Some field notes I scribbled down during Wednesday night’s candidate’s forum in Aberdeen:
The Master of Ceremonies mistakenly skipped over and forgot to announce the name of city council candidate Bernard DeWitt. Then, as the catcalls picked up in intensity and he recognized his mistake, the MC had to back up, bend over and look at DeWitt’s name tag before finally saying his name over the sound system.
As much as we all want to love, embrace her and support the idea of her dark horse candidacy, why oh why, did the first 5 words out of 19-year-old mayoral candidate Nicole Burlew’s mouth have to literally be “I don’t really know anything…”?
I was surprised to see every mayoral and city council candidate in attendance Wednesday and I mean EVERY – Steve Johnson, wearing a nice sports jacket, was seated on the periphery with the rest of us who will not be appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot. Recently invalidated as a candidate because he doesn’t reside within the municipal limits of Aberdeen, Johnson, according to the rules of the forum, wasn’t even permitted to submit a question for his one-time fellow candidates. I wonder what he might have asked?
With 10 city council candidates (sorry Steve) and 3 mayoral candidates, the goal of the night was for the contenders to differentiate themselves from one another. The most successful at rising above the middling pack were Burlew (by default), incumbent mayor Fred Simmons, city council candidate Rick Denu, DeWitt, incumbent councilwoman Ruth Elliott (through sheer willpower), incumbent councilman Mike Hiob and city council candidate Ruth Ann Young. Everyone else had their moments, but is it wrong that my best recollections of city council candidates Alfred Bell and Bruce Garner were that one is an “avid basketball player” and the other admitted to reading off Elliott’s notes? By a show of hands, how many of you would have guessed mayoral candidate Mike Bennett would be the one copying from someone else’s answers?
The moderator only made it half-way through the cast of candidates on their very first question before having to call “time, sir” on DeWitt for extending beyond his designated allotment. That set off a chain reaction of about a dozen or so consecutive “time” violations. Hiob and Young were far and away the best at stopping when called for running over their time limits. Young replied each time with a quiet, “thank you,” and returned to her chair, but Hiob went a step further – at one point apparently stopping mid-sentence, if not mid-word, at the request of the moderator. As expected by anyone who has attended an Aberdeen City Council meeting or two, Elliott was the most egregious perpetrator of the overflow speech. Hand on her hip, voice raised and face flushed, Elliott several times continued on for another half-minute longer than allowed by ignoring the moderator’s repeated pleas of “time.”
Interesting Ideas:
– Opening a second Boys and Girls Club on the west side of the city: incumbent council man Ron Kupferman
– A certified public accountant or city finance director should create and control the budget, not the city manager: Denu
– With 39 churches in Aberdeen, the city shouldn’t have as many problems as it does: city council candidate Janice Grant
– Charging fees to those using city roads to get to Aberdeen Proving Ground, implementing a percentage-based reward for those who can find waste in the city budget (Hey, I just found such a waste – a percentage-based reward for those who can find waste in the city budget) and a call messaging system to inform Aberdeen residents of goings-on: Burlew
These are totally unfair, but good fun. In most cases, your guess as to what they are talking about is as good as mine:
“I’ve been to some hot places,” incumbent councilman Dave Yensan.
“I’m gonna die here,” Kupferman.
“I’ve learned to live with almost nothing; live in a hut,” Grant.
“We have to be jugglers,” Denu.
“Cultural conditioning must be eliminated in Aberdeen,” Elliott.
“I don’t mind playing as long as the game is clean,” DeWitt.
“Water, infrastructure…I’m just reading off Ruth’s notes,” Garner.
“They didn’t really think about that when we thought we’d be speaking Japanese or German one day,” Simmons.
Had I known the Dagger would produce another article on the Meet the Candidates Night, I would have saved my comments from the "In Atlas We Trust" post. So, I pose the same question to the Dagger and it's readers who were present at the candidates forum. What Mayoral candidate stood out the most to you? Which two Council candidates stood out?
I think Simmons stood out more than the other two. Mr Bennett doesn't offer solutions and Ms. Burlew really doesn't have a clue. Council cannidates would be Ms. Young who comes off as being very intellignet and thoughtfull and then Ms. Elliott because she just sitrs things up.
And the Dagger knocks it out of the park! Great coverage. Makes feel like I missed a good time. And I've actually BEEN to candidates forums!
Brian,
This segmented chain of articles are leading Dagger readers astray…
An example of this is in part three of the same topic…
Brian writes…
"Out of context quotes of the night. These are totally unfair, but good fun. In most cases, your guess as to what they are talking about is as good as mine:"
“We have to be jugglers,” Denu.
The question was what are and how would you prioritize major issues in Aberdeen…
I stated (my recorded answers are on my web page rickdenu.net) We really can't prioritize the major issues identified as they were all equally important and needed our equal attention. Knowing the issues, one would agree that they are all intertwined and must be addressed together and not separated and prioritized. Hence the analogy…"We have to be jugglers"…
Thanks Brian, but a little more responsible reporting would be appreciated here.
Rick,
My intent was not irresponsible journalism and my actions were not those of a lazy reporter. I chose to present some snapshots of things that went down Wednesday night as I saw them. You should know better by now than to expect a straight – lede, paragraph, quote, paragraph, quote, paragraph, conclusion – story from The Dagger!
Specifically referring to the out of context quotes, it was an idea I had to be humorous and at the same time engage readers to fill in the logical gaps. I know you have a sense of humor and I appreciate you setting your own record straight.
Now if Ruth Elliott would just pop up and explain her "cultural conditioning" statement the world would return to its normal orbit.
brian,
I think you have to admit. mr denu is sharp as a tack.might just be what we need in council.all thing's a side.I would like to see a property tax reduction before I join the seven million all ready in fore closure
"Thanks Brian, but a little more responsible reporting would be appreciated here"
Hmm, responsible reporting on a blog? Sure, if this was a newspaper, editorializing should be left out of the news articles. But blogging gives someone an opinionated voice, and also allows anyone else to comment with their ideas.
Keep up the good work Brian…
Vietnam Vet – First, thank you for your service. Second, I agree, Mr Denu is sharp. I am a supporter of his and although he is not a supporter of Simmons, I am, and I believe the two share the same ideas. Each other does not like how they go about getting there, however. As to your tax reduction, I totally agree. Remember though, it was not Simmons who created the mess which resulted in a tax increase. Elliott and Kupferman have been on city council too long. They are two people we can fault for the tax increase. Had they used their heads back when, with the other elected officials, our city would be ok. I love Aberdeen. There is much hope for Aberdeen, however we need new blood. So, if you are a city resident, I urge you to look hard, keep Simmons who is the right man to lead this city into and through BRAC. I urge you to look hard at the council candidates and make an informed decision.
Mike H. I know you're reading…
Let me apologize, this is a long one……
Herb is on track here. It was the Boutin/Wilson led council that put the City so far behind. The whole Ripken Stadium thing stunk from the beginning; everyone knew it and no one would speak up. Then the whole property purchase system set us back further (right Mr. Helton?). Aberdeen was in need of a tax increase for years as well as water/sewer rate increases. You can't charge 1960 prices for 2007 services; you end up in the red. Property taxes went up, they had to. Boutin/Wilson had the City just about in bankruptcy court. And if you don't believe that you should seriously educate yourself.
We need business people in the City Council. People who can help Aberdeen meet the growing demand for services. Aberdeen is getting bigger, that's a fact that no one can dispute. The City needs to operate like a business and not like a social organization. There are unpopular decisions that need to be made.
My opinion, we really screwed up not annexing the Wetlands. I think that if the citizens had educated themselves without bias they would have seen for themselves the benefits to the City. Instead they listened to people whose organization was fronted by a rival developer (conflict of interest maybe?). Now all the candidates at the forum the other night agree that Aberdeen needs to annex more property. Gee, what's so different from a year ago?
I have not made up my mind who I will support for City Council yet. I am still trying to feel a few of the candidates out. I am not satisfied with the past performance of a few incumbents. I also think ‘new blood’ is needed to bring in new ideas. I don’t want to see is more grandstanding in the Council. There needs to mutual understanding so the Council can work through personal differences and do what’s best for the City.
I do however support Fred Simmons for Mayor. Although some of his decisions were unpopular, they were necessary and justified. He has brought new life to Aberdeen and although I don’t always agree with him, I find his hands on approach refreshing. Mr. Bennett just doesn't seem like he has any original ideas and this seems nothing more than a class project for Ms Burlew.
I'am and aberdeen resident. mr denu does not know me.it's just as he was doing his job, as a police officer in the area his name and face became a house hold word.swan meadows baldwin manor. etc strangely enough these people, poor as most of them are respected him as a fair man.as a matter of fact some even said they wanted to see him stay in the area. to reduce the drug selling.these people are over looked as due to where they live.they may even fear the police. something they most likely raised with. mr denu did not likely know he was makeing and impact on peoples lives.poor people at that. there not all bad credit is given where it is deserved.I have spoken with mr simmons I do like his hard approach on crime. but we must use caution.
Maybe after the election we could start a string on LEOPS! After all it would be really nice to able to retire!
How many hawk-eyed readers out there were able to pick out a few of us Daggers in a photo accompanying the Harford Sun's Aberdeen forum coverage this morning? It's like a game of Where's Waldo.
Here's another fun game. Go back and see which takes longer, finding us in the crowd or losing interest in the hum-drum story…
Employee,
LEOPS for our police officers is an essential component of what I call professional development, but not only that, it is what we owe our men and women in law enforcement for their many years of life giving service.
The fact that it has not happened yet is distressing. Ms. Heavey noted a 3.7 million dollar surplus in water and sewr revenues which was intended to pay for failing infrastructure, but has not. Where has that money gone? And why are we borrowing up to 3.5 million dollars to pay for an upgrade in our water system.
I know as a part of our police function that police officers routinely perform security checks at all our water and sewer facilities;and that costs. Shouldn’t a portion of those water and sewer revenues be shifted to the law enforcement budget to accomodate that special service?
I say we can and will fund those legacy benefits for all City employees.
http://www.rickdenu.net
Way to TRY and stir it up Dagger or are you the one being hum-drum? Perhaps your readers would enjoy the Dagger more if you would quit being one-sided and shuffle the board. We are beginning to see your favor and a good reporter never reveals his or her favorites. It’s like being an Independent registered voter -yah know.
Add some color and flavor to it guys. Let’s have fun again.
zzz: Such a thought provoking jab, no wonder it took you three months to think it up. I’m glad you had to go all the way back to October 14 to recognize The Dagger is indeed one-sided – we’re on our own side. We are equal-opportunity bullies and pick on everyone who isn’t us. That includes you.
By the way, I am an Independent registered voter and always have been and that’s why my vote rarely makes a difference locally – all the races are decided by the time the primaries are over and we Independents can vote in the General Election.
Burnt!!
joshua
”burnt” might be correct. brian was asking’ for a ” friendlier ” dagger.it could be it was misunderstood by the people.
myself included, we beat each other up as, much as possible. the town council the police department. s. fred mayor bennett and anybody else that came to mind. it certainly provided a place to vent. as one ex council member said ( aberdeen) he took a look at the back wall’ in the council room lo and behold there were the aberdeen hillbilly’s
and I might add my favorite place to stand. which ever way’ the dagger goes I will stand with it.
vietnam vet
Don”t blame Yensan for saying anything about Hillbilly”s,You were the one that said that, I do not like that saying, never did. I come from the south. I lost a brother in ww1 and another in Viet Nam .They came from the south and died for this country. So the way I see it you were only in Viet Nam one year , you came back , they did not. So keep your mouth shut about Hillbillies, And NO war is worth dying for at any price.
well buck’ you seem to injoy your freedom. I suggest you thank a vet. I suggest you check the archives.
I did’nt speak of the hill billy’s at the council. being one my self. mother and father born and raised in virginia.
vietnam? year and half. not and arm chair commando. the dagger is back to it’s old self.
vietnam vet
I did not say you spoke at a council meeting . I said you posted the saying on the blog & that you said Yensan said the thing about the hillbillies and he did not.. Thank a vet , I am a vet you jack ass. Oh excuse me for insulting the jack ass.You do not have the brains of a jack ass. semper fi.
Hey’ buck.
alittle something for you.
whoever does not have the stomach
for this fight’give him money’ to speed his departure
since we do not wish to die in that man’s company’
men afraid to go will think them self’s lesser men.
p.s. I think dave is man enough’ to admit what he said. even if it was a bad choice of word’s.
semper -fi
viet nam vet
Yensan does not have to admit anything, because he did not say what you said he said man. You put words in his mouth. Check his post and your post on Jan.6. All of that other stuff you wrote done not make any sense at all. If you are going to repeat what other people say or do , tell the truth thats all
Thanks Buck. I never quite could get what my Viet Nam vet brother was going on about. For any who care to follow this look under the archives, 29 and counting article and look to January 6th. I can’t recall ever in my life using the phrases that Vet attributes to me. I’m from the south mysaelf you know.
Mr Yensan-
Just perusing this blog and was curious to the origins of your argument with the Viet Vet. These were your actual words from Jan. 6:
“When I sat on the Council I had to watch myself while staring out at what appeared to be the offspring of the love scene from “Deliverance” sitting in the back row next to the door. Now I simply don’t much give a fig what the folks of that ilk think, say or do. ”
These words to me are actually a more disturbing than the epithet “hillbilly” and I can understand V V’s use of it as a synonym. Unfortunately your verbiage does certainly imply that your constituancy was beneath your consideration- to put it mildly. If indeed V V or any of the other posters here did sit in the back row, I could understand the offense taken. I am surprised that you couldn’t understand what Viet Vet “was going on about”- it seems perfectly clear.
Just an objective outsider’s take…
thank you
curious there was no mistake’ what the word’s meant. even if you had not watched the movie ”deliverence” I’am sure it can still be found in the old movie section.
”hillybilly” ”hick” american one and all. I was never prone’ to lieing.for those who injoy’ good hillybilly movie’s. may I suggest a movie called ( wrong turn) make’s those boy’s in deliverence. mighty handsome. I might add. it’s a horror movie.
curious
I am curious of how you came to your deduction of what happened. All I said was that Yensan did not say the word Hillbilly, vietnam vet said the word. Infact he repeated it again later in another post. You cannot justify that by saying “just an objective outsider”s take”. That is just a cop-out and a poor excuse on your part and his for accepting it.
Buck,
I was not responding to your post. I was just looking back in the archives as suggested by Mr. Yensan. You are right. In that post Mr. Yensan did not actually use the word “hillbilly”. What he said was much worse IMHO. I was actually responding to the former council member’s statement that he did not understand what V V was ” going on about “.
In my read of Mr. Yensan’s comments, I think Viet Vet had a very obvious and understandable point. The fellows in Deliverence fit into the definition of
hillbilly- “one who lives in or comes from the mountains or backwoods, especially in the south”. And just to be clear, logic 101 dictates that, just because those characters fit the definition, it doesn’t at all follow that all people who come from that background are nasty folk. My purpose was to just let Viet Vet know, that as an outsider to this discussion, his choice of words made sense to me.
I like to let fellow bloggers know when I understand their point of view.
I don’t know of too many mountains in the real south. Plenty of open country. Lots of trees though.
Uhh…the Appalacians?
The Appalachian Trail in Georgia traverses the Chattahoochee National Forest. This area features rugged wilderness hiking, with highway crossings spaced about a moderate day’s journey apart. Hiking includes many steep ups and downs, but the Trail is lower here than in nearby North Carolina and Tennessee, mostly along ridges of between three and four thousand feet.
Bet them Georgians, Tennesseeans, and North Carolinians would tell you they’re in the real south…
Dell I agree they are southern states but having lived in Mississippi….the south to me is Alabama, Louisianna, Arkansas.
How ’bout the Ozarks in Arkansas (Deliverance, anyone?), or Cheaha Mountain, Alabama, 2,407 Feet, in the Talledega National Forest?