2012-08-16 the county times

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Welcome Back

Thursday, augusT 16, 2012 www.somd.com

New Teachers Sworn InStoryPage20

Photo By Frank Marquart

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Thursday, August 16, 2012 2The County Times

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Whats InsideWhats Inside

county

Mary Wild, left, Kyleigh Ball, Justus Sewel, Aiden Mimay and Donna Waldron work in asmall group during Park Hall Elementary Schools Fifth Grade Leadership Camp.

Tyler Brett Mattingly, 17, had dreams of becoming a St. Marys County Sheriffsdeputy one day, but that dream was cut tragically short when he was killed in atrafc crash in Park Hall last week.

education

St. Marys County Public Schools SuperintendentMichael Martirano addresses the newest public school

teachers during orientation Monday.

Im not the person I was back in 1999.

- Harold Irving Berg, Jr., formerPresident of Pax River Raiders football club, on his

attempted sex offense conviction from a decade ago.Also Inside

5 County News

12 Education15 Letters

18 Newsmakers

19 Crime

20 Feature Story

22 Obituaries

25 Money

26 Community

28 Community Calendar

30 Entertainment

31 Entertainment Calendar32 Games

33 Business Directory

34 History

35 Columns

36 Back to School

38 Senior News

39 Sports

WeatherWatch

On The Cover

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Thursday, August 16, 20123 The County Times

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BroadbandProject Set to Start

By Guy LeonardStaff Writer

During the next several months,contractors will be working to installber optic cables under the road-ways in Leonardtown as the nextstep in the One Maryland Broadband

Network project that will connectschools, libraries and other govern-ment buildings.

The communications projectmeans state contractors with the De-

partment of Informat ion Technology(DOIT) will be making test pits alongtown roads and streets to ensure the

project does not interfere with utili-ties delivery, said Town Administra-tor Laschelle McKay.

About 100 test pits had beenplanned for Washington Street, andthis was after we had the streetscape

project nished, McKay told TheCounty Times.

McKay said the town immedi-ately contacted DOIT and asked ifthey could work with them to avoidthat plan, because the streetscape

project had met many constructiondifculties in the past and the townwanted to avoid any more problems.

They were extremely coopera-tive, McKay said of DOIT. Withina week they had changed the route todown Lawrence Avenue instead ofWashington Street.

The most impact is going to befrom the test pitting for utilities, shesaid.

There will be two state teams onthe project, starting on Route 4 andmoving up to Washington Street andthen another going south on Route 5and turning down Lawrence Avenue.

The work on Route 5 is set fornighttime from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., withthe Lawrence Avenue project workgoing on during the daytime, shesaid.

Mayor Dan Burris said residentsshould remember once work on Route5 starts it is not to widen and improvethe road but solely for the broadbandnetwork.

guyleonard@countyt imes.net

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The County Times incorrectly labeled two pictures on Page 4 of the Aug. 9 edition in anarticle involving the St. Marys County Circuit Court judge race between sitting Circuit CourtJudge David W. Densford and his challenger, Assistant States Attorney Joseph Stanalonis. Thenames were transposed on the photos. The error was made in layout. The correctly labeledphotos are shown above.

Assistant States Attorney Joseph Stanalonis Circuit Court Judge David W. Densford

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Local Vets Day

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Meet The Mayor


Town ofcials an-nounced Tuesday that theU.S. Department of Vet-erans Affairs has desig-nated Leonardtown withits Veterans Day paradeas a regional site for Vet-

erans Day a particularhonor that ofcials say thestates Secretary of Veter-ans Affairs Edward Chowencouraged them to applyfor.

President Dwight D.Eisenhower designated acommittee in 1954 to planand promote VeteransDay celebrations aroundthe country and desig-nate certain ones for theirexcellence in celebratingveterans.

He just felt it wasworthy of designa-tion, Town Adminis-

trator Laschelle McKaytold The County Timesabout Chows request fortheir application to the

program.McKay said Chow

notied the town that theyhad won the designationlast week.

Leonardtowns Vet-erans Day parade is one of the best at-tended events in the county, with 3,000

people alone participat ing in the eventwith as many as 4,000 to 5,000 specta-tors lining the towns streets.

The Maryland Department of Vet-erans Affairs, Lt. Governor Brown, andGovernor OMalley are very pleased that

Secretary [Eric] Shinseki and the Veterans Day National Committee have designated Leonardtown as a Regional Site fothe observance of Veterans Day, 2012,Chow said in statement to The CountyTimes.

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Share your stories, comments, suggestions, concerns, or just about anything youwould like to discuss with Leonardtowns Mayor, Dan Burris.

Mayor Burris says that communication is key to keeping Leonardtown an attractive, busy and viable Town and he would like to hear from you on ideas to continue

positive growth in a fashion that ts our communitys needs, a press release states. Thebest par t of l iving in a smal l town is the opportunity to work toward enr iching eachothers lives and to strengthen the connections of our community.

Schedules can be hectic so Mayor Burris has selected a set time, immediatelyfollowing the regular Town Council meetings (always the second Mondays of everymonth at 4 p.m.) to be available for a half-hour after the meeting. This is your time tomeet the mayor.

Keep the lines of communication open, tell your family, friends and businessacquaintances to stop in to chat and converse with the mayor. Get to know the people

who serve you and strengthen the trust that you have in their decisions.

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Sheriffs Intern MournedBy Guy LeonardStaff Writer

Tyler Brett Mattingly, 17, had dreams of becoming aSt. Marys County Sheriffs deputy one day, but that dreamwas cut tragically short when he was killed in a trafc crashin Park Hall Aug. 11.

Mattingly is mourned by the community but in thesheriffs ofce where he was well known and praised forhis volunteer efforts he will be sorely missed, said SheriffTimothy K. Cameron.

Mattingly sent an e-mail to Cameron trying to nd op -portunities to volunteer at the sheriffs ofce and was given

volunteer duties, including an assignment looking throughhistorical records for the upcoming publication of a bookdetailing 375 years of the countys sheriffs ofce.

He found evidence of other sheriffs that previously hadbeen unknown, Cameron said, which means that there willlikely be two books published on the ofces history andnot just one.

Genealogists and even state-level historians checkedhis work for accuracy, Cameron said.

He possessed wisdom beyond his years, Cameronsaid. This isnt typically the arena where you would nd a17-year-old. He excelled, I saw him blossom.

Linda Reno, one of the historians who mentored Mat-tingly, said he was focused and disciplined, far more than isusually found in most teenagers, but that he was a little shy.

Reno said she and others were able to help him comeout of his shell during his internship.

He was a boy and yet he was a man in so many ways,Reno said. He was very focused.

All he wanted to be was a St. Marys County sheriffsdeputy.

Reno also praised Mattingly for his helpful attitude andattentiveness to whatever someone was trying to teach him.

His technical skills with computers were also valuable,she said.

He was a computer whiz, Reno said. You could givehim any assignment and he was off to the races.

At the end of his [summer] internship he didnt wantto go.

Cameron said that the honor guard from the sheriffsofce will be his pallbearers at Mattinglys funeral because

he was a mem-ber of the sher-

iffs ofce.He was

a very, verybright guy,Cameron said.He was proudto be a memberof the sheriffsofce.

A c c o r d -ing to policereports Mat-tingly lost con-trol of the ve-hicle as he wastraveling northbound on PointLookout Roadon wet pavement and crossed the center line into the path o

a 2007 Toyota Corolla operated by Lindsay Marie Lague20, of Lexington Park. Mattingly succumbed to his injurieson the scene, police said, and Lague along with passengeMichael Anthony Dillon, 21, of Lexington Park, were ownto Prince Georges Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. Police believe that speed and weather appeato be contributing factors in the crash. Anyone who mayhave witnessed this accident is asked to contact Cpl. BrianConnelly of the St Mary's County Sheriffs Ofce at 301475-4200 Ext. 9010.

[email protected]

Tyler Brett Mattingly Submitted Photos

Sheriff Timothy Cameron and Mattingly

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Hunting Creek Delays Testing NervesBy Guy LeonardStaff Writer

Several prospective homeowners taking part in thesweat equity project building houses at the HuntingCreek subdivision in Lexington Park say that they havebeen treated unfairly by construction managers and the re-gional non-prot running the program.

They say they have fullled requirements for workinga set number of hours per week on their homes, but are be-ing made to help construct homes of other participants whohave been lagging behind in their own commitments.

The managers of the project say that there are someslacking participants, but others who have met and evenexceeded their requirements knew they were required bycontract to help build homes for others in their group beforebeing allowed to move in.

When homeowners are behind in hours youre sup-posed to stop work on their homes, that hasnt happened,said Rose Johnson, who has complained of helping to buildhomes for those who are putting in less effort.

The project is administered through a housing grantfrom the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Applicants had

to have a job, good credit, low debt loads and be able to putin 30 hours a week building their own homes with the aid ofsome subcontractors in the building trades.

Applicants are also required to pay back housing loanssubsidizing the construction.

The Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Ac-tion Committee, Inc [SMTCCAC] and Cheseldine Manage-ment Consulting, LLC of Leonardtown are overseeing theproject.

Kathy Cerwensky, who was given a special exceptionto move into her side of a duplex town house in June, gavea similar story.

She said she started work on her home with the helpof other volunteers, a practice allowed by the program, inDecember 2010. In May, she said she was told to stop work.

We werent allowed to do anything, Cerwensky said.We werent allowed to do anything else on my house untilthose [two] other lots were built up to where we were.

Cerwensky said she eventually started a letter writ-ing campaign that includedCongressman Steny Hoyerin an effort to get the processmoving.

One of her main com-plaints was materials neededto continue building herhome were not delivered forsometime.

We went months andmonths without getting ma-terials or subcontractorscoming in to do the work,Cerwensky said.

A letter written in June2011 from USDA state di-rector John Tarburton toHoyers ofce, stated Cer-wensky would be allowed tomove in early, citing severalproblems with her assignedbuilding group.

SMTCCAC has re-

ported that three participants in the program have droppeout and that it has been difcult to nd additional applicantto ll the group to which Ms. Cerwensky belongs, Tarburton wrote.

Both Margaret Cheseldine, head of Cheseldine Management, and her vice president Lisa Quill, said prospectivhomeowners went into the deal with full knowledge of whawas required of them.

This has been explained over and over, Cheseldinsaid. Every potential homeowner has been advised of whawas expected of them.

Quill said there would come a time when familieor owners who had gotten behind in their required hourwould face sanctions, but not until all of the homes hapassed a framing inspection.

She said when all of the group members started on therst house it was naturally farther along than any of the others and it was just as natural for the owner of the rst unit twant to move in rst.

But as a group you still have to nish all the houses,Quill said. We do have some families that arent participating as they should and were going to look at that.

Quill said that sometimes allowances have to be madfor some people with legitimate concerns like medical issues that keep them from completing all their hours.

Cheseldine denied claims that they had deliberatelwithheld materials or told contractors not to work on homes

She said that if they ordered contractors to come ouand do work on homes but they had to go out to another jobthey could not stop them.

We dont have any control over that, she said. Wer

not the ones who control their schedule.Cheseldine said she understood patience was running low for some homeowners anxious to get their homenished.

Theres no advantage to us in trying to extend thproject, she said. Patience is running out with [some] people and I can understand that.

She said that some people who were able to put in famore hours than what was required could not expect to holdall others to that same standard.

Swynice Hawkins, president of SMTCCAC, said thathe homes should have been nished in 18 months but theprocess has taken much longer than what Id like it to.

I dont think families truly understand that the program is families helping other families to build theihomes, Hawkins said. Youre supposed to work togethewith each other.

Nobodys trying to stop work.

[email protected]

Rose Johnson paints the interior of her lot at the Hunting Creek subdivision project, though she says her efforts have been stalled in paby other families who have not completed the required hours otheir prospective town homes.

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After about a year of trying unsuccessfully to get abistro with alcohol sales approved in the same buildingas their grocery store on Hollywood Road, the McKayfamily nally got the votes they needed from the coun-tys Alcohol Beverage Board to get a class B restaurantliquor license.

Thomas F. McKay, former county commissionerpresident, presented a new plan to the beverage boardmembers that showed the dining area would operatealong with the grocery store with an emphasis on pre-

pared foods and expanded selection of wines and spir itsand craft beers.

It represents a change in the business model for thesite, which has been a traditional community grocerystore.

The McKays have wanted to change the model tomake it more competitive in the marketplace.

The grocery industry is being challenged by therestaurant industry, McKay said of the changes to thestore, which is set to open next month.

McKay said the plan differs from the last one theboard rejected, by reducing the entrances to the site tojust one, with 90 percent of receipts expected to comefrom food sales and 10 percent from alcohol.

When board chairman Moses Saldana asked what

would result if the plan did not work out, McKay re-sponded by saying: Mr. Chairman, were going to makethis work.

Earlier this summer, board members rejected a planto open a bistro next to to grocery operation becausethey said it would have two liquor establishments underone roof, and David Dent, president of the St. MarysRetail Beverage Association again tried to squash plansto re-brand the grocery store.

This is the same premise it was denied twomonths ago, Dent said.

Dent also owns a Tall Timbers grocery store thatsells alcohol with an attached bar under the same roof.

McKays lawyer Michael Davis said this application is substantially different from the last, because it ionly a license class change, and does not involve a newissuance.

The application met with unanimous approval othe board.

guyleonard@countytimes .net

Photo By Sarah Mille

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President of Youth Football Team ServedWith Attempted Sex Offense Conviction


Harold Irving Berg, Jr., who until recently servedas the president of the Pax River Raiders youth footballteam, lead the football club even though he had beenconvicted more than a decade ago of attempted third-degree sex offense, The County Times has learned.

Several sources conrmed that Berg had served upuntil recently, stepping down from the presidency of theteam and handing it over to the interim president DaveBurris.

County ofcials have said that such youth sportsleagues are required to provide a list of those who arecoaches for background checks but those members ofthe league who are not coaches do not need to be on thatlist.

Im satised that the county performed all of itsobligations, said County Attorney George Sparling.

County Commissioner Dan Morris said electedleaders should consider expanding the requirement for

background checks from just coaches in youth sportsleagues to all volunteers and ofcers associated with it.

It would be a wise thing to do, Morris (R-Me-chanicsville) said. I think we need to cover all the basesinvolving our children.

Im for every blanket of protection for our chil-dren, he said.

Berg said he never hid his record and did not get abackground check because it was not required of himbecause he was not a coach.

He said he is no longer serving in any ofcial ca -pacity with the Raiders and sacr iced his own time andmoney to make the program better.

He said he stepped up to the presidency of the clubbecause it was in danger of disbanding at the time.

He said he has not been charged criminally since2000 and is the target of a deliberate smear campaign byother competing youth football ofcials.

I feel like Im a scapegoat here, Berg said. If Ihad known it would have been this much of an issue Inever would have taken over the presidents position.

Ive never coached, Ive never been interested incoaching. Im not on the eld with any kids.

Burris said that Berg stepped down from the presi-

dency before Burris learned that he had a criminalrecord.

He said he learned of Bergs record when an ofcialfrom another local team brought it up in a meeting.

The way in which that ofcial brought it up in themeeting, in which Berg was not in attendance, resultedin that person being removed from their position on thatteam, Burris said.

Burris called it a slander campaign.Burris said that all members who are involved in

coaching or assisting coaches in football or cheerleading

must go through background checks.He [Berg] was never a coach, Burris said.A former ofcial with the Pax River Raiders who

wished to remain anonymous said they were shocked tolearn that Berg had a criminal record.

They said that information was not widely knownbut had been rumored around the organization.

Nobody knew, the source said. Thats not good.Court records from Charles County, where Berg go

his 2000 conviction, show that his original charge was athird-degree sex offense but was amended to attemptedthird-degree sex offense on his indictment. Upon conviction he was sentenced to two years in prison but thatsentence was suspended and Berg was put on three yearof unsupervised probation.

Berg is not on the states sex offender registry.Im not the person I was back in 1999, Berg said.

guyleonard@countytimes .net

Im not the person I wasback in 1999.

- Harold Irving Berg, Jr.

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By Alex PanosStaff Writer

Macaroni Kid

website celebrated itssecond birthday andthe kickoff of historicSt. Marys Citys littleexplorers program byco-hosting a specialcolonial party in His-toric St. Marys Cityon Wednesday.

Children learnedhow to make colonial

bubble wands usingshnet and string, cre-ate marbles made ofclay, play historic lawngames, participate in a museum-wide

scavenger hunt, colonial dancing andeven got to dress up in colonial garb.

They also were treated to story-timeand a game of hide-and-seek with theMacaroni Momma, St. Marys Maca-roni Kids website publisher Carol Picon,whose mission is to continue to promotelocal family friendly events.

Her main goal is to bring fun tofamilies and neighbors of St. MarysCounty, Picon said.

According to Aimee Riegert, an af-

liate with St. Marys Macaroni Kid, thewebsite is a free source aimed at publish-

ing every event and activity designed forchildren in St. Marys County.

Reigert believes it was a perfect timeto utilize an on-going relationship withHistoric St. Marys City to partner for thetheme birthdays past and present.

It was a great opportunity to teachkids colonial games, Reigert said.

Employees of St. Marys City andvolunteers dressed in colonial outts andinteracted with the children.

Elizabeth Nosek, the Director of

Public Programs for Historic St. MarysCity said they did everything they couldto ensure Macaroni Kid hosted its birth-day bash at the rst capital of Maryland.

Were very pleased to work withMacaroni Kid, Nosek said, on behalf ofHistoric St. Marys City which was host-ing the event for the rst time. Betweenthe two we have something special.

Nosek also called the event a winwin for both sides because it helps promote their upcoming little explorers history themed program for preschoolers.

For more information or to view upcoming childrens events visit st.marysmacaronikid.com

[email protected]

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Noah Sherkow, 6, and brothers Benjamin, 7, and Alexander Hertzbach,9, mold marbles out of clay.

Macaroni Momma reads to the children during storytime.

Photos By Alex Panos

7/31/2019 2012-08-16 The County Times

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Young models walked down the runway in Belk de-partment store Saturday, modeling the latest trends in back-to-school youth fashion during the semi-annual Kidfest.

After Belk employees directed kids to the latest fash-ions throughout the store, participants chose any clothingitems they desired right off the stores racks.

Store manager Judy White said the company-widefashion show provides an outlet for local children to ex-press their creative nature by selecting their own uniqueoutts for the show. Kidfest promotes friendship in thecommunity, White explained, because it gives children anopportunity to meet new people that may attend different

schools.She added that Kidfest gives pre-Kin-

dergarten age participants who do not at-tend daycare a chance to socialize withpeers.

A lot of people came together here thatdidnt know each other, White said.

More than 300 Belk department storesheld Kidfest 2012 throughout the countryover the weekend.

Kids and their parents traveled from allover St. Marys and Calvert counties to theBelk located in Wildewood Shopping Cen-ter including Annalia Pucciarella, 10, Mal-lory Moore, 10 and Andrea Gerber, 9, from

Our Lady Star of the Sea school inSolomons, and Gabrielle Moore,14, and from St. Marys RykenHigh School in Leonardtown.

Vicki Cross, CaliforniaBelks Sales Team Manager, said

some of the models on Saturdaywere making their third or fourthKidfest appearance.

They consistently look for-ward to it, Cross said.

After the show, the models received goody-bags full of items and games, and enjoyed a post-show party consisting of prizes and refreshments,as well as meet and greet with a clown and mas-cots Belky the Bear and the Chick-l-A cow.

Participants also received discounts of 15percent off already on-sale items.

The next

Belk Kidfest will take place in the spring during the preEaster spring show to model summer wear. Belk recruitmodels by advertising, and reaching out to models whhave participated in past.

Overall, White believes the 2012 fall edition of Kidfesran smoothly.

It went well considering everyones ages, she said.

[email protected]

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Park Hall Elementary School held its rst-ever Fifth

Grade Leadership Camp last week to build and developpersonal condence, problem-solving skills, collaborativeempowerment and the leadership skills of the schools oldeststudents.

Mary Wood, Park Hall physical education instructorand leadership camp facilitator, said the teachers traditionally

preach to the fth graders the vitality of positive leadership,responsibility and respect they must display because they arethe oldest age group in the school.

But weve never before given them an opportunity tolearn what that is, she said.

Wood says between focusingon the new common core standardsand daily time constraints duringthe school year, it can be difcult tond enough time to work with thefth graders about being positive role

models.Leadership camp took time, be-fore the beginning of the school year,to instruct the schools oldest studentshow to nd solutions, using key tech-niques, to problems that may ariseduring the school year.

This way when they come intoschool (next week) they will alreadyknow what we expect and what theirroles can be, Wood said. Its an op-

portunity for them to recognize theirleadership position.

According to Wood, the most im-portant thing Park Hall Elementary staff

hope the children take away from leader-ship camp, and demonstrate through their

behavior during entire school year, is theirunderstanding of the importance of building positive new re-lationships with their peers and maintaining the friendshipsthey have already created.

There are many responsibilities that come with eachfriendship, Wood explained, and the children are at an agewhere staff can express to them the important role responsi-

bility plays in relationships with peers.Relationships come rst, Wood said. Everything else

will fall into place.Park Hall Elementary Principal Kathy Norton reiterated

the importance of the students learn-ing how to resolve issues on their own

before they get a chance to escalate.Were a family taking care of

one another, Norton said.Students worked on activities

including family building activities where they learned what they havein common with fellow students andhow to be, and what it means to be arole model.

A way of building communityin our school, said Wood.

The students also learnedthrough group activities how easilyrumors can spread and the negativeaspects brought on by bullying.

Each child then reected ontheir experiences in small discussion

groups and writing in their reection journal.Then on the camps nal day, during a Situation Task

Action Result (STAR) role playing game, students were presented with difcult scenarios which they had to identify the

problems and then come up with the best solutions to resolvit.

According to Wood, 48 of the 95 to be fth gradersturned out for the camp, and those that came seemed to beeager to learn.

They were all excited to come back today, Wood saidduring day two of leadership camp. Everyone Ive talked tohas been really engaged.

She also noticed their recall was very strong, and thekids have all been sharing ideas in small groups with each other, stepping-up to the challenge the teachers have presented

The end of camp was celebrated by having a pizza andice cream party on Wednesday afternoon to share and cel

ebrate the new experiences each student encountered.Park Hall provided 17 hub bus stops to ensure evenstudents that did not have access to transportation also got achance to attend the camp, Norton said.

Community members volunteered their time throughouthe three day event, participating in games and guiding groupdiscussions during the camp.

I am in awe of the commitment and leadership of eachand every staff member at this school, Norton stated in a

press release. They truly care about the students and want tmake their futures bright and prosperous.

[email protected]

Spotlight On

Park Hall Leading the Way

From left to right, Mary Wild, Kyleigh Ball, Justus Sewel, Aiden Mimay, Donna Waldron

Zack Russel, left, and Richard Attaway, right, playa leadership game in the gym Tuesday

7/31/2019 2012-08-16 The County Times

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Use of English is Proper

Judicial CommitteeMakes Itself Look Important

Obama Makes Jimmy CarterLook Like a Rhodes Scholar

To The Editor

I must take umbrage with comments made by Capt. LarryLutz, USN (Ret) in his Aug. 9 letter Proper Use of English.

Capt. Lutz states: We have yet to formally establish Englishas the ofcial language of the United States of America. Thatmuch is not new news to most of our citizens. What may be newsis that English is the ofcial language of this nation.

If it werent, why would someone seeking to become a natu-ralized citizen be required by law to read, write, and speak inEnglish?

Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 312, Section312.1(a) states that, no person shall be naturalized as a citizen ofthe United States upon his or her own application unless that per-son can demonstrate an understanding of the English language,including an ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinaryusage in the English language. Why force someone to learn alanguage before becoming a naturalized citizen if that languageis not the ofcial language of the nation?

That verbiage in 8 CFR 312.1(a) is virtually identical to theverbiage found in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952,an Act which collected an codied many existing provisions and

reorganized the structure of immigration law. For that matter, itwas the Naturalization Act of 1906 which rst documented a le-gal requirement to learn English in order to become a naturalizedcitizen. As such, English has been the ofcial language of theUnited States for 106 years.

Multilingualism in the individual is a beautiful thing. Onthe other hand, lack of a common tongue in a society or nation isa recipe for disaster. The fastest way to fracture and divide is totake away the ability to communicate. U.S. law has recognizedthis fact since the beginning of the 20th century when the rate ofimmigration to this nation was at its peak.

If English is not the ofcial language of this nation, then weshould abolish the century-old law codied in 8 CFR 312.1(a),and Id like to get a refund for the expenses I incurred when myItalian-born wife had to learn to read, wr ite, and speak in English

before she became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Mike McGinnCalifornia, MD

I might have known Marylands Democrat political machinewould politicize the St. Marys County non-partisan judicial election.

Governor OMalley thought it was settled when he appointedDemocrat David Densford to the Circuit Court vacancy. But thecounty voters upset his plan by strongly supporting challenger Jo-seph Stanalonis, also a Democrat, in the April primary election.This set in motion a required non-partisan campaign for the judge-ship to be resolved by the voters in November.

Densford and Stanalonis have been vigorously campaigning for

votes with signs, posters and speeches. Suddenly, a self-appointedprivate corporation Maryland Judicial Campaign Conduct Com-

mittee, Inc. with no ofcial standing and responsible only to itsown 20 or so members, has entered the fray siding Densford andaccusing Stanalonis of violating standards known only to itself.

The nebulous accusations include an assertion that Stanalonisdeliberately misrepresented Densfords record as a judge and, in hiscampaign, used a photo of Densford wearing a Hawaiian shirt whichwas part of Densfords own campaign materials.

Seems like the mighty Maryland Democrat Machine cant justget along even with each other!

Tom BurkeHollywood, MD

In the Aug. 9 edition of The County Times there was a letterI could not resist responding to.

It comes from a Calvin Brien of Lexington Park. Mr. Briengoes on to thank the president for saving him from having to payfor his healthcare. How nice.

Mr. Brien, do you realize the president is on the road to ruin-ing this country, scally and otherwise?

He gave away $535 million in taxpayer dollars to Solyndrabecause he hates fossil fuels, well Solyndra thanked him (and thetaxpayer) by going bankrupt. And what about the $830 billionstimulus? Well, that too has been an economic nightmare withreports of as much as 29 percent of the money going overseas,and most of the rest unaccountable for. The president also gaveBrazil $2 billion to explore for and pump oil promising them wewould be their best customer.

He claimed he wanted shovel ready jobs only to veto theKeystone XL pipeline from Canada which would have not costthe U.S. taxpayer a dime and supplied 20,000 shovel ready jobsand approximately 100,000 spin off jobs such as tool and diemakers, diners etc. As I said, he hates fossil fuel but he needsto realize we are stuck with it for the foreseeable future, untilrenewable and wind and solar become affordable.

Did you know a U.S. aircraft carrier was found to be paying$26 a gallon for fuel that it could have bought for $3.40 per gal-lon? Of course the cheaper version was petroleum based.

Also, why would a U.S. president bow to a Saudi king?Doesnt he realize the president of the U.S. bows to no foreignleader? That makes us look weak.

Why would he stoop to going to France to beg for the Olym-pic games to be held in Chicago, isnt that beneath his job title?And why would it take 2 jumbo jets to do it? One left with the rstlady, Oprah and Valerie Jarrett, and Obama leaves on Air Force

One the very next day! I am certain Air Force One could haveheld them all very comfortably.He also loves to blame anything and everything on someone

or something else, he bashed Bush for adding $4 trillion to thedecit in 8 years while he, himself added $5 trillion in 3 and1/2years, of course he bashes Bush if he misses a putt.

This man is the most thinned skinned leader I have everseen, he makes Jimmy Carter look like a Rhodes scholar. But Iam so glad he saved you from paying for your health insurance.

If this man gets four more years you wont need health in-surance because doctors and hospitals will be forced to go out of

business, along with hundreds of other business (large and small)that he and his sorry excuse for an administration are micro-managing. There is much, much more I could add but the Timeswould run out of ink.

Paul LawrenceCalifornia, MD

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At this point in the presidential cam-paign the thing that surprises me the mostis why it is as close as all the polls seem toindicate.

I would think that everybody knows thatPresident Obama inherited the George Bushrecession, and in fact got us out of it. Sure,we still have some high unemployment num-

bers and problemat ic decit numbers, but Ithought everybody knew that the presidentsimplementation of the stimulus program putthe brakes on the recession and is almost atthe point where the U.S. Treasury will makea prot on it.

I thought it was also clear that the presi-dent saved the automobile industry andabout 2 million jobs associated with it (wedont build a lot of cars here, but you suresee a lot of new ones clogging the roads inSt. Marys County).

And it seems to me that were a lot bet-ter off with the Dodd-Frank Financial Regu-lation bill on the books. I think now Im a lotless likely to be taken for a r ide by my bank,plus you dont hear much anymore aboutbanks going bust.

And I would have thought that thehealth care bill would have been a winnernationwide instead of a big question mark,since all three branches of government haveupheld it and its already helping millions ofAmericans.

From the standpoint of the characterand personality of the two men, Obama winshands down. Theres just something aboutRomney not to like. So what is it that makesit seem so close at this stage of the cam-paign? I th ink its because Republicans arehungry, and that makes them mean, a nd thatturns them into obstructionists. Perhaps notall of them, but certainly most of them in theCongress and in the state governments (i.e.Wisconsin).

In the past two years or so, Republicansin the House of Representatives have blockedevery measure that Obama has proposed thatwould even remotely bolster his standing inthe nation, even when it was clear that a pro-posed measure would stimulate the economyor lower the unemployment rate.

The Senate is simply more of the same;the Republican minority leader in the Sen-ate has made no bones about his number oneprior ity being the defeat of Obama, and theSenates antiquated rules give him exactlywhat he needs to further their obstructionistpolicy.

So its no wonder the campaign seemsto look so close. I think by the time we getthrough the debates in October, things willbe a lot clearer and a lot less close.

Mary CoveySt. Inigoes, MD

Theres Just SomethingAbout Romney Not to Like

Hoyer Continues toHelp Veterans

Show Me theMoney

Voters DeserveJudge With Integrity

To The Editor

The recent report released by the Maryland Judicial Campaign Con-duct Committee, Inc. regarding complaints against Joseph Stanalonis in theongoing campaign for Judge of the Circuit Court for St Marys County canbe read in its entirety at www.mdjccc.org/pdfs/stanalonisdecision.pdf.

After reading the newspaper stories, I located and read the report andtook notice of three outstanding elements. Firstly, Mr. Stanalonis was not aparticipating candidate to this voluntary program, as he had not signed thecandidate acknowledgement form in which he agrees to abide by MJCCCstandards.

Second, although 12 specic violations were complained, the commit-tee dismissed six, and found violations of their standards of conduct in sixinstances.

Third, the report details Mr. Stanalonis lack of responsibility in reply-ing to their investigative inquiries by responding on his election campaignstationary without any signature. Furthermore, I read a great deal of non-cooperation and obstruction in that report.

The MDJCCC was established beginning in 2005 by Judge Bell of theMaryland Court of Appeals as an independent entity committed to main-

taining respect for the uniqueness of the judicial ofce and to promotecivility in the conduct of contested elections for Marylands circuit courtjudgeships. Judge Bell recognized the need to preserve the reputation of thejudicial ofce for fairness and impartiality.

In its statement of purpose, the MJCCC conducts itself with absoluteneutrality as to the political issues and allows the voters to make their col-lective decision without partisan or political inuence.

I urge voters to read the report for themselves as I did and draw theirown conclusions

I challenge Mr. Stanalonis to sign the candidate acknowledgementform, take ownership of previous mistakes and start cleaning up his cam-paign. The voters of St Marys County deserve to survive this election withcondence in their elected judge.

Capt Brady BoundsLexington Park, MD

Legal NoticeNotice is hereby given that the following vessel has

apparently been abandoned for 90 days on the property of Cape

Saint Marys Marina 27290 Holly Lane Mechanicsville MD

20659, phone # 618 567 6288. The vessel is described as hull

# 412-064, relax, Morgan 41, white. Application for title will be

made in accordance with section 8-722 of the annotated code of

Maryland natural resources article if this vessel is not claimed

and removed from the property within 30 days.8/16/2012

About Governor Romneys federal income taxes: I dontoften agree with much of what conservative George F. Willshas to say, but I think he may have hit upon something con-cerning the controversy about Romneys refusal to releaseany more than his 2010 and 2011 returns. (So far, he has onlyreleased the 2010 return which is a real eye opener andhas promised to release the 11 return when its ready).

Wills comment is to the effect that Romneys reluc-tance leads to the impression that release of additional re-turns would reveal facts and gures more hurtful to Romneythat not releasing them.

Like what? Like maybe he paid little or no taxes in some

of those past years. Which would really be an eye opener,especially considering his known multi-million dollar annualincome, year after year.

Thats pure guesswork, of course, but with all the talkabout Bain Capital and megabucks stashed away in overseasbanks, the speculation is going to continue. You would thinkthat Romney might want to follow the example of his father,George, who ran for president in 1967: he released 12 years ofhis federal tax returns and set the precedent for this practice.

The thing is, were electing a president, and that meansnding out in advance about the candidates character and in-tegrity. And I think that clearly ought to include the releaseof a goodly portion of his nancial history, meaning in parthis taxes.

I dont believe I could vote or anyone without rst hav -ing a good handle on the basic stuff, and so far Romneydoesnt seem to want us to have it.

Brenda Coates

Lexington Park, MD

Veterans in St. Marys County, of which Improud to say Im one, got some rea lly good news lastmonth on two fronts, thanks mostly to the efforts ofour 5th Distr ict Congressman, Steny Hoyer.

First, he helped secure a grant of $219,192 forthe Three Oaks Center in Lexington Park. The grantwill support approximately 192 veteran familieswho are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

I dont know all of the details about how it willwork, but with the Three Oaks Center up and suc-cessfully running, as it has been for years, it looks

like this one will hit the ground running.Hoyer also worked through the Department of

Veterans Affairs to secure for Charlotte Hall one ofthe 13 new community based outpatient clinics setto be opened in nine different states. Our facility

has long been over capacity on the second oor ofa leased 50-year-old building that cant handle therising demand for services. When the new facilityopens up some time next year, it will serve all ofSouthern Maryland, and will minimize the need formany veterans having to make long and expensivetrips to D.C. or Baltimore for health care services.

Congressman Hoyer has always been a strongadvocate for our veterans and has worked tirelesslyto ensure that they receive the resources and ben-ets they earned through their service. It no doubt

helps that Hoyer is very senior in the House and inthe Democratic leadership (with hope for a returnto at least Majority Leader in the next Congress),but whatever the case, its great to have a St. MarysCounty resident in the House of Representatives

who cares as much about veterans asMr. Hoyer.

Joe TaylorLoveville, MD

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America is engaged in a new full-scalewar, one with a mission other than to protectand defend our beloved homeland. The battleis offensive in scope and its being waged onour own treasured soil as opposed to the realestate of anothers. Our combatants are allvolunteers, with uniformity, yet without uni-forms. The members respect rank structureand obey orders yet no specic oath or spe-cialized training applies. Weaponry is nothigh tech and theres no need of specializedaircraft nor night vision goggles. Capablewarghters need only employ that which isinherent at birth and enhanced through lifewith its subtle improper inuences. Regret-tably, and to our hurt, God Almighty and his

own are the mistakenly conceived adversary.Our nation, under liberal Democrat

leadership, declared this war. The HolyBible (Old and New Testaments) and believ-ers of all persuasions are targeted to be de-spitefully contended with. If not war, why

the chicken sandwich pronouncement, whythe blasphemy, why the symbolic removalof Gods inuence and his myriad bless-ings from our land. Well-funded and highlyorganized special interest groups under

protective cover a re busily at work. Theythreaten legal action at every turn seekingto eliminate His Ten Commandments alongwith those memorable sacricial crossesand peaceful manger scenes. Godly fearand gratitude are pass as we live life as it

becomes us naturally. The merciful Lord Je-sus Christ has long been expelled from ourschools and of late from essentially every

public domain save when we as a people areunder attack or duress. Now, we may have

gone too far in our indifference and pur-posed rebellion.

Rejecting Gods word, Democrat partyleaders support and will continue to bra-zenly uplift same sex marriage and suchwill be platform criteria at their convention.

Most anything goes nowadays and modernliberal leadership openly promotes casualsexual activity and heralds f ree distributionof divers birth control measures at taxpayerexpense. Regarding birth choice, the lifegiver or little ones view matters not as theabortion control methods end is nowherein sight. Truth is to be tried with whileMother Earth worship is exhorted under theguise of green. God placed natural resourceextractions are restricted if not banned viashunning oil and clean coal technology.Liberal elected representatives refute divinesustenance over His own created planet.

Spiritually ignorant Democrat lead-ers are jeopardizing America, thus is it any

wonder things are spiraling out of control.Wickedness prevails as absolute lunacy be-gets horric violence along with the mosthorrendous increased incidents of missingand exploited children. Acts of God, i.e.drought engulng 80 percent of the land,

wildres, oods, tornadoes, and unbearablheat are not getting our attention. Gas hasdoubled in price of late, food is already highand unemployment exceeds 8 percent. TheGod designed family unit is lampooned andones own eternal consequences are of noconcern. Under orders, theres no surrenderno retreat, we advance.

No, elected Democrat party representatives are not entirely responsible for conditions. Yet, with their wanton antagonisticagenda and cover from beholden media thecountry continues evolving from bad toworse. With fresh leadership and Gods helpour nation can reclaim its former greatnesseconomically and otherwise. So, Americ

under God or no, the selection of your gov-ernments representatives reveals your decision and your desired consequences.

Chester SeabornMechanicsville, MD

Dont Cram Your RightsDown My Throat

Americas No-Win War

To The Editor

I recently visited a friend in Southern Marylandand was delighted with the hospitality and friendli-ness I encountered, the beauty of the elds and rivers,and I very much enjoyed my stay.

As I drove around St. Marys County, I wassurprised and disturbed by the number of campaign

billboard-type signs, most in favor of one or anotherpolitical candidate. What disturbed me was the treat-ment of the American ag on some of those signs.

I was raised to treat the American ag with re-spect at all times and, to that end, was taught what Ithought were universal rules about the way Ameri-can ags are displayed. American ags are to bedisplayed only from sunrise to sunset unless theag is properly lighted during the hours of darkness.Furthermore, the American ag is not to be displayedwhen it is raining (unless it is properly lighted and is

made of all-weather material).I have spoken with others about these matters

and all have agreed that the American ag should betreated, at the very least, with this amount of respect.

In these days when the celebration of patriotismis so important to the people of this great country, Iassume that improper displays of the American agare inadvertent and are not intended to show anydisrespect.

Again, I enjoyed my visit in Southern Marylandand hope to return soon.

Kate B. Donahue

Sarasota, Fla.

The recent Chick l-A ap seems to be part of a trend. Ican be a live and let live person as long as others leave mealone, but Im getting tired of some groups cramming theirviews down my throat as they exercise what they claim to betheir rights and then try to demonize anyone who expresses acontrary opinion.

I dont nd it appetizing seeing anyone making-out in apublic restaurant while I am eating my lunch whether they arehomo or heterosexual.

Im not a hunter but as far as I am concerned those wholike the sport can hunt all they want as long as they obey the ap-

plicable laws. I do some boating and there are those who thinkwatercraft adversely affect our waterways, but as long as I com-

ply with the regulations I dont want them bugging me. I havepets and there are those who cant stand animals but as long as Iobey the rules I dont want to hear demands for me to give up myfurry friends. If anyone wants to own a rearm, thats ne withme as long as they obey the laws governing gun ownership anduse. I dont think women should have the right to kill their ba-

bies but as long as the law permits it I have to tolerate it. I dontlike my tax dollars being used for causes I dont support but theonly effective recourse I have, without interfering with others, isto vote the pin-heads who allow it to happen out of ofce.

I dont think anyone has the right to pick and choose whatlaws they want to follow and what laws they want to ignore butthere are those who want to reward illegal behavior while lawabiding folks cant get the same reward. There is one thing forcertain, the preponderance of elected ofcials will be all thingsto all people to appease each of their constituencies even if onespecial interest is diametrically opposed to another. All theywant is to preserve their own self-interest and get reelected.

I had to laugh when Rahm Emanuel, a former high rankingcabinet member for President Obama and now mayor of Chi-cago, railed against the owner of Chick l-A for opposing same

sex marriage and rolled out the welcome mat for an Islamisgroup who also opposes same sex marriage. I once scoffed athe notion that many of our elected ofcials have an anti-Christian agenda but I am starting to rethink that possibility. Thereis no way to justify tragedies as occurred in Colorado but I amalso starting to understand how frustration can affect a person

judgment.I hope all those who beat their drum for their particular

special cause look closer at those who claim to be their alliesThe Churches found out that the politicians who they reliedupon for some of their righteous causes were the same politicians who trampled on their legitimate rights.

Others will nd out that broadening eligibility for collegefunding for one group wil l shrink the pool of available funds foeveryone notwithstanding who abides by the law. We all havenjoyed the benets of pork barrel projects and social programsthat looked so justiable on paper but added to the national deband put a millstone around all of our necks that will be painfuto reconcile for us, our children and our grandchildren. Mos

of the politicians who championed these causes are, or will beenjoying a lucrative retirement at taxpayers expense.

History has a habit of repeating itself so I hope the electorate is smart enough to look at the complete picture and not viewcandidates just from the perspect ive of their personal pet peeveTo win the battle and lose the war is defeat not victory. PearHarbor was a great victory for Japan but it led to the demise ofthe Japanese Empire so we all need to be very careful in select-ing who we vote for.

David A. RyanHollywood, MD

This letter is being reprinted because the rst versionincorrectly stated Eric Holder as the mayor of Chicago. Theerror was made in editing.

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James Manning McKay - Founder

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Tobie Pulliam - Ofce Manager............................. [email protected]

Sean Rice - Editor....................................................................seanrice@countytimes.net

Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist............................ [email protected]

Sarah Miller- Reporter - Community..............................sarahmiller @countytimes.net

Guy Leonard - Reporter - Government, [email protected]

Alex Panos - Reporter - Education, [email protected]

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Secretary of the U.S. Military VetsMotorcycle Club, Jethro, said the clubsannual Poker Run has raised over $5,000in the past and, generally speaking, heexpects a similar gure from this yearsrun, held Saturday.

During the last 10 years, Jethro saidhe has learned most residents at the Char-

lotte Hall Veterans Home get their basicnecessities from state funds, especially ifthe individuals do not have family to sup-port them.

All proceeds from the Poker Rungo toward helping raise funds for sim-ple items such as socks, baseball caps

and toothpaste that most people take forgranted.

Due to budget cuts all the little per-sonal items have been cut out for thesefreedom ghters, with no one to sponsorthem, they go without, a promotionalyer read.

We put the money toward what theveterans need, said Jethro, who declinedto provide his full name.

The veterans motor cycle club re-ceives a wish list from staff membersat the home to ensure they purchase thespecic items the veterans are lacking.

The participants traveled, most ofthem via motorcycle, from stop-to-stop

collecting one card at a time. They weregiven a map of ve places to visit duringthe day in order to form their poker hand.

Then riders got a chance at the laststop, Hughesville American Legion, totrade-out their hand and try to obtain bet-ter cards.

Participants registered for the pokerrun by making a donation to the home,and were awarded $500 for best hand,$250 for second, $150 for third and $100for worst-hand.

Jethro told The County Times that136 people signed-up and completedthe run, and many community members

made generous contributions and donations throughout the day as well.

It was a fantastic turnout, Jethrosaid, despite mentioning that some riderchose not to take part because of the uncertain weather.

Popular Southern Maryland bandHydra FX and Sam Grow Band donated their time and efforts to the causeperforming entirely for charity duringthe post-run party.

Jethro believes people enjoyed thebands, but were really touched by theinitiative to help the veterans of SouthernMaryland.

He noticed how impressed everyone

was with the community involvementadding that he probably spoke with abou80 percent of all that attended the event.

By in large, the comments werea big thank you for putting it togetheand trying to help from everybody, Jethro said. A lot of relatives were veryappreciative.

Anyone interested in donating money or items to the home should [email protected] or [email protected].

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Indictment issued for prescription fraud

Victoria Gardiner, 45, of Leonardtown was indicted for her role in a major prescriptiondrug fraud investigation. The fraud began in December 2011 and covered at least three coun-ties, police alleged.

Numerous fraudulent prescriptions were passed in Charles, St. Marys and Calvert coun-ties. The total street value of the prescription drugs fraudulently obtained is nearly $85,000.This fraud scheme included insurance fraud, police said. St. Marys County Vice/Narcoticsdivision is working with investigators from the neighboring jurisdictions in an attempt to iden -tify all of the passed prescriptions.

Gardiner is currently released pending trial.

Thomas Wayne Hamilton, 24 of Charlotte Hall, was charged with possession of oxy -codone with the intent to distribute, and conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, police reported.Hamilton was charged for his role in a fraud and distribution network that is alleged to haveillegally obtained more than 3,800 pills with a street value of $107,000.

Woman charged in knife attack

On Aug. 8, deputies responded to a residence in St. Inigoes for a report of an assault. In-vestigation revealed Carol Cecelia Clinton, 59, of St. Inigoes was engaged in a verbal disputewith the victim that escalated into a physical assault when Clinton allegedly cut the victimshand with a knife. Clinton also struck the victim in the face with a bottle, police alleged. Clin-ton was arrested and charged with rst- and second-degree assault.

Man charged with store theft

On Aug. 8, Cpl. Kirkner responded to the Best Buy Store in California for a report ofa theft. Store employees reported observing William Joseph McCurry, 20, of St.Leonard, remove merchandise from the store shelf, conceal the items on his personand walk past all points of purchase, attempting to exit the store without paying forthe items, police alleged. McCurry was detained by the employees. McCurry wasarrested and charged with theft less than $1,000.

Man charged with pot possession

On Aug. 9, at approximately 1:30 a.m. Deputy Foor was in the area of Beach -ville Road in St. In igoes when he observed a suspicious vehicle parked and occupiedin the back parking lot. Foor investigated and found Ronnie Aaron Gatton, 24, ofMechanicsville, in the vehicle. As Foor was speaking with Gatton he smelled anodor of burnt marijuana emitt ing from the vehicle. Further investigation revealedsuspected marijuana in the center console, police alleged. Gatton was arrested andcharged with possession of marijuana.

Two charged with contraband smuggling

St. Marys County Sheriffs Vice/Narcotics detectives say they received infor-mation that prescription medication was going to be smuggled into the St. MarysCounty Detention Center. Detectives worked with correctional staff and deter-mined inmate Courtney Marie Tippett, 20, and Kevin Russell Bryant, 20, of Lex -

ington Park were conspiring to smuggle prescription medication into the detentioncenter, police say. Bryant arrived at the detention center with another suspect, JesseAlbert Humphries, 59, of Lexington Park, and approached the building, specicallythe area Tippett was housed, and was taken into custody. Prescription medicationwas recovered from his person, police say. Bryant was charged with trespassing,conspiracy to deliver contraband into a place of connement and drug possession.Tippett, who police allege was the driving force behind the drug transaction, wascharged with conspiracy to deliver contraband. Humphries was charged with tres -passing. All suspects face additional charges pending a States Attor neys Ofcereview, police said.

Police: Raid turns up drugs

Dennis Martin Evans, 44, of Piney Point, was charged with possession of mari-juana and possession of cocaine after items were recovered during the executionof a search and seizure warrant on his St. George Island home, police alleged. Ad-ditional charges are pending a review with the states attorney.

Philip H. Dorsey III

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County detectives are seeking the publics help in nding the suspectthat robbed the Papa Johns pizza deliver franchise in Hollywood late lastmonth.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigations released details of the robberyTuesday. According to investigators the suspect entered the store July 27between 10:30 and 11 p.m., produced a weapon and ed the store with anundisclosed amount of money. Detectives are seeking any information fromthe public to identify the suspect or suspects involved in the robbery.

Anyone with information can call Det. Cpl. Robert C. Merritt at 301475-4200 at extension 9042, or they can call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333or text your tips to CRIMES (274637).

Persons who provide information could be eligible for a $1,000 rewardThe same store was robbed last summer as well.Ofcers responded to the store June 29, 2011 to reports that a suspec

had entered with a handgun and also demanded money. The employee complied and the man ed to a waiting getaway vehicle, police reported.

The following month police arrested two men, Steven Garner of StLeonard and Robert Morris of Huntingtown, for the alleged robbery.

Court records show that Garner was convicted of conspiracy to commiarmed robbery but Morris entered an Alford plea that resulted in convictionfor conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

[email protected]

HollywoodPizza Chain

Robbed Again

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First year teachers of the St. MarysCounty Public School System from home-grown in the county to overseas from Japan

traveled to the Forest Center for Technol-ogy earlier this week to attend a three-daynew teacher orientation.

Superintendent Michael Martiranourged the newest acquisitions, numbering102 since October, to focus and discoverwithin themselves about why they decidedto become teachers in St. Marys County adding that he is not impressed by titles butrather by those who work on behalf of thekids.

Theres an SMCPS way of doingbusiness, Martirano said.

In order to be an effective instructor,he continued, the children must feel theirteacher likes them, and believes in them aswell as their ability to learn.

In order to teach a child well, youmust know a child well, he said.

But there are limitations, as he advisedthe new teachers not to friend any of theirstudents on Facebook, or interact with themon any other social network.

I dont want you tobe their friend, I want youto be their guider, theirteacher Martirano said.Do not bleed into an areaof friending your kids.

Martirano nishedhis orientation for the newteachers by leading the newteacher oath, and sworethem in as St. MarysCounty instructors.

Board of EducationPresident Sal Raspa, whowas introduced as a schoolsystem legend, called theSt. Marys County PublicSchool System the numberone school system in thestate, claiming it to have thebest teachers, staff and su-perintendent in Maryland.

By the end of theyear, you will believe theseare the best teachers inthe state, Raspa told theaudience.

County Commis-sioner President Jack Rus-sell said he would not callthe school system the best,because then you havenothing to strive for, butdid thank the teachers forjoining one of the premiersystems.

Be yourselves, he said. Do notcheck your personality at the door.

He explained during his 25-year ca-reer as a teacher, he used to tell his class hismother named him after a dog in order tolighten the mood in the classroom and helpthe kids nd their comfort zone.

The kids need someone to relate to,said Russell.

He also related teaching to shing,saying that you have to keep changing thebait until you hook them. By making learn-ing fun, he said, they will eat out of yourhand.

While new teachers attempt to dis-cover how to make the students eat outof their hand, returning teachers will alsohave challenges, especially in focusing

materials toward the new Common CoreStandards.According to Lexington Park Elemen-

tary Principal Susan Fowler, 50 percent ofteacher evaluations this year will be basedon student performance in relation to thenew expectations of the common core.

All teachers will be participating inprofessional development courses to helpthem understand their accountability, Fowl-er said.

Fowler believes her schedule the weekbefore the students return is quite similar toother principals around the county.

While she continues to interview ap-plicants for the nal vacant position atLexington Park Elementary, she has manyadministrative duties to complete as well.

Fowler must complete the student

handbook, update, revise and review theprevious years data and develop a school

improvement plan based on last years num

bers while taking into consideration newinitiatives, such as the state-wide implementation of Common Core Standards.

She is also nalizing the schools budget from the Title 1 funds supplementagovernment funding to schools in areaof higher poverty and has to make nadecisions, using input from teachers andparents.

We really do consider input from parents, Fowler said, because we want to helpparents become more connected, involveand help them understand.

In Lexington Park Elementary, many

Rita Hawkins adds tennis balls to the desks in hersecond grade classroom.

Courtney Qualley prepares or the frst day oschool on Wednesday.

Rheamia Burns, with Leonardtown Middle School, is greeted by Megan Miller.


Photo ByAlex Panos

Photo ByAlex Panos

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teachers are facing new situations.Teachers have been coming in all week

to set up their rooms ahead of time so theycan decorate the classrooms leisurely,Fowler explained, and be thoughtful in

room arrangement from an instructionalperspective.

Rita Hawkins is a seven-year frstgrade teaching veteran, but this fall willbegin her rookie year as a second gradeteacher.

My expectations are higher,Hawkins said. Theyll come in and be ableto start right off writing.

She also expects more groupdiscussions.

Im going to facilitate more (thisyear), Hawkins said, explaining that shewill ask more questions to initiate classdiscussions.

She will continue to use singing to getthe attention of her students, a techniquewhich has proven successful to her in thepast with frst graders, but will now also

teach her more understanding secondgrade students more character building andetiquette this year.

Hawkins said she will be teaching thechildren bathroom manners because sheno longer has a bathroom in her classroom.In fact, her entire room is a lot smaller, soshe is bracing for the physical changes andpossibly throwing out some unnecessarydecorations.

Many teachers at Lexington Park El-

ementary are preparing for physical ad-

justments to new classrooms due to theaddition of a pre-kindergarten classroom but some are focusing on making improve-ments in teaching strategies.

Third grade teacher Courtney Qualleywill continue to incorporate techniques shebegan implementing last year, after all thirdgrade teachers received instruction from alearning specialist, such as a literacy folderto make it easier for the children to respondafter reading.

She also is making an improvement to

her speed dial partners, system by limit-ing the number of work partners each stu-dent will have to just fve she believes thischange will make the system more personaland less confusing this year.

Overall, Qualley is excited for theschool year to begin.

Im looking forward to a new groupof kids, challenges and adventures, Qual-ley said.

First grade instructor Kara Day willcertainly be having a new adventure. Theexpecting-mother, due before the end of Au-gust, has been coming in the last two weeksto prepare three weeks of lesson plans forher long-term substitute teacher.

Day is using word-family charts, set uparound her room, with pictures to go alongwith word sounds to help the children learn.

The word-family posters are morevisual, Day said, adding how preparedshe needs to be because the Common CoreStandards have set the bar higher this year.

She has made all her copies, pulledall the books she needed and met with theentire frst grade team to make sure every-one is on the same page in order to Stayahead of the game.

Everything is ready to go, she said.In all, from teachers ready to go in

the classroom to the school systems admin-istrative staff, everyone is prepared for thechildren to return to school Aug. 22.

Jeff Maher, the Executive Director ofTeaching, Learning and Professional De-

velopment said he is thrilled to be welcoming everyone back, and compared thestudents journey to the recently concludedOlympic games.

We take students through a long 13year journey with us, he said. In the endthey graduate and win gold with us.

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The new teachers were sworn in Monday.

County Commissioner President Jack Russell encouraged the audience to be themselves with the kids.

St. Marys County Public Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano addresses the newest SMCPS teachers.




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Robert Bowie, 72

R o b e r tBowie passedaway peacefullyon Saturday, July28, 2012. Robertwas born in Pis-gah, MD to thelate Richard N.Bowie and Jen-nie Bowie. He issu

2012-08-16 the county times

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