House Passes Impervious Surfaces Bill: Missing Local Optometrist Found

By Adam Ross
Staff Writer
Patuxent River Naval Air Station is continuing to
outsource its jobs away from native Southern Maryland-
ers. These days fnding homegrown scientist and engi-
neers skilled enough to do the work is more of a burden
than a luxury.
With more high-tech programs already in pursuit of
Pax River, and increasing demands from the state for a
stable workforce, recruitment within St. Marys County
and surrounding areas is becoming more of a necessity
than an ambition.
A report from Towson State University shows that
after the national military base realignment takes place
in fve years, Maryland will have a shortage of residents
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Baseball B-1
House Bill A-8
Index
Photo by Adam Ross
See Job Retention page A-
Pax River Struggles With
Job Retention; Turns to
Local Schools for Help
By Adam Ross
Staff Writer

St. Marys County government offcials are reel-
ing over a bill that would levy a costly blow to new
home constructions if passed and signed into law.
The Maryland House of Delegates passed its
version of the Green Fund Bill March 21, which is
aimed to raise $130 million a year from $1 and $.50
per square foot fees imposed on the construction of
impervious surfaces. It would also levy a fat fee
ranging from $100 for homes when adding less than
1,000 square feet of impervious surface, and up to
$1,500 for homes adding more than 10,000 square
feet of impervious surfaces.
An impervious surface includes sidewalks,
parking lots, driveways, gutters and any surface cre-
ated as a result of residential, commercial or indus-
trial development that could contribute to the affects
of storm water runoff.
Im not really supportive of it, said Commis-
sioner Thomas A. Mattingly Sr. (D-Leonardtown).
Im more supportive of the concept than the fund-
ing mechanism they have developed to implement
the program. It puts the responsibility of cleaning
up the bay strictly on new developments.
The House passed the bill 96-41, and was spon-
sored by House Environmental Matters Committee
Chairman Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City).
Thirty-fve percent of the bills revenues would
be distributed by the Maryland Department of Agri-
culture to help farmers pay for reducing agricultural
runoff and similar environmental risks. Addition-
ally, 30 percent would be divided equally between
the Maryland Department of Planning and the
Maryland Department of the Environment to help
smaller local governments plan better for growth,
and 10.5 percent would go to the Maryland Depart-
ment of Natural Resources for wetland and oyster
restoration.
For several weeks, the St. Marys Board of
County Commissioners has expressed concerns
over the bill because of its impact on rural counties
where longer driveways and more impervious sur-
face is often needed for new constructions.
Before the bill came out of committee, a half-
mile driveway that was ten-foot-wide would add an
additional $58,000 on to a new home construction.
Under the bills current form that cost would be
House Passes
Impervious
Surfaces Bill
See House Bill page A-8
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
Rescue squads around the county are
looking for more volunteers to fll their
ranks, especially for the day shift where some
squads are having trouble responding.
Company 9 in Hollywood is one such
squad.
Its hard to cover calls during the day,
Rescue Squads Need Volunteers
To Staff Critical Day Shift
said Lt. Robert Millar, who was tending
the station by himself March 28. Its just
me here. I cant transport anybody.
Millar said that there were about 80
volunteers at the Hollywood Volunteer
Rescue Squad but with most of them work-
ing during the day, staffng the station was
nearly impossible during the day.
Just as much happens if not more dur-
ing the day than at night, Millar said of
the need to answer calls for service. If we
had two or three volunteers during the day
that could run [the ambulances] we could
get out most of our calls.
Millar said the lack of volunteers in the
county and his station for the day shift was
serious.
Its just prolonging getting help to
people, Millar said.
Bob Miedzinski, vice president of the
Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad,
said that the county commissioners have
started an Emergency Services Task Force
to examine whether there are enough vol-
unteers at the rescue squads and whether
response times are acceptable in length.
Thats a study thats going to be un-
derway, Miedzinski said.
See Volunteers page A-8
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
The family of Marcel Brooks is
rejoicing now that the optometrist
who had been missing for more than
a week has been found unharmed.
Anne Brooks, his wife, said her
husbands story was one of fear as
he was taken and made to drive his
captor all the way down to Texas and
then to Alabama where he was found
by local law enforcement in what
is turning out to be a bizarre set of
circumstances.
Hes pretty shaken up, Anne
Brooks said Monday of her husbands
apparent ordeal. He was taken and
threatened.
[The abductor] took every-
thing, his credit cards, his money
so all he could do was sit on the side
of the road.
Marcel Brooks went missing
March 24 from his place of work
at a Pearl Vision Center in Hillcrest
Heights after calling his wife saying
he would meet her at Andrews Air
Force Base after he went to get a lot-
tery ticket.
That call was the last Anne
Brooks heard from her husband
for 10 days as both she and police
searched intently for him.
Police from the City of Brewton,
Ala. found Brooks April 2 on U.S.
Highway 31 at about 10:45 in the
morning, they said, reading a road
map and telling them initially that he
was looking for a way to get back out
Missing local
optometrist found
Investigators looking into
circumstances surrounding
his disappearance
See Found page A-
By Andrew Knowlton
Staff Writer
There are 380,000 student
athletes and most of us go pro in
something other than sports, says
the NCAAs most recent public ser-
vice announcement. But this tag-
line doesnt apply to Jim England, a
former standout at both St. Marys
Ryken and St. Marys College, who
in February was selected to play for
Major League Lacrosses (MLL)
newest team, the Washington
Bayhawks.
In February, England was in-
vited to join approximately 60 oth-
er players for the frst open tryout
Washington ever held. He and the
60 other players were split up into
three teams for three-hour long
scrimmages. Trying to stand out in
a group that large was no easy un-
dertaking, according to England. It
was brutally cold - about 26 degrees
- and everyone was wearing shorts
so they would look tough, he said.
But perhaps England was noticed
before any of the other players, when
on one of the frst plays of the scrim-
England
Goes Pro in
Washington
Local Standout
Signs with
Major League
Lax Team
See England page B-1
Anne Brooks, wife of optometrist Marcel Brooks who was found alive
and unharmed in Alabama after going missing for more than a week,
prepares fiers for Randy Ordonio, a family friend who had traveled
from San Francisco to help search for her husband, a few days before
he was found.
Police in Brewton, Ala. found Marcel Brooks April 2 in his vehicle on
the side of the road and he later claimed he had been abducted while
trying to buy a lottery ticket in the District.
Photo by Guy Leonard
St. Marys Board of Education members meet with staff and the College of Southern Maryland Board of Trustees for one of its monthly
held joint meetings.
SectionA-
The
County Times Thursday,April5,007
ByGuyLeonard
StaffWriter
Themanaccusedofmur-
deringaLexingtonParkman
back in February as he was
allegedly trying to steal a
camcorder from the victims
carissettohaveacourthear-
ing April 5 to see if there is
enough evidence to take his
felony case to St. Marys
CountyCircuitCourt,accord-
ingtoJohnGetz,themanager
inchargeofthecountyPublic
Defenders offce.
Johntonna E. Young, of
LexingtonPark,hasbeenac-
cusedofkillingKennethWal-
terofLibertyStreetbyshoot-
inghiminthefaceintheearly
morninghoursofFeb.27.
St.MarysCountyStates
Attorney Richard Fritz has
taken on the prosecution of
Young, offcials with his of-
fce said.
Young,19,hasalsobeen
accusedofrobbingTheTack-
le Box sporting goods store
with two other accomplices,
Terrell Thomas and Cruitien
Bryant, just fve days before
theWalterkilling.
According to police re-
portsYounghasalreadycon-
fessed to killing Walter as
wellasbeinginvolvedinThe
TackleBoxrobberyinwhich
he and his accomplices stole
threehandguns.
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SERVING THE SOUTHERN MARYLAND AREA SINCE 1973
Car e Cr edi t
ByMeganHartley
CapitalNewsService
ANNAPOLIS - With a
decline in the Chesapeake
Baysunderwatergrasses,sci-
entists are worried about the
fateofthebluecrabthisyear.
BillGoldsborough,direc-
tor of the fsheries program for
the Chesapeake Bay Founda-
tion,saidtheremaybeasig-
nifcant decrease in the over-
allbay-widecatchthisyearas
a result of a 25 percent drop
in bay grasses, or submerged
aquatic vegetation, over the
pastyear.
Grasses are an essential
habitat for blue crabs, said
Goldsborough.Iftherearent
enough underwater grasses
then they dont have enough
protection and there is more
loss to predation.
Juvenile and soft crabs
use the grasses to hide from
predators like rockfsh and
sandbar sharks. Without the
vegetation, the juvenile crabs
couldbeeatenbeforetheyare
abletogrowup,accordingto
Goldsborough.
Thebaygrassesdecrease
in 2006 was due to a dry
spring followed by a heavy
rainfall in June, according to
asurveyreleasedWednesday
by the Chesapeake Bay Pro-
gram.Thedryweatherraised
salinity levels and the subse-
quentrainfallmuddiedupthe
bay,reducingsunlight.
The bay grass loss is es-
pecially important for the
work of Dr. Yonathan Zohar,
director of the University of
Maryland Biotechnology In-
stitutesCenterofMarineBio-
technology.Heisresearching
the breeding cycles of blue
crabs,whichhehatchesinhis
labandthenreleasesintothe
bay.
The overall long-term
picture is that it reduces the
nursery habitats which will
result in less crabs making it
tomaturityeitherinthewild
or the crabs that we release,
saidZohar.
Zohar has released the
crabs he breeds into these
nursery habitats or grassy
bayareas-eachspringforthe
last fve years.
But the Department of
Natural Resources says the
issue is still too soon to call.
Harley Spier, a fsheries man-
ageratDNRsaystherearetoo
many components that affect
bluecrabpopulationsandthe
department does not plan to
change any of the crabbing
regulations for this season
whichopensApril1.
Spiersaystherehavebeen
instancesinthepastwherebay
grasseshavedeclinedbutcrab
populations have remained
stable. Although the grasses
provide the best hiding place
forthecrustacean,submerged
logs and muddy spots on the
bottom also provide suffcient
cover.
Zohariscurrentlyreleas-
ing his juvenile crabs into
different types of environ-
ments such as muddy areas,
although he says bay grasses
arethebest.
Professor Robert Orth of
the Virginia Institute of Ma-
rine Science says the declin-
ing bay grasses could be an
exampleofthegrowingthreat
ofglobalwarmingandhowit
mayaffectthebay.
Ten years ago people
would have never said glob-
al warming was a problem.
Global warming is now part
of the picture especially for
eelgrass, said Orth.
Eelgrass,acommonspe-
cies all over the bay, likes
cooler temperatures. The
summer of 2005 was one
of the hottest on record and
killedmuchoftheeelgrassin
the southern portions of the
bay. The grasses, which are
relativelyfastgrowing,didnot
growbackin2006,according
tothesurvey.
However, Larry Simns,
president of the Maryland
Watermans Association, is
not very worried about the
crabpopulation.
We worry about the
overall health of the bay, said
Simns. We are not too wor-
riedaboutthecrabpopulation
because it is pretty healthy
rightnow,althoughthiscould
affect future populations.
BayScientistsWorry
GrassDeclineCould
HurtBlueCrab
ByGuyLeonard
StaffWriter
Thereportfromacounty
chamber of commerce task
force formed a year-and-a-
halfagotostudytheissueof
available work force hous-
ingandhowtoensuretheres
enough of it to retain valu-
able employees in St. Marys
County should be presented
to the county commissioners
bytheendofthemonth.
John Parlett, president of
CMI General Contractors,
Inc. and chair of the Work
Force Housing Task Force,
saidthat,whilethereporthas
yettobedrafted,therewould
be some key strategies in the
reporttohelptacklethegrow-
ingconcernthathousingpric-
esaregoingbeyondthereach
of many who want to work
andlivehere.
We need to get our
hands around this problem,
Parlettsaid.Asmuchasitis
a social issue its also a busi-
nessissue.
Youre going to want to
provide the things [like af-
fordable housing] that [pro-
spective employees] need to
want to stay here.
Parlett said that a lack
of affordable housing in the
county would make it more
diffcult for St. Marys to at-
tractkeyserviceindustryand
publicsectoremployees.
Law enforcement offcers,
schoolteachersandmanagers
ofretailstoreswereallpartof
thatmix,hesaid,andwithout
enough affordable housing
werenotgoingtobeableto
fll those positions.
Ataweekendforumatthe
College of Southern Mary-
land, Parlett joined board of
County Commissioner Presi-
dentFrancisJackRussell(D-
Point Lookout) and County
AdministratorJohnSavichto
talkabouteconomicdevelop-
mentandtheincreasingpric-
esofnewlybuilthomesinthe
county.
At that meeting Par-
lett said that a family would
havetoearnabout110to115
percent of the countys me-
dian family income about
$76,000tobeabletoafford
what he called a home that
wasvaluedatthemediansale
priceofabout$337,500.
Theprospectsforasingle
person who was earning less
than the median income for
being able to afford a home
here in St. Marys was bleak
hesaid.
Onlyabout30percentof
the homes for sale here were
priced at $300,000 or lower,
Parlettsaid,andonlyabout15
percent of homes up for sale
were going for $250,000 or
less.
The family that makes
the median income cant af-
fordtobuythemedianpriced
house, Parlett said.
At the forum, Russell
characterized the problem as
serious and common one for
St. Marys as well as other
county governments in the
region.
Its a continual crisis,
Russell said. This is a con-
tinualbewildermenttocounty
government.
I don think anything
willeverbedoneaboutitun-
less its mandated.
Parlettsaidsomepossible
strategies in the report could
betoencouragethepreserva-
tion of older communities in
St. Marys to ensure afford-
ablehousingwasavailable.
Anotherrecommendation
might be to have the county
government provide incen-
tives to developers to build
more affordable housing in-
stead of the more expensive
single-familyhomesthathave
becomepopularprojects.
Savichsaidthattherising
house prices endangered the
prospect of home ownership
for a signifcant segment of the
countyspopulation,whichis
nearing100,000residentsac-
cording to the latest fgures.
This is a big issue, Sav-
ich said. Weve got a large
section of the population that
areatriskofbeingpricedout
of the [housing] market.
Savich said that there
were several projects already
intheworkstoprovidemore
housingthatwasaffordable.
One was the Hunting
Creek development on Wil-
lows Road, with 70 apart-
ments and 30 homes that
can be partially built by the
owners.
Another is a 42-condo-
minium project in Lexington
Parkthatwillprovidehousing
in the $170,000 range, which
Savichcalledwellbelowthe
market rate.
WorkForceHousingReportDue
ToCommissionersInAMonth
Offcials fear high home prices will
keep away valuable employees
Hearingwill
determinenextstep
formurdersuspect
Section A-
The
County Times Thursday, March 8, 2007
Smoking Ban
Continued from page A-1
Rollins said, and one of the
top priorities was at least one
public park location with four
or more [tennis] courts.
Rollins classifed the two
existing Cecil Park tennis
courts as in poor condition
from 20 years of wear and
tear.
Through its existence,
members of the St. Marys
County Tennis Association
(SMCTA) have played at local
schools, but those facilities
are often congested with af-
ter-school activities, and lack
open bathrooms and shelter
from the sun.
Katie Keen, a board
member for SMCTA who had
a hand in writing the grant
proposal, said for three years
she went to Prince Georges
County because there were no
USTA leagues in the county.
But now Keen plays at Leon-
ardtown and Great Mills High
Schools, the result of hard
working residents who estab-
lished SMCTA ten years ago.
Now we have USTA
leagues, she said, and al-
though we are foored to be
able toplayat the highschools,
its tough without bathrooms,
shelter and wind screens.
There are roughly 1,600
active tennis players in St.
Marys County who will ben-
eft greatly from the Cecil
Park expansion, Keen said.
I see this as a way our
whole team can practice at
one time, Keen said of her
16-person team. Its just so
exciting to have four courts at
one [public] location.
Laura Carrington, for-
mer president of SMCTA,
and now the commissioner
for junior tennis said the new
courts would also facilitate a
softer pallet for seniors.
They will be using a soft
surface for the courts that are
better for peoples bodies, and
the needs of seniors, Car-
rington added.
At 65, Keen has also had
her fair share of tennis injuries
because of the harder courts
around county schools.
Its killing my body,
Keen said. The new surface
is not as soft as clay, but its
a heck of a lot softer than the
hard courts we are playing
on.
SMCTA does not charge
for membership, but because
they are forced to rent high
school courts and purchase
balls, along with other minor
costs, nominal charges are
levied to players when they
attend certain events.
SMCTA is a non-proft
charter association partnered
with the United States Tennis
Association.
Rollins revised his de-
partments capital investment
plan to include the Cecil Park
project, he said.
According to Rollins, the
county has already appropri-
ated $25,000 to the project,
but another $170,000 is need-
ed from the countys budget.
However, the countys
fscal year 2008 budget will
not be fnalized until the end
of May, leaving Rollins and
SMCTA wondering if the
project will go through.
Commissioner Thomas
A. Mattingly Sr. (D-Leonard-
town) was concerned that the
project did not include lights
for nighttime play, and said
it would be important for the
budget to accommodate lights
for Dorsey Park sometime in
the future.
The courts at Leonard-
town Elementary were taken
out because of school expan-
sion, but they had a signifcant
amount of night time play,
Mattingly added.
Rollins proposed lighting
Dorsey Parks courts in fscal
year 2010, but reiterated that
SMCTAs top priority is to
have a location with at least
four courts.
This spring, tennis les-
sons for adults and juniors
will be held at Dorsey Park.
SMCTA is committed to in-
volving more juniors in ten-
nis, Keen said.
Last year, not a single ju-
nior from St. Marys County
participated in a USTA state-
wide event, but with more
programs and the help of
this project Keen said next
year we will have juniors
participating.
As the person who wrote
the proposal and helped write
the grants Imthrilled with the
progress weve had to date,
Keen said. Weve made
quantum leaps in the right
direction to promote tennis in
St. Marys County.
Tennis Proposal
American Cancer Society
who attended the forum said
it would have enough votes
on the foors of the house and
senate to send up to Governor
Martin OMalley.
Local Sen. Roy Dyson
(D) is said by Avery to be in
support of the bill, which aims
to stop smoking in all indoor
public areas.
Sen. Dyson could not
be reached for comment
Monday.
The bill is a stronger
version than others foat-
ing around the assembly that
would allow indoor restaurant
andbar smokingwhenventila-
tion is in place, which accord-
ing to Avery does not protect
against secondhand smoke.
Area business owners ex-
pressed frustration at the fo-
rum because the bill would
put them out of business.
This sentiment has been
a point of contention for bar
owners in St. Marys County
and throughout the state who
do not serve food, nor allow
anyone under the age of 21
into their establishment.
One bar owner said over
75 percent of his clientele
would stop coming if the
smoking ban took effect.
I would lose my house,
my car, my boat, the un-iden-
tifed man said. Youre taking
away my livelihood.
ODonnell said he would
not support the bill, and that
the decision of a smoking
or non-smoking establish-
ment should be left up to the
proprietor.
There are a lot reasons
I think this is a bad idea,
ODonnell said. There is go-
ing to be a carve out for pri-
vate clubs, and if those private
clubs have smoking it will
drive business out of the pri-
vate sector and into the clubs,
taking business away from
entrepreneurs.
There are now 34 states
with some form of smoking
ban on the books, with an in-
crease number turning to ban-
ning smoking in restaurants
and bars.
St. Marys County Health
Offcer Dr. William B. Icen-
hower said there is no ques-
tion that restaurants and bars
in those areas where bans
have been levied have not lost
business.
Its not really a valid ar-
gument, Icenhower added.
Proponents of the ban link
secondhand smoke directly
to cancer, asthma, and heart
disease.
All 24 health offcers in
Maryland unanimously voted
to support the bill, according
to Icenhower.
I worked for 35 years in
an emergency roomand one of
the saddest things was seeing
young children come in with
asthma attacks, Icenhower
said. So often these attacks
are precipitated by second-
hand smoke.
The Maryland anti-smok-
ing movement was initiated in
the 90s when the state legisla-
ture passed an indoor smoking
ban on bars and restaurants,
but later removed the two enti-
ties from the legislation.
Avery called 2007s bill
common sense legislation,
and urged community mem-
bers to write their local po-
litical fgures in support of the
bill.
In 2006, the Clean Indoor
Air Act died in the House
Health and Government Op-
erations Committee, and in
2005 it died in the Senate Fi-
nance Committee.
Democratic Sen. Thom-
as M. Middleton of Charles
County, and chairman of the
fnance committee, broke a
fve-fve strong hold by ab-
staining in 2005, the same as
a no vote.
Merritt pulled over Crutien
E. Bryant, 21, and Terrel A.
Thomas, 21, in their speeding
1999 Dodge, he discovered
a 9mm Taurus handgun that
had been stolen in the Tackle
Box robbery.
Their arrest led police to
Young, the third suspect in
the robbery and the man who
allegedly murdered Walter in
front of his apartment in the
St. Marys Landing commu-
nity in Lexington Park Feb.
27. Through the investiga-
tion, we determined where
[Young] was and we located
him in Waldorf at a friends
house, said Bureau of Crimi-
nal Investigations Command-
er, Lt. Rick Burris.
B r y a n t ,
a Lexington
Park resident, is
charged with two
counts of Armed
Robbery and one
count of First De-
gree Assault from
a Jan. 13 incident
at the Third Base
Store in Loveville
and was a lookout
in the Tackle Box
robbery.
Thomas, also
of LexingtonPark,
faces one count of
Armed Robbery
for the incident at
the Tackle Box,
in which he and
Young allegedly
stole three hand-
guns, including
a Glock 9mm,
the same weapon
used in Walters
murder.
All three
suspects are incar-
cerated at the County Deten-
tion Center and at this point,
the investigation is ongoing,
Burris said.
Bryant and Thomas were
pulled over during a raid of
traffc stops conducted by the
Patrol Division and the Spe-
cial Operations Division of
the St. Marys County Sher-
iffs Offce.
Walter, 24, an employee at
DynCorp International, was
on his way to work the morn-
ing of his death, according to
Burris. [Young] was going in
the victims car when [Wal-
ter] came out and confronted
him, Burris said. Young shot
Walter in the head twice and
fed the scene.
Murder Case
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Before naming a replace-
ment for Forrest, the com-
missioners signed a separa-
tion agreement with him for
$58,106. Forrest was under
contract until June 1, 2007,
and was paid for the money he
would have earned under that
contract despite retiring four
months before its expiration.
At the time the separation
agreement was signed, Mat-
tingly said the board agreed
to pay Forrest the remainder
of his contract based on his
service to the county.
We thought it was a fair
decision to make based on his
service, he added. He had
some remaining time, but he
had provided good service.
For Savich, the now for-
mer director of economic and
community development, the
job is a promotion of sorts.
He will be paid $140,000
to start, and given a 2 per-
cent increase after the frst
year, Sabo said. Forrest made
$135,928 over 2006.
I am pleased that Mr.
Savich has accepted our of-
fer to lead St. Marys County
government forward, said
CommissionPresident Francis
Jack Russell (D- Point Look-
out). He brings a wealth of
administrative experience at
the national, state and local
levels, has developed strong
partnerships in our communi-
ty and has forged a high level
of respect among the em-
ployees of St. Marys County
government.
The county administrator
has responsibility for plan-
ning, supervising and assess-
ing the work of all county
departments.
Over Savichs tenure in
government, which began in
St. Marys County in 2001, he
has held a number of econom-
ic and community develop-
ment positions on the federal,
state and local levels.
His responsibilities have
spanned from business re-
cruitment, international trade,
tourism, rural development
and technology development.
Currently, he is a member
of the executive committee of
the Southern Maryland Navy
Alliance, president of the
MarylandEconomic Develop-
ment Association and member
of the board of directors to the
St. Marys County Chamber
of Commerce, the St. Marys
County Community Devel-
opment Corporation and the
Southern Maryland Economic
Development Association.
Countys Hotseat
Photo by Andrew Knowlton
Greenview Knolls students in Mrs. Harrison Foxs second grade class participate in the Fluoride Program.
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The
County Times Section A -
Annapolis Buzz
By Adam Ross
Staff Writer

Jessicas Law Revisited and Strengthened
After a long two-year battle in the Maryland General Assembly, both chambers have passed
tougher sentencing laws on convicted pedophiles.
The House unanimously approved a tightened Jessicas Bill and so did the Senate with a
43-3 vote.
The tightened legislation will deny parole to frst-degree rape offenders when the victim is
under age 13. Last years bill passed during a special session set mandatory minimum prison
sentences of 25 years for frst-degree offenders and 20 years for second-degree offenders, but
was criticized by key supporters for stripping down key elements, like the parole provision.
Previously, a 25-year sentence could be reduced by about four years for good behavior.
Jessicas Law is named for Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was brutally raped
and killed by a registered sex offender in 2005.
Delegate Anthony J. ODonnell (R) and Senator Nancy Jabcobs led the charge for last years
version of Jessicas Law.
General Assembly Extinguishes Smoking in Bars and
Restaurants
An indoor smoking bans passed the Senate and House amid a growing standard around the
state, which saw individual counties, and Baltimore City take up its own smoking ban.
The House overwhelmingly passed the measure with a 98-40 vote, and the Senate followed
suit two days later with a 33 to 13 vote.
Local Delegates, Anthony J. ODonnell (R) and John F. Wood, Jr. (R) voted against the mea-
sure, while Del. John L. Bohanan, Jr. (D) voted in favor.
Local Sen. Roy Dyson (D) voted in favor of the bill, and Gov. Martin OMalley (D) has pledged
to sign whatever comes out of committee, after both chambers hash out key differences.
The two versions of the bill vary greatly. The Senate exempted private clubs and fraternal
organizations, and included an economic hardship waiver to bars and restaurants, which allows
them to regain smoking privileges if they can prove a degree of economic decline from the
ban.
The Houses version meanwhile does not exempt private clubs, and leaves the decision of
issuing the hardship waivers to the state department, rather than the Senates choice to leave the
decision to county health offcials.
With only a week left in the General Assembly session, lawmakers said they are confdent
they can come to an agreement quickly.
The Baltimore City Council passed its own bill last month, which will take effect in
January.
Baltimore followed the footsteps of Montgomery, Prince Georges, Howard, Charles and
Talbot counties, who in recent years have passed similar bans on smoking.
However, over the previous two legislative sessions, a statewide initiative had failed to make
it out of committee.
Possible Rebirth of the Electoral College
In response to a grass roots effort to end the Electoral Colleges reign on the presidential
election, the Maryland Senate approved a bill March 28 that would award its electoral votes to
the winner of the nationwide popular vote.
The Senate voted 29-17 in favor of the bill, which will now move to the House of
Delegates.
If passed there, a spokesman for Gov. Martin OMalley said he would sign it.
Maryland could become the frst state to sign onto the idea, and if passed by enough other
states, the law would make the Electoral College irrelevant.
Dyson voted in favor of the bill.
It would also prevent a similar occurrence of the 2000 Election, where Republican George
W. Bush won the election despite earning less popular votes than opponent, Democrat Al Gore.
Bills Co-Sponsored by Local Democratic Sen. Roy Dyson in the
42rd Congress:
Senate Bill 186
Entitled: Solar Energy Grant Fund
Committee: Finance
Synopsis: Establishing a Solar Energy Grant Fund to be administered by the Maryland
Energy Administration, subject to oversight by the Public Service Commission; specifying the
sources of the Fund; authorizing the Fund to be used for grants to eligible projects; providing that
money expended from the Fund is supplemental to funding that otherwise would be appropri-
ated for the Solar Energy Grant Program; etc.
Senate Bill 217
Entitled: Vehicle Laws Special and Commemorative Registration Plates
Action: Passed Senate with a 47-0 vote.
Synopsis: Repealing the authority of the Motor Vehicle Administration to issue specifed
special commemorative registration plates for Class B (for hire) vehicles; altering the termina-
tion date for the Chesapeake Bay Commemorative License Plate and the special registration
plate honoring State agriculture; and repealing the termination date for specifed provisions re-
lated to the design of and renewal fees for the Chesapeake Bay Commemorative License Plate.
Senate Bill 226
Entitled: Vehicle Laws Protective Headgear Requirement for Motorcycle Riders
Exceptions
Committee: Judicial Procceedings
Synopsis: Providing exceptions to the prohibition against operating or riding on a motor-
cycle without protective headgear.
Senate Bill 227
Entitled: Campaign Finance Affliated Business Entities Attribution of Contributions
Committee: Education Health and Environmental Affairs
Synopsis: Requiring that campaign fnance contributions by two or more business entities
be attributed to one business entity if one is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another or if the busi-
ness entities are owned or controlled by at least 80% of the same individuals; defning the term
business entity to include a corporation, a general or limited partnership, a limited liability
company, or a real estate investment trust.
Mothers Day is coming!
On May 3, 2007 The Count y Ti mes w i l l
publ i sh a speci al pul l - out sect i on t o
honor Mot her s Day!
We w oul d l i k e you t o w r i t e t o us i n 50
w or ds or l ess, w hy your mot her ,
gr andmot her , aunt , si st er , et c. ar e so
speci al t o you.
Mail To:
43251 Rescue Lane, P.O. Box 250
Hollywood, Maryland 20636
Or Email To:
eileenmcdonald@countytimes.net
Deadline for copy
is April 12th.
Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, sitting at center, signs legislation giving SMECO indefnite authority to procure
long-term energy contracts. Seated (at left) are Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and (at right) House
Speaker Michael Busch. Standing are, from left: Del. Sue Kullen from Calvert County; Mark MacDougall, SMECO,
Vice President, External Affairs, and General Counsel; SMECO Board Secretary-Treasurer Kenneth Dyson; Del.
John Bohanan of St. Marys County; SMECO Director James Richards; Dave Foggo, SMECO, Government and
Public Affairs Manager; and Del. Sally Jameson from Charles County.
Photo by Adam Ross
Route 5
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SectionA-
The
Editorial&Opinion
P.O.Box250Hollywood,Maryland20636
News, advertising, circulation, classifeds: 301-373-4125
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Tobie Pulliam - Offce Manager...........................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net
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LetterstotheEditor
Ifyouwishtosendalettertotheeditor,pleaseincludeyourname,addressandphone
number for confrmation purposes. We will only publish your name and city of residence.
We can withhold your name by request if circumstances merit it.
We must receive all letters by Monday morning for publication in the next issue. Any letter
received later than Monday will be held for the following issue.
ByAdamRoss
StaffWriter
The Maryland General
Assembly is in its last week of
a legislative session that has
gave way to decisive legisla-
tion and quasi-powerful ges-
tures including a public apol-
ogy by lawmakers for slavery.
Maryland is the second
state to make a formal apolo-
gy for slavery, after Virginia.
Im not an African Amer-
ican, and I dont have a family
history of slavery, so I wont
pretend or assume to know
the feelings of those this apol-
ogy directly effects.
But while an apology
might be a welcomed sound to
some, or long over due as re-
cently described by lawmak-
ers,tomeitsanembodiment
of empty words.
The cruelties and injus-
tices imposed on blacks are
beyond the state of apology
- time for that isnt just over
due, its expired.
The apology is narrow-
minded because its not fol-
lowed by any legislative ac-
tion to curb the sociological
bent that is so clearly defned
by our concentrated popula-
tionsof
poor and uneducated black
citizens.
Granted not all blacks are
thisway,andthetransforma-
tion of human rights from the
early 20th century to now is
remarkable in its own right.
Weve come a long way. But
we havent come far enough.
The power that makes us
great, is that we are a melting
potofdifferencethathashar-
monized and grown. Being
such,thereisnoroomforthe
gross inadequacies our black,
and other minority popula-
tions endure daily.
Unfortunately, not every-
one can start off on the right
foot as I did. When I was
growing up I had every op-
portunity to develop socially
and educationally. My school
was clean and stocked, my
books were updated and I al-
ways had after school activi-
ties to keep myself busy and
out of trouble. I had access
to tutors and mentors and a
college education. Because I
grew up in a family that had
achieved fnancial stability,
I was afforded every oppor-
tunity to make something of
myself. But maybe just as
importantly, my parents took
an invested interest in my
childhood.
For most minorities, an
invested interest is all they
have. Urban public schools
aremostalwaysinshambles;
drugs and violence dominate
the streets and the minds of
our youth. Smart minority
students leave school without
ever learning to read, and jobs
beyond slinging cheeseburg-
ersatyourlocalfastfoodjoint
are increasingly diffcult to
fnd.
Namely blacks, arent
in this predicament because
they asked for it. Theyre in
it because America put them
there. I realize this is a touchy
subject for some. The lay-
ers of social impoverishment
run very deep, the reasons for
continued instability could
be debated over the rise and
fall of many suns. But one
coldhearted undeniable fact
is blacks have only had true
freedom for a little over forty
years. It takes some of us for-
ty years to establish a career,
let alone a culture of equality.
And while the General
Assemblys acknowledgment
of slavery was most certainly
a positive step in a movement
that is still ongoing, its signif-
cance would be far better re-
alized if plans and legislation
were set fourth to level the
playing feld.
And it starts with educa-
tion in our public schools. It
means everything to these
children to develop the nec-
essary skills to compete in
a world that is already tilted
against them.
A positive education can
make all the difference in a
childs life. But for a school
systeminBaltimoreCitythat
just implemented $1 million
for more school police and
$1.8 million for more hall
monitors to combat gang vio-
lence, learning isnt always
whats on students minds.
If one grows up in a cul-
ture of violence, then more
often than not they will fnd
themselves on the verge of
similar behavior. This is a
common sentiment found
among most studies in social
science. Therefore, the idea of
slavery in a time that wasnt all
that long ago, along with the
culture of violence it produced
is still infecting later genera-
tions. We cant throw money
at our social inadequacies any
morethanwecanthrowapol-
ogy letters around and expect
things to get better.
But now that Maryland
has publicly acknowledged
its role in one of the worlds
greatest injustices, how about
more money, more programs,
more vision and more thought
to truly embracing our black
citizens of this country.
Big City Boy, Small Town Heart
An
Empty
Apology
To the Editor:
There was an article
printed a few ago regarding
St. Marys Nursing Center. As
I was reading it, I had memo-
ries of my Grandmother who
passed away in September of
2006. What I was reading did
not sound like the St. Marys
Nursing Center that I know
from experience.
My grandmother was
living independently in her
homeuntilJuly3,2006,when
herphysicianandafewfam-
ily members decided that it
would be easier if she were
moved to a place with round-
the-clock care. That was
when her nightmare began.
I visited my grandmother
every day so that I could see
when she had the care that
was promised, but everyday
I observed things chang-
ing for the worst. Most of
the time I would visit during
the dinner hour and that is
when I noticed that some of
the residents could not feed
themselves. Unfortunately, if
their loved ones werent there
tohelpfeedthem,theywould
have to wait for an aide, and
by then their food was cold.
When it was time to go to bed,
the aides and nurses were ei-
ther in a back room eating or
they were going out to bring
food back. It seemed odd to
me that everyone on the staff
would eat at the same time.
Ifeltreallybadfortheim-
mobile residents. They had to
wait until a nurse or aide felt
like putting them to bed and
if they had soiled themselves
they had to wait, too. I recall
once when my grandmother
needed to be changed, I was
told that her aide had to do
it, but that she was taking a
smoke break and would do
so after she came back in.
Needless to say, 30 minutes
later my grandmother was
still waiting to be changed.
My grandmother suffered
a massive stroke two weeks
after moving to the St. Marys
Nursing Center, but when she
moved there she was of sound
mind. She told me three days
after arriving that if youre
not crazy when you get here,
youll be crazy when you get
out if you ever get out.
Unfortunately for my grand-
mother, she had to die to get
out.
Iwishthatthepeoplewho
work in nursing homes or cen-
ters would put themselves in
the residents shoes because
one day they may fnd them-
selves in the same situation.
Frances & Mary Ann
Jordan
To the Editor:
In response to the March
29 Letter to the Editor Smok-
ing Ban: The Big Lie.
As a child, I remember
being told to go upstairs. Ev-
eryone else was downstairs
watching TV. I hadnt done
anything wrong, but I had se-
vere asthma and my dad want-
ed cigarette. Some years later,
I had outgrown my asthmatic
problemsandbecauseofpeer
pressure began to smoke my-
self; frst it was a puff to show
my trustworthiness. Then
a whole cigarette. Within a
few years I was smoking two
packs a day and found it hard
not to smoke more.
One day, in 1982, I was
lighting up again and began
coughing. I had just put out
a cigarette and slowly, play-
ing with the pack, opened it
and pulled one out, but now
I couldnt light it. For a few
minutesIcontinuedtotry,but
I couldnt breathe deep enough
to light it. I began twirling it
in my fngers and thinking
about how foolish this was. I
couldnt breathe as a kid and
now here I am causing myself
to be unable to breathe. I set
down the new pack and the
cigarette on my coffee table
and it stayed there for six
monthsasareminderofwhyI
didnt want to smoke.
In 1990, I was bartend-
ing and had to quit my job
because I began to become ill
from the second hand smoke.
And now it is impossible for
me to go to any smoking es-
tablishment, I cant even go to
hearmyfriendsbandbecause
they only play in bars.
No big deal, I work with
Deaf Blind people who have
bigger sob stories, so you cant
do the things you used to en-
joy, you shouldnt stop others.
There is a big difference,
noonecausestheDeafBlind
to be unable to do things, but
smoking sometimes causes
me major problems. This
goes further than restaurants
and bars that I can choose to
avoid. I went to a restaurant
I thought was non-smoking,
they didnt ask me smoking
or non. I was seated next to
a table with three cigarettes
burning and before I realized,
it was too late. I moved, but I
was sick for two days.
I am not the only one, I
know many people, young,
oldandinbetweenwhosuffer
as well.
In an editorial to The
County Times, Daniel Wilson
said that the farmers and to-
baccoindustrywillsufferand
people will lose jobs if smok-
ing is banned. Do they really
think thats a good reason to
allow people to make others
sick?
Look at the Bible. In Acts
Chapter 19, Paul was putting
the idol makers out of busi-
ness by converting people to
Christianity and for that they
tried to stone him. Wow, per-
haps the horse and buggy sell-
ers should have stoned Henry
Ford for converting people to
cars. Sometimes it feels that
people want to stone people
like me who want to convert
pubic places into smoke free
places. I dont want to stone
anyone. I just want to breathe.
Mr. Wilson also said that
the government would lose
revenue, but what about the
health savings? Theres no
waytocalculatehowthatwill
translate into dollars. But
even if it is a loss, arent some
things worth losing? I know
how it feels to want a cigarette
and I know even more how
it feels to want to breathe.
Please, please, please, stop
smoking in public places.
Marcia Lent
Loveville, MD
The face of politics and
garbage some would say
they are already indistinguish-
able in St. Marys County
has been forever changed as
the Commissioners recently
decided to approve a county-
wide fee for residents who
take their trash to the six con-
venience centers.
This is unprecedented in
acountywheretheburdenof
trash has always come from
the general tax fund, and has
never been directly placed on
the shoulders of the citizens.
And having gotten away
with this, it is certain that
morefeesofthistypewillbe
forthcoming. If there is one
thing our elected offcials are
good at, it is spending more of
our hard earned money than
they take in taxes.
It is a travesty that this fee
is even needed this year. One
year ago, the previous board
of Commissioners found
themselves with a nearly
$20 million surplus. At the
time, Commission President
Thomas McKay was beating
the drum to take as much of
that money as possible, and
refund it to the taxpayers. His
criticsdecriedthisasanelec-
tion year stunt, but the fact
remains that underlying point
was valid. He warned that if
the county government spent
that surplus, it would end up
becoming a permanent part
of the budget, and that as time
went on, the budget would
continue to go up to unsus-
tainable levels.
One year later, and this
has come to pass. After hold-
ing the line on county gov-
ernment growth for three
years, last year opened the
foodgates, and this year the
requests piled on. The school
board alone submitted a re-
quest for an additional $20
million above what they were
allocated,andwanted90new
positions added to the budget.
Given that the student popula-
tion is growing by about the
same number, this creates
quite a ratio for the schools.
But its not just the school
board, it is every department
in government and every
group that receives money
from the county in any way.
Everyone wants more money.
And knowing how much larg-
er the budget is than two years
ago, everyone wants a cut of
that larger pie.
So the Commissioners
set to work and come up with
a new budget for Fiscal Year
2008, but after giving many of
the departments and groups a
signifcant portion of their re-
quests, they found themselves
needing to close a budget gap
of nearly $2 million.
It was at this point that
Commissioner Larry Jarboe
proposed a $60 transfer fee
for garbage in the county. A
move that was approved by
the board and added to the
budget. Thus, the inability of
the commissioners to spend
withintheirmeanshasledto
an additional fee for the resi-
dent of the county. And for the
frst time, we will now pay the
government additional money
to provide the same service
we used to have included in
our general taxes.
And the commissioners
have learned a valuable les-
son here as well. They have
learned that they can show a
complete lack of fnancial re-
straint,andifthemoneyruns
short,justassessnewfeesand
taxes to the residents.
Keep an eye out for future
developments, because more
fees and taxes are on the way.
Already discussions have be-
gun on the idea of doubling
the property tax cap. Cur-
rently, a persons property tax
can not increase more than
5 percent in a given year for
their primary residence. The
commissioners have been
talking about raising that to
seven percent, or even the
maximum allowed by Mary-
land state law, 10 percent. For
those struggling to make their
property tax payments now,
imagine the hardships if that
burdencouldbeincreasedby
double the amount it can be
increased by now?
Thefactisclear,thecur-
rent board of commission-
ers do not have fnancial re-
straint, and it will be a long
four years for the taxpayers as
fees and taxes are continually
increasedtopayfortheprom-
ises our elected offcials have
made.
GarbageTime
The
County Times Section A - 5
Obituaries
Jennie Cecelia Balta, 81
Jennie Cecelia Balta, 81,
of Waldorf, Md., died April
1, in Civista Medical Center.
Born November 10, 1925 in
Dameron, Md., she was the
daughter of the late Ernest
Thomas and Mary Henrietta
Boothe Adams, Sr. The fam-
ily will receive friends on
Monday April 9 from 5:00-
8:00 p.m. at the Matting-
ley-Gardiner Funeral Home,
Leonardtown, where prayers
will be said at 7:00 p.m. A
Mass of Christian Burial will
be celebrated on Tuesday
April 10, at 10:00 a.m., in St.
Cecelias Catholic Church, St.
Marys City, with Fr. Damian
Shadwell offciating.
Linda Veronica Byrnes,
58
Linda Veronica Byrnes,
58, of Lusby, Md., died March
28, in Palm Coast, Fla. Born
May 30, 1948 in Pittsburg, Pa.,
she was the daughter of the
late Richard David and Mary
Madeline Burkhardt. She is
survived by her children: Kel-
ly Lynn Hudson of Coltons
Point, Md., and Michael Jo-
seph Schucker currently sta-
tioned in Germany; siblings:
Richard Burkhart, Michael
Burkhart, Denise Hampton,
Collette Blazer and Karen
Burkhart all of Pittsburg, Pa.,
and Judith Wright of Harris-
burg, Pa.; 2 grandchildren:
Christine Browning Harris
and Maria Manko. She was
preceded in death by her son:
Damon Victor Manko and
brother: Thomas Burkhart.
She was a retired registered
nurse. The family will receive
friends on Thursday, April 5,
from 10:30 11:00 a.m., in the
Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral
Home, where a Memorial
Service will be held at 11:00
a.m., in the funeral home cha-
pel. Interment will be Private.
Calvin Jack Jackson
Worrell, 69
C a l v i n
Jack Jackson
Worrell, 69, of
Charlotte Hall,
Md., formerly
Pulaski, Va.,
died March 27,
at his residence.
Born May 24, 1937 in Pulaski,
Va., he was the son of the late
Emmett and Renie Scharder
Worrell. He was the beloved
husband of Ella Mae Worrell
whom he married on Janu-
ary 20, 1964 in York, S.C. He
is survived by his children;
Ethelene Rittenhouse of Hen-
derson, Md., Marsha Hay-
man of Denton, Md., Ronnie
Worrell of Mechanicsville,
Md. ,Teresa Lawson of Lau-
rel, Del., and Darlene Taylor
of S.C., siblings; Joe Worrell
of Va., Jimmy Worrell of OK,
Kelly Scharder of S.C., Kar-
rie Scharder of Va. Homer
Malcom of Charlotte Hall,
Md., Candy Jones of Sand-
gates, Md., Alverta Sandy
of Wilmington, N.C., James
Malcom of Taylor, S.C., Bev-
erly Malcom of Calif., Elea-
nor Quade of Morganza, Md.,
Wanda Veasey of Elk Mills,
Md., and six grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by
his sister Lou Chenault and
his brothers Jerry Worrell,
Mark Malcom, Spencer Mal-
com and one grandchild. A
resident of St. Marys County
for 53 years, Calvin graduated
from Draper High School and
was a Sawyer with Charlotte
Hall Lumber Company for
48 years, retiring in 2000. He
was enlisted in the U.S. Army
for four years and enjoyed
Nascar, baseball, his family,
telling jokes, bluegrass and
especially his grandchildren.
Warren Westre Dean, 88
Warren Westre Dean,
88, of Hollywood, Md., died
April 1, 2007 in Washington
Hospital Center, Washington,
D.C.
For Funeral Arrange-
ments please call the Brins-
feld Funeral Home, Leonard-
town, Md., at 301-475-5588.
Eloise Sissy Barnes
Lewis, 71
E l o -
ise Sissy
Barnes Lewis,
71, of Char-
lotte, N.C.,
formerly of
Me cha n i c s -
ville, Md., died
March 29, 2007
at The Arbors @ Carriage
Club, Charlotte, N.C. She was
born January 11, 1936 in Wise
County, Va., to the late Earl
and Flossie Hazel Barnes.
She was the loving wife of the
late Fred Lewis, Sr., whom
she married on May 7, 1955
in Lexington Park, Md. She
is survived by her children;
Fred Lewis, Jr. of Waldorf,
Md., and Sherry Lewis Fowl-
er of Charlotte, N.C.; brother
George Barnes of Valley Lee,
Md., and seven grandchildren.
She was preceded in death
by her brother Kem Barnes.
Eloise moved to St. Marys
County in 1939 from Grun-
dy, Va., and graduated from
Great Mills High School and
the University of Maryland
with a degree in Education.
She was a teacher at Holy An-
gels Catholic School, and then
worked in Advertising for the
Maryland Independent.
Joseph Leonard Quade
Sr., 86
J o s e p h
L e o n a r d
Quade Sr., 86,
of Clements
Md., died April
2 at his home.
Born December
14, 1920 in Hur-
ry, Md., he was
the son of the late James Car-
roll and Grace Irene Lacey
Quade. He was the husband
of Eleanor Estelle Pilkerton
Quade for 63 years, whom
he married at Sacred Heart
Church on April 27, 1944.
He served in the Army from
October 31, 1942 through No-
vember 29, 1945 as a heavy
equipment operator in World
War II and attained the rank of
Corporal. Among his decora-
tions were the Good Conduct
Medal, Bronze Star Medal,
Jubilee of Liberty Medal and
World War II Victory Ribbon.
He worked at the Patuxent
Naval Air Station for more
than 30 years as an operator
of heavy equipment and also
in the offce as a dispatcher,
retiring in 1979. His fve chil-
dren and their spouses also
survive him. Joseph L. Quade
Jr. his wife Teressa, William
Carroll Quade his wife Trudy,
Karen Lynn Boszko her hus-
band Dave, Sharon Annette
Lacey her husband Tony, and
John Kevin Quade his wife
Sherry. He had 14 Grandchil-
dren, Lenny Quade, Leann
Quade, Erin Herche, Kim
Quade, Kristina Paddock,
Kimberly Chandler, Willie
Quade, David Boszko, Justin
Boszko, Jessica Boszko, Tony
Lacey Jr., Cassandra Lea,
Chris Lacey and
Jesse Lacey. 14 Great
Grandchildren, Brandon
Quade, J.L. Quade, Max
Herche, Cossette Browining,
Aurora Browning, Kaylee
Boszko, Aidan Herche, Lean
Quade, Darian Lea, Randy
Chandler, Presley Lacey,
Chloe Lacey, Emma Herche
and Caleb Miller. His sib-
lings, James Carroll Quade,
Jr., Matthew William Quade,
Agnes Cecelia Quade Pilk-
erton, Thelma Louise Quade
Hall, Stephen Bernard Quade
and Francis Aloysius Quade
survive him. In addition to
his parents he was preceded
in death by four siblings Da-
vid Roy Quade, James Ma-
guire Quade, Mary Catherine
Quade Wathen and Dorothy
Irene Quade. He was a lifelong
St. Marys County resident
and a member of Sacred Heart
Church. He enjoyed dancing,
gardening and being outside.
Prayers will be said on Mon-
day April 9, at 7:00 p.m., at the
Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral
Home, Leonardtown, Md.,
where the family will receive
friends from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial
will be celebrated on Tuesday
April 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Sacred
Heart Catholic Church, Bush-
wood, Md., with Fr. Francis
Early offciating. Interment
will follow in the church cem-
etery.. Contributions may be
made to the 7th District Vol-
unteer Rescue Squad, P.O.
Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609
and/or Hospice of St. Marys,
P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown,
MD 20650.
Mary Christine Hender-
son Rock, 88
M a r y
Christine Hen-
derson Rock,
88, of Piney
Point, Md.,
died March 29,
at her home.
Born July 13,
1918 on St. Georges Island,
Md., she was the daughter of
the late John Wesley and Ro-
berta A. (Thompson) Hender-
son. She was the wife of the
late William Coleman Rock.
She is survived by her be-
loved daughters: Shirley A.
Rock, Elizabeth R. Edmonds
and her husband George and
Patricia L. Womer all of Piney
Point, Md.; Seven grandchil-
dren: Robert T. and Richard
L. Womer, Pamela A. Stine,
Robin C. Edmonds, Jeanine
T. Martin, Melvin C. Yost,
Jr. and Roberta A. Doyle;
seven great grandchildren:
David and Billy Yost, Mary
Beth Doyle, Sean and Sierra
Womer, Brittney Steele and
Jodie Stine; 1 great grand-
child: Savannah Womer. She
was preceded in death by her
daughter: Mary Billie Yost;
four sisters: Helen C. Robin-
son, Isabel Bellere, Marion E.
Gordon and Roberta A. Sloat.
A Graveside Service will be
held on Monday, April 2, at
11:00 a.m., in St. Georges
Catholic Cemetery, Valley
Lee, Md., with Fr. Mark Ervin
offciating. Contributions may
be made to: Arthritis Founda-
tion, P.O. Box 96280, Wash-
ington, DC 20077.
Virginia Eleanor (John-
ston) Saunders, 99
Virginia Eleanor (John-
ston) Saunders, 99, of Lex-
ington Park, Md., died March
29 in Solomons Nursing Cen-
ter, Solomons, Md.
Born July 11, 1907 in
Grand Rapids, Mich., she was
the daughter of the late Gus-
tav and Emma (Lundgren)
Johnston.
In September of 1929, she
married Louis B. Saunders.
She resided in Grand Haven,
Mich., from 1949 until 1976,
when she moved to Florida.
In 1996, she moved to Mary-
land, where she resided until
her death.
As a pianist, she was ac-
tive in the Grand Haven pub-
lic schools as accompanist and
sang in her church choir as
well as serving as accompanist
for the choirs in her church.
Upon moving to Florida, she
sang in her church choir and
was the music librarian.
She is survived by her
daughter, Lyn Schramm
and her husband, Donald, of
Lexington Park, Md., two
grandsons, Britton Schramm
and his wife, Teresa, of Pen-
sacola, Fla., and Dr. Geoffrey
Saunders Schramm of Wash-
ington, D.C., and two great-
grandchildren. In addition to
her parents, she is preceded
in death by her husband who
passed away in 2004.
All services will be
private.
Memorial contributions
may be made to the organ
fund at St. Andrews Epis-
copal Church, P.O. Box 600,
California, MD 20619 or Cal-
vert HOSPICE, P.O. Box 838,
Prince Frederick, MD 20678.
Elizabeth Farmer Steven-
son, 85
El i zabeth
Farmer Ste-
venson, 85, of
St. Marys City,
Md., formerly of
Fort Washing-
ton, Md., died
March 28 in St.
Marys Hospital.
Born December 18, 1921
in Beury Mountian, WVa.,
late Edward Jeremiah Farmer
and Roonie Blanche (Frame)
Farmer.
She lived in the Fort
Washington, Md., area for
55 years, until moving to
St. Marys City in 2005. She
worked as a Federal employee
for 30 years and was an active
member of the Eastern Star.
Mrs. Stevenson was an
inspiration and guiding force
in the lives of her family and
was most proud and devoted
to her grandchildren and
great-grandchild.
She is survived by her
son, Nick Stevenson of St.
Marys City, Md., daughter,
Dana Beales of Fairfax, Va.,
two sisters, Mildred Bokano
of Fairfeld Glade, Tenn., and
Imogene Dodd of Nimitz,
WVa., two brothers, Jimmie
Farmer of Beckley, WVa.,
and Larry Farmer of Auburn,
Ky., four grandchildren, and
one great-grandchild.
In addition to her par-
ents, she is preceded in death
by her husband of 64 years,
George Gordon Stevenson,
who passed away in 2005.
Family will receive
friends on Friday, March 30
from 5 to 8:00 p.m. in the
Brinsfeld Funeral Home Cha-
pel, Leonardtown, Md., with
Eastern Star Services begin-
ning at 7:00 p.m., followed by
a Funeral Service. Reverend
Dan Moore will conduct the
service. Interment will be on
Friday, April 6, at 11:00 a.m.,
in Arlington National Cem-
etery, Arlington, Va.
Memorial contributions
may be made to HOSPICE
House c/o HOSPICE of St.
Marys, Inc., P.O. Box 625,
Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Condolences to the fam-
ily may be left at www.brins-
feldfuneral.com.
Mary Agnes Turner, 89
Mary Ag-
nes Turner,
89 of Mechan-
icsville, died
April 1 at St.
Marys Hos-
pital in Leon-
ardtown, Md.
Born October
13, 1917 in Trent Hall, Md.,
late Richard J. and Mary Eu-
lalia Long. Born, raised, and a
life long resident of St. Marys
County, she graduated from
Margaret Brent High School
in 1934. She retired from C
& P Telephone Company in
1975. She was a member of
the Mechanicsville Volunteer
Fire Dept. Ladies Auxillary,
The Telephone Company Pio-
neers, she was a volunteer at
St. Marys Nursing Center
and a member of Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church
in Mechanicsville, Md. She
was preceded in death by her
parents and her brother: Rich-
ard J. Long Jr. She is survived
by her son: William L Turner
Jr. and Daughter in Law Mary
Ann Turner of Waldorf, MD;
grandchildren: William L.
Turner III and wife Teresa of
Charlotte Hall, MD, James
Keith Turner and wife Cindy
of Mechanicsville, Md. Cath-
erine Michelle Vaughan and
husband Butch of Newtown,
Va., and Timothy A. Turner
and wife Colleen of Waldorf,
Md.; brother: Maurice I. Long
Sr., of Hughesville, Md., sis-
ters: Martha R. Branchaue of
Sunrise, Fla., Teresa L. An-
derson of California, Md., and
Jean R. Birge of Okeechobee
Fla.; great grandchildren:
William L. Turner IV, Ryan
N. Turner, Crystal Valland-
ingham, Mark Turner, Kayla
Turner, Carly Turner, Mi-
chael Vaugh, Braxton Vaughn
and Jennifer Schaub; great-
great granddaughter, Lexie
Vallandingham.
Hughesville, Md, The
Sons of The American Legion
Post 238 in Hughesville, Md.
will have there 4th and fnal
concert of the season on Sun-
day April 15. The show will
begin at 2:00 pm with a Spa-
ghetti Dinner served at Noon.
A Red White & Blue Guitar
will be given away on that
day as well. Live Bluegrass
music will be provided by Er-
nie Bradley & Grassy Ridge
along with Wayne Taylor,
Keith Arneson & Appaloosa.
Just so there is no con-
fusion, this is not the Wayne
Taylor of Blue Highway
fame, but the Wayne Taylor
who has been a member of the
Country Current Bluegrass
Band.
Wayne C. Taylor, a na-
tive of Maiden, N.C. presents
a bold, super-smooth sound
that may almost be a bit too
slick at times. He is the leader
of the groups Guitar-Banjo
Duo with Keith Arneson.
Wayne began playing gui-
tar at age nine, later adding
banjo, mandolin and piano
to his repertoire. His father
took him to American Legion
dances and introduced him to
the bands guitar player, who
showed Wayne a few chords.
At age 12, he joined his frst
band. He played rhythm gui-
tar and sang backup with his
brother David in The Ini-
tials for four years. Wayne
then formed his own group,
the Contours who played
with Arthur Smiths Crack-
er Jacks as well as for local
dances. Later Wayne was in-
spired by Jimi Hendrix and
the Beatles, and started play-
ing rock music.
In 1971 Wayne visited
Marion, N.C. to see Lester
Flatt and Mac Wiseman per-
form at a bluegrass festival.
Shortly after that, he formed
the East Maiden Express
bluegrass group, where Wayne
played mandolin.
In 1978, Wayne began
studying music at the San Joa-
quin Delta College and later
entered The Conservatory of
Music at the University of the
Pacifc in Stockton, CA. He
studied Music Therapy and
earned a Bachelors degree
in Music. Upon graduating in
1983 Wayne and family trav-
eled back to North Carolina.
Since then, Wayne has
had numerous musical ac-
complishments including 4
recordings with his latest and
frst solo CD entitled Buffalo
Shoals, which is getting air-
play all over the country. He
sang Uncle Pen with Bill
Monroe in Rosine, KY in
1995. He has performed with
Larry Gatlin, Vince Gill, Lee
Greenwood, Rhonda Vincent,
Alicia Nugent, IIIrd Tyme Out,
John Hartford, Gary Mor-
ris, and David Ball. He has
conducted guitar workshops
with Kenny Smith, David
Grier, and Bryan Sutton. He
has also performed for Presi-
dents Ronald Reagan, George
H. Bush, William J. Clinton,
and George W. Bush. The
International Bluegrass Mu-
sic Association in Louisville,
Ky., has nominated him for
Male Vocalist of the Year
every year since 1998. Tay-
lors compositions have been
performed on ABCs Good
Morning America. He
sang the National Anthem at
Comisky Park for a Chicago
White Sox baseball game and
at the Charlotte (N.C.) 600
NASCAR Race.
Keith M. Arneson per-
forms on banjo, guitar and as
a vocalist. He has appeared
on TNNs,, Nashville Now
with the Mountain Laurel
band, performed with blue-
grass artist Mac Wiseman,
and was a member of The
Dixie Ramblers and the
Classic Grass band. He has
made appearances on the CBS
program 48 Hours, the NBC
show Stuff, and several live
radio performances.
Keith started playing the
banjo in 1975. He got hooked
on it from his Dads 10-year
experience with the instru-
ment and through the Beverly
Hillbillies. He formed his frst
band Classic Grass in 1977
with high school friends and
worked almost every week-
end through late 1980. Arne-
son joined Mountain Lau-
rel in 1981 and stayed with
them until 1986. In 1986 he
joined the Dixie Ramblers
and performed with them as
a regular member until 1993.
Prior to the Dixie Ramblers,
Keith performed locally with
Jay Armsworthy in a small
local band, The Backyard
Bluegrass Boys. Keith still
does workshops around the
country and is a big fan of all
types of music especially Earl
Scruggs, Bela Fleck, Miles
Davis, Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart, and many others too
numerous to mention. He is
currently attempting to mas-
ter the art of melodic claw
hammer banjo.
Ernie Bradley & Grassy
Ridge Bluegrass Band is
considered by many folks as
the fnest Traditional Blue-
grass Band around. With
over 30 years of experience.
Ernie started playing banjo
as a young boy participat-
ing in banjo championships
throughout W.Va., Va., Md.,
& Pa. Ernie has grown to be
one of the fnest banjo pick-
ers today. He toured with the
Nashville Opry Road Show
along with the Charlie Daniels
Band. He is a talented musi-
cian and songwriter. Accom-
panying Ernie Bradley in the
Grassy Ridge Band is Gene
Beachley on guitar & tenor
vocals. Gene is considered
one of the best tenors in the
business with his lonesome
bluegrass sad voice and has
a hard driving rhythm guitar
style. Joe Longwell kicks up
the dust on Dobro and pro-
vides harmony vocals. Randy
Kennys rock solid Bass play-
ing rounds out the group and
he throws in a bass vocal note
once in a while. Ernie Brad-
ley & Grassy Ridge provides
hard driving Bluegrass & fast
paced entertainment with
great harmony vocals.
Making sure that each
and every show is heard loud
and clear is one of the fnest
Sound Companys around,
Troy Jones of Hollywood,
Md.
The Red White & Blue
American Guitar will be giv-
en away at the end of the show
on April 15
th
. There will also
be a 50/50 raffe. The Sons
of the American Legion will
have a dinner special with
their famous Spaghetti din-
ner beginning at noon for $6
per plate. Tickets for the show
are $12 per person and sold
at the door. Children under
12 are free with a paid adult.
The guitar raffe is $5 each or
three for $10. It will be a fun
day for all. This is a family
style show. The legion hall
is a smoke free facility. For
more information about the
show, call Jay Armsworthy
at 301-737-3004. For direc-
tions, go to www.geocities.
com/americanlegionbluegrass.
Bluegrass Concert to be Held April 15
SectionA-
The
InYourCommunity
Route 245
Hollywood, MD 20636
301-475-2531
Route 246 & Great Mills Rd.
Lexington Park, MD 20653
301-862-7702
Route 5 & Mohawk Drive
Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
301-884-5636
Wildewood Shopping Center
California, MD 20619
301-866-5702
Order your award
winning McKays
Stuffed Ham
Today!
Easter Wishes
NewMembership
St. Marys Farm Bureau
isopentonewmembers.The
organizationoffersafullvot-
ingmembershipforthoseac-
tively engaged in agriculture
andanassociatemembership
for those who just have an
interest in agriculture and in
supporting the local organi-
zation. Both levels of mem-
bership offer signifcant com-
munity discount benefts. For
more information call 301-
475-9372or301-884-3086.
Agricultural
Commission
The Southern Maryland
Agricultural Development
Commission is hosting two
upcoming wine seminars
by Rob Plant of Blue Wind
Gourmet.
April17:GrowingWine
GrapesthatwillSell:Awine
sellersperspective.
April30:WhatItTakesto
Make Wine that will Sell: A
winesellersperspective.
Both events held at 7:30
p.m. at Blue Wind Gourmet,
22803 Gunston Drive, Cali-
fornia MD, 20619. Registra-
tion is $5 per seminar. Reg-
ister by April 12 with name
and phone number to South-
ern Maryland Agricultural
Development Commission,
301-274-1922.
EasterEggHunt
andFestival
Jointhefunattheannual
EasterEggHuntonApril7at
the Governmental Center in
Leonardtownbeginningat10
a.m.Someofthemanyexcit-
ingattractionsincludeatradi-
tional egg hunt and decorat-
ing contest for all ages, pony
rides; craft making carnival
attractions costumed char-
acters, face painting, games
leisure class demonstrations
andmore.Manyactivitiesare
freeofchargeandsomehave
asmallfee.Food,beverages
andcraftswillbeonsalefrom
communityvendors.Citizens
are encouraged to come and
enjoy a great day of family
fun! Prizes will be awarded
for various contests, raffes
and the egg hunt. Raffe priz-
es include amusement park
tickets and more. Kinds are
also invited to have pictures
taken with the Easter Bunny.
Please call 301-475-4200 ext.
1800or1801.
DogObedience
Classes
PuppyKindergarten,Ba-
sic and Advanced dog obe-
dience classes are offered
fromAprilthruAugustinSt.
MarysandCharlesCounties.
The AKCs Canine Good
Citizentrainingandtestisin-
cluded in the advanced class.
Bethepersonyourdogthinks
you are, spend some quality
time with your best friend,
your dog. Become the pack
leader and teach your dog
howtobethebestdoghe/she
canbe.Thecountysponsors
classes and preregistration is
required.Classsizesarelim-
ited.Formoreinformationor
to register call 301-475-4200
ext.1801.
AwardsBreakfast
The20thAnnualHuman
Relations Awareness Day
and Awards Breakfast will
beheldattheHarryLudene-
berg School at 9 a.m., April
14.Thecostfortheeventis
$12.Pleasereserveyourseat
by calling 301-475-4200 ext.
1849.Nominationsarebeing
sought to recognize compa-
nies and/or individuals who
worktofurthertheAmerican
ideal of equality and justice
for achievements in the area
of human rights within St.
MarysCounty.Nominations
can be mailed into the Divi-
sionofCommunityServices,
P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown
MD,20650.
ThrowingCaution
The Southern Maryland
Modern Dance Collective is
pleased to announce its an-
nualconcertThrowingCau-
tiononApril14that7:30p.m.
Theperformanceisonenight
only at St. Marys College in
St. Marys Hall. Tickets are
$10foradultsand$4forstu-
dents and seniors. For more
information call Susan Knott
at301-373-3412.
CherryBlossom
Celebration
Mark your calendars for
the 2007 National Cherry
Blossom Festival Saturday
April 14. The day will be-
gin with the annual parade.
It is a spectacular event for
childrenofallages.Talented
marching bands compete for
16covetedspotsintheparade
and provide colorful musi-
cal entertainment. Dance
and drumming performance
teams from Japan and the
UnitedStateshighlighttheart
oftaikodrumming.TheNa-
tional Cherry Blossom Festi-
val All Star Tap Dance team
and Choir perform musical
numbers for eager audiences.
Clowns, horses, antique cars
and mascots all add to the
merriment on parade morn-
ing.Thefeeis$28perperson;
call Sandie Greene for more
information at 301-475-4200
ext.1801.
Stuff-a-Bus
St.MarysCountyHealth
Department, St. Marys
County Community Services
and military personnel from
thePatuxentRiverNavalAir
Station will be joining forces
duringNationalPublicHealth
Week to fll the shelves of lo-
cal food pantries before Hur-
ricane Season arrives. The
Stuff-a-Bus Food Drive is
intendedtobringattentionto
the importance of donating
non-perishablefooditemsyear
roundasameansofpreparing
anemergencyfoodsupplyfor
our most vulnerable citizens
whocouldbeespeciallyhard
hit if a man made or natural
disastershouldhappeninour
area. A health department
van will be parked outside
the Governmental Center in
Leonardtown, from 7:30 -
9:30 a.m. Wed. Apr. 4. The
food drive will continue out-
side the Leonardtown Food
Lion from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.,
with donations going to the
St. Pauls United Method-
ist Church food pantry, also
in Leonardtown. A second
bus, provided by St. Marys
CountyTransitSystem(STS)
willbeparkedoutsidetheGi-
antgrocerystoreinCalifornia
near Target from 10 a.m. - 2
p.m., Apr. 5 with donations
goingtoSt.MarysCaringin
LexingtonPark.
The
County Times Section A - 7
Job Retention
Continued from page A-
to fll the 45,000 additional
high-paying technical jobs
that will accompany it.
This is a pretty hopping
place, said Gary K. Kessler,
senior executive director of
fight test engineering at Pax
River and a member of the St.
Marys County Board of Edu-
cation. Finding local talent
is challenging with the work
weve got coming here in the
next three to fve years.
Often Kessler and other
technical departments at Pax
River spend thousands of dol-
lars in recruitment and train-
ing for out-of-state employees
who end up leaving after a
couple of years.
We are fnding that those
coming from the West Coast
or wherever stay for a couple
of years, get homesick or dont
like the area and leave, said
Kessler.
The growing disturbance
to base operations is leading
a charge for a closed-loop
system, which exercises the
fundamentals of training and
retention of employees from
close to home.
In conjunction with the
St. Marys County Board of
Education (BOE) and the Col-
lege of Southern Maryland
(CSM), Pax River is taking a
more hands on approach to lo-
cal students by offering engi-
neering and science mentor-
ships and internships.
But the growing focus
from the BOE is on cultivat-
ing math and science interests
in students early in their edu-
cational development.
I was trained as a sci-
ence and math teacher, said
Dr. Michael J. Martirano,
superintendent of St. Marys
County Schools. If you dont
turn young minds on to sci-
ence early on you lose them.
The BOEs new Science,
Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics consortium
(STEM), is believed by many
to be the bridge that peaks
students curiosity from el-
ementary to middle to high
school, and then onto college.
Lexington Park Elementary
School, Spring Ridge Middle
School, and Great Mills High
School will be the three sites
for the countys inaugural
STEM academies.
Precisely 144 students
were chosen to attend the
three academies, which vers-
es students in advanced math-
ematics and science, with an
infusion of technology.
STEM is a major piece of
Martiranos tenure as super-
intendent, and if it succeeds it
would be a major attribute to
the base.
The Towson University
report says that 70 percent
of the new 45,000 jobs will
require a graduate degree,
including 13 percent with
doctorates. Additionally, 10
percent of those jobs will re-
quire a bachelors degree, but
only 3 percent will be open to
those who have a high school
diploma as their highest edu-
cational attainment.
STEM is a very dynam-
ic and fuid process, the time
is now and the time is right,
said Martirano. This has gal-
vanized our community in
many ways, lots of folks have
been joining with us and this
will be a continuing collabo-
ration to fnd how we can ex-
pand the program.
In order for that to happen,
a strong pipeline between the
county schools and local col-
leges has to shine, according
to Dr. Timothy Keating, dean
of Arts and Sciences at CSM.
On Thursday, the BOE
met with CSM to foster its ide-
als, and promote their status.
Currently, CSM has orga-
nized opportunities for high
school students to earn col-
lege credits. Advanced Place-
ment testing and introductory
college courses are set up for
students who want a taste of
college academia, or need a
more challenging curriculum
than the high school classes
can offer.
CSM changed the pro-
grams name from dual en-
rollment to dual concurrent
enrollment because of a de-
cline in participation. Con-
current enrollment means
students are taking a class at
the college level that counts
toward both college and high
school credit.
If theres an interest
we can do more of it, CSM
President Bradley Gottfried
said of the available college
course options for high school
juniors and seniors.
Still, two disadvantages
to concurrent enrollment are
the cost, which is $141 per
three-credit course plus the
cost of books, and graduating
high school on time if a stu-
dent fails a college course.
We will continue to meet
on a regular basis, Martirano
said. We are about breaking
down barriers to make sure
children are successful.
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Married Couple Age 35 with Good Credit Reporting
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Peninsula Insurance Co. $1,292
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USAA $1,504
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Patrick Dugan
OBrien Realty
Due to the short work
week, I have decided to put to-
gether an article that will have
no focal point. The following
are different things that may
affect the sale of your home,
or your decision to purchase a
home. (My short work week
is because my wife went to
Vegas for four days and I was
home tending to the children.
I know they are looking for-
ward to her getting home
soon!
O.K., here we go
SPRING IS HEREHooray!
The buyers were out in full
force the past two very nice
weekends. Last year we had
an unusually slow year on
waterfront sales. Some of this
was due to the general slowing
of the market, some was due
to people rethinking the idea
of waterfront living. There is
nothing like a hurricane one
year and a tropical storm the
next to make people wonder
about living on the water.
While the expansive
views of the rivers and Bay
are very beautiful, the pro-
tected creeks are the best
place to have your water-
craft. There are also a large
amount of homes from which
to choose. We have over 100
listings on the water in St.
Marys County this summer.
That is a nice selection of
properties. The prices range
from a low of 425,000 to a
high of $8,900,000 ! Yes, that
is eight million nine hundred
thousand dollars!
They buyers on the wa-
ter will have plenty to choose
from, but so will those not
looking for waterfront.
There are another 800+
homes to sell that are not wa-
terfront! That is in St. Marys
County alone, add in Calvert
and Charles and we have over
2800 homes on the market.
That is a huge inventory and
there are more homes com-
ing on every day. It is a good
thing Spring is here so that
the buyers can start helping
to lower inventory.
How does this high in-
ventory affect you as a seller?
Well that is pretty obvious,
you have a ton of competi-
tion. What is your agent doing
to make sure that your house
is the frst to sell? What are
you doing to make sure your
house is the frst to sell?
We have talked about
frst impression in the past but
good advice never gets old.
Have your house ready to
show. If the front yard needs
work. Do it. Plant pretty fow-
ers and bushes. Get the old
scraggily bushes off the side
of the house and put in some-
thing new. Get that old mulch
out of peoples eyesight and
straighten up the yard.
Be willing to listen to all
the agents you talk to. It is
infuriating when I meet with
clients and they say they are
going with another agent be-
cause that agent thinks the
house can sell for a ridiculous
amount. I cannot tell you how
many times this happens, and
how many houses sell at the
right price while the over-
priced house sits. The owners
of the overpriced houses say,
Well the buyers will make an
offer and then we can come
down on our price.
FORGET ABOUT IT!
The buyers are not going to
negotiate with you because
Cindy and Chris down the
street priced their house cor-
rectly from the start and the
buyers are going to buy their
house instead!
We all learned about it in
econ 101, supply and demand
will drive this market.
What if you are a buyer?
How do you decide when to
pull the trigger? Well frst of
all, you can be overwhelmed
in this market with so much
to choose from. So I sit down
with my clients as I am sure
most agents do, to try and fg-
ure out what it is the clients
want and need. We also sit
down with a mortgage lender
to see what they can afford,
and how much they want to
spend each month. After we
do that then we start with the
house hunting.
Now is a great time to be
buying. With so much from
which to choose, and interest
rates still at near record lows,
you cannot lose if you do your
home work.
Next week, we will talk
about what kind of homework
you need to do as a home
buyer!
As always, send your
questions and comments to
patrick.dugan@obrienrealty.
com and include The County
Times in the subject line.
(I think I hear my wifes
car pulling up. Oh happy
days!)
Spring Bloom
out on a major highway
to get to Tuskegee where he
would visit a friend at a local
veterans hospital.
Shortly after police in
Brewton took him back to
their station, they said, and
made contact with Marcel
Brooks wife. It was at the
police station where Brooks
changed his story.
Police say Marcel Brooks
told them he was afraid be-
cause he saw his alleged ab-
ductor, who he frst met in the
District, wearing a shoulder
holster but was unsure wheth-
er he had a gun.
Brewton police said Mar-
cel Brooks told them he had
driven both himself and his
captor to Corpus Christi, Tex-
as and then to Houston before
back tracking and stopping
in Mobile, Ala., where the
alleged kidnapping suspect
got out of the vehicle Marcel
Brooks was driving and fed.
Police confrmed that
Marcel Brooks was miss-
ing his credit cards, money
and memory card from his
cell phone, which rendered it
inoperable.
Anne Brooks said she be-
lieved her husbands story and
said he was reluctant to talk
to police because the captor,
Marcel Brooks had told her,
knew a great deal about their
family and he feared for their
safety back at their Mechanic-
sville home.
Hes just scared, Anne
Brooks said of her husband
Monday during a late night
phone interview. The guy
knew too much about us.
He didnt go to the police
because he was afraid.
The offcer who found
Marcel Brooks, offcer Rus-
sell Pintado, said when he
frst met the missing man on
the side of the road and heard
his story about trying to get
to Tuskegee something didnt
quite add up.
It just didnt seem right,
Pintado said. He wasnt
acting like a normal per-
son he looked like he was
disoriented.
It looked like he had
something he wanted to say
but he didnt.
Investigators in Prince
Georges County, where
Brooks frst went missing, are
trying to ascertain the exact
circumstances of Brooks dis-
appearance, reappearance,
where he went and why.
Det. Mark Boyden, the in-
vestigator assigned to the case
said he had spoken to Marcel
Brooks only briefy about his
condition.
But detectives in Brew-
ton, when they heard Marcel
Brooks second story were
incredulous.
He never once said any-
thing about this [abduction]
story until we called his wife,
Investigator Russell Martin
told The County Times. His
story isnt credible.
Anne Brooks said her
husbands ties to the commu-
nity and his family were too
strong to simply leave and dis-
appear off his own accord.
For someone to take him
like that, its an evil [act],
Anne Brooks said. Anyone
who knows anything about
him would know he would
never do anything like this.
Marcel Brooks was an
unsuccessful candidate for
county commissioner in 2002
but was also well known for
his work in the community,
especially in providing eye
examinations to children in
health clinics.
His family said he worked
at several optometry offces
throughout the region in addi-
tion to running his own busi-
ness, Brooks Family Eye Care
Center in Charlotte Hall.
Found
Continued from page A-
Marcel Brooks
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SectionA-
The
Theres proubably a
stronger need to assist with
thedaytimeshifts.
The task force will also
present options to solve any
problems with the rescue
squads; including, he said,
the possibility of going to a
two-tieredvolunteerandpaid
system.
But, so far, he said, the
task force has only met once
inanorganizationalmeeting.
Miedzinskisaidthebene-
fts of volunteering for a rescue
squad were many, including
valuable free training in live
saving medicaltechniquesas
wellasastrongsenseofcom-
munityservice.
It is somewhat of a com-
fort to know that I can deal
with almost any emergency
medical event that I might
encounter on a daily basis,
Miedzinski said.
County volunteer rescue
squadchiefsstillsaythatde-
spite the lack of volunteers,
calls for service do not go
unanswered.
Still when some
squads have diffculty
getting out, others have
topickupandhelp.
KenHicks,president
oftheLexingtonParkVolun-
teer Rescue Squad, said the
keytoimprovingservicewas
to get more young people to
join rescue squads that may
not be employed during the
daytime and are looking for
something to occupy their
time.
Its pretty serious,
Hickssaidoftheneedforvol-
unteers.Weneedtogetthose
youngerfolksoutthere,those
18-year-oldswhoarentdoing
anything.
We need some young
blood.
Hicks company is also
lookingforvolunteers.
Hicks said his company
ran about 4,000 calls for ser-
vicelastyearandhesaidthat
answeringcallsforotherres-
cuesquadsputastrainonhis
volunteers and the surround-
ing community by having to
potentially wait longer for
servicefromtheirownrescue
squad.
It impacts people in the
park,Hickssaid.Wehadto
go to a sixth ambulance and
we hope to put it in service
nextmonth.
County volunteer chiefs
say the dynamics of provid-
ing emergency medical ser-
vices in county with a grow-
ing population and economic
basehavechangedfromwhen
St. Marys was more rural
and the workforce had fewer
demandsplacedonit.
In the old days when
the rescue squad started
people would leave the store
[where they worked] to run
ambulance calls, said John
Roache, president of the Me-
chanicsville Volunteer Res-
cueSquad.
Keith Fairfax, president
of the Bay District Volunteer
Fire Department and chair
of the countys Emergency
ServicesCommitteesaidthat
someemployerscannotafford
to let their workers run calls,
evenifitstoservicethecom-
munities emergency health
needs.
It comes down to how
much a business can afford,
Fairfaxsaid.Whenyouhave
togo[onacall]sixtimesday
thenitbecomesanissue.
downto$14,500.
Mattingly said the bill
wouldbebetterservediffees
were assessed across the
board.
Make everyone pay,
addedMattingly.Ifyoucon-
tributed to the pollution, now
contributetothecleanup.But
I dont know whether you
can convince people of that
logic.
Local Delegates John L.
Bohanan,Jr.,(D-29B),Antho-
nyJ. ODonnell (R-29C), and
JohnF.Wood,Jr.,(D-29A)all
votedagainstthebill.
Sofar theGreen Billhas
failed to make it out of com-
mittee in the Senate, where
lawmakers say they are un-
willing to consider new rev-
enuebills.
LocalSenatorRoyDyson
(D), vice chair of Education,
Health and Environmental
Affairs committee, and one
of the committees where the
billwillbeheardintheSenate
couldnotbereachedforcom-
ment after several attempts
fromTheCountyTimes.
Gov.MartinOMalley(D)
andHouseSpeakerMichaelE.
Bush(D)havecalledthebilla
criticalpartoftheChesapeake
cleanup.
Government projects
wouldbeexemptfromtheim-
pervioussurfacescharge.
Volunteers
HouseBill
In a hurry? Want to save money?
Every Thursday receive a FREE copy
of The County Times at all Mountain
Mudd kiosks.
Enjoy Espressos, Cappuccinos,
Frozen Granitas, Coffee Americanos,
Italian Sodas, Hot/Iced Lattes, Chai
Tea, Iced Tea, & Steamers
Locations:
California
Lexington Park
Callaway
Charlotte Hall
Solomons - Opening March
Coming Soon - Leonardtown
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Every Thursday receive a FREE
copy of The County Times at all
Mountain Mudd kiosks.
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Frozen Granitas, Coffee
Americanos, Italian Sodas, Hot/
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Steamers
Locations:
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Callaway
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Coming Soon - Leonardtown
Hot off the
Press, & Out
of the Cup!
ByGuyLeonard
StaffWriter
The number of working
poor people in the county,
thosewithjobsbutstruggleto
theaffordessentials,isgrow-
ing, county offcials believe,
and so is the gap between
the poor and the wealthy be-
causeofadiminishingmiddle
class.
The[plightofthe]work-
ing poor is an emerging is-
sue, said Bennett Connelly,
directoroftheLocalManage-
mentBoard.Wehavelotsof
opportunitiesherebutwealso
havelotsofchallenges.
From the data were
looking at it looks like [the
number of working poor] is
growing.
The management board,
Connelly said, is currently
working with a consultant to
comeupwithahumanservic-
esplanforhowthecountycan
bestmeettheserviceneedsof
all county residents for the
next three to fve years.
Gathering information
onpoverty,theworkingpoor
and on available housing is
all part of that proposal that
could go before the county
commissionersbyJune,Con-
nellysaid.
Preliminarydatagathered
by the consultants, Health
Management Consultants
LLC, seems to show that the
povertyproblemisserious.
Accordingtotheprelimi-
nary report the countys 7.4
percentpovertyrateishigher
than in Charles and Calvert
counties. The county also
has a greater percentage of
its children living in impov-
erishedconditions,about10.4
percentofthem.
Whenthisinformationis
contrasted with a lesser per-
centage of homes receiving
food stamps or emergency
food parcels than neighbor-
ing counties, Connelly said,
it shows that some families
arelivingataboutthepoverty
line or just above it without
outsideassistance.
But it was precarious
placetobe,hesaid.
They sometimes live
for today because they dont
know what tomorrow will
bring, Connelly said. They
live paycheck to paycheck
andiftheresonecatastrophe
theyll be struggling week to
weekjusttogetby.
Accordingtotheprelimi-
naryreporttherearealsofew
housing opportunities for the
working poor in St. Marys.
Thereisonlyoneconsolidat-
ed Section 8, or subsidized,
housingpropertyhere.
Currentlythewaitinglist
for that Section 8 housing is
2,055people,accordingtothe
initial report, which is a 105
percent increase in the last
twoyears.
The waiting period for
thathousinghasalsogoneup
twofoldinthelasttwoyears
toabout24to36months.
Connelly and manage-
mentboardstaff,whosupport
and strengthen child welfare
in the county, gathered more
inputfromcommunitystake-
holdersatapovertyforumat
PatuxentPresbyterianChurch
in California last week with
DavidShipler,anawardwin-
ning journalist and author of
the book The Working Poor,
Invisible in America as the
keynotespeaker.
Shiplers book has be-
come a national bestseller
and has shed light on what
hesaysisagrowingnational
problem.
The issue strikes a cord
of concern that runs broadly
throughsociety,Shiplersaid.
To understand poverty we
have to understand its not a
problembutaconstellationof
problems.
Andwehavetoconnect
the dots to understand those
problems.
Shipler said that those
otherproblemsincludedpoor
education and family life
while growing up as well as
otherfactorslikedrugandal-
coholabuse.
The initial report for St.
Marysshowsthattherewere
higher number of treatment
admissions into drug reha-
bilitation programs than in
Calvert and Charles counties
andthatdrugrelatedjuvenile
arrests had increased 14.3
percent from fscal year 2003
to2005.
Thereportalsostatedthat
thepercentageofhighschool
seniorswhousedrugsishigh-
erthanthestateaverage.
Povertyis[insomecas-
es]aninheritedlegacyofbe-
ing badly educated or badly
raised, Shipler said. The
free market system is inge-
nious but its not perfect; it
leavespeoplebehind.
Shipler said that the
countys greatest economic
asset,thePatuxentRiverNa-
val Air Station with its high
technology jobs, might also
behelpingtocreateagreater
gapbetweenthepoorandthe
affuent.
Itsprettytypical[ofthe
rest of the country], Shipler
said of the situation for the
workingpoorhere.Theprob-
lems [likely] exacerbated by
the military, which brings in
peoplewithhigherincomes.
You have a kind of
disparity.
Offcials fear rise
in impoverished
and working poor
in St. Marys
National Best-Selling author David Shipler (front) talks with Bennett Connelly, director of the Local Management
Board of St. Marys County, Inc. during a forum on poverty and the working poor March 29.
Shipler authored the book The Working Poor: Invisible in America which has shed light on the plight of Ameri-
cans who are gainfully employed but struggling day to day to meet basic needs.
Photo by Guy Leonard
Illustrated above are the impervious surfaces that would cost developers extra to construct if the Green Fund Bill is
signed into law. The legislation passed the House of Delegates March 21.
Photo by Adam Ross

House Passes Impervious Surfaces Bill: Missing Local Optometrist Found

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House Passes Impervious Surfaces Bill: Missing Local Optometrist Found

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By Adam Ross

The Next Time You Pull Your Insurance

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