>Commissioners Hear Staff Reports; Roads Dept. To Begin Spring Cleanup
>Mar. 17, 2011
The Garrett County commissioners held their first quarterly staff meeting of the year last Tuesday morning, hearing reports from 14 county department and agency heads. Topics discussed included Roads Department budget issues, Community Action funding problems, the new Dove Center, and Garrett College expansion projects.
Roads Department
General roads superintendent Jay Moyer reported that the Roads Department was winding down winter operations and was beginning its spring cleanup of tons of antiskid material.
“This is a drawn-out process, and, hopefully, we won’t receive too many more snow events that require antiskid to be put down,” Moyer said.
He noted that sweepers purchased a couple years ago enable his department to recycle much of the material for reuse.
“Anything that we can pick up that doesn’t contain leaves, sticks, or a lot of dirt, we recycle,” Moyer said. “We don’t throw away any more than we absolutely have to.”
As of March 6, he said, the county has received 145 inches of snow, according to the State Highway Administration. Last winter it received a total of 264 inches.
Moyer noted that most of this year’s snow/ice events have occurred on weekends, resulting in much overtime for crews.
“As of today (March 8), we have used 11,311.5 man hours of overtime, and that is roughly half of what we had last year,” he said.
Moyer added his department has spent 75 percent of its budget, even though it is 67 percent through the budget year.
“That occurs annually because of the fact that the vast majority of the budget is for winter operations,” he said about the inconsistency.
Because of overtime, the cost of antiskid, and other factors, his budget is $95,000 in the red. Moyer noted, however, that amendments can be made to level out the budget.
“I’m hearing good things about how the roads are this year,” Commissioner Bob Gatto told Moyer.
Community Action
President Duane Yoder reported that Community Action recently weatherized more than 300 Garrett County homes. He noted that local home improvement contractors were utilized and funding for the work came from the federal stimulus program.
Yoder reported that his agency had also recently received $1 million from the federal government to install renewable energy systems in the form of wind, geothermal, and solar power to local homes. That project will begin this spring.
Though Community Action received much federal funding for projects in recent years, it could be facing a large cut in Community Services Block Grants (CSBG). President Barack Obama noted in his state-of-the-union address that he wants to cut the grants to help reduce the federal budget deficit in fiscal year 2012.
“The only program that he mentioned in that whole speech that he was going to cut was Community Action,” Yoder said. “It’s interesting because the Community Action program, as he defined it, really has very little impact on the deficit, the reduction.”
Nonetheless, Obama wants to reduce Community Action Partnership block grants nationwide from $700 million to $350 million.
“It has some pretty serious consequences,” Yoder said about the proposal, noting that the CSBG Program has provided core funding for community services for several years.
The local agency receives about $250,000 from the program each year.
“That’s the flexible money that we use to subsidize programs that we support and build,” Yoder said.
He said if that funding were to disappear the local Community Action would still able manage its assets and its housing developments because of long-term commitments from private investors, but the loss would probably change its involvement in communities and new projects.
Yoder said he did not know yet how Obama’s proposal would “play out.” He noted, however, that the minute Obama made his announcement, House of Representatives legislators made plans to “zero out” CSBG.
“We’re going to make an effort to try to convince Congress and the president that we should at least try to preserve the Community Services Block Grant,” Yoder said. “We’ll probably be asking for letters of support from the community partners that we have here in Garrett County. Part of what we want to do is make the point that Community Action’s role in Garrett County would be hurt a lot if we aren’t allowed to do what we’ve been doing.”
Commission chair Gregan Crawford said the commissioners would be happy to write letters and make calls in support of Community Action.
Dove Center
Executive director Heather Hanline presented Dove Center statistics for January. During that month the shelter served 57 domestic violence clients, 10 rape clients, three homeless women, and three persons in its batterers’ program.
In addition, five adults and one child were sheltered for a total of 106 bed nights, and 58 domestic violence hotline calls were handled.
She reported that construction of her agency’s new facility is about six weeks ahead of schedule.
“The building crew has been great,” she said. “The exterior of the building is almost finished. Wiring and plumbing is almost done. They’ll be drywalling before we know it. So we’re very happy about the progress.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for October.
Hanline noted that the location of the facility, which will include a shelter and counseling/administra-tive offices, will be known to the public.
“In the past, domestic violence shelters have tried to keep their locations confidential, but that philosophy has changed through the years,” she said. “Now it’s sort of seen as the more the public you are, the safer you are, the more people who will be looking out for you.”
She noted, however, the new building will have a very sophisticated security system.
Garrett College
President Richard Mac-Lennan reported that enrollment at Garrett College was still strong.
He also noted that renovations at the Southern Outreach Center have been completed, nearly doubling the college’s space at the facility. Plans are also under way for Phase II of the Career Technology Training Center in Accident, which will add about 5,000 square feet for educational programs.
“And when the Community Aquatic and Recreation Center comes on board, those three additional facilities and some other renovation work we’re going to have done will triple the college’s footprint in terms of physical space,” MacLennan said.
The president said construction of the recreation center has suffered a little bit because of winter weather, but a Sept. 1 opening is still planned.
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>Snowdrops Of A Different Sort
>
While most folks on the mountaintop sigh at the thought of more snow, they most likely are happy to welcome these particular snowdrops. The cheery little flowers are definite harbingers of spring, and are popping up, at last, across the county. And they are dressed in green, appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day. The temps are warm today, and there is no sign of real snow anywhere in the forecast over the next week. Let the snowdrops — the growing ones — keep coming! Photo by Lisa Rook.
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>GBI expansion - opinion
>Joint police effort would surely benefit Garrett County
Anonymous The Cumberland Times-News Wed Mar 16, 2011, 08:00 AM EDT
Cumberland — Law enforcement efforts in Garrett County should be strengthened if Sheriff Rob Corley succeeds in his quest to have the Garrett Bureau of Investigation expanded.
More than three years ago, Maryland State Police and the Garrett County Sheriff’s Department discontinued working together as the GBI. The bureau has continued since then as only a sheriff’s department agency.
Corley said he has been in touch with the state police about rejoining the bureau. Although nothing is official, Maryland State Police Public Information Officer Greg Shipley said in Pikesville last week that his agency is willing to work with the sheriff in trying to bring the two police agencies together.
When the Garrett County grand jury met recently Corley told them about his hope to have the GBI once again include state police investigators. The sheriff said he does not expect the county’s only municipal police agency, the Oakland Police Department, to be involved because it does not have a criminal investigator.
Corley said the advantage of hooking up once more with state police would be having all investigators in one location. “As it is, we have been working well with state police on investigations, but getting together officially in one place would allow us to work better with the resources that we have,” he said.
Allegany County has had a combined criminal investigative unit known as C3I since 1992. It has a successful track record of using joint police resources to solve crime and to be involved in crime prevention. GBI, too, had success when it was a joint effort by the sheriff and state police. There is no reason to believe the cooperative effort won’t yield benefits again.
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.
>O’Malley pitted against coal industry, Western Maryland
>Posted: 6:00 pm Wed, March 16, 2011
By Capital News Service
David Saleh Rauf
ANNAPOLIS — For the third consecutive year, Gov. Martin O’Malley is attempting to repeal a multi-million dollar tax credit the Maryland coal industry says is vital for it to compete with neighboring states.
O’Malley’s budget proposes abolishing the Maryland Mined Coal Credit, which awards energy companies a $3 per ton credit for purchases of coal mined in the state. Legislative analysts estimate the repeal would save the state $4.5 million in fiscal 2013 and an estimated $30 million more by fiscal 2020 — the year the credit is slated to expire.
The repeal attempts put O’Malley at odds with Western Maryland’s leaders.
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.
>Gas rush hits Maryland, minus the rigs
>Washington (Platts)–16Mar2011/506 pm EDT/2106 GMT
While some meetings on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale have drawn raucous crowds and occasionally celebrities over the past 12 months, a Tuesday session held by the University of Maryland Extension Service attracted an audience of farmers and retired coal miners more interested in protecting their land and water through lease restrictions and capitalizing on mineral wealth they never expected.
While documentarian Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated film “Gasland” appeared in Western Maryland in February at a separate event, Tuesday’s extension educators talked with a more prosaic crowd of over 100 at the Pleasant Valley Community Center south of the town of Oakland in Garrett County, Maryland.
With a third of the crowd wearing the beards and bonnets that marked them as Amish, the atmosphere was entirely different from earlier presentations on gas leases and shale drilling on small college campuses and theaters in Maryland’s two westernmost counties, University of Maryland Extension educator Mikal Zimmerman 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.
>Local delegation fighting repeal of coal tax credit
>May save state money, but affect area economy, businesses
Matthew Bieniek
The Cumberland Times-News Thu Mar 17, 2011, 07:50 AM EDT
— CUMBERLAND — Gov. Martin O’Malley wants to end a tax credit that benefits the local coal industry, and local legislators are fighting the move. They say the credit is an important incentive for the local industry.
The proposal to eliminate the credit is contained in O’Malley’s budget reconciliation bill. The governor has tried to completely eliminate the credit in past legislative sessions as well.
“I’m certainly concerned. It gives our coal producers and consumers a slight edge,” Delegate Wendell Beitzel said. He and Sen. George Edwards have taken the lead in fighting the elimination of the credit, Beitzel said.
The credit is complicated but the basic principle is simple enough, Beitzel said. Public service companies and a few other designated companies, receive a $3 per ton credit for purchasing Maryland-produced coal. The credit cannot pay a company anything over their tax liability for the year, it can only apply up to the limit of their tax liability. The effect of the law, currently set to expire in 2021, is to encourage purchase of Maryland coal by Maryland companies. Beitzel said in effect it creates a slightly higher price for Maryland coal as well. The public service providers rebate part of their savings back to coal companies based on their contracts with the companies, Beitzel said.
The credit helps preserve jobs in the coal industry and helps provide a market for Maryland coal. Coal production in Maryland is limited to Allegany and Garrett counties.
Garrett County commissioners have also spoken out against the bill.
“On March 3, Chairman Gregan Crawford voiced this opinion before the House Ways and Means Committee. Chairman Crawford expressed the importance the coal industry has had on the economy of Garrett County over the years and how important the continuation of the credit is the Garrett County,” a press release from the county stated.
The fiscal and policy note prepared for the bill by the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services indicates a few million dollars in savings for the state should the credit be repealed early.
General fund revenues would increase by $4.5 million in fiscal year 2013, according to the policy note.
“Accelerating the termination date increases State revenues by a total of $34.5 million through fiscal 2021,” the policy note states.
According to the American Coal Foundation, more than $2 billion are pumped into the Maryland economy by the direct and indirect effects of coal production. Maryland stands 30th among the states in coal use and has 16 mines in operation, including two underground mines, according to the foundation. About 57 percent of the energy in the state is produced by coal-fueled plants, the foundations 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.
>Bear removed from home for second year
>Published: March. 16, 2011 at 1:49 PM
MCHENRY, Md., March 16 (UPI) — A Maryland wildlife biologist said he relocated a mother bear and cubs from a high-end vacation home for the second year in a row.
Harry Spiker, chief bear biologist for the Department of Natural Resources, said he and his team relocated the 327-pound bear and her cubs from the Deep Creek Lake vacation home in McHenry to a custom-built structure on a ridge overlooking the lake, The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday.
Spiker said the same bear was removed from the property last year. He said human settlements are encroaching on what was once her land.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2011/03/16/Bear-removed-from-home-for-second-year/UPI-83261300297799/#ixzz1GxxlNSSi 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.
>Key House Republican moves to kill Fannie, Freddie
>WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A key Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday said he would try for the third time to eliminate government controlled mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within five years.
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.
>Weekend full moon the biggest in about 20 years
>(CNN) — If the moon looks a little bit bigger and brighter this weekend, there’s a reason for that. It is.
Saturday’s full moon will be a super “perigee moon” — the biggest in almost 20 years. This celestial event is far rarer than the famed blue moon, which happens once about every two-and-a-half years.
“The last full moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993,” said Geoff Chester with the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. “I’d say it’s worth a look.”
Full moons look different because of the elliptical shape of the moon’s orbit. When it’s at perigee, the moon is about 31,000 miles (50,000 km) closer to Earth than when it’s at the farthest point of its orbit, also known as apogee.
“Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the moon’s orbit,” the NASA website says.
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.
>Hagerstown man wins bear hunting case
>Michael A. Sawyers
The Cumberland Times-News Fri Mar 18, 2011, 08:00 AM EDT
— CUMBERLAND — Allegany County District Court Judge Jack Price on Thursday chose not to prosecute a Hagerstown man for hunting bears over bait after his attorney argued successfully that Maryland Natural Resources Police had no right to go onto the private property.
Doy C. Sneckenberger, 47, Murdock Avenue, had been charged by Officer Glenn Broadwater on Oct. 25, the opening day of the Maryland bear season. Sneckenberger was confronted by authorities on family property along Mud Lick Road in the Little Orleans area.
Sneckenberger was defended by Cumberland attorney Michael Noonan.
Broadwater had begun to explain that he entered the property based upon information provided by another officer that a violation may be taking place, when Noonan objected numerous times to his testimony and to statements by Assistant State’s Attorney Eric Bean.
Noonan said information supplied by another officer would be hearsay. He also accused Bean of coaching Broadwater’s testimony.
Noonan said the officer had not heard any shots on the property that would encourage him to investigate.
“This man has a gun,” Noonan said, pointing to Broadwater. “I have open land and I wouldn’t want him walking onto it without a warrant. He did not have sufficient cause to go onto that property.”
On Monday, Donald C. Sneckenberger, 75, Sharpsburg Pike, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to a similar charge and paid a penalty of $500, according to online court records.
Donald Sneckenberger had been charged by Cpl. James Clise on the same day that Broadwater charged Doy Sneckenberger.
Other cases
Also on opening day of bear season, Earnold L. Crigger, 52, Middle River, was charged with using bait and not keeping in visual contact with the hunting partner in the Swanton area. Crigger on Feb. 7 paid a penalty of $500.
Another case will be heard in Garrett County District Court on May 19 when Jerome S. Ziemski, 55, Baltimore, is scheduled to appear on similar charges.
Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@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.
