http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:55:08 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Get Involved! Make it a family effort! River Hill Community Fourth of July Parade Friday, July 4, 2008 Assemble at 9:30 a.m. at either Pointer’s Run Elementary School, 6600 Trotter Road, Clarksville or Clarksville Middle School, 6535 Trotter Road, Clarksville (location to be announced; just follow the traffic!) It will take only several hours out of your holiday schedule. A cooperative effort of CDC, YDHC, High School Dem Clubs and WHCDC. Let’s pull together to generate an overwhelming presence in the parade for Ken Ulman and the Howard County Democratic Party. RSVP: Email Mearl Grabill, or please call 410-800-8984. ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/06/march_on_july_4_for_county_exe.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/06/march_on_july_4_for_county_exe.php Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:55:08 -0500 Michael Cryor, Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, will be the featured speaker for the June meeting of the Western Howard County Democratic Club at the Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Frederick Rd. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, just east of Woodstock Road. Refreshments and socialization begin at 7 p.m. and the program will start at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the upper meeting room, so invite other Democrats and unaffiliated friends to join you. Let’s give a big welcome to Chairman Cryor! Michael will discuss the steps that need to be taken to build party unity and focus on winning the 2008 election and restoring a Democratic administration in Washington from local, state and national perspectives. Prior to Michael’s presentation, we will: (1) elect officers for the coming year. Normally that occurs in our May meeting which was subsumed by the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner; and... (2) have a brief overview of a proposed initiative called “Western Howard Victory 2010 Coalition” which suggests a county-wide effort to win at least two seats in Western Howard in 2010 with state-wide encouragement and support.

---------Victory in 2008 and 2010--------

]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/06/whcdc_monthly_meeting_tuesday.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/06/whcdc_monthly_meeting_tuesday.php Meetings Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:37:33 -0500 Hon. Elijah Cummings, who represents Howard County in MD Congressional District 7, will be the keynote speaker at the 2008 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at the 10 Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville near the intersection of MD 32 and MD 108. Socialization will begin at the reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by the dinner at 7:30 p.m. The Dinner is the principal fund-raising event of the year for the Howard County Democratic Party. Last year’s event was a huge success, built around the theme of Democratic Party Building – making Howard County all blue in 2010. The greatest challenge is in Western Howard where all four offices (State Senate, Assembly (2) and County Council) are presently held by Republicans. WHCDC made a strong showing last year selling five of the 33 tables, a total of 50 seats including 19 high school students or sponsors. Party-building, especially in Western Howard, remains a central theme this year. WHCDC has reserved six tables with 10 seats each. The initial plan is to set aside 30 seats for high school students and 30 seats for regular club members. Our goal is to conclude ticket sales by May 1 so we can secure additional tables if necessary. Regular membership seating will be $87 and high school/sponsor seats will be $75. Students will pay $20 and the club will seek sponsors for the remaining $55. The six tables will be together and will feature reserved seating. Seven of the 12 county high schools service Western Howard. Two (Mt. Hebron and Centennial) have established clubs, another (Marriotts Ridge) established a Club this year; one (Atholton) is in the process of organizing, and three (Glenelg, River Hill and Reservoir) need organizational effort. Our goal is to have at least potential organizer students from each of the seven high schools present at the dinner. Rich Corkran, State Senate candidate in 2006 and a recently retired teacher, is playing a leadership role in helping to organize these student clubs. These tickets will go fast Club members who purchased tickets or supported student tickets last year will be given priority consideration this year. All club members will be contacted individually this week to determine their interest in tickets for themselves or supporting student tickets ($55 each). Those Interested in attending should contact Mearl Grabill, Club Secretary, at 410-800-8984 or grabill@bnin.net ASAP. Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic support of this important program.]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/04/howard_county_jeffersonjackson.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/04/howard_county_jeffersonjackson.php Central Committee Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:20:28 -0500 Our Congressional Representative Elijah Cummings got some probing, thoughtful questions from our Howard County High School Democratic Club members who interrupted their spring break to attend our monthly meeting last night. (click image for larger picture,)]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/03/rep_elijah_cummings_meets_with.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/03/rep_elijah_cummings_meets_with.php Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:07:20 -0500 March meeting we have the honor of having Congressman Elijah Cummings as our special guest. We will have a wide-ranging discussion with him about the presidential race, what is going on in Congress and politics in general. Please do not miss this wonderful opportunity to spend some time with an amazing man who is being seen more and more as a leading voice for our Democratic values! Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 18th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Fredrick Rd. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, MD. Link to our website if you need directions at Western Howard County Democratic Club. Of course, this is during Spring Break for Howard County schools, so you don’t have to worry about getting home in time to help with homework and get everyone in bed! As for the presidential primary, I am going to stop predicting that we will know our presidential candidate by our next meeting. It looks like this contest is going to go on quite a bit longer… As we discussed at our last meeting, it is important for us to model restraint and positive attitudes toward both candidates regardless of the tone of the tone of the campaign. Our friends and families look to us to see how Democrats are going to be able to work together after we finally know our presidential ticket. On a more personal note, there was a nice article on our very own Mary Jo Neville and her life as a superdelegate in the Baltimore Sun. Finally, there is a lot going on during our legislative session in Annapolis. The Sun provides ongoing coverage of the session. In addition to the stories, there is a link to General Assembly Resources on the right hand side of the Politics page. Another good source is the General Assembly Home Page. When writing your legislator, it is helpful if you can find the bill number to reference in your letter. We have invited members of our delegation to our April meeting after the session ends for an overview of the session. Again, do not miss the opportunity to meet Congressman Cummings! He calls WHCDC “the bravest Democrats in my district”…. I hope to see you all at the March meeting!! Clyde Robinette 301-854-6507 ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/03/march_presidents_message.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/03/march_presidents_message.php WHCDC Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:23:47 -0500 This has certainly turned into an interesting primary season in the Democratic Party!! I hope everyone got out to vote. The turnout set a record for a primary in Maryland, as has been the case in many states. I know many of us were involved with the campaigns and are probably glad our part is over, at least for now. While the primaries are ongoing in other parts of the country, it is time for us to start looking toward uniting behind the eventual candidate for the fall election. The beauty for us in this election is that we have two excellent candidates who are very similar in their positions on the issues that mean most to us as Democrats!! At our February meeting, we will begin to look forward to the fall election season. We will have an open discussion of how we help with the healing process from a hard fought campaign. Then we will look at how we start building our structures as a club to prepare for the November election and beyond. Three members have agreed to help us with that discussion. They include MaryJo Neville (a Super-delegate to the convention), Cathy Zomlefer (member of HoCo Dem Central Committee) and Tony McGuffin (former Chair of HCDCC and founding member of WHCDC). Each one will bring a different perspective to the discussion. As always, please come with your ideas and energy! I hope to see you all at the February meeting!! Clyde Robinette 301-854-6507 http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/02/whcdc_presidents_message_febru.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/02/whcdc_presidents_message_febru.php Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:26:09 -0500 HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday season with family and friends. Well, it has been a while since I have had much to say!! I had a rough Autumn with my health. I had two nasal/sinus surgeries with a major sinus infection in between. I missed all of the club meetings from September through November. I want to give a special thanks to Mearl Grabill, Bill Hudock, and Jim Mellicant who stepped in to lead the club while I was out of commission. Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 15th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Fredrick Rd. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, MD. Link to our website if you need directions at http://westernhowarddems.com/main/ Well, things are certainly heating up in the Presidential Primaries!! We have invited representatives of the four presidential candidates who have active committees in Howard County to speak at our January meeting. It is the last meeting before the Maryland Primary on Tuesday, February 12th. So, this is our last chance to hear from the campaigns and start to lay the groundwork for the November election. Also, the legislature will be in session when we meet, so we will also have an overview of the major initiatives likely to be addressed in the session. This is going to be a busy election year, so let’s get started!!! Things are certainly moving in a strongly Democratic direction, so I am optimistic about our prospects this year. I hope to see you all at the January meeting!! Clyde Robinette 301-854-6507 http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/01/whcdc_presidents_message_janua.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2008/01/whcdc_presidents_message_janua.php Meetings Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:23:55 -0500 A special thanks to Howard County Executive Ken Ulman for his talk before our membership last night. It was informative, enlightening and instructive. Ken filled us in on the new environmental and public health programs instituted to improve life in the county. He answered question from our High School Democratic Club representatives regarding renovations/replacement for Mt. Hebron HS and other educational concerns. He reminded us all of his commitment to supporting our efforts in the western county to turning the entire county a rich Democratic blue. A good time was had by all. Thanks, Ken! ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/10/county_executive_visit_a_great.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/10/county_executive_visit_a_great.php News Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:23:03 -0500 Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to Speak at October WHCDC Meeting 1. Tuesday, October 16, 2007. Monthly meeting of the Western Howard County Democratic Club at the Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Fredrick Rd. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, MD starting at 7 p.m. Special guest/speaker will be Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive. Anticipating a larger than usual turnout, the meeting will be held upstairs in the ballroom. In recognition of Ken's tight schedule. The business meeting and socialization time will be held at the conclusion of Ken's remarks. Ken's remarks will focus on his vision for Howard County by 2010 when the next county election will be held, and the role that the Western Howard Democrats (and the Western Howard County Democratic Club in particular) can play in helping him realize that vision and elect Democrats in Council District 5, and Legislative Districts 9 (Md. Senate) and 9A (Md. Assembly). Ken has launched an ambitious and imaginative administrative agenda during his first year and we are interested in supporting his efforts to continue the Howard County tradition of progressive and effective government. Councilwoman Courtney Watson will continue this process when she is the featured speaker in the November meeting. 2. Saturday, October 6, 2007. HCDCC Neighborhood Contact Persons (NCP) Orientation Sessions for NCP Volunteers. Held at the HCDCC offices at 7050 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia (near intersection of Oakland Mills Dr. and Snowden River Parkway). Two sessions, 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. RSVP Cathy Zomlefer at 410-290-9791 or czomlefer@aol.com. It's not too late to volunteer. You will be the eyes and ears of the Central Committee in your neighborhood without a long-term time commitment. Contact Cathy to see if your neighborhood is represented and to volunteer. 3. Sunday, October 14, 2007. Dayton Days. Parade at noon and the family picnic from 1-4 p.m. WHCDC will have a slot in the parade and will have a table at the family picnic, which will be held at Eden Park. Democratic Presidential Candidate representatives are invited to join us in the parade and at the table. Come join us in the parade…let's show the Republicans that the Democrats are alive and raring to go in Western Howard. Presidential candidate representatives: please let me know if you plan to attend (410-800-8984 or grabill@bnin.net) 4. The Howard County Board of Elections has vacancies for all judge jobs, Chief Judge, Check-In, Greeter, Provisional and Unit. Positions provide salaries. Interested parties should contact Kim Phillips at the BOE at 410-313-5820. 5. The DNC will have their fall national meeting this year in Baltimore on November 29 to December 1, 2007 at the Sheraton Hotel. All the national Presidential Candidates have been invited to attend. It will be an excellent opportunity to see many of the candidates up close and be informed of the Party's issues and initiatives. Contact HCDCC (office or website) for more details. 6. Another good turnout attended the WHCDC September Meeting to hear Joshua Feldmark, Executive Director of the Commission on the Environment and Sustainability for Howard County. There were a number of new faces…thanks for coming and we look forward to seeing you regularly at our meetings. See more details in the meeting minutes on the Club Website (coming soon). Mearl Grabill, Secretary. 410-800-8984 or grabill@bnin.net ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/10/october_dates_and_items_of_int.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/10/october_dates_and_items_of_int.php Meetings Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:25:34 -0500 Tuesday, September 18, 2007. Monthly meeting of the Western Howard County Democratic Club at the Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Fredrick Rd. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, MD starting at 7 p.m. Special guest/speaker will be Joshua Feldmark, Executive Director of the Commission on the Environment and Sustainability for Howard County, who will provide an overview on the Commission’s work addressing the environmental issues as the County moves toward “build out” in all areas of the county, including Western Howard. Under Feldmark’s leadership, the Commission has taken the wide view approach to environmental preservation and sustainability as the pressures for growth have increased, especially in Western Howard with the BRAC changes and the widening of MD Rte. 32. They have produced committee reports in the areas of Air and Water Quality, Education and Outreach, Energy, Government Organization, Green Building & Development, and Open Space and Land Preservation. You can read the committee reports online at: http://howardcountymd.gov/CES/CES_Homepage.htm. The Committee Reports and the final Commission Report will be used to help guide governmental decisions that will affect the county as we move toward “build out” in 10-15 years The Howard County Conservancy is located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Rte. 99 and Woodstock Road, east of Rte. 32. Hope to see you at there! WHCDC meeting Schedule for the remainder of 2007: Tuesday, October 16, 2007. Speaker, Ken Ulman, County Executive, Howard County Tuesday, November 20, 2007. Speaker, Courtney Watson, Councilperson, Howard County Council District 1 (Ellicott City). Tuesday, December 18, 2007. Program to be announced. 2. Monday, September 3, 2007. Annual Howard County Democratic Central Committee Labor Day Picnic at Savage Park, 8400 Fair Street, Savage, MD. Meet many of the county and state Democratic office holders and your fellow Democrats at this important event. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per family. RSVP to info@howardcountydems.com or 410-290-9791. Please note the change of location to Savage Park, rather than Cedar Lane Park. Directions: take U.S. 1 to Howard Street and bear left onto Baltimore Street through Savage to the end. Make right turn into the Park (picnic area is behind the tennis courts. 3. Sunday, September 16, 2007. 2-4 p.m. Liz Bobo’s “Fall Classic” Cedar Lane Park East Pavilion (off Rte. 108, not Cedar Lane.) 4. Monday, October 1, 2007. Maryland Democratic Party major fund-raising gala at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD. VIP reception is at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7 p.m. Tickets to both events are $500 per person; $250 for dinner only. Table sponsorships are available. Contact Sue Levitan at slevitan@mddems.org or call Sue at 410-269-6818 for sponsorship or any additional information. 5. Nearly 30 individuals attended the WHCDC August Meeting to heard Greg Pecoraro of Westminster, describe the delegate selection process for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. See more details in the meeting minutes on the Club Website. Representatives from the Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Richardson campaigns staffed tables for the straw vote. Outcome of the Straw Vote: Clinton 7; Obama 7; Edwards 7 and Richardson 5. Everyone enjoyed the ice cream and socialization. ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/september_dates_and_items_of_i.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/september_dates_and_items_of_i.php Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:53:48 -0500 ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/sen_russ_feingold_a_bob_dylan.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/sen_russ_feingold_a_bob_dylan.php Wed, 29 Aug 2007 19:16:30 -0500 Hi WHCDC Friends, Summer is winding down and the kids are getting geared up to go back to school. Vacation season is coming to a close, as well. The Howard County Fair is one of my favorite events of the summer. The club was well represented in the Democratic Booth at the Fair. Thank you to all who signed up to participate!! At our last meeting, we had a presentation from county and state planners on the widening of Route 32. As you probably have noticed, building of the Burntwoods Road interchange has started. We want to watch closely the impact of the significant increase of new jobs at Ft. Meade (and the families who will move here) with the BRAC changes and the widening of Route 32 on our way of life in western Howard County. We will study issues related to zoning pressures, school enrollment, traffic patterns around the interchanges and the environmental impact of increased housing and traffic. We had a rich discussion of how the club can respond. This will continue to be a focus of our club over the next few years. The elephant in the room of politics these days is the Democratic Presidential Primary Campaign. I hope you can join us on Tuesday, August 21st for our Ice Cream Social and primary preview. We have invited folks from the various Howard County groups supporting the Democratic candidates to join us and give you a chance to talk with them about their candidates and sign up to help the campaigns. At the end, we will have a straw vote with all present invited to participate. We will continue to follow developments in the campaigns as we move toward the Maryland primary in February. I hope to see you all Tuesday evening!! Clyde Robinette President http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/presidents_message.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/presidents_message.php Information WHCDC Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:58:40 -0500 1. Tuesday, August 21, 2007. Monthly meeting of the Western Howard County Democratic Club at the Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Fredrick Rd. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, MD starting at 7 p.m. The meeting was originally advertised as August 22, so note the change. There will be a brief business meeting followed by presentation on the process for selecting delegates for the 2008 National Democratic Party Convention to be held next summer in Denver. The remainder of the meeting will be devoted to an ice cream social and discussions with the local supporters of the national Democratic presidential candidates concluding with a Straw Vote and raffle. Plan to be there and get acquainted with fellow Democrats. Please note that everyone in attendance (adults and members of high school Democratic Clubs) will be able to vote in the straw ballot. The final vote will reflect the choices of the individual voters and will not be construed as a club action or expression. The Howard County Conservancy is located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Rte. 99 and Woodstock Road, east of Rte. 32. Hope to see you at there! Next WHCDC meeting: Tuesday, September 18 at 7 p.m. at the Howard County Conservancy. 2. Monday, September 3, 2007. Annual Howard County Democratic Central Committee Labor Day Picnic at Savage Park, 8400 Fair Street, Savage, MD. Meet many of the county and state Democratic office holders and your fellow Democrats at this important event. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per family. RSVP to info@howardcountydems.com or 410-290-9791. Please note the change of location to Savage Park, rather than Cedar Lane Park. Directions: take U.S. 1 to Howard Street and bear left onto Baltimore Street through Savage to the end. Make right turn into the Park (picnic area is behind the tennis courts. 3. Sunday, September 16, 2007. 2-4 p.m. Liz Bobo’s “Fall Classic” Cedar Lane Park East Pavilion (off Rte. 108, not Cedar Lane.) 4. Monday, October 1, 2007. Maryland Democratic Party major fund-raising gala. Details later. 5. Ken Ulman’s First Annual Family Picnic, August 4, and the Democratic Booth at the Howard County Fair were big successes. At least 400 attended Ken’s cookout at the Circle D Ranch here in Western Howard, and our booth at the Fair had a lot more traffic than our opposition across the midway. Howard County representatives for the Clinton, Obama and Richardson campaigns were in the final parade on Saturday and enjoyed many encouraging cheers. 6. Check the Club Website for the August President’s Message. Visit our new Club Website at: http://www.westernhowarddems.com for all club information! To receive information directly from the Howard County Democratic Party, Click on http://www.howardcountydems.com Mearl Grabill, Secretary http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/dates_and_items_of_interest_to.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/dates_and_items_of_interest_to.php Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:20:02 -0500 The regular monthly meeting of the Western Howard County Democratic Club was held on Tuesday, June 19, 2006 at the Howard County Conservancy at 10520 Frederick Rt. (Rte. 99), Woodstock, MD. Clyde Robinette, President, called the meeting to order. Twenty-two were in attendance, including representatives from the Mount Hebron and Atherton High School Young Democrats Clubs. The featured program was provided by Rachelina Bonacci, Executive Director, Howard County Tourism and Victoria Goodman, Executive Director, Blossoms of Hope Project. The goal of the project is to capitalize on the Cherry Blossom promotion in Washington, D.C. by promoting business, organizations and individuals to plant cherry trees throughout the county. When the project was initiated in 2005, the goal was to plant 2000 cherry trees in the county. That goal was met and exceeded by 2007. Howard County has participated in the Washington, D.C. Cherry Blossom parade for the past two years and has gained national publicity for the County. Cathy Zomlefer, vice chair of the Howard County Democratic Central Committee and Coordinator of the HCDCC Neighborhood Contact Program, gave an overview of the program and asked for volunteers to represent the party within specific areas of the county (precincts or smaller). The program is the principal vehicle for the party-building initiative that Chair Michael McPherson announced at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in May. Western Howard County is a priority area for building the party and electing Democratic candidates in the 2008 and subsequent elections. Zomlefer cited a goal of 300 Neighborhood Contacts to achieve county-wide coverage. Neighborhood Contacts are asked to be the eyes and ears of the party, contacting and involving currently-registered Democrats, promoting voter registration and keeping track of neighborhood events, issues and trends. http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/whcdc_meeting_minutes_06192007.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/08/whcdc_meeting_minutes_06192007.php News Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:54:59 -0500 westernhowarddems.com) and check it often! I hope to see you at the Fair!! Clyde Robinette President ]]> http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/07/temp.php http://www.westernhowarddems.com/main/2007/07/temp.php Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:50:02 -0500