ilovedeepcreeklakerealestate – Page 162

Commission will have new look

Two longtime Garrett incumbents defeated
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News Thu Sep 16, 2010, 08:01 AM EDT

— OAKLAND — Regardless of the outcome of the Nov. 2 general election, the makeup of the Garrett County Commission will be very different next term.

Longtime incumbents Ernie Gregg, a 24-year veteran of the commission, and Fred Holliday, who served for 12 years, were both eliminated in Tuesday’s primary by first-time commission candidates.

Gregg was defeated for the District 1 seat by Gregan Crawford, who garnered more than 55 percent of the votes cast. In District 2, Holliday lost to four-term board of education member Jim Raley, who took more than 61 percent of the votes cast.

“I think there’s an anti-incumbency out there and I think the voters feel the commissioners were no longer listening to them,” Raley said Tuesday. “That’s really the direction this whole thing took.”

Both Gregg and Holliday also attributed their losses partly to the anti-incumbent mood that appears to be sweeping the nation.

Raley currently faces no challenger in the general election, because no Democrats filed for the District 2 seat. The Democratic Central Committee has the option to nominate a candidate to put on the general election ballot by Oct. 4.

In District 1, Crawford, who could not be reached for comment, will face Democrat Eric Robison in November. Robison ran unopposed in the primary.

The only commission incumbent to make it through the primary was Denny Glotfelty in District 3, who faced the largest number of primary election opponents. Glotfelty beat out three other Republicans — Bob Gatto, Louis Newcomb and Tim Thomas — and secured more than 41 percent of the votes cast.

He will face Democratic challenger Bill Welch in the November general election. Welch easily dusted off his primary opponent, George Falter, and won more than 75 percent of the votes cast.

Glotfelty said he was surprised by the outcomes of the other commission races.

“Whoever they put in in the other districts is who the people want, and we’ll do the best we can for Garrett County,” he said.

In the Republican race for sheriff, Robert Corley took nearly 58 percent of the votes cast to defeat Larry Gnegy and advance to the general election. Corley will take on Democrat Skyler Hebden, who ran unopposed in the primary.

In a four-way Republican race for register of wills, incumbent Rita Watson won handily with nearly 64 percent of the votes cast. Watson’s nearest challenger was Traci Royce, with more than 22 percent, then John Sines, with nearly 10 percent, and Bryan Paugh, with less than 4 percent. No Democrats filed for the office.

In November, four candidates will square off for three open positions as judge of the orphans court. Republicans Clifford C. DeWitt, Wayne Wilt and James F. Margroff took the most votes and will advance to the general election, while Democrat Everett B. Deberry ran unopposed and will automatically ad-vance.

In the general election, the three candidates who receive the most votes — regardless of party — will win.

The November general election will also include nonpartisan races for three seats on the board of education.

Two incumbents, Donald Forrester in District 1 and Thomas Carr in District 2, are running unopposed. Incumbent Rodney Durst filed to retain his District 3 seat, but faces a challenge from Rodney Reckart.

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Garrett schools may be closed

Board scheduled to vote in March on Kitzmiller, Bloomington Elementary fates

Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News Thu Sep 16, 2010, 08:05 AM EDT

— OAKLAND — Kitzmiller and Bloomington elementary schools could be closed permanently at the end of the 2010-11 school year, depending on the outcome of a March vote by the Garrett County Board of Education.

Schools Superintendent Wendell Teets formally recommended the two elementary schools for closure during Wednesday night’s school board meeting, which was held at Southern Middle School to accommodate the approximately 80 members of the public who gathered for the announcement.

“I deeply regret the necessity of these recommended actions,” Teets said. “None of us wants to be in this position or could have anticipated these actions even two years ago.”

Teets presented his recommendations as an information item for the board, which is not scheduled to vote on the issue until March. None of the board members commented on the proposal.

The recommendations, Teets said, are based on input from all central office staff within the school system.

“These schools have the highest costs of operation per student and low attendance,” he explained.

Teets said that, in the current school year, it costs $425,761 to operate Bloomington Elementary and $409,405 for Kitzmiller, for a total of $835,166.

Under the proposal, Bloomington students would be moved to Broad Ford Elementary, and Kitzmiller students would attend Yough Glades Elementary.

Four people gave public comment on the issue after Teets’ announcement, including Piedmont, W.Va., resident Greg Harvey, who pointed to the towns of Piedmont and Westernport as cautionary tales of what can happen in the wake of community school closures.

Harvey said he grew up in Bloomington and now operates the Tri-Towns Basketball League out of the school facility. “It is going to be an effect on the community along with the kids in the school,” he said of the proposed closure. “We need to give families a reason to come to these places, not a reason to leave. … Anything we gain by closing that school financially, this county’s going to lose.”

Longterm financial concerns are the reason the measure is necessary, according to Teets. He said repeatedly that the closures would help the school system reduce spending without eliminating programs that benefit all students countywide.

“If we had sufficient funding to meet our … needs, I would not be making any such recommendation this year,” he said.

Garrett County Schools are facing a $1 million state funding reduction for the second year in a row. That’s because two years ago, the state changed its aid formula to be reflective of counties’ enrollment, and Garrett’s enrollment is steadily declining.

As of Sept. 8, Garrett County is down 99 students compared to September 2009. Teets said state figures project the decline to continue through 2019.

The school system forced a $700,000 carryover from the last fiscal year to balance this year’s budget, but it’s unlikely to be able to accomplish that again for the upcoming year.

While Garrett County schools stand to receive about $832,000 over the next four years in federal Race to the Top funding, those dollars are dedicated specifically to innovation and improvement programs.

Teets said he will appoint advisory committees for Bloomington and Kitzmiller within the next week. The committees, made up of parents, school representatives and community members, will report back to Teets and the school board after assessing the pros and cons of school closure through areas like building condition, transportation, student relocations, and the impact on the surrounding community.

The board will also conduct public hearings in November at both of the schools being considered for closure. The hearings schedule will be set in the board’s October meeting.

Contact Megan Miller at mmiller@times-news.com.

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Forty percent of registered voters turn out at polls

Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News Thu Sep 16, 2010, 08:00 AM EDT

— OAKLAND — Forty percent of Garrett County’s registered voters cast ballots in a primary election that included several contentious races, especially for seats on the county commission.

County board of elections Director Steve Fratz said voting went smoothly on election day for all precincts, with no major candidate or voter problems.

That includes voters from the Elbow precinct, who saw their polling place relocated from the Savage Mountain Youth Center near Lonaconing to the same accommodations as the neighboring Avilton district, the Avilton Community Center.

Frantz said about 19 of 105 registered Elbow voters cast ballots in the election, and he received no comments Tuesday on the move.

Overall, Fratz said he had expected an even higher voter turnout, because the county saw several hotly contested primary races and made a strong showing in early voting.

“For early voting, we were one of the leaders (statewide), at 4.5 percent,” he said. “I thought that might have been a barometer.”

But the turnout was comparable to that of the 2006 primary, which was about 41 percent. Voter turnout is typically stronger in a presidential election year.

In Allegany County, by comparison, about 35 percent of registered voters cast ballots in this year’s primary.

Election officials will canvass absentee ballots Thursday. Fratz said there are 265 absentee ballots, and the only county race that could be impacted by that number of votes is judge of orphans court.

On Sept. 22 officials will canvass any late absentee and provisional ballots. The election results will be certified on Sept. 24.

Garrett County’s first-ever early voting period attracted 735 voters. Fratz said he expects analyses to show that most of those voters were not first-timers, but instead have a history of voting regularly in past elections.

He estimated the total cost of the early voting period to be between $10,000 and $15,000, which falls to the county for payment.

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Official Election Results

County Totals

Election Summary Report
Gubernatorial Primary Election
State of Maryland, Garrett County
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Races
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS 09/14/10
22:25:11

Registered Voters 16256 – Cards Cast 6431 39.56% Num. Reporting 20

GOVERNOR / LT. GOVERNOR DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Cusick-Lang 192 16.08%
Jaffe-Jaffe 86 7.20%
O’Malley-Brown 916 76.72%

COMPTROLLER DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Franchot, Peter 954 100.00%

ATTORNEY GENERAL DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Gansler, Douglas F. 937 100.00%

U.S. SENATOR DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Garner, Christopher 149 12.37%
A.Billy Bob Jaworski 67 5.56%
Mikulski, Barbara A. 874 72.53%
Scaldaferri, Theresa 27 2.24%
Taylor, Blaine 56 4.65%
Taylor, Sanquetta 7 0.58%
Young, Lih 25 2.07%

U.S. CONGRESS 06 DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Clark, J. Casey 403 35.95%
Duck, Andrew 718 64.05%

HOUSE OF DELEGATES 01A DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Stanton, James R. 989 100.00%

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 001 DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Robison, Eric V 843 100.00%

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 003 DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Falter, George Jr. 254 24.28%
Welch, Bill 792 75.72%

JUDGE ORPHANS COURT DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Deberry, Everett B 911 100.00%

SHERIFF DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Hebden, Skyler John 687 100.00%

DEM CENT COMMITTEE DEM
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Diliddo, Andrew Andy 629 15.80%
Duck, Patricia 668 16.78%
Duck, Timothy 654 16.42%
Goldsborough,William 763 19.16%
Hovis, Jeff 617 15.49%
Neary, Zelma M. 651 16.35%

GOVERNOR / LT. GOVERNOR REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Ehrlich-Kane 3636 74.48%
Murphy-Ryman 1246 25.52%

COMPTROLLER REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Campbell, William H. 2185 61.20%
Girard, Armand F. 399 11.18%
Madigan, Brendan 986 27.62%

U.S. SENATOR REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Alexander, Joseph 495 13.09%
Asbury, Barry Steve 158 4.18%
Cohen, Neil H. 267 7.06%
Dempsey, Stephens 249 6.58%
Graham, Samuel R. Sr 314 8.30%
Kimble, John B. 203 5.37%
Kump, Gregory L. 84 2.22%
McAndrew, Daniel W 170 4.49%
Rutledge, Jim 560 14.81%
Vendetti, Eddie 54 1.43%
Wargotz, Eric 1228 32.47%

U.S. CONGRESS 06 REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Bartlett, Roscoe G. 3601 77.71%
Janda, Dennis B 110 2.37%
Krysztoforski, J. 256 5.52%
Taylor, Steve 426 9.19%
Wilson, Seth Edward 241 5.20%

STATE SENATOR 01 REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Edwards, George C. 4396 100.00%

HOUSE OF DELEGATES 01A REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Beitzel, Wendell R. 4120 100.00%

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 001 REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Crawford, Gregan T. 2677 55.49%
Gregg, Ernest J. 2147 44.51%

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 002 REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Holliday, Frederick 1886 38.58%
Raley, James M. 3003 61.42%

COUNTY COMMISSIONER 003 REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Gatto, Robert Glen 1576 31.74%
Glotflety, Denny 2058 41.44%
Newcomb, Louis R Jr. 789 15.89%
Thomas, Timothy E. 543 10.93%

STATE’S ATTORNEY REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Welch, Lisa Thayer 3717 100.00%

CLERK CIRCUIT COURT REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Buckel, Sondra R 4160 100.00%

——————————————————————————–

Paugh, Bryan Steven 200 3.99%
Royce, Traci L 1107 22.06%
Sines, John Keith 501 9.98%
Watson, Rita L 3210 63.97%

JUDGE ORPHANS COURT REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Beard, David C. 1999 18.79%
DeWitt, Clifford C. 2749 25.84%
Knust, Aria 295 2.77%
Margroff, James F. 2061 19.37%
Sanders, Fred 1401 13.17%
Wilt, Wayne 2133 20.05%

SHERIFF REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Corley, Robert E. 2890 57.96%
Gnegy, Larry 2096 42.04%

REP CENT COMMITTEE REP
Total
Precincts Reporting 20

——————————————————————————–

Bolden, DeCorsey 2768 16.53%
Butscher, Brenda 3237 19.34%
Miller, Timothy W. 2646 15.81%
Parsons, Arzella T 2955 17.65%
Sheahen, Thomas P. 2330 13.92%
Umbel, Ruth Hinebaug 2805 16.76%

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Holliday, Gregg ousted in Garrett County

Veteran leaders defeated in upsets
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News Wed Sep 15, 2010, 07:56 AM EDT

— OAKLAND — Voters ousted two longtime Garrett County Commission incumbents in major upsets in Tuesday’s primary election, according to unofficial returns released last night.

Twelve-year veteran Fred Holliday and 24-year veteran Ernie Gregg, the current commission chairman, both lost their bids for re-election to first time commission candidates.

Gregg was defeated for the District 1 seat by Gregan Crawford, who garnered more than 55 percent of the votes cast.

Gregg attributed his defeat largely to the anti-incumbency mood nationwide, and congratulated Crawford for running “an honorable campaign.”

“I was a commissioner elected for 24 years,” Gregg said. “I did my best to serve the public and made the decisions I felt were in the best interest of the public, and I appreciate the support I’ve had over the years.”

In District 2, Holliday lost to four-term board of education member Jim Raley, who took more than 61 percent of the votes cast.

“I think there’s an anti-incumbency out there and I think the voters feel the commissioners were no longer listening to them,” Raley said when reached at his home. “That’s really the direction this whole thing took.”

Holliday declined to comment on what he viewed as the deciding factor in his race, but said an anti-incumbent mood could be part of it.

“I congratulate Jim on a well-run campaign and I wish him luck and I wish the county luck,” he said. “As long as the county does well, that’s good, and that’s where my heart is.”

Denny Glotfelty was the only incumbent commissioner to survive the primary. In the District 3 Republican race, Glotfelty beat out three challengers and secured more than 41 percent of the votes cast.

“I’ve always said I run for the people, not against anybody,” Glotfelty said. He, too, was monitoring the election results from his home, and said he was surprised by the outcomes of the other commission races.

“Whoever they put in in the other districts is who the people want and we’ll do the best we can for Garrett County,” he said.

Glotfelty will face Democratic challenger Bill Welch in the November general election. Welch easily dusted off his primary challenger, George Falter, securing more than 75 percent of the votes cast.

In District 1, Crawford will face Democrat Eric Robison in November. Robison ran unopposed in the primary.

Raley as yet faces no opponent in the general election, since no Democrats filed for the District 2 seat.

In the Republican race for sheriff, Robert Corley took nearly 58 percent of the votes cast and defeated fellow Republican Larry Gnegy. Corley will take on Democrat Skyler Hebden, who ran unopposed in the primary, in the November general election.

Contact Megan Miller at mmiller@times-news.com

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Garrett incumbents lose seats in primary upsets

Voters oust two longtime county commissioners
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News Tue Sep 14, 2010, 11:42 PM EDT

OAKLAND — Voters ousted two longtime Garrett County Commission incumbents in major upsets in Tuesday’s primary election, according to unofficial results released at 10:25 p.m.

Twelve-year veteran Fred Holliday and 24-year veteran Ernie Gregg, the current commission chairman, both lost their bids for re-election to first time commission candidates.

Gregg was defeated for the District 1 seat by Gregan Crawford, who garnered more than 55 percent of the votes cast.

Gregg attributed his defeat largely to the anti-incumbency mood nationwide, and congratulated Crawford for running “an honorable campaign.”

In District 2, Holliday lost to four-term board of education member Jim Raley, who took more than 61 percent of the votes cast.

“I think there’s an anti-incumbency out there and I think the voters feel the commissioners were no longer listening to them,” Raley said. “That’s really the direction this whole thing took.”

Holliday declined to comment on what he viewed as the deciding factor in his race, but said an anti-incumbent mood could be part of it.

“I congratulate Jim on a well-run campaign and I wish him luck and I wish the county luck,” he said. “As long as the county does well, that’s good, and that’s where my heart is.”

Denny Glotfelty was the only incumbent commissioner to survive the primary. In the District 3 Republican race, Glotfelty beat out three challengers and secured more than 41 percent of the votes cast.

“I’ve always said I run for the people, not against anybody,” Glotfelty said. He was surprised by the outcomes of the other commission races.

“Whoever they put in in the other districts is who the people want and we’ll do the best we can for Garrett County,” he said.

Glotfelty’s nearest challenger was Bob Gatto, with 31.7 percent, then Louis Newcomb, with 15.9 percent, and Tim Thomas, with 10.9 percent.

Glotfelty will face Democratic challenger Bill Welch in the November general election. Welch easily dusted off his primary challenger, George Falter, securing more than 75 percent of the votes cast.

In District 1, Crawford will face Democrat Eric Robison in November. Robison ran unopposed in the primary.

Raley as yet faces no opponent in the general election, since no Democrats filed for the District 2 seat.

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Whitewater woes in Friendsville

Residents say ‘river rats’ use parking, amenities, but tax funds do not go to town
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News Mon Sep 13, 2010, 08:08 AM EDT

— FRIENDSVILLE — The raging rapids of the Upper Youghiogheny River draw throngs of whitewater enthusiasts to Friendsville each year, in a season lasting from April to October.

In recent years the number of annual visitors converging on the town has skyrocketed. In 2000, the companies that guide and outfit Upper Yough river-goers reported 959 rafts of customers to the state. In 2009, the total reported raft count was 1,363.

An even more dramatic increase appears to be under way since 2009. That year, the outfitters reported 3,743 individual clients. Just one year earlier, the outfitters tallied barely more than 3,000 clients.

Those figures don’t include the number of private kayakers and boaters who run the river with their own equipment. Friendsville Mayor Spencer Schlosnagle estimated that count to be at least half the number going through the outfitters.

On its face, the increase in tourist traffic might seem like a boon for the small mountain town. But that depends on whom you ask.

Vernon Sines has been the owner and operator of the S&S Market on Maple Street for 30 years. He’s seen the impact of river visitors in many ways, but a boost for his business isn’t one of them.

“No, no, we sure don’t see that,” Sines said. “That’s for sure.”

Most of the whitewater outfitters, Sines pointed out, hold cookouts or otherwise supply food to their clients, which means visitors only in town for one day aren’t buying from local stores.

“They don’t do a whole lot (for local businesses), really,” he said. “It’s more of an aggravation, of them parking and changing clothes wherever and walking up the middle of the road.”

While the locals’ frustration over out-of-towners’ behavior is a longstanding issue, the Upper Yough’s recent popularity boom has newly irritated the old wound.

Residents report out-of-towners living out of their vehicles in the streets, drinking in public and changing clothes in the open or in private garages and sheds.

And the influx of visitors can bring as many as 150 additional cars into the town, with no parking area big enough to accommodate them all.

“It became exponential this year, with boaters parking in residential parts of the town,” said Jess Whittemore, a 30-year resident of the area and Town Council member.

Whittemore, himself a “river rat,” said he sees recreational boating as a “fantastic” economic opportunity for the town, if it’s handled correctly.

“If you step back and look at it, it’s just a lot of wallets walking into town. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of wallets,” he said. “What small town of 600 people doesn’t want that?”

But as Whittemore and other town officials point out, it’s not the municipality that’s currently cashing in on the Upper Yough. It’s county government.

Maryland assesses a 4.5 percent amusement tax on top of the fees clients pay to the whitewater outfitters. The state hands those dollars over to the county, because the spot where boaters put in to run the Yough is at Sang Run, outside the Friendsville limits.

Schlosnagle estimated that the county is taking in about $20,000 per year from the Upper Yough amusement tax, while Friendsville is getting approximately $800 per year in what amounts to voluntary contributions from some outfitters for use of the town’s public take-out area.

So on Aug. 24, Schlosnagle, Whittemore and the rest of the council went before the Garrett County Commission to ask for a piece of the amusement tax revenue.

“People come into our town and park their vehicles in our town,” Schlosnagle told the commission. “They’re shuttled up to Sang Run and float down to the town. … We feel we should get some portion of the money that comes to the county.”

The commission has taken their comments under advisement and is examining what can be done, according to County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt.

In the meeting, the commissioners steered the conversation away from tax dollars and in the direction of supplying more parking restriction signs to the town.

But Schlosnagle said more signs aren’t the answer. For one thing, the town has no money to hire even a part-time enforcement officer to make sure people are abiding by the restrictions.

“These really are opportunities,” commission President Ernie Gregg told the Friendsville council members. “From the time all this started, way back when, a lot of the local people disdained the river rats. But their money is green like anybody else’s and we need to … find a way to make this work.”

Agnes Lichtner runs the Riverside Hotel on Water Street. Lichtner, too, said she views the influx of visitors as a positive thing.

“When we see traffic, that’s business,” she said. “You have to grasp that opportunity.”

She acknowledged that few boaters stay overnight at the historic hotel, but said they often come in for meals in its restaurant.

“We have dinners that we serve, and they’re one of our No. 1 supporters,” she said. “When they come off the river they eat here, more than what the fishermen do.”

Whittemore said the number of problems with boaters has decreased since the organization American Whitewater stepped in and began putting the word out to the boating community to be more considerate while in Friendsville.

The town is also drafting a camping ordinance so that law enforcement can legally control nuisance camping on the streets or town property.

He hopes that new approaches to river visitors, with the help of redirected amusement tax dollars, will help locals embrace the tourism and recreation industry.

“Coal mining and timbering is a long-gone natural resource of our whole area, and this is the new resource,” he said. “It’s here, it’s never going to go away, which means the kayakers are never going to go away. The wallets are going to continue to walk into town.”

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Polls open for Primary Election – VOTE TODAY!

Today is your chance to get out and let your voice be heard in the primary elections. Here are the polling locations, per the Garrett County Board of Elections website.
__________

Public Service Center
2008 Maryland Highway, Suite 1
Mountain Lake Park, Maryland 21550-6349

Phone: 301-334-6985 301-895-3822
Fax: 301-334-6988
E-mail: sfratz@garrettcounty.org

This office is responsible for voter registration and conducting county, state and federal elections in Garrett County.

1. Voter Registration and Qualifications: You must be a U.S. Citizen and reside in MD/GC, 18 years old by the next General Election, not disqualified by criminal record, and not under guardianship for a mental disability.

2. Voting: There are two ways to cast your ballot: In person at the polling place in the district you reside or by absentee ballot.

3. Recognized Political Parties in Maryland:
Democratic Republican Green Libertarian Constitution

4. Election Judges: If you are interested in working as an election judge on Election Day you must: be able to read and write the English language and be a registered voter.

Click here for Judges Application.

5. Polling Places in Garrett County:

Precinct #1 Swanton

Swanton Community Center
3335 Swanton Rd.
Swanton, MD 21561
Precinct #2 Friendsville

Friendsville Elementary School
841 First Ave.
Friendsville, MD 21531

Precinct #3-1 Grantsville
Grantsville Elementary School
120 Grant St.
Grantsville, MD 21536
Precinct #3-2 Jennings

Jennings United Methodist Church
32 Hare Hollow Rd.
Grantsville, MD 21536

Precinct #4 Bloomington
Bloomington Vol. Fire Dept.
77 North Branch Ave.
Bloomington, MD 21523

Precinct #5 Accident
Accident Vol. Fire Dept.
109 S. South St.
Accident, MD 21520

Precinct #6 Sang Run
Garrett College-Cont. Ed. Building
687 Mosser Rd.
McHenry, MD 21541

Precinct #7 East Oakland
St. Peters Catholic Hall
208 4th St.
Oakland, MD 21550

Precinct #8-1 Ryans Glade
Gorman Vol. Fire Dept.
270 Gorman Rd.
Oakland, MD 21550

Precinct #8-2 Red House
Pleasant Valley Community Center
975 Joni Miller Rd.
Oakland, MD 21550

Precinct #9 Finzel
Rt. 40 Elementary School
17764 National Pike
Frostburg, MD 21532

Precinct #10 Deer Park
Deer Park Vol. Fire Dept.
5353 Maryland Hwy.
Deer Park, MD 21550

Precinct #11 Elbow
Avilton Community Center
8295 Avilton Lonaconing Rd.
Lonaconing, MD 21539

Precinct #12 Bittinger*
Bittinger Vol. Fire Dept.
176 Brenneman Rd.
Bittinger, MD 21522

Precinct #13 Kitzmiller
Kitzmiller Vol. Fire Dept.
438 East Main St.
Kitzmiller, MD 21538

Precinct #14-1 West Oakland
Oakland Vol. Fire Dept.
31 S. 3rd St.
Oakland, MD 21550

Precinct #14-2 Crellin
Crellin Elementary School
115 Kendall Dr.
Oakland, MD 21550

Precinct #15 Avilton
Avilton Community Center
8295 Avilton Lonaconing Rd.
Lonaconing, MD 21539

Precinct #16 Mtn.LakePark
Dennett Rd. School
770 Dennett Rd.
Oakland, MD 21550

* – Indicates these facilities are NOT accessible to the handicapped. All others are accessible to the handicapped.

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Real Flying Scot

Cumberland Times-News Sat Sep 11, 2010, 07:57 AM EDT

— Workers from Beitzel Corp. use a crane to lift a 1957 Flying Scot sailboat into the second floor of the new Oakland transportation museum Wednesday. The sailboat, the first manufactured by the Garrett County company, weighs about 850 pounds. The facility also will feature a carriage that once ferried wealthy visitors from the train station to the Deer Park Hotel and the county’s first snowmobile.

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

Will ‘waterquakes’ destroy our elixir of life?

To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News Sun Sep 12, 2010, 08:00 AM EDT

— In case you aren’t aware, the incidence of earthquakes in Marcellus shale areas of West Virginia (and like adjacent areas) not seismically known Richterwise for earthquakes, has surprisingly increased recently, counter to our regular geologic timeframe historically.

Since early April more than eight earthquakes have been recorded in Braxton County, with two more in nearby Lewis and Upshur counties. Those seismic events ranged in magnitude from 2.2 to 3.4, not strong enough to cause significant damage (yet), but powerful enough to rattle shelves and awaken strong sleepers.

Three weeks later (April 29, 2010) west of Frametown three more shook topographies. May 7-8, 2010, both sides of Interstate 79 near the Servia rest stop shook. July 24-25, west of Gassaway, 2.4 and 2.2.

Ronald Martini, Marshall geology professor, addressed the topic of unusual local earthquakes when he said, “It is quite possible that these earthquakes result from fluid injection. Drilling in the Marcellus shale for natural gas in northern West Virginia has involved hydrofracking of horizontal natural gas wells (with unknown millions of gallons of unknown toxic fluids under immense pressure per square inch, insertion mine) essentially lubricating the frictional resistance to movement along the fault zone, allowing the fault to slip more readily.”

You may recall my previous letter pertaining to current natural gas production techniques endangering our pristine waters by shaking up the topography, even of our neighbors without their permission. I didn’t know about the earthquakes then. I do now and the infrastructure of the natural gas drilling process will eventually jeopardize the sanctity of everybody’s inalienable right to clean water.

Inasmuch as the above is evidentiary, safe/clean drinking water is a human right and a primary component in our right(s) to life, liberty and happiness pursuit. Water cannot morally be a commodity for exhorbitant profit(s). The cost of treated tap water in West Virginia averages a penny a gallon. An equivalent amount of bottled (for example, Dasani) water averages $4 a gallon. The Wall Street Journal said 47.8 percent of the most common type of bottled water sold by retailers came from city tap water. Feel ripped off?

Fracking our topography should be freaking us out. Bottled water prices can only escalate. Municipal water systems will have to raise their prices, too.

Eventually, our kids will need to confront their catastrophic choice of sacrifices: water or carbon-based fuels. Many postulations currently exist about what global human life will be like without sufficient water or carbon-based fuel(s).

Consciously permitting “water-quakes” to destroy our elixir of life only certifies our sometimes shortsighted/blinding human stupidity.

Bill Arnold

Romney, W.Va.

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

Author: ilovedeepcreeklakerealestate

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