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>Lawmakers: Session a rough few months for Western Maryland

>Kristin Harty Barkley
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Wed Apr 27, 2011, 11:26 PM EDT

FROSTBURG — The District 1 Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly met with area business leaders Wednesday morning to reflect on the 428th session, which ended April 11.

By all accounts, it was a rough few months for Western Maryland.

“This year was almost like an assault on rural Maryland,” said Delegate Wendell Beitzel, noting that education funding was drastically reduced for Allegany and Garrett counties.

“You’d think perhaps the governor was trying to get even with the rural areas of the state because he didn’t get many votes in this area.”

About 45 people gathered at the Lyric Theater Wednesday for the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast.

With Beitzel, Delegates Kevin Kelly and LeRoy Myers, and Sen. George Edwards discussed some of the most difficult battles.

• The governor proposed the elimination of key funding sources for both Garrett and Allegany counties, including a 25-percent annual reimbusement for Deep Creek Lake dock fees, and a similar reimbursement for timber sales.

“We held the line on those two,” Beitzel said, adding that the local delegation also successfully defended the Maryland-Mined Coal Tax Credit.

“This is an annual thing we’ve had to battle, and we had to fight it hard this year,” Beitzel said.

• Efforts by Beitzel and Sen. George Edwards to encourage forward movement on drilling in the Marcellus shale were rebuffed by the administration, which wants to further study environmental impacts.

“We got an opinion from the attorney general that says the Department of the Environment has all the power they need to draft any rule or regulation they feel appropriate to put in place for Marcellus drilling,” said Edwards, who encouraged local residents to write the governor’s office to give their “two cents worth” on the issue — regardless of where they stand.

“So it’s a question, I guess, do you trust MDE to come up with what you might feel is appropriate? We feel they can. I just use coal mining as an example. We have some of the strictest mining laws in the country now. … We believe we’ll have some of the strictest, if not the strictest, drilling rules in the country.”

Edwards and Beitzel said that Marcellus shale drilling could provide an unprecedented boost to the local economy and should be pursued, though safely and wisely. The issue has sparked heated debate in the community.

“None of us want to see anyone come in and mess up our area,” Beitzel said. “But we need energy. And this is one area of Maryland where we have energy resources.”

• A 3 percent increase in the sales tax on alcohol is expected to have negative effects on area businesses. Starting July 1, the sales tax will increase from 6 to 9 percent.

“This tax actually impacts the rural parts of the state considerably,” Edwards said. “Because we had a lot of people coming into our part of the state to buy alcoholic beverages. Now they’re not going to because we’re not going to be as competitive as we were.”

The session was not without good news for Western Maryland, however. Legislators overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed to bring a slots operator to Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort, which is deeply in debt.

“We had 120 other legislators come to the rescue of Rocky Gap,” Myers said. “That took our efforts, working with our colleagues, to get a product at Rocky Gap that was something that would attract a bidder.”

And the local delegation worked to defeat a bill that would have forced the renaming of Negro, Polish, and Savage mountains.

“We took a defensive posture, we made great presentations, and we stuffed those bills this year,” said Kelly, who called called the name-change effort “political correctness run amock.”

“I don’t think they’ll be coming back.”

Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley@times-news.com

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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>Garrett commissioners add $700,000 to schools budget

>Board of Education asked to develop long-term plan
For the Cumberland Times-News
The Cumberland Times-News Tue Apr 26, 2011, 11:29 PM EDT

OAKLAND — After numerous budget review sessions, the Garrett County commissioners have added $700,000 to the $1 million already allocated for the Board of Education for fiscal 2012.

The funds will be transferred from the county’s unrestricted/undesignated fund balance and will assist the board with a projected residual shortfall of $1.365 million.

The county commissioners have asked the Board of Education to develop a long-term financial plan that will allow Garrett County public schools to operate proficiently despite the loss of funds from changes to the state funding principles and a declining student enrollment, according to County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt.

Pagenhardt said that the commissioners are willing to work with the board in developing the plan. The county has not been presented with a comprehensive budget from the board, according to Pagenhardt. But county staff projects that the additional allocation combined with cost savings from the board’s employee retirement incentive plan and supplementary public education funds secured during the Maryland General Assembly session will reduce the funding shortfall to $665,000.

The county commissioners along with the county administrator and Department of Financial Services have worked to close a $17 million dollar funding shortfall and all county departments have incurred budget cuts or have been flat-funded in fiscal 2012. Capital projects have been repeatedly scrutinized and reprioritized.

Under county policy, the funds that were transferred must be restored within two years. The county commissioners anticipate a similar amount in new revenue for fiscal 2013 from the Synergics wind project located on Backbone Mountain.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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>Garrett board votes to close school in Bloomington

>Tiny Kitzmiller Elementary spared, at least for time being
Kristin Harty Barkley
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Tue Apr 26, 2011, 11:43 PM EDT

OAKLAND — An unprecedented windfall from county government is keeping tiny Kitzmiller Elementary School from closing — at least for the time being.

But the extra $700,000 that Garrett County commissioners scraped together for the public school system wasn’t enough to save Bloomington Elementary.

The Garrett County Board of Education voted 5-0 Tuesday night to close Bloomington at the end of the school year, a move that will save the school system around $426,000 next year. Bloomington’s 32 students are to attend Broad Ford Elementary in the fall.

“I believe very firmly that a school is not the concrete,” said the school board’s newest member, Cynthia Downton, adding that she’s had “many sleepless nights” contemplating the school closings.

“A school is not the bricks. A school is the children, a school is the families … In this county, the children can excel anywhere.”

More than 100 people attended Tuesday night’s meeting, which included the most up-to-date information about how much money the school system expects to receive next year from the state and county.

At least some of the news was good.

Though state funding is expected to continue to diminish in the decade ahead as enrollment declines, next year’s anticipated $3.1 million shortfall has shrunk to about $788,000 — thanks in part to an additional appropriation from commissioners. Altogether, the county is contributing $24.2 million to the schools this year.

“This makes our appropriation for FY2012 the highest amount ever given to the school system, and we’re very grateful for that,” said Superintendent of Schools Wendell Teets, who first recommended in September that the board close both Bloomington and Kitzmiller, the county’s two most-expensive-to-operate schools.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Teets modified that recommendation, saying the board could afford to keep Kitzmiller open next year, but not indefinitely.

“As we look to the future, closing Kitzmiller I think is a reality that we need to face tonight or sometime in the near future,” said Teets, who plans to retire in June. The board approved the appointment of Sue Waggoner, executive director of instruction, as interim superintendent starting July 1.

“The board must continue to look at the number of schools it can sustain as enrollment continues to decline,” Teets said. “We cannot continue to maintain these high-cost schools at the expense of services for all of our students.”

Enrollment in Garrett County schools has declined by around 10 percent over the last decade and is expected to decline another 10 percent by 2019, data shows. Currently, there are around 4,200 students in the system. Kitzmiller Elementary has about 54 students and costs about $410,000 a year to operate. A motion to close the school died Tuesday night without a second.

For Kitzmiller residents, it’s an uneasy reprieve.

“Of course, we’re happy, but we know that long-term there’s going to have to be some adjustments made for the county,” said Matthew Paugh, a Kitzmiller Town Council member and lifelong resident.

For more than a year, the community has been working together to try to keep the school open. “Our strategic plan hinges on using the school as a community center,” Paugh said. “Now we have to turn toward developing that community center.”

Tearful Bloomington residents hugged after Tuesday’s meeting, trying to absorb the finality of the board’s decision. They’ve also been fighting to keep their school open.

“I’m beyond disappointed,” said Kitty Mill, 67, a lifelong Bloomington resident.

Before Tuesday night’s vote, several other residents spoke, asking the board to consider what’s best for all Garrett County students — not just those who attend its smallest elementary schools.

Driver’s education instructor Martin Troublefield lobbied to keep that program intact.

“It’s a model program. It’s very beneficial to the community,” Troublefield said. Longtime Garrett County resident George Scheffel was concerned that funding shortfalls might cause athletic programs to be cut. Others expressed concerns about cutting after-school programs and extracurricular activities.

“You guys and the commissioners will get some serious flack for closing Bloomington and Kitzmiller, but I concur that it must be done,” Scheffel said.

“… The handwriting is on the wall. At least four, maybe even five schools are going to need to be closed in the next decade, and my point is, why wait? We need to look at things long term and not kick the can down the road.”

Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley@times-news.com

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

877-563-5350 Questions about ANY listed property? I can help! Call me!
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>Edwards, Beitzel Meet With Parties Opposed To DNR's Trail Closings

>Apr. 21, 2011

Senator George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel met Sunday with members of the Citizens Rights and Heritage Group (CRHG) and other interested parties, nearly all of whom oppose the plan by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to close off-road vehicle trails in Green Ridge and Savage River state forests this week. Both trails will be closed by April 24 to all four-wheeler, bike, and equestrian use. The closings reportedly come with little notification to the public.
Jeffery Conner, CRHG president, encouraged several actions in response to the closing of the Poplar Lick and Green Ridge state forests’ ORV trails.

Individuals are encouraged by Conner to send letters to Governor Martin O’Malley (State of Maryland Executive Department, State House, Annapolis, 21401) stressing the following points: 1) Investigate the ORV Impact Report and Sustainable Forest Initiative impacts to ORV trails and report the findings to Maryland residents; 2) Develop an ORV trail system for the state of Maryland; 3) Find and adopt responsible recreational use and environmental sustainability in our state forests; 4) Increase dialogue between interested parties and DNR prior to actions being taken on trails; and 5) Development of new ORV trails in western Maryland with active input from interested parties and user groups.

He also noted that DNR is still accepting input at its web site, www.dnr.mary-land.gov/forests/ovre-port.asp until April 30. Over 72 pages of comments about the ORV trail closings have been published so far.

Edwards also encourages persons to send letters to DNR Secretary John R. Griffin and provided the following address: DNR, Office of Secretary Executive Direction, Tawes State Office Building, C-4, Annapolis, 21401.

“We need your help,” Edwards said. He told the group to support his efforts in battling DNR’s and the legislature’s attempts to diminish use of state property in western Maryland. Edwards reminded those attending the meeting that he and Beitzel are just two of 188 votes. He noted that it’s unlikely that they can force change in favor of their district without vocal support from their constituency.

“We keep trying,” Edwards said. “We keep asking. We can’t twist their arms to get answers.”

Delegate Beitzel called the DNR’s actions part of “an assault on rural Maryland” and stated that delegates from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Baltimore City are “ganging up to take resources away from us.”

Senator Edwards said that he had met with Secretary Griffin and other DNR leaders recently, but that they weren’t told of DNR’s plans to close the trails. Edwards shared the various issues that he and Beitzel have been fighting for on behalf of western Maryland, including monitoring of stream pollution at state borders, increasing the amount of timber to be cut, and keeping state park revenues in the county, calling these issues his “battles with DNR.”

Conner said it’s likely that Poplar Lick Trail in Savage River State Forest won’t be reopened. He said advocates’ time would be better served in fighting for the ORV trail in Green Ridge State Forest.

In a meeting in Owings Mills late last month, the DNR presented a detailed argument on why Poplar Lick Trail should be closed. Its argument was based largely on environmental impact from ORVs and the impact on brook trout. Poplar Lick Trail crosses a waterway six times. When it came to the 16-mile loop at Green Ridge, the details were reportedly scarce.

Ken Kyler, a Middletown resident and a member of the Northern Virginia Trail Riders, attended both the Owings Mills meeting and Sunday’s meeting, and said that it seems DNR has already made up its collective mind. In DNR’s 90-page report, Kyler said there was little analysis done on the Green Ridge trail. There were also no alternate recommendations, he said, which are a typical part of the package when making such a presentation.

Read the full article here.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

877-563-5350 Questions about ANY listed property? I can help! Call me!
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>GC Commissioners Review Proposed FY 2012 Budget

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Apr. 21, 2011

The Garrett County commissioners held two meetings, one in Oakland and one in Grantsville, on Tuesday to present their proposed fiscal year 2012 budget and receive public comment about the working document. About 50 people attended the Oakland event.
“We’re closing the gaps,” Commissioner Bob Gatto told the Oakland participants about the preliminary budget. “It’s important that you be here and take part because it is your money, your budget, and we want your input on our decisions.”

Commission chair Gregan Crawford said the budget was still in a very fluid process.

“Nothing is locked down as of yet,” he said.

County administrator Monty Pagenhardt went over some of the highlights of the proposed document. Garrett County Department of Financial Services estimates county revenue from various sources for FY ’12 will be about $71 million, compared to $85 million in FY ’11.

Expected revenue from real property tax in the new year is expected to be $43,687,494. Pagenhardt said this is a revenue increase of only $244,149, compared to FY ’11.

“This is the lowest increase in many years,” he said.

He noted that raising the current tax rate from $.99 to $1 per $100 of assessed value would garner the county only $507,000 more in the next fiscal year.

New sources of revenue include $1.7 million in personal property/ordinary business taxes collected from the Constellation Energy wind turbine project and $425,000 from a possible property sale – a parcel at land at the old GC Roads Department site in Oakland. Tax revenue from the Synergics wind turbine project will not be realized until FY ’13, Pagenhardt said.

“One of the things that the budget doesn’t reflect is the fact that the county, by policy, maintains a rainy day fund of about $3 million,” noted Commissioner Jim Raley. “Basically, by policy, it says 5 percent of your operating budget should be set aside in reserve.”

Expenditure increases in FY ’12 include an hourly salary increase of 4 percent for nonexempted Roads Department personnel. The union workers were to receive the raise in FY ’11, but they voting to delay that for one year because of the downturn in the county’s economic situation.

Nonunion county employees did not receive a pay raise in FY ’11 either. County officials are considering several options/cost scenarios to provide them with one in the coming year.

“It is my opinion and desire to have all employees receive an equal adjustment – Board of Education, Garrett College, and county,” Pagenhardt said.

Another unavoidable expenditure will be a 7 percent increase in the health care plan for county employees.

Because of the new revenue from wind turbines, the commissioners are also considering allocating $1 million more to the Board of Education in FY ’12. In FY ’11, the board received $23,174,000 from the county. The BOE requested $28.7 million for FY ’12. The commissioners, however, are proposing an allocation of $24,174,000.

Because of declining enrollment, how the state calculates a county’s wealth, economic conditions, and other factors, the local Board of Education is facing about a $4 million shortfall in its FY ’12 budget. As a cost-saving measure, therefore, Dr. Wendell Teets, superintendent of schools, has proposed closing Kitzmiller and Bloomington elementary schools.

Several local residents at the Oakland meeting asked the commissioners to allocate more funding to the BOE so the two small community schools could remain open. Other residents asked the commissioners not to cut extracurricular activities at county schools.

The commissioners noted they have no authority over these issues. They can allocate funding to the BOE but cannot tell the board where or how the money has to be spent. It is entirely the BOE’s decision to close a school and discontinue athletic, musical, artistic, or other activities.

As the result of less revenue, allocations to most county departments and agencies have been reduced or are flat. Pagenhardt noted that funding requests earlier this year totaled more than $85 million.

In addition, capital project and outlay requests totaled nearly $5.8 million. The proposed allocation is $2 million. Small equipment requests are expected to be reduced from $762,729 to $440,849.

“We’ve gone through it and really scrubbed it,” Crawford said of the budget. “We’ve had excellent communication and cooperation with department heads.”

Additional cost-saving measures include the consolidation of the county’s 911 and sheriff’s dispatch offices; consolidation of the county, BOE, and Garrett College employee health plans; elimination of a paid student intern program; and discontinuation of funding for a Marcellus shale program educator.

Crawford said the commissioners anticipate another tight budget next year. Fiscal year 2012 begins on July 1.

“We do budget very conservatively, as always” he noted.

The commissioners’ next public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, at 9 a.m.

Read the full article here.
If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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>Garrett commissioners ask review of drilling regulations

>Anonymous Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Sun Apr 24, 2011, 08:31 PM EDT

— Editor’s note: This letter to Gov. Martin O’Malley was released to the Times-News for publication.

Dear Gov. O’Malley: With the completion of the 2011 session of the Maryland General Assembly and the failure to enact any legislation relating to Marcellus Shale drilling (HB411, HB852, SB422 or SB634), we are asking that you consider a review of Maryland’s regulatory and statutory framework by the nonprofit organization State Review of Oil & Natural Gas Environmental Regulations.

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners believes that the state of Maryland should be a model for other governmental jurisdictions in dealing with natural gas drilling and exploration regulations.

We also believe that such a review would show that Maryland’s current regulatory and statutory framework is already superior to our neighboring states.

If deficiencies would arise, it has already been demonstrated that the Maryland Department of the Environment has the required authority to enact regulations accordingly and in the best interest of the landowners, adjacent property owners and other interested parties.

As energy costs soar, we are all forced to pay increasingly higher fuel and electricity costs. We believe that it is incumbent upon us to move forward with the development of this energy supply in a responsible and accountable manner.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request.

Gregan T. Crawford, chairman; Robert G. Gatto and James M. Raley, commissioners

The Board of Garrett County Commissioners

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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>Four local programs to receive ecogrants

>For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Sat Apr 23, 2011, 11:03 PM EDT

— CUMBERLAND — Four local programs will receive EcoStar grants from Constellation Energy for their efforts in environmental stewardship projects in states where Constellation Energy does business.

The grants of up to $5,000 each will fund community-based projects that support Constellation Energy’s long-standing commitment to protecting the environment.

Evergreen Heritage Center Foundation in Mount Savage was recognized for its Evergreen Environmental Education: Community Outreach. The foundation recently partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Trust to promote awareness of the relationship between Western Maryland watersheds and the bay through education experiences for students and educators. The program includes lessons on the impact of water runoff as well as a rain garden restoration project for participants in YMCA, Head Start and Juvenile Services programs.

Frostburg State University’s Learning Green Living Green Campus Energy Audit was recognized for energy efficiency. A campus-wide committee and Liberal Arts and Sciences, a student-led initiative, will be launched to complete energy audits including academic and residence hall buildings. A team of students will be selected through FSU’s sustainability minor and trained to complete energy audits. Upon completion, they will provide follow-up recommendations to the vice president for administration and finance, the President’s Executive Cabinet and facilities management.

The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts’ 2011 Maryland State Envirothon is a competitive natural resource education program for high school students. The event offers hands-on, field-based instruction led by natural-resource professionals in five areas: forestry, aquatics, soils, wildlife and a current issue, which changes annually. Students compete for scholarships and prizes at the school, county, state and North American level.

Friends of Deep Creek Lake will assess storm drains and road culverts and provide recommendations for the reduction of pollution runoff into Deep Creek Lake. The educational outreach model is that stakeholders will choose to act in more positive ways to preserve and protect the lake and watershed if they understand the challenges to the health of the lake. This project will engage multiple community groups working in the field as citizen scientists. The groups will analyze and integrate the data into recommendations for a watershed action plan, brief the public and local officials, and address runoff challenges to improve water quality in Garrett County.

Funding was provided by the Constellation Energy Foundation, which launched the EcoStar Grant program in January 2010. A total of 85 EcoStar grants worth $355,000 are going to nonprofit organizations whose projects fit into one or more of five stewardship categories: pollution prevention; education and outreach; energy efficiency; conservation; and community activism. The awards went to recipients in 17 states and will support a variety of initiatives, ranging from community gardens and habitat restoration projects to innovative programs promoting energy efficiency, storm water management and improved air quality, among many others.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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>WNS Found In Garrett County Bats

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Apr. 21, 2011

Biologists from Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources have confirmed that white-nose syndrome has been found in a cave in Garrett County. This marks the third documented case of the disease in Maryland.

WNS is a disease causing unprecedented bat mortality across the eastern United States. Affected bats display a white fungus on their muzzles or other exposed skin. The discovery was made in a cave which serves as an important winter shelter, or hibernaculum, for hundreds of bats.

“This is the second new infected site we’ve documented this year,” said Dan Feller, DNR Western Region ecologist. “We now have positive sites in all three Maryland counties with bat hibernacula.”

A survey by volunteer biologists from Frostburg State University, working under the direction of the DNR, discovered the newly infected population. Three little brown bats and one tricolored bat submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center tested positive for WNS.

At an infected site discovered last year in Allegany County, virtually all of the bats were dead, a level of devastation consistent with other affected sites in the Northeast. WNS was found in Washington County last month.

“We’re relieved that our surveys found several important hibernating sites still unaffected, including one of the largest populations of eastern small-footed bats remaining in the United States,” said Feller. “With the spread of this disease having been fast and unrelenting, the future of these sites is uncertain.”

WNS is a disease that has spread across mines and caves in 14 states and two Canadian provinces, killing more than a million bats. It was first observed at Howe Cave near Albany, N.Y., in 2006. WNS is caused by a newly discovered cold-weather fungus, geomyces destructans.

Under the direction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an international, interagency team is mobilizing in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease and find a cure.

Read the full article here.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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>Grantsville bank robber gets max sentence: 15 years

>From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Thu Apr 21, 2011, 11:48 PM EDT

— OAKLAND — Amy Colleen McBride, 47, Spring Grove, Pa., was sentenced in Garrett County Circuit Court on Thursday to serve 15 years in the Maryland Division of Correction for the June 2010 robbery at the M&T Bank in Grantsville.

Judge Jim Sherbin sentenced McBride to the maximum sentence for both robbery and theft, but had to impose the sentences concurrently under the law. He also ordered her to pay more than $2,000 in court costs.

On June 11, McBride was arrested for the theft and robbery of a teller at the M&T Bank. McBride entered the bank wearing a disguise and produced a note demanding all loose bills and claiming she had a gun. Once she left the bank, a customer followed her down the street and obtained a license plate number and vehicle description.

About 45 minutes later, her vehicle was stopped as it traveled south on state Route 495 toward Bittinger. Police said that McBride had discarded the money, the note, the bag into which the money was placed and most of the disguise items. A bandana described by witnesses was found in her vehicle, as well as a tag from a shirt consistent with the one worn in the bank.

Maryland State Police searched various locations where people had reported seeing the vehicle and three days later found the demand note. It was written in the check register for an account in the name of McBride and her husband.

McBride was found guilty by a jury following a two-day trial in March and a presentence investigation was ordered. She has been incarcerated since her arrest in June.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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Park-Service-ranger-recipient-of-Environmental-Education-Award

>

Blizzard honored by Appalachian Lab
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Fri Apr 22, 2011, 10:50 PM EDT

— FROSTBURG — Maryland Park Service Ranger Caroline Blizzard is the recipient of the 2011 Richard A. Johnson Environmental Education Award for helping elevate environmental stewardship and understanding throughout Western Maryland.

Blizzard was selected for the honor by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory.

The award was presented Thursday evening at the lab by its director, Robert Gardner. The annual award recognizes local citizens for their outstanding contributions to environmental education and was presented to Blizzard for her work at the Deep Creek Lake State Park Discovery Center and her personal contributions to local schools and civic organizations.

“Caroline has set a new high-water mark when it comes to engaging others about the need to conserve and protect our natural resources,” said Gardner. “Her passion and leadership has helped bring the natural world into the lives of thousands of local residents and park visitors every year.”

Blizzard has spent a lifetime helping area residents and visitors better understand and appreciate nature. Whether through her work as a certified interpretive guide, directing the Discovery Center or developing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, Blizzard has long been a regional leader in the environmental education field.

Since 2004, she has directed the Discovery Center and its interpretive programming and education programs. She and her team have worked hard to make the center a frequent destination spot and hub for people to enjoy and learn about nature around Deep Creek Lake.

“Caroline is an invaluable asset to our agency, to our state and to the thousands of visitors to Deep Creek Lake,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin, “Through her dedication to the Maryland Park Service and natural resources education, visitors can better relate to — and appreciate — what makes our state unique.”

As a monarch ambassador, Blizzard has helped establish monarch butterfly “way stations” at area schools where students annually tag and release more than 800 butterflies and learn about their migration to butterfly sanctuaries in Mexico. Blizzard photographs the butterflies in Mexico to create lessons for the classrooms. This year, teachers traveled with her to directly link the classrooms via Internet video, pen pal letters and on-site visits.

Her nature photography can be viewed around the area in various venues, including the Four Storm Artists Gallery that she founded along with her family. She is also involved with numerous area organizations, including the Garrett Natural History Association, Garrett Trails, the American Cancer Society and several local civic and garden clubs.

The award honors the memory of Richard A. Johnson, a well-known orthopedic surgeon in the Allegany County area who died in 1990, leaving a legacy of a caring and dedicated physician, family man and naturalist. It provides $1,500 to support environmental education activities, which this year will go to the Western Garrett County State Park Volunteers.

An endowed fund to support the Johnson Award has been established at the University System of Maryland Foundation. Contributors include AES Western Maryland Management Co. LLC, Allegheny Power, NewPage Corp., Mettiki Coal Corp. and numerous private citizens and other organizations.

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