Garrett nears OK for Heritage Area
Chamber of Commerce will manage county’s plan
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — Garrett County took a significant step Tuesday toward to having some of its sites designated part of Maryland’s 12th — and possibly final — certified Heritage Area.
The Maryland Heritage Areas program is intended to help communities use their local culture, history and natural resources to develop a tourism trade that will strengthen their economies.
The entire county was named a recognized heritage area by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority in 2003. But the process to become a certified heritage area is extensive.
On Tuesday the county commission approved the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce as the managing entity for the county’s Heritage Area Maintenance Plan, which is the cornerstone of the process.
The plan is still in development, but will basically lay out the county’s Heritage Area goals and specific steps and strategies for reaching them.
An advisory group made up of representatives from several county agencies has been working for more than a year, with the aid of a consultant, on the early phases of the process.
In Garrett County, the Heritage Area will include not only historical sites, but also sites like Spruce Forest Artisan Village that are important culturally, according to Peggy Jamison, a member of the group.
“This is a discussion of the sites and what we could do to link them, improve them, add to them,” Jamison told the commission. “The plan is a working plan.”
Canal Place in Allegany County is one of just 11 certified heritage areas in the state.
The MHAA has awarded more than $21 million in financial assistance and leveraged approximately $73.5 million in non-state funds for heritage projects statewide since it was created in 1996, according to a news release from the agency.
Wind power an election issue in Garrett County
Posted: 11:29 am Tue, August 31, 2010
By Associated Press
OAKLAND — A Garrett County commissioner is defending his support for wind power against two election-year opponents.
Republican Ernie Gregg says the two wind farms under construction in the mountainous county will generate tax revenue, but he wants to see how they fare before supporting any further development.
Gregg’s primary election opponent, Gregan Crawford, says the giant turbines will reduce property values and hurt the construction industry if people decide not to build in the area.
The only Democrat in the race, Eric Robison, is a vocal opponent of the projects.
The two wind farms under construction in Garrett County would be Maryland’s first.
Commissioner candidate questions - Deep Creek Lake POA
I was reading up on the response of the candidates for the local Garrett County commissioners race, as posed by the Deep Creek Lake property owners association. Obviously, these are issues of primary concern to District 18 (Deep Creek Lake) property owners.
There are some interesting statistics that they quote at the very bottom, regarding their meeting with the Garrett County Assessment Office.
Consumer confidence and home prices edge up
By Caroline Valetkevitch
NEW YORK | Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:42pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. consumer confidence rose modestly in August and U.S. homes prices gained more than expected in June, easing some worries the economy is headed for another downturn soon.
Another report released on Tuesday showed the pace of growth in business activity in the U.S. Midwest slowed in August, but economists said the data overall did not present new worries about the path of the economy.
The data shows “the economy, while it is not going on all cylinders, is also not sliding into this double-dip recession that people are concerned about,” said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at North Star Investment Management Corp in Chicago.
Financial markets, however, were reluctant to read too much into the numbers, particularly as investors awaited the release on Friday of the government’s closely watched monthly report on the U.S. labor market.
Sanders candidate for Garrett Orphans Court
Cumberland Times-News
— Editor’s note: Fred Sanders submitted this announcement as a candidate for the Garrett County Judge of Orphans Court.
Fred Sanders has filed with the Board of Supervisors of Elections as a candidate for Judge of the Orphans Court for Garrett County. Fred was raised on a dairy farm and has been a lifelong resident of Garrett County.
Fred graduated from Southern High School and held numerous jobs before joining the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. After his honorable discharge, he returned to Garrett County where he worked at the Sheriff’s Office and then at the Board of Supervisors of Elections for 26 years. During his time at the election office, he became the office supervisor and retired as the first election director for Garrett County. He also earned a diploma from the School of Bookkeeping and Accounting in Atlanta.
He is a past member of the Maryland Association of Election Officials and received a commendation from the association upon his retirement. Fred also received a Governor’s Citation for his many years at the election board.
Fred and his wife Lois reside in Mountain Lake Park.
First United sponsors charity golf tournament
First United Bank & Trust recently sponsored the 22nd annual Charity Golf Tournament at the Oakland Golf Club. This was the 12th year that First United has organized this event. The beneficiary of this year’s tourney is United Way of Garrett County. Pictured from left above are: Steve Lantz, chairman of the tournament committee for First United; Mary Beth Pirolozzi, United Way executive director; and Robin Murray and George Evans, both of First United.
The check represented most of the proceeds; however, a silent auction and 50/50 raffle pushed the total to over $23,400. “We are extremely appreciative of the hard work and support that First United provided as a result of this year’s tournament,” said Ernie Gregg, chairman of the executive committee of United Way of Garrett County. “The donation will be of great use to the United Way charities in our community.” Since its founding, the tournament has raised over $353,000 for Garrett County charities. See sports pages for photos of the winners of this year’s tournament.
Lodestone Golf Club celebrates grand opening
jeffm@dailyamerican.com
Monday, August 30, 2010 12:07 AM EDT
McHENRY, Md. — The new Lodestone Golf Club just celebrated its grand opening in June, and has since been living up to its lofty billing.
For those not yet familiar with the course, Lodestone is located on a huge mountain ridge above Deep Creek Lake and the well-known Wisp Resort. The stunning Hale Irwin-design is ranked No. 3 on the latest list of “Best Courses You Can Play” in Maryland by Golf Magazine.
The challenging par-72 layout sits at 2,973 feet, the highest elevation in the state, and features bent grass greens, tees and fairways. The course is truly a natural mountain golf experience that is highlighted by tree-lined fairways, numerous bunkers and dramatic rock outcroppings.
The $17 million project took three years of permitting and three years of difficult construction because of underlying rock formations that required extensive blasting.
For more information, call (301) 387-4653 or visit http://www.lodestonegolf.com/
Read the full article here.
Fire Departments Are Recipients Of DNR Grants
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Aug. 26, 2010
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Service awarded its 2010 Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) grants to 50 local volunteer fire departments across the state, including Garrett County’s Bloomington VFC, Friendsville VFRD, and Gorman VFD.
The projects, to be funded in 15 Maryland counties, will assist volunteer fire companies with increasing capacity for wildland fire suppression needs in rural communities.
“The volunteer fire departments in our state are critical to ensuring the safety of Maryland families,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I am heartened that we are able to support the work of these courageous volunteers and the lives, property and resources they protect.”
Projects to be funded include wildland personal protective equipment, skid units for building brush trucks, replacing small diameter fire hose, upgrading communications equipment, and the purchase of class A foam and other equipment to enhance wildfire suppression.
“The volunteer fire departments play a vital role in assisting our agency in protecting communities from wildfires,” said DNR state fire supervisor Monte Mitchell. “These grants help the volunteer fire departments increase their effectiveness and safety in combating wildland fires in Maryland.”
Grant funds provided by the USDA Forest Service funded 50 applications this year for $104,615 in match-funding to complete $259,617 in total project cost. The maximum grant award equaled 50 percent of the total project cost with a maximum of $3,000 grant per department.
Bloomington, with a total project cost of $2,800, received $1,400. Friendsville received $3,000 for a total project cost of $6,500. and Gorman received $2,960 for a total project cost of $5,920.
Triathlete Magazine Names SavageMan #1 Hardest Triathlon In The World
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Aug. 26, 2010
by Mary Sincell McEwen
Garrett County’s own Tri-To-Win SavageMan triathlon has garnered national attention this year via the editors of Triathlete magazine, who proclaimed in the March issue that the local triple event is the “No. 1 hardest triathlon in the world.”
The magazine was rating the 100 best races on earth, and not only was the local event named in that list, but it was placed at the top of the subcategory of “most difficult.” The 4th annual SavageMan Triathlon Festival will happen this year on Sept. 18 and 19, with two swimming-biking-running races (a “30.0” and a “70.0”) set for each day. The events begin and end at Deep Creek Lake State Park.
“This article, combined with broad word-of-mouth promotion, has led to higher athlete registration,” said Greg Safko, founder of the race, which is a major fundraiser for the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation. “In fact, because of the SavageMan Triathlon Festival’s tremendous international popularity, both races will most certainly be sold out.”
He said this week that there are only about 20 slots remaining in both races and may be gone by press-time.
Because of the rapid sell-out and full rosters of athletes, as well as maintaining the current mark of excellence earned by previous events, Safko stressed the need to meet the expectations for a high quality event.
“This necessitates our recruitment of a significant, qualified volunteer base,” Safko said. To address this need, the organization created a volunteer coordinator position, now held by Dick Zimmerman.
Persons who wish to volunteer for the event are encouraged to contact Zimmerman at 240-405-4700, or by e-mail at: volunteers@savagemantri.org. Individuals are needed to man relief stations, help with traffic and safety areas, and work in other support roles. Each volunteer will be given a SavageMan T-shirt, cap, and an invitation to the after-party.
Safko also reported this week that six-time IronMan World Champion Dave Scott will be attending and competing in the Tri-To-Win SavageMan 70.0 Triathlon. Scott has attended the event since 2007 as a celebrity guest, signing all first-place awards for all the divisions, and being on hand to meet other athletes and autograph items. This year, however, the world-renowned athlete will actually be taking part in the event.
“This is big news, and we’re thrilled about it,” Safko said.
GC Community Action Awarded $1 Million For Weatherization Prog.
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Aug. 26, 2010
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded two grants totaling $2.5 million to support innovative weatherization programs in Maryland. The funding will help low-income Maryland residents in two counties achieve energy efficiency in their homes, while creating weatherization jobs in local communities, according to Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin.
Locally, the Garrett County Community Action Committee was awarded $1 million to install wind, solar, or geothermal renewable energy systems for low-income residents.
In Washington County, C&O Conservation Inc. was awarded $1.5 million to replace improperly sized HVAC equipment, saving energy and extending the equipment’s life.
“This federal funding is an investment in jobs, jobs, jobs right here in Maryland,” Mikulski said. “These funds will help put dollars back into the pockets of low-income Marylanders by making homes more energy efficient and lowering their energy bills.”
The grants were distributed through the DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which weatherizes approximately 25,000 homes per month and is partially funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) funding.
