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Easements delay Thayerville water project

Garrett County officials waiting on 33 property owners before work can begin

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — The construction of the $8.3 million Thayerville Water Project by RK&K Engineers of Keyser, W.Va., is pending on 33 easements that are required from private property owners for the installation of a main water distribution system, according to Linda Lindsey, director of Garrett County Department of Public Utilities.

The county hopes to have all easements in hand by the the end of January and advertising for construction bids will soon follow.

“We are currently and have been working diligently on obtaining the easements for the system. As soon as we get all the easements we can move foward with construction,” said Lindsey during Tuesday’s county commission meeting. “If we see that we have the majority of them (easements) and don’t have any real conflicts indicated with people, we can go ahead and advertise for the construction bids.”

John Pucciano, secretary of the Mountainside Home Owners Association board, questioned what is holding up the project and noted that the project needs to move along as quickly as possible.

“This year, we have had two homeowners dig new wells. The longer this delays, the more homeowners will be spending extra money to dig new wells.”

Two things holding up the project are the design and easements, according to Lindsey. The design has been difficult because of the elevation and some of the legal documents make it hard to decipher who actually owns what property and roadway.

Once the project begins, it will consist of three construction contracts — a main distribution system; water storage tanks, booster stations and a water treatment plant; and another distribution system. The construction contracts are split into separate distribution systems because an issue with the proposed Glendale bike path arose. The final portion of the distribution system will be located on Glendale Road from Zeddock Miller Road to the Glendale bridge.

“We split the distribution system up so that we could go ahead and proceed with the main distribution and not hold it up for the Glendale Road bike path,” said Lindsey.

The project will include the construction of a 1,013,150-gallon tank; a 156,000-gallon tank; a water treatment plant; and 100 gallon per minute and 40 gpm water booster stations.

The project cost is based on a 20-year loan at 4 percent interest with property owner tax calculated at 23 cents per $100 of the property’s assessed valuation.

Design plans and specifications are complete for the first two construction contracts. The second portion of the construction project requires a Maryland Department of the Environment review and construction permit, which was issued Sept 14. The construction of the entire project will take 360 days.

The county has received some easements. The homeowners association donated the site for the plant, wells and the distribution system.

“We have the purchase rights of the two water storage tanks and the water booster station,” said Lindsey.

In 2005, the county commissioners received a petition from residents in Mountainside and Thayerville requesting public water service to the area. The water supply in those areas has a high iron content and the supply has either decreased or ceased in some wells, according to Lindsey.

“Arsenic has also been detected in some wells in the area, and a residential condominium development has been notified by public health officials that their supply is under the direct influence of surface water,” said Lindsey.

Between 2007 and 2008, the county developed two wells with good water quality and supply at the Marina Club, which is owned by Mountainside HOA. On Sept. 1, 2010, the MDE issued a water appropriation permit for the supply and withdrawal of 188,000 gallons of water per day from the marina.

In 2009, the county commissioners approved the Thayerville Water Project and in 2010 entered into an agreement with RK&K Engineering for the work.

The water project will service areas located along U.S. Route 219 in the vicinity of Thayerville beginning at Leo Friend Road and continuing south to approximately .6 mile from the intersection of Glendale Road and U.S. 219.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com

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Commissioners question rebid process for courthouse chiller

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Garrett County commissioners discussed two bids at their public meeting Tuesday — one pertaining to refuse containers and one for replacement of the courthouse chiller. The first bid was approved and the latter was not due to issues with the project having been rebid.

The county’s purchasing department asked to award the chiller bid to Beitzel Corp. of Grantsville for $114,829. Chairman Gregan Crawford made a motion to award the bid to Beitzel but it died due to lack of a second.

“I’ve expressed some concern about that (the rejection of bids) because I need to know exactly what was changed in the re-up of this thing,” said Commissioner James Raley. “Basically we rejected prices that certainly gave competitors an advantage in bidding again.”

Raley made a motion to review both sets of specifications put out in the request for proposals and all the documentation surrounding the bid. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Robert Gatto with Crawford opposing.

“It kind of works both ways, too,” said Crawford. “The last price that was bid the first time was $112,500 (by R.H. Lapp and Sons Inc.) and it was the lowest bidder. When it was rebid, they did the exact same model and they added $6,000 more to it. So to me it looks like they took the competitive advantage to say ‘we were the cheapest bidder the first time out; for whatever reason it’s worth $6,000 more to us the second time around.’”

Raley questioned why the project was rebid.

“My understanding was that it was not about the price. It was about our providing different information in a bid package,” said Raley. “I would caution you and ask you in the future to make absolutely sure that when you put out an RFP that you dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s. I really wanted to see the bid amounts that were put out last time.”

When the initial bid began, it was done with wide-open speculations and it was like comparing apples to oranges, said Brian Bowers, the purchasing agent for the county.

“We thought the fairest thing to do for all bidders was reject the bids. By rebiding, we did save over $1,800,” said Bowers. “We make sure that we get the best deal for the county. We gave the bidders a true chance at winning the bid with good specs versus a wide-open spec range.”

The same three companies participated in the initial bid and the rebid, according to Bowers. The third company was South Mountain Mechanical Contracting.

Crawford noted that on the bid tabulation, everything was identical except for the labor costs.

Corporate funding for the chiller project will come from a Maryland Energy Administration grant. The county would be responsible for $43,538 of the project. Everything needed for the project, including the invoices, has to be completed and turned in by June 1 in order to receive the grant funding.

The commission voted unanimously to approve the bid award for $32,096 for refuse containers to Stoltzfus Steel Manufacturing of Lewisburg, Pa. The bid was for three 40-yard closed recycling containers for $16,236, two 30-yard closed containers with dividers for $10,830 and one 30-yard closed container without dividers for $5,030.

Crawford questioned how the steel containers being used now wore out. The steel containers were rusted and unfortunately people threw things away that would be corrosive to the metal, said Charlie Junkins, buyer for the county’s purchasing department.

The warranty on all the containers is one year from the date of purchase and they will be delivered in 30 to 45 days.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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ACM course promotes democratic process

From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Two Garrett County farmers who use heated high tunnels without burning fossil fuels will demonstrate their projects Saturday.

The demonstrations will begin at the Allen Lilly farm at 2207 King Wildesen Road at 10 a.m. Lunch will be provided at Harry Swartz’s farm at 4965 Gorman Road and the program will continue there at 1 p.m.

Allen and Kathy Lilly, owners of Ryan’s Glade Farm and Garden, have been producing fruits and vegetables for sale at the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market in Oakland for more than 10 years. They built their first high tunnel in 2006. In 2009, they received funding for their project titled Economical Climate Controls for Maximum Production in High Tunnel Vertical Growing Systems. It combines the use of wind power, high tunnels and vertical growing systems to produce strawberries from May through November.

Swartz retired from the University of Maryland after many years as a successful strawberry and raspberry plant breeder. In 2009, he partnered with University of Maryland Extension to construct a greenhouse that would use as little fossil fuel as possible.

The greenhouse was constructed with energy-efficient materials such as insulated concrete forms, twin poly carbonate and an insulated north wall. Solar water heating panels, typically used to heat swimming pools, were installed to heat water in a 1,000-gallon water tank attached to the greenhouse. The hot water is then circulated throughout the greenhouse using radiators as heat exchangers.

The entire system is controlled through computer monitoring connected to the Internet and records information live on the web. View a layout of the system and current conditions and charts at http://www.welserver.com/WEL0004/. The project is testing the feasibility of using solar water heating to possibly heat larger greenhouses or high tunnels.

These two systems will be demonstrated Saturday along with discussions with the farmers and University of Maryland Extension personnel on how the systems work. Call the Garrett County Extension Office at 301-334-6960 to register for the program.

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Md. environmental agency addresses Deep Creek Lake water level concerns

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: October 27, 2011 – 11:53 am
Last Updated: October 27, 2011 – 11:54 am

MCHENRY, Md. — Maryland environmental regulators are addressing concerns about low water levels in Deep Creek Lake.

The head of the Department of the Environment said in an Oct. 19 letter to a citizen advisory board that a faulty valve on a hydroelectric dam may be leaking excessive water.

He says Brookfield Power Corp. plans to examine and repair or replace the valve as needed.

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Rural leaders rebel against O'Malley's statewide growth plan

By Nicole Fuller, The Baltimore Sun

9:09 p.m. EDT, October 27, 2011
Bruce Holstein moved to Carroll County eight years ago looking for land to build a house so he could live closer to his grown daughter and her family. He settled on a historic road with no streetlights, flanked by maple and hickory trees, with corn and soybean farms in the distance.

It’s a small-town way of life that Holstein wants to preserve, and he sees no bigger threat than a statewide plan to direct development — a plan set to take effect as early as next month.

Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley’s effort to target growth near existing development — and to withhold funding from local governments that don’t comply — has raised hackles in some corners of Maryland. Some of the most vocal opposition has come from Carroll, where one county commissioner believes the plan is part of a broad scheme orchestrated by the United Nations. In neighboring Frederick County, leaders have called it a communist erosion of democracy.

Mergers, Acquisitions and Takeovers “They want to put us all in one-bedroom condominiums around a city or town,” said Holstein, a retired federal worker from Taylorsville. “They’re going to take that land where farms are now and turn it into green zones, and no one can live there. I don’t need Martin O’Malley to tell me what to do with my land.”

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12-year-old kills 372-pound male bear as Maryland hunt ends

By Don Markus

The Baltimore Sun

2:12 a.m. EDT, October 28, 2011
The annual Maryland bear hunt ended Thursday night after a total of 65 bears were killed, the largest being a 372-pound male shot by a 12-year old boy.

Colton Lucas of Kitzmiller in Garrett County brought down the biggest of the bears, which averaged 154 pounds, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Most of the bears — 59 of them — were killed in Garrett County. The other six were killed in Allegany County.

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DNR, police find lost hunters

On opening day of bear season, pair bagged a bruin but became disoriented in brush

Michael A. Sawyers Cumberland Times-News

SANG RUN — Just six-tenths of a mile from the family home, with 210 pounds of dead bear on the ground and darkness approaching, Robert and Scott Metheny realized they were badly disoriented.

“We were close enough to the house that I could call my mom on the radio and have her honk the horn, and we could hear it, trying to get our bearings,” said Scott, 41.

It was Monday — the opening day of Maryland’s bear season. Scott, now living in Willow Grove, Pa., had drawn one of the coveted 260 hunting permits and had named his father, Robert, 69, to hunt with him. The family home is in West Virginia, but is tucked against the Maryland state line. The duo was hunting on land owned by a relative near the Cranesville Swamp.

“I shot a bear at noon and it ran into some thick cover,” Scott said. Parting pine limbs so that he could see more than a foot or so, Scott came upon the dead bear, a male that would later be estimated to have a live weight of 248 pounds.

Moving the bear was up to Scott, because of Robert’s bad knee.

“It was like rowing a boat,” Scott said. “I’d sit down and pull, sit down and pull.” Scott said his goal was to get the bear to a spot where he could use a wheeled cart to retrieve the animal.

Eventually realizing they were unsure of the direction they were taking, the hunters placed their packs and rifles as a marker to try to stay on course, until there came a time when they couldn’t find the packs in the thick brush.

“The forest canopy is so thick that you can see about 5 percent of the sky,” Scott said.

At one point, Scott stepped into a swamp hole up to his thigh. Then it rained.

“I was so hot from dragging the bear that the rain didn’t bother me at first,” Scott said.

Then the Methenys found their packs, but now they couldn’t find the bear. As the day wore on they found the bear again but then lost the packs and rifles a second time. It was 4 p.m.

“We called Mom at 6 and told her to call the check station (at Mount Nebo) and tell them that we couldn’t get the bear there by 8,” Scott said. “DNR wanted to know if we could make it by 9, but Mom called them back and told them we couldn’t.”

At 9 p.m., Mrs. Metheny called Mount Nebo a third time, to ask for help for the lost hunters.

“We didn’t need rescued, but we needed found,” Scott said.

The fact that Scott and Robert still could not move in the correct direction after hearing the car horn is all you need to know about that piece of Garrett County landscape that bumps up against the Preston County, W.Va., border.

Paul Peditto, director of the Wildlife & Heritage Service, and Harry Spiker, bear biologist, were part of the search party.

“It’s easy to get lost in that country,” Spiker said. “The hemlock overstory is thick. The swamp grass is heavy and the alders are tough.”

Natural Resources Police officers went to the Metheny home to make sure officers knew the radio frequency to use.

“We are grateful to the Maryland DNR,” Scott said. “They put groups around us and kept tightening the circle until they triangulated us.”

Sgt. Art Windemuth said officers sounded sirens and blew whistles and asked the Methenys via radio if they could determine direction of the sound. Windemuth said the Maryland State Police Trooper 5 helicopter was unable to assist because of a low cloud ceiling.

“The coyotes started howling at the sirens and it was an uneasy feeling because there we were sitting on a bear carcass with no rifles and listening to predators,” Scott said.

“There was no easy way to get to us. DNR came around the end of Snaggy Mountain and got the four-wheeler to a spot where we could see their light and we went to them,” Scott said. It was Tuesday by then, 2:45 a.m.

The hunters had been without water for 12 hours, although Robert had two candy bars in his hunting coat. Scott said neither he nor his father required medical attention.

DNR helped the Methenys retrieve the bear Tuesday morning.

Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com

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Community Complex Becomes A Reality

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Oct. 27, 2011

Saturday was a day for celebration and appreciation. After years of discussion, planning, and seeking funds, the Garrett College Community Aquatic & Recreation Complex (CARC) doors were thrown open and hundreds of people were welcomed to enjoy the amenities of this state-of-the-art facility. It was the grand opening of the CARC, and members of the community were joined by state and local dignitaries to recognize the efforts of all who helped make this community center a reality. Since no grand opening could be complete without the ribbon- cutting ceremony, a blue ribbon was stretched across the CARC entryway. The scissors were held by Garrett College president Richard MacLennan and Don Battista, CEO of Garrett County Memorial Hospital. The hospital operates a wellness center in the CARC. In the photo from left to right in the front are Linda Sherbin, president of the Garrett College board of trustees, Battista, and MacLennan. In back, in the same order are Sen. George Edwards; Garrett County commissioner Bob Gatto; Dr. Jeannr Neff, chair of Garrett College Foundation board; Dr. George Brelsford, GC dean of student life; GC commissioners James Raley and Gregan Crawford; Chuck Hess, CEO, Hess Construction & Engineering Services; Christopher Uhl, representing Gov. Martin O’Malley; and Del. Wendell Beitzel.

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Schedules Set For Trick-Or-Treat, Parades, Socials

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Oct. 27, 2011

Various municipalities of Garrett and Preston counties will set aside time for trick-or-treating this weekend, as well as several Halloween socials and parades.

The schedule is as follows:

Friday, Oct. 28

•Kitzmiller – 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29

•Deer Park – 5 to 6 p.m.

•Aurora, W.Va. – 5 to 8 p.m.

•Grantsville – 5:30 to 7 p.m.

•Swanton – A Halloween social and parade will be held at the Swanton Community Center beginning with the parade at 5:30 p.m. The parade will travel through town to the railroad tracks before heading back to the center for the social at 6 p.m. The public is invited.

Monday, Oct. 31

•Terra Alta, W.Va. – 5 to 6:30 p.m. A Halloween social will follow for children up to age 12 at the Terra Alta VFW from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The public is invited.

•Mtn. Lake Park – 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

•Loch Lynn – 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

•Friendsville – 5:30 to 7 p.m.

•Accident – 6 to 7 p.m.

•Oakland – 6 to 8 p.m.

•Swanton – 6 to 8 p.m.

All residents wishing to participate in trick-or-treating should leave their porch lights on. Drivers should be aware of children walking the streets. It is suggested that children wear reflective tape or carry glow sticks while on the streets.

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Grand Opening Of CARC Brings Accolades From Public, Officials

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Oct. 27, 2011

by Peggy Santamaria

The grand opening of Phase 1 of the Garrett College Community Aquatic & Recreation Complex (CARC) provided a day filled with fun and festivities for the nearly 500 people who attended. The long-awaited community center is now a reality.

Garrett College alumni were invited to attend a pre-opening tour and breakfast. About 55 former students gathered to reminisce about the past and marvel at what is the latest stride made by their alma mater. Among the attendees were two who had made quite a trip to take part in these events. Marcelo Grisi arrived from Brazil, and Jim Pedicone drove 1,000 miles from Wisconsin to take part in this event.

The ceremonial ribbon cutting was preceded by messages of congratulations from local and state officials and dignitaries. Among those present and offering congratulations were Christopher Uhl from the office of Gov. Martin O’Malley; Robin Summerfield from the office of Sen. Ben Cardin; Julianna Albowicz representing Sen. Barbara Mikulski; Sen. George Edwards; Del. Wendell Beitzel; Garrett County commissioners Gregan Crawford, Bob Gatto, and Jim Raley; and Don Battista, CEO of Garrett County Memorial Hospital.

Garrett College president Dr. Richard MacLennan recognized the ground-breaking work of his predecessors Dr. Steven Herman and Dr. Jeanne Neff for their vision and determination to develop the concept of the CARC and find ways to bring it to fruition. He expressed deep appreciation for the foresight of former county commissioner Ernie Gregg in working to make this facility a reality and the determination of Sen. George Edwards to find the funds to do it. MacLennan also thanked the current county commissioners for all the support they have provided.

The county commissioners presented a check for $50,000 to the Garrett College Foundation to help sustain the “I Can Swim!” program, offered free to all kindergarten children in the county.

Throughout the day there were demonstrations of activities that will be among the offerings at the CARC.

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Author: ilovedeepcreeklakerealestate

Easements delay Thayerville water project

Commissioners question rebid process for courthouse chiller

ACM course promotes democratic process

Md. environmental agency addresses Deep Creek Lake water level concerns

Rural leaders rebel against O'Malley's statewide growth plan

12-year-old kills 372-pound male bear as Maryland hunt ends

DNR, police find lost hunters

Community Complex Becomes A Reality

Schedules Set For Trick-Or-Treat, Parades, Socials

Grand Opening Of CARC Brings Accolades From Public, Officials

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