Garrett group hopes to show negative effects of consolidation
Kitzmiller councilman says keeping school top priority
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
— KITZMILLER — While the Garrett County school board prepares to discuss closing elementary schools, a group of county residents is working to show what losing those schools could mean for their communities.
Parents, municipal officials and other concerned residents from areas like Crellin, Bloomington and Kitzmiller are organizing into a coalition called the Small Rural School Focus Group, to advocate for keeping all existing elementary schools in Garrett County.
“My biggest concern is about the communities,” said Angie Paugh, a Kitzmiller resident and mother of four with two children currently enrolled at Kitzmiller Elementary. “This is where my kids play after school. This is where they’re involved in sports. This is where we live. The whole town is really going to go if the school goes.”
The group held its first official meeting July 12, and is in the process of developing research and ways of sharing information with officials and the public on small rural schools in the educational system.
“We really, in Kitzmiller, see it a lot as a community development and revitalization issue,” said Matthew Paugh, a Kitzmiller town councilman not related to Angie Paugh. He pointed out that the town’s 2004 strategic plan called retaining the school its most important priority “by far.”
Paugh said the school is not only a place for educating children, but also a lifelong learning facility for the community. But for that to work, Garrett County’s school system must continue to maintain it.
“The town really doesn’t have the economic resources to pull that off alone, without having something else in that building,” he said.
Angie Paugh said the group’s aim is not to launch a negative campaign against the school system’s board, administrators or other employees. Instead, it will highlight what members believe is the crucial role of small rural schools, and will present the board with alternatives to consolidation.
“Research demonstrates that small neighborhood schools reduce the achievement gap, provide better education and bridge socioeconomic differences,” the group stated in a news release. “These schools serve as anchors for their communities.”
School officials have attributed the consolidation discussion partly to a budget crunch caused by major state funding reductions. The cuts include funds lost because of decreasing student enrollment and because of changes in the way the state calculates aid per pupil.
The board is expected to discuss a timeframe for considering consolidation in its August meeting. A decision on the issue was expected in December. But by law, the board would have until as late as April 2011 to vote on any school closures that would go into effect in the following academic year.
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'Nasty storm' slams county: Flips a building with man inside at Sunset Beach
Monday, July 26, 2010 6:55 AM
(Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.))By Evelyn Ryan, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
July 26–The storm front responsible for the heat advisory Friday and Saturday slammed through the Morgantown area shortly after noon Sunday, leaving temperatures in the mid-70s behind.
Winds gusting up to 20 mph felled trees, downed power lines and, at Sunset Beach, relocated a building onto a truck.
Things are i m p roving weatherwise — at least for this week, AccuWeather Meteorologist Justin Povick said Sunday.
“For the next week, it looks like you will get a break from the intense heat and humidity,” he said. “The temperatures through midweek will be closer to normal, with humidity on the low side [today] and Tuesday. Highs will range from 84-87.”
Another storm system is projected to move through this area Thursday, leaving temperatures around 80 degrees for Friday and Saturday.
Sunday’s storm dropped a half inch of rain in just 20-30 minutes, he said.
Brad Burns, an employee of Sunset Beach Marina, was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the storm arrived Sunday.
He was working at the marina when the high winds accompanying the storm swirled through the Cheat Lake area shortly after noon.
“I was standing on the back of a boat when it hit,” he said. “It picked me up and threw me into the front of the boat. I looked up just in time to see the building flip over and land on my truck.”
Marina Owner Barry Frey added, “One of my workers was in the shed. It turned over right around him. Sometimes you have to give God credit — thankfully, no one was hurt.”
Lack of the building won’t keep the marina from operating, he said, but it is a loss to the business.
Emergency crews weren’t needed at the lake. Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bernie Murray said they were called out, but the call was canceled as they were starting out.
“The wind came up the lake and flipped the building,” he said.
The quick-moving storm was accompanied by a tornado warning for northeastern Monongalia and Preston counties, Fayette County, Pa., and Garrett County, Md., Povick said. The warning ran from 12:30-1 p.m.
Widespread wind damage was reported from Hazelton to Friendsville, Md., with many reports of damaging winds gusting at an estimated 55-65 mph right along the Interstate 68 corridor, he said.
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New Home Sales Jump in June, Pace Remains Slow
Published July 26, 2010
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Sales of new homes jumped last month, but it was the second-weakest month on record. The lackluster economy has made potential buyers skittish about shopping for homes.
New home sales rose nearly 24 percent in June from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 330,000. May’s number was revised downward to a rate of 267,000, the slowest pace on records dating back to 1963. Sales for April and March were also revised downward.
The housing market had boomed earlier in the year on the strength of federal tax credits. Since they have expired, the number of people looking to buy has dropped even with the lowest mortgage rates in decades.
Despite the month’s increase, sales are still down 72 percent from their peak annual rate of 1.39 million in July 2005.
New homes sales made up about 7 percent of the housing market last year. That’s down from about 15 percent before the bust. Weak sales mean fewer jobs in the construction industry, which normally power economic recoveries.
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Trying to be Laser quick
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…were the young captains of these Laser sailboats, who competed in the Laser Junior Regatta at Deep Creek Lake this past weekend. This competition, along with the Laser Adult Regatta and the Women’s Flying Scot Regatta, were all held by the Deep Creek Yacht Racing Association, with races being conducted on both Saturday and Sunday. Winning the junior event was Josh Bullock, followed by John Benhart, Jessica Burnham, and Nate George. Weather conditions for sailing, as well as multiple other sports on the Mountaintop, have been nearly ideal so far this summer. Although a bit warmer than usual, still comfortable compared to the conditions in many other parts of the state and East Coast.
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Board Of Education Members Question 2010 Maintenance Plan
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Jul. 22, 2010
With discussions of possible school closures on the horizon, the Garrett County Board of Education recently faced controversy over the 2010 Education Facilities Maintenance Plan that was presented by Jim Thomas at the recent board meeting. Thomas is the director of facilities and maintenance for all area schools, and the plan outlines ratings for each school to describe the quality of the facility.
At the start of the meeting, when the agenda was being discussed, it was suggested by board member Thomas Carr that it be added to the agenda a brief discussion about where things are headed with the upcoming school closure issue. Board member Jim Raley commented that it would not be fair to the public to add something “so critical” to the agenda after the original agenda was sent out.
Formal discussion has yet to take place on this issue, and plans are set for the August meeting to address the concerns. The amendment was withdrawn and the original agenda was approved unanimously by the board.
Thomas then took the floor to present the changes recently made to the maintenance master plan, with the ultimate goal being that the board approve the changes and the plan would then be submitted to the state. Thomas and eight other employees give input on the stability and conditions of the facilities currently in use by the county school system.
Raley voiced one of his conerns over the plan, noting that certain facility ratings have dropped drastically in the last year. When comparing the 2009 ratings and the 2010 ratings of Kitzmiller Elementary School, for example, a total of 15 areas dropped from fair or good condition to poor. Raley questioned whether this had something to do with the impending closing of this or other schools.
“I have trouble believing that this document will not become part of a case,” said Raley.
“What you’re saying about our staff is they’ve got some kind of hidden agenda or motive going on,” said member Rodney Durst.
Read the rest here.
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MDE Fines MLP Couple For Alleged Wetlands Violation
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Jul. 22, 2010
The Maryland Department of the Environment has announced 25 recent major enforcement actions seeking penalties totaling $1.2 million for alleged violations of MDE requirements for water, air and radiation management, and land.
A Mountain Lake Park couple was among those cited. Michael and Dawna Ashby paid $1,500 to the Maryland Nontidal Wetlands Compensation Fund on May 7 to resolve alleged nontidal wetlands violations, including failing to obtain MDE authorization for disturbing 400 square feet of emergent wetlands and 1,800 square feet of wetlands buffer.
Corrective actions have been completed, according to an MDE press release.
“The Maryland Department of the Environment’s top priority is to protect public health and our environment, and a consistent baseline of enforcement actions prevents further pollution and risks to public health,” said MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson. “The vast majority of Maryland businesses which are in compliance deserve to have environmental laws fairly applied across the board.”
State law requires that prior to performing construction activity, a person obtain and implement a Soil Conservation District-approved erosion and sediment control plan for any proposed land clearing or earth disturbance greater than 5,000 square feet, which must be maintained for the life of the project.
It is unlawful for any person to introduce soil or sediment into waters of the state or to place soil or sediment in a condition or location where it is likely to be washed into waters of the state.
State law requires that property owners notify MDE before conducting any work in tidal and nontidal wetlands, their buffers, and waterways of the state. MDE assesses the impact of any work on tidal and nontidal wetlands and, if appropriate, will issue a permit authorizing the work.
For more information, persons may visit http://mde.state.md.us
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Final Slate Of Political Candidates Noted By GC Board Of Elections
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The final slate of local candidates for the September primary elections has been released by the Garrett County Board of Elections.
Republican state senator George Edwards will have no competition in his bid to retain his position, while Delegate Wendell Beitzel will be challenged in the general election in November by Democrat James R. “Smokey” Stanton.
Challenging incumbent District I county commissioner Ernest Gregg will be fellow Republican Gregan Crawford. Leroy Bernard Sr. had entered the race, but has withdrawn. The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Eric Robison, who is unchallenged, in the general election.
Filing for District II county commissioner on the Republican side are incumbent Fred Holliday and Jim Raley. There are no Demo-crat candidates.
In county commissioner District III, Republican incumbent Denny Glotfelty will face Robert Gatto, Louis Newcomb Jr., and Timothy Thomas in the primary. Squaring off in the Democratic race will be George Falter and Bill Welch.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350 Deep Creek Lake Info, Business Directories, Classified Ads, Events & more! Advertise on www.DeepCreekAlive.com!
All Garrett County Schools Achieve Adequate Yearly Progress On MSAs
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Jul. 22, 2010
The Maryland State Department of Education recently released system level results regarding Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Results show that all Garrett County elementary and middle schools achieved AYP. This indicates that a significant number of students scored at the proficient and advanced levels in reading and mathematics on the MSA and Alternate MSA.
This also shows that no schools in Garrett County have been identified by the MSDE as needing improvement. As well as the overall population, in order to meet the federal guidelines of No Child Left Behind, students in specified subgroups, including racial/ethnic classifications, students eligible for free or reduced price meals, and students with special needs must also meet the AYP goals. According to the test results, all of these groups of students in Garrett County successfully met their goals.
“The [Board of Education] members and I are so proud of our students, teachers, staff, principals, and central office administrators for this outstanding performance,” said Dr. Wendell Teets, superintendent of GC schools. “Our students [lost] to snow 17 days of instruction immediately before the MSA testing, and still every school made AYP with no school in any type of improvement status.”
MSA math scores at all elementary and middle school grade levels improved in 2010 compared to 2009 results. Math at the 8th grade level had a 10.4% gain from last year, which is recorded as the biggest improvement at any level. Seventh grade tests had 90.4% of the students scoring proficient/advanced. All other grade levels scored in the 80% to 88% proficient range on the MSA math exam.
In reading, grades 4, 6, and 8 improved in 2010 compared to 2009, with grade 8 having the largest percentage gain of 13.8%. In grades 3, 5, and 7 scores dropped by less than 2 percentage points from last year. Grades 4, 5, and 6 had more than 90% of the students scoring proficient/advanced in reading.
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Grab A Lawn Chair
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and head to Friendsville Community Park for the Youghiogheny River Festival this Saturday, July 24, from 3 to 10 p.m. for some musical entertainment by Rob Smith, singer and songwriter for Smith & Roberts; the Sugarfoot Stompers; and the Remedy. Come early and participate in events such as an electrofishing and stream ecology demonstration by Maryland DNR Fisheries manager Alan Klotz; the Scales and Tales Program by Maryland DNR Parks Service; drumming with Dances of Universal Peace; a nature walk with Kevin Dodge, director of the Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology Program at Garrett College; children’s art activities; a scavenger hunt; and 50/50 rubber ducky races. Bring a camera and join the Mountain Top Photography Club in Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk during the festival, or enter the art and photo contest sponsored by YRWA and the Garrett County Arts Council. Participate in the first ever Boater Swap by bringing unwanted boater gear, or take a raft ride down the Yough between the Friendsville Bridge and Park, courtesy of Wilderness Voyageurs. Handmade soy candles, jewelry, print art, and other various arts and crafts will be available for purchase. Food vendors will be selling steak and cheese sandwiches, fresh corn on the cob, baked goods and bubble tea. All proceeds will benefit the non-profit Youghiogheny River Watershed Association. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 6. The Watershed Association expresses its appreciation for the sponsors of the event: Adventure Sports Center International, Keystone Lime, and Friends of Deep Creek Lake. Anyone interested in more information may e-mail YoughWatershed@gmail.com, search the Youghiogheny festival on Facebook, or visit http://www.youghioghenyriverfestival.info/
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Sewage Spills Occur At Deep Creek; DPU, Commissioners Resolving Issue
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Jul. 22, 2010
A 42,000-gallon sewage overflow that occurred at Deep Creek Lake last week was caused by an electrical malfunction at a pump station, according to Garrett County Department of Public Utilities director Linda Lindsey. She and the Garrett County commissioners met on Tuesday and came up with a solution to help counteract future malfunctions.
The spill took place along the lake near the intersection of Garrett Highway and Lake Shore Drive at about 7 a.m. on Sunday, July 11, at Pump Station 2-2. A nearby resident reported the incident to DPU at about 9:30 a.m. Lindsey estimates the overflow duration to be a total of three hours.
She said a short in a power cord that supplies Pump No. 1 kicked out the station’s main breaker. When the generator started, it should have kicked on Pump No. 2 or a bypass pump. But because of the main breaker being kickoff, the generator detected a “dead short” and shut down to “protect itself.” This caused the pumps not to work, leading to the overflow.
“It’s just a freak thing that happened to the electric line,” the director said about the malfunction.
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