The County Times, July 16, 2009 by David Noss

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Faith With The Works

Priests Celebrate Silver and Gold PAGE 18

Future Scary for Schools, County Budget

Story Page 4

Photo by Frank Marquart

$7.5 Million Patuxent Park Project Starting Story Page 5

Leonardtown Wants Defense Contractors Story Page 6

The County Times

Weekend Dinner Specials Fully Prepared In Our Kitchen Price Effective Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Your Paper... Your Thoughts Do you think bingo should be allowed to continue at the ADF Bingo Hall in Mechanicsville? Justina Hardin from Piney Point said she would like to see bingo continue as well “because the money that’s won probably goes to schools and charities in the county. As long as the money goes to a worthy cause, then it’s ok,” she said, smiling as she pointed to her Pomeranian named King Kong. “He agrees with me, by the way,” she added, laughing.

“Sure I do,” said Fuad Suleiman, a professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “I’m against public gambling in general though. If the government sponsors it, I’m against it, but if the money is for charity, then I’m for it.”

County Wide Poll No

60 50

Yes

80%

30 20 10

Not Sure 20%

0 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.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009 “We could use 50 [more deputies] today, but we don’t have 50 deputies, so you use the resources the best you can.”

R.C. Enthusiasts Take Flight Page 35

Weather

Watch

St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron, speaking before the Board of County Commissioners approved his request for apply for $2.5 million in federal money to fund new deputies.

On T he Covers

ON THE FRONT

Father Raymond Schmidt and Father Eamon Dignan from St. John Francis Regis Church in Hollywood.

ON THE BACK

Neil Westdorp controls his airplane during the Patuxent Aeromodeling Club’s IMAC regional on Saturday.

Also Inside

community

“Getting’ Ready” For Ragtime SEE PAGE 32

Kids Learn About Farm Safety Page 33

Stock Market

FOR WEEKLY STOCK MARKET CLOSING RESULTS, CHECK PAGE 10 IN MONEY

sports

Youth Football Leagues in Turmoil SEE PAGE 36

4 County News 6 Town News 7 State News 8 Editorial/Opinion 10 Money 11 Defense and Military 13 Obituaries 15 Education 17 Crime and Punishment 18 On The Cover 22 Real Estate 23 History 24 Entertainment 25 Going On 26 Food 27 Wandering Minds 28 Games 31 Newsmakers 32 Community 34 Sports News 37 Softball 38 Blue Crabs 39 Bleachers

Do You Feel Crabby When You Get Your Insurance Bill in the Mail? Give Us A Call.

You’ll Be Glad You Did.

An Independent Agent Representing: ERIE INSURANCE GROUP Sitting left to right: Lisa Squires, Susan Ennis, Katie Facchina. Standing left to right; Gary Simpson, Dan Burris, Jake Kuntz.

April Hancock PO Box 407 Bryans Road, MD 20616 301-743-9000

Burris’ Olde Towne Insurance Auto - Home - Business - Life Leonardtown & LaPlata Bus: (301) 475-3151 (301) 934-8437 Charles County www.danburris.com

P.O. Box 250 • Hollywood, Maryland 20636 News, Advertising, Circulation, Classifieds: 301-373-4125

James Manning McKay - Founder Eric McKay -Associate Publisher..................................ericmckay@countytimes.net Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager..............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Sean Rice-Associate Editor.......................................................seanrice@countytimes.net Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist.......................................angiestalcup@countytimes.net Andrea Shiell - Community Correspondent...........andreashiell@countytimes.net Chris Stevens - Sports Correspondent............................chrisstevens@countytimes.net Guy Leonard - Government Correspondent...................guyleonard@countytimes.net Matt Suite - Sales Representative..........................................mattsuite@countytimes.net Helen Uhler - Sales Representative....................................helenuhler@countytimes.net

The County Times

ews

Thursday, July 16, 2009 Two phone books with their pages interlaced require more than 8000 pounds of pressure to separte.

Road To Close For Bridge Replacement By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The county will close sections of the Mechanicsville Road this fall to replace a crossing over Chaptico Creek. The project, due to start in September or October, could take two months or longer depending on weather conditions. John Groger, deputy director of the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation, said that the project was to improve the safety of the bridge. “It’s one of our most flooded roads,” Groger said. “It’s really unacceptable from a safety standpoint.” Mechanicsville Road runs over the Chaptico Creek watershed, and during heavy rains, the road often floods, causing delays and road closures. The replacement of the bridge – actually four box culverts – with new culverts that will be more elevated should help to eliminate the problem, according to public works officials. During the construction of the new bridge, the road will be blocked off in several sections and residents will have to detour around the site on other roads such as Old Village and Baptist Church roads and Routes 238 and 234. Southbound traffic on Mechanicsville Road will be redirected at Asher Road and northbound traffic at Yowaiski Mill Road. Road signs will be placed to direct motorists onto the detours. Local traffic will still be able to get in and out of residential areas. Funds for the bridge replacement project include $1, 246,000 through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and $380,000 from the county.

un Fact

Group Plans To Appeal Denial Of Bingo License Sheriff Holds Firm On Reasons For Denial

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The president of a foundation recently denied a bingo license to operate the ADF bingo hall in Mechanicsville said that some charities are seeking their own licenses to raise funds through gaming but others maybe shying away because of a stigma surrounding the issue. “Some of them have applications in,” said Alice Gaskin, president of the ADF Community Outreach Foundation. “[But others haven’t] because of the negative remarks made by the Sheriff’s Office … they’ve been intimidated by the Sheriff’s Office.” Gaskin’s organization was denied a bingo license last week when a Circuit Court judge ruled that he would not force Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron to provide the foundation one. Gaskin claims that her group, which she said seeks to operate bingo on behalf of charities in need of money, meets the criteria for a qualified organization. She has said that her organization will likely seek some kind of appeal to the court decision. “There’s no legal reason for them not to give us a bingo license,” Gaskin said. The owner of the ADF Bingo Hall, Sharon Modlin, is the subject of a federal investigation regarding the distribution of proceeds from gaming machines to charities after a raid in March. No charges have been filed against Modlin, who only rents out the space at the hall to organizations, Gaskin said. Gaskin said that her organization’s plan was to keep 15 percent of proceeds from gaming in the bank to maintain a balance and an emergency fund for charities; the remaining 85 percent would be split among any charities it has contracts with. Cameron flatly denied any intimidation of charities on the part of his office and said that Gaskin’s plans did not meet with the requirements of the law when it came to distribution of proceeds or how the operation was run. “Obviously I don’t agree with that, I think that’s an unfair charac-

terization,” Cameron said of Gaskin’s intimidation claims. “Only members of the qualified organization can take part in the gaming,” Cameron said of the current gaming law, adding that Gaskin’s plan amounted to paying people to handle the charities’ volunteer work for them. “You can’t have a paid volunteer, there’s no such thing,” Cameron said. John K. Parlett, a local developer and representative of charities like Christmas in April and Friends of Cedar Lane, said that charities needed an organization like the foundation because it has the technical expertise to run a more technologically advanced bingo operation. “Technology in general has developed far beyond the law,” Parlett told The County Times, adding that only up until last year had ADF bingo drawn the attention of law enforcement. “The way bingo’s been conducted has been allowed to happen in St. Mary’s County with the full knowledge of law enforcement.” Parlett said that the foundation’s plan could have represented a significant windfall for charities. “That would easily be over $100,000 a year,” Parlett said. “It’s a huge amount of money to local charities.” But the split of proceeds Gaskin envisioned did not have a basis in the law either, Cameron said. “What they want to do conflicts with what the law says they must do,” Cameron said. “It doesn’t say 85 percent [must go to the charities], it says all proceeds.” The law does allow for operating expenses and rental fees for the leasing of space, Cameron said, and bingo could still go on at the ADF hall, but only under a qualified charitable organization’s bingo license. “The thing they are [residents] most confused about is that ADF Bingo and ADF Community Outreach Foundation, Inc. have never held bingo licenses,” Cameron said. “[Bingo] can still go on today as long as it’s done in accordance with the law.” Both Gaskin and Cameron said they were willing talk about the issue to come up with a resolution, however.

Commissioners, Board Of Education Members Look To Dark Funding Horizon Every thing

you need to t hrow a grea tb

aby show e r ! Pl u s

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer cute baby item s !!!

Now Your Baby Shower Party Store!

with Newborne Baby Party Supplies & Gifts

35 35 %

off

3 Mylars 6 Latex $ 00

only

reg. $1100

Expires July 31st, 2009

off

1 Jumbo 4 Latex $ 50

only

reg. $895

Expires July 31st, 2009

off Purchase of $50 or more Expires July 31st, 2009

Coupons only apply to Baby Balloons, Party Supplies, and Gift Items

Make your lo ved ones birthday ext ra special with ONE BIG PARTY

301-863-7200

(See what’s in Fun store) Party - Theme Located in St. Mary’s Paper Ware Square on Great Mills Rd

in Lexington Park

The funding outlook was bleak for the 2010 fiscal year that started July 1, but with county commissioners and school administrators already looking to fiscal 2011, the future seems to look downright grim. County finance officials say that tax revenues remain down and the projections look to stay on that path as the months progress and the state works to cut an estimated $700 million from the budget to cope with the recession and drop in revenue. Elaine Kramer, county chief financial officer, said that income tax revenues for June of 2009 were nearly 10 percent lower than the same time last year. That translated in a drop from about $12.4 million to about $11.3 million in a year’s time, she said. County Administrator John Savich said that if the nationwide recession continues and future revenues continue to drop, the county may have to consider “permanent cuts.” “There’s no reason to be optimistic about revenue looking forward now,” Savich told commissioners and school board members at a joint session Tuesday. Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano said that if the state decides to foist even half of the funding responsibility for teacher pensions onto counties next year, the consequences could be dire. He said that would equate to an additional $6.5 million the school system would have to pay. “That will decimate local school sys-

tems,” Martirano said, adding that all school systems were facing money problems. “The misery of others is quite palpable. “Fiscal 2010 has been the appetizer for the main course of 2011 and 2012,” he said. Board of Education Chair Bill Mattingly said that the use of federal stimulus dollars and local fund balances to fund recurring, yearly costs was a trend that did not bode well for the system or the county. “There was a time when we’d never use those terms,” Mattingly said. “And now we’re doing it.” Martirano said that those kinds of monies have been used to preserve jobs in the system and not create new ones, since, eventually, money for the new positions would run out as if it were funded by grant dollars. To cut costs, commissioners and school board members agreed that they needed a study of bus routes funded by the school system for public school students and routes funded by the county for non-public school students to see if the two systems could be consolidated. Unfilled buses were often found running the same routes, officials said. “We need a much more sophisticated approach to [bus] routing,” Savich said. “When I say consolidating I don’t know quite what that means; we’re looking for efficiencies.” Salvatore Raspa, school board member, cautioned that parents’ concerns must be a part of any study. “If the parents are not happy with any of the recommendations … nothing’s going to fly,” Raspa said.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

ews Today’s Newsmakers In Brief

Did the state seriously consider managing hunting at the Elms property after the county offered a compromise between hunters and the school board?

What happened to the county government having a monthly public forum for citizens?

The public forum has just been pushed aside. We’ve only had one or two this year, each one was like pulling teeth to get on the agenda.”

Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe (R-Golden Beach)

By Joany Nazdin Contributing Writer

Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D-Great Mills)

Patuxent Park About to Start

County officials assured residents that no land would be taken at an information meeting about the Patuxent Park revitalization project Tuesday at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Hall in Lexington Park. Katherine Coates, a resident of Patuxent Park for more than 25 years, was concerned that the existing sidewalks are four feet wide, while the new ones will be five feet. “Where is the extra foot for the sidewalks going to come from?” Coates asked. Coates was told that there was no danger of the project taking away from anyone’s yard, and that the whole project would be performed within rights-of-way owned by the county and the Metropolitan Commission. Another Patuxent Park resident, Dee Maurer, was concerned because her house is on a cul-de-sac, and space for construction is very limited on her street. “I have a fence and trees and a garden which come right up to the curb line,” Maurer said. “Will they plant new trees and build me a new fence?” Maurer was assured that anything that was in the way of construction would be either replanted or replaced. Construction, which is about to begin, will be expected to last about three to four years, and will consist of five separate phases of work. The project cost is estimated at $7.5 million. After the residents deal with torn-up roads, parking closures and intermittent sewage and water closures, the project is expected to turn the Patuxent Park neighborhood, one of the county’s oldest, into a trendy “live-where-you-work neighborhood,” according to Robin Finnacom, president and CEO of Community Development Corporation.

“The re-construction of Patuxent Park will span several years and will cost several million dollars to complete – every penny of which will be repaid in increased property values, increased opportunities for quality workforce housing and increased neighborhood stability and pride,” she said. The project will replace 2,125 feet of water line and 2,950 feet of sewer line. The project will also run televised cameras from the sewer lines to the service connector of each residence, and will let every homeowner know by January if there is a need to repair of replace the portion of the sewer that is on the homeowner’s property. The property owner will be responsible for the cost of the repair or replacement, although there was talk of possible funds that may be in place by that time to help pay for or defray the cost. Roadway construction will add new and replace existing sidewalks, new storm drains, curb and gutter and new pavement. The plan calls for several parallel-parking bays on the east side of Bunker Hill Drive. A crosswalk with handicapped ramps will be installed at the intersection of Midway Drive an Bunker Hill Drive. One of the things asked of the residents is that they comply with the parking restrictions that will be in place during the period of construction. “No Parking” sings will be placed two days prior to any work being performed on affected streets, hoping that everyone will relocate their vehicles. Any vehicle not removed will be towed. Nicolet Park will be available for parking, although the residents will still have to compete with people who are visiting the park for spaces.

Sheriff’s Office Seeks $2.5 Million For More Deputies By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron says that federal grant money through the U.S. Department of Justice could help his agency hire as many as 10 new deputies if it can get the award and have enough money to keep the deputies on the job for three years. The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved Cameron’s request to apply for the federal money – about $2.5 million –during its regular meeting Tuesday. The money is part of the federal government’s stimulus plan to allow police officers who have been downsized or laid off to go back to work. The Sheriff’s Office has not had to cut any of its personnel, but Cameron said that he could use as many deputies as he could get. Thousands of applications are coming in

I was very, very disappointed with Secretary [of Department of Natural Resources John] Griffin turning down the compromise. They just blew us off.?

from around the country, competing for about $1.8 billion in federal funds, he told The County Times, “We’re throwing our hat in the ring,” he said. “The need is great for more resources. “We could use 50 [more deputies] today, but we don’t have 50 deputies, so you use the resources the best you can.” Cameron said that he doubted he would get enough to fund 10 more deputies for three years, but he hoped the county would at least get part of the funding. “If we got one or two [deputies], I’d be ecstatic,” Cameron said. The county commissioners also approved a multitude of other grant applications for the Sheriff’s Office, including requests for money to fund overtime for officers to combat domestic and dating violence and stalking as well as to keep up with sex offender compliance checks.

The county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation will begin replacing a twofoot wide culvert crossing underneath Clarke’s Landing Road in Hollywood starting Monday, July 20 through Friday, July 24 between 6a.m. and 6p.m. Residents can expect one lane of traffic to be closed in the area of the pipe crossing.

Parking is the main concern of Jeff Roberts, Assistant Pastor of the Living Hope Church. “We have discussed several options, because sometimes when we have church services, the members will clog the entire street,” Roberts said. “We have a bus, and are thinking of busing our members in. Some of our people don’t walk very well, like the elderly and the handicapped, and hopefully we can work out something out for them.” Patuxent Park is home to a church and a synagogue, both with active and large congregations. “I am excited about what is going on,” said Jennifer Kordell who attended the meeting with her husband Edward. “Better infrastructure will make everything better. I have been waiting for this for a very long time.” Anyone with questions may call 24 hours a day to 301-3735305. They may also call the Department of Public Works at 301863-8400, ext. 3525, or Metcom at 301-373-4733, ext. 307, during regular business hours.

rs onal Touch! u o T &B el with a Pers

Tr a v

K & B Tours Presents

Las Vegas

Tuesday, September 22nd - Friday, September 25th, 2009 PRICE: $533. per person Double Occupancy, $612. Single $200 Deposit – LIMITED SEATING - First Come - First Served Final Due August 8th , 2009 INCLUDES: • Bus Transportation to/from BWI • Round Trip Air Fare (straight through flights) (SouthWest) • 3 nights lodging at the FLAMINGO (on the strip) • Shuttle to/from casino hotel & airport • 4 Days & 3 Nights Accommodations • Baggage Handling & Taxes

DEPART Tuesday 4:00am Hollywood Fire House Plane Departs Tuesday BWI at 7:40am (Flight #691) RETURN Saturday approximately 1:00am Plane Arrives Friday BWI at 11:15pm (Flight #3439) FOR MORE INFORMATION: CALL BILL or KATHY (H) 301-884-8728, (C) 240-925-0801 PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE, WE WILL RETURN YOUR CALL ASAP, THANKS!

Personal Tours

Yours or Our Itinerary Pick Up All Over GRADE SCHOOL GROUP TOURS

Let Our Adventure Be Yours! Upcoming Tours:

NY – Rockettes • NY – Broadway • Cherokee, NC • Niagra Falls • Dollywood Dover • Atl City • Myrtle Beach • VA Beach • Lancaster, PA

See Website for details on each trip • Sign up online or by phone

www.kandbtours.com

round

Town

The County Times

Businesses Complain Of Streetscape Turning Away Customers By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Loic and Karleen Jaffres, owners and operators of the restaurant Café des Artistes, have noticed something ominous in the past couple of weeks in the Leonardtown square: a dwindling supply of customers. Times are tough because of the recession, which is nothing new they say, but the streetscape project that has been going on since late last year to improve Washington and Fenwick streets also has had its side affects. “It’s been a nightmare for the past two weeks,” Loic Jaffres told The County Times on Monday regarding the parking situation in the downtown area and just in front of his business. The project has taken all of this storefront parking and the chef has had to bring in tables, since no one wants to eat outside with the construction. Karleen Jaffres said that some customers have even told her that they want to know when the project will be finished, because they are not going to come back to the café until it is. “We actually feel that some days our business is low because we look like we’re closed, that’s the perception,” she said. “It’s taken its toll the last two weeks.” The Jaffres worry that the streetscape project will keep visitors away from the town’s

Beach Party event on Saturday Aug. 8, which has has been one of the most lucrative events for businesses there. Dan Norris, president of the Leonardtown Business Association, said the major event should still go off without a hitch. But he admitted that the streetscape project did pose a problem to downtown businesses, which have been a key to the town’s revitalization efforts. “I don’t think it’s going to drive people away,” Norris said of the project. “I know it’s lasted longer than we’d expected. “But I’m sure it has hindered business a little bit.” Norris said that the coming beach party, which is only about three weeks away, has brought between 2,500 to 4,000 visitors in the past to the town square, with shops and eateries reaping the benefits. “I do think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Norris said. Karleen Jaffres hopes the tunnel ends soon. “We can’t wait until they get it all done,” she said. The streetscape project had to overcome a mishap in the early spring when crews had to rip up newly laid sidewalk because the work did not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Town May Look At Attracting Defense Industry By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Because of the U.S. Navy’s presence, St. Mary’s County is expected to continue growing, and members of the Leonardtown town council want to know how to get in on the action. “Could we not direct some of that this way,” asked council member Bob Combs during a presentation Monday. “Do we need to do more to get a technology park in town?” Mayor J. Harry Norris echoed the sentiments of his colleague the next day and said that it was an idea whose time had come. “I think it would be a good thing,” Norris told The County Times. “So many people live here who work on the base or for contractors, it would make sense to have them in town. “We really do need to take a look at the possibilities.” Data showed that less than half of the employment county wide was due to small businesses which are not related to the military’s presence or to related contractors, according to Bob Schaller, director of the county’s Department of Economic and Community Development, during a presentation to the council Monday. Schaller said that according to his figures that was the lowest percentage of small business employment in the state,

further showcasing the county’s dependence on Patuxent River Naval Air Station. “We need to foster other kinds of work,” Schaller said. “We can’t just keep depending on that kind of economy.” The county is seeking greater cooperation with Leonardtown on development and growth issues, because the people moving to the county will generate more demand for retail and services in the two development districts, Leonardtown and Lexington Park. Leonardtown is the smaller of the two by far but must still help shoulder the load since, according to county figures, a full 87 percent of the jurisdiction’s land is in the Rural Preservation District where growth is strictly controlled. A full 13 percent of the county’s land mass is in either of the two development districts. Norris said that in the town’s own debate over revising a comprehensive plan for municipal development, a question had been raised about getting a business or technological park in town. But in order to prevent sprawl, Norris said, the town would have to consider other growth models. “In order to concentrate that [overall] growth, we have to grow up, we can’t grow out,” Norris said.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

It’s tubby tIme Bay Waters Could Be Toxic For Watershed Residents By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

A report from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says that the waters in the bay and its watershed have become so polluted with various forms of bacteria, nitrates and heavy metals that residents risk serious illness if they live in close proximity. “The pollutants that are hurting the aquatic system, the fish, the oyster, the crabs, are also threatening human health,” said Kim Coble, the Maryland executive director for the foundation. And the evidence so far seems to show that more people may be getting sick from coming into close contact with the bay’s waters, rife with contaminants, Coble said. “It does seem anecdotally that the impact is increasing,” Coble said. The reports said that as many as 17 million people could be at risk of contracting blood infections, skin diseases and intestinal illnesses from the bay and its watershed from what is known as vibrio bacteria. Incidents of infection from this pathogen increased over the past year, according to the report. Cyanobacteria, another problem bacteria in the bay, can cause liver disease, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting, according to the report. Cryptosporidium, another serious pathogen, has been responsible for multiple beach closings over the past year, the report stated. St. Mary’s County has not closed any beaches, according to public information officials, but the report has them concerned over the quality of water at beaches, especially after heavy rains, which can increase run off of fertilizers and nitrates that increase algae blooms that in turn can increase harmful bacteria. “The testing is on-going,” said county spokeswoman Karen Everett of beach water quality. Public beaches in Calvert County are still open for swimming and other activities with acceptable water quality, while the site at Lake Lariat in Lusby has a water advisory in place, according to the Calvert health department.

Del. John Wood, who represents the northern part of St. Mary’s County, said that the saga of restoring the bay has been a long one and progress has been steady if slow. But the funds to help the bay’s health have not always been spent wisely, Wood said. Seven years ago the state legislature passed what was known as a “f lush tax” of about $30 per household that was designed to pay for upgrades to waste water treatment plants, but the expenditures are now going elsewhere, he said. “Now we’re taking some of that money and using it for other things, I think that’s wrong,” Wood said. But, Wood said he could not remember a report that painted such a dire picture of the bay. “Sometimes it concerns me about the comments the foundation makes,” Wood said. “Sometimes it sounds like a scare tactic. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard someone saying it’s this bad.” And funds are key to the bay’s restoration; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which helps oversee the clean up efforts cooperatively between Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the federal government, has placed the price tag at a full clean up at $19 billion almost six years ago. Coble said that despite the apparent deterioration of the bay overall, there have been some signs of hope, namely the increase in some areas of underwater grasses that help shield infant crab population and the subsequent rise, after a season of heavy restrictions, of the female crab population. Also, she said, state governments have made agreements with the federal Environmental Protection Agency to take action to prevent pollution in the bay, such as fewer impervious surfaces, more cover crops to help filter rain water runoff and cutbacks in nutrient loads over two year periods instead of longer term agreements that can fall by the wayside politically. “That really has raised the level of accountability,” Coble said. “If given half a chance the bay can recover; it’s an incredibly resilient ecosystem.”

Constellation Asks Court to Let Suit Continue

BALTIMORE (AP) - Constellation Energy Group is appealing the dismissal of its lawsuit accusing Maryland regulators of overstepping their authority as they investigate Constellation’s proposal to sell half its nuclear operations to a French utility. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals filing Monday comes after a Baltimore judge ruled that it is premature for Constellation to challenge a continuing review process under the Maryland Public Service Commission. The PSC is looking into whether the $4.5 billion deal with Electrcite de France is in the public interest. The PSC doesn’t regulate Constellation, but regulates its Baltimore Gas and Electric utility subsidiary. A spokeswoman for the state attorney general says that office would fight the appeal.

at Chesapeake Pet Resort & Day spa! chessiepets.com

301-373-3400

Looking for Quality Pet Grooming & Fun Spa Services in a Friendly and Professional environment? • Full Service Pet Grooming & Coat Care In Our New Salon • Certified Pet Stylist with many years of solid experience • Able and skilled with small and large breed canines • Soothing & Fun Spa Services • Pet Massage & Facials • “Peticures” and toe nail painting…lots of fun colors to choose! • Professional and Caring Staff • Personal & Sensitive Attention for fearful pets anxious about grooming • “DIY” Self Service Grooming Stations also available! • Trusted in the Community since 2002, for “above and beyond” Pet Care

Give us a call and check us out! Tours Welcome!

“New CuSTOMeR” COuPON (valid for first time grooming appointments)

OFF

Your next Grooming or Spa Service

“New CuSTOMeR” COuPON (valid for first time grooming appointments)

Free Plush Pet Toy With Your Next Grooming or Spa Visit

Chesapeake Pet Resort & Day Spa Southern Maryland’s Favorite Pet Retreat for Indoor-Outdoor Patio Lodging, Deluxe Cabins, and Full Service Pet Grooming & Spa Services 26120 Jones Wharf Rd, Hollywood, MD 20636

The County Times

A Secret No More The Hard Bargain Players of Accokeek, Md.,

have often been referred to as “the best kept secret in Southern Prince George County.” It is time to let the cat out of the bag and be a secret no longer. In fact, we want to shout, dance and spread the word that there on the grounds of the Alice Ferguson Foundation, a vibrant theatre company exists. We invite you to become part of this group of live theatre enthusiasts. For more than a decade the Hard Bargain Players have been producing plays at a naturally occurring amphitheater in the woods of the Hard Bargain Farm. We believe we have now got it just right. We want you, our community, to be the final judge. When selecting plays, we do our best to produce those pieces which are “off the well beaten path.” We generally shy away from plays that community theater companies produce season after season, unless our unique space allows us to bring something extra special to an often performed play. Several years ago, we produced John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.” In our space, the fauna of the Hard Bargain woods became the cattails along the creek bed, the stage was a bunkhouse for migrant farm hands. We choose plays with sparse sets that challenge our actors to make the playwright’s words breathe and that leave our patrons talking about it long after the evening of theater has passed. Every now and then we do a play intended to amuse. On occasion we will do a play with adult situations or adult language. While it is never our intent to offend anyone, we find that some of today’s most interesting playwrights (for example, David Mamet, Stephen Adly Guirgis) use language that is not acceptable to everyone. In choosing a season, we make sure to offer something acceptable to all. We believe we have met our goal for the 2009 season. In May we opened with Neil Simon’s “The Good Doctor.” This is one of those plays that amuse and allow one to laugh at life’s absurdities. Director Melissa Gilpin brought together a production team that made the entire evening

one where the troubles of the day were able to be cast aside. On Aug. 7, we begin a three-week run of “Jesus Hopped The ATrain” by Stephen Adly Guirgis (directed by St. Mary’s County resident David M. Thomas), a powerful drama set in the protective custody wing of Rikers Island, a prison in New York. Can what has been discarded ever be replaced? Is forgiveness or understanding allowed for those who go against well established social mores? This play does contain adult language and situations. We close our season with Brian Friels’ “Translations,” (directed by St. Mary’s County resident Miss Bell), one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve read in years. Love between a man and a woman is explored, but even more moving is the love for a heritage, love of a people, love of a way of life, love for one’s language. Set in 19th century Ireland, this play will touch the heart. The play runs for three consecutive Friday and Saturday evenings (8 p.m.) beginning Oct. 9, 2009. To give even further incentive to the public, we are able to offer high quality live theater for less than the cost of a movie. Adult tickets sell for only $10. Seniors (you decide), students and members of the Alice Ferguson Foundation are charged only $8 per ticket. Light refreshments are served during intermission. Performances are outdoors, so dress in your most comfortable jeans and T-shirt. If you think you might enjoy being a part of our company, we welcome you. For the rest of you, we ask that you give us a chance. See one or more of our shows. Experience the magic of Theatre in the Woods at Hard Bargain Farm. For more information, directions and pictures of past productions, please visit our Web site at www.hbplayers.org. We are looking forward to meeting you. David M. Thomas, Managing Artistic Director Hard Bargain Players Accokeek, Md.

From The Horse’s Mouth

I was so shocked to hear a politician “tell the truth,” and it came out of his own mouth, according to the County Times July 9 edition , pg. 5, “Hoyer-Fun Times in Congress Are Over.” Congressman Hoyer was quoted as saying, “Let me say something politicians don’t like to say: It was easy for a long period of time. I’ve been in Congress since 1981, and for most of those years, we bought but didn’t pay, and everybody loved it.” He even is quoted as saying that the country is at a “critical time fiscally.” Congressman Hoyer, did you ever think you might be part of the blame that this country is in a “critical time fiscally”? Words coming from your own mouth saying you and our Congressmen bought but didn’t pay – can Americans do that? Heck NO. Many Americans are losing their homes, vehicles, and jobs because of our elected career politicians have taught corporate America how to play the game that Congress has been playing for most of the years since 1981. Spend big, give big bonuses, live the life

No More Spending

Rep. Steny Hoyer recently addressed the Lexington Park Rotary Club. He said, “I’ve been in Congress since 1981 and for most of those years, we bought but didn’t pay.” At last, our representative admits that for 28 years he has been part of the problem of reckless spending by Congress. He later said that now, “We’re going to pay for whatever we do.” Basically, after supporting nearly $1 trillion in

of corporate giant CEOs and when all fails, call on the American tax payers to bail you out. You, along with the rest of the career politicians in Washington, should be ashamed of yourself. I hope all who are reading this remember these statements from your own mouth when they go to fill out that ballot, and I hope this letter will get national attention as it is a national matter. Career politicians should be given the boot. We Americans who keep electing the same ones to run our corrupted government need to take a stand and not bow down to this type of leadership. Let’s stop letting money be the power to run our society. Let’s give the honest, hardworking candidates a chance and a vote, even though they don’t have as many signs, workers and advertisements. Much money going to the wrong people got us in the mess we are in today, so let’s let the ones with less money get us out of it. Jimmy Hayden Leonardtown, MD

bailouts and stimulus spending (funded by printing worthless paper money), he now wants to tax us into outer space to pay for more and bigger government. How long will we in Southern Maryland support this “tax tax, spend spend Democrat”? Michael Hammett Leonardtown, Md.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Editorial:

Hoyer Should Lead Change We All Could Believe In

St. Mary’s County is beyond question a unique place. As most of the nation is spinning downward amidst a troubled and tumbling economy, our community has been largely stable overall. Most people in our county are government employees or work as professionals in government supporting industries. In fact, in Maryland, only Montgomery County is more reliant on government for jobs than is St. Mary’s County. Still we need to be aware that there are many businesses and families in our community who are suffering much the same as our nation. The nation’s unemployment rate is now near 10%. The rate of those who are actually not working or working temporary jobs that are insufficient for them to meet the long term minimum living level is now over 20%. By March 2010 the nation’s unemployment numbers will reach close to 15%. The current policies of the federal government will lead to inflation rates which most people under the age of 40 have never seen in their lifetime. More layoffs will follow and government spending for social programs will reach record levels that economists would have never thought possible. Without a change in our nation’s public policy agenda, the road of hardship, even for our government employees, will eventually lead to St. Mary’s. With the private sector confronted with higher energy costs, higher health care costs and higher taxes, business profits will diminish and government revenues will fall even more rapidly. Our government, with its enormous debt and our adherence to “global governance”, especially when it comes to a new world order, combined with skyrocketing social welfare costs, will be pressured into believing that a smaller, less resourceful military will not only allow a shift from military spending to social welfare, but will also speak to America’s willingness to sacrifice our strength for the good of the world. Obvious to everyone except for a few left-wing ideologues is the fact that the “economic stimulus” passed by Congress is not working. All it has accomplished is to preserve the budgets of state and local governments, which will result in state and local tax increases in two years and build a larger federal government safety net. Our Congressman, Steny Hoyer is as much responsible for the public policy debacle as anyone. And while Hoyer comes home and talks a good talk, he continues to lead this nation down a path of fiscal irresponsibility. Hoyer and the Democrats took control of Congress three years ago. This is not George Bush’s economy, this is Hoyer’s economy. Under Hoyer’s reign our nation’s debt has grown more than in all the previous 330+ years prior combined.

Recently Hoyer admitted to out of control spending and not having a plan to pay for it. Last fall before the Presidential election, Hoyer told The County Times that if elected Obama and the Democrats would balance the federal budget. Just recently, talking about Obama’s health plan Hoyer said, “we’re going to pay for whatever we do, we’re not going to borrow money”. Of course Hoyer pays for things with your money – not his – and in non-politician terms, Hoyer is talking about tax increases, Yet another public policy blunder to drive our economy further in the hole. We need change, and this time we need change we can all believe in, and we need Hoyer to lead this change. We start with a “New Stimulus” to replace that which is failing. The new stimulus should do at least five things: • Reduce corporate tax rates so that America is competitive with other countries. Businesses would be encouraged to invest more in this country rather than other countries where business tax rates can be as much as 70% lower. Business creating jobs rather than government will improve the productivity of our nation, creating value for the American dollar. • Eliminate capital gains tax so that more dollars are once again invested into the private sector, working to grow industry not government. • Provide inexpensive and obtainable funds for small businesses to invest in their business. Small business can add millions of jobs in a short time while unleashing the spirit of the entrepreneur. • Reduce by at least 50% the amount of Social Security and Medicare tax that both employees and employers pay for at least one and up to two years. This will immediately increase the cash that both families and businesses have available to spend. We won’t have to spend 18 million dollars on fancy web sites to track how government is spending the money. Instead Americans will be spending the money on what is important to them and their family. • Recover all unspent funds from both the TARP Act and the Recovery Act. As much as $700 million should be available to replace the social security and Medicare funds that would be lost while the nation’s economy is recovering. By putting more money in the hands of businesses and taxpayers and less in the hands of government, our nation will quickly lead the world in economic recovery, and we will once again be the economic model that is best to invest in. By protecting our nation’s energy, and protecting our nation’s economy, we can also protect our nation’s military.

To The Editor:

The County Times

P.O. Box 250 • Hollywood, MD 20636

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

Speaks

22576 Macarthur Blvd • San Souci Plaza, Suite 314 • California, MD 20619 (BETWEEN TODAY’S BRIDE & BLADES BEAUTY SCHOOL IN SAN SOUCI PLAZA)

The Three Notch Trail

The Three Notch Trail is one of many trails throughout the United States built on former rail lines. The recreational trail is being constructed along the twenty eight-mile, County owned railroad right-of-way which runs south from Hughesville, in Charles County, to Lexington Park and the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The trail is a non-motorized pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian trail. Phase I of the trail opened in 2006 and begins at Route 236 in New Market and proceeds approximately one mile north to the Northern County Senior Center in Charlotte Hall. Phase II of the trail opened in 2008 and begins at the Northern Senior Center and runs about two miles north to Deborah Drive, in Charles County. Other parts of the trail are in the planning stages and some are currently underway. The portion from Laurel Grove to New Market is planned for 2011, if funding permits. The Southern Maryland Railroad Company was established in1868, with the intent of constructing a rail way to connect Point Lookout to Washington, D.C. By 1876, the company went bankrupt without having run a single train. The rival Washington City and Point Lookout Railroad took over the project and in 1881, the first train ran from Charlotte Hall to Mechanicsville. Twenty-one more miles had been built and fifty more miles had been graded by 1884. The line was extended in the early 1940s by the U. S. Navy which used it to haul materials to the site where construction of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station was underway. The line was eventually offered for sale, and in 1970, St. Mary’s County purchased the right of way and removed the tracks. Today, the few miles of completed trail connects the Charlotte Hall Library, the St. Mary’s County Farmers’ Market, the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, the St. Mary’s County Welcome Center and the Northern Senior Center, and links the villages of New Market and Charlotte Hall. It is used by Amish buggies, walkers, joggers and clyclists. Eventually, the Three Notch Trail will become part of the National Park Service’s Potomac Heritage Trail System that will extend from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Point Lookout.

Tel: 301.862.0380 • Fax:301.863.0383 GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE BUY $100 – GET FREE ADDITIONAL $25 GIFT CARD FOR YOURSELF!

The Three Notch Trail was featured last week in the County Times as the fourth site visited by “Flat Sneaks”, the St. Mary’s County Library’s summer reading mascot, as part of the “Where’s Flat Sneaks?” contest. The weekly contest is sponsored by The County Times and produced by the library as part of the “Celebrate 375!” campaign. Flat Sneaks will visit eight local sites throughout the summer with weekly clues to his whereabouts published in the County Times. Children ages 5 through 12 may participate in the contest. See page 31 for contest details.

Hours Of Operation / Events LUNCH Monday-Saturday: 11am-4:30pm DINNER Monday-Thursday and Sunday:4:30pm-9:30pm Friday and Saturday: 4:30pm-10:30pm Bar/lounge OPEN TILL 12:00AM HAPPY HOUR Monday, Thursday and Sunday 4:30pm-6:30pm LIVE JAZZ Friday and Saturday: 8pm -12am. KARAOKE Resumes August 4th from 7:30pm - 10:30pm with DJ Katie LIVE CONTEMPORARY JAZZ, BLUES AND BLUE GRASS Thursdays 6pm-9pm

SUNDAY JULY 26TH 2009 AMUSE

Coquille saint Jacques Diver Scallops lightly poached and tossed with classic remoulade sauce on corn cakes 2008 Chateau graville - Lacoste - graves

SPOONS

Crème De Asperge AU CAVIAR Asparagas soup with crème fraiche and caviar 2007 Domaine Gerard - Sancerre

GARDEN

Frissee au lardon Poached pear, melons balls, greens, smoke apple wood bacon, garlic croutons and Fried organic local eggs with sherry vinaigrette 2008 Domaine de font sainte gris de gris

MAIN COURSES

Agneau de rôti ‘vert près’ Roasted aged rack of lamb, crusted with Dijon and herbs, garlic lamb jus, Vegetable bouquetière 2006 Châteauneuf du pape Lucien Barot

GRAND FINALE

Île flottante caramel Classic floating island w/caramel poach French meringue, Traditional crème anglaise and raspberry Coulis 2006 Maison Nicholas Santernos Reserve

St. Mary’s Hospital Wins Award

The Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Maryland, recently announced that St. Mary’s Hospital has again received the 2009 Delmarva Foundation Excellence Award for Quality Improvement. Based in Leonardtown, the hospital also won in 2004 and 2008 and is one of only two facilities in Maryland to receive this award thus far this year, according to a hospital press release. “I am so proud of the entire hospital and all of our physicians and employees, who have worked so hard to reach this goal,” said St. Mary’s Hospital president and CEO Christine Wray in the release. “It takes a great team, working together, to achieve this award.” The award recognizes individual hospitals’ performance improvement in the four national inpatient clinical areas – acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, surgical care improvement and pneumonia. To receive the award, hospitals must meet

Classic French Wine Dinner

or exceed the following criteria and requirements: improved individual performance measure rate to 90 percent or above on the 11 required measures and sustained the improvement for at least three consecutive quarters. The data used to achieve this award is publicly reported and available on Web sites, including Hospital Compare and the Maryland Health Care Commission’s Web site, more commonly known as the Maryland Hospital Report Card. “St. Mary’s Hospital is proud to present the community with this regional award as evidence of our commitment to excellence for a second year in a row,” said hospital Vice President Joan Gelrud. “We believe we owe every patient a safe and successful experience at St. Mary’s Hospital. By having external agencies evaluate us against rigorous criteria and recognize our great outcomes, we are able to demonstrate to our community that we are a leader in health care so potential patients can have confidence in the care we provide.”

$69.95 with wine

$52.95 without wine

Tax and gratuities not included.

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS! Contact Richard (301.752.7657) or Chef Ahmed (240.538.6242)

www.woodlandsgrill.com 301-863-3219

CATERING AT CHEF’S AMERICAN BISTRO OR OUR 2ND LOCATION OFFSITE AT THE WOODLANDS GRILL IN THE WILDEWOOD VILLAGE.

AVAILABLE FOR COMPANY AND PRIVATE FUNCTIONS, BANQUETS, HOLIDAY PARTIES, RECEPTIONS AND ANNIVERSARIES.

BOOK YOUR PARTIES NOW!

10%

off

For Persons with a Military ID For Persons 60 years & older with ID

www.ChefsAmericanBistro.com

for the love of

Money 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.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009 Music can help reduce chronic pain by more than 20% and can alleviate depression by up to 25%.

Symbol

WMT HOG BBY LMT BAESF CSC DCP GD MANT NOC

Close 7/15/2009

Close 12/31/2008

$48.29 $17.32 $35.35 $81.32 $5.40 $44.15 $19.90 $54.14 $42.19 $46.02

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

Change

-13.86% 2.06% 25.76% -3.28% -0.18% 25.64% 31.18% -5.99% -22.14% 2.18%

un Fact

Mechanicsville Woman Wins Trunk of Treasures

The St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism awarded its summer Trunk of Treasures to Sandra Burroughs of Mechanicsville. The drawing was held on June 30, and Ms. Burroughs’ name was drawn from all of the entries with the correct answers to the weekly clues on Maryland375.com and the entries submitted at the St. Mary’s County Welcome Center in Charlotte Hall. The giveaway drawing is part of the cam-

stay at La Quinta Inn & Suites in Lexington Park, Mach Combat flight trainer sessions at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, a peck of oysters from Circle C Oyster Ranch in Scotland, a Morgan Jones pitcher from Historic St. Mary’s City, an Edwin Talley print from Historic Sotterley Plantation, a unique art clutch from Candy’s Clutches available at Herons Way Gallery in Leonardtown, the “Land of Pleasant Living” Maryland banner flag cre-

Smartronix, Hoyer Under Fire for Web Site Deal

Smartronix Inc., a Hollywood-based technology firm, has come under fire in the national media after it was awarded a contract was last week, potentially valued at $18 million, to redesign the U.S. government Recovery.gov Web site. Reports are circulating that claim the price tag is exorbitant and the company was awarded the deal because of the thousands of dollars company executives have donated to Congressman Steny Hoyer during the last decade. The Washington Examiner reported that Smartronix’s top officers donated $19,000 to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer since 1999. Hoyer’s spokesperson has called the allega-

tions ludicrous; stating that the contract was competitively bid and the congressman has nothing to do with the selection process. Smartronix says it’s honored to have been chosen, and the task is highly complex with an aggressive deadline. The company issued a threepage statement about the deal on its Web site: smartronix.com “Tech-savvy experts tell us that there really are no websites out there that would merit this kind of cost - including sites for major retailers or banking websites,” Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform said in a statement.

CHOOSE FROM TWO GREAT

SUMMER SPECIALS

3 MONTH MEMBERSHIP NO CONTRACT! NO LONG TERM COMMITMENT!

139*

Coupon Expires 7/31/09

JOIN FOR A STANDARD MEMBERSHIP AND PAY

NO ENROLLMENT AND THE SUMMER IS FREE! YOU PAY $0 UNTIL SEPTEMBER!*

Coupon Expires 7/31/09

• Large Free Weight Selection

Our Newest Location In LaPlata, MD!

MECHANICSVILLE, MD

29020 Three Notch Rd. • Mechanicsville, MD 20659 Visit Us Online HTTP://WORLDGYM.SOMD.COM

Submitted photo Sandra Burroughs of Mechanicsville, center, won the Trunk of Treasures containing certificates valued at more than $2,250 from local businesses. With her is her husband Glen and Historic St. Mary’s interpreter Alice Dougherty.

paign to promote Maryland’s 375th birthday. A graduate of Chopticon High School, Burroughs works as a financial program analyst at Webster Field in St. Inigoes. She and her husband Glen are involved with the St. Mary’s Animal Welfare League and Ms. Burroughs is a board member of that organization. Valued at more than $2,250, the Trunk of Treasures included a sunset lighthouse cruise from Fish the Bay Charters & Tours, an overnight stay at River Creek Lodge on St. George Island, dinner at Summerseat Farm in Mechanicsville, a fishing trip with Captain Greg’s Charters located in Ridge, an overnight

ated by Mary Lou Troutman from the Glass Garden Shoppe in Park Hall, the “Best of St. Mary’s” book of photographs by Joe Dunn available at Bay Books in California, a porcelain bisque Snowbabies collectible and a gift certificate from Cecil’s Country Store in Great Mills, a signed poster and tote bag from the St. Mary’s College of Maryland River Concert Series and gift certificate from the Southern Maryland Artisans Center in Leonardtown. For more information about St. Mary’s County’s Celebrate 375 campaign, call 301475-4200 ext.1404 or visit www.Maryland375. com.

‘Buy Local’ Week Starts Saturday

Residents of Maryland, and beyond, are invited to support their local farmers and help boost their health and the planet’s health by pledging to eat at least one item from a local farm every day during Buy Local Week from July 18-24. The campaign is designed to boost local farm economies and educate consumers about the importance of farms. Participants are encouraged to shop at farms, farm stands, farmers’ markets and grocers that offer locally grown food and wine, and dine at restaurants that include local farm food and wine in their menus. “Many markets, restaurants and businesses are planning special activities for the Buy Local Week, beginning with a kickoff cookout [on July 16] by Gov. O’Malley, which has become an annual event.” said Christine Bergmark, executive director of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission in Hughesville. The campaign’s Web site, www.buy-localchallenge.com, has added a running tally of how many are taking the 2009 Challenge, and a per-

sonalized certificate for those who pledge. This year, for the first time, people outside Maryland are invited to take the challenge also. The Web site includes a separate, interactive sub-site (dubbed the BLC Online Community) designed to host user-generated content. This adjunct site allows users from anywhere in the country to create sub-groups specific to their region, to upload information about BLC events, submit photos, tips or recipes, or to chat or generally interact with other users across the country. Participants can also download free resource material including official BLC logo files, fliers and generic press releases, setting the stage for a cohesive nationwide annual observance of Buy Local Challenge Week throughout the U.S. For more information, call the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission at 301-274-1922; email cbergmark@ somarylandsogood.com; or visit www.somarylandsogood.com or www.somdtrails.com.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Museum Hosts Talk about Moon Landing The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park hosted a book talk by author Craig Nelson Tuesday, where the author promoted his new book on the Apollo Space Program. Nelson’s book “Rocket Men” gives a complete history of the Apollo 11 mission, including little known anecdotes from astronauts and engineers. During his talk, the author shared several of these anecdotes as he took his audience through the mission – the first to land a man on the moon – which celebrates its 40th anniversary this month.

Artist rendering of the new Patuxent River Naval Aviation Museaum

Attending the talk was Rick Nelson (no relation to the author), a retired officer of the Navy, who says that his childhood memories of the lunar landing were part of what drew him to the talk. “It was extraordinary,” he said, as he recalled watching the historic event from his family’s TV on a base in Japan. Hailing from a family of aviators, Nelson said that he and his family, including son Ian, who also attended the talk, have frequented the Naval Air Museum before.

The museum, located on 235 just before Gate 1 of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, is preparing to expand itself in the near future, with plans for a second building in the works. The process, however, is proving to be a long one. The site of the new 22,000-square-foot annex was cleared and prepared for construction last summer, but insufficient funding took plans back to the drawing board. Following the call for a redesign, 19 firms submitted new plans for evaluation by the county. The St. Mary’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation reports that as of June 23, 2009, six firms have been placed on a short list, with interviews pending. The final decision is expected to come in September or October of this year. The cost of the project is reported to be around $5.6 million, with funds coming from the County, State, Navy, and through grants from the Museum Association. Once under way, construction is estimated to take 18 months to complete. Deputy Director Tom Quinlan hopes that once built, the annex will help the museum provide an even broader range of displays and activities that will not only teach about past aviation, but will also showcase the projects being worked on next door at Pax River. “We anticipate [new displays] to be artifacts and interpretations that depict technological disciplines used in test and evaluation,” Quinlan said. “Both historically, and on base today.” The museum is holding workshops for middle and high school students in the coming weeks as part of the Secret Series. On July 18, artist Hank Caruso will teach NASA photo from the moon the secrets of drawing great pictures. On Aug. 1 photographer Bill Conway will teach the secrets to taking great photographs.

Lockheed Creating Internal Networking Site

BALTIMORE (AP) - Lockheed Martin Corp. is setting up a private social network for employees to use in the course of business as a means to discuss tasks from projects to purchasing. And though the network itself won’t be open to the outside world, the program that supports it will be. Company officials are preparing next year to launch a program - tentatively called Eureka - that will allow workers across the defense contractor’s large network of locations to connect with each other and talk about work. Before that happens, Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin also plans to make the computer programming code “opensource,” or available to anybody who wants to use it and adapt it to their own purposes. Shawn Dahlen, social media program manager for Lockheed Martin, said the company was influenced to use open-source programming for a number of reasons. The federal government, a major Lockheed Martin customer, has begun using more open-source programming recently, he said. Also, open-source programming can be an efficient way for a company to find improvements to its programming work, Dahlen said. More people working on a program means more opportunities to identify problems and fix them. “As we look to maintain the system long term, we thought it would be advantageous to open-source and ‘crowd-source’ it,” he said. Dahlen repeatedly compared the Eureka internal social network to FriendFeed, a service that compiles information from other social networks such as MySpace, Twitter and the photo-sharing site Flickr. Eureka will allow about 35,000 users in the company’s information systems and global services division to have individual profiles that other employees can view. It will also aggregate information from the company’s purchasing system,

among other tools. Through Eureka, the company envisions people in different offices comparing purchases to gauge their effectiveness. The program will also connect to the Lockheed Martin’s existing “Unity” program that allows document sharing, common online work space and other features for collaboration. Dahlen said social networking can be a useful tool for the workplace, but sharing company information through a public network is not always practical, given the often-sensitive nature of Lockheed Martin’s work. Until recently, employees were blocked from accessing personal accounts on Facebook and similar sites through the company’s network, but that restriction was recently lifted. Kathryn M. Bartol, professor of management and organization at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, said she thinks internal social networking has several benefits, from building camaraderie to helping employees share approaches to problems. Networking can prevent people from duplicating labor, she said. Dahlen said the decision to make its code open-source did not raise security concerns. He pointed out that the Defense Information Systems Administration recently began using open-source code for some applications. Dick Nelson, chief of the personnel systems support branch at the manpower, personnel and security division of DISA, said the agency has opened up its code for managing work force and federal workflow. He said the code will be useful for other governmental bodies and private companies that might want to use it, but will also help the company because more people can work to improve the code.

Limi te

By: Monica Meinert Contributing Writer

ime Only!

Move

Special n -I Discounted Cable Playground Free on Site Storage with Every Apartment Walk to Shopping/ Restaurants

301-862-5307

Amenity Package Available

Owned and Operated by

Call For More Information: Bella Bailey, Marketing & Leasing MGR.

301-737-0737

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

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Everything Amish Everything Indoor • Everything Outoor • Everything Amish

Check Out Our Gorgeous Two Tone Tables! FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE

HOLLYWOOD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Thursday JULY 16th thru Sunday JULY 19th

Thursday JULY 23rd thru Monday JULY 27th

For more information, check out our website at

www.hvfd7.com

STOp BY TODAY & COMpARE! We have excellent prices

Quality Handcrafted Furniture

IF IT AIN’T DUTCH IT AIN’T MUCH HOURS: MON. - SAT. 9-6 • SUNDAY 10-5

301-932-4164

7700 Leonardtown Rd. • Hughesville, MD 20637 1/2 Mile North of Hughesville Bypass

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Francis R. Bodine, 85 Francis R. Bodine, 85, of Lexington Park, MD died on July 10, 2009, peacefully at his home. He is survived by his wife Julia Owens Bodine, whom he married on November 19, 1955 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Lexington Park, MD and three sons; Kevin Bodine, (Kelly), Dr. Ken Bodine, (Kelley) and Kurt Bodine, (Beth), seven grandchildren; Kristy, Kim, Ryan, Christopher, Leah, Aileen and Owen Francis Bodine, he is also survived by his siblings; Charles Bodine of Kane, PA and Barbara Callahan of Phoenix, AZ. He was a graduate of Kane High School in Kane, PA. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Bloomsburg University and a Masters Degree from the University of Maryland. He had also done graduate work at Washington University and Duke University. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp for three years during WWII, after his discharge he completed his college degree. He came to St. Mary’s County in February, 1952 and was hired as a Math teacher at Margaret Brent High School. In 1955 he was appointed Principal of the new 12 grade Leonardtown School. He worked as a school administrator until his retirement in 1984. He was very beloved by his staff and students. He was a member of the Leonardtown Lions Club since 1958 and served as president for two different terms. He helped organize and was the first chairman of the St. Mary’s Crab Festival and served for many years in that capacity. During his retirement he served as a vendor for Meals on Wheels for 16 years. He was also very much involved with the poor and elderly in our county through his work at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. He was a kind and gentle man, never critical of anyone. He enjoyed his family and his home in Town Creek. He was very knowledgeable about most sports and enjoyed golf and baseball. His most avid interest was reading. He was a member of the St. Mary’s Historical Society and was very loyal to St. Mary’s County. He had traveled all over Europe during his military days and later traveled extensively with his wife in the United States. He especially enjoyed the town of Fredericksburg, VA and went there frequently. We wish to give special thanks to Dr. Leon Berube and Hospice members, Barbara, Peggy and Cindy. Family received friends for Mr. Bodine’s Life Celebration on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 from 5 to 8 pm in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD where prayers were recited at 7pm. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 11 am in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic

Church, Lexington Park, MD with Father Jack Kennealy officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Jack Hayuda, Bob Fares, Robert Hemieleski, John Woodburn, Pat Willinburg and Paul Rose. Honorary pallbearers were Jim Trent, Tom Brien, Ed Fitzgerald, Thomas Sommerville, Ken Wible and Ed Siemarko. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 1889, LaPlata, MD 20646 and/or St. Vincent DePaul Society of Immaculate Heart of Mary, 22375 Three Notch Rd., Lexington Park, MD 20653. Condolences to the family may be made to www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements provided by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Mr. Donald E. Carver, 70 Mr. Donald E. Carver, 70, of Mount Dora, FL passed away Monday, July 6, 2009 in Washington, DC. He was born in Hydro, OK on October 14, 1938 and traveled many places during his military career. He settled in Abell, MD in 1976 and remained there until 1995 when he moved to Mount Dora, FL. He was a retired Navy Chief, private pilot, and avid animal lover. He was a man who adored his family. He is survived by his daughter, Lucinda Rodzankas of Lexington Park, MD; son, David of Leesburg, FL; five grandchildren Lea Ellis, Shaina Carrico, and Cathrine, Brianna, and Alexander Carver; and one great-grandchild, Joseph Christopher Ellis. He was preceded in death by his mother, Lucille Carver, and more recently by his wife, Fayrene S. Carver, on November 6, 2008. Family received friends on Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A Memorial Service was conducted at 11:00 a.m. Final services and inurnment were held at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Humane Society of Lake County, 16435 McKinley Road, Umatilla, FL 32784 or the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 339, Lexington Park, MD 20653. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Helen Marian Finch, 84 Helen Marian Finch, 84, of Mechanicsville, MD died July 8, 2009, at her home surrounded by her loving family. Born June 3, 1925 in Tippets, MD she was the daughter of the late Jesse Matthew Windsor and Annie C. (Farrell) Windsor. She was a lov-

The County Times

ing wife to the late Harry Chandler Finch who died March 25, 1993. She is survived by her 13 children; daughters, Dianne Wiley (Bud) of Lincolnton, NC, Jane Robeson (Ken), of Mechanicsville, MD, Linda Reamy (Mike) of Brandywine, MD, Kathy Finch of Brandywine, MD, Dorothy Dennis of Hollywood, MD, Juanita Abell (Kee) of Mechanicsville, MD, Becky Russell (Rocky) of Lexington Park, MD, sons; Harry Finch, Jr. (Eileen) of Mechanicsville, MD, David Finch (Patsy) of Charlotte Hall, MD, Eddie Finch, Sr., (Denise), Steve Finch, Sr., Donald Finch, Sr., John Finch, Sr. (Lori) all of Mechanicsville, MD. She is also survived by 33 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her grandchildren Kevin Gardiner and Elizabeth George and five sisters, Rena Windsor, Catherine Brown, Evelyn Estep, Estelle Kenney and Mildred Tayman. Family received friends for Mrs. Finch’s Life Celebration on Sunday, July 12, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road Leonardtown, MD where prayers were recited at 5:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, July 13, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD. The celebrant was Father Ron Potts. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were her sons; Harry Finch, David Finch, Eddie Finch, Steve Finch, Donald Finch and John Finch. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s School, 43927 St. John’s Road, Hollywood, MD 20636 or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Robert “Bobby” Edward Lee Forbes, Jr., 60 R o b e r t “Bobby” Edward Lee Forbes, Jr., 60, of Mechanicsville, MD died June 21, 2009 at his home of cancer. Born September 29, 1948 in Washington, DC, he was the son of the late Robert E. Lee Forbes, Sr. and Julia Frances Herbert Forbes. Bobby was raised in Aquasco, MD. He graduated from St. Mary’s Notre Dame High School in Bryantown, MD. He served in the U.S. Army. He did a tour of duty in Vietnam 1970-1971. He was a direct descendant of President Thomas Jefferson, the Calverts of Maryland, and the Lees of Virginia. He retired from Pepco/Mirant after 32 years of service. On December 3, 1971, he married Carolyn M. Hicks of Hughesville,

MD. Bobby loved farming, hunting, traveling, gardening, attending flowers, Saturday morning Bible Study and playing with his grandchildren. The love of his life was serving his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He did mission work in Mexico and with his son-in-law in Moldova (former part of USSR). He was a prayer warrior to the end of his life. He served faithfully as a deacon and an usher. There was no task that he was not willing to do to help anyone or to serve the Lord. On Father’s Day at the end of his life, his family and church family witnessed his going home to be with his Heavenly Father. Moments before he passed, he was singing Amazing Grace. As he took his last breath, he was looking up towards heaven and raised his hands toward Jesus. Bobby was the loving and devoted husband of Carolyn “Cookie” M. Hicks Forbes, father of Carolyn “Candy” Farren of Leonardtown, MD and Amy Lee Forbes of Mechanicsville, MD, father-in-law to Jack “Jef” Farren, Jr. and future father-in-law to Steve Wolbach. He leaves behind his most treasured gifts, his grandchildren, Jesse, Faith Annabelle, Julia Grace, and Jacob Farren. He was the brother of Julia Lee Forbes of Charlotte Hall, MD, Florence “Flo” K. Lambert of Annapolis, MD, George J. Forbes of Hughesville, MD, Clarence A. Forbes and his wife Phyllis of Port Tobacco, MD, Carter F. Forbes and his wife Shelly of Hughesville, MD, Henry “Harry” L. Forbes and his wife Melodye of Reynolds, GA, John “Nick” S. Forbes and his wife Clare of Charlotte Hall, MD, devoted sister-in-law, Brenda and her husband Lee Hetrich of Bryans Road, MD, and a host of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Jesse M. Forbes. A celebration of his life took place at Leonardtown Baptist Church, Leonardtown, MD on June 25, 2009 with Pastors Mark Dooley and John Fields officiating. He was laid to rest at Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Pallbearers were Jef Farren, Steve Wolbach, Gary Chappie, Mike Wallace, Wayne Hetrich, Lee Hetrich, George Forbes, Clarence Forbes, Carter Forbes, Harry Forbes, and Nick Forbes. Honorary pallbearers were Steve Szepesi, Terry DeBoe, and Billy Bowler. Memorial contributions may be made to Robert Forbes Memorial Fund, c/o Leonardtown Baptist Church, P.O. Box 450, Leonardtown, MD 20650 for Disaster Relief and World Hunger. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Myrtle Tettimer “Myrt” Hance, 65 Myrtle Tettimer “Myrt” Hance, 65, of Prince Frederick, MD passed away on July 12, 2009 in Washington, DC. She was born on November 16, 1943 in Prince Frederick, MD

to the late William Andrew Tettimer, Sr. and Doris Woolford Tettimer. She was the beloved wife of Thomas Lloyd Hance, Jr. whom she married on October 6, 1969 in LaPlata, MD. Myrt graduated from Calvert High School in 1961 and went to be the Corporate Secretary / Treasurer for Thomas L. Hance, Inc. for over 32 years. She was a member of the March of Dimes and the Calvert County Cruisers and enjoyed traveling to bird dog field trails with Tom and to her vacation villa in Florida with her dear friend Audrey. Myrt is survived by her mother, Doris W. Tettimer; husband, Thomas L. Hance, Jr.; children, Thomas Hance, III and wife Lanita and Tracy Hance Atherton and husband Jason, all of Prince Frederick, MD; siblings, Doris Ann Weems, Patricia Tettimer, and James Tettimer, all of Port Republic, MD, and Thomas Tettimer of Prince Frederick, MD; grandchildren, LaToya Hance, Thomas Hance, IV, Jacob Hance, Andrew Hance, Troy Hance, Samuel Atherton, and Grace Atherton. She was preceded in death by her father and one brother William Tettimer, Jr. Pallbearers will be Thomas Hance, IV, Jacob Hance, Andrew Hance, Jason Atherton, Thomas Tettimer, and James Tettimer. The family will receive friends on Friday, July 17, 2009 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM in the Rausch Funeral Home, Lusby, MD. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 10 AM in the funeral home chapel with Rev. William Davis officiating. Interment will follow in St. Paul United Methodist Cemetery, Lusby, MD. In lieu of flowers the family request contributions to be made to the American Cancer Society – Calvert County Unit, P.O. Box 752, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.

Jean Kathryn Mertaugh, 77 Jean Kathryn Mertaugh, 77, of Lexington Park, MD died June 6, 2009, at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. Born June 25, 1932 in Lorain, OH, she was the daughter of the late Floyd Ruben Garl and Margaret Kathryn Garl. She was a loving mother and wife who enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Her other interests included old movies, boating, and reading. She is survived by her husband, Lawrence J. Mertaugh of Lexington Park, MD; her daughter, Margaret K. Cook, of Starkville, MS, sons Michael L. Mertaugh, of Easton, MD, and Patrick D. Mertaugh, of Preston, MD, and her grandchildren; Timo-

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Continued thy Cook, Elayne K. Mertaugh, and Joseph P. Mertaugh. She is also survived by her brother, Gerald Garl of Ocala, FL In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her half sister, Dorothy Peterman, and her brother Floyd Garl. The family received friends on Monday, July 13, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A Memorial Service was conducted at 3:30 p.m. Interment was private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Relief Fund, P.O. Box 184, Hollywood, MD 20636. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Helen Elizabeth Pilkerton, 85 Helen Elizabeth “Liz” Pilkerton, 85, of Ocean View, DE, and formerly of Lexington Park, MD died July 8, 2009 in Anne Arundel County Medical Center. Born

October 4, 1923 in Hollywood, MD she was the daughter of the late David Richard and Myrtle Mae (Copsey) Dean of Hollywood, MD. She was the loving wife of the late John Southeron Pilkerton whom she married on January 20, 1943. She is survived by her children: Rebecca A. Frenzel of Ocean View, DE, Wanda M. Fern of Arnold, MD, Master Sergeant John R. Pilkerton of Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, VA, Joseph T. Pilkerton of West Palm Beach, FL, Catherine R. Marcoux of Fall River, MA, her brother Thomas H. Dean of Hollywood, MD, 18 grandchildren as well as 16 GreatGrandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband John Southeron Pilkerton, her Children Helen P. Pilkerton, Thelma T. Silva, and her siblings Chester Dean, Richard Levi Dean, Agnes T. Guy and May Violet Abell. Helen was a resident of St. Mary’s County until she moved to DE in 2001. Helen was a member of the Women of the Moose (WOTM) of College Park, MD. She enjoyed reading, puzzles and was a huge fan of the Baltimore Orioles. The family received friends on Sunday, July 12, 2009 from 2:00 – 5:00 PM in The Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home Chapel, Leonardtown, MD, where prayers were said at 3:00 PM. Funeral services were held on Monday, July 13, 2009 in Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home chapel at 10:00 AM. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonar-

dtown, MD. Pallbearers were Jeremy Pilkerton, Shawn Pilkerton, Bradley Pilkerton, Justin Pilkerton, Stephen Abell and Roger Silva. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Lucille Elizabeth “Cookie” Pilkerton, 77 Lucille Elizabeth “Cookie” Pilkerton, 77, of Mechanicsville, MD died July 11, 2009 in Lexington Park, MD. Born March 18, 1932 in Loveville, MD she was the daughter of the late Richard Lee and Agnes Lucille Graves Buckler. She was the loving wife of Lawrence Lenwood Pilkerton whom she married on August 4, 1958 in St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Leonardtown, MD and who preceded her in death on June 9, 2005. She is survived by her children Lawrence Stephen Pilkerton of Mechanicsville, MD and Arthur Lenwood Pilkerton of La Plata, MD, her sister Margaret Chiarizia of Annapolis, MD, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her son Richard Garband Dixon and her siblings; James Stephen Buckler, Lucy Isabelle Buckler, Lena Pilkerton, Wilmer Buckler, Warren Buckler, Lawrence Buckler, Leo Buckler, Claude Buckler, Estelle Bellemare and Howard Buckler. A lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County, Cookie attended St. Mary’s Academy. She was a secretary at St. Mary’s Hospital and was also a retired

“Caring is Our Business” FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE COUNTY’S MOST TRUSTED SOURCE FOR QUALITY

Granite & Bronze Monuments & Engraving Pet Cemetery and Memorials

Charles Memorial Gardens, Inc. Perpetual Care Cemetery

26325 Point Lookout Road • Leonardtown, MD 20650

301-475-8060

charlesmemorialgardens.com

supervisor from C & P Telephone. She loved her family, friends and country music. She belonged to the AFL C10-Local 2300. The family received friends on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM in the MattingleyGardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were said at 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 10:00 AM in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Mechanicsville, MD with Fr. Peter Alliata officiating. Interment followed in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Morganza, MD. Pallbearers were Roy Buckler, Harold Buckler, Patrick Guy, Billy Roger Alvey, Johnny Alvey Jr. and Jeff Chedester. Honorary pallbearers were Lester Buckler and Donald Patrick Buckler. Contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O.Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences may be left for the family at www. mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Rebecca Lee Pounds, 50 Rebecca Lee Pounds, 50, of Leonardtown, MD died unexpectedly from complications of a severe asthma attack on her 50th birthday, July 6, 2009 at St. Mary’s Hospital. Born July 6, 1959 in St. Petersburg, FL, she was the daughter of (Billye) Agnes McGaharn and the late Joseph Hardy. She attended the DOD elementary school Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Cuba, St. Johns Catholic School Hollywood, MD, Esperanza Middle School, and graduated from Great Mills High School in 1977. She also attended the College of Southern Maryland previously know as the Charles County Community College. She was employed at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, Several Area Restaurants, and the Leonardtown Daycare Service. She enjoyed culinary arts, traveling, horse back riding, arts and crafts, reading, writing poetry, attending multi-cultural events, and camping at music festivals. Her life passions were raising her three daughters; singing, dancing, and providing comic relief for family and friends. She is survived by her mother, her husband; James David Pounds, her children; Katelynn Beavers, Lauren Gould, and Leanna Pounds and sister; Lisa A. Gould Stein, brother in law Dennis W. Stein, nieces; Brandi, Ashley, Cassidy, and nephew; Dustin all of Leonardtown, MD. Step Father Charles Gould and Step Mother Barbara Gould of La Plata, MD. Several Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins, and her very special friends Bellamy Hinz, Flo Slade, Jay Bird, Sandy Rowell, Kyle Archer, Jody Archer, Paula Schafer and so many, many more. Family received friends for Rebecca’s Life Celebration on Thursday, July 9, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Prayers were recited at 7:00

p.m. A Funeral Service was conducted on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home. Interment was private. Condolences to the family may be made to www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Shana Leigh “Baby Girl” Ridgell, 18 Shana Leigh “Baby Girl” Ridgell, 18, of Mechanicsville, MD died at Prince George’s Shock Trauma Center where she succumbed to her injuries on July 9, 2009 from a car accident. Shana was born on January 8, 1991 in Leonardtown, MD. She was the daughter of Albert “Dusty” and Hilda Ridgell, and Amy and Paul Howell. Shana was a graduate of the Class of 2009 at Chopticon High School. She was employed at Fred Parson’s and Associates Insurance Company in Leonardtown, MD. Shana’s main priority was her family and friends. She loved to spend time at the MIR Raceway. She loved all types of outdoor sports, especially football. Shana’s favorite animals were pigs. Her No. 1 passion was her 1997 Chevy S-10 Truck; this was her “Baby Girl”. In addition to her parents, Shana is survived by two brothers; Dustin Ridgell and Kevin Quade, Jr., and two sisters; Jazmen Howell and Susie Quade, her fiancé, Robert “Robby” Ching, Jr., grandparents; Orem and Ann Ridgell, Bill “Bookie” and Mary Bookwalter, Jim and Linda Howell, and Russell and Dottie Bonner, three great-grandparents; Betty Bookwalter, Agnes Ridgell and Lillian Grady, aunts and uncles; David and Crystal Bookwalter, Billy and Willia Bookwalter, Becky Bookwalter, Danni Quade, Al and Sally Marlow, Kevin Howell, Jim and Eve Howell and cousins. “Baby Girl” Shana you are loved by all and will be greatly missed. Family received friends on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Prayers were recited at 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Service will be conducted on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, 21708 Mt. Zion Church Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659 with Reverend Susan Carns officiating. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Bushwood, MD. Serving as pallbearers will be her family and friends; Frankie Bowles, Chris Sampson, Adam Miedzinski, David Thompson, Brent Spalding and Jesse Norris. Memorial contributions may be made at any PNC Bank to the Shana Leigh Ridgell Memorial Fund. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

un Fact

Scientists have determined that fungi are more closely related to human beings and animals than to other plants.

CSM Raises Tuition for Fall 2009

Beginning with the Fall 2009 semester, tuition at the College of Southern Maryland will increase $2 per credit hour for residents of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. In-county residents will now pay $100 per credit, and the comprehensive fee will remain 23 percent of tuition. For a full-time student enrolled in 12 credits, the increase in tuition will amount to $26. Tuition for other Maryland residents outside of the tri-county region will increase to $174 per credit and for out-of-state residents, $225 per credit. According to Dr. Brad Gottfried, CSM’s president, an increase in county and state support moderated the tuition increase. “At one point, we were projecting a $5 per credit increase, but reduced it to $2 per credit because of the support of our elected officials,” he said. CSM’s budget is primarily supported by funding from the state, the three counties of Southern Maryland and tuition and fees. The budget reflects an overall increase of 2.7 percent over FY09. In presenting the recommended budget to the trustees, CSM Vice President of Student and Instructional Support Services Bill Comey noted that while the college has taken multiple steps to contain costs, increases in utilities and other fixed costs and decreases in miscellaneous and investment income have resulted in the college needing to increase tuition. He also indicated that while support from local county governments has remained strong, state aid currently makes up only 21 percent of the colleges budget. It would have been lower, and the tuition hike higher, had not the legislature provided additional funding to the states community colleges at the last moment.

Know

In The

CSM Honors Partnership with Healthcare Alliance

College and hospital administrators gathered in Maryland by 300 students and add 20 faculty poto unveil a plaque donating the College of Southern sitions. Successful implementation of CSM’s SEL Maryland’s recently renovated Francis P. Chiara- project could result in up to 24 more graduates per monte, Maryland Center for Science and Technol- academic year. ogy, dedicating the building’s atrium in honor of the A group of stakeholders established the “Who partners of the Chesapeake-Potomac Healthcare Al- Will Care?” campaign to double the number of nurse liance, which has provided $350,000 to the Maryland graduates in Maryland due to the nursing shortage. Hospital Association’s “Who Will Care?” campaign, The initiative aims to raise $60 million in public and designating $233,000 specifically go to CSM’s initia- private sources to graduate an additional 1,500 nurses tive to solve local nursing and healthcare shortages. per year. To date, donors have pledged $15.5 million The college receives state funds, local funds and over the next five years. tuition from students, said CSM President Bradley For information on CSM’s nursing and allied Gottfried,, but it is the contribution from partnerships health technology programs, visit http://www.csmd. that have allowed CSM’s nursing program to get to edu/healthcare/. the next level. This funding will make a profound difference, said Gottfried. The Maryland Hospital Association has announced the College of Southern Maryland as among the initial grant recipients of its “Who Will Care?” campaign to increase the number of nurse graduates. With this grant, CSM will begin the Simulation Enhanced Learning project to enhance learning with simulation scenarios to improve retention and graduation rates. CSM was one of 17 recipients in the Susan Vogel, Executive Director Civista Health Foundation; Dolores first-round of “Who Will Care?” grants. Martin, Executive Director of Chesapeake-Potomac Home Health The grants will be used to provide addi- Agency; CSM Board of Trustees Chair James Raley; Christine Wray, tional operating dollars to nursing schools President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Mary’s Hospital; Chair of to add faculty, students and clinical tech- CSM’s “Campaign for the Next 50 Years” and Besche Oil CEO Mike Besche; Robert McWhirt, Chief Nursing Executive for Calvert Memonology. Statewide, these initial grants will rial Hospital; CSM Board of Trustees Vice Chair Mary Maddox Krug; increase the number of nurses graduating CSM Foundation Chair Donald M. Parsons Jr. and CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried.

Higher Education Center Offering New Programs

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer The Southern Maryland Higher Education Center in California released its new academic catalogue, which includes at least half a dozen new degree programs, at an open house on July 9. “One of the areas is [a master’s degree] in Information Assurance from Capitol College, and they’re actually building a doctorate program for that there,” said Cynthia Shoemaker, university programs director for the center. Based in Laurel, the college is also offering a new Bachelor of Science degree in Management of Technology. “Another one is information security and engineering management from George Washington University, and that one is starting this fall,” said Shoemaker, explaing that this year’s offerings were in part a response to a general shortage of certain programs, namely those for information assurance, math education and social work. Towson University, for example, has added a master’s degree in math education for teachers on the middle school track, and the school is hoping to bring in a program for secondary math teachers in the fall. The Higher Education Center partners with universities in the Baltimore-Washington region to offer a range of degree and professional development programs at its building off Airport Road in California. Representatives at the open house gave out information on the nearly 100 programs that have already been put in place since the center opened in 1994, as well as new programs. Some degree programs are already in place with applications accepted at certain times, Shoemaker said. Among them is Catholic University of America’s Master of Social Work, which starts in January and students can apply now. “It’s a 60-credit master’s degree. It’s a very long degree, but it’s very badly needed in this area, and no other institution of higher ed is offering that,” she said. Catholic University will also be offering new bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing starting in January 2010 or the fall of 2010, pending final approval. “They are working out paperwork with the state and we’ll have an information session before it starts, so you should just call or e-mail the center to be on the email group for that information session,” Shoemaker said. Shoemaker added that several other programs were still waiting in the wings for approval to start at the center, and that updates would be made available as the programs were implemented. Available now is George Washington University’s exist-

ing doctorate in Executive Leadership in Human and Organizational Learning, which is accepting applications for classes starting in January of 2010. Also offered at the center is the bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from the University of Maryland, “which has a lot of prerequisites, so people should inquire at the Southern Maryland Higher Ed Center for more details on that, and one needs to be free to work in the co-op program at the Pax base over the summer,” Shoemaker said. The Higher Education Center will hold its next open house on November 5. For more information on new and existing programs at the center, call 301-737-2500 or go to www.smhec.org. Kelly Patton shows Bart Ludlow information on degree programs from the College of Notre Dame at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center’s open house.

Education

Maryland Receives $14.4 million in Education Stimulus

The Maryland State Department of Education will soon receive $14.4 million through a special education grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, as part of the education funds provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, according to a department press release. State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick made the announcement on July 10 during the Autism Summit held in Baltimore. At this time, Maryland is the only state to receive this incentive grant, which will create Maryland’s Extended Individualized Family Service Plan option. Under Maryland’s existing Infants and Toddlers program, at age three, a child and family are no longer eligible for early intervention services through an Individualized Family Service Plan. The option, effective Jan. 1, 2010, will allow families currently receiving infants and toddlers services to have a choice to access services beyond age three until the child is eligible to enter kindergarten. Families will be offered the option if the child has a current plan and is determined eligible for preschool special education and related services as a child with a disability. “School readiness is the ultimate goal in expanding the possibilities for children with disabilities and their families,” rasmick said. “This new grant will provide the opportunity to incorporate the strength of our early childhood education system, along with the existing infants and toddlers family center service model.” More information is available at the Maryland State Department of Education Web site at www.MarylandPublicSchools.org.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Support Your Local Rescue Squad tmarina.com u o

16244 Miller’s Wharf Rd. Ridge, MD 20680

pointlo ok

Transcients welcome, full service department & Spinnaker’s Waterfront Restaurant on site.

301-872-5000

13210 Pt. Lookout Rd. Ridge, MD 20680 Ph. 301.872.0444 Fax 301.872.0445

The Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, located at 16515 Three Notch Road in Ridge, is a 100% volunteer, nonaffiliated EMS organization. Established in 1949, its members provide emergency medical services to the communities of Scotland, Ridge, Dameron, St. James/Park Hall, Historic St. Mary’s City, St. Inigoes, Point Lookout State Park and the Naval Air Station Patuxent River – Webster Field Annex located in St. Inigoes. In addition, the squad also provides mutual aid to neighboring squads located in Lexington Park, Valley Lee, Leonardtown, Hollywood, Avenue and Mechanicsville. Each day volunteers donate their time serving their community. On Thursday, July 23rd, you can support these volunteers by participating in RVRS SPIRIT DAY while dining at Damon’s Grill in Lexington The Glass Garden shoppe

www.woodlawn-farm.com

18080 Point Lookout Road Park Hall, MD 20667 Phone: 301.863.7199 • Fax: 301.863.7599 Rt. 5, Just North of St. Mary’s City

theglassgardenshoppe.com

For more information or to learn how to become a member, check out their website, www.ridgevrs.org or email info@ridgevrs. org. You can also call the station at 301-872-5970.

BAYMART

Convenience Store

301.872.0033

16591 Three Notch Rd. Ridge, MD 20680

Do Dah Deli

pat’s S

peed hop

Speed equipment HigH perFormance tuning 24/7 towing

p.o. Box 60 • rte. 5, Snowhill rd. park Hall, md 20667

(301) 863-2111

Fax: (301) 863-5531

49675 Buzz’s Marina Way Ridge, MD 20680

Storage, bait, chum, gasoline, ice, ramp www.buzzsmarina.com

301-872-5887

Chesapeake Bay Charter Boat Fishing With Capt Dave Bradburn Aboard the “Ruth D” A 42 foot Bay Built Boat Located at Drury’s Marina

16040 Woodlawn Lane Ridge, MD 20680

301.872.0555

Park. Damon’s Grill will be donating 10% of all food sales from patrons presenting the Spirit Day ticket. If you forget your ticket at home, just let your server know that you are supporting RVRS.

In St. Mary’s County On St. Jerome Creek Just minutes from the Chesapeake Phone: 301-872-4480, 301-872-4288 or 301-872-5217

www.captdavesfishing.com

Drury’s M

arina

& Fishing Center

301-872-4480 drurymarina.com 49768 Airedele Rd. Ridge, MD 20680

Ridge MaRket 13270 Pt. Lookout RD, MD 20680 (Rt. 5)

Phone (301) 872-5121

• Chinese Food • Liquor & Wine Selection • Bait

Store Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 8am – 9pm Fri – Sat: 7am – 9pm • Sunday: 7am – 8pm

We Gladly Accept Food Stamps and Independence Cards

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Police Charge Five In Shooting Investigation

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Local investigators with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations are still looking for answers in the case involving five men charged with weapons violations stemming from a shooting in Great Mills late last week. Jerell Darnel Owens, 22, of Callaway was arrested and charged along with four others after deputies responded to a call for shots fired at Fox Chase Apartments at about 2:15 a.m. July 11. Deputies and state troopers got a vehicle description after arriving on the scene and Sheriff’s Office patrol units stopped

porting a handgun in the vehicle. Owens was also found with a pair of brass knuckles and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, police charging documents stated. He remains incarcerated in the county detention center. Capt. Rick Burris, commander of the criminal investigative section, said that it was unclear why the weapon was allegedly discharged. “It’s unclear what they were shooting at,” Burris told The County Times. “There’s no witness information as to who the actual shooter or shooters were.” The four remaining suspects have since been released, online court documents show.

Crime&

Punishment Briefs

Man Charged With Hindering Investigation On July 11, 2009, Cpl. P. Handy was investigating a reported shooting near a residence on Lexington Court in Great Mills, Maryland. Handy was at the home of the reported victim. As Cpl. Handy attempted to enter the residence to check for possible victims, Charles Aloysius Bowman, 46, of Great Mills allegedly attempted to prevent Handy from entering into the residence. Bowman stepped in front of the Corporal, placed his hand on the Corporal’s chest and attempted to push the Corporal back. Bowman was arrested, charged with second-degree assault, and hindering.

Deputies Arrest Assault Suspects On July 12, 2009, deputies responded to a report of an assault in progress. Investigation revealed Michael Wayne Miller, 47, of Newburg was involved in a verbal argument with one victim, which escalated into a physical assault when Miller allegedly pushed the victim. Miller is then alleged to have punched a second victim, who had nothing to do with the verbal altercation, in the face. Miller was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree assault. On July 12, 2009, deputies responded to La Quinta Inn located in California for a report of an assault. Investigation revealed Micah Alann Martin, 22, of Chapman Village, Pa., described by witnesses as very intoxicated an unruly, allegedly assaulted the front desk clerk and his roommate. Martin is also alleged to have shattered a first floor window of the inn. Martin fled prior to the arrival of the deputies but was located a short time later.

D. Day

E. Frederick

J. Owens

the vehicle shortly afterwards on Chancellors Run Road. Law officers found a .380 caliber pistol in the f loor of the car and charged Owens; Zachary Anthony Faxon, 20, of Lexington Park; Elvis Tyrell Frederick, 23, of Loveville; Jerry Jerome Estep, 19, of Great Mills and Derrick Jermain Day, 24, of Leonardtown, with illegally trans-

J. Estep

Z. Faxon

According to charging documents, Owens and Faxon denied knowledge of any shots being fired, while Day admitted that a shot was fired but denied knowing who fired the weapon out of the window. Both Estep and Frederick declined to answer questions from deputies, charging documents stated.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Wal-Mart Bomb Threats

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

A Lusby woman accused earlier this year of making eight separate bomb threats at the California Wal-Mart Super Store where she was employed has pleaded guilty to three of those felony counts, according to the prosecutor on the case. Assistant State’s Attorney Julie White told The County Times that Chantel Cook, 32, was sentenced to three, six-year prison terms to be served concurrently at a state Department of Corrections facility. Chantel Cook Cook will serve a total of six years in incarceration, White said. “I think six years in the Department of Corrections is a fair sentence,” White said. “Her sentencing guidelines were four to eight years.” White said that Cook’s extensive criminal history in Virginia helped give her a stiffer sentence; Cook had a total of 15 felony convictions there for crimes such as theft and passing bad checks, according to White. “That’s why her guidelines were so high,” she said. Cook’s actions caused eight separate evacuations of employees from the store on Three

Notch Road over a nearly two-week period in February, the turning away of hundreds of customers and the closing of nearby establishments. White said that Cook’s apparent reason for calling in the threats, some of which were made while she was at work, was a mundane one. “When she made her confession… she said she didn’t want to go to work,” White said. “The impact on the community was greater than she could have imagined; it shut down the area for seven of 10 days.” Wal-Mart employees often stood in blustery winter conditions, including sleet and snow, waiting for the all-clear signal to come for them to go back to work. On one day the store had to perform two evacuations due to the threats. Law enforcement and emergency personnel had to continually search for an explosive device that never materialized. Cook will also have to pay nearly $35,000 in restitution through wage garnishment to businesses that were affected by her actions, White said. “Anytime she works she’ll be paying that bill,” White said.

On July 12, 2009, deputies responded to a report of an assault and investigation revealed Rodney Glenn Battle, Jr., 22, of California was in a verbal dispute, which escalated into a physical assault when Battle allegedly slapped the victim and forced the victim’s head into a wall. Battle was charged with second-degree assault.

Philip H. Dorsey III Attorney at Law

-Serious Personal Injury CasesLEONARDTOWN: 301-475-5000 TOLL FREE: 1-800-660-3493 EMAIL: phild@dorseylaw.net

www.dorseylaw.net

The County Times

Cover On The

Thursday, July 16, 2009

St. John’s Priests Celebrate Gold and Silver Anniversaries

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

It was a relaxed afternoon for Pastor Raymond Schmidt, affectionately known by parishioners as “Father Ray,” who recently celebrated his 25th anniversary with the Catholic Church. He grinned at his pastor in residence, Father Eamon Dignan, who celebrated his 50th anniversary this past month, as they walked through the sanctuary at St. John Francis Re-

Rev. Raymond Schmidt gis Church in Hollywood, the sunlight filtering through the stained glass windows and sending a warm glow over the empty pews. It was a well-deserved moment of tranquility as they took the time to share what brought them both to this point.

Ireland’s Own “I have a strong connection to the United States,” said Dignan, explaining that both of his parents lived in Ireland before his father came to Chicago in 1900, and his mother came to New York in 1907. It wasn’t until the two returned to their homestead that they met and were married, settling to raise nine children in western Ireland, where Dignan was born in 1934 and where he recently visited to celebrate his 50th anniversary with family members. “It’s quite changed since my time, and I’m seeing almost the death of the village I grew up in because of the migration of families out of those areas,” he said. “We had 10 acres and we grew potatoes, vegetables, we had some cattle, and we had sufficiency. I never remember feeling poor. We definitely weren’t rich, but

I never remember having a sense of being poor, because we were all the same and there was a great sense of sharing. Looking back it was a very fine way to live.” Dignan said he became attracted to the priesthood in the late 1940s, in part because of recruiters from the United States. “I was ordained by the Archdiocese of Washington. There was a reason too, because Washington split off from Baltimore in 1948 and predominantly in that area there they needed more priests, so they came to Ireland looking for seminarians,” he said, explaining what called him to service. “I was always kind of a dreamer, so that’s probably what attracted me to the priesthood,” he explained, adding later that, “It’s probably a minor miracle in itself that I did, because growing up on a small farm secondary education was quite rare, and it’s just circumstances worked out so that I was able to go to high school, which would be what we would call college in Ireland, and then university was the next level … I was the first ever in my village to graduate from high school, so that’s how rare it was.” After developing his own passions for history and poetry, Dignon said he has entire blocks of text from Coleridge’s “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” still banked in his memory, ready to spring to his lips in a moment’s notice. After spending some time as an athletic star of sorts (playing in the minor leagues’ national championship for Irish football in Dublin in the early 1950s), and six years at Kierans Seminary (in Kilkenny, Ireland), Dignan was ordained in 1959 by the Archdiocese of Washington, serving in Washington D.C. before moving to Southern Maryland for his last 29 years before retirement. Though he still serves as the priest in residence for St. John’s in Hollywood, Dignan said his time in the ministry is spent aiding rather than leading as a pastor, filling in as needed for parishioners as he also continues to work with missions in Uganda and the United States.

Southern Maryland Pilgrimage “I was so thrilled when I was just ordained in 1983,” exclaimed Father Ray as he looked out the window. “We walked on a pilgrimage from Bowie, which is where I was stationed at the time, all the way to Colton’s Point and then we took the boat over to St. Clement’s Island and celebrated mass there,” he said, describ-

ing the trip as a defining moment in his career. “It was three full days of walking, so the first day we got from Bowie to Rosaryville and collapsed, and the second day from Rosaryville to Bryantown, collapsed, and the third day we went from Bryantown to Chaptico and I almost died. And the last day it was like a Bataan death march! We went from Chaptico to Colton’s Point, and there was something so magical about seeing and knowing what the county looked like as far back as ’83,” he said, explaining that he has drawn on the experience often since he took over as pastor at St. John’s five years ago. “I do get it,” he said. “I know how much this county’s changed.” Another defining moment for Schmidt was his first call to service. “I went to [the University of Virginia] in Charlottesville, where I got my undergraduate in French and general linguistics, and that’s Rev. Eamon Dignan where I discerned the call to priesthood,” he source has been the huge database kept by the said, explaining that his time spent studying in Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, the south of France had solidified his choice. where he orders microfiches that are mailed to “I felt like I came back from France with a local church branches from Salt Lake City. sense of vocation … it was really a tremendous “You can find any name in any part of the sort of almost experiential or born again expe- world … but no one seems to know that it’s rience in the context of mass on a Palm Sunday right here at our fingertips,” he said. my first year in college,” he said, “but I’d had no philosophy whatsoever.” From there Schmidt said he went to the The Odd Couple University of Dallas, where a group of Transylvanian monks tutored him in everything from There may not be two more different Aristotle to St. Thomas Aquinas, and after fin- people in the parish, each having moved from ishing five years of theology and philosophy different worlds to converge at one place in St. classes he was ordained and assigned to the Mary’s County, both celebrating milestones in Washington D.C. area. their service to the community. But as differFor the last five years he said he’s still been ent as their paths through the priesthood have getting used to his busy schedule at St. John’s. been, Schmidt says he and Dignan find ways to Between the time he spends doing counseling, inspire each other. funerals, weddings, confessions, and his work This became oddly evident as he explained at St. Mary’s Hospital or at nursing homes to his favorite Bible passage, 2 Corinthians 12:8: visit and pray with the sick, Schmidt said he “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is relies on inspiration coming to him at odd mo- made perfect in weakness.” ments when words from his readings jump off “Unlike this athletic man,” he said while the page for him. pointing to Dignan and smiling, “I don’t have “In the same way that fishermen watching an athletic bone in my body, so I always felt a bobber will notice if there’s a fish biting at like I was the weak one … so I like any passage it … I’m watching for that and waiting to pull that talks about weakness and not being afraid those words,” he said. or embarrassed because of weakness.” Schmidt’s favorite projects also include As for Dignan, he laughed when asked the working with St. Vincent De Paul Society to main thing he has learned about himself over help needy families in the area with assistance the years. programs sponsored by the church, and do“What have I learned? I’m handsome! ing mission work with a school in Haiti, but I would never even think of identifying one he also admits to having a passion for family thing about myself and sharing it,” he said. histories. “I’m a mystery to myself. That’s human nature. “My only real hobby is genealogy, which If we think we know ourselves, then we have is perfect in St. Mary’s County because ev- eliminated the mystery that every person is.” eryone’s fascinated about roots and church records,” he said, adding that his favorite re-

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Join The CounTy Times And These Fine merChAnTs in CongrATulATing

rev. rAymond sChmidT

& rev.

For

25 yeArs oF serviCe

For

50 yeArs oF serviCe

eAmon dignAn (reTired)

www.gofirsthome.com 301-373-6640 Leonardtown, MD www.countywidepool.com www.amishheirloom.com 301-475-3704 301-884-8484 240-237-8228 www.danburris.com 301-475-3151

www.dbmcmillans.com 301-866-0777

ardiner MATTINGLEY

www.brandywineparts.com 301-863-6433

FUNERAL HOME, P.A.

www.cafedesartistes.ws 301-997-0500

www.mgfh.com 301-475-8500 www.mikescustompainting.net 301-373-7855

www.tomhodgesauto.com 301-373-2277

www.waynefloyd.com 301-862-4000

Lenny’s Restaurant www.dbmcmillans.com 301-866-0777 S & N Heating & Air Conditioning www.Snheatingac.com 301-884-5011 Charles Memorial Gardens www.charlesmemorialgardens.com 301-475-8060 DRN Environmental Solutions www.drnenvironmentalsolutions.com 301-475-9300 Guy Distributing www.abwholesaler.com 301-475-2811

John F Wood Jr Maryland State Delegate, District 29A 301-884-2345 Martin’s Auto Tech www.Martinsautotech.com 301-373-2266 Towne Florist www.towneflorist.net 301-475-2551 SeaBreeze Restaurant & Crab House Sandgates Road at the Patuxent River 301-373-5121

Combs Drury Reeves insurance agency

Dean’s Service Center Hollywood, MD 301-373-2231 Brinsfield Funeral Homes www.brinsfieldfuneral.com 301-475-5588 A & A Electrical Service Mechanicsville, MD 301-472-1962 B & T Powerwashing Hollywood, MD 301-536-3563 Classic Hair and Nails Janet Rue 301-863-7307

www.cdr-ins.com 301-475-5674 Photos By Frank Marquart

A House is a Home

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Find the Right Contractor Fit for Your Basement Remodel

One of the more popular projects for homeowners is turning a basement into a more livable area. Be it converting the basement into a home theater or adding a bar and pool table to make it your very own watering hole, ideas abound when it comes to converting the lowest level of the home. But even though theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re popular, basement remodeling jobs are not for every doit-yourselfer. In fact, those envisioning their dream basement might want to consider hiring a contractor rather than going it alone. Because of the extensive work that goes into finishing a basement, the help of a professional can be the ideal way to ensure you get that dream room, be it a home theater, crafts room or your very own â&#x20AC;&#x153;man caveâ&#x20AC;?. When looking for a contractor, be sure to consider the following. * Insurance: A contractor worth hiring will have the appropriate insurance. While this seems like a no-brainer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commonly overlooked by homeowners, especially if a contractor is offering his services at a discounted rate. General liability insurance is a must, as it protects your home should the basement be damaged by the contractor or employees of his firm. Homeowners also must ask if a contractor has workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; compensation insurance. If he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, you might be found liable should a

worker get injured on your property. Ask any contractor youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re considering for the name of his insurance company and contact that company to verify his coverage. If he isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t comfortable providing this information, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hire him. * Permits: Even though a basement remodel is inside your home, that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean the project wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require certain permits. In fact, your homeowners insurance likely mandates a permit to do any major projects, like a basement remodel. While homeowners can pull permits themselves, the contractor should do this. If he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to, it could be a warning sign that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a licensed contractor. In addition, pulling a permit can be a hassle, one homeowners shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to put up with if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hired someone for the work. * References: Reliable contractors will have a list of references at the ready. Some homeowners tell tales of being burned by a contractor who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live up to expectations. This contractor may not have been researched thoroughly. Always get written references. These should be dated and be from customers the contractor has worked with over the last 12 months. Also, when asking for references, ask about the contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent experience with basement remodeling jobs. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want your basement to be a contractorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first attempt at such a project; you want the contractor to be well versed

When envisioning their dream basements, many homeowners are quick to think of converting their existing basement into a home theater. But thanks to the difficult nature of such a project, it might be in a homeownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best interest to hire a contractor.

in the job to ensure he does it right and keeps costs down. * Guarantees: The contractor should offer a guarantee that covers the work for a specific period of time. In general, a 12-month guarantee is acceptable. But be sure that all materials have acceptable warranties as well. These are

often more than a year, and you should make sure that the contractor uses only materials that come with warranties. For the environmentally conscious homeowner, ask the contractor to use green-friendly materials when building the basement.

!"#$#%% & ' ' ( )

( *+ ' , $

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Dining on the Water

" "

Call Ahead Lunch

Specializing in Maryland Wines

! '

,&&* "&))+/ # #

Beer Pong! Tournament

Friday July 17th

Prizes

Must be 21 or older to Participate

Registration at 8:00 p.m. Tournament Starts at 9 p.m.

Support Team

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Treasure Chestâ&#x20AC;?

&)&%. &,'&-0

(Beth Kennedy, Sonja Cox, Kellie Chaney, Cindy Bucci & Amber Smith)

# #

" !

# # # " ! "

Walking 60-miles in the Breast Cancer 3-Day

#.,$(0

BeneďŹ ting Susan G. Komen for the Cure Outside Patio NOW OPEN!

Join usâ&#x20AC;Ś

Saturday, July 18 Anytime from 11am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2am At The Rivers Edge Restaurant/Bar In Benedict, Maryland 20612

Come by boat or land!

â&#x20AC;˘ DJ & Live Music 9pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2am Feeling Lucky? â&#x20AC;˘ Karaoke Redskins â&#x20AC;˘ Silent Auction tickets just one of â&#x20AC;˘ Raffles the great items! â&#x20AC;˘ 50/50

? **)6 )2(7 31) 6)786-'8-327 %440< 38,)6 74)'-%0 6%8)7 %2( 8)617 1%< &) %:%-0%&0) 73 7)) <396 ()%0)6 *36 ()8%-07 %2( 38,)6 = 2%2'-2+ 348-327 9&.)'8 83 %4463:)( '6)(-8 32 3,2 ))6) 6)(-8 ):30:-2+ 0%2 % 7)6:-') 3* -2%2'-%0 * 7 & 36 '32791)6 97) 320< *8)6 463138-32%0 4)6-3( = 2%2') ',%6+)7 ;-00 &)+-2 83 %''69) %8 4)6 1328, 1-2-191 = 2%2') ',%6+) 1%< &) 6)59-6)( "432 ()*%908 3* <396 %''3928 8,) -28)6)78 6%8) 1%< -2'6)%7) 83 @ **)6 )2(7

!,-7 3**)6 238 %:%-0%&0) -2 %0-*362-% 36 *36 496',%7) 3* 92-87 83 &) 97)( -2 %0-*362-% 6-')7 %2( 13()0 %:%-0%&-0-8< 1%< :%6< &< ()%0)6 31) 6)786-'8-327 %440< 38,)6 74)'-%0 6%8)7 %2( 8)617 1%< &) %:%-0%&0) 73 7)) <396 ()%0)6 *36 ()8%-07 %2( 38,)6 = 2%2'-2+ 348-327 :%-0%&0) %8 4%68-'-4%8-2+ ()%0)67 A %:) 94 83 " 32 %88%',1)287 %2( %'')7736-)7 3**)6 %:%-0%&0) %6', 8,639+, 9+978 %:-2+7 3**)6 32 3,2 ))6) >&6%2()( %88%',1)287 36 %'')7736-)7 496',%7)( ;-8, % 2); $"# )6-)7 "8-0-8< #),-'0) 6-')7 %2( 13()07 1%< :%6< &< ()%0)6 31) 6)786-'8-327 1%< %440< 6-')7 %2( 7%:-2+7 -2 " (300%67 )) <396 ()%0)6 *36 ()8%-07 3,2 ))6) 7 +6))2 %2( <)003; '3036 7',)1) 8,) 0)%4-2+ ())6 7<1&30 %2( %6) 86%()1%6/7 3* ))6) 314%2< DC3CUAI6227 -CAR3x100513CCR-4C-00287274

Come for lunch, dinner, a night outâ&#x20AC;Ś Please, come to support our efforts for a great cause! Reservations Strongly Recommended

(301) 274-2828

10% of all sales are donated to the cause

7320 Benedict Ave. P.O. Box 232 â&#x20AC;˘ Benedict, MD 20612

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

A House is a Home Planning Essential to Home Projects A change of seasons can inspire any homeowner to embark on a home renovation project. Proper planning will make the job much easier. No matter who will be doing the work -- a contractor or a do-it-yourselfer -- proper planning is an important part of any homeimprovement project. Contractors should be notified exactly as to what the homeowner wants accomplished. Homeowners need to meet with professionals, explain the work and get realistic estimates. Do-it-yourselfers also should plan ahead to ensure they have set aside enough time for the project, have the right equipment and materials and understand the work. Having the proper equipment means getting the tools specifically designed for the task, but also having tools that are in good condition. It is a nice idea to check that tools are in working order before beginning a project. All handles should be fixed firmly into the tool’s working end, and jaw teeth, cutters and blades should be sharp. Throw away any damaged tools. If, when planning a project, do-it-yourselfers discover they don’t have a tool they need, they can rent, buy or borrow it. Renting or borrowing allows them to see if they like a particular model or brand, making the decision easier when they finally decide to buy the

tool. For those who want to buy the tool, many home improvement professionals recommend going to a knowledgeable local dealer. After getting the proper equipment, homeowners should follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using each tool. Tools should be kept clean, dry and away from excessive heat. With proper planning and the right tools and materials, homeowners can be well on their way to a successful project and a more beautiful home.

St. Mary’s County Elks Lodge #2092 Supports the Wounded Warrior Project 2009/2010

July 18th Dinner & Comedy Night Featuring

and Show- $30 per person Tickets: Dinner Show only - $20 per person

Comedy Show Starts at 7:30PM

Dinner Starts at 6:00PM Baked Ham with pineapple glaze • Grilled Chicken with a garlic sauce • Buttered Red Potatoes • Italian Green Beans • Tomato, Mozzarella and cucumbers salad • Assorted Rolls • Tea and Coffee

Opening Act Keith Alberstadt

Headliner Tom Foss

For more information, check out www.bpoe2092.org

LODGE # 2092

St. Mary’s County, MD.

301-863-7800

The Greatest Casualty is Being Forgotten...

We Thank All of Our Sponsors! Support Our Mission @ bpoe2092.org

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

A Journey Through Time The

Chronicle

Columnist Linda Reno was done to preclude escalation of property prices once the site was announced. They is a historian and genealogist would then transfer the parcels to the specializing in Southern government. They agreed and PresiMaryland history. Mrs. Reno is a dent Washington’s diary of March 29, member of the St. Mary’s County 1791 noted that he had “dined at Col. Historical Society, St. Mary’s County Forrest’s today with the CommisGenealogical Society, Charles County sioner and others.” The men moved Genealogical Society, Maryland Historical quickly as construction of the White Society and the Maryland Genealogical House began in 1792 followed by the Society. She has authored many books Capitol building in 1793. and articles on local history. We Uriah Forrest named his home hope you will enjoy these articles “Rosedale”, but today it’s called the Forrest-Marbury house. According to and welcome your comments several historians “this is the site of one of and suggestions for the United States’ most significant historifuture subjects. cal events--the establishment of the federal city of Washington, D.C.” On December 31, By Linda Reno 1992, the house became the Embassy of the Contributing Writer Ukraine. Not only did Uriah Forrest and BenjaUriah Forrest was born about 1746 min Stoddert assist in securing the land for in St. Mary’s County and was the son of the new capital, they also loaned the governThomas Forrest (1710-1782) and Henrietta ment bond money to begin construction of Raley (1714-1791) who lived in the area now the Capitol building. Another lender was known as Loveville. Their home was known Philip B. Key (son of Dr. John Key and wife, as “Forrest Hall.” Cecelia Brown of St. Mary’s County). Uriah Forrest entered the American army on Forrest is recognized as one of the foundJanuary 2, 1776 as a First Lieutenant but he ers of Washington, D.C., and rightfully so. eventually attained the rank of Lieutenant Before all was said and done, his efforts on Colonel. On October 4, 1777, at the battle behalf of the new capital caused him to lose of Battle of Germantown (Pennsylvania), his personal wealth. he was shot in the thigh and lost a leg as a About 1796 Forrest had mortgaged Forrest-Marbury House, Georgetown, Washington, D.C. result. Regardless, he served another four “Rosedale” to obtain loans from the state of years, not resigning until 1781. Maryland to bolster the new Federal City’s On October 11, 1789, at the age of 43, economy. It didn’t work and Forrest was Uriah Forrest married Rebecca Plater who forced into bankruptcy in 1802. He was only was then about 25 at “Sotterley”. Forrest able to salvage “Rosedale” by having his did not come from the same social circles brother-in-law, Philip Barton Key (husband as the Platers, but he had undoubtedly come of his wife’s sister, Ann Plater) accept the to know Rebecca’s father during the course mortgage. Key in turn, granted Forrest lifeof the war and probably Mr. Plater was im- time use of “Rosedale.” pressed with this young man who had acUriah Forrest died July 6, 1805 still quitted himself very well and who was treat- plagued with debt. After his death, the esed (and rightfully so) as a hero. tate was almost lost again to debts and litiRebecca Plater was the daughter of gation. In 1815, Philip Barton Key died, and / Àii LÕÌÌ Ê George Plater III and his second wife, Eliza- in a written statement forgave the mortgage V i V> Ê` Ã«i ÃiÀ beth Rousby of “Sotterley.” George Plater III and returned the property to Rebecca (Platgraduated from the College of William and er) Forrest outright. Offering a variety of services to ﬁt Mary in 1752. He was a lawyer and served Uriah Forrest was an influential man the needs of your business. as a Justice of the Peace and was also Naval whose opinion was sought not only by George Officer of the Patuxent. He was a member of Washington but Thomas Jefferson who corthe convention to form the Maryland State responded with him and exchanged views in UÊ >ÃÌ]Ê V> Ê-iÀÛ ViÊ Ê > ` ÛiÀ]Ê

Government, a delegate to the Continental a discussion about the Bill of Rights, but his Congress, and was President of the Mary- philosophical loyalty was not with Jefferson UÊ1 v À Ê*ÕÀV >ÃiÊ*À }À> ÃÊÃVÀii Ê land convention that ratified the U.S. Con- and his “states rights” approach, but with Ê «À ÌÊ> `Êi LÀ `iÀÞ® stitution. In 1791, he was elected the sixth John Adams’ Federalist Party that favored a Governor of Maryland. strong central government. / Àii LÕÌÌ ÊÀiÃiÀÛ À By the time of the 1790 census, Uriah UÊ1 v À Ê,i Ì> Ê*À }À> Ã It was Forrest who apprised the recently and his family were living in Montgom- inaugurated John Adams in 1797 that despite ery County (actually they were living in Vice-President Jefferson’s protestations of UÊ >ÌÊ> `Ê/ Üi Ê-iÀÛ Vi }iÀÊ ÃiÊv ÀÊ Georgetown, a part of what would ultimately support and friendship, that Jefferson was ` Ã«i Ã }Ê Ì Ê LÕV iÌÃÊ ÀÊÃ ÃÊÊ become the District of Columbia) next door seeking to undermine Adams’ power. It was UÊ,iÃÌÀ Ê> `Ê Þ} i iÊ-Õ«« iÃ to Benjamin Stoddert, a friend, business also Forrest’s blunt advice to the President partner and fellow Southern Marylander. In in April 1799 that salvaged the AdministraUÊ,iÃÌÀ Ê i> } 1798 Stoddert was appointed first Secretary tion from the continuing machinations of of the Navy. Sanis Cleaning Chemical System the Hamiltonian faction. UÊ i> }Ê i V> Ã Uriah Forrest and Benjamin Stoddert In addition to other service, Uriah ForThe correct dilution every time. were friends and confidantes of George rest was elected to the Maryland General Ê-> ÌâiÀ Washington. When George Washington was Assembly for several terms; served in the assigned the responsibility of selecting a U.S. Senate; and was Clerk of the Circuit Ê Ã viVÌ> Ì] suitable site along the Potomac River for the Court of the District of Columbia until his - Glass Cleaner new nation’s capital, he turned to Stoddert death. Ê ÀÊ i> iÀÉ i}Ài>ÃiÀ and Forrest, asking them to purchase key Rebecca (Plater) Forrest never remarparcels of land in the area before the formal ried and died at “Rosedale” September 5, Web: www.cintas.com decision was made by the Continental Con- 1843. Phone: 828.681.1962 or 800.849.4680 gress, then meeting in Philadelphia. This

Cintas Delivers

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Movie Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’

How the Nickel Bends By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer On Saturday evening the setting sun was turning the sky pink and orange over the landscape in Avenue when area band Bent Nickel invaded the back room of Anderson’s Bar to begin setting up for that night’s performance, one in a long list of summer shows the band will be doing in addition to finishing its first CD (containing about 75 percent original material), which is set to be released sometime in September. Lead vocalist and guitarist Tim Mossberg joined with fellow jamming buddies Sherman Schmegelmeyer (bass guitar), Freddy Long (lead guitar), Eddie Fuller (keyboards, vocals) and drummer Roger Clark in 2004 to start playing an eclectic mix of country, roots and southern rock music, pooling from a classic list of influences ranging from Travis Tritt to The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “We do different things from Travis Tritt to George Thorogood,” said Mossberg, who said he started playing guitar at age 8 with a “Sears and Roebuck flat top … I think it cost about $20 at the time. The first song I learned to play was Mary Had a Little Lamb, I believe,” he said, laughing and adding that Skynyrd’s “The Needle and the Spoon” remains his favorite song to play. Eddie Fuller says he goes by “Fast Eddie” because he can “play a minute waltz in 38 seconds,” as is proven when he pounds out quick solos on his keyboard during performances. Though not his first instrument (he started at a young age with guitar), he said it’s been the most challenging one for him to learn. “I’ve only been playing the keyboard since 1972,” he said, explaining that he had gone into the Army and been discharged just as the Doobie Brothers became popular, so he joined with other former enlistees and players to learn keyboard. Bassist Sherman Schmegelmeyer, who played in several different bands together with Eddie Fuller for nearly 40 years, first started playing when he was 16 years old, and said his favorite bassist is Geddy Lee from Rush. Lead guitarist Freddy Long said he had passed the stage where he could pick out a favorite guitarist to emulate, but his hard rock and metal influences shine through on many of his guitar solos, which helps give the group its distinctive party

ary’s M

band flavor. Rounding out the group is Roger Clark on drums, whom band mates said had also been through the circuit with other members before officially forming Bent Nickel in 2004. As for the group’s original tunes, Mossberg can claim a lot of the writing credits, and he said he draws mostly from his own life experiences growing up in Southern Maryland. After first moving to the area from North Carolina in 1973, Mossberg said he’s seen St. Mary’s County go through a lot of changes. “The area’s been built up a lot,” he said. “When I was a little kid and I lived here, Hollywood was a one-way strip all the way to the park

By David Germain AP Movie Writer

Harry Potter has kept his fans waiting for two years, the longest school break they have had to endure for a new movie adventure about the teen wizard. It’s been worth the wait. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth movie in the fantasy franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s books, is the franchise’s best so far, blending rich drama and easy camaraderie among the actors with the visual spectacle that until now has been the real star of the series. hiell The hocus-pocus of it all nearly takes a back seat to the story and characrea S d n ters this time, and the film is the better for that. It doesn’t skimp on the Quidby A o t o ditch action, sorcery duels or occult pyrotechnics, but those are simply part Ph of the show, not the main attraction. Previous installments played out in a supernatural bubble bearing little connection to our ordinary little Muggle world. “HalfBlood Prince” brims with authentic people and honest interaction – hormonal teens bonding with great humor, heartache that will resonate with anyone who remembers the pangs of first love. Drop the magic act, and Hogwarts could be any school of self-absorbed geeks, jocks, popular kids and outcasts trying to maneuver through the day. Even the class bad boy provides insight into the behavior of bullies. “Half-Blood Prince” escalates the peril for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best pals, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), while giving the threesome that first collaborated as prepubescent kids their best platform yet to show their maturing acting chops. David Yates, who made 2007’s “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” returns to direct, his deepening confidence and comfort with the Potter realm on display throughout. Three distinctive directors – Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron and Mike Newell – made the first four movies. Along with Yates on No. 5, the filmmakers all brought their own touches and baubles, but there was a sameness about the series that was growing tiresome by Yates’ first one. This time, Yates stays true to the Rowling recipe yet infuses the film with a freshness and energy that makes it seem like a new start, not the stale old chapter six it could have been. Though the movie drags a bit toward the end, screenwriter Steve Kloves – who adapted the first four books and returns after a one-film hiatus – generwith one stop light. Now look at it.” ally keeps the intricate plot rolling breathlessly. As for the band’s own development, its memHarry’s big challenge this school year is a clandestine assignment by Hogbers seem to have built up their stage credits to the warts headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), who enlists his protege to point where one performance may be all it takes to retrieve a critical memory that new Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) have you humming the Georgia Satellites on the possesses about young Tom Riddle, the future dark Lord Voldemort. way home, and that’s what these guys say they’re Academy Award winner Broadbent gives the best performance yet in a going for. “Harry Potter” flick, mingling a cock-of-the-walk flamboyance with the deep For more information and performance dates, melancholy of a teacher bearing the shame of disappointment in both himself go to www.myspace.com/thebentnickelband. and a star pupil gone bad. The usual teen high jinks and crises lighten the story with plenty of laughs. Romantic entanglements – which have gradually preoccupied Harry, Hermione, Ron and other classmates as they stumbled into puberty – burst out like a wicked case of acne this year. Most fans know the shocker in store involving Dumbledore and the ominous Professor Snape (Alan Rickman). Like their young co-stars, Gambon and Rickman live and breathe these characters by now, Dumbledore a towering presence of grace and nobility, Snape a delightful cold fish whose actions reveal his tiger-shark stripes. Others among the returning favorites are Robbie Coltrane as Harry’s mountainous ally Hagrid, Maggie Smith as prim Professor McGonagall, Julie Walters as The County Times is Ron and Ginny’s genial mom, Evanna Lynch as ditzy • The Proposal • The Tale of Desalways looking for more Luna Lovegood, and Helena Bonham Carter, who’s a PG-13, 108 min pereaux; G, 87 min local talent to feature! wicked wonder as Bellatrix Lestrange, one of VoldeTo submit art or mort’s fiercest fanatics. • Public Enemies • Transformers: entertainment Visual-effects technology definitely have caught R, 143 min Revenge of the up with Rowling’s imagination – and the filmmakers announcements, or band Fallen have some rowdy fun with their splendid images. information for our

St.

Show Time

Get Out & Have Fu n Right Here in St. Mary’s County! Now Playing AMC Loews, Lexington Park 6, (301) 862-5010

• Bruno; R, 88 min • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; PG, 153 min; Starts Tues, July 14th

• The Hangover R, 96 min • Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs; PG, 87 min

Shows and Rating Provided By Yahoo Entertainment. Check Local Listings For Show Times.

• The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 R, 121 min

PG-13, 150 min • Year One PG-13, 100 min

entertainment section, e-mail andreashiell@ countytimes.net.

(A Warner Bros. release; run time 153 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.)

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Thursday, July 9

Saturday, July 11

• Mural Camp and Wheel Throwing Class Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m.

• 3rd Annual Crossroad Christian Church Car Show Crossroad Christian Church (St. Leonard) – 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

• Harry Potter Celebration Charlotte Hall & Leonardtown Libraries – 2 p.m. • Fair Warning Irish Pub Band CJ’s Back Room Bar (Lusby) – 5 p.m. • BBQ Night VFW Post 2632 (California) – 5:30 p.m. • Drop-In Salsa House of Dance (Hollywood) – 6 p.m. • Twilight Mile Open Track Night Patuxent High School (Lusby) – 6 p.m. • Habitat for Humanity Night Habitat ReStore (Hughesville) – 6:30 p.m. • Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Annual Carnival Hollywood VFD – 7 p.m. • Lizzie & Friends Chef’s American Bistro (San Souci Plaza) – 7 p.m. • Karaoke Cadillac Jack’s (Lexington Park) – 9 p.m.

Friday, July 10 • Mural Camp and Wheel Throwing Class Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m. • Fair Warning Irish Pub Band Donovan’s Irish Pub – 5 p.m. • Sunset in the Tropics Cruise Calvert Marine Museum – 6-8 p.m. • Texas Hold’Em Tournament VFW Post 2632 (California) – 7 p.m. • United Stated Naval Academy Band’s Electric Brigade La Plata Town Hall – 7 p.m. • Poker “Horse” Tournament FOP-7 Lodge (Great Mills) – 7 p.m. • “Ragtime” Musical Summerstock Great Mills High School Auditorium – 7 p.m. • Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Annual Carnival Hollywood VFD – 7 p.m. • River Concert Series: The Young and the Gifted St. Mary’s College – 7 p.m.

• The Art of the Pour: Watercolor and Light, Ceramic Torsos Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m. • Bay District – 2nd Annual Poker Run Bay District VFD – 10 a.m. • SMAWL Pet Adoptions Petco (California) – 10 a.m. • St. Mary’s Parish Annual Summer Dinner 47477 Trinity Church Road (St. Mary’s City) – 12 noon

• Cheer Camp (3-6 years old) House of Dance (Hollywood) – 9 a.m.

• Point Farm House & Garden Tour Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum – 2 p.m.

• Piece Out! Art in Bits and Pieces, Bird Camp Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m.

• NL Omaha H/L Tournament St. Marys Elk’s Lodge (California) – 2 p.m. • Sweeny Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) Port Tobacco Players’ Theater (La Plata) – 3 p.m. • Karaoke St. Mary’s Landing – 5:30 p.m. • Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Annual Carnival Hollywood VFD – 7 p.m.

Monday, July 13

• Steak Night VFW Post 2632 (California) – 5 p.m.

• Cheer Camp (3-6 years old) House of Dance (Hollywood) – 9 a.m.

• Open Skate Night Leonard Hall Recreation Center – 5:30 p.m.

• Piece Out! Art in Bits and Pieces, Bird Camp Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m.

• Greenwell Kayak Trip Greenwell State Park (Hollywood) – 6 p.m. • Comedy Night & Dinner (Featuring Tom Foss) St. Mary’s County Elk’s Lodge – dinner-6 p.m., show-7:30 p.m. • Astronomy Club of Southern Maryland Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum – 6:30 p.m. • St. Mary’s River Concert Series on Location in Leonardtown Town Square – 7 p.m.

• No Limit Texas Hold’Em Bounty Tournament St. Mary’s County Elk’s Lodge – 9 a.m. • Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Holiday Inn (Solomons) – 9 a.m.

Tuesday, July 14 • Nature Time at Greenwell Greenwell State Park (Hollywood) – 10 a.m.

• Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Holiday Inn (Solomons) – 9 a.m. • Karaoke Chef’s American Bistro (San Souci Plaza) – 7 p.m. • Karaoke Cadillac Jack’s (Lexington Park) – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 15 • Cheer Camp (3-6 years old) House of Dance (Hollywood) – 9 a.m. • Piece Out! Art in Bits and Pieces, Bird Camp Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m. • Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Holiday Inn (Solomons) – 9 a.m. • Why Snooze when You Can Crooze? Arby’s Restaurant Parking Lot (Leonardtown) – 5 p.m. • Captain John D.B. McMillan’s Pub (California) – 6 p.m. • Special Olympics No Limit Hold’Em Bennett Building (24930 Old Three Notch Rd, Hollywood) – 7 p.m. • Karaoke St. Mary’s Landing – 7:30 p.m.

• Captain John D.B. McMillan’s Pub (California) – 7 p.m. • Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Annual Carnival Hollywood VFD – 7 p.m. • “Ragtime” Musical Summerstock Great Mills High School Auditorium – 7 p.m. • Sweeny Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) Port Tobacco Players’ Theater (La Plata) – 8 p.m. • Idle Americans – Open Blues Jam Fat Boys Old Country Store (Leonardtown) – 8 p.m. • Francis Bridge Chef’s American Bistro (San Souci Plaza) – 8:30 p.m.

• Legend • Sweeny Todd (The Demon Barber of Fleet Blue Dog Saloon (La Plata) – 9 p.m. Street) • Petting Hendrix Port Tobacco Players’ Theater (La Plata) – 8 Cryer’s Back Road Inn (Leonardtown) – 9 p.m. p.m. • 4 Friends Chef’s American Bistro (San Souci Plaza) – 8:30 p.m. • Jewelry Art: Viking Knit Wire Bracelet Annmarie Garden – 9 a.m. • Karaoke 911 Bar (Mechanicsville) – 9 p.m. • Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge Holiday Inn (Solomons) – 9 a.m. • Karaoke Cadillac Jack’s (Lexington Park) – 9 p.m.

Sunday, July 12

n O g Goin

What’s

• Pet Adoptions Pepper’s Pet Pantry (Solomons) – 1 p.m.

“DE

E OF

SAIN

T MA

RY’S ”

Trip tych

E “ON

h ptyc ” Di F F I O SK F, T W F I K S

Cuisine

The County Times

& More

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Healthy Bites Want a Healthy Diet? Think Mediterranean

On The Menu

By JIM ROMANOFF For The Associated Press

Want a good tomato? The best bet is to go local By MICHELE KAYAL For The Associated Press A good tomato seems to hold the summer sun inside. The problem is finding a good one. The best strategy is to scope out supermarkets that offer local produce or head to the nearest farmers market, where the selection of tomatoes is likely to be fresher and more flavorful than the year-round grocer variety. That’s because most supermarket tomatoes have traveled cross-country or from overseas and have been bred to withstand the journey, not to taste good when they arrive. “Everybody has their own feeling about what a tomato should be, and it’s usually about their own garden variety,” says Mark Toigo, a grower and chief tomato evangelist for Toigo Orchards in Shippensburg, Pa. “We really like to put our memory bank into that world.” Americans consume roughly 20 pounds of tomatoes each per year, most of that during the summer. And if you care about flavor, hope for a hot, mostly dry summer, which produces the sweetest tomatoes. When selecting tomatoes, opt for those that are slightly soft, but not mushy. They should be free of cracks or hard, green spots. “They should have a nice delicate feel, kind of like a baby’s skin,” says Lawrence Davis-Hollander, author of “Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook” to be released in February. A perfectly ripe tomato will last for up to six days without spoiling, says Davis-Hollander. Others suggest buying under-ripe tomatoes for later in the week. Place them in a paper bag, where the tomatoes’ natural emission of ethylene, a ripening hormone, will turn them red. And don’t forget the cardinal rule of all tomatoes: never, never, ever, ever store them in the refrigerator. The cold will dull the flavor, destroy the sugars and give the fruit a mealy texture. The great beauty of a great tomato is that it can straddle both sweet and savory dishes. It is as tasty in salsas, salads, pizzas and pastas as it is in sorbet, chilly summer soups or even frozen pops (in Korea, tomato pops are a summer treat). There are thousands of tomato varieties, each with a different flavor profile and different set of culinary talents. Decide how you’re going to use your tomato – on a burger or for a sauce – then pick the variety that best suits it.

Looking for a better way to eat? Think Mediterranean. Nicci Micco, a nutrition editor at EatingWell magazine, says the common sense (and delicious) Mediterranean diet not only is packed with healthy nutrients, but also is great for your waistline. And while a trip to the region would be nice, following a Mediterranean-style diet is easy anywhere. Micco says the primary guidelines are: • Eat plenty of produce, as many as seven to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. • When possible, substitute fish or lean poultry for red meat. Avoid the highest fat meats such as sausage and bacon. • Eat at least two meals of fish or shellfish a week. • Season foods with herbs and spices rather than salt. • Substitute whole grains for processed ones whenever you can. Whole-grain breads, brown rice and other grains such as barley and bulgur are flavorful and filling. • Use extra-virgin olive and canola oils instead of animal fats, such as butter. Both are high in healthy fats.

On The Vine

BETTER TOGETHER: What to drink with tomatoes

By VICTORIA BRETT For The Associated Press Technically a fruit, but usually prepared as a vegetable, tomatoes are notoriously tricky to pair with beverages. From the bite-sized cherry tomato to the huge Beefsteak, tomatoes offer a variety of tastes and textures. On top of that, the seed-filled red orbs – the fruits of the herbaceous tomato vine – are highly acidic and tart. `”Fresh tomatoes are a staple of lazy summer lunches, but they prove a difficult companion to many beverages,” says Gourmet magazine food editor and stylist Maggie Ruggiero. While limited for drinks, tomatoes offer endless possibilities for summer entertaining, from the juicy tomato served with slabs of fresh mozzarella and basil to a tomato tartlet to homemade salsa. “”The rub with tomatoes is you have to be mindful of the acid,” says David Snyder, an instructor at the Wine School of Philadelphia. For wine, the impulse is to go red for a marinara sauce. If so, go for a lower acid wine such as zinfandel, he says. And unless you cook the sauce for at least five hours to reduce the acid, stay away from the Chianti or sangiovese. “People serve the Chianti so they don’t look stu-

pid. But from a food chemistry perspective, it doesn’t work and it’s a myth that’s been pounded into our heads,” says Snyder. For uncooked tomatoes, try a soft chardonnay or a cabernet riesling, he says. Ruggiero favors a simple beverage solution that involves fresh herbs, berries or fruit. “My friend, Anne, is known for serving cold pitchers of water with a few sprigs of whatever strikes her fancy while in her garden – various herbs (like lovage, mint or basil) and perhaps a couple berries or slices of fruit.” Ruggiero says her friend refers to these creative infusions served in glass pitchers as “lunch water.” “They are as beautiful as they are simple,” says Ruggiero. “Tasting fresh, herbaceous and clean, the tomatoes’ best friend.”

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Wanderings of an Aimless

Min

More Summer

By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer Last week I still had so much I wanted to write about Summer. The weather we’ve been having makes me so happy. On one of my Mondays off, it was a nice, fairly cool day and I cleaned house all day – I must have been happy, possibly hysterical to do that. I know however, that we are inevitably heading for the three H’s, and by the time you read this, it will probably be one of those dreaded hot, humid days. And, the house will be back to normal. Why is it when you are a child you

don’t notice the heat and humidity? I love the sounds of Summer. Some mornings you can hear the crescendo of cicadas which always reminds me of childhood; sitting under the Hickory tree reading or writing in my secret diary listening to that sound. In another week we should really hear the cicadas, since they are active in late July and August during the “dog days” of Summer. That would be the reverse of humans. The term “dog days” has been used for thousands of years due to “Sirius, the dog star, being the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun”. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac “’dog

Creature Feature ʻNerdy Birdyʼ

By Theresa Morr Contributing Writer What’s the fastest two-legged creature on the planet? Hint: It’s a goofy looking critter with a tiny head; bulging eyes bigger than its brain; two sets of eyelids; a beak that makes clomp-clomp noises; a long skinny neck; lots of funky feathers; humongous legs with knees that bend forward; and two tootsies on each foot. Give up? This totally weird dude is the ostrich, the world’s largest living bird. Lickety-split. These nerdy birdies can really hotfoot it along, like 30 to 50 miles per hour in 30-minute stretches. Whew! Just think: If you could saddle up, buckle up, and hold onto Mr. Big Bird’s neck, you could bounce your way to school and probably get there before the bus does. Anyway, it’s a pretty cool thought! Adult ostriches are about six to nine feet tall; weigh around 225 to 400 pounds; and can live up to 80 years. They are native to Africa and like hanging out with zebras, antelopes, and gnus because these hoofed animals kick up yummy dinners, like insects, small snakes, and rodents. But ostriches also eat fruits and seeds. No-fly guys. Do you wonder why ostriches can’t fly even though they have wings? Well, they don’t have a keel on their breastbone like other birds. A keel is a special structure that anchors the big muscles that move a bird’s wings when it flies. So, what can ostriches

do with their wings? These guys use them as fans during hot weather and then as blankets when it’s cold. (They cover their thighs with their wings). It’s nature’s built-in air conditioning and heating system, all in one! Now, that’s pretty awesome. Think you’d like to try a scrambled ostrich egg for breakfast? They’re huge -- about six to eight inches long, four to six inches around, and normally weigh three to four pounds each. That’s like eating 13 chicken eggs! You could invite your friends over for breakfast, and then use the eggshell as a water bowl for your pet. Ostrich tidbits: * Chicks are nearly a foot tall when born. They grow a foot every month until mature in about eight months. * Males have mostly black feathers with white wing tips. Females have grayish brown feathers. * These birds have a temper, so never get too close to them. Those powerful legs can injure you or even knock a hole in the side of a car. * They don’t bury their heads in the sand as is commonly thought. They stretch out their long necks on the ground when resting or when trying to appear smaller to predators. * Ostriches are found the world over. In many countries, including the United States, they are raised on farms for their meat, beautiful feathers, and eggshells. For some really cool close-ups of nerdy birdy, surf over to www.ostrichmeats.com/ pictures.html. Comments to kikusan2@verizon.net.

days’ are said to last forty days”, like Lent or the great flood, beginning July 3rd and ending August 11th.” I know there have been years where that dog has gotten a little long in the tooth and hung on through September. The cicadas just woke up. It must be getting hotter. Other sounds we often hear are those tiny whirring buzzing noises around you at cookouts or working outside – yes, mid-Atlantic mosquitoes. I wrote to a friend the other day that my husband and I were going to have steaks, baked potatoes, and mojitos by the fire pit. He wrote back later and asked, how were those steaks, potatoes, and mosquitoes? He realized later what I meant. You hear people ask all the time, “Are mosquitoes good for anything, or are they here only to annoy us?” Mosquitoes are tasty bat, fish and frog appetizers which help to keep the food chain going. Doesn’t help does it? And I wouldn’t want to lose the frogs, because I love their sound at night. It can be deafening, especially when the pool cover is still on and they have found a home in the standing water. There they can happily eat baby mosquitoes and sing and burp most of the evening. The frog music gets so loud at times that I can miss whole words or sentences on a TV show. While checking out all the various species of frogs for my own storehouse of vast quantities of useless trivia, I came across a very useful word: frog spit. I’m not sure, but I must have wondered what the other term for pond scum was at some point, and it’s frog spit. There is the obvious definition of course too. Tidbit had a bad day yesterday. Most of you probably know that Tidbit is our cheese tidbit colored Whippet - Redbone coonhound mix. Tidbit came running back in the house

yelping and hopping around, desperately trying to tell me something. As soon as I saw her frantically licking at her back in several spots, I knew what had happened. She had aggravated the bees again. Tidbit loves to go out by one of our large old trees and try to catch and eat the bees. They must taste sweet like honey. She gets stung quite a bit, but keeps going back to play her little game year after year. Well, the bees have brought reinforcements and their cousins the wasps. Tidbit and her friendly neighbor dog and his children got outnumbered this time. Tidbit made a wide circle around that tree this morning. My husband came in and asked if I heard all the screaming and yelping outside. I thought it was kids playing until Tidbit came flying in. It was kind of like when he got stung by 20 bees when mowing the grass. He ran to the front door and it was locked. He kept ringing the doorbell. I had just gotten out of the shower and didn’t want to answer the door. All I could see was what I thought was some crazy person jumping up and down and falling to the ground at my door. I thought, “There is no way I am answering that door.” No, I haven’t heard the end of that. I hope that you take a moment today and step outside to listen, smell, or really look around you at what beauty is right before you. I step out the back door at my shop, breathe deep and look at the sunlight filtering down through the leaves and I am renewed. To each new day’s Summer adventure, Shelby Please send comments or ideas to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com.

THANKS TO OUR SERIES SPONSORS Arts Alliance of St. Mary’s College • Booz Allen Hamilton • Comcast Cable Communications • G&H Jewelers • Lockheed Martin • ManTech Systems Engineering Corporation • Maryland Public Television • Maryland State Arts Council • MetroCast Communications • Northrop Grumman • Corporation • Raytheon • River Concert Series Audience • SAIC • Smartronix • St. Mary’s County Arts Council • St. Mary’s County Government • Wyle • Yellow Book USA

July 17

The Young and the Gifted

River Concert Series

Jeff Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra welcome Maryland Youth Symphony soloists, Katherine Heilman and Zachary Silberschlag, plus Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Zach Silberschlag

River Concert Series

Plus

2009

Katie Heilman

Chesapeake Orchestra

Jeffrey Silberschlag, music director

All concerts are FREE! Concerts begin each week at 7 PM. The grounds on Townhouse Green at St. Mary’s College of Maryland open at 5 PM for picnicking or purchasing food from a wide variety of vendors. For more information, call 240-895-2024 or visit www. riverconcertseries.com

Concert Sponsor Target Stores

July 18 ON LOCATION River Concert Series Brass Quintet On the Square in Leonardtown • 7 PM ALL THAT JAZZ

Byx Bullock, jazz trio Vincenzo’s at Calvert Marina July 22 AT THE MOVIES “On the Town” • 7 PM Cole Cinema, Campus Center Audrey Hamilton ’08 Jazz & Blues Trio • 9 PM Cole Cinema, Campus Center

The County Times

CLUES ACROSS 1. Man’s best friend 4. Radioactivity unit 7. School organization 10. Moonfish 12. Geological times 14. ___tose: milk sugar 15. Marks to omit print 17. Cat lives 18. Greasy 19. Portable TV button 22. A timepiece with hands 23. A meeting of spiritualists 24. Having the same characteristics 25. Bambi was one 26. 1st state (abbr.) 27. Atomic #86 28. Tooth caregiver 30. Yes vote 31. An alternative 32. 2009 losing VP’s initials 33. Nazi alliance 35. Montevideo’s river

Last Week’s Puzzle Solutions

ner

KiddKioer

Thursday, July 16, 2009

38. Lively dances 41. Extreme self-absorbed behavior 43. A. Hepburn role 45. Selfs 46. ____ Ladd, actor 47. Farming production 49. Electric brain test 50. Not frequently used 51. Scorch 52. Partridge star Susan 53. Get free of 54. Be nosy

CLUES DOWN

1. Cabinet level Dept. 2. Classical music for the stage 3. Principal ore of lead 4. Take back 5. Musician Clapton 6. Hands (Span.) 7. 2 to l3 million years ago

8. Not shorter 9. Atlantic City Airport code 11. Haemal 13. Samoan cent 16. Not liquids 18. Cantankerous 20. Take a puff 21. Small amount 28. Liturgical praise to God 29. Practices 30. Indifference 32. Fired from a gun 33. Furthest orbitall point 34. Wild blue yonder 35. Anguished 36. Monkey trees 37. Slumbering 39. Bacteria culture medium 40. About Sun 42. A thin polyester film 43. Pay attention to 44. ____at: lasso 48. Lacking moisture

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Business

DIRECTORY Call to Place Your Ad: 301-373-4125

www.ProfessorMoneyWise.com

(301) 997-8271

Pool Opening

Pool Closing

P.A. Hotchkiss & Associates Auto Accidents – Criminal – Domestic Wills – Power of Attorney DWI/Traffic – Workers’ Compensation 301-870-7111 1-800-279-7545 www.pahotchkiss.com

Serving the Southern Maryland Area Accepting All Major Credit Cards

Classifieds Must Sale! 3 bedrooms, 2 bath mobile home. $7500 or best offer! Brand new heating system. New carpet in most rooms. Please call 301-994-2667, please leave message. Cute cottage with fenced in yard and storage shed in rear. Great starter home with tile bath, hardwood floors, side deck. Private and quiet. Clothes washer/dryer (stack on) in unit. Gas stove. Gas heat. Off street parking. Down the street from a boat launching, fishing and picnic area. 20 minutes away from Patuxent Base and 25 minutes from St. Mary’s College. Call Mr. Rogers at 301-994-0111. Price: $140,000.

Apartment Rentals

Spring Valley Apartments

Since 1987

WHERE YOUR LEGAL MATTER-MATTERS

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.

Real Estate

Don’t spend what you don’t have!

Law Offices of

Deadlines for Classifieds are Tuesday at 12 pm.

“We Care About You & Your Pool” Spas-Wrap Around Tanning-Pool Accessories Inground Liners, Loop-Loc safety covers, Hayward pumps, filters & more. www.countywidepool.com

4501 Bonds Place Pompret, MD 20675 (301) 934-9524 / 870-3445

29050 New Market Village Rd. Mechanicsville, MD 20659 (301) 884-8484 Fax (301) 392-5471 New Arrivals: Hard Cover Spas Above Ground Pool Sales!

301-737-0777

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

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

Specials:

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

Help Wanted St. May’s Ryken High School seeks qualified candidates for the position of Head JV Girls Soccer Coach for the 2009 season. If interested contact Mike Vosburgh Athletic Director at 301.373.4199 or Michael.vosburgh@smrhs.org.

Vehicles CORVETTES WANTED! Any year, any condition. Cash buyer. 1-800-369-6148. 1980 F100. 302 v8, c6 transmission. New tires. $1,200 or best offer. If interested, call Joe at 240.538.1914.

Computer & Network Service/Sales Security Camera Service/Sales Serving Southern Maryland

PC Repair Fee: $79-$99 Residential Only

New “Business Client” Special!

No hourly Labor charge! Contact us for more details!

www.tsbtechnologies.com

301-475-8711**410-326-4442**301-885-3000

A superior baseballern MD outh organization S ing to expand. k loo d at Knights is ill be hel n w s t u o Tr y ium o rab stad C e u l B 9th. the nd and 2 2 2 t s u g Au Looking for 8U thru 14U If interested please contact Jim at 301-472-4777 or go to www.mdknights.org

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

Est. 1982

snheatingac.com

Lic #12999

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, July 16 Thursday 16, 2009

Announcin

330

Issued Marriage Applications for June 2009 June 1, 2009 David Jon Larson 31 Prince Frederick, Md Kristi Marie Payne 30 Prince Frederick, Md Wallie Capunpun Villafuerte 45 Alexandria, Va Helen Marie Brazell 32 Alexandria, Va

June 2, 2009 Jarred Brenden Welsh 21 Leonardtown, Md Heather Renee Lawson 23 Leonardtown, Md

Michael Christopher Cummings 30 Lexington Park, Md Carrie Virginia Sparks 26 Lexington Park, Md

Maynor Fernando Garcia Jr. 27 Lusby, Md Kimberly Leighanne Figgins 20 Mechanicsville, Md

Kevin Alan Peevey 24 Roanoke, Va Ruth Elen Moyle 23 Roanoke, Va

June 12, 2009

June 8, 2009

Donald Allen Campbell Jr. 35 King George, Va Yvonne Ann Huffman 40 Great Mills, Md

Travis Nicholas Bowes 22 Callaway, Md Renata Gabrielle Crane 26 Callaway, Md

Eric Johann Hiris 40 Lexington Park, Md Dawn Rebecca Norris 40 Lexington Park, Md

June 9, 2009

Kenneth Boyd Bloodsworth Jr. 27 Leonardtown, Md Jessica Ann Biscoe 27 Leonardtown, Md

Steven Wade Gregory 37 Lexington Park, Md Kristin Ann Jarrett 33 Lexington Park, Md

Jaymes Joardonrell Dooley 19 San Diego, Ca Elizabeth Ashley Jewers 19 Great Mills, Md

Marcellus Tyrek Wiggins 29 Callaway, Md Melinda Jean Meemken 29 Callaway, Md

Zackary Forrest Wilson 24 Alexandria, Va Katherine Elizabeth Ward 25 Alexandria, Va

June 3, 2009

June 10, 2009

James Robert Summers 23 Callaway, Md Morgan Lynn Adams 23 Callaway, Md

Damon Seagun Forrest 46 Baltimore, Md Jacqueline Bonita Moss 52 Great Mills, Md

Aaron Leon Wickline 28 Richmond, Va Coryn Marie Johnson 25 Richmond, Va

Graham Michael Day 24 LaPlata, Md Arianna Marie Hammond 26 LaPlata, Md

Patrick Michael McLaughlin 50 Piney Point, Md Marcie Lynn Blevins 37 Piney Point, Md

Matthew Jason O’Shields 34 Manchester, Pa Rhonda Elaine Allen 23 Manchester, Pa

David Wayne Gosnell 34 California, Md Jennifer Lynn Small 32 California, Md

Ryan Thamber Abel 27 Columbia, Md Ruth Sabra Spinolo 20 Columbia, Md

George Arthur Pingleton Jr. 37 Ridge, Md Joan Maureen Quade 26 Ridge, Md

Jeffrey Thomas Wood 28 California, Md Kristen Blair Brookins 26 California, Md

Jeffrey Alan Taylor 23 Bethesda, Md Steafanie Carol Esworthy 22 Skyesville, Md

June 11, 2009

June 5, 2009

Jonathon Ross Pogar 25 Leonardtown, Md Chelsea Jane Bussey 20 Leonardtown, Md

Charles Edward Copenhaver 36 Great Mills, Md Amy Marie Vukovich 33 Great Mills, Md

Roger Lee Benfield Jr. 38 Mechanicville, Md Frances Helen Sanchez 31 Mechanicsville, Md

Michael Joseph Wright 25 Mechanicsville, Md Jessica Marie Stanley 27 Mechanicsville, Md

Justin Paul Mickelson 25 Lexington Park, Md Kristen Ann Schmidt 24 Lexington Park, Md

William Albert Stewart Jr. 39 Lexington Park, Md Sabrina Mary Frances Woodland 34 Lexington Park, Md

June 15, 2009 Jonathan Patrick Buzzeo 23 LaPlata, Md Brittany Anne Oliver 24 Leonardtown, Md Robert Frederick Gruber III 22 Jacksonville, Nc Leslie Renee Tennyson 22 Mechanicsville, Md Johnny Justin Hoyos 19 Lexington Park, Md Jasmine D’Ann Nevarez 18 Lexington Park, Md Norman Francis Koerber Jr. 42 Hollywood, Md Dori Lyn Ladriere Hollywood, Md Matthew Kyle Milstead 25 Halethorpe, Md Elizabeth Marie Luginbill 25 Leonardtown, Md Josua Rene Jette’ 21 Lexington Park, Md Erin Michelle Quinn 20 Lexington Park, Md

June 16, 2009 Alton Coles Echols IV 23 Lovettsville, Va Kaitlyn Elliott Pruitt 23 Lovettsville, Va Carl Nicholas Ziegler 31 Baltimore, Md Katrina Janik 30 Baltimore, Md Lewis Philip Oliver Jr. 28 Mechanicsville, Md Pamela Lynn Herbert 23

Mechanicsville, Md

Frederick, Md

Donato Rivera Reyes 36 Lexington Park, Md Julie Sue Young 26 Lexington Park, Md

June 26, 2009

June 17, 2009

Robert Walter Lada 18 Mechanicsville, Md Jessica Marie Figgins 18 Mechanicville, Md

Loren Dennis Grable II 22 Great Mills, Md Stephanie Rachel Derullieux 21 California, Md

Michael Lee Chaney 57 Hollywood, Md Marie Magdelina Mattei 47 Hollywood, Md

Jason Roy Warder 26 Lexington Park, Md Theresia Marie Carrigan 20 Lexington Park, Md

Shawn Michael Murphy 27 Indian Head, Md Kelly Lynn Engel 27 Indian Head, Md

Peter Kastner 38 Konigstein, Germany Susan Renee Hardin 37 Konigstein, Germany

William Burcher Brown Jr. 62 California, Md Mary Ellen Eliza 46 California, Md

June 18, 2009

Justin Lowell Van Bavel 28 Waldorf, Md Angelica Kristine Aperson 25 Waldorf, Md

Luis Alan Santana 26 Lexington Park, Md Monica Montanez 36 Lexington Park, Md Robert Keith Montfort Jr. 27 Mechanicsville, Md Dana Marie Snead 25 Mechanicsville, Md

June 19, 2009 Daniel Noel Presley 28 Lexington Park, Md Kristina Rose Keck 22 Lexington Park, Md

June 22, 2009 Daniel Drew Wenk 44 Lexington Park, Md Donna Marie Boatright 37 Lexington Park, Md

June 23, 2009 Stephen Guy Becker 20 Mechanicsville, Md Kristen Elsie Markley 19 Mechanicsville, Md

June 24, 2009 Derric Deshon Boone 25 Lexington Park, Md Charmanie Elaine Leslie 25 Lexington Park, Md Tracy Scott 44 Clinton, Md Crystal Michelle Edmonds 28 Clinton, Md

June 25, 2009 Roger Walter Byron Jr. 46 Prince Frederick, Md Michelle Lee Tucker 38 Prince

Danny Keith Kaye 30 Great Mills, Md Brenda Lee Norwood 51 Great Mills, Md Darren John McGregor 36 Lexington Park, Md Serna Kathleen White 32 Lexington Park, Md David Lewis Williams 50 Lexington Park, Md Nancy Marilyn Gould 46 Lexington Park, Md Robert Dale Kirkwood Jr. 42 Lexington Park, Md Jennifer Annette Kennedy 41 Lexington Park, Md

June 29, 2009 Andrew Thompson Young 25 Waldorf, Md Victoria Rose Lehman 23 Waldorf, Md

June 30, 2009 Christopher Lee Olson 33 Great Mills, Md Stacey Maree Orr 27 Great Mills, Md Jason Austin Dean 30 Hollywood, Md Irene Tsapos 34 Hollywood, Md Noah Mazas Hogan 33 Toronto, Ontario Elizabeth Ama Loquisi Kelley 28 Toronto, Ontario

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

Love of Libraries Lead to Career By Virginia Terhune Staff Writer April Pavis always loved libraries as a kid. Daughter of a now-retired Marine, she lived in Okinawa, the Carolinas, Florida and Louisiana before her family settled in Lusby. “One place were you can always find a common thread is a library,” said Pavis, now 23. “It was the one constant through my childhood.” Little did she know that those childhood memories would become the impetus of her future career. On July 28, she will be leaving her part-time job at the Charlotte Hall library to pursue a master’s degree in library science at the University of Maryland, College Park. So impressed was the university with Pavis’ potential that it awarded her a graduate assistantship that will cover her tuition for the 2009-10 school year plus pay her a $18,000 stipend for working 20 hours a week at the University of Maryland, University College library as a reference librarian. “I’ll be answering basic reference questions and helping people with research questions,” said Pavis, who already enjoys introducing people to data bases and other ways of researching that go beyond Googling or relying on Wikipedia. Pavis’ long-term goal is to become a young-adult librarian, building on the work she already does in Charlotte Hall working with teenagers ages 12 to 18 as head of the Teen Advisory Group program. The group meets once month to talk about books and music, and Pavis loves working with the members. “They’re so candid,” she said. “They tell you like it is.” Although sure now about what she wants to do, Pavis wasn’t always so. After graduating five years ago from Patuxent High School in Calvert County (president of her class), she went

north to attend the Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., with plans to study event management. “I’m really into music, and I love sporting events,” she said. But as she got deeper into the program, she learned more about the intense competition between venues and decided the field was not something she wanted to pursue. After returning to Maryland, she earned an associates degree from the College of Southern Maryland before transferring to St. Mary’s College to earn a degree in history, graduating last May. While still at CSM, she had lunch one day at Linda’s Café in Lexington Park with her dad, who encouraged her to apply for a part-time at the Charlotte Hall library in circulation. “He said, ‘Just go up and do it,’” said Pavis, who called about the job Tuesday, interviewed Thursday and got the job Friday. Within a month, she knew she wanted to become a librarian. She loved libraries, she enjoyed working with patrons and she especially enjoyed working with teenagers. “I fell in love with it,” she said. “I knew almost immediately that it was something I wanted to do. I felt like it fit like a glove.” Because of that genuine interest in people and the passion she brings to her job, Pavis will be missed, said Alesha Verdict, circulation supervisor. “Her enthusiasm knows no bounds,” said Verdict, pleased as a longtime librarian to see someone enter the field with such commitment. “You see that spark in her eye, someone saying ‘I really love the job, and I think I want to be a librarian’ – we want you to be a librarian,” she said about Pavis.

ewsmakers

Photo by Virginia Terhune

Jennie Meeker, 16, of La Plata, left, checks out music and books with help from April Pavis, who heads the Teen Advisory Group at the Charlotte Hall library. Pavis is leaving her job at the end of July to earn a master’s degree in library science at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Community

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

“Giving the Nation a New Syncopation… the People Call it Ragtime!”

By Monica Meinert Contributing Writer The rehearsal scene in the days just before the curtain is scheduled to go up on Recreation and Parks’ annual Summerstock production is that of organized chaos as the cast and crew run through lines, costumes, set changes, and of course, the music from this year’s show: “Ragtime.” Based on a novel by E.L. Doctorow and set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, “Ragtime” tells the story of three very different groups: the first, an upper-class family living in the affluent town of New Rochelle; the second, a Latvian immigrant father and his daughter; and the third, a group of African Americans living in Harlem. Blending its fictional cast with historical figures like J.P. Morgan, Harry Houdini and Emma Goldman, the show reflects the rapidly changing and racially charged climate that swept the nation during the era of ragtime, a type of syncopated music that influenced the development of jazz. For the cast and crew of Summerstock, “Ragtime” is a significant transition from last year’s whimsical “Seussical: The Musical.” “It’s a huge difference,” said cast member Nicole Rongione, who plays vaudeville attraction Evelyn Nesbitt in the production. “Last year we were trying to make the audience happy. This

COOPER

year, we’re trying to teach a lesson.” “It’s intense,” agrees director Bethany Wallace, on the darker tone of the show. Wallace, who has directed Summerstock for the past four years, said that this year’s show presented her with many challenges – the largest of which was learning the music. “Ragtime’s” complex musical score was written by Stephen Flaherty (who, ironically enough, also wrote the score for “Seussical”) and showcases many aspects of actual ragtime music. “It’s orchestrated so carefully,” Wallace said. “It’s syncopated … just like instruments [in real ragtime music], different characters “pop” at different times.” Despite the difficulty, the cast – under the direction of Wallace and music director Stanley Hoopengardner – has clearly risen to the musical challenge, with results that are sure to leave audiences breathless. “I’m working with lots of talented people,” Wallace added, praising her cast and crew for all their hard work. Putting on Summerstock is no small undertaking; the show began rehearsals in late May, occupying its under-21 cast every weekday night as they prepared for the scheduled two-week run at the end of July. The show, which is funded through tickets and a grant, is an annual production put on by the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks that entertains the public and also enables high school and college students under 21 to perform and participate. Montel Butler, a second-year Summerstock performer, said that for him, the most challenging part of the production was not the music, but discovering and connecting with his character. Butler plays the lead role of Coalhouse Walker, an African-American who comes face to face with the darkness of racism in America. “It really humbles a person,” Butler said of his role. “To go through those struggles in your mind that were so real for people in the past, and then realize that you don’t actu-

“Hi, my name is Cooper and I’m an adorable seven month old male pure bred American Bulldog. I’m a sweetheart and I get along great with other dogs and children. Now I’m looking for someone just like YOU to give me the loving home I deserve! I’m up to date on vaccinations, crate trained, house trained, neutered and identification micro chipped. For more information, please contact katmc@secondhoperescue.org or call 240-925-0628. Please Adopt, Don’t Shop!”

Photo By Monica Meinert

Coalhouse Walker (Montel Butler, center) and the Harlem crowd perform the “Gettin’ Ready Rag”.

ally have to go through them.” The racial aspect of the show is considerable, and portrays the struggles of African Americans and immigrants to fit into an American society during a period of domination by whites. “It’s not afraid to ask the burning questions,” said Brad Mattingly, a four-year veteran of Summerstock. “But it’s also very patriotic. It deals a lot with perseverance and the American dream.” Chris Joyce, also in his fourth year with Summerstock, plays Tateh, the Latvian immigrant who experiences hopes that many felt on coming to America, and the despair that came from the discovery that the American dream was nearly impossible to reach. “[Tateh] comes to America because he’s heard of how great it is, but when he gets here, he realizes it’s not all rainbows,” Joyce said of his character. With its mature themes and dark tone, “Ragtime” is not for the faint of heart. But Wallace hopes that the show will give audiences a chance to reflect on this aspect of American history.

“I hope that the audience can see past the abrasive stuff to the heart of what’s going on,” she concluded. “I hope they’re moved by the injustice … and inspired to do something about it.” “Ragtime” opens on Friday July 17 at Great Mills High School. Performance are scheduled for July 17-18, 7 p.m.; July 19, 5 p.m.; July 2324, 7 p.m.; July 25, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.; July 26, 5 p.m. Ticket prices are $14 adults; $12 senior citizens 60 years and older; $6 children 10 and under. Matinee prices are $10adults; $8 senior citizens 60 years and older; $4 children 10 and under. Tickets will be sold at the door one hour before show time; auditorium doors open half an hour before show time. Advance tickets are on sale at the Recreation and Parks Main Office, Patuxent Building, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, in Leonardtown. For more information, call (301) 4754200 ext. 1800 or go to www.co.saint-marys. md.us/recreate/specialevents.

Photo By Monica Meinert

The cast of Ragtime rehearses the final scene of the production.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

St. Mary’s College Interviewing Candidates Sources have confirmed that the ongoing search to find the next president of St. Mary’s College of Maryland is still under way, but the names of the candidates will not be made public until September. “We’re going to interview candidates starting at the end of July,” said selection committee chair Molly Mahoney. “Beyond that we can’t say anything, because the names of the candidates and the interviews are confidential.”

Young Adventurer Passport Program

The selection committee is expected to make their recommendations for finalists to the Board of Trustees in mid- to late August, and plans to schedule finalists for campus meetings in September, at which time the names of the finalists will be made public. The committee will make its final selection in early October. For more information on the search, go to www. smcm.edu/presidentialsearch.

Kids Learn About Farm Safety By Casey McClay Contributing Writer On Friday morning, Bob had his head sliced open by a John Deere tractor. Fortunately, Bob was only a handmade safety dummy. In the first activity at the annual Progressive Agriculture Farm and Family Safety Day, campers stuffed dummies like Bob with hay, then named and decorated them. “Big farm equipment tragedies need to be prevented,” says Ben Beale, University of Maryland’s Co-County Extension Director. “So to demonstrate that, we will actually shred their friend.” Now in its 15th year, the event at the county fairgrounds is held for kids in highly agricultural and rural areas to help prevent injuries and deaths associated with the industry. The hope is that they will learn from the interactive activities. Coordinated by the Progressive Agricultural Foundation, the event is also supported by various agencies, including county economic development department, the Farm Bureau and other groups. Businesses in the county also

collaborated to provide for the event. Tennyson’s Fire Extinguishers, of Lexington Park provided materials for the fire safety activity where kids practiced extinguishing a fire. For the hand tool safety activity, Dyson’s Lumber provided wood to make bird houses. Leonardtown fireman Robert Trossback showed campers around a fire truck. “It’s a good learning experience,” he says. “The interaction helps kids stay interested so they’ll remember the things that we’ve showed them. We want them and teach Photo Courtesy of Stephen McClay their families what they Shawn Rosenbery, of Town Creek, works at learned.” Activities provided the Tool Safety station, building a birdhouse for the campers included with wood donated by Dyson’s Lumber in wearing slings for first aid, Great Mills. The activity was part of the Anusing a black-light to show nual Progressive Agriculture Farm Safety Day germs left after washing held at the county fairgrounds on Saturday. your hands and stranger pare for the day. danger, where children experi“We’re here to help teach kids enced a stranger asking them to about agricultural and to promote leave. safety in the youth,” she said. “We The Farm Bureau’s Women’s want to give the farmers a voice in Committee representative, Noelle educating today’s kids.” Barns, of Leonardtown helps pre-

Free Leonardtown Concert On Saturday, July 18, the River Concert Series Brass Quintet from St. Mary’s College will be performing a variety of tunes, beginning at 7 p.m. on the Leonardtown Square. Invite friends and order dinner from one of Leonardtown’s restaurants. Bring a chair or blanket and relax. For more information, call 301 475-9791.

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Carnival The Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department’s annual carnival will be held July 16-19 and again July 23-27 beginning at 7 p.m. each night. Featured will be food, rides, and games. Unlimited rides every night for $10.00, or tickets may be purchased separately. Free nightly prizes (must be present to win). Also, free bicycles (2 boy’s & 2 girl’s) will be given away to ages 12 and under each night (must be present to win). A Treasure Chest cash prize will be raffled the last night of the carnival.

Kayak to Clark’s Landing Depart Greenwell State Park on Saturday, July 18 at 6 p.m. for a one-way guided kayak trip to Clark’s Landing for a relaxing evening and a crab cake sandwich. Greenwell will take the kayaks back to the park; participants will work with the trip guide to carpool back. Cost is $55 with a Greenwell kayak, $45 with your own kayak. Crab cake sandwich dinner is included, other food and drinks are not. Reservations required, call 301-373-9775. Visit www.greenwellfoundation.org for more information.

Allyssa Muni and mother Kelly Muni of San Diego, California, stop by the Welcome Center in Charlotte Hall as part of the St. Mary’s County Library’s Young Adventurer Passport program. Alice Dougherty, an interpreter at Historic St. Mary’s City, was at the center and gave mother and daughter information on Historic St. Mary’s City which is a also a passport site.

L ibrary Items • Summer fun continues at libraries The next free Professional Performance will be multi-cultural folk music performed by Adam Miller on July 20. Charlotte Hall’s performance will be at 10 a.m. at White Marsh Elementary School, Leonardtown’s at 12:30 p.m. at Leonard Hall Recreation Center, and Lexington Park’s at 3 p.m. at Lexington Park Library. These performances are for all ages and funded by a grant from St. Mary’s County Arts Council and SMECO. Three summer reading clubs are available for babies through teens and are on-going through the summer. Children earn prizes and books by reading. Children can pick up Adventure Passports and explore county sites to earn a free ice cream coupon and a chance for Sally Walker’s book, “Written in Bone”. Children can also look for Flat Sneaks in this newspaper and guess where he visited this week for a chance at a drawing for a book. • Indentured servant to tell about journey Children ages 5 and older can travel back in time and meet “Goody Norman”, an indentured servant who will tell about her journey at sea today at 10 a.m. at Charlotte Hall, 12:30 p.m. at Leonardtown and at 3 p.m. at Lexington Park. This special Celebrate 375! program is presented by St. Clement’s Island Museum staff. Those attending can try on colonial outfits, play games, and take home a goody bag. Registration is required for this free program. • Libraries celebrate the release of new Harry Potter movie “Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix” will be shown in celebration of the release of the new Harry Potter movie at Charlotte Hall today at 2 p.m. and at Leonardtown at 5 p.m. today. Snacks will be provided. This movie is rated PG-13. There is no charge. • Teen activities scheduled Teens can register for a workshop on July 21 at Leonardtown at 6 p.m. to learn to use Scratch software to create a computer game. Discover U Children’s Museum is sponsoring this free workshop conducted by Deb Daniel. Registration is required. John Busby will conduct a free workshop on drawing Manga for teens on July 25 at Leonardtown at 2 p.m. and July 29 at Charlotte Hall at 5 p.m. Registration is required. Teen Gaming Fun is scheduled at Charlotte Hall on July 21 starting at 5:30 p.m. and at Leonardtown on July 24 at 2 p.m. Snacks are provided. • Families invited to gaming nights Family members and gamers can challenge each other to Wii and other games on July 22 at Lexington Park at 6 p.m., on July 23 at Leonardtown at 5:30 p.m. and on July 30 at Charlotte Hall at 5:30 p.m. Snacks are provided.

The County Times

Wagner Three-Peats, Lear Scores ‘Steel Block Bandits’ Feature By Doug Watson Potomac Speedway BUDDS CREEK – Defending track champion Tommy Wagner Jr., extended his point lead as he scored his third feature win of the season, and first since April 10, in the 25-lap limited late-model headliner at the Potomac speedway. PJ Hatcher and Terry Flaherty brought the field down to the waving of the green flag. Flaherty, in his firstever start at the speedway, took the lead on lap one. PJ Hatcher would take the top spot back at the completion of the second circuit as third starting Tommy Wagner Jr. was up to second by lap two. Wagner made the winning pass on Hatcher on lap five and then had to fend off the repeated challenges of eventual runner-up Mike Latham to preserve the win. “I can’t thank my car owners Scott and Patty Thompson enough,” Wagner said in victory lane. “We’ve been fighting through some motor problems the

past few weeks, and we’ve now got Scott’s good motor back in the car and it’s a horse.” Derrick Quade was third, Terry Flaherty had a nice run taking fourth and Stevie Long completed the top five. Heats for the 22 cars on hand went to Hatcher and Bruce Kane. The second limited late-model event on the program was the remaining 25 laps of the rain-shortened 40lap Steel Block Bandits feature from May 29. Kyle Lear was scored the race leader when the rains came, halting the event. When the race re-started, Lear was on a mission as he dominated the final 25 laps of the event to collect a nice $2,000 payday, his fourth Potomac limited late-model feature win of the season. “What more can I say about these MD1 Race Cars?” Lear said. “I wasn’t even pushing the car as hard as it would go and once again this car just seems to like Potomac.” Lear scored a career-high six feature wins in 2008 and has already

matched that number by July 2009. “Yeah, we seem to be on a roll right now,” he said. “The cars are working really good, so hopefully we can keep it going as long as we can.” Kris Looney made a late race charge to post second, Bruce Kane was third, Tommy Wagner Jr. scored his second top five of the night in fourth and Mike Latham completed the top five. Heats for the event back in May went to Kane, Lear and walker Arthur. In other action Kurt Zimmerman was victorious for the third time this season in the 16-lap street stock feature; Darrin Henderson rolled to win number two in the 15-lap crate late model event; Jimmy Suite took his first career 15-lap hobby stock feature after apparent winner Sam Archer was light at the scales; defending champion Greg Gunter rolled to his fifth win of the season and 50th of his Potomac career in the 15-lap four-cylinder main; and John Hardisty was triumphant in the 50-lap strictly stock contest.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Limited late models 25 laps 1. Tommy Wagner Jr. 2. Mike Latham 3. Derrick Quade 4. Terry Flaherty 5. Stevie Long 6. Sommey Lacey 7. Bruce Kane 8. PJ Hatcher 9. Paul Cursey 10. Chuck Cox 11. Kenny Geer 12. Ed Pope 13. Dave Adams 14. Buddy Isles 15. Mark Jones 16. Bubby Tharpe 17. Kyle Lear 18. Kris Looney 19. Brandon Long 20. Pat Wood 21. James Snead (DNS) 22. Tony Buckler (DNS)

Steel Block Bandits Series Event

(Remaining 25 laps from May 29) 1. Kyle Lear 2. Kris Looney 3. Bruce Kane 4. Tommy Wagner Jr. 5. Mike Latham 6. Stevie Long 7. Sommey Lacey 8. PJ Hatcher 9. Paul Cursey 10. Chuck Cox 11. Mark Jones 12. Buddy Isles 13. Ed Pope 14. Bubby Tharpe 15. Derrick Quade DNR- Chris Cromer, Walker Arthur, Jared Powell, Brandon Long, David Puckett, Gerald Davis, Dave Adams

Slow-Pitch All-Star Game Saturday The St. Mary’s County Young Men’s and Men’s Slow-Pitch softball leagues will square off in an all-star game doubleheader Saturday July 18 at Back Road Inn, located at 22094 Newtowne Neck Road in Leonardtown. The first game begins at 4 p.m., with the second scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. There will be a 50/50 raffle as well as a dunking booth.

Pax River Silver Stars Pax River Silver Stars is putting together a 5th/6th grade girls AAU basketball team to play in the Fall and next Spring/Summer. Tryouts for the 14U/9th grade Fall league team will be coming up in August. For more information, contact Savannah Webb, director, Pax River Silver Stars, savweb@msn.com, 301-737-1792, or 301-247-3152, or go to http://www.eteamz.com/paxriversilverstars/index.cfm

Gretton Goalkeeping Camps Goalkeeper soccer camps will be offered through the week of Aug. 17 at locations in southern Maryland. Camps run Monday through Thursday, and all ages and skill levels are welcome. The fee per camp is $215. For more information, call 301-643-8992 or e-mail grettongaolkeeping@gmail.com.

Skate Series Returns to St. Mary’s County in August The Mid-Atlantic Skating Series will hold its yearly meet in St. Mary’s County on Saturday August 22, when MASS takes over Nicolet Park in Lexington Park. All age and skills levels are welcome. For more information, go to http://www.curtkimbel. com.

Tennis Anyone? Social Doubles is held twice weekly, with informal doubles matches put together by the site coordinator based on that day’s attendance. All who show up will get to play. • 5 p.m. Sundays at Leonardtown High School through August. • 5 p.m. Tuesdays at Great Mills High School through September. The league fee is $25 for the Leonardtown site, $30 for the Great Mills site. Fees include court costs and balls. No official registration is required, just show up at the courts.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

Sp rts

Those Daring Young People With Flying Machines By Chris Stevens Staff Writer HOLLYWOOD – In case anyone was wondering, those were not huge mosquitoes buzzing around Greenwell State Park this past weekend. The Patuxent Aeromodelers Club hosted an International Miniature Aerobatic Club (IMAC) regional event for flyers of remote-controlled airplanes, and for any locals who may be interested, event coordinator Troy Wallace said that all are welcome. “It seems that interest in the sport is growing to the point where we have middle school and high school groups wanting to fly planes,” said Wallace, a licensed flight instructor and retired Marine. “It makes you learn math and science just to get the plane up in the air, and a lot of these kids go on to become engineers and pilots,” he said. To give an idea of how much it takes to control even a radio controlled aircraft, Wallace says the operators spend several hours on a simulator training their muscles – and minds – to handle the aircraft, especially going against gravity. The competitions include four scored events (Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced and Unlimited), as well as a free style competition, which allows the operators to have fun with their planes and routines, usually set to music of their choosing. The IMAC consists of six regions in the United States and it even has an overseas region,

making it a true world sport. Saturday’s regional took place at Helwig Field and featured competitors from nearby Virginia and Delaware, as well as Connecticut, where this year’s regional championship will be held. “This is for anyone who loves airplanes and the pressure of flying,” Wallace said. “Those people flock to this kind of event.” For all of the fun that competing in radiocontrolled events provides, there also comes responsibility, especially financially. Beginners can find planes that cost between $200 and $300 to fly and see if it’s something they enjoy. “That’s usually when people get hooked on it,” Wallace said. If they move up from smaller planes and flying to gearing up for the IMAC events, a competitive plane can cost them anywhere between $5,000 and $7,000. “That includes the plane, the engine and maintenance,” Wallace explained. “It’s pretty much the same as maintaining a regular airplane.” With a steep cost such as that, Wallace says aspiring operators shouldn’t be put off by the expense, especially since the planes are designed to last a long time. Also, flyers are allowed to pursue sponsorships to pay for the cost of their aircraft. “It’s pretty solid technology, we inspect them on a regular basis, and they usually don’t fly them recklessly,” he said. For more information, go to the Patuxent Aeromodelers Radio Control Club Web site at www.paxaero.com for dates and times of events, as well as www.mini-iac.com for more about the national circuit.

Neil Westdorp prepares his plane for flight at Helwig Field in Hollywood on Saturday.

Photo By Frank Marquart

Trent Schneider tests the wind during the IMAC regional held at Helwig Field on Saturday. George Hill gets comfortable while his plane is ready for action in the IMAC regional hosted by the Patuxent Aeromodeling Club. Photo By Frank Marquart

Photo By Frank Marquart

Sp rts

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

New Youth Football Youth Football Leagues in Turmoil League Tackles High Costs

By Casey McClay, Contributing Writer And Virginia Terhune, Staff Writer

The county Department of Recreation and Parks may decide to assume oversight of the county’s youth football leagues sooner rather than later following the collapse of a pact made in May between the Pigskin and Pax River Raiders to blend their leagues. Both parties are now threatening to sue each other on the eve of the season kickoff in early August, while a new group, the Southern Maryland Youth Football League, also prepares to start its first season. Parents, coaches and kids in the meantime have been peppering those involved with questions about what’s going on. The Raiders say they will absorb most of the 120 players who had signed up with Pigskin, but that may mean the kids play more games in Calvert County, at least for this season. Meanwhile, the future of the three youth football organizations and the role of the county in their affairs remains up in the air. “We’re willing to do whatever it takes to operate the leagues,” said Arthur Shepherd, who heads the recreation division for the Department of Recreation and Parks, which controls the county’s playing fields. “Our goal is to do it in 2010, but we can do what we have to do to operate the league in 2009 if it’s necessary,” he said, emphasizing that any solution would involve the coaches and volunteers who run the leagues. The county has been reluctant to get deeply involved in the running of the leagues and has turned down requests to do so before. But those involved say the situation has deteriorated to the point that it plans to intercede at

some level in order to stabilize the situation. “It’s incredibly complex, and it’s a miserable situation,” said Pat Murphy, director of SMYFL, which is affiliated with Universal Sports and Academics in Waldorf. The Raiders have reportedly said they are “for sale,” and Murphy said he would talk to his local board before talking to the Universal board Thursday night about taking control of that league. He said, however, that if SMYFL absorbs the Raiders, the deal would not include the Pigskin organization, because the new league wants to steer clear of the dispute between Raider leader Chris Pixton and Don Kemp, who has been running Pigskin with his wife Trude for more than 20 years. “The last thing we want to do is get tied up in that mess,” Murphy said. If a deal fails to materialize and SMYFL goes on as it is, the new league has enough kids signed up (more than 450), access to fields Lancaster, Dorsey and Lettie Marshall Dent and equipment to go forward with its first season, he said.

Raider-Pigskin Blowup

Kemp, who owns St. Mary’s Sports, a sports equipment wholesale business in Mechanicsville, said Pigskin at one time ahd close to 1,200 children participating in its football and cheerleading programs, but that the number had dropped recently because of the recession. Because of disagreements with Pigskin, Chris Pixton broke away four years ago to form the Pax River Raiders, which plays many of its games in Calvert County. The Kemps kept running Pigskin, but

Kemp said he recently began looking for someone to run it because of health problems. He said he talked to Recreation and Parks but they said no because of questions about equipment and Pigskin debt. Kemp said he pays off costs incurred in one season with registration money from the next season. This year, however, he said he couldn’t continue to the next season, leaving Pigskin with $84,000 in bills to settle. Kemp and Pixton announced an agreement in May which Kemp said involved Pixton picking up the debt in exchange for control of Pigskin. However, attempts to work through the details appear to have derailed. On the evening of July 9, Pixton talked for two hours on the Raiders Web broadcast, saying the deal with Pigskin was “null and void,” the Pigskin season had been cancelled, that the Raider would absorb the players and registration was now closed. Pixton did not return a call Tuesday for comment, but alluded during the broadcast that he had problems getting information from the Kemps and that they had failed to live up to the contract. Kemp in turn said that Pixton was not putting in the time and work on registration, concession and other revenue generators to pay off the debt and that any suggestion that he had been keeping money for himself was untrue. The broadcast followed an incident earlier in the day when Pixton said he went to pick up sports equipment stored at Lettie Dent and broke the lock, which resulted in a call to police. Pixton said he intended to hold the equipment until he gets money back from Kemp, which Kemp said amounted to $15,000.

Dew Drop Pounces on Exhausted Liberty By Chris Stevens Staff Writer GREAT MILLS – When a softball team has played seven games in three days, the chances of them being tired are great. Liberty Office Supplies gave their best effort Sunday evening, but ran out of gas early as Dew Drop Inn coasted to a 29-5, six-inning victory in Young Men’s action at the Brass Rail. “We had a doubleheader Friday, four games in a tournament Saturday and today’s game,” explained Liberty manager Tommy Cobbs. “We had a couple of players who weren’t available, and I think everybody’s softballed out right now.” Liberty took a brief lead in the bottom of the first inning, as first baseman Justin Smith connected on an RBI single, scoring shortstop Stephen DeTemple. Dew Drop came up to bat in the top of the second and slugged their way to 12 runs on nine hits, including a two-run home run by first baseman Tater Hewitt, eventually chasing starting pitcher Michael Thomas. Photo By Chris Stevens The Dew Drop onslaught Michael Thomas of Liberty fires a pitch to home plate. continued as Bird Johnson added a three-run homer, winning pitcher Benny Johnson doubled advantage of them being tired and everyone hit well today.” Thirteen Dew Drop players recorded hits, while all 14 players three times and drove in three runs and Grant Johnson added an reached base in some form in their biggest offensive output of the inside-the-park home run in the season. Liberty scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and added sixth inning. Dew Drop (13-6 on one more in the bottom of the sixth for their final total, stopping the the season) also received some help courtesy of six Liberty errors game one inning short of full complete because of the run rule. Stone hopes Sunday’s outburst will become a permanent part of that gave them extra chances to do DDI’s season as the playoffs approach quickly. their damage. “We’re hoping it can carry over from here on out,” Stone said. Photo By Chris Stevens “We wanted to jump on them Tater Hewitt hits a home run dur- right away, get some runs and “We have the potential to keep swinging the bats like this.” For Tommy Cobbs, he and his team were ready to put Sunday’s ing Dew Drop Inn’s 29-5 victory the board and get everyone in the over Liberty Office Supplies Sun- game,” said Dew Drop manager loss behind them. “Get beat today, forget about it by tomorrow,” he said. day evening. Tom Stone. “We were able to take

Photo By Stephen McClay

Jordan McGee, of Mechanicsville tries on his gear after weighing in for the first year of the Southern Maryland Youth Football League.

By Casey McClay Contributing Writer The Southern Maryland Youth Football League launched its first season Sunday morning at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary School. Parents, kids and coaches arrived early to distribute equipment and to weigh into their classes. The new league started earlier this year after coaches and parents broke off from the Pigskin and Pax River Raiders leagues. “We got a group of coaches from the other leagues and asked them what they would like to see different,” said league Director Pat Murphy. “We never shut down communications with the other leagues. We want to build from them and work with them.” The league works with local sponsors who agreed to help buy equipment if SMYFL offered players a packet of coupons at registration. The players pay $50 for the coupons to be spent at the businesses, and in exchange, sponsors supply the equipment. Although the league initially faced some controversy within the county, the administration is pleased with the turnout. “For this first year, we are expecting somewhere between 20-32 teams,” Murphy says. “We have over 400, close to 500 kids right now, and our registration is open until the end of July.” To help struggling families and to increase its membership, the league contacted county agencies to find kids who wanted to play football but could not fully afford it. The league accepted about 100 children, waving the entry fee. The cost will be made up by raising money during the season. “No kid should be turned down because of cost,” said league football commissioner Frank Moneymaker. “It’s about the community here, not the money.” Father and coach of SMYFL Kelvin Wilson, of Lexington Park says, “A lot of people can’t afford other leagues. We shouldn’t have to worry about the cost. It’s supposed to be fun and to get kids off the street.”

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

Sp rts

Southern Clubs Dew Drop to Stay in Division Hunt By Chris Stevens Staff Writer BUSHWOOD – Although a Division Title is not out of the realm of possibility for Southern Insulation, manager Paula King prefers that her team focus on each game as it comes. “We have a great group of players that play well together; winning the division would icing on the cake,” King said after Southern slugged their way to a 20-5 win over Dew Drop Inn in Women’s softball action at 7th District Park. “It would be nice, especially as a first-year team, but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” she said. The win kept Southern (13-3 on the season) two and a half

Softball Standings

Games Through Tues., July 14 Women’s League Standings Division I 1. Just Us 2. CCE 3. Bud Light 4. Southern

Wins 15 15 14 13

Losses 0 1 2 3

Games Back 0 0.5 1.5 2.5

Wins 10 10 9 8 6 5

Losses 6 6 6 9 8 10

Games Back 0 0 0.5 2.5 3 4.5

Wins 3 1 1 0

Losses 13 14 15 17

Games Back 0 1.5 2 3.5

Division II 1. Anderson’s 2. Back Road 3. Knight Life 4. Simms 5. Capt. Sam’s 6. DDI

Division III 1. Xtreme 2. Knockouts 3. Coors Light 4. Moose

Young Men’s Standings 2. Team Moose 1. AC Moose 3. Cryers 4. Dew Drop 5. Shockers 6. Straight Cut 7. Big Dogs 8. Raley’s 9. Knott’s 10. Liberty 11. Jeff Rocks

Wins 14 13 13 13 10 10 8 7 6 3 3

Losses 2 2 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 16 16

Games Back 0 0.5 2.5 3 4.5 5 7 8.5 9.5 12.5 12.5

Men’s Slow-Pitch Standings Wins 1. Cahney’s 24 2. Budweiser 21 3. Back Road 21 4. Pax Bombers 17 5. Wentworth 12 6. Book By Blanche 5 7. Eagles’ Nest 4 8. VFW 2632 2

Losses 3 4 6 10 15 22 23 25

Games Back 0 2 3 7 12 19 20 22

games behind unbeaten Just Us for first place in Division I. After DDI took a 5-4 lead in the top half of the third inning on an RBI single by Krista Farmer, Southern stormed back with an 11-run bottom half of the third inning, with eight players connecting on run-scoring hits. “They really are a good hitting team from top to bottom,” said DDI manager Matt Magnuson. “A couple of hits and an error started the roller coaster and that’s how they got the 11 runs.” Southern ended the game by run rule in the bottom of the fifth when Melanie Guy socked an inside-the-park home run and Sam Long’s pinch-hit, two-run single provided a 15-run cushion. “When they put their bats together, it’s always amazing to watch them do that,” King says. “When they string their bats together, we really look forward to that. It’s worked for us so far.” Magnuson hopes DDI, who fell to 5-10 in the 2009 season, can rebound from this loss quickly, but he knows it will take some time. “Considering the age of the Photo By Chris Stevens team, it’s hard for them to know how to erase games like this,” he Kristina Keck of Dew Drop Inn connects on a single. said.

Photo By Chris Stevens

Southern’s Jessica Bowles sends a pitch to home plate in the first inning.

His goal for his team coming down the stretch is a simple one. “To be a team, play for fun, and not let the little things get to them,” he said. “That would be a great way for us to end the season.” For Southern Insulation, King refuses to let her team look beyond anybody. “Anybody in this league can beat a team any given day. I’ll tell them that before every game,” she said. “You can never underestimate any team.”

St. Mary’s American Loses Heartbreaker In Big League Championship By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

great coaches and really good players. It was a pleasure to play against them.” “I had heart palpitations throughout the game,” said St. Mary’s manager Monty Wood. “I might need to check and see if my deodorant is still working. We had a real good team and a group of girls who really wanted to play.”

tom half of the second when centerfielder Brianna Barnes laced a two-run double to even the score at 2. For the next four BRANDYWINE – In Game Two of innings, St. Mary’s American pitcher Tifthe District 7 Big League Softball Chamfany Kennedy and Waldorf hurler Kaypionship Series at the Baden Volunteer lynn Balleau dueled on the mound, as Fire Department, it was a matter of which Kennedy struck out the side and Balleau team would get the luckiest of bounces to didn’t allow a base runner in the fourth, win. It turned out to be for the home team fifth and sixth innings. as Brianna Pickerall’s opposite-field triple Things got interesting in the top of scored Sarah Addison to give Waldorf a the seventh. After Balleau retired Raven pulsating 4-3 win in 10 innings Tuesday Manigault and Kennedy to start the night over St. Mary’s American and the inning, St. Mary’s American got a championship, winning the best-of-three single from Jennifer Nagy and a series two games to none. walk from DeVore, turning over “The girls hung in there and never the line-up for shortstop Erin gave up and that’s what it took to win,” Leddy. Leddy strong-armed a said Waldorf manager Tim Martin. shot through the middle of the “St. Mary’s has a great team with infield, scoring Nagy to give St. Mary’s a 3-2 lead. Waldorf looked primed to win the game in the bottom of the inning after Barnes led off the frame with a triple. However, she was thrown out at home by Shaina Milby on a chopper down the first base line. The batter in that sequence, Balleau scored the tying run on a single by Hayley Eure and the Photo By teams headed for extra innings. Chris Stevens Neither team scored until the bottom Tiffany Kennedy struck out six batters in St. of the 10th when Pickerall, with Addison Mary’s American’s 4-3 loss to Waldorf in the on first base, sunk a low line drive unDistrict 7 Big League championship game. der Manigault’s glove that gave Addison ample time to get to home plate and win Needing to win Game Two to force the game. a deciding game later in the evening, For Wood, he hopes that this game St. Mary’s American struck first, with and series will raise the profile of the league. “Hopefully, high school age playPhoto By Chris Stevens catcher Lauren Davis and designated hitter Dyanna DeVore connecting on RBI ers will see the level of talent and want Erin Leddy follows through on a swing in singles in the first and second innings. to play in this league and make it better,” the first inning. Waldorf bounced back in the bot- he said.

The County Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Sp rts

Blue Crabs Defeat York, Sign Major League Vet Tucker The York Revolution lost for the first time in the second half, falling 3-2 to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Tuesday evening at Sovereign Bank Stadium. The Revs, still off to their best start ever at 4-1, will look to even the series on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Spot starter Daryl Harang allowed just one run in five innings, on Rich Giannotti’s third inning homer, his second of the year. Harang scattered six hits and only walked one. Southern Maryland extended their lead in the seventh, however, on Pat Osborn’s RBI double down the third base line, and a sac fly from Jeremy Owens. Blue Crabs starter Joe Gannon took a shutout into the eighth, extending his scoreless streak to 13 innings. Josh Johnson led off the eighth with a single on the first pitch, however, chasing Gannon. Carl Loadenthal then singled up the middle against reliever Matt Schweitzer, and Keoni DeRenne sacrificed both into scoring position. P.J. Rose was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Tom Collaro drew a bases loaded walk to get the Revs on the board at 3-1. Schweitzer came back to strike out both Matt Rogelstad and Jason Aspito, however, to squelch the threat. Matt Esquivel led off the ninth with a single against closer Matt Hensley, again bringing the tying run to the plate. Hensley came back to strike out both Matt Padgett and Johnson. Esquivel stole second on the latter of the two, and scored on another knock up the middle by Loadenthal, but Hensley came back to strike out the side, fanning DeRenne to end the game. Gannon (7-9) improves to 6-1 in his career against York (4-0 this season), and has allowed one or no earned runs in six of his seven starts against the Revs. Harang (2-8) suffered the loss, despite lowering his ERA to 4.35. He has allowed just one earned run in his last 13 innings of work. The Blue Crabs also signed 12-year Major League Veteran Michael Tucker, and he joined the club for this week’s series at York. The Blue Crabs will look to the powerhitting Tucker to help replace some of the offensive firepower they have lost recently with the departures of star first baseman Eric

Shown here with the New York Mets in 2006, former Major Leaguer Michael Tucker has joined the Blue Crabs.

Crozier and shortstop Travis Garcia to the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners’ organizations, respectively. In addition to his big bat, Tucker will also provide defensive depth to the Blue Crabs. In his 1,417 game Major League career, Tucker spent at least 25 games at first base, second base, left field, center field, right field and designated hitter. His versatility will be crucial down the stretch for manager Butch Hobson and Southern Maryland as the Blue Crabs try to capture their first-ever Atlantic League Championship crown. Selected 10th overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 1992 amateur draft, Tucker reached the Major Leagues during the 1995 season. He spent the following 11 consecutive seasons in the Majors, spending time with the Royals, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. For his Major League career, Tucker amassed 4,083 at-bats, 208 doubles, 49 triples, 125 home runs, 528 RBI, and 114 stolen bases. Tucker also reached the playoffs three times, twice advancing to the National League Championship Series -- with the Atlanta Braves (1998) and the New York Mets (2006).

Atlantic Baseball League Standings (For games through Tuesday, July 14th) LIBERTY DIVISION Long Island Southern Maryland Camden Bridgeport

W 3 2 1 1

L 2 3 4 4

PCT .600 .400 .200 .200

FREEDOM DIVISION York Somerset Newark Lancaster

W 4 3 3 3

L 1 2 2 2

PCT .800 .600 .600 .600

1.0 2.0 2.0

1.0 1.0 1.0

STREAK LAST 10 L2 6- 4 W2 4- 6 L4 4- 6 W1 4- 6 STREAK LAST 10 L1 6- 4 L1 5- 5 W3 5- 5 W1 6- 4

NOTE: The Blue Crabs won the Liberty Division First Half Championship, securing a spot in the Atlantic League playoffs this fall.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The County Times

A View From The

Sp rts

BLEACHERS Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

By Ronald N. Guy Jr. Contributing Writer Barring an eleventh-hour physical setback or change of heart, it seems Brett Favre will return to play quarterback this season for the Minnesota Vikings. This, of course, would be Favre’s second “un-retirement.” Favre first tearfully bid adieu to the NFL and the Green Bay Packers after the 2007 season ended a game short of a storybook Superbowl ending. A few months later he wanted his job back. Green Bay wasn’t feeling nostalgic and traded Favre to Broadway where he played last season with the New York Jets. After fading down the stretch, Favre retired, again. Sucker that I was, I believed him that time.

An unemotional Favre seemed resigned to the fact that age and nagging injuries had caught up with him, as it does with every athlete. But after cutting grass at his Mississippi home for a few months and weeks of “wink, wink” denials from his agent and the Vikings, Favre is on the cusp of another comeback. Interestingly, despite his entertaining play and Hall of Fame resume, the prevailing attitude of most fans and media toward Favre, take three, is … annoyance. Personally, I think Favre’s routinely overrated on most lists of the NFL’s greatest QB’s. Still, the general irritation from NFL-nation over his flirtations with another comeback is surprising. Yes, he has proven to be a bit of a drama-king. Unquestionably, this “country boy

from Mississippi” likes the spotlight more than anyone would have expected or he would like to admit. It’s even reasonable to say Favre is a little selfish, isolating, and maintains an inflated sense of his worth to his employer. With that dirty laundry aired, it is understandable that Favre’s act has gone from entertaining (with Green Bay), to stale (with New York), to annoying (this offseason). But in fairness to Favre, at a fundamental level his waffling is nothing more than an individual, facing his career’s end, wrestling with the 500-pound gorilla: retirement. We all like to complain about work. The alarm goes off too early, too often and days end much too late. It’s a stressful grind. Blah, blah, blah. Yet work also provides valu-

able structure, makes us feel part of something, enhances our self-worth and offers an opportunity to develop friendships and a “professional family.” (Author’s Note: and when you’re rearing young kids, it can also be an oddly relaxing respite!) Our work becomes part of our identity and contributes to the general rhythm of our lives, a rhythm that helps the days, weeks and years roll by and keeps us hanging on. So while we like to fuss and complain, when it comes time to walk away, retirement is a decision that’s met with much difficulty. For most people, retirement comes at a “ripe old age,” so to speak, and post-retirement employment options (such as retired military or civil servant catching on with local defense contractors

or small business owner gradually transitioning duties to generation next) help ease the transition to life as a full-time golfer. Conversely, careers for pro athletes are shorter (Favre retired the first time at age 38), the ending is often abrupt and there simply isn’t anything to replace life as an active professional athlete. Complicating Favre’s decision further is he’s still wanted. Maybe Favre was ready to hang up the cleats, but the Vikings called with an opportunity and a bundle of cash. The thought of more Favre makes many fans and media cringe. They wanted that final memory of him in a Packers uniform, legacy in tact … whatever that means. So if Brett Favre decides at age 40 to lace ’em up again, the line of critics will be long. I wonder though, in Favre’s shoes, could those critics turn a deaf ear to the Vikings’ call, walk away from millions and perhaps a last chance to hear the roar of an adoring crowd? I doubt it, and neither can Favre. And good for him, because sooner or later his phone will stop ringing, and when it does, his tractor and lawn will be waiting for him. Send your comments to rguyjoon@yahoo.com.

THURSDAY July 16, 2009

TAKING FLIGHT FOR FUN Page 35

ADF Bingo Appeal Coming Story Page 4

Photo By Frank Marquart

Hoyer Under Fire For Web Site Deal Story Page 10

Five Charged in Shooting Story Page 17