By promoting mortgage refinancing, Obama could win big
By Ezra Klein, Published: January 9
From 2001 to 2003, Glenn Hubbard served as President George W. Bush’s chief economist. Today, he’s dean of Columbia University’s School of Business and one of Mitt Romney’s top economic advisers. But right now, the candidate who could most benefit from his advice is President Obama.
Hubbard is an advocate for using Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to set off a nationwide wave of mortgage refinancing. In a paper co-authored with Columbia economist Christopher Mayer, Hubbard estimates that more than 75 percent of the homeowners with 30-year mortgages backed by Fannie or Freddie are paying interest rates higher than 5 percent. But for the past two years, interest rates have been closer to 4 percent. That means tens of millions of Americans are paying more than they need to every single month.
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Why Aren't You Two Sleeping?
Jan. 5, 2012
This mother bear and her cub actually most likely are hibernating by now, as this shot was taken in early December when the weather had yet to change significantly. The mother and cub wandered onto the Berkebile farm in Accident sometime during the night, and when the family awoke, the two were in a tree next to a sheep pen. They stayed there most of the day, and Becky Berkebile got fairly close to get this picture, and others. The mother appears to be wary of the young photographer, and Becky knew well enough to hurry up with her picture-taking. There is nothing quite as ferocious as a protective mother bear. At about 4 p.m., they climbed down and went on their way.
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Gala Nets $53K For Garrett County Memorial Hospital
Jan. 5, 2012
A Night In Vegas, the title of the recent fundraising gala of the Garrett County Memorial Hospital, has raised a total of $53,000. These funds will go toward the purchase of nuclear medicine imaging equipment already in operation at the hospital. Nuclear medicine imaging equipment is used as a diagnostic tool to help with early detection of many diseases and, according to a spokesperson, is a valuable resource as physicians determine how to best treat their patients. “I would like to thank anyone and everyone who helped in any way with the gala,” commented Wayne Johnson, 2011 gala fundraiser chairman. “Everyone showed overwhelming support even with the economy as it is at this time. There are just too many people who helped to list them all.” The event was held at the Wisp Resort. Pictured above, from left, with a check representing the sum of the gala proceeds, are: William Grant, GCMH foundation chairman; Johnson; and Kathy Greaser, director of development at GCMH.
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Relay For Life Kickoff Event Slated Jan. 18
Jan. 5, 2012
A kickoff meeting/celebration for the 2012 Relay For Life of Garrett County will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. in the Continuing Education building at Garrett County. Those interested in starting/joining a team, walking as an individual, participating in survivor activities, or joining the local RFL committee are invited to attend.
The 2012 Relay For Life of Garrett County is scheduled for June 8 and 9 at the Southern High School track. This year’s theme is “Celebrate, Rememberhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif, and Fight Back!”
Relay For Life funds cancer awareness and detection programs, as well as patient services. Some of the programs and services that exist in the local community are Road to Recovery, which provides rides for patients to cancer treatments; Reach to Recover, which pairs newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with breast cancer survivors; Look Good Feel Better, which helps women manage appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment with classes on using makeup, wigs, and hats; and a patient navigator, who is housed at the Western Maryland Health System Schwab Family Cancer Center to help patients through their cancer “journey.”
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Building lot for sale - VIEWS, DOCK, LAKE ACCESS
PARADISE HEIGHTS
OAKLAND, MD 21550
Lake Access Lot with Boat Slip and Paid Sewer Tap. One acre of peace and quiet overlooking Deep Creek Lake. Walk to your dock slip. Close to all Deep Creek Lake activities. No HOA fees. Potential for BIG views based on home design. Lot 8 Paradise Estates.
Contact Jay Ferguson @ 301-501-0420 or DeepCreekLaker@Gmail.com for more information or to setup a private showing for this property.
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!
By 2013, Western Md. could have more wind turbines
Company pursues study for tower on St. John’s Rock
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — Western Maryland may see more wind turbines pop up along the ridges.
The Garrett County Permits and Inspections Division issued a meteorological tower permit last month to Synergics for a tower on St. John’s Rock at Four Mile Ridge between Avilton and Frostburg, according to Jim Torrington, chief of the division.
Synergics is doing an environmental wind study on Four Mile Ridge and is proposing 20 to 24 wind turbines, according to Frank Maisano, a wind industry spokesman.
Maisano estimated that at the earliest the project could be completed in 2013, but more likely it would be later.
The Roth Rock project on Backbone Mountain was started by Synergics, but is now owned by Gestamp Wind North America of Houston. Maisano described it as well-done and said there has been minimum invasiveness to the land.
“It’s certainly not obtrusive-looking,” said Maisano. “Once people see the wind projects and get used to them, they will see there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.”
Roth Rock was cited for erosion control violations by the Maryland Department of the Environment during its construction and a resident opposition group, Save Western Maryland, filed letters of intent to sue Synergics unless the developers created a plan to deal with the possibility that endangered wildlife could be harmed by the project.
In October, the county also issued a met tower permit to EDP Renewables North America (Horizon Wind Energy) for the Winding Ridge project near Friendsville.
Met towers measure the amount of wind at a proposed wind turbine site for at least a year, according to a Wind Power: Resource Assessment fact sheet. The towers have different siting requirements than the turbines, and occasionally the met tower is not put in the same place as the proposed wind turbine site.
Before wind turbines can be fully operational, the permits division has to issue a variety of additional permits, such as a grading permit, which can take up to a year, a building permit and certificate of use for each wind turbine, according to Torrington.
The permits division also has to issue a final certification, which requires copies of certification of the man lifts within each tower; all reports concerning concrete testing, grouting, torquing, mechanical and electrical testing and completion; and any Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports that are completed, said Torrington. A man lift is used to take equipment and personnel up to the wind turbine for repair and maintenance.
The county is awaiting final inspection on Roth Rock and the Criterion project, owned by Constellation Energy and also operational on Backbone Mountain, before releasing the stormwater bonds, said Torrington in an email with the Times-News.
Certificates of use were approved with the condition that all stormwater requirements be completed like as-built drawings and final inspections be completed, according to Torrington.
“The county still holds a stormwater bond on both projects,” said Torrington.
In December, County Commissioner Gregan Crawford encouraged his colleagues to support the development of zoning laws that would regulate future wind projects in the county. “We need to start the dialogue on how we can control noise and flicker,” he said in response to an update by the county’s planning director on proposed wind turbine projects.
At that time, the county also had a request from Clipper Windpower Development for a met tower to be installed just north of U.S. Route 50 for the Fair Winds project proposed on Backbone Mountain.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com
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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!
At-home births not necessarily a thing of the past
Grantsville-area mother describes experience as ‘amazing,’ provides suggestions for others
Angie Brant Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — The number of babies born at home in Maryland has increased dramatically since 2001. According to MarylandReporter.com, 291 babies were born at home in 2001, compared to 409 in 2010.
At-home births accounted for just 1 percent of all births, and while the trend does not appear to have taken hold in Allegany County as dramatically as in metropolitan areas, several mothers here have given birth to their children in their homes with great success.
Jamie Bailey, 32, of Grantsville is the mother of three children. Her first two children were hospital births but she wanted to do things a bit differently with her third child.
“The hospital births were not the worst experiences, but I wanted better. I wanted to labor and deliver my way — without an induction, dangerous labor-augmenting drugs, pain meds and constant monitoring — all which raise the risk of C section,” she said. “I didn’t want to be on a time schedule; if it was going to take two days, then I was up for the challenge. I wanted my family there, including my other two children. I wanted to bring my new infant into a quiet, dim and warm environment, where bonding and breastfeeding could begin immediately.”
Delivering her child at home not only met Bailey’s expectations, but exceeded what she had hoped to be the outcome of her home birth.
“I found that it wasn’t just the amazing birth experience that I had received. In actuality, I received an amazing pregnancy experience, too. I had a caregiver who listened and gave advice and was experienced enough to refer me elsewhere if a problem arose.”
Bailey and her midwife met regularily for her checkups and the midwife also met with Bailey’s husband and other children prior to delivery.
“It was amazing. I progressed a lot faster in my own home and warm tub than I anticipated. My midwife actually missed the birth by five minutes. I caught my own 8-pound, 15-ounce baby boy, Blake. I felt on top of the world — tired and sore — but on top of the world.”
Bailey said she still encounters people who “raise an eyebrow” when they learn she elected to have her third child at home.
But she believes that each woman needs to consider what is best for her and research the options available.
“To any woman who is pregnant, not just those who are choosing home birth, I would say do your homework and be your own advocate. If you are thinking about home birth, seek out women who have had them. Meet with a midwife and go over expectations and fears,” said Bailey. “We come from all walks of life, love our children and have made educated and well-researched decisions about our bodies and our babies.”
A study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics indicated more than 90 percent of attended home births in the U.S. involve midwives, but just 25 percent were certified. A certified nurse-midwife is a registered nurse with advanced, specialized training and experience in taking care of pregnant women and delivering babies. She is also licensed to provide care before, during and after delivery.
Rodney Glotfelty, a Garrett County health officer, said he has not seen an increase in home births, but emphasized that prenatal care is crucial for any mother.
“Home birth is a nice option for low-risk pregnancies but it is important to be able to get to a hospital quickly should a problem arise,” he said.
Maryland law allows only licensed doctors or a certified nurse-midwife to issue a birth certificate.
In situations where a child is born without a licensed practitioner present, the health department interviews the parents and collects any medical records and other documentation about residency prior to issuing a birth certificate.
Locating a midwife can be a daunting task for parents because many midwives are reluctant to advertise their skills due to legal issues, Bailey said. She found her midwife after attending a home birth five years ago.
Julie Huston, a certified nurse-midwife for Somerset (Pa.) OB-GYN, said she believes a home birth can be a safe and viable option for mothers experiencing a low-risk pregnancy.
“The ideal candidate for home birth is a healthy woman without any health or prenatal complications,” she said. “The key to safety is that the childbearing woman find a provider with both the skills and the ability to manage any situation.
“The concern with home birth is that women are often not close enough to a hospital for lifesaving measures in the event of an emergency, including postpartum hemorrhage or uterine rupture,” Huston said.
“If you’re choosing a home birth, choose a certified-nurse midwife or certified midwife who has admitting privileges at your local hospital. If she has privileges, she … will be able to continue care with you no matter what ends up happening and will also be able to expedite your care in the event of an emergency,” Huston said.
Bailey said she will continue to serve as an advocate for home birth and hopes that legal issues will not deter parents seeking a more natural method in which to welcome their child into the world. She said her own experience was exactly what she wanted for her and her family. “It went the way I wanted and needed. I was the one making decisions.”
Contact Angie Brant at abrant@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!
Chili Cook-off at New Germany State Park!
No Snow, No Problem… The Chili Cook-off is still on at New Germany State Park!
Since the weather is not cooperating, the ski and snowshoe races scheduled for this weekend have been cancelled. However, the Chili Cook-off is still on, and it’s not too late to register your secret family recipe! The event will take place on Saturday, January 14th, at the New Germany Lake House.
Pre-registration is required no later than January 13th. There is no charge to enter a dish. Electricity will be provided. Public tasting and judging will take place at 2:00 PM. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Best Traditional, Fire Alarm, and Most Unique. Family-friendly craft activities will also be available at the Lake House throughout the day. A service charge of $3/ person for Maryland residents, and $4/ person for out-of-state residents will be collected at the park entrance.
For more information, or to register a dish, please call the Ranger Station at 301-895-5453.
New Germany State Park
349 Headquarters Lane
Grantsville, Maryland 21536
301-895-5453
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!
For January, Situation Normal
Jan. 5, 2012
Wintry weather in January is nothing new to Garrett Countians, whether they be of the two-legged or four-legged variety. These horses at a Grantsville area farm know what to do to stay warm, and in fact most of them have at least some fun in snow. A significant storm came through the county this week, causing schools to remain closed on Tuesday and thus giving students an added day to their holiday break. About a foot of snow came down, accompanied by gusty wind and frigid temperatures. The next several days are predicted to be far more moderate, with daytime temps in the 40s, dropping to the 20s at night. Photo by Lisa Broadwater.
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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!
BOE To Meet Next Tuesday
Jan. 5, 2012
The Garrett County Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 10, beginning at 4 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Board of Education’s central office in downtown Oakland.
Following public comment at 4 p.m., the board will meet in a closed session until 5:30 p.m. Election of new officers will take place following the 4 p.m. public comment.
At 5:30 p.m., the board will move to the public agenda items of reconfiguration of fifth grade students into middle schools and the financial resolution for the energy audit performance contract.
Time will be set aside at 7 p.m. for public comment and participation on any topic. The public is invited to attend.
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