The Southern Calvert Gazette - Oct. 08, 2009

O’Malley Putting Calvert nuClear exPansiOn at risk?

Southern Calvert

Everything Solomons, Lusby, Dowell, and St. Leonard

Southern CalvertSouthern CalvertSouthern CalvertSouthern CalvertSouthern Calvert

Everything Solomons, Lusby, Dowell, and St. LeonardEverything Solomons, Lusby, Dowell, and St. LeonardEverything Solomons, Lusby,

GazetteEverything Solomons, Lusby, Dowell, and St. Leonard

October 2009

PricelessSouthern Calvert

4

Story Page 6 Story Page 8Story Page 5

Patuxent H.S. Band Marching to Victory

Report: More Veterans Services Needed

New Homes Going Up

Associated Press Photo

Thursday, October-20092

Your Paper... Your ThoughtsDo you agree with the new

state law that bans text messaging while driving? Does it go far enough?

“I don’t think any-one should be texting while driving,” said Wesley Chester, a Hun-tingtown resident who works in Solomons Island. “I see people texting while driving all the time, and they’re either going too slow, or they’re going too fast and their swerving in and out of their lane, I mean, it’s nuts.”

Chester doesn’t think a full ban on talk-ing while driving is nec-essary, because you aren’t typically looking at the phone while talking.

“I think it’s an excellent idea, because distracted driving is a problem. To me talking on a cell phone is bad enough,” said Mary Beth Gates, of Lus-by. “I saw a guy on a Harley Davidson one day reading his text messages. It’s dangerous enough out there, with all the deer, There’s some distractions you can-not control, and some you can, and to me texting is the worst.” Gates said she would support a expanded law that bans talking on cell phones while driving.

“I think it’s a great idea, because of the num-ber of lives that will be saved,” said Al Scroggs of Drum Point. “ I was watching something just the

other day, the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith. That’s exactly

what he was doing, was tex-ting, and he looked down and then looked back up too late and ran into a van and killed seven people.”

Scroggs doesn’t think a complete ban on cell phone while driving is necessary. “I think if you have hands-free stuff that’s fine.”

Thursday, October-2009 3

High and

Low TidesOctober 9-11, 2009

October 16-18, 2009

Also Inside

On The Cover

4 Local News7 Delegate Column8 Education9 Community11 Letters12 History13 Locals14 Cover Story16 State News17 Obituaries20 Business Directory21 On The Water22 Sports24 Bon Appétit25 Restaurant Directory26 Out & About27 Entertainment

entertainment

EVENTSFOR EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA, CHECK PAGE 26 IN OUT AND ABOUT

community

Gov. Martin O’Malley, after a tour of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant on May 1, 2008, said we have a “moral imperative” to expand nuclear generation in the country to combat climate change. Behind O’Malley are Calvert County Commissioner Wilson Parran and Maryland Environment Secretary Shari Wilson.

Volunteers hauled 50,000 adult-sized oysters to their permanent home, protected from harvesting, in Calvert County’s Hellen Creek. SEE PAGE 4

More than 150 guests attended the second annual Concerned Black Women of Calvert County annual luncheon and awards gala, held at Holiday Inn Select in Solomons on Oct. 3. SEE PAGE 9

When he’s not welding at Calvert Cliffs, Matt Garrett straddles the line between Calvert and St. Mary’s counties playing his acoustic mix of old and new styles. SEE PAGE 27

410-474-5816FREE ESTIMATES


LOCALNEWS

The Patuxent River Chapter of the Coast-al Conservation Association Maryland (CCA MD) completed the final phase of

its first oyster restoration project last weekend by transferring more than 31,000 adult-sized oysters to a sanctuary on Hellen Creek in Calvert County. The oysters had been grown at the St. Thomas Creek Oys-ter Company, owned by Bob Parkinson, on St. Marys County’s St. Thomas Creek.

Additionally, approximately 19,000 oysters were moved from homeowner’s piers in Hellen Creek to the sanctuary.

“This weekend’s work was the culmination of a two-year effort that brought together recreational anglers, homeowners concerned with marine re-sources, aquaculturists and local businessmen to help cleanse water in the Patuxent River watershed,” Scott McGuire, chapter president, said in a press release. “More than 900 volunteer hours went into the work in Hellen and St. Thomas Creeks.”

The oysters grown in St. Thomas Creek were provided by two local aquaculturists—Jon Far-rington, Johnny Oyster Seed Company, and Richard Pelz, Circle C Oyster Ranchers’ Association— and were transferred to the sanctuary on a barge provided by Magnum Boat Lifts.

“This cooperative project is a great example of the difference that can be made in marine resources when various groups come together,” McGuire said. “As adults, each of the oysters will filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, ridding the water of harmful sediments and algae. Potentially, they will benefit

the Patuxent watershed and everyone who uses it for years to come.”

The oysters at St. Thomas Oyster Company were placed in floats March 2008 and the Hellen Creek oysters were placed in floats in July, 2008, at the piers of 27 homeowners. CCA volunteers and homeowners flipped the floats every three weeks during the sum-mer to eliminate algae.

In the two years of its oyster restoration work, the Patuxent River Chapter has distributed more than 1.5 million oysters in St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties and is looking for property owners on creeks who would like to participate in the continuing project. McGuire can be reached at [email protected].

Volunteers hauled 50,000 adult-sized oysters to their per-manent home, protected from harvesting, in Calvert County’s Hellen Creek.

Submitted Photo

50,000 Oysters Moved to Permanent Sanctuary

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Residents of Calvert County can help re-duce pollution in the Bay and win great prizes at the same time. If you’ve had

your septic tank pumped between Oct. 10, 2008 and Oct. 8, 2009, you are eligible to enter the Calvert County Environmental Commission’s annual “Pump for the Bay” contest.

Last year’s winner took home a one-night stay at the Holiday Inn in Solomons, reimbursement for the cost of the septic pump out, and free passes to the Calvert Marine Museum. Other winners received prizes donated by several county businesses, accord-ing to a press release from the Commission.

Applications for this year’s drawing are still be-ing accepted and winners will be announced at the end of Patuxent River Appreciation Days (PRAD) on Oct. 11.

Applications can be mailed or faxed to the De-partment of Planning and Zoning or dropped off at the Environmental Commission’s booth at PRAD. The annual contest aims to raise homeowner awareness of the importance of regular septic tank maintenance and introduce improved septic system technologies.

The Environmental Commission, established by the Board of County Commissioners focuses on county issues including: environmental planning, en-ergy and water conservation, resource conservation, effectiveness of County environmental regulations, and environmental education. The Environmental Commission also represents the commissioners and the Department of Planning and Zoning at environ-mental forums and public hearings.

The eleven-member Environmental Commis-sion holds a regularly scheduled public meeting at

6:30 p.m. on the last Monday of each month in the Planning and Zoning Conference Room in Prince Frederick. More information can be found on the Calvert County Environmental Commission Web site: www.co.cal.md.us/business/planning/commit-tees/environment/default.asp.

Last Chance to Enter ‘Pump for the Bay’

Effective Oct. 1, under the Chesapeake Bay Nitrogen Reduc-tion Act of 2009 all new construction and replacement of old septic systems located within the Critical Area will be required to use nitrogen removing septic tanks. Funding for upgrad-ed septic tanks like the one shown above may be available through the Calvert County Bay Restoration Fund Grant.

Submitted Photo


Despite the stagnant economy, new subdivisions and homes are being built, such as two new develop-

ments being constructed now on Dowell Road in Solomons.

Not far from the entrance to Annmarie Gar-dens, across the street, heavy equipment can been seen moving earth as teams of builders are constructing homes at two separate locations on Dowell Road.

The road, infrastructure and one house are already built in the new Backcreek Woods sub-division, which Michael DeCasaris, a salesman with ReMax Colonial Homes, says is a neighbor-hood with special zoning that is restricted to resi-dents that are aged “55 or better.”

The homes sit tucked back off Dow-ell Road on the newly built Gideon Lane and feature public water and sewer on small lots. One home is built and another is going up.

I n d i v i d u a l builders have been working in there, but now Bernie Fowler Homes, of Prince Fred-erick, is negoti-ating to take an option on the entire proper-ty, DeCasaris confirmed.

A little further down Dowell Road is Danielle’s Place, a new subdivision under construction by D & D Homes Inc., of Lusby, owned by David

Gilbert, Jr.Greg Cocimano, a ReMax broker that is

marketing the neighborhood, said the first sale is complete and the first house is in the middle of construction now.

“I’m marketing them and getting several in-quiries, it’s just a matter for finding the right buy-ers,” Cocimano said. “It’s going to be a very nice subdivision. David builds some very nice homes, he has a lot of homes in the Calvert area and they’ve been in business for over 15 years.”

The unrestricted neighborhood has 15 homes planned for it, with seven coming in the first phase. It has public water and sewer installed and black-top roads are going in soon, Cocimano said.

Homes will be built has they are or-dered, he said, which allows

the customer to stipu-late customizations

and changes. By Sean Rice

( info @ somd-

publishing)

LOCAL NEWS

Drive-Thru FightOn Sept. 26 at 12:10 a.m., Troop-

er Logsdon responded to the Taco Bell in Solomons for a reported assault in progress. Upon arrival, Trooper Logs-don found several suspects standing in the drive through area arguing. Investigation revealed that a minor vehicle collision had occurred in the drive-thru resulting in an assault. As-sault charges are pending.

Oxycontin ConfiscatedCalvert County Sheriff’s DFC

Moises Velasquez stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Sept. 26 at 3:50 a.m. at Route 4 and Cove Point Road in Lusby. The driver, identified as Joshua Adam Lutz, 22 of St. Leon-ard, was found to be in possession of suspected drugs, police report. He was arrested and charged with pos-session of Oxycontin, a schedule II drug and possession with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, for a hose clamp.

Golf Cart, Bicycles Stolen

A golf cart valued at $600 was stolen from the Calvert Marina on Dowell Road in Solomons sometime between Sept. 25 and 26.

Two bicycles, one green with a white seat and white tires and one me-tallic blue with pink rims and a pink seat were stolen from outside a home on Red Cloud Road in Lusby. Any-one with information on either theft is asked to contact Calvert County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Mc-Donough at 410-535-2800.

Shotgun IncidentOn Sept. 25 at 8:35 p.m., Trooper

Wyer responded to the 1300 block of Gregg Drive in Lusby for a report of a fight. George L. Daniels, 42 of Lusby, was charged with first- and second-degree assault and reckless endanger-ment after he fired a shotgun in the air during the incident. He was trans-ported to the Calvert County Deten-tion Center for processing.

Wii TakenA home on Delaware Drive in

Lusby was burglarized sometime during the daytime hours on Sept. 24. The unknown suspects stole a Wii game system and game valued at $450. Anyone with information is asked to contact Calvert County Sheriff’s DFC John Harms at 410-535-2800.

• Daniel W. Blakenship Jr. purchased 4106 Oakdale Lane, Port Republic, for $244,000 from LaSalle Bank National Association. Doc-uments state the property was a previous fore-closure. A first-time buyer affidavit was filed. A mortgage was secured from Acacia Federal Savings Bank in the amount of $239.580.• Gregory D. Burns purchased 1149 Aztec Trail, Lusby, in the Chesapeake Ranch Es-tates, for $315,000 from Aurora Loan Services. Documents state the property was a previous foreclosure. A mortgage was secured from 1st Mariner Bank in the amount of $252,000.•Leon O. Watkins purchased 5320 Majesty Lane, St. Leonard, for $389.900 from Robert G. and Jennifer L. Lawrence. A mortgage was secured from Prosperity Mortgage Company in the amount of $397,689.• Aaron Grollman purchased 528 Gunsmoke Trail, Lusby, in the Chesapeake Ranch Estates, for $234,900 from James E. and Juliette A Daniel. A first-time buyer affidavit was filed.

A mortgage was secured from MetLife Home Loans in the amount of $239.693.• James B. Curtin IV purchased 410 Coyote Trail, Lusby, in the Chesapeake Ranch Estates, for $220,000 from C&B Custom Home Build-ers (Darrell B. Harless, president). A first-time buyer affidavit was filed. A mortgage was se-cured from Envoy Mortgage in the amount of $224,400.• Carl L. and Lisa R. Feusahrens purchased 14261 Calvert Street, Solomons Island, for $245,000 from Mary Cecilia Koslofsky. A mortgage was secured from MetLife Home Loans in the amount of $196,000.• Craig S. and Peggy L. Bradley purchased 640 Lisa Lane, Lusby, in the Hemlock Estates subdivision, for $250,000 from Robert Jr. and Betty Parrott. A first-time buyer affidavit was filed. A mortgage was secured from 1st Mari-ner Bank in the amount of $255,375.• Jay C. and Michelle L. Lamson purchased 966 Santa Rosa Lane, Lusby, in the Chesa-

peake Ranch Estates, for $253,000. A first-time buyer affidavit was filed. A mortgage was se-cured from Realty Home Mortgage Company in the amount of $258,439.• Patrick D. and Kelly Y. Day purchased 12795 Mill Creek Drive, Lusby, in Drum Point Beach, for $450,000 from Caroline D. and Luther T. Reynolds. A mortgage was secured from Sun-trust Mortgage in the amount of $441,849.• Cheryl Warner purchased 245 Laurel Drive, White Sands, for $132,000 from U.S. Bank National Association. A mortgage was secured from JPMorgan Chase Bank in the amount of $134,694.• Christopher J. and Annette Buonconsiglio purchased 358 Longhorn Circle, Lusby, in the Chesapeake Ranch Estates, for $250,000 from Christian J. Schimer. A first-time buyer affi-davit was filed. A mortgage was secured from U.S. Bank National Association in the amount of $255,375.

SouThern CalverT real eSTaTe TranSaCTionSThe following real estate transactions for home sales were recorded in the last two weeks and are on file at the Calvert County Circuit Court:

New Homes Going Up

drug and possession with the intent drug and possession with the intent to use drug paraphernalia, for a hose to use drug paraphernalia, for a hose clamp. clamp.

Golf Cart, Bicycles Golf Cart, Bicycles StolenStolenstolen from the Calvert Marina on stolen from the Calvert Marina on Dowell Road in Solomons sometime Dowell Road in Solomons sometime between Sept. 25 and 26.between Sept. 25 and 26.

white seat and white tires and one mewhite seat and white tires and one metallic blue with pink rims and a pink tallic blue with pink rims and a pink seat were stolen from outside a home seat were stolen from outside a home on Red Cloud Road in Lusby. Anyon Red Cloud Road in Lusby. Anyone with information on either theft one with information on either theft is asked to contact Calvert County is asked to contact Calvert County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher McSheriff’s Deputy Christopher Mc

Photo By Sean Rice

The Calvert County Commissioners re-ceived briefings on

Sept. 22 and 29 from the Mary-land Department of Transporta-tion (MDT) regarding alternatives for the expansion or replacement of the Thomas Johnson Bridge between Calvert and St. Mary’s counties.

The state is considering alter-natives that include building a sec-ond span next to the current bridge with either two or four lanes, completely replacing the existing bridge or taking no action.

The options for replacing the bridge or adding a span would result in a structure considerably smaller in height, reaching ap-proximately 75 feet high. The cost for the construction options range from $440 million to nearly $700 million. State officials say environ-mental and economic impact stud-ies are underway now. Additional public hearings will be scheduled for this winter, officials said.

The commissioners voted to direct staff to prepare a letter of support to the Southern Mary-land Delegation in support of State funds for the second span of the Thomas Johnson Bridge.

The a video of the expanded briefing to the county commission-ers can be viewed on the county’s Web site at www.co.cal.md.us/gov-ernment/bocc, under the tab ‘pre-vious agendas and summaries.” By

Sean Rice ([email protected])

Commissioners Seek Second

Span for Bridge


LOCALNEWS

Right now, some veterans need to travel one to three hours to Washington or Baltimore to get medical care, a trip which some veterans cannot

do because they don’t have access to transportation. To help solve that problem, the Tri-County Council for

Southern Maryland recommends expanding the existing out-patient clinic at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in northern St. Mary’s County.

Since 2000, the clinic’s enrollment from the three coun-ties has grown from about 1,000 enrollees to more than 3,000, according to report recently released by the Council. Last year, 562 veterans enrolled from Calvert County, 1,151 from St. Mary’s and 1,663 from Charles.

The Veterans Home serves older veterans, but it also has a small outpatient center, which has not been able to keep up with the need for services. The rise in demand, limited medical staff and delays, for example, of 30 to 45 days to get Veterans Administration private practice mental care, justify expanding the center, according to officials who applied for a Veterans Administration grant earlier this year.

The request was denied, and the report recommends ap-plying again during the second round of funding.

In the meantime, the network will continue to work with private providers, including hospitals and the Naval Air Sta-tion Patuxent River, to provide services.

Law enforcement agencies are already training first-responders in how to best help veterans with post traumatic stress syndrome or a traumatic brain injury, according to the report, which was produced by the Veterans Regional Advi-sory Committee.

Among those serving on the committee are Calvert County Commissioner Susan Shaw and Delegate Tony O’Donnell, who represents southern Calvert County.

There are 39,000 veterans living in Southern Maryland – nearly 10,000 in Calvert County and more than 12,000 in St. Mary’s County.

To view the complete report, go to www.tccsmd.org. By

Virginia Terhune ([email protected])

Kelly Robertson-Slagel’s family goes back six generations in Southern Maryland, but she is still meeting new people and learning new

things about the area she grew up in as a member of the Leadership Southern Maryland program, which recently

started its second year.“I’m finding out more

about what’s going on,” said Robertson-Slagel, a re-tention specialist with the Calvert County Department of Economic Development.

She and colleague James Shepherd, a business development specialist with the Economic Development office, are two of 37 mem-bers of the program, which is designed to bring a diverse group of people together to

work on problems common to the tri-county region.A spinoff of the Leadership Maryland program based

in Annapolis, the nine-month program is less about devel-oping leadership qualities and more about gathering those who already have them to focus on challenges.

“It brings people together to figure out what the prob-lems are and help craft a solution to it,” said Shepherd.

Experts speak at the monthly meetings, and par-ticipants also work on special projects, which involve looking at issues through the eyes of people in various circumstances.

Robertson-Slagel is part of a subgroup that is put-

ting itself in the shoes of a master electrician who wants to build a house near the water. The task is find out about the rules in Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles counties that regulate such a project.

“These scenarios get you thinking a bit more,” said Robertson-Slagel, who works with small businesses as part of her job.

Shepherd is particularly looking forward to the ses-sion on transportation, which he considers one of the region’s biggest challenges.

“We have the same trans-portation corridors, but it’s taking longer and longer to get to places,” he said about the burgeoning traffic.

Like Robertson-Slagel, Shepherd also welcomes the chance to bounce off ideas with people in different fields.

“I might call them and ask them, ‘What do you think about this? Does this make sense to you?”

Leadership Southern Maryland will hold information breakfasts in January about next year’s program. The dead-line for applying is April 30, the application fee is $250 and tuition is $2,500.

For more information, go to www.leadsomd.org or contact Karen Holcomb, executive director, at 301-481-2727 or [email protected]. By Virginia Terhune (vir-

[email protected])

Ratepayers in the tri-county area can expect to see a reduction in their electric

bills next year, because the cost of en-ergy has dropped during the economic downturn, officials with the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative said last week.

“Right now the prices are the low-est we’ve seen in the three years,” said Sonya Cox, chief financial officer for SMECO. “It’s about a six-and-a-half percent decrease on their bill our cus-tomers should see in 2010.”

According to figures from SMECO, the cost of buying power from the PJM power pool, of which it is a part, will run from $30 per mega-

watt hour in September of this year to a projected $55 per megawatt hour in August of 2010.

Those costs are far below those of 2007 and 2008 into the first half of 2009.

From 2007 to 2008 the costs ranged from $60 a megawatt hour to about $80 a megawatt hour.

From 2008 into 2009 it was slight-ly more expensive.

The pricing translated into cost of about $.15 per kilowatt hour of electric-ity this year, which is expected to drop to about $.14 in 2010.

Small and large commercial cus-tomers can expect to pay less next year as well, with costs of $.13 and $.12 a kilowatt hour respectively.

SMECO officials also provided an update on their project to take over run-ning the power plant at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Webster Field and the Solomons Island annex.

The plan stretches out over five years and will result in the moderniza-tion of aging facilities and utilities on the base.

SMECO technicians will install or update new meters on the base and modernize utility vaults on the base that do not meet the cooperative’s stan-dards for safety.

“We’ll invest about $20 million in these campuses,” said Ken Capps, chief operating officer. By guy Leonard

[email protected]

The Calvert County Chamber of Commerce has formed a Lead Share Group where local busi-ness people can help other industry professionals,

while at the same time helping themselves gain additional business.

Lead Share is a dynamic group that is dedicated to see-ing businesses and the community grow through the econom-ic downturn, said Sheree Walsh, coordinator of Lead Share.

“We are helping each other with trying to stay focused on the county. It’s a good way for us to keep in touch, to keep the pulse,” Walsh told The Southern Calvert Gazette. “Basi-cally it’s business owners and entrepreneurs, and we are look-ing for other professionals,”

Chamber members that are looking to build business through the relationships that are developed during their twice-monthly meetings are urged to join.

There is only one slot open for each business type, and at this time the Lead Share Group has openings in the follow-ing categories: mortgage lenders, title company’s, real estate, phone equipment vendor, corporate moving company and commercial construction company.

For more information, or to register contact Walsh at 410-903-5312 or email [email protected].

Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of the month, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Chesapeake Church, Hun-tingtown. By Sean rice ([email protected])

Group Has Openings for Targeted Businesses

Report: More Veterans Services Needed

SMECO Says Rates Will Drop

Leaders Learn from Each Other

Kelly Robertson-Slagel

James Shepherd

Michael Frederick, center, director of LNG operations at Dominion’s Cove Point liquefied natural gas facility in Lusby, presents a check from the Dominion Foundation for $5,000 to the board of directors of Leadership Southern Maryland during the kickoff reception for the Leader-ship Class of 2010 at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons on Sept. 21. Submitted Photo


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Delegate Tony O’DonnellDistrict 29C Calvert and St. Mary’s

Last weekend one of my older brothers and his wife, Paul and Annette O’Donnell, paid my wife

and I a visit here in Southern Calvert County. Paul and Annette currently live outside of Harrisburg in South Central Pennsylvania. Such a visit from family would normally not be noteworthy enough to be the subject of a column such as this. I thought this visit was different though because it had a dis-tinct purpose and highlights how life has a way of sometimes coming full circle. It also highlights how our “neck of the woods” here in Southern Maryland has impacted untold lives around the world through their service at Pax River.

My brother Paul happened to be sta-tioned as a young enlisted sailor at Patuxent River Naval Air Station some 40 years ago. I remember as a young kid periodically com-ing to stay with my older brother and his young wife during that time of his service. I was growing up in Pennsylvania. This trip was to allow Paul and Annette to get a true gauge of the changes that have occurred here in Southern Maryland over the decades. Although they had visited Lori and I a few times since we have lived here, those trips were always scheduled around other events and never really allowed them to assess the area’s changes and to fully reminisce about how they remembered things to be back then.

This trip allowed us to discuss the area in detail, and our experiences here, through the lens of time. Although families that have lived here for generations have witnessed dramatic changes to the landscape and ways of life, I think the view of change is quite dif-ferent for someone like Paul and Annette who have effectively not been living here for 40 years and then come back. I can tell you that both my brother and his wife were amazed at what they saw as compared to what they remembered.

On Saturday I had arranged for us to take make a visit to Pax River Naval Air Sta-tion. So over the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge we went. This bridge of course did not exist in 1969 and elicited long discus-sions of the nature of change and growth in this area. It also included much discussion about the need for new bridges and highways and how this area was likely to continue to change in the near and distant future. The dramatic changes obvious to Paul and An-nette as we travelled south on Route 235 to-wards the base were something that many of us have become somewhat used to because we live here every day. Six and sometimes

eight lanes on 235, seemingly endless shop-ping centers and retail outlets, restaurants too numerous to mention, service industry and defense contractor office buildings, and the endless traffic that goes with all of this made quite an impression, some good and some bad.

The tour of the base was also impres-sive. Paul is now retired from a 34 year career as a civil servant for the DOD, work-ing mainly at the New Cumberland Army Depot after he left the navy. He worked in procurement, supply and quality control ac-tivities in support of our military. He has witnessed and participated in many BRACs over the years and he was aware that PAX had grown as result. Seeing it was still dra-matic for him with all the “new” facilities and infrastructure on base very apparent.

We then took a trip to just north of St. Mary’s College to see where they had lived back then. We took a drive through of the College and Historic St. Mary’s City. We drove out to the entrance of Webster Field at St. Inigoes which he regularly visited when he was stationed here as part of a part time job for the Navy Exchange. He remembered making deliveries of food and drinks to “a little gedunk they had out there at the time” and how that compares to the activities go-ing on there today. We drove down to Point Lookout State Park and recalled how they had taken me swimming there as a kid. Fi-nally we visited St. Michaels Manor and got a fifty cent tour of the manor house by re-tired Navy Captain Joe Dick. We even tasted and bought some local wine there.

From there we went and had a late lunch at Nicoletti’s. Paul and Annette remembered when the Hardee’s restaurant opened in Lex-ington Park decades ago that it was such a big deal and was the only “fast food” in the en-tire area. We drove to Leonardtown to attend the St. Mary’s County Fair, which elicited a discussion as to how tobacco production has essentially been curtailed. They recalled the seemingly endless numbers of roadside tobacco fields and tobacco barns and how they seemed to have “just disappeared”. That evening we had dinner at Stoney’s Kingfisher on Solomon’s Island. Watermen from around the bay were coming into the restaurant for the waterman’s festival as we ate. This caused a discussion about how the waterman’s heritage and the Chesapeake Bay itself had changed over the last 40 years.

Lastly, we discussed with some amuse-ment how none of us would ever have dreamed in our wildest dreams 40 years ago that someday Paul and Annette’s little broth-er would move to Southern Maryland him-self after having served his own stint in the U.S. Navy, to work and raise a family. How ironic that he would have to wrestle with all the myriad public policy issues related to and surrounding all of the changes after 40 years of absence from the area. We wondered at how our lives may have been impacted by Paul’s service here and how many others might have similar stories to tell. Not a little of the concept of past being prologue was lost on any of us. Life certainly does have a funny way of coming full circle.

James Shepherd


Spotlight On

On Friday, Oct. 16, social studies educators from across Maryland will meet at Huntingtown High School to share stories, teach new methods, and expand their teaching

repertoires by participating in the Maryland Council for the Social Studies (MDCSS) Annual Conference. In addition to attending ses-sions about innovating teaching programs, teachers will also have the chance to learn about opportunities for their students in and beyond the classroom in an Exhibitors Hall a press release states.

MDCSS is proud to bring Mary Beth Tinker to the conference as this year’s keynote speaker. Tinker was one of the plaintiffs in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). Tin-ker v. Des Moines was a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that de-fined the constitutional rights of students in public schools. Tinker was one of three students who wore black armbands with peace symbols on them to protest the Vietnam War and in support of the Christmas Truce. For their actions, the school suspended the students. The Su-preme Court ruled in favor of the students and the Tinker test is still used by courts today to determine whether a school’s disciplinary ac-tions violate students’ First Amendment rights. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to hear about Tinker’s experience as a 13-year-old fighting for her first amendment rights as well as her continu-ing struggle in support of freedom of speech.

Registration is available on line at www.mdcss.org. Walk in reg-istrants are also welcome. For additional information, contact Scott McComb at 410-535-7248, by email at [email protected], or visit the website at www.mdcss.org.

Dr. Richard Fleming, recently appointed Vice President and Dean of the Prince Frederick campus of the College of Southern Maryland, has joined the Prince Frederick

Rotary Club. He was officially accepted as a member on Sept. 21, transferring from his previous Rotary Club in Virginia.

Dr. Fleming has more than 30 years of experience in higher education instruction and administration. During his tenure in Hampton, Va., and previously in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, Fleming was active in local Rotary clubs.

“I was looking for a college where I could, once again, become actively in-volved in the community,” Fleming said in a press release. His membership in Rotary will be one way to achieve that goal.

The Rotary Club of Prince Frederick is the local affiliate of Rotary International, the oldest international service club. Rota-

ry club members are business and professional leaders who volunteer in their communities and promote world understanding and peace.

Rotary’s 31,000 clubs in more than 165 countries and regions en-courage high ethical standards and carry out humanitarian projects to address such issues as poverty, health, hunger, education, and the environment.

The Rotary Club of Prince Frederick meets every Monday at Stoney’s in Prince Frederick. For further information, contact Dave Elkinton at 410-535-6139.

All Calvert County public school students in the class of 2009 met Maryland’s high school testing requirements in algebra,

biology, English and government. This was the first class required to meet the High School Assessment (HSA) requirement in order to graduate.

Students can meet the HSA graduation require-ment through four avenues - by passing all four ex-ams, by obtaining a combined score of 1602 on the four tests, by completing Bridge projects to show mastery in the subject area, or by obtaining a waiver. Calvert County HSA results show that 89.5% of the 2009 graduating seniors passed all four exams, 8.6% passed through the combined score option, 1.9% com-pleted projects, and no students were granted waiv-ers, a news release from the school district states.

The Maryland State Department of Education also released student graduation and dropout rates.

The graduation rate for Calvert public schools increased from 87.72% five years ago to 91.99% in 2009. Over the same time period, the graduation rate for African-American students increased from 84.62% to 93.04% and the dropout rate for all stu-dents declined from 2.4% to 1.6%.

HSA results for English and algebra are also used to determine whether individual high schools are making adequate yearly progress toward meeting the

No Child Left Behind requirement that all students and all subgroups of students meet or exceed state learning standards in reading and math by 2014.

Calvert High School did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) in 2009 in the area of read-ing for the students with disabilities subgroup. Since Calvert High made AYP in all areas in 2008, the school is considered by the state department to be a school in need of local attention and is not subject to state intervention. Schools that do not make AYP for two consecutive years in the same subject and NCLB subgroup enter the state’s prescribed pathway of interventions.

The state department also determined that Cal-vert Country School, a kindergarten through grade 12 special education center, did not make AYP in the area of student attendance. Calvert Country School’s attendance rate for 2009 was 85.2% which did not reach the required rate of 93.5%. Attendance is an additional measure used by the state to determine a school’s progress.

Students in Calvert County’s class of 2010 - this year’s seniors - are well positioned to meet all HSA graduation requirements. So far, the pass rates for this class are 96.5% for algebra, 97.4% for biology, 93.0% for English, and 98.0% for government.

For more information, visit www.mdreportcard.org.

So far it has been a good debut year for Patuxent High School’s new band

director, Brooke Humfeld, who re-cently graduated from the Univer-sity of Delaware with a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education. After only a few weeks of competing in the Tournament of Bands, Patuxent High School has scored high marks for each of their performances.

“Each week you choose to go to a competition and face off against bands the same size as yours,” said Humfeld as she explained the band competition circuit, which includes bands from all along the east coast. “Our first weekend out we came in first place out of six bands, which was really rewarding for the stu-dents and for myself. It was a really great way to start the season.”

This year’s show, called “Mundus Novus” (meaning “New World”) tells the story of Chris-topher Columbus discovering the Americas, with original music by Key Poulan.

“He’s the composer for our show this year, so all the music was originally written for this show,” said Humfled.

This year’s drill was written by Evan Doyle, who has worked for the marching band for the last few years, and the new director has also been joined by her assistant

Larry Hogan, who has been help-ing with visual effects.

Humfled, who played trum-pet for most of her band career in school and who still has a silver-plated Bach Stradivarius sitting at home, said she had been impressed with her students’ dedication to marching, which she said resem-bles a sport much more than many people realize.

“You hear a lot that it’s not very athletic at all, or it doesn’t take a lot of energy to produce the show that we produce, and that’s so far from the truth,” she said. “It’s an activity that takes a lot of energy, you exert a lot while you’re performing, and by the end of an eight-minute show these kids are whipped. For eight minutes their muscles in their core are all tightened, and they’re do-ing a lot of breathing to get the air through their instruments, and so I wouldn’t compare it to playing on a varsity football team, but there’s a lot involved in putting these shows together. It’s a difficult thing to do. You’re working on music and drill and thinking of a million things at one time.”

Patuxent High School’s per-cussion section took home the best percussion award at their sec-ond competition at Arundel High School. Their most recent competi-tion at Severna Park High School netted them fourth place out of sev-

en bands in their class. Though the band went down slightly in ratings they earned their highest perfor-mance score so far of the season.

Humfeld said it was reward-ing to see her band performing so well, but that they still had a lot of work to do.

“That’s the great thing about these students. They know even when they come in first place they’re still thinking that wasn’t the best show. We can do better than that. So they’re really motivated students, which is very cool,” she said. By AndreA Shiell (info@somd-

publishing.net)

23rd Annual Social Studies Conference to Feature

Mary Beth Tinker

Dean Fleming is Rotary’s Newest Member

Dr. Richard Fleming

Class of 2009 meets HSA Requirement, Drop Out Rate Drops

Patuxent High School Band Making Gains as They March

Submitted Photo


Alan Jackson Plays to Packed HouseThe public is invited to come out this weekend for the 32nd annual Patuxent River Apprecia-tion Days, a free event on Saturday and Sun-

day, Oct. 10-11, on the grounds of the Calvert Marine Mu-seum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year’s festival will include a “Green Village”, which features dozens of groups that celebrate the river in a variety of ways. Included will be children’s activi-ties (including pony rides for a fee), arts, crafts and infor-mation. There will be an art show, a food court, musical performances, and an open house at the Calvert Marine Museum.

See exhibits, demonstrations, displays, and education-al activities about ‘green’ products, recycling, oyster resto-ration, native plants, wildlife, restoration efforts, and more.

Free cruises up the Patuxent also will be offered aboard two historic vessels: the 110-year-old bugeye, Wil-liam B. Tennison, and the sailing skipjack the Nathan of Dorchester.

The music stage will host live performances by lo-cal musicians including Joe Norris, Patuxent Voices, Joey Tippett and the California Ramblers, Fortune’s Turn, and Some Assembly.

New this year, on Saturday only, the Bounty of the Patuxent will be featured in the new Corbin Nature Pavil-ion. Local wineries will offer wine tasting, locally grown produce from the farmer’s market, and other tasty treats will be available to sample and buy.

The weekend will be topped off Sunday with the an-nual PRAD Parade, with a one mile route along Solomons Island Road, beginning at 2 p.m., followed by a concert by the Southern Maryland Concert Band at the museum. This year cash prizes are being offered for the “Best Float” entry.

On Friday before PRAD, Oct. 9, the “State of the River Summit” will be returning for the fourth consecutive year between 1 and 5 p.m. in the museum auditorium.

The summit is titled this year “The Local Challenges of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change.”

During the Summit, participants will have an oppor-tunity to hear for themselves what the predicted changes are, and the probable affect on our climate and environ-ment. From rising temperatures to increased precipitation to stronger storms, all of these changes contribute to a domino affect on the ecosystem that has direct and impor-tant implications for those of us living here today and into the future.

The Summit, chaired annually by former Maryland Senator Bernie Fowler and moderated by Jack Greer of Maryland Sea Grant, will feature several speakers who participated in the Maryland Commission on Climate Change.

For more information, visit www.calvertmarinemu-seum.com. By Sean Rice ([email protected])

The Chief of Naval Operations has stated that the Navy Birthday is one of the two Navy wide dates to be cel-ebrated annually.

The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which the Continental Congress established on 13 October 1775 by authorizing the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dis-patch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also estab-lished a Naval Committee to supervise the work. All together, the Continental Navy numbered some fifty ships over the course of the war, with approximately twenty warships active at its maximum strength.

After the American War for Independence, Congress sold the surviving ships of the Continental Navy and released the seamen and officers. The Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1789, empowered Congress “to provide and maintain a navy.” Acting on this authority, Congress ordered the construction and manning of six frigates in 1794, and the War Department administered naval affairs from that year until Congress established the Department of the Navy on 30 April 1798.

Not to be confused with the Navy Birthday or the founding of the Navy Department is Navy Day. The Navy League sponsored the first national observance of Navy Day in 1922 designed to give recognition to the naval service. The Navy League of New York proposed that the official observance be on 27 October in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, who had been born on that day.

In 1972, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt authorized recognition of 13 October as the Navy’s birth-day. In contrast to Navy Day, the Navy Birthday is intended as an in-ternal activity for members of the active forces and reserves, as well as retirees, and dependents. Since 1972 each CNO has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of this occasion “to enhance a greater ap-preciation of our Navy heritage, and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism in the naval service.”

The Southern Maryland Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will host a catered picnic lunch for new or prospective members from 11

a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Beach House at NAS Patux-ent River. The Beach House is located about 4 miles from Gate 2 on the Cedar Point Road.

Active duty, retired, Reserve and National Guard officers are encouraged to attend this event. The luncheon will be free for prospective members and their guests, but reservations are requested.

Please call (410) 257-0439, (410) 326-0486, (301) 475-3694 or e-mail at [email protected] by Wednesday, Oct. 14. Children are invited.

MOAA is the fourth largest veteran’s organization in the country and the nation’s largest military service organization.

Membership is open to active duty, retired and former officers of all of the uniformed services, including the Reserves and Na-tional Guard. Membership is also open to the widows and widow-ers of deceased officers.

MOAA is dedicated to preserving the earned entitlements of all members of the uniformed services, as well as their families and survivors, and to promoting a strong national defense.

New members will receive a free membership in the chapter for the rest of the year. If they are not already members of the national MOAA, active duty officers will receive a free one-year membership in the national organization. Retired officers will re-ceive a two-year membership for the price of one.

Calvert Hospice is offering “Bridges”, an eight-session grief support program designed to ad-dress the needs of families who are grieving the

loss of a loved one.Children ages 3-12, teens ages 13-18 and adult family

members are welcome to attend together. Students are di-vided into age-appropriate groups where creative activities and discussion are used to assist with coping and healing.

Adult family members learn the similarities and differ-ences between childhood and adult grief and gain knowledge on how to support their children and adolescents as well as gain support for them selves.

This informative, growth oriented program is being held through Nov. 19 on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church Main St. Prince Frederick.

Time to Heal: Death of a Spouse

Time to Heal support group for persons grieving the death of a spouse will meet each Tuesday from Oct. 20 to Dec. 8 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Calvert Hospice office 238 Merrimac Ct. in Prince Frederick.

Registration is required for all programs. Call (410) 535-0892 or (301) 855-1226 for more information or to register. All Calvert Hospice bereavement programs are available to Calvert County residents at no charge. Dona-tions are greatly appreciated. www.calverthospice.org.

U.S. Navy Celebrating 234th Birthday

Military Officers Invited To Join Association

Time to Celebrate the Patuxent

Lost a Loved One? Find Help to Bridge the Gap

Submitted Photo

Annette J. Funn, left, president and co-founder of Concerned Black Women of Calvert County, and Honorable Lynn K. Stewart, Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, thank the more than 150 guests for attending the second annual Concerned Black Women of Calvert County annual luncheon and awards gala, held at Holiday Inn Select in Solomons on Oct. 3.

‘Salute to Excellence’


By Joyce Baki

Can you feel the chill in the air? I love the fall. It is a wonderful time of the year

for you and that special someone to take long walks and watch the leaves change. Throughout Calvert County – and there is a trail for everyone, whether you are an avid hiker or, like me, just like to mosey along. The American Chestnut Land Trust offers fifteen miles of serene public hiking trails at their two loca-tions. The South Trail is just off Sci-entists Cliffs Road, Port Republic and the North Trail can be found off Double Oak Road, Prince Frederick. The trails are provided free of charge. If you en-joy the trails consider volunteering on Oct. 24 for “Vine Vindicator Work Day” to remove non-native invasive plants improving the native plant species on ACLT lands. It’s a great family project! (www.acltweb.org )

Patuxent River Appreciation Days (PRAD) marks its 32nd anniversary on Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11. PRAD was created to raise the aware-ness of the economic, cultural and his-torical impact the Patuxent River has on our community. The festival offers a wide variety of events - children’s ac-tivities, an arts and crafts show, musi-cal performances, an open house at the Calvert Marine Museum and on Sun-day a parade at 2 p.m. New this year – taste the bounty of the Patuxent in the Corbin Pavilion with local wineries, local produce and other goodies. Free harbor cruises are offered on board two historic vessels: the bugeye, Wm. B. Tennison and the sailing skipjack, Nathan of Dorchester. Come hungry – there is a great variety of food vendors! Admission is free. (www.pradinc.org)

Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park

& Arts Center new exhibit is ECHO, the works of nine artists who have cre-ated large scale installations using re-petitive elements and motifs. The art is a delight to the senses. While the theme of the show is repetition – ma-terials, motifs or patterns, the art will delight your senses with color and tex-ture. The show runs through Novem-ber 8th. (www.annmariegarden.org)

Everyone knows how much I love my two “puppies” Petey and Monk. Well it seems the Tiki Gods also have an incredible soft spot for pets. The Tiki Bar will throw its first “That Dog-gone Tiki Bar Family Pet Day” on Sun-day, October 11th. The event (Noon to 5 p.m.) will raise money for the Patux-ent Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). PAWS recently purchased a building in Huntingtown that will become Calvert County’s new and much needed low-cost spay/neuter/wellness pet clinic. A variety of pet rescue organizations, vendors, and clinics will be participat-ing in this fundraiser. The Tiki Bar will provide live music and food. No “ruff” housing is allowed, but there will be some playful competition for everyone with the Best Pet Owner Look Alike, Longest Tail, Muttliest Mutt and Best Pet Trick. It’s going to be the purrfect day filled with lots of pawsitive fun. (www.tikibarsolomons.com)

Saturday October 17, 2009, Jef-ferson Patterson Park and Museum will host the American Indian Life-ways Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring hands-on demonstrations of traditional American Indian skills and crafts like basketry, pottery and flint knapping. Visit the recreated Eastern Woodland Indian Village and experi-ence music, dance, storytelling and more. (www.jefpat.org)

Celebrate centuries of agriculture in Calvert County on Sunday, Octo-

ber 18, 2009 when Spider Hall Farm, Prince Frederick, opens its doors for visitors to get a closer look at farming in Southern Maryland. The Calvert County Farm Tour is designed for fam-ily fun and learning. Visit with farm animals; enjoy hay rides, corn maze, exhibits, demonstrations, refreshments and much more. The event will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The 362-acre farm owned by David and Susan Cox is one of the few remaining working farms of its size in Calvert County. Producing wheat, barley, corn, pump-kins, soybeans and tobacco, the farm also provides fall fun with a pumpkin patch, 8-acre corn maze and hay rides. (www.calvertag.com)

L

ETTERSto the EditorPretty Scary:

Halloween Almost Here

At the Halloween event at Annmarie Gar-den there will be lots of treats, but not as many tricks.

Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Oct. 24, Annmarie Garden off Dowell Road in Solomons will hold their annual “Halloween in the Garden” event, which is one of the most anticipated family events of the year for the art center.

“It’s a very popular event. It’s one of the most well attended and people look forward to it year after year,” said Kathy Magiera, marketing specialist for Annmarie, adding that the day is being billed as a “no scare” event, so it’s safe for children of all ages.

More than 60 local organizations are expected to set up decorated booths along the wooden pathway on the property, rain or shine, giving out treats or little prizes. There also will be face painting, crafts and other free activities.

“There are no vehicles on the path so the kids can go through there safety,” Magiera said. “So it’s real fun.”

Annmarie Garden asks for a suggested donation of a dollar per person, which goes towards their Holi-day Food Basket program, to benefit food pantries of Southern Maryland.

“So it’s our way to give back to the community and to provide a fun and safe environment for the kids and family,” Magiera said.

Families are encouraged to bring their costumes and cameras.

This year’s event also features a public art proj-ect called “Nesting”, which explored the comforts of home as visitors painted an “egg” to contribute to one of several large nests along the wooded path. View the creations that celebrate their favorite things about home, and contribute their art to the ever-growing masterpiece. The completed sculptural installation will remain on view through the event. By Sean Rice

([email protected])

The Solomons Island Yacht Club is em-barking on a mil-

lion-dollar expansion project that will result in a expanded and completely renovated club-house at its waterfront Solomons Island location.

Club Commodore Gerald Eastwood confirmed this week that a groundbreaking and dedi-cation ceremony will take place on Saturday morning, Oct. 17.

The original clubhouse was built in 1944 and first used as the Solomons Island USO Club for the Navy. The yacht club took it over after World War II in 1948

and has been there ever since.The plans for the expansion

include a 2,400 square-foot addi-tion on the waterside of the club, and the existing interior will see extensive renovation, including a sprinkler system, new bath-rooms and an expanded kitchen, reports Bobby Swann, current member and past commodore.

The club now has 200 members from all over the re-gion, some from as far away as Washington D.C. The clubhouse is location on Solomons Island, behind St. Peters Episcopal Church. By Sean Rice (info@somd-

publishing.net)

Show off your creativity and artistic talent by participat-ing in Calvert Library’s

Teen Photo Contest! Drop off your work at Calvert Library Prince Freder-ick from Oct. 5-10, and come back on Oct. 24, from 2-4 p.m., for our awards ceremony for participants.

You can submit work for three dif-ferent categories: Portrait, Landscape, and Fine Art. Each participant may enter up to 3 pieces per category. The artwork may be no larger than 8” x 10”, and must be matted no larger than 11” x 14”. Please include your name, age, con-tact info, and category on each piece.

On Oct. 24, the Friends of Calvert Library will be giving away gift cards in different denominations as prizes for the first, second, and third place winners in each category. Digital and traditional darkroom photographs will be accepted as long as they are matted as specified. For more information, call Rachel Hummel at 410.535.0291.

Yacht Club Expanding

There’s a Chill in The Air

Teen Photo Contest Underway

A cowboy skeleton riding a tarantula might be one of the various decorations one might see at the annual Halloween in The Garden event at Annmarie Garden in Solomons.

Photo By Sean Rice


GazetteSouthern Calvert

You’re invited!The Southern Calvert Gazette is

your local newspaper. This page is your page.

and we invite you to submit letters for publication here the first and third Thursdays of each month. Share your thoughts about the things that con-

cern you around the Southern Calvert community. Just as important, share with your friends and neighbors community well wishes and positive

thoughts. This space is reserved for you to give Southern Calvert a “shout out”.

The Southern Calvert Gazette also welcomes pictures and announcements from you and your

family to be published as space allows in our Community sections. So send us your stuff.

Letters and pictures must be received no later than the Friday prior to the Thursday publication date. All items received after Friday will be considered for the next publication.

LET

TERSto the Editor

Publisher Thomas McKayAssociate Publisher Eric McKayEditor Sean RiceOffice Manager Tobie PulliamGraphic Artist Angie StalcupAdvertising Preston PrattEmail [email protected] 301-373-4125

Staff WritersGuy Leonard Government CorrespondentAndrea Shiell Community CorrespondentChris Stevens Sports Correspondent

Contributing WritersTony O’Donnell Joyce Baki Gerald Clark J. Brown

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

Southern Calvert GazetteP. O. Box 250 . Hollywood, MD 20636

The health of the Chesapeake Bay starts in your own backyard.

Nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) in moderate amounts are essential to the health of the Chesapeake Bay - but excessive amounts can be detrimental. Most of the nitrogen found in our local waters originates from the septic tanks in our backyards.

In Calvert County, nearly 90 percent of homes use septic systems to breakdown house-hold waste. Waste from the kitchen sink, shower and toilet decompose, creating nitrogen which can leach into the groundwater – eventually leading to excessive nutrients in our creeks, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. In a typical septic system, the household waste collects in a 1000 or 1500 gallon tank buried in the backyard. Solids in the waste settle in the tank and bacteria begin the process of converting particles of nitrogenous materials to water soluble forms – mainly ammonium ions. Dissolved nitrogen is also present in the wastewa-ter and it is converted to ammonium ion. Depend-ing on the volume of household waste produced, the wastewater typically resides in the tank for a number of days. Then it exits via the drain field where any dissolved materials can enter the groundwater. Under oxygenated conditions in the drain field, the ammonium ion is converted to a nitrate ion, which enters the groundwater and can

migrate into waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. This is a big problem in Calvert County.

Proper septic tank maintenance is one way local residents can help improve the water qual-ity in the Chesapeake Bay. Experts recommend that in order to keep your septic tank function-ing properly it should be pumped out every three to five years. Another way to reduce nutrient loading from your septic system is by adding a nitrogen removal tank. The nitrogen removal tank converts the soluble nitrate ion to harmless nitrogen gas that is allowed to escape to the at-mosphere. These types of systems are capable of removing up to 93 percent of the nitrogen from the septic system.

The nitrogen removal tank can be expensive, but through the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund (CBRF) grant, many Calvert County households have obtained one free-of-charge. In fact, since 2006 CBRF has paid for 70 nitrogen removing systems in Calvert County. On May 7, 2009 the Chesapeake Bay Nitrogen Reduction Act of 2009 was signed by the Governor. This new law, effec-tive October 1, 2009, requires all new construc-tion and replacement of old septic systems located within the Critical Area, to use nitrogen removing septic tanks.

Brendan Sweeney, ChairCalvert County Environmental Commission

Calling them “lacking in common sense” and “unnecessary,” the Coastal Conservation As-sociation Maryland (CCA MD), a group of 1,700 recreational anglers and conservation-minded Marylanders, urged Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources to withdraw proposed regula-tions that would dramatically increase the allow-able length of gill nets.

“CCA MD strongly opposes a regulation change that would increase the allowable length of gill nets from 2,400 yards to 3,500 yards,” said Scott McGuire, chair, CCA MD government rela-tions committee, during a public hearing in An-napolis. “This is a 45 percent increase and almost an additional mile of net. This increase would also lead to serious problems for the management of the fishery.”

McGuire cited six reasons why the regula-tions should be withdrawn:

• The gill net harvest quota already is eas-ily met each year with the existing length of gill nets. Frequently, he explained, there are quota overruns, such as a 108,000-pound overrun in January, 2009.

• Gill nets are the most difficult type of gear for the Natural Resources Police (NRP) to en-force. This proposal regulation would create an additional enforcement burden on the already-overstretched NRP.

• A recent Federal investigation uncovered widespread cheating in the commercial striped bass fishery, and more gear could lead to more illegal activity.

• Increasing the length of gill nets will cre-ate greater potential for lost nets, especially since there are widespread reports that commercial fisherman leave gill nets unattended, a violation of the law. This could result in fish being caught

and killed but not used for harvest.• Increased net gills will mean less opportu-

nity for other anglers, whether they are hook and liners or recreational fishermen.

• Fish caught in gill nets historically have the lowest price, and increasing gill net length will have a negative economic impact on the fish-ery and the state of Maryland.

“Striped bass would provide the most so-cioeconomic value to Maryland if they were al-located to a different gear type,” McGuire said. “Providing more length for gill net fishermen to meet their quota sooner will drive the price even lower, reducing tax rev-enue generated from this fishery.“

McGuire also ques-tioned why the DNR is even bringing these pro-posed regulations to the public.

“Regulations that do not make sense should not make it this far in the regu-latory process,” he said. “The department should have a policy against wast-ing everyone’s time. The department, through the leadership of the governor, needs to stand stronger on regulations that don’t pass a simple common sense test.”

Scott McGuire, ChairCCA MD Government

Relations Committee

The Health of the Bay Starts With You

CCA Maryland Blasts Proposed Gill Net Increase


By Joyce Baki

On Oct. 17, the Friends of the Old Wallville School will hold a dedication ceremony

for the historic Old Wallville School. The ceremony marks a new chapter in the school’s history. Built in the 1880’s, the Old Wallville School is the oldest standing one-room schoolhouse for Af-rican Americans in Calvert County.

Originally located in Wallville, a small community near Broomes Is-land, the building was moved to private property when it closed in 1934. It re-mained on the family property of Mrs. Edith Gray, who had been a student of the school in the 1910’s. Mrs. Gray was instrumental in ensuring that the build-ing survived all of these years. Over time, however, the physical condition of the school deteriorated to the point of

collapse. The Friends of the Old Wall-ville School, a non-profit organization, raised funds to stabilize, relocate and restore the school. In 2004, under the sponsorship of Del. Sue Kullen and Sen. Roy Dyson and with the support of Del. Tony O’Donnell, the Maryland legisla-ture passed a bond bill. With a gener-ous gift from Dominion Energy and the assistance of local churches, funds were raised to meet the match, realizing the dream to relocate, restore and interpret the school for the public.

The first African American schools after the Civil War were built with funds and labor from the local community, churches and philanthropic organiza-tions. The schools were poorly main-tained. Educational materials were scarce. Teachers were underpaid and classrooms were overcrowded. Class size could range up to 45 children, al-

though attendance was smaller when pupils needed to be at home for farm chores or care for younger brothers and sisters

The restoration returned the Old Wallville School to a period when it served as a functional school. To ensure the authentic-ity, the Friends of the Old Wall-ville School used oral histories collected from former students, teachers and the school’s last principal.

The structure is a wooden building approximately 18’ X 18’. Salvageable portions of the original wood frame, windows, stone piers and the chimney were retained in the reconstruction. Newer wood and the roof represent re-productions of the original construction. Using a combination of antique fur-nishings and reproductions, the interior reflects the appearance of a classroom from the 1930’s.

The Old Wallville School provides an opportunity to tell the story of Ms. Harriet Elizabeth Brown, a teacher who sued the Calvert County Board of Edu-cation in the 1937 for equal pay for Afri-can-American teachers. Her lawyer was a young man working for the NAACP. The case was settled on December 27, 1937. The result was the Calvert County Board of Education agreed to equalize the salaries of white and black teachers. The case paved the way for the Mary-land Teachers Pay Equalization Law. The landmark case was cited across the nation. The young attorney, Thurgood Marshall, would become the first Afri-can American to serve on the Supreme

Court of the United States.The last principal/teacher was Ms.

Regina Brown, sister of Ms. Elizabeth Brown, who taught at Old Wallville School from 1931-1934. Ms. Brown pro-vided a perspective on the school to the Calvert County Historical Society.

“This was a segregated school of thirty-five black pupils in grades on through seven. I was principal, teacher, secretary, custodian, and trouble-shoot-er. The room was about fifteen by fifteen feet with space for only a dozen double desks for pupils. The smaller children sat three at a desk. On days of good at-tendance, the overflow sat on the floor in the aisle and used flat topped logs for desktops. Our supplies consisted of text-books, a register, one box of white chalk, a water pail and dipper, and one corn broom. The customary airtight stove was the only source of heat.”

The Old Wallville School sits adja-cent to the Calvert County Elementary School on Dares Beach Road in Prince Frederick. The Calvert County School System will integrate into the curriculum a history of the school, and plan to use it as a platform for African-American cul-ture and the history of integration.

The Old Wallville School

*The Lusby location now has seasonal live plants and garden pond supplies.

We have mulches, top soils, humus,

potting soils, fertilizers, lime,

straw...and more.

No need to cross the bridge!

Competitive Prices!

Lumber under Cover

PagesPast

Harriet Brown


L

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25% off any purchase

(10/31 only) 10am - 5pm

Donate Dog or Cat Food,or new pet items

on Halloween Day & recieve

410-562-6516www.spayspot.org

Donate Dog or Cat Food,

This season, don’t send your leaves or grass clippings to the land-

fill. Use them to make compost for your lawn and garden. Compost is the dark, crumbly, earthy smelling material that results from the de-composition of organic materials. Gardeners call finished compost “black gold” because when added to your lawn or garden, it supplies nutrients and improves the overall

soil structure.As autumn leaves fall, hun-

dreds of tiny creatures are waiting to chew, shred, grind, and other-wise digest the fallen debris. They excrete organic matter which is food for millions of microorgan-isms. This natural process of de-composition provides an environ-ment for nutrient transfer within the soil. These nutrients are as

essential to life, as air and water. You can duplicate this natural process in your own backyard by building a compost pile.

You don’t have to be a math whiz to create a compost pile, but you do need to build the pile using a combination of “greens” (high in nitrogen) and “browns” (high in carbon). The ideal carbon to nitro-gen ratio is 30:1, but equal weights of grass clippings and shredded

leaves will produce the perfect ra-tio! The ideal “hot compost” pile will measure 3’ x 3’ x 3’. Layer carbon materials (browns) with nitrogen materials (greens), add water, and air. The temperature will rise to 130-170º F and you will be able to harvest your com-post in six-eight weeks. Turn the materials regularly so that fresh materials, air, and water is avail-

able at the core of the bin. The hot compost pile requires attention, but the results are quick. You can also build a “cold compost” pile which requires less labor, but more patience. Cold or passive piles will produce compost in a year.

Leaves, newspapers, shrub trimmings, corn stalks, wood chips, and sawdust are all good sources of carbon. Fruit and veg-etable scraps, grass clippings,

coffee grounds, fresh hay, and cow, horse, sheep, chicken, and rabbit ma-nure are fine sources of ni-trogen. Be care-ful not to add meat, bones, dairy products, oil, or dog or cat wastes to the pile. These items will attract pests or possibly in-troduce disease.

Back yard c o m p o s t i n g can drastically reduce waste going to the landfill and by using compost, you are replen-ishing the rich humus in the soil. Autumn provides your family with an opportunity to take part in one

of nature’s most fascinating pro-cesses—that of decomposition and replenishment.

Adapted from Home and Garden Information Center Memo #35. For more information visit the University of Maryland Ex-tension Service Home and Garden Information Center, www.hgic.umd.edu. By NaNcy Radcliffe

([email protected])

Autumn is The Time For Composting

By Mary Beth Gates

Lately, we have been getting questions about potty training puppies. Puppies have a difficult time “holding it” and just like a baby in diapers; they are used to just going when

they have to.Puppies need to relieve themselves frequently; as often as once

an hour. They should go outside immediately after eating, sleeping or playing. Learn the clues that indicate your puppy needs to potty.

These clues include: restlessness, sniffing the floor, or return-ing to a previously soiled spot. When you take your puppy outside to potty, go to the same spot each time and don’t play. You want your puppy to focus on one thing only during puppy potty training -- going in the right area.

As soon as your puppy potties, praise enthusiastically. Give your puppy a small food treat to reinforce the positive behavior. Some peo-ple find it helpful to have a word associated with elimination such as “potty”.

Ask the dog if he has to go potty, and after he is done say “good potty.” Taking the pup out on a leash may also be helpful; particularly if the elimination place is in the same area as the place he plays, for example the back yard.

When you are not home for short periods of time, plan on crating your pup or confining them to an area such as a kitchen and provide weewee pads for him to relieve himself on.

Accidents will happen in the training phase. If he relieves himself in the house, don’t lose your temper, hit the puppy or rub his nose in it. Your pup could become frightened and confused about what you expect. Clean the area with a good enzymatic cleaner and increase

your outside “potty” trips.As your puppy starts to get the

routine, begin training while on the leash in areas other than your yard, and on varied surfaces. When you travel, your puppy will have the confidence and experience to go wherever you need the puppy to go. Remember to use praise...and to take a clean up bag.

Your occasional training er-rors and frustrations will not per-manently scar your dog. Dogs are quite resilient. Your puppy will do fine as long as you strive to be as consistent as possible.

Potty Train That Puppy

Master Gardeners, Jean McDougall, Lin Gauchat, both of Solomons, and Nancy Radcliffe, of Lusby, present the three stages of compost at the Calvert County Green Expo Sept. 27.

“Hi, my name is Bella and I’m an ador-able approximately three year old

female German Shepherd Dog/Black Labrador Retriever mix. I have a won-derful personality and I’ve never met

a stranger. “Friendly” is my middle name! I get along great with children and other dogs but I’d be happier in a home without cats. I’m a fully grown and weigh about 40lbs. I’m up to date

on vaccinations, spayed, house trained and identification micro chipped. For more information, please email kat-

[email protected] or call 240-925-0628. Please Adopt, Don’t Shop!”

Bella


Leaders in Southern Maryland say it would be a sad day for Maryland if the deal to build a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant fell through.

Many local Republicans and Demo-crats alike are accusing Gov. Martin O’Malley of playing politics with the multi-billion dollar merger deal between Calvert Cliff’s owner Constellation Energy Group and Électricité de France (EDF).

With the question of playing politics aside, local officials say negotiations that would only benefit Baltimore Gas & Elec-tric customers are ignoring the rest of the state.

“There are a lot of different utilities that purchase power from Constellation. I’m not going to agree with the fact that it’s fair for one group of rate payers to perhaps receive a rebate, versus not considering all of the people,” said Delegate Sally Jameson (D-Dist. 28), chairwoman of the Southern Maryland Delegation.

“We need our administration in An-napolis to be paying attention to Southern Maryland. I realize that in Maryland … there are four or five jurisdictions that typi-cally elect governors. But I definitely want the administration to pay attention to the economic priorities of Southern Maryland,” said Gary Hodge, who is a Democrat on the Charles County Board of Commissioners and chairman of Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.

“What has (O’Malley) done for rate relief for the customers of Pepco, or the customers of Allegany Power, or the cus-tomers of SMECO?” asked Delegate Tony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C), minority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates, “What he doesn’t care about the rest of the state? He’s willing to jeopardize a potentially $10 billion new nuclear power plant for a small benefit, for small part of the state, it’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t want anything to jeopardize

the expansion of the plant,” said Hodge. “I think it’s unfortunate that projects of this magnitude and complexity get entangled in bureaucratic turf wars … I think it would be a real setback for the community here to not have this go forward.”

Jameson said her recent visit to France on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislators showed her that EDF is a world-class company that is building plants all over the globe.

“They’re good at what they do and we as a state need to make them feel welcome, because they are very clear, they don’t want to be somewhere where they are not wel-come,” Jameson said.

Aside from the windfall of tax rev-enues, the state would also receive added benefits, such as Maryland becoming a leader in the U.S. in the field of nuclear technology.

“We may very well end up being the first area to build a new nuclear reactor in decades, therefore that is going to generate a lot of interest in Maryland,” she said. “I certainly don’t want Maryland to be known as a state where we make it difficult for cor-porations to get here.”

Delegate John Wood (D-Dist.29 A) said that the current situation smacked of political gamesmanship on the part of the administration.

Wood said that several years ago O’Malley’s campaign pledge to not allow excessive electricity rates desired by Con-stellation Energy and others failed, and that now he might be seeking retribution.

“I don’t know if he’s playing a game. He may want to make them bleed a little bit because Constellation didn’t do what he wanted two or three years ago,” Wood said. “You know how politics is.”

Other than the first theory, Wood said, he could not make much sense of O’Malley’s demands.

“I don’t know where he’s coming

On The

Cover

Submitted Photo

Local Officials Fear Calvert Cliffs Expansion May Be in Jeopardy

The Maryland Public Service Commis-sion (PSC) has extended its hearings on the financial effects of the proposed merger be-tween Électricité de France (EDF) and Con-stellation Energy Group, owner of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.

Constellation has already received a “Certificate of Public Convenience and Ne-cessity” from the state to build a third nuclear reactor at Calvert Cliffs, a project that sup-porters says would bring hundreds of mil-lions of dollars in tax revenues, including an immediate $130 million in taxes from the merger; 4,000 short-term construction jobs and upwards of 400 permanent jobs at the plant in Lusby.

But, officials for the companies involved have said plans for the third reactor would be jeopardized if the merger does not go through. The merger would transfer nearly $4.5 billion, or 49.99 percent, of Constella-tion’s nuclear assets to EDF.

Gov. Martin O’Malley called for the PSC hearings on the merger deal to make sure Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) cus-tomers are not harmed by the deal.

The PSC is reviewing how the merger would affect BGE customers, a Constellation subsidiary, and whether the deal would serve the public interest.

In June, O’Malley proposed a settlement that would require BGE Maryland residential customers to receive a one-time credit of 10 percent of an average annual bill by the end of 2009.

State Attorney General Douglas Gansler pressed the PSC for more hearing dates after the final details of the merger deal were re-leased, which he claimed the companies pur-posefully held back until after the hearings ended last month.

Constellation officials say there have been no substantive changes, and Maryland would still receive the estimated $130 million in tax payments soon after the deal is sealed.

The additional hearings are set for Oct. 14 and, if needed, Oct. 15, in the Commis-sion’s 16 Floor Hearing Room, William Don-ald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, Balti-more. By Sean Rice ([email protected])

Hearings on Constellation

Merger Extended


Leaders in Southern Maryland say it would be a sad day for Maryland if the deal to build a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant fell through.

Many local Republicans and Demo-crats alike are accusing Gov. Martin O’Malley of playing politics with the multi-billion dollar merger deal between Calvert Cliff’s owner Constellation Energy Group and Électricité de France (EDF).

With the question of playing politics aside, local officials say negotiations that would only benefit Baltimore Gas & Elec-tric customers are ignoring the rest of the state.

“There are a lot of different utilities that purchase power from Constellation. I’m not going to agree with the fact that it’s fair for one group of rate payers to perhaps receive a rebate, versus not considering all of the people,” said Delegate Sally Jameson (D-Dist. 28), chairwoman of the Southern Maryland Delegation.

“We need our administration in An-napolis to be paying attention to Southern Maryland. I realize that in Maryland … there are four or five jurisdictions that typi-cally elect governors. But I definitely want the administration to pay attention to the economic priorities of Southern Maryland,” said Gary Hodge, who is a Democrat on the Charles County Board of Commissioners and chairman of Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland.

“What has (O’Malley) done for rate relief for the customers of Pepco, or the customers of Allegany Power, or the cus-tomers of SMECO?” asked Delegate Tony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C), minority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates, “What he doesn’t care about the rest of the state? He’s willing to jeopardize a potentially $10 billion new nuclear power plant for a small benefit, for small part of the state, it’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t want anything to jeopardize

the expansion of the plant,” said Hodge. “I think it’s unfortunate that projects of this magnitude and complexity get entangled in bureaucratic turf wars … I think it would be a real setback for the community here to not have this go forward.”

Jameson said her recent visit to France on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislators showed her that EDF is a world-class company that is building plants all over the globe.

“They’re good at what they do and we as a state need to make them feel welcome, because they are very clear, they don’t want to be somewhere where they are not wel-come,” Jameson said.

Aside from the windfall of tax rev-enues, the state would also receive added benefits, such as Maryland becoming a leader in the U.S. in the field of nuclear technology.

“We may very well end up being the first area to build a new nuclear reactor in decades, therefore that is going to generate a lot of interest in Maryland,” she said. “I certainly don’t want Maryland to be known as a state where we make it difficult for cor-porations to get here.”

Delegate John Wood (D-Dist.29 A) said that the current situation smacked of political gamesmanship on the part of the administration.

Wood said that several years ago O’Malley’s campaign pledge to not allow excessive electricity rates desired by Con-stellation Energy and others failed, and that now he might be seeking retribution.

“I don’t know if he’s playing a game. He may want to make them bleed a little bit because Constellation didn’t do what he wanted two or three years ago,” Wood said. “You know how politics is.”

Other than the first theory, Wood said, he could not make much sense of O’Malley’s demands.

“I don’t know where he’s coming

from,” Wood said. “There’s no question in anyone’s mind [the new reactor is] need-ed. A third reactor won’t do anything but help.”

Not only would the third reactor aid in production of more energy that an ever growing state needs to avoid expected shortages, officials have said, but it would also give the state an instant cash infusion of $130 million in business related taxes.

Del. John Bohanan (D-Dist.29B) said that he believed the project would eventu-ally happen but that the decision had to be made soon.

“I have expressed to the governor we don’t what to see the project derailed in any way and we need to move forward,” Bohanan said. “I have full confidence we’ll get it done.”

The Board of Commissioners in Cal-vert County, on the other hand, are starting to lose confidence in O’Malley’s ability to get the job done.

The commissioners authored a letter last week accused O’Malley of trying to “torpedo” the project with his demands.

“O’Malley’s myopic focus on BGE ratepayers is curious,” the commissioners’ letter states. “In 2008 his administration squeezed $187 million in customer rebates from the utility, yet he continues to sound the alarm on further “risks” that the joint venture holds for BGE customers. The gov-

ernor neglects to point out that BGE rates are the same or lower than other Maryland utilities’ rates and that BGE ratepayers were among the last in the state to transition from frozen and artificially re-duced rates.”

DO’Donnell said the PSC has already performed “its due diligence” on the proj-ect, after an 18-month review of the new reactor proposal,

“What the governor is now doing is, to me, highly unprofessional, where he is trying to ratchet money out of Constella-tion,” O’Donnell said. “Unfortunately, most Southern Marylanders would get none of that benefit, only Baltimore Gas and Elec-tric ratepayers. To me that’s ridiculous and it borders on extortion.”

Pundits in St. Mary’s County say that the third reactor represents not only an in-crease in economic prosperity, but also an opportunity to stay ahead on cutting edge technology.

St. Mary’s chief economic develop-ment officer, Bob Schaller, said that the county still has high hopes of getting some of the 4,000 construction jobs that would be needed to build the new reactor.

“We’re looking to be part of that, it’s another source of employment,” Schaller said. “Anywhere from 35 percent of the employees at Calvert Cliffs are from this county.”

“Your talking about the first new reac-tor built in the last 20 to 25 years, you could be at the forefront of that technology… and if we get into a political fight someone else is going to get that reactor and we’ll be out in left field wondering what we did wrong,” said Todd Morgan, president of the South-ern Maryland Navy Alliance.

“It’s almost a no-brainer.” By Sean Rice

and Guy LeonaRd ([email protected])

On The Cover

Photo By Frank Marquart

Submitted Photo

Local Officials Fear Calvert Cliffs Expansion May Be in Jeopardy

ernor neglects to point out that BGE rates are the same or lower than other Maryland utilities’ rates and that BGE ratepayers were among the last in the state to transition from frozen and artificially re-

DO’Donnell said the PSC has already performed “its due diligence” on the proj-ect, after an 18-month review of the new reactor proposal,

“What the governor is now doing is, to me, highly unprofessional, where he is trying to ratchet money out of Constella

Photo By Frank MarquartCalvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

STATE NEWSSTATE NEWS

ANNAPOLIS - “BTW,” “LOL” and “TTYL” are now outlawed from the driver’s seat for Maryland motorists.

(For the non-texters, the acronyms above stand for “by the way,” “laughing out loud,” and “talk to you later.”)

Regardless of texting IQ, a state law prohibiting most cell phone text messaging while driving went into effect Oct. 1.

“There’s just no way a person can use both hands on an electronic device and focus on a conversation and at the same time drive safely,” said Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery, a co-sponsor of the bill. “It makes no sense.”

Texting is one of the most distracting things a driv-er can do behind the wheel, said Dr. John Lee, an engi-neering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madi-son. Speaking Wednesday at the Distracted Driving Summit, a two-day conference organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, Lee said texting was “the perfect storm” of distraction because it takes the driver’s eyes, hands and brain off the road.

“I’m sure there are worse things [than texting], but it’s hard to imagine them,” Lee said.

In Maryland, more than 30 percent of the roughly 95,000 traffic accidents last year resulted from distract-ed driving, according to the Maryland State Highway Administration. While this includes not only texting but also eating and talking on a cell phone, Lori Rakowski, spokesman for MSHA, said it’s “impossible” to text and drive safely at the same time.

“Clearly, distraction plays a major role in crashes,” Rakowski said. “The texting law sends a positive mes-sage that drivers should avoid distractions and focus on safe driving.

Maryland joins 18 other states that have already outlawed texting, with nine additional states banning the practice for young and inexperienced drivers.

While the law only prohibits writing and sending text messages -- reading them is still legal -- Maryland State Police spokesman Elena Russo was confident that police would be able to tell the difference.

“Like everything else, people are going to be bla-tant about texting and driving,” Russo said, noting that a driver writing a message is clearly distinguish-able from one who is merely reading one, particularly with the full keyboards offered on many cell phones. “You can tell when someone is texting while driv-ing.” By BoBBy

M c M a h o n

(capital news

Service)

ANNAPOLIS (AP) In addition to a new law banning text messaging while driving, several other new laws also took effect Oct. 1.

Speed-monitoring cameras will now be allowed near schools and highway work zones to zap speeders with $40 fines, if they go at least 12 miles an hour over the posted limit. The legislation was particularly con-tentious, failing on the first full Sen-ate vote before senators decided to reconsider the idea and approved it.

A group opposing the law tried to collect 53,000 signatures to over-turn it in a referendum, but the effort failed.

Laws affecting drunk driv-ers also take effect. People who are convicted twice of impaired driv-ing crimes will have their license automatically suspended for a year. The state also won’t allow convicted drunken drivers to receive probation before judgment more than once in a

10 year period. Other new laws crim-inalize supplying alcohol to minors and increase penalties for violating driving restrictions resulting from a previous conviction.

Laws to protect victims of do-mestic violence, a central public safety initiative of O’Malley’s and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown’s during the legislative session, also are taking ef-fect. Brown, whose cousin was shot to death last summer by an estranged boyfriend, led efforts to take guns away from abusers.

People who have a final protec-tive orders filed against them will be required by a judge to give up any firearms. Judges also will be able to take guns away from people who have temporary protective orders against them for the duration of the protective order.

Maryland has seen an increase in domestic violence deaths, with 75 fatalities in 2008 compared to 52 in

2007.Other high-profile laws that took

effect Oct. 1:• Maryland will become the first

state to include homeless people in a hate crimes statute. The state’s hate-crimes law allows prosecutors to seek stronger penalties for those who target people because of race, ethnic-ity, religion and sexual orientation.

• Capital punishment in Mary-land also will be limited to murder cases with biological or conclusive videotaped evidence. O’Malley’s push to ban the death penalty ran into a sharply divided state Senate, and lawmakers settled on the com-promise as a safeguard to reduce the chances of an innocent person being executed while keeping the law on the books.

WASHINGTON - County health officials say they are prepared for the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic despite layoffs and service cuts necessitated by the state budget shortfall, but they remain worried about the effects on other programs.

The health departments hope to combat the staff shortage by hiring temporary nurses for the H1N1 vac-cination campaign. These nurses will be paid using the federal Public Health Emergency Response grants pro-vided to states through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said.

The H1N1 vaccines are expected to be available by mid-October, and Maryland’s MedImmune will

be the first vaccine manufac-turer to provide the vaccines in the form of nasal sprays, CDC announced.

In the second round of state budget cuts since July, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley proposed a reduc-tion of $454 million last month. Those cuts have rippled through other departments, including lo-

cal health agencies.The Howard

County Health De-partment will lay off 10 percent of its 160

staff members to meet a $900,000 budget cut, according to Dr. Peter Beilenson, health officer at the department.

“Yes, it will affect the department,” Beilenson said. “Clearly, by having fewer staff, it becomes difficult to deal with the (H1N1) situation.”

The department, however, plans to “fill the gap” by working with fire and rescue and hiring temporary nurses to administer H1N1 vaccines, when they become avail-able. Howard County will receive a $600,000 PHER grant, Beilenson said.

In total, Maryland will receive more than $4.5 mil-lion in PHER grants, according to a Department of Health and Human Services press release in July.

St. Mary’s County Health Department announced 12 layoffs “as a consequence of state budget cuts for county health departments” last week.

The layoffs which included “mostly support staff” would not affect “any vaccination or immunization pro-gram,” according to Tracy Kubinec, St. Mary’s deputy health officer.

“We fully intend to man the clinics,” Kubinec said. “This will, however, put a strain on some other activities.”

Kubinec also said her department expects $118,000 in PHER grants for implementation and personnel for mass vaccination clinics on top of the $149,000 it’s al-ready received for planning, Kubinec said. By SharMina

Manandhar (capital news Service)

Ban on Texting While Driving Takes Effect

Despite Cuts, Layoffs Local Health Departments Ready for Swine Flu

Speed Cameras Among Other New Laws

Thursday, October-200916Staff Photo


Bert E. Hubbard, 81

Bert E. Hubbard, 81, a member of the mathematics faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, for 30 years, died Oct. 3 at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick following a recurrence of bladder cancer. Since his retirement in 1991 he had lived in Port Republic, Md.

While Dr. Hubbard had an extensive background in mathematics research and the universi-ty’s graduate program, he preferred not to stray far from the un-dergraduate classroom. He considered it essential for students to be fully compe-tent in algebra and calculus before purs-ing more advanced work in mathematics and the sciences in general.

In 1992 he was named emeritus profes-sor of the University of Maryland in recog-nition of his outstanding work with students at all levels.

Born Aug. 6, 1928, in Cameron, Ill., Dr. Hubbard received his BS degree from what is now Western Illinois University. Ad-vanced degrees were earned the University of Iowa and the University of Maryland.

In Navy service during the early 1950s, he was both an explosive ordnance dispos-al officer and diving officer on an aircraft carrier.

Before joining the University of Mary-land staff, Dr. Hubbard was a mathemati-cian with the U.S. Naval Ordnance Labo-ratory for six years. He was the author of technical books and a member of numerous professional organizations.

An avid hiker and outdoorsman, he biked the many trails in the Washington, D.C., area. He loved classical music, was a determined learner even in his late years, and never lost his passion as an advocate of social justice. Dr. Hubbard and his wife were volunteers in a Prince Frederick homeless shelter for five years.

Dr. Hubbard was a founding mem-ber of the United Christian Church in California, Md. His entire life he was ac-tive in the Christian (Disciples of Christ) denomination.

Survivors include his wife Sylvia, whom he married in 1980; a son, David N. Hubbard, Silver Spring, and a daughter, Bari L. Langley, Ellicott City, both from his marriage to his first wife, Doris, who died in 1976; stepson Richard A. Rogers, Port St. John, Fla., and stepdaughter, Ronda A. Clark, Fort Lee, Va.

The family is especially saddened by the fact that 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren have lost a wise and loving grandparent.

Arrangements by Bausch Funeral Home, Port Republic, Md.

Erin Rochelle Norris, 11

E r i n R o c h e l l e Norris, 11, of Lusby, p a s s e d away Sept. 29, 2009 in Ch i ld ren’s H o s p i t a l , Wa s h i n g -ton, DC.

She was born Au-gust 6, 1998 in Leonar-dtown, MD to Dawn Marie Norris and Ernest I. Norris, Jr. She is survived by her moth-er, father, her sister Rachel Marie Nor-ris, her brother Joshua Shane Norris, and many family and friends.

Erin was a very special treasure from the day she was born and brought much happiness and joy to her family and friends. She loved everyone and would quickly give smiles, hugs, and kisses. It seemed that love just flowed out of her and people were immediately drawn to her sweet spirit. She cared for people very much and it would upset her if someone was sick or hurt so she would pray for them to be healed. She loved workbooks and markers, bubbles, butterflies, hummingbirds, and spend-ing time with her friends, especially her classmates and neighbors. But her best friend who she enjoyed the most was her big sister, Rachel. They were buddies and Erin enjoyed their special times together.

The family received friends on Friday, October 2, 2009 in the Patux-ent River Assembly of God, 45020 Patuxent Beach Road, California, MD 20619. Prayers were recited at 6:30 p.m. A Funeral Service was held on Satur-day, October 3, 2009 with Pastor Lanny Clark officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonard-town, MD.

Serving as pallbearers were: Brandon Elliott, Robert Elliott, Joey Burch, Jeff Mayor, Carl Butler and Joe Caruso.

Contributions may be made to the Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad & Fire Department, P.O. Box 189, Solo-mons, MD 20688 or Victory Junc-tion Gang Camp, 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, NC 27317.

Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funer-al Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.

Virginia “Carol” Viado, 72

Virginia “Carol” Viado, 72, of Lusby, MD formerly of Oxon Hill, MD passed away on September 24, 2009 at Solomons Nursing Home, Solomons, MD.

She was born on January 9, 1937 in Washington, DC to the late War-ren Michael and Florence Elizabeth Schaeffer.

C a r o l g r a du a t e d from Oxon Hill High School and went on to work at G.C. Mur-phy’s as a Retail Stock Clerk. She moved to Lusby, MD in Septem-ber of 1994. Carol loved going out to eat, had a large Doll and Bell collection, and loved all animals, especially her dogs. Carol’s favorite thing to do was spending time with her great granddaughter Lillian.

Carol is survived by her daughter Debbie Lee Viado and friend Michael Oswald of Lusby, MD; brothers, War-ren M. “Sonny” Schaeffer and wife Joan of Oxon Hill, MD, and Kenneth W. Schaeffer and wife Scottie of GA, formerly of Accokeek, MD; grandchil-dren, Christopher M. Viado and Jona-than E. Bell both of Lusby, MD; great grandchild, Lillian Joy Viado; and niec-es Darlene, Dawn, and Melissa.

The family received friends on Thursday, October 1, 2009 in the Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD. Funeral Services were held on Friday, October 2, 2009 in the funeral home chapel with Rev. William Davis officiating. Interment will be private.

Mary Ruth Lacock, 79

Mary Ruth Lacock, 79, of Lusby MD, went to be with the Lord Septem-ber 18, 2009.

Mary was born February 12, 1930 in Huntington, WV, daughter of the late Lloyd Wilmoth and Ada Burns Wilmoth Clark Adkins.

She was preceded in death by hus-band, Henry Lacock; sisters, Helen Litchfield Jones, Thelma “Pete” Grant Lang, Madeline Hill Robinson; broth-er, Lloyd Wilmoth and half brother James Leslie Wilmoth.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Gail and Jack Che-nevey of Lusby, MD; brother Floyd “Ford” Wilmoth of Huntington, WV; two grandchildren, Susan Willey of Annandale, VA, Dr. Jennifer Willey of Las Vegas, NV, and two step grand-

c h i l d r e n ; Tonya Chen-evey of New London, CT, and Isaac Chenevey of Long Beach, CA.

The fam-ily received friends on T u e s d a y , S e p t e m b e r 22, 2009 from 4 – 6 PM in the

Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD where a funeral service was held at 6 PM with Rev. William Davis of-ficiating. Graveside services were held, Thursday, September 24, 2009 in Spring Hill Cemetery, Huntington, WV where she was buried next to her late husband.

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Raymond Herbert, 83

Raymond Herbert, 83, of Washing-ton, DC p a s s e d away on September 18, 2009 at Washing-ton Hospi-tal Center, Washing-ton, DC. Raymond H e r b e r t ( C h i e f ) was born on July 11, 1926, to the late Lawrence

and Mary Frances Herbert in Sunder-land, Maryland.

Raymond attended Chesapeake Beach Public Schools. At a young age, he worked as a farmer before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1945 during World War II, and received a honorable dis-charge. In 1949, Raymond moved to Washington, DC where he worked as a construction worker, truck driver, and a security guard until his retirement in 1991.

Raymond married the lovely, Land-ous M. Booth, June 3, 1961. Raymond and Landous were married for 48 years and from this union were born five chil-dren: Dexter, Deborah, Denise, Deana and Derrick. Raymond was a kind and loving husband and father who always encouraged his family to trust in God. He was highly devoted to his mother. Chief lived his life based on a positive set of values: Love one Another, Hon-or Your Mother and Father, and Treat Others How You Would Like to Be Treated.

Raymond was a driven man of many talents and gifts. Once he set his

mind on something, there wasn’t a task that he couldn’t handle. He enjoyed gardening, cooking, reading, complet-ing word search puzzles, tinkering and making people laugh from his funny and corny jokes. He was affectionately called “Parr”, “Chief” and “Police-man #1” by many who knew and loved him.

He leaves to cherish with fond memories: His loving and devoted wife, Landous; six children: Shirlene Booth; Dexter Herbert, Sr., (Melissa); Deborah Banks; Denise Herbert; Deana Herbert; Derrick Herbert (Darlene); two broth-ers, Lawrence Herbert, Jr., and Robert Chambers; ten grandchildren: Anthony Ellis, Michelle Fletcher, Michelle

Crawford, Melissa Booth, Melinda Booth, Richard Booth, Jr., Dexter V. Herbert, Jr., Devon Banks-Moulden, Dale H. Banks, Jr., and Dominique Her-bert; twelve great grandchildren: Antho-ny Ellis, Brian Fletcher, Sanai Williams, Fletcher Watson, Dale Booth, Danielle Booth, Donte Booth, Deonte Banks, Diamond Herbert, Daiyanna Herbert, Damaris Herbert , Monet Crawford and a host of other relatives and friends.

His son Gregory Ellis and brothers Wayne Herbert and Russell Howe pre-ceded him in death.

Funeral service was held on Fri-day, September 25, 2009 at 11:00 AM at Peace Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. with Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell officiat-ing. The interment was at Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery, Cheltenham, MD.

The pallbearers were Dale H. Banks, Jr., Dexter V. Herbert, Jr., Wayne Herbert III, Wayne Herbert II, Willie Freeman, and Mark Taylor. The honor-ary pallbearers were George Blakeney, Nelson Daniels, Rodney Thomas, and Michael Tyson.

Funeral arrangements provided by Sewell Funeral Home, Prince Frederick, MD.

Nancy Sue Lowe, 63

Nancy Sue Lowe, 63, of Lusby MD, p a s s e d away at her resi-dence on September 16, 2009. N a n c y was born on May 4, 1946 in A n n a p o -lis, MD, d a u g h t e r of the late Jesse Hugh Trott, Jr.

and Anita Franklin Trott. She was the step-daughter of Celeste H. Trott King.

She is survived by her loving daugh-ter Stacey Graves of Lusby, MD and be-loved grandchildren Wil “B. J.” Brady of Prince Frederick, MD and Ashley Graves of Lusby, MD.

Nancy was affectionately known as grandma to R. J., Juliet, Ethan, Hope, Jake, Kailey and Juliana as well as numer-ous others. Nancy graduated from South-ern High School in 1964. She moved from Annapolis, MD in 1974 and relocated to Calvert County where she resided with her daughter Stacey until the time of her death. Nancy was a sales representative for Stanley Home Products for most of her life. In her spare time Nancy loved to play bingo.

A memorial service was held on Sunday, October 4, at St. James Parrish, Lothian, MD with Father William H. C. Ticknor officiating. Interment is private.

Should friends desire memorial con-tributions may be made in her memory to the charity of your choice. Arrangements by the Rausch Funeral Home, P. A., Lusby, MD.

Marie Holland Jenkins, 100

Marie Holland Jenkins, 100, of Hunting-town, MD q u i e t l y s l i p p e d away on F r i d a y , Se p t e m -ber 11, 2 0 0 9 at the C a l v e r t C o u n t y N u r s i n g C e n t e r , P r i n c e F r e d e r -

ick, MD.

She was one of twelve children born to the late Joseph and Annie Holland in Calvert County, Maryland. Nine sib-lings, Edward (Brooks) Holland, Rosher (Roach) Holland, Thomas (Tommy) Hol-land, Norman (Banks) Holland, Eugene (Jake) Holland, Ralph Holland, Carroll (Sonny) Holland, Annie Hall and Fran-ces Haskins all preceded her in death.

Marie attended Calvert County Public Schools and joined Wards United Methodist Church at an early age. She was a faithful and dedicated member of this church and after relocating to Wash-ington, DC she continued to worship at God’s Deliverance Center, Southeast Washington, DC.

Upon moving to Washington, DC, she lived with her brother, Tommy and assisted him in caring for his foster chil-dren. She ensured they were nurtured and cared for until they became adults.

She began her work career as a do-mestic worker in Washington, DC and loved cooking, cleaning and commu-nicating with those she worked for as well as her family. Her favorite pastimes were dusting and humming one of those good old spiritual hymns.

Marie met and married the late Jo-seph Jenkins and to this union two chil-dren were born, William Holland bet-ter known as Essie, who preceded her in death and Gloria Mackall, known as Pick. She also had four grandchildren to precede her in death.

She loved family and had several who were near and dear to her heart that preceded her in death also, two nieces, Odell and June and a dear friend, Glendi Chew.

Marie leaves to cherish her mem-ory, one daughter, Gloria Mackall of Huntingtown, MD; one daughter-in-law, Bertina Holland of Washington, DC; thirteen grandchildren, Darlene, Jocelyn, Bryon, Derrick, Angus, Beni-ta, Dean, Judy, Wendy, Patricia, Keith, Regina and Marilyn; two sisters, Doro-thy Pinkney and Louise Morsell of Sun-derland, MD; a special nephew, Fred Holland of Sunderland, MD; four spe-cial nieces, Vera, Marietta, Laverne and Vernita; a very dear and special friend, Mildred Edward of Washington, DC and a host of nieces , nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Funeral service was held on Satur-day, September 19, 2009 at 11:00 AM at Mt. Gethsemane Holiness Church with Elder Robert Watts officiating. The in-terment was at Wards UM Church, Ow-ings, MD.

The pallbearers were Stephen Col-lins, Calvin Holland, Philander Holland, Mark Robinson, Delante’ Scott, Sr. and Lincoln Washington.

Funeral arrangements provided by Sewell Funeral Home, Prince Frederick, MD.


Heal hHealth Care

You Can Count On

Health insurance reform is es-sential for our families, our businesses, and our country.

Our families are being strained by skyrocketing premiums. If we do noth-ing, the average Maryland family can ex-pect to spend nearly $25,000 per year on health care premiums by 2016, up from $12,000 now. Across America, families are dealing with the same out-of-control costs: this decade, premiums have risen three times faster than wages, meaning that health care eats up a bigger and big-ger share of your budget every year.

Our businesses are also struggling under the burden of an outdated system. Starbucks spends more on health care than coffee; GM spends more on health care than steel. American companies pay twice as much for health care as their foreign competitors—a serious handicap that can send jobs overseas. And small businesses continue to struggle to cover their workers; their premiums going up by 129% in this decade.

Finally, our country will face a dire fiscal future without reform. In 2006, health care costs ate up 16% of our econ-omy. If we do nothing, by 2025, health care will take up a quarter of our econo-my—and within this century, one out of every two dollars spent in America will eventually be going to health care.

Health care reform has been on the national agenda since the days of Teddy Roosevelt—but today, we are closer than ever to achieving the goal. All five con-gressional committees with jurisdiction have come forward with bills, and we are now in the middle of an extensive public debate about various proposals. While some issues remain under discussion,

there are many fundamental ideas that most agree need to be part of a final re-form bill.

First, reform will build on the cur-rent system of employer-sponsored health care. It adds to that system greater peace of mind for workers: if they lose or change jobs, they will still be guaran-teed affordable, high-quality insurance through a national health insurance ex-change where private plans will compete for their business.

Second, reform will provide secu-rity and stability for the middle class. We will protect families from medical bank-ruptcy and limit out-of-pocket costs. We will also end insurance companies’ deni-al of coverage for those with pre-existing conditions - everything from cancer and diabetes to pregnancy and asthma. And we will eliminate caps, so that no insur-ance company can tell a patient that they have gotten too sick for the coverage they paid for.

Third, reform will bring cover-age to America’s uninsured. Not only will a healthier country provide an eco-nomic boost; broader coverage will end the “hidden tax” of about $1,100 in each family’s premium that goes to subsidize the care of the uninsured.

Fourth, if you have Medicare, your health care will not change and reforms will strengthen the program by ending the prescription drug “donut hole” that arbitrarily cuts off many seniors’ pre-scription drug coverage, eliminating cost-sharing for preventative care and enhancing access to your doctors.

Fifth and finally, the insurance ex-change helps small business owners get lower rates on insurance. By leveraging the purchasing power that now is only available to their larger competitors, small businesses will find it easier to cover their employees.

From those who have every been denied coverage for a pre-existing condi-tion, or have seen their health care costs eat up more of their budgets every year, and everyone who has struggled with the inefficiencies and inequities of our cur-rent health care system, these common-sense reforms are long overdue.

By Congressman Steny H. Hoyer

The South Calvert Gazette welcomes comments both in agreement or opposing this viewpoint.

AT

Smartest Improvement? A Safety Renovation

Installing a new roof, updating a kitchen, adding another room to a home -- these are the things that

come to mind when one thinks of a home-improvement project. However, what good are these improvements if you don’t also renovate the way you think about safety in the home? A safety hazard can quickly esca-late and ruin all of your hard work.

According to recent accident statis-tics from the National Safety Council, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and other advocacy groups, approx-imately 45 percent of unintentional injury deaths occurred in and around the home. Unintentional home injury deaths to chil-dren are caused primarily by fire and burns, suffocation, drowning, firearms, falls, chok-ing, and poisoning.

It is important to keep safety in mind with everything you do as a homeowner. Therefore, take the time to assess these areas of potential concern as part of any home-im-provement plans:

• Periodically check your hot water tank, washing machine, dishwasher, and re-frigerator icemaker to see if they are secure and leak-free.

• Keep supplemental heating sources, such as wood-burning stoves, or kerosene, propane or electrical heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable items including drap-

eries and clothing.• Don’t store flammable items, or just

about anything too close to furnaces or hot water tanks.

• Carefully monitor the electrical sys-tem for shorts and sparks. Do not run cords under rugs or heavy furniture, and do not overload electrical outlets.

• Keep chemical cleaning products, home-repair items, like paint and mineral spirits, and tools under lock and key or out of reach of children.

• Do not store combustible materials like newspapers and rags in the basement or garage.

• Burn only dry, seasoned hardwood in your fireplace, and regularly have the chim-ney inspected and cleaned.

• Install a working smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector on every floor of the home.

• Inspect surrounding trees and cut down any dead limbs. If a tree doesn’t seem sound to you, bring in an expert tree service to remove it. You don’t want a tree crashing down during a powerful storm.

• Make sure steps, both indoors and outdoors, are level and intact. Install better lighting at entryways to improve safety.

• Install a safety fence around a pool with a locked gate.


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410-394-9000Fax: 410-394-9020

[email protected]

Representing Over 20 Leading

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CLASSIFIEDS

The Southern Calvert Gazette will not be held responsible for any ads omitted for any

reason. The Southern Calvert Gazette reserves the right to edit or reject any classified ad not meeting the standards of The Southern Cal-vert Gazette. It is your responsiblity to check the ad on its first publication and call us if a

mistake is found. We will correct your ad only if notified after the first day of the first pub-lication ran. To Place a Classified Ad, please

email your ad to: [email protected] or Call: 301-373-4125 or Fax: 301-373-

4128 for a price quote. Office hours are: Mon-day thru Friday 8am - 4pm. The Southern

County Gazette is published each Thursday.

Part Time Community Reporters Wanted

Come Join Our Hardworking Team!301-373-4125

Come Join Our Hardworking Team!GazetteSouthern Calvert

Would you like to help share the news about your community? Do you have good writing and communication skills? Do you live in Southern Calvert County?

The Southern Calvert Gazette is looking for community report-ers to cover neighborhoods, schools, events, and more in Southern Calvert County.

Successful candidates should be available at least 8 hours per week.

Please send resume to: Tobie Pulliam, Office Manager Southern Maryland Publishing P.O. Box 250 Hollywood, Md. 20636 [email protected]

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1995 Chevrolet Beretta. Needs work, will not start, I ran out of talent. Any reasonable offer probably

accepted. Please text, or call: Darrell 443-624-1278. Price: $700 OBO.

2005 Buick Lasbre. The car is in Excellent shape except we have had alot of acorn fall on it. it looks like hail marks mechanicily it will go right through

in inspection. $9,000. Call 410-326-8070.

Vehicles

Real Estate Rentals

Real Estate

This is about a 62” flat screen projection tv by Phillips. Works great, upgraded and have no room. Going for

$1000 used. Have a picture upon request. Call Linda at 443-404-8465. $500 OBO.

Green felt top pool table (good shape) medium to dark wood table with ball return at one end.

Includes rack, balls, cue and a couple others. Al-ready broken down with all the hardware. No pics.

Call Linda at 443-404-8465. $200.

General Items


� theWater

By Capt. Dale Weems

As a Charter Captain I fish a lot and I enjoy it very much.

I started as a young boy with my father in an old plywood boat made by Broadwater Boats. Fishing here in the Solomons area some 40 years ago, a lot of good memories - and values were passed down over the years with the time spent on the water with him.

There were days I didn’t want to be anywhere else and as I got older there were days as a pre-teen and teenager that I didn’t want to be there at all. There were lots of other things a young boy could get into be-sides going fishing with the old man.

He’s gone now and I would give any-thing to be able to go fishing with him again. But the seed had been planted, and the passion for the sport continues to grow to this day.

Now I have a 9-year-old son named Josh who has been fishing with me since before he was born (at 8 months pregnant my wife would tell me “slow this boat down or I’m going to have this baby right here!”).

I would strap his car seat to the seat of the boat before he could walk, and we be-lieve he learned to walk very early because of the time spent on the boat. Some of his first words were “FISH ON”.

I know as he gets older there will more things that he will get involved in like baseball, soccer and eventually girls. I’m sure the day will come that the last thing he wants to do is go fishing with the old man. And that’s OK - because at the end of Au-gust this year I found out that I also planted a seed in a young fisherman that I hope will continue to grow just as mine did.

We were fishing out in the bay catch-ing blue fish and Spanish Mackerel. I was driving and watching him at 8-years-old catch, leader and boat -- better than 15 fish in no time at all.

I made a turn and told him to take the wheel. As I entered the cabin to get something, he proceeded to let his mother know that she should be ready to take over when we caught a fish.

As he ran to the back of the boat telling her to take the wheel, to get the rod that had the largest Spanish macker-el of the day, and of his young career.

Once it was in the boat I told him it may be a citation size fish but it missed it by a half inch, it didn’t matter to him -- it was the biggest he had ever caught. and my heart swelled with pride when he asked if he could get it mounted.

His birthday was in 2 weeks so we said we would check into it, and thanks to Mr. George McGinnity at Mcgin-nity Marine Art we made it a surprise gift for him.T

he smile and the look on his face when he opened it told me that 40 years from now hopefully in this same publication there might be a story very similar to this one. The authors may be different but the last names may be the same.

A note to all fisherman out there -- pass it on!

Capt Dale Weems, Time Off Charters (410-808-3832)

A Life on The Water – Like Father, Like Son

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Captain Weems and son Josh with his big catch. Below, Captain Weems and Josh during his early days.


Sp rtsPanthers Defeat Patriots, Taitano Scores Four Times

The Patuxent Panthers returned home to Lusby Friday night, Oct. 2, for a big county rivalry game against Northern

– the Panthers scored first and never looked back in their 40-13 victory against the Patriots.

With the Northern defense keying on star run-ning back Frank Taitano, Zach Hagelin fooled the Patriots with a 15-yard TD run to open the scoring. In the second quarter, Northern’s Jake Taylor found pay dirt from three yards out.

After that, it was all Patuxent with Taitano tak-ing over with three unanswered touchdowns scoring from five yards out, then on a spectacular run of 76 yards. Before he came out of the game, Taitano scored in the third quarter again from five yards, finishing his day with 138 yards in 13 carries and a defensive interception.

Quarterback Ed Massengill was effective all night finishing 12 of 17 passing for 138 yards, includ-ing a 15-yard TD strike to Brandon Hillegas in the 3rd quarter. Jordan Haines added an 8-yard TD run for Patuxent in the 4th quarter to complete the Patux-ent scoring.

Northern added a short TD run with the clock running out. Patuxent’s Tyler Austin led receivers

with five catches for 44 yards, and on the defensive side of the ball, Francis Baker had 11 tackles.

The previous week did not go as well when Patuxent headed to Pomfret to face the improving pistol spread offense of McDonough and losing 34-14. The first few games were a struggle for the Rams as they were without their starting QB.

However, Byron Campbell was healthy for the first time this season and showed why the coaches around SMAC are impressed with him. Campbell threw for three TD passes on 205 yards passing, com-pleting 13 of his 18 passes. For Patuxent, Frank Taita-no was only able to rush for 72 yards and a TD against a fast Rams defense. He also caught six passes for 63 yards. Marcus Stout added the other TD on a 1-yarder for Patuxent. Marquez Stewart and Francis Baker had seven tackles each for the Panther defense.

Patuxent is at 3-2 for the season and will face an improving Great Mills team (3-2)

at home tomorrow night and will follow that game with a trip to northern Calvert county for a game against undefeated Huntingtown on Thursday Oct. 15. Both games start at 7 p.m. by john hunt

[email protected]

For the local sports fan, this is the best time of the year as you can get your choice of just about every possible sporting event. The baseball season is head-ing into the playoffs and to no one’s surprise the Yan-kees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Angels among others are still in the hunt. For the local fan however, our Orioles and Nationals are going home to play golf…Maybe someone can talk them into the WORST Series as they BOTH finished at the bottom or their respective leagues. But, then again, who would PAY to see it?

NASCAR has the “Race For The Chase” and the final 12 drivers are fighting for the championship with a few surprises. Mark Martin leads the field with Hen-drick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson close behind. The big chase surprise is Juan Pablo Montoya

lurking close by in third place with 6 races before the final at Homstead Miami Speed-way om November 11th. Here’s hoping ANYONE besides a Hendrick driver comes home with a championship…Speaking of Hendrick drivers, anyone seen Dale Jr lately near a checkered flag lately?

The NBA is underway with the Wizards starting the season with ANOTHER new head coach as Flip Saunders is trying to get his players to believe that defense wins championships…oh yeah, and having Gilbert Arenas for the entire season would not hurt either. At the college level, Gary Williams will get the most out of his improving team and should compete for the ACC title this season. By the way, what was Debbie Yow thinking last season for even considering letting Williams coach anywhere else?

Now, if Coach Ralph Friedgen could get the most out of his players on the Mary-land football field on a consistent basis they would be 4-1 now. But, after a victory against Clemson, they are in the battle for an ACC title. Yes, really!

The Redskins are struggling after a loss to the Lions and just barely beating Tampa Bay.

It is tough to decide where to lay the blame here. Is it a quarterback (Campbell) who chokes in the clutch, an inconsistent playcaller (Zorn) or the 100 milllion dollar defensive acquisition (Haynesworth) who can’t keep himself on the field? Or maybe it starts inn the owners box? The Ravens are playing great ball despite a tough loss to the Patriots last Sunday. Joe Flacco has matured into a complete threat at Quarterback, and is controlling the offense. Possible AFC champs?

And how can I forget about “Friday Night Lights” with Patuxent playing well be-hind the rushing attach of Frank Taitano. Calvert is a surprising 3-2 and Huntingtown is the cream of the SMAC crop sitting atop the division at 5-0.

The most exciting team in our area has to be the Washington Capitals beginning the season with 2 victories and the talented trio of Alex Semin, Nikolas Backstrom and “The Great Eight” Alex Ovechkin leading the charge. The Caps should challenge for the Stanley Cup and have built the start of an actual sports dynasty in our area. Any way we can get Ted Leonis to buy the Redskins, Orioles or Nationals?

View From the Cheap SeatsBy John Hunt


St. Mary’s County, MD.

St. Mary’s County Elks Lodge #2092 Supports the

2009/2010

301-863-7800

The Greatest Casualty is Being Forgotten...

Support Our Mission at bpoe2092.org

UpCoMing EvEntS:To Benefit Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project

October 24th

oktoberfest

November 14th

5K Walk/Run

Tickets:$5 entry fee to Octoberfest (food & beverages available)

$20 for comedy show

Nov 14th & 15th

Fishing tournament

We Thank All of Our Sponsors!Location –

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Registration at 7:00 a.m.Start time 8:00 a.m.

All pavement course closes at 9:15 a.m.$25 entry fee

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November 21st

Charity Ball(Black Tie Dinner)

Dinner: 6:00 p.m.

Presentation: 7:00 p.m.

Entertainment: 8:00 p.m.

Comics on Duty at 8:00PM Four Comedians

Starting at 3:00PM

LoDgE # 2092


By JIM ROMANOFFFor The Associated Press

Not so long ago, whole-wheat pasta tasted too much like the boxes it came in.

Much has changed. At many grocers, the whole-wheat or multigrain pasta selec-tion can take up more than a quarter of the section, and the quality and taste have im-proved considerably.

This is good news because whole-grain pastas, compared to their white-flour equivalents, are a much better source of the fiber and nutrients that get stripped away when grains are refined.

If you have a hard time switching from your favorite refined pastas, experi-ment with brands until you find one that has a satisfactorily mild flavor. Or transi-tion by mixing half whole-grain and half refined pastas when preparing your favor-ite dishes.

Of course, the flavors of some dishes are specifically created for whole-grain flavors, such as bigoli (a traditional Ital-ian buckwheat pasta) with caramelized onions and anchovies.

The key to such dishes is the bold flavors that are brought in to match the as-sertiveness of the whole-grain pasta.

Whole-grain pasta with shrimp, to-matoes and feta cheese is another delicious example of this kind of flavor pairing.

Healthy, low-in-fat shrimp, acidic tomatoes, pungent garlic, oregano and salty olives and feta cheese balance out whole-grain linguine. To complete the meal, serve with a salad of romaine let-tuce dressed with a lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette. Port of Call

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Bon Appétit

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with 2/3 cup of the juice reserved 1/2 cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 12 black olives, coarsely chopped 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon salt Ground black pepper, to taste 1 pound whole-grain linguine 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion and saute until it be-gins to color, about 4 minutes. Add the gar-lic and stir for 30 seconds more.

Add the tomatoes with reserved juice, wine, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and the

oregano. Bring to a simmer. Cook over low, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

While the water heats, add the shrimp,

olives and lemon zest to the tomato sauce and simmer until the shrimp are opaque at the center, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the linguine according to pack-age directions. Drain and serve topped with the sauce and sprinkled with the feta cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole num-ber): 494 calories; 121 calories from fat; 13 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 126 mg cholesterol; 58 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 13 g fiber; 889 mg sodium.

WHOLE-GRAIN PASTA WITH SHRIMP, TOMATOES AND FETA CHEESE Start to finish: 50 minutes (30 minutes active)

Servings: 6

Healthy BitesWhole-Grain Pasta is Getting Easier to Love

By JIM ROMANOFFFor The Associated Press

Soup as a main course is a great way to fill up on low-calorie vegetables and liquid, leaving you satis-fied without feeling stuffed.

Choosing the right soup is the trick. Canned soups can throw a few nutritional curveballs into this healthy eating plan. They’re usually loaded with so-dium, and creamy soups can pack plenty of unwanted fat.

To make your own broth-based soup, be sure to start with a reduced-sodium broth, then add plenty of filling vegetables and beans.

For creamy but low-fat soups, consider starting with a base of pureed vegetables. Pumpkins and sweet potatoes can be roasted to intensify the flavors, then run through a food mill, blender or food processor.

Beans, pureed with a bit of broth or water, also make a velvety, flavorful soup base. Use convenient canned beans, but be sure to rinse them under cold water to wash away some of the salt that is in the can-ning liquid.

Even tofu (the soft or silken variety) can be pu-reed to create a smooth and protein-rich foundation on which you can build a creamy soup with little fat and no dairy.

On The MenuFilling Up On Healthy Soups


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GazetteSouthern Calvert

&Out AboutThursday, Oct. 8

• Sea SquirtsCalvert Marine Museum: 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.

This Thursday morning drop-in program is for children 18 months – 3 years and their care-givers. In Oct., the theme is Tyke Hike! Look at the world under your feet and each week we will explore a new habitat to see what we can find. Open to Calvert Marine Mu-seum members only.

• Little Minnows: Wetland DetectivesCalvert Marine Museum: 10 a.m.

Whose tracks are those? Is that a nest I see? What ate that nut? Who made that hole? As we walk through the marsh, we will look for the clues that tell us what animals spend time here. Using magnify-ing glasses, binoculars, and other tools you can become a wetland detective too. 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The fee is $4 for members, $5 for non-members for children ages 3 – 5. Space is limited and pre-reg-istration required. Call 410-326-2042 ext. 41.

• Speaker Series- From Boats to Bones: Archaeology is in the DetailsJefferson Patterson Park & Mu-seum: 7 p.m.

Marine Archaeological Con-servation: A Never-Ending Quest for Perfection. Speaker: Paul Mardikian, Clemson University Conservation Center. Conserva-tion of large iron-based composite artifacts from shipwreck sites like the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley and the Titanic is a com-plex process. The methods used to research and preserve these impor-tant marine cultural resources will be explained. For additional infor-mation visit the website, www.jef-pat.org, or call 410-586-8501.

Saturday, Oct. 10• That Dog-Gone Tiki Bar Fam-ily Pet Day

The Tiki Bar on Solomons Is-land will host a fundraising event to raise money for Calvert County’s new low cost spay/neuter and well pet clinic in Huntingtown. Eight rescue groups will attend with adoptable dogs and cats looking for forever homes. There will be a pet parade, contests, raffles, auction,

free food, live entertainment, pet photographer, demonstrations in agility and search and rescue, ven-dors and more! The event starts at 12 noon and runs to 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11

• 32nd Annual Patuxent River Appreciation Days (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)Calvert Marine Museum

PRAD creates awareness and promotion of the economic, social, recreational, cultural and historical impact of the tributar-ies and environs of the Patux-ent River. Celebration includes free boat rides, music activities and more. www.PRADinc.org or www.calvertmarinemuseum.com or 410-326-2042

Tuesday, Oct. 13• Kids Just Want to Have Fun: Apples.

Reading, discussion and projects for children in K - 3rd grade. 7:00-8:00pm. Please reg-

ister. Calvert Library Southern Branch, 20 Appeal Way, Lusby. (410-326-5289).

Wednesday, Oct. 14• Yes, You CAN Build a Resume and Search for a Job

Participants will learn the basics of formatting a resume us-ing Microsoft Word and will learn about job searching web sites. The training will last one hour and will take place in a small group. Call to register or register online. 2:00-3:00pm. Calvert Library Southern Branch, 20 Appeal Way, Lusby (410-326-5289).

Thursday, Oct. 15• Southern Book Group: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Wild and wondrous days with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth dur-ing the Great Depression. 2:00-3:30pm. Calvert Library South-ern Branch, 20 Appeal Way, Lusby (410-326-5289).

Saturday Oct. 17• Pet Walk 2009

Please join us for a fun-filled day for your pets and your family at Annmarie Garden, Solomons, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PetWalk 2009 is the biggest pet-lover event of the year. We have activities all day long, so bring your family, friends, and pets!

Fun, Food, Contests, Prizes. Pet Costume Contest - Dress your pet or your whole family. Pet Photo Contest. Vendors, Demonstrations - Experts will share tips and informa-tion. Micro-chipping - Trained techs will micro-chip your dog or cat.

For more information call 410-535-9300, email [email protected], or visit www.cawl.us

• American Indian Lifeways Fes-tival, 10515 Mackall Road, St. Leonard. (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Visit their recreated Indian village and experience hands-on American Indian crafts and skills, archery, music, dance, storytell-ing and more. www.jefpat.org or 410-586-8501

Sunday, Oct. 18• 12th Annual Calvert County Farm Tour, Spider Hall Farm,

3915 Hallowing Point Rd., Prince Frederick.

Enjoy a day in the country at the Calvert County Farm Tour starting at 1 p.m. The 362 acre farm produces wheat, barley, corn, pumpkins, soybeans, and tobacco. Visitors to the farm can try to find their way out of an 8 acre corn maze, take a hay wagon ride, visit a pumpkin patch, pet-ting farm, and much more for families to enjoy. FREE admis-sion. Activities are free except for corn maze ($5 per person). For information, 410-535-4583, www.calvertag.com

Saturday, Oct. 24• Halloween in the Garden, An-nmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center, Solomons. (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

More than sixty local busi-nesses and organizations hand out candy and treats during this daytime trick-or-treating parade. $1 per person donation benefits a charity. www.annmariegarden.org or 410-326-4640

Thursday, Oct. 29• Halloween Evening Storytime

Wear your costumes and join us for an evening of Halloween thrills and chills for your little ones. Family storytime for pre-schoolers. 7:00-8:00pm Calvert Library Southern Branch, 20 Ap-peal Way, Lusby (410-326-5289).

Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009 (4 – 5:30 p.m.)

Monster Mash Cruise, Calvert Marine Museum14150 Solomons Island Road, Solomons, MD

8th Annual Monster Mash Cruise and Costume Contest aboard the Wm. B. Tennison. This costume cruise is for the little goblins and their families.

Adults $7, children 5-12 $6, children 4 and under $4. Ad-vance registration required by Wednesday, Oct. 28. To purchase tickets, please contact Melissa McCormick at 410-326-2042 x41 or [email protected].



Matt Garrett Rocks it … NaturallyMatt Garrett, 24, is known

for straddling the line between Calvert and St. Mary’s with his acoustic sets, and juggling his duties as both a musician and a sound tech for his production company, Meerkat Sound, which he owns with friends Matt Viv-lamore and Justin Myles.

And it’s easy to hear his sound expertise as he plays, sending clear chords splicing the air of whichever venue he’s at.

“I was about 12 when I first started learning guitar but had always been interested and took piano lessons from age 6 till I was about 10,” he told The Southern Calvert Gazette, adding that the first song he learned to play was Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising.”

Matt said he got his start playing in concert, jazz and marching band during his ten-ure at Great Mills High School, during which time he hooked up with the band Anomoly, for

which he sang and played lead guitar for nine and a half years. Since the band split up in March 2008, Matt said he’s been jam-ming acoustically at venues and open mic nights in the area.

Bringing with him some of his rock, reggae and alternative influences, Matt’s stage show might best be described as a mishmash of old and new, as he combines the likes of Tom Petty, Matchbox 20, Train, and even covers of Rihanna mixed in.

Drummer Rosemarie Stanek joins him most often, but he could perform with friends Justin Myles, Mark Martinez or Vince Lawson on any given night.

Matt said that he stays busy behind the scenes as well with his production company, Meer-kat Sound, which specializes in providing live sound and light-ing effects.

“We have 2 complete sys-tems, so when I’m not playing

you can usually find me run-ning sound and lights for other bands,” he wrote in an e-mail. “I was always interested in sound but didn’t have time to pur-sue it while I was playing with Anomaly, so when that ended, I teamed up with Matt and Justin and Meerkat Sound was born.”

As a nuclear welder work-ing at Calvert Cliffs by day, Matt wrote that he’s working on a solo album and still working sound and lights for other bands in his

s p a r e time.

Any other time t h o u g h , he’ll be on-stage with his guitar.

Matt Garrett performed at Calypso Bay on Solomons Is-land on Oct. 3 and will play next at Cheeseburger In Paradise in California on Nov. 6. For more information visit www.myspace.

com /mattgarrett. By AndreA Shiell

[email protected]

Matt Garrett playing at Brewki’s Tavern in Loveville with drummer Rosemarie Stanek.

Drummer Rosemarie Stanek

Photo By Andrea Shiell

Submitted Photo

The Southern Calvert Gazette - Oct. 08, 2009

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Transcript of The Southern Calvert Gazette - Oct. 08, 2009