2011-04-28 Southern Calvert Gazette

April, 2011

Priceless GazetteEverything Solomons, Lusby, Dowell, and St. Leonard

Southern Calvert

Story 1

Lusby Woman Runs Boston Marathon

Mill Creek System in Declining Health

Sudoku Championship Set for May 14

Story Page 6Story Page 3 Story Page 10

Police Work runs in the Blood for the evans family

a family tradition

Thursday, April-20112

community

The Newtowne Players cast of “The Importance of Being Hairy” prepares to go to New York City at the end of the week to participate in the 15 Minute Play Festival.

In the front row are 5th and 6th grade winners of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Post 274 essay contest, Teddy Danielson, Daniel Waldheim and Yamaris DeAlba.

Also Inside

On The Cover

3 Local News

6 Local News

8 Letters

9 Community

11 Cover Story

12 Obituaries

14 Education

15 Locals

16 On Water

17 Out & About

18 History

19 Entertainment

Laura Magdeburger of Lusby says hello to spectators during the 115th annual Boston Marathon on April 18. Magdeburger did well in the race and qualified for next year’s marathon.

Solomons Island

Tide ReportSolomons Island

Tide ReportSolomons Island

Tide Report

Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon /Low Time Feet Sunset Visibl

F 6 High 4:41 AM 1.8 6:04 AM Rise 8:17 AM 6 6 Low 12:02 PM 0.3 8:02 PM Set 11:27 PM 6 High 5:19 PM 1.1 6 Low 10:40 PM 0.3

Sa 7 High 5:23 AM 1.8 6:02 AM Rise 9:16 AM 12 7 Low 12:44 PM 0.3 8:02 PM 7 High 6:06 PM 1.2 7 Low 11:32 PM 0.3

Su 8 High 6:11 AM 1.7 6:01 AM Set 12:12 AM 19 8 Low 1:27 PM 0.3 8:03 PM Rise 10:19 AM 8 High 6:56 PM 1.2

Day High Tide Height Sunrise Moon Time % Moon /Low Time Feet Sunset Visibl

F 29 High 12:18 AM 1.6 6:12 AM Rise 4:03 AM 16 29 Low 7:01 AM 0.4 7:55 PM Set 4:50 PM 29 High 12:31 PM 1.2 29 Low 6:30 PM 0.3

Sa 30 High 1:04 AM 1.6 6:10 AM Rise 4:29 AM 10 30 Low 7:51 AM 0.4 7:56 PM Set 5:47 PM 30 High 1:11 PM 1.2 30 Low 7:00 PM 0.3

Su 1 High 1:44 AM 1.7 6:09 AM Rise 4:56 AM 5 1 Low 8:37 AM 0.3 7:57 PM Set 6:45 PM 1 High 1:51 PM 1.1 1 Low 7:31 PM 0.2

April 29 - May 1 2011

May 6 - 8 2011

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Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans, left, and his sons, Eric and Charlie who are both Maryland State Police troopers.

out & aboutFOR EVENTS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA, CHECK PAGE 17 IN OUT AND ABOUT

entertainment

Thursday, April-2011 3

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After running other marathons, running the 115th Boston Marathon was an opportunity for Lusby resident Laura Magdeburger to enjoy the benefits of all her hard work and take in the adventure.

Within hours of returning from her weeklong trip to Boston for the sole purpose of running the race on April 18, Magdeburger talked mostly about her experience.

“It was cold. In the 40s. We were bused out of town to the southwest. We waited in a field at an elementary school for two hours. There was a lot of food and port-a-potties with waiting lines a mile long. 25,000 people trying to keep warm,” said Magdeburger.

Learning about the race ahead of time through Internet searches and talking to other runners, Magde-burger found out that people purposely wear clothes they can dis-card prior to the race. Then others at the field pick up the clothes and give them to homeless shelters.

“People were still discarding clothes a couple of miles into the race,” she chuckled.

The race starts in three waves comprised of nine corrals with approximately 1,000 people per corral. Mag-deburger’s qualifying time placed her in the third wave in the first corral.

“I was up front and saw the lady with the gun,” she said about starting her race.

Citing the 21 mph tail wind at her back most of the race, she said it felt like she was being blown up some of the hills. Although “heart-break hill” is the one at the end of the race which everyone talks about, she said there were a lot of hills on the course, which traveled through different towns, two colleges and by Red Sox stadium.

“People were everywhere. Boom boxes with inspirational music. They had bands and one place with about 10 people playing drums.”

Since the marathon is run on Patriot’s Day, a holiday, many peo-ple stand along the route to cheer the runners on.

“It gave me chills. All these people yelling ‘Go Laura, go Lau-ra,’” she said. The runners are en-couraged to write their names on a piece of tape and wear them for the crowd to see.

The Red Sox also time their game so that all their fans start pouring out onto the street to fur-ther encourage the racers.

Only the elite qualify for the marathon boasting participation from 90 countries and all the states. Magdeburger’s qualifying run came from a back lot Disney World mara-

thon in which she finished in 3 hours and 50 minutes. She bested her entry time finishing the Boston Marathon in 3 hours, 39 minutes and 39 seconds, making her one of the 30 percent of the runners to re-qualify to run the race a second time.

In the future she is considering a full triathlon. But in the meantime, she has been working with a number of other individuals who have asked her to help them train for a marathon. By Corrin M. Howe (SCG) [email protected]

Lusby Woman Runs Boston Marathon, Qualifies for Next Year

Laura Magdeburger of Lusby ran the 115th annual Boston Mara-thon on April 18. Here Magdeburger celebrates with family after completing the race and setting a personal record. Above, Mag-deburger is with partner Tracy Eno.


LOCALNEWS

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The state’s most recent dredge survey to determine the health of the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay is near the best its ever been in almost 15 years, but harsh winter weather claimed nearly one-third of the adult crabs this year.

According to the annual report, the level of crabs in the bay is at its second highest number since 1997 with 460 million crabs, nearly twice that of the 249 million found in the 2007 study.

“Today we continue to realize the benefits of the very tough decisions we made three years ago – deci-sions that are bringing us closer to our ultimate goal: a self sustaining fishery that will support our industry and recreational fisheries over the long term,” Governor Mar-tin O’Malley (D) said in a prepared statement.

The survey report shows that about 254 million adult crabs survived the winter weather, which was above the hopes of analysts for the third straight year. The annual target for adult crabs is set at 200 million and the com-bined commercial and recreational harvests for 2010 was below the 46 percent threshold.

But the environmental and weather conditions took a toll on crabs in the bay, more so than in recent years.

“The bay’s blue crab population can vary dramati-cally from year to year, and 2011 has presented some

challenges,” said Tom O’Connell, director of the Fish-eries Service for the Department of Natural Resources. “Crabs are vulnerable to extreme cold, and this past winter’s deep freeze is to blame for the fact that as much as 31 percent of Maryland’s adult crabs were lost to winter kill, as opposed to about 11 percent in 2010.” Crabs also reproduced at a lower rate in 2011 than the previous year, O’Connell said.

Tommy Zinn, president of the Calvert County Wa-termen’s Association, said that the report was at least ini-tially good news but he did not expect the state to ease some of the restrictions on commercial crabbers such as bushel limits on female crabs or mandatory days off.

“We’re working with the department to get some of these restrictions lifted, we want to extend the season into the fall but they’re reluctant to do that,” Zinn said.

Young crabs that appear to be in such abundance now could still suffer in the spring time before making it into watermen’s nets and cages, Zinn said, as fish often feast on them.

“It doesn’t mean they’ll show up, it doesn’t mean they’ll survive the spring,” Zinn said of the survey’s tally. “There’s a lot of variables out of our control and out of the department’s control.” By Guy Leonard (CT) [email protected]

Crab Survey Offers Good News, Bad News

This weekend is your chance to see a parade of Fire and Rescue vehicles or watch competitions between Southern Maryland Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squads.

On Saturday and Sunday, Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department hosts the 64th Annual Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association convention. The public events are held on Sunday at Solomons rain or shine. The parade starts at 1 pm at Glasock Field. Following the pa-rade the squads can participate in four different competitions:

• Battle of the Buckets, which is like tug of war only moving a bucket across a cable to the opposing team’s side.

• Bucket Brigade has six members who are attempting to fill a drum with water and displace a ball from the drum. The fastest time wins.

• EMS Contest is when each team is given a scenario which begins with the team sitting in the ambulance sounding the siren and ends with the patient in the vehicle with the doors shut. All teams

will receive the same scenario and will be judged on accurate patient assessment, proper treatment and overall time.

• Fastest Dressed Obstacle Course has six ar-eas to navigate and complete a task. These tasks include donning on equipment and knocking over a target with spray from a hose.

Made up of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s county volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel, the Association’s mission “is to serve, promote, ad-vocate and represent the interests of all the volun-teer fire, rescue and EMS companies in the state including management, administration, budget, operations and logistics.”

The counties rotate the president and conven-tion responsibility every year. On April 30, William Jones will be installed as the association’s newest president. His first responsibility is to host the an-nual convention weekend, which includes installa-tion services for new officers, a memorial service for fallen personnel and an awards ceremony.

“It’s a big meal and each year we all try to outdo one another,” said Jones. Local and state politicians attend the Saturday events as well as representatives from all the Southern Maryland volunteer rescue, fire and EMS departments.

Jones expects he will continue to hold fund-raisers to pay for his outgoing responsibilities of providing awards, certificates and dinner for all his officers at the end of his presidency. Jones’ goal was to raise $30,000 for the annual convention through various activities such as Cornhole Tour-nament, volleyball, Cash for Gold, Charter Boat raff le and other events.

64th Annual Fireman’s Association Convention This Weekend

SMECO Refunds Capital CreditsSouthern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) is is-

suing capital credit refunds totaling more than $4.25 million. The general refund amounts to approximately $3.073 million and the special refund to estates of deceased members and to unpaid final bills is $1.185 million. The general refund will be issued beginning in mid-July as a credit on customer-members’ bills, a press release states.

All active customer-members will receive a credit on the bill for their primary account. If customers wish to contact SMECO to designate their primary account, they may call 1-888-440-3311. Inactive members will receive a full refund of the balance in their capital credit account if the balance is $50 or less. Capital credits are used to pay any amount due if a customer had an unpaid final bill for electric service.

According to Austin J Slater, Jr., SMECO president and CEO, “This is our favorite time of year. Our customers realize the benefit of being electric cooperative members when they receive a portion of the co-op’s margins as a credit on their bill. That’s something the customers of an investor-owned utility would never see.”

SMECO’s margins for 2010 totaled $17,054,000. Because SMECO is a cooperative, margins—revenue minus expens-es—are retained to provide working capital for new construc-tion and system improvements. Margins are refunded to cus-tomer-members in the form of capital credits when SMECO’s Board of Directors determines that the co-op’s financial condi-tions can be met.

Each member’s share of the co-op’s margins is based on how much electricity the member purchased and the rate at which the account was billed. SMECO is a customer-owned electric cooperative providing electricity to 124,000 members with 150,000 services in Charles County, St. Mary’s County, southern Prince George’s County, and all but the northeast por-tion of Calvert County.


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LOCALNEWS

A system of creeks that sits close to the Patuxent River shows a declining level of water quality, a study from the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory states, but the decline in estuary health is gradual.

The study, conducted by Walter Boynton, director of the Solomons Island-based lab, and presented to the Calvert Board of County Commissioners last week shows that the Mill Creek sub-estuarine system – comprised of Mill Creek, St. John’s Creek, Back Creek, The Narrows and Solomons Harbor – shows that dissolved oxygen at lower depths of the creeks was declining, which adversely affects the health of aquatic vegetation and life forms that call the water system home.

The overall level of dissolved oxygen in the creek system was still relatively good, the report stated.

“[The levels of] oxygen in Mill Creek was one of the better years but not the best,” Boynton said of the 2010 data. “The overall trend appears to be declining and that’s not good.”

The study also showed that there are increased levels of chlorophyll, which can cause algae blooms, at or near the surface of the water in the creek system. Algae blooms also de-crease levels of oxygen at lower depths necessary for life and reduce water clarity.

While the Mill Creek system does not have much impact on the overall health of the Patuxent River, Boynton told The Southern Calvert Gazette, it can act as a gauge as to what could be effective in cleaning up one of the critical bodies of water that both Calvert and St. Mary’s counties share.

During years where there is a lot of rainfall and sediment and nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus run off into the river, it can also back flow into the Mill Creek system, Boynton said, negatively affecting the water quality there but also giving analysts a look into how the river is fairing that year.

But data also shows that the Mill Creek system responds well to clean up efforts, and the same can be expected of the Patuxent River, he said.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to pollution in the creek system, he said, was septic systems attached to housing developments.

“If nutrients are sharply reduced the health of the [creeks] can return very quickly,” Boynton said Monday. “And if the nutrients in the Patuxent River were sharply reduced we’d expect to see some positive responses very quickly.”

The biological lab’s report shows recommended Calvert officials encourage homeown-ers to use biological nutrient removal systems on their septic systems, which Boynton said could be costly, to improve the health of the creeks.

The report also says that more riparian buffer zones, areas of trees and other natural vegetation around the watershed, can help to absorb harmful nutrients and should be pre-served or replanted.

The presence of nitrogen and phosphorus in the watershed is a paradox, Boynton said, since the elements are necessary for life, but the creek system and the overall Patuxent River suffers from an overabundance of them.

“It’s almost like an obesity problem,” Boynton said. “We have too much of a good thing.” By Guy Leonard (CT) [email protected]

Mill Creek System in Slowly Declining Health

“One of the great things about live theater is you can participate with the characters,” said Andy Rogers, director of The Passion of Christ.

The third annual weekend outdoor performance of the Easter story at the corner of H.G. Trueman and Cove Point Road had mixed weather. Friday, April 22 experienced rain while Saturday was beautiful.

Before the 16 act play, revised specifically for a group of local churches to coop-eratively produce, Rogers invited the participation of the audience as well as advised the younger children that everyone was only acting and that no one would actually be hurt during the performance.

The corner field across from St. Paul’s United Methodist church turned dark as motorcycle engines revved in the background from the nearby major intersection of

Lusby.When the flood lights came, the audience saw backdrops made of wood with sim-

ple paper and paint to depict walls of buildings, easily seen as inside or outside walls depending upon the scene played out in front.

The props were versatile and simple while still adding to the scenes. The cast of over 50 characters wore diverse but colorful costumes. Depending on the social stand-ing of the person’s part the tunics were either simple one colored pieces rounded out with jewelry, sandals/flip flops or scarves or like the High Priest shiny multi-colored royal vest.

The story remained true to the biblical account of Jesus’ last days all the way through his resurrection and revealing himself to Mary Magdalene. The scenes were short lasting no more than five or ten minutes. The two longest scenes being Jesus car-rying his cross through the middle of the audience around to the three permanently mounted crosses on the lot and the soldiers carrying his dead body back along the same path.

In contrast to the couple sentence accounts in the bible, these scenes seemed poi-gnant as a small group of women walked weeping behind the soldiers and Jesus back and forth through the cross through an audience of more than 200 to the stage.

The play had two other portrayals, taking the story out of over familiar words of the account into a physical action. One was the marketplace when Jesus turned over the money changers’ tables. The entire cast, including three live sheep, depicted a loud and chaotic scene in contrast to a place of worship the temple was intended to be. Likewise, instead of showing the flogging of Jesus, one of the soldiers stood just visible from the walls throwing his entire weight into the whip. The sound and half the picture was enough to bring to mind what was happening.

A tiny voice in the audience sounded out during a quiet moment, “Is he going to die? I don’t want him to die.”

The audience picked up palms and sing “Jesus. Prince of Peace. Glory. Hallelujah” when Jesus rode in on a live donkey. Then again participated with the cast to encourage Pontius Pilate to “Free Barrabbas” and “Crucify him.”

Even nature played a role in enhancing the evening’s performance. During the market scene, the wind changed directions long enough to smell fresh manure and straw. Then a chilling breeze came through while Jesus struggled to carry his cross through the audience.

Members from at least 10 local churches made the performance possible by sup-plying over 100 people to be the cast, crew, volunteers, music and parking attendants.

“To make this work for the Passion of Christ, though, I understood that the play itself had to be too big for one church to perform,” wrote Rogers in the program. By Cor-rin M. Howe (SCG) [email protected]

The Passion of Christ Reenacted

Before Saturday’s performance, Chris Rogers checks out his sword while Joelle Linehan and Noah Nickelson look on.


LOCALNEWS

Those in Calvert County who have prescription med-ications they need to get rid of have a safe place to do so and people who have been putting off cleaning out their medicine cabinets now have a deadline day.

On April 30 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., there will be a Prescription Medication Take-Back event at multiple lo-cations in Calvert County.

The locations include the Northeast Community Center, Sunderland Community Center, Southern Com-munity Center and the Sheriff’s Office, said Candice D’Agostino, the coordinator of the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA)

She said the medication take back is a way to “keep [medications] from falling into the hands of those who don’t need them.” The take back is a joint ef-fort between the Drug Enforcement Administra-tion (DEA), who coordinated the national cam-paign, the sheriff’s office, CAASA and other enti-ties, D’Agostino said.

In addition to the event April 30, there is a drop box in the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office where individuals can leave unused or expired medications at any time.

“We’ve had great success with the drop box at the sheriff’s office during the last year,” D’Agostino said.

Lt. Dave. McDowell with the sheriff’s office said it’s important for people to clean out their medicine cabinet and pantries and get rid of their unused medication. This removes the temptation from high-risk people in the household.

He also said dropping the medication off at an authorized location rather than flushing them down the toilet or putting them down the sink is

better from an ecological standpoint as well.She said there is no identification required to drop off

the medications either during the medication take-back day or at the sheriff’s office, though they do request the personal information on the labels, like names, addresses or phone numbers, be torn off of blacked out. She said there will be markers and tape available if a person for-gets to do so in advance.

D’Agostino said the take back day, as well as the drop box in the sheriff’s office, are aimed mainly at pain killers and amphetamines, though they will take any sort of prescriptions people have to drop off.

“We really don’t care what they put in there as far as

medication,” D’Agostino said.D’Agostino said if people can’t bring their pills to

the sheriff’s office or the medication take back day, then they should take the pills out of their bottles, put them in a sealable bag filled with coffee grounds and throw the bag in the garbage. They should also tear the labels off the bottles before they dispose of them. By Sarah Miller (CT) [email protected]

Prescription Medication Take Back Day

On a rainy afternoon, April 12, Navy chiefs, St. Mary’s County Commissioners and other mem-bers of the community gathered to celebrate the new Habitat for Humanity Chief’s Build.

The Naval Air Station Patuxent River Navy Chief Petty Officers are partnering with habitat for Humanity to build a home for the Tippett family, which consists of Joe and Julie Tippett and their children Robert, Jesse and Miranda.

The Chief’s Build is the first partnership of its kind for the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity – which serves Calvert and St. Mary’s counties – and the Tippett family home is the first of two planned homes to be built with partnership from the chiefs.

During the presentations given at the ground-breaking event, it was mentioned that the family will be actively participating in the building of their new home. By Sarah Miller (CT) [email protected]

Newest Habitat for Humanity Project

Underway


Publisher Thomas McKayAssociate Publisher Eric McKayEditor Sean RiceOffice Manager Tobie PulliamGraphic Artist Angie StalcupAdvertising [email protected] [email protected] 301-373-4125Staff WritersGuy Leonard Government CorrespondentSarah Miller Community CorrespondentCorrin Howe Community Correspondent

Contributing WritersJoyce BakiKeith McGuire

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

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

LET

TERSto the Editor

By Marta Hummel MossburgI can see the headline now: “Malls packed in Maryland due

to federal government shutdown.”This state is so rich that a few days off the job will hardly garage all of the Lexuses, BMWs and

Mercedes roaming Montgomery County that are paid for with taxpayer dollars. In fact, a shutdown would probably make it harder to find an outside cafe table, weather permitting.

Such is the life in Gov. Martin O’Malley’s “One Maryland,” where the rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer, according to government statistics, and state legislators can’t find enough disenfranchised people to subsidize.

But the party will end. As the saying goes, what is not sustainable can’t be sustained.It’s glaringly obvious in the case of Rocky Gap Lodge. The 13-year-old taxpayer-subsidized

golf resort in Western Maryland has never been able to cover its debt payments and has generated zero interest from casino developers. The spot is one of five in the state approved for slots.

Lawmakers finally seem serious this year in offloading the property. The Senate voted to cut the tax on gambling revenue to 50 percent and eliminate a requirement to build a separate building to house slots to attract a buyer.

The reason for action: bondholders want out.“It is very important” that the incentive package passes, Senate President Thomas V. Mike

Miller Jr. told The (Baltimore) Sun. “The bondholders have reached the breaking point. They’ve said this is the last year.”

If lawmakers’ wages were garnished to pay for the folly it might have ended more quickly. But the bondholders’ ultimatum should serve as a warning for elected officials that they cannot run the rest of state government like Rocky Gap with impunity.

Unfortunately, the long lag time between the realization Rocky Gap was a failure and legisla-tive action shows that Maryland’s elected officials do not act until forced.

That’s obvious in the new budget, which once again raises fees, taxes, issues debt and shifts money from fund to fund to technically balance the budget while leaving at least $1 billion “struc-tural” deficits in coming years and the looming cloud of higher taxes. They are all but certain, as Comptroller Peter Franchot said recently, Maryland is spending every cent and has no reserve capacity. It is also not paying its current retiree health care and pension bill in full, making budget problems worse in coming years.

While it has been easy to raise taxes historically -- something ratings agencies recognize by granting Maryland a AAA bond rating -- taxpayers could say “no.”

Even those who make their living from the federal government could get religion if lucrative defense contracts dry up, as is being debated, or Republicans gain control of both houses and re-evaluate Maryland’s cushy relationship with Washington.

It would be heartening if legislators acted before the state faces a budget meltdown, however. Imagine if Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said this week: “It is very important we make Maryland more competitive for business. The taxpayers have reached the breaking point. They’ve said this is the last year.”

Marta H. Mossburg is a senior fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute and a fellow at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity

Guest EditorialGoverning by Emergency By Nick Garrett

I try my hardest to remain objective when offering a column each issue. I consider it a privilege and responsibility.

However, this week I am quite angry and have been unable to control my impulse to hold Congress accountable for their unforgivable and pathetic approach to “not” balancing our nation’s budget. Is there any person you know – Republi-can, Democrat, or Other – who does not think the Federal government should be dramatically cutting spending and downsizing?

So what is the real issue that held them up and almost led to a government shutdown?

Those who have listened to floor debates and committee hearings over the last few weeks will likely note that Republicans have been criticizing Democrats for not wanting to cut enough, and the Democrats spent their time on the floor criticiz-ing the program cuts. I suppose it is the utmost responsibility to continue spending money you don’t have that other people not even born yet will have to pay for later. I know many would like to join me in offering my message to both parties, “Please shut up and start cutting!” Right now, everyone and everything in the budget needs to be cut. Conditions are that critical.

Publicly, the Democrats have made rounds on the Sunday talk shows blasting their opposition for cutting important government programs. However, many peo-ple, regardless of party, continue to believe that cuts should be done everywhere.

Since the midterm election, many have asserted that the Democratic Party and our elected leaders are completely wrong in what they believe their constitu-ents want. Times have changed and now most people want a balanced budget, smaller government, and less spending. Government spending has been out of control for decades and now it’s the end of the road. There is just no more money and our habits for years have compromised our standing in the world. Most of the people I talk to nowadays maintain their American pride but have lost the feeling that America is an unbendable super power.

There is enough blame to go around as far as how we got here. It is a fact that the government’s books were in great shape in 2000 when George Bush took over and that the size of government grew by 18% in the last year of his presidency alone. It is also a fact that he funded two wars, a Medicare benefit increase, and two tax cuts for Americans outside of the budgetary process. Essentially they were unfunded in that he paid for those things with money that was in the bank then, but reserved for tomorrow’s programs that would later suffer as a result.

President Obama has not done better. Everyone pays lip service to the idea of cutting the budget, but not one elected official in Washington has had the guts to stand up to special interests and voting blocks and just say “No” and make sure that everyone gets their share of cuts. The administration continues to ignore the budget problem and write more spending into an already failing system so it can fund programs that benefit the Presidents’ personal agenda with our tax dollars.

In all fairness, the Republicans do the same thing, so this is not a partisan slam. It’s a slam in general to all politics. The US is in a position where if it does not pay down a substantial portion of the debt, we will have to face the reality of potentially defaulting on loans.

America is in a bad way and unless we begin saying the truth about what needs to be said, and fighting the fights that need to be fought, we might as well hang it up. The cost of living is nailing all of us, and in reality we are paying dearly for our choices in the voting booth over the last twenty years. The time is now to act on improving our future. President Obama promised change less than four years ago; the Tea Party offered the prospect that a viable third party would be an option, but now we’re in more trouble then ever.

I say we tell our Federal elected officials, “No.” I say we step up with opti-mism and willingness to sacrifice to get our country’s fiscal house in order and then clean out the halls of Congress with a fire hose in the next election.

We as voters need to take a closer look at the people running for office and be willing to do more fact-finding before we vote.

I think mass media outlets like FOX and MSNBC have done the American people a grave disservice because instead of giving us facts about the budget pro-cess that we could educate ourselves with, they fed into our fears and core ideals with twisted snippets of arguable information. It begs the question how good “new media” really is and what’s happened to true journalism. News should present facts not entertainment or special interests.

As far as the partisanship that taints every day of the legislative process, cost-ing us tens of millions of dollars, shame on all of us. Public officials at the Federal level are not working together because we are not requiring them to, and the media showcases it.

Congress just passed a resolution that barely puts a dent in the debt or deficit. There is plenty more to be done to resolve the problem, even though most of their time is spent chest thumping about how much they compromised.

Nick Garrett is the owner of The Garrett Music Academy in Owings, a published author, and has served on various boards and commissions in Calvert County. He is also a legislative aide for State Senator Roy Dyson.

Congress: Stop Fighting and Balance Our Budget


Community“How do I encourage my friends to show pride in

being an American?” American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Post 274, Lusby, posed this question to students in grades 3-8 from schools in southern Calvert County for their annual Americanism essay contest.

More than 100 entries were received from three schools: Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Leonard Elemen-tary and Mill Creek Elementary.

Kay Seidenspinner, Americanism chairperson, has chaired the essay contest for six years. The contest is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary to encour-age creative writing and to assist in teaching American-ism and good citizenship.

“By writing the essays children learn to be good cit-izens and respect their country. Students are also given a chance to learn more about America’s symbols and their meanings,” Seidenspinner said in a press release.

Seidenspinner distributed contest rules and regula-tions to guidance counselors at seven schools in southern Calvert County last November. Essays were returned in early February. The essays were judged on basis of con-tent, organization and correct usage. Jean Dirska and Dorothy Van Pelt served as judges and determined win-ners in three classes, grades 3-4, grades 5-6 and grades 7-8.

On Sunday, April 10, the winners attended a cer-emony at Harrington Hall, American Legion Post 274. Winning students read their essays and then received awards and monetary prizes.

Winners by category are:Grades 3-41st Place – Abby Rieve, St. Leonard Elementary2nd Place – Jordan Hanson, St. Leonard Elementary3rd Place – Alora Deller, St. Leonard Elementary

Grades 5-61st Place – Teddy Danielson, St. Leonard

Elementary2nd Place – Daniel Waldheim, St. Leonard

Elementary3rd Place – Yamaris DeAlba, St. Leonard

Elementary

Grades 7-81st Place – Samuel Metz, Our Lady Star of the Sea2nd Place – Siena Lynch, Our Lady Star of the Sea3rd Place (Tie) – Jonathan Nepini and Michael

Nepini, Our Lady Star of the Sea

First place winners will move to the Southern Dis-trict contest, representing Calvert, St. Mary’s, Charles, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties.

St. Leonard Elementary produced 87 entries. Social Studies teachers at that school used the contest as a class project.

Mary Morris, 5th grade Social Studies teacher, said videos were shown depicting the symbols of America. The children were asked to brainstorm ways they would encourage younger children to embrace Americanism and show their pride. Students submitted their papers in both Social Studies and English classes, allowing the students to learn Americanism, grammar and punctua-tion. Students were also taught how to include a water-mark on their papers and many of the papers included a national symbol.

Carol Miller, past president of the Southern Mary-land District Ladies Auxiliary said, “It is important to promote Americanism to our students so they will grow with a respect of their community and country and an appreciation of the military that keep our country safe.”

Seidenspinner was struck by the work the children put into their essays. “The judges had a tough time be-cause the papers were so well done. We appreciate the

teachers for their guidance and work with the students, and the families for encouraging the students.”

The children were enthusiastic about the project. Each winner read their paper to the audience of parents and members of the American Legion Post 274 Post and Ladies Auxiliary. One young woman, Siena Lynch, who told the group her Dad is in the Navy, summed it up “I think patriotism rocks.”

Legion Post 274 Honors Essay Contest Winners

The third and fourth grade winners were, 1st Place Abby Rieve, left, and 3rd Place Alora Deller. Both are students at St. Leonard Elementary. Not pictured is Jordan Hanson.

In the front row are St. Leonard Elementary students Teddy Daniel-son, Daniel Waldheim and Yamaris DeAlba. In the back row is Carol Miller, Past President Southern Maryland District of American Legion Auxiliary; Lesley Radcliff, American Legion Post 274 Ladies Auxiliary Post President; Kay Seidenspinner, Americanism Chairperson.

The 7th and 8th grade winners are Siena Lynch, Michael Nepini, and Jonathan Nepini. Not pictured is Samuel Metz. In the back row is Carol Miller, Lesley Radcliff, and Kay Seidenspinner.

The Celtic Festival held in each year in Calvert County has featured people who have gone on to compete nationally and internationally in their areas of competition.

In fact, Jonathan Fricke, from Owings, went on to become a junior Scottish fiddler champion on an international level, ac-cording to Mary Beth Dent, chairman for the committee of the Celtic Society of Southern Maryland Inc.

The oldest Celtic celebration in Maryland will go on rain or shine at Jefferson Patterson Park on April 30 from 10 am to 6 pm. The Southern Maryland Celtic Festival and Highland Gathering highlights the heritage of the Breton, Cornish, Irish, Manx, Scots, and Welsh.

Scheduled on the last Saturday of April every year, more than 50 clans or societies bring information by way of music, dance, games, storytelling, markets and much more.

“We have four stages of Celtic music ranging from clas-sical to rock,” said Dent, who said the event will also feature Southern Maryland foods and a rugby tournament.

In the past the event has drawn between 8,000 and 15,000 visitors coming from as far west as Ohio and as far north as Massachusetts and New Hampshire with a large showing from Northern Virginian area as well.

The weather does play a major role in the turn out, but Dent said, “It rains every ten minutes in Scotland for heaven’s sakes.”

There is a national organization that establishes the rules, trains the judges and sets the guidelines for the various compe-titions held throughout the day. These include: pipers, fiddlers, highland dancers, athletes, drummers, pipe bands and Celtic harpers.

After the official event, there is a concert from 6 pm to 10 which showcases Big Blow and the Bushwackers.

Admission at for the day is:• $20 Adults (13 and over)• Children (under 13) Free with the purchase of an Adult

Ticket• $15 Senior (65 and over)• $15 With Current Military IDFor more information go to www.cssm.org/festival

By Corrin M. Howe (SCG) [email protected]

33rd Annual Celtic Festival Kicks Off

at Jeff-Pat Park

Photo courtesy of Mary Beth Dent


CommunityThere will be an opportunity on May 14 to demonstrate who the better Sudoku players

in Southern Maryland are, reports Mike Thompson of Berrywood Farm, Hollywood. St. John’s Parish in Hollywood, will hold the inaugural SoMD Sudoku Championship.

There will be a two-hour maximum morning qualifying session followed by a two-hour maximum afternoon championship round. In addition to the titles in the Novice, Intermediate and Advanced levels of competition, there will be multiple monetary prizes. We will also offer Tri-County high school team competition with the top 3 scores tallied out of a maximum of 5 members.

In an effort to not tie up the whole day, starting times are flexible. Those successfully completing the qualifying round puzzles will be able to go to the final round after a rest period. While shorter times are very possible, most people will likely finish the competi-tion within 3 to 4 hours.

If you search around, Sudoku tournaments are growing in popularity and come in a variety of scenarios. Ours will be straightforward. In the morning you will need to correctly complete 2 out of 3 standard Sudoku puzzles within 2 hours to qualify for the championship round. In the championship round you will be given 3 puzzles to be com-pleted within 2 hours. The championship round winners will be scored on both the time of completion and the least number of errors.

While the process is designed so that the expert will likely finish near the top, all in the championship round will be scored and ranked. It will be a great test to see where you fit among your peers, Thompson said.

“You may be surprised. While many in the professions may think they are good at this, high school and college students are trained to test under pressure. Those of us over 50 might want to demonstrate that we are still in the hunt, maybe the best. Good looks and narrow waistlines are not necessary assets. This is a one-day event; any resulting pride or humility will be self-imposed,” he said.

Coffee and tea will be provided. Snacks, soft drinks and light foods will be available for purchase.

For additional details and registration information, check the web at “SoMD Sudoku Championship” or go to http://www.sjshollywood.org/AboutSJS/SoMD-Sudoku-Champi-onship.aspx.

Since this is a new event, we are not sure who and how many will show. All are wel-come. Please encourage any you think might be interested. As with many of our fundrais-ers, we will make every effort to make it enjoyable and interesting, Thompson said.

Southern Maryland Sudoku Championship Set

The public has the opportunity to tour a WP- 3D Orion (P- 3) Hurricane Hunter aircraft from 1:30 to 4 p.m., May 3, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

For years NOAA pilots have flown P-3s into hurricanes at low altitudes (1,500-10,000 ft.) to collect research-mission data critical for computer models that predict hurricane intensity and landfall.

The public will be able to tour one of the unique NOAA “Hurricane Hunter” air-craft, learn what it is like to penetrate a hurricane from the pilots who fly it and speak with National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center forecasters, a press release from Naval District Washington states.

Pre-registration is required. Register for base access by May 2 by calling: (301) 342-5145. For more information, go to: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/hat/

2011 Hurricane Hunters Tour Coming to Pax River

The COSMIC Symphony wraps up the 2010-2011 concert season with the Season Finale program of Rossini’s, Barber of Seville.

This exciting concert features the Light Opera Company of Southern Maryland, di-rected by Sandra Jarrett.

Come and enjoy this unique program on Saturday, May 14, at Great Mills High School at 7 p.m. or Sunday May 15 at Crossroad Christian Church in Saint Leonard at 4 p.m.

Tickets available at www.cosmicmusic.org, Educate & Celebrate, Allegro Music, Stevens Studio and at the door. $10, $8 seniors & students, $25 per family.

COSMIC Symphony Season Finale

GIT-R-Done and LOL all night long with comedian/actor Larry the Cable Guy live at the Calvert Marine Museum.

The Summer Concert Series kicks off on Saturday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. with an evening of local music and guest comedian, Reno Collier, will open the stage for Larry the Cable Guy.

Tickets are $48 for reserved seats and $58 for premium seats; ad-ditional service fees apply. Tickets went on sale to the general public April 12. Purchase tickets at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com or call 1-800-787-9454. Gates open at 6 p.m.

A member of the Blue Collar Comedy tour with Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall, and selling out theatres and arenas across America, Larry the Cable Guy is sure to be a hit in Southern Maryland, a press re-lease states. Larry began hosting “Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy,” in early February for the History Chan-nel. Traveling across the country reveal-ing bits of real history in new and dif-ferent lifestyles, jobs and hobbies that celebrate the true American experience has put a new memorable twist on his-tory! Larry is the voice of Mater in the Golden Globe winning animated feature film Cars from Disney/Pixar that aired in 2006 and opened at #1 at the box office grossing over 200 million dollars. The Cars sequel will be released later this year with Larry again voicing Mater. In 2009, “The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cable Guy,” which Larry ex-ecutive produced was the third highest rates roast in Comedy Central history,

attracting 4.1 million viewers.His first comedy album release

Lord, I Apologize has reached gold sta-tus, selling more than 500,000 copies. The CD was #1 on the Billboard Comedy Charts for fifteen weeks in a row. Larry’s DVD special Git-R-Done, has sold more than 1 million copies and has been certi-fied platinum. Larry has won Billboard’s 2005 Comedy Artist of the year and Comedy Album of the year. Bestselling author of his book Git-R-Done, (2005) debuted at #26 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Named to Forbes Celebrity 100 list of the hottest and most successful people in the entertainment industry for two years in a row, Larry the Cable Guy promises an evening of fun.

Larry The Cable Guy Coming to Solomons

SMSA (Southern Maryland Sailing Association) announced that their Adult Sailing program is now open to non-SMSA members. The program is taught by certified sailing instructors. SMSA provides Sunfish and small keelboats. Boat ownership is not required.

The education focuses on the fundamentals of sailing. Each class starts at 5:30 p.m. The first class hour is lecture. This is followed by on-the-water hands-on practice until dark. This is a fee class, with six sessions, each class limited to six students. The program will be taught three times over the summer. The first six sessions start April 25. The class will be taught at the SMSA Clubhouse, 14490 Solomons Island Road, Solomons, MD 20688. Call 888-714-3777 for more information.

SMSA is a member owned and operated club dedicated to being the best sailing venue on the Chesapeake. SMSA hosts the nationally renowned Screwpile regatta. We enjoy full programs of PHRF keelboat racing, dingy racing (both one design and Ports-mouth), cruising, summer junior sailing programs and adult sailing education. In addi-tion, we even find time for great social events. Our website is www.smsa.com. For more information, call 888-714-3777.

SMSA Announces Adult Hands-On Learn To Sail Classes


STORY

Family is the most important thing about being suc-cessful in law enforcement.

At least that was the general consensus among Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans, his two sons, who are Mary-land State Troopers, and their extended families.

Recently the Southern Calvert Gazette met the Evans family at Monterey’s in Lusby during one of their regularly scheduled family meals. The family included Mike’s oldest son TFC Eric Evans with his wife and son; TFC Charlie Evans, his wife and daughter; Mike’s wife; his sister and his parents. Before Mike was a state trooper, his father, Ted spent 30 years with the state police.

Despite the challenge of working with the schedules of three currently employed law enforcement officers, the family attempts to get together twice a month on Sundays and at least once during the week. When they get together, according to Mike’s wife, Susan, it is hard to get a word in edgewise as the men trade war stories.

At the beginning of the group interview, the conversa-tion flowed freely between the Evans men.

Mike: “I do things differently than my dad. They (his sons) do things different mostly because standards, laws and regulations change. They are locking up sons of the guys I arrested.”

Eric added: “They say, ‘I thought you retired.’ And I say, ‘No, that was my dad.’”

What do they like about being a patrol officer?Eric: “You get a little bit of everything in the state po-

lice from investigations to chases.”Mike: “I liked making the initial arrest. We are the first

line of defense. That’s what I miss most about sitting behind a desk.”

Charlie:“You never know what’s going on.”Eric: “Everyone should try (being a trooper).”Charlie: “It is very rewarding but it’s not for everybody.”Mike: “This is a calling – yes with security and ben-

efits but you have to want to make a difference.”Although they all love their jobs, each one pointed out

that maintaining a proper balance with family was just as important to them.

“I want to enjoy raising my family,” said Eric.Charlie agreed, “Go to work but you need to turn it off

and become a family man.”Asked about their decisions to become troopers, Eric

responded first.“My dad and grandfather were state troopers. It

seemed to be fun and rewarding. It is something interesting everyday to go to work.”

Charlie said: “Dad used to take us on ride-a-longs, picked us up from school in the car. It’s kinda in our blood.”

The two sons took different paths to become troopers. Eric worked in construction for a little while right after high school before he attended the state police academy. Char-lie went to University of Maryland and earned a degree in Criminal Justice before attending the police academy. Al-though attending the state academy is mandatory to become a trooper, the Sheriff’s department will hire a certified state trooper and not require them to re-enter a police academy.

Mike said it is not unusual for brothers to be working in the same territory as law enforcement officers. There are five or six brothers working for the Sheriff’s office now. However, he and his sons are currently the only multi-generation officers working in the county. Actually, Eric is currently a trooper in St. Mary’s County, but will be trans-ferring to Calvert shortly. Interestingly, their mother, Susan works for the county’s Correctional Center.

According to Charlie, he and his brother have worked a couple of traffic stops together but so far all three Evans men have not worked on a case together. After listening to one of a few competitive conversations between the men which broke out during the evening, it is hard to say whether it would be a good or bad thing if all three worked together.

During a lull in the conversation father and sons ad-mitted to being competitive and started comparing their weight lifting records. So far dad still holds the record at 410 lbs with Eric coming in at 390 and Charlie at 340. Mike said it has always been that way, even on the softball field when the boys were younger. Amusingly, even Mike’s first two grandchildren are only two months apart. Charlie’s daughter, Sophia was born in April while Eric’s son, Mason was born in June.

When discussing future goals, Charlie answered for his older brother: “To be like me.”

“I already achieved and surpassed that a long time ago,” Eric responded.

All joking aside, Eric said he did spend some time as a detective in St. Mary’s. While he enjoyed the experience, getting called out in the middle of the night was the hardest.

His wife Traci agreed. While the rotating shift work of a state trooper is grueling at least they know when he is working and when he’s not. As a detective they can be called out anytime.

“Traci has it (his schedule) down pat before I do,” said Eric. Then he and Mike tried to explain the three daily eight hour shifts and how a trooper changes between the shifts depending upon the week over a month long period.

“It hasn’t changed in 30 years, since I was a trooper,” said Mike.

But it has changed since Ted Evans was a trooper, ac-cording to his wife Audrey. “I’m proud of my husband. He wasn’t home much because he worked five days a week twelve hour days.”

When asked if she was worried about her husband, son and grandsons all choosing law enforcement as a profes-sion, Mike replied for her, “She knows we train hard and are in good physical shape. We come home every night because of good mental preparedness.”

What does it mean to for the men to be mentally prepared?

“Being awake. Leaving your personal life behind when you’re on the street. Keeping your wits about you. Think about situations you might be in,” said Mike.

Having the entire family together during the interview allowed an opportunity to hear from the mothers and wives of these men and their advice to future parents and potential spouses of law enforcement officers.

“I’ve been through the Maryland State Police Acad-emy three times. I know how to fold all their clothes after 32 years,” said Susan who expected both her sons to follow in Mike’s footsteps.

Eric’s wife, Traci’s grandfather and father were police officers. “I don’t know that you are ever truly prepared. Hold on I guess. It’s tough, the time away from home, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m a proud wife.”

Cassie, Charlie’s wife, said, “I don’t think anybody can be prepared. With time it gets easier. It is a very honor-able job. The hardest part is the shift work. We both have really good families. We are blessed in so many other ways. I’m proud to have him out on the road protecting the community.”

As a wife and mother of two, Susan said, “You learn to become independent when you are a wife of a law enforce-ment officer.”

The respect between husband and wife flows both ways.

“We give our wives a lot of credit too. Shift work is not easy on them,” said Charlie.

Pressing Susan for further perspective having been around law enforcement as long as she has, she said, “Tech-nology has come so far. Shift work is pretty much the same. The uniforms are exactly the same. They have cameras and mikes to go into court to back up their cases. They have the mobile command bus. They can see everywhere.”

In conclusion, she said, “Law enforcement is very hon-orable. It is one to be proud of and make a difference. It’s a tough road. It’s not easy. If you have a loving family and support you can get through anything.” By Corrin M. Howe (SCG) [email protected]

For Evans’, Police Work is a Family Tradition


William Brown, 81William McKin-

ley Brown, 81, of Hun-tingtown, MD passed away on April 4, 2011 at Calvert County Nursing Center, Prince Frederick, MD.

William McKin-ley Brown better known as “Chick,” was born to the late Warren and Emma Brown, on

August 13, 1929, in Huntingtown, Maryland, where he resided most of his life. Chick re-ceived his education in Calvert County Pub-lic Schools. He worked for Local Union 74 as a construction worker for 26 years in which he held several positions. In 1970, Chick started his own lawn service which included landscaping, leaf and snow removal and cut-ting lawns.

Chick also planted a garden and had some of the best produce around which he used to feed the neighborhood. Chick loved springtime; he would have his truck loaded with the lawnmowers ready to go and prayed for daylight as he was always eager to start his day. His hobbies included street and drag racing, watching wrestling on TV, cap col-lecting, cleaning cars, and of course cutting grass.

He later met and married the love of his life Vivian Jones on October 29, 1953. From that union there were four children.

Equally as important as his family was his church: Chick joined Patuxent United Methodist Church at an early age; he was loyal and dedicated to serving the Lord. He served in many capacities at Patuxent which included Member of the Trustee Board, Member of the Usher Board, and Member of the Charge Trustee. He took pride in the upkeep of the church and the grounds

Chick was preceded in death by his par-ents, Warren and Emma and brothers, Wil-ford, Warren, Robert, Oliver, and Leroy.

Included among the many left to mourn and cherish his memory are his devoted wife Vivian, four children; William “Michael” (Robin), Larry (Hattie deceased), Alma (Oli-ver), and Rodney (Ann.) One granddaughter; Kyrstin (Wayne), five grandsons; Jermaine, Dion (Tamara), Nicholas, Jereme, and Kris. Seven great granddaughters; Tiaria, Kiara, Kalia, Eden, Johanna, Angel, and Kayla. Seven great grandsons; Marcus, Dion Jr., Nick Jr., Devon, Noah, Jonah, and Kris Jr. One brother; Joseph Brown, Sr. (Glenda), three sisters; Irene (James deceased), Kizzie, and Wilie Mae (Irving). One sister-in-law; Dorothy Jones (Benny deceased). Four brothers-in-law; Vernon Sr., (Sylvia), George (Clara), Carroll (Gloria), and Leslie (Marie deceased.) One goddaughter; Navonne, and special niece; Annette. Special friends; Ir-ving Cooke, Peggy, and Richard Loveless, and Robert Lester, and a host of nephews, nieces, and friends.

Funeral service was held on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 11:00 AM at Patuxent UM Church, Huntingtown, MD with Rev. Tunde

E.O. Davies officiating. The interment was at Patuxent UM Church Cemetery, Hunting-town, MD.

The pallbearers were Kenny Wallace, Lenny Elter, Maurell Cooke, Gordon Bow-en, Daniel Jones, Jr., Harold Denton. The honorary pallbearers were MacArthur Jones, Paul Jones, Chester Bourne, John Mackall, Jimmy Long, Melvin Johnson.

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

Ed Bush, 86Edgar “Ed” Al-

len Bush, age 86, of Dunkirk, Maryland, formerly of Virginia, died on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at the Calvert County Nursing Center.

Ed was born on Oc-tober 6, 1924 in Wash-ington, DC to Clarence

and Adele Bush.At the age of 18, Ed enlisted in the army

and fought in Central Europe in the Battle of the Bulge. He worked for and retired from the Federal Trade Commission.

In 1970, Ed married Jeanne Bush. For the last 26 years, they made Dunkirk their home. Ed enjoyed spending countless hours tending his flower beds.

He is survived by Jeanne Bush, his lov-ing wife of 41 years. He was the loving fa-ther of Linda Ridley of Centerville, Virginia and Diane Quinn of Culpepper, Virginia. He was the devoted grandfather of eleven grandchildren.

A Memorial gathering was held at Lee Funeral Home Calvert, P.A., on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Interment was private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contribu-tions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Asso-ciation, National Capital Area Chapter, 3701 Pender Drive, Suite 400, Fairfax, VA 22030.

Alnutt Chase, 96Alnutt Levi Chase,

Sr. was born on Janu-ary 6, 1915, to the late Henry and Elizabeth Gantt Chase. On April 6, 2011, the Lord peacefully called him home to eter-nal rest, at Manor Care Nursing Center in Largo, Maryland.

Alnutt was born in Chesapeake Beach in the area known by local residents as, “Beaver Dam”. He was the youngest of five children. Alnutt spent all ninety-six years of his life in Calvert County where he also re-ceived his childhood education.

On April 29, 1950, Alnutt was united in marriage to the late Ruby Alverta Jones, by the late Rev. William Edwards. From this union, they had eight children. Alnutt and Ruby were happily married for 53 years,

until her passing in August 2003. Alnutt and Ruby were known to open their doors to any-one who needed a place to stay or something to eat. In return, they were both well-known and beloved in the community.

As a young adult, Alnutt was a truck driver for A. Gorman Lyons. He hauled goods for Mr. Lyons from Baltimore to his business in Calvert and made daily deliver-ies, supplying county residents with food and farming supplies. When talking about his years as a truck driver, it was important to him to mention that sometimes he made three trips to and from Baltimore in a single day. When Mr. Lyons closed the store, Al-nutt went to work for Maryland Community Developers where he served as a landscaper for the Kilby family. He later worked himself up to the position of construction foreman with the company. He also became a tobacco farmer and worked crops with Mr. Lyons and later, William T. Blair. Alnutt was always proud of his tobacco crops and frequently took friends to see his handy work. He was also a very successful gardener that grew all sorts of fruits and vegetables for many years.

Upon his retirement, Alnutt received great pleasure from visiting his friends, and the sick and shut-in in the community. He got much joy out of loading up his pick-up truck and driving up and down the commu-nity delivering vegetables to those who had none. Alnutt continued to visit with friends throughout the community until he stopped driving at the age of 87.

At an early age, Alnutt accepted the Lord as his Savior. He started his Chris-tian journey at Patuxent United Methodist Church and later transferred his membership to St. Edmonds United Methodist Church, where his father, Henry Chase, served as a local preacher. As a member of St. Edmonds, he served as a trustee and steward. Upon the death of his father, he began to lead the tes-timony service. Alnutt worked diligently to help his wife sponsor numerous fundraisers that led to the “burning of the mortgage” of the church. When the existing church was built, he was instrumental in the donation of free or discounted sales of building supplies and fixtures by his employer, Herndon Kilby of Maryland Community Developers, Inc. As a trustee, he also volunteered many hours of labor in the church’s construction. Even after Alnutt transferred his membership to St. Edmonds, he never forgot his “home church”, Patuxent United Methodist Church. Each year, he attended Homecoming Servic-es at Patuxent and took pride in being one of the leading fundraisers to support the event every year.

Throughout his life and his brief illness, Alnutt never complained. His conversation was always about the goodness of the Lord and someday making Heaven his eternal home. In every conversation, he would let you know that treating people right and lov-ing God was the “only one way” to live.

Alnutt was preceded in death by his wife, Ruby; two sons: Alnutt, Jr. and Ri-cardo; one daughter, Phyllis Clayton; one granddaughter, Angelica Dyson; his parents, Henry and Elizabeth Chase, and his four sib-lings: brothers, Ollie and Joseph Chase; and

sisters: Georgianna Jones and Adelene Cox.He leaves to cherish his memories,

three daughters: Mary Rice (Leo), Pamela Dyson (Norman) and Karen Hutzler (Dan-iel); and two sons: Elvis and Darrick Chase. He also leave 18 grandchildren: Jessica and Benjamin Clayton; Bowen III, Stephen, Da-ryl and Brian Rice; Alnutt Chase III; Ricardo and Travis Chase, Monet Green; Yashica, El-vis II, Donovan and Darien Chase, Norman III and Corey Dyson, and Kyle and Justin Hutzler. He also leaves nine great-grand-children; five brothers-in-law: Lawrence (Dorothy), Oscar (Lucy), Robert (Ida), James (Dorothy) and Lambertine, six sisters-in-law: Hazel Chase, Cora Jones, Sade Coates, Mary Claggett, Alice Carroll, and Clarice Hall; a close family friend, Luther Randall, a devoted godson, Leroy Chase, and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives, neigh-bors and friends.

Funeral service was held on Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 12:00 PM at St. Edmonds UM Church, Chesapeake Beach, MD with Pastor Joan Jones officiating. The interment was at Patuxent UM Church Cemetery, Hun-tingtown, MD.

The pallbearers were Stephen Rice, Da-ryl Rice, Brian Rice, Dwayne Jones, Tony Jones, and Donte Jones. The honorary pall-bearers were Ricardo Chase, Travis Chase, Leroy Chase, and Richard Childs.


Dennis Dulany, 69Dennis Michael

Dulany, 69, of Lusby, MD died in Takoma Park, MD on April 7, 2011.

He was born in Wheeling, West Vir-ginia on September 4, 1941 to the late Leo Cameron and Helen Wise Dulany.

He had lived in Bowie, MD and moved to this area in 1980. He was employed as a cable splicer for C+P Telephone Company and was a talented handyman. He was a man of many interests and hobbies including trains, collecting coins and stamps, and bird watching, especially eagles.

He is survived by his sons, Charles Du-lany of Lusby and Richard Sherry of Hag-erstown; daughters, Geneva Moccia and her husband Jamie of Annapolis; Nancy French and fiancée Bobby Clark of Glen Burnie, Susan Kuhne and husband Marty of Iowa, and Sharon Miller and husband Gail of Hol-lywood, MD; 21 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

His wife of 34 years, Nancy Dulany, son John Edward Michel and sister, Sue El-len Harding predeceased him.

Funeral services were held on April 12, 2011 at Raymond-Wood Funeral Home. Rev. Marshall Coffman of Christian Fellowship of Calvert officiated. Marty Kuhne, Christo-


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Where Life and Heritage are Celebrated

During a difficult time… still your best choice.

Owings8325 Mt. Harmony Lane

410-257-6181

Port Republic4405 Broomes Island Rd.

410-586-0520

Lusby20 American Lane410-326-9400

www.RauschFuneralHomes.com

pher Winstead, George Cornell, Jerry Stultz, Jason Firkins, Mark Sherry and Gail and Christopher Miller served as pallbearers.

Memorial contributions may be made to The American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231 or at heart.org. Arrangements provided by Ray-mond-Wood Funeral Home, Dunkirk.

Genevieve Fowler, 94 Genevieve Mo-

reland Fowler, age 94 a life long resident of Calvert County died at her home on April 16, 2011.

She was born March 29, 1917 in Chaney [now part of Dunkirk] Maryland to the late James Albert

and Isabel Griffith Moreland.In her early years she attended a one-

room schoolhouse in Chaney and later grad-uated from Prince Frederick High School. In 1936 she married Millard Fowler and began married life in North Beach Maryland where Millard worked in the A & P grocery store. In 1939 they moved to Prince Frederick and opened their own business known as Peoples Food Store on Main Street.

Jenny, as she was known, was the book-keeper/secretary using skills she learned while attending Strayer College in Washing-ton D.C. Then in 1959 they built a new store on Route 4 called the IGA Foodliner. Jenny was an avid gardener and an accomplished seamstress. She and Millard kept their cabin cruiser in Solomons, MD. and loved to fish and cruise the waterways.

In 1971 Millard died ending their part-nership of some 35 years leaving Jenny only 54 years old to carry on. With her indepen-dence and strong will she managed rental property and maintained her home for nearly 40 Years. Jenny was a member of Trinity United Methodist church and enjoyed fel-lowship with her friends there.

She is survived by her son James [Ja-mie] and his wife Eileen: two grandchildren, Dana Langley and her husband Leon, Tiffa-ny Nickels and her husband Richard [Rich]: three great grandchildren, James Leon Langley, Taylor Michelle Langley and Park-er James Nickels: one sister Alberta Watson and her daughter Jane Watson. She is further survived by many nieces and nephews other relatives and many friends.

The family received relatives and friends on Wednesday April 20th from 5-8 PM at the Rausch Funeral Home, P.A. 4405 Broomes Island Rd, Port Republic, MD 20676. A funeral service was held on April 21 at 11:00 AM in Trinity United Method-ist Church; located in Prince Frederick, MD. Interment followed at Southern Memorial Gardens in Dunkirk, MD.

Memorial contributions may be made to Calvert Hospice, P.O.Box 838 Prince Fred-erick, MD 20678. Additional information can be located at www.rauschfuneralhomes.

com.

George Hope, 64George Ber-

nard Hope of Lusby, Maryland, formerly of Riverdale, Mary-land died at his home on Monday, April 11, 2011. He was 64 years old.

George Bernard Hope was born on November 15, 1946, in Washington, D. C. He

was the son of the late George H. Hope and Gloria Sorrentino Hope.

He graduated from Suitland High School in 1966 and attended Niagara Uni-versity. He was a Vietnam War veteran and served in the United States Navy from 1968 – 1974 and 1978 – 1994. He was retired and honorably discharged in 1994 after 23 years of service as Chief Petty Officer at Anacos-tia Navy Yard, Washington, D. C. He was a Vietnam battlefield Corpsman and a decorat-ed war veteran. His military honors include the National Defense Service Medal, Viet-nam Service Medal with one bronze star, Good conduct, and Navy Achievement.

He married his beloved wife Kathy Lynn Hope on July 10, 1976 at Mt. Calvary Catholic Church, District Heights, MD. Mr. Hope moved to Calvert County in 1991 from Wheatfield, NY. He was employed at Calvert Memorial Hospital, Prince Frederick, MD as an Emergency Room Technician and Hos-pital Technician for thirteen years. He was a member of CALS (Calvert Advance Life Support).

Mr. Hope was an avid Redskins fan, en-joyed showing dogs, golfing and fishing with his son.

George Bernard Hope is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kathy Lynn Hope of Lusby, MD, his son Jon George Hope and his wife Sarah of La Plata, MD and his two granddaughters Layla and Kallie Hope.

A Service Celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011, 3:00 PM at the Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department, 13150 HG Trueman Rd., P.O. Box 189, Solomons, Md. 20688. Mili-tary honors will be rendered by the United States Navy. Interment is private.

Should friends desire contributions may be made in Mr. Hope’s memory to The American Cancer Society, 1041 Rt #3 N, Bldg A, Gambrills, Maryland 21054. www.cancer.org www.lungusa.org Arrangement by the Rausch Funeral Home, P. A., Lusby, MD www.rauschfuneralhomes.com.

Brandon Tilley, 14Brandon Michael Tilley, age 14, of

Lusby, MD died suddenly on April 13, 2011 at Children’s Hospital, Washington, D. C. Brandon was born in Prince Frederick, MD on September 29, 1996 to Michelle Leigh

Lane Tilley and Chris-topher Scott Tilley.

He attended ninth grade at Patuxent High School, was a member of NJROTC, Patuxent High School Wres-tling team, he sung in the high school choir, enjoyed sail-ing, orienteering and volunteering.

Brandon is survived by his parents Christopher and Michelle Tilley, sisters Kel-lie and Kimberly Tilley, his brother Nicholas Tilley all of Lusby, MD; grandparents Betty L. Hess Tilley and Franklin H. Tilley, Col-leen Lane, Nelson Lane and Sharon Elliott; his aunts and uncles Jeanine and her husband Robert Coleman, Gene and his wife Sandra Lane, Andrea and her husband Steven Egg-ers Franklin Tilley and the late Andrea Tilley and numerous cousins.

Brandon was a joy to his entire family and his many friends, his warmth and bril-liance of his soul and personality will never be forgotten.

The family received friends on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at Rausch Funeral Home, P. A., 20 American Lane, Lusby, MD from 2-4 and 6-8 PM.. A service celebrating Bran-don’s life was held at St. Paul United Meth-odist Church Gymnasium on Wednesday, April 20, at 11:00 AM with Pastor David Showalter officiating. Interment followed at Chesapeake Highland Memorial Gardens, Port Republic, MD.

Pallbearers were Michael Kuhn, Ger-rett Lee, Ryan Hotte, Sean McIlory, Michael Matthews, A. J. Stanley, Robert Kaczorows-ki and J. Michael Bearjar.

In lieu of flowers memorial contribu-tions may be made in Brandon’s memory to The Brandon Tilley Memorial Fund, C/O PNC Bank, Account #5315131104. Funds will be used to establish a scholarship fund in his honor for NJROTC at Patuxent High School. Arrangements by the Rausch Funer-al Home, P. A., Lusby, MD. www.rausch-funeralhomes.com.

Ethel Tyler, 74Ethel Bertina Tyler, 74, of Prince Fred-

erick, MD passed away on April 2, 2011 at Calvert Memorial Hospital, Prince Freder-ick, MD. She was born on March 4, 1937 in Calvert County, MD to the late Joseph Isaiah Tyler, Sr. and Etta Chase-Tyler. She received her education from the Calvert County Pub-lic Schools.

Bertina attended Carroll United Meth-odist Church in her younger days until it closed its doors. Bertina and family then attended Young’s United Methodist Church in Huntingtown, MD. She later joined Mt. Olive United Methodist Church in Prince Frederick, MD where she continued to be a member until God called her home.

Before becoming physical disabled, Ethel Bertina Tyler held various jobs dur-ing her life time. She worked as a Security Guard, Cook, and Bar Maid. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Fam-ily was her number one priority. She was a good listener and always acted as a mother to everyone, providing directions and guidance on life’s many challenges.

Bertina leaves to celebrate to her chil-dren: Bruce Mackall, Crystal Jones, Dawn Mackall, and Gregory Mackall; 4 grandchil-dren, Cindy, Morsell, Shakina; sisters, Mary, Ilene, Erna (John), Eugenia (Martin), and Audrey (William); brothers, Robert (Mary), Jerald (Pat), and Joseph Jr. (Monica); a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral service was held on Friday, April 8, 2011 at 11:00 AM at Sewell Funeral Home, Prince Frederick, MD with Rev. Rob-ert L. Conway, officiating. Interment was private.



Spotlight On

Christine Trent stands by one of her Marie An-toinette dresses and her bookcase displaying her two published books.

The votes are tallied and at an awards dinner on April 14, Calvert County Public Schools named their teacher of the year and Educational Support Person of the Year.

The women honored were the Teacher of the Year Julie Mor-rison, a math teacher at Calvert High School, and the Educational Support Person of the Year Jen-nifer Hillman, a nurse at Mt. Har-mony Elementary School.

The women were selected for their outstanding work with stu-dents, a press release form Calvert County Public Schools Read.

Hillman has been the nurse at Mt. Harmony since 2008 and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nurs-ing from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor’s in Oceanography form the U.S. Na-val Academy.

“I was very excited,” Hill-man said. “Kind of shocked, but very excited.”

She said she is the first school nurse to have been selected for the Educational Support Person of the Year, and what that says to her is people in the school district are beginning to see school nurses as more than the person who puts band aids on skinned knees and hands out icepacks.

Elizabeth Gebelein, the prin-cipal at Mt. Harmony, said Hill-man supports students emotion-ally as well as patching them up. There are students at the school who are diabetic and she makes sure they have what they need, as well as communicating clearly

with the students and their parents.“She’s the kind of employee who does whatever it takes,” Gebelein said.Morrison has a Master’s Degree from Oklahoma University and a Bach-

elor’s Degree from Marshall University. She has taught at Calvert High School since 2008.

“I believe all students can learn when provided the correct environment. It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide a student-centered classroom with rig-orous curriculum, differentiated instruction, and a safe, caring environment for each student to maximize their learning,” a press release from Calvert County Public Schools quotes her saying.

“Mrs. Morrison is a teacher who puts all of her students first,” said Susan Johnson, the principal at Calvert High School.

She said Morrison caters the curriculum to her students and uses different strategies to make sure all her students are learning and understanding what they learn.

Both women were chosen by their schools through a poll of the employees, and then interviewed by a council form central office. The final decisions were made public at the awards ceremony April 14, Johnson said.

Bayside Toyota, the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce, and the Show Place Arena were major sponsors of the event. By Sarah Miller (CT) [email protected]

County Honors School Employees of the Year

Jennifer Hillman

Julie Morrison

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) and the school systems of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties re-cently honored 17 local educators for their accomplishments in the fields of mathematics and science.

Receiving honors this year were eight math teachers and nine science teachers from schools in the three counties. The teachers were chosen for their outstanding performance in the areas of cre-ativity, rapport with students, enthusiasm for teaching, profession-alism, and innovative teaching methods. Each teacher received a plaque and a cash award.

This is the 20th year that the Cooperative has recognized local math and science teachers.

SMECO president and CEO Austin J. Slater, Jr. welcomed the award recipients and their guests to a dinner held in their honor.

He explained SMECO’s role as being “focused on providing reliable service and member programs, as well as helping to de-velop our communities.”

Slater also emphasized in a press release that “a good educa-tion, brought about by good teachers, is critical to the future of our youth and vital to the continued success of businesses like SMECO, because well-educated students bring valuable math and science skills to the workplace.”

The Outstanding Mathematics Teachers of the Year for Cal-vert County are:

• Catherine Martin, Huntingtown High School• Julie Morrison, Cal-

vert High School

The Outstanding Sci-ence Teachers of the Year for Calvert County Are:

• Donna Miller, Windy Hill Middle School

• Nancy Elliott, South-ern Middle School

• Lisa Burkett, Hunting-town High School

In addition to recog-nizing local educators for their accomplishments in the fields of mathematics and science, SMECO spon-sors events for students to encourage them to excel in math, science, and technolo-gy. These events include the local MATHCOUNTS com-petition, the annual Southern Maryland Regional Comput-er Bowl, and the Elementary Knowledge Bowl. So far in 2011, more than 600 students in SMECO’s service area have participated in these events with hun-dreds more expected to participate in the Elementary Math Challenge.

SMECO Honors Local Math and Science Teachers

SMECO’s Outstanding Mathemat-ics Teachers of the Year for Calvert County are Julie Morrison, Calvert High School, and Catherine Martin, Huntingtown High School.

The Outstanding Science Teachers of the Year, from left: Donna Miller, Windy Hill Middle School, Calvert; Emily Meny, Esperanza Middle School; Car-rie Lamb, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School; Nancy Elliott, Southern Middle School, Calvert County; Daryl Faustini, Westlake High School; Jessica Yohe, Chopticon High School; Karen Myers, White Marsh Elementary School; Erin Beauvais, Milton Somers Middle School; and Lisa Burkett, Huntingtown High School, Calvert County.

The last day of school for Calvert County students will now be June 14. Schools will dismiss 2-hours early on June 14. The last day for pre-kindergarten students will be June 10.

The last work day for 10-month employees will be June 15.The original calendar for school year 2010-2011 included five additional school days in case

schools closed for inclement weather or some other unforeseen reason. Because schools were only closed for three days, the Board of Education adjusted the calendar.

Last Day of School Set


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Leonardtown author Christine Trent loves to promote her books through personal book signings often arranged by friends, book clubs and networking.

Recently two friends from Calvert County held a party for her to talk to about a dozen women about her second book “A Royal Likeness,” a historical fiction about an apprentice to Madame Marie Tussaud, the world famous wax maker.

“I enjoy the one-on-one with readers,” Trent said.At this particular party, Trent gave a brief history about

how Madame Tussaud became a wax maker and how she went from displaying royal likenesses in her home in France to taking her wax figures on exhibition in England.

“You have to remember, in those days people didn’t have the internet, TV or gossip magazines like we do. So

unless the king came through their town, the people didn’t know what the royals looked like,” Trent said.

The author researched how Madame Tussaud would make both life and death masks of the subjects and explained the process at the book signing held in the home of Laura Al-lison, owner of Keep It Simple computer training.

Not having the time, or a willing subject, Trent’s friend, Carolyn McHugh, made a mask ahead of time using a head used in cosmetology schools. Trent used the pieces made by McHugh to demonstrate the art of making realistic wax figurines.

Madame Tussaud originally started in France around the time of the French Revolution, according to Trent. Tus-saud was not above trolling the cemetery pits after behead-ings to get her subjects, but she would have to work fast to get accurate features because of the natural processes dead bodies cycle through.

In “A Royal Likeness,” Trent created her fictional char-acter, Marguerite Ashby, who becomes an apprentice to “her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a wax exhibi-tion. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure—and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Na-poleon, Marguerite will find her loyalties under fire from all sides.”

This is Trent’s second published book in a year. The first was “The Queen’s Dollmaker,” about a fictional doll maker to Marie Antoinette. One of the ways she promotes her first book is by wearing one of the two dresses made in the style

of Marie Antoinette. She had a third dress made which is identical to the dress on the cover of “A Royal Likeness.”

“It is rare to have two books published in the same year,” Trent said.

Trent loves history and particularly around the period of the French Revolution. Most of her research for her stories comes from her own personal library, now nearing 4,000 books.

“I have to own them. I buy books everywhere. I haunt used book stores, eBay, people are beginning to donate books to me. I love old books sales. I can find the most un-usual things,” Trent said.

In fact, one of her two books currently in the works came from one of those unusual finds.

According to Trent, the hardest part about promoting her two currently published books is finding the time. She spent three years writing her first book because she did not have an agent or a contract. Since her first book sold and she hired an agent, she has two books she is promoting for sales, a third book she is currently editing with a publication date looming and a fourth book under contract that she must start writing.

For more information about Christine Trent go to www.christinetrent.com. By Corrin M. Howe (SCG) [email protected]

History and Book Lover Turns Author

Christine Trent stands by one of her Marie An-toinette dresses and her bookcase displaying her two published books.


Angler AnglerThe OrdinarySpring Has Sprung!

By Keith McGuireDespite the rough start, striper trophy season is under-

way. Several folks braved the stormy weather on Saturday and managed to catch a few stripers. Travis at The Tackle Box reported that all 10 of the gift certificates were award-ed to successful striper anglers over the weekend. He also reported that anglers from shore at the Naval Air Station have caught stripers and a few croakers. The surprise catch was a 24” flounder by Kitt Vongvosai.

Wind was a factor this weekend, to be sure. The folks at Buzz’s Marina had a great festival to celebrate the open-ing of the striper season. Since most boaters took a “wind check” on Saturday the party was on! Festivities contin-ued into Sunday when several anglers were able to get out.

Stripers were plentiful on Sunday and most boats returned with their limit in short order.Weather should improve in the coming week and those boaters who don’t have to be

at the office should be able to get their piece of the pie.To make matters better, DNR just issued a press release stating that revised fish con-

sumption advisories from the Maryland Department of the Environment show that a healthy

diet can in-clude more striped bass than previously recommended.

“Anyone who enjoys eating Maryland striped bass will welcome this news,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “This is good news for anglers who catch fish to feed themselves and their families and for businesses that benefit from recreational fishing. It’s also heartening for everyone working to restore the Chesapeake

Bay.” MDE data suggest that contaminant levels are even lower in striped bass

fillets prepared, as the Department has long recommended, without fatty por-tions of the fish. The revised advisories also include recommendations on the consumption of bluefish caught in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.

DNR also issued a press release about snakeheads that could benefit some lucky anglers. “From now until December 31st, 2011, anyone who catches a Northern snakehead with a hook-and-line and posts the catch including a photo of the dead fish on DNR’s Angler’s Log (http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fishingre-port/log.asp) will be entered into a year end drawing. Anglers should report the location of their snakehead catches, as specifically as possible and include a ruler or another measuring device to indicate the size of the fish in the photo. Prizes include a $200 rod and tackle package, a Maryland State Park Passport and a 2012 Potomac River Fishing license. The park passport allows unlimited day-use entry for up to 10 people in a vehicle, unlimited boat launching at ALL facilities and a 10 percent discount on state-operated concessions and boat rentals.” Might be worth the effort to catch one!

Croakers should be reaching full swing in their migration, something a lot of anglers look forward to each year. The most popular baits are bloodworms, squid, and shrimp. Launch your boat at Bushwood or Chaptico and look for the other boats to find the fish. Croakers will also be collecting on the oyster bars in the Bay and Potomac River.

Spring has sprung! If you feel compelled to catch a fish, now would be a great time to start. The Spring Gobbler season also started this week for those who prefer to be in the woods.

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

Ralph Acquaviva, his son Anthony and friend Bubby were the last ones out, and first ones back.

A new study shows that underwater grass critical for marine life decreased in the Chesapeake Bay last year by 7 percent, but in waters in the mid-to-lower Patuxent and the Potomac rivers the amount of submersed aquatic vegeta-tion (SAV) decreased by more than 20 percent from 2009 to 2010.

According to information from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), which conducted the study, the overall coverage of SAV in the bay covered 79,675 acres in 2010, down from 85,914 acres in 2009.

The state of SAV in the bay is important because it pro-vides habitat for aquatic animals and is a gauge of the over-all health of the bay, especially pollution control efforts and the levels of oxygen, which it produces, beneath the surface of the water.

“It’s very important food for water foul, it reduces sediment and nutrients and it produces oxygen,” said Lee

Karrh, living resources assessment chief with the state’s Department of Natural Resources. “It responds to changes quickly in water clarity, for good or for ill.”

More than half of the Potomac River and large portions of the Patuxent River had some of the worst SAV degrada-tion this past year, the study shows.

In the lower Potomac River there were more than 3,000 acres of SAV in 2004, but in just six years that has de-creased to just 207 acres. The Patuxent River was a differ-ent story all together, he said, because despite the decreases it has yet to produce much SAV overall in its recent history.

There were increases in SAV in the waters closest to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and there were heavier gains in some of the waters there as well as in the southern reach-es of the bay in Virginia but those were small compared to the losses, the study showed.

There were also heavy SAV losses in the uppermost

part of the bay.Still, scientists are pleased that the bay and its tributar-

ies saw some improvements.“We were pleased that grasses remain healthy and

abundant in two areas where nutrient pollution was re-duced: the upper Potomac River and Susquehanna Flats,” said Bob Orth, a scientist with VIMS and the lead on the an-nual survey. “However the overall condition for bay grasses remains one of concern with many areas still having few, if any, grass beds.”

Karrh said that the sharp decrease in SAV in local wa-ters was troubling, but he was unsure just how much of an impact it would have on sea life.

“It’s not going to be clear-cut because the fish will move to where the grasses are,” Karrh said. “There’s a whole food web that relies on these grasses.” By Guy Leonard (CT) [email protected]

Underwater Grasses Suffer Heavy Losses in Local Watershed


&Out About Angler AnglerThe Ordinary CalvART Gallery, Prince Frederick, opens The

Art of the Garden May 4. The opening coincides with the Calvert Garden Club’s Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Tour on Saturday, May 7, that features two CalvART Gallery artists, Mimi Little and Abbey Griffin. Make a day of it – take the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage tour and stop at the CalvART opening recep-tion that evening. (www.calvartgallery.org)

Friday, May 6, is the First FREE Friday program at the Calvert Marine Museum. The museum is open free to the public from 5 to 8 p.m. Each month special en-tertainment and activities are featured. Patuxent Voices presents Singing in the Spring in the auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy sacred and silly, traditional and popular mu-sic all in beautiful harmony. The Drum Point Lighthouse will be open for tours. Looking for that perfect Mother’s Day gift? Shop in the Museum Store for lots of great gift ideas. Visit www.calvertmarinemuseum.com for details.

The Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage co-ordinates an annual multi-county spring tour giving visitors an inside look at extraordinary historic and con-temporary homes. Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. visitors can visit a unique part of Calvert County that is not typically open to the casual visitor. In 1937, Scientists’ Cliffs was founded with an unusual charter: “To promote an interest in the natural sciences by means of a botanical garden, arboretum, lectures, field trips, preservation of open space, exploration and preserva-tion of fossil deposits.” Tour proceeds will be used by the American Chestnut Land Trust (ACLT) to create a native plant garden, install benches and signage and develop educational materials on the benefits of utilizing native plants in private gardens. The 3,000-acre Parkers Creek Preserve, managed by ACLT, is one of the last remain-ing large undeveloped areas on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay and serves as a reservoir of biological diversity. To purchase tickets, visit www.mhgp.org.

Looking for great plants and herbs for those newly tilled flower beds? Battle Creek Cypress Swamp will hold their annual Herb & Wildflower Sale on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Over 30 types of herbs will be available along with cultivated native wild flowers from Lower Marlboro Nursery. (www.calvertparks.org)

The Maker’s Market at Annmarie Sculpture Garden is the place to find handmade, homemade or homegrown products like arts and crafts, hanging baskets, organic skin care products, farm-fresh produce, cut flowers, baked goods, batik and fleece clothing, handmade soaps and candles, herbal teas, ornaments, folk art, handmade gifts and more. Arrive early Saturday, May 7, for choice items. Maker’s Market is open from 9 a.m. to noon and it is free. (www.annmariegarden.org)

Don’t forget - Sunday, May 8, is Mother’s Day!

What better way to say “you’re special” than a Mother’s Day cruise aboard the “Wm. B. Tennison” at the Calvert Marine Museum? A brunch cruise will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Mother’s Day evening cruise runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with heavy hors d’oeuvres. Preregistration is required. For fees and registration call 410-326-2042, ext. 41. (www.calvert-marinemuseum.com)

Isaac’s Restaurant & Pub in the Holiday Inn Solo-mons will serve its famous Mother’s Day Buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 8. Treat Mom to a feast of roast beef, turkey, steamed shrimp, scallops and shrimp scam-pi, rockfish and all the fixings. The price is $25.95 per person, children ages 5-12 are $13.50 and children under 5 are free. For more information or to make reservations, call 410-326-6311, ext. 2181 or 2191. (www.isaacsrestau-rant.com)

Remember that Mother’s Day is a busy day at all our local restaurants. Please make reservations and expect to wait. You might also consider taking Mom out on Friday or Saturday evening.

On Friday, May 13, Annmarie Sculpture Garden opens Fairies & Gnomes in the Garden. Explore the nooks and crannies of the sculpture garden to find all the fairy houses created by regional artists of all ages. This magical fairy house and gnome home exhibit is in mem-ory of Mary Beth Harry. Regular daily admission rates apply. (www.annmariegarden.org)

Celebrate Southern Maryland traditions at the Cal-vert Marine Museum’s Annual Maritime Festival on Sat-urday, May 14. Taste traditional foods, learn how to pick crabs and shuck oysters like the pros. Enjoy local gospel and old-time music. See world-class water fowl carving and Chesapeake Bay retriever trials in action. Watch model boats skim the waters of the boat basin and talk with traditional crafts people as they demonstrate their skills. Kids will enjoy traditional games, races, toy boat building and more. The event includes the Antique Boat and Marine Engine Show featuring exhibits from over 30 collectors of antique and classic boats and vintage and marine outboard and inboard engines. Free to the public. (www.calvertmarinemuseum.com)

Attend the World War II Remembrance Day at the Calvert County Fairgrounds, 140 Calvert Fair Drive, Prince Frederick, on Saturday, May 14, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy displays of military history from 1812 to present day, food and memorabilia vendors and a field training drill. There will be community resource booths for veterans, youth and families. Throughout the day hear USO-style entertainment including music, per-formances, dance and comedy. Veterans and home front heroes will tell their stories and be recorded for the Li-

brary of Congress Veterans Living History Project. For more information, visit www.circleofangels.org.

Historic All Saints Church hosts the Calvert Wine & Arts Fest on Saturday, May 14. Featuring some of the best artisans from Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles counties, the festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sample wines from Calvert County’s five wineries: Cove Point, Solomons Island, Fridays Creek, Perigeaux and Running Hare. Musicians, dancers, children’s activities, baked goods and other great food add to the festivities. Tours will be available of this historic 1692 church and its laby-rinth. (www.allsaints1692.org)

On Saturday, May 14, the Calvert County Master Gardeners will hold their Master Gardener Plant Sale from 8 a.m. to noon at the Calvert County Community Resources Building, 30 Duke Street, Prince Frederick. Buy from Master Gardeners who know and grow these vegetables, herbs, native plants and houseplants. Get an-swers to your questions about existing plants and prob-lems, landscaping and soil requirements. (extension.umd.edu/gardening/mastergardeners/local/calvert/)

Thursday, May 12, through Sunday, May 15, Solo-mons will be the setting for Solomons – Paint the Town, a Plein Air Festival. The Plein Air competition will draw 40 artists from the region. On Saturday, May 14, spend a day on Solomons Island filled with art, food and fun. Experience “A Taste of Solomons” by sampling different culinary delights offered by the restaurants in Solomons. Programs and activities are offered at various locations throughout Solomons, including a “Quick Draw” com-petition on the Riverwalk. New this year is the Street Fair with face painting, strolling artists, clowns, vendors, music and much more! On Saturday evening Carmen’s Gallery will host An Affaire of the Arts from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. with desserts, live music and a cash bar. On Sunday, May 15, join the artists at Annmarie Sculpture Garden for the awards reception at 1 p.m. The artwork will be on display and for sale through the end of May. Proceeds from the event benefit the 4th of July fireworks and a scholarship through the College of Southern Maryland Foundation. (www.solomonsmaryland.com or www.an-nmariegarden.org)

Calvert County is bursting with events. To see more, visit www.ecalvert.com


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BUSY B’S BASKETSMyron Brenner and Flora Barrett

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THE HAPPY TURNER IN OWINGSDavid A. Wardrup, Sr.

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BAY BEADSLeslie Downs

(410) 610-1738email: [email protected]

CH’NACA FIBERWORKSNancy & Catherine Donley

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DARZIE CREATIONSDarlene Swanson

Stop by or call (301) 266-5848

Tel (410) 535-4344 • Email: [email protected]

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April 16th Celebrate Spring Open House Everyone welcome! 10:00 - 5:00

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By Joyce BakiOn the second Sunday of May we will honor

mothers and motherhood in the United States. Flow-ers, cards and other gifts will be sent to mothers throughout the country. What is the origin of this holiday? The answer may surprise many of you.

Anna Jarvis was born in the small town of Web-ster, West Virginia on May 1, 1864. She was one of 11 children born to Granville and Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. Not long after she was born, her family moved to Grafton, West Virginia, where she would grow up. In 1881 she enrolled in the Augusta Female Academy (now Mary Baldwin College) in Staunton, Virginia. After finishing school, Anna returned to Grafton and taught school.

Anna’s mother, Ann Jarvis, was very active in the church and civic affairs. Mrs. Jarvis has been credited with the development of Mothers Day Work Clubs, clubs that promoted health and safety to work-ers throughout West Virginia, and worked to combat poor health and sanitation conditions in neighbor-hoods that contributed to the high mortality rate of

children. During the Civil War, Mrs. Jarvis also organized groups of women to aid the wounded on both sides of the conflict. She was well-spoken and became a re-nowned speaker during her time.

In 1902, Mrs. Jarvis lost her husband and moved to Philadelphia with her daughters, Anna and Lillie, to live with her son Claude. Three years later, Mrs. Jarvis died at the age of 72. She was laid to rest at the West Laurel Hill Cem-etery in Philadelphia. On the day of her burial, the bell of St. Andrews Method-ist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, tolled 72 times in her honor. Anna was devastated at the loss of her mother and determined to do something in her memory. Two years later, on May 12, 1907, Anna returned to St. Andrews Church and, in memory of her mother, passed out white carnations to each moth-er in the congregation. She returned the following year to hold another memorial, an “official” service, which would be fol-lowed by a larger ceremony in the Wana-maker’s store in Philadelphia. She then began a campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday.

West Vir-ginia would be the first to declare Mother’s Day a holiday in 1910, fol-lowed quickly by the rest of the states. On May 8, 1914, a law was passed by Congress des-ignating the second Sun-day in May as Mother’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation on May 9, 1914, declaring the first national Mother’s Day as a day for Ameri-can citizens to show the f lag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a stamp com-memorating the holiday. In May 2008, the U.S. House of Representa-tives voted on a resolu-tion commemorating Mother’s Day. St. An-drew’s Methodist Epis-copal Church, where the first celebration was

held, is now the International Mother’s Day Shrine.Surprisingly enough, Anna Jarvis became

soured by the commercialization of Mother’s Day. According to her obituary in the New York Times, she became embittered because too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card instead of calling on their mother and spending the day with her. She and her sister spent their family inheritance campaigning against the holiday, dying in poverty. Anna Marie Jarvis never married and never had chil-dren. She died on November 24, 1948 in West Ches-ter, Pennsylvania.

Where did Anna Jarvis get her inspiration for Mother’s Day? When Anna was 12 years old, she at-tended a Sunday school class taught by her mother entitled “Mothers of the Bible.” Mrs. Jarvis ended the class with a small prayer which asked that some-one create a memorial to mothers to commemorate all that mothers did for their families, their commu-nities and for humanity. Anna never forgot this re-quest or her mother.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day in America


From the stage at Three Notch Theatre, to the Col-lege of Southern Maryland and now to the 15 Minute Play Festival at the American Globe Theatre in Manhat-tan, NY, local playwright George Johnson’s “The Im-portance of Being Hairy” is really going places.

“The Importance of Being Hairy” is a study in double entendres and multiple meanings. There is Jes-sica from England, played by Lisa Gregory, who wants

to run her fingers through the chest hair of the titular hairy American man. She meets Harry, played by Alex LaClair, who is decidedly not hairy.

Her American friend Sharon, played by Wendy Heidrich, just wants a man who is randy and finds Jack,

played by Jay Hunter. It takes a moment for Jack to fig-ure out Sharon wants a man who is actually randy and not just named Randy, but he gets it in the end.

And to top everything off, the waitress Hazel, played by Robin Finnacom, just wants a man who is woody. Enter Woody, played by George Johnson.

In an ad-ditional sup-porting role is Tina Fratantuono playing Polly.

The play was first performed at the Newtowne Players Footlight Festival in June 2010, where it won the Audience Choice award. It has also been performed

at the College of Southern Maryland’s Leonardtown campus during the Southern Maryland Originals in December 2010 and at the Maryland Community Theatre One Act Festival in January.

At the One Act Festival, the Tantallon Com-munity Players presented “The Importance of Being Hairy.”

Johnson said he started writing the play for the Footlight Festival after having not landed parts in “Over the River and Through the Woods” and “The Importance of Being Earnest.” When the Footlight Festival came along, Johnson decided to try his hand at writing as well as acting.

“I just wanted to be more involved in theatre,” Johnson said.

Even as the play heads to the off-off Broadway American Globe Theater, Johnson said there are still refinements being made.

“We’re still making revisions,” Johnson said.He said he is surprised and excited that the play

is getting as much mileage as it has since its first pro-duction nearly a year ago.

“I had no expectations of it,” Johnson said.He said the group will be competing against

professional actors and groups from as far away as California, but he has no fear.

“I’m very fortunate to have such a good cast,” Johnson said.

Gregory will be directing the play, as well as act-ing in it. She said the group will be leaving Saturday April 30 at 6 a.m. and should know if they made it to finals by Sunday.

LaClair said he’s the first in his group to be per-forming in Broadway, and he’s looking forward to the experience.

“It’s a little bit of a bragging right,” LaClair said.Hunter said he’s played the same role in “The

Importance of Being Hairy” three times since its pre-mier, and he’s not the only one who has been in this play before. Heidrich has played Sharon, Jessica and Hazel in three separate productions before. She said the only female role she hasn’t filled is Polly.

The reason this play has been popular, Hunter said, is because it’s “old-school” humor. It’s comedy along the lines of “Who’s on First” that doesn’t rely only on vulgarity and toilet humor to be funny.

For people interested in following the group to New York and seeing “The Importance of Being Hairy,” tickets are $18 for the semi-finals and $18 for the finals. Call the American Globe at 212-869-9809 to or go to www.theatermania.com to purchase tick-ets. By Sarah Miller (CT) [email protected]

Off to Off-Broadway: ‘Being Hairy’ Getting Important

The cast of “The Importance of Being Hairy” prepares to go to New York at the end of the week to participate in the 15 Minute Play Festival, above. Below, Jessica (Lisa Gregory) and Sharon (Wendy Heidrich) gossip about men they want to meet while Hazel (Robin Finnacom) takes their orders.


DOMINION COVE POINT LNGWETLAND RESTORATION

MAY 11–14, 2011JOIN THE NATIONAL AQUARIUM CONSERVATION TEAM (ACT!),as we partner with Dominion Energy to plant wetland grasses along the Chesapeake Bay! In February we planted the dunes at Dominion Cove Point, and we are returning to work in the intertidal marsh. We need your help to plant native wetland grasses that will strengthen the shoreline and help protect a delicate inland habitat from storm damage and erosion.

All participants must pre-register. Minimum age is 10 years old, and anyone under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

JOIN US!

aqua.org/conservationPlease contact Holly Fowler at [email protected] or 410-576-3851 for registration information or event details.

2011-04-28 Southern Calvert Gazette

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