Thursday, December 21, 2006 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland
Established 2006 • Volume I • Issue 8 • FREE
Vaccine Limited in County Reserve Flu Season Peaks By Adam Ross Staff Writer
who just happened to be at Wal-Mart while this went on. Following their two plus hour spree in Wal-Mart, the 133 children and their 85 Police chaperones headed over towards the Fairgrounds for that breakfast prepared by the Optimists. While there, the police volunteers took
The St. Mary’s County Health Department ordered 15,000 doses of flu vaccine from three different distributors this year to combat potential shortfalls. Director of Community Health Services Nancy Luginbill said “It all started when we had one major manufacturer who had a large batch of their supply unapproved by the [Food and Drug Administration].” As a result, last year around December, Luginbill said she over ordered the vaccine from multiple places so that by October or November of 2006 it would “hopefully have arrived.” But as October rolled around, Luginbill and her department were caught in all-to-familiar dilemma with no vaccine, and a county
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Photos by Bryan Jaffe
Eighty-five off-duty police officers took 133 needy children from St. Mary’s County on a Christmas Shopping spree Saturday morning in Wal-Mart. Their arrival was marked by blaring sirens and flashing lights, as the police transported the children from Wildewood to Wal-Mart, giving them an experience they will never forget.
“Wonderful Work”
Santa Cops Bring Christmas By Bryan Jaffe Managing Editor The still air was pierced by blaring police sirens 8 a.m. Saturday morning, as 85 police responded to the same call at Wal-Mart in California. But this army of police was not heading to the scene of a crime or an accident, rather they had one goal in mind. To give underprivileged Children the same chance for Christmas as everyone else. This marked the fourth annual Christmastime “Shop with a Cop” event, put on every year through a cooperative effort involving many groups. The children and Police are the main attraction, but St. Mary’s County Public Schools, the Department of Social Services, Church Ministries and local Optimist Clubs are all part of making the event a success year in and out. And this does not begin to scratch the surface of all the people who contribute each year. “It started with an Optimist Club in the Baltimore area,” said Toni Long, secretary of the Shop with a Cop committee and member of the 3rd District Optimist Club. “[Baltimore] did it, and Maryland Optimists has a bulletin for the whole state. Joe Stanalonis, who works with the State’s Attorney and is a member of the Optimists, saw it and went to Bill [Raddatz] who was President of the Fraternal Order of Police at the time, and asked if they would work with the Optimist Clubs in St. Mary’s County to do a program like that.” Long said once started, the program served 38 children the first year,
and has “exploded since then.” While she has been part of the program since the beginning, last year was the first time she was at Wal-mart in person. Usually, Long is found at the breakfast station at the County Fairgrounds, where the children go to eat their fill following a tough morning of shopping. This year, 133 children were served by the program, with each receiving a budget of $200 to buy items for themselves and their families. Detective William E. Raddatz heads the police end of the effort up, and serves as Shop with a Cop Committee Co-Chair. He said one of the most beneficial aspects of the program is the bond it allows these children to form with police. “This is wonderful work done by wonderful volunteers,” Raddatz said. “It helps leave a lasting impression of law enforcement with kids who sometimes don’t see us in a positive way.” “I think [Shop with a Cop] addresses some issues we sometimes have. I think it speaks specifically to the young people, the children,” St. Mary’s County Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron (R) said. “In some cases, it gives them a Christmas they would not otherwise have. And not just them, but their families too.” Cameron said that $28,700 was spent on shopping this year, and all the money goes towards the kids, as there
is no overhead for the program. The 85 police volunteers were off duty, and gave their own time to make this program a success. “Obviously, they feel very strongly about their commitment to the community,” Cameron said. “Some of the most vulnerable in the community are our children, and this is a great opportunity to get families, police and kids together and make their lives better.” Raddatz echoed Cameron’s sentiments, and thanked all the police volunteers involved from the many local departments. In addition to the Sheriff’s office, the Maryland State Police from the Leonardtown Barracks, local Department of Natural Resources Police, Naval Criminal Investigative Services police and one U.S. Capitol Policeman chipped in to play Santa. Wal-Mart itself was pandemonium, but in a good way as children screeched with delight in every aisle. For many, this represented the first time they could look longingly at a toy or game, and actually walk out of the store with it. Many used their money for gifts for family, and some purchased necessary items for the household, such as food and cleaning supplies. The easiest thing to find was smiles, as they were spread across not just the children and the police, but also across the faces of many shoppers
Photo by Adam Ross
From left, Sen. Roy Dyson (D – St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles), SMCPS Chief Operating Officer Brad Clements and Delegate Tony O’Donnell (R – 29C) discuss the issues facing St. Mary’s Public Schools during a legislative breakfast held Dec. 14. Chief among topics was school safety in the wake of a reported stabbing in Great Mills High School the day just prior to this meeting.
School Stabbing Sparks Discussions By Adam Ross Staff Writer The Southern Maryland legislative delegation and the St. Mary’s Board of Education met Dec. 14 at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Cen-
Index Op.-Ed........Page A - 4 Obits...........Page A - 6 Sports.........Page B - 1 Police .........Page B - 5 Photo by Adam Ross
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The St. Mary Board of Appeals listen intently to the Department of Public Works and Transporation’s two-hour presentation for a new waste transfer station at St. Andrews landfill.
Board of Appeals puts Garbage on Table Plans for Transfer Station Delayed Indefinitely By Adam Ross Staff Writer The St. Mary’s Board of Appeals (BOA) tabled discussion until Feb. 8, 2007, on construction of a waste transfer station at the St. Andrews Landfill, putting the project on hold indefinitely. The transfer station was slated to be running in July, but strong opposition
from adjacent businesses prevailed during the Dec. 14 BOA meeting, making it unlikely the original timeline will be met. Behind a team of engineers, the Department of Public Works and Transportation gave an organized and calculated two-hour presentation on the site plans of the almost $5 million dollar project. The purpose of the presentation was to
acquire conditional use of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, and variance from the ordinance, to reduce the required setback from the nearest home, building, water supply or wellhead. Director of DPWT, George Erichsen, said the business’ request to move the site back farther into St. Andrews
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ter, and school safety dominated the discussion. The day before this meeting, Police responded to a call in which a 14-yearold student reportedly stabbed a classmate in Great Mills High School the day before, leaving the County in horror and questions lingering. Superintendent Dr. Michael J. Martirano bumped school safety to the top of the agenda. He then shared with the delegation his Dec. 13, which began with news of the death of an old friend and ended with the stabbing. Martirano said Lisa L. Brown, 22, a student he watched grow up through Scotchtown Elementary School and Laurel High School in Prince George’s County, and her 9-month-old daughter, had been shot and killed inside a rooming house in Laurel. This news came just hours before the reported stabbing at Great Mills. According to Police reports, a 16-year-old victim received injuries to the abdomen, back and wrist from a classmate who used a pairing knife as a weapon during art class. Martirano said the boy who was stabbed is “ok.” Meanwhile, a 14-yearold student has been detained on assault and weapons charges. The victim was treated at the school’s health room before his mother came and decided to take him to the hospital, according to Martirano, who added that he has worked in four different school systems, and not one was exempt from “the issues of this topic.” “Dr. [Martirano], with all due respect to you, a stabbing is a stabbing is a stabbing,” said Senator Roy Dyson (D- St. Mary’s, Calvert, Charles). “It doesn’t matter where it happens. I hope it’s at the top of your agenda.”
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