Herb Riede's Blog

The lights are up on Main Street in McSherrystown and they look really great. The large tree where the Boy Scouts are selling Christmas Trees is also lit, and houses up and down the streets of McSherrystown are lit for the holidays. McSherrystown is a sight to be seen. Now all we need is some snow! (Sorry Scott)

Deer shot after crashing through school window Associated Press McSHERRYSTOWN, Pa. - A deer crashed through a window at a high school while class was in session and landed in an empty hallway, where authorities killed it because of its injuries. The 150-pound doe broke through the window next to the gym at Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, about 35 miles south of Harrisburg, late Monday morning. "I heard it," said guidance counselor Christopher Cline, whose office is nearby. "When I came out, she was flopping around and struggling to get up." Police Chief D. Michael Vial, after consulting with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, fatally shot the animal. He said it had a broken leg. "When a deer is hurt like that, there's no hope for it," he said. "It was the right thing to do." That type of incident is not uncommon during deer mating season, said Wildlife Conservation Officer Darren David of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Princip...

Evening Sun - 'Operation Reindeer' needs help for holidays : "'Operation Reindeer' needs help for holidays By JENNIFER NEJMAN For The Evening Sun Article Launched:11/13/2006 09:45:00 AM EST The Mental Health Association of York and Adams Counties needs volunteers and gifts for 'Operation Reindeer 2006,' a program to collect, wrap and distribute holiday gifts to York and Adams county residents who have a mental illness. Individuals, families, church groups and businesses can help by collecting and donating gift items from an individual's wish list; donating wrapping paper; or volunteering to wrap gifts. In the past, the gifts have gone to people spending the holidays at Harrisburg State Hospital. Since that hospital's closure late last year, the association has partnered with Wernersville State Hospital in Berks County. They are collecting gifts for 85 York and Adams county residents now in that hospital and some people living in the two counties. Gi...

Evening Sun - 2006 General Election : "There were problems with the vote-counting machine at the SAVES station in McSherrystown this morning, but voting continued." Mayor's Note: I have visited the precinct and talked with the election judge there and the county election officials ensured every vote was "counted" by the machine. While I was there, they also had difficulty using the computer voting machine which marks the paper ballot for you, requiring a reboot of that machine. This would not prevent voting, unless using the touch screen is your only available secret ballot method due to limitations. A second hand report of one (the?) incident that happened this morning is that a ballot jammed in the machine and would not go through either way. Also, I heard a second hand report of the need to call the county and using help screens to process a ballot at the Elm Street Conewago (VNA) precinct. Because of irregularities, I would suggest any race +/- 4% ES&S o...

Hanover - The Hanover Area Toastmasters will hold a "Humorous Speech" and "Table Topic" competition at it's next meeting, beginning at 6:30PM on Monday, August 28 at Bay City Restaurant in Hanover, PA. The winner of each judged competition will move on to a regional competition. If you are interested in attending to watch or paritipate in the competition, contact: Phone: 717 637 6344 carbooters@aol.com Hanover Area Toastmasters http://hanoverarea.freetoasthost.info/ http://www.toastmasters.org/find/zoomclub.asp?ClubNumber=790787&x=10&y=7 Bay City Restaurant, 110 E Eisenhower Dr., Hanover, Pennsylvania, 17331 http://www.baycityrestaurant.com/ ---

The state says: BLCE: Poker/Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments : "Poker/Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments "Texas Hold 'Em" (also known as "Hold 'Em") is a seven-card poker game where players wager money against each other on the strength of their hands by placing bets into a common pot, which is won by the player with the strongest hand at the conclusion of play." --- First Off, the article is specifically titled "Poker/Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments", so I will address their definition of a tournament: In a (Texas Hold 'Em) Poker Tournament, players wager money on themselves and their skill and ability to play and win continuous hands of (Texas Hold 'Em) poker, until primarily the most skilled players, and ultimately only one player, remains. A very good overview of the subject is available here: https://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/commentary/CABOTA2PDF.pdf The ability to win one hand of poker at a random machine, for example Video D...

AMBER ALERT PA State Police out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania has issued an amber alert. Police are looking for Damian Rios - 3 ft tall, 40 lbs, brown hair, light complexion. Last seen at 900 East King Street in Lancaster. Abducted by Tanya Aguasvivas, 22, 5 Feet 5 Inches Tall, Dark brown hair, 140 lbs, dark complexion. Seen heading East on PA 322 toward Philadelphia in a 1995 Blue Hyundai, Pennsylvania registration FVN5337. Aguasvivas is Considered Dangerous. If you see Aguasvivas or Damian Rios, call 911. If you are in the Mid-Atlantic United States (PA, MD, NJ, DE, NY), Please Consult Your Local News Media for Updates.Updated 12:07AM EDT 08/01/2006 -

Movie Alert - "An Inconvenient Truth "-Posted for Jake :: Adams County Green Party :: Coming to the Gettysburg Majestic on June 23rd? I called and can't get tickets yet...

I'd like to congratulate the class of 2006 on their hard work in today's fast changing society. Although I know many are off to "greener pastures", I hope that more and more are considering sticking around and building our community and our state. I wish you much success in all your endeavours in your life! I'd like to personally congratulate in the class of 2006: Billie Jo Bemis, Corry, PA Nancy Powell, Corry, PA

Evening Sun - Keep road open; work out strike : "But the item that caught my eye today was the decision by the management of ESAB to hire 'permanently' those workers who were brought in to break the strike by the legitimate workers. This goes against all fairness in labor bargaining between unions and management. The workers didn't walk because of some trivial reason � but they certainly did not leave their jobs because they no longer wanted to have their jobs. We have seen in Hanover, as elsewhere in the country, a reduction in the effectiveness of labor unions and fewer workers who are unionized than any time since the 1950s. Workers do not have rights unless they are protected by their union. When the company pulls dirty tactics such as hiring replacements, it is a slap in the face to the workers and to their union. The message loud and clear says 'You have no power, and we do.' " To hire permanent replacement workers is crossing a line. I have walked ...

Boydstown, PA - Announcing a backroom secret deal, the borough formerly known as "McSherrystown" will now be known as "Boydstown", after an agreement was reached between it's Mayor and one of the largest employers there, The Boyds Collection, Ltd. "It's a great way to recognize the contribution to McSherrystown's economy," said McSherrystown's Mayor, Herb Riede. However, others are not so convinced. "He works for Boyds, doesn't he? I mean, there are companies that have been in McSherrystown longer, like F.X. Smith and Sons Cigar Factory, whos been here more than half as long as the age of the borough. A company that's existed for a couple decades doesn't warrant renaming a town." said one resident. However, a local free market advocate was impressed, "this is great, sell our name to the highest bidder! Residents won't have to pay as much taxes this way. Let's put Nike logos on the police cars for $1,000 a ...

By Tom Distefano A Great Editorial on the Voter ID Bill, Healthcare and Malpractice in PA, and the state Legislature... "Down in Harrisburg, there is much that needs fixing."

As Alan's Campaign Manager, I am keenly aware that we have a Democratic Primary ahead of us, and that we must show that we are Democrats worthy of governing. Alan is a Lifelong Democrat . A former IUE Local Union President, and a member of the Adams County Democratic Committee. So when on other races GettysBLOG endorses Santorum and the Republican candidates for governor, and with links to Rush Limbaugh and GOP.com - posting their endorsement should cause some hesitation. Their post even begins: " Yes, this is an endorsement. For a Democrat. That noise you hear is Daddy yelling at us from beyond the grave ..." But it is an EARNED ENDORSEMENT that should not be shied away from: ----BEGIN------------ [ THE CENTRIST: 24: "Alan Henry for State Representative in 91st District" GettysBLOG: 90: "Alan Henry for State Representative in 91st District" : "When searching for a candidate, one should look for a number of qualities, among which are integrity, h...

It was not very interesting. A better analysis: http://www.thinkprogress.org/?tag=State%20of%20the%20Union

...opened with President Bush using blatant election year campaign tactics of choosing between us good and them bad, 9/11 references, and pounding the drumbeats of "freedom by force", rather than the Reagan ideal of containment that had been working and would have worked against Iraq. It continued with fear mongering about terrorists threatening our freedoms and the need to fight to protect ours by fighting over theirs. After mentioning the failure of his Social Security cuts (to which the Democrats cheered), he urged Congress to try again. He then proposed many Democratic proposals, such as a shift away from foreign oil, major research and development in new energy technologies, and support for immigrants, short of amnesty. Like previous State of the Union speeches, he always co-opts key Democratic ideas, thereby killing them for a year, lest Democrats have to give credit to the President. However, he then fibbed, saying welfare roles had dropped, abortion was the lowest in ...

Bob Novak, talking here about the more recent Abromoff financial Republican ethics scandal (not the other CIA Agent leaking Valarie Plame national security Republican ethics scandal of which he is a party to), mentions something I agree with - annual earmarks should be eliminated . Of course, I wouldn't advocate forfieting our fair share ("it's wrong so we won't take it"), but the process is inherently competitive and open to corruption. --- McCain's awesome battle for reform Annual earmarks, nonexistent two decades ago, now near 15,000. McCain sees this as the source of lobbyist corruption, the vehicle used to bribe Duke Cunningham and the focus for half of the capital's lobbyists.

... but political patronage hires after Glenn and Lucy's election stand.. Evening Sun - Local News : "County hiring changes course The Evening Sun By MEG BERNHARDT Evening Sun Reporter Two Adams County commissioners reversed themselves Wednesday and voted to forbid the rehiring of county employees who were previously fired with cause or quit without notice. In 2004, Republican commissioners Lucy Lott and Glenn Snyder voted to strike the same language from the county's hiring policy. At the time, the third commissioner, Democrat Tom Weaver, voted against the change, saying it was made to allow the county to hire Rebecca Hansford as a clerk in the Clerk of Courts office. Hansford, a Republican, had worked in the county purchasing department, but quit without notice. She was subsequently hired as a court clerk. Wednesday's action prompted Weaver to observe that Hansford, or any employee hired under the old policy, shouldn't be working for the county. " ... More a...

Gore Says "Remember the Recount" Six years after a lengthy recount fight left Gore just shy of the electoral votes needed to claim a victory over President George W. Bush, the former vice president is weighing in on behalf of Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), who is seeking a second term in November. ... Are the speech (Monday in Washington, D.C., in which he accused President Bush of "repeatedly and insistently" breaking the law by authorizing the National Security Agency to wiretap U.S. citizens without court approval. ) and fundraising letter the start of a Gore reemergence on the national scene? Gore appears to be experiencing a renaissance of late among many liberal Democrats who believe his "pure" opposition to the Iraq war positions him perfectly for a 2008 bid. Many on the ideological left of the party also see Gore as the only candidate with the national organization and fundraising prowess to challenge Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) in the 2008 pr...

I turned 28 yesterday. I have updated my home page with my craziness.