DEEP CREEK LAKE — The Western Garrett County State Park Volunteers Inc. and the Garrett County Arts Council will host the 15th annual Art in the Park July 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and July 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park.

The event will be held rain or shine and feature more than 45 artists, including several new to the festival, who display and sell their work. Entertainment, food, naturalist programs and a children’s art tent are among featured activities.

“Art in the Park is an event for the entire family to enjoy,” said Caroline Blizzard, volunteer coordinator of Western Garrett County State Park Volunteers Inc. “Beautiful artwork, hands-on activities, delicious food will delight children and parents alike. We are proud to offer such programs that can bring family, fun, art and education together.”

The variety of artistic and handmade pieces at the event will include jewelry, photography, wood turned items, native wildflowers, pottery, fused glass, original artwork, wood painted furniture, handmade wooden furniture, tatting, homemade chocolates, hand-woven baskets, wool rugs, handmade soaps and children’s books.

A silent auction July 12 will include artwork donated by vendors. Animals from frogs and turtles to birds of prey may be viewed in the park tent. The annual tie dye of the 2014 Art in the Park T-shirt will also be held. The arts council will display and sell tickets for its annual quilt fundraiser and operate a children’s art and activity tent.

Food will be available and a variety of hands-on activities will be held.

In addition, visitors can explore the interpretive/educational Discovery Center, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the summer.

Admission is the usual charge into Deep Creek Lake State Park. Children in car seats and seniors over 62 are free. Docking is available for those wishing to come by boat.

For more information, call 301-387-7067.

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OAKLAND — The Garrett County Board of Education voted to approve the six consolidation recommendations made by the School Attendance Area Committee. The 4-0 vote was taken during a special business session Tuesday. Matthew Paugh, associate member, wasn’t present during the meeting.

The recommendations will assign a boundary for the 2014/2015 school year to Swan Meadow Elementary School using the existing transportaion routes and will allow students currently attending Swan Meadow to continue to do so. Students who currently attend Yough Glades Elementary School will have the option of remaining there or attending Swan Meadow. The recommendations also suggest that Swan Meadow’s goal of enrolling 12 additional students be reviewed in April 2015 and that the kindergarten program at the school be implemented for the 2014/2015 school year.

An additional recommendation includes assigning the mobile modular classrooms, already approved by the board and the Garrett County commissioners, to Broad Ford Elementary School. Another recommendation includes reassigning the Glades West to Tomar Drive area to the Crellin district.

The consolidation plan has been a challenge, Jane Wildesen, supervisor of elementary education for the board and a member of the committee, said in a previous interview with the Times-News.

Bus transportation will remain as is and will not be extended to encompass any of the proposed changes for the school year. Any student who can use established routes will continue to be provided that bus service.

Crellin and Swan Meadow start and end times will be adjusted to be consistent with the remaining elementary schools in the county beginning with this school year. Parents/guardians of students who attend Crellin and Swan Meadow schools will be notified how the time change will affect their children as the school year approaches.

The consolidation plan in its entirety can be viewed at http://www.garrettcountyschools.org/news/2014/06/-board-of-education-approves-committees-recommendations.

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— MCHENRY — Fireworks will light up the sky at Deep Creek Lake July Fourth at the annual Fire on the Mountain display presented by the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.

GCC Technologies LLC is the major sponsor for the 2014 display, which is set to begin at dark. The shells are launched from the top of the Bear Claw Tubing Park at Wisp Resort.

Prime viewing locations include the scenic overlook on U.S. Route 219, Wisp Resort and from a boat on the lake, particularly around McHenry Cove.

“I would like to thank GCC Technologies for their sponsorship of the Fire on the Mountain fireworks display,” said Nicole Christian, president and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. “We could not present such a fabulous show without the support of GCC Technologies and our other generous fireworks sponsors.”

The rain date for the event is July 5.

For more information, visit the website www.visitdeepcreek.com or call 301-387-4386.

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OAKLAND — About one-quarter of Garrett County’s registered voters decided the fate of the three Republican commissioners who were unseated Tuesday, according to complete but unofficial primary election results.

The voting turnout was at 25.26 percent, including early voting, according to results reported by the county to the State Board of Elections.

Paul Edwards ousted incumbent Jim Raley in District 2, with 50.5 percent of the votes, or a total of 1,933 votes to Raley’s 961 votes.

Edwards didn’t return a call for comment by press time.

Edwards will run unopposed in the November general election.

Edwards has 15 years in municipal government in Grantsville and is currently director of secondary education for Garrett County Public Schools. He will step down from  his 10-year mayoral position in Grantsville.

In District 1, Larry Tichnell unseated incumbent Gregan Crawford, garnering 49.28 percent of the votes with a total of 1,850 to Crawford’s 1,055 votes.

“I appreciate all the people that voted for me. I was surprised to win as handily as I did because there was a lot of good candidates in my district,” said Tichnell. “Thanks to everybody for their support and appreciation. I look forward to the election in November.”

Tichnell will square off against Leo Martin, a Libertarian, in the November general election.

In District 3, Jim Hinebaugh beat incumbent Bob Gatto by 2.78 percent of the votes. Earning 36.48 percent of the votes, Hinebaugh had a total of 1,419 votes to Gatto’s 1,311 votes. Hinebaugh will face Democratic candidate April Hebden, who received a total of 626 votes, as well as Bill Welch, a Libertarian, and James R. “Smokey” Stanton, unaffiliated, in the general election.

“Obviously, I’m very pleased to win. It was a pretty tight race,” said Hinebaugh. “I’m pleased with the outcome — it’s closer than I would have liked but I’m happy I won. I’m looking forward to the general election in November.”

Calls to Raley, Crawford and Gatto weren’t returned by press time.

District 3 Board of Education candidate Monica Rinker led the way with 2,319 votes, followed by Fred Gregg with 1,665 votes and incumbent Rodney Reckart with 735 votes. Rinker and Gregg will move on to the general election with District 1 candidates Stuart Harvey and Mathew Paugh, incumbent, and District 2 candidate Thomas Carr, incumbent. District 1 and 2 candidates will go straight to the general election because there is only one candidate from District 2 and two candidates from District 1. There is only one open seat in each of the three districts.

State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch received 2,896 votes. Clerk of Circuit Court Timothy Miller received 3,080. Both ran unopposed. Register of Wills Rita L. Watson also ran unopposed with 3,188 votes.

Sheriff candidates Skyler Hebden, D, and incumbent Robert Corley, R, received 556 votes and 3,322 votes, respectively. Hebden and Corley will face off in the general election.

In the race for Judge of Orphans’ Court, Fred Sanders led over incumbent Wayne Wilt with 2,665 votes to 2,619 votes.

Jeff Hovis was the only candidate who ran for Democratic Central Committee with 652 votes. In the Republican Central Committee race, Brenda Butscher led with 2,357 votes, followed by Ruth Hinebaugh Umbel, 2,274 votes; Brian Schlossnagle 2,128; Bill Bittinger 2,099; Tom Sheahen 1,759; DeCorsey Bolden 1,640; Bill Schrider 1,522; and John Pucciano, 1,467.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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OAKLAND — Garrett County’s three sitting Republican commissioners were unseated Tuesday, according to complete but unofficial primary election results.

In District 1, Larry Tichnell, with 1,850 votes, won out over incumbent Gregan Crawford, who finished with 1,055 votes. Also in District 1, Eric Robison had 289 votes, Andrew Scott Harvey 250 votes and Dan Brenneman 310 votes.

In District 2, Paul Edwards led the way with 1,933 votes, followed by incumbent Jim Raley with 961, Tim Thomas with 753 and Gary Barlow with 181. Barlow suspended his campaign but remained on the ballot.

In District 3, Jim Hinebaugh, with 1,419 votes, beat incumbent Bob Gatto with 1,311. Also in District 3, Dave Beard, 538 votes; Jeff Haines, 484 votes; and Chad Maroney, 138. April Hebden, the lone Democrat in any of the three commission races, had 626 votes.

In District 1, Tichnell will face off against Leo Martin, a libertarian, in the November general election. In District 3, Hinebaugh will face off against candidate Hebden, Bill Welch, a libertarian and James R. “Smokey” Stanton, unaffiliated in the general election. In District 2, Edwards will run unopposed.

District 3 Board of Education candidate Monica Rinker led the way with 2,319 votes, followed by Fred Gregg and incumbent Rodney Reckart’s 1,665 and 735 votes, respectively.

Rinker and Reckart will move on to the general election  with District 1 candidates Stuart Harvey and Mathew Paugh and incumbent and District 2 candidate Thomas Carr, incumbent. Board candidates from District 1 and 2 will go straight to the general election because there is only one candidate from District 2 and two candidates from District 1.

There is only one open seat in each of the three districts.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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GARRETT COUNTY — Race Across America contestant Chris “Hoppo” Hopkinson, of North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, tackles a hill on Rt. 40 in Garrett County on Friday.

The race, which covers 3,000 miles from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland, raises funds for a variety of charities.

Team Hoppo is sponsoring Fraja Ellie, a 5-year-old girl from North Yorkshire who is fighting neuroblastoma.

For more about the race, visit www.raceacrossamerica.org.

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GRANTSVILLE — — In a cabin built in the 1750s, just a few hundred feet from a 201-year-old stone bridge across the quiet Casselman River, a man sits at a slab of a wooden table, an array of carving tools spread before him.

The rush of traffic from nearby Alternate U.S. 40, also known as Route 40, does not bother Gary Yoder. Nor does the “thump-thump-thump” of the weaving loom from the cabin next door.

— MCHENRY — A public presentation on the health implications of fracking to be held June 28 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the Garrett College auditorium will include time for community and questions.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside.

Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Dr. Amir Sapkota and other team members from the University of Maryland’s Institute for Applied Environmental Health will deliver the presentation. “We are looking forward to reporting to the community on our results, conclusions and recommendations,” Wilson said.

Last fall, Wilson and his team met with community members to compile a list of issues and questions they wanted addressed by the public health study. The made in those meetings were written up and are available to read at www.marcellushealth.org.

This is also an opportunity to hear more about the work of Maryland’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission.

Representatives of the Allegany and Garrett county health departments will be present.

The June 28 meeting will be an opportunity to understand existing threats to Allegany and Garrett County air quality and why citizens may want to be trained to conduct their own air quality monitoring in addition to that being done by the state.

Pre-existing environmental threats need to be documented, so that if fracking is permitted, officials and scientists can determine if new problems with air, soil or water contamination are emerging. For public health purposes, it will be important to know if illnesses can be attributed to any phases of gas extraction and production.

The meeting is hosted by the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. MIAEH requests an RSVP atmeleahboyle@gmail.com.

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— BITTINGER — A new state wildlife management area, only the second in Garrett County, will provide public hunting as well as protection for some plant and bird species.

The Cunningham Swamp Wildlife Management Area opened in May. Public access, including a parking lot, is available by turning west off state Route 495 about 100 yards north of the entrance to the Western Maryland 4-H Education Center.

The 258-acre unit includes grassy fields, evergreen and deciduous forest and, of course, a swamp. Some of the unit sits atop reclaimed strip mines.

“We encourage deer hunting at the WMA because deer eat the rare and endangered purple-fringed orchids,” said Ed Thompson of the Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service, the managing agency within the Department of Natural Resources.

Thompson said deer also like to eat Canada yew, another plant with which he is concerned.

“The yew plant is like candy to a deer,” he said.

The WMA offers a variety of open fields and thick cover.

Jim Mullan, regional manager for WHS, said deer hunting should be popular and productive at the new unit.

“This part of Garrett County is well-known for having bears,” Mullan said. Bear hunting is by special permit only in Maryland.

A kiosk providing information about the WMA is located at the grassy parking lot.

Rare birds, including the golden-winged warbler and alder fly catcher, use the WMA, according to Thompson.

The state paid $550,000 from Program Open Space funds for the land.

To inquire, call 301-334-4255.

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