Southern Calvert Gazette -- May 13, 2010 by David Noss

Gazette

Southern Calvert

May 2010

Priceless

everything Solomons, Lusby, dowell, and St. Leonard

New Bridge:

Boon or Bust for Local Businesses? PAGE 12

Porn Emails Cost 20 County Staff Pay Story Page 5

Photo By Frank Marquart

Two Local Men Killed in Crashes Story Page 6

Block Party Highlights Local Businesses

Story Page 14

… s r e w o r G e p a … r y r G e l n a i c o W r a l u c a t c Fifteen L e One Sp

Taste for Yourself

Grand Opening - May 21, 2010 Ribbon Cutting and Toast 2:00 p.m. Special Activities all weekend!

23190 Newtowne Neck Road • Leonardtown, MD Tasting Room Open Wednesday-Sunday Noon- 6:00 p.m.

www.portofleonardtown.com http://twitter.com/PortofLtownWine http://www.facebook.com/pages/Port-of-Leonardtown-Winery/108408175848012

Thursday, May-2010

www.visitstmarysmd.com

On T he Cover

Business owners received an update recently from the State Highway Administration on progress in planning for a replacement Thomas Johnson Bridge.

local news

J. Raymond “Ray” Lankford, center, a member of the Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department for 54 years, accepts a $1,000 donation from the Tiki Bar. SEE PAGE 5

Eating fresh and eating local will be easier than ever this year at four Calvert County farmers markets. SEE PAGE 7

out & about

FOR EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA, CHECK PAGE 20 IN OUT AND ABOUT

land s I s n o Solom eport Tide R

community

Visitors to Solomons Paint the Town will encounter artists set up all over the Solomons community painting outdoor scenes. SEE PAGE 8.

May 14 -16 2010

Day

F 14 14 14 14

High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time /Low Time Feet Sunset Visibl High Low High Low

% Moon 0

Sa 15 High 3:25 AM 2.1 5:55 AM Rise 6:50 AM 15 Low 10:53 AM 0.4 8:10 PM Set 10:18 PM 15 High 3:55 PM 1.2 15 Low 9:17 PM 0.3

Su 16 High 4:09 AM 2.1 5:54 AM Rise 7:49 AM 16 Low 11:37 AM 0.4 8:11 PM Set 11:13 PM 16 High 4:44 PM 1.3 16 Low 10:09 PM 0.4

Day

High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time /Low Time Feet Sunset Visibl

Local News

Community

Education

Letters

Cover Story

Locals

Obituaries

History

On the Water

Business Directory

Sports

Out & About

Entertainment

Pet Page

Olde Towne Insurance and Erie Insurance can show you how Service, Value, Trust

2:44 AM 2.1 5:55 AM Rise 5:58 AM 10:09 AM 0.4 8:09 PM Set 9:16 PM 3:07 PM 1.2 8:30 PM 0.3

May 21-23 2010

Also Inside

We deliver that - and then some. Savings up to 30%* when you place your home, auto and life coverage with us. Benefits like first accident forgiveness and the expert advice of a trusted agent. Call us today.

% Moon

F 21 Low 2:52 AM 0.5 5:50 AM Set 1:46 AM 21 High 8:41 AM 1.7 8:15 PM Rise 1:40 PM 21 Low 3:27 PM 0.3 21 High 9:34 PM 1.8

Sa 22 Low 4:11 AM 0.5 5:49 AM Set 2:16 AM 22 High 9:39 AM 1.5 8:16 PM Rise 2:49 PM 22 Low 4:12 PM 0.3 22 High 10:36 PM 1.9

Olde Towne Insurance Downtown Leonardtown 301-475-3151 LaPlata 301-934-8437 Bryans Road 301-743-9000 oldetowneinsurance.com danburris@danburris.com

Su 23 Low 5:26 AM 0.5 5:49 AM Set 2:45 AM 71 23 High 10:37 AM 1.4 8:17 PM Rise 3:58 PM 23 Low 4:56 PM 0.3 23 High 11:35 PM 2.0

*Savings vary by state and policyholder. Life insurance not available for New York State.

Thursday, May-2010

LOCAL NEWS Nuclear Regulator Issues Environmental Approval For Third Reactor The Nuclear Regulatory Commission based in Rockville has issued a draft environmental impact study that recommends allowing UniStar Nuclear Energy to receive a portion of its license to proceed with building a third nuclear reactor in Calvert County. The study, issued in mid April, was the result of nearly two years of environmental research into the impacts that the third reactor would bring to the Calvert Cliffs plant, according to UniStar, which is a joint venture between Constellation Energy and Électricité de France. The draft report is now up for public comment and will be discussed by officials from the regulatory commission with the public May 25 at the Holiday Inn on Solomons Island. The full public comment period will be open for 75 days. Public comments will be part of the final impact study that UniStar states they expect to have by the end of the year.

“This is a significant milestone in our licensing efforts for the… project and another step towards meeting the region’s energy needs through secure, reliable, carbonfree electricity generation,” said George Va n d e r h e y den, CEO of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant UniStar. Public ofas 4,000 temporary construction ficials on both sides of the Patuxent River have jobs to the region. “This is very significant, voiced their support for the third reactor. The immediate infu- and is another example of steady sion of $130 million in business progress towards bringing closer related tax dollars into the state to reality the project to build a government was viewed as an in- third reactor at Calvert Cliffs,” centive by elected officials, while said Delegate Anthony O’Donnell the project is set to bring as many (R. Dist. 29C).

Unique Gourmet Food, Unlimited Business Potential

$5 OFF 1st order over $50 For New Customers Only

Book Party by June 30th, 2010 and receive a FREE Dessert Susan Culbert Independent Consultant ID # 0057790 Cell: 240.286.7714 sculbert@comcast.net

www.tastefullysimple.com/web/sculbert

Thursday, May-2010

Photo By Frank Marquart

But UniStar, which is comprised of a French corporation and regionally- based Constellation Energy, is still waiting for the federal government to commit to a guaranteed loan to help finance the project, which could as much as $10 billion to build. “It’s an important part of

moving the project forward,” said Kelly Biemer, a spokeswoman for UniStar. “We remain hopeful that we will be a candidate to receive a conditional commitment from the Department of Energy for a loan guarantee.” By Guy Leonard (CT) info@somdpublishing.net

LOCAL NEWS

Pornographic Emails Cost 20 County Employees Pay, Leave

Tiki Giving Back

J. Raymond “Ray” Lankford, center, a member of the Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department for 54 years, accepts a $1,000 donation from the Tiki Bar. Co-owner Terry Clarke, right, and General Manager Joe Kurley are shown handing the ceremonial check to Lankford, who is a past president of the department, and current fundraising chairman. This is the fifth year the Tiki Bar has donated a $1,000 to Lankford and the department, in exchange for parking an ambulance in the back lot during the bar’s annual opening day.

Porto Treatment Center Receives SBA Loan The Carol M. Porto Treatment Center, formerly the Calvert County Treatment Facility, recently purchased their new building in Prince Frederick with assistance of Small Business Administration (SBA) loan funding. Carol Porto and her business-manager sister, Barbara Bowman, have been receiving business counseling since 2006 from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Calvert County Department of Economic Development. This resource team encouraged them to purchase the building they had been renting in order to decrease costs. The owners of the building, Anthony and Tony Williams, worked with Porto and Bowman to devise a purchase plan and produce the documents necessary to secure the loan. The 14,400-square-foot building has 48 patient beds and is appraised at $2.5 million. The funding for purchase included an SBA 504 loan. After the buyers put up 15 percent in cash equity, Community Bank of Tri-County provided the acquisition loan upon the condition of the SBA 504 second mortgage loan. In this structure, Community Bank financed 50 percent of the transaction total while the SBA 504 loan from Chesapeake Business Finance was 35 percent of the transaction total. The interest rate on the SBA 504 loans is tied to 20-year U.S. Treasury Bonds sold at periodic federal auctions, so in today’s low-rate market, the interest rates are very good, a press release states.

In addition to purchasing the building, Porto and Bowman were also encouraged by the SBDC to improve cash flow by enhancing and expanding services. In response, a certified outpatient program was added, plus programs for pain pill addiction and gambling. The newest program is the Porto Recovery House which offers low-cost assistance for those who have had treatment, are actively recovering through Alcoholics Anonymous and/or Narcotics Anonymous, and need a safe environment in which to build on their recovery. “We have had so many blessings in the three years since we moved from the county’s Barstow site,” said Porto. “Not only have we had broad community support and expert business counseling but we also have the faith-based community

on our side. More local churches have become involved to the point where we are prepared to begin offering religiousbased, as well as secular treatment.” Since 1985, the Carol M. Porto Treatment Center has provided substance abuse treatment to thousands of individuals and their families in Southern Maryland. The program has never operated for profit and currently has 35 staff members treating 150 patients. In June 2009, the Small Business Development Center selected the center as Small Business of the Year at the Leading Edge Awards ceremony. The Carol M. Porto Treatment Center is located at 125 Fairground Road in Prince Frederick. For more information see www.portotreatment.com or call 877-535-8930.

Bridge Repair Will Cause Delays On Thursday, May 13, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) will perform routine maintenance on the Thomas Johnson Bridge over the Patuxent River. Beginning at 9 p.m. SHA crews will establish a flagging operation on the bridge to allow for the work. Motorists should expect delays when crossing the bridge during the overnight hours. Work is expected to be completed by 5 a.m. Friday, May 14. The one-night repair of a metal expansion joint by SHA crews is a routine,

maintenance-related item, a press release states. In addition to biennial inspections of the entire bridge structure, SHA conducts regular monitoring of the bridge deck (riding surface) and performs maintenance, repairs and upgrades to the deck as appropriate. Constructed in 1977, the Thomas Johnson Bridge carries Route 4 traffic between Calvert County and St. Mary’s County. On average, more than 25,000 vehicles per day cross the bridge.

Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans confirmed that sexually explicit e-mails found in the county’s e-mail system more than two months ago were forwarded by a dozen of his deputies, and that the discipline they received ranged from being suspended to losing vacation time. “Sometimes things happen without us knowing about it but when we find out about it action is taken to discourage inappropriate behavior,” Evans told The Southern Calvert Gazette, adding that he considered the forwarding of the sexually explicit material a serious violation of agency policy. One deputy, who Evans declined to name, who was the first deputy to forward the inappropriate e-mails to other deputies, received a two-week suspension without pay. The other 11 deputies involved had 40 hours of leave taken from them, he said. Emanuel Demedis, county attorney, said that eight additional county employees were disciplined as a result of forwarding the e-mails, but he declined to say in which departments the illicit emails were found. County Administrator Terry Shannon said that the e-mail was found by information technology specialists trying to get the county’s messaging system working again. “It caused the system to be very slow,” Shannon said, adding that it was a large e-mail file of inappropriate material. County spokesman Mark Volland said that the emails were found in early March and the subsequent investigation led to the employee discipline. County officials would not release information about when the discipline was initiated, sighting county policy regarding confidentiality of personnel information. The eight additional county employees each received one-week suspensions without pay, Shannon said. The incident occurred in one day, she said, and the illicit e-mail originated from outside the county government. Recently the county’s public safety director Robert Brady resigned, but county officials did not say whether his resignation resulted from the investigation over the inappropriate emails. “He just [tendered] his resignation; he didn’t say why,” said County Commissioner Jerry Clark (R-Lusby). By Guy Leonard (CT) info@somdpublishing.net

Thursday, May-2010

LOCAL NEWS St. Leonard Man Killed in Charles Crash On Tuesday, David Michael Krankowski, 20, of St. Leonard, died in a two vehicle accident in Hughesville. Maryland State Police report Krankowski was driving a 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse westbound on Maryland Route 231 and was passing other westbound vehicles in a no passing zone. Krankowski lost control and subsequently collided with an oncoming 2004 Ford Econoline van driven by Dean Allen Justice, 52, of Huntingtown, police say. Justice was transported to Prince George’s Hospital Trauma Center via Trooper 7 with non-life threatening injuries. Krankowski was transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital and was pronounced deceased. The accident is under investigation by the Maryland State Police, La Plata Barrack.

Gun Reported at Patuxent HS, None Found

Women Build

More than 50 volunteers (most of whom were women) spent Saturday working with Patuxent Habitat for Humanity at Chesapeake Ranch Estates on the area’s first-ever Women Build, finishing their framing in record time. Future homeowners Chris and Crystal Jones and their children helped with the building effort, which is to take place on Saturdays for the next 12 to 16 weeks, or until the house is done.

Broomes Island Man Killed in Crash At 6:20 p.m. May 3 the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team responded to Broomes Island Road and Island Creek Lane for a report of a serious motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle. A 2003 Yamaha motorcycle was traveling south on Broomes Island Road when it collided with a 2002 GMC pick-up truck. According the a report on the preliminary investigation, John Alton Stratchko, 21, of Broomes Island, was operating a 2003 Yamaha YZF R6 motorcycle, traveling south on Broomes Island Road. The motorcycle struck the driver’s side cab area of the 2002 GMC pick-up truck as the truck was enter-

ing Broomes Island Road from a private driveway. The pick-up was being operated by Martin Wayne Mister, 53, of Broomes Island. Just prior to colliding with the truck Stratchko was ejected from the motorcycle and continued to travel in the southerly direction until his body struck the driver’s door of the pick-up truck, and the motorcycle came to rest on top of Stratchko, police report. Stratchko was transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room. The cause of death and nature of the injuries sustained by Stratchko is pending the results of the autopsy to be performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. The Crash Reconstruction Team is conducting a complete investigation into the events that led up to the collision and is requesting that any information related to this investigation to be forwarded to Cpl. R. Selkirk at selkirrc@co.cal.md.us or 410-535-2800.

School officials in Calvert County report a call was made to 911 at approximately 2:15 p.m. reporting someone possibly had a gun on the grounds of Patuxent High School in Lusby. Police responded to the school and school officials report that two individuals have been taken into custody off of school grounds. Officials say no gun has been found, but threats were made. Buses at PHS were delayed and students were kept in classrooms until law enforcement declared all clear. School officials say additional support from school staff and law enforcement will be onsite in the coming days to assist in providing a safe environment at Patuxent High School. The Sheriff’s office and the Maryland State Police continue to investigate the incident. Police have not released the names of the suspects.

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

Thursday, May-2010

Seeking All ‘Beautiful’ People The Calvert County Department of Economic Development has begun accepting nominations for the annual “Calvert You Are Beautiful Volunteer Awards.” The Arick L. Lore American Legion Post 274 will hold its This project recognizes individuals whose annual charity Golf Tournament on Friday, June 11. In its 13th volunteer service improves the quality of life for year, the golf tournament is one of the major fundraisers done Calvert County citizens and visitors. by the American Legion each year. Golf tournament chairNominated volunteers might be a tour guide person, Jon Baki, hopes to raise $15,000 this year to assist the at a museum or historic landmark, someone who American Legion with programs and outreach. organizes a local fair, festival or parade, or the “All money raised goes directly into projects that Post person committed to making a difference by giv274 does each year, “Baki said. “Last year the Post supported ing generously of their time to hospices, hospitals, local school programs, Boy Scouts, Charlotte Hall Veterans homeless and other social service agencies. All home and a host of charitable organizations. And we are very nominees must be residents of Calvert County. proud to work with the Wounded Warriors, bringing our vets Nomination forms are available online by visto Solomons to spend a day fishing and then eating what they iting www.ecalvert.com or by calling the Departcaught.” ment of Economic Development at 410.535.4583. The American Legion Post is planning another day on the Completed nomination forms should be returned bay for Wounded Warriors later this year, he said. to “Calvert You Are Beautiful” c/o Tammy LoveThe golf tournament will be held at Chesapeake Hills Golf less, Department of Economic Development, Club, Lusby, on Friday June 11. Sign-in begins at 8 a.m. with a Courthouse, Prince Frederick, Maryland 20678. shotgun start at 9 a.m. The format for the tournament is a capApplications must be postmarked or hand delivtain’s choice best ball. There are refreshments on the course. ered to the Department of Economic DevelopPrizes include first, second and third place teams, closest to ment by July 23, 2010. the pin, and a special prize for the last place team. The men’s All Calvert County nominees will be honlongest drive prize is sponsored by Geoff Ricker, 1st Mariored at a local awards ceremony sponsored by the Board of County Commissioners in fall 2010; one “special” nominee will be chosen as the volunteer of the year. For more information about the Department of Economic Development and services available to assist county businesses, call 800.331.9771 or visit www.ecalvert. com.

Charity Golf Tournament Approaching ner Mortgage; the ladies’ longest drive is sponsored by Patti Stinnett, First Choice Realty. “We are very proud to have Bayside Chevrolet – Toyota sponsoring our hole-in-one contests,” Baki said. “They have been with us since the beginning. Bayside has always been a strong supporter of our veterans. My wife and I would not buy a car any other place!” Immediately following the tournament there will be an awards dinner at the Arick L. Lore American Legion Post 274. The roast beef dinner is sponsored by The Naughty Gull Restaurant and Pub and served by the ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 274. There will also be a silent auction, raffles and door prizes. Cost is $75 per player, singles are welcome. The fee includes greens fees and cart, the awards dinner, and beverages on the course. Get your name out to the golfers! Sponsor a hole on the course for only $50, and you can include information in the “goody bag” given to all golfers. For more information on playing or to sponsor a hole, contact Jon Baki at 410-326-9133, or email at jbaki@comcast.net. Please contact Jon by June 6 to allow for cart and food orders. By Joyce Baki, contributing writer. info@somdpublishing.net

Calvert County Bursting with Farmers Markets

COSMIC Symphony Closes With ‘Beethoven & Bess’ The COSMIC Symphony closes this concert season with “Beethoven & Bess” at 4 p.m. May 16 at Huntingtown High School. This concert includes Beethoven’s 1st Piano Concerto featuring Kirsten Taylor plus selections by the COSMIC Flute Choir, Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess Orchestral Suite and Mambo! from West Side Story. Student art inspired by this concerts pieces will be featured in the lobby. Tickets available at www.cosmicmusic.org, Educate & Celebrate, Sacchetti Music, Maertens Gifts & Jewelry in Calvert and Allegro Music, the Pax River MWR and, Stevens Studio in St. Mary’s. The cost is $10, $8 seniors & students, and $25 per family.

Breezy Point “Blast-Off” Canceled The annual Breezy Point Beach “Blast-Off” event scheduled for May 22 and hosted by the Calvert County Division of Parks and Recreation has been canceled this year due to ongoing construction work associated with upgrades to the Breezy Point campgrounds. The construction work to upgrade campground electric service and plumbing has impacted parking areas at the county-owned facility, hampering the ability to accommodate the crowds usually associated with the annual season-opening event. Breezy Point Beach and Campground remains open to visitors daily from 6 a.m to dusk through Oct. 31. The one-half-mile long Chesapeake Bay beach features a netted swimming area and a fishing and crabbing pier. The campground offers seasonal and daily camp sites. On Mondays and Fridays, admission fees for Calvert County residents are reduced to $1 each after 5 p.m. For more information on Breezy Point Beach and Campground, contact the Division of Parks and Recreation at 410-535-1600, ext. 2225. To make camping reservations, contact the Breezy Point site office at 410-535-0259. Details on admission fees, camping rates and more are available at www.co.cal. md.us/residents/parks/getinvolved/.

Eating fresh and eating local will be easier than ever this year at four Calvert County farmers markets. Offering a host of Southern Maryland produce, the county’s outdoor markets open on the following schedule: • Solomons Island on the Riverwalk, Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., from May 6 through Nov. 18 • Prince Frederick at Calvert Memorial Hospital, Tuesdays, 3-7 p.m., from May 4 through Nov. 23; • Prince Frederick at Calvert Fairgrounds, Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., from May 8 through Nov. 27; and • North Beach at 5th Street, Fridays, 6-9 p.m., from May 14 through Oct. 8. Late spring markets include items like bedding plants (vegetable, herbs and flowers), hanging baskets and tasty salad greens, asparagus, kale and strawberries. Markets will include many of the favorite vendors from last year with plenty of fresh produce, baked goods, seafood and cut flowers. Calvert County farmers markets are unique because each is a producer-only market. The vendors are only allowed to sell produce raised by a local farmer and each market sells products that are regionally available seasonally. To find a list of seasonally available produce, visit www.somarylandsogood.com/ inseason/index.asp. All county farmers markets accept WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers from the Maryland Department of Agriculture. For more information on Calvert County’s agricultural community, visit www.calvertag. com.

Thursday, May-2010

Fossil Field Experience Programs Start This Month Solomons Paint the Town Kicks Off Today Artists may choose to paint interesting buildings, boats, the bridge, blooming azaleas, sculpture, harbors, and marina scenes – whatever captures their imagination. The second annual Solomons Paint the Town art festival draws artist from not only the East coast but as far as Chicago to paint the beautiful sites of our community. Artists will paint Thursday through Saturday at a variety of locations throughout Solomons. Their artwork will then be submitted to be hung and judged in an art show and reception at Annmarie Garden beginning Sunday, May 16. The artwork will hang and be on sale at the gallery for a period of one week. Artists and budding artists are also invited to participate in a Quick Draw on Saturday, May 15 at Calvert Marine Museum. Over a period of 2 hours, artists will create scenes of Solomons. After being judged, the artwork will be on display and available to purchase. Many of the festival activities will take place at Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center on Dowell Road, in Solomons. For a complete schedule of events for Solomons Paint the Town, visit w w w. s o l o m o n s maryland.com/solomons-pai nt-the town-details.html.

From Thursday, May 13 through Sunday, May 23, the Solomons Business Association will present, Solomons Paint the Town, a plein air festival. Visitors to Solomons Paint the Town will encounter artists set up all over the Solomons community painting outdoor scenes. The words “plein air” comes from the French term “en plein air” which translates as “in the open air.” Well known artists, including Claude Monet and Pierre-August Renoir, created some of their best and most famous works in this style. Thirteen locations around Solomons have been established as areas where the artists (who must pre-register) can paint and where visitors can visit and watch the artists at work.

Would you like to find and identify your own fossils? Did you know that the largest exposed seam of Miocene fossils in North America is here in Calvert County at Calvert Cliffs? This explains why even the casual beachcomber finds fossilized sharks teeth millions of years old. Learn more about this remarkable natural resource and what it can teach you about our prehistoric past at the Calvert Marine Museum. The Fossil Field Experience programs are Saturday, May 15, June 12, July 24, August 21, and continue monthly through the fall. The program begins at the Calvert Marine Museum at 11:00 a.m. with a guided exploration of the newly completed paleontology hall at the museum.

This background will help you understand why there are layers in the cliffs, and how it is that we find the fossilized remains of sharks, crocodiles, camels, and whales on our shores. At 1:30 p.m., the program continues at a local beach where a museum interpreter helps participants learn how to find and identify fossils. The fee for the Fossil Field Experience is $20 per person, ages 8 and over. An adult must accompany any child under the age of 18. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, please contact Melissa McCormick at 410-326-2042 x41, or visit the museum’s Web site at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com.

County’s Public Golf Course Holding Grand Opening Golfers from around the region are invited to have a good time golfing at the grand opening of Chesapeake Hills Golf Course on Saturday, May 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. The event will feature live entertainment, free hot dogs and refreshments and a free golf clinic with professionals on hand to help players improve their game. The day will also include a $23 special for 18 holes of golf. The grand opening marks the start of

a new golfing season now that the course is owned by Calvert County and is run by the county Division of Parks and Recreation. Since the purchase of the course in November 2008, county staff has implemented a far-reaching plan for course upgrades that include improvements to the grounds and the clubhouse, a press release states. A refurbished irrigation system ensures lush turf for the season, new paint brightens the clubhouse exterior and an

Thursday, May-2010

expansive new stone paver outdoor patio provides stylish space for events. Over the next few years a more thorough clubhouse renovation is planned. Improvements to the grill room, pro shop and banquet room will help make Chesapeake Hills a top-notch golf destination and a welcoming site for a variety of special events. “During our grand opening, we hope to show the community how far Chesapeake Hills has come as the county’s premier public golf course,” said Chesa-

peake Hills General Manager Tim Hepler. “This event will showcase the many renovations the county has undertaken. We believe those new to the course will find great golfing and exciting new program offerings while our loyal players will be proud of their home course.” Chesapeake Hills Golf Course is located at 11352 H.G. Trueman Road in Lusby. For more information, visit online at www.chesapeakehills.com or call 410-326-4653.

Save energy Save Money

on appliances Visit www.smeco.coop/save

• Use the microwave instead of the oven when possible

for more information on

• Set refrigerator temperatures between 37º and 40º

ways to save energy and

• Clean refrigerator coils regularly, especially if you have pets

save money in your home.

• Wash full loads of laundry and dishes • Save energy with ENERGY STAR® appliances and apply for $50 rebates from SMECO. Receive additional rebates from the Maryland Energy Administration beginning April 22 for superefficient appliances. Go to SMECO’s website for details. These programs support the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act.

Thursday, May-2010

Spotlight On

Students to Compete in 19th Annual Envirothon Students from Calvert County’s public high schools will test their knowledge in the fields of wildlife management, soil conservation, forestry management, aquatic resources and groundwater at the 19th annual Calvert County Envirothon. The event will be held on May 18 at King’s Landing Park from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Envirothon is an annual competition in which students work with environmental professionals to gain expertise in a variety of natural resource management fields. The winning team will advance to the state competition to be held at William Schmidt Environmental Education Center in Brandywine on June 24-25, 2010. The Envirothon is sponsored by the Calvert County Soil Conservation Service, Calvert Forestry Board, Calvert County Natural Resource Division, Morgan State University Estuarine Research Center, Calvert County Cooperative Extension, Calvert County Planning and Zoning, and the Calvert County Public School System’s CHESPAX program. For more information contact the CHESPAX office at (410) 535-2960.

Celebrity Scoops For Our Lady Star of the Sea School Students and parents came out on the evening of April 29 to support fundraising efforts for Our Lady Star of the Sea School during the “Celebrity Scoops Night” at Rita’s Italian Ice in Solomons Island. During the event, Principal Sr. Carolyn Marie and teacher Mrs. Barrett scooped ices and custard while the school received 15 percent of sales, which is going toward the purchase of a SmartBoard for the school. Those who made a purchase also received a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of several prizes donated by local businesses.

After the event, parent volunteer Suzanne Suzanne Pucciarella, left, announced the winners of the raffle as follows: • Linda Ratica - a 2010 Fender Electric Guitar from Sacchetti Music; • Ashley Cahill - a necklace from Maertens Jewelry; • Mrs. Timmons - a Ruby Tuesday Gift Card; • Fr. Gardiner - D&D Auto Detailing certificate; • Teagan Stanley - Golf at Chesapeake Hills; • Crystal Moore – a Spyro’s Chocolate Torte; • Ciara Ward – a Jake and Al’s Gift Card; and • Cassie Bishop – a Tennison cruise for four at the Calvert Marine Museum.

Superintendent Smith Recognized for Technology Education The Maryland Department of Education selected Dr. Jack Smith, Superintendent of Calvert County Public Schools, as the 2010 Career and Technology Education Outstanding Secondary Change Agent. The state award recognizes groups and individuals who provide visionary leadership to prepare Maryland students for college and careers in the 21st century. According to a Maryland State Department of Education press release, “The change agent award recognizes leadership for innovative change in Career Technology Education programs and focuses on goals of change, the change process, and overall results.” Anthony Navarro, Principal of Calvert Career Center, said Smith challenged the school system staff to explore ways to improve career and technology education. Smith then “worked side-by-side with them to demonstrate his support and encouragement for risk-taking,” Navarro said. By analyzing data about current programming and student preparation, Smith

Thursday, May-2010

worked with staff to identify the strengths of the current career technology programs and helped identify opportunities for improvement. One new program that grew out of this analysis was a pre-engineering curriculum for middle school students followed by an engineering program in high school. The specific goals of these programs are to increase the quantity and diversity of students who pursue math, technology, engineering, and science careers after graduating from high school. At the awards ceremony in Baltimore on April 26, State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy Grasmick, said “The people we are honoring tonight have made significant, positive contributions to the lives of students.” Smith said in the past students either went to college or started working after high school. “It is no longer an either/or proposition,” he said. “It is now all of the above. Every student must have options and choices in life, and career technology education is an essential part of offering those options.”

Change I Cannot Believe In Arizona, along with several other states as well as several Maryland counties, has begun to enforce local and state laws regarding illegal aliens since the federal government has continuously failed to strictly enforce its own immigration laws. Maybe it’s time to revisit the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed by Congress on July 13, 1866 and ratified by the states on July 9, 1868. Section 1 of this Amendment states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, (my emphasis) are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Section 2 excludes “Indians not taxed.” It was clearly written to cover emancipated slaves and maybe not as clearly to include those born in the United States and subject to its laws. Native Americans, as separate nations and not showing allegiance to the United States, were excluded. This convoluted thinking was that if the parents owed allegiance to another nation, they could not be U.S. citizens. Parents owing allegiance to another country by right of citizenship in that country having a child born in this country are not U.S. citizens by any stretch of the imagination. Giving their child citizenship when the parents are here illegally is an abomination of our Constitution. Native Americans, those most entitled to U.S. citizenship due to generations of living in this land for thousands of years, were not even granted citizenship unless they paid taxes! In Europe, no one would think of traveling to another country without the appropriate visas and passport. In no other country in the world are illegal aliens allowed to live freely. In South and Central American countries, illegals are routinely jailed or, if fortunate, deported. We have laws regarding legal immigration and naturalization. Why do we not enforce them? President Obama has sworn to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States. Why is he so concerned that Arizona and other jurisdictions have overstepped their bounds enforcing immigration laws that should be enforced by his federal government? Are illegal aliens somehow exempt from our immigration laws? Does Homeland Security not believe that terrorists and extremists can enter this country as easily as anyone else along our unprotected borders? Then there is the hue and cry over the illegal alien woman who was convicted of violating misdemeanor laws who just happens to have three children. Should she be locked up like anyone else? Why not? Actually she and the three children should be immediately deported rather than forcing our society to be responsible for additional costs to care for her on her children while she is in prison. Any other legal citizen would be immediately incarcerated upon conviction and there would be no outcry. The President is concerned that the legal citizens of this country are no longer enchanted by his false promises. They have become disenchanted by his spend-without-thought-for-the-federal-deficit policies. Now that the truth about Obamacare is coming out that healthcare costs will rise faster than before and that healthcare resources will have to be rationed due to doctor/ nurse/hospital shortages, his popular support is steadily dropping. It seems as if his “concern” for illegal aliens is just another politician trying to somehow get himself another solid voting block by “buying” their votes rather than concern for the safety of our borders and national security. If all illegal aliens were naturalized over a period of ten years but forbidden to vote until they became full-fledged citizens, I wonder how much concern he would have over this issue? Among other things he promised “Change We Can Believe In”. When he can’t even support the Constitution, this is certainly NOT change I can believe in! Glenn Weder Hollywood, MD

Do you have something to say?

Would like your voice to be heard? Send us a letter telling us what’s on your mind! E-mail letters to: info@somdpublishing.net Send to: P.O.

Box 250 • Hollywood, MD 20636

Make sure you include your name, phone # and the city you live in. We will not publish your phone #, only your name and city

Editorial: It’s What Communities Want, And You Make it Possible This week our publishing company celebrates several milestones which we are very proud of. We want to thank you, our many readers, customers, and business partners who continue to make our success possible. Our mix of community oriented publications are growing quickly despite the difficult economic times. This week, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Southern Calvert Gazette. The Southern Calvert Gazette is a hyper-local newspaper focusing on the communities which make up the southern region of Calvert County. Based upon the huge success of the Southern Calvert Gazette, last week we launched a sister product, the Chesapeake Current, a hyper-local newspaper focusing on the communities which make up the northern region of Calvert County. Together, these two publications will serve to fill the void in communities throughout all of Calvert County. In a time when more and more people are choosing sources other than traditional newspapers to get information, our products provide easy to read, well-organized, upbeat, and colorful resources for information not provided by larger news agencies. Our array of local columnists provide information and stories that serve the purpose of giving communities a voice. Demand for the Southern Calvert Gazette has grown steadily over the past year, and our readers and advertisers responses to this product has been extraordinary. Already, the Chesapeake Current, though only on the newsstands for a few days has received great reviews, and papers are disappearing off the racks very fast. Combined with the strength and readership of our flagship product, The County Times which serves all of St. Mary’s County, our company, Southern Maryland Publishing has become a leading media source in Southern Maryland thanks to the communities and people we serve. Our creative, colorful, positive newspapers serve to remind folks that we are blessed with great communities and great people. Our feature stories focus on the best of Southern Maryland, offering a portrait of the good people, the good places, and the

good organizations. Our goal is to keep you aware of the great things that are happening to enhance the quality of life in our region. As we look down the road at things to come, we plan to grow our ability to deliver to you more information on a more timely basis. Later this summer we will launch our expanded and greatly enhanced online presence. Each day we will bring you the most up to date news and information available for all of Southern Maryland, in a fun and creative format which you have come to expect from us. From there we intend to expand our newsprint throughout all of Southern Maryland, giving us the resources to deliver to you the most comprehensive hyper-local community coverage combined with the best regional coverage of any media in the region. All of our publications continue to be free on newsstands throughout the areas we serve. Folks ask everyday when we will begin to charge for our publications , and our answer is always the same, we have no intentions of charging you to read our products. In print media today, the more the readers have to pay for the product, the worse the information they receive. As fewer and fewer people are reading other print media, those products are raising prices trying to stay in business. Some locally charging as much as a dollar for only a few pages of information, much of which has not been researched or verified. Because our circulation is rapidly growing, our advertisers are seeing the best results in the marketplace. Our revenues are stronger than ever, giving us the ability to deliver to you the best quality news product at the best price in the marketplace. We maintain a staff of highly qualified, reliable, and fair journalist as well as graphic designers. These folks work hard every day to bring you the kind of products and information you want. So on behalf of all the staff here at Southern Maryland Publishing we want to welcome our newest readers onboard and thank all of our loyal readers for making us Southern Maryland’s go to place for news and events.

Publisher Associate Publisher Editor Office Manager Graphic Artist Advertising Email Phone

Thomas McKay Eric McKay Sean Rice Tobie Pulliam Angie Stalcup lisadutton@countytimes.net info@somdpublishing.net 301-373-4125

Staff Writers Guy Leonard Andrea Shiell Chris Stevens

Government Correspondent Community Correspondent Sports Correspondent

Contributing Writers Tony O’Donnell Joyce Baki Gerald Clark J. Brown

Southern Calvert Gazette P. O. Box 250 . Hollywood, MD 20636

Southern Calvert Gazette is a bi-weekly newspaper providing news and information for the residents of Southern Calvert County. The Southern Calvert Gazette will be available on newsstands every other Thursday of the month. The paper is published by Southern Maryland Publishing Company, which is responsible for the form, content, and policies of the newspaper. Southern Calvert Gazette does not espouse any political belief or endorse any product or service in its news coverage. Articles and letters submitted for publication must be signed and may be edited for length or content. Southern Calvert Gazette is not responsible for any claims made by its advertisers.

Thursday, May-2010

Cover On The

New Bridge: A Boon or Bust For Local Businesses?

State Highway Administration officials, during a recent meeting with Solomons Business Association, dispelled rumors that if the Thomas Johnson Bridge is replaced the plans would include the closure of several exit ramps on the Calvert County side. “I want to stress. I understand there were some rumors that we were looking to close off [additional exits off Route 4] and make everybody go up to Patuxent Boulevard. I have never ever, ever, ever heard that. Since I’ve been involved with the project, there’s been no proposal for that,” said Russell Anderson, a transportation engineer for SHA’s Office of Planning and Preliminary Engineering. Anderson gave a presentation May 5 on the progress of state planning for the Solomons bridge replacement to a joint meeting of

the Solomons Business Association and the Solomons Civic Association at the Calvert Marine Museum. The meeting, which was minimally publicized, was prelude to public hearings SHA plans to conduct starting in September. At the September hearings, to be held in Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, the results of an expansive regional economic analysis and environmental impact studies will be presented. It will also provide the final comment window for the public in the planning stage, before SHA determines which is the best design alternative for the project, which is expected in early 2011. Anderson said the May 5 update was provided because there is a lot of interest from the local business community on what

if you would like to advertise please contact the county times at

win

use all

301-373-4125

$100 in cash prizes by using these coupons!

four $25 winners 8 coupons and get 8 chances to win.

Customer Must Present Original Coupon. Purchase Required. No Cash Back

coupon

00 purchase of

name:

address:

off $25 or more

phone

Expires 05/31/10.

the economic impacts will be to local businesses near the foot of the bridge. Planning for the bridge replacement began in 2006, with open houses held in 2007 to unveil several alternatives. The project scope includes replacing the bridge, widening Route 4 on both sides of the bridge and reconstructing the Route 4 and 235 intersection in St. Mary’s County. Since the 2007 open houses, the list of alternatives for construction has been reduced, and maps of the alternatives can be viewed at www.roads.maryland.gov under the tab “projects and studies/St. Mary’s County.” Under all the remaining alternatives, construction plans must include closing the first exit ramp in Calvert County, immediately after the bridge, Anderson explained. “The only problem” is that first ramp, Anderson said. “At the public hearings a lot of people said this ramp is one of your main problems as to why you have a backup on the bridge.” Anderson fielded questions from the group in the museum auditorium, with many people questioning the aesthetics of a new bridge, and if it is possible to locate a second span south of the existing bridge. Among the remaining bridge construction alternatives is either building a new fourlane bridge to completely replace the existing bridge, or building a second two-lane span next to the existing bridge. Either option would be constructed south of the existing span. “There’s no way that you can show me that you can put a bridge and a road in between the visitors center and the bridge, and have it look good,” said Solomons resident Bobby Swann from the crowd. “The people that live on Solomons Island think a lot of Solomons Island. They are very proud of the town,” he said, adding that the ideas presented look like a word he “can’t say.” “We’re not in the business of building

new bridge will ever happen, due to the high price tag. Anderson explained that cost estimates for a new bridge range from near $550 million to near $950 million. So far, only the planning stages are funded, through 2012. The $950 million figure was estimated using a “worst case” senario, with prices inflated to year 2020 dollars, Anderson said, which includes all the most expensive aspects of the alternatives. That includes a new four-lane bridge, widening four miles of Route 4 in St. Mary’s County and the most expensive intersection alternative for the inPhoto By Sean Rice tersection of Route 4 and 235. Russell Anderson, a transportation engineer for SHA’s Office of Planning and Preliminary Engineering, explains aspects of the “We’re approaching that project to a citizen. “B” number right there, so money coming down,” said Jerry Clark, a your congressman or your senator, just drop we’re not dealing with some Calvert County Commissioner, and chairman it in their ear and let them know,’ he said. By chump change. Sean Rice (ScG) info@somdpublishing.net “I think for this thing to go forward at of the Tri-County Council. “Anybody who’s out there, if you see some point in time, it will need some federal

Photo By Frank Marquart

projects that look like the word you can’t say,” Anderson responded. “We do have concepts that avoid the visitors center … we do have the landscape architects, we do have a design team that does soften the impact as much as we can. We come up with solutions: the bridge design itself, the lighting on the bridge, down to the shade of paint on the bridge, it all pretty much gets done by collaboration.” Swann and others raised questions about how a second bridge span would look, because Anderson said the potential height of the second span is still being considered. The current bridge is 140 feet high, and proposals for a second span could put a second bridge as low as 70 feet high. “You have a 140-foot bridge, and you’re talking about one that’s 70 feet next to it. The aesthetics of that would be terrible,” Swann said. “The current bridge that’s here there’s paintings of it, drawings of it.” “This is not something that’s going to be designed behind closed doors,” Anderson said, adding that the purpose of collecting public comments is to come up the a design that pleases everyone. “We work tirelessly through the process and through the design process to make sure that there is a quality product,” he said. Another person is the audience said planning the aesthetics of a new bridge has to be a major concern for SHA, and “you really can’t

divorce” aesthetics and economic impact. “The Solomons tourism industry is dependent on the aesthetics of Solomons. It sounds that though you’re keeping aesthetics as one of those intangibles out there, but it’s really not,” the man said. Anderson disagreed. “We’re looking at several alternatives and we are going to make the decision based on feedback,” he said. “We are not going to make the decision and say ‘aesthetics aren’t a factor’.” Others in the audience questioned if a

Home of the $5,000 Jackpot Doors Open at 3 pm Free Warmups at 4:30 pm Early Birds at 5:15 pm Party Games at 6:30 pm

• Free Fried Chicken Dinner  Free Coffee & Soda  $15 Free Play in Game Room  All Regular Games & Jackpot

Wine & SpiritS

LocaLLy owned & oPerated By Mike Hart

Package A

9 cards All Regular Games 9 cards $1,000 Jr. Jackpot 9 cards $5,000 Jackpot $15 Free Play Game Room All for Only $39.00

Add-ons & Electronic Bingo Packages also available. 4160 Mears Avenue, Chesapeake Beach, MD 301-855-0222 1-800-753-0581 www.RodNReelBingo.com

Sam Adams

Malibu Rum

ADMISSIONS

500

5,000 Jackpot

MUST GO!

1 H 20 AY, J U N E 6T ,

Plenty of Seating - 2 Levels of Bingo!

$12.99

$10.99

Regular Games

1,199 Specials

12 pack bottles

Assorted Flavors 750 ml

Package B

Thursday, May-2010

Patuxent

Admission Packages include:

18 cards All Regular Games 18 cards $1,000 Jr. Jackpot 18 cards $5,000 Jackpot $15 Free Play Game Room All for Only $59.00

On The Cover

Carona 18 pack bottles

Heineken 18 pack

$17.99

443-404-5919 Located in Lusby Commons Shopping Center Mon – Thurs: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. • Fri & Sat: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. • Sun: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Thursday, May-2010

Block Party Highlights Local Businesses

New Summer Hours Monday Thru Saturday 6:00am to 9:00pm Sunday 7:00am to 7:00pm

Now Located In Woodburns • New York Style Bagels • Complete line of Scratch Baked Goods • Made To Order Sandwiches 14

Thursday, May-2010

It’s Spring, the season best known for flowers and sunshine, but also moon bounces, dunk tanks, inflatable ball games, face painters, children’s yoga instructors, food samples, vendor tables, live music and raffles. And this time last year, the Lusby Business Association (LBA) was just beginning to bring local businesses together to discuss strategies for staying Austin Miller, 6, holds a snake at open during the LBA’s recent Block Party. recession. “Really what we saw happening around that time was businesses were shutting down,” said LBA President Nance Pretto Simmons. “We couldn’t let that happen, we couldn’t just let our fellow businesses go under … so we’ve focused on ways we can figure this out together.” As a result, Saturday, May 1st saw the very first collaborative effort between shopping centers and local businesses in Lusby, who banded together with sponsor Dominion Cove Point LNG to host a Spring Fling Block Party, which featured 27 local businesses offering activities, samples and discounts to visitors. “The significance of the event was really to educate people on some of the businesses and services that are available in their community, and then also just trying to educate them on the importance of shopping local,” said Simmons. “What we’re trying to do is really establish our Shop Local Lusby campaign, and again detail the significance of shopping local in the community and what that does for the people who live here.” Simmons added that the LBA would be hosting a fall festival, for which details will be considered at the group’s next meeting, but that it’s all being done to support a broader mission of promoting independent businesses and the importance of shopping local. “What people don’t understand is that we’re the first place people come to if they need support for their organization or their event,” said Simmons. As owner of Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins in Lusby, she said she was always receiving requests from local charities for sponsorship or partnerships to strengthen community groups. “I’m always very happy to do things in the community, but at the same time we’re always looking for it to be reciprocated,” she said. “We are the ones that support local services, local organizations and events, so we’re involved with a lot of what the community does … and we’re inundated with requests all the time.” For more information on the Lusby Business Association and their upcoming events, go to www. shoplusby.com. By AndreA Shiell (CT) info@somdpublishing.net

David Kefauver, 84 David Franklin Kefauver, 84, of Lusby, MD formerly of Bethesda, MD, passed away on April 25, 2010 at the Burnett-Calvert Hospice House, Prince Frederick, MD. He was born on May 1, 1925 in Frederick, MD to the late William Joseph Kefauver and Margaret Eva Delauter. He was the loving husband to Marlyn L. Kefauver whom he married on April 4, 1970 in Bethesda, MD. David graduated from Middletown High School and went on to graduate from the University of Maryland College. He served in the United States Navy from 1943 until his honorable discharge in 1946 receiving the American Theater Ribbon and Victory Medal. David spent the majority of his life though working for the U.S. Government as the Health Science Administrator retiring in 1980 after 30 years of service. He was preceded in death by his parents; children, David J. Kefauver and John W. Kefauver; siblings, Harold Kefauver, Lee Kefauver, and Dorothy K. MacElwee. David is survived by his wife of 40 years Marlyn L. Kefauver of Lusby, MD; children, William D. Kefauver of Florida, Marie K. Peck of California, and Joseph L. Kefauver of Florida; brother, Kenneth Kefauver of Frederick, MD; six grandchildren and one great grandchild. All services were private. Memorial Contributions may be made in David’s memory to Calvert Hospice, www. calverthospice.org, P.O. Box 838, Prince Frederick, MD 20678. Arrangements provided by Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD.

David Krankowski, 20 David Michael Krankowski, 20, of St. Leonard, MD passed away on May 4, 2010 in Prince Frederick, MD. He was born on December 6, 1989 in Prince Frederick, MD to David Wayne and Cheryl Lynn Krankowski. David graduated from Calvert High School in 2007 and was currently attending the College of Southern Maryland. He worked for Perigveux Vineyards for four years and Horsmon Farms for three years. He was a member of the Boy Scout Troop 430, Prince Frederick, MD and Club 3G. He enjoyed photography, farming, and hiking. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Annetta L. Dunlap. David is survived by his parents, David Wayne and Cheryl Lynn Krankowski of St. Leonard, MD; brother, Jake Thomas Krankowski of St. Leonard, MD; grandparents, Felix G. and June C. Krankowski of Annapolis, MD, and James M. Thorne of Berryville, VA. A memorial service was held May 8, 2010 at Rausch Funeral Home, Lusby. Mass

of Christian Burial was held May 11, 2010 at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church. Inurnment followed at Saint John Vianney Cemetery. Contributions may be made in David’s memory to Boy Scout Troop 430, C/O St. John Vianney, 105 Vianney Lane, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.

Mary Reynolds, 97 Mary Alice Reynolds, 97, of Saint Leonard, MD passed away on April 27, 2010 at the Calvert County Nursing Center, Prince Frederick. Mary Alice Reynolds was born on June 13, 1912 in Calvert County, to the late Walter and Florence Graham. She attended the public schools of Calvert County. Mary Alice was the second oldest of her siblings. Mary Alice and family were members of St. Luke Methodist church and she was baptized at an early age. Mary Alice met and married her soul mate, Dudley Reynolds in 1938. To this union they were blessed with three sons and three daughters: Dudley Jr., Mary Thelma, Annie, Ethel, Johnny and Briscoe. Mary Alice joined the Brooks Methodist Church, where her husband, Dudley was a member. Mary Alice was a Godly woman, a devoted wife and mother. She was also a surrogate mother to her younger siblings. Mary Alice worked as a domestic worker occasionally, to help out with the family income. She and Dudley loved working together in their vegetable garden. She canned vegetables and preserved fruits for the winter. Mary Alice enjoyed sharing her canned produce with family, friends and neighbors. In September, 1967 Mary Alice joined the Greater Bible Way Church and was baptized there and was a faithful member. She was an usher, sang on the choir and was in the Willing Workers Ministry. April 1989, Mary Alice joined the Cross Roads Christian Church, where her son, Johnny & daughter-in law Bonnie are members. She was a faithful member and attendant until 2002 when her health started to fail. We will miss her love and caring for us in her own special way. And we will always remember the delicious Sunday dinners (greens, cabbage, potato salad, fried chicken, ham, homemade rolls and chocolate cake) that were prepared with love. Mary Alice was predeceased by father and mother, Walter& Florence Graham, husband, Dudley, seven brothers, Harry, Nathaniel, Norman, Fred, Herman, Walter, and James; Five sisters, Florence, Mamie, Antoinette, Pearl and Odessa. Mary Alice leaves to cherish her memories: Six children, Dudley Jr., Mary Thelma, Annie, Ethel, Johnny and Briscoe; nine grandchildren: Dwayne, Timothy, Kar-

en, Shrnique, Stheisha, LaKisha, John, Juan and Julia. She also leaves behind Seventeen great- grandchildren and three great -great grandchildren; one sister, Mattie Barge; Two brothers, John and Briscoe. One son in-law, Ernest Williams, two daughters-in-law, Bonnie and Olivia, one brother-in-law, Bishop Barge, two sisters-in- law, Rozelia and Cora and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Funeral service was held on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm at Sewell Funeral Home, Prince Frederick, MD with Rev. George Baxter eulogist. The interment was at Brooks United Methodist Church Cemetery, St. Leonard.

John Stratchko, 21 John Alton Stratchko, 21, of Broomes Island, MD passed away on May 3, 2010 in Prince Frederick, MD. John was born on December 8, 1988 in Columbia, MD to James A. and Alesia Forehand Stratchko. He moved to Broomes Island and loved his life in the country. He was a warm, kind and spirited young

man who enjoyed the big outdoors, with his passions centering on hunting, fishing, crabbing, motorcycles and cars. After graduating from Calvert High School in 2007, John went to work as an electrician for two years before entering college to study for a degree in electrical engineering. He is the beloved son of Alesia K. and James A. Stratchko of Broomes Island, MD., brother of Jimmy E. Stratchko also of Broomes Island, MD; Grandson of Julia and Eugene Stratchko, of Greenbelt, MD and Helen M. Forehand of Chaddsford, PA. John leaves behind his girl friend, Natalie Miller of Huntingtown, MD. He is also survived by his aunts and uncles, David and Susan Stratchko of Georgia, Gary and Karen Stratchko of Bowie, MD, Steven and Diana Stratchko of Essex, MD, Edward and Katy Stratchko of Bowie, MD, Debra Gohr of Greenbelt, MD. , Cindy and James Nelson of Chaddsford Penn. and many cousins, David, Danny, Christy, Jenny, Steven, Hunter, Brittany, Nick, Gina, Chris, Peter, Ashley, and Samantha. The family received friends on Friday May 7, 2010 at the Rausch Funeral Home, Port Republic, MD where services were held on Saturday May 8, 2010. Interment followed in Chesapeake Highlands Memorial Gardens, Port Republic, MD. Memorial contributions may be made in Johns memory to Adult Day Care P.O. Box 1659 Prince Frederick, MD 20678.

Where Life and Heritage are Celebrated

During a difficult time… still your best choice. Affordable Funerals, Caskets, Vaults, Cremation Services and Pre-Need Planning Family Owned and Operated by Barbara Rausch and Bill Gross

www.RauschFuneralHomes.com

Owings

Port Republic

410-257-6181

410-586-0520

8325 Mt. Harmony Lane 4405 Broomes Island Rd.

Lusby

20 American Lane

410-326-9400

Thursday, May-2010

free Upgrades! Get a FREE upgrade when you rent your storage space in May 2010! *New contracts ONLY! Special rate applies to the first 6 months of your contract, while supplies last. Can not be combined with any other discount, coupon, or promotion.

Size

FREE Upgrade Price

Regular Price

5x5

N/A

$60.00

5x10

$60.00

$75.00

10x10

$75.00

$110.00

10x15

$110.00

$120.00

10x20

$120.00

$180.00

10x25

$180.00

$200.00

231 Self Storage 5270 Cutter Ct. • Prince Frederick, MD 20678 (In front of Industrial Park) • 410-535-7565

MONDAY – FRIDAY 8:30 AM – 5 PM • SATURDAY 9 AM – 1 PM

Happy Hour Daily 11am-5pm

com www.eatinbenedict.

Come Try Our All U-Can-Eat Menu EVERY Wed-Thurs 12-8pm Wednesday thru Saturday 11am-9pm • Sunday 11:30am-7pm

301-274-2828

7320 Benedict Avenue • Benedict, Maryland 20612

Thursday, May-2010

AT Builder Quick Tip: Here’s the Scoop on Concrete Consumers are more informed than ever now when building their dream home, especially when it comes to requesting the most energy-efficient and environmentally-responsible designs, fixtures, materials, and methods. Builders must constantly keep up with the latest technology and how to apply it. They need to be open-minded to change and the best builders are the most informed. Here’s an example: one of the more popular consumer demands in the 21st century is to discard the old wood-framed walls in favour of a new and innovative concrete system. Homeowners want to own the most durable house on the street -and indeed, homes constructed with this system of pre-assembled, interlocking forms of concrete are nine times stronger than those made with wood. The homes are also three times more sound resistant and four times more fire resistant. This award winning wall system by Nudura delivers energy savings and human health benefits as well. Drafts are eliminated; wood-rotand mold are eliminated; and homeowners stand to cut the costs of their energy bills up to 70 percent. More information on this -- as well as efficient ceilings and floors -- is available online at www.nudura.com.

Cedar Hill Country Estate By Joyce Baki Located on 75 acres in Barstow, Cedar Hill is one of the few remaining cruciform houses that exist in Maryland. A stone’s throw from the Patuxent River, nestled on a gentle bluff, the house is an excellent example of 17th century architecture. More than three hundred years old, Cedar Hill was part of a plantation originally patented as “Miles End.” In the early 1700’s, the property was bought by John Bigger, a horse trader and appraiser, from Lord Baltimore. John Bigger owned numerous properties throughout Southern Maryland. John Bigger married Ann Stoakley, for whom Stoakley Road was named. Documents show that the exterior and floor plan of Cedar Hill correspond to the home of John Bigger, built before 1714. The support system in the basement and roof construction, however, suggest a date in the second quarter of the 18th century. The house and lands were originally known as the Bigger Plantation, after John Bigger. The name of the house changed to Cedar Hill in the 1800’s. The estate was left to their son who added more than 700 acres to the original 350. From the late 18th century through most of the 19th century the estate was owned by the Gantt family. A cruciform house is characterized by its cross

shape. You enter the house through a two story porch tower. The house is 1 ½ stories tall, with two wings and a rear stair tower. It was built of brick laid in Flemish bond. Flemish bond is considered the most decorative bond. It is created by alternately laying headers and stretchers in a single course. The next course is laid so that a header lies in the middle of the stretcher in the course below. Beneath the main axis of the cross-like structure is a full cellar. A huge fireplace in the cellar suggests the room may have been used as a kitchen, but evidence from inventories taken in the 18th century show a kitchen on the first floor. A second room in the cellar is separated by two large brick arches. The house has five bedrooms, living and sitting rooms, an expansive dining room and kitchen. There are several working fireplaces, a wine cellar, gazebo, barns and outbuildings. One outbuilding is a historic registered corn crib. There is also a guest cottage on the property. This is located near an equestrian facility that was built that includes a 7-stall stable, indoor arena and open fields. Over its lifetime, Cedar Hill has been a farm, a bed and breakfast, meeting hall and retreat center. Cedar Hill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The house is part of the Maryland Historic Trust, the Calvert County Historic District and is in an agricultural preservation program.

Musings from the Museum: Why Celebrate Tradition? By Sherrod Sturrock On Saturday, May 1 the Calvert Marine Museum held the 5th annual Solomons Maritime Festival celebrating Southern Maryland traditions of work, play,

and maritime skill. Have you ever stopped to wonder why? For that matter, why there is a Celtic Festival or an Oktoberfest or a Sheep and Wool Festival or any of those hundreds of events that celebrate a bygone era? Is it nostalgia or a nod to our ancestors or an attempt to share with our children some of our heritage? I think, yes - to all of these. Humans seem to have a deep seated need to remember things “the way it used to be” because it helps us know who we are. The Maritime Festival embodies this longing to rediscover the past. I listened with delight as Mr. Matthews, a lively octogenarian, regaled me with stories of himself as a boy driving a Model A like the ones the Baltimore Model A Club had driven down. He swore he and his brother bought one for $5, and when it broke down, they would just leave it and go get another one. His story brought those antique cars to life for me. Bringing the past to life took on a whole new meaning with the Southern Maryland Wildfowl Calling Contest run by Bert and Dan Baker. This kind of event teaches this tradition to the next generation by actively recruiting young people to compete. The junior division was hotly contested and the 12-year-old winners as excited as if they had won the lottery. The antique motor guys were revving their engines with undisguised delight – the louder the better. Moving away from that sound toward the basin, you could hear the tap-tap-tap of children from 6 – 86 building

boy boats. Wafting along on the breeze you could smell crab cakes frying in the traditional food tent – where you could also learn how to shuck an oyster or stuff a ham. And on down the boardwalk, the strains of bluegrass and old time country music pulsed across the water. The place was happy with living memory. This is my favorite museum event because it embodies our mission – to preserve the culture. So back to the question: Why does it matter that historically people in Southern Maryland lived off the land and water, canned their own food, made their own clothes, built their own boats, hunted and fished and made music a certain way. How does knowing that make our lives today any better? In answer, I think about my children who grew up in a suburb, got their food from a Safeway Store, and traveled everywhere in a car. Their lives were very different from mine growing up, and radically different from my mother’s. Theirs is a world of computers and cell phones and McDonalds and Starbucks and malls – everywhere the same. We have tried to give them experiences and teach them how to look beneath this glossy modern surface to learn about special places. We all need to learn to look beneath the surface to “see” the unique characteristics, the “bones” of a place – the history and culture that makes it special. Local festivals are a great place to start – all the clues are there. Sherrod Sturrock is the Deputy Director of the Calvert Marine Museum. Send comments to: sturrosa@co.cal.md.us.

Thursday, May-2010

$5 OFF

Any engine service or repair over $25

One Coupon per customer. Expires 04/30/2010.

12876 McCready Rd. â&#x20AC;˘ Lusby, MD 20657 Office: 410-394-0304 â&#x20AC;˘ Cell: 443-404-7741

CLASSIFIEDS Real Estate Beautiful waterfront custom built brick and cedar sided cape cod home situated on a quiet cul de sac. Hardwood floors throughout with ceramic tile in entry way, kitchen and bath. Large master bedroom, open kitchen with dining room and family room and large living room plus a pantry kitchen/mudroom (you will be suprised at the size of the rooms). One full bath and two 1/2 baths (one with a shower). Propane for primary heating, the water heater and cooking, and a Trane heat pump for supplimental heat and central cooling. Two fireplaces with fireplace inserts for supplimental heat. Fully finished basement, with rec room, laundry room and workshop. 1.5 car garage, two decks (one with hot tub) and patio. Beautifully landscaped with mature flowering bushes and small garden plot. Great fishing in back yard, canoeing and nature watching. Wonderful neighbors and very child friendly road and close to schools. A very beautiful home for anyone wanting to come to the Southern Maryland area. Showing by appointment only. Please call 410-326-5423 and leave a message if we do not answer. Price: $320,000.

Real Estate Rentals

t n a r u Resta

Beautiful home located one block from the beach in St Leonard off of calvert beach road. Many upgrades, including inground pool, cabana extra large custom kitchen, quiet neighborhood! Small pets negotiable. For more information please call or 410-610-8091. 4 Bdrms, 2 Baths - Rent: $2150.

Locally! aces to Dine Find Great Pl

Fully furnished and remodeled beach house one block from private beach in Cove Point. Very near Dominion LNG and Calvert Cliffs also convenient to Patuxent River. Master Bedroom on second floor with view of the Chesapeake Bay, large bathroom with double vanity, jacuzzi tub and separate shower. You must see this beautifully decorated and appointed home to appreciate it. Limit of 3 persons and no animals unless expressly ageed upon. 3 bdrms, 2 baths. Rent: $1400. If interested, please email webrider1@comcast.net.

Employment

Growing Childcare center seeks infant qualified senior staff and aides. Full and part-time positions are available. Must be dependable and enjoy working with infants. Good work ethic and cleaning skills required for all positions. Benefits include paid holidays and 1 week paid vacation after one year of service. Background checks are required. We reserve the right to perform random drug testing in our drug free center. Please call Ms. Courtlyn between the hours of 8:30 am and 2:00 pm at (410)5860957 to arrange an interview OR send your resume and letters of reference to GACC, 5845 Calvert Blvd, Saint Leonard, MD 20685.

$ 18

Thursday, May-2010

The Southern Calvert Gazette will not be held responsible for any ads omitted for any reason. The Southern Calvert Gazette reserves the right to edit or reject any classified ad not meeting the standards of The Southern Calvert Gazette. It is your responsiblity to check the ad on its first publication and call us if a mistake is found. We will correct your ad only if notified after the first day of the first publication ran. To Place a Classified Ad, please email your ad to: classifieds@somdpublishing.net or Call: 301-373-4125 or Fax: 301-373-4128 for a price quote. Office hours are: Monday thru Friday 8am - 4pm. The Southern County Gazette is published every other Thursday.

Patuxent High School Sports Schedule Thurs., May 13 Tennis SMAC Tennis finals at North Point High School Track and Field SMAC preliminaries and finals at North Point High School

Sat., May 15 Track and Field SMAC finals at North Point High School Note: The MPSSAA playoff draws were announced Monday May 10, Tuesday May 11 and Wednesday May 12. For dates, times and locations of playoff games for the Patuxent high school baseball, softball and lacrosse teams, go to www.mpssaa.org

Patuxent High School Scoreboard Wed., Apr. 28

Tues., May 4

Baseball La Plata 2, Patuxent 0

Girls’ Lacrosse Leonardtown 19, Patxuent 3

Boys’ Lacrosse Patuxent 13, Great Mills 1

Track and Field

Thurs., Apr. 29 Baseball Patuxent 11, Westlake 4

Boys Patuxent 101 Westlake 64 La Plata 45 Lackey 43

Fri., Apr. 30

Girls Patuxent 73 Lackey 66 La Plata 63 Westlake 38

Boys’ Lacrosse Northern 19, Patuxent 2

Wed., May 5

Mon., May 3

Baseball Leonardtown 8, Patuxent 1

Baseball Patuxent 5, North Point 4

Softball Patuxent 2, Leonardtown 1

Boys’ Lacrosse Leonardtown 14, Patuxent 3

Tennis Leonardtown 7, Patuxent 2

Panther Girls Gearing up for Regional Playoffs With the regular season concluding this week and the Maryland regional playoffs beginning today, Patuxent girls’ lacrosse coach Anthony Barone is hopeful the Panthers will continue to work hard and play together as a team going into the 2A-1A South playoff bracket. “Depending on the draw, we should be fine,” Barone said after last Tuesday’s 19-3 loss to SMAC champion Leonardtown. “We can get past the first round.” The Panthers (7-4 on the season) gave a valiant effort, led by senior attacker Claire Ganoe’s two goals, but the Raiders jumped out to a 12-1 lead and coasted to their 12th straight win this season. Barone was very pleased with Ganoe’s efforts in the loss. “She’s our team captain and she has been outstanding,” he said. “She kept us in the game as long as she could and worked as hard as she could.” “This team is just really good,” Ganoe said of the Raiders. “We played well, worked hard and stuck together even when they were beating us.” Ganoe believes the Panthers can do some damage in the regional playoffs as long as they continue with their “never say die” attitude in games, no matter the score. “We’ll put up a fight,” Ganoe says. “Everyone steps it up for the playoffs and we have good chemistry as a team.” The Panthers closed their regular season with a 9-4 win over county rival Calvert on Friday. They also drew the second seed in the 3A-2A East regional playoffs, where they will host Baltimore City High School Thursday (time has yet to be determined). Barone, in his seventh season at the helm of the team, believes that in spite of their youth, the girls have played well this season. “We have five underclassmen, three of whom are starting,” he says. “They’ve improved throughout the year and the team can only get better from here.” By Chris stevens (Ct) info@somdpublishing.net

Photo By Chris Stevens Leonardtown’s Megan Fairgrieve protects the ball from defensive pressure by the Panthers’ Grace McDougal during last Tuesday’s SMAC girls’ lacrosse match.

Catherine Denny of Patuxent protects the ball during last Tuesday’s girls’ lacrosse match at Leonardtown.

Photo By Chris Stevens

Thursday, May-2010

Out About By Joyce Baki • Thursday, May 13 through Saturday May 15, visitors to Solomons will encounter more than 30 artists and their easels set up throughout the community painting outdoor scenes. It is the annual Solomons Paint the Town – a Plein Air Festival. There are also programs and activities offered at various locations throughout Solomons, including a “Quick Draw” competition at the Calvert Marine Museum and artsy activities at Annmarie Garden. Highlighting the event will be the awards reception on Sunday, May 16 from 1 - 1:30 p.m. at Annmarie Garden. The Exhibition & Sale of artwork begins on Sunday, May 16, and continues through Sunday, May 23. It is a wonderful opportunity to purchase a work of art that you watched being created. For a complete schedule of events for Solomons Paint the Town, please visit www.solomonsmaryland. com/solomons-paint-the-town-details.html.

Art, Fossils, Strawberries and Wine – Calvert County is Full of Fun

and many of the outbuildings were designed by noted female architect Gertrude Sawyer. The gardens were just beginning to bloom and these gardens are being faithfully restored based on the original plans by landscape architect Rose Greely. The next tour is Sunday, May 16, at 2 p.m.; reservations are requested. The fee is $10 per person; $8 for seniors 55 or older. If you can’t make this date, tours are scheduled throughout the summer. Special arrangements can also be made for small groups like garden clubs and Red Hat Ladies. For more information on this and other programs at Jefferson Patterson Park, call 410-586-8501 or visit www. jefpat.org. • Also on Sunday, May 16, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum will present another program in their new History for Young Children series – Colonial Spinning and Weaving. Learn about colonial clothing, how it was made and from what materials. Watch demonstrations by the Calvert Spinners and Weavers Guild and have the chance to create your own wool art! The program runs from 1 – 2:30 p.m. and is suggested for ages 4-7. The cost is $5 per participant and registration is required. For more information, call 410-586-8501 or visit www.jefpat.org.

• Are you adventurous? Do you crave finding something to build your muscles as well as your senses? Check out the American Chestnut Land Trust where, throughout the summer they will conduct several guided canoe trips and hikes. The next guided canoe trip is Sunday, May 23. Reservations are required. Visit their Web site at www.acltweb.org, call 410-414-3400 or email info@acltweb.org for more information. • Don’t forget to get your tickets for the first concert of Calvert Marine Museum’s Waterside Concert Series on Sunday, May 30, 2010. Country music artist, Josh Turner, will appear singing his hits, “Your Man,” “Would You Go with Me,” “Firecracker,” and new release “Why Don’t We Just Dance.” Gates open at 6 p.m.; Showtime is at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.calvertmarinemuseum.com or call 1-800-787-9454. • On Friday, June 4, join Running Hare Vineyard as they raise “A Toast to Pets with Disabilities.” The fundraiser will be held in their new events facility from

• Saturday, May 22, celebrate the start of summer aboard the “Wm. B. Tennison” at the Calvert Marine Museum from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. This cruise is for the young and the young at heart. Eat pizza, get your face painted and enjoy balloon animals, all while taking in the gentle breezes of the Patuxent River. For information on costs and to register, contact 410-326-2042, ext. 41 or e-mail mccormmj@co.cal.md.us.

6 – 10 p.m. to raise much needed operational funds. All the animals at “Pets with Disabilities” have special needs; some were abandoned, rejected or somehow no longer able to fit in but these animals need our help to transition to a new life. Tickets for the fundraiser are $65 per person and must be purchased in advance. Enjoy a great evening with wine tastings, silent auctions, music, food and drink. For more information, visit www.petswithdisabilities.org.

• On Friday, May 21, make a date with Annmarie Garden to enjoy an evening of plein air art and wine with live music by Joseph Norris & Catfish Joe. From 6 – 9 p.m. enjoy complimentary appetizers courtesy of Saphron Restaurant and view the exhibition of works from Solomons Paint the Town. The cost is $5 per person, and it makes the perfect before- or after-dinner treat! (www.annmariegarden.org) • Did you know that the largest exposed seam of Miocene fossils in North America is here in Calvert County at Calvert Cliffs? The Calvert Marine Museum begins its Fossil Field Experience programs on Saturday, May 15, and they continue through fall. Programs will begin with a guided exploration of the newly completed paleontology hall and then continue at a local beach where an interpreter will help participants learn how to find and identify fossils. For more information on fees and how to register, contact Melissa McCormick at 410-326-2042 x41, or visit the museum’s Web site at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com. • Last week my mother and I took the Point Farm House & Garden Tour at Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum. What a delightful afternoon! Point Farm was the estate home and retreat of the late Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson Patterson. The Colonial Revival brick house

Thursday, May-2010

For more events happening throughout Calvert County, visit online at www.ecalvert.com. • Waters Memorial United Methodist Church at 5400 Mackall Road in St. Leonard will host a Strawberry Festival on Saturday, May 22, from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy ice cream with sliced strawberries, sandwiches, platters and crafts. Buy bulk strawberries to take home – maybe for homemade strawberry shortcake - yummy. There will also be a yard sale starting at 7 a.m. For more information, call 410-586-1716.

For more events, visit www.ecalvert.com.

FREE DRAFT BEER with purchase of any sandwich WITH THIS AD

14575 Solomons Island Road, Solomons, MD 20688 / 410-326-2424

Thursday, May-2010

We’re Leaving it better than We found it.

our commitment to the environment is helping create cleaner and greener communities.

at dominion, our dedication to a healthy ecosystem goes well beyond our financial investment in science and technology. it also takes on a personal touch. Like our employee volunteers who donate thousands of hours each year to conservation efforts. they pitch in to refurbish nature trails, build outdoor classrooms, clean up streams and parks, and assist established conservation groups. environmental stewardship is something that runs throughout our company. and you can see it at work every day. to find out more about how we’re putting our energy to work for the environment, visit www.dom.com, keyword: foundation.

Newtowne Players Tackle Edson’s “Wit” The full text of John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet X” (Death Be Not Proud) is only read aloud once during Margaret Edson’s Wit (spelled W;t by the author), which the Newtowne Players are performing through May 30, but there are plenty of excerpts and references to the poem, many offered by Dr. Vivian Bearing, the play’s star character, a tough professor who specializes in the metaphysical poets. It’s not an easy poem for most people to absorb. There is no sing-song-like cadence of iambic pentameter, no emotional superlatives, no sentimentality (if you go in for that sort of thing, you had best stick to Shakespeare). But it is a great example of what Donne’s contemporaries would have called “metaphysical conceit,” or wit. The same could be said for the play’s star character as she dies of ovarian cancer. There is no sing-song-like sentimentality about Vivian. She doesn’t go in for melodrama, but when faced with her own death she realizes that her intellectual pursuits, though lucrative and prestigious, are no substitute for human compassion. “She’s very much in her head, very educated, not a people person,” said actress Dawna Diaz, who plays Vivian. “She’s not the warm and fuzzy type at all, and yet when she looks back on her life, at the end that’s what she wants … the love and human contact, and she questions whether or not she did it right.” Diaz, who herself survived thyroid cancer in the early Photo By Andrea Shiell 1990s, said the play stays true to its subject in the details, Diaz plays Dr. Vivian Bearbut for that reason it may not be an easy play for cancer Dawna ing in the Newtowne Players’ propatients to watch. Cancer, like most instruments of death, duction of Wit. brings with it quirks and indignities that most people wouldn’t think of unless they’d been experienced them first-hand. “[I remember] the fear, waking up and them telling you that you have cancer in your lymph nodes, feeling like you’re going to die,” Diaz said, adding that she hadn’t read the play or seen Emma Thompson’s 2001 screen adaptation of the play before, and other than memorizing her lines for this production, she said she kept her exposure to the material very limited. “I didn’t want to taint my idea of who Vivian was with what somebody else had done,” she said, but she does have a copy of Emma Thompson’s film, and she’s vowed to watch it after her run at Newtowne is done. It seems like a reasonable approach to a character like Vivian, who’d rather analyze a Donne poem to death than listen to how pretty it sounds. And it’s actually a lot easier to relate to this character the more you see how her brain operates. Every letter counted to poets like Donne, just as every one counts to Bearing, but like so many who try to substitute intellectualism for spirituality, Bearing can rattle off the scientific name of every tree in the forest, but she can’t see the forest through the trees, a point that she tearfully acknowledges near the end of the play. Diaz does well to show Vivian’s realization of her faults, but her delivery does seem stiff at times. Characters like Vivian still smile, still laugh and still love, but their love and affection are more for words than their writers, and it’s this passion that’s sometimes lacking in Diaz’s delivery. Her monologues about word usage, syntax and semantics, though impressive, seem flat and unenthusiastic, which in a way strips some credibility from the character. While a glib smugness may be perfect for Vivian’s human interactions (at least at first), it doesn’t seem like she’d extend the same lack of excitement to her work. After all, her penchant for painfully intricate analysis would probably be her only escape from her own demise. But the end result is no less powerful. Indeed, it’s hard to watch a character like this not get the point until she exits the earth, but it’s well worth it. The Newtowne Players will perform W;t Thursdays through Sundays, May 14-30 at Three Notch Theatre in Lexington Park. For more information or to make reservations, call 301-737-5447 or visit www.newtowneplayers.org. By Andrea Shiell (CT) info@somdpublishing.net

Thursday, May-2010

Adopt A Pet!

Make “FEEL GOOD” Purchases By Helping The Community While Shopping Great Selection of Popular Brands “like new” Clothing

“Hi, my name is Shiloh and I’m a darling six year old male Corgi mix. I’m a complete sweetheart and I’ll make a terrific addition to any family. I get along great with other dogs and I’ve lived with cats. Will YOU be that perfect person to take me home and give me the love and attention I deserve? I’m up to date on vaccinations, neutered, crate and house trained and identification microchipped. For more information, please contact SECOND HOPE RESCUE at 240-925-0628 or email katmc@secondhoperescue.org. Please Adopt, Don’t Shop!”

ALL PROFITS FOR ANIMALS Weekly Sales

410-562-6516 • WWW.SPAYSPOT.ORG

4860 Saint Leonard Rd (formerly the St. Leonard Post Office)

Our Standard Groom Their Standard Groom Ours: spa shower, only (premium all natural) shampoo and conditioners, hand drying (not kennel drying), pawdicure with nail filing, ear cleaning, full hair cut, anal gland expression, close trimming of important parts, hand scissoring Shihtzu $60.00, express service.

Our total $60.00 Theirs: bath, kennel drying, nail clipping, ear cleaning, Shihtzu $55.00 all day service no extra charge, premium shampoo $5.00 upgrade, conditioner $5.00 upgrade, express grooming service fee $25.00 extra.

Their total $80.00

155 Central Square • Prince Frederick, MD 20678 443-295-7831 • www.doggiestylezpetboutique.com

Thursday, May-2010

THE McNELIS GROUP real estate services

uD O R St 7 EL 6-383 A H 3 MIC202-2

y ALE90 R A 3 NN925-6 A I D 402

NEW PRICE! Waterfront Home w/ 300’ Frontage on Lake Lariat. 4 BR/ 3 BA. Owner’s Suite w/ Luxury Bath. Fireplace, Hardwood Floors, Detached 24x24 Garage, Great Views. $339,000. CA7173373

ERS t N I E W-3215 t t 8 NE 66 AN 615-

WATERFRONT! Breathtaking View of Mill Creek from all sides of this spectacular 1.21 acre property. Requires third party approval. Lg. footprint. Multi-family dwelling sold as is. Email: dianna.raley@mcnelis$615,000. SM6950364

y ALE90 R NA 5-63 N A DI 40-92 2

$124,900, Closing $$$, 2BR, 1BA Cabin. New Appliances, Cabinets, Carpet, Driveway. Cozy Cabin, Covered Porch, Deck, Shed, Level yard. CA7241150

Beautiful 5BR, 3.5BA, Colonial. Finished Basement, Screened in Back Porch, 2 Car Garage on Over 2 Acres! $489,000. SM7206122

y ALE2 R RA 17 BA904-2 R BA301-

Unbeatable Value on 2.24 Private Acres. 4BR, 2BA, Great Room, Dining Room, 2 Car Garage w/Attached Workshop. New Paint and Carpet. $369,000. SM7292847.

y ALE2 R RA 17 BA904-2 R BA301-

BEAUTIFUL all brick 3BR, 2 1/2 bathroom Rambler situated on 3 acres of land. Hardwood floors, basement with wood stove. Ready for new owners. $269,000. SM7226696

Bring Your Business Here Over 22,000 Residents/7000+ Households Within 5 Miles!** Lusby Town square shopping CenTer 2 MonTrhese! renCTall BroFker.

priCes reDuCeD!

ils for Deta

CHRIS MCNELIS, BROKER

410-610-4045 MOBILE • chris@mcnelisgroup.com ** Statistics from ecalvert.com Calvert County Department of Economic Development, Website with Demographic Information.

410-394-0990

info@mcnelisgroup.com 24 Thursday, May-2010