Thursday, November 20, 2008 • St. Mary’s County ...docshare01.docshare.tips/files/7952/79520141.pdfThursday, November 20, 2008 The County Times Section A - Pontiac G6 We have it

PINEY POINT LIGHTHOUSEEstablished 2006 • Volume 3 • Issue 45Thursday, November 20, 2008 • St. Mary’s County

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By Guy LeonardStaff Writer

Aaron Wieland, a mason from Hagerstown, drives about three-and-a-half hours to get to his job site at His-toric St. Mary’s City where he and other masons, carpen-ters and craftsmen are nearly finished with the reproduc-tion of the Catholic chapel that once stood there in 166�.

He’s often busy just penciling in sealant to keep the

oyster-shell mortar between the handmade bricks, ma-terial they used back in the 1�th century, from eroding away.

It’s a job he loves, especially since it’s attached to this project — a project that began 20 years ago.

“Even if the [Historic St. Mary’s City] Foundation didn’t have the money, I’d still come down here to work,” Wieland told The County Times as he explained some of the building’s architectural design. “I pursued working

Building Them The Way They Used To

Andrea ShiellStaff Writer

Two businesses faced numerous violations from the Alcoholic Beverage Board of St. Mary’s County Nov. 13 which bore stark contrasts to each other in both the nature of the complaints and the verdicts issued.

Josephine A. Copsey faced charges that her busi-ness, The Drift Inn in Mechanicsville, allowed a person under the age of 18 to serve alcoholic beverages. The complainant who reported the incident, Melissa Flow-

ers, a bartender at Riverview Restaurant, said she saw a student from Margaret Brent Middle School (where she works as a paraeducator), carrying trays of beer to tables in the restaurant.

“She’s in 6th grade…and I know that at 12 years old you can’t even get a work permit,” said Flowers, who faced some intensive cross-questioning from Copsey about how far she was from the bar at the time, and why she did not report the incident to the manager on duty.

Board Chairman Moses P. Saldaña Jr. recused him-

Drift Inn Cleared of Alcohol Violation, Boatman’s License Revoked

See Boatman’s page A-6

Local education advocate Marilyn Crosby ousted incumbent Gary Kessler after running a close race for the Board of Education. Though the national races were decisive, absentee and pro-visional ballots proved to be the deciding factor in Crosby’s victory, earning her a total of 18,655 votes to Kessler’s 18,068.

Marilyn Crosby Wins Board of Education Seat


The St. Mary’s County Library Board of Trustees presented their annual report to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, indicat-ing a need for expanded library fa-cilities, including an expansion of the Charlotte Hall library and a new Leonardtown branch.

Library Director Kathleen Reif said that the volume of services in St. Mary’s County ranked fifth in the entire state. Since 2004 the number of cardholders has increased by 25 percent, the number of visitors has increased by 23 percent, and the number of items borrowed has gone up 18 percent. Since 2005, the num-ber of PC users at the library has in-creased by 35 percent.

Reif said that both the Board of Library Trustees and the Board of County Commissioners would need to expedite the process of applying for state funds for the area’s most pressing concern, the Leonardtown library.

Leonardtown Outgrowing Its LibraryReport Highlights Need for New Facility

See Library page A-�

Leonardtown Raids Quince Orchard, Wins State Championship, See B4 For Story

Photo by Chris Stevens

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The county sheriff, Board of County Commissioners and the state all say the expansion of the detention center in Leonardtown is a necessity, but the residents of Leonardtown don’t much like the idea.

County officials say that the jail’s population has grown to the point where the facility, aging and in need of upgrades as well as more space, is bursting at the seams.

Town officials and residents say the presence of a jail that will even-tually hold more than 500 inmates, all within close proximity of seven schools, several churches, plus shops and neighborhoods, would be an un-welcome addition to what they want to become a bustling, prosperous small town hub.

The jail was meant to hold about 230 inmates but now has an average daily population of about 350. The expansion project would increase the

Citizens Concerned Over Jail ExpansionsResidents Want Other Options


St. Mary’s County Public Schools officials officially announced last week that all elementary, mid-dle, and high schools in the county have made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the first time since the in-ception of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), according to the Maryland State Department of Education’s report for the 200�-2008 school year.

Under the NCLB initiative, schools must show progress in read-ing and mathematics in all grade levels and in all race/ethnicity and special-services categories includ-ing special education, English as a second language, and economically disadvantaged students. If adequate progress in all areas, including atten-dance, is not made for two consecu-tive years, then schools are placed on the School Improvement list, and face a variety of sanctions designed to bring about improvements, such

All SMCPS Schools Make AYP


The Maryland State Board of Education declared teacher short-ages in 20 subject areas last month, ranging from special education to secondary math and science, but SMCPS Human Resources Director Edward Weiland says that St. Mary’s County has been more fortunate than state numbers would indicate.

“We have been very for-tunate,” said Weiland, “one of our goals each and every year is to make sure we’re fully staffed.” Weiland conceded though that certain posi-tions had been more problematic for the county to fill.

“Special education is an area that almost every year we struggle with,” said Weiland, adding that other positions under the umbrella of special education had been even more difficult to fill. “There are oth-

SMCPS Well-Staffed Despite Statewide Shortages

See Jail Expansion page A-10

See Well Staffed page A-6

Photo by Guy Leonard

See Schools Make AYP page A-6

Peter Rivers, a carpenter at St. Mary’s City, surveys the final work being done on the reconstruction of the chapel built there in 1667.

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,November�0,�008

See Page B-10 For A Christmas Festival Honoring Our Military Service Men & Women

Thursday, November 20, 2008 The County Times Section A - �

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Three men and one wom-an charged locally with kid-napping the branch manager of the Esperanza PNC bank from her Lusby home as part of a scheme to rob the bank have now been indicted by federal authorities for their al-leged crimes.

Joseph Franklin Brown, Jr., 25, William Cordell John-son, 28, of California and Quinita Jesse Ennis, 30, of Lexington Park, now face fed-eral bank robbery and assault charges for the kidnapping of Latoya Booth and her two young children in the Sept. 24 heist.

Ennis has also been charged with engaging in a straw purchase of a 9mm rifle from The Tackle Box sport-ing goods store in Lexington Park that she allegedly gave to Brown, a convicted felon who is prohibited from buying or owning a firearm.

Brown has also been charged with possessing a 12-gauge shotgun.

Edwin Jonathan Jones, 40, of Lexington Park, who local police say was involved in the planning of the kidnapping and bank robbery, has been charged with aiding the other three suspects in their plot.

Both Brown and John-son have also been charged with attempting to destroy or hide evidence that allegedly links them to the PNC bank robbery.

Booth and her two chil-dren were kidnapped from the driveway of their home in Lus-by and driven by the alleged perpetrators to the bank where she worked on Three Notch Road in California, charging documents here allege.

She was ordered by one of the alleged perpetrators, charging documents state, to remove money from the bank and return to her vehicle com-mandeered by two of the sus-pects, Brown and Johnson.

One of the suspects said her child would not be harmed if Booth cooperated, accord-ing to charging documents.

After being interviewed by detectives, according to charging documents, Jones admitted to talking about committing the bank robbery with Brown, but denied being present at the robbery.

He later admitted, court papers allege, that he received money from the robbery from the other suspects.

Police allege in charging documents that Ennis was the getaway driver of the escape vehicle used in the crime.

Ennis admitted to being involved and to being contact-ed by the other suspects and told where to pick them up, charging documents stated.

Detectives also said they found that the suspects had buried much of the stolen cash in Brown’s back yard in sev-eral safes.

In all, police and federal authorities say $169,000 was stolen in the heist.

St. Mary’s Bank Heist Suspects Face Federal Charges


Charles E Ridgell, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for St. Mary’s County Public Schools, presented curriculum revisions to the Board of Educa-tion at last Wednesday’s meet-ing, many of which would serve as intervention courses to help students achieve passing scores on the high school assessments.

Among the intervention courses that might be added are Explorations in Science, which is designed as an intervention course for students who are not yet ready for basic biology at the 9th grade level, as well as revi-sions to current mathematics offerings.

One revision to math classes

would be a realignment of the algebra curriculum to include a foundations course and a third algebra course for students that complete Algebra 2 but are not yet ready to enter pre-calculus.

“We’re finding that there is a group of students who could ben-efit from another year of algebra before beginning pre-calculus,” explained Ridgell, adding that other algebra courses would be realigned, eliminating Algebra B and instead offering the founda-tions course for at-risk students, the regular Algebra 1 course, and an extended Algebra 1 course that would be taught in 90 min-ute learning blocks, as well as Algebra 1 CM for students who were more proficient.

Ridgell and members of the board are hoping to push more

students to take algebra courses in middle school, thereby provid-ing pathways for them to com-plete their HSA requirements on time.

“There’s a lot of discus-sion about HSAs but there’s a misnomer that people think it’s something that happens their se-nior year,” said school Superin-tendent Michael Martirano. “A student can actually complete the HSA requirement by 10th grade,” he added. Ridgell later confirmed that HAS completion by sophomore year is the goal system-wide.

The board will also consider changing the prerequisites for AP Calculus BC to require AP Calculus AB or the approval of the instructor, sequencing the two courses.

Several new courses are be-ing proposed for the Academy of Finance at Chopticon High School, including certificate of merit courses for Introduction to Financial Services, Securi-ties, Insurance, International Finance, Economics, Financial Planning, and Entrepreneurship.

Additionally, the board will look at approving more vocation-al offerings, including two levels of carpentry, masonry, and resi-dential and industrial wiring.

Also proposed are expan-sions of the Allied Health two-year program to include a third year in accordance with the Maryland State Department of Education model, additional years of American Sign Lan-guage and Chinese, and an inter-vention course designed to help

transition new 9th grade students to high school.

It all adds up to a total of 16 new courses, as well as three extended learn-ing blocks to be offered for English, Algebra, and

Geometry. “Nine of them are for the

academy of finance,” said Ridgell, “but only two of them would be added next year, the other seven would be added in out years,” he said.

Board member Cathy Al-len commented that she did not foresee any need for the school system to hire additional teach-ers for these new courses, and she expected to see all of them successfully added for the 2009-2010 school year.

“I think it is quite likely we’ll be able to get all of these courses online…they’ve gone ahead with the funds to purchase the text-books for them…and I would not expect them to propose changes they couldn’t afford,” she said.

More Curriculum Changes on HorizonSchool Board to Consider Variety of New Courses


Detectives with the St. Mary’s County Bureau of Crim-inal Investigations are on the hunt for a suspect who robbed the 7-11 convenience store in Mechanicsville Tuesday.

According to information from the crime unit a white male, standing about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds and wearing a sky mask used what could have been a shotgun wrapped in cloth to gain money from the store clerk.

The robbery occurred at about 2:15 a.m., according to police reports.

St. Mary’s sheriff’s depu-ties and Maryland State Police attempted to find the suspect after he fled on foot, police re-ports stated, but could not find him even with the assistance of state police helicopter Trooper 2 and canine units from Charles and Calvert counties.

Detectives are asking any-one with knowledge of the robbery to call 301-475-4200

at extension 1954 to give infor-mation, or call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333.

Four days prior to the 7-11 armed robbery detectives ar-rested three men in connection with a burglary that occurred on Thompson’s Corner Road, also in Mechanicsville, from September 19.

Detectives searched the home of Glenn C. Gray, 20, of St. Inigoes that, police reports stated, led to two other men, Bryan S. Erion, 22, also of St. Inigoes and Justin K. Kline, 23, of Leonardtown were charged with first degree burglary, theft and theft of a motor vehicle.

The Sept. 19 burglary re-sulted in about $28,000 in com-puter equipment, currency, ve-hicle parts and a vehicle being stolen, police reports stated, but stolen property from the bur-glary has been recovered.

Kline and Erion have been released on bond from the St. Mary’s County detention cen-ter, according to on-line court records, but Gray remains in-carcerated there.

Investigators Searching For Armed Robbery SuspectArrests Made In September Burglary

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,November20,2008

Editorial&Opinion

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Iwanttotaketheopportunitytothank all of the voters of the 5th Con-gressional District for the privilege and honor in re-electing me as your repre-sentative in Congress. I promise that Iwillcontinuetoworkhardonyourbehalf. Looking ahead, I pledge to work in a bipartisan manner to forge solutions to the challenges that face us: strengthen-ing our economy, creating jobs, ending our dependence on foreign oil, and se-curing our nation.

It is a great privilege to represent my constituents in Congress, and I am grateful for your strong support. Work-ing together, there is much we can ac-complish over the next two years to improve our Nation, our State and our communities. Thanking you again and looking for-ward to the next two years of our part-nership. Sincerely, Steny H. Hoyer

Hoyer Dedicated To Working Together

To The Editor:

Did you know that from Thanksgiv-ing and until the end of the year our na-tion produces 2 billionmore pounds oftrashperweekthanwedotherestoftheyear … a whopping 25% increase! There are many things we can do to reduce that amount of waste significantly. For specific suggestions on ways to re-duce the amount of holiday waste, go to the St. Mary’s County Commission on the Environment web site at www.greensomd.com. Click on “hot top-

ics” and to the “Green Holidays” link. If we each change just one thing we do in our lives to a “greener” more eco-friendly way, together we can make a tremendous difference.

Sincerely,Marta Kelsey Member, St. Mary’s County Commis-sion on the Environment Hollywood, MD

Time To Reduce Waste

How can a taxpayer-funded institution get away with building a 25 million dol-lar Administration Building, a seven mil-lion dollar Yacht Center and Boathouse, a one million dollar county land dealfor “Viewscape”, a three million dollar pedestrian bridge over Route 5 (and the list goes on)? Conservative estimates are that President Maggie O’Brien and her willing co-conspirators have spent over 113 billion (yes I said billion) taxpayer dollars on frivolous and “gold-plated” construction projects at St. Mary’s Col-lege. Our public school infrastructure is crumbling, and we struggle to build one school every five years. The Administra-tion Building at SMC cost about $4 mil-lionmorethantheentirenewelementaryschool in Wildewood (an entire complex for 650-700 students.

St. Mary’s College just got approval for a “free” (Ha-Ha) 10-year lease for land in Alba, Italy. They will spend mil-lions to rehab the building on that land, and at the end of the 10 years, the Italians can say “Thank you very much for the fine building-it is over.” Johns Hopkins University recently announced it is cut-ting back from 3 to 1 overseas campus as they are not cost-effective. Why is SMC trying to expand its overseas locations?

Bottom line-St. Mary’s College spending is totally out of line and the cit-

izens have no say. That’s why the elitist Board of Trustees can spend your taxpay-erdollarson thenewmulti-milliondol-lar mega-pier (of course “Squire” Mul-doon, President of the Board of Trustees must have adequate pier space for his 60’ yacht. SMC is already the highest cost tuition state school in Maryland. Gover-nor O’Malley has already frozen tuition at other state schools.

The real travesty is there is ZERO accountability for spending taxpayer dollars at St. Mary’s College. They have a direct line to “earmarked pork barrel projects through Congressman Steney Hoyer who is on the Board of Trustees. They spend taxpayer dollars and do not publish for the public their budget, ex-penses or spending. As Senator Dyson says “Even I can’t get a handle on SMC spending”. The Federal government, the State of Maryland and St. Mary’s County all have proposed budgets and final bud-gets published that are open to the public. Any taxpayer can find out costs, budgets or spending. Time for the liberal elitists at SMC to open their books to the same scrutiny. It is the right, ethical and moral thing to do.

Donald E. BeckSt. Mary’s City, MD

U.S. Economy Tanks But SMC Pork Projects Accelerate

In 2006 Roy Dyson and Martin O’Malley campaigned together, promising to deliver a new mass transit light rail system connecting Patux-ent River Naval Base and St. Mary’s County with Wash-ington. Dyson has been cam-paigning on this promise ev-ery election; this was the first time he found a companionhowever. With Dyson run-ning for Senate and O’Malley vying for Governor, the two were anxious for photo ops standing together on rail tracks promising commuter rail for Southern Maryland.

It wasn’t the only cam-paign promise made, a new Thomas Johnson Bridge spanning from St. Mary’s to Calvert County was also promised. This again was no new promise from Dy-son, he has been promising

a new bridge for years, but O’Malley was anxious to jump aboard. As recently as last May Dyson expressed his concern about the safetyof the bridge saying the “pil-ings appear to be in various stages of rot”. That the bridge has been maintained with“Band-Aid treatment” say-ing “I don’t think the bridge is safe” Dyson went on to say: “I pray that the Thomas Johnson Bridge never col-lapses. The last thing in the world I ever want to say is, ‘I told you so”.

Two years have now passed since the election,and Governor O’Malley and Senator Dyson have yet to dedicate resources to fulfill their promises. With only two years remaining before the two are up for electionagain, the question of pro-

viding solutions to Southern Maryland’s transportation needs andmost importantly,thesafetyofitsresidentsisapromise they must now de-liver on.

With the approval of slots in Maryland this past election, the promise of $600 Million in new revenue com-bined with the record tax in-crease of $1.4 Billion passed last year, what the two have delivered is $2 Billion in new revenues to add to the state’s $14 Billion dollar budget. Ev-eryone knew that Maryland did not have the money to fulfill all the campaign prom-ises being made, so some may understand the first two years would be about raising taxes and other fees to get the money.

It takes many years toplan, design, and construct

major transportation projects such as these. In fact, every major transportation proj-ect underway in St. Mary’s County today was approved by Governor Ehrlich at least 3 years ago, including the upgrade of Chancellors Run road with a price tag of more than $55 Million. No major transportation projects have been approved for St. Mary’s by the O’Malley/Dyson team. If commitments were madeduring this upcoming legisla-tive session to deliver these two transportation needs toSouthern Maryland, it would take at least 10 years before either project could be com-pleted. During that 10 years, Maryland will have collected $20 Billion in the new rev-enue alone, not counting the $150 Billion the state will collect during the next 10

years from the pre-O’Malley tax increases.

A major portion of the funding for projects such as bridges and mass transit systemscomesfromthefed-eral government. Therefore, combining state funds with federal highway dollars, the O’Malley/Dyson team would need to commit less than 5% of the new tax and slot reve-nues over the next 10 years to fulfill both campaign prom-ises. It seems reasonable that Southern Maryland could expect as little as 5% of the new state revenues. With the federal government focused on bridge safety since the collapse of the bridge in Min-neapolis, and with the newPresident, Barack Obama, committed to expanding mass transit; if ever the stars were all aligned it’s now.

Several years ago, be-fore O’Malley’s time, Dyson introduced legislation in the Maryland Senate that would authorize funding for a new Thomas Johnson Bridge. Dy-son’s fellow Democrats said no, the legislation died. With a new session of the Mary-land legislature set to begin this January, Dyson should prepare legislation requiring funding for both a new bridge and a light rail system into St. Mary’s County. If now is not the time, when is?

It is easy for politicianstomakepromiseswhilerun-ning for election, but the test of a good politician is did they deliver on their promises. With the largest tax increase in Maryland’s history in their pocket,plusslots,thereisnoexcuse.

With Slots In The Bag, Time For Dyson/O’Malley To Deliver


Board Of County Commissioners Meeting County Administrator Items

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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Consent Agenda

10.03 Personnel - Administrative and Supervisory

In accordance with the Annotated Code of Maryland (Section 6-201), “the

superintendent shall nominate for ap-pointment by the county Board of Edu-cation all principals, teachers, and other certificated personnel.” The superinten-dent “shall assign them to their positions and transfer them as the needs of the sys-tem require.”

Motion: To approve the consent agen-da as presented.

Motion By: Cathy Allen Second: Salvatore L RaspaAction: UnanimousVoting Record:William M Mattingly YesCathy Allen YesGary K Kessler YesSalvatore L Raspa YesMary M Washington Yes

Action Items

11.01 Amendments to Minority Business Enterprise Procedures

The Interagency Committee on School Construction (IAC) has adopted two amendments to the revised Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Procedures for State Funded Public School Construc-tion Projects that require formal Board of Education (Board) approval. In addition, the IAC requires Board approval of a re-vised cover sheet for the approval of the two amendments. The Board previously adopted the revisions to MBE Procedures for State Funded Public School Construc-tion Projects on August 27, 2008.

* The first amendment requires that the superintendent or designee establish a Procurement Review Group (PRG) that includes at a minimum the MBE liaison and a representative from the procure-ment office. The PRG will be responsible for setting specific MBE subcontracting goals for each capital project. Reporting requirements of the PRG are also includ-ed in the amendment.

* The second amendment revises Attachment A of the MBE procedures, which is the Utilization and Fair Solicita-tion Affidavit. The form has been revised to state that if the form is not completed by the bidder, then the bid will be ren-dered “non-responsive.”

* The cover sheet for the MBE pro-cedures and these amendments must be approved by the Board. Staff is currently

working with the State on verifying the dates to complete the cover sheet for Board approval. The Board will have the completed form prior to the Board meet-ing on November 12, 2008.

The IAC requires approval of the amendments by November 17, 2008.

Motion: That the Board of Educa-tion adopts the IAC Amendments and the cover sheet to the revised Minority Business Enterprise Procedures for State Funded Public School Construction Proj-ects previously adopted by the Board of Education on August 27, 2008.

Motion By: Gary K Kessler Second: Mary M WashingtonAction: UnanimousVoting Record:William M Mattingly YesCathy Allen YesGary K Kessler YesSalvatore L Raspa YesMary M Washington Yes

11.02 Policy “BEE” - Procedures for Appeals and Hearings to the Board - 2nd Reading

This policy is being presented for 2nd reading and approval. Once approved this policy will be prepared in final form, dis-tributed, and published to the web.

Motion: That the Board of Education approve the revisions as submitted.

Motion By: Salvatore L Raspa Second: Mary M WashingtonAction: UnanimousVoting Record:William M Mattingly YesCathy Allen YesGary K Kessler YesSalvatore L Raspa YesMary M Washington Yes

11.03 Policies “EA,” “EBCD,” “EC,” and “ECAB” - 2nd Reading

Second reading of policies “EA,” “EBCD,“ ”EC,“ and “ECAB. Once ap-proved these policies will be prepared in final form, distributed and published to the web.

Motion: That the Board of Education approve policies “EA”, “EBCD”, “EC” and “ECAB” as presented.

Motion By: Cathy AllenSecond: Gary K KesslerAction: UnanimousVoting Record:William M Mattingly YesCathy Allen YesGary K Kessler YesSalvatore L Raspa YesMary M Washington Yes

Board of Education Voting RecordMeting Held on November 12, 2008

Was it yesterday, or the day before, that your keys went missing, glasses got lost, or mind drew a blank when you tried to recall just where it was that you parked the car before making your way through the longest checkout line in supermarket history?

While it’s easy to forget things amid the jumble of daily life, especially as the holiday season approaches, it’s almost ef-fortless to recall how deliciously inviting it felt to attend a gathering, maybe at your grandparents’ or an aunt or uncle’s house, where mugs of something wonderfully hot spiked with mulling spices were of-fered or freshly baked apple and pumpkin pies were served.

The ease, sense of well being, and comfort that rush back to us just by catch-ing a whiff of a certain spice or aroma is no f luke. It may be one of the oldest and most highly valued of pleasures known to humankind. Since ancient times, hu-mans have used spices for both sacred and practical purposes. For example, An-cient Egyptians used one of the oldest, most fragrant, and popular of all spices, cinnamon, in their embalming process. In Biblical times, cinnamon was used as a perfume in anointing oils. Medieval phy-sicians blended cinnamon into medicines used to treat coughs and sore throats. Recognized for its preservative qualities, cinnamon also served as a fragrant, effec-

tive way to keep meat from spoiling long before refrigeration.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiv-ing, it’s worth remembering that voyages of discovery that paved the way for this great national holiday were launched in pursuit of the very same spices used in the making of holiday dishes we look forward to sharing with loved ones today, includ-ing pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. It’s also worth noting that sci-ence is beginning to reveal how using a sweet or savory blend of spices in cooking and baking can benefit our health, partic-ularly as we get older. As registered dieti-tians and nutritionists know, substituting culinary spices and herbs for fat, sugar, or salt called for in a recipe helps in the con-trol of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. As many health profession-als also appreciate, good nutrition pro-motes healthier aging. Maintaining good nutrition as we age may, in fact, be one of the best ways to lessen the risk of chronic disease, slow its progression, and reduce its symptoms. Better yet, blending spices into a nutritious meal, and sharing it with those who helped us create our own per-sonal trove of deliciously inviting memo-ries may be one of the best and healthiest ways to share a wonderful bounty of f la-vor and memory with everyone we trea-sure, not only during the holiday season, but also throughout the entire year.

Savoring CelebrationErin BordenMeals On Wheels Association of America

County Administrator Items

1. Draft Agenda for November 25 and December 9, 2008 (BOCC does not meet on December 2)

2. St. Marys County Cooperative Extension (Liat Mackey, Family and Community Science Educator; Benjamin Beale, Agriculture Science Educator and County Extension Director) BA transferring $22,525 from salary/fringe to the BOCC Reserve due to a position being vacant for nine months

Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the budget amendment transferring $22,525 in salary/fringe savings to the BOCC Emergency Reserve Account. Motion By: Dement Second: JarboeAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

3. Dept. of Public Safety (Dave Zylak, Director; Dennis Gordge, Pres., ALS)) Acknowledgement of MIEMSS Advanced Life Support Education Grant and BA decreasing the grant budget by $1,800 (no change to Co. match)

(Tabled due to possibility of figures changing.)

4. Dept. of Information Technology (Bob Kelly, Director) MOU with the State Dept. of Information Technology allowing State access to the County fiber optic infrastructure to support County and State agency services (benefiting the County with additional internet bandwidth)

Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Maryland, Department of Information Technology, for purposes of allowing state access to the county fiber optic infrastructure to allow services to be provided to county and state agencies and to accept access to additional internet bandwidth for the County. Motion By: Dement Second: MattinglyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

5. Dept. of Economic and Community Development (Bob Schaller, Director) (Carolyn Laray, Mgr., Tourism Division) Mini-Grant ($1,000) from the So. MD Heritage Area Consortium and related BA

Motion: To approve and authorize

the Commissioner President to sign the Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium 2008 Mini-Grant Award Acceptance, in the amount of $1,000, for a Celebrate 375 project. Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the related budget amendment reflecting this $1,000 grant and the County’s $1,000 cash matchMotion By: Mattingly Second: DementAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

6. Dept. of Aging (Peggy Maio, Fiscal Specialist) Grant ($229,434) Older Americans Act Title III; contingent upon the enactment of the FY2009 Federal Appropriation of funds (Co. match $27,498)

Motion: To approve and authorize Commissioner President Russell to sign the Notification of Grant Award, totaling $256,932, from the Maryland Department of Aging, for the FY2009 Older Americans Act Title III. Motion By: Dement Second: MattinglyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

7. Office of the County Administrator (John Savich) Board Appointment

Motion: To appoint Al Harrison to the Recreation and Parks Board, as the public schools representative, with a term to expire December 31, 2010.Motion By: Jarboe Second: DementAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

Other Items

Dept. of Land Use & Growth

Management:1. Request Extension of Legislative Processing Deadline for Approval of Proposed Text Amendment to Allow Small Wind Energy SystemsMotion By: Mattingly Second: RaleyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

2. Present Growth Policy Procedures for AdoptionMotion By: Raley Second: JarboeAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly Yes Dement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,November20,2008

self from discussing the case,citing a conflict of interestin light of his relation to thedefendant.

“She’s my wife’s grand-mother,” he explained. “It’ssomethingItoldtheethicscom-mission in Annapolis I woulddo.It’sjustsaferthatway.”

“It’s hard to believe,” saidCopsey, who attested that theyoungster in question was hergranddaughter.“I’vehadallofmychildrenandgrandchildreninthatplaceandI’veneverhada problem…once in a whilethey’ll clean a table…but theynever serve anybody…I haveother people there to do thatjob,”shesaid.

GeraldBowles,abartenderattherestaurantandtheyounggirl’sfather,testifiedaswell.

“She is 10 years old, shehas never served…she’s smartenough to know she does nothandle alcohol,” he said, em-phatically.“Thisisaridiculouscharge.”

When asked why Flowersmighthavebroughtsuchaccu-sationsbeforetheboard,EmmaBowles, a server at the DriftInn, replied, “She may havesomething against us becauseof the restaurant where sheworks, because we’re alwaysbusy.ButIdon’tknow.”

The Beverage Board votedthattherewasnoviolationthatcouldbereliablyconfirmed,sothechargewasdismissed.

Anotherbusinessownerwasnotsolucky,however.Whereascharges against the Drift Inncould not be confirmed withevidence, Teresa M Boatman,

ownerofBoatman’sRestaurantand Sports Bar in Ridge, waspenalizedinlightofvideoevi-dence, as well as her own ad-mission,ofthreeviolations,in-cludingallowingtheconsump-tion of alcoholic beveragesoutside the licensed premises,allowing an employee to workwhile unclothed, and allowingpatronstosmokewithoutwarn-ingorrefusingservice.

Boatman asked to be al-lowed to voluntarily relin-quishherlicenseratherthanbetried,but theboarddeniedherrequest.

“On a criminal basis, thisfor her would be like a guiltyplea,” said Attorney JoannWood,explainingthatBoatmanwouldbeallowedtoreapplyforher license after six monthswithoutthemaronherrecord.

Boatman admitted that allthree incidents occurred, andshe was fined accordingly forthe first and third violation.Videoevidenceofallthreevio-lationswasonrecord,themostdamningofwhichwas theun-disputedaccountofthesecondviolation, forwhichBoatman’slicense was automaticallyrevoked.

“A video was provided byan individual witness…show-ing that a bartender that wasworkingatBoatman’sremovedher shirt andwasworking un-clothed from the waste up,”explained Joann Wood whenoutlining the details of theincident.

Boatman declined to com-mentontheruling.

Wanderings of an Aimless Mind“Family Fun & Games”

Shelby Oppermann

ByShelbyOppermann

Theholidaysareapproaching,andnaturallywebegintothinkofourfamiliesandallthegoodtimesweshared togetherover theyears. Fond,shared memories of warmth and togetherness.Eachfamilyhastraditionsthatbondthem,someofwhicharesongs,storiesorgames.

Ourfamilywasnodifferent.Wedidn’tal-waysplaytheperennialfamilyfavorites,Monop-olyandCandyland(myfavorite).Myolderbroth-ers,BobbyandBilly,thoughtupuniquegamestoentertainme.Iwas9yearsyoungerthanBilly,and14yearsyoungerthanBobby;Iwasahappypuppywillingtogoalongwithanything.

One of the earliest games I rememberwascalled “Sanctuary”. Some of you might havegrownupwithasimilarversion.I’msureit’sstillpopular among siblings today. One child, nor-mally the youngest, is minding their (her) ownbusiness sitting on the floor coloring or watching cartoons,andonesibling(older,stealthybrother)sneaksup frombehindandstarts tickling them(her)untiltheyarecryingandcontinuesonun-tilthey(she)can’tbreathe.Thesecondversioniswhentheyoungestchild(me)hastopassbyany-whereoldersibling(mucholder,stealthybrother)mightbewithoutbeingcaught.

Theobject of thegamewas for thepersonbeing tickled to reach sanctuary at one of twodesignatedspotssetbymyMotherduringprevi-ous“games”.Onceyoureachedthereyouhadtoscream“sanctuary!”Thiscouldonlyworkif#1youcouldbreathe,and#2youcouldmovefasterthanyourpursuer.Mysanctuaryspotsweretheunusedarmchairinthebackcornerofthelivingroom,andtheareabehindthediningroomtable.Noonecouldgetbehind thereexceptme. TheroomwasaU-shapedbump-outbetweenthefoy-erandkitchen.It’sfunnythatIwastheonlyonewhoeveryelled“sanctuary!”

AftermyolderbrotherleftforcollegewhenI was four, then my brother Billy had to thinkofgamesformehimself.So,duringthoselongsummerdayseachyearwhenwegotboredfromourmarathonMonopolygames,I’dfollowBillyalloverthehouseandoutintotheyard.I’dwatchhimbuildhiserectorsetorbringoutthatfunnychemistrysetwhichtheyprobablydon’tsellany-more,andshouldn’t.

IguessonceinawhileBillymighthavegot-tenmaybealittleannoyedwithalittlesisterfol-lowing him around asking questions all day. Idon’tknowexactlywhen,buthedevelopedanewgamecalledthe“Where’sShebbyGame.” MyMotherneverknewaboutthisgame.Thegamewouldstartaboutafternoon. Iwouldbe inmyhappypuppystatelovinglyfollowingbigbrotherallovertheplace,asking1001questions,andsud-denlyBillywouldsay,“Where’sShebby?”(Thatwas,andis,myfamilynickname).I’dsay,“HereIam,Billy”.Billywouldlookallaroundandthenask again “Where’s Shebby?” I would answeragain,”HereIam,Billy,Here,Iam!!!”startingtojumpupanddowntogethisattention,andpro-gressivelygettingmorepanicky.Wewouldgoallaroundthehousethisway.Whatgreatfun,whatgreatmemories.

ThelastreallyimpressivegameBillythoughtupwassuretokeepayoungchild’sattention,itdidn’thaveaname,butitisforeverburnedinmymemory.Thisgoesbacktothosefunnychemis-trysets.Remember,thiswastheearly60’s.Bothbrotherslovedtolearnmoreabouthowchemistryworked,andtheywouldbuildmodelcarsjusttoblowthemup.Nowadays,theywouldbeontheeveningnews.ThisisalsosomethingmyMotherknewlittleornothingabout.WhenBillywouldtireofblowinguphisownmodels,hewouldlookfornewthings.Whatcouldbemorecolorfulthandoll house figurines and furniture?

Billysaidtomeoneday,“Let’stakeyourdollhouse figures outside, and put them on this tree stump.”Happypuppyreplies,“O.k.,Billy”Thenafter Billy does a few things to the doll figures he tellsmetorun,soIrun,andnothinghappens.Werunasecondtime,nothing. Butthethirdtime,POW!!!!! dolls and doll pieces go flying through theair. I still see it all in slowmotion, inhor-ror,withBillylaughing.Irealizetohimthiswasa great scientific experiment to benefit mankind somehow,butmylittlefriendswereblownapart.Billykepttellingme,“It’sallright,I’llbuyyoumore.”Idon’tknowifheeverdidornot.

When my family gathers together thisThanksgiving,youcanbesurethatthesewarm,loving family storieswillbe sharedoncemore.Thereisthepossibilitymybrotherswillbeplan-ning a gameof “sanctuary”, so I amunable tobreatheortalk,andpossiblythinkingofagamewhereIwillbeunabletoeverwriteagain.

Toeachnewday’sadventure,ShelbySendcommentsto:shelbys.wanderings@ya-

hoo.com

Boatman’sContinued from page A-�

Gantt Found Guilty In Lexington Park Bank Heist

er things that come under thatarea…speechlanguagepatholo-gistsforexample,that’soneareathatwesharewithothercountiesas having problems filling,” he said, adding that occupationalandphysical therapist positionshadalsobeenmorechallengingforthecounty.

Anumberoflanguagesubjects were added to thestate’s list of shortages, includ-ing Chinese, German, Italian,and Japanese, but the majorityof positions on the listwere incontent areas that have histori-cally suffered shortages, suchas chemistry, math, and phys-ics.“Inyearspastwedidhavesome difficulties,” said Weiland, “butthispastyearwewereveryfortunate that we were ableto fill those math and science positions.”

Weiland said that heexpects statewide shortages tocontinueinlightofthechalleng-esfacingthisandothercountiesin terms of finding qualified ap-plicants.“Oneoftheissueswithvacancies thoughout the stateofMarylandis that thestateofMarylanddoesnotproducethenumber of applicants neededto fill those positions,” he said,

adding that teaching certifica-tionprogramsinthestatewerealso suffering a shortage ofapplicants.

State numbers reflect Weiland’s observation. Of theteachers hired in 2007, 4,003werenewteacherswhohadre-centlycompletedteachertrainingprograms. Only1,234of themcame from Maryland collegesanduniversities,downfromthehigh of 1,769 in 2002-2003.Andcurrently,MSDEnumbersreveal that there areonly threeteachereducationcandidates inphysics scheduled to graduatefrom Maryland colleges nextspring,andtherearenocurrentcandidates in computer scienceortechnologyeducation.

Weiland said he ex-pectsturnovertostaythesamein St. Mary’s because of thenumber of teachers married tomilitarypersonnelinthecounty.“Wewillhaveteacherscomeinwithspousesinthemilitary…soanygivenyearwe’llhaveanum-berofvacanciesduetofamiliesneeding to transfer, but we al-wayshavenewteacherscomingin…soit’saplusandaminus,”hesaid.

WellStaffedContinued from page A-�

asincreasedinterventionpro-gramsoralternativepathwaystolearning.

In previous years thetrendforSt.Mary’sCountyPub-lic Schools has been a lackingproficiency in Special Education andAfricanAmericanstudents,but this year marks the first year thatalldemographicshavemetAYPinthecounty.

“I am absolutely ec-static with the fact that all ofour schools made AYP,” saidSuperintendent Michael Marti-rano. “This isamajoraccom-plishmentforourschoolsystemand community. MSDE hasreportedthatweareoneofveryfewschoolsystemsin thestateofMarylandwhocanmaketheclaim that all of our schoolsmadeAYP…this incredible ac-complishment isa testament tothe hard work and dedicationofall school systememployeesandourstudents.Theseresultsconfirm that we are a very high performingschoolsystem.”

Statewide gains havetaken a total of nine Mary-landhighschoolsoffthelistofschoolsneeding improvements,decreasing the number of highschools in Maryland on theImprovementlistfrom71to45since 2005. According to sys-temandstate-leveldatareleased

onNov.14,bothBaltimoreCityand Prince George’s Countyschoolsystemsarecurrentlyonthe improvement list, but bothmade progress in one of theirgrade levels this year, and areexpectedtobetakenoffthelistifsimilarprogressismadenextyear.

ThestateofMarylandwillalsobeinstitutingadifferentiat-edaccountabilitypilotprogram,underwhichschoolshavingdif-ficulty meeting federal targets in oneortwoareasarevieweddif-ferentlythanthosewithbroaderdeficiencies. 2008 data shows that six schools in the state ofMaryland were indeed addedtotheSchoolImprovementlist,but 1140 elementary, middle,and high schools in MarylandmetAYPthisyear,ascomparedto 1050 in 2007, so officials are optimistic.

School officials in St. Mary’sCounty arehoping thatthe AYP trend can be main-tainedincomingyears,particu-larlyinthewakeofaneconomicdownturn.“Ithinkrightnowit’sabout maintaining the accom-plishmentsandtheprogresswehave in place…with challeng-ing economic times, my goalistomakesurethatoursystemdoesn’t backslide in any way,”saidMartirano.

SchoolsMakeAYPContinued from page A-�

Wasityesterday,orthedaybefore,thatyourkeyswentmiss-ing,glassesgotlost,orminddrewablankwhenyoutriedtorecalljustwhereitwasthatyouparkedthecarbeforemakingyourwaythroughthelongestcheckoutlineinsupermarkethistory?

While it’s easy to forgetthingsamid the jumbleofdailylife, especially as the holidayseasonapproaches,it’salmostef-fortlesstorecallhowdeliciouslyinvitingitfelttoattendagather-ing,maybeatyourgrandparents’oranauntoruncle’shouse,wheremugsofsomethingwonderfullyhot spiked with mulling spiceswere offered or freshly bakedapple and pumpkin pies wereserved.

Theease,senseofwellbe-ing,andcomfort that rushbacktousjustbycatchingawhiffofacertain spice or aroma is no fluke. Itmaybeoneof theoldestandmosthighlyvaluedofpleasuresknowntohumankind.Sincean-cient times, humans have usedspicesforbothsacredandprac-ticalpurposes.Forexample,An-cientEgyptiansusedoneof theoldest,mostfragrant,andpopu-lar of all spices, cinnamon, intheirembalmingprocess.InBib-lical times, cinnamonwas usedas a perfume in anointing oils.Medieval physicians blendedcinnamon into medicines usedtotreatcoughsandsorethroats.Recognized for its preservativequalities, cinnamon also servedas a fragrant, effective way to

keepmeatfromspoilinglongbe-forerefrigeration.

In the days leading up toThanksgiving,it’sworthremem-beringthatvoyagesofdiscoverythatpavedthewayforthisgreatnational holiday were launchedinpursuitoftheverysamespic-es used in the making of holi-day dishes we look forward tosharing with loved ones today,including pepper, cinnamon,cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. It’salsoworthnotingthatscienceisbeginningtorevealhowusingasweetorsavoryblendofspicesincooking and baking can benefit ourhealth,particularlyaswegetolder.Asregistereddietitiansandnutritionists know, substitutingculinaryspicesandherbsforfat,sugar,orsaltcalledforinarecipehelps in the control of chronicdiseases like hypertension anddiabetes.Asmanyhealthprofes-sionalsalsoappreciate,goodnu-tritionpromoteshealthieraging.Maintaininggoodnutritionasweagemay,infact,beoneofthebestwaystolessentheriskofchronicdisease,slowitsprogression,andreduceitssymptoms.Betteryet,blendingspices intoanutritiousmeal, and sharing it with thosewho helped us create our ownpersonal troveofdeliciously in-vitingmemoriesmaybeoneofthe best and healthiest ways toshare a wonderful bounty of fla-vor andmemorywith everyonewetreasure,notonlyduringtheholidayseason,butalsothrough-outtheentireyear.

Savoring CelebrationErin BordenMealsOnWheelsAssociationofAmerica

ByGuyLeonardStaffWriter

AcountyCircuitCourtjuryfoundAntonio Warren Gantt, the man ac-cused of spraying gasoline on tellersattheLexingtonParkMarylandBankandTrustCo. inorder tostealmoneylastyear,guiltyonchargesofrobbery,robberywithadangerousweapon,theftover $500 and second degree assaultagainstthreebankemployeesTuesday.

Gantt, who had earlier fired his publicdefenderandrefusedlegalcoun-sel from the state, was totally silentthroughmostofthetrialbutlateractedout in court again and again, railingthat his rights had been violated andthat he had been intimidated into notspeaking.

Circuit Court Judge C. ClarkeRaleyordereddeputiestobindandgagGanttwithtapeinthewaninghoursofthetrialdaytorestrainhisoutbursts.

It took the jury only 19 minutesto reach their verdict of guilty on allcounts.

Thejuryhearddramatictestimonyfromthreefemalebankemployeeswhowere present on Oct. 31, 2007 whenGantt robbed thebankonShangri-LaDrive.

LouiseDelozierwasoneofthetell-ersdousedbyGanttwithgasolinefromasportsdrinkbottle.

“Hescreamedgetintheback!Givememoney!Givememoney!”Deloziertold the jury. “I was terrified to say the least.”

During the robbery,Delozier andother co-workers testified, Gantt herded themintooneofthebank’svaultafterstealing about $40,000 in cash, someofwhich,itwasrevealed,hadbeenbaitmoneythatcouldbeeasilytraced.

“Hesaidhewasgoingtokillusifwe didn’t give him the money,” testified branchmanagerValerieBuckner.

She described the mood in thebankvault,afterGantthadforcedtheminthere,asoneof“panicandfear.”

“Iwasafraidhe’dsetthebankonfire,” Bucker said.

Gantt did not respond to any re-quests to cross-examine witnesses,savebutafew,whereheattemptedtoshowthatwitnessescouldnotpositivelyidentifyhimbecausetheycouldnotre-member exactly what clothes he waswearing.

AgasstationemployeeinLexing-ton Park that day testified that she had soldGantt about .47cents ingasolinebeforetherobberyhadoccurred.

Hehadtoldherthatheneededitforhislawnmower,shesaid.

GantthailedacabattheFriendlyCabCo.justaftertherobberyandwhenthedispatcherrecognizedGantt—hehadseenhislikenesscirculatedjustonemonthearlierforabankrobberyatthesamelocation—hecalledpolicewhileatthesametimegivingGanttacab.

Thecompanywasabletotrackthe

movementsof thecabsopolicecouldapprehendGantt at the intersectionofRoute 235 and St. Andrews ChurchRoadheadedtowardstheSolomonsIs-landbridge.

After State’s Attorney RichardD. Fritz rested the prosecution’s case,Ganttwasdeniedtheabilitytocallwit-nessesinhisdefense.

RaleyruledthatsinceGantthadre-fusedcounsel,evenatthecourt’scon-tinued encouragement, failed to crossexaminenearlyallthewitnessesaswellas summons any of those who testified forthestate,hewouldnotbeallowedtocallanywitnesses.

Gantt protested and yelled out tothejurythathehadnotreceivedafairtrial and that his constitutional rightshadbeenviolated.

“They don’t want me to tell thetruth!”Ganttyelledoutasherevealedashockbelthehadbeenmadetowearasasecurityprecaution.“Theythreatenedtoshockmewith70,000volts!

“Ididn’trobthatbank!”Guards commanded Gantt to sit

downwhenheyelledoutanddroppedto the floor, claiming he had been electrocuted.

GuardstoldRaleytheydidnotac-tivatetherestraint.

Gantthadtobetakenbackintheholdingareaofthecourtandcouldbeheard screaming: “Stop breaking myarm!”

Whenhewasbroughtback inhewas shackled and gagged and com-plained, in a muffled voice, that he couldn’tbreathproperly.

Raley eventually allowed the gagtoberemoved.

When he protested again at histreatment Raley said: “You were giv-en every opportunity to prepare yourcase…you[havechosen]tosimplyre-mainsilentandsitthere.”

RaleycontinuedbysayingthathebelievedGantt’ssolepurposewas“sim-plytodisrupttheprocessanywayyoucan.

“Youmadethechoices;theywereextremelypoorchoices.”

Gantt’s closing argument reiter-ated his outbursts earlier in court,whileFritz’sargument focusednotonthemoneyGantt stolebut the fearheinstilled.

“He’dlikeyoutothinkthiscaseisallabouthim,”Fritzsaid.“Itisallabouthim, it’s abouthisguilt and it’s aboutthe fear he struck in thehearts of sixwomen.

“It’s the fear of being burnedalive.”

Gantt,42,ofSt.Leonard,issettobe tried this week for the September2007bankrobbery.FritzisseekinglifewithoutparoleforGantt’spunishment.


on this building, it’s an honor to work on this.”

The reproduction, or res-urrection, of the 1667 chapel is one of the top priorities in St. Mary’s City’s quest to recre-ate some of the most impor-tant parts of Maryland’s first capital.

With a price tag edging toward $3 million, split rough-ly between federal grants and donations from the city’s sup-porters and its foundation, the chapel is loaded with history, said Henry Miller, chief ar-chaeologist at the city.

Not only was it the first brick building in Maryland, he said, but it was also the first permanent Catholic Church built in the English colonies in America, a tribute to the “lib-erty of conscience” doctrine of religious freedom espoused by Lord Baltimore when the colony was first founded in 1634.

“In those days a Catholic church could not be built in the Eng-lish speaking world, except here,” Miller said. “They were only allowed a private cha-pel in their homes.”

Prominent Catho-lics in the colony were also buried there, said project carpenter Pe-ter Rivers, in the pe-rimeter of the church walls.

And the sand-stone tiles soon to be laid down, Rivers said, will be placed in formation close to the way they were in 1667, over the dead.

Miller said that while the furniture and interior design has yet to be completed, the architectural work would be done by the end of this year.

The chapel itself was meant to be “an architectural learning experiment,” Miller said, with craftsmen and ar-chaeologists like himself hav-ing to relearn how 17th century

builders — with precious little knowledge of mathematics and largely illiterate — were able to create such a structure by skill passed down from other masters.

“We kept track of person/day labor so we could know how much effort and time it took,” Miller explained. “And we had to figure out how to recreate the window holes with the bricks.”

Miller and other research-ers learned that colonists in those days could also only have worked on the chapel during late spring through autumn, or late April through October, because freezing tempera-tures ensured that the mortar, made from burnt oyster shells, would not set properly.

“They knew it as sec-ond nature,” Miller said of 17th century masons. “We had to figure it out.” The chapel has attracted the

eye of builders and craftsmen from the Old World as well, Miller said, who were also cu-rious to see how their ancestors would have built churches.

“Nowhere is there a 17th century building like that be-ing constructed,” Miller said of the St. Mary’s chapel proj-

ect. “Nowhere.”St. Mary’s City continues

to finish out long, sought after projects and continue running exhibits even though tough economic times have hit.

In mid September, they opened a new museum atop the archaeology dig of St. John’s Freehold, the home of Maryland colonist John Lewger in 1638, which subse-quently became the meeting place of the Maryland colonial legislature.

It was where Mathias de Sousa, a black Portuguese mariner, cast a vote in the legislature and it was also the site where Margaret Brent first asked for voting rights.

It later became the home of Maryland Governor Charles Calvert.

And despite state level budget cuts that would have shut down its operation, the foundation has put up the money to keep the open air Woodland Indian hamlet, one of their most popular exhibits, running.

“We’ve been asked to

cut about $135,000,” said Sue Wilkerson, spokeswoman for Historic St. Mary’s City. “But the foundation has stepped in… we considered closing it but it’s such an important part of the story we want to tell.”

St. Mary’s CityContinued from page A-�

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By: Terri Schlichenmeyer

You can’t help it. Your toes have to tap when the radio’s on.

Pretty soon, you’re moving your fingers in time to the music, too, and maybe nodding your head. If it’s not the steel guitar that has you in its grip, it’s the soft drum or the fiddle that’s got you.

And it all started with, as Loretta Lynn says, a “patting foot” because you love coun-try music. Some of your best memories are of listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio or watching it on TV. Now, keep those feet moving and take a step back to re-live those moments with your favorite stars in the new book “Behind the Grand Old Opry Curtain” by Robert K. Oermann.

For going on 100 years, the Grand Ole Opry has been home to dozens of talented country music performers. Becoming a mem-ber is by invitation only, and while it might seem as if they’re joining a double-secret Club, the truth is that new inductees are being en-folded into a family.

Everybody in the Opry, it seems, is somehow connected to everybody else there. When Hawkshaw Hawkins, Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Randy Hughes were killed in a now-legendary airplane crash, Opry members flocked to the vic-tims’ families to lend support. Hughes’ wife was Copas’ daughter. Patsy Cline, in particular, was a “big sister” to many up-and-coming performers including Loretta Lynn, who credits Cline with teaching her to look good on stage and off.

Opry members have watched out for their brethren for as long as the Opry’s been around. Friends tried to save Faron Young from himself, though they couldn’t help in the end. Young stood up for Char-lie Pride, once telling a radio station that if they threw out the African American singer’s records, they may as well throw out Young’s, too. Pride nurtured the careers of others, including Ronnie Milsap. Roger Miller was given a leg-up by several Opry stars, and he passed that forward once he was inducted.

But that doesn’t mean everything was smooth in Opryland. There were busted

duos and busted hearts, divorcing and drink-ing, and too much living large. In this book, you’ll learn about the stories, scandals, smiles, and songs.

“Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain” is one of those delicious tell-all books that will (mostly) please you with goodness in the end. Each chapter spotlights an Opry star, but also includes the people who made that star’s life better. Author Robert K. Oermann will sur-prise you (who knew there was such a pre-ponderance of car crashes among Opry mem-bers?), tell you things you didn’t know (Charlie Pride was not the Opry’s first African Ameri-can member), and he discusses a few on-going mysteries (when, exactly, did Hank Williams die?).

“Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain” is an easy-to-read, enjoyable presentation of stars then and now, and it’ll have you humming songs you haven’t thought about in years. If you love country music, this book needs to be on your bookshelf. Pat your feet on out and get it.

“Behind The Grand Ole Opry Curtain” by Robert K. Oermannc.2008, Center Street $23.99 / $26.99 Canada 403 pages, includes notes

“Leonardtown is very popular,” said Reif, citing an impressive 800 visitors per day, a year-to-date increase of 23 percent, along with 152 PC users per day. “I know that number could be higher if we had more PCs and more room for them,” said Reif, adding that the Library’s Facility Needs Study completed in 2007 recommended that the county’s 54,000 square feet of public library space at all three branches be increased to 100,000 square feet to adequately serve the population.

Specifically, the 2007 study recommended a new 40,000 square foot facility in Leonard-town, for which the county will have to com-pete for state funds to build.

“We missed the opportunity to compete for the FY10 funds,” said Reif, adding that the typical statewide pool of $5 million for library projects had been cut to $2.5 million for FY10, and $2.75 million for FY11, in light of the bud-get shortfall, leaving all counties in the state with a smaller pool of money over which to compete as the need for services increases.

“We all recognize economic constraints,” said Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe, explain-ing that he thought the best option might be

to renovate Leonardtown’s existing facilities. “The demand in Leonardtown is location loca-tion location,” he said.

Others disagreed with this precept. “The demand for services certainly has skyrocket-ed in the last few years,” said Commissioner Thomas Mattingly. “They’re out of space…I agree with consideration of adding on to the existing facility, but that presents some chal-lenges…it would be difficult to do that.”

“The board felt the most fiscally respon-sible thing to do would be to try to get land and build a brand new one…get more bang for our buck,” said Reif, explaining that renovating the existing site and retrofitting for technology and infrastructure would be costly, and perhaps even take longer.

As Reif finished her report, she added that it would be necessary to decide on a location for the new library in the next few months. “We need to issue an RFP for an architect…but we can’t do that without a location,” she said, adding that this would need to be done by the April 2009 deadline in order for the county to realistically compete for state funds in 2011. “We need to get rolling on that right away,” she said.

Later Reif said she had not expected a de-cision that day, “but they’re thinking about it now, so it’s a start.”

LibraryContinued from page A-�

Photo by Guy Leonard

Photo by Andrea ShiellAccording to a 2007 study, Leonardtown Library will need to more than double its current square footage to meet the needs of residents. (Photo from St. Mary’s County Library website)

Aaron Wieland, a mason from Hagerstown, does some penciling work on the oyster shell mortar used to fit the 6,500 hand crafted bricks at the chapel.

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,November20,200�

InLovingMemoryofJosephD.Adams(Danny)

July18,1946–November20,2003ForeverInOurHearts

Ithasbeen5yearssinceGodcalledyouhome.

Thereisnotadaythatgoesbywhenwedon’tthinkofyou.

TheGradnson’saskaboutyouoften.

BarackObamaisournewPresident.

Lovingandmissingyoumoreeachday!Gaye,Angie,Kevin,Tamra,Andreand

Brandon

Thursday, August 21, 2008 The County Times Section A - �

Alice Mildred Brown, 99

Alice Mildred Brown, 99 of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in her home.

Born Nov. 9, 1908 in Baltimore, Md., she was the daughter of the late James and Lilly Mae Jackson Rebham.

She was a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church, Valley Lee, and Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 107, Ju-lia Halla, Hollywood.

Mrs. Brown is survived by two sons, Lloyd E. (Jerry) Brown, Jr. of Leonardtown and Willard Bruce Brown of Terra Alta, W. Va. She is also survived by six grand-children, Julie Brown-Rund, Jeff Brown, Nancy Deal, Wendy Jarda, Judy Graybill and Pheobe Brown, and eight great-grandchildren Clay and Will Rund, Kristen and Josh Brown, Shawn and Bruce Deal, Audrey and Samantha Jarda.

She was predeceased by a daughter Betty Ruth Brown and a brother John B. Fenwick.

Relatives and friends at-tended Mrs. Brown’s Life Celebration in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 5 – 8 p.m. with prayers recited at 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held Thursday, Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. in St. George’s Epis-copal Church, Valley Lee. Reverend Greg Syler, pastor of the church, will officiate. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Memorial Contributions may be made to The Mis-sions Endowment Fund or Cemetery and Grounds Fund, c/o St. George’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 30, Valley Lee, MD 20692.

Condolences to the fam-ily may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

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

Francis Joseph Brown, Sr., 66

Francis Joseph Brown, Sr., 66, passed away in his home in Indian Trail, N.C. Aug. 12.

Mr. Brown was born July 1, 1942 in Leonardtown, son of the late Mary Edna Brown Norris.

Mr. Brown is survived by his wife Jacqueline Mer-cer Brown; a son Francis J. Brown, Jr. and his wife Shelia of Stanfield, N.C.; a daughter Jennifer Lynn Brown of Indi-an Trail, N.C. and two grand-daughters Christianna Page and Allyson Grace Brown.

The family received friends Sunday, Aug. 17 from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Matting-ley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said at 3 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Mon-day, Aug. 18 at 9:30 a.m. in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with Fr. John Mat-tingly officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memo-rial Gardens.

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

Luis Antonia Castillo, 70

Luis Antonia Castillo, 70, of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown.

Born Sept. 20, 1937 in Puerto Rico, he was the son of the late Luis Antonia and Elsa Monserrate Morales Castillo.

Luis is survived by three sisters, M. Elaine Ohler of Millsboro, Del., Evelyn Cas-tillo of Chestertown, Md. and Elsie Collins of Las Vegas, Nev. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Family received friends Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. – noon in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown, with prayers recited at noon. Deacon George L’Heureux officiated. Graveside service followed at 2 p.m. at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Md.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the St. Mary’s Nursing Center Foundation, Inc.,

21585 Peabody Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650.



Lloyd Raymond Harris, 97

Lloyd Raymond Har-ris, 97, died peacefully Aug. 12 in the St. Mary’s Nursing Center.

Mr. Harris was a longtime resident of St. Mary’s County. He was born in Gallatin, Mo. June 13, 1911 to the late How-ard May Harris and Frankie Lee Jackson. He married his beloved wife of 59 years, Mary Catherine “Sis” Nelson at the Washington Cathedral in Washington D.C. Sept. 2, 1939. She preceded him in death in 1998. He was also preceded in death in 1998 by his beloved sister Margaret Harris.

Mr. Harris served in the United States Army as an As-sistant Chaplain. Following his army service he was em-ployed in Washington, D.C. by the Federal Government for many years before retir-ing. He then worked in the tax department for the State of Maryland and retired in 1971. During his retirement, he and his wife enjoyed trav-eling throughout the United States.

He enjoyed playing cards, dancing and buying new cars. Ray loved life and most of all he enjoyed helping others while expecting nothing in return. He was devoted in the care of his wife and sister un-til their death.

The family received friends in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Friday, Aug. 15 from 9 – 10 a.m. with a funer-al service that followed at 10 a.m. officiated by Rev. Keith Schukraft. Interment followed at Charles Memorial Gardens in Leonardtown. Pallbearers were Frank Nelson, Donnie Bowles, Fred Nelson, Harry Nelson, Jr., Michael Russell and Roy Copsey.

Contributions may be made to American Heart Association, 415 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4101.


Valorie Anne Henry, 48

Valorie Anne Henry, 48, of Mechanicsville, formerly of Grandview, Mo., died Aug. 17, in Lexington Park.

Born Oct. 31, 1959 in Lincoln, Neb. she was the daughter of James Ray Dick-inson of Mouldrow, Okla. and Hortense Anne Campbell Crawford of Grandview, Mo. She was the loving wife of Earl Allan Henry, whom she married July 16, 1986 in War-rensburg, Mo.

She is survived by her son Earl Ian Henry.

Mrs. Henry gradu-ated from Grandview High School’s Class of 1977. She moved to St. Mary’s County in October 1988 from Wal-dorf, Md.

The family will receive friends Saturday, Aug. 23 from 10 – 11 a.m. in Patux-ent River Assembly of God Church, California, where a Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. with Pastor Lanny Clark officiating. Interment will be held Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. in Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery, Chelten-ham, Md.

Contributions may be made to Hospice if St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.


Karen A. McEntyre, 51

Karen A. McEntyre, 51 of Lexington Park, formerly of Plano, Texas, died Aug. 13 in Washington Hospital Center.

Born Feb. 24, 1957 in Sweetwater, Texas she was the daughter of Carold and Mary Aleese Benson of Pla-no, Texas.

She is also survived by her children Jeremy Porter of Snyder, Texas, Jonathan Porter of Plano, Texas, Angie Porter, Sheila Horton and Ma-rissa Horton, all of Lexington Park as well as her brother Victor Benson of Plano, Texas and three grandchildren.

Karen was employed as a registered nurse.

All services are private. Arrangements provided

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

Timothy Brian McGrath, 50

Timothy Brian McGrath, 50, of Lexington Park died Aug. 11 in St. Mary’s Hospi-tal, Leonardtown.

Born June 14, 1958 in Freeport, Ill., he was the son of Patricia (Chambers) Mc-Grath of Mesa, Ariz. and the late Charles McGrath.

Timothy attended La-salle-Peru High School in La-salle, Ill. where he graduated in 1976. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1976 until 1999. After his service in the Navy, Timothy was employed by a Government Contractor and worked at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. He was an Elks Lodge member and a past member of the Lexing-ton Park Volunteer Rescue

Squad. In addition to his mother,

Timothy is survived by his wife Debra Kay (Houtz) Mc-Grath, his son, Sean Patrick McGrath of Lexington Park, his sister, Karen McGrath of Mesa, Ariz. and his brother, Michael McGrath of Ill.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, Lexington Park.



Patrick Connor Miller 2

Patrick Connor Mill-er 2, of Avenue died Aug. 12 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown.

Connor was born Oct. 11, 2005 in Anne Arundel Medi-cal Center, Annapolis, Md., the son of James L. Miller and Krystal Kaldenbach of Avenue.

He is survived by two sis-ters, Lillian and Kayla Miller, a brother Kyle Miller, his pa-ternal grandparents James L. and Darlene Oliver Miller of Chaptico, maternal grandpar-ents, Eugene Kaldenbach of Harrimon, Tenn., and Debra Adams Kaldenbach of Win-chester, Ky.; great-grandpar-ents Francis and Audrey Oli-ver of Chaptico and

G reat-g rand mother s Mary Lou Adams of Waldorf, Md. and Shirley Miller of Newburg, Md.

The family received friends for Connor’s Life Celebration Sunday, Aug. 17 from 3 – 4 p.m. in the Brins-field Funeral Home, Leonard-town, with a funeral service at 4 p.m. Interment was private.



Mary Aleathea Redmond, 84

Mary Aleathea Redmond, 84, of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in St. Mary’s Hospital.

Born April 18, 1924 in Mechanicsville she was the daughter of Clarence Leo Ev-ans and Gertrude M. (Pilker-ton) Evans.

Aleathea graduated from Margaret Brent High School in 1941. She worked from 1961 to 1971 as a secretary/re-ceptionist for St. Mary’s Col-lege. She enjoyed cooking, croqueting, playing cards, gardening, and sewing; often making clothing for her and her daughter.

She is preceded in death by husband James Franklin

Redmond, whom she mar-ried March 4, 1945 at the Im-maculate Conception Catholic Church in Mechanicville. She is survived by her beloved chil-dren Gayle A. Hancock and her husband William of Fair-fax, Va., and James “Frank” Redmond and his wife Wanda of Fredericksburg, Va. She is also survived by three grand-children, Jeffery A. Hancock and his wife Jennifer of Fair-fax, Va., Mark D. Redmond and his wife Tanya of Fred-ericksburg, Va., Jason P. Red-mond of Fredericksburg; and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her sister Agnes Rice.

Family received friends Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonar-dtown. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated 11 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, with Rev. John Dakes officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown.

Serving, as pallbearers were Mark Redmond, Jason Redmond, Jeffery Hancock, Bill Hancock, Lawrence Pilk-erton, and Arthur Pilkerton. Honorary pallbearer was Earl Dean.

Memorial contribution can be made to the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 456, Ridge, MD 20680.



Louis Marshall “Junior” Thompson, Jr., 84

Louis Marshall “Junior” Thompson, Jr., 84, of Avenue died Aug. 4 in his residence.

He was born July 20, 1924 in Dynard to the late Louis Marshall and Catherine Elea-nor Harris Thompson Sr.

He was the loving hus-band of Rose Lee Thompson whom he married July 26, 1942 in Sacred Heart Church, Bushwood. He is also sur-vived by his children, Mar-garet Taylor and her husband George of Hollywood, Buddy Thompson and his wife Deb-bie of Avenue, Benny Thomp-son and his wife Mary of

Morganza, Donnie Thompson and his wife Debbie of Me-chanicsville and Rose Mary George and her husband John of Avenue; 16 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and his sisters Mary Ozella Lacey of Abell, Gertrude Osborne of King George, Va. and Susan Vallandingham of Bushwood.

He was preceded in death by one great-grandchild and his sisters Catherine Hall and Louise Bryant.

A lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County, Junior was a self-employed waterman. While enlisted in the U.S. Army from Oct. 19, 1944 to Nov. 19, 1945, he served as a rifleman, a light machine gunner and a cook.

He belonged to the Knights of Columbus and en-joyed playing cards and being with his family and his two special buddies Maynard and Ringo.

The family received friends in the Mattingley-Gar-diner Funeral Home Thursday, Aug. 7 from 5 – 8 p.m. with prayers being said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Friday, Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. in Holy Angels Cath-olic Church, Avenue, with Fr. William Gurnee officiating. Interment followed in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood. Pallbearers were Johnny George, Jereme George, Tina Fay Ferguson, Dave Hodg-es, Matthew Thompson and Donnie Thompson. Honorary pallbearers were his grand-children, nieces and nephews.

Contributions may be made to Holy Angels Sacred Heart School, 21335 Colton’s Point Road, Avenue, MD 20609, Seventh District Vol-unteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609 and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.


Evelyn Tillotson Woods, 86

Evelyn Tillotson Woods, 86, of California died Aug. 14 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown.

Born Dec. 18, 1921 in LeMoyne, Pa., she was the daughter of the late George C. Tillotson and Eva (Dowhow-er) Tillotson. Evelyn was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Evelyn is survived by her daughters, Christine W. Moore of Chesapeake Beach, Md. and Deborah J. Standish of California, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

All services are private. Condolences to the fam-

ily may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.


Obituaries

To Place a Memorial Ad Please Call The County

Times at 301-373-4125

AndrewRogerBrown,�3

Andrew Roger Brown,83, of Ridge, son of the lateRoger andCoraBrown,wasborn Jan. 20, 1925 in Ridgeand departed this life Nov.12 in St. Mary’s Hospital inLeonardtown.

Andrew attended St.Mary’sCountypublicschools.HewasalifelongresidentanddedicatedmemberofSt.PeterClaver Catholic Church. Hewas a self-taught carpenter,whoassistedinthebuildingofhis first home. He was skilled at automotive repair and en-joyedworkingoncars.InNo-vemberof1945,attheageof20,AndrewstartedhiscareerwiththeFederalGovernmentat the Patuxent River NavalAir Station. Andrew retiredin July 1980 after 35 yearsof distinguished service. OnNov. 4, 1946, Andrew wasunitedinmatrimonywithIsa-belVeronicaChaseatSt.Pe-terClaverCatholicChurchatthetenderageof21.

Andrew enjoyed help-ing people in need; he wasa friendly, kind hearted andsoft-spoken person. He en-joyedfootball,basketballandbaseball.AndrewwasanavidBaltimore Orioles fan. Heloved traveling to games towatchhissons,nephewsandgrandchildrenplaysports.

Hereallyenjoyedtheout-doors, gardening, workingin the yard and going fishing withJoseph“Fatman”Harris.

AndrewwasadedicatedChristian who loved attend-ing church worship and wasan active member of thechurchchoir.Thisgavehimarealsenseofaccomplishmentandpride.

Andrewleavestocherishhis memories; his children;Jerome R. Chase, (Sharon),Dorothy Gant, (Bobby), An-drewV.Brown,(Karen),AnnV.Brown-Mickens,(Charles),LeonardS.Brown,(Darlene),Gloria J. Brown-Martin,(James), Marcia E. Brown-Loyd, Darlene M. Brown-Johnson,(William)andJamesD.Brown,(Gail).Sister;Hil-daBillips.Heisalsosurvivedby 26 grandchildren and 36great-grandchildren.

Inadditiontohisparents,

Andrewwaspredeceasedbytwo sisters and one brother,Hazel Harrel, Mildred BealandSylvesterBrown.

Family received friendsforAndrew’sLifeCelebrationNov.19from9–10a.m.inSt.PeterClaverCatholicChurch,St.Inigoes.AMassofChris-tian burial was celebratedat 10 a.m. with Father ScottWoodsasthecelebrant.Inter-ment followed in the churchcemetery.

Arrangements providedby the Brinsfield Funeral Home,P.A.,Leonardtown.

HarryGainChun,55

HarryGainChun,55,ofGreatMillspassedawayNov.13inhishome.

BornJan.6,1953inNewYorkCity,hewas thesonofWing (deceased) and ChoyChun.Harrygrewupandat-tendedpublicschoolsinMan-hattan with his three sisters;Wanda, Jean and Lily. Hewent on to study AerospaceEngineering and graduatedin1976fromthePolytechnicInstitute of Brooklyn. Whilestudyingatcollege,Harrymethiswife,Becky,of31years.

After graduation, he ac-cepted a job in Oklahomawith Tinker Air Force Base.While in Oklahoma, HarryandBeckystartedtheirfam-ilywiththebirthoftheirson,Jeff. Soon after Jeff’s birth,HarryacceptedanAerospaceEngineering job at the De-partmentofNavyinTrenton,N.J. Harry and Becky grewtheir family in Pa. with thebirthoftheirdaughter,Elaine.The family resided inBucksCounty, PA for 15 yrs until1994,whereHarryandfamilyrelocatedtoStMary’sCountyandworkedat theNavalAirWarfare Center at Patux-entRiver,Md.For 30 years,Harry has enjoyed workingfortheNavyasanAerospaceEngineerandManager.

Outsideofworkandfam-ily,Harryalsoenjoyedcoach-ing and refereeing soccergamesthroughouttheSouth-ernMarylandregion.Hewasan avid fanof thegameandsupporteroftheLeonardtownWomen’s Soccer program.Harry also enjoyed working

onprojectsaroundthehouseandonhisclassicChevyZ-28Camaro.

He was a devoted hus-band, father, friend, and co-worker.Heissurvivedbyhiswife,Becky,children,Elaineand Jeff, mother, Choy, andsisters,Wanda,JeanandLily.

Family will receivefriends for Harry’s Life Cel-ebrationNov. 20 from5– 8p.m. at the Brinsfield Funeral Home,Leonardtown,20650.

A short gathering withguestspeakerswillbeginat7p.m.AfuneralservicewillbeheldNov.21at1p.m.atLake-mont Memorial Gardens,900 W. Central Ave, David-sonville, MD 21035. Therewill be a procession leavingfrom the funeral home at 11a.m. to Lakemont MemorialGardens.

In lieu of flowers, me-morial contributions may bemadetoHospiceHouseofSt.Mary’s,P.O.Box625,Leon-ardtown,MD20650.


Arrangements by theBrinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.,Leonardtown.

FrancesMarieCoombs,�1

Frances Marie Coombs,81,ofLeonardtowndiedNov.14 in St. Mary’s Hospital.BornAug. 31, 1927 inMed-ley’s Neck, Md. she was thedaughter of the late FrancisXavierandFrancesElizabethCameron.

She was preceded indeath by her husband IraJohn Coombs, Sr. in July of1981. She is survived by herchildren: Ira John “Johnny”Coombs,Jr.andhiswifeRuthof Loveville, Rex Coombsand hiswifeKathy andDeeCoombs and his wife Nitaall of Leonardtown; five grandchildrenandthreegreatgrandchildren.

FranceswasalifelongSt.Mary’sCountyresidentwheresheattendedSt.Mary’sAcad-emy. She was a school buscontractor for 15 years untilherretirementin1982.

The family receivedfriends Nov. 17 from 6 – 9

p.m. in the Mattingley-Gar-diner Funeral Home, wherePrayers were said at 8 p.m.A Mass of Christian BurialwascelebratedNov.18at10a.m. in Our Lady’s Catho-lic Church, Medley’s NeckwithFr.ThomasLaHoodof-ficiating. Interment was Pri-vate. Pallbearers were ChrisBistline, Joseph Matthews,DouglasAbell,JosephFrankBussler, Jr., Peter CameronandGeneSeverson.HonoraryPallbearerswereMarkAllenCoombs,KatieAnnCoombs,Julie Marie Coombs, KimAnn Bistline and Anna JoyBussler.

Contributions may bemadetoLeonardtownVolun-teerRescueSquadAuxiliary,P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown,MD20650.

Arrangements providedby the Mattingley-GardinerFuneralHome,P.A.

JackRandalFrazier,7�

Jack Randal Frazier, 78,ofLeonardtownpassedawayNov.9inhisresidence.

Born June 29, 1930 inNorton, Va., he was the sonof the late Jake C. and VidaThomasFrazier.

Mr.FrazierservedintheUnited States Marine Corpsduring theKoreanWarfrom1949to1952.

He was a Civil Ser-vant for the United StatesGovernment.

Mr.Frazierissurvivedbyhis wife Reba Iola ReynoldsFrazier, his daughter KarenL. Frazier-Kline ofLeonard-town,andtwobrothers;Brad-leyFrazierofBigStoneGap,Va.andGaryWayneFrazierofDerby,Va.

Serviceswillbeprivate.Arrangements provided

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

Condolences to the fam-ily may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com

BonnieWillisGallant,64

Bonnie Willis Gallant,64, of Leonardtown, daugh-ter, wife, mother and grand-motherpassedawayNov.12

in her home, surrounded byherlovingfamily,afteralongand valiant struggle againstbreastcancer.

DuringalmostfortyyearsinSt.Mary’sCounty,shewasvery active in county asso-ciations, including the GirlScouts, Sweet Adeline’s, andtheTuesdayMorningLadies’BowlingLeagueatEsperanzaLanes. She whole-heartedlycommitted herself to boardand crafter membership intheSt.Mary’sCountyCraftsGuild, a group of dedicatedpeople who have kept craftsalive and well in the countyformorethanthirtyyears,inmany locations, and underseveral names – currently,the Old Towne Crafters ofLeonardtown.

BonniewasborninChes-tertown, Md., Oct. 29, 1944,andgrewup innearbyCecilCounty. She attended Bohe-mia Manor High School andGoldey-Beacom BusinessCollegeinWilmington,Del.

She is survived by herhusbandof44yearsRichard,her daughter Michelle, son-in-lawSteven,andgrandsonsSpencer and Logan Wall,all of Leonardtown, and herdaughter Paula, son-in-lawRick, grandson Jackson, andgranddaughter Carley Tepel,ofHollywood.

She has extensive fam-ily members on the EasternShore,includingtheColemanfamily of Suttlersville, Md.,and in New England. Also,she leaves behind her be-lovedmother,AnnaBrambleWillis.

She was preceded indeath by her father, CarltonWillis, who passed away inFebruary.

Family received friendsforBonnie’sLifeCelebrationNov. 17 from 5 – 8 p.m. inthe Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown.AFuneralSer-vicewasheldat6p.m.Inter-mentwill takeplaceNov.18in the Galena Cemetery in

Galena,Md.In lieu of flowers, dona-

tionscanbemadetoHospiceHouse of St. Mary’s, P.O.Box 625, Leonardtown, MD20650.


Arrangements by theBrinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.,Leonardtown.

NellieAmyPilkerton,97

NellieAmyPilkerton,97ofLeonardtown,andformerlyof Salisbury, England, diedNov.10inSt.Mary’sNursingCenter.

Born Jan. 28, 1911, shewas the daughter of the lateHenryandAmyPressBridg-es.Shewasthelovingwifeofthe lateErnestMitchellPilk-erton who preceded her indeathin1968.

She is survived by herbrotherAlfredCharlesBridg-esofSalisbury,Md.,herbroth-ers-in-law Lindsey PilkertonofPhiladelphia,Pa.,LawrencePilkerton of Fla., as well asher nieces June Swatton andherhusbandMalcomofWh-erwell,EnglandandChristineDennisandherhusbandRenlyofCalifornia,Md.

ShewasprecededindeathbyherbrotherHenryThomas“Harry”Bridges.

Nellie attendedgrammarschool inEnglandandwasaloverofanimals.

The family receivedfriendsNov.12from5–7p.m.in the Mattingley-GardinerFuneralHome,Leonardtown,whereprayerswere said at 6p.m. A funeral service washeldNov.13at10a.m.intheMattingley-Gardiner FuneralHomewithRev.SharonWil-liams officiating. Interment followed at Cedar Hill Cem-etery,MDatnoon.

Arrangements providedby the Mattingley-GardinerFuneralHome,P.A.

Saving money and pro-tecting the environment -- thesearecommongoalsofmanypeoplecelebrating thisyear. Creating a green andfestive Thanksgiving canhelpyousave theplanet andafewdollars.

Make your turkey daymoreeco-friendlybyemploy-ingsomeoftheseeasytips.

1. Ride sharing: Suggestyourguestscarpooltoarrive

at the Thanksgiving dinner.Purchase small favors andrewardthosewhotraveledto-gethertosaveongas.

2. Deep-fry the turkey:A turkey cooked in a tradi-tionalmannerwillspendsev-eralhoursintheoven.Ratherthanburnupfuelkeepinganelectricorgasovengoingthatlong, consider deep-fryingthe bird. It’ll takemuch lesstime.Plus,youmaybeableto

donate theused cook-ing oil to

beturnedintobiodiesel.3. Go green with floral

arrangements: Rather thanpurchase hot-house flowers, lookaroundyourowngardenandyardforbloomsandotherembellishments you can useonthetable.Loosetwigsandberriesalsolookveryfestive.Also consider pumpkins orother organic fruit for deco-rating.Lateritcanbeturned

intodessert!4.Skipthebottledwater:

Purchase a faucet filter or a pitcher with filter so that you can use tap water instead ofbottledwater.Freshenupthewater with a few slices oflime,lemonorcucumber.

5.Buyorganicwheneverpossible: When stocking upon ingredients for your din-ner, try to choose foods thatwere organically grown.Also,shoplocallytosaveongasandtohelplocalfarmers

andbusinesses.6.Cook less:Remember

all of the leftovers you hadlastyear?Ratherthanwitnesstheleftoversgomoldyintherefrigerator,simplycooklessfoodtohavelesswaste.Withall of the food you’ll stillhaveonhandguestscertainlywon’tgohungry.

7. Recycle householditemsintodecorations:Manyplasticandpaperdecorationsaremadeoverseas.Insteadofpurchasingturkeyandharvest

decorations,lookaroundandsee what you can use. Pineconescanbeturnedintotur-keyswithafewcraftsuppliesand feathers. Indian corn iscolorful and looks quite fes-tiveasacenterpiece.

8. Open the windows: Itcanbecomewarminahomefilled with guests. Open the windowstocoolthingsdownbefore you turn on the airconditioning.

Plan a Green Thanksgiving


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Return to the Forbidden

Planet

Nov. 20 @ 8p.m., Nov. 21 @ 8p.m.Nov. 22 @ 8p.m., Nov. 23 @ 3:30p.m.

Thursday, November 20

Twilight Movie Release Party All three St. Mary’s County Libraries- 5 p.m.

Release party for the movie Twilight. Discuss the Twilight series and enjoy Twilight Trivia. Snacks provided. Free. Register at www.stmalib.org.

Artist Meet and Greet Lex-ington Park Library Art Gal-lery- 5 p.m.

Meet local artist Jeanne Norton Hammett at the Lex-ington Park Library Art Gal-lery and view her hand-printed serigraphs (silk screening or printing) of local landscapes of the Chesapeake tidewater area. Free.

Friday, November 21

Caribbean/Latin Night Knight Life Night Club- 7 p.m.

The Caribbean Link Social Club will have a Caribbean/Lat-in night party at the Knight Life Night Club. Please call Keith at 301-481-1823orMaira at 240-925-3490 for more information.

Wood’s Tea State House in Historic St. Mary’s City- 7 p.m.

The acoustic group will deliver a mix of Celtic tunes, bluegrass, sea shanties, and American folk songs. Tickets are only available at the door: $12 for Friends of Historic St. Mary’s City and $15 for general public. HC. 1-800-SMC-1634. 240-895-4990. www.stmarysc-ity.org.

Patuxent Playhouse - God-spell Patuxent Presbyterian Church- 8 p.m.

Written by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Te-belak. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at the door or at www.paxplays.com. Proceeds will benefit the Patuxent Pres-byterian Youth Group.

St. Mary’s Jazz Combo Montgomery Hall 25, SMCM - 8 p.m.

Under the direction of Don Stapleson, the Jazz Combo will perform various pieces from the jazz repertoire. This concert is free and open to the public. For more information, con-tact the Music Department at 240-895-4498.

Saturday, November 22

Dinner Theater- Godspell Patuxent Presbyterian Church- 6:30 p.m.

Written by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. Dinner served at 6:30 p.m., play starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25, and can be purchased at the door or at www.paxplays.com. Proceeds will benefit the Patuxent Presbyterian Youth Group.

Full Effect, DJ Rob, and Sam Grow Hotel Charles, Hughesville - 9:30 p.m.

Full Effect in the Party Room with DJ Rob playing dur-ing intermissions, Sam Grow in the Small Bar. Cover Charge. Call 301-274-4612 for more information.

Sunday, November 23

Hollywood VFD Craft Show VFD Social Hall- 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Free admission. Refresh-ments will be on sale through the auxiliaries. We will be sell-ing stuffed ham sandwiches and stuffed ham by the pound. Sponsored by the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department La-dies Auxiliary and the Holly-wood Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary.


A woodsy-smelling chill swept the night air as dozens of young children and their parents crowded into Gracie’s Guys and Gals Dance Studio in Holly-wood. Though there was no snow, and there were still no decorations adorn-ing houses in the area with festive holi-day lights, this was one place where it was truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

One could hear the thunder of tap shoes pounding the f loor as students and show troupe members, dressed in festive red costumes, danced to popu-lar holiday songs, rehearsing for their upcoming Holly Jolly Christmas Show, which will be held at Bowles Farm on December 14.

Owner and teacher Gracie Myl-es could hardly contain herself as she talked about her students, explaining that they were rehearsing for a number of shows, including a performance at the Magic Kingdom in Florida on Novem-ber 26, and a performance at the tree-lighting festivities in the Leonardtown square the day after Thanksgiving.

With a son currently perform-ing in the hit show “Stomp,” a daughter teaching at her studio, and fond mem-ories of her parents and her grandfa-ther performing and teaching ballroom dancing, Myles said it was only fitting that she had been dancing her whole life, and teaching dancing for 21 years.

Myles lent her choreographing tal-ents to this year’s Holly Jolly Christmas show, basing it on a show she had done in Ocean City years ago. Having per-formed the show in Prince Frederick for

the past two years, Myles decided to put on her Holly Jolly show for the first time in St. Mary’s County this December to raise money for her show troupes, which operate under the umbrella of her studio in Hollywood.

With costumed characters and a to-tal of 40 dancers, and a custom-created stage and seating area at Bowles Farm that can accommodate 300 guests, Myl-es said she is looking forward to Decem-ber 14, when she plans to transform the farm to a literal “winter wonder-land.”

“We’re all really excited,” she said, smiling as Run Run Rudolph echoed in the background.

Gracie’s Show Troupe Preparing for a “Holly Jolly Christmas”

SectionA-10 The County Times Thursday,November20,2008

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Moore’s Driving AcADemy

sizeto550beds.Statefiguresshowthe local jail is

33.9 percent over capacity, accordingtoSheriffTimothyK.Cameron,whichmakes it themostovercrowded in thestate.

Figures show that since 2001, thepopulation in the jail has increasedrapidly.

“Atthatrate,I’mnotsurethepro-jection for 2025 is accurate,” saidMayorJ.HarryNorrisabout the timeframe for the jail to reach its maxi-mum capacity once the expansion iscompleted.

“I don’t think that developmentdistricts are the place for jails, letalone prisons,” Norris added. “[Townresidents]needacommitmentthatthiswillbethelastexpansion.”

Onetownresidentsaidconcentrat-ingontheprojectasplannedmeantthatall otheroptions tobuild therewouldbeleftoutasamatterofcourse.

“We don’t want to see just this,but the other alternatives that areout there,” he said. “If you’re goingto communicate with us show us thealternatives.”

County officials, including mem-bers of the commissioner board, saidanagreementwiththetown,amemo-randumofunderstanding,couldlikelybe forged to prevent any further ex-pansionatthecurrentsiteaftercurrentplansaresettled.

CameronreiteratedataNov.13in-formationalmeetingabout theprojectinLeonardtownthatthiswouldbethelast expansion of the prison becausethe current site could not accommo-

datefurthergrowth.Norriscomplainedthattownof-

ficials and residents did not knowanythingabouttheexpansionofthejail until 2006, though the projecthasbeenintheworkssince2002.“Inretrospectwedidn’tdoenough

communication work with the town,”Camerontoldresidentsatthemeeting.

Communication has always beena problem between the jail and localresidentssaidJoanRitchie,a residentintheSingletreeneighborhood.

Sherememberedthatwheninmateswouldrunawayfromthejailwhileoutonworkreleasetheywouldnotreceivea warning, rather they would have toguess when police vehicles began toshowuptosearchfortheescapee.

Abiggerjailwillmeangreaterpo-tentialforproblems,shesaid.

“We’veneverreceivedaphonecallwhen someone ran off from the jail,”Ritchie said. “The system failed, itdidn’twork.”

Lawofficersatthemeetingsaidse-curitymeasureshadbeenimplementedsince the lastescape tohelpensure itwouldnothappenagain.

Other issues beyond communi-ty opposition stand in the way of thejail’sexpansion.Thetowngovernmenthassaidthereisnotenoughwastewa-tertreatmentcapacityattheVanWertLane plant to handle the increase inwateruseatanexpandedjail.

County officials say they are ex-ploringthepossibilityofusinghighlytreatedwastewater thatwouldnotbeused for drinking but rather for irri-gation to ease pressure on the plant’scapabilities.

JailExpansionContinued from page A-�

Documents

Thursday, November 20, 2008 • St. Mary’s County ...docshare01.docshare.tips/files/7952/79520141.pdfThursday, November 20, 2008 The County Times Section A - Pontiac G6 We have it