The County Times -- April 16, 2009 (Hi-Def)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Keeping It Real

Earth Day Every Day PAGE 18

Foreclosures On The Rise In Lexington Park Story Page 4

Schools Hiring Fewer Teachers Story Page 15

Developer Butting Heads With SHA Story Page 10

Photo by Frank Marquart

The County Times

Weekend Dinner Specials Fully Prepared In Our Kitchen

The County Times

RESULTS

Price Effective Friday, April 17 - Sunday, April 19

Whole Rotisserie Chicken

2

Thursday, April 16, 2009

How often do you use the county’s recycling facilities at the Convenience Centers?

Seldom - 0%

• 1 lb. Mashed Potatoes • 1 lb. Store Made Creamy Cole Slaw • ½ doz. Fresh Dinner Rolls • 2 ltr. Coke or Pepsi

Never 20% 80%

Regurlarly

Are you making the switch to energy-efficient light bulbs?

No 20%

20%

Yes, Most

60%

Yes, Some

If it was available, would you be willing to pay for curb-side recycling pick-up?

Yes - 0% Maybe 27%

73%

No 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.

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Inside

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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

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Lifestyles A House is a Home Real Estate Business Directory

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The County Times

ews

Thursday, April 16, 2009 Every day is about 55 billionths of a second longer than the day before it.

Home Foreclosures Increase In Lexington Park dropped by 67 percent here with just two sales for the last months of 2008.

For the same time period, there were just 10 properties purchased by the lender in the transaction, which represented a 23 percent drop from the previous quarter.

Of all the communities in the county, only Lexington Park was identified as a foreclosure hot spot, according to the report.

help make money, indicating their desperate financial situations.

“They did that just to keep money in their Recent data from the state Department of pockets,” Barnes said.

Housing and Community Development show that Without federal stimulus dollars filtered Lexington Park had a high rate of home foreclothrough the state, Nicholson said, his office could sures for the last three months of 2008. not assist those facing foreclosure with aid, but he The state foreclosure report for the fourth hopes that some state aid funds could come later quarter of 2008 names Lexington Park as a hot this summer. spot, but Dennis Nich“We won’t be able to be active olson, executive director with our resources until June,” Nichof the county Housing olson said. “We’re maxed out with Authority office, says what we have. We can listen to peothat St. Mary’s still has ple’s concerns, but we have very few not received any federal dollar resources available.” stimulus funds to comThose monies would normally go bat foreclosures, which to helping people afford rent for either he said can lead to more a house or apartment, make repairs to community blight. aging homes or forestall a foreclosure, Those funds have he said. gone to counties like Foreclosed, vacant homes mean Prince George’s and more stress on the social fabric, NichMontgomery where the olson said, adding that the stress can sheer number of foreclodrain police resources and stigmatize sures has reached crisis neighborhoods. levels.

“It would deter investment into “The county (accommunities that are in need of homcording to) state data, is eownership and repair,” he said. showing a high rate of Nicholson said he hoped that foreclosures,” Nicholson funds would come soon, or else the told The County Times. problem would likely fester.

“Are they serious? Yes. “We’re not that bad, but what’s Are they serious enough wrong with getting to it earlier bePhoto by Guy Leonard fore the patient gets too bad?” he said. to get federal stimulus Houses like this one in foreclosure in Lexington Park have contributed to the area being a named a “I just wish they would paint with money? No.” Currently there are hotspot for such activity by the state. a broader brush with the recovery about 900 homes on the money.” county market, some in danger of foreclosure, that Jan Barnes, a local real estate agent with CenBob Schaller, director of the county’s Departhave not found buyers, Nicholson said. tury 21, said that despite the slow housing market, ment of Economic and Community Development “The number isn’t dropping,” he said. now was the time to buy properties at much-re- said that there may be some hope on the horizon State data shows that St. Mary’s is faring bet- duced prices. for people facing foreclosure. ter than the rest of the tri-county region for fore“It’s a good time for investors to pick them He said that lenders are starting to engage closures. However, the report showed that .9 per- up,” Barnes said. “And for those people who flip borrowers earlier when they have problems paying cent of foreclosures for the fourth quarter occurred them, it’s good.” their mortgages. here, which represents an 18 percent increase over Still, she said, she has seen homes up for sale “Lenders are the key to this,” Schaller said. the previous quarter. or foreclosure where owners had sold the kitchen “They’re becoming more forgiving with the situaIn contrast, sales of foreclosed property stove, light fixtures and even the heating pumps to tions people are in.”

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Couple Suing MetCom For Sewage Overflow

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A couple living in Lexington Park claims that the county’s Metropolitan Commission, which provides water and sewer services, was responsible for about one foot of raw sewage backing into their home’s basement last November.

In a lawsuit filed by Orlando and Saida Taylor in January in county Circuit Court, the plaintiffs allege that when MetCom work crews came to the house to deal with the damage, they told the plaintiffs that they would take care of the damages,

which eventually totaled more than $53,000, according to the Taylors.

Instead, the plaintiffs claimed that they had to call in independent contractors to repair the damage and that MetCom has refused to pay any portion of the repair bills, according to court papers.

The plaintiffs argue that MetCom was responsible for the sewage backup and that they broke their contract with the Taylors for providing water and sewer services. The plaintiffs are also alleging trespass to land, private action for nuisance, and negligence, requesting judgments totaling $900,000, according to court papers.

Officials with MetCom declined to comment for this article, but their attorney with the firm of Crosswhite, Limbrick and Sinclair, LLP claimed that MetCom was not responsible for any payments of damages that the Taylor’s home sustained, according to court papers.

MetCom’s answer to the lawsuit also claims that the actions of others may have caused the sewage backup and therefore they were not liable.

Lawyers for both parties did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Attempts to contact the plaintiff were unsuccessful.

4

un Fact

Planners OK Real Estate, Digital Signs Both business owners and home owners could benefit from proposed changes to the county sign laws that would allow more advertising.

The St. Mary’s Planning Commission voted April 13 to recommend to the county commissioners amendments that would allow three signs advertising open houses to be posted on properties within a fivemile radius of the house being sold.

Members also voted to allow digital signs, provided a small-business owner use only that sign or a regular painted sign, not both. The digital sign change also applies to home-based businesses.

CSM Awarded for Outstanding Fundraising The College of Southern Maryland’s “Campaign for the Next 50 Years: Envision the Potential-Make a Difference” fundraising campaign received the gold paragon award and national recognition from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations March 17 in Kansas City.

Coinciding with the college’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2008, the 20-month fundraising campaign brought in more than $7.7 million in cash, pledges and grants donated by more than 700 supporters.

Friday, April 17th 5 pm - 8 pm Come Join Us at the Leonardtown McKay’s Fine Wine & Spirits for our Wine Tasting Ceremony!

5

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

ews Without federal stimulus money to help homeowners facing foreclosure, what is the county doing to help?

Should you call police if you’re not sure you see crime being committed?

If your gut tells you something’s wrong, it probably is.

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron

Education is the thing we’re doing. Seek help; there’s plenty of resources out there.

Bob Schaller, director of the Department of Economic and Community Development

State Report: Moving Medevac Base May Be An Option

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer One option for the Maryland State Police helicopter fleet may be to move the Trooper 7 base at the airport in California to either Charlotte Hall or Mechanicsville, according to a report issued in March by a state legislative work group charged with finding ways for the Maryland emergency responses to be more efficient.

Del. John Bohanan (D-Dist. 29B), who chaired the House Emergency Medical Services System Work Group, said that the option to close some bases and relocate the one in St. Mary’s would not come up for a decision until at least the end of 2010 and that moving the facility was far from a certainty and only an option.

Bohanan said that in the aftermath of a state police helicopter crash in September

2008 in Prince George’s County, in which one patient and all three of the crew were killed, protocols were tightened to ensure that medevac helicopters were only called out for service when injuries were critical.

The result was a drop from an average of 5,000 flights to what would be an estimated average of 3,000 in a year.

He said that once a firm average had been established, the state could then better assess which helicopter bases it could close down and which it could keep open.

He stressed that a base would always remain in the county.

“St. Mary’s will continue to be a base,” he said. “We’re not going to lose that.”

Statewide, there are currently 11 helicopters operating out of seven locations, but the aim in the future might be to only have 10 helicopters operating out of only six or seven locations, he said.

Stimulus Funds To Pay For Project At Marlay-Taylor Treatment Plant

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Federal funds designed to help stimulate the economy and get local projects moving will be used to fund a $3.4 million project at the county’s Marlay-Taylor wastewater treatment facility to turn methane waste gas into electricity.

The methane cogeneration project will allow excess methane to be burned off and power a generator that will in turn produce the additional power, according to Dan Ichniowski, assistant director of the Metropolitan Commission.

The methane buildup at the plant has, at certain points, become excessive, Ichniowski said, so much so that lids designed to keep the methane contained after being produced in the sludge digestion process were bursting seals, allowing the methane to escape into the atmosphere.

The project won’t be a cure-all for the aging facility’s power needs, Ichniowski said, but it will help keep costs down.

The additional electricity will be used to power air blowers that help dry out sludge from the sewage treatment process, which in turn makes the sludge usable for fertilizer and other applications.

“It won’t cover the entire plant,” Ichniowski told The County Times. “But we think we’ll have enough to do that.

“That lowers our carbon footprint,” he said.

The cogeneration project was completely funded by a “green” grant from the federal stim-

ulus package, Ichniowski said.

He said it was probably the largest green grant issued so far in the state from the $787 billion stimulus package.

MetCom is still moving ahead with plans to modernize the Marlay-Taylor facility, which services the entire Lexington Park Development District with a capacity of six million gallons a day.

Some parts of the facility date back to the 1960s, Ichniowski said.

The renovation project, which is mostly designed to enhance the plant’s ability to remove even more nitrogen and phosphorus from treated effluent, would total about $34 million.

The plant, and others throughout the state that discharge treated water into the Chesapeake Bay, must meet increasingly strict requirements for nutrient removal under Maryland Department of the Environment guidelines by 2012.

The recent drop-off in home development due to the recession has helped relieve some pressure to treat more wastewater, Ichniowski said.

County Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly (D-Leonardtown) said that he hoped the economic conditions would mean that costs of the renovation project would be kept low.

“Hopefully the economy will help us get some competitive bids,” Mattingly said.

The original price for a new facility, which was the original plan, ballooned last year to about $125 million, forcing MetCom to seek alternatives.

“If you operate with six (bases), you have to move Trooper 7 further north,” Bohanan said.

“You can cover the whole of Southern Maryland more efficiently.”

With a possible move for Trooper 7 and six other bases set around the state, Bohanan said, Maryland State Police could still cover the entire state 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The report, which drew from state police needs assessments done earlier, recommended in one scenario that bases in Montgomery County be closed along with moving the Southern Maryland operations.

Bohanan said that the assessments of where helicopter bases went depended on what was known as “the golden hour,” the goal of taking critically injured patients to a trauma center within 60 minutes.

Southern Maryland, along with the Eastern Shore and parts of Western Maryland, needed that coverage because of their distances from trauma facilities in more urban areas.

“We’re the ones who need that the most,” Bohanan said. “If someone in Ridge is hurt, you can’t get them there in the golden hour (by ambulance.)”

Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe (RGolden Beach) said that the commissioner board sent letters to the state a month ago asking them to keep the facilities for helicopters as they are.

He said that keeping Trooper 7 at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport “logistically makes sense.”

“Why would they not want to use existing infrastructure?” Jarboe said.

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6

Early Voting Bill Approved

Licenses for Illegal Aliens Banned

ANNAPOLIS (AP) - Illegal immigrants will no longer be able to hold Maryland licenses as of July 1, 2015, under legislation approved shortly before the state legislature adjourned its 2009 session.

Legislators have wrestled all session with how to end Maryland’s status as the only state east of the Rocky Mountains that issues licenses to illegal immigrants, with many worried the state had become a magnet for fraud.

The House of Delegates had approved a bill that would allow illegal immigrants who already have licenses to renew them and receive a separate, distinct ID, that could not be used to board planes or enter federal buildings. But the Senate wanted to deny driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants altogether.

A conference committee charged with finding a compromise agreed that illegal immigrants who already have Maryland ID will be able to renew their license and receive an ID that couldn’t be used to board planes or enter federal buildings, but those license renewals would all expire by July 1, 2015.

Sen. James Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat who was on the conference committee, praised the agreement, saying legislators were doing what their constituents wanted.

“July 1st, 2015, you don’t show lawful presence, you don’t get a driver’s license,” Brochin said.

The House of Delegates voted 76-60 to approve the compromise shortly before 11 p.m. and the Senate voted 2916 to endorse the deal around 11:30 p.m. They had hoped to get enough votes to make the bill emergency legislation that would take effect April 19th, but fell short of that mark. The law they passed will take effect June 1st.

Some of the state’s most liberal and conservative lawmakers joined forces to oppose the compromise for different reasons.

Montgomery County Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, a Democrat who fought all session to maintain access to licenses for undocumented residents, said “this is not a compromise.”

Thursday, April 16, 2009

“It shows a real lack of understanding, I have never seen such a random creation of law, it is picked out of the air without any thought of the consequences,” Gutierrez said. “I think we’re going to see some court challenges to this.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Andrew Harris, R-Baltimore, lobbied against the bill from the Senate floor, saying it was wrong for lawmakers to create a two-license system, even if it is phased out entirely by 2015.

“The American people, at least in my district, want no tolerance,” Harris said. “This bill says you know what, you broke the law, and now we’re going to give you amnesty at least until 2015.”

State leaders were scrambling to pass the legislation in an effort to comply with the federal REAL ID law, which requires states to strengthen their identification documents.

Maryland has met some REAL ID benchmarks, but four remained unfulfilled because the state doesn’t check applicants’ residency status, according to Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration chief John Kuo. When the law is implemented, the federal government will only accept these new ID cards for activities like boarding airline flights and entering federal buildings.

Lawmakers said the measure meets REAL ID standards for lawful residency status.

Many lawmakers who favored a two-license system said they had hoped to push the expiration date further into the future to give President Barack Obama’s administration as much time as possible to pass comprehensive immigration reform before tens of thousands of undocumented Maryland residents lose their licenses.

“We’re hoping there is some immigration reform,” Del. Kathleen Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat, said.

“And I want to be able to give as much possible time to this administration to hopefully find some path to citizenship for people who’ve been here, who’ve proved they can be good citizens and who’ll be able to do whatever hurdles the administration says they’ll need to be able to jump.”

ANNAPOLIS (AP) – Legislation to create early voting in Maryland cleared the general assembly late Monday night, and Gov. Martin O’Malley has indicated he will sign the bill.

For 2010, early voting will be allowed for six days, beginning on the second Friday through Thursday before the election, but not on the Sunday that falls between them.

An early voting site to be chosen six months before the primary election.

The bill also authorizes a local board to establish an early voting site at a shopping mall.

The measure establishes early voting for the 2012 presidential election, with the voting period beginning on the second Saturday through the Thursday before an election and including Sunday.

The bill strikes a provision that would have taken about $2 million from the state’s public campaign financing fund to help pay the costs of getting early voting started. The proposal ignited an outcry from Republicans who said the campaign financing fund for gubernatorial elections was being drained down to nearly nothing.

Now, it’s unclear where the money will come from to get early voting off the ground.

Voters approved early voting in Maryland in a constitutional amendment in November with about 71 percent of the vote.

Supporters say more convenient voting will increase turnout, but opponents fear it will increase opportunity for voter fraud.

More than 30 states allow early voting, but a Maryland law that did so was struck down by the state’s highest court in 2006. That’s what made the constitutional amendment necessary to move forward with legislation.

Tax Break for Gay Partners Approved ANNAPOLIS (AP) - Gay domestic partners who co-own homes will be exempted from the state inheritance tax, under legislation approved by the Maryland General Assembly.

The Senate voted 27-18 Monday night to pass the measure, which Gov. Martin O’Malley intends to sign.

The bill adds same-sex domestic partners to the list of family members who can inherit homes without paying taxes on that property.

There is no state inheritance tax on property passing to spouses, children, parents, grandparents, stepchildren or stepparents and siblings under current Maryland law. Others pay a 10 percent tax on the property’s value.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Proposed Agriculture Services Building Asks For Sewer Hookup

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Plans to build a new Agricultural Services Center on county fairground property have hit a snag and may be held up indefinitely if the Town of Leonardtown does not agree to allow the project to hook into its sewer system.

The building, which would be used to bring together the staff of the Farm Services Agency, Soil Conservation District and the Cooperative Extension under one roof, is expected to be 10,000 square feet in size and cost between $1.5 million to $2 million.

In a March 19 letter to the town government, Bruce Young, manager for the St. Mary’s Soil Conservation District, wrote that all the percolation tests failed because they were too close to underground water supplies to satisfy state regulations.

“Unfortunately, all of the percs failed due to separation from ground water,” Young wrote. “The district would still like to build the Agricultural Services Center at the referenced site, but our only opportunity to do so is to be hooked to public sewer.

“We have been informed that a sewer line does exist at the fair grounds property.”

The town council is set to take up the issue at its meeting today, said Town Administrator Laschelle Miller, along with several other proposals from property owners to have more equivalent dwelling units allocated to their projects.

Equivalent dwelling units represent the average amount of water used by a home each day that must be treated by the town’s sewer system, which has limits on the amount of effluent it can process.

Last year the town had to pass an ordinance that restricted the parceling out of EDUs only to projects that met certain criteria, such as infill for revitalization of the town.

This was in response to a lack of funds at the town level for expanding its wastewater treatment facility on Van Wert Lane, because impact fees from housing developments dried up after builders halted construction or went into bankruptcy.

Moreover, Miller said, the town has not approved giving out more EDUs to projects that are outside the town’s limits in recent memory.

“To date we haven’t approved any of those requests,” Miller said.

Miller said that the capacity request for the new services building would be between one and two EDUs. Young said that if the town chose not to allow them to hook in, that would be the end of the fairgrounds as an option.

“We’d have to go back to square one and look for land somewhere else in the county,” Young said.

County Government Organizing Food Drives

The County Times

Remains High School Wants Town’sBay Help For Unhealthy Stadium Build-Out

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

The final site plan for the proposed expansion of athletic fields and facilities at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown is set to go before the town’s planning and zoning commission April 20 for final approval.

And with that presentation the school leadership will also ask for town assistance in getting state-sanctioned bonds to

“The town would not have any financial obligation, any recourse would be solely against the school,” Miller said.

“Our bond counsel agrees that we would not have a financial obligation.”

The plans for the improvements include a new track for field events as well as a stadium with elevated bleachers to support soccer and the school’s football team.

According to DeAnn Adler, planning and zoning staff for the town, the size of the new sports stadium would be close in

Photo by Guy Leonard This site plan presented to the county shows the location of the proposed new stadium and parking lot at St. Mary’s Ryken High School

help pay for the project, The County Times has learned.

“We would act as the issuer of the bonds,” said Town Administrator Laschelle Miller. “They have to have a government institution for the tax exempt bonds.

“We would be the conduit issuer.”

By Guy Leonard The bond issue the school is looking for totals $8.5 milStaff Writer lion, Miller said, and would come in the form of Maryland Officials with St. Mary’s County government are organizing two Economic Development Revenue Bond Act debt.

Miller explained that while the town would help the food drives for the end of April and the beginning of May to help support school get the bonds, the town would not be liable if the school rising demand for food among needy families.

The “Stuff the Bus” campaign will start April 30 during the coun- should default on the debt. ty’s employee wellness day from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but in the meantime county employees are being encouraged to bring in nonperishable food items in the weeks leading up to the end of the month, said Cynthia Brown, division manager for the Department of Human Services.

On Friday, April 17, Little Seedlings PreBrown said on Thursday April 30 county employees will take all school and Kindergarten in Leonardtown will their accumulated items and fill a county-donated STS bus that will take hold a Bike/Scooter A-Thon to benefit St. Jude the food to local food pantries and soup kitchens.

Children’s Research Hospital.

“State, county and town employees are all invited to help stuff the One of their alumni, Brogan Ruppert, was bus,” Brown told The County Times Tuesday. “(The needy) rely on soup diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, kitchens and food pantries for their nutrition.” but after spending a long period of time at St. Two days later, on Saturday, May 2, the six county STS buses will Jude, his tumor has shrunk in size, and he contake donations from residents to support the food drive. tinues to maintain regular appointments with The locations for the buses are the Food Lion stores in Charlotte Hall specialists at the hospital. and Callaway, the Giant food store and Wal-Mart Super Store in CaliforMrs. Ruppert will speak for about five minnia and the McKay’s Fine Food and Pharmacy stores in Leonardtown and utes to four of the classes on Thursday about Wildewood. “what St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is Donations will be accepted at the stores from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all about.” On Friday the school will hold the Brown said as the economy worsens, the more families find themBike/Scooter A-Thon to support the hospital. selves in need of food assistance.

Deputy Simmons will be here with his bomb“The requests for items are up and donations are not keeping pace,” sniffing dog, Kiro. On the grounds they will Brown said. “People are giving, people are donating, but more families are in need now more than ever.”

size to the one currently in use at Leonardtown High School.

Plans also call for expanded parking and an expanded turn-around loop for buses.

The capacity of the stadium has yet to be determined by the town.

The project is set to take just over three months to complete. Construction is expected to begin within the next month.

“They want to start as soon as school is out,” Adler told The County Times.

Little Seedlings to Host Benefit for St. Jude

have a little city set up in the first parking lot and divide it off from the rest of the parking lot with orange cones from SMECO. Each student will bring his or her bicycle, trike, big wheel, or scooter and helmet. Upon arrival, they will come to the first parking lot and park their gear under the overhang to Brubacher Hall in the designated area.

The “a-thon” portion of the event will take place at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., when students will follow the roads through their imaginary city.

To learn more about this event and how you can help, call Director Lynn E. Duff at 301-475-5050.

The County Times

To The Editor:

Is This What Law Enforcement Has Become?

I had been debating whether or not to write this, but now I need to say something. I just read about the Mr. Banks’ case, and I must say this is really getting out of hand when it comes to law enforcement.

Most of the so-called police officials nowadays are in it for the glory of “bringing you down” rather than protecting your rights, and I for one am sick of it! I too was a victim of this.

Once when I was getting off the bus, I decided to run across … so I won’t stop traffic. But of course when I got across, I was stopped by a passing state trooper, and instead of telling me to be careful or anything, he decided to be high and mighty and got up in my face and started to yell and demanded my ID, the whole nine

yards.

I strongly believe that “protect and serve” has little meaning now, and I believe what little enforcement we do have is buried under the power we are giving our officials. I believe Mr. Banks should sue the police force for wrongly arresting him. Trust me, I would. I mean, seriously, is there a law now about protecting yourself, yea that’ll work! What’s next, arresting people for putting too much salt on … ? Oh wait that happened already. Could someone put the enforcement back in to law enforcement!

Jay Norris Leonardtown

of all my family. No doubt I would ask them to disperse, but rest assured, I would only ask them once before taking action.

This is by no means a smear against law enforcement personnel in St. Mary’s County. I have many dear friends in the Sheriff’s Office, and I know how dedicated they are each and every day. Response times can be delayed by many mitigating factors; often times there are more emergencies and calls for police assistance than there are available officers.

But the main point I wish to drive home is that if you are not safe in your own home, on your own property, then where are you safe?

And if a law-abiding citizen isn’t allowed to use force to repel a gang of aggressors away from his own property and home, then when is it allowed? Whether it is a trailer, apartment, condo, house or mansion, a man’s home is his castle, and he should be able to defend it from a legitimate threat, without fear of reprisal and imprisonment.

Sadly these days more and more people are allowing their rights to erode away by inaction.

Only when the laws of Maryland are changed by its citizenry, will it be safe for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves from harm.

Maryland Legislature End’s Session; Grade D+

The annual 90 day state legislative session has finally come to a conclusion in Annapolis. This was a session which implications will be felt more in 2011 than today, conveniently after the 2010 election when these Senators, Delegates and Governor will ask you to re-elect them.

This was a session of appeasement to new voter blocks by elected officials, taking money from the fair election process to help protect themselves, and a gutless act of avoiding tough decisions today with plans of more tax increases after the 2010 elections.

This legislature and Governor has made Maryland a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants. With more than 200,000 illegal immigrants coming here to get taxpayer funded college education, and a drivers license, why not come to Maryland. With Maryland’s policy of handing out drivers licenses to illegal immigrants found to be in violation of federal law, Maryland has found a way around the federal law, creating a two tier system where legal law abiding residents get one type of drivers license and those who ignore and disobey the law get another type of drivers license, and your local Senator gets their vote next election. We should demand all the Senators, Delegates, and Governor who support this sinister end-around the federal law to stand before a district court judge and hear he or she say “driving in the state of Maryland is a privilege, not a right”.

Better still, it would be more emphatic if we the voters did that by voting the bums out in 2010. Who needs the judge when, at least for now we have free elections.

In what some are calling the “Incumbency Protection Act of 2009” the Maryland Legislature has decided to raid the Maryland public campaign financing fund. You know that box you voluntarily check on your tax return if you would like a dollar or two of your money to go toward providing public financing for the Governor’s election? Well the legislature has decided to use some of that money to balance the state’s budget instead, making less money available to anyone wishing to challenge sitting Governor O’Malley in the 2010 election. If you thought that was your money being used the way you wished, think again.

Among all the big government acts of the 2009 legislature, most concerning is the lack of disciple and leadership when it came to the people’s money. By accepting $1.5 billion dollars of stimulus money from the federal government, money which will have to come from us sooner or later, and by temporarily taking money away from other’s such as public campaign financing, transportation funds, and local governments, these politicians have side stepped their most important responsibility to the public.

Imagine yourself finding out that you would be receiving $1000 dollars a year for the next two years from a relative. With your new found money you decide to purchase a new car that will cost you $3000 a year for the next 6 years, money you do not have without the $1000 from your relative. What will you do in year 3 when you are no longer getting that “extra money” and you still have the payment?

That is essentially what the state legislature and governor is doing. Using funds that will not re-occur in future years to fund and expand government programs that will re-occur each year. Today it looks like a shiny new car sitting in the driveway, a car that won’t look very shiny two years from now when you don’t have the money to pay for it.

Brian K. Yount Lexington Park

Do you have something to say?

Shopping Carts Can Be Dangerous Shopping-cart vandals are individuals who, after loading merchandise in their vehicles, leave the cart in between two parking spaces, in front of a parking space, beside a parking space, partially on the curbing and/or on the sidewalk, rather than placing them in one of the many return areas or taking the cart back in the store.

Most stores provide electric carts for disabled shoppers, some of which have a sign on the basket that reads: For In Store Use Only, which is ignored, and it is left outside.

When it is windy, regular carts roll into parked vehicles leaving dents and scratches, which is property damage caused by a shopping cart vandal.

The electric cart left in rain and snow gets a wet plug and cannot be plugged into recharge until it dries, plus it has a wet seat and steering wheel.

Use your brain matter and think about this

situation. It is vandalism when you knock down a mailbox, break someone’s window, damage a yard etc., and that is also considered property damage. Get the point?

Nowadays it is expensive having dents, scratches and repainting performed on your vehicle, as your insurance does not cover this type of property damage. It’s even worse after having necessary repairs done out of your own pocket and in less than two weeks, a shoppingcart vandal strikes again.

I urge all shopping individuals, and request nicely, to be considerate of others. If you do not intend to place your cart in the proper area, don’t bring it out of the store and at no time leave electric carts outside.

Lana Cameron Leonardtown, Md.

8

Editorial:

Shouldn’t A An Be Able To Defend His Castle?

The recent arrest of Harold Christopher Banks was, in my opinion, a miscarriage of justice. At what point do we as a society give away our God-given and constitutionally protected rights? A man’s house is his castle and that should include his property as well.

My only criticism of Mr. Banks is in his choice of protection. Nothing says, “Get off my property!” like a Winchester shotgun, of which I own several. I have taught and instructed my wife to be able to use weapons in the event that something happens and I am away from the house.

In the state of Maryland a citizen has the duty to retreat from the danger, but at what point does it cease to be a retreat and instead become a surrender? If Mr. Banks had retreated inside his residence and called for police assistance, what then? Wait the 15 to 20 minutes for an officer to arrive, all the while being harassed from outside your home, by aggressors invading your property? What if one of the hoodlums had decided to set fire to Mr. Banks home? The law of the state of Maryland would have you roast inside rather then seek to drive away your assailants. What if they decided to bust out his windows, or strike the sides of his house? I for one, if confronted by a group of thugs wielding sticks and pipes, would not hesitate to assume the worst and take proactive measures to protect my home and property, and most important

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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E-mail letters to: opinion@countytimes.net

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Helpful Hooves Says Thanks Helpful Hooves Equine Therapy, a nonprofit 501C3 corporation with a mission to improve the lives of people with disabilities through social events that involve horses, held its second annual fundraising barn dance on Oct. 11, 2008.

We serve a population of special-needs adults that has grown in number from 15 to 40-plus people. We offer our parties at no cost to our participants and rely solely on the donations of our generous business community along with friends and family to support our activities.

Our primary annual expenses are liability insurance, as well as the upkeep of two horses and party supplies, food, pizzas, sodas and prizes for many events. The October Barn Dance is our primary source for raising these funds.

We would like to thank the following businesses and families for their generous support. Angel Systems, A&M Glass, Advance Marine Construction, Bernard and Shirley Bailey, James W. Bailey, S. M. Bailey, Marcia and Ray Bald, Diane Battaglia, James Banagan, John Ball, Ruth Beaver, Charles and Patricia Benner, Rose Beitzell, Lettie Blake, Mary Boyd, Shirley Bowles, James Brueggemann, Minor Buckler, Barry Burris, Marian Burris, Sharon and Andy Brown, Lance Byrd, Michael Caputi, Mary B Cheseldine, Colony Builders, Ruth and John Crovo, Guy and Keli Curley, Mary and Rush Cox, Carolyn Davis, Steven Deutsch, Kenny Dement, Daniel and Debbie Dixon, Phil Dorsey, Adam Driscoll, Anne Emery, Susan Erichsen, James Farr, Marilyn Ferguson, William Fitzgerald, Franzen Realtors, Shiela ObrienFoster, Dick and Juanita Gass, Chris and Susan Gass, Jane and Jack Green, The Greenery, Irvanette Hall, Harold Hagen Services, Carol Ann Hall, Tom Hodges, Jim and Mary Lee Hodges, Wendy Headrick, Mike Hutson, Richard and Nancy Hutson, Mary Hyatt, Joe Jarvis, Janet and Michael Johnson, Adrone Johnson, Steve and Karen King, D. Keinze, Tracy Kessler, Robert and Inky Kopel, James A. Kenny, Donald and Donna Knott, Susan Kreckman, Megan LaPorte, Ladies Auxiliary #2632, Edward Lawrence, Aggie Lacey, Sharon Lasure, Little Silences Rest, John and Annette Madel, Sarah Manwiller, Tom Mattingly, Garner Morgan, Nate Mudd, Ruth and Phil Mudd, John Nelson, Clarence Neese, Production Products, Tony and Linda May Pilkerton, Dianne Pogue, Quality Masonry, Jamie and Marbeth Raley, Peter Randall, Julie Randall, Dan Raley, Richard Rooney, Emil Rongione, Bill Schmalgemeyer, Ronald Smith, Dale and Alieda Snell, Janet Standish, Nancy Starkes, Jessie Stump, Carly Stump, Technology Security Associates, Inc. R. M Thornton Inc. Renee Thomas, Frank and Jean Toth, Lee Verhine, Pam Vietch, John Wenke, Joan Wilson, Steve and Bev Wilson, Curtis Wilson, John and Barbara Wood, Kathleen Wright.

A very special thanks is in order for the businesses and crafters who donated to our silent auction: Apple Basket Antiques, Clarks Landing Restaurant, The Greenery, Silpada Designs Jewelry, Andrea Stump and Susan Adriani.

I would like to thank the businesses and persons who worked with us to make this event so special: Thompson’s Seafood, which catered the event; Lenny’s restaurant, which operated the bar; Southbound, which provided our music; Tracy Burch and Bailey’s Party Rentals, for the use of their tables and chairs; and Hilltop Graphics and Technology Security Associates, for the use of their projector and screen that allowed us to watch the wonderful slide show that Susannah Magee spent numerous hours preparing that allowed everyone to experience a look at the Helpful Hooves Program in 2008.

Finally, I would like to thank Andrea and Ron Stump, Susan and Gary Adriani, Pam Veitch, Maryann St.Clair, Joe St.Clair, Chris Chewning, Chris Yee, and Don and Tina Cropp, all whom have spent many, many hours donating their time and energy all year long to our monthly parties, making them a great success. We couldn’t do it without you.

Sheral A. St.Clair President of Helpful Hooves Equine Therapy, Inc. Avenue, Md.

The County Times

Lyme Disease Should be of More Concern to School Board Than Hunters

Speaks Quote Of The Day

The Elm’s Beach property, located 5.7 miles south of the Pax River Main Gate, was purchased back in 1974 by the Maryland Department of To repeat what others Natural Resources as an alternate power plant site. Until a power plant have said, requires edubecomes a reality, public hunting and an Environmental Education Center use the property. cation; to challenge it, The Elms has been getting much attention recently with the public requires brains. being made aware of the historical land grabs by the Elms Advisory Committee, and the additional fact of the general public being barred from the use of the property used by the school board. The school board, which -Mary Pettibone Poole dominates the voting of the advisory committee, has said these land grabs were implemented “to protect the children” from the dangers of the hunting public. Maybe once the school board (members) re-educate themselves on the real danger at the Elms, they will welcome the hunting public vice trying to eliminate this Southern Maryland Heritage.

Here is the Elm’s Story: The advisory committee was created to oversee the Elm’s property in the public interest, for both the public hunting and Environmental Education Center use, though the agenda has en in the past years from the hunting public will once again be returned. focused predominately on the center, with public hunting use getting It is also hoped that a Southern Maryland tradition of hunting does not April 2009the school board claims thisThe 7 Thursday, County Times reduced as time goes on.9,Again, extension die, only that the utilization of the hunting public will prevent the spread of the center boundary is all for the safety of the children from the hunt- of this dreadful disease of Lyme disease. ing public. Well, the advisory committee may now be making the Elms Education Center more of a danger to our children then they think with Richard Johnson more exposure to Lyme disease, since deer not held in check allow the Valley Lee black-legged tick to thrive.

Bay Remains Meetings Set The Washington Post Metro section dated April 8, 2009, had an Unhealthy On Unused interesting article on cases of Lyme disease soaring in Maryland and Crabbing ANNAPOLIS (AP)- A Virginia. In fact it states: “The most recent statistis show that Lyme new report finds the ChesaLicenses disease reports more than doubled Virginia and Maryland from peake Bay remains unhealthy,

By Brianin Witte a former Howard County police chief who has passionately although restoration efforts advocated the bill to protect vulnerable citizens. Miller, who 2006ANNAPOLIS to 2007.” (AP)- Mary- Associated Press Writer land wildlife officials have schedappear to be working in some walked with Robey with his arm around him after the failed Theinformational advisoy committee proudly said atThe theMaryland MarchSenate 31 Board uled three meetings areas.

ANNAPOLISreversed of course vote, said some senators started making fun of the former poon unused crabbing licenses.. meeting The analysis released County Commissioners thedecided Elmsto Environmental Center Aprilthat 2 and approve speed-monitoring camera lice chief after the bill failed April 1.

The Department of Natural April 2 by the University of legislation to crackper downyear on speeders, one day after senators “Rather than have him disrespected, we resurrected the has had uphasto proposed 7,000 students thetofacility and that the numResources freez- atvoted Maryland Center for Environreject the bill in a tight vote. bill,” Miller told reporters. ing limited crabbing licenses that to come. mental Science gave the bay a bers will increase in years Given theallow current statistics for and The measure would the cameras near schools Tensions were running high in the Maryland Senate last have not reported any harvests C-minus grade. Researchers highway work zoneswill and impose fines on violators as a difficult session full of hard budget choices and Maryland, this would mean 3.2 of our kids come$40 down with thiswho week, from 2004 to 2008 to help falling say the grade indicates ecodrive at least 12 miles over the speed limit. controversial social issues have taken a toll. The General Asdreadful disease. crab stocks. logical conditions have not Senators approved the bill 27-20 after receiving as- sembly is nearing the final stretch of its 90-day session, which The meetings willquestion allow the comes significantly changed from surances that other legislation to broaden the use of speed adjourns April 13.

And now the as to whether the advisory commitpublic to get information on un2007 and remain far below cameras into residential areas would not be considered, SenMiller began the April 1 session by apologizing for tee andlicenses. schoolThey board awareate ofPresident this problem.

Well, it is a known fact usued areare schedwhat is needed for a healthy Thomas V. Mike Miller said. Other legislation cutting off Sen. Nancy Jacobs, R-Harford, when she tried uled April 16 in Severna Park, Bay. would expand camera use in certain counties. to make an amendment to the budget bill.

Jacobs wanted to that trails currently being built in the Environmental Education Center April 20 in Fruitland and April However, the analysis “You don’t want to throw down the gauntlet, but weíre amend the bill to increase government transparency on the land during certain times of the year due 21 inlease Easton.area can only be done says restoration efforts appear not going to take that at all,” Miller, D-Calvert, said. “We’re retention bonuses paid to professors at public colleges and State officials say there are to be improving conditions in not going to takecame residential, not going to take these universities. But Miller was angered by her amendment, beto the problem of ticks. This information to and meweíre from my friend about 6,000 licensed commercial some areas, such as the upper other counties.” cause he thought it already had been agreed that the intent of Steve Riley who is an active board member of the advisory committee crabbers in Maryland, including western Shore and Virginia’s Supporters argued the measure was important to pro- her amendment would be included in budget language.

3,700 limited licensees, but only James River, while other arand supporter of public hunting.

Unbelievable.

Yetwho thework committee and tecting children and people on roads. But the billElijah Smoot, Miller, visibly thundered from the rostrum: 14, ofagitated, Mechanicsville, seated, took topeas prize in thetoFirst Southern a small portion are active. Under continue worsen. brought strong resistance from lawmakers who contended the “Make sure that language is not included in the budget!” the school board knowingly want to limit or eliminate public hunting, Maryland Regional Piano Competition April 4 and 5 at the College of Southern an initial proposal, about 1,000 Another report released fines were just a way to raise money.

Republicans criticized the president on the Senate floor, Prince Frederick Campus. limitedthe licenses would have been last month by the Chesapeake allow black-legged tick to thrive, and disease “We’re put spread under thisLyme under the auspicesto thatour it’s forMaryland’s saying he should apologize.

He later told reporters after the frozen.

But officials say that numBay Program also found no Other finalists were, from left, Katrina Chan, 16, of Great Mills, second; Molly safety,the yet we know that it’s not for safety, it’s for revenue gen- Wednesday session ended that he’d overreacted, and he and children.

So much for “Protecting Children.” ber could change. overall the eration,” said Sen. David Brinkley, R-Frederick.

Jacobs Tracy, hugged to bury hatchet later that during Jeanine 14, ofthe Hollywood, third; anda second Anna Elkins, 14,improvement of Owings, over honorFolks, this is terrible. parent and I am The DNR says it assumesBeing aOpponents past year. triedatohunter, filibuster the bill,fully but theaware Senate cameable session.

Miller publicly apologized to the Senate April 1, saymention. licenses willand remain thatare part up with necessary required to shut off debate frustration resulted from you a misunderstanding in theof event has great networking ofunused the tick cycle deer ofthethat cycle.29 votes In addition to being a and“It’singsohisrewarding to watch guys. This type way and that the fishery can’t bring the bill to a final vote. process. to connect with college professors to schedule extra lesparent hunter, I am an engineer.

Here istheanbillequation school supportand a sudden increase.

Senators rejected 24-23 April 1,the but they voted 28-opportunities—getting “As the senator from the Lower Shore rightfully said,” or told to get coaching, that canLowell leadStoltzfus, to theater reconsider the vote,Less an uncommon procedural move. sons Miller the Senate, referring to Sen. an projects, writing film scores board and advisory committee19 toneed to learn: Hunting = More so much This“I’ll is just theway beginning Miller, who voted against the bill April 1, also saidand Eastern Shore more.

Republican, get this every time of thislimitless opportunities for you,” Deer = More Black-Legged Ticks = MorewasCases Lyme Disease. consideration given of to Sen. James Robey, D-Howard,said Jason Brown, a world concert pianist who performed during the time of the year, and Iat do right, and I apologize for that.”

On April 21 the Elms Beach decision will be made by the Saint post-competition concert.

Mary’s Board of County Commissioners. It is hoped that property tak-

State Senate Approves SpeedPiano Competition Monitoring Camera Bill

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.

for the love of

Money

The County Times

Footprints of astronauts who landed on the moon should last at least 10 million years since the moon has no atmosphere.

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

WMT HOG BBY LMT BAESF CSC DCP GD MANT NOC

Close 4/16/2009 $50.96 $16.98 $37.52 $74.00 $4.80 $37.17 $13.63 $44.03 $40.68 $45.36

Close 12/31/2008 $56.06 $16.97 $28.11 $84.08 $5.41 $35.14 $15.17 $57.59 $54.19 $45.04

Change

-9.10% 0.06% 33.48% -11.99% -11.28% 5.78% -10.15% -23.55% -24.93% 0.71%

Southern St. Mary’s Business Association Forming

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

Businesses in Southern St. Mary’s County are teaming up to create a south-county business association.

Nearly 15 businesses attended a kick-off meeting in late March at the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. A second meeting is set for April 23 at 7 p.m.

Compared to other regions of the county, a large segment of industry south of Hermanville Road consists of seasonal business activities, such as fishing, boating, seafood and camping.

The seasonal nature of many businesses, coupled with development restrictions imposed by laws such as the Critical Areas and Rural Preservation District, sets up unique challenges for this business community, according to Bob Schaller, the county director of economic and community development.

“We’re just facilitating getting this discussion going and asking them what kind of support can we provide,” Schaller told The County Times.

There are more than 100 businesses and organizations in the south end, according to a county tally.

“Their immediate issue is promotion, letting people know what’s down there,” Schaller said.

The group raised several issues at the March meeting, and creating a promotional map to highlight what businesses can be found there surfaced as one of the immediate issues, Schaller reported.

“We’re trying to get something done early, so we can have some effect this year,” he said.

“They want to provide more lodging, and that’s a huge issue, because you can’t in the Critical Areas,” Schaller said.

The Critical Areas laws set restrictions on developments in areas near the Chesapeake Bay tributaries. However, Schaller said a new business association could use “the power of a collective voice” to seek relief or assistance from government.

“If the community said, ‘Look, we really need this’ and put a plan together and say, ‘What can the county do to reconsider some of the limitations?’ So long as we form, their chances are better,” Schaller said of the need for more lodging.

Another issue that surfaced was the state’s new law banning the consumption of alcohol at state parks, which takes effect this year. Point Lookout State Park is a major destination in the south end of the county.

“We heard about it, but we didn’t realize the impact until you get down there and you’ve got a bunch of folks sitting around saying (that) on their marina, their campground, it’s going to have a big effect.”

Pair Plead Guilty to Mortgage Scheme

Cheryl Brooke, 52, of Upper Marlboro, and Winston Thomas, 43, of New Carrollton, pleaded guilty this week to their participation in a scheme in which they offered to help financially-vulnerable individuals save their homes from foreclosure, and instead defrauded homeowners and mortgage lenders, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to their plea agreements, from at least 2004 until May 2008, a conspirator aired television advertisements that targeted financially-vulnerable individuals, representing that

Thursday, April 16, 2009

he could improve their credit, save their homes from foreclosure and assist them with bankruptcy. Viewers who called the toll-free number were scheduled to meet with the conspirator. At the meetings, they were solicited to purchase a variety of for-fee services for reducing debt, as well as a pre-paid legal plan, income tax return preparation services and bankruptcy petition preparation.

“Cheryl Brooke and Winston Thomas stole the homeowners’ equity by inducing financially- vulnerable homeowners to sell their proper-

10

un Fact

State Highway Not Budging On New Route 5 Traffic Light

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

The developers of a proposed shopping plaza in Charlotte Hall are butting heads with the Maryland State Highway Administration over a request for a new traffic light on Route 5.

Manekin LLC, a Columbia-based development company is planning a new shopping plaza fronting the west side of Route 5, south of Golden Beach Road. A 50,000-foot Safeway grocery store has signed on as the anchor store in the development.

“Safeway is very anxious to be there and we’re very anxious to have them there,” said Alton Fryer, senior vice president of Manekin LLC. Fryer said the company has a few other letters of intent from smaller shops, such as a liquor store and a dry cleaner, but no other firm commitments.

“We anticipate that once we put a shovel in the ground they’ll be a lot of activity,” Fryer said.

The land where the development is planned is currently bare.

Manekin has been “having a fairly tough time getting access from State Highway,” Fryer said, and they have been trying to gain plan approval for more than a year.

A preliminary site plan for the development has been existence for nearly 18 months, Fryer said, but they cannot go forward with the final site plan until an approval is given from SHA. Developers are requesting a new traffic light on Route 5, a few hundred feet south of Golden Beach Road, to serve as the main entrance to the new shop-

ping plaza, which is named Charlotte Hall Station.

“We firmly believe, and continue to believe, that a signal there is the absolute wrong thing to do,” said David Buck, spokesman for SHA. “Because of the spacing of the signals, it violates every traffic engineering principal to put a second signal there, and we’ve told them repeatedly,” Buck said.

The developer is required by SHA to conduct a traffic study, and Manekin has done several, Buck said.

“It’s been the same issue that’s continued, and in that sense we’re at an impasse,” Buck said. “We will not allow left turns off of Route 5 into the development.”

Buck said SHA will give approval for a “right-in, right-out” entrance on Route 5, but the agency is “steadfast” against a new traffic light or allowing left turns into the new development from Route 5.

“We firmly believe that their primary access should be off Charlotte Hall Road,” Buck said. “So the ball is in their court, so to speak.”

Charlotte Hall Road runs parallel to Route 5, behind the proposed development.

“We understand they want to get their development moving, but we have to look at it from the safety of the people who are coming in off Route 5, and we’re not going to make an unsafe decision because of any pressure,” Buck said.

Photo by Sean Rice The parcel of land proposed for a new shopping center named Charlotte Hall Station is currently still a bare lot.

ties and convert the sale proceeds to the use of the conspirators,” said Rosenstein. “The mortgage fraud conspiracy cases that we are prosecuting in Maryland should serve both to hold criminals accountable and to warn homeowners about the many smooth-talking con artists who take advantage of people who fall behind on their mortgage payments.”

Brooke and Thomas face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to

commit wire fraud. Brooke also faces a maximum of five years in prison for bankruptcy fraud and Thomas faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for failure to file a federal income tax return. As part of their plea agreements, Brooke and Thomas each agree to the entry of a forfeiture order of $2,228,878 and further agree that at least this amount was generated as proceeds of the criminal activity.

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The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Defense & Military

Stimulus Money Coming for Test Pilot School Hangar

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

Patuxent River Naval Air Station is set to benefit from $17 million in economic stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The funds are part of a $5.9 billion initiative that includes 3,000 construction and repair projects at Department of Defense facilities in the United States.

The local share of the funding will be used to finish a modernization project on the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School’s Hangar 110.

According to Cmdr. Mike Lewis, NAS Patuxent River Public Works, the final two phases of work on Hangar 110 will be completed using the stimulus funds.

Hangar 110 houses aircraft used for testing and evaluation.

The work includes renovating the hangar’s interior and upgrading the electrical, mechanical and fire protection systems. The roof, windows and doors will also be replaced.

The project will be advertised and awarded by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, with assistance from the Public

Works Department at Pax NAS. The contract will be awarded through a competitive process to determine the best value for the taxpayers’ dollars, Lewis said.

The project is targeted for award by September, and the construction will take approximately two and a half years to complete.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head is also benefiting from President Obama’s stimulus package with $2,480,000 in funds to finance energy efficiency and conservation upgrades.

Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md) said he believes this spending will help fix the current financial crisis facing the country.

“The goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to rebuild our economy by investing in our communities, our people and our future. This funding will allow Pax and Indian Head to move forward with these critical upgrades, further solidifying the federal commitment to these installations and demonstrating how the economic recovery plan is working to create job opportunities and invest in critical projects to get the economy moving,” Hoyer said in a prepared statement.

United States Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River Naval Air Station

U.S. Navy Photo

Department of Defense Contract Awards The U.S. Department of Defense this week announced the following contract awards for Navy projects procured at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

- The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $109,098,924 advance acquisition contract to procure long lead materials in support of P-8A low rate initial production (LRIP) I aircraft, and production line slots in support of P-8A LRIP II aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., (87 percent) and Baltimore, Md., (13 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity.

- The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $45,433,000 ceiling-priced, undefinitized contract action to provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) ser-

vices in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom land based efforts. Work will be performed in Bingen, Wash. (65 percent) and St. Louis, Mo. (35 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $22,716,500 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.3022. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity.

- The Boeing Co., Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a $20,746,752 firm fixed price contract for the procurement of one each Crash Survivable Flight Incident Recorder and Flight Data Recorder (CSFIR/FDR) for E-6B Mercury Aircraft. Work will be performed at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and is expected to be completed in April 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under an electronic request for proposals, with two offers received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity.

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

David Scott Allen, 60 David Scott Allen, 60, of Lexington Park, Md., died April 8, 2009, at Georgetown University Hospital. Born October 5, 1948, in Weymouth, Mass., he was the son of the late Albert Scott and Frances Gertrude Derochea Allen. He was the loving husband of Sandra Lee Allen whom he married on December 27, 1969, in Brockton, Mass. He is also survived by his daughters: Heather Tippett of California, Md., Hillary Jean Allen of Hollywood, Md., and Hollie Marie Lichty of Wichita Falls, Texas, as well as his brother Robert Allen of Leonardtown, Md., and five grandchildren. David graduated from Brockton High School, Class of 1966, and attended Brockton Business College and Embry Riddle College. He was a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, retiring in 1993. The family received friends for a visitation on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Md., where a memorial service followed at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Michael Jones officiating. Interment was private.

Contributions may be made to the American Liver Foundation at liverfoundation.org. To leave a condolence for the family, please visit www.mgf h.com. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Marie Lulu (Butler) Barnes, 89

Marie Lulu (Butler) Barnes, 89, of Oakville, Md., received her heavenly reward on April 7, 2009, at her home where she enjoyed her family life. Marie was born on July 25, 1919, in Hollywood, Md. She was one of nine children born to the late James Albert and Cecelia Maria (Stevens) Butler. Marie received her education in the St. Mary’s County public schools. She attended Phyllis Wheatly, Oakville and Banneker schools. Marie married Joseph Eugene Barnes, Sr. on

June 29, 1957, at St. John’s Catholic Church and from that blessed union were four children.

She began working in 1955 for the St Mary’s County Board of Education as a food service assistant in the school cafeterias. She worked at Banneker School and Oakville Elementary School until she retired in June 1981. Marie worked weekends for many years at Cape St. Mary’s Marina and Sandgates Inn where she made the best crab cakes and Maryland crab soup. Those restaurants continue to use her recipes today.

Her favorite things to do were cooking, canning, shopping, reading and welcoming people into her home. She also enjoyed occasional visits to Dover Downs to play the slots. Marie always talked about her first airplane ride at the age of 80, when she f lew to Georgia to visit her daughter, Patricia. She was so thrilled to be among the clouds near to heaven and she enjoyed the royal treatment she received as a senior citizen passenger. She had a real knack for shopping.

Her favorite places were Peebles, JC Penney and Target. She never drove, but she always managed to get where she wanted to go.

Anytime she could get a ride, she headed to the stores to buy new shoes or an outfit for her next outing or for groceries to cook.

Marie had an abundance of love that she shared with her children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, her nephews, nieces and many friends. She was so giving and always wanted to share whatever she had.

She leaves to cherish her memory her children: Roberta P. Duff, Vivian M. Yorkshire, Barbara P. Friend, J. Ronald Butler, Patricia A. Butler, Larry M. Butler, Delores A. Butler, Annie M. Young, Joseph E. Barnes, Jr., Thomas J. Barnes and Andrew M. Barnes; one son-in-law, H. Patrick Young (Annie); three daughters-in law, Monica Barnes (Joseph), Vernette Barnes (Andrew) and Antoinette Butler (Larry); 29 grandchildren, 38 great grandchildren and 7 greatgreat-grandchildren; one sister, Annie Pauline Fitzgerald; a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Marie was preceded in death by her loving husband, Joseph E. Barnes, Sr., her beloved son, James Robert Butler, her sisters Hortense Davis, Gladys Butler, Priscilla Bailey and Elizabeth Parker and her brothers John, James and Phillip Butler.

Marie had an unwavering strength and courage to endure almost anything during this past year and she always said she “had lived a good life and that good things come to those who wait.” She waited on the Lord.

She was affectionately known as Lady Bird, Lady Bug, Lady, Marie, Lucy, Mama, Mom, Mother Dear, Grammy, Grandma, Auntie and Ms. Marie. To everyone she was always a lady and she will

The County Times

always be our Queen. We will indeed cherish her memory and her legacy will live on. We were all truly blessed by God to have her as part of our lives.

Family received friends on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, 43927 St. John’s Road, Hollywood, Md. 20636. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 11 a.m. Interment followed in Immaculate Heart of Mary Cemetery, Lexington Park, Md. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

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

Walter B. Brice, 89 Walter B. Brice, 89, of Ocean Pines, Md., passed away on Sunday, April 5, at Atlantic

General Hospital in Berlin, Md. Born November 15, 1919, in Baltimore, Md., he was the son of the late Edna and Roy M. Brice.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Virginia J. Consalvo Brice, whom he married on July 29, 1945, in Bound Brook, N.J.; daughters Ellynne Brice Davis of Leonardtown, (James J.) and Gail Poist, (Malcolm) of Frederick, Md.; one granddaughter, Genevieve Poist.

Also survived by his nephews Walter Huff, (Daisy), of Martinsburg, W. Va., and Leroy Brice, (Phyllis) of Fla.; niece Beverly Werner, (Frank) of Fla. In addition to his parents Mr. Brice was preceded in death by his siblings Harold Brice and Frances Huff.

Walter enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and attended officers’ candidate school in Fort Sill, Okla. He was attached to the 497th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 13th Armored Division. His military occupational specialty was as an air observation pilot. He retired from the U.S. National Guard in 1979.

During World War II, Mr. Brice participated in the invasion of Europe and was attached to Patton’s Third Army which advanced into southern Germany.

Flying 35 combat missions, Mr. Brice directed artillery fire from

a small observation aircraft and was once nearly destroyed by a German BF109 while landing.

Because of his action, the enemy was pinned down during the day because of the accuracy of his fire direction. His decorations and citations included the World War II Victory Medal, the American Theater Service Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal and an Air Medal (13th Armored Division).

Mr. Brice was a member of VFW Post No. 8296 in Ocean City, Md., and was a 32nd degree Mason. Walter considered his two proudest lifetime accomplishments as being his family and his military service. He worked as a linotype operator throughout his life and at one point worked for the Baltimore Sun. He and Virginia lived in Maine from 1974 to 1988 where they both enjoyed that state’s scenic beauty, and Walter was able to hunt and fish. They moved to Ocean Pines in Worcester County, Md., and Walter participated in Ocean City’s Beach Replenishment Program. Walter was known for his witty sense of humor regarding marriage (“the first 50 years are the hardest”) and for his superb mint-julep recipe. The family received friends on Saturday, April 11, 2009, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A memorial service was held at 3 p.m. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery on July 2, 2009, at 11 a.m.

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

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

William Ambrose Brown, Jr., 36 William Ambrose Brown, Jr., 36, of Lexington Park, Md., died April 11, 2009 in Laurel Regional Hospital, Laurel, Md. Born August 25, 1972, in Leonardtown, Md., he was the son of William Ambrose Brown, Sr. and Sarah Maxine (Taylor) Brown.

William is survived by his siblings Mary Ann Milburn of California, Md.; Francis L. Hebb of Lexington Park, Md.; Linda Marie Hebb of Norway, William J. L. Brown of Lexington Park, Md. and Shannon Natashia Williams of Lexington Park, Md. Family will receive friends on Saturday, April 18, 2009 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Md. 20650. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, Md. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leon-

ardtown, MD.

Paul Robin Costinett, 76 Paul Robin Costinett, 76, of Clements, Md., died April 13, 2009, at Washington Hospital Center. Born March 2, 1933, in Washington, D.C., he was the son of the late Paul Walter and Eunice Catherine Brock Costinett.

He was the loving husband of Jan Rey Grandos Costinett. He is also survived by his children Paul J. Costinett of Crestview, Fla., Matthew J. Costinett of Denver, Colo. and Christopher L. Costinett of California, Md., as well as his sister Anna Weight of Chesapeake Beach, Md., and three grandchildren. He was a postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service for 35 years, retiring in 1988. The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 16, 2009, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel, Leonardtown, Md., where prayers will be said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, April 17, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. in Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, Chaptico, Md. with Fr. Timothy Baer officiating. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood, Md. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 1889, La Plata, Md. 20646.

To leave a condolence for the family, visit www.mgf h.com Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Shirley Marie Dement, 70 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.

The County Times

Shirley married her husband Kenneth Dement, Sr. (county commissioner for District 2) on November 20, 1954. They were fortunate to celebrate their 50 th 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 fam-

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. The Rev. Joseph R. Sileo was the celebrant.

Interment followed in the church cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were C.J. Knott, Bubby Spalding,

funeral.com.

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

Merrie Childrey Himmelheber, 100 Merrie Childrey Himmelheber, 100, of Leonardtown, Md., died March 28, 2009, in St. Mary’s Hospital. Merrie was born October 4, 1908, in Richmond, Va., to Albert B. Chil-

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charlesmemorialgardens.com ily. 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 f lowers and bird watching.

She is survived by her husband Kenny Dement and their four sons, Michael of Great Mills, Md.; Ronald of California; 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-

Donald Knott, Frank Bell, Sr., Bill Lynam and George Bean.

Serving as honorary pallbearers were Jerry Guy, Jr., J.D. Blackwell, Lionell Blackwell, David Dement, Leon Dement, Jr., Stewart Dement, Jason Guy and Bobby Guy. In lieu of f lowers, 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, D.C. 20015.

Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfield-

drey and Merrie Aubrey Sugg.

She was the wife of Charles M. Himmelheber whom she married

Thursday, April 16, 2009

June 1936, in Washington, D.C. Raised in Washington, D.C., she graduated from Central High School in 1927 and from George Washington University with a degree in Fine Arts in 1930. After their marriage, Merrie and Charles began to raise their family in Falls Church, Va. World War II and the building of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station brought the family to St. Mary’s County in 1944. Merrie was a charter member of Lexington Park Baptist Church and Leonardtown Baptist Church, a member of Crafts Guild of St. Mary’s County and charter member of North End Gallery in Leonardtown, Md. She is survived by her children: Charles M. Himmelheber, Jr. (Linda) of Drayden, Md., Peter Himmelheber (Lillie) of Leonardtown, Md., Anne Shirley (George) of Sulpher, La., Merrie Ruth Raley (LG) of Hollywood, Md. and Eve Love of Hollywood, Md. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Kristen Keil, Rebecca Rice, Diane Lood, Nancy Himmelheber, Susan McDonough, Merrie Thomas, Ransome Shirley, David Raley, Karen Raley and Stephanie Love, and 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, son William G. Himmelheber, her sister Kathryn Childrey Frasier and her brother, Albert Barbour Childrey, Jr. Family received friends on Monday, April 13, 2009, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Md. 20650.

A Memorial Service was held on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at 11 a.m. in Leonardtown Baptist Church, 23520 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Md. 20650. Interment was private.

In lieu of f lowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P. O. Box 625, Leonardtown, Md. 20650 and/or Cedar Lane Auxiliary, c/o Nancy Duryea, 22680 Cedar Lane Court, Leonardtown, Md. 20650.

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

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

Mary “Louise” Mattingly, 73 Mary “Louise” Mattingly, 73, of Chaptico, Md., died April 12, 2009, at her residence. Born May 13, 1935, in St. Mary’s County, Md., she was the daughter of the late James Walter and Minnie Margaret Farrell Lacey. She was the loving wife of the late George Thomas

14

Mattingly, Sr., who preceded her in death in 1977. She is survived by her children Priscilla Mattingly of Oxon Hill, Md., Rosie Rosier of Indian Head, Md. and George T. Mattingly, Jr. of Chaptico, Md., as well as five grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings Shirley Knott of Chaptico, Md.; Dorothy Trossbach and Ann Cheseldine, both of Abell, Md.; John Lacey of Clements, Md.; Ed Lacey, Howard Lacey and Joe Lacey, all of Avenue, Md.; and Andrew Lacey of Compton, Md. She was preceded in death by her sisters Margaret Beatrice Hill and Theresa Thompson. The family received friends on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 from 5 tp 8 p.m. in the Mattingly-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel, Leonardtown, Md. where prayers were said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, April, 16, 2009, at 10 a.m. in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bushwood, Md., with Fr. Francis Early officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be James Latham, James Mattingly, Kevin Rosier, Harry Rosier, Bruce Knott and Ralph Knott.

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

Let Your Loved Ones Know You Still Care.

Place a Memorial Ad by calling The County Times at 301-373-4125.

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

un Fact

Know

In The

15

The lion costume in the film Wizard of Oz was made from real lions.

New Teacher Hires Decrease

Report Reveals Gains, but Further Decreases Expected

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer The St. Mary’s public school system hired 165 new teachers in 2007-08 compared to 124 for the current year, a drop of 41 teachers, according to a report presented to the St. Mary’s Board of Education on Wednesday, Apr. 15.

As some incentive programs for new hires face cuts, and fewer teachers are expected to retire in light of the economy, further decreases in new teacher hires are expected in the next year.

“So far we’re still in the recruiting season, so I would suspect that because of the economy, that we will have less,” said Edward Weiland, human resources director for St. Mary’s County Public Schools, as he explained that a downward trend in new hires could be expected in the next year, despite the opening of Evergreen Elementary School.

“We can say we have less retirees right now than we’ve had in previous years, and I attribute that to the economy, and people being reluctant to retire when they’re eligible,” said Weiland.

Human resources officials may also face cuts in two of the area’s most popular teacher incentive programs, including signing bonuses for new teachers with GPAs of 3.5 or higher, and salary enhancements for teachers who

earn their National Certification.

“They are very good programs because they are incentives to bring people into the teaching profession,” said Weiland. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the state legislators, as well as the federal government and the county commissioners, will assist with some of the programs that they have supported in the past, but again we all face difficult budget constraints, so we have to wait to see what develops.”

The reduction in new hires comes as administrators admit a persistent shortage of special education, physical therapy, mathematics, and career and technology education personnel, despite the school system hiring 24 new special education teachers last year.

“Special education, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and sometimes math and sciences are areas where we have difficulty, depending on the year.

But those areas overall are the ones that we’ve been focusing on, and will be focusing on this year,” he said.

The report also revealed a large gender gap in new hires and existing teaching personnel, as well as significant racial and ethnic gaps, though numbers from 2007-08 indicate that minority hires have increased by 6 percent to 16.13 percent this year, putting the system even closer to its goal of

20 percent.

Officials have identified the disparity as cause for more aggressive recruitment of not only minorities but men, who currently make up only 17.74 percent of the county’s teaching staff across all grade levels, down nearly 3 percent

from 2007-2008, and nearly 6 percent over the last five years.

“As far as our recruiting efforts, we are definitely looking across the board and attempting to get more males in the elementary level, but again, they have to be out there,” said Weiland.

Hollywood Elementary Named Top Energy Saver

Hollywood Elementary School is the fifth school to capture the Energy Flag this school year. They achieved top energy savings for the month of February 2009, with a 22 percent reduction in electric consumption compared to February 2008. This saved 16,800 kilowatt-hours, which equates to $1,100.

The flag was presented to the school during morning announcements on April 1, 2009, and will be flown at the school for approximately one month. After that, it will be presented to another school that has achieved this honor.

Gittens Named Teacher of the Year

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer St. Mary’s County Public Schools has announced the selection of Therese Gittens, a second-grade teacher at Lexington Park Elementary School, as its 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year.

“I think the official announcement came out the Tuesday during spring break,” said Gittens, taking a moment to relax before school let out for the day. With regards to her recent honor, she said, “I’m really humbled by it. I didn’t go into teaching to win awards. I’ve never won anything. Never! I maybe got a piece of gum or something when I was little, but never anything big like this.”

Gittens joined the school system in 2003 in the position she currently holds, but before that, she served as an elementary classroom teacher in Sacramento’s City Unified School district. She boasts a bachelor’s in early childhood education, and earned her master’s in education by taking online classes last year, but according to Gittens, her training as a teacher began much sooner than that.

“I started school late because I already had a family … and I did all the mommy-things in school and that’s where I guess my education started,” she said, adding that teaching, for her, also began as a way to connect with people.

“Initially when I went to school, I majored in computer science, and I didn’t really get to interact with people that much, so there was this ad on campus that said they were looking for people to join the teaching program,” she said, explaining that her calling had come to her whilst taking a

class her senior year.

“I changed my major to childhood development and my senior year I had to take this class, and I volunteered at a school and I just knew when I walked in there and I worked with the kids and the teachers,” she said. “Once I took that class, it was very overwhelming for me. I almost cried in the class and I had to tell them that’s what I really wanted to do, become a teacher.”

Susie Fowler, Principal at Lexington Park Elementary, said she had worked with Gittens before while in Charles County, and had been happy to continue their relationship when she accepted her position as principal.

“It was really exciting for me to know that there’d be a familiar face on the faculty, and it’s been fun working with her again,” said Fowler.

“I’ve seen that she has continued to develop her skills over time from when we worked together before until now, and she is a teacher on our staff that other teachers come to for advice, so she’s really well-respected by her peers.”

Gittens will go on to represent the school system as a candidate for Maryland Teacher of the Year, the award for which will be announced at a banquet held in Baltimore on Oct. 2. The Maryland Teacher of the Year will also be a candidate for National Teacher of the Year.

In the meantime, Gittens said she has been happy just doing what she loves most. “One thing though is that if you get the national award, you get to go to the White House and meet the president,” she said, fanning herself as she smiled.

“I really can’t think of anything more exciting.”

Education

School System Calendar Changes

Michael J. Martirano, superintendent of schools, announced at the April 15 Board of Education meeting that the last day of school for students in St. Mary’s County Public Schools will be Friday, June 12, 2009, and the last day for teachers will be Monday, June 15, 2009.

Three school days were lost this school year due to inclement weather conditions. This allows the school year to be shortened by two days, since only three of the five inclement weather days built into the calendar were used.

Tuesday, June 9, will be a regular day of school with all morning and afternoon pre-kindergarten students attending school on a normal schedule. June 9 will be the last day of school for afternoon prekindergarten students.

Wednesday, June 10, will be an early dismissal day with morning prekindergarten students attending school.

Afternoon pre-kindergarten sessions will not be held on June 10.

Thursday, June 11, will be an early dismissal day with morning pre-kindergarten students attending school. Afternoon pre-kindergarten sessions will not be held on June 11. June 11 will be the last day of school for morning pre-kindergarten students.

Friday, June 12 will be an early dismissal day for students in grades K-12.

Pre-kindergarten students will not have school on June 12.

Other adjustments to the calendar will be necessary if additional school days are lost due to inclement weather or emergency situations.

Chesapeake Charter Wins at Engineering Challenge

Chesapeake Public Charter School recently participated in the Baltimore Museum of Industry engineering challenges for Egbert Safe Racers and the Theme Park Challenge.

Students in grades 1-3 participated in the Egbert Challenge on Saturday, March 21. Winning first place for the state in Division 1 were first grade students Lanie Funya, Carolyn Crawford and Sydney Naluai with their car “Eggy’s Lodge”. Winning second place for Division 1 were Matthew Williams, Connor Shaffer and Nate Albers with their car “The Amps”. “The Flames”, with Kaia Adriani, Matthew Jarvis, Madison Marigliano and Eve Harding took the Safe Racer Cup for designing a car that traveled 33’-0”.

Teams were coached by teachers Kim Weaver and Sona Bonds.

On Saturday April 4, fourth grade students Andrew Williams, Javari Barber, Zak Albers and Kiet King won second place for Photo by Andrea Shiell the state Theme Park Challenge.

Therese Gittens, pictured here with one of her second- Their team was called “The Wizgrade students, is this year’s Teacher of the Year for St. ards of Oz”. The winning coach Mary’s County. was fourth grade teacher Molly Kilcoyne.

The County Times

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

Crime&

Punishment

Most Assaults In Town Creek Occurred At Middle School

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Cameron said that detective work had closed several burglary cases in the area in the past year and that citizens should keep a close eye out for suspicious activity and not hesitate to call police.

Deputies are continuing to watch out for speeders also, a problem that Town Creek residents say is a continual problem.

“Town Creek is a safe neighborhood,” Cameron said.

“Quality of life crimes are very important to us.

“If your gut tells you something’s wrong, it probably is.”

Dale said that more police presence would still be a welcome sight in the community.

“We’ve had our mailbox smashed in and our house egged and items taken from our front yard,” she said. “Maybe they need to patrol more through the neighborhood.

“But he (Cameron) is right, we don’t have the problems of other neighborhoods.”

According to reports from the county sheriff’s office, nearly all of the assaults in the Town Creek community for a 15-month period occurred at Esperanza Middle School.

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron and several members of his senior staff told residents this at a Tuesday night community meeting to discuss crime in their neighborhood.

Lt. Eric Sweeney, who is in charge of law enforcement in the community, said that not all of the assaults at the school were necessarily serious, but that 25 out of the 32 assaults reported originated there.

Sweeney said that the assaults appeared to be students fighting amongst themselves.

“It’s disturbing to see that number of assaults,” Sweeney told The County Times. “It has a lot to do with their age group, the fact that they’re going to challenge authority and challenge each other.”

The statistics presented at the meeting were from January of last year through this March.

Cynthia Dale, a Town Creek resident and member of the Citizens Advisory Committee, was surprised when she heard the statistic at the meeting.

“That was a little shocking,” Dale said. “It’s pretty high for a middle school.”

Dale said, however, that she did not believe fights between students were a problem to consider for the neighborhood.

“I think it’s contained at the school,” Dale said. “I don’t think it’s an overall problem for the community.”

School system officials did not return phone calls for comment as of press time.

Cameron also addressed concerns over vandalism and property thefts along Town Creek Drive, the main road through the community.

Photo by Guy Leonard Statistics at the meeting showed that that was one of the Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron speaks to Town Creek residents about recent community’s biggest problems. crime trends in their neighborhood at Town Creek Elementary School.

Juvenile Accused Of Sex Offenses Wants Case Thrown Out

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The public defender for Michael Walker, a juvenile accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl last year, has filed a motion in county Circuit Court to have his client’s case dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, court records show.

Walker was set for a hearing Monday to argue for his case to be heard in juvenile court, but his public defender, Luke Woods, opted to try to have his case dismissed.

“He was charged as an adult incorrectly,” Woods said.

Walker is charged with both a third- and fourth-degree sex offenses as well as second- degree assault. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the first charges but if tried as a juvenile, he could only be incarcerated until he was 21.

According to charging documents against Walker, filed in

December, the victim was visiting friends in a Lexington Park neighborhood when she and a friend met the defendant, who asked them if they would follow him into the nearby woods to play a game of tag.

Charging documents alleged that when they began to play, Walker, who had identified himself as “Tyler” to the victim, ran up behind her and grabbed her in a bear hug and put his hand down her pants, touching her vagina.

The victim alleged in charging documents that she and her friend were able to beat Walker back and escape.

The responding deputy reported that she spoke with Walker, charging documents stated, and that he at first said he was nowhere in the vicinity when the incident occurred.

He later admitted to being in the woods with the two girls, charging documents stated, but denied any wrongdoing .

Walker’s case is set to go back before the court in May.

Police Investigating Fatal Collision

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A man from Nanjemoy was killed Sunday after his vehicle collided with another at the intersection of New Market Turner Road and Route 235 in Mechanicsville.

According to accident reports from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Carlton Keith Wright, 70, was traveling eastbound on New Market Turner Road in a black 2001 Chevrolet Impala towards Route 235 when he failed to yield the right of way at a flashing red light, crossed into the intersection and was

struck by a blue 2004 Dodge Stratus driven by Brian Ashley Copsey, 24, of Mechanicsville.

The impact from the collision pushed Wright’s vehicle into a curb and caused it to flip over.

Wright was flown to the shock trauma center in Prince George’s Hospital Center but died when he arrived.

His wife, Joan Wright, 70, and Copsey were evacuated to the same hospital with serious injuries that were not life threatening for either of them.

Police do not believe that either alcohol or speed caused the crash, reports stated.

Briefs

Man Jailed, Accused Of Firing Shots At Victims On April 11, 2009 at 3:30 a.m. deputies responded to a residence in Mechanicsville, for the report of a subject discharging a firearm in a residential area. Investigation revealed William H. Lewis, 43, of Mechanicsville was involved in an altercation with the male victim over family issues. Lewis exited his residence and is alleged to have discharged a .380 caliber handgun at the victims then retreated back inside the residence. The victims were not injured as a result of the gunfire. Contact was made with Lewis without incident. A record’s check revealed Lewis to be a convicted felon who was in possession of a firearm.

Lewis was placed under arrest, charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a regulated firearm by a convicted felon and incarcerated in the detention center.

Woman Arrested, Charged With Shoplifting On April 8, 2009 at 8:15 p.m. two loss prevention employees of the Wal-Mart Super Center in California observed a female suspect receive three articles of ladies clothing from three other unidentified females in the retail area. The suspect then allegedly put the articles of clothing, valued at $19, in her purse and attempted to leave the store without paying for them. The suspect was detained by the loss prevention employees. Deputy Timothy Snyder responded and arrested Alexis Washington, 19, of Fredericksburg, Va. and charged her with theft. She was incarcerated at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center to await a bond review.

Juvenile Charged With Marijuana Possession On April 8, 2009 at 10:45 p.m., Deputy Michael Licausi and Deputy First Class Kevin Meyer responded to a Lexington Park residence at the request of a parent who believed a juvenile living in the residence was in possession of marijuana. The deputies contacted the 16-year-old female and ascertained she was in fact in possession of a small amount of alleged marijuana.

The juvenile was charged accordingly and released to a parent.

Young Man Arrested For Marijuana Possession On April 9, 2008 at 12:20 a.m., deputies responded to a noise complaint at a Leonardtown residential complex and observed a large group of individuals outside in the parking lot consuming alcoholic beverages and behaving boisterously. As the deputies approached, one individual quickly walked away in a suspicious manner and appeared to deposit something in a nearby vehicle. As Deputy First Class Charles Dodson confronted the suspect, he observed a baggie of suspected marijuana on the ground where the suspect had been standing, and a second, similar bag on the floorboard of the vehicle the suspect had just entered.

Dodson seized the two baggies of marijuana and arrested the suspect, a 17-year-old male from Leonardtown. He was charged with possession of marijuana and transported to the Cheltenham Youth Detention Facility. The suspect was already on probation and electronic monitoring through Juvenile Justice for previous offenses.

Men Indicted For Cocaine Dealing Vice/Narcotics Detectives identified Barry Cedric Stout a.k.a. “BC”, age 26 of Lexington Park, as an alleged distributor of cocaine. As the investigation continued, detectives made undercover purchases of cocaine from suspect Stout. After a case review with State’s Attorney Richard D. Fritz, the case was presented to the St. Mary’s County Grand Jury and multiple arrest warrants were obtained. Stout was indicted for three counts of distribution of cocaine. He is currently awaiting a bond review and is being held without bond.

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

18

‘Good Earth’ Owner Striving to Make Earth Day Every Day

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

If You Go …

of my customers.”

Deptula bought the shop in Leonardtown in In this era of lead-tainted Chinese toys, The ninth annual Earth Day Cele- 1999, when it was located reports of poison baby formula and con- bration on the Leonardtown Square and on the Square, next to what cerns about chemical food additives, Valerie is now Café Des Artistes. at Leonardtown Wharf is this Sunday.

Deptula, owner of Good Earth Natural Foods Almost three years ago, Join the free celebration in Leonar- Good Earth moved to a new Company in Leonardtown, has a simple mesdtown from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. April 19, building on Park Avenue, sage: “Get back to the basics.”

What are the basics? They include buy- for live music and entertainment, kayand tripled in size. ing local produce, cooking from scratch with ak and canoe rides, puppet show, face A walk through the naturally occurring ingredients and educatstore reveals a full line of painting, children’s crafts, animal resing yourself about exactly what you are putfood products and dietary cue groups, conservation information supplements that provide ting in your body every day.

The basics don’t include partially hydro- and environmental demonstrations, nearly every alternative genated cottonseed oil, high fructose corn plants for sale, and more. imaginable to the mass-prosyrup, xanthan gum, phenylketonurics or the The event is sponsored by the Leon- duced food industry. If you host of other chemical concoctions that are in think of a natural prodardtown Business Association, Com- can mass-produced foods these days. uct that Good Earth doesn’t “We’re seeing problems from all these missioners of Leonardtown, Quality have in stock, the staff will food additives and processed food, high so- Built Homes, and other local business do their best to get it in. dium, high fructose corn syrup, you know, all partners. For more information call “We do a lot of special the bad things,” Deptula said in an interview 301-475-9791. orders. People will come in this week. “And if you get back to the basics, and everyone has their own getting your fresh produce, cooking from shampoo, their own descratch, you’ll be a lot healthier, and the world odorant, so if we don’t have will be a lot healthier too, because there’d be less waste.” it, and as long as we can get in from one of our distributors, In Deptula’s opinion, the food industry in the United States we’ll be happy to order it,” she said. has strictly opted to make maximum profits, rather than providCustomers might be happy to find out there is a computer ing nutritious products. station set up in the store, with recipes and information on “They put those preservatives in food for one reason, supplements and natural food benefits. so that the people in the business will make more money be“We’re there to answer your questions, and if we can’t cause the food won’t expire as fast, but the thing is, that’s not answer your question, we’ll research it,” Deptula said. the best thing to do for your body,” Deptula said. “That’s the Back in 2000, Deptula helped organize the first Earth way America has thought about a lot of things: making the big Day celebration in St. Mary’s County. This Sunday is the ninth bucks as quick as you can and not worrying about what’s down annual Earth Day on the Square event that she has helped Photo by Frank Marquart the bend, so to speak,” she said. organize.

As owner of the county’s only full-service, natural foods “It all depends on the weather; if it’s a nice day it’s a Valerie Deptula, owner of Good Earth Natural Foods Company in grocery store, according to Deptula, the store owner has man- wonderful event,” she said. “It grows every year … we get a Leonardtown. aged to balance succeeding in a market dominated by processed couple thousand people.” prey, free entertainment, games for children, demonstrations food and much larger companies by placing the highest priority About 80 businesses and organizations are participating and more. on the health of her customers. in the event, which this year extends from the Squaare down to “It’s just a nice day, and everything’s free,” Deptula said.

“Business is good,” Deptula said. “There is definitely a Leonardtown Wharf.

“It’s a good time.” need, and my customers have made me grow. I’m there because There will be free kayaking and canoe rides, live birds of

Women's Guide to Younger Looking Skin

There are many natural components of aging and wrinkles are no exception. As we age the skin becomes less elastic, thinner and drier. The skin is also less able to protect itself from damage. As a result, wrinkles and fine lines can begin forming.

Some women experience deep wrinkles, while others have less visible lines.

Genetics can play a major role in determining the wrinkling factor of the skin. Take a look at your mother's or grandmother's skin. If they weren't prone to spending long hours in the sun and refrained from smoking cigarettes (sun exposure and smoking can contribute to wrinkling), chances are your skin will be somewhat similar as you age.

Because many times people are judged first by outward appearances, women can become self-conscious of their wrinkles as they get into their 40s and 50s. Today, a number of procedures aimed at reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines exist. The key is finding one that works for you and your budget. Here are some options to consider. * Gain a little weight:No one is advocating going on an eating binge. However, a new study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery analyzed pictures of the faces of 186 pairs of identical twins, along with extensive questionnaires each twin filled out about lifestyle and skin care. The study found that for twin pairs

under 40, the heavier one (a four-point difference in the Body Mass Index, or BMI) looked significantly older. But surprisingly, after 40, that same four-point difference in BMI made the heavier twin look significantly younger. Once you reach 40, it may pay to increase your weight by a few pounds, which can fill out your face and reduce the appearance of wrinkling. * Explore wrinkle creams:Wrinkle creams are found in department stores and drug stores across the country. Most promise dramatic results. It is unlikely that you'll get the same results from creams and lotions as you would from going under the knife. But depending upon the ingredients in the products, you could see improvements in the skin over time. Most ingredients are antioxidants that help reverse cell damage caused by free radicals. Fruit acids are another popular ingredient, which exfoliate the skin to reveal newer skin underneath. * Skin resurfacing: There are a number of treatments that "damage" the outer layer of the skin to promote newer, younger skin to grow in its place. Chemical peels, dermabrasion, or laser resurfacing are just some of these techniques. According to the Mayo Clinic, laser resurfacing is an effective treatment for minor facial f laws. It can wipe out fine to moderate wrinkles, liver or age spots, correct uneven skin tones, and even reduce the appearance of acne or chickenpox scars. Because the epidermis,

or outer layer of skin, is removed, it's common to experience some irritation, redness or itching on areas treated. It could take up to two weeks before new skin forms and you can remove bandages. * Medicinal botulinum toxin type A: This is the same bacteria that causes food poisoning, marketed under the popular name Botox(R). However, in the medicinal version, a much lower concentration is purified and injected into muscles to prevent contraction. When muscles aren't contracted, the skin on top of them f lattens and appears less wrinkled. These types of injections are not good for all types of facial wrinkles and cannot reverse the ones caused by sun damage. It is also discouraged to use Botox around the mouth because these muscles are needed for eating and talking. * Injectable fillers: Collagen fillers and other products are injected under the skin to smooth out wrinkles. They can be effective when done correctly. However, in certain cases the injection can appear uneven or bumpy. * Surgery:Surgery is one of the most expensive options for treating wrinkles.

Face and eye lifts can pull the skin taut and smooth out wrinkles.

19

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

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A House is a Home

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

20

Keeping Kids in the Mix When Decorating a Home Decorating a home is often contingent on the homeownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personal tastes. For parents decorating a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room, however, that personal taste often takes a backseat to functionality, safety and, of course, the ever-changing likes and dislikes of the child.

To many parents, involving children in the decorating process is an enjoyable experience, as Mom and Dad get to see what their son and daughter cares most about while spending quality time with their kids along the way. Whether a child is already in the home or thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one on the way, consider the following tips when decorating a home where children will roam. â&#x20AC;˘ Differentiate between certain areas of the home. When decorating a home, parents shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fret that the entire home now needs to be kid-friendly. While the entire

house should be safe for kids, certain areas can be designated adults only, such as home offices or home gyms.

Such adults-only areas should be closed off, ideally with a door that can be locked. If a door cannot be installed, use a gate high enough to keep kids from getting into the room. â&#x20AC;˘ Involve the kids. While you likely wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seek the advice of kids when decorating a sitting room or dining room, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re decorating kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bedrooms seek their input. A childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bedroom shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be about Mom and Dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tastes, but rather a reflection of the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Not all suggestions will become reality, but kids will be happier with a room that reflects their interests. â&#x20AC;˘ Keep certain items within a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reach, and certain items beyond their grasp. Another element

to safely decorating a home involves what a child should and should not have access to, and decorating accordingly.

Be sure that items children are allowed access to are within their reach. Otherwise, resilient kids will seek ways to find their favorite cereal bowls or the remote control, and that could lead to an accident. Nothing a child is allowed access to should be stored in a place they need to climb to. Make sure kids can reach these items from the floor.

On the other hand, certain items should always be kept out of the reach of children. This includes cleaning products, plants or flowers (which can be fun for kids to toss around), sharp cutlery, and any other items that can harm kids

When decorating a home, parents should seek the input of their children to ensure the kids enjoy the home as much as Mom and Dad will.

or encourage them to make a mess around the house. When decorating the kitchen, keep in mind what kids can and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t access and design the kitchen accordingly. â&#x20AC;˘ Choose furniture that can be washed. While leather chairs and sofas might have been ideal for the single life, such furniture is not best for homes with children. Choose furniture fabrics that are easy to wash, and consider covering all furniture with removable slipcovers.

Another thing to look for when decorating a home with children is furniture that boasts patterns that can hide the inevitable stains that come with kids. Floral or plaid patterns can do wonders with respect to hiding spilled glasses of juice or the occasional dropped snack.

Also, parents of infant children should avoid furniture with sharp edges. Once a tyke begins to crawl or walk, such furniture can become a significant safety issue.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

A House is a Home

American Dreams Unveils ‘Green’ Dream Home

the office display in dicating n o s te ca s certifi ency in Dreams ha tection Ag American . Environmental Pro ting possible. .S from the U s the best efficiency ra a h e m o h e th

By Sean Rice Staff Writer The public is invited to an open house April 25 at American Dreams modular home company in Hughesville to witness firsthand its new “Greenhaven” model, which is being called “the most energy efficient home in Southern Maryland.”

Chip Cousineau, owner of American Dreams, said that claim is not just an advertising slogan: They have conducted several energy efficiency tests to back up that claim.

“They told me when they did the scoring, they have never had an efficiency score any lower, and the lower the better, in a home with a conventional heating system,” Cousineau said.

“Having a home in the Energy Star Program is one thing, having it score a fivestar plus is taking it to a whole new level,” he said. “This is the highest category a home can be placed in.”

American Dreams hired Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative to conduct their Energy Star Program tests on the Greenhaven.

Cousineau said SMECO’s program included three tests.

In the “blower door test” a fan and a com-

puter is hooked up to the front door and the home is decompressed to detect where any air leakage may be.

“If you’ve got a light socket or an electrical outlet that’s not sealed properly, it whistles at you, you can feel the air coming through it,” Cousineau said.

SMECO also conducted a “duct blaster test” which detects any leaks in the heating and air conditioning system, and an infrared test which indicates any other locations where heat may be lost.

“After they come up with all these numbers, they input in information into computers and compare it to a regular home,” Cousineau said, adding that all electrical components are factored in, including all appliances and lighting.

With all details factored in, SMECO said it would cost $1,857 a year in electric costs to power the 2,000 square-foot Greenhaven model, which equates to a monthly electric bill of $154.

American Dreams, which has been in business for 19 years at its location across from the new Harley Davidson dealership, has certificates on display in the office from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicating the home has the best rating possible.

“It’s not just a

feel-good thing, I’ve done something good for the world, it’s an investment that makes perfect sense,” Cousineau said.

Even the crawl space is 100 percent sealed and climate controlled, so no moisture builds up.

“Not even a mouse can get in,” Cousineau said. “You’ll never need a mousetrap in this home.”

The Greenhaven home on display, with upgrades shown, including granite countertops, costs $220,000. The basic model with all Energy Star features included is $194,000, which includes all setup and finishing costs. A buyer would have to only have a cleared parcel of land and American Dreams does the site work and builds the foundation.

Photos By Sean Rice

Chip Cousineau, owner of American Dreams, shows off the 1-inch thick insulating foam that is sprayed on every wall of the home, including the crawl space.

The County Times

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

22

A House is a Home

5 Ways to Less Maintenance in Your Backyard

When the weather warms, homeowners often flock to their backyards to entertain, relax and enjoy the great outdoors. But oftentimes the work and maintenance that is involved with keeping a yard looking its best can negate the rejuvenating effects of spending time in an outdoor space.

Luckily, there are ways to cut down on the yard maintenance so you can free up more opportunities for sitting back and relaxing with friends and family. Consider these tips from By the Yard, Inc., manufacturer of durable outdoor furniture made from recycled materials.

1. Choose native plants and perennials: Let’s face it, as rewarding a hobby as gardening can be, it does require an investment of time and energy. By choosing plants wisely, you can cut down on the number of plants that perish and need to be replanted, and you can also take a handsoff approach to gardening. Perennials will bloom each year and won’t have to be replanted every season. Fill your yard with many perennials and then add colorful annuals to flower pots and other containers to fill in the gaps with little effort.

2. Look for maintenance-free outdoor furniture: Who wants to spend season after season scraping or painting outdoor furniture that hasn’t stood up against the weather? Many types of outdoor pieces have to be protected from the elements, including being covered or put away during nasty weather. That adds up to more of a headache than homeowners need.

Milk helps build strong bones, and recycled milk jugs help build strong, maintenance-free furniture. The over 90 product designs from By the Yard (www.bytheyard.net) are made in the USA of High Density Polyetheylene (HDPE) from recycled milk containers and plastic water bottles. Unlike most other plastics, the material used to fabricate the furniture is considered colorfast. It will not fade more than 3 percent over a 10-year period. This is furniture you never have to replace or put away, rather simply enjoy all season long.

3. Invest in a sprinkler system:Watering a yard by hand can take a lot of time and may not be efficiently watering the lawn and plants.

Sprinkler systems take the work out of watering by automatically deploying at times programmed by you. This way you can schedule the sprinklers to turn on in the early morning, when you may have already left for work, often considered the best time of the day for water penetration and prevention of evaporation.

Sprinklers and drip irrigation systems come in many designs and can be customized for your needs. When set up correctly, they can be an eco-friendly way of watering the landscape.

4. Consider lawn alternatives: A beautiful lawn may be a sight to behold, but for many homeowners the work involved, including sowing the seeds, fertilizing and mowing, make the final product bittersweet. Look to groundcovers, pavers, clover and other landscaping ideas to break up the amount of lawn in your landscape.

If you have young children or pets who are notorious for wreaking havoc on a lawn, you may want to cut down your lawn ratio even further.

If you have your heart set on rolling acres of pristine beauty, hire a service that can do the maintenance for you.

5. Think about how you use your outdoor space:Whether you like to sit outside and relax or are more into frequent entertaining, design your space around these factors. This way you don’t have furniture or other yard accessories that interfere with your plans and require additional care. Also, look for items that can serve multiple purposes, such as benches that can hold planters but also be seating areas when there are more guests around. How about furniture that can be kept out all year long if you like to entertain outside no matter the season?

With a few simple tips you can spend less time working in the yard and more time enjoying it.

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Thursday, April 16, 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 was promoted to captain Genealogical Society, Charles County – the youngest man ever to Genealogical Society, Maryland Historical achieve that rank.

I’m sure that many Society and the Maryland Genealogical of you have heard the Society. She has authored many books phrase “my country, and articles on local history. We right or wrong.” That hope you will enjoy these articles phrase was coined by Stephen Decatur but and welcome your comments what he actually said and suggestions for was “Our country! In future subjects. her intercourse with for-

The

By Linda Reno Contributing Writer As most of us know, Capt. Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama was rescued Sunday by Navy Seals operating off the USS. Bainbridge.

I couldn’t help but think how proud Commodore William Bainbridge, for whom this ship was named, would be. You see, he too was taken prisoner by pirates in 1803.

At the time of his capture, Bainbridge was in command of the Philadelphia that accidentally ran aground off Tripoli (now Libya) on October 31, 1803. He and 306 officers and crew were taken prisoner and the ship was seized before it could be successfully scuttled – the worst naval loss since the Revolutionary War. Bainbridge and his crew endured over 19 months of captivity. The officers fared better than the ordinary seamen, 300 of whom were kept in an old warehouse so small that they could not all lie down at the same time after interminable days performing slave labor in the quarries.

On February 16, 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur headed a volunteer mission to destroy the Philadelphia. Using a captured Tripolitan ketch renamed the Intrepid, the crew hid below decks while Decatur and his pilot, in disguise, gained access to the harbor. Standing by was the Siren should the mission encounter problems.

Twenty of the enemy was killed and the Philadelphia successfully destroyed, with no American casualties. As a result, Stephen Decatur, then just 25 years old hailed as a hero,

eign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong!” Decatur was killed in a duel at Bladensburg, Md., on March 22, 1820. As fate would have it, William Bainbridge served as his second.

There was a man from St. Mary’s County who was a part of the burning of the Philadelphia.

Serving aboard the Siren was Lt. Michael Brown Carroll, born 1768 at “Susquehanna,” a plantation of approximately 200 acres that came into the Carroll family by the marriage of Michael’s father, Captain Henry Carroll, to Araminta Thompson, a niece of Col. John Rousby. This was a part of the property taken by the U.S. Navy when the Patuxent Naval Air Station was built in 1942.

Carroll was appointed as a midshipman on September 7, 1798, just in time for the Quasi War with France and for the Barbary Coast wars, and he saw action in both. He was commissioned a lieutenant on April 10, 1802.

After his service in the Mediterranean and after serving a short time at the Norfolk Naval Yard, Lt. Carroll was assigned to the New Orleans Naval Station prior to February 3, 1812, where he was in command of the Siren with a crew of 60. In 1815 he was promoted to master commandant.

On January 15, 1817, at age 49, Commander Carroll married Mary Ann King in Somerset County, Md. She was probably related to Elizabeth Barnes King, wife of his brother Henry James Carroll (parents of

Capitol Puts 50 New Historic Documents on Display WASHINGTON (AP) – The Capitol Visitor Center is putting 50 new historic documents on display just months after opening in December as the first stop for visitors to Congress.

The documents on view beginning Monday include the first draft of legislation declaring war on Germany during World War II. It shows that the Senate simply used a previous resolution declaring war against Japan and replaced the name with

Germany.

The center will also show the second draft of the U.S. Constitution. On that draft, a list of states was replaced with the phrase ``We the People of the United States.’’ And visitors will see a bill drafted by a young Rep. Abraham Lincoln of Illinois in 1849 to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia.

The documents are on loan from the National Archives and the Library of Congress.

Chronicle

signed from the U.S. Navy.

Michael Brown Carroll died October 29, 1831. His obituary from the November 7 edition of The National Intelligencer read: “Died on the 29th ult. at ‘Susquehanna’, his late res. in St. Mary’s County, Capt. Michael B. Carroll, aged about 63 years, late of the U.S. Navy. He entered the naval service early in life, in consequence of the great depredations committed by the Barbary Powers on the commerce of our country, it became necessary to send a fleet into the Mediterranean, Capt.

Carroll, then a Midshipman, was ordered to that station, where he was selected as one of that gallant, daring band, under Decatur, to destroy the frigate “Philadelphia”, under the frowning battlements of Tripoli. Capt. C. retired from service to a more domestic life, universally esteemed by all who knew him. He has left a disconsolate widow and an only child to mourn their irreparable loss.”

In 1960 the Carroll family donated to the St. Mary’s County Historical Society a number of items belonging to Michael Brown Photo Courtesy of St. Mary’s County Historical Society Carroll. This included a miniature portrait of Commander Carroll, his commission to lieuMichael Brown Carroll tenant and a sword. The family stated that he Thomas King Carroll, governor of Maryland, had been given the sword by a prominent Turk 1830-1831). In 1818, they had their one and after the Battle of Tripoli. It is still encased in only child, a son named Henry James Carroll the original scabbard, lined with wood and who died April 14, 1884, at “Susquehanna.” covered with leather. These items are on disOn August 12, 1822, Commander Carroll re- play at the Old Jail in Leonardtown.

Baltimore to Buy Mortgage of Senator Theater BALTIMORE (AP) – The city will buy the mortgage of the financially ailing Senator Theater, a historic single-screen movie house facing foreclosure auction, Mayor Sheila Dixon announced Sunday.

The 70-year-old theater stopped showing first-run movies last month after its owner failed to meet payroll. The theater owes $1.2 million to 1st Mariner Bank, which had scheduled a foreclosure auction for April 20.

The city says it will foreclose and auction the theater. If no one buys it, the city would seek a new operator.

“The Senator Theater is the cornerstone of the vibrant Belvedere Square community.

It would be a mistake for the City to sit idle and let a Baltimore landmark have an unknown future,’’ Dixon said in a statement.

“I hope to see the Senator continue as a first-run movie house or performing arts

venue, but, most importantly, as a gathering place for our community like it has been for the past 70 years,’’ the mayor said. “We believe that it is necessary for the City to control the foreclosure process and not leave to chance the property being purchased at auction for another purpose.’’

A task force had recommended that Baltimore officials purchase the theater, which opened doors to the public on October 5, 1939, and was added to the National List of Historic Places in 1999.

Deputy Mayor Andrew Frank said there was a “a substantial amount of interest’’ in the theater.

“With control of the property, we’re confident we can find an end user who will add value down the road,’’ Frank said.

The County Times

No Green JellyBeenz Rocks Hughesville

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Wes Ryce, drummer and manager for the Mechanicsville rock band, No Green JellyBeenz, laughed when asked how the colorful cover band decided on its quirky name.

“Last summer I was in Nashville,” he explained, “and the dressing room they gave us Photo courtesy of No Green JellyBeenz had tables and tables of food,” he said, adding that the spreads Rockers No Green JellyBeenz will be performing at the Hoof dishes had reminded him and tel Charles in Hughesville on Saturday, April 18. other members of the band of an Jimmy Epp (rhythm guitar), Wes “McNasty” interesting (if not infamous) clause in one Ryce (drums), and vocalist Allen Espinosa of Van Halen’s touring contracts during the have crafted their stage show around a swell1980s. ing song list that has seen them covering Legend has it that Van Halen had writ- everything from AC/DC to Eminem, and ten a clause into its contract specifying that drawing crowds of devoted party fans to the band should be supplied a bowl of M&Ms their shows in the northern end of St. Mary’s backstage, but that all brown candies should County. be removed. The famous “no brown M&Ms” Wes laughed again as he explained some clause, mixed with what Wes called a fully of the challenges that he and his cohorts have catered spread backstage at one of the band’s encountered while performing. own shows, spawned joke after joke about “We’ve had multiple times where the the frivolous demands that entertainers have power just went out,” he said, adding that outmade as the music industry has continued to ages have plagued the band on several occaindulge even their most ridiculous requests. sions. “Usually I’ll keep playing … and if we “We really just started throwing out ideas can’t get the power going in a few seconds or about how to make fun of famous people and so, then we’ll stop.” the kinds of things they do,” he said, “like Wes said he looks forward to playing at what Van Halen did about banning certain the band’s most prevalent hot spot, the Hotel colors of M&Ms … so someone said, ‘Well Charles in Hughesville. then, there will be NO green jelly beans!’ and “We perform a lot of places, but the hotel it stuck.” would definitely be our favorite,” said Wes. Wes said that the band members them- “Whenever we’re there, we always have a selves tend to share some common musical good crowd and great energy,” he said. tastes.

No Green JellyBeenz will be perform“For the most part, I’d say most of us ing in the party room at the Hotel Charles are alternative or punk alternative,” he said. in Hughesville on Saturday, April 18, at 9 “We’re all big Blink-182 and New Found Glo- p.m. For more information on show dates, ry boys … but we always try to do stuff that visit the band’s web site at www.myspace. people like,” he said. com/nogreenjellybeenz.

Maurice “Mo Money” Owens (bass guitar), Rich “G-Money” Guthrie (lead guitar),

ry’s a M

Thursday, April 16, 2009

24

DVD Review: ‘Synecdoche’

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Charlie Kaufman’s latest movie, “Synecdoche” (pronounced “Sih-NECKdoh-kee”, meaning a part that characterizes the whole, or vice versa), may be his most ambitious project to date, and a fitting mark as his directorial debut, but several hallmarks that usually characterize his wildly inventive stories seem to have been lost in translation.

It’s a shame, too, because “Synecdoche” could have been (and should have been) the most brilliant piece in Kaufman’s already impressive library, which boasts titles like “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

“Synecdoche” follows the story of regional theater director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), whose unhappy wife Adele Lack (Catherine Keener) packs her bags near the beginning of the film to pursue artistic fame in Germany with the couple’s daughter Olive (Sadie Goldstein) and her creepy best friend Maria (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

While he juggles an awkward nearromance with his theater’s box office employee, Hazel (Samantha Morton), a never-ending stream of degenerative physical ailments that are never fully explained, and the usual midlife crises of belly flab and broken relationships, Cotard earns a lucrative MacArthur “genius” award and uses the money to rent out a vast warehouse in Manhattan, where he attempts to construct a scale model of his own life, with actors playing his wife, his exes, his neighbors, and even himself.

Of course there are complications.

Cotard’s doppelganger, played by Tom Noonan, follows him everywhere and pretends to be directing his play, obsessively cataloguing his character’s deepest insecurities and then acting them out.

His new marriage to actress Claire (Michelle Williams) falters as he still clings to Adele and Hazel.

The fake Caden falls in love with the real Hazel, while the real Caden starts flirting with the fake Hazel

(Emily Watson), and an actress hired to play a maid (Dianne Wiest) seems bent on assuming every roll onstage, including Caden’s character.

As is typical with most Kaufman yarns, time is relative. One week in Cotard’s mind translates to several years onscreen, making for a rather jumbled retelling of the movie’s plots and subplots that may lose or confuse some viewers as he flashes back and forth between memories, dreams, or ruminations on both.

Whereas Kaufman has always relied on a clever balance of drama and humor to tell his stories, there are very few moments of levity in “Synecdoche”, as he keeps his characters more or less grounded in bleakness and despair, and this persistent gloom damages what would otherwise be a beautiful study of a character struggling with regret, loss, failure, and his own impending death.

Kaufman may have hit on a brilliant character study with “Synecdoche”, but theme and execution have a hard time lining up in this movie, and the result is a story that drags, and characters that become harder to relate to as the story progresses.

The inventive plot seems true to form, but the charm and wit that has characterized his past work seems to make his latest offering pale in comparison, and it may be fair to say that this time, the great Charlie Kaufman may have bit off a little more than the audience can chew.

Grade: C+ (Released by Sony Pictures Classics; rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity; run time 124 minutes.)

St.

Show T ime Get Ou t&

Have Fu n Right Now Pla H ere in S ying t. Mary’ s Count y!

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 17 Again PG-13, 102 min Starts on Fri, Apr 17

Dragonball: Evolution PG, 85 min

Fast & Furious PG-13, 106 min

Hannah Montana: The Movie G, 102 min

The Haunting in Connecticut PG-13, 92 min

Monsters vs. Aliens PG, 94 min

Observe and Report R, 106 min

25

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Thursday, April 16 SMCM Orchestra Performs Beethoven, Elgar

SMCM Montgomery Hall – 7:30 p.m.

Texas Hold’Em

Donovan’s Irish Pub (California) – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 17 Tiki Bar Opening

Solomans Island – 5 p.m.

Texas Hold’Em

VFW Post 2632 (23282 Three Notch Rd.) – 7 p.m.

Geezer

Do Dah Deli (Leonardtown) - 8 p.m.

DJ Mango

DragN Inn (Charlotte Hall) – 9 p.m.

Saturday, April 18 Yard Sale

The Northern Senior Activity Center Council will be holding a yard sale beginning at 6:30 a.m., (rain/shine) at the Northern Senior Activity Center in Charlotte Hall. There will also be some crafters and vendors. Proceeds will benefit the Northern Senior Activity Center.

If you have any donations (no clothes please), they can be dropped off Friday, April 17, at the center. For further information, call Pat Myers 301-884-8714.

Citizen Scrap Tire Drop-off Day to be Held

The Citizen Scrap Tire Drop-Off Day will be held at the St. Andrews Landfill on St. Andrew’s Church Road in California, Md. from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Up to 10 tires per vehicle (one trip limit) will be accepted. Tires to be accepted include both passenger and light truck tires, as well as heavy truck and agricultural tires. In addition, both onrim and off-rim tires will be accepted.

Commercial vehicles and businesses are prohibited. Citizens of St. Mary’s County may continue to bring up to five old scrap tires per visit, free of charge, to the St. Andrews Landfill year round.

Excessive loads will be assessed a fee of $158 per ton.

Scrap tires must be disposed of properly. Tires filled with water breed mosquitoes, disposal of old scrap tires can contribute to minimizing the mosquito population.

For more information, contact the St. Mary’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation at (301) 863-8400, or visit our website at www. co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw.

12th Annual Run & Fun Walk for Hospice

Governmental Center (Leonardtown) – 9 a.m.

Steak Night

VFW Post 2632 (23282 Three Notch Rd.) – 5 p.m.

Big Stack Texas Hold’Em

Izaak Walkton Hall (Hughesville) – 7 p.m.

5th Annual Evening for Greenwell

Be a part of the Park of Possibilities at the 5th Annual Evening for Greenwell. Enjoy live music, dancing, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at Lenny’s Banquet Room in California, Md. Help support the Greenwell Foundation’s inclusive and accessible horseback riding, summer camp, kayaking, and outdoor nature programs held at Greenwell State Park.

Proceeds from this annual event also support “Vacations for Vets,” a respite program for wounded servicemen and women.

From 7 to 11 p.m. Lenny’s Restaurant (Banquet Room) California, Md. Business casual dress. Cash bar Tickets: $50.00 per person $90 for couple. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $55 per person. Tickets available online at www.greenwellfoundation. org.

All proceeds support the Greenwell Foundation’s inclusive and accessible horseback riding, summer camp, kayaking, and outdoor nature programs held at Greenwell State Park in Hollywood, MD. Sponsorships are also available.

Please visit www.greenwellfoundation. org for more information.

n O g n i Go

What’s

Fun & Appreciation Night

For A Night Of Fun & Appreciation At Seaside View Lounge (Ridge, Md.) Featuring: The Soulful Journey Band W/ D.J. Cool Breeze Starting @ 7 P.M. Buffet- 8 P.M. Sponsored By: The Knights Of St. Jerome Society Donation- $10.

The Ballet Project

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

Nuttin Fancy Band

CJ’s Back Room (Lusby) – 8 p.m.

No Green JellyBeenz & DJ Rob

Hotel Charles (Hughesville) – 9 p.m.

Sunday, April 19 All You Can Eat Breakfast

8 to 11 a.m. Valley Lee Fire House Valley Lee, Md. $8 Adults, $4 Children Ages 5-12, Children Under 5 - Free.

Sponsored (And Prepared) By The 2nd District Fire Dept. & Rescue Squad Auxiliary. For More Information Contact: Darlene Johnson At 240-434-1095.

March of Dimes Walk Leonardtown Square – 9 a.m.

Southern Maryland Pinewood Derby Cup Mechanicsville VFD -11 a.m.

Earth Day Celebration on the Leonardtown Square

12:30 - 4:30 p.m. Live music and entertainment, kayak and canoe rides, puppet show, face painting, children’s crafts, animal rescue groups, conservation information and environmental demonstrations, plants for sale, and more.

Sponsored by Leonardtown Business Association & Commissioners of Leonardtown.

301-475-9791.

Bent Nickel – Abates 14th Annual Blessing of the Bikes VFW (California) – 1 p.m.

Ward Virts Concert Series: Thomas Pandolfi CSM (Prince Frederick) – 3 p.m.

Wednesday, April 22 League of Women Voters Meeting

State Senator Roy Dyson will be the featured speaker at the St. Mary’s County League of Women Voters meeting at St. Andrews Church, Rte. 4, California, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Senator Dyson will discuss the St. Mary’s County Water Commission Report.

Lunch will be served at a cost of $12 pp.

As always, members of the public are invited to attend. For reservations, please call (301) 373-5691.

LIBRARY ANNOUNCEMENTS Technology Fund hits $21,644

The Technology Fund, Phase Two of the Gates Foundation Grant, is still underway. To date $21,644 has been raised with a goal of $30,000 by June 2009. This fund will be used to sustain the public computers purchased with the Gates Grant and donations of local donors. A total of 16 new computers have been installed in the libraries. Individuals and businesses interested in donating to this fund are asked to contact Director Kathleen Reif.

Randolph Bridgeman to read at Open Mic

Poet Randolph Bridgeman, author of two poetry books, “South of Everywhere” and “Mechanics on Duty”, and local poet Wendy Kibler will be the opening readers at a Poetry Open Mic on April 22 at Leonardtown. Poets of any age can share a favorite or original poem or come and listen. The reading begins at 6:30 p.m.

Libraries celebrate Latin American cultures at Heritage Festival

The public can explore the rich cultures of Latin America through music, food and

fun activities at a Heritage Festival at Lexington Park Library on April 25 at 11 a.m.

Cantaré will entertain with Spanish and Portuguese music. The festival is free and for all ages.

Master Gardeners offer gardening help

The Master Gardeners will resume their drop-in plant clinics from 11-1 on the first and third Tuesdays at Lexington Park starting April 21, and the second and fourth Tuesdays at Leonardtown beginning April 28 and the first and third Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon at Charlotte Hall starting May 2.

Teen Movies and Game Night planned

The library’s TAGs (Teen Advisory Groups) are sponsoring free, fun events for teens. On April 30 teens can watch the movie, Hancock, with the other teens at Leonardtown at 5:30 p.m. or play Wii at Lexington Park from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. On May 1 Transporter 3 will be shown at Charlotte Hall at 1 p.m. and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be shown at Lexington Park at 2 p.m. All three movies are PG-13 movies. Snacks will be provided at all the activities.

t

Cuisine

& More

On The Menu

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!

7320 Benedict Ave. Benedict, MD

301-274-2828 From the moment you enter this waterfront restaurant it is very evident that owners Bill and Vickie Stewart take pride in customer service. There is nowhere that you will find a more accommodating staff that goes out of its way to make your dining experience a positive one. Situated on the Patuxent River, the view from the dining room is fabulous. The menu offers a large selection of fabulous seafood, steaks, ribs and chicken dishes ranging in price from $15.95$29.95. In-season seafood specials are available at market price. For a lighter meal, sandwiches, salads and appetizers are available. A quick-serve lunch menu is on hand from 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

A full bar is on premise and an extensive wine list of local Maryland wines are served. The Waterman’s Room is a separate room offered for private parties.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Stop by today to experience a comfortable, friendly and casual waterfront dining experience.

On The Vine

Jacob’s Creek Australian Wines

www.jacobscreek.com In 1847 near Adelaide, Australia on the banks of Jacob’s Creek, a young Bavarian immigrant named Johann Gramp planted the Barossa Valley’s first commercial vineyard.

Johann’s simple winemaking philosophy gave birth to one of the world’s most popular brands of wine. The philosophy, to create a wine that goes with any occasion, is the foundation to Jacob’s Creeks aim to provide excellent quality and consistency in every vintage of their wines.

Jacob’s Creeks range consists of five groups.

The Classic group is available for under $10 a bottle and consists of a medium bodied Shiraz and a Shiraz Cabernet blend that go well with beef, lamb or chicken. The full bodied Cabernet goes well with meat and pasta. The medium bodied Cabernet Merlot blend with its dark berry and chocolate flavors pairs well with pizza, pasta and cheeses, as does the medium weight Merlot varietal. The Grenache Shiraz boasting lots of fruity aromas pairs well with meat, pasta and cheese. For white wine lovers, the medium bodied Chardonnay is great with seafood, poultry and pasta. The crisp, fresh and fruity Semillon Sauvignon Blanc also pairs well with seafood, poultry and pasta. The dry, crisp and elegant Riesling goes wonderfully with seafood and salads. With over 2 million glasses of Jacob’s Creek wines enjoyed around the world each day you can’t go wrong with whichever one you choose!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

26

Healthy Bites Iced Coffees that are Easy on Wallet and Waistline

By J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor Warm weather and a serious caffeine habit can make it hard to resist those fancy iced java jolts from the coffee shop.

But shelling out all that cash to suck down all those calories can thin your wallet while plumping your waistline.

So I started tinkering with at-home versions, trying to come up with something equally enticing, less expensive and at least a little healthier. And if they were fast and easy, all the better.

Here’s what I learned: • Don’t use regular ice. As it melts, it waters down the drink, and watered down coffee is tasteless at any temperature. Instead, pour brewed coffee into ice cube trays and freeze it. Keep a bag of

Recipe

these cubes in the freezer for use whenever the mood strikes.

While you certainly can brew a pot especially for this, it’s easy (and economical) to freeze the remnants of each morning’s pot.

• Ditch skim milk in favor of fat-free half-and-half. Most standard skim milks lack body and taste. Fat-free half-and-half is remarkably creamy and works well in frozen drinks (including smoothies).

• Invest in flavored syrups. These are what the coffee shops use to juice up their pricey drinks.

They come in many flavors and are cheap. A 750-milliliter bottle costs less than $10 and makes about 25 servings.

• No espresso maker? Pick up a jar of instant espresso powder.

It’s an easy way to add tons of flavor to an iced coffee drink.

It’s also great mixed into baked goods, such as chocolate cakes and brownies.

CARAMELCHOCOLATE COFFEE COOLER Start to finish: 5 minutes 1 double shot espresso 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half 1 cup coffee ice cubes 1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring syrup 1 tablespoon caramel flavoring syrup Whipped cream, to top Caramel sauce, to drizzle In a blender, combine the espresso, half-and-half, coffee ice cubes, and vanilla and cara-

Servings: 2 mel syrups. Puree until smooth, then transfer to a tall glass. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 164 calories; 40 calories from fat; 4 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 102 mg sodium.

MOCHA ORANGE FREEZE Start to finish: 5 minutes Servings: 2 1 cup fat-free half-and-half 1 1/2 cups coffee ice cubes 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup (the sort used to make chocolate milk) 1 tablespoon sugar Whipped cream, to top Zest of 1/2 orange In a blender, combine the half-and-half, coffee ice cubes, chocolate syrup and sugar. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a tall glass, then top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with orange zest then drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 234 calories; 36 calories from fat; 4 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 0 g fiber; 122 mg sodium.

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Wanderings of an Aimless

d

Min

Mirror, Mirror

By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer It sure was a beautiful, blue-sky Easter Sunday this year. The kind I love where the earliest rays of the morning sun shine through the purple, red and yellow cellophane covering each Easter basket, giving the dining room

table a stained glass effect. I hope your Easter day was joyous and bright as well.

I did, however, miss my mother-in-law’s lamb cake this year. We have found that you can leave out any manner of food, or other types of cakes, all night, but you cannot leave a cake in the shape of a lamb near Tidbit (our sweet doggie). After my mother–in-law ac-

Book Review

‘The Survivors Club’ by Ben Sherwood

c.2009, Grand Central Publishing

By Terri Schlichenmeyer Contributing Writer Remember when people wrote letters?

It went like this: you spent lots of time putting your thoughts to paper and recreating your day. When you were done, you folded the paper, put it in an envelope with an address and a stamp, tossed it in the mailbox, then waited forever for a reply.

Ah, the anticipation.

In the new book “Match Day” by Brian Eule, three medical students eagerly and nervously anticipate a letter, almost like the old days.

Only this letter will alter the course of their lives.

Every year in March, while most of us are hoping for warmer weather, thousands of medical students are sweating. No matter how laid-back they pretend to be, not one of them can stop thinking about the culmination of months and months of travel, hard work and best behavior.

On one certain day in March, it’s Match Day. Long before the important day, students visit hospitals around the country, undergoing rounds of interviews and answering questions. At the end of interview season, the students rank the hospitals at which they’d most like to work. Hospital residency directors do the same with students.

You’d almost have to be a math whiz to understand how a computer pairs thousands of students with the hospitals and vice versa.

In the end, though, the “how” doesn’t matter to the high percentage of medical students who get a letter confirming residency at one of their top choices. This book is about three of them.

$25.99 / $28.99 Canada

384 pages

Rakhi Barkowski dreamed since she was a little girl of spending her residency at UCSF hospitals. But her husband, Scott, made a lot of sacrifices during her years at med school.

When was accepted for a graduate program at UCLA, Rakhi learned that in a high-power, dual-career marriage, sacrifices go both ways.

Michelle LaFonda always wanted a family almost as much as she wanted to be a doctor, but the road to radiologist meant putting off having children. With the stresses of being a resident, it also meant asking hard questions about personal relationships.

Stephanie Chao had a goal of being a surgeon, but it would take time: years of residency, followed by years of fellowship and long, unpredictable hours. Fortunately, she had an understanding boyfriend.

Television medical dramas make it look so easy.

In this delightful book, author Brian Eule follows three doctors from just before Match Day, through their first year of residency. While this is an inspiring true story, Eule isn’t afraid to be truthful: He describes the angst and doubt that an intern feels, the almost-unbearable exhaustion, frustration, lack of family time, and the (sometimes) decades of training that a new doctor endures. Still, while this bluntness will make some people glad they went into another line of work, Eule’s deftness of story and his happy ending will make others want to run out and study for the MCAT. Forget about television. The real drama is here, so open this cover. For doctors, doctor wanna-be’s, or anyone who loves a good story, “Match Day” is striking.

cused her son (my husband) of eating or moving the cake, I came into the room and said I had seen the tea towel that had been covering the cake still in the same place on the table.

Tidbit was so slick that she got the cake out from under the towel, ate it and left not a crumb – not even the dowel rod that held the head onto the body. No more lamb cakes.

Speaking of food and cakes, I don’t really think I eat that much. I probably should do some sort of exercise I guess. But, you know how most of the time we always think we are overweight (which is what I do most of the time)? I have times when I’ve convinced myself I’m in pretty good shape and although not thin, let’s say a healthy weight. I look down and think it looks OK looking straight down. I think, wow, I must be able to wear shorts this year, and more sleeveless tops – maybe even a bathing suit.

So off I go once every year or so to try on summer clothes with buoyant hopes that this will be the year that everything will fit and I will look good in all the new styles. I really don’t like clothes shopping – I like grocery shopping; that is comfort and happiness to me. Well, I guess that explains everything right there. I’ve picked out my various outfits, taking care to pick out happy colors. This is a very important aspect of the experience for me.

I love yellow shirts, even though I was told by a lady who did my “season” colors years ago it is an awful color on me. I don’t even remember what season I am.

Have you ever wondered where all the fun house mirrors go from carnivals that go out of business? Well, they are in fitting rooms across America, and I know there is one in this one. I know I can’t really look like this. I think I feel

Da

27

a wave in the middle of this mirror. I’ve lost weight. Wasn’t there an inch of space around my waist in my jeans? Let me try looking down again. Not too bad. OK, back at the mirror. Good thing I brought those capri pants in here. Yes, black, that looks better, except that the waist is loose and the hips are tight. How about this tank top? As soon as my upper arm stops waving, I should be able to tell better. I wish my mind would stop adding, “My arm doesn’t quit waving until long after I’ve said goodbye.”

Why in the world did I get a white tank top, I just sort of blend. I might as well get white pants as well, and everyone will think I’m invisible. If I was born 500 years ago, pale would have been in – I would have been cool then. Touchy, touchy. I need to leave this fitting room now. Ego and Id are in a war, and I’m in the middle of it.

With a heavy, exaggerated sigh, I hand over all the clothes I’ve tried on to the kind, grandmotherly clerk at the fitting room door.

She smiles sweetly, then turns and yells to someone in the back, ”Hey! Here’s some more summer rejects.” In my dejected state, I slink out wondering did she mean me or the clothes?

Well, this was so much fun, I can’t wait to do it again in another year, no five, ten years.

Luckily, I have wonderful friends who let me have all their beautiful hand-me-downs which I am more than happy to wear.

To each new day’s adventure, Shelby Please send your comments or ideas to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com.

ily

3

$ 99

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Cup of Soup & 1/2 Sandwich

Both include beverage.

Bring this coupon for

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*'($/-)$*,++ Mon - Fri: 6am - 8pm • Sat: 7am - 2pm • Sun: 8am - 2pm Located in Old Downtown Lexington Park, Outside Gate 2 PAX NAS

The County Times

CLUES ACROSS

1. 1st plant virus discovered 4. Doctors’ group 7. Refers to a female 10. Type of avocado 12. Gilligan actor Denver 13. ____ate: raise up 14. Tayra genus 15. Cut wood with an instrument 17. “Don’t Know Why” singer Jones 18. Cacoethes 20. Made lace 22. Tennis champion Arthur 23. Volt-ampere 24. Nomadic Lapps 25. Isaac’s mother (Bib.) 27. Bowler or derby 29. Fiedler orchestra 34. Macaws 35. Express a supposition 36. Feel ill 37. A very tall building 42. Beam out 43. More lucid 44. Leer at 47. A partially opened flower

Last Week’s Puzzle Solutions

ner

KiddKioer

Thursday, April 16, 2009

48. Pop 49. Stemmed 52. Rhizopods 55. Composed of men 56. Sodium chlorides 58. Abba __, Israeli politician 60. Plays a role 61. Quilt gathering 62. Draw through holes 63. Boxing decision 64. Contribute 65. Atmosphere seen from earth

CLUES DOWN

1. One and only 2. Seriously injure 3. Spanish unit of length 4. Lower in esteem 5. Cut the lawn 6. Assist in wrongdoing 7. Blackthorn fruit 8. Group of cattle 9. Argentinian diva Peron 11. Yemen capital 13. Lure into danger 15. Indian term of respect

28

16. Philippine seaport 19. Doctrine suffix 21. Small mountain lake 24. Lasts out 25. An infection of the eyelid gland 26. Sir Samuel John Gurney 27. Possesses 28. Built by Noah 30. R____y: prayer beads 31. Slowly deplete 32. Indian arrowroot 33. Skilled in deception 38. Marten furs 39. English king 994-1035 40. Interprets 41. Boards 45. Global Design Effort 46. Attached for identification 48. Surfeited 49. Chop irregularly 50. Highest male singing voice 51. Aba ____ Honeymoon 53. Concert pianist Elisha ___ 54. Bulk storage bag 55. Border for a picture 57. Showed the way 59. Blar___: Irish stone

29

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 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!

HOUSE FOR SALE

www.ProfessorMoneyWise.com

(301) 997-8271 Mechanicsville 3 bedroom 2 bath rambler on full basement 100% financing available

SHENSKI LANDSCAPING Low – Cost Landscaping & Lawn Care

Heating & Air Conditioning “THE HEAT PUMP PEOPLE” 30457 Potomac Way Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 Phone: 301-884-5011

Est. 1982

snheatingac.com

Lic #12999

Landscaping, demolition, pasture and lawn seeding, sod, irrigation, erosion control, yard drainage, decks, excavation and brush removal, hardscaping (patios, walkways and retaining walls). We also handle lawn maintenance at affordable rates.

Jon & Joseph Shenski Owners

MHIC: 98388

36856 Danny’s Inn • Chaptico, MD, 20621 shenskiconstruction@gmail.com

(240) 304-1387

(240) 299-7143

Finishline Concrete Specializing In: e t e r c n o All Types Of Flat Work Need C as well as Work? ork Quality W ates R le Affordab

Decorative Concrete Stamping Call: 301-399-4686

301-737-0777

$240,000.00 http://kathyleesuite.com This house was built in 1968. located in St Andrews Estates off of St Andrews Church Rd, Minutes from shopping, Has a wood stove in the back room, 4 bedrooms, Central Air, Oil heat, Needs some work done, Has a well, and septic, We bought it as is in 1999, done some work but not alot, if interested please contact @ 301-481-9411 or 301-481-9417. Price: $200,00.

Apartment Rentals

Spring Valley Apartments 46533 Valley Court 301-863-2239 (p) 301-863-6905 (f) springvalley@hrehllc.com Two bedrooms available 805-1103 Sq. ft. $938-$992 One 1 BR Available One 3 BR Available

Specials:

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

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

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

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

1986 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT. I am selling complete car. The car is all stock, car runs, needs minor body work. This car has no title, Good for race car or parts. For more details please call 240-4191582.Make Offer.

General Merchandise Weight bench w/sit-up bar (not a bench press bench) adjustable angle back rest. The brand is “Marcy” model number SB240- Marcy Decline Flat Utility Bench - you can google it and see a picture. We bought it from the Navy Exchange about 1 year ago for approximately $100. (301)863-8845 John/Karla Generac contractor grade generator. 8125 max watts, 6500 rated watts. 13 hp Honda ohvi premium engine. 315 hrs. new carburetor, runs great. Price: $425. If interested, please call 301-373-4289.

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 16, 2009

30

The Merchants of Great Mills Rd

Wish to thank their loyal customers for their continued support!

Blacktie Barber Shop 301-863-0028

Clean Spin Laundry 301-862-3770

California Nails 301-863-7541

County Liquors 301-862-3600

Common Cents Cleaners 301-737-7690

Peebles 301-863-7417

One Big Party Store 301-863-7200

BUY • SELL • PAWN

XH Sports

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St. Mary’s Square

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301-862-2800 Vn’s Tailor Shop 301-862-5467

301-862-3488

301-737-0700

Roses 301-862-3648

ST. MARY’S SQUARE

GL RIA’S 301-862-3668

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31

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

ewsmakers

Ripple Center Looking for Seniors, Hosting Open House

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

Rebecca Kessler, manager for home- and community-based services for St. Mary’s County, smiled as she walked through the Vivian Ripple Adult Day Services Center in Hollywood.

Kessler said that she and her staff had been busy preparing for this weekend’s open house, which will be held on Saturday, April 18, from 1 to 5 p.m.

For her, this will be a chance to highlight some of the center’s programs to draw in new participants, which are needed to help maintain funding for Photo By Andrea Shiell programs.

Participants gather for their morning routine at the Vivian “We have a full staff in here. We Ripple Adult Day Services Center in Hollywood, which have five certified nurses assistants, we will host an open house on Saturday, April 18. have a social worker, we have a senior aide,” she said, adding that the team also includes registered nurses and activities professionals, as well as an army of volunteers helping with the center’s unique approach to senior care.

“Everybody that’s here gets medical supervision where their medications are administered, if they have some; blood sugars are taken if they need them. We do a full assessment every 90 days, and we do it every 30 days here, but with state regulations we do it every 90, so we’re making sure everybody is in great health,” she said, laughing as she added that between games, exercises, horticulture classes, and other activities, visitors and the center’s 37 participants often overlook the medical services offered.

“A lot of the people here are medically frail, and they have a lot of needs. If they weren’t here, they’d be home alone and probably sick, or they would be in a nursing facility. This way they can still stay with their families and come here during the day while their family members are at work,” she said, adding that costs can be covered with Medicaid or grant programs.

Kessler said that bringing these details to the public’s attention would be a great focus for the upcoming open house, because enrollment has gone down in recent years.

“The funding is in direct relation to the number of participants we have, so if that number goes down, the revenues go down, so if we have an increased number of participants, then we have increased revenue. So we’re looking for participants to try and maximize this operation for the community,” said Kessler. “It’s a little gem that’s hiding that people need to know about for their families.”

The center is located at 24400 Mervell Dean Road in Hollywood. For more information, call 301-373-6515 or go to www.co.saint-marys. md.us/aging.

3

Question Interview

Interviewing: Cindy Bentley

Ms. Bentley is a tax preparer and has been working for Jackson Hewitt for the last five years. As St. Mary’s residents scrambled to get their returns in this year, she was kind enough to talk about the trials and tribulations of tax preparation.

CT: What is the biggest mistake people make with their tax returns?

CB: The biggest mistake is that a lot of people believe they should be the head of the household, (those) who are making very small incomes, because there’s a child in the house. They don’t understand that if they’re receiving any kind of subsidized housing, or if they’re receiving any kind of help, then they have to claim they’re getting that. So they believe that they deserve to be in a better filing status than they truly are.

CT: Have you all gotten a lot of questions about the new stimulus program?

CB: We get a lot of questions on it, and we stay up with it every single day to find out what’s going on with it. The biggest one right now is we’re getting from Social Security a $250 lump sum added to Social Security. A lot of people are starting to ask about that, because people that make Social Security generally don’t have to file taxes, so we don’t deal with them that often, unless there’s something like the economic stimulus rebates.

CT: Do you have any advice for people doing their taxes this year?

CB: Save those receipts! Just inform yourself as to what your deductions are, and save those receipts … They’ll come in handy at some point, and if you don’t need them at the end of the year, the garbage can is always waiting.

Community

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.

32

un Fact

Trip to ‘Show Me The Money…Banks?’ New York City PARIS

“Hi, my name is Paris and I’m a wonderful four year old female Pit Bull Terrier mix. I’m a friendly girl who gets along great with children and other dogs. I’m house and crate trained, up to date on shots, spayed, and identification micro chipped. For more information, please call SECOND HOPE RESCUE at 240-925-0628 or email mary@secondhoperescue.org.”

When John Hall of Charles County Auctions was contacted by a Mr. Gene Maxey, a very prominent antique dealer and retired auctioneer in the area, to help him orchestrate a rather unique auction; he jumped at the chance. Little did he know how unique this auction was going to be. Over 900 money banks (piggy banks, as they are more commonly know), had been obsessively collected over the years by an avid enthusiast and now John Hall and Mr. Gene Maxey have been commissioned to sell what is believed to be Southern Maryland’s largest money bank collection in recent history; all of them to the highest bidder. The auction will take place on April 25, 9 a.m. at the Sleep Inn La Plata, with on-line live bidding available through Proxibid.com.

This extremely large and unique collection features many rare and hard to find banks. “Looking at the collection in its entirety gives people a real perspective of American History, from Victorian times to the 21st century”, said John Hall of Charles County Auctions. There are many iron mechanical banks depicting scenes from American folk law and history; also many still banks reflecting famous buildings and icons through the ages. This

once-in-a-lifetime auction will give people a rare opportunity to own a piece of American history. After doing extensive research on the collection, Mr. Gene Maxey said, “There are many antique banks that I could not find in all of the collectors books I researched.”

This auction will generate a lot of interest between collectors throughout America and abroad.

Very rarely do collections of this magnitude come up for auction at one time. There will be live on-line bidding for those that live too far away to attend the physical auction, as well as the live auction. General questions and seat reservations can be made by contacting John Hall at 301-9341844 or Gene Maxey at 540-710-9030. All information on this outstanding auction and other upcoming auctions by Charles County Auction Co. can be found at www. charlescountyauctions.com.

Set for Sat., June 13

St. Mary’s County Government is sponsoring a day trip to New York City on Sat., June 13. Enjoy the early summer sites of New York City. Plan your own personal itinerary in visiting Manhattan, China Town, or anywhere in the city. Take in a show or take the ferry to Staten Island.

The bus will leave from the Recreation and Parks Department in Leonardtown at 6 a.m. and drop passengers off in the Times Square area and depart from the same location at midnight.

The trip costs $88 per person and the registration deadline is May 22.

The next trip is a day trip of white water rafting in West Virginia on Sat., July 18.

Details for these trips are located on the county’s website at www.stmarysmd.com. See the flyer by logging onto the Recreation and Parks webpage under the Services box. For additional information, email or call Sandie Greene at sandie.greene@stmarysmd.com or 301-475-4200, x1800 or 1801.

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Mr. and Mrs. David Taylor of Charlotte Hall announce the engagement of their daughter, Alicia Marie, to Carlos Alberto Ortega, Jr., son of Yasmina Turner and Carlos Ortega, Sr. The bride-to-be is a 2002 graduate of Chopticon High School.

She received a Bachelors of Science degree in Liberal Studies from Frostburg State University in 2006, a Maryland State Teaching Certificate from the College of Notre Dame of MD in 2008, and is employed by the St. Mary’s County Public Schools. The groomto-be is a 2003 graduate of Thomas Stone High School.

He serves in the United States Navy and has been to the shores of Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, France, The Seychelles, Dubai, and Bahrain. He currently is stationed on the U.S.S. Enterprise in Norfolk, Virginia. A June wedding is planned.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

&

Recreation Parks

The County Times

Plan in Works for Lexington Manor, Carver Heights Recreation Areas

By Virginia Terhune Staff Writer The county could get its first “disc” golf course as one of many ideas being considered to improve two recreation areas in Lexington Park known as Lexington Manor and Carver Heights.

Disc golf is like regular golf, but it’s played with Frisbee-like discs tossed into baskets placed on poles instead of clubs tapping golf balls into holes.

“It’s simple and inexpensive, and it promotes walking, exercise and at the same time, some friendly competition,” said Phillip Rollins, executive director of the Parks and Recreation department.

The disc golf project, expected to cost about $15,000, would be covered by funds left over from pathway upgrades at adjacent Lancaster Park, he said.

The disc golf idea is included in a draft master plan for the two areas which will be discussed at a community input meeting set for Thursday May 7 at 6 p.m. at the Carver Heights Recreation Center off Lincoln Avenue.

The main purpose of the meeting will be to solicit ideas from the public for developing the two large areas across Route 235 from the Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The master

plan, to be completed this summer, is expected to cost $16,000.

Lexington Manor was the site of World War II housing that has since been demolished, leaving behind wooded areas and a network of paved roads. A section known as the North parcel, totaling 30 to 35 acres, will be sold to private developers for commercial development, Rollins said.

The 50-acre South parcel bordering Route 235 will be developed as a park for passive recreation because of restrictions required by the Navy’s no-fly zone. Project ideas include the disc golf course, as well as walking and biking trails. Rollins said he envisions the South parcel as a place with gardens, benches and as a place to fly kites.

Also in the works for the South parcel are

plans to build a picnic pavilion and convert a former house into bathrooms for about $120,000.

The county may also build more parking spaces at the north end, but the main access and parking will be at adjacent Lancaster Park, which is already developed with ball fields and other active recreation facilities, Rollins said.

The second focus of the master plan is the Carver Heights area, the site of the former Carver Elementary school now operating as a recreation center with two ball fields.

The county already plans to spend about $140,000 to build a new children’s playground (to be ready by fall) and new walkways; it also plans to resurface the existing parking lot and existing basketball court until a new one is built sometime in the future.

“The idea is to make it more usable, more presentable,” Rollins said about the projects.

Plans for Carver Heights also include creating a memorial garden to mark the history of African Americans in the area.

One memorial would honor the memory of two African Americans from St. Mary’s County who received Medals of Honor during the Civil War, Rollins said. The other would mark the site of a former USO building once used by AfricanAmericans during Word War II that has since been torn down.

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

34

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 Thurs. 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 this 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 301-475-4200, ext. 1830.

Cheerleading Tryouts Coming Up Maryland SuperStarz All-Star Cheerleading will hold try-outs for their 2009-2010 competitive teams at Unique Sports Academy, 109D Post Office Road, Waldorf. Try-outs dates are May 12-14 and May 19-21 for ages

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

6-11, 5:45 to 7 p.m. and ages 12-18, 7 to 8 p.m.

Ages 3-5 on May 12 and 20 at 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Please visit our Web site for more information at www.uniquesportsacademy.com or call Lisa Shaw at 240-320-7962.

Tennis Block Party This Saturday St. Mary’s Tennis will host a free tennis block party this Saturday, April 18, at Baggett Park in Laurel Grove. The event will take place from noon until 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.stmarystennis.org or call 301-475-5888.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

Sp rts

Tuesday Night Bowling Season Winds Down

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer CALIFORNIA – The atmosphere was relaxed and silent, save for encouragement, brief chatter and the unmistakable sounds of bowling balls crashing into pins.

After 30 weeks of play, the Tuesday Night Mixed Bowling league season came a close at Esperanza Lanes.

Sue Fournier, the league’s president, says that the league’s laid-back approach to bowling and the fun the sport provides are reasons for the success of the league.

“It’s definitely a friendly atmosphere, we are one big family,” said Fournier, in her third year as league president.

“It’s more about fun than it is averages, which range in our league from 200 on down, because the handicap evens it all out.”

Karen MacRae, the league secretary and treasurer, as well as the high scorer on the women’s side, feels that the light attitude of the participants around the league make for an enjoyable experience for anyone involved.

“We really like to mess with one another,” MacRae says of the friendly trash-talk that goes on. “If someone’s bowling great, we’ll cheer them on, if not we’ll joke with them. It’s helping them out pretty much.”

The league has participants of all ages and backgrounds, including a family team.

Chris Mellise, in her first year on the Mellise team, known as “Mama’s Family,” says that bowling is a break from an average day-to-day routine for most participants in the league.

“It’s a way to have fun, a way out of doing the normal,” she explains. “There’s no wrong or right – it’s all for fun.”

Wed., Apr. 8 Baseball Leonardtown 6, Northern 2 Chopticon 3, Calvert 0 Boys’ Lacrosse St. Mary’s Ryken 13, Bishop Ireton 6 Patuxent 18, Great Mills 5

Photo By Frank Marquart

Bowling balls hit the deck after a roll in Tuesday Night’s Mixed Bowling League season finale.

After school lets out on Friday May 22 at St. Mary’s Ryken High School, the students who will return to classes three months later will see some notable changes and additions to their campus.

Pending Leonardtown approval of a site plan on April 20, the school will begin construction on a new athletic complex that will include St. Mary’s County’s first artificial turf field. The new complex will serve all outdoor sports, including the Knights football team, which competed on the varsity level for the first time this past fall.

“This is a project not only for our students, but also for our local community. We have a legacy of providing an excellent, college preparatory education in Southern Maryland and it was time for us to address the future needs

Softball St. Mary’s Ryken 11, Bishop Ireton 1 Northern 10, Leonardtown 0

Thurs., Apr. 9 Boys’ Lacrosse Huntingtown 16, Chopticon 1

Sat., Apr. 11

Photo By Frank Marquart

Bowling is an individual sport that relies on individual competitiveness, according to League Secretary and Treasurer Karen MacRae

Her brother Josh, in his third season on the team adds that “We’re not playing for money or anything, it’s just a fun game.”

Even with the fun philosophy the league shares, MacRae admits that competitive nature takes over most times, although on an individual level.

“In any competitive sport, you want to do well,” she says. “You really want to improve your score and compete against yourself, rather than beat the person next to you.”

Boys’ Lacrosse C. Milton Wright Tournament Eastern Tech 13, Great Mills 4 Hammond 11, Great Mills 9

Photo By Frank Marquart

A bowler rolls a ball at Esperanza Lanes Tuesday night.

Ryken Prepares To Break Ground For New Athletic Complex

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

Girls’ Lacrosse Bishop Ireton 21, St. Mary’s Ryken 5

of our school,” said Ryken President Mary Joy Hurlburt in an e-mail.

“Our campus has been in constant use as a Catholic high school since 1956, and we are continually upgrading our physical plant and maintaining our 87 acres of campus. Our improvement plan helps us to fulfill our mission to provide an excellent learning environment where our students develop spiritually, academically, athletically, artistically and socially.”

The new facilities will be a significant upgrade for the school, as the current outdoor stadium does not have a field large enough for football games or track meets.

With the new bleachers and stadium in place, the football team will have a home, after playing the entire 2008 season on the road and with the first artificial turf surface in a high school stadium in this county, it will be versatile enough to accommodate most outdoor

sports such as soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and track and field.

The track and field team will benefit from a brand-new six lane, 400-meter track in addition to the turf field the other sports will enjoy.

Hurlburt says that school spirit and excitement about the direction the school is taking is at an all-time high now that the project has been set into motion.

“We sought feedback to the plan through an online survey and had a great response.

Many felt the enhancements to the campus were overdue and necessary to keep up with the growing educational and physical needs of our students,” she said. “ We saw an increase in their school spirit and pride after we completed the soccer and baseball fields in 2007. I can only surmise that this will happen again.”

North Harford Tournament St. Mary’s Ryken 16, North Harford 6 South Carroll 17, St. Mary’s Ryken 13 Parkville Tournament Patterson Mill 10, Chopticon 7 Girls’ Lacrosse Karl Wolff Tournament Leonardtown 15, Howard High School 5 Softball Leonardtown Tournament Calvert 2, Leonardtown 1

Mon. Apr. 13 Baseball Chopticon Tournament Chopticon 10, McDonough 0 Leonardtown 4, Westlake 0 Championship Game Chopticon 9, Leonardtown 2 Softball McDonough 1, Leonardtown 0 Grand Strand Softball Classic St. Mary’s Ryken 5, Beaumont (Ohio) School for Girls 0

Sp rts

The County Times

Fro

he T m

SPORTS DESK

Still Waiting for Spring to … Spring

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer While I’ll admit that the gloomy weather to date has made this a less-than-lovely spring season for yours truly, I can only imagine how the high school athletes here in St. Mary’s County feel.

Thanks to the much-needed rain the county has received in spring’s early going, delays and postponements will force teams to schedule and commit to back-to-back days with practices, games, matches and meets – it’s an unenviable lifestyle for kids who are also charged with the tasks of figuring out the Periodic Table of the elements and the Pythagorean theorem. Yet and still, they soldier on towards their goals of championship glory, with nothing less than enthusiasm and intensity. With the wacky weather forcing the compact scheduling, it will be interesting to see how the final month of the regular season winds down on all fronts. Can the St. Mary’s Ryken softball team keep up its torrid pace and unbeaten mark? Will Chopticon baseball’s outstanding pitching staff lift them to the top of the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference this season? Who, if anybody, will pose a significant challenge to the Leonardtown girls’ lacrosse team’s conference dominance? Stay tuned.

Good Night, Harry The Philadelphia Phillies, baseball and America lost a great man Monday afternoon. Harry Kalas, the voice of the Phillies and NFL Films productions, died at age 73 after collapsing at Nationals Park preparing for the Nats’ home-opener with the Fightins.

When I was a seven-year-old during a boring and relentless summer of 1989, Harry the K, as he was affectionately known in the Delaware Valley, was my introduction to the grand old game of baseball on WPHL-17 out of Philly.

His smoky, Illinois-reared baritone complemented by his even-tempered style of broadcasting endeared him to generations of Phillies’ fans. The

height of Kalas’ tenure as the lead play-by-play man was his partnership with Phils legend Richie Ashburn, whom Harry dubbed “Whitey” as homage to his hair.

While Kalas narrated the daily struggles and successes of the Phils, Whitey would spin a yarn of hilarious tales from his days as a player and would announce birthdays for anyone who would ask. After Ashburn’s death in 1997, Harry would continue the birthday tradition up until Monday afternoon.

With his signature home-run catch phrase, “That ball is OUTTA HEEEEERE,” Harry was present for most of the franchise’s biggest moments, including every single one of third baseman Mike Schmidt’s 548 career home runs, including his 500th in April of 1987. That call is considered his best ever as he shared in the unbridled joy of Schmidt reaching such a major milestone.

The most important call, however, came last October 29 when Harry bellowed out, “The Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 World Champions of baseball!” When the Phils won their first World Series in 1980, the national television contract at the time did not allow local TV or radio to simultaneously broadcast the games. When Brad Lidge struck out Tampa Bay’s Eric Hinske in Game Five, that was Harry’s first championship call.

More than his great voice and many years of service, Kalas will be remembered for being one of the more down-to-earth, approachable people in sports. He would try his best to answer all fan mail and make as many appearances outside of work as he could. He even recorded voice-mail messages for people who were bold enough to ask. He did it all with that genuine warm smile and voice that reminds you of your grandfather reading you a bedtime story when you were younger. Now that voice is silenced forever, but the memories will live on for generations to come. Good night Harry, and thank you.

Any comments about this week’s From The Sports Desk? Contact Chris Stevens at chrisstevens@countytimes.net and share your thoughts about this week’s column.

Now Through June 1st

301-373-4125 www.countytimes.net

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Mageiricophobia is the intense fear of having to cook.

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un Fact

SPR RII N G SPORTS High School Sports Schedule 04/16/09-04/22/09 Thurs., Apr. 16 Baseball North Point at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m.

Boys’ Lacrosse Northern at St. Mary’s Ryken, 4 p.m.

Great Mills at Huntingtown, 6:30 p.m.

Girls’ Lacrosse Huntingtown at Great Mills, 6:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s Ryken at Patuxent, 6:30 p.m.

Tennis North Point at Leonardtown, 4 p.m.

Bishop O’Connell at St. Mary’s Ryken, 4 p.m.

Tues., Apr. 21 Baseball St. Mary’s Ryken at Gonzaga, 4 p.m.

Boys’ Lacrosse Archbishop Carroll at St. Mary’s Ryken, 4 p.m.

Softball North Point at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ Lacrosse Calvert at Leonardtown, 6:30 p.m.

Tennis Chopticon at Westlake, 4 p.m.

Great Mills at North Point, 4 p.m.

Golf Bishop Ireton at St. Mary’s Ryken, 3:15 p.m.

Fri., Apr. 17

Softball Elizabeth Seton at St. Mary’s Ryken, 3:30 p.m.

Baseball Patuxent at Chopticon, 4:30 p.m.

Calvert at Leonardtown, 4:30 p.m.

Softball Patuxent at Chopticon, 4:30 p.m.

Calvert at Leonardtown, 4:30 p.m.

Tennis St. Mary’s Ryken at St. John’s, 3:30 p.m.

Leonardtown at Lackey, 4 p.m.

Tennis Chopticon at Patuxent, 4 p.m.

Leonardtown at Calvert, 4 p.m.

Track & Field Calvert/Patuxent at Great Mills, 4 p.m.

Leonardtown at Chopticon, 4 p.m.

Sat., Apr. 18

Wed., Apr. 22

Girls’ Lacrosse Chopticon Tournament

Baseball North Point at Chopticon, 4:30 p.m.

Leonardtown at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m.

Track & Field St. Mary’s Ryken at Best Buy Waldorf Track Classic, North Point High School, 9 a.m.

Mon., Apr. 20 Baseball St. Mary’s Ryken at Paul VI, 3 p.m.

Leonardtown at North Point, 4:30 p.m.

Boys’ Lacrosse St. Mary’s Ryken at St. Albans, 4:30 p.m.

Calvert at Great Mills, 6:30 p.m.

Girls’ Lacrosse Great Mills at Patuxent, 6:30 p.m.

Golf St. Albans at St. Mary’s Ryken, 3:15 p.m.

Softball Leonardtown at North Point, 4:30 p.m.

Softball St. Mary’s Ryken at Paul VI, 3:30 p.m.

North Point at Chopticon, 4:30 p.m.

Leonardtown at Great Mills, 4:30 p.m.

Tennis St. Mary’s Ryken at Paul VI, 3:30 p.m.

Chopticon at North Point, 4 p.m.

Great Mills at Leonardtown, 4 p.m.

37

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

The County Times

Thursday, April 16, 2009

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38

Softball

Raiders Come Up Short In Pitchers’ Duel

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer LEONARDTOWN – One run was all that was scored in Monday afternoon’s Southern Maryland Athletic Conference softball game, and it turned out to be the only run McDonough High School needed. The Rams took advantage of their one big inning – the sixth – and edged Leonardtown High 1-0 at the Raiders softball field.

“We had a lot of runners on,” said Raiders head coach Glenn Larnerd, Jr. “We had to get the bunts down to make McDonough make plays on the ball. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn’t.”

The Leonardtown strategy was to take advantage of their superior speed and quickness on the base paths, and with junior Roni Peters and Rams standout Melanie Mitchell engaged in a battle of pitching power, both teams knew that runs were going to be hard to come by.

“It’s frustrating as a coach because you’re trying to figure out how to manufacture a run,” said Rams coach Julie Snavely. “It took us a while to get that run, but we’ll take the win. You have to give Leonardtown credit, they did a good job of staying in the game.”

For five full innings, Peters, who struck out nine batters, and Mitchell, who was last season’s conference player of the year, threw up zeros on the scoreboard.

Mitchell stepped up to the plate in the top of the sixth and led off with a searing double in the left-centerfield gap.

After Molly Simpson struck out and Samantha Kruemmel singled, first baseman Laura Borawski drove in Mitchell on a bloop single that fell just beyond Leonardtown’s drawnin infield. The Rams (8-0 overall and in SMAC) held off Leonardtown (3-6 overall, 3-5 in conference play) in their Photo By Chris Stevens final two turns at bat to escape with the win.

“She’s the big bat in that lineup that will hurt you,” Larnerd Monica Peters of Leonardtown concentrates on said of Mitchell’s hitting prowess.

As for her pitching, the Raiders collected only two base a pitch during Monday afternoon’s softball match- hits – bunt singles by Lauren up with McDonough.

Bird and Monica Peters – almost half of their total output against the McDonough star in the previPhoto By Chris Stevens ous three years combined.

“We’ve gone something like five-forRoni Peters struck 175 against her with about 100 strikeouts,” out nine batters, Larnerd said. but the Rams came “Sometimes you’re hot, other times away with a 1-0 you’re going to be cold, but the girls have matured. victory at It was just a matter of pushing that one run across Leonardtown today, and we didn’t do that.”

Monday afternoon.

Photo By Chris Stevens

The Raiders’ Lauren Byrd lays down a bunt single in the third inning.

39

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The County Times

St. Mary’s College St. Mary’s Upsets No. 5 Salisbury

St. Mary’s City, Md. – St. Mary’s College of Maryland clinched the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the 2009 Capital Athletic Conference Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Friday afternoon behind the heroics of sophomore midfielder Chris Becraft (Rockville, Md./Good Counsel) who fired in the game-winner with .2 seconds on the clock to upset No. 5 Salisbury University, 11-10, in front of a crowd of 389.

The reigning CAC Player of the Year, senior midfielder Kylor Berkman (Salisbury, Md./ Parkside) turned the ball over with 11 seconds left in regulation as Berkman’s pass soared high above the goal. With time winding down, sophomore goalie Pat Simpson (Arnold, Md./Broadneck) launched a full-field pass which Becraft caught on the bounce to the left of the goal before beating his defenseman for a one-on-one with sophomore Tim Swinburn (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven).

St. Mary’s (7-5, 5-2 CAC) has not beaten Salisbury in over 30 years as the Seahawks last win against SU came on April 5, 1977 with a 13-12 overtime decision. For Salisbury, it is the first time since 2002 that the Sea Gulls have posted back-to-back losses. With a first-round bye in the 2009 CAC Tournament which begins April 13, St. Mary’s will host Monday’s winner of No. 6 seed University of Mary Washington at No. 3 Salisbury on Thursday, April 16, at Se-

ahawk Stadium in CAC semifinal action.

Salisbury (11-3, 5-2 CAC) edged the Seahawks, 4-3, in the first quarter with back-toback goals from sophomore attackman Erik Krum (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) and junior middie Will Poletis (Baltimore, Md./ Loyola Blakefield) in the final 2:31.

The home team claimed a 7-6 lead at halftime as the Seahawks netted the first three goals of the second period for a 6-4 lead at 7:49 and the game’s second lead change. Salisbury scored two of the half’s final three tallies to stay within one.

The third lead change came in the third stanza as the visitors’ midfielders Mike Von Kamecke (Winter Park, Fla./Bishop Moore) and Shawn Zordani (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) gave the Sea Gulls an 8-7 lead heading into the fourth.

Von Kamecke gave his team a two-goal cushion just 35 seconds into the fourth quarter before three straight St. Mary’s goals, including two in 17 seconds, returned the lead to the home team. Krum knotted the contest at 10-all with his 10th goal of the season.

Seahawk sophomore attackman Dennis Rosson (Severna Park, Md./Severn) led all scorers with four goals, while junior captain Ryan Alexander (Laurel, Md./Pallotti) registered a hat trick and Becraft finished with two.

Sp rts

Regionally-Ranked Salisbury Gets by St. Mary’s St. Mary’s City, Md. – The Salisbury University men’s tennis team, ranked seventh in the Atlantic South region, posted a 63 victory over St. Mary’s College of Maryland Monday afternoon in Capital Athletic Conference action.

Salisbury (11-6, 4-1 CAC) captured No. 1 and No. 2 doubles but the third doubles flight went to the freshman tandem of Thomas Hoesman (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) and Robbie Bourdon (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) who posted an 8-3 win over sophomores Matt Copeland (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills) and Michael Rubin (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin).

The Sea Gulls won the first four singles flights before senior Brett Hermans (Exeter, N.H./Exeter) posted a 4-6, 7-5, 10-3 triumph over Copeland at No. 5 singles. Junior Kenny Nugent (Pocomoke, Md./Pocomoke) won his eighth straight match as Nugent notched the Seahawks’ (11-7, 1-3 CAC) third point with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Rubin at No. 6 singles.

Tennis Match Results 4/13/2009 at St. Mary’s City, Md. (Somerset Tennis Complex) Salisbury 6, St. Mary’s (Md.) 3 Singles competition 1. Andrew Nottage (SAL) def.

Jeremy Butanis (SMC) 6-1, 6-1 2. Marcus Robinson (SAL) def. Andrew MacLaughlin (SMC) 6-1, 6-0 3. Giorgio Athans (SAL) def. Thomas Hoesman (SMC) 6-1, 6-3 4. Curtis Quandt (SAL) def. Sam Barton (SMC) 6-1, 6-1 5. Brett Hermans (SMC) def. Matt Copeland (SAL) 4-6, 7-5, 10-3 6. Kenny Nugent (SMC) def. Michael Rubin (SAL) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles competition 1. Andrew Nottage/Giorgio Athans (SAL) def.

Jeremy Butanis/Andrew MacLaughlin (SMC) 8-1 2. Marcus Robinson/Curtis Quandt (SAL) def. Kenny Nugent/Sam Barton (SMC) 8-3 3. Thomas Hoesman/Robbie Bourdon (SMC) def.

Michael Rubin/Matt Copeland (SAL) 8-3

Match Notes: Salisbury 11-6, 4-1 CAC; Regional ranking No. 7 St. Mary’s (Md.) 11-7, 1-3 CAC Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2); Singles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) T-3:30 A-40

THURSDAY APRIL 16, 2009

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Photo By Frank Marquart