This photo was taken by Lisa Broadwater, manager of the Grantsville office of The Republican, during a scheduled release of water on the Savage River Saturday. This release, and two more scheduled for July and September, were arranged via a collaborative effort by the Upper Potomac River Commission, NewPage Corporation, G&S Coal, Precision Rafting, Savage River State Forest staff, Garrett College, and Adventure Sports Center International.
Month: June 2013
‘Outdoors Maryland’ creator celebrates show’s 25th year
Glenn Tolbert talks origins, crews, more
Michael A. Sawyers Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — As “Outdoors Maryland” celebrates its 25th year on Maryland Public Television, the Oakland resident who launched the series in 1988 met with the Times-News Thursday to recall the early days and salute the heights to which the show has risen.
After more than 700 shows, “Outdoors Maryland” has won 37 Emmy Awards and is currently nominated for two more.
“I had watched a show called ‘Outdoors Arkansas,’ and I liked it and I knew that we could do it even better in Maryland,” said Glenn Tolbert, then employed by MPT and living in Owings Mills. “But it would be expensive and first I had to sell the idea of producing a one-hour pilot.”
Tolbert said he was somewhat surprised when Department of Natural Resources gave him and MPT an immediate green light and the necessary money.
“I got out a map, picked various regions of the state and started to choose stories and locations. I had never even been to Garrett or Allegany counties, so that took some research.”
Tolbert’s research was of the on-the-ground, up-close-and-personal variety. He had beer money and he put it to work.
“I went to restaurants and bars in the two counties and asked local people what they did in the outdoors and where they did (it). And, yes, some of the money was used to purchase liquid incentive so people would provide me with the information I needed.”
The pilot show was an unqualified success, according to Tolbert.
“It opened with a float on the Pocomoke River and closed with bears in Garrett County. The other parts of Maryland filled in the middle.”
Tolbert said the premiere of the pilot show was watched by Gov. William Donald Schaefer and lady-friend Hilda Mae Snoops. Also in attendance were various elected state officials and numerous staff from state agencies.
“When it was over there was rousing applause and we were on our way,” Tolbert said.
Tolbert produced the show for 10 years. His approach was a natural one.
“We used music if it was needed, but I’d rather let viewers hear the birds chirp or the river babble. My goal was to have viewers see and hear Maryland’s outdoors, to love it and treat it with sacred tenderness.”
Tolbert said he felt good about the fallout from the show. “People would see a show about Garrett County and say ‘Oh, wow. You mean that’s in Maryland?’”
Tolbert said he felt bad about the fallout from the show. “I have always been concerned that the show brought more people to Western Maryland and somehow lessened the quality of the outdoor experience.”
“Outdoors Maryland,” which airs on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., was originally produced by Tolbert using a film crew of three.
“Comparing the equipment from then to now is crazy,” he said. “Our recording unit was in a large, heavy box that it took one person to carry. We would hook it to the camera with a long cord.”
Tolbert said his crew was “unbelievable.”
“We couldn’t afford a helicopter so one of them would climb the highest tree to get an aerial shot. They’d cross rivers, whatever it took.”
During filming, Tolbert found himself in some difficult positions, including flat on his back in the Little Youghiogheny River after slipping and falling.
“Walking in that river was like stepping on buttered rocks,” he said.
Another time he got caught in a severe lightning storm on the Eastern Shore as a nearby tree was struck.
Tolbert said he hopes that his work and the efforts of those now producing “Outdoors Maryland” create not only an enjoyment of the state’s natural landscape, but a reverence for it. He said he always enjoyed working with employees of the Department of Natural Resources and always sought out the most enthusiastic individuals for interviews.
“Most of them love what they do,” he said.
Tolbert, originally from El Paso, Texas, said he had envisioned the East as pretty much paved over and was thrilled when he discovered its natural beauty.
“I have always been fascinated by the mystery of nature,” he said. “You know, you see the trees in the forest and the different shades of light between them off into the distance and you want to go there, to feel it, to see it, to try to understand it. I wanted that to be ‘Outdoors Maryland’ and I wanted to take the viewers with me into the different shades of light.”
Tolbert said he sees that the show’s current staff is continuing the program in that spirit.
Asked to detail the parts of Maryland and the outdoor activities he and his crew exposed to viewers during his decade with the program, Tolbert paused.
“I can’t think of anything we missed,” he said.
Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.
Spruce Forest Artisan Village Family Day June 15
3:22 p.m. EDT, June 5, 2013
Visit the Spruce Forest Artisan Village at Penn Alps in Grantsville, Md., for Family Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 15. This free event will feature interactive and hands-on activities for children and families.
Spruce Forest Artisan Village and area partnering organizations will create opportunities to experience life in the 1800s. Take a class in a log one-room schoolhouse presented by Allegany County Historical Society. Listen to stories in the Miller House Museum related by members of the Miller family, and tour the Swiss-style Yoder House.
Learn about herbs and cooking by making a bouquet garnis with the Somerset Historical Society. Children will love the take-home craft hosted by the Springs Historical Society and the plants they get to pot in containers made from recycled materials sponsored by Garrett County‘s Master Gardeners.
Wind farm's 60-day appeal term expires
Jun 6 – Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News, Md.
The proposed Fourmile Ridge wind project in eastern Garrett County has gone beyond the 60-day appeal process for the Federal Aviation Administration’s interim decision in February that all 24 proposed wind turbines are presumed to be a hazard to air navigation.
Project developer Synergics hasn’t resubmitted the project to the FAA, according to Jim Torrington, chief of the Garrett County Permits and Inspections Division.
FAA approval was hinging on the decommissioning of the Grantsville VOR/DME system, which drew opposition from Ed Kelley, manager of the Garrett County Airport, and the Maryland Aviation Administration.
VHF omnidirectional radio range is a type of short-range radio navigation system that enables pilots to determine their position and stay on course by receiving radio signals transmitted by a network of fixed ground radio beacons.
VOR/DME refers to a combined radio navigation station consisting of two beacons placed together.
Following comments and suggestions from the County Permits and Inspections Division, Synergics has revised its sediment and erosion control plan as well as the stormwater management plan, which includes about 90 plan sheets, according to Torrington.
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved the Fourmile wind project in April, and Frank Maisano, spokesman for the Synergics project, had previously said construction will begin as soon the permits are issued by the county.
Projects like Fourmile Ridge, that have been in the PJM queue, which deals with interconnections to the electrical grid, are exempt from the legislation that was recently passed that requires wind turbines in the county to comply with certain setbacks, according to Torrington.
Other wind projects in the county are moving forward.
Construction on 20 wind turbines near Friendsville that are part of EDP Renewables North America (Horizon Wind Energy) Winding Ridge will likely begin next year, according to Torrington.
EDP Renewables North America was issued a determination of no hazard by the FAA in 2011; the determination is only good for 18 months, said Torrington.
EDP Renewables received an extension on the FAA determination that is set to expire in November 2014 unless construction is started.
New Dimension Energy Company LLC, a subsidiary of FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp., has received approval from the county board of zoning appeals to construct a meteorological tower in the Deep Creek Watershed, according to Torrington.
The company hopes to build nine wind turbines between Bittinger Road and Bowman Hill Road.
The FAA also determined that two proposed MET towers — one at Garrett College and one in the Piney Run Dam area near Frostburg — have been determined to be of no hazard to air navigation.
The determination was issued to Associated Wind Developers LLC, of Plymouth, Mass., with the one at Garrett College to be used for a year-long wind study and the other for a proposed two-megawatt wind turbine near Frostburg.
The projects will be funded with a grant through the Maryland Energy Administration Game Changer Program, according to Torrington.
The program was created to provide cost-sharing grants for innovative clean energy generation technologies and market strategies in Maryland, according to the MEA website.
The projects are funded based on their ability to help the sate meet its renewable energy portfolio standard of 20 percent by 2022, and the grant recipients’ progress toward that goal will be evaluated for two years following their award.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Garrett commission keeps school renovation project
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners voted Tuesday to allow $582,400 for the design phase of the Southern Middle School Renovation Project to remain intact in the fiscal 2014 budget with the condition that no funds will be spent until further discussion with the board of education. They also approved the fiscal 2014 budget.
“At the present time, the $582,400 will remain in the budget as part of the capital outlay for the board of education and earmarked for the Southern Middle School Renovation Project design,” said Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator.
The decision to expend the design’s fund money or to remove it altogether from the budget will be made upon mutual agreement between the commissioners and the board of education, officials said.
In a letter to Superintendent Janet Wilson, Pagenhardt requested that the board delay any request for proposals or bid preparations for the design and planning until the commissioners and board conduct a public session on public school funding.
“As in the past … commissioners will be presented with a draft Capital Improvement Plan by the board of education in September or October,” said Pagenhardt in the letter.
“I would also ask that this review and approval include a possible deferral of the Southern Middle School project, be finalized prior to any architectural design funding is solicited by the BOE,” he said.
The estimated debt service obligation to the county for Southern Middle School is $750,000 per year for 30 years, according to Pagenhardt.
“Commitment of the debt is a decision that requires more review and evaluation,” said Pagenhardt in the letter.
The fiscal 2015 funding request for the board of education includes an estimated $5.1 million increase.
“If the county were to fund the BOE at the level that is shown, the combination of any new revenue generated from any revenue source or any increase in the real property tax rate would be obligated to the public school system,” said Pagenhardt. “All other departments would need to be reduced or flat funded.”
In past years, major board of education capital projects have been moved to future budget years due to planned funding shortfalls, according to Pagenhardt.
Commissioner Gregan Crawford initially made a motion to exclude funding for the project, which he later rescinded.
Commissioner Jim Raley wanted to proceed with leaving the project in the budget but to discuss with the board of education the possibility of completing the project in phases.
“We just made room in the budget to hire three school resource officers to keep our children safe,” said Raley during the commission meeting. “It’s easy to say this justifies raising taxes, but when does it end? Let’s pull together and pray our work is making a difference.”
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Garrett County sheriff joins gun control law revolt
By Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun9:09 p.m. EDT, June 5, 2013
A growing revolt in rural counties against the state’s new gun control law has spread to far Western Maryland, where the Garrett County sheriff declared the measure unconstitutional this week and said he would enforce only the provisions he believes are valid.
The declaration by Sheriff Rob Corley follows the adoption of resolutions by the governing bodies of Carroll and Cecil counties saying those jurisdictions will not use any county resources to enforce the Maryland Firearms Safety Act, passed by the General Assembly this year and signed by Gov. Martin O’Malley in May.
Among other things, the law bans the sales of certain guns classified as assault weapons, limits the size of bullet-holding magazines and requires new handgun purchasers to be licensed and fingerprinted to deter illegal purchases.
Corley’s statement is a full-throated assertion of gun owners’ rights, declaring that the new state law “violates the Second Amendment to the Constitution” and the sheriff “will make every effort to protect our citizens’ constitutional rights.”
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Scrap tire dropoff announced
Drop off your scrap tires on June 29, 2013 at the Garrett County Fairgrounds!
Road Trippin' – Plan a weekend away with our guide to summer road trips
Deep Creek Lake Area
Approximately 55 Miles from Morgantown
Pack your bags and head across the border (little more than one hour from Morgantown) to Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County. Maryland is known for its gorgeous bays and fresh seafood, but don’t forget about its freshwater. Deep Creek Lake is the largest inland body of water in Maryland. With 69 miles of shoreline, the lake is the centerpiece of a close-knit county that provides year-round recreation, lodging, dining, and attractions to more than one million visitors annually.
The area around Deep Creek Lake is getting a lot of buzz, and it isn’t hard to see why with water sports enthusiasts around every corner, four seasons of recreation at Wisp Resort, the Adventure Sports Center International (the world’s only mountaintop recirculating white water course), and 90,000 acres of public land to dig into. Boating, fishing, kayaking, tubing, wakeboarding, swimming, and canoeing are the lifeblood of the community—listed on Budget Travel as one of America’s Best Summer Lake Towns in 2010. Visitors can rent nearly any watercraft imaginable in one of the many marinas or bring their own. The area also boasts three golf courses, of which Lodestone Golf Course at Wisp was ranked seventh in Best New Courses in 2010 by Golf Magazine. Horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and biking are great ways to experience the countryside in Garrett County, or try the Mountain Coaster at Wisp Resort—a gravitational feat of engineering that rockets riders through trees at more than 25 miles per hour.
visitdeepcreek.comGarrett sheriff opposes state’s gun regulation
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — OAKLAND — Garrett County Sheriff Robert Corley provided a resolution he claims protects citizens’ Second Amendment rights in regard to the Maryland Firearms Safety Act of 2013 for the county commissioners’ support during the commission meeting on Tuesday.
Corley proclaimed his opposition to the MFSA and asked for support in allowing himself and deputies to use sound discretionary enforcement of the MFSA against any citizen unless they are engaged in commission of a crime of violence, a violent act, have been convicted of a prior felony, are adjudicated with a dangerous mental illness or under any other related compelling exigent circumstances.
“I’m asking you to join me in my commitment to the law-abiding citizens of Garrett County because such enforcement will greatly reduce the likelihood of criminalizing law-abiding citizens,” said Corley. “I believe that the MFSA violates the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution that cleary states, ‘The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.’”
Both chairman Robert Gatto and Commissioner Gregan Crawford voiced thier support of the sheriff’s resolution.
Commissioner Jim Raley suggested that the resolution should be viewed by legal counsel and citizens should have input.
“Thanks for taking a stance. It’s an emotional issue. I am disappointed in the attorney general’s stance,” said Raley.
Corley said that he is going to enforce the MFSA as he sees fit.
“I’m not asking for your blessing. I’m asking for your support,” said Corley.
The MFSA, which was enacted by the General Assembly and is set to take effect Oct. 1, bans the sale of 45 types of ordinary rifles and magazines that could contribute to the common defense and requires law-abiding citizens to submit to licensing fees, background checks, fingerprinting, safety training and renewal fees, according to Corley.
During the meeting, Jay Moyer, general roads superintendent, and John Frank, director of emergency management, voiced their support of Corley’s resolution.
The resolution is similar to those made by commissioners in Carroll and Cecil counties, both of whom believe the state act is an infringement on Second Amendment rights, according to Corley.
“Cecil County’s adopted resolution states that the County Council believes the Maryland Firearms Safety Act of 2013 is based on invalid legislation and as a result of their opposition, the board of commissioners will not authorize money, resources, employees, agencies, contractors, buildings, offices or detention centers to enforce any element of the gun law,” said Corley.
The resolution also states that Corley supports the state’s attorney’s decision to prosecute or not to prosecute charges against a law-abiding citizen detained for noncompliance of the MFSA unless they are engaged in the aforementioned circumstances.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
