The County Times -- 2009-04-09 (Hi-Def) by David Noss

2, 2009 Thursday, April 9,

Wisner:

Folk Hero, River Hero

PAGE 18

PAX River Gets An ‘F’ Story Page 18 Man Jailed For Vigilante Justice

Story Page 17

Photo by Frank Marquart & Tom Wisner

Armstrong Is SMAC’s Player Of TStory he Year Page 39

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The County Times

RESULTS Do you think speeding is a problem on local roads and should be further enforced?

Not Sure Yes

12%

34%

56%

Do you think it is appropriate for students to be paid cash for snitching on other students?

No 89%

6% 6%

Not Sure

Yes

Do you think it was appropriate for President Obama to fire the head of General Motors?

Yes 22%

No 39%

39%

Not Sure Join Our Polling Pool The County Times is seeking readers who are interested in joining our polling pool. If you would like to be contacted to respond to future polls, please send us your town and telephone number in an email to news@countytimes.net or phone in the information at 301-373-4125.

Inside

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Weather

Watch 6

4 6 7 10 11 15 17

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< news>

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

< commentary> Editorial/Opinion Community

< living>

< people>

18 21 22 27

Lifestyles A House is a Home Real Estate Business Directory

13 25 31

Obituaries Community Newsmakers

23 26 28 29 32

Wandering Minds Food Entertainment Going On History

24 33 35 38 39

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

< culture>

< recreation>

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The County Times

ews

Thursday, April 9, 2009 A pipe 2 feet in diameter will allow four times more fluid to pass through it than a pipe 1 foot in diameter.

un Fact

State Legislation May Tighten Septic System Regs, Erode Land-Use Authority By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Members of the county delegation say that local land-use authority could be diminished if legislation supported by Gov. Martin O’Malley passes as expected before the General Assembly winds up another session next Monday. They also say legislation tightening standards for septic systems could drive up the price of houses. And they add that there will be money for education, but other county departments could suffer because of the recession. “The budget hasn’t been settled yet, but there’s no question (there will be cuts), said Del. John Wood (DDist. 29A). “I’ve been telling the county commissioners this for a year. The train was on the tracks.” Del. Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C), the House minority leader, said that aside from the budget concerns, local jurisdictions would lose some of their planning and zoning authority to the state this year. “It will be an incremental process of forcing counties towards a statewide goal of putting growth in priority funding areas,” O’Donnell said of House Bill 295. “This is the first step to centralizing land use decisions at the state level.” O’Donnell said its passage was virtually assured. “It’s a horrible idea, it’s going to pass,” he said. O’Donnell also said that a bill required enhanced nitrogen removal technology in septic systems in critical areas of the Chesapeake Bay was likely to pass. “It’s not only for failing septic systems but for new ones as well,” O’Donnell said. “That could increase

the

the price of a new home by $12,000 to $15,000.” Both O’Donnell and Wood decried the fiscal manWhen will the county agement policy of the O’Malley administration by usdecide on the Elms ing federal stimulus funds to plug holes in the budget. The state had to make about $2 billion in cuts near property dispute? the beginning of the session to accommodate the economic downturn. “I’ve got questions about this stimulus money We’ve got that but if it’s out there, you’ll take it,” Wood said. “But it down for action April 21. should be used for one time projects only. “We’re going to be right back where we started three years from now.” County Administrator But Del. John Bohanan (D-Dist. 29B) said that John Savich stimulus funds were designed to help counties pay their bills and that a significant portion went to education. “That was totally appropriate,” Bohanan said. Bohanan also said that HB 295 only had counties report to the state on their land use decisions so the state could keep track of land resources. “There’s no carrots, no sticks no goals,” Bohanan said. On the budget, Bohanan said it was lean, rolled back to spending levels from former Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s administration. On the brighter side for the counBALTIMORE (AP) - After five years of watermen as a fast-growing and disease-resisty, he said, county schools would re- study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and tant alternative to the native oyster, but quesceive an extra $500,000 for education officials from Maryland and Virginia decided tions remain about what would happen to naand the Southern Maryland Higher against introducing Asian oysters into the tive oysters if the nonnative species began to Education Center would get its portion Chesapeake Bay, saying the bivalves pose too reproduce. of state funding doubled. great a risk to the bay’s fragile ecosystem. There is no guarantee sterile Asian oysInstead, the two states and the federal gov- ters would remain sterile if introduced in large ernment will try to bolster efforts to restore the quantities, and some environmentalists and bay’s native oyster population. But officials cau- federal scientists fear the foreign oysters could tioned the effort will be expensive, and there’s overtake the native species. no guarantee of broad success. The oyster population in the Chesapeake Oysters are viewed as a key species for is estimated to be less than 1 percent of its size bay health because they act as a filter, improv- during the 19th century. The bivalves have been ing water quality. ravaged by overfishing, pollution, destruction The Asian oyster has been touted by of habitat and, most recently, disease.

Asian Oyster Plan Dumped

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Announcement Due Soon On New Motor Sports Park

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

The developer who has proposed bringing a third motor sports park to St. Mary’s County says that he expects to make an announcement next week about the land selection for the site. Crispin Etherington, a real estate developer and racing enthusiast, said a 619-acre site located in Oakville right off Three Notch Road, as well as several other locations, were still under consideration. “Nothing’s out of the running,” Etherington said Monday in a telephone interview. Etherington said that since The County Times broke the story about his intentions to develop his Tatton Park project here, Internet queries have been flowing steadily into the offices of the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management seeking more information. Some have been supportive of the project, but Etherington admitted that “not everyone is desperately happy” with the track-style, street racing project. One e-mail to Bob Schaller, director of the county’s Department of Economic and Community Development, voiced opposition to the possibility of having the motor sports park make its home in the Oakville community. “The thought of having to listen to engines roar every weekend is very disturbing to say the least,” the letter’s author said. “This may be a ‘not in my back yard’ complaint, but I am totally against

a road-racing park in Oakville.” Schaller, who supports the project, has said that while several sites are under consideration, the project would have to go through several levels of public hearings and approvals before it becomes a reality. Schaller and other economic development officials say that the park could be a positive way to diversify the county’s economy — it is almost completely dependent on the U.S. Navy’s Patuxent River Naval Air Station — and provide residents with more entertainment and recreation options. Plans for the park also include restaurants and convention center space. “We’re waiting for someone to say we have a deal,” Schaller said. The Oakville property under consideration for the racing park was once the site of an ordnance-related operation run by the Thiokol Corporation that eventually closed, with the land later being cleared of hazardous materials. County maps denote that it is still uncertain as to whether some small areas of the site are completely free of munitions. At least one attempt to develop the property as a neighborhood was rebuffed by the county, land use records show. Schaller said that he was unsure if the Oakville site would be the one selected to be the home of Tatton Park. “I think … there’s going to be a lot of resistance to that site,” Schaller said.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

On the Critical Area Commission’s decision to hold up county wind turbine permits.

It’s so contrary with what the state is trying to promote. It’s ridiculous.

ews Commission Puts Wind Turbine Applications On Hold

Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly (D-Leonardtown)

Commissioners, Minus One, Reaffirm Support For New Land-use Director By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe (RGolden Beach) asked his fellow commissioners to merge the county’s planning and zoning and economic development offices into one unit Tuesday, amid his concerns about information that has come to light about the incoming director for the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, Derick P. Berlage. Jarboe said merging the two departments would put valuable county employees to use and make their operations more efficient. Jarboe was the lone vote against hiring Berlage last week. Under his plan Bob Schaller, current director of economic development, would have lead the new unit, with acting land-use director Phil Shire continuing in his position. Jarboe’s plan failed even to get a second motion and died in session. Berlage, as former director of planning and zoning in Montgomery County, came under fire in 2005 for apparently allowing hundreds of

homes in Clarksburg to be built against its zoning ordinances. Prior to that, as a member of the Montgomery County Council, Berlage supported banning gun shows at the county’s fairgrounds, which drew the ire of local gun advocates. “This is information we didn’t receive in his resume,” Jarboe told commissioners. “This is stuff we hadn’t discussed (in executive session), this wasn’t brought to the table.” But other commissioners said they knew of Berlage’s past and that his qualifications merited his selection as land-use director. “This (information) was brought to my table,” Commissioner President Francis Jack Russell (D-St. George’s Island) said in response to Jarboe. Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly (DLeonardtown) said that the separation of the two departments was warranted. “I’m satisfied with the structure we have in county departments,” Mattingly said. “I did Google searches and found out issues about the candidate.”

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

The state Critical Area Commission has delayed action on permit applications for wind turbines along the St. Mary’s County shoreline for 90 days because of questions over where the turbines can be located. County Commissioner President Francis Jack Russell (D-St. George’s Island) said that a commission subcommittee, comprised of members from other counties, was concerned that a St. Mary’s County zoning ordinance did not address questions of exactly where on a person’s property turbines could go. Landowners have been applying for wind-turbine permits so they can generate their own electricity. County commissioners slammed the decision as bureaucratic and in direct opposition to the Maryland Energy Administration’s push for green energy alternatives. “It’s very frustrating,” Russell said. “The commission and staff were going to pass this as a refinement, but other counties came up with enough objections.” Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (DGreat Mills), who has spoken out against the Critical Area Commission in the past, said that its latest action was another example of state interference in a county matter.

“This is a perfect example of why landuse matters need to be handled locally instead of in Annapolis,” Raley said. “Delaying these projects another 90 days is just a shame.” Rich Johnson, the first county resident to actively seek putting up his own wind turbine and an advocate for the local ordinance, said that he had his approval from the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management. “I have my permit in hand, and they cannot stop me or I might have to sue the state,” Johnson wrote in an e-mail to The County Times. Johnson ran into problems with the Critical Area Commission recently, when members said he might need a variance from the county to proceed. Members later relented, only requiring that he plant a tree on his waterfront property, Johnson said. Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe (RGolden Beach) said that the actions of the Critical Area Commission effectively allowed officials from other counties to dictate to St. Mary’s what land uses were allowed. Anyone putting up a wind turbine before the state approved the ordinance could face a legal injunction, he said. “It’s bureaucracy run amok,” Jarboe said.

Working To Make St.Mary’s County

A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE & WORK

Vets Committee To Push For Expanded Treatment Facility By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A committee formed last year to advocate for the welfare of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is working to get federal dollars to fund a new facility dedicated to healing their physical and mental traumas. Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly (DLeonardtown) said that the veterans’ home in Charlotte Hall was not equipped to deal with the type and number of trauma cases and that the region needed expanded services. “We’re trying to get the VA [Veterans Administration] to fund an expanded facility here in the tri-county area,” Mattingly said. “That’s the push.” The Veterans Regional Advisory Committee of the Tri-County Council was formed to address a perceived lack of basic medical and mental health services available to veterans returning from the war zone. Much of the time, Mattingly said, the commission has found that veterans must make long trips to either Washington, D.C., or Balti-

more for treatment, which makes holding down a job difficult for them. “The availability of services are missing,” Mattingly said. “And we’re finding that people from the reserves or the National Guard are having more issues (getting assistance) than the active military.” Wayne Clark, executive director of the tricounty council, said that part of the Charlotte Hall Veterans’ Home is already in use for treating veterans but that it’s “pretty well maxed out.” The new, expanded facility could include a full-time mental health provider as well, Clark said. A new, full-sized facility in the tri-county area could be in offing in 10 years or so, Clark said, but expanding a facility now makes more sense. “In the short term the needs are now,” Clark said. The next meeting of the veterans committee is set for April 20 at the Wicomico Shores golf course.

DELEGATE

JOHN F. WOOD, JR. YOUR VOICE IN ANNAPOLIS

Town

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Hayden Farm Plan Triggers Traffic Worries

Residents who live on and around Route 245 and the Hayden Farm property on the outskirts of Leonardtown are worried that proposed plans to develop the 172-acre parcel with school buildings, a new library and recreation fields could increase traffic in the two-lane roads to intolerable levels. “With the hospital expansion, the wellness center and the jail expansion, it’s all going to be within one mile of Route 245,” said Norman Norris. “It’s time for you guys to come up with a transportation plan.” Norris said that such a large build-out on the property, which right now only has one access point off of Route 245, could jam the two-lane road. “We’re going to have complete gridlock,” Norris said. “You can’t continue to build and not build infrastructure.” The county agreed to purchase the

Hayden Farm property in December over some objections that there was not enough public comment on the decision and Hayden Farm that the county paid too much. Leonard’s Grant The property was (324 Houses) appraised for about $3 million but the county paid $5.3 million Clark’s Rest instead. (340 Houses) A proposed master plan for the site was up for public review Tuesday Ro night before the St. ute Mary’s Board of 5 County Commissioners. Several people spoke in support of building a new library Map of the Hayden Farm and surrounding area.

Route 24 5

round

to replace the aging facility across the street at the old Leonardtown armory. The county has not yet decided whether to build a new, 40,000-squarefoot library to accommodate an increasing number of customers or, alternatively, to renovate and expand the armory site. Brad Clements, chief operating officer for county public schools, told residents

and commissioners at the meeting that enrollment projections justified placing an elementary school on the property in the near future. A middle school could be needed on the property in eight to 10 years, Clements said. Mary G. Bailey, who lives across from the Hayden property on Route 245, told commissioners that the problems she has getting out of her driveway would only get worse if the farm were developed without concurrent road improvements. “I have to spend five minutes in my driveway before pulling out because of traffic coming both ways,” Bailey told commissioners. “It’s going to be worse than now.” County Administrator John Savich reiterated that the county, in some form, still had significant plans for the Hayden property. “We will someday have a county campus on the Hayden property,” he said.

Winery Construction Under Way By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Officials hope that the conversion of the old State Highway Administration warehouse on Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown to a winery will be completed by the fall grape harvest. But they also acknowledge that it will be a challenge to get it done in just about six months. “It is, and we knew that,” said Town Administrator Laschelle Miller. “But we’re still keeping that goal.” Miller said that the winery operations should be ready by September with tasting of the winery’s products available by next spring. Interior demolition of the old building has already begun and should be completed by the end of this week, Miller said. “By the week of the [April] 20, we hope to start the plumbing,” Miller told The County Times. The Leonardtown winery project is a shared effort between the town and county governments and a cooperative of regional grape growers, the Southern Maryland Wine Growers Cooperative based in Leonardtown, to start a new type of home-grown industry in the county. So far the winery project has received $500,000 in initial grant funding from the county as well as an additional $70,000 split evenly between the county and town. Grant funding from the state in the amount of $25,000 has also helped get things started, Miller said. The total cost of the winery could reach about $600,000, she said, even though initial plans were to fund the winery at a much higher level.

“We know that $500,000 was the lower limit,” Miller said. “We felt it would’ve been better starting out with $1 million.” Members of the co-op planted more vines last weekend in Charlotte Hall, but those won’t produce enough for the winery’s operation for another three years, said Rich Fuller, the group’s president. But they still have the grapes to start producing, he said. “We have vineyards in the ground dating back to 25 years all the way up to just over the weekend,” Fuller said. Fuller and his co-op partners say they have been trying to economize on the equipment startup costs, and a recent find at Boxwood Vineyards in Middleburg, Va., was a real help. The cooperative just brought in a destemmer/grape crusher and a must (a pulp-like substance from the crushed grapes) pump from the Virginia winery last week at the right price, Fuller said. “The units were 50 percent of the cost of new units and they were only used for one season,” Fuller said. “They’re heavy-duty units and should last us 10 years.” The de-stemmer/crusher and must pump are the

first steps of the wine making process, Fuller said. Now the coop must focus on getting the huge holding vats for the grape juice. There will be a total of 10 vats at the winery, he said, ranging from 1,000 gallons down to 300 gallons in capacity. They’re looking for new vats to fit their floor space, and bargains are always welcome, he said. “If we get lucky and find some that fit and are a little cheaper, that would be really nice,” Fuller said. Patrick Isles, left, and Steve Purvis of the wine growers co-op storing equipment to start the Leonardtown winery’s operations.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Meetings Set On Unused Crabbing Licenses ANNAPOLIS (AP)- Maryland wildlife officials have scheduled three informational meetings on unused crabbing licenses.. The Department of Natural Resources has proposed freezing limited crabbing licenses that have not reported any harvests from 2004 to 2008 to help falling crab stocks. The meetings will allow the public to get information on unusued licenses. They are scheduled April 16 in Severna Park, April 20 in Fruitland and April 21 in Easton. State officials say there are about 6,000 licensed commercial crabbers in Maryland, including 3,700 limited licensees, but only a small portion are active. Under an initial proposal, about 1,000 limited licenses would have been frozen. But officials say that number could change. The DNR says it assumes unused licenses will remain that way and that the fishery can’t support a sudden increase.

State Senate Approves SpeedMonitoring Camera Bill By Brian Witte  Associated Press Writer ANNAPOLIS- The Maryland Senate reversed course April 2 and decided to approve speed-monitoring camera legislation to crack down on speeders, one day after senators voted to reject the bill in a tight vote. The measure would allow the cameras near schools and highway work zones and impose $40 fines on violators who drive at least 12 miles over the speed limit. Senators approved the bill 27-20 after receiving assurances that other legislation to broaden the use of speed cameras into residential areas would not be considered, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said. Other legislation would expand camera use in certain counties. “You don’t want to throw down the gauntlet, but weíre not going to take that at all,” Miller, D-Calvert, said. “We’re not going to take residential, and weíre not going to take these other counties.” Supporters argued the measure was important to protecting children and people who work on roads. But the bill brought strong resistance from lawmakers who contended the fines were just a way to raise money. “We’re put under this under the auspices that it’s for safety, yet we know that it’s not for safety, it’s for revenue generation,” said Sen. David Brinkley, R-Frederick. Opponents tried to filibuster the bill, but the Senate came up with the necessary 29 votes required to shut off debate and bring the bill to a final vote. Senators rejected the bill 24-23 April 1, but they voted 2819 to reconsider the vote, an uncommon procedural move. Miller, who voted against the bill April 1, also said consideration was given to Sen. James Robey, D-Howard,

a former Howard County police chief who has passionately advocated the bill to protect vulnerable citizens. Miller, who walked with Robey with his arm around him after the failed vote, said some senators started making fun of the former police chief after the bill failed April 1. “Rather than have him disrespected, we resurrected the bill,” Miller told reporters. Tensions were running high in the Maryland Senate last week, as a difficult session full of hard budget choices and controversial social issues have taken a toll. The General Assembly is nearing the final stretch of its 90-day session, which adjourns April 13. Miller began the April 1 session by apologizing for cutting off Sen. Nancy Jacobs, R-Harford, when she tried to make an amendment to the budget bill. Jacobs wanted to amend the bill to increase government transparency on the retention bonuses paid to professors at public colleges and universities. But Miller was angered by her amendment, because he thought it already had been agreed that the intent of her amendment would be included in budget language. Miller, visibly agitated, thundered from the rostrum: “Make sure that language is not included in the budget!” Republicans criticized the president on the Senate floor, saying he should apologize. He later told reporters after the Wednesday session ended that he’d overreacted, and he and Jacobs hugged to bury the hatchet later that during a second session. Miller publicly apologized to the Senate April 1, saying his frustration resulted from a misunderstanding in the process. “As the senator from the Lower Shore rightfully said,” Miller told the Senate, referring to Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, an Eastern Shore Republican, “I’ll get this way every time this time of the year, and I do and I apologize for that.”

Bay Remains Unhealthy ANNAPOLIS (AP)- A new report finds the Chesapeake Bay remains unhealthy, although restoration efforts appear to be working in some areas. The analysis released April 2 by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science gave the bay a C-minus grade. Researchers say the grade indicates ecological conditions have not significantly changed from 2007 and remain far below what is needed for a healthy Bay. However, the analysis says restoration efforts appear to be improving conditions in some areas, such as the upper western Shore and Virginia’s James River, while other areas continue to worsen. Another report released last month by the Chesapeake Bay Program also found no overall improvement over the past year.

ST. MARY’S COUNTY NOTICE OF A PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE The County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County proposes to increase real property taxes. 1. For the tax year beginning July 1, 2009, the estimated real property assessable base will increase by 7.4%, from $9,416,413,771 to $10,109,769,194. 2. If St. Mayr’s County maintains the current tax rate of $.857 per $100 of assessment, real property tax revenues will increase by 7.4% resulting in $5,942,056 of new real property tax revenues. 3. In order to fully offset the effect of increasing assessments, the real property tax rate should be reduced to $.798, the constant yield tax rate. 4. The County is considering not reducing its real property tax rate enough to fully offset increasing assessments. The County proposes to adopt a real property tax rate of $.857 per $100 of assessment. This tax rate is 7.4% higher than the constant yield tax rate and will generate $5,942,05 in additional property tax revenues. A public hearing on the proposed real property tax rate increase will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 21, 2009 at Chopticon High School, 25390 Colton Point Road, Morganza, MD 20660. The hearing is open to the public and public testimony is encourage. Persons with questions regarding this hearing may call 301-475-4200 X1200 for further information.

The County Times

To The Editor:

49 years old. He has worked as a construction worker, waterman, mechanic and at any job he was asked to do where help was needed. His hobby was car racing. He was known as “Smokin’ Joe” at the race track. That is part of his past now. This leaves his wife to support them. They have two children, the youngest being three years old. Mrs. Nelson is a contracted laborer for the postal service, so they do not have health insurance. Mr. Nelson’s stay in the hospital has left them with an extremely large medical bill, partly due to his stay in the hospital. Also, there will be more bills now that he is home and will need constant care around the clock. For more information, please call 301-4750409. Sincerely, Mary Jane Bowles

Thanks From Banquet Organizers

The 2009 Woman of the Year Banquet (Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet) was held on March 18, 2009, and was a huge success. The continued support the County Commissioners gives to the Commission for Women was invaluable in making this event a success. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 2009 Woman of the Year for Community Service, Marie Kurtz, and the 2009 Woman of the Year for the Environment, Kimberly Howe. These women do extraordinary work in our community, and it is an honor to be able to recognize them. I would also like to congratulate our other Honorees – Catherine Clay (Community Service), Amy Smith (Community Service) and Linda Vallandingham (Environment). These women also provide invaluable service to our community. I would like to thank state Sen. Roy Dyson (Linda Vallandingham), Margaret Butler (Catherine Clay), Lorraine Percell (Kimberly Howe), Jessica Vallandingham (Marie Kurtz), and Jaime Weber and the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad (Amy Smith) for taking the time to nominate our honorees. Their recognition of the special qualities of these women gave us all the opportunity to recognize their great accomplishments. This year our judges had a difficult task, and I would like to thank them for their dedication and consideration of the honorees. Lynn Fitrell, with the Maryland Commission for Women; Caroline Miller with the St. Mary’s County Commission for the Environment; Jacki Raley Meiser, executive director/ general counsel of St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission; Maureen Pomerville, 2008 Woman of the Year for Community Service; and tireless community advocate Ellen Scott. Each Honoree was given special recognition for the work they do in our community, and I would like to thank the following dignitaries for providing them with that recognition: Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, Sen. Benjamin A. Cardin, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer and the St. Mary’s County Commissioners. Hammad S. Matin, the Southern Maryland representative for Sen. Cardin (and also on behalf of Sen. Mikulski) and Betsy Bossert, the Southern Maryland representa-

Editorial:

Benefit Dance For Nelson Family

The Southern Maryland Antique Power Association is holding a benefit dinner and dance on Saturday, April 11, at the Bowles Farm Amazin Place located on the corner of Route 234 and Pincusion Road. Admission to the chicken dinner, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., is $10 per person. The dance runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and is $10 per person. Various events will also be taking place throughout the night to benefit Joe Parren Nelson and his family. Mr. Nelson suffered a heart attack last fall and underwent open-heart surgery. While recovering, he had another attack in January. With this attack, Mr. Nelson fell, striking his head severely on concrete, leaving him unconscious for some time. When he regained consciousness, he was left with some memory loss which surfaces from time to time. Due to this condition, Mr. Nelson will not be able to return to work. Mr. Nelson is only

Thursday, April 9, 2009

tive for Congressman Hoyer, presented each honoree with special recognition, as did Commissioner President Francis Jack Russell and Commissioners Daniel H. Raley and Thomas A. Mattingly, Sr. Thank you for attending the banquet and recognizing the honorees. A special thank you to the James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center for once again hosting the 2009 Woman of the Year Banquet; Ms. Bonnie Kelly for coordinating the event; Chef Ron Grosche and the students of the Culinary Arts Department for providing a wonderful meal; Mr. Edward Carney and the students of the Horticulture Department for the table arrangements, corsages and bouquets for the honorees; and Ms. Stephanie Hampton for the power-point setup and assistance with the sound system. I would be remiss without recognizing the following people: Dr. Margaret Palmer of the Chesapeake Biological Lab for giving the keynote address; John Pomerville for providing the entertainment; Linda Vert of E + V Laser Works, LTD for providing the custom awards; Bennett Connelly, Director of Human Services, and his staff for all the assistance they provided in planning and coordinating the event, with a special thanks to Stephanie Figeroux and our liaison Cynthia Brown; and Councilwoman Leslie E. Roberts from the Leonardtown Council for attending the event and in so doing recognizing the importance of the work the honorees do in our community. Last, but not least, I would like to thank the members of the Commission for Women for all the hard work they put into making this event a success: Rose Ann Everett, Pat Friend, Susan Gough, Darlene Johnson, Maureen Johnson, Marta Kelsey, Juanita Nether, Norma Pipkin and Andree Wells. If you would like to receive a nominating packet for the 2010 Women’s History Month Banquet, please call Stephanie Figeroux at (301) 475-4200, ext. 1849 and when the request for nominations goes out, one will be sent to you. Sincerely, Kathleen Werner, chairwoman St. Mary’s County Commission for Women

Law Should Consider People’s Rights To Protect Themselves

It starts out as a rather typical situation, a group of young kids gather in a neighborhood. They are unaware or unconcerned about others in the neighborhood and become loud, publicly disruptive, vulgar and disorderly. They are unaware or unconcerned that they are on private property and disruptive to the resident. The resident asks the individuals to leave. In fact he may have demanded they leave. He asks them to curb their language, maybe even demanding they do so. The resident doesn’t want this on his property, but the intruders don’t care what the resident wants or thinks, they have him outnumbered and they will do as they want. This is a situation that many people find themselves in sooner or later in the course of life. Confronted with a group of individuals who are less than respectful and law-abiding, seemingly challenging your rights and your freedom. That is the situation that confronted Reginald W. Banks of Lexington Park last Friday afternoon at his home. What happened next is not so typical, according to statements made by Mr. Banks, and it raises several questions. Rather than respect Mr. Banks rights and requests to refrain from their disorderly conduct, the group, lead by a juvenile, became more disorderly and in fact threatening towards Mr. Banks. Mr. Banks went back into his home briefly, and then returned outside his residence with a handgun in his pocket. When the juvenile approached Mr. Banks again in a “loud and disrespectful,” manner Mr. Banks removed the handgun from his pocket for public display. The crowd of intruders left but later returned with sticks and pipes, according to Mr. Banks. Banks got in his vehicle and left his residence, obviously feeling his safety was at risk and not wanting to take any further action. He drove down the street to a public area and called the police. When a St. Mary’s County Sheriff Deputy arrived, Mr. Banks, the property owner, was arrested and charged with several felonies. None of the members of the disorderly gang were charged with

any wrongdoing and were free to go. The first question that arises is why were there no further arrests made? The second question is to what extent should individuals be able to protect their property and protect themselves? We believe that the Constitution of the United States provides that law-abiding citizens have a right to bear arms for the purpose of protecting themselves and their families from harm. No matter how many laws states such as Maryland may pass to limit such rights, the basic premise of the Constitution is what we hold dear. Mr. Banks attempted to remove these disorderly individuals from his property, something he had every right to do. No law requires he should have to call the police to protect his property. In an attempt to notify these individuals to move on, he felt his personal safety was being threatened. It was only then that Mr. Banks made the decision to protect his own safety while continuing to protect his property. The sheriff’s office contends that the fact that Mr. Banks separated himself from the situation by going back inside the home removed him from the danger of harm and gave him the opportunity to call the police to handle the situation. That may be good advice, but for Mr. Banks to be required to become a prisoner in his own home, and not be free to go outside of his home, is to say that you lose your property rights when someone else violates your rights. Not so fast. These kids have no right to create a situation where Mr. Banks must stay inside his own home against his will, and Mr. Banks, knowing that his own safety may be at risk should he step outside his home, has every right under the Constitution of the United States to provide himself with protection. And if the sheriff’s office contends that Mr. Banks had separated himself from harm’s way and should have called the police, how can it argue that these kids could not have done the same thing, rather than returning to Mr. Banks home armed with sticks and pipes? Gang members are the ones, in our opinion, who are the ones violating societal laws, not Mr. Banks.

Environmental Studies Good for St. Mary’s April is Environmental Education month in Maryland!. We are so fortunate in St. Mary’s County to have an excellent site on the Chesapeake Bay for our environmental studies programs. During the last 30 years, thousands of students have had the opportunity to spend a day or night at the Elms Environmental Education site in Dameron. Some of these students, now grown, are returning with their children to share with them experiences at this bay site. The excellent staff at the center lead the groups in discovering salamander eggs or tadpoles in the wetlands, studying water quality of the bay and exploring the shoreline, birding with binoculars and many other activities. Since the beginning of the program, the

State Department of Natural Resources has been an involved hands-on partner in developing these programs at this site and other DNR sites within our county. Special thanks to our DNR personnel and Secretary Griffin who visited the Elms this year and to Dr. Peter Dunbar and the Power Plant Division for their continued strong support for the St. Mary’s County Environmental Education Program. Thanks also to the thousands of parents who come with their children and helped the environmental staff present these excellent programs along with the classroom teachers. Marianne Chapman Hollywood, Md.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Legal Ad:

The County Times

Possible DWI Crash

IN THE MATTER OF KELLY IRENE CURRY FOR CHANGE OF NAME TO KELLY IRENE JENKINSON

While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior. -Henry C. Link

In the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland Case No.: 18-C-09-00463 NC The above Petitioner has filed a Petition for Change of Name in which she seeks to change her name from Kelly Irene Curry to Kelly Irene Jenkinson. The petitioner is seeking a name change because: She would like to change her name back to her maiden name of Jenkinson, because her son has that last name. Any person may file an objection to the Petition on or before the 15th day of May, 2009. The objection must be supported by an affidavit and served upon the Petitioner in accordance with Maryland Rule 1-321. Failure to file an objection or affidavit within the time allowed may result in a judgment by default or the granting of the relief sought. A copy of this Notice shall be published one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least fifteen (15) days before the deadline to file an objection. JOAN W. WILLIAMS, Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County Maryland 04-09-09

Quote Of The Day

A volunteer rescue squad took a female driver to St. Mary’s Hospital late Wednesday morning after a two-vehicle crash that sent a minivan rolling over the center median of Route 235 in Lexington Park near the intersection with FDR Drive. A witness on the scene said the driver of the second, striking vehicle was given roadside sobriety tests by police before stepping into an ambulance. Personnel on the scene said the woman’s injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. No further information was available at press time. Photos by Sean Rice

for the love of

Money

The County Times

Former Tobacco Farm Converted to Vineyard

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

done,” farm co-owner Gerald Byrne said of the planting. “In return, people that are interested in it can learn something about it.” During its 300-year history as a tobacco The farm is growing grapes to supply the plantation, the Conradnew winery being deByrne family farm on veloped on Route 5 in Golden Beach Road has Leonardtown. (See an been known as the “long article on the winery’s looked for come at last progress on Page 7 of farm.” The County Times.) Now with two fresh The Conradacres of grapevines plantByrne farm has been ed on Saturday, the long growing grapes and looked for replacement making small batches for tobacco farming in St. of wine since 2004 in Mary’s County has come a “proofing vineyard” at last. to find out which grape Nearly 70 people varieties are best suited showed up for the grapefor wine making. vine-planting event at “This is the first the Charlotte Hall farm, Photo by Sean Rice year we’ll get a comVolunteers help plant 2,400 new grapevines mercially dubbed “Rootstock09”. interesting The farm, which is a this weekend at the Conrad-Byrne family farm in sized crop,” Byrne said, Charlotte Hall member of the Southern adding that it will take Maryland Wine Growers up to five years for the Cooperative, organized the event with help from vines to produce at their full potential. the Maryland Grape Growers Association. “This is about more than just a winery, it’s In addition to helping plant 2,400 new the new agriculture for the county. This is the vines, volunteers had a chance to learn about one crop that really has taken hold,” said Bob the grape-growing process with hands-on train- Schaller, the county’s economic and commuing sessions and demonstrations. nity development director. “This is the future “We knew it was going to take a lot to get it of farming here.”

CITIZEN SCRAP TIRE DROP-OFF DAY APRIL 18, 2009

St. Mary’s County Residents Get Rid of Your Old Scrap Tires Now

FREE OF CHARGE! Up to 10 Tires Per Vehicle – One Visit Per Resident & Vehicle Commercial Vehicles & Business Tires Prohibited

Drop them off on April 18th Hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm at the

St. Andrews Landfill on Rt. 4 For more information contact:

St. Mary’s County DPW&T - 301-863-8400 www.stmarysmd.com Citizen Scrap Tire Drop-Off Day is sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Environmental Service.

Thursday, April 9, 2009 The universally popular Hershey bar was used overseas during World War II as currency.

un Fact

Habitat for Humanity Home Building Underway By Sean Rice Staff Writer Earth-movers from Bubby Knott’s Great Mills Trading Post got started this week clearing the land at the site of this year’s Patuxent Habitat for Humanity home building projects in Lexington Park. Two homes are set to go up on a 5-lot parcel of land on Forest Park Road, to be known as Fenwick Ridge subdivision. It is located less than a half-mile from the intersection of Route 235 and Hermanville Road. “Hopefully we’re going to get three homes out this year,” said Diane Daly, director of administration for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which serves Calvert and St. Mary’s counties. Daly said the group has been building an average of two homes per year, but they hope to ramp-up that number in coming

years, due to the success of the new “ReStore” in Lexington Park. The ReStore, which sells used building equipment and appliances, has been open for a year and a half, and produces enough income alone to build one home. The local Habitat affiliate now owns 15 lots that are ready be developed - five at Fenwick Ridge and 10 more off Saratoga Drive in the Patuxent Park subdivision in Lexington Park. When completed later this year, the single-family homes at Fenwick Ridge will be sold at-cost to families with a demonstrated need for affordable housing. Buyers of the homes will sign on for a zero percent interest mortgage in the range of $100,000 to $110,000. For more information on the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity, see their Web site: www.patuxenthabitat.org.

The Times Pick 10 Company

Wal-Mart 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 4/8/2009

Close 12/31/2008

WMT HOG BBY LMT BAESF CSC DCP GD MANT NOC

$52.62 $16.24 $39.35 $72.55 $4.67 $37.93 $13.12 $43.98 $41.55 $45.00

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

Change

-6.14% -4.30% 39.99% -13.71% -13.68% 7.94% -13.51% -23.63% -23.33% -0.09%

‘Blue Wind’ Owner Rob Plant Named As Lead Md Foundation Fellow Rob Plant, owner and operator of Blue Wind Gourmet in Lexington Park, and a St. Mary’s County resident, has been awarded a fellowship in the LEAD Maryland Foundation Class VI. The LEAD Maryland Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and developing leadership for Maryland agriculture, natural resources and rural communities. Plant is one of 22 fellows named to the new class, which met for it’s first 3-day training seminar Feb. 11-13. During the next two years, Fellows will complete 10, multiday seminars at locations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. The group’s next seminar will be held in Frederick County this month, and will teach conflict resolution skills and related leadership topics. It will also focus on understanding land use, preservation, planning and zoning issues. Additionally, the LEAD Maryland

Foundation provides fellows with an international study tour as part of their training. Travel plans for the next class have not been announced, but previous groups have traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, China, Cuba, Brazil, Finland, Estonia and Russia. “Collectively, this group of early to midcareer professionals offer a wealth of experience and a wide diversity of perspectives in working with agriculture, locally produced food, and natural resources,” Susan Harrison, executive director of LEAD Maryland Foundation, said in a press release. Fellows are selected through an application and interview process from a pool of emerging leaders from all regions of the state, representing a diversity of backgrounds, work, education, and other experiences. LEAD provided the first training program of this type in Maryland in 1999 and is based on a training curriculum developed in the mid 1960s by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The County Times

Moon Rock Finds Home At Naval Air Museum

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

Former Apollo astronaut James Lovell recalled the sobering image of Earth he experienced while flying a quarter-million miles out in space, orbiting the moon during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. In contrast to the gray, lifeless moon surface, the Earth radiated life in a blue haze, Lovell said Friday at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. “It was so small, that was the thing that got to me. I could put up my thumb and put the entire Earth behind my thumb,” Lovell said after receiving the Ambassador of Exploration Award from NASA. “Now you all have to think about that for just a little bit. Everything you’ve ever known, your loved ones … the world, everything is behind your thumb,” Lovell told the crowd of about 75. “And it dawned on me how insignificant we really all are. And yet I thought to myself how lucky we all are, that we had a body with just the right environment to allow life.”

Lovell decided the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum was just the right environment for his new award, which features a piece of rock from the lunar surface smaller than a fingernail. Lovell donated the award to the museum officially later in the day during a black-tie museum fundraiser at the J.T. Daugherty Conference Center. Lovell was trained as a test pilot in the

NASA Photo The Ambassador of Exploration Award was given to Lovell on Friday, and Lovell promptly donated it to the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. A fragment of moon rock is encased near the top of the award.

1950s at what is now the Patuxent River Naval Air Station before being selected for the lunar exploration program. He said his moon rock at the museum will serve to represent the 40-plus naval aviators who came through Pax River on their way to becoming successful astronauts. “I thought that perhaps having this lunar sample here for the young boys and girls that come into the museum and see what we are trying to accomplish here at Patuxent River, and give them the inspiration perhaps to follow a career in the Navy or as naval aviators … or perhaps even go into space.” The award features a fragment of moon rock smaller than a fingernail. An inscription describes the rock as “a Photo by Sean Rice symbol of the unity of human endeavor and Former Apollo astronaut James Lovell demonstrates how he covered the view of Earth with his thumb while orbiting the mankind’s hope for a future of peace and harmony.” moon in 1968.

Obama Defense Doctrines Subject of Forum

The Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) and the Patuxent Partnership are teaming up to present the 2009 Patuxent Defense Forum: “Roles of the U.S. Military in Fragile and Failed States” on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 21-22. The conference will allow participants to better understand the evolving Obama defense doctrines that focus on economic and humanitarian assistance to failed and fragile states. Since 2002, the share of Department of Defence spending on overseas development assistance has surged from 5 percent to 21 percent of all U.S. government assistance. Professor Michael Cain, director of the Center for the Study of Democracy, said, “There is no question that the security problems posed by fragile and failed states has emerged as an important force in U.S. foreign policy, with the defense department playing a greater role in the tasks of reconstruction and development in volatile environments.”

Registration is $95 per person and is available on the Patuxent Partnership’s website at www.paxpartnership.org. This event is open to the public. For more information, contact Abby Thompson at 240-895-6432 or ammeatyard@ smcm.edu. Todd Morgan, vice president of SAIC, said in a press release, “The conference will identify how we can adapt to this new world order, where flexibility and agility are required for the application of smart and soft power.” For example, on Wednesday, there will be a discussion on DOD’s AFRICOM (Africa Command), created in 2008. According to the Failed States Index, published in Foreign Policy Magazine, eight out of 11 failed states are African nations. Because 40 percent of the world’s failed states border the Indian Ocean, piracy and the threat of piracy are negatively affecting maritime commerce. The full program can be viewed at the Center for the Study of Democracy’s website, www.smcm.edu/democracy.

Defense & Military Defense Cuts

Gates: Presidential Helicopters Chopped, F-35 Expanded

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation should stop pouring billions into futuristic, super-expensive F-22 jet fighters, pull the plug on new presidential helicopters and put the money into systems U.S. soldiers can use against actual foes, Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared this week. Major overhaul plans laid out by the Obama administration’s Pentagon chief would slash several giant weapons programs — and thousands of civilian jobs that go with them, possibly affecting the workforce at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Major programs facing cuts include the F-22 Raptor, the military’s most expensive fighter plane at $140 million apiece. Gates says the Pentagon won’t continue the F-22 program beyond 187 planes already planned. Bethesda-based Lockheed, the nation’s largest defense contractor, has said almost 95,000 jobs could be at stake. Gates also said no to a new f leet of Marine One presidential helicopters — with a price tag of $13 billion, more than double the original budget. He said new helicopters would be needed at some point, but he wants time to figure out a

better solution. The primary location where Marine One helicopters are being developed is Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Despite the potential cut to the helicopter program, NAS Patuxent River could benefit from Gates’ proposal to speed up production of the F-35 fighter jet. That program could end up costing $1 trillion to manufacture and maintain 2,443 planes. Still, despite all the talk of cuts, the total figure would rise from $513 billion for 2009, to $534 billion in 2010, and Gates spoke of using money more wisely, not asking for less. Gates said he hopes lawmakers will resist temptations to save outdated system that keep defense plants humming in their home districts. “We must rebalance this department’s programs in order to institutionalize and finance our capabilities to fight the wars we are in today and the scenarios we are most likely to face in the years ahead,” he said. The Pentagon said it could not predict how much money Gates’ proposals might save, if any. Gates read off a hit list of programs to be canceled or trimmed, but the Pentagon did not release details.

Patuxent Defense Forum:

Roles of the U.S. Military in FragileDefense and Failed States Patuxent Forum: Roles of the U.S. Military in Fragile and Failed States

Join us for this two-day conference that us takes hard look atconference the Join for athis two-day problems posed by the increasing that takes a hard look at the numbers of fragile problems posed byand the failed increasing numbers of fragile and failed states in the international system. states the international Expertsinfrom academia, thesystem. defense Experts academia, the defense industryfrom and government agencies industry and government agencies will debate how U.S. military will debate how U.S. military policies fit within a broader security policies fit within a broader security paradigm for for the the 21st 21st century. century. paradigm The conference conference is is presented presented by by The The Patuxent Patuxent The Partnership and and the the Center Center for for the the Study Study of of Partnership Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and underwritten by Science Applications International International Corporation Corporation (SAIC). (SAIC).

Date: April 21 and 22, 2009

beginning 9:00 Date: Aprilat 21 and am 22, 2009

beginning at 9:00 amCollege Location: St. Mary’s of Maryland, Cole Cinema Location: St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Cole Cinema Registration: $95 Registration: $95 www.paxpartnership.org www.paxpartnership.org A qualified continuous learning event

A qualified continuous learning event which may count toward your DAWIA which may count toward your DAWIA Continuous Learning requirement Continuous Learning requirement

Contact Abby Abby Thompson Thompson at at the the Contact Center for for the the Study Study of of Democracy Democracy Center amthompson@smcm.edu or or 240-895-6432 240-895-6432

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

“Students Against Underage Drinking”

Poster Designed by: Rachel Harrison • 12th Grade • Chopticon High School “The Governor’s Office of Crime Conrol and Prevention funded this project under grant number EDUL-2007-1015. All points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of any State or Federal agency.”

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Marie Musto Baumann, 91 Marie Musto Baumann, 91, of Brick, N.J., and formerly of California, Md., died April 5, 2009, at Washington Hospital Center. Born November 6, 1917, in Union City, N.J., she was the daughter of the late Angelo and Mary Siri Musto. She was the loving wife of the late Ernest C. Baumann whom she married in Elkton, Md. She is survived by her children; Jan Reitmeyer and her husband Bill of New Jersey, Jeri Baumann of California, Md., Art Baumann of New Jersey and Ernie Buamann and his wife Jane of New Jersey. as well as 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters Norma D’Argenio of Colorado, Helen Scrivens of New Jersey and Carol Kassabian of Bowie, Md. She was preceded in death by her daughter Marie Feeney. She graduated from Emerson High School and attended a nursing school in New York. Services will be held at a later date in New Jersey. Contributions may be made to the Lexington Park Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 339, Lexington Park, Md. 20659. To leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.mgfh.com. A full obituary will appear at a later date. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

John Faustin Callis, 88 John Faustin Callis, 88, of California, Md., died March 28, 2009, at Charlotte Hall Veteran’s Home. Born February 15, 1921, in Ventura, Calif., he was the son of the late John Joseph and Clara Maude Gardner Callis. He was the loving husband of the late Yoshie Osaka Callis. He is survived by his sons Joseph Marcus Callis of Chilhowie, Va., William Gardner Callis of Fort Collins, Colo. and August Edward Callis of Knoxville, Tenn. and his brother William Abraham Callis of California, Md. as well as four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his sons Richard George Callis and William Loran Callis. He worked in Weapons Procurement for the U.S. Federal Government for 35 years. John served in the U.S. Navy for five years from 12/19/194111/14/1945 and 07/17/1950-07/21/1951 where he received the following awards: WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, American Theater Service Medal and a Korean Service Medal. He served aboard the USS Montgomery in Espiritu Santo, Kwajalein, Solomons and Gudalcanal and the LSMR 409 during the Inchon Invasion. A graveside service was held on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 10 a.m. in Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery, Cheltenham, Md. To leave a condolence for the family please visit www. mgfh.com. A full obituary will appear at a later date. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Shirley Marie Dement, 70

The County Times

D.C. 20015. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Md.

their website at www.mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Phyllis Lorraine Doughty,

Florence Mary Gareau Gee, 94, of Park Hall, Md., died March 30, 2009, in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown, Md. Born on May 31, 1914, Florence was the beloved daughter of the late Dalphine and Charles Gareau. She was looking forward to her 95th birthday in several weeks. She was born, raised, and spent the majority of her life in Plattsburgh, N.Y. She is survived by four children: son Gary Gee, daughter Sherry Lloyd (Paul), son James Gee (Janette) and daughter Pride Haley (Tim). Florence was grandmother to Patrick, Brian, Daniel and William Lloyd; Cheri Williams, Carrie Rose, William Haley, Tracey Hartman and Sally Devan. She was great grandmother to Kacey, Hanna, Haley, and Cameron Lloyd; Samuel and Nickolas Williams; Caitlyn Rose, Luke Haley, Rebecca and Jack Hartman, Cody and Ryan Devan, and planned to welcome two new great grandchildren in June. She was preceded in death by seven sisters and brothers: Louis Gareau, Beatrice Demary, Eva Agnew, Margaret Douglas, Dora Basquet, Elizabeth Witkowski, and Joseph Gareau, son Gary Gee, and grandson, Patrick Lloyd. A Memorial Mass was celebrated at St. Michaels Church, 16555 Three Notch Road, Ridge, Md. 20680 by Msgr. Maurice O’Connell on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at 11 a.m. Interment will be private. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Md.

Shirley Marie Dement, 70, a devoted wife and mother, died April 1, 2009, at St. Mary’s Hospital after a long and tiring struggle with health issues. She and her husband resided in Tall Timbers, Md. Shirley was born on November 13, 1938, in Mechanicsville, Md. She was the daughter of the late Margaret (Cusic) Long and the granddaughter of the late Jody and Daisy Cusic. Shirley married her husband Kenneth Dement, Sr. (County Commissioner for District 2) on November 20, 1954. They were fortunate to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with friends and family four and a half years ago. She was a child bride of 16 and they have been happily married and very close all these years. Shirley attended St. Mary’s Academy and retired from the St. Mary’s County School Board as a bus driver with 20 years of service. She was a wonderful and loving homemaker for her family. She was a great cook noted for her stuffed ham and fried oysters. She enjoyed her many collectables that included; Barbie dolls, Elvis, roosters, ducks, angels, tea pots, and her blue and white chinaware. She also enjoyed flowers and bird watching. She is survived by her husband Kenny Dement and their four sons; Michael of Great Mills, Md., Ronald of CA, Jeffery of LaPlata, Md. and Jody of Callaway, Md., her three sisters; Becky Guy, Charlene Adams and Marian Hobgood of Mechanicsville, Md., her seven grandchildren; Hannah, Brooke, Jake, Dylan, Alexandria, Ryan and Rochelle, and two great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her oldest son Kenny Jr. “KD” who died in 1998. Family received friends on Sunday, April 5, 2009, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. in Holy Face Catholic Church, 20476 Point Lookout Road, Great Mills, Md. 20634. Prayers were recited at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, April 6, 2009, at 10 a.m. Reverend Joseph R. Sileo was the celebrant. Interment followed in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, Md. 20650, the Second District Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 1, Valley Lee, Md. 20692, or the National Kidney Foundation, 5335 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Suite 300, Washington,

Phyllis Lorraine Doughty, 47, of California, Md., died April 5, 2009. Born May 17, 1961, in Brunswick, Maine, she was the daughter of William Alfred and Phyllis Evelyn Bodman Doughty. For arrangement details or to leave a condolence for the family please visit www.mgfh.com. A full obituary will appear at a later date. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

James Rex “Jimmy” Freeman, 73

James Rex “Jimmy” Freeman, 73, Lexington Park, Md., formerly of Callaway, Md., died April 4, 2009, in Chesapeake Shore Nursing Home. Born May 10, 1935, in Wise County, Va., he was the son of the late Leonard and Venus Freeman. He was the husband of Sharon Freeman whom he married in 1979 in Orange County, Va. He is survived by his daughter Jamie Lynn Corrighan; three siblings VaseLee Freeman and Margie Combs both of Lexington Park, Md., and Rosie Carter of Valley Lee, Md. and one granddaughter. He was also preceded in death by his siblings John Freeman, Troy Freeman, Myrtle Freeman and Delphia Brooks. Jimmy was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident where he attended Little Flower School. He was employed with the State Highway of St. Mary’s County where he worked for 21 years until his retirement in 1974 due to an accident. He enjoyed having family gatherings, drinking, fishing, playing cards and scratch offs. He loved working for Melba Carter by doing little things for her like crushing beer cans, cutting wood and mowing the grass. He also enjoyed helping people when needed and loved to hang out at Abell’s and Friendly’s Tavern, they were his homes away from home. The family would like to give a big thanks to Hospice and the staff at Chesapeake Shores Nursing Center. All services will be private. To send a condolence to the family please visit

Florence Mary Gareau Gee, 94

Leslie Wayne Goddard, 66

Leslie Wayne Goddard, 66, of Drayden, Md., died March 31, 2009, at St. Mary’s Hospital. Born November 20, 1942, in Leonardtown, Md., he was the son of the late Thomas Albert and Grace Elizabeth Goddard. He was a waterman most of his life. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1964-1966 where he received many honors such as; Marksman Badge, Expert Rifleman, Good

Conduct Medal (both services), Combat Infantry Badge, Vietnam Service Medal, RVN Campaign Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross and the Presidential Memorial Certificate for his service to his country. He also served as a Seabee in the Navy Reserves from 1983-1986. He was honorably discharged from both branches of service. He was employed at Patuxent River NAS public works department as a painter from 1978 to 1988 before leaving to start his own painting and restoration business and to become the caretaker of the historical Porto Bello Farm for the past 18 years. He is survived by his wife, BettyCarol, his three children; Louise “Chickie” Goddard of Mechanicsville, Md., Christy Bixby and her husband Jeff of California, Md., and Paul Goddard and his wife Christie of Panama City, Fla., as well as Vikki Owens of Mechanicsville, Md., who was like a daughter to him, his sisters; Barbara Ann Burke of Tall Timbers, Md., and Deborah Hills and her husband Larry of Great Mills, Md., brothers; Thomas “Buzzy” Goddard, II and his wife Ragna of Higganum, Conn., Roy Goddard of Tall Timbers, Md., and Curtis Goddard and his wife Cheryl of Lusby, Md., as well as his grandchildren: Aimee and Brooke Bixby, both of California, Md., Jonathan, Steven, Brandon, Nicolas and Lindsey Goddard, all of Panama City, Fla. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters Joan Elizabeth Melendy, Gladys Lorraine Goodwin and his brother David Samuel Goddard. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed walking along local beaches hunting for arrowheads and pottery. He also enjoyed riding through the trails he made on his ATV. The family received friends on Thursday, April 2, 2009, from 5–8 p.m. in St. George’s Episcopal Church, Valley Lee, Md., where prayers were said at 7 p.m. A funeral service was held on Friday, April 3, 2009, at 10 a.m. in St. George’s Episcopal Church with the Rev. Gregory Syler officiating and Fr. Joseph Dobson co-officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Danny O’Conner, Jeff Bixby, Bill Goddard, Bruce Julian, David Goddard and Larry Hills. Honorary pallbearers were Benji Goddard and Randy Lumpkins. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, St. Mary’s Unit, P.O. Box 1032, Lexington Park, Md. 20653 and/or St. George’s Episcopal Church, Father Dale Cropper Memorial, P.O. Box 30, Valley Lee, Md. 20692.To leave a condolence for the family please visit www.mgfh.com. A full obituary will appear at a later date. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Heather Michelle Groht, 36 Heather Michelle Groht, 36, of Mechanicsville, Md., and formerly of Hyattsville, Md.,, died April 6, 2009, at her residence. Born November 19, 1972 in Cheverly, Md., she was the daughter of William Brady and Renee Sharon Morgan Hidey of Me-

The County Times

chanicsville, Md. She is also survived by her daughter Alexis Groht and her siblings Elisa Bowles and William Hidey, all of Mechanicsville, Md. Heather moved to St. Mary’s County in January of 1984 from Hyattsville, Md. She was a homemaker who loved rollerblading, ice skating and biking with her daughter Alexis. The family received friends on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, from 5-8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, Md., where prayers were said at 7 p.m.. A funeral service was held on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at 10 a.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel with Fr. Peter Alliata officiating. Interment followed in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Pallbearers were William Hidey, Robert Hidey, Daniel Bowles, Daniel Shriver, Paul “P.J.” Richardson and Tom Groht. Honorary pallbearers were Angela Howe, Stephanie Spicer Terry Wathen and Brandy McCray. Contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, Md. 20650. To leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.mgfh. com. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

She loved to sew, making beautiful costumes. She loved working in her garden, bowling, painting, walking the beach and spending time with her family. Anna was a very talented person in whatever she did. Those left to cherish her memories are her beloved husband Robert Howarth whom she married in 1990, three children, Glynn A. Phillips, III of Texas, Regina Ann Phillips of Texas, and James Todd Phillips and his wife Bessie, of St. Leonard, Md.; granddaughters, Kalynn Loretta Phillips of

tion to her parents, brother Peter (Jerry) Knott, Jr. preceded her in death. Family received friends on Friday, April 3, 2009 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, where a funeral service was held on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 10 a.m. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, Md. Condolences may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Md.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Melinda Yoder of Mifflintown, Pa. and Moses Stoltzfus of Hagerstown, Ind. She was preceded in death by her son Alvin Swarey and her siblings Mary, Steve, Sam, Hannah and Ben Stoltzfus. Services were held at the family residence on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, and interment followed in Fisher Cemetery, Mechancisville, Md. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

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Anna Marie Howarth, 59

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Anna Marie Howarth, 59, of St. Leonard, Md., died on March 30, 2009, at Washington Hospital Center. Born on August 21, 1949, in Baltimore, Md., to the late John Robert Petty and Eleanor (Perrera) McKay. Anna moved to St. Mary’s County at the age of 5. She received her education from the St. Mary’s County school system. She worked for Bankmakers and United Designs Inc. when she lived in Oklahoma. Anna also worked at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Md., as a contracted security guard from 1988 until 2005 when she became ill with lung cancer.

Arizona, Chloie Annafaye Phillips and Summer Elizabeth Phillips of St. Leonard, Md. She also leaves siblings, Eleanor (Petty) Pulliam and her husband Louis of Leonardtown, Md., Margaret (Petty) Young and her husband James of Lexington Park, Md., JoAnn (McKay) Connelly and her husband Dave of Lexington Park, Md., John R. Petty, Jr. and his wife Margot of Bad Axe, Mich., William H. Knott and his wife Bonnie of Lexington Park, Md., Wayne Petty of Solomons, Md., and Kenneth Petty and his wife Tina of Baltimore, Md., stepfather, Joseph Alvin McKay of Beachville, Md. and a host of nieces and nephews. She also leaves loving friends that are too many to mention. In addi-

Lydia Swarey, 79

Joseph P. Wilkinson, Jr., 101

Lydia Swarey, 79, of Charlotte Hall, Md., died April 5, 2009, at her residence. Born on November 30, 1929, in Lancaster, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Ben and Lydia Stoltzfus. She was the wife of the late Christian M. Swarey who preceded her in death in 2002. She is survived by her children Israel Swarey, Ben C. Swarey, Jacob C. Swarey and Mary Kurtz, all of Charlotte Hall, Md., and Gertrude Byler of Addison, N.Y. as well as 35 grandchildren and 49 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings Susanna Swarey of Charlotte Hall, Md.,

Joseph P. Wilkinson, Jr., 101, of Leonardtown, Md., died April

4, 2009, at his home. Born December 20, 1907, in Hollywood, Md., he was the son of the late Joseph P. Sr, and Eleanor Wells Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson received his primary education at the old Sandy Bottom School in Hollywood, Md., and then attended Georgetown Prep in Washington, D.C. For many years Mr. Wilkinson was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Leonardtown, Md., and was an active participant in many organizations of the parish including the Holy Name Society. He also was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus Council 1470 and served as past Grand Knight. In his early years, he worked for Mr. Al Saunders at his general store in Leonardtown. He also worked for Lloyd Brown as an electrician. Prior to World War II, he opened a radio repair shop and was the only radio repairman in St. Mary’s County. After the war ended, Mr. Wilkinson opened his own Radio/TV/Appliance sales/service business known for many years as Wilkinson’s in Leonardtown. He closed the business in 1965 and went to work at NATC, Patuxent River, Md., where he worked until his retirement on March 29, 1975. Mr. Wilkinson is survived by his seven children: Joseph A. Wilkinson, Catherine (Kitty) Doering, Frances Duke, Ellen Hall, Dorothy Fenwick, Patricia Dameron, all of Leonardtown, Md., and Karen Behrens of LaPlata, Md.; 33 grandchildren, 61 great grandchildren, 13 great-great-grandchildren, and one sister, Mary Wilkinson Carroll. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Helen Bowles Wilkinson whom he married April 6, 1931, at St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church in Hollywood, Md. He is also preceded in death by his brothers; George Wilkinson, McCall Wilkinson, Rev. James Wilkinson, SJ, Claude Wilkinson and sisters; Harriet Curtin, and Eleanor Boothe. The family received friends on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road., Leonardtown, Md. 20650. Prayers were recited at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 11 a.m. in St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 22800 Washington St., Leonardtown, Md. 20650. The Rev. George A. Wilkinson was the celebrant. Interment followed in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Cemetery, Hollywood, Md. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, Md. 20650, or the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, Md. 20650. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Md.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

un Fact

Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

Know

In The

‘Read Across America’ Comes to Mechanicsville Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Mechanicsville Elementary School hosted its “Read Across America” event on Friday, welcoming community members and dignitaries to the school to read their favorite books to the children. The event was originally scheduled for March 2 but was canceled due to inclement weather. “We had a really bad snowstorm, so we had to scramble around and reschedule it, so unfortunately we don’t have as many guest readers as we had for the first one,” said Gina Bonsignore, a guidance counselor at the school. “They’re just kind of plugging it together with some other local people today.” Among the guest readers were former county commissioner Tommy McKay, County Commis-

sioner President Francis Jack Russell, Sheriff Tim Cameron, school board member Marilyn Crosby, Leonardtown Mayor J. Harry Norris and Capt. Andrew Macyko, commanding offier of the Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “We read a book about different shapes, and we read another one about a prince and a sleeping lady,” said Russell, who had just finished reading to Deanna Simpkin’s second grade class. His face lit up as he described the second book, saying, “All these fairies around were trying to get this prince to give this lady a kiss, so he tried so many things, even shooting her out of a cannon. “Then he finally got up his nerve and gave her a kiss, and she crashed him in the jaw with her fist, because he had taken the liberty to give her that kiss … I think it’s a great lesson for anyone at any age,” he said, laughing.

Crosby read to James Shaffer’s third grade class, and described the experience as exciting and rewarding. “This is one book I’m going to take everywhere,” she said, holding up a new copy of Susan Shepherd’s “My Chincoteague Pony” along with photos that she had taken of the ponies at Chincoteague Island with her husband. “I’ve gone to Chincoteague for the last 20 years, and it’s a true story, and it’s just dear to my heart.” “Today, we had so many wonderful willing readers for our students,” said Principal Barbara Cooksey Feeney. “These community luminaries are a great model for our children to emulate!” “We want our students to become independent readers who read everyday and who love to read. That is why Read Across America is so important to us,” she said.

College Senior Wins $500 St. Mary’s College of Maryland senior Marjorie Foley, of Kingsville, Maryland, is the winner of the 2009 Maryland Outstanding Honors Student in the four-year college category from the Maryland Collegiate Honors Council. The announcement was made in February during the council’s annual conference at Towson University. Foley received a certificate and a check for $500, which will help fund the Master of Art in Teaching program she plans to enter after graduating this spring. Foley was SMCM’s first nominee in three years. The most recent SMCM student to win the award was Tabitha Clem, a chemistry major who graduated in 2005, now in the doctoral program in organic chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

Teaching Terror

How One Professor Stretches the Boundaries of a Touchy Topic For the second year in a row, Political Science Professor Fuad Suleiman will be teaching his class, “The Politics of Terrorism,” this fall at St. Mary’s College. Suleiman, who was born and spent the first part of his life in Palestine, came to the United States in 1954 after graduating from secondary school to pursue a Western college education. He has since divided his time between the United States and 16 different Middle Eastern countries, where he has worked as a consultant in the areas of economic, social, and economic development. With such an intimate knowledge of the region, it seems fitting that he would teach a course on one of hottest topics to emerge from that part of the world in recent years. For Suleiman though, the threat of terrorist attacks was not much of an issue during the time he spent in countries like Iraq or Saudi Arabia. “Terrorism has always been sort of a minor part of what I have

St. Mary’s Teams Sweep Robotics Challenge

Several middle school and high school robotics teams from St. Mary’s County performed in the College of Southern Maryland’s 2009 Robotics Challenge, competing in several contests and taking home awards. The “Nuclear Sparks” team from Holy Angels Sacred Heart School in Avenue won the engineering design award, while the “KCA Eagles” team from King’s Christian Academy earned the rising star award. Competing in the high school division, the team from Spear Academy, a home school co-op in Mechanicsville, joined with Southern Maryland’s “Spock-Itz” team from Hollywood, and Thomas Stone’s “Red Robins” team from Waldorf, and the alliance advanced to the final round, earning entry to the VEX Robotics Competition Championship in Omaha, which will take place in April. Judges chose Leonardtown High School’s “Raider Robotics 2” team for their 2009 Innovate Award, while St. Mary’s Ryken High School was chosen for this year’s Cooperate Award.

St. Mary’s College Awarded at District Convention

St. Mary’s College of Maryland senior Marjorie Foley, of Kingsville, Maryland, is the winner of the 2009 Maryland Outstanding Honors Student in the four-year college category from the Maryland Collegiate Honors Council.

Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

Education

worked on, because it is not the center of life in any of the countries in the Middle East,” he said. “It’s always on the fringe, so when you work with governments who are mostly friendly to our government, as are the ones I’ve worked in, then you find that what you’re trying to do is to treat the root causes of terrorism: war, poverty, the lack of government control, law and order, etc. … My approach is to treat it as you would any scientific subject, as a subject of inquiry,” he said. For Suleiman, one of the biggest challenges in teaching on the topic has been correcting common misconceptions about terrorist groups and the people that join them. “I try getting students to think about the common statements that people make about terrorism. For example, people who join are ignorant. Only the least educated people become terrorists. But that’s an inaccurate statement … a good many of them are college-educated, and you find that a lot of them are upper-class or middle-class in terms of income,” he said, adding that studies of areas dominated by religious schooling revealed that students who attended religious schools in the Middle East were no more likely, statistically, to become terrorists. For Suleiman, who describes himself as being a born teacher, the subject has only added to the richness of his experience, and working with Arab populations has given him a unique view of the benefits of educational development. “When you go someplace and build a college of medicine where they have the first class of female students, and you see them graduate, there’s great satisfaction in that,” he said, smiling. “You know you’re helping.”

On March 28, four club officers from the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Circle K Club attended the annual Capital District Circle K International conference, (sponsored by Kiwanis International and held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Timonium, Md.), winning six awards. Among this year’s winners were Kelli Hill ’10, club president from Hagerstown, Md.; Kristen Brunot ‘10, vice president of service from Columbia, Md.; Erika Schmitt ’12, secretary from Winchester, Va.; and James Massey ‘12, treasurer from Ellicott City, Md., attended the Kiwanis-supported event. The students also participated in several workshops and elected new district officers. Hill was awarded with the King Crab Award for performing over 150 service hours within the past year, and Schmitt was awarded the Tremendous Timeliness Award for completing all club paperwork in a timely manner. The club also received the Jeffrey M. Wolff Club Achievement Award for excelling in all aspects of CKI, and the Dale Larson KiwanisFamily Relations Award for enhancing Kiwanis-family relations. Club scrapbooker, Brunot, assembled a scrapbook that won first place in the Club Scrapbook contest. Additionally, Kiwanis advisor Glynnis Schmidt was given the Outstanding Kiwanis Advisor Award and the Carthage Pullman Award for her selfless dedication to the club.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

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The County Times

Crime&

Punishment

Sheriff Defends Arrest Of Man Accused Of Leveling Gun At Crowd

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said that deputies acted properly in arresting a man who allegedly pointed a gun at a group of people he claimed were threatening him. Reginald Wayne Banks, 43, of Lexington Park was released from the county jail on bond Monday by District Court Judge John F. Slade III. According to charging documents filed

by Dep. Michael Licausi, Banks stated that the incident on Compass Circle occurred when the defendant confronted several people in front of his residence who were said to have been cursing, disorderly and disrespectful of other residents. Banks told police that one of the group, Harold Christopher Garner, approached him in an aggressive manner and cursed him. Another of the group, Banks alleged in court papers, had a large stick. Banks then went back into his residence

to retrieve a .25 caliber pistol, charging documents stated, placed it in his pocket and went back outside to confront the group. It was then that Garner, Banks alleged in charging documents, aggressively approached him a second time and Banks pulled out his weapon. “He was carrying a weapon in violation of the law,” Cameron told The County Times. “And he could’ve stayed inside the house.” Cameron said that citizens can use a reasonable amount of force to repel an assault

Prosecutors Drop Rape Charges Against Lexington Park Man By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Prosecutors with the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office have dropped charges of second-degree rape and second-degree sex offense against Giuseppe A. Clopper, 22, of Lexington Park. Representatives with the state’s attorney’s office did not return calls seeking comment as to why all charges against Clopper were dropped last week before he was scheduled to take part in a motions hearing before his trial. Detectives with the county’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations charged Clopper in July of last year with allegedly raping and sexually assaulting a three- or four-year-old girl over an 11-month period in 2003. According to court papers filed against Clopper at the time, the alleged victim had been placed in a day-care facility in Lexington Park where he had access to the child. The girl, now about eight years old, accused Clopper of sexually assaulting her while she was put down for a nap and also having

sexual intercourse with her against her will. Court papers claimed that Clopper had held the victim down while he committed the alleged acts and that she was frightened of him and unsure of what to do. The alleged victim said she tried unsuccessfully to fight Clopper off, court papers stated. Clopper, court papers stated, was a teenager at the time of the alleged incident. Court documents claimed that medical exams of the victim, completed five years after the alleged assaults occurred, showed physical evidence that supported the alleged victim’s claims. Clopper’s attorney, Public Defender John Getz, said that while the charges against his client were serious, Clopper had always maintained his innocence and was prepared to fight the allegations in court. “We we’re preparing to go to trial,” Getz said. The day care where the incident was alleged to have occurred is no longer licensed or operating, court papers stated.

but that, given the apparent facts in this case, this situation did not meet those criteria. “That’s not reasonable in my opinion,” Cameron said, adding that Banks should have called police to stop the dispute. Moreover, he said, once Banks went back inside his house, he was no longer threatened. “He separated himself from them,” Cameron said. “There’s no indication they tried to break into his house.” Charging documents went on to state that after Banks had drawn his weapon and the group fled, he alleged the same group came back wielding sticks and pipes. It was then that Banks got in his car with the handgun, drove to the rental office and called police. Banks claims that he never pointed the weapon at the victim

in the case. Garner contends that Banks loaded a round into the gun’s chamber after drawing it and pointed it at him. Banks was charged with first-and second-degree assault, use of a handgun in a felony and carrying a handgun on his person. No records exist for any arrest of Garner in the case, though, charging documents stated, he admitted to being loud and disrespectful. Lt. Jack Payne, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said that an investigative report showed that Garner, a juvenile, had not committed a crime worthy of being charged. “It’s definitely closed,” Payne said of the case. “Unless new information comes to light, there are no plans to charge any of the juveniles.”

Briefs Two Arrested For Assault In Lexington Park Melee

On April 4, 2009 deputies responded to a noise complaint on Sunburst Drive in Lexington Park and upon arrival deputies observed approximately 100 people outside and around a residence on Sunburst Drive. A large fight broke out in the rear of the residence. A woman (victim) and her vehicle were parked in the street when Rodney O’Neal Runnels, Jr., 20, of Lexington Park, allegedly smashed the driver’s window out of the vehicle. The victim exited engage in sex acts. the vehicle and she was then allegedly assaulted by Runnels. Deputy Charging documents state that when investiga- First Class Keith Moritz witnessed the assault and began to place tors confronted Tayman with the allegations of sexual Runnels under arrest. Runnels refused to place his hands behind abuse, he “apologized for what happened and promised his back or comply with the arrest. Runnels was subsequently handthe victim he would not touch her cuffed with the assistance of two additional deputies. again.” As Runnels was being placed under arrest, Celia Runnels, The charge of child sexual 38, of Lexington Park approached the deputies and was told by abuse carries a possible prison Deputy M. Green to step back, not to come any closer to the depusentence of 25 years, while the ties and to return to her residence. Celia Runnels refused. Green second- and third-degree sex ofextended her arm out in front of her body to prevent Celia Runnels fense charges could mean 20 years from approaching any further but she allegedly pushed Green’s and 10 years incarceration if Tayarm. Celia Runnels then walked back to her residence. As Celia man is found guilty. Runnels walked toward her residence she began to yell profaniTayman’s preliminary hearties. Celia Runnels disorderly conduct attracted the attention of ing in county District Court is set other neighbors. Once Rodney Runnels, Jr. was secured, Green for April 30. arrested Celia Runnels for second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Vincent R. Tayman Rodney O’Neal Runnels, Jr. was charged with second-degree assault, destruction of property, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Charles County Man Held For Child Sexual Abuse By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

A La Plata man remains jailed at the county detention center on a $250,000 bond after investigators charged him with engaging in repeated sex acts with a young girl from the ages of 7 to 10 years old. Vincent R. Tayman, 62, has been charged with sex abuse of a minor and second and third degree sex offense, according to court papers. Court documents allege that from January 2001 to July 2004 Tayman sexually abused the young girl at least 20 times while he lived in Mechanicsville. During those 20 occasions, charging documents stated, Tayman allegedly forced the victim to watch pornographic movies while at the same time forcing her to

Man Pleads Guilty To Charges Of Dealing Cocaine By Guy Leonard Staff Writer William H. Tippett, of Mechanicsville, pleaded guilty to charges of distributing cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine April 3 in county Circuit Court. Tippett, William Tippett along with several others, was indicted late last year for allegedly dealing narcotics in the parking lot of the Seabreeze Restaurant in Sandgates. Tippett, 34, pleaded guilty to two

counts last week and will only have to serve an 18-month sentence in the county detention facility after completing two separate drug treatment programs in the next six months. Judge Karen H. Abrams said that Tippett’s formal sentencing would take place in about seven months after he completes the programs. The 18-month sentence was agreed to by State’s Attorney Richard Fritz, who cautioned that if Tippett violates any of the terms of the plea deal, he could face up to 20 years in prison for the cocaine dealing charges. “You’re obtaining an incredible privilege,” Abrams told Tippett, who spoke little at his plea hearing. “Given the fact that you have all these charges against you this is a real sweetheart deal for you.”

Tippett was originally charged with three separate indictments for dealing at the Sandgates location during July of 2008 as part of an undercover drug interdiction operation staged by the county Bureau of Criminal Investigations Vice/Narcotics unit. According to information read into the record by Fritz, on July 3 a confidential informant working with the narcotics agents contacted Tippett for a quantity of cocaine, which Tippett later on that day sold to the informant. Just a little more than a week later, Fritz said, the informant contacted Tippett through an intermediary to buy more cocaine. This led to Tippett being charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine by acting with a third party.

Concealed Dangerous Weapon On April 5, 2009 Deputy Michael Boyer was patrolling the area of Great Mills Road and FDR Blvd in Lexington Park when Boyer observed a male walking. The male was wearing dark clothing with a hooded sweatshirt with the hood of the sweatshirt pulled over his head concealing his face. The area, which the male was walking, is a known drug and prostitution area. When Boyer made contact with the male, he noticed a female crouched down between two parked vehicles. The female was directed to step from between the vehicles. The male was identified as Justin Michael Martin, 19, of Lexington Park. For his safety Boyer asked the subject if he was concealing any weapons. Martin, according to police, had a butterfly knife concealed upon his person. Butterfly knives are illegal to conceal and carry in Maryland. Martin was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed dangerous weapon. The woman was identified, checked for warrants and sent on her way.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

A Voice in the Wilderness

Folk Hero Tom Wisner Talks of Life and Death on the Chesapeake ing or painting or singing. He had learned that he was dying of cancer, and since then the folk singer, artist, scientist, educator and activist has been trying to adapt to a slower pace. “When I learned I was going to die, and they said very soon, I kind of got down into this cave. To think about it, it reminds me of a deep black hole in the earth somewhere,” he said. “I looked at death like that and it was very scary, and I didn’t have many good days … and through a period of time I got to a place where I thought, well, I’m still alive, so I’ve got to live.” And living, according to Wisner, is a thing best done through creation. “If I weren’t actively making something every day, then I wouldn’t be alive,” he said. “I think that’s one of the things that I realized when I was in that imaginary cave I was in. Being alive for me is making something. I paint, I draw, I used to dance a lot, I make songs, and I play drums. I’m always making something.” Wisner, whose career has spanned Photo Courtesy Of Tom Wisner more than four decades, was awarded a citation in 1965 from the Washington D.C. By Andrea Shiell Academy of Sciences for teaching, and later he Staff Writer earned the 1988 Excellence in Teaching Award Tom Wisner sat down at his table and held for teaching the first Humanities course on the his hand over a cup of black coffee, flanked by ecological crisis of the Chesapeake, a region that shelves lined with books and CD binders, paint- for him has fueled more than 100 songs. In 1979, renowned folk music producer ings, sketches and photographs, including one impressive shot of a female crab he affectionately Moses Asche invited Tom to New York City to publish his first album, “Chesapeake Born”, called “Priscilla.” He poised his hands over his keyboard as he which later earned him accolades as a local folk talked, as though he were preparing to illustrate musician. He talked about a second-grade stuhis words with songs, as is his habit. But several months ago, Tom was not smil- dent of his once telling him, “I wonder if people

wonder what it’s like to be a crab? … Now she became a lawyer, but she was dealing with justice issues even then … but who answers the prayers

Photo Courtesy Of Tom Wisner Sen. Bernie Fowler and Tom Wisner at a 1990 wade-in.

of the fishes?” he said, adding that the crab in particular had become his muse over the years. “For darn near 40-some years, I’ve been writing songs about, singing about, and dancing and prancing with blue crabs, and therefore I’ve fallen in love with them … I do feel remorse for the fact that we’re getting to the place where

maybe we won’t have as many crabs,” he said. “They’re dying. We throw a lot of junk in that river.” Such are the subjects that he has worked tirelessly to bring to the public’s attention, most recently co-founding “Chestory”, a nonprofit organization focused on the preservation of the Chesapeake. His first three albums are part of the National Smithsonian Folkways collection, but he still treats his career as a musician with a rare combination of humor and humility. “Sometimes I have imagined that yeah, I’ve got it all, the kids ought to listen to me,” he said, laughing, “and you can’t help but think those things, but if you stand back, get behind yourself and take a look, then you realize you like fooling around with the visions, you’re putting them out there … they may not be valid at all, but are you willing then to still serve them? And the answer for me in my life has been yes. Are you going to get paid to do this? The answer is no, you’re not.” All the same, spiritual currency has admittedly driven his career as an activist and educator teaching about life on the Chesapeake, and he is planning to release one more album to round out his message. “So was I facing a wall of death three or four months ago? Yes, I was in a cave. I wasn’t writing my songs, I wasn’t doing any of this. I got busy dying,” he said, “but I don’t want to die my dying, I want to live my dying,” he said, laughing as he played several chords and reflected on what he has taught himself through song. “I do know what I love. I know it well. I know how I’m made, and who I am, and I know how to come home to that,” he said, smiling.

Group Flunks Patuxent River News Coincides with Local Cleanup Efforts

Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Biological conditions in the southern reaches of the Patuxent River have improved slightly over the last year, but the river’s health is still poor enough to have gotten an F grade from the nonprofit group Patuxent Riverkeeper. Based in Upper Marlboro, the nonprofit recently released the “2008 Patuxent River Report Card,” its second annual report summarizing water-quality data collected from the 110mile river flowing through seven counties, from Howard County southeast past St. Mary’s County, before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay. Volunteer monitors measure levels of nutrients found in fertilizers and treated sewage that feed algae that can block sunlight for plants. They also check for levels of oxygen and aquatic grasses that help sustain fish, shellfish and waterfowl. (The report card does not include data about chemicals or individual polluters.) Meanwhile, community members at this year’s Patuxent River cleanup in Myrtle Point Park said they have pulled truckloads of trash from the park in past years, removing items such as tires, pieces of furniture, fishing knives, beer bottles and oyster shucking equipment that can damage water quality. “I think this is our fourth year out here. It might be our fifth year, we’re losing track,” said Mark Fondren, leader of Cub Scout Pack 1203, which helped with Saturday’s cleanup. Fondren said his own impressions of this year’s cleanup were better than last year, but he was disappointed with the river’s grade. Dudley Lindsay, a representative from the Friends of Myrtle Point Park, said that she was somewhat encouraged to see

fewer large items being pulled from the woods surrounding the riverside, but strong storms had likely washed away much of the trash. “Basically we just have to be more careful, and try to have education to make people aware of how serious the problem is,” she said. “They also need to be aware of the importance of education and the damage that is done by uncontrolled development.” Patuxent Riverkeeper Paul Tutman said that trash was an important consideration for the waterways, but that it did not have a large impact on the water quality reports released this year. “Trash is not one of the pollutants that we tracked in this report card,” he said, adding that “beer cans don’t kill fish … but we need to be beautifying our rivers.” Contributing to the degradation of rivers is a mix of factors, according to this year’s report, including runoff from new development and paved surfaces, lawns and farmland and discharges from manufacturing, sewage treatment and coal-burning power plants, as well as air pollution, according to scientists. The Report Card gave the Patuxent River as a whole a D-, noting that monitors recorded higher levels of pH and nitrates in the northern reaches and higher temperatures in the south. The upper reaches above Laurel in Prince George’s County scored a C-, and the middle stretch between Anne Arundel and Prince Georges counties got a C. Farthest downstream, the southern stretch flowing between Calvert and St. Mary’s counties and past a short section of Charles County got an F, meeting few or none of the standards for water quality and biological health. Tutman said he felt that more consistent regulation and

Photo by Andrea Shiell Members of Cub Scout Pack 1203 and Daisy Troop 3396 helping at Saturday’s Patuxent River Cleanup at Myrtle Point Park.

enforcement of environmental law was needed to ensure improvement, but the effort would need to focus more on the northern part of the state, where sprawling development was sending pollution downstream. “What happens upstream is felt much more acutely downstream,” he said, “so we need to regulate much more vigorously and persistently.” Standards for the report card were developed by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies. The report was produced with help from the Chesapeake Bay Program. For more information, go to www.paxriverkeeper.org, or call 301-249-8200. Report data is posted at www.pwqi.net.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The County Times

A House is a Home New vs Old

The County Times

Buying A Home When it comes to buying a home, prospective buyers often have their dream house in mind. While a dream house is different for every buyer, that ideal still plays a large role in the decision-making process. For some buyers, a pool is a must-have, while others might steer clear of homes with pools because they have young children. Some buyers might want a home with a large yard, while others might see such a yard as an unnecessary and time-consuming trap. Another area buyers must consider is the choice of buying a new home or buying a resale home. Each comes with benefits all its own, and deciding between the two could be the most important decision prospective buyers can make. Benefits to Buying New For many prospective buyers, the notion of being the first people to live in a home is enough of an incentive to search solely for new homes. While thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big plus, there are also many more benefits than simply being the first one to call a house home. â&#x20AC;˘ Maintenance: Because all of the appliances are new, buying a new home requires very little maintenance. The building materials will be brand new as well, making the mainte-

nance-related stress one might feel with a resale home essentially nonexistent. â&#x20AC;˘ More green: Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new homes are more environmentally friendly thanks to legislation requiring buyers and builders to build with this in mind. A more environmentally friendly home will likely save buyers money down the road (though building materials might be more expensive initially), and thanks to a society thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing more environmentallyconscious each year, the resale value of homes that are earth-friendly could be greater as well. â&#x20AC;˘ More tech-savvy: Technology has made leaps and bounds over the last decade, and nowadays many homeowners want their homes to be more tech-friendly. A new home is more likely to be wired with such things in mind, whereas a resale home, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relatively new, will likely require minimal, if not significant, re-wiring to meet its new ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tech needs. â&#x20AC;˘ The blank slate benefit: A home that has never been lived in is essentially a blank slate for prospective buyers. Buyers can choose everything from the light fixtures to the kitchen sink and make a number of other choices based entirely on their personal likes and dislikes. â&#x20AC;˘ Comfort: People havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly gotten

Thursday, April 9, 2009

smaller over the years. The average person is now bigger and weighs more than he did 100 years ago. So it makes sense that houses built today will be more comfortable to the people of today than a house built 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago. For people who are especially tall, this could be the biggest benefit to buying new. How a Resale Might Reel You In Though the benefits to buying new are plentiful, there is still a market for resale homes as well, and there are several good reasons for that. â&#x20AC;˘ More land: Resale homes tend to be on larger plots of land, as what people do with their property has largely changed over the years. Whereas land used to be seen as great play areas for kids, the demand for bigger yards has dwindled as more and more homeowners prefer to showcase pristine yards than use their yards as jungle gyms. â&#x20AC;˘ Price: Resale homes are often less expensive, and initially they can save buyers money because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come with standard fixtures and appliances that new homes arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t equipped with. In addition, the price of a resale home is often negotiable, while a new home typically comes with no such wiggle room. â&#x20AC;˘ Commuter convenience: Resale homes are typically in neighborhoods that are close to metro areas that were settled years ago to give individuals an easy commute to work. As a result, the newer a home is, the more likely it is to be further away from a metro area.

â&#x20AC;˘ More fun: For prospective buyers who are fond of a little elbow grease, a resale home could be just the do-it-yourself job to get the juices flowing. As the home improvement boom of the last decade can attest, this is a very appealing benefit to many prospective buyers.

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The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

A House is a Home

Charlotte Hall Almost Has It All

By Sean Rice Staff Writer Charlotte Hall will soon be home to a new True Value Hardware, Auto Zone, possibly a Safeway and other stores. The newly constructed portion of the Charlotte Hall Square retail center has a sign visible from Route 5 declaring: “Occupancy Spring 2009.” It is now Spring 2009, and the project is “exactly on time,” said John Parlett, president of CMI General Contractors Inc. CMI is the co-owner and developer of Charlotte Hall Square, which began more than a decade ago with the opening of Food Lion as the first “anchor store.” “We finally decided to go ahead and finish developing that property out,” Parlett said of his investment group developing the

center, which includes the Burch family, owners of Burch Oil. True Value hardware store is set to open up in the Square in about a month, Parlett said, after a few finishing touches are completed, including sidewalks, curbing and a final layer of asphalt. “It’s all coming together,” Parlett said during an interview with The County Times on Tuesday. “True Value was instrumental, because they’re our second anchor.” Along with True Value, Parlett said they already have commitments from April’s Pool and Spa, and a to-be-named nail salon. Two other businesses are in talks with CMI now: a Chinese restaurant and a cellular phone store. Also, an Auto Zone is set to open in a new building on a pad site that fronts Route 5, next to PNC Bank.

An artist’s rendition of the completed Charlotte Hall Center.

“We are working on some other restaurant u s e r s ,” Parlett said. “I get asked all the time by my neighbors in Charlotte Hall, ‘Why can’t you bring us another restaurant? We need a restaurant up here.’ And we’re working on that.” They are also in talks with another automotive-type user for the second pad site on Route 5, but that deal is also not settled. Another, separate shopping center is in the planning stages across Route 5 from Charlotte Hall Square, named Charlotte Hall Station. A CMI investment group sold the land to the developers, and KLNB Retail, is marketing a 100,000-square foot Safeway grocery store and other businesses. The land is still bare, but those developers are advertising that Safeway will open in early 2010. Coupled with CMI’s new developments and prospects, North County investors are giving residents less and less reason to drive to Waldorf, Leonardtown or California for products and services. “When you start talking about other services, whether it’s a little larger store, Charlotte Hall would be a great place to make it equidistant to these other communities,” Parlett said, talking about nearby places like Southern Charles County, Mechanicsville, Golden Beach and the Chaptico area. “Why do we need these things? They all are created as a result of public demand.

Photos By Sean Rice

If there were not a demand for McDonald’s to sell hamburgers in Charlotte Hall, there wouldn’t be a McDonald’s here,” he said. “And the same is true with the grocery stores and the banks.” Parlett and the CMI group of companies are involved in several developments across Southern Maryland. Most are commercial, but a few are residential, such as the Pembrooke subdivision on Willows Road in Lexington Park. CMI developed that subdivision and is selling lots to Quality Built Homes for build-out. One of the earliest projects done by CMI was the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department station in the early 1970s. “This is the community that I live in, that my partners that are involved in this project live here,” he said of the square. “What we were trying to build was an architecturally-pleasing shopping center in the north end of the county. “There’s a lot of things happening in Charlotte Hall … I look at it as really the hub of this area.”

A House is a Home

The County Times

This is the yearly article that usually gets me the most phone calls and evil stares when I am out. This is the one where I tell you that you need to spruce up the house, and not only if you are selling your home. Your neighbors want you to clean up the yard. I know my neighbors wish I would. You want to clean the garage. I know the local charities would love some of that stuff that is in there. Think how much easier your life would be if you did some of the following items. Pull the mower out of the garage and take it down to have it tuned up. Get those blades sharpened this year. They will make a much better cut of the grass and allow it to grow in at an even pace. Make sure you have the oil changed if you cannot do it yourself. And make sure the old oil is disposed of properly. We all live too close to a stream or creek or river for us to be pouring it out onto the ground. While you are in the garage, look at your tools. Maybe the chainsaw or the bush axe needs sharpening. Do it now. The old saying is that a dull knife is a dangerous knife, the same for your other tools. Check and be sure you have a good storage place for your tools. Start with the smallest and move up. It is amazing how many socket sets I have in my house. I guess I buy a new one every year. This is because I cannot fi nd the old ones under all the other stuff I do not have hanging up neatly. Make sure you check with The Greenery in Hollywood, or one of your other local nurseries, to see what you should do to help fertilize the lawn. Remember, most of us will fertilize in the spring. However that is actually the absolute worst time to be putting down a lot of this stuff. You have the seasons rain’s coming down and running the fertilizer off into the local tributaries. Your local

Buying a Home Means Financial Readiness

Spring Time, Again By Patrick Dugan Contributing Writer

Thursday, April 9, 2009

nursery can help you decide what you need now and what can wait until the fall season. Call Boothe’s Heating and Air, or one of your other local HVAC contractors. Get your air conditioner looked at now. Do it today. Everyone will be calling in another month. Make sure that the units that are outside made it through the winter. A great idea one of my clients has is to build a shelter over his heat pumps. This helps them to have a longer life. You have to be sure not to restrict airflow to the machines, but it is easy and can be cost effective. It is a good time to check your hoses and hose bibs. Did anything crack over the winter? Not if you did your fall maintenance, but perhaps you got too busy to check everything last fall. Open your windows. Are they still in good repair? Have all the seals held up over the winter? What about the window boxes? Maybe you need some fresh flowers, and probably a fresh coat of paint. Remember how cold the winter was? Maybe you have a draft problem. Now that the weather is warming up, you need to address these drafts so that you do not lose money through the cracks when you turn on the air conditioner. SMECO can come do an energy audit on your home. Call them today! Also, you should probably check your roof and the gutters. The winter storms may have damaged them as well. Be careful if you climb up there. It would be best to get a professional to do this. (I was covering myself there.) Check out your driveways. Did the winter tear them up? It may be time to patch, repair or replace the concrete or asphalt that you have installed. The water that got into them in the winter may have frozen and the caused cracks to form. Really, I have a much longer list but I have to stop writing now. My wife thinks I should be following my own advice instead of writing about it! As always, if you have any real estate needs, I would be happy if you contacted me to help you buy, sell invest or rent! PatrickDugan@mris.com.

As any homeowner or prospective homeowner likely knows, the current real estate market is what’s commonly referred to as a “buyers’ market.” For sellers, that’s not a particularly comforting notion. However, for those looking to buy a home now or in the near future, the current market is enticing. For first-time buyers new to the housing market, getting finances in order should be the first step to take, even before the initial home search begins. • Find your price range. Deciding on a price range is the first step any prospective buyer should take, whether they’ve owned a home in the past or are abandoning apartment life once and for all. For those who are hoping to become owners and not renters for the first time, it’s important to note that a mortgage payment isn’t exactly the same as a monthly rent payment. Owners have different financial responsibilities than renters, such as homeowner’s insurance, property tax and utilities. Therefore, a home that provides a mortgagepayment roughly equivalent to your current rent doesn’t necessarily mean you can afford the home. Instead, determining your price range involves taking into account all the monthly fees that will come with home ownership, and leaving some money available for unforeseen home repairs as well. • Open a new account solely for home savings. A new savings account into which you regularly deposit money solely for home savings should be opened once you’ve determined you’re in the market for a new home. If you already have an existing savings account from which you withdraw money for other expenses, transfer any existing home savings money into the new account. This will ensure you’re not using home savings money for extraneous items that have nothing to do with

your goal of purchasing a home. Set specific goals for deposit amounts into this account, and do your best to meet those goals. • Cut back on expenses. Buying a home is a big expense, one that comes with fees you might not have foreseen, such as closing costs, realtor fees, etc. Therefore, when you’ve decided you want to buy a home, you must also decide to cut back on any unnecessary expenses. This includes dining out, buying new furniture or appliances, and other big-ticket items that aren’t essential. • Examine down payment alternatives. While it’s standard to provide a down payment of at least 20 percent on a home, some lenders might offer flexibility with respect to initial down payment. Though the recent housing crisis and economic downturn might make it harder to find such lenders, they might still exist, and it doesn’t cost anything other than time to investigate. While it’s still ideal to place a down payment of 20 percent, it shouldn’t discourage buyers who have slightly less than 20 percent from buying a home they really like. • Visit a lender to get preapproved. Few things can be more discouraging than finding a home you really like, only to be turned down by lenders who determine you can’t afford it. By visiting lenders beforehand and getting pre-approved for a mortgage, you’ll know exactly how much you can borrow, putting sellers more at ease when dealing with you as a prospective buyer. How much you’re approved for is determined by your income, total debt you’re carrying and your credit history. If you have lots of outstanding debt, pay it off before visiting any lenders. Couples should discuss each other’s financial situation before visiting any lenders to avoid any unpleasant surprises when the application process begins.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The County Times

A Journey Through Time

Columnist Linda Reno is a historian and genealogist specializing in Southern Maryland history. Mrs. Reno is a member of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, St. Mary’s County lationship between the StorGenealogical Society, Charles County ers and Newton would endure Genealogical Society, Maryland Historical throughout their lives. In 1672 Arthur Storer Society and the Maryland Genealogical came to Maryland with his Society. She has authored many books sister Ann who married James and articles on local history. We Truman, brother of Thomas Truman who settled just across hope you will enjoy these articles the Patuxent River at “Trent Hall” and welcome your comments in St. Mary’s County. James Truand suggestions for man died shortly after their arrival in Maryland and Ann married Robert future subjects.

The

By Linda Reno Contributing Writer “It was a very great amazement ... to see a long bright stream in form like a sword streaming from the horizon about 30 degrees in altitude ... so nearly after sunset.” This quote comes from a letter dated April 26, 1683, from Arthur Storer of Calvert County to his friend, Isaac Newton about a comet he had observed while looking westward across the Patuxent River. Using the most rudimentary equipment, including some he had built himself, Storer would provide Newton with detailed observations of what he had seen. Newton often quoted Storer in his scientific writings and, in fact, called this “Storer’s Comet” in his honor. Later, Edmund Halley, using Newton’s work as a basis, claimed that the comets seen in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were the same and that it would return again in 1758. After his prediction proved to be correct, the name would be changed to “Halley’s Comet.” It appears every 75-76 years, last appeared in 1986, and will be seen again in July 2061. While much, much older, the first record of this comet was made by the Chinese in 240 B.C. Arthur Storer was born about 1642 in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He had a brother named Edward and two sisters, Catherine and Ann. After his father’s death, his mother married William Clark, an apothecary (pharmacist) and the family moved to the village of Grantham. In 1656, Isaac Newton (also born in 1642) was sent to Grantham and boarded at the Clark home where he attended school with the Storer children. Newton does not appear to have been very well liked by the boys, because he preferred to play with the girls and even built doll houses for them. Undoubtedly the other boys viewed Newton as a sissy, and this would result in at least one recorded fight between him and Arthur Storer. On the way to school one morning, Arthur was said to have kicked Newton in the stomach. That afternoon, egged on by the other boys and with the encouragement of the schoolmaster who was said to “have clapped one on the back and winked at the other to encourage them both,” the fight was on. Newton prevailed saying he had pulled Arthur “along by the ears and thrust his face against the side of the Church.” In later years, Newton wrote that the argument had begun at home that morning and while he wouldn’t then admit it, he had stolen “cherry cobs from Edward Storer” and that he had become “peevish at Master Clark’s for a piece of bread and butter.” Nevertheless, the Storer children, especially Arthur, would remain close to Newton. Catherine Storer insisted in later years that she and Isaac Newton had a brief romance and that he would have married her except “it was incompatible with his fortunes” to have done so. Edward Storer would later be one of Newton’s tenants at Woolsthorpe. Needless to say, the re-

Skinner. She died in 1714 after having also survived her second husband. Arthur Storer, America’s first astronomer, died in 1686 unmarried. In his will, he devised his estate to his brother, sister, and mother in England. His sister, Ann Skinner (widow) and niece, Martha (Truman) Greenfield were named as his executors and residuary legatees. The Arthur Storer Planetarium is located on the grounds of Calvert High School on Dare’s Beach Road in Prince Frederick. It is located on the property that Arthur Storer originally owned and is well worth a visit. Isaac Newton was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705 and we all know him as Sir Isaac Newton. A few more words about comets – in the

Chronicle

Storer’s (aka Halley’s) Comet

old days, some people were afraid of comets believing them to be sent from demons or gods to destroy us. On the other hand, there were those who believed that they brought good luck. Mark Twain believed that his fate was tied to the comet. He was born on November 30, 1835, exactly two weeks after the comet ap-

peared that year. In 1909 when he wrote his biography, he said, “I came in with Halley’s comet in 1835. It’s coming again next year and I expect to go out with it. The Almighty has said, no doubt, now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.” His prediction proved to be correct as he died on April 21, 1910, the day

MD. Inns Are Legislators’ Homes Away From Home ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Many state lawmakers make Annapolis their place of residence during the 90-day legislative session. Peg Bednarsky, the innkeeper for Historic Inns of Annapolis, aims to make it their home. ``Just having them here is like having children come home,’’ said Bednarsky, who has worked 40 years at the inns that include The Maryland Inn, the Governor Calvert House and the Robert Johnson House. Walking through the atrium of the Governor Calvert House, Bednarsky greets legislators, lobbyists and staff with a hug and a ``How are you doing today, honey?’’ She asks questions, remembering details about their lives; she compliments the work of staff and always ends the conversation with ``Have a good day, dear.’’ In the hotel’s legislative lounge, delegates and senators can relax, watch television and grab a quick breakfast or late dinner. ``The lounge, we find, is their home away from home,’’ Bednarsky said. ``It’s hard to be in a bedroom for 90 days ... we do a lot of things to make it a little easier.’’ Bednarsky said she welcomes her role as legislative ``mother’’ during the three months of session. She became the innkeeper in 1975 and has watched the business grow and the city change as countless legislators have stayed at the inns. ``I’ve enjoyed every minute. People are my thing,’’ Bednarsky said. ``People are a part of our lives and we’re a big part of a lot of people’s lives. Seeing the lawmakers let their guard down when they return each day from the State House, Bednarsky gets a rare insight

into the legislators and the process of making state law. `Às session goes on, you see the worries – the happiness for some, the worries for others,’’ she said. `Ìt gets very intense the last few weeks. ... They truly are an inspiration. I don’t know if their districts know how hard they work.’’ Sen. Allan Kittleman, R-Md., has a room in the Johnson House when he stays in Annapolis. ``Sen. Kittleman likes the quiet when he comes here. He’s a very hardworking young man,’’ she said. It’s personal touches such as birthday cards and notes from Bednarsky that keep legislators coming back, said Joseph Dantoni, general manager for Historic Inns of Annapolis. ``This is the key to Annapolis,’’ Dantoni said gesturing to Bednarsky. ``She knows everybody. ... The personal relationships Miss Peg develops over the years keep people coming back.’’ Bednarsky is quick to interject that she isn’t alone. `Ì couldn’t do it without my support staff,’’ she said. Bednarsky was only supposed to help out at the Maryland Inn when it first opened. But when her husband had a massive heart attack and died at 49, Bednarsky said working at the hotel became more than a passing interest. `Ìt’s why, I guess, I dearly love what I do,’’ she said. `Ìn the hotel business, you can’t take your problems in. You have to leave them on the doorstep and pick them up on the way out. ... As I look back, it was therapeutic.’’

Bednarsky was 42 years old and raising three children alone when she said owner Paul Pearson asked her to work full time at the desk at The Maryland Inn. ``We built a business in the little Maryland Inn,’’ she said. Bednarsky said she remembers that rooms were $12 a night when she started. Being involved since the beginning, Bednarsky can rattle off the history of the buildings and the interesting characteristics of each hotel, including where the three buildings that make up the Johnson House are connected and can describe the 18th-century heating system that was found beneath the Governor Calvert House when it was restored in the early 1980s. Bednarsky credits Pearson with having a vision, not only for the hotel business but for preserving Annapolis’s historic buildings. In addition to the three hotels, there’s also the Treaty of Paris restaurant, the Drummer’s Lot pub and a Starbucks, which used to be a jazz club, Bednarsky said. ``It’s difficult to run all these businesses,’’ she said. ``We have a general manager and an innkeeper, thank god.’’ ``I’ve worked hard. I won’t tell you any different. Some days I was on my feet 18 hours a day. If I had to do it, I’d do it again,’’ she said. Bednarsky said there are about a halfdozen employees who have worked at the hotels as long as she has, but all the work of all the employees is what makes the businesses a success. ``We are a family. They are not help; they are family,’’ she said.

The County Times

Hawkins Brings Ballet to Southern Maryland By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer The Ballet Arts Academy will be collaborating with the College of Southern Maryland to bring a new show to its La Plata campus on April 18, a one-night-only performance showcasing professional and student dancers under the artistic direction of dancer and choreographer Oscar Hawkins. Troy Brown from the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company in Seattle, Wash., will perform “Spring Waters” by Asaf Messerer, who was both the choreographer and ballet master for the historic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The piece was first seen in America during the Bolshoi Ballet’s tour in 1959, and quickly gained praise for its acrobatic choreography. Brown will bring more than 20 years of dancing and teaching experience to the stage for the event. Maria Jacobs, principal dancer with the Ballet of San Jose in California, will join Hawkins for a duet from “Paquita”, a ballet in two acts with music by 19th century French violinist Edouard Deldevez. Mongolian-born international dancer Bat Udval, who has served as principal dancer with the Russian Ballet Theater in Moscow, and now serves as assistant director for the National Ballet, will be performing a piece from “Sleeping Beauty”, and local choreographer Derrick Sellers will premier his own piece, “The Entity.” Hawkins will also be performing his own acclaimed piece “Strange Fruit”, a dance set to the vocals of Billie Holiday from her 1939 recording of the same name, featuring the graceful and provocative body-bending that earned him accolades after its premier in 2006. Students from the Ballet Arts Academy in Waldorf will be performing their own dances for the event. This is Hawkins’ first year as artistic director of “The Ballet Project,” and he has said he is both excited for the dancers and the audience members who will be enjoying the show. “Dance is an important artistic medium. It provides a voice to the people and an outlet for creative expression to reflect the times or embrace the past,” said Hawkins, adding that his own students have been working long hours to perfect their craft. “This show gives them a chance to share the stage with some of the top dancers in the country.” The Ballet Project will start at 8 p.m. Admission is $5, and there will be a question and answer period after the performance for audience members. For more information, call the box office at 301-934-7828, or go to www.csmd. edu/finearts.

ry’s a M

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Movie Review: “Fast & Furious” By Christy Lemire AP movie critic Noise, noise, noise. Crunched metal and shattered glass. More noise. Revving engines. Vin Diesel’s giant head. Hot chicks in tight miniskirts. Even more noise. The end. That’s pretty much all there is to “Fast & Furious,” essentially a remake of the 2001 hit “The Fast and the Furious” with the same cast, except it seems to exist in some parallel universe where the word “the” no longer exists. It also seems to function outside of logic, cohesive plot structure and the laws of gravity, but hey— this being the fourth film in the street-racing series, such niceties have long since been tossed out the window and run over repeatedly. Justin Lin, who also directed part three, 2006’s “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” piles on the mind-bogglingly elaborate chase scenes and set pieces. (The opening, in which our rebellious heroes attempt to steal gas from a speeding tanker truck, is admittedly a doozy.) But you’ve seen a lot of these sorts of stunts in the previous movies, and heard the same kind of cheesy dialogue, so it’s strange to witness how seriously “Fast & Furious” takes itself, like it’s reinventing the 19-inch wheel or something. Snarling bad guys, women who pout beautifully and, of course, a wide array of brightly hued, wildly souped-up cars, but not an ounce of creativity or grace. And the fact that it’s so repetitive only magnifies how little this latest installment has to offer. What’s the movie about, you ask? Well, not that it matters, but Diesel’s fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto is back in Los Angeles and out for revenge. He ends up reluctantly re-teaming with for-

mer undercover cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), who infiltrated Dom’s gang and dated his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), in part one. This time, their goal is to take down a drug kingpin who’s behind a murder. Their strategy leads them into a series of ridiculously illegal races, which make the streets of L.A. more dangerous to drive on than they already are. There’s also an enormously convoluted trip into Mexico, which seems to take place only to set up the film’s climactic (and claustrophobic) underground tunnel chase. Diesel is the same guy here as always: the gravelly, low-key, beefy action hero. He does get to show off his sensitive side, though, when Dom sits awake at night, watching his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) peacefully sleep. Walker, meanwhile, eerily resembles Alex Rodriguez as he inches into his mid-30s: same eyes, same blank expression on his face. If you’re into automotive minutiae, you’ll probably get off on the details here. And if you’re into gratuitous shots of women making out with each other, well, you may sporadically enjoy yourself, as well. But if you like to use your brain, dude, drive on. (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references; running time: 107 minutes.)

St.

Show T ime Get Ou t&

Have Fu n Right Now Pla Here in ying St. Mar y’s Coun ty! AMC Loews, Shows and Rating Pro vided

By Yahoo E ntertainmen t. Check L ocal Listing s For Show Times.

Lexington Park 6, (301) 862-5010 Fast & Furious PG-13, 106 min

Hannah Montana: The Movie G, 102 min

The Haunting in Connecticut PG-13, 92 min

I Love You, Man R, 110 min

Knowing PG-13, 122 min

The Last House on the Left R, 109 min

Monsters vs. Aliens PG, 94 min

Race to Witch Mountain PG, 99 min

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Thursday, April 9 Pianist Brian Ganz

Auerbach Auditorium (SMCM) – 12 noon

BBQ Pork Night

VFW Post 2632 (California) – 5:30 p.m.

Ladies Night

Fatboys Country Store (Leonardtown) – 7 p.m.

Texas Hold’Em

Donovan’s Irish Pub – 7:30 p.m.

Pianist Giorgio Costa Performs

Auerbach Auditorium (SMCM) – 8 p.m.

Friday, April 10 Catfish Friday

VFW Post 2632 (California) – 5:30 p.m.

Special Olympics No Limit Hold’Em

Center for Life Enrichment (Three Notch Road) – 7 p.m.

FOP-7 Poker Leader Board Challenge

FOP-7 Lodge (Great Mills) – 7 p.m.

25HR Band

Fatboys Country Store – 9 p.m.

St. Mary’s County’s Annual Easter Festival

The annual Easter Festival, hosted by the Board of Commissioners for St. Mary’s County, will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., at Leonard Hall Recreation Center in Leonardtown. Attractions include a traditional egg hunt and decorating contest for all ages, pony rides, craft making, carnival attractions, free crafts, face painting, games, leisure class demonstrations and more. Many activities are free of charge and some have a small fee. Food, beverages and crafts will be on sale from community vendors. Citizens are encouraged to come and enjoy a great day of family fun! Prizes will be awarded for various contests, and the egg hunt. Kids are also invited to have pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. Vendor spaces are still available. Please contact Christi Bishop, Department of Recreation and Parks at 301-475-4200 x 1802 for more information on participating in this event. Please call (301)-475-4200 extension 1800 or 1801 for more information or visit the Department’s website at www. stmarysmd.com/recreate/specialevents.asp.

Sunday, April 12

Agents of the Sun with DJ Blacky

Carmina Burana Easter Play

23900 N. Patuxent Beach Road – 8 p.m.

Life Community Church of God (Great Mills) – 11 a.m.

DJ Mango

River Riders (Kayaking) Open House

DragN Inn (Charlotte Hall) – 9 p.m.

Saturday, April 11 Contra Dance

St. Andrews Church (California) – 7 p.m.

Minus-One with DJ Blacky

23900 N. Patuxent Beach Road – 8 p.m.

Tripwire & DJ Rob

Hotel Charles (Hughesville) – 9 p.m.

Knott Lodge (Greenwell State Park) – 1 p.m.

Dog Obedience Classes

Saint Mary’s County Dept. of Rec. and Parks is sponsoring Puppy Kindergarten, Basic and Advanced Dog Obedience classes which will start on April 13 and 15. Classes are held at the Leonardtown Fairgrounds. Pre-registration is required. FMI: 301-475-4200. To speak to the instructor 301-843-9609.

n O g n i Go

What’s

Summer Camps Being Oﬀered to ALL GIRLS!! Spend part of your summer break with us. All girls grades K – 12th are invited to join us for a fun filled week. All Summer Camps offer Supervised Fun, Hands-on Activities, Games, Songs, Crafts, Adventure and Excitement for all girls!

Bus Transportation Available for All Locations!! Prince George’s County – Camp Wonderland July 6 -10, 2009 Camp Aquasco, Brandywine, MD Prince George’s County – Summer Fun June 29 - July 3, 2009 Camp Aquasco, Brandywine, MD Charles County – Fun in the Sun July 20 - 24, 2009

Izaak Walton League, Waldorf, MD Calvert County – Fairies Hollow @ Kings Landing July 27 - 31, 2009 Kings Landing Park, Huntingtown, MD St. Mary’s County – Go Green! July 13 - 17, 2009 Dorsey Park, Leonardtown, MD

Volunteers are always welcomed! Registration is Limited So Register Soon!! Visit www.girlscouts4u.org or contact Lori Davis at 1-800-834-1702 or 301-638-5373 or ldavis@gscnc.org for more information. For more camp options, please visit www.gscnc.org.

Open House Vivian Ripple Adult Day Center Mervell Dean Road in Hollywood is hosting a community event featuring: facility tours, program information, services, door prizes and a spaghetti luncheon. The Ripple Adult Day Center is the only medical day program for individuals ages 16 and older which allows participants to remain in the community and help family members maintain their loved ones at home and provide caregiver relief. The program provides activities, medication administration, meals, transportation, and a caring staff. For meal reservation call Department of Aging at 301-373-6515 by Wed April 15. Event is on Saturday April 18 from 1-5 p.m.

LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENTS Libraries to be closed

All three libraries will be closed this Friday, April 10. Lexington Park Library will also be closed Easter Sunday, April 12.

Learn ways to live better on less

The public can find out how to live better on less from Jeff Yeager, the Ultimate Cheapskate as he was dubbed by Matt Lauer of the Today Show, at a free program on April 15 at 7 p.m. at Leonardtown. His book, The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches, will be available for purchase and signing.

Families invited to free movies

Families are invited to a free showing of the following PG-rated movies: “Wall E” at 2 p.m. today at Lexington

Park, “Bolt” at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Leonardtown and “Open Season 2” at 5 p.m. tomorrow at Charlotte Hall. Snacks will be provided.

Poets invited to Poetry Open Mic

Poets of any age can share a favorite or original poem or come and listen to others read at a Poetry Open Mic set for April 22 at Leonardtown. The reading begins at 6:30 p.m.

Latin American cultures to be celebrated at Heritage Festival

Cantaré will play Spanish and Portuguese music at a Heritage Festival on April 25 starting at 11 a.m. at Lexington Park Library in celebration of rich Latin American cultures. Besides the music, those attending can explore the cultures through food and

fun activities. This program is free and for all ages.

TAG (Teen Advisory Group) meetings planned

Teens are invited to attend the TAG meetings to plan future teen programs, play Wii, discuss books and meet other teens. The next TAG meetings will be April 9 at 5:30 p.m. at Leonardtown and April 13 at 5 p.m. at Charlotte Hall.

Basic resume class being offered

Lexington Park will offer a basic resume class on April 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. In addition to learning the basics of writing a resume, the class will cover using Word 2007 resume templates. Registration is required.

Cuisine

The County Times 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!

& More

On The Menu

Cerro Grande Mexican Restaurant 22695 Washington Street, Leonardtown, MD

301-997-0808 One of the first things you notice when visiting Cerro Grande is the fun loving wait staff. The view of Town Square is pretty special too! Whether dining in the dining room or having a drink at the comfortable bar, you will enjoy the great, authentic Mexican food and casual, relaxing atmosphere found south of the Rio Grande. Cerro Grande is open 7 days a week, Monday thru Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. till 11:00 p.m., Saturday from 11:00 a.m. till 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. till 8:00 p.m. Happy hour is Monday-Thursday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Family owned and operated with chefs who are passionate about their work, you will enjoy creative, traditional Mexican food and house specials created from the freshest ingredients. Homemade tortillas and fresh salsa greet you as you are seated. The menu features a large selection of appetizers and salads. Combination platters and house specials ranging in price from $6.75 to $14.99 will satisfy your taste for adventure. Top off your meal with fried ice cream, flan or sopapillas. A full bar is available on site featuring a large selection of beer, mixed drinks and of course margaritas of all sizes and flavors. Come in today and capture the heart of Mexican style and flavor!

On The Vine

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Healthy Bites For Healthy, Tasty Eggs, Don’t Use Just the Whites By JIM ROMANOFF For The Associated Press Health-conscious cooks routinely toss the yolks and stick with the whites when preparing eggs. Good idea? Not necessarily. Eggs are packed with nutrients, and most them _ vitamins A and E, folate, calcium, iron and lutein _ are in the yolks. Sure, yolks also pack dietary cholesterol, but many scientists now think saturated fat is the bigger culprit in raising blood cholesterol. Besides being loaded with nutrients, eggs are satisfying, so eating them can help you curb between-meal hunger. Of course, if you’re really trying to limit your fat and cholesterol intake (the yolk does contain all the fat), an egg white omelet or scrambled egg whites are fine. But they can be rubbery and lack the flavor of whole eggs.

Recipe

A good strategy is to hedge your bets by using some, but not all of the yolks. For instance, prepare an omelet using one whole egg and two egg whites. When using eggs in baked goods, quiches or custards, you usually can substitute egg whites for up to half of the yolks without substantially changing the dish. Use two egg whites in place of one whole egg. This Mexican-style frittata calls for a reduced number of egg yolks, yet still has great flavor and texture. The beaten eggs are combined with reduced-fat shredded cheese and poured over a bed of cooked, diced potatoes and chunky tomato salsa before being slowly baked. To make the dish even faster to prepare, use pre-diced potatoes, which you can find in the refrigerated case in the produce section of most markets. A wedge of this frittata, served with a salad and some crusty bread, is perfect for a light supper or brunch. It reheats well, so leftovers make a convenient meal the following day.

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER FRITTATA Start to finish: 45 minutes (15 minutes active) Servings: 6

Fisheyewines.com Looking for a wine that isn’t stuffy and may not be a top choice of wine connoisseurs but is just right for everyday beach and barbeque enjoyment in jeans and a t-shirt? Fish Eye wine is all about having fun with wine. The introduction to the Fish Eye website says it all, “At Fish Eye, there’s no pinkie raising, Brie eating, wine spitting gobbledygook. Oh no. Let the juice speak for itself.” And at $7-$10 per bottle Fish Eye does just that. Fish Eye wines come in six different varietals. Cabernet with intense jammy fruit and ripe currant flavors that are accented with a layer of cherry; Merlot with juicy blueberry and strawberry flavors touched with a taste of black fruits, spicy cloves and lush plum; Shiraz with its ripe berry fruit that leads to a soft, balanced finish; Chardonnay described as jubilant and zippy with its pear, apple and tropical swirls of pineapple flavors; Sauvignon Blanc with classic aromas of citrus, passion fruit and melon and Pinot Grigio a spirited and fresh infusion of ripe melon, apricot and white ginger. Pick up a bottle of fun today, you can’t miss its brightly colored label with a fish on the front!

1 1/2 cups diced red or white potatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup chunky tomato salsa 4 large eggs 2 large egg whites 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup reduced-fat Mexicanstyle shredded cheese blend 1/2 cup chopped scallions Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, place them in a glass bowl, cover with plastic, then microwave on high until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

Spread the potatoes over the bottom of the pie plate and season with salt. Spoon the salsa over the potatoes. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, flour, oregano and pepper until smooth. Stir in the cheese and scallions. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and salsa. With a fork, gently stir the mixture so the cheese and potatoes are evenly distributed. Bake the frittata for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is set at the center and golden on top. Slice into wedges to serve. Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 160 calories; 61 calories from fat; 7 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 133 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 2 g fiber; 509 mg sodium.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wanderings of an Aimless

Min

More Unhelpful Hints by Shelby By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer A few readers wrote back with their own middle-of-the-night misadventures after reading about my unfortunate eyebrow-tweezing escapade. I am happy to say the arch of my eyebrows grew back only long enough for me to do a repeat performance of over plucking during

the day this time. Since then, I have managed to add a few more unhelpful hints for you. Many years ago, I found a pair of thinning shears in a beauty supply store. Not the razor cut kind – these are the scissor style which cuts alternating chunks of your hair out so your hair will sort of poof up, have body and lift without a snood or teasing. Those professional tools of the trade really should be made illegal to any-

Creature Feature Goinʼ Buggy

By Theresa Morr Contributing Writer Baked bats. Grilled rats. Broiled beetle grubs. Toasted grasshoppers and termites. Roasted mice. Yikes! And you thought broccoli was yucky. But for people in many different parts of the world, such foods a r e n’t weird at all but part of their everyday diet. In fact, anything that jumps, flies, squirms, runs or wiggles often lands in the cook’s oven, pot or frying pan. Entomologists, the scientists who study insects, say there are more than 1,000 species of edible insects that you could make a lip-smacking meal from. Crispy critters. In many Asian and Arab countries, grasshoppers and locusts are fried, stewed, boiled or roasted. Fried “hoppers” are a favorite because they’re nice and crispy and eaten like nuts. Even our early American pioneers learned how to prepare locusts from Indian neighbors. But worms, various kinds of grubs and caterpillars are favorites in many cultures. Most jumpers, wigglies and crawlers are prepared simply, such as fried silkworms. The pupae are boiled and then fried in fat. That’s it. Just season with a few lemon leaves and salt and you have a yummy snack. If you lived in India, Japan or China, you’d smack your lips on bee grubs, wasp pupae, fly larvae and maybe finish with a steaming bowl of earthworm broth or snake soup. Ummmm good! If you lived in Swaziland, you’d be munching on freshly prepared termites. The critters are first drowned in water, then sundried and roasted so they’re nice and crisp, just like your favorite French fries – well, almost!

Snail pies and cow eyes. You’re probably familiar with snails because people all over the world eat them, often in a butter and garlic sauce. But in Germany, snails are also served as a dessert, wrapped in a pie crust square, sealed and baked until golden brown, almost like your mom’s apple pie! In other parts of Europe, stuffed calf’s eyes, batter-fried brains and stuffed pig’s stomach are favorite treats, too. Are you getting hungry yet? Foods and culture. You may wonder why people eat such creepy sounding foods that you wouldn’t dream of putting in your mouth. For one thing, people eat according to their culture and traditions, preparing meals as their parents did, just as your mom and dad prepare meals for you. Also, in poorer countries people have to make do with what Mother Nature provides and insects are regarded as part of nature’s bounty. Besides, a tribesman in Africa would probably prefer roasted grubs rather than a slice of pizza smothered with cheese and pepperoni. And guess what? Those roasted grubs are better for your health – lots more protein and hardly any fat. So, the next time your mom or dad says, “Eat your broccoli,” don’t moan and groan. Be glad there aren’t any legs draped over your plate or eyes looking back at you! On the other hand, you might want to read some fascinating books by David George Gordon, a bug chef and author of books with tasty sounding titles, like “Travels with My Ant” and “The Eat-a-Bug C o o k b o o k ,” among others. Check it all out on www. davidge orgegordon.com. Yum! Comments to kik usan2@ verizon.net.

one who walks in off the street. Right from the start, let me apologize to my wonderful hair stylist. I thought a quick snip between cuts would give me another week or two. Sometimes this works, but I found that it should be done with your glasses on. I got a little carried away, at least on the right side. I must have snipped twice, or snipped lower, because now I seem to have a patch of crew cut on the side of my head. I need to buy more hairspray today too. I probably shouldn’t touch hair-cutting shears anyway after the dreaded “Hatchet Mommie” incident 22 years ago. I was trying to be a frugal Mom and was cutting my son’s hair. Last time for that. You know those easy bowl cuts. Well, you should always cut mid-ear length, never top of ear length. I trimmed right across the top of my poor son’s ear. Of course there was a good amount of blood, and I was upset and telling him, “I’m sorry.” He just calmly sat there and said, “It’s OK, Mommy. It didn’t hurt.” But, day care and friends didn’t let me forget that one for a long time. If you burn your toast, which is inevitable, maybe only for me, you often wonder how do I get rid of the burnt toast smell? It’s not that the toaster is broken. My husband and I like different toast settings, and I forget to check what it was set on before I pop my bread in. Keep in mind my husband was a fireman for many years – blackened toast with wisps of smoke gently wafting sends an electric energy through his body. So, I had one of my lightening-fast bolts of kitchen wisdom. As the toast was still smoldering, I thought water, I’ll run it under the cold-water faucet. If anyone reading this can remember putting out a campfire with water or being around a house fire that’s been extinguished, you might pull up that odor from you nose memory banks. Peeeooowww!

Another helpful home hint is to really double-check candles to make sure they are extinguished. That goes without saying, you say. I love the look of those beautiful candles with all the embedded flowers, leaves and various other dried items from nature. After a joyous Thanksgiving two years ago, I blew out one large, leafembedded candle before we retired for the evening and went off to bed. I always check well, having had a candle fire as a teenager. Sometime in the middle of the night, my husband jumped out of bed and raced to the kitchen. I awoke and could see the hallway was glowing. Apparently one of the leaves had caught and slowly had been burning. I now make sure I buy the candles with a protective glass insert in the middle of the candle, which keeps the dry materials away from the flame. My last hint is very recent. Never walk backward in a parking lot while speaking to someone. I need one of those alarms on me that trucks have when they are backing up. I was the only person to leave an establishment that didn’t have a drink I had a Coke – and of course I’m the one who falls. There are retaining logs to stop cars from driving into buildings, but not to stop chattering people from falling backwards over them. It’s a good thing I’m the deluxe truck model with extra padding. My husband was about 10 feet away and did reach out to me, but it was too late – it was a great, slow motion fall and thud (on dirt, thank goodness). I know to never go to the Grand Canyon with him. To each new day’s misadventure, Shelby Please send your comments or ideas to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com

THE ANGLICAN MISSION OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND (Scripturally (Scripturally based based worship) worship)

Sundays - 9:30 AM Southern MD Higher Ed Ctr (Rm, 108/109) 44219 Airport Road, California, MD

301/475-9337 www.amosm.net

The County Times

Creative Coloring

1. Color lightly 6. Female parents 11. Present covering 14. Feathered scarf 15. Positive pole 16. British Air Aces 18. Alo_____: loss of hair 21. Broadway’s Hook, Ritchard 23. Lime painting on dry plaster 25. Machinery lubricant 26. Smallest U.S. coins 28. Resembling an angel in goodness 29. Metric linear unit 31. ___kus: commotion 34. Angkor ___, temple 35. Radioactivity unit 36. Rebuilt 39. Slandered 40. Pla_____: blood parts 44. Classic style or image 45. 1/2 of a German spa 47. Search and rescue exercise (acr.) 48. Weight unit 50. Claim (abbr.)

Last Week’s Puzzle Solutions

ner

KiddKioer

CLUES ACROSS

Thursday, April 9, 2009

51. Soup noodles 56. Similar (suffix) 57. Washing receptacle 62. Larceny 63. Ringtail monkey genus

CLUES DOWN

1. Drew an outline 2. Farm state (abbr.) 3. House speaker initials 4. Licensed bean counter 5. Atomic #50, SN 6. Million gallons per day (abbr.) 7. A non-human primate 8. Mom 9. Associated Press 10. Bread knife edge 11. Sufferings 12. Yes opposite 13. Grower 14. Int’l. fuel co. 17. In a way, left 19. ___ng: cake topping 20. ___e: apex 21. One who weeps 22. Yiddish gossiper 24. Largest English dictionary

(abbr.) 25. Leg (slang) 27. Stitched 28. Lots 30. Iron Man Ripkin 31. Change pagination 32. Inh_____: cruel 33. Funny books 36. Revoke 37. Last month (abbr.) 38. Pat lightly 39. Phonograph record 41. A waterproof raincoat 42. Dentist group 43. A set of TV programs 46. “Conde __ Traveler” magazine 49. Atomic #90 51. Radio direction finder (abbr.) 52. Honeymooner actor Carney 53. Belonging to me 54. Basics 55. No (Scottish) 58. Expression of uncertainty 59. Point midway between N and E 60. Atomic #51 61. S__: store barcode

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

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

Only three miles from Leonardtown, this beautiful, heavily wooded lot is only a few hundred feet off Md Route 243 (Newtowne Neck Rd) on a private dirveway. A house here would be almost invisible to the few neighbors nearby. Sewer is already approved and the lot is ready for clearing and building. With stores, churches, eateries, and a hospital within five miles, a full service marina a quarter of a mile away, and the occasional family of deer wandering through, this lot makes an ideal spot for a family home. Price: $99,500. Call 301-475-9597.

Apartment Rentals

Spring Valley Apartments Heating & Air Conditioning “THE HEAT PUMP PEOPLE”

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

30457 Potomac Way Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 Phone: 301-884-5011

Est. 1982

Lic #12999

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

Specials:

2 bdrm: $789 3 bdrm: $999 Free Application Fee

MHIC: 98388

Vehicles

Wednesday:

301-737-0777

General Merchandise

Spaghetti Night

699 Adult • $399 8 & Under

Wildewood Shop. Ctr., California, MD www.petruzzis.com 301-866-0777

MARSH

CONTRACTORS 301-399-2525 WINDOWS & DOORS HOME IMPROVEMENTS

The Tea Room Open Daily

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

(301) 475-1980

First Fridays Dinner Special 5pm - 8pm leonardtowntearoom@gmail.com

26005 Point Lookout Road (Rt 5) Leonardtown MD, 20650

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

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

Moving Sale! 6 Drawer Desk.................................................$100 3 Bookcases (5 shelves)......$40 each or 3 for $100 Pro-Form 928L Exercise Bike.........................$75 Schwinn Exercise Bike...................................$150 Kenmore Frost Free Upright Freezer 28”x28”x5 feet...............................$100 Kenmore 70 Pint Dehumidifier.......................$75 King/Queen metal bed frame rails.................$35 Ping Pong Table...............................................$125 Glass Top Dinette Set......................................$150 Lawn Mower......................................................$75 Leaf Blower........................................................$50 Weed Wacker.....................................................$35 Troybilt 5550 Generator (Never Used).........$600 Weight Bench.....................................................$25 Weider Club Weight Rack w/bench.............$450 300 lb Olympic Weight Set............................$100 Fitness Gear FG900 w/speed & heavy bag & dip pull-up/sit up......$200 Various Dumb Bells 25 lbs – 50 lbs 50 lb (2)...................................$40 each 45lb (2)....................................$35 each 35lb (2)....................................$30 each Dumbbell Rack..................................................$50 HP Deskjet 5740................................................$35 Kenmore Elite Frontload HE Washer & Dryer 5 years old/Granite Gray Color.....$950 4 Drawer Metal File Cabinet...........................$75 All items are available immediately on a First Come First Serve “CASH ONLY” basis. Please call for more information 301-475-0366.

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, April 9, 2009

The County Times and these fine merchants would like to wish you and your family a very Happy Easter! The Apple Basket www.applebasketantiques.com

Rivers Edge Restaurant Benedict MD

301-884-8118

TC Martin Jewelers Charlotte Hall, MD

www.thegreenerynursery.net 301-274-2828 301-373-2573 Big Dogs Paradise Bar & Liquor Store www.bdpbar.com Burris’ Olde Towne Insurance Guy Distributing 301-884-9812 danburris.com Leonardtown, MD Charles Memorial Gardens www.charlesmemorialgardens.com

The Tea Room MD Antiques Center

301-884-8581

301-475-1980

301-475-3151

Herons Way Gallery www.heronswaygallery.com

301-475-8060

301-475-0088

Charles County Auctions www.charlescountyauctions.com

Under New Manag ement

Home Builders, Inc. www.homebuildersmd.com

301-934-1844

240-725-0540

Chesapeake Pet Resort & Day Spa www.chessiepets.com

301-737-1102

Cheseldine Management Consulting www.cheseldine.org

301-862-3544

County Liquors For your Holiday Spirits

301-862-3600

$5 off oil chan

Tel: 301.862.0380 Fax:301.863.0383

See Our Ad for Ou r Easter Dinner on page 31! www.ChefsA

mericanBistro. info@chefsamerica com nbistro.com • Conta ct Aaron 301-863-32 www.woodlan 19

Fine Dining

In a casual, relaxing

Final Week

Happy Easterr! specials

te fo Please check websi r dinner and join us fo

Hair Cuts Plus We Care About Hair

1-866-871-1040 www.liber tytax.com 301-737-7811 21600 Great Mills Road Lexington Park (in front of Roses)

301-290-0100 30385 Three Notch Road Charlotte Hall (just north of Oak Rd)

atmosphere

ownn onarardtdtow Leon ricLe storic On the squarei inhihisto more t, Prix-Fixe Menu & Classy entertainmen 00 mended 301-997-05 Reservations Recom .ws www.cafedesartistes

dsgrill.com

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Thursday, April 9, 2009

The County Times

ewsmakers

Remembering Weiner Bar Association Honors Former St. Mary’s County Judge

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Family members created a collage of dozens of photographs from former Judge Joseph D. Weiner’s life, which was on display at a memorial service in his honor.

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer St. Mary’s Circuit Courthouse was overrun with dignitaries and members of the St. Mary’s Bar Association on Friday, when all gathered to take part in one of the association’s yearly traditions, honoring the bar members that died in the past 12 months, most notably Judge Joseph D. Weiner, who died on Feb. 11, 2008 at the age of 92, and for whom a colorful collage was erected outside the courtroom. “Dad was notoriously reticent about discussing the past,” said son Theodore Weiner, who runs the Weiner Weiner & Weiner law firm in Leonardtown with his brother, John. Theodore, a history enthusiast, cheerfully described conversations in which he had tried to get details about his father’s early life. “I said, ‘Dad, you were a young boy in roaring 20s, and that was the exciting time, wasn’t it?’ Dad, who was impossible to bait, responded ‘What roaring 20s? We were poor, everyone was poor, times were hard.’ “So I thought I would press on with another leading question. I said, ‘Dad, the Great Depression was really bad wasn’t it?’ and the reply was ‘What Great Depression? We were poor, everyone was poor, times were hard!’” Times were indeed hard,

said John Weiner as he spoke of his father’s accomplishments. “Like most people who lived in St. Mary’s County during the Depression, my father came from very humble beginnings … but Dad never felt sorry for himself or complained about the hard life that had been dealt to him and his family. Instead he developed a determination and work ethic that helped him become a success in his professional and personal life.” Joseph D. Weiner was born in 1916 in St. Inigoes and was among the first classes to graduate from Great Mills High School. He attended the University of Baltimore Law School and began practicing law when he was 21 years old. He practiced law for 55 years, having been appointed as judge to the Circuit Court in 1972 after serving twice as the county’s state’s attorney, and later retired at the age of 76. At the time of his death, he had been the last surviving member of the county’s first Bar Association, which he and nine others established in 1947. John said that his father had been generous in his business practices. “My father never turned anyone away who came to him with a legal problem. Sometimes that meant being paid for legal services with a bushel of crabs or oysters or a basket of homegrown vegetables … many of his former

clients still come to me today and tell me about how Dad had helped them out when they were young and they had gotten in trouble with the law.” “Dad believed that all members of our community should be treated fairly,” said John, “so in the early 1950s as chairman of the county’s Republican Central Committee … he recommended to the governor to appoint the first African-Americans to hold public office in St. Mary’s County,” for which he was later made an honorary member of the Knights of St. Jerome, an African-American charitable organization. “My father set high standards for integrity, dignity, honesty and generosity, which all of his children have tried to follow and pass on,” said John. Dignitaries and bar members at the memorial included County Commissioner president Francis Jack Russell; John Hanson Briscoe, Maryland Circuit Court Judge; James A. Kenney, judge for the Maryland Court of Special Appeals; C. Clark Raley, associate judge to the Circuit Court; Karen H. Abrams, County Administrative Judge, and Ernest Bell II, who served as master of ceremonies. This year the bar also memorialized David G. Shriver and Charles Mander, both distinguished attorneys in St. Mary’s County.

Community

The County Times

Forrest Center Hosting Annual Spring Fling Plant Sale The Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center will host its annual Spring Fling Plant Sale on Saturday, April 18, 8 a.m. to noon, at the school site located at 24005 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, Md. Plants from the Forrest Center’s horticulture program will be sold. This year, the Spring Fling will also feature a Repurposed Art Auction which showcases creations by Forrest Center students who transformed waste and recycled materials into “objects of art.” The silent auction takes place 9 a.m. to noon. Additionally, a Schwan’s fundraiser will be held. Schwan’s sells a variety of food and meal items. The truck will be located in front of the Forrest Center. Visit Schwan’s online at www. schwans.com. A portion of the Schwan’s purchases and all other proceeds from this event will benefit the Forrest Center’s horticulture program and SkillsUSA chapter. For more information, contact the school at 301-475-0242.

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Leonardtown Lions Club Donates $10,000 to Hospice

King Lion Charlie Breck and Lion Jack Candela of the Leonardtown Lions Club present a check for $10,000 to Ms. Helen Daugherty and Mr. Vince Merz of Hospice of St. Mary’s. The money is to be used for Hospice House and brings the total donated by the Leonardtown Lions Club to Hospice of St. Mary’s to $25,000

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Father Andrew White Raises Money for the Sisters of Charity Father Andrew White School and community raised 4,553.82 during their annual mission drive for the Sisters of Charity to support their work with young children of India. This effort will go to improve a school in Trichey, India.

Students from left to right are Christine Bauk, Isabella Masiello, Connor Bullis, Misty Bell, Sydney Guy, Megan Travis, Michael Wilson, Elaina Guy, Anthony Granger. Each are representatives of grades 8th thru kindergarten.

un Fact

‘Ragtime’ Will Spotlight Summerstock The Board of Commissioners for St. Mary’s County and the Department of Recreation and Parks are pleased to announce this year’s Summerstock performance will be “Ragtime.” Ragtime is a story about life in America at the beginning of the 20th century. The show illustrates poignant issues of the day – from immigration, racism and politics to industrialization and social upheaval. Historical figures intermingle with fictional characters. The show focuses on three families – one upper – middle class, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, one socialist immigrant Jewish and one Harlem Black – whose intersecting lives are influenced by the Ragtime era’s social challenges. Auditions will be held at Leonardtown Middle School on Friday, April 24 from 5 – 9 p.m. and on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Auditions are open for individuals 7 – 21 years of age. You can audition on either day. Performances will be held at the Great Mills High School Auditorium from July 17 – 19 and through July 23 – 26, 2009. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening shows begin at 7 p.m.; the Saturday matinee (July 25 only) begins at 1 p.m. and the Sunday evening shows begin at 5 p.m. Admission prices for the show are $14 for ages 11 to adult, $12 for senior citizens 60 and over, and $6 for children ages 10 and under. Saturday matinee tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $4 for children. A willcall service is provided. Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance or arrive early on show nights to purchase tickets, as shows may sell out early. Tickets will be sold at the door one hour before show time; auditorium doors open 1⁄2 hour before show time. Advance tickets will be on sale at the Recreation and Parks Main Office, Patuxent Building, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, in Leonardtown, beginning on July 6 and will-call service will be available starting on July 13. All seating is general admission. For more information, please call (301) 475-4200 Ext. 1800 or visit the web site at http://www.co.saintmarys.md.us/recreate/specialevents.asp.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Summer Camp Registration Beginning Soon The St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners and the Department of Recreation and Parks announce that registration for 2009 summer camps will begin on Mon. April 20 and will remain open as long as space is available. The Department offers a variety of summer camps including TREK (Teaching, Reaching, Enriching Kids) camps for children ages six to 10, pre-teen camps for children ages 11 to 12 and Camp Inspire for children and young adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SASD). The Department also will have instructional sports camps for activities such as baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, lacrosse, football, field hockey, tennis and soccer. Day camps will run from the week of June 22 to August 14 in one week sessions. Registration forms can be obtained by visiting the Recreation and Parks main office, located at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in the Patuxent Building in Leonardtown, or by calling 301-475-4200 ext. 1800 or ext. 1801 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Those wishing to register may also download forms from the Rec and Parks website (http://www.co.saint-marys. md.us/recreate/Form/FormI.pdf) and delivered to the office or faxed in at 301-475-4108.

Recreation Parks The County Times

Carver After School Program Now Open The old George Washington Carver Elementary School Building in Lexington Park is now housing an after school program that opened Wed. March 18. The program is available for children from First through Eighth grade every Wednesday, 3 to 7 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of St.

Mary’s Co

unty Departmen t of Recreation an d Parks Kids and Staff are happy to open the Carver After Scho Program. ol

tion and Parks rtment of Recrea pa De ty un Co of St. Mary’s ograms availPhoto Courtesy one of many pr

k, their homewor helps kids with r be em m ff A sta g. school buildin able at the old

The County Times

Adult Kickball Meeting Set The St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks will hold an informational meeting for an Adult Kickball League on Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Leonard Hall Recreation Center in Leonardtown. After a successful 2008 season, R&P anticipates that there will be an increase of teams for the coming season. The league is co-ed, for ages 18 and up, with a maximum of 20 players allowed on a team. Games will be played on Saturday afternoons at Dorsey Park in Hollywood, beginning Saturday June 20. A team payment of $200 will be due on the date play is set to begin. For more information, call Kenny Sothoron at 301475-4200, ext. 1830.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Tricoda Dart Association Raise $5,675 for Hospice

Photo Submitted by Jimmy Dillow

The Tricoda Dart Association held their 21st annual Open Dart Tournament Feb. 20, 21 and 22 for a good cause. The Dart association raised $5,675 for The Hospice of St. Mary’s, more than the original goal of $5,000.

Southern Maryland Smiles for Life Poker Run Dr. Tim Modic of Mechanicsville presents the first Annual Southern Maryland Smiles for Life Poker Run – A benefit for Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation & the Greenwell Foundation in Hollywood, MD. The event is scheduled to take place Sat. June 27 with the raindate scheduled for Sat. July 11. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. at at CJ’s, located 12020 Olivet Road in Lusby. The cost is $20 for bikes, trucks, cars and $10 for additional riders, with the last last rider out at noon. There will a beef and hog roast along with sides at the conclusion of the ride (4 p.m.), free of charge for participants, $10 for those not in the run. There will be music by DJ Katie along with raffles and door prizes. For more information, contact Dr. Tim Modic at 301-884-2299.

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

High School Baseball

Sp rts

Shorter’s One-Hitter Lifts Braves Over State Champs

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

Labanowski drove in runs for Chopticon, giving Shorter all the run support he would need as La Plata was held hitless for 6 1/3 innings. Shorter’s no-hit bid came to an end when MORGANZA – With an overcast, chilly and windy Eric Devinney slapped a solid single to right field. Shorter weather forecast as the backdrop, Chopticon senior Steven recovered to strike-out Mark Bellows and get Zach Kiehling Shorter provided all the sunshine necessary for the Braves to fly out to center field to end the game. baseball team Tuesday afternoon. “When your pitcher has a no hitter going and it gets Shorter allowed just one hit and struck out six in his into the late innings, it’s tough because you want to get to seven innings of work as Chopticon shut out defending Class everything you can,” Summers said. “Stevie’s a heck of a 3A State Champitcher, he’ll probpion La Plata 5-0, ably have another lifting the Braves going later in the to 4-1 on the season.” season. While the “I’m thrilled Warriors returned for Stevie because just one starter he’s had some from last season’s tough games title team, the against La Plata,” Braves will take said Braves head wins any way they coach Steve Wilcan get them. liams. “He’s “La Plata’s been on varsity for a well-coached three years and he team, they’ve been has high expectato the big show tions of himself.” before, so it’s Shorter credbig,” Shorter ited his defense said. for backing him “It’s nice up the entire way. to beat La Plata,” “I didn’t Photo By Frank Marquart Summers added, have my best stuff The Braves’ Tyler Summers is tagged out by La Plata’s Mark Bellows to end the first “but it’s nice to today, but my de- inning. Summers was attempting to steal second base on the play. beat anybody.” fense made plays great plays behind me, Jonathan Nagy made a couple of great catches

Photo By Frank Marquart

Chopticon’s Austin Murphy cleanly fields a ground ball during the Braves’ 5-0 win over La Plata Tuesday afternoon.

Wed., April 1 Baseball Chopticon 5, McDonough 2 Patuxent 4, Great Mills 2 La Plata 1, Leonardtown 0 (eight innings) DeMatha 10, St. Mary’s Ryken 2 Softball McDonough 7, Chopticon 0 Patuxent 4, Great Mills 2 La Plata 6, Leonardtown 1 Chopticon’s Mitchell Seifert swings at a pitch from La Plata’s Nate Ryon.

Thurs., April 2 Baseball Great Mills 3, Leonardtown 2 Good Counsel 11, St. Mary’s Ryken 6

Photo By Chris Stevens

in right field,” Shorter said of the Braves defense consistently robbing La Plata batters of base hits during the course of the game. Shortstop Tyler Summers, who had an RBI single in the win, felt Shorter was pitching just fine. “He’s phenomenal, his curveball and his fastball were working, it’s a great feeling to know he’s going to get outs,” Summers states. “Every time he’s out there, he gives you a really good chance to win.” Aside from Shorter’s mastery on the mound, the Braves’ offense took advantage of four La Plata errors to put their five runs on the board, two coming in the third inning after the Warriors couldn’t field consecutive Chopticon bunts. “That’s the name of the game, timely hits,” Williams said. “You always have to take advantage of the other team’s mistakes.” “We’re not the strongest hitting team in the SMAC, but we’re aggressive on the base paths and that’s what we did today, we took advantage of their errors.” Summers, Andrew Mika, Mitchell Seifert and Mike

Boys’ Lacrosse Great Mills 9, Chopticon 6 Girls’ Lacrosse Great Mills 18, Chopticon 10 Leonardtown 15, Patuxent 4 Softball St. Mary’s Ryken 27, Bishop McNamara 0

Sat., April 4 Baseball Chopticon 14, Westlake 2 Bishop McNamara 7, St. Mary’s Ryken 6 Photo By Frank Marquart

Jonathan Nagy of Chopticon hauls in a fly ball Tuesday afternoon.

Softball Chopticon 18, Westlake 2

Sp rts

The County Times

There are 10 towns named Hollywood in the United States!

A View From The

Rare Breed

BLEACHERS

By Ronald N. Guy Jr. Contributing Writer Oh pity the poor PGA tour player. He’s back, so it just got a whole lot harder to win a major title or cash a winner’s check. Who you say? Him. You know, that Woods guy. With his knee patched up, rehabilitated and healthy, Tiger Woods returned to competition and instantly made golf relevant (and hopefully appealing in print) again. Woods returned to competitive golf in late February at the Accenture Match Play Championship, returned to stroke play at

Thursday, April 9, 2009

the World Golf Championships in mid-March and won his first tournament two weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (I guess Tiger got an invite … shocker) with a thrilling final round charge. Boy, that didn’t take long – so much for the ill affects of an eight-month layoff. Even the most cynical would have to concede that his return to tour dominance and winning majors is, in a word, inevitable. It may even happen as soon as this weekend at The Masters. And when Tiger re-establishes his dominance of professional golf, fans of the game will once again lament his lack of a true rival. Sports are at their best when the outcome is uncertain and the improbable remains possible. Individually, Magic

Johnson and Larry Bird were great, but when they squared off in the NBA finals, it was must see, history book stuff. You knew each wanted it as bad the other and neither would dare blink under the intense pressure. Tiger has no rival and, when it comes to competitive drive and the ability to close out a tournament, is virtually peerless. Lacking any semblance of a generational equivalent, we’re left to compare his accomplishments to those of the ghostly former golfing greats. When Tiger wins a major now, who he beat or how he won is secondary to how much closer he is to Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 majors. While Tiger has had his share of fantastic finishes, it’s usually against a random player who happened to get hot on a

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particular weekend. Golf is very much Tiger vs. “the field”. That generic undertone and the lack of mano-y-mano epics unfortunate, but it’s no one’s fault. Oh sure, it’s easy to pound on guys like Phil Mickleson whose accomplishments to date, while respectable, fall a little short of his talent. He could have been Bird to Tiger’s Magic. But he never will be. And neither will anyone else. Why? Aside from the obvious – you may have noticed that Tiger is ridiculously good – it’s just too easy to get comfortable on the PGA tour. Want evidence? Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I give you Briny Baird and John Rollins. Who you say? They were the 37th and 103rd ranked players on the 2008 money list earning just over $2M and $1M, respectively. Oh yeah, it’s good to be a pro golfer. When you can play golf in anonymity and pocket a cool million or two a year, it’s not hard to understand why golfers lose a bit of their competitive drive once they’re bona fide tour pros. In such circumstances, most of us would be guilty of losing a bit of our edge. Mickelson has secured the financial future of his family for generations and his accomplishments are respectable. So is he a villain for perhaps allowing the PGA lifestyle to temper the dedication needed to be all he could have been? If you were Mickleson, would you have been any different? It’s also not Mickleson’s, or the rest of today’s “random Tiger challengers club’s”, fault for having the misfortune of playing in “his” era. They are, through nothing more than poor timing, forced to stare down true greatness during every single major championship. For Tiger Woods is not only one of those rare athletes, but rare people, who is blessed with prodigious talent and an insatiable competitive drive that remains unaffected by accolades and accomplishments. Golf fans shouldn’t dwell on the shortcomings of “the field” and Tiger’s lack of a rival, but be thankful that there is a Tiger…and that he’s back…and hopefully as good as ever. Send your comments to rguyjoon@yahoo.com.

un Fact

SPR RII N G SPORTS High School Sports Schedule 04/09/09-04/15/09 Thurs., April 9 Boys’ Lacrosse Huntingtown at Chopticon, 6:30 p.m. Softball St. Mary’s Ryken at Bishop O’Connell, 4 p.m.

Sat., April 11 Baseball Chopticon at Arundel High, 11 a.m. Boys’ Lacrosse Great Mills at C. Milton Wright Memorial Tournament, noon St. Mary’s Ryken at North Harford Tournament, noon

Tues., April 14 Boys’ Lacrosse The Calverton School at St. Mary’s Ryken, 4 p.m. Leonardtown at Great Mills, 6:30 p.m. Girls’ Lacrosse Great Mills at Leonardtown, 6:30 p.m. Tennis Thomas Stone at Great Mills, 4 p.m. Track & Field Chopticon at Thomas Stone, 4 p.m. St. Mary’s Ryken at Landon School meet, 4 p.m.

Wed., April 15 Baseball McDonough at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m. Chopticon at Thomas Stone, 4:30 p.m. Leonardtown at Huntingtown, 4:30 p.m. Softball McDonough at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m. Chopticon at Thomas Stone, 4:30 p.m. Leonardtown at Huntingtown, 4:30 p.m. Tennis Great Mills at McDonough, 4 p.m. Thomas Stone at Chopticon, 4 p.m. Track & Field Great Mills at Westlake, 4 p.m. Leonardtown at North Point, 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The County Times

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The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Sp rts SMCM Tennis

St. Mary’s Men Pick Up First CAC Tennis Win atch Re

M s i n

su l

Dover, Del. – Playing in their third match in two days, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s tennis team notched their second 4/04/2009 at Dover, Del. straight win and first Capital (duPont Tennis Courts) Athletic Conference victoSt. Mary’s (Md.) 7, Wesley 2 ry of the season with a 7-2 win over Wesley College Singles Competition Saturday afternoon. Junior Kenny Nu1. Jeremy Butanis (SMC) def. Mickey DeSouza (WES) 8-6 gent (Pocomoke, Md./ 2. Christopher Maximo (WES) def. Andrew MacLaughlin (SMC) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 Pocomoke) is now 9-1 3. Thomas Hoesman (SMC) def. Ryan Fish (WES) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in his last 10 matches 4. Sam Barton (SMC) def. Andrew Smyth (WES) 6-1, 6-4 5. Jeff Levy (SMC) def. Jon Hall (WES) 6-0, 6-2 as Nugent posted a 6. Kenny Nugent (SMC) def. Rashad Laster (WES) 6-1, 6-0 6-1, 6-0 straight set victory over senior Rashad Laster (BranDoubles Competition dywine, Md./Brandywine) at No. 6 singles. 1. Mickey DeSouza/Christopher Maximo (WES) def. Jeremy Butanis/Andrew MacLaughlin (SMC) 9-7 Nugent owns a 12-3 (2-0 2. Kenny Nugent/Sam Barton (SMC) CAC) record in singles acdef. Ryan Fish/Andrew Smyth (WES) 8-2 tion, including a 6-0 mark at 3. Thomas Hoesman/Jeff Levy (SMC) No. 5, while his 12 wins are a def. Rashad Laster/Jon team-high. Hall (WES) 8-3 Wesley’s junior Mickey DeSouMatch Notes: za (Beverly, N.J./Palmyra) and freshman St. Mary’s (Md.) 11-4, 1-1 CAC Christopher Maximo (Dover, Del./Dover) outlasted the Seahawk tandem of seniors Jeremy Butanis (Fallston, Md./ Wesley 0-5, 0-4 Fallston) and Andrew MacLaughlin (Cambridge, Md./Cambridge-S. CAC Dorchester) for a 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles. A-25

St. Mary’s Women Blank Wesley for 2-0 CAC Start Dover, Del. – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s tennis team won their second straight match with a 9-0 shutout of Wesley College Saturday afternoon, giving the Seahawks a 2-0 start in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Seahawks (9-3, 2-0 CAC) were led in the win by senior Sarah Weisse (Sykesville, Md./South Carroll) and freshman Kathleen Ramsey (Dunkirk, Md./Northern) with their strong singles play. Weisse has now won eight of her last 10 matches, including five straight, as she notched a 4/04/2009 at Dover, Del. 6-3, 6-1 victory over sophomore (duPont Tennis Courts) St. Mary’s (Md.) 9, Wesley 0 Rebecca Pennington (Earleville, Md./Bohemia Manor) at No. 1 Singles Doubles singles. Ramsey continued her winCompetition Competition ning ways as she picked up a 6-1, 1. Sarah Weisse (SMC) 1. Sarah Weisse/Michelle 6-1 win over sophomore Taylor def. Rebecca Pennington Compton (SMC) def. ReBlackiston (Chesapeake, Md./ (WES) 6-3, 6-1 becca Pennington/Marina Bohemia Manor) at No. 5 singles 2. Michelle Compton Palma (WES) 8-3 to remain undefeated on the sea(SMC) def. Kori Isken 2. Colleen O’Neil/Monica (WES) 6-1, 7-5 Powell (SMC) def. Kori son at 8-0. 3. Monica Powell (SMC) Isken/Tara Spillane (WES) The sophomore tandem of def. Marina Palma (WES) 8-6 Colleen O’Neil (Jefferson, Md./ 6-3, 6-2 3. Jerilyn Rogalski/Jackie Brunswick) and Monica Pow4. Jerilyn Rogalski (SMC) Brady (SMC) def. Taylor ell (Rockville, Md./Rockville) def. Tara Spillane (WES) Blackiston/Julia Wright 6-2, 6-3 (WES) 8-1 toughed out an 8-6 win at No. 5. Kathleen Ramsey 2 doubles, while Weisse and ju(SMC) def. Taylor BlackisMatch Notes: nior Michelle Compton (Havre ton (WES) 6-1, 6-1 St. Mary’s (Md.) 9-3, de Grace, Md./Tome) extended 6. Jackie Brady (SMC) 2-0 CAC def. Julia Wright (WES) their win streak to eight with an 6-1, 6-2 Wesley 0-4, 0-3 CAC 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles.

Tennis Match Results

The County Times

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Sp rts

Chopticon’s Armstrong Voted SMAC’s Best For Boys’ Basketball By Chris Stevens Staff Writer In a high school conference of very talented and taller players, Chopticon senior point guard Derrell Armstrong stood out from the rest, winning the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference player of the year award for boys’ basketball, beating out players such as Lackey’s Rashad Beam and Thomas Stone’s Stephon Battle for the award. “It’s a big honor because the SMAC has a lot of talented players,” said Armstrong, Chopticon’s leading scorer with an average of 25.4 points per game this past season. “I feel grateful that the coaches voted for me and I’m proud that I won.” Armstrong led the Braves to 19 wins and an appearance in the Class 3A Southern Region semi-finals before losing to conference champion Lackey. “When he came to us from Ryken, you could tell there was something special about him,” said Braves head coach Terry Mumau. “He gave us confidence and the whole team started believing in themselves.” “This year we had good team chemistry, we worked hard every day and had a blast because we’ve been playing together for a long time,” Armstrong said of the bond with fellow seniors Glen Thompson, Joel Pease and Devon Yates. “We just had a blast and it was great.” Armstrong transferred to Chopticon before the beginning of the 2007-08 school year from St. Mary’s Ryken, feeling that he would have a better chance to play and play well. “I didn’t feel like I was fitting in at Ryken,” he said. “I felt like going to Chopticon that I would be more successful there.” His hunch turned out to be right, as he averaged 16 points per game during the ’08 campaign and made first-team all SMAC. He then turned on the jets this past season, leading the conference in scoring and collecting six 30-point games along the way. He scored his season high of 33 points twice – against Glen Burnie on December 22 and in a clutch victory over county rival Leonardtown in February. As for his post-high school plans, Armstrong has been contacted by a number of colleges (Virginia State, Central Connecticut State, Bloomsburg, Lycoming and Chowan are among the schools), but he still has to make visits before coming to a decision.

“I’m still in the process of deciding, so I don’t have an answer for where I’m going yet,” he said. Mumau cites Armstrong’s strength and ability to penetrate defenses as the reason for his success, which helped the Braves improve their win total by leaps and bounds. “He made 65 percent of his shots inside of the three-point line, so he was scoring almost seven out of 10 times and that’s something you need if you’re going to win games,” Mumau said. Which is something Derrell Armstrong helped Chopticon do a lot of this season.

Photo By Chris Stevens

Chopticon senior guard Derrell Armstrong was named the SMAC’s Most Outstanding Player in boys’ basketball, averaging 25.4 points per game as the Braves won 19 games this past season.

THURSDAY APRIL 9, 2009

Shorter Stands Tall for Chopticon Page 35

Far Out: Moon Rock Comes to Pax Museum Story Page 11

Politics of Terrorism Story Page 15

Tobacco Farm Takes New Life as Vineyard Story Page 10

Photo By Frank Marquart