Garrett County board still not sure how to use closed school
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — After voting to retain ownership of the closed Dennett Road School, the Garrett County Board of Education has not yet decided how to use the building.
The board voted at its last public meeting to rescind a portion of a vote taken April 24 to transfer the school to Garrett County government, according to the board’s Public Information Office.
The transfer was reconsidered because of a $140,214 construction debt that has eight years remaining.
Possible uses for the building were discussed, including the relocation of the board’s maintenance de-partment, for a shared (board and county) information technology department, a satellite food service or as a Head Start for Garrett Community Action and the relocation of It’s In The Bag program, which is centered at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
“The county didn’t have plans for the building but it was always in the back of our minds to use it as a maintenance facility,” said County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt, in a previous Times-News article.
The state Interagency Committee on School Construction requires the board to use at least 10 percent of the building for students, according to the board’s Public Information Office.
Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools closed May 30, following the board’s April vote to do so in a cost-cutting measure.
The board will meet today. Agenda items include awarding school bus contracts, the administrative procedure for a public charter school, sexual offender policy, a legislative recap and a discussion on the State Highway Adminstration’s archaeological investigation.
The meeting will start at 4 p.m.; at 4:15, the board will go into executive session and the public session will reopen at 6 p.m.
More here.
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Olympians Hit the Rapids in McHenry
MCHENRY, MD – Top athletes and Olympians hit the rapids in Garrett County this weekend for the National Canoe and Kayak Championships.
Olympians and competitors of all ages were on the whitewater course for the Deep Creek Open and US National Canoe and Kayak Championships at the Adventure Sports Center International.
“The National Championships are a fantastic way to see everybody and just kind of remember this is where I grew up, this is how I started,” says Olympic canoer Casey Eichfeld.
And some traveled from across the country to compete here, including Lisa Adams, who drove 40 hours from Durango, Colorado.
More here and a video.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Deep Creek Lake triathlon drawing more than 1,200 from 34 states
SavageMan event benefits melanoma foundation
For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — The sold-out sixth annual Win-The-Fight SavageMan Triathlon Festival, slated for Saturday and Sunday at Deep Creek Lake State Park, will feature 1,200 athletes from 34 U.S. states and numerous foreign countries.
Organized and produced by Win-The-Fight Events, the traithlon benefits the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation.
The starting field includes 2010 SavageMan 70.0 champion and Hawaii Ironman World Championship runner-up De-siree Ficker (USA) in the female race as well as Zach Ruble (USA), second, and Josh Beck (USA), third places, respectively in SavageMan 2011.
Numerous viewing opportunities abound in Deep Creek Lake State Park and Garrett and Allegany counties for the general public. For course maps and daily activities, visit the primary SavageMan website, www.savagemantri.org. To review brief safety secondary road closures, visit www.savagemantri.org/ road_closures.pdf.
The 2011 SavageMan charity race raised nearly $100,000 in donations by individual champion athlete/fundraisers for the foundation’s mission of mel-anoma education, advocacy and research. The broad slate of sponsors that provide services and support for the 2012 event includes Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, Railey Realty, Railey Mountain Lake Vacations and High Mountain Sports, among numerous community organizations and businesses and national sponsors.
The SavageMan 70.0 signature event features a 1.2-mile swim in Deep Creek Lake, followed by the crown-jewel bike stage featuring nearly 5,800 feet of vertical climbing, including the “most savage ascent in all of triathlon — the Westernport Wall.” The triathlon culminates in twice tackling the 6.5-mile loop run course along the shores of Deep Creek Lake and State Park Road.
The SavageMan Triathlon is the result of race director, founder and architect Kyle Yost’s passion for triathlon. “First of all, SavageMan is the toughest of the tough,” said Yost. “There will be endless debate in the triathlon community about which race is harder than which, but no one who has done SavageMan ever claims there is another tougher.”
According to foundation president Greg Safko, “The Win-The-Fight SavageMan Triathlon Festival has garnered much international attention as arguably the world’s toughest and most savage triathlon at the long-course distance. Besides attracting the world’s most accomplished and savvy triathletes to test themselves and compete on this very challenging and unique triathlon course, we also hope to inform them as fundraising champions and their donors, that melanoma skin cancer is the No. 1 most common cancer among 25- to 29-year-olds; and, is a very insidious and formidable skin cancer that, if not prevented or detected early, is extremely fast and lethal.”
The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation underwrites melanoma research at numerous prestigious cancer centers across the U.S. and maintains a comprehensive high school health curriculum for students to learn the deadly risks of melanoma skin cancer and “UV-safe” preventative and detection practices.
More here.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
August 2012 Real Estate Market Update - Residential
32 properties closed in August 2012, up from last month’s 22 sales. Another month of sales over 90% of asking price, too.With interest rates creeping higher, more people decided to take advantage of historic low rates.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the stats:
There are 53 homes under contract right now (61 last month). This number typically winds down as summer ends and less vacation time.
The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 85.91% – (last month 85.16%).
The ADJUSTED list vs sale price was 91.28 (last month 90.13%).
The current # of active/for sale listings in MRIS (minus timeshares) is 672, up from last months 622. We have a 21 month supply of homes available (minus timeshares) based solely on the August sales numbers.
Random observations:
•1 ‘newer’ homes sold in August (5 years old or less)
•It appears that 22 or so of these sales were vacation homes
•17 homes sold at/under $300,000 (last month was 16)
•22 homes sold under $400,000 (last month 17)
•0 homes sold over $ 1 million (0 last month)
•2 home(s) sold for higher than full price or at full price (last month was 1)
•One house sold for 44.17% of asking price – 312 Marsh Hill Rd
•The oldest home that sold was 142 (!) yrs old (722 Turkey Neck Rd)
•The average age of the homes that sold was 26 years (37 last month)
•4 condo/townhouse/fractional properties sold (3 last month)
Here are the statistical breakdowns:
Average Sale Price: $320,684 (last month $265,771)
Average Days on Market: 204/249 (last month 235/277) (days on market with current broker/total days on market)
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Following the Garrett County quilt trail
Published: September 21
Garrett County, in the northwest part of Maryland, has 16 stops on its self-guided barn quilt trail.
A map and other information about the route can be found at www.garrettbarnquilts.org.
More here.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Boy Scouts race on Garrett County whitewater course
15 teams navigate churning rapids in annual Potomac Council benefit
For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY— The swift waters of the man-made whitewater course atop Marsh Mountain in Garrett County proved to be the perfect venue last Sunday for an enthusiastic group of Boy Scouts to have fun while at the same time raising money for Potomac Council, which oversees Scouting activities in six counties in the region.
The occasion was the fifth annual whitewater rafting FundRacer on the course operated by Adventure Sports Center International. The event drew a total of 15 teams of Scouts and adult leaders, along with a professional guide from ASCI in each raft, competing in two divisions.
Troop 27 from Keyser, W.Va., turned in the day’s best time and was awarded the championship trophy which is rotated annually with the name of each year’s winning troop permanently engraved. Taking second place overall was Troop 24 of Frostburg. Each member of the winning raft received a free pass for an ASCI-guided program.
Don Olsen, Potomac Council executive, announced that approximately $4,400 was raised through the generosity of the FundRacer’s team sponsors from throughout the communities served by the council.
Kevin Turley, Potomac Council president, thanked the sponsors and recognized council volunteers Mike Fetchero and John Buchanan, who organized and conducted the fund-raising event, as well as Mike Logsdon, ASCI’s executive director, and his staff for their assistance.
Team sponsors included First United Bank & Trust, First Peoples Community Federal Credit Union, Keystone Lime Co., Billy Bender Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Joseph Reinhard, Hite Associates, Beitzel Corp., Aircon En-gineering, Mike and Angie Fetchero, Wamba Caravan 89 Order of Alhambra, ATK, Susquehanna Bank, Carpenters Local 1024, CBJZ, Pillar Innovations, Rehab 1st, Carl Belt Inc., LaVale Lions, TWR Communications, Gornall Construction and Rotary Club of Cumberland.
“The biggest thing about this event is that it’s probably one of the safest environments for a youth to learn a sport that can be hazardous and dangerous,” said Olsen. “This is a great proving and testing ground for them. It was very relaxed this year, really a good event, and the weather has been great. This is our fifth year for doing this and we’ve had good weather.”
Among the competitors Sunday was Nathan Turley, of Troop 29 in Wiley Ford, W.Va., who has participated in all five FundRacers since the event’s inception and was a member of the winning team in the first year.
“It’s always a great experience and I enjoy it,” he said. “I encourage anybody to do it.”
A senior at Bishop Walsh School, Turley was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in April of this year.
More here.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
July 2012 Real Estate Market Update - Residential
22 properties sold in July 2012, down slightly from last July’s 24 sales. Properties sold for over 90% of asking price again this month. There are even reports nationally of the average asking price increasing in some areas – that’s a good sign for sellers.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the stats:
There are 61 homes under contract right now (62 last month).
The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 85.16% – (last month 86.69%).
The ADJUSTED list vs sale price was 90.13 (last month 92.58%).
The current # of active/for sale listings in MRIS (minus timeshares) is 622, down from last months 685. We have a 28.27 month supply of homes available (minus timeshares) based solely on the July sales numbers.
Random observations:
•5 ‘newer’ homes sold in July (5 years old or less)
•It appears that 14 or so of these sales were vacation homes
•16 homes sold at/under $300,000 (last month was 18)
•17 homes sold under $400,000 (last month 21)
•0 homes sold over $ 1 million (1 last month – 1931 Lake Shore Dr sold for $1.849)
•1 home(s) sold for higher than full price or at full price (last month was 4)
•One house sold for 54.49% of asking price – 5 Dewey Roy Ln
•The oldest home that sold was 137 (!) yrs old (2899 Pocahontas Ave)
•The average age of the homes that sold was 37 years (27 last month)
•3 condo/townhouse/fractional properties sold (4 last month)
Here are the statistical breakdowns:
Average Sale Price: $265,771 (last month $364,821)
Average Days on Market: 235/277 (last month 252/283) (days on market with current broker/total days on market)
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Garrett Memorial operates Caring Program
Medical help provided to those in need
For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — Officials at Garrett County Memorial Hospital are reminding members of the community that a Caring Program exists at the hospital for individuals with difficulty affording their hospital care.
“The Caring Program at Garrett County Memorial Hospital is designed to assist the members of our community who need medical care but do not have the financial resources to pay for their services,” said Kathy Rhoden, director of patient financial services at the hospital.
While the hospital had a long-standing history of helping uninsured patients obtain the health care services they needed, a revised program called the Caring Program was implemented in 2006. The program offers financial assistance to un-derprivileged, underemployed and/or underinsured patients who are having difficulty providing themselves with life’s necessities, in-cluding food, clothing, shelter and health care.
A report prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that 12.5 percent of Garrett County households are living below the poverty level, making health care unaffordable to them. Through the Caring Program, eligible patients meeting 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines can qualify for 100 percent financial assistance.
For example, a family size of one can make up to $21,660 per year to qualify for 100 percent financial assistance. A sliding fee allows for partial assistance to qualified patients who are at 201 to 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
“Each application for the Caring Program is individually and thoughtfully evaluated for eligibility. We take into consideration special or unusual financial circumstances in our final eligibility determination,” said Rhoden. “Our Caring Program allows us to assure access to care by those in need and demonstrate that we are a health care facility that cares for patients in need, regardless of their ability to pay.”
For more information, call 301-533-4209 or visit the website www.gcmh.com.
More here.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Swimming program Aquatrend ‘making waves’ in area hospital
Angie Brant Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — Earlier this year, the Wellness Department at Garrett County Memorial Hospital launched a new program that — some might say — is “making waves.”
Called Aquatrend, this program is a combination of water aerobics and walking, designed to benefit people of any age or fitness level.
“The ideal goal for anyone, of any age or fitness level, is to exercise 30 minutes a day. With this class, participants have 60 minutes of exercise that is cardio, muscle and low-impact on joints,” said registered nurse Jeannie Miller.
“It’s awesome for patients with arthritis because it has very little impact on joints, while improving muscle tone and strength.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimming is the second most popular sports activity in the United States and is an excellent aerobic activity.
The CDC has reported that two hours of physical activity, such as swimming, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses, while offering dramatic improvements to overall health and fitness.
Miller said water exercise can help improve the use of the arthritic joints without worsening symptoms and can, in some cases, reduce pain for patients.
Water-based exercise im-proves or maintains bone health in older adults, especially those with osteoporosis and also for post-menopausal women.
Miller said participants are often able to exercise longer in water than on land because it does to place added strain on already stiff or sore joints and or muscles.
“Water exercise offers bouyancy that supports the spine and for patients with injuries or who are recovering from surgery, this is perfect. It is exercise that is not weight-bearing, making it more comfortable and some even say helps people with pain issues,” Miller said.
Additionally, Miller said swimming can also help improve the mindset and mood of participants, adding that any kind of exercise is proven to help feelings of depression and anxiety.
Jenna Wilt, one of the hospital’s wellness coordinators, said the response of participants has been positive, as many attest that this class is both a great workout and simply put: fun.
“Everyone loves it and with classes offered at different times, it is convenient for most schedules,” Wilt said.
“You do not have to be able to swim to take these classes. We do have some people that have never been able to swim that stay in the shallow end and really enjoy the workout,” she added. “It is a really great workout for people of any age.”
Both Miller and Wilt said the list of benefits of water exercise are impressive and urge everyone to consider adding this class to their exercise regime.
During each Aquatrend class, participants are lead through a series of water exercises that include shallow-water walking.
Through these classes, participants can expect to experience improved muscle tone, strength, cardiovascular function, circulation, endurance, flexibility, balance and range of motion. Shallow-water walking helps build endurance and strength, while boosting one’s metabolism, said Miller.
“These classes require no special athletic skills and are fun. People really enjoy getting together to do a workout that is low-impact but effective,” Wilt said.
Aquatrend classes are held Monday through Friday in the heated pools at the Community Aquatic Recreation Center at Garrett College, and at Garrett Rehab Services.
Classes are held on Thursdays from noon to 12:45 p.m. at the Garrett Rehab Services pool.
Classes at the CARC are held from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Membership is not required, and participants can attend individual classes or enroll for eight sessions or an entire year.
Interested parties may call Miller at 301-533-4295 or Wilt at 301-533-4313 for more information.
Contact Angie Brant at abrant@times-news.com.
More here.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
Governor O’Malley’s Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Meets For The Tenth Time
Written by Jeff Davis
Tuesday, 21 August 2012 22:48
Governor O’Malley’s Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Meets For The Tenth Time
Last night at Garrett Community College, about 300 Maryland citizens attended a public meeting of the Commission that was formed under the auspices of Governor O’Malley and whose purpose is “to assist State policymakers and regulators in determining whether and how gas production from the Marcellus shale in Maryland can be accomplished without unacceptable risks of adverse impacts to public health, safety, the environment, and natural resources.”
This was the tenth time for the Commission to meet, but the first time that a meeting was held in the evening in Garrett County, thus accounting for the large turnout. (For complete information on all of the activities of the Commission, you can go to www.mde.state.md.us.)
After the members of the Commission introduced themselves, an overview was presented which discussed the geology of the Marcellus shale and the process that goes into drilling the shale. An explanation was presented to the audience on the technology of the actual drilling, with slides providing a primer on vertical and horizontal drilling, as well as installment of casing for the vertical portion of the pipes, and the fracturing process in the horizontal pipes. For more detail of this, please refer to a recent appindie article entitled, “Friends of Deep Creek Lake are no Friends of Fracking.”
More here.
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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!
