Garrett apartment fire affects 35 residents
American Red Cross assists six victims through weekend
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
— MOUNTAIN LAKE PARK — Five people apparently suffered minor injuries in Friday’s fire at the Meadows East apartment complex that reportedly affected nearly three dozen residents of the apartment complex located in the 600 block of N Street, according to the American Red Cross.
All the injured people were taken to Garrett Memorial Hospital following a kitchen fire that occurred shortly before 2 p.m.
Numerous volunteer fire companies responded, according to the Garrett County 911 center. The center said the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office would provide additional information. However, a fire marshal’s office spokesman said Monday that the state agency did not investigate the fire.
“The Red Cross was on the scene to provide immediate disaster relief to 35 adults who were affected by the fire — several of whom are elderly or have disabilities,” said Doug Lent of the American Red Cross Chesapeake Region.
The Red Cross workers and volunteers from Allegany and Washington counties provided emergency shelter for six of the residents and continued throughout the weekend to provide food, replace clothing and offer other necessities as needed.
Residents who still need assistance may go to the Meadows East complex today at 1 p.m. to meet with Red Cross workers or call 410-624-2040 .
Seven volunteer fire companies, two rescue squads, the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office and Potomac Edison responded to the fire scene in addition to Red Cross personnel.
More here.
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Garrett educators work hard for schools, communities
— As president of the Garrett County Education Association, representing more than 400 dedicated education employees here in Garrett County, I feel the need to address some concerns about the role of GCEA that have surfaced recently in with respect to fiscal crisis facing our school system. There are two basic misconceptions that need to be put to rest.
The first is that GCEA has in some way been a stumbling block or impediment in confronting the crisis our schools and communities are facing. Nothing could be further from the truth.
GCEA members stood side by side with members of the community in calling on the state General Assembly to pass Sen. Edwards’ and Delegate Beitzel’s loss limitation provision that would have prevented a massive cut in state education funding.
Our members testified in Annapolis twice for that measure, made hundreds of phone calls and sent hundreds of emails to support our delegation’s efforts to limit the state cuts to education funding.
GCEA members and their colleagues from across the state have partnered with other concerned community organizations and applied enough pressure to convince the governor to call a special session of the General Assembly where that loss limitation measure can be reconsidered. Our members take this action on top of what they already do for our students every day.
The second misconception is that employees of the Board of Education received any real raise in recent history. Those employees have received one step in the past four years and no cost of living adjustments and will receive neither again this year.
Our educators have forgone raises that were promised them for what will now be three of the last four years. As a result of the proposed layoffs, our members could see an increased workload with no increase in compensation.
When the two percent increase in pension contributions from last year is factored in, our members have in fact seen a reduction in their overall compensation.
The members and leadership of GCEA are realistic about the severe fiscal situation our county is in. Contrary to what has been portrayed by some, however, our members have made deep and very painful sacrifices. Our members have done their part for our students, schools and communities and will continue to do so.
We would ask that you join GCEA in acting to protect our schools by calling on our General Assembly to include the loss limitation measure for Garrett County in their budget proceedings in the upcoming special session so that we do not have to face the closure of our schools and layoffs of our dedicated education staff.
You can learn more by going to www.marylandeducators.org.
Kim Sanders, president
Garrett County Education Association
More here.
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Garrett names Teacher of the Year
OAKLAND — Garrett County Teacher of the Year Erin White will be recognized at Monday’s board of education meeting in the Southern Middle School cafeteria.
Public comment will be accepted at 4 and 7 p.m. The board will conduct business beginning at 6:30 p.m., following a closed session.
Information will be provided on drafts of the maintenance and educational facilities plans; student handbook; and the fiscal 2013 operating budget.
Action will be taken on the school calendar submission date.
The board will also recognize winners of various awards.
More here.
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Mud Dog Run at Deep Creek Lake
The Mud Dog Run is a fun, high intensity, obstacle course run that will encompass 5 Kilometers of very tough terrain. All of our Mud Dog Run courses contain obstacles such as, climbing walls, cargo nets, mud pits, as well as some great mystery obstacles at each race. We take great pride in creating tough but exciting and fun courses for various levels of runners. But this race is not for the faint of heart. If you like a challenge and some food topped off with some beer at the finish, then the Mud Dog Run is just your type of race.
More here.
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!
Housing Affordability Indices Reach Records in First Quarter
WASHINGTON (May 15, 2012) – Housing affordability conditions for all buyers reached a milestone in the first quarter, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
NAR’s composite quarterly Housing Affordability Index* rose to a record high of 205.9 in first quarter, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the index, the greater the household purchasing power. This is the first time the quarterly index broke the 200 mark; recordkeeping began in 1970.
NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami, said market conditions are optimal for home buyers. “For those with good credit, we’ve never seen better housing affordability conditions or market opportunities than we see at present,” he said. “Although home prices are stabilizing and sales are rising, some buyers still have to jump through a lot of hoops to convince a lender that they are creditworthy, even for a mortgage that would be well within their means. This is especially true for self-employed buyers.”
Veissi noted home sales would be much higher if lending standards would return to normal.
The index shows the median income family, earning just under $61,000, could afford a home costing $325,500 in the first quarter, which is more than double the national median existing single-family home price of $158,100. The median monthly mortgage principal and interest payment for a median-priced home would take only 13.5 percent of gross income.
A companion index measuring the ability of first-time buyers to purchase a home also set a record, with the first-time buyer index reaching 135.8 in the first quarter.
Assumptions for the first-time buyer index include a lower income, at 65 percent of median family income, a starter home costing 85 percent of the median price, and a downpayment of 10 percent. This index means the typical entry-level buyer could afford a home costing $182,500, which is well above the overall median price.
“It’s never been easy to buy a first home because of the cash required for downpayment and closing costs, but conditions for first-time buyers who are able to get a mortgage have never been better,” Veissi explained.
Most first-time buyers choose a loan with a lower downpayment, often an FHA-insured loan with 3.5 percent down, and some use the VA program with no downpayment.
Both home prices and mortgage interest rates are expected to edge up modestly as the year progresses, but housing affordability will remain very favorable with the median-income household well positioned to afford a median-priced home. For all of 2012 the index is projected to set an annual record, averaging 191 for the year.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
More here.
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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!
April 2012 Real Estate Market Update - Residential
24 properties sold in April 2012, up 4 from last month. Last year there were 21 homes that sold in April, so we beat last year’s number, as well.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the stats:
There are 49 homes under contract right now (44 last month).
The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 82.25% – (last month 77.80%).
The ADJUSTED list vs sale price was 89.13 (last month 90.58%).
The current # of active/for sale listings in MRIS (minus timeshares) is 636, up from last months 591. There are about 20 properties coming on the market each week this time of the year. We have a 26.5 month supply of homes available (minus timeshares) based solely on the April sales numbers.
Random observations:
•3 ‘newer’ homes sold in April (5 years old or less)
•It appears that 19 or so of these sales were vacation homes
•12 homes sold at/under $300,000 (last month was 11)
•15 homes sold under $400,000 (last month 15)
•0 homes sold over $ 1 million (0 last month)
•1 home(s) sold for higher than full price or at full price (last month was 3)
•One house sold for 52.63% of asking price – 15 Maybury Ln
•The oldest home that sold was 128 yrs old (4743 Old Morgantown Rd)
•The average age of the homes that sold was 32 years (24 last month)
•2 condo/townhouse/fractional properties sold (6 last month)
Here are the statistical breakdowns:
Average Sale Price: $318,094 (last month $293,150)
Average Days on Market: 298/435 (last month 272/297) (days on market with current broker/total days on market) – this number took a HUGE jump this month, as there were 2 homes that sold after being on the market for 1,211 and 1,546 days, respectively.
There are still some great deals out there, and some that aren’t so great – I can help you figure out which properties are good buys & why – call/email me for a free consultation of any properties you are interested in!
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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!
Garrett County Proposes Wind Turbine Setback
OAKLAND, Md. (AP) — The Garrett County Commissioners are proposing rules to put distance between wind turbines and homes.
The formula proposed Tuesday would require turbines to be no closer to an occupied dwelling than five times the device’s height. For a 400-foot turbine, the setback would be 2,000 feet.
The formula is part of a proposed countywide land-use ordinance that is available for public comment through June 15.
More here.
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!
‘Doomsday’ would eliminate crucial public safety grants, officials say
…“I just don’t think it’s that big a deal for us,” said Garrett County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt. Overall, Garrett was anticipating a $2.7 million decrease in funding, one that had already prompted the closing of two undercapacity elementary schools, one with about 300 students, one with about 50, Pagenhardt said.
“The board of education did the prudent thing [by closing the schools],” Pagenhardt said. A special session to raise revenues and restore some funding might be nice, but officials weren’t depending on it, he said.
A reduction in public safety funding was about equal to two full-time patrol positions, and the county had asked workers in its roads department to decline a scheduled raise agreed-to in collective bargaining to help compensate for the cuts, Pagenhardt said.
“We’re used to having money taken away by the state,” he said.
More here.
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!
We Can Fly! We Can Fly!
In preparation for next week’s performances of Peter Pan, the Southern High School theatre students literally took to the air this week. Working under the guidance of D2 Flying Effects’ trainer and general manager Sam Fisher, the theatre students learned to tighten harnesses, lift and travel actors, and hook in and out of the flying gear. Shown above as she defies gravity is Corinne Weaver. She will play the title role of Peter Pan on Saturday, May 12, while Josh Nesselrodt, shown below(if not visible, click on photo above) assuming a classic superhero flight position, will play Peter on Thursday, May 10, and Friday, May 11. On stage with Nesselrodt are Trysta Weeks at left (Michael) and Lucas Muenchow (John).
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“Flying in James Barrie’s classic play is surely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our Garrett County theatre students,” said director and teacher Erin White, “and the excitement will soon be shared with many area elementary school students, whose teachers and principals have arranged for them to see the show during the school day next week.” Southern High School will present Peter Pan for the general public on May 10, 11, and 12 at 8 p.m. on the school stage. General admission for both children and adults is $5.
More here.
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!
Grant to expand Garrett broadband
County to match $250,000 ARC funding for Internet connectivity
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
— OAKLAND — U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski announced that the Garrett County Board of Commissioners has received a $250,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to expand broadband Internet connectivity in the county.
The commissioners will use the funding to deploy 50 miles of fiber to help connect county facilities, schools, community colleges, health facilities and libraries, according to the news release.
The ARC grant will help provide the electronics necessary to light the fiber and make it operational. Approximately 2.5 miles of new fiber and electronics will also be deployed to provide connectivity for an additional 14 sites, including schools and town halls.
The ARC grant will work in conjunction with the Broadband Technology and Opportunities Program grant awarded to the state of Maryland, according to the news release.
The One Maryland Broadband Network will construct a fiber network across the state to connect 1,000 community anchor institutions. Garrett County’s 50-mile fiber is part of the statewide network.
In addition to ARC funding, Garrett County will provide $250,000, bringing total project funding to $500,000, according to the news release. This grant helps encourage and leverage investments in telecommunications related economic development, which is one of ARC’s priorities for the region. The ARC is a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life.
A six-month study of broadband in the county was recently completed by CTC Technology and Energy.
Joanne Hovis, president of CTC, presented the study to the commissioners on Tuesday and recommended that the county consider investing in the last mile of the wireless broadband network to enable service to approximately 2,900 unserved residences.
The cost of the investment would be $1.2 million, with 30 percent of subscribers utilizing the service, according to Hovis.
More here.
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!
