The astute workers at the Easton GoodWill store thought that a recent donation was worth investigating. After some research and consultation with experts in the field, their hunch paid off in the amount of $40,600. According to the Baltimore Sun, that is how much an impressionist painting by an artist named Cortes sold for at Sotheby’s auction house. The painting was dropped off as a donation in March, and was recently sold at auction after Sotheby’s confirmed the authenticity of the painting.

The Daily Times is really proud of the articles that they print in their paper. So proud that after one week, the articles are no longer available for free review through the online version of the paper. The paper appears to think that articles that are more than a week old are worthy of being archived, and visitors who want to view these articles are asked to pay $2.95 per article to view them individually, without any pictures or graphics that were part of the original publication. Archive search subscriptions are available at more outrageous prices.

One year pass, 1000 articles ($1995.00)
One year pass, 500 articles ($995.00)
One month pass, 40 articles ($79.95)
One month pass, 25 articles ($49.95)
One month pass, 10 articles ($21.95)
24-hour pass, 10 articles ($9.95)
One week pass, 3 articles ($6.95)
Single article ($2.95)

Just to get an idea of how other newspapers were handling online access, I visited the Wall Street Journal site to review their offerings. The WSJ offers an online subscription for $79 per year which includes access to the past 90 days of articles. The WSJ offers a surprising deal for $99 per year which includes one year of print delivery and online access. This $99 is less than the cost of an annual subscription to the Daily Times.

The Baltimore Sun sends its articles to the archives after 2 weeks, and has archive subscriptions that are less expensive than the Daily Times.

One resource that is probably being underutilized by local residents is the Online Reference Resources and Databases available through the library to residents with a library card. The resources available include full text archives of the Baltimore Sun, and the Daily Times(oops, shouldn’t have told you that), as well as Proquest which includes several newspapers and periodicals. The moral of the story is to make sure that you are taking advantage of all of the resources that are available to you. If you don’t have a library card, get one and then visit the library web site to access services that you are already paying for with your tax dollars.

SU Press Release

NOAA/Smithsonian Mapping Exhibit Comes to SU
Tuesday, June 26, 2007

SALISBURY, MD—Global positioning systems? Not in 1807.

That was the year President Thomas Jefferson recognized the need to chart the coastal waters as vital to the independence and prosperity of the economy and to the security of the then-fledgling United States.

Jefferson compelled Congress to pass an act establishing the Survey of the Coast, a predecessor agency of today’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the nation’s first scientific agency.Read more…

Governor O’Malley fast tracks $2 million to continue broadband from Salisbury to bay bridge

Funds advanced from FY 09 budget will continue installation of fiber optic cable

SALISBURY, MD (June 25, 2007) – Governor Martin O’Malley, joined by State and local officials at his Cabinet meeting in Salisbury, today announced an advance of $2 million to continue installation of the Rural Broadband Initiative from Salisbury to the Bay Bridge, the second phase of the massive project to bring fiber optic lines to the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland. Earlier this month, NASA’s Wallops Island Space Facility was linked to Salisbury State University completing Phase 1 of the initiative. Read more…

After tearful testimony about his lost trousers, Judge Roy L. Pearson has lost his suit against a D.C. dry cleaner for misplacing his prized pants. Judge Pearson must have been jealous of the attention given to Judge Larry Seidlin of the Anna Nicole trial, so he embarrassed the judicial bench with his frivolous suit and gained national attention. Pearson will have to pay the costs incurred by the defendant as part of the court’s decision. Judge Roy will soon be bombarded with calls from Hollywood offering him auditions for a new show with possible titles of Clothes Court or Legal Laundry.