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Thursday, December 6, 2007 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland
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Bay District Christmas Tree Lighting Santa visits Bay District Volunteer Fire Department for their annual Christmas Tree Lighting. Parents bring their children from all over the county to celebrate this special event.
“
I’m here because I like the firemen; and I like Sparky!” - Jaimi Gibson, 6 of Lexington Park
Local Businesses Compete For Holiday Sales Local businesses use innovative approaches to compete for holiday sales such as Rick’s Jewelers in the San Souci Plaza who will be hosting his “15th annual men’s night” December 7th from 5 to 8 p.m.
College Trustee Board: Not all Rowing Center Stays Put Residents By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The controversial Rowing Center located on the banks of the St. Mary’s River at St. Mary’s College of Maryland will stay where it is by decision of the college’s board of trustees. The board made their decision Saturday
after the Building and Grounds Committee voted without dissent to recommend the boathouse remain as it stands on southbound Route 5. Michael O’Brien, chair of the grounds committee said Nov. 30 that the placement of the boathouse did compromise the view on the campus, but the cost of moving the buildSee Boathouse page A-
Comptroller Prepares For Tax Collection
“
By Cynthia Bryson Staff Writer
It’s all hands on deck here, now we have an extra amount to do” -Peter Franchot Md. Comptroller
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is ready to collect the $1.3 billion in new taxes passed in the recently concluded special session but he won’t be happy about it. Most difficult will be figuring how to collect sales tax for computer services.
“
Its a real possibility that Marylandbased tech companies would flee the state to avoid tax” -Ron Wineholt VP Md. Chamber of Commerce
Chopticon Basketball Preview
“
We have to finish games strong” -Terry Mumau CHS Coach
$860 Thousand More For Education
Story Pg. B-1
The County Commissioner’s agreed to increase the Board of Education’s current budget by $860,000. Current funding level exceeds $9,700 per pupil.
$32,543 For Landscaping The County Commissioner’s agreed to provide public funding for landscape inprovements in Lexington Park to Serge Performance Cycles, Lexington Park Family Denistry, Tidewarter Denistry, and Bay District Volunteer Fire Department
Happy With Proposed FDR Boulevard
File Photo
The Board of Trustees at St. Mary’s College decided over the weekend that the controversial Rowing Center would stay despite complaints from the public that it obstructed the scenic view of the river and took up precious shoreline unnecessarily.
A public information meeting to discuss St. Mary’s County FDR Boulevard project, Phase 1, was held Monday night at the Loffler Senior Center at Chancellor’s Run Regional Park. The Directorate of Public Works and Transportation’s Deputy Director John Groeger and other members of that department hosted the meeting. Over 100 citizens showed up to voice their concerns. Phase 1 of the project runs for 1.7 miles and begins at the intersection of FDR and First Colony Boulevards heading southeast to state Route 237. The purpose of the meeting was to inform interested citizens on the many facets of the project, which includes proposed crosswalks, sidewalks, street lighting and bike lanes. The meeting was then opened up for a question and answer session. The majority of the attendees were clearly not happy with the impact this boulevard will have on their communities. Afterwards those residents who See FDR page A-
Restaurant Owner, Landlord Suing Each Other For $1 Million Each By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Linda Palchinsky, the owner of Linda’s Café in both Lexington Park and Leonardtown, is suing her landlord Irene Parrish for $1 million after Parrish allegedly tried to have her business on Washington Street closed down late October. But Parrish has also filed a lawsuit against Palchinsky seeking damages for the same amount. The lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing property dispute between the restaurateur and the landlord. “It’s one of those things that has snowballed,” said Palchinsky’s attorney John Lawrence. “It’s gotten to be pretty acrimonious.” See Linds’a page A-
Photo courtesy of Denise Ebentheuer
Executive Officer Captain Andrew Macyko, USN, presents Denise Ebentheuer-Miller with a American Flag for her leadership of the Women of the Moose US-Troop Care Package Drive. The Hollywood Moose Lodge delivered 308 care packages to soldiers servering in Iraq.
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The County Times
Section A -
Walden’s Resident Treatment Facility Fights Lack Of Funds By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The Anchor Intermediate Care Facility of Walden/Sierra Inc. has been open to people suffering from serious drug and alcohol addictions for the past seven years but it’s still struggling to keep its doors open says the group’s executive director The problem comes down to money and with no extra state funding coming this year the facility’s future is uncertain. “We’re always in danger of closing without a more stable funding source,” said Walden’s chief Kathleen O’Brien. “And we’ve worked 25 years to get this.” The facility offers residential treatment for addictions patients from all over the Southern Maryland region, O’Brien said but is not even
being utilized to its full potential. “We’ve had the space for 42 beds but only gotten funding for 20,” O’Brien told The County Times. “We have a higher number of St. Mary’s residents than from the other counties.” According to Walden/Sierra’s own 2007 annual report the Anchor facility served 430 clients with each staying an average of about 19 days in residential treatment. Of those 430 clients 72 percent were discharged successfully, nearly two-thirds also had a concurrent mental illness. The most recent annual report shows that the Anchor facility also comprises the most significant single expenditure in Walden/Sierra’s budget at 39.5 percent of its overall program expenses. Walden/Sierra’s budget for fis-
cal 2007 was $3.92 million with the vast majority of the funding — $3.15 million — coming from government grants. The rest came from service fees, donations and other sources. Walden’s budget for fiscal 2008 is about $4.1 million. Still the funding they get is not enough to fully fund Anchor without supplementary funding, O’Brien said. “We run at a deficit of $150,000 to $200,000 a year and we can’t continue to stay open with that deficit,” O’Brien said. The facility receives money from the state and St. Mary’s County (is about $160,000), O’Brien said as well as Prince George’s County, which was supposed to have contributed as much as $500,000 at the facility’s inception but funding problems there particularly with Prince
Thursday, December 6, 2007 George’s Hospital Center have stymied those plans. In subsequent years the funding has dwindled down to just $100,000, O’Brien said. The facility could operate the full number of beds it should with $300,000, she added. Prince George’s, along with Howard and Anne Arundel counties only purchase bed space on a case by case basis, O’Brien said. “The money continues to shrink from Prince George’s,” O’Brien said. Peter Luongo, director of the Maryland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration, a part of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, agreed with O’Brien’s assessment of Anchor’s possible future. He said that the data showed a trend in the tri-county area means that people getting drug treatment who would normally go on to places like Anchor have to be denied access. The same problem can also be found statewide, Luongo said. “People weren’t able to move to it,” Luongo said. “There simply weren’t enough halfway house beds.” Luongo said that drug and alcohol addictions treatment funds often fell by the wayside when budgets statewide became tight. “There’s been more needs than resources over the years,” Luongo told The County Times. “There’s kind of a mismatch… we hit tough times and we’ve had no substantial increase
The Solomons Business Association, Oyster Bay at Solomons Island Presents the 23rd Annual
SOLOMONS
Christmas Walk December 7 & 8, 2007
Schedule of Events Thursday, December 6 6:00-9:00 pm
Christmas Walk Cocktail Gala and Silent Auction at the Oyster Bay community center: Reservations are $25 in advance or $35 at the door. Call 410-326-4855. Proceeds benefit the Solomons Business Association to help fund the Christmas Walk. Checks should be made payable to “SBA” and should be mailed to P.O. Box 873, Solomons, MD 20688.
Friday, December 7 6:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm 6:30-8:30 pm 7:00 pm
Tree Lighthing Ceremony with Santa at the Solomons Riverwalk Pavilion P.A.W.S. pet adoptions and live music by Upstroke & Friends at Carmen’s Gallery Christmas crafts for kids at the Solomons Medical Center Boat building for kids at the Southern Maryland Sailing Association Christmas crafts for kids and live entertainment at the Calvert Marine Museum Santa will visit the museum at approximately 7:30 pm. Annmarie Garden in Lights / Suggested donation is $5 per car. Live Nativity scene at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church (weather permitting) Puppet show at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, sponsored by County First Bank
Saturday, December 8 8:00 am
Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for Arthritis & Rudolph Romp for kids. Starts at the Calvert Marine Museum.
8:30 and 10:00 am
Breakfast with Santa at the Naughty Gull Restaurant. Two seatings available. Reservations required. Call 410-326-4855 for reservations. $8 for adults and $6 for children under 10. Adults accompaning children only. Breakfast with Santa will be repeated on Saturday, December 15.
1:00-4:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm 6:00-9:00 pm
P.A.W.S. pet pictures with Santa at Solomons Veterinary Medical Center Annmarie Garden in Lights - Suggested donation is $5 per car. Santa’s Coffee House - enjoy coffee or hot cider and local musicians in a relaxed atmosphere in the Calvert Marine Museum lobby with Santa lending the holiday cheer. P.A.W.S. pet adoptions at Carmen’s Gallery. Boat Light Parade (can be seen from most Solomons restaurants).
6:00-9:00 pm 6:15 pm
WEATHER PERMITTING, the parade will start at the Solomons Island Yacht club at approximately 6:15 pm, go around Sandy Point and up the Patuxent to the bridge. The boats will retrace this route but continue up Back Creek before returning. 6:30-8:30 pm
Live Nativity scene at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church (weather permitting).
Sponsors: County First Bank Solomons Towne Centre JBG Rosenfeld Retail
in funding for the last four to five years.” Moreover, drug treatment services were not written into the state constitution, like public education, which could put them even lower on Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) priority list. “Alcohol and drug services are not mandated, they’re optional. They don’t have to be funded,” Luongo said. “O’Malley’s going to have to weigh them against the other needs in the budget.” Luongo confirmed that there would not be any extra funds for Anchor beds either, this year. Each county is required by the state to create its own strategic plan for addictions treatment and in the St. Mary’s County plan one of the priorities is to secure funding for more treatment beds at the Charlotte Hall based facility. For now, O’Brien said, Walden/ Sierra has had to refinance it’s operations at Anchor and has only received a one time grant of assistance from the state to keep its doors open. They continue to try to raise funds to continue treatment operations. “It’s very precarious,” O’Brien said. If Anchor has to shut down, O’Brien said, that would mean more people suffering from addictions crowding emergency rooms and the detention centers. Walden would have to transfer clients to other facilities were there would be waiting lists for treatment and likely even more people denied access, she added. “It would be devastating in ways, to people suffering from addictions and the community as a whole,” O’Brien said.
Five Arrested In Narcotics Raids By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Detectives with the county Vice/Narcotics unit along with sheriff’s office tactical team members arrested five people Nov. 30 in a narcotics raid on Millstone Landing Road that the unit commander said removed two alleged successful marijuana dealers from the community. “It’s a good bust,” said vice/narcotics commander Lt. Daniel Alioto. “We had two dealers who were selling on the street and from the residence. “The marijuana was [divided] up in baggies and ready to be sold.” Police charged Gary Nathaniel Thomas, 25, and Norman Kenneth Dickerson, 26, of California with possession of marijuana and intending to distribute it, according to a Bureau of Criminal Investigations press release. Clifton Antonios Robinson, 21, of Forrestville and Robert Anthony Robinson, 39, of Prince Frederick were both charged with possession of marijuana and Michelle Catherine Miles, 21 of Lexington Park was charged with obstructing the arrests of the other suspects while at the residence on Millstone Landing Road. In total police seized about $700 of marijuana, $300 in cash and two handguns, Alioto said. Both Thomas and Dickerson were charged with firearms violations, Alioto said. The marijuana was divided up into $20 increments for sale, Alioto said, which meant police took about 35 bags out of distribution. Both men have not been convicted of crimes in the past, Alioto said, but detectives are currently confirm-
Norman Kenneth Dickerson
ing the exact origins of the weapons. Detectives found suspected marijuana in the home hidden in a closet and a baby crib, charging documents allege, and both Thomas and Dickerson admitted, charging documents state, that the marijuana found was theres. Alioto said that neighbors in the community had noticed a high volume of visitor traffic coming to and from the home and detectives had been watching the home, which was being rented, for some time. Alioto also alleged that Thomas and Dickerson had used a vehicle to sell marijuana on the streets. “They were definitely moving a higher than average volume of marijuana through the community,” Alioto said. “And it was right in a residential neighborhood near Green Holly Elementary School; it was important to shut it down just as quickly as we could.” The Millstone Landing Road raid took place just one week after a major narcotics sweep over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend that netted 14 arrests and almost $40,000 in drugs, cash and property, including firearms. This most recent raid continued the ripple affect, Alioto said, of making the business of selling and buying drugs in the community a precarious proposition. Increased street patrols and efforts by narcotics detectives meant that it was getting harder to get away wit trading narcotics. “There is a ripple affect, and prices are going up,” Alioto said. “But there’s also the fact that were disrupting the dealers and the buyers. “The buyers are just as scared now to buy as the dealers are to sell it. It’s getting them on the run.”
Gary Nathaniel Thomas
Clifton Antonios Robinson
Maryland Bank & Trust Company Calvert Internal Medicine Group, PA, SMECO, Solomons Island Winery, Solomons True Value, Solomons Veterinary Medical Center, Stoney’s at Solomons Pier, The CD Cafe, Vincenzo’s Mediterranean Grill Robert Anthony Robinson
Michelle Catherine Miles
The County Times
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Section A -
County Commissioners, MetCom Discuss Water Issues, Public Perception By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Members of the Board of County Commissioners and the Metropolitan Commission met at a joint work session Tuesday to discuss MetcCom’s possible takeover of water and sewer operations
on Patuxent River Naval Air Station, how the county can reduce nitrogen being flowed back into the Chesapeake Bay and how to turn around the perception that MetCom is not as responsive to the public as it could be. Commissioners on both sides of the table agreed af-
Lexington Park, Md
ter the meeting that with the county’s rapid growth and need to use water resources more efficiently, more information sharing between the two bodies was not only beneficial but necessary. “The level of growth were experiencing will re-
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The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Editorial & Opinion It’s The Same Taxpayer You have to wonder where these tax and spend Senators, Delegates, and the Governor learned fiscal discipline. Faced with what they described as a $1.7 billion dollar budget deficit, they went to Annapolis last month for a special session and increased government spending by some $300 million dollars in new programs. Those suffering from the ills of bankruptcy could use that logic to explain to the bankruptcy judge. Of course, the judge would probably find you had defrauded your creditors and put you behind bars. So now we have the State of Maryland’s fiscal woes painfully addressed, or do we? The Maryland Legislature made drastic changes in the 3-week special session, more than you would ever expect in any 3-month regular session. Part of the reason for conducting public policy in this limited time is to limit debate and public understanding of the issues. Remember, for every action,
there is an equal or greater reaction. The public will not know all the ramifications of this recently completed special session for some time, yet there is one thing taxpayers should count on right now, it is going to cost you more than your Senator or Delegate wants you to know. We know the obvious costs, higher sales taxes, higher income taxes, higher cigarette taxes, etc., yet these were not enough to cover the spending spree that our elected officials plan when they go back to Annapolis in January. So they did what only very experienced politicians would do, they threw us a bone that really is more like bait and switch. Despite $1.3 billion in new taxes, the Legislature will cut funding for public education by $152 million ($4.2 million for St. Mary’s). This will free up even more money for new spending programs without having to increase taxes even further, right? Wrong!
In order to increase spending even more, the Legislature decided to shift some of the burden to local governments. Not directly, but they knew what would happen. Legislators are well aware that the strongest lobbying group for local government is the local Board of Education along with the very well funded and experienced teachers union. These people know how to squeeze money out of elected officials. Over the next 4 months, you will begin to hear rumblings about how the Board of Education will not be able to deliver the services expected of them because of state funding cuts. The future of our children will be at risk. Let the spin begin. Ultimately, the County Commissioners will be asked to fill in and provide the funding to replace the state funds. On Tuesday, the commissioners agreed to increase this years Board of Education budget by more than $800,000. That increase means the state funding increase for the next budget is already 75% spent. Now the Board of Education will attempt to compile a budget for
Commissioners Address Wide Spectrum of County Issues By Cynthia Bryson Staff Writer The St. Mary’s County Commissioner’s meeting agenda on Tuesday contained several budgetary items regarding ongoing projects impacting county schools, local business improvements, road safety, leave for County employees and a recommendation for an interim position for the Department of Public Safety Volunteer Task Force. One budget amendment took the remaining $13,400 from completed projects, adding it to their Capital Improvement Program reserve, while $108,000 reimbursed from the state funds cost overruns on the George Washington Carver Elementary Replacement School proj-
ect approved by the Board of Education earlier last month. A refund of $2.8 million from the County’s CareFirst insurance program resulted in the funding of $860,000 for employee premium holiday and a pay adjustment for paraprofessionals to address having enough qualified people in classrooms on a “credentials based” basis, providing incentive for further education among their ranks. This motion also provides paraprofessionals opportunity for promotion. The remaining $1.98 million from the refund was put aside for possible inclusion in the fiscal year 2009 budget. Dr. Michael Martirano, Superintendent of Schools, acknowledged his appreciation for this motion.
“The actions you have taken here today have allowed us to move forward in a very positive manner … while acknowledging the support of our employees who work tirelessly every day on behalf of our children,” he said. A motion to award four local businesses with landscaping grants ranging from almost $6000 to about $10,000 was unanimously approved. Torres Enterprises, the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, Lexington Park Family Dentistry and C & O Enterprises were the recipients of these grants based on their commitment to improve their facility’s appearance and accessibility. An amendment was required to bring the Community Traffic Safety Program
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budget into alignment with what they received. Jackie Beckman, coordinator of the program, was present to explain where the funds will be used. Motorcycle safety enforcement, sobriety checkpoints and further training for their employees were among the items she brought up. Emphasis is also being placed on driving safety for younger citizens especially in light of the recent road tragedies in Southern Maryland. Beckman’s proposal will include contacts with the College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown campus, and parental and law enforcement involvement. The commissioners lauded her program’s department for its initiatives with young drivers. “If we can teach our
next year with substantially no increase in funding from state government which overall provides approximately 60% of the entire education budget. The County Commissioners will be expected to provide somewhere near a $12 million dollar increase in education funding. With the power of the education lobby, it will take strong political will to say no. What these politicians sometimes fail to understand, it’s not really the state legislators or the county commissioners who are providing the funds, it is the taxpayers. And regardless if it is state funds or county funds, it is the same taxpayers paying both bills. With the increased cost of living we are all experiencing, coupled with tax increases passed by the state, and property tax increases at the local level, taxpayers are taxed out. Passing costs on to other levels of government may make life a little easier for elected officials, but it is their constituents who suffer the same. The only way to change these tax and spend practices is to change who we elect.
young people the importance of wearing a seat belt … not to drink and drive, not to drink underage, then we’re just setting the tone of them learning good skills and becoming better drivers as they become adults,” Beckman said. A change to the County’s employee’s policies will allow them to rollover excess annual leave that has not been used into sick leave, without exceeding 360 hours. This benefits those about to retire who could apply it to their pension and individuals with long-term illnesses. This motion was unanimously approved. The Chair of the Department of Public Safety Volunteer Task Force, David Deaderick, proposed an interim recommendation that would raise the level of support the Advance Life Support program would be able to provide. This is sorely needed to improve the services the County provides, according to Deaderick. The commissioners agreed with his evaluation, however concerns were
raised as to the funding of the position, whom they would be responsible to and the precedence it would set. “The devil’s in the details as far as I’m concerned,” said Daniel Raley (D-Great Mills). “I am eager to say again that it is our intention to beef up the volunteer system and make recommendations that will enhance and enable the volunteer system, not to move in any way toward a paid service. And I think I speak for the members of the task force who articulated that at our last meeting,” Deaderick responded. After much discussion of details the recommendation was approved. “It’s about fulfilling a commitment I feel is necessary to do,” said Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R- Golden Beach). For access to the County’s meeting agendas and minutes, visit http://www. co.saint-marys.md.us/.
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The County Times
Thursday, December 6, 2007
But he did not support Dyson’s current move to put the college under the state
Ramblings of a Country Girl
tingly said. “I think they’ve done extremely well and it would be a terrible mistake to solve the problem… it’s just
Section A -
The Next Time You Pull Your Insurance Renewal Out Of The Mail Box, Give Us A Call.
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O’Donnell said he would son in Annapolis to change the governance structure of
Lips, Snouts and Weasands
return on their investment by Terri Bartz Bowles It’s getting close to that time. The weather is getting colder but it’s not quite there yet. It needs to get cold and stay cold; there needs to be a snap to the air. Once that happens, then it’s time. Hog killing time. Not so many people raise and butcher their own hogs any more. I remember my grandparents doing it when I was a kid. There was a time when practically all farmers raised a hog or two. Hogs are nature’s recyclers. All of the kitchen scraps we now put into compost used to be put into the hogs. All kinds of vegetable peelings, squash that got too big on the vines, leftover pumpkins – it all went to the hogs. Once they’re fattened up and the weather is cold, it’s time. Pork is yummy. Ham, pork chops, bacon and sausage; it’s all good. Back in the day, country folks didn’t run to the grocery store to get sausage, they made their own. First things first, the hog gets killed and prepped which includes scalding them and scraping the hair off with a hog scraper. After he’s ready, the butchering begins. I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying about using every part of the hog but the oink. It’s pretty true. When times were hard, nothing was wasted. Lard was rendered, the brains were fried up with scrambled eggs, fatback was salted and preserved, the head was cooked, (jowls are a gourmet dish in some places as is hog maw which is the stomach). If you think you’ve never eaten some of these more obscure parts of the hog, I’d say you’re wrong. If you’ve eaten hot dogs made with pork, you’ve eaten parts of the hog you never even thought about before, like lips, snouts and weasands. The FDA allows all sorts of little odds and ends to be ground up into hot dogs and other stuff. Hey, don’t take my word for it, look it up. Weasands, by the way, are windpipes. You butcher hogs when it’s cold, of course, because you’re working with raw meat and it needs to stay cold. Lots of cutting and wrapping ensue. The tenderloin is saved out and that’s cooked for dinner, a nice treat after a day of hard work. You fix your hams and bacon
for curing if that’s what you want to do. Some folks like fresh ham, or 12 smoke their wheresome fromsalt 8 to minutes, hams. The bestbut parta of all this is making the fire typically burns out sausage. You need a meat grinder and you of control within 6 minutes. grind up both fat and lean. Sausageobserved without The commissioners fat is not sausage, I don’t know what it is, but a live simulation of a sprinkler it’s not sausage.system Then you season the ground extinguishing a fire meat. I can remember my in less thangrandmother 50 seconds, addthis ing sage and red pepper flakes to the ground meat and mixing itThere with were her hands in a big 111 residential enamelware basin. When she thought it was fires in St. Mary’s County in right, she’d fry a little bit to taste. Once it was perfect, the stuffing sausage stuffer erty began. damageAthroughout the is a big, heavy metal that clamps countycontraption in 2005, according to onto the table orthework surface. You the National Center foradd Injury meat and turn the crank and the lid pushes the meat down and out Mattingly of a snout responded at the bottom. to You will have already threaded your casing onto the snout. Traditionally, casing is tion saying hesausage wouldn’t move the intestines, also known as chitterlings. You to a new state with his ideas, can buy casingsand ready andand it’s thattohego, wasthough, born here much easier. It’s calledwould link sausage people have tobecause put up the casing is long and you twist it a certain way as it’s filled to make After the links. Mattingly made his Do yourself a favor and stop by one of the local purveyorsonded of country andvoted buy it so itsausage could be some links. They come hot or mild. When you’re ready to cook“Ithem, cut thethe links apart seconded motion and using the point of your sharp knife, poke a few slits throughtingly each casing. This thethe fat deserved to lets have out as they cook. Boil til done and enjoy! The casing is completely edible, don’t to ey said just you before hehave voted peel them. Youagainst can getthe good country bacon, motion, “we all too, that is so different better than what know heand feels so passionate you buy pre-packaged at the grocery If about it and I thoughtstore. for this you buy your bacon already cooked, that’s just motion to be held out there sad. You don’t without know what good, real bacon a second would be tastes like. After all the hard work, you have plenty of pork to enjoy through the winter and beyond and good link sausage for Christmas morning breakfast. That’s a tradition in our family. Daddy always got the sausage started and let it cook while we opened presents. It’s hard to tear kids away from their toys and stockings, but link sausage always worked in our house! You can email the Country Girl at countrygirlramblings@gmail.com
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Metcom, County Commissioners Dedicate New Well
Several Dignitaries were on hand to witness the dedication of a brand-new arsenic well Tuesday afternoon in California. “The new well is designed to make our drinking water even safer than it already was,” said County Public Information director Karen Everett.
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HIGH 12:01 a.m. 12:45 a.m. 1:26 a.m. 2:04 a.m. 2:40 a.m. 3:14 a.m. 3:50 a.m.
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Home of the original St. Mary’s County Hook Bracelet
The County Times
Section A -
Selling In Today’s Market Patrick Dugan Welcome back! It occurred to me that with this year ending and all of us getting ready to start 2008, now was the time to send out more information that may help you in your selling, buying, investing or even renting
endeavor. This week we talk about selling. How is the market? “I hear terrible things, dropping prices, foreclosures and bad loans� This is what I hear all the time and my answer is that all of that is true, in its place. There are parts of the country where foreclosures are sky rocketing and house prices are dropping. California, Ohio and Florida lead the way. Yet if you were to go to certain parts of those states you would find areas where home prices are increasing. You have to look at the whole picture.
Chicken Tracks
Crazy Chicken Christmas Clearance
Thursday, December 6, 2007
So when you look at our local market and try to judge it by the national news you are doing yourself a disservice. Locally things are not nearly as bad as you may be lead to believe. Home prices have stabilized and new subdivisions are opening up. Leonardtown, St. Inigoes, Hollywood all have subdivisions that have opened in the past two months, and there are more homes being built all over the county. Single family homes, town homes and apartments are being built. So, who is buying them? In most of the subdivisions your purchasers are buyers who are looking to increase the size of their home. But if I were to tell you that is where all the buyers where looking for I would be doing you a disservice. You have to look at the whole picture. There are many buyers now who are looking to down size their home, or even buy a smaller lot. Some want a different community where the Home Owners Association is very active and controlling. Others will not even live in a subdivision with an H.O.A..
Some buyers are local, some are from out of state. Texas, Washington and Missouri are three states that will be sending workers here over the next few years. These buyers are taking their time in their decision making process and being sure to get what they want in a house. So, if you are trying to sell your home, it better be in top shape! There are many homes for sale and if your house does not show as well as others, you are going to know it by the fact that yours will still be for sale while others will be sold. When you get an offer on your house and it is from an out of town buyer who needs to sell their home be sure you know what the market in that area is like. Is it probable that their house will sell in a reasonable amount of time for the price they need to buy your home? You need to know this information. More information for you will be coming in future editions but in the mean time if you have any questions or comments you can reach me at patrick.dugan@obrienrealty. com, or 301-672-1925.
“A Little Fruitcake� by David Valdes Greenwood
December 8th & 9th during the Maryland Antiques Center Holiday Open House
c.2007, DaCapo Press
Spend the day and enjoy the Tea Room for lunch or dinner!
For eleven months of the year, you barely think about it. But every Christmastime, the memory of it fills your brain with the same kind of feelings you had that holiday way back when. Maybe that morning, Santa brought you what you wanted more than anything else. Or maybe you didn’t get what you want, and it still
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stings after all these years. Or perhaps a family member’s presence or absence makes you recall that Christmas more than any others you’ve had in your life. We all have those unforgettable Christmases, but only the brave put them to paper. Author David Valdes Greenwood is one of those souls, and in the new book
THE LAST DAYS! DEALERS UP TO WELCOME
85
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3ELECT )TEMS
š 7AHLQUIST -'-4 #ORP ,ITTLE 2OCK !2
RELINQUISHMENT COMES TO A CLOSE
The last days of the huge Remerchandising Relinquishment has arrived. Time has run out. Every piece of furniture and every set of bedding must and will be sold! The management of Thompson’s Furniture City has ordered the remaining inventory sold to the public or to dealers at what it will bring. No reasonable offer will be refused as every living room suite, bedroom suite, dining room suite is sacrificed along with every set of bedding and every recliner. All must go...Wall to wall!!!
GREAT BUY
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EXPECT LARGE CROWDS! REMERCHANDISING RELINQUISHMENT This is it. If you ever wanted to buy furniture or bedding at or near cost, now is your chance! Measure your space, bring your carpet and fabric samples. Bring your trucks and trailers. Be ready to make a decision. We will not refuse any reasonable offers. This is it! Don't pay more later, nothing held back.
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“A Little Fruitcake�, Valdes Greenwood shares twelve memories of Christmas past and a few that should have just been passed. Starting with his fifth Christmas, Valdes Greenwood remembers how much he wanted a doll of his very own that year. His newly-divorced mother was prepared to wrap the toy and put it under the tree. Valdes Greenwood’s formidable Grammy, a small woman who seems, in this book, to be 10 feet tall, was completely against her youngest grandson’s wish. The first chapter in this book “The Powder Keg Under the Tree� speaks to the child in us who captured the gift most wanted, despite adult misgivings. A little later in a kid’s life comes the time when he or she questions the presence of a Santa on every street corner. Has the truth been deduced? In the chapter entitled “Bad to Santa�, Valdes Greenwood and his older brother figure it all out, but instead of being nice about it, they’re definitely naughty. And who can forget those old sibling skirmishes at Christmas? Grammy was famous for her fudge, her divinity, and her fruitcake, and in “The War of the Fudges�, she finds an unusual (but very practical) way to even out the “he’s got more than me� battle. And then there’s the time when a kid realizes he’s not a kid any more, and Christmases are changed forever. In the last chapter, Valdes Greenwood remembers the end of his childhood and the sudden realization that his nutty-as-a-fruitcake family was actually way more than just half-baked. This time of year, when you’re about finished fighting the crowds and listening to the umpteenth rendition of “Jingle Bells�, there’s an antidote to all that perfunctory cheer: real cheer, in the form of a book like this one. “A Little Fruitcake� will make you laugh out loud at some of the universal, almost-from-a-movie memories that Valdes Greenwood shares, including messing up at Christmas programs, being the kid most picked-on, and the oh-no feeling you get when you know that precious last crinkly paper-wrapped package under the tree contains (ugh) new socks. Later on in the book, the memories sober up a bit but are no less appealing in their everyman feel. If you cherish any memories of Christmas past, let this book help you remember and laugh. “A Little Fruitcake� is a real peach of a holiday book.
The County Times
Thursday, December 6, 2007
County Looking For Ways To Preserve Archaeological Troves By Guy Leonard Staff Writer There are literally thousands of sites in St. Mary’s County, the mother county of Maryland, that could yield as yet undiscovered archaeological footnotes in history, preservation advocates say, but some kind of local protection may be needed in the future to ensure their survival. Currently, there is no ordinance in St. Mary’s County that would delay or shift the scope of a housing development or a building project that might cover up or destroy key artifacts that could tell historians more about the lives of Maryland’s first colonial residents or even the natives who first claimed the land. “If sites are disturbed, that destroys the ability of archaeologists
to make careful observations,” said Teresa Wilson, preservation planner for the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management. “The best protection is local protection.” While the creation of an ordinance is an uncertain possibility at this point, Wilson said, the county’s Historic Preservation Commission has already begun to educate the public on what other jurisdictions have done in using the law to protect archaeological sites. In late October, the preservation commission held a small community meeting at Leonardtown High School complete with a presentation from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince George’s County about a new ordinance there that protects archaeological sites that are endan-
Boathouse Continued from page A- ing plus safety factors necessitated their recommendation. “We acknowledge the impact of the Rowing Center on the view of the river,” O’Brien said. “We were all surprised.” The committee reviewed several options to move the rowing center that included realigning Trinity Church Road and reapplying for construction permits. According to Chip Jackson, associate vice president in charge of Facilities, moving the boathouse could cost anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million depending on the option taken; but moving it would take it farther from the shoreline and scuttle its intended purpose. “It’s like building your garage 200 feet from your house,” Jackson said. The Rowing Center has been at the center of significant tumult in the community since the summer when neighbors of the college complained about its placement blocking the view of the river as commuters traveled north. They were also angered by a perceived lack of effort on the college’s part to get public input on the project. Sen. Roy Dyson (DDist.29) jumped into the fray early on, saying the boathouse should be moved and the college should be put under the governance of the University of Maryland system if the college’s leadership did not acquiesce to community demands. Some in the state legislature and the county have opposed his idea to change the college’s governance, saying it would damage the leadership that has led the college to national prominence as a liberal arts honors institution. The college, while a statefunded institution, enjoys significant autonomy not found on other publicly funded campuses in Maryland. Local residents unhappy with the boathouse’s placement also circulated a petition calling on Gov. Martin O’Malley to issue a stop work order on the project. That petition is still being circulated, said activist Gladys Siegel, and is gaining support. “There are 500 signatures on it and they’re still signing it,” Siegel, a member of the Citizens for the Preservation of Historic St. Mary’s City,
said. Siegel said attempts by the college to hold community meetings to discuss the building of the Rowing Center were disingenuous; the college administration had no intention of ever moving the boathouse, she said. “They’ve totally disregarded the will of the people,” Siegel said. “It’s a sham.” Relations between the preservationists and the college became tense when threats of arson were attributed to Siegel’s group after an article was published in a local tabloid newspaper, suggesting some residents felt the project would be better off burnt down. Siegel denied any such comments were made by her group, but the college increased security and surveillance at the construction site in light of the threats. Siegel and the group also want work to stop on the adjoining River Center project. In addition to questions on the practicality of moving the project, the committee members were also loathe to move the center because it was built entirely on donations and private funds; meaning that if it were moved, donors might ask for their money back or be lost as benefactors to the college. The tight state budget this fiscal year also means the likelihood of getting state assistance in moving it is unlikely. “The prospect of raising $1 million [to move the center] is not good,” said Torre Meringolo, vice president for Development. The board of trustees also voted to create a special committee that would meet early – on with community members to discuss building projects on the college campus in an effort to avoid the uproar caused by the Rowing Center. “It makes good sense,” said Tom Botzman, vice president of Business Administration at the college of the Capital Design Advisory Council. Seigel said her group would continue to build opposition to both the Rowing Center and River Center projects. “Our committee is not going to stop,” Siegel said. “We’re not accepting this as a final answer. “Those people have too much autonomy.”
gered by development. The ordinance there allows archaeologists to start various stages of excavation to see how prevalent artifacts are on a particular site and catalog their significance. Development can proceed once the archaeological process has run its course. Wilson said the county is not seeking to get into the business of archaeological investigation, but rather to find a way to preserve the resources and still allow development on a piece of land to continue. “We have to look at what other jurisdictions have done and get public input,” Wilson said. “The planning department is not going to become involved in archaeology. But an ordinance, it just means that we’d have the ability to have something left alone.”
Section A - An archaeological preservation ordinance is a goal of the county’s historic preservation plan that has not been achieved yet, Wilson said. “We’re at the beginning of looking at our plans for archaeology [preservation],” Wilson said. Archaeological resources are mainly focused in St. Mary’s City, she said, where the focused mandate is to eventually restore Maryland’s first capital city back to life. But other excavation sites are being studied around the county right now, she said, though it is not widely known. “The ones surveyed aren’t published to keep them safe from people seeking artifacts,” Wilson said, adding that she was also unaware of the exact locations of surveyed sites. Henry Miller, director of research at Historic St. Mary’s City, said an archaeological preservation ordinance would serve the interests of developers and preservationists well.
“That’s something proven to be economically effective and allows development to occur but preserve our past,” Miller said. Miller said there are probably thousands of sites of archaeological significance in St. Mary’s County, only a fraction of which have been tapped for their potential. The history here encompasses not only about 400 years of colonial settlement, but nearly 10,000 years of American Indian habitation, Miller said. “St. Mary’s County is an extremely rich archaeological region,” Miller told The County Times. One of the prime archaeological resources the preservation commission is attempting to catalog now are the many small plot or family cemeteries in the county that have become lost or have succumbed to the ravages of time and the environment. The commission is attempting to create a database of documented cemeteries that would warn developers to take caution and not disturb them during construction.
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Store Specials • Door Prizes • Refreshments • Dept-56 Sidewalk Sale - Up to 40% off! • Chamilia Jewelry • Webkinz Meet Local Artist Mary Lou Troutman, Marilyn Randall Jewelry that • Byers Choice author of “Razzle Dazzler” and Joe TM Dunn photographer of “Best of St. defines you. • Soot Free Soy Candles Mary’s” between 11-2 pm Saturday Dec. 1st. • Mary Lou Troutman Prints • Antique Furniture
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Open 7 Days a Week
Photo by Guy Leonard
The River Center project, right next to the Rowing Center, is continuing to be built unabated. Some local residents are working to have its construction stopped as well.
Monday - Saturday 10am - 5:30pm Sunday 11am - 5:30pm
The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Obituaries Dr. Charles Eugene Edwards III, 80 Dr. Charles Eugene Edwards III of California, Md., and longtime resident of Rockville, Md., passed away in his home Saturday, Dec. 1, at the age of 80. A physician, educator, husband, father, and grandfather, he was born April 28, 1927 in Washington, DC and was the son of the late Charles Eugene Edwards II and Phoebe Lynch Edwards. He will be deeply missed by his wife of 52 years, Elizabeth Nistal Edwards, his son Charles Edwards and his wife Kimberly of Marietta, Ga., daughter Sharon Edwards of Berkley, Calif., son Michael Edwards and his wife Becky of Leonardtown, son John Edwards and his partner Paul Albergo of Washington, DC, grandchildren Erin, Bethe Anne, Ashley, Joseph and Kyle, as well as many other extended family members and friends. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, Dec. 8, in St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, at 11 a.m. The Reverend John Dakes will officiate. A Memorial Service will be held in January in Rockville, Md. The family requests that contributions in his name be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., 1501 N.W. 9th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136 and/or HOSPICE of St. Mary’s, Inc., P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. in Leonardtown, MD.
William Henry Fowler, 88 William Henry Fowler, 88, of Leonardtown, died Dec. 3, in his residence. Born April 8, 1919 in Washington, DC, he was the son of the late William Ambrose Fowler and Lillian Langley Fowler. Mr. Fowler had worked as a fireman at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC. He served his country during World War II in the Army Air Corps as a gunner aboard B-24’s. He was a member of the St. Mary’s Rod and Classic Car Club. He is survived by two sons, David Lee Fowler of Leonardtown, William D. Fowler of Woodbridge, Va., a sister, Catherine Grace Lamburger of Falling Water, W.V., 12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and two greatgreat grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn L. Phelps Fowler and a brother, Leonard E. Fowler. The family received friends Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Life Celebration Chapel, Leonardtown. A Funeral Service will be conducted Thursday, Dec. 6. at 11 a.m. in the Life Celebration Chapel. Interment will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Md. Serving as pallbearers will be John Hynson, Fred
FDR Continued from page A- wished to remain broke down into groups around the room set up with areas arranged to display large maps of the different portions of the immense project with representatives from DPW and T available to address concerns unique to those areas. This long-going project was designed to address congestion issues within the county, which grew by 13 percent between 1990 and 2000 with the population now nearing 100,000 which has reduced “quality of life for our residents,” according to Groeger. The military community has grown alongside the civilian sector, significantly increasing road traffic. The
Calvert, Bill Higgs, John Gogul, Bert Collier and Ray Rupertus.
Beverly Ann Gisriel, 72 Beverly Ann Gisriel, 72 of Leonardtown died Dec. 2, in her residence. Born Aug. 26, 1935 in Baltimore, Md., she was the daughter of the late Edward W. Murphy and Ruth Madeline Wolf. She was a rural carrier for the United States Postal Service until 1989. She was a wonderful and much-loved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She is survived by her husband, Herbert Fulton Gisriel, whom she married Dec. 11, 1953. She is also survived by her brother Edward S. Murphy of Millersville, Md. and sister Judy Hamby of Glen Burnie, Md., her children David Gisriel of Rockport, Texas, Doug Gisriel of Dameron, Kim Browne of Valley Lee, Lori Bauman of Buffalo, Minn. and their spouses; her grandchildren Sherri Norsworthy, Crystal Gisriel, Jennifer Dominiak-Olson, Justin Browne, Erika Gisriel, Johel Browne, Melissa Gisriel, Shannon Browne, Derek Gisriel, Nicholas Browne, Danielle Gisriel, Rebecca Bauman and Victoria Bauman; her great-grandchildren Mikayla Norsworthy, Dylan Norsworthy, Alisson Magee and Travis Browne. In addition to her parents, Beverly was preceded in death by her sister Ethel Murphy, brothers Edward and Patrick Murphy, and grandson Aaron Browne. The family will receive friends Friday, Dec. 7, from10 – 11 a.m. in the Brinsfield Life Celebration Chapel, Leonardtown. A Memorial Service will be conducted at 11 a.m. in the Life Celebration Chapel. Father Joe Dobson will be officiating. Inurnment will be private. Memorial contribution may be made to Hospice House, c/o HOSPICE of St. Mary’s, Inc., P.O. Box 625 Leonardtown, MD 20650 or Second District VFD&RS, P.O. Box 1, Valley Lee, MD 20692.
Mary Gertrude “Trudy” Grover Pegg, 84, of Lexington Park, died Dec. 2 in Bayside Care Center, Lexington Park. Born Feb. 14, 1923 on Solomons Island, Md. she was the daughter of the late Jesse Guy Grover, stepfather Walter A. Wise and mother Frances Ella Abell Wise. She was the beloved wife of the late Charles W. Pegg whom she married Feb. 14, 1974 in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. She was the sister of the late Earl A. Grover of Myrtle Beach, SC; John Thomas and niece Caroline Cummings. She is survived by two nieces Barbara Feddon and Mary Ann Siniscalchi. She attended Great Mills High School and was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident. She was a civil service employee at Patuxent River as a Budget Analyst for 33 years, retiring in 1980. She was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church and of the Counting Team. She enjoyed reading and spoiling her dog. The family will receive friends Thursday, Dec. 6 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers will be said at 6:30 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held Friday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with Fr. Jack Kennealy officiating. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be Edward Sanner, Robert Pegg, Richard Pegg, Ronald Pegg, Donald Strickland and Bruce Strickland. Contributions may be made to the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 339, Lexington Park, MD 20653 and/or St. Mary’s Humane Society. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Mary Gertrude “Trudy” Grover Pegg, 84 plan is to reduce traffic on state Route 235 and provide alternate routes for residents to schools, shopping areas and other facilities. The road has been in the planning stages for 20 years, beginning as a parallel road to state Route 235. In 1999 an engineering consultant produced plans, public meetings were held and the project was put on hold due to residential opposition. It was brought back to life in 2006 as a two-lane residential connector. This time around it was reduced from four lanes to two to address traffic concerns and other features were added, such as “roundabouts,” or traffic circles and a landscaped median. It is now in the design and property acquisition phase. The design is 15 to 20 percent complete, according
John Bernard “J.B.” Somerville, Sr., 68
Violet Elizabeth “Vi” Smith, 90
riage to Mary Cecelia Dorsey Nov. 6, 1965 in Leonardtown. They had six children whom he cherished and loved as well as a special niece, Leslie Young and one grandchild, Shonita Somerville, whom he raised since their birth as his own children. John leaves to cherish his memories, his wife of forty two years, Mary Cecelia Somerville; children: Kelvin M. Dorsey (Rhonda) of Mechanicsville, Bernadette C. Barnes (John) of Leonardtown, John B. Somerville Jr. (Yolanda) of Lexington Park, Brenda L. Somerville (George) of Lexington Park, Stephanie A. Somerville of Hagerstown, Md., William A. Somerville (Ellie) of Leonardtown, Md.; one brother Clarence Somerville and one sister Theresa Smith, both of Washington, D.C.; brothers-in-law, John Dorsey Sr., Harry Dorsey, Mitchell Dorsey, Joseph Dorsey; sisters-inlaw Margaret Dorsey, Rosa Scriber, Jeanette Gordon and fourteen grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers; Thomas, Edward and Ignatius Somerville, his sisters, Eleanor Somerville, Alice Barnes and Beatrice Stewart and granddaughters Lakia and Takia Somerville. The family will receive friends Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9 – 10:30 a.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel where a funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m with Elder Harold Bowman officiating. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown. Pallbearers will be Rhode Stewart, William Stewart, Fritzgarld Gordon, Mark Miles, John Duckett and John Barnes. Honorary pallbearers will be Wendall Spears, Terrill Swales, Antonio Washington and De’Marcus Spears. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Mary “Helen” (Thomas) Vallandingham, 89
Violet Elizabeth “Vi” Smith, 90, of Duluth, Ga. formerly of Tall Timbers, died Dec. 2 in Duluth, Ga. Born July 19, 1917 in Great Mills she was the daughter of the late Wathon Cleveland and Cora Elizabeth Owens Potter. She was preceded in death by her husband Merril Paul Smith Oct. 17, 1973 in Washington, DC and whom she married in 1943 in Washington, DC. She is survived by her daughter Mary JoAnn
John Bernard “J.B.” Somerville, Sr., 68, was born Aug. 27,1939 in Compton, Md. He was the son of the late Felix Albert and Mary Elizabeth Armstrong Somerville. He was a lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County. He attended St. Mary’s Public Schools as a child and in adulthood worked for the State Highway Administration for twenty nine years as a truck driver. He also worked part-time at Fastop and Food Lion. He enjoyed spending time with his family. He also enjoyed watching his favorite football team, the Washington Redskins. He was a funloving person, very outgoing and very talkative. He loved to play the lottery. You would always see him at A&W. He opened his home to anyone who needed a place to stay. John was united in mar-
Mary “Helen” (Thomas) Vallandingham, 89 of Leonardtown, died Dec. 2, at St. Mary’s Nursing Center. Born in Chaptico on July 25, 1918, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Frank Thomas Sr. and Snowden Elizabeth Rebecca (Thomp-
to DPW & T Project Manager Allen Settle. The county’s budget has allotted $7.3 million to this phase, funded through county bonds, impact fees and transfer taxes. Environmental assessments, wetland mitigation plans, multiple permits and traffic and transportation assessments were required. Developers are responsible for construction in some areas along the route. Some of the attendees voiced concerns over the use of roundabouts instead of traffic circles, but studies have shown that, although more costly, roundabouts are more effective at slowing and controlling traffic. Speed bumps and speed limits will also be used to keep speed to a minimum. “Based on some of the concerns we heard before,
we believe we can provide a neighborhood connection that’s badly needed while at the same time limiting the through traffic that would impact the neighborhood,” said Groeger. The residents in attendance didn’t seem to agree with his assessment. Gary Pratz, 41, of Barefoot Acres asked how much of the $7.3 million earmarked for the project was for safety features or noise barriers. “As much as needs to be,” Groeger said. Dana Marshall, who gave her age as being “over 21,” is concerned for the safety of her neighborhood. “Generally people see a sign that says miles per hour, they do 50. Is that safe for children running back and forth across that road?” Marshall’s neighbor, George and Lynn Keenan,
also were in attendance. They feel that traffic lights will be necessary to control traffic. Seven-year-old Joshua Toney, a second grader at King’s Christian Academy and resident of the Laurel Glen subdivision offered a voice of compromise on whether or not he was pleased with the project. “Sort of both,” he said. He likes the idea because it will connect with Old Rolling Road, but was not so pleased “because of the two roundabouts.” Pratz’s wife, Hannah, also 41, drew applause with the question, “Who gives you guys the right to put this road through housing developments?” Hannah has attended these meetings since 1999 and vociferously voiced her concerns at that time.She asserted that they have not addressed the citizens concerns
Albert Dwight Ledman, 54 Albert Dwight Ledman, 54, of Bushwood, died Dec. 3, in his residence. He is survived by a daughter, Carla Ann Ledman of Lexington Park, Md., two sons, Albert D. Ledman, Jr. of Tall Timbers, Christopher Michael Ledman of Leonardtown, six grandchildren, two sisters, Shirley Liberti and Bonnie Thayer of WV and a brother, Daniel Ledman of Severna Park, Md. The family will receive friends Sunday, Dec. 9 from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Brinsfield Life Celebration Chapel, Leonardtown. Inurnment will be private.
Nichols of Montgomery, Ala.; siblings: Lawrence Potter of Ridge, and Frances Potter of Hughesville, Md.; granddaughter: Deborah A. Jones of Duluth, Ga.; her husband Bradley of Duluth, Ga., and great grandchildren: Anna Katherine and Burke Hamilton Jones both of Duluth, Ga. She was also preceded in death by her siblings: Blondell Hammett, Cleveland Potter, Rosalie Ledonne, Mevril Potter and Calvin Potter. Mrs. Smith moved from St. Mary’s County to Duluth, Ga. in 2003. She graduated with the Great Mills High School Class of 1935. She worked as a Divisional Manager for C&P AT&T Telephone Companies in Washington, DC for 30 years until her retirement in 1975. She enjoyed gardening, boating, reading, going to church, spending time with family and friends. She worked for many years at St. George Catholic Church after her retirement. The family received friends Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 5 – 8 p.m. in the MatFuneral tingley-Gardiner Home, where Prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m. in St. George Catholic Church with Msgr. Karl Chimiak officiating. Interment will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Suitland, Md. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
son) Thomas. She was preceded in death by her husband William Lawrence Vallandingham, Jr. whom she married in the Loretta Chapel in Chaptico Oct. 10, 1933. Mrs. Vallandingham was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident and was a member of Our Lady of the Wayside Church. She was the mother of: Joseph Warren “Joe” Vallandingham of Bushwood, Mary Virginia Gragan of Chaptico, Peggy Bowles of Leonardtown, Robert Lawrence Vallandingham of Ft. Meyers, Fla., James Bertram “Bert” Vallandingham of Hughesville, Thomas Aloysius “Tommy” Vallandingham of Bushwood, Clarence Marion Vallandingham of Loveville, Daniel Walter “Danny” Vallandingham of Mechanicsville, Marjorie “Margie” Jean Hicks, of Mechanicsville, Helen Fay Wallace of Hollywood, and the late John William Vallandingham, Deborah Mae Vallandingham and Elizabeth Ann Vallandingham. She was the sister of Susan Elizabeth “Susie” Wathen of Waldorf, Md. and Mary Marjorie Dennison of Norfolk, Va. and the late Amy Thomas, Catherine Luvenia “Toots” Lacey, Joseph McQuillian “Mac” Thomas, Paul Aloysius Thomas, James Bruce Thomas, Joseph Frank Thomas, Jr. and Violet Theresa Altman. She is survived by 22 grandchildren, 37 greatgrandchildren and eight greatgreat grandchildren. She enjoyed arranging flowers, gardening, reading, cooking and traveling. The family received friends Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the MatFuneral tingley-Gardiner Home, Leonardtown, where prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, Chaptico, with Fr. Timothy Baer officiating. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood. Pallbearers will be her sons, Joe, Robert, Bert, Tommy, Marion, and Danny Vallandingham. Honorary pallbearers will be Mary Virginia Gragan, Marguerite Peggy Bowles, Marjorie Jean Hicks, Helen Fay Wallace and Susan Elizabeth Wathen. Contributions may be made to the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Happy Birthday Mom! Love Vernon, Cheree, Michael, and Jaylin
December 6, 1955 - January 15, 2006
that prompted the delay at that time. She also blamed developers for complicating the issue. She was also concerned with losing areas community children use for the project. “I’m very perturbed,” she said. “It is coming right in my back yard.” “We are committed to working with the citizens of the area to assure that this roadway provides the needed access while at the same time assuring the livability of each community it traverses,” said Groeger. Another public information meeting on the project is slated for August 2008. For more information of the status on the on-going project visit http://www.co.saint-marys. md.us/dpw/.
The County Times
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Linda’s Continued from page A- According to the lawsuit filed in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court in late October Palchinsky claims that Parrish has been trying to disrupt her business by saying falsely that Linda’s Café was going through foreclosure proceedings, and advertising a new restaurant in Leonardtown called Ye Olde Towne Café to replace Palchinsky’s business. Palchinsky’s suit also claims that since entering into an agreement with Parrish last year to lease her business from Parrish that the landlord has failed repeatedly to make critical repairs to the amenities at the restaurant. Palchinsky’s suit claims that Parrish’s actions, which include changing the locks on
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the entrance to her Leonardtown restaurant as well as the burglar alarm code one week in October is a malicious attempt to discredit her and run her out of her business. “Linda was locked out in late October,” Lawrence said. “That was the last straw.” Since the closure, which lasted several days, the restaurant has since reopened and continued to wait on customers. John Norris III, attorney for Parrish filed Parrish’s countering lawsuit in Circuit Court Oct. 25 and Palchinsky
was served with the notice of the suit Tuesday. Norris said that Palchinsky was the one who had failed to live up to her part of the lease agreement. He also said that the dispute has been hashed out in District Court many times. “It means that Linda breached the lease,” Norris said of his client’s suit. “She failed to pay rent, she failed to pay the security deposit required under the lease. And she failed to get insurance that was required under the lease.” Norris also stated in the
Section A -
suit that Palchinsky was liable for trespass for having locks replaced that Parrish used in late October to shut down the restaurant on Washington Street. Norris also said that Palchinksy wrote checks that “bounced for having insufficient funds.” Lawrence said that Palchinsky would still like to come to some kind of amicable settlement with her landlord but that the lawsuit may still be their only option at this point. “It’s what we think is reasonable,” Lawrence said
of the $1 million in damages Palchinsky is seeking. “You get beat up so much you’re forced to react.” In the section of the lawsuit claiming breach of contract on Parrish’s part, it claims that Parrish had discovered asbestos at the Leonardtown location but failed to have it removed. Parrish and her company have not installed proper gas lines in the restaurant, the suit alleges, causing appliances to malfunction; the defendant in the case has also not repaired the leaking roof that has caused damage to the floor
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and walls of the restaurant. Palchinsky, who declined to comment on the lawsuit, also claims in court papers that there are numerous electrical problems in the building that inhibit her business’s operating properly. Along with the $1 million lawsuit, Palchinsky is also suing for an undisclosed amount of punitive damages. Parrish has retained a Towson-based lawyer, Neil James Ruther, to defend her against Palchinsky’s claim, but The County Times could not reach him in time for comment.
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The County Times
Section A - 10
MetCom Continued from page A- quire a level of interaction higher than we’ve ever had,” said County Administrator John Savich. MetCom board chairman Frank Taylor said that some in the public had the perception that MetCom made decisions of how development was to pan out in the county or that it made decisions without any public input. Not so, Taylor said. “That’s a perception we need to change,” he said. “It might be people feel there’s no accountability, that it marches to its own it’s own drummer.” One of the biggest projects MetCom wants to ensure the public is informed on is the purchase of the water and sewer operations at Pax River NAS. MetCom executive director Steve King told the
joint meeting members that after several years the U.S. Navy and Metcom were coming to terms on the final sale of the lines; MetCom is doing on-site inspections to ascertain how they can effectively take over the operations. King said the whole point was to reduce the cost to the U.S. Navy to run the entire base and make it more competitive to survive the coming congressional Base Realignment and Closure Committee process. It also won’t cost MetCom customers any money, King said, because the Navy’s sale price will be billed back to them in an equal amount for service fees. “One of our requirements was that this cannot cost our customer one cent,” King said. “If they [the U.S.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Navy] change their minds [on the payment terms] later we won’t sign.” The takeover plan could cost a total of $24 million, according to information from Metcom and be complete by January of 2009. King also said that MetCom is continuing its design for the expansion of the Marlay- Taylor Water Reclamation Facility as well as find ways to reduce nitrogen put back into the Chesapeake Bay waters to below three milligrams per liter. The answers to achieving those state mandates could include reusing treated effluent water for irrigation or washing mined gravel instead of putting it back into the water ways directly. “We can’t get down to these low levels with water treatment plan technology,” King said, who added that the county was on track to meet the 2011 deadline.
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