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

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

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MetCom Probing Sewer Problems In Piney Point, St. George’s Island

Volunteers In Short Supply Emergency Departments Struggling To Increase Membership

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The pressurized sewage system in Piney Point and St. George’s Island is receiving too much inflow from homes, rainwater and even the river – from cracks or other damage to the local sewer system – according to MetCom director Steven King, and if left alone the problem could result in sewage overflows at local pumping stations. King said MetCom has managed the problem by sending septic tanker trucks to pumping stations in areas of the county where the water tables are high. Now, MetCom is set to examine all of the 700 odd grinder pumps for individual homes in the area to ensure they are watertight. “We’ve noticed a tremendous increase of inflow into the system,” King told The County Times of the problems in Piney Point and on St. George’s Island. “There should be no inflow… we consider it a serious problem.” King said flow rates in the sewer lines leading to local pumping stations have doubled, and sometimes even quadrupled on certain days during the past several months, usually after a heavy rain or storm that sends tidal waters onto the land. Caps to the grinder pumps that have su sSee Sewage page A-

Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department will be hosting their carnival this week, featuring rides and games to benefit the department.

Economy Driving Carnivals Out of Town

Fewer Fire Departments Hosting Events This Year Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

chines are scarcer this year than in previous years, mostly due to a slacking economy, and steel and fuel costs he says have been rising steadily each year. Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department will not be setting up a carnival this year, and has even lent some of their equipment to the Hollywood company for their event. “Three of us have carnivals,” said

Department President Bill Mattingly smiled proudly as he surveyed the rides on the grounds of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, as crews set up the last of the swirling, twirling, and twisting machines on Tuesday morning, all in preparation for this year’s carnival. But Ferris wheels and cotton candy ma-

See Carnival page A-

Officials Wary Of Emerging Statewide Land Use Plan

Driving past the Second District Volunteer Fire Department in Valley Lee, the eye is immediately drawn to a large banner straddling the entrance to the facilities, displaying information on volunteer opportunities for fire, rescue squad, EMS, advanced life support and auxiliary positions. But this is nothing new in St. Mary’s County. On the other side of town, Rick Greer of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department said he had even seen members of the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad trying to recruit volunteers at a local Sheetz gas station. “That’s going to be the case all over the county,” said Dean Gass from the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, who formerly worked with the fire department. “The burnout rate is pretty steep…and the need for more money to pay the bills drives a lot of people away…most of the members that are able to perform at the level we need them are housewives and people in home school,” he said, adding that his department could always use between 20 and 30 more people. “Everybody in the county is in See Volunteers page A-

See Growth page A-6

Commissioners To Decide On County Growth Cap By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Board of Education member Mary Washington talks with Gov. Martin O’Malley as he tours historic Leonardtown.

O’Malley Brings Cabinet To Leonardtown

Municipality Named “Capital for a Day”

Inside Op.-Ed .......... Obituaries..... Community... Police ............ Classifieds.....

Page A - 4 Page A - 7 Page B - 3 Page B - 6 Page B - 9

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See Capital page A-8

The Board of County Commissioners began discussion Tuesday about whether to cap the county’s annual growth rate to 2.25 percent as recommended by the community-based Adequate Public Facilities Task Force. Members of the task force also asked the commissioners to consider allowing developers to donate land for school sites outside of the growth policy process other than waiting to find that there are not enough school seats to support a new housing development.

Sheriff Cameron Awarded by Governor Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron was spotlighted for a brief moment Thursday morning as cabinet members and local dignitaries gathered in Leonardtown for their “Capital for a Day” event, wherein Gov. Martin O’Malley moved his administration to the municipality to connect with locals concerning issues in the county. Sheriff Cameron was issued a “Security Integration” award and a hefty amount of praise for his introduction of CompStat Crime fighting technology, which has moved the county from traditional policing methods to data driven methods to track and prevent crime. Gov. O’Malley’s proclamation stated, “Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron has recognized the public safety value of accurate and timely information, shared by all and is actively participating in Southern Maryland’s regional online crime mapping.” Cameron graciously accepted his award, noting that he had been privileged to serve in St. Mary’s County.

The process of what task force cochairman Ford Dean called mitigation, actually allowed a developer to move ahead in the approval process in front of others if they had land to donate in an unfair manner. “You can’t mitigate for inadequate school capacity,” Ford argued to commissioners. “If mitigation was allowed you could approve the project to move ahead despite the findings of inadequacy. “Mitigation would be unfair.” See Growth Cap page A-

The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, July 24, 2008

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The County Times

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Section A -

An Interview With The Governor Mechanicsville Man Sentenced For Part In Theft Of Weapons

During his visit to Leonardtown July 17 for the Capital for a Day event, Gov. Martin O’Malley sat down with The County Times for a brief interview on issues close to county interests. CT: How do you rate St. Mary’s County as regards to infrastructure with regards to other counties in Maryland that will be undergoing BRAC changes? MOM: There are infrastructure needs throughout the state and every county of the state… It’s a national challenge but we’re doing much better than we were on a number of scores, but there’s a tremendous need throughout out the country and certainly throughout our state. On our school construction program we’ve in essence taken in two years and tripled school construction dollars from $241 million to $733 million and compared to the same time frame of the previous administration. On roads and transportation we’ve increased that about $350 million a year but unfortunately most of that has been chewed up in the price of oil, steel and asphalt. Hopefully after this next national election we’ll get our federal government back in the game here. I think there’s an awareness in Congress that the next stimulus package needs to be directed towards infrastructure and projects that have been languishing in the design and plan phase just waiting for construction dollars. CT: Like the Thomas Johnson Bridge? MOM: We’re putting planning dollars to it… as I understand the process we have to expend our dollars on the planning end before we can even get in the queue and apply some for cost sharing of federal help on that. There have been so many proj-

ects around the state that have been languishing. The tough thing about transportation for us as a community, and I say that in a statewide sense, we don’t notice that our state government’s not investing in infrastructure until about six years after they don’t. All of that stuff takes a while before the lack of funding manifests itself, so short term some of the things we’ve done to address the budget deficit were of course on the short term unpopular but in the long run its what’s best in order to get us back on track in keeping pace with school construction, with roads also with water and sewer. CT: What about getting light rail down to St. Mary’s County? MOM: I’d really like to see that happen and we have a study under way right now. I’d like to see a lot more rail all around. Rail is really the one thing that connects all of the various BRAC communities together in our state. CT: Are you going to put some money towards it (light rail) this term or next term, if you’re in office? MOM: I sure hope so. I hope that when the economy bottoms out we’ll start to come back, so that we’ll be able to start making these kinds of investments. CT: Recently you signed a bill that did away with certain video gaming terminals in the county. Some 20 percent of students here go to parochial schools that benefited in someway from those gaming machines. Is there anything in the administration that you have planned to possibly help out those parochial schools with that source of funding, of revenue that’s not there anymore? MOM: I know we do something annually on textbooks; we did not cut that

in the budget. It’s a challenge on the gambling front; but that bill didn’t eliminate all of the assorted charitable things. CT: What about just generally strengthening ties with Southern Maryland, how are we going to do that? MOM: There’s good things that are going on with law enforcement cooperation that have gone under the radar, we had a big interoperability press conference that (Commissioner Thomas) Mattingly was involved in, in order to finally move towards interoperable communications between first responders in the state can communicate with each other. That’s actually a move forward; not many states have been able to achieve that. Your (Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron) has really been a leader in law enforcement down here, we had the gang task force, CompStat on demand, and [on-line] crime reports on targeting bad guys regardless of what side of the county border they live on. If you look at the increases in school construction [funding] in this county, from $10 million to $17 million in a comparable two year period of the prior administration. You look at the test scores in the way that they’ve come along and this year’s as another record level of investment in state aid to public schools. Everybody agrees that we’ve got to strengthen and grow the ranks of our middle class and how you do that is fundamentally by improving public safety, improving public education and expand [economic] opportunities. And that’s what your guy’s do well and I think they do it in a regional way and it’s in a much more collaborative way than what you find in other more rural parts of our state.

Governor’s Meeting With Local Farmers Highlights Agritourism Andrea Shiell Staff Writer For those driving down Budds Creek Road in Clements, past farmlands dotted with barns and houses, the famous Bowles Farm Corn Maze may not stand out immediately, but upon closer inspection, one is bound to see how this one feature highlights the local shift in agriculture. Though featured in many regions of Europe throughout

Photo by Andrea Shiell

O’Malley took some time on Thursday afternoon to talk with local farmers about agricultural issues.

rapid change,” he said. Some farmers expressed concern about the Maryland Tobacco Buyout Program, which will end in two years. “We absolutely have a fear of what’s going to happen to our land after that ends,” said Tina Bowles after O’Malley’s meeting with the farmers, adding that 10 years would not be enough time for many farmers to switch over to other crops and still make a profit. Though some like Tina Bowles have turned to wine grape growing and agritourism to boost their income and keep their farmland productive, she said yields would differ drastically as farmers switched to other crops. When asked what she thought the Governor could do to help farmers transition, Tina Bowles recommended a task force or panel be created to look into the matter. “I think the best thing… right now is to convene some sort of work group or task force and really look at the issue… there have been 300 families who have been put out of work in this county alone,” Tina Bowles said.” It’s a good program, but it has the potential to be devastating if it’s not followed through.” O’Malley mentioned during his meeting with local farmers that the amount of acreage per person had declined by 20 percent in the last 15 years, and many echoed this statistic as they voiced concerns over residential developments taking over what used to be farmland. “You can eyeball our community and know that that used to be a farm, and now it’s a housing development,” said Tina Bowles, who hopes to see development slow down in the next few years until public facilities and school capacity can accommodate it. All present seemed heartily enthusiastic about the governor’s visit, presenting him with gift baskets and suggestions. “In this world you need a farmer at least three times a day,” Dyson said while addressing the crowd. “And if you ever travel to a farmer and see them, you never leave empty handed.”

the last few decades, “agritourism” has just started catching on in St. Mary’s County, where many farmers are looking to diversify their income as the Maryland tobacco buyout program draws to a close. “We’ve been doing it since 2001,” said co-owner Tina Bowles. “My husband saw a corn maze in a farm magazine and he said ‘that’s what we’re going to do.’” Tina mentioned that at the same time she and her husband were adding a maze to their acreage, the Wood Family from Forrest Hall Farm in Mechanicsville were doing the same. “There’s a group of people who will go to wherever a corn maze is,” said Mary Wood, adding that the influx of visitors has been a great source of income for her farm. “These kinds of things I think fit right into the tourism here.” As part of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) “Capital for a Day” event, wherein he toured other portions of the county and historic Leonardtown, talking with locals about issues close to home, the governor also stopped by Bowles Farm. Though he and his cabinet members opted out of jumping into the labyrinth, some discussion abounded as to the importance of agritourism in the region, as well as other issues. O’Malley took part of his meeting with local farmers as a chance to highlight his administration’s successes in the field of agriculture. “The decisions we make, whether it’s about zoning, whether it’s about open space…whether it’s about buying local…we are going to follow your lead,” O’Malley said, mentioning that of the 109 recommendations received by his administration from Maryland farmers concerning such issues, “all but seven have either been completed or are underway.” One issue raised during Thursday’s meeting was energy and land conservation, as brought up by one farmer who was interested in seeing more funding to allow for research and development of wind turbines and solar energy. “We hope that by a certain date…20 percent of the energy we use as people will come from renewable resources,” said Photo by Andrea Shiell O’Malley, adding that education and green buildings would be the county’s biggest asset in the wake of the energy crisis. 2008 Miss St. Mary’s County Farm Bureau Emmilee Guy. “I think we’re about to head through 10 to 15 years of rapid,

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Stamm sentenced a 19year-old Mechanicsville man to just 180 days in the county detention center for his part in the theft of several guns from a victim’s residence, locked away in a safe. Christopher Allen Williams admitted that the weapons found at his home Jan. 4 by police were stolen but that he had nothing to do with the actual break ins that occurred in December of 2007. Williams was sentenced to charges of theft, possession of a stolen regulated firearm and possessing a stolen firearm while being under 21 years of age. Each of the charges carried a five-year sentence but much of that was suspended. “The person who stole the weapons was on drugs real bad,” Williams said. Stamm chided Williams for not owning up to what the court believed was Williams’ part in the burglaries. “You’ve never owned up to your wrongdoing, even in juvenile court,” Stamm said. “You continually get into positions with people who get you into trouble. “There’s not a doubt in my mind you were involved in criminal activity.” While Williams will only

spend a short time in jail he will still have 13-and-a-half years of backup time to serve in the Department of Corrections if he violates his parole. He will also be on five years of probation after his release from jail. Prosecutors believe that two other suspects were involved in the break ins along with Williams. According to charging documents at the time of the burglary, St. Mary’s County Bureau of Criminal Investigations detectives alleged that they recovered six weapons from Williams’ own bedroom during their investigation, including some that had been reported stolen in a Hughesville burglary in December of last year. Detectives also found a sawed-off shotgun, according to charging documents, altered to have a 13-inch barrel. Williams has also been ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the case totaling $4,400 for their losses. Charging documents stated that Williams’ own parents had identified the stolen weapons after he had brought them into their home. In charging documents Williams’ parents stated they overheard their son make phone calls in an attempt to find a buyer for the allegedly stolen weapons.

Growth Cap Continued from page A- Bradley Clements, chief operating officer for the county public schools, said that projections showed that only five schools, three elementary and one middle and one high school, would be needed in the next 10 years. Denis Canavan, director of the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management said that there was enough seating capacity to last the county for half that time given a certain number of housing units each year. “There is adequate capacity for the next five years at 941 housing units built a year,” Canavan. John Parlett, a Charlotte Hall-based developer and member of the task force, said that the county needed to find a way to find school sites now before the system broke down and left the county with too few school seats and a stop to development. “It’ll never be any cheaper to buy those sites than today,” Parlett said. The task force recommended ways to make incentives for developers to donate potential school sites including forgiving of school portions of impact fees, allowing for increased density of housing construction and relaxing open space requirements. “There’s no incentive for developers to donate school sites unless they can go to the top of the development queue,” Canavan said. Commissioners adjourned the meeting with out making any decisions on approving the policy except to say that they needed another work session to mull over details. Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell wanted to ensure that the proposed 2.25 percent growth rate was the right fit for the county’s projected growth. “We’d like to come up with an adequate growth rate… so its’ not out of whack,” Russell told task force members, who argued that the growth rate could be changed annually to suit the county’s needs. “We don’t want to get a backlog of houses on the market.” Currently there are about 1,000 houses on the local market, according to task force information, that have yet to be sold in the slow down of the economy. Russell said that market forces will drive much of the growth policy but a policy was still required to help manage and guide county growth. Russell said that the commissioners may decide to lower the cap closer to just two percent. Parlett said that potential changes of the make up of Patuxent River Naval Air Station through base realignment and closure (BRAC) decisions made at the federal level could be managed with a f lexible growth rate each year. “They could cause us to ratchet it up for a couple of years or pull it back for a while,” Parlett said. Dean said that the 2.25 percent cap was lower than the county’s average growth rate for the past 15 years, but market forces, which are currently in a down trend, could play a part in whether that cap is reached. “It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll develop at that rate,” Dean said.

The County Times

Section A -

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Editorial & Opinion O’Malley, Local Dems Place Cloud Over Capital For A Day Last Thursday was supposed to be Governor O’Malley’s first official visit into St. Mary’s County. The business of the people had not been addressed here locally since taking office nearly two years ago. Leonardtown was to be “Capital for a day” with many of the Governor’s Cabinet Secretaries joining him in Leonardtown to address the peoples business. The concept was also intended as a state wide traveling road show with stops planned across the entire State of Maryland. The O’Malley administration figures that bringing a large show of government officials to local communities will hopefully improve this Governor’s poor public approval ratings. Officials from Leonard-

town government, the Mayor and town council went all out to host the event in a professional and business like fashion. Meetings with all factions of town and county groups were planned to provide State officials with a better understanding of St. Mary’s County and Leonardtown’s needs. Unfortunately, while town officials were busy preparing for a busy day, trying to find ways to fit as much of the peoples business into the day’s agenda as possible, County and State politicians from the liberal side of O’Malley’s political party were busy planning otherwise. On a day that was to be O’Malley’s very first visit into St. Mary’s County in an official capacity, O’Malley’s first stop,

his first order of business was a high roller, high dollar fund raiser, clearly displaying that it was politics first. Organized by Kathy O’Brien, Democratic Central Committee Chair, the local politico’s including Roy Dyson, and Jack Russell decided to forgo the people’s business and treat the first time visiting Governor to a campaign event expected to raise huge money for their star. Fundraisers are nothing new to politics, in fact most elected officials hold an annual event or two while in office. It is much easier to raise money for re-election when you have no opponent yet and you hold the purse strings to taxpayer dollars, which large donors like.

This Governor has been very busy doing just that. In fact, at his current pace it is expected that his campaign coffers will be filled with nearly $20 million before a possible opponent even gets started. To be fair, the Governor before O’Malley spent a great deal of time once in office raising campaign money as well. The difference between O’Malley and Governor Ehrlich however was that Ehrlich keep the people’s business completely separate from the business of ongoing campaigns. In Ehrlich’s half dozen trips to St. Mary’s County during his four years in office, not once did he bring his staff and contingent of state paid employees to St. Mary’s for the purpose of fund-

raiser/business. For Ehrlich, it was business only when traveling on official business. The statewide press would never have let Ehrlich get away with anything even closely resembling what O’Malley did last Thursday. When there was an Ehrlich fundraiser in St. Mary’s County it was held after business hours where Ehrlich traveled to St. Mary’s County without the benefit of taxpayer-funded business being part of the trip. That is the appropriate way to do the people’s business. What’s more, because local politico’s were busy rubbing elbows with the Governor and Lt. Governor at the home of Dr. Mark Whitten, a D.C. area ophthalmologist who performed eye surgery on Tiger Wood’s and who lives in Breton Bay, O’Malley and crew were close to an hour late arriving by boat to the official business of the day, the people’s business. Close to 50 employees of state, county, and local government being paid by the tax-

payers were left waiting for the Governor. Waiting for the Governor to arrive is nothing new either, when moving from one business meeting to the next. Having government employees waiting while the Governor has chosen to do personal campaign business first is wrong. Worse still, O’Malley must have been left wondering why he ever came to St. Mary’s in the first place. Expecting to raising $50,000 plus at these types of events, O’Malley walked away with a measly $10,000. County Commissioners can raise more than that at a fundraiser. Ehrlich raised $60,000 at his last fundraiser in St. Mary’s. A day that was well planned and executed by town officials could have left a lasting positive impression upon a Governor who has largely ignored St. Mary’s County his first two years in office. Instead, O’Malley leaves town with pocket change and a memory of where not to come to raise money.

To The Editor: Safety at Pax Not Compromised I am writing in response to “Firefighter Cuts” (July 10) in which International Association of Firefighters Representative Gregory Russell speculated on staffing reductions. The Navy has investigated these issues and concluded that firefighter safety within Naval District Washington has not been compromised. NDW is in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations. Recently we made a permissible shortterm deviation of less than ninety days in certain staffing levels in D.C. This is not a staffing cut and did not result in terminations. It provided temporary relief where firefighters had been forced to work overtime in order to

maintain normal shift staffing levels while vacant positions were being filled. In 2006, based on a Navy-wide review, we did eliminate six unnecessary positions at NAS Pax River, which made our operations more efficient, not less safe. Regional Fire Chief Stillwell is a dedicated and career professional firefighter. Nothing is more important at NDW than the safety of firefighters, and the people who live and work on our bases, as well as the safety of the local communities. Edward J. Cannon Executive Director Naval District Washington

Maryland Should Follow National Exam for Students I was happy to learn that the Maryland State Assessment (MSA) scores in Maryland had dramatic gains in both reading and math. Regarding those testing proficient or better, according to the July 19, Washington Post, reading scores went up six percentage points and math scores went up four. State wide, St. Mary’s County scored above state averages in all areas except eighth grade math where the average was 76 percent for proficient or better and St. Mary’s scored 70 percent. Then my bubble burst. The problem was, we could have been comparing apples to oranges. To be frank, the test was changed. According to the July 19, Washington Post article titled “Skepticism Greets Big Gains,” tests were shortened and tweaked this year.” The test used to have questions from the national

exam. Maryland state examiners wrote similar questions this year. The bottom line is that state officials claim the test was no easier whereas skeptics wonder if the numbers truly reflect the quality of learning. According to federal law, by 2014, one hundred percent of students must pass reading and math. I would like to recommend that we not change the test from now until then so we can compare apples to apples. We must keep children first by giving them the tools they need to succeed in the twentyfirst century. We must also have tests that accurately measure if they have those tools. Marilyn Crosby Lexington Park, Md

Hoyer’s Experience Good for Southern Maryland I am responding to the July 17th letter entitled “Hoyer Is Part Of The Problem”. The only thing I can glean from the letter is that Hoyer is a professional politician and is described by a quote written in 1929 by Andrew Jackson. The quote begins by explaining that few men can stay responsive to the public interest over a period of time. This may be true but Steny Hoyer is one of the few men who has continued to be responsive to the people and to do so most

efficiently. His constituency service is excellent. His legislative work has brought many benefits to Southern Maryland. He is a professional politician and we benefit from Steny’s extensive experience on Capital Hill. In our current economic situation I want a professional politician to protect jobs and bring more jobs to Southern Maryland. Jerry Howie Bryantown, Md

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.

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The County Times

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Ramblings of a Country Girl

Pop! Terri Bartz Bowles It’s summertime and the eating is good, good, good. There’s so much good stuff to eat, sometimes I think I’m just gonna pop! You know, you can’t stop eating and next thing you know, you’re fat as a tick and if you eat one more bite, pop! Maybe you’ve never

described it that way before, but I guarantee you’ve felt that way before! And who can blame us? There’s fresh produce, plenty of opportunity to fire up the grill, the chance to catch your own seafood and all kinds of picnics, cookouts, parties, etc. Eat, eat, eat! Let’s start with a favorite of mine and you’ve heard

Carnival Continued from page A- Mattingly, noting that Mechanicsville and Ridge will both host carnivals this year, “but for whatever reason other companies have decided

me say it before – anything hot off the grill is tasty. The other night we had cheeseburgers off the grill and fresh corn-on-the-cob. Mercy, it was good. We ate outside and just made pigs of ourselves. I don’t know if there’s anything much better than burgers off the grill and fresh corn. And then we finished it up with ice

not to have them, but we’ll continue to have ours as long as the state allows us to.” Though previous years have seen a rise in attendance at local events such as carnivals, volunteers at Hollywood VFD anticipate even larger crowds this year. When asked about attendance at their events, 27-year department veteran Rick Greer said he has seen a dramatic increase in the num-

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cream. What’s summer without ice cream? It’s cold and refreshing and the perfect summer treat. Sometimes the ice cream truck comes around and that’s fun, too. But I always keep a supply in the freezer, I’m not leaving to chance my ice cream eating opportunities. Hot dogs on the grill are great, too as are steak and chicken and sausage. Okay, everything tastes good when cooked on a grill. Then there’s the produce. You can find such an abundance and variety of fresh produce around here, grown locally and tasting wonderful. Any vegetable you can think of is out there somewhere. I’ve been eating a lot of squash and zucchini which is very good sliced up and fried with a little olive oil and Italian dressing and sometimes a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top. And I know I don’t have to convince you to eat sweet corn, I think everybody likes sweet corn. I eagerly await the first appearance which is so much earlier than it used to be. It’s great because it’s just that much longer a season to enjoy it. String beans, especially yellow string beans are a favorite of mine. I have a bag on my counter right

Section A - now that I’m going to cook in short order. I have to get some fatback, I’m currently fatbackless having used it all up from cooking previous batches of string beans. There’s tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, beets – you name it, you can find it at a farm market somewhere around here. And fruit - watermelons, cantaloupes, peaches, berries. There’s no reason to be eating canned vegetables or out of season fruit at this time of year when you live in St. Mary’s County. And of course, there’s seafood – you can catch your own or find plenty of places to buy it fresh. Everybody is after crabs this time of year and they’re out there. A little expensive maybe, but worth it. You have to eat hard crabs a few times during the summer. They can store and preserve and ship all kinds of stuff year round but steamed crabs are still a summertime treat. Go eat some. Soft crabs – bleah. I know lots of people who love them, but I just can’t like them. They’re a summertime treat but you can freeze them. There’s a sight in your freezer, little crab bodies stacked up. And lots of fish – blues, perch, spot, hardhead. Try fishing

ber of people coming to the event, “especially after some of the other carnivals have shut down and quit operating,” he said, adding that Leonardtown closed its own carnival a year ago, and Hollywood and other companies have been seeing overflow from those areas in attendance. “Some Friday and Saturday nights it’s just jam-packed,” said Greer, adding that on the carnivals busiest nights, it is difficult to walk

yourself or buy some from a local supplier. Fish is good and good for you. Have some sweet corn with it! That’s good eating. And I know lots of people will say that summertime fruits make for awesome dessert time. Fresh fruit pies and cobblers made with peaches and blueberries, and zucchini bread because zucchini is the rabbit of the vegetable world and you have to find something to do with it. Of course, there’s always just eating the fruit out of hand, too. And what’s better than a cold watermelon on a hot day? But to me, ice cream is the quintessential summer dessert. You can have your fresh fruit in it if that’s extremely important to you. Ice cream is so cold and creamy and refreshing, it is the perfect summer treat. You just feel happy when you eat ice cream and that cold treat on a hot day is a gift from heaven. Get out there this week, find some local goodness and eat it up. And let me know if you get to feeling like a tick. You can email the Country Girl at countrygirlramblings@gmail.com

from one ride to another. Mattingly said that the company will provide $10 armbands for unlimited ride access on certain nights, which he admitted are the busiest nights for their event, “even if the price of fuel and materials goes up…we look at this as a community event, so as long as we’re making a profit, we’ll keep it at ten dollars,” he said.

The County Times

Section A -

Man Convicted Growth In Domestic Violence Case Gets Combined 14 Years Continued from page A-1

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Carrington Raphael Carter, 35, will spend the next 14 years in prison for assaulting and stalking his estranged girlfriend in a domestic violence case where Carter repeatedly ignored warnings to stay away from the victim. Circuit Court Judge C. Clarke Raley sentenced Carter to eight years in prison July 18 while Judge Michael J. Stamm had sentenced the defendant to six years the prior week for a separate conviction in the same case. Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel White argued for the stiffest sentence possible under the guidelines — 18 to 25 years — for attempting to break into Alice Wolinski’s trailer Aug. 14 of last year and other charges. “This happened in Alice Wolinski’s home; it was a rundown trailer but it was her home,” White said. “He went in her home and attacked her there. Carter was charged with beating the victim June 13 of last year in her trailer and was again charged with attempting to break into her trailer for the Aug. 14 incident. In that case, police said that after trying to break in through the door was unsuccessful, Carter pushed the air conditioning unit back through the window of Wolinski’s trailer to gain entry. Wolinski tried unsuccessfully to stop Carter and suffered cuts to her face and arms from shattered glass. Between the two incidents, Carter was also charged with harassing and stalking the victim via repeated cell phone calls. Carter’s defense attorney Sean Moran said while the case was serious, Wolinski would often get back together with Carter after incidents had subsided, where they would both engage in abusing alco-

Sewage Continued from page A- tained damage, sometimes at the hands of unknowing homeowners, or unsealed cleanout holes in the sewer lines that may also have been opened by residents to drain standing water from their yards, could be some of the main culprits of the problems, King said. Pipes with misaligned joints or naturally occurring problems could also be contributing to the inflow of rain and tidal waters, he said. The cleanout holes often look like metallic or plastic caps just sticking out of the ground, King said, and can be easily damaged by a lawnmower or other moving vehicles. While they have just about a four-inch hole when unsealed, King said, they can let in a tremendous volume of water. King said his office has had reports of three to four residents in the last six months who have removed the seals of the cleanout holes to drain standing water. That small number leads him to believe the problem could be much greater, he said. “Two or three of these cleanouts being opened can flood out the whole system on St. George’s Island and even parts of Piney Point,” King said. “So far we’ve had to bring in septic trucks to pump out the pumping station to prevent overflows.” The inflow of river and rainwater has risen to enormous one-day totals due to the compromising of the local sewer system, according

hol and drugs. Carter also had seven charges of drunken driving on his record. “It’s a series of minor events that give a major record,” Moran said of his client before the domestic violence case. Judge Raley said that Carter, who held a steady job and paid child support for four children from other relationships, was different from many defendants convicted of violent crime but his crimes were serious nonetheless. “What we have here is an egregious rejection of the tools designed to prevent domestic violence,” Judge Raley said. “And the jury took a very dim view of the actions of Mr. Carter.” Carter showed some remorse for his crimes. “I do have a problem with alcohol and drugs,” he said. “This is not what I set out to do, to commit this crime.” Judge Raley said Carrington’s case was “an extremely serious one” but the facts of the case did not merit the stiff penalty the defendant could have received. “If I follow the guidelines, he’s done, there’s no hope,” Judge Raley said. To Carter he said, “You have 14 years to go. It’s enough under the facts of the case.”

tory remarks at Thursday’s “Capital for a Day” event in Leonardtown.

Continued from page A- short supply…every organization out there needs people,” said Dennis Gordge, the president of St. Mary’s County Advanced Life Support Unit, adding that changes in society and the economy had forced many people out of home-bound positions that would afford them opportunities to volunteer. “Society has changed so much in the

to some recent figures from MetCom. Records show that during the night of May 11 through May 12, when tidal flooding hit St. Georges’s Island, the flow rate into the island’s pumping station reached 192,000 gallons per day; its annual average flow is just 18,000 gallons per day. During the week of May 8 through May 16, after several heavy rainstorms, the average flow was more than twice as high at 42,000 gallons of water a day. On the same day that flow rates increased 10 fold at the St. George’s Island station, the Piney Point pumping station flow increased to 417,000 gallons per day as opposed to the average annual daily flow of 152,000 gallons a day. While the pumping stations can suffer from too much inflow of water, King said, so can the Marlay-Taylor sewage treatment plant where the sewage and extra water will ultimately be channeled. The additional inflow decreases the capacity at the plant, which is already slated for either expansion or possible reconstruction, elsewhere to accommodate increasing water treatment demands in the Lexington Park development district. King and other MetCom staff will hold a community meeting with the St. George’s Island Improvement Association Aug. 1 to inform residents of the problem and corrective efforts MetCom is taking. The meeting will also focus on what residents can do to prevent inflow to the sewer system.

septic systems in those areas. “I’ve got to have infrastructure before accommodating development.” Mattingly said often times the state planners use old data to make their assessments of what planners and officials should be doing in St. Mary’s. “Smart Growth is a good thing, but it has to be patterned after the local economy and the desires of the people,” Mattingly said, adding that the state used data collected on the county sometimes from as far back to 1996 up to 2005. “What we’re asking is don’t use that data as gospel… but let’s look at current trends and not history.” One example, Mattingly said, of the state’s use of outdated information was that their assessments of county planning showed 40 – 50 percent of the county’s development in Lexington Park and Leonardtown, when in fact the figure was 70 percent of development in those two communities. Mattingly also said recent changes to the state’s Chesapeake Bay Critical Area laws actually made it more expensive and difficult for homeowners living on waterfront property to make changes to a soft shoreline that resists erosion. Soft shorelines are characterized by more plantings and marsh-like plots to fight erosion as opposed to harder designs that use large stone buffers. “I’m always leery about measures in the legislature that deal with local land use decisions,” Mattingly told The County Times. When the comprehensive plan is sent to the counties for approval in the near future, they will learn whether the state wants to take a more hands-on role in local planning. “That’ll be a test of Secretary Hall’s statement the other day,” Mattingly said.

Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Richard Hall said last week that the state will not try to take direct control of the land use planning efforts of local governments like St. Mary’s County, but admitted the state is developing a comprehensive land use plan to guide planning efforts. Local officials are waiting to see just how the competition for land use planning between state and local government will work out. “We’re certainly concerned about the state’s attempts to take over any local planning efforts,” said County Commissioner Thomas Mattingly (D-Leonardtown) in the days following the visit of Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and his cabinet to Leonardtown as capital for a day. “The one size fits all mentality doesn’t necessarily work.” The state is currently holding meetings of the Task Force for Growth and Future Development to discuss land use issues and policies throughout the state. A report from the task force is expected to come out Dec. 1. At his roundtable discussion with local leaders and residents July 17, Hall said land use efforts would still be dictated mostly by county governments. “I realize it can sound fairly scary to local governments,” Hall said of the possibility of a statewide land use plan. “I don’t want to pretend it’ll be a silver bullet… it’ll be highly influenced by what’s in local plans. “There’s not going to be statewide zoning… we’re not taking away zoning authority from local governments.” The state efforts at developing its own land use guidelines come at a time when the county is required by state law to review and update its own comprehensive land use plan. The review is required every six years and the plan encompasses many aspects of planning, including road and transportation needs, capital improvement projects, and zoning and zoning text amendments. Denis Canavan, director of the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management, asked Hall and other cabinet heads at the Leonardtown event to coordinate among themselves and the county when both began their planning efforts. Canavan said the state needed to pay particular attention to development in areas like New Market, Charlotte Hall and Mechanicsville. “I need cooperation; I need expansion for primary Photo by Andrea Shiell funding areas,” Canavan said, especially for expanding Cabinet secretaries from O’Malley’s administration gathered for introduc-

Volunteers

Carrington Raphael Carter

Thursday, July 24, 2008

30 or so years I’ve been doing this,” Gordge said, adding that two-income households and a slacking economy were forcing many to work longer hours and volunteer less. He said that some seemed wary of the training requirements as well. Others argue that training is not as much a hindrance as some might think. “The training requirements are stringent,” said Greer, “but it really depends on how high in the organization you want to go…we have first responders who only need 100 hours of training to get started…and all of this train-

ing is provided for free by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. After recieving the training, many of our volunteer firefighters go on to become paid firefighters for the government, city, or county. ” Still, Gordge said that a simple lack of education could be to blame for the lack of recruits, noting that many opt out of inquiring because, “so many people think the fire and rescue squads and EMS are paid services. They are not.” His hope is that citizens will still come out to help their neighbors, since, in the end, it is not hard to do.

The County Times

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Section A -

Obituaries James Elvis “Elroy” Fenwick, 44

James Elvis “Elroy” Fenwick, 44 of Lexington Park died July 8 in his residence. Born May 25, 1964 in Leonardtown he was the son of Mary C. Fenwick of St. Mary’s County and the late James Andrew Fenwick. He is survived by his step-son DeAndre Curtis of St. Mary’s County; siblings: Lisa Thomas of Oakville, Rose Fenwick, Thomas Fenwick, Priscilla Fenwick, Agnes “Tink” Fenwick, Elijah Holmes and Ofori Holmes all of St. Mary’s County. He was preceded in death by his brother Franklin Fenwick. Mr. Fenwick was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident where he attended Great Mills High School and was a construction worker for 10 years. He loved watching National Geographic, listening to Michael Jackson, detailing cars and every time you saw him, he always had a cup of ice. The family will receive friends Thursday, July 24 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel, where a Funeral Service will be held at 1:30 p.m. with Fr. Scott Woods officiating. Interment will follow in St. Peter Claver Cemetery, St. Inigoes. Pallbearers will be Thomas Curtiss, Paul Thomas, Wayne Jordan, George Brisco, John Maddox and Windell Niles. Honorary Pallbearers will be Garry Niles, Danny Young, Michael Thomas, Herbert Niles, Sam Brisco and Bubble Scriber. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Meredith Wood “Reb” Fowkes, 68 Meredith Wood “Reb” Fowkes, 68, of Dameron died July 20 in Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. Born March 3, 1940 in Pittsburgh, Pa., he was the son of the late Merle Fowkes and Magie (Olah) Fowkes. Reb is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen (Seddon) Fowkes, and his sons; Daniel H. Fowkes of Lexington Park, David M. Fowkes of Naples, Fla., and Daryl Fowkes of Dameron and four grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Merle Fowkes. Family will receive friends Thursday, July 24 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Interment will be held Saturday, July 26 in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pa. Condolences to the family may be made at www. brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.

Charles Ralph Langley, 77 Charles Ralph Langley, 77, of Leonardtown died July 20 in Solomons Nursing Center, Solomons, Md. Charles Ralph Langley passed away peacefully in his sleep with his wife by his

side. Ralph will be remembered as a loving husband and father. He was a strong fighter for life and will be sorely missed by all those who knew and loved him. He graduated in 1949 from St. John’s High School in Washington, D.C. and graduated in 1953 from Mt. St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md. He served in the United States Navy from 1953 to 1979, with two tours in Vietnam as advisor to the South Vietnamese Navy from 1969 to 1971. Ralph also served staff tours in the Philippine Islands, Japan and as Executive Officer of NAS Naples, Italy. After his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Ralph managed his home in Leonardtown and performed charitable work for various military service organizations. Ralph is survived by his wife Margaret Langley of Leonardtown; two daughters, Catherine Langley McNair, and Mary Pinson; and two grandchildren, Patrick McNair and Larry Loukota. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Saturday, July 26 at 11 a.m. in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 21370 Newtown Neck Road, Leonardtown. Interment Services with Military Honors will be held Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Memorial contributions may be made to Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 72, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences to the family may be made at www. brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.

Roland “Reese” McKay, 82

Roland “Reese” McKay, 82, of Valley Lee died July 15 at Prince George’s General Hospital Center, Cheverly, Md. Born April 24, 1926 in Valley Lee he was the son of the late Joseph Roland and Beatrice Goldsborough McKay. Mr. McKay, “Reese” as he was known to family and friends, was a fisherman, hunter, firefighter, farmer and school bus driver. He did it all and told stories to prove it. He is survived by his wife Mollie Rea McKay (Howard), whom he married June 23, 1949 in Holy Face Catholic Church, Great Mills, three daughters, Linda McKay Gateau of Chaptico, Mary Carolyn McKay Prett of Huntsville, Texas and Sharon Anne McKay of Washington, D.C., two sons, Roland Rea McKay and Thomas Allan McKay both of Valley Lee, one sister, Robena Keatley of Valley

Lee. He is also survived by five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Relatives and friends attended Mr. McKay’s Life Celebration in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown, Friday, July 18 from 5 – 8 p.m. with prayers recited at 7 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Saturday, July 19 at 10 a.m. in St. George’s Catholic Church, Valley Lee. Monsignor Karl A. Chimiak, pastor of the church was the celebrant. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Second District Volunteer Fire & Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 1, Valley Lee, MD 20692. Condolences to the family may be made at www. brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.

William Andrew ”Billy” Norris, 65

William Andrew ”Billy” Norris, 65, of Leonardtown died July 17 in his residence. Born Nov. 13, 1942 in Leonardtown he was the son of the late Calvert Ignatius and Mary Elizabeth Gatton Norris. He was the beloved husband of Helen Rebecca “Becky” Wood Norris. He is survived by his children William Anthony “Tony” Norris and his wife Sheri, and Karen Leigh Norris Tippett and her husband Troy of Mechanicsville; siblings Mary Lou Ching Mattei, Betty Ann Beavan and Jackie Norris all of Leonardtown, Dickie Norris and Joan Payne both of Mechanicsville; grandchildren Courtney and Garrett Norris, Kaitlyn and Alex Tippett and Ryan McLean. He was preceded in death by his brother Bobby Norris. He was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident who was employed by A & P/Super Fresh as a meat cutter/butcher for 30 years until his retirement in 2001. He enjoyed yard work, camping, spending time with his family and helping his neighbors. The family received friends Sunday, July 20 from 2 – 5 p.m. in the MattingleyGardiner Funeral Home with prayers being said at 3 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Monday, July 21 at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Fr. Keith Woods officiating. Interment followed in Queen of Peace Cemetery, Helen. Pallbearers were Adrian Hill, Jr., Jason Farrell, Timmy Downey, Quintin Wood, Jr., Wade Wood, Gary Norris, Georgie Payne, Bob Norris, Jim Norris and Bernie Beavan. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxillary, P.O. Box 552, Mechanicsville, MD 20659 and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

William Elmer Russell, 63 William Elmer Russell, 63, of Great Mills died July 15 in his residence. He was born June 22, 1945 in Leonardtown.

For arrangement details for William Elmer Russell please visit www.mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Ethel Cleo Sellers Sparks, 77

Ethel Cleo Sellers Sparks, 77 of Great Mills died in her residence Sunday, July 20. Cleo, who did not use her first name of Ethel, was born Oct. 30, 1930 in Riverview, Va. She came to Maryland in the early 1940s with her parents, the late Dallas and Bertie Sellers of Valley Lee along with her three sisters and one brother. Cleo met and fell in love with George Sparks. They were married at the Episcopal Church in Leonardtown June 17, 1946. They endured many ups and downs, but theirs was a lasting love of 62 years. During her life, she worked at the Atwood Bus Station, Belvedere Motel, Patuxent River Naval Air Station and the Lord Calvert Motel and Restaurant. Cleo’s greatest joy in life was her family. Besides her own children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren she was mammaw and aunt to many, many more. Her door was always open to anyone that needed a helping hand or a good friend. There was always a hot cup of coffee and a meal. After your visit, you were counted as a friend. She loved to crochet and was most proud of the many beautiful baby sets she made for her children and many others. After a heart attack in May and a stroke, she was determined to make a blanket and cap for her newest great-grandson. With the help of her daughter, she completed her task with time to spare. She welcomed the newest addition to her family in late June. Cleo was also an avid book reader and loved mystery. One of her greatest pleasures was to know a secret before others. She was always eager to learn all she could. Cleo and George loved to travel around the United States and visit with family and friends. Many hours were spent together working in the garden. She and George canned and preserved a lot of their own vegetables. She loved working in the yard and shar6ing her flowers with friends. Cleo was very proud of her children that have worked in the military. During her lifetime, two of her sons were in the Army and served in Vietnam and a grandson served in Iraq. Two other children were in the Air Force. When people went to visit, she would talk of her love and support for her soldier boys as she would call them. Her children brought many friends home with them at a moments notice and she and dad always made them welcome. She was the devoted mother of: Wallace Sparks, Tommy Sparks and his wife Pam, Steve Sparks, Debbie Shorback of Great Mills, George L. Sparks and his wife Debbie, Denna (DeeDee) Norris and her husband Ronnie, Dan Sparks and his wife Lou, Bobby Sparks and his wife Patty of Hollywood, Janice (Cissy) Chaney and

her husband Randy of Port Tobacco and Ronald (Chris) Sparks of California. She is also survived by 29 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, her brother Bobby Sellers and his wife Brenda of Mechanicsville, and her uncle Gene Sexton of King George, Va. Cleo was preceded in death by her sons James Dallas (JD), Ernie Ray and Barry Ken Sparks, her sisters Marie Clark, Unive Dean and Cassie Underwood. The family received friends Wednesday, July 23 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, where prayers were said at 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held Thursday, July 24 at 10 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown. Pallbearers will be Wallace K. Sparks, Sr., Thomas T. Sparks, George L. Sparks, Sr., Steve C. Sparks, Chris Sparks, Sr., Dan A. Sparks, Bobby L. Sparks, Miks E. Sparks and Wallace K. Sparks, Jr. Honorary pallbearers will be her grandsons. Contributions may be made to American Heart Association, 415 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4101. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

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 Friday, July 18 at 10 a.m. in St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, with Fr. John Dakes officiating. Interment will follow in St. Aloysius Cemetery. Pallbearers were Ryan Armsworthy, Stephen Armsworthy, Ben Sterling, Brent Armsworthy, Galen Ridgell and Garrett Sterling. Honorary Pallbearers were Christy Sterling, Grant Ridgell, Rhonnie Ridgell and John Houser. Contributions may be made to Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, MD 20650 and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Joan Marie Tennyson, 67

Elizabeth H. “Betty” Sterling, 83

Elizabeth H. “Betty” Sterling, 83, of Leonardtown died July 15 in St. Mary’s Hospital. Born July 29, 1924 in Baltimore, Md. she was the daughter of the late Robert M. and Maria Elizabeth Greenwell Hunt. She was preceded in death by her husband B. Harris Sterling July 17, 1987. She was married to him Oct. 20, 1949 in St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown. She is survived by her children Lisa Houser and her husband John of Chaptico, Betty Lynn Armsworthy and her husband Philip, Bobby Sterling and his wife Judy and Gail Ridgell and her husband Ron all of Leonardtown; siblings: Robert M. Hunt, III of Esperanza and Patricia Abell Guy of Leonardtown; 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Betty was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident where she graduated from St. Mary’s Academy Class of 1942 and attended Mercy Nursing School, Baltimore, Md. She was employed as a nurse for Dr. William D. Boyd, Sr. for 16 years until her retirement in 1967. Mrs. Sterling’s first and foremost love was her family. She was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Both she and her husband were avid supporters of catholic education. She loved pets of all varieties and she was always willing to take in another. Betty was funloving and enjoyed all of the traditions and folklore of St. Mary’s County. She was an avid Orioles fan and loved a good NASCAR race on Sunday. The family received friends Thursday, July 17

Joan Marie Tennyson, 67, of Scotland, died July 17 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown. Born Oct. 14, 1940 in Washington, D.C. she was the daughter of the late Michael and Eleanor (Bradburn) Balta. Joan is survived by her husband George P. Tennyson of Scotland, whom she married March 24, 1958 in St. Michael’s Church; daughter Susan Norman of Lexington Park; three sons; James Tennyson of California, Donald Tennyson of Dameron and Russell Tennyson of Scotland; three sisters; Linda Raley of Ridge, Nancy Ridgell and Bonnie Balta both of Denton, Md.; one brother Michael Balta of Tucson, Ariz. She is also survived by seven grandchildren. She is predeceased by son Raymond Tennyson. Mrs. Tennyson retired from the U.S. Postal Service after twenty-four years of service in 1996. She worked in a number of local post offices in Southern Maryland. She was a member of the Ladies of Charity at St. Michael’s Church, where she also helped in the cleaning of the church, taking care of altar cloths, and making baptismal bibs. Relatives and friends were received Sunday, July 20 from 2 – 5 p.m. in St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Ridge, with prayers recited at 4 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered Monday, July 21 at 10 a.m. in St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Monsignor Maurice O’Connell, pastor of the church was the celebrant. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Serving as pallbearers were Patrick Boothe, Steven Tennyson, Drew Ridgell, Vince Ridgell, Roy Norris and Eddie Raley. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Ridge Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 456, Ridge, MD 20680 or St. Michael’s Catholic Church, P.O. Box 429, Ridge, MD 20680. 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 -

Thursday, July 24, 2008

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The Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department was buzzing with dignitaries Thursday morning when Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) brought his entire cabinet to St. Mary’s County for the day. County Commissioner President Francis Jack Russell began the proceedings by welcoming the governor to St. Mary’s County, as well as commenting on the need for more frequent and fluent communication with his administration. “Sometimes, to be honest, we feel like one department pushes us one way while the other departments push us the other way,� Russell said, echoing previous statements he made about smaller counties being overlooked by state level officials.

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we’ve come,� he said, adding that serious improvements were still needed. Dyson also took some time to address school crowding, referring to the county’s “learning shacks� as a cause for concern. “I think if some of your predecessors had done more, you wouldn’t be having to deal with such a big issue,� he said. The county’s progress was front and center during this opening meeting. Leonardtown Mayor Chip Norris illustrated this when he described the reopening of the Leonardtown Wharf. “Formerly, the wharf was an environmental disaster,� he said, describing it as a dumping spot for industrial odds and ends, and adding that in the first weekend of the reopening, there were 3,500 park visitors. Following a walking tour of historic Leonardtown by the cabinet and an electric car tour by the governor and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D), some cabinet secretaries broke off to attend meetings with local officials throughout the county while others convened in the Square

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Gov. Martin O’Malley took a tour of historic Leonardtown in an electric car with Mayor Norris and others on Thursday.

Delegate John Bohanan praised the county’s progress, saying, “There is no one who ever comes down to St. Mary’s County who is not impressed.� Among his list of priorities for the area were relations with the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, from which 80 percent of the county’s economy stems. Senator Roy Dyson took to the center of the roundtable to speak to the governor, pirouetting back and forth across the space between the tables as he spoke. “This is probably the first cabinet meeting in St. Mary’s County since 1637,� Dyson exclaimed. “This was the first capital; it should have been your first visit.� Dyson listed the Thomas Johnson Bridge as a top priority for the region, saying improvements need to be made as soon as possible. “I’m not an alarmist, but if you were here in 1988 and got stopped at the Thomas Johnson Bridge and told you couldn’t cross because it wasn’t safe, you’d have a good idea of how far

The Farm Life

in Leonardtown for the official proclamation designating the town Maryland’s “Capital for a Day.� After taking his tour of Leonardtown and having lunch at the wharf, O’Malley went to the Bowles Farm in Clements to see their famous corn maze, and to have an informal discussion with local farmers about issues facing St. Mary’s County. O’Malley then went to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River to participate in a roundtable discussion on the defense industry and a tour. Though the day itself was hot and muggy, O’Malley and his cabinet maintained a cool demeanor as they toured the town and spoke with residents and officials. “It’s small towns like this that make Maryland, and make America,� O’Malley said. “’You can really tell when you’re walking with the mayor the pride people have in a town like this.�

Pop, how am I supposed to have a social life if the whole town is in an uproar about your alien? how will any of my friends want to come over if there are tv cameras everywhere?

This here is my boy, bobby Joe.

By Teddy Perez

Well, do you pay rent?

I’ll be in my room.

Glad I could help.

uhhh...no. 7-24 www.thefarmlifecomic.com

Š2008 Teddy Perez

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