2011 was a very (insert adjective) year
By Michael A. Sawyers, Cumberland Times-News, Md.
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
Dec. 31–As January started, grumbling could be heard on both sides of the North Branch of the Potomac River.
The deer harvest was down dramatically and hunters didn’t like it. For example, the kill during West Virginia’s 2010 firearms season decreased 31 percent from the previous year.
On the Almost Maryland side of the big river, officers and members of the Allegany-Garrett Sportsmen’s Association fumed, insisting upon a minimum antler point rule, drastically reduced bag limits and other restrictions they believe are needed in Region A.
Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service biologists, halfway through a two-year regulation cycle, made no changes for the 2011 hunts.
Head deer guy, Brian Eyler, said there was no need to fix something that was not broken. The firearms season buck kill in Region A rose by 12 percent later in 2011.
The Maryland General Assembly got under way in January. Hunters missed the boat by not strongly supporting a bill that would give the Department of Natural Resources control over the regulation of Sunday deer hunting. If that bill is introduced in 2012, hunters need to buy their boat tickets early and let the politicians in Annapolis know this is something we want.
It was announced in February that chronic wasting disease was confirmed in a deer killed on the Green Ridge State Forest. That was the first, and so far the only, CWD deer found in the state. Special regulations were established for hunting deer in that locale. Hunters didn’t seem all that concerned about the matter.
Additional land added to the Warrior Mountain Wildlife Management Area pushed that public parcel to almost 5,000 acres.
In March it became official. The Maryland Fisheries Service made it illegal to wear felt-soled waders in water anywhere in the state. The ban is intended to inhibit or stop the movement of rock snot, a yucky algae, from the Gunpowder and Savage rivers to other waters. It was the second-worst sham ever pulled off on Maryland anglers by the state agency.
A Hagerstown man charged with hunting bears over bait in eastern Allegany County was not found guilty after his attorney argued successfully that the Maryland Natural Resources Police had no right to go onto the private property.
Blu, the Labrador retriever handled by Maryland Natural Resources Police Officer Curt Dieterle, was trained to sniff and find trout and immediately began doing so when the trout season opened. Some of those trout were illegally caught.
In April, Maryland’s spring gobbler season began. It would have a couple firsts. In Allegany and Garrett counties, hunting was allowed on one Sunday and on all lands, both public and private. The 2012 season will have two Sundays available in those counties. Also, afternoon hunting was allowed for a portion of the five-week season.
On April 14, Kenneth Files III of Falling Waters, W.Va., (right) caught a Maryland record muskie from the Potomac River. It was 45 inches and weighed 31.75 pounds.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced that bow season would open on the first Saturday in October, adding time in tree stands for archers. Byron Chambers, Romney, was one of the natural resources commissioners who helped make that additional opportunity available.
May came and went without a regulations hearing being conducted by the Maryland Fisheries Service. It would be discovered later that no meeting was held because no regulation changes were proposed. In 2007, the agency made it illegal to use bait or keep brook trout in 111 miles of the Savage River drainage, saying at the time that the regulation would be revisited after five years to determine if it should be maintained. Instead, the regulation was allowed to move into its sixth year of existence. I have no information that would lead me to believe anything other than we were told an untruth. This regulation, by the way, is the greatest sham perpetrated upon the state’s anglers, especially those living in far Western Maryland.
Also in May, the Maryland Fisheries Service announced that trout it had purchased from a private supplier that were stocked in the North Branch of the Potomac River, Jennings Run, Wills Creek and Sideling Hill Creek were infected with whirling disease.
Gobbler hunters killed 339 spring birds in Garrett County, 287 in Allegany and 2,847 throughout the state.
In June, the Maryland B.A.S.S. Federation completed a permanent weighing station for tournaments conducted at Deep Creek Lake State Park.
The Maryland Wildlife Service announced that a new access road from U.S. Route 220 will be built onto the Dan’s Mountain Wildlife Management Area. That work will begin early in 2012.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation announced in August that it is footing the bill for a year-long look at the possibility of reintroducing elk into Allegany and Garrett counties. Since then, there has been zero information released about the effort. The Times-News heard that the Garrett County commissioners opposed the plan and Chairman Gregan Crawford confirmed that an official letter had been written by the elected officials rejecting elk for that county. Bill Miles of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation said, though, that the investigation will continue.
A bear population survey for Maryland’s three western counties took place. Laboratory results of the DNA analysis of bear hair is expected to provide a new bear population number in the next month or so. The last survey was six years ago.
My old Beer/Deer Fridge died. I replaced it with The Beer/Deer Fridge II, which has worked wonderfully in chilling a bow buck in September and a gun doe in December as well as Busch Lite and that goofy beer stuff my sons stick in it during the holidays.
Maryland Fisheries Service decides to suspend licenses of recreational anglers guilty of violations. Four suspensions were for violations in Almost Maryland.
The Maryland bear season lasted four days in October during which 65 bears were killed. The greatest harvest was 68 in 2009.
Pennsylvania hunters killed 53 elk in that state.
Highly placed wildlife officials in West Virginia and Maryland confirm that representatives of the automobile insurance industry have never contacted their agencies concerning deer hunting regulations, including bag limits.
As of mid-December, 75 bears had died on Maryland roadways during 2011, according to an unofficial tablulation by the Cumberland Times-News. That’s a record.
Outdoor Editor’s note: In recent weeks, three people have told me they don’t believe that a record deer kill took place in Allegany County. I asked each of them, “Where did you see that a record deer kill took place?”
They said they read it in the Cumberland Times-News.
“No, you didn’t,” I replied.
I have given this much thought and believe that some people who read articles about the buck kill being up on the opening weekend of firearms season compared to one year ago and then up for the entire firearms season somehow think that means a record was set.
For the record, the record in Allegany County for bucks killed during firearms season was 2,615 that were dropped in 2001.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Contact Outdoor Editor Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com or 301-784-2523.
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!
Happy New Year!
Wishing you & yours a safe & happy new year in 2012!!! Hopefully you find yourself at Deep Creek Lake & Garrett County often!
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!
Top 10 US metros for price appreciation
Zillow stats showcase markets off the beaten path
By Inman News
Inman News®
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Editor’s note: This article is based on data compiled by Zillow, using the Zillow Home Value Index.
Metro areas off the beaten path like Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla., bucked national trends to win a place on a top 10 list of markets with the greatest year-over-year median home-value increases from October 2010 to October 2011, based on data compiled by Zillow. None of the top 20 U.S. metro areas by population size cracked the top 10.
The Tulsa metro area topped the chart at a 6.2 percent median home value increase to $101,000 — the lowest value of the top 10 — in that one-year timespan, followed by Oklahoma City’s metro area at a 3.1 percent bump. However, the rosy home value increase news fades by No. 10 on the list — the Green Bay metro area — where a place in the top 10 no longer represents an increase in median home value, but a sliver of a decline — 0.3 percent.
Metropolitan Pittsburgh, at No. 22 in U.S. metro population size with 2.35 million people in 2010, according to U.S. Census data, was the most populated metro area in this top 10 list, coming in at No. 8, with a slight median home-value increase of 0.4 percent, and, interestingly, the only metro area in the top 10 to experience a population dip from 2000 to 2010.
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!
O'Malley vows action on septic systems
Governor says growth off sewer lines undermines progress
By Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun
7:37 PM EST, December 29, 2011
Gov. Martin O’Malley promised a push during the coming legislative session to curb proliferation of large housing developments served by septic systems, saying that increased pollution from septic systems is undermining state progress in protecting the Chesapeake Bay.
Meeting with reporters Thursday, the governor took a defiant tone toward critics of his septic-control policies, which some have labeled part of a “war on rural Maryland.” O’Malley said that science is firmly on the side of those who want to control the growth of septic systems — typically used for large-lot developments in outer suburban and rural areas.
“One of the ways to get out of a hole is to stop digging it deeper,” O’Malley said. He pointed to figures showing that the state is making progress in dealing with other forms of pollution while nutrient production from septic systems is increasing.
While the governor made it clear that he would submit legislation, he did not provide specifics. A spokeswoman said it had not been decided whether the bill would be similar to last year’s proposal, which sought to ban some large developments on septic systems close to waterways, but O’Malley indicated that any proposal would include a provision to allow the children of farmers to build homes on family property.
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!
Maryland Holstein Scholarship Committee is making youth scholarships available
The Maryland Holstein Scholarship Committee is making youth scholarships available. Included will be a $2,000 scholarship to the Outstanding Maryland Holstein Scholar and as many as four $750 scholarships, all to be awarded at the 2012 Maryland http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifHolstein Convention in Garrett County. The scholarships are offered to Maryland Junior Holstein Association members who are currently enrolled or have been enrolled in a dairy project with Holstein cattle. They are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. Students may attend a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution in a college of agriculture or a four-year program in a nonagriculture area of study. Applications must be typed in the space allotted and an official academic transcript and recent wallet-size (head shot only) photo must accompany the application. Please provide only the information requested. All applications must be postmarked by Jan. 15. For more information or an application, contact Arthur and Peggy Johnson, committee co-chairs, at 301-972-8274 or by going to the University of Maryland Dairy Extension website.
More here.
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Mountain State Brewing Co. Recommended by CNN
Posted: Dec 25, 2011 6:52 PM EST Updated: Dec 26, 2011 12:26 PM EST
By Stacy Jacobson, Gilmer, Harrison and Lewis County Reporter
MORGANTOWN –
If you’re looking for a holiday getaway, CNN recommended the nearby Deep Creek Lake area in Maryland.
But you don’t have to go all the way to Deep Creek to enjoy some of its highlights.
Number one under its “where to eat” section is Mountain State Brewing Company. The Thomas, W.Va.-based brewery has other locations in Deep Creek and Morgantown.
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!
Sen. Edwards, Del. Beitzel Hold Their Annual Prelegislative Forum
Dec. 22, 2011
Sen. George Edwards and Del. Wendell Beitzel held their annual prelegislative forum on Saturday morning at Garrett College. More than 100 people attended the event, with about a dozen of them expressing their thoughts about the upcoming General Assembly session, scheduled to begin on Jan. 11, 2012, in Annapolis.
“We’re dealing with some tough economic times, and that’s having an impact on everything we do – not only legislatively but in our lives,” Betizel said.
He indicated that the state’s $1 billion structural budget deficit will once again have a major impact on programs and funding mechanisms that come through the county.
Edwards noted the state legislature works on a committee system. Bills that receive favorable reports from their assigned committees will most likely be approved by the House and Senate, while those deemed unfavorable are rarely approved. The senator stressed, therefore, that residents express their concerns about proposed legislation to the committees.
“You’ve got to work the committees,” Edwards said about making an impact on bill passage/rejection.
The senator indicated he and Beitzel needed that help in “battling” for or against certain issues, such as the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fee. He noted that some legislators want to double, triple, or even quadruple the “flush” fee, increasing it from $30 to possibly $120.
President/CEO Nicole Christian, Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, asked the local lawmakers to support tourism statewide, increase the state’s travel marketing budget, expedite the Marcellus Shale Committee’s study, restore/protect Highway User Fund allocations, oppose gas tax increases, rally support for the Deep Creek 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships, and introduce legislation that would start the public school year after Labor Day.
“The state of Maryland needs to look at all opportunities for growing the critically important segment of tourism, and that’s critically important to our economy,” Christian said. “One opportunity is for Maryland to establish a summer school break that lasts through the month of August.”
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!
Words Are Hardly Needed
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Indeed, this is a scene that speaks for itself, a lovely moment in time, a cold December evening, quiet except for the telltale light on in the house. Someone was busy. Making Christmas cookies, perhaps? Wrapping gifts? Signing cards? It certainly is the time of year for any and all. Here’s hoping all our readers are enjoying the tasks of this holiday season, as they prepare for the big day. This was taken by Lisa Broadwater along Rt. 219 in
Accident.
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!
State's Attorney Files Motion In Rezek Verdict
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Dec. 22, 2011
State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch announced on Tuesday that she has filed in Washington County Circuit Court an Application for Leave to Appeal the Granting of the Motion to Reopen a Closed Post-Conviction Proceeding and the Granting of Post-Conviction Relief in the case of Roberto Oskar Rezek.
Washington County judge Daniel Moylan recently reversed Rezek’s 1980 murder conviction in the shooting death of Garrett County sheriff’s deputy David Livengood.
“For post-conviction proceedings, there is no automatic right to appeal an adverse decision, but the aggrieved party must ask permission from the Court of Special Appeals to proceed with an appeal,” Welch noted.
In the application, she cited a number of errors that she believes Moylan committed.
“If the application is granted, the Office of the Attorney General will pursue the merits of the appeal itself,” Welch said.
Judge Fred C. Wright III presided over Rezek’s Washington County jury trial more than 30 years ago. Rezek was sentenced to life plus 15 years for first degree murder, robbery, grand larceny, and breaking and entering.
Moylan ruled in November that Wright gave improper jury instructions. Citing two Maryland Court of Appeals decisions, Moylan said Wright’s instruction on the law to the jury should have been binding and not advisory.
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!
GC Commissioners Present Legislative Requests To Sen. Edwards, Del. Beitzel
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Dec. 22, 2011
The Garrett County commissioners presented their 2012 list of legislative requests to Sen. George Edwards and Del. Wendell Beitzel on Tuesday. About 75 residents attended the meeting, which was held at the courthouse in Oakland.
Issues that the county would like the local lawmakers to consider for possible legislation include collective bargaining rights for Local 1834, a new hotel rental tax limit, late fees for unpaid public utilities bills, animal control, and a bill of rights for local correctional officers.
By a majority consensus, the commissioners asked Edwards and Beitzel to draft a bill that would give them legislative authority to mandate collective bargaining for Garrett County Roads Department workers, who are currently represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 67, Local 1834.
“You’ve created history by approving collective bargaining,” union representative Jim Bestpitch told the commissioners.
The county has informally recognized the union since the 1970s. Numerous road workers were on hand to hear the commissioners’ request.
Beitzel asked the commissioners why they felt the legislation was needed.
“We’ve conducted collective bargaining with the roads workers for years, and it’s been on a voluntary basis,” Commission chair Jim Raley said. “When you look at the state of the country and you look at some of the issues that have happened in other places, I think that the gentlemen and ladies in this room just probably want some form of protection that says no matter who the board of commissioners is, no matter who the county administrator is, no matter who the delegate and senator are, they will have the right to continue to bargain.”
Commissioner Bob Gatto also favored the collective bargaining issue, while Commissioner Gregan Crawford opposed the idea.
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