Category:garrett county
Oakland’s Civil War Days recalls Jones-Imboden Raid
Confederate troops burned railroad bridge in 1863
Angie Brant Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The streets of Oakland are about to be overtaken by Union and Confederate soldiers, but this time, the skirmish will bring together the community in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Jones-Imboden Raid.
Beginning Thursday, the community will observe the milestone with a series of events and activities called Oakland Civil War Days.
Though Garrett County was not yet a county at the time of the April 1863 raid, those early residents were witness to the battles between both sides of the Great War.
The residents of Oakland had managed to avoid much of the direct fighting until Robert E. Lee began plans to destroy major supply lines for the Union Army and targeted a nearby railroad bridge. Lee’s orders were carried out by two brigadier generals, John D. Imboden and William E. Jones.
A small group of Union soldiers from Company O of West Virginia were tasked with protecting the bridge, an invaluable portion of the B&O Railroad that helped provide much-needed supplies. These soldiers were in no way prepared for the more than 600 Confederates headed their way. Members of the 12th Virginia Cavalry, the First Maryland Battalion and John H. McNeill’s Partisan Rangers took the Union soldiers by surprise, as well as the residents of Oakland.
The Confederate soldiers quickly subdued the opposition and burned the railroad bridge. While violence was avoided, the Confederates pillaged homes and businesses for supplies and food. The Union forces stayed only briefly in the area, as they moved toward their other targets, but the impact of that raid was not soon forgotten.
Accounts of those difficult days have been preserved and will be featured during Oakland Civil War Days, organized and hosted by the Garrett County Historical Society.
According to volunteer John Rathgeb, the four-day event will begin with a presentation by Our Town Theatre. Actors will present the experiences of those early settlers and soldiers in a series of vignettes titled “Civil War — The Common Threads” on Thursday as well as during special events throughout the weekend. The capture of Company O will be re-enacted Sunday at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.
Rathgeb said he believes the living history demonstrations will be of particular interest to visitors.
“We will have encampments set up at The Glades, at the B&O Museum, including drills, marching and inspections,” he said. “We will have Civil War-era medical re-enactors and we will also have soldiers foraging throughout the community, just as they did during the Jones-Imboden Raid. Foraging was common at this time in Oakland. Oakland was occupied by Company O and while they were here they co-existed with the residents, likely using supplies they were able to find, as did the Confederate Calvary when they raided the town.”
Speakers will include authors Steven French and Daniel Toomey, acclaimed historians, as well as storyteller and singer Matthew Dodd. Hammer and Strings and the Shenandoah Minstrels will provide period music. Hammer and Strings will also perform at a dinner Friday at the Pleasant Valley Community Center.
Shenandoah Valley Minstrels will provide the musical accompaniment for a Civil War dinner/dance Saturday at the Oakland Elks Club. Reservations for both dinners can be made by calling the Garrett County Historical Society at 301-334-3226.
“While the Jones-Imboden Raid of the Civil War, which took place in Oakland, may not have the notoriety of the Battle of Gettysburg, the railroad in Oakland was important enough that when it was burned by the Confederate Calvary, John Garrett, president of the B&O Railroad, at the time, ordered it to be rebuilt, and it was done in five days,” said Oakland Mayor Peggy Jamison. “The railroad has always played an important role in the history and heritage of Oakland and the town appreciates the hard work of the committee that is bringing this small, but significant, event to our attention.”
Rathgeb said he hopes Oakland Civil War Days illustrates the determination and fortitude of the people of Oakland who rallied and recovered from the raid in just days following the exit of the Confederate soldiers. Activities and demonstrations will be held throughout the community and a free shuttle service will be available to accommodate visitors.
A full schedule of events can be found at www.agreatsmalltown.com/civil-war-days.html.
Contact Angie Brant at abrant@ times-news.com.
Garrett working to be better prepared
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Garrett County is working to become better prepared by establishing a state-of the-art emergency operations center at its airport. Previously, a makeshift command center at the courthouse was used.
John Frank III, director of emergency management, is working on the procurement and purchasing for the center and hopes to move forward to the bid process in the next two weeks.
“It’s centrally located at the Garrett County Airport, which is owned and operated by the county. If there is a major event in the county, we can expand to use the airport terminals,” said Frank. “We really didn’t have an emergency operations center. Ultimately, I want to be at a point where I can preplan for an incident that is coming, give out the warning and get all of the department heads together.”
Frank said the operations center would have air assets and additional resources with Garrett College nearby.
The center is in need of generators, fiber optics, phones, computers, broadband and a GIS mapping system. The mapping system is imperative and would cost about $45,000, Frank said.
“This is our chance to do it right and not on the cheap,” said U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski during a March meeting with Frank and the Garrett County commissioners to discuss the storm’s aftermath. “That center needs to function for whatever comes up; you need to be multiple function, multiple emergency.”
Frank has applied for a Maryland Emergency Management Agency grant for a generator.
“Let’s not self-censor on the basis of costs,” said Mikulski. “It won’t be all done in one grant or one application.”
The center will have broadband once the countywide broadband project is complete, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator. Currently there is broadband up to Mosser Road where Garrett College is located.
“We were ill-prepared for Hurricane Sandy,” said County Commissioner Jim Raley. “One of the problems we had with Hurricane Sandy was the failure of generators.”
A generator that failed filled the Dennett Road Manor nursing center with smoke, which prompted an evacuation of its 100 residents in the height of a snowstorm, according to Raley. Mikulski suggested that the locations of vulnerable populations and essential services be identified and that periodic generator drills be conducted at those locations.
“We can handle a 3-foot snowstorm. We couldn’t handle when the trees were tangled in electric lines and they were in the roads and the road crew couldn’t get through,” said Raley. “We don’t ever want to be in that position again.”
During the storm, the county had problems restoring some of the pockets of electricity because the power outage was in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, feeding into Maryland, according to Raley.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has three R’s related to emergency preparedness, readiness, response and rehabilitation/recovery, Mikulski said.
Raley said an after-action analysis was done following the storm and, at Gov. Martin O’Malley’s urging, Frank was appointed. Former director of emergency management Brad Frantz had retired and was retained on a contractual part-time basis. O’Malley thought a full-time director was needed, Raley said.
Frank met with MEMA on April 2 to talk about the plans for the center. Mikulski requested that Frank ask MEMA to do an inventory of items that are necessary for the center. Mikulski said she is excited that Frank is working with MEMA because that agency would be able to help with best practices.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Md. superintendent pays a visit
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — Maryland Superintendent of Schools Lillian Lowery spoke about the state’s public education system, the new Common Core standards and answered questions during the Business Before Hours breakfast held at Dutch’s at Silver Tree at Deep Creek Lake.
“I absolutely love my job and the reason why is because I get to go out and talk about the thing that I love to do the most with the people who support it the most,” said Lowery on Wednesday.
Education Week, the premier schools publication in the country, has deemed Maryland as the No. 1 state for education in the country for five years in a row, according to Lowery.
“That’s not only looking at academics, that’s looking at the kinds of support there,” said Lowery. “You are a huge piece, the chamber and the people of the community, of that No. 1.”
The College Board, which creates and produces the Advanced Placement test, has deemed the state No. 1 for the test.
In the last 10 years, the number of students taking the Advanced Placement test in the state has increased from 18,000 to about 28,000, according to Lowery.
The number of students who were deemed “successful,” scoring a 3 or better on the test, doubled.
Maryland led the country in coalescent early childhood in ages 0 to 5, in a way that was a concentrated, cohesive effort, said Lowery. The early childhood results feed into the K-12 system, which is also No. 1.
“We know that the achievement gap comes into our schools,” said Lowery. “So, what happens to children 0 to 5 is probably more important than anything else in their life.”
From 2010 to 2013, the state has almost doubled the number of students who are coming in ready for kindergarten.
The state has a readiness assessment, which looks at how students integrate socially with their peers and looks at their behaviors.
Johns Hopkins University is working on revising the assessment to make it stronger, according to Lowery.
The assessment is associated with Common Core standards, according to Lowery. The standard assesses if students who graduate from high school are college- or career-ready.
Even with all the accomplishments the state has made, Lowery said that she has still set more goals.
“My goal is to have Maryland be the national model for closing the achievement gap,” said Lowery.
The county is home to Crellin Elementary, which is the No. 1 school in the state, according to Nicole Christian, president and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.
“We all know how important our schools are; they are important for our children and the students of our community,” said Christian. “They are important for our work force community and economic development. We have been very privileged to have a great school system here in Garrett County.”
Lowery was asked if she would work with businesses to keep the 180 school calendar days but also help tourism raise additional revenues that could be used for education.
Tourism in the county has shrunk due to the school calendar, attendees said.
Lowery indicated that a task force was formed to address the school calendar days and that a conversation was being held with the superintendents to discuss it.
“I’m always open and willing to have a conversation. I just want to make sure we have the right people (representatives from the school district and the business community) at the table when we have the conversation so that we really understand what the needs are and how we can work with each other,” said Lowery.
Lowery was also asked if she would support revising the wealth formula to make it more equitable for the county. Garrett County, which is ranked fifth on the wealthy formula, is wealthier than Howard County and almost as wealthy as Montgomery County.
“That is conversation we are having; we did kind of start looking at the index this year,” said Lowery.
Lowery said that she will speak with her chief operating officer, Steve Brooks, about the wealth formula. Lowery said that if she comes back to the county she would bring Brooks to explain the wealth formula and address any concerns.
Lowery has been in education for 35 years and her favorite job as educator was as a high school principal, according to Cynthia Downton, president of the Garrett County Board of Education.
“I asked her (Lowery) what she wanted you to know and she wanted you to know that the work we do with every child is the right work,” said Downton. “Educating children is her job, it’s her hobby and I think if you get the opportunity to speak with her you will also see that it’s her passion.”
Lowery also traveled to Grantsville Elementary, where she read to students, following her talk.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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Garrett County Maryland Celebrates Legislative Passage of $1M State Bond to Support Deep Creek 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championship Event
Oakland, Maryland (PRWEB) April 19, 2013
The Garrett County Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce Maryland’s legislative approval of a one million dollar State Bond submitted by the county’s elected representatives to support the Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) and its preparation to host the 2014 International Canoe Federation’s (ICF) Canoe Slalom World Championships. The event, to be held September 16 – 21, 2014 will bring competitors and spectators from around the world to Garrett County.
The ICF awarded the 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships to ASCI following presentations at its April 2011 board meeting in Paris, France. The ICF selected ASCI’s “Deep Creek 2014: ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships” bid over competing entries from Vienna, Austria and Krakow, Poland. ICF 2013 Championships are being held in Prague, Czech Republic; the 2015 ICF Championships are being held in London, United Kingdom.
“Hosting this international event is a big honor for Garrett County and for the western Maryland district,” commented Maryland State Senator and State Bond Bill co-sponsor George Edwards. “I am confident that this funding will be well-used, and that the event will have an significant, long-term, and positive impact on regional economic development.”
Garrett OKs funding to help stabilize banks of Savage River
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Board of Garrett County Commissioners voted on Tuesday to appropriate $3,200 to the Savage River Watershed Association’s stabilization/restoration project, slated for this summer, with several conditions, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator.
Over the years, flood events have caused the banks of the river to erode and sediment is being carried downstream, which could impact native brook trout spawning beds. There is also potential for floodwaters to compromise a septic system.
“One of the important things for us about working on the Savage River is that it is such a great trout stream,” said Todd Miller, an aquatic restoration director with the Canaan Valley Institute. “So, that’s important from a habitat and fishery perspective.”
The $3,200 appropriation allots $1,600 for each parcel and the per parcel amount is consistent with the Garrett County Shoreline Stabilization and Erosion program for Deep Creek Lake property owners. Commissioner Gregan Crawford recommended that funding be provided consistent with the program, which funds have already been designated for.
Commissioners voiced their disappointment that the Metz family or someone from the watershed association wasn’t in attendance at the meeting, Pagenhardt said. Commissioners also voiced their disappointment that property owners Fred and Susan Metz were not required to co-share in the project.
“I guess the way we think of it is, they’ve tried. They’ve done what they could in terms of trying to plant things and stabilize the banks,” said Miller during an April 2 commission meeting where the funding request for the project was made. “They are not contributing cash to the project, they are certainly the impetus behind this. I think their support has been critical in getting the grants.”
The Metz family has lost about 40 feet of bank and has tried to stabilize it by planting vegetation on it. Since the banks are so eroded and undercut, the roots of the vegetation that Metz planted didn’t go down deep enough to keep the vegetation in place, Miller said.
Metz has signed a maintenance agreement to maintain the vegetation, said William Postlethwait, Canaan Valley Institute stream restoration specialist
During the April 2 meeting, Canaan Valley Institute requested $10,000 in funding that could include a cost share on material or other in-kind services. About $197,000 in a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant will be used toward construction activities. Grants for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Department of Environment and Chesapeake Bay Trust will also be used for the project and the $10,000 is needed to match the project, Postlethwait said. The project on the Metz property will cost about $275,000.
The project for the Metz properties requires a final permit approval from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency through a conditional revision for the flood insurance rate, flood boundary and floodway maps. One of the commission’s conditions is that the project must secure final permit approval.
In 1996, a storm caused erosion and private property damage to portions of the Savage River and the county had to move a road and clean up the debris from the river, said Dwight Emory, county Department of Engineering. Some work was done on the Metz property following the storm.
“Just over time the river seems to wander back and forth between the mountains in the valley,” said Dwight during the April 2 meeting.
During the project, J-hook rock structures will be used to redirect water flows from the outside bend of the river and a planting project will be done.
The commission also approved/discussed the following:
• A recommendation from the county LEAN Committee to amend the Reimbursable Travel Policy.
• A contract amendment, contract awards, contract extensions for the county Purchasing Department.
• Heard an update on Deep Creek 2014 and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Slalom World Championship.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Happy Earth Day 2013!
Plant a tree! Work on your garden! Try something new outside! I’ll be planting some herbs and vegetables tonight with my kids – we’ll start them inside, just to be safe.
With stipulations, PSC agrees to Fourmile waiver
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
FROSTBURG — The Maryland Public Service Commission is recommending that Fourmile Wind Energy LLC’s request of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity waiver application be granted. However, it has placed conditions on the Fourmile Ridge wind project, according to a letter to David Collins, executive PSC secretary, from PSC Office of Staff Counsel.
“In light of the limitations the commission has recognized with respect to wind energy CPCN, staff has no objection to granting the waiver. However, staff notes that the applicant has not filed a final interconnection agreement between the applicant, PJM and Potomac Edison,” said the letter.
Fourmile Wind Energy’s request for approval to construct up to 24 wind turbines in eastern Garrett County is listed on the draft administrative agenda for Wednesday’s PSC meeting.
A set of similar conditions allowed Synergics to construct the Roth Rock project but precluded it from going into operation until those conditions were met.
PSC staff is recommending that the same conditions that Synergics met when building the Roth Rock project be applied when building the Fourmile Ridge project.
Two weeks prior to putting any portion of the project in service, Fourmile Wind Energy shall file with the commission a listing of transmission system improvements re-quired by PJM as well as a listing of the requirements of the interconnecting transmission line owner and certify that interconnection requirements have been met, according to Craig Taborsky, electric generation transmission engineer, on behalf of the PSC.
“The project should not have an adverse effect on the grid providing it meets the requirements of the PJM’s impact studies and interconnection service agreement,” said Taborsky.
One of the conditions suggests that construction on the project begin within one year of approval of the waiver and that it must have at least one functioning wind turbine within two years.
An exemption from the CPCN requirement will put the Fourmile Ridge wind project on the fast track.
Construction has been slated for spring.
Taborsky also recommends that Fourmile Wind Energy grant state agencies access provided proper notice is given and any upgrades to the transmission system are required to be in service after the startup date and should be listed with a completion date.
Another recommendation is that expansion, including more turbines or higher output, will be subjected to further review by the PJM and PSC.
Synergics developed the Roth Rock project on Backbone Mountain, which began operation in 2011. That project contains 20 wind turbines at the tune of $110 million.
The Senate bill that requires wind turbines in Garrett County to comply with certain setbacks passed and is awaiting Gov. Martin O’Malley’s signature or veto. The house bill that was cross-filed with the Senate bill failed.
“The legislation will not be effective until Oct. 1, 2013, so Fourmile, if their plans are as expected, will not follow under any of the conditions of the legislation,” said Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator. “The legislation is an act of emergency measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety, and shall take effect from the date it is enacted.”
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Horse tests positive for rabies virus in Garrett County
Health department urging livestock owners to consider vaccinations for animals
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Garrett County Health Department is urging livestock owners to consider rabies vaccinations for their animals after a horse in the Oakland area tested positive for the rabies virus Monday.
The horse exhibited symptoms of illness April 7 and, after attempting to treat the symptoms for several days, the decision was made to euthanize the horse and test it for rabies. The Department of Health and Hygiene Rabies Laboratory in Baltimore reported a positive test Monday.
The horse’s owner developed a list of people who had possible exposure to the virus. As a result, nine people are receiving post-exposure treatment for rabies. In addition, all the cats, dogs and remaining horses on the property are being vaccinated or re-vaccinated. The animals will be observed for 45 days.
Livestock owners should contact their veterinarian for recommendations on vaccinating, as Maryland law does not require livestock to be vaccinated except for those that appear in petting zoos, fairs and similar events.
Maryland law requires all dogs, cats and ferrets older than 4 months to be vaccinated against rabies.
Low-cost rabies clinics are scheduled as follows:
• May 6 to 10, all from 5 to 6 p.m. — May 6, Grantsville Elementary; May 7, Gorman Volunteer Fire Department; May 8, Accident Elementary; May 9, Friendsville Elementary; May 10, Bloomington Volunteer Fire Department.
• May 11, 10 a.m. to noon — Garrett County Health Department.
The clinics are available for all dogs, cats and ferrets 3 months and older. Pets need to be restrained when brought to the clinic.
This is the first confirmed case of rabies reported in Garrett County this year. In 2012, there were six confirmed cases, four in raccoons and two in skunks.
New health tax credits to be a ‘game-changer’
Matthew Bieniek Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Thousands of people in Allegany and Garrett County will be eligible for tax credits to help them purchase health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
The program will begin open enrollment in October. The tax credits, which work like a premium subsidy, will begin in January 2014, said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, during a national conference call Tuesday.
“This is a game-changer, which will allow millions of uninsured people and families to obtain health care coverage,” said Pollack.
Those eligible for the tax credit won’t need to file a tax return to get reimbursed.
Once an individual chooses a policy, the credit will be calculated against the monthly premium payment and reduce the premium payment based on a sliding scale.
“Those who need help the most will get the most help,” said Pollack.
The federal government will pay the money directly to the insurance company.
In Allegany and Garrett counties, as many as 9,810 people will be able to take advantage of the tax credit, according to a study by Families USA called “Help is at Hand.”
Statewide, about 360,000 Marylanders will be eligible for the credits, Families USA said. Details of the application process aren’t available yet.
The credits are available for people who make up to four times the federal poverty limit.
“This reaches deeply into the middle class and moderate-income families,” Pollack said.
Important to note is that with some exceptions, the program is not available to those insured through their employer and for seniors who purchase supplemental Medicare insurance.
The reason for that is that most employers subsidize their employees’ rates and the federal government does not tax employers’ contributions, which technically are a form of income.
The program is available to people who already purchase insurance on their own if they meet the income guidelines, and those who are uninsured.
Pollack admitted implementation of the plan wouldn’t be completely smooth going.
“I don’t know of any new program that doesn’t have some glitches,” Pollack said. Critics have said the federal health care reform will drive up all health costs, and cause further affordability problems even for those with insurance.
Some individuals making up to $46,000 will be eligible for at least some tax credits.
A family of four, earning between $47,100 and $94,200, would also be eligible, even though they are making between 200 to 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Families USA estimates that 89 percent of Marylanders eligible for the tax credits will be employed.
In 2011, about 15 percent of Allegany County’s population under age 65 was uninsured and 22 percent of Garrett County’s population was uninsured, according to a Community Health Needs Assessment.
Maryland plans to set up its own health care exchange, which will have tiers of coverage plans available.
Other states are opting to let the federal government run their programs.
Families USA “is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans,” according to its website, which can be found at http://www.familiesusa.org/.
For more information on Maryland’s health care exchange, visit: http://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/.
