This Christmas, Cecil County once again took its place on the national stage by providing the country with America’s Christmas Tree. As the lights are turned off and the decorations are taken down in Rockefeller Center, county residents can take comfort in knowing that in a turbulent time our county was able to provide a token of unity for everyone to gather around. Many of the visitors may not have known where the tree came from or may not have recognized the town of Elkton when they read the name, but no one could miss the beauty and elegance that the America’s Christmas Tree provided and the spirit of the holiday that it symbolized.

It may be easy to forget in recent times, but our little community has, throughout its history, routinely played a role in momentous events and occupied positions of national importance. During the Revolutionary War Cecil County was a strategic location for the Royal Navy. In 1777, 300 British ships sailed up the Elk River and off-loaded 15,000 soldiers who set up an encampment in Elkton. In the 1800’s Cecil County was a transportation hub with canals and railroads delivering the nation’s goods. Throughout the Civil War, Cecil County served as part of a passage for the Underground Railroad. The funeral train of Abraham Lincoln and Robert F. Kennedy passed through Cecil County with groups gathering along its path, most notably at the Elkton train station. The same train route was taken as a pilgrimage by President Obama on the way to his first inauguration. And of course, in the early 1900’s Cecil County was the premier wedding destination for the East Coast, resulting in quite a few celebrities finding their way to our wedding chapels.

                In addition to pivotal events, Cecil County has been home to many prominent figures. There have been professional musicians, athletes, and entertainers. As well as educators, writers, and luminaries who have all at one point or another called Cecil County home. Our county has produced governors, senators, congressmen, and even a Supreme Court Justice, David Davis. Davis was not only instrumental in getting Abraham Lincoln elected as his campaign manager, but was also single-handedly responsible for the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes.

                It is no wonder then, that residents of Cecil County can tend to transfix their focus on national events. So much so that at times we end up overlooking what is happening in our own back yards (except when our backyards are producing the country’s Christmas tree). Our County has undergone a fundamental transformation in the last decade, and it is difficult to stay informed with the rapid changes while also trying to balance a busy work and family schedule. It has been less than a decade since we replaced our Commissioner style of government with a County Charter, upending how our local government functions.

                A new form of government brings new systems and processes and even new authority. To the average person working full-time and trying to provide the best life they can for their children, there isn’t time to research what the new administrative details will look like or even the exact limits of power their local government now has. They will continue their lives until an event takes place that alerts to a problem, and rightfully so. Local residents should expect that their elected officials act in their best interest, and anything to the contrary would be a betrayal of the public trust.

                Without engaged citizens, power can easily concentrate in the hands of a select few, and the interests of the connected displace the interest of the County. As other articles have demonstrated, this has manifested locally in the form of the Cecil Business Leaders PAC (CBL PAC). As power centralizes their actions are more easily hidden by ensuring a recurring list of individuals routinely occupy positions on committees, commissions, and administrations. This has a compounding effect as local journalism begins to relay on a small cast of characters, effectively handing over their megaphone to those in charge with power to dispense and interests to protect.

                However, even with nearly limitless funding, a grip on influence, and control of the press, officials become complacent and their words on the campaign trail contrast with their actions in office and soon become so obvious that their true motives become exposed. Nowhere has that been more obvious than with the McCarthy administration. In exposing the actions, connections and administration of Alan McCarthy, County residents had their eyes opened to the kind of corruption plaguing our County.

                Although McCarthy is out of office, his affiliates and those connected to him still hold positions of influence and power, resulting in the corruption and back room deals still taking place. However, one thing that has changed over the last few years is an awakening by the citizens to the culture of corruption that has been pervasive throughout local government. As we close the book on 2021, we encourage all of our readers to perform their due diligence on the municipal and county candidates up for election in 2022. We must demand transparency and hold our elected officials accountable. In 2022 we hope that our County can continue to make a national impact by retaking control of our own backyard.

The post What is the future of our own political backyard? appeared first on Cecil County News.

Rising Sun, Maryland – Mary Beyer Halsey, 59, of Rising Sun, Maryland was sentenced today to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur announced. Halsey previously pleads guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, receipt of a bribe by a bank official, and false statement in bank records, in connection with the straw purchase of a home in Rising Sun, Maryland, upon which Cecil Bank had foreclosed. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow also ordered Halsey to forfeit interest in the Rising Sun property and to pay $300 in special assessments and restitution to the bank in the amount of $145,000. “Mary Beyer Halsey will now serve time in federal prison after she used her position as President and CEO of Cecil Bank for her personal benefit, causing a loss to the bank, which had already received federal taxpayer funds as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Corrupt bank officials undermine the public’s trust in our financial system.” According to court documents, Halsey conspired with Daniel Whitehurst, an employee of a real estate development company that did business in Maryland, to defraud Cecil Bank and another bank to purchase a home through false pretenses, representations, and promises. Halsey agreed to help Whitehurst to obtain a line of credit from Cecil Bank, in exchange for Whitehurst agreeing to serve as the straw purchaser of 127 Ebenezer on behalf of Halsey. Halsey later participated in a loan committee meeting at Cecil Bank that considered and approved a $650,000 line for credit for Whitehurst and a $500,000 line of credit for his business partner.
Halsey admitted that at her request, Whitehurst visited 127 Ebenezer and provided Halsey with an estimate of the costs to update the house. Whitehurst determined that beyond replacing the kitchen subflooring at a cost of about $1,000, there were no significant repairs needed. A full appraisal on September 10, 2012, reflected a market value of $295,000. To support the below-market price that Halsey wanted to pay, Whitehurst included in the letter of intent a list of lower-priced home sales in the same area that was not comparable to 127 Ebenezer and therefore was not reflective of the property’s actual market value.
On the same day, Whitehurst e-mailed Cecil Bank his offer to purchase 127 Ebenezer for $145,000, during a meeting of the Cecil Bank Board of Directors, Halsey advised the Board that Whitehurst had made a purchase offer of $140,000 for the property, $5,000 less the actual offer. To support the below-market price of $140,000, Halsey falsely characterized the property as having “structural deficiencies [that] will require significant repairs.” Halsey did not disclose her personal interest in the property, nor Whitehurst’s role as her nominee to acquire the property on her behalf. The Board authorized Halsey to “negotiate the best price.” Thereafter, Whitehurst submitted a contract for him to purchase 127 Ebenezer from Cecil Bank for $150,000, which Halsey signed on August 17, 2012 on behalf of Cecil Bank.
On November 21, 2012, the settlement of 127 Ebenezer was held with Halsey representing Cecil Bank as the seller, and Whitehurst as the purported purchaser, selling the property to Whitehurst for $150,000. Both signed the HUD-1 form which falsely represented that Whitehurst had paid approximately $52,566 at settlement, when in fact, the down payment and all related closing costs were paid from the $75,000 Halsey had wired to Whitehurst’s bank account beforehand. From October 31, 2012 through March 29, 2013, Halsey transferred an additional $60,000 to Whitehurst to cover the cost of the upgrades to the house that they had previously discussed, as well as to reimburse Whitehurst for mortgage payments he made on the property.
In December 2012, in response to a question from a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond inquiring about the sale of the property to Whitehurst, Halsey falsely stated that she was “not totally familiar with [that] property” and that the bank had difficulty marketing the property and had not listed it with a realtor because of “issues with the county over the bonds outstanding.”
In April 2013, federal agents began interviewing employees and other borrowers about banking irregularities at Cecil Bank. Halsey never told the bank that she was the true purchaser of 127 Ebenezer, nor did the bank know that Halsey and Whitehurst had orchestrated the sale of the foreclosed property at the fraudulent price of $150,000, instead of the appraised pre-renovation price of $295,000.
As a result of Halsey’s misrepresentations and omissions, the bank lost approximately $145,000. This case was the product of a joint investigation by the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), the Mid-Atlantic Region; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC/OIG), New York Region; and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA/OIG).

The post FORMER CECIL BANK PRESIDENT SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR BANK FRAUD appeared first on Cecil County News.

As we previously reported, despite best efforts of the corrupt County government and the ill-thought-out dreams of well drilling enthusiasts, the Maryland Department of the Environment recently took the side of Rising Sun and the comprehensive plan, approving the County’s Master Water and Sewer Plan with amendments to allow Rising Sun to run its pipeline outside municipal limits.

However, it seems that Executive Alan McCarthy can’t lose gracefully. Or more likely, his donor, Artesian Water Resources, begrudges the loss of their monopoly on servicing the County’s water needs.

A press statement was made by the Executive stating that there are no quality issues with the water at Rising Sun Elementary School and West Nottingham Academy; an implication that the town of Rising Sun had been misleading the public to rally support for their water plan.

Conveniently enough, Thomas Banks of West Nottingham Academy submitted a letter to the editor of the Cecil Whig denouncing Rising Sun and supporting the County. In it, he implied that Rising Sun was pressuring him to hook up to their water line.

But the evidence is not on their side. Cecil County News has obtained records of email correspondence between Mr. Banks and Town Administrator Calvin Bonenberger Jr. where WNA’s Head of School makes statements that run counter to what he told the Whig.

For a Ph.D. you would imagine that he would have heard of the Freedom of Information Act and know that he cannot get away with lying. Any person capable of writing basic English can request public documents and correspondence. Denying that request constitutes a crime.

If there are no water quality issues with WNA, why are they going to the expense of testing their wells daily, and displaying interest in hooking up to Rising Sun to save on that expense? A lie can only evolve so much before it becomes insulting to intelligence.

The same applies to Rising Sun Elementary which uses water filters. Actions speak louder than words, and if you’re taking measures to check and improve the quality of your water, you cannot honestly claim that there is not a problem.

In reality, Mr. Banks has a better offer from the County/Artesian. The need he feels to lie to the public is senseless, unless public support was a requirement in order to get a lower rate.

At this point in time, the conduct of the McCarthy Administration and their backers amounts to sore losers carrying out a scorched earth policy.

After previously blocking Rising Sun from obtaining grant money to pay installation costs for Rising Sun Elementary, refusing to issue county funds to install fire hydrants outside municipal limits when they were ordered by the state to do so, and being reprimanded by the Maryland Department of Environment for this crooked behavior, it would be wise for them to not let their water grudge boil over.

The post Rising Sun: McCarthy’s Scorched Earth Policy appeared first on Cecil County News.