GRANTSVILLE — Area residents interested in buying or selling livestock can go to either one of two places in Garrett County — Friend’s Stockyard in Accident or Grantsville Stockyards. Both are managed by Vice President Joe Friend Jr.

“I like coming here (Grantsville) because there is a variety of animals, it’s a good place to make friends and they have a good restaurant,” said Kerm Yoder, who has been attending livestock auctions for 20 years.

Yoder buys livestock in the spring and sells in the fall.

“I buy lay hens for $10 and sell them for $2,” said Yoder, who sells the hens back after they’ve laid their eggs.

A livestock auction is held every Monday at Friend’s Stockyard and an auction is held every Saturday starting at 10 a.m. at the Grantsville Stockyards. The two livestock auctions differ because Grantsville is more diversified, said Friend.

Sam Jinks, who owns a petting zoo at Blackwater Falls, W.Va., comes to Grantsville to purchase calves, pigs and lambs for the petting zoo.

“I like this auction better because this one has more quality animals. Sometimes they even have alpacas, ” said Jinks.

The Grantsville livestock auction starts with the smaller animals — ducklings, hens and rabbits. The auction for the smaller animals keeps going until all the animals are sold or until 1 p.m. when the large livestock is auctioned, according to Yoder.

During the smaller animal auction bidders hold up their cards and during the large animal auction bidders just provide the auctioneer with a last name.

Friend’s Stockyard has special feeder calf sales in the spring and fall, according to Friend.

Both auctions get about 200 sellers a week and Friend makes 3 percent of each sale.

“We survive off of it, but we don’t get rich,” said Friend.

The livestock auctions are the only ones of that magnitude in the area. The Grantsville auction is better attended because it’s held on the weekend, Friend said.

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OAKLAND — The Garrett County Public School system is requesting $26,179,897 from the county for fiscal 2015, according to a budget presentation made by Larry McKenzie, director of finance.

The funding request is $820,897 more than the prior year’s request. The additional funding is needed to pay a portion of the costs associated with the teacher pension passback, which increased to more than $1 million, McKenzie said during a county commission meeting Tuesday.

“Since I’ve been here I have been accused of running the school system like a business — actually it is,” said Superintendent of Schools Janet Wilson. “It has to be run that way with our bottom line being very different.”

Capital requests include $582,400 for the design phase of the Southern Middle School renovation project, which is set to begin next year. In January, the commissioners approved the money for the design phase. The renovation will include a performing arts venue, a third of which will fit in the original footprint of the building, according to Wilson.

“This would be for a facility that looks like Mountain Ridge’s (performing arts venue) in terms of its size,” said Wilson.

Mountain Ridge has the capacity to seat 500 and is 9,000 square feet, according to Bill Swift, director of facilities, maintenance and operations at GCPS.

“We are the only county in the state that does not have a performing arts center,” said Swift.

Capital requests also include $415,000 for the Dennett Road maintenance pole building and $213,000 for lighting projects at several middle schools.

“It’s important to understand that $213,000 and the $582,400 were basically appropriated for in fiscal ’14,” said McKenzie. “Those aren’t really new requests.”

Aging Schools and Qualified Zone Academy Bond funds have been appropriated in the fiscal 2015 budget for several school-based maintenance and operations projects. The school system has applied for and received QZAB funds, according to McKenzie.

Funding sources include 54.25 percent local, 39.08 percent state, 6.33 percent federal and 0.34 percent miscellaneous funding. The 54 percent local puts the county over the maintenance of effort, which requires that the level of state and local funding remain relatively constant from year to year, according to Commissioner Gregan Crawford. The school system expects to receive $19,254,093 in state aid, which is similar to the amount received in 2005, according to McKenzie.

Locally, the county has increased funding to almost $8 million since 2005, according to Commissioner Jim Raley.

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

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OAKLAND — Garrett County commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on a memorandum of easement with Fair Wind Power Partners, LLC for the Fair Wind project on Backbone Mountain. The commissioners, acting as Garrett County Sanitary District Inc., will also vote to grant a collection line easement and easement agreement.

During an administrative meeting in December, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved Fair Wind Power Partners’ application to construct up to 15 wind turbines on Backbone Mountain — but with conditions.

Also in December, the Federal Aviation Administration determined that the wind turbines that are part of the Fair Wind project are no hazard to air navigation, but turbines must be marked and lighted with white paint and synchronized red lights.

The project, which would generate 30 megawatts of electricity, is slated to be operational next year.

Other agenda items include a presentation by the board of education on the fiscal 2015 budget, a public hearing on the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Block Grant applicants, a review of Appalachian Regional Commission preliminary project descriptions and a departmental update from the Garrett County Health Department.

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MCHENRY — The first Garrett County Birdfest will be held May 2 through 4 at the Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center.

Expert birders will lead multiple bird walks throughout the county. Birding is often excellent the first week in May because many migrants are returning and leaves are not fully out, creating a window of opportunity to see the birds, according to Ranger Connie Skipper.

Participants will get tips on birding by ear as they listen for distinctive songs, although seeing the birds is a priority. Beginner and experienced bird watchers are encouraged to bring binoculars.

Children’s activities and crafts will be available May 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and May 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Katie Fallon, the author of “Cerulean Blues: A Personal Search of a Vanishing Songbird,” will sign her books May 3 at 6 p.m.

Bird photography at the aviary will be held May 4 from 2 to 3 p.m. Different bird species will be on display on natural perches during that time. A donation is requested to participate.

Skipper will lead a bird walk at the Sang Run kayak put-in May 2 at 8 a.m.

Matt Tillett will lead a twilight bird hike at 8 p.m. in New Germany State Park.

Handcrafted birdhouses and other items will be on sale throughout the weekend. The new animal adoption Wild Parent program will also be available.

Additional bird walks will occur at Herrington Manor State Park, Cranesville Swamp and the Western Maryland 4-H Center. For more information, call 301-387-7067 or go to www.discoverycenterdcl.com.

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