PRSTD STD US Postage Paid Permit No. 145 Waldorf, MD
Thursday, May 17, 2007 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland
Established 2006 • Volume 2 • Issue 20 • FREE
School Monsignor Harris Center Dedicated Bus Driver Archbishop of Washington Attends, Leads Congregation Charged for Sexually Explicit Messages to Students By Guy Leonard Staff Writer St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office investigators have charged a county public school system bus driver with allegedly using a cell phone to send sexually explicit messages to two teen-aged school girls while they were passengers on his bus route. In another incident, deputies say, Christopher P. Espina, 40, of Leonardtown allegedly used a portable DVD player to show a sexually explicit movie to three 17-year-old male passengers while Espina was operating the bus. Deputies also say Espina convinced one of the girls he reportedly illicitly text-messaged to skip school on one occasion. Charging documents from The District Court of St. Mary’s County state that these incidents involving Espina occurred over a five-month period between Jan. 1 and May 4. Investigators charged Espina with a criminal summons on five counts of possessing obscene matter with the intent to distribute and one count of contributing to the condition of a child. Lt. Rick Burris, commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, said investigators were searching for other potential victims. See Lewd Driver page A-
Photo by David McKay
Monsignor Harris and Archbishop of Washington Donald W. Wuerl lead parishioners and guests to the dedication.
On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, May 13, a day to celebrate the love and devotion of mother’s everywhere, a 317 year old catholic parish in Hollywood celebrated its devotion to faith and commitment in providing facilities and teachings to future generations of Catholics. After more than 10 years of planning, fundraising, and construction, St. John Francis Regis Church and School dedicated the new parish hall, appropriately named the hall the Monsignor Har-
ris Center in honor of Reverend Martin P. Harris, the beloved pastor at St. Johns from 1970 until his retirement in 2003. Monsignor Harris who still lives in St. Mary’s County was in attendance for the ceremony. Monsignor Harris also participated in the mass service immediately preceding the dedication ceremony. The new hall features a middle school size gymnasium, a stage, new kitchen facilities as well as several meeting rooms, all of which will
serve the daily needs of St. John’s School, established in 1923 as the first parochial school in St. Mary’s County. The hall will also serve the parish community’s many other social and religious needs. In attendance at Sunday’s mass and dedication was the new Archbishop of Washington, Donald W. Wuerl. Archbishop Wuerl was named See Dedication page A-
BOCC Index Charter School Finally Given Some Promising News Pass $60 By Adam Ross Staff Writer
WCAC Champs B-1
Lady Braves B-1
The Chesapeake Public Charter School has sailed through its fair share of stormy waters, but it finally drifted to port when the St. Mary’s Board of Education May 9 gave it the go-ahead to open in August. Charter school supporters cheered and cried when the announcement was made, as the board had insisted up to that point that “the school be successful in its very first day.” Community members and even Stacy Maffei, the charter’s school project director, had perceived the school board’s attitude as “less than supportive,” especially when they were put on probation last month for failing to meet several objectives. Among those missed goals, was a slowed fundrais-
ing effort, hampered by miscommunication between the charter’s organizers who in March didn’t know that they had to raise $120,000 by July 1st. At the time, Margaret Meringolo, a member of the charter’s governing board revealed the school had only raised $20,000. So last month, the school board handed down seven objectives to the charter, one of which required them to show that at least one of the applicants for education director was fully certified. If the objectives were not met, the school board was armed with the power to stop the charter dead in its tracks, at least for the year. But when the charter’s organizers were able to meet all of the objectives early this month, they we’re given the green light by Martirano to move forward for an August opening. “Our community deserves this,” said Superintendent See Charter School page A-
Op.-Ed ..........Page A - 4 Obits .............Page A - 6 Police ............Page B - 5 Classifieds.....Page B - 7
For Continual News Updates Visit: somd.com Local Weather Friday Few Showers 68° Saturday Mostly Sunny 74° Sunday Mostly Sunny 75°
Photo by Adam Ross
Workers paint the outside of the home for the new Chesapeake Public Charter School in Lexington Park. The work is scheduled to proceed close to the schools’ opening in August.
Trash Fee
By Adam Ross Staff Writer The St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners approved a new $60 trash fee Tuesday for all county residential properties, a move deemed its “only option” to balance a nearly $2 million deficit. The board meandered in silence for over a minute, before Commission President Francis Jack Russell (D- Piney Point) demanded a commissioner speak up and make a motion. “I don’t like this because I’ve criticized others for saying we don’t raise takes, but then raise fees,” said Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (DGreat Mills), “and here I’ve made the motion that I’ve criticized others for doing.” The $60 fee will impact all residential dwelling units after July 1, including individual apartment units, a measure that’s gone relatively under the radar with little negative feedback during this month’s public hearing. However unless amended, the fee will not be assessed to commercial property owners. Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D- Leonardtown) has been outspoken of the fact that “everyone” in the county be partners in paying the fee. Leonardtown on the other hand has requested it be exempted from the fee because it handles much of its own solid waste needs, but its residents are still to be charged. See $60 Trash Fee page A-
The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, May 17, 2007
In Your Community Theatre The Spring Ridge Drama Club is presenting Annie jr., an Encore Benefit Show, May 19 at 7 p.m. All proceeds go towards Relay For Life, with a charge of $4 at the door.
Memorial Day Service
A Memorial Day Service
will be conducted May 28, by the St. John Francis Regis Knights of Columbus Council #7914 at St. John Francis Regis Church and grounds. The memorial mass, to be celebrated by Fr. Ray Schmidt, will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by an outside program starting at 7 p.m. The guest speaker will be Wayne Karlin, local author, professor
and Vietnam veteran. Following the program, members of the Father Andrew White Assembly will lead the participants in a Living Rosary. In case of inclement weather, the program and Living Rosary will be held in the Monsignor Harris Center. All are welcome to attend to remember and honor our deceased veterans. Contact Chris Woehrer
for questions at cwoehrer@ yahoo.com.
Golf Tournament
St. Mary’s Ryken High School is hosting the 2nd annual Golf tournament taking place Thursday May 31st at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. The event will take place at Breton Bay Golf Course. For more information please
contact Jay Sothoron Jay Sothoron Assistant Athletic Director St. Mary’s Ryken Athletics Jsothoron@smrhs.org 240-925-2605.
Basket Bingo
Join the Piney Point Elementary School PTA for their Basket Bingo fundraiser on Friday, May 18, at 7 p.m., at the Valley Lee Fire House. Doors open at 6 p.m. The cost is $20.00 for regular books, with each additional book costing $5.00. Specials are four for $4.00 or $1.00 each. All children must be accompanied by
Sure Fine USDA Grade A “All Natural” Whole Chicken Legs, Drumsticks, or Thighs
79 cents per lb
The Shops at Breton Bay Leonardtown, MD 20650
301-997-1828 Route 5 & Mohawk Drive Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
301-884-5636 Wildewood Shopping Center California, MD 20619
301-866-5702
Sure Fine Meat Wieners Reg. or Jumbo 1lb. 69 cents USDA Select Boneless NY Strip Steaks $6.88 per lb Johnsonville Sausage Grillers Asst. Varieties 19.76oz. $3.99
an adult and must have their own ticket. All proceeds will benefit ongoing Piney Point E.S. PTA projects, including the new playground for students. For more details or to make reservations for a table of six or more people, please contact Ms. Kara Nelson at 301-884-7072 or karanelson@ verizon.net.
Cosmic Symphony
COSMIC symphony, your local community symphony orchestra, presents our Season Finale concerts on: Saturday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m. Performing Arts Center Huntingtown High School, Huntingtown, Md., and Sunday, May 20, at 3:00 p.m. Performing Arts Center Chopticon High School, Morganza, Md. This Season Finale concert features world-renowned pianist Shaun Tirrell performing the crowd pleaser Rhapsod in Blue. Few American compositions have captivated audiences like this Gershwin favorite and few pianists can engage and inspire audiences like Shaun Tirrell. As an added bonus, the noted piano maker, Mason and Hamilin, is bringing one of their fine instruments for Mr. Tirrell to perform on. This exciting event is not to be missed. COSMIC will also feature Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo (Love, the Magician), the shimmering, fiery, magical piece of ballet featuring flamenco dancer Tamara Sol and vocalist Monica Reinagel. COSMIC has again joined with local area students to engage them in the visual arts. Students were encouraged to listen to the Gershwin or de Falla pieces and provide their visual interpretation of their musical favorite. Last season’s gallery style exhibit brought more than 250 works of art, watercolors, oils, sculpture, and much more submitted by public and private school children as well as area home scholars. Tickets are available at Musically Yours, Allegro Music, and Strings Music in St. Mary’s County; Educate Celebrate, Periwinkle Place, Dickinson Jewelers, and Maerten’s Jewelers in Calvert County, or on-line at www.cosmicmusic.org. Email cosmic_orch@hotmail. com., or call (301) 373-5277 for more information about how you can support your local symphony orchestra.
Downtown Tunes
A summer of music begins in downtown Leonardtown May 26, when bluegrass and folk music on the Town Square kick off a series of four free early evening concerts scheduled in the town. The featured band will be The Smoke Creek Rounders, a bluegrass band made up of veteran local musicians Billy Thompson, Gary Rue and Bryan Deere. The rounders will play from around 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Downtown restaurants will be open during the events for take out and “grab and go” food, as well as indoor seating. For more information call Robin Guyther, chair, at 301-904-4452, or email to drguyther@cs.com.
Golf Tournament
Route 245 Hollywood, MD 20636
Kingsford Charcoal 18lb bag $6.99
Route 246 & Great Mills Rd. Lexington Park, MD 20653
Prices Effective 5/18/07
301-475-2531
301-862-7702
The Bay District Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its 11th annual golf tournament Monday, July 9, at Wicomico Shores Golf Course. Shotgun starts at 9 a.m., scramble – captain’s choice format at $65 a player. Cost includes fees, cart, lunch, beverages and prices. Open to the general public. For more information call Joe Cooper at 301-863-5362.
Christian Concert
St. Paul United Methodist Church Presents a Christian Concert for all ages featuring The Praise Team of Emmanuel Church. The concert is May 20th at 6 p.m., but doors open at 5:30 a.m. Donations will be accepted for Summer Youth Mission Trip. The church located on 11000 H.G. Trueman Road Lusby, Md. For more information call 301-326-4475.
The County Times
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Section A -
Hot Noodle or Hot Water? Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Second Offense in Two Months By Adam Ross Staff Writer Three new faces took the reigns of the St. Mary’s County Alcohol Beverage Board in May, and they were just in time to handle a sticky case with a repeat offender. The outgoing liquor board members received their service awards during the May 10 meeting as David and Lam Tran, owners of The Hot Noodle in California awaited their second hearing in two months for violations against their liquor license. The Trans pleaded guilty to allowing patrons to drink alcohol outside of the restaurant, but unlike last month they did not receive a penalty. The board voted two-to-one in favor of accepting the plea of guilty on both violations associated with the outside drinking, but with no fine or other measure because the brothers explained that a broken sink caused emergency flooding. “I can read the newspaper, I know you had come in last month,” said Anne Bailey in her first meeting as a liquor board member. “I would like to motion for no penalty, but
you really don’t need to be in here again.” Moses Saldana seconded the motion, while vice chairman Tom Sacks opposed, but did not give a reason for his dissent. Patrons and band members were funneled through the back hallway to the nearest exit during a busy Sunday night, while some of the evacuees still had beer bottles according to, Deputy David Corcoran, the deputy who reported the illegal activity. In what appeared to be a chaotic chain of events, the night the violations occurred, Jessica Griffin, a patron who frequented The Hot Noodle testified that she saw the water approaching from the back and took it upon herself to raise electrical extension chords out of harms way. “Me and another guy in the band were holding the extension chords and my pants were soaked almost to my knees,” said Griffin. “I saw it and just took it upon myself… Better I get electrocuted than everybody else.” Lam Tran said a sink that had been completely dislodged from the wall caused
the flooding, and that it was spewing hot steam into the air. David Tran called it “sabotage,” but didn’t know who would do such a thing. Sacks questioned the Trans’ story saying that it was inconceivable to him why people would evacuate through the back of the restaurant when hot steam was an obstacle. “Usually people run away from a fire, not towards it,” Sacks said as a point of reference. “They were running to the nearest exit,” said the Trans’ lawyer, Daniel Gunther, in response to Sacks’ questioning. “That’s what my mother taught me to do, I don’t know about yours.” The water took 30 to 40 minutes to clean up, according to Lam Tran, who attended to the mess while brother David stayed in the front of the restaurant. Deputy Corcoran returned to the scene at approximately the same time the water had been cleaned up, and on his second visit noted that “people in transit” only
New County Bus Route Denied Again By Adam Ross Staff Writer For the third straight year, the Maryland Transit Association denied the county funding for a new Western bus route on its St. Mary’s Transit System (STS), according to George Erichsen, director of Public Works and Transportation. STS is the subject of various cutbacks and reorganization efforts as the state and county struggle to balance their budgets. However the Western route was not the only scrapped item from the system; a portion of the Northern route into Golden Beach was discontinued. “MTA is saying there is no new funds,” said Jacqueline Fournier, transportation manager for DPWT. “So there
is no money to do [the western route].” The announcement came Tuesday at the weekly St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, where Erichsen also said that the county’s three Job Access Routes would continue to run through the next fiscal year. “You think the state is putting pressure on you,” Commissioner Daniel H. Raley said to Erichsen (D- Great Mills), “wait until next year.” Route adjustments are constantly taking place, according to Erichsen, who said it’s one of the few things STS can do to balance the supply and demand of the system. Last year, STS had 47,164 riders, according to Fournier, and this year the system is primed to surpass that margin.
$60 Trash Fee Continued from page A- “I’m going to vote for the motion, but very reluctantly,” said Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D- Leonardtown), “because I still believe strongly the residents of Leonardtown are paying their share, and I think everybody should be players.” If the county were to assess the fee to the 1,243 commercial properties throughout the county at $115 cost per (the proposed rate) it would raise roughly $143,000, according to George Erichsen, director of Public Works and Transportation. And if the fee excluded Leonardtown it would not affect the bottom line, which is to raise $1.8 to $1.9 million, said Erichsen. “When I came today I had the intention of voting against this,” said Mattingly. “But there is a big whole in our budget that will get worse next year.” “I don’t have a solution for this one, other than a fee,” added Commissioner Larry Jarobe (R- Golden Beach). Raley said there was little the county could do because the cost for handling solid waste was going up. Calvert
and Charles counties have implemented similar fees to offset their budget deficits. The county operates six trash convenience centers around the county. The fee could also be used to offset costs for a new commercial
One of the least popular options to sustain and grow STS is through rate increases. According to Erichsen, MTA envisions certain routes of STS to one day be self-sustaining. The two most germane options to foster that reality and lessen the burden on the state are to proceed with the rate increases, or somehow increase profitability through ridership. “I doubt we will be changing fares,” said Fournier to The County Times, “besides we would have to have public hearings and go through the whole process before we were to do that.” Instead, Fournier said DPWT would continue to strategize and reinvent better routes, and increase advertising. A new Freedom Grant,
hauling transfer station slated for construction on St. Andrews Landfill, said Erichsen. Three speakers opposed the fee at the public hearing earlier this month.
Photo by Adam Ross
Lawyer Daniel Gunther (far left) represents owners Lam and David Tran of The Hot Noodle in California, as they sit before the board for the second straight month because of violations against their liquor license.
appeared to be in the same back area where the violation had occurred. Corcoran said that during his first stop to the restaurant there were 15 to 20 people, some drinking, however he did not write a citation because he had to respond to an emergency simulcast. “On my return there was people coming and going, maybe with drinks but I didn’t
take much note once I saw instruments,” said Corcoran. “I chalked it up to bands coming and going.” The incident occurred around midnight, according to Corcoran’s report. When Corcoran first approached The Hot Noodle, he testified that a witness came up to him and said, “Something was going on.” Corco-
ran conceded that an emergency situation could have occurred upon his initial visit. The Liquor Board found the Trans’ guilty last month of serving alcohol past its closing hours of 1:30 a.m. The owners were given a $200 fine and a 1 a.m. curfew for 90 days starting on April 12.
which addresses the transportation needs of seniors and the disabled is another possibility that the county will look to seize for the implementation of the Western route, said Fournier. “We’re trying to see how we can apply for that,” added Fournier. “The need is there.” Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R- Golden Beach) said utilizing the Statewide Special Transportation Assistance
Program (SSTAP) - which provides bus service to over 17,000 seniors in the community – could be one way to pick up the pieces of the discontinued Northern route. “There’s got to be something that can be done,” said Jarboe. Fournier said hopefully in the next few months her office would be able to identify if SSTAP would be a viable option, and hold the mandatory
public hearings. The Job Access routes provide over 3,000 unemployed and underemployed residents bus service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The program was implemented in August of 2006 and is funded by federal, state and county monies. Ridership for Job Access I and II has increased overall by 4 percent since its inception last year.
Whether they’re in the market for a new home, apartment, condo or co-op, people still turn to the Classifieds first. Why advertise your goods and services in The County Times Classifieds? • Over 11,000 eyes will see your ad. • Readers are actively looking for your listing. • Potential buyers can clip and save your ad. So the next time you want to sell something fast, get it in writing... Get it in the Classifieds! The County Times Classifieds 301-373-4125
The County Times
Section A -
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Editorial & Opinion very complicated and costly policy called TDR’s. They seek to make this program no longer a voluntary program; all property owners would be required to participate. To sum up this complicated program, a property owner would be allowed to have just one home on his or her property no matter the size of the property. If a home exists today, then your current limit has been meet. To build an additional home or homes a property owner would be required to use up to three TDR’s for each home depending upon how many homes you wish to build. TDR’s could be purchased from other property owners at a price estimated to be $15,000 to $20,000 each. If you cannot find a willing seller you could simply pay an equal amount to the county along with all your other fees required to build a home on your property. The effect of this new policy will be to add $20,000
to $60,000 to the cost of a new home today. A few years from now, it is believed by many this policy change could add as much as $75,000 to $100,000 additional to the cost of a home in the Rural Preservation District. The Commissioners are also contemplating raising the impact fee charged for each new home. As the cost of housing continues to climb beyond the reach of many people, our community must ask the question, what kind of community do we intend to leave for our children? This policy change will mean that only upper income people will be able to afford to live in 77% of St. Mary’s County. Middle and lower income people will be forced to live in the Lexington Park development district that has a very limited amount of available land left to be built upon. To provide the future housing for middle and lower income population, mostly townhouses and apartment buildings will have to be clustered onto what is left of Lexington Park, years from now creating a quality of life that threatens the stability of our community as well as our primary employer, the Navy base. Schools in the Rural
Preservation District will become the schools of the rich as schools in the development district will be crowded with children who’s parents simply cannot afford to live outside that school district. Some say it is the price we must pay to keep growth under control. But growth in St. Mary’s County has always parlayed growth at PAX River Naval Base. As PAX goes, so St. Mary’s goes. And what will PAX do when the cost of housing in St. Mary’s is beyond the reach of young engineers needed to do the work at PAX?
box or front stoop. Plant these in the Spring, Summer and Fall. It is amazing how quick and easy you can have that curb appeal that is so important. How about a fresh coat of paint on the front door? Maybe get up there and clean the gutters while getting at the windows. There are other chores that you should keep up with as well. Cut the grass, fix the broken swing set, or get rid of it. Caulk the bathroom tub. It leaks onto the floor and could build up a mold problem that would be really expensive to fix, and potentially kill any deal to sell.
Once you take care of curb appeal, how about looking at the kitchen? Is it up to date? What can you do to bring it up to date with out spending too much money. How about make-overs? Don’t replace the cabinets, try getting them refaced. New handles, and knobs are easy to do and can make quite the impact. If you do not have a lot of counter space do you have room for a kitchen Island? Try one on wheels. It can be brought out when needed for big dinners or put away neatly when not needed. This may seem like a lot of work, but if you are going
to count on your home being an investment, than you better take care of it. For more home maintenance notes, e-mail me at patrick.dugan@obrienrealty. com, remember to put County Times in the subject line.
New TDR Proposal Will Do More Harm Than Good The Board of Commissioners for St. Mary’s County are once again proposing to take away from home buyers another piece of the free market and replace it with a complicated government devised method of controlling the housing market. The policy, know as Transfer of Development Rights (TDR’s) in and of itself is not new. A TDR program exists today and is generally a voluntary program designed to allow property owners who wish to increase the number of homes they are allowed to build on a given piece of property from one home per 5 acres to one home per 3 acres. To do so however, the property owner is required to purchase development rights from another property owner in the county, thereby preserving more land from future development while providing increased number of homes on property that is to be developed anyway. St. Mary’s County con-
sists of approximately 230,799 acres of land. Approximately 79% of that or approximately 182,000 acres is Resource Lands. That means it is either currently Agricultural, Forested, or Wetlands. Approximately 21% of the total land or approximately 48,000 acres is currently residential or nonresidential developed land. Most communities want reasonable controls placed on private property so that the community can grow at an acceptable rate and still provide every property owner with some development rights. It is unconstitutional for government to take away private property rights entirely. St. Mary’s County, through its current land use plans has designated 77% of the land in the county as Rural Preservation District. That is 178,000 acres of the county’s total of 230,000 acres. Those property owners are allowed to build one home per five acres of property. Nearly 10% of the Rural
Preservation land is currently under some type of government protection program including TDR’s, MALPF, Rural Legacy and Environmental Trusts. Nearly 24% of the Rural Preservation land is designated as being in the Critical Areas, which means those property owners, are allowed one home per twenty acres of property. With close to 34% of the land in the Rural Preservation District that is planned at one home per five acres actually falling under a more restrictive density because of other programs, the effective density of 77% of the land in St. Mary’s County is no greater than one home per seven acres. Now the Commissioners want to increase the required land to build one home in the Rural Preservation District to what effectively amounts to one home per twelve and a half acres. The biggest problem is they aren’t simply saying and doing that, they seek to accomplish this through a
Besides, the statistics clearly show, growth is already slowed significantly under the current regulations. It would appear that St. Mary’s County is now growing at a rate of less than 2% per year. Short of a significant change at PAX, it appears that rate will continue to go down into the future, how much lower can it go before our economy will begin to show negative gains? The TDR proposal being considered by the Commissioners is complicated, costly, and does more to control who lives where than it does to control growth.
Take Care of Your Home
“Let me ask you a question” that is how it always start. Any party, or gathering, a child’s soccer game or a play, some parent walks up and says, “Let me ask you a question…how is the real estate market doing?” Everybody wants to know how much their house
is worth. Even if they have no intention of selling anytime soon. People always want to know what they could get by selling their home. It is as if they think of their home as an investment as well as a place of shelter. Well, I can tell you all, that the way to keep your house value high, is to take care of your home. We all live in our homes and therefore the day to day routine takes wear and tear on a home. There are many simple jobs that can really help you move your house before the guy down the street however. If you can find the time
and the money have your carpets cleaned at least once a year. This extra cleaning will increase the life of your carpet and give a good impression when potential buyer’s come through. Clean those windows. Really clean them, inside and out. You need to do this at least twice a year. Spring and Fall are always good times. If you cannot get to all your windows, hire somebody to do it. A nice set of clean windows will really brighten up your home. Go to the local home improvement store and get some flowers for your yard, window
Can Farmers Remain a Strong Part of American Soil? Is the American farmer facing extinction? Reports from top agricultural researchers and organizations say they just may be. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are 1.912 million farms in operation. The numbers are down from the last Census of Agriculture taken in 1992. The 1.9 million farms represents the lowest number in operation since 1850, when there were 1.4 million farms. Devastating natural disasters that struck prime farm land this past year, as well as the lure of easier, more lucrative
salaries, could be the culprit. According to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Louisiana farmers continue to pick themselves up and wring themselves out from the onetwo punch Hurricanes Rita and Katrina delivered to the state in August and September of 2005. While the rest of the country is focused on placing blame for the mass destruction the hurricanes caused, local farmers are quietly getting back to business. In fact, despite the hurricanes, “the year saw bumper crops in soybeans, grain sorghum,
cotton and corn. In fact, the cotton crop was the second highest on record, and soybeans and milo yields were the highest ever recorded in Louisiana,” the federation reports. Despite the weather tragedies, it seems farming will remain strong in Louisiana. FARMING BUSINESS
IS
BIG
The drop in U.S. farms is baffling when you take into consideration that consumers spend $547 billion for food originating on U.S. farms and
Hospice Thanks McKay Family To The Editor The Board of Directors of Hospice of St. Mary’s would like to publicly thank the McKay family of McKay’s Fine Food and Pharmacy for holding a sneak preview party at the beautiful new Leonardtown store. This event was held as a fundraiser for Hospice in April and raised in excess of $6,000, while invited guest enjoyed a tour of the store along with fabulous
food, wine and music. Hospice is looking for more community involvement. Most of us have been touched in one way or another by this wonderful organization. Our groundbreaking ceremony for our much needed Hospice House in Callaway recently took place and we are asking the community to continue to help raise funds to make this house a reality. Please contact Hospice if you can help.
The Hospice Board of Directors: Jan Barns, Beth CooperJoseph, David Spore, Eve Love, Vince Merz, Jennifer Overstreet, Maria Mrogan, Pam Veitch and Kathy Franzen, Director. Pam Veitch Lexington Park, MD
ranches, according to American Farm Bureau findings. This billion-dollar industry should result in careers in agriculture being in top demand. However, farming is often a long and thankless job full of 12-hour days. Children of farmers may be more inclined to leave the farm life and pursue office jobs or those in the tech industry, which may garner higher wages with less work. Such is the case for many Hmong, an ethnic minority group from Southeast Asia who are farming in California. Older farmers who emigrated to the United States didn’t have the opportunity to attend school, so they made a living through farming - skills they learned in Asia. Howev-
er, younger generations have the opportunity for schooling and are abandoning their farming roots. In general, however, reports point to farming still as a career of interest. A recent survey of America’s young farmers and ranchers revealed that 97.2 percent planned to farm and ranch for life. And 90 percent said they would like their children to follow in their footsteps. EDUCATION IS KEY WITH F A R M I N G OPERATIONS
computer-driven precision farming leading the way for more efficient practices and higher yields. Today’s farmers are college-educated with experience and certificates in agricultural chemical use. Their business savvy allows farms to run on a true business model and example for other entrepreneurs. By embracing technology, farmers are showing they can compete with the other top careers that may seem more appealing to newer generations. Perhaps only time will tell if localbased farming will continue to thrive in this country.
Technology is being employed on today’s farms, with
Letters to the Editor If you wish to send a letter to the editor, please include your name, address and phone number for confirmation purposes. We will only publish your name and city of residence. We can withhold your name by request if circumstances merit it. We must receive all letters by Monday morning for publication in the next issue. Any letter received later than Monday will be held for the following issue.
James Manning McKay - Publisher Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Adam Ross - Government Correspondent...............adamross@countytimes.net Andrew Knowlton - Sports Correspondent....... andrewknowlton@countytimes.net
P.O. Box 250 • Hollywood, Maryland 20636
Guy Leonard - Community Correspondent................guyleonard@countytimes.net
News, advertising, circulation, classifieds: 301-373-4125
Jimmy Hayden - Advertising Director...............jimmyhayden@countytimes.net Eileen McDonald - Advertising Rep...............eileenmcdonald@countytimes.net
The County Times
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Ramblings of a Country Girl Photo by Adam Ross
Can I Get A Thank You? Terri Bartz Bowles Whatever happened to those two little words that convey so much, the simple thank you? It seems the phrase is an endangered species in the retail and service worlds. The lack of thank you from the store or merchant at the end of a transaction amazes me.
This trend has been on the upswing for quite a few years but that doesn’t make it less disturbing. If I am patronizing a business and spending my money, it stands to reason that the merchant should thank me for my business. It’s common courtesy and common business sense. But it just doesn’t
happen very often any more. In fact, it’s so rare that it particularly strikes me when I do receive thanks for my patronage. What has changed in the world that this simple business courtesy has gone by the wayside? Businesses obviously have to train their employees, but apparently their training does not include a very simple
“always thank the customer”. “Have a nice day” has partially replaced thank you. Of course, it doesn’t convey the same message but it’s better than the grunt one sometimes receives. Silence is rather common too; I always enjoy having my change and/ or receipt thrust towards me with no verbal exchange. And
Mobil Home Residents on the Move County Seeks to Assist Soon to be Displaced Residents By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The St. Mary’s County government is seeking money from state and federal sources to help with the relocation of two mobile home parks, but some residents there have either found a new home or are actively looking before getting county assistance. County officials say that they are willing to help as much as they can with the relocation of residents but that those living in the National and White Oak mobile home parks in Lexington Park should start looking for their own options as well. The Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing May 15 where they received strong approval from residents of both trailer parks to apply for about $360,000 in grant money from the state to
help relocate about 160 households in both parks. County Administrator John Savich, in an earlier interview, said the relocation funds would help but he also encouraged residents to seek help from the new property owners. “Anytime you can take matters into your own hands [in finding a new home] you should do it,” Savich said. “But there will [also] be assistance from the developers and they should take any help they can get.” Thomas Builders of Leonardtown, which plans to redevelop the White Oak Park with 70 single-family homes, is offering each household $3,100 to help them relocate. CRG of Potomac, which now owns the National mobile home site and plans to turn it into a commerce center, has not responded to inquiries from the County Times on
Charter School
how much it plans to assist residents. But residents say they are receiving help in the form of finding a new place to live. “They’re [CRG] trying to work with people, it’s just slow,” said Roland Kelley, who lives in National with his wife and child. Richard Eshelman, of Advanced Management Services, which is running the White Oak park, said that families are already moving out with the assistance of the developer. “There’s been no trouble with these moves,” Eshelman said. “We’re easing our way into this.” Eshelman said that three families are preparing to move into St. Clements Landing Mobile Home Park on Great Mills Road and one has already made the transition. “There are mobile home
parks working with us to adapt to take in this community,” Eshelman said. Some residents have claimed that moving a trailer could cost much more than the $3,100 Thomas Builders is offering, but Eshelman said the cost of relocation could only be determined on a case by case basis and that the developer did not have unlimited funds to help. He added that Advanced Management Services and the developer are informing residents of their moving options, including other trailer courts and places to get monetary assistance in the little less than one year’s time the park is to be demolished and redeveloped. But residents are not feeling any adverse pressure to move, he said. “[Residents] can stay until the last day,” Eshelman
Section A - I can’t decide what’s worse – the clerk carrying on a conversation with someone else while waiting on me or the clerk simply making no visual or verbal contact with me. Do they think if they ignore me, I’ll just go away and leave them alone? Do they think I entered the store not to make a necessary purchase, but simply to bother them and force them to do their job? Recently, while completing my transaction at a large chain store, the cashier wasn’t even going to tell me how much I owed. If I don’t know how much I owe, how can I pay? The light bulb finally went off when the clerk, after looking at everyone in near proximity save myself, saw me standing there with my wallet in hand, looking at him expectantly. He stated the amount and immediately looked away. Finally he turns around and saw me standing there with money in hand. He deigned to take my money and by this time is convinced, judging by the look on his face, that I am the most annoying customer he has ever dealt with. He shoved my change towards me and, you guessed it, didn’t part his lips. I’m sure I would have fallen over from
shock if he had uttered a thank you. Perhaps he was waiting for me to thank him but I assure you, that would be a long wait indeed. I have noticed that many customers thank the clerk but this is so backward! It seems we have a sense that somebody should say thank you and so the customer has taken on the task. Some clerks say “have a nice day” or “here you go” and then the customers says thank you. WHAT?! The customer is now thanking the merchant for taking their money. Or maybe they’re thanking the cashier for wishing them a nice day. I don’t know, it just doesn’t make sense to me. And what’s up with “here you go” – is that shorthand for take your receipt and leave so I can be rude to the next customer I have to deal with? Maybe I’m confused, but dealing with the customers is your job and you’re getting paid to do it. I will not say thank you to a cashier or clerk just because they wish me a nice day; I will say thank you when I have received good service. When I get the ‘have a nice day’ line, I simply say “you too”. And that brings about all I wanted to hear in the first place – the clerk saying thank you to me!
said of the April 10 date when his management contract runs out. “The builder is not pushing anybody out.” Still some White Oak residents are wondering what they will do before the year deadline is up. John Shirghio has lived there with his wife and daughter for the past five years and is not pleased with the prospect of having to move. “They’re telling us that they’re doing what they can to help us out, but [the requirement to move] sucks,” Shirghio said. “We wouldn’t have moved here five years ago if we knew we’d have to leave.” His wife, Amity Davis, shared his sentiment. She did not like the idea of moving to St. Clements Landing because of fears of high crime on the site and poor schools in the neighborhood for her child. “If we move to another trailer park, how do we know we’ll be able to stay there?” Davis said. “This could happen all over again.” At National Mobile Home Park, residents are also moving quickly according to one resident who said she is also looking to move soon. “It’s going to be hard because people are on a very
low income,” said Renae Hall, a 12-year resident of the park that sits right next to White Oak. “There are seven or eight families that I know of that have already moved out.” It was difficult to find a place to live, Hall said, because of her less than pristine credit. And she said that CRG was offering to give her money to assist with the move but she said the company would not give it over until she signed an agreement to set a certain moving date. She said she would not sign because she had not received confirmation on a trailer she was looking to move into. “The moving is like a nightmare,” Hall said. “I never thought I’d have to move out of this place.” Commissioner Daniel Raley (D-Great Mills) sympathized with the dilemma the residents of both parks face but said the county would do all it could to ease the transition. “We’ve heard you and we understand the situation you’re in,” Raley told a packed hearing room Tuesday. “[It’s] causing a tremendous amount of stress on you and we know that.”
Chamber Awards Local Businesses
Continued from page A- Michael J. Martirano, “they deserve a charter school.” Bill Mattingly, the school board’s vice chair said he is still concerned with the charter’s ability to raise more than $100,000 every year, adding that he didn’t want the school to be a “one-year wonder.” That attitude from Mattingly and other board members has led to several e-mails to the school board and Martirano expressing contempt for the board’s stance on the school. One e-mail claimed that if the school were not successful it would be from a lack of support from the board of education and Martirano. Mattingly challenged the tone of the e-mails, but Maffei agreed with them. “At times, the board has been less than supportive,” Maffei said of her and the community’s concerns. “Especially at the board meeting
that they handed down probation. It wasn’t the fact that they put us on probation that caused the concern, but the attitude and comments.” The completion of the school on time is still not guaranteed, although according to charter organizers construction is on schedule. The interior of the building is scheduled to be finished in early June, according to Maffei. However, exterior work could drag on into the early days of August, she said. The school is scheduled to open Aug. 13 with approximately 160 students in grades kindergarten through five. “Construction is well underway,” said Maffei, “we don’t foresee any problems.” Students were chosen in a raffle already completed earlier this year. The school will be the very first public charter school in St. Mary’s County.
By Adam Ross Staff Writer It is a risk many people are unwilling to take, but for those who become entrepreneurs, the rewards can far exceed monetary gains. Four local business owners tasted the satisfaction Wednesday of being recognized for their hard work, as the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce presented four distinguished and unique awards at its fifth annual Business Showcase at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center. The awards recognized ingenuity, community service, growth and industry excellence in small and large business settings. Hilltop Graphics, owned by Carol and Tom Davis, won the Beacon Award; Innovative Technical Consulting, LLC (ITC), owned by Karen and Scott Raley, won the Emerging Business Award; Research and Engineering Development, owned in part by Karen Garner, won the Lighthouse Award; and CMI General Contractors Inc., owned by John Parlett, won the Community Service Award. “Awards are a way to recognize businesses representing excellence,” said Philip C.
Riehl, chairman of the chamber, to representatives from 50 member businesses and local political and government figures. The Lighthouse and Beach Awards have the same criteria, but differ only in company size. All the awards require at least four years of being in business, and that the owner(s) have Chamber membership. Research and Engineering Development grew from a two-person company in 1998 to more than 56 employees in 2007 with annual revenues of $24 million. The company has become a successful prime contractor with the Navy, providing engineering and programmatic support services while specializing in crew systems integration and human engineering design. “It’s not the owners that make this company successful,” said Garner as she accepted the Lighthouse award, “it’s the aggregate of employees that work every day… Our most valuable asset as a company is our people.” Hilltop Graphics, on the other hand, was started on evenings and weekends in the Davis’ home with a Tandy computer, a nine-pin printer and a catalog for wedding invitations. Since then, the
business has moved from an 1100 square foot home addition to its own retail space in Leonardtown. This multifaceted company evolved into a true family business when with their children Mike and Emily joined the team. “When we started it was with the intent to stay home with the children,” said Carol Davis. “It took 10 years to do that. We had a lot of struggle getting where we are today.” ITC, winner of the Emerging Business Award, won a subcontract role supporting the Navy’s Engineering Division at Patuxent River. During the past three years, ITC has tripled in size and fostered business relationships throughout Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. In addition to those honored for their entrepreneurial success, CMI General Contractors, also a member of the chamber, won the Community Service Award for “its support of local and charitable causes and their impact on our citizens.” Parlett bought the company in 1983, according to the chamber’s business showcase handout. Since its inception, Parlett’s organization has contributed in excess of $100,000 raised by its annual golf tournament, which benefits the
county government’s Christmas in April program. The company has also financially supported and sponsored Alternatives for Youth and Families, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Fire/Rescue Appreciation Day, the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department, the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad, the Southern Maryland Child Resource Center, St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, St. Mary’s County Soil Conservation District Envirothon, Walden Sierra and more. “I have the benefit to be out-front, but only because of the great people back at the office,” said Parlett. “We don’t give back for the recognition.” In addition to the awards ceremony and luncheon, the showcase offered a variety of seminars from how to handle difficult employees to developing a business plan. Over 50 booths were set up around the education center so industry executives and employees could mingle, learn and network. “We the chamber need to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit,” added Riehl.
The County Times
Thursday Section A May - 17, 2007
Obituaries Elizabeth Abell, 85 Agnes “Bessie” Elizabeth Abell, 85, of California, Md., died May 11, 2007 in Bayside Care Center, Lexington Park, Md. Born June 24, 1921 in Leonardtown, Md., she was the daughter of the late Louis C. and Mammie Jones Morgan. She was preceded in death by her husband John “Combs” Abell on May 10, 1985, whom she married on November 24, 1936. She is survived by her children: Raymond Abell of Leonardtown, Md.; Pat Goldsborough and her husband Bobby of Hollywood, Md.; Jane Jameson and her husband Allen of California, Md.; and J.C. Abell of California, Md.; 12 grandchildren, eight + great grandchildren and step grandchildren. Ms. Abell was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident and homemaker for the majority of her life. She also worked outside of the home as a private daycare provider, assembly line worker and cleaning service worker. She enjoyed spending time with all of her family and especially her great grandchildren. She enjoyed the following interests and hobbies: gardening/ farming, jigsaw puzzles, crocheting, watching NASCAR and Cops on TV, listening to country and bluegrass music, playing cards, listening to the scanner and cooking. She cherished the moments spent with her family and the many heartfelt conversations over coffee. The family received friends on Monday, May 14 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, May 15 in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md., with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, Md. Pallbearers were her grandsons and great grandsons: Tom Jameson; Robbie Jameson; Ray Goldsborough; Christopher Quade; Casey Quade; Tyler Gladu; Brady Jameson; and Cody Jameson. Honorary Pallbearers were: Donald Gladu and Kyle Gladu. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Dorothy Ann BarberLowe, 68 Dorothy Ann BarberLowe, 68, of California, MD died May 12, 2007 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown, Md. Born August 11, 1938 in Great Mills, Md, she was
the daughter of the late Francis Barber and Catherine (Whalen) Barber. The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 19, 2007 from 9-10 a.m. in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, Lexington Park, Md., where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Reverend Jack Keneally will be the celebrant. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, Md. Condolences to the family may be left at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. A full obituary will appear at a later date.
William Ray “Bill” Boggs, Sr., 70 William Ray “Bill” Boggs, Sr., 70, Hollywood, Md., and formerly of West Virginia, died May 14, 2007 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center. Born August 19, 1936 in West Virginia, he was the son of Lona Boggs of La Plata, Md. and the late Andrew Boggs. He was the loving husband of Mary Virginia Gardiner Boggs, whom he married on September 28, 1958 in St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Waldorf, Md. He is survived by his children; Kathleen Woodington and Karen Buckler, both of Mechanicsville, Md., William R. Boggs, Jr. of Woodbridge, Va. and Matthew Boggs of Great Mills, Md., Siblings; Robert L. Boggs of New Bern, N.C., Burkey Boggs and Jacqueline Clipper, both of La Plata, Md., and nine grandchildren. Having spent his childhood, in West Virginia, he moved to Maryland and graduated from La Plata High School, Class of 1954. He was employed with Suburban Propane as a Commercial Sales Rep. for 43 years. Bill was a member of Knights of Columbus, St. John Francis Regis Council #7914 and held many different offices in Scouting when his boys were in Scouts. He enjoyed making rosaries, woodworking, quilting and gardening. Bill was known as a good man for his integrity, for his love of his wife and family and for his knowledge of the L.P. gas business. He will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 16 at the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home from 5-8 p.m. with prayers being said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, May 17 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 J. Louis Mattingly, Jr., Raymond Dicus, Lenny Guy, James Long, William Sneeringer and David Gardiner. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandchildren. Contributions may be made to St. John’s Building Fund, P.O. Box 69, Hollywood, Md. 20636 and/or St. Mary’s Nurs-
ing Center Foundation, 21585 Peabody Street, Leonardtown, Md. 20650. Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.
Brenda Joyce Garber, 60 Brenda Joyce Garber, 60, of Great Mills, Md., died on May 7, 2007 in George Washington University Hospital, Washington, D.C. Born April 25, 1947 in Reading, PA, she was the daughter of the late William Dundore and Helen Harter Dundore. She is survived by her husband, David Leroy Garber, her daughter, Janet Cooper, both of Great Mills, Md., sisters, Anita Mehle of Florida, Darlene Edwards and Melissa Heffleberger, both of Reading, Pa., brother, Douglas Dundore of Vienna, Austria and two grandchildren. A Memorial Service was conducted on Tuesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in Leonardtown Baptist Church, Leonardtown, Md. Interment was private. Memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, St. Mary’s County, Unit 350, P.O. Box 1032, Lexington Park, Md. 20653. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Md. 20650.
Murray Edwin Jackson, 89 Murray Edwin Jackson, 89, of Leonardtown, Md. died May 14, 2007 in Wash i ngton Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. Born October 30, 1917 in Eldorado, Ill., he was the son of the late Ado Marion and Maud Ann (Stinson) Jackson and husband of the late Kathleen (Zeller) Jackson. For funeral arrangements please call the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. at 301-475-5588. Condolences to the family may be left at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. A full obituary will appear at a later date.
Frances Estelle Smallwood, 80 Frances Estelle Smallwood, 80, of Hollywood, MD died May 6, 2007 in Bay Health Medical Center, Dover, Del. Born December 10, 1926 in Leonardtown, Md., she was the daughter of the late Mary Essie Wilson and John L. Milburn. She was baptized and married at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Estelle was a life long resident of Hollywood, Md. until recently when she moved with her family to Richmond, Va. and to her last home in Dover, Del. Though Estelle was
Section -1 Thursday, May 17, A 2007
older in age, she was willing to make these travels in an effort to be close to her family whom she loved immensely. A fearless woman, Estelle, also made her first flight in 2001 at the age 74 to see her grandson’s First Holy Communion in Chicago, Ill. What a traveler she had become! Estelle worked at the Old St. Mary’s Academy for many years, before becoming a housewife and watching over many of her nieces, nephews and cousins. She especially enjoyed caring for her granddaughter and cousin, Marlon Stuart, for whom she planned many fun activities over the summer. She was also a foster mother for many years. You could always find Estelle playing cards with family and friends; working in her garden; watching a Redskins game with her grandson; shopping with her granddaughter; eating crabs with her daughter and son-in law; and playing with Midnite, the family dog who she simply adored. Estelle also enjoyed exercising and was always walking or riding her exercise bike (which she rode daily for 30 minutes)! She was also a devoted wife and took excellent care of her husband during his lengthy stay at the nursing home until his passing in 2005. Estelle enjoyed her independence at her apartments in Richmond, VA and Dover, Del. and made several close friends whom she cherished. She leaves behind to mourn in her loving memory one daughter, Frances Smallwood Lynah and her husband, Frank Casey Lynah, Jr. of Dover, Del., one granddaughter, Shauniqua Marie Lynah of Silver Spring, Md., and one grandson, Frank “Trey” Casey Lynah III of Dover, Del., one sister, Susie May Curtis of Clinton, Md., and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Estelle was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, George Harry Smallwood, her son, Joseph Warren Wilson, two brothers, Walter Wilson and James Wilson, and a brother-in-law, Robert “Bear” Curtis. The family received friends Friday, May 11 from 10-11 a.m. in St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, Md., where a Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated. Father John Dakes was the celebrant. Interment followed in Queen of Peace Cemetery, Helen, Md. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Md. 20650.
Dorothy Elizabeth Thomas, 92 Dorothy Elizabeth Thomas, 92, of Mechanicsville, Md. died May 14, 2007 in Bayside Care Center. Born January 15, 1915 in Everett, Wash., she was the daughter of the late Steven Clement and Maria Caroline Parvianen Marvin. The family will receive friends on Friday, May 18 from 5-8 p.m. at the Mattingley- Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, Md.,
where prayers will be said at 7 p.m.. A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday May 19 at 10 a.m. in Christ Episcopal Church, Chaptico, Md. with Fr. William Jessee Neat officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. A full obituary will appear at a later date.
Joseph Franklin Twilley, 72 J o s e p h Frank l in Tw i l l e y , 72, of Holly wood, Md., died on May 10, 2007 at St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown, Md. Born on April 2, 1935 in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Baltimore, Md. he was the son of the late James Franklin and Lydia Jane Bowie Twilley. He was the loving husband of Ada M. Joy whom he married on June 16, 2001 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Hollywood, Md. He is survived by two sisters; Alma Anderson of St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown, Md. and Ruby Dobson of Wilmington, NC, seven stepchildren; Linda L. Gray and her husband Charles of Hollywood, Md., Diane J. Dixon and her husband William R. Dixon, Jr. of Lexington Park, Md., Bonnie S. Pineiro and her husband Rafael of Mirimar, Fl., M. Calvin Joy and his wife Patricia of Hollywood, Md., Nancy D. Burroughs of Pomfret, Md., David A. Joy and his wife Inger of Plattsburg, N.Y., and Tammy J. Barrows of Callaway, Md., 12 step-grandchildren and nine step-great-grandchildren. Joe was preceded in death by his former wife Bessie Burroughs Twilley and is survived by other step-children and grandchildren from that marriage. He was preceded in death by his four sisters; Elizabeth Bunch, Agnes Wise, Dorothy Russell and Gracia Wise. Mr. Twilley was raised on St. George’s Island where in his youth he was a waterman. He retired from Capital Hill Government. He liked country and bluegrass music, dancing and playing cards. He also enjoyed selling fish and produce while meeting many people from all over the Southern Maryland and D.C. area. The family received friends on Friday, May 11 from 5-8 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, Md. where prayers were said. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, May 12 at 10 a.m. in St. John’s Catholic Church, Hollywood, Md. with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, Md. Pallbearers were Joseph Nelson, David Duckett, Charles Thompson, Roger Lee Burroughs, James F. Burroughs and Larry Morgan. Contributions may be made to St. Mary’s Hospice, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, Md; Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box
7, Hollywood, MD 20636; or Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 79, Hollywood, MD 20636. Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Md.
Neola Willis Bolinger, 92 Ne ola Willis Bolinger, of Chaptico, Md. lovingly known by family and friends as “Nolie” died Friday, May 11, 2007 at the St. Mary’s Nursing Home in Leonardtown, Md. She was 92 years old. Born July 29, 1914 in Washington, D.C. to the late Richard and Emma Waldron. Nolie and her husband Bob moved from Arlington, Va. to Waldorf, Md. in 1960. She became very active in community and civic affairs. She was a charter member of the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Waldorf, Md. where she taught the confirmation class for about 20 years. In 1970 Nolie was named the Woman of the Year by the Waldorf Lions Club. This led her to being named Maryland’s “Mother of the Year”. She was active in the Waldorf Homemakers Club, the Charles County Antique Arts Association, organizer of the Southern Maryland Doll Club and a member of the Girls Scouts for 35 years. She started the original troops in Southern Maryland. She enjoyed reading and doing Scherenschnitte, an intricate paper cutting. Each year, she designed and cut her own Christmas cards. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Robert C. “Bob” Bolinger and her sister Virginia Ricketts. She is survived by her daughters Linda Wolfe of Chaptico, Md. and Nancy Bolinger of Jacksonville, N.C.; son-in-law Luther Wolfe; grandchildren Julie Wolfe, Laura Wolfe, Robert Wolfe and his wife Sherry; great grandchildren Zachary, Karlie and Cassidy Wolfe. Visitation on Monday, May 14, from 2-4 p.m. and 57 p.m. at the Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, P.A. 30195 Three Notch Road Charlotte Hall, Md. Funeral Services 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 15, Good Shepherd United Methodist Church 305 East Smallwood Drive Waldorf, Maryland 20602. Interment to follow at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf, Md. Pallbearers were Joseph Johnson, Raymond Johnson, Allen Lacey, Richard Colliflower, Harvey Ricketts Jr. and Gregory Austin. Memorial contributions may be made to Good Shepherd United Methodist Church or the St. Mary’s Nursing Center. Arrangements by Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, P.A. Charlotte Hall, Md.
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The County Times
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Lewd Driver Continued from page A-1 “There’s no indication there have been any other reports of this kind, but we’re still looking into it,” Burris said. “There was no physical contact between him and any of the juveniles.” Despite the charges against Espina, the suspect has not been arrested. Burris said the decision was up to the district court commissioner who signed off on the investigator’s application of charges. “Either way he gets a court date,” Burris said. Burris said that investigators received word of the allegations against Espina from the county Department of Social Services, which was warned by school officials near the beginning of the month. Kathleen Lyon, executive director of Student Services for county schools, said Espina is no longer employed by the school system.
“He’s no longer driving for the school system and he’s been decertified by the state as a bus driver,” Lyon said. Lyon added that Espina came to work for the school system as a school bus driver as part of a contracting company in August of 2004. Espina had not been a problem in the nearly three years he worked for the system. “We’ve had no previous reports [of misconduct] during the time he worked for us,” Lyon said. She added that parents of children who were in contact with Espina could contact the school system if their children came forward to report any incidents they had involving the bus driver. Lyon said that Espina passed a background check for his employment and had attended the school system’s annual child abuse and sexual harassment prevention
workshop. The court documents reveal disturbing details of the allegations against Espina. The documents allege that Espina text-messaged one 17year-old girl with a sexually explicit message May 3 as she exited his bus at the George Forest Technical Center adjacent to Leonardtown High School. The victim stated in the charging documents that Espina had sent her other such messages in the past two months. The victim further stated that Espina induced her to skip class March 9 and that he drove her in his bus back to her own vehicle and while doing so allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the victim. Charging documents state Espina allegedly described another female student undressing on his bus and made comments about the female’s anatomy. Charging documents state he told the victim on his bus that “You can get undressed like she did if you want to.”
Home School Academy Expecting Rapid Growth By Guy Leonard Staff Writer The Home School Christian Academy has only been operating two years, and already the two founding mothers of the institution are expecting their total class size to grow by leaps and bounds before the start of next school year. In 2005, Alisa Albers and Sallie Segesdy started the Home School Academy as a one-day a week place for their home-schooled children to get classroom instruction just as they would in a normal school. Children spend the other four days a week learning at home, but get reinforcement in subjects from teachers they have hired to teach what parents can’t. “We just opened registration to returning students and soon we’ll open registration to new students,” said Albers. “We’ve had a phenomenal response.” When they started in 2005, they had about 35 students and this year they had about 70. Next year they plan on having double that number. “We expect to have between 100 to 150 students next year,” Albers said, who added that they will have to go to another building to teach all the children in the 1st through 8th grade. Segesdy said that once the original 35 children started to take classes, it didn’t take long for their parents to tell other Christian home-school parents that their were more op-
tions open to educating their children. “It was something we just told our friends about and those friends just told other people,” Segesdy said. “Last year it was just by word of mouth that we expanded.” Now the Home School Christian Academy takes it children from 14 different churches in St. Mary’s and Calvert counties, Segesdy and Albers said. The home school academy differs from other co-op or umbrella groups that offer home schooling in that teachers help make up for the subjects that parents are unable to teach themselves. In a co-op or umbrella home schooling group, the parents take turns in teaching groups of children in whatever subject matter they are expert in. But when it came to teaching subjects like science, classical languages, creative writing, art or drama, the parents were still often at a loss Albers said. “I’m not good with science” Albers said. “I was struggling to teach my children. I needed [the academy model] or I couldn’t keep home schooling.” Segesdy said that she helps with teaching science during the week but leaves the more serious tasks in that subject to the teacher during the one-day class time. “I do the four days but then the teacher does the experiments and the tests on the one day,” Segesdy said. “It’s definitely filling a niche that
needs to be filled.” Having several instructors who can teach the arts and drama gives the children a chance to delve into their more creative sides that they may not be able to do just learning at home, Segesdy and Albers said. Students showed off their creative talents May 12 at a Christian academy open house at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Town Creek. Students completed Creation science projects and put them on display and they also performed plays for enthusiastic parents anxious to see what their children learned. The 2nd and 3rd graders put on their own play they wrote called “Hot Pepper in the Snow,” and the older children performed their rendition of the story of Scheherazade and the tales of the Arabian Nights. The classic tale is one of a king who marries women only to have them killed the next day as a blanket punishment for his first wife’s own infidelity. When the kings officials can find no more virgins for him to marry, the vizier offers his own daughter, Scheherazade to the king in marriage. She stays alive by continually telling the king tales day after day that he longs to hear. “They just love to do these dramatic productions and you really can’t do that at home,” Albers said. Their drama teacher, Crystal Rapp, praised their
Section A -
Deputies to Receive Training to Deal with Mentally Ill Suspects By Guy Leonard Staff Writer St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron and local mental health advocates say that extra training for law enforcement will help deputies deal with mentally disturbed or distraught suspects on the street. In light of more veterans returning home from foreign wars diagnosed with mental disorders brought on by stress, the need for deputies to approach unstable and potentially highly dangerous suspects properly will become more important they said. “With all the vets returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan [being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress
efforts. “These young actors really pulled through and gave it their all,” Rapp wrote to parents in the performance program. “I am honored to teach such a fine group of students.” The Home School Christian Academy offers nine different subjects including science, creative writing, art, drama, Latin, band, choral music, recorder and geography. These are the supplements that parents want to what their children are getting at home. “We want our children to have a well-rounded education,” Segesdy said. This year the academy had seven teachers but Segesdy and Albers said they expect to have 10 instructors to handle a total of 35 class slots spread out among the eight grades. Though they home school their children, parents in the academy must remain in contact with the St. Mary’s County Public School System for a review to ensure their children are meeting academic standards. Children who go through home schooling can do high school-level equivalency work and graduate with a diploma from their home school organization that carries the same weight as if it came from a public school. The home schooling curriculum at Home School Christian Academy allows parents more control over how their children receive their education but the spiritual, Christ-centered dimension is perhaps the most important for the parents. “When we get up in the morning we can read the Bible, we can do devotions in the morning,” Segesdy said. “And that’s what this is about.”
Photo By Guy Leonard
Joshua Tyson, 13, of the Home School Christian Academy gets into character as King Raynah in the school’s performance of Scheherazade. Parents pay for the academy to hire teachers to instruct students in subjects like drama and theatre that many parents would find difficult to teach on their own.
Disorder] we’re going to see more of that,” Cameron said. Cameron is having all of his deputies undergo refresher training in dealing with mentally ill suspects, not just PTSD-diagnosed veterans, on how to apply for and serve emergency petitions that can force a mentally ill suspect to be examined if they are a threat to themselves or others. That training will take place at the end of the month with an instructor from the state’s Mental Hygiene Administration putting all the deputies through a four-hour course in how to better deal with these suspects. “They’re not the average suspect,” Cameron said of the mentally ill. “The might be resistant to the officer or the officer might misinterpret their actions as them being under the influence of drugs and alcohol. “We deal with people who are mentally disturbed every day, and a significant number of the people in our jail have mental disorders.” The effects of PTSD on military personnel came to light suddenly as 2006 came to a close when law enforcement officers confronted a U.S Army Ranger and Afghan war veteran with the disorder on Christmas night. Officers initially responded to the disturbance caused by James Emerick Dean at his parents’ house after he had threatened to a relative that he was going to kill himself. According to family members, Dean was undergoing therapy for his PTSD but relapsed into despondency when he received orders last Thanksgiving to go to Iraq. The situation degenerated into a standoff with law enforcement tactical teams and following several shots fired by Dean at police during the standoff, he was killed by a Maryland State Police Tactical marksman when Dean leveled his shotgun at officers in an armored vehicle. The police response to the Dean situation has been criticized by State’s Attorney Richard Fritz as overly aggressive, and the Dean family
is pursuing their own investigation into the matter that could lead to civil charges against the state police. Connie Walker, president of the Southern Maryland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said the Dean case brought home the point that mentally ill suspects needed special consideration. “PTSD frequently manifests itself in ways that can get you into trouble,” Walker told The County Times. “We can do more earlier… and we can teach [law enforcement] to deal with these situations without escalating them.” Walker came to Cameron, who was highly receptive, she said, with the idea for providing extra training the deputies before the Dean incident occurred she said, but the shooting of the mentally ill veteran brought more focus to the training. “It went from ‘interested’ to ‘must do,’” Walker said. Dr. Robert Ortega, the psychologist who will give the training, said that what officers should do in a situation with a mentally ill suspect is often counterintuitive to the sometimes more aggressive methods they have to use. “That doesn’t buy you much credit with someone who’s mentally disturbed or disoriented,” Ortega said. “It’s a shift of gears for most police officers.” Lt. Edward Willenborg, commander of the sheriff’s office Special Operations Division, said that last year sheriff’s deputies served 319 emergency petitions in St. Mary’s and this year they have already served nearly 100. These kinds of cases can be the most unpredictable and potentially most dangerous for a law enforcement officer, Willenborg said. “This will give our deputies tips on how to deal with the mentally ill and how to address their needs,” Willenborg said. “You don’t know what their condition is and in a lot of the cases you’re meeting this person for the first time.”
The County Times
Section A -
Landmark Crab House to Be Demolished, Rebuilt By Guy Leonard Staff Writer For more than 40 years, Evans Seafood house on St. George’s Island has been one of the most well known places in the county to get top quality seafood. From humble beginnings as an oyster-shucking shed back in 1962, it has metamorphosed into a restaurant to which the Evans family added wings throughout the years to meet demand. But in October of 2006, its current owner Chuck Kimball, a real estate developer from Tall Timbers, closed down the landmark restaurant because business was not, he said, what it should have been. Now he plans to demolish the old building and start a new restaurant on the same plot of land the first week in June. The aging conditions of the building and concerns about sanitation if future flooding occurred were some of the reasons for razing the building. “We’re keeping the old Evans family traditions and the name,” Kimball, a friend of the Evans family said. “There’s going to be a lot of teary eyes when we tear it down but it has to be done.” Kimball was eager to complete the demolition so he could build a traditional crab house like the ones St. Mary’s County residents know and love. “I’m going to have the best damned crab cakes
around,” Kimball, whose passion for seafood was apparent, said. “There are lots of ladies around here with recipes, and I’ll have them compete and the best one will be the winner and her name will go [on the new menu] with that crab cake.” The new restaurant will be elevated to avoid flooding problems and will recapture the one-story dimension the restaurant had for much of its existence. The site currently has an upper deck and bar added on to the older restaurant. Evans Seafood’s fame still resonates as people continue to drive down there for some of the best seafood but find only disappointment as they realize it is closed. “We had a whole bus-load of people come down from church to eat here, but they didn’t know we were closed,” said Chuck Kimball’s wife Julie Kimball. Kimball came into possession of the locally famous Evans Seafood when the family could no longer run the business after its founder, Robert “Bugs” Evans, died in 1994. The family sold the business to another local resident who in turn sold it to Kimball in 2004. Carol Evans, “Bugs” Evans daughter-in-law and wife of the business’s former coowner Ronald Evans, said that after her family sold the business people who had been coming there for years just didn’t think it was the same.
money for the family, and when his own boys were old enough they started bringing in their own catches for sale. Then the public began to demand cooked seafood instead of going to another mar-
Thursday, May 17, 2007 started to spread, and when they opened up a buffet line in the restaurant’s very early years, things got crowded. “It got to where 300 people would come to eat in a 50-seat restaurant,” Evans said. “One
“It was a family business, everyone got their start there,” Evans said. “We provided a lot of jobs, we had 50 to 60 employees in the summertime. “We had mothers and daughters working for us.”
Image Courtesy of Chuck and Julie Kimball
Evans Seafood restaurant circa the late 1980s or early 1990’s. The white building off to the right was the beginning building and the restaurant grew into the longer building at left.
“The county, our customers were disappointed that it wasn’t in the family anymore,” Evans said. “Our family just couldn’t run it anymore.” Any chance of her starting the business up again under Evans family leadership ended when her husband, a key player in the business, developed Alzheimer’s disease and she was forced to take care of him full-time. But after working there and running the business for nearly two decades on her own, she still is in high demand for people who want someone to run their seafood house. “You can’t believe the job offers I’ve had,” Evans said. Evans said her father-inlaw was a master carpenter who contracted tuberculosis during World War II while serving in Europe and couldn’t hold down a regular carpentry job. “He was a master carpenter who couldn’t stand to be around saw dust,” Evans said. “Bugs” Evans started selling seafood to help make
ket to get it raw, Evans said, and that’s how the Evans Seafood restaurant got its start. “The reason Evans came into being was there was no market [for seafood] down here,” Evans said. “We stared out with a two-burner stove in the old oyster house; the next thing you know they built on another room and we had five eating tables.” The Evans Seafood fervor
of our mottos was ‘If you get a seat, you get to eat.’” By the time the restaurant closed in 2006, it had three kitchens and five dining rooms. Not only was Evans Seafood a popular place to eat, it also provided employment for most of the Evans family as well as other families in the St. George’s and Piney Point areas.
Evans has fond memories of the restaurant and she said she is ready to let it go to someone else for a chance to carry on the legacy. “I met so many nice people there and I worked with so many nice people,” Evans said. “The restaurant was good to us while we had it.”
Image Courtesy of Chuck and Julie Kimball
An artist’s rendering of the concept design for the new Evans Seafood located in St. George’s Island.
Dedicaton Continued from page A-
FOR YOU
Archbishop of Washington less than a year ago. Archbishop Wuerl told the congregation “as you face the future needs of this parish we celebrate your accomplishments. This center is a sign of our faith and gives us a place to continue to demonstrate our faith. The spirit of God can be found in this new center so that we can continue to practice our Catholic faith”. At the end of the mass Archbishop Wuerl announced to the congregation that the new center would be named after Monsignor Harris to which the Archbishop received a standing ovation. In a letter to Reverend Gary R. Studniewski dated February 27, 1998 the former Archbishop of Washington, Archbishop James C. Hickey in approving the proposed facility name wrote: “Msgr. Harris has served St. John’s with extraordinary fidelity, and love. As you observe, he has spent well over half of his priesthood at St. John’s. The naming of the new facilities in his honor is indeed a most fitting tribute”.
As the congregation entered the new center after mass, Archbishop Wuerl consecrated the building. A short ceremony followed which featured a beautiful song from the students of St. Johns School singing “we want to thank you God”. Monsignor Harris was asked to give remarks. Known for his brevity, and often referred to as saying the “fastest mass in the east” Monsignor Harris did not disappoint anyone. His comments lasted approximately 30 seconds in which he thanked the many people who contributed “a lot of blood, sweat and tears since 1997” in order to make this possible. Also known for his conservative financial management and his commitment to keeping the parish and school financially sound, Monsignor Harris had been a staunch advocate of continuing bingo on Sunday evenings despite declining revenues. In his brief comments Sunday, Monsignor Harris closed with the question: “where is the bingo board?” at St. John’s School students sing “We Want to Thank You God” at the Monsignor Harris Dedication. which time he received another standing ovation.
Photo by David McKay
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