Thursday, January 24, 2008 • St. Mary’s County

County

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Thursday, January 24, 2008 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland

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Ryken Athletes Sign Scholarships

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It’s more about how hard you work, not how good you are.”

– J.J. Raley

Soccer Player See Story on Page B-3

Tax Credit for Sprinklers Delayed The Board of County Commissioners delayed the approval of scheduling for public hearings on a proposal to allow a property tax credit for the installation of certain fire protection residential sprinkler systems. The tax credit would apply to existing homes that are retrofitted for sprinkler systems, which the commissioners agreed would have to manage hefty expenditures to modify their residences. The approval will be delayed until the Office of the County Attorney can put together a more comprehensive explanation of who would be eligible for the tax credit, as well as working out considerations for a possible direct rebate to recipients. The legislation will then go through the public hearing process.

Public Schools Fiscal 2009 Budget Not As Lean As Expected After last Novembers Special Legislative Session in Annapolis featuring the largest tax increases in Maryland’s history, local school systems were warned to expect much smaller increases than previously expected. St. Mary’s County was projected to receive a $1.3 million increase in funding from the state. With the recent submission of Governor O’Malley’s proposed FY09 budget, St. Mary’s County schools can rest a little easier. The budget proposes to increase state funding $5.6 million, coupled with proposed County government increases of $4.3 million, and use of fund balances, the Public Schools FY09 budget is proposed to increase by $10.6 million, more than 6%.

Man Dies After Sustaining Injuries In Leonardtown Wreck

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer An 18-year-old Charles County man has died after being critically injured in a wreck Monday in Leonardtown.

According to information from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Timothy J. Knox of White Plains died Tuesday at Prince George’s Hospital Center in the hospital’s trauma unit.

A 17-year-old juvenile, the driver of the vehicle, was also injured in the crash. Police are not releasing his name because of his age.

According to Sgt. Steven Hall, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, the vehicle both of the victims were driving in left the north-bound lane of Maypole Road and crashed into a tree.

Hall said the cause of the crash has not been determined. There appeared to be no indication so far that alcohol contributed to the collision, he said.

Both victims were extricated from the vehicle by emergency responders and taken to the hospital by state police helicopter, according to information from the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad’s Web site.

The 17-year-old driver is still hospitalized, Hall said.

The crash is still under investigation.

Inside Op.-Ed ..........

Obituaries.....

Community...

Police ............

Classifieds.....

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In Presidential Race, Voting Machines Up and Running Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Friday saw a small turnout of election board members to test the AccuVote-Touch Screen DRE voting machines in time for next month’s primary, which will be held Feb.12.

Board of Elections (BoE) officials met at the old Carver School on Lincoln Avenue, where the machines are being stored in locked rooms until voting day.

The machines, produced by Diebold, came under close scrutiny in 2004 when an independent security study, commonly known as the “Hopkins Study” indicated “wide-reaching security vulnerabilities” in the popular DRE (Direct Recording Electronic) models, which have been in use since 2000.

Participants in the study raised concerns over system security, but election officials disagree with the See Accuvote page A-11

Photo by Andrea Shiell

The AccuVote machines are touch sensitive, and can be viewed in high contrast and large print.

Comrade Of MLK Woman Shot Implores New Generation With Bow To Keep Dreams Alive

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Detectives with the St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations have arrested a man they allege is responsible for shooting a woman in the back using a bow and arrow in the early morning Jan. 19.

Detectives are unsure what the motive for the assault was, but money could be a factor.

“He alleged the victim’s sister owed him money,” said Lt. Rick Burris, commander of BCI. “We know he’s familiar with the victim. He admitted to knowing the victim but it’s unclear what the motive was.”

Police have charged Luis R. FuentesDiaz with first-degree assault, which carries a possible 25 year prison sentence if he is convicted of the crime.

Photo by Guy Leonard Fuentes-Diaz was arrested that morning and remains incarcerated, according to Adam Butler, of the St. Mary’s College Gospel Choir, breaks into song in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day at a prayer breakfast Jan. 21.

Burris.

The victim, Natasha A. Kelly, was

By Guy Leonard flown by state police helicopter to Prince But just remembering his legacy was Staff Writer George’s Hospital Center for treatment but not enough, Fauntroy, a minister and forwas later released, Burris said. mer congressman told a celebratory gathWalter Fauntroy, one of Dr. Martin ering at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Kelly was wearing a coat that helped Luther King Jr.’s chief lieutenants in the protect her from a more serious wound. civil rights struggle of the 1960’s, said “That was obviously a good thing to asSee Breakfast page A-12 King’s mantra of having a dream of equalsist in slowing down the arrow,” Burris ity for all still carries great weight nearly said. “It reduced the penetration.

40 years after his legendary speech in the nation’s capitol.

See Bow Shooter page A-

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The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Officials: Enterprise Zones Effective, But Patience Needed For Results

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer It’s a new year, but for a section of the Great Mills Road corridor, where it intersects with Chancellor’s Run Road, not much has changed to improve the view.

Two long-abandoned gas stations, widely acknowledged as eyesores in the community, still stand and with their condition apparently getting worse.

The two properties lie in the county’s enterprise zone, a program designed to stimulate economic growth through business incentives and tax credits, but they have become an example of not only blight, but slow economic progress in that part of the county despite plans to raze one site as part of a mixed use development.

The other property, the old Mobil gas station, could become the site of a national chain drug store, according to the owners of the property.

Officials say that the enterprise zones have been effective in boosting economic revitalization on the Great Mills Road corridor but admit that the growth has not been as fast as they’d like.

“I don’t know if we’ve done the best job in communicating it [enterprise zones],” said Robert Schaller, director of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “It’s going to take some focus [on the program] to get people’s attention.”

Robin Finnacom, head

of the Community Development Corporation, said that while development has been slow, there are about 50 to 60 businesses who have taken advantage of enterprise zone tax credits and that larger projects are on the way.

“Revitalization is a slow, methodical process,” Finnacom said. “But our steps are deliberate in taking the community forward.”

Finnacom said that the zone tax credit gives businesses an 80 percent break on the increased assessment taxes on new construction for the first five years in a 10-year cycle.

Each year after the five years is up the tax credit goes down 10 percent so the break settles at 30 percent.

While the county doesn’t collect the majority of the taxes, Finnacom said, the state reimburses the county 50 percent of what it doesn’t make from businesses.

“The county loses very little of the tax,” Finnacom said.

The enterprise zone term will expire in 2010, she said, but the benefits will continue for 10 years from whenever a business entered into the program.

County Commissioner Daniel H. Raley, whose district includes the two gas stations, said that the enterprise zones were still a valuable tool for economic development.

“It’s there, we need to keep it,” Raley said of the zone, which has been in place

for more than five years. “We haven’t seen a whole lot of activity, we had a spurt of activity and then it died down.

“But it’s coming gradually.”

Paul Colonna, Vice President, a representative for Besche Oil, said that his company and Cherry Cove Property Management are in negotiations for expanding the size of the lot where the Mobil gas station sits to make way for the drug store, but no firm agreements have been settled.

Colonna said that with the

WaWa gas station operating just up the street, which also took advantage of the tax credits in the enterprise zone another independent gas station there was out of the question.

“It’s awful difficult to run against those big boys,” Colonna said.

Raley said the enterprise zone had to be applied without favor.

“That’s the problem with these programs,” Raley said.

“You can’t discriminate.”

The other project, the Patuxent Town Center on the

eral Indian villages.

Between 1502 and 1518, Spain shipped out hundreds Early Immigrants of Spanish-born Africans, called Ladinos, to work as Many of us learned in laborers, especially in the school that the only way mines. Opponents of their African Americans came to enslavement cited their North America was because weak Christian faith and of the African Slave Trade their penchant for escaping by the Spanish. However, to the mountains or joining their presence in the United the Indians in revolt. ProStates began almost a cen- ponents declared that the tury prior. rapid diminution of the InMost of the earliest black dian population required a immigrants to the Americas consistent supply of reliable were natives of Spain and workhands.

Portugal. All were slaves, Free Spaniards were rebut many held decent jobs: luctant to do manual labor or They were navigators for to remain settled (especially Columbus and then colonists after the discovery of gold in the new land. Names of on the mainland), and only black Spanish slaves are in slave labor could assure the records when colossal things economic viability of the occurred like the sighting of colonies. the Pacific Ocean and the conquering of Mexico in African Slave 1513.

Trade Juan Valiente, a black Spaniard, led a large group By 1518, the demand for of Spaniards in a series of slaves in the United States battles against the Araucani- was so great that King an Indians of Chile between Charles I of Spain sanctioned 1540 and 1546. Although the direct transport of slaves Valiente was a slave, he was from Africa to the American rewarded with an estate near colonies. The slave trade was Santiago and control of sev- controlled by the Crown,

Chancellor’s Run and Great Mills Road are waiting to be developed it could be pressure from another project, the widening of Chancellor’s Run, that could really get things moving.

“Once Chancellors Run Road gets [widened] it’ll effectively become a bypass for Lexington Park and those corners will get developed.”

Finnacom said that patience was key in economic revitalization and used the vast changes that have occurred in Leonardtown, where many new businesses have set down roots.

“The success they have today is based on 25 years of steadfast effort,” Finncom said.

Photo by Guy Leonard

Two dilapidated gas stations at the corner of Great Mills and Chancellors Run roads have become a symbol of blight and slow economic revitalization in the corridor. But officials still support enterprise zones there that offer tax incentives for businesses.

A History of Black History Month Emily Finch Contributing Writer

opposite side of the road, is still making its way through the development review process.

That project, sought

by Land Development Co. LLC, could include 440 residential units and 124,000 square feet of commercial space on almost 20 acres.

There have been other successes on the Great Mills Road corridor, however, officials said.

Those include approvals for landscape and streetscape improvements as well as new businesses as well as a new proprietary motorcycle shop and a U.S. Navy contractor that has also applied for tax benefits from the enterprise zone.

While the corners of

which sold the right to import slaves to entrepreneurs.

By the 1530s, the Portuguese were also using African slaves in Brazil. From then until the abolition of the slave trade in 1870, at least 10 million Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas: about 47 percent of them to the Caribbean islands and the Guianas; 38 percent to Brazil; and only six percent to mainland Spanish America. Just under five percent went to North America, roughly the same proportion that went to Europe.

The greatest proportion of these slaves worked on plantations producing sugar, coffee, cotton, tobacco, and rice in the tropical lowlands of northeastern Brazil and in the Caribbean islands. Most of them came from the subSaharan states of West and Central Africa, but by the late 18th century the supply zone extended to southern and East Africa as well.

The extensive use of black African labor during the 16th and 17th centuries on profitable Brazilian and Caribbean sugar plantations provided a model for Eu-

ropean colonists in North America, where Indians and white indentured servants were insufficient to meet the demands for agricultural labor.

Although Africans served as guides and soldiers in the initial Spanish conquest of Mexico, most blacks brought to North America were used to produce the export crops—tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton—that became the major source of the wealth extracted by European nations from their colonies. The English settlers of North America only gradually turned to black slavery to solve their labor shortage. Spain brought at least 100,000 Africans to Mexico during the 16th century, but England did not extensively engage in the slave trade until the Royal African Co. was established in 1663. Although a trickle of Africans began arriving in English North America in 1619, their status was initially similar to that of the white indentured servants, who remained the backbone of the agricultural labor force until the end of the century. As white workers

improved their status during this period, however, both free and bonded blacks were subjected to new laws punishing slave disobedience, prohibiting racial intermarriage, restricting manumission, and otherwise ensuring that the political rights and economic opportunities granted to whites would not be extended to Africans or their descendants.

Replacing African Culture Blacks resisted enslavement from the time of capture in Africa but, outnumbered by whites, North American slaves were less likely than Brazilian or Caribbean ones to engage in massive rebellions.

Africans in North America typically underwent “seasoning” in the West Indies and a “breaking” process on the mainland, which was designed to supplant African cultural roots with the attitudes and habits of obedience required for slave labor.

Only in South Carolina, where slaves became a majority of the population, did planters commonly seek slaves from particular regions of Africa who possessed desired skills, such as the knowledge of rice cul-

tivation. More often, white slaveholders attempted to suppress African culture, believing it was easier to control slaves who spoke English and depended on the skills and knowledge instilled in them by whites.

These efforts were not completely successful, however.

Slaves Africanized English, Christianity, and other aspects of Western civilization, thereby creating their own unique culture that combined African with European elements.

Efforts to return to Africa or to establish slave colonies in North America became less common as the proportion of Africanborn slaves declined, but resistance continued under the leadership of slaves and some free blacks, who used their knowledge of white society to improve the status of blacks. Despite the restrictions white masters placed on the education and religious activity of slaves, literacy and Christianity often became vehicles for individual and collective resistance, both to brutal treatment and to enslavement itself.

Next week we will pick up on our History of Black History Month with the 18th Century and the American Revolution.

The County Times

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Ammunition Prices Soaring for Sheriff’s Office Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

fected by supplies going to wars overseas, demand and increased exporting of copper Sheriff Timothy K. and brass, and an estimated Cameron gained approval on eight-month lag on factory Tuesday for a budget amend- production. ment to procure ammunition The Sheriff’s departbefore state contract pricing ment uses an assortment of increases go into effect on rifle rounds, mostly .223 caliFebruary 11th. Money for the ber, and .40 caliber handgun early purchase will come from rounds, and Cameron said that employment vacancies at the the budgeted cost of ammuniSheriff’s department, some tion is $33,192.97, but that afof which have come about as ter February 11th, the cost for a result of retirement, others the same order will go up to which have been terminated. $63,490.35.

He added that it has been Another concern has tough to find people who can been delays in manufacturing pass the background checks and shipment. Cameron mento fill the current vacancies. tioned that the newest shipThe amendment itself, ment of ammunition came in which is designed to save the two weeks ago to fill an order county money on ammuni- placed in July 2007. tion costs, highlights a greater Commissioner Lawrence problem with the increase in Jarboe (R-Golden Beach) costs for ammunition, as af-

commented on manufacturing deficiencies in the current market, saying, “American manufacturers can’t keep up…whoever gets to be president after this election is going to have some tough challenges to face.”

“We expected this,” Cameron says, adding that the budget amendment is but one step in curbing costs, but that caution will not eliminate the ammunition shortage expected in the next couple of years.

He said that the department uses ammunition cautiously, and mitigates its costs by buying training rounds at half the price of regular rounds for training exercises. “We’re squeezing as much out of that grape as we can,” he said.

Section A -

New ID Scanning System Proposed for Schools step in fulfilling the Board’s commitment to making schools safer for children, adding that “I have two children in the school system, and I want to keep them and the other 17,000 children safe.”

According to the initial presentation, Martirano estimated the cost of the new system at $1,800 per school, totaling about $60,000 for the whole project. This has been factored into the proposed Board of Education Budget for 2009.

Director of Secondary Education Scott Smith explained that the system would be piloted in the next year, but that a pilot school has not been chosen yet. The Board of Education will first have to verify that the system works, and then they will shop for vendors. “If the system works,” Smith said, “in theory it looks like something we’re very interested in.”

Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Superintendent Michael Martirano of St. Mary’s County Public Schools was presented with a program last week to use a new identification scanning system to check visitors, chaperones, and volunteers against the state and national databases of sex offenders.

Current security measures include security vestibules and computer sign-ins for all visitors, but this new system would compile all visitor information into a searchable database to screen volunteers and chaperones and verify that their information is correct.

The device itself would attach to computers and scan identification cards, checking names, addresses, and other information against the state and national registry of sex offenders. Should a sex offender be discovered, a red flag would appear next to their name, and they would be denied access to the school.

Martirano said that this is just one

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The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Editorial & Opinion Letter To Editor:

Thank You 2nd District Community

St. Mary’s River Watershed Association Thanks College Adaptive response by citizens worldwide to increasing evidence of environmental degradation and climate change is a process that requires heightened awareness, informed reflection, dialogue among various groups, and an openness to change. This process is not always comfortable, and can even entail contention. Yet without such a process it will be impossible to remediate damage to the planet and leave a healthy environment for generations to come. In that context, the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association would like to commend Professor Merideth Taylor, the Department of Theater, Film, and Media Studies at St. Mary’s College, and the Dancing on the Earth company for its provocative and engaging benefit dance program “Dancing on the Earth” last month. The program highlighted people’s ambivalent relationship with our

natural world, including the disconnects between our stated values and our behavior. It was followed by a discussion on sustainability including panel members Bill Williams, Professor of Biology; Larry Hartwick, SMCPS Supervisor of Design and Construction; and choreographer Kelly Mayfield, Contradiction Dance. On behalf of the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association, thank you to all “Dancing on the Earth” participants for conveying such thought-provoking concepts through their art and their expertise, and for raising $1,100 to further the mission of our organization. Please visit our web site: www.SMRWA.org

-Joseph Anderson, President St. Mary’s River Watershed Association

The 2nd District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad Auxiliary wishes to thank the residents who faithfully and generously contributed to our 2007 “Bakeless Bake Sale”. Because of this effort, the sweetest ingredient to our recipe was your “giving”. Our major fundraising event of the year is our appeal to the community, where letters are mailed to all who “are served by” the 2nd District Fire Department and Rescue Squad. No cookies, no cakes, no pies or hot ovens are ever involved.

The only aroma in the air is that of our supporting neighbors sharing their “breads”, hard earned cash donations in order to fill the hearts of our men and women. Due to this caring support, necessary equipment was purchased for the Fire Department and Rescue Squad to continue to meet their daily tasks of keeping our community safe.

A mere “Thank You” cannot begin to express how appreciative we are to all the kind people who responded to our letters and dug deep within their pockets to support our efforts. Your unselfish commitment and loyal dedication shows what this community is really all about. You should all be proud!

Our Firefighters, Rescue Squad personnel and Auxiliary will be honored at the upcoming

Installation of Officers Banquet on February 9, 2008. They will be acknowledged for their hard work, dedication, and pride for supporting our community. At this event, the Auxiliary will proudly present our contribution to the Fire Department and Rescue Squad reflecting money we have raised from our monthly breakfasts, other events and generous community donations.

If you received a “Bakeless Bake Sale” letter and would still like to contribute, it’s not to late. Please make your check payable to SDVFD&RSA and send it to: P.O. Box 238, Valley Lee, Maryland 20692. Additionally, if you would like to join this very worthy cause, the Auxiliary, new members are always welcome.

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact Ms. Darlene Johnson at 240-434-1095.

We appreciate your continued support.

-George Starks, President 2nd District Volunteer Fire Department Rescue Squad Auxiliary

Remembering a Hero to the People This month the nation takes time to honor the memory of a humanitarian and civil rights legend.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stirred a generation of people to speak up for their rights, solidifying his standing as one of the most notable and influential activists of the modern age.

Dr. King was born at his family’s Georgia home to parents Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta King on January 15, 1929. At a young age, King was identified as a scholar and would go on to become a highly educated and awarded individual.

He skipped both the 9th and 12th grades of high school and entered More-

house College at age 15 with very high college entrance exam grades.

He subsequently graduated Morehouse with a B.A. in Sociology and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, following in the theological footsteps of his father and maternal grandfather who were also men of God. King was awarded a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozer in 1951. He later earned a Ph.D. from Boston University and studied at Harvard University during his schooling. He holds several honorary degrees from notable schools across the country.

Apart from his ex-

tensive educational background, King took pride in his theological work. He was ordained in February 1948 and became assistant pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and later pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama. From 1960 until his assassination, he was co-pastor with his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church and President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Dr. King was an influential part of the civil rights movement, participating in many rallies and non-violent protests. He was actually arrested more than 30 times in conjunction with his activist work.

The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was cut short when he was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. He had been in the area to lead sanitation workers in a protest against low wages and poor conditions. His shooter was James Earl Ray, who was arrested in London, England on June 8, 1968 and returned to Memphis, Tennessee to stand trial for the assassination.

King’s wife, Coretta Scott King, passed away in 2006 and both are survived by four children.

Despite his passing nearly 40 years ago, his words and memory live on.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was remembered this year on Monday, January 15.

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The County Times

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Ramblings of a Country Girl

Stray, Random Thoughts Terri Bartz Bowles My mind is filled with stray, random thought that just won’t meld (Canasta, anyone?) into anything flowing and coherent, so what the heck? I’m just going to ramble this time.

bernate – bears are so smart. I wish I was a bear.

Sobering Thought – It was pointed out to me very recently that people 20 to 25 years younger than me think I’m old. Not just me, you understand, but everyone my age

First Things First – Time to hibernate! Brrrr! If it’s cold and snowing, that’s one thing.

It’s pretty and the kids have a great time so snow makes the cold worthwhile. But when it’s this cold and there’s no snow, what’s the point? Time to hi-

Two Sentenced For Mobile Home Shooting

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A brother and sister were sentenced to prison last week in county Circuit Court for their parts in a shooting that took place after one of them was involved in fight in at a California residence more than a year ago.

Sherry Montague, 56, and Jerry Van Thompson, 45, were sentenced separately by Judge Michael J. Stamm Jan. 18; months after pleading to first degree assault charges in the shooting.

Back in September of 2006, according to police reports and court documents, Thompson went to a mobile home residence off of St. Andrews Church Road and became embroiled

Bow Shooter Continued from page A- “But it penetrated enough to be considered a serious injury.”

Burris said Kelly was struck at about 5 a.m. this past Saturday while she was walking on Great Mills Road in the area of Great Mills Lane.

Detectives allege that Fuentes-Diaz fired the arrow from a compound bow from the area of his residence, which is also located on Great Mills Lane.

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said the case was “a very disturbing incident”.

“It’s almost unbelievable we’d have someone shot with a bow and arrow,” Cameron said.

“But the intent was clear.”

Fuentes-Diaz, 43, has been before the court before on weapons charges, court documents reveal.

In December, Fuentes-Diaz pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed deadly weapon in county District Court and received a ruling of unsupervised probation before judgment in lieu of six months incarceration.

Another charge against him of having a handgun in his vehicle was not prosecuted by the state.

Both of those prior incidents occurred Sept. 14 of last year.

Kelly, 22, also has had contact with the

in an altercation with several people.

After leaving, court papers state, Thompson went back to his residence on South Patuxent Beach Road and informed his sister, Montague, of what had happened to him.

Both left to return to the site of the initial fight at Thompson’s request, according to prosecutors, armed with handguns.

In the incident that ensued, Montague came to fire two shots, one that came close to a victim, Calvin Ben Jones, and the other at a mobile home with several people, including children, inside.

No one was struck as a result of the gunfire.

Thompson, court papers allege, also held a gun to Jones’ heads and threatened to kill

judicial system.

According to court documents, Kelly has been charged with, but never convicted of, several prostitution charges.

She has also pleaded guilty to drug charges as well as theft and trespassing.

She is currently facing charges of seconddegree assault from an incident back in August of last year.

Another case from more than a decade ago involved a similar weapon.

In 1996 Dana Russell Collins, then an ensign in the U.S. Navy posted to Patuxent River Naval Air Station, was convicted of firing a crossbow bolt at a Petty Officer Jerry Culbreath and fatally wounding him with a hit in the neck.

Collins then dismembered the body using a saw and planned to dump the body, apparently all because of Culbreath’s relationship with Collins’ estranged wife.

Collins is attempting to get a new trial, after he was convicted in a second trial again in 2003, by claiming that evidence was tampered with and that he never shot Culbreath with a crossbow.

Rather he killed him using the bolt as a defensive weapon, Collins claims, when he and Culbreath began to fight over their relationship with Collins’ wife.

Collins is currently serving a sentence of life without parole.

Section A -

and above. Still, it was a sobering thought. Why do they think I’m old? I’m not that much older than them. But there is a huge gulf between those in their late teens to early twenties and everybody else. And I fall into the everybody else category. That they think I’m old shouldn’t have surprised me, but somehow it did. And not the good kind of surprise like finding a $10 bill in an old purse.

Grooming Thought – Check your shoes and see if they need polishing. Don’t put it off, do it. It says a lot about you and how much you care about your appearance and making a good impression.

Don’t become lackadaisical about the details. Run-down or unkempt shoes can ruin your look, it doesn’t matter what the rest of you looks like if your oxfords look like the dog uses them for fun.

Guys – Please don’t ever wear a short-sleeve shirt with a tie. It’s never appropriate.

As a good friend so succinctly puts it – wearing a tie with a short sleeve short screams

fast-food manager. So if you’re not a fast-food manager, don’t do it. If you are a fast-food manager, it’s not a look to choose when you’re not working.

Peers – Greetings fellow members of the Chopticon High School Class of 1981.

We missed having a 25th reunion but some of our classmates are trying to track us all down. Please visit www.classreport.org/usa/md/morganza/ chs/. Post your information and pass the word. Let’s try to find as many classmates as we can and reconnect.

Don’t Leave It Undone – it’s never a bad time to tell someone you love them. I think perhaps we don’t often enough tell those who mean the most to us that we love them. What a silly thing to leave undone. Tell the people that mean the most to you that you love them. Valentine’s Day is coming up – make a promise to yourself to tell not just your spouse or significant other but the other people in your life how much you love and appreciate them

him.

Montague, who fired the two shots, received 18 months incarceration suspended down from eight years for her part in the shooting.

She had been free since the shooting took place and had since moved to Nevada. Stamm authorized her to serve her time in Nevada if that was acceptable to law enforcement there.

Thompson received a 15-year sentence that was suspended down to seven years.

Montague had mitigating circumstances in her case, notably dependence on prescription drugs and numerous medical problems that warranted a lighter sentence, Stamm said.

“I don’t think I’ve seen such a sad case for mitigation,” Stamm said to Montague, reiterating though how reckless her actions were that day.

“I find that atrocious that you’d go to someone’s home not knowing who is in there and fire a weapon.”

Stamm explained to Thompson why his sentence was more severe, despite his never firing a shot.

“She went to the trailer, but you went

Laugh – Laughter is good for you. Studies have shown that people who laugh a lot are healthier and happy than grumps. Allow yourself to laugh, allow yourself to be silly, allow yourself to be goofy.

Random Selfishness – We’ve all heard of random acts of kindness and it’s a cool concept. Here’s another one for you – random acts of selfishness. Once in a while, you can avail yourself of a random act of selfishness. You love the fudge your neighbor makes every Christmas and now there’s only one piece left. You should be a good person and save it for your wonderful spouse, right? Not always. Sometimes you just need to eat the last piece of fudge yourself. Indulge and enjoy. Then wash the tin, put it away quickly and your husband will never realize what happened…….

You can email the Country Girl at countrygirlramblings @gmail.com

back… knowing that there was a problem there,” Stamm said to Thompson. “You had left and you had a cooling off period but you still elected to go back and to take weapons back to that trailer.

“I don’t see you in the same light as your sister.”

Stamm did recommend Thompson for the Patuxent Institute, a facility of the Division of Corrections that treats inmates for addictions, and set the condition of five years of supervision upon his release from prison.

Both defendants expressed remorse for their actions that day.

“I’m really sorry for what I did,” Thompson said. “I’m ready to pay for it.”

Montague apologized “to the innocent people who were around and those people whose lives were at risk.”

Both defendants had originally been charged with many other counts, including reckless endangerment, use of a handgun in the commission of a felony, but prosecutors agreed not to prosecute in lieu of a plea deal.

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Section A -

The County Times

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Total Health Begins Here... Here...

Total Health Begins

Health, Mind & Body A Special Supplement to The County Times Newspaper - January 24th Over 60?

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When You Fight Free Radicals er body has the abilWhile people may ity to combat these try to fight the hands of time, growing older is radicals through the an inevitable process. production of enAs people age, certain zymes and proteins physical and cosmetic that act as anti-oxichanges take place. But dants. However, as while growing older a person ages, cells often lose the ability might be a fact of life, feeling older doesn’t to combat these free have to be. radicals. That can be One of the most due to a number of common ways in which reasons, from poor people feel older is fadiet to increased tigue, which can rob the stress levels as peocountry’s aging citizens ple get older. What’s of the active lifestyle more, as cell membranes begin to demany have grown acteriorate at the hands customed to. For some, of free radicals, the fatigue is merely acThanks to advancements in medicine, seniors no longer need to accept fatigue as process only escacepted, seen largely as a symptom of aging. lates, increasing in unavoidable. However, frequency and accuas more people are findcancer, diabetes, and heart disease ing out, aging and fatigue need not go among others. However, mitochon- mulation. Such a rapid deterioration hand in hand. drial dysfunction does not always lends credence to such statements as, Contrary to popular belief, in- cause a stir among patients or doctors “She aged overnight!”

What supplements like Rejuvacreasing feelings of fatigue are a because it is not a direct cause of disreflection of a person’s health, not ease, but rather a contributor or side core-NT do is restore lost membrane their age. That’s due in large part to effect. In addition, the effects of mi- vitality, essentially reversing the agmitochondria, which are tiny com- tochondrial dysfunction, such as fa- ing process. In a process researchers partments inside individual cells. tigue, are often mistaken as accepted referred to as “Lipid Replacement Therapy,” healthy cell components Responsible for converting oxygen signs of the aging process. and food to energy, mitochondria deBut as recent research has shown, replace dehydrated and deteriorattermine how quickly a person ages or mitochondrial function can be main- ed membranes. In as little as eight gets sick. Therefore, if mitochondria tained well into older adulthood, weeks, a University of California wear down, energy levels decrease, helping to decelerate the aging pro- study found, a typical 70-year-old and the aging process is accelerated. cess. One way to both maintain and had regained a level of membrane acWhat’s important for many restore mitochondrial function is with tivity typical for that of a young adult. people, young and old, to realize a dietary supplement such as Rejuva- Moderately fatigued subjects experiis that mitochondrial function can core-NT. Rejuvacore-NT restores lost enced an increase in mitochondrial be maintained regardless of age. In metabolism and nutrient absorption, function ranging between 15 to 27 other words, fatigue doesn’t have to eliminating two common contribu- percent after taking the supplement for 4 to 8 weeks. Furthermore, use of be a part of getting older, and aging tors to fatigue. the supplement for 12 weeks revealed doesn’t have to be a study in energy loss.

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Cardio a Key to a Successful Exercise Regimen

When it comes time to lose weight, many people look to the nearby fitness center to help them shed those extra pounds. When entering a gym for the first time, newcomers are often overwhelmed by the buzz of activity and the clanking of weights coupled with the host of machines they seem to know nothing about.

While an initial foray into the gym can be intimidating, it’s important to keep in mind that one of the best ways to lose weight is something you’ve been doing almost since the day you were born.

Since the moment you took your first step, you’ve been doing cardio, or cardiovascular exercise. More widely referred to as aerobic exercise, cardio has a number of benefits, not the least of which is losing weight.

• Cardio strengthens bones. Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the bones become brittle and fragile due to tissue loss. This tissue loss can be the result of age or deficiencies in calcium or vitamin D. A workout that includes jogging or even fast walking can reduce the risk of osteoporosis because, as the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) points out, these weight-bearing activities strengthen the skeletal system. NOF also notes that any exercise in which feet or legs are bearing the weight, including dancing and climbing, are effective cardio exercises.

• Cardio reduces body fat. Including cardio in your regular exercise routine helps to increase lean body tissue while reducing fat. If the goal of your weight loss is to look better, then including cardio in your regular routine is a great way to achieve this. While this might sound simple, the more calories you burn, the more pounds you’ll lose, and cardio has proven to be a great way to burn calories.

• Cardio can reduce blood pressure. Many people choose to lose weight not because of a New Year’s resolution, but because their doctor (or their body) has told them t hey need to shed weight to survive. For those with high blood pressure, cardio has proven an effective way to lower blood pressure. A 2002 study at Tulane University found that aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercise lowered blood pressure in all groups of people, whether they had pre-existing conditions or h a d normal blood pressure.

• Cardio can help relieve the pain of arthritis. A cardiovascular program that includes water exercise can be especially valuable to arthritis sufferers. Such exercise can help keep the joints moving while strengthening the muscles around the joints. In addition, cardiovascular exercise increases energy levels, which helps arthritis sufferers better handle some the daily tasks that have become difficult as a result of the arthritis.

The County Times

Thursday, January 24, 2008

RESOLUTION RESOURCES

Section A -

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$5.00 How Resolutions Become Reality Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions. And every year, millions of people abandon those resolutions in a small period of time. Whether it’s the hectic pace of life or the general difficulty of making a lifestyle change, resolutions have a history of falling by the wayside.

In fact, research indicates that roughly 30 percent of people who make New Year’s resolutions have already abandoned them just a month into the new year. While it’s common for resolutions to be abandoned, there are tricks to making resolutions a reality.

• Don’t be too vague. One of the more common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight. While the idea of losing weight is a great idea for those who are overweight or obese, simply saying “I’m going to lose weight” is not a good resolution. That’s because it’s too vague. After all, if you go 12 months and lose 1 pound, theoretically your resolution might have become a reality, but was the spirit of the resolution truly met? Of course not.

To make a resolution stick, be specific.

If your goal is to lose weight, weight yourself on New Year’s Day and set a realistic goal for weight loss (consult with a medical professional if need be). By doing so, you can establish measurable goals along the way, such as losing “X” amount of pounds by a certain date. Such measuring

sticks will help to keep you motivated as you continue to meet your goals.

• Be realistic and responsible with your resolution. Too often, resolutions are made that aren’t necessarily realistic or responsible, which calls into question how valuable a given resolution truly is. For example, someone who is buried in debt might resolve to get a new 50-inch television plasma screen television before the year is out. While it can be nice to have such a television, that’s not really a responsible resolution. Instead of making the television your resolution, make getting out of debt your resolution. Should you accomplish that goal, you can then choose to reward yourself with the television that way.

• Make your resolution something you’ll enjoy. When a young person enters college, he’s often told to find something he loves to do and do that for a living. The same approach can be taken with a New Year’s resolution. For those who love to write, resolve to get a piece of writing published before the end of the year. For those who want to lose weight but aren’t fond of going to gyms, look into an athletic activity you might once have enjoyed, such as riding a bike, playing basketball or jogging, and center your weight loss program around such activities. The more you like doing the things related to your resolution, the more likely it will be that that resolution will become a reality.

New Year New You

Lose weight, save money, advance your career, be more adventurous, quit smoking, get organized… whatever your New Year’s resolutions.

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The County Times

Section A -

Natural Solution Uses Enzymes To Fight IBS and GERD Digestive problems account for millions of doctor visits each year. From food allergies to heartburn to excessive bloating and stomach discomfort, the problems caused by impaired digestion or poor eating habits are many. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 million people in the United States suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or symptoms of what is commonly referred to as acid reflux. GERD occurs when acid from the stomach backs up through the digestive system to the esophagus. Initially, the symptoms are discomfort, though the longterm effects can include erosion of the esophagus and an increased risk for esophageal cancer.

In addition to GERD, one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in the United States, affecting roughly 10 to 15 percent of the population, is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder, IBS accounts

are in short supply, heartburn, bloating and other symptoms can arise. In other cases, diseases such as Celiac disease, where a person cannot digest gluten, can result in similar symptoms or even compromised absorption of nutrients.

How is enzyme depletion caused?

There are two ways natural enzymes can be impaired. One way is the underconsumption of foods that are full of healthy enzymes. Another cause is eating too many of the same foods or food groups. For example, if you eat too much dairy, wheat or eggs in a day - or over the course of a week or more -you can create an enzyme deficiency for that particular food or food group.

What are the results of too few natural enzymes?

As mentioned, digestive problems can occur. But the immune system may

Improving digestive health can be as simple and replenishing natural enzymes through supplements.

for between 2.4 and 3.5 million doctor visits each year, or up to 12 percent of all primary care visits per year. IBS is a particular cause of concern for women, who are responsible for 60 percent of all cases in the U.S. Many times, these and other digestive disorders are the result of an imbalance of enzymes in the body in conjunction to what is eaten. Enzymes are necessary to break down fats, proteins, sugars, carbohydrates, fibers, starches, and lactose into small particles that can be digested and absorbed. When enzymes do not work effectively or

also be compromised as a result. In order to make up for the ineffectiveness of the enzymes, the pancreas secretes a greater amount of enzymes than normal to overcompensate, resulting in an exhausted pancreas. To reduce the load on this organ, the immune system lends its white blood cells, which have stores of enzymes, to assist in the digestive process. The consequence of this is white blood cells are pulled away from their primary role in protecting the body against invaders.

What can be done - without turning to prescription drugs?

Many doctors treat the symptoms of digestive problems rather than the causes themselves. Therefore, prescription medication that either suppresses acid production or gas in the stomach and intestines is often the first line of defense. Also, a special diet that restricts the consumption of certain foods, such as fatty or spicy meals, may also be recommended. However, boosting the natural enzymes in the digestive system can be a better course of action, and one beneficial to people who prefer not to rely on prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Nu-ZymesTM is a dietary supplement that is taken before, after or between meals. Each all-natural capsule is fortified with a unique blend of maylase, protease, lactase, lipase, cellulase, acidophilus and CereCalaseTM - a special blend of three enzymes. These plant- and fungi-derived enzymes perform specific functions to help the digestive system work properly by breaking down fats, proteins, sugars and other nutrients into smaller particles for ease of digestion.

“My 13-year-old son was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome when he was 5 years old,” says Cynthia H. of Alto, Texas. “I have searched for something to help him for years and finally gave up until I watched a program on Nu-Zymes. I ordered them and my son could tell a difference immediately.

My whole family takes them now.”

In addition to supplementing with Nu-Zymes, there are other steps to take that can improve digestion: • Vary your diet: Do not eat the same foods excessively every day,which can cause enzyme deficiency.

• Eat less food in general: Overeating can cause weight gain and contribute to bloating and acid reflux.

• Eat more raw foods: Raw vegetables and fruits are full of nutrients and the natural enzymes your body needs.

• Remember that fat (in moderation) is needed: Fat is a vital nutrient essential to providing energy, building cell membranes and protecting vital organs and nerve cells. Reduce foods high in saturated fats, but still consume healthy fats such as canola oil, olive oil and fatty fish.

Protect, Prevent Skin Damage in Workplace Nearly half of all work-related illnesses are related to skin diseases.

Nearly half. Look around your workplace. Are you vulnerable to chemicals, infection or contamination?

One of the most common types of skin damage is dermatitis, a painful condition that causes billions of dollars in lost time and productivity and even more spent on skin disease treatments.

But even one day or one dollar lost because you develop this painful skin condition is too much.

Dermatitis is characterized by dry skin that may include cracking, swelling, itching, redness, scaling, blisters, or patches that resemble burns. Any form of dermatitis can be so debilitating that people are forced to change their occupation due to excessive time off work or the discomfort.

A remarkable array of industries and employees can be affected by dermatitis. Just a few occupations that may include risk for employee: • food handlers and bartenders • medical and dental workers • sanitation and hospitality employees • public safety workers • child caregivers • retail cashiers and bank tellers • construction workers or outdoor contractors • hairdressers And you may be more susceptible than you think. According to Occupational Health Journal, you don’t need to be in contact with hazardous or harsh chemicals to put your skin in danger.

Bio-SafeTM Skin Protectant provides up to 4hours of protection against chemicals, bacteria and contamination for workers, customers and their families.

Water is the most common irritant.

Many occupations require frequent hand washing.

A whole range of chemicals (including water) can cause the skin to break down even under gloves and other personal protection equipment. This breakdown results in moisture loss, and can ultimately lead to skin disease, especially dermatitis. Skin breakdown, even when it’s very mild, can increase your susceptibility to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria like MRSA and Staph as well.

The bacteria, contamination and chemicals don’t respect the boundaries of your workspace. You can also affect your customers and even bring the danger home to your family.

How do you defend your skin from the barrage of irritants that you may come into contact with?

The first, and simplest way is to avoid contact with chemicals or substances you know to be irritants. That’s not always possible, though. It’s also important to wash your hands regularly. But even that can contribute to dermatitis if done too often.

Be sure to wear the right protective

equipment. Choose gloves and clothes that are appropriate for the type of work you’re doing. However, gloves can tear or break, allowing bacteria and irritants to reach the skin. Materials used in gloves also can cause irritation.

Finally, industry experts recommend using a skin protectant, a type of lotio that helps prevent the absorption of harmful chemicals while keeping the skin’s moisture intact. For best results, use a skin protectant designed to shield the skin from bacteria and irritants, even in a contaminated environment.

Bio-SafeTM Skin Protectant, by Eclectic Products, Inc., is one such product. It has a patented polymer formula that creates an invisible shield on your skin to help protect you against infectious bacteria and harsh chemicals that can lead to serious infection.

“I’ve been using Bio-Safe Skin Protectant for eight years,” says John Sehorn, owner of Sanitation & Safety Services in Milwaukie, Oregon. “It does what it’s supposed to do. I get cuts and they heal almost overnight. I put it by the time clock so employees can use it when they punch in and when they come back from lunch.”

Bio-Safe also works alongside personal protective equipment like gloves, to add a second layer of protection.

And when applied to clean, dry skin, Bio-Safe will last for up to four hours, even with repeated hand washing.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Drug-Resistant Superbugs on the Rise It seems that for years the medical community has been warning the public about the potential for a “superbug” to form - a bacteria that is resistant to the majority of antibiotics currently on the market. Still, many parents - and even doctors - understand the risk but fill antibiotics prescriptions anyway.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), virtually all significant bacterial infections in the world are becoming resistant to the antibiotic treatment of choice.

There are even bacteria that resist single, double, or multiple antibiotics, making treatment and the threat of a superbug even more real.

Ear Infection Woes Recently, researchers have discovered a strain of bacteria resistant to all approved drugs used to fight ear infections in children, according to an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Two pediatricians discovered the drug-resistant ear infection strain after performing tympanocentesis (ear tap) on children whose ear infections did not clear up with the general course of antibiotics. The ear tap process involves puncturing the ear drum and draining fluid. Subsequent testing of the fluid can determine the bacterial strain causing the infection.

The children who were not benefitting from antibiotics were found to have a superbug named 19A. The bacterial strain could only be killed by the antibiotic levofloxacin, a medication not approved for use in children.

Desperation mandated the doctors treat the children with the powerful antibiotic rather than have them face further illness or permanent hearing loss.

Resistant Staph Drug-resistant staph infections have been in the news as of late, again drawing attention to superbugs. Staph infections, which range from urinary tract infections to bacterial pneumonia are caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In the 1940s, staph became resistant to penicillin. Today S. aureus is resistant to all but some of the most lethal antibiotics. There are even reports that the most powerful treatment is

no longer effective.

Stopping Superbugs For years experts have been warning that doctors need to determine if bacteria is at play with regard to illness before prescribing antibiotics. It’s now recommended that they go even further to determine the strain so that the proper antibiotic can be used. Antibiotics should not be prescribed for illnesses such as colds or the flu for “comfort sake,” because these are viruses and are unaffected by antibiotics.

Task force agencies chaired by the CDC and the FDA continue to educate and find ways to combat drug-resistant bacteria.

The success of the plan - known as the Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance - depends on the cooperation of many entities, such as state and local health agencies, universities, professional societies, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals, agricultural producers, and the public.

How Happens

Resistance

Bacteria reside all around us. Many are helpful and not at all a danger. Some are capable of causing serious infections.

To treat bacteria-caused infections, antibiotics must halt or kill the growth of bacteria.

Some bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics naturally over time. Others have become resistant to drugs other ways. Many develoop resistance to certain drugs spontaneously through mutation. Mutations are changes that occur in the genetic material, or DNA, of the bacteria. These changes allow the bacteria to fight or inactivate the antibiotic.

Bacteria can also become resistant through exchanging genes with other bacteria. Rapid growth of bacteria and a sort of “mating” creates combinations of bacteria that are not affected by drugs.

If an antibiotic is prescribed and absolutely necessary, a person should not skip doses or stop taking it as soon as they feel better; they should complete the full course of the medication. Otherwise, the drug may not kill all the infectious bacteria, allowing the remaining bacteria to possibly become resistant.

Did You Know?

Rising medical malpractice suits could become a big concern not only for physicians and policy makers, but the general public (i.e., prospective patients) as well.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, premiums for medical malpractice rose by an average of 15 percent between 2000 and 2002. And that number is just an average, with some regions experiencing a much sharper increase than others.

For example, a county in Florida experienced a surgeon premium increase of 75 percent.

Escalating previums could quite possibly deter current students considering careers in medicine from joining the field, or influence which field of medicine they join. As a result, residents of counties with high malpractice premiums could very well become underserved in future years, as surgeons may seek work elsewhere to avoid harsh premiums.

Fungus Can be No Fun: Investigation into a fungus purported to cause some cases of dandruff, eczema and other skin disorders could make treatment easier for millions of people. Research indicates that dandruff can affect up to 90 percent of the population.

A team of researchers at Proctor & Gamble Beauty said that they grew enough of the Malassezia globosa fungus, to give dandruff to 10 million people. This fungus has been known to cause dandruff among other skin conditions. They subsequently sequenced its genes and found that the fungus is able to sexually reproduce. This information can shed light on how to treat dandruff. Fungus reproduction could be the catalyst for dandruff to eventually find ways to evade dandruff shampoos.

Malassezia fungi also cause systemic infections in newborns, and are related to some fungi that affect plants such as corn. So finding ways to outsmart the fungus could have widespread benefits for health and agriculture.

The County Times

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Section A -

Staying On Track When Dining Out

Disappearing Ink

When it comes to dieting these days, dieters have a multitude of avenues to explore as they attempt to eat healthier and shed a few extra pounds. With so many different approaches to diet, it’s hard to determine what’s good for you, what’s not so good for you, and what’s the best way for you to lose weight.

For many, the dieting process includes lots of trial and error until the diet that best suits your lifestyle and personal tastes is discovered. Once that’s happened, though, even the most disciplined dieters frequently face a common roadblock: eating out.

A night on the town often involves dining out as well, making it hard for dieters to resist a welcoming menu filled with lots of good food, but not necessarily food that fits with your established diet. Fortunately, for those facing such a quandary, there are a few tricks to make dining out easier and healthier.

• Beware of beverages: When dining out, avoid beverages that have added sugars, such as soft drinks or mixed drinks. If you like a glass of wine or a beer with your entree, keep it solely for your entree, and order a glass of water to sip while you’re eating your appetizers. If alcohol isn’t a must-have, continue with water during the main course, or another safe choice such as unsweetened tea, or even low-fat or fat-free milk.

• Dress your own salad: Oftentimes, people look at salads as extremely healthy. While this is true in theory, it’s not always reality. That’s because salads can be smothered in salad dressing, which isn’t necessarily healthy. When ordering a salad, ask for the dressing to be served on the side. This allows you to control how much dressing you’ll eat. In addition, ask for lowfat dressing, as the difference in taste is hardly noticeable.

• Watch the bread you break: Most restaurants bring bread or breadsticks to a table once a dinner party sits down. In such cases, ask a waiter or waitress if the restaurant has whole wheat bread. Unlike white bread, whole wheat bread does not have its bran and germ removed by milling, making it a better source of fiber. Because those ingredients aren’t removed, whole wheat breads also make people feel full more quickly, encouraging dieters to eat less throughout the rest of the meal.

• Flee the frying pan: People tend to throw their diets out the window when they dine out, but this can be a costly mistake, especially with the main course. Don’t order dishes that are fried or sauteed, as these dishes typically feature lots of trans fats that are very detrimental to your health. While many restaurants have either cut back or stopped their use of trans fats entirely, it’s hard to decipher who has, and it’s hard to know which dishes still include trans fats, which restaurants use because they extend the storage life of foods and also contribute positively to a dish’s flavor.

So what to order? Dishes that are steamed, grilled or broiled are often far healthier and just as delicious. When ordering such dishes, ask for vegetables to replace unhealthy side orders like french fries.

• Bolt from the buffet: Buffet-style eating, while tempting (especially to dieters), should be avoided at all costs. Rare is the person who doesn’t overeat in this setting, and dieters will regret overindulging at the buffet.

• Finish with fruit: Part of the joy of dining out is ordering dessert. While most are quick to go the ice cream and pastry route, for dieters this should be avoided. In lieu of the traditional dessert fare, order some fruit, which can be a nice, light complement to your entree.

Do you have a tattoo? Many people today do. Studies show that one in seven adults now sport one or more tattoos.

Television shows like TLC’s “Miami Ink,” “LA Ink,” and A&E’s “Inked” have taken tattoing out of the realm of bikers, rock stars and rebellious teenagers and have illustrated that it’s a mainstream form of self expression.

“Tattoos were once considered ‘deviant’ behavior,” says Myrna Armstrong, EdD, a professor at the School of Nursing, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. “Many older people may still think that’s the case. But younger people, however, view body art as a form of decoration and self-expression.”

Through the years tattooing has remained a way of expressing identity so that individuals may feel unique. But as more and more people go under the needle, tattoos lose some of their mystique and appeal; tattooed people are no longer standing out in society, so to speak. Other people feel they’ve simply outgrown their tattoos, and they don’t mean as much to them as they once did. As a result, tattoo removal has grown in popularity.

Allergies on the Rise for Children The birthday pizza party. School bake sales. PB&J sandwiches in the lunchroom.

Halloween candy. Navigating a child’s world when food allergies are present can be challenging to say the least.

But for the millions with allergies, it’s an absolute must to be resolute and avoid potential food triggers.

If your child is allergic to nuts, dairy, or shellfish, to name a few foods, he or she is sharing company with about 11 million other people in the U.S. alone. About six percent of children in Quebec have food allergies.

In the past, food allergies were not much of a concern to the medical community. Today, scientists generally agree that food allergies are a force to be reckoned with - and the numbers of those with allergies are growing. In response, parents, children, and schools are taking measures to make sure children with allergies are safe from attacks that can be as mild as rashes or irritation or as severe as anaphylactic shock. Peanut- or milkfree zones are set up in lunch rooms, and many food manufacturers are now required to list the eight most common allergies on their food labels.

Because allergies can even be triggered from just inhaling foods, including “peanut fumes,” many airlines and classrooms actually ban foods containing nuts or require they be stored under special lock and key - away from allergic children.

Peanut allergies and allergies from other tree nuts, including almonds and pecans, are among the most dire. Reports indicate that peanut allergies have doubled in children under 5 between the years of 1997 and 2002.

Even trace amounts of peanuts can cause severe allergic reactions. In 2005, 15-yearold Christina Desforges from Canada died a few days after kissing her boyfriend who

had just eaten peanut butter.

People with severe allergies, such as those to peanuts, often carry around EpiPens, emergency devices that can deliver a dose of epinephrine in the case of a severe reaction.

What Allergies?

Causes

There is no concrete reason why allergies occur in some and not others. Many believe allergies run in families.

New research into allergies has unearthed an interesting hypothesis: that oversterilization of a child’s environment is related to development of allergies. It seems instead of just an apple a day to keep the doctor away, children should regularly be exposed to dirt and animals.

Studies have shown that kids who grow up on farms around animals and dirt have fewer allergies than those who are sheltered from these conditions. The hypothesis has even been studied among lab rats. Those in a wild habitat exhibit far fewer allergies than rats kept in a laboratory.

The line of thinking is that in the “wild” the body learns to judge what invaders are truly malevolent, such as a severe parasite, rather than something innocuous like a grain of pollen.

Allergy Treatment Up until recently, there was no cure or treatment for allergies - people simply avoided triggers or took products to alleviate mild symptoms. But scientists are looking at other options. Using the problem foods themselves in extremely small doses, experiments are under way to see if an allergic individual can gradually build up a tolerance to foods they normally would be allergic to. While this doesn’t mean they’ll be able to indulge in a peanut butter cup if they have a peanut allergy, it may save them a trip to the hospital if they accidentally bite into a trace amount of peanuts.

While Tattoo Trends Are on the Rise, So Is Tattoo Removal

Disappearing Act For the hundreds of people who have tattooed a girlfriend or boyfriend’s name on their body only to be jilted in love, the technology of tattoo removal proved a

welcome relief. Dermatologists throughout the U.S. say that anywhere from 15 to 50 percent of people who get tattoos later regret them. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) reported that laser tattoo removal procedures were up 17 percent between 2001 and 2005. In 2005 alone, approximately 55,000 procedures were performed.

Removing a tattoo is far more expensive and involved than getting one in the first place; it’s not simply, “zap and the tattoo is history.” The end result of tattoo removal can also be scarring and some residual ink coloring. That is why if anyone is on the fence as to whether to tattoo, they should seriously take these factors into consideration. Still, new innovations in laser tattoo removal continue to streamline the process for those who simply have outgrown the tattoo novelty or find that a tattoo is negatively interfering with relationships or career opportunities.

In the past, the only options for removing tattoos were dermabrasion and excision, neither particularly effective, and both often painful. Today, pigmentspecific lasers can erase more colors than before. Keep in mind that some colors, such as black, blue, red, and purple are easier than other colors to remove. Yellows and greens are some of the more

difficult. The process also takes time.

Many patients have to have a laser procedure roughly five to seven times to see an obvious lightening of the tattoo. Some require up to 15 sessions. In the end, a tattoo will be considerably removed, but there will be some faint reminders of the artwork that once resided on the skin.

New ink technology is also being developed for those who want a tattoo but may want to remove it later. The ink is made to basically disintegrate and be instantly absorbed by the body through the lymphatic system.

Risks With Removal Every medical procedure poses some risk, as is the case with tattoo removal.

Scarring and infection are some of the more common outcomes. Generally, laser removal is relatively safe. The risk of infection is low if you follow your doctor’s instructions after treatment. Conditions like hyperpigmentation (the skin in the affected area becoming darker than usual) or hypopigmentation (the skin in the affected area becoming lighter than usual) can also occur.

Reduce the risk of complications and improve the odds of a successful tattoo removal by researching and checking out reputable clinics, with doctors who specialize in this field of dermatologic work

Cardio a Key to a Successful Exercise Regimen When it comes time to lose weight, many people look to the nearby fitness center to help them shed those extra pounds. When entering a gym for the first time, newcomers are often overwhelmed by the buzz of activity and the clanking of weights coupled with the host of machines they seem to know nothing about.

While an initial foray into the gym can be intimidating, it’s important to keep in mind that one of the best ways to lose weight is something you’ve been doing almost since the day you were born. Since the moment you took your first step, you’ve been doing cardio, or cardiovascular exercise. More widely referred to as aerobic exercise, cardio has a number of benefits, not the least of which is losing weight.

• Cardio strengthens bones. Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the bones become brittle and fragile due to tissue loss. This tissue loss can be the result of age or deficiencies in calcium or vitamin D. A workout that includes jogging or even fast walking can reduce the risk of osteoporosis because, as the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) points out, these weight-bearing activities strengthen the skeletal system.

NOF also notes that any exercise in which feet or legs are bearing the weight, including dancing and climbing, are effective cardio exercises.

• Cardio reduces body fat. Including cardio in your regular exercise routine helps to increase lean body tissue while reducing fat. If the goal of your weight loss is to look better, then including cardio in

Reflexology What is it? Reflexology is the science based on the principals that there are zones on the feet, hands, and ears that correspond to each part, organ, and gland of the body. As you work the feet or hands, each system of the body is enhanced, including the hormonal, lymphatic, digestive, eliminative and nervous systems.

The object of reflexology is to stimulate the inherent healing potential of the body.

Reflexology triggers the return to homeostasis by stimulation of the reflexes and meridians in the feet, working to eliminate congestions that may be obstructing the vital energy flow.

Benefits of Reflexology…

• Relieves stress and tension • Improves circulation & lymph drainage • Increases energy and stamina • Boosts immune function • Improves sleep • Can help in pain relief • Improves digestion and elimination

your regular routine is a great way to achieve this. While this might sound simple, the more calories you burn, the more pounds you’ll lose, and cardio has proven to be a great way to burn calories.

• Cardio can help relieve

the pain of arthritis. A cardiovascular program that includes water exercise can be especially valuable to arthritis sufferers. Such exercise can help keep the joints moving while strengthening the muscles around the joints. In addition,

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The County Times

Section A - 10

Thursday, January 24, 2008

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The County Times

Thursday, January 24, 2008

St. Mary’s County Accuvote Legal Notices Continued from page A-

NOTICE REGINALD SANDERS 11704 Maher Drive Fort Washington, Maryland 20744

Plaintiff vs.

SALONE PRICE 5907 8th Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20011 and SUDIE J. PRICE 5907 8th Street, N.E. Washington, D.C. 20011 and THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MARYLAND P.O. Box 653 Leonardtown, Maryland 20650 and GEORGE TUCKER, PRESEDENT Longview Beach Club Association P.O. Box 359 Chaptico, MD 20621 and ANY AND ALL PERSONS HAVING OR CLAIMING AND INTEREST IN THE PARCELS OF LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN

Defendants In The Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland Case No. CA-08-38-FR TAX SALE The object of this Proceeding is to secure the Foreclosure Of All Rights Of Redemption in the following parcel of land located in the Seventh Election District of St. Mary’s County, Maryland that was sold by the County Treasurer to the Plaintiff at a Tax Sale held in Leonardtown, Maryland on February

15, 2006 and described as follows, that is to say: LOT NUMBERED TEN (10) in BLOCK FIVE (5) in the subdivision known and called LONGVIEW BEACH as per plat of said subdivision duly recorded among the Land Records of St. Mary’s County, Maryland in Plat Book CBG No. 1, Folio 80.

BEING the land conveyed

by Laverne Daniels to Salone Price and Sudie J. Price, husband and wife, by Deed dated June 12, 1980 and recorded among the Land Records of St. Mary’s County, Maryland on the same day in Liber MRB No. 72, Folio 191..

The Complaint To Foreclose Rights Of Redemption states,among other things, that the amount necessary for Redemption has not been paid, although more than six months and a day from the date of sale has passed.

It is thereupon this 10th day of January, 2008, by the Circuit Court For St. Mary’s County, Maryland, ORDERED that notice be given by the insertion of a copy of this Order in some newspaper having a general circulation in St. Mary’s County, Maryland once a week for three (3) successive weeks warning all Defendants and all persons having or claiming to have any interest in the said Real Estate to appear in this Court by the 17th day of March 2008, and redeem the property and answer the Complaint or a Final Court Order may be rendered Foreclosing All Rights Of Redemption in the Real Estate and vesting in the Plaintiff a Title free and clear of all encumbrances.

JOAN

W.

WILLIAMS

Clerk Of The Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland PUB 01-17-08, 1-24, 1-31-08

Prosecution Can Use Defendant’s Statement In Home Invasion Case

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A man facing trial for participating in a home invasion on Independence Day last year lost his appeal in county Circuit Court to have a statement he made suppressed that the prosecution hopes to link him to the crime.

Derrick Rahmone Medley, 22, of Great Mills argued before the court that when he was arrested for the home invasion shortly after it occurred July 4th that he was under the influence of drugs, had not been properly read his Miranda rights and was offered a deal to provide information on an unrelated crime in exchange for leniency, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Theodore Weiner.

Judge C. Clarke Raley did not accept Medley’s version of events Jan. 18.

“Frankly Mr. Medley to accept your version of it I’d have to have been born five minutes before court began,” Raley told Medley. “This statement was not coerced in anyway.”

Weiner said that Medley’s version of events had his alleged accomplice Trey D. Barnes, 20, of Lexington Park, as doing most of the active work in the home invasion on Medley’s Neck Road in Leonardtown.

“Basically Trey does everything and he’s along for the ride… except that he wrestles with the victim.

“That’s what he says.”

Public Defender John Getz, Medley’s attorney, said that the statement centered on a detective’s question about the alleged accomplices, Barnes’, intent during the incident.

According to the transcript of the proceedings Medley told the detective that Barnes intended to rob one of the occupants of the apartment complex.

“He did not admit to participating,” Getz told The County Times.

According to charging documents both Barnes and Medley allegedly kicked in the doors to three, second floor apartments at a small complex demanding information on one of the victims who was apparently in possession of marijuana and currency.

Court documents further allege that when Barnes and Medley found the person they were looking for, Medley became embroiled in a struggle with the victim.

During the struggle Barnes fired a shot down the hallway of the apartment complex, charging documents allege, and fled the apartments soon after the gunfire erupted.

The suspects were also alleged to have pointed the gun at the owner of the property who was trying to find out what was going on as they were fleeing the scene.

Both men face charges of armed robbery, burglary, firstdegree assault and malicious destruction of property.

Section A - 11

said board of elections member Tim Wood.

When asked about whispers within the legislature that federal funds might be allocated to reinstitute a

dent, vice president, and male and female delegates.

Ballot marking continues as election officials set up the machine and run a test to confirm a zero total. Once

ing separate tallies on paper.

Every ten votes, election officials at the machine switch off so that the other is voting while the previous voter watches. When all is said

study, saying there were a number of assumptions made about existing security measures that had fueled debate over the system’s vulnerabilities. Among such assumptions was the idea that the machines could be pre-programmed with a certain number of votes already cast, that voters or poll workers could potentially cast multiple ballots, or that individuals could plant malicious code that would spread to other machines.

Board of Elections Director Brenda Burch stated this is not the case. There are no curtains to walk behind, and the machines themselves are sealed with serial numbers and kept in locked rooms. Also in the room at any given time are election officials from both political parties, who must confirm every detail of the testing and counting process, startPhoto by Andrea Shiell ing with the confirmation of The AccuVote-TS DRE machines are being stored at in several locked rooms at Old Carver School. They will be a zero vote count for every moved to polling places on February 12th, when Maryland holds its primary elections. machine.

“I think these are super paper ballot system, Burch the zero total is confirmed, and done, the officials print said those were just rumors. the paper ballots are collect- out a final report and have the tallies confirmed all around.

This particular test was done with Democratic ballots, and when it was finished board members heaved sighs of relief as they resealed the machine with a new serial number, packed it back up, and returned it to its locked room. Incidentally, in this mock election, Barack Obama won with 13 votes, and Hillary Clinton came in second with 10.

All this testing and preparation is happening in the wake of Maryland moving its primary from March to February in the hopes of making a bigger impact on the election, but election officials seem skeptical over the impact Marylanders might make.

“Why wouldn’t they move it to the 5th instead of the 12th?” said Board of Elections member Susan Julian, Photo by Andrea Shiell citing the many other states Board of Elections members Noel “Tim” Wood and Donald O’Neal test the AccuVote-TS DRE voting machines holding their primaries on for accuracy. that day. machines,” exclaimed Burch, “There is nothing in writing,” ed, and two board members When asked what impact ready themselves to vote. she expects the early primary arguing that voters and elec- she said.

The testing process is One board member holds to have, Burch said “I think tion officials are not given independent access to the ma- simple, but thorough. One the paper ballot and reads people are almost tired of it chines at any time. She also machine is randomly selected off the items selected while by the twelfth.” added that there are no cur- from one of several rooms, another watches to confirm She explained that weathtains used, so voters can be each containing hundreds the reading. Across the way, er would be a factor, but she watched by election officials of machines. The Board of one board member marks expects a rather low voter at all times. “Where in our Elections president calls for the votes at the machine as turnout for the primary. process do you have an un- either Democratic or Repub- they are called, and then calls “I’m always apprehensecured machine?” she said. lican paper ballots, which are back the votes cast as a sec- sive until everything’s done,” handed out to five different ond board member watches Burch said. “When it is, “We don’t.”

“There’s absolutely no people, who each use a pencil and confirms. On the other that’s when you breathe a truth that Diebold can pre- to mark 10 ballots apiece with side of the room are two more sigh of relief.” program these machines,” their mock-picks for presi- election officials, each keep-

High School Students Face Off In Annual Robotics Challenge Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

moveable posts on the floor, or to goal boxes on the field.

For six hours, 25 teams battled for the championship, which was awarded to the alliance with the most points. This year’s winning alliance awards were given to the “Autonomous Anonymous Team” from Great Mills High School, and the “Raider Robotics Team” from Leonardtown High School. St. Mary’s County high school teams earned several other awards. The team from Leonardtown High School walked away with awards for creativity and visual design, while Great Mills High School earned the award for team safety. Students on

the “Robobees” team from the James A. Forrest Technology Center were awarded for team spirit.

Though Saturday’s challenge involved mid-level robots, there were also upper level students at the event, adding their own commentary to the proceedings. All team members seemed to relish the opportunity to compete more than the trappings of victory. Mathew Virtz, a student from the Forrest Technology Center tinkered with a large robot on display on the upper level, and smiled at the battles being fought below. “Building the robots is fun,” he said, “but competitions are the best part.”

“Who needs a Super Bowl when we have the CSM Robotics Challenge?” exclaimed Bradley Gottfried, President of the College of Southern Maryland.

High school students from across the region competed on Saturday in the College of Southern Maryland’s 4th Annual Robotics Challenge. The gym at the La Plata campus was crowded with students, parents, coaches, and teachers to watch this year’s game while team members worked on their robots, and stereo speakers pumped out techno remixes of Super Mario Brothers.

This year, 25 teams from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties designed robots specifically tailored to compete in this game, which involves the robots performing certain tasks in order to gain points. The game, which was announced in September, is the culmination of four months of programming, building, and testing the robots using the Vex Robotics System.

This year’s game, called “Quad Quandary” is played on a 12’x12’ square field. On the field are 50 red and blue rings and four moveable goals with posts, two of which are connected together. The posts can be moved to one of four different quadrants, each being either red or blue. Teams play in pairs against each other, forming either red or blue alliances, and the robots earn points by moving posts to either red or blue Students from the Forrest Technology Center work on their robot between quadrants and moving rings to either the matches.

Photo by Andrea Shiell

The County Times

Section A - 12

Breakfast Continued from page A- They had to look to the future and keep the dream of equality alive, he said.

“He beckons us still to make our impossible dreams living realities,” Fauntroy said. “We can make a difference, if like Martin Luther King, we can put our minds to it.”

Fauntroy, who was chosen by King to head the District bureau of the Southern Leadership Conference, had a chance to know King as both a religious man and one who understood politics.

King was a master of both, Fauntroy said, and used that knowledge to revolutionize equal rights status for minorities and prick the conscience of a nation.

“Martin Luther King was a spiritual and political genius,” Fauntroy said. “He

King was single-minded in his determination, Fauntroy said, and did not let anything distract him.

“He conquered the love of wealth and the fear of death,” Fauntroy said.

King was killed by assassin James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tenn. in 1968.

Fauntroy said King understood things in a manner similar to the progenitors of the nation, like Thomas Jefferson.

Everything came down to five issues for King, Fauntroy said, income, education, healthcare, housing and justice.

By pressing for all of these things in equality for African Americans and minorities, Fauntroy said, King and his followers brought the country closer to achieving the constitutional hopes of domestic tranquility through promoting the general welfare.

It was a violent, turbulent time King was working in, Fauntroy said, and the same dangers lurk for society now if

Thursday, January 24, 2008

and New York Senator Hillary Clinton running for president the times were ripe for changing the status quo.

“We now have viable candidates that talk about what King wanted,” Hendricks said, urging young voting-eligible students to register. “In 2008 there’s no excuse.”

Herb Jordan III, former assistant secretary in the governor’s Office of Minority Affairs who helped reengineer the state’s minority business program, said King’s legacy influenced him beyond his desires for entrepreneurship to take a post in government service.

“We left college with the purpose of making money,” Jordon said looking back on his graduation. “But I forgot about service; I forgot about reaching back and helping someone else.

“Help those who need help and you’ll help yourself.”

King’s legacy showed him that he

Anger May Have Been Motive For Juvenile Charged With Arson

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Investigators with the State Fire Marshal’s Office believe they know why a juvenile allegedly set fire to an earth-moving machine at a housing development under construction in Mechanicsville: anger over the construction project itself.

“He was angry because the new housing development was going in and he was losing his ATV (all terrain vehicle) trails back in the woods,” said Deputy State Fire Marshal John Tennyson.

Tennyson said the suspect said nothing more about his alleged act of arson.

The incident occurred Jan. 11 when a excavating machine owned by the Calvert Lumber Company was set ablaze while it was on-site at the Ben Oaks development, according to information from the fire marshal’s office.

Four days later investigators made their arrest of the juvenile, who is also from Mechanicsville, and charged him with second-degree arson and malicious burning.

The juvenile was released to his parent’s custody, pending action by the Department of Juvenile Service.

The fire was set in the interior operator’s cabin of the vehicle, according to fire marshal’s information, and caused $100,000 worth of damage.

The fire was discovered by someone passing by the site; it took six fire fighters about two minutes to control the blaze once they arrived.

A juvenile was seen speeding away from the scene on a red, four-wheel ATV with a black box attached to the back, information from fire marshals said.

There were no injuries as a result of the fire.

Odd News Photo by Guy Leonard

Reverend Walter E. Fauntroy, a close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights Movement, talks about King’s legacy.

said that we have to learn to live together as men and women on this planet or we will perish as fools.”

King, who started out as a Baptist minister, became perhaps the key figure in the struggle for African Americans and other minorities for equal civil rights.

King advocated non-violent protests and aggressive political action to achieve the ends of the Civil Rights Movement.

King and his followers suffered beatings, threats, intimidation and imprisonment for their activities, but ultimately won through.

the current generation does not seek the same equality in the five categories for everyone.

“Martin Luther King understood that [through violence] the world is in danger of becoming an insane asylum with the inmates in charge,” Fauntroy said.

The opportunity to make greater changes in keeping with King’s ideals was also at hand according to other speakers at the celebration of King’s legacy.

Barbara Hendricks, of the St. Mary’s County Human Relations Commission, said with Illinois Senator Barrack Obama

could excel beyond just what was expected of a black man.

“He made me more than just an angry black man,” Jordan said. “He made me have a dream… that I’m an American and I can do whatever I want.”

Fauntroy encouraged those listening to look at their own personal dreams and make them a reality, as well.

“Don’t rest, until on your watch, you make your impossible dreams a living reality,” Fauntroy said.

Fritz Still Seeking Life Sentence For Dual Bank Robbery Suspect

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer State’s Attorney Richard Fritz told The County Times last week that he will still seek the stiffest sentence possible for a man accused of robbing

the same bank twice last year — life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“If he’s convicted that will be the fourth time he’s been found guilty of armed robbery,” said Fritz of defendant Antonio Warren Gantt.

“I’m looking forward to ending his career.”

Fritz said that Gantt’s history of violent crime warranted his seeking the life sentence.

Gantt, of St. Leonard in neighboring Calvert County,

is currently awaiting trial for two separate incidents of bank robbery at the Maryland Bank and Trust located on South Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park.

In the first incident, Gantt is alleged to have entered the bank back in September and demand money from the tellers after claiming to have a gun.

The tellers complied and Gantt is alleged to have fled on foot back behind the bank across Great Mills Road.

Investigators with the St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations began a search for Gantt but he was able to disappear for about a month.

In the second incident, which occurred the last day in October, Gantt is charged with entering the bank once again, jumping into the tellers’ area and spraying gasoline on tellers from a Gatorade bottle and threatening to start a fire if they did not comply with his demands for money.

Gantt allegedly fled the bank and used a taxicab to make good his escape — but he was apprehended shortly after by BCI investigators on Route 4 headed towards the Solomons Island Bridge.

Gantt faces several counts of armed robbery as well as numerous assault and theft charges.

He is currently incarcerated at the county detention center. Gantt, 40, is set to go to trial in April in Circuit Court.

He was indicted in November for both incidents.

Public Defender John Getz, Gantt’s attorney, declined to comment for this article.

Least Competent Criminals:

25 year-old Derreck Kosch was robbing a convenience store in Kokomo, Indiana with a semiautomatic handgun, demanding money and cigarettes from the female clerk, when he accidentally shot himself. As he placed the gun in the waistband of his pants while the clerk was retrieving money and cigarettes from behind the counter, the gun went off, shooting him through his right testicle and lodging into the bottom part of his leg. He fled the scene but was recovered when his grandmother called in to report that he had been shot. She said that he had told her that someone else had tried to rob him.

41 year-old Ronald Stach climbed the roof of the Canton Station bar in Baltimore to protest the poor showing of the Baltimore Ravens football team, staying there from December 11th until Christmas. While protesting, he inadvertently alerted his former wife to his whereabouts, and she renewed her years-long quest to recover over $40,000 from him in back child support. She said that she had seen him on television publicly lamenting how much money he had spent on Ravens merchandise. Shortly after the incident, another woman came forward, claiming that Stach owed her $12,000 in back child support.

A 53 year-old robber in Okanagan Lake country held up a bank in the same building as an RCMP detachment. Officers arrived on the scene within seconds after the robbery was reported. They found the man with a large quantity of cash in a nearby bakery. He had originally gone to his truck to flee the scene, but was unable to start the vehicle because another man had drained the battery listening to the radio. He was apprehended at the bakery where he and his alleged accomplice had gone to call a taxi.

Three young men in Spokane, Washington were streaking in -19 degree (F) temperatures, walking into a local restaurant wearing only shoes and hats, when a man who had been eating in the restaurant stole their getaway car. They had left the car running so they could make a quick escape. No charges have been filed against the streakers. Police spokesman Dick Cottam said “I think it was just three kids who decided to fool around…We always tell people not to leave the car running.”

The Science of Belching:

The University for Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden has received nearly $600,000 in research funds to study greenhouse gases released by cows belching. Project leader Jan Bertilsson said that the 20 cows involved in the study will have different diets and wear a device on their collars to measure the amount of methane in the air around them. Researchers believe that the amount of methane released might depend on the type of food the cows eat.

Interesting Defense:

The American Civil Liberties Union is now arguing that people who have sex in public bathrooms “have a reasonable expectation of privacy,” citing a 38 year-old Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in an effort to support Republican Senator Larry Craig. Craig is asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea to disorderly conduct, which has stemmed from his June 11th arrest for allegedly soliciting sex in a public restroom. The ACLU is arguing that the state cannot prove that he was inviting the undercover officer to have sex with him, and even if he was, his actions would not have been illegal.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

The County Times

Section A - 13

Obituaries Mary Patricia “Pat” Waters Cammack, 81

Mary Patricia “Pat” Waters Cammack, 81, of Leonardtown, MD and formerly of Prince Frederick, MD died January 14, 2008 at her home “Hampton” in Leonardtown MD. Born March 26, 1926 in St. Augustine, FL she was the oldest daughter of the late Joseph Borrows and Rosalind Torreyson Bailey Waters, Jr. The family lived in University Park (Prince George’s County), MD. She graduated from Hyattsville High School and graduated from Dunbarton College of Holy Cross “Class of 1947” with a B.A. in French. She also attended Washington School for Secretaries and worked at the Department of State, I.A.D. Division, for ten years.

In 1958 she started to work for her father in Prince Frederick at his real estate office, J.B. Waters and Associates.

Pat married Robert Edmund Cammack of Washington, D.C. at the historic St. Francis Xavier Church in Newtowne Neck, MD in 1963. She resided for the rest of her life in St. Mary’s County at “Hampton”, Medley’s Neck, MD. She is survived by her husband, five children, thirteen grandchildren, sister Rosalind Jeanne Waters Zseleczky of Temple Hills, MD and brother Joseph Borrows Waters III of Port Republic, MD. The family received friends on Friday, January 18, 2008 in their home on Hampton Farm in Medley’s Neck, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at Our Lady’s Catholic Church, Medley’s Neck, MD with Fr. Thomas LaHood officiating and Deacon Thomas Spalding co-officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery.

Pallbearers were William D. Cammack, Thomas J. Cammack, William H. Marley, Jr., Matthew B. Girod, Iric J. Krissoff and James P. Rice.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Geraldine E. Glasper, 67 Geraldine E. Glasper, 67, of Great Mills, died Jan. 20 in Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. She is survived by her children, Patricia Davis of Great Mills, Cynthia Glasper of Houston, Texas, Ronald Glasper, of Stockton, Calif., Joseph Allen Glasper of Shreveport, La., Wanda Glasper of Waldorf, Md., Brian Glasper of Great Mills, 16 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

The family will receive friends Saturday, Jan. 26 from 10 – 11 a.m. in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. The Reverend Ray Schmidt will be the celebrant.

Interment will be Feb. 7 in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. For information please call the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. at 301-475-5588 or condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Laura May Greenwell, 83 Laura May Greenwell, 83, of California, and formerly of McAndrews, Ky. died Jan. 19

ciating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown.

Pallbearers were Forest Wose, Ray Cameron, Joe Michael Hall, Vincent Langley, Ryan Greenwell and Jack Behr. Honorary pallbearers were Sonny Greenwell, Luis Lopes, Denny MacRae, James Elmer Greenwell, Bill Jenkins and Clarence Adams.

Contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A. in St. Mary’s Nursing Center.

Born Feb. 3, 1924 in Lynn, W.V. she was the daughter of the late James Walter and Mary Angeline Street Abshire. She was the loving wife of the late Ignatius Valley Greenwell whom she married Sep. 9, 1944 in Elkton, Md. and who preceded her in death Aug. 31, 1992.

She is survived by her children; Janet Jenkins and her husband Bill of Cape Coral, Fla., Gerry Greenwell and his wife Margo of Gray, Tenn., Danny Greenwell and his wife Sandy of Hollywood, Md., Sharon Ferris and her late husband Danny of Waldorf, Md. and Lisa Driver of Lehigh Acres, Fla.; siblings; Juanita Hutchison of Huntington, W.V. and Glendine Stewart of Hawthorne, Fla., as well as six grandchildren; Denny MacRae, Dawn (MacRae) Lopes, Gerry Greenwell Jr., Ryan Greenwell, Margo Ann Greenwell and Kaitlyn Greenwell and four greatgrandchildren; Kristin, Jamie, Jesse and Mason.

She was preceded in death by her brothers Vernon, Dewey and James Abshire and her sisters Retha Smith and Margie King.

Laura moved to St. Mary’s County in 1947 from McAndrews, Ky. and spent her career as a homemaker for 63 years with a Ph.D in motherhood. She enjoyed listening to country music, playing bingo, growing flowers, cooking for her family and watching The Price is Right and soaps.

The family received friends Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel, Leonardtown, where prayers will be said at 7 p.m.

A funeral service was held Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. in Hollywood Church of the Nazarene, Hollywood, Md. with Rev. Verne Haskell offi-

Barbara Ives Judd, 90

Barbara Ives Judd, 90, of St. Inigoes, died Jan. 18 at Taylor Farm Assisted Living in Bushwood.

Born Nov. 16, 1917 in Brattleboro, Vt., she was the daughter of the late Murray and Elizabeth Kreiner Ives.

She came to St. Mary’s County in 1950 when her husband took a job with the Navy at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Mrs. Judd had been active with Homemakers and Goodsam Club as she and her husband were avid campers. She retired from the St. Mary’s County Board of Education where she was school secretary of Great Mills Elementary for many years.

She was predeceased by her husband Frederick Webster “Web” Judd who died in 1995. She is survived by one son, Craig Ives Judd and his wife Winifred “Angel” Judd of Hollywood, Md., two granddaughters, Debbie Finch , Angie Wathen and her husband Shawn; four great grandchildren, Donald Finch and his wife Karen, Lisa Finch, Kimberly Beechy and her husband Shane and Christine Finch; and two great-

great grandchildren, Dominic Pahel and Chandler Finch.

The family received friends Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 8:30 – 10 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home Chapel, Leonardtown. A Funeral Service was conducted at 10 a.m. by Father Joe Dobson. Interment followed in the First Friendship United Methodist Church Cemetery, Ridge.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Seventh District Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609.

Robert James Kerr, MSgt. U.S.A.F. (Ret.), 72

Robert James Kerr, MSgt. U.S.A.F. (Ret.), 72, of Leonardtown, died Jan. 19 in his

residence.

Born July 12, 1935 in Bronx, N.Y., he was the son of the late Walter F. Kerr and Rita M. Kenny Kerr. Mr. Kerr served his country in the United States Air Force. He was a Past President of the Boys and Girls Club in Clinton, Md. and a member of the American Legion Post in Clinton.

He had worked with family at the Morris Point Restaurant in Abell.

He is survived by his wife, Tanya M. Kerr of Leonardtown, three sons, Walter Frederick Kerr of Bethesda, Md., David Anthony Kerr of San Antonio, Texas, John Patrick Kerr of Raleigh, N.C., nine grandchildren and two sisters, Irene Kerr of Galveston, Texas and Kathleen Kenny of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Relatives and friends are invited to Mr. Kerr’s Life Celebration at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. in Leonardtown Thursday, Jan. 24 from 5 – 8 p.m.

Interment will be Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Memorial contributions may be made to the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or the Hospice House, c/o HOSPICE of St. Mary’s, Inc., P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Kelly Marie Williams, 44 Kelly Marie Williams, 44, of Lexington Park, died Jan. 15.

Born Feb. 21, 1963 in Jacksonville, N.C., she was the daughter of Anne A. Foley of West Collingswood, N.J. and the late Albert Gene Hentz.

Ms. Williams was a registered nurse.

In addition to her mother, she is survived by her children, Matthew Alexander Sheets, Patrick Kelly Sheets and Savannah Rose Sheets, all of Lawrenceville, Ga., siblings; Therese Foley of Reading, Pa., Kathleen Mack of Sarasota, Fla., Karl Foley of Audubon, N.J., Kurt Foley of Collingswood, N.J., Michael Foley of Port St, Lucie, Fla., Ronald Foley, Jr. of Hillsboro, N.J., John Patrick Foley of Haddonfield, N.J., Patricia Richter of Abescon, N.J., Deborah Franke of Cherry Hill, N.J., Gary Foley of Somers Point, N.J. and Laura Russell of Port St. Lucie, Fla. and Steven Sheets of Lawrenceville, Ga., former spouse and devoted father of their three children.

The family received friends Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 7:00 – 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home Chapel in Leonardtown. A Memorial Service was conducted at 7:30 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. The Reverend Jack Kennealy officiated at the service.

Inurnment will be private.

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Section A - 14

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