Proposed School System Changes Draw Large Crowd To BOE Meeting
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Jan. 12, 2012
Emotions ran high at Tuesday’s meeting of the Garrett County Board of Education, as concerned citizens, many of whom hail from the Friendsville area, filled the board room to express their opinions and grievances with the recent five-year plan set forth by the board to right the school system’s budget woes.
The board was scheduled to take action on a proposal to reconfigure the grade structure of the school system – a move that would place fifth grade students in middle schools – but that action was postponed until Tuesday, Jan. 17, in light of some of the issues addressed in the public portion of the meeting.
BOE members heard and took note of the information put forward in that public forum, which was schedule for 4 to 4:30 p.m., but ran well over 2½ hours. A video feed of the meeting was set up in the main lobby area of the Garrett County Board of Education building to accommodate the overflow of participants and onlookers.
Many of the concerns voiced dealt with the issue of young students being emotionally and developmentally unready for the change of venue, the unintended consequences of housing fifth and eighth graders in the same building, the strain placed on elementary students by the extended commute times, and the loss of the more “nurturing and intimate” setting provided by smaller class sizes.
Some of these concerns were addressed by Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools, in a presentation earlier in the meeting. Waggoner expressed that the board had considered and shared the majority of these concerns, laying out a tentative but detailed schedule for students in the event the reconfiguration took place.
According to the presentation, in the larger middle school each grade would have its own “pod” within the school and be kept separate from the other grades. Each grade would have its own lunch shift and every student would also be assigned his/her own home room. Enrichment/remediation periods would also be built into each schedule.
Furthermore, fifth and sixth graders would be heterogeneously grouped and on a different bell schedule than students in the seventh and eighth grades. Classes would last 35 minutes and have four minutes between them.
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Railey Realty #1 in Garrett County, Deep Creek Lake 2011
Once again, Railey Realty is #1 in real estate sales in both Garrett County & at Deep Creek Lake. 2011 brought an increased number of residential transactions in both Garrett County (+7 over 2010) & Deep Creek Lake (+24 over 2010).
Railey Realty increased their already substantial market share in Garrett County residential sales to a whopping 47% of all county home sales – up 2% from 2010.
Our market share at Deep Creek Lake improved dramatically, as well – a dominant 63% of the Deep Creek Lake vacation home market, up from 59% in 2010.
The average sales price are down from 2010 and that is expected to remain in-line with national trends. There were fewer million dollar sales, as well, to bring down that average sales price in Garrett County ($340,484) and Deep Creek Lake ($472,163)
But, the transaction numbers are most exciting to me – more people are buying real estate in Garrett County & at Deep Creek Lake each year and we hope that the trend continues! Over time, economic factors will continue to adjust the average sales prices, but Garrett County & Deep Creek Lake are growing in popularity – and that will benefit ALL local businesses & full-time residents alike.
If you are in the market to buy or sell real estate, work with the #1 real estate sales company since 1995 – Railey Realty.
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!
Fifth-graders move up a year early under proposal
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — In addition to calling for the closing of several elementary schools, the Garrett County Board of Education’s five-year plan outlines the reconfiguration of fifth-grade students into middle schools. The reconfiguration is being considered because of reduced space, staff and “related arts,” according to Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools.
“The reconfiguration will provide the maximum effective use of staff and space while providing students optimum educational programing,” said Waggoner. “The reconfiguration will afford fifth-graders the opportunity to participate in foreign language, tech education classes and allow them to experience more than they have at the elementary school.”
A presentation on the reconfiguration will be held Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Southern Middle School. After the presentation, the board will take public comment followed by possible action on the recommendation.
Rebecca Gordon, a Finzel resident whose child is a fourth-grader at Route 40 Elementary, attended the Jan. 10 board meeting and questioned if the board had done any research on how the reconfiguration would impact the fifth graders academically and behaviorally. Gordon said that she wasn’t provided with an answer.
Fifth- and sixth-graders would be on a separate lunch schedule from the other grade levels, so there would be no interaction with the older students, explained Waggoner. They would also have pods to separate them from the rest of the grade levels.
Gordon noted that studies done by Harvard, Duke and Johns Hopkins universities indicate that students fare better if they are left in a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade setting.
In her research, Gordon did come across a study where the reconfiguration was completely successful, but she noted that at this school the fifth-graders were in a different building than the rest of the middle-schoolers.
“We just don’t have the resources to do that,” said Gordon, noting that it would be impossible to separate the students completely while they are in the same building.
Gordon suggests that elementary schools remain open as kindergarten through eighth grade.
Many parents who attended the January board meeting were concerned about bullying, according to Gordon.
“There is bullying going on now in the middle school. In fifth grade, kids still have SpongeBob lunch boxes and they are going to go to the middle school and get made fun of,” said Gordon.
Other concerns of Gordon’s include the lunch schedule and the fact that fifth-graders are going to be riding the bus with eighth-graders.
“I’m also concerned with the fact that there is no recess, especially with obesity rates climbing,” said Gordon.
The fifth-graders will be eating lunch at 10:50 a.m. with no snack, according to Gordon. In her child’s case, that means an extra hour wait to eat because of the hour-long bus ride from school to home.
“This will mean bigger class sizes, loss of jobs and a lot of disruption to our kids,” states a petition started by Elizabeth Hebden to stop the closing of Dennett Road Elementary.
“I feel it is unreasonable to send fifth-graders to the middle school, they will miss out on experiences of being the fifth-graders,” wrote Michelle Riggleman on the online petition.
Gordon also opposes the Dennett Road Elementary closing.
“I understand that Kitzmiller and Friendsville schools need to close because the numbers are just not there. But the numbers for the Dennett school are there,” said Gordon.
Hebden, an Oakland resident, started a petition on Change.Org to keep the school open and she opposes the reconfiguration. With 511 signatures so far, the petition appeals to the board, county commissioners, Gov. Martin O’Malley, the state Senate and House of Delegates, Delegate Wendell Beitzel and Sen. George Edwards to keep the school from closing.
Gordon is encouraging everyone to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
“I’m asking that every parent, grandparent, aunt and uncle please attend this meeting. It’s affecting our children’s future,” said Gordon, who plans on speaking at the meeting. “I want my children to have a voice.”
For more information on the petition, visit the website http://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-md-keep-dennett-road-elementary-school-open-and-pk-5.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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!
Garrett commissioners to draft land-use policy
Shale gas, industrial wind will be addressed
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Garrett County commissioners have requested their staff to draft a land-use policy that can be shared with the planning commission, organizations and the general public.
During their weekly meeting Tuesday, commissioners read a statement on land-use management.
“The ongoing interest in the development of shale gas, industrial wind energy and even junkyards brings to light the concerns that exist for property owners,” said the statement. “The absence of any reasonable and prudent land management policy for Garrett County leaves the citizens, visitors, businesses and property owners of Garrett County vulnerable to what many view as an exploitation of our lands.”
John Nelson, director of the Department of Planning and Land Development, informed the commissioners on the process the board will undertake to review and develop a draft ordinance on countywide land use with legislative authority provided to county governmental jurisdictions under the Annotated Code of the State of Maryland, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator.
The policy will take into consideration the ongoing changes to land use in the county and will discuss potential reasonable standards for what are viewed as potential harmful effects of said usages, according to the statement.
“The continuing absence of a comprehensive approach, and the insistence of the state that we have statutory authority to enact regulations to help address basic issues affecting the county, have led the county commission to share the concern of many citizens,” said the statement.
“Citizens, organizations and stakeholders have also expressed apprehension about the lack of a responsible ability to manage areas of concern regarding the potential for changing land uses on a large-scale basis throughout the county. Many feel the failure to act will only allow other institutions and entities to shape and control the future of Garrett County, which may not necessarily balance the interests of all of the stakeholders.”
Commissioners plan to have open dialogue about land use and allow for input from all citizens through open forums and public meetings. Once the draft proposal is complete, the document will be shared on the county website, at public libraries, and citizens who desire a print copy will have one made available.
During a December commission meeting, Commissioner Gregan Crawford voiced his concern about the effects of wind turbines on residents and noted that he would be willing to enter into a motion to develop zoning laws that would regulate the wind projects.
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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!
You should know more about Roth Rock project
I read with interest the article in the Cumberland Times-News entitled, “By 2013, Western Md. could have more wind turbines” (Jan. 9, Page 1A), by Elaine Blaisdell.
It stated that, “The Roth Rock project on Backbone Mountain was started by Synergics, but is now owned by Gestamp Wind North America of Houston.”
That is true, but your readers should know that Gestamp Wind is a multinational company based in Spain. Furthermore, the 20 Nordex Wind N90 turbines were made by another multinational company based in Germany.
These power plants are often built by smaller limited liability companies (LLC) that sell them to larger, sometimes foreign, corporations for their generous tax breaks. Taxpayers and electric customers are forced to pick up the tab.
Another interesting tidbit of information is that 80 percent of Roth Rock’s power output is sold to Delmarva Power, under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA), while the remaining 20 percent will be sold under two PPAs with dependent state entities, the University System of Maryland and the Maryland Department of General Services.
Wayne Rogers, the governor’s good friend, is president of Synergics. You can make what you want of this relationship and the governor’s support of wind energy.
What’s more, Frank Maisano, a wind salesman, described the Roth Rock project as well-done and said there has been minimum invasiveness to the land.
Mr. Maisano was quoted as saying, “It’s certainly not obtrusive-looking. Once people see the wind projects and get used to them, they will see there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.”
Well, I would urge you not to rely upon Mr. Maisano for accurate information. These projects are quite destructive of the land, requiring clearing miles of ridgeline for roads, turbine pads, etc.
Many acres of forestland that previously provided habitats for numerous wildlife species are often lost, and thousands of bats and birds are killed at these projects each year.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says 60 acres are likely needed per installed megawatt, or approximately 3,000 acres for a 20, 2.5-MW turbine, wind power plant.
Erosion, disruption of water flow, and destruction of wild habitat and plant life would continue with the presence of access roads, powerlines, transformers, and the tower sites themselves.
For a more honest appraisal, talk to folks living near these projects to see if people are getting used to them, as Mr. Maisano says.
You may get used to living near a pig farm, sewage treatment facility, junk yard, or dump; but, most folks would not intentionally move to one.
Gregan Crawford, a Garrett County commissioner, says that the Backbone project is noisy and that he can hear the turbines at his house 3/4 mile away. A major problem is that noise levels cannot be predicted before developing a site.
Unfortunately, there are still no controls in place to regulate wind turbines in Garrett County; hopefully, this situation will change.
J. Edward Gates
Frostburg
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Closing school would be ‘devastating’
Public meetings scheduled this month in regard to Garrett County’s five-year plan
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
FRIENDSVILLE — Friendsville and Kitzmiller elementary schools are proposed to close, in addition to the Dennett Road Elementary School, as part of a five-year plan for Garrett County schools. Faculty members were notified Dec. 13 of the proposed closing at the end of the school year, according to Jamie Fike, a member of the Friendsville Advisory Committee.
The nine-member committee, which was formed by Friendsville Principal Tracie Miller, was created recently to research the feasibility of the five-year plan and the impact on the students and the community as a whole, according to Fike.
Prior to the Christmas break, Friendsville Mayor Spencer Schlosnagle and council held an emergency meeting on the proposed school closings. Fike told the Times-News that Schlosnagle, who is a member of the Advisory Committee, stated at the meeting that the closing would have a negative impact on Friendsville as a whole.
Fike echoed the mayor’s sentiments, stating, “The closing of Friendsville Elementary School will definitely have a devastating effect on our little town … going far beyond the town limits. It could become a whole county issue.”
Public meetings on all three proposed school closings will be held this month. Should Friendsville close, the 103 students who attend the school will be sent to Accident and Grantsville elementary schools, according to Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools. In addition, school position reductions are proposed as part of the five-year plan developed by Waggoner.
The plan proposes the reduction of eight teaching/principal positions, one custodian position and one secretary/assistant position at Friendsville Elementary. The overall anticipated savings is $674,522.
Should Kitzmiller Elementary close, the 50 students will be redistricted to Yough Glades and possibly Broadford. The plan also calls for the proposed reduction of approximately 3.5 teaching/principal positions, one custodian and one secretary/assistant. The overall anticipated savings is $279,077.
The potential school closings and reductions were apparently brought on by an anticipated state funding shortfall of about $3 million and a loss of student population, according to a previous Times-News article. Waggoner anticipates an 11 percent decrease in funding from the state this year.
During a recent meeting of The Greater Cumberland Committee, Garrett County Commission Chairman Jim Raley said that according to the 2010 census, 20 percent of student population in Garrett County was lost. The county has lost approximately 800 students since 2000 and there is an expected 3.6 percent decrease in enrollment, which is the largest in the state, explained Waggoner. In 2019, the state estimates enrollment will be down by 9.3 percent. The declining student population is caused by a decrease in birth rates, according to Waggoner.
“Education is always an issue. Last year, Allegany lost about $6 million and Garrett County lost about $2 million. We are going to try to do our best to hold that cut down and introduce a piece of legislation to do something there,” said Sen. George Edwards during the TGCC meeting.
Edwards is working on a bill that would cap the funding losses, according to Waggoner. Last year, Edwards was able to help pass the Budget Reconciliation and Finance Act of 2011 to cap losses at 6.5 percent for both Allegany and Garrett counties.
“I’m glad that Edwards is pushing this legislation but I’m unsure of how will it will do because of how the state is doing at this time,” said Waggoner.
Dennett Road area residents have signed a petition in hopes of stopping the school from closing.
Last year, the board of education voted to close Bloomington Elementary School.
Public hearings on the proposed closings will be held separately for each school:
• Friendsville, Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the gym with a make-up date of Jan. 25.
• Kitzmiller, Thursday at 7 p.m. in the multipurpose room with a make-up date of Jan 23.
• Dennett Road, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Southern High School gym with make-up date of Feb. 1.
Those interested in speaking at the Friendsville meeting must sign up by 6 p.m., according to Fike. Members of the Advisory Committee plan to speak at the Wednesday meeting.
Testimony at the hearing will be limited to three minutes per person but written testimony or data may be submitted to the board of education in conjunction with the testimony or in lieu of an oral presentation and must be postmarked by Feb. 29. can also be at www.ga.k12.md.us.
Waggoner will make a final recommendations on the proposed school closings at the regular school board meeting Feb. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at Southern Middle School.
The final decision on all three school closings will be made at the March 13 board meeting.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
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!
Rocky Gap improvements part of O’Malley budget
Funds also going to Garrett trail project
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Im-provements at Rocky Gap State Park and on Garrett County trails are part of nearly $23 million that Gov. Martin O’Malley has proposed in the fiscal 2013 capital budget for state park and other public land projects.
The draft budget includes $773,000 for office improvements at Rocky Gap; $150,000 for trail construction in Garrett state parks; and $1.9 million for Washington County’s Western Maryland Rail Trail Project.
Other statewide estimates include $1.4 million for new, natural playgrounds in state parks; $900,000 for green cabin renovations; and $540,000 for removal of impermeable surfaces.
O’Malley made the announcement at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis and said that the projects will support nearly 300 jobs, help restore the environment, reduce energy usage and improve services to visitors.
“Our state parks are tremendous economic engines in our state with a $650 million annual impact on our local economies, a great resource for Maryland families, and a big part of why our tourism industry remains so strong even in tough times,” O’Malley said.
The funding includes more than $14 million from the governor’s capital budget in addition to $8.7 million derived from the Department of Natural Re-sources annual transfer tax allocation.
“I applaud Gov. O’Malley for making this critical investment in our public lands during these difficult financial times,” said DNR Secretary John Griffin. The Maryland Park Service has committed to “green” its 66 state parks by focusing on energy improvements, state-of-the-art building design and construction, sustainable trails and recycling, as well as reforestation and stormwater management improvements to help the Chesapeake Bay.
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!
A winter weekend at Deep Creek Lake
By Graham Averill, Southern Living
updated 7:28 AM EST, Thu December 22, 2011
(Southern Living) — Your entire winter wishlist is here. Cozy fire casting shadows in an expansive lodge library? Check. Families snowshoeing into a thicket of evergreens? Check. Old-timers dropping lines into holes cut from a frozen lake? Check. You can even find dogsledding and sleigh rides.
All this in a postcard-ready setting: the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, surrounded by Maryland’s mountains and dusted with an average snowfall of 120 inches. (That’s twice as much as Denver, Colorado, and Fairbanks, Alaska!) Here’s our guide to planning a frosty yet cozy winter weekend.
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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!
Commissioners betraying citizens on fracking issue
I am writing in concern to a letter that was signed at the Jan. 10 Allegany County Commissioners meeting.
All three Garrett County commissioners have already signed this and last night Allegany County commissioners did the same.The letter is to Gov. Martin O’Malley urging him to expedite hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Allegany and Garrett counties.
I feel very betrayed that my elected officials would push for such a bad thing without any public input on such an issue. One needs only to look to Pennsylvania to see the damage that the practice of fracking has caused.
Dimock, Pa., had its water supply ruined in 2008 from fracking and the residents have had to rely on the federal government to ship water in ever since. There are many other cases of water being contaminated in Pennsylvania and other states.
Also in recent months, Oklahoma, Ohio and most recently West Virginia have had earthquakes which scientists are saying come from fracking.
If fracking is so safe then way hasn’t the gas industry released to the public a complete list of chemicals used in the process?
Other bad effects that come from fracking include damage to the secondary roads from increased heavy truck traffic.The taxpayers are the ones who will be paying for such repairs.
The gas industry promises many jobs, but in fact produces few.
I could go on, but my purpose of this letter is to let the public know what their elected officials are doing without their knowledge. I feel the commissioners are thinking dollar signs and not about the long term effects this may have on the communities where this would take place.
In closing I would like to say that the citizens of Allegany and Garrett counties should have a vote and the final say on this hydraulic fracturing and not a handful of politicians who stand to gain a few dollars from it! Remember “You Can’t Drink Money.”
Shannon Winter
Cresaptown
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!
Consortium will help laid off workers
From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Western Maryland Consortium is preparing to assist 59 workers who will be laid off from Fechheimer Brothers Co. in Grantsville by March 1, consortium executive director John Wynn told the Garrett County commission at its weekly meeting Tuesday.
A rapid-response meeting will take place Jan. 30 with officials from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance and Somerset County (Pa.) CareerLink, explained Wynn in an interview with the Times-News.
An employee orientation session will be held during the meeting to provide service for those being laid off as well as job search assistance and job training, said Wynn.
The employees may be eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance, which provides aid to workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages are reduced as a result of increased imports, according to Wynn.
The Maryland General Assembly passed a bill in 2011 that requires state agencies to buy uniforms, safety equipment and protective gear from U.S. companies.
Delegate Wendell Beitzel introduced the measure after a visit to Fechheimer, a manufacturer of uniforms, when the plant manager told him that the company was bringing in orders from several states that had buy-American preferences in place.
The TAA program provides training, income support, job search allowances, relocation allowances and Health and Coverage Tax Credit.
In order to apply for TAA, a petition must be filed by a group of three or more workers, their union or company officials. It takes about 40 days before a decision is rendered, but if requested, workers could receive assistance before the decision is made, according to Wynn.
A call to Fechheimer CFO Dan Dudley was not returned. Also, multiple attempts to contact Gary Ison, dislocation field representative at the Maryland DLLR, were unsuccessful.
During the commission meeting, the board was provided with several updates:
• Donald DeWitt, director of the Garrett County Department of Social Services, told the commissioners that the close-out of the 2011 financial audit has been completed and noted that the budget for 2012 will again be evaluated as part of the ongoing budget deficits with the state of Maryland.
• David Baker, supervisor of the Garrett County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling, updated the commission on a number of projects, including timber harvest, Cell 4 construction and King’s Run collection site expansion. He also provided the commission with an update on a collection site sticker sale program
• Linda Lindsey, director of Garrett County Department of Public Utilities, gave a status update on projects, such as the Thayerville and McHenry water systems, Pee Wee Hill water project, Friendsville sewer system-Maple Street sewer line extension project and Deep Creek Lake Western Conveyance.
• Mount Haven Wellness and Recovery provided an update on a mental health drop-in center in Oakland previously known as Harvey House.
• The commission appropriated $37,480 as a cost share with the Maryland Department of Agriculture for the Forest Pest Management Program, which works to manage gypsy moths in the county.
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!
