The Southern Calvert Gazette -- December 17, 2009 by David Noss

December 2009

Priceless

Gazette

Southern Calvert Everything Solomons, Lusby,

CoPs MAkE ChristMAs WishEs CoME truE PAGE 12

Oyster Plan Spells Doom For Local Watermen

Story Page 21

Your Paper... Your Thoughts Should their be policies prohibiting public school teachers from saying ‘”merry Christmas”, with a preference for “happy holidays” instead? “I would disagree with that if it were a policy,” said Nancy Crosby, who teaches social studies at Patuxent High School. “Unless someone is proselytizing, trying to convert somebody, I have no problem with expressions of religious belief,” she said. “We have freedom of expression. Teachers are people too. I don’t see a problem with it.”

Shelby Buckler, 12-grader at Patuxent High School, said saying Merry Christmas has become a generalized statement, “kind of like when you say ‘God bless you’.” “Yeah, everybody has their own religion, but if somebody came up to me and said ‘happy Hanukkah’, I would just be like ‘OK’,” Buckler said. “If someone said that to me I wouldn’t think ‘oh

you’re trying to convert me to your religion.”

“I think most of them say ‘happy holidays’ just to not offend anybody,” said Cathy Shatzer, a counselor at Mill Creek Middle School. “I don’t think it’s bad to say. There shouldn’t be a rule that says you can’t say that. … I think they know their kids well enough that they know if one of them wouldn’t want them to say that.”

Thursday, December-2009

On T he Cover

Trooper Kem Hunt, left, and Trooper Christopher Esnes help Lavar Sherbert pick out gifts for himself and his family.

Local news

“The Museum is decked with boughs of holly, We’ve lit up the tree and festooned the lobby.” SEE PAGE 23

out & about

FOR EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA, CHECK PAGE 19 IN OUT AND ABOUT

Sports

John Glass of Patuxent High School guns it out during the boys 50-year freestyle during the tri-meet on Friday, Dec. 11. SEE PAGE 20

nd December 18-20 2009 a h g i H es d i T w Lo Day

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Also Inside

Local News

Delegate Column

Community

Education

Letters

Cover Story

History

Locals

Obituaries

Business Directory

Out & About

Sports

Entertainment

On The Water

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Thursday, December-2009

LOCAL NEWS

Biz Group Holds Holiday Mixer

Southern Maryland Fashion Goes Organic

usby may not seem like a fashion destination, but a budding clothing company that has taken root and set up part of its operations in the region is changing that. 3 Clothing Company, named so for its three partners, Patricc Reed, of Los Angeles, Josie Wilder, of Greenville, SC, and Reese Donner, of Lusby, launched their first clothing collection in February 2008, offering a variety of organic and custom made recycled outfits. “We originally met in the late 90s while serving in the Marines together,” wrote lead designer Patricc Reed in an email to the Southern Calvert Gazette. “It was a reunion in 2007 that sparked the idea of 3 Clothing. We are three different guys that live three different lives, but share one common goal, leaving this earth knowing we did our part.” Reed, 27, explained that though his company focused on creating ecofriendly outfits, it was more a company based on the principles of social responsibility. “We really consider ourselves

more of a socially conscious company than an ‘organic company,’” Reed said, explaining that as he teamed with his partners to decide on sourcing options for their clothing line, the choice to go organic just seemed natural. “If we are going to produce clothing, what are our sourcing options? Organic or Conventional? So, once we looked into the difference, we were forced to ask ourselves why we wouldn’t go organic,” he wrote. “We are not radical ‘green’ lovers. In fact, we hate the word ‘green’. To us it conjures up the thought of greed, or sickness. We much prefer pomegranate, which is a super fruit and quite a bright and appealing color.” And the designs are colorful, sporting modern cuts and trendy flourishes, from their line of distressed “ex-boyfriend” jeans to their colorful organic graphic t-shirts, which are produced in Southern Maryland. It’s a far cry from the thrown-together fashions of “granola eating hippies,” which Reed said were not the company’s target audience. “We make fashionable clothing for the person that wants to look good

and feel good while they wear it. So our market is people like us, people who do care ... We want to feel good about our purchases, but not at the cost of looking good,” he wrote. Such a marketing philosophy has also driven the company’s focus not just on organic and recycled materials, which comprise their newly launched line of custom thrift store revivals, but on giving back to charities and causes. “Caring for our surroundings is just one part of our social responsibilities. There is a long list of others. This is why we donate 10% of every sale to the non-profit organization of the buyer’s choice,” explained Reed. Beyond that, Reed explained that their mission as fashion designers was still classic; to make people look and feel good. “My personal rule of thumb of design is everything that I create is something that I would wear, and be proud to wear.” To find out more about 3 Clothing Company or shop for items, go to http://www.3clothingco.com/site/. By AndreA Shiell (CT) andreashiell@countytimes.net

Save energy Save money Lighting accounts for about 5 percent of a home’s electric bill. By switching to more energy efficient lighting, you can reduce these costs by 50 to 75 percent.

Save up to $12 on a multi-pack of CFLs! SMECO is offering discounts on qualifying ENERGY STAR® compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) at participating retailers in our service area. Receiving your discount is simple and automatic, because the savings are included in your purchase price at the register. No coupons or rebate forms are needed. The list of retailers offering the SMECO discount continues to grow, please visit www.smeco.coop/save for updates. This program supports EmPOWER Maryland.

Thursday, December-2009

Photo By Sean Rice

Jaime Padilla, right, owner of Jake and Al’s Chophouse in Lusby, talks with Calvert County Commissioners Jerry Clark Barbara Stinnett during the Lusby Business Association’s Holiday Mixer at the restaurant on Dec. 8. About 30 people, including business owners and representatives and county officials attended. “The purpose was to highlight local business and bring us together,” said Nance Pretto Simmons, of the Lusby Business Association. “Now a lot of local business are struggling, and a lot of us share the same concerns …It went really well, we had a lot of local businesses, people from other business association came out to support us, and we had some county representatives.”

Navy Retires Last of Workhorse Helicopter Fleet

or about half a century the U.S. Navy’s UH-3H helicopter, commonly known as the Sea King, has performed nearly every task the military asked of it, from anti-submarine warfare and transporting dignitaries to performing search and rescue operations at sea. Now the military is retiring the last of aging breed this week at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, where the helicopter has made its home. The last helicopter, though retired from active duties like rescue operations, will still serve as a trainer and as a testing platform for pilots flying in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron that currently uses VH-3D helicopters, according to Rob Koon, spokesman for the Sikorsky Sea King program office. “It’s had a lot of history, it’s been around for 50 years,” Koon told The Southern Calvert Gazette. “It was a workhorse for the fleet. It’s carried presidents from the Eisenhower administration on.” The helicopter design was also the one used to pick up astronauts after their earliest forays into space. “It’s done everything we’ve asked it to do,” Koon said of the robust, long-lived design. The ceremony turning the last helicopter over from the Navy to the United States Marine Corp took place Dec. 10, at

Hangar 109 at the naval air station. Scott Bruce, a retired Navy commander and aviator whose first assignment was flying the Sea King, said the aircraft was revolutionary for its time because of its improved engine system. It was also very safe, since pilots who were almost out of fuel could land the aircraft on the water to float and wait for their base ship to come closer so they could take off again from the water to safely land on the deck. “That’s happened many, many times,” Bruce, chief engineer for the helicopter at its project office said. “It was always a pleasure to fly, it’s a great aircraft. It’s a classic.” The old helicopter was replaced in the anti-submarine warfare role in the 1990s by the SH-60F Sea Hawk helicopter, a version of the Blackhawk helicopter currently in use by the U.S. Army and throughout the nation’s military. The legacy of the Sikorsky Sea King will likely live on despite the aircraft’s retirement by the U.S. military, as it is one of the most popular helicopters exported for sale to foreign militaries, Koon said. The helicopter has seen service in more than 20 nations’ armed forces from Japan to Argentina. “With foreign military sales, they’ll be flying for years,” Koon said. By Guy leonArd (CT) guyleonard@countytimes.net

LOCAL NEWS Four Charged in St. Leonard Home Invasion

Bryan Edward Seay

n Dec. 2 at about 3:40 p.m. after executing search and seizure warrants at the addresses of three suspects in the home invasion and robbery on Mackall Road in St. Leonard that occurred on Dec. 1, Det. Michael Mudd of the Calvert Investigative Team made arrests of four suspects. Bryan Edward Seay, 20 of Port Republic, Stephen Greenlee Joseph, 19, and Derek Craig Bradley, 21, both of Lusby, were each served warrants charging them each with armed robbery, three counts of first degree assault, three counts of second degree assault, first degree burglary, reckless endangerment, three counts of false imprisonment, theft less than $1000, and handgun violation use in a felony and handgun on person. Also arrested and charged with armed robbery, first degree burglary and three counts each of first- and second-degree assault was Carlene Danielle Pedersen, 19 of Lusby. The three men are accused of kicking in the front door of a victim’s home and demanding at gunpoint that the occupants lie down on the floor while prescription medications were stolen. By Sean Rice (ScG) info@ somdpublishing.net

Stephen Greenlee Joseph

Derek Craig Bradley

corner

Carlene Danielle Pedersen

ommissioners

Take the 2009 Calvert County Business Survey By Gerald “Jerry” Clark, County Commissioner, District 1

The Calvert County Department of Economic Development is currently conducting its 2009 Business Survey and is looking for input from Calvert Countybased business owners. The survey serves two important purposes: 1. It helps the Department of Economic Development learn more about local businesses in order to better serve them; and 2. It alerts the Department to growing needs and concerns of county business owners and provides input and suggestions on steps that can be taken by the County Commissioners to improve the economic climate in Calvert County. Previous surveys have provided tremendous insight that often leads to tangible results. As a direct result of business input, the Department of Economic Development has offered workshops in marketing, procurement and business management and now offers a wider range of business services to support business retention and expansion efforts. The Department also provides a host of free resources to the business community on their Web site, many

of which came about based on feedback received from previous business surveys. Data collected from the 2009 survey will be used to support local businesses and enhance the programs and services that are currently available. All responses are confidential and the online survey only takes a few moments to complete. Final aggregate results will be available online by late winter 2010. Calvert County business owners who wish to complete the survey may do so online at www.ecalvert.com, or by calling 410.535.4583 or 301.855.1880. The deadline for completion is January 15, 2010. I would like to take an opportunity to wish you the best for a safe, happy and healthy Christmas and holiday season. I hope you look forward to the coming New Year with a sense of hope, cheer and optimism. As we all bustle around over the next few weeks shopping, preparing special meals and treats, greeting family and friends and celebrating the holidays, let’s take a moment to be thankful for the many blessings that we enjoy as residents of Southern Maryland. Season’s greetings!

Enjoy treats from Dunkin Donuts during the evening hours of Garden in Lights For admission & complete schedule:

www.annmariegarden.org

Bring this ad with you & receive a free gift!

Thursday, December-2009

5 IN

LOCAL NEWS

Hospice Director to Retire

ynn Bonde, Executive Director of Calvert Hospice for the last 12 years, will retire in March of 2010, the agency announced Monday. Under her leadership, Calvert Hospice has grown from a small non-profit agency to a vibrant provider in the health care community of Calvert County. When Bonde joined Calvert Hospice in 1998, the organization had a staff of 10 and cared for 111 families in the Hospice program. In 2009, a staff of over 40 full and part-time employees will have cared for over 250 families in the community. Another 10 employees are training to welcome the first patients to the new Burnett-Calvert Hospice House. “This House exists because you, the people of Calvert County, believe in what Hospice represents and are willing to support our work so that these services will continue far into the future,” Bonde said while addressing the community gathered at the Hospice House ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 21. “It has been my privilege to lead this effort and to see this wonderful building completed.” “The Hospice House is going to meet an important need in the community,” Honorary Hospice House Campaign Chair Margaret Phipps said in a press release. “We’re fortunate to have had Lynn here to help us realize this dream.” “My work at Calvert Hospice has given me more joy than I can express,” Bonde said in announcing her retirement. “The team of professionals and volunteers is first-rate, committed to our mission, and a terrific asset to the community. I know they will build upon their strengths to achieve great things in the future.” Bonde received her law degree from the George

Lynn Bonde

Washington University National Law Center and her Masters in Social Work from the Catholic University School of Social Service. Before joining Calvert Hospice as Executive Director in 1998, Bonde was a partner at a Washington, D.C., law firm for 15 years. She is also a psychotherapist working with those living with life threatening illness and loss for the past 20 years.

Calvert Marine Museum Receives Highest National Recognition

he Calvert Marine Museum has achieved its third accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, governments, funders, outside agencies, and the museum-going public. AAM Accreditation measures quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Since 1981, the American Association of Museums has accredited the Calvert Marine Museum. This seal of approval, regardless of museum size or location, brings national recognition. “This is a reflection of all the hard work and dedication that staff and volunteers have put into making CMM an exceptional museum,” Doug Alves, director of the museum, said in a press release. “When you realize that there are about 17,500 museums in the United States, 775 are currently accredited, and 300

Thursday, December-2009

plus have gone through the process three times, we are part of a very small number that have kept our professional standards at the highest level.” Calvert Marine Museum is one of only 12 museums in Maryland to be accredited. “Accreditation assures the people of Southern Maryland that their museum is among the finest in the nation,” said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. “As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community.” To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, review and evaluate the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes three years. For a complete listing of museum activities, events, and programs, visit the website at www. calvertmarinemuseum.com.

Illegal Fossil Hunters Damaging Calvert’s Cliffs

Photo by Kathleen McCabe Walter This is an image of some of the intentional damage being done to the fossil sites in Calvert County.

ossil hunters who usually tear into the exposed cliffs along Calvert County’s shoreline are moving south, says a DNR employee and amateur fossil hunter observing the health of the natural resources there. “I’ve seen it myself, some of the damage at Bayfront Beach,” said Scott Nieman, who works part-time at Flag Pond park. “A lot of this seems to be coming from people from northern states. You see the cars up there with license plates from Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.” Nieman said he knows of reports of illegal fossil hunting and graffiti on the exposed cliffs coming down to the Plum Point area. Nieman said the down economy may be to blame for the illegal digging, since fossils can bring several hundred dollars a piece. But fossil hunters often leave large holes in the cliffs from their excavations, Nieman said, which destroys the shoreline and creates a cave-in hazard. “It’s terrible,” Nieman said of some of the damage he said he has seen. “I’ve seen guys going in there with shovels and pick axes and you known what they’re going in there for.” Connie Sutton, a ranger at Flag Pond park, said that the problems have not centered around her park because the cliffs have been overgrown with foliage. Reports of problems at exposed cliffs still come in, however, and she said that excavating at the cliffs is particularly dangerous during the spring when the earth is thawing out from the winter freeze and breaks away causing rock slides. Beach combing is legal, however, she said, and fossil hunters walking along the beach can pick up fossils. Kathleen McCabe Walter, a local beach comber, said that graffiti also plagues the cliffs and has documented some of it with her camera. “Seeing the illegal graffiti was sad and made me realize that some people just don’t get it,” McCabe said. “Not only is it destructive but it’s dangerous and stupid. And for what?” By Guy Leonard (CT) guyleonard@countytimes.net

Holiday Reflections

s I sat in front of my computer to put some thoughts to paper – so to speak – for this column, it occurred to me that sometimes it is good to simply reflect on things from the past. This is the Christmas edition of this column and as such I thought it might be interesting to share some very random thoughts about this very special of holidays in this very special time of year. Since so many of our neighbors and friends are struggling with this tough economy, I thought it might be nice to remind myself and the readers that this is the season of hope. This is the season of sharing joy in the knowledge that there are better things in store for us and that sharing goodwill is a very important thing in our lives. One positive childhood memory of Christmas for me was when I was probably around six years old. I remember that particular Christmas I received what were for me two very special presents. One was a toy fire truck and the other was a Bugs Bunny hand puppet. I chuckle to myself when I think of the simplicity of those gifts and how happy they made me at the time. As the youngest of seven kids in my family, there wasn’t a lot of money to go around. And yet somehow, that time sticks in my mind as one of the most carefree and happy times in my life. I guess it is good for me to remember that sometimes simpler is better. All the fancy toys and gadgets in the world can’t necessarily provide that kind of positive memory. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the material aspect of this time of year that we forget to remind ourselves what it is all about. Yes, we share celebrations of the holiday with friends and family. There are office parties and neighborhood gettogethers and other special events. We do all of this to live out the promise of sharing happiness and goodwill with others. This is the basis of sharing “gifts” with each other. Some gifts are wrapped as presents, like my long ago fire truck and hand puppet. We should also keep in mind that

the sharing of celebration with our family and friends is its own special gift. Yes, we have some more melancholy Christmas moments when thinking about and missing our loved ones who have passed on before us. This is also a part of the Christmas season. For this holiday, gives us the promise of the birth of the redeemer. We know the season represents the birth of the possibility of the everlasting. So when we are missing our dearly departed, we can take the hope of this Christmas season as a reminder that there are gifts beyond the material that will be there someday. There is another memory of this season I would like to share. It is from when I was in the fourth grade. My elementary school had one fourth grade class. Each year the fourth grade teacher, Mr. John Rowan, would have that fourth grade class put on a class play and each year it was the same one. The production of this fourth grade class was of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I think it might be more difficult in this day and age to put on such a production in a public school setting where each and every member of the class participated in one way or another. I had the privilege and honor of playing the lead role in that play many decades ago. I played the role of Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, arguably the hardest part with the most lines to remember in the whole play, especially for a fourth grader. Nonetheless, I have fond memories of that play and my role in it. Every time I see a modern day adaptation of that classic, I can’t help but remember my fourth grade experience, and the lessons for a lifetime contained in that classic Dickens novella. So if we get a chance during this Christmas Holiday, we should take the time to share some of our blessings with those struggling to get along. So I want to simply say Merry Christmas to all. May the true meaning and spirit of this Holiday visit each and every one of you and your entire family. As always, feel free to contact my local legislative office at (410) 326-0081 or email at anthony.odonnell@house. state.md.us with questions, comments or concerns regarding these items or other matters.

Calvert Gets Piece of $3.9 Billion Pork Pie

he U.S. Congress last week passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill that brings together six of the 12 annual spending measures that Congress has been unable to pass since the current budget year began on Oct. 1. The bill includes $447 billion in operating budgets such as the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services and others, and near $650 billion in mandatory payments for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. The bill increases spending by an average of about 10 percent to programs under immediate control of Congress, blending increases for veterans’ programs, NASA and the FBI with a pay raise for federal workers and help for car dealers, the Associated Press reports. The bill also includes an estimated $3.9 billion in “pork barrel funding” for more than 5,000 back-home projects sought by individual lawmakers in both parties. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (DMD) applauded the bill’s passage in the House, and reported that he fought hard to secure nearly $20,000,000 in projects for Southern Maryland. In Calvert, as reported by Hoyer’s office, the projects listed in the spending bill include: • Project Echo Homeless Shelter Renovations and Expansion -$375,000. Funds to be used for the renovation and expansion of a homeless shelter located in Calvert County. The new facility will increase available space by more than 50 percent and provide emergency shelter for individuals and families living in Calvert, St. Mary’s or Charles County for up to 90 days. • Southern Maryland Commuter Bus Initiative - $1,250,000. Funding to support planning, design and construction of new or expanded commuter parking lots in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, as well as the acquisition of overthe-road coaches. • MD 4, MD 2/4 to MD 235 including Thomas Johnson Bridge and MD 235 Intersection - $750,000. The funds will be used for design, right-of-way acquisition or construction for improvements to the Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge, dualization

of MD 4, stormwater management improvements, and improved traffic operations. These investments will help address congestion, improve safety, and reduce the impact of traffic on the environment. • Calvert County Mobile Data Terminals - $500,000. Mobile data terminals allow public safety officials to communicate and share information more effectively and efficiently in protection of the local population and the plant. • College of Southern MD Simulation Alliance for Health Education - $400,000. Funds to be used to purchase equipment needed to furnish three clinical simulation laboratories to enhance training for nursing students and professionals in the Southern Maryland Region. • Alliance for Coastal Technologies, Chesapeake Biological Laboratories, Solomons - $500,000. Funding will used to support the Alliance for Coastal Technologies, a consortium of research institutions, state and regional resource managers, and private sector companies focused on developing and applying sensor technologies for monitoring and studying coastal environments. • Oyster Hatchery Economic Pilot Program at the Morgan State University Estuarine Research Center - $200,000. The Oyster Hatchery Economic Pilot Program represents a partnership between the Calvert County Watermen’s Association and the Estuarine Research Center that seeks to seeks to replenish the population of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay while helping to stabilize the social and cultural foundation of the local watermen communities. “It is always a priority of mine to identify important initiatives in our communities that are deserving of federal support,” Hoyer said in a press release. “That is why I am so pleased to announce that Congress has approved funding for a number of projects and programs that I fought to secure for Maryland’s 5th District.” The bill must be signed by President Barack Obama before becoming law. By Sean Rice (ScG) info@somdpublishing.net

Thursday, December-2009

Fifth Annual National Mentoring Breakfast Coming Winter Just Got Greener!

reen up your winter shopping, dining and decorating with a little help from the free 2009/10 So. Maryland, So Good Winter Farm Guide, “Farms for the Holidays”. The popular guide is a mini-directory of regional farms in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties featuring locally grown or produced products and seasonal activities.

he Calvert County Mentoring Partnership (CCMP) is hosting its Fifth Annual National Mentoring Month Breakfast on Thursday, Jan. 28, from 8 to 10 a.m., at Calvert Pines Senior Center in Prince Frederick. Jim Hitchcock, owner of Southern Maryland Auto & Insane Exhaust and a previous Job Shadow Day host, will be the Honorary Chair at this free networking event. The breakfast will feature highlights from successful mentoring programs, testimonials from local mentors, and information on how to get involved. Individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and local nonprofit organizations can all play a part in increasing the number of mentors in Calvert County and assuring a better future for our youth. The Mentoring Breakfast is held in observance of National Mentoring Month 2010, a month-long campaign dedicated to recruiting caring mentors for America’s youth. Research has shown that mentorship can play a

As the holidays approach the Winter Farm Guide offers a ‘home-grown’ alternative to the malls and stores. Organized by category of items (greenery and home décor; gifts; wine; poultry; meat and seafood; winter vegetables and holiday farm events) the guide lists farms where you can find original ideas for gifts, food, and family entertainment as well as locally grown Christmas trees, festive garlands and wreaths. The guide also includes farm hosted family events featuring live nativity scenes, ‘how-to’ workshops for holiday decorations, candlelit caroling walks and nature walks through Christmas tree farms. “Supporting farms this winter is good for the planet, good for your community and good for you”, Christine Bergmark, Executive Director of SMADC, said in a press release. “Buying locally year-round supports our local rural economy, helps to protect the environment and preserve our green spaces. We have a vibrant farm community in Southern Maryland producing wonderful local products and offering memorable experiences even in the depths of winter”. To view or download the “Farms for the Holidays” visit www.somarylandsogood.com Click on ‘news and media information’ for a list of regional pick up sites.

GPS for Mariners Course The US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Solomons Flotilla is pleased to announce that it will be presenting the GPS for Mariners course at the Southern MD Sailing Association building on Solomons Island. The course will be presented on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00 PM. Course sessions begin on January 4th, 2010 and will continue through January 25th. The course fee is $35. Each student will receive the GPS for Mariners textbook to retain for future reference. This course provides hands-on training for persons with handheld GPS units, but it is beneficial to persons with permanently mounted GPS units or chartplotters also. Contact Gary Smith at 41-326-8377 or fsope.232@hotmail. com for further information.

Thursday, December-2009

Center For Children Adds Services

he Center for Children recently introduced a new branch of services offered to the Calvert County community, The Family Resource Center. The Family Resource Center is an information resource and a starting place for referrals for county residents with children ages up to 21, a press release states. The Family Resource staff works with families to identify needs and strengths and connect them with the appropriate services. Some examples of past as-

powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence, while greatly enhancing a young person’s prospects for leading a healthy and productive life. Calvert County is rich in opportunities for young people to become involved with a mentor who cares about their well-being. If your organization offers a mentoring program that you wish to feature at a booth at the Mentoring Breakfast, email Nadine Happell at nhappell@gscnc.org. “One person can change the future of a child simply by expanding their horizons. If you want to learn what you can do to become involved in mentoring, this is a great place to start,” Lorraine Joyner, Chair of the Calvert County Mentoring Partnership, said in a press release. To RSVP for the free National Mentoring Month Breakfast, or to sponsor the event on behalf of a business or organization, contact Lorraine Joyner at the Calvert County Family Network at 410-414-5997 or by email at joynerlr@co.cal.md.us.

sistance include: utilities, food, mental health counseling, and advocacy for special needs children, etc. Staff is available to either coordinate on behalf of the families to obtain services or to provide a service listing to the family and they can follow-up. Once referrals have been made for services, The Family Resource staff will follow up with the family to determine progress and if further assistance is needed. Families are able to call or walkin for assistance. The office is open Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm. All ser-

vices offered are free of charge. Anyone interested in receiving assistance in locating services in the county should contact the Family Resource Center. The location is at 440 Solomon’s Island Road N. Suite 222 in Prince Frederick. For more information, please contact 1-800-644-FAMILY (3264), Shalaunda Jefferson at 410.535.3047 x115, Jefferson@centerfor-children.org, or Crystal Brehm at 410-535-3047 ext 104, brehm@center-for-children.org, and also on our website at www.center-for-children. org/programs.

TUBACHRISTMAS Returning

he 8th Annual Solomons’ TUBACHRISTMAS event will be held 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, at Southern Calvert Baptist Church, located at 12140 H. G. Trueman Rd in Lusby. The TUBACHRISTMAS performance is open to the public and free of charge. All low brass players are welcome to play in the group (details at www.tubachristmas.com). TUBACHRISTMAS performances feature traditional Christmas carols arranged for tuba and baritone/ euphonium players. Created by renowned American tuba artist teacher, Harvey Phillips, TUBACHRISTMAS concerts will

be presented in over 200 cities throughout the United States and in several foreign countries this season. Phillips was inspired to create TUBACHRISTMAS to honor his teacher and mentor, William Bell, born on Christmas Day, 1902. Now an established Christmas tradition around the world, TUBACHRISTMAS is celebrating its 36th Anniversary (1974-2009). Thanks to publicity from local newspapers, support from the Southern Maryland community, local musicians, and low brass students from many of our Southern Maryland school bands, we have continued to grow each year, said Bill White, Solomons TUBACHRISTMAS coordinator.

Museum Docent Training Offered

class on the Archaeology, History and Culture of Southern Maryland will be offered by the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) in partnership with Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum (JPPM) beginning Wednesday, Jan. 27. If you are a lifelong learner and would like to interact with the archaeologists, educators, and historians who bring Southern Maryland’s past to life this special docent training program may be for you, a press release states. This intensive ten-week program will provide students with an in-depth knowledge of archaeology, history, and culture of Southern Maryland with a specific focus on the land where JPPM sits today. Students will also examine techniques and education strategies for engaging museum visitors in meaningful explorations of the past. Participating in this class will qualify students to lead school groups and the general public on tours and assist in educational programs as JPPM Docents. Those who opt to become JPPM docents will have the class material fee refunded at the end of the course. The course will be given on Wednesdays, starting Jan. 27, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The classes will be presented by professional archaeologists, historians and

A Chance to Learn Weather Spotter Basics

he Calvert County Department of Public Safety is hosting a SKYWARN® Weather Spotter Basics I class on Feb. 22, 2010, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Calvert County Fairgrounds. Established by the National Weather Service (NWS), SKYWARN® is a program that trains volunteers to provide timely, accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Sterling, Va. The main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter volunteer is to identify and describe local severe storms. This information, coupled with Doppler radar, satellite and other data, enables the weather service to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. SKYWARN® and partner organizations rely on nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. The Basics I class is the introductory course and pre-requisite for all other courses offered. The course covers the following: • The basic organization of the National Weather Service; • The role and importance for the SKYWARN® Spotter; • NWS products and the watch/warning/advisory system; • Thunderstorms and thunderstorm threats; • How to report vital information to the National Weather Service; and • The role of amateur short-wave (HAM) radio in the spotter program. To register for this class, contact the Calvert County Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, at 410535-1600 or 301-855-1243, ext. 2638 or e-mail oem(at)co.cal.md.us.

staff and will take place at JPPM in St. Leonard. Class size is limited. Tuition is $10 and class material fee is $45. The course identification number is PEP 7680. Registration for the program is through CSM at www.csmd.edu/ Training/Register/#Register or call 301-934-2251 for the registration form. For general questions regarding the program please contact Jean Campbell at 410-586-8536 or jcampbell@mdp.state.md.us.

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mployees of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) recently donated more than $25,000 to the Southern Maryland Food Bank, part of Catholic Charities Enterprises. The money will help the non-profit agency provide food to nearly 40 pantries, group homes, and shelters that serve needy families in Southern Maryland. SMECO employees collected the money through fund-raising efforts in 2009, including the annual Charity Golf Tournament. Each year, SMECO selects a different charity to benefit from employee contributions. With 470 employees, SMECO personnel embody the Co-op’s mission: to enhance the quality of life in Southern Maryland. Pictured from left are Austin J. Slater, Jr., SMECO President and Chief Executive Officer; George Mattingly, Southern Maryland Food Bank assistant manager; Brenda DiCarlo, Food Bank program manager; and Larry Hak, SMECO Supply Chain Director and the director of the Co-op’s Charity Golf Tournament.

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NAVAIR Opportunities

he Patuxent River Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) education outreach coordinator, Kathy Glockner, will be giving public information sessions regarding student employment and engineering education pathways at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and NAWCAD. The presentations are scheduled for Jan. 7, 14 and 21 at the Frank Knox Training Center room 120 from 5 to 6 pm. Glockner’s presentation will focus on summer employment for high school and college students in technical positions, the cooperative education program for college students and the University of Maryland’s mechanical engineering degree program offered at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. Parents, students and guardians are encouraged to attend one of the sessions to learn more about these opportunities. The deadline for high school students to submit their application for NAVAIR and NAWCAD technical positions for summer 2010 employment is Feb. 1. There is no deadline date for college student applications. Additionally, the Fleet and Family Readiness Regional Human Resources Department will present information on summer employment for lifeguards, water safety instructors, camp counselors, recreation aides and a host of other customer services positions. Specific job announcements, application deadlines and the on-line application process will be covered. These positions are located at Patuxent River, Solomons Recreation Center, Dahlgren, and Indian Head. The Frank Knox training center is located south of gate two near the Cedar Point Federal Credit Union. This building is located off base and no registration is required. Seating is first-come-first-served, with a limit of 75 attendees per session. Attendees must present a picture ID card upon entrance to the building.

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undreds of Mill Creek Middle School students participated in the school’s annual Winter Wonderland event on Friday evening, Dec. 11, using their hard earned “Diamond Bucks” to buy Christmas presents for themselves and their

families. Part of the schools PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program, the event was a way of “doing something good for kids who are making good choices at school,” said Jackie Sass, a 6th- and 8th-grade teacher who is pictured above. “[PBIS] is basically promoting positive behavior and you can do it in a plethora of different ways. We do kind of funny-money, that we call Diamond Bucks,” said Abbe Gray, vice principal at Mill Creek. “It’s a family event,” she said. Students had the chance to use their bucks to go on a shopping spree in the gym, while parents enjoyed food and a live auction. “It’s just a great thing … Kids shopping for their families. There’s a wrapping station out there, and there’s over 2,000 items in that gymnasium,” Gray said.

Health Care Reform Demands New Strategies

Guest Editorial By Marc Kilmer

e are barely a month away from another session of the Maryland General Assembly. As government spending continues to exceed revenue, once again Maryland policymakers will debate how to close a deficit of billions of dollars. The state’s spending problems will get even worse, however, if health care “reform” is enacted in Washington, D.C. The legislation currently under consideration in Washington will be bad news for Maryland’s taxpayers. One of the reasons Maryland faces a continuing deficit is the growth in the state’s medical assistance programs, such as Medicaid and the Maryland Children’s Health Program. The federal government picks up a portion of these programs’ cost, but state taxpayers still foot much of the bill. Over the last nine years, the amount of money Maryland taxpayers have spent on these programs has grown by 64 percent. Expanded eligibility and benefits This increased spending is partly a result of worsening economic conditions. Much of the new spending, though, results from the state’s continual expansion of people who are eligible for the programs and what services the programs cover.

This approach may seem like a good idea when the economy is good, but when recession hits, tax revenue dries up and more people want government coverage. In Washington, the rationale behind health care reform legislation is that it will help control the growth in health care spending. But provisions of legislation being considered by both the House and Senate would only increase states’ Medicaid spending. These bills mandate expanding Medicaid services to childless adults, a move that could bring hundreds of thousands onto Maryland’s Medicaid rolls. A new influx of Medicaid recipients could mean a significant new burden on the state’s taxpayers. Just how much is unknown. The proposed federal legislation says the federal government will pick up most of the cost, but it does not specify for how long. The drive to reduce the legislation’s price tag likely means this federal cost-sharing will be significantly reduced. A bipartisan group of governors has sounded the alarm over this potentially budget-busting Medicaid expansion. Gov. Martin O’Malley, however, has continued to be a cheerleader for these federal efforts. Tough choices lie ahead In dealing with previous years’ deficits, O’Malley and legislators have used all the budget tricks and accounting gimmicks available. There is a looming deficit next year, potentially

reaching $3 billion. Adding a federally mandated Medicaid expansion on top of this will mean Annapolis must choose between real spending cuts or even higher taxes. If our legislators decided to try and cut the budget, another provision in the federal legislation mandates that states cannot reduce Medicaid eligibility or services. That would put 17 percent of the state’s budget off-limits during efforts to close a deficit. Couple that with the political and legal impracticality of cutting education spending and there is not much left in the budget to trim. You don’t need to be a psychic to see new taxes for Marylanders in the future. Maryland’s taxpayers are already reeling under recordsetting tax hikes from the 2007 special session that were supposed to solve the state deficit. Politicians in Annapolis continue to spend, however, and politicians in Washington are on the verge of adding to the state’s budget troubles. If politicians expand government health care programs, someone will have to pay for it. The state’s taxpayers are once again a very convenient target. Marc Kilmer is a senior fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute, a public policy think tank based in Rockville. He can be reached at mkilmer@mdpolicy.org.

Festival Of Trees Was a Huge Success

hanks to everyone who helped to make the 21st Annual Festival of Trees a huge success. Once again, Huntingtown High School was turned into a festive holiday wonderland on Thanksgiving weekend, all to benefit the Burnett-Calvert Hospice House. First on the list of those whose hard work and dedication made Festival of Trees so special this year is Jeanne Coonan. Jeanne has served as the Festival of Trees Chairperson for the past several years. Under her gentle guidance, an enormous crew of volunteers worked tirelessly to mount the most beautiful Festival ever. Jeanne’s fellow Festival Steering Committee members, Jean Bozman, Fran Grim, Carolyn Kemp, Trudy Spriggs, and Joan Tornell, each took on the great responsibility of overseeing specific areas of the Festival. Thanks also to all of the Festival Com-

mittee including: Lynn Bozman, John Brady, with the huge set-up and clean up tasks. We All of the proceeds from the Festival of Julie Brinlee, Mike Combs, Debbie D’Amico, could not have done it without you. Trees are dedicated to the Burnett-Calvert Phyllis Dowell, Judy Gross, Janet Gross, CeWe extend a special thanks to the indi- Hospice House, which celebrated its Ribbon cilia Kirkpatrick, Thomas K. Miller, DeAnna viduals and businesses that supported the Fes- Cutting and Grand Opening on November 21, Neill, Mary Oursler, Marvin Oursler, Sandra tival by sponsoring a tree this year or making 2009. Your support of Calvert Hospice and Outman, Marty Phelps, Tina Roeder, Patty a special donation. Thanks, also, to the Calvert the Hospice House will ensure that these viSchartner, Sherry Scott, Karla Sisson, Jack County Board of Education and the Hunting- tal services continue to be available to those Smack, St. Leonard Optimist Club, Grace town High School staff and students with in Calvert County living their final months Sturdevant, Margaret Thompson, Sheila whom we have worked so smoothly over the and weeks and for those grieving the loss of Walls, and Ronda Ward. last several years. Congratulations, also, to someone close. We are indebted to the hundreds of volun- the Huntingtown Hurricanes, who are headed Many, many thanks to you all and best teers from churches, civic organizations, local to the State Championships this coming week. wishes for a safe and peaceful holiday season. businesses, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, To all of you who came to enjoy the beautichoral groups, clubs, and Calvert County ful trees and displays, to shop at the Hospice With gratitude, Public Schools staff and students, along with Gift Shop or at the booths of our vendors, or Lynn Bonde, Executive Director many others who helped to decorate both the to attend the Memorial Service or Auction and Calvert Hospice trees and the school, served as Santa’s helpers, Gala, we are hugely grateful. donated items for the Gala Auction, made music for Festival goers Publisher Thomas McKay throughout the event, and helped Associate Publisher Eric McKay Editor Sean Rice Office Manager Tobie Pulliam Graphic Artist Angie Stalcup Advertising Preston Pratt Email info@somdpublishing.net Phone 301-373-4125 he U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is alerting Staff Writers consumers to possible health hazards resulting from dirty room huGuy Leonard Government Correspondent midifiers. The CPSC has found that bacteria and fungi often grow in Andrea Shiell Community Correspondent the tanks of portable and console room humidifiers and can be released in the Chris Stevens Sports Correspondent mist. Breathing dirty mist may cause lung problems ranging from flu-like sympContributing Writers toms to serious infection. Tony O’Donnell Southern Calvert Gazette Film or scum appearing on the water surface, on the sides or bottom of the Joyce Baki P. O. Box 250 . Hollywood, MD 20636 tank, or on exposed motor parts may indicate that the humidifier tank contains Gerald Clark J. Brown bacteria or fungi. A crusty deposit or scale may also form within the tank or on parts in the water. This scale is composed of minerals that have settled out of the Southern Calvert Gazette is a bi-weekly newspaper providing news and information for the residents of water creating a surface on which bacteria or fungi may grow. Southern Calvert County. The Southern Calvert Gazette will be available on newsstands every other To reduce the possibility of health hazards from dirty room humidifiers, the CPSC recommends that you do not allow film and scale to develop in your hu- Thursday of the month. The paper is published by Southern Maryland Publishing Company, which is responsible for the form, content, and policies of the newspaper. Southern Calvert Gazette does not midifier. If possible, change the water in your room humidifier daily. Empty the espouse any political belief or endorse any product or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters tank before you fill it. If the tank is not removable, clean it often according to submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. Southern Calvert manufacturer’s instructions. Gazette is not responsible for any claims made by its advertisers.

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Photo By Sean Rice At least 60 officers helped more than 70 children during the “Shop with a Cop” event held Dec. 12. After the shopping, the children and officers went back to Outback Steakhouse to wrap the presents.

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hristmas dreams came true for 70 children and families in Calvert County this weekend when the children were treated to breakfast and a shopping spree for gifts as part of the Calvert County “Shop with a Cop” program. A partnership between the Calvert Optimist Club, Maryland State Police, The Department of Social Services, and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Shop With a Cop is an event that happens in communities all across the nation. The goal of the program is to provide assistance to families in need in Calvert County. The program joins underprivileged children with local police officers, providing the children with money to shop for Christmas presents for their families and themselves. Youths were chosen to participate in the program and provided with transportation and $100 to purchase Christmas items. The event began with the police officers picking up the children from home and transporting them to Outback Steakhouse in Prince Frederick where they were served a morning snack.

On The Cover

They were then escorted in a procession of police vehicles with lights and sirens activated down Main Street to the south entrance onto Md. Rt. 4 and then north to Wal-Mart. Once at Wal-Mart the children used $100 gift cards to purchase items for themselves and family members. After shopping, they traveled back to Outback Steakhouse for a breakfast buffet with officers. While at Outback, volunteers assisted the children with wrapping their presents before the officers drove them back to their homes. Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans said the event was a great success, with more than 60 officers joining, including deputies, troopers, Natural Resources Police, cadets with the Sheriff’s explorers program, and even a Prince Georges County officer. Shop with a Cop is sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police of Calvert County and the Optimist Clubs of Calvert County. All funds are provided by donations from the community. Anyone interested in donating to the program can send donations to: Calvert County Sheriffs Office, Att: Sgt. Bomgarder, 30 Church Street, Prince Frederick, Md. By

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Hospital Ball Raises More than $118,000

alvert Memorial Hospital’s Galaxy Ball blasted into new territory on Nov. 14 raising over $118,000 for the state-of-the-art breast center slated to open next month. The proceeds will be used to equip the center with the most current, most precise, least invasive imaging technology available for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer today. The Center for Breast Care at Calvert Memorial Hospital – the first of its kind in Southern Maryland – brings together an experienced team of breast health experts to provide coordinated care from outreach and screening to diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. The multidisciplinary program will provide local women with access to the same level of care available in major metropolitan areas. The star-studded evening signaled a future as bright and promising as the special effects lighting that dazzled the 472 ball-goers. “We are excited to announce that not only will the Center for Breast Care have outstanding doctors and technology,” CMH President and CEO Jim Xinis said in a press release. “But we are partnering with Johns Hopkins to bring experts in breast imaging on-site to our center.” For the first time, the annual charity gala was held at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro. The new location proved popular with attendees who liked the spacious layout and the “out of this world” décor created by the ball committee. The ball will return to the Show Place Arena next year on Nov. 13. The evening opened with Dr. Sheldon Goldberg at the piano accompanying his wife Dr. Ramona Crawley. Goldberg has been the driving force behind the breast center’s creation. “His personal and professional dedica-

tion to defeating breast cancer,” said Xinis, “is matched by the 25-member leadership team who worked side-by-side for the past year to develop this center.” The team also includes general and plastic surgeons, radiologists and a pathologist as well as medical and radiation oncologists. Xinis extended special thanks to the ball’s major sponsors. “In particular, I want to thank TSI Exterior Wall Systems, Michael and Wanda King and our anonymous donor,” he said. “I would also like to recognize Dickinson Jewelers, Hargrove, Inc. and Comcast. We couldn’t do this without your continued support.” In all, some 77 sponsors contributed to this year’s ball, including Associates in Radiation Medicine, Calvert OB/GYN of Southern Maryland, Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa / Rod N Reel, Constellation Energy, Emergency Management Associates (EMA), Dr. and Mrs. Raja Hawit, Maryland Inpatient Care Specialists, MedStar Health, NextGen Healthcare Information Systems and Dr. John and Betsy Saunders. Since the ball began 21 years ago, it has raised over $1 million for medical technology and equipment. This includes the $95,000 raised last year for the revolutionary information technology that went live in the hospital’s intensive care unit in May. The groundbreaking system puts CMH on the frontline of quality intensive care at the community level. Xinis also praised the 2009 ball committee chaired by Brooke Steuart and Raleigh Weckbaugh. “You put together a magnificent evening for us tonight,” he said, “and we really appreciate your efforts.” One guest who was especially happy was Vicky Horsmon who won the “Saturn” diamond ring in the jewelry raffle sponsored by Dickinson’s Jewelers.

Less Than 8 Days Left Until Christmas By Joyce Baki

ust a few more days until Christmas! Have you finished your shopping? You can find some great gift ideas in your own backyard. Do you have someone on your gift list that loves coffee? A gift card from Dunkin’ Doughnuts (that includes jelly doughnuts) or a travel mug makes a great gift. Pick up the new ornament – a snowman holding a box of doughnuts – for the tree. I know there is someone on your gift list that would benefit from a night away from the kitchen. A gift certificate from one of the many great, tasty restaurants in Calvert County would be well received. And just think what a treat that will be in January after the holidays are over. For the family with young children on your list consider giving a family membership at Calvert Marine Museum or Annmarie Garden. Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary, Flag Ponds Nature Center or Kings Landing offer great family programs – contact them about purchasing a gift certificate for the family to participate. What about that creative child (or adult) on your list? Annmarie Garden offers a wide array of classes - classes in drawing, mosaics, drawing, even cartooning. What a wonderful gift to give a child. (I have included a jewelry making class on my wish list.) Do you find it hard to buy for a teenager? Consider a gift certificate from Patuxent Adventures or Sail Solomons? Teach a teenager to kayak, canoe, fish or sail - it is something that they will remember forever. I have already left my wish list at Maerten’s Jewelers. Heather Maerten and her staff offer an expansive jewelry collection with unique designs and sparkling gemstones. Heather has created a line of jewelry to honor her furry friends. Puppy Love is a heartshaped outline with an engraved bone in the center. Created to benefit the

Humane Society of Calvert County, 15% of the proceeds from each sale are donated to the HSCC. The Shelter Dog is a dog silhouette accented with a star. Each year 15% of the proceeds from this piece are donated to a different local animal shelter. My two favorite four-legged creatures, Petey and Monk, are lying at my feet as I write this column. Their stockings will have some tasty doggie bones and new bowls from Pepper’s Pet Pantry, located next door to the Solomons Veterinary Clinc. Pepper’s Pet Pantry offers everything for pets, from fancy collars, dog brushes and tasty treats to presents for the people who love them. Another thoughtful gift for an animal lover – a bag of their pet’s favorite food or a gift certificate from the vet for the next rabies shot. I always find it hard to come up with a gift for my children’s teachers and administrative staff with whom I work. A few years ago I found that gift cards from local restaurants and fast food locations make great gifts. Gift cards are offered in $5, $10, $20 denominations. Who ever said that there is no such thing as a free lunch! For the wine lover in the family Calvert County has five wineries. All award winners, wines from Solomons Island Winery, Cove Point Winery, Perigeaux Vineyards, Running Hare Vineyards and Fridays Creek Winery are available at local spirit stores. For the best experience, take a tour of the wineries, sample a few bottles – you may find you buy more than just a bottle! You have many options as you look for gifts, please consider buying local. Buying local can have a significant impact on our community. Buying from a local business helps to creat jobs in our area and grows the tax base. And you are investing in the community. Local business owners live in the community. As their business grows they will invest in the community.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Small, Local Businesses Are Best Places for Gifts

ine, paintings and artwork, handmade jewelry, baked goods, textiles, crafts, spa treatments, trinkets and baubles – all items that can make a perfect holiday gift for someone special and all items that can be found right here in Calvert County. Calvert County is home to many gift shops and stores which provide one-of-a-kind products with a distinct Southern Maryland flavor. By purchasing directly from stores, restaurants or farms that feature local products, residents can enjoy the convenience and variety of great gift ideas available in Calvert County while helping to ensure that neighborhood businesses and the region’s economy continue to flourish. Locally owned stores provide jobs, more often purchase supplies and products from other local businesses and provide unequalled customer service. A case study done in Maine in 2003 by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance reports that for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 goes back into the community; for every $100 spent at a chain store, only $14 comes back. Linda Vassallo, director of the Calvert County Department of Economic Development, believes that support of local businesses can have a ripple effect in developing a strong and vibrant regional economy. “Local merchants provide employment opportunities, unique shopping choices and convenience for our communities,” she said. “But these business owners and entrepreneurs also give back to the community, volunteer in our neighborhoods and schools and serve as mentors and colleagues to other business owners, all of which adds to our collective economic prosperity.” This holiday season, consider the impact that you can have in your own backyard by dining, shopping and visiting neighborhood merchants while you help stimulate Calvert County’s economy.

Members of the band upstroke, including Patty Dorsch, center, and Carl Reichelt, right, played at the Southern Maryland Sailing Association during the Solomons Island Christmas Walk on Dec. 4. Photo by Sean Rice

Thursday, December-2009

Linda Mae Evans, 60 Linda Mae Evans “Grammy”, 60 of Lusby, MD and formerly of Lakewood, NJ, passed away peacefully, on December 9, 2009 at her residence. She was born on January 3, 1949 in Pottsville, PA to the late Warren Hechler and Violet Gerber Hechler. She was the beloved wife of Robert K. Evans, whom she married on September 2,

1995 in Lusby, MD at Olivet United Methodist Church. Linda attended Tamaqua High School in Tamaqua, PA and graduated in 1967; she then attended Goldey-Beacom College in Wilmington, DE. She worked for Recorded Books, LLC for twenty years as a customer service representative and later as an accounting clerk. In 1983, Linda moved from Lakewood, NJ to Lusby, MD. Linda was a member of Olivet United Methodist Church, Lusby, MD and the Southern Maryland Emmaus Community.

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She leaves three children, Robert Kibler of Lusby, MD; Wendy Johnson of Lusby, MD and Andrew Kibler of Lusby, MD. Loving grandmother of Joelle Kibler and T. J. Johnson, devoted sister of Holly Finley of Nashville, TN. Funeral services were held Dec. 12 at Olivet United Methodist Church. Interment followed at the church cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to Olivet United Methodist Church, 13570 Olivet Road, Lusby, Maryland 20657, or to Calvert Hospice, P. O. Box 838, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. Donations are encourage on-line at www.calverthospice.org.

William Danny Godfrey, 62 William Danny Godfrey, 62, of Huntingtown, MD died November 29, 2009 at his residence. Danny was born June 9, 1947 in LaFrank, West Virginia to William J. and Alta G. (Crews) Godfrey. He attended school in West Virginia and graduated from Burnsville High in 1965. Danny entered the Army in 1966 and served until being discharged in 1970. He married Carol A. Hautz on August 3, 1973 in Alexandria, VA. They have resided in Huntingtown since 1974. Danny was a union electrician, Washington Local #26, and a member of Church by the Chesapeake in Port Republic, MD. He enjoyed reading

and sports. He is survived by his wife Carol Godfrey; Parents William and Alta Godfrey of Burtonsville, WV; children Angela Harkness and her husband Brian of Lusby, MD, William D. Godfrey, Jr. and his wife Shana of Olney, MD and Thomas K. Godfrey and his wife Crissy of Sunderland, MD; grandchildren Timothy and Kristin Brady, Zachary and Brienna Harkness, Samantha, Casey, Baeleigh and Gavin Godfrey. Danny is also survived by three brothers, Keith, David and John Godfrey and five sisters, Kay Ocheltree, Marilyn Kiddy, Diane Tracy, Sandy Swisher and Ruth Carson. Funeral services were held Dec. 3 at Rausch Funeral Home, Owings. Interment followed at Southern Memorial Garden. Memorial Contributions can be made to Calvert Hospice, P.O. Box 838, Prince Frederick, MD 20678, www.calverthospice. org, or to, Church by the Chesapeake, 3255 Brooms Island Road, Port Republic, MD 20676.

John “Big Wes” Gross, 76 John Wesley Gross Jr. (affectionately known as Big Wes) was born on July 8, 1933 to the late John Wesley, Sr. and Sarah Saunders Gross. Big Wes was called home to rest on Friday, December 4, 2009 at the Prince

George’s Hospital Center. Big Wes received his education in the Calvert County Public Schools until 1946. He stopped attending school for other commitments and obligations. However, at the age of 69, one of his greatest accomplishments was that he graduated valedictorian with his Maryland High School Diploma on June 30, 2000. In September 1952, Big Wes enlisted in The United States Army. He served in the Korean War and returned home on May 11, 1954. Big Wes entered the Masonic Victory Lodge 71 in June 1972. He was a Past Master and a 32nd Degree. Big Wes was a Business Agent for Local 832 Labor Union. He worked as a Security Guard for Seagull Beach, he worked as a well digger and he helped build the Calvert Cliff Nuclear Power Plant. Big Wes loved watching the Dallas Cowboys defeat the Washington Redskins. He loved playing cards, watching Bill O’Reilly (The O’Reilly Factor), visiting family and friends and driving people around. From May to October, Big Wes loved to hold court on the front porch of The Office. He loved talking to people; he loved giving advice for everything and to everyone. He had a love for teaching and learning new things. Most of all, Big Wes always had encouraging words for everyone. Big Wes married his beloved wife Mary S. Boome on November 14, 1958 and recently celebrated 51years of marriage on November 14, 2009. In this union, they had nine children. Mary Frances Harrod (Earl), William Randolph Kyler, Warren Thomas Claggett (Nina), Gloria Jean Foster (James), John Wesley Gross III, Carrie Elizabeth Gross, Charles Wilson Gross and Lyndon Baines Gross (LB) (Amanda); fifteen grandchildren, sixteen great- grandchildren and 1 great great- grandchild; He also leaves one sister, Marion Russell and a special niece Florence Howard (Emmaline); two sister’s in-law, Angeline Boome and LeAudrey Boome. Preceded him in death; one son James Claggett; two brothers Wilson and Charles Gross; three sisters Mary Palmer, Troby Hodge and Sarah Simon. He also leaves a host of nephews, nieces, relatives and two devoted friends; William (Buncie) Bourne and Harry Gray. Funeral services were held Dec. 15 at Mt. Olive UM Church, Prince Frederick. Burial to follow at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, Cheltenham.

Richard Eugene Hatmaker, Jr., 54 Richard Eugene Hatmaker, Jr., 54, of North Beach, MD died suddenly December 3, 2009 at his residence. He was born in Frederick, MD on March 28, 1955 to Richard E. and Alma Frances (Sinks) Hatmaker. Rich grew up in the Bladensburg, MD area and attended Blad-

ensburg High School. He was a 28-year employee of Airway Sheet Metal Company, starting as a sheet metal worker and becoming a foreman. Rich enjoyed riding his moped around the beach area and fishing. He was also a Washington Redskin fan. He is survived by his twin brothers Mitchell and Michael Hatmaker of North Beach, MD; four sisters, Barbara Culver and her husband Chuck of Rileyville, VA, Sandra Staton and her husband Bobby of Lynchburg, VA, Wanda Mowery and her husband David of Upper Tract, WV and Rose Cranford and her husband Gary of Huntingtown, MD. Funeral services were held Dec. 8 at Rausch Funeral Home, Owings. Interment followed at Southern Memorial Gardens.

Vera S. Mills, 94, Vera S. Mills, 94, passed away peacefully on November 30, 2009. Beloved wife of the late Clarence Bowie Mills, she leaves to cherish her memory her children, Wayne A. Mills, of Grasonville, MD and Ft. Pierce, FL, and Susan E. Mills, of Chesapeake Beach, MD; her grandchildren, Wendy A. Mills, Lauren E. Trevisan and Joseph Mills Trevisan; her great-grandchild, Charlotte T. Trevisan, and a host of her dear relatives and friends. Vera was born in Leesburg, Virginia and moved to Washington, DC in the early 1920’s. She worked for many years at Peoples Drug Store in Southeast Washington, retiring in 1978. Visitation was held Dec. 4 at Rausch Funeral Home, Owings. Interment was private. Memorial contributions can be made to Treasure Coast Hospice, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960.

John F. Ropek, 92 John F. Ropek, 92, of Lusby, died November 9, 2009 at Calvert Memorial Hospital. Mr. Ropek was born on January 3, 1917 in Dunmore, PA, the son of the late Josephine and Franciszek Ropek. Mr. Ropek attended public schools in Dunmore, graduating at the age of 16. He then went on to study Chemistry and Law at New York University, which he fondly referred to as Washington Square. Mr. Ropek was drafted into the United States Army immediately after Pearl Harbor. He soon rose to the rank of Captain and was sent to the Pacific theatre. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, Mr. Ropek returned to “Washington Square” to pursue his Masters Degree in Oceanography and Meteorology. Mr. Ropek returned to government service in 1950 when he went to work for the Naval Research Center. There he was party to some of our nation’s greatest accomplishments. In 1958 Mr. Ropek was assigned to the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine on its historic voyage under the polar ice

cap. Mr. Ropek spent 30 years in government service. He retired in the 1970’s to take care of his mother and his sister, Josephine Kaufman. Mr. Ropek will be greatly missed by all who knew him. His kindness and generosity to others was selfless. He is survived by his niece, Carolyn Larson of Darnestown, Maryland, and his nephew Rafe Ropek of Berthoud, Colorado. Local arrangements were handled by the Rausch Funeral Home, P. A., Lusby.

Carrie Victoria Spriggs, 61, Carrie Victoria Spriggs, 61, was born on December 22, 1947 to the late Calvert W. Burley and Josephine Ennis Burley. She departed this life on December 7, 2009 at Calvert Memorial Hospital, after a brief illness. Carrie received her education in the Anne Arundel County Public School System. She was a 1965 graduate of Wiley H. Bates High School. In the start of her career, she was employed by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools, U.S. Naval Academy and The Department of Agriculture. Later, she was employed with the Census Bureau as a Human Resource Assistant. She retired in January of 2004 after 38 years of Federal service. Carrie was united in Holy Matrimony to Melvin E. Spriggs, whom she was dearly in love with for over 40 years. From this union, one son, Roland Spriggs was born. Carrie was a faithful, Saved and Holy Ghost filled member of Bethel Way of the Cross Church. She served on the Usher Board until her health began to fail. Carrie has been an active member of Bethel for over 30 years. She lived a life that exemplified a True Christian Woman! Carrie loved to spend quality time with her mother; visiting and playing dominoes with her uncle; conversing daily with loved ones and traveling far and near with her family. She enjoyed planting flowers in the garden, baking, sewing, shopping and taking daily walks with Texas. She looked forward to her Friday evening dinners with Melvin and sitting outside enjoying nature. You could often find Carrie reading her Bible and listening to various gospel artists. She was an avid Shirley Caesar fan and people often say she reminded them of Shirley. Carrie was a kind, loving, and caring person. She was humble and quiet but her warmth and passion for life was like a beacon of light seen for miles ahead. She treasured each day that God allowed her to see and thanked Him for allowing her to see another day. She credited God for every blessing she received in life and she unselfishly bestowed her blessings to her family and friends. Carrie was a devoted Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Niece and Friend. She was always available to do whatever was asked of her at any given time

and took pleasure in helping others. Her ability to bring joy to those around her with her beautiful smile, vibrant laughter, and personality will surely be missed by those who knew and loved her. Carrie leaves to cherish her precious memories, her husband, Melvin, 5 Sons, Melvin, Jr. (Angela), Ricey, David (Tangy), Dexter, and Brian Spriggs, daughter, Zoe Rawlings and 11 grandchildren. In addition to her husband and children, surviving is her Mother, Josephine A. Ennis Burley, Brother, Calvert Burley, Sister, Sarah A. Burley, Uncle, William Ennis, Mother-in-law, Dorothy Spriggs, 4 Brothers-in-law/6 Sisters-in-law, Benjamin (Ozelius), Sherman (Helen), Morris (Helen), Joseph (Thelma) and Laura Spriggs, and Susie (Charles) Duppins and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She will surely be missed by her canine “child”, Texas. Carrie was preceded in death by her son, Roland, sisters, Agnes Pindell, Mary Dandridge, Hettie Bell, and brother, George Burley. Funeral services were held Dec. 12 Bethel Way of the Cross Church, Huntingtown. Internment followed at Moses Cemetery, Lothian, MD.

Clifton H. Williams, 63 Clifton H. Williams, 63, died December 7, 2009 at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, MD. He was born February 1, 1946 and was raised in Upper Marlboro, MD. He had lived in North Beach, MD for the past 18 years, and was employed as a welder. He also was a charter boat captain, and operated the “Miss Dolly” out of Chesapeake Beach. He was a member of the Charter Boat Captains’ Association, and enjoyed fishing and model boat building. He was preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Gertrude Williams, and by a brother Raymond L. Williams. He is survived by a daughter Gail M. Malley and her husband Ronnie of Shady Side, MD, and by a son David A. Williams of Lothian, MD. He is also survived by a granddaughter Tina Malley of Shady Side and a sister-in-law Brenda Williams of White Plains, MD. A memorial visitation was held Friday December 11 from 2-4 PM at Rausch Funeral Home, 8325 Mt. Harmony Lane, Owings, MD. Interment will be private.

To Place A Memorial Please Call: 301-373-4125

Gazette

Southern Calvert

Thursday, December-2009

CLASSIFIEDS Real Estate

9545 H.G. TRUEMAN RD., P.O. BOX 1893, LUSBY, MD 20657 (Located across from BGE Ballfield)

Home • Auto • Life • Health • Boat • Cycle • Business

410-394-9000 Fax: 410-394-9020 ronald@jetmoreinsurancegroup.com

Ronny Jetmore Independent Agent

Representing Over 20 Leading Companies

Located on a private, wooded, double lot this well maintained home with tiered decks, spectacular wooded views,seasonal lake views and lake access from lot, is updated and priced to sell. A huge master suite with sitting room. walk in closet and bath. Two additional bedrooms, baths, and family room. The open flow of the spacious livingroom with a cathederal ceiling, adjoining dining room and updated kitchen, makes entertaining a breeze! Newer windows, HVAC, laminate wood floors. Be home for the holidays! Price: $250,000. If interested, please email trish. lea@c21nm.com.

Real Estate Rentals 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1 Den luxury condo at Oyster Bay for rent! Contemporary kitchen with granite countertops, stainless, appliances, and breakfast nook. Gas fireplace in living room, large master bedroom/bathroom suite, washer and dryer in unit, free access to tennis courts, exercise facility, swimming pool, boat slip, and more! $1500/month + utilities. $1500 security deposit required. Call Gloria or Mary Ellen at 410-3264251. ** Ask about our furnished unit for $1700/ month + utilities and $1700 security deposit **

t n a r u Resta

This 3 bedroom 1 bath freshly painted single story rambler is located in the community of Drum Point (Lusby) about 20 minutes to PAX River and 15 minutes to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant. The house is approximately 1050 sf. The home has CENTRAL heat/air, includes a WASHER and DRYER, a LARGE two-car garage capable of storing boat(s), and a fenced back yard with swing set. School bus stops in front of house. The community of Drum Point has a private beach on the Chesapeake Bay and a private boat launch. Pets negotiable. Available Nov 15, 2009. $1300.00 month + security deposit, and pet deposit if applicable. Strictly a non-smoking home. Call Janice 410.610.1459 or email jijacks@comcast.net.

Locally! aces to Dine Find Great Pl

Employment

Greenfield Engineering has an opening for an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Engineer at PAX River. Successful candidate will have a Bachelors degree in an Engineering Field and minimum 1 year experience with IFF equipment. Working knowledge of IFF principals, Interrogator and Transponder Technologies for Naval platforms required. Flight test and data collection methods desired. Candidate must be a US citizen and capable of obtaining a security clearance. Greenfield Engineering offers great benefits including company paid health care and retirement fund, in a professional environment. Email resume for immediate consideration. weston_lisa@greenfieldeng.com.

$ 18

Thursday, December-2009

The Southern Calvert Gazette will not be held responsible for any ads omitted for any reason. The Southern Calvert Gazette reserves the right to edit or reject any classified ad not meeting the standards of The Southern Calvert Gazette. 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. To Place a Classified Ad, please email your ad to: classifieds@somdpublishing.net or Call: 301-373-4125 or Fax: 301-373-4128 for a price quote. Office hours are: Monday thru Friday 8am - 4pm. The Southern County Gazette is published every other Thursday.

Out About Friday Dec. 4 – Jan. 2

• Garden in Lights, Annmarie Garden Surround yourself with colorful one-of-a-kind creations as you walk the ¼ mile loop. Mythical creatures, spectacular wild animals, illuminated works of art, hidden beasts and more delights all ages. New this year - golf cart tours, pet night, and special discount nights for military, police and others. Enjoy a hot drink and entertainment in the Arts Building as you visit the Ornament Show and Celebrations Glass exhibit. Check their website, www.annmariegarden.org, for dates, times and admission fees.

Thursday, Dec. 17 • Southern Book Group: Any book by Laura Lippman Calvert Library Southern Branch, 20 Appeal Way, Lusby Baltimore author of many books. Her mystery series features Tess Monaghan, Private Investigator. 2-3:30pm. Call 410-326-5289.

Wednesday, Dec. 23 • Holiday Ornament Workshop Calvert Marine Museum, 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. Join us to make your choice of a salt dough ornament, a pine cone ornament, or a “punched tin” ornament. Workshops will be on-going from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. in the classroom. There is a suggested donation of $2 per child. Space is limited; sign-up at the admissions desk to ensure your spot.

Saturday, Dec. 26 • Toys of Olde Calvert Marine Museum, 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. Join our interpreter for a special holiday tour of the Drum Point Lighthouse that highlights the life of the children who lived there and their toys. These 30-minute tours will be offered at 11:00 a.m., 1:30, and 3:00 p.m. Sign up will be at the admissions desk. You’ll also have an opportunity to try your hand at some of the traditional games and toys.

Sunday, Dec. 27 • Gingerbread Lighthouse Workshop Calvert Marine Museum, 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. A seasonal favorite, you don’t want to miss our gingerbread workshops! Design and create your own gingerbread lighthouse and decorate it any way you wish. A $2 fee is charged for supplies. Space is limited. Workshops are scheduled from 11:00 -12 noon; 1 – 2:00 p.m.; 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. No pre-registration; sign up at the admissions desk.

Monday, Dec. 28 • Eco-Invaders Calvert Marine Museum, 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. Join us for a special interpreter led tour of our Eco-Invaders exhibit and learn all about these invaders from afar. Featuring the infamous snakehead, you’ll learn how these plants and animals were introduced and what you can do about it. Join us for this special 15 minute tour every

hour on the hour from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. And be sure not to miss the Aqua Invaders Game at 2:00 p.m. in the auditorium – open to all ages.

Tuesday, Dec. 29 Hall

• Handling History: Maritime

Calvert Marine Museum, 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. If you have visited our Maritime Hall, you know we have a lot of cool stuff, but it’s all behind glass. This is an opportunity to hold, touch, and explore some of our maritime artifacts hidden in our Exploration Boxes. Join an interpreter in the Maritime History Hall and dive into history. Tours will start every hour on the hour from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the entrance of the Maritime History Hall.

Wednesday, Dec. 30 • Digging Up the Past Calvert Marine Museum, 14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons. Fossils are ancient clues to the past, but you have to know how to read them. Join an interpreter in our Paleontology Hall to learn the language of ancient bones, teeth, and shells. Discover why there are layers in the cliffs, and what amazing creatures roamed these shores millions of years ago. These special 30-minute tours will start every hour on the hour starting at 1:00 p.m. Sign up at the admissions desk. Also try your hand at preparing real fossils bound in matrix in the classroom at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.

Tons to Do Locally for New Year’s By Joyce Baki

appy New Year! It’s just around the corner – have you made your plans yet! You do not have to go far to have a great time. Nestled on Lore Road between Spring Cove Marina and the Holiday Inn the Naughty Gull Restaurant will offer dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy their delicious home-cooked cuisine and a relaxing water view in the dining room. From 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. the Naughty Gull Restaurant will provide music by Tinker Tunes with D.J. Michelle Nisewaner. Cover charge is $10 per person and includes party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. If you are looking for a great breakfast on New Year’s Day – the Naughty Gull will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 410-326-4855 for more information. Ring in the New Year at the Rod ‘N’ Reel Restaurant, 4160 Mears Avenue, Chesapeake Beach, MD. The evening begins at 7:30 p.m. The ticket price of $125 per person includes music by The New Monopoly, a surf ‘n’ turf dinner buffet and an open bar all night. Tickets are on sale now – for information or reservations call 410-2572735. And take the hallways home – reserve a room at the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa. Celebrate under the Stars with the Fabulous Hubcaps at the Holiday Inn Solomons Conference Center and Marina, 155 Holiday Drive, Solomons. Join in the fun with a New Years Eve package that includes overnight accommodations for two, hors d’oeuvres, dinner buffet, dessert, three complimentary bar drinks per person, party favors, champagne toast, live entertainment and breakfast! For information on package prices call 410-326-6311, ext. 2191. Vera’s White Sands Beach Club New Years Eve Bash hosts “Fullstread.” You have several options for your evening. Choice #1 is admission of $25 per person and you pay as you go – dinner is $45 per person. Or you can choose a package that includes all you can eat dinner buffet, drinks and a breakfast buffet for $175 per person or $300 per couple. Don’t want to drink and drive? For $450 a couple you can enjoy the dinner buffet, drinks and the breakfast buffet and finish the evening with overnight accommodations AND transportation to and from the hotel! There are only 200 tickets available so call - 410586-1182. Bring in the New Year at Stoney’s Solomons Pier with “The 25th Hour Band.” Offering a great view, great food and drinks, and a great atmosphere, this is a wonderful way to bring in 2010. The well-known “25th Hour Band” will rock in the New Year with sounds of classic rock, contemporary, Motown, jazz and blues. Call 410326-2424 to make your reservations. Come join Dave & Kevin as they rock in the New Year “acoustic style” at Jake & Al’s Chophouse, 258 Town Square Drive, Lusby. Cozy up to the warm fireplace at Jake & Al’s Chophouse, Lusby. Their large casual dining room will provide a great backdrop to a wonderful dinner. The menu offers a variety of items including high quality steaks that are cut in-house, fresh seafood items and great burgers. Make your reservations by calling 410394-6694. Please remember - don’t drink and drive. There are several cab and limousine services in Calvert County. The price of the cab ride home is a lot less than the fines you will pay if you are arrested for a DUI.

Thursday, December-2009

Patuxent Swimmers Ready To Roll

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he Patuxent High School swimming team is two meets into their season, and fourth-year head coach Shannon Doleski believes that in spite of missing a few kids early on, the Panthers will be at full strength in January. “We’re missing four boys on that side of things, but they put up a strong

fight,” Doleski said of Friday night’s tri-meet with Leonardtown and Huntingtown at Lackey High School. Senior Justin Koper was the Panthers’ lone individual winner Friday night, winning the boys’ 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:13.82, three seconds ahead of Leonardtown’s Karl Engel. The Panthers lost both team meets, 185-84 to Leonardtown and 178-94 to Huntingtown. The girls were much more successful on the evening as freshman Cassie Beck and junior Jessica Simmons finished 1-2 in the girls’ 500-yard freestyle race. Senior Courtney Parkes also took an exciting victory in the girls’ 100-yard breaststroke, outlasting Leonardtown’s Ashlin Rondeau by two-tenths of a second (1:08.36 to 1:08.56). The Panther girls also picked up a team win in the tri-meet, defeating Huntingtown 145-135, while falling to Leonardtown 178-102. Doleski says that with so many newcomers on the roster, it’s going to take some time for the Panther boys and girls to peak, but she has high hopes for the season. “I have a lot of newcomers, so we just have to get them on the same page,” she said. “I expect our girls to be in the top three in SMAC, and I want the boys to have at least a .500 record. Everyone just has to do what they need to do.”

rqu Ma BY CHRIS STEVENS (CT) info@somdpublishing.net k n a y Fr Photo b John Glass of Patuxent High School guns it out during the boys 50-year freestyle during the tri-meet on Friday, Dec. 11.

Thursday, December-2009

Patuxent High Scoreboard Tues., Dec. 8 Wrestling: Patuxent 48, Great Mills 32 Wed., Dec. 9 Boys’ Basketball Northern 52, Patuxent 34 Girls’ Basketball Northern 41, Patuxent 31 Fri., Dec 11 Swimming: Boys Leonardtown 185, Patuxent 84 Huntingtown 178, Patuxent 94 Girls’ Patuxent 145, Huntingtown 135 Leonardtown 178, Patuxent 102

STATE NEWS

Oyster Plan Spells Doom For Local Waterman

ov. Martin O’Malley announced plans to make sweeping changes to the state’s oyster industry, aimed at protecting existing oysters and promoting alternative oyster growing techniques. The plan calls for increasing the areas protected from oyster harvesting in the tributaries of the Chesapeake By from 9 to 24 percent of the remaining quality habitat, including a large segment of the Patuxent River. “Protecting the population not only matters for the bay, it matters for the economy,” the governor said. “Our economy needs this shot in the arm. Our watermen need this shot in the arm.” Watermen who strive to harvest oysters from the bay say that “shot in the arm” is going to be a lethal injection. The head of the Calvert County’s Waterman’s Association, Tommy Zinn, said the plan to nearly triple the area that is off limits from conventional oyster harvesting, and the push for alternative oyster-growing practices, will certainly mean the death of the watermen lifestyle in the next few years. “Our feeling are that with sanctuaries, it sounds good and makes them feel warm and fuzzy and all, but a sanctuary not worked is like you planting your garden in the back yard and then going back in the fall and seeing what grew,” Zinn said. “Nothing’s going to grow if you don’t go out there and hoe it, and fertilize it and turn it over. And oysters are pretty much the same way.” A main part of the plan is the state’s decision to harvest with aquaculture, which uses cages or floats suspended in the water to grow oysters from larvae to adulthood. O’Malley said that aquaculture already is producing tens of millions of dollars in dockside value in Virginia. “That

Tommy Zin

education is at the core of what we believe. supporting a strong, successful education system is an

potential exists in Maryland as well,” investment in today’s communities and tomorrow’s leaders. O’Malley said. “We just have to harness it. We have to do the things that we need to do so that we can not only catch up with where Virginia is with aquaculture but hopefully move past them.” Zinn said he doesn’t see existing watermen having the money or ability to switch to aquaculture, and the plan will probably result in new people populating the aquaculture industry. “Their on a big push to try to get these supporting a strong, successful education system is an watermen to convert over and start growing investment in today’s communities and tomorrow’s leaders. their own oysters through aquaculture, but with the average age of the waterman, in the mid-fifties, I feel that the older fellas are not going to covert over. They’re just going to work it out and either leave the water or try to work it until the end,” Zinn said. “This is almost a new business venture. The individual watermen are probably struggling now more than they every have, and unless there’s a lot of grants or some kind of funding out there to help them … I don’t see the waterman having the capital to invest into seed, the price for leasing and the gear they would need to manage and grow the oysters on these leases.” Part of the governor’s plan is to open up areas to be leased for aquaculture operations. “These do-good groups like the CCA [Coastal Conservation Association]… they’re more concerned with shutting the commercial industry down than they are as far as really doing something good,” Zinn said. “The only place we’re seeing natural reproduction of oysters is where the boats work at continuously every year and clean the bottom,” Zinn said, adding that with the high amount of silt in the river, oysters just left to themselves will simply silt over and die without watermen stirring up the bottom with dredging. Regional hearings on the issue are planned to begin next month, including at develop leaders in science and technology, we’re it comes to improving lives and building least one to be scheduled in Calvertwhen County. develop leaders in science and technology, we’re economic when it comes to improving lives and that’s building helping lay the groundwork for future better communities, knowledge is power. Zinn said the Watermen’s Association will better communities, knowledge is power. that’s helping lay the groundwork for future economic growth. to learn more about how we’re putting our whyon dominion provides financial support for be see if there will be an negotiations the why dominion provides financial support for growth. to learn more about how we’re putting our work educating today’s young people, education ateducation all levels, from kindergarten through boundary lines for the expanded sanctuary energy to to work educating today’s young people, at all levels, from kindergarten through energy visit www.dom.com, keyword: education. college. and by focusing on programsthat that visit areas. www.dom.com, keyword: education. college. and by focusing on programs “But we feel it’s probably a lost cause,’ Zinn said. “There going to have some hearings, but it’s been announced by the governor and what the governor wants the governor gets,” he said. Zinn added that local delegates and state Sen. Roy Dyson need to come to the defense of watermen on this issue. “If not everything’s going to be in a museum and the watermen are going to be history,” Zinn said.

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Pickin’ and Grinnin’: Joey Tippett and Company Get Rambling

his reviewer might as well admit it: She loves Bluegrass. Not only is it one of those genres that draws from several different sources, including traditional Irish, African, Scottish and Welsh music, but the genre also feeds several more styles, including those mournful country classics about lost jobs, dead dogs and faithless wives. Bluegrass hasn’t completely cornered the market on break-up ballads and treatises on cheating girlfriends, but it’s come pretty close, and as Joey Tippett gets up onstage at Apehangers Bar in Bel Alton, donning a black cowboy hat and singing, “Does my ring hurt your finger when you go out at night?”, it’s hard not to notice the connections. Together with guitarist Trampas Goldsmith (who makes his own instruments and sells them on www.trampasguitars.com), mandolin player Billy Thompson, Jerry McGinnis on fiddle and his wife Linda on bass, Joey has been performing with his band, the California Ramblers (named so because they are from California, Md.), for about eight years. “I started by playing the guitar … but I started playing the banjo three years ago,” said Joey, explaining that the group members had cycled through several rotations with one another at local jam sessions, including those impromptu sing-along sessions so prevalent at the Farmer’s Market in Charlotte Hall, before coming together as a band. “I met Joey probably 30 years ago when my dad ran a bar in Mechanicsville … he would always come there and I’d ride his bike,” said Trampas, explaining that he had met and started playing with Joey years later at jam sessions after playing several different bands before signing on as Joey’s guitarist. Jerry said he began playing fiddle at the age of 11, teaching himself how to play, and later signing on with the Tippetts much like the others. Billy also came aboard via the jam session circuit, drawing inspiration from his favorite mandolin players like Sam Bush, Ron McCoury and David Grisman. Though the majority of their set list is traditional Bluegrass, the group has been writing some of their own material, and is currently in

the process of recording their second CD. “We have one [album], Yard Sale, and we just started on our second one,” said Linda, explaining that the album, as yet unnamed, is being recorded KMH Studios in Lusby. As far as the music goes, Joey, Trampas, Billy and Jerry take turns not only singing (in a harmonizing style reminiscent of Del McCoury Band, but with less nasal twang) but also churning out impressive solos. Few genres are this democratic, with each member of the band taking their opportunities to shine, while Linda, who neither sings nor tries to outdo the others in terms of solos, keeps a steady rhythm.

One thing you could say about this genre, too, is that it fuels its poetry with emotions on both ends of the scale. While Joey and company do well with ballads bemoaning lost loves, they’ll still expend the same energy singing (just as loudly), “now she’s gone, but I don’t worry, cause I’m sittin’ on top of the world.” Joey Tippett and the California Ramblers ramble all over Southern Maryland, and will be appearing next at Toots Bar in Hollywood at 3 p.m. Jan. 10, 2010. For more information, go to www.californiaramblers. com. BY ANDREA SHIELL (CT) andreashiell@countytimes.net

Submitted photo Joey Tippett and the California Ramblers, from left, Jerry McGinnis, Tippett, Linda McGinnis, Billy Thompson and Trampas Goldsmith.

Thursday, December-2009

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Business Raise Stink Over State’s Septic System Upgrades

state program that aims to upgrade septic systems throughout Maryland, reducing the amount of nitrogen that failing systems can discharge into the Chesapeake Bay, has been met with overwhelming public demand -- and unexpected conflict. Septic system vendors and installers throughout the state have threatened to abandon the Department of Environment’s Onsite Sewer Disposal System program if the way their work is paid for isn’t changed. Under the current program, state grants help pay the upgrade expenses of homeowners, who can, and have, taken the money and run, leaving businesses to waste time chasing checks. “All these installers and all these vendors agree that this is a great program,” said J.O.K. Walsh, executive director of the Caroline County Economic Development Corporation at a joint committee hearing last week. “But they also say that they cannot go on with the system as it currently exists. They’re not getting paid in a significant number of these cases,” Walsh told the Joint Committee on the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area. Walsh estimates that as many as 10 percent of homeowners have left projects unpaid for. And the homeowners that tend to skip out on their payments are those with the worst septic systems in the watershed’s most critical areas -- the state’s top priority for grant allocations. A jump in demand -- the number of systems installed from September 2008 to September 2009 rose from 375 to 1,778 -- has forced the state to prioritize grant applicants, beginning with failing septic systems in the state’s critical area, located within 1,000 feet of the mean high water line of tidal waters or the landward edge of tidal wetlands. About 2,800 applicants who don’t fall under this distinction have been placed on a waiting list until July, said Robert Summers, deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. The more than 400,000 septic systems in the state account for about 7 percent of the nitrogen that Maryland loads into the bay. But new technology can cut the amount of nitrogen that is discharged by these systems in half. It is this technology that is installed by companies like Towers Concrete. More than 100 installations completed by the Denton-based business have not been reimbursed by the homeowner, Walsh said. And almost 75 percent of these payments are more than 60 days past due. “It’s a cat and mouse game,” said John Short, who manages the company’s bay restoration project. “For the past two months, all I’ve been doing is going door to door, not even generating sales at this point, just trying to collect checks.” “We’ve been chased off properties. We’ve been threatened to be locked up for trespassing. There’s all kinds of scenarios out there,” Short said. Walsh would like to see companies like Towers Concrete paid directly for their work. “We need to get the money directly to the people who do the work, who do the marketing, who do the investment,” Walsh said. “We need to help them out by changing this policy ... and allowing the vendors to be paid directly.” Otherwise, said Short, these businesses might be forced to raise the cost of septic systems, which average about $12,000, or abandon the project all together. But Summers hesitates to get the state involved in what he called a third-party situation. “The homeowner is the one who is responsible for this system over the long haul. The homeowner needs to be in control of the funding situation,” Summers said. The grants include a five-year maintenance and operation component, creating a long-term arrangement between the vendor and the homeowner, said Summers. “Because the homeowner and that vendor need to work together over that period of five years, we just don’t want the department getting in the middle of any arrangements that they’ve made,” Summers said. “We feel that it’s the homeowner’s contractual obligation to pay the vendor.” BY CATHERINE SERVICE)

KRIKSTAN

(CAPITAL

NEWS

Water

Musings from the Museum By Sherrod Sturrock

couldn’t resist. Writing about this season always elicits Clement Moore style lyrics. But it’s all true! We are decked out and ready to welcome you for a visit this holiday season. If you missed the Solomons Christmas Walk, then pencil us in over the holidays. If you want to “buy local” and are hunting for that special present, our Museum Store is beyond compare for outstanding quality and unusual gifts for everyone on your list. I stopped in the store the other day and found beautiful glass votive candle holders decorated with painted birds for my husband’s co-workers, an adorable stuffed otter for my young granddaughter, a custom designed cultured pearl necklace for my 20-something daughter, and great stocking stuffers for all my sisters-in-law. Score! If you’ve got family coming in for the holidays and are wondering what to do with them – bring them here to show off the “Best Bay Museum.” Although we are closed Christmas day, every other day during the winter break we are offering special programming to help you make this holiday special. Have the grand kids coming? Then you won’t want to miss the holiday ornament workshop or the gingerbread lighthouse workshop. Don’t know what to do with the kids being out of school for two whole weeks? We’re here with programs every day on such engaging topics as otters, oyster wars, ecoinvaders, old fashioned toys and old animal bones. Don’t know what to do with grandpa? If he likes wooden boats, engines, or models, we’ve got a great solution. In short, we’ve got something for everyone; get the details on our web site: www.calvertmarinemuseum.com. Of course, the best part of all is what you can’t see or touch. Christmas time is family time; a time for bonding, relaxing, and enjoying each other. Too often that gets lost in the stress, expectations, commercialism, and general craziness of the holiday. So, we invite you to leave that at home and bring your family here to create some holiday memories together with us. It’s the best gift we can give. Sherrod Sturrock is the Deputy Director of the Calvert Marine Museum. She can be reached atsturrosa@co.cal.md.us.

Thursday, December-2009

Happy Holidays From

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