The County Times -- 12 March 2009

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Driving Force Of Redevelopment Story Page 10

Former Ammo Dump Eyed For Racetrack Story Page 5

Photos by Frank Marquart & Sean Rice

Bill Would Open Up Patuxent River To Oyster Harvest Story Page 10

Smedley Takes Bee With “Macrame”

Story Page 13

The County Times

y a d 2 d Sale

Weekly Poll

Do you think police should be allowed to use speed cameras that issue tickets?

No

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Yes Do you think police should be allowed to use red light cameras that issue tickets?

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Do you think police should use license plate scanners to locate suspended or wanted drivers?

No

301-862-7702

Yes

38%

The Shops at Breton Bay Leonardtown, MD 20650

38%

301-997-1828

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Not Sure

Inside

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

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County News Town News State News Money Defense and Military Education Crime and Punishment

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< living>

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Lifestyles A House is a Home Real Estate Business Directory

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Obituaries Community Newsmakers

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Wandering Minds Food Entertainment Going On History

24 33 35 36 38

Games Recreation and Parks Basketball Bleachers St. Mary’s College

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The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

ews

When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop ... even your heart!

un Fact

Today’s Newsmakers In Brief

Is the recently-passed economic stimulus package easy to understand?

Do some of Leonardtown’s streets need speed bumps?

You put two in the next thing you know, you’ll have 20.

Town council vice president Walter Wise, who opposes speed bumps

Most of my time has been taken up with the economic stimulus package.

Most of that time has been spent figuring it out.

Mayor J. Harry Norris

Detention Center Upgrade Seven Months Behind

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

St. Mary’s County Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron told county elected officials Tuesday that the planned expansion of the county detention center is proceeding but it is already seven months behind.

Despite the delays, Cameron said, the expansion project, which will bring the capacity of the jail up to more than 500 inmates, should have a contract for architectural design and engineering planning awarded by May and a construction contract signed by the same time in 2010.

There are already 155 requests from

architectural and engineering firms who want the contract to work on the facility design Cameron said.

Overcrowding has been a constant problem at the county jail, with as many as 350 inmates incarcerated there at a time.

The jail only is rated to have only about 240 beds; Cameron and the Board of County Commissioners hope that the expansion will ensure the county has enough inmate space to last until 2025.

By then officials may be seeking to cooperate on a regional detention center to handle inmates who were locally sentenced, with inmates in county jails waiting there only to stand trial.

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“Caring for patient’s of all ages”

“We have one opportunity to get this jail expansion done right,” Cameron told commissioners. “It will be safer for the community, staff working there and the inmates.

“It [the expansion] still serves and meets our needs to 2025.”

Commissioners and the sheriff wanted to keep the jail locally so that it could serve as a base to train and encourage inmates to not re-offend and return, thus straining already limited space.

With the coming expansion, Cameron said, would also be a plan to continue training inmates in job and life skills so they could have options once released.

Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (DGreat Mills) said that he was concerned that if the expansion project did not work out as planned that the current facility would be so overcrowded that the sheriff’s office would have to ask for funds to pay for detention of inmates at other facilities.

Cameron confirmed his fears.

“We’re close to that point already,” Cameron said. “There are contingencies but they’re expensive.”

Raley said time was of the essence in getting the expansion completed.

“We need to put our heads together and get this structure built,” Raley said.

Still No Decision On Off-Site Property Signs

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

The St. Mary’s County Planning Commission heard arguments on why realtors and homeowners who may be desperate to sell their homes quickly could be allowed to post signs leading potential buyers to the property but stopped short of making a decision at their Tuesday night meeting.

Representatives with the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors, based Hughesville, said that hundreds of homeowners in St. Mary’s County who were facing foreclosure on their homes in these times of economic recession needed to be able to sell their homes quickly.

“It’s a directional sign intended to get people to that home,” said Paula Martino, governmental affairs director for the realtors’ association.

Yvonne Chaillet, a zoning administrator with the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management, said that the text amendment to the county’s sign ordinance would allow a maximum of three signs per home to be sold.

“We can look at this as an emergency measure,” Chaillet told planning commission members. “Houses used to be on the market for just three months but now they’re on the market for a minimum of 120 days and sometimes as much as a year.”

Some commissioners balked at the ordinances allowance that the signs could

be as high as 18-feet-tall, realtor association representatives said they would be open to signs that were not so tall.

“You’re looking at 18 feet,” said commission Chair Steve Reeves. “These are like advertisements aren’t they?

“I’m concerned; to me they [could] look like billboards.”

Commission member Merl Evans was also concerned that the sign ordinance was being adjusted in piece meal fashion.

Not only is the planning commission and the Board of County Commissioners looking at approving text amendments for real estate signs but also for digital signs for businesses.

Planning commission members were also told by land use staff last night that home builders and land developers, equally hit by the recession, were looking for help in this arena, too.

“The county’s in sore need of a comprehensive look at signs,” Evans said.

“We need to look at this in a more comprehensive way.”

Before tabling the text amendment for the night, commission member Shelby Guazzo, said that she was still concerned about the proliferation of signs on other people’s property throughout the county, even if it was with their permission.

“We need to seriously consider a sunset provision for this,” Guazzo said.

“I want to know if this is going to be Pandora’s box.”

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

Oakville Property Among Those Considered For Tatton Park

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

But those concerns and others would be addressed at the county government level.

“It’s a conditional use in the RPD zone, so it would work there,” Public documents from the county’s Department of Land Use and Schaller said. “But it would have to go to the Board of Appeals.

Growth Management reveal that a 619-acre piece of property in Oakville “None of this is a guarantee.” off of Three Notch Road and Friendship School Road is one piece of Etherington declined to make comments regarding discussions property being considered as the site for a new road racing park. about any land purchases regarding the proposed motor sports park.

The land is in the Rural Preservation District zone, said director of County economic development officials are looking to the growth the county’s Department of Economic potential of Tatton Park as a plus for the loand Community Development Bob cal economy; but other local advocates see Schaller, but the developer has not the opportunity to build another economyet purchased the property. ic engine here besides the navy base.

It is only one of several sites “If we can find ways to diversify the that the developer, Tatton Park economy down here we’re all for it,” said LLC, headed by Crispin EtherTodd Morgan, president of the Southern ington, is considering for the moMaryland Navy Alliance. “This will tor sports park, Schaller said. not only draw local folks… it’ll bring “It’s a good spot of land… a lot of people down instead of driving it’d be a good use for this propall the way to West Virginia.” erty,” Schaller told The County The closest street-style track Times. that would allow sports car racing The land was once the is Summit Point Motor Sports Park site of an ordnance related in Summit Point and local pundits operation owned by the hope to keep local dollars here Thiokol Chemical Corporaas well as bring in out-of-state tion, which county officials money. say has mostly been cleared Morgan said that while away of any dangerous maPatuxent River Naval Air Staterials though the property tion was not in any real danwas the focus of a lawsuit ger of leaving any time soon, in the earlier part of the the Obama administration’s decade regarding aspects planned defense budget cuts A developer who may bring a motor sports park to the county is considering a 619-acre plot of the cleanup process. could still hit home. of land in Oakville as a possible site for the 3.5 mile track.

Plans to put homes Making St. Mary’s a reand other developments gional venue for all kinds of on the land in the past have failed and the land has remained mostly motor sports — it already features courses for motocross and drag racinactive for about three years. ing — could give the county a financial safety net.

Schaller said that noise from the proposed development, if in fact “I think it’s a good thing,” Morgan said of possibly putting the track it did find a home at the 619-acre site currently owned by the company on the old munitions site. “I think it could be a win-win for everybody.

PB II, LLC based in La Plata, was still a concern the developer would “Your not going to be able to do much else with the land.” have to deal with.

Muslim Woman’s Report: Northern County Elementary Schools Head Scarf Most Overcrowded Raises Concern By Guy Leonard Shire told the Board of County Commissioners Staff Writer Tuesday that the economic conditions, along with a at Bank growth cap policy they passed last year, had mostly

(AP) A Muslim woman says employees at a southern Maryland credit union asked to serve her in a back room because her head scarf violated the institution’s ``no hats, hoods or sunglasses’’ policy.

Kenza Shelley of Lexington Park says in the 10 years she has used the Navy Federal Credit Union in the California area of St. Mary’s County no one complained about her scarf, which covers her hair, until February.

Shelley says she complied the first time, but last week she demanded to be served like everyone else and left. Employees had asked the woman to come into a back room to be served.

A Navy Federal security official defended the policy, saying there was a significant increase in bank robberies last year and the policy was designed to prevent armed robbery and identity theft.

“This may be the tip of the iceberg,” Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations told The Washington Post. “There’s got to be a way to work it out so that this security concern does not lead to violations of constitutional rights.”

A report from the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management states that some elementary schools in the northern section of the county above St. Andrews Church Road, are the most overcrowded in the county; but other schools in that region are under capacity.

This rough balancing out of the equation, according to the acting director of the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management, allows development to move ahead if it comes the county’s way.

“Now we know there’s capacity in all the school districts,” said LUGM Director Phil Shire of the annual school enrollment report. “And we can still approve subdivisions, at least two or three years worth at this point.”

Some of the most overcrowded primary schools include Benjamin Banneker, Hollywood, Lettie Marshall Dent, Mechanicsville, and Oakville elementary schools, the report showed.

Much of the crowding at some of these schools will be relieved, however, when Evergreen Elementary School comes on line in the Wildewood community at the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

A little more than 700 students will be reassigned to other schools to make way for Evergreen’s opening.

The overall enrollment for all elementary schools was 7,368 students for 8,049 seats.

eliminated any concerns over school overcrowding.

According to county zoning and adequate public facilities laws, development can only proceed if adequate school seats, roads and public safety requirements are met.

The recent report, compiled from the latest enrollment figures from the public school system, showed that there were 306 seats left in the northern school zone, which translated into about 1,425 lots that could be approved.

“All in all, we’re in pretty good shape,” Shire told commissioners.

The recent acquisition of the Hayden Farm property on the outskirts of Leonardtown could also increase the number of homes the county could approve by 3,000 lots, Shire said, if a 650-seat school were established there.

Kimberly Howe, coordinating supervisor of Capital Planning and Construction for the school system said that another elementary school is already set for the property and is in their construction plan out to 2010.

“We’re asking for that project right now from the state,” Howe told The County Times. “It has been denied up to this point but it’s on appeal at the Board of Public Works.”

ews St. Mary’s City Gets Funding Cut, But Will Still Keep Jobs The state Board of Public Works cut out 892 vacant positions from the state’s budget to the tune of about $82 million slashed, according to Associated Press reports, with some of those cuts impacting Historic St. Mary’s City.

But despite a cut of $23,000 in state funding, the interpretive historical site will be able to fill a position for a site supervisor, the vacant position that was originally cut.

Susan Wilkinson, spokeswoman for the city, said that the administration there had modified two other positions they expected to fill — a chief financial officer and a fiscal matters employee — to allow for the position.

Even with the recent state cuts, Wilkinson said, no one has lost their job at the historical city.

Planning Commission Will Hold Work Session On Digital Signs The St. Mary’s County Planning Commission will hold a work session to discuss the future of a zoning text amendment that would allow digital signage for commercial businesses advertising throughout the county.

Under current regulations the only digital signs allowed are those that show time and temperature.

The work session will be held at the Department of Land Use and Growth Management building located at the Patuxent Building at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown.

The session will be on March 16 and start at 3p.m.

Hotel Concept Plan, Major Subdivision Get Planning Commission Approvals A proposed hotel that would be located on Three Notch Road in Great Mills received approval of its concept site plan Monday night from the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission.

The hotel is planned to be situated on just over one acre of land.

The planning commission also approved a major subdivision plan for 135 town homes in California to be built by the Myrtle Point Partnership LLP. The development would be for the second and third section of the Woods at Myrtle Point Development in the Lexington Park Development District.

Metcom To Hold Meeting Today The St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission, which provides potable water and waste water treatment services for the county, will hold its regularly scheduled meeting today at 1p.m. at the their facility in Hollywood, located at 43990 Commerce Ave. Metropolitan Commission meetings are held every second Thursday of the month.

A

round

Town

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Leonardtown Looking At More Parking Enforcement For Town Square

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer There are so many employees of town businesses and the local courts parking in the town square all day long that businesses say the situation is making it difficult for much-needed customers to park there.

Mayor J. Harry Norris said that he’s already asked the manager of one main street business, St. Mary’s Hospice, to remind employees to park in their designated areas instead of the diagonal spaces in front of businesses.

“She said she would talk to her employees about no longer parking all day and taking up the prime spots,” Norris told The County Times, but added that that was only a small scale, temporary solution.

Norris said that the town should consider long term plans to ensure that customer traffic for the many restaurants and shops on Washington Street and around the town square moves smoothly.

That could include restricting the hours of the day that people could park in the square or fines for parking more than two hours in a certain space.

“This is an immediate problem we need to address,” Norris said at the Monday Leonardtown Town Council meeting. “People are just parking there all day long.”

But the issue of putting up parking

restriction signs was just part of the problem, Norris said.

The town also needed to consider a fine structure and how they would be paid; and then the town also had to make available an appeals process for violators to protest their tickets.

“The key is how we are going to enforce it,” Norris said, adding that those solutions had not been thought out yet.

Norris said that parking regulations used to be enforced back in the 1970s the old fashioned way: with a meter maid.

The town employee would monitor when cars would park in town and once two hours were up she would put a chalk mark on the vehicle’s tire; she would often dole out $5 fine tickets, Norris said.

The one option the town would work to avoid, he said, was using parking meters.

Aside from being unattractive, Norris said, they were also uninviting and might serve to turn away the very customers the town wanted to attract to the square.

“We want to see how we can tackle this problem without using meters,” Norris said. “Meters are the last thing the town would want.”

Crystal Brasel, owner of Wine Bar and Café on the town square, said that parking for customers was critical for all the local businesses.

“If you make it harder for customers, you’ll lose your businesses in downtown,” Brasel said.

Working To Make St.Mary’s County

A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE & WORK

Photo by Guy Leonard Town government is looking at increasing parking enforcement efforts in Leonardtown’s town square to ensure that restaurant patrons don’t have to compete for parking with town business employees.

Town Approves Taking Of Developer’s Waterfront Property

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

The Leonardtown Town Council voted unanimously on Monday to condemn property owned by developer Ron Russo at the Leonardtown Wharf.

The ordinance allows the town to take two parcels of land to both expand the public park portion and simultaneously reserve some of the land for economic development purposes.

Russo, for his part, maintains that he is still willing to walk away from his project, which included restaurant and retail space at the wharf, because time limits on his plans had expired.

Also, town officials have said that his plans had been changed several times since being introduced several years ago and had to wait because they had not been properly reviewed.

Mayor J. Harry Norris said that the town was

still in talks with Russo about the fair market value of the property.

“The town will continue to negotiate with the land owner,” Norris said. “We’d certainly want to be able to work something out with Mr. Russo.”

Despite some reported tensions between Russo and the town over the stalling of his planned development, Norris said that relations between the two have remained amicable.

Norris said that in the recent snow storm that socked in the county that Russo was quick to send in a repair crew once notified that the fences he had erected around his two water front parcels had blown down.

Russo said he did not want to comment on any negotiations between him and the town, though he said he was still fine with the town’s decision.

“Let the chips fall where they may and let the process move forward,” Russo said.

Investigators: Man Charged For Delivering Bogus Destructive Devices

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

DELEGATE

JOHN F. WOOD, JR. YOUR VOICE IN ANNAPOLIS

Investigators with the county Bureau of Criminal Investigations have arrested and charged David Howard Mattingly, 65, with leaving a fake destructive device at the Dash-In store in Leonardtown.

According to information from the criminal investigations unit, Mattingly delivered two suspicious packages to the store at the intersection of Point Lookout Road and May Pole Road Tuesday night around 9:30 p.m. with allegedly threatening notes attached to them.

The packages were taken to a storage area by the store clerk and the following Wednesday morning the store was warned of the packages and police arrived around 6:40 a.m.

Police closed off the entrances to the store and the adjacent Kentucky Fried Chicken//Taco Bell fast food restaurant for several hours while members of the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, clad in explosive protection suits, used a water cannon to render the packages inert.

The bomb squad personnel realized that the packages did not contain any explosive material, according to BCI information releases.

Mattingly, of Leonardtown, faces 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. He was also charged with damaging a security camera while police detained him after they found him operating a vehicle in the area.

Photo by Guy Leonard A Maryland State Fire Marshal in explosive ordnance protective gear tends to a suspicious package found at the Exxon gas station in Leonardtown Wednesday.

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Lawmakers Want To Ban Smoking In Cars ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) _ A Maryland lawmaker hopes to pass a bill that would prohibit people from smoking while driving young children around.

Montgomery County Senator Mike Lenett is sponsoring a measure that would fine people who smoke in the car while driving children under the age of eight.

Drivers would also be fined if they allow another passenger to smoke in the car while in the presence of children under the age of eight. Lenett’s bill sets a $50 fine for violations.

Seven senators have agreed to cosponsor the legislation.

A legislative panel will hear testimony on the measure Tuesday afternoon. A Senate committee killed similar legislation in 2007.

Revenue Estimates Expected to Decrease, More Budget Cuts Possible

By DYLAN WAUGH Capital News Service

Updated revenue estimates scheduled for release Wednesday are expected to be significantly lower than initial projections and could lead to as much as $400 million in cuts to the state budget, lawmakers said Tuesday.

Less than three weeks ago, Gov. Martin O’Malley scrapped millions in budget cuts in anticipation of an injection of federal stimulus money. But the revised revenue projections will force O’Malley to adjust the soon-to-be-released supplemental budget for fiscal year 2010.

The continued erosion of revenue estimates due to the national recession greatly changes the Supplemental Budget we had hoped to submit when the Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law by President Obama, O’Malley said in a statement.

Until the official numbers are released during Wednesday’s Board of Revenue Estimates meeting, lawmakers say it’s hard to judge how the

Senators Announce Campaign Finance Legislation

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) _ Two senators who have butted heads over Maryland campaign finance rules have reached a compromise.

Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince George’s, who’s been pushing for years to create a public campaign finance system in Maryland, and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, D-Calvert, have agreed to try to make the state the fourth with such a system.

In return, limits on campaign contributions for candidates who choose to use the old system will rise.

The individual campaign contribution limit to a candidate would increase from $4,000 to $4,400. The limit for political action committees would rise from $6,000 to $6,600. Overall contributions allowed by a person in a four-year election cycle would go from $10,000 to $15,000.

budget might be affected.

“We’re talking anywhere from ‘we’re okay’ to $400 million in additional cuts,” said Delegate Murray Levy, D-Charles. “We may wind up with a lot of additional work.”

The House Appropriations Committee has halted its consideration of 2010 budget proposals in light of the pending revenue write-downs.

“Until we get the figures, we’re going to postpone our decision making,” said Chairman Norman Conway, D-Wicomico. “We may very well have to go back and revisit some of the things we’ve been looking at.”

Conway said O’Malley and House and Senate leadership should meet and discuss potential budget solutions in light of declining revenues.

On Feb. 20, O’Malley announced the passage of the federal stimulus package negated the need for 700 state employee layoffs and spared public schools from deep budget cuts.

An O’Malley spokesman said it’s too soon to look at specific impacts of the revenue decreases. But the federal money O’Malley plans to use to fund several state education programs is not in jeopardy since the stimulus package designated that money for educational purposes, said Shaun Adamec, the spokesman.

While Adamec acknowledged tax revenue estimates will be down, he also noted the stimulus package hasn’t had time to pump life into the economy and encourage spending.

“Many of those investments haven’t even been made yet,” Adamec said.

Last week the Board of Public Works, which consists of O’Malley, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot, announced $82 million in cuts to this year’s budget, including eliminating 894 state jobs, all but two of which were vacant. The board also cut $345 million from the fiscal 2009 budget last October.

Hoyer Says Md. Will Get $166 Million For Energy

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) _ Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer has told energy representatives in the public and private sectors that Maryland will receive more than $166 million from the federal stimulus package for energy investments.

The Maryland Energy Administration is set to receive about $53 million in state energy program funds. Hoyer, the House Majority leader in Congress, spoke at an energy summit in Annapolis on Monday.

He says the state will also get about $63 million in funds to help buildings and homes better conserve energy.

Maryland also will receive roughly $50 million from an energy efficiency and conservation block grant program created in a 2007 energy law.

4,000 Gallons Of Fly Ash Spills In Potomac

LUKE, Md. (AP) _ The Maryland Department of the Environment says a ruptured pipeline from a coal-burning power plant spilled about 4,000 gallons of slurried fly ash into the North Branch of the Potomac River near Allegany County.

Agency spokesman Robert Ballinger says the spill on the West Virginia side of the river, where papermaker New Page Corp. has an ash storage lagoon, was discovered Monday after leaking all night. The company burns coal to produce electricity for the paper mill.

Ballinger says workers were still cleaning up spilled ash from the West Virginia bank Monday evening.

Fly ash from coal can contain trace amounts of toxic heavy metals. Ballinger says MDE is monitoring the cleanup and repair activities.

The County Times

To The Editor:

Is This Change We Can Believe In? I listened closely to what President Obama said the other day about not worrying about the daily fluctuations of the stock market. I agree. I don’t worry about the daily fluctuations. However!

I do concern myself with market trends.

I note that since last year when it became certain that he would be the Democratic choice to run for the office of President, the market started its downward slide. I also note that the slide seems to worsen every time he dreams up a new way to spend multi-billions of dollars the country does not have.

Since he got the job, Obama and his programs have made two-thirds of my life savings disappear. And he still comes up with new programs to spend more money.

I’m not going to call him a total liar, but if my memory serves me right (and as I am a senior citizen, you may know that the memory is the second thing to show the effects of aging) I remember Obama making the following statements: “No more earmarks!” There are, I understand, 9,000 earmarks in the big bill he is frothing at the mouth to sign.

“Change!” Change what? He’s installed the Clinton Whitehouse crew in his cabinet.

“Honesty in government!” Oh yeah? It seems that the only time a Democrat pays his/her income tax is when they are appointed to a cabinet post. Then the fact that they’ve been evading taxes – some of them

for years – is simply a “mistake” made by their accountants. They pay up and every thing is rosy. What would happen if you or I tried that dodge? That’s right. We’d be talking to you from the local calaboose.

I’m sorry, but based on this guy’s track record so far; if he shook my hand I’d quickly count my fingers.

I’ll change my mind about Obama and the rest of his crew when I see the following: a) He (and all his ilk) submit their complete income tax reports – without all that “in the range of” garbage – showing all their income from all their sources to public scrutiny. Then, based on their “sincere” desire to spread the wealth, I want to see them take three-quarters of their holdings and donate it to the poor – directly and not through their self-generated charitable institutions. b) He makes good on his promise. If there is an earmark in any bill that comes before him, it gets vetoed and eliminated. c) He tries to find – and I know it will be difficult – some honest people who pay their taxes like I do – to fill his cabinet posts. d) He starts to read the US Constitution and throws away his copy of the Manifesto.

Thank you for your time.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Editorial:

Demise Of The Newspaper Industry: Fate Or Self-Inflicted?

It seems that just about every day we hear unfiltered. of another newspaper in the United States that is Many will blame the demise of the newspain financial trouble. Names of papers that have per industry on a changing society, saying today’s operated in large, medium and small markets for young readers use the internet because it’s quicker, generations are now closing their doors altogether, easier to read, and doesn’t cost anything. Others or downsizing, or simply holding on by filing for will blame the economy and the shrinking of adbankruptcy protection. vertising dollars. While these arguments may be Newspapers in places like Chicago, Seattle, having an impact on newspapers we do not believe Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco, and it’s been the chief cause of the problems we see Texas, just to name a few, are in trouble. Here in today.

Maryland, our own Baltimore Sun may well be on We believe that Americans have become skepthe road to extinction. All of this is troubling news tical of newspaper they used to rely upon for inforfor a free nation. mation. They no longer trust the source. Many Our society is predicated upon people having newspapers have been caught hiding important knowledge about their government, their commu- information, creating news that is different than the nities, their schools, and so forth. We depend upon truth, and allowing their editorial and opinion page an informed society to make decisions about the to influence the front page. election of people to conduct the publics business Americans have come to realize that many on our behalf. Since the days of Thomas Jefferson newspapers are left-wing propaganda pieces for it has been newspapers that have provided society social elites. Additionally, these large elite newswith the information they needed to know to make papers have expanded their control over the mesinformed decisions. It is also newspapers that have sage they send to their readers by purchasing most been the watchdogs of our society. of the smaller community newspapers throughout Jefferson once said: “The basis of our governthe nation. Local editors have found themselves James H. Hilbert ments being the opinion of the people, the very first confronted with being loyal to their readers or loyal Mechanicsville, Md object should be to keep that right; and were it left to the liberal social elites that now own their paper to me to decide whether we should have a govern- and control their employment. ment without newspapers or newspapers without America is still a nation of conservative thinka government, I should not hesitate a moment to ing entrepreneurs who desire media sources that prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man are fair and provide both sides of the story. Newsshould receive those papers and be capable of read- papers are rarely seen as that source anymore. ing them.”

We at The County Times are seeing our No modern day media source has yet been de- number of readers growing each week. Just since I’m a white, wise, well-educated, missing a huge segment of our population veloped that takes the place of newspapers. There January of this year our readership has increased older woman living in St. Mary’s Coun- here in St. Mary’s County by remaining are several problems with Internet or television by 18.7%. That is a phenomenal achievement conty. FYI I don’t read your newspaper be- less than respectful of Mr. Obama. I news sources that leave these media less than ad- sidering the state of our industry. Our advertising cause I feel that your attitude toward our would like to suggest that you change that equate. While they sometimes can be great places revenues have increased nearly 53% in the past 3 President of these United States, Barack attitude and run some respectful and hon- to get information, often this information is not months.

Obama. I did not appreciate your treat- est pieces about our President. properly documented and little if any independent Our readers like our newspaper and they trust ment of the election results on the front research has been done to confirm the sources and the information we provide each week. Unlike Nell Post page of your paper. I haven’t read your just as importantly, to investigate information be- most in this business today, our only loyalty is to paper since that day and know many, Drayden, Md yond the source. you, our readers. We remain committed to your many people who feel as I do. You are Many cable new stations are doing an adequate need to know the truth and to our nation’s need to job of investigating and reporting on major national remain free. news; few however give in-depth coverage to local news. Internet news sources typically spend very Some information in this editorial was taken in part little time doing in-depth coverage, especially as commentary written by Laslo Boyd and published by it pertains to local government and schools. Ad- from gazette.net.

They’re back and they’re bad. Potholes tire wear. These symptoms mean there’s ditionally they are often filled with bloggers and have returned and hitting one with your an alignment problem. Proper wheel others who remain unidentified, unverified and car can do a number on tires, wheels, steer- alignment is important for the lifespan ing and suspension, and alignment. Every of tires and helps ensure safe handling.

Repowering Your Engine May Be a Key to Financial Happiness driver knows what it feels like to hit a pot- hole, but what they don’t know is if their · Low tire pressure, bulges or blisters In today’s economy most people real- chined and remanufactured or rebuilt. Unlike vehicle has been damaged in the process. on the sidewalls, or dents in the rim. These ize they need to reduce expenses. A great used or junk yard engines with an unknown To help you determine if hitting a pot- problems will be visible and should be way to save significant money is to keep and performance and maintenance history, rehole has damaged your vehicle, watch checked out as soon as possible as tires are maintain your current vehicle. Replacing powered engines are dependable, reliable the following warning signs. the critical connection between your car and for your worn out engine with a remanufactured and backed by excellent warranty programs.

the road in all sorts of driving conditions. or rebuilt engine rather than buying a new In addition to its financial benefits, engine re· Loss of control, swaying when making To ensure safety and reliability, it’s worth or used car may be an excellent way for you powering also saves the tremendous amount routine turns, bottoming-out on city streets or having a professional technician inspect the to cut costs and realize long-term savings. of energy used in processing discarded enbouncing excessively on rough roads. These car and make the necessary repairs. To learn When a car or truck suffers major engine gines and vehicles. It also saves an incredare indicators that the steering and suspen- more, visit the Car Care Council’s Web site damage, often the first reaction is to buy a ible amount of raw materials that would sion may have been damaged. The steer- and check out the new digital version of the new or used vehicle, but the cost to repower have been used in building a new engine. ing and suspension are key safety-related popular Car Care Guide at http://www.caran engine is a drop in the bucket compared to To learn more about the benefits of installing systems. Together, they largely determine care.org/car-care-guide. the higher insurance rates and monthly loan a remanufactured or rebuilt engine, visit the your car’s ride and handling. Key compopayments that come with a new car. The bot- Engine Repower Council’s Web site at www. nents are shocks and/or struts, the steering tom line is that a repowered engine makes enginerepower.org.

Sincerely, knuckle, ball joints, the steering rack/box, a vehicle more dependable, more fuel efRich White bearings, seals and hub units and tie rod ends.

Steve Rich ficient, less polluting and more valuable.

Executive Director

Chairman With engine repowering, a vehicle’s engine Car Care Council · Pulling in one direction, instead of Engine Repower Council or an identical one from another like-vehicle maintaining a straight path, and uneven Bethesda, Md Bethesda, Md is completely disassembled, cleaned, ma-

Be More Respectful to Obama

Beware of Potholes

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Speaks

Quote Of The Day

Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.

-Stephen King

A Night Of Virginia Style Bluegrass

Saturday April 4, 2009 Will Be The Next Bluegrass Show At The American Legion In Hughesville, Maryland. The Sons Of The American Legion & Jay Armsworthy Present “Junior Sisk And Ramblers Choice” From Ferrum, Virginia. Opening The Show Will Be “Rockledge” From Northern Virginia.

It Will Be A Night Of Virginia Style Bluegrass At Its Best. There Will Also Be A Spaghetti Dinner And A Food Drive To Support The Food Pantries For The Southern Maryland Food Banks.

Fresh...Original...And Traditional With Straight Ahead Bluegrass At It’s Best. That’s The Style Of Bluegrass Music That Junior Sisk And Ramblers Choice Perform. Junior Sisk And Ramblers Choice Are Gaining Great Recognition As One Of The Best Traditional Bluegrass Bands To Hit The Scene In Decades. Juniors Soulful And Sometimes Haunting Vocals, Reminiscent Of The Late, Great, Carter Stanley, Who Happens To Be His Hero, Have Captivated Audiences For Years.

With The Brand New Release Of Their Debut Album On Rebel Records, “Blue Side Of The Blue Ridge”, The Band Has Once Again Captured Something Magical. The Pleasant Mix Of Old And New Is Sure To Offer Something Here For Everyone.

Joining Junior Is Long Time Singing Partner And

Cousin Timmy Massey On Bass, Darrell Wilkerson On Banjo, John Miller On Mandolin And Billy Hawks On Fiddle.

Rockledge Band Members Are Veteran Bluegrass Musicians, Each Having Had The Privilege Of Performing With Talented Bluegrass Bands In The Dc Area Over The Years. There Love Of Traditional Bluegrass Music Brought Them Together In 2005 In Each Others’ Living Rooms And Basements Just For Fun & Grins. They Discovered There Distinct Sound And Were Inspired To “Take It On The Road.” They Enjoy Playing Music Together And It Shows In There Performances. Rockledge Is Proud And Honored To Be A Part Of The Rich Heritage Of Bluegrass Music In The Washington Dc Area.

The Show Begins At 7:00 Pm On April 4, 2009 And A Spaghetti Dinner Will Be Served At 5:00 Pm When The Doors Open. Tickets For The Show Are $15.00 Per Person And The Dinner Is $6.00 Per Person. We Will Continue Our Food Drive To Help Replenish The Food Banks In Southern Maryland.

The American Legion Is Located On The Corner Of Maryland Rt. 231 & Rt. 381.

If You’d Like More Information And Tickets, Call: 301-737-3004 Or Go To: Www.Geocities.

Com/Americanlegion.

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The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

If coloring weren’t added to Coca-Cola, it would be green.

10

un Fact

Behind-The-Scenes Board Fosters Economic Growth

By Sean Rice Staff Writer A seldom-seen committee is working behind the curtain in St. Mary’s County, tasked with revitalizing blighted neighborhoods and putting people back to work.

While the group may be operating outside the spotlight of county government, members of Community Development Corporation (CDC) board are anything but background players.

“This is a little place that’s a powerhouse of action,” said Robin Finnacom, president of the CDC, which is a private non-profit corporation run by a committee of the county’s most powerful leaders in business and government.

“It is a wonderful mix of perspectives looking at community development,” Finnacom said of the board. “We have a combination of the Navy, Social Services, businesses, developers, financial institutions and government.”

Included on the 12-member board is chairwoman Barbara Horn, CEO of Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Carl Franzen, of Franzen Realty, John Parlett, Jr., president of CMI General Contractors, County Administrator John Savich and Capt. Andrew Macyko, commanding officer of Patuxent River Naval Air Station, to name a few.

The group is tasked with invigorating places and populations that were left behind by the economy.

“Community development is the underbelly of economic development,” Finnacom said. “ Community development focuses on the areas the market left behind. If market forces were working well, we wouldn’t have the need for community development.”

Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, the CDC has seen its mission expand and morph from being strictly focused on housing to include neighborhood redevelopment, business development and job training services.

“There are a lot of ways to look at this and peel back the onion,” Finnacom said of the role of community development.

“It’s multi-faceted, it’s infrastructure development, it’s incentivising new investments.”

“The CDC strengthens our local communities through

Photo by Frank Marquart Robin Finnacom, president of the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation, talks about current projects during the agency’s recent board meeting.

many positive initiatives, such as promoting affordable workforce housing and the Jobs Connection program,” Naval Air Station Patuxent River Commander Capt. Andrew Macyko told The County Times. “Its purpose is complimentary to NAS Patuxent River because these initiatives improve family readiness, which contributes to the Navy’s mission readiness.”

A major advantage of having a private group tackling

Joie Salon and Spa Ribbon Cutting Joie Salon and Spa is located in Callaway.

The business is located in the Food Lion Shopping center across from Maryland Bank & Trust, at 20975 Point Lookout Road Callaway.

The ribbon cutting will be at 4 pm March 13 followed by complimentary h’orderves and beverages.

Help raise funds for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) by donations and purchases on 3/13 & 3/14. 10% of all Salon totals for the weekend will be donated to the JDRF to help find a cure.

There will be giveaways, discounts on services and more. Please try to be there and show our new Chamber member our support!

The Times Pick 10 Company

WalMart Harley Davidson Best Buy Lockheed Martin BAE Systems Computer Science Corp.

Dyncorp International Inc. General Dynamics Corp.

Mantech International Corp.

Northrop Grunman Corp.

Symbol

Close 3/11/2009

Close 12/31/2008

WMT HOG BBY LMT BAESF CSC DCP GD MANT NOC

$47.46 $10.10 $28.33 $58.18 $4.50 $33.28 $10.97 $36.41 $42.63 $34.92

$56.06 $16.97 $28.11 $84.08 $5.41 $35.14 $15.17 $57.59 $54.19 $45.04

Change

-15.34% -40.48% 0.78% -30.80% -16.82% -5.29% -27.69% -36.78% -21.33% -22.47%

community issues out of the public eye is the flexibility and speed the agency can employ.

“We can quickly respond to things,” Finnacom said. “We have the ability to apply for sources of funds that government can’t apply and structure a deal quickly. All of this is done in concert with government.”

A few of the CDC major projects are highly visible, such as the Great Mills Road “streetscape” and the Lexington Manor redevelopment projects. Other programs and services fly under the radar, including one that Finnacom says is underutilized.

The CDC offers a business loan guarantee program that assists small business with attaining conventional loans for commercial projects.

“It’s almost like a co-signer,” Finnacom said. “It strengthens the ability of that project to be financed by a conventional lender.”

“I would love to see more activity with that program, we really have unrealized potential there,” Finnacom said. “I need to get the message out to local lenders that this is available.”

The CDC is undergoing an expansion of the Jobs Connection program, in connection with the expansion of the Workforce Investment Board into Southern Maryland. The TriCounty Council is heading up the addition, and the CDC will be the local agent administering the services, which includes a new Jobs Connection office in Leonardtown.

“We’ll have greater access to federal training dollars for our clients and we’ll have more staff capacity,” Finnacom said.

In addition to projects spearheaded by the group, the CDC is also an vocal advocate for a variety of community-betterment initiatives, such as the B-Alert crime prevent program and the recently created “Get Connected to Health” program sponsored by St. Mary’s Hospital.

The program offers low cost primary medial care to under-insured residents of the Lexington Park area out of the Health Connections Mobile Outreach Center, which is parked at the Lexington Park Library once a week.

“That’s a good example of how it’s a very board brush stroke, what is considered community development,” Finnacom said.

Bill Would Open Part Of Patuxent To Oyster Dredging

By Sean Rice Staff Writer There is a battle brewing in Annapolis and Southern Maryland over a proposed bill that seeks to reopen a protected deep-water section of the Patuxent River to power dredging for oysters.

The bill, proposed by state delegates Sue Kullen (D-Calvert) and Anthony O’Donnell (R-Calvert, St. Mary’s), is aimed at giving a shot in the arm to the fledgling oyster industry by opening up a section of river between St. Mary’s and Calvert counties to oyster harvesting.

HB 584 is backed by the Maryland Waterman’s Association and the Calvert County Waterman Association, but it is opposed by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Opponents claim dredging the bay bottom does more harm than good to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and the dwindling oyster population.

Supporters of dredging and “patent tonging” hold the polar opposite view, arguing that dredging the bay bottom frees oysters trapped under silt, thereby fostering future growth.

“They try to make it sound like dredging itself is harmful, and it’s not,” O’Donnell told The County Times. “The act of dredging is not harmful because they support it in other locations.”

O’Donnell said CCA and DNR support oyster bar restoration via dredging under the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

“What they’re opposed to is the fishery,” O’Donnell said “What they don’t want is the watermen taking a portion of these oysters out of the water … What they’re trying to do it shut down the oyster harvest. Period.”

The bill is currently under consideration by the house environmental matters committee, of which O’Donnell is a member.

At a committee hearing Feb. 25, the CCA testified against the bill, which would add a section of Patuxent River to the list of locations were power dredging is allowed.

“Basically the big issue here is the legislature is trying to micro-manage the fishery for the benefit of a select few at the cost of future restoration activities,” Scott McGuire, president of the Patuxent River chapter of the CCA, told The County Times.

“These oysters that are living in deep waters, some of them are pretty old and … they’ve survived some intense disease pressure,” McGuire said. “Those are the ones that we need to protect because they could be resistant to disease.”

The Maryland Oyster Advisory Commission is currently tasked with a broad investigation of Chesapeake Bay oyster policies and recently issued a report advocating against public wild harvesting of oysters in favor of developing an aquaculturebased production to satisfy market demand.

“I’ve got to get over this hurdle that these anti groups who don’t want this to occur have convinced the public that this is bad for the environment,” O’Donnell said. “It is not.”

11

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

Defense & Military News Analysis: Obama Factor at Pax River Still in Question

Trish is the widow of a Marine Corp. pilot and is experienced in moves outside and in country.

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

Pax River could come out with its head above water regardless of the fate of the VH-71 program.

“It does mean something to people here at President Obama made several bold state- Pax River,” said Southern Maryland Navy Alliance ments recently when revealing his 2010 defense President Todd Morgan about the president’s recent budget outline – vowing to take a hard look at comments. the procedure behind the procurement of defense “The president is making a bunch of moves contracts. right now that are bold in nature,” Morgan told The “We will stop outsourcing services that should County times. “The question is how they transbe performed by the government and open up the late down here, when you sort the wheat from the chaff.”

Morgan says it’s too early for anyone to tell what the effects will be on Patuxent River NAS. The base has grown over the years to become a one-stop shop of sorts for the Department of Defense, and the end result could mean more work down here.

“Everything here has been pieced together gradually over time,” Morgan said. “And Pax River is the only Department of Defense base in the nation where they can do acquisition, research, development, test and evaluation all within one compound … that’s the brute significance of what Pax River is all about.”

“If there’s any downsizing in naval aviation we want to bring other work in here to offset that,” Morgan said. “We shouldn’t just look at Pax River as being naval aviation, rather we should look at this thing as a major research, development, test and evaluation facility that can do mulA concept design drawing of the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter by tiple things for multiple agencies.”

Lockheed Martin. The first VH-71 took its first flight in late 2008.

One of the ways Pax River can continue to expand its viability is with construction of the new $70 milcontracting process to small business,” the presi- lion Aircraft Prototyping Facility, which got underdent said. “The days of giving defense contractors a way on base this month and is slated for completion blank check to are over.” in 2012.

Obama’s memorandum on the defense con“We’re really looking forward to that thing tracting community calls for a review of all existing getting done because we think it will bring the base contracts to see which can be axed, as well as devis- an entirely new capability that they don’t have right ing new rules for awarding contracts and oversight now,” Morgan said. “It will make us stronger, it’s a of those programs. great new capability for us to have.”

Obama has specifically called attention to the Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md) said durnew presidential helicopter fleet under development ing the facility’s recent groundbreaking that the

by Lockheed Martin Corp. as being “gone amok” new facility will be a “tremendous benefit to nawith cost overruns. tional security.”

The bulk of work on the new fleet of presiHoyer pointed out that prototyping was the key dential helicopters is centered out of Patuxent Na- word in aircraft acquisition. “There is no substitute val Air Station, but also done here is any needed for prototyping when it comes to making decisions work on the current helicopter fleet, which means before turning over an aircraft to a manufacturer.”

Navy To Continue Listing Gulf War Pilot As Missing (AP) A U.S. fighter pilot lost nearly 20 years ago in the Persian Gulf War will continue to be listed as missing, according to the Navy, which no longer suspects that he was captured by Iraqi forces.

Navy officials informed lawmakers and Capt. Michael “Scott” Speicher’s family of Navy Secretary Donald Winter’s decision on Tuesday.

Speicher, from outside Jacksonville, Fla., was initially declared killed when his FA18 Hornet was shot down on the first night of the Gulf War in 1991. Dick Cheney, then the defense secretary, went on television and announced the U.S. had suffered its first casualty.

Speicher’s remains were never found, and the Navy ultimately changed his status to ``missing/captured,’’ suggesting the Pentagon may have found evidence showing that he had been taken by enemy forces. The Pentagon never cited any such evidence publicly, however.

Under the decision released Tuesday, the Navy would drop the ``captured’’ listing from his status, changing it instead to ``missing,’’ said Cindy Laquidara, an attorney representing Speicher’s family.

Speicher’s family has pressed to continue searching and feared the Pentagon was preparing to declare him killed.

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The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

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The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fact

un The longest one-syllable word in the English language is “screeched.”

Ready, Set, Spell!

Local Students Face Off in Middle School Spelling Bee Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Students from the area’s middle schools competed on Tuesday in the 31st annual middle school spelling bee at Chopticon High School, earning bragging rights and a chance to compete in Washington D.C. in the regional championships.

Students came from 13 public and private middle schools in the county, sponsored by Chaney Enterprises, SMECO, the College of Southern Maryland, and the Enterprise.

Cathy Allen, Vice Chair of the St. Mary’s County Board of Education pronounced at the event, saying “this has been one of the best I’ve ever pronounced. They really fought right up to the end, they were very evenly matched, and there were some very challenging words, so they have a great deal to be proud of.”

When asked about her own impressions of this year’s word list and her own attitudes about spelling, Allen smiled and said “actually spelling is a hobby of mine. When I was in nursing school all my colleagues would sit around me in class so they could copy over my shoulder because I could spell all the words,”

Martirano Signs Resolution for Energy Conservation Program

At Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, Mr. Austin J. Slater, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of SMECO in St. Mary’s signed a resolution with Superintendent Michael Martirano establishing the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative’s Energy Pledge Program. Through the program students will be engaged in saving energy by learning about energy efficiency at school, participating in a fundraising pledge drive, and implementing energy saving measures at home with their parents, all echoing back to Martirano’s stated philosophy that “we have to change behavior.”

Students will also be working on energy conservation actions through classroom activities and assemblies. As part of the program, students will each take home energy conservation kits as well as conservation pledges, which will be awarded with $25 a piece when returned signed by students.

The program will be piloted at Benjamin Banneker Elementary, Chesapeake Public Charter School, Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary, and Lexington Park Elementary.

she said, laughing.

This year’s winner was seventh grader Jackie Smedley from St. John’s School, whose winning word was “Macrame”. She will be going to the Scripps National spelling bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company with sponsors in the United States, American Samoa, Canada, China, Europe, Ghana, Guam, Jamaica, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Smedley took home not only bragging rights, but a $100 savings bond, a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica online, a large Webster’s Dictionary, and she will join other students from May 26 to May 28 to compete in this year’s national Scripps spelling competition in Washington D.C.

St. Mary’s County Schools Recognized for MSA Improvement Eleven St. Mary’s County Public Schools have earned recognition based on the results of the 2008 Maryland School Performance Program. These schools are recognized for achievement on the 2008 Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and for improvement among subgroups.

Schools being honored will receive a certificate of recognition from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The Federal Title I program provides funds for each Title I school that earns recognition. Lexington Park and George Washington Carver elementary schools will each receive $5,533.93 in award money.

“This is a great prelude coming up to our MSA testing this year,” said SMCPS Chief Academic Officer Linda Dudderar, adding, “today we’re recognizing the schools that were recognized last year…and we’re hoping to do the same next year.”

The following schools received recognition in the following categories: Overall Achievement (OA) and Subgroup Improvement (SI): George Washington Carver Elementary (SI), Greenview Knolls Elementary (SI), Leonardtown Middle (SI), Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary (OA, SI), Lexington Park Elementary (SI), Margaret Brent Middle (SI), Mechanicsville Elementary (OA, SI), Piney Point Elementary (OA, SI), Ridge Elementary (SI), Town Creek Elementary (OA), and White Marsh Elementary (OA).

“We celebrate your achievement,” said Superintendent Michael Martirano. “We celebrate our students’ achievement, bt we also want you to know that we can’t rest on our laurels.”

Green Holly Wins Second Place In Computer Bowl The St. Mary’s County Board of Education recognized students from Green Holly Elementary School on Wednesday for their placement in the tri-county SMECO Elementary Computer Bowl.

Each year the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) sponsors the Southern Maryland Elementary Computer Bowl. Each elementary school can have up to two teams participate in the competition. Team members must be in the fourth or fifth grade. Each team has six members plus two alternates. The Computer Bowl activities are completed online and include problem solving strategies that are completed collaboratively as a team.

The team from Green Holly Elementary School placed second in the tri-county competition this year. The winning team members included Ian Madden, Sydney Hagensick, Blake Richardson, and James Dean from the fourth grade and Julia Republica, Sarah Riggs, Zachary Stanford, and Andrew Chesser from the fifth grade. Mrs. Karen Mattingly served as the coach of the winning team. Each student received a Computer Bowl T-Shirt and certificate and the team received a trophy.

“You guys are in really rare air if you’re up there out of 43 teams. We’re very proud of you,” said Superintendent Michael Martirano.

Know

In The

13

Education

Students Compete in Annual Soup Cook-Off

Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

Chef Ron Grosche, one of the culinary instructors at the James A Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown, seemed to be in his element Monday afternoon; surrounded by students and community members and more than a dozen steaming selections of the world’s most well-respected comfort food: soup.

He laughed as he recalled his first experience cooking soup.

“It was North Dakota chili made over a campfire in boy scouts,” he said, adding that even though his own culinary training has had him simmering more complicated concoctions over the years, chili is still his favorite soup to prepare.

This may not have been a campsite, and the weather may have been unusually warm on Monday afternoon, but that didn’t keep the county’s local cooks from drawing people to the Forrest Career and Technology Center to sample more than a dozen bowls of soup from St. Mary’s cooks of all ages at the center’s 4th Annual Soup Cook-Off, which this year was set up to raise money for SkillsUSA. “We’re only going to judge about a dozen tonight,” said County Commissioner President and tasting judge Francis Jack Russell, “but we’ve got a good mix, so I’ll enjoy them all…we had a very delectable kale soup last year, so if they’re making the different concoctions this year then it’ll be good.”

Such colorfully homemade selections this year included chicken Philly cheesesteak soup, carrot and ginger soup with cinnamon cream garnish, cheese and beer soup, bison chili, lobster bisque, and one of the crowd’s favorites, incredible hulk of crab soup.

Soups were entered junior and senior divisions in one of several categories: cream, seafood, poultry, red meat, other, or vegetarian.

“We’ve got stuff from all walks, everything, even white chocolate stew, and it’s amazing the things they come up with for this,” Grosche said when asked what selections he was looking forward to tasting this year.

This year’s winners in the junior division, comprised of students from the Tech Center, were Matthew Hale with his cream of potato and bacon soup, Samantha Townsend and Paula Smith with their posole, Cindy Tseng and Victoria Yuen with their chicken egg drop soup, Elisa Volonakis, Zach Crouch, and Seneca Smollek with their bison chili, Corrine Williams with her “Incredible Hulk of Crab Soup,” and James Cawley and Hali Pinter with their white chocolate raspberry stew.

“Every year the tasting becomes more difficult,” said Superintendent Michael Martirano, who was one of the tasting judges for the event. “I really liked the cream of potato soup…it was very creamy, smooth, and had a wonderful consistency.

“This is our fourth coup cook-off… and it’s absolutely wonderful. I look forward to it every year.”

Crime&

Punishment

The County Times

Police Investigating New Bomb Threat

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

This new bomb threat that closed and evacuated all the shops from Shoppers Food Warehouse to Cici’s Pizza is under investigation by the criminal investigations section according to Maryland State Police, who initially started the investigation.

So far, police have said there are no leads in the case and no suspicious items were found as result of the search.

Traffic was snarled coming in and out of the shopping center that day with passing motorists querying passers-by and law enforcement about what happened.

Some were dismayed when they learned the ninth bomb threat in two months had hit the county.

Maryland State Police who are still handling the case officials said a portion of the center was closed for more than three hours before business was allowed to return to normal.

Only about two weeks ago, police were busy tracking down a bomb threat suspect assailing Wal-Mart; now they are trying to find another suspect who called in a similar threat at the San Souci Plaza in California.

The call came March 7 at about 11:45 a.m. according to one employee at the shopping center; the west side of the plaza off Macarthur Boulevard was closed down because of the scare.

“They’ll catch him, we know they can,” one employee waiting in the vast parking lot with police said. “They’ve had eight practice runs.”

Detectives with the county’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations recently arrested Chantel Cook of Lusby for allegedly calling in eight bomb threats over a two-week time frame last month.

The Wal-Mart employee is said by police to have made the calls while working at the super store location in California.

Police have said Cook could face federal terror charges for her alleged acts.

St. Mary’s County Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said it was “impossible to tell” if the recent scare was a copycat of the Wal-Mart incidents. The main goal, he said, was for investigators to pursue the case to find and prosecute a suspect.

“You’re always concerned that someone will pick up this banner,” Photo by Guy Leonard Cameron said. “What it comes Maryland State Proopers and local sheriff’s office deputies are investigating a bomb scare that down to is staying on it and turning closed down about half of the San Souci Plaza in California March 7. things over.”

Police Close Mark Tippett Case, But Sister Questions Decision

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A forensic medical examiner may have ruled that the death of Mark Tippett, the man who went missing from his Lexington Park home more than two years ago, was not a homicide, but the deceased’s sister believes that too many questions still surround her brother’s death.

“I’ve sent them a letter asking them to justify their decision, because I don’t agree with it,” said Sherry Tippett, an attorney based in Albuquerque, N.M. Tippett said the statement from the county’s top criminal investigations unit last week that declared her brother’s death was not through foul play but likely, “a suicide or an accidental death” was not clear, since the release also stated that the exact cause of death could not be determined.

“Which is it, you know?” she said.

St. Mary’s County Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said forensic medical examiners made the determination that Mark Tippett’s case was not a homicide.

“There was no indication of trauma or of any gunshot wound to the body,” Cameron told The County Times.

Mark Tippett’s skeletal remains were found last month in the woods of the Cedar Cove neighborhood where he and his wife, Lisa Marie

Tippett once resided.

Lisa Marie Tippett was a person of interest in the disappearance case, according to police officials, before the case was closed. She was also charged with another co-defendant, Ian Simpson, in the first-degree arson of the family home.

But the same day police closed the Mark Tippett case, prosecutors dismissed charges against his wife in the arson case.

Sherry Tippett said she was “disgusted” with the decision to drop the arson charges against her sister-in-law.

She also said she plans to file a wrongful death suit against Lisa Marie Tippett, though she admitted that not all of her family here agrees with her decision.

“I’m a long way from being done,” Sherry Tippett said. “I don’t have closure.”

The statement regarding Mark Tippett’s death from the county’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations indicates that the condition of the remains, evidence found with the remains, evidence found after Tippett’s disappearance and circumstances surrounding his life all pointed to either a suicide or accidental death.

Mark Tippett’s disappearance was reclassified as a homicide in 2008, the BCI statement read, after statements from Lisa Marie Tippett and other suspicious events lead to that categorization of the case.

Those statements from Lisa Marie Tippett, specifically about the location and condition of the remains, the statement read, were later found to be untrue.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

14

Briefs Woman Arrested For Striking Victim With Cars On March 6, 2009 deputies responded to Tri Community Way in Lexington Park, for a report of an assault. Investigation revealed Crystal Lashawn Holmes, 26, of Lexington Park was engaged in verbal dispute which escalated into a physical assault when she allegedly drove over a curb and struck the victim with her vehicle. The verbal dispute continued and Holmes is again allegedl to have driven her vehicle over a curb and struck the victim a second time with her car. Holmes fled the scene.

Further investigation revealed Holmes had an active protective order dated February 2009 ordering her not to threaten to abuse, abuse or harass the protected person, the victim in this case. Holmes was located a short time later, arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and violation of a protective order.

Man Charged With Dragging Woman From Car, Drugs On March 5, 2009 Deputy Jean Vezzosi responded to Mowry Lane in Mechanicsville for a report of a domestic assault. As he arrived he observed Brian Thomas Cooksey, 37, of Newburg, leaving the residence in a Honda Civic. Believing Cooksey may be involved in the domestic assault Vezzosi stopped Cooksey’s vehicle. As Vezzosi was speaking with Cooksey he observed in plain view a suspected controlled dangerous substance smoking device. Cooksey was arrested for possession of controlled dangerous substance paraphernalia. Search incident to Cooksey’s arrest revealed a metal pill container containing two different types of pills, suspected Oxycodone and Lorazepam. Additional alleged controlled dangerous substances were found on Cooksey’s person.

The investigation into the domestic assault revealed Cooksey was in a verbal argument with the victim which lead to a physical assault when the victim, who was standing outside of Cookey’s vehicle, got her hand stuck in the seatbelt and Cooksey allegedly started to drive off, dragging the victim approximately 10 feet until she fell. Cooksey was charged with second-degree assault, five counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and removal of a required prescription label on controlled dangerous substances.

Police: Man Choked Victim, Arrested For Assault On March 9, 2009 Deputy Michael Boyer responded to Beechwood Court in California, for a report of a domestic assault in progress. Investigation revealed Dustin Richard Cushman, 22 of California was involved in a verbal argument which escalated into a physical assault when Cushman allegedly choked the victim. Cushman was arrested and charged with second-degree assault.

Couple Alleges St. Mary’s Detectives Violated Civil Rights

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A Calvert County husband and wife say detectives from St. Mary’s County along with members of the Calvert County tactical team did not show them a warrant when they searched their home while looking for a man who had just robbed a bank in Lexington Park.

The plaintiffs in the case, Chante and Harold Hodge, relatives of the now-jailed Antonio Warren Gantt, who was found guilty last year of robbing the same bank twice and sentenced to life without parole, allege that St. Mary’s law officers grabbed Harold Hodge and threw him out of the house while raiding their home as their two children watched the officers entering.

When Harold Hodge attempted to go back inside his house, court papers filed at the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt state, law officers allegedly pounced on Harold Hodge and struck him several times.

Plaintiffs allege in court documents that Harold Hodge never resisted the law officers and that they did not show the couple their warrant until 35 or 45 minutes after their arrival.

Harold Hodge was later charged with guilty of second degree assault and hindering the law officers’ investigation, court papers state, but plaintiffs allege that the warrant only was only listed for Gantt, Harold Hodge’s half brother, and that Hodge was arrested without probable cause by Calvert County deputies.

Hodge was later acquitted of the charges against him in Calvert County Circuit Court, court papers reveal.

The Hodges are suing for $104 million in damages, according to federal court papers.

The attorney for St. Mary’s detectives Thomas Hedderich and William Ray have filed motions requesting that the case be either dismissed or given up for summary judgment.

The two detectives, through their legal counsel, have denied the allegations against them.

Legal counsel for Calvert law enforcement officers has done the same, but U.S. District Court Judge Peter J. Messitte has allowed the case to continue, court papers state.

The plaintiffs are representing themselves without a lawyer.

Attempts to contact Chante and Harold Hodge were unsuccessful.

15

Thursday, March 12, 2009

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The County Times

Walter “Ski” Barcikowski, Jr., 73

Walter “Ski” Barcikowski, Jr., 73 of Hollywood, Md., formerly of Chicago. Il., died Feb. 28, in his residence.

Born April 5, 1935 in Chicago, Ill., he was the son of the late Walter and Mary Pacyga Barcikowski, Sr. He was the loving husband of the late Carolyn Elizabeth Wallace Barcikowski who died Sept. 13, 2003. They were married Dec. 7, 1971 in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md. He is survived by his six children, Laurie Dorsey and John Johnson, both of Hollywood, Md., James Johnson of Waldorf, Regina Heller of Lynden, Wash., Edward Barcikowski of King George, Va. and Marianne Preston of Great Mills; two brothers, Joseph Barcikowski of New Carlisle, Ind. and Albert Barcikowski of Domnerrs Grove, Ill.; and fourteen grandchildren, Phil and Beth Metzger, Matthew and Heather Johnson, Larina Simshauser, Kristina Vogt, Michael Stump, Elainna and Clarice Johnson, Benjamin and Natalie Barcikowski and James, Jonathan and Steven Preston.

He was also preceded in death by his two brothers Richard Barcikowski and William Barcikowski.

Mr. Barcikowski graduated in 1953 from a high school in Chicago, Ill. In 1969, Ski was transferred to Patuxent River Naval Air Station. He worked for NESEA Civil Service as an electronic technician for twenty-nine years until his retirement in January 2003. He also served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years from 1955 – 1974.

He held rankings as AR, AA, AN, AE3, AE2 and AE1. His duty stations included Great Lakes, Ill., North Island, Hutchinson, Kan., Corpus Christi, Texas, Bar Point, Hawaii, Airbarson Two Pacflt., four times to Whidbey Island, Jacksonville, Fla. and Patuxent River.

He enjoyed St. Mary’s County crab cakes, oysters and stuffed ham sandwiches. While working parttime at the snack shack, he met the love of his life, Carolyn, and realized that St. Mary’s County is where he wanted to settle down.

He built a home and raised a family. After twenty years of military

service and twenty-nine years of civil service, he devoted his spare time to the Hollywood Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, VFW and the Fleet Reserve Association.

He enjoyed summer pool parties on the Base, collecting coins, gardening with his wife and spending time with his grandchildren.

Ski’s family was first and foremost in his life. He will be forever loved and always missed by his family and friends.

The family received friends March 4 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, where a Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 10:30 a.m. with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown.

Pallbearers were Phillip Metzger, Christopher Shaffer, Danny Wallace, Randy Wallace, Tim Smith and Andy Wallace. Honorary Pallbearers were Matthew Johnson, Heather Johnson, Beth Metzger, James Preston, Jonathan Preston and Steven Preston.

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

lives on through his best friend and wife, Joan Tippett Dalton; son, Tom and daughter-in-law Holly; and two grandsons, Flynn and Blake. “Pops” always lit up when he saw his two grandsons. He left us in body, but his spirit will live on in us every day of our lives. We love you “Pops”!

A Mass of Christian Burial was held March 7 at 11 a.m. in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md. Rev. Ray Schmidt was the celebrant.

Interment followed in the church cemetery.

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

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

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

Thomas Elwood “Nick” Downs, Sr., 71

Thursday, March 12, 2009

al will be celebrated March 12 at 10 a.m. in Holy Angels Catholic Church, Avenue, with Fr. William Gurnee officiating. Interment will be Private. Pallbearers will be James M. “Jimmy” Downs, Jr., Danny Huseman, Charles D. Downs, Joey Huseman, Mike Reingruber and Ricky Downs. Honorary Pallbearers will be Robbie Goddard, Robert Keener, Wayne Keener, Jamie MaGill and Kenny Reingruber.

Contributions may be made to Holy Angels School, 21335 Colton’s Point Road, Avenue, MD 20609 and/or 7th District Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609.

To send a condolence to the family please visit our website at www.mgf h.com.

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

Kevin Connor Igoe, 51

Mary Bulkley Harvey Crosby, 96 Mary Bulkley Harvey Crosby, 96, of Solomons, MD passed away on March 8, 2009. She was born on February 11, 1913 in Kalamazoo, Michigan to the late Leroy Harris Harvey and Mary Agnes Hatfield. She was preceded in death by her husband Edmund D. Crosby. She is survived by her son Thomas Harvey Crosby of Lexington Park, MD. A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, March 13, 2009 at 1:30 PM in Asbury-Solomons Auditorium, 11450 Asbury Circle, Solomons, MD 20688. Interment will be private. Arrangements provided by Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD. A full obituary will be ran at a later date.

John Thomas Dalton, 60 John Thomas Dalton, 60, of Hollywood, Md., passed away in his home March 4.

Born Jan. 3, 1949 in Washington, D.C., he was the son of the late Roy Dalton and Wilma Magney Dalton.

John was a very patient person and was always good for a witty joke and ready to lend a loving hand. He retired from NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center as Deputy Director of Space Science Exploration Directorate. He received the Meritorious Executive Award in the Senior Executive Service by the President of the United States in 2003. He never passed up an opportunity to travel with friends and family and had a passion for boating and skiing. John enjoyed every moment of life and always caught the last ski run of the day.

His zest for life and adventure

16

sonnel worker and principal of White Marsh Elementary.

He enjoyed reading, fishing and traveling to the Outer Banks with family and friends.

The family received friends March 11 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, where prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated March 12 at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, Chaptico, with Fr. Timothy Baer officiating.

Interment will follow in Queen of Peace Cemetery, Helen. Pallbearers will be Dennis Igoe, Mickey Healy, Paul Piatt, Christopher Piatt, Sr., Talley Brown and Phillip Batts. Honorary pallbearers will be Patrick Healy, Chris Piatt, Jr. and Sean Healy.

Contributions may be made to The Kevin Igoe Future Educator Scholarship Fund, White Marsh Elementary School, C/O White Marsh PTA, 29090 Thompson’s Corner Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659.

Condolences to the family may be left at www.mgf h.com.

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

Peter Henry Johnson, 56

Thomas Elwood “Nick” Downs, Sr., 71, of Avenue died March 5 in Washington, D.C. Born Oct. 6, 1937 in Avenue he was the son of the late Joseph Clifton and Helena Mildred Bailey Downs. He was the loving husband of Emily Patricia “Patsy” Downs whom he married Oct. 28, 1961 in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md. He is survived by his son Thomas Elwood “Ted” Downs, Jr. of Colton’s Point, as well as five siblings, Ann Huseman of Hollywood, Md. James M. “Buddy” Downs of Abell, Thelma Reingruber of Annandale, Va., Joseph Downs of Bluffton, S.C. and Patricia Troger of La Plata. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was also preceded in death by his two siblings Walter B. Downs and Joan Downs.

Nick was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident who attended Margaret Brent High School and worked as a self-employed homebuilder for fifty years until his retirement in 2002.

The family received friends March 11 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Buri-

Kevin Connor Igoe, 51 of Mechanicsville, died March 7 in his residence.

Born Sept. 11, 1957 in Bronx, N.Y., he was the son of Kathleen Igoe of Central Islip, N.Y. and the late Owen J. Igoe. He was the loving husband of Pamela Cecelia Igoe, whom he married July 19, 1980 in Lake Silkworth, Pa. He is also survived by his children, Megan Igoe of Hamden, Conn. and Courtney Igoe of Mechanicsville; his siblings, Laura Healy and her husband Mickey of Mastic, N.Y., Theresa McCurry and her husband Steven of Mastic, N.Y. and Dennis Igoe and his wife Christine of Woodridge, Ill. Kevin graduated from St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip, N.Y. with the Class of 1975 and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from King’s College in WilkesBarre, Pa. with the Class of 1979.

He moved to St. Mary’s County in August of 1979 from Central Islip, N.Y. and was an administrator for St. Mary’s County Public Schools for 30 years. Kevin was an elementary teacher for 17 years with St. Mary’s County public schools and for the last 13 years he has served as an assistant principal at Hollywood Elementary and Park Hall Elementary as well as a pupil per-

Peter Henry Johnson, 56, of Callaway, died March 6 in Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C. Born March 4, 1953 in Leonardtown, he was the son of the late James A. Johnson and Anna Mae (Uncle) Johnson. He was a painter.

Peter is survived by his son, Peter Johnson of Calvert County; six sisters, Pat Sweitzer of Great Mills, Polly Quade of Piney Point, Mary Nestegard of North Dakota, Dottie Joy of Lusby, Bonnie Johnson of Lexington Park and Ruth Schumacher of Lusby; one brother, James Johnson of Valley Lee, and 20 nieces and nephews.

For arrangements call Brinsfield Funeral Home at (301) 475-5588.

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

Blanche Cecelia Laungayan, 60

17

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Blanche Cecelia Laungayan, 60, of Callaway died March 5 in Leonardtown.

Born Sept. 18, 1948 in Baltimore, she was the daughter of Mary Thomas of Leonardtown and the late Frank Thomas. She was the wife of Noel Laungayan, whom she married Aug. 17, 1966.

She is survived by her children, Flora Joy and her husband Larry of Leonardtown, Noel Laungayan and his wife Aggie of Lexington Park, Blanche Laungayan of Lexington Park and Pearl Wathen and her husband George of Hollywood, Md.; siblings, Dorothy Goswell, Joanne Skol, Mary Nuckles and Rose White, all of Baltimore. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her brothers Frankie and Eddie Thomas.

Blanche moved to St. Mary’s County in 1976 from Baltimore and was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She was a loving and devoted wife for 43 years, enjoyed spending time with her family and always made time to find a good bargain.

The family received friends March 10 from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, where prayers were said at 7 p.m. A funeral service was held March 11 at 10 a.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home with Rev. James Manning officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown. Pallbearers were Chris Morgan, Allan Michael Joy, Richie Loy, Kenny Lee, Keith Lee and Kevin Lee. Condolences to the family may be left at www.mgf h.com.

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

James Otis (Peg) Peggins Jr., 87

Born Aug. 3, 1921 in the coalmining town of Algoma, W.V., he was the son of Mr. James O and Mrs. Flora (Wickline) Peggins.

Peg was a longtime resident of St. Mary’s County, where he met and married his wife of 56 years Joyce Evelyn Payne.

A retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Gunners Mate, he served in both World War II and the Korean War. As a crewmember aboard U.S.S. Nashville during World War II, his ship was assigned to Task Force 16; a fleet of Navy ships which escorted U.S.S. Hornet on its mission with the Jimmy Dolittle squadron to bomb Japan.

A longtime member of Patux-

Smooth seas and following winds Senior Chief.

Family will receive friends at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown, March 12, from 12 noon until service time at 1 p.m.

Pastor Lanny Clark of Patuxent River Assembly of God will officiate. Interment will follow in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Cemetery, Lexington Park.

Memorial contributions mat be made to Grant Memorial Hospice, 1 Hospital Dr., Petersburg, WV 26847 Condolences to the family may be made at www. Brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brins-

Contributions may be made to St. Mary’s nursing Center, 21585 Peabody Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

To send a condolence to the family visit www.mgf h.com.

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

Charles Conrad White, 66

Lima Church, Baltimore.

She is survived by her siblings Regina Brookbank of Glen Burnie,

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James Otis (Peg) Peggins Jr., 87, formerly of California, Md., died in the Grant County Memorial Hospital at Petersburg, W.V. March 8.

Mr. Peggins had been residing with his daughter Janice Hinebaugh in Maysville, W.V. since the death of his wife Joyce Feb. 27, 2007.

ent River Assembly of God Church, he is survived by a sister, Claudine Roumayah of Madison Heights, Mich.; three brothers, Jack of Algoma, W.V., Donald of San Francisco, Calif. and Gerald of Clawson, Mich.; four children, James O. Peggins III and John Walter Peggins of Laurel, Janice Hinebaugh of Maysville, W.V. and Jeannie Ricketts of Harrison, Ark. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Joyce; brother, Harold; sister, Dorothy and grandson, Michael Jason Comstock.

field Funeral Leonardtown.

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Hazel Marie Aud Turner, 84 Hazel Marie Aud Turner, 84, of Westminster, Md., formerly of Valley Lee, died March 4 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center.

Born June 25, 1924 in Valley Lee, she was the daughter of the late Michael I. and Agatha A. Matthews Aud. She was preceded in death by her husband C. Howard Turner April 23, 1979 in Baltimore, whom she married in 1949 at St. Rose of

Benedict Aud and Betty A. Norris both of Leonardtown and Donald Aud of Great Mills; one grandchild and one great grandchild.

She was also preceded in death by her daughter Kyle Slacum, sister Christine Stone and brother Reginald Aud. Mrs. Turner graduated from Great Mills High School’s Class of 1942.

The family will receive friends March 16 from 9 – 10 a.m. in St. George’s Catholic Church, Valley Lee, where a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. with Msgr.

Karl Chimiak officiating. Interment will be Private.

Charles Conrad White, 66, of Hollywood, Md. died March 8 in his residence.

Born Oct. 31, 1942 in Portsmouth, Va., he was the son of Albert S. White of Portsmouth, Va. and the late Catherine June (Cobb) White.

Charles was an active and longtime member of Hollywood United Methodist Church, serving on the Evangelism Committee, and the Cancer Support Group. He fought a three yearlong heroic battle against a rare form of lung cancer. His kind and loving endurance was a true inspiration to all who knew him.

In addition to his father Charles is survived by his wife Barbara Jane Lorton; children, Kerrick King of Springfield, Tenn., Justin White of Whispering Pines, N.C., Mark Lorton of Grasonville, Md., and Elizabeth Wagner of Hollywood, Md. He also survived by six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Relatives and friends are invited to Charles’ Life Celebration in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown, March 12 from 5 – 8 p.m. where prayers will be recited at 7 p.m. A Funeral Service will be conducted March 13 at 2 p.m. in the Hollywood United Methodist Church, with Reverend Sheldon Reese officiating. Interment will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, Inc., P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 and/or Hollywood United Methodist Church, 24422 Mervell Dean Rd., Hollywood, MD 20636 Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com.

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

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

How Does a ‘Green’ Garden Grow?

The Power of Music for Pain

Women in labor, surgical patients and more turn to music for help Medical practitioners and researchers increasingly tout the benefits of music for a variety of people suffering with pain, including women in labor, burn victims and patients recovering from surgery.

Medical studies demonstrate the ability of music to enhance wellbeing, reduce stress and anxiety, encourage relaxation, and alleviate pain. Music is believed to direct physiologic effects through the autonomic nervous system, such as causing the release of endorphins that suppress pain.

While music has been utilized for healing for centuries, it is only during the past 20 years that music therapy has emerged as an established health profession.

Today, the American Medical Association accepts music therapy as a component of medical care, and music is currently used in medical

settings to address physical, emotional and cognitive needs of individuals. In 1991, 90-year old Ida Goldman who walked with assistance to testify before the Senate demonstrated the value of music for pain, “Before I had surgery, they told me I could never walk again. But when I sat and listened to music, I forgot all about the pain.”

Several studies from noted medical journals support Goldman’s experience. And the research has led to an increased use of music in hospitals.

This year, the growing trend of using music to help women reduce the pain of labor inspired top artists such as The Dixie Chicks to donate music to a benefit CD of soothing songs for the March of Dimes called “Stork Tunes: Songs for A Happy Birth Day,” which was specifically compiled to appeal to moms in labor.

Thinking Green for Home Furnishings Incorporating sustainable materials in your home decor sets the tone for an environmentally responsible lifestyle. Doing so needn’t involve abandoning your sense of style or making huge changes, either.

There are a number of methods for incorporating environmentally friendly ideas into the home. * Choose energy efficient appliances for kitchens and laundry areas. * Consider all-natural materials, such as hemp and organic cotton, as the fabrics of choice for upholstery.

* Use LED or CFL lighting throughout the home. * Repurpose materials from one room to another instead of buying new. * Turn recycled items into pieces of art. For example, drill a hole through a plate or even a car hub cap to invent an innovative clock. * Choose non-toxic natural rugs and carpets. *Use natural table linens.

18

Whether you’re a gardening guru who has acres of perfectly landscaped greenery, or you’re short on space and potted petunias on the patio are your idea of gardening bliss, it’s possible to change your habits and really embrace a ‘green’ thumb.

Gardening green involves using all-natural products and nixing those chemical-laden ones that are commonly relied upon. Here are some tips and techniques to have you seeing more green in the garden. * Au natural: Think natural products and strategies for your landscape. One of the best ways to promote strong roots, stimulate growth, aerate the soil, and encourage water retention is with the application of compost.

Compost can easily be made from kitchen scraps, such as remnants of vegetables, egg shells and coffee grounds. In fact, this nutritional powerhouse is often referred to as “gardener’s gold.” Why send it to the landfill when you can create a small compost pile and turn leftover dinner into rich fertilizer? * Find an alternative to lawn: Did you know that an estimated 40 million acres of the 48 contiguous American states are covered in lawns? That pretty much makes grass the #1 irrigated “crop” of this country. Instead of spending countless hours mowing, edging and trimming your lawn, devote some grass space to other plants -- even a vegetable garden.

Then you get more bang from your gardening buck, including vegetables you can bring to the dinner table. * Be water-responsible: Conserve water by harvesting rainwater to use for your lawn and garden. If you must haul out the hose, water in early morning when there’s less chance of the water evaporating in the hot sun before it quenches plants’ roots.

5 Ways to Reuse Common Items in Other Ways

n i g y f i t n Ide Food Allergie

Recycling is certainly about those blue and green bins parked at your curb. But it is also about how you can put items you would normally toss in the trash or recycling bin to other uses.

Anyone who has shopped at retail giant Target recently may have noticed that their Whether as a child or as an adult, nearly everyone has had a food shopping bags list ways to reuse the bag afallergy at one time or another. Though many people grow out of their ter it’s served its purpose of toting home food allergies as they grow older, some don’t. In fact, some people don’t your low-priced goods. This may have even become aware of their food allergies until they reach adulthood. gotten you thinking about other things More often than not, recognizing a food allergy is relatively easy. That’s that can be reincarnated for multiple because many food allergies are instantaneous in their impact, producing purposes. symptoms within a few minutes of consumption. However, some are not so Every time you use an item quick to present themselves, and that can make them more difficult to identify. for an idea beyond its original Identification is imperative because, in some cases, allergies can cause severe inmanufactured intent, you have f lammation and even disrupt the breathing process. The following symptoms are increased the validity of that some of the more common indicators of a food allergy, which, as mentioned, can product and, in turn, keep present itself moments after eating or several hours later. people employed. You also discover ways to reduce waste, * Skin irritations: A food allergy could lead to hives, which likely won’t appear and that’s a good thing. immediately but gradually in the hours after digestion. While hives are common, Here are just a few items, other skin irritations such as redness or swelling can result from a food allergy as with five ways to use them in well. new ways.

tians to angels.

5. Use a double-thickness of foil as a piping bag when doing cake decorating.

* Joint pain: Joint pain is one potential symptom of a food allergy that does not present itself immediately. However, food allergies can cause musculoskeletal pain, which can result in fatigue. For those who already suffer from arthritis, if the typical symptoms of arthritis are magnified after eating certain foods, that could be the result of a food allergy.

Moms and dads out there know that a hungry baby goes through dozens of jars of baby food a month. That’s a lot of recycling! There are ways to reuse baby food jars, though.

1. Many baby food jars are just the right size for holding a votive candle.

2. Use these cute jars for storing buttons or other small notions that inevitably get misplaced.

3. Use the jars to hold homemade spice blends. You can also transfer store-bought spices to the baby food jars so all spices are in uniformly sized containers for a more organized pantry.

4. Personalize your paint palette by using jars to mix paints. They can also hold paint for young artists.

5. Hardware storage is easy when you keep small nails, screws, bolts, or whatever in sealed jars.

Aluminum Foil

It’s more than just for warming food. Rinse them off and use foil scraps for these reasons. * Respiratory problems: Much like respiratory problems can appear for 1. Layer about seven pieces of people during what’s known as “allergy season,” many of those same probfoil and cut through them with scislems can be indicative of a food allergy as well. Runny nose, sneezing and sors that are dull. The foil will sharpen congestion could indicate a food allergy. In addition, breathing difficulties the scissors again. such as coughing and wheezing can also be the result of a food allergy.

2. Use a ball of spare foil to clean If you suffer an asthma attack or tightness of the chest after eating a baked-on pots and pans. It works just as certain food, that could be a sign of a food allergy and you should well as steel wool. seek medical treatment immediately.

3. Foil makes great gift wrapping in a pinch.

4. Think about how many children’s dress-up costumes can be created with foil. From robots to mar-

Paper Bags Sure, it may seem that paper bags have faced extinction, but as more people realize the benefits of going green, paper bags are making a comeback. They can do a heck of a lot more than just carry groceries.

1. Do we even need to mention that paper bags are the primary material of choice for covering textbooks?

2. Kids can cut bags into placemats to bring along to restaurants or other people’s homes. Just pack along crayons and they can color while waiting for food.

3. Durable paper bags can be used as recycling collectors and easily sort recyclable items.

4. From masks to aprons, paper bag costumes are limited only by the imagination.

5. Crumple bags to form a way to add textured paint applications to walls and furniture.

Baby Food Jars

19

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

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A House is a Home

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

20

Keep Ants from Marching All Over Your Parade

With spring set to hit full swing, many people are anxiously awaiting the chance to welcome back the warm weather and take advantage of all the things that the season has to offer. Along those same lines, insects, most notably ants, also look forward to the return of warm weather.

Successfully controlling unwanted ants involves baiting them with an ant bait product.

For homeowners, few opponents are as pesky and problematic as ants. No matter where you live, no homeowner is immune to the problem of ants. Whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re parading across your kitchen counter or simply ruining your backyard barbecue, ants

are an unwelcome house guest across the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are two basic ways to deal with ants,â&#x20AC;? says Stewart Clark, director of research and development at TERRO, the leading manufacturer of ant control products for consumers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aerosol sprays offer immediate, short-term results. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sitting down to eat, and ants come crawling up the table, spraying them with an aerosol product will provide temporary relief by killing the ants you see. However, there are thousands of additional ants in the colony that will soon find their way to your food.â&#x20AC;?

The key to successfully controlling ants is to lure worker ants -- those that you see out marching around -- to bait, which they carry back and feed to the rest of the colony. But while the insecticide in the bait should ultimately kill the worker ant, it must work slowly enough that the worker has time to get back and share the bait with the colony. That is the only way to get rid of both the ants you see and the thousands you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

Clark notes that many indoor ant problems are actually linked to a colony that is outside. Often the most effective solution, therefore, is one that addresses the problem outside the home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For a longer-term solution, turn to an ant bait product,â&#x20AC;? suggests Clark. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will actually eliminate the entire colony.â&#x20AC;?

TERRO Outdoor Liquid Ant Baits work especially well on outdoor ant colonies because they allow you to put bait closer to the colony itself, making it significantly easier for worker ants to transmit the bait. The patented TERRO container keeps the liquid ant bait from drying out and protects it from the elements.

The baits are pre-filled and ready to use without the hassle of drips and spills, and a full ounce of bait is enclosed in each station for maximum effectiveness. Simply open the bait station, place it near ant trails or where ants are congregating, and wait for the bait to work.

For further help in addressing the pesky problems that ants pose to your home, TERRO offers the following tips. * Follow the ants home. To defeat the ants, you first must find one of your pesky invaders. When you do, instead of killing the ant, follow it. Since worker ants are sent out from the main colony in search of moisture and food to bring back, following an ant is a sure way to find out how they are entering the area.

Look for ants that are carrying small bits of food -- for this, a bright flashlight and a bit of patience are needed. * Put the ants on a liquid diet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ants prefer liquids because they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t digest food in solid form,â&#x20AC;? says David Oi, an entomologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Gainesville, Fla. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although they do eat some solid foods for protein, in nature, ants prefer sweet nectars.â&#x20AC;?

With this in mind, TERRO Liquid Ant Baits contain a sucrose-based liquid with a small amount of borax as the active ingredient. According to the EPA, borax is categorized as one of the least toxic substances available as an insecticide, and has been proven by numerous independent laboratories to be highly effective in controlling pests. Despite its low toxicity to humans, the borax found in TERRO is deadly to ants. * Seek help if necessary. Because of the sheer volume of ants in a single colony, it can be difficult to get rid of every last ant in your yard. If ants are still present, it may be helpful to determine what species they are. The most common pest ants found in the United States are on TERROâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s web site at www.terro.com. Or, you can mail a sample ant to the company. TERRO ant experts will identify it at no charge and help you determine an action plan to eliminate your ant problem. For more information, visit Ask the Expert at www.terro.com, or call the company toll-free at 1-800-837-7644.

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21

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

Health Share of St. Mary’s Fifth Annual

Mardi Gras King and Queen of the Ball 2009 Tad Greer and Julie Burk-Greer

The Health Share of St. Mary’s Board of Directors wishes to thank our friends in the community for making our annual Ball such a success!

A House is a Home

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

22

A Beautiful Deck Three Quick and Easy Steps for a Beautiful Exterior in Two Steps If time has taken a toll on your deck, leaving it dirty, mildew-stained and wearing a coat of gray, don’t worry! It’s easy to restore your deck to its natural beauty. Clean and protect your deck to get the most out of it during the spring and summer months.

Here’s advice from the experts at Wolman Wood Care Products: * Clean the deck thoroughly with a formulated deck cleaner, such as Wolman Deck & Fence Brightener - Wood Cleaner & Coating Prep. Embedded dirt, weathered gray wood left behind from last year’s sun exposure, black or green stains from mildew, mold and algae, or brown-black tannin bleed common on new cedar can ruin the look of your deck. Even newly built wood decks can require surface prep to remove surface barriers like mill glaze on cedar or “green bleed” on pressure treated pine. These barriers can prevent the adhesion of protective coatings, including colored stains and clear sealers. Products like Deck & Fence Brightener remove surface barriers, gray discoloration and even the toughest stains, restoring wood to its natural beauty without bleaching like chlorine bleach can. * Apply a solid or semi-transparent stain to enhance your deck’s appeal, or a transparent finish or toner with a hint of color to let the natural wood grain and texture show through. Even if you are undecided on whether or not to stain -- or which color to choose -- it’s important to protect it with a water-repellent. Water-repellents stop spring and summer showers from penetrating the wood surface, and the resulting swelling, shrinking, warping, and cracking caused by water absorption. Many products, including Wolman RainCoat Water Repellent, also contain a mildewicide to resist ugly mildew growth on the coating film. Look for products, like RainCoat, that offer a performance guarantee on waterrepellent longevity. They provide longer lasting protection so you won’t have to apply a new coat every year.

For more information about cleaning, restoring, beautifying, and protecting your deck or for more helpful deck tips, visit www.wolman.com.

Dirt and stains can make the exterior of your home look dirty, unattractive and rob it of its curb appeal.

Fortunately, the days of countless hours of cleaning, scrubbing or power washing are gone!

There’s now a scrub free way to a beautiful exterior. Here’s how: Step 1: Control the moisture around your home. Keep shrubs, plants and mulch away from exterior walls. Trim any branches or tree limbs that touch the outside of your home. Clear gutters and drains of any leaves or debris.

Redirect sprinklers and rotate hanging planters to prevent water from regularly collecting on exterior surfaces. Also, make sure rain water is not collecting near your home’s foundation.

Repair leaks and extend downspouts away from the foundation.

Step 2: Clean dirt and stains off of your home’s exterior with a house cleaner that contains an EPA-registered mildewcide, like JOMAX(R) House Cleaner and Mildew Killer. JOMAX House Cleaner kills mold and mildew and loosens dirt and stains without scrubbing or power washing. Its specially formulated detergent system will not damage wood, etch aluminum siding or discolor surfaces like household bleach can.

And JOMAX House Cleaner will not harm surrounding plants, grass and shrubs.

To remove black streaks, dirt and mildew stains from asphalt shingled roofs, use JOMAX(R) Roof Cleaner and Mildew Stain Remover. It quickly cleans and kills mold and mildew on tile, slate, metal, and other non-porous roof materials.

Step 3: Make outdoor furniture look like new again.

Patio tables, chairs and other outdoor furniture collect dirt and stains, giving your outdoor living spaces an unappealing appearance. Get rid of tough stains on vinyl, plastic and wood with a product like JOMAX Mold & Mildew Stain Remover. Just spray on, wait 5 minutes and

wipe off to reveal “like new,” dirt and stain-free surfaces.

Here’s one last tip from the pros: Maintain the look of your cleaned surfaces by preventing mold and mildew from growing throughout the warm months. Try JOMAX Mold and Mildew Shield on outdoor vinyl and plastics such as siding, trim, fences and furniture.

For more information on exterior cleaning, and for other helpful home improvement tips, visit www.zinsser. com.

The ABCs of Polymeric Joint Sand What Your Contractor Should Know

“Whatymeric huh?” That’s the typical response Rick DeMarchi received when he first explained his marquee product -- polymeric joint sand for concrete pavers to prospective clients.

DeMarchi is the Vice-President of Sales for Techniseal, the leading manufacturer of treatment products for the North American concrete paver industry. Techniseal invented polymeric sand over a decade ago and as a result solved the major drawbacks associated with interlocking concrete paving stones in the eyes of consumers and contractors -- joint sand erosion, weed growth and ant infestation.

“Ironically, the joint sand that is one of the key structural components in the flexible pavement can also be its biggest aesthetic downfall,” explained DeMarchi.

That’s because over time, the sand becomes a fertile bed for airborne weed seeds and ants. Eventually, wind, rain and traffic help migrate the sand out of the joints and ev-

erywhere else but in between the pavers.

This issue is magnified, he said, by today’s popular “tumbled” pavers, which tend to have wider joints than the more industrial looking pavers of the past. “Given enough time, a loss of joint sand can even result in uneven settling of the pavement,” DeMarchi added. What was required then was something to stabilize the sand in the joints without sacrificing the structural benefits of a flexible pavement.

Enter polymeric sand, a high-tech mix of graded sand and binder. Activated by a misting of water at installation, the polymeric molecules form a strong yet flexible bond with the sand. Polymeric sand has more than a decade of stellar performance in one of the most extreme freeze-thaw climates in North America.

Not only has it stayed in place that long without cracking, but it has virtually eliminated weed

problems and ants have moved on as well, while the sand is set in place to do its job.

According to DeMarchi, these benefits are available for only about a 3 percent increase in the total material cost of a paver project, and installation is easy.

Swept into the joints like regular sand, polymeric sand hardens in 24 hours after a simple three-step wetting process. The result is a new pavement that you can enjoy for years without the trouble of eliminating weeds and continually re-brushing joint sand.

Available in both tan and grey, polymeric sand can even enhance the aesthetic appeal of your paver project. Be sure your contractor is aware of the benefits of polymeric sand and select pavers with confidence as the foundation for your gracious outdoor living spaces.

More information on polymeric joint sand is available at www. techniseal.com.

23

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Wanderings of an Aimless

d

Min

Bird Wars

By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer I don’t know where you might live in the county, but I know that here in northern or upper St. Mary’s County, we are having bird gang wars. Massive hordes of birds are laying claim to our yards. It’s a beautiful site in many ways, but to be typing along and won-

der what is that cackling noise only to look out the window and see your yard and the trees covered in swirling black feathers is a little disconcerting. What is the first thought that naturally goes through anyone’s mind? Yes, Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”.

A month or two ago, it was the Starlings.

They are cute little birds, but as a group very noisy. It’s almost like watching a school of fish;

Creature Feature Animal Antics

By Theresa Morr Contributing Writer What’s the friskiest, most fun-loving critter you can think of --- a critter that slides and dives; does somersaults, belly flops, and bunches more? If you guessed the river otter, you’re right! You can’t help but love these exuberant little guys with their small eyes and ears; reddish chins and stomachs; and flat looking heads accented by a pair of wacky whiskers. Mother Nature’s underwater acrobats are totally cute, irresistible, and the real deal when it comes to having fun.

Otterly entertaining. You’ve probably scoped out these playful aquatic mammals at the zoo, on TV, or maybe at the Calvert Museum’s delightful “otter pool” during the summer. But the otter’s natural habitats are along rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal marshes, where they have a blast racing around underwater, playing tag, hideand-seek, and dunking or wrestling with one another. River otters love waterfalls, muddy hills, slopes, and snow banks, too, where they’ll launch themselves from the top, slide down on their bellies, front paws at their sides, and then go back for seconds and thirds. Just think of the fun you’d have if you could be an otter for a day!

Otterly awesome. River otters zip around in the water at about six miles an hour thanks to sleek long bodies; short powerful legs; webbed hind feet that they use as paddles; and a thick, tapered furry tail to steer by. These carefree creatures can do other neat stuff, too, like diving to depths of around 60 feet and staying submerged for almost five minutes.

To keep from drowning, otters have special valve-like skin flaps that keep their ears and nostrils sealed tight. Otters are marine mammals but have no blubber like whales. Instead,

they sport an undercoat of dense, brown oily fur, topped off by an outer coat of coarse guard hairs making the animal “waterproof.”

On land, river otters scoot along through a combination of running and sliding, up to an amazing 15 miles per hour. When not romping about, these guys rest and sun themselves atop rocks and riverbanks. And they’re pretty clever builders, too. They construct their dens close to the water under thickets, tree roots, and rock piles, and with an underwater entrance to keep safe from predators.

Otterly laid back. Can you imagine eating dinner lying on your back? River otters do just that. They’ll grasp a small fish in their forepaws and nibble away while lazily floating on their back. Frogs, snails, mussels, clams, crabs, shrimp, and insects are also on the menu.

Otters communicate with one another through growling, whining, mumbling, squealing, puffing, snorting, hissing, chirping, chattering, and even chuckling. Baby otters, called pups, are toothless and blind at birth but open their eyes in about a month. When grown, they’ll weigh around 30 pounds or so and live 20 years or more. The main threats to these lovable creatures are pollution and habitat destruction by humans.

Otter tidbits.

Otters live the world over, except in Australia and Antarctica.

Otters are related to weasels, badgers, skunks, and minks.

There are 13 species of otters alive today, including the sea otters.

To learn more cool stuff about otters, check out www.otternet.com. You’re sure to be “otterly” fascinated. Comments to kikusan2@verizon.net.

when the front group turns one way the rest follow. If something scares them, all the Starlings fly up together and land in the tree tops. If that doesn’t work they all then land in the neighbor’s yard. After that the Starlings come back nonchalantly and visit you. A complete choreographed ballet is performed every few minutes.

The Starlings music is quite high pitched, depending on their movement, working up the scale from decrescendo to crescendo. Even the name starling sounds high and sparkly to me.

Still, they are polite birds, and seem to get along with their fellow species, and will eat under the bird feeder with one and all. They are the mediators, bird pleasers always trying to keep everyone happy.

The black birds I referred to earlier, though not truly black, are Grackles. My friend Jenny and I were IM’ing (instant messaging) on the computer one early morning, when I was describing to her what the birds were like outside my home office window. Most of my friends know a lot about birds, my other friend Karen is a bird whiz, and can reel off bird names so fast your head will spin. I need to catch up.

I told Jenny there were hundreds of angry black crows out in the yard. That they were mean and pushing all the other birds, like our regular Cardinals, Sparrows and what look like Blue Jay’s to me around. The Crows were divebombing all of them, even the squirrels. They were even fighting each other. They were loud, obnoxious and had taken to wearing miniature lampshades on their heads. Type A, driven with a take no prisoners attitude on their way to the top of the bird feeder ladder. You know the type.

Jenny said she didn’t think they were Crows and had me describe them by size and color. I

was a little worried putting my head out the window to look closer. But I could see that they did, in fact have an iridescent head and were smaller than crows. They still had that Edgar Allen Poe look to me, and I was scared. I certainly wasn’t going to let Tidbit out.

Finally a car with loud music went by, disturbed the Grackle turf and they flew further up the street. The quiet was suddenly eerie. If I went outside now with Tidbit would they still be watching from treetops nearby. What made Hitchcock make that movie anyway – terror from birds as a small boy? I’ll have to look that up someday. I’m still having issues with Psycho.

At work, I have a mini, kind of fun war, with the House Wrens. I open up my back door during warm weather and the Wrens fly in during the day with their nesting material and try to make a nest under my toaster oven. I take their nesting material back outside all day long until they finally understand that my kitchen is not their home. They fly right next to you with no fear, only a single-minded purpose.

I guess the day will come when the Starlings and Grackles will get ready to rumble. It’s easy to see who will win. Though if personality traits lead the fight, then I believe it will be the Starlings, because they will have all the other birds and squirrels, maybe even some of our Woodpeckers watching their backs. Until then, I will observe our little community of birds and their unique social structure. I knew I would use my college degree somewhere.

To each new day’s flight of fancy, Shelby.

Please send your comments or ideas to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com

Over 250,000 Southern Marylanders can’t be wrong!

The County Times

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Color in this picture to create your own masterpiece.

1. Poke at 5. Sunscreen rating 8. Deposit of valuable ore 12. Initial poker stake 13. Hill (Celtic) 14. Wood stork genus 15. Raised speaker’s platform 16. Yemen monetary unit 17. Around 18. Encryption 20. Not contaminated 21. 2 or more lengths of a pool 22. Epoch 23. Toast 27. Chew the fat 29. Fruit filled pastries 30. Woolen Scottish cap 33. Am. Revolutionary Nathan 34. Denotes three 35. Medical men 36. Integrated data processing 37. Descendent 39. Unstressed-stressed syllables 40. Eggs benedict sauce 44. The cry made by sheep

Last Week’s Puzzle Solutions

ner

KiddKioer

CLUES ACROSS

Thursday, March 12, 2009

45. Soluble ribonucleic acid 46. Senate leader Harry 47. Unwilling to spend 49. _____-Noranda, Quebec city 51. 87571 52. A hind part 55. Baseball’s Ruth 56. Point midway between N and NE 57. Considered individually 58. Made a supply last by scrimping 59. Lair 60. ____mology: insect studies

CLUES DOWN

1. Water lily leaf 2. Ribonucleic acid 3. Near the ear 4. Make lonely 5. Bares 6. Christmas plant 7. ____rance: perfume 8. Those born under the 7th sign 9. Woodwind instrument

24

10. Territory of Daman and ___ 11. Common N.Y. time (abbr.)

17. Halos 19. Thai variant 20. Furry animal skin 23. _____ Lauren, U.S. designer 24. Moses’ elder brother 25. A miller’s disk 26. Greek porticos 27. 22nd Greek letter 28. Possessed 31. Chesney topped their awards 32. Mutual savings bank 35. Be at loggerheads 37. Murdered 38. Dressed 41. Carried out the order 42. Ascended 43. Hostelry 46. Bumpkin 47. Hourglass filler 48. Give birth to a goat 49. Rainbow effect (abbr.)

50. Acorn tree 53. Perform in a play 54. 17th Greek letter

25

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

un Spotted skunks do handstands before they spray.

Fact

Community

New Veterinary Office Opens in Mechanicsville Andrea Shiell Staff Writer St. Mary’s County cut the ribbon on its newest veterinary clinic last week with the opening of Companion Care Veterinary Hospital in Mechanicsville, the latest in county pet care that already has a devoted four-legged patient list.

Dr. Melanie MacCubbin Donis said that her story differs from most other doctors in that she did not originally go to school to study medicine. “I actually dropped out of high school,” she said, adding that after getting her GED, she studied at a community college before attending the University of Florida to study veterinary medicine, and she was prompted to pursue that degree after working in a veterinary office when she was younger. “They always told me that I was really good at absorbing the information and working with animals, so I should study to be a vet…so I always joke with my family now that the first degree I got was a doctorate,” she said.

According to the U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, bird ownership has risen over the past 5 years from 11 million in 1991 to approximately 13 million birds today, and the number of pleasure horses in the U.S. is about 4.0 million, and other pets such as rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, turtles, snakes, lizards round out many families in the area, but Donis said that her practice is sticking primarily with the two most popular American pets; dogs and cats.

“Our philosophy is to try to treat every patient as a member of our family… and dogs and cats are members of a lot of families here,” said Donis, nodding toward a digital photo display of the center’s patients. Such a philosophy isn’t too far-fetched for this animal lover either, since she has three cats and three dogs of her own at home.

After spending ten years working at St. Mary’s Veterinary Hospital, Donis said she was happy to finally have her own practice, and she smiled as she walked through her exam rooms, the smell of the paint still fresh enough to tickle her nose Photo courtesy of Gina McCollough as she talked. The new facility boasts an in-house pharmacy, laboratory, and radiology equipment. “We do everything here,” she said, “general surgery, x-rays, Staff Members: Michelle Hadley, Samantha Talbert, Stephanie Nelson, Cathy Brinkley ( Co-owner) Melanie Donis (Co-Owner and Vet) Fab Donis ( Co-owner) and Ron Brinkley ( Co-Owner). tests, dentistry…but it’s just dogs and cats.”

LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENTS The biggest Friends Book Sale ever planned

The Friends of the Library will hold its annual book sale this week-end, March 13 to 15, in three buildings at the county fairgrounds. The book sale will be open on Friday evening, March 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Friends members only, with membership available at the door. The sale is open to the public on Sat, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sun, March 15, from noon until 4:30 p.m.

To volunteer to help with the sale contact Carol Moody at 240-725-0051.

Writing lab now available online

Students needing writing assistance can obtain help from qualified tutors through the library’s free online homework help, HelpNow. Students send their reports to a tutor and receive a response within 24 hours.

HelpNow can be accessed at www.stmalib. org. HelpNow also provides tutors in all core subjects, skill building and foreign language everyday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. A library card is required to use this new service.

Teens learn to create a computer game

Teens ages 12 and older can learn to create their own computer game using Scratch at a free workshop conducted by Deb Daniel from the Discover U Children’s Museum.

Lexington Park’s workshop is scheduled today at 6 p.m. and Leonardtown’s is tomor-

row at 6 p.m. Registration is required.

Teens can also experiment making avatars using various websites at a free workshop today at Lexington Park from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please register.

Teens plan book/media swap and free movie matinee

Leonardtown Library’s TAG (Teen Advisory Group) will sponsor a book and media swap on March 28 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for middle school students and older. Teens can trade books, CDs, DVDs and games with other teens and watch a PGrated movie. Snacks will be provided.

Families invited to free movie matinee

Lexington Park’s TAG will sponsor a free family movie matinee on March 25 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. A PG-rated movie will be shown. Snacks will be provided.

Call Our Leasing Office For Details 301-737-0737 Apartments of Wildewood

301-862-5307

Call For More Information Bella Bailey Marketing & Leasing MGR.

WildeRidge Apartments

Libraries offer book discussions

Each library offers a monthly book discussion. The public is invited to drop in for any of the following book discussions: Ron Chernow’s book, Alexander Hamilton, on March 19 at 7 p.m. at Leonardtown, Nathanial Hawthorne’s book, The Scarlet Letter, on April 6 at 7 p.m. and Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s book, The Infidel, on April 13 at 6 p.m. at Lexington Park.

23314 Surrey Way • California, Maryland 20619 Fax: 301-737-0853 • leasing@apartmentsofwildewood.com

Cuisine

The County Times

& More

On The Menu

Today in St. Mary’s County we have many wonderful options for dining out. Each week we will feature a local restaurant and give our readers an overview of what they can enjoy on the menu at each location.

Bon Appétit!

Woodburn’s Food Market A Lifestyle Market Solomon’s, MD 410-326-3284 Woodburn’s Food Market is a gourmet market like no other in southern Maryland. With friendly, old fashioned service and upscale variety, you will find just what you are searching for! Woodburn’s offers an amazing selection of hand cut Certified Angus Beef and a large variety of meats, seafood, produce, cheeses and Boars Head deli products. Woodburn’s offers the best selection of organic and gluten free products in the area.

Whether you need a quick lunch or a fully

prepared dinner to satisfy the family, the selection is vast. The salad bar is endless and is fully stocked with unique items. Fresh made sushi, sandwiches, soup and a diverse selection of items on the hot food bar are just some of your choices.

Carry home your selections or dine in the relaxing coffee bar dining area.

Don’t forget the spectacular bakery department with its unique cakes, pies and desserts or freshly baked breads. Woodburn’s Food Market is a lifesaver for today’s busy lifestyle.

Healthy Bites No Drivethru Needed for Easy Black Bean Tacos

CRISPY BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH FETA AND CABBAGE SLAW

Thursday, March 12, 2009

26

On The Vine Tips for Home Wine Storage

While not everyone has the luxury of a wine cellar in their home, there are a few tips to storing wine for both short and long term drinking. Correct cellaring will help your wines to develop and mature at a slow constant rate for ultimate enjoyment. The best cellaring conditions include: • Constant temperature of between 57-65 degrees Fahrenheit • Humidity of around 70% • No direct sunlight • Away from strong odors • Horizontal storage • An environment free of vibration and pests • Good ventilation Wines stored in poor conditions are likely to mature too quickly in the bottle and cause the onset of oxidation. Severe temperature fluctuations will cause the wine to “expand and contract”, which puts pressure on the cork and may cause the wine to seep.

Tacos are messy enough to eat, never mind trying to do it behind the wheel while chatting on your cell phone. Do yourself a favor and do tacos at home with this easy and delicious take on the Mexican-American classic.

Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 5 15-ounce can black beans, drained 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 white or yellow corn tortillas 1 tablespoon lime juice 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided 2 cups coleslaw mix 2 scallions, chopped 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro Ground black pepper, to taste Hot sauce, to taste 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese In a small bowl, combine the beans, cumin and salt. Use a fork to partially mash. Divide the mixture between the tortillas, spreading it evenly over 1 side of each. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the lime juice and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions and cilantro, then toss well. Season with pepper and hot sauce. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 3 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the tortillas in a single layer, bean side up, in batches if necessary, and cook for 1 minute.

Fold the tacos in half, then cook for about another minute per side, or until golden brown.

Fill each taco with a quarter of the coleslaw mixture and the feta cheese. If desired, drizzle with additional hot sauce.

Recipe adapted from the February 2009 issue of Bon Appetit magazine

Remember that not all wines are made to be cellared. Many red wines are best enjoyed within the first two-three years, while some white wine styles are ideally served fresh and young. If in doubt, ask a winemaker or retailer to learn more about the wine that you have purchased.

27

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

Business Directory

Deadlines for Classifieds are Tuesday at 12 pm.

To Place a Classified Ad, please email your ad to: classifieds@countytimes.net or Call: 301-373-4125 or Fax: 301-373-4128 for a price quote. Office hours are: Monday thru Friday 8am - 4pm. The County Times is published each Thursday.

Classifieds Real Estate

Don’t spend what you don’t have! www.ProfessorMoneyWise.com

(301) 997-8271

Lexington Park - 3 bdrm, 1 ba trailer 4 sale. $9,000.

New carpet & doors. 3/4 tank of fuel oil. Call 240577-4565, 410-741-1179

Apartment Rentals

Spring Valley Apartments 46533 Valley Court 301-863-2239 (p) 301-863-6905 (f) springvalley@hrehllc.com

Two bedrooms available 805-1103 Sq. ft. $938-$992 One 1 BR Available One 3 BR Available

Call For Current Specials!

Log and Custom Homes, Home Improvement, Sheds, Farm Structures, Tree Removal, Excavation, Demolition, Hauling, Commercial and Residential MHIC: 98388

Help Wanted Winegardner Motor Company in search for body shop mechanics. If interested, please call Tommy Cooksey at 301-292-6500. Also NOW HIRING Qualified Sales Consultant, contact Sales Manager.

Vehicles

301-737-0777

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CORVETTES WANTED! Any year, any condition. Cash buyer. 1-800-369-6148.

Pets

Prime Rib • Seafood • Sunday Brunch Banquet & Meeting Facilities 23418 Three Notch Road • California, MD 20619 www.lennys.net

Beagle Pups, Vet Checked, Shots, Wormed, $100 each.

41233 Friendship Ct off Friendship School Rd.

General Merchandise I have a Lexmark X73 printer/copier/fax machine in excellant condition that I do not need and would like to sell. Software included. Price: $100. Call 301-863-6447.

Washer/dryer, good condition. $300 obo. 240-4199012, call after 2pm. Moving, pick up on/after 3/28.

Time Flies

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540-370-4233 • 804-564-1577 Located in MD Antiques Center 26005 Point Lookout Rd Leonardtown, MD 20650

Important The County Times will not be held responsible for any ads omitted for any reason. The County Times reserves the right to edit or reject any classified ad not meeting the standards of The County Times. It is your responsiblity to check the ad on its first publication and call us if a mistake is found. We will correct your ad only if notified after the first day of the first publication ran.

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Patuxent Playhouse Gets Nerdy

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary describes the term “nerd” as “an unstylish, unattractive or socially inept person; especially one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.” And it’s that same sort of person, too, that might look up the word “nerd” in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary in the first place.

The word itself conjures up the image of a skinny, socially awkward person with black-rimmed glasses, arms piled high with books, and a pocket protector proudly displaying leaking pens. And it is this enduring stereotype that gives Larry Shue’s play, “The Nerd,” its comic punch with a story following Willum Cubbert, a young architect with a promising career, devoted friends, a “would be” girlfriend, and a house guest…from hell.

Willum has often told his friends about the great and benevolent Rick Steadman, who saved his life in Vietnam, though he has never met the man when the play starts, so he has no idea what he is in for when Rick shows up unexpectedly at his home on the night of his 34th birthday.

Though the stereotypical nerd is as intelligent as they are awkward, Rick instead proves to be completely unfettered by extra brain cells, and bursts onto the scene as a hopeless, bumbling oaf with no social sense, very little common sense, and even less tact, culminating in a series

of misadventures for Willum and his friends as he tries to deal with his new house guest without resorting to violence.

Rick shows up dressed for a costume party and by the end of the week, Willum has lost his job, his girl, and probably his sanity as well. The result is a play that revels in its awkward character, honing in on his disastrous demeanor and its effect on his host with plenty of laughs along the way. “ T h e Nerd” will be showing at the Patuxent Playhouse on Saturdays and Sundays from March 13 to March 28 at the St. John Vianney Family Life Center Theater in Prince Frederick. For show schedules and tickets, visit the playhouse online at www. patuxentplayhouse.com.

ry’s a M

St.

Show T ime Get Ou t&

Have Fu n Right Here in St. Mar y’s Coun ty!

Now Playing AMC Loews, Lexington Park 6, (301) 862-5010

Shows and Rating Provided By Yahoo Entertainment.

Check Local Listings For Show Times.

Race to Witch Mountain PG, 99 min

The Last House on the Left, R, 109 min Starts on Fri, Mar 13

Slumdog Millionaire R, 120 min

Taken PG-13, 93 min

Paul Blart: Mall Cop PG, 87 min

Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail PG-13, 103 min

Watchmen R, 163 min

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Thursday, March 12 BBQ Pork Night

VFW 2632 (California) – 5:30 p.m. $6 per dinner, eat in or carry-out. Proceeds go to Veterans of Foreign Wars and their families.

Ladies Night

Country Store Bar (Leonardtown) – 7 p.m. ½ price drinks for ladies from 7-9 p.m.

Texas Hold’Em

Donovan’s Irish Pub – 7:30 p.m.

Cash games with professional volunteer dealers, no limit with high hand jackpot awarded after Thursday night’s play. For seats, call Gordie Jones at 443-975-1591.

Friday, March 13 Special Olympics No Limit Tournament

Center For Life Enrichment (Hollywood) – 7 p.m.

Sign up from 6:15 – 6:50 p.m. Proceeds will benefit St. Mary’s Special Olympics and the Center for Life Enrichment. Call 301-373-8100 to pre-register.

CSM Theater Company Presents “Wait Until Dark”

CSM Fine Arts Center (La Plata) – 8 p.m.

A blind housewife is terrorized by burglars in this classic thriller. Admission $5. Call 301-934-7828, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7828 or visit www.csmd. edu/FineArts for information.

Patuxent Playhouse Presents “The Nerd”

St. John Vianney Family Life Theater (Prince Frederick) – 8 p.m.

Showing Fridays and Saturdays from March 13 to March 28. Admission $15. Discounts available for group sales.

Log on to www.paxplays.com or call 410-326-1401 for more information.

DJ Mango

Drag N Inn (Charlotte Hall) – 9 p.m.

Top 40/Urban/Rock/House/Reggae/Latin, $15 all-youcan-drink rail and draft. Visit www.myspace.com/djmango_md and www.myspace.com/drag_n_inn for more information.

The Idle Americans

Murphey’s Pub (Bryans Road, MD)– 9:30 p.m.

Live blues and roots music. Call 301-375-9230 or visit www. myspace.com/murpheys_pub_md for more information.

Saturday, March 14 Spring Bull and Oyster Roast

American Legion Post 274 (Lusby) – 2 p.m.

Fried, steamed, or raw oysters, stew, open pit beef, Vegas

The County Times games and karaoke. $25 per person. Call 410-326-3274 for more information.

Texas Hold’Em

Hollywood VFD – 3 p.m.

Doors open at 3 p.m., registration is from 3 – 3:30 p.m., tournament starts at 4 p.m. $100 buy-in. Max 160 players.

For more info visit www.hvfd7.com.

Contra Dance

Christ Church Parish Hall (Zach Fowler Road, Chaptico) – 7:30 p.m.

Hosted by Southern Maryland Traditional Music and Dance (SMTMD). Live Music by The Open Band. Informal lesson starts at 7 p.m. for first–time attendees. Admission: $8 for non-members, $6 for members. Visit www.smtmd.org for more information.

“State of Mind” St. Patty’s Celebration Brewski’s Tavern (Loveville) – 8 p.m.

Admission $5 over 21 and $10 under 21.

Donnie & Ronnie’s Karaoke Country Store Bar (Leonardtown) – 8 p.m.

Scrapbooking Crop

Ridge Volunteer Fire Department 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Enjoy a day of scrapbooking with friends while supporting the Ridge Vol. Fire Department Auxiliary. Morning snacks, lunch, tea, and water will be served. Seat favors for everyone. Door prizes. Creative Memories consultant and products available. Cost for the is $25 - Payable to RVFDA For more information or to reserve a table - contact Jacqie Cooper, P O Box 336, St. Inigoes, MD 20684 - 301-8725047 - cooper594@md.metrocast.net

Sunday, March 15 Optimist Club Oyster Scald

Crabby Rick’s Crab House (Mechanicsville) – 11 a.m.

The Optimist Club is raising funds for its local service projects by hosting its First Annual Oyster Scald. Call Elliot Lawrence, Jr. at 240-427-8909 for more information.

Parish Lenten Retreat

Theme: ‘In Times Like This…We Need Jesus!’ March 15 – 18, 2009 St. Aloysius Church, Leonardtown, MD 7 p.m.

– approximately 1 hour each evening

Monday, March 16

Bent Nickel

OCI Pub (Piney Point) – 9 p.m.

DJ Rob & Sam Grow

Hotel Charles (Hughesville) – 9 p.m.

Cover charge. Call 301-274-4612 for more information.

Middle Ground band

Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) – 9:30 p.m.

Visit www.middlegroundlive.com for more information.

All You Can Eat Ham & Cabbage Dinner

The Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary is sponsoring the dinner form 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Rescue Squad building. The menu will be: Ham, Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots, Cornbread, coffee and tea. Dessert table will be available. The cost will be adults (eat in or carryout): $12; children ages 5-12 $6 and children under the age of 5 are free.

Auction

The Mechanicsville Optimist Club will hold their annual Auction at the Mechanicsville Fire Department Social Hall. A Yard Sale and viewing of items will begin at 7 a.m. inside the firehouse. The Auction gets underway at 9 a.m. with auctioneer Scott Blankenship. All proceeds benefit the Youth of the Community. Antiques, collectibles, trips, furniture, golf sessions, sports memorabilia, and much more. Something for everyone. Food and refreshments available. All purchases are tax deductible.

St. Patrick’s Day Dance

Immaculate Conception Parish Center from 7 to 11 p.m.

Tickets are $20 per person $40 per couple. Music provided

by Mean Gene. 50/50 raffle, door prizes, and sandwiches for sale. BYOB – set ups provided.

Democratic Club Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Democratic Club of St. Mary’s will be on Monday, March 16th at Petruzzi’s in the Wildewood Plaza. Happy Hour from 6 -7 p.m. Meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Contact Cindy at 301-737-3978.

Lenten Seafood Dinners Immaculate Heart of Mary Church

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church located on Three Notch Road in Lexington Park will host its annual Lenten Seafood Dinners beginning Friday February 27th – April 3rd, from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Carryout will be available.

Prices will range form $7 - $14. Children meals available – children under three eat FREE. For more information call 301-863-8144.

The Knights of St. Jerome’s Hall Lenten Seafood Dinners @ The Knights Of St. Jerome’s Hall Dameron, Md from now thru April 3 11 a.m.. To 7 p.m. Dine-In Or Carry Out Orders For More Info. Call: 301-872-4566

n O g n i o G

What’s

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Issued Marriage Applications February 2, 2009

Scott Alan Tennyson 22 Hollywood, Md Jennifer Nicole Benner 23 Hollywood, Md

Peter Allen Carbone 30 Mechanicsville, Md Nozomii Saito Mechanicsville, MD

February 6, 2009

Richard Ernest Graves 26 Hollywood, Md Rachael Nicole Steward 20 Hollywood, Md

James Walter Polk 66 Mechanicsville, Md Victoria Leigh Brumm 58 Mechanicsville, Md

February 3, 2009

Todd Michael Burr 40 Lusby, Md Tammy Jo Matich 37 Mechanicsville, Md

Joshua Ian Herbert 21 Morganza, Md Latoya Nashelle Reed 22 Great Mills, Md

Steven Curtis Hardy Jr. 21 California, Md Ashley Janice Honsowitz 18 California, Md

George Alowish Brooks 21 Leonardtown, Md Lisa Annette Proctor 20 Leonardtown, Md

Timothy James Reese 30 Great Mills, Md Lisa Ann Brown 23 Great Mills, Md

February 4, 2009

Ethan Butler Ratliff 24 LaPlata, Md Krystle Marie Biagi 23 LaPlata, Md

Elton Lee Zeone Jr. 26 Lexington Park, Md Brenda Lynn Quade 23 Lexington Park, Md

February 5, 2009 Cameron Theodore Rankin 29 Leonardtown, Md Meagan Elizabeth Clark 26 Leonardtown, Md Duane Mitchell Ellis 44 Lexington Park, Md Theresa Louise Wilson 43 Lexington Park, Md

Colin Michael Ramsey 23 Huntingtown, Md Katherine Ashley D’Ambrosio 23 Mechanicsville, Md

February 9, 2009 Shermaine Miles Hickson 26 Lexington Park, Md Alison Michelle Pesek 26 Lexington Park, Md Carlton Donovan Osborne 40 Bushwood, Md Christine Erica Coetzee 30 Bushwood, Md

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Maurice Dwayne Clopton 20 Patuxent River, Md Eana Dynae Randall 19 Norman, Ok

Justin Brient Hodges 24 Lexington Park, Md Tara Lynn O’Shea 23 Lexington Park, Md

February 11, 2009

February 20, 2009

Anthony James Campbell 26 Mechanicsville, Md Jennifer Marie Shipman 26 Mechanicsville, Md

Richard Scott Nelson 26 Leonardtown, Md Jessica Ann-Marie Guy 26 Leonardtown, Md

Richard Scott Willis 41 Hollywood, Md Muriel Estelle Dean 38 Hollywood, Md

Robert Joseph Miller 28 Lexington Park, Md Jennifer Lynn Marbourg 28 Lexington Park, Md

February 12, 2009

February 23, 2009

Roland Blake Ghiloni 37 Leonardtown, Md Melissa Ann Caudell 30 Leonardtown, Md

Jeffrey Lee Maddox 39 Rockville, Md Tomika Shawntay Cutchember 30 Great Mills, Md

Pieter Visscher Esterhay 31 Piney Point, Md Jill Rose Bujnevicie 29 Piney Point, Md

Steven Edward Long Jr. 29 Avenue, Md Amber Nicole Shumaker 24 Avenue, Md

February 13, 2009

February 26, 2009

Kevin Matthew Jett 30 Mechanicsville, Md Sharon Ann Downs 43 Mechanicsville, Md

Larry Stephen Dean Jr. 30 Mechanicsville, Md Lisa Anne Jackson 25 Mechanicsville, Md

February 17, 2009

February 27, 2009

Keith Patrick Bowley 35 Clayton, Nc Christine Marie Bennett 26 Clayton, Nc

David Cameron Bates 29 Edgewater, Md Rachel Marie Kimmons 22 Manchester, Md

Justin Ryan Kaighn 22 Patuxent River, Md Rossarin Janthao 22 Leonardtown, Md

Leston Leopold Allen 53 Lexington Park, Md Patricia Danita Wills 46 Lexington Park, Md

February 18, 2009

John Webster Wills 39 Lexington Park, Md Angela Maria Chase 31 Lexington Park, Md

Jeffrey Paul Anello 26 Jacksonville Fl Dianne Elizabeth Dixon 25 Lexington Park, Md George Lee Hazel 44 Lexington Park, Md Kathern Ann Delarosa 41 Lexington Park, Md

Hirdeepsinh Gemalsinh Vansia 23 Stony Brook, Ny Rudrangi Jitendrasinh Thakor 23 Great Mills, Md

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The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Newsmakers

Question Interview Thieme Creative Media Puts Face on Public Agencies

Interviewing: Frank Huxley

Frank Huxley works as a bartender in Hollywood, where he has lived for the last eight years. He was kind enough to tell the County Times about some of his experiences behind the bar.

CT: How would you characterize the St. Mary’s bar scene?

FH: Well we love our alcohol here! I did notice when I first moved here that there were a lot of liquor stores and bars, so I’d say the bar scene here is pretty vibrant, although there aren’t a whole lot of really nice upscale bars here.

Perhaps that’s something the business community can get around to working on.

CT: What is your favorite drink to make, and why?

FH: I’ve always been partial to the Grateful Dead, both as a band and as a drink. It’s basically a Long Island Iced Tea, but with Sprite or ginger ale instead of Coke, no sour mix, and a swirl of Blue Curacao and either Chambord or Grenadine at the top. It makes a really cool looking tie-dyed design in the glass, but I also like it because I can hold and pour four different liquors at once, and customers like seeing how quickly I can make them. I can make one in about 20 seconds, actually.

CT: What’s the strangest or most disgusting drink you’ve ever served?

By Sean Rice Staff Writer Will “Bruce the Goose” become as familiar in southern Maryland as the previously introduced “Opie the Otter?”

Maybe you’ve seen “Opie the Otter” in restaurant restrooms around St. Mary’s County, where he stands his post as a reminded to patrons and employees to wash their hands.

The St. Mary’s County Department of Aging is hopeful that its recently created “Bruce the Goose” mascot will become synonymous with the agency’s Senior Rides program. And in turn, follow the public awareness suc-

FH: That’s easy. That would be what is called a greasy Mexican, which is tequila and mayonnaise, and I’ve sold several of them. It sounds really gross, and it IS really gross, but it’s perfect for people whose friends are buying them 21st birthday drinks. I usually suggest it as a joke and the friends will insist on making the birthday boy or birthday girl have one. (Laughing) It’s certainly not something I would have had on my birthday, but you know how friends like to torture each other.

cess enjoyed by St. Mary’s County Health Department and its Opie mascot.

Both Bruce and Opie are the electronic illustration designs of Thieme Creative Media (TCM), a Solomons-based marketing, graphic design and website development firm.

“Bruce the Goose is going to be a recognizable icon in the county for our Senior Rides program,” says Jennie Page, Deputy Director for the department of aging.

“There are approximately 15,000 senior citizens — 60 and over — in our county.

We have the fastest growth rate (258%) in the state for this population segment. We want to reach them with our ‘Bruce the Goose’ message.”

“Bruce is a lighthearted approach to reaching those seniors who have no other means of transportation. Their collective need will hopefully be matched with the necessary recruitment of volunteer drivers.”

TCM worked with Full Stride Communications of Leonardtown in brainstorming the initial design concepts for Bruce the Goose.

Opie the Otter’s popularity has grown since being incorporated into the county health departments image. Opie is now contracted as a mascot for the state health

department, as well as government agencies in Harford and Frederick counties.

T C M opened its doors in 1985 in Virginia and moved to Solomons almost ten years ago. The firm helps both private sector companies and nonprofit organizations with their respective promotional agendas.

TCM has provided free and low-cost services to Calvert’s Artist Showcase, United Way of Calvert County, and Calvert Arts Council in addition to supporting the tri-county professional organization for public relations practitioners (PRISM) and the St. Mary’s Chamber of Commerce.

The mascots — and some of their various personas — can be viewed in the Portfolio portion of the recently launched TCM website makeover at www.thiemecreativemedia.com.

Friday, March 20th 11:00 am - 7:00 pm Come Join Us at the Leonardtown McKay’s for our Wine Tasting Ceremony!

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

32

A Journey Through Time The

Chronicle

Columnist Linda Reno in 1842, she was loaned to Colonel is a historian and genealogist Young’s eldest daughter, Eloise specializing in Southern Maryland Young who had married George history. Mrs. Reno is a member of Henry Smith of Scotland, St. Mary’s County. the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, In an interview just beSt. Mary’s County Genealogical Society, fore her death, Aunt Pigeon Charles County Genealogical Society, recalled her early years at ColMaryland Historical Society, and the onel Young’s and said there were about 20 slave families Maryland Genealogical Society. She who lived there. She said that has authored many books and each family had its own house, articles on local history. We hope hogs, garden patch and chickens and that the families were you will enjoy these articles and allowed to work for themselves on welcome your comments and Saturday afternoons. suggestions for future Whenever possible, a priest would visit the Young plantation and say subjects.

By Linda Reno Contributing Writer Mary Ellen Whelan, daughter of Edward Whelan was born into slavery about 1828 on the estate of Colonel Notley Young in Prince George’s County. She was a tiny little thing and while still a youngster was nicknamed “Pigeon.” In later years she was called “Aunt Pigeon.” About 1835 when she was 7 years old, Colonel Young gave her to his newly born daughter, Julia Fidelas Young as a maid. Then,

Mass. All the families, regardless of color, gathered together. When the slave families actually went to church, they wore their old shoes and clothes, taking their good clothes with them to change into before entering the doors.

She also said that on Sundays when there was no Mass, Miss Julia (after she was old enough) would lead prayers.

According to Aunt Pigeon, Miss Eloise taught all of the girls, black or white, to read but she was never able to learn because of poor eyesight. “The colored people were free to come and go. The general rule seems to have been that good white people were good masters and bad white people were hard masters.”

George Henry Smith died in the summer

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of 1853 leaving his family practically destitute.

Within a few years, his widow Eloise returned to Prince George’s County with her children and lived at the home of her grandmother, Mary (Hill) Hall. Aunt Pigeon did not go with her because as it turns out, in 1854 Julia Fidelas Young married Henry Clay Clarke, from St. Inigoes and Aunt Pigeon went to live with her.

During the war, Aunt Pigeon worked as a cook for the Union quartermaster at Pt. Lookout.

In this job, she probably saved a number of the prisoners from starvation because she chose Photo Courtesy of Father Damian Shadwell to break the rules. Her son Ben would tell her Aunt Pigeon at her home in St. Mary’s County. when the men were coming close to the quartercomfortable, Ben prepared her breakfast before master’s house and she would place food on the he left for work, took dinner with her when he window sill that would be taken as they passed returned, and saw to it that the house was alby. ways warm.”

About 1861, Aunt Pigeon was married to She was a kind, gentle woman who did not Peter Jones at St. Ignatius Church at St. Inigoes. view her days in slavery with bitterness. “She At the time of the 1870 census, the Jones family often used to say that she had nothing to say was shown living in the same house with the against anybody and that in Colonel Young’s Clarke family. Their children were Ben, age 8; household she was as free as she was after the Mary, age 4, and Sarah, age 2. war.”

By 1880, the family was living in a sepaOn January 22, 1837 at Ben’s house in Balrate house, but still living in the same neigh- timore, Aunt Pigeon knew the end was near and borhood. By this time, another four children she asked to receive Last Sacraments. “Shortly had been born, including Emma, age 8; John- after the priest had left, she stretched out her nie, age 7; Maggie, age 4; and Alexander, age hand and those nearby realized that she was 1. I could not locate the family in 1900, but in reaching for the crucifix. They gave her the 1910 Aunt Pigeon was still living in the vicin- crucifix; she placed in on the pillow, laid her ity of St. Inigoes. At that time she gave her head upon it and died.” age as 73, was a widow, had 7 children, 5 of Aunt Pigeon was brought back to St. Miwhom were living, and she was a cook in a pri- chael’s Church in Ridge where she was laid to vate family. She also cooked for the priests at rest beside her husband. Her funeral service St. Michael’s Catholic Church and for church was attended by a large crowd of mourners, festivals. black and white, including many of the descenWhile St. Mary’s County would remain dants of Julia and Eloise Young. The burial her home, during her last few winters on this site of Julia (Young) Clarke lies nearby. I think earth, she went to Baltimore and stayed with both of these women would have liked that. her son Ben. “In his home, she was made

Museum Finds Secret Message Inside Lincoln’s Watch

By BRETT ZONGKER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) _ Curators at the National Museum of American History have settled a 148-year-old mystery once and for all.

On Tuesday, they opened up a pocket watch that belonged to President Abraham Lincoln and discovered a hidden message long rumored to be inside.

It read: ``April 13, 1861. Fort Sumter was attacked by the rebels on the above date. J. Dillon.’’ It then read: ``April 13, 1861. Thank God we have a government. Jonathan Dillon.’’

Dillon, a watchmaker who was repairing Lincoln’s timepiece, reportedly said he was moved to write a message inside after the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

The story has been passed down through the Dillon family and was reported in 1906 by The New York Times.

33

Thursday, March 12, 2009

&

The County Times

Recreation Parks

The Catfish Are Calling

Submitted photo

Brenda and Brady Bounds show off a whopping catfish that Brenda landed while they were out with Indian Head Charters, Inc.

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

yellow perch fishing may prove productive.

“Allen’s Fresh, Nanjemoy Creek, St. Mary’s River tributaries, they all have yellow perch populations,” Bounds said.

Whichever fishing avenue is chosen, buying the appropriate fishing license is the first step.

“People should purchase licenses because they support conservation programs that manage these fisheries; they pay for the biologists and fisheries managers.”

As long as the warm weather takes hold, added with a little luck and patience, a novice fisherman can land a monster catfish from the shores of St. Mary’s County’s tidal tributaries.

“By boat or by shore, in the Patuxent and Potomac rivers, they both have excellent runs of catfish in March,” said Capt. Brady Bounds, host of “Fishing Tips with Capt. Brady” on Metrocast channel 10.

“Catfish up to 50 pounds are pretty common in the Potomac up by the Fort Washington area,” Bounds told The County Times.

“They’re coming out of the deep water and feeding on the edges.”

One of the best ways to up the chances of landing a king catfish is to use live bait, such as shiner minnows, followed by any of the variety of “stink baits” Come out and support the 20 years this organizawhich have blood as a main tion has been helping students in St. Mary’s County at ingredient.

6 p.m. March 13 at the Southern Maryland Higher Edu“Thawed out fresh cation Center, California. shrimp also works excelBusiness, Education, and Community Alliance lent,” Bounds said.

(BECA) is an organization which encourages students of St. Mary’s County to think of their futures and comAnother option for fishmunity by providing scholarships and other opportuniing on two feet would be the ties to help them obtain a higher education. With the county’s freshwater ponds, knowledge they gain they will be able to better our comwhere fishers can try their munity when they return here to St. Mary’s County to luck at landing some large pursue there dreams in a rewarding career.

The cost for this event is $25.00 per person, and mouth bass or chain pickerel. for this you will receive dinner, beverages, and a memoBounds recommends usrable time with friends. The evening’s program includes ing a good old rubber worm on an auction conducted by our very own County Comthe sunny side of the pond as the missioner Dan Raley, along with recognition of BECA’s best bet for landing a large mouth 20th Anniversary and its journey towards today! bass, and small spinners work well Please register for this event with for the pickerel.

“BECA Bob” Bob Schaller at For those with access to a boat, then bschaller@smcbeca.org.

The County Times

Registration Open for Adult Indoor Soccer Residents of St. Mary’s County are invited to register for Adult Indoor Soccer.

Ages: Registration Dates:

· Location:

· Time:

· Cost:

Game Dates:

· Time: · Location:

· Information:

18 and up Thursdays, March 5 and 12 Leonard Hall Recreation Center 7 – 9 p.m. $550 per team with shirts; $490 per team without shirts; $55 per individual

Co-Ed Competitive – Thursdays Co-Ed Recreational – Thursdays Men’s Competitive – Tuesdays Men’s Recreational – Tuesdays Women’s 16 & up – Tuesdays

6 – 10:30 p.m.

Leonard Hall Recreation Center, Leonardtown Kenny Sothoron at 301-475-1800 ext. 1830

Additional Registration Information 1. Mail in registrations will be accepted from March 5 – March 12.

2.

Mail to: Recreation & Parks, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Any registrations received after March 12 risk being placed on a waiting list and/or not being assigned to a team.

3. You may download a form from http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/recreate/Forms/FormD.pdf .

4. You may also call 301-475-4200 ext 1800 to have one sent to you.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

34

Great Mills Swimming Pool Announces Aqua Aerobics Classes

The Great Mills Swimming Pool has added two new Aqua Aerobics classes. Beginning March 2 there will be a “Wake-up Workout” class from 6 – 7 a.m. offered Mondays and Wednesdays.

For those interested in jump-starting the day, why not try this aqua aerobics program? The benefits are numerous, from cardiovascular benefits to meeting new

Tennis League Seeks Players

friends, to even starting a new lifestyle. For information, call 301-866-6560 or drop by the pool, located right next to Great Mills High School on Great Mills road.

Learn more about all the programs at the Great Mills Pool at http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/facilities/ swimmingpool.asp

United States Tennis Association (USTA) is looking for 2.5 or 3.0 men and women to play in the 6.0 mixed adult USTA league. Matches begin in early March, run approximately 2 months and are held on weekends. If interested, contact Marisa Mansueti at goliathscout@yahoo.com or Karolyn Clarke at karolynclarke@navy.mil.

Four Mixed 7.0 teams have formed - captains are Ray Gagnon, Gary Richard, Doug Bellis & Jason Wynn. Contact these team captains or the St Mary’s USTA League Coordinator - Ms. Mai Liem Slade - mslade@ md.metrocast.net.

Matches are at Cecil Park Sundays (Mixed 7.0) and Saturdays (Mixed 6.0).

Currently, there is no Mixed 8.0 league in St Mary’s County, but there is still time to form teams and create a league. Contact Mai Liem Slade, if interested.

Ospreys 10U Softball Team Looking for players The Southern Maryland Ospreys 10 and Under fast pitch softball team is currently looking for players of all positions to try out for the team. For more information, contact League Manager Jim Sewell 301-904-1654 or diam.jim@gmail.com

Sp rts High School Basketball 35

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

Lions Roar Past Great Mills for Regional Title

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

UPPER MARLBORO – It took close to 30 minutes of game action and a 5foot-3 sophomore to do it, but Largo High School prevented the Great Mills girls’ basketball team from repeating as Class 3A South Regional Champions.

Behind point guard Jessica Lyons’ game-high 34 points, the Lions outlasted the Hornets 69-59 in the regional final at Henry A. Wise, Jr. Photo By Frank Marquart High School March 7, advanc- Head Coach Brian Weisner, Asing to the state semi-finals. sitant Coaches Lisa Daciek and “You have to hand it to Jimmy Dicus watch as Great Largo, they played their style Mills’ season comes to an end. of game,” Hornets coach Brian Weisner said afterwards. “We stayed in the game, we just had too many turnovers.”

The Hornets, who ended their season at 19-6, saw a 10-point first quarter lead turn into a three-point deficit at halftime, but stayed on the Lions until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when Lyons and Brittany Taylor made 10 of 12 free throws between them to provide the final margin.

From the opening tip, Great Mills looked to be in control of the contest as they jetted out to a 14-4 lead, led by five quick points from senior forward Corleda Naylor. Behind Lyons however, Largo dominated the second quarter with an aggressive pressure defense that saw the Hornets turn the ball over several times and allowed the Lions – and Lyons – to get better looks at the basket. “[She] absolutely killed us,” Weisner said. “She got all of her points close to the basket; she was strong enough to get the Photo By Frank Marquart shots up.”

“I think we did a good job of putting all our energy into Great Mills Shamara Adams splits guarding her,” senior point guard Shamara Adams said.

Largo’s Tamara Maxwell and “RyShawn Butler, Tylita Butler, whoever was on her did a great Jessica Lyons on her way to two

Photo By Frank Marquart

Shawnese Taylor, who led Great Mills with 25 points, rebounds over the Lions’ Alexis Holland.

Basketball Regional Results

Photo By Chris Stevens

Great Mills’ RyShawn Butler guards Chopticon’s Myla Somerville during the Hornets 57-31 first round victory Wednesday night.

Friday Feb. 27 Boys’ 3A South First Round La Plata 49, Great Mills 47 Boys’ 4A East First Round Leonardtown 85, Chesapeake (Anne Arundel) 37

Saturday Feb. 28 Girls’ 3A South First Round Chopticon 62, La Plata 34

Wednesday March 4

points in Saturday’s 3A South Regional Final.

Boys’ 3A South Second Round Chopticon 66, La Plata 55

job. You have to give her props for what she did.”

The Hornets refused to give up, and even when it seemed that the Lions were on the verge of blowing the game open, Great Mills responded, most often with baskets by senior center Shawnese Taylor, the team’s leading scorer on the afternoon with 25 points. After Lyons rattled home a three-pointer to open up a 52-45 Largo lead, Taylor, seemingly trapped in the backcourt, dribbled the ball behind her back, crossed over another defender and drew a foul as she hit the lay-up, igniting a roar from the Hornet faithful who made the hour trip north to support their team.

The subsequent free throw shrunk the lead back to four, but Largo proved to be too much on this afternoon, ending the high school careers of five seniors (Adams, Taylor, Naylor, Tyneshia Baker and RyShawn Butler) Weisner had nothing but kind words for.

“You’re sad that their careers came to an end today because they’re such a terrific group of kids,” he said. “Words can’t express how much they’ve meant to the coaches, the program and our school, they’ll definitely be missed.”

Said Adams, the team leader about Saturday’s final – “I’m disappointed with the result, but I’m happy with how we progressed this season. For us, today just wasn’t our game.”

Boys’ 4A East Second Round Old Mill 91, Leonardtown 55 Girls’ 3A South Second Round Great Mills 57, Chopticon 31 Girls’ 4A East Second Round Leonardtown 47, Thomas Stone 24

Thursday March 5 Boys’ 3A South Semi-Finals Lackey 81, Chopticon 62 Girls’ 3A South Semi-Finals Great Mills 53, Huntingtown 51

Photo By Frank Marquart

The Hornets’ Tylita Butler dribbles up court during Saturday’s Regional Final.

Girls’ 4A East Semi-Finals Old Mill 46, Leonardtown 44

Saturday March 7

Girls’ 3A South Final Largo 69, Great Mills 59

Sp rts

The County Times

A View From The

Bleachers Organizational Antibiotic

By Ronald N. Guy Jr. Contributing Writer There are certain sports teams that make things more fun just by being relevant. These are teams with far-reaching fan bases and a pedigree of success. At their best – or worst – they can transcend the sports pages and land on the cover of newspapers and pop culture magazines nationwide. They interest the general public and polarize sports fans. They force you to feel something. They quicken your pulse. They peak your interest. They move the public’s needle. So who are they? Well, anyone’s Mount Rushmore would include Notre Dame football, the L.A. Lakers, the New York Yankees and

yes, the Dallas Cowboys.

Organized around three distant acts, famous cheerleaders and a plug during the opening of the soap opera Dallas, the Cowboys have been producing nearly non-stop entertainment for pro football fans for 40 years. In the 70’s and 80’s, or Act 1, the Cowboys were led by iconic coach Tom Landry (and his famous fedora), quarterback Roger Staubach and the Doomsday Defense. They were perennial playoff participants, won two Superbowls and made a habit of ripping out the hearts of opponents (‘Skins fans in particular) with late-game heroics. But as much as you may have hated them on the field, it was nearly impossible not to respect them off

1 YEAR SubScRiption

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

The ancient Egyptians played a game like bowling using large stones set up as pins and small stones as a ball. it. You simply weren’t going to find classier men than Landry and Staubach. Act 2 during the 90’s brought outrageous coach Jimmy Johnson, quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and flamboyant wide receiver Michael Irvin into our living rooms. They won big – to the tune of three Superbowls – and were easy to dislike. Aikman and Smith were nice enough guys, but was there anything more annoying than pompous Jimmy Johnson and that hair or more offensive than Michael Irvin and his cocaine use and appreciation for “the oldest industry known to man, legal only in the state of Nevada”?

So with Act 1 being successful, yet so frustratingly likeable, and Act 2 at least having the decency to allow the non-Cowboy fans to feel real hatred toward them with a clear conscience, then what of Act 3? Oh my dear Goldilocks, these Cowboys of recent vintage have gotten their porridge just right. They have not only been endlessly dislikeable, but they haven’t won a darn thing.

They’ve had enough talent to raise expectations and have been good enough to remain in Superbowl conversations, yet they’ve consistently collapsed when it has counted the most. They’ve been relevant and entertaining without being successful. In assembling his cast for Act 3, Owner and General Manager (and to some extent coach) Jerry Jones ignored player traits like character, hard work and selflessness. He was quick to ink the narcissistic Terrell Owens (T.O.), and sign players with checkered legal backgrounds like Adam “Pacman” Jones and Tank Johnson. It was an “all-in”, win now approach that was wildly entertaining, but proved to be an abject disaster on the field. Act 3’s resume lacks even a single playoff win, but includes locker room scuffles, constant internal bickering, a quarterback jetting off to Cabo with his pop star girlfriend the week before a playoff game, tearful press conferences and one more arrest of Pacman Jones (has the arrest count reached double digits yet?). Yes, Act 3 has been an absolute joy for Cowboy haters and a bitter embarrassment for Cowboy fans.

So what on earth is Jerry Jones doing now? He’s ruining everything! Over the last few weeks he’s released Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and T.O.! It seems he’s putting his organization through a full-course treatment of antibiotics; ridding it of the bacterial infection brought on by a few bad seeds. It appears he’s finally realized that when building any team, be it professional sports or not, the acquisition of talent is important, but it should not be pursued to the detriment of team chemistry or with a blind eye toward character. The Cowboys have been a thoroughly entertaining, yet ineffective chemistry experiment. After Jones’ bold moves, they might end up being just a better football team.

Send your comments to rguyjoon@yahoo.com

36 un Fact

Ohio’s Engle Wins Lower Potomac River Marathon

From the moment 172 runners toed the starting line for the 5th Lower Potomac River Marathon at the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship on Sunday, the race unfolded as unpredictably as the past week’s weather. Returning champions John Piggott (2005, 2006 and 2007), 43, of Williamsburg, VA, and defender Michael Wardian were nowhere in sight.

Fifteen minutes after the starting gun, and with the leaders almost two miles into the race, Michael Wardian was dashing across the parking lot. The 34year-old from Arlington, VA had missed the turn to Piney Point and driven all the way to Point Lookout before doubling back.

Missing his race number bib but wearing a backpack in training for a six-day endurance race across the Sahara Desert, Wardian was urged quickly across the starting line and out the campus to St. George Island. Half an hour into the race, the initial reports came in from the ham radio operators providing communications support on the 26.2-mile course. Chuck Engle of Dublin Ohio, silver medalist in 2006, was well ahead of Raymond Bentley, 48, of Elverson, PA and Joseph Moore, 25 of Raleigh, NC. “Backpack Guy” was swiftly making his way through the pack.

As the leaders headed north past the Harry Lundeberg campus at Mile 8.8, Engle was two minutes ahead of Moore and Bentley, with Wardian slicing quickly through the middle of the pack. The women’s favorite, Danielle Hochschild, 27, of Raleigh, NC was maintaining just over a 7:00/mile pace, well ahead of her competition.

At the crossover at the top of Rte 249, with 7.4 miles left in the race, Engle was leading Moore by two and a half minutes, with Bentley trailing Moore by four minutes, and Wardian closing in but still seven minutes behind Bentley.

Engle opened up his lead as he raced back to the Harry Lundeberg campus to win in 2:38:58. Firsttime marathoner Moore held onto second place with 2:46:22, and Wardian continued his surge to finish third in 2:51:22, just 26 seconds ahead of fourth-place Bentley. Engle, self-proclaimed Marathon Junkie, ran 50 marathons in 2006 and is on his way to repeating that feat this year. Sunday’s marathon was his twelfth marathon in 2009, and his sixth win for the year.

Race organizers later learned that three-time champion John Piggott never made it to the start due to car trouble on the way from the hotel.

Danielle Hochschild won the women’s division in 3:09:24, shattering the course record of 3:19:56 set by Julie Porter of Natrona Heights, PA in 2006.

Angela Folstad, 38, of Accokeek, MD was second in 3:24:54. Deb Thomford, 51, of Zumbrota, MN, took a close third place in 3:24:56.

Among local runners, Perry Rapp, 43, of Lexington Park, was top performer, finishing 18th overall in 3:17:52 and qualifying for the Boston Marathon with over three minutes to spare. Kyle Karstens, 43, of Great Mills, finished 50th in 3:49:30. Dennis Barr, 51, of Ridge, was 54th in 3:54:02, with David Raley, 25, of Mechanicsville just 18 seconds behind in 55th place. In the women’s race, Amy Werking, 35, of Solomons, was 84th overall in 4:12:42 and took the women’s title of Club Champion of Chesapeake Bay Running Club, producers of the marathon. Defending CBRC women’s champion Charlene Staats, 46, of Lexington Park, finished 103rd overall in 4:27:40.

Karsten Brown, 34, of Front Royal, VA, finished 5th overall in 2:53:58 to become the new CBRC men’s champion.

Yesterday’s field of 172 runners represented thirty states and the District of Columbia, as well as South Africa and Egypt. The race, hosted by the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, benefits the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Chesapeake Bay Field Lab. For complete results, go to www.cbrcmd.org.

37

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The County Times

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The County Times

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Sp rts

38

St. Mary’s Finishes Fourth at ODU Spring Open

St. Mary’s College

Now Arriving

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Norfolk, Va. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland sailing team took fourth at the Old Dominion University Spring Open hosted by the Monarchs March 7-8.

No. 1 St. Mary’s totaled 45 points in 12 completed races, finishing five points behind No. 4 Georgetown University for second place.

Freshman Gordy Lamphere (Seattle, Wash.) skippered the B division boat to second place with crew Stefanie Glorioso (Jr./ Cranberry Twp., Pa.) as LamA division = 6 Races phere and Glorioso tallied 16 B division = 6 Races points.

In A division, freshman

A B TOT skipper Wick Dudley (Queen1. Vermont

13 6 19 stown, Md./Gunston Day 2.

Georgetown

22 18 40 School) finished fourth with 3. Old Dominion 12 29 41 crew Chris O’Donnell (Mystic, 4.

St. Mary’s

29 16 45 Conn./Robert E. Fitch). The Se5. Christopher Newport 30 34 64 ahawk sailors posted 29 points, 6. Navy

36 34 70 seven points out of third place in 7. Fordham

34 58 92 A division.

8. George Washington 56 49 105 The University of Vermont, 9. William & Mary 63 45 108 ranked No. 20 in the nation, 10. Hampton

49 74 123 grabbed top honors at the ODU 11. Maryland

65 61 126 Spring Open with 19 points as 12. Drexel

60 74 134 the Catamounts placed first in 13. UMBC

79 67 146 the B division and second in the 14. Cornell

86 64 150 A division.

FINAL RESULTS

Roanoke Powers Past St. Mary’s

Seasonal OUTLET CENTER McKay’s Plaza, Charlotte Hall

301-884-8682 • 301- 274-0615 Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10 am - 7pm Sunday: 10am - 4pm Closed Tuesdays

Salem, Va. – A quick start by the No. 9 Roanoke College men’s lacrosse team propelled the Maroons to a 16-10 non-conference victory March 7 over St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Roanoke (6-0) rushed out a 6-1 advantage in the first quarter of action, including four unanswered goals before sophomore attackman Dennis Rosson (Severna Park, Md./Severn) put the Seahawks on the board at 3:30 off an assist by senior midfielder Shaun Summerville (Arnold, Md./ Broadneck). Junior attackmen Matt Quinton (Elora, Ontario) and Pat March (Glen Burnie, Md.) each had two goals in the first period.

The second stanza score was 5-5, but the Maroons went into halftime with an 116 advantage. Five different players scored for the Seahawks (1-2) in the second quarter, including sophomore attackman Chris Becraft (Rockville, Md./Good Counsel) who tallied his team-leading seventh goal.

It was a defensive battle in the third period as the Seahawk defense held the home team to just two goals, while sophomore attackman Chris Lacy (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul’s) found the back of the net for St. Mary’s.

It was even once again in the final

quarter as each squad scored three times and the Seahawks notched the game’s final two goals, including freshman attackman Brendan Oster’s (Mt. Airy, Md./Urbana) first collegiate goal.

Sophomore middie Trey Keeley (Lancaster, Pa.) paced the Roanoke offense with three goals and an assist, while Quinton finished with two goals and an assist. Four other Maroons notched two goals each.

The Maroons dominated the face-offs with an 18-of-28 effort as sophomore middie Greg Khanzadian (Syracuse, N.Y.) won 13-of-17. St. Mary’s senior face-off specialist Marc DiPasquale (Fallston, Md./Boys’ Latin) was held to just 9-of-24.

Junior captain Ryan Alexander (Laurel, Md./Pallotti) tallied two goals for the Seahawks, while Rosson had a goal and three assists. Becraft and Summerville each contributed a goal and an assist, while five others picked up a goal.

The Maroons rattled off 57 shots to St. Mary’s 39, while Roanoke owned a 52-44 edge in ground balls as Khanzadian scooped up a game-high eight.

Junior Jake Dorsey (Woodbine, Md.) picked up 11 saves in the win, while sophomore Pat Simpson (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) recorded 17 stops for the Seahawks.

39

The County Times

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sp rts

Third Straight Win for the Seahawks

St. Mary’s College

Tennis

St. Mary’s City, Md. – Junior Kenny Nugent (Pocomoke, Md./Pocomoke) notched his team-high sixth win of the season as the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s tennis team recorded an 8-1 victory March 7 over Lancaster Bible College for their third straight victory in non-conference action.

Nugent registered a 6-2, 6-0 victory over junior Brendan Arey (Windsor, Conn.) at No. 4 singles to improve to 6-2 on the season.

Nugent and his doubles partner, junior Sam Barton (Edgewater, Md./Key), started the match by picking up their team-best fifth doubles win with an 8-3 victory over senior Timothy Hogan (Upper Sulford, Pa.) and freshman Jona3/7/2009 at St. Mary’s City, Md. thon Recaman (Marin, (Somerset Tennis Complex) Spain) at No. 1.

St. Mary’s (Md.) 8, Lancaster Bible 1 Nugent and Barton are 5-3 on the year, def.

Brandon Taylor (LBC) Singles including 4-3 at No. 2 6-0, 6-1 Competition doubles.

Junior Drew Doubles 1. Andrew MacLaughlin Barnes (Ellicott City, (SMC) def. Jonathon ReCompetition Md./Centennial) talcaman (LBC) 6-2, 6-3 lied his first career sin2. Ryan Torrenti (LBC) def. 1. Kenny Nugent/Sam gles win with a 6-0, 6Sam Barton (SMC) retired Barton (SMC) def. Timo3. Thomas Hoesman thy Hogan/Jonathon Re1 win over sophomore (SMC) def. Timothy Ho- caman (LBC) 8-3 Brandon Taylor (New gan (LBC) 6-1, 6-3 2. Robbie Bourdon/ThomBethlehem, Pa.) at No. 4. Kenny Nugent (SMC) as Hoesman (SMC) def.

6 singles in his first def. Brendan Arey (LBC) Ryan Torrenti/Josh Shusyear with Seahawk 6-2, 6-0 ter (LBC) 4-1, retired tennis.

5. Robbie Bourdon (SMC) 3. Andrew MacLaughlin/ def. Josh Formanek (LBC) Brett Hermans (SMC) def.

St. Mary’s will 6-0, 6-1 Brendan Arey/Josh Forreturn to action to6. Drew Barnes (SMC) manek (LBC) 8-0 morrow when the Seahawks travel to Match Notes: Glenside, PennsylvaLancaster Bible 0-2 St. Mary’s (Md.) 6-2 Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,4,5,6,3,1) nia to take on Arcadia T-3:05 A-25 University at 1:00.

Tennis Match Results

Lady Hawks Extend Tennis Streak to Three

St. Mary’s City, Md. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s tennis team won its third straight match March 6 as the Seahawks posted a 7-2 victory over NCAA Division II University of the District of Columbia in non-conference.

This was St. Mary’s second win over a Division II team.

The tandem of senior Sarah Weisse (Sykesville, Md./South Carroll) and junior Michelle Compton (Havre de Grace, Md./ Tome) notched their second straight win, an 8-4 victory over sophomores Jennifer Solis (Houston, Texas) and 3/6/2009 at St. Mary’s City, Md. Sarah Bavar (Katy, Texas) at No. 1.

(Somerset Tennis Complex) The duo of sophomores Colleen St. Mary’s (Md.) 7, Dist. of Columbia 2 O’Neil (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick) (SMC) def. No player Singles and Monica Powell (Rockville, Md./ (UDC), by walkover Competition Rockville) also registered their second straight win, improving to 4-1 on Doubles 1. Jennifer Solis (UDC) the season with an 8-1 triumph over def. Sarah Weisse (SMC) Competition senior Patricia Ofori (Springfield, 6-4, 6-4 Mass.) and junior Shakira Watford at 2. Sarah Bavar (UDC) def. Mi1. Sarah Weisse/Michelle chelle Compton (SMC) 8-6 No. 2 doubles.

Compton (SMC) def. Jen3. Monica Powell (SMC) nifer Solis/Sarah Bavar Powell won her third straight def. Patricia Ofori (UDC) (UDC) 8-4 match with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Ofori 6-4, 6-2 2. Colleen O’Neil/Monica at No. 3 singles, while senior Jerilyn 4. Jerilyn Rogalski (SMC) Powell (SMC) def. PatriRogalski (Amherst, Mass./Amherst def. Chantel Henry (UDC) cia Ofori/Shakira Watford Reg.) is now 4-1 with her 6-0, 6-0 vic6-0, 6-0 (UDC) 8-1 5. Colleen O’Neil (SMC) 3. Jerilyn Rogalski/Jackie tory over junior Chantel Henry (Willdef. Shakira Watford Brady (SMC) def. No playingboro, N.J.) at No. 4. O’Neil im(UDC) 6-0, 6-1 er/No player (UDC), by proved to 3-1 with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph 6.

Kathleen Ramsey walkover over Watford at No. 5.

The Seahawks will be back in acMatch Notes: tion March 10 when St. Mary’s travels Dist. of Columbia 0-2 St. Mary’s (Md.) 4-2 to Staunton, Va. to face Mary BaldOrder of finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (6, 4, 5, 3, 1, 2) T-3:30 A-25 win College at 3 p.m.

Tennis Match Results

The County Times

THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2009

Regional Title Just Out of Reach Page 35

Photo By Frank Marquart

Bomb Squad Responds to Dash-In

PAGE 6

Presidential Helicopter Program Called Into Question

PAGE 11