Storm causes road closures in Garrett
Elaine Blaisdell
— OAKLAND — State Park, Spring Lick and Steyer Mine Roads in Garrett County are still closed in the wake of Tuesday’s thunderstorm, but the roads will reopen soon, according to John Frank, director of the Garrett County Department of Public Safety & Emergency Management.
Fifteen roads throughout the county were closed Tuesday due to fallen trees. A majority of the roads affected were in the northern end of the county and in the Deep Creek Lake area.
“I’m just totally amazed at the volunteer fire departments last night. They were quick to respond and they put themselves in harm’s way to open the roadways,” said Frank.
The National Weather Ser-vice office in Pittsburgh determined that the wind speed at the Garrett County Airport was 48 mph and it was clocked at 70 mph in the upper atmosphere, according to Frank.
The Garrett County 911 Center received at least 100 calls during the storm pertaining to downed lines and trees but no injuries were sustained and there weren’t any fires caused by the storm, said Frank.
The storm caused county administration phone lines to go down as well as U.S. Cellular and AT&T cell phone services. AT&T cell phone service remained out Wednesday in the Finzel area and along Interstate 68 in the county, according to Frank.
Maryland Emergency Management Agency is monitoring the situation in the county and has personnel available if needed.
The National Weather Service is assessing damage in Morgantown, W.Va., in an effort to verify whether a tornado struck that area, said Frank.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
In the wake of two deaths, 28 accidents, police stress boating, swimming safety
Michael A. Sawyers
— MCHENRY — A boater or swimmer or water skier is just as dead whether he or she drowns in the Chesapeake Bay or Deep Creek Lake and Maryland Natural Resources Police officials say there is too much of that going on.
Thursday morning NRP and Maryland Park Service representatives gathered at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis to point out the problem as well as the solutions.
Two people drowned in Maryland during the July 4 weekend. Twenty-eight boating accidents were reported during the past two weekends.
At Sandy Point, water users were told how to avoid accidents and how to deal with them should the need arise.
During 14 years of dealing with the same issues, but on Mountain Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake, if Sgt. Jeff Sweitzer hasn’t seen it all he has come pretty close.
“So far this year there have been nine reportable accidents at the lake, one involving a capsized boat, one a boating collision and the others involving injuries to water skiers or tubers,” Sweitzer said on Thursday.
The capsizing took place May 24 when three adults and one 4-year-old were on a rental boat that overturned. There were no injuries.
The collision was between a pontoon vessel and a motorboat. There were 11 people aboard the two vessels and none was injured.
A 48-year-old female broke a shoulder bone when she was thrown from a tube being towed and struck the water.
“It’s common for a group of kids to be towed on a tube and the tube hits a wake or other rough water and one child’s knee strikes another child in the head, things like that,” Sweitzer said.
No matter the size of a boat, there must be one wearable life jacket for each passenger. Boats of 16 feet or greater must have a qualifying throwable life preserver as well.
Although there is no speed limit on the main body of the lake, U.S. Coast Guard rules require an operator to be able to stop the boat within half the distance that can be seen ahead.
“Obviously at night you can’t see very far ahead and that’s when speeding is a real danger,” Sweitzer said.
A number of years ago, Sweitzer was on night patrol when a speeding boat came dangerously close to a fishing boat. Sweitzer began a pursuit.
“The boat was going so fast that it became unsafe for me to continue at that rate,” Sweitzer said. “So I kept on course, but slower.”
Pretty soon Sweitzer heard a man in the water screaming for help.
“It was one of the people who had been on the boat and had fallen without the others knowing it,” he said. “I picked him up and found out that there were nine family members on the boat and they had been drinking heavily. In fact, the man was so intoxicated that he couldn’t recognize where we were on the lake even though he had been coming there all his life.”
Sweitzer said he operated the boat along the shoreline until the man recognized the family boat at a dock.
“We walked up to the house and they were still partying and still didn’t know the man was missing,” Sweitzer said. “In fact, a couple of them argued with me that I hadn’t actually rescued the man.”
Charges followed.
The weekend of June 27-29, known as Operation Dry Water, was one of intense water safety patrol on lakes and rivers throughout the United States.
At Deep Creek Lake, on those dates, officers contacted 436 boats, made 320 safety checks, responded to three accidents, issued 32 citations and 119 warnings. There were no arrests for operating a boat while influenced by alcohol.
That changed on the July 4 weekend when there were 18 alcohol violations and two accidents.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police has investigated nine water-related fatalities so far this year. The total for all of last year was 19 fatalities. Those numbers do not include deaths handled by local jurisdictions, such as the two swimming fatalities in Ocean City last month, or accidents that occurred at private establishments.
This year, the victims range in age from 22 to 56. They include a commercial waterman, three swimmers, four men boating in protected waters and an inexperienced kayaker on a miles-wide stretch of the Potomac River.
Thursday at Sandy Hook, Col. George F. Johnson IV, superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, offered these safety tips for swimmers.
• Obey lifeguards and law enforcement officers. Heed warning signs and flags.
• Insist that young children or inexperienced swimmers wear a well-fitting Coast Guard-approved life jacket in and the around water.
• Make sure an adult watches children and the elderly when at water’s edge. Keep young children within arm’s reach. If more than one adult is in attendance, take turns being the “Designated Kid Watcher.”
• Swim sober and never swim alone.
• Stay alert and check local weather conditions. Carry a cell phone.
• Make sure you have enough energy to swim back to shore.
Sweitzer offered a couple tips of his own for users of Deep Creek Lake.
Tip 1 — Follow all the safety rules for water users.
Tip 2 — NRP considers enforcement of those rules a high priority for the popular mountain lake.
Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.
From doughnuts to wall hangings at TriState Festival
Posted: Thursday, July 10, 2014 3:28 pm
The TriState Festival, Auction & Cruise-In is a great two-day family affair to be held in the convention hall at the Garrett County Fairgrounds, 270 Mosser Road, McHenry, Maryland. Celebrate the spirit of helping others in the U.S. and worldwide at this giant benefit sponsored by area Mennonite churches.
Beginning July 18, a giant silent auction will be on hand to greet enthusiastic buyers with more than 200 items including a chain saw and train tickets, collectibles, plants and much more. A market place will offer fair-trade handicrafts from around the world at the Ten Thousand Villages table as well as baked goods, plants, woven rugs, crib quilts, homemade jellies and both new and used books.
Local 'most beautiful person' contest to be held
The 2014 Garrett County’s Most Beautiful Person contest is accepting nominations until August 29.
The Garrett County’s Most Beautiful Person contest is for those who via acts of kindness and concern enriched the lives of citizens.
Each year, a search for unsung heroes is conducted. The heroes include folks of any age who volunteer to help others.
The program is 28 years old and hosted by the Board of Garrett County Commissioners.
To obtain a nomination form, visit www.garrettcounty.org or call Carol A. Riley-Alexander at 301-334-8970.
The award is based on volunteer service only.
Garrett County canvass confirms election victories
All three incumbents lose to challengers in commission race
From Staff Reports
— OAKLAND — Election canvass results confirm that all three of the current Garrett County commissioners were ousted by newcomers in the primary election.
Paul Edwards defeated in-cumbent Jim Raley in District 2, with 50.55 percent of the vote, or a total of 2,010 to Raley’s 1,009, according to the official results.
In District 1, Larry Tichnell unseated incumbent Gregan Crawford, garnering 49.19 percent of the votes with a total of 1,918 to Crawford’s 1,105 votes.
Tichnell will square off against Leo Martin, a Libertarian, in the November general election.
In District 3, Jim Hinebaugh beat incumbent Bob Gatto by 3.46 percent of the votes. Earning 36.76 percent of the votes, Hinebaugh had a total of 1,486 votes to Gatto’s 1,346 votes. Hinebaugh will face Democratic candidate April Hebden, who received a total of 655 votes, as well as Bill Welch, a Libertarian, and James R. “Smokey” Stanton, unaffiliated, in the general election.
District 3 Board of Education candidate Monica Rinker led the way with 2,394 votes, followed by Fred Gregg with 1,742 votes and incumbent Rodney Reckart with 765 votes. Rinker and Gregg will move on to the general election with District 1 candidates Stuart Harvey and Mathew Paugh, incumbent, and District 2 candidate Thomas Carr, incumbent. District 1 and 2 candidates will advance to the general election because there is only one candidate from District 2 and two candidates from District 1. There is one open seat in each of the three districts.
State’s Attorney Lisa Thayer Welch received 3,008 votes. Clerk of Circuit Court Timothy Miller received 3,199. Both ran unopposed. Register of Wills Rita L. Watson also ran unopposed with 3,322 votes.
Sheriff candidates Skyler Hebden, Democrat, and incumbent Robert Corley, Republican, received 583 votes and 3,455 votes, respectively. Hebden and Corley will face off in the general election.
In the race for Judge of Orphans’ Court, Fred Sanders led over incumbent Wayne Wilt with 2,769 votes to 2,732 votes.
Jeff Hovis was the only candidate who ran for Democratic Central Committee with 686 votes. In the Republican Central Committee race, Brenda Butscher led with 2,441 votes, followed by Ruth Hinebaugh Umbel, 2,355 votes; Brian Schlossnagle 2,203; Bill Bittinger 2,169; Tom Sheahen 1,830; DeCorsey Bolden 1,716; Bill Schrider and John Pucciano both had 1,518 votes.
Fishing Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake
By Chris Lawrence in Outdoors | July 08, 2014 at 1:36PM
MCHENRY, Md. — The first thing you notice is the cool air. Nestled in the western mountains of Maryland, not far from the West Virginia border, is a unique lake which can be a gem for a summer retreat.
Deep Creek Lake is a highland reservoir that features attributes normally confined to the deep south.
“It has characteristics of each,” said Brent Nelson, a longtime guide on the lake. “You go really far south into Turkey Neck and Green Glade you feel like you’re in a southern impoundment. there’s a lot of meadow grass, lily pads, and cattails. Then you get down to the dam you get that rocky shoreline and it looks like a highland reservoir. We have two very different types of habitat on the lake.”
Local chamber of commerce launches new website
For the Cumberland Times-News
— MCHENRY, Md. — The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce recently launched a new version of its website, visitdeepcreek.com, incorporating the new County brand, “Deep Creek Experience.”
The redesigned site offers chamber members and visitors new technological functionality that makes using the site, accessing member information and planning a Garrett County getaway easier.
“We are excited to announce the launch of the new visitdeepcreek.com utilizing our new brand,” said Nicole Christian, chamber president and CEO, via news release. “It is fresh, easy to navigate, and technologically superior by featuring a design that automatically adjusts its format to the device that’s being used whether it’s a desktop, smartphone or tablet. Visitdeepcreek.com is the starting point for anyone planning their Deep Creek Experience and is loaded with resources for Chamber member businesses and local residents.”
The new site includes a redesigned layout & navigation, more graphics, a four-season photo gallery, featured specials and easy-to-use functionality.
Along with serving as a guide to current and potential tourists to the Deep Creek Lake area and Garrett County, the website also includes information specifically for current and prospective Chamber members, including membership information and events, advertising and a log-in area for members to update their business information, add events and specials.
Visitors to the site can easily search for any chamber member using the business directory search located on the top left of the home page and every page on the site. And the new visitdeepcreek.com is also a responsive website so it automatically adjusts to whatever platform a visitor is using to access it – mobile, tablet or desktop.
Along with information on the history of Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, the new site showcases Garrett County’s small towns by highlighting each town in Northern and Southern Garrett County. Plus, the site also includes a link to the new Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area website, garrettheritage.com.
Couple injured in motorcycle crash with bear
From Staff Reports
— OAKLAND — A Westminster couple was injured Tuesday when they were thrown from their motorcycle after striking a bear on Herrington Manor Road, according to the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office.
William Wantz, 59, and Debra Wantz, 58, were both taken to the hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries following the 11:15 a.m. crash.
Police said William Wantz was riding a 2007 Harley-Davidson with Debra Wantz as a passenger when the bear entered the southbound lane. Wantz was unable to avoid striking the 75-pound bear, which was killed.
Southern Garrett Rescue Squad and Oakland Volunteer Fire Department responded.
Nearly $1.7 million for Garrett Head Start
Elaine Blaisdell
OAKLAND — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the Garrett County Community Action Committee with a $1,696,669 grant for Head Start. Head Start is a federal program that promotes school readiness for children under 5 from low-income households.
“Head Start is a major priority for Community Action and we have been working on it for a number of years,” said Duane Yoder, president of GCCAC.
The Head Start program runs from Feb. 1 to Jan. 30 and if it’s prorated it’s the largest grant that GCCAC has received, according to Yoder.
“Today’s announcement of the HHS Head Start grant for Garrett County Community Action is good news for my constituents in Maryland’s westernmost county,” said 6th District Congressman John Delaney on Monday. “Head Start is one of our most important federal programs because supporting early education clearly benefits both individual children and our society as a whole. Every child in America deserves a world-class education and an opportunity to pursue the American dream.
“I have been impressed by the work done by the Garrett County Community Action Committee, which is a tremendous on-the-ground resource for the people of Garrett County in implementing federal programs and helping people in need. Partnerships that combine federal resources with local expertise can often produce better results, especially with a dedicated staff such as the one at the GCCAC.”
GCCAC has an Early Head Start program which is for children up to age 3 and the Head Start program is for ages 3 to 4. The Early Head Start, which has 80 children enrolled, has the largest waiting list and the Head Start program has 220 children enrolled, according to Yoder.
“The Head Start school readiness scores for children coming out of Head Start, which is for low- to moderate-income students, are the same as the rest of the population. We are the only place in the state that has scores that are the same as the rest of the population,” said Yoder.
Last year, the Head Start program closed for a month due to the federal government sequestration and during that time the school readiness scores dropped, according to Yoder.
“We have worked very hard on this and have 11 different classes around the county and have infant home visiting,” said Yoder.
The majority of the classrooms are at the Dennett Road facility and there are classrooms at Friendsville, Grantsville, Accident, Kitzmiller, Crellin and the Overlook Child Development Center in Oakland.
Founded in 1965, GCCAC is a private nonprofit corporation that provides services to Garrett County residents. It is governed by a 15-member board of directors composed of community leaders. Delaney toured its headquarters in Oakland earlier this year and met with Yoder to discuss the organization’s needs and priorities.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
Garrett County B-52 crash to be commemorated
For the Cumberland Times-News
GRANTSVILLE — A B-52 bomber with a crew of five and two thermonuclear bombs crashed in a snow storm on Big Savage Mountain, near Grantsville, Garrett County, on January 13, 1964.
The result was a massive search for the location of the plane, and for the crew, four of whom had ejected from the plane.
The military was heavily involved in the search and rescue, but the people of Garrett and Allegany Counties in Maryland and Somerset County, Pennsylvania joined in to walk through deep snow looking for parachutes, plough the roads for the search personnel to travel more easily, run telephone line and feed the large number of people participating.
A collection of news stories is now online at digital.whilbr.org, the history website of Western Maryland Regional Library.
There are stories published at the time by the Cumberland newspapers, the Cumberland Evening Times, Cumberland News, Cumberland Sunday Times and later the Cumberland Times-News, together with The Republican from Oakland, Garrett County.
Both towns also reported on all commemorative events. In addition there are several in-depth articles about the events, bringing the perspective of time to the story.
The website allows one to see how the events of that very cold and eventful January were reported at the time, with the concern for human lives but also the initial fear of the potential nuclear threat that the bombs posed. One can read the stories chronologically, using the browse feature or search for an individual.
The crash of the B-52 will be commemorated Saturday, July 12, 2014 in Grantsville.
The stories are available at http://digital.whilbr.org or from the Allegany County Library System’s website http://www.alleganycountylibrary.info <http://www.relib.net> under “Research.”
The Whilbr website features images of original source documents from the collections of the public libraries, historical societies, and individuals in Western Maryland. Its purpose is to display Western Maryland-related historical documents, images, audio, and video.
Western Maryland Regional Library provides support and materials for the continued enhancement of resources available through the Allegany County Library System, the Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County, and the Washington County Free Library System.
