>Offshore wind can produce jobs, jobs, jobs
>March 23, 2011
After attending the Maryland Senate hearing for the governor’s Offshore Wind Energy Act and seeing some recent coverage of the bill, I feel it’s important to set the facts straight on the value that offshore wind will bring to Maryland. One of the main benefits left out in the discussion on wind’s economic impact is that offshore wind energy will generate many reliable jobs here in Maryland.
The Maryland workforce is poised to greatly benefit from the bill. In his testimony at the Senate hearing, Jim Strong of the United Steelworkers pointed out that utilizing our offshore wind resources is the only viable plan anyone has come up with to revitalize Maryland’s manufacturing sector. To reinforce this point, a recent report finds that Maryland already has more than 1,000 businesses — employing more than 25,000 workers — that can play active and supportive roles in the manufacturing and construction of offshore wind farms. This is why mostly local and union workers were employed in the construction of wind farms out in Garrett County.
In fact, these jobs are already on the horizon. A local company, AC Wind, is investing $10 million to revive a retired Navy composite plant in Salisbury, Maryland, as a turbine blade manufacturing facility. This will mean employment for hundreds of unemployed composite workers. While many of the immediate construction jobs are short term, once we give the industry a kick-start, reemploy our skilled labor force and train them with new skills, we can make Maryland a manufacturing hub for an offshore wind energy industry which is poised to take off on the East Coast.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Wisp ski season to end Sunday Mar 27, 2011
>Thanks to Larry Smith of the Wisp Ski Patrol for reporting:
*The 2010 – 11 ski season will officially end at the end of the day on Sunday, March 27, 2011*. The Mountain Coaster, Flying Squirrel Canopy Tour, and Seqway Tours will be available beginning the weekend of April 2nd and 3rd and on a weekend basis until our regular operating schedule closer to Memorial Day.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Corsa Announces Agreement to Purchase the Casselman Mine and a $25 Million Credit Facility
>TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – March 22, 2011) – Corsa Capital Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:CSO) (“Corsa” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement dated March 22, 2011 (the “Agreement”) with the owner of the Casselman mine, Maryland Energy Resources, LLC (“MER”), and the owners of MER, pursuant to which Corsa will acquire MER (the “Casselman Mine Transaction”). The purchase price is US $15,000,000 and the assumption of approximately US $1.2 million of debt. In addition, production from the Casselman Mine is subject to a 1.25 percent royalty in favour of the MER vendors.
The completion of the Casselman Mine Transaction is expected on or about April 21, 2011 and is subject to a number of conditions, including normal closing deliverables, ratification of certain matters with respect to leases and third party consents and approvals. Upon the completion of the Casselman Mine Transaction, MER will be an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Corsa.
Mr. Charter, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Corsa, stated ‘The Casselman Mine will provide us with a permitted long life mine giving us an immediate new source of metallurgical quality coal for our plant and an immediate increase in our expected production.’
The Mine
The Casselman mine will be a long life underground metallurgical coal mine located in Garrett County, approximately two miles south of Grantsville, Maryland, USA. All the necessary permits for this mine are in place and the mine face up has been completed in order to permit mining operations to commence immediately. This project is approximately 31 miles by truck from Corsa’s Wilson Creek coal preparation plant in Somerset County Pennsylvania.
The Casselman Mine is planned to be developed in the Upper Freeport Coal seam. This mine has recently been permitted by Maryland Energy Resources for a total of 2900 acres. The permit area has been drilled extensively with 52 cores extracted, the most recent of which (27) were pulled in 2011 and 2010 by Wilson Creek Energy and others. The results of the most recently extracted cores are in Wilson Creek’s possession and the previous 25 were generated by The Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, in 1952.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/256049#ixzz1HuJRdcKc
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Blog: Five Strikes, And You’re Out: Beitzel Fails On Fracking
>Megan Poinski
Posted March 22, 2011
Megan@MarylandReporter.com
Del. Wendell Beitzel, R-Garrett County, made his support for drilling Marcellus shale to produce natural gas in his corner of the state quite clear on Tuesday morning.
Beitzel offered five unsuccessful amendments to a bill that would require a comprehensive study on the impact and risks of drilling the shale before permits could be issued. The Department of the Environment and the Department of Natural Resources would publish the study, including conclusions and recommendations for legislative changes, by August 2013.
A rig drills a Marcellus shale well in Roulette, Pa. Photo by Laurie Barr
Beitzel is one of the few lawmakers in Annapolis from the mountainous area in far western Maryland where the drilling would take place, and wants it started sooner. Debate on the bill was delayed to give Beitzel time to research and plan amendments.
“The bottom line is Marcellus shale and natural gas extraction can help our state,” Beitzel said.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Vacation Home Market on the Rebound
>Stuart firm concludes harsh winter might have helped
By: Sunshine State News | Posted: March 19, 2011 3:55 AM
After several years of negative trends in the real estate industry, finally a sign of life: A market study just out by a Stuart real estate marketing firm shows budding consumer confidence in the second- or vacation-home market.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that four years ago — unless you count commercial buyers grabbing up ultra-cheap foreclosures — the second-home market was dead as a doornail,” said Rolly Marsh, a market analyst with Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Realtors.
The good news comes via the third annual Cotton Report, which reports a polling of more than 800 participants on housing preferences, motivating factors, pricing levels and timelines for purchase. It included participants from 39 states, Canada, Europe and Latin America.
While no direct correlation was made to the harsh winter temperatures, the research survey did point to a significant increase in the number of homebuyers looking to buy a vacation home — in fact, a year-over-year increase of 800 percent.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Governor O'Malley Visits
>
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce welcomed Gov. Martin O’Malley and his staff on Monday to release the 2010 Maryland State Parks Economic Impact and Visitor Study, and to discuss tourism and trails in Garrett County. Several other state officials were also in attendance. In this special tourism roundtable meeting at New Germany State Park, chamber members thanked the governor for his support of many county projects, and Nicole Christian, chamber president/CEO, spoke about the importance of and the potential for tourism growth in Garrett County. O’Malley and Christian are pictured.
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If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Spring is 'here to stay' according to observers
>Despite a long and stormy winter, weather experts say spring is officially here to stay in Somerset County.
Warmer temperatures, melting snow and chirping birds are all indications that Punxsutawney Phil’s early spring prediction is proving true – and just in time for the season’s official beginning yesterday…
…Some areas, such as Deep Creek Lake, Md., received up to 250 inches of snow two years ago.
Read the full article here.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>House ready to debate natural gas drilling; ban would close off Marcellus Shale in western Md.
>THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: March 21, 2011 – 12:11 am
Last Updated: March 21, 2011 – 12:11 am
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland House of Delegates is set to vote this week on an effort to restrict drilling for natural gas in western Maryland.
Democratic Delegate Heather Mizeur of Montgomery County is pushing a bill to severely limit when the state can issue drilling permits.
If the House approves it Tuesday, the bill would still need the approval of the Senate and Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley.
Oil and gas companies are seeking permission from many East Coast governments to access the multi-state Marcellus Shale. The formation holds large supplies of natural gas, but can only be accessed with hydraulic fracturing, a process environmentalists oppose.
A House committee last week rejected an effort by Republican Delegate Wendell Beitzel of Garrett County to require the Maryland Department of Environment to issue drilling permits.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Governor ‘pulled no punches’ in meeting with commissioners
>Marcellus shale focus of much discussion
Matthew Bieniek
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Mon Mar 21, 2011, 07:55 AM EDT
CUMBERLAND — Allegany County commissioners said they had a productive meeting with Gov. Martin O’Malley and his staff last week, after the governor surprised them by showing up at what they thought was a meeting with several of his staff members.
Among other things, commissioners were pleasantly surprised when O’Malley indicated interest in the possibility of developing Marcellus shale in Garrett and Allegany counties through the use of a carbon dioxide gas process, rather than the more commonly used hydraulic fracturing.
“The governor pulled no punches with us in that meeting,” said Commission President Michael McKay.
McKay credited Commissioner Creade Brodie Jr. with setting up the meeting with O’Malley’s staff in order to discuss Marcellus shale, among other matters. O’Malley arrived during the Sunday evening meeting with Allegany and Garrett County officials at Will O’ the Wisp near Oakland.
The governor told commissioners that as a former mayor, he understood the impact state cuts were having on local governments. The largest part of their discussion though, centered on Marcellus shale, said commissioners.
The commissioners said they conveyed what they believed to be the importance of Marcellus shale development and their willingness to look at various options to develop natural gas while protecting the environment. O’Malley seemed particularly interested in using carbon dioxide gas for pushing the gas out of the shale. The gas method is used daily in Canada, said Commissioner Bill Valentine.
O’Malley has been very cautious about drilling for natural gas in Marcellus shale, asking for further study before large scale drilling commences. O’Malley’s staff last week denied seeking a moratorium on gas exploration.
Valentine said a local company captures carbon dioxide gas from one of its operations and conceivably, that gas could be used to assist the so-called fracking process to push natural gas out from Marcellus shale. It’s believed using carbon dioxide would be more environmentally friendly than the so-called hydrofracking process, which involves using water and chemicals to open cracks in the shale sufficient to allow the gas to escape into pipes and be brought to the surface. Because it opens the seams more gently than hydrofracking, the industry refers to the use of carbon dioxide gas in the process as “massaging,” Valentine said.
McKay said the governor was “definitely interested” in looking at using carbon dioxide gas as an environmentally friendly way to conduct Marcellus shale exploration for natural gas.
If Allegany County used this process in a test well, it could set the standard for Maryland, Valentine said. “They (the governor’s staff) seemed interested in that process,” said Valentine.
The current stalemate in Marcellus shale exploration isn’t good for Maryland, Brodie said. Competing bills in the General Assembly are supported by environmentalists and the industry.
“It’s like working at the … fountain and I can’t take a drink,” he said. Brodie said the governor and his staff went above and beyond to accommodate the commissioners.
The Maryland Department of the Environment is already using existing regulations for the protection of air, water and land and applying them to Marcellus-related permits, Delegate Wendell Beitzel has said.
Marcellus shale formations throughout the Eastern United States are believed to harbor large untapped natural gas resources. The shale is a sedimentary rock formation that extends underground through about 95,000 square miles in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. The total value of the natural gas in Allegany County’s Marcellus shale could be close to $15.72 billion, with the average well earning $65,000 to $524,000 yearly, University of Maryland Extension staff have said.
“There is a little bit of sunshine peeking through the clouds,” McKay said.
Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Home sales tumble, prices are near 9-year low
>By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON | Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:56pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Sales of previously owned U.S. homes plunged in February and prices hit their lowest level in nearly nine years, indicating a housing market recovery was still a long way off.
The National Association of Realtors said on Monday sales fell 9.6 percent month over month to an annual rate of 4.88 million units, snapping three straight months of gains. The percentage decline was the largest since July.
The weak sales were the latest evidence of the malaise in the housing sector and confirmed it would remain outside the strengthening and broadening economic recovery.
“The housing market is still very depressed and a major drag on the economy, especially household net worth,” said Chris Christopher, a senior economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Economists had expected a decline of only 4 percent to a 5.15 million-unit pace. The actual drop was greater than even the most pessimistic forecast in a Reuters survey of 53 economists.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
