>May Bird Count Set For May 14; Counters Needed
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May. 5, 2011
The annual county-wide May Bird Count, sponsored by the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS), will be held in Garrett County on Saturday, May 14, during the entire 24-hour period (midnight Friday to midnight Saturday).
According to count coordinator Fran Pope, birds may be counted during any portion of the count period and in any part of Garrett County. Results of the count will appear in Maryland Birdlife, a publication of MOS.
Novice and experienced birders alike are welcome to participate, Pope said. Count participants may count birds either at their bird feeders or in a favorite spot in the county. To avoid duplication of effort and assure the best coverage of the county, interested persons should are asked to contact Pope prior to next Wednesday, May 11, and let her know where they would like to count. She can be reached via telephone at 301-334-4908.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Broadband Study Grant Awarded To Garrett County
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The Appalachian Regional Commission yesterday announced the approval of a grant award to the Board of Garrett County Commissioners to fund a broadband feasibility study for the county. The grant provides $50,000, to be matched by county funds, to complete a detailed engineering, design, and business feasibility study to expand broadband Internet service throughout the county.
“This study, when completed in approximately 12 months, will be the road map that the county and Internet service providers will use to reach the goal of 90 percent broadband service availability by 2014,” the commissioners noted in a press release.
The study will also determine the most productive methods to leverage the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act broadband grant that was awarded to Maryland in September 2010. The ARRA grant will deploy approximately 50 miles of fiber backbone in Garrett County, connecting anchor institutions such as schools, Garrett College, libraries, government, and health care and public safety agencies.
The backbone will be “open access,” allowing qualified Internet service providers to offer higher speed/more affordable services to a greater number of homes and businesses throughout the county, according to the commissioners.
The recently completed Garrett County Economic Development Strategic Plan sets the 90 percent broadband availability goal as a major infrastructure milestone. According to the commissioners, expanded broadband availability is key to continued economic growth, educational attainment (student homework assignments, home schooling, distance learning), and community support services (remote health care, online citizen service, public safety/emergency services).
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Hart For Animals To Break Ground For Adoption Center
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After four years of raising funds for its Animal Adoption Center, HART for Animals will hold its groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, May 14, at the Bumble Bee site in McHenry (located near the Bumble Bee Road refuse and recycling center).
The ceremony, which will take place at 11 a.m., will be by invitation only and will feature a dog “breaking ground” with her paw to start the day. Some of the invited guests include state and local officials, the former and current commissioners, and other local government officials who have been instrumental to HART’s progress, the HART board of directors, volunteers, donors, and supporters. After the ceremony, guests will be served a light lunch.
The HART Adoption Center represents a unique concept – compassion supported by a business framework – that is gaining popularity among U.S. animal welfare communities, according to Mercedes Pellet, HART development director.
“As government budgets shrink in a tight economy, homeless animals often become first-line casualties when local shelters have to close for lack of funding,” she said.
To avoid that outcome, HART will operate two major revenue-producing businesses, with the profit used to pay for the operation of the adoption (shelter) area. The two core businesses are a boarding spa and a veterinary clinic, supported by grooming, training, and retail services that will also produce revenue for the shelter.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>William B. Grant Will Speak At GC Commencement
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William B. Grant, chief executive officer and president of First United Bank and Trust, will deliver the commencement address to Garrett College students during the graduation ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m.
A native of Garrett County, Grant has 32 years of banking experience, which includes serving as a director of the First United Corporation and the bank since 1995. He also has legal expertise gained through the practice of law.
Grant holds a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a law degree from Duquesne University. In addition, he is a graduate of Stonier Graduate School of Banking and Northwestern Trust Graduate School.
A past chairman of the Maryland Bankers Association, Grant is currently on the board of directors of the Baltimore branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and is a member of the American Community Bankers Council of the American Bankers Association.
Grant’s commitment to his community is reflected in his current and past membership and service in numerous organizations, including the Oakland/Mtn. Lake Park Lions Club, the Garrett Choral Society, the Garrett College board of trustees, the Garrett County Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Southern Mat (Youth Wrestling) Club, Southern Garrett Athletic Association, Southern High School Improvement Team, Southern Garrett High School Alumni Association, the Greater Cumberland Committee, the board of trustees of West Virginia Wesleyan College, and the board of directors of Leadership Maryland. He is an active member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Oakland.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>Proposed Ridgeline Protection Language Is Now A Dead Issue
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May. 5, 2011
A proposal to add language to the Garrett County Comprehensive Plan identifying certain mountain ridgelines as sensitive areas in need of protection from development is a dead issue, at least for the near future. The Garrett County commissioners and Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed amendments in March, and the issue has been batted back and forth between them since then.
After reviewing public commentary from the hearing, the Planning Commission on April 6 voted three to two in favor of forwarding the proposal to the commissioners, who were to make the final decision about including the amendments into the plan on May 3.
Shortly after the April vote, however, Director John Nelson, GC Department of Planning and Land Development, reviewed state law and local procedures about transmitting the commission’s public record to the commissioners. According to Maryland’s Section 3.07(c) of Article 66B, Nelson determined, the Planning Commission’s approval of a proposed plan amendment requires the affirmative votes of not less than the majority of all its membership, not just the majority of the members present at a meeting.
Four commission members, therefore, would have needed to vote in favor of the amendment in order for the proposal to be correctly forwarded to the commissioners for their approval/disapproval.
Upon learning about Nelson’s assessment of the provisions, the county commissioners referred the proposed plan amendment back to the Planning Commission for its further review and consideration at its May 4 meeting.
Since four Planning Commission members, a majority, cast affirmative votes yesterday to let the commission’s April decision, which was not a majority, stand, the ridgeline proposal cannot be forwarded to the county commissioners for them to vote on its possible inclusion into the plan.
A motion was also made at yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting to reconsider the amendments and reinitiate the public hearing process on the proposal. But that motion failed by a three to four vote.
The Planning Commission received more than 100 oral and written regarding the now mute proposal during the public hearing process in March. About 90 opposed the measure, while 38 were for it. Several of the letters supporting the amendments, however, were from groups representing multiple members.
If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
>FIRST Robotics Team Garners International Inspiration Award
>May. 5, 2011
Garrett County’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 1629, which is made up of students from both Northern and Southern high schools, landed an international award last weekend at St. Louis, Mo., where the team competed in the 2011 FIRST World Championships.
Team 1629, nicknamed “GaCo” – short for Garrett Coalition – was presented with the 2011 Championships Engineering Inspiration (EI) Award, recognizing “outstanding success in advancing respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.”
This is the second most prestigious award a team can receive from FIRST at the World Championship. Team 1629 was up against more than 350 teams from the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia in competition for this honor.
The local teenagers competed in the Archimedes Division at the event, and achieved a 7-3 record. Their robot’s performance earned the team the 19th rank out of 88 teams in their division.
Before achieving the opportunity to take part in the St. Louis event, the team competed in the Pittsburgh and Buckeye Regional events. The Pittsburgh Regional was the first competition of the year, where Team 1629 garnered a 5-8 record and lost in the quarter finals round of the competition. At that event, the team won the Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award, which recognized an innovative control system or application of control components to provide unique machine functions.
At the Buckeye Regional held in Cleveland, Ohio, the team had a 6-3 record and then lost in the semi-finals. At this contest, Team 1629 received the Xerox Creativity Award and the Regional’s Engineering Inspiration (EI) Award. The regional EI award qualified the team to compete in the St. Louis world championships.
There were four other Garrett County teams at the world event, and all fared well. FIRST Tech Challenge Teams Techno Clovers, G-Force, and FIRST Lego League (FLL) were all in comptition, with Clovers and G-Force achieving finalist positions in their divisions for being finalists in their division, and Team NeXT GEN which received the third place Strategy and Innovation Award. A report about these teams will be published in next week’s issue.
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If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
Respect Deep Creek Lake Ice!
Respect Deep Creek Lake ice
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — As temperatures begin to freeze area waterways, the Maryland Park Service cautions that anyone enjoying winter activities on Deep Creek Lake or any frozen body of water, should use care, particularly at night.
“Snowmobilers, ice fishermen, hikers and cross-country skiers traveling on the frozen lake should exercise caution,” urged Deep Creek Lake Recreation Area Assistant Manager Mark Spurrier. “Wearing a personal flotation device could prevent a tragedy. If you encounter people, pets or wildlife that have fallen through the ice, call either 911 or the Department of Natural Resources at 1-800-628-9944 for assistance.”
Road salt and abrasives plowed from highway bridges may affect the quality of the ice underneath and unseen snowdrifts can act as ramps and cause sleds and snowmobiles to become airborne leading to a loss of control and accidents.
Deep Creek Lake is a part of the designated off-road vehicle trail system permitting use by registered snowmobiles only. Permits are available by mail or at any of the local state park offices during normal business hours. Snowmobiles may operate at night if equipped with working head and taillights. Snowmobilers may access the lake through Deep Creek Lake State Park or with permission from a private landowner. For further information on ice conditions at Deep Creek Lake, call 301-387-5563 during the weekday or the Discovery Center on weekends at 301-387-7067.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
1/8 - Va. man injured in helicopter crash
1/8 – Va. man injured in helicopter crash
Cumberland Times-News
GRANTSVILLE — A Virginia man was taken to the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center after he crashed his helicopter in an open field near Amish Road early Wednesday evening.
Maryland State Police said Kolby Lee Reese suffered multiple injuries in the incident that occurred at about 6:15 p.m. No information was available concerning his condition.
The incident remains under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and state police.
The helicopter is reportedly owned by Chesapeake Bay Helicopters in Chesapeake, Va. Unconfirmed reports indicated the pilot was en route to Pittsburgh when the aircraft crashed. The pilot reportedly used a cell phone to report the crash.
Garrett County 911 alerted state police, Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, Garrett County Roads Department, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department and Northern Garrett Rescue Squad.
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
December 2009 Real Estate Sales Update - Deep Creek Lake & Garrett County, Maryland
There were a total of 29 residential sales in the month of December in Garrett County and at Deep Creek Lake. This pace is slightly ahead of last year (27 sales – Dec 2008).
This is certainly debatable, but 12 of these sales appear to vacation homes or 2nd homes, while the majority are primary residential. This certainly makes a difference in pricing strategies, specifically demand-based pricing.
The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price is 84.49% (up slightly from November), though the ADJUSTED list vs. sales price is 90.96% of asking price (almost identical to November).
The current number of active/for sale residential listings is 602. 23 of these homes are under contract.
Here are the statistical breakdowns:
If you are thinking of buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Long & Foster Real Estate for all of your real estate needs! 877-563-5350
>Recognized For Raising Environmental Awareness
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Ranger Caroline Blizzard, Maryland Park Service, received the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s 2011 Richard A. Johnson Environmental Education Award last Thursday for her contributions to environmental education in western Maryland. For her efforts, she received a check for $1,500 to support the work of local volunteers. Blizzard is director of the Deep Creek Lake State Park Discovery Center and shares her knowledge as a monarch butterfly “ambassador” with local students. See story for details. Left to right are UMCES president Dr. Donald Boesch, Blizzard, and Appalachian Laboratory director Dr. Robert Gardner.
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If you or someone you know is considering 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! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.
