Yesterday, October 26, the ninth day of absentee voting, 315 Pamlico County voters cast votes. Yesterday afternoon, we consulted with the County and with the North Carolina State Board of Elections concerning Hurricane Sandy. We had planned to have early voting both Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28.
After consulting with North Carolina emergency officials, the Coast Guard and NOAA, the State Board of Elections advised us that Sunday voting was a "no go." The State Executive Director cancelled our planned Sunday vote and recommended we curtail Saturday voting at least one hour. The County Board met yesterday and decided to cut Saturday voting by one hour.
Today, the turn out was 169 voters, nearly double the vote of last Saturday. It is now 11:15 pm Saturday, October 11 and the wind is out of the north at about 15 miles per hour.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Seventy Years Ago: Battle Of The Santa Cruz Islands
"Halsey's arrival in Noumea sent American morale skyrocketing throughout the region, as did
his assurances to General Alexander A. Vandegrift, the Marine commander on Guadalcanal, that
the Navy would give the Marines all possible support within its means. Halsey kept his word...."
"On October 23, as the Marines and Americal soldiers repelled a second violent Japanese assault, the Big E and her task force rendezvoused with Hornet east of Espiritu Santo, forming Task Force 61, under Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Halsey, anticipating a Japanese move into the waters northeast of Guadalcanal, ordered Kinkaid to sweep north of the Santa Cruz islands - a small, malaria-infested chain 700 miles north of New Caledonia - to engage the Japanese fleet...."
"Dawn on October 25, then, found the Combined Fleet and Task Force 61 steaming aggressively towards each other, closing range at close to 30 miles every hour. Confrontation was inevitable...."
"Anticipating the Combined Fleet would make a move towards Guadalcanal, Halsey ordered Kinkaid's Task Force 61 - consisting of Enterprise's TF 16 and Hornet's TF 17 - on an aggressive sweep northwest of the Santa Cruz Islands, hoping to outflank the Japanese fleet as it steamed southwards from Truk."
Admiral Kinkaid's two carriers and 169 aircraft were up against Admiral Nagumo's four aircraft carriers and 212 aircraft. Each force found the other the morning of October 26, 1942. By 0900 they had launched strikes.
Details of the ensuing battle are posted on the web site of the Enterprise CV-6 Association at http://www.cv6.org/1942/santacruz/santacruz.htm. The story reads like a novel. The web site's story continues here and here and here.
By the time the battle ended, USS Enterprise was damaged and USS Hornet, the Doolittle raider, was sunk. As of October 26, the US Navy had no operating aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
Even so, a numerically inferior force had kept Japan from achieving their goals.
"The Consequences
"Though tactically Santa Cruz was a draw, strategically it was a narrow victory for the Americans. Nagumo's carriers and Kondo's battleships had been turned away from Guadalcanal, giving the Marines and soldiers there some much needed relief. Perhaps more importantly, the destruction of the best Japanese naval aircrews, begun in earnest at Midway, culminated at Santa Cruz. Though plane losses were high on both sides - 74 American and 92 Japanese - the loss of airmen pointed to a Japanese catastrophe. Nearly 70 Japanese aircrews - including a number of squadron leaders - never returned to their carriers at Santa Cruz, while all but 33 American airmen did.
"The first hint of the damage done to Japan's naval airpower was seen the day of the battle, in the feeble afternoon strikes at Hornet. A more telling sign came on November 11, when Enterprise - after quick patching by Sea Bees and the repair ship Vulcan - sortied from Noumea, a full air group on her flight deck, ready to fight.
"The only Japanese carriers in the area - Hiyo and Junyo, both slow converted ocean liners - were well north of Guadalcanal, carefully staying clear of the American planes there. Without planes and the crews to fly them, the enemy's fleet carriers were impotent. Although Enterprise and her task force faced significant threat from ground-based air forces and submarines, the simple fact was this: 15 days after Santa Cruz, an American carrier stood off the Solomons, battered but ready for action, and not a single enemy carrier came forth to challenge her."
"On October 23, as the Marines and Americal soldiers repelled a second violent Japanese assault, the Big E and her task force rendezvoused with Hornet east of Espiritu Santo, forming Task Force 61, under Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Halsey, anticipating a Japanese move into the waters northeast of Guadalcanal, ordered Kinkaid to sweep north of the Santa Cruz islands - a small, malaria-infested chain 700 miles north of New Caledonia - to engage the Japanese fleet...."
"Dawn on October 25, then, found the Combined Fleet and Task Force 61 steaming aggressively towards each other, closing range at close to 30 miles every hour. Confrontation was inevitable...."
"Anticipating the Combined Fleet would make a move towards Guadalcanal, Halsey ordered Kinkaid's Task Force 61 - consisting of Enterprise's TF 16 and Hornet's TF 17 - on an aggressive sweep northwest of the Santa Cruz Islands, hoping to outflank the Japanese fleet as it steamed southwards from Truk."
Admiral Kinkaid's two carriers and 169 aircraft were up against Admiral Nagumo's four aircraft carriers and 212 aircraft. Each force found the other the morning of October 26, 1942. By 0900 they had launched strikes.
Details of the ensuing battle are posted on the web site of the Enterprise CV-6 Association at http://www.cv6.org/1942/santacruz/santacruz.htm. The story reads like a novel. The web site's story continues here and here and here.
By the time the battle ended, USS Enterprise was damaged and USS Hornet, the Doolittle raider, was sunk. As of October 26, the US Navy had no operating aircraft carriers in the Pacific.
Even so, a numerically inferior force had kept Japan from achieving their goals.
"The Consequences
"Though tactically Santa Cruz was a draw, strategically it was a narrow victory for the Americans. Nagumo's carriers and Kondo's battleships had been turned away from Guadalcanal, giving the Marines and soldiers there some much needed relief. Perhaps more importantly, the destruction of the best Japanese naval aircrews, begun in earnest at Midway, culminated at Santa Cruz. Though plane losses were high on both sides - 74 American and 92 Japanese - the loss of airmen pointed to a Japanese catastrophe. Nearly 70 Japanese aircrews - including a number of squadron leaders - never returned to their carriers at Santa Cruz, while all but 33 American airmen did.
"The first hint of the damage done to Japan's naval airpower was seen the day of the battle, in the feeble afternoon strikes at Hornet. A more telling sign came on November 11, when Enterprise - after quick patching by Sea Bees and the repair ship Vulcan - sortied from Noumea, a full air group on her flight deck, ready to fight.
"The only Japanese carriers in the area - Hiyo and Junyo, both slow converted ocean liners - were well north of Guadalcanal, carefully staying clear of the American planes there. Without planes and the crews to fly them, the enemy's fleet carriers were impotent. Although Enterprise and her task force faced significant threat from ground-based air forces and submarines, the simple fact was this: 15 days after Santa Cruz, an American carrier stood off the Solomons, battered but ready for action, and not a single enemy carrier came forth to challenge her."
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Seventy Years Ago: Stalingrad
Professor Brad DeLong, who has been "liveblogging" World War II on his economics blog, has posted an essay on our debt to Stalingrad.
The Siege of Stalingrad halted the Wehrmacht advance and began their long retreat to defeat. This was the battle that saved Eurasia from German conquest.
We in the West have never publicly acknowledged the tremendous sacrifice of Soviet defenders. It was not only the soldiers whose heroism halted the Germans. It was the workers.Throughout the siege, factory workers kept producing T-34 tanks in factories partially occupied by Germans. Tanks rolled off the assembly line directly into battle.
The same was true at Leningrad.
It is time we took another look at Soviet history and the many accomplishments of the Soviet Union.
Let's remove our own ideological blinders and examine that period objectively.
The Siege of Stalingrad halted the Wehrmacht advance and began their long retreat to defeat. This was the battle that saved Eurasia from German conquest.
We in the West have never publicly acknowledged the tremendous sacrifice of Soviet defenders. It was not only the soldiers whose heroism halted the Germans. It was the workers.Throughout the siege, factory workers kept producing T-34 tanks in factories partially occupied by Germans. Tanks rolled off the assembly line directly into battle.
The same was true at Leningrad.
It is time we took another look at Soviet history and the many accomplishments of the Soviet Union.
Let's remove our own ideological blinders and examine that period objectively.
Early Voting: Day Eight
Pamlico County Voters cast 274 early votes today, the eighth day of early voting. Total to date: 2,181 votes.Twenty-three percent of Pamlico County's voters have cast votes so far. Nine more days of early voting and one day of regular elections remaining.
We are not quite at the halfway mark.
We are not quite at the halfway mark.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Early Voting: Day Seven
Pamlico County turned out 307 early voters today. So far, 1,907 voters out of 9,455 registered have cast ballots. Twenty-three percent of those registered have already voted. Eleven more days remain, including election day.
Training For Election Officials
Members of the County Board of Elections and the Director of Elections frequently receive questions about election law and administration. Usually the questions come from citizens active in their own political party, who have a greater than average interest in the details. Sometimes the questions come from citizens who are certain they already know the right answer.
Election law is complex. From time to time, changes are made by statute or by regulation. Sometimes changes are made in the details of computer programs that assist in administering the elections process. Sometimes changes result from court cases.
To help county elections officials keep up with changes, the State Board of Elections conducts training, usually two or three times a year. In addition, the State Board publishes training presentations on its Election Resources web site.
Anyone having an interest in following these details can access the training materials at: The Election Resource Center home page: http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/erc/ERCHomePage.html
Click on : 2012 Annual Training For County Officials - August 14 and 15. This will take you to a list of all the lectures given during that training and printable versions of the training: http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/erc/Documents/Conferences/ At the bottom of that page is a link to archives of prior training material: http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/erc/Documents/Conferences/~Archives/ That page allows you to access material going back to 2005.
Explore and enjoy.
Election law is complex. From time to time, changes are made by statute or by regulation. Sometimes changes are made in the details of computer programs that assist in administering the elections process. Sometimes changes result from court cases.
To help county elections officials keep up with changes, the State Board of Elections conducts training, usually two or three times a year. In addition, the State Board publishes training presentations on its Election Resources web site.
Anyone having an interest in following these details can access the training materials at: The Election Resource Center home page: http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/erc/ERCHomePage.html
Click on : 2012 Annual Training For County Officials - August 14 and 15. This will take you to a list of all the lectures given during that training and printable versions of the training: http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/erc/Documents/Conferences/ At the bottom of that page is a link to archives of prior training material: http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/erc/Documents/Conferences/~Archives/ That page allows you to access material going back to 2005.
Explore and enjoy.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Early Voting: Day Six
In Pamlico County, 335 voters cast early ballots today in the heaviest turnout to date. The county board of elections also reviewed and accepted 26 mail-in absentee votes. Total votes cast so far: 1600. Eleven more days of early voting and election day still remain for voters to cast their ballots.
Seventy Years Ago: El Alamein, Stalingrad, Guadalcanal, Norfolk
October 23, 1942: North Africa. General Montgomery's 8th Army attacks Germans at El-Alamein. The attack begins with a 1000-gun barrage. After 20 minutes, 30 Corps
sends four of its infantry divisions forward into the German minefields
on a six mile front. The 8th Australian and 51st Highland Divisions
attack toward "Kidney Ridge" while slightly to the south, the New
Zealand Division supported by 1st South African Division strike toward
the Miteirya Ridge.
Stalingrad: German attacks in the factory district. Heavy fighting. Soviet forces pushed out of 2/3 of the Red October Factory, which is still building T-34 tanks.
Guadalcanal: Japanese forces attempt to cross the Matanikau River. Thrown back with heavy losses.
Convoy US Army forces under command of General George S. Patton, underway from Hampton Roads, Virginia. Destination: North African coast in Morocco.
Stalingrad: German attacks in the factory district. Heavy fighting. Soviet forces pushed out of 2/3 of the Red October Factory, which is still building T-34 tanks.
Guadalcanal: Japanese forces attempt to cross the Matanikau River. Thrown back with heavy losses.
Convoy US Army forces under command of General George S. Patton, underway from Hampton Roads, Virginia. Destination: North African coast in Morocco.
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