Sheriff’s annual report shows a general
increase in crime in Kent -- see page A2
Vol. 64 No. 13
Chester bridge ideas
floated by the SHA
By Craig O’Donnell
codonnell@chespub.com
CHESTERTOWN – Reinventing the wheel
and riding back to the future may be what the
State Highway Administration does best.
The Chester River bridge has a history that
goes back almost 200 years. For nearly a cen-
tury before that, a ferry plied from
Chestertown to Kingstown.
In October 2006, officials from two coun-
ties, Chestertown, and state agencies met to
discuss a “Route 213 Corridor” study. They
began to think about the Chester River draw-
bridge. That span, rebuilt two decades ago, has
gotten long in the tooth, while traffic along
Washington Avenue in Chestertown has grown
to more than 20,000 vehicles per day.
One of the first tasks was an “origins and
destinations study” for Chestertown and vicin-
ity. Those results are still being analyzed.
Cars crawl. The bridge is wearing out.
The state held its first local meeting at the
SHA District 2 office on the “Chester River
Chestertown is chosen as
site for Main St. meeting
By Peter Heck
pheck@chespub.com
CHESTERTOWN – March
26, Main Street Maryland came
to Chestertown. The organiza-
tion’s quarterly managers’
meeting was held here for the
first time since Chestertown
joined the ranks of Main Street
towns last year.
Attending the meeting were
Main Street managers from as
far away as Frederick, here for
Paper size
changing
This week debuts a new,
sleeker version of the Kent
County News. Each page is
one half inch narrower but
remains the same length.
The new size conserves
paper and reduces the cost of
production. The change fol-
lows industry trends. Other
Chesapeake Publishing papers
on the Eastern Shore, includ-
ing The Star Democrat in
Easton, Record Observer in
Centreville and Times Record
in Denton, have made or will
make the same size adjust-
ment.
The change will not
reduce the amount of news
material in the paper.
This and other streamlin-
ing measures at the paper will
help guarantee that the Kent
County News continues to
provide community news far
into the future.
WEEKLY WEATHER
By Thomas W. Eliason
This week 70-year Record
Date Hi. Lo. Hi. (yr.) Lo. (yr.)
25 53 25 83(1939) 18(1940)
26 52 40 72(1953) 21(1940)
27 61 41 80(1998) 23(1955)
28 53 45 83(1989) 23(1982)
29 75 47 87(1945) 22(1957
30 53 44 89(1998) 24(1941)
31 58 35 84(1998) 24(1964)
Total precipitation: 1.12 inches
Check our Web site:
www.thekentcountynews.com
INDEX
Across the Bridge . . . . . . . . . A2
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B6
Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . A22
Courthouse Calendar . . . . . .A15
Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A17
Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A12
Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B8
Social Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A19
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1
Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6
Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A17
Longtime printing business sold, operation
moves to Rock Hall -- see page A11
April 2, 2009 Chestertown, Maryland USPS 292-660 75 cents
Bridge Crossing” feasibility study Jan 23.
Another took place March 26.
Planning Director Gail Owings and County
Administrator Susie Hayman were among
those who went from Kent County. Queen
Anne’s County sent planner Helen Spinelli.
Chestertown wasn’t represented at the
meeting. Town Manager Bill Ingersoll said
Tuesday that he was out of town. Gibson
Anthony had originally planned to attend, but
said Wednesday that he had not been able to
go.
However, he said generally his philosophy
is, “We’ve got a bridge. Let’s take care of it.”
He called several of the proposed options “per-
functory.” All the same, he said, it might be a
good idea to step back and look at the possibil-
ities once more.
Tuesday, Owings said the SHA consultants
“are looking at alternatives,” including two
crossings south of the present bridge, three
routes through downtown, and the long-stand-
ing northern alignment.
(See BRIDGE, Page A18)
a tour of the downtown area were Bill Ruckelshaus, presi-
and a workshop on “Greening dent of the Downtown
Main Street with Native Chestertown Association and
Plants.” The meeting, on the MSHC treasurer; and
second floor of Town Hall, Augustine Cook, the MSHC
drew some 40 attendees. secretary.
There to greet the out-of- Board members of the
towners were Holly Geddes, MSHC include Mayor Margo
chairwoman of Main Street Bailey, Jana Carter, Kenneth
Historic Chestertown’s board of Collins, Lee Cowperthwait,
directors, and Diane Fitzgerald, Craig Damon, Holly McCoy,
vice chairwoman. Also present Photo by Charlie Campbell ccampbell@chespub.com
(See MAIN ST. Page A18) Workers from Eastern Shore Glass & Metal, of Dover, Del., install an aluminum frame in a
north-facing window of Hodson Hall. The view is from the mezzanine looking at Wicomico
Hall.
Hodson Hall remake blends old and new
By Peter Heck
pheck@chespub.com
center of student life in future years.
On March 26, Steve Kuhls, the college’s
capital program manager, led a tour of the
CHESTERTOWN – Hodson Hall is one of construction site that included Jared Halter,
the constants of the Washington College director of student activities, and Eric Mills,
experience. The dining hall opened in the director of media relations. Also providing
1930s, and with updates and expansions has information on the construction was Jay
served the students ever since.
Schaefer, project superintendent for Roy
Now, the building is again being expanded Kirby & Sons, the contractor on the renova-
and modernized, to serve a growing student
tion.
population not only as a dining hall but as a Kuhls said the reconfigured Hodson is
multi-purpose student center. Due to open in
scheduled for completion Oct. 30, but he
the fall semester, Hodson Hall Student Center added, “We’re looking for every opportunity
is starting to take shape. It still takes a little
Photo by Peter Heck pheck@chespub.com to expedite the schedule. Once we get it
imagination to see what the finished structure weather-tight, we can really roll.”
Sylvia Maloney, at right, leads visiting Main Street Maryland man- will be; but it looks likely to become a major
agers on a tour of downtown Chestertown, March 26. (See HALL, Page A18)
Benefit for service dog raises more than $3,000
By Trisha McGee Saturday night’s concert, barbecued
pmcgee@chespub.com chicken dinner, and silent auction.
The fire company donated use of
MILLINGTON – Five-year-old the hall and the auxiliary donated use
Jessica Harris was the belle of the ball of the kitchen; members of both
– even if the attire was casual and the organizations helped with the cook-
music was of the knee-slapping, toe- ing.
tapping variety. “Without the fire company, this
She captivated the crowd of about event could never have happened.
100 people who attended a bluegrass Their donation equaled well over
concert at the firehouse here Saturday $1,000, not to mention all the helpers
night, batting her big brown eyes at because we could not have cooked all
the menfolk, smiling sweetly at the the food,” said Cora White, who took
women, and playing with other chil- a leadership role in organizing the
dren. shindig, along with her husband
She even had Riley eating out of Kevin, who is pastor of Grace
her hand, literally. Wesleyan Church in Millington.
Riley, Geoffrey and Casey trav- Cora White was especially appre-
eled from out of state. They are serv- ciative of the help given by Marty
ice dogs, and are specially trained to
Freeman, Paige Hickman, Rick
assist people with disabilities. Wallace and Edie Morales – all con-
Jessica needs a service dog.
She was diagnosed at birth with
nected to the Community Volunteer
Fire Company of Millington.
Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome, a Liz Starkey and other auxiliary
chromosomal disorder that has affect- members led the cleanup detail,
ed her intellectual and physical devel-
which included scouring pots and
opment. The specially trained dog pans.
will alert when she is having a seizure Area grocery stores gave gift cards
or difficulty breathing, and will assist to keep the food costs down, and the
with mobility and balance.
Asbury, Crumpton, Double Creek
The cost for the dog and its train- Charge donated all the baked goods.
ing is estimated to be $5,000, which is “It was a beautiful community
pretty pricey for a family of six – turnout. I’m very, very impressed,”
Glenn, 46, Julie, 39, and their four Cora White said in a telephone inter-
children ages 5 to 17 – that relies on view Tuesday night.
Glenn’s paycheck as a car salesman. The event raised $3,250, which
Photo by Trisha McGee pmcgeel@chespub.com
Fortunately, the Harris family has included 141 chicken dinners.
Riley, a 1-year-old female labradoodle, is a service dog that Amazing Tails is con- great friends and neighbors. Many of
sidering for Jessica Harris. They got acquainted Saturday night during the fundrais-
er at the fire hall in Millington.
them contributed in some way to (See BENEFIT, Page A14)
A18  Kent County News  Thursday, April 2, 2009

HALL
(Continued from Page A1)
The tour began at the temporary dining facil-
ity on Washington Avenue, where Kuhls
unrolled floor plans on a table to give an
overview of the new dining hall. The most obvi-
ous point is that the new building is substantial-
ly larger than the 1965-era Hodson expansion it
replaces.
In a nod to campus tradition, the 1930-era
portion of the building, including Hynson
Lounge and a study lounge beneath, is being
retained as the west wing of the new structure.
The rear portion of the old building will be used
for storage and mechanical areas.
Named for Col. Clarence Hodson, who
founded the Beneficial Corporation for support
of higher education, the original Hodson Hall
was designed by Henry Powell Hopkins.
Hopkins also designed the Reid Hall dormitory
and the Chestertown Post Office.
The appearance of the “original” Hodson is
echoed by a brick east wing of approximately
the same size, though with much larger win-
dows. And joining the two wings will be a two-
story modern glass atrium that houses the main
food service and preparation facilities.
A walk through the building gave a better
idea of the scale and interior appearance of the
dining hall. While the building is currently still
open to the weather and surrounded by mud, it is
easy to see the size of the rooms and the striking
views from the oversized windows. To the south,
especially, the view across the campus between
East, Middle and West Halls is likely to be quite
spectacular. A skylight above the main staircase
will bring daylight all the way down to the first
floor.
The ground floor of the new building will be
on the same level as Cater Walk, with its main
entrance opposite the stairs leading up from the
hill dormitories. A direct passage leads through
the building to the north entrance, which will
open onto a large grassy quadrangle between
Kent House and Somerset Hall. The new lawn is
located on top of the wells for the geothermal
climate control system, Schaefer said. There are
189 wells, 400 feet deep.
In the center of the first floor is a multipur-
pose “performance egg,” an oval area where
plays or concerts can be staged. In between, it
holds a dozen or more dining tables for the
Cove, where students can get burgers, subs and
other casual fare. Additional Cove dining is
spread around the first floor, and on a large patio
facing Cater Walk.
The east wing of the first floor is dedicated to
student activities. Halter pointed out the student
affairs and SGA offices at the north end of the
wing; the space that will be his office has a large
window, overlooking what will soon be a wide
lawn. “It’s the best view on campus,” he said,
clearly pleased. A resource room for student
activities, with copiers, printers and other office
equipment will be adjacent.
A spacious student lounge, which can be Photo by Charlie Campbell ccampbell@chespub.com
divided by a movable wall, will take up the cen- Above, looking across the south side of the building, walls of the old Hodson Hall can be seen at
ter of the east wing; and a large game room, with the far end. The main entrance will be in the center, opening on to the Cater Walk.
tables for pool and ping pong as well as video
for the new Hodson Hall are built around using future growth of the college, he said, with total
game connections, will occupy the southeast specialized food preparation areas to provide a seating of about 700 at one time. For compari-
corner.
more personal experience. son, the temporary dining facility seats 360, and
The dining hall proper will occupy the sec- In addition to the “retail food” selections at as many as 850 students may eat dinner on a
ond floor of the new Hodson, accessible by sev-
the Cove, the main kitchen will provide a range given day.
eral stairways and two elevators. There is also a of selections including vegan dishes and other The ultimate fate of the temporary dining hall
service elevator in the kitchen area. The east
special menus. Other food options in the main isn’t decided, except that it will definitely be
wing will be the main seating area, with space dining hall include the Hearthstone Oven, which removed from the Washington Avenue spot it
for approximately 500 diners. Large windows
will prepare pizzas and a variety of baked goods. currently occupies. Kuhls said the college was
look out to the north, east and south, and a mez- “My Pantry” will have a chef preparing omelets still deciding whether to move it elsewhere on
zanine provides another level of seating.
and waffles at breakfast, to create a feeling of campus or to an industrial park. Plans are to use
The main dining area will offer a number of personal service, Floccari said. the building for storage.
choices. Chartwells, a contract food service
Moving to the new building will be “a wel- Floor plans and architectural drawings of the
company specializing in education institutions, come change for everyone,” said Floccari. new Hodson Hall Student Center can be seen
runs the college dining halls. Food service man-
Hodson Hall Student Center is planned to handle online at businessoffice.washcol.edu/hodson/.
ager Robert Floccari said that Chartwells’ plans

MAIN ST.
restoration of historic proper-

(Continued from Page A1)

Jack Steinmetz and Peter
Weed. Tim Murphy, assistant
Main Street Maryland coordi-
nator, represented the
statewide organization.
Councilwoman Mabel
Mumford Pautz welcomed the
visitors on behalf of the town’s
government and gave them a
brief overview of the town’s
history and economy. Then,
after an update on MSM activ-
ities from Murphy, the group
split up for a walking tour of
town, guided by Sylvia
Maloney and Barbara Creegan.
The tour included stops at
Fountain Park, The Compleat
Bookseller, Prince Theatre, and
the Sultana dock.
Despite the light drizzle, the
visitors clearly enjoyed the
chance to see the historic town.
And to judge from a few over-
heard comments, the town’s
ability to support restaurants
and shops with a population
around 5,000 impressed the
other Main Street managers.
One said that he could dine in
all the restaurants in his home-
town in a single day.
Scheduled for the afternoon
was a two-hour workshop,
Chestertown Councilwoman Mabel Mumford-Pautz welcomes
Main Street Maryland managers to town.
“How to turn your main streets
into a green destination.”
Presenters were J. Kenneth
Schmidt Jr. of Mahan Rykiel
Associates and J. Chris Early
of Green Urban LLC. Sasha
Land of the DNR coordinated
the program, which focused on
using indigenous plants along
the streets. While the rain pre-
ties and creation of attractive
new ones; organization of busi-
ness owners and their partners
in the community; promotion;
economic restructuring to
TERMITES
strengthen the main street base; Ants, Spiders and All Pest Problems
and the creation of clean, safe
and green environments.
Chestertown was awarded
the Main Street Maryland des-
ignation by Gov. Martin Professional
O’Malley in 2008. The town is
one of 23 Main Street commu- Local
nities. The program began in
1998, and offers technical
Service
assistance, training and other
benefits to its members.
For more information on
the Main Street Maryland pro-
410-778-5658 • 410-758-1057
gram, visit www.neighbor-
hoodrevitalization.org/pro- Visit Our Website:
grams/mainstreet/mainstreet.
aspx.
www.dependablepestmanagement.com
Photo by Peter Heck pheck@chespub.com For Coupons
vented an outdoor demonstra-
tion, the workshop was held
indoors.
Main Street Maryland has
the goal of strengthening the
economic potential of the
state’s traditional main streets
and neighborhoods. It works
from a five-point program that
emphasizes design, both in

BRIDGE
(Continued from Page A1)
She said the SHA officials made it clear at
the meeting that “something is going to have
to happen” to correct problems that will only
get worse with time.
Local attendees made the point that the
existing bridge should stay. The general con-
sensus is that “This particular bridge is very
important,” she said, for historic and commer-
cial reasons.
Owings said the SHA representatives said
they are waiting on the “final results of the
origins and destinations study” for roads
around Chestertown.
The agenda listed 10 options. Six
“Downtown Concepts” are:
•build a pedestrian bridge next to the exist-
ing bridge “to create a complete transportation
network;”
•weight restrictions to “potentially extend
the life span … for several years;”
•rehabilitate it, as was done in the late
1980s;
•add a new parallel bridge and remove the
old one;
•build a new bridge from the old unused
bridge abutment in Kingstown to High Street
Public Landing at the Custom House (option
A, lift bridge; option B, 65-foot-high bridge);
•or a new bridge on the north side to the
hospital and college. Remove the old bridge.
Ingersoll noted that High Street is a town
road, not a state highway, and that the older
section of town is a National Landmark
District. That complicates any plan for a
bridge to divert highway traffic onto High
Street.
Also, there are two “MD 20 Connector”
concepts. Each would require a 65-foot-high
bridge and a new highway on the Queen
Anne’s County side from Route 213 to some-
where across from Quaker Neck.
On the Kent side, one option “follows the
boundary of the MET,” (a new highway along
the edge of the Goodall property. The farm
southwest of town has a Maryland
Environmental Trust easement). Closer to
town is unbuildable because of Radcliffe
Creek and tidal wetlands.
The other southern connector concept
“uses existing roads” that were not specified.
It appears traffic would be funneled along
Quaker Neck Road through Cross Street to
High Street in one case, or come into town
from the vicinity of Airy Hill Road in the
other.
To get onto Route 213, drivers would turn
at the Route 20/High Street intersection near
Radcliffe Mill and go up the hill to the four-
way intersection of Washington Avenue and
Morgnec Road (Route 291).
In 2007, an SHA study of the twin intersec-
tions at Route 20/Flatland Road, and High
Street/Route 20 reported that morning and
afternoon traffic at Flatland Road rates a D –
“generally poor level of comfort and conven-
ience.” At the High Street junction, it is rated
at F – “breakdown flow … vehicles may
progress at reasonable speeds for several hun-
dred feet or more, then be required to stop.”
Last fall, the SHA proposed a stoplight for
High Street and Route 20 to help handle exist-
ing traffic, after complaints by local officials
over the number of fender-benders at the High
Street “reverse yield.”
Finally, there are two “MD 213 Access
Controlled Boulevard” options that corre-
spond approximately to the alignment identi-
fied during the Clark Farm charrette several
years ago.
These are described as “Companion Bridge
(65ft clearance) … new two-lane bridge with
access control while maintaining the existing
bridge;” and “… four-lane bridge to cross the
Chester River … remove the existing struc-
ture.”
At the Jan. 23 meeting, Ingersoll said, he
was told the consultants are “supposedly
going to go back to square one” with their
concepts.
Square one was drawn in 1917, when a
bridge from Kingstown to High Street was
proposed, according to back issues of the Kent
County News.
South-side crossings were rejected in the
late 1970s, and the state went so far as to buy
some riverside property on the Queen Anne’s
side north of the intersection of routes 213 and
544. During the Ehrlich administration, the
SHA said it was going to sell its holdings, but
relented after local officials protested.
SHA’s District 2 office said the feasibility
study meetings are handled out of Baltimore.
The SHA press office was unable to provide
more information on the meeting by press
time.