2009-12-23

County Considering
Budget Cuts
Sheriff Promoting
New iPhone App
Leonardtown Skates
By Thomas Stone
Wednesday, december 23, 2009 Wednesday, december 23, 2009
WWW.somd.com WWW.somd.com
Photo by Frank Marquart
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Story Page 12
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16, and 17
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A New Home For
THe HolidAys
Wednesday, December 23, 2009 2
The County Times
Your Paper...
Your Thoughts
35
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Really, be-
cause of the times
the recession
that we have that
the government
says that we dont
have I dont have
money to go shop-
ping, said Gene
Ballinger, 38, a
drywall technician
from Lexington
Park.
Where have you done most of your holi-
day shopping this year?
Tiffany McElravy,
20, from Mechanics-
ville, said, I havent
done any holiday
shopping at all. I dont
have a job.
Id say at K-Mart, Samantha Pardo, 26, a veteri-
nary technician from Lexington Park. Layaway has
been my best friend.
The County Times
P.O. Box 250 Hollywood, Maryland 20636
News, Advertising, Circulation, Classifeds: 301-373-4125
Also Inside
On T he Covers
4 County News
7 Editorial/Opinion
8 Money
9 Defense and Military
10 Obituaries
12 Crime and Punishment
14 Education
16 Cover
18 Newsmakers
20 Community
22 Community Calendar
23 Columns
24 Entertainment
26 Games
27 Sports Desk
29 Football
30 Basketball
31 Sports News
community
stock market
ON THE BACK
ON THE FRONT
community
Dr. Michael P. Somers gives Sheriff Timothy Cam-
eron his seasonal fu shot during an immunization
clinic for correctional offcers, civilian staff and
inmates at the Detention Center in early December.
SEE PAGE 20
Master Sgt. Steven Caldwell helps
at Tuesdays Toys for Tots drive at
the St. Marys Teen Center at Chan-
cellors Run Regional Park. SEE
PAGE 21
James Manning McKay - Founder
Eric McKay - Associate Publisher..................................ericmckay@countytimes.net
Tobie Pulliam - Offce Manager..............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net
Sean Rice - Associate Editor.....................................................seanrice@countytimes.net
Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist.......................................angiestalcup@countytimes.net
Andrea Shiell - Reporter - Education, Entertainment...andreashiell@countytimes.net
Chris Stevens - Reporter - Sports......................................chrisstevens@countytimes.net
Guy Leonard - Reporter - Government, Crime...............guyleonard@countytimes.net
Sales Representatives......................................................................sales@countytimes.net
The Shreve family; Tiffany, Bill, Autumn and Lacey, are
thankful for their new house, built by the Patuxent Habi-
tat for Humanity with the help of numerous volunteers.
Weather
Watch
Jesse Arnold of Bushwood, left, Jon
Milan of California and Gabrielle Me-
nard of Hollywood, compete in the
robotics competition at the Dr. James
Forrest Career and Technology Cen-
ter in Leonardtown. SEE PAGE 14
For Weekly Stock Market
cloSing reSultS, check Page 8
in Money
Great Mills Josh Williams shoots over Tyler Hayden of
Leonardtown during Fridays boys basketball game.
But we feel
its probably
a lost cause
Its been
announced by
the governor,
and what the
governor
wants the
governor gets.
Tommy Zinn,
speaking about
new oyster
regulations.
SEE PAGE 6
The County Times
ews
Fact
un
Colleen Bowman shows off her 14-foot snow tiger she built outside her home on Nats Creek Road, Hollywood. Bow-
man said it took her fve hours to make the 14-foot long, 5-foot tall tiger this weekend.
The frst product to ever be scanned with a bar
code was Wrigley's gum on June 26, 1974
Southern Maryland Electric Co-
operative is filing an application with
the Maryland Public Service Com-
mission (PSC) to reduce its energy
charges.
SMECOs Standard Offer Service
rate is made up of the energy charge
and the Power Cost Adjustment
(PCA). SMECO is filing to reduce
the residential winter energy charge
from 11.24 cents per kilowatt-hour
(kWh) to 9.11 cents per kWh, a reduc-
tion of almost 19 percent. Winter en-
ergy charges appear on bills rendered
November through May. Residential
energy charges for summer will de-
crease from 12.59 cents per kWh to
9.75 cents per kWh, a reduction of 22
percent. The filing will be submitted
in late December, and, if approved
by the PSC, the reduced charge will
appear on customer-members March
2010 bills.
Lower power supply costs
have been ref lected in the PCA on
SMECOs monthly electric bills, the
company said in a press release/ Cus-
tomers have received a credit every
month since February. The credit re-
duces the overall SOS rate, which is
made up of the PCA and the energy
charge. With the PCA credit, the SOS
rate for December has, in effect, been
reduced from 11.24 cents per kWh to
10.41 cents per kWh. The total SOS
rate in March will be the combination
of the new reduced energy charge and
the PCA, which changes monthly.
Electricity prices decreased this
year because of the mild weather. The
weather affects demand for energy,
and lower demand results in reduced
prices, said Sonja Cox, SMECOs
Senior Vice President and Chief Fi-
nancial Officer.
SMECOs new rates are based
on forecasted power costs for March
2010 to February 2011, which are es-
timated to be $87.93 per megawatt-
hour (MWh) for wholesale power
supply. This cost is 16 percent less
than the estimated costs the co-op
submitted in its last filing in August
2008.
According to Cox, SMECO does
not mark up or make a profit on en-
ergy charges. The co-op also uses
a portfolio approach to purchasing
power, using long-term and short-
term contracts and contracts for base
load and peak load.
Our portfolio of power supply
agreements reduces the swings in en-
ergy prices and helps to save money
for our customer-members overall,
she said.
SMECO Seeks to Reduce
Energy Charges
The County Times
ews
Todays Newsmakers In Brief
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
After putting a stop to perc tests for construction over the spring,
the county health department has announced they can start up again
now that the countys ground water levels have reached acceptable
levels.
This means that building projects halted by the April stoppage on
perc tests can now proceed. The tests that were frst put on hold will be
the frst ones to go on the list, according to a county health department
press release.
Perc tests are required for any construction project, be it commer-
cial or residential, to be built where there is no public water or sewer.
The tests are also used to gauge whether a septic system can be
replaced once it has failed.
People who had their applications on hold, theyll now be able to
proceed, said Phil Shire, deputy director of the Department of Land
Use and Growth Management (LUGM).
However, Shire said, since the bad weather and worse economy
continue to hit the county, there has been no run on the counter at
LUGM to get new perc test applications.
However, he said, the benefciaries of the opening up of the testing
process will be homeowners and residential developers building where
there are no public water and sewer hookups.
Anyone wishing to get a perc test permit can do so on-line at the
countys government Web site at stmarysmaryland.com or by going to
the LUGM offce in Leonardtown.
A fee for the application is required.
guyleonard@countytimes.net
Perc Tests Renewed
By Karen Anderson
Capital News Service
Ranked by Gallup as the countrys third most Dem-
ocratic state, Maryland has been a steep climb for any
Republican candidate vying to win statewide offce.
Still, political experts and party leaders across the
state think a Republican gubernatorial victory is possible
in 2010.
I think Republicans can win in Maryland, said
Todd Eberly, an assistant professor of political science at
St. Marys College. But theyve got to capitalize on cur-
rent levels of voter discontent with the state of the econ-
omy in Maryland and nationally, and the budget defcit
in the state.
To win the governors race Republicans must recruit
a candidate capable of raising money, develop an organi-
zation to turn out the vote and stick to a strong message,
according to analysts.
If theyre going to knock off any incumbents, 2010
seems like it will be the year to try, said James Gimpel,
a government professor at the University of Maryland,
College Park. It seems like a shame for Republicans to
pass up the opportunity to run a competitive race, but
they might, because this is Maryland.
As of November, Democrats made up nearly 57 per-
cent of Marylands registered voters while Republicans
were less than 27 percent.
Former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich, who lost to
current Gov. Martin OMalley in 2006, is the strongest
potential candidate, according to a September poll by
Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies.
At the moment Bob Ehrlich really is the Republi-
can Party in Maryland, said Eberly, who added that an
Ehrlich run would excite Republicans at a time when
they need to be excited.
This could be the thing to help them (Republicans)
psychologically move into that national movement, he
said, regarding Ehrlichs candidacy.
In recent years, national politics appear to have in-
fuenced the outcome of state elections in Maryland and,
Eberly said, 2010 is shaping up to be an anti-incumbent
year.
In 94 and in 2002, the two years that Republicans
did best, were incredibly strong years for Republicans
nationally, Eberly said. In 1998 and in 2006 when
Democrats did well in Maryland, those were incredibly
strong years for Democrats nationally. So I dont think
that was just a coincidence.
As the incumbent party, Maryland Democrats are
attached to the states $1.1 billion in general fund spend-
ing reductions this year and the further budget shortfall
predicted for fscal 2011.
In Maryland, its nearly 3-to-1 Democrats in the
House and 2-to-1 Democrats in the Senate, and youve
got a Democrat submitting the budget. Theres no other
party thats going to absorb any of the blame, Eberly
said.
OMalleys approval rating is currently at 48 per-
cent, 6 percentage points below Ehrlichs in the months
preceding his 2006 electoral loss, according to polling by
Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies.
Thats a danger ground for any incumbent, said
Eberly.
2010 Could Be an Anti-Incumbent Year
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
A Hollywood man recently indicted for the negligent homicide of Russell
Edward Wenzel last summer has made bond and is out of the county detention
center.
George Michael Bowles, 31, was able to post a $100,000 property bond to
guarantee his release, according to court documents.
Bowes has been charged with negligent manslaughter, three counts of
negligent homicide using a vehicle while under the infuence of alcohol, three
counts of attempting to drive while impaired by alcohol, reckless driving and
negligent driving.
According to police reports on July 25 at just after midnight Bowes was
operating his 2008 Ford F-450 on northbound Piney Point Road near Hap-
pyland Road in Valley Lee when his truck crossed the centerline into the
southbound lane and collided head on with a 2009 Audi A4 sedan driven by
Wenzel, 58, with his wife Melissa Anne Wenzel, 58, in the passenger seat.
Both Bowes and Wenzel were transported to St. Marys Hospital where
the victim died of his injuries.
Melissa Wenzel was transported to Prince Georges Hospital Centers
shock trauma unit by state police helicopter with critical injuries.
Investigation at the scene of the wreck revealed that Bowes might have
been drinking while operating his vehicle.
There was certainly probable cause to believe he had been drinking and
operating a vehicle under the infuence, said Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron.
Thats why he was given a blood test.
Man Indicted For Vehicular Homicide
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
With revenues from the state con-
tinuing to dwindle the county is faced
with cutting even more into the operat-
ing budget and holding the line on ex-
penditures within departments during
the latest budget cycle.
Commissioners discussed cutting
back on allocations to county depart-
ments, excluding the county Board of
Education, by fve percent which could
garner a savings of $2.5 million, ac-
cording to Commissioner Lawrence D.
Jarboe (R-Golden Beach).
To take that will not be easy but
its a savings, Jarboe told The County
Times Tuesday.
The commissioners also consid-
ered cutting back on the countys ve-
hicle replacement fund to the tune of a
$450,000 savings; the commissioners
also weighed removing any increases
for county merit-based employees.
Jarboe said the savings there could
mount up to $500,000.
The county commissioners may
also cut back on the medical care co-
pays for employees by fve dollars, Jar-
boe said, to save about $333,000.
County Administrator John Sav-
ich also said that since the state delega-
tion would likely not approve an extra
$25 million in bonding authority for
the county to fnish out several impor-
tant public construction projects that
it would have to live with the current
bonding authority allowed it, about $40
million.
Commissioner Thomas A. Mat-
tingly said that the planned new library
for Leonardtown as well as several oth-
er projects would have to wait but the
county would still likely move ahead
with funding the expansion of the coun-
ty detention center.
The detention center is currently
overcrowded and many security sys-
tems are aging and in need of repair.
Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron said
that while some have said that the num-
ber of inmates at the prison has dropped,
it has only been from 300 prisoners a
day to 290.
And that number would likely go
back up soon, Cameron said.
Tax hikes to shore up the budget
were also not under consideration.
I dont think theres any sentiment
for that, Mattingly said.
County Considering Budget Cuts
On the affects of state highway
user fee cuts for Leonardtown
Were struggling with
snow removal.
Leonardtown Mayor
J. Harry Norris
On the possibility of furloughs
for county employees.
Thats not on the
table at this time.
Commissioner Lawrence D.
Jarboe (R-Golden Beach)
Department of Natural Resources
offcials and others will hold an infor-
mational meeting January 16, 2010 at St.
Marys College to advise homeowners,
business and other property owners on
what they can do to preserve and sustain
the countys shoreline.
At the seminar property owners can
get information on the types of permits
needed for projects along the shoreline,
how shorelines can be bolstered, accept-
able site designs and all of the local and
state regulations regarding shoreline in
the critical area.
Specifcally the seminar will focus
on recognizing problems with shoreline
like erosion, permitting, construction and
maintenance.
The August 2009 seminar was pop-
ular enough to justify a winter class.
Registration is free and coffee and
lunch will be provided; those who want
to register can contact Dionne Bell at the
Department of Natural Resources at 410-
260-8732 or via E-mail at dbell@dnr.
state.md.us.
Citizens Can Get Tips On Preserving Shoreline
The County Times
ews
Quality Health Care All Year
As you spend time with family this holiday season, take comfort in knowing
our St. Marys Hospital family is here to care for you and yours.
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Check out these 2009 highlights and look for more great things to come in 2010. The
St. Marys Hospital Board of Directors also sends congratulations and thanks to you,
our dedicated associates, physicians and volunteers for an incredibly successful year!
JANUARY
MRI accreditation awarded from the American College of Radiology.
FEBRUARY
Implemented CareMobile, a barcode medication-administration device designed to prevent or
reduce medication errors.
Introduced home sleep studies to monitor and detect potential sleeping disorders.
Three-yearapprovalawardedwithfvecommendationsfortheCancerProgramfromtheAmerican
College of Surgeons.
MARCH
Celebrated grand opening of 3 Central, a 15-bed telemetry unit.
Quality Respiratory Care Recognition received from the American Association for Respiratory Care.
APRIL
Implemented of a major single-stream recycling program another effort to go green.
MAY
RankedNo.1inMarylandbytheInstituteforSafeMedicationPracticessurvey.
Introduced pediatric sleep studies.
JUNE
HospitalPresidentChristineWrayreceivedthe2009CEOoftheYearawardthroughtheLeading
EdgeAwardsattheCollegeofSouthernMaryland.
Recipientofthe2009WorkplaceExcellenceAward,theHealthandWellnessTrailblazerAward
andtheEcoLeadershipAwardthroughtheAllianceforWorkplaceExcellence.
MaryLouWatson,vicepresident,nursing,receivedaNursing SpectrumExcellenceAward.
JULY
Recipientoftheprestigious2009DelmarvaFoundationExcellenceAwardforQualityImprovement
from the Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care for the second consecutive year and third time.
Infscalyear2009,St.MarysHospitalprovidedmorethan$6.9millionincommunitybenefts.
AUGUST
Welcomed Dr. Amir Mohammad Khan, medical director for the Cancer Care and Infusion Services center.
PartneredwithChildrensNationalMedicalCenterinWashington,D.C.,toofferpediatricEEGs,
ECHOSandsleepstudies.Pediatricpulmonaryfunctiontestingwillbeginin2010.
LaboratoryreceivedcertifcationfromtheCollegeofAmericanPathologists.
ImagingDepartmentreceivedaccreditationfromtheAmericanCollegeofRadiologyforthe64-slice
CT scanner. We were previously accredited for all ultrasound, mammography and MRI services.
SEPTEMBER
The5thAnnualSt.MarysHospitalAuxiliaryGolfTournamentraisedabout$15,000forequipment
intheEmergencyDepartment.
Six-bedroomHospiceHouseofSt.Maryswasdedicated.
JoinedforcesinamutuallybenefcialpartnershipwithMedStarHealth,themid-Atlanticregions
largest healthcare system.
HealthConnectionsGetConnectedtoHealthprogramsawabout84percentmorepatientsduring
thefrstquarterofthefscalyearcomparedtolastyear.
OCTOBER
RecipientoftheAmericanHeartAssociationsSilverPerformanceAchievementAwardforexcellent
strokecare.Thisawardrefectsan85percentorhighercompliancerateforcaremeasuresover12months.
NOVEMBER
The22ndAnnualSt.MarysHospitalFoundationGalaraisedmorethan$180,000togotowardthe
Foundations scholarship program.
301-475-8981 w www.smhwecare.com
By Sean Rice
Staff Writer
Gov. Martin OMalley announced
plans to make sweeping changes to the
states oyster industry, aimed at protecting
existing oysters and promoting alternative
oyster growing techniques.
The plan calls for increasing the ar-
eas protected from oyster harvesting in
the tributaries of the Chesapeake By from
9 to 24 percent of the remaining quality
habitat, including a large segment of the
Patuxent River.
Protecting the population not only
matters for the bay, it matters for the econ-
omy, the governor said. Our economy
needs this shot in the arm. Our watermen
need this shot in the arm.
Watermen who strive to harvest oys-
ters from the bay say that shot in the arm
is going to be a lethal injection.
Tommy Zinn, head of the Calvert
Countys Watermans Association, said
the plan to nearly triple the area that is off
limits from conventional oyster harvest-
ing, and the push for alternative oyster-
growing practices, will certainly mean the
death of the watermen lifestyle in the next
few years.
Our feelings are that with sanctuar-
ies, it sounds good and makes them feel
warm and fuzzy and all, but a sanctuary
not worked is like you planting your gar-
den in the back yard and then going back
in the fall and seeing what grew, Zinn
said. Nothings going to grow if you dont
go out there and hoe it, and fertilize it and
turn it over. And oysters are pretty much
the same way.
A main part of the plan is the states
decision to harvest with aquaculture,
which uses cages or f loats suspended in
the water to grow oysters from larvae to
adulthood.
OMalley said that aquaculture al-
ready is producing tens of millions of dol-
lars in dockside value in Virginia.
That potential exists in Maryland
as well, OMalley said. We just have to
harness it. We have to do the things that
we need to do so that we can not only catch
up with where Virginia is with aquacul-
ture but hopefully move past them.
Zinn said he doesnt see existing
watermen having the money or ability to
switch to aquaculture, and the plan will
probably result in new people populating
the aquaculture industry.
This is almost a new business ven-
ture. The individual watermen are prob-
ably struggling now more than they every
have, and unless theres a lot of grants or
some kind of funding out there to help
them I dont see the waterman having
the capital to invest.
These do-good groups like the CCA
[Coastal Conservation Association]
theyre more concerned with shutting the
commercial industry down than they are
as far as really doing something good,
Zinn said.
The only place were seeing natural
reproduction of oysters is where the boats
work at continuously every year and clean
the bottom, Zinn said, adding that with
the high amount of silt in the river, oysters
just left to themselves will simply silt over
and die without watermen stirring up the
bottom with dredging.
Regional hearings on the issue are
planned to begin next month.
But we feel its probably a lost
cause, Zinn said. Its been announced by
the governor and what the governor wants
the governor gets, he said.
seanrice@countytimes.net
Oyster Plan Spells Doom For
Local Watermen
Auditors: Town Could Do More
To Avoid Risk
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
The certifed public accounting frm
that audits Leonardtowns fnances has stat-
ed in a letter to the towns senior staff that
they could do more to ensure that there are
internal controls over property and guard
against fraud.
The letter from Murray, Wamsley and
Schrader, LLC comes as part of the towns
fscal audit dated November 23, which stated
that the towns fnances were in good order.
The management letter states that while
the town has a set number of pieces of equip-
ment that agrees with its records, it has not
actually taken inventory of those items to
ensure that they are being used properly.
Taking an inventory of the equipment
list would make certain that the town could
accurately calculate the value of those
assets.
The letter also states that the town
should have a formalized fraud risk man-
agement program, which currently does not
exist.
The management of the town and the
mayor informally look at processes and pro-
cedures as deemed appropriate in certain
circumstances, the letter reads. It is our
understanding that the treasurer has begun
drafting fraud risk policies. We recommend
that this project continue until a formalized
program is adopted.
Mayor J. Harry Norris said that while
the town should be mindful of the warnings
from the accountants, the small size of the
towns operations made following the rec-
ommendations diffcult.
Everything theyve mentioned, theyve
mentioned before, Norris told The County
Times. In truth, in cost theres just some of
that we cant do.
On the concerns over fraud Norris said
that he did not believe there was much con-
cern even though town employees had over-
lapping duties.
With a larger staff youd have more
separation, Norris said. We really dont
have enough staff for that.
Norris said the audit showed the town
was still strong fnancially but it would have
to tighten its belt like the county and the rest
of the state.
guyleonard@countytimes.net.
The County Times
Send to:
The County Times
P.O. Box 250 Hollywood, MD 20636
Make sure you include your name, phone # and the city you live in.
We will not publish your phone #, only your name and city
To The Editor:
Guest Editorial:
By Marta Mossburg
Letter to Santa
Dear Santa,
My parents tell me not to expect much this year.
My Dad used to sell cars but his dealership closed, so he couldnt get cash for clunkers. And
my Mom is a real estate agent in Baltimore City. She says the tiny fraction of people who can get
mortgages only want to buy homes in surrounding counties where property taxes are at least two
times lower, people dont break into their cars on the street at night and kids who set fres and beat
teachers can be expelled from school.
So its looking pretty bare under the Christmas tree this year. Thats why I am writing to ask
you for a personal stimulus plan for my family.
My brother and I would really like a Nintendo Wii ($279 for the Family Fun package at
Wal-Mart). I know my Mom would like a Kindle ($259) and monthly wrinkle-reducing and lip-
plumping treatments ($300) she says are necessary to sell houses.
And my Dad would like a personal trainer ($50 a pop) to work off the beer hes been drinking
since he stopped working. We would also like to take our annual trip to Barbados in February and
get a new fat-screen TV since ours is only 42 inches wide.
Do you think you can help?
You always seem to be so generous with elected offcials, government employees and those
who are well connected to those people. I just read about how the mayor of Baltimore, Sheila Dix-
on, scored lots of things she didnt pay for, like Jimmy Choo shoes (my Mom says they are FABU-
LOUS) and a stack of gift cards she used to buy an Xbox, PlayStation 2 and a video camera.
As noted, my brother and I only want a Wii.
And then I read that state legislators are probably going to get a raise and better pensions,
whatever those are. My Dad says no one in the private sector has them. It seems like a pretty sweet
deal for people who work three months of the year.
State employees also have a pretty kickin job. I wish I had an average 11 weeks of paid sick
time and vacation like employees in the Department of Natural Resources! My mom wont let me
fake sick to stay home from school for even one day, and they pay for me to go there.
And what about the $10.5 million in earmarks that Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., recently
directed to Northrop Grumman, Thales Communications and L-3 Communications, all of whom
were generous campaign contributors? I dont know if they were naughty or nice, but you know that
I regularly walk our dogs, Ayn and Rand, and pick up their poop even when no one is looking.
In short, it seems only fair to give my family our wish list because of all the goodies you give
to people who make us live by their rules and pay for them. As a bonus, if the Botox and personal
training work for my parents, they may even have to pay millionaire taxes, helping to close Mary-
lands $2 billion structural defcit. Im counting on you, Santa!
Sincerely,
Tommy, age 9
Washington Examiner Columnist Marta Mossburg is a senior fellow with the Maryland
Public Policy Institute and lives in Baltimore.
I was intrigued with the question in
the Dec 17 edition in the Your Paper.,Your
Thoughts column. The question asked, what
one thought of the fact that teachers in some
school districts are being told to say Happy
Holidays instead of Merry Christmas to
students?
I am concerned about this current trend
in our country to take Christ out of Christmas.
Even the Barack Obama family, spending its
frst Christmas at the White House, excluded
Christmas from a white house card sent to
thousands with the words Seasons Greetings
on it.
It is time for us to change this trend of tak-
ing Christ out of Christmas. If you are not a
Christian and the word Jesus or Christian of-
fends you, why are you celebrating Christmas
at all? If you do not believe in Christ or you
have a different religion, than feel free to cel-
ebrate your holiday, but do not denigrate mine
by calling it something other than Christmas.
A survey by Rasmussen Reports fnds
that adult Americans overwhelmingly prefer
the seasonal expression Merry Christmas
rather than Happy Holidays by a majority
of almost 80 per cent. Yet many retailers just
do not get it. They elect not to display Merry
Christmas ads and instruct employees to wish
all a Happy Holidays. But, they do not mind in
the least cashing in on selling Christmas cards,
nativity scenes, and anything else associated
with Christmas.
And what gives with our schools instruct-
ing teachers to use the words happy holidays
and changing Christmas vacation to a winter
holiday? When I was in school, eveyone called
it a Christmas vacation. If there was no Christ-
mas, would there really be any reason for a
holiday? In their efforts to be all inclusive, they
are being exclusive of Christians.
Seems as if a lot of care is taken to insure
that people are not offended over Christian-
ity. In fact, the only people that the secular
belief system does not worry about offending
are Christians. I am a Christian and am rather
tired of this offensive treatment of my belief
system.
Jesus is the reason for the season and
that is all there is to it.
Dick Nevala
Hollywood, Md. 20636
Jesus is The Reason For The Season
Americans take heed! Now is the time to re-
solve your problems with Congress. It is the time
to vote all incumbents out of offce. This is the only
way to get rid of career politicians. Sure we will
get rid of some good politicians, but the chances
are slight. Rarely hear of a good politician.
Recently an article in the paper stated that
all Republicans had a meeting to never vote with
the Democrats on any law being presented to the
House or Senate during the next four years, the
current government is in power. No bipartisan
gestures are allowed??
Politicians are self-serving or they would
never exempt themselves from any bill they pass
for all Americans but themselves. Every time they
exempt themselves you can bet they are benefting
in some way fnancially or in additional benefts.
Who ever gave them this right is unknown.
Politicians or bureaucrats have not changed
through the years. A long time ago, Marcus Tul-
lius Cicero (43 BC) stated:
A bureaucrat is the most despicable of men,
though he is needed as vultures are needed but
one hardly admires vultures who bureaucrats so
strangely resemble. I have yet to meet a bureau-
crat who was not petty, dull, almost witless, crafty
or stupid, an oppressor or a thief, a holder of little
authority in which he delights as a boy delights
in possessing a vicious dog. Who can trust such
creatures?
Politicians are non-responsive to their con-
stituents, the people who voted them to offce.
Fellow Americans, now is the time to act. Con-
gress is not doing their job. They cannot agree
on anything. Vote the incumbents out and give
someone else a chance to prove themselves. Our
forefathers never envisioned that there would be
career politicians. Their terms in Congress were
for a short period of time and then back to their
personal professions. God help our country! Let
us get rid of self-serving career politicians.
Daniel Wilson
Leonardtown, Md
Enough Is Enough!
As an addition to the recent dialogue re-
garding the Civil War, or as it was known in
St. Marys county, The War of Northern Ag-
gression, I would like to present some facts
and opinions.
During Abraham Lincolns second in-
augural address he gave his interpretation of
the cause of secession and civil war. He said
that the institution of slavery created a power-
ful interest in the states where it existed; To
strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest
was the object for which the insurgents would
rend the Union, even by war Both parties
deprecated war; but one of them would make
war rather than let the nation survive; and the
other would accept war rather than let it per-
ish. And the war came.
Jefferson Davis justifed secession in
1861 as an act of self defense against the in-
coming Lincoln administration and their poli-
cy of excluding slavery from the new western
territories. He stated that this policy would
make property in slaves so insecure as to be
comparatively worthless thereby annihilat-
ing in effect property worth thousands of mil-
lions of dollars.
Another supporter of secession and civil
war was Alexander Stephens, the new vice
president of the Confederate States of Amer-
ica. He said in a speech in 1861 that slavery
was the immediate cause of the late rup-
ture and the present revolution of Southern
independence.
After the war was over both Jefferson Da-
vis and Alexander Stevens changed their tune
to a more politically correct reasoning for the
war which was, the war was started over states
rights, a much more noble cause.
This change was understandable, for how
could they or anyone admit that they helped
start a war in which over 620,000 Americans
died in an attempt to keep 4,000,000 fellow
Americans in slavery?
Now I am sure that many people support-
ed the war and fought in the war for various
reasons just as wars are fought today and for
the most part these reasons are just and honor-
able. Most Southern soldiers fought to defend
their homeland and their honor. Most northern
soldiers fought to protect the union and keep
us as one country.
So why was the war fought, I think you
have to go along with the reasons that were
given by the main players and that reason was
slavery, the expansion of slavery in the new
territories and the continuation of slavery in
the southern states.
Donald Cropp
Valley Lee, MD
A War of Northern Aggression?
I am responding to the letter to the edi-
tor in the December 17th County Times If
Library is Full, Remove Material by Glenn
Weder. Mr. Weder has some good ideas about
removing non-essential materials to make the
remaining materials ft. What it made me
think about, though, was what is a library?
In the old days, libraries were just for
books. I think Ben Franklin started libraries
back several hundred years ago, when most
people couldnt afford to own their own books.
Over the years, periodicals (newspapers and
magazines were added), then books on tape
and CD, and videocassettes and DVDs. These
are educational as well as for entertainment.
More recently, Internet-accessible PCs were
added. Again, these can be educational (used
for research) or just for pleasure.
Theoretically, everything except the PCs
could be removed and the library could oper-
ate quite well, since more and more materials
are now on-line or downloadable.
I personally would like to see the li-
brary maintain its entire variety of holdings
as I have used them all, but space will always
be an issue, especially as the number of PCs
grows and their use continues to grow in pop-
ularity with library customers. The real issue
is, and I know the library struggles with it, is
what a library should be. Ultimately, it may
not be a place where people come to visit and
spend time, but a storehouse of computers and
servers accessible via Internet to download all
sorts of media and information. Im not anx-
ious for that day to come, but it is a distinct
possibility in the long term.
Al Kaniss
Hughesville
What Is a Library?
The County Times
Money
for the love of
Fact
un
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For the 17th consecutive year, Edward Jones
ranked No. 1 in Registered Rep. magazines annual
survey of the nations fve largest fnancial services
frms, reports John A. Walters, an Edward Jones Fi-
nancial Advisor in Leonardtown. The magazine ran-
domly selects fnancial advisors nationwide and asks
them to rank their frms in various categories.
Edward Jones overall score was 9.4 out of 10
possible points. The overall average for all frms was
7.6. Edward Jones scored highest in all of the 17 cat-
egories ranked, including overall work environment
and compensation, senior management, overall eth-
ics and public image.
Ninety-eight percent of the Edward Jones f-
nancial advisors surveyed said they work for the
best frm, while 97 percent said theyll be at Ed-
ward Jones two years from now, according to the
trade magazine.
Considering the extraordinary challenges we
have faced in the economy and our industry, this
ranking is especially meaningful to us this year,
said Edward Jones Managing Partner Jim Weddle.
Edward Jones Ranked No.1
Dozens of friends and
supporters showed up at Hair in The
Square in Lexington Park last Sat-
urday to support two students from
Great Mills High School who are
battling cancer.
Genny Anderson, 18,
who is fghting off a ffth round of
bone cancer, had her head shaved,
rather than see her hair slowly fall
out. Several friends also shaved
their heads or had pink and purple
streaks dyed. It was purple for Bree
and pink for me, Genny said, add-
ing that Brianna Maida, who has
Hodgkins lymphoma, was unable
to make it to the impromptu event.
Genny is shown in the photos, get-
ting her head shaved by friends and
after with her mother and father,
Barbara Anderson and Keith Brady.
Pink and Purple Hair
in the Square
An average American child watches
approximately 28 hours of television in one week.
Company Symbol Close Close Change
12/22/2009 12/31/2008
Wal-Mart WMT $53.24 $56.06 -5.03%
Harley Davidson HOG $25.81 $16.97 52.09%
Best Buy BBY $40.43 $28.11 43.83%
Lockheed Martn LMT $75.60 $84.08 -10.09%
BAE Systems BAESF $5.50 $5.41 1.66%
Computer Science Corp. CSC $56.83 $35.14 61.72%
Dyncorp Internatonal Inc. DCP $14.00 $15.17 -7.71%
General Dynamics Corp. GD $68.27 $57.59 18.54%
Mantech Internatonal Corp. MANT $47.85 $54.19 -11.70%
Northrop Grunman Corp. NOC $56.11 $45.04 24.58%

The County Times
One week after his Facebook page
www.facebook. commcpon surpassed
10,000 fans Master Chief Petty Offcer of
the Navy (MCPON)(SSSW) Rick D. West
used the Web site to announce his intent to
further leverage social media as a signifcant
communications device.
West, in a note he posted to Facebook,
said he anticipates another thousand fans by
Christmas, and that the response he has re-
ceived from Sailors and Navy families has
been surprising and encouraging. He also
said that the real value of social media is the
opportunity to share ideas.
We started out tentatively, and thats
fne. But, now that we have momentum, I be-
lieve we should push it even further. I want
to start putting your best ideas on our page,
West wrote. Is your command doing some-
thing like that? If so, let us know. We want to
introduce that idea to the feet and leverage it
for the good of all Sailors.
West unveiled his public Facebook page
June 25 and has been aggressive in tackling
subjects Sailors around the Navy tell him
they are most concerned with.
Weve discussed the wear policy for
the NWU and your feedback made its way
to our CNO. Weve discussed women aboard
submarines and the debates on that subject
have been enlightening and well-spoken.
Almost every decision or new policy re-
leased or considered in the last half-year has
been brought up here and discussed. I fnd
that is immensely gratifying and I hope it
continues.
MCPON wrote that he hopes for even
more interaction in the future, but pointed
that it has never been his intent to use Face-
book, or any form of social media, to subvert
a Sailors standard chain of command. West
said that often the responses he provides to
Sailors questions are short and to the point.
Many times, the answer I give you will
boil down to, Ask your CMC, because we
have to ensure your command is aware and
engaged at their level for the issue, he said.
Since then, West has branched out to
other areas of social media, as well.
Accounts with Twitter (http:twitter.
com MCPONPAO), Flickr (www.fickr.
comphotos43070230@N03 ) and Slide-
share (www.slideshare.net mcponpao) all
host archives of various communications
products West has pushed to the Navys
Chief Petty Offcers Mess.
Social Media Added To Communications Arsenal
Master Chief Petty Offcer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick West conducts a Defense Connect Online meet-
ing with senior leadership during a working lunch while on travel visiting Sailors at Naval Air Station
Lemoore.
The Department of Defense released the 2010 Ba-
sic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates. Military mem-
bers will receive an average housing allowance increase
of 2.5 percent when the new rates take effect, Jan. 1,
2010.
For members with dependents, average increases
in the BAH are approximately $37 per month. A typical
junior enlisted member with dependents, for example,
will fnd his/her BAH about $25 per month higher than
last year, while a senior non-commissioned offcer with
dependents will receive about $42 more than last year.
Three components are included in the BAH com-
putation: median current market rent; average utilities
(including electricity, heat, and water/sewer); and aver-
age renters insurance.
Total housing costs are calculated for six housing
profles (based on dwelling type and number of bed-
rooms) in each military housing area. BAH rates are
then calculated for each pay grade, both with and with-
out dependents. An estimated $19 billion will be paid to
nearly 1 million service members in 2010.
An integral part of the BAH program is the pro-
vision of individual rate protection to all members. No
matter what happens to measured housing costs, an in-
dividual member in a given location will not see his/
her BAH rate decrease. This assures that members who
have made long-term commitments in the form of a
lease or contract are not penalized if the areas housing
costs decrease.
The continued improvement in housing allowances
represents the Departments commitment to the preser-
vation of a compensation and beneft structure that pro-
vides members with a suitable and secure standard of
living to sustain a trained, experienced, and ready force
in the future.
For more information on BAH, visit http://perdiem.
hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/bah.html.
DOD Releases 2010
Housing Rates
Wyle Laboratories, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is being
awarded a $30,605,633 modifcation to a previously award-
ed indefnite-delivery/indefnite-quantity multiple award
contract (N00421-03-D-0015) to execute an award term for
continued E-2C/E-2D/C-2 planning, program and fnancial
services in support of the Navy and the governments of
Egypt, France, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Canada un-
der the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be per-
formed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be com-
pleted in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at
the end of the current fscal year. The Naval Air Warfare
Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the con-
tracting activity.
Raydiance, Inc., Petaluma, Calif., is being awarded a
$9,925,000 ceiling priced indefnite-delivery/indefnite-
quantity contract for a Phase III Small Business Innova-
tive Research (SBIR) program that will expedite necessary
ultrafast laser research and development in order
to meet both Navy mission and commercial
needs by providing funding to both
integrate the technology developed and continue pursuing
innovations in ultrafast laser technology from Phase I and
Phase II. Phase I and Phase II work derives from, extends,
or logically concludes efforts performed under prior SBIR/
Small Business Technology Transfer program contracts.
Work will be performed in Petaluma, Calif., and is expect-
ed to be completed in September 2013. Contract funds will
not expire at the end of the current fscal year. This contract
was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity
(N00421-10-D-0002).
Northrop Grumman Corp., Integrated Systems, Beth-
page, N.Y., is being awarded a $9,300,000
modifcation to a previously
awarded frm-
f i xed-
price contract (N00019-08-C-0027) for non-recurring engi-
neering in support of new supplier qualifcation and startup
in support of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft low-rate
initial production Lot 1 and 2 aircraft. Work will be per-
formed in Bethpage, N.Y. (40.63 percent); Edgewood, N.Y.
(22.35 percent); St. Augustine, Fla., (20.86 percent); Aire-
sur-lAdour, France (14.17 percent); and various locations
within the continental United States (1.99 percent). Work is
expected to be completed in January 2011. Contract funds
will not expire at the end of the current fscal year. The
Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting activity.
The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that
pertain to Navy activities connected to Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
US. Navy Photo
The County Times
Mary Theresa Bailey,
91
Mary Theresa Bailey, 91,
of Coltons Point, MD died on
December 17, 2009, at St. Marys
Nursing Center. Born December
4, 1918 in Bushwood, MD, she
was the daughter of the late Wil-
liam Thomas and Catherine Be-
atrice Morgan Gibson. She was
the loving wife of the late Joseph
David Bailey whom she married
on June 15, 1941 in Holy Angels
Church and who preceded her
in death on January 24, 1992.
She was also preceded in death
by her daughter Anne Elizabeth
Guy on July 23, 1994 as well as
her siblings; Louise Bruse, Jack
Gibson, George B. Gibson and
Rita Schuhart. She is survived
by her sisters Catherine Tippett
of Coltons Point, MD and Mary
Clare Gibb of VA as well as sev-
en grandchildren, sixteen great-
grandchildren and nine great-
great grandchildren. A lifelong
resident of St. Marys County,
Mrs. Bailey graduated from St.
Marys Academy in 1936. The
family received friends on Mon-
day, December 21, 2009 in the
Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral
Home, Leonardtown, MD where
prayers were said. A Mass of
Christian Burial was celebrated
on Tuesday, December 22, 2009
in Holy Angels Catholic Church,
Avenue, MD with Fr. William
Gurnee officiating. Interment
followed in Sacred Heart Cem-
etery, Bushwood, MD. Con-
dolences to the family may be
made to www.mgf h.com. Ar-
rangements provided by the
Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral
Home, P.A.
Jospehine Linda
Berg, 61
Josephine Laurinda Linda
Berg, 61, of Leonardtown, MD
died December 18, 2009 at St.
Marys Hospital.
Born April 25, 1948 in
Leonardtown, MD she was the
daughter of the late Joseph Lang
and Eunice Laurinda (Ridgell)
Berg.
Linda enjoyed embroidery,
f lower gardening, watching
softball, and spending time with
family and friends, especially
her grandchildren. She worked
for many years as a data pro-
cessor at the Patuxent River
Naval Air Station and was an
elderly caregiver and childcare
provider.
Linda is survived by her
husband, Harold I. Berg, Sr.,
children; Janet Lightburn
(Wayne) of Dover, DE and Har-
old I. Howie Berg, Jr. (Brook)
of St. Inigoes, MD, siblings;
Michael Lang of Owings, MD,
Renee Raynor of Jacksonville,
FL, Tony Lang of Hollywood,
MD, Henrietta Scibilia of Jack-
sonville, FL, Veronica Lang of
Madison, WI, Cheryl Herron of
IN, Chris Lang of Dallas, TX,
George Lang of Dallas, TX,
Harry Lang of Prince Frederick,
MD, Jimmy Lang of Lexington
Park, MD, and Deenie Compton
of Jacksonville, FL, six grand-
children; Bailey, Brett, Brenden,
Brandon, Breanna and Kasan-
dra. In addition to her parents,
she was preceded in death by her
sister, Margaret Lang.
Family will receive friends
for Lindas Life Celebration on
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the
Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955
Hollywood Road, Leonardtown,
MD 20650. Prayers will be re-
cited at 7 p.m. A funeral service
will be conducted on Thursday,
December 24, 2009 at 11 a.m.
at the First Friendship Campus
Community Methodist Church,
Ridge, MD. Pastor Keith
Schukraft will officiate. Inter-
ment will follow in the church
cemetery.
Serving, as pallbearers will
be David Lang, Tony Lang,
Chris Lang, Michael Lang,
Wayne Lightburn and Brandon
Lightburn.
Condolences to the family
may be made at www.brinsfield-
funeral.com.
Arrangements by the Brins-
field Funeral Home, P.A., Leon-
ardtown, MD.
Agnes Courtney, 59
Agnes C. Courtney, 59 of
Hollywood, MD passed away on
December 18, 2009 at St. Marys
Hospital, Leonardtown, MD.
Born May 1, 1950 in Mor-
ganza, MD she was the daughter
of the late John C. Holt and Car-
rie E. Mason Holt.
Mrs. Courtney attended
Public schools in St. Marys
County; she worked in house-
keeping at St. Marys Hospital.
Agnes enjoyed the Washington
Redskins and soap operas.
Mrs. Courtney is survived
by her husband, Herbert L.
Courtney of Hollywood, MD,
children; Sherlene Courtney of
Lexington Park, MD, Antho-
ny Holt of Leonardtown, MD,
Herbert Courtney of Lexing-
ton Park, MD, James Courtney
of Mechanicsville, MD, Joseph
Courtney of Hollywood, MD and
John Courtney of Hollywood,
MD, siblings; Sarah Holt of Lex-
ington Park, MD, Robert Holt of
Morganza, MD, Evangeline Holt
of Leonardtown, MD, David Holt
of Hughesville, MD and Rose
Holt of Morganza, MD, also sur-
vived by 17 grandchildren.
In addition to her parents
Agnes was preceded in death
by one son, Mark Courtney and
siblings; Pauline A. Medley, Ar-
cadia Holt, Patrick Holt, Phillip
Holt and John C. Holt.
on Monday, December 28, 2009
from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in St. Jo-
sephs Catholic Church, Mor-
ganza, MD a Mass of Christian
Burial will be celebrated at 10
a.m. in the church with Father
Keith Woods officiating.
Pallbearers will be; Joseph
Holt, Robert Toye, John Banks,
Herbert Wayne Courtney, Kevin
Morgan and Justin Butler.
Interment will follow in
Charles Memorial Gardens,
Leonardtown, MD.
funeral.com
Arrangements provided by
the Brinsfield Funeral Home,
P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
Clayton Eddie Culli-
son Sr., 66
Clayton Edward Eddie
Cullison, Sr., 66, of Valley Lee,
MD died December 16, 2009 at
his residence from complications
of congestive heart failure.
Born February 19, 1943
in Valley Lee, MD, he was the
youngest child of the late Paul
Edward Cullison and Mary
Magdalene (Wood) Cullison.
Mr. Cullison attended Little
Flower School and St. Michaels
School before starting his own
business. He was a self-em-
ployed excavating contractor for
over 46 years and had recently
turned the business over to his
son. He loved his chosen pro-
fession and many people will
remember his smiling face. He
dearly loved his family, espe-
cially working with his son. He
also loved his farm and raising
crops and cows for pleasure,
certainly not for profit. He was
a long time member of the St.
Marys County Farm Bureau,
having once served on its Board
of Directors.
Mr. Cullison is survived by
his wife of thirty-eight years,
Barbara Henderson Cullison,
his son, Clayton Edward Ed-
die Cullison, Jr. and wife The-
resa Anne, two granddaughters,
Gracie Anne and Lily Eliza-
beth. He is also survived by his
brother Joseph Richard Dickie
Cullison and wife Regina of St.
George Island, MD, sisters, June
C. Diesel of Baltimore, MD and
Mary Virginia Woods of Fairfax
Station, VA, many nieces and
nephews, great nieces and neph-
ews and great-great nieces.
A memorial service will be
announced at a later date.
Memorial contributions may
be made to your favorite charity
or service organization.
may be made to www.brinsfield-
funeral.com.
ardtown, MD
Esther Johnson, 88
Esther Violet Johnson, 88,
of Solomons, MD passed away
on December 20, 2009 at As-
bury-Solomons Nursing Center
of complications associated with
pancreatic cancer. She lived in
Leonardtown for sixteen years
prior to moving to Asbury in
June 2009.
Esther was born on Sep-
tember 29, 1921 in Blue Island,
IL, a suburb of Chicago. She
graduated from Thornton Town-
ship High School in Harvey,
IL in 1940. In 1943 she joined
the Womens Army Corps, and
achieved the rank of Staff Ser-
geant before her discharge in
1946. She married Edward S.
Johnson on January 15, 1946
in Frederick, MD. She lived in
Northern Virginia for thirty-two
years. After raising her children,
Esther worked for Sears in the
appliance repair service center.
She retired in 1988 at age 67; she
moved to Leonardtown in 1933.
Esther was an active member
of St. Pauls United Methodist
Church and spent her free time
doing sewing for charities and
visiting the infirm and shut-in.
She was a dedicated homemaker
devoted to her family, serving
her Lord, and helping anyone in
need.
Esther is survived by her
husband Edward, three children;
Dennis, Byron, and Bradley
Johnson, six grandchildren, and
two great grandchildren.
on Wednesday, December 30,
2009 from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
at St. Pauls United Methodist
Church, Leonardtown, MD. A
memorial service will be con-
ducted at 11 a.m.
In lieu of f lowers, memorial
contributions may be made to the
soup kitchen of St. Pauls United
Methodist Church, P.O. Box 65,
Leonardtown, MD 20650.
funeral.com.
ardtown, MD.
Joseph Lacey, 63
Joseph G. Lacey (Gerry),
63, of California, MD passed
away on Wednesday, December
16, 2009 at the VAMC in Perry
Point, MD.
The County Times
Born October 29, 1946 in Leon-
ardtown, MD he was the son of the
late Joseph Francis Lacey and Mil-
dred Rosa (Ching) Lacey of Great
Mills, MD.
Gerry is survived by his sisters
Mary Anne Trevino of California,
MD and Elaine Kulhanek of McAlis-
ter, OK, nieces, a nephew and cous-
ins. In addition to his parents, he was
preceded in death by his sister Carolyn
Latham formerly of Bryans Road, MD.
A graveside service was held on
Monday, December 21, 2009 at Immacu-
late Heart of Mary Church. Interment fol-
lowed in the church cemetery.
Condolences to the family may be
made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Fu-
neral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
Mary Wagner, 66
Mary Jeanette Wagner, 66 of Lexing-
ton Park, MD passed away on December
13, 2009 at St. Marys Hospital, Leonar-
dtown, MD.
Born January 5, 1943 in Baltimore,
MD she was the daughter of the late
Thomas F. and Nettie Sothoron.
Mrs. Wagner was a homemaker.
Mary is survived by her children;
Edgar Marquis, Jr. of Lexington Park,
MD, Richard Marquis of Madison, IL, E.
Wayne Davis of Lexington Park, MD, V.
Ginger Ortiz of Brooklyn Park, MD and
Ron L. Davis of Lexington Park, MD,
also survived by six grandchildren.
Services were private.
Condolences may be made to the fam-
ily at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com
Arrangements provided by the Brins-
field Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown,
MD
Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
22955 Hollywood Road
Leonardtown, Maryland 20650
(301) 475-5588
Brinsfield-Echols Funeral Home, P.A.
30195 Three Notch Road
Charlotte Hall, Maryland 20650
(301) 472-4400
Brinsfield
A Life Celebration Home
Funeral Homes
& Crematory
Caring for the Past
Planning for the Future
Continued
To Place A
Memorial
Please Call:
301-373-4125
The County Times
Briefs
Philip H. Dorsey III
Attorney at Law
-Serious Personal Injury Cases-
LEONARDTOWN: 301-475-5000
TOLL FREE: 1-800-660-3493
EMAIL: phild@dorseylaw.net
www.dorseylaw.net
Woman Charged With Neglecting Children
On December 15, 2009 deputies responded to a residence Lexwood Court in Lexington Park
for a report of a fght involving weapons. It was discovered during the course of investigating
the fght that two juveniles aged 1 and 2 years old had been locked into a room of the apartment,
sleeping on the foor, without proper clothing or supervision. The residence was unsanitary and
littered with empty alcoholic beverage containers. The custodial adult, April Dawn Sprouse, 21,
of Lexington Park was not at the residence. Sprouse was located, arrested and charged with two
counts of second degree child abuse.
Man Charged With Fraud During Test
On December 16, 2009 Dfc. Watters responded to the Offce of Parole and Probation in
Leonardtown to a report of attempting to defraud a urinalysis examination. Investigation re-
vealed Joseph Michael Burkhard, III, 27, of Mechanicsville, who is court ordered to submit to
urinalysis examinations, allegedly attempted to conceal a bottle of urine in his waistband as he
entered the District Court building. The District Court building houses the offces of parole and
probation, where Burkhard was heading to submit to a urine analysis. Further investigation re-
vealed it was Burkhards alleged intent to substitute the concealed urine for his own in an attempt
to defraud the examination. Burkhard was arrested and charged with attempting to defraud a
drug screening examination.
Man Charged With Theft
On July17, 2009 Fredy Herman Eatmon II, 44, of Dameron was issued a notice not to tres-
pass on the property of the K-Mart Store in California. On December 17, 2009 the loss preven-
tion offcer for K-Mart observed Eatmon enter the store, and allegedly remove items from the
shelves and place them into his jacket pocket. Eatmon walked past all points of purchase and
attempted to exit the store when he was stopped and detained by the loss prevention offcer. Cpl.
John Logalbo responded to the K-Mart, reviewed the thefts recorded on the in-store video sur-
veillance system, arrested and charged Eatmon with trespassing and theft.
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
County investigators are trying to locate a
man they suspect of coming up to a child at a
bus stop on St. Georges Island last week who is
alleged to have assaulted the waiting child.
Capt. Terry Black, commander of the Bu-
reau of Criminal Investigations, said that the
Dec. 14 incident stands alone and there have
not been any reports of such incidents leading
up to it or since.
Black said that the type of incident report-
ed by the 11-year-old girl was unusual, espe-
cially in the St. Georges Island area.
She was just approached at a bus stop
and he asked her several questions about her-
self, Black said. When she went to leave he
grabbed her arm but she was able to pull away;
he ran back into the woods.
Police have been unable to locate the sus-
pect yet, Black said, but detectives have gone
through the sex offender lists for that part of
the county and have not found a match to the
suspect.
Police hope that a composite sketch they
have released will bring in more information
from the public in the manhunt, Black said.
Black said that deputies have increased
their patrols of the St. Georges Island area in
the aftermath of the incident, there were no
other witnesses to the incident but Black said
the girls story was reliable.
However, the case is not being handled as
an attempted abduction, he said.
Its being treated as an assault, theres no
indication he forced her or asked her to go any-
where, Black said.
guyleonard@countytimes.net.
Detectives On The Lookout For Suspect
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
The county sheriffs offce is promoting
a new iPhone application that allows users to
look at up-to-date crime statistics on-line for
their own communities.
The information citizens can download
includes neighborhood level crimes, national
sex offender registry lists with an emphasis on
local offenders, and e-mailed crime alerts.
The new application was created by de-
signers at CrimeReports.com, which runs a na-
tionwide Web site that allows residents to view
their neighborhoods crime level.
The application is available through the
iTunes application store.
The information is vital to our citizens
safety and providing the information to the
general public through a mobile device allows
citizens ever easier access to it than before,
said Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron.
The application also allows users to look
into crime data from 600 other jurisdictions
across the nation including registered sex of-
fender information for all 50 states.
New Phone Application Can
Connect To Crime Stats
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
The man who federal authorities say led
the heist of the PNC Bank in September of
2008 that involved the kidnapping of the bank
manager and her children to facilitate the rob-
bery has been sentenced to 19 years in prison.
According to information from U.S. At-
torney Rod J. Rosensteins offce, as part of Jo-
seph Franklin Browns plea agreement, he ad-
mitted to making his income through the sale
of illegal drugs but devised a plan to rob the
PNC Bank in Esperanza to supplement his in-
come with conspirators William Johnson and
Quinita Ennis.
On September 24, 2008 Ennis drove John-
son and Brown to the bank managers home in
Calvert County and kidnapped both her and
her children.
Johnson then went with the bank man-
ager to the bank and forced her to withdraw
$169,000 from the bank, while he held the bank
managers son hostage in her own vehicle, ac-
cording to federal authorities.
Brown and Ennis later picked up Johnson
and the money after he had released them at
a nearby elementary school and drove off to
meet his fellow conspirators, according to fed-
eral authorities.
After the heist, federal authorities state,
Brown, Johnson, Ennis and conspirator Edwin
Jones went to New Jersey to spend the proceeds
at casinos on gambling ventures.
Brown and Johnson also attempted to
bury some of the money from the robbery in
the backyard of one of their residences and also
attempted to burn camoufage clothing and dis-
pose of the 9mm rife used in the crime.
The conspirators also obtained plane tick-
ets to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada and even set
aside funds to relocate to North Carolina fol-
lowing the heist, federal authorities state.
After the conspirators were found out,
arrested and pleaded guilty they were all sen-
tenced to varying federal prison terms and
were forced to pay more than $57,000 in resti-
tution each back to the bank.
PNC Bank Robbery Defendant
Gets 19 Years
The County Times
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Independently Owned and Operated
by Traveltours of Maryland
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22325 Greenview Parkway
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Tel (301) 863-6012
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When your journey from a dream to a great story includes us, you travel better.
Our promise to you.
Cedar Lane Apartments is a Smoke Free Community
301.475.8966
www.cedarlaneapts.com
The Residents, Board
of Directors and Staff of
Cedar Lane Senior Living Community
would like to say Thank You to the entire
community for its continued support
and wish everyone Happy Holidays
and a Healthy New Year.
Serving the community for over 30 years
Askey Askey &
Associates, CPA, LLC
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23507 Hollywood Road P.O. Box 662
Leonardtown, MD 20650
T 301-475-5671 F 301-475-9108
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La Plata, MD 20646
T 301-934-5780 F 301-934-9162
www.aaacpa.com
Holiday Greetings
The Following Locally Owned Businesses Would Like to Join The County Times in Sending
And to Wish Prosperity for the New Year!
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41590 Fenwick Street P.O. Box 270 Leonardtown, Maryland 20650 mgfh.com
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The County Times
Know I
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Education
Cell: 301-481-6767
Home: 301-737-1669
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addiemcbride@verizon.net
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Offce: 1-800-848-6092 Offce: 301-862-2222
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For All Your Real Estate Needs.
Good People Find Good Homes
Tis the Season to put Christ back into
Christmas by giving the gift of Christian Education
Mark your calendars for the
First Annual St. Michaels School Gala on Saturday, February 27th, 2010
at Marys Hope in St. Inigoes. Seating is limited.
www.saint-michaels-school.org
Learn More About St. Michaels Schools Fundraising Initiative
with the Affnity VISA Credit Card Program.
St. Michaels School gets benefts from enrollments and card usage.
www.saint-michaels-school.org/SMSAffnity.html
If people sign up their store
cards to support St. Michaels
School, McKays,Target, and
Giant will donate percentages
of those sales to the school.
Other Christmas Events That Will Be Benefting St. Michaels School Include:
The Holiday Plant Sale, the Personalized Luminaries Sale,
and the St. Michaels School Calendar Raffe.
Thank you for helping
St. Michaels School
reach our initial goal.
Additional funds will help keep the
school open for future years!
Go to www.smsthanksamillion.org to make it happen.
For the frst time ever, Father Andrew
White (FAW) School is participating in the
annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recogni-
tion of Science and Technology) Lego League
(FLL) competition. FIRST is a worldwide pro-
gram that uses robotics and exciting sports-like
competitions to help students develop the skills
needed to compete in the technology-driven
global economy.
This year, there will be ten qualifying tour-
naments around the state of Maryland in order
to determine which teams get to move on to the
state competition in January. On December 5
th
,
FAW competed in the frst of these qualifying
events held at the College of Southern Maryland
in La Plata.
Eleven FLL teams, representing Calvert,
Charles and St. Marys counties, played the
game Smart Move where pre-programmed
robots moved through an obstacle course laden
with real-world transportation issues such as
road conditions, work zones and hazards. Fa-
ther Andrew White School was one of six of
the teams that placed high enough to advance
to the Maryland State FLL Championships,
the others being Kings Christian Academy
in Callaway, Charles County 4-H Club in In-
dian Head and unaffliated teams from Prince
Frederick, Owings and Indian Head.
The group took on a major safety issue,
said one judge while explaining the objectives
of the game. After examining the problem in-
depth, this group offered a signifcant, patent-
quality idea, the Life Ring, an instrumented
steering wheel designed to keep truckers from
falling asleep and from driving excessive hours.
The judges were impressed by this groups pas-
sion, insights into the problem, and innovative
solution to the real-world problem.
Though proud of all their accolades, the
group took particular pride in winning the
Champions Award out of the eleven teams com-
peting. This award is the most prestigious award
that any team can win.
The FAW team has been working under the
guidance of teachers Barbara Jones and Shan-
non Rowland as coaches, and will now move on
to the next level of competition at the University
of Maryland, Baltimore County in January.
The team members include: 8
th
grade-
Ethan Rudman, Rohan Singh, Natalie Krissoff,
and Colin Travis, 6
th
grade-Kiranjit Kaur, Abi-
gail Padgett, Hannah Willenborg, and Quinten
Williams, and the 4
th
grade-Jordan Jones and
Mikey VanRyswick.
FAW Wins Champions Award in FLL
Qualifying Event
The road to Atlanta and robotics world-
wide championship gold is paved with nuts,
bolts, gears, PVC pipe and, surprisingly, rip
ties. CSM had two competitions going on
simultaneously on Dec. 5: the FTC for high-
school-aged students, and FIRST LEGO
League (FLL) Southern Maryland Qualifer
for elementary and middle school students
part of CSMs ongoing efforts to spur interest
among youth to pursue science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) careers.
STEM at CSM is one of our most inten-
sive initiatives, said CSM President Dr. Brad
Gottfried. From summer robotics and rocket
building camps offered by Kids College, to
Try College for a Day ffth-grade feld trips
with non-stop hands-on science activities, to
high school robotics competitions, CSM is
providing opportunities for Southern Mary-
land students to explore science felds.
As a way of boosting interest in STEM
careers, CSM has hosted robotics competi-
tions since 2006.
We see the FIRST robotics competitions
as vital to getting the word out to students that
engineering is fun, said Jeff Tjiputra, who co-
ordinates the competitions.
Southern Maryland FTC teams repre-
senting the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and
Technical Center in Leonardtown, Kings
Christian Academy in Callaway and a ho-
meschool group in Hollywood played the
game HotShot where teams had to program
their robot to release Wiffe-sized balls from
a chute, scoop them up and shoot them into
goals within and outside of a 12-foot-by-12-
foot arena. The teams were paired up in alli-
ances working offensively and defensively to
outscore the opposing alliance. The Spangler
familys homeschool team Under the Son
was in the fnalist alliance and as such is an
alternate for the World Championship.
Southern Maryland Students
Advance in Robotics Competitions
During the weekend of December 12, 2009,
Global Diplomacy students from Leonardtown
High School captured the top Secretary Gen-
erals Award for Research/Position Paper during
the 26th annual Prince William County Model
United Nations Conference held at C.D. Hylton
High School. Over 1,300 students attended the
conference, including 32 students from Leonar-
dtown High School. Leonardtown H.S. beat out
students from Thomas Jefferson High School in
Northern Virginia (recently named the top high
school in the nation by U.S. News and World Re-
port), and students from 70 other high schools.
Leonardtown H.S. students Pat Bauk, Megan
Switick, Mollie Wagoner, Brent Thorward, and
Eddie Sierra were also recognized as Outstand-
ing Delegates in their respective committees.
For more details, contact Mr. Mike Denny,
Leonardtown H.S. social studies teacher, at 301-
475-0200.
Leonardtown H.S. Students Win
Top Secretary Generals Award
The Carver Heights Community Park in Lexington Park now features a new playground. Completed on Dec.
14, the playground was put to use by children as soon as it was unveiled. The Board of County Commission-
ers for St. Marys County approved funds in March to begin the master planning and park development on
this county property on Lincoln Avenue near the Carver Recreation Center. In addition to the playground,
planned amenities include a memorial to the African American USO building formerly located at the prop-
erty, picnic tables, refurbishment of the basketball court, new walkways and resurfacing of the parking lot.
New Playground
at Carver Heights
Community Park
Photo by Sean Rice
From the Dr. James Forrest Career and Technology Cen-
ter in Leonardtown, the Pacman team of programmer
Jesse Arnold of Bushwood, left, driver and mechanic Jon
Milan of California and team leader Gabrielle Menard
of Hollywood, came on so strong in their opening match
they broke a PVC trigger arm off the ball chute. (Submit-
ted photo)
The County Times
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By Sean Rice and Andrea Shiell
Staff Writers
The Shreve family never thought they would be able to afford
buying a house in St. Marys County.
In this area, unless you make a $100,000 a year, its very hard
to own a home, Tiffany Shreve told The County Times.
Tiffany and her husband Bill have two children and two decent
jobs; he works in the wastewater division of METCOM, the countys
water and sewer utility, and she teaches preschool at Good Samari-
tan Lutheran Church on Great Mills Road. While they are working
toward degrees currently, neither of them have a college education.
I guess you could say our education has held us back from be-
ing able to make more money, Tiffany said.
Before being selected as the recipients of Patuxent Habitat for
Humanitys first home in its new Fenwick Ridge subdivision off
Forest Park Road, the only homes the Shreves could find in their
price range were trailers or houses that were literally falling apart.
We were talking about moving out of state, because there was
nothing in this area that we wanted to move into, Tiffany said.
My dad has been telling us for a couple years, apply for Habi-
tat, apply for Habitat, but we thought we couldnt qualify for
it.
Me and my husband, we didnt think this is something
we were able to do, she said about owing a home, or even
qualifying for Habitat for Humanity help.
And help is what Habitat does, not handouts. Recip-
ients of Habitat homes are required to hold a mortgage
to pay for the house, and put in hundreds of hours of
sweat equity while the home is being built.
The Shreves described the application process as
rigorous.
They look into everything, Tiffany said.
Thats why they look at all your finances and look
at your credit, because they want to make sure that
youll be able to pay for it This is kind of a good
will thing on their end and they want to make sure
youre not going to screw them.
We have three criteria for family selection, said
Gary Williams, former president and member of Board
of Directors for Patuxent Habitat for Humanity. The
first is if they live in inadequate housing currently, and
that could mean the house structures inadequate, or the
rent is beyond their means or if theyre living with their
family. The second criteria is that they have a good credit
rating, and the third criteria is their income has to be between
25 and 50 percent of the median income.
Tiffany said the 30-year mortgage they signed is still $500
a month less than the last monthly rent they were paying.
This is the 12th house the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity
has built in Calvert and St. Marys counties, and its first fully
green home.
The 1140 square-foot, south-facing home has numerous
energy efficient features, including: minimal windows on the
north side where more cold air could come in, a conditioned
insulated basement, with walls with five inches of insulation,
and a geothermal pump for heating and cooling.
The geothermal pump systems uses two 200-foot wells in
a closed loop system circulating 55-60 degree glycol through
the ground and back into the house as a heat exchanger. In
the summer the glycol is used to keep the house
cool. The unit cost about $13,000 including in-
stallation, but a state energy grant paid $6,000
towards that cost. The unit is estimated to cut
energy costs by 40 percent.
This is a celebration about community,
said Dan Doherty, president of the Board of Di-
rectors for Patuxent Habitat, at a house dedica-
tion earlier this month. We have a lot of won-
derful volunteers here, and none of this could
happen without the volunteers and the business-
es working together with our local government
to make all of this happen.
This house was also an Apostles Build.
We brought together numerous churches
to come together and pool their resources
and make a commitment so this home could be
built, said Doherty. For those of us who have
been involved with this from its early goings,
like the apostles, I think we had our faith tested
a little bit along the way. But the end result has been very, very
wonderful.
The plan was to have the house completed in late summer,
confirmed Diane Daly, Director of Administration at Patuxent Hab-
itat for Humanity, but the extremely wet autumn weather and other
factors delayed the project considerably.
Its been a learning experience for Habitat, as far as new subdi-
visions work, Daly said. Theres lots of learning going on here.
Tiffany Shreve said her family is fine with being the guinea
pigs for Habitat.
This is a new construction build. In the past Habitat has gone
into neighborhoods that are already established. With our house its
a completely new subdivision and completely new everything, so
theyre having to go through all the steps. Its a learning process for
everybody, she said.
The house is complete and the Shreves have the keys, but they
cant move in yet. A certificate of occupancy is still needed, which
will be granted after the electric is connected and the driveway is
completed.
Daly said she still hopes the family will be able to move in this
winter.
The Shreves moved in with Tiffanys parents in August, antici-
pating an earlier move in date. She said theyre not upset about the
delays, the extra time has allowed them to save up money to buy
furniture to fill the place.
Im Just happy about the fact that Im going to own a house and
its going to be my house, Tiffany said. And I dont have to answer
to somebody every time I want to do something.
news@countytimes.net
Habitat FulFi lls Dream
oF Home ownersHi p
Photo by Frank Marquart
Photo by Andrea Shiell
Photo by Andrea Shiell
The Shreve family; Tiffany, Bill, Autumn and Lacey, are thankful for
their new house, build by the Patuxent Habitat for Humanity with the
help of numerous volunteers. Shown inside during a house dedica-
tion in early December, they were given the keys and a bible after
the house was blessed.
The County Times
ewsmakers
3 3
Question
Interview
Mike Zabko, who has been Regional Director of
the Southern Maryland Chapter of the American
Red Cross for nine years, does not like discuss-
ing his age (Thats classifed information, he
said.), but he loves talking about his passion for
working to keep people safe. As a local director
of emergency services he said that most people
dont get to see what his chapter does, but he
was more than happy to share a little of it with
The County Times.
CT: Not many people realize how much the
Red Cross does. How would you describe your
services?
MZ: We have health and safety training, we train
all the people in frst aid and CPR we do aquat-
ics training throughout southern Maryland, we
have babysitting training, and we ensure that
all that lifesaving training gets done we also
provide services to the armed forces. All these
emergency messages coming through and going
to our service numbers here and abroad come
through the Red Cross were doing about two
messages per day, seven days a week, 365 days
a year. Interestingly enough, for the health and
safety training, were doing about 40 classes per
day and we also do local disaster services.
CT: Describe what local efforts you all help with.
MZ: Lots of people see the Red Cross in its disas-
ter service function on television when you see
the hurricanes or tsunamis, or whatever when its
nation-wide news or world news, but they never
see what we do locally. We have about a hundred
local disasters that take place each year. A local
disaster could be as small as a water pipe break
that has to evacuate a small apartment complex,
to single family home fres, to last year we had
a tornado that came through North Beach and it
displaced about 10 families, and people dont see
a lot of that in the newspaper.
CT: On your website (http://southernmaryland.
redcross.org/) you have a section for the Twelve
Days of Holiday Safety, which outlines tips.
Which tips do you think people need to pay more
attention to?
MZ: What we see is people dont see those 12
days of holiday safety. Around the holidays peo-
ple just kind of forget about safety.
Interviewing: Mike Zabko
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Minute
Gifts.
Kids Play Santa at
St. Marys Nursing Center
By Andrea Shiell
Staff Writer
For staff and residents
at the St. Marys County
Nursing Center in Leonard-
town, Christmas is a chance
to string up the lights, sing a
few carols and make the atmo-
sphere a little more cozy, and
children from Little Seedlings
Christian Preschool and Kin-
dergarten in Leonardtown and
Patuxent Presbyterian Church
in California joined in as they
delivered dozens of presents
to residents at the center on
Thursday.
Kim Simpkins, Activities
Director for St. Marys Nurs-
ing Center, said that this years
gift giving was a joint effort.
The Little Seedlings
partnered with another church, and theyve
actually been coming over for a long time for
events near Valentines Day and other events
throughout the year, and this year they decided
they wanted to adopt residents, she said.
We put out an adoption tree and its
for residents who would otherwise not receive
a Christmas gift. Either they dont have family,
or they dont have family members involved
with them. They also donate items through-
out the year, said Simpkins, adding that chil-
dren would only be delivering gifts that day,
and staff members would dress up as elves to
give out the gifts to all their residents at a later
date.
Today happened because Kay Priest
whos right here contacted the school and
said that the nursing home needed some peo-
ple to be adopted for Christmas, said
Lynn Duff, Director for Little Seedlings.
And we have a mom at our school from
Patuxent Presbyterian who said that she
would do those that we couldnt do. So
we did 40 residents because for our chil-
dren its very important for them to know
that grandma and grandpa need to have gifts
for Christmas it really meant something to
them because they all have grandmothers and
grandfathers, who may not be here, but we
shouldnt forget them.
Simpkins said that the nursing center was
grateful to have the help of the community in
bringing a bit more holiday spirit to the resi-
dents there, and she had recognized the grow-
ing need for such an effort several years ago.
Ive been here for about 15 years, and
Id say that at least fve to eight years ago, we
found that for some of the residents, its really
depressing to be in a nursing home at Christ-
mas time and not at your home, she said. So
this and their gifts, and the children and the
cheer we try to spread really makes it a better
Christmas for everybody.
Photo By Andrea Shiell
Patrick Williams and Ryan Williams help deliver presents to resi-
dents at the St. Marys County Nursing Center in Leonardtown.
The County Times
Chestnuts roasting on an open fre ... Its a phrase
no one can avoid come the holiday season, when radio sta-
tions devote countless hours to holiday songs. But chest-
nuts arent only for humming holiday tunes.
In fact, chestnuts can be roasted over an open fre,
providing a great source of protein and carbohydrates that
also happen to be low in fat content. Chestnuts can also
be served as a soup, which is the case with the following
recipe for Chestnut Soup with Fresh Ginger from The
Culinary Institute of Americas Book of Soups (Lebhar-
Friedman Books).
Chestnut Soup w/Fresh Ginger
Makes 4 to 6 servings
10 ounces chestnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 leek, white and light green parts,
chopped (about 11/4 cups)
1/2 onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 quart chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
orange juice, or to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream, heated
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 F or bring a large pot of water
to a rolling boil. Score an X on the fat side of each chestnut
with the tip of a paring knife. Roast them on a baking sheet
in the oven or boil them, until the outer skins begins to curl.
Peel away both the outer and inner layers of skin. Chestnuts
are easiest to peel while still warm; if you are experiencing
diffculties, re-warm the nuts by dropping them back into
the simmering water or returning them to the warm oven.
Reserve 4-6 whole chestnuts to garnish each bowl of soup,
if desired. Chop the remaining chestnuts and set aside.
Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add
the celery, carrot, leek, and onion. Cook, stirring frequent-
ly, until the onion is light golden brown, 8-10 minutes.
Add the broth, chopped chestnuts, and ginger. Bring
the soup to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until
all of the ingredients are very tender,
35-40 minutes.
Puree the soup and return
to medium heat. Add the or-
ange juice and simmer for
2 minutes.
Add the cream to
the soup. Season with
salt, pepper and more
orange juice, if de-
sired. Serve in heat-
ed bowls, garnished
with whole chestnuts,
if using.
The County Times Wishes Our Readers Happy Holidays
Looking Forward to Your Support in 2010
Much like gift giving and candy canes, travel has become syn-
onymous with the holidays. This year, as many families prepare to
cut back on holiday spending, travelers can still head off to visit long-
distance relatives, or use the holidays to explore a new travel destina-
tion with their immediate family, without breaking the bank. Here are
some simple penny- and stress-saving tricks to holiday travel:
Abandon the beaten path. When visiting family for the holi-
days, choose the road less traveled; take the scenic route. Youll be
less likely to hit heavy traffc, and traveling locally will allow you to
look for hotels in the suburbs along the outskirts of major cities. Rates
are often substantially lower in surrounding suburbs, particularly
during tourist-heavy periods such as the holiday season.
Go free. With a little research you might be surprised to fnd
how many free activities and simple pleasures your travel destination
has to offer. Create a balanced travel itinerary by pairing more expen-
sive tourist destinations with a picnic in a nearby park or taking in the
local main street holiday decoration display, parade or festival.
Save your sanity. While you might be heading to visit family
this holiday season, that doesnt necessarily mean you want to stay
with them. Staying in a nearby hotel will still afford you the chance to
spend time with relatives, but it will also allow you to keep your cool
and survive the season.
Give yourself something you actually want. While you prob-
ably wont be able to avoid getting another necktie or bathrobe this
holiday season, you can exercise the power of choice when looking
for a hotel. Get the most bang-for-your-buck by staying at an upscale
extended stay hotel that provides more than just a bed.
According to family travel expert Lisa McElroy, The holidays
can be such an expensive time, with gift-giving and holiday travel. If
you can save money but stay in comfort, your family holiday trip will
be one to remember. Consider an upscale extended-stay hotel, like
Homewood Suites by Hilton, where you and the kids can make use
of a full kitchen, plus spread out in separate bedrooms. If the hotel
includes meals and offers free internet, even better -- youll be able to
put your holiday dollars towards celebrating the season.
Avoid peak dates and book early. Because many families know
well in advance where theyll be spending the holidays, booking
early is a great way to save money. Many hotels offer advanced pur-
chase rates that can save families who book early signifcant amounts
of money. Some are sweetening the deal even more with special
giveaways!
When booking, keep in mind that most hotels also have rates that
fuctuate during peak travel days. However, booking in advance can
help mollify those rates.
Up the fun! Fun doesnt have to end once families return to the
hotel. Instead, fnd a facility that offers a pool for the kids to play in
and ftness facility for adults to enjoy, unwind and fght off those extra
holiday pounds.
To learn more about upscale extended stay hotels or to book on-
line today, visit www.suitetrip.com.
Holiday Travel Tips
That Make Cents
For many people, the best part of the holiday season
is indulging in the food. Part of the reason so many New
Years resolutions are geared toward weight loss is because
of the extra pounds many people gain eating their favorite
treats from Thanksgiving through New Years Eve.
For families hosting the holidays this season, dont
forget the importance of a good dessert, such as the fol-
lowing recipe for Murphys and Baileys Cheesecake
from Margaret M. Johnsons The Irish Pub Cookbook
(Chronicle Books).
Murphys and Baileys Cheesecake
Serves 10 to 12
Crumb Crust
1 cup crumbs from gingersnaps or Irish digestive
biscuits, such as Carrs or McVitiess brand
(6 to 8 biscuits)
3 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, melted
Syrup
4 cups Murphys stout
2 cups dark brown sugar
Filling
1 8-ounce package cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
1 1/4-ounce envelope unfavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
Fresh berries for garnish
1. To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a
small bowl, combine the crumbs and melted butter. Press
the crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a
9-inch round springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or
until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool
on a wire rack.
2. To make the syrup: In a medium saucepan over
medium heat, combine the stout and brown sugar. Gently
bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for
8 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and syrupy
and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and
let cool.
3. To make the flling: In a large bowl, combine the
cream cheese and confectioners sugar and beat until
smooth with an electric mixer. Add the cream and beat for
3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth. Stir in half the Murphys
syrup and all of the Baileys. In a small bowl, combine the
gelatin and boiling water. Stir until the gelatin is com-
pletely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir 2 tablespoons of
the syrup into the gelatin, then stir the gelatin into the
cream cheese mixture. Pour the flling over the biscuit
crust. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until frm. Set aside
the remaining syrup at room temperature.
4. When ready to serve, release the sides of the pan
and cut the cheesecake into wedges. Drizzle some of the
remaining Murphys syrup around each slice and garnish
with fresh berries.
Dessert to Please the Holiday Guests
Chestnuts Not Just for Roasting
Soup the Perfect Choice to Spread Holiday Spirit While Staying Warm This Seasn
The County Times
Earlier in December the St.
Marys County Detention Cen-
ter held an immunization clinic
for correctional offcers, civilian
staff and inmates at the Deten-
tion Center, where seasonal fu
vaccines were provided by the
Center for Disease Control and
administered by the detention
center nurse. Personnel not avail-
able for that clinic had a second
opportunity to be vaccinated on
December 21st.
The best way to decrease the
chances of contracting seasonal
fu is by getting a seasonal fu vac-
cination. The St. Marys Hospital,
in cooperation with the St. Marys
Health Department, Department
of Public Safety and Emergency
Medical System, collaborated
to provide fu vaccinations to the St. Marys
County Sheriffs Offce personnel. On Decem-
ber 21, 2009, Dr. Michael P. Somers, along with
volunteer nursing staff from St. Marys Hos-
pital, came to the St. Marys County Sheriffs
Offce Headquarter to vaccinate sheriffs offce
personnel.
I encourage anyone in public safety to be
vaccinated to prevent the spread of infuenza.
Emergency responders face a greater risk of
contracting infuenza said Dr. Somers.
Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron elaborated
even further, Deputies respond to the needs of
the public, including those individuals who are
ill. I believe it is prudent for sheriffs offce per-
sonnel to be vaccinated against seasonal as well
as the H1N1 fu This prevention program is
another fne example of the successful working
relationship the St. Marys County Sheriffs
Offce has with private and non-proft entities
within our community.
A total of 75 fu vaccinations were pro-
vided to Sheriffs Offce personnel, including
Sheriff Timothy Cameron, through both im-
munization clinics.
The fu is a contagious respiratory illness
caused by infuenza viruses and is spread from
person to person through coughing or sneezing
by infected persons. The fu may also be spread
if an individual touches a surface infected with
the fu virus and then touches his/her nose or
mouth. The virus can cause mild to severe ill-
ness, and in some cases, lead to death. Accord-
ing to the Centers for Disease Control, each
year in the United States on average, 5% to 20%
of the population gets the fu; on average, more
than 200,000 people are hospitalized from fu-
related complications; and, about 36,000 people
die from fu-related causes.
Wish Our Customers
and Friends a
Merry Christmas
& a Peaceful New Year
301-475-3354
Located in the
Breton Market Place
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Dr. Michael P. Somers gives Sheriff Timothy Cameron his sea-
sonal fu shot.
Submitted Photo
Community
Sheriffs Offce Receives Flu Shots
On December 5th and 6th, Jordan Martin
(age 13) and Delaney Madden (age 14), won 7
First Place medals and 3 Second Place medals
(a clean sweep of a possible 10 medals!) in every
gymnastic event at their skill level. The frst com-
petition of the season, the Mason Dixon Gymnas-
tics League Meet, held in Frederick, Maryland,
featured 4 events: Balance Beam, Floor Exercise,
Uneven Parallel Bars and Vaulting - with a ffth
award category for Best All-Around Gymnast.
Jordan Martin, newly-promoted to the 13-
year-old age group, took First Place in Floor Ex-
ercise, Uneven Parallel Bars, Vaulting and Best
Overall Gymnast for her skill level/age group. Her
only Second Place medal came from the Balance
Beam event according to her team coaches Kate
Rowe and Heather Reed.
Delaney Madden, oldest and most skilled
of the St. Marys Mason Dixon Team, won First
Place in Floor Exercise, Uneven
Parallel Bars and Best Overall Gymnast.
She received Second Place in Balance Beam and
Vaulting Box, said Kate and Heather.
In addition to the medals won by Jordan and
Delaney, four other St. Marys team members re-
ceived a total of one Third Place medal and six
Ribbons for placing Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth
and Ninth in the four events.
No one else had six members on the
same team place, Heather says, smiling. Every
girl did very well; each was solid and showed
confdence.
Jordan, Delaney and their team-mates prac-
tice three times a week at the St. Marys Gymnas-
tic Center in Lexington Park, Maryland.
Run by the Countys Department of Recre-
ation and Parks, the exhilaration and challenge of
gymnastics is available to toddlers through high
school and beyond.
We start everyone out just having fun,
Heather explains. Then the ones that are inter-
ested progress into competition levels.
The girls in our Mason Dixon Team concen-
trate on performing the skills that they need for
their skill level - and well teach them some higher
skills as well when they are ready.
She pauses then adds, Jordan sets a good
example for the rest of our girls. Shes concen-
trating on being the best she can be and shell do
whatever she has to in practice.
Proudly wearing her fve medals, Jordans
modest greeting to her family after the competi-
tion was, Im really tired.
Overall the Mason Dixon Competition gave
this team an excellent start to the 2009-2010 Gym-
nastics Season.
And when you consider the amazing qual-
ity of this little-known County-run gymnastics
program, the skills of the coaches plus the sheer
determination, exuberance and support among
the young athletes themselves...
...The chances of an Olympic Gymnast
emerging from this little-known program in St.
Marys County appear quite good.
For further information please contact
the Gymnastic Center in Lexington Park at
301-862-1462.
Local Gymnasts Capture 5 Medals Each
(10 Total) At Seasons Opening Competition
The County Times
Tots Get Toys
During a Rough Economy
Libraries to be closed for
holidays
All three libraries will be
closed Thursday, Dec. 24, through
Sunday, Dec. 27. The libraries will
close at 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 and reopen
on Sat, Jan. 2. The librarys Internet
branch, www.stmalib.org, will be
open so customers can manage their
accounts, research using the free on-
line databases and download audio
books and movies.

New product provides more
downloadable audio books
Hundreds of new download-
able audio books are now available
through NetLibrary from Recorded
Books. These books are always
available with no waiting lists. Click
on Downloadables from www.st-
malib.org and then eBooks NetLi-
brary to access. These titles cannot
be downloaded in the library.
The library does allow custom-
ers to download books from Mary-
lands Digital eLibrary to their mp3
players or iPods using designated
library computers.

Families can enjoy afternoon of
gaming fun or movie
Charlotte Hall is hosting two
hours of gaming fun on Dec. 30 from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for families and cus-
tomers of all ages. Besides Wii, a
variety of board games will be avail-
able to play. Snacks are provided.
Leonardtown will show a Dis-
ney PG movie on Dec. 30 at 2 p.m.
about cranky Carl Fredricksen who
launches his house into the sky and
heads off to South America unaware
of an 8-year old stowaway. Snacks
are provided
Children can build LEGO
creations
Children, ages 6-12 years old,
can register to build LEGO creations
at Charlotte Hall on Jan. 11 from 6
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Those attending
should not bring their own LEGOs.
This free program is being spon-
sored by the Mechanicsville Opti-
mist Club. The library is seeking
donations of new and used LEGOs
for this program.

Library offers book discussions
The public is invited to partici-
pate in the following book discus-
sions: Alexander McCall Smiths
book, The No. 1 Ladies Detec-
tive Agency on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.
at Charlotte Hall; Dexter Filkins
book, The Forever War on Jan.
11 at 6 p.m. at Lexington Park; and
Clyde Edgertons book, The Bible
Salesman on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at
Leonardtown.
IHOP announced plans to serve millions of free pan-
cakes again next year in celebration of National Pancake
Day on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. Planned as a celebra-
tion of friends, family and community, IHOP hopes the
program will raise $1.75 million for Childrens Miracle
Network, an international non-proft organization that
raises funds for childrens hospitals and other worthy lo-
cal causes.
2010 will mark IHOPs ffth year celebrating the na-
tional event and the company has set an ambitious goal
to raise a cumulative $5 million for charity in the frst
fve years of its free fapjack philanthropic effort. More
than 1,400 IHOP restaurants throughout the United States
will once again invite guests to enjoy a free short stack of
IHOPs signature buttermilk pancakes from 7 a.m. to 10
p.m. on National Pancake Day. In return, IHOP guests
are asked to donate what they would have paid for the free
pancakes, or more, to the Childrens Miracle Network
hospital in their community, or another designated local
cause.
We are fipping for fve in fve with our 2010 Na-
tional Pancake Day campaign, and with our guests gen-
erous support, plan to reach our goal of $5 million in fve
years, said Carolyn OKeefe, IHOPs senior vice presi-
dent, marketing. IHOPs franchisees and guests have
raised more than $3.25 million to support Childrens Mir-
acle Network and other local charities since we started
our National Pancake Day in 2006. The day has become a
tradition for families and friends who wish to enjoy great
food and great service while helping out a great cause.
Childrens Miracle Network Miracle Balloons will
be sold for $1 and $5 each and will be personalized and
displayed at participating IHOP restaurants from Febru-
ary 1 through February 23, 2010. Miracle Balloon sales
offer guests another way to show their support of Chil-
drens Miracle Network and contribute to the National
Pancake Day fundraising effort.
In 2009, IHOP gave away three million pancakes
and raised nearly $1.5 million in support of Childrens
Miracle Network and other local charities, far exceeding
its goal to raise $1 million. Since starting its National
Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has given away
more than 6.1 million free pancakes to beneft childrens
charities - that stacks up more than 53.5 miles high!
For more information about IHOPs National Pan-
cake Day, or to learn more about Childrens Miracle Net-
work and make an online donation, visit www.ihoppan-
cakeday.com.
Santa Claus (Jim McGuire of La Plata) recently stopped by Berts 50s Diner in Me-
chanicsville, where he greeted customers and handed out toys to children from his
sack of goodies. Shown here is Santa with restaurant manager Jessica Sloper.
Santa Visits Berts
L ibrary
Items
Ihops Free pancake Giveaway
Returns Feb 23, 2010
By Andrea Shiell
Staff Writer
The St. Marys Teen Center at Chan-
cellors Run Regional Park was overfowing
with stacks of boxes, bags and piles of board
games, video games, dolls and other items
for this years Toys for Tots drive, which re-
ceived families on Tuesday for their yearly
giveaway.
I know we have two sheds [of toys]
but this year with the weather and our new
coordinator everythings been kind of late
this year, said Gwen Bankins, who is spend-
ing her 13th year working with the program.
Bankins said that this years drive had
brought not only more volunteers and dona-
tions, but more applicants.
The economy has impacted people
a lot some people are in transition from
homes, a lot of people have gotten evicted, a
lot have moved in with relatives, and we have
a lot of multi-family homes, said Bankins.
We have children who are aware of their parents situation
and theyre just thankful for anything. Theyre not asking for
anything for Christmas, theyll be happy if they get anything
but every child should have a Christmas.
More than 40 volunteers manned the Teen Center in
shifts, working to move thousands of gifts from the back of
the building to the front, where parents would come to select
items later that day. Bankins said that she expected crews to
still be helping until 1 a.m.
This community has been really generous, and I think
that one of the most touching things is little kids emptying
their pockets of change to help other kids, said Bankins, add-
ing that she had seen a lot of applications turned in by third
parties this year.
Some families actually called in for families that would
not submit their own names, because they felt that other people
were worse off than themselves, and I thought that was very
touching, she said. Its about caring for your neighbors.
Master Sgt. Steven Caldwell helps at Tuesdays Toys for Tots drive.
Rachel Dorsey, 15, joined other volunteers at the Teen
Center at Chancellors Run Regional Park for Tuesdays
Toys for Tots drive.
The County Times
Cosmics Finale Features
World Premier
Wednesday, December 23
Christmas Doll & Train Exhibit
St. Clements Island Museum (Coltons Point)
12 noon
Poker Leader Board Challenge
FOP-7 Lodge (Great Mills) 7 p.m.
Special Olympics No Limit HoldEm
Tourney
Bennett Building, 24930 Old Three Notch Rd
(Hollywood) 7 p.m.
Thursday, December 24
Christmas Eve Service
First Saints Community Church (Leonardtown)
10 a.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and
11 p.m.
10 a.m. service will feature musical pro-
ductions with children and teens. 4, 6, and 8 p.m.
will be family candlelight services. Nursery care
will be available. 10 p.m. service will be at St.
Georges Island campus, 11 p.m. service is at St.
Pauls campus (next to St. Marys Hospital).
Christmas Eve Services / Choral
Presentations
Hollywood United Methodist Church (Holly-
wood) 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
6 p.m. service includes choral presentations
with a choral candlelight service. 8 p.m. service
is a special music service with duets and soloists.
All are welcome.
Christmas Eve at Grace and Peace
Grace & Peace Presbyterian (California) 7 p.m.
Call 301-475-2111 for more information.
Friday, December 25
Free Community Christmas Dinner
Father Andrew White School (Leonardtown)
2 p.m.
Sponsored by St. Vincent de Paul Society
of St. Aloysius Church for anyone desiring a
good meal and fellowship on Christmas Day.
Menu includes turkey, ham and all the trim-
mings! Please join us. For more information call
301-481-2942.
Saturday, December 26
12 noon
Holiday Exhibit at Piney Point
Piney Point Lighthouse 12 noon to 4 p.m.
The Piney Point Lighthouse Museum pres-
ents a holiday exhibit entitled Ill Be Home for
Christmas that captures fve time periods of
Christmases past at the lighthouse. The exhibit
is located in the Keepers Quarters on the south
campus and in the historic area. Museum staff
and volunteers will also provide tours of the
museum, maritime exhibit and lighthouse with
climbs to the top. Admission is $3 for adults, $2
for senior citizen and military personnel, $1.50
for children 6 to 18, and kids 5 and under are
free. For more information, call the museum
at 301-994-1471 or log onto www.stmarysmd.
com/recreate/museums.
Sunday, December 27
12 noon
Texas HoldEm Tournament
Monday, December 28
12 noon
Tuesday, December 29
Tourney
(Hollywood) 7 p.m.
4-H Small Animal Workshop
St. Marys County Fairgrounds (Leonardtown)
8:30 a.m.
Bring your Rabbit and/or Guinea Pigs in a
cage with food and water. Learn how to groom
you and your animal for a show. 9am to noon.
Bring your own lunch and snacks from noon to
1p.m. Dog skill-a-thon and obedience demos for
afternoon work shop. Free event, but you MUST
call the 4-H offce to register. 301 475-4478.
Piney Point Lighthouse 9 a.m.
Poker Leader Board Challenge
Tourney
(Hollywood) 7 p.m.
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The County Times
By Linda Reno
Contributing
Writer
Bah hum-
bug! Its the
Christmas season
again. Perhaps
we would enjoy it
more if business-
es and stores didnt start with the commercials
and displaying goods as early as September
and then fnish running it into the ground in
January. We celebrate this holiday because of
the birth of Jesus Christ, yet thats reduced to
about an hour on Christmas Eve or Christmas
morning when most of us fock to church for
the frst and only time of the year. No more
on this subject--well talk about the Christmas
season at the Reno house.
Outside decorating is no problem. Ten
years ago, I bought a huge wreath to hang on
the side of the house. The lights fash, spin,
and are delightful to watch. The problem? My
husband Ronnie put the wreath up but we cant
get him to take it down. It did come down
briefy two years ago when we put new siding
on the house, but frst we had to wait for Mama
bird to hatch her eggs. We had a picnic for the
event and the whole family gave him a round
of applause as he ascended the ladder.
Until I met Ronnie, I was used to a real
Christmas tree. Theres nothing like the smell
of a freshly cut pine or cedar tree. I still get an
odor, but only if plastic counts.
Gift giving? I want to be surprised, but
thats not happening. Each year about noon on
Christmas Eve Im told if you want anything
for Christmas, youd better give me a list. I
refuse, hoping for a miracle. Last year, I caved
and said oh, just give me some pajamas.
Thats exactly what I got, in a dazzling array
of purple and green.
I absolutely refuse to accept a coat. Ac-
cording to Ronnies ex (who I like very much
and refer to as my wife-in-law) he bought
her a coat at Mortons at midnight on Christ-
mas Eveevery Christmas Eve. Its hard to
get angry with him because he does carefully
wrap the gifts and on Christmas morning he
looks like a kid in a candy store. He waits in
gleeful anticipation until I open my present
from him to see the look of surprise on my
face. Now I did make the list, didnt I?
Id be happy to simply have the gift of a
parking space in our six-car garage, but thats
reserved for two garden tractors, one riding
lawn mower, his four vehicles, and two boats
(one of which doesnt know what a river is).
Traditional Christmas dinners are out. He
doesnt care for turkey, but loves honey-baked
ham. The frst time I brought one home he told
me it was so good that he was going to hang
the bone from his rearview mirror so he could
gnaw on it while driving down the road.
The real meaning of the Christmas season
is peace, harmony, love, and Ill add laughter.
You cant buy it, but its worth a fortune.
Merry Christmas!
A Journey Through Time
The Chronicle
By Shelby Oppermann
Contributing Writer
Who was it that was dreaming of a
white Christmas?! Are you happy now?
No, it really is beautiful. I thought we had
16 inches of snow, and then when I went out
and measured the accumulated snow on the
picnic table, I was surprised to fnd it was
only 12 inches. It sure looked higher to us
looking down from the kitchen window.
Also, I didnt get out to the picnic table until
today (Sunday) until 2:00 p.m. My husband
said some of the snow melted with all that
tropical sun today.
Earlier, right before darkness closed in,
my husband asked if I wanted to go out in
the snow and make snow devils instead
of snow angels. I asked how one told the
difference. He said instead of just falling
serenely back in the snow, you thrash your
arms about while falling, and once in the
snow you continue thrashing arms and legs
about. I was picturing John Belushi doing
the gator to the song, Shout in Animal
House. I have been known to do the gator
at weddings granted it is harder to do in a
dress, than a toga. Come to think of it, may-
be it isnt. But anyway, I said, No.
You probably dont live with a husband
who gets stir-crazy when snowbound. He
suddenly has all this nervous energy, and
becomes this pre-adolescent boy who likes
to fnd ways to tease and aggravate you.
Yes, I think I knew this when I married him.
Thank goodness being snowbound doesnt
last forever. Its a good thing we dont live
in Alaska we would be a segment on 48
Hours: Man found after two months,
frozen in snow devil position. A lady at
Chaptico Market said with a wry smile, I
bet I know what youll be writing about this
week. She was right.
I didnt need to make snow devils, be-
cause, I had actually just come in from play-
ing a rousing game of fnd the yellow ten-
nis ball in the snow with Tidbit. I would
try to throw it somewhere near the paths
we had made in the front yard. And Tid-
bit would leap in great bounding deer leaps
trying to fnd it. She would look to me with
her questioning eyes and I would point to
where the ball had landed. I was laughing
so hard at her that I didnt even notice the
cold. That was a good thing since my jacket
was a sweatshirt, and I had no gloves on. At
least for the frst hour I am out in the snow,
I feel warm. It always feels like the earth
has suddenly become a large cocoon when a
snowfall occurs.
Once tidbit would fnd the ball she
would use her nose or paws to keep it roll-
ing in the snow. Shed look up at me with
her muzzle and eyes covered in snow and
then go back to pawing the ball. After a
minute shed bring it back to me, covered in
slobbery ice to throw it again. Sometimes
I would have trouble seeing where the ball
plopped too, and I would have to walk over
to the area and look for the yellow glow, no,
not that kind of yellow glow. Though, I sup-
pose I should have been careful as to where I
was reaching my hand.
I know all the kids are excited at the pros-
pect of not having school tomorrow, Im just
hoping on getting out of our driveway again
to open my shop. Our driveway slopes down-
ward from the street, and there is always the
possibility that the snowplow did a fnal run
and piled another few feet up at the end. Ill
have to shovel, my husband isnt supposed to,
but he has done probably more than he should
over the last two days. I told him he wasnt
allowed, so he got around that by running my
van up and down the driveway clearing a way
out. Well, it did keep my sweet snow devil
occupied for quite a long time.
I wish all of you a happy, and merry
Christmas,
Shelby
Please send comments or ideas to:
shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com.
of an
Aimless

Mind
Wanderings
Snow-Devil Fever
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Contributing Writer
You werent looking. Seriously, you
werent.
You didnt need another pet. The last
one was gone, you put away the toys, and
you were making plans for a little travel.
Cant do that with a pet.
But the Classifeds fell open and
though you werent looking (seriously!),
you saw something in the giveaways. So
much for that: the pet you werent looking
for is now lying at your feet.
If youve ever loved an animal, you
know they have a way of staying in your
heart long after theyre gone. In the book
Citizen Mitten by William Voedisch,
youll read about a man and his cat.
Despite that his mother was asthmatic
and allergic, William Voedisch says that he
grew up with a succession of pets over the
years. But when his father was recovering
from a heart attack, a special cat became
catalyst for Voedischs love of felines.
Many years later, divorced, and liv-
ing in Minneapolis, Voedisch was work-
ing hard and trying to woo a co-worker. It
was she who found the stray they named
Mitten and, to avoid roommate wars, he
brought the cat home.
Though beloved (and certainly in-
dulged), Mitten was a troublemaker. Voe-
disch says that he was a boxer, and would
beat up any dog he didnt like. Mittens
love of fsh once got him in trouble and
into a freezer (Voedisch performed a
middle-of-the-night rescue), and Mitten
was prone to running away when he didnt
like something. He was fond of nursing
Voedisch, and the cat never met ductwork
he didnt like. Still, despite that he could
be a handful, Mitten was Voedischs cat,
completely.
But when we bring home a puppy or
kitten, we assume responsibility for its
care and its dignifed death. And, eventu-
ally, Mitten fell sick
The basic premise of Citizen Mit-
ten is cute. Author William Voedisch
is folksy and his tone is conversational,
which makes reading this book somewhat
like sitting down for an evening with a fel-
low animal lover.
The bad news is that this story rattles
all over the place and its not just about
a cat called Mitten. Voedisch includes
dozens of anecdotes about several dogs,
a horse, other cats, rats, and pets belong-
ing to friends; as well as yarns about pro-
tein drinks, poop, and old radio, many of
which included variations of the words
goof and nut. All that made me won-
der why the book was called Citizen Mit-
ten in the frst place.
What was really irritating to me,
though, was Voedischs use of ever-chang-
ing, multiple nicknames. Though he in-
cludes a Cast of Characters, I spent way
too much time attempting to understand
who he was talking about on any given
page. Im still trying to fgure out the se-
cret identity of the individual named in
the last line of this book.
I think animal lovers (particularly
Cat People) who read Citizen Mitten
and can overlook New-Writer-itis will be
rewarded with a sweetly unpretentious
tale of a man and his family, four-footed
and otherwise. But if you demand slick,
tight reading, look elsewhere.
B
o
o
k
R
e
v
ie
w
Citizen Mitten by William Voedisch
c.2009, East Wind Ink $14.95 / $15.95 Canada 168 pages
The County Times
W
h
a
t
s
For family
and commu-
nity events,
see our cal-
endar in the
community
section on
page 21. In Entertainment
The County Times is always looking for more local talent to feature! To sub-
mit art or entertainment announcements, or band information for our
entertainment section, e-mail andreashiell@countytimes.net.
By Andrea Shiell
Staff Writer
All right, I admit it. I am a bit of a cynic,
and some may even call me a grinch for all my
bah-humbugs, but at heart I relish the holiday
season for its warmth and charm, even as Im
trudging through Wal-Mart and braving long
lines to fnish my Christmas shopping. When
all is said and done, Christmas remains my fa-
vorite holiday.
Its too bad that Christmas movies cant
always live up to the spirit of the holiday itself,
though most try valiantly to capture it. And as
surely as well all be watching Christmas movie
marathons over the next few days, there will be
ample opportunities to refect on Hollywoods
take on the season.
So that is why, for the frst time in my ca-
reer as a critic, Im compiling a list of my own
favorite Christmas flms.
5. Scrooged (1988) Director Richard Donner
and star Bill Murray turned the Dickens clas-
sic Christmas Carol upside down with this
inventive retelling about a miserly television
executive who gets haunted by three obnoxious
spirits on Christmas Eve, all told with a decid-
edly 80s fair.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Dead bats, shrunken heads, and ghoulish
strings of garland makes for a pretty backwards
take on the holiday, as Tim Burtons stop-ani-
mation cult classic tells the story of Jack Skel-
lington, the king of Halloweentown, who dis-
covers Christmas Town and decides to hijack
the holiday without fully grasping the concept.
3. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
(1989) I look on this movie as a cheesy remind-
er that holiday clichs can actually be fun, fol-
lowing the John Hughes saga of the Griswald
familys disastrous Christmas holiday, starring
Chevy Chase, Beverley DAngelo and a very
frosty-looking Juliette Lewis.
2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) AND Its
a Wonderful Life (1946) Of course theres a
place on my list for the classics, and mood more
than anything will decide which of these is bet-
ter during any given season, Miracle being a
3-time Oscar winner about a young lawyer who
decides to defend a man claiming to be Santa
Claus from being institutionalized, and Won-
derful Life, a moving take on a man who tran-
scends his holiday depression. Both deserve
their spot near the top.
1. A Christmas Story (1983) Theres a rea-
son that TBS airs a 24-hour Christmas Story
marathon every year, because its impossible
not to relate to young Ralphie as he schemes to
convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that
an offcial Red Ryder carbine-action two-hun-
dred-shot range model air rife is absolutely
essential to his holiday happiness. This is a
story that touches on all the happiness and hor-
ror of the holidays, and does it with hilarity and
timeless charm.
A Grinchs Guide to
Christmas Movies
Open Blues Jam
Beach Cove (Chesapeake Beach) 8 p.m.
Open Mic Night
Hulas Bungalow (California) 8 p.m.
Thursday, December 24
Big Sale @ Big Dogs
Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) 10
a.m. (all day)
DJ Charlie Thompson
Toots Bar (Hollywood) 7 p.m.
Karaoke On Demand
Cadillac Jacks (Lexington Park) 9 p.m.
Friday, December 25
Christmas Night Party with Bob (the
band)
Hulas Bungalow (California) 9 p.m.
Saturday, December 26
Dave & Kevin
Catamarans (Solomons) 6 p.m.
Fair Warning Irish Pub Band
DB McMillans (California) 6 p.m.
DJ Blacky
Lexington Lounge (Lexington Park) 7
p.m.
DJ Charlie Thompson
DJ Harry
Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville) 8
p.m.
DJ Night w/ Michelle
Veras White Sands Beach Club (Lusby)
8 p.m.
Satin Doll Trio
Westlawn Inn (North Beach) 8 p.m.*
Karaoke with Lori and Band in a Box
Quades Store (Bushwood) 8 p.m.
Bent Nickel
Andersons Bar (Avenue)
8:30 p.m.
Absinthe
Apehangers
Bar (Bel Alton)
9 p.m.
The Changing Scene
Blue Dog Saloon (Port Tobacco) 9 p.m.*
DJ Steadyrockin
Cadillac Jacks (Lexington Park) 9 p.m.
HydraFX
Hotel Charles (Hughesville) 9 p.m.
Karaoke with DJ Tommy T & DJ T
Applebees (California) 9 p.m.
Lords of Rosedale
Memories (Waldorf) 9 p.m.*
Rich Mascari
Debbies Bar & Grill (La Plata) 9 p.m.*
Roadhouse Band
Drift Away Bar & Grill (Cobb Island) 9
p.m.*
Sunday, December 27
Customer Appreciation Day
Fat Boys Country Store (Leonardtown)
12 noon
Sasparilla Band
Veras White Sands Beach Club (Lusby)
2 p.m.
Dans Band
Monday, December 28
(No events scheduled.)
Tuesday, December 29
Fair Warning Irish Pub Band
DB McMillans (California) 6 p.m.
Damion Wolfe
Ruddy Duck Brewery (Solomons) 7
p.m.
Karaoke w/ DJ Harry
Big Dogs Paradise (Mechanicsville)
7:30 p.m.
Open Blues Jam
Beach Cove (Chesapeake Beach) 8 p.m.
*Call to confrm
Email events to andreashiell@county-
times.net. Deadline for submissions is
Monday at 5 p.m.
G
o
i
n
g

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n
The County Times
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briefing of the scope will be
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Exceptions may apply under certain
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WHERE YOUR LEGAL MATTER-MATTERS
Auto Accidents Criminal Domestic
Wills Power of Attorney
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301-870-7111 1-800-279-7545
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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Help Wanted
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to join their group. Must have knowledge of medical
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The County Times
CLUES ACROSS
1. Banishes
5. Singer Mama ____
9. S_____: looked fxedly
14. About organ of hearing
15. Ribosomal ribonucleic acid
16. African antelope
17. Filled chocolate cookie
18. Sparks
19. Domestic helps
20. Michaelangelo ceiling
23. Lingo or slang
24. Before
25. Make lacework
26. South American country
31. Site of chemical spill
35. Gourd instrument
36. Fail to win
37. Copycats
38. In a way, removes
41. Individualists
43. British order of honor
member
45. P___: verse composition
46. Road coating
47. Prohibitions
51. Michaelangelo fresco
55. One who cuts
57. Ex ruler of Iran
58. 2nd husband of Gudrun
59. Condemnation
60. British General
61. Make a portrait of
62. Alleviated
63. Affrmatives
64. Carangid fshes
CLUES DOWN
1. Scornful sounds
2. Aweigh
3. East German city
4. Ivanhoe author
5. About the skull
6. Put in jail
7. 60s college Civil Rights
group
8. Window parts
9. Poster paints
10. Winglike structures
11. Train track
12. Finale
13. Tooth caregiver
21. 9th Greek letter
22. Starch from the cuckoopint
root
27. 1st Islamic republic
28. Back side of the neck
29. Maple genus
30. Catholic service
31. Bulla
32. Israeli dance
33. ex-Miami quarterback
Bernie K____
34. Mexican coin
39. Crossed the threshold
40. Ziplock closure
41. Dog tethers
42. S. American Pokeweed
44. Crummy
45. Canadian capital
48. Opaque gems
49. Oculus
50. Civil rights city in
Alabama
51. ____ the night before
Christmas
52. ____d: shortened clothing
53. Nailed to a horses hoof
54. The hard outer layer of a
fruit
55. One point E of due S
56. Pie ___ mode
e
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W
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k
s

P
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e
s

S
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The County Times
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
As I spent most of this recent
snowstorm weekend indoors, I looked
out my window a couple of times to see
if there were any kids playing football,
I was seriously disappointed to see no
pigskins were tossed around nor were
there any youngsters, weighed down
by snow gear scrambling around the
area in pursuit of said ball.
Stuff happens and times change I
supposed. This recent storm reminded
me of days gone by where my friends
and I drove our parents crazy until
they kicked us out of the house in full
gear and told us not to come back un-
til the sun went down. Once properly
layered, wed make
our way to the near-
est park and play
some of the strang-
est games of football
known to man.
One of my fa-
vorite rules we had
was the thrown punt
rule. Thats what Im
going to call it, be-
cause we never had
an offcial name for it
other than Spot! To
explain this properly,
when it was fourth
down and the situ-
ation usually called
for a long pass, the
quarterback would
call out spot, so in
case the pass fell in-
complete, the other
team would take
over wherever the
ball fell. And frst
downs were marked
either by two ways
10 steps beyond the
line of scrimmage (of
course in the snow,
this led to many an
argument over whos
footprints were the
truest) or two pass
completions.
Along with
playing in a play-
ground which stretch
across two city
blocks out-of-bounds
going from fence
to fence made for
some exciting, long,
t ediousTIRI NG
plays every once in a
while, especially on interceptions and
fumble recoveries.
Even with these crazy rules and
boundaries in place, it was nothing for
us to play fve to six games a day in
the snow, with the scores being some-
where in the 49-42, 63-56 neighbor-
hood. How did we end up with those
scores? Every touchdown was worth
seven points. No kickers in sandlot
football, of course.
As there was nothing else to do
BUT look out of the window this week-
end, I had a grand old time doing just
that and remembering a simpler time.
A time where a snow day still meant
no work to be done and plenty of fun
to be had, and there were no cars to
be dug out of random parking spaces
(thanks to the good maintenance guys
at Cherry Cove who got me out Mon-
day morning). Hopefully everyone
found the time to be a kid again for one
day. After all, snow around here isnt
exactly a regular occurrence.
Holiday Well-Wishes
Of course I couldnt end the last
Sports Desk of 2009 without wishing
all of the readers of the County Times
a safe and happy holiday season as
well as a prosperous new year. See you
all in 2010!
Comments, questions, com-
plaints? Send em all to Chris at
chrisstevens@countytimes.net.
Tues., Dec 29
Southern Maryland Holiday
Basketball Tournament at
Great Mills
Girls
Leonardtown vs. Chopticon, 3 p.m.
La Plata vs. Great Mills, 6 p.m.
Boys
Chopticon vs. Leonardtown, 4:30 p.m.
Walter Johnson vs. Great Mills, 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec 30
Southern Maryland
Holiday Basketball
Tournament at
Great Mills
Girls Consolation Game,
2 p.m.
Boys Consolation Game,
3:30 p.m.
Girls Championship Game, 5 p.m.
Boys Championship Game,
6:30 p.m.
12/29-30/09
F
r
o
m
Th
e
SPORTS
DESK
Snowstorms Were
Meant For Play
Wed., Dec. 16
Boys Basketball
Patuxent 53, Chopticon 50
Northern 53, Great Mills 45
Leonardtown 50,
Huntingtown 48
Girls Basketball
Chopticon 43,
Patuxent 27
Great Mills 44, Northern 42
Huntingtown 48,
Leonardtown 29
Swimming
Boys
Leonardtown 199,
Thomas Stone 69
Leonardtown 162, La Plata 118
Girls
Leonardtown 182,
Thomas Stone 98
Leonardtown 182,
La Plata 97
Thurs., Dec. 17
Wrestling
Leonardtown 68, McDonough 3
Fri., Dec. 18
Boys Basketball
Northern 56, Chopticon 39
Great Mills 54, Leonardtown 51
Girls Basketball
Chopticon 50, Northern 28
Great Mills 34, Leonardtown 22
Ice Hockey
Leonardtown 14, Thomas Stone 4
Northern 9, St. Marys Ryken 0
Swimming
Boys
Great Mills 131, Chopticon 130
Girls
Chopticon 155, Great Mills 103
Womens League
Yellow bus 21-3
Spalding consulting 17-4
R & S Bus Service 18-6
Safe Sets 17- 7
Pine Brooke 12-12
Easy Wash 11-13
Ritas Of solomons 7-17
NBE 4-20
ABC Liquors 1-26

Co-Ed Volleyball
Competitive League
OldeTown Pub 20-7
Trading Post 18-9
Ark N Spark 21-9
Yatch Services 17- 13
Spikers 4-23
Chili Peppers 4-23
Co-Ed Volleyball
Recreational League
Serves You right 26-4
Team Dumpy 22-8
Chespeake custom 22-8
Center For Cosmetic Surgery 20-10
Dicks diggers 20-10
St. MArys Auto 20-10
Dig this 19-11
Spence electrical 14- 16
Block party 10-20
Dirty Half Dozen 9-21
Cbl 8- 22
Well Pet 8-22
Geezer world 8-22
Grid iron grill 4- 26
St. Marys County Recreation
and Parks Volleyball Standings
The County Times
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
St. Marys Ryken senior Ange-
la Sperbeck recently achieved two
dreams with one fell swoop. Aside
from playing NCAA Division I la-
crosse at Jacksonville University,
she will get to spend the next four
years a few minutes away from the
beach.
However, the D-I dream is
the most important of them all for
Spurbeck, who signed an academic
and athletic scholarship to attend
school at the Florida college, who
will be felding its frst varsity team
this spring.
It feels amazing to know that
I accomplished my dream, Sper-
beck said. I knew this was the
right school for me.
Sperbecks success comes as
no surprise to Ryken head coach
Irene Tsapos-Dean, who considers
Angela as an assistant coach on the
feld.
Shes a team player, very ded-
icated to improving her game and
everyone elses, Tsapos-Dean said.
Shes easy to coach, and I am so
proud of her. [Her going to Jackson-
ville] is fantastic.
The Dolphins, members of the
Atlantic Sun Conference, will have
one year of varsity play under their
belts by the time Sperbeck touches
down in Florida, and shes looking
forward to helping the team and
program grow as the years go by.
It will defnitely be interest-
ing to be on the ground foor, she
says. It might be rough, but it will
be fun to be a part of it. I want to
help build the team up.
Along with the excitement of
playing D-I lacrosse for the frst
such program in the state of Flori-
da, location also played a big part in
Sperbecks decision. The beach is
just 20 minutes away, she said with
a smile.
With a lot of colleges (Denver,
Oregon and UC-Berkley to name
a few) to choose from, Sperbecks
main fear was being sure that the
choice she made was a good one.
The toughest part was wor-
rying if I was going to make the
wrong choice, she said. But I
found out at summer camp that this
is where I wanted to go.
chrisstevens@countytimes.net
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) The Baltimore
Ravens are already in playoff mode, even
though the postseason doesnt begin until the
second week in January.
Joe Flacco threw a career-high four
touchdown passes, and the Ravens solidi-
fed their grasp on the sixth and fnal AFC
playoff spot Sunday with a 31-7 win over the
bumbling Chicago Bears.
Flacco acknowledged he was checking
out the scoreboard during the game, and the
crowd hadnt fnished fling out of the sta-
dium before coach John Harbaugh started
looking ahead toward this Sundays game
against the defending champion Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Were going to come out with a new
challenge against our archrivals next week at
their place, Harbaugh said. Theyll be ex-
cited to play us, and well be excited to play
them.
The Ravens (8-6) had alternatingly won
and lost for seven straight weeks, but now
after beating Detroit 48-3 last Sunday they
have their frst winning streak since Septem-
ber. The timing couldnt be better, given that
the game against the Steelers will go a long
way toward determining if Baltimore can get
back to the postseason.
We just took care of business early to-
day, and you know who we have next week,
running back Ray Rice said. Technically,
the playoffs havent started yet. But theyve
defnitely started for us. We just need to keep
going, keep building from here.
In thrashing the Bears, the Ravens led
14-0 after 13 minutes and 31-7 after three
quarters. The victory improved their record
against teams currently with losing records
to 6-0.
The game looked like one team was
playing for something and the other one re-
ally wasnt,Bears coach Lovie Smith said.
Jay Cutler threw three interceptions, up-
ping his NFL-high total to 25, and backup
Caleb Hanie was also picked off. Chicago (5-
9) also lost two fumbles.
Baltimore scored 24 points off
turnovers.
Thats what great teams do, said Ra-
vens cornerback Domonique Foxworth, who
had two interceptions. Good teams get turn-
overs. Great teams convert them.
Chicagos only score came on a 49-yard
punt return by Earl Bennett.
Obviously, the last two games weve
played well, said Ravens tight end Todd
Heap, who caught two TD passes. Defense
made some big plays for us today and we
were able to capitalize. Weve talked about it
over the past few weeks, starting faster. You
can talk about it all you want, but the biggest
thing is you have to do it.
Flacco went 21 for 29 for 234 yards. The
second-year quarterback also had time to no-
tice that two teams chasing the Ravens Mi-
ami and the New York Jets lost.
We need to win games anyway, but
Im not going to lie, Flacco said. I saw the
scores.
Cutler went 10 for 27 for 94 yards. The
Bears have lost six of seven overall and fve
straight on the road.
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
Now, Taelar Errington and Christina Ferrera can
relax. Both girls, rising seniors on the Leonardtown
girls lacrosse team, will be able to focus on their se-
nior seasons as they have signed letters of intent to
play lacrosse in college, Errington headed to the Uni-
versity of Maryland Baltimore County and Ferrera
heading Shepherd University in West Virginia.
Its such a huge decision, where youre going to
be for the next four years of your life, Errington said.
Its a weight off of my shoulders.
It took a lot of college visits,
Ferrera added. It took a lot of decid-
ing, fguring out what was going to be
good for me.
Errington was sold on UMBC af-
ter a visit with new head coach Kelly
Berger that eased her fears about the
coaching change.
I had a feeling it was the right
place, Im very excited about where
shes going to take the program, she
said. Errington was also looking at
Towson, William & Mary, American
and Ohio State before accepting an
athletic and academic scholarship to
UMBC.
Errington, who plans to major in
Kinesiology, says that shes ready for the
challenge of moving from high school
to college both on and off the feld.
I know its going to be different, she said
Im ready to make the transition.
Ferrera meanwhile couldnt resist the oppor-
tunity to get in on the ground foor at Shepherd,
who will play its frst season of womens varsity
lacrosse in the spring.
Its a new team, so theyre still learning and
Im excited, said Ferrera, who plans to major in
athletic training. She was also considering High
Point, Frostburg and Phifer University before de-
ciding on Shepherd, after meeting with new head
coach Tammy Butler, who previously coached
womens lacrosse at St. Marys
College for six seasons.
She was amazing, Fer-
rera said. I can tell she was
going to be my second mom.
Both athletes will look
back on their time at Leonar-
dtown with fond memories of
sports and friendships, memo-
ries they plan to carry with
them to the next level.
Sports in general has
been my favorite part of high
school, Errington admits. I
love getting out there and play-
ing with my best friends.
Ravens Look Ahead to Steelers After Stopping Bears
Leonardtowns Arrington and
Ferrera Sign on for College
Sperbeck
Jacksonville-Bound
Photo By Chris Stevens
Angela Sperbeck proudly signs her letter of intent to play lacrosse at Jack-
sonville University.
Accompanied by her parents and Leonardtown staff, Taelar Errington
signs her letter of intent to play lacrosse at the University of Maryland
Baltimore County.
Christina Ferrera signs her letter of intent to attend Shepherd University.
The County Times
Sp rts
Capital Punishment
By Joseph White
AP Sports Writer
LANDOVER (AP)This was how the New York Giants played when they
were starting 5-0, back when they looked like a solid Super Bowl contender.
The dominant version of the Giants showed itself again Monday night, only
this time as a desperate team clinging to its playoff hopes.
The Giants controlled every facet of the game in a 45-12 rout that wasnt as
close as even that margin of victory would indicate, embarrassing a Washington
Redskins coach and team that failed miserably in an attempt to make a good frst
impression for its new general manager.
We felt we can play at that caliber that we were playing at the beginning
of the year, said Ahmad Bradshaw, who ran for two frst-half touchdowns. We
came out fred up. This was a must-win. I told everybody before we went out: I
need the whole team to come with us. And thats how we played together.
The Giants
(8-6) dont con-
trol their destiny,
but they moved
one game behind
Dallas and Green
Bay in the race for
wild-card spots
with two weeks
remaining in the
regular season. A
loss would have
left New York with
only the faintest of
postseason hopes.
We were
the team that had
more at stake,
obviously and
played that way,
New York coach
Tom Coughlin
said. We always
talk about being
the team that dem-
onstrates greater
purpose. And we
did.
In theory, the
Redskins (4-10)
should have had a
great purposea
desire to put on
a good show for
Bruce Allen, hired
on Thursday in a
major front offce
shake-up. Instead,
they did a good job
of showing Allen
that maybe every-
one ought to be
fred.
Youve got a new boss to impress, cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. This
is an audition. These last couple of games is an audition. Bruce Allen pretty
much got a head start on evaluating talent. If he looks at what he saw today, hell
scrap this whole thing.
Redskins coach Jim Zorn didnt do much to help whatever slim chances
he had of returning next season. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth(notes)
sounded ready to cast a vote for someone else.
I dont think really this team is that bad. The players aint that bad, said
Haynesworth, who drew a personal foul for throwing a haymaker at Brandon
Jacobs in the fourth quarter. The score, the record, [they] say that were horrible,
that we dont know how to play football. But Ive been around these guys a lot
and I think they know how to play football. I think were just all going in differ-
ent directions, and we need somebody to lead us in the right direction.
The Giants marched downfeld at will to take a 24-0 halftime lead. At one
point in the second quarter, they held a 226 to minus-2 advantage in total yards,
a 16-0 dominance in frst downs, and the time of possession gap was roughly 21
minutes to 4 1/2 . The Redskins went three-and-out on their frst three posses-
sions, fnally got a frst down on the fourth, then tried to pull a ridiculous-looking
fake feld goal on the fftha play that produced a Giants interception to end
the half.
Even when the Redskins scored their frst touchdownwith the game al-
ready out of reach in the third quarterthe Giants blocked the extra point.
We ascended tonight, Coughlin said, and we have to continue to do that.
Photo By Frank Marquart
A Redskins cheerleader dances dur-
ing halftime of the Giants 45-12 win
over the Redskins Monday night.
The Giants Hakeem Nicks runs heads
down feld as the Redskins Kareem
Moore looks on.
Jason Campbell passed for 192 yards, but threw two inter-
ceptions as the Giants rolled to a 45-12 win over the Red-
skins Monday night.
The County Times
Sp rts
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
GREAT MILLS When you have a 6-foot-6 center
and a 6-foot-5 forward under the basket, more often than
not coaches will a fnd a way to get them the ball.
Seniors Kamaron Barker and Mykel Harris were the
benefciaries of an intense focus on the paint, scoring 17
and 13 points respectively to lift Great Mills to a 54-51
victory over county rival Leonardtown Friday night.
We really focused on getting the ball inside and we
did a really good job of that, said head coach Frank Peck.
Mykel and Kamaron were very active tonight.
It was good to come out and get a win in this type of
atmosphere, Harris said. It was a total team effort.
In the loss, Leonardtown frst-year head coach Ja-
mie Cospey found no fault with his teams effort, despite
giving up a serious height advantage to Great Mills. Im
very proud of my guys, Great Mills just jumped up on us
too early, he said.
The Hornets, leading 13-12 after the frst quarter,
went on a 13-0 run, capped by a Josh Williams runner
in the lane to stretch their lead to 26-12. Leonardtown,
keyed by senior forward Todderick Daniels (who led all
scorers with 20 points) coming off the bench, closed the
second quarter with a 9-2 spurt of their own to get within
eight points (29-21) at the half.
While Harris took care of the scoring load in the ear-
ly going, Barker scored
seven fourth-quarter
points to keep Great Mills
(3-1 overall, 0-1 in South-
ern Maryland Athletic
Conference play) ahead
to stay.
This was a big
game, it was a statement
not just for SMAC, but
county-wise, said Bark-
er. I think we all did well
in using our strength.
Credit was also given
to the Hornet defense for
playing a major role in the
victory, limiting the Raid-
ers chances offensively.
We issued a chal-
lenge to the guys, and that
was to hold Leonardtown
to four points in the frst
four minutes of the third
quarter, Peck explained.
I thought it was a tre-
mendous effort for four
quarters, especially on
the defensive end. That
was the key tonight.
For Copsey, he felt
that words werent neces-
sary as far as motivating
the troops to move be-
yond this tough setback.
If youre a competi-
tor, youve got to bounce
back, he said. These
guys want to succeed,
so I dont have to say
anything.
chrisstevens@county-
times.net
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
It wasnt a pretty win by any stretch of the imagination,
but Brian Weisner will take it.
Led by senior guard Johnita Bakers nine points, the
Great Mills girls basketball team won their second straight
game, a 34-22 victory over county rival Leonardtown Friday
night that may have been low-scoring, but saw plenty of posi-
tives for the Hornets head coach.
We did a lot of things well, which means were show-
ing improvement, Weisner said after the Hornets evened
their record at 3-3 overall and 1-1 in Southern Maryland Ath-
letic Conference games. We were working as a unit and not
fve individuals.
The Hornets jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the games
frst few minutes, but the Raiders (1-4 overall, 1-3 in SMAC)
closed the frst quarter on a 7-2 run to get within fve. How-
ever, Great Mills held frm for the win, two days after a
pulsating 44-42 win at Northern that saw them rally from a
double-digit defcit in the fourth quarter.
I think that game, trailing by 11 and coming back to
win, was a huge confdence builder, Weisner said. Win-
ning this game was also a step in the right direction.
Tylita Butler and Ashia Joseph also contributed six
points each for Great Mills, while Heather Wood, Dani
McLaughlin and Erin Mallory led Leonardtown with six
points as well.
Both teams, along with Chopticon will have a week-
long Christmas break, then return to action Tuesday at the
annual Southern Maryland Holiday Tournament, hosted by
Great Mills this year. Weisner plans to have his girls ready
for battle.
Were going to have to come back into practice and not
have a drop off, he said. We cant allow ourselves to take
steps backward because we had a break.
Hornet Girls Win Second Straight
Barker and Harris Stand Tall as Great
Mills Edges Leonardtown
Photo By Karl Cin
Photo By Karl Cin
The County Times
1725027
CARROLLS EQUIPMENT
Dameron, MD
301-872-5553
Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm; Sun: 8 - Noon
Sp rts
Santurce, P.R. Universidad Metropoli-
tana was no match for the St. Marys College
of Maryland mens basketball team as the Se-
ahawks (8-2) closed out the Puerto Rico Divi-
sion III Classic with a commanding 71-51 tri-
umph over Metropolitana at Universidad del
Sagrado Corazon Sunday evening.
Senior guard Camontae Griffn (Balti-
more, Md./Dunbar) was the lone Seahawk in
double digits as Griffn tallied a game-high 21
points on 9-of-16 shooting along with three re-
bounds and three assists. Junior guard Alex
Franz (Catonsville, Md./Cardinal Gibbons)
and sophomore forward Brian Grashof (Down-
ingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) each added
nine points while Franz and freshman guard
Chris Hutchinson (Baltimore, Md./New Town)
hauled in a game-best six caroms apiece.
St. Marys pressure defense kept Metro-
politana off balance in all aspects of the game
as UMET shot a mere 29.5% from the foor, in-
cluding a dismal 16.7% from three-point land.
Metropolitana was overpowered on the boards
as well as the Seahawks posted a resounding
55-34 advantage in rebounding. In addition,
the Seahawks ruled the key, pouring in 28
points in the paint.
SMCM controlled the contest from the
opening tip-off, establishing a double-fgure
margin at the 10:32-minute mark as Griffn
snapped a two-minute scoring drought for both
sides with a three-point play. Metropolitana
never staked a claim in the entire game, tying
the score just once at 19:07 as Wesley Gonza-
lezs layup made it 2-2. The Seahawks rolled
to a 34-19 halftime lead.
Jonathan Perez paced UMET with 10
points and a game-best fve steals while Luis
Garcia and Daniel Polanco chipped in eight
points and six boards each.
Eighteen bench points in the second half
helped St. Marys more than double its half-
time advantage as the Seahawks boasted a 64-
30 margin with 8:07 remaining on a layup by
junior guard Joe Smith (College Park, Md./De-
Matha Catholic). Metropolitana forged a 21-7
run to close out the game and lessen the sting
of a 71-51 loss.
St. Marys will hit the court again on
December 28 as the Seahawks face Averett
University at The Car Coop/Weenie Miller
Memorial Holiday Hoops hosted by Hampden-
Sydney College in Virginia. Tip-off is set for
7:00 pm.
Seahawks Finish Puerto Rico
Tournament Unbeaten
Bonnels Big Night Keys Raider
Romp Over Thomas Stone
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
WALDORF With a two-week break in
between games, the Leonardtown ice hockey
team wanted to use its MSHL Southern Divi-
sion with Thomas Stone as a confdence boost-
er going into the new year.
Mission Accomplished.
Led by Gordy Bonnel and Evan Wrights
four-goal outbursts, the Raiders rolled to a 14-
4 victory over Stone Friday night at Capital
Clubhouse, their second straight win against
the Cougars in as many games.
Its big for the newer players because
now theyre not afraid to get hit or take a shot,
said Bonnel, who was one of fve Raider play-
ers to fnd the net Friday night. Were more
confdent now.
I liked the way my kids played, they did
what I asked them to do, said head coach Rob
Barthelmes. Not really much else I can say.
Bonnel and Charlie Yates (who also
notched a hat trick with three goals) wasted
little time putting the Raiders (2-1-1 on the sea-
son) ahead for good as the two combined for
all fve of the Raider tallies in the frst period,
opening up a 5-1 lead.
In the second period, Evan and Nick
Wright accounted for all of the scoring, with
Evan scoring twice and Nick blasting a Yates
pass behind Stone goalie Colin Jackson to
make the score 8-1 with 1:10 left in the period.
Bonnel added his fourth goal less than
two minutes into the fnal period and Evan
Wright tallied his fourth with 4:18 remaining
in the game to account for the fnal margin.
Bonnel led many of the Leonardtown
scoring charges on the evening, as he used his
stick skills to keep the Stone defenders busy.
Its a challenge he says he enjoys.
Whenever I have the puck, teams want to
make me look bad, so it gives me a chance to
score or get my teammates a goal, he says. It
makes me more confdent as well.
Steven Haffner also scored twice and se-
nior goaltender Sean Urlocker stopped 16 shots
for Leonardtown, who will take on cross-town
rival St. Marys Ryken in their next game
Wednesday January 6 at Capital Clubhouse.
Bonnel looks forward to the game, the
only scheduled time these two teams will face
off this season.
They have a couple of good players like
us, so it should be a really good game, he
said.
Rob Barthelmes doesnt plan to change
too much heading into that game.
Its another game, you want to play your
best every game, h said. We dont change what
we do. We try to play to our strengths and take
advantage of the other teams weaknesses.
WEDNESDAY
Decmber 23, 2009
Photo By Karl Cin
Hornets Shut Down Raiders
2010 Could Be an
Anti-Incumbent Year
Page 30
Story Page 5
Oyster Plan Spells
Doom For Watermen
Story Page 6
Tots Get Toys During
a Rough Economy
Story Page 21

2009-12-23

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