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Thursday, July 3, 2008 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland

Established 2006 • Volume 3 • Issue 26

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Police Make Arrest In Robbery

Loss Of Local Activist Mourned

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Investigators with the St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations say that they have found the man they believe responsible for the robbery of Billy Gene Gurley, 75, that occurred June 20.

Gurley died shortly after at St. Mary’s Hospital Center after he reported the robbery to police that day Police arrested Steven Joseph Brown-Santos, 20, of Leonardtown for the crime June 30 just about 10 later.

According to charging documents against Brown-Santos, detectives received anonymous information from a witness about the crime. Using that information detectives were able to find another witness who stated that Brown-Santos had admitted Steven Joseph to carjacking Brown-Santos Gurley in the parking lot of Dabbs Dental office, charging documents stated.

When he was confronted by detectives, Brown-Santos See Santos page A-

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Dustin shows off his “smack boosting” technology at the first annual Alternative Energy Conference at Jarboe’s Mill.

Fueling The Future Alternative Energy Conference Draws Thousands Andrea Shiell Staff Writer St. Mary’s County Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe seemed to be in his element this past weekend, trolling around in casual clothes with tools, covered in sawdust, and sweating in the hot sun as he and many others showcased what they are hoping will be the future of energy in the US. “This is what I do,” he said. “When people want to find me as a county commissioner, they can come here and find me building something.”

It certainly seemed that he had built something incredible. For the first annual Alternative Energy Conference, Jarboe’s Mill had been spruced up to accommodate a pantheon of people interested in learning about renew-

able energy sources, from wind to solar power, hydrogen fuel cells, and electric motors, to simply gathering tips on how to reduce energy consumption. All culminated in a successful two-day event that drew visitors from all over the country, including Los Angeles, Ohio, Texas, both Carolinas, Florida, and many other states.

“I just saw this water for gas thing on the computer,” said Michael Young, who had come from New Jersey for the conference. He said he had already started experimenting with methods to boost his own fuel economy, and had come to the conference for more ideas. “This is exciting,” he added, nodding to what a nearby demonstrator calling himself “Zero” termed a “brute force electrolyzer.”

See Power page A-10

Friends and colleagues of Eric Torvald Jansson, president of the Potomac River Association (PRA) and champion of local, national and international environmental causes, were shocked by his sudden and unexpected death June 27.

Jansson was 67.

“He was a good person, he’d help you whenever he could,” said Howard Young, who worked as a maintenance man at Jansson’s family home at Mulberry Fields, an estate on the National Historic Registry.

Young had grown up and played with Jansson as a child, he told The County Times, and Jansson had a love for the deep woods setting of the old plantation site.

Jansson was busy with, among other things, trying to re- Eric Torvald Jansson store several buildings at Mulberry Fields.

“Fixing up stuff, he loved it,” Young said. “I can’t believe he’s gone.

See Jansson Death page A-

Student Raises Issues About Administrative Process Complaints About AP Chemistry Teacher Silenced at Recent Meeting Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Lauren Bussler said she was excited when she first signed up for AP Chemistry at Leonardtown High School, though

she recognized that the course would be challenging.

“The students who went through the class before me attested to the rigors of the class, which caused me to be even more See Chem Teacher page A-

Sheriffs: Alcohol, Speed Responsible For Fatal Young Campers Take Flight Crash In Dameron Photo by Guy Leonard

Bob Henty, an instructor for the Patuxent Aeromodelers gets campers on the flight line ready for take off.

With Model Airplanes

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer As the 20 or so young campers trotted up the dirt path from Greenwell State Park in Hollywood

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

to adjacent Helwig field, the temperature started to rise and they did not look happy to be out in the sun.

But that was about to change. It started when See PAX Aeromodels page A-

St. Mary’s County Sheriffs deputies have charged a Lexington Park man with two counts of vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol after a truck he was driving went out of control and struck a tree, killing two passengers and

injuring two others.

Eddi G. Barrientos Ibanez, 21, was formally charged Monday in the deaths of Christina Garcia Chavez, 22, of Lexington Park and Felipe Moya Martinez, 34, of Waldorf.

He is currently being held in the St. See Crash page A-

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

Obituaries.....

Community...

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

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Section A -

Valley Lee Residents Get Sewage Upgrade

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Residents in the Andover Estates area of Valley Lee and on surrounding roads and streets should have one less thing to worry about when it comes to maintaining their homes now that MetCom has provided a pump that will do away with aging septic systems.

“These septic systems were failing and we’ve been trying to alleviate that,” said MetCom deputy director Daniel Ichniowski. “People started getting backups into their houses.

“These septic systems have been failing for two to three years.”

The new system will have residents in the immediate area switch to grind-

er pumps, which will grind and crush waste from their homes. The waste will then be pumped through a pressurized feeder tube that will lead to a nearby, newly installed pumping station.

From that pumping station it will be funneled to the Marlay-Taylor wastewater treatment plant that services Lexington Park and several other areas.

Ichniowski said MetCom expects about 60,000 gallons of additional wastewater to be added to the capacity at the Marlay-Taylor facility.

In all, 45 homes have received the upgrade, Ichniowski said, on Denton Road, Petite Point Lane, Oakland Avenue, Locust Grove Drive, Giddings Street and Andover Estates Road.

Funding for the $1.23 million proj-

Thursday, July 3, 2008

ect came from state grants as well as a state loan, he said.

Rudy Baliko, a longtime Locust Grove Drive resident, said problems with the septic systems have been going on longer than two or three years, but praised the contractors who were hired to take on the refitting job for their quick work.

“The guys have been working hard,” Baliko said. “Sometimes you see them here at 7 a.m. and you don’t see them leave until 8 p.m.”

Baliko said three years after he and his wife bought their home in 1967, he had to extend the septic system to forestall problems.

“Really it wasn’t the best system at that time,” Baliko said. “It hasn’t been very effective over the years.”

Problems around the neighborhood included the occasional sewer eruption into backyards or even messy backups in residents’ homes.

Both he and his wife Peg Baliko remember neighbors who had to have septic system contractors come to their homes on a weekly basis for cleanup.

The Balikos would make sure their septic system was cleaned and emptied thoroughly before they had any large number of guests come over.

“We don’t take any chances,” Peg Baliko said with a laugh.

Despite having to bear the expense of having their home hooked up to the grinder pump — MetCom wasn’t doing it for free, the Balikos said — they were looking forward to the prospect of a worry free sanitation system.

“It’s something this community has needed for a long time,” Rudy Baliko said. “The last two or three years it’s been drawn out… but it’s going to be a whole lot easier on everything, the environment and us.”

And, of course, there were other convenient benefits, too.

“I can get a garbage disposal now,” Peg Baliko said.

An Independence Day Family Tradition!

By: The grandchildren of John A. Gateau Sr. In honor of our Grandfather on this Independence Day

The Gateau Family

On the 4th of July America celebrates the birthday of the United States of America. To the Gateau Family this day has much more meaning. It is a day where five generations gather together to celebrate Independence Day, family, and the birth of John Anthony Gateau, Sr. If you’re looking for proof fairy tales come true, just ask John and Wink. Together they raised six fine children, got through tough times and now share the love of grandchildren, great grandchildren and as of this moment 5 great-great grandchildren (it’s a baby boom year, three more are expected any minute). The extended families

of about seventy seven get together in July to celebrate John’s birthday and a family filled with love and laughter. This year, both John and Wink are 85. Even more special, in September they’ll celebrate 70 good years married. In 1952, when Hollywood Maryland was a dot on the map, Wink and John bought a half acre of land on the bank of the Patuxent River. Together, with family, they built a home and have lived there as St. Mary’s County has grown. Their beginning was not unusual. After they married in 1938, both John and Wink devoted their lives to raising a family and working

hard. John made $12.00 a week at a gas station and they paid $3.50 rent on a room where they started a family. Their first car was a 1932 Chevrolet John tied to a tree at night so it wouldn’t roll down the hill. In 1943, John worked as an Air Raid Warden during the war and when the siren sounded, Wink put blankets over the windows and John patrolled the neighborhood ensuring all lights were out. She says it was scary; he says, at the time, it didn’t bother him at all. Six children came along and John became a D.C. Fire Department Sergeant. They also had a business restoring furniture. John

upholstered and Wink worked the office. Fun meant packing the babies in a carriage and walking twenty blocks to Fairlawn Boat Dock in Washington D.C. to watch the water. On the way home, they spent a nickel for a candy bar and played a pinball machine. John says, “We didn’t mind it. We had everything.”

When John retired from the fire department, they moved full time to the house in Hollywood and now every year enjoy big family gatherings a couple of times a year. If you come to visit, expect your goodbye to take a half an hour. There are lots of hugs before you go.

John and Wink Gateau

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By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

John T. Summers III, the man who robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store in Mechanicsville in early February, pleaded guilty to the crime of armed robbery last week in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court.

Summers, who was originally charged with both first and second-degree assault and weapons offenses, received a 10 year prison sentence suspended down to 18 months in the county detention center.

State’s Attorney Richard Fritz said, in this particular case, the lighter sentence fits the crime.

“He’s a young man, no criminal record,” Fritz said. “He’s not what you would call a young man from the streets.

“He’s unquestionably a man who, if sent to the penitentiary, would become a victim of the worst kind.”

Fritz said that Summers committed the robbery to get money in an attempt to forestall an apparent foreclosure on his family’s home.

“It’s a very serious crime, but we’re charged with looking at each case as being unique,” Fritz said, adding that the gun used in the Feb. 9 robbery was not loaded.

Fritz said even during the robbery, the defendant was reported to have apologized for his actions to his victims.

Summers’ sentence included no option for work release during his year-and-a-half incarceration, Fritz said, and he must also complete an alcohol abuse program as part of his sentence.

According to charging documents filed

against Summers, witnesses at the Mechanicsville 7-Eleven, who would become Summers’ victims, told police Summers walked into the store wearing a bandana over his face, and while holding a rifle, demanded money from the store employee.

The employee fled the store but fell down and hurt himself in the escape attempt, charging documents state.

Summers’ followed the employee outside and ordered him back inside the store, charging documents state, and again demanded money.

The employee handed over $167 in cash from the store’s till, charging documents state.

Another witness who arrived at the store as the robbery was occurring, saw Summers come out of the store, carrying a rifle, and leave in a red Honda Civic with a Maryland registration.

The second witness followed the car Summers was driving all the way down to Laurel Grove Road going south bound on Route 235, all the while directing police units to where Summers’ vehicle was going.

Police units stopped Summers’ vehicle just after it turned down Laurel Grove Road and found the rifle in the passenger side of the car as well as the suspected stolen cash in Summers’ pockets.

By taking the plea deal Summers avoided much harsher prison sentences than if he had been convicted of the assault charges. The firstdegree assault charge alone carried a possible 25-year sentence.

Summers will also have to submit to two years of probation upon his release from the county detention center.

“This was a kind of comic tragedy,” Fritz said of the crime. “That’s exactly what it is.”

Thursday, July 3, 2008

The County Times

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The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Editorial & Opinion th

Celebrate 4 of July Southern Maryland Style This weekend f inds a variety of family events to enjoy in your own backyard. Happy Independence Day! Have a safe and fun f illed weekend.

Wednesday, July 2nd Mid-Atlantic National Guard Band Concert- 5:30-7:00 p.m. Free patriotic concert.

Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic from one of Leonardtown’s local restaurants on the Square. Leonardtown. For information 301-475-9791.

Thursday, July 3 rd Chesapeake Beach FireworksFree event at dusk. Fireworks, food, music and fun. Rod and Reel Restaurant, Chesapeake Beach. For information 410-257-2230.

Friday, July 4 th Solomon’s Island FireworksFree event. Dusk. Come see a spectacular f ireworks display waterside.

Rain date Saturday.

LaPlata Independence Day Celebration- 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Music, museum and caboose tours, children’s activities, free hotdogs, water and ice cream. LaPlata Train Station. For information 301-934-8421.

Indian Head Celebration- Free event. 3:30-10:00 p.m. Family fun, amusement rides and food. Live music and f ireworks. Village Green Park. For information 301-743-5511.

River Concert Series- 7:00 p.m.

Free outdoor concert of American Ballads featuring jazz vocalist Hilary Kole and the Chesapeake Orchestra, directed by Jeffrey Silberschlag. Fireworks at 9:00. St.

To The Editor: Presidential Race I just want to encourage others in making Barack Obama our next President of the USA. Some people might try to use fear to frighten the public by claiming Obama is un-American or that Obama will change our American culture to some thing worse, and basing our votes on that kind of fear mongering is not a worthy way of moving into our future.

Some people see “terrorism” as the greatest challenge but I say the huge gigantic national debt that is out of control under this Bush administration is a far FAR greater threat to the USA then any terrorist challenge. A terrorist might knock down buildings and maybe some extreme example they might blow up a city, but the out of control national debt will surely ruin the entire USA from sea to shining sea.

The national debt has now climbed to over nine (9) trillion (trillion with a “T”) dollars and still rising, and we had a surplus budget in 2000 when the Bush administration took over and now that huge national debt is a far bigger threat then any terrorist can give to our USA. The never ending war in Iraq alone is costing the USA over 12 Billion dollars per month while the Republican candidate for President wants to keep the war going and going and going.

We need to hope and pray and actively support Barack Obama to be our next President.

James P. Cusick Sr. Lexington Park, Md

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Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Baseball and Fireworks- $- 7:00 p.m. Come out and enjoy Blue Crabs baseball with the family. Fireworks follow the game. Regency Furniture Stadium, Waldorf. For information call 301-638-9788.

Charles County FireworksFree event. 5:00-10:00 p.m. Children’s activities, food available or bring a picnic for the family to enjoy while watching the f ireworks.

Charles County Fairgrounds. For information 301-643-0033.

Saturday, July 5 th Leonardtown Freedom FestFree event. 5:00-10:30 p.m. Fireworks, music and entertainment, crafts and concessions. St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds. For information call 301-475-4200, ext. 1848.

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Baseball and Fireworks- $noon and 6:35 p.m. The noon game against the Camden Riversharks includes a crab feast. The 6:35 game includes f ireworks. Regency Furniture Stadium, Waldorf. For information 301-638-9788.

Point Lookout Lighthouse Open House- $- 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Tour Point Lookout Lighthouse. For information www.pllps. org.

Sunday, July 6 th Sotterley Patriotic Concert- $1:00-4:00 p.m. Jeffrey Silberschlag and the brass quintet will perform.

Picnics welcome. Food, beer and wine available. Sotterley Plantation.

For information call 301-373-2280.

Grillmasters: Learn a Piece of Barbecue History Many men take pride in grabbing the proverbial barbecue reigns and doing their time-honored duty of grilling up savory meats and more under pristine summer skies.

Barbecuing, grilling . however you put it, has long been a popular pastime and even a rite of passage of sorts for men. There’s something about f lame-licked chunks of meat and billowing smoke that cause red-blooded males’ hearts to go a-f lutter. But while you may claim the title of grillmaster or barbecue guru, there have been many people grilling long before you.

Here’s a look at the history of barbecue as you’ve come to know and love it, courtesy of “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History Again” (Advanced Marketing Services, Inc.).

Barbecue Beginnings One might argue that barbecue could date back as early as primitive times.

After all, once primitive man discovered fire, the discovery that meat tasted better cooked over a f lame wouldn’t have been too far off. But the early concept of barbecuing could be better attributed to the ancient Chinese.

During the Middle Ages most people were cooking food over fires by boiling it in large pots. The Chinese, however, developed a method for cooking foods directly over heat at a low temperature for a long duration of time.

Barbecue history evolved a little further in 1492 when Christopher Columbus saw the Taino Native Americans in Haiti cooking fish and wild game hung on wooden structures over coals. To Columbus and his fellow explorers, the word for the wooden structure used in the cooking sounded like barbacoa.

Over time, Spanish explorers brought the concept of the barbacoa back to Europe, along with another New World find: the swine, or pig. Soon a new concept of cooking and a new food delicacy was discovered.

Cowboy Evolution Barbecue continued in popularity through the centuries. In the 1800s, this open-fire method of cooking proliferated among the cowboy, wagon-train circles.

Resourceful cowboys learned that if you cooked a tougher cut of meat (often the cheapest leftovers thrown to them by cattle barons), over low heat, it would make the meat more tender and palatable.

Chugging Along With Charcoal

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Charcoal is a 19th century invention. Henry Ford, an enterprising individual, found that you could create charcoal from the wood byproducts of his auto assembly plant. Ford worked together with his relative E.G. Kingsford and Thomas Edison to create a charcoal manufacturing operation. It was named Ford Charcoal, but was later changed to the Kingsford Product Company. Charcoal gave barbecuers easier options for starting the low fire that would grill their foods.

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Meager Beginnings to Major Influence

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Today, 77 percent of all American households have a barbecue grill, and most barbecue several months out of the year, with the summer season and the Fourth of July holiday being top barbecue times. Barbecue has evolved into a subset of cuisine, with many top-notch chefs putting new spins on a cooking concept that started thousands of years ago

Letters to the Editor If you wish to send a letter to the editor, please include your name, address and phone number for confirmation purposes. We will only publish your name and city of residence. We can withhold your name by request if circumstances merit it. We must receive all letters by Monday morning for publication in the next issue. Any letter received later than Monday will be held for the following issue.

James Manning McKay - Publisher Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Andrea Shiell - Community Correspondent.......andreashiell@countytimes.net Chris Stevens - Sports Correspondent............... ........chrisstevens@countytimes.net

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Guy Leonard - Government Correspondent..............guyleonard@countytimes.net

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The County Times

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Ramblings of a Country Girl

Act Your Age Terri Bartz Bowles Recently, a former coworker of mine sent out an email inviting a bunch of folks to go water skiing and tubing.

He does this every spring. He makes sure to include myself and another former co-worker

of ours. It’s a little tradition of his, as soon as it gets what he deems “warm enough�, he’s ready to hit the water. My girlfriend and I went once, but since we’re not into water sports, we had him drop us on the beach, then we watched the rest of them while we relaxed.

It was great. The teasing, however, has been merciless ever since. He calls us ‘beached whales’ and harangues us for not being active. I return that by telling him he’s a crazy old guy risking life and limb trying to recapture his lost youth.

He didn’t take that lying down

Section A -

and a thought process ensued on physical activity and age and that sort of thing.

It begs the question of what do we really mean when we say ‘act your age’? What is appropriate behavior for various ages? It’s a little blurry, I think, a bit of a gray area.

It’s something that dogs us all our lives. It begins when we’re children. I don’t believe there’s a parent in the world who has never uttered those words ‘act your age’. What they’re really saying is behave the way I want you to behave or the way I told you to behave or the way I expect you to behave. This can be confusing for a kid and it doesn’t always get easier when you’re an adult. Of course, a 12year old shouldn’t be having a crying, screaming temper tantrum. You may not want your 5-year old to have one, either, but it’s a lot more understandable. And children mature differently. Your 10year old may still interrupt adult conversations but it’s not because he’s trying to be rude; he just hasn’t matured enough to realize what he’s doing is not good manners. It doesn’t

make it easier to deal with or less annoying, but it is what it is.

But telling an adult to act their age is a whole different ballgame. What is the difference in the way a 30-year old acts and a 50-year old acts? I suspect what we really mean is either a level of physical activity that someone somehow deems appropriate for the age of the person in question or a manner of behavior that, like the 10-year old interrupting, is annoying to someone else.

Why shouldn’t a 70-year old man run a marathon if he’s able? The answer is that he should run it. A 70-year old who is not a runner couldn’t run that marathon, but someone who is a runner certainly could. Heck, a 25-year old who is out of shape couldn’t run a marathon. But somehow, society thinks the 25year old is acting his age by running the marathon and the 70-year old isn’t. That’s just silly. It’s all common sense.

If you are able to undertake a physical activity and you enjoy, then do it. But be reasonable, if you’ve never been water skiing and you’re out of

Garvey Senior Center Gets a Makeover Andrea Shiell Staff Writer A small sampling of dignitaries and senior citizens congregated at the Garvey Senior Activity Center in Leonardtown on Friday to view recent renovations at their open house.

One of five centers operated by the St. Mary’s County Department of Aging, the open house showcased new furnishings, billiard tables, an

exercise room, internet cafĂŠ, new flooring, new offices, new storage closets, and a refurbished reception area.

Commissioner Thomas Mattingly said the renovations had been long overdue, describing the old building as “very simple, very plain, and not as functional.â€? Later, after touring the entire facility, Mattingly said, “this is outstanding‌they’ve done a great job.â€?

Several groups within St.

Mary’s County Government shared credit for the project, which Community Programs Manager Sherrie Wooldridge described as an effort several years in the making.

Members of the Department of Public Works and Transportation worked on many of the actual renovations, with help from the Department of Information Technology. “It was a long project,�

Wooldridge said. As for the

state of the building before, she called it â€œâ€Ś an old, sad building.â€?

Renovations were also done on the top floor of the building, which serves as the

the County Commissioners, Deputy Director Jennie Page said, beaming proudly as she welcomed visitors to the center. “It’s important to have a nice and pleasing atmosphere

shape, then maybe you should think twice. And yes, the human body becomes less flexible and less forgiving as it gets older. Just bear that in mind.

As far as the behavior thing goes, well, it’s just as silly. If you’re 47 and you like to color with crayons, why shouldn’t you? If you’re 20 and you like to jitterbug, why shouldn’t you? What is it with these age-appropriate things?

Age-appropriate applies to toys and games for children so they’re not swallowing small parts and that sort of thing.

Other than that, what’s the gain? I think it’s stifling more than anything else. Kids can’t wait to be adults and adults want to act like kids. We always think the grass is greener on the other side, I guess.

As adults, we’ve realized that life is stressful and the stuff we did as kids was fun and we want to recapture that.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Just don’t hurt yourself, it takes longer to heal the older you get‌‌ You can email the Country Girl at countrygirlramblings@gmail.com

ning programs. “I think they did a great job,� said Jean Day, who attends classes at the center. “They completely made it over, and I’ve been coming here for about 18 years.� “I think this is wonderful,� said Board of Education member Mary Washington. “Our county provides wonder-

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Visitors enjoyed hanging out in the new activities room at the Garvey Senior Center’s open house on Friday.

Photo by Andrea Shiell

New furniture, new pool tables, and new flooring grace this new game room at the Garvey Senior center in Leonardtown.

center for operations for the county’s Department of Aging. The new layout boasts new carpets and matching office furniture to replace what used to be a hodge-podge collection of used equipment.

Funding for the renovations came from the Board of

for the seniors to come and do activities,� she said.

Such activities include art classes, games, fitness programs, computer classes, and nutrition and health services.

The center serves an average of 40 seniors per day, not including participation in eve-

Commissioners Mull Impacts Of Third Reactor At Calvert Cliffs

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The proposed third reactor project at Calvert Cliff Nuclear Power Plant in Calvert County could bring as many as 4,000 temporary construction and contracting jobs to Southern Maryland during the five to six years of active building, according to officials working to get the project approved.

While there could be economic benefits to so many jobs coming to Calvert and St. Mary’s county’s some on the Board of County Commissioners foresee potential problems.

The sudden influx of so many people could cause complications in finding homes for them to stay in; also the school system could be inundated with new students that might be gone in five or six years, leaving empty seats.

And with the influx of so many new jobs traffic could be snarled on the Thomas Johnson Bridge, causing a dangerous backup if lower Calvert County had to be evacuated in case of a reactor accident. “Calvert County gets a cash cow but St. Mary’s County gets a bunch of evacuation signs,� said Commissioner Lawrence

Jarboe (R-Golden Beach), who still believed the third reactor would be a beneficial new energy source. “If your going to bring that to the county [more students and people who need housing] you have to bring the money with it or better yet keep the housing close to the site. “The expense of hundreds of new students is enormous.�

Thomas Roberts, vice president of construction for UniStar, a construction conglomerate that is subsidiary to Constellation Energy, said that UniStar is still looking at ways to accommodate the influx of workers.

On-site accommodations in Calvert were a possibility, he said.

Roberts also said that the conglomerate plans to hire as many construction and contract workers and skilled labor for the project as possible. “This is a huge project,�

Roberts said. “We’re working with College of Southern Maryland and other institutions to provide programs so that the work force is ready for the project.�

The project could be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by 2011 but pre-construction activity could begin in December if the state

issues a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

The third reactor, which would generate 16 megawatts of electricity, almost as much as the two reactors currently at Calvert Cliffs, could be completed in late 2015.

Roberts said that the project is a multi-billion dollar effort; he declined to give exact figures, he said, because of competitive concerns in the energy market place.

Once the reactor comes on line it would require about 360 permanent jobs to operate it, Roberts said.

The reactor is designed to have a 60-year life span. “This is a evolutionary designed reactor with lessons learned incorporated over the last 30 years,� Roberts told commissioners.

A shield structure covering the reactor also covers cooling apparatus and spent fuel and control rods. The structure is also designed to withstand the impact of a large passenger airline or a military jet aircraft, he said.

Despite adding the reactor to the facility, the view from the main highway would be as lowkey as it is now. “You won’t be able to see

the cooling tower from Route 2 or Route 4,� Roberts said.

A desalinization plant will also be built to provide a cooling agent for the reactor so local aquifers will not be too heavily taxed, he said.

Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D-Great Mills) was keen on getting Constellation Energy’s help in defraying other costs of dealing with the Calvert Cliffs reactor, specifically in some kind of reimbursement, either monetary or in helping provide more space in the emergency operations center, for safety and emergency response drills county employees must take part in regularly. “Fair is fair,� Raley said.

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The County Times

Section A -

Bailey Receives Endorsement Collins Bailey, a congressional candidate for Maryland’s 5th congressional district has received an endorsement from Texas Congressman and GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul for Bailey’s Congressional run. Paul, who is currently serving his tenth term, announced his support for Bailey, saying: “Collins Bailey is a man of dignity who stays true to our principles. He has the utmost respect for the rule of law and our Constitution. As a believer in a constitutionally limited federal government, sound monetary policies, civil liberties, and a

common sense foreign policy, Collins understands what the real issues are and how they are affecting our country. He has served as an elected member of the Charles County Board of Education. He is currently serving his fourth consecutive four-year term.... Our country needs Collins in Washington. That is why I have given my wholehearted endorsement to Collins Bailey for Congress in Maryland’s 5th congressional district.”

Looking Ahead to St. Mary’s County 2020

By Bob Schaller If somehow you woke up today and it was the year 2020 in St. Mary’s County, what would it look like? I’m sure you’d recognize a lot, but chances are there would be much that was new and unfamiliar. If you were around a dozen years ago in Leonardtown for example and fast-forwarded to 2008 you’d have a similar experience, except that you’d have the benefit of hindsight. Foresight is always much harder.

The County has begun a major update of the St. Mary’s County Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), last amended in 2003 and titled, “Quality of Life in St. Mary’s County – A Strategy for the 21st Century.” It is accessible online at www.stmarysmd.com/lugm/ docs/CompPlanamendedMarch03.pdf The Comprehensive Plan specifies the kind of future growth patterns that will allow the County to best achieve its goals, and to determine what local government policies and actions would best achieve that growth pattern. State law requires that counties conduct this review every six years. This update will be completed July 2009.

This review is critically important because what comes from it is guidance for changes in our zoning ordinance. Basic questions are addressed like what type of growth do we desire as a community and where should it be directed? Of course underpinning this growth are the new jobs created by the region’s largest employer, NAS Patuxent River. How do we continue to support the base, attract and retain new workers to keep it growing? At the same time, how do we preserve our quality of life, the vast acreage of farmland, the hundreds of miles of shoreline, the historic sites we treasure as the Mother County of Maryland? These questions bring additional questions about basic infrastructure such as water & sewerage, schools, roads, parks, libraries, public safety.

The list goes on. In the end it’s about keeping our community sustainable and every six years we have an opportunity to have a say in the planning process.

We’re now a community of 100,000 residents. It’s taken 375 years to achieve this milestone. In perspective, 15% (about 15,000) of our population has arrived since the year 2000

Santos Continued from page A- agreed to an interview without a lawyer, charging documents stated, and confessed that he used a handgun to force Gurley back into his vehicle.

According to further information from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations Santos drove Gurley to the parking lot of the Leonardtown Center shopping center where he allegedly took $37 from Gurley as well as a class ring.

Brown-Santos was said by police to have fled on foot to his own car while Gurley returned to the parking lot of the Dabbs building suffering from chest pains and calling for help.

Police executed a search warrant on Brown-Santos’ apartment in Leonardtown and found a loaded handgun they believed

alone. Current projections put us at a population of 130,000 by 2020, and conceivably 200,000 by 2050. Who knows if this will occur? But that’s what our estimates tell us, plus these dates are not that far away. What’s important is that we participate in the community discussion about getting to whatever future population is in store for the County.

Part of the update process involves gathering inputs from the community. A series of five community meetings are scheduled throughout the County during July 2008 and will provide an opportunity for those who participate to help assess whether the County is on the correct course for development and preservation.

These meetings begin at 7:00pm, are open to the public and will be as follows: Wednesday, July 9 – Lettie Dent Elementary School in Charlotte Hall Thursday, July 10 – Seventh District Fire Department in Avenue Wednesday, July 16 – Leonardtown Middle School Wednesday, July 23 – Lexington Park Library Thursday, July 31 – Ridge Elementary School Community participation in this process is critically important. I ask you to get involved in any way you can. Start by looking around your neighborhood, on the drive to work or school, or as you shop or visit the park on the weekend, or in any other everyday setting. Think about the patterns that have developed along the Rt. 235 and Great Mills corridors, Leonardtown, in North County consisting of Charlotte Hall, New Market, and Mechanicsville, in South County from the south gate of the base down to Ridge and beyond. And everywhere in between. I further ask you to try to make one of the community meetings in July. If you can’t please stay posted, watch the discussion on Channel 95, and follow the coverage in the media. Send in your comments via e-mail, over the phone, or in any other fashion. Write to the Board of County Commissioners at PO Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or by emailing bocc@stmarysmd.com

had been used in the robbery and carjacking, charging documents stated.

Charging documents went on to say that Brown-Santos’ girlfriend returned the deceased victim’s stolen class ring.

Gurley’s daughter, Robin Connelly, said that the capture of the suspect was a relief to her and the rest of the family.

“It gives a sense of closure to know what happened… so you’re not left wondering,” Connelly said. “I commend the police for actively pursuing the case; I’m glad to see he’s going to pay for what he’s done to my father.”

Gurley had lived with his wife of 55 years in the Town Creek area since 1959. He was a retired U.S. Navy aircraft mechanic who had served in maintenance at the U.S. Navy’s test pilot school at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

He was also an active member of the Mattaponi Rod and Gun Club on base and was an avid hunter.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Chem Teacher Continued from page A- excited for the challenge ahead,” Bussler said, but what started out as a challenge for this straight A student “quickly spiraled out of control” over the course of her first semester.

Lauren said it was never a matter of her ability to understand the material.

She had been “student of the year” in her honors chemistry course the previous year. Her problem this past year had been with the teacher.

“The teacher began harassing us; constantly changing due dates and grading standards, and publicly ridiculing selected students,” wrote Lauren, adding also that her teacher, Pauline Owen, “made inappropriate comments left and right and refused to help students or answer questions in class.”

“So many people went to tutoring that the number of people there approached the number of students in the class,” Lauren said, explaining that Owen and Ronni Morrissey, who team-taught the class, would refuse to answer questions on the material and instead refer students to tutoring sessions held after school.

Lauren said that at one point, students were actually being turned away from tutoring sessions. As for her time spent in class, Lauren complained that her teacher was quite simply not teaching.

“She would literally sit behind her desk each day as the class struggled to self-teach challenging, college-level course work,” she said, adding that nine of the 24 students in her class had received a 57% or lower on their midterm exams, despite diligent study sessions.

Despite her difficulties in the class, Lauren had a B before she opted to drop the course and take it at CSM instead, requesting that her grade in Owen’s class be removed from her transcript. Many of her fellow students did the same, but the drama did not stop there. Lauren said the real problems began when she attempted to raise issues concerning her teacher’s conduct, which she and others described as “deplorable.”

So Lauren did what she said many people should have done before.

“We talked with my guidance counselor, had meetings with the principal, and even took it to the level of the superintendent of schools,” she wrote, adding that she was assured a “thorough investigation” of her teacher’s conduct would take place.

Such an investigation, they thought, should have included other students and their parents who had raised similar issues.

“I did receive a phone call from the Director of Secondary Instruction,” wrote Katherine Cummings, a parent of one of the other students who had issued complaints. “I also got a phone call from the principal of Leonardtown High School. He asked for my permission to talk to my daughter about the problems in the classroom.

“This is basically where things ended.

I never did hear back again from anyone either at Leonardtown High School or from anyone at the Board of Education.”

The Busslers said they were also disappointed with the administration’s investigation, which they said was not at all thorough, claiming that at no point were other students in Lauren’s class interviewed about their teacher’s conduct, and only one parent was interviewed.

“They should have talked to everyone in that class, for the teacher’s protection as well,” said Pam. When they received the superintendent’s report, they were disappointed to see that the board

Crash Continued from page A- Mary’s County Detention Center on a no bond status.

Further investigation in Ibanez’s background showed he was wanted on

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had instead sided with the teacher, so they appealed the decision.

“All we were asking, all that I desired, was for my former teacher…to simply do her job and teach the students in her class who wanted to learn,” Lauren explained, adding that she and her parents had approached the principal and others about monitoring the teacher, which they said did not happen.

Lauren’s parents also took issue with what they said was a lack of documentation during the board’s investigation.

“Everything was done verbally… there have been complaints, but nothing was ever documented,” said Pam, adding that she never saw anyone write anything down during their many meetings with the principal or other administrative officials.

The Busslers, along with four other families, then turned to County Commissioner Thomas Mattingly for help.

“I told them from the beginning, I can’t make anybody change a grade, or fire a teacher, or discipline a teacher,” Mattingly said. “That’s not my function.”

Mattingly said he limited his role to opening up lines of communication between the families issuing their complaints and the Board of Education.

“The response probably wasn’t what they wanted,” he said.

Several students attempted to address the school board directly at their June 11 meeting, for which Lauren had signed up to read a personal statement on the issue. After reading a few sentences of her statement for public comment, Board of Education Chair William Mattingly cut her off, telling her that the matter was in the process of appeal, so it would be inappropriate for her to continue.

“They just said that it was an individual matter and it wasn’t allowed,” said fellow student Alexa Schutz, who was present at the meeting, and who had also chosen to drop the class, along with nearly half of the students who had originally registered.

“I thought she should have been able to finish her speech though…she had already talked to the principal and Martirano about this…so there was nowhere else for her to bring it up.”

Board of Education member Mary Washington defended the board’s actions, saying, “since it was regarding a personnel issue, we don’t hear such comments at that time.”

In an email response to an inquiry about the investigation, teacher Pauline Owen stated that the matter was under appeal and she could not comment. Superintendent Michael Martirano could not be reached for comment either.

Lauren said her impression was that the administration was dismissive about her claims because they thought she was complaining about her grade, which she admitted would count as a personal issue, but she said she took issue with that assumption.

“If it was just about the grade, I wouldn’t have taken it to this point,” she said, adding that she would have been happy with a lower grade if she felt she had been treated fairly by her teachers.

“For all the trouble and everything else that’s gone on, for all the offices I’ve sat in, it’s about what my friends and I have had to go through, not the grade,” she said. “But if nothing changes and nothing happens, it’s just going to keep going on.”

As Lauren prepares for her senior year at Leonardtown, she said she has learned a great deal over the last year, “albeit, it was not in my Advanced Placement Chemistry class, but rather within the administrative offices of our system.”

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an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warrant for being an illegal alien.

According to the latest crash investigation information from the sheriff’s office, Ibanez was traveling down Bay Forest Road in Dameron at a high rate of speed June 28 at about 7p.m. when he lost control of his 1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Ibanez failed to make a left hand turn, according to sheriff’s reports, careened out of the west side of the roadway and slid sideways into a large tree.

The vehicle then struck another tree head on and came to rest in the roadway.

Chavez and Martinez died at the scene, police reports stated, while two other passengers Zaydia Garcia Chavel, 18 and Hose Esuin Leon Guerra, 28, both of Waldorf were flown to Prince George’s Hospital Center’s trauma unit in stable condition.

The two deceased pas-

sengers had no identification on them, charging documents state, but were identified by one Maria Delcarmin Trujillo, who claimed she was a friend.

According to applications for statements of charges against Ibanez, deputies claimed to smell a strong odor of alcohol on Ibanez’s breath following the accident and asked him if he had been drinking.

“My friend gave me something,” said Ibanez, according to court papers.

Court papers went on to allege that he admitted to having “three beers,” then admitting later “I had like seven beers.”

Charging documents state that when he was later interviewed at the hospital, Ibanez stated he had left Elm Beach Park just two hours before the crash after having about six beers.

Ibanez claimed that the brakes “gave out” on his truck. A blood alcohol test showed Ibanez had a .172 blood alcohol level.

The County Times

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Jansson Death Continued from page A- “He always looked like the picture of health.”

The cause of Jansson’s death has yet to be determined.

Robert Elwood, vice president of the PRA, an environmental group dedicated to preserving the waterway and the surrounding land, was equally shocked at Jansson’s death.

Jansson was a tireless advocated for the environment and for people’s health, Elwood said.

“He was present at the birth of the environmental movement in the 1970’s,” Elwood said.

In the latter portion of that decade, Jansson lobbied heavily to stop the use of certain herbicides that

had been linked by some to spontaneous abortions and miscarriages in pregnant women in the Pacific Northwest.

Jansson went on to found the National Network to Prevent Birth Defects, which transformed into the group called the Department of the Planet Earth, which dealt with issues like global warming, genetically modified foods and the suspected role of metals in Alzheimer’s Disease.

Locally, Jansson was heavily involved in several projects sponsored by the PRA, including a lawsuit against a county government decision to allow development on steep

landscape slopes, which the group considered detrimental by allowing the damming of creeks and streams.

Under Jansson’s leadership the group also sponsored a study that claimed many storm water management facilities in the county were not functioning properly and endangering waterways like the Chesapeake Bay by not properly filtering out pollutants.

The group was compiling a citizens’ guide to allow residents to inspect and report on sites that were not working properly.

Jansson and the group also pioneered an air quality study in Piney Point that showed levels of pollutants near the petroleum pipeline that were much higher than would be expected in a rural area.

Jansson counted the group’s lobbying efforts to have land at Myrtle

Section A - Point purchased by the county government for public use as one of its major victories for environmental preservation.

Colleagues of Jansson said he had been researching the theoretical problem of global warming and what actions states could take of their own accord to combat it.

“He believed in fighting the good fight,” Elwood said.

Bob Lewis, executive director of the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association, remembered Jansson as a dedicated researcher of facts and figures with a keen mind.

“To me he was a tireless researcher,” Lewis said. “He could pull out choice pieces of information to make his arguments.

“He always had a smile and friendly words for those around him.”

“Made in the U.S.A.” by Billie Letts

c.2008, Grand Central Publishing By: Terri Schlichenmeyer When you were a teenager and living under your parents’ medieval rules, you probably couldn’t wait to grow up, get an apartment, and have a life of your own.

Once you grew up, got an apartment, and had a life of your own, you realized that things weren’t really much different. You still had certain responsibilities, you had to do the same chores (for yourself, this time) and, aside from the bumps and potholes you learned from, you were still the same you.

But what if life shoved you out of the nest before you were ready? In the new novel “Made in the U.S.A.” by Billie Letts, two kids strike out on their own. If they don’t, they might not be able to stay together.

Lutie McFee had dreams once but they didn’t matter any more. There was a time when she thought she might be an Olympic gymnast. She was good enough. Even her coach said so.

But that was all before the totally untrue rumor that got her kicked off the team and made her classmates whisper in the hallways. That was before Lutie’s father left Lutie and her brother, Fate, in the care of Floy, his overweight, wheezing girlfriend. It was before Floy dropped dead in checkout aisle 3 at Wal-Mart.

And it was before fifteen-year-old Lutie packed up everything she owned in a suitcase, pulled together all the change she could find, made Fate choose his favorite books, put everything in the trunk of Floy’s beat-up Pontiac, and left Spearfish, South Dakota with Fate in the passenger seat. They were

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headed for Las Vegas, and the last-known address of their alcoholic father.

But if getting to Vegas without much money was hard, living there was harder. Jobs were impossible to find for a fifteen-year-old. Apartments were expensive and required hundreds of dollars in deposits.

Finding enough to eat was a big concern, and the threat of getting caught – and separated - was always present.

There was one good thing, though: Lutie and Fate had a benefactor. Someone was watching out for them, directing them to safety, leaving small gifts of food. The guardian angel seemed to want to protect the kids from harm.

But who was saving whom?

I liked this novel, but I didn’t.

On one hand, it seemed that two or three novels were squooshed into one here, and “Made in the U.S.A.” kept getting more and more outrageous. But then, it’s a novel, right? And novels don’t always have to make sense.

On the other hand, I absolutely loved Lutie, and I loved the way that author Billie Letts gave Lutie a faux-brave, brassy, brash, scared-little-girl countenance. I loved Fate and his sixth-grade-old-man personality. And while yes, this story was a little farfetched, I admittedly never knew where it was going next. That surely kept me reading.

If you’re in need of a good vacation book and you don’t mind some slightly outlandish plot twists, grab this book and enjoy. “Made in the U.S.A.” is made for novel lovers.

Jansson was also a world traveler who visited exotic locales such as Turkey, the Galapagos Islands, South America and Croatia.

“He loved to travel, he had an active mind along with an active physical life,” Elwood said. “The world fascinated him, other cultures fascinated him.”

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized for Jansson, who is survived by two brothers, Bruce and Douglas.

Despite this, environmentalists from around the region have said they want to hold a special memorial for the man they considered to be a real champion of conservation.

“It’s been rough on all of us,” said Dudley Lindsley, PRA secretary. “They all thought so highly of him; he’s going to be missed.”

The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, July 3, 2008

St. Mary’s Staple Looking PAX Aeromodels Forward to Reopening Continued from page A-

they got a look at the scale replicas of the model airplanes that members of the Patuxent Aero modelers Radio Control had set up for them.

Modelers were busy gearing up their planes for flight to show just how involved, and how much fun, their hobby could be. has been separated by a wall. what made St. Mary’s CounSome modelers charged up their planes “Even though we were always ty,” said Rebarchick, nodding with battery power while others worked manvery family friendly, a lot of out his window to the chain ual fuel pumps that pumped in a pink, nitrouspeople didn’t like coming in restaurants across the street. based compound to get their motors running. here with the bar so close,” He said that the flourishing More than a few of the planes used weed said Rebarchik. In addition independent businesses in the whacker engines for thrust. to new insulation, flooring, area started faltering ten to As the first plane took off, what modelers walls, ceilings, bathrooms, twelve years ago as the area called a 42-percent, because it was 42 percent and banquet rooms, Rebar- developed.

“Independent the size of the real aerobatic propeller plane it chick also added energy effi- businesses have a very hard imitated, the campers from Greenwell were cient appliances and low-volt- time competing,” he said. wowed by the stunning acrobatic moves the age, recessed “green” lighting.

Renovations such as these, “Anything that we replaced Rebarchick hopes, will help we tried to replace it with en- his family’s business comergy conscious products,” he pete, and draw on his existing said. “We’re just trying to do pool of loyal regulars, some of which have been coming our part.”

In addition to the new to Lenny’s since it opened. floor plan, Lenny’s will also “People would always say expand its menu to include to me, ‘this is our Cheers,’” more seafood, salads, and a he explained, adding that his wider variety of lunch items. new layout was designed to Also in the bar, he is install- make them just as comforting 14 new beer taps, and he able as they had always been. hopes to expand his micro- He plans to reopen his doors brew selections. “I am not by the 20th of July.

“We’re trying to maintain a beer drinker,” he laughed.

“I’ve never drank beer that a certain consistency…hopeI liked…but I sample to my fully our previous customers beer crowd and I let them tell will like the changes we’ve made, and new customers me if it’s good or not.”

“What we’re really doing will come in and be pleasantly is trying to keep up with the surprised.” times. Small businesses are

Revamped Lenny’s Hopes to Compete With Local Chains Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Across the street, chain restaurants including Outback Steakhouse and Cheeseburger in Paradise were busy prepping for lunch and dinner service, but nestled in its own space on the northbound side of Three Notch Road, Dan Rebarchick made his way past construction equipment to seat himself in what is soon to become some fresh competition for chain restaurants in the area.

As the owner of Lenny’s Restaurant, which has been a landmark in St. Mary’s County since 1951, Dan knows a thing or two about the evolution of the area’s business climate, and while gutting his own establishment to make room for new walls, ceilings, equipment, flooring, insulation, and banquet rooms, he has had his hands full for the last few months. But this is a project that he hopes will strengthen his competitive edge.

Built in 1952 as both a family home and the Knotty Pine Restaurant by D.B. McMillan, Rebarchick’s grandfather, and later taken over by his father Lenny, who renamed the popular establishment Lenny’s in 1963, Rebarchick’s family legacy has graced MD Route 235 for three generations, even bearing a pine-shaped sign in the front that harkens back to the restaurant’s roots. Rebarchick said that when he took over his father’s place in 1981, he had made a few basic changes, but nothing as extensive as his current undertakings.

What used to be a shared area between the bar and the main dining room

Crosby said the flying was a bit tense at times, too, since just a little movement on one of the control sticks could send the plane spinning.

“It’s like getting off of a roller coaster… you’re proud you did it.”

R.C. Wildes, 10, of Hollywood found out quickly that piloting the little models was tougher than it looked at first.

“It was fun. Challenging, but fun,” Wildes said. “It’s kind of hard to steer.

“It’s fun to figure out how the piloting works… I think I did a loop by accident.”

Education was the main reason the aero modelers got their start, other than just for the fun of it.

The club is a local chapter of the Academy

Photo by Guy Leonard

Matt Tillman, president of Patuxent Aeromodelers club talks to some campers about the ins and outs of flying model airplanes.

Photo by Andriea Shiell

Dan Rebarchick, owner of Lenny’s Restaurant in California, sits at one of the tables in his new bar.

Thompson’s

Furniture City In Business For 60 Years

Photo by Guy Leonard

Campers from Greenwell State Park got a show of aerial acrobatics like this plane flying upside down.

pilot showed off as well as just how high and fast the little plane could fly.

After the first plane’s smooth landing, campers got a look at another prop plane, this time with a Barbie doll placed in the cockpit.

As the plane performed a low fly-by of the smiling youngsters, the bomb bay doors opened and three toy paratroopers dropped out and floated to the ground perfectly.

Campers got to see replicas of World War II era fighter planes take to the sky, too. Concurrent machine-gun firing noises from the campers followed several low level passes.

It was not long before campers got to get on the stick while one of the club members helped control the plane from an auxiliary controller called a “buddy box.”

Campers said it was well worth the wait and the heat.

“It was completely different,” said Hannah Crosby, 12, of Charlotte Hall. “It was fun.”

of Aeronautics and teaches new members the ins and outs of aero modeling, including mathematical applications, electronics, mechanics, physics and aerodynamics.

Local club president Matt Tillman said that membership in the club, particularly for young people, can have other benefits as well.

“I tell parents it develops and takes a lot of skills,” Tillman said. “It teaches patience and perseverance… and it teaches you how to solder and glue stuff together.”

Crosby was impressed with the perseverance and skill it would take to get one of these model planes in the air — and keep it there.

“It’s something you have to put together yourself,” she said. “You can’t just buy it at a store.”

For more information about the club and how to become a member, visit their Web site at www.paxaero.com.

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The County Times

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Section A -

Obituaries William Andrews, 82

brinsfieldfuneral.com.

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

Shirley Marie Burch, 40

William Andrews, 82, of California, Md. died June 17 in Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. with his family by his side.

Born July 24, 1925 in Providence, R.I., he was the son of the late Lenore Grissom, and was raised in Providence until the age of 16.

He was 17 years old when he joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as an aviation metal smith and retired with the rate of Chief Petty Officer. He was stationed at the Anacostia Naval Air Station in Washington, D.C. and was later transferred to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. After retiring from active duty in the late 1960’s, he took a civil service position at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and moved with his family to St. Mary’s County.

Bill was a kid at heart, curious and creative with an adventurous spirit. He loved to talk to all types of people and often shared his unconventional ideas about the world. He was a member of the Church of the Ascension for almost 40 years and was a bass in the choir for most of that time. He served on the vestry and was a member of the church softball team. In his 40’s, Bill became an avid cyclist, riding to work at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station on a regular basis and taking 100 mile weekend bike excursions. When he was in his mid 70’s he participated in cycling events at the Maryland Senior Olympics, and qualified for and took part in races at the 1999 National Senior Games. After his retirement from the civil service, Bill enjoyed working as a volunteer at the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.

Bill is survived by his wife of 55 years, Hilma Mondani Andrews, and his children, March Andrews and his wife Alison of Laytonsville, Md., Luke Andrews of California, Md., Anthony Andrews and his wife Susan of Bethesda, Md., Beth Andrews and her husband Dave Carson of Gaithersburg, Md., and Julie Correll and her husband Steve of Leonardtown, four grandchildren, Lucy Andrews, Sean Carson, and Cara and Brady Correll.

Family received friends Thursday, June 26 from 10 – 11 a.m. in the Church of the Ascension, 21641 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park. A Memorial Service was conducted at 11 a.m. with the Reverend Rona Harding officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Church of the Ascension, 21641 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park, MD 20653.

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

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

Carol Yvonne Asbury, 81 Carol Yvonne Asbury, 81, of Leonardtown died June 29 in Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. Born Dec. 17, 1926 in Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Giacin and Thelma Haley Giacin.

Carol is survived by her children, Donald Lee Asbury of Tennessee, Martin Wayne Asbury of Virginia, Dale Francis Asbury of Florida and Carol Lynn Pratt of Leonardtown.

All services are private.

Condolences to the family may be made at www.

Shirley Marie Burch, 40, of Hollywood died June 30, 2008 in her residence.

Born July 5, 1967, she was the daughter of Thornton Bridgett and Constance (Williams) Bridgett.

In addition to her parents, Shirley is survived by her husband, John A. Burch, two children, John Wilson Buckler, Jr. of Seneca, S.C., and Amber Marie Burch of Hollywood, two grandchildren, Jamie R. Buckler and Jeremy W. Buckler, siblings, Thomas Eric Bridgett of Mechanicsville, Bridget Suzette Bridgett of Lexington Park, Roger Grissom of Hughesville, and Jr. Williams of Newburg, Md. Family received friends for Shirley’s Life Celebration Wednesday, July 2 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown. Prayers were recited at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, July 3 at 10 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, 43927 St. John’s Road, Hollywood. Reverend Ray Schmidt will be the celebrant. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hospice House of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or the American Cancer Society, St. Mary’s County Unit 350, P.O. Box 1032, Lexington Park, MD 20653.

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

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

Thomas “Tommy” Mitchell Dillow, Sr., 81

Thomas “Tommy” Mitchell Dillow, Sr., 81, of Hollywood, died June 28, in his residence.

Born June 29, 1926 in Leonardtown he was the son of the late Joseph Alfred and Roberta Goldsborough Dillow, Sr. He was the loving husband of Patricia VanSise Dillow whom he married Nov. 27, 1948 in Leonardtown.

He was the devoted father of Thomas M. “Mickey” Dillow and his wife Peggy of Hollywood, Karan L. “Tootie” Dillow of Fremont, N.C., Danielle “Danie” Fields and her husband John of Hollywood, W. David “Doc” Dillow and his companion Ellie of Hollywood, Richard P. “Sam” Dillow and his wife Barbara of Glenwood City, Wis., Robin McGolrick and her husband Chip, of Hollywood, and James P. “Jimmy” Dillow of Hollywood. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and his brother Joseph Alfred Dil-

low of California.

He was preceded in death by his siblings Charles Goldsborough “Harpo” or “Doc” Dillow, Robert Enders “Bobby” Dillow and Alice Ann Dillow.

Tommy was an avid farmer and a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident. He was a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy “Class of 1944.”

The family received friends Tuesday, July 1 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, where prayers were said at 7 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. by the Knights of Columbus. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Wednesday, July 2 at 11 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Steven Dillow, Jason Dillow, Ryan Fields, Joseph McGolrick, Jack Dillow and Michael Dillow. Honorary pallbearers were Nickolas Dillow and David Dillow.

Contributions may be made to the Msgr. Harris Scholarship Fund, St. John’s Catholic Church, 43927 St. John’s Church Road, Hollywood, MD 20636 and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

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

Teresa Mae Gray, 83

van Gurley.

Mr. Gurley served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1978 as an Electronics Technician. He retired from the Navy and returned to work for DynCorp as a Maintenance Control Officer at the Test Pilot School. He enjoyed bow and gun hunting. He was a lifetime member of the Mattapany Rod and Gun Club where he spent a lot of time with his second family telling tall tales. He will be greatly missed by all.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Gurley, whom he married Oct. 18, 1953, two daughters, Vicki Vail of Lexington Park, and Robin Connelly of Florida, two grandchildren, Valerie Vail and Ford Connelly, one great grandchild, Brianna Connelly, two sisters, Janie Lawler of Michigan, and Irene Williams of Tennessee, and a brother Robert Gurley of Tennessee, as well as several nieces and nephews.

The family received friends Thursday, June 26 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home in Leonardtown. Prayers were recited at 7 p.m. A Funeral Service was conducted Friday, June 27, at 10 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home Chapel. Entombment followed in Evergreen Memorial Gardens Mausoleum in Great Mills.

Serving as pallbearers were Bill Heaton, Jack Sizemore, Gerald Crider, Don Beck, Dave Bryner and Jimmy Roberts.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 339, Lexington Park, MD 20653.

Erik Trovald Jansson, 67

Teresa Mae Gray, 83, of Mechanicsville died June 24 in her residence.

Born Jan. 4, 1925 in Mechanicsville, she was the daughter of the late Charles Edward and Cora Pilkerton Flora.

She was preceded in death by her husband Ben Gray Nov. 15, 1991. She is survived by her children Martha Gray of Leonardtown, Charles Gray and Freddie Gray both of Leonardtown; five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Mrs. Gray was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident where she worked as a homemaker. The family received friends Monday, June 30 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Tuesday, July 1 at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with Fr. Timothy Baer officiating. Interment followed at Mt. Zion United Methodist Cemetery. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Erik Trovald Jansson, 67, of Leonardtown died June 27 in his residence. Born July 26, 1940 in Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Holger and Marybelle Jansson.

Erik received a B.A. from Oberlin College and a Masters in City Planning from Yale University. He was a passionate environmentalist and an active volunteer for the Potomac River Association.

He successfully advocated for the creation of the County’s park at Myrtle Beach and was a strong supporter of historic preservation efforts in St. Mary’s County.

He is survived by his brothers Bruce and Douglas Jansson.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

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

Madeleine Moon Kreitzer, 88

Billy Gene Gurley, 75

Billy Gene Gurley, 75, of Lexington Park died June 20 in St. Mary’s Hospital.

Born May 2, 1933 in Carroll County, Tenn., he was the son of the late William Lloyd Gurley and Offie Jane Duna-

Madeleine Moon Kreitzer, 88, of Lexington Park died June 27 in the Sunrise Senior Living Center in Annapolis, Md. Born April 8, 1920, in Antwerp, Belgium, she was the daughter of the late Louis B. Moon and Yvonne Coutin Moon.

She was a longtime lab instructor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

She entered the United States through Ellis Island in December 1925. Her mother was originally a French citizen and her father was an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a child she lived throughout the United States as the family followed her father’s military career. She at-

tended St. Joseph’s College in Emmitsburg on a scholarship and after graduation worked at military medical laboratories in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Key West, Fla. She met her husband, William Rutherford Kreitzer, in Savannah, Ga., where they both attended high school.

They were married Oct. 23, 1943, in Key West, Fla. They had seven children and as a Navy family were stationed in San Francisco, Calif., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Portsmouth, Va.; Newport, R.I. and Washington, D.C. She worked for the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and co-authored a study of salmonella that was published in three issues of Applied Microbiology.

She and her family moved to St. Mary’s County in 1969, and she completed her master’s degree in microbiology at the University of Maryland.

She was a chemistry lab instructor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland for more than 15 years, retiring in 1986. A chemistry lab at the college’s new Goodpastor Hall was named in her honor in 2007.

A former student, David Burdette, donated the funding for the lab with the stipulation that is be named for her, citing her as an “inspirational chemistry lab instructor, mentor and friend.”

After her retirement from the college she and her husband joined the Peace Corps, serving from 1986 to 1988 in Belize, where she worked at the Good Shepherd Clinic, offering free health services to the residents of San Jose Succotz, a community near the Guatemala border.

In retirement she and her husband traveled widely in North and South America and Asia. After returning to St. Mary’s from her Peace Corps service, she was a substitute teacher in the public schools, mostly at Great Mills High School. She was the longtime president of the local chapter of the American Association of University Women, volunteered at Historic St. Mary’s City and was the community co-chair of the Restoration Advisory Board for Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

She was preceded in death by her husband, who died March 25, 2007. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her brother, Russell Moon.

She is survived by her seven children; Susan Norlund of Sky Forest, Calif., Thomas Richard Kreitzer of Lovettsville, Va.; Nancy Kreitzer of Huntingtown, Md.; Joan Ellis of Kingston, N.Y.; Katy Kreitzer Boyd of Leonardtown; Robert E. Kreitzer of Bangor, Maine; and Janet Kreitzer of Santa Cruz, Calif. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends for Madeleine’s Life Celebration Wednesday, July 9 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown. Prayers will be recited at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, July 10 at 11 a.m. in St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 105 Vianney Lane, Prince Frederick, Md. Reverend Peter J. Daly will be the celebrant. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Tuesday, August 19 at 11 a.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters at 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan 49221-1793 or the AAUW “Dare to Dream” Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 216, St. Leonard, MD 20685.

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

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

Doris Kathleen “MeMaw” Mattingly, 85

Doris Kathleen “MeMaw” Mattingly, 85, of Leonardtown died June 24 in St. Mary’s Hospital.

Born Oct. 8, 1922 in Washington, D.C. she was the daughter of the late Vickers Walter and Mary Grace Hardesty Lambert. She was the loving wife of the late Bernard “Nace” I. Mattingly Sr. whom she married in Holy Comforter Church in Washington, D.C., and who preceded her in death Nov. 29, 2000.

She is survived by her children B.I. “Butch” Mattingly and his wife Sharon, Carol Russell and her husband Johnny and Nancy Sidorowicz and her husband Mike, all of Leonardtown, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her, brother Ralph Lambert and his wife Orene of Warfordsburg, Pa., Sister-In-Law Ginger Lambert of Newbern, N.C., brother Raymond Lambert and his wife Jackie of Wayson’s Corner, Md., sisterin-Law Celie Lambert of Barstow, Md. and brother Grover Batts of Washington, D.C. She was preceded in death by her sister Mary Lillian Smith and her husband Charles and her brothers Vic Lambert and Roland Lambert.

A graduate of Eastern High School’s Class of 1940, Doris moved to St. Mary’s County in 1946 from Washington, D.C. She was a charter member of the Cedar Lane Bridge Group.

The family received friends Sunday June 29 from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown where prayers were said at 3 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Monday, June 30 at 10 a.m. in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Leonardtown with Fr. John Mattingly officiating and Deacon Bill Nickerson co-officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were James H. “Jay” Hills, Daniel M. Sidorowicz, Christopher R. Mattingly, Dennis Mattingly, Tom Oh and Robert Smith. Honorary pallbearers were Ralph Lambert and Grover Batts.

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

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

Elve Lorraine Steele, 79 Elve Lorraine Steele, 79, of Lexington Park died June 25 in Bayside Care Center, Great Mills.

Born July 15, 1928, she was the daughter of the late Ed Graney and Grace Atchinson Graney.

Elve is survived by her children, Vicky M. Wagner and Kerry M. Dorman of Palm Bay, Fla. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, John C. Dorman.

All services are private.

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

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

The County Times

Section A - 10

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Power

pay for themselves.

Both Shannon and her father, Richard, said that they have seen a huge increase in inquiries about solar power systems. “There’s Continued from page A- a lot of interest right now with fuel costs and Zero, who has a number of videos on You- electric usage,” said Richard, adding that this Tube, described his work as still being in the weekend’s conference had been a great forum “tinkering” stage, but when asked about the with which to promote awareness of his comelimination of fossil fuels from America’s en- pany’s product. ergy repertoire, he said, “that is the holy grail!

Not far from the set-up of solar panels, a The end game is to produce enough hydrogen man named Dustin perched by a sexy-looking and oxygen to replace fossil fuel entirely…and red 1959 Cadillac to demonstrate his “smack we’ll get there eventually.” booster” technology. “I’ve been in business Saturday’s crowds had teemed through the for four months,” he said, explaining that he site listening to representatives of companies had developed his system to aid what he calls give presentations on alternative energy, its the “hydrogen revolution,” offering his design application to residential and commercial mar- plans for free on the internet. kets, and its impact on the environment. On According to information from Dustin’s Sunday the crowds had thinned considerably, website (he asked that his last name not be inbut demonstrators were still out braving the cluded in this article), his system is commonly heat while explaining their projects. referred to as a hydrogen “booster” that conTerry Miller smiled as he handed out free sists of a small container of distilled water with bottles of water and soda to visitors, pointing a conductive additive. When an electric curto the tarp of his tent. “This is all petroleum… rent is passed through the water it produces a we’ll never be totally independent, but we can gas mix commonly referred to as “hydroxy” reduce our use dramatically,” he said. that improves the quality of the burn inside Terry’s colleague Pam Gondola said that the combustion chamber while reducing CO2 she had come up with her own ways of reduc- and other emissions. Specific design and ining gas and electric usage. “I don’t go any- stallation guides can be found at his website at where for just one thing anymore,” she said, www.smackboosters.com. explaining that she had reduced her driving a County Commissioner Larry Jarboe great deal. She also said that she had reduced ducked for shade while dusting himself off her electric usage by simply installing energy on Sunday. “I feel like I’m back in first grade saving light bulbs and surge protectors wher- again,” he exclaimed, pointing to stands showever she could in her house. “My electric bill casing what looked like an impromptu science went from $400 to $230 a month…they’re little fair. “It’s a rolling science project, literally.”

Photo by Andriea Shiell

Demonstrators explain the science behind a brute force electrolyzer at this weekend’s first annual Alternative Energy Conference.

things, but they do make a difference,” Shannon Schmidt of Solar Tech Inc. stood by one of her inverters and explained the benefits of adding solar power systems to homes and businesses. “Electric rates are going up so much that you’re really avoiding costs with this,” she said, adding that, in time, all systems

He said he had been both pleased and surprised to see from 1,000 to 2,000 people come by to attend presentations on energy conservation and alternative energy sources the previous day. “We had a wonderful event here,” he said, adding that he had even had “meditation tents” set up near the far end of the property

Arson Suspects Charged for Hermanville House Fire Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Bay District firefighters battled an early morning house fire that ripped through an address on Columbia Street in Lexington Park early on Tuesday morning, causing an estimated $250,000 to $300,000 in damages.

Deputy Don Brenneman from the Maryland Fire Marshal’s Office was put in charge of the case, and said that former homeowner Lisa Marie TIppett, 43, from Lexington Park, came to the house at 2:30 am, and the fire started shortly afterwards.

The house had been in the process of foreclosure since April, and Tippett had been

ordered not to come on the property after she was evicted. Neighbors said that the house had a long history of drug activity, and the owner’s eviction had done nothing to stop it.

Police received information en route to the scene that Tippett was on the property, and she was questioned at the scene along with another man, 39 year-old Ian Simpson from Lusby.

Both gave statements at the scene before being taken away by law enforcement officials.

Simpson and Tippett have been charged with first-degree arson, and are currently being held pending a court appearance on $10,000 bond at the St. Mary’s County Correctional Facility in Leonardtown.

Photo by Andriea Shiell

A “bucket demonstration” illustrates the amount of power that can be generated by one of the alternative fuels showcased at this weekend’s conference.

so that people could rest and relax after what had amounted in many cases to very long car rides.

Jarboe credited a lot of the event’s success to his colleague, Major Todd Hathaway of the US Army, who had convinced him to hold the event at his mill, nestled snugly behind the Farmer’s Market off of Three Notch Road. “A conference center is too expensive,” he said, adding that he had not wanted to charge anyone to attend. “So Todd was the one that brought up the idea of having it here at the lumber yard.”

Jarboe’s idea with this event had been not to sell, but to share. “We’re not trying to push a product down people’s throats,” he said, adding that many of the demonstrators were offering their designs for free on the internet. “But really here we need to lead by example,” he said, explaining that he had already built multiple electric vehicles over the years, and also has a diesel car that he runs on part canola oil.

“Russell drives a grease-mobile too,” Jarboe said of the president of the Board of County Commissioners. “It starts on regular diesel and then it switches over to used cooking oil.”

And what may have seemed like a novel idea pulled from Mad Max movies several years ago has now become a reality for people

looking to boost their fuel economy. “We’ve got dozens of people in this county running on grease-mobiles, putting hydrogen cells on their cars, and they aren’t taking a lot of credit,” said Jarboe, who plans to take his show on the road.

“I’m going to rest for a week,” Jarboe sighed, smiling warmly at those still in the yard who were looking at the remaining projects. “It’s been humbling…maybe we’ll float to different places. We’re looking at Florida by the end of October…but thank god for all the people that helped me out.”

In the meantime Jarboe recommends that people do their own research on ways to conserve energy and “stick it to the oil companies…just do your research, set up some things you think you can do, and just do it,” he said.

Jarboe’s sentiment was universally shared.

“Energy is the one thing that is holding us hostage in our society,” said Dustin, as visitors came by to check out his smack-boosting system. “At $4.20 a gallon, most of that money is not going to the production of fuel, but to line people’s pockets.” He looked down at his booster pack, which was situated in the trunk, and smiled. “This is going to happen with or without me. I’m just lucky enough to be a part of it.”

7:00 pm ~ 8:00 pm On the historic Leonardtown Square Saturday, July 12, 2008 Francis Bridge Jazz Quartet

&

Saturday, July 19, 2008 River Concert Series Brass Quintet

Ready, Set, Summer Camp Before parents across the country know it, the school year will have ended again and they’ll be thinking about summer programs for their children. Recent research indicates that nearly 10 million children go to summer camp each year.

But summer camp enrollment is not something that can be done on a whim; most programs fill up early in the year. This makes researching and sign-up something that should be done as early as possible - with most families doing so in December of the previous year or January.

Summer camp can be an enriching experience for children, provided they are emotionally ready to embark on this adventure. Parents should assess their children for readiness, taking children’s needs into consideration over their own “need” to have the children in camp. Additionally, children should be able to independently manage personal hygiene issues, such as bathing, dressing, and grooming. Some kids are ready for camp at age 8, others not until 14.

Many children go to camp with mixed feelings. To make the experience as comfortable as possible, here are some tips to consider.

1. Involve the child in the camp-selection process. Don’t make it something that is simply forced on the kid. Have him or her review brochures, Web sites and other informational material with you. Select camps that will cater to the

child’s interests. If possible, try to find a camp where a friend is attending.

2. Count down to summer camp so that when the day arrives it won’t be a complete surprise and catch your child off guard. Involve him or her in the preparation process, including shopping for supplies and packing. Encourage your child to bring familiar items from home to ease away some feelings of homesickness.

3. Tour the camp in advance so that your child knows what to expect - and so will you. See the sleeping arrangements (bunks) and what type of schedule is involved. Talk about any fears your child may have, and work through solutions together to assuage these fears. A good idea is to talk about your personal experiences with camp, if any.

4. Encourage letter writing, and send some of your own. Mail a few letters before the first day of camp, so your child will have some mail waiting for him or her already. Pack fun stationery and pre-addressed and stamped envelopes so writing a quick note home will be a snap.

5. Create a scrapbook of your child’s moments in camp to show you are truly interested in his or her time spent away. Encourage your child to share any new skills learned upon visits or when he or she returns home.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the music!

Order from one of the delicious restaurants on the Square.

Share a picnic with your friends/family.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket!

Hosted by The Commissioners of Leonardtown and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Call 301-475-9791 for more information.

Funded in part by a grant from the St. Mary’s County Arts Council’s Community Art Development Grant Program and the Maryland Arts Council.