2011-02-17 The County Times

Thursday February 17, 2011

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The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

On T he Covers ON THE FRONT

St. .Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician Amanda Boyer demonstrates how she collects evidence during the course of her crime scene investigations.

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ON THE BACK

Leonardtown’s Taylor Garrett finishes her leg of the relay while teammate Michelle Robinson dives in during the SMAC swimming championships Saturday.

“I think we’re getting to a consensus … to recognize that if we’re going to have 70 percent of the county’s development in the development district and 80 percent of the development district is Lexington Park, we’ve got to get this FDR Boulevard done.”

Angel Systems Inc.

www.ANGELSYSTEMS.com

- St. Mary’s County Commissioner Todd Morgan

Weather

Watch

money

1.800.NO.BUGGS

The owner of Hula’s Bungalow on the banks of the Patuxent River is working on getting the bar and nightclub back open after being closed since late last year.

P.O. Box 304 20775 Old Great Mills Rd. Great Mills, MD 20634

Don’t let unwanteD

Decorations swarm your tree this season!

Alina Stone, a senior from Leonardtown High School, demonstrates tagging the different sections of the brain at the James A Forrest Career and Technology Center Expo. The school opened its doors to the public so middle school students can see the different classes offered.

Military

A changing of the guards. Ed Sierra, left, and Glen Ives are the new president and Executive Vice President, respectfully, of the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance.

Also Inside

4 County News 7 Editorial 8 Money 9 Millitary 10 Crime 11 Obituaries 14 Education 16 Cover Story 18 Newsmakers 20 Community 21 Business Directory 22 Community Calendar 23 Columns 24 Entertainment Calendar 25 Entertainment 26 Games 27 Sports Desk 28 Swimming 29 Fishing 30 Basketball 31 Potomac Speedway Matt Laidley Gary Simpson Katie Facchina 7800 Crain Highway La Plata, MD 20646 301-934-8437

events calendar For The Community Calendar See Page 22 For Events Happening This Week.

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The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

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ews On Heels of Census Results, County Canopy Liquor Seeking More State Help Closed for a Month

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

County officials want the state to build a new park-and-ride facility north of Mechanicsville and also provide more state troopers in the wake of new census numbers showing that St. Mary’s is growing faster than any other jurisdiction in Maryland.

Two consent letters signed by all of the county commissioners have asked the state to build the park-and-ride facility in New Market across from the Charlotte Hall library on north bound Route 5 and add five more troopers to patrol local roads and police extra traffic congestion.

County Administrator John Savich told The County Times that the state is already working on a new site for commuters to park on Golden Beach Road but another site is

needed to deal with expected increases in traffic.

The current Charlotte Hall park-andride site at the Farmers Market is already mostly full on a daily basis, Savich said.

“There are projections going back 10 years saying that we needed two sites,” Savich said. “This board wants to get this project back on track… and tell the state ‘This is your site, let’s get going.’”

Savich said that the county does not expect immediate funding for the project because of the state’s souring budget outlook, but wanted to get the project back up for consideration to get money as soon as possible.

Since the land is county-owned there would be no acquisition costs to the state, just the costs of clearing and grading the site and putting in a parking lot, Savich said.

The additional five troopers would be

the first addition of state law enforcement here in St. Mary’s County in about 25 years, the commissioners’ letter states.

“It just speaks to the county growing and we want the state to keep up with the provision for staffing,” Savich said. “It’s probably time for the state to help us a little bit.”

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said the letter surprised him, because commissioners had not consulted him. He said he would seek stronger lines of communication with commissioners to hear their concerns and those of the community.

“I was a little taken aback by the letter because no one talked to me about it,” Cameron said. “If commissioners have concerns about anything they haven’t spoken to me …

As the county’s primary law enforcement officer I’d like to know.”

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer To match the county’s commitment to address and prevent underage intoxication, the Alcohol and Liquor Board cracked down on the five places that got caught selling alcohol to minors in St. Mary’s County in January.

The first to go before the board during their meeting Feb. 10 was George Edward Bryant and Mukesh Kumar S. Patel from Canopy Liquors on Great Mills Road. In a 3-2 vote, the board decided to suspend the store’s liquor license for 30 days, effective Feb. 10.

Hermanville C-Store, California Wine and Spirits and St. James Deli and Spirits all received $1,000 fines by unanimous decision from the board.

A hearing for Corner Liquors was postponed until March 10 because one of the owners was overseas and unreachable until the day of the hearing.

The board said they can’t enforce any sort of law to prevent them from doing so, but they recommended places not sell liquor to any individual with a vertical license, which is issued to anybody under the age of 21.

DFC James Stone, the alcohol enforcement coordinator with the alcohol and beverage board, said they don’t try to trick people. They send the young people in, as is, and have them try to purchase alcohol with their real drivers license. sarahmiller@coutntytimes.net

The current Charlotte Hall park and ride is reaching its capacity and county officials say at least two more are needed.

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

The County Times

ews Morgan: Library Talk Stealing Time Form Pressing Issues

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Revitalizing Great Mills Road has been identified as a key piece of updating the Lexington Park Development District plan.

Questions have swirled for several years now about how best to fund and place a new library somewhere in Leonardtown, but the process to update the Lexington Park Development District plan has hardly been mentioned, says County Commissioner Todd Morgan (R-Great Mills).

That needs to change, he said.

“My biggest concern is that the Lexington Park is the largest development district for the county and as I hear all the angst over the library… from an economic development standpoint where is our development headed?” Morgan said in a Tuesday interview. “I think more attention has to be given to the development district plan as opposed to where we’re going to put the library.”

As the county has been soliciting ideas from community stakeholders as to how to update the plan that governs development in that community, Morgan said that aging infrastructure and deteriorating communities in Lexington Park are all problems that the county must face to remake it into a vibrant community.

That is important, he said, because Lexington Park is the gateway to the county’s $6.6 billion economic engine of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

“It’s been allowed to somewhat deteriorate,” Morgan said of the Lexington Park community. “This used to be the engine and it hasn’t been fixed.”

As NAS Pax River grows with more and more defense oriented programs, Morgan said that urban renewal in Lexington Park would not only help the community but the county as a whole.

Derick Berlage, director of the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, said that stakeholders want improvements in transportation including connecting the segments of FDR Boulevard to relieve traffic on Route 235.

Revitalizing Great Mills Road is also a major concern, Berlage said, since development in the past decade has blossomed farther north in California.

“The concern is that left to it’s own devices development will [continue to] march north from Lexington Park to Califor-

Business Owners Feeling Stifled

by Regulations

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Strict land controls like the critical area laws, bolstered by fears of a state ban on septic systems in new housing developments, have local business owners in the 7th District worried that there enterprises will fall.

Businesses owners told county officials with the departments of Land Use and Growth Management and Economic and Community Development on Feb. 12 that along with the poor economy, excessive regulations are stifling their chances for growth.

Chris Long, a self-employed electrician who used to build homes before the real estate market collapse, said that he was particularly frustrated by state laws that restricted growth of not only homes and businesses but also key infrastructure in rural areas like Avenue and Clements.

“What are we going to do in five years when we can’t flush a toilet,” Long said of proposed restrictions on new septic systems aimed at cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. Critical area laws that restricted development and infrastructure in rural areas in an effort to protect the watershed, Long said, also had the affect of helping drive development to areas like Route 235.

“We’re going to kill economies to create another one,” Long said. “This critical area stuff is going to drown us.”

Bob Schaller, director of economic and community development, told business owners that, by design, infrastructure was restricted in their communities and thus development was geared to only be slow at best.

And the concentration of retail development on Route 235 meant that there were few reasons to do business off the beaten path.

“For anyone on Route 235 there’s almost no reason to come down here,” Schaller said.

Schaller said the county and business owners have to come up with solutions to the problem of dying businesses, which is now spreading county-wide.

“In south county things are not good,” Schaller said. “Businesses are closing, we’re worried about south county.”

The owner of Towne Florist in Leonardtown said that in Clements and Avenue the same thing is happening.

“There used to be a lot of small business people that are now gone,” Ernie Williams said.

Jim Moore, of Moore or Less Farm in Avenue, said that a creek that runs across the only access road to his home is eroding the banks but state regulations prohibit him from repairing it, save an expensive engineering process blessed by the state.

“It’s failing but I can’t touch it because it’s a waterway,” Moore told The County Times. “It makes you feel like your home isn’t yours.”

Derick Berlage, director of Land Use and Growth Management, said his department is trying to negotiate with the state’s critical area commission to lessen some of the burden small business and homeowners face.

One issue Berlage mentioned is seeking to reduce the amount of tree plantings property owners are required to plant to compensate for their project’s impact.

The state has not acquiesced to the county’s request yet, he said, but they are at least listening.

“I think there’s a growing consensus [among counties most affected by critical area laws] that regulations are going too far,” Berlage said Monday. “When a small business owner or homeowner has to spend tens of thousands of dollars to comply with the law, something’s wrong.

“We have to find a way to cut them a break,” he said.

nia and then from California into Hollywood,” Berlage said.

The plan update in the works will also address whether to enforce new building standards, such as for architecture and landscaping, on new construction in the development district.

Extensive community meetings will be part of the process, Berlage said.

“We’re going to have major public participation,” he said. guyleonard@countytimes.net

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The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

6

ews FDR Boulevard Creeping Along Underage Drinking Crusade Set to Begin

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer

FDR Boulevard, a new road parallel to Route 235 aimed at relieving congestion, is coming along, one piece at a time.

According to Allen Settle, the project manager with the St. Mary’s County department of public works, the entire road is plotted out, with part of it following the railroad tracks that once serviced the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, and sectioned into different phases.

As things stand currently, the construction of FDR Boulevard is in different parcels, one through five.

Phase two is slated to be finished before phase one begins, though the rest of the phases are supposed to be build in the order in which they are numbered.

Settle said phase one will have funding in fiscal year 2014 or 2015, while the funding and the land for the first part of phase two came in earlier than expected.

Settle said the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad will be building a new section of the road, which will be part of the Phase Two plan when they build their new building this summer near the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department.

The rescue squad is not particularly pleased with that prospect.

“We feel that the county should take care of it,” said Donna Voorhaar, the Assistant Chief with the Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. She said the rescue squad intends to try to get that directive changed so they don’t have to build the section of road.

She said the rescue squad is a non-profit organization and should not have to take money from a needed project to fund the road, especially when a new building is their top priority.

“The building is ancient and we need a new one,” said Michael Cahall, a captain with the volunteer rescue squad.

Voorhar said the money for the project is supposed to come from the USDA, but congress hasn’t yet doled

out funds.

“We’re proceeding with the assumption we’re going to get the financing,” Voorhar said.

The section of road that the rescue squad may be helping to construct will have two lanes and, while they will have the land and the right of way to build an additional two lanes if needed in the future, Settle said the road studies don’t anticipate the additional lanes, or the installation of a street light, will be needed for a while.

In anticipation of these needs, and to prevent further money from being spent should a light become necessary for traffic control or for the rescue squad, the groundwork for the lights will be installed, leaving little to do other than getting the poles and hooking them up.

When all is said and done, while the land to build the road has been purchased, there is one large component still missing – the funding.

“I couldn’t give you a time frame at this time,” Settle said. sarahmiller@countytimes.net

Commissioner Says FDR Project Needs Defibrillation

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer County Commissioner Todd Morgan made an appearance at a Lexington Park Business and Community Association meeting Feb. 10 and had some choice things to say about FDR Boulevard and the Lexington Park Development District.

“The development district needs to be addressed,” Morgan said.

Something Morgan doesn’t think isn’t getting nearly enough attention is the FDR Boulevard project, which is has been in a planning stage for more than 30 years, and only a couple disconnected sections are completed.

“It’s a piece of s---, honestly, it’s embarrassing,” he said of the road designed to relieve congestion on Route 235 with an alternate north-south route.

He said now, with the current economy and interest prices being low like they are, it’s the perfect time to borrow money and get a large portion of the project completed instead of mucking around and trying to get the project done on the current allotments the state gives St. Mary’s County, or waiting for developers to chip in.

He said the difference in borrowing money now, with low interest rates, and later when the rates could be even higher is upwards of $4 million, which would be coming out of the community’s pockets in the form of taxes. By borrowing money when interest rates are low, he said they won’t have to raise taxes in order to pay it back.

“We’ve got to get this road done to promote some sort of economic development,” Morgan said.

He said the road will offer an alternative to Route

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer St. Mary’s County is getting an application ready for a grant from the State of Maryland to study underage drinking in the county.

Walter Biscoe, the substance abuse prevention coordinator for St. Mary’s County, said that Maryland will be receiving $2.4 million every year for the next 5 years to be used as the part of a strategic prevention plan against underage drinking.

The state will be offering grants to each of the 24 jurisdictions in Maryland, who can apply for money for assessment and planning.

“We should not have underage drinking,” said Jacqueline Beckman, the community traffic safety program coordinator at St. Mary’s County Government.

In an idyllic community, Beckman said there would be nobody who supplies alcohol to minors, including parents and classmates.

Between 17 and 18 percent of the drinking and driving accidents in St. Mary’s county involve underage drivers, Beckman said.

“Truly, they should not be involved at all,” Beckman said.

Biscoe said there are three areas the state has decided to address – under age drinking, binge drinking and alcohol related crashed involving young people. Each jurisdiction has to look at those areas and the local data and decide if they will be focusing on just one or two of the areas, or addressing all three.

“It has to be a community based initiative and it has to be jurisdiction wide,” Biscoe said.

To help look at the data, there is a work group that will be deciding what areas need to be looked at. Biscoe said he doesn’t know what areas the work group is thinking about and if there is any one area that is more critical than the others in St. Mary’s County.

“I don’t want to give my personal impression, Biscoe said. “I want to let the group decide.”

The application for the grant is due April 13. It will be submitted to the State of Maryland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration, who will review it and then dole out awards to the individual jurisdictions that make the cut.

St. Mary’s County is partnering with entities like the St. Mary’s County Health Department, Walden Sierra, the Sheriff’s Office, school PTAs, the College of Southern Maryland and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Beckman said maps that show the prevalence of underage drinking in St. Mary’s County may be skewed because many people get arrested in the county who are not actually residents of St. Mary’s County.

Beckman said a large part of the underage drinking issue in St. Mary’s County is a lack of education and a willingness on the parent’s part to look the other way.

“We need to educate people county wide and it is an issue country wide,” She said it’s not that parents don’t care, but they buy kids alcohol for parties and try to teach responsible drinking by taking car keys, but the fact is it’s still illegal to do that.

Biscoe said this also causes a problem for the underage drinker’s health.

He said the human brain is not fully formed until age 25, and drinking heavily before the brain is fully formed, they can stunt growth and development. This could affect areas like decision making, and Biscoe said it costs the country “the best and the brightest” when binge drinking costs minds and even lives.

“We’re trying to make a cultural change in St. Mary’s County to the acceptability of under age drinking,” Biscoe said.

235 and, because it may not be as congested, will promote people to stop by stores facing the boulevard, which will in turn help boost the local economy.

He said his fellow commissioners are also seeing that FDR Boulevard should be a priority for the county.

“I think we’re getting to a consensus, I’m not going to promise it, to recognize that if we’re going to have 70 percent of the county’s development in the development district and 80 percent of the development district is Lexington Park, we’ve got to get this sarahmiller@countytimes.net FDR Boulevard done,” he said.

To facilitate the completion of the project, Morgan said he’s trying to push the schedule ahead by at least a year from County Commissioner Todd Morgan where it currently stands to begin in 2014, but that’s a difficult thing to get completed.

“It’s a very complicated thing because, if you’ve ever seen the movie Wall Street, greed is good,” he said.

Because the project has been so drawn out, people have been building on the path of the road in the right of way.

“The bottom line is the development district needs to be addressed,” Morgan said.

Even if the road isn’t perfect, Morgan said it needs to get done.

The county commissioners and the planning commission will be taking a bus tour to see the proposed FDR Boulevard site and discuss plans for the future on March 1. sarahmiller@countytimes.net

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

To The Editor:

The County Times

Legal Notices: In The Matter Of Anthony Malik Jones For Change Of Name To Anthony Malik Mcclain-Jones

By And Through His Mother/Father/Guardian Joquana Ashley Mclain In the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland Civil No.: 18-C-11-000172 NC

The above Petitioner has filed a Petition for Change of Name in which she seeks to change the name of a minor child from Anthony Malik Jones to Anthony Malik McClainJones. The Petitioner is seeking this name change for the child for the following reasons: I JoQuana Ashley McClain, am requesting that my son’s last name be changed from Jones to the hyphenated last name of McClain-Jones to reflect my last name (McClain) and the last name of his biological father (Jones).

Any person may file an objection to the Petition on or before the 5th day of May 2011. The objection must be supported by an affidavit and served upon the Petitioner in accordance with Maryland Rule 1-321. Failure to file an objection or affidavit within the time allowed may result in a judgment by default or the granting of the relief sought.

A copy of this Notice shall be published one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least fifteen (15) days before the deadline to file an objection.

Request for Proposal Commissioners of Leonardtown Canoe/Kayak Rental and Concessions Lease at Leonardtown Wharf/ Port of Leonardtown

The Town of Leonardtown is currently seeking proposals from interested firms for a one-year term beginning April 1, 2011, with two one- year renewal options. Rental/concession program includes custodial care and maintenance of the public restrooms, operation of the kayak/canoe rental business and operation of the concession stand.

Interested providers may obtain a proposal package from the Town Office, Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or by calling 301-475-9791. Sealed proposals, addressed to the Town Administrator and marked “Sealed Proposal for Concessions Lease” will be received at the office of the Commissioners of Leonardtown, 41660 Courthouse Drive, POB 1, Leonardtown, MD 20650, until 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at which time the proposals will be publicly opened and read. A pre proposal meeting and site visit is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 23, 2011 beginning at the Town Hall.

The Commissioners of Leonardtown reserve the right to reject any and all bids and proposals, and to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the Town.

2-17-11

In the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland Civil No. 18-C-08-001550

JOAN W. WILLIAMS, Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County Maryland

Letters:

Martin L. Goozman And Jeffrey W. Bernstein Substitute Trustees Plaintiffs v.

Mark R. Pittman And Karin Mitchell Pittman Defendants

Bill Seeks Backhand Gay Marriage Approval

Second Notice

02-17-11

Marriage as we know it is about to end in Maryland unless we do something about it now! A committee hearing was held last week on Senate Bill 116 (SB 116) which is being considered for the purpose of “altering a provision of law to establish that only a marriage between two individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from marrying is valid in the State; prohibiting an official of a religious institution or body authorized to solemnize marriages from being required to solemnize any marriage in violation of the constitutional right to free exercise of religion; etc.”

While on the surface, this seems like an innocuous bill that would protect the rights of pastors and judges from being forced to perform marriages that are morally objectionable to them, it is really just a sneaky way of legalizing same sex marriage.

This bill, while providing a “conscience clause” for those who object to same sex marriage and civil unions, also defines marriage as only being valid “between two individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from marrying”. Do you see where this is going? Instead of defining marriage as only between a man and a woman, this bill redefines it as

valid between “two persons”. This would automatically legalize same sex marriage or at least bring it a step closer to reality.

Supporters of the bill believe they have 20 of the 24 votes needed to pass it in the Senate, and a vote was expected as early as Friday, Feb. 11. That’s why it’s crucial that we let them know today how we feel. The following Senators, all of whom can be reached at 1-800-492-7122, represent the “swing votes” and could affect the vote either way.

Their extension numbers are listed next to their names: John C. Astle, (Ext. 3578) Joan Carter Conway, (Ext. 3145) Ulysses Currie, (Ext. 3127) Edward J. Kasemeyer, (Ext. 3653) Katherine Klausmeier, (Ext. 3620) James Carew Rosapepe (Ext. 3141) Please let them know, as well as Senator Middleton, that you want the voters to decide the marriage issue through a ballot referendum, not through legislation, which may not represent the will of their constituents.

Cheryl Allison Waldorf, MD

Notice is hereby given this 8th day of February, 2011, by the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland that the sale of the property mentioned in these proceeding and described as 24271 McGlue Road, Chaptico, Maryland 20621, will be ratified and confirmed, unless cause to the contrary thereof be shown on or before the 11th day of March, 2011, provided a copy of this NOTICE be published at least once a week in each of three successive weeks in some newspaper of general circulation published in said County before the 11th day of March, 2011.

The report states the amount of the sale to be $225,000.00.

Joan W Williams Clerk of the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland 02-17, 24, 3-3-2011

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The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

8

for the love of

Money

Hula’s Bungalow May be Reopening

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer Hula’s Bungalow, on the banks of the Patuxent River, is working to make a come back.

Bill Jarboe, the owner of Hula’s Bungalow, said the establishment has been closed since November so they could do improvements to the establishment, the pier and the boat slips in the back.

He said this work needed to be done since the last major hurricane damage the structures, but he said it took until now to get the permits.

“It kind of made sense to pull all the debris out of the water and put it in the parking lot,” Jarboe said.

Because the parking lot was filed with junk from the pier project, Jarboe said they closed down for the past three months and worked on improvements on the inside of the building as well.

With a capacity of 250 people, Hula’s Bungalow is “the largest so-called night club in Southern Maryland,” Jarboe said.

He said they’re the largest capacity establishment with a liquor license, outside of a rental hall, and because of that Jarboe said they try to bring in nationally-recognized entertainment acts.

There are also 42 boat slips in the back, along with a boathouse. Jarboe said the placement of the bar is unique because it is built half on land and half over the water. Also, with it’s location on North Patuxent Beach Road, Hula’s Bungalow can be seen and accessed easily from Calvert County as well as St. Mary’s County.

The alcohol board granted Hula’s Bungalow a conditional permit, so long as they pass the fire marshal and the health department

inspections.

“I was kind of surprised they made me go through that again,” Jarboe said.

Jarboe said the fire marshal passed Hula’s Bungalow as of Tuesday afternoon, and he expects to have the health department inspection by the end of the week.

“The fire marshal was the biggest obstacle,” Jarboe said.

He said the bar is currently accepting applications for bartenders and security personnel.

The opening is scheduled for Feb. 25, where they will have the band Ars Poetica

Photo by Sean Rice

and Shumanze in to celebrate the re-opening.

There is also an appearance for Jah Works, a nationally recognized reggae band, in March.

“We’re starting to get our calendar back in order,’ Jarboe said.

For more information about the bar, or applying for a job, visit Hula’s Bungalow’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ people/Hulas-Bungalow/1512451472 or their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/hulasbungalow. Jarboe said there should be a regular website up and running for the bar in a few weeks. sarahmiller@countytimes.net

Texas Roadhouse Coming To California

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer St. Mary’s County is getting ready to welcome a Texas Roadhouse into the area, right next door to the Olive Garden on Route 235 in California.

A conditional application for Jeffrey Ziccardi, Donald Murray and Emily Valcarcel to purchase a Class B BWL license was approved by the Alcohol and Liquor board during their meeting Thursday afternoon. The license is good for 180 days, which is when the restaurant should be finished by.

“Please be sensitive to small businesses around you,” said Moses Saldaña Jr., the chairman of the alcohol and beverage board.

The ground breaking is set for March 21 and should be open for business Aug. 1.

Ziccardi, one of the future owners of the Texas Roadhouse, said he anticipated the restaurant being busy. He said their venue in La Plata has been successful and he thinks the same will be true of he restaurant in California.

“It’s definitely a good market for us to

be in,” Ziccardi told The County Times.

Ziccardi said that all the food is prepared from scratch on the premises. Because of that, the hours of operation are later than some other restaurants in the area.

“We’re a made from scratch company,” he said.

The restaurant will be open from 4 until 10 p.m., Monday through Friday and open for lunch as well as dinner on the weekend. On Sundays, it will be open until 9 p.m.

Ziccardi said they will have several Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM) certified employees, where the law only requires one employee for the establishment to be TAM certified.

The capacity of the restaurant will be 275 people, including bar seating. There will be openings for 125 employees, which will be hired from the St. Mary’s community.

Ziccardi said he isn’t particularly worried about competition from nearby restaurants like Outback Steakhouse and the Olive Garden.

“We feel lie we’re a good match to the rest of the competitors in the area,” he said.

9

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The County Times

John Glenn Hands Out Excellence Awards

For the past six years the Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA) John Glenn Squadron at Naval Air Station Patuxent River has annually recognized excellence in Aviation Acquisition by presenting awards to the Marine Test Pilot/Naval Flight Officer, Acquisition Officer, and Acquisition Staff Non-commissioned Officer-of-the-Year.

to achieve supersonic flight and a 5G load factor in the F-35B and the first military pilot to fly and aerially refuel the F-35C. His expert leadership of the department ensured the successful delivery and testing of the first mission systems F-35 and the first F-35C to Patuxent River.

The Michael Hough Acquisition Officerof-the-Year award, sponsored by Bell Helicopter, was presented to Lieutenant Colonel Steven Girard, PMA276 USMC Light/Attack Helicopter Program AH-1Z Platform Team Leader. Lt. Col Girard led a $12.2 billion new aircraft acquisition program for the production, developmental and operational test and evaluation, post-production modification, logistics support, and early fielding plans for the AH-1Z helicopter. His efforts Photo courtesy of Mike Wilson.

From left is Lt. Col. Steven Girard, Gunnery Sgt. Robert Wagner, Mr. Sean Stack- culminated in the successful completion of ley, Senator John Glenn, Mrs. Annie Glenn, Lt. Col. Matthew Kelly. operational evaluation, a This year the Squadron had the pleasure of favorable decision to enter full-rate production, hosting keynote speaker Sean J. Stackley, Assis- and continued on-time delivery of low-rate initant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Devel- tial production AH-1Zs to the fleet. opment, and Acquisition at their awards banquet The Joyce/Leader Acquisition Staff Nonheld on Feb. 10 at the Naval Air Station River’s commissioned Officer-of-the-Year award, sponEdge Conference Center, a press release states. sored by L-3 Communications, was presented to Mr. Stackley was joined in presenting 2010 Gunnery Sergeant Robert Wagner, H-1 Weapon acquisition awards by the Squadron’s namesake System Support Activity (WSSA) Military Aviand former Marine test pilot, Senator John Glenn. onics Liaison. Sgt. Wagner led the successful The John Glenn Test Pilot-of-the-Year award, fielding of the AH-1W Cobra Dos Taiwan avionsponsored by GE Aviation, was presented to Lieu- ics upgrade for the Taiwan army, prepared avitenant Colonel Matthew Kelly, F-35 Integrated onics upgrades for developing AH-1W software Test Force Operations Department Head, Air Test products, and supported H-1 upgrade developand Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23). Lt. mental testing by supervising a multi-million dolCol Kelly achieved several firsts in testing of the lar avionics inventory for the H-1 WSSA laboraJoint Strike Fighter to include being the first pilot tory located at China Lake, Calif.

Southern Maryland Navy Alliance Gets New Leaders One of the hallmarks of the Navy Alliance from its inception years ago has been visionary, selfless and honest leadership. From the founders and early presidents to the more recent officers and board members, strong, positive and committed leadership has been a consistent strength of the Alliance and has ensured a vibrant, viable and extremely effective organization committed to the critical mission of the Alliance, a press release states. The vital mission of supporting promoting and enhancing the intellectual capital and infrastructure at Patuxent River and St. Inigoes as economic assets and resources to the Southern Maryland region.

November of 2010 marked another “changing of the guard” at the senior most level of the Alliance’s leadership structure. After a long tenure characterized by great progress and achievements, and furthering the positive community and Navy relationships and coordination that is vital to the Alliance’s mission, Todd Morgan turned the duties and responsibilities of President over to Ed Sierra who has been serving as the Executive Vice President.

One of the strategic decisions the Alliance made a number of years ago was to “groom” an incoming President by having that individual serve as the Executive Vice President during the President’s tenure. The Navy calls that process

“fleeting up” and the process has proven very successful for both the Navy and the Navy Alliance as it ensures a smooth turnover of those important leadership responsibilities to someone who has been involved in every aspect of the organization to include the issues, initiatives, partners and members.

Sierra is a long-time member of the Alliance and the Southern Maryland community.

He founded Sierra Management & Technologies Inc. in 1993 located in California, Md., and serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Sierra brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, background and energy to the Alliance and is taking on the role of President at a key time, the release states. His style of inclusive leadership stressing open communications and strong teamwork is right in line with the Alliance’s history and the future.

Another key leadership transition has been Capt. Glen Ives (U.S. Navy Ret.) taking on the position of Executive Vice President. Ives is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and United States Army War College; he served as a Naval Officer and Navy pilot. His last assignment was in Southern Maryland as Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

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The County Times

Briefs Two Held In Assault, Phone Theft Case

On Feb. 8, deputies responded to a residence in Callaway for an assault. Upon arrival, Deputy First Class Scott Ruest learned the victim had become involved in an argument with Gail Annette Gardner, 52, of California, and Brandon Thomas Gardner, 26, of Callaway.

The argument turned physical and the victim was allegedly assaulted. During the assault, the victim was allegedly restrained by Brandon Gardner while Gail Gardner forcibly removed his cellular phone from his person. The Gardners fled the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement but were located later and arrested, police stated. During a search of Gail Annette Gardner, police say she was found in possession of a 15 milligram pill of oxycodone. She was charged with robbery, second degree assault, theft under $1,000 and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Brandon Thomas Gardner was also charged with robbery, second-degree assault and theft under $1,000.

Sex Offender Charged With Failing To File

On Feb. 11, members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations Sex Offenders Unit and Domestic Violence Unit conducted a joint investigation into the residency of registered sex offender Tyreke Kenyatta Cutchember. Cutchember is classified as a sexually violent offender and is required to register as such for life. Cutchember last registered a residency in Prince George’s County in 2002. The investigation revealed Cutchember had been living at a residence in California for a number of months and had not registered his new address as required by law, police alleged. A search warrant was executed at the California residence and detectives located Cutchember. He was arrested and charged with failing to register.

Suspect Search Leads To Drug Arrests

On Sunday, Feb. 6, at 3:15pm, TFC A. J. Malaspina was on patrol in the 37000 block of Asher Road in Mechanicsville in an attempt to locate a wanted subject. While patrolling the area Malaspina observed a white Ford Crown Victoria occupied with numerous subjects, with one subject matching the description of the wanted individual.

Upon making contact with the occupants, Spencer J. Goedecke, 19, of Mechanicsville was apprehended on an outstanding bench warrant. While serving the warrant Malaspina reports there were suspected controlled dangerous substances in plain view. Information provided by the occupants of the vehicle resulted in the arrest of a juvenile male, 17, of Mechanicsville for possession of CDS. An additional search of the vehicle resulted in the arrest of Dale Lee Buckler, Jr., 19, of Brandywine. Both the subject related to the warrant and Buckler were transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center and charged accordingly. The juvenile male was transported to the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack and charged prior to being released to a guardian pending further action by juvenile services.

Philip H. Dorsey III Attorney at Law

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Liquor Store Owner Accused of Selling Crack Pipes

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A convenience store proprietor and an employee have been charged with selling items like pipes for smoking cocaine and other narcotics out of their establishment.

According to information from the county’s vice/narcotics unit, officers learned of alleged sales of the drug paraphernalia through other investigations and made undercover purchases of the items.

Capt. Daniel Alioto, commander of the unit, said that Alpeshkumar Shambhubhai Patel, 36, and Ramilaben Alpeshkumar Patel, 34, now only face misdemeanor charges in court but the matter has been referred to the county’s Alcohol Beverage Board for consideration because the business holds a liquor license.

“It came to our attention and we took immediate action,” Alioto said. “This is a quality of life issue. Lexington Park does not need this.”

Information from the vice/narcotics unit alleged that officers seized large amounts of drug paraphernalia from the store, Corner Liquors on Shangri La Drive, as well as what they were able purchase.

Alioto said that investigators recovered ceramic pipes that were allegedly intended for smoking marijuana but the presence of crack pipes — glass tubes complete with precut steel wool — were an unmistakable sign of paraphernalia sales.

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“You don’ smoke tobacco out of a glass tube stuffed with [steel wool],” Alioto said.

“They knew what they were selling.”

Customers to the store could even buy replacement steel filters for the crack cocaine pipes, Alioto said, instead of the entire unit.

On-line court records show that investigators conducted their undercover operation in the middle of last month, with both defendants being served with a criminal summons Jan. 24.

No arrests of either defendant were recorded.

Sanctions against the business from the Alcohol Beverage Board could include fines and suspension of the establishment’s liquor license.

Corner Liquors proprietors have also been charged by the beverage board for allegedly allowing an underage customer to purchase alcohol in an unrelated matter. guyleonard@countytimes.net

Inmate Charged With Death Threats

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

-Serious Personal Injury Cases-

10

Antonio Warren Gantt, 43, a suspect in the robbery of a Lexington Park bank on two separate occasions has been charged with threatening to have a judge and chief county prosecutor killed while he was waiting in county jail for a re-trial of his previous bank heist convictions.

According to charging documents filed against him, Gantt destroyed a television inside the county’s detention center Feb. 12 by pulling it down off the wall to the floor.

When a deputy began to process Gantt on charges of property destruction, Gantt began talking about having the judge and prosecutor killed, charging documents allege.

Gantt told the deputy that he would pay to have Circuit Court Judge C. Clarke Raley and State’s Attorney Richard Fritz killed, court papers stated.

“I will pay anyone $2 million for the assassination of Judge Raley and Richard Fritz,” the charging document quoted Gantt as saying.

Gantt made the same comment twice, the deputy alleged, and began to laugh.

“I’m serious,” Gantt is alleged to have told the deputy.

Gantt, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 for twice robbing the Maryland Bank and Trust on Shangri La Drive in 2007, was granted a new trial last year when the Court of Appeals found that he was not prop-

erly informed that he faced the possibility of no reprieve from incarceration.

Since the granting of the new trial Gantt has been held in the county’s detention center.

Gantt has a reputation for Antonio Warren Gantt violent and sometimes bizarre behavior. In the first bank robbery witnesses testfied he said he had a gun to get cash from them. Just one month later, at the second heist, Gantt used a sports drink bottle filled with gasoline to spray employees and threaten to set them on fire if they did not comply with his demands, witnesses said.

At his 2008 trial Gantt would alternate between not speaking and then turn to outbursts that led Raley to order court security to gag him with tape while he sat bound in chains at the defense table.

He professed his innocence to the two bank robberies when speaking to jurors.

Gantt faces three years incarceration and a $2,500 fine for each count of threatening to do harm to a public official. guyleonard@countytimes.net

11

Thursday, February 17, 2011

James Abell, Sr., 50 Ja m e s Willard “Jimmy” Abell, Sr., 50, of Mechanicsville, MD, died February 10, 2011 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown, MD. Born June 25, 1960 in Leonardtown, MD, he was the son of the late Joseph B. and Ann Hope Clarke Abell, Sr. He was the husband of Mildred “Denise” Burroughs Abell whom he married on November 22, 1986 in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Morganza, MD. Mr. Abell is also survived by his children; Amanda Burroughs of Dunkirk, MD, James W. “J.W” Abell, Jr. of Hollywood, MD, Jessica Abell of Mechanicsville, MD and one grandson Derek as well as his siblings; Mary Ann Yount (Jeff) of Mechanicsville, MD, Joseph B. “JB” Abell, Jr. (Donna) and Randy Abell (Joanne) both of Leonardtown, MD, Susie Woodburn, Rose Gatton (Danny) and Robert Abell (Vicky) all of Hollywood, MD. James was preceded in death by his daughter Amy Abell and granddaughter Destiny Burroughs Dukes.

Jimmy joined the United States Army after graduating from Great Mills, High School, Great Mills, MD. He was a selfemployed construction worker and was a lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County. He enjoyed spending time with his grandson Derek, family and friends, playing cards, watching NASCAR, listening to country and bluegrass music.

The family received friends on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were recited. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD with Fr. Raymond Schmidt officiating.

Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Pallbearers were J.B. Abell, Jr., Randy Abell, Robert Abell, Charlie Thompson, Mike Anderson, and Andy Wood.

Honorary Pallbearers were Joe P. Dorsey, Terry Gatton, George Jones, Wayne Smith, Buck Shotwell, Bon Dee Thompson, Jeff Yount and Danny Gatton.

To send a condolence to the family please visit our website at www.mgf h.com.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

James Blair, 75 James Matthew “Matt” Blair, 75, of St. Inigoes, MD, died Feb-

ruary 12, 2011 at St. M a r y ’ s Nursing Center, Leonardtown, MD sur rounded by his loving family.

Born December 21, 1935 in River Springs, MD, he was the son of the late Walter Rayner Blair and Mary Gladys Bailey Blair.

Matt is survived by his wife Marian Ann Unkle Blair, and his daughters, Terrie and her husband Ron Harney of St. Inigoes, MD, Susan and her husband Bob Dudley, grandchildren Bobby, Eric and Sarah of Hollywood, MD and Betsy and her husband Hector Saradpon of Owings Mills, MD. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia (Patsy) Bailey of Bushwood, MD and two brothers, Walter R. Blair, Jr. of Leonardtown, MD and Joseph M. Blair, Sr. of Bushwood, MD. In addition to his parents, Matt was preceded in death by his son, James Matthew Blair, Jr. and a sister, Catherine Blair.

Matt enjoyed his boyhood in the 7th district. He attended Holy Angels School and then Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy as a boarding cadet, where he was proud of being “chief bugler” and loved riding the horses. During the summer months he crabbed, cut grass and worked other jobs to make pocket money. Matt graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in 1954. It was there he met Marian Ann, whom he married in 1956. They lived in St. Inigoes. Matt worked at the Patuxent Naval Air Station and later ran a grocery store and bar until he discovered his forte for sales.

He sold hardware, real estate and liquor. His relationship with his customers and fellow salesmen was one of friendship, trust and mutual respect. Matt was always a “people person” and especially loved watching young people succeed. He helped many of them find jobs and assisted others with finances to start their businesses.

He always wanted to see others fulfill their dreams. One of Matt’s proudest accomplishments was when he recommended a young gentleman for a job at the liquor company where he worked and this man was soon promoted to CEO and became Matt’s boss!

Matt was a good man and a devoted husband, father and grandfather. His hobbies were traveling, cars and boating. He served in the National Guard, was a Charter Member of the Optimist Club of St. Maries and attended St. Michael’s Catholic Church.

Family received friends for Matt’s Life Celebration on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with prayers recited in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leon-

The County Times

ardtown, MD 20650. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 in St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 16555 Three Notch Road, Ridge, MD 20680. The Reverend Lee Fangmyer, pastor of the church, was the celebrant. Interment followed in St. Michael’s Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers were Rayner Blair, Joey Blair, Ricky Blair, Bill Bailey, Ben Unkle and Brian Tarleton. Serving as honorary pallbearers were Melvin Lorence, Beal Dunbar, Danny Norris, Robert Steele Pogue and Emerick Norris.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary’s Nursing Center, 3rd Floor Alzheimer’s Unit, Attn: Sharon Smith, 21585 Peabody St., Leonardtown, MD 20650 or St. Michael’s School, Ridge, MD. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com

Margaret Brawley, 83 Margaret Jane “Maggie” Brawley, 83, of Mechanicsville, MD passed away peacefully with loved ones by her bedside on February 12, 2011, in St. Mary’s Hospital after a brief illness. Born June 13, 1927 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Elmer

and Dorothy “Momma Dot” Rosser Howerton.

She was the loving wife of the late John C. Brawley, whom she married in Wash i ng ton, DC on April 20, 1956, and whom preceded her in death on June 9, 1994. Mrs. Brawley was survived by her children; Kirk Fones (Mary) of Hollywood, MD, John Brawley (Mary) of Broken Arrow, OK, Nancy Ford (Dan) of California, MD and Dorothy Vallandingham (Danny) of Mechanicsville, MD as well as 12 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband, Mrs. Brawley was preceded in death by her son, Steven Fones and siblings; Bill Howerton, Eddie Howerton, and Bobbie Howerton.

Mrs. Brawley graduated in 1945 from McKinley Technology High School, Washington, DC, before moving to St. Mary’s County in 1956. She worked for the International Association of Machanist (IAMAW) for eight years before her retirement in 1989. Mrs. Brawley was a mem-

ber of the Hollywood United Methodist Church and Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department.

She enjoyed volunteering, reading and gardening. Mrs. Brawley loved flowers.

The family received friends on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD. A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10 a.m. in Hollywood United Methodist Church, Hollywood, MD with Rev. Sheldon Reese officiating. Interment will follow in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Waldorf, MD. Pallbearers will be Steven Potts, Kyle Vallandingham, Jay Johnson, Daniel Vallandingham, Matthew Prinsen and Bobby Howerton. Contributions in memory of Mrs. Brawley can be made to the Hollywood United Methodist Church, 24422 Mervell Dean Road, Hollywood, MD. 20636.

To send a condolence to the family please visit our website at www.mgf h.com.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

James Briscoe, Sr., 93 James C. Briscoe, Sr. was born February 14, 1917 in Chaptico, Maryland to the late John

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

12

Continued Frank Briscoe and Margaret T h o m as Briscoe. After his sudden i l l n e s s James was called home to be with the Lord on February 11, 2011.

He attended St. Mary’s County Public Schools. On February 20, 1943, James was united in holy matrimony to Catherine Elizabeth Collins in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. After 43 years of marriage on May 1st, 1986, his beloved wife departed to be with the Lord.

James devoted his life to his family and friends. He was a faithful member of the Immaculate Conception Church of Mechanicsville, Maryland. He spent most of his life farming. He enjoyed playing cards, horseshoes, watching wrestling and watching the World Series baseball games. He took great pleasure in helping other people. He loved his dog “Jack”.

He leaves to cherish his memory, his children; Mary Agnes Gray (late Joseph), James C. Briscoe, Jr. (Mary), Margaret B. Medley, Helen Butler-Grantham (Elijah), Frances Dolores Briscoe, John Henry Briscoe (Elizabeth), Shirley C. Briscoe, Sharon B. Greenwood (Otis Sr.), Ronald V. Briscoe (Donna), Judy Mae Nelson (James), Robert Michael Briscoe (Linda), Martha L. Greene (late Clifton), David Louis Briscoe (Sharra), Jane M. Hebb (Michael), and Mark Anthony Briscoe (Gladys), and one sister Margaret Thompson of Chaptico, Maryland and one sister-in-law, Mary Frances Curtis, Washington, DC. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. He is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his siblings; John Frank Briscoe, Jr., William Briscoe, Clarence Briscoe, Helen B. Harper, Rebecca B. Young, Agnes L. Thomas, and Regina Briscoe; grand children James C. Briscoe, III, Christopher M. Nelson, Tawana M. Butler, Trina and Corey Greenwood and great grandchildren; Joneaka Battle-Briscoe and Victor Thurston.

Arrangements by Briscoe-Tonic Funeral Home of Waldorf, MD.

Margaret Goddard, 84 Margaret C. Goddard, 84, of Leonardtown passed away peacefully on February 11, 2011 at St. Mary’s Nursing Center.

B o r n November 23, 1926 in Leonardtown she was the daughter of the late Robert “Woodley” and Catherine “Catie” Goddard.

She was married for 56 years to the late Bill Goddard who predeceased her in death on April 17, 2001.

Margaret was the sole employee of the only Draft Board of St. Mary’s County serving 35+ years until her retirement, at which time the Board relocated to La Plata, MD. She was a member of the Women’s Club of St. Mary’s County. One of her major projects was motivating children to read books. She also volunteered at the St. Mary’s Office On Aging.

Margaret is survived by her children Billy Goddard and Judy Faye Bakewell (Tom) all of Leonardtown and her Grandchildren: Shawn Goddard (Francine) of Virginia Beach, VA, Chris Raley (Jennifer) of Hollywood and Lenny Goddard of Leonardtown; four Great-Grandchildren, Cassidy and Kaylen Goddard, Zachary and Nicholas Raley and two Step Great-Grandchildren Eric Goodman and Erica Lee plus numerous Nieces, Nephews, Great and Great-Great Nieces and Nephews.

She was predeceased in death by her siblings Allen Goddard, Ethel Connelly, Robert “Moose” Goddard, Catherine “Pat” Gibson and Franklin “Tub” Goddard.

Family received friends for Margaret’s Life Celebration on Monday, February 14, 2011 with prayers recited in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in St. Aloysius Catholic

Church with Father Rory Conley officiating.

Interment was in St. Aloysius Cemetery, Leonardtown, MD with Shawn Goddard, Chris Raley, Lenny Goddard, Alfred Mattingly, Andy McWilliams and Pat McWilliams serving as pallbearers.

Contributions may be made to the Hospice House of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or 3rd Floor Alzheimer’s Unit, Attn: Sharon Smith, St. Mary’s Nursing Center, 21585 Peabody St., Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Elisabeth Herberg, 90 Elisabeth Beyer Herberg, 90, of Holly wood , MD died February 11, 2011 at her home.

Born March 21, 1920 in Burgfeld, Upper Silesia, Ger ma ny, now part of Poland, she was the daughter of the late Johan Beyer and Marie Barton. She was married on May 16, 1942 to her late husband, Richard Herberg. She immigrated to the United States in April of 1952. She was a member of St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church in Hollywood, MD. She enjoyed cooking, baking, painting, gardening, arts and crafts. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Maria Martha Herberg, one grandchild, Richard Herberg, III, eight sisters and one brother. She is survived by her children; Elizabeth Fluhart (Danny) of Waldorf, MD, Richard Herberg (Fiancée June Buttone) of New Orleans, LA, Reinhold Herberg (Patsy) of Rockville, MD and John Herberg of Hollywood, MD. She is also survived by her grandchildren; Thomas Edward Fluhart, John August Fluhart, Margaret Elizabeth Wetherald, Elizabeth Anne Custer, Catherine Marie Thorne, Sarah Ellen Overton, Daniel Herberg Fluhart, Garrett Russell Herberg, Georgia Daniele Breeding, Erica Kathleen Herberg, Kristen Elizabeth Her-

5 2 1 4 To 73 3 1 0 Plac 3 l l a e a Me C e s morial, Plea

berg, and Michael Reinhold Herberg, as well as her great-grandchildren; Thomas Daniel Fluhart, Tyler John Fluhart, Alexis Nicole Sheridan-Fluhart, Caitlyn Ashley Wetherald, Carrie Morgan Wetherald, Kasidy Elizabeth Custer, Mark Stephen Custer, Timothy Jordan Thorne, Trevor Allen Thorne, Morgan Beyer Overton, Daniel Ralph Fluhart, GiGi Elise Herberg, Rebekah Elizabeth Herberg, Garrett Richard Herberg and Gunter Beyer Breeding.

The family received friends on Monday, February 14, 2011 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers were said. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church, Hollywood, MD with Fr. Eamon Dignan officiating.

Interment followed in the church cemetery. Pallbearers were Garrett Herberg, Michael Herberg, Thomas Fluhart, John Fluhart, Daniel Fluhart, Timothy Thorne.

Contributions in memory of Mrs. Herberg can be made to St. John’s School, 43950 St. John’s Road, Hollywood, MD 20636 and/or the Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 79, Hollywood, MD 20636.

To send a condolence to the family please visit our website at www.mgf h.com.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Frank Rubala, 89 F r a n k Louis Rubala, 89 of Mechanicsville, MD died February 9, 2011 at Calvert Memorial Hospital.

B o r n February 19, 1921 in Cleveland, OH, he was the son of the late Mike Rubala and Anna (Onachilla) Rubala.

Frank’s parents were immigrants from Hungary. He grew up in a neighborhood of children from different ethnic families.

As a youngster, he worked in his father’s store. In 1939 he joined the U.S. Army and served his count r y

as an airplane instrument technician. He served in Alaska and throughout the United States.

He was honorably discharged in 1945.

He graduated from Dyke and Spencerian Business College in 1949 and worked for Ernest and Ernest as an auditor. He moved to Maryland and worked for Maryland National Bank retiring in 1976. He then worked for Colonial Farm Credit.

Frank enjoyed listening to music, especially Lawrence Welk.

His main enjoyment was gardening. He was very diligent at finding new methods of growing vegetables. He was successful at growing some beautiful crops.

Frank is survived by his wife Marjorie, his children; Michael J. Rubala (Penny) of Ft. Collins, CO and Kimberley A. Cullins (Mark Markovich) of Helen, MD, five grandchildren; Robin Richards (Matthew), Leah Cullins, Cassie Cullins, Jessica Vance (Chris) and Michaela Rubala. In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by his siblings; Joseph Rubala, Ann Barna, Margaret Kover and Mike Rubala.

Family received friends for Frank’s Life Celebration on Sunday, February 13, 2011 in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Prayers were recited.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Monday, February 14, 2011 in Immaculate Conception Church, 28297 Old Village Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. Interment followed in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Waldorf, MD. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mechanicsville Lions Club, P.O. Box 512, Mechanicsville, MD 20659.

Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

To Place a Memorial, Please Call 301-373-4125

13

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The County Times WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, NO RAIN CHECKS

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11 0 23 2

The County Times

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Know

In The

St. Mary’s Delicados, Inc. & St. Mary’s Hospital present

Thursday, February 17, 2011

14

Education

SMCPS Performs Well on AP Tests

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer On Advanced Placement (AP) tests, St. Mary’s County Public Schools ranks high in Maryland, which is ranked number one in the nation for the third straight year.

Scott Smith, the director of secondary schools, said that the AP program in St. Mary’s County is going strong, with 36 percent of the graduating seniors taking AP exams.

In the world of AP tests, the exams are scored on a five point scale, with one being roughly equivalent to an “F” and five being equivalent to an “A+,” Smith said. The goal is to get a three, four or five on the tests.

From the time the AP tests were first recorded, in 1997, until 2010 the number of students who take at least one AP test has gone up more than 10 times. In 1997, there were 154 students in the AP courses and 269 tests were given. In 2010, there were 1,186 students in AP courses and 2098 tests given.

“We have a lot of tests going on,” Smith said.

Even with numbers that large, nearly 50 percent of the students pass with a three or better, which is more than the state or the country average.

Until now, the school district has footed

the bill for AP tests. Because of the financial constrictions the school is facing nest year, this will be the last that the district will be able to do so.

“With the reality of the budget, this is something that’s being scrutinized,” Smith said.

Smith said this may be a blessing in disguise because, while there will be fewer students taking the tests because they have to pay for their own tests, the students who are willing to front the money will perform better on the exams to make it worth it.

The AP tests are $77 a piece and in total $185,000 is spent on the tests per year. To put this in perspective, three teacher’s salaries could be paid with the money spent on the AP tests each year, he said.

“This is a very considerable commitment on behalf of St. Mary’s County Public Schools to the kids,” Smith said.

While there will be a decrease of up to 500 students taking the AP exams, there won’t be a decrease in students taking the AP courses, which colleges look for on student’s transcripts.

“I would feel confident saying we’ll see a significant number of students who score three or better,” Smith said. sarahmiller@countytimes.net

Tech Center Opens Doors For Expo

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer The James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center held a tech expo to introduce parents and students in St. Mary’s County.

Susan Taylor, a guidance councilor, said the tech expo is a way for the students who are thinking about taking classes at the center to see the variety of programs offered and ask questions of both the students and the staff and for the school to “show off.”

Taylor said the tech expo has been held at the same time of year for a few years, because it’s the time of year they are taking registrations for students.

Charles Fletcher III, a student at the tech center, said he likes the fact that the tech center consists of hands-on learning where students can get experience with their areas of study.

“It’s a wonderful place,” Taylor said.

She said that the center has areas of study like a college would have, but unlike college, if a student changes their course of study, it won’t cost them additional years and money to decide what they want. In some cases, the students can even earn college credit in the courses offered at the tech center.

“It’s a real honor to be part of it because it takes you out of the box,” Fletcher said.

Jennifer Burch, another student at the center and a junior at Leonardtown High School, said she enjoys the coursework at the tech center.

“It’s a good time but you also learn a lot,” Burch said.

Above, Alina Stone tags different sections of the brain at the James A Forrest Career and Technology Center Expo. At the other end of the room, Monica Peters demonstrates drawing blood on a dummy arm.

sarahmiller@countytimes.net

Students Jump Rope For Heart Health

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer Hollywood Elementary is doing their part to support the American Heart Association.

Mary Kaye Roper, a gym teacher at Hollywood Elementary, said this week is her 20th jump rope for heart.

What sets the program at Hollywood Elementary apart from other programs in the area is the fact that the students do multiple activities instead of choosing just one.

Normally, schools choose one of two options, jump rope for heart or hoops for heart, where students shoot basketballs instead of jumping rope.

The students are raising money for the American Heart Association. Roper said the students go to their family and friends and ask for flat donations. Classes that have 100 percent participation, with all the students bringing in a donation of some denomination, are rewarded with a party.

“It helps the kids understand the value of community service and the character of kindness,” Roper said.

“I think it’s pretty cool because you can be a hero and you can save lots of lives, pretty much keep people’s hearts pumping,” said fourth grade student Melodie Abell.

She said she’s not participating for the prizes, but students who collect $1,000 get a scooter and students who collect $50 get a Jump Rope for Heart tee shirt.

She said the students begin participating in jump rope for heart when they are in first grade.

“I think it’s fun and it makes your heart healthy,” said Xavier Dever, another fourth grade student at Hollywood Elementary.

He said he looks forward to the event every year.

During gym class, in addition to having a unit about the heart and heart health, the students get a special gym

Know

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

period where they have stations for different kinds of jump roping and shooting hoops. During a normal gym period, students all get involved in the same activity. sarahmiller@countytimes.net

Education

In The

15

Knights of Columbus Funds Jumpstart Sports Program

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer The Knights of Columbus recently donated $900 to St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

“They give us a donation every year,” said Melissa Charbonnet, the executive director of special educations and student services. “They collect money for the children with cognitive disabilities.”

Charbonnet said while the amount varies from year to year, the Knights of Columbus never fails to make some sort of donation to the school.

“It’s wonderful,” Charbonnet said.

In the past, the donation has gone to fund things like the Supported Academics and Integrated Learning (SAIL) program, summer camp programs and other things to support children with cognitive disabilities.

This year, the donation will be used within the school system to support expenses related to the new corollary sports program, which is facilitated by the Department of Special Education.

Charbonnet said the money will go toward buying uniforms and equipment and paying coaches.

“It [the donation] doesn’t pay for all of it, but it certainly supports it,” Charbonnet said.

With the financial difficulties the school is facing in the next fiscal year, Charbonnet said the money goes a long way in helping the program get off the ground.

“I used it to get that started,” Charbonnet said.

The corollary sports program puts young people with and without disabilities together in physical activities. She said there are activities for all the regular seasons, including cycling in the fall, bowling in the winter and bocce ball in the spring.

For more information, contact Charbonnet at 301-475-5511 ext. 220.

For more information about the Knights of Columbus, visit www.kofc. org.

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The County Times STORY

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer

Thursday, February 17, 2011

16

17

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Crime Scene Investigators Patch Together Missing Pieces

Their workspace is nowhere near as high-tech or sophisticated as the ones seen on television’s fictional CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) programs but they still manage to get the job done.

Crime scene technicians working for the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, like Kathy Shoemaker and Amanda Boyer, collect and analyze evidence in just two small rooms at the Leonardtown headquarters, bags filled with blood stained clothes and other evidence boxed up waiting for analysis sit in the crime lab.

Finger print dust of various kinds lines just about everything in the immediate vicinity, from tabletops to stacks of paper.

NEW LOCATION: Downtown Leonardtown

Office Location: Court Square Building • 22660 Washington Street • Leonardtown, MD 20650

Their jobs keep them busy, Shoemaker said.

“We’re on call at least one week a month for seven days straight,” Shoemaker said. “I raised five kids doing this over the past 10 years.”

They take evidence from all kinds of crime scenes, such as assaults, robberies and homicides but the bulk of their work comes in aiding police officers find theft suspects in residential, business and vehicle break-ins.

“Burglaries make up about 60 percent of our calls, and that’s where we get a lot of our closures because that’s where we have evidence we can bring back to the lab.”

Burglars often leave fingerprints on items around a home or vehicle, Shoemaker said, including jugs that hold lots of spare change.

“They’ll take the change and leave the jug,” Shoemaker said.

But sometimes suspects don’t leave fingerprints, but rather tool marks, foot impressions or glove prints.

Crime lab technicians can still help close cases with that evidence, they say, even if the marks are common to more than just the suspect detectives have in mind.

Detectives often use the information against suspects when interviewing them and make them crack.

“Most of the time detectives are really good at getting a confession,” Shoemaker said.

In fact, despite advanced technology available to them and cooperation from other agencies, often times it is evidence like a simple fingerprint that closes a case.

Fingerprints, now available in a state computerized database, are much easier to track and can help detectives close multiple cases, even across jurisdictional lines.

Det. David Alexander, with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, said that a suspect in a 2007 homicide case, Johntonna Young, now serving a life sentence for murder, was connected along with accomplices to a string of other crimes committed in Charles County around that time.

“We linked them to several armed robberies with shoe imprints here and in Charles County,” Alexander said. “One case leads to many.”

Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said that with the introduction of computer statistics driving policing methods, crime lab technicians are in even more demand because deputies are taking in more information and evidence when they go out on calls.

“It [the crime lab] has become critical, not just for major cases but for all kinds of cases,” Cameron said. “They’re able to help us connect the dots.

“There’s nothing unimportant here,” the sheriff said.

The demand for their services has become so great, Cameron said, that he has requested another employee trained in forensics to oversee the lab operations, which are currently supervised by a detective.

Currently the local crime lab cannot perform tests on blood and bullets for ballistic comparisons, depending instead on Maryland State Police resources.

But Cameron said that if he could enhance the section’s capabilities it would be in computer forensics: tracking down evidence in computers used to perpetrate all kinds of crime from child pornography trafficking to bank fraud.

“It’s growing here and there’s so much demand on all these other labs,” Cameron said of computer-aided crimes. “That’s a hot commodity. You’re lucky to find anyone to do it for you because it’s in such high demand.”

Aside from technical skill, crime scene technicians have to also have the right mindset for gathering evidence.

Boyer said that sometimes she tries to think like a criminal in order to find what she’s looking for, but other times she only needs to ask herself what she would do in a particular situation.

Boyer said she was able to get DNA evidence immediately from a stolen motor vehicle by inspecting the air vents before anything else.

The reason she looked their first, she said, is because she always adjusts the flow from air vents when she gets into someone else’s car.

“I always check the air vents and radio first,” Boyer said. “For me, it works.”

Shoemaker said that training for the job can be just as challenging as the job itself — even trips out of town to forensic schools are hard work with lots of practical exercises along with classwork.

One training class they went to was particularly messy, with instructors flinging pig’s blood on a wall to simulate spatter patterns.

It was the technicians’ job to figure out exactly what kind of “weapon” was used in the crime and exactly how many were used.

All of that rigor helps them do their job better, Shoemaker said.

“It does work, all the scientific methods they teach you,” she said.

The job also brings with it some very macabre aspects.

Along with collecting blood and other sometimes gruesome evidence from crime scenes, the technicians sometimes have to go to special lengths to identify a body.

Shoemaker remembered on case when, several years ago, she had to find out who a homeless man was who had hanged himself in one of the old “flattops” homes in Lexington Park.

“He was mummified,” Shoemaker said, adding that after numerous attempts at fingerprinting the corpse that failed, she had to cut a portion of the deceased person’s palm out to make a positive identification through lab work done in Charles County.

“The guy had grown up in that house,” she said. “He just committed suicide there.”

Boyer said that the nature of job differed from that of police officers and detectives who often see cases through to the end with a conviction.

Many times, crime scene technicians did not have that luxury.

“Sometimes we don’t see the good work that gets done,” Boyer said. “We always see the bad part.”

When dealing with the more sanguine aspects of a crime scene, Boyer said, she tries to treat the situation with a touch of pretending to make it easier.

“I try to think of those things [pieces of evidence] more like Halloween props,” Boyer

STORY

Photo by Frank Marqurt

said.

Though it can be a tough job, crime evidence technicians have become a critical part of not just closing cases in the detective section but also in getting convictions in the courtroom, Alexander said.

“Juries want to see something more, that one more piece of physical evidence that can seal the deal,” Alexander said. “That one piece of physical evidence can push it over the edge [of doubt.].” guyleonard@countytimes.net

Crime lab technicians Kathy Shoemaker and Amanda Boyer rely on special equipment and insight to gather evidence at crime scenes.

Photo by Frank Marqurt

High-Tech BARCODES ALLOW THE COUNTY TIMES TO PRINT VIDEO

Wondering what those geometric checkerboard designs are that have started to appear in magazines and newspapers? If you own a Blackberry, Android, or iPhone, you’re going to love this.

The County Times is using a new technology called “linkblots” developed by Envidient, Inc., a hi-tech startup located in Maryland. linkblots allow the County Times to create special 2D barcodes called Quick Response codes (QR codes) that work with smartphones to display online content like videos and websites to our readers.

What is a QRcode?

Most people see barcodes in the supermarket everyday.

A QRcode is like a barcode on steroids. Normal barcodes contains only vertical lines. A QRcode encodes information both vertically and horizontally so it contains a lot more information. More importantly you don’t need a laser scanner to read a QRcode. QRcodes are scanned with mobile phone cameras. If you have an internet-capable smartphone, you can scan a QRcode and immediately begin watching the encoded video, which is stored on the Internet and streamed directly to your smartphone.

How do I use them?

Scan QR Code With Smarthpone for Video Sample

You will need two items to view the linkblots codes we use in the County Times: • A Mobile smartphone (Blackberry, Android, or iPhone) equipped with a camera; and • A QRcode Reader App/Barcode – You can download a free one from your App store.

We have printed a QRcode in this article for you to try - Before you can view it, you’ll need to make sure you have a QRcode reader on your smartphone. Use the web browser on your smartphone to visit http://m.linkblots.com and click on the link to download a QR code reader for your phone.

Once you have installed the QR code reader, do the following:

• Open the QRcode/Barcode reader on your smartphone. You will see the camera screen open up as if you were going to snap a photo.

• Point your phone camera at the QRcode until you see it in the camera screen. If you are using the iPhone or the Android, wait until the phone reads the QRcode – it will tell you. If you are using the Blackberry, you’ll need to click it like you are taking a picture and wait for it to scan.

• If your phone is scanning the code correctly, you will see a link. Click to follow the link and you will be taken to our QRcode test video.

The County Times will be placing a wide variety of videos, audios, and picture slide shows in the paper to augment our normal print articles in the coming weeks. Everything from movie previews, to sporting event highlights, to campaign interviews are now possible – and will ONLY be available in the Southern Maryland Publishing family of newspapers.

Why is The County Times using these now?

According to nationwide statistics, over 20% of our readers own smartphones. QR codes are a great way to bring additional content to you, our readers, while you read the print edition. The beauty of QR codes is that they allow you to quickly access information on the go.

Do you have a suggestions on how else we might use them? Let us know at news@somdpublishing.net

Newsmakers

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Healing Horses Move to Serenity Cove

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer

Limi te

Serenity Cove, tucked away off Newtown Neck Road, is growing a therapeutic riding program for children and adults with physical and mental hindrances.

“It’s a safe, comfortable environment,” said Helaine Burch, the therapeutic riding instructor at Serenity Cove.

Serenity Cove, owned by Erica Gowen, has had the therapeutic riding program since late 2009 and will be applying for North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) certification for the stables. To begin the process for NARHA certification, the stable has to have had a therapeutic riding program with NARHA certified instructors for at least a year.

She said she initially ran a similar program at Greenwell State Park, but when they began thinking about dropping their NARHA certification, Burch found a new home for the program at Serenity Cove.

She said one thing Serenity Cove has that Greenwell State Park does not is privacy.

“People with disabilities can come and not be seen,” she said.

Unlike the state park, which is by nature not a private location, means children

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can come and expect privacy, which is a big concern for parents and the children, as well as adults who come for therapy sessions.

Burch said the property at Serenity Cove is also more suited for something she wanted to do at Greenwell State Park, but couldn’t get to work – nature paths. To be able to take the therapy horses onto nature paths, the paths have to be wide and fairly level to accommodate the horse’s compliment of three people to go on the paths.

In the case of therapy riders, there are always at least three people surrounding the horse and rider, one person to lead the horse and one person on either side of the horse to help the rider if necessary.

The reason horse therapy works so well for people with mobility challenges is because the horses have a side to side gait that mimics a human, which allows people’s brains to recognize the movements that work muscles that they normally would use to walk. They also play games with the children on the horse that force them to stretch and work muscles, and that exercise helps with hypertonia, which Burch said is a muscle weakness associated with cerebral palsy and people in car accidents.

Burch said she has seen some cases where children who came in for their first session in wheelchairs and are able to walk

within a month or two.

“It’s almost like a miracle,” Burch said.

She said the therapy also helps children with issues that affect their speech, like autism. In the case of these children, they are closed off and withdrawn so far into themselves that, under normal circumstances, people can’t reach them. When they are put on a horse, there are two things that happen – they are forced to the present because something different is going on and they have to focus on the horse.

By getting the children to focus on something going on, there is an opening for the companions on either side of them to talk to the child and have their words reach them.

Burch said there are many cases where children who didn’t talk before beginning horse therapy became absolute chatterboxes within a few months.

Burch said before a person can be put on a horse, they have to have clearance from a doctor. They can’t take people with seizures because of the increased risk of falling from the horse.

A good therapy horse will have a calm, quiet disposition and be able to stand still without invading a person’s space.

Burch said it’s essential that a therapy horse be able to allow children and adults to approach them with out knocking them over. Most therapy horses are what Burch called “bombproof,” which means they have a calm that is nearly unflappable.

“I do believe we have something the community would like to know about,” Burch said.

In addition to the benefits therapy riding has for people with disabilities, Burch said there are also benefits for ablebodied members of the community. There are volunteer opportunities for students in high school and college, as well as other individuals in the community.

The stables also offer a way for college students who have horses but nowhere to keep them if they go to college to keep their horse. The stables take free-leased horses, where in exchange for board and farrier services, the horses can be used by people who come to the stables for riding lessons or therapy sessions.

For more information, visit www.serenitycovestables.com, e-mail erica@serenitycovestables.com or call 301-475-7989.

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Community

The County Times

Town Reviving Sewer Treatment Plant Expansion Project

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer After a three year hiatus, the Town of Leonardtown is starting anew with its plans to revamp its wastewater treatment plant on Van Wert Lane to meet with the state’s mandate for enhanced nutrient removal (ENR) upgrades, designed to take out more nitrogen and phosphorous from water destined for return to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The town council voted Monday to commission a study from engineering contractor GHD to find a way to have the upgrades done to equipment at the plant, but also to offer options to increase the capacity of the plant to provide more services to critical projects such as the detention center expansion, a new elementary school on the Hayden Farm site and other housing development projects.

Town Administrator Laschelle McKay

said that three years ago the state allowed the town to hold off on the upgrades, since a collapsing housing market also stymied the town’s plans to collect impact fees that would have paid for the upgrades.

McKay said that the original plan was to expand the capacity of the treatment plant to 1.2 million gallons per day, but now the plan calls for a “minimal expansion” that the town can afford.

The current capacity is now just 660,000 gallons per day, McKay said.

Since the town has had to hold off on enhancing capacity, it has had to ration the equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) that are allocated to development projects.

The town council approved a plan by developer Ron Russo to subdivide property at the Leonardtown Wharf with the explicit confirmation that just one EDU be given from the town’s list of available capacity to the project for now.

“I’m concerned with the allocation and the way we are going,” said Town Councilmember Tom Collier. “We have no solution in hand for our EDU issue.

“I’m not against the project, it’s just a timing issue.”

In 2008 the town passed an ordinance rationing EDUs to infill and redevelopment projects or other critical efforts.

Currently the town only has about 80 EDUs left to give toward projects.

The town is planning to use spray or drip irrigation of treated effluent (the endproduct of wastewater treatment) in cooperation with the county to increase the capacity to treat more water enough so it can be discharged into the watershed.

The consultant is expected to have options for plant expansion within the next 60 days, McKay said. guyleonard@countytimes.net

Officials: College Doubles Size, Halves Pollution

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer When a senior official at St. Mary’s College of Maryland told visiting county commissioners that they had been able to double the square footage of the campus’ facilities over the past 25 years and at the same time reduce by 50 percent the amount of pollutants running into the St. Mary’s River, they wanted to know more.

John Savich, county administrator who attended a meeting between college leadership and elected officials Tuesday, said that the college’s success could be used to help developers learn to cope with the state’s new, and more stringent, storm water management rules.

The county is also interested in finding ways to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediments loads into the Chesapeake Bay watershed to comply with recent sweeping federal mandates to clean up the embattled body of water.

“Our greatest fear is the introduction of these requirements at a time of economic uncertainty,” Savich said.

Charles “Chip” Jackson, vice president of Planning and Facilities at the college, said that the institution was able to achieve its goal by not just meeting state mandates posited by the critical area laws, which governs land use strictly within 1,000 feet of the

shore line, but by exceeding them.

The law required that new construction projects on the campus reduce pollutants by at least 10 percent, Jackson told The County Times, but often their construction efforts claimed reductions of more than 30 percent.

The River Center on Route 5, which was roundly criticized by local residents several years ago for skirting critical area laws and destroying the scenic vista is one such project.

It has reduced pollutants there by 37 percent over the original building, he claimed.

“We made it better,” Jackson said.

Jackson said that the use of storm water management ponds along with rain gardens and parking lots made out of pervious surfaces like gravel or small, smooth stone helped cut down on pollutants from rain water runoff.

He said that 30 percent of parking spaces at the college were pervious surfaces.

But the costs of using such methods were high, Jackson said, and forced administrators to spend more for environmental concerns in building budgets and less on other aspects of the projects.

“It comes with a premium,” Jackson said. guyleonard@countytimes.net

EDF Offers Plan to Revive Third Reactor Deal

By Guy Leonard Staff Writer UniStar LLC, the company owned by a French nuclear power giant, has offered a plan to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that they say will allow the third nuclear reactor to go forward at Calvert Cliffs without another U.S. partner.

The plan states that UniStar Nuclear Energy (UNE), a subsidiary, which oversees reactor operations, could use holding companies independent of the parent corporation to ensure compliance with U.S. nuclear regulations.

Under the nation’s laws governing the operation and ownership of nuclear power plants, operations cannot fall under the complete control of a foreign company. In this case UniStar is now wholly owned by Electricite de France (EDF), one of the largest operators of nuclear plants worldwide.

EDF is also controlled almost entirely by the French government.

UniStar’s partner in the venture up until late last year, U.S. owned Constellation Energy, backed out of the deal expressing worries that the cost of U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees was too high and would kill the economics of the project.

The breaking of the partnership meant EDF would have to move on alone and many policy makers were worried the project was dead for lack of a U.S. partner who could be the majority owner of the third reactor.

“The terms of the UNE LLC agreement provide that a security subcommittee of the UNE board has the exclusive right to exercise the board’s authority over the matters that are required to be under U.S. control,” UniStar’s plan states. “The security subcommittee is made up of U.S. citizens, the majority of whom must be independent

directors, who are not employed by UNE, its parent companies or any other affiliates.”

Michael Mariotte, with the Nuclear Information and Resource Service based in Takoma Park, which opposes building new fission reactors, said he believed UniStar was offering the plan as a stalling tactic to buy time to find a U.S. partner.

UniStar, and EDF, know that the approval of their plan by the nuclear regulators was highly unlikely, he said.

“And if they do we’ll be in court,” Mariotte said. “I don’t see where EDF has a leg to stand on here.

“I think they’re wasting their time and the NRC’s time.”

Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the regional office of the NRC, said the agency is still reviewing UniStar’s proposal. guyleonard@countytimes.net

Thursday, February 17, 2011

20

Graduation Announcement Theresa Claire Campeggio graduated with cum laude honors from Clemson University in South Carolina on December 16, 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a minor in Education. She is employed by St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

She is the daughter of Mike and Barbara Campeggio of Leonardtown and a 2007 graduate of Leonardtown High School.

Local Students Achieve College Honors

• Melanie Boekel of Lexington Park, a junior Accounting major and Shanice Fenwick of Lexington Park, a freshman Behavioral Science major have both been named to the Deans List for the Fall 2010 semester at York College of Pensylvania.

To be eligible for this honor, a student must be registered for at least 12 academic credit hours and earn a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher.

• Wingate University has named Carlin Hammett of Leonardtown to the Dean's List for demonstrating outstanding academic achievement during the fall 2010 semester. The President's List requires a term GPA of 3.80 on at least 12 quality point academic hours with no grade below a C. The Dean's List requires a term GPA of 3.30 or at least 12 quality point academic hours with no grade below a C. "It takes hard work and self-discipline to accomplish such high academic achievement," said Martha Asti, vice president for academic affairs. "Wingate University faculty and staff congratulate all who have achieved President's List honors this past semester."

• The State University of New York at Potsdam President John F. Schwaller among those honored Peter Klug, a Theatre major from Park Hall, for maintaining high grades in Fall 2010.

To achieve the honor of being on the President's List, each student must have satisfactorily completed 12 numerically graded semester hours that semester with a minimum grade point average of between 3.5.

• The following local students were awarded Dean's List academic honors for the Fall 2010 semester at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

From Lexington Park - Jemarc-Van Ruiz Axinto, Christina A. Becker, Lina Dai, Christine Leigh Flanagan Jacqueline N. Fullerton, Alexandra Rachel McCallen, Michael Henry Oberhausen, Christopher L. Parish, Angela May Pugay, Bryson J. Shibe and Andrea A. Templeton. From Mecahicsville there were Jessica Marie Blankenship, Richard James Edgar, William Andrew Gainey, David Timothy Odell Gainey, Ian James Long, Barnett Norman, Alex James Rowan, Courtney Elizabeth Crooks Tyra and Audrey Gaea Viksen. The students from California are Mitra A. Brown, Jeffrey Robert Carey, Austin Todd Kibler, Shelby Elyse Mullennix, Christopher John Pasch, Janna Marie Roberts and Claire Marie Tiffany. From Hollywood, there are Amy E. Goss and Joanna Kalinowski. From Leonard town there are Theodore James Pugh, Caleb Lee Redman, Christopher D. Sanborn, Elizabeth Anne Shupe and Cathrine Isabell. The students form Great Mills are Arianna Loren Pray and Stephanie Denise Gonzalez. Last, but not least, there is Keith Brandon Colson of Drayden, Zadekia Stefanie Krondorfer of Saint Marys City, Miranda Dale Russell of Piney Point and Jennifer Rebecca Wise of Ridge.

Dean's List honors are awarded to full-time students at St. Mary's who earn a semester grade-point average of 3.5 or better on 12 or more graded credits.

“I am pleased to see students at St. Mary's College of Maryland meeting the demanding requirements for placement on the Dean's List," said President Joe Urgo. "Ours is among the most rigorous liberal arts programs nationally, and this achievement demonstrates true commitment to academic success.”

21

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Business

Directory Law Offices of

Phone 301-884-5900 1-800 524-2381

P.A. Hotchkiss & Associates Since 1987

WHERE YOUR LEGAL MATTER-MATTERS

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

Serving the Southern Maryland Area

Accepting All Major Credit Cards

Cross & Wood

AssoCiAtes, inC. Serving The Great Southern Maryland Counties since 1994 Employer/Employee

Primary Resource Consultants Group & Individual Health, Dental, Vision, AFLAC, Life, Long Term Care, Short & Long Term Disability, Employer & Employee Benefits Planning

12685 Amberleigh Lane La Plata, MD 20646

Pub & Grill

301-866-0777

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

www.dbmcmillans.com

Est. 1982

Entertainment All Day

28231 Three Notch Rd, #101 Mechanicsville, MD 20659

Heating & Air Conditioning

23415 Three Notch Road California Maryland

34 Days Till St. Patrick’s Day

Phone 301-934-4680 Fax 301-884-0398

snheatingac.com

Lic #12999

Deadlines for Classifieds are Tuesday at 12 pm.

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

Classifieds Real Estate A 20 acre lot, with perk, mostly cleared flat land backed with trees- great for a single family with lots of privacy and plenty of room for pasture with a stream running along edge of property, or can be subdivided.

In a great location in the middle of Hollywood on a private road in a quite neighborhood.If interested call 301-373-8462 or e-mail jlaowens@aol.com

Real Estate Rentals Quiet, Cove Setting, great for canoeing & kayaking. Pier, (catch your own crabs), Gazebo, Inground Swimming Pool. New Appliances. Two Fireplaces, Hardwood and Ceramic floors. 4 Acres. Potomac River Access. If interested, please call Dan Burris at 301-475-3151. Rent: $1950.

Newly available, single family home with water views over the Patuxent River and the pier in Lower Marlboro. 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home with updated kitchen is available immediately, pets case by case.

Conveniently located off Rt 4 but just far enough away from the rest of world. Washer and dryer, wood-burning fireplace, new efficient heat pump.

Rental application and credit check required. Contact Will at 443-840-9455. Rent: $1675.

Apartment Rentals Brand new studio apartment, lots of natural light, minutes from Charlotte Hall, 20 minutes from Waldorf or Lexington Park. Permits double occupancy.

Rent: $750. If interested, please call 301-472-4847.

Employment When:

March 5, 2011

Place to Be:

St James Pub 48579 Mattapany Road Lexington Park, MD

Time:

6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Cost:

$10 at the door

We are looking for a positive, enthusiastic, self-motivated individual for a part-time dental assistant position in our orthodontic office. Must be willing to travel between offices, be x-ray certified, and expanded function qualifed or certified. Please send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to DianeHowells@comcast.net. If you do not have the above qualifications please do not apply.

Vehicles

ALL money collected goes towards finding a cure.

DJ Coop, 50/50, Raffles Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus.

1998 Dodge Ram 1500 SST 2WD. Has a Strong 5.9L (360 CU IN) just installed. Needs Tranny work. Great Project Truck. Call James at 240-561-6338. $1200 OBO

Looking for a cure About 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis are diagnosed each year.

More than 70% of patients are diagnosed by age two. More than 45% of the CF patient population is age 18 or older. The predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is in the mid-30s.

Boats & Recreation

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301-737-0777

Deep Water Slips & Boat Lifts Available. Leonardtown Area. 301-475-2017. www.combscreekmarina.com

Presents

The

 

Doors Open at 7 PM

Tour

With Special Guests

Tickets

$15 Donation

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

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seventhirtyclub.webs.com

28297 Old Village Road in Mechanicsville, MD

240-925-6058

Friday, February 25th

Ca ll 30 ! d A 1-373 r -4125 to Place You for Details

13 Years & Older

Advertising That Works!

Important

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

The County Times

Thursday, Feb. 17 • School Health Council Meeting St. Mary’s County Public Schools Central Administration Building (23160 Moakley Street, Leonardtown) – 5:30 p.m.

The School Health Council functions as an advisory group to the Board of Education and is organized around the Centers for Disease Control’s Coordinated School Health model which consists of eight components: nutrition services, health education, physical education and activity, healthy and safe school environment, counseling, psychological and social services, health services, family/community involvement and employee wellness. The meeting is open to all interested parties and representation from all school worksites and departments, as well as from parents and guardians and community agencies, is encouraged. Anyone wishing to have an item placed on the agenda should e-mail it to acroper@smcps.org prior to the meeting.

• Special Olympics Poker Bennett Building (24930 Old Three Notch Road, Hollywood) – 7 p.m. $5-$5 blinds cash game. Dealers will be provided and the nightly high hand is paid nightly. Drinks will be free. Proceeds go to benefit the St. Mary’s Special Olympics and the Center for Life Enrichment. People who would like to help with the Special Olympics should call Mary Lu Bucci at 301-373-3469 or 240-298-0200. For more information about the poker game, call Jim Bucci 301373-6104 before 7 p.m. and 240-298-9616 after.

Friday, Feb. 18 • No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament VFW Post 2632 (23282 Three Notch Road, California) - 7 p.m.

Buy in is $50, $40 of which goes into the prize pool and $10 goes to charity. Sign in is from 6:20 to 6:45 p.m. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. Late players will be accepted until the end of the 1st break. The number of entries determines payouts. With 50 – 100 players 9 places paid. The public is welcome. Individuals must be 18 or older to play. Side games are available. For more information, e-mail poker@vfw2632.com or call 240-925-4000.

• Karaoke Contest – Issac’s Idol

Issac’s Pub in Holiday Inn Solomons (155 Holiday Drive, Solomons) – 8:30 p.m.

Beginning on Feb. 18 and running for six consecutive weeks. Two winners will be chosen each week to compete in the finals on April 1st. Registration will be from 8:309 p.m.. People will need to select three songs to sing, one to warm up and two for judging.

The weekly winners will receive prizes as well as compete for the Grand Prize and title of Isaac’s Idol.

Saturday, Feb. 19 • Girl Scout Cookie Cookoff Great Mills High School Cafeteria (21130 Great Mills Road Lexington Park) – 2 p.m..

Troop 3702 would like to invite the community to attend the First Annual Cookie Cook-Off. This event will feature St. Mary’s finest chefs showcasing their culinary skills by creating unique desserts featuring our coveted Girl Scout cookies. You will have the opportunity to taste samples of each chef’s entry, which will be judged by a panel and the public. Tickets are available for $10 and a donation of a non-perishable food item for a local food bank. A portion of the ticket price will go to the Girl Scout S.H.A.R.E. (Share Her Annual Real Expenses) Program. Come out and support local chefs and learn how Girl Scouting and Girl Scout cookies work to better this community. Any questions may be directed to troop3702@gmail.com.

Sunday, Feb. 20 • Reflexology Joy Lane Healing Center (43288 Joy Lane, Hollywood) 11 a.m.

Whether a life is unconventional or relatively normal, there’s bound to be something Reflexology with Leanora Winters is by appointment. Please call 301/373-2222 or visit www.joylanehealingcenter.net

Monday, Feb. 21 • No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Bounty Tournament St. Mary’s County Elk’s Lodge (45779 Fire Department Lane, Lexington Park) – 7 p.m.

Part of the Leaderboard Challenge Spring-Summer Season. Anyone can join or play at any time. There is no need to be part of the points system, people can just play to win.

Buy-in is $25/$3,000 in chips. Blinds start at $25/$50 and progress from there every 20 minutes. People earn points for every tournament they participate in. The number of points people earn is determined by how many people eliminated before them. Those accumulating the most points will receive a free roll to the $150 Leaderboard Challenge Tournament scheduled for February.

Number of players receiving the free roll will be determined by the amount of money that accumulates in the pool at the end of the season. Side games available. Food and beverage available for purchase. Please enter through the side of the building. For more information, call the lodge at 301-863-7800 or Linda at 240-925-5697

Tuesday, Feb. 22 • Everyone has a story to tell: Memoir Writing Basics Garvery Senior Activity Center (21580 Peabody Street, Leonardtown) 1:30 p.m.

Whether a life is unconventional or relatively normal, there’s bound to be something fascinating about it. Seniors are invited to the Garvey Senior Activity Center on Tuesdays until March 1 to participate in this memoirwriting workshop. In this group they will learn how to focus their life stories, give them literary purpose, and apply such craft elements as character, plot, description, dialogue, setting, pacing, and theme. To sign up, or for more information, call 301-475-4200, extension 1050.

• Tween Chapter Chats Lexington Park Library (21677 FDR Boulevard, Lexington Park) – 6 p.m.

Tweens 8-11 can chat up Tom Angleberger’s book, “The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda”. For more information, call 301-863-8188

Wednesday, Feb. 23 • SMCPS School Board Meeting St. Mary’s County Public Schools Central Administration Building (23160 Moakley Street, Leonardtown) – 3:30 p.m.

With the use of a computer, viewers with Internet access, including SMCPS employees, can watch the Board of Education meeting live by clicking the link http://www. ustream.tv/channel/bd-mtg. Superintendent Michael Martirano will begin his Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Presentation at that time.

Viewers can continue to watch recorded Board of Education meetings on Metrocast Cable Channel 96, SMCPS Education TV. • Rugby For All Experience Levels Southern Middle Gym (9615 Hg Trueman Road, Lusby) – 6 p.m.

Pax River Rugby would like to invite you to try out of one the fastest growing sports in the nation. All ages, all experience levels welcome. We will teach you everything you need to know, USA Rugby certified coaches. For more information, contact Corey at 443-603-2448 or paxrugby.com for more details about the sport and the club.

• Free Line Dance Lessons Hotel Charles (15100 Burnt Store Road, Hughesville)– 7 p.m.

The Boot Scooters of Southern Maryland are offering free Line Dance Lessons.

The lessons will be followed by the regular weekly practice session. Anyone interested in obtaining more information about these lessons or interested joining the Boot Scooters of Southern Maryland can contact then through link on our website at http://www. bootscootersofsomd.blogspot.com/.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

22

L ibrary Items • Archaeological finds on display at Lexington Park The Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab at Jefferson Park and Museum has brought objects excavated in St. Mary’s County out of storage and is displaying them in a special exhibit installed at the Lexington Park library through August. The exhibit was developed by the Maryland Historical Trust and Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum and funded in part by a Preserve America grant from the National Park Service. An opening reception will be held at the library on March 15 at 2 p.m.

• Financing college to be discussed at Leonardtown Dr. Caroline Bright, St. Mary’s College Financial Aid Director along with Robin Willis, Great Mills High School Career Counselor, will present the Paying for College program which has been rescheduled for Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Leonardtown Library. Topics covered include financing college expenses, FAFSA, and scholarships.

• Tweens invited to Chapter Chats Kids, ages 8-11, are invited to chat about Tom Angleberger’s Book, “The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda” on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at Lexington Park. Registration is requested.

• Gaming Fun planned for school’s early dismissal day Leonardtown Library will host a gaming extravaganza for all ages on Feb. 24, an early dismissal day for the schools, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Snacks will be provided. Children, ages 3-6, can use the library’s LEGOs to build creations from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Lexington Park.

• Children can learn about rare turkeys Children can learn about rare Jersey Buff turkeys from children’s author Christina Allen on March 2 at the evening storytime at 6 p.m. at Lexington Park. Allen will also read from her book, “Microchip on My Shoulder,” which is about one special turkey. Storytime starts at 6 p.m.

• Libraries celebrate Dr. Seuss birthday Children of all ages can celebrate Dr. Seuss birthday at Charlotte Hall on Mar. 5 at 10 a.m. and Lexington Park at 2 p.m. Stories, fun activities and songs are planned. Leonardtown’s program will be Mar. 19 at 2:30 p.m. The programs are free but registration is required.

• Teen video contest underway Teens have until Mar. 9 to create either a book trailer or video on the “awesomeness of reading” (three minutes or less) and post it on YouTube for the teen video contest. The winner will receive a digital camera. Details can be found on the library’s teen page. Winners will be announced at the Video Showcase on Mar. 12 at Lexington Park.

23

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A Journey Through Time The

rived in St. Mary’s County prior to 1682 and died about 1714. He was the father of Benjamin Buckler, Jr., born before 1696 and the grandfather of Benjamin Buckler III, born before 1725. Few records survive from this era but this is how I believe it goes.

Benjamin Buckler III and many other planters encountered tough economic times in the 1760s when the bottom dropped out of the tobacco market.

More than a few were put in jail for debt.

On June 21, 1768 Benjamin Buckler, John Dart, Alexander Anderson, and Edward Power were listed among those being held in the St. Mary’s County jail. They were to be released “on the condition that they turn over all of their estate to the Sheriff of the County, with the exception of necessary wearing apparel for themselves, their wife, and children, working tools excepted for payment to their creditors.”

Benjamin Buckler must have been a very skilled carpenter as several years later he was hired by George Washington to work at Mt. Vernon. Washington was careful about the workmen he hired and Benjamin must have come highly recommended.

Chronicle

By Linda Reno Contributing Writer Some years ago, at a local restaurant, I saw a pretty young girl who had just started working there.

I kept looking at her and finally could contain myself no longer and asked “Are you a Buckler?” She said no. I persisted. “Are you sure? Was your mother or grandmother a Buckler?” No. The following week, I saw her again. She came up to me and said “I talked to my mother and she said her grandmother was a Buckler.” I said, “I knew it—you’ve got Buckler written all over you.”

Benjamin Buckler, the immigrant ancestor, ar-

Wanderings of an Aimless

d

Min

By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day, whether you took time to pamper yourself, be pampered, or pamper a loved one. My husband and I always try to extend our holidays out as long as we can, like birthday week. For Valentine’s weekend, we drove over to Virginia on Saturday after I got off work, kind of on a last minute whim. We were able to try some wonderful chocolate and wine pairings and enjoy the evening. Of course, none as good as our Maryland wines, but we wanted to feel like we were really getting away even if only for a few hours. And no trip would be complete without us taking a wrong turn. We realized that as we came upon the intersection at Colonial Beach.

My husband said, “Oh, I think I made a wrong turn.” So, we drove down a few streets in the quaint old resort town, and found an art gallery still open just finishing up their own Valentine’s Dinner and art show. It turned out to be a truly enjoyable, spontaneous evening. I probably shouldn’t have had the delicious espresso coffee which was offered to us, and regretted that quite a bit at three in the morning.

Valentine’s Day itself opened with my husband texting Valentine’s messages to me while I was in another room, The digital age is alive and well in this house, And, on my part, I fixed a “once in a blue moon, full Valentine’s Day breakfast” complete with pink Mimosas.

We don’t normally have full breakfasts, I’m a plain cornflakes kind of girl, and he likes toast.

But, once in awhile… Then later we put to use our Christmas gift card at Longhorn Steak house. It was one of the first places we ate together, and still has special meaning for us. We might just make it a whole Valentine’s week – how can a week based on Love ever be too much?

I love St. Mary’s County, and all of it’s lovely roads, waterfront, and especially it’s people.

But, occasionally we love to wander to another county or another state. The state of Virginia is our second favorite next to our beloved Mary-

Stately Wanderings

land. There is so much to see from the Northern Neck, closest to us, through other regions in the state. Virginia has so many attractions, history and the homes & birthplaces of Robert E. Lee, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson James Monroe, and John Tyler. I would really like to see Sherwood Forest, where the grandson of John Tyler, 10th president of the United States still resides. Sherwood Forest is also the longest frame house in America –at 300 feet.

Really I would like to stay there and see if I could come in contact with “The Gray Lady”, the home’s longtime ghost.

My son, Ryan and I had a wonderful day a few weeks ago, exploring around an old home on the grounds of the Caledon Natural area in King George where I felt that maybe there was a presence still hanging about from a past life. We do love a good hunt for an unseen presence. This particular house is vacant, and the steps have been taken away, I suppose to dissuade miscreants like Ryan and I from peeping through windows. The other old home on the grounds is a stately old home ca. 1659 which was home to the Alexander family, founders of Alexandria, Virginia. One of our other favorite places. The Alexander home is now a visitor center for the area with a gift shop and museum. On this trip, however, nothing was felt, so we walked around the park a bit, and then drove around King George and traveled to a new antique mall to see what treasures it might contain. The traveling is fun, but I still am happiest when I see the “Welcome to St. Mary’s County” sign. As you know, it is and always will be “The land of pleasant living.”

Well, I’m off today to see where the day will lead me.

To each new day’s adventure, Shelby Please send comments or ideas to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com.

On February 25, 1771 a contract was made between Washington and Benjamin Buckler “late of the Province of Maryland, carpenter” for one year.

Buckler agreed to work from daybreak until dark and to oversee the work of several Negro carpenters.

When the weather kept him indoors, he was to make shoes for Washington. He was paid 25 lbs. sterling; 300 lbs. pork; 3 barrels of corn; and was provided a house for himself, his wife, and children.

The Bucklers returned to St. Mary’s County as Benjamin signed the Oath of Fidelity in 1780. In March 1782 he received the pay of his son who was killed during the war. “The Council of Maryland ordered its treasurer to pay Benjamin Buckler 9 lbs., 8 shillings, and four pence for the services of Walter Buckler.”

In the 1790s sons Robert and Stephen moved to Kentucky. Sons Thomas and George W. stayed.

They are the ancestors of the families here.

The last record found of Benjamin was December 20, 1808 when the General Assembly enacted legislation in his behalf. The trustees of the poor in St. Mary’s were directed “to take into consideration the situation of Benjamin Buckler as an out pensioner… his circumstances render his situation in the poorhouse particularly unsuitable to him… and may allow an annual pension not exceeding $30.”

w e i v e R k Boo “The Great White Bear”

by Kieran Mulvaney

c.2011, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $26.00 / $32.50 Canada 251 pages, includes index

By Terri Schlichenmeyer Contributing Writer This year, nobody needs to remind you that it’s winter.

If you don’t live it first-hand, you hear about it: mountains of snow, frozen cars, winds that cut sideways and cold air that literally takes your breath away.

Yep, it’s winter.

But look on the bright side. It might be cold, but at least you can walk around outside without worrying about being killed and eaten.

You don’t have to keep your eyes peeled for creatures that are almost taller than a house, either. Read more about it in “The Great White Bear” by Kieran Mulvaney.

It’s hard not to love the idea of a polar bear.

It’s big and snuggly-looking with black eyes and fat padded paws. The cubs are beyond adorable.

You wonder if their fur is as soft and cuddly as it looks.

Finding out is not recommended. When was the last time you hugged a 1,700-lb (773 kg) creature with canine teeth?

While on an expedition to study what Norwegians call Polarbjorn, author Kieran Mulvaney writes that polar bears are walking conundrums: their skin is black, but their fur appears white. They are fierce, confident predators that seem to be fearless, but fear a creature they could – and do - just as easily eat. They live in on ice, but keeping warm isn’t their problem; keeping cool is.

Baby Bears are born in snow-packed dens that their mothers dig each winter. Before she

does that, Mama Bear packs on the pounds by eating fat-rich seals because, as soon as she seals the den, she won’t eat until the cubs are weaned which could take eight months. When they emerge in the spring, Mama is understandably hungry and she immediately starts teaching the cubs – who will nurse for two years – to hunt.

The problem is that without ice, polar bears have fewer places to hunt and give birth. Already, bears are a problem in some Alaskan and Canadian cities where it’s a necessity to be aware and stay one step ahead of a hungry bear that’s also wicked smart.

And though some reports are that bear population is thriving, most scientists say that wild polar bears won’t make it to the next century.

“Polar bears are creatures of the sea ice,” says Mulvaney. “If it disappears, so will they.”

So what can be done about it? Well, it’s always good to be armed with information, and “The Great White Bear” is a pretty good place to start.

Bundled-up and very wary, author and journalist Kieran Mulvaney spent time aboard icebreaker ships and in giant wheeled “cabins” meant expressly for bear-watching, as he studied the enormous carnivores. I liked the way Mulvaney weaves science and ecology with biology without making any of them seem stuffy. I liked the way his descriptions of the bears’ environment made me want to put on a heavy coat.

Not just for those concerned about the environment, “The Great White Bear” is also good for animal lovers and science readers. If that’s you, chill out with this book soon.

The County Times

Thursday, Feb. 17 • Book Discussion – “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson Calvert Library Southern Branch (20 Appeal Way, Lusby) – 2 p.m.

• Dave Norris DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m.

• Jerry Burch St. Mary’s Landing (29935 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall) – 7 p.m.

• Special Olympics No Limit Poker Night Bennett Building (24930 Old Three Notch Road, Hollywood) – 7 p.m.

• Salsa Thursday House of Dance (24620 Three Notch Road, Hollywood) – 7:30 p.m.

• Live Music with Dylan Gavin Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 7:30 p.m.

• Martini Karaoke Martini’s Lounge (10553 Theodore Green Boulevard, White Plains) – 9 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 18 • Red Cross Blood Drawing St. Andrew’s Church Hall (44078 St. Andrew’s Church Road, California,) – 8:30 a.m.

• Dave Norris

DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m.

• Randy Richie on Piano Cafe Des Artistes (41655 Fenwick Street, Leonardtown) – 6:30 p.m.

• The Wanderers St. Mary’s Landing (29935 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall) – 7 p.m.

• Fraternal Order of Police Poker Tournament Fraternal Order of Police (21215 Chancellors Run Road, Great Mills) – 7 p.m.

• Live Music with Steve and Rusty “A Day Of Earth” Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 7:30 p.m.

• Line Dancing Hotel Charles (15100 Burnt Store Road, Hughesville) – 7:30 p.m.

• All You Can Drink Ladies Night with DJ Chris Big Dogs Paradise (28765 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville) – 8 p.m.

• Bob Wire and the Fence Posts Rustic River Bar and Grill (40784 Merchant’s Lane, Leonardtown) – 8:30 p.m.

• Karaoke Competition Issac’s Pub in Holiday Inn Solomons (155 Holiday Drive, Solomons) – 8:30 p.m.

• Road House Martini’s Lounge (10553 Theodore Green

We post nightlife events happening in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. To submit an event for our calendar, e-mail sarahmiller@countytimes.net. Deadline for submissions is Monday by 5 p.m.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Boulevard, White Plains) – 9 p.m.

• Dee Jay Christian The Blue Dog Saloon (7940 Port Tobacco Road, Port Tobacco) – 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 • Fair Warning DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 6 p.m.

• Randy Richie on Piano Cafe Des Artistes (41655 Fenwick Street, Leonardtown) – 6:30 p.m.

• Anthony Ryan County Band and Line Dancing Hole in the Wall Tavern (24703 Sotterley Road, Hollywood) – 7 p.m.

• Full Steam Big Dogs Paradise (28765 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville) – 8 p.m.

• Karaoke Contest and Fundraiser for the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary Abner’s Crab House (3725 Harbor Road, Chesapeake Beach) – 8 p.m.

• Karaoke with DJ Tommy and DJ T California Applebee’s (45480 Miramar Way, California) – 9 p.m.

• Yoko Says No Cryer’s Back Road Inn (22094 Newtowne Neck Road, Leonardtown) – 9 p.m.

• Road House Martini’s Lounge (10553 Theodore Green Boulevard, White Plains) – 9 p.m.

• Legend The Blue Dog Saloon (7940 Port Tobacco Road, Port Tobacco) – 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 20 • Gilligan’s Annual Beach Party Gilligan’s Pier (11535 Popes Creek Road, Newburg) – 12 p.m.

• Elk’s Big Game Texas Hold ‘Em St. Mary’s County Elk’s Lodge (45779 Fire Department Lane, Lexington Park) – 2 p.m.

• Tri County Country St. Mary’s Landing (29935 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall) – 4 p.m.

• Dave Norris Hole in the Wall Tavern (24703 Sotterley Road, Hollywood) – 6 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 21

• Jim Ritter and the Creole Gumbo Jazz Band The Westlawn Inn (9200 Chesapeake Avenue, North Beach) – 7 p.m.

• No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Bounty Tournament St. Mary’s County Elk’s Lodge (45779 Fire Department Lane, Lexington Park) – 7 p.m.

• Salsa Night Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 8 p.m.

• Karaoke Issac’s Pub in Holiday Inn Solomons (155 Holiday Drive, Solomons) – 8:30 p.m.

• Naked Apehangers Bar and Grill (9100 Crain Highway, Bel Alton) – 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 22 • Fair Warning DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m.

• Open Pool Tables and List of Specials Big Dogs Paradise (28765 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville) – 7 p.m.

• Live Music with Freddie Long Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 7 p.m.

• Face Down Apehangers Bar and Grill (9100 Crain Highway, Bel Alton) – 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 23 • Mason Sebastian DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m.

• Beer Tasting Rustic River Bar and Grill (40874 Merchant’s Lane, Leonardtown) – 6:30 p.m.

• Special Olympics No Limit Poker Night Bennett Building (24930 Old Three Notch Road, Hollywood) – 7 p.m.

• Band in a Box St. Mary’s Landing (29935 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall) – 7 p.m.

• Karaoke with DJ Harry Big Dogs Paradise (28765 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville) – 7 p.m.

• Live Music with the Anthony Ryan Country Band Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 7:30 p.m.

• $1.25 10 Ounce Cans All Day Big Dogs Paradise (28765 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville) – 10 a.m.

• Wolf’s Hot Rods and Old Gas Open Blues Jam Beach Cove Restaurant (8416 Bayside Road, Chesapeake Beach) – 8 p.m.

• Mason Sebastian DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m.

• Comedy Night Martini’s Lounge (10553 Theodore Green Boulevard, White Plains) – 8 p.m.

n O g n i o G

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

What’s

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

24

In Entertainment

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

The County Times The County Times is always looking for more local talent to feature!

To submit art or band information for our entertainment section, e-mail sarahmiller@countytimes.net.

Southern Maryland Offers More Than Bars and Music

Pax River Rugby Team Photo from the Fall 2010 Season

Photo courtesy of Justin Thomson

By Sarah Miller Staff Writer

The rugby club includes a kid’s league, which plays during the summer, a men’s league and a women’s league.

“One nice thing about the program is we have mandatory People looking to have a good time without being cooped playing times,” Pixton said. up in a bar after dark, or anywhere indoors, have several opGenerally, there are 10 kids per team, with five children portunities on both sides of the bridge to get outside and have from each team on the field at a given time. Pixton said the some fun. coaches are required to have every child on their team some Sports-minded folks can get involved in is flag football, play time. rugby and even kickball.

The rugby teams also have a mandatory contact rule.

Chris Pixton, the president of St. Mary’s County Youth Thomson said that, unlike with football where if you’re not Sports, said there are opportunities for both kids and adults to in certain positions you won’t touch the ball, rugby is a 100 get together to play games like football and kickball. percent participation sport.

“I’ve seen some kids come in, kind of shy, kind of timid, Pixon said the maximum number of kids they can take you can tell their parents signed them up, and they blossom,” for the program is 500, which would make for 50 teams, Pixton said. though if more that 500 kids sign up for the program they will For football, St. Mary’s County has been part of the Nation- make room for them by with having teams with 11 children or al Football League (NFL) flag football program for four years, even making a new team if necessary. with two seasons per year. This year is the first time the program In Calvert County, Pixton said there are 100 children is being offered in Calvert County, Pixton said. signed up for flag football and they can take about 200 maxi“We’re not just another sports organization, we’re a family,” mum, though like in St. Mary’s County they won’t turn anybody Pixton said. away if the number goes over 200.

He said several of the kids in the program request to be “We would turn the adults away before we turn the kids with their friends or siblings on a team, or ask to be paired with away,” Pixton said. specific coaches – and the organiThe teams play against each zation tries to make that happen. other, and Pixton said with the adJustin Thompson, the presidition of the Calvert teams, there dent of the children’s league and might even be a game between the men’s league for the Patuxthe winners of the leagues on both ent Rugby Football Club, said the sides of the bridge in a sort of Surugby team includes people in the per Bowl. military who are stationed at the In addition to the kids Naval Air Station Patuxent River leagues, there is an adult league who may not necessarily know that practices on weekends for anybody else. adults, which Pixton said gives He said there are people adults the chance to coach as well from all over the tri-county area as play football. who come to Clark’s Landing In addition to the football field twice a week to play rugby. league, Pixton said St. Mary’s The club belongs to the Potomac County is the only one in the area Rugby Union and they play against to host a summer kick ball league. teams in Virginia, West Virginia “It’s the talk of the town,” and others.

Pixton said.

“Two guys from D.C. come He aid the great thing about Photo courtesy of Justin Thomson kickball is that it doesn’t require a down religiously to play with us,” The Dodges family proves rugby can be a family sport.

Thomson said. lot of skill and children of any age

can play.

“It’s just something for people to do besides sitting in their houses,” Pixton said.

There will also be a middle-school flag football league where children can play for their schools. Pixton said that is to compensate for the lack of sports programs in the St. Mary’s County middle schools. He said the principal for the winning middle school would receive a trophy.

Thomson said one thing that the rugby club does that’s different from other groups is the fact that they get involved in community service.

“That separates us from other sports,” he said.

He said the rugby club is a registered non-profit organization and they raised about $8,000 for organizations such as Wounded Warriors, veteran’s homes, the Red Cross and various youth organizations.

Pixton aid it’s important to find kids in the area something to do because “there’s nothing in the county for kids to do.” Because of this, he said a lot of young people find themselves getting in trouble.

For more information about the St. Mary’s County or Calvert County Youth Sports leagues, visit www.smcys.org or www.ccyffl.org. There will also be walk-in registration at Esperanza Middle School and Leonard Hall Recreation Center on Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

For more information about the Patuxent River Rugby club, visit http://paxrugby.com/index.html. sarahmiller@countytimes.net

The County Times

CLUES ACROSS

n er

e i d d i K Kor

1. Swiss river 4. A high mountain 7. Woman (French) 10. Bulla 12. Killer whales 14. Afrikaans 15. Picasso’s mistress 16. Father (Spanish) 17. Covered with frost 18. Makes joyful 20. A large fleet 22. Cannon 23. An informal debt instrument 24. Refrain from harming 26. Las ______: Canary port 29. Dekalitre 30. Checkered flower 34. ___ Lilly, drug company 35. E. central English river 36. Rip off 37. Retractable keel 43. Mandela’s party 44. The body’s immune 45. Douroucoulis genus 47. Longest division of geological time 48. Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand

Thursday, February 17, 2011

49. “Town Without Pity” singer 52. A salt or ester of boric acid 55. Dutch for Meuse 56. Codfish genus 58. Scientific workplaces 60. Highest point of something 61. 2 door Lotus model 62. Not what it seems 63. A small amount 64. Ethiopia 65. Transmits genetic information

CLUES DOWN

1. Defensive nuclear weapon 2. Winglike structures 3. Not fake 4. Macaw genus 5. Digital watch display 6. 100 = 1 yugoslavian dinar 7. A female domestic 8. Female parent 9. 55731 or 89301 11. Brazilian actress Sonia 12. The first event in a series 13. Presented in installments

26

14. Emotional shock 19. Surface layer of grasses 21. A gangster’s girlfriend 24. Gross revenue 25. _____ the elder 26. Extra long staple cotton 27. Chilean pianist Claudio 28. Type of pigeons 29. 12th month 31. #1 down worldwide 32. Venetian nightclub 33. Easy as 38. Blood-sucking African fly 39. British School 40. Change mind 41. Branched 42. Portal 46. Afrikaans 49. Large burrowing rodent of S and C America 50. Metrical unit 51. A university in Connecticut 52. A large wilderness area 53. Himalayan shaggy goat 54. Israeli politician Abba 55. Angry 57. Telegraphic signal 59. Senior officer

Last Week’s Puzzles Solutions

27

The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

From The

SPORTS DESK

Fri., Feb. 18 Boys’ Basketball Chopticon at Great Mills, 7:30 p.m.

Patuxent at Leonardtown, 7 p.m.

Just a thought…

Girls’ Basketball Great Mills at Chopticon, 7:30 p.m.

Hockey MSHL Playoffs, Eastern co-op semifinals Leonardtown vs. Fallston at Ice World (Rink 1), Abingdon, MD, 8:30 p.m.

Wrestling SMAC Championships at Patuxent, 5 p.m.

Sat., Feb. 19 Wrestling SMAC Championships at Patuxent , 10 a.m.

Tues. Feb. 22 Boys’ Basketball Chopticon at Lackey, 7 p.m.

Calvert at Leonardtown, 7 p.m.

Girls’ Basketball Leonardtown at Calvert, 6:30 p.m.

Lackey at Chopticon, 7 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 9 Boys’ Basketball Great Mills 70, Thomas Stone 65 North Point 77, Chopticon 51 Girls’ Basketball North Point 57, Chopticon 49 Thomas Stone 41, Great Mills 40 Hockey Leonardtown 8, Northern 5 Wrestling 4A-3A East Dual Meet Regional Semifinals Leonardtown 40, Eleanor Roosevelt 25

Girls’ Basketball Chopticon 48, Leonardtown 37 Huntingtown 59, Great Mills 55 St. Mary’s Ryken 58, Elizabeth Seton 48

Sat., Feb. 12 Swimming SMAC Championships Boys 1. Leonardtown, 443 5. Great Mills, 295 11. Chopticon, 133 Girls 1. Leonardtown, 484 3. Chopticon, 275 8. Great Mills, 206

Finals La Plata 58, Leonardtown 18

Sun., Feb. 13

Thurs., Feb. 10

Boys’ Basketball St. John’s 64, St. Mary’s Ryken 51

Boys’ Basketball DeMatha 50, St. Mary’s Ryken 40

Tues., Feb. 15

Fri., Feb. 11

Boys’ Basketball Gonzaga 53, St. Mary’s Ryken 51

Boys’ Basketball Chopticon 34, Leonardtown 32 Huntingtown 60, Great Mills 59

Girls’ Basketball Holy Cross 48, St. Mary’s Ryken 37

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer Watching day-long indoor track and swimming meets gives you time to think about a lot of things and being a Libra, my mind is always working (if it’s working correctly is an entirely different story).

So while I watched the Leonardtown boys’ and girls’ swim teams backstroke, freestyle and breaststroke their way to sweep of the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference championship Saturday, the trip to get to the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover began to weigh on my mind and I said to myself, “Self… how cool would it be if Southern Maryland had a venue to host these kinds of events so folks won’t have to contend with Branch Avenue and the Beltway?”

Self kindly responded and said “You know what? That’s actually a very good idea, Chris.

How much would that cost?”

“I have no idea,” I responded to Self, “but it’s something worth thinking about.”

With there being no really large indoor facilities and PG Sports and Learning being large

enough to accommodate anyone’s needs, parents and students from as far north as Indian Head Highway and as far south as Scotland hit Branch Ave. (or Route 4 if you have that good a grasp of the area) towards Landover, literally across the street from FedEx Field to swim, run, jump and throw for gold medal glory in indoor track and swimming.

While the PG Sports and Learning Complex is a beautiful facility capable of holding God knows how many events at one time (I saw an endless number of youthful gymnasts flipping and skipping in the lobby on my way to the swim meet), I still believe the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference and the area as a whole could benefit from such a facility right here in the region.

Several sports have youth teams and competitions that require hours and hours of travel, taking a toll not only on the athletes but the wallets and gas tanks of parents. A Southern Maryland Sports and Recreation Center would be super expensive to build, but would take care of itself in terms of the long run with events, gym memberships and concession stand sales the way PG Sports and Learning has.

Raising the money would be extremely tough given today’s rough and tumble economic environment, but all you really need is one man with a plan and a corporation that loves to see its name plastered on the side of a building and are willing to pay major amounts of money to do so.

Before the money however, you would have to come up with the plan of course. What sports are better served by such a complex? How many fields/pools/track lanes would it need? Could a basketball field house be a part of it? Can you use it for events other than traditional sports? How do you recoup the astronomical cost of such a building? Finally, where would you put it? Personally, I’d put it in Hughesville, dead center of the Southern Maryland triangle and not one school would have an advantage over the other.

Clearly we have more questions than we do answers at this point, but what would it hurt to explore the possibility?

Again, just a thought.

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Send ‘em all to Chris at chrisstevens@countytimes. net.

Lower Potomac River Marathon Returns Soon Ramp up your mileage, runners! The Lower Potomac River Marathon is only nine weeks away. The 26.2-mile race, presented by Chesapeake Bay Running Club and hosted by the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship, returns for the 7th running on March 13, 2011.

Top runners will compete for modest cash prizes, and age-group awards will be presented to the top three finishers in ten-year divisions.

For more information, contact Liza Recto, 301-481-0832 or cbrcliza@ hotmail.com.

Using Tides to Find Fish Highlights CCA Meeting Captain Sean Crawford, a marine environmental scientist who operates Terrapin Bay Fishing, will speak on “Knowing Tides Makes You a Better Angler” at the Wednesday, Feb. 23, meeting of the Coastal Conservation Association Maryland Patuxent River Chapter. The meeting is open to the public and will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Mary’s County Elks Lodge #2092, 45779 Fire Department Lane, California.

Crawford, who fishes throughout the Chesapeake Bay, will explain tides and how they impact bait and game fish. Among other topics he’ll discuss the impact currents have on fishing and the difference between astronomical and meteorological tides.

In addition to Crawford’s presentation, three chapter members at 7 p.m. will demonstrate fly-tying techniques and be available to answer questions on important patterns for the Bay, equipment and materials.

Babe Ruth League Still Accepting Registration The St. Mary's Babe Ruth Baseball League is still accepting mail-in registrations through Tuesday, February 22. Registration forms and the mailing address can be downloaded from the league website: http://smbrl.baberuthonline.com

Silver Stars Accepting Registration For Tryouts The Pax River Silver Stars AAU girls’ basketball team will be holding tryouts Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at Esperanza Middle School. Tryouts for girls in the fifth, sixth/, seventh and eighth grades will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and tryouts for girls in the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The fee is 20 dollars and is non-refundable.

For more information, contact Savannah Webb at 301-247-3152 / 301-737-1792 or savweb@msn.com or visit http://www.leaguelineup.com/paxriversilverstars/

High-School Tennis Clinic Series 2010 Dates: February 27, 2011.

Location: St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Somerset Tennis Complex 18952 East Fisher Road (Outdoor Facility) St. Mary’s City, Maryland 20686 Times: Sundays, 9:30 am – 11:30 am (Mini-matches included) Instructors: St. Mary’s College Coaching Staff and Players Cost: $25.00 per session!!

Players: Beginning 9th graders to Seniors!!!!

Registration: Contact Derek Sabedra, Head Tennis Coach, St. Mary’s College Cell: 410-610-4300 and/or email ddsabedra@smcm.edu

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The County Times

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Swimming

Raiders Sweep Smac Swim Meet

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer LANDOVER – The t-shirts the Leonardtown High boys and girls swim teams wore had a target on their backs with the words “We know” underneath.

With that in the mind, the Raiders relished the role of the hunted and escaped all hunters with the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference titles Saturday afternoon at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex.

“Everyone shoots for us because we’re the top dog,” senior Andrew Maier, who was a part of the Raider boys’ gold medal 400-yard relay team and a winner in the 200-yard freestyle. “Every year, it just brings us closer together and we find a way to win.”

The Raider boys, who were missing Maier when they lost to North Point (the SMAC regular season champion) earlier in the season, earned 442 points, 58.5 points ahead of second-place Huntingtown and a full 76 points ahead of the Eagles.

Meanwhile the Raider girls, who still have not lost a SMAC meet in seven years of competition, continued their dominance, earning 484 team points, 113 points ahead of the North Point girls and 209 ahead of Chopticon, who took third place.

Freshman Mairyn Brennaman is fitting in just fine with her teammates, as she took individual gold medals in the girls’ 100-yard butterfly and 50-yard free style.

“It’s just really about my teammates and coaches motivating me and pushing me,” Brennaman explains. “Here, you’re just accepted as an individual and love this team so much. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Chuck Jacobs, now two for two in SMAC meets as Raider head coach, says both wins were closer than they appeared to be, and that suits him just fine.

“It’s always good to win, it never gets old,” he said. “North Point’s a good team and we’re going to be right here with them again next year. I like that we’re closer together [in competition] instead of spread so far out.”

Jacobs admits that while he doesn’t expect a huge drop-off on the girls’ side, he is graduating a lot of boys and that may mean starting over in 2012.

“We’re losing a lot of great seniors, so next year will be a rebuilding year for us and that will change the program some,” he says.

Another St. Mary’s County senior who went out with a bang was Great Mills senior Ivan Paloaran, who won the boys’ 100-yard freestyle gold medal and contributed to the Hornets’ second place finish behind Leonardtown in the boys’ 400-yard relay.

“It feels to good to do well and win in a race that you work so hard in,” Paloaran said. “It was just about practice time in the pool and all the little things to make your race better.”

He was more excited for his teammates, who finished in the top five for the meet aided by their second-place finish in the 400 relay.

“We did really good in that race and to finish as well as we did was really exciting,” he said.

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Photo by Frank Marquart

Kate Ferran of Great Mills swims during the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference meet Saturday in Landover.

Olivia Ray of Leonardtown swims in the girls’ backstroke event.

Photo by Frank Marquart

Chopticon’s Zack Rosenfields reaches the Photo by Frank Marquart finish line.

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chrisstevens@countytimes.net

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

The County Times

The Ordinary

Angler

By Keith McGuire Contributing Writer Despite the stories you might have heard about the true first signs of spring, the real one is the annual spawning run of the Yellow Perch. When the ice melts from the smaller parts of many rivers and streams in Maryland the time is right to start looking for the fish.

Last weekend presented an opportunity for me as my son invited me on the first fishing trip of the year. We trailered his small boat to the northern reaches of the Patuxent River and fished below the tidal/non-tidal boundary for yellow perch. To my surprise, we were not alone.

There were three other boats in the area that we chose, and there were likely more in other areas of the river. As we cruised to “the hole” we noticed anglers along the shore line, also pursuing yellow perch. I’m sure that if we had chosen to go to Mattawoman Creek, Nanjemoy Creek or Allen’s Fresh, we would have found even more anglers looking for the perch.

Looking for yellow perch is not something that we have ever done in earnest. Sure, we’ve dabbled at it in previous years, but it was easy to see that our hearts weren’t in it. This year seems different, somehow, and we struggled to

Ol’ Yeller plow through our novice levels of experience to catch these fish. We anchored among the other boats over a 30’ deep hole and offered a variety of jigs on ultra-light gear and watched as a few fish were being caught on the other boats. The secret – on this day – was the bait. Everyone else had minnows.

Admittedly, we are early for the annual spawning run. Every year the yellow perch females migrate to the tidal boundaries of local rivers to expend their ribbons of eggs. The males (or neds) follow closely behind to fertilize the eggs. When the task is done the fish migrate back to deeper water and disperse widely throughout the rivers and the Bay. The whole process seems to be over in a very short period of time. If you don’t pick the right weekend, you could easily miss prime time. Just before the spawning run, the fish stage in deeper parts of the upper reaches of the rivers and creeks. Anglers in the Susquehanna River near Northeast, Maryland have been catching yellow perch for a few weeks now. Last weekend, we were looking for one of these staging areas, and if we had been armed with the right bait, we may have actually caught a perch or two. But, we were early. Sometime in the next week or two will be prime time and we aim to be there with minnows.

Yellow perch fishing isn’t the only game in town during these early months. If fish-

Over 50 softball league seeking players

The Over 50 Independent Men’s Slow Pitch Softball league, now in its eighth season, invites players to participate.

Games are played Thursday Evenings from May through August at St. Clements Shores Park. It’s a four-team league, team assignments are done by random selection with

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no uniforms.

If interest, mail your name, address, date of birth and phone number to: Over 50 Softball P.O. Box 362, Leonardtown, MD 20650

SMCM Accepting Registration for One-Day Fielding and Baserunning Camp St. Mary’s College will host a one-day fielding and baserunning camp Monday, April 18 for players in grades 1 through 12. St. Mary’s College head coach Lew Jenkins will direct the program in conjunction with U.S. Baseball Academy. The session will last for three hours and cover numerous aspects of playing infield, outfield, and running the bases. The cost is $50 using discount code “RUN”. Space is limited. Registration is now under way at www.USBaseballAcademy.com. For more information, call toll-free 866-622-4487.

Pax Rugby offering co-ed youth and adult tag rugby league and classes Patuxent River Rugby Club will be offering a free Co-Ed Youth/ Adult tag rugby and conditioning classes throughout the months of Jan and Feb. No experience needed, we will teach you everything you need to know. More details and registration can be found on paxrugby.com or by calling Justin Thompson at 732-492-9760 or 1-877-806-7775.

ing ultra-light tackle in foul weather gear and gloves is not your cup of tea, you might try to hit some of the fishing tackle shows and seminars. The Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association just announced their schedule of fishing shows throughout the State. It all begins this weekend!

February 19 and 20 – Pasadena Sportfishing Group Flea Market/Show at the Earleigh Heights Fire Hall, Severna Park, MD. February 26 – Annapolis Chapter MSSA Saltwater Fishing Expo at the Annapolis Elk’s Lodge #622, Edgewater, MD. March 12 – Dorchester Chapter MSSA Fishing/Hunting/ Boating Flea Market at the American Legion Post #91, Cambridge, MD.

March 19 and 20 – Essex/Middle River Chapter MSSA Fishing Flea Market at Commodore Hall, Essex, MD. March 26 and 27 – Southern Maryland Chapter MSSA Fishing Fair at Solomons, MD. Looking for yellow perch might break the ice on your cabin fever, but looking for fishing tackle deals and information could work better

for you – especially if you can’t find minnows. riverdancekeith@hotmail.com.

Keith has been a recreational angler on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for over 50 years; he fishes weekly from his small boat during the season, and spends his free time supporting local conservation organizations.

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

30

Execution Costs Ryken Against Wcac’s Top Team

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer

LEONARDTOWN – With a chance to knock off the first-place team in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, the St. Mary’s Ryken boys’ basketball team literally saw that chance slip through their fingers.

The Knights’ attempts to win the game in the final minute went awry and Gonzaga held on for a 53-51 win Tuesday night, dimming Ryken’s hopes for the fourth seed in the conference playoffs.

“Give all the credit to [coach] Steve Turner and Gonzaga, but we beat ourselves,” head coach Dave Tallman said. “We didn’t execute and we didn’t deserve to win.”

Ryken led 16-13 after the first quarter, but the Eagles (21-5, 13-3 WCAC) forged a halftime tie, led by sophomore forward Kris Jenkins’ nine second-quarter points. Jenkins finished with a game-high 20 points for Gonzaga.

“We did a good job on him at first, but second chance points is where he killed us,” Tallman said.

The fourth quarter went back and forth until Jenkins put the Eagles ahead to stay on a lay-up with 57 seconds to play. After a solid defensive possession Tallman called time-out to set up a play, but junior Kortez Smith was called for a five-second violation because of poor execution.

Photo by Victor Marquart “We had guys who were in the The Knights’ Kevin Thomas fires in two chrisstevens@countytimes.net wrong spots,” he said simply.

Photo by Victor Marquart

Dominique Robinson of St. Mary’s Ryken soars in for a lay-up during Tuesday night’s 53-51 loss to Gonazga.

The Knights (17-10, 8-9 WCAC) forced another Gonzaga miss and had the ball with eight seconds left, but Treveon Graham’s entry pass to Kevin Thomas was tipped by Jenkins, and a jump ball was ruled, giving Gonzaga possession and chances to run out the clock.

“This is the toughest road trip in the league,” Eagles coach Steve Turner said. “Dave does a great job coaching these guys and they play hard. We had to sacrifice and get down and dirty to win tonight.”

It was also senior night for four Knights (Graham, Thomas, Deon Andrews and Dominique Robinson) and while they’ve won 60 in their four years (most in school history), the loss bothered them.

“I wanted to go out with a bang,” said Thomas, who finished with 12 points. “We have to learn from our mistakes - can’t have success without some failure.”

“This was a game we should’ve won,” Robinson added. “We just didn’t execute.”

Graham, who will attend Virginia Commonwealth next fall, credits Tallman and crowd support for his success.

“Every year we have great crowds with energy and Coach Tallman helped me get better by working me harder,” Graham said. “It’s been pretty good.”

Andrews, who led Ryken with 16 points was still hopeful that the Knights could continue to make history.

“Every year we set new records and we want to keep doing that,” he said. “We want to win it all.”

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points over Gonzaga’s Ben Dickinson.

Hornet Senior Night Spoiled by Huntingtown Girls

By Chris Stevens Staff Writer GREAT MILLS – With Friday night designated as the final farewell for six Great Mills girls’ basketball seniors, the emotion was heavy in the air.

Unfortunately, so were shots from Huntingtown’s Kaula Jacks, who scored 30 points to lead the Hurricanes to a 59-55 win over the Hornets, Great Mills’ second final minute defeat in the previous 48 hours.

“Senior night is always a tough night whether you’re the home team or the visiting team,” Hornets head coach Brian Weisner said. “We got caught up in emotions, but then we settled down and started to play up to our ability.”

After the Hurricanes (12-6 overall, 7-3

SMAC) zoomed to a 16-2 lead four and a half minutes into the first quarter, Great Mills slowly worked their way back into the game, led by the guard trio of seniors Bria Jones and TaQuana Gordon and sophomore Tyniece Woodland.

Gordon scored 10 of her team-high 15 points in the third quarter, while Woodland and Jones added 14 and 10 each, helping the Hornets (8-11 overall, 6-5 SMAC) take a 4339 lead after three quarters.

Jacks, the state’s fourth-leading scorer at just under 25 points per contest, poured it on in the fourth quarter, scoring Huntingtown’s first five points to give them a 44-43 lead they would not relinquish. However, Weisner was more concerned with the post play of forward Shelby Taylor, who complemented Jacks with 19 points, nine of which came in the first quarter. “[Jacks] is one of the best players in this area - she can flat out shoot and she does that because she works, but 32 [Taylor] stepped up where Jacks

Photo by Victor Marquart

The Hornets’ Keyana Barnes battles Dana Schwalenberg of Huntingtown for the rebound.

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Great Mills’ TaQuana Gordon takes a shot as Kaula Jacks of Huntingtown defends in Friday night’s girls’ basketball game.

Photo by Victor Marquart

Photo by Victor Marquart

Tyniece Woodland of Great Mills takes a shot in front of the Hurricanes’ Nikki Christopher during the Hornets’ 59-55 loss Friday night.

left off,” Weisner explained. “We didn’t do a good enough job on her tonight.”

Even with Jacks and Taylor having their way, the Hornets never gave up and were down three in the final seconds. Two chances to tie fell short and Nikki Christopher hit one of two free throws with seven seconds left to ice the game.

Six seniors (Jones, Gordon, Tyiss Rothwell, Maurtrice Queen, Keyana Barnes and Tiffany Moreira) were honored before the game and Weisner had nothing but kind words for the outgoing class.

“They might not be the biggest kids, but they’ve got heart. They’re a pleasure to coach and they’re just very good kids,” he said. “It’s been nice to work with them.” chrisstevens@countytimes.net

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

The County Times

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Potomac Speedway Defending Potomac Champion Secures Ride For Up-Coming Season

By Doug Watson Potomac Speedway When the final checkered flag of the 2010 season waved at Potomac Speedway, Charlotte Hall’s David Williams was crowned the late model track champion for the third straight year. However, he knew he would be searching for a ride for the 2011 campaign.

The past two seasons found the all-time Potomac Speedway feature winner at the controls of Waldorf car owner George Moreland and his potent Rocket chassis equipment. Despite the team’s success that brought home two consecutive Potomac titles, Moreland opted to focus on his son Kenny’s burgeoning career, (George’s son Kenny ran full-time in the LLM division at Potomac) and not field two cars for 2011.

“Yeah we had a pretty good run together,” Williams stated. “George has some really good equipment, but these cars are so expensive these days it was almost impossible for George to maintain and finance two race cars.

I’m fortunate to have been able to drive for him the past two years.”

Enter Chaptico Md.’s Pete Cameron.

No stranger to Potomac speedway, Cameron served as track promoter from 1989 to 2002 and has since fielded cars for his son-in-law Roland Mann. The team has had their share of success together as Mann scored the 2005 limited late model track championship at Potomac and nine career wins in the division. Mann has since moved up to the late model division but the fourth place point man from last season is still in search of his elusive first career late model win at the track, coming close on more than one occasion. With two race cars in the Cameron stable, and noted chassis man Tommy Raley turning the wrenches, the decision was made to hire another driver to steer the second car. “We made the decision about three weeks ago,” Cameron said. “Roland wants this to be his last season as a driver so he can spend some more time with his family, we knew David was available so we asked him to drive the second car.”

David Williams’ record at Potomac speaks for itself, 76 overall career feature wins ( 25 LM, 32 LLM, 19 SS), one street stock title (‘93) and three consecutive late model championships (‘08, ‘09, ‘10) makes him one of the most formidable racers Potomac has ever produced, making Cameron’s decision an easy one.

“I’ve known and raced against David for a lot of years,” Cameron explained. “He’s real easy on equipment and just seems to have the knack to win races, especially here at Potomac.”

Beside the god-given talent behind the wheel that Williams offers, quality help with the cars was another selling point.

“Ever since David has raced he’s had a lot of good guys help with his cars,” said Cameron. “These late model cars are a lot of work and David’s guys all live close to my race shop, so that will help us maintain the cars the way they need to be maintained.”

Williams is very opportunistic about his new endeavor.

“I think this is the spark that both Pete and I needed,” Williams stated.

“I look forward to the opportunity to race with Roland as a teammate and hopefully we can bounce some ideas off each other and become quite a formidable team together.”

Williams will wheel a 2006 Rocket with a Leggett Engine Research piece under the hood while Mann will be back in his trusty 2008 Rocket with Cornett Racing engines supplying the power. According to Williams both machines are more than capable of winning on any given night.

“Pete has always had good stuff,” Williams bottom-lined. “I think between my guys and Tommy Raley working together to prepare the cars, we have a legitimate shot to win every time we hit the track.”

Even though Williams will pilot the second Cameron entry, his plans to run Sommey Lacey’s limited late model are still firm.

“We’re committed to running Sommey’s car every week between Potomac and VMS,” Williams said. “Sommey has bought new shocks and a bunch of other things for the car and the plans are to race for the championship’s at both Potomac and VMS and to hit some Steel Block Bandits events when our schedules allow.”

Ten late model events dot the Potomac schedule this season and Williams and his new team will be on hand for all those shows.

“Our goals are pretty simple,” said Williams. “We want to get a win for Roland before he hangs up his helmet, that is first and foremost, and I would like to get a fourth LM title at Potomac. It was a real accomplishment in my driving career to get three in a row last season, but to now have a chance at four in a row would be pretty cool.”

With all the pieces in place, look for Cameron racing and his two quality drivers, Roland Mann and David Williams to leave a lasting mark on the upcoming 2011 season at the Potomac speedway.

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THURSDAY February 17, 2011

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Photo By Frank Marquart