Mission Carroll County Md. NAACP Branch #7014

Our mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Our vision is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights and there is no racial hatred or racial discrimination.

The NAACP works to educate all political candidates to support policies that improve access to quality education and economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, the environment, healthcare and youth empowerment, with a dedication to removing race-based hatred and discrimination from society.

For questions or more information, please contact me directly: kevindayhoff@gmail.com Kevin Dayhoff, Carroll County NAACP secretary. Thanks.

Carroll County NAACP Branch #7014 Executive Officers and Executive Board Nov. 10, 2016: https://ccnaacp7014.blogspot.com/2018/01/carroll-county-naacp-branch-7014.html

Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ccnaacp/

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Leave a bottle of wine on the porch week

It's national leave a bottle of wine on the porch of anyone who works in education week. Tell the others.

Carroll County Temporary Rental Support Program

Carroll County Temporary Rental Support Program

Carroll County Government, in Partnership with Human Services Programs of Carroll County, Launches Temporary Rental Support Program Beginning September 1, 2020

Westminster, MD, Monday, August 31, 2020 – On August 13th, the Board of Carroll County Commissioners authorized $500,000 of Federal Coronavirus Relief Funding (CRF) to be used for eviction prevention for Carroll County citizens.

The funding will provide a temporary rental support program to assist people who lost income because of COVID-19 and were unable to pay their rent. Support for up to 6 months of rental arrears may be available to those households meeting eligibility guidelines.

Human Services Programs of Carroll County will administer the program which will begin accepting applications on September 1st and continue through November 20th or until funding is depleted. 

To access additional information about the program, please visit the county Housing & Community Development webpage: https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/directory/citizen-services/housing-community-development/.

If you wish to apply, please contact Human Services Programs of Carroll County at 410-857-2999 or visit their website https://hspinc.org/.


Saturday, August 22, 2020

Westminster Skateboard Park

Westminster Skateboard Park: I drove by the Westminster Skateboard Park and was happy to see so many families there enjoying a lazy Westminster summer day in the park with their kids. Sat., August 22, 2020.

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Saturday, July 18, 2020

McDaniel’s campus 17July2020 Friday

Last night Caroline and I walked around McDaniel's campus before getting-in our run. 17July2020 Friday

Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory MAGIC NEWS BRIEF July 14, 2020

MAGIC
Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory MAGIC NEWS BRIEF July 14, 2020


ANNOUNCING OUR BIG DATA BOOTCAMP!



For four years in a row, the role of data scientist has been named the number one job in the U.S. by Glassdoor. What's more, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the demand for data science skills will drive a 27.9 percent rise in employment in the field through 2026.  Whether you are a student or a professional looking to expand your skillset, this FREE introductory course is for you!  Big Data Bootcamp is an 8 week virtual course designed to expose curious and independent learners to python and basic data science and machine learning techniques. We’ll cover the python language, general programming principles, important libraries and tools, and basic ML algorithms.
Class size is limited to the first 15 registrations, so sign up quickly!
[Click here to register!]


ONLINE CTF 002 IS THIS WEEKEND!


Speaking of in-demand careers... our popular entry-level, cybersecurity competition is this Saturday from 11am-3pm EST!  Registration for our Online Capture The Flag (oCTF) competition opens tomorrow, July 15th, so be sure to check back and register for this FREE online event!  Thanks to our sponsor CTC Technology & Energy, participants will compete for Amazon gift cards while learning ethical hacking skills!
[Click here to learn more!]


OUR TWO GAME DEVELOPMENT CLASSES NOW STARTING IN AUGUST
Gamer Gif

[UPDATE: These 13 week courses are now scheduled to begin in August.] Aspiring game developers can choose from our online classes: Intro to Game Development and Intermediate Game Development.  Both classes will teach Unity and C#, and both will conclude with a Game Demo Day where students can share their games with the public via Zoom.

The intro class will focus on learning the basics of game design for 2D scrolling puzzle games, while the intermediate class will introduce 3D design elements and more complex challenges with enemy characters.

Loaner laptops are available on a first come, first serve basis. Financial aid is also available.

[Click here to register!]


SPEAKING OF WHICH...

If you or your company are interested in sponsoring a student for our Game Development courses, or even the entire class, please use this form to become a sponsor! This could be a game changing (pun intended) opportunity for students with an interest in games to learn in-demand skills for the $140 Billion video gaming industry. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we were able to provide over $800 in financial aid to students in our inaugural class. heart

[Click here to sponsor a student for our Game Development class]


AND DON'T FORGET OUR CONVENIENT FUNDRAISING OPTIONS!

If you need to stock up on coffee or get that thing you need by tomorrow on Amazon, please remember our fundraising programs:

MAGIC Beans: MAGIC and Furnace Hills Coffee have partnered to offer great roasts like Hacker Roast (our personal favorite) - a portion of purchases goes to MAGIC.
Amazon Smile: MAGIC will automatically receive 0.5% of your eligible purchases as a donation from Amazon.  The only catch is that you have to be sure you start your shopping from https://smile.amazon.com/ch/81-1092703 - so be sure to bookmark it as your default Amazon home page! Once you have it set-up you can just start shopping from smile.amazon.com.


Follow Us on FacebookInstagramTwitter and LinkedIn

+++ Dayhoff Westminster +++

Kevin Dayhoff for Westminster Authority Caroline Babylon, Treasurer.

Carroll County Times: www.tinyurl.com/KED-CCT
Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: http://tinyurl.com/KED-Sun

Facebook Dayhoff for Westminster: https://www.facebook.com/DayhoffforWestminster/
Facebook: Kevin Earl Dayhoff: https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff

Dayhoff for Westminster: www.kevindayhoff.city
Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net
Dayhoff Carroll: www.kevindayhoff.org

The Harford County Lynching Memorial Committee



The Harford County Lynching Memorial Committee

Lynching Victims in Harford County

Issac Moore, died July 22, 1868
Jim Quinn, died Oct. 2, 1869
Lewis Harris, died March 26, 1900

The Harford County Lynching Memorial Committee, established in March 2019, is working to memorialize the victims of this terrible era in the County. The project included plans for a soil collection ceremony in March 2019 and later in the year a marker dedication. However, as the pandemic has resulted in stay-at-home and social distancing orders, the committee's outreach work has been disrupted. Thus, we are using the blog to keep the community informed about our research, plans, and activities. Be sure to follow the blog since we will provide updated content here as we continue our work to document and memorialize victims of these crimes.

Find the web site here: https://harcomlmp.blogspot.com/

Retrieved May 31, 2020

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Interview with Midge Thomas



Midge Thomas talks about her time at Robert Moton School and growing up in Mt. Airy, Maryland. Thomas said her bus ride from Mt. Airy to Robert Moton was 2 hours each day

Carroll County NAACP Branch # 7014

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Attorney General Frosh Files Suit Against U.S. Department of Education and Secretary DeVos

Attorney General Frosh Files Suit Against U.S. Department of Education and Secretary DeVos for Unlawfully Repealing Critical “Borrower Defense” Regulations

BALTIMORE, MD (July 15, 2020) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in a lawsuit against Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) challenging their action to unlawfully repeal the 2016 “borrower defense” regulations and replace them with regulations that benefit predatory for-profit schools at the expense of defrauded students.

 The 2016 borrower defense regulations established critical protections for student-borrowers who have been misled or defrauded by predatory schools by providing borrowers an efficient pathway to get relief from their federal student loans, and creating robust deterrents for schools that engage in predatory conduct.  

Under the Trump administration, ED repealed the 2016 regulations and replaced them with new regulations that make it virtually impossible for victimized students to obtain financial relief, while also rolling back oversight over unscrupulous and predatory schools.  In the lawsuit, the coalition argues that ED’s decision to repeal and replace the Obama-era regulations violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and asks the court to vacate ED’s new regulations.

 “Secretary DeVos has once again stood up for predatory, for-profit education institutions instead of the student-borrowers who are their victims,” said Attorney General Frosh. “Students are left holding the bag when the predators go belly up, and Betsy DeVos keeps undermining the deterrents to the predatory conduct.”

 The Higher Education Act requires that the Secretary of Education issue regulations that provide for a meaningful process for students to obtain federal student loan relief when their schools have engaged in misconduct.  Consistent with this Congressional mandate, ED issued new borrower defense regulations in November 2016 that offered meaningful protections to defrauded student borrowers.  

The regulations built on lessons learned from the collapse of Corinthian Colleges—a predatory, for-profit chain of colleges that left tens of thousands of students across the nation in need of debt relief.  Specifically, the 2016 regulations provided borrowers who were misled and defrauded access to a consistent, clear, fair, and transparent process to seek debt relief, and also protected taxpayers by holding schools that engage in misconduct accountable.  The regulations also ensured that financially troubled schools provide financial protection to the government to ensure that, if they fail, taxpayers would not be left financially responsible.

 Despite these new protections, Secretary DeVos sided with for-profit schools upon taking office and demonstrated public hostility to the 2016 borrower defense regulations.  Just two weeks before those regulations were set to go into effect in mid-2017, the Trump administration unlawfully delayed them.  

A coalition of 20 attorneys general, including Attorney General Frosh, sued Secretary DeVos over the illegal delay.  In 2018, a judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia found the delay unlawful and ordered the 2016 borrower defense regulations to go into effect.  In November 2019, after the Secretary’s failed delay attempts, ED issued replacement borrower defense regulations that put the interests of predatory schools ahead of student protections.  The 2019 borrower defense regulations created a process designed to thwart relief for defrauded students and shield predatory schools from being held accountable.

 In the lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the coalition argues that ED’s repeal and replacement of the 2016 borrower defense regulations violates the APA because:
  • It is arbitrary and capricious. The decision to repeal and replace the 2016 rule was not the product of reasoned decision making as required by the APA.  In explaining its rationale for the new regulations, ED rejected prior agency determinations going back decades without explanation, grounded its analysis in fundamental misunderstandings, failed to consider alternatives, and disregarded facts and circumstances.
  • It does not comply with Congress’s requirement that the Secretary implement a meaningful process for borrowers to obtain relief.  Instead, it establishes an illusory process that makes it practically impossible for students to qualify for borrower defense relief.  ED admits as much by acknowledging that only around 4 percent of borrowers eligible for relief will actually get relief.
 In filing this lawsuit, Attorney General Frosh joins the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

+++ Dayhoff Soundtrack +++

Kevin Dayhoff for Westminster Authority Caroline Babylon, Treasurer.

Carroll County Times: www.tinyurl.com/KED-CCT
Baltimore Sun Carroll Eagle: http://tinyurl.com/KED-Sun

Facebook Dayhoff for Westminster: https://www.facebook.com/DayhoffforWestminster/
Facebook: Kevin Earl Dayhoff: https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff

Dayhoff for Westminster: www.kevindayhoff.city
Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net
Dayhoff Carroll: www.kevindayhoff.org

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Westminster Police Department Officer Intro. Meet Pfc. Isaac Stiffler

Officer Intro. Meet Pfc. Isaac Stiffler: • Why I became a Police Officer: to serve my community and help those in need. • Time on the job: 1.5 years. • Hobbies: watching movies and spending time with friends and family. • Talent: quoting movies. • Certifications: none at the moment. • Something positive about the job that I enjoy: peaceful interactions with the community that I work in.
July 14, 2020

Monday, July 13, 2020

Ellsworth Cemetery to receive $65K grant


Ellsworth Cemetery to receive $65K grant

CARROLL COUNTY TIMES |JUL 08, 2020

Ellsworth Cemetery in Westminster is going to receive a $65,000 grant to help with mapping and upkeep.

Last week, the State Board of Public Works approved a request from the Maryland Historical Trust, to approve a $65,000 grant to the Community Foundation of Carroll County, Incorporated under the African American Heritage Preservation Program to provide mapping of Ellsworth Cemetery as well as conservation of grave markers, according to a news release from state Sen. Justin Ready’s office. 

In 1876, six African American Union Army veterans established this cemetery to provide a burial place for Westminster’s African American residents. The cemetery was named after Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth, the first Union officer to die in the Civil War. This request was seconded in writing and supported by District 5′s state legislators, Ready and Dels. Susan Krebs, April Rose, and Haven Shoemaker.



____________




Sunday, July 12, 2020

Set#3: The training never stops

Set#3: The training never stops for the fire service in Carroll County. Starting at 6:30 a.m. – training in the heat on a Sunday morning at the Carroll County Public Safety Training Center. 12July2020

The training never stops for the fire service in Carroll County

The training never stops for the fire service in Carroll County. Starting at 6:30 a.m. – training in the heat on a Sunday morning at the Carroll County Public Safety Training Center. 12July2020

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. No. 1

Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. No. 1 – Westminster, Carroll County Maryland at sunset on June 11, 2020 

Common Ground class: Stories of the Civil Rights Movement

  
Common Ground: July 13-17, 2020 1:00 – 2:15 p.m.

Drs. Charlie Collyer and Pam Zappardino will be teaching a couple of online courses at Common Ground during Traditions Week III (Mon July 13 through Fri July 17).

One is called Stories of the Civil Rights Movement, 3rd period (1:00 to 2:15pm). We will dig into the history of major civil rights achievements, and also tell stories from our own experiences in the Deep South.


If you have any questions - find Charlie’s post on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/charles.collyer/posts/10157567449331235

We Believe

Maggie Kunz, Jim Kunz, and I were happy to pick up our signs Sat., July 4, 2020 from Greg and Kris Thorne at the Westminster Farmer's Market.

Monday, July 6, 2020

Who enforces mask rules in Carroll County Maryland?

Who enforces mask rules in Carroll County?

CORONAVIRUS With coronavirus pandemic ongoing, who enforces mask rules in Carroll County? By SHREEYA AGARWAL CARROLL COUNTY TIMES | JUL 05, 2020 AT 5:00 AM

https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/cc-carroll-coronavirus-masks-rules-enforcement-20200705-ujsg62rxybhz5apnifhbe3nx3m-story.html#nt=related-content

You notice that many of your favorite local businesses have begun to open their doors after months of closure, per state orders to limit the spread of COVID-19, and have decided to stop by a local business. You walk in and are surprised to find that no one, not even the store owners, are wearing masks. Concerned, you wonder what you should do.

In such a scenario, ideally you would call the Carroll County Health Department rather than the police, according to Andrea Hanley, a spokesperson from the Bureau of Environmental Health at the Carroll County Health Department.

“They [police] are not the ones getting complaints about masks. We’re the ones doing the investigations,” she said. “If we have a problem during the investigation, we will follow up with the police, and that doesn’t happen very often.”

[…]

According to Gov. Larry Hogan’s April 15 executive order, “all customers over the age of nine are required to wear Face Coverings while inside the enclosed area of any Retail Establishment or Food service Establishment.”

And “all Foodservice Establishments shall require staff who interact with customers (including, without limitation, delivery personnel) to wear, and those staff shall wear, Face Coverings while working.”

Those who failed to comply with the orders could be subject to a $5,000 fine or imprisonment not exceeding one year.

Read much more here: https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/cc-carroll-coronavirus-masks-rules-enforcement-20200705-ujsg62rxybhz5apnifhbe3nx3m-story.html#nt=related-content

Related: As Maryland coronavirus numbers decline, officials warn of possible spikes from summer beach trips »

Do Carroll County police need to wear masks? That depends on the circumstances and the department. »


April 9, 2003 - National styles of pulling down statues.

War stories Toppled National styles of pulling down statues.

By Fred Kaplan Posted Wednesday, April 9, 2003, 


As I write this, 100 or so Iraqis are gathered in Baghdad's Firdos Square, trying to tear down an enormous statue of Saddam Hussein…

[…]

I am reminded of 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed and the Baltic nations took their own hammers to their most prominent statues of Lenin. Much could be discerned about national style from the effort. In Lithuania, the most emotional of the republics, the crowd just went at it, using all tools at hand, bringing down Vladimir Ilyich with great gusto. In Latvia, some engineers assumed the task, judging the statue's material, pulling up a crane, and taking it down very systematically. In Estonia, the town leaders coolly hired a Finnish firm to do the job.





Sunday, July 5, 2020

Sept. 17, 2013: Westminster celebrates diversity at TriStreet block party

Sept. 17, 2013: Westminster celebrates diversity at TriStreet block party

By Kevin Dayhoff, 3:45 p.m. EDT, September 17, 2013

July 5, 2020 – I am cleaning some of my old Google Drive files (because I am about to run out of storage capacity.) And I ran across this old article from September 17, 2013 about working with my friend Dr. Darcel Harris. The links still work but it does not provide a preview of the pictures...

https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff/posts/10220056374893244

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-tristreet-block-party-20130917,0,934631.story

Fully equipped with a spatula, sunglasses, hat and an apron, Darcel Harris was all smiles Sept. 15 as she answered questions, cooked hamburgers, and hot dogs and helped coordinate activities for over 300 folks who attended the 11th annual Pennsylvania Avenue – TriStreet Association block party in Dutterer Family Park in Westminster.

The event included multi-cultural food dishes made by residents, local fruits and vegetables donated by local farmers, dancing, pie eating contests, and educational activities for children provided by the Westminster Police Department, the Carroll County NAACP and GROW Mission (God’s Regeneration of Westminster) – one of the many local grassroots community organizations in which Harris participates.

According to Harris, the March 2013 recipient of the of the 21st annual Carroll County Human Relations Commission achievement award, the neighborhood get together was the brainchild of former Westminster City Councilwoman, 1991-1995, Rebecca Orenstein.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/westminster/ph-tristreet-block-party-20130917,0,934631.story

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2013/09/westminster-celebrates-diversity-at_26.html

Labels: Annual PA Ave Block Party, Dayhoff Media Explore Carroll, Diversity, Diversity Hispanic, History, Westminster File PA Ave, Westminster File PA Ave Block Party, Westminster Police - See more at: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2013/09/westminster-celebrates-diversity-at_26.html#sthash.Bnrjh8DC.dpuf  

For pictures go to: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/post/62355185981/westminster-celebrates-diversity-at-tristreet

https://kevindayhoff.wordpress.com/2020/07/05/sept-17-2013-westminster-celebrates-diversity-at-tristreet-block-party/


Thursday, July 2, 2020

First Thursdays film series takes on issue of voter suppression

First Thursdays film series takes on issue of voter suppression

You may also find this information here: CC CAACP website

https://ccnaacp7014.blogspot.com/2020/07/first-thursdays-film-series-takes-on.html

Facebook: Carroll County NAACP

“Our democracy hangs in the balance. This is not an overstatement.” — Michelle Alexander in the NY Times, June 8, 2020

Attempts to interfere in our election by Russia and other foreign players have received much deserved attention since 2016. But an even more insidious threat to our democracy may be homegrown: voter suppression.

“In a close election the rules matter,” says Rick Hasen of UC Irvine and author of Election Meltdown, “and if the rules can be manipulated it can affect the outcome of elections.”

Recognizing that voting rights are civil rights, the July selection for the MD LMP First Thursday film series is a provocative and disturbing documentary that takes a sobering look at the hydra that is voter suppression: Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook.

Narrated by Jeffrey Wright, Rigged chronicles how our right to vote is being undercut by a decade of dirty tricks - including the partisan use of gerrymandering and voter purges, and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court. The film captures real-time voter purges in North Carolina and voter intimidation in Texas.

We are honored to welcome a distinguished panel to discuss the film:

David Blight, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Frederick Douglass, Prophet of Freedom

Tim Smith, award-winning producer of Rigged

Gilda Daniels, Associate Professor at University of Baltimore School of Law and author of Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America

The cause and course of racial justice in our nation is intimately bound to the outcome of the 2020 election. It’s therefore incumbent upon all of us to understand the grave and imminent threat that voter suppression poses to “free and fair elections” and what we, as citizens, can do to protect the vote and our democracy. 

Please join us on Thursday, July 2, 2020 at 7.00p for an important discussion of the issue and this film. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you then.

When you register, you will receive a link and password allowing you to screen the film on your own for free, in advance of the discussion.  

Attendance at the panel discussion is also free, but you must pre-register here.

https://mdlynchingmemorial.networkforgood.com/events/21517-first-thursday-film-discussion-series

For more information go here: https://www.mdlynchingmemorial.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ccnaacp/posts/3483608811657770?__xts__[0]=68.ARB757yAbFtMNK3-mMdIeVs6ti8B0U5CDR8Ob20-RcZP_3lGy5F0_DdZ2sFafupmDpOZBV8K7KO6ZjWUGUFxXxSTWny4WLCWR-19rOte7B0yW2JSpnkkAF5GaD9Q-3eRi9kSh76pFVFsex5RcYn780c9X7KXiDRTBqpS5Dg2bFKBmB5NdfQVEL9muPJMwA66VqJUw0T3472E6aNiFTNLw7xYiwhDgmt4WBRNJJCaRgQLSdCs2FQIzY8MJgYxa8F-SxWPDMQdDGfLwJ6q7kTNL5XbLBYLQ8IgcfW430Fef_Qv7kPWzybv97Qux--B6KyOSDReoTLxVU5y8lY-MAdEvor9mA&__tn__=-R




Tuesday, June 30, 2020

NAACP opposes commissioner diversity commission

NAACP opposes commissioner diversity commission

(In full disclosure I am on the board of the Carroll County NAACP)

Carroll County commissioner withdraws diversity commission initiative after NAACP chapter president expresses opposition 

Akira Kyles Carroll County Times |Jun 29, 2020

In the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, Commissioner Eric Bouchat withdrew his initiative to establish a diversity commission after the president of Carroll County’s NAACP chapter expressed her opposition toward it.
[…]
Bouchat previously said he’d like for the commission to look into memorials to lynching victims and Black Americans who served in the Civil War, but Lewis said the NAACP chapter has already been engaged in projects to do both.

She said the chapter has been involved with rededications at Ellsworth Cemetery in Westminster, where Black veterans are buried. And she said the chapter is involved with the Carroll County Coalition of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, which began meeting in February to discuss ways to bring awareness and improved understanding of lynching history.

According to Wantz, after Lewis spoke with him, the board took a step back.
Wantz said, “We’re pulling back the reins to allow for the groups that have been putting the sweat and tears into doing all this research and let them do their job.”
Lewis said she was speaking as an individual, but discussed it with the rest of the NAACP board members.

“We met [Thursday] night, and there was total agreement that we do not do this diversity thing that Commissioner Bouchat introduced,” Lewis said.

“What was going to be the end result? Was this going to be a group that was founded and it would be dropped after an election cycle? Your support would not be there after that? I don’t think it was necessarily heartfelt,” Lewis said.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

NPR: K-Pop's Digital 'Army' Musters To Meet The Moment, Baggage In Tow

NPR: K-Pop's Digital 'Army' Musters To Meet The Moment, Baggage In Tow

June 24, 20202:00 PM ET Heard on Morning Edition HAERYUN KANG

A week before President Trump held his controversial campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., was when Viviana Dark, a K-pop fan from Wisconsin (who has requested pseudonymity over concerns of online harassment), first heard of plans to "sabotage" the event. Users on TikTok, the exceptionally popular social-video platform, were urging others to reserve tickets to the rally, with no intention of actually going. "You know how a TikTok challenge happens? It was kind of like that. 'Everybody go do this!' And it spread like wildfire," Dark, 19, tells NPR Music.

She signed up for two seats, received a confirmation email from the Trump campaign — "I'm counting on my loyal supporters like you" — and never showed up to the rally, which drew just a few thousand supporters to the 19,000-seat auditorium on June 20.

It's not clear how much TikTok teens and K-pop fans should be credited for the rally's disappointing turnout; Trump's campaign originally claimed it received more than a million requests for tickets. A stage prepared for overflow was never used.

Dark, who supports the girl groups TWICE and GWSN, is no stranger to political activism in coordination with her K-pop community. She has a Twitter group chat with fellow idol fans from all over the world, where they exchange info about stars, petitions and hashtag movements. To "clog up" the platform, she tweeted #WhiteLivesMatter and #KeepAmericaGreat hashtags, coupled with irrelevant fancams of her favorite stars, as a way of diluting the usefulness and relevance of the tags.

"I'm Black before I'm a K-pop stan," she says. "The main point of why we were fighting was for the Black Lives Matter cause, not to get recognized [as K-pop fans]."

But getting recognized they are, as "maestros of social media," "an unexpected ally," "unlikely heroes." This month, fans of BTS matched the boy band's $1 million Black Lives Matter donation in roughly a day. Others are credited with flooding the iWatch Dallas app with fancams (and sinking its App Store ranking) after the Dallas police asked people to report "illegal activity" from the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests.

Read much more here: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/24/882867577/k-pops-digital-army-musters-to-meet-the-moment-baggage-in-tow

Monday, June 29, 2020

Popular and well-respected community leader Thomas B. “TD” Dent has died

Popular and well-respected community leader Thomas B. “TD” Dent has died

Thomas B. “TD” Dent, 69, of Westminster passed away suddenly on Thursday, June 25, 2020 of an apparent heart attack


Thoughts and prayers for Tommy Dent: I am sad at the loss of my childhood friend Tommy Dent who died suddenly this morning, Thursday, June 25, 2020, despite the valiant efforts of several medic crews from the Westminster Fire Dept. who looked after him and tried to save him until the very end. RESPECT.

The picture above is from a recent picture on May 16, 2020. Tommy was one of our neighbors at the Westminster Fire Department John Street fire station and we will miss him. I understand that flowers are already piling-up at the door to his shop at 26 Winter Street in downtown Westminster.

I just stopped to say hi yesterday – Wednesday June 24, 2020. The last thing I remember of my friend was that smile. I watched him wave goodbye in my side view mirror. Never in a million years did I think it would be the last time I would see him.

Tommy and I have been friends since very early in my childhood. I remember Tommy - and Doug Chandler as among my first friends… Tommy and I first met around 1959 at United Used Cars. We were both there to get candy from Pop Wilson. (Kevin Wilson’s grandfather.)

Tommy grew up on Ralph Street and I grew up several blocks away on Green Street behind Samios Food Market at the corner of Washington Road. Tommy and his Ford, Mark Causey and I spent a good bit of time together – especially during the years of Mark’s illness – and through participating in sports together at Westminster High School.

Tommy was a wonderful friend, a great leader and lived a life of grace. Tommy got it honest. His parents were wonderful and kind people. Tommy was extremely talented. He worked hard at his small business. Westminster is a much better place because of Tommy. He will be greatly missed.

++++++++++++++++++

Thomas B. “TD” Dent, 69, of Westminster passed away suddenly on Thursday, June 25, 2020 of an apparent heart attack. TD was born on May 20, 1951 in Baltimore to the late Thomas Bernard Sr. and Pauline Loretta Brown Dent.

TD was a graduate of the Westminster High School class of 1970. In high school he stood-out as a student leader, a member of the student senate, a great singer, a member of the Key Club, the Varsity Letter Club, and a three-sport athlete. TD - number 32 - was co-captain of the football team, number 30 on the basketball team, and was a record-holder in track and field.

He was a standout singer and performer for high school music teacher Herb Sell. TD performed at Westminster High School with Jester Hairston, and Duke Ellington.

After high school, TD was employed by Black and Decker until it closed. At that time, he opened TOMMY D’S Detailing which he owned and operated for 34 years until his untimely death.

TD is survived by his niece, Krystal Tripp and her husband Kirk of Baltimore, his nephew Chucky Robinson of Westminster, his great-nieces and great-nephews and a host of cousins and friends. He also leaves his cherished friend Michelle Billings.

He attended Strawbridge United Methodist Church in New Windsor. Throughout his life, TD actively participated in various sports. He played football for the semi-pro football team, the Carroll County Chargers, and played on the Jets softball team in Carroll County.

TD was a valued lifetime friend of Dave Johansson and a bouncer for over 30 years at Johannsson’s restaurant in Westminster where he was known by many friends. He was also a fixture at Raphael’s.

He was a great neighbor of the Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. No. 1, and a faithful lifetime friend of the Wilson family at United Used Cars.

TD was a very popular, respected, and admired community and business leader. No one was a stranger to TD. He also always had a smile and kind word for everyone.

He was well-known, all his life, for his immaculate black Ford. He will greatly missed.

In addition to his parents, TD was predeceased by siblings Gerald Brown, Pamela Dent Graham, and Jennifer Dent Robinson.

Visitation will be held for TD on Thursday, July 2, 2020 from 4 to 8 pm at Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel, 412 Washington Road, Westminster and on Friday, July 3rd from 11 am to 12 noon at which time his funeral service will begin. Social distancing measures, face covering, and a 50% capacity level will be in place at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Strawbridge United Methodist Church Cemetery. 

The family welcomes friends to join them for the service via video or telephone. We use Zoom for internet video and telephone conference calling. There is no charge for you to participate. Use the link below or dial the telephone number below to be connected to the event.

Join from PC, Mac, iOS or android: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4034588869
Join by telephone: Dial 1 301 715 8592 or 1 929 205 6099
and enter meeting number 403 458 8869

In lieu of flowers, donations to help defray funeral costs may be sent in care of the funeral home.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.prittsfuneralhome.com

Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel
412 Washington Road
Westminster, MD 21157
(410) 848-7533
www.prittsfuneralhome.com

                     
https://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff/posts/10219991565833058

Let us bow our heads and join in a short prayer.

O god of grace and glory, we remember before you today our brother Tommy Dent. We thank you for giving him to us to know and to love as a companion in our pilgrimage on earth. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this very difficult time.

Those we love don't go away. They walk beside us every day, Unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear.

May memories of happy times sustain us, the support of family and friends comfort us, and may God's love embrace you and your family and bring you peace.

Rest in paradise my friend. See you again someday. God be merciful to your good soul.

Thinking of you as you find peace during your journey and sending strength to your family as they mourn. I pray that peace will be found for all.

No words can express how much this hurts.

Amen

(A shout out to Blaine Brown, Dale Fletcher, Nikki Heuer, Guy Garheart, and Debbie Soper O’Hara for reaching out to me at a difficult time… THX)

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