The County Times -- Feb. 12, 2010 by David Noss

www.somd.com

Friday, February 12, 2010

Valentines’ Flowers still Blooming Despite storm page 6 Roofs Continue to Fail After Back-To-Back Storms Story Page 5

St. John’s School Working to Place Students After Collapse Story Page 14

A Look at Life As a County SWAT Team Member Story Page 16

Photo by Frank Marquart

The County Times

e H i r h l oom s i m A

Furniture

Friday, February 12, 2010

Your Paper... Your Thoughts How do you think the County has been doing with snow removal this year? Kim Owens, 42, from Leonardtown, said “I think they’re doing a fine job – the best they can do. Mother Nature seems to be working against them, but they’re keeping up with it.”

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“They’re doing an OK job,” said Sarah Selby, 13, a student at St. John’s school in Hollywood. “It’s icy in some places and the snow is stacked pretty high, and I don’t think the back roads are done so good, but I think the main roads have been done pretty well.”

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“I think they’ve been doing a great job,” said Sandra Cheseldine, 40, from Colton’s Point. “I mean, where else are they going to push the snow?”

Friday, February 12, 2010

On T he Covers ON THE FRONT

Laurie Davis, head florist at the Charlotte Hall McKay’s Fine Foods, arranges bouquets in preparation for Valentines Day.

ON THE BACK Nathan Blondino of St. Mary’s Ryken is tangled up with a Huntingtown player.

The County Times “The community has been incredibly generous, a lot of schools and other parishes have offered space.” - Susan Gibbs, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Washington, talking about the response to the St. John’s School roof collapse.

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crime

Crime scene investigators for the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office take photos of footprints in the snow left by suspects after the robbery of Community Bank of Tri County. SEE PAGE 12

What’s Inside

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St. Mary’s Emergency Services Team members train in dynamic entry tactics recently. SEE PAGE 16

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County News Editorial/Opinion Money Defense and Military Obituaries Crime and Punishment Education Feature Story Newsmakers Community Community Calendar Columns Entertainment Games Bleachers Sports News Ice Hockey Basketball

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The County Times

ews

Friday, February 12, 2010 Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

un Fact

Gov.’s Plan Gives Baltimore 93 Russell’s Skipjack Gets Percent of Highway Money Grant For Overhaul By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Recent documents from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed fiscal 2011 budget show that nearly every county and jurisdiction in the state is getting between a 95 to 97 percent cut in highway user fees the state pays out for road upkeep and maintenance – except one. Baltimore City is only getting about a 32 percent reduction of its funding in highway user fees. Those same documents also show that of the $140 million dollars proposed to be available statewide, Baltimore City, the governor’s political base, is slated to get just over $130 million. House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist.29C) said that during O’Malley’s recent State of the State address “he went out of his way to mention [mass transit] the Red Line and the Purple Line” as critical transportation projects needful in the state’s metropolitan areas for funding despite the state’s dire fiscal situation. O’Malley’s latest budget has cut about $2 billion in spending, but he has been criticized for using one-time fund transfers as well as money from capital projects to shore up the budget gap. O’Donnell said that with transportation funding deeply depleted throughout the state, Baltimore City should have to bear the burden as well. “It’s just unconscionable,” O’Donnell told The County Times. “He continues to spend… at the expense of rural areas.

“The cuts should apply to his home base as well.” Questions abounded about O’Malley’s proposals for highway user fees at the recent Maryland Association of Counties conference, when local officials searched for some explanation. This is what they got. “Baltimore City maintains all of the city and state roads,” said County Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly (D-Leonardtown) “That’s why they didn’t cut it [the Baltimore City appropriation]. “That’s not my explanation that’s the state’s explanation.” That highway user money has come to be a valuable tool for counties, particularly in Western Maryland, Mattingly said, as funds for snow removal. “Whether it’s an equitable cut I don’t know,” Mattingly said. “I’m not saying it’s a good deal, but it’s the explanation we got.” Del. John Wood (D-Dist.29A) said that during the budget session O’Malley’s power over the budget was such that the legislature could only cut the amount allocated for highway user fees, it could neither add funds to other counties nor shift the money from Baltimore City to even out the cuts. “We can cut it if things get rough,” Wood said, adding that the fee allocation might become a divisive issue as the session moves on. “It’s a bad deal,” Wood said. “It could be a little controversial.” guyleonard@countytimes.net

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The Dee of St. Mary’s, part of the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab operation on St. George’s Island, has received an emergency grant of $85,000 from the Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium to make needed repairs to the aging vessel. Commissioner President Francis Jack Russell (D-St. George’s Island), the captain and former owner of the vessel, said he gifted the Dee to the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab so that through its nonprofit status they could apply for the grant. Russell said that the board of directors of the foundation would take money that he would normally have received for a salary and use it to match the grant. Russell said that after 31 years of sailing, the Dee was showing its age and won’t be able to take tours at least until next year when repairs are expected to be completed. “I found some structural problems in the keel,” Russell told The County Times. “We’re looking to restore this boat to its former self. “With this grant and matching funds from the lab we hope to get it back in service by 2011.”

Russell also said the main mast had to be removed and laid out so it could be inspected and repaired if necessary; all of the work must be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Dee of St. Mary’s, according to the consortium, is one of only a handful of wooden skipjacks still around that are able to carry passengers. The Dee is the main attraction at the field lab and has for the past decade been carrying passengers, mostly students, on educational trips into the bay. “We are so honored to have this support for the skipjack here in Southern Maryland,” said Roz Racanello, executive director of the heritage consortium. “We’ll continue to be a place where our own children and future generations can experience life on the Chesapeake.” Russell said that he plans to also donate six acres of land he owns on the island as an easement to the field lab for environmental education. He said that his giving the Dee to the field lab meant that he would likely never own it again. “They can only give it to another non-profit… it cannot revert back to private ownership,” Russell said. guyleonard@countytimes.net

The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

ews Roofs Continue to Fail After Back-To-Back Storms

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

County emergency management officials are warning county residents and businesses to beware of structural damage and roof collapses in the wake of another snowstorm that pounded the county

or had completely collapsed from the weight of heavy snow over the weekend. Reports have also come in of trees crushing cars and decks of residential homes being sheared off due to the snow’s weight. Building roofs that collapsed included a portion of St. Johns School in Hollywood and the Mechanicsville Post Office. The sher-

Residents Warned Of Roof Failure

By Sean Rice Staff Writer

Karen Everett, public information officer for St. Mary’s County, reports that county government is warning residents to be aware of the possibility of roof failure, especially on buildings with flat roofs. Citizens and businesses are urged to remove snow from roofs as soon as possible, and do a visual check of structures to look for roof damages, leaks and other structural damages that could lead to more serious issues such as roof or structure collapses. Back to back snow storms are creating a dangerous situation for buildings, and the county is already dealing with several instances of roofs collapsing or sagging, including the Mechanicsville Post Office and the Patuxent Building in Leonardtown, which houses the Sheriff’s Office and Parks and Recreation, among other offices. Everett said with temperatures expected to be at or below freezing for the next several days the danger of roof collapses will remain. Anyone with concerns about the integrity of the roof on their business or home can contact Land Use and Growth Management at 301-475-4200 Ext. 1500 to make a report. news@countytimes.net

Photos by Sean Rice A Quality Transfer and Storage building collapsed during last weekend’s blizzard conditions. No one was injured.

once again this week. Yet another county government structure suffered a collapse Wednesday afternoon when the Loffler Senior Center at Chancellors Run Park in Great Mills caved in. “We’re making efforts to shore it up,” said county spokeswoman Karen Everett. “It’s about a quarter of the roof that’s caved in.” Everett said that the center would be closed the rest of the week.

A sign on the door at Lockheed Martin on Pacific Drive in Lexington Park warns visitors and employees not to enter after a section of roof began collapsing from the weight of the snow.

A view of the inside of the Grace W. Loffler Senior Center at the Chancellors Run Activity Center after a section of the roof collapsed on Wednesday afternoon.

There were no injuries as the center was closed for the storm before the collapse. The first storm dumped up to 19 inches on some parts of the county and second was expected to drop as much as six inches to a foot, amounting to the most snowfall the county had in years. Phil Shire, deputy director of Land Use and Growth Management, said that building code staff were monitoring at least eight other structures throughout the county that had either sagging roofs

iff’s office also had an evacuation Tuesday when the roof began to sag; deputies and command staff set up operations at the Carver building in Lexington Park and the county’s emergency operations center in Leonardtown respectively. George Erichsen, director of the public works and transportation department, said Tuesday that county employees had racked up 1,700 hours of overtime battling the storm and had used 430 tons of salt to help clear county roads. Contractors had to be used because there were not enough county workers to deal with heavy snow, Erichsen said, and there are only a few vehicles powerful enough to scoop away dense, hardpacked snow, making the process slow. Erichsen said that the 874 contractor hours amounted to $114,000 in county payouts. In all the county enacted a budget amendment that took more than $300,000 out of the county’s fund reserve to pay for the snow removal. That knocks back the county’s small reserve funds to just about $1.3 million. Commissioners also approved funding of about $125,000 in case of another snow emergency. “There are still areas of out there with hard-packed snow,” Erichsen said. “We worked our guys as much as we could work them.” Jaclyn Shaw, with the county’s Department of Public Safety, said that roofs of buildings and residences were still in danger as more snow predicted between six to 12 inches could cause more problems. “That’ll continue keeping weight on the roofs,” Shaw said during the Tuesday meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. “One storm on top of another has put its strain on all of us.” guyleonard@countytimes.net

Photo by Frank Marquart Scott Loflin, of Hollywood, uses a snow blower to clear his driveway this week before the second storm hit.

The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

ews From Loveville With … By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

from all over the state to have their mail stamped with the special Loveville postmark, she said. She’s even had one man drive down from New Jersey to have it marked, she said. Mail also comes in from places like Indiana, Missouri Nebraska and California.

Every year people from all over the country, and even all over the world, send their Valentine’s Day cards to the Loveville post office near Leonardtown to have it stamped with an extra special greeting. Terri Doughty, postmaster at the small, rural post office, said that the heart-shaped postmark that they use every Valentine’s Day week is one of the most popular services they provide. So far in the past week she has postmarked about 500 letters, she said, and this has been a slow week because of the snow storm and the late coming of Feb. 14 on this Sunday. “That means I may get swamped Friday and Saturday, but that’s O.K.,” Doughty said. “This is probably Photo by Guy Leonard the calmest it’s been the Loveville Postmaster Terri Doughty shows off the unique postmarks that Loveville uses around week of Valentine’s.” Valentine's Day. The tradition was started decades ago by a previous postmaster at Loveville, Doughty said, and Mail also streams in from Canada, Germany, since then, crowds have come back year after year. England and even Japan, Doughty said. “This started way before I got here, maybe 20 One customer from France even wanted the years,” Doughty said. “We [postmarked] 10,000 let- special postmark for his stamp collection. ters last year.” Doughty credits the international fame of the The sheer volume of customers coming into tiny post office to the connectivity of the Internet. the Loveville post office often necessitates having “Somewhere on-line… the Loveville postmark two people work in the cramped trailer instead of is out there and people like it,” Doughty said. just one, Doughty said, with customers lined up out the door. guyleonard@countytimes.net Customers come not only from local areas but

Adult Day Care Moving To Private Provider By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The medical adult day care services program at the Vivian Ripple Medical Adult Center could soon be taken over by a private company known as El-Shaddai, relieving the county of paying a $200,000 to subsidize the center after Medicare and Medicaid costs could not close the funding gap. Commissioners approved Department of Aging staff to move ahead with the transition Tuesday and the department’s director Lori JenningsHarris said that the change could come as early as July. Jennings-Harris said the El-Shaddai non profit group, based in Baltimore, had a good reputation for running adult day care facilities for the past 25 years, and was the preferred selection out of three companies that had answered the county’s requests for proposals last year. “They appeared to be the better choice for taking over the Ripple Center,” Jennings-Harris said. Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe (R-Golden Beach), a self-described supporter of privatizing some functions of county government, said that this vote was a difficult one because of the sensitive nature of the care people enrolled at the center needed. “These are definitely the needed services,”

Jarboe said. Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D-Great Mills) said that the commissioners had in years past attempted to put funding into the center in an attempt to make it self-sustaining, but they were unsuccessful. “It just hasn’t materialized,” Raley said. “It’s been running at a deficit… for at least 11 years.” According to a presentation given by Jennings-Harris, El-Shaddai management plans to cut transportation costs by buying their own vehicles that are smaller and less expensive to operate than county transportation, and hope to increase enrollment of those in constant need of medical attention. The group also plans to refurbish the kitchen area and windows as well as build an addition to the center, which currently enrolls about 40 people, Jennings-Harris said. Raley said he was encouraged to see a nonprofit entity step in to take over the operation, although he expected there would be initial oversight of the transition. “There’s going to be some heavy oversight the first year, I’d imagine,” Raley said. “If we can get a non-profit to provide services at less cost that’s fine. “It looks like we’ll have to give them a shot.” guyleonard@countytimes.net

Friday, February 12, 2010

The County Times

The Death of the Watermen

Editorial:

O'Malley's "State of the State": Heavy In Rhetoric, Light In Substance

Some folks remember a time when the General Assembly would anxiously await the governor's annual "State of the State" address. The job of the governor would be to lay out to the assembly members his administration's current view of the health and welfare of the state. And then he would announce to the assembly his administration's plans and needs that would allow him, once the assembly of senators and delegates return home after the 90 day session, to do the work of the people, and to maintain and improve the health and welfare of the state. The annual "State of the State" address was, at one time meaningful and offered solutions to solve the state's problems. But those were the days when governors acted like responsible CEO's who job it was to leave the "company" better off than they found it when they got there. And that was a time when the state legislature understood their actions had consequences, as such they felt responsible to act and they took responsibility for those actions. Recently Governor O'Malley delivered his fourth and final "State of the State" address for this four year term. O'Malley will be up for re-election in November, assuming he receives his party's nomination for a second term. Once again, O'Malley has delivered a campaign style message full of fancy rhetoric with lofty words intended as poetic inspiration, however baseless in terms of policy initiatives. Words like "and with us always are the

An Abortion Solution

I was watching the 11 a.m. news on Channel 4. I saw the turnout for Anti-Abortionists in Washington D.C. This has been going on for years with the same results. I’ve always tried to solve problems I encounter not complain about them. So, after years of watching the Pro- and Anti-Abortion people insult each other, kill each other, and spend an awful lot of money spinning their wheels, I decided to try to help them out with a SOLUTION to their perceived problem. Almost every dispute can be resolved through negotiation. So can this one, and here’s how. Remember, though, in any negotiation, nobody gets EVERYTHING they want, but everybody walks away with something and feels like a winner. First: (Although I hate putting more laws on the books) Establish a law that says everyone must register as either a PRO- abortionist or an ANTIabortionist. A third option is available – NO OPINION. The rule is, if a person elects NO OPINION, that person is not allowed to enter into a pro or con discussion concerning the abortion issue. Second: After everyone is registered, the law must state that all women who become pregnant must carry their child to term and have it born.

To The Editor:

quiet prayers of gratitude and encouragement of future generations watching". Oh really, future generations are "quietly" encouraging Maryland's government to ring up a $2 billion dollar deficit over the next two years because the governor and legislature doesn't feel the need to be fiscally responsible? They will just let that quiet future generation worry about that. Words like a mysterious "dark thing that has penetrated deep into our collective soul". The governor was referring to the pessimism that so many Marylanders are feeling. He goes on to say it is a pessimism that he rejects "with every fiber of my being" Maybe if the governor would accept our pessimism rather than reject it he would offer some forms of solutions that would leave the folks less pessimistic. Or how about words like "the rivers, forests, shores and waters of this extraordinary state are ever our allies." Tell that to the tens of thousands of Marylander's who every year are leaving Maryland because they can no longer afford the extraordinary rivers, forests, and shores, leaving the rest of us to carry even a larger burden for the privilege of living in Maryland. But the governor did at least offer assurance that his solution-less message would, for this year at least, leave the state not much worse for the wear as we would once again rely on the federal government to pump millions of dollars into Maryland to save us from ourselves.

There is one – repeat, ONE – exception: If the mother’s life is endangered by carrying the child to birth, an abortion is authorized if the mother requests it. In all other cases, the birth must take place. Third: If the birth mother indicates she does not want her child, a random selection of a name from the PRO-LIFE group of registrants will be made and that person will be advised of where and when the newborn child is to be picked up. In an effort to be fair, such selections shall be made in the same geographical area whenever possible. All births costs shall be borne by the newly assigned parent. Adoption papers shall be prepared and ready for making the transfer from the birth mother to the new parents. The birth mother shall be required to sign away all parental rights at the time of transfer. The new parents shall be responsible for all cost incurred in the raising of the child. Fourth: The selected PRO-LIFE Registrant shall have no “choice” in accepting the newborn infant. It is a “first come, first served” selection process. Regardless of the newborn’s race, condition of health, or other possibly undesirable attribute, the Registrant must accept the child.

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

Governor O’Malley, in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources, plans to submit a regulatory proposal in February 2010 to address the Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Development Plan. If adopted, the regulation may be effective as early as May 31, 2010. I oppose this plan. From 1994 to 2007, the State and Federal governments combined invested $39.7 million on in-the-water oyster recoveries in Maryland. Maryland oystermen and dealers have helped fund these State oyster restoration projects by paying taxes directly to the Department of Natural Resources on every bushel of oysters they sell. The Department of Natural Resources has been unable to show any sustainable increase in the oyster population on their sanctuaries, as a result of the management of these resources, and merely cite their success in restoring oyster habitat. Unfortunately, the lack of success in sustainable oyster populations has been the result of misguided resource management and watermen are going to pay the price. The Department of Natural Resources has developed and proposed a 10-point plan that will reduce the number of public oyster bars open to commercial harvesting. This regulatory proposal will be submitted in early February. The 10-point Plan calls for the state of Maryland to close 24% of natural oyster bars and designate these areas as sanctuaries. The plan also calls for Maryland watermen to shift towards commercial oyster aquaculture. The Department of Natural Resources claims if more bars are designated as sanctuaries, then oysters will prosper. This myth is going to allow our natural oyster population to continue to suffocate. Times have changed. We can no longer expect oysters to grow and replenish themselves when we are dumping so much sediment in the bay. The methods that oystermen use to harvest oysters combat this dilemma. By harvesting oysters, using patent tongs, shaft tongs, and dredges, oystermen turnover the bottom of our rivers and the Bay. Last year the Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with the Oyster Recovery Partnership, paid watermen across the state to dredge the oyster bottom. Watermen turned over oysters and shell and moved oysters to other bars throughout the State. The Department of Natural Resources and the Oyster Recovery Partnership have scheduled to use this same technique in 2010. Would this technique be used by the State if it was proven to be detrimental? If dredging is detrimental, then this is another example of misused resources. Instead of harvesting wild oysters, the State is proposing watermen invest in aquaculture. Aquaculture is not a practical enterprise for watermen. The State has proposed reserving a quarter of the designated aquaculture enterprise zones for watermen. This allocation seems generous, until the logistics of undertaking such an

enterprise are closely examined. First, watermen will have to purchase oyster shell to lay the foundation for an oyster bar. They can not harvest shell from the bottom, because Maryland law prohibits the harvesting of shell. Reports from the Department of Natural Resources describe the difficulties in obtaining shell. Without an easily obtainable shell supply, or an alternative substrate, a sustainable oyster bar will not be formed. As of January 2010, the State has been unable to identify a substitute for natural oyster shell that can be economically manufactured. If watermen can purchase shell, it will then be a race to obtain spat, or young oysters. The State of Maryland will not be able to provide growers with spat, because it is extremely costly and difficult to grow. The Department of Natural Resources was able to produce 350-750 million spat last year (a very broad number) and claims it will need up to 2 billion spat per year to meet the demands of their own restoration program. Once the spat is secured, watermen will have to fabricate ways to contain their spat (baby oysters) on the bottom or suspend them in the water column of their designated area. These aquaculture areas will be in unprotected waters and will be exposed to the elements and poachers. Lately there have been reports of watermen who have received citations from the NRP. It is not by coincidence that NRP is putting the heat on watermen. This seems to further O’Malley’s political agenda by portraying watermen as a lawless group. Money allocated for the proposed oyster plan would be better spent on staffing the Natural Resource Police, who can protect our natural oyster bars. If watermen are successful in obtaining a lease, purchasing oyster shells, buying spat, and protecting their investment, it will leave little room for profit. The Department of Natural Resources is quick to downplay the number of watermen who will be affected by the proposed plan. The Department claims on average there are only 550 remaining oystermen in the State and 18 oyster processing companies. In reality there are over 2,000 watermen who hold a license reserving them the capability to become an active oysterman. Unfortunately, watermen are seldom given a voice. They are not the sole reason for the decline of oysters. They are just the last in a long line including: sediment, disease, failed (and expensive) State restoration efforts, pollution, and poor resource management. Watermen really need the media, lawmakers, and the public to see there is a large number of the “little man” who are going to be financially devastated, during a time where there is already economic hardships, if the Governor’s plan does not consider their future.

Fifth: The names of PRO-Life registrants who have been selected, as parents shall have their names reentered in the PRO-LIFE Registrant Register. Once the option to become a PRO-LIFE registrant has been made, such options shall be permanent. This, of course, allows for the possibility that the same person may be selected for parenthood more than once. Now, before flicking away this suggestion into the “round file” as the brainstorm of some

kook, think about it. Would this, or would this not, eliminate the vituperation and ill feeling that permeates our society when this topic arises? Secondly would this, or would this not, give all the rant-and-ravers and PRO and ANTI abortionists an opportunity to either “PUT UP OR SHUT UP?” Just think about it.

Rachel Dean Lusby, MD

James Hilbert Mechanicsville, MD

James Manning McKay - Founder Eric McKay -Associate Publisher..................................ericmckay@countytimes.net Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager..............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Sean Rice - Associate Editor.....................................................seanrice@countytimes.net Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist.......................................angiestalcup@countytimes.net Andrea Shiell - Reporter - Education, Entertainment...andreashiell@countytimes.net Chris Stevens - Reporter - Sports......................................chrisstevens@countytimes.net Guy Leonard - Reporter - Government, Crime...............guyleonard@countytimes.net Sales Representatives......................................................................sales@countytimes.net

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The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010 In South Africa, termites and ants are often roasted and eaten by the handful, like popcorn

Symbol

Close 2/10/2010

Close 12/31/2008

WMT HOG BBY LMT BAESF CSC DCP GD MANT NOC

$53.15 $22.46 $35.55 $74.91 $5.43 $52.07 $10.33 $67.64 $44.75 $58.54

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

Change

-5.19% 32.35% 26.47% -10.91% 0.37% 48.18% -31.91% 17.45% -17.42% 29.97%

First Friday Raffle Postponed Until Feb. 12 The Valentine’s Special Raffle, planned for the Leonardtown First Friday event on Feb. 5 has been postponed until Friday, Feb. 12 due to the winter storms. The winner’s name will be drawn during an announcement on the Town Square at 7 p.m. Visitors have additional time to register for the Valentine’s Special Prize. Log on to www. leonardtownfirstfridays.com for a list of participating businesses and a description of the prize. Leonardtown First Fridays feature Historic Leonardtown’s art galleries, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, antique shops, bookstores. These local businesses open their doors to showcase local artists and or serve specials. For more information on Historic Leonardtown, log on to www.leonardtown. somd.com.

un Fact

Tourism Reps Pressure Legislators For Full Funding of Budget By Sean Rice Staff Writer More than 20 representatives from Southern Maryland’s tourism industry converged on Annapolis last Friday as part of a statewide effort of the Maryland Tourism Council to urge state lawmakers to not go through with a proposed cut in budgeted tourism spending. Beverly Brown, Director of Sales for the Hampton Photo submitted by Beverly Brown Inn Lexington Park, and chairperson of the St. Mary’s Southern Maryland tourism industry officials at Annapolis for Tourism Day County Chamber of Com- on Feb. 5 merce’s the Tourism Advisomost recent data concludes that for every dollar ry Council, reports that she and a group of more invested into tourism, the return on that investthan 20 took a bus to Annapolis to address law- ment is $36,” Brown said in her remarks to lawmakers. Included in the local group were repre- makers. “In these economic times, I cannot imagsentatives from Historic St. Mary’s City, Sotterley ine any other investment that can produce such a Plantation, Summerseat Farms, Southern Mary- rate of return.” land Wine Growers Cooperative and several othLocal officials said the success of St. Mary’s ers from all three Southern Maryland counties. County’s celebration of the 375th anniversary of Brown said the goal of the trip was to urge Maryland’s founding is a testament to the effeclegislators to fully fund the $6 million budget for tiveness of tourism marketing. the Tourism Development Board, which provides “Even with a downturn in our economy we $3.5 million for the state tourism office and $2.5 still experienced an increase in hotel stays in St. million to be distributed to the counties and visi- Mary’s County and visitors,” said Karen Everett, tor’s bureaus for their marketing grants. St. Mary’s County public information officer. “So “Without these funds, our county tourism word must be getting out because we’re also seeoffices would be hugely disadvantaged in the mis- ing new hotels opening up.” sion they carry out,” Brown said. “Investment in tourism is a sure bet. The news@countytimes.net

By Martin Warczynski The leading business-oriented social networking site is LinkedIn, launched in May 2003, and today has more than 55 million registered users. An interesting feature about LinkedIn is that approximately half of the registered users are from outside the United States. Over 11 million users are from Europe, with 3 million users from India, the fastest growing country as of 2009. “The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business,” as stated in LinkedIn’s Wikipedia profile. Wikipedia also adds, The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone to become a connection. This list of connections can then be used in a number of ways: A contact network is built up consisting of their direct connections, the connections of each of their connections and also the connections of second-degree connections. This can be used to gain an introduction to someone a person wishes to know through a mutual, trusted contact.

It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one’s contact network. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them. This is really the tip of the iceberg for LinkedIn, as the website is also being used for researching companies users may be interested in working. Also, allowing users to establish new business relationships by joining alumni, industry, or professional and other relevant groups.

com

Check it out at http://www.linkedin.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

The County Times

Adm. Venlet May Lead Joint Strike Fighter Program

Defense Secretary, Robert M. Gates last week announced a restructuring in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter office to provide increased oversight of a program he said has fallen behind in meeting key benchmarks, the American Forces Press Service reports.

Vice Adm. David J. Venlet Gates also announced that he has withheld $614 million in performance fees from the lead contractor, Lockheed-Martin, “since the taxpayers should not have to bear the entire burden of getting the JSF program on track.” “We have restructured the F-35 program and believe it is on track to become the backbone of U.S. air superiority for the next generation,” Gates said during a Pentagon news conference.

“Nonetheless, the progress and performance of F-35, over the last two years, has not been what it should, as a number of key goals and benchmarks were not met.” The Joint Strike Fighter is being tested at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. To fix the situation, Gates announced a change in leadership at the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, which had been headed by Marine Maj. Gen. David R. Heinz. A three-star officer yet to be named will replace him, Gates said, the higher rank reflecting the importance of the program to the future of military aviation. The New York Times, and other news agencies, reported that according to inside sources, Heinz’s replacement may be Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, commander of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). Adm. Venlet did not return calls from The County Times seeking comment. The problems facing the program aren’t insurmountable, with proper steps taken, Gates said. “I believe that we are in a position to now move forward with this program in a realistic way,” he said. “But by the same token, one cannot absorb the additional costs that we have in this program and the delays without people being held accountable.” The F-35 is the first aircraft to be developed within the department to meet the needs of three services, with three variants being developed simultaneously. This brings cost savings and economies of scale not possible with separate aircraft because the F-35s will share common components and maintenance requirements, Gates said. “We cannot afford, as a nation, not to have this airplane,” he said, noting that every dollar saved in acquisition frees up a dollar to support other critical wartime requirements.

Navy Sponsors Local High School S2S Training

For the second time, the Navy sponsored two local teams to attend the Military Child Education Coalition’s Student-to-Student (S2S) Training held in San Antonio, TX. Both St. Mary’s County and Calvert County sent teams. Since the hiring of School Liaison Officers worldwide, and locally at NAS Patuxent River, the Navy has a conduit through which to advertise and offer this training to local schools’ students and staff. S2S is a student-led, school-managed program with the goal of better transitioning new students in military families. During S2S training the school liaison officer, school personnel, and students are trained in three transition areas of concern: academics, relationships, and finding the way (campus, community, and culture). Through lectures, interactive activities, discussion, and studentcreated presentations, the trainees study the variety of needs and issues to address for the new students at each school. Students receive 24 service learning hours, and sponsors receive 24 clock hours for continuing education credits. Teams are also required to develop and present their local action plan for implementing their school’s S2S program, including how to recruit and train S2S sponsors in their school and how to find new students who are both military and non-military connected.

From Jan. 28 - 31, eight schools attended from South Carolina, Washington, Florida, and Maryland, including Tamara Parsons (teacher and sponsor), Ilene Cohen (teacher and sponsor), Benjamin Gast (student), and Ariel Carkhuff (student), who were there to represent Leonardtown High School. In September of 2009 Great Mills High and St. Mary’s Ryken also sent teams. The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) was formed in 2003 to provide school transition support to military-connected youth. This past year, MCEC became a vendor of the Navy to offer trainings to school transition support personnel, including the school liaison officers, school counselors, teachers, students, and Fleet and Family Support Center personnel. Brooke Fallon, the NAS Patuxent River School Liaison Officer, hosted a Transition Counselor Institute Phase One on January 21 and 22, and there will be another offering on February 18-19 at the JT Daughterty Conference Center in Lexington Park. Any public and private school staff, along with community and base personnel who work with school aged children, are welcome to attend. Register at www.militarychild.org under the Upcoming Trainings tab. For more information, call the NAS Patuxent River School Liaison Officer at 301-757-1875 or email brooke. fallon@navy.mil.

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The County Times

Annie Lathroum, 79 Annie “Marie” Lathroum, age 79 of Hollywood, MD died on February 3, 2010 at Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC. Born April 14, 1930 in Leonardtown, MD, she was the daughter of the late James Kenney and Rosie Cecelia Heard. She was the loving wife of Leo “Beanie” Lathroum whom she married on February 9th, 1952 in Leonardtown, Maryland. She is also survived by her children Barbara Jean Pilkerton, Robert Allen Lathroum, John Ralph Heard all of Hollywood, MD, Rose Marie Nutwell of Lexington Park, MD and Richard “Ricky” Wayne Lathroum of Mechanicsville, MD, as well as eight Grandchildren and 10 Great-Grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Joseph Heard of Hollywood, MD. Marie was preceded in death by her son James Benedict Heard and her siblings; Edith Norris, Walter Gatton, Eloise Harris, Mary Brooks, Violet Lathroum, John D. Heard, Catherine Dorsey, James Kenny Heard and Frank I. Heard. Marie was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident where she attended Margaret Brent High School. She was a homemaker who enjoyed watching wrestling and her soap operas as well as scratch offs and

being with her family. The family received friends on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were said. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 12, 2010 at 12 p.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Pallbearers will be Joe Bowles, Joe P. Dorsey, Leonard Bean, Willie Johnson, John Guy and Charlie Norris. Honorary Pallbearers will be James Sparks, Jacob Sparks, Johnny Heard, Chris Lathroum, Kevin Heard, Justin Jones, Shaffer Dorsey, TJ Lundregan, Jackson Howsare and Shawn Howsare. Condolences may be left to the family at www.mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by MattingleyGardiner Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Nancy Miedzinski, 69 Nancy Lee Miedzinski, age 69 of Hollywood, MD died on February 8, 2010 at her residence surrounded by her loving family and with the care of Hospice of St. Mary’s County. Born March 20, 1940 in Chaptico,

MD, she was the daughter of the late James and Marie Gragan of Chaptico, MD. She was the beloved wife to James Miedzinski whom she married on April 12, 1956. They were married for 54 years and had three daughters. She was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who loved her family. She was the mother of Nancy Obendorf and her husband Ralph, Sharon Miedzinksi and friend Kenny Johnson and Pam Hancock and her husband Joe, all of Hollywood, MD and grandmother to Michele Click, Tiffany Hancock, James Hancock and Joseph Hancock, all of Hollywood, MD. She is also survived by two great-grandchildren, Chelsea Click and Alexis Hyde as well as her siblings Latham Gragan of Chaptico, MD, Shirley Huntington of Mechanicsville, MD and Millie Norris of Leonardtown, MD. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Marie Gragan and her siblings, Dorothy Vallandingham, Elwood Gragan, Annabel Gragan and Bernadette Dingee. Nancy was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident and spent most of her career as a small business entrepreneur, owning, operating and managing school buses for St. Mary’s County Board of Education until her retirement in 2005. She loved to cook, sew, play cards, take pictures, crochet and spend time with her family and good friends. She enjoyed nature and taking care of other people. She also enjoyed planting flowers in her yard

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

Friday, February 12, 2010

and keeping track of yearly arrivals of baby bluebirds and spending time with the family dog. She was a member of St. John’s Church in Hollywood, MD. The family received friends on Thursday, February 11, 2010 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were said. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 12, 2010 at 10 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Joe Hancock, Ralph Obendorf, Kenny Johnson, Jerry Norris, Joe Stone and Tony Norris. Contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences may be left to the family at www. mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

and Linda Herbert, plus countless aunts, cousins and friends. In addition to her parents and husband, Maria will be resting eternally with five brothers: Jeremiah, Jr., George, Joseph, Thomas and Leroy; and, one sister, Carolyn. The family received friends on Thursday, February 11, 2010 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 22375 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20653. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated. The Reverend Jack Kennealy was the celebrant. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Maria Nelson, 55

Joseph Lee Nicewarner, 66, of Leonardtown, Maryland died Wednesday, February 3, 2010 peacefully at Stella Maris Hospice in Towson, Maryland. He was born February 25, 1943 in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Jodi Nicewarner whom he married April 13, 1968 at Mount Oak Methodist Church in Mitchellville, Maryland; one daughter, Jacquelin Landsman (Dr. Jeff Landsman) and two grandchildren, Zackary Todd Landsman and Jordan Rose Landsman. He is also survived by his siblings, Claire Conley, Mary Tucker, Jim Nicewarner and Robert Nicewarner . He was predeceased by his parents Anna Mar Celestine Nicewarner and Philip Earl Nicewarner and his older brother Philip Earl Nicewarner Jr. (Sonny). Mr. Nicewarner was a 1961 graduate of Annapolis High School in Annapolis, Maryland. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Maryland. He taught social studies in a junior high school and then moved to Suitland High School where he taught physical education and was the head football coach. He came to St. Mary’s County in August of 1978 and was hired as the Athletic Director, head football coach and physical education teacher at the newly opening Leonardtown High School. He served as the Athletic Director until 1988 when he became the Assistant Supervisor of Pupil Transportation for the St. Mary’s Board of Education. In 1989, he was named the Supervisor of Pupil Transportation and served until 1997 when he retired. He served as a consultant to the Howard County Board of Education Transportation Department until December 2008 when he retired. He enjoyed spending time with his family and at his home in Breton Bay. He was very knowledgeable about sports and enjoyed fishing and crabbing. He enjoyed traveling with his

Maria Louise Mason Nelson, 55 of Lexington Park, MD, wife of the late Lorenzo Dent Nelson, was born on December 13, 1954 in Compton, MD to the late Jeremiah Aloysius Mason, Sr. and Mary Florence Hebb Mason. She was called to her Heavenly mansion on February 6, 2010 from St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown, MD. Maria was the eighth of twelve children. Maria graduated from Great Mills High School in 1972. Maria received her Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation while attending St. Francis Xavier Church in Leonardtown, MD. When she relocated to Lexington Park, MD, Maria became a dedicated member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church where the Sacrament of Marriage was performed on June 15, 1996. Maria worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior from February 1981 through January 1996 before beginning her greatest and most enjoyable employment assignments of becoming a devoted mother and housewife. Spending quality time with her daughter and preparing meals for family and friends were her greatest joys. Her specialty dishes of macaroni and cheese and sweet potatoes will definitely be missed. Maria also enjoyed dancing, playing bingo, listening to gospel music and phone conversations with family and friends. Maria leaves behind in this earthly life her precious daughter, Lorenda Maria Nelson. She is also survived by her sister Mary Jones (Mark) and four brothers: John Mason (Bevaline), James Mason, Douglas (Sylvia) Mason, and Michael Mason (Phyllis) and sisters-in-law: Mamie Mason, Elizabeth Mason, Elaine Sheffield, Mary Young, Paula Mason, Florence Young, Claudia Barnes and Margie Chatman; brothers-in-law: Noland Nelson, Ronnie Nelson, William Nelson, and Alexander Barnes. Maria’s physical presence will also be missed by her special friends, Michelle Curtis, Marie Miles

Joseph Nicewarner, 66

Friday, February 12, 2010

The County Times

Continued wife and close friends with recent trips to Alaska, Hawaii and Lake Tahoe. Joe will be remembered for his great sense of humor and infectious smile. Family will receive friends for Joe’s Life Celebration on Friday, February 12, 2010 from 6 until 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 12 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made in Joe’s honor to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Cleo Stack, 90 Cleo William Stack, age 90 of Hollywood, MD and formerly of Prince George’s County, MD died peacefully at his home on February 4, 2010. Born September 25, 1919 in “Punkintown”, MD, he was the son of the late Charles and Julia Siberlich Stack. He was the husband of Louise Marie Sweeney Stack, who preceded him in death in January of 2008. He is survived by his children, Robert Stack and his wife Mary of Greeley, CO, Cleone Wible and her husband Paul of Hollywood, MD, and Marilyn Gill and her husband Robert of Baltimore, MD as well as his grandchildren; Andy Stack, Suzanne Stahl, Kellye Nelson, Kathleen Davis and Patrick Gill as well as his great-grandchildren Zack, Zoe and Zadie Stack, Sara, Abby and Zachary Nelson and Madison and Natalie Davis. In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by his siblings Francis, Edna, Elsie, Eddie and Carl. He was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II and a survivor of D-Day. He was a life member of Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad, a member of the Benevolent Order of Elks and was a retired Steamfitter from Steamfitters Local #602. Cleo was a very avid sportsman and outdoorsman playing soccer, baseball and golf and also enjoyed hunting and fishing. He loved family gatherings where he could enjoy watching and interacting with his great-grandchildren and visiting everyone, especially at his recent 90th birthday party. The family received friends on Monday, February 8, 2010 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were said. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Pallbearers were Carl Stack, Rick Davis, Steve Nelson, Brian Davis, Patrick Gill and Michael

O’Neill. Honorary pallbearers will be Sara Nelson, Abby Nelson, Zachary Nelson, Madison Davis, Natalie Davis, Zack Stack, Zadie Stack and Zoe Stack. Contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Condolences may be left to the family at www. mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Teresa Trossbach, 86 Teresa Marie Trossbach, 86 of Hollywood, MD passed away at her home on Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Born October 14, 1923 in Great Mills, MD, she was the daughter of the late Clarence M. and Estelle A. Combs Aud. Mrs. Trossbach was a life long resident of St. Mary’s County. She was a homemaker and farmer. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Trossbach was preceded in death by her husband, the late John Alfred Trossbach and three brothers; Matthew, Thomas and Clarence Aud. She is survived by her children; Thomas Trossbach of Leonardtown, MD, Mary Agnes Burroughs of Avenue, MD, Frank Trossbach of Hollywood, MD, Robert Trossbach of Leonardtown, MD, Hazel Marie Trossbach, of Hollywood, MD, Linda Owens of Leonardtown, MD, Ann Trossbach of Hollywood, MD, Roy Trossbach of Hollywood, MD and Catherine Trossbach of Hollywood, MD, siblings; Dorothy Schindler of Hollywood, MD, Myrthe Abell of California, MD, Mary Schindler of Flagler Beach, FL, Marie Trossbach of Hollywood, MD, Frances Trossbach of Leonardtown, MD, Combs Aud of Great Mills, MD, Edna Trossbach of Browns Mills, NJ, Bernice Aud of Lexington Park, MD and John Aud of Park Hall, MD, also survived by 9 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren Family received friends for Teresa’s Life Celebration on Friday, February 5, 2010 in Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650, with prayers recited. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, February 6, 2010 in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD with Rev. Ray Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650, Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department (Ladies Auxiliary), P.O. Box 50, Leonardtown, MD 20650 Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Mary Tyburczy, 94 Mary Rose Tyburczy, 94, of Solomons, MD died February 2, 2010 at the Calvert Nursing Center. Born July 4, 1915 in Ward Hill, (Haverhill), MA, she was the daughter of the late Dominic Spinazola and Julia (Yunllie) Spinazola. Mary was married to the late Joseph P. Tyburczy of Haverhill, MA. They resided in Salem, NH for most of her married life. Mary was an active member of Saint Joseph’s Church there. She moved to Sarasota, FL after retirement and lived there actively for over 15 years. She has lived in Southern Maryland for the last 8 years, at Cedar Lane Apartments in Leonardtown, MD; and Solomon’s Nursing Center, Solomons, MD. She loved to dance. Mary is survived by two children: Julie O’Brien of Piney Point, MD and Joseph M. Tyburczy of Lexington, MA. She also is survived by three grandchildren Jessica Lombardi of Dover, NH; Alex Roy of Baltimore, MD; Nathan Tyburczy of Billerica, MA and two greatgrandchildren, David and Nicholas Lombardi. Family received friends on Fri-

day, February 5, 2010. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A Memorial Service was held in the funeral home chapel with Reverend Jack Kennealy officiating. Interment was private. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral. com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Alice Wood, 66 Alice Elizabeth Nelson Wood, 66 of Colton’s Point, MD, died February 4, 2010 at Fayette Health and Rehabilitation Center. Born November 27, 1943 in Leonardtown, MD she was the daughter of the late Harry I. and Helen Elizabeth Knott Nelson, Sr. She is survived by her brother Harry I. Nelson, Jr. of Chaptico, MD and her sisters Kitty Hammett and Veronica “Ronnie” Knott, both of Avenue, MD. She is also survived by her nieces and nephews; Dani Knott, Greg Knott, Gene Knott, John Hammett, Jr., Kenneth A. Hammett, Julie Nelson Yingling and Kristi Nelson Hallman, her great nieces and nephews, Nicki Hammett, John Hammett

III, Troy Hammett and Jay Hammett, and her great-great nephew Trevor Hammett. A lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County, Alice was a graduate of Margaret Brent High School and was employed as a waitress and barmaid at many different establishments in the county. The family received friends on Monday, February 8, 2010 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were said. A funeral service followed on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 in the funeral home with Deacon Joe Lloyd officiating. Interment was private. Pallbearers were John A. Hammett, Sr., John A. Hammett, Jr., Kenneth A. Hammett and Harry I. Nelson, Jr. Contributions may be made to the Seventh District Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609 or the Seventh District Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 206, Avenue, MD 20606. Condolences to the family may be left at www.mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

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

The County Times

Detectives Still Looking For Bank Heist Suspects

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Road. The first suspect was about 5-feet, 6-inches tall according to police reports, with a thin build and was wearing a black coat. The second suspect is reportedly larger, standing about 6-feet tall and wearing a long black coat and dark colored ski mask

Detectives responded to a bank robbery in Charlotte Hall Friday on the eve of the area’s worst snowstorm in years but have not identified any suspects in the crime. Capt. Terry Black, commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, said that detectives are continuing their search. He did not disclose how much money was stolen from the Community Bank of Tri-County. “We’re following up some leads,” Black said. According to information from police the day of the robbery two black males reportedly entered the bank at just after 11 a.m. armed with at least one firearm and demanded money from the bank tellers. In the aftermath of the robPhoto by Sean Rice bery, detectives and evidence Investigators are still searching for two suspects they believed robbed the technicians had covered up what Community Bank of Tri County last week. may have been footprints left in the snow by the suspects leading away from the bank with boxes. Detectives are asking anyone with informaEvidence technicians took their own photo- tion about the crime to call 301-475-4200 ext. graphs of the potential evidence left there. 9058 or Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333. The two suspects left the bank and fled to a waiting vehicle, believed to be a silver or gray guyleonard@countytimes.net Ford Taurus, and were last seen on Golden Beach

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Briefs Traffic Assist Leads To Drug Charges, Arrest On Jan. 31, while patrolling the Days Inn parking lot in Lexington Park, Deputy Michael Boyer assisted a motorist who was stuck on the ice. Omigar Ralph Jefferies Jr., 25, of Park Hall, was with the driver of the vehicle. A routine check of Jefferies’ information revealed an open warrant for Jefferies’ arrest. Boyer arrested Jefferies. A search incident to the arrest revealed Jefferies to be in possession of an alleged controlled dangerous substance, suspected marijuana. Jefferies was served the warrant and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Drug Raids Lead To Narcotics And Gun Seizures, Charges Vice/Narcotics detectives conducted an investigation into the distribution of marijuana in the Lexington Park area. As the investigation continued, detectives were able to obtain a search and seizure warrant for a Lexington Park residence. Vice/Narcotics etectives were assisted by the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services Team in the execution of the search warrant. Detectives seized more than four pounds of marijuana with a street value of $6,000 and two handguns. One of the handguns was reported stolen in a burglary from a Great Mills home. James Nathaniel Watkins, 26, of Lexington Park, was arrested and charged accordingly. Vice/Narcotics Detectives conducted a several-month investigation into the alleged distribution of marijuana by Robert “Lance” Lumpkins of Great Mills. Purchases of marijuana were made from Lumpkins, police report. The cases were reviewed by State’s Attorney Richard D. Fritz and then presented to the Grand Jury for St. Mary’s County. An arrest warrant was issued and Lumpkins was arrested on the felony indictment counts. This included the charge of distribution of marijuana. Vice/Narcotics Detectives received information that there was drug activity in a Mechanicsville neighborhood. Enough information was gathered during the course of the investigation for the detectives to obtain a search and seizure warrant. The Sheriff’s Office Emergency Services Team assisted in executing the wearch warrant. Once inside, detectives recovered a quantity of marijuana, more than $500 worth of cocaine, prescription medication to include oxycotin and methadone pills (approximately $700 in value) and nearly $700 in a case. Arrested were Judith Ann Labille, 38, of Mechanicsville, and Glenn Fitzgerald Fenwick a.k.a. “Duke”, 47, of California.

Cruiser, Foot Chase Leads To Arrest On Theft Charges On Feb. 4, Deputy Michael Worrey responded to a residence in Lexington Park for a reported theft. Deputy Worrey’s investigation determined William Shawn Carter, 35, of Lexington Park, who was already wanted on a warrant for assault, had allegedly used the victim’s ATM card without permission making approximately $200 in unauthorized purchases and failed to return the victim’s vehicle. Worrey located the victim’s vehicle in the area of Great Mills Road traveling east failing to stop for the red traffic light at Willows Road. Worrey pursued the vehicle which turned south onto Three Notch Road failing to yield to his emergency equipment. The vehicle continued south to Point Lookout Road where it turned north towards St. Mary’s City. Worrey ended the chase as they approached Vista Road turning off his emergency equipment and slowing his vehicle due to concerns for public safety. As Worrey approached St. Mary’s City, he observed the vehicle off the road into a snow bank with Carter running away from the scene. Worrey apprehended Carter after a short foot chase. Carter was charged with theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol and various other traffic-related offenses.

Fire Destroys Park Hall Home At 2:44 a.m. on Feb. 9, a fire was reported at the 18500 block of Point Lookout Road in Park Hall. A motorist passing by spotted the fire and called 911, bringing a total of 44 firefighters from Bay District, Valley Lee, Ridge, Leonardtown, Seventh District, Hollywood, Mechanicsville and Solomons fire companies. Fire department units found the bulk of the fire contained to the attic, and suppression efforts were hampered because of the threat of

collapse from the high fire. Responders were able to get the blaze under control in 2 hours and 30 minutes, and there were no injuries, but the home suffered severe damage by fire, smoke and water, costing an estimated $115,000 in lost value, with $100,000 in damages done to the structure, and $15,000 in lost contents. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The County Times

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St. John’s Working to Place Students

Photo by Sean Rice Workers use a crane to remove material from the section of collapsed roof at St. John's School in Hollywood, while volunteers removed snow from other sections of the roof.

By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer As the area was hit by the most powerful snowstorm in years, several buildings across St. Mary’s County suffered structural damage, among them St. John’s School in Hollywood. The school’s roof collapsed from heavy snowfall on Saturday, Feb. 6, damaging a number of classrooms, offices, the computer lab and the library, which are all located in a section of the school built in 1953. Susan Gibbs, Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Washington, said she’d been stuck without power when she got the news about the damage at St. John’s School. “Nobody had power here at the Communications office when we got the news,” she said, “so we’ve all been working from our blackberries.” Gibbs said that crews arrived within 24 hours of the roof’s collapse and have removed three tons of snow so far. The next step for cleanup efforts will be salvaging equipment, after which school officials will consult with structural engineers to plan rebuilding efforts.

“We’ll remove as much as we can of things inside the school … so we can salvage as much of the equipment and records as possible,” she said, “but the first step was to get rid of the snow.” In the meantime Gibbs said that the Rev. Raymond Schmidt and Principal Patricia Suit are working on where to place the 190 students that attend St. John’s so that classes can continue. So far, Gibbs said that a number of other Catholic schools and parishes have offered space. “The community has been incredibly generous, a lot of schools and other parishes have offered space,” said Gibbs, explaining that the goal will be to get the students back in class on Feb 16, though St. John’s students could be out of school as late as the Feb. 22. “We’ve been through this before where we needed to relocate kids,” said Gibbs, referring to the tornado that struck La Plata in April 2002, destroying the Archbishop Neale School. “So we’ve got some experience, unfortunately, so we’re going to make sure that wherever the kids go … they’ll go together,” said Gibbs. andreashiell@countytimes.net

State Expands Early Childhood Curriculum The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has expanded its state-recommended list of early childhood curricula for childcare centers, Head Start programs and nursery schools. The Early Childhood Curriculum Project, which is meant to offer resources for the classroom which match up with the state’s pre-kindergarten and kindergarten curricular frameworks has created new policies and procedures for getting the resources to the providers. The selected programs now include: • Abrams Learning Trends – Let’s Begin with the Letter People and Land of the Letter People • CORE Knowledge – Preschool Sequence and Kindergarten • High Reach Learning – Curriculum for Threes/Curriculum for Pre-K/Passports: Experiences for Pre-K

Friday, February 12, 2010

• Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt- Houghton Mifflin Prekindergarten/Kindergarten • MacMillan/McGraw Hill – Little Treasures/Treasures • McGraw-Hill Wright Group – DLM Early Childhood Express • Pearson Early Learning – Opening the World of Learning • Success for All – Kinder Corner • Teaching Strategies – Creative Curriculum. MSDE also established a separate category for curricula of historic significance and merit in the field of early childhood education: HighScope, Montessori, and Waldorf. More information about the Early Childhood Curriculum Project is available online at http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/ MSDE/divisions/child_care/early_learning/.

un Fact

Margaret Brent High School Alumni Association Offering 2010 Scholarships

The Margaret Brent High School Alumni Association will be offering four scholarships of $1,500 each to 2010 high school graduates, or those who are now in college and wish to apply. An applicant must be a direct descendent of a M.B.H.S. alumnus, attending between the years of 1931 and 1965, before Margaret Brent became a middle school. Other requirements must be met in order to qualify and they are listed on the application form to be submitted to the scholarship committee.

Applications are available at the guidance centers of high schools in St. Mary’s County and the College of Southern Maryland, and also may be requested by telephoning Grace Bolton at 301-274-3486. Applications are due back to guidance counselors by March 15, or to the M.B.H.S. Alumni Association by March 30 to the address shown on the application. Awards will be made following graduation or with proof of college registration or attendance.

School System Hosting Math Workshop

CSM Archivist Amanda Pike Offers Expertise

St. Mary’s County Public Schools and the St. Mary’s County Council PTA will be hosting an evening for elementary school parents entitled “Mathematically Preparing Our Elementary School Students for Their Futures.” The event will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 7:00-8:30 p.m., at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center. Pat Turner, formerly of Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), will be speaking about the requirements that students will face in a changing world and how parents and teachers may best prepare them for those changes. For more information, contact Becky Loker, supervisor of elementary mathematics, at 301-475-5511, extension 127, or by e-mail at rbloker@smcps.org; or Brenda Raley at 301-475-5511, extension 105.

‘Man Behind the Masterpiece’

The College of Southern Maryland is hosting author Sam Weller for a lecture and book signing Feb. 17 at their La Plata campus, during which he will offer insights into author Ray Bradbury and his 1953 classic, “Fahrenheit 451.” Weller, who is a professor in the fiction department at Columbia College, Chicago, wrote, “In my hundreds of hours of interviews, not once did Ray Bradbury say that his book was not about censorship. In fact, we discussed the theme of censorship countless times … To Ray Bradbury, his stories are living, breathing creatures and, as such, they grow and evolve. ‘Fahrenheit 451’ doesn’t mean the same thing to Ray Bradbury in 2007 as it did to Ray Bradbury circa 1953.” Weller is a frequent lecturer on Bradbury’s life and works. He is the author of “The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury,” which received the Society of Midland Authors award for best biography in 2005, and was named by the Chicago Tribune, the Denver Rocky Mountain News, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as one of the best books of the year. During his lecture, Weller will also present the “Chronicles” companion book, “The Ray Bradbury Interviews,” which is to be published in June. Weller’s lecture will be held at CSM’s La Plata campus (BI-113). The event is free and open to the public. For more information on Weller’s work, visit www.bradburychroincles.com.

The College of Southern Maryland’s Amanda Pike, coordinator of the Southern Maryland Studies Center (SMSC), is developing a longterm plan to ensure collections are archived according to national preservation standards, and she will be offering her archival expertise as part of an interactive workshop for The Big Read in Southern Maryland. The workshop, beginning at 11 a.m., Feb. 20 in the Dr. Elaine Ryan Library at the La Plata Campus, will include basic preservation care, simple book repairs, causes of book damage and hands-on solutions for treating damage to bound material. Recently arrived at the SMSC, Pike said she intends to offer outreach events such as the workshop that will increase the public’s awareness of its resources as well as build the center’s online collections catalog. “People know the center predominantly as a source for genealogy materials but we also have great information on historic preservation, African-American history, environmental studies, local history, and industry and historic sites in the region,” she said. Pike is developing more comprehensive finding aids to publish on the center’s website, such as archival indexes that list the contents, their history and background, to assist researchers. To contribute documents, photographs, family papers, records and more to the SMSC visit www.csmd.edu/Library/SMSC/donations. html; for information on volunteer or internship opportunities, contact Pike at APike@csmd.edu; for information on the book preservation workshop, call 301-934-7626 or visit www.csmd.edu/ TheBigRead.

Amanda Pike

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The County Times

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In a relatively small agency like the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office — there are only about 122 sworn officers — it’s not uncommon for deputies to have duties that extend beyond regular patrol or detective work. For the 13 deputies who work on the agency’s Emergency Services Team, that aspect of going above and beyond the call of duty is something they live with 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The demands can be enormous, team members say, just to stay on with the unit once accepted. And they are still expected to perform their regular patrol or investigative duties when not going on a narcotics search warrant operation or barricade situation. Sgt. Richard Russell, the assistant team leader, says that between his EST duties, training and taking charge of a regular patrol squad, free time in his life is virtually nil. “It means some sacrifice for the satisfaction of being

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head in a tense situation. Members of the team also sit it on the panel, Hall said, to ensure the prospective member would be a good fit with the operators already there. The perfect operation, Hall said, is to never fire a shot at any suspect. In the 12 years he’s been on the team, as a new member all the way up to overall leadership, he said no suspect has ever been shot during an entry by a tactical operator. Nor have they had to dispatch any dangerous animals they have encountered, Hall said. The key to their success he said, aside from meticulous planning and preparation and constant training in weapons and tactics, is projecting overwhelming force. That level of force, exemplified through shock tactics and a fast entry to a potentially dangerous site, helps ensure that suspects are caught off guard and unable or unwilling to resist. That stops conflict and even saves lives, Hall said. “We’re trained to dominate something… in a safe manner,” Russell said. “The adrenaline goes up and you have an acute level of awareness. “Your mind’s racing with all these different considerations.” The psychological and physical toll on operators is taxing, Hall said, especially when they are called out to an incident — they have to be mobilized on a 30-minute notice — and have to stand fast for hours on end. Whether the conditions are blazing heat or bitter cold, operators have to stay focused and alert. “You can’t lose your edge… sometimes we’re in that hear for hours,” Hall said. More over the strain on families is significant, he said, but more often than not families are supportive of the job operators have to do. “They are part of the family,” Hall said. “Without them it wouldn’t work.” Operators also encounter first hand the conditions that suspects live in when they raid a home, Hall said. Many times the squalor of some target homes are overwhelming, especially when they find animals caged and malnourished in confinement with their own excrement so they can’t even lay down. And then there are the children. Sometimes a raid provides an opportunity to take a child out of what Hall called “deplorable conditions” and into the hands of social services. This is also a time when an operator has to flip the switch between aggression and compassion for the sake of a child.

“The thing I take the most pride in is the professional way these guys deal with these kids,” Hall said. “With the number of places we go into you’d be amazed at how many children are in these houses with dangerous animals (such as pit bulls trained to attack and to fight), dangerous weapons and dangerous controlled substances around.” With team operators taking as many as 50 to 90 assignments a year, Hall said, there are plenty of opportunities to see the poor conditions in which people sometimes live. The toll and strain of the job means that members who worked hard to get on the team find themselves leaving after a stint. “We’ve lost a lot of people who either don’t want to do it anymore because of the demands but also through retirement,” Hall said. “When we lose them we don’t just lose a member but their experience, too.” But there are plenty of members who stick with the team; one member, Dep. Julian Schwab, has been on the team since its inception in 1995. Due to turn 58 this year, Schwab can remember events that were both harrowing and humorous in the many raids in which he has taken part. In one incident in Redgate a suspect pointed a loaded handgun at him while he was restraining a violent dog, Schwab said, and he didn’t even know it until team members, who covered him, told him so. It typified how much team members depend on each other to stay safe, Schwab said. He also remembers when team members had to travel in standard passenger vehicles instead of the dedicated van they have now. With both he and future Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron in the back of the vehicle, they soon found it difficult to move out quickly once on the scene. “We were both knocking helmets to get out fast,” Schwab said. In the early days of the team, Schwab said, tactics and training, not to mention equipment, was often a home-grown affair. “There was a group of us that went through the training… a lot of us had prior military experience, some did not.” The one thing that has run through all of the members through the years of the team’s work, he said, has been the spirit of the operators. “I tell the younger guys that if you don’t have it in your heart, you don’t have it anywhere else,” Schwab said.

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Newsmakers By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer

The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

New Scholarship Named for Jane Sypher

The St. Mary’s County Commission for Women, which will be hosting their annual dinner banquet on March 18 to honor women

in the community, will also be unveiling a new scholarship fund named after a long-time county advocate. Among those being honored at the banquet this year will be Jane Haley Sypher, 60, a life-long resident of California, Md., whose involvement in St. Mary’s County has been extensive. She has served on the boards for Tri-County Youth Services, Recreation and Parks, St. Mary’s Hospital, and has served as the Vice-President of Walden-Sierra for the last 11 years. She served as the dean of the College of Southern Maryland’s Leonardtown campus from Nov. 1992 to Jan. 2005. She is currently the secretary for the Maryland Health Care Education Institute, which is part of the Maryland Hospital Association, and serves on the MedStar Quality, Safety and Professional Affairs Committee. She was the first female president of the Lexington Park Rotary Club, in which she is still active, and she currently serves on the board for Hospice of St. Mary’s. “I guess you can look at adequate health care and

mental health services … those are the things that are of real importance to me,” she said in an interview with The County Times. As a former coach and teacher at Great Mills High School, Sypher was also one of the educators featured in the documentary, “With All Deliberate Speed: One School’s Story,” about the desegregation of Great Mills High School, and she participated in a panel discussion about the film when it premiered in June, 2009. Sypher will give the keynote address at this year’s banquet, for which the topic is “Writing Women Back Into History,” a concept that she says is important to her both personally and professionally. “I think that we need to keep at the forefront of people and the historical role that women have played in the area of social change, and that’s the approach that I’m going to take,” she said. The scholarship that will bear her namesake, which has been established by the St. Mary’s County Commission for Women, is intended to go to “a displaced homemaker or a single parent 30 years or older, who has financial need, and is a St. Mary’s County resident,” said Sypher. “They’re hoping to be able to have enough money raised to at least provide a $500 a year scholarship.” Sypher said that she felt honored to have the scholarship named after her, and she found her connection appropriate considering her background as an educator.

“At the College of Southern Maryland I worked very hard to facilitate returning adults getting into the system, and making it easier for them to access higher education,” she said. “It’s the old cliché that education is the key, and I really believe that, but sometimes the keyhole is too small.” The St. Mary’s County Commission for Women will also be recognizing charitable and civic work with the 2010 Woman of the Year award, for which nominations are now being sought. To submit a nomination, call the Department of Human Services to request a form (301-475-4200, ext. 1849). Fax: 301-475-4268. Requests may also be made via e-mail to Commission Chair Norma Pipkin at billandnorma@verizon.net. Deadline for submissions is Thursday, February 25, 2010. Nominations can be mailed or faxed (301-475-4268). To request tickets for the banquet, contact the Department of Human Services. Tickets are $15 per person and reservations must be made by Monday, March 8, 2010. To make a donation to the Jane Hale Sypher Scholarship, mail donations (Checks made payable to the College of Southern Maryland Foundation.) to CSM Foundation, La Plata Campus, 8730 Mitchell Road, P.O. Box 910, La Plata, MD 20646-0910. Or call Martina Arnold at CSM at 301-934-7649 to donate.

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The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

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The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

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The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

A Different Kind of Snow Angel

Win Two Tickets for ‘Le Vent du Nord’

The Celtic Society of Southern Maryland in partnership with the Calvert Marine Museum proudly presents Le Vent du Nord from Montreal, Canada. Three of the band members will offer workshops in fiddle/ feet, guitar and accordion during the afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m. The evening concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 7. The workshops and concert will be held at the Calvert Marine Museum Auditorium on Solomons Island. Tickets are $25 and are available online at www.cssm. org/tickets. Three lucky winners will win two tickets to see Photo from www.leventdunord.com. this award-winning group. Enter only once per day. Three winners will be drawn on Friday, February 26, 2010 and notified by email. For more information about the Celtic Society of Southern Maryland, visit their website at www.cssm.org.

A six-foot tall snow angel graces the front lawn of a home in Dameron this week.

Photo By Sean Rice

NARFE, Chapter 969 Luncheon/Meeting February 17, 10:00 a.m., is the deadline for making reservations for the St. Mary’s County Chapter 969, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) luncheon/meeting. The luncheon/meeting will be held at Olde Breton Inn in Leonardtown, Friday, February 19. The cost of the luncheon buffet is $14.50. The social hour begins at 11:00 a.m. and lunch is at noon. The speaker at the February luncheon/meeting will

be David Zylak, Director of the St. Mary’s County Department of Public Safety. Reservations for lunch are required. Call Judy Loflin at 301-872-0064 to make reservations. Members will be charged for the cost of lunch if reservations are not kept or cancelled by the deadline. If you are interested in only attending the meeting, it begins at 12:45 p.m.

Red Cross Offering Babysitting Classes The newly revised American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training course is an excellent opportunity to prepare young people for the many responsibilities associated with caring for infants and young children. This course, according to Debora Story the Health and Safety Director is for youth ages 11– 15, provides a range of injury prevention and safety skills as well as training in decision making, basic care, leadership, and professionalism. It also includes essential first aid skills training to be used in the event of an emergency. Babysitter’s Training is an interactive, multimedia, activity-based course where each participant receives a 176-page, full-color, content-rich Babysitter’s Training Handbook, which includes everything from ba-

sic care and injury prevention steps to more than 30 first aid action plans. The American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training focuses on: Leadership skills; Safety precautions and safe play guidelines; Basic care; Check-CallCare (emergency action steps); and First aid for bleeding emergencies. Classes will be held at the chapter office on NAS Pax River on Feb. 19 and 20 from 4-8 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Class size is limited. The fee is $79, but certain applicants may qualify for military and dependent scholarships. For more information, contact the Chapter at 888276-2767 or go to SouthernMaryland.RedCross.org.

The County Times

Thursday, February 11

“Hi, my name is Ryder and I’m a darling five month old male Rottweiler mix. I love people and get along great with other dogs. If you’re looking for a faithful companion, I’m your guy! I’m up to date on vaccinations, neutered, house trained, crate trained and identification micro chipped. For more information, please call SECOND HOPE RESCUE at 240-925-0628 or email katmc@secondhoperescue.org. Please Adopt, Don’t Shop!”

L ibrary Items

• Black History Month to be celebrated Professional storyteller and musician Walter Jones, Jr. will share tales and music from Africa and the Carolinas on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. at Lexington Park in celebration of Black History Month. He will play a variety of musical instruments as well. This free program is suitable for all ages.

• Public invited to Big Read book discussions Southern Maryland’s second Big Read is underway focusing on Ray Bradbury’s novel, “Fahrenheit 451”. Copies of the book, audio book and DVD as well as reader’s guides are available at each library. The public is invited to the following Big Read book discussions: Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at Leonardtown; Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at Lexington Park; and Mar. 1 at 7 p.m. at Charlotte Hall. • Libraries offering free family movies Leonardtown Library will show a 1998 PG rated movie on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. In the movie identical twins separated at birth plot to reunite their estranged parents. A 2009 animated adventure about a scientist who tries to solve world hunger only to see food fall from the sky in abundance will be shown at Lexington Park on Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Both movies are free and snacks will be provided. • Teens can enter video contest Teens can create a three minute or less video and enter it in the “Learn, Create, Share.” video contest. Winners will receive iTunes gift cards. Deadline for entries is March 4. The videos will be shown and winners announced at the Video Showcases on March 11. Details and entry forms can be found on the Library’s Teen Page. Each library has a video camera that can be checked out to use within the library. • iPod Touch to be given away iCOSMOS, a free download from the iTunes app store, allows customers to use their iPhones and iPod Touch to search for and reserve library items. To celebrate this new service, Southern Maryland Regional Library Association is giving away an iPod Touch on Feb. 26 in each county. Customers can register to win at any branch. • Opening reception set for local artist An opening reception will be held for local photographer Jenn Ballard on Feb. 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lexington Park Library Art Gallery. Her photography is on display through March 31 and is primarily of landscapes.

• Basket Bingo Benefit Mechanicsville Vol. Fire Department Social Hall – 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 5:30, bingo starts at 7:00. $20 admission for one book of 20 games, $5 for extra packs, $1 specials. All proceeds go to Mechanicsville Vol. Rescue Squad. For table reservations call Joyce Downs at 301-884-8829. • Taco Night VFW Post 2632 (California) – 5:30 p.m. • $50 Free Roll Hold’Em Donovan’s Pub (California) – 7:30 p.m. • Newtowne Players: “Give and Take” Three Notch Theater (Lexington Park) – 8 p.m. Dramatic shorts illustrating different cultures and their folk stories, legends and literature. Showing one weekend only, Feb. 11-14, with five showings Thurs. through Sat. and matinees on Sat. and Sun. Reservations are recommended. Please make reservations for the show by calling 301-737-5447 or visiting www.newtowneplayers.org. • VOICES Reading Series: Barbara Hurd St. Mary’s College, Daugherty-Palmer Commons – 8 p.m. Author of Walking the Wrack Line: On Tidal Shifts, and What Remains (2008), and winner of the Sierra Club’s National Nature Writing Award, Hurd also teaches in the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. This event is free and open to the public.

Friday, February 12 • Leonardtown Business Association Meeting 22835 Washington St. (Leonardtown) – 8:30 a.m. The Leonardtown Business Association holds monthly meetings the second Wednesday of each month at 8:30am. For more information, and to join the LBA, please visit www.thelba.org or call Melinda Owens at 240-925-3959. • Fry Night VFW Post 2632 (California) – 5:30 p.m. • Special Olympics Deep Stack NL Tourney Center for Life Enrichment (Hollywood) – 7 p.m. • Newtowne Players: “Give and Take” Three Notch Theater (Lexington Park) – 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 13 • Blood Drive Encounter Christian Center (Charlotte Hall) – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Newtowne Players: “W;t” Auditions Three Notch Theater (Lexington Park) – 10 a.m. Open auditions for the upcoming production of “W;t” by Margaret Edson. “W;t” is a Pulitzer Prize winning drama about the effects of ovarian cancer. There are parts for five men and five women. People interested in helping with the technical and support crew are also welcome.

Friday, February 12, 2010

The show opens May 14. Auditions will be readings from the script; no prepared material is necessary. Actors should come prepared with a current headshot or photograph. Auditions will also be held Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. If you cannot make these times but wish to work either onstage or backstage for this production, contact Director Missy Bell at 301-866-1767. • Newtowne Players: “Give and Take” Three Notch Theater (Lexington Park) – 3:30 p.m. • Sweetheart Dance Holy Angels Church Hall (Avenue) – 6 p.m. To benefit Holy Angels Sacred Heart School Building. Cocktails 6:00; Dinner 7:00, Silent Auction 8:00; Dance 9:00-11:00. $75 Couple in advance; $40 single in advance. $100 a couple at the door, $50 single at the door. Dinner catered by Bailey’s Catering, Music by “Out of Order” Semi formal attire. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling Diane Thompson at 301 769 3389. • Sweetheart Dance Brass Rail (Great Mills) – 6 p.m. Southern Maryland Vacations for Vets is sponsoring a Sweetheart Dance with country music performed by Gary Rue and The Dance Hall Ghosts. There will be a silent auction, food and drinks available for purchase, cash bar and a 50/50 raffle. Admission. 301-904-0707. • Sweetheart Dinner with Bluegrass Gospel Express Mt. Zion Methodist Church (St. Inigoes) – 6 p.m. • Valentine’s Dinner and Dance (Semi-Formal) JT Daugherty Conference Center (Lexington Park) – 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southern Maryland. Features 3 course meal, silent auction and chocolate fountain. Tickets: $100 per couple, $375 per table of 8. Limited seats available. Call 301-290-0501or visit http://bbbsomd.kintera.org/valentine for tickets. • Contra Dance Christ Episcopal Church Parish Hall (Chaptico) – 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Southern MD Traditional Music and Dance Association (www. smtmd.org). Admission is $8 for non SMTMD members, $6 for members (band members are free). There will be an ice cream social following the dance. • Valentine’s Dance Hollywood Vol. Fire Deparment – 7:30 p.m. Music by the Key West Band. BYOB. Couples $40, Singles $25. Advance tickets available. Call 301-481-8087.

Sunday, February 14 • Valentine’s Day Breakfast Hollywood Vol. Rescue Squad – 7:30 a.m. Adults: $8.00; children ages 5-12 years $4.00 and children under age 5 are free. • Deep Stack Hold’Em Bennett Building, 4930 Old Three Notch Rd. (Hollywood) – 2 p.m. • Newtowne Players: “Give and Take” Three Notch Theater (Lexington Park) – 3:30 p.m.

• Texas Hold’Em Mary’s Place (Leonardtown) – 7 p.m. Formerly Buffalo Wings & Beer. For more information or to reserve a starting seat call Christine at 443-624-2746 or email clonzanida@hotmail.com.

Monday, February 15 • Go Global Youth Seminar 18361 Matthews Dr. (Lexington Park) – 2 p.m. Youth For Understanding (YFU) is holding a “Go Global” semeniar for high school students looking at going overseas as an exchange student and families interested in hosting exchange students from over 50 different countries. Former and current exchange students and host families will be there. Reservations are required. RSVP with Lynn Blalock at 1-800-872-0200 ext 273 or lblalock@yfu.org. • No Limit Texas Hold’Em “Bounty” Tournament St. Mary’s County Elks Lodge (California) – 7 p.m. • $30 No-Rake Hold’Em Donovan’s Pub (California) – 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 16 • MOMS Club Meeting Mechanicsville Firehouse – 10 a.m. Support group for stay-at-home moms, including those who have home-based businesses and those who work part-time but are home with their children for some portion of the day; moms zoned for the following Elementary schools: Dynard, Mechanicsville, Lettie Dent, White Marsh and Oakville. Email: momsclubofmechanicsvillemvp@ yahoo.com for additional information or call 301-290-0694. • Pancake Supper St. John’s Social Hall (Hollywood) – 5 p.m. $6 for adults (12 & over), $3 for children 6-11 and free for those under 6. Carry-outs available. Highchairs provided. • Special Olympics NL Hold’Em Tourney Bennett Building, 4930 Old Three Notch Rd. (Hollywood) – 7 p.m. • Newtowne Players: “W;t” Auditions Three Notch Theater (Lexington Park) – 7 p.m. • Texas Hold’Em Mary’s Place (Leonardtown) – 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 17 • Math Workshop James A. Forrest Career and Tech Center (Leonardtown) – 7 p.m. Speaker will be Pat Turner, formerly of Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). For more information, contact Becky Loker, supervisor of elementary mathematics, at 301-475-5511 ext 127, or by e-mail at rbloker@smcps.org; or Brenda Raley at 301-475-5511 ext 105. • Special Olympics NL Hold’Em Tourney Bennett Building, 4930 Old Three Notch Rd. (Hollywood) – 7 p.m. ALL EVENTS MAY CHANGE DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. CALL VENUES TO CONFIRM.

Friday, February 12, 2010

The County Times

A Journey Through Time The

Chronicle

Continued from last week. St. Mary’s Countians affected by the British raids in 1813. Capt. William Smith. In addition to a host of other items, the British took “charts, nautical instruments all he had, after drinking as much as they wanted of a barrel of whiskey knocked out the bung and poured the rest out; threw a bottle of caster oil against the floor and broke a great deal of furniture, took every vegetable in the garden and tore off the pailings in a variety of places, and took and destroyed almost everything, leaving Captain Smith to begin house keeping a-new.”

Capt. Smith married Margaret Williams January 14, 1796. By the time of the raid, they had three young sons and an infant daughter. James Kirk. He married Ann Biscoe December 11, 1798. By 1813, they had six children. He was probably one of the wealthiest inhabitants. Robert Duncanson (Dunkinson) was married first to Mary Jones, widow of Dennis Burns, Jr. and mother of Ann (Burns) Bennett. She died in 1802. His second wife was Ann Smith, sister of Capt. William Smith. By 1813, they had 4 young children. Richardson. “a vast number of turkies and 100 geese, for which Mrs. Richardson went in person to Admiral Cockburn and asked compensation and received one moidore . [A former Portuguese or Brazilian gold coin that was also current in England in the early 18th century]. She observed it was

e r u t a e F e r u t a e Cr Merry Meerkats By Theresa Morr Contributing Writer Rocket Dog. Maybelline. Sophie. Flower. We’re talking meerkats here. If you’re a fan of Animal Planet’s “Meerkat Manor,” you know these guys and the rest of the members of the Whiskers and Aztec gangs. The popular show gives kids of all ages a peek into the world of these totally cute mammals. The name, meerkat, is from the Dutch words “meer catte,” meaning “sea cat” or “lake cat,” which seems odd since these amusing creatures spend their lives racing around in the hot, dry Kalahari deserts of Botswana and South Africa. Meerkats are squirrel-sized mammals about a foot long. The tail, almost as long, acts as a tripod when the animal is standing upright. They weigh about a pound and a half, females a bit less. Despite their small size, meerkats have strong forefeet with powerful claws just right for digging burrows. Their coats are tan or grey but their underbellies are nearly hairless with black skin underneath. The black skin helps the meerkat to absorb heat when standing erect on hind legs. And about those black patches around the eyes: They’re Mother Nature’s “sun glasses,” which help to deflect the sun’s glare. Mother Nature is awesome! Meerkats are social and live in groups of 20 or more individuals called mobs, gangs, or clans. Eating is serious business and they must go on foraging expeditions every day. Unlike us humans, meerkats have no excess body fat stores so they are constantly chowing down on creepy crawlers, small lizards, snakes, eggs, and plants. While most of the gang are foraging for food, one meerkat stands guard duty to look out for predators, like jackals, wildcats, and bat-eared foxes. If everything’s OK, the look-out makes comforting peeping sounds, but a sudden loud bark or whistle means, “Hey, dudes, head for the burrows now!” At night, the meerkats return to

their grass-lined homes, which are large underground networks complete with several entrances. Here they huddle together to keep warm. In the morning, the duty meerkat surfaces cautiously from the burrow and barks to keep the others underground. When the barking stops it means the coast is clear and the meerkats scamper out, ready for another day of foraging. But first things first: These perky critters greet the day by -you guessed it -- standing on their hind legs to soak up the sun’s warming heat, followed by a bit of grooming. “Teenage” meerkats baby sit youngsters while the adults go about their quest for food, often as far away as two miles. When the food supply gets sparse, the meerkats move on to more promising areas. Territorial squabbles between the Whiskers and Aztecs over food are everyday occurrences. Females have up to five pups in a litter and about four litters a year. That’s a lot of meerkats. The youngsters’ eyes and ears will open in about two weeks, and by the third week the pups will leave the burrow for the first time. When that special day arrives, the whole clan will stand around the burrow to watch each pup emerge. The coming-out ritual is truly a meerkat special event. In the wild, these unusual animals live up to around 12 to 15 years. But you don’t have to go to the Kalahari Desert to see meerkats. They’ve been in residence at Washington’s National Zoo since 2006. In fact, you can even adopt a meerkat. Check out the Washington National Zoo’s website for details. Are you ready to take the meerkat personality test? To find out which meerkat you identify with, check out http:// animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/ personality/personality.htm. And be sure to turn up the volume so you can hear the meerkat peeps. Comments to Kikusan2@ Comcast.net.

Windmills always turn counter-clockwise. Except for the windmills in Ireland. not enough. He replied carelessly—if you don’t choose it, give it back.” This was James Richardson (died 1821) and his wife, Levina Loker who were then in their 60s . Levina was the sister of Thomas Loker, husband of Rebecca Mackall. Levina died in 1852 at the age of 91. Nine of their 13 children were still home. Tyler Thomas. Described as a very poor man, the British “took two cows, all he had. This man went with Mr. Elwiley Smith to Cockburn and told him, and got Mr. Smith to tell him that he ought to pay him—and he had a large family and these cows were necessary for their support—Cockburn answered laconically—I am poor too, and turned from him contemptuously.” Benjamin Williams. This was Benjamin Williams, Jr., a Revolutionary War veteran. His wife was Mary Leigh who died in 1814. Williams was taken prisoner by the British. Robert Armstrong. He was a Revolutionary War soldier and was married to Mar-

un Fact

tha Smith, aunt of Thomas Loker and Levina (Loker) Richardson. He too was taken prisoner by the British. Not mentioned in the article were Mordecai Jones and James Biscoe who were taken prisoner and later released. Both men were at least 60 years old at this time. “We are so harassed in St. Mary’s that very few have time or inclination to give long and detailed statements of the conduct of the enemy, or it would probably have been done by some long ago. I should scarcely have troubled myself to send you this hasty sketch of their conduct, had I not seen the attempts to impose on the public and been furnished with the memorandums herein inserted, which are here all well known to be incorrect. Our friendly enemies just pay enough to give those who are well inclined to the British interest an opportunity of imposing upon a number of the credulous a belief that they pay for everything.”

Wanderings of an

Aimless

Shoveler for Hire By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer I tried to find out how many calories are burned when you shovel snow, or when you are cleaning the top of your mom-mobile off, so I typed that in Google. What I found was a really neat site called Fitday.com. Once you log into this free site, you can track everything from calories, activities, metabolism, moods, and weight goal. I think I like it better than my-calorie-count.com. When you answer Fitday’s drop-down mood questions you get a large yellow smiley face visual with an expression that matches how you feel. It even has little worry lines on the forehead – I guess I must have answered the stress question a little high. According to the calories burned activity chart, 300 calories are burned per hour shoveling snow. I thought it would have been more. I was hoping it would have been more. It’s probably even less for me, since I shovel some snow, then either do something else outside or go in for awhile. Well, I had to stir the chili occasionally, and drink hot chocolate, and check Facebook. You get the idea. I wonder how many calories are burned when you are on Facebook? My-calorie-count calorie tracker tells me I have to reduce my calorie intake by 500 calories per day in order to lose 1 pound per week. How hard could that be? When you are snowed in for a few days like many of us were last weekend – it can be an impossible task. I am not a snacker, but I was hitting the cheese bin in the fridge a few times. I’ve found out that cheese is a huge diet no no. Well, just go ahead and put a sword through my heart now. I am also having trouble customizing my food choices. I like weird foods like pork and beans on one slice of buttered bread (yes, it’s whole wheat now), or white American singles on pumpernickel bread. My

Min

new favorite is the home-baked Black forest rye bread at McKays. Ritz crackers with peanut butter or tuna are other staples. These are all lunchtime favorites for me. But try to look up pumpernickel bread for your food choice and nothing comes up. Even searching for bread gives you 15 pages of items with bread in the title (like bread and butter pickles) or as an ingredient. The stress of searching causes me to give up and go have another slice of pumpernickel. These sites are driving me to eat more! With Valentine’s Day this Sunday, I need to start planning ahead. We have a gift certificate, from a kind and generous couple, to the Café des Artistes in Leonardtown and that means wonderful, rich, French food. Oh, I know I could choose a salad for dinner, but that’s not going to happen. I want to be realistic. As of this writing, I hear we are in for at least anywhere from 6 to 18 more inches of snow by mid-week (depending which channel you listen to). I am estimating I will have to shovel snow between 50 to 75 hours to cover any cabin fever snacking and the Café des Artistes meal. I should be able to cover that with both home and work shoveling to do over an extended time. If for some magic reason the sun melts the snow at work or here, then I am announcing now that I will be available for hire to shovel out your shady sidewalks and drives. Since I shovel for 20 minutes, then take my two hour break, and can only shovel from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, only on Mondays (according to the snow shoveler for hire labor law guide}, I can guarantee you I will have you shoveled out by…let’s see… February, 2015. Please e-mail me to get your reservation. Call soon, I hear my husband in the other room sighing, moaning, and manly whining, “NOOOO, more snow – another 18 inches! Heeeeelp, Bahamas take me away!” To each new day’s adventure, Shelby Please send comments or ideas to: shelbys. wanderings@yahoo.com.

The County Times

Thursday, February 11 • Dave Norris DB McMillan’s (California) – 6 p.m. • Larry O’Brien’s Band Ruddy Duck Brewery (Solomons) – 7 p.m. • DJ McNa$ty Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) – 8 p.m.

Friday, February 12

• Below Rock Bottom Brewski’s Tavern (Loveville) – 9 p.m. • Bent Nickel (Sweetheart Dance) OCI Pub (Piney Point) – 9 p.m. • Crossfire Goose Landing (Benedict) – 9 p.m.

• Dave Norris DB McMillan’s (California) – 6 p.m. • Patty & Carl Ruddy Duck Brewery (Solomons) – 7 p.m.

• Hate the Toy Blue Dog Saloon (Port Tobacco) – 9 p.m.

• DJ Chris Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) – 8 p.m.

• Karaoke with DJ Tommy T and DJ T Applebee’s (California) – 9 p.m.

• Karaoke Quade’s Store (Bushwood) – 8 p.m.

• Legend Memores (Waldorf) – 9 p.m.

• Karaoke VFW Post 2632 (California) – 8 p.m.

• Sam Grow Hotel Charles (Hughesville) – 9 p.m.

• Smith-Tucker Band Mechanicsville Moose Lodge – 8 p.m.

• Vs. The Earth Hotel Charles (Hughesville) – 9 p.m.

• Pre-Valentine’s Cabaret Secret’s Lounge (Indian Head) – 9 p.m.

• Yesterday’s Child Apehanger’s Bar (Bel Alton) – 9 p.m.

• ShallowDeep Hula’s Bungalow (California) – 9 p.m.

• Six Gun South Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) – 9:30 p.m.

• Wolf’s Music Blues Jam Murphy’s Pub (Bryans Road) – 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 13 • Fair Warning Irish Pub Band DB McMillan’s (California) – 6 p.m. • Benjamin Connelly Ruddy Duck Brewery (Solomons) – 7 p.m. • Southern Winds Band Am. Legion Post 206 (Chesapeake Beach) – 7 p.m. • Country Memories Band Elks Lodge No. 2620 (Prince Frederick) – 8 p.m. • Smith-Tucker Band Am. Legion Post 131 (Colmar Manor) – 8 p.m. • Roadhouse Band Lone Star Café (Indian Head) – 8 p.m. • Three Sixty VFW Post 10081 (Bel Alton) – 8 p.m.

Sunday, February 14 • California Ramblers Bluegrass Band Toot’s Bar (Hollywood) – 3 p.m.

Monday, February 15 • Mason Sebastian DB McMillan’s (California) – 5 p.m.

Tuesday, February 16 • Fair Warning Irish Pub Band DB McMillan’s (California) – 6 p.m.

Wednesday, February 17 • Captain John DB McMillan’s (California) – 5:30 p.m. • Karaoke with DJ Harry Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) – 7 p.m. • Wolf’s Open Blues Jam Beach Cove Restaurant (Chesapeake Beach) – 8 p.m. ALL EVENTS MAY CHANGE DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. CALL VENUES TO CONFIRM.

n O g n i Go

For family and community events, see our calendar in the community section on page 22.

What’s

The County Times is always looking for more local talent to feature! To submit art or entertainment announcements, or band information for our entertainment section, e-mail andreashiell@countytimes.net.

• 25th Hour Band Fat Boys Country Store (Leonardtown) – 8:30 p.m.

• The EDs (Acoustic Miles from Clever) Cryer’s Back Road Inn (Leonardtown) – 9 p.m.

• The Craze Drift Away Bar & Grill (Cobb Island) – 9:30 p.m.

Friday, February 12, 2010

In Entertainment

Higher Ed Center Bringing the World to St. Mary’s

Film Festival Will Feature Foreign Hits By Andrea Shiell Staff Writer Of all the perks of living in St. Mary’s County, foreign films don’t tend to top the list. It may be for that reason that Dr. Mel Powell, Executive Director for the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, is excited that the center will be hosting a foreign film festival that’s sure to open eyes and ears to other corners of the globe. This is the first time that the “Bridges to the World” foreign film festival has come to St Mary’s County, but Powell said he is certain it won’t be the last. “They had a festival last year, and they had it at four institutions … and this year they added Southern Maryland,” he said, explaining that the center’s success in presenting the Sister-State Art Show, which featured landscape artists from Maryland, may have been the reason for its selection. As the center turns its attention to film, Powell admitted he had not seen any of the five films that would be screened, but all have received critical praise. “I think they were looking for high quality films … two of the films had been nominated for Oscars for Best Foreign Language Films,” said Powell. “In fact, one of them (December Heat, a film from Estonia) has been nominated for 2010 … and the leading actress from the Korean film (My Dear Enemy) won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.” The festival, which is a statewide initiative intended to recognize global influences in art and film, originated at the International Division of Maryland’s Office of the Secretary of State, and will be operating this year in conjunction with the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, Frostburg University, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Salisbury University and Towson University, which are all inviting the public to attend free screenings of five international films, one each from Russia, Korea, Argentina, Estonia and Nigeria. The films were chosen by the embassies of the respective countries, and each film will be introduced, screened, and followed by a discussion. The series is scheduled to run for five weeks, on Wednesday Evenings, from February 10 through March 10 at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center in the Center Hall, Building II, and Presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. All films will be shown with English subtitles. The schedule is as follows: • Feb. 10: “The Island” (Russia). This “fictional biography” about a 20th Century Eastern Orthodox monk was selected as Best Russian Picture of the year in 2006. • Feb. 17: “My Dear Enemy” (Korea). This character comedy garnered a best actress award for actress Jeon Do-yeon at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

• Feb. 24: “Son of the Bride” (Argentina). This comedy-drama about the trials and triumphs of family life was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Langauge Film in 2002. • March 3: “December Heat” (Estonia). This powerful war drama was submitted for the 2010 Nomination for an Academy Award for Best Foreign film. • March 10: “Royal Messengers” (Nigeria). This 2007 “Nollywood” comedy about a king with 21 daughters and no heir to his throne serves as an example of the second-fastest growing film industry in the world. Tickets are not required for these free screenings; however seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis. Inclement weather may change the viewing schedule, so people are advised to call and confirm screenings. For more information on the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center call 301-737-2500 or go to www.smhec.org.

Email events to andreashiell@ countytimes.net. Deadline for submissions is Monday at 5 p.m.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Business

The County Times

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

HEALTHCARE POSITION

Rn, lPn, C.n.a., C.n.a. with Medication. MBON license, CPR/First Aid Required. Work private duty nursing (One on One)

also needed: - Teachers Aide

(work with children with autism)

- Care Manager

(4 years college, scheduling, client care)

Call 301-386-7888 • Fax resume to 301-386-8877 Website: www.ICMLargo.com

Law Offices of

P.A. Hotchkiss & Associates Since 1987

WHERE YOUR LEGAL MATTER-MATTERS

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

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

(301) 997-8271

Serving the Southern Maryland Area Accepting All Major Credit Cards Off of Chancellors Run Rd 22325 Greenview Parkway Unit C Great Mills, MD 20634 Tel (301) 863-6012

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

PC Repair Fee: $79-$99 Residential Only

New “Business Client” Special!

No hourly Labor charge! Contact us for more details!

www.tsbtechnologies.com

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

“When your journey from a dream to a great story includes us, you travel better.”

Our promise to you.

Independently Owned and Operated by Traveltours of Maryland

www.travelleaders.com/greatmillsmd

301-737-0777 Heating & Air Conditioning “THE HEAT PUMP PEOPLE” 30457 Potomac Way Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 Phone: 301-884-5011

Est. 1982

snheatingac.com

Lic #12999

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

Fairfield Inn by Marriot Lexington Park • Patuxent Naval Station

Newly Renovated

301-866-0777

Pub & Grill 23415 Three Notch Road California Maryland

www.dbmcmillans.com

33 Days Till St. Patrick’s Day Entertainment All Day

• Cable LCD TV’s with 20 HD channels, in-room hair dryer, iron, ironing board and coffee makers • Complimentary High Speed Internet Access This hotel has a smoke-free policy

• Spacious guest rooms with a well-lit work desk and a microwave and refrigerator. • Book 10-25 hotel rooms online, anytime quickly and easily with QuickGroup • Book 10 or more rooms at this hotel for a group discount

Operated under a license agreement from Marriot International, Inc. 22119 Three Notch Road • Lexington Park, MD 20653 Telephone (301) 863 0203 • Facsimile (301) 863 2113

Marriot.com/WASLP

Deadlines for Classifieds are Tuesday at 12 pm. To Place a Classified Ad, please email your ad to: classifieds@countytimes.net or Call: 301-373-4125 or Fax: 301-373-4128 for a price quote. Office hours are: Monday thru Friday 8am - 4pm. The County Times is published each Thursday.

Classifieds Real Estate Cozy cabin in the woods, ideal for individual, couple or small family. Lot size is 1.5 wooded acres with adjacent 1.5 acre lot conveying with sale. Situated on quiet cul-de-sac, with winter water view. Washer, dryer, electric baseboard and woodstove heat. Recent carpeting and vinyl flooring. Cathedral ceilings throughout. Shaded screened porch, with ceiling fan, and sunroom. Storage shed. Plenty of room to add on Numerous gardening and landscaping possibilities for someone with a green thumb Community access to two beautiful Bay beaches and large lake. Call 410-394-6735 or 10-610-7825 to schedule an appointment to view the property. Ask for Tony. Price: $129,000. Land for sale. Located Downtown Leonardtown. Commercial Pad Site approved for mix use. Acceptable uses to include office, rental, restaurant, residential. Approved for 2,160 sq ft. Call Kim Guy to preview @ (301)475-6752. Price: $325,000.

Real Estate Rentals Newly Built Pristine Garden Style Luxury Condominum, just 1.5 miles from NAS Patuxent River: 2 bedroom 2 bath, with livin office, living room, dinning room, balcony, Master suite and bath w/jacuzzi, upgradded padded carpet, gated community, wheel chair accessable, security access, elevator access, Underground Garage Parking, gym, swimming pool, tennis court, jogging trails, community center, tot lot. Located at the Catles of West Meath. Contact Me at 267 614 1345 after 6 PM for questions and Showing. Serious Renters Only. Price: $1225 OBO.

Help Wanted Mary’s Place is looking for an experienced short order cook and waitress/bartender. Mid-shifts and weekend mornings (breakfast) available. Apply in person at Mary’s Place - 40845 Merchant’s Ln. Leonardtown in the Shops at Breton Bay (Next to McKay’s Grocery) Medical Receptionist needed P/T for extremely busy medical practice. Applicants must be extremely well organized with ability to multi-task. Excellant customer service skills is a MUST! Previous medical experience preferred. Job duties include computerized scheduling, referrals, collecting copays, discussing accounts all while maintaining a pleasant disposition. Starting at 20 hours/week which may lead into full time. Please fax resume to Practice Manager (301)870-9722. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

Vehicles 1989 Nissan 240sx. Automatic, $1500 or best offer. If interested, please call 240-925-9717. 1998 Toyota Tacoma. Brand New Tires. New paint job black to sliver fade lots of new parts. Lots of after markets. To request pictures or for info call or email 240-298-9560 cspalding@ hvfd7.com. Price: $5700 OBO.

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

The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

ner

KiddKioer

CLUES ACROSS

1. Ancient queen of the gods 5. Employee stock ownership plan 9. Indian shot plant 14. Expression of pity 15. Bog down 16. Central China city 17. Mountain unicycling, (abbr.) 18. Nine banded armadillo 19. Metrical feet 20. The genie’s lair 23. Acquire by one’s efforts 24. Before 25. Popular beverage 26. Most benighted 31. Steeples 35. A navy serviceman 36. Ctenophores lacking tentacles 37. Coffee shop 38. Parts of a garlic bulb 41. Small and delicate 43. Tool to measure thickness 45. Hog 46. Primate 47. Point where something begins 49. Patio cooker

22. Belongs to Coach Parsegian 27. Minn. Camp ____ Yapi 28. Ardor 29. Lacking hardness 30. A card having three spots 31. Civil rights college organization 32. Botswana monetary unit 33. A object worshipped as a god 34. Nora Jones’ father 39. Uniform shoulder ornament 40. Follows Aug. 41. Type of igneous rock 42. Highly excited 44. Draw up a text 45. Particle with positive charge 48. Water chestnut genus 49. Acorn descendants 50. Sole 51. Monetary unit in Peru 52. Burden 53. Emit coherent radiation 54. Of she 55. ___cado: alligator pear 56. Arrived extinct

54. Ocean zone below 6000 meters 57. Opposed to 58. Dwarf buffalo genus 59. Call forth 60. Coagulate 61. School organizations 62. Cook with dry heat 63. No. English river 64. Military assistant

CLUES DOWN

1. Biblical Hamath 2. 12th Jewish month 3. Bullfrog genus 4. Actor’s line to the audience 5. Emperors rule them 6. Earth color pigment 7. Spheres 8. Rang 9. Daughter of Typhon 10. As fast as can be done, (abbr.) 11. Matchstick game 12. Take hold of 13. Black tropical American cuckoo 21. mm/dd/yy

Last Week’s Puzzles Solutions U

R C

A B

The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

A View From The

BleaChers

02/12-02/17/10 Fri., Feb. 12 Boys’ Basketball Huntingtown vs. Great Mills, 7:30 p.m. DeMatha at St. Mary’s Ryken, 7:30 p.m. Girls’ Basketball Great Mills at Huntingtown, 6:30 p.m. St. Mary’s Ryken at Elizabeth Seton, 7 p.m. Wrestling St. Mary’s Ryken at St. Albans

Sat., Feb. 13 Swimming Southern Maryland Athletic Conference championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, 8 a.m.

Ice Hockey St. Mary’s Ryken 3, DeMatha 3 (tie) Thurs., Feb. 4 Boys’ Basketball Lackey 78, Great Mills 75 (overtime) St. Mary’s Ryken 92, SEED 58 Girls’ Basketball Great Mills 44, Lackey 21 St. Mary’s Ryken 56, Archbishop Carroll 55

hardly a Boring re-run

Wrestling St. Mary’s Ryken at St. Albans

Tues., Feb. 16 Boys’ Basketball Patuxent at Chopticon, 7 p.m. Girls’ Basketball Chopticon at Patuxent, 6:30 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 17 Boys’ Basketball Great Mills at Urbana, 6:30 p.m. La Plata at Leonardtown, 7 p.m. St. Mary’s Ryken at Gonzaga, 7:30 p.m. Girls’ Basketball Leonardtown at La Plata, 6:30 p.m. Holy Cross at St. Mary’s Ryken, 7 p.m.

Boys’ Swimming Chopticon 181, Westlake 87 Chopticon 165, Lackey 105 Girls’ Swimming Chopticon 159, Westlake 109 Chopticon 165, Lackey 114 Wrestling La Plata 80, Great Mills 0

ryken Boys Clobber seeD LEONARDTOWN – Junior guard De’Von Barnett led six St. Mary’s Ryken players in double figures with 16 points as the Knights cruised to a 92-58 non-conference victory over the SEED school Thursday afternoon. Ryken (13-7 overall) got 14 points from Treveon Graham, 12 from Josh Turner, 11 from Deon Andrews and 10 each from Elijah Matthews and Lazar Petrov. Danny Washington led SEED (9-6) and all scorers with 24 points.

By Ronald N. Guy Jr. Contributing Writer In one way, every season is the same. There’s pre-season anticipation, the methodical swell of excitement through the regular season, the increasing intensity of the playoffs and in the final act, a must see, pulse pounding, legend-building championship; and then, a resounding thud. The lights come on, the music stops and everyone is thanked for coming and wished a safe trip home. That’s a difficult scenario for any real fan of the game to deal with. It hurts. It creates a void. And the post-Superbowl week is the worst of all sporting ends. The NFL has a fabulous factor lacking in all other sports. There is nothing as spectacular or nationally captivating, and no sport leaves us wanting more – the rule of any good entertainment – like the NFL. Deny it as we might, we know the end is coming. And this past Sunday night, it did. The mistress, with whom I shared so many wonderful Sunday’s this fall, dumped me…again. Instead of wallowing in self-pity like some jilted lover, this year I decided to accept the inevitable end. To ease my landing, I watched some of the old Superbowl re-runs on the NFL Network last week. Yes, it was awkwardly similar to watching videos of good times past with a soon-to-be ex, but it helped. I also stumbled on something that shook me a bit. You remember Superbowl XLII. The undefeated New England Patriots seemed poised to join the ’72 Dolphins as the NFL’s only undefeated teams in the Superbowl era. Instead, the red-hot New York Giants pulled a stunning upset in an instant classic. The game was mostly a defensive struggle with the Patriots taking a 7-3 lead into the fourth quarter. Then the fireworks began. After a Giants touchdown, Tom

Northern soccer league registration Ongoing The St. Mary’s Northern Soccer League is currently conducting walk-in and mail-in registrations. Walk-In registrations will be held on February 6th, 13th, and 20th at both the Mechanicsville Firehouse and Leonardtown Library, between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Mail completed form(s) and check made payable to “Northern Soccer League” to the following address: Northern Soccer League Attn: Player Registration PO Box 1063 Mechanicsville, MD 20659 Late registrations will end on February 28, a late fee must be included in payment for any forms postmarked between February 21st and February 28th. Late fee is $25 per family. The cost of registrations are as follows: $50 1st child, $30 2nd child, $30 3rd child, and $20 for each additional. RECPLUS cost is $60 and family discount is still applied for multiple registrations.

Brady hit Randy Moss for a touchdown and a 14-10 Patriots lead with under THREE minutes remaining. It looked like the winning drive to clinch the game and Brady’s fourth ring. But the Giants had one last possession and after a miracle, pin the ball on the top of your head catch by David Tyree and a touchdown reception by Plaxico Burress, the confetti, Gatorade and champagne showered down upon the Giants. As great of a game as it was, watching it two years later was humbling. In that “super” moment, the Giants and Patriots had collectively reached the pinnacle of their professions. Giants quarterback Eli Manning was “Peyton’s little brother” no more, Tyree became a Super Bowl legend and Burress had the career stamp of a championship winning play. As much as the game was a testament to how joyous life can be, in hindsight, it was also overwhelming evidence that life deals us all sorts of hands we have to play (or just make the most of). Since reaching their Super Bowl perch, Patriots Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau and Teddy Bruschi and Giants Michael Strahan and Amani Toomer have retired. Brady blew out his knee in the first game the following year and missed the rest of the 2008 season; Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker did the same in

the regular season finale this season. Tyree’s Super Bowl moment proved fleeting: the Giants released him shortly thereafter. Burress is now in prison after possessing a handgun and accidentally shooting himself in a New York nightclub. And then-Patriots wide receiver Dante Stallworth has served jail time and was suspended for a season by the NFL after he hit and killed a pedestrian while under the influence of alcohol. My, how quickly life can change. In just two years these NFL stars have experienced the inevitable (retirement) and the unfortunate (injuries), and were party to unlawful (Burress) and tragic (Stallworth) incidents. Collectively, they stand witness to the wonderful but finite periods in our lives (such as parenting our young children), the constant presence of the unexpected and the consequences of poor decisions. A re-run rarely leaves one with a renewed commitment to being a responsible person, enjoying one’s “Super Bowl” moments and navigating through unfortunate circumstances; but for me, this one did. And I thought I was just tuning in to an encore presentation of a football game. Send comments to rguyjoon@yahoo.com.

The County Times

Martin Goes To The Mount

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

For St. Mary’s Ryken senior midfielder Peter Martin, the opportunity to play his college lacrosse at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmittsburg, MD was a honor and a commitment he was willing to make, as he signed his letter of intent last month. “I was very excited because this is the school I wanted to go to,” said Martin, who also has played football and ice hockey at Ryken. “It’s going to be a family thing.” Martin, who also was considering Dartmouth, New England College, Susquehanna and Randolph-Macon felt that he would best fit in with Mount St. Mary’s because of the Photo By Chris Stevens school’s NCAA Division I Peter Martin signs to play lacrosse at MOUNT St. Mary’s University, while his mom Katie, and dad status, something he feels Pat look on. will make him a better athMountaineers are getting a hard worker with the drive – and lete and an asset to the Mountaineers. skill level - to succeed in college lacrosse. “We all know how to play, so we’ll have the same intensi“I think they’re going to get a very good player,” he said ty,” he explains. “Everybody at D-I is going to be just as good, confidently. “I’m going to go there and play my hardest.” so it’s going to help me play better.” Martin, who plans to major in mathematics, believes the chrisstevens@countytimes.net

Saint-Aubin Unanimously Selected as SMC Athlete Of The Month

St. Mary’s City, Md. – Stephanie Saint-Aubin (Bowie, Saint-Aubin tallied a career-high 30 points on 9-of-15 Md./Elizabeth Seton) of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland shooting along with making 12-of-16 free throw attempts in women’s basketball team was unanimously selected by the the Seahawks’ 65-63 win at Stevenson University on January Department of Athletics and Recreation as the January Ath- 30, earning Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Week lete of the Month. honors earlier in the week. She hauled in a game-best 12 reThe 5-5 senior guard helped the Seahawks (6-13, 5-6 bounds while adding six steals. CAC) to a 4-6 record in January, including a 4-4 mark in conSaint-Aubin is currently tied for first with Gallaudet’s ference action. St. Mary’s also put together its longest win Easter Faafiti in the conference with 17.7 points per game (48th streak of the season with three consecutive victories over in Division III). She is also second in steals (3.1 spg), third in league opponents, Gallaudet University, York (Pa.) College field goal percentage (.506), fifth in rebounding (8.8 rpg), and and Hood College. eighth in free throw percentage (.702). Saint-Aubin averaged 17.0 points and 8.9 rebounds in 35.0 minutes per game. She shot 57.0% (61-of-107) from the floor as well as 69.6% (48-of-69) from the free throw line. SaintAubin also averaged 3.2 steals and 1.6 assists while recording four double-doubles. She eclipsed 1,000 career points on January 3 with a gameRegistration for the St. Mary’s County Babe Ruth/Cal Ripbest 17 points as Saint-Aubin has now amassed 1,144 points ken Baseball League (ages 7 to 18) will be held at the Mechanicthus far with five games remaining in the regular season. sville, Leonardtown and 7th District Firehouses from 10:00 am to Noon on Saturday February 13, 20 and 27. Registration will also be held at the Mechanicsville Firehouse from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm on Wednesday, February 17 and February 24. For more information, please visit our website at http://smbrl.baberuthonline.com

Babe Ruth Baseball Registration Ongoing

Griffin Earns Conference Player of the Week Honors

York, Pa. – For the fourth time this season, Camontae Griffin (Baltimore, Md./Dunbar) was selected as the Capital Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week as Griffin picked up the honor for the week ending February 7 as announced by league commissioner, Tom Byrnes, Monday afternoon. Griffin guided the No. 20 Seahawks (17-3, 9-2 CAC) in their only game of the week to a 91-82 overtime victory at Christopher Newport University as the 5-9 senior guard poured in a game-high 34 points. He drained 19-of-21 from the free throw line, including all 12 in the first half, and added four boards, two thefts and two assists.

Gretton Goalkeeping Indoor Futsal Clinic Series Gretton Goalkeeping will conduct weekly indoor futsal training sessions for all ages and skill levels Monday and Wednesday each week at Park Hall Elementary School from 7:30-8:30pm. Field player training is also available. Reservations are required. For more information or to reserve your spot please email grettongoalkeeping@gmail.com or call 301-643-8992.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Somerville Lifts Shorthanded Ryken Girls to Win

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

LEONARDTOWN – Myla Somerville had a little less than eight seconds to get from one end of the court at the end of Thursday’s night’s Washington Catholic Athletic Conference girls’ basketball contest.

Photo By Chris Stevens

Ryken’s Katie McCormick (1) reaches in to knock the ball away from Archbishop Carroll’s Nequoiah Anderson during Ryken’s 56-55 victory Thursday night.

“I saw the court wideopen,” the St. Mary’s Ryken junior guard said after her coast-to-coast lay-up at the buzzer gave the Knights a 56-55 triumph over Archbishop Carroll. “The big Photo By Chris Stevens girl came right and front of Zakiya Chambers-Hunter dribbles me, so I closed my eyes and prayed.” the ball up court. Somerville’s prayer was answered, capping a wild night in which Ryken only had seven players available due to various illnesses. “It’s been rough, I don’t even remember the last time we practiced,” said head coach Tara Everly, alluding to the relentless snowstorms that have pounded the Mid-Atlantic region in recent days. The Lady Lions looked to take full advantage of the Knights’ rust and short bench, and had an overwhelming advantage in the paint, with 6-foot-3 center Dominique Powell leading all scorers with 28 points. Powell also led the Carroll charge on the boards, making life even more difficult for Ryken, who were led by Katie McCormick’s 21 points. “Molly [Grund] is our one true big, but we had to sub her in and out,” Zakiya Chambers-Hunter said. “The guards had to help out rebounding and we’re not used to that.” Still, the Knight starters (Grund, Chambers-Hunter, Bryanna Robinson, McCormick and Somerville) held tough, playing the whole fourth quarter, with Robinson’s free throw at the 2:54 mark of the period giving the Knights (8-9 overall, 3-8 in WCAC play) a 54-53 lead. The score remained the same until Somerville’s wayward inbound pass was recovered by the Lions and Powell promptly scored on a lay-up with 10.5 seconds left to push Carroll back in front by a point. After Carroll forced another turnover, Powell was fouled with 7.4 seconds to go in the game. She missed both foul shots and Somerville ended up with the rebound, setting up the wild finish. “I was just thinking ‘get to the basket by any means necessary,’” Chambers-Hunter said of the dramatic conclusion. “They gave it away and thankfully we were able to pull it out.” For the hero’s part, she was left silent by her game-winning basket. “I didn’t think they would leave [the lane to the basket] that open,” Somerville said. “I’m speechless.” chrisstevens@countytimes.net

The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

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Kiwanis Establishes Trust For Accident Victim

The Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County recently established a charitable Trust Account for the benefit of Great Mills High School student Keegan Laessig. Laessig, in his Junior year, was involved in a serious automobile accident that left him severely injured and in a coma on January 9th. Although his injuries are no longer considered life-threatening, Kiwanis Club President Glynnis Schmidt reports that “he has a long Keegan Laessig road ahead of him as he recovers, including several months of inpatient rehabilitation care. His continued recovery will require substantial family involvement and associated loss of income at a time when financial demands are skyrocketing.” Schmidt explained “Contributions made to the Trust Account will be used exclusively for the benefit of Keegan and his immediate family, to defray unreimbursed expenses such as transportation costs to support his rehabilitation, insurance cost shares and co-payments, and other necessary expenses not Keegan at Navy Lax Camp covered through other means.” Schmidt continued, “Because the Trust Account is managed through the Kiwanis Club, there are no administrative expenses, and that means every penny donated goes to support Keegan and his family.” Laessig is enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy and participates in the Swim and Lacrosse teams, and Key Club which is a service leadership program sponsored by Kiwanis. Schmidt reports, “Keegan has served alongside his mother, a Charter Member of our Kiwanis Club, since he was seven years old and eagerly participated in our ‘Spirits of Point Lookout’ fundraiser, our Annual Health and Safety Fair, and nearly every other event and service project our Club conducted over the last decade. Last year, he became a Charter Member of the newly-formed Key Club at Great Mills High School.” According to Schmidt, the Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County established the Trust Account for Laessig’s benefit, “both as a commitment to our mission of ‘Serving The Children Of The World’, and as recognition for the substantial contributions this family has made to the community during the past decade. We felt that this was a time that the community could give something back to the Laessigs as a Keegan at Navy Lax Camp token of appreciation for everything they have done to help make St. Mary’s County a better place for children.” “On behalf of Keegan and his family, the Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County urges you to help defray these ever-increasing expenses during this family’s demanding challenge” implores Schmidt. Contributions, which may be tax deductible depending on individual circumstances, may be made electronically by visiting www.donationsforkeegan.org, or by check or money order made payable to “St. Mary’s Kiwanis FBO Keegan Laessig” mailed to: Kiwanis Club of St. Mary’s County, PO Box 1470, Lexington Park, MD 20653.

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The County Times

Friday, February 12, 2010

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Knights Hang Tough, but Eliminated by Huntingtown

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer WALDORF – It looked like a totally lopsided match on paper. The St. Mary’s Ryken ice hockey team, in its first playoff appearance, took on Huntingtown High School, an experienced highly skilled group who defeated the Knights 12-3 in November. My, how things change. Even though the Photo By Frank Marquart Knights lost Tuesday night’s MSHL regional playoff St. Mary’s Ryken’s Nathan Blondino falls down while scoring the tying goal game 7-4 at Capital Club- in the second period of Tuesday night’s MSHL regional playoff game. house, they proved that they first period. indeed were a much-improved team with a The Knights held them off for the remainbright future. der of the first and made their move in the sec“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” ond. Junior Matt McGowan got the Knights on said first-year head coach Chris Palombi. the board, sliding a wrist shot under Hurricane “How far we’ve come from that first Hun- goalie Billy Jenkins four minutes and 22 sectingtown to tonight is a tribute to their hard onds into the period. work.” “I noticed the guy defending me was The Knights (7-3-0 in the regular sea- smaller and slower than me,” McGowan exson) scored all four of their goals in the sec- plained. “We picked it up in the second period ond period, frustrating the Hurricanes (8-1-0) and started to get a little confidence.” before tiring out in the third period. After Huntingtown picked up another goal, “We’re a team that doesn’t quit, we’re Munns scored two straight to tie the game at 3, hungry,” said junior winger T.J. Munns, who out-hustling the Huntingtown defense and bescored two goals. “We have some really good ing in the right place at the right time. playmakers and we just didn’t give up.” “That’s what Coach Chris tells us, to go Huntingtown got off to a quick start as get rebounds,” he said. “The first goal, Cody Ben Camilletti and Kirby Kinslow scored [Chase] dumped the puck in the corner like he goals one minute and 13 minutes apart in the was supposed to and I was right there at the

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Huntingtown went back in front 4-3 on a Griffin Baier-Anderson goal, but the Knights tied again just a minute later when freshman Nathan Blondino scored a goal falling down. The Hurricanes scored three goals in the first 7:12 of the third period to put the game away, but Palombi was still pleased with the effort. “I told the guys although I was out there coaching, I felt like a fan as well,” he said.

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St. Mary’s Ryken’s Greg Myers can’t stop this goal by Huntingtown’s Mitchell Fink in the third period of the Knights’ 7-4 loss in the MSHL regional playoffs.

Photo By Frank Marquart

Friday, February 12, 2010

The County Times

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Lackey Rally Stuns Hornet Boys By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

normal game. We tried too hard to build that big lead.” Lackey roared back to take a 61-59 lead on a Greg Gibbs’ three-pointer with one minute left in the fourth quarter. Great Mills tied it

GREAT MILLS – Even in high school basketball, a 20-point lead isn’t the safest margin these days. The Great Mills boys’ basketball team was a victim of the game’s strange bounces, courtesy of Lackey High School pulling out a 78-75 overtime victory Thursday afternoon, after the Hornets led by as many as 20 points early in the third quarter. “I think we got a complacent with our lead,” said head coach Frank Peck. “I thought we played hard, we just didn’t play smart.” The Chargers credited a never-say-die attitude and clutch outside shooting as the reasons for their remarkable comeback. “This is real big, exciting for us,” said Lackey guard Dominic Phillips, who led the Chargers with 19 points – all of them from the third quarter on. “We came in at halftime and thought the game was over, but I just told the guys to Photo By Frank Marquart keep their heads up and we’re Moe Queen of Great Mills better than that.” drives to the basket as Lackey’s It didn’t seem like the Eugene Williams defends. Chargers were better than that, as Great Mills turned when senior forward Basil a 13-5 first quarter deficit Moye scored on a lay-up 15 into a 33-15 halftime advanseconds later and the game taged. The Hornets scored headed for overtime. 28 straight points from the Gibbs sunk two more middle of the first to the end clutch three-point baskets of second quarter, with Lackand Phillips made four of ey’s Durel Whaley breaking eight attempts from the foul Photo By Frank Marquart line to give Lackey just the dry spell on a lay-up just before the halftime buzzer. Great Mills’ Basil Moye controlls a enough cushion to get the Mykel Harris’ jump-shot rebound during Thursday afternoon’s win. Moe Queen’s half court one minute into the third gave boys basketball game against Lackey. attempt just missed for Great the Hornets (9-5 overall, 6-4 Mills at the buzzer. SMAC) a 37-17 advantage. However, the Hor“It’s situational basketball,” Barker said of nets slowly let Lackey back into the game, com- what the Hornets would need to get ready for mitting 28 turnovers and leading to easy shots the regional playoffs, which is the team’s ultifor the Chargers. mate goal. “We just have to finish the games. We “I know I had seven by myself,” said senior should’ve controlled this game.” forward Kamaron Barker, who led Great Mills and all scorers with 21 points. “That’s not my chrisstevens@countytimes.net

Future Looks Bright for Ryken Hockey By Chris Stevens Staff Writer WALDORF – Even though the official season just ended with Tuesday night’s 74 MSHL regional playoff loss, the St. Mary’s Ryken hockey team still has a lot to look forward to as they only graduate three players from this year’s history-making squad. “I think next year definitely looks good,” said head coach Chris Palombi. “It’s going to be tough to fill the void with Matt [Scott], Robert [Munns] and J.D. Webb leaving, but have a lot of talent left here.” Losing Scott and Webb, their primary defensemen, and certified toughness in Robert Munns does affect their younger teammates, but they remain confident about the coming

years. “Three guys are leaving, but we still have some playmakers here,” T.J. Munns says. “Nathan Blondino, Matt McGowan, Daniel Batong have been doing pretty well, and [goaltender] Greg Myers is 80 percent of our defense. When he’s on, he’s unstoppable.” “We’re pretty excited, because we have a lot of freshman and sophomores,” said Matt McGowan. “I think we can do better next year – beat Huntingtown and possibly win a championship.” McGowan and Munns credit Palombi’s knowledge of the game and practice routines for the improvement from three wins in the 2008-09 to seven wins and a playoff appearance this year. “This is a guy who went

to Michigan State – he knows what he’s talking about,” Munns said. “He’s taught us cycles and breakouts in practice and playing a lot of other guys. He knows hockey.” “We respect him so much,” McGowan added. “He knows his stuff. We do a lot of drills in practice instead of standing around.” Palombi meanwhile is already thinking of the years ahead, intent on building the Ryken hockey team into state championship contenders. “This team made a name for themselves this year,” he said. “Now we have to fill the holes with our three seniors leaving and I think this team is going to be around for a long time.” chrisstevens@countytimes.net

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Bank Robbery Suspects Still On The Run

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Foreign Film Festival Starts At Higher Ed Center

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Fighting For a Playoff Win Page 30

Photo By Frank Marquart