PRSTD STD US Postage Paid Permit No. 145 Waldorf, MD
Thursday, July 5, 2007 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland
Established 2006 • Volume 2 • Issue 27 • FREE
Gangs of St. Mary’s? Investigators: Golden Beach Arson may be Gang Related By Guy Leonard Staff Writer According to investigators looking into the Golden Beach arson that destroyed a cottage there June 18, the incident is probably gang related. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one source close to the case told The County Times that at least one of the two 17-year-old juveniles who were arrested last week and charged with the crime were part of a local group of juveniles called The 38 Squad that had caused trouble there in the past. Both boys, one from Golden Beach and the other from Waldorf, have been charged with first degree arson. They are being held in detention pending further action by the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Department of Juvenile Services. The confidential source said that one of the youths arrested for the arson apparently bragged about the crime. Jeff Frye, deputy State Fire Marshal for Southern Maryland, said that the county’s newly formed St. Mary’s County Gang Task Force was a key player in helping to track down the two alleged arsonists just one week after the blaze occurred. “They were instrumental in this,” Frye said. “They had a lot of information; during the investigation we ended up with the same names.” The two juveniles were prime suspects among the investigators, Frye said. “They were people of interest from the beginning,” he added. According to information from the fire marshal’s office, when investigators interviewed the two suspects they found that the fire was deliberately set in the car port of the cottage after the two suspects allegedly tried to steal a golf cart stored there. The report indicated that an ignitable liquid was
Jump Start The Party Photo by Guy Leonard
Motorcycle Rider Killed In Crash By Guy Leonard Staff Writer
Photo by Guy Leonard
Fireworks light up the sky June 30 as revelers at the 50th anniversary celebration for Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department start festivities for Independence Day a little early.
See Gangs page A-
Index State Tourney B-1
County Jail Improvements Locked Up By State As Budget Crisis Looms, Money not Available for Local Jail Project By Adam Ross Staff Writer
Best Sellers List B-4
Op.-Ed ..........Page A - 4 Obits .............Page A - 8 Police ............Page B - 7 Classifieds.....Page B - 9
For Continual News Updates Visit: somd.com Local Weather Friday T-Storms 86° Saturday Sunny 86° Sunday Sunny 92°
St. Mary’s County Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron will submit his jail capital improvement request to the state, in hopes that funds will be available to upgrade the facility which is outdated and too small to meet the needs of our rapidly growing county. The detention center is currently operating with 129 inmates more than what it is designed to fit. Temporary beds are spilling into the jail’s recreation areas and at times three inmates are assigned to just one cell. “We are at critical mass here,” Cameron told the St. Mary’s Board of County See Jail Project page A-
Glen Forrest Military Houses Now Served by County Emergency Services By Adam Ross Staff Writer Naval Air Station Patuxent River cut its fire, rescue, and police services to Lincoln Properties/ Glen Forest in Lexington Park June 11, leaving St. Mary’s services to pick up the slack. The St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners approved this new responsibility, but at a yearly price of approximately $100,000, according to County Attorney Christy Chesser. Because the property is owned by the military, and is therefore considered federal land, the county is not allowed to tax the residents to offset the costs, instead but can impose the fee. See Military Houses page A-
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a motorcycle crash on Thompson Corner Road in Budds Creek that left a Lusby man dead July 1. Sgt. Ted Belleavoine, of the Special Operations Division, said that speeding was a contributing factor in the accident that killed Sylvester Allen Gray, 37, as he and some fellow motorcycle riders were traveling from Calvert County to Maryland International Raceway. Sunday was a race day at the track. “Absolutely it was a high rate of speed,” Belleavoine said was the prime cause of the accident as Gray and his companions traveled south on Thompson Corner Road. “We don’t believe alcohol was a factor.” According to sheriff’s reports Gray was killed when he failed to make a left hand turn on a curve in the road, lost control of his vehicle, a 2001 Suzuki sport bike. Gray exited the south bound lane, flew off his bike and struck a utility pole, according to police reports, and died on the scene. There were no witnesses to the actual crash, Belleavoine said, and deputies investigating the incident were still looking for any leads for more information on the crash. One resident who lives off of Thompson Corner Road, said that the accident occurred in the vicinity of Ryceville Road and that police had the area blocked off for about two hours while they investigated the crash scene. G r a y ’s family, in mourning over his death, say that he was engaged and that his fiancé was expecting a child. He leaves Photo Courtesy of Marlene Cooke her behind Sylvester Allen Gray, 37, of Lusby was killed Sunday in a fatal motorwhile she is cycle accident in Budds Creek. five months pregnant, said his cousin Marlene Cook of Chesapeake Beach. “It’s horrible,” she said of Gray’s death. Gray’s becoming a father was always on his mind, Cooke said. “He was always talking about her, always what his plans were going to be with her in the future,” Cooke told The County Times two days after the fatal crash. “It was all about his [unborn] daughter, his first child.” Cooke said that Gray, an electrician for the past nine or 10 years with the Truland Corporation, loved bikes and watching the races. “He loved to watch the races but he wasn’t the kind to go out and race,” Cooke said. “He would never do that kind of thing.” Cooke said her 19-year-old son and a friend were riding with Gray that Sunday and they dispute that Gray was going too fast. “When they were riding he was behind them,” Cooke said of Gray. “When they got to a stop sign they looked back to see that everyone was together and Sylvester wasn’t there.” When they went back to check on Gray, they found that he had crashed. See Fatality page A-
The County Times
Section A -
Task Force Close To Implementing New TDR Program By Adam Ross Staff Writer It’s not yet certain what impact the new Transferable Development Rights (TDR) program will have on St. Mary’s when it begins later this month, a hindrance to Rural Preservation District Task Force members charged with drafting feasible and economical land preservation efforts. But what remains clear is the group will likely recommend an Installment Purchase Agreement (IPA) to the Board of County Commissioners, a step to aid the new TDR program in preservation of agriculture and farmland. Robin Hahnel, the task force’s chairman said the IPA agreement is in the works, and should be ready for sharpening and approval by the group’s July 23rd meeting. In concept, the IPA package is similar to a TDR, rewarding landowners monetarily for not developing their tillable land. Under the Frederick
County Model approved in 2002, payments are made to landowners for a 10 to 20 year time period, and the easement value is then made in a lump sum at the end of the installment period. However, to qualify a property must be at least 50-acres in size unless it adjoins another farm under easement, have at least 50 percent USDA Class I, II, or III soil capability and contain subdivision potential. Those present at Monday’s RPD Task Force meeting agreed they would likely go forward with the IPA recommendation, but chose not to make a final vote due to the absence of members Phil Dorsey and John K. Parlett. The group also mulled over a land preservation overlay zone for the RPD. Hahnel figured since the program would be voluntary and without negative affect to TDR supply, it would be advantageous for such a program to go under a “trial period.” Under the overlay zone concept, landowners in the
rural legacy areas who haven’t sold easements could gain a TDR for every acre of land, if they accepted a down zoning of one house per 25 acres. The program would be in addition to the commissioner’s recently approved TDR program, which will soon bestow one TDR to every five acres of land in the RPD, regardless of land quality. “Essentially your down zoning for extra TDRs,” Hahnel said. Member Merl Evans said he was concerned that the program would send a jolt of TDRs into the system that would negatively impact price - approximately 10,000 TDRs, a 15 percent market increase. “Ten thousand is a large number for me,” he added. Hahnel said he would be “very surprised” if the infusion of TDRs resulted in a major price reduction. “The market doesn’t care if you’re happy or not,” Hahnel added. “The market is going to give you what it gives you.” For now, the rural legacy area program will likely be shelved to make way for the Adequate Public Facilities Task Force recommendations and TDR program. Both are expected to give a better understanding of the county’s direction on growth and TDR market in the next 12 months. TDRs allow property owners to sell their land’s development rights to developers who wish to use them in other areas, namely the development district, where land use is often more difficult to come by.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Hollywood Man Gets Five Years For Child Porn By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Scott R. Davis, 40, of Hollywood, will spend the next five years and three months in a federal penitentiary for transmitting child pornography on the Internet. Davis received his sentence last week in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt from Judge Peter J. Messittee. Davis avoided trial by arriving at a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and received a standard sentence for his crime, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod Rosenstein. The maximum penalty for the kind of crime Davis engaged in is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Rosenstein said that federal investigators were able to use another purveyor of child pornography to catch Davis in his illegal transmissions. “We caught him in a sting operation,” Rosenstein said. “This is not unique to the tricounty area, but it’s a growing problem everywhere.” The government had no information implicating Davis in any actual production of images of child pornography.
Rosenstein said these types of sting operations that caught Davis back in 2006 helped send a message that authorities were on the lookout for anyone trafficking in material that sexually exploited young children. “We really are facing an epidemic of child pornography,” Rosenstein said. “We’re trying to send the message that it’s not acceptable. “Unfortunately it’s wherever there’s a computer that people are able to transmit child pornography.” According to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office agents with the FBI were able to track on-line images of child pornography that Davis traded from Maryland to others around the country all the way back to August of 2005. Agents determined that on five occasions from September 4 through October 20, 2005, Davis sent messages containing pornographic images of children to several individuals across the country, including an FBI undercover agent in New York who had been in contact with Davis on an Internet chat room. The first e-mail contained four images and was sent to 30 America On-Line (AOL)
members, and on the following day, Sept. 5, Davis sent three different e-mails containing pornographic images to 29 different AOL accounts. The images showed a man engaged in sexually explicit acts with prepubescent children. On Jan. 31 of last year FBI agents searched Davis’ residence in Hollywood and, after they accessed his computer’s e-mail account, he admitted to agents in voluntary interviews that he transmitted pornographic images of children from Maryland to other states including Illinois and New York. Davis’ plea agreement indicates that he had at least 150 such images on his computer’s hard drive. Messittee ordered that upon release from prison Davis must register as a sex offender and enroll in three years of supervision.
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The County Times
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Section A -
Anti-blight Project Still Waiting On Approval By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Plans to raze a dilapidated gas station at the intersection of Chancellors Run Road and Great Mills Road are one step closer to being approved by the county, a land use official said, but the wait for the much anticipated community redevelopment project is a slow one. For years the gas station, which started out as a Dash-In convenience store and evolved into a lower-end business selling food and gas has been vacant. The gas tanks have been ripped out of the ground and the building is boarded up. Grass and weeds have sprung up there and the marquis and pavilion over where the gas pumps used to be are aging and falling appart in some places. The marquis still bears the price of $1.63 for a gallon of regular gas, denoting its age. Another vacant and equally neglected gas station stands across Chancellors Road from it but so far there have been no firm plans to improve that piece of land, planners say. Bob Bowles, the planner handling the project for the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, said that the last time the project was reviewed was the end of March, where the planning commission approved the conceptual site plan. This left the developer, Tom DeVenney of Land Development Co. LLC, able to start developing his major site plan for 440 residential units and about 124,000 square feet of commercial space on almost 20 acres. But the process still has to get final approval, Bowles said. “It’s kind of a slow process,” Bowles said. “But we’re glad to see anything come in there and take care of it and make it better.” The gas stations, county officials say, are prime examples of the decline of businesses on the Great Mills Road corridor, which they view has a critical area of the county in need of redevelopment and revitalization. “It’s a very important project to the community,” said Robin Fenicom, head of the county’s Community Development Corporation. “It’s such a blight to the area, [the redevelopment project] is going to be a great boost to the revitalization effort of the whole community.” The blighted gas station lies in the Lexington Park Development District, which is under the administration of the Community Development Corporation. The corporation also provides tax credits for business startups as well as matching grants for businesses to improve the landscapes in Lexington Park. County Adminstrator John Savich, said that the mix of residential and commercial use planned for the long neglected intersection was just the kind of development that the county government wanted and would continue to encourage in redeveloping the Great Mills Road corridor. “The entire corridor is important,” Savich said. “Your looking at private property owners who are going to make their own decisions but the government has tried to help developers.
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“These are two critical properties at the intersection of that road.” Great Mills Road was once the commerce center of the county, with businesses and shopping centers doing much more robust business than the last decade or so. Big box stores have been replaced in some shopping centers and replaced with businesses with lesser known names. In that time, developers have made their mark on Route 235, with new construction a common sight and big box stores, vibrant retail shops and restaurants flourishing. Projects like the one planned for Great Mills and Chancellors Run Road could be the start of turning around the plight of one of the county’s long struggling areas. “The commercial activity in Great Mills has just not kept pace with what has been going on in the rest of the Photo by Guy Leonard The plans for redevelopment of what was once the Dash-In convenience store and gas station at the intersection of Great Mills and Chancellors Run roads county,” Savitch said. into a mixed use residential and commercial site are moving ahead, county planners say.
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The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Editorial & Opinion Who Is Policing The Sign Police? County government has extensive regulations dealing with signs throughout our community. Nearly every sign is regulated and anyone wishing to post a sign should be familiar with these regulations. You can learn more about the St. Mary’s County sign regulations by calling the Department of Land Use and Growth Management at 301-475-4200. Or you could visit the county web site at www.co.saint-marys.md.us. Click on “Services” then click on “Land Use and Growth Management”. Under the Ordinances section click on “Zoning”. County government is also charged with the enforcement of it’s own regulations. Temporary signs are just that, temporary. Usually the length
of time they may be posted is spelled out in the zoning ordinance. And when not spelled out, well good ole’ common sense should prevail. County government has enforcement officers traveling the county every day to assure signs that shouldn’t be littering our landscape are removed or fines are imposed. But what about signs which county government themselves require to be posted? We have all seen the many “Notice of Public Hearing” signs displayed along county roads, important signs providing public notice. The problem is that all too often these signs remain posted for weeks, months, even years after the date of the public hearing. Since county government is con-
ducting the public hearing, setting the date and time, and requiring the sign to be posted, it would seem reasonable to assume county government would also know where and when these signs have served their purpose and should be removed. It may seem like a small thing, except for those property owners who live next to signs that have been posted for way too long, but county government would never allow businesses or non-profit organizations to display temporary signs for periods long beyond the usefulness of the sign. As in most things in life, we lead best when we lead by example.
Temporary sign still on display 17 months after hearing date on county road.
The Great Set-up Begins: Look for Governor O’Malley to call for a special session of the state legislature later this year. The reason he would want legislators to return to Annapolis this fall for a couple of days when the regular 90 day session would only be a month or two away? Answer: a Maryland State “crisis”. A “crisis” will be a call to action. A “crisis” will garner the attention of almost everyone. A “crisis” will pull
our state together. A “crisis” will mean everyone would be asked to sacrifice for the good of all. A “crisis” will leave us believing the solution is necessary even if we don’t like it. The “we had no other choice” solution. The “crisis”? The “Maryland State fiscal crisis”. That’s right, next budget year, the one the legislature would adopt next spring, is projected to have $1.5 billion more in spending than tax revenues
will support. The governor and the legislature knew this was going to happen when they adopted the budget this year and did nothing to prepare. Former Governor Ehrlich knew this was going to happen and put $1.6 billion dollars away in the state’s rainy day fund to avoid a “crisis”. When O’Malley took office, with the legislature’s blessing, he spent the surplus on campaign promises, result: crises
back on. Now the O’Malley administration is busy building it’s case for the upcoming “crisis” as well as the only solution, tax increases. A solution you won’t like, but one you will accept as a result of the next three month sideshow designed to convince voters that one, there is a crisis the current administration inherited, and two, Marylanders will need to sacrifice. Last week, a phantom
“doomsday budget” was released showing how large cuts would be needed in high-visibility programs like college aid, healthcare, environmental issues and the like. Most effected by the “doomsday budget” would be $650 million cut from local governments. A pretty savvy move for a first year governor. Begin your “crisis” campaign by scaring local government officials in every corner of the state. Quickly, local leaders will be telling folks in their communities that this crisis can only be solved by the state finding other revenue sources (tax increases). O’Malley is
counting on the fact that you will be more accepting of his “crisis solution” if local government officials all over the state are supporting his cause. Soon, many other special interest groups that would be negatively affected by the “doomsday budget” will activate the troops to support the governor’s crisis solution against the threat of money they receive from the state being cut. It will be an interesting summer leading up to what we believe will be a “Special Session” this fall.
America’s Birthday A Time To Remember
Letter From a Navy Pilot – Battle of Midway June 4-7, 1942 Anonymous The Fates have been kind to me. When you hear people saying harsh things about American youth, you will know how wrong they all are. So many times that now they have become commonplace, I’ve seen incidents that make me know that we were never soft, never weak. Many of my friends are now dead. To a man, each died with a nonchalance that each would have denied was courage, but simply called a lack of fear and forgot the triumph. If anything great or good has been born of this war, it should be valued in the youth of our country, who were never trained for war, who almost never believed in war, but who have, from some hidden source, brought forth a gallantry which is homespun, it is so real. Out here between the spaceless sea and sky, American youth has found itself, and given of itself, so that a spark may catch, burst into flame, and burn high. If our country takes these sacrifices with indifference it will be the cruelest ingratitude the world has ever known. You will, I know, do all in your power to help others keep the faith. My luck can’t last much longer. But the flame goes on and only that is important.
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James Manning McKay - Publisher Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Adam Ross - Government Correspondent...............adamross@countytimes.net Andrew Knowlton - Sports Correspondent....... andrewknowlton@countytimes.net
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The County Times
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Ramblings of a Country Girl Photo by Adam Ross
Just Drive Terri Bartz Bowles Let me start off by saying that I sometimes drive too fast and I have made an unsafe lane change or two in my time. In fact, one of those resulted in a warning from a nice state trooper. I also get irritated from time to time
Gangs Continued from page A- poured onto the golf cart and then set on fire. Investigators are continuing to search for clues implicating the youths in other crimes in the Golden Beach area. Aside from the arson, investigators found a car submerged at a local pier, several mail boxes smashed down and neighborhood cars broken into and stripped of property. Those incidents occurred around the same time as the arson, sheriff’s deputies have said. The two suspects were ar-
with other drivers doing stupid things. Don’t we all? Get irritated, I mean, not do stupid things. Well, yea, we all do stupid things sometimes, too. We’ve all cut someone off and realized too late what we’d done. Hopefully we feel sheepish when that happens. I’ve given a little wave
hoping the other drive would forgive my stupidity. And I try not to fly off the handle every time somebody does something like that to me. However, when I’m not doing anything wrong or stupid or illegal and some moron acts like I am, I get a little irritated.
The other morning, I’m sitting in the crossover waiting for a break in traffic so I can pull onto Route 235. This chick comes tripping into the opposing turn lane and then proceeds to sit there and stare at me. I have a small car, she had a small car; it’s a big crossover. I
rested June 27 at their homes without incident, the fire marshal’s report said. Charles Shirley, the owner of the home was pleased to see arrests in the case so quickly. “I feel good, I feel they did a good job,” Shirely said of the sheriff’s and fire marshal’s efforts. “Maybe we’re a little safer down here.” But he was surprised to hear that the arson may be related to a local gang. He said he had never heard of the 38 Squad. “But that doesn’t mean they’re not down here,” Shirley said. “I’ll just have to keep my eyes peeled. “I don’t think they realized what they put me and
my brother [James Shirley] through. We’ve lost a lot of personal things that no amount of money can replace.” Shirley’s father, who lived in the small cottage briefly, died in May. But many of his personal effects from his World War II service were destroyed in the blaze. Damage estimates in the fire are about $300,000. Sheriff Timothy Cameron initiated the Gang Task Force last month in an effort to track down whether there was illegal activity in St. Mary’s County that met the legal definition of gang crime. That unit has been busy gathering intelligence and working leads and will make
a report in September of 2007 after their summer mandate is completed. The task force was formed following the April 24 shooting on Suburban Drive in Great Mills between two rival groups called the Boon Squad and the Outsiders over an apparent domestic dispute. Cameron has said both groups were local in nature, family-oriented and dealt primarily in the illegal narcotics trade. The county’s gang task force has also assisted with the arrests of suspected MS13 gang members in Charles County at Rock Point Beach.
Teen Could Face 50 Years In Prison For Attempted Murder, Gun Charges By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Jonte J. Marshall, 17, of Great Mills, faces the prospect of spending nearly his entire adult life in prison after a jury unanimously found him guilty of second degree attempted murder last week for shooting a man five times at the WaWa convenience store on Great Mills Road. Marshall, who did not testify at his own two-day trial, was also convicted of several other counts, including first degree assault, second degree assault and using a handgun in the commission of a felony when he shot Brian Keith Stapleton Sept. 10 of last year. During the trial, State’s Attorney Richard Fritz, who handled the prosecution, argued that Marshall deserved the much stiffer penalties that went with a first degree attempted murder charge because of the murderous intent that Marshall showed in the shooting. “This young man jumped out of a car, walked up to Mr. Stapleton and shot him five times,” Fritz argued to the jury. “He [Stapleton] went down and he [Marshall] continued to shoot him. “That clearly shows intent.” The jury did not convict Marshall of first degree attempted murder, however. The defense, handled by John Getz, head attorney with the public defender’s office, stated that Marshall became embroiled in a mass distur-
bance that night involving a large group of people, that may have been members of rival gangs, who went there from the Happyland Bar in Valley Lee. Getz painted a picture of bedlam as members of rival groups fought and threw bottle at each other in the parking lot. His client, who he argued from earlier testimony was “out of it,” was not coherent, and was acting in fear of his life because of the violence around them. “There’s no question he [Marshall] was under the influence,” Getz said. “There were fights all over the place. There were two antagonistic groups there. The state’s not showing you everything.” Getz said that the investigation of the grounds at WaWa after the shooting turned up two knives, a projectile in the sidewalk and a rusted shotgun in the grassy area. Getz also used his own client’s statements after his arrest claiming that some in the crowd had had poles and even firearms. “Everyone had weapons that night,” Getz argued. “Not everyone was there to have a nice little time. “You’d have reason to fear for your safety.” Getz also argued that Marshall was taking the blame for the shooting for one of the people who came with him that night, Joshua Brooks,24, who Getz said had admitted to killing a man presumably referring to shooting
Stapleton. According to testimony on the last day of court, Brooks was the one who turned in the gun used in the shooting to investigators, a .38-caliber revolver. Court testimony showed there were no fingerprints on the recovered weapon and no motive has been offered as to why Marshall shot Stapleton. Marshall had, however, admitted to the shooting in his statement, taken by detectives. Fritz argued that Marshall’s deliberate entry into the fray that night, despite the danger, negated Marshall’s claims of self-defense. “If we’d seen a bunch of people carrying guns and
poles that night we’d keep on driving,” Fritz said. “But he walks into the guns and poles and still claims self-defense. “From the beginning to the end this young man was the aggressor.” Marshall is being held pending the findings of a presentencing investigation. Marshall’s shooting conviction is the second in as many weeks. Dempsey Wayne Herring, 26, of Oakville was convicted of several counts of assault stemming from an August 2006 incident in which he fired a shotgun into a crowd following a brawl a local convenience store. Three people were wounded in that incident.
Section A - can’t pull out because of the traffic and she’s sitting there getting more bug-eyed by the second. Then she says something (not nice, I suspect) and floors her little car and proceeds onto 235. I hope she wasn’t so mad she couldn’t see straight – I hope she was sure there was no traffic approaching. What the heck was all that? There just wasn’t any reason for her to get so worked up over something that didn’t hinder anybody. I wasn’t in her way; she had plenty of room and visibility if she’d just pulled into the crossover instead of sitting there in her turn lane starting at me. Get a grip, lady. Was it worth the rise in your blood pressure? Crossovers are a great place for people to get irritated! It’s interesting to see how many cars will try to pile into a crossover. Just because you can clear the first two lanes of divided highway doesn’t mean you HAVE to cross over at that particular time. If the crossover is full, maybe it would be better to wait for it to clear. Actually, I’m pretty sure the law says that, but don’t quote me. The crossover gets all jammed up because not everybody can see if it’s safe to pull out and then tempers flare. And I’m not pulling out unless I’m sure I can make it. My life is worth more than your be-
ing five minutes late to work. You can all go ahead and pull out, I’ll wait. I’m kind of enjoying my life and think I’ll try to stick around for a few more years, thank you very much. Maybe that’s a nice little thought to carry with you when you get in your vehicle tomorrow morning. Do I want to drive like an idiot and maybe kill myself or somebody else or do I want to see another weekend? There was a sign posted not long ago that said something like “somebody hopes you’ll make it home tonight, don’t you”? There’s more and more road range and angry driving and all that stuff. The news is full of it. Come on , there’s a lot of stuff more important than you beating the guy next to you into the merge lane. How juvenile. Stop driving like you’re in middle school. That’s why they don’t let middle-schoolers drive; they can’t handle it. But the roads are full of people who drive like bratty, spoiled, 12-year olds. These are probably the same people with children in the backseat who are watching how mommy and daddy drive so they can emulate them. Great. Future generations of stupid drivers – isn’t it nice to have something to look forward to?
Military Houses Continued from page A- “This was an anomaly,” County Administrator John Savich said, “because it was on federally owned property.” Those funds will become general revenue, treated exactly the same as tax dollars, Savich said. The formula is based on how the county computes its taxes, Chesser said. Both Savich and David Zylak, emergency services director, assured the commissioners that protocols had been worked out to serve the new community with the same quality as the rest of the county. Zylak said he has had large meetings with rescue squad chiefs and Capt. Glen Ives, the base’s commanding officer. The last step is making sure the county’s dispatchers are online with the protocol changes, which according to Zylak would be completed right away. Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D-Great Mills) questioned the new service area’s impact on adequate public facilities (APF). Denis D. Cana-
van, director of land use and growth management, assured him it wouldn’t be an issue. “I’m going to vote for this because I have faith in staff,” Raley said. “I have some questions, but I believe in Mr. Zylak and Savich together with Mr. [Keith] Fairfax and Mrs. Chesser.” “This is a unique situation,” Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe said. “Our tax payers should be compensated for the extra cost. This won’t happen often, but when it does you have to pay for it.” Savich called the switch a financial issue first and a scheduling issue second. But Zylak said the transfer would be smooth for the people in the community on and off Pax River. The five commissioners unanimously approved the measure.
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Section A -
Fatality Continued from page A- “They could see the skid marks where he tried to take the curb,” Cooke said. “He wasn’t familiar with that road and they all understood that. “I’m not sure if his mind was somewhere else when he tried to take that curb.” Royce Miller, owner of Maryland International Raceway, said that county sheriff’s deputies make it a point to patrol the roads around his drag
strip to catch potential violators in speed traps. He said that he also makes sure to warn his spectators and racers to watch their speed as they come to his track. “We’re proactive,” Miller said, adding that his track and those like it provided an outlet for racers who might otherwise take to the open roads illegally. “We try to give them a safe, controlled and affordable way to race instead of out on the street,” Miller said. So far there have been five deaths this year on St.
Mary’s County roads in vehicle accidents. The first two were David Joseph Kimball, 25, of Chaptico and William Clayton Flannery, 27, of California in a wreck on Chancellors Run Road February 10. Ethan Chewning, 16, of Chaptico died in a car accident April 4, when the driver of the vehicle, according to police reports, was driving too fast and crashed while failing to make a turn. Kenneth “Kenny” Bacon, 24, of Leonardtown was killed just three days after
Thursday, July 5, 2007
How’s It Made: Fireworks
Chewning when he lost control and ran into an embankment while driving his truck near Leonardtown. Cooke said that Gray’s family was still making funeral arrangements but that he would be buried at Solid Rock Firework displays have Church in St. Leonard. become a common component of celebrations worldwide. They mark grand openings of businesses, signify American independence on July 4th, light up boardwalks during the summer tourist season, and even commemorate birthdays and other special events. While sitting awestruck
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watching a fantastic firework display, have you ever wondered the science behind those brilliant flashes of color and deafening “booms” in the night sky? If so, here’s a brief description of the chemistry behind firework displays. Brilliant Stars Creating fireworks that display certain colors and patterns is intricate work requiring art expertise and knowledge of physical science. The three main components of firework “stars” (the points of light given off) are an oxygen producer, fuel binder (to keep the parts where they should be), and a color producer. In regard to color production, incandescence and luminescence are the key phrases to know behind the brilliant displays. Incandescence is light formed by heat. Heat will cause a substance to get hot and eventually glow, giving off a specific color depending upon the substance. Substances initially burn at red, turn to orange, yellow, and eventually white light at extreme temperatures. Firework temperatures are carefully controlled to emit the right shade. Luminescence is light that is formed from methods other than heat. According to About.com, to produce luminescence, energy is absorbed by an electron of an atom or molecule, causing it to become excited, but unstable. When the electron returns to a lower energy state the energy is released in the form of a photon (light). The energy of the photon determines its wavelength, or color. Additionally, other substances - salts - need to be mixed in to form desired colors. They may need to be balanced out with other components to make sure the firework will remain stable until it is lit. To create colors, some components used in fireworks include copper, which produces a blue flame; strontium to make a red one; and burning charcoal to create golden sparks. The chemicals are mixed together and usually form into balls of different sizes that will form the stars when the firework is ignited. Packaging It Up Pyrotechnicians use different sizes and groups of stars and put them into a shell, the tube that holds the chemical balls, to make thousands of different effects. The stars may be mixed according to size and color and are usually packed in between rings of black powder explosive and charges. A fuse will be included to start the detonation. The entire shell is wrapped in brown paper and sealed. At the scene of the firework display, the shells are placed in hollow tubes that are dug into sand or attached to another type of housing. Thousands of shells will be used depending upon the intricacy of the firework display. The Finished Product Today, most of the larger firework displays are controlled by a computer board that is programmed so the ignition of fuses is timed to musical clues from song accompaniment. This way fireworks will launch and explode at the right moments to create the ultimate drama. Safety It is important to note that professional firework displays are handled by pyrotechnicians who are skilled and knowledgeable of the science behind fireworks. Amateurs should never attempt to build homemade fireworks, which can be unstable and dangerous.
The County Times
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Jail Project
Odd News
Continued from page A- Commissioners during their June 26 meeting. “It’s difficult for staff to do their jobs and deal with the population as the temperatures rise.” But before the county can execute its three-phase expansion plan, which would add another wing to the facility and improvements to infrastructure, state funding needs to be shored up. The plan in its entirety would cost nearly $32 million according to the county’s five year Capital Improvement Plan approved last month. Half of that funding would need to come from the state, a measure shot down in fiscal year 2008. With only $12 million in
state funding available for a hand full of requested jail improvement projects this year, and another budgetary pinch looming for 2009, the project will likely face additional delays from the state. Only two projects were approved this year. Delay is especially costly because Cameron has already completed a $50,000 study, which would have to be repeated if the project is put off for another year. According to the detention center’s expansion/renovation projects presentation, a 13 page handbook complete with renderings and floor plans, state funding is “critical to the implementation of
Section A - the proposal.” “The state legislature failed to adopt this effort in 2008,” the handbook reads. “A position by the [commissioners] will need to be taken, as it relates to funding, in the event of FY2009 disapproval. “The St. Mary’s County Detention Center cannot sustain any further deferrals or time delays.” At this time, the commissioners have not made a collective, formal decision on funding if the project is turned away for a second year by the state. In the interim, Cameron said the detention center expanded its home detention and substance abuse programs. The home detention program alone has increased by 300 percent, Cameron said. Cameron and project manager Mary Anne Thomp-
son said they hope to begin phase one of the plan in 2009, which would add a minimum security building with 280 beds. The other two phases charged with renovating common space in the facility, and another 64-bed addition, would be completed sometime between 2010 and 2011. By the end of the project, the detention center would have 524 total beds. A study completed by an engineering firm concluded the detention center would likely have 519 inmates by year 2025. “The reality is the jail is growing,” said Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R-Golden Beach) to Cameron. “I wish you luck in what you’re doing and will support what you’re doing.”
“Midsummer Nights Dream” PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.- After Michael Moylan, 45, checked into a hospital with his wife April, 39, reportedly for a severe headache, it was revealed that he had a bullet in the side of his head. Initially, investigators thought a stray bullet had struck him, but no evidence of this was found. Finally the Moyans told police that April sleeps with a loaded .32-caliber revolve, and when the burglar alarm went off at around 4 a.m., April grabbed the gun and it accidentally went off. Since both the Moyans are convicted felons and not supposed to be in possession of weapons, they made up the story about the headache to hid what really happened. April was charged accordingly and is on $75, 000 bond. Michael Moyan’s injury is not life threatening; he is still recovering. REDDING, Calif.- A man named Gary Hemsted, 49, just received his prison sentence of 10 years for shooting his wife, Lisa, 42, in the right thigh because she reportedly did not renew his driver’s license. Hemsted became enraged when he was cited for driving with an expired license and blamed his wife for not renewing it. Then Hemsted tried to shoot his wife’s horse and fired a round from a .22-caliber rifle; the bullets barely missed Lisa. She took of running and Hemsted started to chase her in his truck. When Lisa was climbing a fence to escape, Hemsted shot her in the thigh. Luckily, a patrol car was pulling up at that time and Hemsted could cause no more harm.
River Concert Friday, July 13, 7 p.m. Chesapeake Orchestra Jeffrey Silberschlag, music director With Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center Violinist José Cueto (St. Mary’s City, MD) June 28, 2007–On Friday, July 13, music director Jeffrey Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra will be joined by violinist José Cueto, concertmaster of the Chesapeake Orchestra and renowned soloist, whose performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center have received rave reviews. The evening’s performance includes Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture,” Stravinsky’s orchestral showpiece, “Petrouchka,” and a rediscovered violin concerto by
SHEBOYGAN, Wis.- Anastacio Molina Jr. has been charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property for reportedly stomping a pet tropical fish to death during a verbal turned physical dispute with his girlfriend. When police were called around 5:30 p.m. for a domestic dispute, they arrived at Molina’s house to find remains of a pet fish on the sidewalk. Molina’s girlfriend’s 12-year-old son told them Molina had taken the fish out of its tank and stomped it to death. He also broke a stereo and shattered a picture window. His crimes carry up to 4 years in prison and $11, 000 in fines. EVERETT, Wash.- A 22-year-old driver of a 2005 BMW 330i, and an 18-year-old driver of 2007 Honda Accord were both arrested by a trooper for speeding up to 141 mph on I-5 in Snohomish County. The BMW was in front of the Accord when a trooper heard what he thought to be an airplane overhead. The trooper was able to catch up with the vehicles because they apparently stopped to switch passengers. Both drivers were booked into the county jail and charged with reckless driving. NEW YORK- A peacock received a beating from a man convinced it was a vampire, according to reports in New York. The bird was beaten so fiercely it was reported its tail feathers fell out. The peacock wandered into a Burger King parking lot in the New York borough of State Island, perching on a car hood. The man who attacked the bird reportedly yelled “I’m killing a vampire,” as he seized the bird by the neck.
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Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, not performed since Heifetz performed it in the 1940’s. This spiritual work is based on Old Testament prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elijah. Details are on the River Concert Series Web site at www. riverconcertseries.com or call 240-895-2024. The free outdoor concerts overlook the St. Mary’s River and begin at 7 p.m., but the grounds open at 5 p.m. Cueto has performed as soloist in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Asia, and currently serves as art-
ist-in residence and head of the strings department at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Born in Puerto Rico, Cueto graduated from the Pablo Casals Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. He was later awarded scholarships from the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. Cueto has performed at the Kennedy Center, Washington Chamber Society, and Alba Music Festival in Italy. STRAD magazine called Cueto’s Carnegie Hall performance at Weill Recital
Hall, “grounded, confident, and superb in all particulars.” The Washington Post calls the River Concert Series, “a Southern Maryland answer to Wolf Trap.” Come early and visit the many community vendors selling food, drinks, jewelry and more. Picnic baskets are welcome. Concert-goers are reminded that the College has designated smoking and non-smoking areas and that pets are not allowed on campus.
The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Obituaries Atla Patricia Brawner
On Sunday, June 24, 2007, Atla Patricia Brawner peacefully departed this life at Prince Georges Hospital in Cheverly, Md. Brawner was a loving person, always positive, always offering words of encouragement, and thinking of others. She loved children and they were attracted to and loved her. She was the kind of person who was always there when you needed her, and she never judged you when you needed her help. Atla always put her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s needs before her own and were always thinking of ways to help them. Brawner loved to play po-ke-no, watched game shows (especially Wheel of Fortune) and crossword puzzles. Brawner was born on Aug. 26, 1932, in Accokeek, Md., to the late Raymond J. King, Sr., and Blanche I. King. She was the 4th child born in a family of 11 children. She was raised in Prince Georges County and attended Prince George’s County Public Schools. She was a domestic worker and childcare provider. Brawner was joined in holy matrimony to the late James Edward Brawner in August 1951. They raised three sons and four daughters: Harry L. Butler (Boot), Patricia A. Wheeler (Pat), Lawrence M. Brawner, the late Theresa Payne (Diane), Jacqueline Harley (Jackie), Larry J. Brawner (Petey) and Gale Aukard.
Emma Novella Colbert (Wawa) On June 21, 2007 Emma Novella Colbert (Wawa) died. Novella was born Feb. 23, 1918 in Chapel Hill, Md. Left to cherish her memories are four sisters Sheila Swann, Isabella Johnson, Leola Colbert, Gwendolyn Covington; one sister-in-law Elaine Colbert, devoted nieces and nephews William Colbert (Penny), Rodney Gilbert, Clara Colbert, Chris Colbert, Beebee Colbert, Debbie Johnson (Jeff), Richard Colbert (Mimi), Christine ColbertMitchell (Mark). A special cousin Catherine Brown, 11 nieces, 10 nephews, 24 greatnieces, 27 great-nephews and a host of other relatives and special friends. She also leaves to mourn Junior and Sulton Jones who thought of her as their mother. She was the daughter of the late William and the late Catherine Colbert. Also preceding her in death, were three brothers, Earl, Rudolph, William (Lil’ Bill) and one sister, Christine Brent, one aunt, Sadie Wilson, two nephews, Preston Johnson and Ralph Swann, one niece, Jackie Colbert, and one great-niece, Valiska “BooBoo” Coleman. She joined the church at an early age. She has been a member of Grace United Methodist Church since her baptism. She sung in the choir. She enjoyed listening to gospel music everyday and her favorite hymn was “Ride Out Your Storm.” She always said that Grace United Methodist would be her home church even though she visited other churches. She was educated in the Prince Georges County public schools, and to further her
education she went to Randall School in Washington, DC. After her mother died in 1958, she came home and became the mother of her siblings. She held various domestic jobs until she went into the Federal government. First employed at the Government Printing Office then to the General Accounting Office until her retirement in 1982. Then she started the job that she loved most and that was taking care of her nieces, nephews and other relatives. This was when she was given the name “WaWa”. She touched the life of everyone that came in contact with her in some way or another. Her family came before anything and everything else in her life. She felt as though she had a beautiful family. She made everyone feel welcome when they came to her home. She was most happy when she was preparing a meal for anyone that came to visit. Everybody wanted to eat WaWa’s fried chicken.
Dorothy Veronica “Dolly” Dorsey, 43 Dorothy Veronica “Dolly” Dorsey, 43, of Westminster, Md., died June 26, 2007 at her residence. Born Jan. 10, 1964 in Bethesda, Md., she was the daughter of Mary “Molly” Devlin Dorsey of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and the late John Dorsey. She spent most of her time rescuing, adopting, and caring for homeless horses and other animals. She was a very talented artist who enjoyed painting and woodcarving. She was caring and generous; everyone she met became her friend. She also worked to promote legislation for the protection of the Terrapin turtle. She is survived by her mother Mary, her mother’s companion Dennis Ponte, significant other Paul McConkey of Westminster, Md., and sister Dixie Lee Dorsey of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Graveside services were held Monday, July 2 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church Cemetery in California, Md., with the Rev. John Ball officiating. The family received friends on Saturday, June 30, from 2 - 4 p.m., at the Pritts Funeral Home and Chapel in Westminster, Md. Memorial contributions may be made in her name to HorseNet Horse Rescue, 2504 Arthur Avenue, Eldersburg, MD, 21784 or through the website at www.horsenethorserescue.org.
Thomas Francis Magyar, 54
Thomas Francis Magyar, 54, of Valley Lee, Md., died June 30, at his residence after a courageous battle with kidney cancer. Born Sep. 30, 1952 in Warren, Ohio, he was the son of the late Frank Joseph Magyar and Madeline Ann (Shook) Magyar. Tom graduated from Warren Western Reserve High School in 1970 and became a crane operator for WCI Steel working for 31 years. He Retired to Valley Lee, Md., where he was known for his versatile handy work and ability to build or fix anything. He loved spending time with his family, doing projects around the house and of course riding his HarleyDavidson motorcycle. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Gilda L. (Hibbs) Magyar, his children, Thomas J. Magyar and his wife, Amy of Drayden, Md., Valerie A. Fisher and her husband, Stephen of Cortland, Ohio, siblings, Cathy L. Johnson of St. Petersburg, Fla., Dennis J. Magyar of Findlay, Ohio, Jill M. Marcolini of Lehigh Acres, Fla., Ray “Butch” Magyar of Perth Amboy, N.J., James Magyar of McKeesport, Pa., and Maryanne Wargo of McKeesport, Pa., and four grandchildren, Marissa, Chelsea, Olivia and Tyler who affectionately called him “Poppy”. Memorial contributions may be made to The Kidney Cancer Association, 1988 Momentum Place, Chicago, IL 60689-5319 or www.kidneycancerassociation.org. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. in Leonardtown, Md.
Mary Dawson Popp, 84
marily a loving housewife and mother, she worked for a number of years as office manager for Dr. Lee George, a close friend and dentist in Leonardtown, Md. She was also an active member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, the B.P.O.E. Elks lodge in Lexington Park, Md., and the Navy Wives Club. All while her children were attending Catholic schools in the county, Mary was an active parent volunteer. After Mary and Walter retired in 1980 they purchased a second home in Indialantic, Fla. and became “snowbirds” spending the winter in sunny Florida. During their retirement years, Mary pursued her love of travel, and she and her husband took many exciting vacations around the world. As their health began to fail, Mary and Walter decided to move to the Hermitage Assisted Living Center in Solomons where Walter died in 2002. Their marriage had lasted 57 years. Mary stayed on at the Hermitage where she could still be close to the people she cared about and knew best. She is survived by her children, John Popp and his wife, Joyce of Greensboro, N.C., Nancy Mercure and her husband, Jim of Reston, Va. and Larry Popp and his wife, Louise of Salt Lake City, Utah, nine grandchildren, Michael and his wife, Dawn, Kelly and her husband, Joel, Aimee, Ryan, Jeremy, Dan, Amanda, Julia and Lauren, and five great-grandchildren, Adam, Devin, Coreena, Jeremy, and Maria. In addition to her parents and her husband, Mary is preceded in death by her brother, Joseph Dawson. The family will receive friends on Monday, Aug. 6, from 6-8 p.m. Prayers will be recited at 7 p.m. A Funeral service will be conducted on Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. Interment will follow in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Serving as pallbearers will be John Popp, Larry Popp, Jim Mercure, Michael Popp, Ryan Sides, and Jeremy Sides Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Southern Maryland Office, P.O. Box 1889, LaPlata, MD 20646. Condolences to the family may be made to www. brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Vivian Juanita Thompson
Joseph Dudley Lacey, Sr., 62 Joseph Dudley Lacey, Sr., 62, of Hollywood, Md., died July 1, 2007 at his residence. Born June 21, 1945 in Bushwood, Md. he was the son of the late William Dudley and Mary Elsie Knott Lacey. The family will receive friends on Thursday, July 5 from 5-8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, Md. where prayers will be said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, July 6, 2007 at 10 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md. with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. A full obituary will appear at a later date.
lando, Fla., extended family, Calvin & Denise Hunter and Sharon Polk of Fort Washington, Md.; and a host of other relatives, friends, college girlfriends, and her church family whom she truly loved. Thompson was born on February 22, 1946 to the late Reverend Floyd and Juanita Thompson. She was the youngest of four siblings, her brother Leon preceded her in death. She confessed Christ at an early age and upon moving to the Maryland area, she joined Ebenezer A.M.E. Church under the leadership of Reverend Grainger Browning. At Ebenezer she was the second Vice President of the Missionary Society, and she was also a member of the Single Parents Ministry. On September 23, 1995, she joined Victory Christian Ministries, International (VCMI). She graduated from VCMI’s Ministerial Training School and was salutatorian each year. She was a licensed minister of the gospel and taught the Old Testament in ministerial training school. She served as a Deacon, an Usher, a Counter of finances, and she also sang with the Women of Excellence. She was employed at Mount Vernon and Lee Enterprises in Springfield, Va. until a very serious illness forced her into early retirement.
George William Washington, 81
George William Washington, 81, died June 16. Washington leaves to cherish his memories, his wife; Valerie; four sons, George Jr, Charles and Amos Washington and Samuel Turner; two daughters, Yvonne Tibbs and Raynell Washington; 18 grandchildren and and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends. Washington was born on July 1, 1925 in Charles County Maryland to the late Arthur and Mary Washington. He was educated in the Charles County Schools and employed with the Federal Government until his retirement in 1985. On June 20, 1962, George was united in marriage to Valerie Dorsey. During this union they shared many wonderful memories.
In Loving Memory Of ELSIE MORGAN
AUGUST 25, 1920 - JULY 5, 1982
Mary Dawson Popp, 84 of Solomons, Md. died on June 27, in Hermitage Assisted Living Center, Solomons, Md. She suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Born April 18, 1923 in Chicago, Ill., she was the daughter of the late Joseph Dawson and Charlotte (Bradley) Dawson. Mary attended Aquinas Dominican Catholic High School. After two years of secretarial school, she started work at the Naval War College in Chicago, leading her to meet her husband Walter, a career Navy man. Mary and her family lived in St. Mary’s County since 1957 when her late husband, Walter, retired from the Navy and went to work at Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center. They loved living in St. Mary’s County, making great friends and keeping active in the religious, civic, and social activities of the county. Although Mary was pri-
Vivian Juanita Thompson died June 22, 2007 at 11:15 a.m. at Fort Washington Hospital from a very serious illness. She leaves to cherish her beautiful memory, one daughter, Kellye Patrice Thompson, one sister, Mary Stewart of Cleveland, Ohio, one brother, Floyd William Thompson, Jr. of Pittsburgh, Pa., three grandchildren, Khaila Jael, Miciah Janae and Mickel Devon Thompson (deceased), nine nieces, Karen Felder, Keelah Thompson, Shaunda Ivy, Teleese Wright, Eileen Banks, Tara Wright, Nicola Lee and Angela Bell, all of Cleveland, Ohio and Carmella Thompson of Waldorf, Md.; six nephews, Dennis Wright of Las Vegas, Nev., Lamont & Richard Wright, and Curtis Felder of Cleveland, Ohio, Bret Thompson of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Bart Thompson of Or-
25 Years have passed since you left us. You will be in our hearts and thoughts forever.
We love and miss you so much. Virgie & Buddy, Elizabeth, Bertha & Ricky Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren
To Place A Memorial Anniversary Notice Call 301-373-4125
The County Times
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Section A -
Navy News NAVAIR Tomahawk Test Team Supports Successful Royal Navy Launch Amy Kaper Staff Writer On June 21, a Naval Air Systems Command test team, headquartered at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, successfully supported a Royal Navy Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile launch. The missile was tested from the attack submarine HMS Trenchant, underway in the Gulf of Mexico test range operating areas. This was the 454th 4 test of a Tomahawk missile. The missile was fired from the submarine’s torpedo tube launch system. After transitioning to cruise flight, the missile flew a fully guided 500 nautical mile test run using global positioning satellite and digital scene matching correlation navigation to a target impact site on Eglin Air Force Base. The total flight time to the intended target was 75 minutes. Although this was a British Royal Navy test event, the United States Navy’s Program Executive Office for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation Tomahawk Weapons System Test Directorate planned and conducted the flight test, along with members of the Royal Navy. Pax River also played a very important role in the testing. Tom Lynch, the Recovery Team Lead, operates out of the Patuxent River Base. “After a missile is launched, my team goes to the landing site to gather up the debris,” Lynch said. “After it’s gathered, we
throw it into the impact hole, light it off with explosives, and pulverize it.” Lynch’s team also had the responsibility of a cleanup if the mission had not been successful. “If the missile had crashed prematurely, we were not only equipped with Air Force helicopters to assist us, but also with deep sea diving equipment in case debris landed in the Gulf of Mexico,” he added. The United Kingdom Tomahawk Project began in 1995 with the signing of the foreign military sale agreement between the Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense. Since the agreement, the U.K. has acquired Block III missiles, and is now procuring the torpedo tube variant of Block IV. The Minister of State for Defense and Support, Lord Drayson said he was delighted that Block IV missle was a success. “These conventionally armed land attack missiles are the most advanced of their type in the world, able to fly further and strike targets with even greater precision,” he added. “They also incorporate the latest computer technology, giving them the ability to retarget or abort missions in flight and to take their own images of the battlefield.” This test is a very significant milestone which gives a tangible demonstration of our ability to deliver precision attack at long range against selected targets. They will give
The new TLAM Block IV is fired from a testing site in the gulf of Mexico.
the Royal navy a world class capability and the ability to pre-position the missile covertly in our attack submarines gives enormous flexibility to our forces.” The U.S. Navy was equally pleased. “The Tomahawk Cruise Missile brings enormous capability and the ability to the fight,” said Rear Admiral Tim Heely, program execu-
tive officer of Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation. “ As we forge our path to future readiness, putting combat power to sea, it is important that we align our efforts closely with our good friends and allies of the United Kingdom.” Several capability enhancements have been realized with the development of Tomahawk Block IV in-
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Navy
cluding in-flight retargeting, missile health and status messages, mission planning aboard the launch platform, and battle damage indication messages. Additionally, the program realizes improved affordability with a production cost approximately 50 percent of the cost of a new Block III missile. As in all Tomahawk flight tests, air route safety was
carefully planned in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration. In case of emergency, the Tomahawk could have been guided by commands from safety chase aircraft.
Young Scientist Makes Significant Impact on Pax Research Amy Kaper Staff Writer Brandon Cochenour, 25, has made a significant contribution to the world of underwater communication, his impact on the Navy far exceeding his years of service. His work may one day provide high-speed optical data links between submarines, autonomous underwater vehicles and ocean sensors. The Navy is exploring laser-based optical data links over current acoustic (sound) techniques, Cochenour said. “It’s like the early days of the Internet. Acoustic data rates are tens, maybe hundreds of kilobits per second,” he added. Radio frequency energy is not suitable either, he noted. Even though it is employed widely in conventional above-water technologies such as cell phones, satellites, and radios. “It doesn’t propagate underwater,” he said. On the other hand, an optical data link provides much greater bandwith for voice, video, and data transmission with less chance of being intercepted. “It may be able to provide to provide gigabit rates, around 100,000 times faster than current acoustic techniques,” he said. The optical link also offers the potential for communicating between underwater and airborne platforms, since the laser beam can penetrate the air-water interface. For his research, Cochenour adapted a hybrid laser-radar technology pioneered by his mentor at NAWC, Dr. Linda Mullen. Originally used for underwater laser imaging, the technology varies the laser beam intensity by “piggy-
backing” a high-frequency another platform in a fraction radar signal on it. Since this time it takes with acoustics. Cochenour feels that he signal is similar to the signals used by satellite and is very lucky to have settled cell phone technologies, he down where he did. “I ended up in St. Mary’s said, “We can apply all of the well established, above-water County because of an old techniques to the underwater professor of mine,” Cochenour said. “After I majored in communication scenario. “A major challenge for the electrical engineering, I really optical link is water clarity,” wasn’t sure what I wanted to he said. “Ocean water isn’t do. He was in contact with nearly as clear as what comes some of the people at Pax and out of your tap. Sending la- he helped to get me in touch sers through ocean water is with the right people.” Cochenour especially enlike driving in a snowstorm with your headlights on, light joys the environment that Pax scatters away from your main offers. “It’s been great. I love my beam.” This principle can be ap- job, I love the people that I plied to underwater laser com- work with, and it feels amazmunication; the optical link is ing to know that I’ve been limited to a distance of a few able to contribute to this wonderful program.” hundred meters or less. Cochenour’s future ex“You’d have to be pretty close to pick [the scattered perimental plans may include implementing both the imagacoustic signal] up.” Even with current dis- ing and communicating functance limitations, an optical tions into a single system. data link would be a big improve me nt over acoustic methods for ret r ieving data from underwater sensors, Cochenour said. “R ight now we can do it with acoustics, but it takes a lot of time,” he added. With an optical data link an underwater vehicle could swim by and receive a complete Photo Courtesy of U.S. Navy data trans- Brandon Cochenour mission from
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Repairs Underway Following “Electrical” Fire Lighting Strikes Local Building Causing Blaze By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Managers at Queen Anne Park Apartments in Lexington Park are unsure what the total bill will be for repairs to one of their buildings that suffered fire damage caused by a lightning strike last week, but say they are already underway. “We’ve got guys working on the roof today and we should know by tomorrow how much [everything] will cost,” said Scott Kirkwood property manager. The fire, which started in the attic the night of June 27 and forced two families to
vacate their apartments, was quickly extinguished by firefighters from multiple companies arriving on scene. Personnel from Bay District, Valley Lee, NAWC AD, and Avenue fire departments all responded as did Hollywood, Leonardtown and Ridge volunteers. Other families had to leave the apartment building as well because of smoke and water damage. The day after the fire, the smell was stifling, and the tenants affected by the fire continued to move their possessions out as quickly as they could with the help of friends
and family. Kirkwood said it could take several weeks to make all the necessary repairs to the two apartments, their ceilings now gaping holes destroyed by fire and water damage. One resident described the scene before firefighters arrived to take control as one of shock and fear at the lightning strike. “I thought the lightning was going to strike my building,” said Henry Hutchins, Sr., a six-year resident at the complex. “I looked out my building and all these people were standing outside. “It was pretty
dangerous.” Hutchins said he noticed multiple lightning strikes in or near the complex that night, the same night a severe storm had rescue and fire companies rushing to answer emergency calls. “If anybody had been walking around this parking lot in that storm they would’ve gotten killed,” Hutchins said. Kirkwood said noth-
ceived assistance from the Red Cross of Southern Maryland in the aftermath of the fire. There were no injuries resulting from the fire. “We got lucky with that,” Kirkwood said. “There’s just a lot of damage over there.
ing like that strike had every happened at the apartment complex previously in his memory. “It was pretty crazy,” Kirkwood said. “It was the first time I’ve had to deal with something like this. “It looks like everything’s going to have to be replaced, a complete renovation for both those apartments.” Displaced families re-
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