Thursday, February 14, 2008 • St. Mary’s County

County

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Thursday, February 14, 2008 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland

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“

We know we can play Leonardtown, it’s going to be a game of spurts”

-Frank Peck Great Mills Coach

Man Sentenced In Federal Court For Drug Trafficking To St. Mary’s Terry Barba, 35, of Newark New Jersey was sentenced last week to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaine by U.S. District Court Judge Roger W. Titus.

According to Barba’s guilty plea, he supplied crack cocaine to a person in St. Mary’s where it was to be distributed from 2005 to 2006. Barba supplied between three-and-half and five kilograms of the narcotics during that time, according to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.

Barba also has prior convictions for manslaughter and distributing cocaine near a school, U.S. District Attorney information revealed.

There have been twelve other defendants to plead guilty in the drug trafficking network including Edwin Elton Johnson, 33, of Lexington Park and Paul Bibeau, 54 of Ridge.

Both received sentences in federal prison of 86 and 46 months respectively.

Commissioners Approve Zoning Text Amendments For Public Hearing The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners approved three text amendments to the zoning ordinance Tuesday that could make it easier for homeowners to either expand or build homes in certain areas of the county.

The first text amendment would allow mobile homeowners to expand their home to more than 50 percent of its size to accommodate family growth.

The second would allow residents to build one home in the commercial marine district, this would allow marina owners, for example, to live next to their businesses.

The third text amendment would allow homeowners whose dwellings have been damaged in a hurricane or other disaster two years to get building permit to repair or replace the structure instead of just one year.

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Workmen for SMECO erect a new pole complete with Osprey nest on St. Georges’ Island as part of a project to replace utility poles on the island.

Ospreys would frequently nest on the old utility poles, causing themselves to be electrocuted as well as power outages.

Individual property owners volunteered to have the poles put on their land free of charge to help save the birds and prevent outages.

Obama Wins Collins Takes Maryland Lead In GOP Democratic Primary, Dist. 5 Primary McCain Looks Take Hoyer Takes Maryland Gop Delegates Commanding Lead Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Board of County Commissioners President Jack Russell pitched a rock from one hand to the other at the Democratic Unity Breakfast on Sunday morning. “This is a piece of America,” he said. “People need an investment…we’re preaching to the choir today, but people need to go into their community and spread it… others are covering everything else today, but me, I’m just going to be talking about this rock.”

Indeed, there was a pretty full choir in attendance that morn-

Early vote returns for the Maryland 5th Congressional District race Feb. 12 showed Collins Bailey, a self-employed business man and Charles County School Board member was leading immigration law attorney Mike Hethmon by a small margin in polls for their GOP primary bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md-5th) in the general election.

Bailey showed a strong double-digit percentage lead in his home Charles County in early returns, but the margins were

See Obama page A-10

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Task Force Report Says Paid Positions Needed To Boost Emergency Recruitment

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A long awaited report of the Emergency Services task force on how the county can best recruit more volunteers for fire departments, rescue squads and the paramedic unit says that a combination of paid positions supporting units are needed to improve services county wide.

These positions noted in the recommendations include

a volunteer coordinator, administrative assistant, a contract medical director and perhaps most importantly in the short term a paid advanced life support provider (ALS) who would help support a strained paramedic unit.

The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to accept the recommendations for improving service, and expressed a sense of urgency in helping the county’s ALS unit, See EMS Report page A-

States’ Attorney, Sheriff: Gaming Devices Legal But Concerns Persist

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer In recent months electronic gaming machines have begun to proliferate throughout St. Mary’s County that resemble slot machines and despite cries of foul from some in the community both State’s Attorney Richard Fritz and Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron say that they can take no action against anyone for the use of the legal methods of raising funds for charitable organizations.

“You can’t shut something down that’s not illegal,” Cameron told The County Times.

Fritz said that the only way they could take action against the gaming machines would be for legislators like Sen. Roy Dyson (D-Dist. 29) to act See Slots page A-

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Nia Lee of Waldorf tries her hand at one of the electronic gaming machines at Fred’s Liquors in Charlotte Hall. Both Sheriff Tim Cameron and State’s Attorney Richard Fritz have said the machines are legal, though they are concerned about how the division of the proceeds is monitored.

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The County Times

Section A -

Man Convicted Of Assault, Burglary In Independence Day Home Invasion

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Following a two-day trial last week, a Circuit Court jury took a little over an hour to convict a Great Mills man of three counts each of first degree assault and first degree burglary for his part in a home invasion on Medley’s Neck Road in the early morning hours of July 4 last year.

The jury agreed with the arguments of Deputy State’s Attorney Ted Weiner that Derrick R. Medley, 23, took part in kicking in the doors of three renters at a boarding house in search of money and marijuana along with accomplice Trey D. Barnes.

Barnes, before Medley’s trial, had pleaded guilty to an armed robbery charge in connection with the crime.

According to Weiner’s version of events, both Medley and Barnes armed themselves early that morning to rob a resident of the boarding house. Both were apparently intoxicated after drinking alcohol and using marijuana prior to the incident.

Victims Donald Smith and Michael An-

derson testified that two men, whom they could not identify, broke through the doors to their separate rooms that morning and held them at gunpoint.

One of the men held them together in a room while the other waited out in the hallway, according to testimony.

“At the third bang on my door, they broke a hole in it, a gun came through the hole and told me to get on the floor,” Smith testified. “I was in fear of my life.”

Both testified that the two men were asking for Jeb McWade, a resident of the boarding house who apparently had the money and drugs, according to later testimony.

McWade was not in court to testify to the events of that night.

Anderson also testified that the two men, who were unknown to him, both had guns, though shortly thereafter he could not testify to actually seeing both guns.

He was sure that at least one of the perpetrators was armed, he said.

“The big gun [a .357 magnum revolver] I seen in my face when I got woke up,” Anderson testified.

Soon after, one gun shot erupted from the area of McWade’s room, Anderson said, all the lights came on in the house and “everybody started moving.”

According to Walter Francis Duke, the owner of the Medley’s Neck Road home, “two shadowy figures” came downstairs after the shot was fired.

When he saw them, one figure pointed a gun at him, Duke testified, and said: “Get back old man!”

The two men, whom prosecutors and investigators said were Barnes and Medley, got in a car driven by Medley’s girlfriend and drove off.

Anderson testified that he and McWade drove after the black Ford Taurus and got the license plate number.

Investigators from the county Bureau of Criminal Investigations executed a search warrant on the girlfriend’s Hollywood address and found two guns plus ammunition they believed Medley and Barnes used in the home invasion.

Medley testified that he never knew until after the incident was over that Barnes had any

Thursday, February 14, 2008 intention to commit a robbery that night.

He said that both had originally planned to go to the Medley’s Neck Road address to buy more marijuana since they had run out the previous night while partying.

Weiner argued however, that an audio recorded statement Medley gave after he was arrested for the incident, along with Barnes, implicated Medley because Medley admitted to knowing Barnes’ original intent was to commit robbery.

Medley testified that he got into a shoving match with McWade when he went down the hallway to confront Barnes to find out why he was kicking in doors, but that he took no part in the robbery.

“I left, I ran,” Medley said of his actions when he heard a shot fired in the hallway. “I was scared for my life.”

Medley said he never had any gun, nor did he hold a gun on any of the renters.

“I never saw anyone thrown in any room and I never had a gun,” Medley said.

Medley’s attorney, public defender John Getz told the jury that his client was an innocent man.

“What did Mr. Medley do? Nothing.” Getz told the jury. “He did not do or say one thing to assist Mr. Barnes; he was afraid because Mr. Barnes was toting that big gun.”

But the jury did not buy Medley’s version of events.

“So he’s just standing there?” Weiner argued in his closing statement. “It’s just not believable.”

Maryland Honors Ten High Schools Compete In “Top Dawg” St. Mary’s County Academic Challenge Public Schools Andrea Shiell Staff Writer St. Mary’s County Public Schools were honored by the Maryland State Department of Education for achievement on the 2007 Maryland School Assessments, the Maryland High School Assessments, and for improvements among subgroups between the 2006 and 2007 test results. The awards program is a requirement of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and recognizes assessment achievements and improved performance for special populations, identified under NCLB to include race/ethnicity, special education, limited English proficiency, and those receiving free or reduced price meals.

Ten schools were honored, including Benjamin Banneker, Dynard, Hollywood, Oakville, Piney Point, Town Creek, and White Marsh Elementary, which re-

ceived certificates for overall achievement, and Green Holly and Lexington Park Elementary, which were awarded financial awards for subgroup improvement as Title 1 schools. Great Mills High School was also honored with a certificate for subgroup improvement.

“I am extremely pleased and proud of the overall hard work and dedication of our students and staff,” said school superintendent Michael Martirano. “Their targeted interventions and approaches are yielding positive and improved academic results for all children.”

Title 1 schools that receive a financial reward each determine how to best utilize the funds. Green Holly and Lexington Park Elementary have each received over $5,700, and they will decide how to use it to best benefit their schools.

“The awards for their achievements will be used

for activities and equipment to improve student performance,” said Bill Mattingly, Chairman of the Board of Education. “But it will not be used for staff bonuses or salaries.”

The Maryland School Performance Recognition Program was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 1996 as a way to recognize schools for their students’ achievement on state tests, this has been pushed to the forefront of the public education system since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, for which the program was revised slightly in 2003.

“To say the least we are extremely proud of our students and teachers,” said Mattingly.

When speaking of the NCLB, he said, “We have placed a very high level of importance on these requirements.”

Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

Great Mills High School received the winning score.

Great Mills High School team members Andrew Rohland, Thomas Connor, Stephen Lampo, and Dorris Wallner walked away with the coveted trophy after two rounds of winning answers and a smart point wager on the final question, which was set up like the final question on Jeopardy.

Forrest Center Principal Robert Taylor

Who wrote The Exorcist? What color is the danger flag in auto racing? How many land miles are in a nautical league? What is the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere called?

What is the maximum number of clubs a golfer can use in a round? E-Bay was originally set up so that collectors could trade what items?

These were just a few of the questions asked at the Second Annual “Top Dawg” Academic Challenge Thursday night.

Students from Great Mills, Chopticon, Leonardtown, and St. Mary’s Ryken High School competed for a large trophy, bragging rights, and a chance to compete in the state challenge in Baltimore.

The competition, a cross between Jeopardy and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, included each county high school with an enrollment exceeding 500 students, and featured four players from each school, and a host of “Dawg Pound” helpers, who could be called upon up to three times per team to give answers in categories including (but not limited to) Science, Literature, History, Geography, Art, Music, Popular Culture, and the ever-enterPhoto by Andrea Shiell taining “That’s Weird.”

Kitner, Rachel Bailer, Katie Rudowski, and Alex Mancil cheer for Students and parents Jackie Great Mills High School at the second annual “Top Dawg” Academic crowded into a room at James Challenge.

A. Forrest Career and Techsaid his school had no vested interest in the nology Center in Leonardtown for what was competition itself, so they served as the neutral termed a “friendly intellectual competition,” host school. but one would almost think they were at a high “It seems like every year we get more and school football game, as students got up and more successful,” said Taylor, describing the cheered each time their school’s competitors honor of competition as a double-edged sword, scored points. with travel expenses for competitors being The rowdiest cheerleaders were from cause for concern.

Great Mills High School.

But the SkillsUSA clubs that compete in “It was really intense, more than we ex- these events foot the bill with proceeds from pected,” said GMHS student Jackie Kitner, events like this and others. Taylor said last year who had been holding a sign and jumping up students raised over $1600 for travel expenses each time her team scored points. to and from competitions.

Kitner and her friends had come to the Regional winners will go on to compete at competition to cheer, but also to gain extra the state level, and at the national competition credit for their physics class. It seemed they held in Kansas City. had no problems making it a fun occasion, as “Our main goal is to raise money for Skillwas evidenced by their shouting, “I believe! sUSA,” Taylor said, “but our second goal is, of I believe! I believe that we just won,” when course, to have fun.”

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Teams from Great Mills, Chopticon, Leonardtown, and St. Mary’s Ryken High School compete in the second annual “Top Dawg” Academic Challenge.

The County Times

Thursday, February 14, 2008

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Section A -

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Editorial & Opinion Miller Is Poster Child For Term Limits In an effort to seek political retaliation, Governor O’Malley sought legislation from the Maryland legislature that would allow him to replace the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, Nancy Grasmick, who he felt had embarrassed the former Baltimore City Mayor while he was running for governor in 2006.

The fact that students in the Baltimore City school system were failing miserably in miserably failing schools was of little importance, what was important was O’Malley defeating Governor Ehrlich.

O’Malley decried Grasmick as a ‘poster child’ for President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” legislation and called Grasmick a “pawn” of the Republican Party.

The fact is, Grasmick has served as Superintendent since

1991, and served under four different Governors’, three of them Democrats, only one a Republican. Education Week, the nation’s leading education newspaper released its annual “Quality Counts” study and found that Massachusetts, New York and Maryland have the best school systems in the country.

When asked about O’Malley’s effort to get rid of Grasmick and the impending legislation, Maryland Senate President Mike Miller said: “this is a lady who is closely aligned with Governor Ehrlich, joined at the hip. It’s hard to have someone who’s been aligned with the enemy camp implementing your policy…”

Grasmick has never looked at the party of the Governor the citizens elect to serve Maryland, she sim-

ply works hard with whoever is Governor for the benefit of Maryland schools.

What is most disturbing is that the President of the Maryland Senate would consider the Republican Party the “enemy”. If you are a Republican in the State of Maryland, you are allowed to live here, but your views and public policy agenda is considered hostile and the “enemy” of Maryland.

In 1970 Mike Miller was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates. As a freshman Delegate from Prince Georges County, Miller, along with other fresh faces in Annapolis, such as James Manning McKay from St. Mary’s County, offered a refreshing change in Annapolis.

Mike Miller, a southern gentleman from a proud

Southern Maryland family was a fine legislator. He and Delegate McKay spent a great deal of time together working as young lawmakers to do what they believed was best for the people of Southern Maryland.

Thirty-eight years later, Mike Miller is the President of the Maryland Senate. The longest serving State Senate President in the entire nation, Mike Miller is the poster child for why elected officials should have limits to how long they can stay in office.

Many would argue that Mike Miller has become the most powerful person in Maryland. Certainly anyone could argue he is one of the three most powerful persons in the state. Miller has presided over the Maryland Senate since 1984 and has mastered the ability to mold that body

into his likeness. Certainly no legislation moves through the Senate that doesn’t have Miller’s blessing.

Miller controls committee appointments, committee chairmanships, the legislative process in his chamber; he even controls the seating arrangement.

Miller operates from his position of power over statewide affairs without the scrutiny of the press that the Governor has or accountability to the citizens of Maryland. He is able to control the members of his chamber behind closed doors.

Miller is elected every four years by only a very small number of citizens, the roughly 150,000 citizens who live in his Senate district. Despite his impact on the lives of every Marylander, Miller is elected by only 2.6% of Mary-

Slots

ments who lease out space to gaming machine vendors are not permitted to make any money from the proceeds taking in by the machines.

Fritz said, however, that the transactions of these machines needed to be monitored to insure that the organizations for whom the machines were raising funds received their fair share.

If the transaction were not monitored in what Fritz said was “a paper chase” the door could be open to criminal enterprises.

“It’s something [the division of the proceeds] that needs to be looked into,” Fritz said. “But we need the legislative authority to do it in an appropriate manor.”

Fritz also said that his investigative resources were already at their full capacity

dealing with county crime.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a massive manpower effort that neither of us have the resources to accomplish,” Fritz said of his office and that of the sheriff.

Every form of legal gambling in Nevada, Fritz said, is legal in St. Mary’s County save for slot machines.

The gaming devices here in the county have a video screen with images resembling the tumblers of a slot machine, but instead of dispensing money they dispense paper slips denoting how much a player wins.

Bob Sorrells, owner of Fred’s Liquors in Charlotte Hall, said that the machines each had more than one winner predetermined in the slips they put out. Players could even see if they had won be-

fore the results were available on screen.

“They’re just like scratch off lottery tickets,” Sorrells said. “You’ve got a fairer shot with these than with slots.

Sorrells encouraged the creation of some kind of authority to monitor the money transactions from the machines to avoid any criminal enterprises.

“I’d like to see someone come in once a month and check the books,” Sorrellls said. “Let’s come up with some hard and fast rules for everyone to abide by.

“I’d like to see the county charge an amusement tax.”

Dana Spicuzza, owner of Petruzzi’s Italian Bistro in California, said that when some customers come in and see the machines they are initially disturbed but some

think otherwise when their operation, and their purpose is explained.

“They think they’re slot machines,” Spicuzza said.

“But when you explain to them that all the money stays in the county and it helps out our area they don’t mind so much.”

Petruzzi’s leases out space for the machines but does not get any of the money from the proceeds the machines generate, she said.

The machines are there to help local charities and also to boost their restaurant business, Spicuzza said.

“This is just to get people in the door,” she said. “We benefit by the food and beverage sales.”

The charities the machines at Petruzzi’s raise money for are The Greenwell

Continued from page A- first in Annapolis to either outlaw the machines or regulate their usage.

“It’s up to them to do that,” Fritz said. “The Maryland Court of Appeals has spoken very loudly about whether these machines are legal or illegal… they are legal, they are not slots.

“The bells and whistles don’t make it a slot machine.”

Under the current law, revised in 2001, the gaming devices now in the county can be used by “qualified organizations,” such as charitable groups or community service organizations that operate off of donations, to raise funds.

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land’s 5.6 million citizens.

In fairness to Miller, his heavy-handed control over the affairs of the Maryland Senate, the affairs of the citizens of Maryland, is not all his fault. It is human nature that people with power tend to control the things around them.

Any person with control over a company, organization, church, or other institution will more often than not assume greater and greater control over that entity the longer they stay in power.

Many elected officials have limits by law as to how long they may serve in a particular office; The President of the United States is limited to 8 years. St. Mary’s County Commissioners are limited to 12 years. The only way to keep politicians from making personal power more important than the constituents whom they serve is to limit the length of time they can stay in any one office.

Foundation, The Center for Family Advocacy, the Hollywood Lion’s Club and the Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad, she said.

There are currently 19 machines in her restaurant, Spicuzza said and they’ve only been there about three weeks and keeps money people might spend at gaming destinations in Delaware and West Virginia here.

“It’s bringing in people who haven’t been here before,” she said. “They might as well spend their money here.”

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

Ramblings of a Country Girl

Be My Valentine Terri Bartz Bowles Ah, Valentine’s Day, a day that strikes fear in the hearts of some and a day that excites anticipation in others.

Depending on your relationship status, it can be a mine field to navigate through February 14. It can be exciting or depressing or telling, it can be wonderful or disappointing or a day like any other. It can be a roller coaster ride for your emotions. A lot of advertis-

ing has been done and a lot of money has been spent and a lot of people will just be glad when the day is done. Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays rife with possible things to go wrong and plenty of opportunity for things to go very right.

If you are in a relationship, you have certain expectations. Your expectations may be different depending on the longevity of your relationship. Whether or not you

are married also has a bearing on expectations. I think it’s safe to say that the longer you’re married, the lower your expectations. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m just saying that once you’ve invested a number of years in each other, you understand it’s the day to day stuff that really counts, not the gift on a certain day. Still, you don’t want your spouse to completely forget the holiday. Nobody wants to feel ignored or that they’re

Section A -

taken for granted. We’re talking token gifts here, maybe flowers or dinner or chocolate.

Well, chocolate absolutely, there has to be chocolate. It’s the gift that always fits, is always welcome and always enjoyed. Have you ever heard someone say they wished you hadn’t gotten them chocolate?

If you ever run into someone like that, run the other way! I don’t trust people who don’t like chocolate!

Valentine’s Day is sort of a day for women, I guess.

Women put more stock into the “show me you love me” thing and that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about. Wives expect their husbands to do something. Woe to the husband who forgets both gift and card. How does he feel when his wife hands him a Valentine and he stands there empty-handed? He should feel like a heel. How much effort does it take, really, to pick up a card and a box of chocolate? Even if he’s just doing it because he knows he is supposed to, at least he made some effort. Husbands who put some thought into it are wonderful creatures indeed.

A woman might say “you shouldn’t have” when a man gives her jewelry, but trust me, we don’t mean it. We’re just demurring because some

rule somewhere long ago said we should.

If you are engaged, you should be doing something really special for Valentine’s.

You’ve made the commitment to matrimony but the bills and the mundane chores that are necessarily part of married life are not your problem yet. You exist in a purgatory of bliss and your gift should reflect that. Now, some men will say you shouldn’t set the bar too high too soon, but that’s just silly. Women understand that we’re not going to get diamond earrings every year. We just want them at least once, preferably before we’re too old to get a lot of wear out of them.

The really tricky stuff is when you’re dating. How long you’ve been dating and how serious it may become all play into the pressure that can be Valentine’s Day. You don’t want to do too much, you don’t want to do too little.

It’s the Goldilocks and the Three Bears syndrome – how much is just right? The longer you’ve been dating, the better your chances because you know your partner better.

If you’ve been dating only a couple of weeks, maybe a really nice dinner and a card is enough. If it’s been longer, or you really feel a connection,

Stakeholders Coming Together On Forming Crisis Intervention Team

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Community leaders in law enforcement and in mental health services are closer to establishing a crisis intervention team that would intervene with mentally ill subjects or those suffering a mental health crisis to reduce incarcerations.

Stakeholders who would help support and guide the team have already met and appear willing to move towards activation.

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said representatives from Walden Sierra, Inc., the county branch of the Mental Health Authority; the Health Department and many other community service organizations met to discuss the importance of the team last week at the South-

ern Maryland Higher Education Center.

“It went exceptionally well, we got good feedback from all the stakeholders,” Cameron told The County Times.

The next step would be to put together a crisis intervention board to coordinate placement and services for the mentally ill or those in crisis that police meet on the streets before they commit a crime.

“We need to hear from them,” Cameron said of the stakeholders. “To be successful it has to be a collaboration.”

Kathleen O’Brien, executive director of Walden Sierra, Inc. said a Crisis Intervention Team would be a new asset in helping the mentally ill or those in crisis, which has been Walden’s mandate for the past 30 years.

“We’re thrilled with this,” O’Brien told

The County Times. “It’ll only enhance the work we’ve done.”

Statistics show a varying picture of mental health in the county.

The number of suicides in St. Mary’s dropped from 12 in 2006 to just eight in 2007, according to information from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore. The number of attempted suicides, according to sheriff’s office figures, dropped almost 67 percent from 2006 to 2007 to just 11 incidents.

Threats of suicide, according to law enforcement numbers, dropped about 61 percent for the same time period to 18 incidents.

But the number of emergency petitions served by deputies to have someone evaluated for the threat they posed to themselves or others rose 18.5 percent to 417 for 2007.

maybe do the wine and chocolate thing, too. Flowers are always a good choice. Everyone likes to receive flowers, they just make you happy. If you’re really creative, you can think of something totally different, like tickets to a play or musical or a maybe a special book that you know your partner would enjoy.

Whatever you do, don’t over-analyze everything. If you’re buying a gift, just think about what your significant other would enjoy and get that. If you’re receiving a gift, think about why your significant other picked that particular item. If you mentioned something in passing and your partner remembered and got you that item, that’s huge!

But if your partner comes home with the same dozen red roses as every year before, it doesn’t mean the love isn’t there, it may just mean “isn’t that what you’re supposed to buy for Valentine’s?”

Most important of all, tell the people you love that you love them. It doesn’t have to be a day just for lovers, it should be a day that we tell everyone how much we love them.

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

Deputies also executed 1,908 calls to check a person’s welfare in 2007, a nine percent increase over 2006 figures.

O’Brien said that Walden’s crisis hotline has also been busy with calls for people, 35 from July to December of 2007, thinking of suicide as an option to solving their problems.

Of all those calls, 19 came in December alone, O’Brien said.

“That’s a significant number,” O’Brien said, adding that Walden statistics showed an additional five people for that same period had actively planned to kill themselves.

There has also been an increase in the number of people expressing anxiety or depression, O’Brien said, which could be attributed to the perceived national economic downturn.

The number of people seeking counseling at Walden who cannot afford to pay has also increased recently, she said.

Still, the decrease in suicides could only be considered a positive thing she said.

“If we didn’t have a crisis hotline I don’t know how much those numbers would change,” O’Brien said. “The service’s value speaks to the number of suicides being down.”

“Night Running: How James Escaped With The Help of His Faithful Dog” By Elisa

a kids’ book that I just want to read and read and turn around and read again. “Night Running” is one of those.

Based on a true story that author Elisa Carbone found while doing research, this book about James and Zeus will captivate children from the very first page. Carbone tells the tale with just the right amount of action, fear, heartbreak, and danger, and she leaves little readers with a happy ending. Artist E.B. Lewis’ watercolors will keep even the smallest child interested in this wonderful book about friendship, love, and courage.

For kids ages 4 to 8 and for dog lovers of every size, “Night Running” is a welcome addition to any bookshelf.

Pick up a copy and pack it away for the next trip, special event, or rainy-day readfest.

Carbone, illustrated by E.B. Lewis c.2008, Alfred A. Knopf $16.99 / $21.99 Canada 40 pages Every time you go away from home for a night or a weekend, there are a few important things you always pack.

You take a toothbrush.

You take your jammies. You probably take a change of clothes and a favorite toy or a book.

And maybe you’re tempted to pack up your dog, cat, or hamster. You miss your pet when you’re gone. Can you take him when you leave

home?

James figured he was better off leaving Zeus behind when he ran away from Master Graham’s farm. In the new book “Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog”

by Elisa Carbone, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, Zeus had other ideas.

When James told Zeus that he was fixing to run away, old Zeus was sad. Who would track raccoons with him? Who

would join Zeus on hunts? It didn’t matter, because James was done being a slave.

But James didn’t want to run away alone, so he invited his friend, Levi, to join him.

Zeus, though… Zeus was going to have to stay behind.

That old hound was always hungry and noisy. A boy can’t have that when he needs to flee in secret.

On the night of the full moon, James ran through the field. Zeus didn’t follow him.

No, Zeus ran ahead, howling and loud. He tried to warn James that there was danger there, but James ran right into it.

Two men captured James and tied him up. Master Graham would be happy to have his runaway slave back. But James was smart. He out-waited and outwitted the men, and he and Zeus ran some more.

Then, just as James thought it safe to rest, Zeus started to growl. James was

fiery mad, but not for long.

Master Graham’s dogs were coming – fast. Zeus killed the dogs and the two ran on until they came to a river.

Finding a rickety old boat, James told his friend goodbye.

He set out for freedom on the other side of the river, and he left Zeus behind. A boat with holes can’t hold a wiggly hound who won’t stay still.

A boat with holes can’t hold a boy on the run, either.

Every now and then, I find

Corrections The February 7th issue of the County Times featured an article about the Maryland Summer Meals Program, listing an incorrect web address at the end.

The correct address is www.mdsummermeals.org.

An article in the Feb. 7th issue of the County Times stated that the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department had requested a tax rate increase for emergency services. This is incorrect. The entity that requested the increase was the Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad.

The County Times

St. Mary'sCity City St. Mary’s DATE Fri. Feb. 15 Sat. Feb. 16 Sun. Feb. 17 Mon. Feb. 18 Tue. Feb. 19 Wed. Feb. 20 Thu. Feb. 21

HIGH 2:20 a.m.

2:59 a.m.

3:40 a.m.

4:24 a.m.

5:12 a.m.

6:04 a.m.

7:03 a.m.

LOW 8:41 a.m.

9:27 a.m.

10:15 a.m.

11:06 p.m.

12:01 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

2:04 p.m.

HIGH 2:38 p.m.

3:20 p.m.

4:05 p.m.

4:54 p.m.

5:48 p.m.

6:47 p.m.

7:53 p.m.

LOCATION Breton Bay Bushwood Wharf Colton's Point Point Lookout Piney Point Wicomico Beach Solomons Island

HIGH "+31 min." "+45 min." "+50 min."

"-39 min." "+9 min." "+58 min." "+2 min."

LOW "+29 min." "+45 min." "+24 min."

"-52 min."

"-8 min." "+63 min."

"-8 min."

LOW 9:06 p.m.

9:43 p.m.

10:22 p.m.

11:03 a.m.

11:50 p.m.

12:45 a.m.

1:50 a.m.

The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Weekend Dinner Specials Fully Prepared In Our Kitchen 1 lb. Salmon Fillet

• 1 lb. Boiled Potatoes • 1 lb. Creamed Spinach • 1/2 Doz. Dinner Rolls • 2 Ltr. Coke or Pepsi

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Wildewood Shopping Center California, MD 20619

301-866-5702

Price Effective Friday, February 15 - Sunday, February 17

With Gold Card

Route 246 & Great Mills Rd. Lexington Park, MD 20653

301-862-7702

Route 5 & Mohawk Drive Charlotte Hall, MD 20622

301-884-5636

Route 245 Hollywood, MD 20636

301-475-2531

The Shops at Breton Bay Leonardtown, MD 20650

301-997-1828

The County Times

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Section A -

St. Mary’s County Man Sentenced For Assault Legal Notices That Led To Police Barricade NOTICE TO FATHER

BY PUBLICATION LEGAL NOTICE

In The Matter of the Paternity of S.E. to J.E and John Doe (real name unknown).

You have been identified as the biological father or possible biological fatherof a Caucasian/Hispanic male child whom the biological mother currently intends to place for adoption. The placement occurred on July 26, 2006.

S.E. was conceived on or about August 18, 2004 in Maryland and was born on May 18, 2005 in Frederick, MD. You have the right to: 1) deny paternity; 2) waive any parental rights you may have; 3) relinquish and consent to adoption; 4) file a Notice of Objection to Adoption and Intent to Obtain Custody pursuant to Nebraska Revised Statue section 43-104.02 or; 5) object to the adoption in a pro-

ceeding before any Nebraska court which has adjudicated him to be the biological father of the child prior to his receipt of notice.

In order to deny paternity, waive your parental rights, relinquish and consent to the adoption or receive additional information to determine whether you are the father of S.E., you must contact the undersigned agency. If you wish to object to the adoption and seek custody of the child you must seek legal counsel from your own attorney immediately.

By: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Nancy Cole Protective Services Worker Adoption Unit 1313 Farnam – On – The- Mall Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 595-2823 (402) 595-2045 fax

Odd News Another Craigslist Crime Anne Marie Linscott of Rockford, Michigan was arrested two weeks ago on federal charges accusing her of placing an ad on Craigslist to solicit the murder of her lover’s wife. The 48 year-old has been indicted for three counts of using interstate commerce with the intent to commit murder. The indictment alleges that Linscott used emails to solicit three people, offering $5000 for what she posted as “freelance work.”

Chicken Scratch Workers at Northeast High School in Philadelphia arrived one Monday morning at 5:30 am to find their school overrun by dozens of chickens, which were found wondering hallways covered with droppings and chicken feed. School district spokesman Fernando Fallard said that the birds were most likely brought there sometime over the weekend and left as a prank. Most of the school’s students were sent home for the day to allow for an extensive cleanup. Police stated that they do not know where the birds came from, and are now checking surveillance tapes to catch the culprits, who will have to pay a hefty fine.

Kentucky state Representative Charles Siler may have just wanted to pay homage to his favorite restaurant when he introduced a bill designating KFC as the official picnic food of the state, but he instead sparked the scorn of animal rights activists. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has issued statements condemning the measure, continuing their years-long claim that the chickens served by KFC are abused and tortured. “If the State Legilature moves forward with this one,” said PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, “then they should change Kentucky’s state bird from the cardinal to the de-beaked, crippled, scalded, diseased, dead chicken.”

Fashion Statement or Road Hazard?

Since last spring, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office near Portland, Maine has received six reports about a male motorist with a mustache who has been pulling in front of female drivers and jumping out of his vehicle, wearing women’s underwear, a garter belt, and black high heeled boots. The most recent incident happened last Sunday, sparking an intensive search for the man. Sheriff Mark Dion stated that his blocking traffic was of more concern than his cross-dressing, though the fact that he has targeted only female drivers traveling alone is cause for concern. But he has also been creating a fashionably dubious road hazard. Several drivers have had to swerve to avoid hitting him.

Cultures Different From Ours According to a January Los Angeles Times Dispatch, the Chinese fascination with crickets has given way to cricket beauty contests, “singing” competitions, and prize fights.

Along with this new trend is an increasing vigilance about preventing contestants from cheating by using (or in these cases, being given) performance-enhancing drugs. Fighting crickets are now selling for $10,000 in China, and the drug issue applies to “singing” crickets, which are allegedly being given drugs to slow the vibration of the insects’ wings, producing a lower, more attractive pitch.

More Frivolous Lawsuits Korie Hoke filed a $1.6 million lawsuit against the Tempe, Arizona police department, alleging that it was an officer’s fault that she crashed into a concrete wall and suffered serious injuries after a New Year’s Eve drinking binge. She had originally called the police to a party, upset that she had caught her boyfriend cheating on her. The officer wrote her a citation for underage drinking and summoned her parents to pick her up on the condition that she wait for their arrival. After checking to make sure that her keys were not in the ignition (she had hidden them), he walked away, at which point Hoke drove away from the scene and crashed. She now claims that the officer is at fault for not staying with her while she waited.

In January, prisoner Scott Anthony Gomez Jr. filed a lawsuit against jail officials in Pueblo County, Colorado, claiming that they failed to take necessary security measures to prevent him from escaping, thereby leading him to injure himself during his escape attempt. While scaling a wall during his second escape attempt, Gomez fell more that 40 feet. He said that he had warned the sheriff of lax security procedures, but that no “improvements” had been made.

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Stamm sentenced a Mechanicsville man to five years in prison Feb. 8 for brutally assaulting a woman be brought to his Baptist Church Road home last year.

John H. Fore III was originally charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and false imprisonment, but took a plea deal for seconddegree assault.

Fore’s five year sentence was suspended down from 10 years, despite his prior convictions and probation violations involving the powerful drug PCP, which prosecutors said fuelled his assault on Kathleen J. Moore.

“I find it horrendous what you did to this young lady,” Stamm told Fore, who had been incarcerated at the county detention center.

“You’ve let PCP control your life.”

Stamm said he would not have suspended the 10 year sentence had he known about Fore’s violations of probation involving the use of PCP. He also said it was “disheartening” that Fore appeared to show no remorse for what he had done, only that it had nearly destroyed Fore’s own life.

“There will be no reconsideration [of the sentence],” Stamm said. “Don’t even ask.”

Police were called to Fore’s residence on Baptist Church Road in Mechanicsville in May of last year for a reported assault, in which a naked woman, Moore, dove out of his front window screaming and incoherent after being brutally beaten.

Moore was tended to by Fore’s neighbors and taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with bruises, cuts and broken bones in her face.

According to police reports Fore had picked Moore up in Clinton and drove her back to his home, where he struck her after she became belligerent, Fore claimed, and would not leave his home.

Charging documents stated that crack cocaine was smoked that night in Fore’s vehicle, but it was not stated whether both of them were using the drug.

Moore claimed Fore would not let her leave and tried to kill her, according to charging documents.

For two hours Fore refused to leave his house and deputies from the sheriff’s office Emergency Services Team, along with crisis negotiators, surrounded the house.

The standoff ended about two hours later when Fore surrendered without further violence.

“It was one of the most traumatic days of my life,” Fore told Stamm. “I

EMS Report Continued from page A- which runs some of the most serious medical emergency calls county wide.

“We need to make this simple, easy and fast so it works well,” Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R-Golden Beach) said of getting a contract employee for ALS. “ Commissioner Thomas Mattingly (D-Leonardtown), himself a volunteer firefighter, said that the recommendations of the task force were “pretty well on target.”

He also proffered a recommendation to help with the daytime shift for rescue squads and ALS, which is the hardest time for volunteers to come out and serve.

He said that a county-contracted ambulance service working from 6a.m. to 6p.m. could be the answer.

“We have about six facilities in the county that generate about 1,500 calls a year for service and about 1,100 of those calls are from 6a.m. to 6p.m…. when we have the least number of volunteers available.”

Facilities like the St. Mary’s Nursing Center and the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home routinely put out calls for emergency service during the day time.

“Some of these facilities we’re running 350 calls a year

just want to get this behind me so I can get back to my family.”

Fore’s lawyer, Michael Blumenthal, argued that the victim was not defenseless as the prosecution argued and that Fore was not the same person when he was affected by PCP. He also said that a serious vehicle accident Fore was in some year ago left him with a “cognitive deficit” that meant he did not comprehend events as most people.

“This was an isolated incident,” Blumenthal argued. “It’s not the John Fore that stands before you today.”

Moore, who was tearful during the sentencing, said the event hurt her deeply.

“I suffered more trauma than anyone should ever have to,” Moore said. “I live in fear of the day of his release.”

Aside from bruises and broken bones, Moore suffered cuts and scrapes from her assault at the hands of Fore, according to court testimony.

Police found numerous blood stains on the carpet and interior of Fore’s home during their investigation as well as clumps of hair that had apparently been pulled out of her head.

“This was a serious and substantial assault,” said Deputy State’s Attorney Ted Weiner. “Literally she was bruised from head to foot.”

to one address,” Mattingly said.

Another facet of the recommendations included funding a public education campaign on the proper use of emergency medical services, known as “Make the Right Call.”

David Deaderick, chair of the task force and a research director at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, said that task force members often complained of emergency calls that misrepresented the level of crisis once they arrived.

“This is where there was real vehemence on the committee,” Deaderick said. “The system is sometime abused for transportation or for minor emergencies.”

Other recommendations the county commissioners will have to consider include getting the proper insurance precautions for the medical director position, who would establish service protocols, as well as possibly enhancing financial benefits and incentives for volunteers such as lifetime service awards, tax credits or even child care.

But it will all come with a price, said Jarboe, and the commissioners are already facing a tough budget season with few dollars to spread around.

“Which Peter do we rob to pay Paul?” Jarboe said.

“We’ll have to go through the budget to find out where to take it from.

“If there’s one priority in government, emergency services are a priority.”

Local Businesses Gear Up For Valentine’s Day Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Crystal Brasel shifts some of her menus around, and then rearranges a few of the decorations in the front window of her shop, Tea N’ Scones on Washington Street in Leonardtown.

This will be her first Valentine’s Day open, and there is a fair amount of anticipation in her small shop.

“I had to order Champaign months in advance… so that with the wine bar is the most stressful part,” she said.

And stressful seems to be an operative word for those in the restaurant business, as they prepare for one of the biggest date nights of the year. Brasel will be offering a dessert and Champaign selection, in addition to a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit and pound cake, which comparatively speaking is a light offering next to some other businesses in the area. Her idea has been to keep things simple, loading up on bottles of bubbly for two and Valentine Mocha Molten Chocolate Cake, among other things.

Across the street from Tea N’ Scones is the Café Des Artists, which will be offering a limited menu of the restaurant’s most popular selections all week long, so as not to pressure their customers into feeling they have to venture out on one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year.

Manager Karleen Jaffres explains that as a close second to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day is their most heavily booked holiday, followed by New Years Eve, and the onslaught of phone calls and reservations is her biggest challenge. Last year, the small fine dining restaurant served about 150 customers on Valentine’s Day, and they are expecting to serve just as many this year.

Last year, the Tides Restaurant in Lexington Park served about 170 people, and they are expecting as many as 200 this year, having booked a full floor for the night. They ran out

of seats this Monday, says Dorothy Whitehead, the manager.

One thing all local entrepreneurs are expecting is a sharp increase in the number of dinner table wedding proposals, though they’ve admitted that they do not usually know about the would-be grooms popping the question beforehand.

Dan Rebarchick, the owner of Lenny’s Restaurant in California, has planned out a menu of surf and turf options and Chateau Brion, as the restaurant will open its doors for the latest in a long line of holidays. “Valentine’s Day is probably one of the top

three restaurant days of the year,” he said, “but it’s kind of like a normal day for me. It’s just another day of business.

Rebarchick commented on the engagement phenomenon with a slight chuckle, reflecting that it has always been a big engagement day. “Most of the time we don’t even know about it,” he said, “but then all of a sudden it’s like Oh! Oops!

And there’s the ring…we’ve had a lot of Valentines come through here.”

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Crystal Brasel arranges Valentines Day decorations in the window of Tea N’ Scones in Leonardtown

The County Times

Section A -

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Volunteer Firefighters Show Support for Ailing Youngster Andrea Shiell Staff Writer For a 7 year-old boy, Dylan Latham has been through a lot.

After three years of MRIs, spinal taps, muscle biopsies, and brain EEGs, the vibrant youth, who suffers from a rare type of epilepsy called Landau-Kleffner Syndrome (LKS), is still not responding to medication to control his grand mal and petty mal seizures.

That is why his parents, Tracy and Chuck Latham, invited volunteer firefighters from Bay District, Hollywood, Valley Lee, and Pax River on Saturday morning to participate in a moving show of support for the young boy, who will be at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C. for a week-long EEG. One of the requirements for this test is having a shaven head, and as Dylan went for his haircut in Morgan’s Barbershop in Lexington Park, volunteer firefighters crowded in, having their own heads shaved in a show of support.

“His cousin got his head shaved,” said Dylan’s Aunt Heather Shafer. “He did it so Dylan wouldn’t be scared.

But fear at this stage seems appropriate, as Dylan’s parents have described his condition as dire. “Every moment that Dylan has seizures he loses more and more capabilities,” they said, adding that brain surgery is their best option at this point to put a stop to it.

LKS is a childhood syndrome that affects brain activity and causes the deterioration of language recognition. Children with LKS have abnormal brain waves that are documented with

electroencephalograms (EEGs) and the seizures

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are typically treated with anticonvulsants.

Dylan’s parents said the toll on his language skills and learning have thus far been unaffected by the treatments. Dylan, who has suffered from epilepsy since the age of three, was diagnosed with LKS a year ago, and has only learned to speak in the last two years.

“The time has come,” said his mother, Tracy.

“Medication is no longer working and it has been decided that the only option now is surgery.”

Dylan sat pensively in his chair at the barbershop next to his father as they both sheered off their hair, surrounded by

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“My heart can’t speak enough,” said Cindy Wood, Dylan’s grandmother. “The firefighters are just a tight family. They show up for everything.”

Photo by Andrea Shiell

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“We know what’s going on.”

Tracy Latham provided flyers, regardless, to encourage those who showed up to participate in the National Walk for Epilepsy on March 29.

Sales from all the haircuts given that day also went to the cause.

supporters.

“I would do anything for my boy,” said Chuck Latham, as wisps of hair fell to the floor by his feet.

Others expressed similar dedication as they took turns in the barber’s chair.

“All of my boys got shaved,” said Eddie Voorhaar, who had shown up to offer his support for the family.

Mike Roberts of the Pax River Volunteer Fire Department described the turnout as commonplace.

The family did not need to advertise for this particular event.

“We don’t need flyers,” he said, smiling.

Volunteer Fire Fighters from Hollywood, Valley Lee, Pax River, and Bay District crowd into Morgan’s Barbershop to show support for Dylan Latham

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

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Thursday, February 14, 2008

The County Times

Section A -

Obituaries Timothy Lowell “Big Tim” Bowen, 58 Timothy Lowell “Big Tim” Bowen, 58, of Lexington Park died Jan. 28 in St. Mary’s County.

Born Feb. 16, 1949 in Prince Frederick, Md., he was the son Audrey Mae Buckler Bowen and the late Briscoe Burdel Bowen, Sr. Timmy was a beloved member of the community, where everyone knew him as the “big guy in the tow truck riding around with his son”. He was employed for 17 years with Southern Maryland Towing in Ridge.

He was a 1967 graduate of Calvert High School.

Mr. Bowen is survived by his mother, Audrey Mae Bowen, two daughters, Valerie Johnson and her husband Jay of Lexington Park, Christy Long of Lusby, Md., a son, Thomas Bowen of Lexington Park, six grandchildren, Jennifer, Becky, Christina, Timmy, Brandon, Taylor and five great grandchildren, Mandy Justin, Katie, Hailey and Kera, and two sisters-in-law, Shirley Hardesty of Huntingtown, Md. and Jeanette Bowen of Florida.

He was preceded in death by his father, Briscoe Burdel Bowen, Sr, and two brothers, Briscoe Burdel Bowen, Jr. and Robert Lee Bowen.

Timmy Bowen will be sorely missed by his friends, family and colleagues.

Honoring Mr. Bowen’s wishes, there will not be any memorial services.

Contributions in memory of Mr. Bowen can be made to the Timothy Lowell Bowen Memorial Fund at Cedar Point Federal Credit Union located in St. Mary’s and Calvert County. All donations will go to benefit Mr. Bowen’s 8 year old son Thomas.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.

Margaret Gertrude Chase, 62

Keya Chase, one grandson, Tyree Ford and two great grandchildren, J Naiya and Antonio Butler. She is also survived by two aunts, Lilly Mae Beander and Agnes Holly, both of Lexington Park, one uncle, Augustus Herbert (Elizabeth) of Leonardtown, goddaughter, Stephanie Beander-Gibson, daughter-in-law, Mary Chase (Philip), sister-in-law, Mary Curtis (Joseph), five brothers-in-law, Jesse L. Hansley (Mary) of Great Mills, Paul Chase (Theresa) of Waldorf, Md., Lewis Chase (Carolyn), John Chase (Juanita) both of Baltimore, Md. and John Gray (Georgina) of Oakville, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends.

In addition to her parents, Margaret is preceded in death by her son Vincent Casey Chase, maternal grandparents, Charles and Mary Beander and her paternal grandparents, Lee and Melissa Herbert.

The family will receive friends Friday, Feb. 15 from 9:30 – 11 a.m. in First Missionary Baptist Church, Lexington Park. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Reverend Roderick McClanahan will be the celebrant. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Mary Magdalene Cullison, 91 Mary Magdalene Cullison, 91, of Valley Lee, died Feb. 10 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center. Born Jan. 13, 1917 in Ridge, she was the daughter of the late James Walter and Eulalia Anna Tennyson Wood.

The family received friends Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, with Prayers being said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. in Holy Face Catholic Church, Great Mills, with Fr. Thomas LaHood officiating. Interment followed in the Church Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to the Holy Face Catholic Church, P.O. Box 106, Great Mills,MD 20634.

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

James Cornelius Fenwick, 68

Margaret Gertrude Chase, 62, of Lexington Park, died Feb. 10 in her residence.

Born Aug. 10, 1945 in Leonardtown, she was the daughter of the late Edward Lee Herbert and Gertrude Virginia Beander Herbert.

Margaret accomplished her major milestone by obtaining her high school diploma Oct. 23, 1997. She retired in 2002 from the State of Maryland Boy’s Village in Cheltenham, Md. after twenty-six years. She enjoyed going to church, cooking, playing bingo, cards, slots, and fishing. She also loved spending time with her family and friends.

Margaret is survived by her loving husband of fortysix years, Philip Chase, Sr., five children, Valerie Herbert, Annette Chase, Joseph Chase, all of Lexington Park, Philip Chase, Jr., and Aaron Mushey Clark both of Temple Hills, Md., one sister, Mary Hansley of Great Mills, two brothers, Joseph Curtis of Temple Hills, Md. and James Clark of Upper Marlboro, Md., five granddaughters, Anica Harris, Katrina Chase, Shanita Chase, Tamika Chase, La

James Cornelius Fenwick, 68, of Ridge died Feb. 3 in Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, Md. Born March 7, 1939 in Pearson, Md., he was the son of the late Ambrose L. and Bertha Mae Taylor Fenwick.

James received his formal education from both Cardinal Gibbons High School in Ridge and Jarboesville School in Lexington Park. He accepted a position at Jean Springer Exxon as a gas attendant. He later united in holy matrimony May 29, 1965 to his long time sweetheart Vera Delores Berry. James was employed for over forty years with the Prince George’s County School Board as a building equipment en-

gineer where he received countless awards. Among these awards were two certificates for outstanding performance and a certificate of appreciation. James was a loyal and dedicated member of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. He was supportive and involved with all church activities. James enjoyed singing, long walks, family affairs, gardening, restoration of antique automobiles, watching a good hardball game, caring for his four legged best friend Pooch, and blowing his saxophone.

He is survived by his wife, Vera Fenwick of Forestville; three daughters, Faye P. Butler of Lexington Park, Roslyn C. Fenwick, and Ulinda D. Fenwick of Forestville; four grandchildren; three brothers, Ambrose L. Fenwick, Charles G. Fenwick, and William A. Fenwick all of Lexington Park; one sister, Mae L. Howell of St. Inigoes and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Relatives attended Mr. Fenwick’s Life Celebration Saturday, Feb. 9 from 8:30 – 10 a.m. at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Ridge.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 10 a.m.

Reverend Damion Shadwell was the celebrant. Interment followed in the church cemetery.

Condolences to the family may be made at www. brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.

Margaret Beatrice Hill, 81

Margaret Beatrice Hill, 81, of Chaptico, died Feb. 9 in Washington Hospital Center.

Born March 19, 1926 in Bushwood, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Minnie Lacey. She was preceded in death by her husband Leonard Wilford Hill Aug. 12, 1971, whom she married April 2, 1945 in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bushwood.

She is survived by her daughters Elizabeth Nelson, and her husband Mickey of Clements; Annie Marie Lacey, and her husband Elmer; Ruby Lacey, and her husband Melvin, all of Chaptico; Charlotte Lacey of Mechanicsville, and Lorraine Helwig and her husband John of Scotland; siblings: Shirley Knott and Louise Mattingly both of Chaptico, Dorothy Trossbach and Ann Cheseldine both of Abell, Theresa Thompson of Bushwood, John Lacey of Clements, Ed Lacey, Howard Lacey and Joe Lacey all of Avenue and Andrew Lacey of Compton; 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

Mrs. Hill was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident where she worked as a housewife. She enjoyed gardening, canning, putting together puzzles, sewing and playing the fiddle and the organ.

The family received friends Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, Feb. 14

at 10 a.m. in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bushwood, with Fr, Francis Early officiating. Interment will follow in the Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be her grandsons Allen Lacey, Leroy Hill, Stephen Lacey, Charles Lacey, Leonard Nelson and Jay Helwig.

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

Kazimierz “Kaz” Padukiewicz, 79

Kazimierz “Kaz” Padukiewicz, 79, of Lakewood, Wash. died Jan. 31 in Kirkland, Wash.

Born Sept. 22, 1928 in Krakow, Poland, he was the son of the late Jan and Barbara Poprwa Padukiewicz.

He was a loving and devoted father and grandfather.

At the age of 15, Kaz was forced to work in a Nazi German labor camp. After the fall of Germany, he traveled to Italy and enlisted in a battalion of the Polish Army’s 2nd Corps. He fought for two years in the Italian Campaign with the British.

In 1947 at the age of 19, Kaz was honorably discharged from the Polish Army and traveled to Paris where he enlisted with the French Foreign Legion. He was assigned to the First Airborne Battalion in Algeria and was shipped with his paratroop unit to Indochina (Vietnam).

During combat operations fighting Communist forces, Kaz was wounded. At the end of an 18 month tour with the Legion he accepted an honorable discharge. When he learned that the US Army welcomed stateless persons otherwise fit for military service, Kaz went to the US Army’s European headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany and joined the U.S. Army.

After meeting his five year service requirement, Kazimierz Padukiewicz was proud to be sworn in as a naturalized U.S. citizen by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington, D.C. Kaz retired in 1976 after 23 years in the U.S. Army.

He spent most of his career at Ft. Lewis, Wash. and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md. His last tour of duty was as a

Senior Instructor at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Ordnance Center and School.

Kaz retired from the Army as a Master Sergeant. During his military career, Kaz earned the French Parachutist Badge, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with seven awards, Korean Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon. After his retirement from the Army, Kaz earned an A.A. Degree from Steilacoom Community College and became an accomplished senior marathon runner.

In 2004 Kaz was preceded in death by his former wife, Joan Padukiewicz. He is survived by his four children, John Padukiewicz of Scotland, Md., Tom Padukiewicz of Tacoma, Wash., Barbara Beard of Woodinville, Wash., Jane Padukiewicz of Seattle, Wash. and seven grandchildren.

A Memorial service was held Feb. 4 at Beck’s Funeral Home in Edmonds, Wash.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated in St. Michael’s Church in Ridge at 9 a.m.

Feb. 14. Monsignor Maurice will be the celebrant. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. at 2 p.m. with military honors.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. in Leonardtown, MD.

Dorothy Beatrice Dean Thompson, 85 Dorothy Beatrice Dean Thompson, 85, of Hollywood, Md. died Feb. 5 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center.

Born Feb. 16, 1922 in Baltimore, Md. she was the daughter of the late Bernard S. and Ethel Gatton Dean.

She was the loving wife of the late Paul “Jones” Thompson whom she married in June of 1938 in Hollywood Church of the Nazarene, and who preceded her in death Nov. 7, 1995.

She is survived by her children Karen Hoopengardener and her husband Steve, Dora Kirby, Mendell Thompson and his wife Karen, all of Hollywood, Md. The family received friends Sunday, Feb. 10, from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said at 3 p.m. A Funeral Service was held Monday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. in Hollywood Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Verne Haskell officiating.

Contributions may be made to Hollywood Church of the Nazarene, c/o Rev. Verne Haskell,, 24710 Sotterley Road, Hollywood, MD 20636.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner

Funeral Home, P.A.

Kenneth Ray “Kenny” Ulrich, 78 Kenneth Ray “Kenny” Ulrich, 78, of Lexington Park, died Feb. 10 in St. Mary’s Hospital. For arrangement details please visit www.mgfh.com.

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

Francis Xavier “Bubba” Wood, 76 Francis Xavier “Bubba” Wood, 76, of Leonardtown died Feb. 4 in his residence.

Born May 26, 1931 in Richmond, Va. he was the son of the late Agnes V. Wood.

He was the beloved husband of Mary Edith Wood whom he married April 8, 1953 in Leonardtown.

He is survived by his children David M. Wood and his wife Cyndi of Hollywood, Md., Bruce A. Wood and his wife Carol of Lusby, Md. and Mark A. Wood and his wife Chrissy of Avenue, as well as seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers William R. McGee of AL and Raymond McGee of Ga. Mr. Wood was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident, graduating from military school in 1949. He served in the U.S. Army from 1949 to 1953 and was stationed in Korea. He was also a charter member and past president of the 3rd & 6th District Rescue Squads and a member of Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department. He was an engineer for Southern Maryland Electric, retiring in 1985 after 32 years of employment.

The family received friends Thursday, Feb. 7 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, with Prayers being said at 6:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Friday, Feb. 8 at 1:30 p.m. in St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, with Fr. John Dakes. Interment followed in the Church Cemetery.

Pallbearers were his nephews, Bob Mattingly, Ray Bailey, Dallas Hill, John Russell, Jr., Michael Russell and Tom Russell.

Contributions may be made to Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, MD and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

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

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The County Times

Section A - 10

Obama Continued from page A- ing, including Democratic County Commissioners Thomas Mattingly and Daniel Raley, Delegates John Wood and John Bohanan, Senator Roy Dyson, and Representative Steny Hoyer, who spent the first part of his stay circulating the room and shaking hands with everyone, starting with the catering staff.

“It is evident that there are not as many people on the ballot this year as in previous years…but I think this is an exciting national election,” said Hoyer. “Maryland is expecting probably a million people to vote in the primary.”

The large expected turnout was the result of what many democrats saw as an historic election for their party. “Either way you’re voting for an historic candidate,” said Democratic Central Committee Chair Kathy O’Brien.

“And it’s really great that Maryland is in play with this primary.”

In the wake of the not-so-super Super Tuesday, the legislators’ decision to move the primary from March to February seemed to have created a more focused spotlight on Maryland as the nation’s attention swung to what was termed the “Potomac Primary,” with citizens in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC casting their votes on the 12th.

“Most of us believed that Super Tuesday would resolve it,” said Hoyer at his polling place on Tuesday morning. “To some degree, this becomes a more relevant primary.”

When asked for his own predictions, he said “polls show Obama ahead, but polls have been wrong, so we’ll see. As you know, I’m not committed.”

“We were asked to move up the date,” said Senator Roy Dyson at Sunday’s breakfast, “and they asked me, do you think it’ll make any difference…who would’ve thought that

Maryland, Virginia, and DC would have such a say in the national election?”

“We are very relevant this time,” said Delegate John Bohanan after casting his vote at St. Andrews Church on Tuesday evening. “It’s been great to have both candidates here.”

With 99 delegates up for grabs on the ballot, 70 pledged and 29 un-pledged super-delegates, the results were eagerly anticipated even before the polls opened Tuesday morning.

People threw their support behind either Clinton or Obama for varying reasons. “I’d just started from zero at age 26,” said Ceandra Scott, a representative for the Clinton Campaign and a former worker for the Clinton administration, “and I got to go everywhere and learn and grow…they’re both great candidates, but we need someone with experience.”

“I did not desire a career in politics, I just hated George Bush that much,” said Delegate Sue Kullen. “Because I’m new into politics, I want somebody new and fresh and out of the box, somebody like me.”

“I’m a yellow dog democrat,” exclaimed Hillary supporter Jane Fish Yowaiski, proudly donning her Hillary Clinton buttons at the Democratic Unity Breakfast. “We need a strong woman in the White House.”

Many at the polls agreed with Yowaiski, with some precincts reporting Clinton in the lead, but Marylanders on the whole favored Obama. On Tuesday, after polls were kept open for an extra ninety minutes due to inclement weather, numbers at the end of the day showed what many in the national news media had already predicted. Obama commanded a strong lead in the democratic race, and Hoyer scored a landslide victory in the 5th Congressional District.

One prominent theme at the Democratic Unity Breakfast on Sunday was optimism, with speakers reflecting on the presidential race and their confidence in both candidates.

“Clinton and Obama essentially want to take America in the same direction,” said Hoyer.

“Either one of them will raise this country.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

McCain Continued from page A- much smaller in Calvert and Prince George’s counties against Hethmon.

In Prince George’s less than 100 votes separated the two GOP candidates.

Bailey showed a strong lead early on in St. Mary’s. Results from Anne Arundel County were not available as of press time.

Early voting also showed that Arizona Sen. John McCain was leading in polls to take the Old Line State’s delegates to be the Republican nominee for president.

Even before election results came back in from Maryland counties, national news media outlets were calling the Maryland race for McCain.

Del. Anthony O’Donnell, state house minority leader, said that the winner will have a tough battle in the general election against Hoyer, the House Majority Leader, but it was worth it for the party.

O’Donnell endorsed both Bailey and McCain in his presidential bid.

“Both of them [Collins and Hethmon] are good men,” O’Donnell said. “Make him [Hoyer] defend his position, don’t let him become complacent.”

The early primary also gives the GOP primary winner more time to mount as strong a challenge as possible to the entrenched incumbent.

“Obviously Steny Hoyer has superior name recognition,” O’Donnell said. “The longer the nominee has to get their name out there it’s helpful.”

Earlier in the day, O’Donnell predicted that former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who trailed a distant second to McCain

going into the so-called Potomac Primaries, would not have enough steam to pull ahead of the GOP front runner.

“He’d have to win 80 percent of the voted in Maryland and Virginia,” O’Donnell said. “I don’t think he can do that.”

Because of inclement weather the polls in Maryland stayed open an extra hour-and-ahalf; election judges in St. Mary’s presented a mixed picture of voter turnout early on in the day.

“We’re a little bit ahead of where we were with the general election last time,” said Jim Moore, a Republican chief election judge at the Bay District Volunteer Fire House in California. “So it’s been a good voter turn out.”

In a precinct that was 65 percent Republican, Moore said, more Democrats had shown up to vote than Republicans by about 1p.m.

Dianne Tevara, a Republican chief election judge at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, also said that Democrats had been turning out slightly more to vote in the early hours than their GOP counterparts.

He attributed the greater Democratic turnout to the contentious race between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barrack Obama.

Since Super Tuesday a week ago both Obama and Hillary were the clear Democratic front runners vying for the presidential nomination.

“It’s going to be a toss-up,” said Ann Raley, Democratic election judge at the Bay District station. “It’s pretty evenly divided.”

Raley, a member of a mostly African American gospel choir in St. Inigoes, said choir members were excited about the choices in the Democratic field.

“It’s a big deal for them to have an African American candidate,” Raley said. “And for women, too, this is a first time.”

Photo by Chris Stevens

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Representative Steny Hoyer casts his ballot at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary School on Tuesday morning.

Republican Rudi Giuliani Mike Huckabee Duncan Hunter Alan Keyes John McCain Ron Paul Mitt Romney Tom Tancredo Fred Thompson

Joe Biden Hillary Clinton Christopher J. Dodd John Edwards Mike Gravel Dennis J. Kucinich Barack Obama Bill Richardson

Republican Collins Bailey Mike Hethmon Jesse Dann

Democrat Steny H. Hoyer James Cusick Sr.

2008 PRIMARY

Dist. 1 P.1 P.2

Dist. 2 P.1 P.2

Dist. 3 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5

Dist. 4 P.1 P.2 P.3

Dist. 5 P.1 P.2 P.3

Dist. 6 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4

1

1

0

4

1

3

2

6

1

1

0

4

5

2

6

1

1

2

4

Dist. 7 P.1

Dist. 8 Dist. 9 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5 P.6 P.7 P.8 P.9 P.10 P.1

Total

4

3

2

1

4

3

5

4

0

0

1

2

74

107 63

112 92

56

60

81

78

57

89

52

73

75

116 127

87

92

123 80

67

88

87

92

111 137 97

56

8

51

33

6

2453

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

2

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

10

4

4

2

2

3

1

0

0

1

4

2

2

0

4

0

1

2

5

2

2

4

3

1

0

2

1

1

4

3

1

0

61

196 116

285 213

57

141 199 234 120

169 102 127

171 164 183

183 117 203 168

117

144 141 157 233 312 149 101 32

72

56

20

4682

20

8

13

15

7

5

7

14

4

7

7

9

14

14

9

11

5

12

17

6

20

10

14

22

6

19

5

1

6

4

1

312

3

8

12

17

2

10

15

15

7

8

7

10

10

10

14

3

3

9

6

8

9

9

9

10

17

7

1

1

2

8

0

250

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

1

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

7

4

7

0

1

0

0

8

1

3

1

0

2

3

4

1

0

3

0

3

3

2

0

4

1

2

2

0

5

3

0

66

Dist. 1

Democrat

Collins Bailey, of Charles County, casts his vote in the Maryland Republican primary. Bailey and Mike Hethmon, of Croom, are vying for the GOP nod to face U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) in the general election.

Dist. 2

Dist. 3

Dist. 4

Dist. 5

Dist. 6

Dist. 7

Dist. 8

Dist. 9

P.1

P.2

P.1 P.2

P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5

P.1 P.2 P.3

P.1 P.2 P.3

P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4

P.1

P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5 P.6 P.7 P.8 P.9 P.10

P.1

5

3

5

2

3

5

4

6

0

1

0

0

2

73

182 173

188 235

120 196 155 148 122

198 119 191

228 230 238

178 169 197 146

347

128 107 123 154 166 96

91

23

110 41

33

4832

1 9

1 9

1 9

4 14

0 7

0 2

1 6

0 9

0 5

1 6

0 8

1 6

0 8

1 9

0 6

2 13

0 9

4 17

1 4

0 12

0 5

0 4

0 8

1 4

0 2

0 1

0 6

1 0

0 2

21 225

1 11

2

0 14

223

2

2

4

2

2

2

0

2

3

4

2

1

3

1

3

0

Total

1

1

1

1

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

2

0

2

0

1

2

0

1

2

0

2

1

1

1

1

0

0

1

0

0

23

1

1

1

2

0

1

1

0

3

0

1

1

1

0

2

1

0

0

1

0

1

1

0

3

2

0

2

0

0

0

0

26

242 149

208 169

114 242 128 184 122

173 120 160

167 132 91

138 172 136 119

221

232 104 190 333 185 150 222 22

290 95

20

5031

4

1

2

2

2

3

0

2

0

0

45

3

1

2

1

1

1

0

0

3

3

1

3

4

0

1

0

1

2

0

0

Dist. 1 P.1 P.2

Dist. 2 P.1 P.2

Dist. 3 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5

Dist. 4 P.1 P.2 P.3

Dist. 5 P.1 P.2 P.3

Dist. 6 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4

119

71

151 106

47

75

129 110 66

137 70

102

113 136 145

96

76

139 104

96

100 84

87

122 143 89

55

14

58

38

8

2886

74

41

107 69

22

38

58

84

47

51

30

47

43

59

71

71

37

56

30

36

59

60

67

93

132 65

46

14

26

23

7

1717

54

49

67

23

41

39

42

28

46

29

33

35

36

44

40

36

60

47

32

50

40

51

79

76

30

6

23

14

3

1249

48

Dist. 7 P.1

2

Dist. 8 Dist. 9 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5 P.6 P.7 P.8 P.9 P.10 P.1

45

Dist. 1 P.1 P.2

Dist. 2 P.1 P.2

Dist. 3 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5

Dist. 4 P.1 P.2 P.3

Dist. 5 P.1 P.2 P.3

Dist. 6 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4

Dist. 7 P.1

373

295

343 365

203 377 268 295 213

321 199 300

344 318 293

279 274 319 238

465

267 193 242 392 308 217 235 44

308 110

51

8449

40

32

47

33

40

46

26

69

56

53

4

1120

43

48

25

30

31

27

32

37

36

40

29

38

Dist. 8 Dist. 9 P.1 P.2 P.3 P.4 P.5 P.6 P.7 P.8 P.9 P.10 P.1

Total

35

50

56

34

31

37

0

15

Total