August 2014 – Page 2 – Jay's Real Estate Blog

Would drilling hurt Md. tourism? Report unclear

Associated Press Updated: August 18, 2014 at 5:31 pm •

FROSTBURG, Md. (AP) — A Towson University study of the potential economic impact of shale gas drilling in far western Maryland fails to answer what some critics said Monday is their biggest question: How would hydraulic fracturing for natural gas affect the tourism that accounts for a large share of the economy in Garrett County, where most of the drilling would occur?

Several members of the state panel that commissioned the study, including state Delegate Heather Mizeur, asked the authors to include language in their final report next month highlighting their lack of information about the tourism impact, as well their lack of cost analysis of a potential disaster such as widespread contamination of drinking water.

“Let’s just get real about what we were able to discover and, quite honestly, how much more there is that we didn’t even begin to touch on that was the whole initial charge of this commission to begin with,” Mizeur said. The Montgomery County Democrat made her opposition to hydraulic fracturing a part of her failed gubernatorial bid earlier this year.

Study author Daraius Irani of Towson’s Regional Economic Studies Institute, said his team found a dearth of usable data about the impact of hydraulic fracturing in tourist areas. The institute produced the $150,000 study for a state commission that aims to recommend regulations this fall for safe drilling in Maryland’s portion of the Marcellus shale formation.

Just Hanging Around

Wanna Race?

2014 Western Maryland Amateur Championship

Tuesday, August 12th:

The Annual Western Maryland Amateur is a stroke play event open to all male amateurs and is played over 54 holes. There is a “cut” after Saturday’s round combining the 2 day gross scores, with the low 30 players and ties competing in the Championship flight on Sunday, while all others not making the “cut’ will be flighted for play on Sunday. The 3 day total score is used to determine the winners in all of the flights. All players making the championship flight are guaranteed to receive a prize.

We also have a senior division with 3 age flights for those 55 & older as of the tournament date. Other events include “Closest to the Pins” on Friday & Saturday sponsored by the Women’s Golf Association. A practice round is included on Thursday with an option 2 man Best Ball Tournament with prizes being determined by the number of participants.

Garrett County developer pleads guilty in bank fraud case

Posted: Sunday, August 10, 2014 3:16 am

BALTIMORE (AP) — A Garrett County developer faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud conspiracy in a scheme involving three properties in Western Maryland and West Virginia.

Lewis Strosnider pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Baltimore. He’ll be sentenced Nov. 19.

Co-defendant Samuel VanSickle has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Garrett to shift road affected by sink holes

Posted: Thursday, August 7, 2014 11:09 am

BARTON — Bore samples taken from Aaron Run Road have determined that the sink hole area was much deeper than the Maryland Department of Environment Bureau of Mines had anticipated, according to Jay Moyer, director of the Garrett County Department of Public Works.

“Therefore pile driving of sheeting to create a stable shoulder is not an option,” said Moyer.

The road has been closed since May 17. In order to restore the road surface, a right of way has been obtained from the adjacent property owner, according to Moyer.

“This will allow the road to be shifted to the north and should help reduce the total cost of the project,” said Moyer. “The property owner agreed to participate by donating the land needed and this was accomplished by the county agreeing to upgrade the entrance to the private property.”

Garrett officials defer action on water, sewer plan

Posted: Wednesday, August 6, 2014 12:21 am

OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners voted Tuesday to table a decision on service area boundaries of the county’s water and sewer master plan, suggesting that more specific notifications regarding potential ad valorem tax rates be given to customers and that other details be clarified.

“I’d really like to have a little more time to understand this thing and make sure the public understands this thing,” said Commissioner James Raley.

Customers in the Keysers Ridge area, whose well water was contaminated by salt from state property, will be most affected by the tax rate, Raley said. Those residents could pay about 43 cents more for service.

“Who knows what’s going to happen to them. Are they going to be required to hook up? Are they going to be paying ad valorems for something the state did to harm their property — (that’s) government at its worst,” said Raley. “I don’t think that those people should have to pay for the system at all. You (state) poisoned people’s water supplies and now you want them to pay to fix this.”

Garrett County Commissioners set to vote on extended agreement with American Woodmark

Posted: Monday, August 4, 2014 12:32 pm

OAKLAND — The Garrett County Commissioners are set to vote on extending the terms of an agreement with American Woodmark Corporation during the commission meeting Tuesday.

The agreement includes the loan repayment terms and associated terms with construction and job creation, according to Mike Koch, executive director of Garrett County Community Planning & Development.

“Currently, there are no active plans for an American Woodmark location in Garrett County, but we are hopeful that the extension and an improving economy will provide for opportunities in the future,” said Koch.

Also on agenda is a decision on the boundary changes for the county sanitary district. The public comment period for the boundary changes is open until Tuesday and includes a review session with Gorman Getty III, county attorney. The county’s Water and Sewer Master Plan hasn’t been updated in full since 1997 and once it’s completed it will include a review of all sewer and water service areas, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator. There are people who are outside the service district per the map definition but they are receiving services, and vice versa, said Pagenhardt in a previous interview with the Times-News.

Early 2014-15 Winter Forecast: A Region-by-Region Breakdown

This is a more simplified version of the preliminary 2014-15 winter forecast that I released on July 20th. In this post, I want to go region-by-region and tell you what I believe this winter entails for those areas. Before I do, please understand that this winter forecast is subject to change, but at this time, I am fairly confident in my current predictions for this upcoming winter. Only time will tell if my predictions verify, and if any changes need to be made, I will do so in my final winter forecast which will be coming out in October.

Two of the points that I made in my preliminary winter forecast was that the strength of the El Nino matters and the placement of the above-average sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific matters. That’s why you can’t come out with one of those “this is your typical weak El Nino winter maps” and call it a winter forecast. It simply won’t work. Also, there are other factors that will be big drivers of this upcoming winter because we will likely only be in a weak to weakly moderate El Nino. The warmer waters in the northern Pacific over the Gulf of Alaska could again be partially responsible for another cold winter in the central and eastern United States, while the West has above-average temperatures.

Month: August 2014