13, 2016 fclocalyokelLeave a comment

As we let you know yesterday there was a county council workshop to discuss two land use issues. We can say this: Billy and Kirby do not like it when old BOCC business is criticized. Even when given something like a million explanations as to why something should go they steadfastly refuse to do so. Have to admire their tenacity. Or not.

First off, kudos once again to our county workers. It must be the bane of their existence to have to come before the council and try to explain things to a couple of these fellas. A few of the presenters tonight seem to have had it with Billy and Kirby, as has the FNP. In the article describing yesterday’s meeting there was no mention of their behavior. How dare the FNP not report upon their hissy fits? This upset Billy and Kirby so much that this had to happen:

Not at all accurate people! — Not at all accurate, people!

Oh don't worry Billy. We watched and we decided. — Oh don’t worry Billy. We watched and we decided.

So let’s deal with the Agricultural bit first. County staff has met with the State over the issue concerning our lost Tier IV Exemption status. The State, in turn, gave four options the county could utilize to remedy the situation. County staff has weighed the pros and cons of each option and decided the best one one was to repeal the ARTO. Here’s the rationale:

Well, Kirby, Billy and Tony want to have their own meeting with the State. Some nonsense about how “they can work things out”. Isn’t that what the staff’s job is? Not one of them gives any good reason as to why this ordinance should stand. Not a one. Kirby, at one point, concedes that he is not an expert on this subject. However, its not enough to make him stop arguing.

Sorry, Marmalade, we need a better reason that that.

Then it was off to the second item of business. Reinstating the old APFO process. Our poor, downtrodden county employee, Jim, explained very thoroughly how this new process , passed in 2012, helped no one in any way shape or form. Jim even went as far to suggest that perhaps the BOCC made this change because they were concerned that the make up of the Planning Commission at that time would not be friendly to some of the projects that were proposed. Billy had some sarcastic comments, but as usual, nothing of substance to back his arguments.

Being a workshop, there’s still more discussion to be had. One final question though: If Billy votes no to going into a closed session does that mean the rest of the council can lock him out? Please say yes!

The Yokel has a new hero: Lois Jarman edition.

April 13, 2016April 13, 2016 fclocalyokel1 Comment

At the Yokel we have a wide network of friends. Despite what the naysayers may say about us, we have fans across the political spectrum. We applaud when our politicians work well with one another in an attempt to make our county a better place to live. It’s those that stubbornly govern (or attempt to govern) from a place of dogged ideology, that makes them seem so angry all of the time, that we focus our ire upon.

So it’s oh so refreshing when we do get to focus on the positive. This story was relayed to us so forgive us if any of the details are off. BOE candidate Lois Jarman ~~asked the Republican Women’s Club of Frederick if she could speak at their monthly meeting.~~ Ahem, we’ve received an update to the story: Lois Jarman was refused the opportunity to speak by a member of the Republican Central Committee. She was, however, invited to speak by a member of the Republican Women’s Club. (Yay, ladies!) Reminder – the BOE race is non-partisan.

We believe these stinky details stand, courtesy of the Central Committee member: She was rebuffed, something about her being a Democrat and a union tool. Well, Mrs. Jarman was not to be put in a corner. She showed up anyway! We hear there was some discussion about still not allowing her to speak, however, those ladies who thought that they should actually hear someone out before dismissing them won the day! Mrs. Jarman was not only allowed to speak, but received positive feedback from some of the ladies in attendance.

images — Nice try, Republican Central Committee

So for your leadership and unwillingness to be sidelined, we here at the Yokel give Lois Jarman a tip of our hat:

Hell, we will even tip it to those women who not only allowed Lois to speak, but actually listened.

Crazy untucked: Cindy Rose edition

April 13, 2016April 15, 2016 fclocalyokel4 Comments

After we had some words of wisdom to drop on our local looney depository the other day, we realized we neglected to specifically address some advice to Frederick County’s most freak flag flyingest BOE candidate (nonpartisan, por supuesto). We sat on it for a bit because every day the cons list we keep runs longer and longer.

*Always. Just who we need on a deliberative body. Someone who guarantees that they will be uncivil and uncooperative. Please excuse the language–it really makes us cringe. We are citing a potty mouth, not using it ourselves. Not that we don’t appreciate a good swear now and then, but we try to respect those who do not share our enthusiasm for such colorful colloquialisms. High Rd., Cindy. Take it. View’s nice from up here.

Although, perhaps after seeing that there is a gallery collection of her nutbaggery plucked from the interwebs, someone wiser than she has told her to zip it up and hope that no one will notice. If only whomever that may be could have intervened for Blaine (who Mrs. Rose adores) before it was too late.

Maybe you like a pot stirrer. Or maybe you heard how important special education is to her. After all, she was able to talk David Vogt into sponsoring a bill to allow special needs parents to opt out of standardized testing. Oh, how did that go?

A few local entities didn’t support the bill. Why, why oh whyyyyy wouldn’t anyone be in favor of something that is supposed to help the children? Check it out. Probably because there are all kinds of special needs. That’s what makes the needs special, after all. Painting with a broad brush is exactly what we shouldn’t do in order to accommodate unique sets of circumstances, so special needs advocacy organizations were kinda, “NUH-UH.”

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And let’s not forget her appearance on the Glen Beck show. Here she lamented the fact that children were taught that other countries provided free child care and that child care in the United States was expensive. Also, she was very upset over the fact that children were being taught that they were part of a global community and it was their responsibility to demonstrate when they felt the sting of injustice. Somehow, in Glenbeckistan, these concepts are Un-American? Sure feels like the one who is Un-American is the one who won’t allow any criticism of the United States and wants to ban books. What’s particularly amusing about her appearance is that she is oh so sure that she has the support of the school board to get this book removed. Amusingly enough, that did NOT happen. Maybe because it is a waste of taxpayer money to get a new set of text books every time someone objects to a paragraph, especially when textbooks are hardly the primary way of teaching subject matter in 2016.

Then there’s the April 11th Frederick News Post Board of Education Forum. How can a person running for the BOE believe that salaries are not a concern? Under what rock must one live to think that Frederick County does not have a problem recruiting and retaining teachers due to the low salaries offered here? Just clueless. It’s the starting salaries that are lowest in the state. The ones willing to stomach that aren’t complaining about it as their first on their exit interviews. The ones who were not willing to accept the lowest pay in the state never accepted that job!

On her website there’s a link to a form letter that anyone who wants to opt out of testing is encouraged to use. It comes from a place called the Thomas More center. What’s the Thomas More center? Here’s how they describe themselves:

The Christian values upon which this Nation was founded are under attack. The ACLU and like-minded organizations are using sympathetic courts to destroy the religious and moral foundations of our great nation. Using the metaphor, “a wall of separation between church and state,” which is found nowhere in our Constitution, they attack crosses, Ten Commandment monuments, Nativity displays, Christmas celebrations in public schools, the Pledge of Allegiance, our national motto, “In God We Trust” and prayers at public meetings. The main battleground in this culture war is the courtroom and that is where the Thomas More Law Center is defending the religious freedom of Christians.

And …

Radical Muslims and Islamic organizations in America take advantage of our legal system and are waging a “Stealth Jihad” within our borders. Their aim is to transform America into an Islamic nation. They have already infiltrated the highest levels of our government, the media, our military, both major political parties, public schools, universities, financial institutions and the cultural elite. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, political leaders still claim “Islam is a religion of peace.” Our national leaders refuse to identify Radical Islam as the enemy. Political correctness has paralyzed our government’s ability to deal with these threats. That is why the Thomas More Law Center has been at the forefront of legal battle against this internal threat.

And we would be remiss if we did not mention her current campaign strategy of encouraging people to only vote for her. Out of a slate of 8, of which you can vote for 3, only her. She cannot find one other person on that list that she would like to run with? What does that say about her ability to work with others on the school board? Is this really about the community, or is it just about her? We’ll let you decide the answer to that one.

Can the mistakes of the past be undone?

April 12, 2016 fclocalyokelLeave a comment

Hey there Yokels. Lots of regret at Ye Olde Yokel headquarters this week. We wish we had been there adding our snarky voices to the chorus of concerned citizens who focused on a lot of these issues we talk about before they actually became issues. Alas, one must move forward. And forward we go!

This evening the County Council is having a workshop on the repeal of two bills that were passed during the dark days of the last BOCC. Click here for the details:

04 12 16 Workshop

First up for discussion is the repeal of the Agricultural Rights Transfer Option. Back in November 2014 the BOCC approved this option. In doing so the State of Maryland suspended Frederick’s Tier IV exemption under the State’s 2012 Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act. If you want to read up on it, click the link next to the proposed option on the above agenda.

Secondly, the council will discuss amending the county code. Back in 2012 the BOCC approved certain changes to the code. One of those changes allowed the BOCC, rather than the Frederick County Planning Commission, the right to approve the APFO (Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance) when the developers also submitted a DRRA (Developer Rights and Responsibilities Agreement). In other words, the planning commission could be totally taken out of the equation when it came to making sure adequate facilities exist for a new development. Approval could and did lie totally within the BOCC’s hands. This bill puts the process back in the hands of the planning commission.

Then its off to a closed session do discuss pending legislation (hi Xenu!).

Early voting begins on the 14th! Still undecided? Let #kirbydelauter help!

April 10, 2016 fclocalyokel2 Comments

Hey Yokels! It’s finally Maryland’s turn to weigh in on this primary side show. Starting this Thursday you can choose who will run for President, Congressperson, Senator and a slew of local offices. If you don’t align with a particular party, you can still show up to pick three choices for our local school board. We here at the Yokel believe local elections are really important. There’s lots of good choices for the board, except one. Steer away from Cindy Rose. We will have more on her in a separate post soon.

If you are still undecided whom to vote for to run for President, Kirby has some really good advice:

2016-03-21 — Couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

This is just for fun!

April 7, 2016 fclocalyokelLeave a comment

Your friendly neighborhood yokels have been leaving our business cards around town at a few special fun hangouts. If you find one, take a picture of yourself and post it to Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr! #ilovelocalyokel.

We can’t wait to see your creative photos!

6f5ff2d1a0cfe898de67fbd6a974c035e22c5e280ef28caba7dae4115092706f — Don’t forget to add our card in your photo!

Can we have a positive track in Frederick County?

April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 fclocalyokel1 Comment

Well, we’re off the rails here. Some of our council members threw us for a loop at the April 5th council meeting. For the most part, the theme of the meeting was, “All Aboard!” Most notably, Tony Chmelik was so agreeable (as we discussed in our other post about the weirdness of the meeting) that he just couldn’t wait to vote in favor of things he has been railing against for months. Not just that, though. He actually seemed jovial. Not sure what’s going on with him. To be fair, he has never had Billy and Kirby’s combative style or disrespectful tone, he just gets oddly passionate about stuff that seems very much at odds with his constituency.

Which leads us to our further astonishment. Usually the portion of the meeting in which council members make comment leads us into the dark tunnels of their minds. This is especially true when Billy and Kirby have something gnawing at them. Nothing happened! Our brains wrestled around hard with the fact that Billy seemed to have some thoughtful and interesting comments about handling our county’s pressing drug addiction problems, and highlighted first responders’ use of Narcan inhalers. Just recalling it, our jaws begin to hang slack in amazement. Nary a crazy train in sight. If they keep this up, we won’t have anything to say. We, ladies and gentlemen of the county, are not really sure what to hope for! We’ve become kinda fond of our little blogging hobby based on the wacko birds.

We continue to be grateful to Bud Otis. It was no surprise that he was thoughtful and used his position to give voice to the issues members of our community are dealing with. He has proven time and again to be the picture of dignity and positivity. His comments regarding the struggles of servers relying on tips for their income were thoughtful and inspiring. He also spoke eloquently of the needs of FCPS school students who are experiencing homelessness. He highlighted the work of a partnership running the New Horizons program so that these students have constructive activities and a good environment throughout the summer months. There is a gofundme campaign to help meet the financial needs of the program, if you are able to lend a hand.

What the hell happened? Your April 5th council meeting roundup!

April 6, 2016April 6, 2016 fclocalyokelLeave a comment

Life is all about change. Humans, in order to survive and thrive, must be adaptable to change. If not, you end up denying indisputable climate data and supporting a candidate that promises to make everything great again. So we here at the Yokel want to be adaptable. We don’t want to end up stockpiling canned goods and squatting on National Wildlife preserves. We really don’t! That’s why we want to accept all of the changes we saw at the meeting last night no matter how hard that may be.

First we’ll start with someone who could use a bit of change.

We’ve done a few posts about Billy’s oppositional defiance disorder.When he can bring himself to vote he never, ever says Aye. Everyone else can do it, but Billy likes to be a trailblazer. Nobody is going to tell him how to talk, no sirree Bob. Until Billy sends us a message explaining why he does this we’re going to refer to him as a:

Next on the agenda is some sewer talk. The two amendments to the code and one out of sequence item concerning sewer hookup to Lewistown were passed with little to no fanfare. Then came the third reading section of the evening.

First off, Jessica tables the bill concerning the changes that can be made to historical designations. Of course Xenu is playing a hand in this. And the FNP article on it acknowledges as much. We here at the Yokel agree with Mark Long’s public comments concerning the Scientologists turning the land over to the park service. Enough is enough. We don’t want a bizarre cult recruitment center thinly disguised as a very ineffective drug treatment center in our neck of the woods.

The next bill was also tabled. This time it was medical cannabis that landed on the cutting room floor. In a separate FNP article we learn:

Keegan-Ayer said after Tuesday’s County Council meeting she didn’t have four votes among the seven council members to approve the bill. In early March, she told The Frederick News-Post she believed a majority of the council supported the legislation.

She said Tuesday that she was aware of concerns among some council members, but declined to elaborate what they were.

“In my opinion, they were not based on fact,” Keegan-Ayer said of the concerns.

What’s that you say?! Some council members hold opinions that aren’t based on facts? When did this start? Oh that’s right December 1, 2014. Come on people, enough craziness about marijuana. There’s even been research suggesting that we may not have the opioid/heroine addiction problems if Nixon hadn’t made everyone so cuckoo over marijuana and let it be researched as a pain management drug. Let’s all operate in the real world..please!!!

Now we come to the part of the meeting that still has us scratching our watches and winding our butts. Remember a few weeks back when Councilman Chemlik was all so against the impact fees? We recall a long soliloquy in defense of our poor, downtrodden developers. Fast forward to last night and oh how things have changed. We like the change, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want an explanation! Tony is now for both of these fees! He was so very excited to vote for them that he screamed Aye into his microphone before the vote had even been taken. We would like to accept his vote and move on, but we can’t. What the hell happened?

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