Salem curriculum impacts children
Stephanie Weaver
The Cumberland Times-News Sun Aug 21, 2011, 09:30 PM EDT
GRANTSVILLE — When 13-year-old Adam first came to Salem Children’s Trust, he was in third grade. Recalling his time at the school, he can’t pick one favorite memory. Instead, it’s the horses, his peers, and the staff that has made an impact.
“We always have fun,” he said.
Over the years, Todd Mechem, executive director of Salem, has seen major improvements in Adam’s behavior and considers him a “Salem success story.”
“He has wonderful social skills, he will hold a door for a lady, and says ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ ” Mechem said.
This character-building is part of the curriculum at Salem, according to Mechem, along with their regular classroom education. “We train them how to react in social situations,” he explained.
Salem, a nonprofit charity, is licensed by the Maryland Department of Human Resources as a long-term group home or short-term shelter care facility for youth ages 6 to 18. However, the school can receive children from the Department of Juvenile Services, Department of Social Services or parent referral. DJS youth, like Adam, make up 40 percent of Salem’s students, according to Mechem.
DJS children who go to Salem are “very similar to children in the welfare system,” according to Jay Cleary, director of communication at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. These children are facing minor offenses, if any, and have a higher level of needs.
With many youth lacking a “home,” Salem provides a “family-like” environment, according to Mechem. The youth live in one of four houses on Salem’s 380 acres of woods, “similar to (houses) you’d see in Garrett County,” Mechem said.
Unlike other residential programs, youth at Salem have their own rooms, with free rein to decorate them. They also have daily chores and family meals — emphasizing relationships between peers and “teaching parents,” adults who live with the youth in the home.
According to Mechem, these relationships are essential. Salem staff is encouraged to joke around and reach out to make youth feel comfortable. “It’s not uncommon for a staff person to take a student out to lunch,” he said.
Salem is both a residential and educational facility — not all students live there— that places emphasis on nature and Christian principles. Although Salem is a Christian-based program, the staff recognizes and respects all religions. The goal of the spiritual aspect is to show kids they have “internal worth,” according to Mechem.
“It’s the best school I’ve ever been to,” a Salem School student said.
Statistics show the school’s therapeutic model is working. According to DJS statistics, three males were released during the 2009 fiscal year, while no youth came back for referral or rearrest. Although Salem can’t contact students once they leave the school, Mechem said that many students keep in contact by writing letters or visiting. For many, Salem is the only family they know.
On the wall in his office, Mechem has pictures of every student who has been to Salem. As he points out, you can’t tell which student has come to Salem through DJS or DSS. To him, each picture is a reminder of the mission of Salem.
“It gives kids a chance to have a fresh start,” Mechem said.
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!
Boating meeting
Thursday, 10 a.m.-noon, Maryland Boat Act Advisory Committee meeting, Kent Island Yacht Club, 117 Yacht Club Drive, Chester. The committee will discuss the 2011 regulatory requests and be briefed on recent regulatory changes to vessel noise on Deep Creek Lake and other matters. The public is welcome to attend.
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!
5 places to go stand-up paddleboarding in Maryland
McHenry
The Wisp Resort on Deep Creek Lake offers a variety of conditions depending on how close you’re willing to paddle to the boats.
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!
Still water becomes Class IV rapids
Sunday, August 21, 2011
By Craig Meyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Even in a sport like kayaking, where every course has its own distinct features and challenges, the ASCI complex in Deep Creek Lake, Md., is considered truly unique among the greater kayaking community.
Situated in mountainous western Maryland, the whitewater course at ASCI maintains the distinction of being the world’s only mountaintop whitewater course.
“There is nothing in the United States or even the world that is like this,” said ASCI business manager Sandy Bello.
ASCI, a not-for-profit organization formed to promote adventure tourism and healthy outdoor lifestyles, opened the whitewater course in 2007 and has taken over 45,000 people rafting and kayaking in that time.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11233/1168601-140.stm#ixzz1VmXt74PM
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!
Fire Marshal: Sprinkler System Saved Carroll County Home
Fire Marshal attributes control of the fire and family’s safety to sprinkler system.
By Kym Byrnes
August 19, 2011
Three people safely escaped from a Mount Airy home Aug. 18 and there was minimal fire damage to the home, thanks to a sprinkler system that was installed during the house’s construction two years ago.
Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray told Patch that the public often doesn’t hear about the successes of these residential sprinkler systems because the fire damage and human injury are avoided, leaving little to report.
“It’s not exciting news but it’s important to get the word out that these sprinkler systems do work in saving lives and minimizing damage from fire and smoke. Because they work so well, we often don’t hear about them,” Mowbray said….
…The State of Maryland adopted the residential sprinkler requirement in the building code last year. Mowbray said they made the wording so that that counties can opt of out requiring it in their building code. Washington County and Garrett County are two of the counties that opted out of adopting the ordinance.
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!
Staycation: Mountainous Maryland
….Almost an hour further, you’ll find Deep Creek Lake and similar activities to Rocky Gap, but with skiing in the winter and white water rafting in warmer months. This area of Garrett County—the westernmost county in Maryland—is widely visited and has a bustling tourist season. Here, you’ll find a bit more diversity in activities.
Deep Creek Lake has several high-quality dining venues, a modern movie theater, go-carts, shopping mall and more choices for indoor recreation. Night clubs, water sports and horseback riding are also on the list of recreational activities, along with all-terrain vehicle rentals and guided trails.
Whether your wallet will let you travel only as far as Rocky Gap, or all the way to Deep Creek, there’s certainly no shortage of adventures to be found in-between the two.
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!
Police disarm, arrest Garrett County man
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Tue Aug 16, 2011, 11:27 PM EDT
GRANTSVILLE — A Grantsville man armed with a loaded rifle was arrested without incident early Tuesday when he charged at Garrett County sheriff’s deputies outside his residence on Bill Beitzel Road.
After being taken into custody, Jason Ray Beitzel, 27, was taken to Garrett Memorial Hospital for mental evaluation prior to being released to the custody of the sheriff’s office for arrest processing.
Charged with reckless en-dangerment, and first- and second-degree assault, Beitzel remained in custody late Tuesday morning awaiting further evaluation by medical personnel and a bond hearing by a district court commissioner.
Shortly after 1 a.m., deputies were dispatched to the 400 block of Bill Beitzel Road in reference to a “mental subject.”
Upon arrival, deputies found Beitzel sitting inside his residence where he was armed with a rifle. He then walked toward the officers, failing to comply with commands to drop the weapon. Beitzel then reportedly loaded one round into the rifle and continued toward the deputies in an aggressive manner before he was subdued by deputies and taken into custody, according to the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office.
Police said no one was injured in the incident.
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!
Summer Travel Savings with Vacation Rental Homes at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
It’s Not Too Late to Save on Summer Travel by Lodging in a
Deep Creek Lake Vacation Rental
Railey Mountain Lake Vacations Offers a Varied Selection of Last-Minute
Accommodations for Less
McHenry, Md. (Aug 16, 2011) – For trips planned during the late summer months, savvy travelers are looking at every way they can stretch the family budget to maximize enjoyment without sacrificing comfort or recreational opportunities.
Deep Creek Lake Maryland is within 3 hours’ drive from major cities like Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Baltimore, Md., with many area visitors saving on the rising costs of airfare by hitting the road. Lodging is the second largest vacation expenditure, and one way traveling families can save without cramping style before summer’s end is by staying in a multi-bedroom vacation rental home.
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!
Presidents Day Weekend 2011 - Events
The Chamber of Commerce has a great new website with an interactive events calendar – check it out!
Feb 18 Oakland B&O Railroad Station Open House
Feb 18 Winter Fest
Feb 23 Bud Light Music Series
Feb 25 Goosebumps & Grapes
Feb 26 13th Annual MSP/NRP Deep Creek Dunk
Feb 26 The Maryland Open
Check it out at http://info.VisitDeepCreek.com/events
Railey Realty Resort Report Winter 2011
The latest copy of our Resort Report is now available. Great articles about the last year of sales, the Wisp Ski train, the new commissioners, new tax assessments. Feel free to contact me if you would like an opinion on on the value of your property or if you have questions about your assessment. I know I will be fighting mine and I will post a ‘how-to’ soon.
