Hugh McLaurin stands for

It’s time for some wrap-up after a tough election loss. I’ll start by congratulating my opponent for his convincing win, and by wishing the new Board of Commissioners the best for the next four years.

I have to say it’s very disheartening to think that you have a message that’s relevant to people in the county, that you have something significant to offer, that you’ve gathered the support of so many good people, only to take a drubbing at the polls. All the...

I’d like to share with readers two letters that were submitted by friends and former co-workers of mine to the Carroll County Times that the Times refused to publish. The rationale used by the Times was that the letters were from outside the county and they only publish letters from inside the county. Never mind the fact that the letters pertain specifically to the qualifications of a candidate for local office and adhere to the guidelines the Times published for campaign-related letters....

Thanks to the Carroll County Times for squeezing in my last letter to the editor before the election. I hope it imparts a sense of the love I have for this community and my desire to serve you as commissioner the next four years.

Vision...

Help Wanted! Engaged, enthusiastic people who want to be directly involved in the coming election to work the polls for me on November 2! There are seven polling places in District 5, six that we need to staff. Duties include enchanting voters heading to vote so they wisely cast their vote for me! Hypnotic powers are a plus, but I will gratefully accept the efforts of anyone willing to hold the fort, wear the shirt, and hand out literature to anyone who looks like they haven’t made up their...

I promised to update you when I learned something about the candidate forum to be held by Freedom Area Citizens Council. It’s the last forum before the election so try to make it! Sykesville Online posted a great piece on the upcoming forum, so that’s the place to go for info.  Read FACC...

The League of Women Voters hosted a commissioner candidate forum last night at Carroll Community College. Two candidates, Robin Frazier and Tina Mawhinney, both from District 1, did not attend. Write-in candidate Steve Reynolds was the sole representative from that district. All other candidates participated.

The forum ran the gamut from routine to unusual and parts of it were enlightening. I have a lot to say, so settle in and bear with me.

Beware of Group-Think

It’s...

It was a spectacular day yesterday for the Sykesville Fall Festival. A few of us spent the day there, talking with friends and other great people about the campaign. The organizers of the festival wanted it to be non-political so we kept it low key while remaining visible with our campaign shirts on. And of course our excellent new campaign buttons, which some truly lucky fairgoers received for their support!

Thanks to the Freedom Area Citizens’ Council for their persistence in arranging a candidate forum for October 28. I believe it will include both the commissioner candidates and state delegate candidates. Stay tuned for details!

District 5 MUST have a forum

We are in the final weeks of a long campaign season and it’s decision time for voters. Some have already made their choices, but many have yet to study the alternatives and decide who they will vote for on November 2.

The county-wide candidate forums are helpful, but with 10 (actually 11) candidates for commissioner across five districts it is hard for voters within a district to make direct, side-by-side comparisons of their candidates. It’s...