2008-04-17-A

Thursday, April 17, 2008 • St. Mary’s County, Maryland
PRSTD STD
US Postage Paid
Permit No. 145
Waldorf, MD
Established 2006 • Volume 3 • Issue 16
St. Mary’s Largest And Only Locally Owned Newspaper 17,122 Readers
Thursday
Sunny
70°
Saturday
Cloudy
71°
Friday
Sunny
77°
Op.-Ed .......... Page A - 4
Obituaries..... Page A - 8
Community... Page B - 3
Police ............ Page B - 5
Classifeds..... PageB-9
For Continual News
Updates
Visit:
somd.com
Inside
Thank You!
P
IN
E
Y POINT LIGHTH
O
U
S
E
County Times
The
Weekly Specials Inside!
Little Sonbeams Preschool
students at the Trinity Lutheran
Church are the newest group of
recyclers to raise money for new
Habitat for Humanity Homes.
Patuxent Habitat for Hu-
manity’s Cans for Habitat pro-
gram uses the proceeds from
aluminum can recycling to build
decent, affordable homes for
people in Southern Maryland.
As part of special Earth Day
activities in April, Preschool
teacher Lisa Jackson will be
teaching her students how re-
cycling aluminum can be good
for the environment and good
for people in need of affordable
housing.
Numerous schools and busi-
nesses in the area have become
involved with Cans for Habitat:
Bannaker Elementary, Carver
Elementary, Green Holly El-
Little Sonbeams Preschool
Helps Cans For Habitat
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
St. Mary’s County Bureau of Crim-
inal Investigations detectives say they
have a suspect they believe is responsi-
ble for the homicide that took the life of
Thomas John Saunders, 38, just before
midnight April 10 on Liberty Street.
Koummane Virasith, 39, a Lexing-
ton Park resident, has been charged
with first-degree murder in Saunders’
death as well as attempted first-degree
murder that left his estranged wife and
Saunders’ girlfriend Melissa Virasith,
40, in critical condition.
Police suspect domestic issues in
the double shooting as the estranged
wife and Saunders had a relationship.
Koummane Virasith is currently being
held on a no bond status at the county
detention center.
According to court documents,
Melissa Virasith had a long-standing
fear of violence and stalking from her
estranged husband.
The estranged wife wrote in a do-
mestic violence civil case logged back
in 2003 that while they were living to-
gether, Koummane Virasith had alleg-
edly struck her, causing her lip to bleed
in the fall of 1999 and had shoved her
while she was pregnant with the last of
her three children that same year.
Her husband would also act out
and smash the television set as well as
punch and damage the walls of their
home, she alleged.
“Koummane has been keeping me
awake at night trying to force himself
on me,” she wrote in the 2003 petition.
“He wants sex and I will not give in to
him.”
Man Charged With Murder
See Recycle page A-
See Homicide page A-9
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
Two men who have worked for
the county school system have been
arrested in as many weeks for sus-
pected sex offenses, either involv-
ing a female student or an underage
female, and the school system’s su-
perintendent says that all employees,
whether hired by the school system
or who come on as volunteers, will
be under greater scrutiny.
“It’s going to happen,” said Su-
perintendent Michael Martirano.
“The safety of our children is the
most important thing we do.”
Martirano said that going over
the backgrounds of all people in-
volved with children in the system,
other than system employees who’ve
already been vetted, would be chal-
lenging but just as necessary.
“It’s a different day and we have
to be vigilant,” Martirano said.
Edward Weiland, head of human
resources for the school system said
the status of part-time or paid volun-
teers working at the school level was
of particular concern.
The latest arrest involved Scott
Strandberg, 24, of Lexington Park,
a former drum line coach for Leon-
ardtown High School. As a paid
volunteer, Weiland said, he was not
Superintendent: School
System Volunteers Will Have
Backgrounds Checked
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
The St. Mary’s County Board
of County Commissioners ap-
proved a program that would have
a contractor traverse the county
and confirm the addresses of res-
idents to shore up inaccuracies
that have plagued the county’s
911 emergency dispatch system
— but it will be without the con-
troversial provision that allowed
photographs of homes.
County government had been
buffeted in recent weeks with
County
Approve’s
911Address
Updating,
Minus
Photography
See 911 Update page A-
Koummane Virasith
School Superintendent Michael Martirano an-
nounced that Mr. Louis Jones has been appointed to
the position of supervisor of food and nutrition ser-
vices in the Division of Supporting Services for St.
Mary’s County Public Schools. He has been working
for the Ft. Myer Dining Facility in Northern Virginia
as a project manager and director of food services, and
his previous experience includes serving as a lead chef
and food services director for the United States Navy.
Jones is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree
in business management from Northwood University.
New Supervisor of Food
and Nutrition Appointed
Braves Top Hornets
They don’t have that lacrosse savvy yet”
-Mike Boyle
Chopticon Lacrosse Coach
“
Three St. Mary’s College of Maryland student
leaders accepted Public Health Hero Awards from the
St. Mary’s County Health Department during National
Public Health Week earlier this month. They received
honors on behalf of the Student Environmental Action
Coalition for their environmental activism on campus.
Erin McDermott, Bonnie Veblen and Shane Hall led
their campus community in initiating and demonstrat-
ing ways to save energy and preserve the environment.
The club hosted several all-campus events that drew
community and media attention to global warming.
For example, the Polar Bear Splash. Dozens of students
dashed in and out of an icy St. Mary’s River in Janu-
ary during Focus the Nation week, a student-driven,
nationwide effort to call attention to climate change.
St. Mary’s College of
Maryland Students
Honored For
Environmental Activism
See School Sex Abuse page A-
The following St. Mary’s County Public School
teachers were nominated for the Work Hard Be Nice
Award for the month of March; Rose Alvey, Julius
Bond, Michelle Carroll, Deborah Conrad, Pat DeCar-
lo, Hope Graham (Ms. Graham has been nominated
twice this month by two different parties), Catherine
Kennedy, Emma Knott, Carolyn Nelson, Mark Smith,
Jessica Williams, and Claudia Wortman.
Work Hard, Be Nice
Little Sonbeams preschool students at Trinity Lutheran Church have been collecting aluminum cans to support
the Habitat for Humanity.
SectionA-
The
County Times Thursday,April17,008
Route 245
Hollywood, MD 20636
301-475-2531
Route 246 & Great Mills Rd.
Lexington Park, MD 20653
301-862-7702
Route 5 & Mohawk Drive
Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
301-884-5636
Wildewood Shopping Center
California, MD 20619
301-866-5702
The Shops at Breton Bay
Leonardtown, MD 20650
301-997-1828
Price Effective Friday, April 18 to Sunday, April 20 2008
Weekend Dinner Specials Fully
Prepared In Our Kitchen
• 1 lb. Mashed Potatoes
• 1 lb. Green Beans
• ½ doz. Fresh Dinner Rolls
• 2 ltr. Coke or Pepsi
W
it
h
G
o
ld
C
a
r
d
$
9
.
9
9
Whole Rotisserie Chicken
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The
County Times Section A -
Burris’ Olde Towne Insurance
You’ll Be Glad You Did.
We snack on Lizards Everyday
ERIE
®
An Independent Agent Representing:
ERIE INSURANCE GROUP
You’ll Be Glad You Did.
Burris’ Olde Towne
Do You Feel Crabby When You Get Your Insurance Bill in the Mail?
Give Us A Call.
You’ll Be Glad You Did.
Burris’ Olde Towne
Insurance
Leonardtown & LaPlata
Bus: (301) 475-31511 • (800) 872-8010
Auto - Home - Business - Life
Bus: (301) 475-31511 • (800) 872-8010
(301) 934-8437 Charles County
www.danburris.com
Leonardtown & LaPlata
Bus: (301) 475-31511 • (800) 872-8010
(301) 934-8437 Charles County
Leonardtown & LaPlata
Bus: (301) 475-31511 • (800) 872-8010
(301) 934-8437 Charles County
Jake Kentz, Donna Burris, Dan Burris,
An Independent Agent Representing:
ERIE INSURANCE GROUP
Jake Kentz, Donna Burris, Dan Burris,
Amy Mayor, Gary Simpson
Jake Kentz, Donna Burris, Dan Burris,
Amy Mayor, Gary Simpson
Jake Kentz, Donna Burris, Dan Burris,
Amy Mayor, Gary Simpson
1634913
Jake Kentz, Donna Burris, Dan Burris,
Amy Mayor, Gary Simpson
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
There are hundreds of stormwater control structures in St. Mary’s County that were built
to protect creeks and streams from the runoff from housing developments.
The Potomac River Association commissioned a study of some of these structures earlier
this year. Almost all of them were neglected and failing to do what they were built to do.
The PRA is sponsoring a one day, three hour workshop to teach citizens how to evaluate
the performance of stormwater control structures. We will use their reports to work with
the county to restore these structures to their intended function.
The workshop will be held April 26 and is free.
There is no more important aspect to environmental protection in Southern
Maryland than controlling runoff from land to water.
For more information, or to register:
[email protected] 301-769-3840
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
A man convicted of con-
spiring to rob a man at a Lex-
ington Park hotel two years
ago got a slightly reduced
sentence last week from Cir-
cuit Court Judge Michael J.
Stamm.
James Williams Waters,
28, of St. Inigoes, received
an 11-year sentence for his
crime suspended down to six
years with four years of su-
pervised probation upon his
release from the department
of corrections.
Waters initially was sen-
tenced to 12 years in prison,
reduced to seven years, for the
conspiracy to rob Anthony
Enriques of a large sum of
money with co-defendants
Jermaine Dyson and Bryan
Carter, court documents
showed.
But Waters did not ini-
tially seek to get a reduced
sentence.
Instead, he was seeking
a new trial because his law-
yer at the time did not advise
him of what making a plea to
conspiracy to commit robbery
meant, according to allega-
tions in court documents fled
by Waters’ attorney.
However, after a bench
conference between Waters’
lawyer Karen Polis, Deputy
State’s Attorney Ted Weiner
and Circuit Court Judge C.
Clarke Raley, who sentenced
Water’s co-defendants, to
discuss the motion it quickly
evaporated.
Raley recused himself
from hearing Waters’ request
for a new trial because of his
depth of knowledge about the
case, but pointedly said Wa-
ters would have won his mo-
tion in Judge Raley’s court.
But that might not have
actually served his interests,
according to the conversation
that transpired between the
three.
“He’s entitled to a new
trial,” Judge Raley said. “If
the case were before me he’d
win.”
Weiner said the state
wanted to take another crack
at Waters’ involvement in the
robbery.
“My admonition to Mr.
Waters and his lawyer is be
careful what you seek,” Wein-
er said. “There’s a good case
against Waters.”
Dyson, Waters’ co-de-
fendant, who plead guilty to
numerous charges including
robbery, armed robbery, frst-
degree assault and the use of a
handgun in the commission of
a felony, was sentenced to 70
years in prison.
Carter pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to commit robbery
and was given an 18-month
sentence in the county deten-
tion center with three years of
probation upon release.
According to court docu-
ments, Waters, Dyson and
Carter conspired with a wom-
an named Christina Beggs
to lure Enriques out of the
Hampton Inn in Lexington
Park, where he was staying
the night with her the night of
Jan. 4, 2006.
Beggs found out that
Enriques had a large amount
of cash on him, court docu-
ments state, and made a cell
phone call to set the robbery
in motion.
Enriques, according to
court documents, went down a
motel stairwell to open a back
door at Beggs request, osten-
sibly to let her mother in.
At that time, court docu-
ments state, Beggs ran out the
door and let the three men in,
whereupon Dyson used a gun
to strike and threaten Enriques
to give up his money.
Court documents state
that Waters admitted to be-
ing in the location where the
robbery took place but not to
actually participating in it.
According to court docu-
ments, Enriques would have
testifed, however, that he was
assaulted by all three men
who entered the stairwell.
Beggs, who wrote a let-
ter to Judge Stamm in 2006,
which was included in the
case fle, begging for leni-
ency for Waters, said he did
not know what he was getting
involved in that night.
“Biggs was the one who
got the sweetheart deal,”
Judge Raley said from the
bench. “I always thought she
was the chief operator.”
Waters withdrew his mo-
tion of post conviction relief
with prejudice.
Man Convicted Of Conspiracy
To Rob Gets Reduced Sentence
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
When detectives in the
St. Mary’s County Bureau
of Criminal Investigations
get promoted, the next step
usually involves emptying
their desks as a detective and
moving on to a supervisory
position.
But Lt. Rick Burris, com-
mander of the county’s com-
bined sheriff’s deputy and
state trooper bureau assigned
to solve major cases, said they
are looking for ways to change
that.
“It’s something we’re
discussing in-house,” Bur-
ris said. “It may simply be a
promotional ladder within the
special units.
“We want to see if that’s
feasible.”
Burris just lost three ex-
perienced and effective inves-
tigators to promotion, all state
troopers who made the rank
of corporal and moved on to
other assignments.
He got two incoming de-
tectives from patrol ranks, but
is still one investigator short,
he said.
“When you lose three
experienced detectives it’s a
big loss,” Burris said. “We’re
down one detective.”
In a small group like
BCI, which is already work-
ing plenty of overtime, Burris
said, a small number of people
leaving means big changes.
Sheriff Timothy K. Cam-
eron is supportive of the idea,
but said that kind of change
would need support from the
county.
“It takes money,” Cam-
eron told The County Times.
“This year wasn’t a good year
to approach that and next year
probably won’t be either.”
The side of BCI that han-
dles criminal investigations
has 10 detectives. In the Vice/
Narcotics division, Burris
would not say how many de-
tectives were active, but said
they are shorthanded as well.
Despite a heavy work-
load, BCI has managed to
have a case closure rate of
about 95 percent.
To keep up with the bur-
geoning number of cases,
BCI has been reorganized
into teams of detectives who
tackle and focus on different
kinds of crime like violent
crime, sex offense investiga-
tion, and burglaries and prop-
erty crimes, Burris said.
It helps, he added, but the
workload is still heavy.
“We could double our
personnel today and still keep
them very busy,” Burris said.
With all the investment
in specialized training and
street time investigators
earned while being detectives
for several years, it would
be a shame to lose them just
because of a promotion if
they did not want to leave
that specialty, Cameron said.
“That’s somewhat dysfunc-
tional,” he added.
Sheriff’s Offce Looking
To Keep Detectives
After Promotion
Advertise Your
Business!
Call us today to start
making your
advertising campaign
a success.
(301) 373-4125
Call us today to start
making your
advertising campaign
a success.
(301) 373-4125
We are at your service with:
n A professional sales team n Creative ad design service
n Competitive rates n A community service oriented publication
Reaching 17,122
households
countywide weekly
on Tursdays.
SectionA-
The
County Times Thursday,April17,2008
Editorial&Opinion
LetterstotheEditor
Ifyouwishtosendalettertotheeditor,pleaseincludeyourname,addressand
phone number for confrmation purposes. We will only publish your name and city of
residence. We can withhold your name by request if circumstances merit it. We must
receive all letters by Monday morning for publication in the next issue. Any letter re-
ceived later than Monday will be held for the following issue.
P.O.Box250•Hollywood,Maryland20636
News, advertising, circulation, classifeds: 301-373-4125
JamesManningMcKay-Publisher
Tobie Pulliam - Offce [email protected]
AndreaShiell-GovernmentCorrespondent......andreashiell@countytimes.net
ChrisStevens-SportsCorrespondent.............. [email protected]
GuyLeonard-CommunityCorrespondent................guyleonard@countytimes.net
KaraFernald-AdvertisingRep...........................karafernald@countytimes.net
BarbaraSpray-AdvertisingRep......................barbaraspray@countytimes.net
Doyouhavesomethingtosay?
Wouldlikeyourvoicetobeheard?
Send us a letter telling us what’s on your mind!
Send to:
The County Times
P.O.Box250•Hollywood,MD20636
Makesureyouincludeyourname,phone#andthecityyoulivein.
Wewillnotpublishyourphone#,onlyyournameandcity
E-mail letters to: [email protected]
The County Times
We are at your service with:
- Aprofessionalsalesteam

- Creativeaddesignservices
- Competitiverates
- Acommunityserviceorient-
edpublication
Call us today
to start making
your advertising campaign
a success.
(301) 373-4125
TotheEditor,
Duringthepastweek,ourcom-
munity, schools, students, and staff
werevictimtotwoveryunfortunate
incidentsinvolvingatemporarystaff
member and school volunteer. I was
very disheartened over the news of
both events. As Superintendent of
St. Mary’s County Public Schools, I
understandtheneedandimportance
of publicly addressing the concerns
of the community when events of
this nature occur. We hear news
weekly of similar events occur-
ringaroundthenationandinmany
different parts of our state. There
have been, and continue to be, far
too many reports of school-related
incidents of crime occurring in our
nation every year. The safety and se-
curityofourstudentsandstaffisthe
highest priority of St. Mary’s County
Public Schools. I want to assure all
inourcommunityandagainempha-
size that nothing is more important
to me and our school staff members.
We have and will continue to do all
wecantomakeourschoolssafeand
securelearningenvironmentswhere
our children can grow and learn.
We continually emphasize the
importanceofsafetyandsecurityin
our schools by maintaining and ex-
panding our current efforts through
the implementation of several new
initiatives. Many members of our
communityareawareandhaveseen
the proactive steps we have under-
taken to protect our students. You
may in fact have noticed when vis-
iting one of our schools the use of
technologytoenhanceschoolvisitor
registration or improvements to the
entranceofaschoolbyaddingves-
tibule security measures to public
entrances. Many of our schools are
equipped with state of the art secu-
ritycamerasystems,andplanshave
been developed to install security
cameras in all of our schools. Our
schoolstaffmembersareawareand
areconstantlymindfuloftheimpor-
tance of monitoring the security of
exterior doors and windows. We con-
tinually monitor public information
sources to include the national and
statesexoffenderregistriestracking
any offenders in our school district.
School staff members receive im-
mediate notifcation regarding any
knownoffenderslivingintheareaof
their school. Our school staff mem-
bers undergo extensive background
screenings,andwearecurrentlyde-
veloping plans to require increased
levels of background screening for
all school-based volunteers. Once
staff is hired, they are required on an
annual basis, to participate in Child
Abuse/Sexual Harassment (CASH)
Training. We have established for-
malcommunitypartnershipsfocus-
ing on the safety of our students to
include the school resource offcer
program with the Sheriff’s Offce
and our formal community-based
Superintendent’s Safety and Secu-
rity Advisory Committee. During
thepastyear,weestablishedthepo-
sition of coordinator of safety and
security within our school system.
This has provided our schools with
a dedicated resource focusing daily
on the coordination and enhance-
mentofallschoolsafetyandsecurity
initiatives.
As I have stated before, I recog-
nize how essential community sup-
portisinallthatwestrivetodoasa
school system. Protecting our chil-
drenandensuringthesecurityofour
schoolsisnotsomethingthatwecan
do alone. We need and continually
seek the support of our entire com-
munity in our efforts to make our
schoolsthesafestplaceforanystu-
dent. The commitment of our staff,
students, parents/guardians, and car-
ingcommunitymemberscontribute
greatly to our current and future
success. Together, we have and will
continue to make St. Mary’s County
Public Schools safe and secure, en-
ablingallofourchildrentolearnand
grow. We must do everything that
we can to keep our children safe.
-Michael J. Martirano, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
St. Mary’s County Public
Schools
By Kate Elizabeth Queram
Capital News Service
The 2008 Maryland leg-
islative session kicked off
with optimistic rallies and
press conferences to sup-
portaslewofbillsdesigned
to help the state’s environ-
ment, including addressing
climate change and allocat-
ing money to clean up the
Chesapeake Bay, among
other things.
Though some of the bills
passed,thesessionendedup
beingamixedbagforenvi-
ronmentalists, who saw the
climate change legislation
dieincommitteeonthelast
dayandthelanguageofoth-
erbillsweakenedintheface
of tough economic times
and concerns from busi-
nesses and citizens alike.
The Global Warming
Solutions Act would have
taken one of the nation’s
most aggressive stances on
climate change, requiring
Maryland to cut 2006 levels
of carbon emissions by 25
percent by 2020. But lobby-
ists and industrial workers
argued that high-emission
steelmillsandpowerplants
would be targeted for clo-
sure as a result - concerns
that activists failed to as-
suage in the fnal hours of
the session.
“Itjustticksmeoff,”said
Brad Heavner, state director
of Environment Maryland.
“The global warming bill
was a very reasonable thing.
It was made into a lot of
stuff that it wasn’t. The bot-
tomlineisthatthelobbyists
pouncedonthatbilllikean
infestation of rats.”
In spite of such set-
backs, activists said this
sessionmightbethebeston
record for the environment.
Previously, 2007’s session
washeraldedasthe“yearof
theenvironment,”duetothe
passage of the Clean Cars
Act, Program Open Space,
and stormwater manage-
ment legislation.
Butmorebillssucceed-
ed this year than in 2007, in-
cluding a measure requiring
certain public school and
state-fundedbuildingstobe
constructed using environ-
mentally-friendly practices,
one that increases critical
area buffer zones, and a
piece of legislation that al-
locates a $25 million Chesa-
peake Bay Trust Fund.
Though supporters
lauded the passage of the
bills, the majority of the
legislation changed shape
during the session as a re-
sultofamendmentsandcuts
to the budget.
The bay trust fund, for
example, was established
during November’s special
session as a $50 million an-
nual payout to help reduce
non-point source pollution
inthebay-thatis,thetype
of runoff that can’t be traced
toonesource,likeadrainor
power plant.
But mid-session, the
state’s projected revenue
dropped by $333 million
and the budget suffered se-
verecuts,includinghalving
theannualtrustfundforits
frst two years.
Still, political analysts
said that passing any en-
vironmental legislation in
times of fnancial strife is
an accomplishment.
“I think it was a good
sessionfortheenvironment,
consideringthefactthatthe
revenue projections were
about$333milliontoohigh,
and especially considering
the fact that we’re in a pe-
riod of fnancial stringency
whereenvironmentalissues
don’t typically fourish,”
said Matthew Crenson, pro-
fessor emeritus of political
science at Johns Hopkins
University.
Environmental activ-
ists agreed, saying that
legislation always chang-
es throughout the course
of the session and such
shifts should not be inter-
preted as hits against the
environment.
“I think it’s pretty nor-
mal in a legislative session
to start off with a bill you
think is perfect and, you
know, the art of compro-
mise is coming out with
a strong bill,” said Cindy
Schwartz, executive direc-
toroftheMarylandLeague
of Conservation Voters. “If
thebillswerenotstrongwe
would not be supporting
them.”
A spokesman for
Gov. Martin O’Malley
concurred.
“What’s impor-
tant to remember
is whatever dollars
are allocated to the
Chesapeake Bay
Trust Fund are dol-
lars that were not
there last year,” said Rick
Abbruzzese. “We’re mak-
ing progress.”
Other bills underwent
cuts that fell outside the
reach of budgetary con-
cerns, including a measure
that increased the amount
of undeveloped space nec-
essary between construc-
tion projects and Chesa-
peake Bay waters. The bill
had little or no fscal impact
and instead changed after
debate between legislators,
activists and citizens.
“On one hand, it’s the
frst update of the criti-
cal areas law in 25 years,”
said Delegate Tom Hucker,
D-Montgomery, who ex-
pressed frustration about
thetendencyforlawmakers
to want to please everyone
before going forward with
legislation. “But the culture
on things like the global
warming bill and the criti-
cal areas bill is that every-
bodyhastobeatthetableor
we can’t pass the bill.”
The critical areas bill
originallytripledthecurrent
100-foot buffer, which is
designed to drain pollution
runoff from construction
sitesbeforeithitsthewater,
butsponsorsandsupporters
eventually settled for a 200-
foot buffer after protests
from area homeowners.
“We believe in things
like property rights on the
Eastern Shore,” said Sen.
Richard F. Colburn, R-
Dorchester, who opposed
the bill in its original form.
“We believe that they’re
guaranteed in the U.S. Con-
stitution, so when you in-
creasethebufferzonefrom
100 to 300 feet, you’re tak-
ing people’s lands away.”
Despite the changes
made to their bills, the en-
vironmental community
maintained that for them,
thesessioncouldbethemost
successful in Maryland’s
history. This is partly at-
tributed to O’Malley’s repu-
tation as a green politician.
“He’s proving himself
to be an environmental ac-
tivist,” said Crenson. “What
he’s doing in the process
is sort of shifting attention
from budget and expendi-
ture reductions, which are
never popular, to environ-
mental issues, which are
more popular. And I think
he was successful in doing
so.”
SuccessofEnvironmentalLegislation
MixedinToughEconomicTimes
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The
County Times Section A -
By Guy Leonard
Staff Writer
The St. Mary’s County
Board of County Commis-
sioners may soon make a
decision whether to support
the resurrection of a de-
funct, state supported en-
tity that aids residents get
job training and education.
The support of the St.
Mary’s commissioners is
needed, along with support
form commissioners in
Charles and Calvert coun-
ties to restart the failed
Workforce Investment
Boards (WIB) that oper-
ate in every region of the
state except in Southern
Maryland.
Andy Moser, as as-
sistant workforce division
secretary with the state’s
Department of Labor, Li-
censing and Regulations,
said that in the past the
WIB failed in the region
because of state cutbacks
as a cost saving measure.
“That’s not the case
anymore,” Moser told the
commissioners. “Local
communities know what
issues there are regarding
their workforce.”
The WIB would be re-
formed by the Tri-County
Council and would report
to the council’s executive
board on progress of ob-
taining grant money, much
of it from the federal gov-
ernment, to facilitate train-
ing and education for the
county workforce.
The formation of a
WIB would also facilitate
the release of $2 million
in grant funding from the
U.S. Department of La-
bor for the popular STEM
(Science, Technology and
Mathematics) program cur-
rently working with county
public schools.
The department won’t
release the money, howev-
er, unless there is a WIB in
place to provide oversight
for the money, Moser said.
Commissioner Daniel
H. Raley (D-Great Mills)
said that the program, when
it did not have proper state
support, “was a disaster”
because the county did not
receive all of the benefits it
should have.
But Moser said that
with the Tri-County Coun-
cil at the helm and with the
full support of Gov. Mar-
tin O’Malley the program
would benefit St. Mary’s
and the rest of the region.
“It’s a win-win,” Moser
said.
Commissioner Thomas
Mattingly (D-Leonard-
town) said that the resur-
rection might be beneficial
to the county, though he
hadn’t made a decision as
to whether or not he would
support it.
“It certainly has the op-
portunity for federal funds
for job training,” Mat-
tingly said. “It could cre-
ate better services with less
administration.”
The commissioners
could vote on whether to
support the program at next
week’s meeting April 22.
Ramblings of a Country Girl
Cell Phones
40 Water Slips • 6 Covered Slips • Boat Lift Slips • Jet Ski Docks • Dry
Storage • Pump Out • Boat Ramp • Picnic Area • Bathrooms/Showers
Combs Creek Marina LLC
Owner Joyce McComas
21670 Joe Hazel Road • Leonardtown, Maryland 20650
Bus: 301-475-2017 • Fax: 301-475-8215
OPEN HOUSE April 26th, 2008
11:00 - 4:00pm
Credit Cards Accepted
SIGN UP FOR THE
SEASON AND RECEIVE
1st MONTH’S HALF OFF! Come See Our Vendors
Terri Bartz Bowles
Cell phones are one of
those pervasive items that are
both a blessing and a curse.
They’re convenient and easy
and are great time-savers.
They are wonderful for emer-
gencies and for traveling. You
can be connected just about
any time and any place you
want to be. If you’re lost, you
can call and get directions or
use your GPS phone for driv-
ing directions. If you’re run-
ning late, you can call and
let those at your destination
know so they won’t be wor-
ried or mad. If you need to
make last minute schedule
changes, you can do so. At
the grocery store, you can call
home and see if there’s any-
thing else needed while you’re
right there.
And cell phones have
made conducting business
easier and more effcient.
From truck drivers to sales-
men, the cell phone has made
it so much more convenient
and effcient to conduct daily
operations. Thank goodness
for the wireless audio devices.
I fnally got one and I love it!
It’s much safer and it’s easy to
use. I can catch up on person-
al phone calls while driving
or call ahead and fnd out if a
meeting has changed or leave
myself a voice mail of some-
thing I remembered while
tooling along. I do that a lot,
voice mail is another great
tool. I also use it to chat with
my mom when I’m cleaning
house. We can catch up and
I can get the dreaded dusting
done at the same time.
These are all the
upsides to cell phones. The
downside is that you can be
tracked down like a dog at
any time, in any place. I know
what you’re thinking, don’t an-
swer it. I agree, just because
it’s ringing doesn’t mean you
have to answer it. But aren’t
most of us compelled by some
inner magneto to answer?
“Must answer phone, must
answer phone.” So, you turn
it off and then someone says
later that they tried to call and
ask you if you wanted them to
pick up something for you or
do some other favor and you
wished you had left the phone
on! Some people are slaves to
their phones and will answer
them and carry on conversa-
tions no matter where they are
or what they are doing.
It’s terribly rude, I
think, to be interacting with
someone and take a call,
make a call or continue a call.
If you’re in line at the grocery
store, can’t you stay off the
line for a few minutes while
you deal with the cashier?
How rude if the cashier is try-
ing to greet you and be pleas-
ant and you’re yakking away,
ignoring him/her like they’re
some sort of machine. Use
the self check-out or get off
the phone for three minutes.
And heaven forbid if you need
to engage in a conversation
with a clerk or someone and
they’re trying to assist you
and you’re trying to carry on
a three-way conversation. No-
body is that important to be
that rude; you’re being rude to
both of the people you’re deal-
ing with. Human interaction
is valuable and important and
at least a small amount of ef-
fort should be attached to it.
We’ve all been in a
restaurant when some rude
person at another table initiates
or takes a call and proceeds to
yak on their cell phone, oblivi-
ous to the effect on nearby
diners. And most of the time,
the yakker is not alone, there
are others at the table, so the
yakker is being rude to people
one supposes they wished to
spend time with. Recently,
I was subjected to one of the
rudest examples of restau-
rant-cell phone usage ever. I
was with a group from work
and we were having a farewell
luncheon. We were seated at a
long table in a busy and crowd-
ed restaurant. It was all going
very nicely and we were en-
joying ourselves. Two people
were seated at the table next to
us and before long, we could
hear a loud voice. We looked
around and couldn’t quite fg-
ure it out at frst. But then all
became clear. These two folks
had a cell phone on the table
between them and it was on
SPEAKER PHONE! I’m not
kidding, they were broadcast-
ing their conversation and at
least 2 dozen people could
hear it. We could barely talk
to each other at our table and
be heard by one another. We
could hear the speaker phone
conversation so well, the
obligatory gift presentation at
our table was drowned out by
it. How thoughtless these two
were; they disrupted the lunch
of quite a few people and just
didn’t care.
Cell phones aren’t
the issue, of course. Like
everything else, it’s not the
inanimate object, it’s how we
handle it. And if we can’t say
that basic courtesy and human
kindness is important, we’re
in sad shape.
You can email the Coun-
try Girl at countrygirlram-
[email protected]

Emily Finch
Contributing Writer
Up to this point, we have seen one place
to eat, three parks, seven farms, three art gal-
leries, one garden and two other special attrac-
tions from Annapolis to Brandywine. This last
part of the Turnbuckle Hop from the Southern
Maryland Trails Guidebook encompasses sev-
en stops from Clinton to Edgewater.
We will begin in Clinton at Clearwater
Nature Center in Cosca Regional Park. This
wonderful nature haven has live animal ex-
hibits, nature displays, a rock-cutting lab and
seasonal herb and butterfy gardens. The park
naturalists see education as the key at Clear-
water and offer special events and demonstra-
tions, many times with live animals. The next
event will be a butterfy gardening workshop
on April 20
th
where participants will receive a
butterfy appropriate plant for their own gar-
den. Clearwater Nature Center is open seven
days a week year-round. Call 301-297-4575 for
more information.
Head east to Upper Marlboro to visit Ro-
saryville State Park. Here, visitors can roam
the 982 acres of forests, wetlands and felds.
There are 10 miles of trails that wind through
the vegetation, great for hiking, birding-
watching, horseback riding, biking, or just a
quiet stroll. The park is open during daylight
hours year-round. For more information call
301-888-1410.
If that hasn’t been enough nature and edu-
cation for you, our next stop can surely fulfll
your need. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in
Lothian is dedicated to environmental educa-
tion, encompassing a trail of its own through
low marsh, high march and swamp. This trail,
The Railroad Bed Trail was once the Chesa-
peake Beach Railway. Also observe the wild
rice that grows in the estuary and the Sora Rail
bird, which lives among the plants. The Sanc-
tuary is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sun-
day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. February through
November. Call 410-741-9330 for more
information.
Also in Lothian, you’ll fnd Greenstreet
Growers, Inc. on West Bay Front Road.
Known for their extensive selection of plants,
Greenstreet Growers is a working farm and
blooming garden and landscape center. Visi-
tors can tour the 160,000 square foot state-of-
the-art greenhouse on the premises. Get the
whole family involved in the garden this year:
Visit owner Ray Greenstreet with his wife and
children at Greenstreet Growers, Inc., who
open doors at 9 a.m. every morning. For more
information call 410-867-9500.
Up in Tracy’s Landing, Herrington Har-
bour North Historic Village is tucked away
into a marina. The quaint village includes nine
structures that have been moved from various
sites in the area, creating a new 19
th
century
town including a school, farmhouse, residence,
slave house ad outhouse. The Village is open
to visitors daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 410-
867-4343 for more information.
Further up the Chesapeake in Shady Side
sits the Captain Salem Avery House Museum.
This great tribute to the watermen who helped
shape this area so much, boasts displays and
exhibits exploring the life of watermen and
the seasons of the Chesapeake. The historic
home once belonged to Long Island fsherman
Captain Salem Avery. The next special event
will be held on April 27
th
when the Fishing,
Family and Fun exhibit opens. The museum is
open Sundays only from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., April
through December. For more information call
410-867-4486.
The last stop of the Turnbuckle Hop is His-
toric London Town and the Gardens in Edge-
water. The town faded into history after the
tobacco industry and slave trading business
were not such prominent trades. Here, today,
visitors can see the brick mansion built in the
early 1700’s, on-going archaeological digs, re-
created buildings of the period, beautiful his-
toric gardens and costumed docents. On site,
there are also 12 acres of botanical gardens and
an ornamentals garden. This glimpse into the
past is open year-round Tuesday through Sun-
day. Call 410-222-1919 for more information.
With the conclusion of the Turnbuckle Hop
trail from the Southern Maryland Trails Guide-
book, be sure to check out next weeks article
for more history about our area as we celebrate
the anniversary of Maryland’s statehood.
For more information on this trail or other
trails in Southern Maryland, visit www.som-
dtrails.com or pick up your own copy of the
Southern Maryland Trails Guidebook at any
community or government building.
Southern Maryland Trails
Turnbuckle Hop Part 3
State, Tri-County Council Pitches Reactivating
Workforce Board To County
St . Mar y’s Ci t y
St. Mary's City
DATE HI GH LOW HI GH LOW
Fri. April 18 1: 09 a. m. 7: 33 a. m. 1: 35 p. m. 7: 39 p. m.
Sat . April 19 1: 52 a. m. 8: 19 a. m. 2: 19 p. m. 8: 18 p. m.
Sun. April 20 2: 31 a. m. 9: 03 a. m. 3: 01 p. m. 8: 53 p. m.
Mon. April 21 3: 08 a. m. 9: 44 a. m. 3: 42 p. m. 9: 26 p. m.
Tue. April 22 3: 42 a. m. 10: 23 a. m. 4: 20 p. m. 9: 57 p. m.
Wed. April 23 4: 15 a. m. 10: 59 p. m. 4: 58 p. m. 10: 30 p. m.
Thu. April 24 4: 48 a. m. 11: 33 a. m. 5: 36 p. m. 11: 07 p. m.
LOCATI ON HI GH LOW
Bret on Bay "+ 31 min. " "+ 29 min. "
Bushwood Wharf "+ 45 min. " "+ 45 min. "
Colt on' s Point "+ 50 min. " "+ 24 min. "
Point Lookout "- 28 min. " "- 7 min. "
Piney Point "+ 9 min. " "- 8 min. "
Wicomico Beach "+ 58 min. " "+ 63 min. "
Solomons I sland "+ 13 min. " "+ 37 min. "
SectionA-
The
County Times Thursday,April17,2008
complaints form citizens
overtheirprivacyoncethey
learnedoftheprogram.
Themeasurepassedby
a 3-to-2 vote, with County
Commissioners Lawrence
Jarboe and Kenneth De-
ment, both Republicans,
opposingthemeasure.
Jarboe lamented that
the $400,000 grant from
thestatetobeusedforim-
proving 911 services could
be better used outside of
theprogram.
Dementsaidhe“wasn’t
happy” with the options
before the commission
that would have supported
the program; he supported
a motion from Jarboe to
cancel the contract, but it
failed.
Commissioner Daniel
H. Raley (D-Great Mills)
supportedthemeasure,but
admitted that they should
have taken in community
concernsmoreseriously.
“There have been sev-
eralmisstepsbuttheywere
notintentional,”Raleysaid.
“We underestimated about
how much our citizens are
concerned about
theirprivacy.
“We should
have picked up
onthat.”
Raley,alongwithCoun-
ty Commissioner President
Francis Jack Russell and
Commissioner Thomas
Mattingly, the other two
Democrats who made up
the three votes to pass the
measure, said that the con-
tractorshouldstayoncoun-
ty and state roads in doing
the assessment and should
not even have a camera in
thecar.
Once the program was
underway, Raley said, “60
to 65 percent of the prob-
lems[with911directoryin-
accuracies]canbesolved.”
Mattingly, himself a
volunteer firefighter, said
the program would be a
great benefit to public
safety.
“County government
has the responsibility to
provide for the public
safety and welfare of its
citizens,” Mattingly said.
“Thisisaproactivewayto
correctproblemswe’vehad
foryears.”
Barbara Blades
Realtor®
(240) 925-1587
Find Your
HOME SWEET
HOME.
Call Barbara Blades Today!
New Mi l l enni um
D
i a
m
o
n
d

A
w
a
r d
W
i n
n
e
r
a
n
d
C
e
n
t u
ri o
n
B
A
R
B
A
R
A B
L
A
D
E
S
T
O
P
P
R
O
D
U
C
E
R
2
3
0
6
3
T
h
ree
Notch Road Californ
ia
,
M
D
2
0
6
1
9
P: (301) 862-2169 • F: (301) 862-2179
Toll-Free: (800) 638-7734
45092 Lighthouse Rd
Piney Point, Md 20674
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 3/ 0
Feel like you are
on a permanent
vacation while at home.
Spectacular sunrises in your front
yard and sunsets in the back.
Backs to Piney Point Creek and
has water on both sides. 2 jet ski
lifts and one boat lift with water
and electric to pier. Beautiful ga-
zebo on beach side with spiral stair
case. Smart home wired through
out home and many special
touches throughout.
$769,000
ML#: SM6641633
45105 Mill Creek Way,
Hollywood, Md 20636
$1,499,999
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 3/ 1
Look no more, there is no other
dream home to be found.
Waterfront custom built with
so many extra touches.
Including gourmet kitchen
with 2 dishwashers, granite, 3
freplaces, small bonus kitch-
enette in master suite, heated
tiled foors in master bath with
custom cabinets, fnished base-
ment, hardwood foors and 2
story river rock, 3 zone energy
heat pumps, extensive upgraded
molding. More, more and more.
ML#: SM6658847
46698 Sandalwood St,
Lexington Park, Md 20653
New Granite Countertops
$374,900
ML#: SM6491777
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 2/ 1
Extra Lot Included
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 3/ 0
Just Reduced
BR/ FB/ HB: 3/ 3/ 0
Builders Model
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 2/ 1
Unbeatable Privacy
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 2/ 1
Move In Ready
BR/ FB/ HB: 5/ 2/ 1
2.2 Acres
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 3/ 1
Heaven in Hanover at Breton Bay!
BR/ FB/ HB: 4/ 3/ 0
22990 Gunston Dr,
Lexington Park, Md 20653
23103 Hayden Ct,
Lexington Park, Md 20653
21665 Thistle Pl,
Lexington Park, Md 20653
22305 Hanover Dr,
Leonardtown, Md 20650
21971 Arrowhead Ln,
California, Md 20619
41870 Tomey Ct,
Leonardtown, Md 20650
47770 Wickshire Dr,
Lexington Park, Md 20653
ML#: SM6712751 ML#: SM6385693 ML#: SM6720920
ML#: SM6695749 ML#: SM6713770 ML#: SM6501742 ML#: SM6694269
$339,900 $359,000 $369,000
$449,000 $496,500
$432,000
$419,900
Wh|ten your teeth and he|p a ch||d.
Deep|y D|scounted, Profess|ona| 5m||e Wh|ten|ng
w|th Proceeds to k|ds' Char|t|es.
How often dc ycu get a cnance tc dc scmetn|ng wcnderfu| and easy fcr ycurse|f, and make a d|f
ference |n scmeocdy e|ses ||fe at tne same t|me? |eres a cnance. Varcn tnru June, Crcwn Ccunc||*
dent|sts dcnate tne|r t|me, 0|scus 0enta| dcnates tne wn|ten|ng mater|a|s, your sm||e |s prcfess|cn
a||y wn|tened at a deep|y d|sccunted fee (dcnat|cn), and ser|cus|y |||, d|sao|ed, and underpr|v||eged
cn||dren |n your ccmmun|ty (and arcund tne wcr|d) get |00% of the money. Y£5, |T'5 WAY COOL.
Ca|| tcday tc scnedu|e an appc|ntment| 3ecause tnere are k|ds wa|t|ng fcr ycu tc wn|ten ycur sm||e|
|5 mON£Y A L|TTL£ T|GHT, ßUT YOU'D 5T|LL L|k£ TO WH|T£N AND DONAT£7 Nc prco|em|
We can eas||y set up a $30 per mcntn autcmat|c cnarge tc ycur cneck|ng acccunt Ò|
cred|t card. Ask tne dent|st fcr deta||s|
*Tne Crcwn Ccunc|| |s an a|||ance cf |ead|ngedge denta| teams tnrcugncut tne US and Canada tnat are strcng|y ccmm|tted tc prcmct|ng cra| nea|tn, f|gnt|ng cra| cancer and serv|ng tne|r ccmmun|t|es tnrcugn cnar|tao|e wcrk. 0ur|ng
tne Sm||es fcr ||fe campa|gn, Crcwn Ccunc|| denta| teams dcnate A|| cf tne|r serv|ces, and 0|scus 0enta| dcnates A|| cf tne wn|ten|ng supp||es. You wr|te your check d|rect|y to the 5m||es for L|fe |oundat|on~not to the dent|st.
3e tne|r nerc oy wn|ten|ng ycur sm||e.
Academy Dental Care
29163 Three Notch Road
Mechanicsville, MD 20659
(301)884-2299
www.mechanicsvilledds.com
ementary, Hollywood Elementary, Town
CreekElementary,EsperanzaMiddleSchool,
Chesapeake Biological Lab, Castilian Hair
Salon,TrinityLutheranChurch,St.John’sVi-
anney Catholic Church and Navmar Applied
SciencesCorporation.
PatuxentHabitatwishestothankallwho
participate in our program. PHH welcomes
any new groups or organizations to become
involved. Please consider partnering in a
community wide effort to make a difference.
For more information call Mary Sothoron at
240-298-1830.
Recycle
Continued from page A-
911Update
Continued from page A-
Flowers are one of
the most popular gifts for
moms. According to The
Flower Expert, an online
floral resource, of fresh
cut flowers purchased for
Mother’s Day, mixed flow-
ers, roses and carnations
are very popular. While
flowers can be a heart-felt
gift, why not think of the
other scent-sational ways
you can show Mom you
carethisyear?
Aninterestingandorig-
inalgiftideaisintroducing
Momtoaromatherapy.The
scienceofaromatherapyin-
volves using plant extracts
and essential oils as natu-
ralwaystoimprovehealth,
fitnessandwell-being.Dif-
ferent plant compounds
and oils produce different
effects. Proponents of aro-
matherapy say that says
thatitismuchmorethanan
“alternative health” prac-
tice.Thereisevidencethat
inhaling certain scents can
trigger the nervous system
and produce a variety of
results, including bringing
about memories or caus-
ing bodily reactions. In
fact, some people say that
thequickestwaytoevokea
memoryistouseasmell.
Aromatherapy is used
inmanyways.Realtorssug-
gestbakingcookiesorsim-
meringvanillatocreatean
inviting and calm environ-
ment when selling a home.
Certain aromas revive and
give a person energy. Oth-
ers are calming and thera-
peutic.Dependinguponthe
woman you love, you can
choose scented gifts that
will inspire, calm or ener-
gizethisMother’sDay.
Essential oils and pop-
ular aromatherapy scents
canbefoundinmanyprod-
ucts today, such as Pur
DÈsir from Yves Rocher.
This product line features
avarietyofcomplementary
scents in perfume, body
lotion, shower gel, deoder-
ant and hand soap - all of
which make pampering
gifts. Here’s a look at the
aromatheraphy benefits of
somepopularscents.
Orange blossom: This
citrusandsweetscenthelps
one to feel refreshed and
relaxed.Itisknowntohave
antidepressant capabilities,
andisoftenusedasaseda-
tiveandandantiseptic.
Lavender: This scent
is very well known for its
calming and therapeutic
properties. Lavender is
often used during baths
and in the evening to help
a person wind down. It is
also known to soothe rest-
lessinfantstopreparethem
forsleep.
Peony: This scent can
produce anti-inflamma-
tory reactions in the body.
Ithasbeenshowntoreduce
crampsandotherachesand
pains.
Lilac:Anothermoodlift-
er,lilacevokeshappinessand
harmony.
This year, surprise
Mom in a unique way and
look to aromatherapy and
other delicious scents to
indulge and pamper her.
Learn more about Pur DÈ-
sir, which contains peony,
lavender, orange blossom,
and lilac by visiting www.
yvesrocherusa.com.
BeyondtheNose:
There’smoretoaroma-
therapy than just a pretty
smell. Essential oils and
plant extracts enter the
body in three main ways:
they are absorbed, inhaled
oringested.Peppermintcan
be eaten to calm a nausea.
A mist of eucalyptus may
be inhaled to ease a cough
or clear up congestion. Tea
tree oil can be applied to
theskintohelpdryupacne
orotherskinblemishes.
UseYourNoseWhen
GiftingMom
Aromatheraphy products and other ways to pamper Mom will be a big hit for Mother’s Day gifts.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The
County Times Section A - 7
subject to the same kind
of background check that
school system employees
or substitute teachers had
to submit to.
“It’s my understanding
that he was being paid out
of the school’s account,”
Weiland said, adding the
most recent arrest caused
a great deal of concern.
“We don’t have too many
of those [paid volunteers]
people.”
“We are reevaluating
our policies as we speak,”
Weiland said. “We’re tak-
ing a close look in what
we’re doing with anybody
who is a paid volunteer, to
ensure this doesn’t happen
again.
“You want to be
proactive.”
Martirano said that sys-
tem staff will comb through
criminal records data bases
and sex offender registries
to search potential volun-
teers’ backgrounds to start.
The superintendent said
that he plans on purchasing
an automated system that
can yield information on an
applicant with a swipe of a
driver’s license but systems
are still being reviewed.
Strandberg is charged
with having sexual contact
with a 16-year-old female
student both at his home
and on a school bus. The
events occurred between
September and November
of last year.
Strandberg currently
faces the official charge of
child sexual abuse, which
carries a possible penalty
of 25 years in prison if he
is convicted, and has been
terminated from his posi-
tion as a drum line coach
at the school, according to
Weiland.
Lt. Rick Burris, com-
mander of the St. Mary’s
County Bureau of Crimi-
nal Investigations, which is
handling the case, said that
the rule in Maryland of 16
years old being the age for
sexual consent did not ap-
ply in this case because of
Strandberg’s position.
“It’s so easy to manip-
ulate someone at that age
because of their position,”
Burris said.
The first case this
month of a school system
employee being arrested
for a sex offense involving
a child was that of David
Emile Guillemette, 54, of
Great Mills. Guillemette
worked as a substitute
teacher at various elemen-
tary schools throughout the
county.
Guillemette was
charged with committing
sexual abuse towards a 15-
year-old female visitor at
his home as well as with
a third degree sex offense
and second-degree assault.
The incident is alleged
by investigators to have oc-
curred Jan. 1.
Guillemette also lost his
job with the county school
system, Weiland told The
County Times.
According to on-line
court documents, Guil-
lemette had no prior crimi-
nal record. The same on-
line court document search
showed that Strandberg
had no criminal record
other than charges related
to traffic citations and a
peace order filed against
him where the petitioners
failed to appear.
That case was dismissed
from District Court.
Strandberg has been re-
leased from incarceration at
the county detention center
on bond. Guillemette was
also released on bond.
Background checks
were an integral part of
hiring school system em-
ployees but even then they
were not a guarantee that
that employee would ever
be charged with commit-
ting a crime.
“Nobody can predict
what a person is going to
do.” Weiland said.
Odd News
CITIZEN SCRAP TIRE DROP-OFF DAY
Drop them off on April 26th
Hours 8:00 am - 4:30 pm at the
St. Andrews Landfill on Rt. 4
For more information contact:
St. Mary’s County DPW&T - 301-863-8400
Citizen Scrap Tire Drop-Off Day is sponsored by the Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Environmental Service.
St. Mary’s County Residents
Get Rid of Your Old Scrap Tires Now
F R E E O F C H A R G E ! F R E E O F C H A R G E ! F R E E O F C H A R G E ! F R E E O F C H A R G E ! F R E E O F C H A R G E !
Up to 10 Tires Per Vehicle – One Visit Per Resident & Vehicle
Commercial Vehicles & Business Tires Prohibited
APRIL 26, 2008
Flirting 101
The government of Singapore,
in an effort to boost the city’s de-
clining birth rate, began teaching
polytechnic students how to firt.
The classes, which began in Oc-
tober, include “love song analy-
sis” and how to chat online. One
student, 18 year-old Isabel, said,
“my teacher told me that if a guy
looks into my eyes for more than
fve seconds, it could mean that
he is attracted to me, and I stand
a chance.”
Since Manliness Must
Be Maintained…
In the Shivpuri district of
India’s Madhya Pradesh state, of-
fcials attempting to slow the coun-
try’s booming birth rate announced
in March that men who volunteer
for vasectomies will be rewarded
with certifcates that speed them
through the ordinarily slow line
to obtain gun permits. The loss,
through vasectomy, of a “perceived
notion of manliness” would be off-
set “with a bigger symbol of man-
liness,” said an administrator.
Counterfeit Bail Cash
Police in Melville, N.Y. said it
was no surprise that a fake $50 bill
landed 31 year-old Cyheam Forney
in jail. After all, he was trying to
use the fake money to pay his bail
on a traffc charge. Police say that
Forney was making an illegal left
turn when he was pulled over, and
it was discovered that his license
was suspended. If not for his fake
money, Forney would have merely
faced a misdemeanor suspended li-
cense charge, but he is now being
held on a felony charge of possess-
ing a forged instrument.
2,008 Naked People
Photographer Spencer Tunick
has made a name for himself in
the art world by taking sweeping
panoramic photos of naked people,
some including hundreds or thou-
sands of bodies. Now, the New
York artist is planning to pack a
Vienna soccer stadium with 2,008
fans as a run-up to the Euro 2008
tournament.
Austria’s national railway said
Thursday that it would offer free
travel to the frst 2,008 men and
women who sign up to pose for the
May 11 spectacle.
Tunick plans to pose them in-
side Ernst Happel Stadium, where
the Euro tournament will be held.
This certainly is not the frst large-
scale nude photo that Tunick has
taken. The Brooklyn based artist
has draped naked bodies on gla-
ciers, in front of the United Nations,
in downtown Amsterdam, and in
over 70 other locations around the
world.
Wake-Up Call
Emergency operators in Ontar-
io, Canada received an unusual call
at 3 a.m. from 51 year-old Archie
Baker, asking if they would give
him a wake-up call in the morning.
They said no, and explained that 911
was reserved for emergency calls
only. Minutes later, Baker called
the non-emergency line to repeat
his request. By then, dispatch-
ers had checked his name against
court records and discovered that
he had an outstanding warrant for
his arrest on theft charges. Off-
cers promptly arrested Baker, and
he will no doubt wake up in time
for his court date.
A Fiery Proposal
“He had it set up very, very
nicely,” exclaimed Chappaqua, N.Y.
Fire Chief Andy Metz, referring
to Lawrence Waterhouse III and
his elaborate candle arrangement,
which he had set up when propos-
ing marriage to his girlfriend.
“He had candles in the trees,
candles and dogwood petals along
the path, a chandelier with votive
candles.”
The girlfriend apparently said
yes, and the couple left town early
the next day for their vacation. Un-
fortunately, at least one of the can-
dles was not all the way out, and at
7:15 the next morning, frefghters
responded to an emergency call,
and the gazebo was completely en-
gulfed in fames.
“Luckily, nothing else burned,”
said Metz, who managed to contact
Waterhouse at a New York airport
to tell him about the blaze. “No-
body was hurt so I told him to go
ahead with his vacation. We’ve
had candle fres, of course, but I
can’t remember one at this level of
romance.”
Class Trip Brings
Students To Brothel
Though the setting may seem
unorthodox, it stands to reason that
a course about American consum-
erism should end in a place that is
home to the world’s oldest profes-
sion: a brothel.
Students from Randolph Col-
lege, a private liberal arts school
in Lynchburg, Va., fled in to the
Chicken Ranch, one of Nevada’s 27
legal brothels, to attend seminars
from the working girls and to view
the “monument,” a fuffy queen-
sized bed in a Western-themed
party room reserved for VIPs and
big spenders.
“We’re always trying to edu-
cate the public about legalized
prostitution,” said Chicken Ranch
general manager Debbie Riven-
burgh, who acknowledged that 99
percent of the working girls would
not participate in the seminars
because of the stigma attached to
their profession.
Students who went on the feld
trip had also completed readings of
“The Beauty Myth” by feminist au-
thor Naomi Wolf, “Fear and Loath-
ing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S.
Thompson, and a “20/20” episode
on prostitution with Diane Sawyer,
among other research items. The
brothel tour proved a ftting fnale
for a class that tells students, “don’t
just study America – live it.”
School Sex Abuse
Continued from page A-
David Guillemette
Scott Strandberg
SectionA-
The
County Times Thursday,April17,200
Oliver“O.D.”DavidAk-
ers,71
Oliver “O.D.” David Ak-
ers, 71, of Leonardtown died
April11inhisresidence.
Born May 31, 1936 in
Kegley, W.V. he was the son
ofthelateGeorgeEarldenand
PearlAkers.
He is survived by his
daughterMarnedaKayeGra-
bleofVirginiaBeach,Va.and
two granddaughters Amber
MarieButeraandherhusband
SalandHeatherReneeTucker
allofVirginiaBeach,Va.He
isalsosurvivedbyonebroth-
erGeorgeAkersandhiswife
Jetty of Princeton, W.V. and
three sisters Betty Hebbert
and her husband Marvin of
Leesburg,Fla.,ShirleyMead-
ows and her husband Dewey
of Narrows, Va. and Shelby
Jean Mabry of Bland, Va. as
well as numerous nieces and
nephews.
Heoperatedashoerepair
shopinLeonardtownformore
than48years.Hewasknown
aroundSt.Mary’sCountyfor
his kindness and generosity.
Hehadmanyfriends.
A Memorial Service will
beheldintheMattingley-Gar-
dinerFuneralHomeinLeon-
ardtownat11a.m.onThurs-
day,April17withPastorJohn
Fields offciating. Interment
willbeheldatalaterdate.
Contributions may be
made in his memory to Hos-
pice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box
625, Leonardtown, MD
20650.
Arrangements provided
by the Mattingley-Gardiner
FuneralHome,P.A.
Frances“Dink”Claudia
DyerBell,72
Frances “Dink” Claudia
Dyer Bell, 72, of Callaway
diedApril12inherhome.
Born Nov. 2, 1935 in
Drayden, Md. she was the
daughter of Ruth A. Guy of
Callaway,andthelateTurner
Dyer.
She is survived by her
companion Chuck Charles;
children:AnnaMaePilkerton
DeanandherhusbandDanny
B.Dean,Sr.ofDrayden,Sha-
ronE.Pilkertonandhercom-
panionMarkThomasofCal-
laway, and Wayne Pilkerton
andhiscompanionDaleAbell
ofGreatMills;grandchildren:
MicheleDeanJordanandher
husbandJamieJordan,Danny
B. Dean, II and his wife Man-
dyDean,HeatherHewittand
Billy Hewitt, II; great grand-
children: Jamie B. Jordan,
Hannah Jordan, Danny B.
Dean, III, Madison Dean and
Lexy Longfeld.
Shewasalsoprecededin
death by her brother Robert
DyerandgrandchildChristo-
pherHewitt.
Ms. Bell was a lifelong
St. Mary’s County resident
where she graduated from
St. Michael’s High School
Classof1953.Sheworkedas
apostalclerkfortheCallaway
Post Offce for 15 years until
her retirement in 1999. She
enjoyedreading,familygath-
eringandhercat“TomT.”
The family will receive
friends Thursday, April 17
from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mat-
tingley-Gardiner Funeral
Home, where Prayers will
be said at 7 p.m. A Mass of
Christian Burial will be cel-
ebratedFriday,April18at10
a.m. in Holy Face Catholic
Church,GreatMills,withFr.
Joseph Sileo offciating. Inter-
ment will follow in Charles
Memorial Gardens, Leon-
ardtown. Pallbearers will be
Chuck Charles, Danny B.
Dean, II, Jamie M. Jordan, Ja-
mie B. Jordan, Billy Hewitt, II
andMarkThomas.
Contributions may be
madeto2
nd
DistrictVolunteer
Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 1,
ValleyLee,MD20692.
Arrangements provided
by the Mattingley-Gardiner
FuneralHome,P.A.
Jerome Sylvester Fen-
wick,61
Jerome Sylvester Fen-
wick, 61, of Chaptico died
April7inhishome.
Born Oct. 7, 1946 in
Chaptico, he was the son of
Lillian Theresa Mills Fen-
wick and the late James Earl
Fenwick.
Jerome was educated in
theSt.Mary’sCountyPublic
Schools System. He gradu-
ated in 1964 from Banneker
High School. In addition to
his regular classes, he took a
shop class in brick masonry,
whichledtohiscareerinthe
masonry feld. To advance
his knowledge in this feld, he
tookmoreclassesinthedraw-
ing and reading of blueprints
at McKinley Tech Vocation
School in Washington, D.C.
Afterworkingseveralyearsat
otherconstructionjobs,hebe-
ganhisowncompanyin1970
known as Fenwick’s Mason-
ry. He continued to operate
his business until his illness
inJulyof2007.
Jerome was an original
member of the minority alli-
ance,ablackbusinessorgani-
zation in St. Mary’s County,
andservedonetermaspresi-
dent. His priorities in life
wereinthisorder:God,faith
and family. He was a man
of character, integrity and
convictions. He was always
there for his family. Until he
becametootiredandweakto
walk, he visited his mother
every day. His hobbies were
drawing,paintingandplaying
the guitar. He was a member
of the Our Lady of the Way-
sideChurchinChaptico.
Jeromeissurvivedbyhis
ex-wifeBeverly,sonsEricO.
Fenwick (Dana) of Wilming-
ton,Del.,JermaineS.Fenwick
ofChaptico,JamesE.Fenwick
(Layanna) of Gaithersburg,
Md., one daughter, Patrice
Payne of Sanford, Fla., three
grandsons, Blair, Brandon,
and Devon, his mother, Lil-
lianTheresaMillsFenwickof
Chaptico,hissiblings,Clifton
Fenwick of Chaptico, David
E.Fenwick(Nell)ofClinton,
Md., Theresa F. Washington
(Charles) of Temple Hills,
Md., Charles W. Fenwick
(Bennetta) of Waldorf, Md.,
four nephews, four nieces,
sevenauntsandoneuncle.
In addition to his father,
Jeromewasprecededindeath
byhisbrothers,JosephGantt,
John Leonard and Arthur L.
Fenwick,nephewReginaldA.
Fenwick,grandparentsJames
Thurman and Louise Miles-
BransonFenwickandWilliam
H.andMildredYoungMills,
and a host of aunts, uncles,
andcousins.
The family received
friendsSunday,April13from
2 – 5 p.m. at the Brinsfeld
FuneralHome,Leonardtown.
Prayerswererecitedat4p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial
wascelebratedMonday,April
14 at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of
the Wayside Church, Chap-
tico. Reverend Timothy K.
Baer was the celebrant. In-
termentfollowedinQueenof
Peacecemetery,Helen.
Serving as pallbearers
wereWilmerFenwick,Thom-
as Bush, Edward Fenwick,
WendellPrice,TerryColeand
KevinHill.
Condolences to the fam-
ily may be made at www.
brinsfeldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the
Brinsfeld Funeral Home,
P.A.,Leonardtown.
FayeWinifredFort,62
Faye Winifred Fort, 62,
of Avenue, died April 12 in
her daughter’s residence in
Avenue.
Born May 29, 1945 in
Athens, Ohio, she was the
daughter of Winifred Baldry
EslockerofCalifornia,andthe
lateDonFranklinEslocker.
Fayewasalongtimeresi-
dentofFortWashington,Md.
before moving to the area fve
years ago. She was truly a
devoted mother, grandmoth-
er, and daughter. She would
spend every Saturday with
her mother and every free
momentwithherfamily.She
wasdevotedtoherfaith,loved
to crochet, enjoyed attending
teas, and was well known to
manypeopleintheareafrom
her employment as an OTC
ManagerwithWal-MartinLa
Plata,Md.
Faye is survived by her
dear mother, Winifred Es-
locker of California, her lov-
ing children Laura Fort and
Rochelle Hogan of Avenue,
Michael Fort and Heather
Ludeker of W.V. She is also
survived by twelve grand-
children, her sisters, Kathryn
Butler of Midland, Va. and
Joan Crownover of La Plata,
andherbrotherLawrenceEs-
lockerofMagnolia,Texas.
The family will receive
friends for a celebration of
Faye’s life Saturday, April 19
at2p.m.attheKingdomHall
of Jehovah’s Witness, 20770
Seth Court, Callaway, MD.
Interment will be private.
Memorial contributions
maybemadetoACommuni-
ty That Shares, Inc. (A.C.T.S.)
P.O. Box 54, Bushwood, MD
20618.
Condolences to the fam-
ily may be made at www.
brinsfeldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the
Brinsfeld Funeral Home,
P.A.,Leonardtown.
ThomasGlennGilbert,
49
Thomas Glenn Gilbert,
49, of Leonardtown, died
April 10 in St. Mary’s Nurs-
ingCenter,Leonardtown.
Born Oct. 12, 1958 in
Riverdale, Md. he was the
sonofThomasW.Gilbertand
the late Judith Lynn Brown
Gilbert.
He was a mechanic for
theU.S.Government.
“Gilbert” is survived by
his children, Louise and Me-
lissa Gilbert of Baltimore,
Md.,andhisbrotherBruceS.
Gilbert of Charlestown, W.V.
Hewaspreceded in death by
hismotherJudithLynnBrown
Gilbert.
The family received
friendsMonday,April14from
12:30–2:30p.m.intheBrins-
feld Funeral Home Chapel,
Leonardtown.AFuneralSer-
vicewasconductedat2 p.m.
Interment was Tuesday, April
15 at noon in Manor Church
Cemetery,Boonesboro,Md.
Arrangements by the
Brinsfeld Funeral Home,
P.A.,Leonardtown.
ThedaInezGraves,73
Theda Inez Graves, 73,
of Leonardtown died April 7
in St. Mary’s Nursing Center,
Leonardtown.
BornMarch13,1935inCoe-
burn,Va.,shewasthedaughter
ofthelateGeorgeHoraceWard
and Della Carter Ward. Theda
marriedJohnR.GravesinNo-
vember1953.Shewasemployed
bytheLexingtonParkCleaners
fornineteenyears.
Theda is survived by her
daughter, Crystal Laschalt of
Leonardtown, her grandchil-
dren, Lisa and husband Roger
Simmons, Jr. and Craig Scott,
and two sisters, Poda Ward of
Loveville,andLethaDementof
GreatMills.
She was preceded in death
byherhusbandJohnR.Graves;
and siblings, Annette Ridgell,
Lucille Neill, and Harlis Ward;
soninlaw,CharlesB.Laschalt.
Thefamilyreceivedfriends
for Theda’s Life Celebration
Thursday, April 10 from 5 –8
p.m. in the Brinsfeld Life Cel-
ebration Chapel, Leonardtown.
Prayers were recited at 7 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial
wascelebratedFriday,April11,
2008 at 10 a.m. in St. Aloysius
Catholic Church, Leonardtown.
Reverend John Dakes was the
celebrant. Interment followed
in Charles Memorial Gardens,
Leonardtown.
Serving as pallbearers will
be Curtis Ward, Ronald Ward,
Jimmy Norris, Charlie Nor-
ris, Jake Langley and Stewart
Dement.
Condolences to the family
maybemadeatwww.brinsfeld-
funeral.com.
Arrangements by the
Brinsfeld Funeral Home, P.A.,
Leonardtown.
KathleenBrownHayden,
91
Kathleen Brown Hayden,
91, of Leonardtown died April
7 in St. Mary’s Nursing Cen-
ter. Born March 10, 1917 on
St. George’s Island she was the
daughterofthelateJosephBen-
nett and Frances Ruth Potter
Brown.
Arrangements provided by
theMattingley-GardinerFuneral
Home,P.A.
For arrangement details
ortoleaveacondolenceforthe
family,visitwww.mgfh.com.
WalterStaufferMartin2
Walter Stauffer Martin 82,
ofLeonardtown,diedApril11in
St.Mary’sHospital.
He was born March 30,
1926.
He is survived by his chil-
dren; Richard, Edward L., hus-
band of Sueie of Leonardtown,
Mary Lou, wife of Jacob Bru-
bacherofLeonardtown,Warren
S.,husbandofLindaofMechan-
icsville, Marvin S., husband of
Debbie, Leonardtown, Maria,
wifeofRayZimmermanofHol-
lywood, W. Randall, husband
of Lisa of Hollywood, Harlen
R.,husbandofJuneofLeonard-
town,JudithL.,wifeofRonald
ZimmermanofMechanicsville,
Cynthia D., wife of Kenneth
Zimmerman of Vandalia, Ill.,
Neal D., husband of Esther of
Leonardtown; 81 grandchildren
and54greatgrandchildren.
He was preceded in death
byhiswifeKathryn,twodaugh-
ters, Barbara A. and Amelia L.
aswellasfourgrandchildren.
The funeral service was
heldTuesday,April15at9a.m.
inthefamilyhomeonPt.Look-
out Road, Leonardtown, and
thenat10a.m.intheLoveville
Mennonite Church, Loveville.
Interment followed in Loveville
MennoniteCemetery,Loveville.
Arrangements provided by
theMattingley-GardinerFuneral
Home,P.A.
MarieFrancesNelson,95
Marie Frances Nelson, 95,
ofLeonardtown,diedApril11in
St.Mary’sNursingCenter.
BornAug.4,1912inComp-
ton,shewasthedaughterofthe
lateFrankandMaryEdnaAd-
ams.Shewasthelovingwifeof
thelateJamesE.“Eddie”Nelson
whomshemarriedOct.6,1930
in St. Francis Xavier Catholic
Churchandwhoprecededherin
deathApril20,1971.
She is survived by her son
JamesEdwinNelson,Jr.andhis
wifeMargaretofLeonardtown,
as well as four grandchildren,
Thomas, Cynthia, Ronald and
Margie; eight great-grandchil-
drenDale,Tammie,Brandy,Jes-
sica, Kristina, Eddie, Stephanie
andAmberandfourgreat-great
grandchildren, Alex, Hailey,
KelseyandOwen.
She was also preceded in
death by her siblings: William
Melvin, John Franklin, Joseph
Edward,ThomasEarl,EllaMay,
Mary Louise, Agnes Beatrice,
Catherine Estelle and Mary
Ernestine.
Mrs.Nelsonwasalifelong
St.Mary’sCountyresidentwho
enjoyed her family, church,
growingandcaringforhermany
fowers and playing card games.
Thefamilyreceivedfriends
from5–8p.m.Monday,April14
in the Mattingley-Gardiner Fu-
neralHome,P.A.whereprayers
weresaidat7p.m.AMassof
Christian Burial was celebrated
Tuesday,April15atnoon,with
Fr. John Mattingly offciating.
Interment followed in St. Aloy-
sius Cemetery, Leonardtown.
Pallbearers were Thomas Nel-
son,Sr.,RonaldNelson,Thomas
“Dale”Nelson,Jr,RichardNel-
son,MargieNelsonandCynthia
Howard.
Arrangements provided by
theMattingley-GardinerFuneral
Home,P.A.
Thomas“TommyDyson”
J.Saunders3
Thomas“TommyDyson”J.
Saunders 38 of Lexington Park
diedApril11inPrinceGeorge’s
HospitalinCheverly,Md.
Born March 10, 1970 in
Leonardtown,hewasthesonof
Christine Saunders and the late
JosephC.Dyson.
Tommy was a graduate of
GreatMillsHighSchoolinLex-
ingtonPark.Heenjoyedmusic
andspendingtimewithhisfam-
ilyandmanyfriends.
Tommy is survived by his
mother Christine Saunders, his
daughters Tiffany and Taylor
Gray of Hollywood, son Talon
Saunders of California, and
Talon’s mom and special friend
Cindy Cease, siblings Larry
Bush (Diane) of Washington,
D.C.,DoreenHolmes(Larry)of
Largo, Pauleen Dyson of Lex-
ington Park, Barbara Jessup of
Baltimore,BettyAdamsofBalti-
more,JosephChambersofWal-
dorf,GerryDyson(Tavonya)of
Leonardtown, Karen Adeshina
of Great Mills, Joseph Young
of St. Inigoes, Kathy Dyson-
Gwanyanya (Aaron) of Lexing-
tonPark.Heisalsosurvivedby
a host of aunts, uncles, nieces,
nephews, cousins and friends.
HisfatherJosephC.Dysonpre-
cededhimindeath.
The family will receive
friendsSaturday,April19from
9 - 11 a.m. with service at 11
a.m. in Zion United Methodist
ChurchinLexingtonPark.Fam-
ilywillreceivefriendsafterthe
homegoingserviceatSt.James
Hall.
Serving as pallbearers will
be Jose Figeroux, Larry Donell
Chase, William Larry Chase,
KeithTurner,EricFigerouxand
John Deshazo. Serving as hon-
orarypallbearerwillbeMichael
Saunders.
Condolences to the family
maybemadeatwww.brinsfeld-
funeral.com.
Arrangements provided by
Brinsfeld Funeral Home P.A.
WilliamEdwardWinters,
67
William Edward Winters,
67,ofMechanicsvillediedApril
13inhisresidence.
Heissurvivedbyadaugh-
ter, Deidre Winters Bryant of
Lexington Park, and two sons,
William Anthony Winters of
Charlotte,N.C.andFrancisCor-
neliusWinters.
Family will receive friends
Saturday, April 19 from 9 – 11
a.m. in St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church, Morganza, with a
Mass of Christian Burial at 11
a.m. Interment will follow in
Charles Memorial Gardens,
Leonardtown.
Condolences to the family
maybemadeatwww.brinsfeld-
funeral.com.
Arrangements by the
Brinsfeld Funeral Home, P.A.,
Leonardtown.
Obituaries
Charles Memorials-Mattingley Monuments
T/A CHARLES MEMORIAL GARDENS, Inc.
301-475-8060
26325 Pt. Lookout Rd. Leonardtown, MD
RemembeR OuR Pledge TO YOu
• Quality Merchandise
• Superior Craftsmanship
• Here to serve
you tomorrow
• Professional
Service
• Competitive
Prices
Serving All Cemeteries, Engraving
“Caring Is Our Business”
Free Consultation
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The
County Times Section A -
Prince Frederick Town Creek/California Solomons
April 24, 2008 April 29, 2008 May 1, 2008
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Marriott SpringHill Suites
75 Sherry Lane
Prince Frederick, MD
JT Daugherty Center
22111 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD
Hilton Garden Inn Solomons
13100 Dowell Road
Dowell, MD
Our customers’ increasing demand for electricity
means we need to improve our transmission
system to ensure continued reliability. Over the past
30 years, the number of our customers and their
corresponding energy use has skyrocketed.
That’s why we have proposed the Southern Maryland
Reliability Project—to ensure reliable power for
SMECO’s customer-members.
The majority of the project will use existing rights-
of-way, and the project will have a minimal effect on
current rates or the environment.
We are your cooperative, and we are committed
to working with you to ensure this improvement
project is done right. We will provide complete
information about each step of this project and listen
to you—before plans are nalized.
You’re invited to attend one of our open house
meetings (see the schedule below). We’re hosting
meetings across Southern Maryland to make sure
you have the facts about our proposal and to hear
your comments and suggestions.
We hope you
will join us
for a candid
conversation
about this
project.
For more information, visit us on the Web at www.SMECO.coop
Southern Maryland
Reliability Project:
Hometown Power You Can Depend On
She went on to write: “He followed me
in my car with our three minor children on
Wednesday June 25. He tried to get me to
pull over and I wouldn’t. I was afraid he
would force me off the road, resulting in
an accident.
“He put a rolling pin through the TV
about two-and-a-half months ago because
I was on the phone.”
That 2003 petition from protection was
granted, but the second one, filed last year
was denied by District Court Judge John F.
Slade III because there was no basis in the
law for relief, court documents stated.
“I left [the] marital home because
Koummane would wake me up in the early
mornings to argue and not let me sleep,”
Melissa Virasith alleged in her second ap-
plication for a protective order. “He would
always accuse me of being a whore and try
to make me feel bad about myself.”
Her husband’s alleged behavior fright-
ened her badly, Melissa Virasith wrote.
“I moved out about a month-and-a-half
ago, and since then Koummane is always
calling and trying to come over. He re-
cently ran up behind me and grabbed me
from behind, which scared me,” she said in
court papers.
Saunders’ relatives said Koummane
Virasith’s alleged threats did not stop with
his wife.
“We told him to be careful,” said Pau-
line Dyson, Saunders’ sister, “because she
was separated from her husband and not
divorced.
“[Koummane Virasith] confronted him
several times and wanted to fight him but
Tommy wouldn’t. He wasn’t one to argue
and fuss. It just wasn’t in him.”
Koummane Virasith held several odd
jobs at local fast food establishments, ac-
cording to court documents, but he also
worked at the cafeteria in the NAVAIR
building at Patuxent River Naval Air
Station.
Kathy Gwanyanya, another of Saun-
ders’ sisters, said she did not know who the
suspect in her brother’s killing was at first,
but soon recognized him because they
worked in the same building on base.
“I used to see him there everyday,”
Gwanyanya said of the accused.
Gwanyanya described her brother as
always happy and never distressed or even
angry.
“He was playful,” she said of her broth-
er. “He would make these booby traps when
we were kids that would get you in a dark
room, like a rubber band would snap you
on the leg.”
Despite the fond memories the family
had of their brother, they acknowledged he
had problems with the law. Saunders was
convicted of a third-degree sex offense
back in 1998 and sentenced to 18 months
in the county detention center.
Gwanyanya said her brother did not
know the female with whom he committed
the crime was underage, but he still paid
the price.
“What happened in his past had noth-
ing to do with what happened [the shoot-
ing,]” she said. “If he never talked with
Melissa [Virasith] he’d probably still be
walking around.”
Homicide
Continued from page A-
Now is the time to begin the process
of exchanging winter clothing for spring
and to clean out fireplaces and generally
de-clutter our living spaces. The warm
weather is the perfect backdrop to these
spring cleaning tasks. And you can enlist
the whole family to join in.
I know these projects may not seem
like fun, but there are ways to make the
process of cleaning a lot easier. Allow me
to give you some tips on the use of some of
my favorite ergonomic cleaning tools and
solutions that you can find on my Web site
at www.askcindyhow.com.
Usually, when we clean glass we use
paper towels or newspaper with glass
cleaner. ‘The challenge is that we end up
wiping and wiping to remove the streaks,
dirt and grime, often missing the mark.
Oh, the energy! The Ask Cindy process is
to first use my thick and thirsty microfiber
dust cloth to remove all dust from the glass
surfaces. Step two is to then spray Ask
Cindy Glass Cleaner (also streak free) on a
blue-tightly woven microfiber glass clean-
ing cloth and wipe the glass from edge to
edge and corner to corner. For very dirty
glass, the initial cleaning may require wet
wiping with a soapy water solution first.
As I go into home after home, one of the
most frustrating things for the homemakers
I encounter is cleaning the stainless steel
in the kitchen. The question posed most
often to me: How do I get the smudges and
streaks off of the surfaces? Solution: First
clean the surface with a mild dish liquid
soap and water using a white lint-free ter-
rycloth towel. Make sure to dry well with
a separate terry cloth towel. Now, polish
the surface with Ask Cindy Stainless Steel
Polish. Spray the polish onto a new terry-
cloth towel and polish the stainless by rub-
bing with the grain smoothing out the fin-
ish. The initial application only requires a
second application of polish. Gee! I love
that showroom finish.
The last item I’ll discuss is the tools
that I use for getting at those hard-to-get-
at spaces between kitchen counters and
washing machines; and behind heavy fur-
niture, wall units and ceilings. ‘The object
is to do it without scratching surfaces. A
tool that has become an absolute must-car-
ry for my crews is my awesome felt reach
duster. This nifty little tool will definitely
change your life and restore your faith in
invention. In fact you may find yourself
going back over to areas that you know-
ingly left undone because you thought you
couldn’t do anything about the hard-to-
get-to grime.
In the same family, you can try my
lambs wool high duster that comes with an
11 foot telescopic extension pole. This pole
will never stick on you, whether you’re ex-
tending or retracting the pole. Now, go af-
ter hi-hats and cobwebs in ceiling corners
and edges. Rather than pull out step lad-
ders, you can stand on the floor and reach
all those challenging areas safely.
All of the items mentioned above can
be found conveniently on my Web site at
www.askcindyhow.com. Ask Cindy How
is excited to launch a special on-line bou-
tique store with tools that can truly make
life easier for your house cleaning tasks.
On the Web site, find videos of many of
the products that demonstrate the effec-
tiveness of my cleaning helpmates. “Let’s
clean it right for the experienceÆ.”
What an experience it can be - let’s
win.
Make Spring Cleaning Easier
Exciting All 5 of Our Senses
Advertisements
Displaying what is
important to you,
our community.
your business.
a marriage.
a birth.
a memorial.
your life.
our community.
spread the word.
Call Now To Place Your Ad
301-373-4125
Recently new homebuyers are finding unbelievable deals out there. The real estate
market has not been a bad thing for everyone, especially new homebuyers who are find-
ing that this market is actually helping them out in more ways than purchasing their
new homes. Another true story!! The Scott’s have always wanted to purchase a home
for their family, but never thought they would be able to afford it with their six chil-
dren. They were paying rent over the last four years at $1700 per month. They figured
out that they had spent over $80,000 in rent over that time period, and nothing to show
for it. Do the math ($1700 X 48 months= $81,600). When we sat down and told them
that they could buy a house and have equivalent payments. They could not believe it
when they saw that they could purchase a home with No Money down. They seller of
the home that they wanted to purchase agreed to pay all of their closing cost ($17000)
and was able to pay off their auto loan of $18,000. They have now settled and are in
the process of moving their family into their new home. It felt good to see this family
reach their goal of owning a home and start to see their financial future looking bright.
It’s not too late to make a move. Call or email today to see what kind of a deal you can
get$$$$
Jeff Travers
Certified Mortgage Planner
Office - 301-885-2830
Homebuyers Are Finding
Great Deal$$$
SectionA-10
The
County Times Thursday,April17,2008
SAVE
Up To
$
500
(minimum $2500
material purchase
required)**
PROFESSI ONAL I NSTALLATI ON AVAI LABLE
Al l pr i c es ar e mat er i al s onl y. Cal l f or ‘Shop At Home’ Ser vi c e
Prior orders exempt. Offer expires 04/26/08. Participating stores only. *Discount applies to materials only; cushion, labor and installation charges are excluded. **Financing subject to credit approval. Financing provided by CitiFinancial Retail Services Division of Citicorp Trust Bank, fsb. Finance charges begin
to accrue at time of purchase. In order for accrued fnance charges to be waived, minimum monthly payments of the greater of 3% or $15 must be made during the promotional period and the amount fnanced must be paid in full prior to the expiration date of the promotional period. Otherwise, accrued fnance
charges will be assessed to the account. Standard rate 24% APR. Default rate 26.99% APR. Minimum fnance charge $.50. See Cardholder Agreement for Details. Store may require minimum purchase and/or deposit. All offers are for retail sales only; no contract/commercial. Unless otherwise indicated, prices
are for materials only. Not all merchandise in all stores. Photos are representational only. Actual merchandise may not exactly match photos shown. Although we make every effort to ensure that our advertising is accurate, we cannot be held liable for typographical errors or misprints. FAME-17954. 04/2008.
Grifn’s
289 Merrimac Court (off Route 4)
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
410-414 -9293
22755 Maple Road (off Route 235)
California, MD 20619
301-862-2700
www.fooringamerica.com
HARDW
OOD ON SALE
Starting at $3.99 sf
18 M
ONTHS
I NTEREST
FREE
* *
Grifn’s
C
E
R
A
M
I C

O
N
S
A
L
E
S
ta
rtin
g
a
t $1.7
9
s
f
1
8
M
O
N
T
H
S

I N
T
E
R
E
S
T

F
R
E
E
* *
L
A
M
I N
A
T
E

O
N
S
A
L
E
S
tartin
g
at $1.99 sf
1
8
M
O
N
T
H
S

I N
T
E
R
E
S
T

F
R
E
E
* *
CARPET
ON SALE
Starting at $1.39 sf
18 MONTHS
I NTEREST
FREE
* *
VI NYL
ON SALE
Starting at $1.59 sf
18 MONTHS
I NTEREST
FREE
* *
With you every step of the way.
on the
Leonardtown Square
Sunday, April 20, 2008
12:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Live Music & Entertainment
Children’s Nature Crafts
Energy & Water Conservation
Animal Welfare & Rescue
Recycling Information
Seated Massages
Plants & Herbs
Puppet Show
Bounce House
Kayak & Canoe Rides
Food & More!
For more information call 301-475-9791
Sponsored by the Leonardtown Business Association
and the Commissioners of Leonardtown,
with funding in part by a grant from the St. Mary’s County Arts Council
W
a
lk
in
g
T
o
u
r
1
:0
0
p
m
Formostpeople,sunex-
posureisapartofspringand
summer. After a long winter
spentinside,mostpeoplecan’t
waittoheadtoanearbylake
oroceanandenjoythewarm-
erairofthefairerseasons.
For many of those same
people,overexposuretosunis
also a big part of spring and
summer. With the tanning
craze still in full swing, hit-
ting the beach or the park to
catchafewraysisaspopular
as ever. However, overexpo-
suretothesunisnolessdan-
gerous than it was 20 years
ago. While some might look
atasunburnasanannualrite
of summer, that sunburn is
actually a condition known
as photodermatitis, and even
those who aren’t fair-skinned
arepotentiallyatrisk.
WhatIsPhotodermatitis?
Photodermatitis is an ab-
normal reaction to ultraviolet
(UV)raysfromsunlight.Sun-
burnisaformofphotoderma-
titis,whichcanmanifestitself
inarash,scalypatchesonthe
skinorevenblisters.Forsome
people, it can be a chronic
condition, wherein they’re
certaintohavethisabnormal
reaction whenever their skin
is exposed to UV rays. For
others,theconditionisacute,
suddenly, but not necessarily
routinely,appearingwhenex-
posedtoUVrays.
What Signs Indicate
Photodermatitis?
Photodermatitis is more
thanjustsunburn.Inaddition
totherednessandpainassoci-
atedwithsunburn,symptoms
ofphotodermatitisincludehy-
perpigmentation(darkpatches
on the skin), lesions that re-
sembleeczema(aconditionin
whichpatchesofskinbecome
rough and infamed, with
blisters resulting in itching
and bleeding), chills, head-
ache, fever, and nausea. Fair
skin alone rarely produces
photodermatitis
symptoms when
a fair-skinned
person gets a
sunburn. This
highlights the
point that pho-
todermatitis is
morethanasun-
burn,andcanbe
the result of ad-
ditional factors
beyond fair/sen-
sitiveskin.
What Are
Some Causes of
Photodermatitis?
Whilemany
are quick to as-
sume a sunburn
is simply due to
fair skin, that’s
not always the
case. Even peo-
ple with darker
skin tones are susceptible to
photodermatitis.Forinstance,
certaindiseases,suchasecze-
ma and lupus, make the skin
more sensitive to light and
UVrays.
Perhaps the most un-
known infuence is the impact
of medication on a person’s
sensitivitytolight.Regardless
of an individual’s skin tone,
certain chemicals and drugs
can cause sunburn or hives
when combined with expo-
suretoUVrays.Thosemedi-
cationsinclude:
•Chemotherapyagents
•Diuretics
•Antidepressants
•Antipsychotics
• Medications containing
retinoic
acid (commonly used for
acne)
• Anti-anxiety
medications
•Antipsychotics
• Oral diabetic
medications
WhoIsMostatRisk?
Peoplewithfairtolight
skin remain very suscepti-
bletosunlight.Inaddition,
those with blond or red
hairandgreenorblueeyes
also tend to be more sensi-
tive,asdoesanyonetaking
any of the aforementioned
medications.
A great many people
also put themselves at a
greater risk by allowing
themselvestobeexposedto
harmful UV rays through-
out the summer months.
Exposure longer than 30
minutesgreatlyincreasesa
person’s risk for photoder-
matitis. Exposure between
the hours of 11 a.m. to 2
p.m. only compounds that
risk, as 50 percent of UV
radiation is emitted during
thattimeperiod.
SummerSunNot
FunForEveryone
Overexposure to summer sun can be highly det-
rimental to a person’s health, regardless of that
individual’s skin tone.