Knights Stand Up To National Power
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Club House Gets Face Lift
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Established 2006 • Volume 3 • Issue 38
Thursday, October 2, 2008 • St. Mary’s County P IN
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Maryland Politicians Clash Over Budget Priorities
St. John’s School In Hollywood Goes International By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Known for years as a small, private Catholic institution in Hollywood, St. John’s School is stretching its reach across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Milan, Italy in hopes of forging a long-lasting partnership with a similar school to promote cultural awareness and cooperation. Karen Oliver, a St. John’s parent, said the idea started through a
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It’s giving these licenses away for pennies on the dollar” - Del. Anthony O’Donnell (R)
Photo by Guy Leonard
Collins Bailey, Republican challenger for U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer’s 5th Congressional District seat, talks to students at St. Mary’s College of Maryland about his political agenda and philosophy.
Photo by Guy Leonard
Cassie Oliver, a student at St. John’s School in Hollywood, gets some computer time in with new found friends during her trip to the Collegio San Carlo in Milan, Italy back in February. St. Johns and the Milan school have formed a partnership that exchanges ideas, teachers and students.
round of e-mails she had with teachers at the Collegio St. Carlo in Milan. They wanted to know how American teachers prepared lessons for their students, Oliver said, and the move
Hoyer Opponent Bailey Woos Students At St. Mary’s College
By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Collins Bailey, Charles County School Board member and Republican challenger in this year’s congressional race for Maryland’s 5th District, said the federal government must return to fiscal responsibility or saddle future generations with crippling debt. Bailey, 54, chatted with students at St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Center for the Study of Democracy Tuesday in hopes of getting his message out to unseat incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer. Hoyer has held the 5th District seat for nearly three decades and is now the House Majority Leader.
Bailey started off with a history lesson, stating that when he was 17 the minimum wage was just $1.20 an hour, but with that, you could take your paycheck to Waldorf, buy a split foyer house and support a family on top of that. But prices have gone up, Bailey said, because with home prices being what they are now, minimum wage would have to be raised to untenable levels. “You’d have to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour now to do that,” Bailey told the roughly 20 students Monday. Bailey talked about the national financial crisis that
Del. Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C)
By Guy Leonard Staff Writer State Republicans led by local Del. Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) have penned a budget package that calls for $3.8 billion in tax cuts See Budget page A-
Walden Programs SMCPS Students Perform Well On New Science Assessment to Highlight Domestic Violence Awareness See St. John’s page A-
Andrea Shiell Staff Writer
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ student performance results for the Maryland Science Assessment for students in grades five and eight, which boast that a vast majority of students successfully completed the assessment, surpassing state averages. At the fifth grade level, 75.8 percent of students completed the assessment with a proficient or advanced score, as compared with the state average of 64.1 percent. At the eighth grade level, 72.6 percent of students in St. Mary’s County scored proficient or advanced, compared with the state average of 61.4 percent. Claudia Wortman, Supervisor of Science Instruction for St. Mary’s County Public Schools, said that the scores are expected to go up next year. This is the first time the MSDE Division of Accountability and Assessment Office has released the Maryland Science Assessment scores. “We had a pilot last year, but no scores were released from that pi-
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See Bailey page A-
lot,” explained Wortman, who added that instructors were not sure what material would be covered on this year’s assessments, so preparation had been difficult. “The target, obviously, would be 100 percent,” she said, “but teachers had not seen this test so it was difficult to anticipate what would be on it.” “Although there is much work to be done, we are pleased that the majority of our students are meeting or exceeding the Maryland Science Assessment standard,” said Superintendent Michael Martirano. “The science assessment provides us a good comparison of how well our students are performing relative to the state standard and to their peers around the state,” he said. SMCPS performance data compared favorably to other school systems in the state, ranking St. Mary’s County sixth out of 24 school systems for fifth grade students, and seventh for eighth grade students. Carroll County ranked first for fifth grade performance on the test, and Howard Coun-
Andrea Shiell Staff Writer As the fall months chill the air and the leaves start to change, the staff at Walden/Sierra will be working to highlight domestic violence programs for the month of October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “We’ll be doing a lot more public outreach, and we do a proclamation with the
See Science Assessment page A-
See Walden page A-
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The County Times
Section A -
“The Big L”
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Lucas had been a carpenter, and built many homes in the region, some of which are still standing today. “My father built all the houses in Lincoln Place in Anacostia,” Lucas said, adding that he himself had started work at a very young age, delivering papers at 16. “When I started serving papers, I served 30 papers every day,” he said, adding that he saved up his own money to buy a car, and then began delivering as many as 500 papers a day while still going to
Celebrated Senior Weighs in On Secrets to Long Life Andrea Shiell Staff Writer When turning onto Lagoon Drive in the tranquil Longview Beach community, it is hard to miss the Lucas household amongst the other homes as it boasts a sign out front calling it the “Big L Ranch”. The head of this charming household is none other than
Bernard Lionel Lucas, who celebrated his 91st birthday Sept. 12, and held a formal celebration in his home with more than 100 friends and family members the following day. “I was born in Prince George’s County, but I was only down there for one year,” Lucas said, explaining that he was born in 1917 and grew up in Anacostia, the most famous
neighborhood in Southeastern Washington D.C. “Back then it was rural; it had farms,” he said, adding that housing developments and populations changed the landscape significantly before he left the neighborhood in 1965. Lucas did not leave Anacostia, however, until his family had made their mark on the area. His father Samual
Photo by Andrea Shiell
Mr. Bernard Lionel Lucas celebrated his 91st birthday recently with family and friends. Despite his age, he continues to work in security for his community, and deliver newspapers.
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Phelps Vocational High School to study carpentry, electricity, and plumbing. By the time Lucas was 17, he had gone into business as a house painter. He worked as a pipe fitter’s helper at the Navy Power Factory in Indian Head, Md., before transferring to the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. and advancing to the position of First Class Optical Instrument Assembler, a position he held until the end of World War II. He worked in the same capacity in Philadelphia, all the while falling back on his freelance work as a painter. Even with his dizzying work history though, Lucas said his secret to long life and happiness had been to retire early. “When my first wife (Theresa) died, I said if anything happened to my wife, I was going to do what I wanted to do,” he said, explaining that he decided at the time to retire from his job as a Mechanic Yard Supervisor with Ace Wrecking Company and come to Longview Beach, “to the land of better living” when he was 48 years old. “I decided I was just sitting there and getting fat,” he said, laughing, “so I decided to resign the job and spend the rest of my life doing what I wanted to do.” He raised four daughters with his second wife, Lucille, all of whom grew up to enjoy independence and occupational prestige. “He’s a man’s man, a no nonsense kind of guy,” exclaimed his granddaughter, LaTanya Thomas, one of his seven grandchildren. “He’s a wealth of wisdom.” Lucas also has seven great-grandchildren, and everyone in Lucas’ family has a nickname, from his oldest daughter Antoinette, who he calls “Tweedly,” to his youngest daughter Alice, who he nicknamed “Home Alone,” because “it don’t matter when you call her, she’s home alone,” he said, laughing. After coming to Southern Maryland and resuming work both as a carpenter, housepainter, and delivering papers, he and his late friend George Gardner were the first male members of the St. Mary’s County Democratic Club, and Lucas has served the democratic party faithfully since then, volunteering his time as a poll watcher at Maryland voting sites. He said he is excited about this year’s election, and he will be supporting Barack Obama. “He’s the man,” he exclaimed, adding that he never did think he would see the day when a minority could achieve such political standing. Nearing his centennial has not slowed Lucas down one bit, as is evidenced by his continued activity and excellent health. He continues to deliver papers daily to his entire neighborhood, and he also works as a security guard for the Longview Beach Club Association, of which he was on the Board of Directors for 19 years. He fishes, hunts, and enjoys boating as well. The “Big L Ranch” is Lucas’s second home in the Longview Beach community, and he has lived there for six years. His latest birthday was recognized by dignitaries as well as friends and family, and according to his granddaughter LaTanya, next year should be just as much fun. “The entire family looks forward to celebrating Mr. Lucas’ 92nd birthday,” she said, smiling as her grandfather nodded.
The County Times
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Section A -
Wicomico Shores Clubhouse Gets A Facelift By Guy Leonard Staff Writer It’s taken about seven years of planning, negotiation and work but the oncedeteriorating clubhouse at the Wicomico Shores public golf course stands anew after a $2.1 million expansion and renovation project. Phil Rollins, director of the county Department of Parks and Recreation, who oversaw the project, said that plans were originally in the works to tear down the structure already there on Airport Yacht
the clubhouse and made access to facilities like the dining room and pro shop much easier. Golfers can come in from the greens and immediately stop in at the refurbished banquet area or make a turn into the newly renovated pro shop, which was actually placed on top of one of the roof sections and enclosed, Meyers said. The inside of the clubhouse comes complete with a recently improved look and fresh coat of paint and furniture. The interior even smells new. Rollins said that when the original
build the new facility started in 2001 but by the time bids came in 2003 they were too high. County commissioners eventually decided on a renovation and expansion project in 2005 with construction starting in April of 2007, Rollins said. Part of the funding for the project came in the form of $500,000 in state Program Open Space funds, Rollins said, while about $1.35 million was borrowed by commissioners from banks to pay for the rest of the project. That amount will be paid back over
Photo by Guy Leonard
Patty Meyers, golf course manager at Wicomico Shores, looks out from the newly renovated banquet hall of the clubhouse onto the greens.
Club Road in Chaptico, but high bids several years ago caused county commissioners to go for an overhaul of the clubhouse. “The old clubhouse was in deplorable condition,” Rollins told The County Times. “One of the things I saw when I came on in 1991 was that we needed to do something with this building.” And that’s just what happened, said Patty Meyers, course manager at Wicomico Shores. “Players can utilize it a lot more in the current format,” Meyers said, adding that the renovation project opened up space in
clubhouse was donated from a private group back in the 80’s that its condition was so poor that they could not even fully operate the banquet facilities. But now the facility can comfortably accommodate 175 people, Meyers said. “It’s a whole new outlook,” Meyers said of the clubhouse facelift. “We brought it up to the 21st century.” The Board of County Commissioners formally dedicated the clubhouse Tuesday after the operations staff moved back into the facility Sept. 12. Rollins said that the initial plans to
the next 15 years from golf course revenues; as a county enterprise fund, Rollins said, the course is self sustaining from user fees. Meyers, who has been at the golf course for almost 12 years, was happy to be back in a permanent office — she and her staff had been in a trailer for 18 months of construction — but was just as pleased with the reception from players. “There were no tears when that [trailer] rolled out of the parking lot,” Meyers said. “But everybody I see walking in the clubhouse says they love it.”
“With Love and Best Wishes To Terri and a Hello from Me” By Shelby Oppermann Hello to Terri Bartz Bowles “Ramblings of a Country Girl” readers, I’m Shelby Oppermann. I received a call from my good friend Terri, telling me she was going to finish her college degree and expand her career horizons. This also meant ending her warm, homespun column which we, as her readers had all followed weekly. I have known Terri for seven years through our affiliation with the Maryland Antiques Center in Leonardtown. Boy, have we had some fun times, and some great talks. She is just like what she writes, funny, off-the-wall, and compassionate. I wish her many hours of endless enjoyment studying to fulfill her dream. I say this with Love, Terri. Which leads me to how I am writing this column. Reading Terri’s got me to thinking how I ended-up in St. Mary’s County 29 years ago this month. My Dad used to take me on Sunday drives through Southern Maryland, and my Mother and I would camp in our camper trailer at Point Lookout when the camp ground was on the left side of the road by the old hotel. This was all in the late 60’s, early 70’s. So, I had fleeting memories of this and that from traveling down Route 5. One of these memories was of a beautiful village on the way down. I always thought that this vivid picture in my mind was a dream, until I was deciding what college to attend and was reading through college catalogs in the Guidance Office at Surrattsville Senior High in Clinton, MD. One of the catalogs was for St. Mary’s College of MD, and as I leafed through it I saw the pic-
tures in my dream. It was a real place. How could anything be so beautiful? All the pictures were sepia-toned, black walnut pen and ink drawings by local artist Charles Wolf III. After I was accepted at St. Mary’s, which was no easy feat since I was considered a “late bloomer” having only done well in High School my last two of the three years, I was thrilled to actually meet the artist Charles “Charlie” Wolf. Charlie worked in the equipment room at the college gym when he wasn’t helping on the family farm or being a waterman. I thought I had met a real celebrity. I told him that he was the reason that I came to St. Mary’s College. The dream had become real. Even the caption under my senior picture said “Dreams of attending St. Mary’s.” St. Mary’s County was like another world, even though it’s only an hour away from Clinton. I was amazed passing by people either on campus or in the community who waved to you and said “hi”. Everyone says hi to you here. I couldn’t figure it out at first. Especially anyone in a pick-up truck. No one seemed as wary or rushing to be anywhere. I remember telling people back home that there was one traffic light that I knew of in 1979, and that was at the intersection of the Roost and McDonald’s in Lexington Park. If there were more than three or four cars at the light it was a traffic jam. I grew up right next to malfunction junction, where I counted 29 lights. We lived within 1000 feet of it and it would take 20 minutes to get through the series of lights. So coming down here was completely different in that respect also.
One of the biggest changes was the amount of bars in the county and how many diverse people frequented them. We had one bar in Clinton, The Clinton Inn, that I never would have thought of going in. It just wasn’t something any women or girls I knew did. We did house parties. My Father asked me sometime during my first semester what we did for fun down here. I told him about FOD night at the college. That was we called Thursday nights, since everyone went home for the weekends. FOD was Flake-Out and Die. And then I told him, “Well Daddy, on Thursday nights, we go to the Oar House”. He said, “You do what!” I said, “The Oar House, Daddy, The Oar House.” I don’t think he quite heard me correctly the first time. I explained to him that whole families went in bars here. But, really I did gain so much from my years at St. Mary’s College. I was a Social Science major with my particular love being Social Psychology and the study of individuals in groups. The Oar House, Monks Inn, and The Green Door were excellent places to study human behavior. Of course, I used my degree and have been a Picture Framer for 27 years, but that’s o.k. I am glad I received my B.A. St. Mary’s College was, and is, a beautiful college with dedicated professors who have left their mark on thousands of students over the years. It continues to grow each year meeting more needs of the students. The county has changed in the last 29 years as well, but I love it intensely and cannot imagine ever living anywhere else. Almost
two thirds of my life has been lived here, and in that time, I have seen landmarks taken down and new ones built in their places. I know it must be harder for those who are a bit older than me and have lived their entire lives in this beautiful county. I have raised my two wonderful sons, Robert and Ryan here, loved the beauty of each day in each season, and found so many loving, caring friends. I would like to bring you my impressions and memories of the county and Southern Maryland from a relative “newcomer’s” perspective along with other aimless mental wanderings. To each new day’s adventure, Shelby Please send comments to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com
Maryland Schools Desperate for Qualified Teachers St. Mary’s County Above State Average Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Statistics show that St. Mary’s County Public schools enjoy a significant advantage as opposed to other school systems in the state of Maryland, which leads the nation with its glaring gap in the number of quality teachers at wealthier versus poorer schools. Statewide, Maryland elementary schools in wealthy areas boast a rate of 94.8 percent of classes taught by highly qualified teachers, whereas poorer districts have only 66.2 percent of classes taught by quality instructors, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Education. The 28.6 percent gap in Maryland is 12 percent greater than the second-highest gap in Illinois, and among secondary schools, Maryland as a whole led the nation with a 25.7 percent gap between wellto-do and disadvantaged schools. Dr. Edward Weiland, director of Human Resources for St. Mary’s County Public Schools, said the criteria for what constitutes a “highly qualified” teacher, as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, “would take seven hours to explain. “Highly qualified basically means that an individual is certified in a certain area, and on a certain level,” he said, adding that the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in their area of teaching as well as their certification from the state of Maryland, and demonstrate knowledge of their subject. As a rule, Weiland said St. Mary’s County Public Schools aims to hire only highly qualified teachers, with very rare exceptions being made when candidates are not fully certified, but have one or two remaining courses to take for certification. “We’re usually in the top tier of counties with that,” he said. “We’re always above 90 percent…we work very hard to make sure that all of our teachers are highly qualified and certified.” The five states with the larg-
est gaps in qualified teachers also have notably urban populations, such as Baltimore, Chicago, Pittsburg, and Philadelphia, with smaller gaps coming from states with fewer urban populations. Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County make up 54.5 percent of the state’s student population and account for 70 percent of the classes not taught by highly qualified teachers. “It’s a very challenging market across the state,” said John Smeallie, acting Deputy State Superintendant, when asked about recruitment of teachers. “Teach for America has placed 174 teachers, considered highly qualified, in the city, but their help is temporary because there is no long-term commitment,” he said. Weiland said St. Mary’s County will have to step up efforts to recruit teachers with programs like the residential teacher certification program, offered through a partnership with state colleges like the University of Notre Dame and the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, and targeted at people interested in changing their career to teach or using the degree they already have to build toward their teaching certification. Such programs require candidates to commit to teaching within the county for a number of years after they earn their certification. Weiland conceded that the state’s dismal percentages of qualified teachers could be indicative of the higher education system’s failures. He said St. Mary’s County has been lucky with its recruitment, but that Maryland as a whole does not train enough teachers to keep up with the needs of its schools. “Maryland never produces enough teacher candidates, but we’ve been lucky” Weiland said. “We have not had as difficult a time as I thought we might have…and colleges and universities are working hard to reduce that deficiency, but we still have a long way to go.”
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The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Editorial & Opinion Maybe The Folks Will Get The Government They Deserve We average folks are understandably nervous. We are not quite sure just how the current “economic crisis” will impact us. Are our jobs safe? Is our little bit of savings safe? Will we be able to pay the mortgage, provide for our children’s education as we planned, and so on. And everyday the news seems to get worse. The federal government is going deeper and deeper into debt. Main Street bailing out Wall Street (is there a difference?). More talk of raising taxes on the folks to pay for more entitlement programs. The cost of being the world’s freedom police has never been heavier. Oh my, our
federal government is broke, we are broke! Our State government reports that despite Governor O’Malley and our State Legislature passing the largest tax increase in our State’s history, Maryland will have a $1.5 billion dollars deficit next year. Oh my, our State government is broke, we are broke! Our County Commissioners, despite collecting 20% more in property taxes from the folks this year than last year say they can’t keep up and will probably have to raise taxes. Oh my, our County government might go broke, will we go broke? In the meantime, the
folks are just holding on, wondering who will save us from this mess. Everyone is blaming someone else. No matter the party affiliation, it’s the other party’s fault. No matter the level of government, it’s the other level of government’s fault. All of the career politicians warned all of this was coming, but nobody would listen to them. Don’t you remember when they warned us? And by the way, all of this is not our elected officials fault, it’s everyone else’s elected officials fault. It’s Congresses fault, but not my Congressman. It’s the Maryland Legislatures fault, but
not my Senator. County governments runaway spending is the Commissioners fault, but not my Commissioner. These are all nice guys; it’s not their fault. And by the way, did you see the nice citation my Congressman, Senator, and Commissioner gave Mom and Dad for their 50th Wedding Anniversary? They are such nice people; this mess can’t be their fault. It’s Bush, he’s at fault. It’s O’Malley, he’s at fault. It’s the economy stupid, it’s at fault. Oh by the way, you know Congressman Hoyer is up for re-election this November, he is such a nice guy, he saved Pax River, not just the mili-
tary base, he saved the river. And we sure are lucky to have a guy like him with his experience, leadership, and ability to get what we need, especially now that he is the Majority Leader. It must be hard on Steny, having to put up with all those idiots in Congress everyday. Thank goodness he’s the leader. And you know, that boy Roy, he sure is a nice guy, he saved Pax River, not just the military base, he saved the river. He’s a former Congressman (but let’s not talk about that), and now we have all his years of experience in the Maryland Senate. Boy, just think how bad off our State would be if we didn’t
have Roy up there in Annapolis, we would be broke. Oh, that’s right we are broke! Did you see that citation Roy gave dad for his 80th birthday? He sure is a nice guy. Back to the mess we are in. Maybe it is time for change. This country is headed in the wrong direction, something has to change. I’m going to vote for change, I’m going to vote to change the President, that will show those people that we mean business, that will turn this Country around, then we will get the kind of government we deserve. By the way, did you see that nice citation my mom got for her 70th birthday?
Local Conservation Chapter Thanks You The Economy: Today and Tomorrow The Coastal Conservation Association Maryland’s Patuxent River Chapter extends a big thank you for all who helped us make our second annual Banquet and Auction last weekend a rousing success. We were able to raise around $11,000 to help restore and protect marine resources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. More than 85 recreational anglers and local residents joined us for a night of celebration. A special thanks goes to our major sponsors, Dominion Cove Point and ManTech International Corporation. In a little over 15 months our chapter has planted more than 61,000 oysters in two local creeks which we will grow to adult size when they will be able to each filter 55,000 gallons of water a day, run a fishing day for wounded veterans and their families, and supported the first week long youth fishing camp administered by a CCA chapter in the United States. The support this community provided our banquet will allow us to continue that work. Thanks to all! Scott McGuire Chapter president Lexington Park, Md
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By: Bob Schaller “How’s the economy?” We’re all asking this question to one extent or another. The message lately on the state of the economy has been a mixed one. On one hand, we’re facing a financial industry crisis nationally that has broad and uncertain impacts. The economy will likely play a dominant role in the upcoming elections. Closer to home, news of local business closures and cutbacks add to the uneasiness. At the same time, some businesses are having their best year ever. Businesses feel the effects of changing consumer behavior and adjust plans and operations accordingly. Likewise, each of us as households absorb all this along with our individual employment and income situations, and adjust our behaviors accordingly. So we’re all connected in some way through the system we call the economy. Depending on what you do in the economy will determine how much you are affected. Fortunately, St. Mary’s County as a whole has done fairly well throughout the current economic times. This is largely due to our strong employment base. One thing to keep in mind is that business cycles come and go. The same set of circumstances that brought about the current situation will ultimately be corrected and lead to a turnaround. The key for every player in the economic system, whether it’s a business owner, consumer, or government agency, is the ability and willingness to adapt to the changing environment. This is our everyday challenge. Dealing with short-term economic challenges is first priority. But I’d also like to offer some encouraging news for longer-term prospects in St. Mary’s County. In particular, the work that’s been done
to attract, retain, and develop a world-class workforce is being reflected in our changing demographics. The U.S. Census Bureau released demographic information based on its most recent annual survey from 2007. I’ll briefly describe just three measures that relate to our workforce: educational attainment, median age, and commuting patterns. In educational attainment, there’s continued improvement nationally, statewide, and locally. Since 2000, the rate of improvement in St. Mary’s County is greater than that of the state and nation. We now exceed the U.S. rate of Bachelor’s Degree completion (27.8% vs 27.5%). In 2000 we lagged the national rate by almost 2%. St. Mary’s County has also narrowed the gap with the state average over the same time period. The Maryland average was 35% in 2007 and ranked 2nd nationally. The growth of program offerings and enrollments at our local institutions of higher education including the College of Southern Maryland, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, and others has contributed to this progress. Future growth plans at all institutions will only narrow this gap further. Improved high school graduation rates have also played a key role in preparing students for post-secondary education. St. Mary’s County’s High School Graduate completion rate exceeds both the state and nation. The organic progress we’ve seen in the local school system along with the partnerships developed with NAS Patuxent River and other employers and organizations will infuse even more graduates into the workforce pipeline. In terms of median age, St. Mary’s County repeats in
2007 with the youngest population in the state. At 34.4 years, St. Mary’s median age is the lowest of all Maryland counties with populations of 65,000 or more. The growth of young professionals attracted here by employment opportunities and the growth of families are the key factors. A younger and more highly educated workforce is a great economic foundation for the future. In commuting patterns, St. Mary’s County continues to stand apart with only 29% of our labor force commuting out of the County to work. Compared with our neighboring counties of Charles and Calvert both at about 60% and the state at 46%, there’s more time to enjoy the quality of life that surrounds us. With rising fuel and energy prices, this is an even greater factor in our favor. An increasingly homegrown workforce with the opportunity to live where they work is a tremendous asset. So three basic ingredients - increased educational attainment, a young population, and a work where you live pattern - combine for longterm workforce and economic development opportunities. Back to the original question on the current state of the economy, it’s not an easy one to answer. There’s little question though that today’s situation is different than it was even a year ago. Attention needs to be paid to the immediate economic issues at hand. But let’s not forget that some of the fundamental and structural features of our economy which have been years (and decades) in the making will be there to make the economy even stronger when the current business cycle turns more favorable.
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The County Times
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Agenda Items For The St. Mary’s County Commissioners Tuesday, September 30, 2008 9/29/08 (additions)
*Revised
1. Draft Agendas for October 7 and 14, 2008 2. Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff Timothy Cameron; Erin Shoemaker, Fiscal Manager; Elaine Kramer, CFO) a. Motion (1): To approve and accept the Targeted Enforcement and Education Grant Award from the Governor’s Office of Crime and Prevention. a. Motion (2): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $49,485, that will closeout MD0934 for funding reclassification from state revenue to federal revenue for the Targeted Enforcement and Education Grant, which will increase the Supplemental Reserve Accounts. a. Motion (3): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment that will reflect the set-up of $40,200 in federal revenues and expenses for the Targeted Enforcement and Education Grant and decrease the Supplemental Reserve Accounts. Motion By: Jarboe Second:Dement Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes b. Motion (1): To approve and accept the Compstat Program Award form the Governor’s Office of Crime and Prevention. b. Motion (2): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $32,334, that will closeout MD0915 for funding reclassification from state revenue to federal revenue for the Compstat Program, which will increase the Supplemental Reserve Accounts. b. Motion (3): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment that will reflect the set-up of $15,080 in federal revenues and expenses for the Compstat Program and decrease the Supplemental Reserve Accounts. Motion By: Raley Second: Dement Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes c. Motion (1): To approve and accept the School Bus Safety Enforcement Award from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. c. Motion (2): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $14,500, that will decrease the project budget revenues and expenses and increase the supplemental reserve accounts, aligning the project budget with the grant award. Motion By: Mattingly Second: Jarboe Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes d. Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $22,800, to set-up the expenses and revenue for the Sex Offender Registration grant. Motion By: Dement Second: Mattingly Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes *e. Motion (1): To approve and accept the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Award from the State Highway Administration. *e. Motion (2): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $800, that will increase the project budget revenues and expenses and decrease the supplemental reserve accounts, aligning the project budget with the grant award. Motion By: Mattingly Second: Dement Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes 3. Dept. of Recreation and Parks (Phil Rollins, Director; Christy Chesser, County Attorney, Bob Schaller, Director, DECD) Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the Declaration of Covenant document establishing the replacement property for the Port of Leonardtown, Leonardtown Winery, as specified in the Program Open Space Consent and Release agreement approved by the Board of County Commissioners on June 10, 2008. Motion By: Mattingly
Second: Dement Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes 4. Dept. of Public Safety (David Zylak, Director) a. Motion (1): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the Memorandum of Agreement with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency allowing the Maryland State Highway Administration to retain the awarded funds for the construction of one tower to provide microwave connectivity at Mary McLeod Bethune School, and to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $143,200, closing grant number US0940 since the State Highway Administration will be paid direct. Motion By: Mattingly Second: Jarboe Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes b. Motion (2): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment to close-out the $290,000 in Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant funds, Project US0980, and return the budgeted match of $96,667 to the BOCC Emergency Appropriation Reserve. Motion By: Dement Second: Jarboe Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes *Motion (3): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the Memorandum of Agreement between the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Charles County, Calvert County, and St. Mary’s County for the expansion of the National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NSPAC) channels, and to sign the associated budget amendment. Motion By: Mattingly Second: Raley Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes c. Motion (4): To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, in the amount of $30,000, moving funds from Public Safety to the BOCC Emergency Appropriations Reserve Fund, realigning accounts to cover partial match of the NPSPAC grant. Motion By: Mattingly Second: Raley Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes
Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes
5. Dept. of Land Use & Growth Management (Denis Canavan, Director; Elaine Kramer, CFO) Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment moving $10,000 from the Planning – Consultants and Zoning Administration – Other Contract Ser-
Motion: To approve and sign the resolution, with an effective date of October 14, 2008, to rescind prior designation of the Local Management Board of St. Mary’s County, Inc. as the Local Management Board and to designate the Department of Human Services as the Local Management Board for St. Mary’s County. Motion By: Dement Second: Mattingly Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley Yes Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes (Cynthia Brown, Manager, Community Services) *Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the Memorandum of Agreement between the Corporation for National and Community Services and the Office of Community Services, for the assignment of two costshare AmeriCorps *VISTA members to the Division of Community Services and one non-county VISTA to the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity, and *Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the related Memorandum of Agreement between the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity and the Board of County Commissioners, and *Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the related Sub-recipient Agreement between the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity and the Board of County Commissioners, and *Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment, reflecting the decrease of $22,776 in both revenue and expense, due to the decrease of two cost-share positions. Motion By: Raley Second: Jarboe Action: Passed Voting Record:
vices Accounts to the Supplemental Reserve Revenue and Supplemental Reserve Expense Accounts, to cover the shortfall in state funding projected in FY2009. Motion By: Dement Second: Mattingly Action: Passed Voting Record: Francis Jack Russell Yes Thomas Mattingly Yes Daniel Raley No Lawrence Jarboe Yes Kenneth Dement Yes
Board of Education Voting Record Meeting Held on September 23, 2008 Consent Agenda 10.01 & 10.02 - Personnel-Teachers/Administrative Supervisory In accordance with the Annotated Code of Maryland (Section 6-201), “the superintendent shall nominate for appointment by the county Board of Education all principals, teachers, and other certificated personnel.” The superintendent “shall assign them to their positions and transfer them as the needs of the system require.” Motion: To approve the consent agenda as presented. Motion By: Second: Cathy Allen Salvatore L Raspa Action: Unanimous Voting Record: William M Mattingly Yes Cathy Allen Yes Gary K Kessler Not Present Salvatore L Raspa Yes Mary M Washington Yes 10.04 - FY 2009 Categorical Request Attached for your review and approval is a categorical request summary for the increase for a .05 FTE for General Fund - Instructional Salaries and .15 FTE for the Local Management Board - Care Management Entity Grant for FY 2009. Funding Source: FY 2009 Approved Operating Budget and Local Management Board funding. Motion: To approve the consent agenda as presented. Motion By: Second: Cathy Allen Salvatore L Raspa Action: Unanimous Voting Record: William M Mattingly Yes Cathy Allen Yes Gary K Kessler Not Present Salvatore L Raspa Yes Mary M Washington Yes Action Items 11.01 – Comprehensive Maintenance Plan Comprehensive Maintenance Plan 2008 - By regulation, each local educational agency (LEA) is required to submit annually a Comprehensive Maintenance Plan (CMP) that has been approved by the Local Board of Education (COMAR 23.03.02.18.A.2 ). The CMP describes the LEA strategy for maintaining public schools. Motion: To approve the comprehensive Maintenance Plan for 2008 as presented by staff. Motion By: Second: Cathy Allen Mary M Washington Action: Unanimous Voting Record: William M Mattingly Yes Cathy Allen Yes Gary K Kessler Not Present Salvatore L Raspa Yes Mary M Washington Yes
Walden Continued from page A-
Dept. of Human Services (Bennett Connelly, Director)
Section A -
Board of County Commissioners,” said Community Development Manager Valerie Colvin, adding that recent changes at Walden, including a new policy of cross-training counselors to deal with both domestic violence and substance abuse issues, will help extend existing services and make them more efficient. “We’re training all of our substance abuse counselors for trauma and our trauma counselors in substance abuse,” said Executive Director Kathleen O’Brien, explaining that the two issues often overlap. “There is a correlation between substance abuse and domestic violence.” October’s observance will be a time to educate the public about domestic violence as a serious public health issue, say the managers at Walden, who concede that the economy is placing a lot more stress on families, which could be leading to more incidences of domestic violence in the community. “As times get tougher the demand for our services will increase,” said O’Brien. “We’ve already seen a dramatic increase.” As the demand for services peaks, O’Brien said that newer programs at Walden will be integrating services and offering a more streamlined approach to solving community problems. Among the newer initiatives are the development of a fatality review committee, a multidisciplinary case review committee, and a new lethality assessment program, which has been set up to administer an assessment to domestic violence victims to determine their need for counseling, treatment, and other services. Assistant Director Gary Lynch described the fatality assessment as a test that police now administer to victims when responding to domestic disturbances in the community. If a victim’s risk of fatal injury is high, then police
officers would call a counselor and encourage the victim to inquire about counseling services for themselves and their family members. “Since this has started we’ve gotten about 20 calls a month,” said Lynch. “These are cases that we might have seen, but we might not have. They might not have called about counseling otherwise,” he said, adding that since the program was initiated, 60 percent of test recipients scored at serious risk of being killed or seriously injured by their partner, and of those, 80 percent of the victims who took the assessment have called to talk to counselors. “We’re certainly seeing more since this program started,” Lynch said. A Day of Unity was first initiated by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 1981, the purpose at the time being to connect battered women’s advocates across the country, but it soon grew into a week of activities observed at the state, local, and national levels. The first Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed in October 1987, and the Day of Unity is still celebrated on the first Monday in October. Domestic violence itself is described as a pattern of behavior that seeks to establish power over another person in a relationship through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Perpetrators are most often men, making the majority (73 percent) of victims female. Statistics show that females between the ages of 20 and 24 are at the greatest risk for intimate partner violence, and incidents result in more than 16,000 homicides and over $2.2 million in medically treated injuries every year. The St. Mary’s County Family Violence Coordinating Council encourages members of the Southern Maryland Community to speak out against domestic violence, and urges those who are in violent or abusive relationships to seek help by calling Walden/Sierra’s 24-hour crisis hotline at 301-863-6661.
The County The
County Times Times
Section AAugust - Thursday, 21, 2008
Thursday, October 2, A 2008 Section -
Obituaries Alice MildredNathalal Brown, 99 Dhirajlal
Contractor, 76 Dhirajlal Nathalal Contractor, 76, Lexington Park, Maryland died at his home on September 27, 2008. Born January 30, 1932 in Nadiad, India he was the son of the late Nathalal Arjunlal and Maneckbai Nathalal Contractor his wife Paige Ellen died in February 2002. Mr. Contractor was a graduate of the University of Wichita in Kansas with a double major in AeroAlice Mildred Brown, 99 nautical Engineering of Leonardtown died Aug.and 16 in her home. Industrial Engineering. Born Nov. 9, 1908 in After graduation, Baltimore, Md., she he waswent the daughter late James and to work of forthe the Department Lilly Mae Jackson Rebham. of She Navy as an Aeronautiwas a member of St. cal Engineer retiring in George’s Episcopal Church, Valley of the 1997 Lee, fromand theOrder Naval Air Eastern Star, Chapter 107, JuWarfare Center at Patuxent lia Halla, Hollywood. Mrs.Maryland. Brown is survived River, by two Lloyd E. (Jerry) Hesons, is survived by a Brown, Jr. of Leonardtown daughter Diana and Willard Suman Bruce Brown of Terraand Alta,a W. Va.Drew She is Kaba son J. also survived by six grandContractor both of Odenchildren, Julie Brown-Rund, one Nancy sister, Suman ton, MD; Jeff Brown, Deal, Wendy Jarda, Judy and Graybill Wilson Christian one and Pheobe Brown, and eight grandson Ian Kaba. In adgreat-grandchildren Clay and Will Rund, Kristen and Josh dition to his parents and Brown, Shawn and Bruce wife, Mr. Contractor was Deal, Audrey and Samantha preceded in death by two Jarda. She Gunvanti was predeceased sisters; Salamat by a daughter Betty Ruth Singh, Sarojini Brown and a brother Ramesh John B. Fenwick. Doctor and two brothers; Relatives and friends atWilson Nathalal Contractended Mrs. Brown’s Life tor and Shantilal Nathalal Celebration in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown Contractor. Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 5 – andrecited friends Relatives 8 p.m. with prayers at 7were p.m.invited A funeral service will to D.N. “Deno” be held Thursday, 21 at Contractor’s LifeAug. Celebra11 a.m. in St. George’s Epistion on Friday, October 17, copal Church, Valley Lee. Reverend Greg Syler, 2008 from 6 to 8:00pastor p.m. of the church, will officiate. in the Brinsfield Interment will followFuneral in the Home,cemetery. 22955 Hollywood church Memorial Contributions Road, Leonardtown, MD may be made to The Misto the sionsCondolences Endowment Fund or Cemetery and Grounds Fund, family may be made at c/o St. George’s Episcopal w w w.br i n sf ield f u ne r a l. Church, P.O. Box 30, Valley com. Lee, MD 20692. Condolences to the Arrangements byfamthe ily may be made at www. Brinsfield Funeral Home, brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements P.A., Leonardtown,byMDthe Brinsfield Funeral P.A., Leonardtown.
Home,
Lori Louise Chesser Cromwell, 48 Francis Joseph Brown, Sr., 66
Francis Joseph Brown, Sr., 66, passed away in his home in Indian Trail, N.C. Aug. 12. Mr. Brown was born July 1, 1942 in Leonardtown, son of the late Mary Edna Brown Norris. Mr. Brown is survived by his wife Jacqueline Mercer Brown; a son Francis J. Brown, Jr. and his wife Shelia of Stanfield, N.C.; a daughter Jennifer Lynn Brown of Indian Trail, N.C. and two granddaughters Christianna Page and Allyson Grace Brown. The family received friends Sunday, Aug. 17 from 2 – Lori 5 p.m.Louise in the MattingChesser ley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Cromwell, of said Great where Prayers48were at 3Mills p.m. A Mass of Christian passed away Sept. Burial was celebrated Mon24. day, Aug. 18 at 9:30 a.m. in Lori was the Catholic wife of St. Francis Xavier Church withCromwell, Fr. John MatNickolas and tingly officiating. Interment the daughter of Ralph and followed in Charles Memorial Gardens. Lois Chesser of Florida. Arrangements Lori attendedprovided Town by the Mattingley-Gardiner Creek Home, Elementary, EsFuneral P.A.
peranza Middle, and St. Mary’s Academy High School. She then went on to Towson University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting. Lori worked in her father’s Seven Eleven
Luis Antonia Castillo, 70 until she was able to make her Luis ownAntonia way and franchise Castillo, 70, of died Aug. 16 herLeonardtown own Seven Eleven, in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, eventually owning a secLeonardtown. 20, 1937 in ondBorn storeSept. for several years. Puerto Rico, he was the son of Shelate had over threeandand the Luis Antonia Elsaa Monserrate Morales Castillo. half decades of service in Luis is survived by three the franchise. sisters, M. Elaine Ohler of Lori was loving,CasenMillsboro, Del.,a Evelyn tillo of Chestertown, Md. and dearing wife and mother Elsie Collins of Las Vegas, who He loved sports of by all Nev. is also survived several nieces anddidn’t nephews. kinds. A year pass Family received friends when she wasn’t seen at the Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. – noon in the Brinsfield Redskins football games or Funeral Home, Leonardtown, NASCAR also with prayersraces. recitedShe at noon. Deacon L’Heureux attendedGeorge countless sportofficiated. Graveside service ing events of p.m. her children, followed at 2 at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Md. Chris and Mary. She served Memorial Contributions as a board member for the may be made to the St. Mary’s SouthernCenter Maryland AthletNursing Foundation, Inc., League (SMALL) ic Little 21585 Peabody Street, while her sonMD Chris played Leonardtown, 20650. Condolences to theyears. fambaseball for many ily may be made at www. Lori was a true nurturer, brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements the always thinking ofbyeveryBrinsfield Funeral Home, one else’s needs before her P.A., Leonardtown. own. Lori loved traveling Lloyd Raymond with herHarris, husband 97and children to the Caribbean islands, including cruises and trips to Jamaica, Mexico, Bahamas, and the U.S Virgin Islands. She enjoyed relaxing with her family in her vacation home in the Deep Creek Lake area of Western Maryland. She loved watching movies and her favorite sitcoms, while spending quality time with her family. She was the loving and caring of Hilary Lloydmother Raymond Harris, 97, died peacefully Aug. Hartenstein of Lexington 12 in the St. Mary’s Nursing Park, Christopher Spak Center. Harris was aof longtime andMr. Mary Spak Great resident of St. Mary’s County. Mills, stepmother to ThomHe was born in Gallatin, Mo. as Cromwell and June 13, 1911 to the lateTaylor Howard May Harris and Frankie Cromwell of Brooksville, Lee Jackson. He married Fla., and sister of 59 Stephen his beloved wife of years, Mary Catherine “Sis” Nelson Chesser of Cape Coral, at the Washington Cathedral Fla. in Washington D.C. Sept. 2, 1939.Lori’s She preceded him in Life celebration death in 1998. He was also was heldin Sept. 301998 in the preceded death in by his beloved Funeral sister Margaret Brinsfield Home, Harris. Leonardtown. A Funeral Mr. Harris served in the United States as anOct. AsService was Army conducted sistant Chaplain. Following 1 at 10 a.m. in the Patuxent his army service he was emPresbyterian Church, Caliployed in Washington, D.C. by the Federal Government fornia, Md. with Reverend for many years before retirMikeHeJones ing. thenofficiating. Inworked in the tax department for the State was private. terment of Maryland and retired in lieu ofhisflowers Me1971.InDuring retirement, he and his wife enjoyed travcontributions may morial eling throughout the United be made to an account esStates. He enjoyed cards, for playing the children tablished dancing and buying new cars. of Lori Cromwell in care of Ray loved life and most of Maryland Bank and others Trust, all he enjoyed helping while expecting in P.O. Box 340, nothing Lexington return. He was devoted in the Park, 20653. care of MD his wife and sister until their death. Condolences to the The family received family in maythebeMattingleymade at friends Gardiner Home, w w w.brFuneral i n sf ield f u neP.A., r a l. Leonardtown, Friday, Aug. 15 com. from 9 – 10 a.m. with a funeral service that followed at 10 Arrangements provided a.m. officiated by Rev. Keith by the Brinsfield Funeral Schukraft. Interment followed at Charles Memorial Gardens Home, P.A., Leonardtown. in Leonardtown. Pallbearers were Frank Nelson, Donnie Bowles, Fred Nelson, Harry Nelson, Jr., Michael Russell Joseph Clarence Evand Roy Copsey. Contributions may be ans, Jr., 64 made to American Heart Association, 415 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4101. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Valorie Anne Henry, 48 Joseph Clarence Evans, Jr. (Kingfish, Pop Pop) was born Feb. 26, 1944, to the late Joseph Clarence Evans, Sr. and Sarah Turner. He departed his earthly home Sept. 21 in St. Mary’s Hospital. Kingfish received his education through St. Mary’s County’s Public Schools. Kingfish retired in 2005 after being employed at the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship in Piney Point for over 25 Valorie Anne Henry, 48, years. He enjoyed hunting of Mechanicsville, formerly and rabbit hunting, fishing, of Grandview, Mo., died Aug. 17, in Lexington going to dog Park. meets and Born Oct. 31, 1959 in playing cards. He was thought Lincoln, Neb. she the his four beagles daughter of James(Cry Ray Baby, Dickinson Mouldrow, Okla. Jack, of Banjo and Snoop) and Hortense Anne Campbell were theof best of rabbit Crawford Grandview, Mo. She dogs.was the loving wife of Earl Allan Henry, whom she During his youngmarried July 16, 1986 in Warhe spent many er years,Mo. rensburg, She is her nights at survived Budds by Creek son Earl Ian Henry. Raceway watching raceMrs. Henry graduated Grandview cars from with Mary Rose, High Pam School’s Class of 1977. She and Toeno. His favorite moved to St. Mary’s County carOctober was a 63 Chevy in 1988 fromcalled Waldorf, Md. the Calvert Shaker. He esThe family will receive enjoyed spending pecially friends Saturday, Aug. 23 from – 11 in Patuxtime 10 with hisa.m. family and ent River His Assembly of God friends. pastime was Church, California, where a going toService Medley’s Funeral will Garage be held at a.m. with Pastor in 11Loveville and Lanny every Clark officiating. Interment Sunday at Burchmart in will be held Wednesday, Aug. Leonardtown the 27 at 10 a.m. to in shoot Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery, Cheltenbreeze with his friends. ham, Md. Kingfish had his Contributions mayways be made Hospice St. Mary’s, abouttohim – youifnever asked P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, a question if you were not MD 20650. ready to hear the provided answer; Arrangements by the Mattingley-Gardiner he would tell it like it was Funeral Home, P.A. and didn’t care if you liked it or not. That was him. To Karen A. our surprise, Kingfish had pickedMcEntyre, his own 51 pallbearof with A. a McEntyre, memo that51 he ers Karen Lexington Park, formerly of did through his job back Plano, Texas, died Aug. 13 in in 1997; heHospital wanted Center. his coWashington Born to Feb. 24,him 1957 in workers carry to his Sweetwater, Texas she was resting place.of Carold and the daughter ToAleese cherish his memoMary Benson of Plano, Texas. ries, Kingfish leaves his She is also survived by lifetime companion of 40+ her children Jeremy Porter of Snyder, Texas, years, Mary RoseJonathan Young; Porter of Plano, Texas, Angie one brother George M. Porter, Sheila Horton and MaSomerville, Sr.of(Ruth); one rissa Horton, all Lexington Park as well as Savoy her brother daughter Pam (SilVictor Benson of Plano, Texas granddaughvester); and threethree grandchildren. employed as a ters,Karen Tiarawas Baker, Latrice registered nurse. Blackwell and Samala All services are private. Savoy; one aunt,provided Marie Arrangements by the Mattingley-Gardiner Young; his nieces Deborah Funeral Home, P.A. Somerville and Barbara Somerville; his nephews, Timothy BrianJr. and George Somerville, McGrath, 50 Clarence Somerville; his great nephew, IanMcGrath, SomerTimothy Brian 50, of and Lexington Park died ville; a host of family Aug. 11 in St. Mary’s Hospiand friends. tal, Leonardtown. Born June preceded 14, 1958 in He was in Freeport, Ill., he was the son death by his parents and son of Patricia (Chambers) McGeorge Young. Grath of (Toeno) Mesa, Ariz. and the late Charles McGrath. The family received Timothy attended Lafriends Sept. 28 from 2 salle-Peru High School in Lasalle, Ill. where graduated – 5 p.m. in the he Mattingleyin 1976. He served in the U.S. Gardiner Funeral Home, Navy from 1976 until 1999. with his Prayers being at After service in thesaid Navy, Timothy was employed by a 3 p.m. A Mass of ChrisGovernment Contractor and tian Burial held River Sept. worked at thewas Patuxent Naval Station. an 29 at Air 10 a.m. in He St. was John’s Elks LodgeChurch, member Hollyand a Catholic past member of the Lexingwood, Fr. Raymond ton Parkwith Volunteer Rescue Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown. Pallbearers were Sam Spalding, Jr., David Hammett, Mickey Hayden, Tommy Swann, Steve Pratt and Freddie Knott. Honor-
Squad. ary In pallbearers were David addition to his mother, Kane, Herbert Taylor, Timothy is survived byJohn his wife Debra Kay (Houtz)ClarMcTaylor, Mark Medley, Grath, his son, Sean Patrick Joseph Clark ence Miles, McGrath of Lexington Park, andsister, Robert Short. his Karen McGrath of Mesa, Ariz. and his providbrother, Arrangements Michael McGrath of Ill. ed by the Mattingley-GarA memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug.P.A. 23 at diner Funeral Home, 10 a.m. at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, Lexington Douglas Park. V. Johnson, 75 Condolences to the family may be made at www. brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.
Patrick Connor Miller 2
Douglas V. Johnson, of Elkton went to be with the Connor MillLordPatrick Sept. 11, surrounded er 2, of Avenue died Aug. by his loving family and 12 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown. friends. He was 75. Connor was born Oct. 11, Born in Gainesboro, 2005 in Anne Arundel MediTenn., he was the sonMd., of cal Center, Annapolis, the son of James L.Lucille Miller the late Virgil and and Krystal Kaldenbach of (Henson) Johnson. He Avenue. He isin survived by two sisserved the U.S. Army ters, Lillian and Kayla Miller, during the Korean War a brother Kyle Miller, hisand paternal James L. retiredgrandparents after 21 years. and Darlene Oliver Miller of Douglas is grandparsurvived Chaptico, maternal ents, Eugene of by his wife Kaldenbach of 53 years, Harrimon, Tenn., and Debra Brigette Johnson; a son Adams Kaldenbach of WinRalf Johnson, of Hollychester, Ky.; great-grandparents Francis and Audrey OliMd; four grandchilwood, ver of Chaptico and dren, Rebecca, G rBenjamin, eat-g r a nd m others Mary Lou Adams of Waldorf, Ryan and Regan; a great Md. and Shirley Miller of grandson;Md. Kaleb, five sisNewburg, ters,The Joannfamily Kirby of received Elkton, friends for Connor’s Life Margarite Sullivan, Eunice Celebration Sunday, Aug. 17 from 3 – 4Lois p.m. Young, in the BrinsBilbrey, and field Funeral Home, LeonardJoy Wallace. He was also town, with a funeral service at 4 p.m. Interment was preceded in death byprivate. sister Condolences to the famBobbie Cowen and Willoily may be made at www. dean Allen, of Tenn. brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the FuneralFuneral services for Brinsfield Home, Mr. Johnson and his son P.A., Leonardtown. Raymond, who passed away Mary Aug. 17, will be priAleathea vate atRedmond, Harford Memorial 84 Gardens. Online condolences may be made at www.tarringcargo.com Arrangements entrusted to the family owned Tarring-Cargo Funeral Home, P.A. of Aberdeen.
William Lucas “Will” Smith, Jr., 19 Mary Aleathea Redmond, 84, of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in St. Mary’s Hospital. Born April 18, 1924 in Mechanicsville she was the daughter of Clarence Leo Evans and Gertrude M. (Pilkerton) Evans. Aleathea graduated from Margaret Brent High School in 1941. She worked from 1961 to 1971 as a secretary/receptionist for St. Mary’s College. She enjoyed cooking, croqueting, playing cards, gardening, and sewing; often making clothing for her and her daughter. She is preceded in death by husband James Franklin
William Lucas “Will” Smith, Jr., 19, of Scotland, Md., died Sept. 21 in University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, Mass. William Lucas Smith,
Redmond, whom marJr. was born to she William ried March 4, 1945 at the Im“Will” Lucas Smith, Sr. maculate Conception Catholic Church in Mechanicville. She and Jeanne Marie (Mulis survived by her beloved chilSmith A. Jan. 4, 1989and in hall) dren Gayle Hancock her husband William of FairPatuxent River. fax, Va., and James “Frank” William Ridge Redmond andattended his wife Wanda of Fredericksburg, Va.Spring She is Elementary School, also survived by three grandRidge Middle and children, Jeffery School A. Hancock and hisMills wife Jennifer of FairGreat High School. fax, Va., Mark D. Redmond After graduating from and his wife Tanya of FredGreat Mills High ericksburg, Va., JasonSchool, P. Redmond of decided Fredericksburg; and William to continue four great-grandchildren. his education at West VirShe was preceded in death by her Tech sister Agnes Rice. and University ginia Family received friends later transferred tofrom Becker Wednesday, Aug. 20 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. in the Brinsfield College in Massachusetts, Funeral Home, P.A., Leonarwhere major dtown. he A planned Mass of to Christian Burial wasManagement. celebrated 11 a.m., in Sports Wednesday, Aug. 20 at St. William was an Church, all-star Aloysius Catholic athlete and loved playing Leonardtown, with Rev. John Dakes officiating. Interment sports. William’s favorfollowed in Charles Memorial sportLeonardtown. was basketball. ite Gardens, Serving, as pallbearers When you feel the wind were Mark Redmond, Jason blowing, is William playRedmond,it Jeffery Hancock, Bill Hancock, Lawrence ing one-on-one with Pilkthe erton, and Arthur Pilkerton. Heavenly Basketball Team. Honorary pallbearer was Earl Dean. William was a member Memorial contribution of the Great can be made Mills to theSchool Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, and P.O. basketball, football Box 456, Ridge, MD 20680. baseball teams. He enjoyed Condolences to the famplaying football ily may basketball, be made at www. brinsfieldfuneral.com. and spending time with his Arrangements by the family andFuneral friends. Home, WilBrinsfield P.A., Leonardtown. liam was a member of St. Luke United Methodist Church. William“Junior” will be Louis Marshall Thompson, Jr., 84 of deeply missed because the love and support that he shared with all he met, and will be remembered for his smile genuine love for life, laughter and friendship. William leaves to cherish his memory his loving parents William and Jeannie Smith, and his brother Timothy Smith; grandparents, Guffrie Smith, Sr. and Parthenia Smith of Scotland, Md., John and EsLouis Marshall “Junior” telle Mulhall of Cleveland, Thompson, Jr., 84, of Avenue Ohio. He 4also leaves twendied Aug. in his residence. He was born July 20, 1924 aunts and uncles; ty-seven in Dynard to the late Louis Timothy Mulhall (Sandra), Marshall and Catherine Eleanor Harris Thompson Maureen Voyticky Sr. (KenHe was the loving husneth), Margaret Walters band of Rose Lee Thompson whom hePatricia married Hansady July 26, (Jerry), 1942 in Sacred Heart Church, (Michael), Kevin Mulhall Bushwood. He is also survived by Thomas his children, Mar(Mary), Mulhall, garet Taylor and her husband Michael Mulhall, (CathGeorge of Hollywood, Buddy erine) Patrick Mulhall Thompson and his wife Debbie of Avenue, Benny Thomp(Laurie), Dennis Mulhall ( son and his wife Mary of Victoria), Kathleen Gorentz (Robert) all of Cleveland Ohio; Guffrie Smith, Jr. (Casey) of St. Leonard, Md.; Marva Johnson (Reno) of Upper Marlboro, Md.; Zerita Shade of St. Inigoes; Alberta Smith of Forestville; Orlando Smith (Donna) of Lexington, Ky.; Beulah Barnes of Scotland, Md.; Eugene Smith (Joyce) of Dale City, Va.; Desiree Berry (Paul) and Ramona Smith both of Scotland, Md.; Holly Powell (Larry) of Glenarden, Md.; Aaron Smith (Gloria) of Scotland, Md.; Wendy Morton (Terry) and Vivian Smith of Lexington Park; Shayne Smith, and Cindy Smith, and one brother-in-law Robert Bennett (Mae) all of Scotland, Md., and a host of cousins and friends. William was predeceased by his aunt Mae Helen Bennett, his cousin Paul “June” Johnson and a close friend and brother-inlaw William Shade, Jr. Family received friends
Morganza, Donnie Sept. 27 from 8:30Thompson – 11 a.m. and his wife Debbie of Mein St. Peter Claver Catholic chanicsville and Rose Mary George and her husband Church, St. Inigoes. AJohn fuof Avenue; 16 grandchildren, service was held attwo 11 neral 44 great-grandchildren, step-grandchildren his a.m. with Reverendand Leroy sisters Mary Ozella Lacey of Boldley pastor ofOsborne St. Luke’s Abell, Gertrude of King George, Va. and Susan United Methodist Church Vallandingham of Bushwood. officiating. Interment folHe was preceded in death by oneingreat-grandchild and lowed St. Luke’s United his sisters Catherine Hall and Methodist Cemetery, ScotLouise Bryant. land,AMd. lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County, Junior was Memorial contributions a self-employed waterman. may be enlisted made to in an the account While U.S. Army from Oct. 1944 to established for 19,Timothy Nov. 19, 1945, he served as M. Smith ina care Cedar a rifleman, lightofmachine gunnerCredit and a cook. Point Union, 22745 He belonged to the Maple Road, Lexington Knights of Columbus and enjoyed playing cards and being Park, MD 20653 with his family and his two Condolences to the famspecial buddies Maynard and ily may be made at www. Ringo. The family received brinfieldfuneral.com. friends in the Mattingley-GarArrangements by the diner Funeral Home Thursday, Aug. 7 fromFuneral 5 – 8 p.m. with Brinsfield Home, prayers being said at 7 p.m. A P.A., Mass Leonardtown. of Christian Burial was celebrated Friday, Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. in Holy Angels Catholic Church, Avenue,Trickwith Fr. Joseph Michael William Gurnee officiating. ett, 62 Interment followed in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood. Pallbearers were Johnny George, Jereme George, Tina Fay Ferguson, Dave Hodges, Matthew Thompson and Donnie Thompson. Honorary pallbearers were his grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Contributions may be made to Holy Angels Sacred Heart School, 21335 Colton’s Point Road, Avenue, MD 20609, Seventh District Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609 and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Joseph Michael TrickEvelyn Tillotson ett, 62Woods, of Lexington 86 Park died Sept. 25 in his Evelyn Tillotson Woods, residence. 86, of California died Aug. 14 Born Sept. 10, 1946 in in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown. Callaway, he was the son Born Dec. 18, 1921 in of Wilson and Buller LeMoyne, Pa., Verda she was the daughter of the late George C. Trickett. Tillotson and Eva (Dowhowwas Mr. Trickett er) Tillotson. Evelyn wasthe an avid Pittsburgh Steelers owner/operator of a fan. Pest Evelyn is survived by Control Company. Christine her daughters, W. He Moore of Chesapeake is survived by his Beach, Md. and Deborah wife, Anna Trickett of J. Standish of California, Lexington Park; son four grandchildren, andWilfour great-grandchildren. Flarida of Lexington liam All services are private. Park;Condolences siblings; to the Lorrine family may be made at www. Baker of Punta Gorda, Fla., brinsfieldfuneral.com. JoanArrangements Nussberger ofby Hollythe Brinsfield Home, Md.,Funeral Ruth Damarr wood, P.A., Leonardtown. of Mechanicsville, Frances Brewer of Sugar Valley, Ga., Regina Knott of Lexington Park, Wayne Sheets of La Plata and Rodger Clifford of Jackson, Tenn. He was preceded in death by a sister Betty Lou Knott. A Memorial Service was held Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home with Reverend Joseph Dobson officiating. Inurnment was private. In lieu of flowers Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society St. Mary’s County Unit350, P.O. Box 1032, Lexington Park, MD 20653 Condolences to the family may be made at w w w.br i n sf ield f u ne r a l. com Arrangements provided by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.
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The County Times
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Section A -
Port Tobacco Players Bring Stylish Screams to the Stage
The Family That Preys
Eagle Eye
My Best Friends A Girl
used on stage, and there are strobe light effects, though audience members can rest assured that there will not be creepy characters jumping from the aisles at them, nor will there be profanity or nudity. In this case the famous Hays production code still seems to apply here, giving the play a wonderfully quaint quality that nods to two eras of storytelling, the first being Bram Stoker’s, the second being the 1940s and 50s, during which directors and producers had to come up with creative loopholes to censorship laws in order to have their films released. The Port Tobacco Players will run the play Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at their location on Charles Street in La Plata from Sept. 26 to Oct. 12. For reservations, call 301-932-6819 or go online at www.ptplayers.com.
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Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Those interested in getting into the spirit of Halloween might want to consider checking out the Port Tobacco Players’ latest production, Dracula: The Case of the Silver Scream, a clever and stylish adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel. The play itself is done in the style of film noir, characterized by stark contrasts of black and white, low-key lighting, and eerie visuals. It is a style that lends itself perfectly to horror and crime stories, which have been blended seamlessly in this production. Early noir filmmakers like Karl Freund and Fritz Lang,popularized both the gritty and the romantic in the 1930s, when filmgoers became obsessed with the darker side of fiction. In the 1940s, when this play is set, Americans in particular became obsessed with detective stories as noir entered its classic period with movies like the Maltese Falcon and Murder, My Sweet. This production gives a heavy nod to classic noir here, with its chief character being Detective Abe Van Helsing, a private eye who climbs into a whisky bottle every night after his wife dies. A damsel in distress appears in the form of Hollywood starlet Lucy Murray, who wants to hire the detective to investigate a series of murders. She has recently arrived in tinsel town to replace the missing lead actress who turns up dead, drained of blood, which makes Lucy fear for her life. Lucy’s ex-boyfriend is Jonathan Harker, director of a financially struggling horror film currently shooting on location at Whitby Hill Sanitarium. Head shrink, Dr. Seward suggests that he may have a potential lead on a financial backer for the film, the mysterious new neighbor living in the estate across the street, Count Dracula. What follows is a wild ride of classic literary characters revamped and served with a twist of violence, blood, gore, and gunfire that is not for the faint of heart. Smoking and fog machines are
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St. John’s Continued from page A- to a partnership between the two schools seemed natural. As an experiment to see how a partnership might work out, Oliver, and her young daughter Cassie, set out on a trip to Milan where her daughter spent a week in San Carlo classes. “She was terrified,” Oliver said. “But I said you’re going to do this… and it was an awesome experience for Cassie. “By the end of the week she was a star, kids would call out her name at San Carlo.” By summertime, teachers from San Carlo had traveled to the University of Maryland at College Park as part of a program to encourage the use of the arts in everyday classroom teaching. The teachers made trips all over Maryland, including stops here in Hollywood, and even learned how to incorporate environmental science and the arts to improve their lesson plans. This month, Oliver said, two teachers from the San Carlo School will come to St. Mary’s County as part of the exchange program. One will be a middle school math teacher who will bring her own sixth grade son as part of the program, while the other will teach in the elementary school grades. What was Oliver’s passion for starting all of this? “What struck me is realizing even though were miles apart, we have a lot in common with educators around the world,” Oliver, who is also a public school teacher at Lettie Dent Elemen-
tary School, said. “I wanted kids to see that we are part of one big global community.” Patricia Suit, principal at St. John’s School, said the new partnership would help give her students the chance to have a window on the world. “We want to help give students a respect for what other cultures have to offer, and to show how interdependent we are as a world,” Suit told The County Times. Though this is “uncharted territory” for a local school that has stayed close to its roots for decades, Suit said, the partnership will help broaden students horizons early in life. “We were trying to think what we could offer our kids as a unique life experience… as being a St. John’s student preparing for the world,” Suit said of the school’s choice to get behind the plan. “Because this was a small thing and now it isn’t anymore.” While the exchange program gets underway, which by April or May of next year may entail teachers from St. John’s as well as students and parents traveling to Milan, students can still get a taste of Italy here. An afterschool program of almost 40 students recently started up, Oliver said, funded by a grant from the National Italian American Foundation. This will allow children to pick-up a foreign language as well as learn about the country’s cultural aspects. “We’re going full force with this,” Oliver said, adding that the son of the soon-to-be-arriving mathematics teacher will probably face the same jitters as the ones her daughter had. “It’ll be like a sink-or-swim situation, but I know he’ll swim,” Oliver said. “He’ll feel so thankful he had the opportunity.”
Science Assessment Continued from page A- ty ranked first at the eighth grade level. “Curriculum units have been designed that are aligned with the Science Voluntary State Curriculum ensuring that students master the indicators and objectives of the state standards,” said Chief Academic Officer Linda Dudderar. “Data from county assessments is collected, analyzed, and used to design instruction that ensures that all students are prepared to be successful on the Maryland Science Assessment.” “Being a smaller county I think we did really well,” said Wortman, echoing Dudderar’s statement with confirmation that quarterly assessments administered
by the county school system had served as a model for the science assessment long before it was administered by the state. “Quarterly assessments offer insights into knowledge gaps, and help us set goals,” she said, adding that teachers are also being offered professional development throughout the school year to help them teach new units and instructional strategies. “I am extremely pleased with the results,” said Wortman. “Administrators and teachers are working very hard to ensure the success of our students in science. Strong science instruction is vital to the future of our nation, its defense, and its place in the world.”
The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Detectives Continuing Search For At-Large Bank Robbers
Budget Continued from page A- and serious curbs in government spending. GOP leaders also say their slots plan is better than the constitutional amendment Gov. Martin O’Malley’s administration proposes that would bring 15,000 machines to five locations in Maryland. A local opponent to the GOP measure, however, says revenues to the state will decrease over time. State residents will have a chance to vote on the slots referendum Nov. 4. O’Donnell, who supports bringing slots to Maryland, has criticized the O’Malley plan because he believes it gives licenses for slots away too cheaply. “It’s giving these licenses away for pennies on the dollar,” O’Donnell told The County Times. “I’m in favor of slots but the constitutional amendment is a bad deal for the state of Maryland.” O’Donnell said that the GOP slots plan would bring in $850 million in up front licensing fees, almost nine times what the O’Malley plan would bring in. The Republican budget plan would also slash corporate as well as sales taxes to the tune of $3.8 billion in tax relief. GOP leaders maintain that the plan would be able to rid the state of its structural deficit and bring in a surplus. Last month the O’Malley administration came out with statements dolling out more bad news on the state’s economy. The first notice said that the Board of Revenue expected budget shortfalls for this fiscal year and 2010 to the tune of about $1 billion. O’Malley’s statement said the state had moved to cut $1.8 billion in program spending and eliminated some 700 state government positions in the last two years, but in the same breath mentioned that the slots referendum was fast approaching and, if passed, would provide $650 million for education. Just two weeks later, O’Malley’s second statement said his administration was working to scope out “hundreds of millions of dollars” in budget cuts to bring before the Board of Public Works, which approves public construction projects, as well as telling departments to push for upwards of 5 percent cuts in their budgets. “The more reductions we make now, the better off we will be in dealing with an extraordinarily difficult budget next year,” O’Malley
said in his statement. “While these cuts will not be easy, it is clear that the economic crisis that our nation is experiencing will have a dramatic impact on next year’s budget.” O’Donnell said that the governor was “disingenuous” in implying that slots would help solve the state’s budget woes and scolded his administration for pushing for a sales tax hike in last year’s special legislative session just as the national and state economies were starting to teeter. Del. John Wood (D-Dist. 29A) said neither slots nor tax cuts would help Maryland’s struggling economy without curbing state spending. “We’ve got a budget shortfall to address,” Wood said. “We’ve got to make some cuts. “It has to be done and we’re not doing it.” Even if the slots referendum passes, Wood said, most of the money would have to go to the general fund just to pay down the state’s deficits. The money the state raised from the previous sales tax hike did little to assuage that problem, Wood said. “Before we left town we spent $1.4 billion in programs and that didn’t address the structural deficit,” Wood told The County Times. “The revenues aren’t keeping up with spending.” Wood said he did not believe Republican plans to call for more tax breaks would get much traction in the State House when they reconvene in January. “All that would do is make the deficit worse,” Wood said. Del. John Bohanan (D-Dist. 29B) supported both of the O’Malley plans, adding that the latest GOP budget plan smacked of their efforts to stop the sales tax hike. “It is basically trotting out the same plan they floated last year that failed to gain traction,” Bohanan said. “There are no specific cuts; it’s a plan that doesn’t have a lot of details.” On the Republican slots plan, Bohanan said that it meant “cashing in now, but over the long term it provides less revenue to the state.” Bohanan said that, fiscally, Maryland was still doing well compared to about 29 other states. “If we hadn’t raised the additional $1.4 billion we’d probably be closing in on a $3 billion shortfall,” Bohanan said. “Right now we have a manageable shortfall.”
decade the Republicans [fiscal responsibility] has been horrible,” Bailey said. “Things like fiscal responsibility and the national debt aren’t liberal or conservative issues, they’re American issues.” Jennifer Yogi, a senior political science and philosophy major, said she differed with Bailey’s core philosophy, but was happy to hear from a new face on the political congressional scene. “He’s advocating a more local [power-centered] approach… but I think the federal government’s role is to ensure there’s no local discrimination when distributing aid,” Yogi told The County Times. “But there’s definitely room for what he’s saying.”
The incident had other local banks and credit unions wary of possible further crimes against them. “There’s no way to prevent it [if criminals are determined,” said Aaron Chase, security specialist at Cedar Point Federal Credit Union. “You can only make it harder for them. “The more deterrents they [banks] put up the more likely criminals will go someplace else.” Chase said that he was encouraging credit union employees to avoid wearing their identification badges outside of work, as they could identify them as a target for a bank robbery scheme. “It was well thought out,” Chase said of last week’s robbery that led to law enforcement to lock down heavily traveled roads and search individual vehicles. “Someone was watching [the bank employees’] patterns. “The criminals always show you what you have to after they
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If Charles County tried to do that, he said, it would cost Continued from page A- the school board $50 million. currently grips the public’s inThe county is terest as well as their pocket set to receive just a fraction books, and how the Wall Street of that this year for education bailout congress is consider- from the federal government, ing passing to buy up rotten he told the students. investment bank mortgages “No Child Left Behind and other securities does ac- has brought standards down,” complish a certain mission. Bailey argued. “It’s a top “We’ve got an economy down centralized approach that’s based on debt and in- that didn’t work in Russia, it creasing [that] debt,” Collins didn’t work in China and it said, adding that if the goal won’t work here.” was to prop up that level of Bailey said he would debt to keep the economy go- abolish No Child Left Behind ing then the bailout package in favor of taking that revenue was a good plan. and giving it to local and state However, Bailey said, the authorities who would better answer to the nation’s money know how to spend it. woes lies in part with “sound Acts like No Child Left money” and he illustrated that Behind, along with other fedpoint with the experiences of eral government programs his grandfather up to the point that put pressure on local sysin 1971 when the country left tems, is a form of oppression, the gold standard as a bench- Bailey said, and reduced the mark for valuing the dollar. contents of the wallet as well “Up to that point the as freedoms. prices he experienced up “Government placed to to my lifetime hadn’t re- high has the potential for tyrally changed that much,” anny,” Bailey said. “But it also Bailey said, adding that the has the potential for fraud, nation needed to return to waste and abuse.” “money that holds its value.” Though a registered ReBailey told the students that publican, Bailey declined the dollar had lost about 40 to answer student questions percent of its value through about which candidate he inflation through the past would support for the upcomdecade. ing Nov. 4 presidential ballot. Education costs have “Of the six candidates spiraled as well, Bailey said, out there (four are from paranswering one student’s ques- ties other than Republican or tion about his opposition for Democrat) I could say there the No Child Left Behind Act are things that are good about of 2001, which posits strict all six and that are bad about accountability for a student’s all six,” Bailey said. ability to read and compute in But Bailey, who was a vothe grades up to high school cal supporter of Texas repreby 2014. sentative Ron Paul in the priThis year’s federal budget, maries, had no qualms about Bailey said, had nearly $100 scolding his party for their billion in education funding, lack of fiscal responsibility in which translated into roughly Washington D.C. up to 2006. $18,000 expended per student. “The first six years of this
manager’s 2008 Chevy Tahoe to her branch and ordered her to go in and remove an undisclosed amount of money. They then ordered her back into the vehicle when she came back out. The suspects then drove the three victims to Green Holly Elementary School and released them unharmed. The two suspects drove to the CVS Drug Store on Rue Purchase Road and abandoned it, one was seen fleeing on foot. A third suspect was seen driving a 2003 or 2004 black Nissan Sentra with tinted windows at the McDonalds restaurant on Route 235. Burris said that, so far, the account of the abducted bank manager has remained credible as detectives continued their investigation. PNC Bank has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects.
pe
Bailey
The too suspects that approached and allegedly abducted the PNC Bank manager at her Lusby home as she and her two children, a 1-year-old son and 5year-old daughter, were preparing to leave are said to have worn camouflage clothing, masks and were carrying either shotguns or rifles, according to police information. The suspects drove the bank
er
One week after bank robbers allegedly kidnapped a PNC Bank branch manager from her home in Lusby and had her remove money from her own place of work in California as the robbers held her two young children captive, St. Mary’s detectives are still looking for suspects in the case.
“We haven’t developed any specific suspects,” said Bureau of Criminal Investigations commander Lt. Rick Burris. “We’ve gotten a lot of calls… we still have a lot of work to do. “We’re going to be busy for a while.” Police are looking for at least three suspects involved in the Sept. 24 robbery, all of them black males.
octob
By Guy Leonard Staff Writer
commit the crime.” Valerie Buckner, branch manager at Maryland Bank and Trust on Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park knows about bank robberies. Her branch was robbed twice in two months last year, allegedly by the same suspect. That man, Antonio Warren Gantt, 41, of St. Leonard has just been deemed mentally competent to stand trial in St. Mary’s Circuit Court after a year of being incarcerated. Gantt has also been charged along with other inmates in attempting to escape from the St. Mary’s County Detention Center while facing the robbery charges. “We’ve had a buzz-in system installed since the last robbery,” Buckner told The County Times, but even the extra security couldn’t protect her from the anxiety of learning of the latest bank heist. “Everybody needs to be more aware of their surroundings,” Buckner said. “I literally lost my breath when I read about it [the PNC Bank robbery.]”