National Night Out - A Week Ago

Last Tuesday was National Night Out.  All across the country, local law enforcement offices and fire departments gathered to show off their equipment and discuss crime and fire prevention with residents.  Local politicians like to get in the act as often times it is near an election and they want to keep their names fresh in people's minds.  That is, unless your local politician covers mostly Howard County and just a smidgen of Carroll County.

Carroll County Delegate Susan Krebs was on hand for the event, as always, as was future Maryland State Senator Gail Bates - she's running unopposed.  However, State Delegate Warren Miller was MIA.  I don't think Warren Miller cares about Carroll County.  Neither was Trent Kittleman there, presumably the next new delegate for the area.  Chris Van Hollen?  I know he's been to Carroll County once, but that was years ago.  I'm pretty sure he doesn't care about this part of his district.

There was free food - hot dogs, fries, burgers, and Italian ice from Victor's in Eldersburg, and after the event was nearly over, the unreliable and inconsistent Oscar's Ale House showed up with wings and something, but we were ready to leave.  There were other organizations there peddling their wares.

Eldersburg Sykesville National Night Out

The Carroll County Sheriff's Department was showing off its Crime Response Team armored truck.



The venerable 2012 Sykesville Freedom Pierce Pumper.

Nearby Gamber Volunteer Fire Department was showing off their International Dive Unit truck.

Getting a little artistic here.  Pretty cool, eh?

Oklahoma Center Fire in Eldersburg

The first thing I learned this morning was that the Oklahoma Center in Eldersburg caught fire last night and damaged all units.  The center is most notable for Pap-Pap's, which closed earlier last year when the owner became ill.

Other stores in the center are Habib Kabob's \ Bagel Cafe and Jin's Asian Bistro, and the former Virginia's Rose Consignment shop.  The strip mall is owned by CMI Management in Manchester.  From the Maryland Property Database, it appears that the mall was constructed in 1985 by Slacks Acres, Inc.

The Oklahoma Center just renovated the entire building in 2010 (I think).  Sadly, the building is in bad shape now after the 2-alarm fire.  Liberty Road was shut down during the fire as fire fighters got the blaze under control and later investigated the fire.  There were plenty of footprints in the snow on the other side of Liberty Road at Carrolltown Center, most likely from people stopping to watch the action.

Reports indicate that the fire started in a void above Jin's Asian Bistro and was an electrical fire.  I'm sure we'll hear more soon enough.

I know that ReMax used to reside in the mall as well as Thai Classic.  Does anyone remember what other stores have been there?

Eldersburg National Night Out

I went to my first Eldersburg National Night Out this year.  The event previously had been held at the Carrolltown Center, since they weren't using their parking lot for anything.  I read that there was no electricity available for them to use this year, so the event had to be relocated.

I read that it was being held at the Sykesville Freedom Fire Department fair grounds.  I drove by last week to check out the fields because one of my kids was to have a soccer practice there.  To my surprise, there were two excavators and a bulldozer in the fields with a wide ditch running from the far end of the field to the fire department.  How in the heck are we supposed to play soccer there?  And have a National Night Out?

Today I was surprised when I arrived and the ditches were filled and covered with straw and quick-grow grass.  The construction tractors were moved to the side.  And the parking lot and adjoining fields were full of cars!

Like a little kid I was immediately drawn to the Sykesville Freedom fire trucks.  Here's the new 2012 Pierce Pumper.  I've seen this truck pass us on the road.  It has some serious lights on it.  Strobes, colored circling lights.  You can't miss this monster coming at you.

Here's one of the Sykesville police cars.  This thing looks like a real bad ass.  The best place to find this car is sitting at the bottom of the hill on Raincliffe Road and at the intersection Obrecht Road and Wimmer Lane doing radar.  If you're doing 25.1 miles per hour, they will nail you.  I know it drives people nuts, but I go like 19 mph on those roads.  And it's always good to smile and waive as you're driving by.

Here is a 1957 Ford Sykesville Police car.  Back in 1957, you could see this car sitting at the bottom of the hill on Raincliffe Road and at the intersection Obrecht Road and Wimmer Lane doing radar.

Here is Carroll County Sheriff's obligatory Mobile Command Unit.  All jurisdictions throughout the country are required to have one.  I'm sure this was obtained with Department of Homeland Security grant money.  This vehicle comes in handy at the 4th of July parade in Westminster and at events like National Night Out.

Are you old enough to have watched M*A*S*H?  This is a 1953 Dodge mobile hospital truck.  This thing is in great condition.  Alan Alda was not to be found.

Here's a partial ensemble of the Sykesville Freedom Fire Trucks.  Note the first responder ATV12.

Here's the 2007 E-One Pumper.  I think I went for a ride in this fire truck for my son's 5th birthday.

National Night Out was entertaining.  I saw Carroll County Commissioner Doug Howard, Maryland State Delegate Susan Krebs, former candidate Larry Helminiak, several of my friends, and Sparky the fire dog.  We got free pencils, entered plenty of raffles, got free tea from Starbucks, and a free hot dog and soda from the fire department.  I was pushing my daughter in her wheel chair and she said she wanted a soda.  The fire department was requesting $1 to purchase a soda.  I told my daughter that we had to go back to the car to get my wallet.  I then heard one of the fine firemen say, "Don't worry dad.  What would like, sweetheart?" (obviously to my daughter, not me)  Thank you!  Support your local fire department.  Please make a donation.

Here's a picture of the fire department's rebuilding efforts.  If you recall, the reception hall burned down in that huge snow storm several years ago when the weight of the snow collapsed the roof and it sheered the gas light, which ignited and burned it down.  The new hall seems bigger and more aesthetically pleasing.  I look forward to when it opens.

Did you make it out to National Night Out?

Sykesville House Fire

My son and I decided to go fishing on Sunday.  He decided that he needed some more tackle, so we went to Wal-Mart.  When we came out I noticed this big plume of puffy gray smoke billowing up from the distance.  We didn't decide to go there, but it seemed to be on the way.  Once we got to White Rock Road, we could see the smoke coming from the ground.  I thought perhaps the barn was on fire.

Fortunately (Unfortunately?) the traffic was crawling as everyone was slowing down to take a look at this.  It's not every day that you see a big fire.  When we finally got close enough to see the fire we found that it was actually a house fire.  You're heart absolutely sinks when you realize that a house is on fire.

I'm not sure if this fire was an accident or a controlled burn of a structure that was going to be removed anyway.  I could not find any news on the Internet about the fire.  I sincerely hope no one lost their home.

From the picture I can tell that Sykesville Freedom Fire Department and Winfield Fire Department responded.  I'll keep checking the fire departments' websites and the local news and update you with anything I find.

Carrolltown Hot Rod Show

Okay, I may be mistaken when I say that there is nothing good at the Carrolltown Center. Sure, there's the ghetto K-Mart, the ghetto Dollar General, the ghetto Big Lots!, and a snowball stand. But if you like to go somewhere that doesn't appear like you're in the middle of an inner-city transient neighborhood, Carrolltown Center is NOT the place for you.

For one brief period it was different. They had a car show there over Memorial Day weekend. The event was held behind the mall. What better way to celebrate the actions of our war heroes this weekend than to go look at hot rod cars? I wouldn't be surprised to hear Glenn Beck say our soldiers died for our freedoms - like freedom to attend hot rod shows.

There were no cars in the front of the mall where the stores are located. Rarely are there ever any cars in the front of the mall. And when they are, they're mostly beaters, meaning they ain't from 'round here.

Basically these cars are some of the ones that I plan on getting when I strike it rich. Muscle cars from the late 1960's and early 1970's.

For those of you who are at least in your 30's, you'll remember when the Maryland State Police cars were beige. (if you're clueless, they are now olive with a black stripe). You may also remember when they were yellow and had that single dome light on top. This state police car is a Chevrolet Caprice Classic, somewhere in the mid-to-late 1980's.



Looks like something from the Dukes of Hazzard. It's a 1972 Dodge Polara Maryland State Police car.


Not something that you usually see at a hot rod show - a 1968 Nissan 2000.



Smokey was there, but I wasn't able to find the Bandit. But his car was definitely there. Has there ever been another movie that helped to inflate the sale of cars like Smokey and the Bandit did for the Trans Am? I would totally drive this. This was the 1979 version. I think the original Bandit was a 1977 Trans Am.



Here's the blower from a customized Ford. Pretty cool, huh? It looks a lot cooler than the blower we have at the State House. I fully expected the members of ZZ Top to jump out of this car with hot girls in bikinis.



Another fine muscle car. A 1971 Camaro Z28. This came out the year I was conceived. But I doubt it was in the back seat of this fine candy apple red car. My parents had a VW Bug and a Fiat when I was born. Whoo-hoo!


Here's another 71 Camaro. Remember when it was cool to have chrome mags?



1970 Corvette Stingray. It was for sale for only $9400. I asked my wife if I could buy it. She didn't answer me. My 3 year old daughter said she likes it because it's a little car and she likes little cars.


A 1969 Mustang Fastback. One awesome car!



Another 1969 Mustang Fastback. This is what the Mustang looked like before Ford made them to look similar again. The new Mustang sounds like, "zig-zig-zig-zig". The old one sound like "jugga-jugga-jugga-jugga-jugga".



A pair of Firebirds. The one on the left is a 1968 and the right is a 1969 (I think).



A 1969 Camaro. I really seem to like 69. It must have been a good year.



No local car show would be complete without a showing from the local fire department. Here are the apparatus of the Sykesville Freedom Fire Department.



This is the aerial ladder. They use it to put out fires in all the tall buildings in Eldersburg. If you're from Eldersburg, you get it.

Here's one of those ENCALUBMA that you see on the road. Remember when ambulances were converted vans or pickup trucks? Now they're full-sized commercial trucks.