William Donald Schaefer

Comptroller Peter Franchot's (D-Takoma Park) attempt to move a Board of Public Works meeting, which is scheduled for the same day as the annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake has officially failed. But the attempt leaves open the possibility of holding future BPW meetings in locations other than Annapolis.

On June 26, Franchot sent a letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Baltimore) and state Treasurer Nancy Kopp (D-Bethesda), requesting that the BPW meeting be rescheduled, seeing as it interfered with the Tawes Crab and Clam Bake.

"Given the typical starting time and length of BPW meetings, and assuming a realistic travel time of at least 2.5 hours from Annapolis to Crisfield, it is likely that those of us who are participating in the July 16 meeting would miss most - if not all - of this year's gathering," Franchot wrote in a letter to O'Malley and Kopp.

Franchot suggested the consideration of an alternative location in order to allow attendees of the BPW meeting to arrive at the Tawes festival at a more suitable time. One suggestion was Salisbury University, which the comptroller argued would provide the necessary infrastructure to conduct the meeting. But his reasoning went further, suggesting a different location would give residents of the lower shore "a rare opportunity to observe this unique Maryland institution in action, and to gain a better appreciation of its extraordinary range of responsibilities."

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) issued a statement today in remembrance of former state Agriculture Secretary Wayne A. Cawley, Jr., who passed away Monday at the age of 84.

"The death of Wayne Cawley, Jr., represents a great loss to the agriculture community of our state," O'Malley said. "Dedicating more than ten years of loyal service to the people of Maryland, former Secretary Cawley demonstrated his love of farming not only through his career, but also with his craft as a grain farmer."

The Baltimore Sun reports that Charles L. Benton, Jr., once a top aide of former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, died of pneumonia yesterday at the age of 91.

Mr. Benton oversaw Baltimore's finances for 30 years - first as budget director and then as head of the city finance department - but his influence at City Hall, and later at the State House, extended far beyond balancing the books.

Mr. Schaefer, who was on a first-name basis with all of his chief deputies, regularly referred to his budget adviser as "Mr. Benton" - a mark of their mutual respect.

Compared to other states, the surviving former heads of the state Senate are relatively young.

With the 2006 death of the then 88 year-old James Clark, the oldest living Senate President is Melvin Steinberg, who left the post in 1987 to be William Donald Schaefer's lieutenant governor.

At 74, He's only six years older than a predecessor Steny Hoyer, and nine years older than his still-serving successor, Mike Miller, 65.

Comptroller Peter Franchot is throwing himself a birthday party for his '10 campaignSince the last State Comptroller was defeated in the Democratic primary, Peter Franchot isn't taking his 2010 re-election for granted. He's scheduled a fundraiser -- a $500-$1,000 per person event to celebrate his 60th birthday -- for Thursday night. After nine terms in the House of Delegates, Franchot ousted one of Maryland's most venerable votegetters, William Donald Schaefer, in the '06 primary.