Thursday, October 4, 2012
www.somd.com
Photo By Frank Marquart
Spiggy To Honor Fallen Navy Heroes
S tory Page 20
Also Inside
Blessing Fleet 45th Annual
of the
Saturday, October 6th & Sunday, October 7th
St. Clement’s Island
A FA
MILY WEEKEND! Museum • Colton’s Point, Maryland • St. Mary’s County Mike Batson Photography
Sam Grow Band - SUN DAY Tours Throughout The Weekend
Former Pax NAS Commander Capt. Patrick James Hovatter
SATURDAY EVENIN G Mike Batson Photography
SATURDAY Free Boat Ride to St. Clement’s Island and Free Guided Tour of Blackistone Lighthou se ww w.7thdistrictoptim ww w.blessingofthefle
A SPECIAL SUPPLEM ENT TO
ist.org etmd.com
The County Times &
The Calvert Gaze tte
PRESENTED BY THE OPTIMIST CLUB OF THE 7TH
DISTRICT
What’s Inside Weather
Watch
4
The County Times
“It was horrendous noise and confusion that turned to dead, dead silence.”
Also Inside County News
30 Entertainment
12 Money
31
13 Education
32 Classifieds
16 Obituaries
33
18 Crime
34 Senior
20
Feature Story
35 Columns
22 Newsmaker
36 Games
Design Diaries
37 Community
24 Letters
38 Health
28
38 Sports
23
Community Calendar
2
Thursday, October 4, 2012
- Paul LaRuffa, of Hollywood, the first victim of the “Beltway Snipers” in 2002.
Entertainment Calendar Business Directory
county
Paul LaRuffa, who now lives in Hollywood, was the first victim of the “Beltway Snipers” and says he has recovered from the traumatic experience, though his memories are vivid.
Free InItIal ConsultatIon
The law offices of P.a. Hotchkiss & associates Providing Excellent Service For Over 20 Years
Auto Accidents Workers’ comp
Accepting: 99 Smallwood Dr. Waldorf, MD • 206 Washignton Ave. LaPlata, MD
SERVING CHARLES • ST. MARY’S • PG • CALVERT
(301) 932-7700 (301) 870-7111
education
Students at Green Holly Elementary show off their stickers after receiving flu vaccinations Tuesday.
On T he Cover Thursday, OcTOber 4, 2012
www.sOmd.cOm
Spiggy To Honor Fallen Navy Heroes
Photo By Frank Marquart
Scan this “Times Code” with your smart phone
• Divorce/Separation • Support/Custody • Domestic Violence • Criminal/Traffic • DWI/MVA Hearings Power of Attorney • Name Change • Adoption • Wills • Guardianship
S tory Page 20
Also Inside
Blessing Fleet 45th Annual
Saturday, October 6th
of the
& Sunday, October 7th
St. Clement’s Island
Museum • Colton’s Mike Batson Photography
Sam Grow Band - SUNDAY Tours Throughout The Weekend
Former Pax NAS Commander Capt. Patrick James Hovatter
Auto • Home • Business • Life
A FAMILY WEEKEN D!
Point, Maryland • St.
Mary’s County
SATURDAY EVENING Mike Batson Photography
SATURDAY Free Boat Ride to St. Clement’s Island and Free Guided Tour of Blackistone Lighthouse www.7thdistrictoptimist.org www.blessingofthefleetmd.c om
A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
TO
The County Times
& The Calvert Gazette
PRESENTED BY THE
OPTIMIST CLUB OF
THE 7TH DISTRICT
Dave “Spiggy” Spigler will honor two fallen Navy heroes and raise money for their organizations while still raising money for Children’s Hospital and other local causes.
3
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
30% OFF ALL MERCHANDISE STOREWIDE WILDEWOOD ONLY EXCLUDES MILK & TOBACCO
Sign-up at www.mycommunityrewards.com and let us support your favorite non-profit organization!
Our $60,000 Community Rewards Giveaway allows local non-profit groups the opportunity to earn a share of $60,000 based on your Gold Card purchases. Simply sign up for the program - then use your Gold Card every time you shop! Your Gold Card purchases will be credited to the non-profit group you designate. At the end of the program, McKay’s will donate $60,000 to registered groups based on the percentage of Gold Card purchases credited to them. Your purchases will be credited to your favorite non-profit group beginning October 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013. Watch for ways to earn DOUBLE CONTRIBUTIONS throughout the year! Registration is quick and easy - just visit www.mckayssupermarkets.com www.mycommunityrewards.com or the courtesy desk at any of our four stores. Non-profit groups can register their organization starting September 1st shoppers can register their Gold Card starting October 1st.
www.mckayssupermarkets.com
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Stone's Barber Shop
301-994-1105
ews
1 o f f one clippe
$ 00
Lex Park Projects in High Gear for 2013
r
hair cut only
One coupon per cus tomer. Expires 10-3012. Not Valid With Any Other Discount.
Business hours: Tues.-Fri. 9am - 6pm Sat. 9am - 2pm Sun. & Mon. CLOSED
20943 Point Lookout RD. Unit#3 • Callaway, MD 20620
FAMILY FUN BIKE EVENT Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012 Indian Head Rail Trail Start Time 9 AM Walk, Bike or Run
Proceeds benefit *Windows of Strength, Limited (501 c 3 Nonprofit organization)
Trail amenities include: Restroom facilities, pavilions and benches, interpretive signs. Water and light refreshments will be provided.
Register online at www.wosfamilyfunbike.eventbrite.com Treasure a fun and memorable day with your family riding along the Indian Head Rail Trail. Starting in White Plains Maryland, a ten foot wide paved path awaits you with views of wildlife, birds and serene surroundings of natural wetlands and farmland. A relaxing place to enjoy recreation away from the congestion of traffic at a leisurely pace. The trail has a gentle grade that is perfect for all skill levels. Choose from a 2, 4, 8 or 15 mile ride, walk or run.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Phone: 443-951-5125 Website: windowsofstrength.org Email: mywish@windowsofstrength.org *Windows of Strength, Limited, is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization assisting organ transplant recipients with non-medical costs.
4
By Guy Leonard Staff Writer Next year revitalization of Lexington Park will be in full swing as one major project is set to be completed and more will be pushed ahead, according to the head of the county’s Community Development Corporation. “Lexington Park is going to be very busy with the sound of jackhammers,” Robin Finnacom told the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday at a joint meeting with command officers from Naval Air Station Patuxent River. “That’s the sound of progress. In 2013 there’s going to be a lot of dust flying.” Work on the section of FDR Boulevard between Great Mills Road and South Shangri-La Drive is set to be completed by late summer. The project will provide more connectivity for sites like the library and the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department. The other project that will take most of the year will be major infrastructure work in the Patuxent Park neighborhood. The project includes reconstruction of sidewalks, roads and storm water management but perhaps most critically refurbishing of the water and sewer system there by the Metropolitan Commission,
Finnacom said. “The roads are in poor shape … this is a partnership with MetCom and the county to rebuild all the infrastructure there,” Finnacom said. “That’s a lot of reconstruction as well as an entirely new road in the heart of Lexington Park.” As that work starts, commuters are already dealing with traffic jams at the base gates as more personnel have been taken from security to be shipped out to posts in the fleet, Capt. Ted Mills, base commander, said that it was a fiscal decision made at the highest echelons of the U.S. Navy that had to be passed down to him for local action. “We’re doing everything we can do manage it,” Mills said. “It was a corporate Navy decision to move assets from the shore to support the fleet. “Basically we’ve had a perfect storm here.” The changes have led to restricting of hours at Gate 3, the southernmost gate, from 5:30 to 8 a.m. but then will be closed again until 3:30 to 5 p.m. for exiting traffic only. That was to free up as many security personnel as possible for the other two gates, Mills said. guyleonard@countytimes.net
Correction An error was made in the cover story of the Sept. 27 issue of The County Times. The article incorrectly stated the registration time for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Wildewood. The correct time for the walk’s registration is 7 a.m. and the walk begins at 8 a.m. The error was made in reporting.
Family Night at the Ruddy Duck EVERY Wednesday! Specialty Kids Menu
Appearances by Rudy the Ruddy Duck
Super Magic Man performing his award winning comedy illusion act right at YOUR table from 6-8 pm! 410-FYI-DUCK (410-394-3825)
Great for kids and adults alike!
www.RuddyDuckBrewery.com
Dowell Rd and Route 4 SOLOMONS, MARYLAND
5
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
ews State Vows to Help Business Startups By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A panel of state and county level economic development officials talked with local small business leaders last week as part of a promotional tour to boost business opportunities in the state. The panel has been making the rounds to all counties in an effort to reach out to small businesses about what the state can do to make starting businesses easier. Dominick Murray, deputy director of the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development said the outreach is necessary because Maryland, a state of heavy regulation, is not always the best place to start one. “We don’t always make that designation,” Murray said, adding the state wants to be an active participant in helping to revitalize the state’s economy by helping small business owners. “Government doesn’t create jobs,” Murray said. “But we want to be an assist.” There are millions of recovery dollars available to certain small business owners who qualify for them, Murray said later, but the application process for those can be stringent because of the requirements of the business involved. Still, because of complaints of busi-
nesses around the state, particularly about permits and regulations that seem to be no longer relevant due to the times, the state recently took action, Murray stated. With 350 responses to a state survey about regulations and other issues; 135 regulations were either reduced, eliminated or streamlined, Murray said, after Gov. Martin O’Malley’s administration ordered departments to review their procedures, Murray said. Furthermore, the state is working on ways to apply for the myriad of business licenses often required on-line with a concurrent “wizard” that shows people what kind of licenses they need based on the kind of business they want to start. Bill Scarafia, CEO of the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce, said business leaders here still raised some of the same complaints at the forum at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center Sept. 27, but at least the state seems willing to help. “Dealing with government can be a maze,” Scarafia said. “And it can be difficult to navigate that without someone to show you where to go.” guyleonard@countytimes.net
Bowles Farms 2012 Corn Maze & Pumpkin Farm Southern MD’s Largest Corn Maze & Pumpkin Harvest is BACK!!!
“Come see why getting lost is so much family fun” OPENING DATES: SEPTEMBEr 22ND TO OCTOBEr 28Th, 2012
Corn Maze Express
Hours Of Operation Mon – Fri: By Appointment Only Saturday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Sunday: 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Rates Admission: $10.00 3 and Under FREE Group Rates Available (15 or more)
Admission To The Farm Includes
Corn Maze, Petting Zoo, Wagon Rides, Train Ride, Giant Slide, Mini Straw Maze, Children’s Corn Box, Children’s Barrel Rides, Straw Mountain, Corn Maze Express, Special Weekend Events
We have acres and acres of pumpkins available for a small additional fee.
Decorating Supplies:
Mums, Corn Stalks, Straw, Gourds, and Indian Corn
Cupcake Shop Take a taste of fall home with you.
Food & Refreshments On-Site Host Your: Team Building Large Covered Picnic Area Event or Birthday Party Here!! Air-Conditioned/Heated Restrooms
Located at the intersection of Route 234 and Pincushion Road in Clements, MD
For More Details Visit Us At: Office: 301-475-2139
www.bowlesfarms.com
Oct. 6th & 7th, ScOutS Weekend:
Setting aside an entire weekend to celebrate all Scouts (Girls & Boys)! Come with your troop or in your uniform and receive
$2.00 off general admission.
Email: bowlesfarms@rcn.com
Oct. 7th:
Southern knights Rod & custom car Show: Check out the Street Rods, Customs, Antiques and Muscle Cars. You pick the winners. “People’s Choice”
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
6
ews Audit Reveals Millions in Unemployment Waste By Guy Leonard Staff Writer
March 31, 2009, to determine if claimants were receiving unemployment insurance benefits while earning wages,” the audit stated. The audit stated that some $344,000 in improper payments went out in 2012, but the audit showed that in the year prior, DUI records showed about $149.6 million in overpayment receivables with $25.4 million recovered that same year. In essence, despite getting some of the money back, the division allowed millions in over payments, according to the audit. One finding showed that the division did not do adequate checks to ensure that the addresses of those receiving benefits were in fact correct; they found that 12,400 claimants had differing addresses. The benefits received in that group totaled about $78 million, the report stated. When auditors compared records for which employers received tax credits — up to $5,000 per each employee brought back to work — they found that there were perhaps $445,000 in potentially improper tax credits.
A recent audit shows the unemployment insurance section of the state’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation did not do enough to adequately ensure that certain people who were either employed at a state agency, incarcerated or even dead did not receive unemployment checks. The Division of Unemployment Insurance (DUI) also did not perform adequate checks in its database to ensure that benefits were properly paid, a report from the Office of Legislative Audits revealed. Another error in the divisions computer system allowed certain employers to receive improper tax credits for job creation and economic recovery, the audit stated. The first finding of the audit, laid out in greater detail, showed that for the past several years the division had not used the proper information available to check on who was receiving improper payments. “At the time of our audit, DUI, had not used available wage information since
guyleonard@countytimes.net
CELEBRATE THE RIVER Calvert Marine Museum Historic Boat Rides Toy Boat Building
By Guy Leonard Staff Writer After reports of illegal “fight club” style assaults at Camp Brown in Ridge this summer St. Mary’s detectives have charged a former camp counselor there in connection with their investigation. Shane Delerenzo Baptiste, 18, of Washington, D.C. has been charged with second-degree assault for his alleged part in an assault on a camper at the site in July. According to charging documents filed by Sgt. Steve Koch of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations Baptiste both whipped and restrained a 10-yearold male camper because the younger spoke disrespectfully to Baptiste. “The defendant assaulted the victim by striking him with a plastic cord on the bare skin of his thighs and restrained him by the ankles so another counselor could strike him in the same manner,” police alleged in charging documents.
Camp Brown is run by the Boys and Girls Club of Washington D.C. in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Department. When allegations of camp counselors forcing campers to fight each other and sometimes counselors fighting amongst themselves came to light the camp was shut down for the season and local detectives began their investigation. Another camp counselor recorded the alleged assault on video, charging documents stated. According to court records the assault occurred sometime during a fourday period between July 23 and 27. A criminal summons was issued for Baptiste back on Aug. 20 but was not served until this Tuesday, court records show. Sources close to the investigation said that two other juveniles have also been charged in connection with the case. guyleonard@countytimes.net
St. Mary’s County Annual Banquet Oct. 20th - Hollywood Firehouse - Doors open at 5:00 p.m.
Live Music
Juried Arts & Crafts Fair
Counselor Charged in Camp Brown ‘Fight Club’
Celebrate Chesapeake Watermen
Great Food
Come Celebrate 75 years of Ducks Unlimited
Join us for dinner. Stay for: games silent and live auction (featuring local and national art)
Patuxent River Appreciation Days October 6
and
7
�
10am-5pm
FREE FUN for all ages!
PRAD Parade - Sunday at 2:00 p.m. www.pradinc.org
Get your tickets online at www.stmarysdu.com or call 301-994-0187
7
QBH Wild Goose County Times Half Ad code_Layout 1 6/1/11 11:23 AM Page 1
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
SCAN TH IS CODE
With Your Smart Phone to Visit the QBH Web Site!
MHBR No. 103
SUMMERTIME OFFERS
Call for pricing or free estimates!
Ask About Our Selection of Vented or Direct Vent Fireplaces Taylor Gas Company, Inc
21541 Great Mills Road Lexington Park, MD 20653 (301) 862-1000 or 1-855-764-(4GAS) 4427
The County Times
Make PINK Your Color
Thursday, October 4, 2012
8
ews New Tractor Supply Store Planned Construction is underway on a new Tractor Supply Company store in Hollywood, the company’s 12th Maryland location. Tractor Supply Company is the largest retail farm and ranch supply store chain in the United States and has been operating in Maryland since 1975, a press release states. The Hollywood Tractor Supply store will be located at 23788 Mervell Dean Road, and will employ 12 to 17 full- and part-time team members. The store will include sales floor and support service space. A fenced exterior space will be used for storage and displaying items such as fencing, sprayers and livestock equipment. “Tractor Supply looks forward to being a member of the Hollywood community,” District Manager Wayne McKenzie said in the release. “Hollywood is a great fit due to the parttime and hobby farmers, and horse owners in the area.” The contractor for the project, Bunnell Hill Development Co. LLC of Lebanon, Ohio, began construction on Sept. 10. A completion date has been tentatively set for late March 2013.
As women, we all know there is never a good time for our mammogram. We put it off, cancel it or simply never schedule one. Mammograms are a nuisance and can be a little uncomfortable. We’ll make that appointment … one of these days. What we’re doing is compromising our health. Stop procrastinating. Call MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital today to schedule your mammogram in a comfortable space dedicated to women. Then, keep that appointment. We promise to reward you. Have your annual mammogram during Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October and you’ll receive a free gift to keep your pinkies This special gift from MedStar St. Mary’s includes a manicure kit with a fun new nail color (Pink-A-Doodle), graciously donated by O P I in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! l
pretty.* To schedule your mammogram with MedStar St. Mary’s, call 301-475-6399.
l
*While supplies last
301-475-6399 PHONE
l
medstarstmarys.org
Septic Plan Open to Review At the Oct. 2, meeting of the Board of County Commissioners staff from the St. Mary’s County Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) presented a draft of a map which implements the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 236). This act is commonly referred to as the “Septic Bill.” The four map tiers are required in accordance with the senate bill are required by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Office of the Governor. The Bill was enacted to “… limit the spread of septic systems on large-lot residential development to reduce the last unchecked major source of nitrogen pollution into the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways” with the ultimate goal of “mapping future growth in ‘tiers’ and seek greater accountability and predictability,” a press release states. The maps are required by the act and must be submitted to the state by Dec. 31, 2012. The LUGM presentation can be found and downloaded from the click section of their webpage at www.co.saint-marys.md.us/docs/TierPresentation.pdf. Copies of the presentation containing the maps will also be available at the three county libraries in Charlotte Hall, Leonardtown and Lexington Park. Questions regarding this act should be directed to the Department of Land Use and Growth Management (301)- 475-4200, ext. 1500.
9
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
ews
Leaders Warn Seniors of Rising Costs By Guy Leonard Staff Writer State Delegates Anthony O’Donnell and John Bohanan told senior citizens at a forum last week that rising costs at the state level and financial problems at the national level will make it harder to provide all of the services seniors want. Bohanan, a leading Democrat in the statehouse, told seniors that Maryland is still doing the best job it can to keep its fiscal house in order but bond ratings agencies are warning that the state is facing serious problems if there are cuts in defense expenditures. “They say we’re highly vulnerable to what’s happening in Washington,” Bohanan said, adding that the economy statewide was beginning to strengthen. “For the most part we’ve come through the worst of the recession,” he said. House Minority Leader O’Donnell (R), who is running against Congressman Steny Hoyer, painted a different picture, but agreed that fiscal woes in Washington, D.C. would make it hard for the state to continue to provide all the services it does now because it is so dependent on federal spending.
Great Southeast Shakeout
O’Donnell said the state’s pensions are underfunded, particularly teacher pensions which are behind by an estimated $18 billion. Add to that Maryland’s stringent regulatory and tax environment and it results in corporations like Bechtel, founded in the state, moving to Virginia taking their tax revenues with them. “Maryland has become increasingly hostile to corporations like Bechtel,” O’Donnell said. “These types of things will hurt our economy. “We’re in very, very bad shape fiscally.” Bohanan said that while Maryland is one of the highest taxed states in the nation, residents get what they paid for in services, particularly in education which has helped make Maryland the home of a particularly desired work force. But Bohanan said the days of even considering decreasing taxes and increasing services were long gone, rather people would have to sacrifice for services. “It’s not going to happen, we can’t afford everything,” Bohanan said. guyleonard@countytimes.net
For SALE or LEASE Best Deal In Town
The St. Mary’s County Department of Emergency Services & Technology encourages all citizens to register and participate in the Great Southeast Shakeout scheduled for Oct. 18 at 10:18 a.m. Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are all participating in the earthquake drill. To date more than 600,000 people have registered. Similar to other drills, it will be broadcast on NOAA tone-alert weather radios and broadcast media. Once the signal goes out, all participants should “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” as if a major earthquake is happening, and stay in that position for at least 60 seconds, a press release states. To register go to www.shakeout.org/southeast/register/ and include the total number of people who will participate. Private citizens, schools, businesses, universities and other groups across the state have already registered. Resources to help you with earthquake planning are also available for download on the registration site. The earliest recorded earthquake in Maryland occurred in Annapolis, on April 25, 1758. The shock lasted 30 seconds and was preceded by subterranean noises. Additional reports of tremors were received from a few points in Pennsylvania. The most recent significant event was on July 16, 2010 when a 3.6 magnitude earthquake occurred near Germantown. Ground shaking was felt as far away as Annapolis and Northern Virginia. Between 1758 and 1987 Maryland experienced 22 minor earthquakes. However, from January 1990 through December 1996, Maryland experienced 35 small tremors - in Harford County, two in Cecil County, three in Baltimore County, and 29 in Howard County. The number of known earthquakes in Maryland more than doubled in only seven years. For more information on Emergency Preparedness visit www.prepare.stmarysmd.com.
L t e a onardtown z u r C t r a C 2nd Annual Golf Cart Parade Sunday, October 14, 2012 - 1 pm til 5 pm
Registration at the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration Fee $10.00 per Golf Cart
• 5,000 - 30,000 Square Feet • Conference room, storage and Available reception areas and many more • Negotiable - listed below amenities are also available market for sale or lease • Loading dock with double doors • Equity partnership • Located across from the position available Patuxent River Naval Air Station
47332 Eagan McAllister Bldgs. 1 & 2, Lexington Park, MD
Buying • Selling • Leasing Edward Middleton Commercial Agent
We will have trophies in different categories, such as best appearing, 2nd best appearing, best scheme, best theme, best paint job, worst paint job, longest distance, shortest distance, most original, best dressed. Some 15 trophies will be awarded.
Call Ed For:
White Plains Corporate Center II
4475 Regency Place Suite 101 White Plains, Maryland 20695 301-632-6320 office • 301-632-6323 fax 240-925-0440 cell • 301-769-2177 home office edward.middleton1@verizon.net
Subdivisions, Commercial Centers, Construction, Large Acreage/Farms, Waterfront Estates
Decorate your Golf Cart for any theme you choose.
Hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas and beer available!
Trailer and truck parking available.
Enjoy a day in Leonardtown
View the antique tractors on parade presented by the Southern Maryland Antique Tractor Association and then head on over to the L.V.F.D for an old fashioned, world famous oyster scald.
Food and beverage for sale! • Music, raffle, and a family fun day! Trophies awarded one hour after the parade & provided by BUSY CORNER BUGGIES Antique tractor parade will start at 1 p.m. and followed by the Golf Cart Parade. The parade route will be on the square in downtown Leonardtown. Trophies for the golf cart parade will be awarded 1 hour after the parade at the Leonardtown Fire House on Lawrence Avenue. FOR MORE INFO CONTACT ROGER MATTINGLY 301-475-5966 OR EMAIL ROGR69@VERIZON.NET
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT LEONARDTOWN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT INC.
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
10
ews First Beltway Sniper Victim Remembers Attacks 10 Years Later By Guy Leonard Staff Writer A decade ago this month John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo – one executed in 2009 and the other serving a life sentence for multiple murders – held the region in a reign of terror by sniping at innocent victims from the back of a car and driving away, stymieing the efforts metropolitan area law enforcement officers for nearly a month. But before the pair, that became known as the Beltway Snipers, started their better known spree of murders, one man remembers being their first victim. Paul LaRuffa, a retired restaurateur who was shot and robbed by Malvo on Sept. 5, 2002, as he left his Italian restaurant in Clinton, now lives in Hollywood and says he has recovered from his traumatic experience, though his memories are vivid. When both Muhammad and Malvo were captured after a massive police investigation that spanned at first into Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Virginia and then into many other states, for LaRuffa it was a tremendous relief. For him the reign of terror started a full month before the sniper attacks. “They always say it started in October but I got shot on Sept. 5,” LaRuffa said. “That was the very start.” He remembers leaving his restaurant after closing up at about 10:20 p.m. with two others and when he got into his car he could sense a presence to his left and then the
shooting began. “Almost immediately there was a shadow to my left and then boom,” LaRuffa said. “We’re talking fractions of seconds.” The first shot shattered his car window and then the assailant — he later found out it was Malvo — fired four more times at nearly contact range, using a .22 magnum caliber handgun. LaRuffa suffered hits in his arm that went into his body, spine, stomach and diaphragm. He was loosing a lot of blood but it was also welling up on his lungs and causing him to lose his breath. By that time Malvo had already stolen his briefcase loaded with the cash receipts from the night’s business and his laptop computer. LaRuffa lay there near death. “Both my lungs were collapsing,” LaRuffa said. “It was the worst part of it.” The shooting tore his world apart in an instant and then it was over. “It was horrendous noise and confusion that turned to dead, dead silence,” LaRuffa said. A friend called 911 and a trip to the Prince George’s Hospital Center shock trauma unit saved his life. More than a week later, LaRuffa was back to work, but badly shaken by what had happened to him. He had flashbacks of the shooting that were so vivid when he heard the sound of the bullet in his mind he would look around to see if anyone else heard it. He was not sleeping and was constantly watching his back as he did not know at that time who had shot him. He wondered if his assailants were still out there. “The mental part was hell,” LaRuffa said. “The mental part was harder than the physical part.” And that was all before the sniper attacks started. In the interim Muhammad and Malvo had used the nearly $3,600 they stole to buy a car they would use in their killing spree. They turned it into a makeshift sniper hide by cutting a hole in the trunk through which they could shoot, hiding in the
Cedar Point Hair Salon
Walk-Ins Welcome
Introducing Our New Stylist
dark, cramped recess behind the back seat. “When you’re living out of a car, $3,600 goes a long way,” LaRuffa said. As the sniper attacks continued throughout the month of October LaRuffa became entranced by the media reports on television and in the newspapers just waiting for another person to get shot, hoping that one day would go by with no killings. When both Malvo and Muhammad were caught at a truck stop due to a citizen tip, police quickly linked the bullets used in the killings — fired from a .223 caliber AR15 rifle — to the gun found in the vehicle used by the suspects. They also found LaRuffa’s computer; soon he learned that his robbery had helped finance their whole killing spree; 10 dead victims in all. “I was scared like everyone else just pumping gas,” LaRuffa said. “But when they caught them I said ‘Now it all fits, that’s who shot me.’ “The nightmares stopped.” Since the two suspects were convicted — LaRuffa gave testimony against them while prosecutors held aloft his blood soaked t-shirt from the robbery — the restaurateur began to get his life back. But initially he had tremendous hatred and anger in him against those who had meant to kill him. A decade later that has subsided and he feels differently about what they did to him. “I was mad then,” he said. “I would’ve killed them if I could. “But if I had that same anger today that means they would’ve affected 10 years of my life.” He did not attend the 2009 execution of
Muhammad. “I had no problem with it,” he said of the sniper’s death. “They were the worst of the worst. “I said I didn’t want to him to steal another day of my life. I didn’t want to watch him die.” He has considered going to talk to Malvo but has not done so. Malvo himself in interviews with the Washington Post on the anniversary of the sniper attacks has said he feels remorse for what he had done. LaRuffa believes him. “If you’re sitting alone for 10 years you’ve got to change,” LaRuffa said. “I believe he is a different person today. “Not to say what he did was excusable.” LaRuffa moved to St. Mary’s County in 2006 to a luxury home on 15 acres with his wife Linda and by 2008 they both retired from 22 years in the restaurant business. He has grandchildren and two Hungarian hunting dogs they both dote on but he continues to keep an extensive record of what has happened to him from newspaper clippings. He has become adept at telling his story over and over again and is well known to hospital technicians who perform X-rays examinations on him. “I still have bullet fragments in me,” LaRuffa said. He can tell the story with a bit of a smile on his face, he doesn’t have flashbacks anymore and even he is surprised at how well he has recovered from a trauma that could have easily crushed him spiritually. “I’m happy to wake up everyday, I don’t think about it.” guyleonard@countytimes.net
Coin Auction
Saturday, Oct. 13th - 4 p.m.
Shelly Raley
Consignments Now Being Accepted for Upcoming Gun Auction
301-863-5960
Chesapeake Auction House
Route 235 • Lexington Park, MD
St. Leonard, MD 20685 • 410-586-1161 • chesapeakeauctionhouse.com
11
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Caught Between a Rock Chef-owned and operated LoÏc and Karleen Jaffres
and a Hard Place?
Classic Country French Dining in a casual, relaxing atmosphere.
SOMD WINNER OF • Piano every Friday
• Best Restaurant • Best Fine Dining Restaurant • Best Dessert
LUNCH: Tues. - Fri. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. DINNER: Tues. - Sat. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays
and Saturday night • Jazz cabaret/dancing on special evenings • 3-course prix-fixe dinner menu $23.95 available until 6 pm daily and all night on Wednesdays! • $8 lunch & beverage special daily • Sunday brunch á la carte items • “Le Salon” (private room) available 41655 Fenwick Stret, Leonardtown web: cafedesartistes.ws email: cafedesartistes@somd.us
301-997-0500
FREE CONSULTATION WITH THIS AD
301-475-9995
November 3, 2012
Location: St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds 42455 Fairgrounds Rd. Leonardtown, MD 20650 Gates open at 11:00 AM
Over $300, 000 in Cash & Prizes! Tickets $75.00 each
For Credit Card Orders: www.SMSCASHBASH.org or call 240-587-7111 (There will be a $2.50 processing fee per ticket for credit card orders)
For Tickets: Use attached order form or visit a Ticket Seller Location: St. Michael’s School G&H Jewelers Twist Wine and Spirits Pax River Realty Trumbull Motor Sports Ridge Hardware Cafe des Artistes Murphy’s Store For additional information call 240-587-7111 or email info@SMSCASHBASH.org All proceeds benefit St. Michael’s School
308 San Souci Plaza, California, MD
301-737-4241
D. Anne Emery, Esq. By Appointment Only Fax: 301-475-9997 dae44@md.metrocast.net LAW OFFICE OF
DANIEL A. M. SLADE, L.L.C. LOKER BUILDING
41650 COURT HOUSE DRIVE, SUITE 301 • P.O. BOX 288 LEONARDTOWN, MARYLAND 20650
PHONE: 301-475-5150 FAX: 301-475-6909
30320 Triangle Dr. Unit 4 Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
***Early Bird Special***
Tickets purchased by July 31, 2012 will be eligible for the 12:00 Early Bird drawing for $15,000
(301) 885-9145 • (240) 412-0215
21541 Great Mills Road Lexington Park, MD 20653 (301) 862-1000 www.taylorgascompany.com
Caring for the Past Planning for the Future Traditional Funerals, Cremation Services, Memorial Church Services, Direct Burials, Monuments, Unlimited with Commitment Through After Care.
12:00 $15,000 Cash (Early Bird Drawing) 12:05 iPad with $200 iTunes Card 12:10 $1,000 Cash 12:15 SeaDoo GTS 130 Jet Ski* 12:20 Gold Heidi Klum Necklace 12:25 $1,000 Cash 12:30 $3,000 Amazon.com Gift Card** 12:35 MacBook Air Laptop 12:40 3D TV Package 12:45 $3,500 Lowe’s Gift Card** 12:50 $1,000 Cash 12:55 John Deere Compact Tractor 1:00 $2,500 Cash 1:05 $1, 500 Marriott Hotel/Resort Card** 1:10 $1,000 Coach Bags and Apparel** 1:15 $2,000 Cash 1:20 Ladybug Faberge Egg 1:25 $2,000 Amazon.com Gift Card** 1:30 $2,500 Tractor Supply Card 1:35 $1,500 Cash
1:40 3D TV Package 1:45 $1,000 Cash 1:50 16’ Carolina Skiff** 1:55 14k Yellow Gold Bracelet 2:00 John Deere TX 4x2 Gator* 2:05 $2,000 Cash 2:10 3D TV Package 2:15 $1,500 Cash 2:20 $2,500 Sheetz Gas Gift Card** 2:25 $1,500 Cash 2:30 $1,000 Marylou Troutman Art 2:35 $10,000 Cash 2:40 Golf Cart 2:45 $1, 000 Cash 2:50 $2,000 Lowe’s Gift Card** 2:55 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4x4 3:00 $1,500 Cash 3:05 3D TV Package 3:10 $1,000 Cash 3:15 18k Gold Diamond Earrings
3:20 Landscaping Trailer* 3:25 $1,000 Cash 3:30 18k Gold Multi-Colored Bellarri Ring 3:35 $2,500 Cash 3:40 $3,000 Raley’s Home Furnishings 3:45 $1,500 Cash 3:50 $2,000 Marriott Hotel/Resort Card** 3:55 Toyota Tacoma* 4:00 $1,000 Cash 4:05 3D TV Package 4:10 $3,000 Lowe’s Gift Card* 4:15 $1,000 Cash 4:20 $2,000 Sheetz Gas Card* 4:25 Can-Am Outlander 400* 4:30 John Deere Compact Tractor* 4:35 $1,500 Cash 4:40 Chevy Camaro* 4:45 Harley Davidson Soft Tail* 4:50 $5,000 Cash 4:55 Can-Am Spyder RS-SMS* 5:00 $30,000 Cash
FAMILY-OWNED & OPERATED FOR FIVE GENERATIONS
(301) 475-5588
Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, P.A. 30195 Three Notch Road Charlotte Hall, Maryland 20650
(301) 472-4400
Toll Free: 866-726-0008 Office: 301-862-0008 Fax: 301-862-0009 Lexington Park, MD 20653 www.paxriverrealty.com Farm Market 11/2/2011 4:24 PM Page 1
CEDAR POINT FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Membership is open to the Community!* 301-863-7071 • www.cpfcu.com
www.brinsfieldfuneral.com Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. 22955 Hollywood Road Leonardtown, Maryland 20650
PAX RIVER REALTY
*Prize has a Cash Value ** Winner can pick from a list of Gift Cards
*Membership is open to those who live, work, worship, go to school, or regularly conduct business in St. Mary’s, Charles, or Calvert County and their immediate family. Federally Insured by NCUA
Addie McBride • Franzen Realtors, Inc. 301-481-6767 • addiemcbride@verizon.net 22316 Three Notch Rd. Lexington Park, MD 20653
Office: 1-800-848-6092 • Office: 301-862-2222 • Fax Office: 301-862-1060
for the love of
Money
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
12
Kid’s Clothing Store To Open Saturday By Alex Panos Staff Writer Solomons will see the opening of a new children’s consignment store on Saturday featuring affordable clothing – just in time for Halloween costumes – along with toys, blankets, furniture and sports equipment for kids as well as maternity clothing. People can bring clothes that no longer fit their children to Cait’s Closet, a small family operated store run by local resident Gina O’Mara, and receive 45 percent of the item’s resell value in store credit to put towards purchasing merchandise. After Cait’s Closet is in business for a few months, O’Mara said they will also be offering 35 percent in cash for all name brand clothing and furniture brought into the store. As a mother of six, O’Mara said she used to always shop for kids clothing in consignment stores while living in the state of Washington. When she moved here, one of the first things she noticed was the lack of a consignment shop. Many people don’t have the time and money to be traveling to Charles County for children’s clothes, she said. “There’s nothing here,” O’Mara declared, noting Old Navy is one of the few places around to shop for quality children’s clothes. “People from here have to drive to Sunderland for the nearest consignment store.” Unlike the store in Sunderland, however, O’Mara offers store credit up front and doesn’t force her customers to wait until the items they bring in are sold. “When I need something, I need something,” said O’Mara, so she doesn’t think her customers should have to wait to buy bigger clothes either. O’Mara says she also started the shop because it provides a safe alternative to Craigslist and an easier option than eBay for people looking to sell kid’s merchandise.
“The biggest thing to me is customer service,” she said, stressing that the shop will be a place where customers are greeted upon entry and treated with kindness. “So far the response has been wonderful [from the community]. I had a woman walk up to the doors … she said ‘We need this here. Thank you for being here.’” After a five-month process securing a lease with JBG Rosenfeld Real Estate, O’Mara utilized some savvy spending techniques to afford all the stores amenities. It didn’t make sense to pay for daycare and seek a job, O’Mara explained, so she decided to open the store to make profit while leaving one room in the back for her children to use as a play area. While she only wants a small space to start, in the future O’Mara says she “would love to” expand the shop to the space next door and rent some additional commercial space for other ideas she has. Cait’s Closet will be a friendly place for local moms to meet and chat, she said, and even offer employment opportunities to stay-home moms whose children can play in the kid’s area set up in the backroom as they work. O’Mara also contacted the Parent and Teacher Association (PTA) this week and plans to have certain days where 20 percent of proceeds go to the PTA. “I want to support our local community and our local moms,” she said. “I can’t believe that we’re finally here.”
Gina O’Mara and 5-year-old Matthew O’Mara
Cait’s Closet is located at 13342 H.G. Truman Road, near Food Lion in the former Maertens Jewelry location. For more information, view their page on Facebook “Caits Closet Consignment,” email caitsclosetconsignment@gmail.com or call (443)-844-8743. alexpanos@countytimes.net
Peaceful Living
IN A QUIET SETTING, EXCELLENT SCHOOLS Discounted Cable Playground
301-862-5307
Free on Site Storage with Every Apartment Walk to Shopping/ Restaurants
Amenity Package Available Owned and Operated by
Call For More Information: Bella Bailey, Marketing & Leasing MGR.
301-737-0737
23314 Surrey Way • California, Maryland 20619 Fax: 301-737-0853 • leasing@apartmentsofwildewood.com
13
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
Spotlight On
Chopticon Band Headed to Pearl Harbor By Alex Panos Staff Writer Aloha Hawaii – Chopticon High School’s 45 marching band members are headed to Pearl City to take part in the 50th annual Pearl Harbor Day Parade. Chopticon’s marching band, which has been named Maryland State Champions three years in a row, will be one of only eight marching bands from the continental United States invited to participate, according to band booster Jennifer Schmidt. The band’s members, parents and boosters have been raising money for the last several months to fund the trip, and the Women’s Club of St. Mary’s County donated $900 from a June fundraiser. “Within the last week we realized we had enough [funding] to go,” Schmidt told The County Times on Saturday, adding that they had to make a decision by Oct. 1 on whether or not they could afford the trip. It will cost approximately $1,500 a person for hotel and air fare, and Schmidt says they still have to raise more money to transport all the instruments and equipment. The band has asked Delegate Johnny Wood to look into obtaining a “governor’s order” to have the Air National Guard transport the equipment, Schmidt said, although the deadline is approaching quickly and she acknowledged it is “kind of unlikely” that the guard will be able to take the instruments – the guard needs to already have plans to fly to Hawaii on the days the band needs the equipment shipped. According to Schmidt, the band estimates it will cost approximately $10,000 to $15,000 for the equipment to be transported. They still need to finish raising
that money, she said, even though they have already decided they will be going to Hawaii. “Well find it,” Schmidt said, adding that the band is relying on some upcoming fundraisers to seal the deal. “It’s a leap of faith.” A bull roast and oyster scald taking place on Oct. 14 is hoped to bring in a lot of needed revenue, she said, as is a five kilometer fun run – which Schmidt believes should be an annual occurrence – at Colton’s Point on Oct. 27. Participants are encouraged to wear costumes for the event. Chopticon hosted a battle of the marching bands last Saturday to raise money, which featured eight high school bands from the mid-Atlantic area all competing in what Chopticon band booster John Barrett called a “showcase of bands.” Competitions are generally held every Saturday, and the schools pick and choose which events they wish to compete in. According to an event program, competition judges base their evaluations on music and visual performance, music ensemble and overall effect. Due to adverse weather conditions on Friday night in Morganza that saturated the field, the competition was limited to a standstill event. Each school that hosts a competition puts the proceeds towards a desired band fundraiser. “This is a big one for the Hawaii trip,” Schmidt said, while across campus her daughter Emily Wilkerson and her Chopticon band mates were warming up for their performance. “Most [fundraisers] since June have been.” For more information on the upcoming bull roast or Colton’s Point costume fun run visit chopticonband. org. alexpanos@countytimes. net
The County Times
Spotlight On
Thursday, October 4, 2012
14
Schools Preparing For Flu Season By Alex Panos Staff Writer State funding allows elementary and middle public school students to receive free flu vaccinations this year, which began in St. Mary’s County Tuesday at Green Holly, Mechanicsville, Lettie Marshall Dent and White Marsh elementary schools. St. Mary’s Health Department registered nurse Cathy Greer said they “target” school-aged children because that is the age group most likely to spread the disease around friends and family. According to Greer, this is a method called “cocooning” because it reduces the risk of the flu in children and protects their older siblings and parents from being around a contagious person. In addition to being the primary spreaders of the flu, Green Holly Elementary school nurse Kathleen Tippet says the rate of influenza is highest among children. The flu can also make children more susceptible to serious illness and even make preexisting medical conditions worse. Tippet believes by taking preventative precaution now, kids and their parents are decreasing the risk of absenteeism and missing days at work, as well as lowering this year’s number of visits to the doctor’s office. “[The flu shots] can protect yourself and others from spreading the flu,” she said. “It’s wonderful we offer it … it’s a great option, rather than taking time out of school to go get it [at the doctor’s office].” Class by class, volunteers at Green Holly helped teachers escort their students down the hall to where the vaccinations were being administered.
& T A
Two types of vaccination methods are being offered. Students are either receiving a nasal mist or a shot, depending on specific conditions and health history. All vaccinations were given by community health nurses from the St. Mary’s County Health Department. “We determine what kind of vaccination they get,” Tippet said, adding that the decision is based on feedback provided by parents in a questions section on the consent form. Afterwards, all the kids received stickers before returning back to their classrooms. Tippet says approximately 50 percent of Green Holly Elementary students received the vaccine on Tuesday,
Also AvAilAble AT: Colton’s Point marina Guy brothers marine Hodges Tire & Auto Hollywood Auto Tech
ENTERPRISES Tommy Alvey: lifetime Resident Distributor military veteran
st. mary’s Automotive Tall Timbers marine smith & son small engine Repair
DeliveRy AnD insTAllATion AvAilAble Proudly Made In The U.S.A.
Phone: 301-475-8446
Cell: 240-538-1761 • Fax: 301-475-8561 40581 Bishop Road • Mechanicsville, MD 20659
and noted many parents informed her that their children were instead going to receive flu shots at their regular doctor’s office. Adults are also welcome to go in and receive a flu shot or nasal mist for a fee of $20. Vaccinations are being given all month long, and will be administers next week on Tuesday and Thursday at five different elementary school locations. Visit smcps.org for this year’s complete flu shot schedule. alexpanos@countytimes.net
College Gets $600K STEM Grant By Alex Panos Staff Writer The National Science Foundation has awarded St. Mary’s College of Maryland nearly $600,000 for an initiative to recruit students through the “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Navigators” project. Through the grant, 30 STEM students – 20 of which are to be community college transfers – in need of financial aid are to receive scholarships of up to $10,000 each. The College of Southern Maryland and SMCM are in the process of creating a way for students to be enrolled at CSM while simultaneously working on obtaining their Bachelor’s degree as a STEM student at St. Mary’s College. The in-county recruiting is expected to be accomplished by an expansion of the existing computer science agreement between the two schools. CSM President Brad Gottfried says the project will help add much needed members to the STEM workforce right here in Southern Maryland as well as at the national level. The STEM Navigators project will use research-based methods to help students adjust as they transfer from community colleges and high schools to science and mathematics programs offered at St. Mary’s College. “The strong STEM departments at St. Mary’s College of Maryland graduate majors at proportions well above national averages,” David Kung, the leader of the program and mathematics professor at St. Mary’s Col-
lege of Maryland, stated in a press release. Kung also mentioned in the release that some groups of students, such as first generation college students, minorities and women, are less likely to stay in the STEM field as they advance in their college career. “To level the playing field, the STEM Navigators project will offer enrichment workshops for incoming STEM students,” added Kung, “which will greatly increase students’ chances of staying in their chosen field.” St. Mary’s College’s STEM Navigators program will utilize “Emerging Scholarships Programs” (ESP) programs to make sure students stay on track. The ESPs have already “drastically improved the performance” of underserved calculus students and similar results are being seen in the science and biology courses, according to the release. “The funds will allow us to add to our existing Emerging Scholarships Program, and thus support more students who wish to study in STEM fields,” vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty Beth Rushing said. The National Science Foundation makes grants to institutions of higher education through the Scholarship STEM program in order to ensure gifted STEM students – in need of financial aid – graduate from the program and are prepared as they enter the STEM workforce or graduate school. alexpanos@countytimes.net
15
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
s y e l Ra
Sale prices valid October 1 - 18, 2012. Although every precaution is taken, errors in prices and/or specifications may occur in print. We reserve the right to correct any such errors. Circulars may not be used with any other promotion. Some special items may not be on display but are available via our special order program. *See store for details.
8
SINCE 195
ISHINGS
N HOME FUR
SPECIAL OPENINg ThIS SUNDAY IN bOTh LOCATIONS 12 PM TO 5 PM
WALDORF:
LEXINGTON PARK:
21716 Great Mills Rd 11800 Holly Lane 301-863-8181 301-843-0000 MONDAY-SATURDAY: 10 - 7 WALDORF LOCATION OPEN SUNDAYS 12N-5
The County Times
James Biscoe, 49 James Kennedy Biscoe (affectionately known as “Peaball”, J “Jackson”, and “Uncle Grandpop”) 49, of Lexington Park, Maryland, went home peacefully on September 29, 2012. James was born on October 10,1962, to the late Edward Joseph Biscoe and Mary Florence Barber Biscoe. James was educated in the St. Mary's County Public School System. James worked several jobs in food service at Pax River and St. Mary's Hospital, and F.O.Days Asphalt Construction Co. James was a caring person and was known for looking out for everyone he knew; making sure that they were always okay. He loved being around his daughter, grandchildren and family. Even though James would help anybody, his daughter still remembers that “nobody should mess with her dad and take his kindness for his weakness”. James’ past time was to sit at the STS bus stop but he never got on the bus. James was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Joseph Biscoe and Mary Florence Barber Biscoe and his brother, Edward Joseph Biscoe, Jr. James leaves to mourn and cherish his loving memories his loving and devoted daughter, Jamie Shammara Biscoe; sister, Sandra Barnes of Lexington Park, MD.; two brothers, Carnell Biscoe of Lexington Park, MD. and Leroy Biscoe of Waldorf, MD.; four grandchildren, Dwaynazie Thomas, Jaliyah Thomas, Jalynn Thomas, and Javonta King, Jr.; four nieces, Ursula Ball and Barbara Biscoe of Lexington Park, MD., Tomika Ball of Mechanicsville, MD., and Donna Barnes of Glenn Bernie, MD.; three nephews, John Biscoe, Jr. of Glenn Bernie, MD., and Byrant Biscoe of Calvert County, MD., and Javon Jones of Lexington Park, MD.; and several great nephews and nieces. He also leaves to cherish his memories his two best friends, Lawrence Anderson and James Courtney and a host of other family and friends. James was well loved and will be dearly missed. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until time of Service at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 5, 2012 at Briscoe-Tonic Funeral Home Chapel, 38576 Brett Way, Mechanicsville, Maryland. Interment following at Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, Maryland.
Edna Culpepper, 70 Mrs. Edna Delores Culpepper, 70, of Lexington Park, Maryland passed away on September 28, 2012. Edna was born on February 15, 1942 to parents Agnes Moreland-Holt and James Norman Holt. She received her education at Jarboesville High School, of Carver Heights, Lexington Park, Maryland. Edna was a fun-loving person and very active until her health declined. She enjoyed numerous activities and hobbies. She loved to cook, (the “soul food” queen; just ask anyone who was fortunate enough to eat her delicious meals). Edna enjoyed going to the Farmers’ Market, Bingo with her friends and yard sales. She liked to watch TV game shows and especially her soaps (The Young and the Restless and Bold and Beautiful). Edna maintained her beautiful home and enjoyed inviting her family and friends over for cookouts. Edna was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Culpepper, her parents, Agnes and James Holt, Sr. and brother, James Holt;
and brother-In-laws, Robert McLamb and Harris Reed. Edna leaves to cherish her precious memories her daughters, Barbara M. Holt of Lexington Park, MD and Shelia Chase of Baltimore, MD and her grandchildren, Shalice Holt and Lamont Culpepper; nine great-grandchildren, sisters: Marie McLamb of Washington, D.C., Dorothy Reed and Alice Robinson of Lexington Park; brothers, Paul Holt of New Jersey, Francis Holt of Lexington Park, MD and Jimmy Holt of Washington, D.C.; sisterin-laws, Sandra, Clarissa and Florence Holt; brother-in-law, Maurice Robinson; son inlaw, Timothy Dotson; friend, Carroll Dyson, nieces, nephews and a host of other family and friends. Mrs. Edna was a beautiful person and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her. God has received His beloved daughter. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. until time of Service at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at Briscoe-Tonic Funeral Home Chapel, 38576 Brett Way, Mechanicsville, MD. Interment to follow at Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Edward Curley, Jr., 79 Edward R. “Chum” Curley Jr., 79, of Annapolis, MD, passed away September 24, 2012 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He was playing bridge at the Heritage Harbour Community Center in Annapolis and he must have had a great hand. He was born August 6, 1933 in Washington, DC to the late Edward Raleigh Curley, Sr. and Katherine (Lowery) Curley. Ed graduated from Easter High School in Washington, DC and was a graduate of the University of Maryland in College Park. He graduated from George Washington University in February of 1973 with a Master of Arts in Government and Public Administration. On May 6, 1953, Ed enlisted in the United States Navy. He was a Korean War Veteran, earning the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Medal, before being honorably discharged on April 25, 1957. After the Navy, he managed Fairlane Bowling Alleys between Norfolk, VA and Charlotte, NC. He was the first Director for the Charles County Recreation and Parks Department and was responsible for the parks in Southern Maryland, including White Plains Golf Course and Gilbert Run Regional Park. He spent the rest of his life working in real estate and land development, building many communities in several states, including Maryland. He was retired three days a week, most weekends and whenever he traveled. Ed had the great gift of gab, taking charge of any room and he would spread his special blend of Irish wit and humor to anyone that would listen. He had the ability to coach anyone through any situation. He took great pride in making sure you were “working your plan and planning your work”. If you gave Ed enough time, he would convince you to work his plan. He was an avid sports fan enjoying many college sports. He was especially fond of the Washington Redskins and the Washington Nationals. He also enjoyed world traveling. He had many great gifts and talents, but his greatest gifts were his big laugh and bigger heart. He was a special dad, father, uncle, grandfather, partner, mentor and friend to many. Ed is survived by his son, Edward R. “Guy” Curley III (Keli) of Mechanicsville, MD; his grandchildren, Edward R. “Casey” Curley IV of Great Mills, MD, Payten Runyon of Mechanicsville, MD, and Austen Runyon of Mechanicsville, MD; one great-grandchild,
Thursday, October 4, 2012
16
Caylee Curley of Mechanicsville, MD; his step-children, Steven Cosh (Janet), Chris Cosh (Mary), Cyndy Turner and Valerie Cusato (Anthony); his sister-in-law, Betty Shipp of Great Mills, MD; eight step grandchildren; and four step great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Ed was preceded in death by his first wife, Barbara Anne Curley and his second wife, Barbara L. Cosh-Curley. Family received friends for Ed’s Life Celebration on Friday, September 28, 2012, with a tributes and remembrances at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. A Funeral Service was held on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 47477 Trinity Church Road, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Serving as pallbearers were Edward R. “Casey” Curley IV, Austen Runyon, J.J. Cosh, Chris Estep, Ray Rivera, Charlie Gardiner and Dale Vallandingham. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary’s Parish Memorial Garden Fund, P.O. Box 207, St. Mary’s City, MD 20686, All Hallows’ Parish Food Pantry, 3604 Solomon’s Island Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, or PJ Aldridge Foundation for Cancer Research, P.O. Box 97, Ocean City, MD 21842, info@pjaf. org for online donations. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
customers who had bought the C130 cargo aircraft. Over the next 28 years he went around the world for Lockheed. He supported the USAF in both America and their bases in Europe, the USMC in Japan and Viet Nam, the Pakistan Air force, and then USN at Patuxent River. It was while stationed here that he met and married Christine Bridges. His next assignment for Lockheed was to work with Britain’s Royal Air Force, and Christine and Renly spent several years going between England and Singapore. Renlys success with this client was exceptional and his contract was extended at the request of the British Ministry of Defense. Promotion followed and assignments to Libya, Algeria, and Morocco followed before hard-earned retirement to their new home in the California area, to be near Christine’s parents in Leonardtown. Renly became a familiar sight in his boat, fishing in the local waters around the Leonardtown area. Later, he spent more time at home and eventually gave up the boat. Over the last few years helped members of Christine’s family in their final years, and he and Christine were well known for tending to local animals at their home. He faced a number of health issues over the years but never gave up his active life, driving up until early this year. A short illness took him from us in the early hours of Saturday, 29th September, not long after his 47th anniversary with Christine. He is survived by Christine, his son Bruce, and his one surviving sister Mary.
Renly Dennis, 90
Robert Gabrelcik, 90
Renly B Dennis, 90, of California, MD died on Saturday in St Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown, MD Born January 17, 1922 in Soper, OK he was the son of the late Renly R. Dennis, and Vada Scott Dennis. A short Illness took him from us in the early hours of September 29, not long after his 47th anniversary with wife Christine. He is survived by his son Bruce and his one surviving sister Mary. A resident of St. Mary’s county since his retirement 28 years ago, Renly had been a Program Manager with Lockheed. He had first come to MD on assignment to Pax River in the mid 1960s and had retained his links since then after meeting Christine, his wife-to-be, in Lexington Park. Renly was born in Soper Oklahoma in 1922. He grew up working in his father’s blacksmith shop during the difficult years of the depression and joined the Army Air Corps in 1942. Destined for pilot training, he was devastated when the entire intake of his training class was cancelled and the members reassigned to other flying duties. He then was in the earliest group of men training for glider operations intended for D Day, helping develop the procedures used throughout the war. . His work in the glider program lead to him being approached about a front line supply unit being formed for duties in the Pacific and, despite the dangerous nature of the job, he immediately volunteered. Thus he became one of the original members of the 2nd Combat Cargo Squadron, which was at the forefront of all fighting in the China-Burma-India theatre of war, supplying and carrying Merrills Marauders and British troops under appalling conditions. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions with this unit. In 1946 he returned to Oklahoma and had four years of college. He married his first wife, Parnice Aderholt, in 1948 and they had a son, Renly Bruce Jr. in 1951. He joined Lockheed Georgia in 1952 and transferred to their Field Service Department in 1955, supporting
Robert Francis “Gabe” Gabrelcik 90 of Lexington Park, MD died September 29, 2012 at Calvert Memorial Hospital. Born May 19, 1922 in Waverly, Minnesota, he was the son of the late John Gabrelcik and Mary (Polinga) Gabrelcik. Mr. Gabrelcik entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 during the height of World War II, and was trained as an aviator and a test pilot for multi-engine aircraft. He served for more than three and a half years. From August 1944 until March 1945, he fought at Dunkeswell, Britain in Squadron No. 10, keeping the Germans at bay from overrunning England. He flew 22 missions hunting for German submarines. The B24 bomber’s duties were to escort the British war ships as well as commercial ships up to 600 miles back to the safety of British coasts. Mr. Gabrelcik was also stationed at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station as a test pilot (Service Test Division). He was a member of Class “O” of the of the Naval Test Pilot School. Most of his work was done in the PB4Y-2 aircraft. During his service, Mr. Gabrelcik received the Victory Ribbon, the WWII American Area Campaign Ribbon, and European African (One Star) Air Medals. Mr. Gabrelcik started his first business at the age of 24. Using his savings, he opened a Lincoln Mercury dealership in Lexington Park, MD. Along with several other local business owners, he later started up the Maryland Bank and Trust company. He served as Chairman of the Board until his retirement. Mr. and Mrs. Gabrelcik have been involved with several civic groups and charity organizations over the years. Included are the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, the Lexington Park Rotary, the Navy Alliance, the St. John’s Building Fund, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Ryken. They were honored for their generosity and support by the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Gabrelcik was honored by the Patuxent River Naval Air
17
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Museum with a bronze bust of himself for his many contributions and leadership over the years. Mr. Gabrelcik is survived by his wife, Joyce whom he met while stationed in Jacksonville, FL and married on June 14, 1947; his children, James R. Gabrelcik of San Francisco, CA, and William J. Gabrelcik of Oahu, HI; six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death in by his son, Robert R. Gabrelcik and his siblings George Gabrelcik, Raymond Gabrelcik, Frank Gabrelcik, Johnny Gabrelcik and Angie Milne. A Memorial Service will be held by Reverend Raymond Schmidt on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Church, 43927 St. John’s Road, Hollywood, MD 20636. Interment will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice. Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
Rhonda Megby, 56 Rhonda Lynn (Carpenter) Megby, 56, of Callaway died Sept. 21, 2012, at Hospice House of St. Mary’s in Callaway after a courageous battle with cancer. Born June 17, 1956, in Kentucky, she was the daughter of the late Lloyd Jack and Virginia Carpenter. She was a loving mother, and her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She is survived by her children, Linda Loving, Sally Adams and Matthew Megby; her grandchildren, Nathan and Madden Loving and Jason, Rachel and Jackie Adams; and her siblings, Rodney Carpenter, Sidney Carpenter and Cindy Heist. She is also survived by a good friend, Jr. Knott. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Rodger Carpenter. Interment will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice House of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Stephen Riley, III, 60 Captain Stephen George Riley, III, 60 of Mechanicsville, MD passed away on September 24, 2012 in Mechanicsville, MD. Born September 3, 1952 in Niagara Falls, New York, he was the son of the late Mary Ann Ruh Riley and Stephen George Riley, Jr. of Virginia Beach, VA. Mr. Riley is survived by his wife Sharon Kay Riley of Mechanicsville, MD whom he married on December 23, 1977 in Virginia Beach, VA, children; Shannon Kay Riley, (fiancé Dale Eugene Wince), of Leonardtown, MD, and Stephen George Riley, IV, (Kelly Nicole Riley), of Falls Church, VA, siblings; Kevin “Michael” Riley of Jacksonville, FL, Eileen “Patty” MacDougall of Easton, MD, Kathleen “Kate” Pitchford of Norfolk, VA, and Christopher “Chris” Riley of Greenville, SC, and 1 grandchild. In addition to his mother Mr. Riley was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret “Peggy” Crawford. Mr. Riley graduated from Princess Anne High School in 1971 and from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College in 1998 earning two Masters Degree. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1971, serving for 38 years, he was stationed at NAS Glenco, GA, NAS Patuxent River, MD,
Tacron22, Little Creek, VA, NAS Oceana, VA, NAS Lemoore, CA, USS Coral Sea CV-43, FacsFac, Vacapes, VA, NAS, Chase Field, Beeville, TX,. Navy Liaison Officer for the FAA, NAS Patuxent River, MD, and Airlant, Norfolk, VA, after retiring in 2009 he was the Chief of Naval Operations, and Head of the Air Traffic Control and Airspace, he then worked as a Air Traffic Control Systems Commander at the Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC. Mr. Riley was a member of the Town Hall Alliance, and the Elms Advisory Board, he enjoyed hunting and fishing. The family received friends on, Friday, September 28, 2012 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD. Inurnment will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be: Stephen G. Riley, IV, Stephen K. Riley, Kevin M. Riley, Christopher S. Riley, William “Bill” Reabe, and Everett Bailey. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675
William Simpson, 77 William “Billy” Hill Simpson, 77 of Mechanicsville, MD passed away on September 28, in Washington, DC. Born February 27, 1935 in Washington, DC he was the son of the late Ida Marie Hill Simpson and Lewis Wilson Simpson. In addition to his parents Billy was preceded in death by his wife Elvie Mae “Teeny” Russell Simpson, whom he married on June 9, 1962 in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Billy is survived by his children: William Hill Simpson, Jr. (Patricia) of Birmingham, AL, Patricia Ellen Simpson of Mechanicsville, MD, and Lori Anne Shupe (Edward) of King George, VA, grandchildren: Cecilia Simpson, Garrett Shupe, and William H. Simpson, III, and his good friend Betty Lou Bozes. Billy worked for Southern Maryland Oil (SMO) for 38 years, primarily as General Manager of Partco Auto Parts after starting his career as a Fuel Oil Delivery Man. During that time, he also served as President and was on the Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA). After retiring from SMO, he worked for the Circuit Court of St. Mary’s County from 2003 until the time of his death, serving as Chief Bailiff for the Honorable Michael J. Stamm. Billy was also very active in his community and known as the “Mayor of Mechanicsville.” He was a loyal and dedicated member of the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department for 62 years, serving in every officer role possible, but most notably as Chief, President for 13 years, and was currently serving on the Board of Directors, a role he has held since 1984. For his service, Billy was awarded Life Membership, and was also inducted as a member of the Southern Maryland Volunteer Fireman’s Association Hall of Fame. Billy was also a Charter Member of the Mechanicsville Rescue Squad in 1959 and served as Vice President and Treasurer for several years. He was a man of strong faith and was a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Church, serving for a time as President of the Home School Association for Mother Catherine Spalding School. Billy enjoyed duck hunting and was a loyal Washington Redskins fan. He was a Redskin season ticket holder for over 40 years, attending games with his wife Teeny, and good friends Bobby and Phyllis Burroughs, and Al and Micie Guy. The family will receive friends on Thursday, October 4, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with prayers recited at 7:00 p.m. and Firemen’s
prayers at 7:15 p.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, October 5, 2012 at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with Father David Wells officiating. Interment will follow in Queen of Peace Cemetery. Pallbearers will be: Bobby Burroughs, Larry Greenwell, Donny Hill, Andy McWilliams, Al Raley, and Willie Wilkerson. Honorary pallbearers will be: Buddy Adams, Guy Cooksey, George Allen Hayden, Jimmy Burroughs, Dan Raley, and Mike Stamm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 15, Mechanicsville, MD 20659
Ethan Stauffer, 19 mos. Ethan Michael Stauffer, 19 months, of Lusby, MD passed away on September 29, 2012 in Leonardtown, MD. Born February 15, 2011 in Prince Frederick, MD, he was the son of Lindsay Taylor Stauffer, and Edward Wayne Stauffer, Jr. Ethan is also survived by his grandparents; Patricia Stauffer, Janie and Edward Stauffer, Sr., Carl and Kelly Taylor, Karen Taylor and Joseph Perry, great-grandparents; Paul and Catherine Stauffer, and B. Frank Taylor, aunts and uncles; Scott Stauffer, Christopher Taylor, Ashley and Travis Stopera, Laura and Robert Blake, Timothy Unkle, and Candace Unkle, and cousins; Taylor and Nathan Blake, and Brooklyn Unkle. Ethan was preceded in death by a sister Paige Annette Stauffer. A Graveside Service will be held on Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 10 a.m. in St. George’s Catholic Cemetery, Valley Lee, MD with Pastor Dan Moore officiating.
Joseph Wood, 74 Joseph Harold "Buddy" Wood, 74 of Lexington Park, MD passed away on September 28, 2012 in Leonardtown, MD. Born September 12, 1938 in Mechanicsville, MD, he was the son of the late Louis Webster Wood and Mary Elsie Buckler Wood. Buddy is survived by his wife Benita Marie Berg Wood, sons Joseph "Randy" Wood and his wife Kristie of Lexington Park, MD., Jeffrey "Jeff" Wood and his wife Krissy of California, MD., grandsons; Joseph "Rylan" Wood and Tyler Wood, and siblings; Catherine Marie Smith, Mary Helen Buckler and Jeanette Theresa Buckler. In addition to his parents, Buddy was preceded in death by his siblings Earl Lester Wood, Kenneth Wilmer Wood, Muriel Carrol Wood and Margaret Jean Inman. A life long St. Mary's County resident, upon graduating from high school, Buddy enlisted in the United States Air Force and was Honorably discharged in 1976 after serving for 20 years. After his retirement from the Air Force, Buddy worked as a Computer Systems Analyst for the Federal Government. The family received friends on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral home chapel with prayers recited. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 in St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Morganza, MD with Fr. Keith Woods officiating. Interment followed in Mt. Zion United Methodist Church cemetery, Mechanicsville, MD. Pallbearers were Brad Carey, Kenny Wood, Mitch Wood, Vic Buckler and Mike Buckler.
“Caring is Our Business”
FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE COUNTY’S MOST TRUSTED SOURCE FOR QUALITY
Granite & Bronze Monuments & Engraving
Pet Cremation, Cemetery and Memorials
Charles Memorial Gardens, Inc. Perpetual Care Cemetery
26325 Point Lookout Road • Leonardtown, MD 20650
301-475-8060
charlesmemorialgardens.com
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Crime&
18
Punishment
Officer Kills Violent Suspect
By Guy Leonard Staff Writer
The Law Office of D. Anne Emery & Associates, LLC • Civil Litigation • DUI/DWI • Personal Injury • Divorce • Child Support • Custody
A man who was living at a condominium in Wildewood was shot to death by a nine-year veteran of the county sheriff’s office as the man violently assaulted two deputies on Saturday, police said. According to police reports Cpl. Mike George and Cpl. William Rishel both responded to Sugar Maple Court at approximately 1:56 a.m. for a disturbance; someone had reported hearing yelling coming from the parking lot area. Both deputies, in marked vehicles and wearing uniforms, were confronted by Stephen Robert Wycoff, 39, who soon after at-
• Adoption • Auto Accident • Criminal Defense • Family Law • Incorporation • Wills and Trusts
D. Anne Emery, Esq. By Appointment Only Fax: 301-475-9997 dae44@md.metrocast.net FREE CONSULTATION WITH THIS AD
41660 Courthouse Drive Suite 200 The Proffitt Building P.O. Box 1960 Leonardtown, MD 20650
On Sept. 30, officers responded to Exploration Drive in Lexington Park, for a reported robbery. Responding officers located a 53-year-old female victim who advised she was walking to her vehicle when she was approached from behind and struck repeatedly in the face. The victim’s purse was stolen and the assailant fled in the victim’s vehicle. Officers broadcast a lookout for the vehicle and the victim was transported to a
Philip H. Dorsey III Attorney at Law
- SERIOUS ACCIDENT, INJURY • Personal Injury • Wrongful Death • Auto/Truck Crashes
.40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. One police source said that George fired his weapon while Wycoff was on top of him pummeling him. Both George and Rishel were transported to Medstar St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment of what the agency called “non-incapacitating” injuries suffered during the melee. Both deputies have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into their actions that morning. Rishel is an eight-year veteran of the sheriff’s office. Both deputies are assigned to the Special Operations Division of the agency. guyleonard@countytimes.net
Woman Flown Out After Robbery
Phone: 301-475-9995
301-475-9995
tacked both deputies, according to police. During the struggle George discharged his weapon, killing Wycoff. Sources close to the investigation speaking on condition of anonymity said Wycoff was walking around the parking lot with a lighter threatening to ignite or otherwise blow up certain items. When he assaulted both deputies they deployed both pepper spray and Taser in an effort to bring Wycoff down without permanently harming him, but neither was successful, police sources said. Actual details of the assault were slim but apparently George was being badly beaten by Wycoff before he discharged his weapon, a departmentally issued Smith and Wesson M&P
• Pharmacy & Drug Injuries • Workers’ Compensation • Medical Malpractice
LEONARDTOWN: 301-475-5000 TOLL FREE: 1-800-660-3493 EMAIL: phild@dorseylaw.net
www.dorseylaw.net
local area trauma center by Maryland State Police helicopter. The victim’s vehicle was located unoccupied behind the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department and witnesses provided a description of the driver, police stated. Officers located Patrick Lesean Butler, 19, of Lexington Park, in the area and identified him as the alleged assailant. Detectives with the Bureau of Criminal Investigations
responded and assumed the investigation. Butler was transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center where he Patrick Butler was charged with robbery, second-degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle and theft under $100.
Police Warn of Internet Scam The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office reports a citizen recently reported a possible Internet scam. The victim received a call from a “Microsoft Windows” representative, purporting to be responding to “error messages” she had forwarded to Windows. The representative asked repeatedly for the citizen to go to her computer and turn it on so he could fix the problems. The representative alleged Microsoft provided this free service to all Windows customers. The citizen was skeptical of the call, did not turn her computer, nor did she provide any personal identifying information. Below are the FBI’s recommendations for protecting your computer from intrusion: Keep Your Firewall Turned On: A firewall helps protect your computer from hackers who might try to gain access to crash it, delete information, or even steal passwords or other sensitive information. Software firewalls are widely recommended for single computers. The software is prepackaged on some operating systems or can be purchased for individual computers. For multiple networked computers, hardware routers typically provide firewall protection. Install or Update Your Antivirus Software: Antivirus software is designed to prevent malicious software programs from embedding on your computer. If it detects malicious code, like a virus or a worm, it works to disarm or remove it. Viruses can infect computers without users’ knowledge. Most types of antivirus software can be set up to update automatically. Install or Update Your Antispyware Technology: Spyware is just what it sounds like—software that is surreptitiously installed on your computer to let others peer into your activities on the computer. Some
spyware collects information about you without your consent or produces unwanted pop-up ads on your web browser. Some operating systems offer free spyware protection, and inexpensive software is readily available for download on the Internet or at your local computer store. Be wary of ads on the Internet offering downloadable antispyware—in some cases these products may be fake and may actually contain spyware or other malicious code. It’s like buying groceries—shop where you trust. Keep Your Operating System Up to Date: Computer operating systems are periodically updated to stay in tune with technology requirements and to fix security holes. Be sure to install the updates to ensure your computer has the latest protection. Be Careful What You Download: Carelessly downloading e-mail attachments can circumvent even the most vigilant antivirus software. Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know, and be wary of forwarded attachments from people you do know. They may have unwittingly advanced malicious code. Turn Off Your Computer: With the growth of high-speed Internet connections, many opt to leave their computers on and ready for action. The downside is that being “always on” renders computers more susceptible. Beyond firewall protection, which is designed to fend off unwanted attacks, turning the computer off effectively severs an attacker’s connection—be it spyware or a botnet that employs your computer’s resources to reach out to other unwitting users. For further information regarding EScams & protecting your computer visit the FBI website at: www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/ computer_protect.
19
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
Save The Date... St. Mary’s County
Department of Aging & Human Services
Health Fair The Way To Wellness Friday, October 26, 2012 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department Hall 24801 Three Notch Road, Hollywood, Maryland 20636
• Health Screenings include Skin Cancer, Hearing, Depression & Leg and Vein Screening. • Flu Inoculations (Medicare card holders should bring their cards; a $20 payment, by cash or check is required from those not eligible for Medicare) • Over 70 Exhibitors with the Latest Health and Wellness News, Information and Products • Lots of giveaways and freebies!
For more information call 301.475.4200, ext. 1050 or visit the Department of Aging website at stmarysmd.com/aging Brought to you by the Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County: Francis Jack Russell, President; Lawrence D. Jarboe; Cynthia L. Jones; Todd B. Morgan; Daniel L. Morris and the Department of Aging & Human Services.
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
20
STORY
Spiggy and Friends’ Ambitious Plan to Honor Two Navy Heroes, Raise Money By Corrin M. Howe Staff Writer Local celebrity, Redskin’s Hogette Spiggy and his friends set an ambitious goal for his 13th golf tournament “FUNraiser” scheduled this month at Chesapeake Hills Golf Club in Lusby. Dave “Spiggy” Spigler plans to honor two fallen Navy heroes and raise money for their organizations while still raising money for Children’s Hospital and other local causes. Spiggy and Friends have raised more than $650,000 through celebrity golf tournaments and Sunday Benefits in Calvert County for the past 20 years. The Hogettes have raised more than $100 million during 29 years for sick children and their families throughout the metropolitan area.
Monday, Oct. 22 – Honoroing Capt. Patrick James Hovatter
While corresponding with his wife, Sherrie Hovatter, about the tournament and pictures for the article, she shared a quick story about an activity for which she and Pat volunteered last year in New Bern, NC. They were helping with Ghost Walk. He was “spouting historical facts to those in line closest to the gate before they entered (the cemetery tour).” Her job was to keep the people in line, off the street and moving. “Pat was so animate and engaging people moved around him to hear him talk … frustrated and defeated (because she couldn’t manage her line), I leaned back to watch this man brighten the lives of yet just a few more, and I beamed,” Sherrie wrote. A brief biography of his life reads “Pat was the quintessential Naval Officer and bold Naval Aviator, but above all, Pat was the consummate leader and teacher. His legacy will live on in the many Sailors, Marines, Civil Servants, colleagues and friends who were inspired by his selfless example, his tireless service to those in need, his love of adventure, his unabashed and sincere way of living his life to the fullest. Whether it was flying, work or projects around the house, he would not hesitate for a second to take somebody under his wing or take charge.”
Friday, Oct. 19 – Honoring Petty Officer Aaron Vaugh, SEAL Team Six
The last day of the weekend tournament will be in honor of a former commander of Naval Air Station Patuxent River, who died unexpectedly Jan. 2, 2012. Money raised on this day will go to “Wounded Warriors” at the request of his wife, Sherrie Hovatter. According to Spigler, “(Pat) was a terrific friend, not only to me, but to every person who he came to know in the Tri-County area while serving as the Commanding Officer of NAS Patuxent River.” In Spigler’s opinion, Hovatter’s “two most notable accomplishments were the three houses he constructed through his dedication to Habitat For Humanity” and the implementation of “the Army Navy Parade to create good natured camaraderie” involving military services, civilian workers and local community. Spigler thinks the large turnout at both Hovatter’s memorial service and later funeral service is a testament to the number of people Hovatter touched over his years. Furthermore, Hovatter’s service did not stop when he retired.
At first, Spiggy thought he was helping out a former Redskin Cheerleader, now widow of one of the 22 members of SEAL Team Six who were killed Aug. 6, 2011 when “a terrorist was able to bring down an Army Chinook with a
1000-to-1 shot with a rocket powered grenade.” In working with Kimberly Vaughn to honor her husband Aaron, Spigler discovered that he worked with Aaron’s father 30 years prior. Money raised on the first day of the golf tournament will go to Aaron’s son, now about 3 years old and his daughter, who was only a few weeks old when her father returned to Afghanistan. Part of the proceeds will also go to the SEAL Foundation, an organization supporting families of SEALs. Spiggy notes that Aaron and Kim’s story has been featured on Today and more recently an article in the March edition of Redbook. “Even for an old salt like myself, their tragedy waters the eyes and makes one realize just how truly cruel life can become for some, but for the grace of God, we get to live to enjoy another day with our own families and friends,” Spiggy told The Calvert Gazette. Interviews with Kim, days after her husband’s death, sparked emotional responses across the Internet. The first uncut version of Kim’s interview on Today said, “I want to tell the world that he was an amazing man, that he was a wonderful husband, and a fabulous father to two wonderful children. He was a warrior for Christ, and he was a warrior for our country. And, he wouldn’t want to leave this earth
21
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
STORY
“Everything is just about in place. Help from Mother Nature would be nice. And 50 to 60 more players.” any other way than how he did.” Subsequent showings of the interview and rebroadcasts on other news stations edited out “He was a warrior for Christ”, sparking anger among blogs and forums. Those who don’t believe in Christ, were offended by pairing Vaughn’s military status with his faith. Those who believe in Christ or were neutral were outraged that Vaughn “died for the right for his widow to express her feelings and opinion.” Several months later the media followed up on the couple’s story when Kim created a Facebook page begging for help finding Aaron’s wedding ring, which she had lost during a flight. Aaron Vaughn is forever captured in a role that he loved. He was one the real SEALs used during the filming of ‘Act of Valor’ released in March this year. Vaughn’s paternal grandmother, Geneva Vaughn, is quoted in her local newspaper prior to the first showing of the movie. “I saw a Fox News Channel interview with the movie’s producer and director and they explained they chose eight Navy SEALs based on certain character traits. They said they picked the ones they thought had integrity and valor and morals and qualities such as that.”
Sunday, Oct. 21 – Children’s Hospital Celebrity Benefit Spiggy said this FUNraiser first started with 30 friends at his home. He set up a television outside, in the bathrooms and in the guest rooms for the Redskins’ Game. Then his Sunday fundraiser grew to 50 and then 80, after which his wife kicked the party out of the house. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I get to root for my favorite team and take care of sick children at the same time,” Spiggy said. When he worked for the Navy, he could fix planes, but they never smiled. Now he has the opportunity to bring smiles to the faces of the people his organizations help. Money raised this day will go to Children’s Hospital and local organizations within the county benefiting children, including the scholarship fund for Frank Hayward III, the sole survivor of a murder-suicide earlier this year.
Throughout the Weekend and Beyond Spiggy’s goals are ambitious, but he’s got the friends and local support to pull it off. He said everything is being donated except the golf fees for Chesapeake Hills and the appearance by the Redskin Cheerleaders. His intention is to keep the proceeds separate from the three different fundraisers. “I intend to pull out all the stops this year and to harness all the great friends and celebrities that have helped us in the past.” Some of the people he’s “going after” include Frank Herzog, the voice of the Redskins for 25 years, James Brown, Chris Hanburger, Joe Theisman and Mark Moseley. He’s hoping the people who knew and loved Captain Hovatter will come out on Monday, that Aaron and Kim Vaughn’s story will bring people out on Friday and that the fall elections will bring out the politicians. “Everything is just about in place. Help from Mother Nature would be nice. And 50 to 60 more players.” According to Spiggy, the cost per foursome is $450 or $125 per individual. Each participant will receive a special golf shirt (made with wicking material) with the name of the event emblazoned on the left breast, a goodie bag, adult beverages [beer] and soft drinks brought to them by members of the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders, and an awards dinner/presentation following the tournament. Following the fundraising weekend, Spiggy plans to work on publishing his guide to organizing charity golf tournaments. He’s already drafted it and had a friend edit it. He hopes the guide will Photo By Frank Marquart bring in a few dollars for Children’s Hospital and help other charities raise funds. He admits that he should follow the advice of his friends and start training someone to follow in his footsteps; however, he said “I have a master’s degree in management. I know how to delegate. I don’t know how to train someone to smooze my friends.”
Wentworth FALL Project Festival nd Come In a e Project g a P 6 3 ur Pick-Up o turing Valuable Flyer Fea Coupons. Project
8 in. Mums
4 in. Pansies
5 for $3000
18 per tray
1
$ 25
ea.
8 in. Cabbage
5 for $3000
Grow Your Own Seminar & Savings
Don’t miss our informative seminar this weekend at our Charlotte Hall & Prince Frederick locations. Learn what you need to know to grow your own herbs, berries, fruits & nuts. Come in and save with these great offers.
Berry Plants
4 in. Herbs
Buy 4 Get 5th
Starting at $399
FREE
Fruit & Nut Trees
Buy 4 Get 5th
FREE
Fall Seminar & Event Schedule Saturday, October 6th Oakville Charlotte Hall Prince Frederick
9:00am How to Build a Firepit or Outdoor Fireplace 11:00am Grow Your Own Fruit Trees & Berries 2:00pm Grow Your Own Fruit Trees & Berries
Saturday, October 13th Oakville Charlotte Hall Prince Frederick
9:00am How to Build a Garden Wall or Seat Wall 11:00am Camoflage by Planting Living Screens, Windbreaks & Hedging 2:00pm Camoflage by Planting Living Screens, Windbreaks & Hedging
Saturday, October 20th Oakville Charlotte Hall Prince Frederick
9:00am How to Build an Outdoor Kitchen 11:00am Maintain & Tidy Up Your Lawn and Landscape for Fall 2:00pm Maintain & Tidy Up Your Lawn and Landscape for Fall
Now Is The TIme To schedule Your Fall laNdscapINg & hardscapINg projecTs VIsIT www.weNTworThNurserY.com
To schedule a coNsulTaTIoN
Wentworth Nursery Charlotte Hall
Prince Frederick
301-884-5292 800-558-5292
410-535-3664 1-866-535-3664
30315 Three Notch Rd, 1700 Solomon’s Island Rd, Charlotte Hall 20622 Prince Frederick 20678 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-7, Sat. 8-6, Sun. 9-6
Sales good thru November 26, 2012
Oakville
5 minutes North of Hollywood 41170 Oakville Road Mechanicsville 20659 301-373-9245 • 800-451-1427
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6, Sat. 7:30-5
Newsmakers
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
22
Local Girl Named Teenager of the Year
By Alex Panos Staff Writer Out of all the members of the Kiwanis club in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia, Great Mills High School senior Caroline Brigham was chosen as the Capital District’s best, and was named the Kiwanis International Teenager of the Year. Brigham is receiving a $2,000 award when she is recognized at the Capital District Governor’s Banquet. St. Mary’s County club president Fred Bloch said the award is a tribute to Brigham’s leadership skills and continued involvement in community projects. Brigham has served as the Great Mills Key Club president and was recently voted to be the Southern Maryland Division 22 Lt. Governor. “It is a great leadership position for her,” Bloch said of Brigham’s newest position. “She’s been working hard and got elected by her peers.” Bloch also said Brigham grew up in a “Kiwanis family,” and has been giving back to community for some time. She is very active in her local Girl Scouts chapter, and continues to give back as a member of The Key Club. “She’s been an outstanding role model for kids within our club … and gives them guidance,” Bloch said. Brigham was selected by a panel
of judges as the St. Mary’s County winner. She then won the district competition against members of Calvert and Charles counties before finally being selected as the district winner. Bloch, who has served on the county panel as a judge before, says the amount of information provided in the packets is overwhelming and includes recommendations usually from teachers. What it boils down to, he said, is the amount of community involvement, school grades and leadership skills each candidate possesses. “To me it shows a lot of good in young people in the community,” Bloch said as he recalled sorting through the packets of all the qualified applicants in previous years. “The award is really recognizing outstanding leadership and efforts of community service.” The Kiwanis Club is a service organization whose goal is to aid children and communities in need. According to Bloch, all the money raised by the Kiwanians goes back into the community or towards international programs. “We are continuing to be actively involved with youth all over the county,” said Bloch. “It’s all about the children and helping the children.” Currently the club is highly involved with “The Eliminate Project,” in which they have partnered with UNICEF to end neonatal and maternal tetanus, particularly in
The St. Mary’s County AARP Tax-Aide Program
provided service to more than 600 taxpayers last tax season at five tax sites and saved an average of $60,000 in tax preparation fees for folks who simply could not afford paid tax assistance.
Brigham, center, is recognized by the Board of Education.
African third world countries. Bloch says the Leonardtown High School Kiwanis Club has been getting items together to ship to American troops overseas, and hosted a car wash to benefit sick children of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. According to the St. Mary’s Kiwanis Club website, the group is involved with
Jan. 7-25, 2013 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
and serve at least one day a week at a tax site during tax season.
Open House Sunday, October 7, 2012
For more information contact the St. Mary’s County District Coordinator, Dana Davis by e-mail at djdavis@md.metrocast.net
11 am – 3 pm
Other Activities Include: 911 Simulator
T h e me mbe rs o f the H ol l y w o od Vol un tee r Fi re D e pa r t men t an d Lad ie s Au xi li ar y in vi te y ou t o a t te nd an O pen H ou se.
Crafts Meet a Firefighter Visit from Sparky Apparatus Tours
Thi s e ven t wi l l be held a t ou r s t a t i on in conjuncti on wi th N a ti on al Fi re P r e ven ti on Wee k.
Ridge VFD Smoke Trailer Demo
Thi s ye a r ’ s the me f o r Fi re P re ven ti on Wee k i s “H a ve 2 Wa y s Ou t ”.
Jr. Firefighter Obstacle Course
B rin g y ou r f a mi l y an d f ri ends f o r a fun and in f o r m a t i ve a f te rn o on wi th y ou r l oc al fi re fi g h te rs.
Moonbounce Refreshments Free kids bike raffle Door prizes
.
AARP Tax-Aide is administered by the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the IRS. Tax sites are located throughout the County. Training and the majority of site work are held during normal working hours during the work week. Occasional service events are scheduled for evenings and Saturdays.
alexpanos@countytimes.net
Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department
St. Mary’s County AARP Tax-Aide Program needs volunteer tax counselors to provide free federal and state tax preparation for low to moderate income taxpayers with special attention to the senior population. Training is provided; all returns are prepared electronically. Volunteers must have Internet/ e-mail access, be comfortable with computer use, and commit to attend all training sessions
Christmas in April, a Health and Safety Fair, Bike Rodeo and Pedestrian Safety Day and Spirits of Point Lookout. For more information on these and upcoming Kiwanis events visit st-maryscounty.kiwanisone.org.
We ’ l l have l o t s o f l e arn in g o p p o r tu ni ti e s, fi re t ru ck t ou rs, a Juni or Fi re fi g h te r Obs t acle C ou rse an d a f ree k i d s bi k e r a f fl e! Li g h t re f re shmen ts wi l l be se rved an d “S p a r k y the Fi re D o g ” wi l l al s o be on han d f o r pho t o o p p o r tu ni tie s!!! For mor e info r mation , conta ct Mike Sullivan @ 301-373- 2900 or v is it our we bs ite ww w.hvfd7 .com
♦
23
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
Enjoy the Benefits of
Design Diaries...
Brought to you by Anissa Swanzy of SKD Studios
Design Diaries is a bi-weekly segment; meant to inspire, influence and educate homeowners that are ready to make a change to their homes but just don’t know where to start.
LIGHTS...NOT ONLY FUNCTION – THEY ARE FULL OF FASHION It is light that first enables spatial perception. Above and beyond this, our perception of architecture can also be influenced with light: it expands and accentuates rooms, creates links and delineates one area from another. Lighting – in my opinion – is one of the most important elements to any interior design project. Whether your remodeling your bathroom or your dining room; lighting can create a mood, turn your guests’ focus, or provide the necessary hue to perform a task. At SKD studios we take our lighting seriously! It is, in most cases, the go to for the “wow” factor in the room. It is my strong belief that every room needs a wow factor! There's no question that human beings respond to light. Its absence can affect our sense of well-being, and this may be why bright, sunny homes tend to be the easiest to sell. Whether you have an interior designer map out a detailed lighting plan or you choose the do-it-yourself approach, today there are more lighting options than ever before. And the results are always amazing. With an abundance of light in all the right places, even the darkest corner can be transformed An Acquired Taste Light can be used to create a specific mood for a variety of functions from studying to entertaining. It can help create a sense of luxury and make your furnishings seem important. I would rather be in an empty room with a great lighting design than one that has the best furnishings and improper lighting. Light is a luxury that people should afford before they buy furniture! Even if you're on a limited budget, splurge on lighting installed by an electrician according to a designer's or an architect's specifications. Do the shell of your new home correctly the floors, lighting and walls and fill in the blanks later.
We are really excited about the new line of lighting that we will be carrying at SKD Studios. Make sure to stop by and see what we have coming. Visit our website to inquire about having us come out and help create a lighting plan that will change the way you view your space. www.skdstudios.com or call 443-404-5686
SERVICES: • Custom, Semi Custom and Budget Friendly Cabinets • Countertop Replacements • Tile Backsplash/Flooring • Color Consultations • Custom Furnishings • Space Planning for both Commercial and Residential • Full Service Interior Design Studio • Custom Window Treatments • Design Interiors for Commercial Space, Residential and Yachts • We will work with your contractors or our licensed contractors
We Only Look Expensive! Call today for the kitchen or bath of your dreams.
www.skdstudios.com 443.404.5686
Over 250,000 Southern Marylanders can’t be wrong! Your Online Community for Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties
New to the area? Lifelong resident? • Stay abreast of local happenings • Check our highly popular classifieds • Speak your mind in the forums • Enter our contests and win terrific prizes
Stop by and see what Southern Maryland Online has to offer!
www.somd.com
To The Editor U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Doublespeak
It takes a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher the doublespeak of the U.S. Catholic bishops. Their recently issued voter guide entitled “The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship “ amounts to a stealth advocacy of liberalism which by its very nature is at odds with the traditional Catholic principle of subsidiarity. In their modernist ecclesiastical boilerplate, the bishops inform Catholics that “support for legal abortion ... may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate ... ,” but instruct them nevertheless not to be “single issue” voters. This device suggests that the Catholic look beyond a pro-abortion candidate's views to determine his stand on what the church defines as other “right to life” issues such as health care and education. Insisting that they are neutral regarding the Democrats and the Republicans, the church hierarchy is in effect championing celebrated liberal causes: statism, wealth redistribution and so-called just immigration policies (the bishops do not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration). Because politicians who support the welfare state and open borders also usually support abortion, the Catholic, seeing himself or herself as too “sophisticated” to be that single issue voter and dutifully applying the Church's insinuated “four-out-of- five-ain't-bad” formula for choosing candidates, is ultimately voting for abortion. The truth is that the U.S. bishops have been all too happy with an all-powerful federal government and its brand of “social justice” until the secular behemoth in D.C. grew so tyrannical that it began requiring the Church to pay for abortifacients and birth control. But how dare Cardinal Donald Wuerl and his bishopric express any outrage over the federal mandate contained in the thousands of pages of the Obamacare legislation, a federal imposition of staggering proportions. How dare they be surprised at what humanism and smileyfaced, I'm-Ok-You're-Ok Christianity have wrought. The “Affordable Health Care” bill's sheer bulk is tyranny itself. The reality is that when a pact is made with the Devil there are unpleasant consequences. The church and the cardinal as I have said have no problem with an intrusive central government when it suits their needs. The church, however, realizes that abortion advocacy on the part of liberal do-gooders poses an ethically sticky problem. But not to be stymied for long, the bishops came up with a slick Orwellian sophistry. While rightly calling abortion immoral, they are cautioning, however, that a pro-life stand should be nuanced. They quote Pope John Paul II's pronouncement that “the fact that only the negative commandments oblige always and under all circumstances does not mean that in the moral life prohibitions are more important than the obligation to do good indicated by the positive commandment.” And it is true that we have to do more than just oppose abortion; we are commanded by Christ also to perform acts of corporal and spiritual mercy. But this is not what the bishops are saying: They are implying that we must support big government largess. And they hint that not supporting affordable health care, for example, isn't pro-life. But as I have said before, priests can plant little white crosses in the ground until Hell freezes over; the church will still be duplicitous in the culture of death if it influences voters with too clever language to vote for the “common good” rather than what is objectively moral. How can the church advocate a collective salvation? Washington D.C. cannot secure eternity for us. When we stand before the Lord, He will judge us as individuals. And it is individuals working within families, local churches, communities who have the obligation to help the needy. They may, if they choose, delegate to county and state officials some of the responsibilities—but none of the authority—for charitable works. The federal government, however, has no such mandate and is required by the Constitution only to defend our borders, engage in just war (not the global military adventures and nation building of Bush and Obama), deliver the mail, regulate commerce and little else. It is not up to the federal government to create Heaven on Earth, to care for U.S. citizens cradle to grave, thus inflating costs for health care, long-term care for the aged, higher education and forcing many Americans into accepting assistance from a debt-ridden government that is ready to collapse. Tragically, there are many Catholics, otherwise the very soul of decency, who will vote this November for pro-abortion candidates in the name of charity. I do not like either party's presidential choice, but I can say with certainty that I will not be counted among those who re-elect a man who believes that a baby who survives an attempted abortion should be left in a hospital's dirty laundry room to die no matter how kind that man wants to be to illegal immigrants or “workers.” Joyce Bennett Clements, MD
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
24
Parents Are Our Partners in Education As we begin the month of October, I would like to emphasize the importance of the power of partnership as it relates to the education of our children. Please know that our parents are our partner in education and we want to work collaboratively with our parents and community to provide the best possible learning experience for our children. To that end, please make time to meet with your child’s teacher(s) during the fall to develop a positive working relationship and to find out in detail how your child is performing thus far. Monday, Oct. 8, 2012 is a professional day with no school for students. This day is dedicated to parent conferences and we are committed as a school system to conferencing with parents. Parents who wish to schedule a conference can contact their teacher or school counselor by phone or by email to schedule. Each school has a School Improvement Team that meets minimally each quarter. These team meetings should have an invested and committed representation of staff, parents, and students where appropriate. A School Improvement Team meeting is the forum for national, state, local, and school education information to be shared, rationales explained, and concerns addressed. This is incredibly important particularly now with the changing legislation related to public education. School Improvement Team meetings are important because it is during these meetings that many school-based and programmatic decisions are made. Parent input is essential. Please
check your school’s website and/or contact the principal to find out when the School Improvement Team is meeting and please attend. Schools improve when we work together. Lastly, we are proud of our active and meaningful partnerships with such a caring community. Two of our most important and effective partnerships are the PTA/PTSO organizations. Please support these organizations on behalf of your child(ren) and your school. They work hard to provide support, advocacy, and enhancements to your school. We are grateful to these organizations for their partnership and collaboration. As an aside, I want to thank the community for supporting our Shoe Fund. Your response was overwhelmingly positive and netted an additional $5,200 that will go to good use to place shoes on the feet of our less fortunate children. October is a great time for parent involvement in our schools. Please do follow up and conference with your teacher, consider attending a school improvement meeting, and supporting your school’s PTA/ PTSO organization. We are all on the same team for our children. When we work together on behalf of children, wonderful results occur. Please stay involved. We need you! Michael J. Martirano, Ed.D. Superintendent of St. Mary’s County Public Schools Leonardtown, MD
Is League of Women Voters Unbiased? Responding to a letter from Mary Rose in your Sept. 27, 2012 issue, I share some of her concerns about the impartiality of the League of Women Voters. As a candidate for the District 2 seat for the Board of Education, I was forewarned by two prominent county leaders not to debate in their forum. They both acknowledged that this organization has a liberal agenda, and I would be at a disadvantage. I nevertheless decided to participate in their debate during the primaries held last March. There were six candidates running for the At Large and District 2 seats. While each candidate was given equal time to present their arguments to be elected, when it was time for questions and answers, the audience was given the option to ask specific questions to their favorite candidate. It was apparent to me that one candidate had “ringers” in the audience. Most softball questions were given to this one candidate. In
my case, I was only allowed to answer one question. I have written to Ms. Patricia Dunlap, President of the League of Women Voters, urging that their format be changed so each person is given an equal chance to respond, thus avoiding a response bias. Any one who has had a class in statistics will understand that questions, if not scientifically postured, can lead to favorable or unfavorable results depending on the agenda of the questioner. The greatest freedom that our nation has is the freedom of the press. Nationally, we have seen this freedom erode with the mainstream media in the tank for Obama. On the local level, we have some flexibility to monitor and control bias in our newspapers and so called organizations that purport to be non-partisan. James J. (Jim) Davis Leonardtown, MD
‘Year of Faith’ Begins Next Week Even if readers have never heard of the “Second Vatican Council,” it’s 50th anniversary next Thursday shouldn’t pass by unnoticed. This worldwide gathering of bishops in Rome, which began on Oct. 11, 1962, was responsible for some of the most significant changes in the Catholic Church in centuries. As a result of the Council, the Mass is no longer celebrated exclusively in Latin, and Catholics are more diligently dedicated to the interior renewal of the Church, Christian unity, and a proper relationship between the Church and world. It’s hard to overstate the impact that this event has had in the last 50 years on the lives of Catholics and on the world as a whole. As memories of Vatican II become more and more distant, Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed
a “Year of Faith” for Catholics (beginning Oct. 11, 2012) to recall the Second Vatican Council and, more importantly, the basics of the Catholic Faith. Events throughout the Archdiocese of Washington will be commemorating this significant year. Right here in St. Mary’s County, I myself will be giving a presentation on the legacy of the Second Vatican Council on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at St. Aloysius Church in Leonardtown. In short, Oct. 11 is a date that shouldn’t pass by unnoticed, whether one is a Catholic or otherwise. Leonard E. Wathen, Jr., Director of Religious Education St. Aloysius Church Leonardtown, MD
25
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
To The Editor Will America Wake Up?
Liberal Judges Can’t Be Trusted We need to give deep consideration to our election of our new Circuit Court Judge. Judges are supposed to interpret the law – not make new law. Making laws is the job of our Congress and State legislators. Are you tired of O. J. Simpson or Casey Anthony cases and sexual child predators getting off or just getting suspended sentences? Are you tired of liberal judges trying to destroy the basic fabric of our American values with their own misguided ideas? A Virginian judge just ruled you cannot be required to show a photo ID card to vote in Virginia. The latest fiasco is a judge requiring a state to pay the cost of a sex change operation for a convicted murderer. Getting clients off the hook on technicalities has become common in our courtrooms. The United States has more attorneys than the rest of the world. Our phonebook yellow pages and television ads are loaded with the “sue, sue, sue” crowd. Why are some horrible miscarriages of justice important to our 2012 circuit judge elections? The answer is we want judges to apply the law and their rulings according to our Constitution, Federal, State and local statues rather than their personal misguided opinions. We have one candidate who was primarily a defense attorney. He was appointed by Governor O’Malley – a devout left wing radical in favor
of gay marriage, in state tuition for illegal aliens, moratorium on the death penalty, never ending tax increases and more and more gambling casinos. Judge Densford has said in open forum that he supports Governor O’Malley and President Obama. On the other side we have Joe Stanalonis – a fine man who is sworn to prosecute the bad guys who break the law. He tries his best to convict them, get them off the street and see they get appropriate sentences. Who endorses Joe Stanalonis? The Fraternal Order of Police. These are the men who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve us. He is also endorsed by our State prosecutor. So if you are liberal, (putting up a sign saying you are “Independent & Impartial” does not disqualify you) and if you love the direction of our courts (including the Supreme Court, Obama Care decision), the direction of our entire country (Barack Obama supporters) and the direction of Maryland (Governor O’Malley supporters) by all means – vote for Judge Densford. If you are not happy with the direction of America and our beloved State of Maryland – vote for a true conservative – Joe Stanalonis. He will serve you well and make you proud.
This letter is basically in response to Mr. Joe Wible Sr.'s input. I salute you Sir, you are absolutely correct with the statements you made. I wrote a similar article earlier published in The County Times; however, I believe it fell on deaf ears. It was criticized by a reader who is obviously an Obama supporter and possibly a socialist. The complacent American citizens in today's society do not want to hear the truth and are perfectly happy to accept the news media and political statements as being factual. Everybody likes a rosy picture and true facts are often dismal and unfavorable. A real look at Obama's record shows a positive trace toward converting our present form of government to a socialist society. A look back in history shows that other dictators used the same procedures to obtain control. The American public does not recognize this and refuses to listen to real and truthful facts. Propaganda is useful in hiding the truth. This complacency and lack of concern is going to cost us greatly, and the movie 2016 may become a reality. As a firm believer and defender of the constitution and its amendments, for the first time in my life I am frightened. The published poll data supporting Obama bothers me, although I do not believe that data to be absolutely correct, it is still frightening. I can't believe that many people are too ignorant to see the light. God help us if it is true! Tom Julien Charlotte Hall, MD
Donald Beck St. Mary’s City, MD
Why the Lawyer Endorsement Matters As soon as it became apparent that the voters of St. Mary’s County would elect the next Circuit Court Judge who would serve for 15 years, the lawyers of this County were asked to give their opinion as to which candidate would best serve the public interest. Forty-two lawyers did sign a statement endorsing the candidacy of Judge David W. Densford. I want to explain why that lawyer endorsement matters. This is not the first time that the local lawyers have endorsed a candidate for an election of this sort. When our current State’s Attorney, Richard Fritz, successfully ran for the Office of the State’s Attorney, the local lawyers gave their overwhelming vote in support of his candidacy. Candidate Fritz saw to it that the endorsement by his fellow attorneys was publicized ahead of his election. As a member of the Bar Association and a former Bar Association President, I was actively involved in gathering the majority of those votes for candidate Fritz. In this election involving Judge David Densford and Joseph Stanalonis, the local attorneys once again were asked to express their support for one candidate or the other. I approached attorneys that live in St. Mary’s County; most of them practice here but some practice in neighboring Charles and Calvert counties. I made an exception and approached three former judicial law clerks from the St. Mary’s County Courthouse, two of whom left their clerkships to work in the Office of the State’s Attorney with Mr. Stanalonis. Retired judges that are still semi-active were not approached. Neither current members of the State’s Attorney’s Office nor current members of the Public Defender’s Office nor members of the County Attorney’s Of-
fice were approached because of their positions. The lawyers who endorse Judge Densford include a former delegate from the Maryland House of Delegates, a former public defender, at least six former judicial law clerks (lawyers whose prior experience involved assisting sitting judges in the courthouse). Most importantly, our list of supporters includes six former Assistant State’s Attorneys, lawyers who prosecuted criminal cases working side by side with Mr. Stanalonis. The lawyers on this list have handled just about every type of legal matter imaginable from family law, estate planning, real estate, personal injury, criminal prosecution and criminal defense, bankruptcy, business law, arbitration, adoptions, and everything in between. Collectively, we have spent decades working in this County and have represented tens of thousands of the citizens of this County. We are expected to know the law. We know how the legal system works and how the other attorneys in the system work. That is why we think our observations of the two candidates made in a professional setting is so significant. Just as we would in any other case, we are analyzing the facts before we reach a conclusion. And our analysis leads us to agree that Judge Densford is the best candidate for this judgeship. As a group, the 42 of us do believe that “experience matters”. We know the experience both candidates have had during their careers. Both of them have been focused on criminal law, but that is essentially all that Mr. Stanalonis has done. Judge Densford left the Public Defender’s Office after five years and then had a 23-year career in private practice doing not only criminal defense work but
P.O. Box 250 • Hollywood, Maryland 20636 News, Advertising, Circulation, Classifieds: 301-373-4125
also the same kinds of civil cases that we as a group handle. He was even recommended by Mr. Fritz to serve as a Special Prosecutor in a criminal case when Mr. Fritz’ office could not get involved because of a conflict of interest. That gives him far greater breath of knowledge and experience, and that experience matters because as a judge, he is regularly dealing with the kinds of civil cases that we as attorneys have to deal with in representing clients just like you. And it is important to us that Judge Densford is both “independent and impartial”. The last thing an attorney or a client wants is to come into a courtroom where the judge is perceived as having an agenda. The justice system only works when a judge will wait to hear the evidence before making a decision. That does not make Judge Densford a “liberal”; that makes him fair and impartial. Trying to tie this judicial race in with the personality of a sitting Governor or a prior Governor is both ridiculous and reckless. When the citizens of St. Mary’s County need a lawyer to assist them in a legal matter, chances are that they have or will come to one of the 42 lawyers on this list who have endorsed Judge Densford. Having come to us before for important legal advice, we believe it is relevant that we give this advice – cast your vote to keep Judge David Densford on the bench in St. Mary’s County. Samuel C.P. Baldwin, Jr. Baldwin & Briscoe, P.C. Lexington Park, MD
James Manning McKay - Founder Eric McKay -Associate Publisher..................................ericmckay@countytimes.net Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager..............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Sean Rice - Editor....................................................................seanrice@countytimes.net Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist.......................................angiestalcup@countytimes.net Sarah Miller- Reporter - Community..............................sarahmiller @countytimes.net Guy Leonard - Reporter - Government, Crime...............guyleonard@countytimes.net Alex Panos - Reporter - Education, Entertainment.........alexpanos@countytimes.net Sales Representatives......................................................................sales@countytimes.net
To The Editor Studying Hitler Doesn’t Make You a Nazi Mary L. Rose, in a letter published on the day of my visit to St. Mary’s County (“No Thanks to the Far Left Indoctrination,” 09/27/2012), seemed to be in something of a panic mode over the speaking invitation extended to me by the county’s League of Women Voters. Since 1995, I have been giving public talks on polarizing political speech, and I have spoken at churches, civic organizations, and colleges. She wrote that the event, held at Leonardtown High School on September 27, would be an “orgy” of “indoctrination” organized by some she called “masters of manipulation,” your fellow citizens in your local League. She came to this conclusion, she wrote, by Googling my name and discovering that I had “studied Hitler in Munich and [use] his hate speech in connection with Rush Limbaugh”. It is a good sign when a person reads articles, writes letters to the editor, and is concerned over any kind of political manipulation. But I share Mary’s fear of indoctrination. It is the main reason I spent eight years (in the U.S. and Germany) studying German, the history of Germany, and the use of manipulative language by the extremists of both fascism and communism. The best way to prevent propaganda from taking hold in one’s own mind, or in a democracy, is to know how to spot it. It is that information – how to identify the tools used by propagandists (especially scapegoating, stereotyping, and dehumanization)- that I came to share with the good citizens living in your beautiful county. Along with the LWV, the talk was co-sponsored by the College of Southern Maryland, the NAACP, and the St. Mary’s College Center for the Study of Democracy. At each talk I give I state very clearly that neither Rush Limbaugh, nor any other talk show host, is another Hitler. But the language of extremism is now being used as a kind of sales technique, and not just by hosts on the right. I hope Mary, and any other citizen worried about propagandistic speech, will visit my website,www.stoppolarizingtalk.org, click on “Talk Videos,” listen to my full talk, and decide for themselves whether the historical and current examples I share are detrimental, or beneficial, to maintaining a vigorous, healthy standard of political debate in the United States. Kathryn Ruud Middletown, MD
Dilemma of a Lifetime Our country is facing the dilemma of a lifetime. We are faced with two men running for President who are not qualified, one proven and one unproven. We are also stuck with a do-nothing Congress. We, the taxpayers, are faced with the old adage, “Poverty is no disgrace but it is a great inconvenience.” Our upper class folks tell us about the time they were so poor they had to sleep in the box that the color TV came in. The difference between the upper class and the middle class keeps growing wider. Our politicians do nothing to help the middle class. All they think about is how much better they are living today. Obama recently slipped through an increased federal tax on cigarettes. The tax was increased from $0.39 to $1.01 per pack. Then he stated the tax increase reduced smoking. The increase in federal revenue amounted to $30 billion. Two thirds of this revenue came from families making less than $50,000 dollars a year. “Marlboro cigarettes stated: the taxes and fees are so high – 55% of Marlboro’s retail price – that they unfairly burden adults who choose to smoke.” Obama said: No tax increases. What do you call this action? The monies raised from cigarette taxes were to help the smokers get rid of their bad habit. Instead the monies might as well have been put in the General Fund as no funds were spent to help the addicted smokers. This increase is to help keep teens from smoking. What a joke? Tell me another one. Americans are bored with all the TV ads depicting how unfit each candidate is to serve as President. Are these ads really true or is it a politician’s ploy to mislead the voters of our country? Think of the monies being spent to get elected. These monies could be better spent to aid the poor and the middle class of our country. November get here so the people of our country and TV can return to normal. Daniel J, Wilson Leonardtown, MD
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
26
Judgeship Has Nothing To Do With Party Politics On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, the voters in St. Mary's will have the opportunity to select one of our circuit court judges – a matter of significant importance. Maryland has in place a well-conceived process for the selection of judges: individual candidates submit a detailed application to the Judicial Nominating Commission which reviews the individual applications and conducts individual interviews. The Commission consists of a mixture of attorney and nonattorney members and its purpose is to vet the individual candidates and based on its objective evaluation develop a list of those individuals determined to be the best suited, based on legal experience and temperament, to serve as a judge. The list is then submitted to the Governor from which an individual is selected and appointed. If an individual not so appointed desires to be a judge, he/she can challenge the appointment and the voters are then given the opportunity to confirm or reject the appointed judge. It is my view that of the two choices before the voters, Judge Densford is the better choice. I state this, not as negative expression against Mr. Stanalonis, but rather as a positive confirmation of Judge Densford based on several pertinent factors: • Appropriately 24 years ago I served for a term as the chairman of the Judicial Nominating Commission for Calvert and St. Mary's Counties. It was my experience that the Commission took its role quite seriously. Given its responsibility of vetting the individual candidates, the determination of the Commission is of some significance and should not be taken lightly or discounted. Obviously, Judge Densford was determined by the Commission as being a worthy candidate for Circuit Court judge and was placed on the list submitted to the Governor. Mr. Stanalonis did not make the list for the Circuit Court judgeship, nor did he make the list two years earlier when there was an opening on the District Court for which he also applied. • A comparison of the legal experience of the two individuals: Judge Densford has practiced law for 27 years, 5 years as a Public Defender and 22 years in private practice in which he has been involved in thousands of cases dealing with criminal, civil and domestic matters. Mr. Stanalonis' 17 years of legal experience has been limited to solely that of a prosecutor in criminal cases, with the exception of some juvenile cases.
• Cases before the Circuit Court involve many matters which are not criminal in nature. In fact, the overwhelming majority of cases heard by the Circuit Court in St. Mary's involve non-criminal civil and domestic matters, as opposed to criminal cases. While the above can be considered objective factors, I also offer two subjective reasons for my view: • While I cannot personally attest one way or the other about the nature of Mr. Stanalonis' temperament, I can state that I am personally comfortable with the temperament of Judge Densford whom I have known for many years. Each individual who appears before a Circuit Court judge has the right to expect that his/her case will be heard by a judge well versed and experienced in the law, but also who will be non-partisan, objective, fair, even-minded and respectful – judicial temperament if you will. • We voters are being asked by Mr. Stanalonis to reject Judge Densford, not on any objective basis that he is performing poorly as a judge, rather because Mr. Stanalonis decided to exercise his right to run for judge ---- having failed to make the recommended list of the Judicial Nominating Commission, which in a sense was a "jury" of his peers. It seems to me that a qualified individual performing well in a public office should not be turned out of office simply because someone else wants the job. Finally, I have heard it expressed that a reason one should not vote for Judge Densford is that he was appointed by Governor O'Malley, or that he is the "liberal" candidate while Mr. Stanalonis is the "conservative" candidate. With all due respect, one's like or dislike of Governor O'Malley has absolutely nothing to do with the qualifications and reasons which support the continuation of Judge Densford in the position. And as far as labels are concerned, I consider my personal political philosophy to be that of a moderate with conservative leanings, but similarly that has nothing to do with the selection of Judge Densford or Mr. Stanalonis. The selection of a judge should be on a non-partisan basis based on the comparative qualifications, experience and temperament of the individual candidates. Ford L. Dean Mechanicsville, MD
Read Judge Report For Yourself The recent report released by the Maryland Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee, Inc. (MJCCC) regarding complaints against Joseph Stanalonis in the ongoing campaign for Judge of the Circuit Court for St Mary’s County can be read in it’s entirety at www.mdjccc.org/pdfs/stanalonisdecision.pdf After reading the newspaper stories, I located and read the report and took notice of three outstanding elements. Firstly Mr. Stanalonis was not a participating candidate to this voluntary program, as he had not signed the Candidate Acknowledgement Form in which he agrees to abide by MJCCC standards. Second although 12 specific violations were complained, the Committee dismissed six, and found violations of their standards of conduct in six instances. Third, the report details Mr. Stanalonis’ lack of responsibility in replying to their investigative inquiries by responding on his election campaign stationary without any signature. Furthermore, I read a great deal of non-cooperation and obstruction in that report.
The MJCCC was established beginning in 2005 by Judge Bell of the Maryland Court of Appeals as an independent entity committed to maintaining respect for the uniqueness of the judicial office and to promote civility in the conduct of contested elections for Maryland’s circuit court judgeships. Judge Bell recognized the need to preserve the reputation of the judicial office for fairness and impartiality. In its Statement of Purpose, the MJCCC conducts itself with absolute neutrality as to the political issues and allows the voters to make their collective decision without partisan or political influence. I urge voters to read the report for themselves as I did and draw their own conclusions I challenge Mr. Stanalonis to sign the Candidate Acknowledgement Form, take ownership of previous mistakes and start cleaning up his campaign. The voters of St Mary’s County deserve to survive this election with confidence in their elected judge. Capt. Brady Bounds Lexington Park, MD
27
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
Commissioner’s Corner
The Honor of a Servant It was truly a privilege to attend the retirement ceremony and celebration of St. Mary’s County Deputy Sheriff Corporal Tim Butler Saturday night. He was praised for the honor in which he served for 23 years. He was commended for the dignity and professionalism he displayed while serving St. Mary’s County and that the agency was proud to call him a brother. The ceremony became rather emotional for me when some of his fellow comrades got up to say a few things about Deputy Butler. There were a couple of deputies that spoke about his dedication and prowess for always being the one to get his man. They stated the privilege that came from serving with Deputy Butler, and that they couldn’t just call him a partner or co-worker, he had became family; a brother. His two brothers that also serve with the agency spoke of how they were inspired by their brother Tim to serve their community and become better men. Then Deputy Butler, being obviously moved by the experience, began to speak. With great emotion he shared how proud he was to have worked for the agency, and how unfortunate it was to accept that his plans had to change. He talked about his unfortunate accident which weighed heavy on his decision to retire and how it had changed his life. He went on to say how this would just be an end to one chapter of his life, but a beginning to anther; and he looked forward to continuing to be of service in some capacity. Then the ceremony ended in the traditional 10-42 call. All of this was expressive to me because during the ceremony when Tim was being
honored he was representing the character that was instilled in him as a child being raised in our community. You see I’m from that same community that sowed the seed of character that would establish the man that became a servant of the people. That’s a great achievement when you are recognized for being an extension of the goodness of your community to the world you’ve help to establish. There’s a profound feeling you get when you witness someone you’ve known all you life being honored for the man he has become. Only you know the many people and circumstances that truly inspired that person when they were young. Only you know personally the lessons learned from the experiences lived that developed the character the man is being honored for today. The emotion of pride I feel is not just a personal one, but rather it’s one that’s representative of the pride the grandfathers and grandmothers, great aunts and great uncles, and other extended family that has gone on before us would have felt at that very moment; and how his children, nieces, nephews, and cousins will be inspired to serve in their life. So it’s with an enormous degree of love that I say to my brother Tim, you have made me and our community proud with the honor in which you’ve served and the man you’ve become. Stay strong my brother, you are just beginning the greatest chapter of you life. C. Aloysius Bowman Leonardtown, MD
Hoping For Real Change I read a couple letters to the editor in several local papers in which the message was straight out of the Obama administration’s talking points play book. Both sounded eerily similar in simply blaming Bush for our current economic malaise and giving praise to Obama’s massive spending frenzy. I figure they are in total agreement with Obama when he said: “We tried our plan and our plan worked.” Guess if Obama was aiming for the longest period of 8% or greater unemployment since the Great Depression, his plan is indeed working. Blaming Bush almost 4 years later just isn’t going to cut it, especially when President Reagan inherited a much worse economy than Obama could ever imagine and Reagan had this country back on track in 2 short years. On the contrary, Obama’s economic policies, reckless spending and cronyism made our economic situation even worse. In one of the letters Obama is given credit for saving the auto industry by dumping billions of dollars into GM. Well GM still owes the taxpayers $28 billion of that sweetheart loan they got and even though the federal government is now GM’s biggest costumer, GM is once again in financial dire straits. The curious thing about this auto bail out, Ford didn’t take any bail out money and they seem to be doing just fine, so obviously the auto in-
To The Editor
dustry didn’t need saving. Billions wasted on a company that probably should have been left to go bankrupt so they could restructure their business so as to make it more viable, you know, sort of like what all the other businesses in this country have to do when they fail. Seems Obama has a knack for spending trillions of our tax dollars on failing businesses, Solyndra, Ener 1, Beacon Power, Abound Solar, Amonix Solar, Spectra Watt and Eastern Energy all bankrupt. A funny thing about all these failed businesses – all were Obama campaign contributors. I guess the bottom line is: Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? Looking at the endless foreclosures, empty storefronts, higher food prices, higher gas prices and continuous high unemployment, a reasonable person would conclude, no I am not better off, it’s time for a change. We need positive adult leadership, not divisiveness, pitting one group against another. I believe in America’s greatness and we should not apologize for that so I’m voting for leaders that espouse that same sentiment, I will be voting for Romney for President, Bongino for Senate and O’Donnell for Congress on Nov. 6. Brian D. Lee Lusby, MD
State of the County By Todd B. Morgan St. Mary’s County Commissioner District 4 St. Mary’s County Commissioner Todd Morgan issued the follow remarks at the State of the County event last week. Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to once again give you my perspectives on our county as a whole, where I see us going and some uncertainties that lay in front of us. We are doing well. Great, probably not, but compared to the rest of the nation, we are good. Let’s look at some perspectives. Unemployment is not at record highs, the job markets locally are reacting pretty normally so far. We are seeing investment in building and development going on both at the north end and central parts of the county. This is job creation both temporary and some permanent. Perfect, no … but economically holding our own. The big point is it shows investment. That to me is key. It is private money opening up its purse strings to expand in our county. The fall’s election will obviously impact us. What I am watching closely will be the outcomes of multiple issues. The presidency, the defense appropriations bill and the fiscal cliff, also called sequestration – also the many Maryland referendums. Why, because much of our direct and indirect economies are directly tied to these outcomes. Collectively and individually they pose opportunities and threats. All I can encourage you to do is vote, there are numerous issues pending that will have definite outcomes, decisions far beyond me as your commissioner. Opportunities appear to us each day. I talked about the building and development. I look at the job market and I look at the defense and private sectors. We are working and pursuing the local area as a principal site for unmanned air vehicle and federal aviation administration testing. We are working to find ways to attract small businesses and possible light manufacturing. We have approval and funding to expand our St. Mary’s county airport. The groundwork is being laid. Let’s look at education. We are working to expand our educational curriculums at the community college, undergraduate and graduate levels. We are working closely to expand and build a research and technology development park for our growing technical and trade workforces. We have funded much of the board of educations request in support of K-12 programs. Our buy local programs seem to be catching on. We continue to work with our non-profit agencies to help those who are less fortunate. Perfect? No. Trying? Yes! We have a solid county budget. We are not suffering the hardships many county’s have because of inaction. We have been able to give our county employees and sheriff’s office a cost of living increase. We are funding our retirement programs. We have set aside funding in the anticipation of a possible BRAC. We are solid in the bond markets and we have been paying down debt as an obligation by refinancing and saving our residents over a million dollars in interest payments. Perfect? No. Trying? Yes! Ok, what are two big issues I see. First and foremost it’s the watershed implementation plan (WIP) and Plan Maryland. Don’t let anyone kid you, this is for real and we as commissioners are pushing back as hard as we can. We are united with every rural county in the state opposing the onerous and costly mandates, unfunded of course, being legislated in Annapolis. My second big issue is going to be infrastructure. We can’t continue to ignore it. I’ll stay on my soapbox. We are the fastest growing county in the state, we are the fastest growing region in the state. If we are going to continue to grow, infrastructure has to be built and maintained. This includes supporting MetCom for the expansion of water and sewer lines in the north end of the county. It includes getting FDR Blvd. Built from Pegg Road to St. Andrews Church Road. It includes the comprehensive plans for our county. There is not consensus amongst we commissioners as you know, but if we want to enjoy the economic realities then we have to support, encourage and wisely manage the growth. Perfect? No. Trying? Yes! Lastly let me thank all of you, and those not here, for your time and continued hard work. To all of the volunteers who spend thousands of hours a year supporting our community in so many different ways, I’d be remiss if I even tried to start. Finally, and personally, for all of the help, the prayers and support this great county has given to Maria, me, and our kids. No one can appreciate this more than me, and for that my family is so blessed.
The County Times
Thursday, Oct. 4 • Pulled Pork Sliders VFW 2632 (23282 Three Notch Road, California) – 5:30 p.m. We hope you will join us this Thursday night for PORK SLIDERS! The VFW is a great place to unwind and relax after a hard day at work; so come on by and bring your friends, family and co-workers to the VFW, because you are ALWAYS welcome. Our pulled pork mini sandwiches are delicious; they are served on a potato roll with coleslaw -- order one for yourself or a bunch to share, you’ll get one for $2, 4 for $7 or 8 for $12 - order fries for an additional $2. Eat at the Post with a cold one or take some home to the gang! Served from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. • Nature Time at Greenwell Greenwell State Park (25420 Rosedale Manor Lane, Hollywood) – 10 a.m. This week’s theme: Discovery Day Enjoy the wonders of nature at Greenwell State Park through games, crafts, stories, movement, and exploration. Nature Time is a program for children and their families/caregivers. Recreation, education, and conservation all play a part in the activities. • Paralympic Experience Great Mills High School and Swimming Pool (21130 Great Mills Road, Great Mills) – 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks and Paralympic Sport Southern MD are pleased to announce the first annual Paralympic Experience. Attendees can learn about Paralympic Sport Club - Southern MD, its current and future programs. They will also learn about the Paralympic movement and hear first - hand experiences from a Paralympic Athlete. Activities begin with registration and a presentation in the Great Mills High School auditorium. Participants will then head next door to the Great Mills Swimming Pool where they will experience the various sports designed for individuals with physical and visual disabilities, including cycling, archery/shooting and swimming! Anyone wishing to attend this event must register and are encouraged to pre-register online or in person through the Department of Recreation and Parks. For more information, contact Christina Bishop at the St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks at 301-4754200, ext. 1802.
Friday, Oct. 5 • First Fridays in Leonardtown Leonardtown Square – 5 p.m. First Fridays are a great time to experience downtown Leonardtown! On the first Friday of every month from 5 p.m. 8 p.m., downtown historic Leonardtown Square and the new Leonardtown Arts Center, as well as uptown Leonardtown, including Breton Marketplace, Shoppes at Breton Bay, the Maryland Antiques Center complex, Port of Leonardtown Winery and others host an evening of entertainment where people gather to enjoy art, music, food, and the company of others. Hear live bands as you stroll through town, enjoy excellent restaurants, meet local artists, and browse through unique shops.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Check www.leonardtownfirstfridays. com often for updated information, specials, and giveaways! For more information, call 301-475-9791.
is hosting a Casino fundraiser. Please contact Mary Lu Bucci at 301-373-3469 or somdsmc@md.metrocast.net for more information.
• Author Signing with Niki Baker Fenwick Street Used Books and Music (41655A Fenwick Street, Leonardtown) – 5-7 p.m. Born in Hawaii of multiracial parents and adopted at three months into a second generation Japanese family, Niki Baker, started off life a little differently. As a child, learning problems kept tripping up her belief in herself, but her father’s firm conviction she could succeed was the catalyst that kept her going along with a faith in God. Eventually she became a special education teacher and a teacher of the deaf; teaching Hawaii, Seattle, Yarinacocha, Peru (w/Wycliffe Bible Translators), Georgia, Alabama and Maryland. Her husband’s job at Patuxent Naval Air Station brought their family to St. Mary’s County twenty-one years ago. All three of her children graduated from Leonardtown High School. Niki retired from twenty years of teaching at Calvert County Public Schools in 2011. Instead of being in the classroom, she volunteers at HOPE in Lexington Park and teaches at St. Mary’s Detention Center through Prison Ministry and at her church, Our Father’s House. From the back of “A Promise Kept-” As a teenager standing in the rice paddies in Japan, Kimi, wanted to know the God above all the gods for she needed help making a life changing decision. God promised she would know Him but sometimes there is an evitable gap of time between the giving of a promise and the performance of the promise. It’s in this time gap that God does His best work in our lives. Her choices determined the direction her heart would go and the choices of her adopted daughter brought these choices closer to Him. Sometimes we are unaware how we influence those around us and His hands are in all things. It was close to fifty seven years from the cold waters of the rice paddy to actually meeting this God Kimi desire to know, yet it was a promise kept.
• Holiday Shopping Spree Vendor Show Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad (23469 Rescue Lane, Hollywood) - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary is hosting a vendor show. Table rental is $30 per table. For more information or to rent a table, call Diana Gunther at 301-536-0619. Table space is limited. Only one table per company.
• Bay Montessori School Tour and Observation Bay Montessori School (20525 Willows Road, Lexington Park) – 9 a.m. Come to a prospective parent meeting to hear what Montessori is all about. You will tour our campus and observe a class in action. • Leprechaun Lilly’s Children’s Consignment Sale St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds (42455 Fairgrounds Road, Leonardtown) – 9 a.m.-2 p.m. More than 24,000 gently used children’s and maternity items will be available. Many items remaining after the sale are donated to local charities. Any local organization interested in receiving items from future sales can e-mail Mitzi@LeprechaunLillys.com.
Saturday, Oct. 6 • Casino Fundraiser for Special Olympics Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department (24801 Three Notch Road, Hollywood) – 12 p.m. Special Olympics St. Mary’s County
• Flea Market St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds (42455 Fairgrounds Road, Leonardtown) – 8 a.m.-12 p.m. St. Mary’s County Fair Association is having an indoor Flea Market at the Fairgrounds. All vendors and crafters are welcome. An 8 X 10 space with one table may be rented for $20. For information or to reserve a space, call 301-475-9543. • 7th District Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary Yard and Bake Sale 7th District Volunteer Rescue Squad (21530 Colton’s Point Road, Avenue) – 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Table reservations are $10 for the first and $8 for each additional table. Donations are accepted. Call 301-884-5108 to arrange a drop off or bring donations to the rescue squad building Oct. 5 between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. No furniture. Proceeds benefit the 7th District Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Sunday, Oct. 7 • 10th Annual Riverside WineFest at Sotterley Sotterley Plantation (44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood) – 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Celebrating the Best of Maryland in the Breathtaking Setting of this National Historic Landmark! Over 20 Wineries last year! Live Music, Free Mini Tours of the 1703 Plantation House and Slave Cabin, Artisans, Demonstrations, Exhibits, Children’s Activities, and Fine Foods for Purchase. Discount tickets available online only at www.sotterley.org. • Hollywood Fire Department Open House Hollywood VFD (24801 Three Notch Road, Hollywood) - 11 a.m. The members of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary invite you to attend an Open House. This event will be held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week. Bring your family and friends for a fun and informative afternoon with your local firefighters. We’ll have lots of learning opportunities, fire truck tours, a Junior Firefighter obstacle course and a free kids bike raffle! Light refreshments will be served and Sparky the Fire Dog will also be on hand for photo opportunities! For more information, contact Mike Sullivan at 301-373-2900 or visit our website www.hvfd7.com • All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Father Andrew White School (22850 Washington Street, Leonardtown) – 8 a.m. Father Andrew White School Home and School Association is sponsoring a community all-you-can-eat breakfast at Father Andrew White School on Sunday,
28
Oct 7 from 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. The menu features eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits with gravy, pancakes and more. Cost: Ages 13 and up - $8 Ages 4-12 - $4 Under 3 – FREE • Women of Virtue Empowerment Service Park Hall True Holiness Church (47690 Park Hall Road, Park Hall) – 4 p.m. The theme is “I Am Empowered to Do The Word.” All are welcome. Joshua 22:5
Monday, Oct. 8 • Pax River Quilters Guild Meeting Good Samaritan Lutheran Church (20850 Langley Road, Lexington Park) – 6:30 p.m. Guest and new members are welcome! This month features speaker Shirley Mandler of Northcott Fabrics. For more information, contact Lois Andereck at grannie98@md.metrocast.net.
Tuesday, Oct. 9 • LWV Candidates Forum Great Mills High School (21130 Great Mills Road, Great Mills) – 6:30 p.m. There are six candidates for the Board of Education and two candidates for Judge of the Circuit Court. The candidates will address the audience and then questions will be posed to the individual candidates. To learn more about the candidates go to VOTE411.org. The biographies and candidate answers to questions about their qualifications and office are also posted on the site. In its continuing interest to advance American democracy, the League of Women Voters regularly holds forums before each election. Candidates may meet the public in the hall before the forum and hand out materials. However, no campaign materials or signs of any kind are allowed in the auditorium. To learn more about the League of Women Voters of St. Mary’s County, go to the League web site at http:// smc.lwvmd.org/. • No Limit Poker Tourney & Cash Game 24930 Old Three Notch Road, Hollywood – 7 p.m. $40 No Limit Poker Tournament starts at 7 p.m. sharp. $25 to the Prize Pool -$5 to the Charity gets you $5,000 in chips 50/50 Raffle of $10 gets you another $5,000 in chips if you arrive before 6:50pm. you get an additional $2,500 in chips. Cash Game with $1 and $2 blinds starts as soon as players available. Dealers are provided. All food and drink free! Benefits Special Olympics, St. Mary’s County. For more info please contact, Jim Bucci Sr. at 240298-9616 or 301-273-6104.
Wednesday, Oct. 10 • Free Line Dance Lessons Hotel Charles (15100 Burnt Store Road, Hughesville) – 7 p.m. The Boot Scooters of Southern Maryland offer free beginner Line Dance Lessons every Wednesday. Guests may stay and watch, or even participate in, the more advanced practice session that follows the beginner lessons. Anyone interested in obtaining more information about these
29
Thursday, October 4, 2012
lessons can contact us through the Boot Scooters of Southern Maryland website at www.bootscootersofsomd.blogspot.com/ • We Need Members - Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary Hollywood Rescue Squad (23469 Rescue Lane, Hollywood) – 7 p.m. The rescue squad auxiliary needs members. Anyone wishing to become a member of the Auxiliary is encouraged to attend. For more information, call 240-298-7956.
The County Times
est to the Pin. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Registration is 7:30-8:55 a.m. with a putting contest at 7:45 a.m. and a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Visit the Mother Catherine Spalding School website at www.mothercatherine.org for more information.
seat to be included in the drawing for the Winky Witch-Kin Basket Set. The group leader with the most reservations will win the Trellis Hurricane Set. To be included in the drawing and/or reservations for six or more please call Shirley Mattingly at 240-298-3885 or 301-884-5669.
Saturday, Oct. 13
• Basket Bingo St. Mary’s School (13735 Notre Dame Place, Bryantown) – 6 p.m. St. Mary’s School in Bryantown will host a basket bingo to benefit its Home and School Association. Doors open at 6 p.m. Early bird games at 6:45 p.m. Regular games start at 7 p.m. $20 admission gets you 25 chances to win some great baskets. There will be a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, and a grand raffle. Opportunities to win bonus prizes throughout the evening. Must be at least 7 years of age to play. Everyone in the bingo area must have a $20 paid admission. Food will be available for purchase. Call Kimberly Bowling at 301-870-1868 for reservations or for more details.
• Ripple Inc. 5K Run/Walk for Fun Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship (45353 Saint George’s Avenue, Piney Point) – 7 a.m. Friends of Ripple, Inc. is excited to announce that they will be hosting the • Comrades in the Cosmos: Soviet SciFourth Annual 5K Run/Walk for Fun at ence Fiction Film Series the on Saturday, October 13, 2012. RunSt. Mary’s College of Maryland Cole ners and walkers of all ages and abilities Cinema (18952 E. Fisher Road, St. Mary’s are invited to come out, race and help supCity) – 8 p.m. port Friends of Ripple, Inc. The History Department of St. Mary’s “We are extremely excited for the College of Maryland is pleased to present race this year,” said Sam Brown, Secretary “Comrades in the Cosmos: Soviet Science of Friends of Ripple, Inc. “The race locaFiction Film Series.” The Soviet Union had tion is very conducive for a fun and relaxa great tradition of science fiction, which ing run or walk. Each year we are seeing has remained largely unknown in the U.S. a continued growth in participation, which These films dramatize issues of the threats means we are able to give back a larger and potential of technology, the limits and percentage of the proceeds to Friends of nature of humanity, and fear of the other, Ripple, Inc. – and that’s really what the with some class conflict and socialist uto- event is all about, giving back to our compian dreaming thrown in. They also show- munity.” The race registration will begin at cased stunning special effects, which now 7 a.m. and the race will start at 8 a.m. Raccome across as pleasingly retro. Each film ers who sign up onsite will be charged $25 is open to the public, free of charge and per person or $35 per family. Family teams will be shown in the college’s Cole Cinema must include 2 or more adults or children at 8 p.m. Features are under age 18. Racers wishing to preregisOct. 11 - “Planet of Storms” (Pavel ter, paying a fee of only $20, can visit AcKhlushantsev, 1961, 78 minutes) tive.com or call 310-373-6515. Friends of Could Venus be the birthplace of hu- Ripple, Inc. is a non-profit organization manity? Will carnivorous plants eat our that provides assistance to the St. Mary’s heroes before they find out? Anticipates Adult Medical Day Care, Inc. and The Ridley Scott’s Prometheus by 50 years. Friends of Ripple Center. Through conOct. 23 - “Pilot Pirx’s Inquest” tributions, Friends of Ripple, Inc. is able (Marek Pestrak, 1979, 95 minutes) to help adult members of the St. Mary’s Paranoid androids plot to take over County community receive health care a spaceship on a flight to Saturn and kill treatment and rehabilitation for physical Pilot Pirx. Based on a story by Stanislaw and cognitive challenges at no-cost. Lem. Nov. 6 - “Amphibian Man” (Genna- • Fall Faire dii Kazanskii and Vladimir Chebotarev, Christ Church (37497 Zach Fowler Road, 1962, 97 minutes) Chaptico) – 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Will the son of a scientist live his faJoin in the fun at Christ Church’s Fall ther’s dream to flee the corruptions of the Faire. The church is offering carryout oysworld to an underwater paradise? Do gills ter and ham dinners, Oyster Po’ Boys, make the man? Fried Oyster Cups, Hot dogs and more from the Christ Church Café. Casual seating available on the parish hall grounds. Visitors can tap their feet to the music of the Folk Salad Trio, Harmony Grit, and • 2nd Annual Barn Party the Bushmill Band. There will be seasonal St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds (42455 gifts in the parish market, flea market finds Fairgrounds Road, Leonardtown) – 10 in the trunks and treasures store and loads a.m.-2 p.m. of fun activities for kids including moonKick off the fall season with an old bounce and face painting! Vendors and fashioned barn party planned by the Gar- crafters are welcome. For more informavey Senior Activity Center. Enjoy a ca- tion, Contact: Sheila Hiebert at sheilagib@ tered pork barbeque meal, and live coun- erols.com or 301-520-4072 or visit www. try music provided by the Billy Hill Band. christepiscopalchaptico.org or call the Dancing will be encouraged for those in church office at 301-884-3451. attendance. Tickets are $8 and available for purchase at the Garvey, Loffler and North- • Basket Bingo Fundraiser for St. ern Senior Activity Centers. For more in- Mary’s Nursing Home formation, call 301-475-4200, ext. 1062. Father Andrew White School (22850 Washington Street, Leonardtown) – 5:30 • Mother Catherine Spalding School p.m. Golf Tournament A super Longaberger basket bingo Wicomico Shores Golf Course (35794 to benefit the St. Mary’s Nursing Center. Aviation Yacht Club Road, MechanicsDoors open at 5:30 p.m. and games begin ville) – 7:30 a.m. at 7 p.m. Pull tabs for baskets, food, door Entry fee is $85 per person, which in- prizes, basket raffle, 50/50 raffle & more. cludes green fees, cart, lunch, prizes and All baskets will have liners and/or protecdrinks. Contests include: Longest Drive, tors and will be filled with Longaberger Winning Team, Middle Team and Clos- pottery & Tastefully Simple. Reserve a
Thursday, Oct. 11
Friday, Oct. 12
• All Saints’ Episcopal Church’s Treasures Sale All Saints’ Episcopal Church (100 Lower Marlboro Road, Sunderland) – 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Free admission and parking. For more information, call 301-855-4865. • Schwan’s Truckload Fundraiser Ridge Volunteer Fire Department (13820 Point Lookout Road, Ridge) – 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary will be holding a Schwan’s Truckload Fundraiser on the second Saturday of each month at the fire house. To guarantee the availability of the items, pre-orders may be made on their website at http://www.schwansfundraising. com/orderForm.aspx using Event ID 39903, Ridge VFD Auxiliary, Ridge, MD 20680. Catalogs may also be requested via their website. For more information, call 301-872-5671. • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Dept. of Emergency Services & Technology (23090 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown) – 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The St Mary’s County Department of Emergency Services & Technology is pleased to announce the following CERT training opportunity for the county
citizens: • October 13 and 14, 2012 (two day class) 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates citizens about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. St Mary’s County Department of Emergency Services & Technology encourages anyone with an interest in public service to take the CERT Training. To attend this CERT Training class, or for more information, please call 301-475-4200 Ext. 2124 or email ema@stmarysmd.com. • Basket Bingo Fundraiser for St. Mary’s Nursing Home Father Andrew White School (22850 Washington Street, Leonardtown) – 5:30 p.m. A super Longaberger basket bingo to benefit the St. Mary’s Nursing Center will be held. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and games begin at 7 p.m. Pull tabs for baskets, food, door prizes, basket raffle, 50/50 raffle & more. All baskets will have liners and/or protectors and will be filled with Longaberger pottery & Tastefully Simple. Reserve a seat to be included in the drawing for the Winky Witch-Kin Basket Set. The group leader with the most reservations will win the Trellis Hurricane Set. To be included in the drawing and/or reservations for 6 or more please call Shirley Mattingly at 240-298-3885 or 301-884-5669. • Cow Pie Bingo Flat Iron Farm (45480 Highway to Heaven Lane, Great Mills) – 1 p.m. Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad and Auxiliary is proudly hosting our First Annual Cow Pie Bingo. Tickets are $10. There will also be a car show and petting zoo. Food will be available. Flat Iron Farm shops will be open. For tickets, rules, and more information visit www.rvrscowbingo.org or call 240-258-8496.
THURSDAY EVENING OCTOBER 11, 2012 – 5:30 pm
St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds 42455 Fairgrounds Road - Leonardtown, MD FROZEN MEATS – VEGETABLES – SAUCES – CAN GOODS – CANDIES - SNACKS – SODAS – DRY GOODS & MORE! Oct. 20 – 9:00 am New Tools, Toys, Antiques/Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia & More Great Mills, MD UPCOMING Nov. 2 – 5:00 pm AUCTIONS Martin’s Fall Grocery Auction Loveville, MD Nov. 3 – 9:00 am New/Used Tack, Farm & Garden Items, Carriages Great Mills, MD
Nov 8 – 5:30 pm General Consignment Auction Leonardtown, MD Nov. 9 – 6:00 pm Mechanicsville Rescue Squad Aux. Annual Auction – Mechanicsville, MD Nov. 15 – 5:30 pm Grocery Auction - Helen, MD Dec. 1, 9:00 am Farm & Country Christmas Auction Morganza, MD
For more details go to www.FarrellAuctionService.com
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
30
Husband Wife Duo Perform For the Fun of It By Sarah Miller Staff Writer The Southern Maryland music scene is open and welcoming to young musicians just starting out, rising star bands like Sam Grow, and even the husband and wife duo David and Mary Flood. The pair has been playing together since they were attending St. Mary’s College, first getting together in 1981, stopping for a couple years when they graduated and Mary left the area for a while. They were married in 1987, and have been performing in Southern Maryland ever since. This area is very welcoming to musicians of all types, David said, and it is becoming a great place for young musicians to get started. “There’s a wide variety of talent in Southern Maryland,” David said. David said he enjoys smaller venues, like Morris Point Restaurant in Abell, which he described as having “good food, good atmosphere and good people.” He said smaller venues are more intimate, and they require less equipment. In some venues, David said he doesn’t even need an amp to be heard. Another location he likes is Kim’s Key Lime Pies and Lotus Kitchen in Solomons, an outdoor venue. An old favorite venue is Duffy’s Tavern, a bar that once operated near Point Lookout. The establishment has since closed, but Mary said she and David are still friends with the owner. Performing isn’t only about entertaining an audience for the couple. It also has therapeutic value. “If anything’s going wrong in my life, music makes me feel a lot better about everything,” David said. Performing with his wife is a great experience. After playing together for so long, they are “kind of on the same page a lot of times,” and they read each other well. He added Mary is a “natural singer” and they harmonize in a good way. Mary agreed with David, adding they sing together in private as well, sometimes around a bonfire in their backyard with nothing more than David’s gui-
Mary and David Flood
tar and their voices. She said one of their biggest challenges is not finding places to perform but getting time to practice. Nevertheless, she loves the experiences she shares with her husband. “Not many wives have this kind of relationship,” she said. Her favorite songs are the “plum pitiful songs that make you cry,” but she also likes anything with “good harmonies and good lyrics.” David enjoys “FRUZ” music, a name he has given to “folk rock blues with a hint to jazz.” He also likes to play selections from the 1970s and 80s and things that are “a little unusual that I grew up with.” He even draws inspiration from local talents like singer-songwriter Dave Norris. Neither is the first musician in their family. Mary said her parents cut a record in the 1960s, while Da-
Photo By Eric Heisler
vid’s mother was an opera singer. As musicians, Mary said they get the opportunity to meet several interesting people, from fellow singers and songwriters to people with an appreciation for the arts. Performing is their hobby, Mary said. David’s day job includes teaching as the College of Southern Maryland, and he also taught at Leonardtown High School for a number of years. Mary is taking a break from performing, but anyone interested can find David performing solo at Morris Point Marina Oct. 6, 13 and 20, or at Lotus Kitchen in Solomons Oct. 12. David’s two CDs, First to Hit Ground and Circlin’ the Drain, are also available for sale at performances. For more information, call David at 301-8621744 or 240-285-4286. sarahmiller@countytimes.net
The County Times is always looking for more local talent to feature. To submit art or band information for our entertainment section, e-mail alexpanos@countytimes.net.
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
n O g n i Go
What’s
31
In Entertainment
Thursday, Oct. 4
Newtowne Players Performance: “Steel Magnolias” Three Notch Theatre (21744 South Coral Drive, Lexington Park) – 8 p.m. National Players Performance: “Animal Farm” CSM Fine Arts Center (8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata) – 10 a.m.
Live Music: “Fran Scuderi” Running Hare Vineyard (150 Adelina Road, Prince Frederick) – 12 p.m.
Live Music: “The Redwine Jazz Trio” The Westlawn Inn (9200 Chesapeake Avenue, North Beach) – 7:30 p.m. Live Music: “Dee Jay Brittney” The Blue Dog Saloon (7940 Port Tobacco Road, Port Tobacco) – 9 p.m.
National Players Performance: “Romeo and Juliet” CSM Fine Arts Center (8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata) – 8 p.m.
Newtowne Players Performance: “Steel Magnolias” Three Notch Theatre (21744 South Coral Drive, Lexington Park) – 8 p.m.
Zumba Fitness St. Mary’s Sunshine Center (22995 Moakley Street, Leonardtown) – 6 p.m.
Blue Grass Festival Cryer’s Back Road Inn (22094 Newtowne Neck Road, Leonardtown) – 12 p.m.
Live Music: “Dave and Kevin Trio” Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 5 First Friday – “Pink Friday” Cancer Walk Rally Leonardtown Square – 5 p.m. Book Signing with author of “A Promise Kept” Niki Baler Fenwick Street Used Books & Music (41655A Fenwick St., Leonardtown) – 5 p.m. National Players Performance: “Animal Farm” CSM Fine Arts Center (8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata) – 10 a.m. Live Music: “Four of Kind” Toot’s Bar (23971 Mervell Dean Road, Hollywood) – 8:30 p.m. Casino Night Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department (24801 3 Notch Road, Hollywood ) – 12 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 7 Sotterley Wine Festival Sotterley Plantation (44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD) – 12 p.m. Live Music: “Country Memories” Vera’s White Sands Beach Club (1200 White Sands Drive, Lusby) – 9:30 p.m. Live Music: “Violinist Robert Sorel and Pianist Narciso Solero” College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus (115 J. W. Williams Road Prince Frederick) – 3 p.m. Newtowne Players Performance: “Steel Magnolias” Three Notch Theatre (21744 South Coral Drive, Lexington Park) – 3 p.m. Live Music: “Radio Caroline” Running Hare Vineyard (150 Adelina Road, Prince Frederick) – 12 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 8
Live Music: “Kappa Danielson and Paul Larson” The Westlawn Inn (9200 Chesapeake Avenue, North Beach) – 7:30 p.m.
Zumba Fitness Callaway Baptist Church (20960 Point Lookout Road, Callaway) – 6:30 p.m.
Newtowne Players Performance: “Steel Magnolias” Three Notch Theatre (21744 South Coral Drive, Lexington Park) – 8 p.m.
No Limit Texas Holdem Bounty Tournament St. Mary’s Elk’s Lodge (45779 Fire Department Lane, Lexington Park) – 7 p.m.
Live Music: “Swamp Dog” Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 8 p.m. Live Music: “Dr. Robert Duo” The Blue Dog Saloon (7940 Port Tobacco Road, Port Tobacco) – 9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 6 Sotterley Wine Festival Sotterley Plantation (44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD) – 12 p.m. Live Music: “Random Impact” Loveville Tavern (28275 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown). Casino Night Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department (24801 3 Notch Road, Hollywood ) – 12 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 9 Live Music: “Fair Warning” DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 10 Family Night with Super MagicMan Reggie Rice Ruddy Duck Brewery (13200 Dowell Road, Dowell) – 6 p.m. Live Music: “Mason Sebastian” DB McMillan’s (23415 Three Notch Road, California) – 5 p.m. Free Beginner Line Dance Lessons Hotel Charles (15110 Burnt Store Road, Hughesville) – 7 p.m.
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
CLASSIFIEDS Placing An Ad
Email your ad to: classifieds@countytimes.net or Call: 301-373-4125 or Fax: 301-373-4128. Liner Ads (No artwork or special type) Charged by the line with the 4 line minimum. Display Ads (Ads with artwork, logos, or special type) Charged by the inch with the 2 inch minimum. All private party ads must be paid before ad is run.
Important Information
Publication Days
The County Times is published each Thursday. Deadlines are Tuesday at 12 noon Office hours are: Monday thru Friday 8am - 4pm
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.
Real Estate
Real Estate Rentals
Apartment Rentals
I have clients looking for waterfront, lots, acreage & homes. Call 1-800-MR LISTER (Billy) fitzgeraldrealty.net
FOR RENT: 2 BR Apartment located within walking distance of the center of Leonardtown.
SpyglaSS at Cedar Cove
For Lease FOR LEASE: 1700 sq. ft. of built-out, Class A office space. Furnished unit in elevator building located on the Square in Leonardtown. Available Dec. 2012. Newly built. Easy access to parking, banks, post office, restaurants and public transportation. Call Mike for tour & details @ 301-475-8384 or paragonprop@verizon.net.
$850/month + $850 security deposit. A/C, DW and laundry in unit. Trash & water included. Off-street parking. 22665 Van Wert Lane in the Henderson Building. Call Mike for tour & details @ 301-475-8384 or paragonprop@verizon.net.
1, 2 bedrooms apts available Fitness Center, Beach Access, EHO 301-795-1222 www.SpyglassAptHomes.com 21620 Spyglass Way, Lexington Park Professionally managed by OP Property Management, LLC
Corporate address: Aimco 4582 S Ulster St, Ste 1100 Denver, CO 80237
Property: Spyglass at Cedar Cove 21620 Spyglass Way Lexington Park, MD 20653
FOR RENT: 1 BR Apartment located within walking distance of the center of Leonardtown.
Vehicles
$775/month + $775 security deposit. A/C, DW and laundry in unit. Trash & water included. Off-street parking. 22756 Lawrence Ave. in the Lawrence Ave. Apt. Building. Call Mike for tour & details @ 301-475-8384 or paragonprop@verizon.net.
For Sale: ‘96 F150 XLT 5.0L AUTOMATIC. 136k Miles. Runs great. Very clean, two-tone. Power locks and windows. Cold A/C. If interested, please call or text (240) 5381914 for details or pictures.
• NOW HIRING? • GOT A LAWNMOWER TO SELL? • AN APARTMENT FOR RENT? • A HOME TO SELL? People still turn to the Classifieds first.
So the next time you want something seen fast, get it in writing...get it in the Classifieds! Calvert Gazette Everything Calvert County
Employment Experienced Veterinary Technician Needed in Waldorf. We are looking for a motivated team player to join our team as a veterinary technician. We are a 4 doctor small animal practice with 2 exotic docotors on staff. We are hiring for a full time position and we offer paid vacation, health benefits (partially paid) and 5 paid holidays. We are looking to hire someone with at least 1-2 years experience in a small animal practice. This position will rotate through shifts beginning as early as 6:30am and the lastest shift ends around 8pm.Our techinicians provide client education, administer vaccines and other injections, take blood samples,place IV catheters, run lab work, take radiographs, assist in surgery,and restrain animals safely, amongst many other tasks. Please visit www.scah.us to check us out. Please send resumes and applications to Tonya by fax 301-645-9336 or email stcanimalhospital@comcast.net.
Why advertise your goods and services in SOMD Publishing? • Readers are actively looking for your listing. • Our newspapers are also online for everyone to see! • Potential buyers can clip and save your ad.
The County Times Serving St. Mary’s
To Place Your Ad Call Cindi @
301-373-4125 • countytimes.somd.com TEL: 301-373-4125 • FAX: 301-373-4128 • classifieds@countytimes.net
32
33
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Business
The County Times
Directory Phone 301-884-5900 1-800 524-2381
Phone 301-934-4680 Fax 301-884-0398
Cross & Wood
AssoCiAtes, inC. Serving The Great Southern Maryland Counties since 1994
46924 Shangri-La Drive Lexington Park, MD 20653
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
28231 Three Notch Rd, #101 Mechanicsville, MD 20659
301-866-0777
Let me plan your next vacation!
Sarah Rushing
sarah@coletravel.biz
Pub & Grill
Heating & Air Conditioning
23415 Three Notch Road California Maryland
“THE HEAT PUMP PEOPLE” 30457 Potomac Way Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 Phone: 301-884-5011
www.dbmcmillans.com
255 Days Till St. Patrick’s Day Entertainment All Day
301-863-9497 www.coletravel.biz
Est. 1982
snheatingac.com
Lic #12999
Advertise in Our BUSINESS DIRECTORY AS LOW AS
$50 a Week
FOR BOTH PAPERS!*
*COMMIT TO 12 WEEKS IN BOTH NEWSPAPERS AT GREAT DISCOUNTS!
301-737-0777 25
Prime Rib • Seafood • Sunday Brunch Banquet & Meeting Facilities 23418 Three Notch Road • California, MD 20619 www.lennys.net
Years in Business
Pulliam Paint Contractor LLC & Power Washing
Dickie Pulliam • Owner/Operator
301-481-3348 • dickiepulliam@gmail.com
Your Online Community For Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties www.somd.com
REGULAR PRICE: $65 Per Week In Each Newspaper Contact Cindi: 301-373-4125 sales@ countytimes.net
TEL: 301-373-4125 • FAX: 301-373-4128 • bizdirect@countytimes.net
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
34
SENIOR LIVING
St. Mary’s Department of Aging Programs and Activities FREE Massages Have you ever wanted a massage, but weren’t sure you would like it and did not want to invest the money until you were sure? On Monday, October 15, free 10-minute massages, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will be offered at the Northern Senior Activity Center. The Northern Senior Activity Center Council is sponsoring the one-time per person massages (you choose one area: hands, shoulders, back, feet, legs at the time of your scheduling). Stop by the front desk to sign up for a session. Prior massage participants may put their name on the standby list for any openings unclaimed. If you have any questions, contact Council President Pat Myers 301.884.8714.
Lyme disease discussion and support group review
On Thursday, October 11, at 1 p.m., the Lyme disease discussion and support group will be meeting at the Northern Senior Activity Center. This is the last session of the year to recap developments on Lyme disease education, advocacy & awareness. Reviewing the House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ hearing: “Global Challenges in Diagnosing & Managing Lyme Disease-Closing Knowledge Gaps”, with testimony from Lyme-literate panelists on current issues & future needs. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call 301.475.4002, ext. 1002.
Practice Your Tai Chi for Arthritis with New Friends and Certified Instructor
If you’ve learned the core AND advanced movements of the Tai Chi for Arthritis program and would like to practice it with others who have done so, the
Weisman Room at Loffler Senior Activity Center is available to you for this purpose on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.- 10 a.m. On Thursdays there will be an instructor to guide you through the practice. On Tuesdays participants can help and encourage each other while improving health, balance and form. For more information, call 301.737.5670, ext. 1658
Wellness Clinic
On Tuesday, October 9, from 9 a.m. to noon, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Nursing Program will be at the Northern Senior Activity Center to provide hands-on presentations on osteoporosis, heart attacks and stroke, and respiratory hygiene. Don’t miss the “Germ Detector” tool used for hand washing etiquette. There will also be screenings for height, weight, vision, body fat, BMI (body mass index), pulse oximetry and blood pressure. Walk-ins are welcome.
Pumpkin Craft at Loffler Senior Activity Center
Take a craft pumpkin, paint it white and add some colorful leaves to it for a splendid autumn centerpiece. That’s what will be happening at Loffler on Friday, October 12, at 10 a.m. Cost is $5 and can be paid to the instructor on the day of the craft. If you would like to join in the fun you can sign up by calling 301.737.5670, ext. 1658 or stop by the front office by Wednesday, October 10.
Breakfast Café
On Wednesday, October 10, at 9 a.m., the Breakfast Café will feature ham, eggs and cheese with fresh
fruit at the Northern Senior Activity Center. Complimentary coffee, tea and juice will be available. Cost is $2 at time of sign up, 24 hours in advance. Stop by the front desk to sign up.
Bowling League Needs More Subs and Players
The senior bowling league meets 12:30 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at Esperanza Lanes on Three Notch Rd. Cost is $13 per person each session for three games and includes shoe and ball rental. There are two vacancies for someone age 50+. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is -- we are more about fun than anything else. We could also use some new subs. Subs bowl for free! For more information call Shellie at 301.737.5670, ext. 1655
2012 Department of Aging & Human Services Health Fair
The St. Mary’s County Department of Aging & Human Services proudly presents the 2012 Annual Health Fair: The Way to Wellness. Health screenings include Skin Cancer, Hearing, Depression and several others. Flu Inoculations available (Medicare card holders should bring their cards; a $20 payment, by cash or check is appreciated from those not eligible for Medicare). Free chair massages will be provided by Body Anew massages. A Commercial Shredder truck will be available for the community from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. People are encouraged to bring documentation they no longer need–will be shredded by professionals. Lunch will be available for purchase from Rita B’s Catering. Tons of giveaways and over 75 vendors. Call Jennifer Hunt, at 301-475-4200 ext. 1073 for more information.
Loffler Senior Activity Center 301-737-5670, ext. 1652; Garvey Senior Activity Center, 301-475-4200, ext. 1050 Northern Senior Activity Center, 301-475-4002, ext. 1001; Ridge Nutrition Site, 301-475-4200, ext. 1050.
Visit the Department of Aging’s website at www.stmarysmd.com/aging for the most up-to date information.
CHURCH SERVICES DIRECTORY
Subscribe To
Running the 2nd & 4th Week of Each Month
To Advertise in the Church Services Directory, Call The County Times at 301-373-4125
ANGLICAN
BAPTIST CHURCH
THE ANGLICAN MISSION OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND
HUGHESVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH
Sundays - 10 AM 41695 Fenwick Street Unit 3 Leonardtown, MD 20650 301/475-9337 www.amosm.net
BAHA’I FAITH BAHA’I FAITH God is One, Man is One, and All Religions are One
Discussions 3rd Wed. 7-8 Lex Pk Library, Longfellow Rm 301-884-8764 or www.bahai.org
UNITED CATHOLIC METHODIST
For $30 A Year!
A member of the Southern Baptist Convention 8505 Leonardtown Road, Hughesville, MD 20637 301-884-8645 or 301-274-3627 Pastor Keith Corrick Associate Pastor Kevin Cullins
• Sunday Morning Worship • Sunday School (all ages) • Sunday Evening Worship & Bible Study • Wednesday Discipleship Classes (Adults, youth & Children)
10:30am 9:15 am 6:00 pm 7:00 pm
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Call for more information: News, Advertising,
St. Cecelia Church
Classifieds
47950 Mattapany Rd, PO Box 429 St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 301-862-4600 Vigil Mass: 4:30 pm Saturday Sunday: 8:00 am Weekday (M-F): 7:30 am Confessions: 3-4 pm Saturday www.stceciliaparish.com
301-373-4125 countytimes.somd.com
35
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wanderings of an Aimless
d
Min
The Old Hope Chest
By Shelby Oppermann Contributing Writer I can’t believe I can finally look in my old hope chest. It finally hit me that I have to start from the bottom of the house first in order to organize the whole house. I want to buy one of those heavy duty metal storage shelf systems like I have at work. It really is great for making boxes accessible without having to lift other things off of each box. And…my husband is starting to go a little crazy with all my serving baskets and crock pots finding homes on the extra chairs in the dining room. I will be stopping by True Value on my way home tonight to purchase the shelving. This needs to be done while I’m in the mood. Fall always brings these nesting feelings out in me. My organizational system as you might recall is similar to the poem, “The house that Jack built” where everything Jack tried to do depended on something having to happen beforehand. So, I am starting again in the laundry room where my Grandmother’s hope chest has resided for eleven years. Because the only way I can move everything out of our extra bedroom/ storage room/ craft and luggage room upstairs is to find homes for them downstairs or to send them to someone else’s home. For instance, before I could put all the hat boxes back on top of the desk hutch in the office upstairs, I had to take the 4 feet of stuff that’s been piled up on top of the hope chest so I could empty that and move it. I had wanted to go through all the boy’s school papers and Christmas cards I have stored in the chest anyway. They needed to be weeded out, and then I could store only the most meaningful cards, newsletters, and pictures in the hat boxes. Easy right? Three hours after going through just the first two bags, I had finally weeded the pile down to about ten cards. I was weepy and my eyes were tired. But, of course, I had to read each one; shed a few tears for all the relatives & friends who had passed away, wonder how I lost contact with quite a few people, and try to remember who some of the names were who must have passed briefly through my life. These were all cards from the mid-1980’s through 2000 with each year having their own bag. Somehow, a scribbled note my Mother wrote in December 1999 in a small D.C. hospital maybe a month before she died was mixed in with the Christmas cards. I kind of stopped at that point, cried a few tears and figured I would try to finish the rest of that bag during Dancing with the stars tonight. I know I looked at the note when she wrote it, in fact there were three total. The note had such tiny writing that it had all looked like a jumble to me then. I was more worried about making sure all her needs were met than deciphering a note. Regrets. At this point my Mother was on a feeding tube and an oxygen mask so she couldn’t speak. I really thought that the morphine and staph infection had taken her mind and body over completely. After all, the other two notes were signed Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. But last night I put on my reading glasses, took out a magnifying glass and read the note carefully. A few words were missing here and there, but one sentence clearly reads, “How {long} have I been in here.” The air just went out of me when I read that. Another is telling me to “check on the porch for $20.00 - look under your yellow truck to see what to see.” Now I want to go back and tour our old house in Clinton, but of course nothing would still be there. One of my favorite toys when I was little was an all-metal large size yellow dump truck that I played with on our long, enclosed back porch. I stayed in her house for months while she was dying and for a few months afterward to find a place for her beloved dogs, and never knew to check out the truck. Maybe something was hidden in it. However the sentence on top is what really sent chills down my back, “When I say it’s God – He is God!” I don’t believe I took in, or let out, a breath after reading that. I’m sorry I didn’t take the time then, but grateful to have this small treasure now. To each new day’s adventure, Shelby Please send your comments or ideas to: shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com
The County Times By Linda Reno Contributing Writer
A Journey Through Time
W i n s t o n Churchill said “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This phrase and its meaning should be taught in all classrooms, each and every year. On September 11 Ambassador Stevens and three others were murdered in Libya. You know—the murder that “coincidentally” occurred on the 11th anniversary of 9/11 as the result of a demonstration that got out of control over the perceived insult to Mohammed in the trailer of a movie no one ever saw. It sure made me proud when the President and Hillary Clinton rushed to make an ad to apologize (surely you know I don’t mean this—it made me sick). Now there’s considerable controversy over whether we should send Egypt $450 million (as a down payment because they’re supposed to get $1 billion)--the same folks who elected Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood as their president. “Jihad is our way.” I have no doubt, despite the objections of many Americans, they’ll get the money. Do you think paying off Egypt, Libya and their neighbors is a recent thing? No, it’s not. It’s been going on for over 500 years. Between 1500 and 1800 over a million white Christians were captured by Muslims in that part of the world and unless ransomed were to serve the rest of their lives in slavery. Then it was called “tribute” or “ransom.” Today it’s “foreign aid.” As far as the U.S. is concerned, it’s been go-
The
Chronicle
ing on before we even became a nation. “Prior to our Declaration of Independence in 1776, Islamists under the control of an Ottoman warlord in Algiers were pirating American ships and enslaving their Christian crews.” In 1786 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were sent to negotiate a peace treaty with the Dey of Algiers who told them: “Islam was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Muslim who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.” In 1793 President Washington, in an address to Congress, said “If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace...it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.” This speech led directly to the creation of the U.S. Navy in 1794. Unfortunately, the U.S. wasn’t then ready for war and wouldn’t be for several years as we had no ships! A peace treaty was concluded with Algiers in 1796. The U. S. agreed to pay $642,500 in cash and other considerations that amounted to $992,463 (about 20% of the entire federal budget that year). Why be concerned? What’s another billion dollars, when you already owe $16 trillion? Besides…now Egypt will be our friend (in your dreams).
Book Review
“The Casual Vacancy” by J.K. Rowling c.2012, Little, Brown
$35.00 / $35.99 Canada
By Terri Schlichenmeyer Contributing Writer When you’re gone, you’ll leave behind many important things. There’ll be photos and memorabilia, money, bric-a-brac, and property to divvy up. Greatgrandma’s china goes here, your mother’s jewelry there, and a cherished belonging of your father’s will become someone else’s cherished belonging. When you’re dead and gone, you’ll leave many things behind because you can’t take them with you – although, in the new novel “The Casual Vacancy” by J.K. Rowling, some wished that Barry Fairbrother had. Everyone in the small England town of Pagford was shocked when Barry Fairbrother died of an aneurism. He was alive one minute, gone the next - but definitely not forgotten. That’s because Barry’s death left a “casual vacancy” on the Pagford Parish Council. In a normal year, that wouldn’t have meant much but this year, Barry’s vote on the issue of the Fields, a local housing complex, was an important one.
503 pages
Political wrangling and dirty deals had allowed the Fields to be built on the outskirts of Pagford some sixty years ago, which was a sore point ever since. Always intended for lower-income residents, the area was once tidy and well-kept but was now run-down, garbage-filled, and filthy with a rehab clinic conveniently nearby. Disgusted, many Pagford residents wanted the Fields annexed to nearby Yarvil, the clinic closed, and the issue put behind them for good. Barry, who’d grown up in the Fields, knew how important it was for the development to remain a part of Pagford. Fields children were allowed to attend better schools in Pagford, which was one way out of poverty. He was adamant about this, and had been gathering supporters on the Council. The casual vacancy, and the matter of filling it, could change everything. Pro-Fields Pagfordians wanted to fill Barry’s seat with someone of the same opinion. The majority, however, was glad to see one less bleeding-heart liberal on the Council. Meanwhile, over at the Fields, a child was fighting for her
life… Though it’s undoubtedly going to happen, it would be unfair to compare this novel to the Harry Potter books. They’re worlds apart. Author J.K. Rowling’s character development is stellar (as usual) and, perhaps because she doesn’t have the luxury of seven volumes, her story is tight and succinct. Here, we meet a dead man whose presence continually lingers through the lives of friends and enemies alike. Here, we’re plunged into a small-town filled with sniping residents, each desperate to keep a deep secret under wraps, each afraid that something is going horribly, uncontrollably wrong – and quite often, it does. This is a complex book with lots of layers, humor, pathos, and allegories everywhere. Readers may even find a timely message in this story of rich and poor and the politics that accompany them. It should be immediately obvious that this is absolutely not a book for children, but grown-up HP fans will love it just the same. If you’re up for a brick of a novel that isn’t quite long enough, “The Casual Vacancy” is one you’ll have a hard time leaving.
The County Times
1. Long tailed rodents 5. Meets the Danube in Belgrade 9. Bohemian dance 10. Hancock star Will 12. Chapeaux carrier 13. A warning or caution 15. Bangladesh capital 16. One who hands 18. Rural delivery 19. Poke 20. Express pleasure 22. Wife of a maharajah 29. Irish kissing rock 32. Variant of Tai 33. Plural of os 35. She sang with the Pips 43. Setting out 44. Swiss river 45. Negative sports cheer 47. Liberal degree 48. Relating to the back 52. Muslim family of wives (alt. sp) 55. Was in charge of a project 57. Indehiscent legume 59. Ice or roller
60. A citizen of Iraq (alt. sp.) 26. Road open 61. Goidelic language 27. In a short time 62. Indian poet 28. Filippo __, Saint 30. Traditional Hindi music CLUES DOWN 31. Former NHL player Jim 1. College army 34. Honorable title (Turkish) 2. Dark Angel actress 36. Trumpeter Hirt Jessica 37. Atomic #66 3. Boxing blow 38. Lolo 4. Single-reed instrument 39. Tin 5. Secondary school 40. 1,000 grams cerificate 41. Latin varient of “to have” 6. A wet nurse in India 42. An electric car that runs 7. Long live! (Spanish) on rails 8. Egyptian Sun god 43. Skin lesions 9. Political action 45. Bahrain dinar committee 46. Express delight 11. Tolstoy novel “___ 49. Japanese beverage Murat” 50. 6th Jewish month 12. Regions of the ocean 51. Leases below 6000 m 52. U.S. Poet Laureate 1995-97 14. Earl Grey or green 53. Egyptian cross 15. Bland in color 54. Remote user interface 17. Atomic #37 56. River in NE Scotland 21. Possessed 57. Small seed of a fruit 22. Of I 58. Major division of 23. Poetic ever geological time 24. High school 25. Indicates position
Last Week’s Puzzle Solutions
e i d d i K Kor
ner
CLUES ACROSS
Thursday, October 4, 2012
36
37
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The County Times
Margaret Brent Descendants Receive Scholarships
Russell Raymond Gilbert
Elizabeth Louise Knott
The Margaret Brent High School (MBHS) Alumni Association has awarded four scholarships for $1,500 each for the past 20112012 school year to the following: • Russell Raymond Gilbert, son of Charles and Lori Gilbert, presently attending Virginia Tech University; • Elizabeth Louise Knott, daughter of David and Jill Knott, graduate of St. Mary’s Ryken High School; • Christopher Charles Pilkerton, son of David and Lynne Pilkerton, presently attending Northern OklaChristopher Charles Pilkerton homa College in Oklahoma; and, • Erin Lindsey Pilkerton, daughter of Steve and Wendy Pilkerton, graduate of West Albany High School in Oregon. All of the applicants are direct descendants of former MBHS students between the years of 1931 and 1965, before Margaret Brent High School became a middle school. The alumni congratulates not only the four winners, but also all the other students who applied, for their high academic record and their many achievements in school and in their community. They are wished continuing success in their educaErin Lindsey Pilkerton tional endeavors.
Health Connections Offers Flu Vaccinations A good way to keep you and the people around you protected against the seasonal flu this year is to get vaccinated and the MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital Health Connections staff is making it easy for you to do so. Health Connections staff will administer seasonal flu shots at various locations throughout the county beginning this month. Shots are for individuals 18 years of age or older. A limited amount of flu mist is available for youngsters age 10 years or older. The cost is $20 and Medicare is accepted for payment in addition to cash, check, MasterCard and Visa. Who should get vaccinated this season? • People 50 years of age and older; • People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions; • People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities; • People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including household contacts and out-of-home caregivers
of children less than six months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated) St. Mary’s Hospital Health Connections will be in neighborhoods soon. Following is a list of the upcoming October dates and locations. This year Health Connections staff will also be providing the flu shots for the Annual Senior Health Fair. For more details about these flu vaccination times or locations, please contact Health Connections at 301-475-6019. Flu Vaccination Dates in October • Oct. 5, 9 a.m. – 12 Noon. Lexington Park Library • Oct. 15, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. World Gym, Wildewood Shopping Center • Oct. 18, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. St. John’s Pharmacy, Hollywood • Oct. 22, 2 – 4 p.m. McKay’s, Lexington Park • Oct. 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown, Building C, Room 216 • Oct. 26, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Senior Health Fair, Hollywood Firehouse
Community Winegardner Partners with Leonardtown Wildcats Winegardner Motor Company, LLC of Leonardtown, is partnering with Leonardtown Wildcats to provide the league’s players and coaches with equipment, a monetary donation, and a chance to raise up to $10,000, a press release states. In support of Leonardtown’s youth, Winegardner Motor Company, LLC will provide Leonardtown Wildcats with football kits that include equipment bags, footballs, water bottle carriers, yard marker set, helmet-sticker decals, and t-shirts. Offering additional support to the community, Leonardtown Wildcats will have the opportunity to raise as much as $10,000 through fundraising efforts where one lucky patron in the nation will win a new 2013 Buick or GMC vehicle (MSRP not to exceed $30,000). Winegardner Motor Company and other GMC dealerships across the Nation are donating the vehicle to the participating leagues. One second prize winner will be selected from the sponsored league to win a Gas Grill. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to the participating leagues, and they can use the funds in any way they choose. Some of the leagues have reported they plan to grant scholarships to families who cannot afford to enroll their children in the league, while others have said they will use the funds to improve fields and equipment. “GMC and youth football. It’s a great combination,” says Kurt Winegardner of Winegardner Motor Company. “We are proud to be able to help the kids in our community by donating equipment and giving them the opportunity to raise much needed funds for their league. We are excited to be part of the effort this year, and anticipate a fun-filled season of Leonardtown Wildcats football.”
Blondie, Cheap Trick Close Out Concert Season By Scott Loflin Contributing Writer
the ladies in the front row. With our ears ringing from the sonic assault the eveWith the 2012 Summer concert ning took a much easier and season coming to a close, the PNC intimate setting with Deborah Waterside Pavilion at Calvert MaHarry taking the stage. Blondrine Museum hosted Cheap Trick ie, 2006 inductees to the Rock and Blondie for the final concert this and Roll Hall of Fame, rode weekend. the wave of 80’s New Wave With a cool breeze blowing off music to great success around the water, Cheap Trick mixed their the world. musical prowess with the wind to With her characteristic form a sonic hurricane. With over blonde hair, Harry played a 35 years of performances and 16 alwide ranging set from the bums, Robin Zander’s voice is still a earliest albums to the just reforce to be reckoned with. With the leased “Panic of Girls”. The use of auto-tune being common in crowd sang along with so today’s music, it’s refreshing to hear many of the best-known songs Photo By Frank Marquart a performer play a full set without the from their career – it was aluse of musical Photoshop. most like a duet between performer and crowd. GuiBacking Robin and playing off him was the tarist Chris Stein played with such ease it was like he always charismatic showman Rick Nielson. Nielson was just visiting for the evening playing his favorite prowled the stage with his ever-changing guitars music for friends. blazing. At stage left was an assortment from his As the evening came to a close and the equipcollection of over 400 guitars. While Robin had his ment being boxed up we said goodbye to the 2012 one voice for the evening Nielson was able to pick concert season. The stage was empty and bare, with each guitar for its unique sound for every song he the now cold breeze blowing in off the Bay waitplayed. As well as going through over a dozen gui- ing until the thunderous chords of the 2013 season tars Sunday evening Nielson threw so many guitar brings us to our feet once again. picks to the crowd at one point it looked like confetti. Nielson kept the crowd engaged pantomiming with news@countytimes.net
Sp rts
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
38
County Football Recap, Week No. 5 By Alex Panos Staff Writer Leonardtown High School (3-2) is riding a three game winning streak after defeating the Chopticon Braves (1-4) 4421 last week. The Raiders kept the ball on the ground most of the night and ran for 285 yards – 207 of which came from Stephen Stewart. Zac Sparshott completed just two passes, both to Cortez Bush, but still recorded 89 yards and a touchdown. Leonardtown scored 31 points in the first half, including a 21-point first quarter explosion. “This is year three for our [offensive] system, and you can see the payoff of sticking with a system,” Leonardtown Head Coach Michael Nines said. Chopticon will continue its season Friday at 7 p.m. on the road against North Point, while the Raiders kick-off at 6 p.m. Friday for their Homecoming game versus undefeated Huntingtown (5-0).
Nines said Huntingtown is a tough team, but the Raiders hope to take advantage of the support from a large Homecoming crowd and limit their mistakes on the field. “We plan to stick to our offense and defense, and square up with them,” Nines said. “The hard work and dedication of the players and coaches is showing. The team committed itself to the weight room … you can tell that the increase in strength and stamina has been a big factor in our success.” The Ryken Knights (2-3) beat Bishop Ireton (0-5) by two touchdowns 38-24. Like coach Nines, Ryken Head Coach Jerry Franks believes the recent success is a result of his team starting to come together and understanding the playbook. “It’s a new system,” he said, “and it has taken time for the system to be understood by everybody.” Along with gradually “improving every day in one area,” Franks has also noticed his players are starting to do “the
Photo By Elliott Lawrence Jr
little things” necessary to win football games. Focusing on attention to detail on things such as angles and steps has proven to be a large difference maker. “It’s most impressive of our players,” he said. Up next for the Knights are the 5-0 Bishop Walsh Spartans, who are coming off a one-sided 58-14 victory against West Virginia based Notre Dame. Franks says the Knights have to play with aggression and intensity if they plan on staying in the game. “We know we have to go out and be physical [to win].” Franks said. The game will begin Friday at 7 p.m.
Photo By Elliott Lawrence Jr
Great Mills got on the board first versus Potomac after a sensational touchdown catch, but eventually lost the contest 42-26. The Hornets are now 0-6 on the season, and will go on the road to face Patuxent. Their bout with the Panthers is slated to begin at 7 p.m. alexpanos@countytimes.net
Healthy Fats, and Their Association With Weight Loss By Debra Meszaros CSN www.MXSportsNutrition.com Whether occasional, seasonal, or ongoing, allergies are a part of life most of us accept as normal; but in fact, the human body normally does not look at most natural molecules as a threat. If your body is indeed reacting to normal molecules, like pollen for instance, the issue may very well be about an imbalance within your internal environment. This imbalance may be related to the most important substance in your body, enzymes. Enzymes are the catalysts for every function that happens within your body. They are by far the most important component of life, as they are responsible for life itself. Thousands of them exist and they are very selective in their function, as each can only do one specific job. There are two groups of enzymes, metabolic, which create all anabolic or catabolic activity in your body, and digestive, responsible for the breaking down of your food so you can absorb its minerals and vitamins. The common signs of lack of enzymes are…. Abdominal bloating, cramps, indigestion, skin rashes, heartburn, eczema, diarrhea, constipation, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease; these are just a handful of examples. Allergies can also be a clue to enzyme deficiency as it ties
directly to one of the four enzymes absolutely essential for optimal health, Amylase. Amylase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of carbohydrates, and as our dietary habits have moved away from our ancestors grain less diet, towards a diet based on high-glycemic refined carbohydrates [cereal, breads, pasta, pastries], we have created an imbalance. These carbohydrates lack their own enzymes and when we practice a diet based primarily on these carbohydrates, we often are faced with incomplete digestion of carbohydrates. Some signs of incomplete digestion are; allergies, asthma, and blood sugar imbalances. Amylase, a natural, anti-histamine, unlocks your body’s ability to counteract allergic reactions to insect bites, poison ivy, oak, or sumac. Deficiencies of amylase block your body’s ability to identify pollen as a normal non-reactive molecule, and allergies are born. Unveiling a possible solution….. Consuming foods from boxes and cans, from fast food restaurants, from your microwave, and highly processed foods, all contribute to a lack of enzymes. These are all considered “dead” foods. Switching to enzyme rich foods like fruits, especially bananas, sea vegetables like kelp and nori, peppermint, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass, and fresh raw vegetables, can all help keep replenishing and supplying much needed enzymes. Another consideration would be to utilize enzyme supplementation. It is important for anyone suffering from allergies to consider reducing or eliminating refined carbohydrates
from your diet. If you have been practicing a heavy carbohydrate diet for some time, it is also advisable to consider doing a candida cleanse; often this type of dietary habit leads to candida overgrowth or bowel flora imbalance. This condition leads to carbohydrate and sugar cravings which are the very food candida thrives on. Remember to chew your food well and slowly, relax when eating, drink plenty of water between meals, and eat a good balance of enzyme rich foods. It’s something you can’t overdose on! ©2012 Debra Meszaros MXSportsNutrition.com. All rights reserved; no duplication without permission. DISCLAIMER: When you read through the diet and lifestyle information, you must know that everything within it is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. I am making no attempt to prescribe any medical treatment. You should not use the information here for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. The products and the claims made about specific products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Confirm the safety of any supplements with your M.D., N.D. or pharmacist (healthcare professional). Some information given is solely an opinion, thought and or conclusion based on experiences, trials, tests, assessments or other available sources of information. I do not make any guarantees or promises with regard to results. I may discuss substances that have not been subject to double blind clinical studies or FDA approval or regulation. You assume the responsibility for the decision to take any natural remedy. You and only you are responsible if you choose to do anything with the information you have read. You do so at your own risk. Use your intelligence to make the decisions that are right for you. Consulting a naturopathic doctor is strongly advised especially if you have any existing disease or condition.
39
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Sp rts
Where Is Everybody? The Ordinary
Angler
By Keith McGuire Contributing Writer
Solomons Boat Ramp at 7:30 AM on September 27th
I had to laugh when I read the fishing report last week from Ken Lamb, proprietor of The Tackle Box. The report started with, “The fish are complaining about being lonely. We have beautiful weather, abundant fish, and few fishermen to keep them company.” Unlike me, Ken is more uninhibited about disclosing his discussions with the fish – or at least more attentive to their opinions and concerns. Ken does make a good point, though. There are certainly fewer anglers out there trying to catch fish these days. Personally, I find it more than a little refreshing to visit hot spots devoid of boat traffic and loaded with fish to catch. In my early angling days, it was common for me to look around the Bay and head to a place that had lots of boats, particularly Charter Boats. I used to say, “Look at all those boats over there! There must be a ton of fish there!” I didn’t take long to learn that it usually meant, simply, that there were a lot of boats over there. Now I relish finding the fish where there are no other boats around. Fuel prices, no doubt, are keeping a lot of boats at the
docks and on the trailers. Combine that with marine stores encouraging fall/winter maintenance, the start up of hunting seasons, and generally cooler weather, and it isn’t difficult to figure out that it is a different time of year with different activities demanding our time. I encourage you to get out there and find some of these fish. To make the best of your time, pick a day when conditions are not too rough, when currents are in your favor, and when the sun is shining. Visit the hot spots without considering that there are no other boats around. You may well be pleasantly surprised! Anglers are catching plenty of bluefish, some of them bigger than we’ve seen in some time. Stripers will turn on as water temperatures continue to drop below 70 degrees. Spot are moving on and could be difficult to find. Croakers, too, will be gone soon. Anglers are still catching small red drum from 16 to 19 inches, and bigger. These fish will move on as temperatures decline, as well. (Remember, you can only keep the ones between 18 and 27 inches – one per person.) Speckled trout will be around for awhile, but their loca-
A View From The
Bleachers By Ronald N. Guy Jr. Contributing Writer
I’m a good bit into Keith Richards’ autobiography “Life”. It contains much of what you’d expect from a life-long member of the Rolling Stones: a whole bunch of sex, drugs and rock-nroll…and all the debauchery that surrounds each of those fabulously stereotypical endeavors. There’s more, of course. Much more. Richards’ account of meeting Mick Jagger and the innocent formation of one of the world’s greatest bands was as riveting as you’d expect. It felt like reading a personal account of world history because, well, that’s exactly what it was. The Stones’ early sessions contained a simplicity and humility befitting their meager existence. Their initial, idealistic goal was to force-feed a representative sample of filthy American blues onto unsuspecting English ears. Nothing more, nothing less. It was their passion and quality of their work… along with a few dashes of luck…that over-
came their financial challenges and shortsighted intentions and catapulted the Rolling Stones into worldwide stars. Richards details how he and Jagger spent countless hours dissecting and reproducing the historic sounds of early rhythm and blues; the sounds that every bluesinclined music fan feels deep in their being and can quantify with the goose bumps that travel uncontrollably down one’s arm when music (specifically a perfectly held and dragged gritty note on the guitar) and verse combine into something divine. Richards’ words leave the reader with the clear sense that while sex, drugs and rockn-roll are very much a piece of the Stones’ story, hard work was the overarching and overlooked element of their success. A vivid glimpse into what made them tick and keeps them rocking to the present day, can be found in Richards poignant account of an early performance. Rich-
tions will become more and more discrete. I looked for flounder very aggressively last Thursday and didn’t find a single one. I must have lost my touch because there have been isolated reports of a few keeper flounder caught from undisclosed locations. In the meantime, look for more unusual species on the local artificial reefs, like black sea bass. Be very careful about what you keep as you find these unusual fish. Regulations are very different than we’re accustomed to for our usual aquatic residents. Black sea bass have to be at least 12 ½ inches in order to be kept and the season closes for this species on October 15th. Several black sea bass have already been caught on the artificial reef at Point No Point. Check out the pictures on the Buzz’s Marina website – www.buzzsmarina.com. So, pick your day, grab your jacket, hook up the boat and head for the water. Don’t forget to take a picture of your catch and drop me a line at riverdancekeith@gmail.com. I really like your reports! Keith fishes weekly from his boat, The Ordinary Angler, during the season, and spends his free time supporting local conservation organizations.
Like Flying ards describes the feeling of playing live music with a tight, complementary group of young chaps from the motherland as “like flying without a license.” Ladies and gentlemen, there’s wisdom in those words. Whether you’re a fan of the Rolling Stones or are repulsed by their forays into the amoral, anyone that’s been doing something as well as they have for 50 years – yes, 50 years - is worth listening to. What Richards is referring to is a profound, personal experience with individuals collectively transcending singular capabilities to produce sheer magic. It’s an overused term, but it’s synergy of which Richards speaks. It was the heartbeat of the drums, the smooth undertone of the bass guitar, the funk and unspoken expression of the bluesy guitars and the panache of Jagger’s vocals that wed to create a feeling and a sound that moved the musicians and audience. Transcending the limitations of its individual parts is the mystical “it” every musical ensemble seeks. It is also the primary pursuit of sports teams; and when you see it on the field of play, when there’s a sense of team beyond player, it’s just as spectacular as its occurrences on stage. It can be found in a smooth double play turned between a second baseman and
shortstop so in tune with each other they barely need the gift of sight to execute. A perfectly run pick and roll is as much art as it is basketball. And on the football field you regularly witness the greatest diversity of roles and skill-sets interacting simultaneously toward a common goal. For every touchdown pass there’s a running back sacrificing himself to thwart a blitzing linebacker and on every big run there’s a key block by a non-descript lineman. Truth be told, the presence or absence of that level of rapport is a good measure of the health and performance ceiling of any personal relationship or professional unit. Does your workplace have the right combination of quarterbacks, wide receivers and left guards? Is a friendship capable of generating that gooey feeling that accompanies natural camaraderie? Is your significant other the drums to your guitar? If not, keep seeking the magical, cooperative force that, in defiance of the laws of mathematics, makes two plus two add up to five. Achieving “it” in your life might not feel like “flying without a license” (that level of cool is reserved for rock stars), but it will be profound nonetheless. Send comments to rguyjoon@yahoo.com
The County Times
Thursday, October 4, 2012
COLUMBUS DA Y FURNITURE SA L E ! Discover Store wide S
40
avings On Everything In The Store! PLUS... F
10 REBTAATNET
FOR THIS SALE G ET AN ADDITIO NAL
% INS PLUS...
FREE FIN A FOR 2 Y NCING EARS!
30%OFF BONUS COUPON Present this coupon to take an
ADDITIONAL 30% OFF any Accessory, Picture or Lamp. Offer ends 10/10/2012 Excludes Art Center Art
Sail Through Hundreds Of Markdowns! Everything Is On SALE! Shown here is just a small sample of the many items marked down and ready to go during this giant Columbus Day Furniture SALE! We have also placed extra markdowns on all our Floor Samples, Overstocks and Closeouts!
Special Savings On ALL our Paula Dean Furniture!
Furniture Gallery
Po
2
Isl ons R and oad
4
443-975-7313 Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 10-7, Sunday 12-5
Hal lo
(In The Fox Run Shopping Center)
wi
d
263
re nitu Fur lery l Ga
559 Solomons Island Road North Prince Frederick, MD
Visit our new art gallery featuring ORIGINAL ART By Local Artists.
oa
m Plu
Solom
Of Prince Frederick
R int
ng Point Roa
Dares
B ea c h R o a d
d
* Visit store for details on No Interest offer.