As an athlete at The Calverton School I have been invited to participate in the Down Under Sports Tournaments to be held in Australia. I am honored to be an ambassador of not only my school, community and state, but also our country. I will be participating in this international event on the Southeast...
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Governor Martin O’Malley issued the following statement on the close of the Special Session and the completion of the FY 2013 budget: “I’d like to thank Senate President Miller, House Speaker Busch and the members of the General Assembly for completing work on the State’s FY2013 budget. “With their leadership and willingness to come...
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Wildewood Sew & Vac is a locally owned and operated business providing service, repair and sales of residential and commercial vacuums, sewing and embroidery machines. The Wildewood store joins the company’s two other locations – Waldorf Sew & Vac and Severna Park Sew & Vac. The new Wildewood location opened to provide a higher...
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On Monday Annapolis introduced a bill to increase income taxes on individuals who earn more than $100,000 and couples who earn more than $150,000 – even though the budget was already balanced. With unemployment still high and the economy stalled Annapolis is redefining wealth, while Maryland already has one of the highest combined local...
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They go by many names: grifter, swindler, con artist, charlatan. Whatever the name, the game is still the same: the con. It is the oldest trick in the book, but somehow many still fall for it. Maybe it is because people are desperate for fame and fortune, or caught up in the moment and...
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May 3, 2012 Dear Friend, There are few better ways to celebrate the summer than by enjoying a steaming bucket of Maryland Blue Crabs covered in Old Bay. That’s why I’m so pleased to share that this year, the Maryland Blue Crab population is at a 19-year high! This achievement did not...
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Letter to the Editor May is Small Business Month At least 2,000 – and more likely twice that number – small businesses serve St. Mary’s County each and every day. They employ thousands of countians, pay millions of dollars in tax revenue, and contribute several thousands of their proceeds in community giving. They also...
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Bobby Unkle has been in the excavating business for over 30 years and knows there is nothing in the business he can’t accomplish – so much so, his coworkers and fellow contractors have dubbed him the ‘Slopedoctor.’ Unkle’s company, JBM & Sons Excavating, LLC has seen it all during its time working on road...
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The Calvert County Department of Economic Development announces that nominations are now being accepted for the annual Calvert You Are Beautiful Volunteer Awards. This project recognizes individuals whose volunteer service improves the quality of life for Calvert County citizens and visitors. Nominated volunteers might be a tour guide at a museum or historic landmark,...
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The Calvert County, Md., Department of Economic Development is conducting the 2012 business survey and seeks input from county business owners. The survey helps the department learn more about county businesses, offers insight into business concerns and suggests steps that can be taken to provide assistance. Data collected from the survey will be used...
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Citing the benefits to Maryland families, small businesses, and tourism overall, Comptroller Peter Franchot today called for a statewide policy change to have all school systems in the state begin classes after Labor Day weekend. Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and members of the local business community joined the Comptroller at the announcement. “The...
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Message from O’Donnell for Congress: Friends – Thank you for your support! I am humbled by your faith in me to carry your banner forward. Now the second phase of our fight begins. We are going to carry our message to every nook and cranny in the 5th District. The future of our country...
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April 2, 2012 Letter to the Editor Going Forward Four weeks ago I sat in public session before the County Commissioners alongside staff, colleagues, and community partners. We presented 3 important matters of official county business. Each Board member acknowledged us for the yeoman staff work done to advance the Joint Land Use Study...
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Amy Gibson, English teacher at Huntingtown High School, is one of this year’s recipients of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards. Allie Bolen, one of Ms. Gibson’s former students, nominated her for this prestigious award. In her essay, Ms. Bolen writes, “Ms. Gibson taught me a great deal about English in her class,...
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On March 22, Gazette.Net, an online newspaper endorsed Tony O’Donnell for the 5th District congressional race in the Republican Primary. Gazette.Net said: O’Donnell is minority leader of the Maryland House of Delegates. His party is badly outnumbered in Annapolis and it falls to O’Donnell to publicly and forcefully argue the Republican position in a...
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This Friday marks two years since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Since then, millions of Americans have seen the positive impacts of health care reform, and here in Maryland’s Fifth District, families and small businesses are benefitting from new protections and greater freedom and control over their health care choices,...
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March 23rd marks the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare”. Prior to its passage, the Congressional Budget Office claimed the bill’s cost would be under $900 Billion over 10 years. However, just last week the Congressional Budget Office revised its estimate to $1.76 Trillion, nearly twice the originally estimated...
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Superintendent James E. Richmond presented his redistricting recommendations today to the Board of Education, which include modifications to two proposals. The school system is in the process of developing new attendance zones for Mary B. Neal Elementary School, William A. Diggs Elementary School and Theodore G. Davis Middle School. Those redistricting efforts also impact...
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Tony O’Donnell, Minority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates and candidate for the US House of Representatives, wished the Girl Scouts of America a Happy 100thBirthday Sunday, March 11. “Girl Scouts is a great organization,” said Delegate O’Donnell. “Volunteers lead the girls by helping them set life goals and instilling in them a...
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MESSAGE FROM CONGRESSMAN STENY H. HOYER Today, the House passed the “JOBS Act,” a legislative package including six bills that will help small business, four of which have already passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. I voted for the package, but am concerned it does not go far enough to get the millions...
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March 2012 The Local Imperative Bob Schaller Tip O’Neill, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was correct in saying all politics is local. In fact, all meaningful decisions are made locally. Reason is the agents involved must know each other to some degree – whether in agreement or not – to influence...
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Susan Pearce Ditch, Owner of Chesapeake Pet Resort & Day Spa, enjoys the opportunity to pamper other people’s pets like no one else can. The facility is dedicated to pets of all ages and varieties of cats and dogs, located at 26120 Jones Wharf Rd in Hollywood, Maryland and focuses on helping pets enjoy...
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Tony O’Donnell, candidate for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District seat in the US House of Representatives and the Republican Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates, is calling on Marylanders who value the sanctity of marriage to support a petition placing this critical issue on the November ballot so that Marylanders can decide for themselves....
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Governor Martin O’Malley today, joined by Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. and House Speaker Michael E. Busch, signed the Civil Marriage Protection Act of 2012 into law. With the passage of this historic bill, Maryland now becomes the eighth state in the nation to legalize gay marriage....
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As part of its Tuesday, February 28, 2012 meeting agenda, the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners and members of the St. Mary’s County Delegation will hold an open discussion on education funding. The session will focus on the federal, state and local components of education funding. The session will also include talk about...
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Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement on Feb. 23, after the Senate passed the Civil Marriage Protection Act of 2012: “I’d like to thank Senate President Miller for his leadership and our legislators in the Senate for their hard work and their vote today for human dignity. “All children deserve the opportunity to live...
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The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County will host a Public Forum on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 beginning at 6:30 p.m., in the Commissioners meeting room of the Chesapeake Building located at 41770 Baldridge Street, Leonardtown, Maryland. Citizens are invited to attend the forum and address the commissioners. The Public Forum...
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MESSAGE FROM CONGRESSMAN STENY H. HOYER “e ought not walk away from our federal employees any more than we ought to walk away from those 160 million people who need this tax cut or walk away from those 2.4 million who need that unemployment insurance.” For weeks, Republicans have been blocking a tax cut...
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Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement on Feb. 17, after the House of Delegates passed the Civil Marriage Protection Act of 2012: “Today, the House of Delegates voted for human dignity. Speaker Busch and his fellow Delegates deserve a lot of credit for their hard work. At its heart, their vote was a vote...
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By Chris Ripley Last week I was talking with the owner of a small IT services company about the poor results he had received from a direct mail piece. He mailed about 1500 postcards to a list of medical offices. He mailed the card and about a week later he followed up with a phone...
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During a press conference Wednesday on Capitol Hill, Congressman Hoyer expressed his opinion about the federal budget, “The fact is, you don’t need a budget.” Congressional candidate and Maryland House Minority Leader, Tony O’Donnellcalled Steny Hoyer’s budget comments “imbecilic.” As reported by CNSNews.com on February 8, 2012 Hoyer said: “What does the budget do?...
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Monthly DECD Column February 2012 Turning Dirt with Relevance Bob Schaller As February begins amidst 60 degree days, a few farmers have started to till fields. And the Super Bowl is this Sunday! Yes, it’s been a warm (and dry) winter. We still have a few more months of iffy weather, but some entrepreneurial...
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On Jan. 31, the Joint Economic Committee released a new report, which includes a county-by-county breakdown of the additional take-home pay that workers here in Maryland and throughout the country will receive if middle-class tax cuts are extended through the end of 2012. According to the report, a one-year extension would allow the average...
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Which of our Congressional Maryland representatives are fighting to support the Freedom of Religion in the U.S. Constitution? The quick answer is none of them. In a letter to Catholic Priest in the Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal Wuerl stated the following “On January 20, 2012, the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
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Republican Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates Candidate for Congress (MD-5) The State of the Union Address misses the mark when it comes to helping Maryland families. First, we should be creating good paying jobs for Americans by developing our own energy resources. That is why it is such a terrible mistake to...
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Cast Your Vote for the 2012 Military Spouse of the Year! Kimberly Pepper-Hoctor Southern Maryland is proud to announce California, Maryland resident Kimberly Pepper-Hoctor was been nominated as a Navy branch winner for Military Spouse of the Year. Kimberly is well known for her involvement in the community at Patuxent River. Kimberly works with local...
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The refusal of the President and his allies in Congress to build the Keystone Pipeline is another example of political correctness triumphing over the needs of hardworking American families. This project should have been approved last year. The President and his congressional allies tried to delay a decision on Keystone until after the election....
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Have you ever told yourself you were going to do one thing and later discovered you didn’t accomplish it? In other words, you had a good idea in the beginning, but after a while, you got discouraged, distracted, or disturbed in the process. It’s easy telling others what you’re going to do, however, it’s...
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Governor Martin O’Malley, delivered a keynote address on Jan. 12, 2012 at the Education Week Quality Counts 2012 event, where Maryland’s public schools were once again named the number-one public school system in the nation, now for four years in a row. The Governor released the following statement: “I’d like to thank the students,...
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Governor Martin O’Malley issued this statement following Kiplinger’s ranking of five Maryland institutions among the nation’s “Best Values” in Public Colleges 2012: “I’d like to congratulate the University of Maryland, College Park, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Salisbury University, Towson University, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County for being among Kiplinger’s ‘Best Values’...
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Monthly DECD Column January 2012 Year of the Dragon Bob Schaller In the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is the mightiest of the zodiac signs. A creature of myth and legend, oriental cultures regards the dragon as a divine beast, quite the opposite of the monster portrayed by...
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Whenever possible, Southern Maryland News Net interviews a Southern Maryland person of interest. This week’s interview and conversation was with St. Mary’s County Sheriff, Timothy K. Cameron. In the conversation topics related to crime prevention, increased policing efforts and much more were covered. The following is Part 1 of that conversation. Look for Part...
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The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County will host a Public Forum on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Second District Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad located at 45245 Drayden Road in Valley Lee, Maryland. Citizens are invited to attend the forum and address the members of...
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Message from Congressman Steny H. Hoyer Yesterday, House Republicans stood in the way of bipartisan efforts to prevent a tax hike on 160 million Americans starting January 1. The middle-class payroll tax cut, which expires at the end of the month, should have been extended with wide, bipartisan support for another year. Democrats have...
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A Conversation with … Dr. Michael J. Martirano, Superintendent SMCPS Each week, if possible, Southern Maryland News Net holds a discussion with a Southern Maryland notable. This week’s conversation is with St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ Superintendent, Dr. Michael J. Martirano. The following discussion is Part One of that conversation. Part Two will be...
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On Tuesday, Dec. 14, Maryland Minority Leader in the House, Anthony O’Donnell announced that he was running for Congress in the Fifth Congressional District in the 2012 Elections, putting the long-time Republican State Delegate on a collision course against the incumbent of 31 years, Cong. Steny Hoyer. When asked his decision to run, O’Donnell...
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Letter of Appreciation from Jeanne Pirtle, Education Director and Writer of the Holiday Candlelight Tours 2011 Script To Director, Cast, Crew, Volunteers, and Sotterley Staff of Holiday Candlelight Tours 2011, I have heard nothing but rave reviews from members and visitors who attended Candlelight this season. I wanted to give special thanks to Linda...
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December 2011 Development Past, Present, and Future Seventy years ago today will always be remembered as a day of infamy. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor would forever change the country, the world, and Maryland’s First County. The Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics had sought to consolidate aviation test programs in the late 1930s. The...
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Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Message to Pearl Harbor Survivors “Seventy years ago on a December morning, our nation sustained a cruel and destructive attack at Pearl Harbor. Our enemies thought that by this sudden and deliberate raid, they could weaken America. Instead, they only strengthened it. That day truly awoke a sleeping...
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Memo from Charles County Sheriff Rex Coffey: It is with a great sense of remorse that we share with you the passing of former County Commissioner Robert Fuller. Commissioner Fuller passed away peacefully this morning. . Bob was more than just a wonderful person; he was truly a pillar in our community. He spent...
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This is the second segment of a two-part interview with Calvert County Icon Marie Andrews. Look for a new conversation interview each Monday morning on www.smnewsnet.com. SMNN: On Thursday, (Nov. 17) Calvert County was awarded top 100 status as a place for children for the second year in a row. How is the process...
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Governor Martin O’Malley recently issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Labor’s release of preliminary employment data for the month of October. The report shows that Maryland employers added 3,100 jobs. Maryland’s unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points to 7.2 percent, and is 20 percent below the national rate of 9 percent. “Our...
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Thanksgiving weekend is considered the traditional kick off for the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving day we enjoy spend time with our loved ones devouring a delicious holiday meal and rest up for the excitement of bargain shopping which begins very early on “Black Friday”. Unfortunately the holiday shopping season is also plagued with dishonest...
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Dear Friend, In two days, families across our State will celebrate Thanksgiving. They’ll enjoy great food and company, rejoice in the Ravens victory over the 49ers and pore over websites for the best deals on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. But the holidays are about more than that. They’re about coming together as...
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The failure of the Congressional Supercommittee to reach an agreement on deficit reduction is a setback for the country’s efforts to achieve fiscal responsibility while protecting our national security. If Congress fails to act over the next year, the Department of Defense will face devastating, automatic, across-the-board cuts that will tear a seam in...
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Nov. 16, 2011 This morning, I joined Democratic and Republican colleagues from both the House and Senate for a press conference to urge the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to put forward a big, balanced plan to reduce the deficit. I recently joined with more than 100 fellow members of the House in...
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To All, The LHS Band is sponsoring a “Drive One 4 UR School” fundraiser on Saturday, November 19 from 10am to 5pm. Come out and test drive a new Ford vehicle with NO obligation to purchase. The band will earn a minimum of $20 for every car that is test driven up to $5,000. ...
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The Charles County Board of Commissioners would like to inform citizens that the next public forum will be held on Tuesday, November 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room at the Charles County Government Building (200 Baltimore Street, La Plata). This will be the last public forum held in calendar year 2011. ...
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In one generation, Calvert’s money crop has all but disappeared. Greg Bowen grew up on a tobacco farm in Calvert County when tobacco was king. He recalls the hard work and life lessons from raising the ‘sot weed,’ some of which he utilized in his work as a county planner. Tobacco barns remain as...
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Capt. Stephen Schmeiser retired from his position as commander of Patuxent River Naval Air Station last week and issued this open letter to the community: What a blessing it has been for me to have served as the 34th Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Patuxent River in this wonderful Southern Maryland community! Thank...
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More Than Meets the Eye at Calvert Marine Museum – A Conversation with Doug Alves, Part 2 The following is another article in Southern Maryland News Net’s Monday morning conversation series. This week we conclude our conversation with the Calvert Marine Museum Director, C. Douglass Alves, Jr. SMNN: Visitors routinely see the facilities as...
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Tomorrow is Veterans Day and falls on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, occurring at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Tomorrow’s occasion will be the first time in the Day’s history that it will also fall on the 11th...
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The recommended Maryland gas tax and fee increases outlined in the Maryland Transportation Fund Blue Ribbon Commission’s final report on November 1, 2011, coupled with higher gas prices affect family budgets. To evaluate the potential impact of these increases on the cost of driving; two hypothetical comparisons are made here using the AAA’s 2010...
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1. For ten years now, our Corps has been engaged in continuous combat operations against those who threaten the security of American and our allies. We turned the tide in the Anbar Province of Iraq and continue to see success today in Southwest Afghanistan. While it has come at a cost, we have much...
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As the world of marketing changes from traditional print and analogue media such as television and terrestrial radio to that of Internet-based media, many unfamiliar with the benefits of Internet marketing and advertising find themselves wondering how effective that type of marketing, advertising and sales can be. Succinctly put; the answer is very effective...
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More Than Meets the Eye at Calvert Marine Museum – A Conversation with Doug Alves The following is another article in Southern Maryland News Net’s Monday morning conversation series. This week we learned more about the Calvert Marine Museum in a ‘Conversation With …’ C. Douglass Alves, Jr. – the museum’s director. SMNN: How...
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Last week we were introduced to the concept of Economic Gardening by a practitioner turned researcher from Colorado. Robin Phelps founded and directs Innovation Economy Partners in Denver and spoke at the annual Charles County Economic Summit in Waldorf. This year’s summit theme, “Harvesting our Own: Cultivating Growth and Job Creation from Within” was...
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UPDATE from St. Mary’s College of Maryland Sea Voyager Move-In Information from Joanne Goldwater Tuesday November 1st, 12:46 P.M. We are delighted to tell you that the U.S. Coast Guard has approved our occupancy of the Sea Voyager. We are now ready for students to move on board. We will start moving students at...
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October, 25, 2011 Dear St. Mary’s College Community: I have been deeply troubled by the prospect of so many Prince George and Caroline Hall residents living off campus, in hotels, as far away as Solomons Island. The arrangement, while healthy from the standpoint of mold remediation, is far from ideal academically or in terms...
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Positive Signs Begin to Stir in St. Mary’s – A Conversation with Bob Schaller As part of Southern Maryland News Net’s series, ‘A Conversation with …” we talked for a while with the Director of St. Mary’s County Dept. of Economic and Community Development, Bob Schaller, Ph.D. Assisting Schaller was Dept. Economic Development Coordinator,...
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The Calvert County, Md., Department of Economic Development is currently compiling information for the 2012 Calvert County Visitors Guide. Museums, dining and shopping destinations, hotels, inns and recreational boating organizations with locations in Calvert County, Md., are welcomed to submit information for possible inclusion in the 2012 guide, free of charge. Forms are available...
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To the Editor, The Lusby Change the World CROP Hunger Walk held on Saturday, Oct. 14 was a huge success! More than $3,633 was contributed by our neighbors and friends to support the hunger-fighting efforts of Church World Service, both here at home and around the world. A portion of the funds will support...
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In the fall of 1775, Americans initiated a privateering campaign against British commerce, and on 13 October the Continental Congress established a small naval force to contest British sea power. According to the Naval History & Heritage Command, the Continental Navy was authorized the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels...
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Letter from Jasper’s American Grille in Prince Frederick October 12, 2011 Dear Guests: It has been our pleasure to serve you over the last four years! The loyalty of our guests has continued to make the restaurant both popular and profitable. We would love to stay and continue to serve our many friends but...
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On Sunday, Oct. 2, the Hogettes and friends gathered at the American Legion Post 274 in Lusby, not only to cheer on the Washington Redskins, but to raise money for sick children and their families at the 18th Annual Children’s Charity Benefit, a great time had by all! The following was submitted to Southern Maryland News...
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Letter sent home to parents/guardians of Lackey High School students: Please Talk to your Kids About Safety When Out Walking October, 6, 2011 Dear Parents/Guardians: … We want to inform you about a suspicious vehicle a student reported seeing near a bus stop in the Fenwick Road area. The student reported that a man...
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Many citizens in Calvert County aren’t aware that the Fire, Rescue and EMS responders are volunteers that donate their time to help out you; the public in your desperate time of need. It is not surprising though that many people, particularly the new residents to the county are unaware that Calvert County is 100%...
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If you grew up here (at least a generation ago), shopping was like most experiences in a rural community: you had to drive a good ways. In our case that was mostly Waldorf, however sometimes you’d go farther. When the regional mall in Waldorf, St. Charles Towne Center, was built in 1990, it boasted...
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The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners and the Calvert County Planning Commission will hold a joint public hearing on proposed changes to the county’s floodplain regulations and floodplain maps on Tuesday, Oct. 18, after 7 p.m. in the Planning Commission Hearing Room, 205 Main Street, Prince Frederick. Prior to the public hearing, representatives...
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Last week the Chamber hosted the State of the County luncheon and address by the Board of County Commissioners. This week our department briefed the Commissioners on the state of the local economy in preparation for the annual county budget process. Some of the information has already been reported as new information from the...
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In the August 2011 issue of “Taste of the Bay” Magazine, two St. Mary’s County women business owners are included in their list of 20 women to watch. They are Karleen Jaffres of Café des Artistes and Dana Rebarchick of D.B. McMillan’s Pub and Grill, see http://tasteofthebay.com/. Did you know that Maryland ranks the...
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As summer comes to a close, State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard offers Marylanders a valuable fire prevention safety checklist to help stop fires before they occur inside the home. “Let’s work together to help prevent residential fires. All Marylanders deserve the safety and security of a good home fire prevention program.” o Install...
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The Calvert County Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management Division, is hosting a public forum on updates to the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan on Thursday, September 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Courthouse Square, 205 Main Street, Prince Frederick. The forum will detail the plan and allow public comment on the county’s ongoing hazard mitigation program....
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As the nation remembers the ten-year anniversary of the attack on September, 11, 2001 there are many who were too young to understand what happened to American citizens on that day. For some, the life lead by Americans in this century and in this decade has always been and will always be remembered the...
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O’Donnell Statement on Teacher Pension Shift
On Monday Annapolis passed a bill to shift the cost of teacher pensions to local governments giving the legislature another $250 million to spend on other programs. This will force local governments to raise $250 million taxes to cover the pensions the first year, and $1.5 billion over five years –in some cases forcing...
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