I Love Deep Creek Blog

Thursday, January 25, 2007

O’Malley Includes $23.3M For Local Projects In Budget

Gov. Martin O’Malley released the FY 2008 budget for Maryland last Thursday, with a total budget increase of 2.5% over last year’s budget and a lower rate of growth than 9 out of the last 10 budgets, according to the governor’s office. The budget also includes more than $23 million for projects in Garrett County.

“Maryland’s budget is one of the clearest reflections of our values as a state,” said O’Malley. “With annual deficits of $1 billion for the foreseeable future, the FY 2008 budget constrains spending of limited tax dollars, but makes critical investments in the priorities we share as a state to make Maryland stronger – investments in education, public health, open space and our environment, transportation, public safety, and economic development.”

More than $23.3 million in his budget has been ear marked for initiatives in Garrett County. They are the Garrett college Athletic and Community Recreation Center, $12.451 million; the proposed county detention center, $4.8 million; Northern Middle School renovations, $4 million; Grantsville Elementary School improvements, $800,000; and Program Open Space grants, $519,772.

Also included is funding for local parks and recreational areas: Friendsville Community Park, $216,000; Kendall Trail improvements, $50,000; Herrington Manor State Park, Herrington Creek Dam repair, $200,000; Deep Creek State Park bath house, $114,000; Savage River Reservoir, new Dry run boat ramp, $99,000; and Broadford Lake Park, $30,000.

The governor’s FY 2008 budget includes $400 million dollars for school construction, the Thornton Education Plan, Program Open Space, more than a billion dollars for highway and transit projects, and increased funding for stem cell research, public health, and public safety.

O’Malley’s first budget grows less than the Spending Affordability Limit set by the General Assembly and maintains a Rainy Day Fund balance of 5% – more than $670 million. In FY 2008, the state faced a deficit of approximately $400 million, and the structural deficit is expected to exceed $1 billion in each of the next four years, according to the governor’s office.

K-12 Education

The FY 2008 budget provides $5.2 billion in K-12 education funding including a $680 million increase in school aid – the largest ever – and $400 million in school construction. The budget fully funds the Thornton Education Plan, and provides funding for teacher pension enhancements, the governor noted.

O’Malley said he will also work with the General Assembly to pass legislation mandating that the Geographic Cost of Education Index be phased in beginning in FY 2009.

Higher Education

The budget boosts investment in higher education by $192 million – including an 18% increase for community colleges – makes capital investments in historically black colleges and universities, and enables the University System of Maryland campuses and Morgan State University to enact an undergraduate in-state tuition freeze.

Public Safety

The new budget provides an additional $2 million to protect Maryland’s families from sex offenders. The funds will be used to increase monitoring of sex offenders by Global Positioning Systems and to assist local law enforcement.

The budget also provides $7 million to fund 155 new correctional officer positions and $33 million for a new 192-cell housing unit at the Maryland Correctional Training Center in Hagerstown.

Funds are also allocated to expand the capacity of the State Police Laboratory to analyze DNA samples and to supply all Maryland state troopers with new handguns.

Environment/Agriculture

The budget provides $289 million in land preservation programs and $138 million to improve local water and wastewater systems to help improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Additionally, the budget provides funding for cover crops and triples Maryland’s investment in the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-based Industry Development Corporation to sustain agricultural businesses, according to the governor’s office.

Health

The FY 2008 budget allocates an additional $10 million for stem cell research – a 66% increase to $25 million – expands drug treatment funding, and provides assistance to seniors through the Senior Prescription Drug Assistance program.

The budget also restores healthcare benefits to legal immigrant families – including 3,000 children. In addition, over $100 million is provided “to strengthen” Maryland’s healthcare provider systems, including increasing payments to physicians participating in the state’s Medicaid Program, said a spokesperson for the governor.

Transportation

O’Malley said he is committed to undertaking a comprehensive review of Maryland’s Transportation Trust Fund.

His budget provides over $1 billion for highway and road projects across the state to reduce traffic, over $300 million for public transit projects, over $100 million for improvements and dredging projects to make the Port of Baltimore more competitive, and $119 million for state airport projects, including upgrades at Thurgood Marshall BWI Airport.

Jobs/

Economic Development

“The FY 2008 budget makes strategic investments to continue Maryland’s economic growth – and expand opportunity for our neighbors in every jurisdiction,” said the spokesperson.

That includes $70 million for business development programs (including $20 million to support small or minority business entrepreneurs), $16 million for the Maryland Arts Council – an increase of $1.2 million or 8% over FY 2007 – $6 million in capital funding for the Neighborhood Business Redevelopment Program, and $4 million for Rural Broadband Assistance funding to extend DSL service to 26 Eastern Shore communities, attracting industry and employment opportunities to the region.

Also included in the budget is $2 million for the Sunny Day Fund to capitalize on “extraordinary” economic development opportunities for Maryland, $1 million for the new no-interest business loan program for disabled veterans and military reservists, $5 million for technology transfer/development and for incubator programs, and $5 million in capital funding for the East Baltimore Biotechnology Park.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Garrett County Commissioners Hear General Services Update - January 2007

Director Gary Mullich, Garrett County Department of General Services, updated the county commissioners on Tuesday about his department’s recent activities. He presented a written status report on and discussed numerous projects, including the proposed exhibit hall, detention center, public works complex, and airport runway expansion.

Exhibit Hall

Permits obtained for the construction of the exhibit hall on the Keystone Lime site near Deep Creek Lake were canceled in December, as the county and Garrett County Fair Board are now looking at locating the facility at the fairgrounds.

A meeting was scheduled for Jan. 4 for the fair board and county representatives to establish a program for the design and construction of the hall, Mullich wrote in his report.

Detention Center

Best and final price quotes were received in December from architectural firms bidding on the detention center project. From those, ATI Inc. was chosen with a bid of $929,680. The payment will cover the firm’s architectural and engineering services, inspections, reimbursement expenses, and public meeting attendance. The project will be funded in part with a $518,000 state grant, which requires a local match, according to county officials.

Formal contract terms and conditions were being formalized as of Jan. 1, according to Mullich. The detention center will be located at the current site of the county roads department along Rt. 219 in Oakland. Prior to construction of the new facility, the roads department will relocate to the proposed Public Works Complex near Mtn. Lake Park.

Public Works Complex

General Services began determining the requirements for its maintenance segment of the Public Works Complex.

Public Utilities staff also began looking at their requirements for office space, warehouse, maintenance, and storage at the site, and the roads department is preparing documents for the design/construction of its new building.

Community Action also reviewed the final drawings for its proposed transit service facility at the complex.

Construction of pad sites and associated infrastructure at the complex is in winter shutdown, but is expected to resume when weather permits.

Airport Expansion

Phase II of the Garrett County Airport runway expansion project is also in winter shutdown. The last day of work was Nov. 17, Mullich said.

The plans and specifications for the new airport T-hangars were reviewed by the fire marshal in November, and his comments were received in December.

The Airport Advisory Committee met last Thursday to discuss the hangars and to begin the bidding process for the structures, which will be partially funded by a Maryland Aviation Administration grant, Mullich noted.

Landfill

Landfill personnel visited a recycling center in December similar in size to the one proposed for Garrett County.

Improvements are being made to some refuse collection sites. Attendant buildings are being constructed, and water and sewer requirements are being reviewed.

Uno Restaurant Snowflake Chase held at Deep Creek Lake State Park

NARY A SNOWFLAKE WAS CHASED, but the annual Uno Restaurant Snowflake Chase was held nonetheless at Deep Creek Lake State Park on Saturday, an event which attracted nearly 250 runners and walkers, and raises money for Cindy’s Fund. The 5-mile run and 2-mile walk, which are coordinated by the Queen City Striders Running Club, had participants from five different states, all of whom were treated to a pizza lunch at Uno’s afterward. The temperature for the chase, which is usually well below freezing, was a balmy 50 degrees, and there was a light drizzle in the air. The usual cold weather finally returned to the Mountaintop Monday evening, and the forecast calls for more normal temperatures for the next several days, with some snow expected tomorrow and again Monday. The above photo is courtesy of the Queen City Striders’ web site, Queen City Striders. See the sports pages for results of the Snowflake Chase.

Cat Saves owner from blaze at Deep Creek Lake

CAT SAVES OWNER — A pet cat is credited with saving the life of its owner, and then dying in an accidental fire that resulted in the destruction of this single-story, wood-frame house located at 676 Glendale Road yesterday. Firefighters from Deep Creek Lake, Oakland, Accident, and Bittinger were summoned to the house at 7:04 a.m., with the first units on the scene facing heavy flames that had already broken through the wall. The house was owned by Ed Browning, who told investigators he was sleeping on the couch when he was awakened by the crying of his cat.  The cause of the fire, which caused an estimated loss of $130,000 to the structure and contents, was reportedly a lighted candle in a rear bedroom that was left unattended. Deep Creek VFC deputy fire chief Jason King said that the smoke alarms in the house did not activate. Also responding to the scene were state and county police and the Northern Rescue Squad. There were no injuries reported. Photo submitted by Mark Weber.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Deep Creek Lake area resident posed for the cover of Saturday Evening Post

A “FEW” YEARS AGO, this Deep Creek Lake area resident posed for the cover of a 1930 Saturday Evening Post. At age 8, wearing a Phillip Morris bellboy uniform, Jan Janssen modeled in 1928 for friend of his father and commercial artist J. Jackson at his home on Long Island, N.Y. The magazine bearing his likeness was published in ‘30. The painting is now located at Jan’s home in Garrett County. A visiting friend, Dan Davis of Chicago, was interested in the work and resolved to find the publication date, which he discovered was March 20, 1930, and then went on to find possibly the only remaining copy of that issue at an archives store in Texas. Inside the magazine are telling signs of those times. The magazine itself cost just 5 cents. Inside are advertisements for Campbell’s soup at 11 cents per can, a pair of genuine calf-skin leather shoes for $5, and a new 1930 Pontiac priced at $750. The 8-year-old on the cover went on to serve the United States Air Force as a pilot in World War II, an ROTC commander at West Virginia University, and became one of the founding deans of Garrett College.