January 2015 – Page 2 – Jay's Real Estate Blog

Bowling Anyone???

Owners of The Alley in Oakland confirmed they are moving forward with the second location in McHenry. It will be on the lot adjacent to the new Dollar General — where Deep Creek Drive breaks off from Rt. 219 at the northern end. Deep Creek is getting a bowling alley!

Find Out More Here: http://www.deepcreeklakebowling.com/

Franchot: Petition backs post-Labor Day school start

Support in the form of 13,240 Marylanders’ signatures keeps the ball rolling on a push by Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) to get schools in Maryland to start after Labor Day.

School officials in Calvert County and elsewhere in the state say decisions on start times should remain local. In Calvert, the first day of school after the summer break this year would be Aug. 25 as things stand now.

The “Let Summer Be Summer” campaign picked up steam when a governor’s task force recommended in May 2014 that Maryland public schools delay opening until after Labor Day, while continuing to end classes in mid-June.

Garrett benefits from vacationers

A recent article by reporter Tim Wheeler about the issue of natural gas development in Garrett County contains a statement from a local Chamber of Commerce board member and farmer who has been a fairly vocal advocate for natural gas development (“Fracking debate intensifies in Western Maryland,” Jan. 17). His statement deserves a response.

Billy Bishoff is quoted in the article as saying “… as more land goes into vacation homes, it’s becoming harder to afford leasing land to raise crops.”

The number of new second home subdivisions in Garrett County in the past five years has been few to none. Almost all second home development in Garrett County over the past 30 years has occurred in and around Deep Creek Lake. Most of that new development occurred on non-farmed lands. The reality is that there is currently no market competition between farmland and developable second home land in Garrett County.

Price Improvement!

What a Great Picture!

Taken by our very own Preston! Taylor-Made Deep Creek Vacations's photo.

Fracking splits Garrett County

With natural gas drilling on the horizon in Western Maryland, dairy farmer Billy Bishoff welcomes the chance to supplement his income by collecting lease or royalty payments on the natural gas that lies beneath his family’s 330 acres a few miles northwest of Deep Creek Lake. The gas, locked far beneath the surface, is a “tremendous resource,” he said, that could bring jobs and prosperity to Garrett County, which many residents now leave to find work.

Not far away, Elliott Perfetti worries that drilling for gas could foul the region’s air and water, crippling the tourism and outdoor recreation industries, which have become linchpins of the local economy. “I think it could quickly erode the reasons that people come to Garrett County,” said Perfetti, operations manager at Blue Moon Rising, an eco-friendly resort overlooking the lake.

Bishoff and Perfetti symbolize a broader debate in this mountainous county over the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing — or “fracking” as the drilling technique is commonly known. Now that Maryland has proposed sweeping new rules for oil and gas exploration and production, residents are debating how — or whether — fracking can be done safely.

Hogan supports effort to start school after Labor Day

……….Proponents say a later start would give families an additional week of summer to spend at the beach or Deep Creek Lake, attend the Maryland State Fair or simply spend money at Maryland businesses — and produce additional tax revenue. The Bureau of Revenue Estimates projects a post-Labor Day start would boost economic activity by $74.3 million and contribute $7.7 million in revenue to state and local coffers.

Hogan became the 13,244th signer of the petition. He joins Gov. Martin O’Malley, who added his name at a Board of Public Works meeting last year.

Petition says start school after Labor Day

Annapolis, MD — Comptroller Peter Franchot, joined by Governor-elect Larry Hogan, Ocean City Mayor Richard W. Meehan, state Senator James N. Mathias Jr., and other elected officials, as well as small business owners, educators and tourism officials, today enthusiastically thanked Marylanders for their overwhelming support of his petition drive to start public schools after Labor Day. More than 13,240

Marylanders from every corner of the state signed the “Let Summer Be Summer,” petition, far exceeding the 10,000 signature goal. The campaign kicked-off last August on the Ocean City Boardwalk and Deep Creek Lake, and today the list of supporters will be presented to members of the Maryland General Assembly.

“This is a grassroots, citizen-driven effort that has gathered tremendous support from all across our great state,” said Comptroller Franchot. “13,244 Marylanders have sent a clear message that starting school after Labor Day will give families, students, teachers and small businesses the break they need – and deserve. It gives students time to learn life lessons beyond the classroom, teachers time to recharge their batteries and small businesses much needed help during tough economic times. I am confident we can make this meaningful adjustment and continue to end the school year in early to mid-June.”

December Stats

Falling temperatures

Nearby ski resorts have been open since just after Thanksgiving, but a lot of the excitement tends to start after the first significant snowfall of the winter, according to Lori Epp, director of marketing with Wisp Resort in McHenry.

In the Deep Creek Lake area, Epp said, they tend to see an average of 120 inches of snow each winter, whereas the Washington and Baltimore areas see about 20. Once the snow falls in these areas to the east, the crowds come out.

“If it’s not snowing and cold in your backyard, you may not think that four hours away, it’s different weather,” she said. “The natural snow is what gets everybody really excited.”

Month: January 2015