Governor O'Malley Declares Frederick Maryland's 'Capital for a Day'
FREDERICK, MD (September 23, 2009) –Today, Governor Martin O’Malley, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown and Maryland’s Executive Cabinet joined Frederick Mayor William Holtzinger, Frederick County Commission President Jan Gardner, members of the General Assembly, other local officials and area residents to declare Frederick Maryland’s “Capital for a Day.” The monthly program brings the State Capital to every corner of Maryland through a series of events across a diverse selection of Maryland cities, towns and communities.
“I want to thank the people of Frederick for their hospitality today. I’m proud to bring members of our Cabinet to this beautiful corner of our State, and officially proclaim it Maryland’s ‘Capital for a Day,’” said Governor O’Malley, making his announcement during a Cabinet Meeting held in Carroll Creek Park. “Strengthening our local partnerships is absolutely critical to the progress of areas like Frederick. It’s important for families across our One Maryland to know that their government is working for them – putting families first and fighting to expand the safety net for working families during these difficult economic times.”
“Governor O’Malley and I thank the people of Frederick for welcoming us with open arms and for serving as Maryland’s state capital for the day. We understand that county and local governments must do more with less during these difficult times. Because of the strong partnership we have with local leaders in Frederick and Frederick County – and across the entire state – Governor O’Malley and I are confident that we’ll pull through this recession more quickly and more successfully than other states,” Lt. Governor Brown said. “The BRAC jobs coming to Ft. Detrick and the biotech jobs along I-70 and I-270 in Frederick are coming here not by chance, but because of the educated, skilled and professional people who live in this community. While we have been forced to make difficult decisions over the last three years, we will continue to invest in our human capital because we know that there is no greater payoff than a highly-trained, mobile and educated workforce.”
Even in difficult economic times, development and progress continues in many parts of Frederick, built on the foundation of a strong partnership with the State. State funded capital projects this year in the Frederick area include renovation and construction of an addition to West Frederick Middle School, improvements to Frederick Community College, and nutrient removal at Thurmont Waste Water Treatment Plant.
“The City of Frederick – the northern anchor of the I-270 Tech Corridor – is delighted to be named Maryland Capital for a Day,” said Frederick Mayor W. Jeff Holtzinger. “We’re pleased to highlight our unique community to the Governor and his Cabinet.”
“The County is excited to be able to highlight our accomplishments to the Governor and his entire Cabinet,” said Jan Gardner, President of the Frederick County Commissioners. “Frederick County and the State of Maryland have partnered to provide exceptional educational opportunities for our students as well as a safe community and a clean environment for everyone. We look forward to continuing this wonderful partnership for the future.”
Governor O’Malley began the day at the Great Frederick Fair, where, in honor of Governor’s Day at the Fair, he shared lunch with members of the Fair’s Board of Directors and local officials. The Great Frederick Fair was established for education, scientific, agricultural and horticultural purposes and its activities encompass the exhibition of livestock and other agricultural products, while encouraging improvements in techniques of production and the development of better agricultural products through a system of awards.
From there, the Governor visited the Maryland School for the Deaf where he helped officially open a new elementary school complex located on campus. The new addition represents a new era for the School and for education of deaf and hard of hearing students in Maryland. The elementary school complex employs a range of technologies to meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students, such as smart boards and acoustic technologies that block outside noise, electronic notice boards at the front of the classrooms that display text versions of the morning announcements, and extra-wide hallways to accommodate for the space needed for conversational signing. It also represents a $20 million commitment from the State to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing children have access to the technologies and educational services they need to be successful and productive citizens. The O’Malley-Brown Administration has provided a total of $59.8 million to the Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick.
In total, the Administration has provided more than $49.7 million in school construction funding over the last three years to Frederick schools, part of a statewide commitment of over $1 billion – a first in State history. This three-year total in Frederick represents a 56 percent increase compared to the prior administration.
Governor O’Malley then travelled to the Carroll Creek Park Amphitheatre, where he conducted an official Cabinet Meeting and received presentations on local issues from Frederick officials, including Commission President Gardner, Mayor Holtzinger, Senator Alex Mooney and Delegate C. Sue Hecht. Issues discussed during this portion of the Cabinet meeting include waste water treatment and water supply in the County, facility needs at Frederick Community College, and transportation and planning issues throughout the area.
Following the Cabinet Meeting, Governor O’Malley walked down Main Street where he visited with local merchants and small businesses, including the Trail House, owned by Clyde and Gerri Hicks; Dancing Bear Toys, a specialty toy store with educational toys and games owned by Tom and Marlene England; and Colonial Jewelers, a third generation retail jewelry store in business for over 50 years and owned by Patti and Jeff Hurwitz; among others.
The O’Malley-Brown Administration has made progress for Maryland’s small businesses, even in difficult economic times. Last year, Governor O’Malley launched a highly successful program to partner with State agencies, health insurers and small businesses so that more families working in our small business community can gain access to premium health insurance benefits. In addition, the O’Malley-Brown Administration is committed to Maryland’s women and minority-owned businesses, increasing State awards to MBE firms by more than $300 million since taking office.
“Capital for a Day,” a program launched by Governor O’Malley in 2007, brings the State Capital to every corner of Maryland through a series of monthly events across a diverse selection of Maryland cities, towns and communities. Previous “Capitals” have included Cecil County, Calvert County, Westminster, Hagerstown, Chestertown, Leonardtown, the Port Towns of Prince George’s County, Cumberland, Pocomoke City, Gaithersburg and Ellicott City.
