All Hail the USA
Jul. 5, 2012
All hail let loose last evening just as festivities for the July 4th holiday were getting under way. An intense and damaging storm hit the Deep Creek Lake area at about 7:15 p.m., bringing high winds, torrential rain, and marble-sized hail. (And that’s shooter marbles, not the little ones.)
The storm went on for more than 30 minutes, absolutely inundating the food tables at the Deep Creek Marina, which was offering a customer appreciation event. The food, catered by Wisp, was suddenly mostly soup, as shown, as the severe weather descended.
The annual Independence Day celebration at Garrett College by the Garrett Community Concert Band and the Garrett Choral Society was both abbreviated and relocated because of the storm. The performers and audience went into the college gymnasium, which is conveniently a storm protection area, and the program commenced inside. There is surely damage today in gardens and yards, as the hail was severe and the wind quite strong. Photo by Fabian Green.
More here.
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Garrett County Public Safety Director Reports On June 29 Storm, Aftermath
Jul. 5, 2012
Garrett County suffered “some of the most extensive damage we’ve seen from a storm event,” reported Brad Frantz, director of Garrett County Public Safety and Emergency Management, during a special briefing for the county commissioners on Tuesday morning.
A derecho – a rare string of powerful storms with intense lightening, rain, and hurricane-force winds – swept through the Midwest and mid-Atlantic region Friday (June 29) evening. According to some accounts, at least 22 people were killed, 5 million were left without power, and billions of dollars worth of damages occurred.
“We were quite fortunate that there were not more structures that had impact,” Frantz said. “We had one reported on Savage River Road that was significant damage.”
Three trees fell on a home, one of which landed in a bedroom. The house was insured, according to Frantz.
The director said 1,114 county electric power customers remained without service as of Tuesday at 7 a.m., but he anticipated that power would be restored to most of these customers by the end of the day.
As of Thursday morning, Potomac Edison reports that 140 Garrett County residences are still without power. Those without electricity in surrounding counties are as follows: Allegany, 1,225; Preston 2,421; Tucker 185; Grant 117; Mineral, 117; and Somerset, 7.
Utility companies have been working around the clock, since the storm hit Garrett County at 8:20 p.m. on June 29, Frantz said. Potomac Edison reported 147,000 of its area customers had lost power from the storm.
Frantz noted that nearly every fire department in the county spent the weekend clearing roads of trees and debris, and as of Monday, all roads in the county were open.
Cooling centers/shelters were established Saturday morning and remain available this week to residents at the Friendsville Volunteer Fire Department, the Deer Park Community Volunteer Fire Department, and the Southern Garrett Rescue Squad hall, according to Frantz.
At the impact of the sudden storm – with winds exceeding 65 miles per hour in some areas, according to Potomac Edison – Frantz said telephone calls into 9-1-1 were 300-400 percent above normal call volume.
“On a normal day, we might see 75 calls,” he said.
More here.
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Kitzmiller Charter School Initiative Inc. Requests Use Of Former KES Building
Jul. 5, 2012
A group of Kitzmiller area residents met with the Garrett County commissioners on Tuesday morning to discuss their plans to start a public charter school and learning cooperative. They requested use of the former Kitzmiller Elementary School for those initiatives.
“We believe that our students in Kitzmiller deserve to go to school in their own community,” said group spokesperson/town councilman Matt Paugh.
Faced with significant state funding cuts in recent and upcoming years, the local board of education recently decided to close Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools, effective this fall. The board had previously closed Bloomington Elementary School as a cost-saving measure.
When the new school year begins next month, former Dennett Road students will attend either Broad Ford, Yough Glades, or Crellin elementary schools, while Kitzmiller students will be redistricted to Broad Ford. The Dennett Road and Kitzmiller school buildings will eventually revert to Garrett County government.
“While no one questions that our children will receive a quality education at Broad Ford Elementary, or at any other school in the county, we truly believe that a smaller school closer to home is going to be the most beneficial to our students,” Paugh said.
He also indicated that the town’s strategic plan, well-being, and sense of community all hinge on having a school in Kitzmiller.
After learning in April that Kitzmiller Elementary would be closed, a group of concerned residents met in early May to discuss various options for keeping students and some type of educational system in the town, including establishing a private religious school, private nonsectarian school, homeschooling cooperative, and/or a public charter school.
“We’ve formed a nonprofit organization called the Kitzmiller Charter School Initiative Inc. and submitted our letter of interest to interim superintendent Sue Waggoner on June 8,” Paugh said.
The group has not heard back from the Garrett County Board of Education yet, he noted, possibly because it was waiting for the new superintendent, Dr. Janet Wilson, to come on board.
Paugh said public charter schools are designed and operated not by a school board, but by a group of founders, which include parents, educators, and community leaders who have flexibility in deciding budgets, curriculum, and teaching methods. In addition, charter schools are tuition free and open to the public, employe certified teachers, and participate in state testing requirements.
The Maryland State Department of Education web site notes that state law:
• Allows new start-up schools and existing public schools to become charter schools.
• Identifies the local board of education as the primary authorizer of charter schools.
• Identifies the state board of education serve as a secondary authorizer as a result of an appeal decision or for a restructured school.
• Requires that charter schools receive funding that is commensurate to funding received by other public schools.
• Gives charter schools the right to appeal decisions made by local boards of education.
• Requires that charter schools have a right to appeal decisions made by local boards of education.
• Requires that charter school employees are public school employees of the local school board.
• Requires that local school boards adopt a charter school policy.
The Kitzmiller Charter School application must be submitted to the local BOE by Sept. 1 in order to begin operation in the 2013-2014 school year. Dr. Brenda McCartney, former BOE assistant superintendent, is helping the Kitzmiller group with the application process, which Paugh described as rigorous.
More here.
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SHA To Begin Oak Street Paving Proj. This Sunday Night
Jul. 5, 2012
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) will begin a resurfacing project this Sunday, July 8, on both U.S. Rt. 219 (East Oak Street and South 3rd Street) and Md. Rt. 39 (East Oak Street) in Oakland.
SHA will mill, resurface, and restripe Rt. 219 between 8th Street and Center Street, as well as Rt. 39 from South 3rd Street to the Little Youghi-ogheny River Bridge. Weather permitting, the project will be complete by the end of July.
Motorists should anticipate lane closures on both routes between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday evenings through Friday mornings. No parking will be permitted on Rt. 219 from 8th Street to Center Street between 4 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday evenings through Friday mornings.
SHA will use variable message boards, temporary signs, cones, and barrels, along with flagging operations to guide motorists through the work zone.
According to SHA, more than 15,000 vehicles per day use Rt. 219, and about 6,000 vehicles per day use Rt. 39 in the project area, so motorists should prepare for delays.
SHA awarded the $4.5 million contract to Keystone Lime of Springs, Pa. Customers who have questions about the work may contact Beverly Blank, project engineer, at 301-895-3234.
Anyone with questions about traffic operations along Rt. 219 or other state numbered routes in Garrett County may also call SHA’s District 6 Office at 301-729-8400 or toll free at 800-760-7138.
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!
Rockets' Red Glare, and Lightning, Too!
Jul. 5, 2012
Both man-made explosions and nature’s own display were featured in the annual Fire On the Mountain July 4th fireworks last night at Wisp. The sky was quite alive with fireworks and lightning, as captured in this photograph, and had in fact just cleared enough for the show to begin at 9:30.
A severe electrical storm preceded the event, bringing hail and high winds (see additional picture). But the show did go on, and thousands were able to watch and provide the appropriate “oohs and aahs.” Happy Independence Day, America! Photo by Fabian Green.
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!
Marylander taxpayers head for the hills -- and the shore
July 5, 2012
Examiner Editorial
The Washington Examiner
While overburdened taxpayers flee Maryland for more hospitable states, Marylanders themselves are leaving the most populous jurisdictions with the highest local taxes and relocating to smaller Eastern Shore and western counties. Out-of-state migration reduced state revenue $1.7 billion between 2007 and 2010. Meanwhile, intrastate migration has helped Maryland’s smallest counties increase their tax bases while their larger counterparts are losing ground.
An analysis of Internal Revenue Service data by Change Maryland, a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to restore the state’s economic competitiveness, shows that Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Talbot and Worcester counties are doing better than Montgomery and Prince George’s in keeping and attracting taxpayers.
The most recent IRS data show that between 2009 and 2010, the number of individual income tax filers increased 2.07 percent in easternmost Worcester County, the highest percentage in the state, while westernmost Garrett County enjoyed a more modest .93 percent growth. However, despite their significant geographical advantages, both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties experienced a net outflow of taxpayers.
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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!
Slice of summer: Man-made convenience meets white-water rafting
July 7, 2012 10:14 am
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Done right, with proper safety gear and an experienced guide, white-water rafting on a Pennsylvania river is an exhilarating, drenching adventure. Amusement park rides that simulate the experience are fun, too, but the passive approach is no challenge.
Not far from Pittsburgh, a middle ground is available — ideal for those who want to try controlling a six-person raft as it bobs, spins and plummets down a churning stream, but who are worried about swift currents or pointy rocks.
A 1,700-foot, man-made course sits atop the Wisp Resort at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland, which can be reached on a two-hour drive from Pittsburgh along gorgeous country roads through Washington and Fayette counties.
The artificial riverbed was constructed to host Olympic-caliber rafting and kayaking by Adventure Sports Center International, a non-profit that recently was taken over by Garrett County due to financial problems. Unlike a natural river, water levels and some features are adjustable, so the course can be tailored to beginners.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/editorials/slice-of-summer-man-made-convenience-meets-white-water-rafting-643669/#ixzz207usNgCu
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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!
Group wants charter school in Kitzmiller
Garrett County commissioners must approve use for former elementary school
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — Both the Garrett County Community Action Committee and the Kitzmiller Charter School Initiative Inc. have approached the commissioners about possible uses of the former Kitzmiller Elementary School.
The former Kitzmiller and Dennett Road elementary school buildings reverted back to the county following the Board of Education’s decision to close both schools on May 30.
During the July 5 commission meeting, Brenda McCartney and Matthew Paugh of the Charter School Initiative presented an overview of the application for the charter school and requested the commissioners approval to utilize the building for the school.
The commissioners’ final approval of a possible charter school will be based on further review and will be made once the application is approved, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator. The application for the charter school is due by Sept. 1 to the Board of Education, according to McCartney.
“The forming of a charter school is a long process and the soonest we can open is for the 2013-2014 school year,” said McCartney, who said the group has filed a letter of intent for the school with the school board.
Once the application is filed, the school board will have 120 days to render a decision in the matter, according to McCartney. If the board denies the application, the group can file an appeal with the Maryland State Board of Education, according to the county’s board of education website.
Since the charter school will be public, it will be operated under the school board, with extended funding coming from the board with the Charter School Initiative seeking additional funding through grants, according to McCartney.
“From the discussion during the public meeting and my prior meeting with the Kitzmiller group, the cost of maintaining the facility will be covered by the charter school,” said Pagenhardt in an email.
Also during the commission meeting, the Kitzmiller Learning Co-Op suggested utilizing the former school for home schooling and community functions during the 2012-2013 school year.
“Some parents would like to utilize the building for a home school. I don’t know if it will be available,” said McCartney. “At this point it’s difficult to say what it (home school) would look like. It would depend on number of parents who make the decision to home school.”
The commissioners will take the utilization of the former Kitzmiller school for home school purposes under advisement, said Pagenhardt.
In June, Duane Yoder, president of Garrett County Community Action Committee, approached the commissioners about the continued use of Kitzmiller building as a Head Start center.
Yoder also hopes to relocate the senior meal program there as well. The Kitzmiller Head Start Center has had a classroom in the former school for about 35 years and would most likely close down if it can’t continue to remain in the school building, according to Yoder.
“Kitzmiller is the only building that is feasible for Head Start,” said Yoder, who noted that he had considered busing the preschoolers to a new location in Oakland. “I’m not willing to transport 3- and 4-year-olds on a bus from Kitzmiller to Oakland.”
Yoder said although he hasn’t had a conversation with members of the Charter School Initiative, that the Head Start would fit in nicely with a charter school and would “enhance their planning.”
Yoder also hopes to relocate the senior meal program to the former Kitz-miller school building. If the senior meal program was to move from its current location at the Kitzmiller Municipal Building to the school, the program would likely grow, according to Yoder.
“More people would participate in the the senior program at the school because they wouldn’t have to deal with the steps like they do at the municipal building,” said Yoder.
“I would like to make it (both ideas) work if it could be made to work,” said Yoder. “Even if the charter school doesn’t come through, Garrett County Community Action Committee is committed to keeping the Kitzmiller building open for use as community center for the good of the community.”
The Kitzmiller building also contains a branch of the Ruth Enlow Library.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com
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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!
Savageman Triathlon Ranked #2 in USA by Men's Health
THE 20 BEST TRIATHLONS IN AMERICA
From races with jaw-dropping backdrops to courses with hellacious hills, these are the country’s top endurance events
By Andrew Daniels
Savageman Triathlon
Deep Creak Lake State Park, Maryland
Distance: Half Ironman (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run)
Registration: Open registration
Named the hardest race on Earth by Triathlete Magazine, Savageman is a diabolical, 5,800-foot ascent up the mountains of Western Maryland. It’s caused some of the world’s best cyclists to grasp for lower gears while gasping for air at a snail’s pace of 2 miles per hour. At the end of the 70.3-mile trek, there’s little money to be made—but plenty of pride to be earned—from finishing in one piece. And if you love hard workouts, we dare you to try the 15-minute muscle shredders in our 15-Minute Abs, Arms, and Chest Workout DVD.
Read more at Men’s Health: http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/20-best-triathlons#ixzz207wPZm6N
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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!
BACK ON THE MARKET! 630 PARADISE RIDGE RD - GA7844475 - $299,900
After quickly going under contract, the buyers could not obtain financing for this home and its back on the market. One of the best priced log homes on the market, with incredible views of Deep Creek Lake & the surrounding mountains, lake access and an attached 2 car garage. EXCEPTIONAL condition and very well maintained! More details 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!
