>Slippery roads may return with freezing rain advisory
>From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Tue Feb 01, 2011, 02:40 PM EST
CUMBERLAND — Rain coupled with subfreezing temperatures created slippery road conditions throughout the region Tuesday but with no major accidents reported by early afternoon.
Icing conditions shut down Garrett County government offices, delayed opening of circuit and district courts, and shut down school systems in Allegany and Garrett counties. Delayed openings were reported in other jurisdictions, including nearby West Virginia counties.
Few accidents were reported despite the freezing conditions — with the notable exception of a jackknifed tanker that blocked state Route 51 in the Collier Run Road area for about two hours. The driver declined medical treatment.
Early Tuesday afternoon, a freezing rain advisory was posted for the region by the National Weather Service for the period from 9 p.m. Tuesday into late Wednesday morning. The weather service also canceled a winter weather advisory and a winter storm watch that it posted Monday for the region.
“We are no means off the hook. The freezing rain advisory is posted for 9 p.m. tonight into late Wednesday morning,” said National Weather Service observer Tim Thomas in Cumberland. “There could up to two-tenths inch of freezing rain overnight.”
While freezing conditions were reported in the higher elevations, few weather-related calls were received by local emergency centers as of early Tuesday afternoon.
“We had a couple vehicles get hung up on the ice but no major accidents,” said a dispatcher at the Mineral County 911 center in Keyser.
At the Maryland State Police barrack in McHenry, public communication officer Brian Chaney said, “It’s not too bad. We actually have some 40-degree temperatures right now. But we’ll have to see what we are in for later.”
Allegany County Bureau of Police Lt. Rodney Bell said several side roads had been closed due to cars sliding into ditches.
“The side roads are terrible. The main roads are decent,” he said Tuesday morning.
>Once more with sole - Cumberland Times
>Michael A. Sawyers
The Cumberland Times-News Sun Jan 30, 2011, 08:00 AM EST
As of March 21, if you wear felt soles on the bottom of your boots and you are standing in water in Maryland you will be breaking the law.
I know that because I saw it at www.dnr.state.md.us
The intent of the new law is to prevent didymo — aka rock snot — from being transported from a Maryland waterway where it lives to a Maryland waterway where it does not. Rock snot is an invasive algae that prefers cold streams. It is considered to be as inappropriate as a martini at an AA meeting.
However, as written, the new law applies not just to Maryland trout streams such as the Youghiogheny or the Casselman rivers, but to all of the state’s waters.
Thus, if you are a duck hunter wearing felt-soled boots in a farm pond in Charles County you are in violation of the law.
If you are a trapper wearing felt-soled bottoms and are walking a warm-water rivulet as you check your traps in Dorchester County, you are a scofflaw.
Smile. Your photo on the post office wall will look better that way.
Sgt. Art Windemuth of the Maryland Natural Resources Police said that any time there is a new law the first year is always about “education, education, education.”
That is good news to Didymo and the Traveling Rock Snots as the group continues its farewell tour.
I guess when a natural resources police officer is being an educator about a new law that means the constable will take names, but not yet kick butt.
I guess that means that someone who has been warned, but is caught again in illegal footwear might have those boots confiscated and will have to walk to district court in his or her socks.
Didymo is already in some Maryland streams, including the Savage River in Garrett County.
It is unclear whether or not felt soles would once again become legal should rock snot spread to all of Maryland’s trout streams during the year of regulation education or thereafter.
It has not been determined, to my knowledge, that felt soles are the sole source of didymo expansion.
Paul Peditto, director of the Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service, said hunters and trappers will be informed about the new law via the agency’s online regulations. News releases will be issued.
Maryland becomes only the third state to ban felt soles, joining Alaska and Vermont in the endeavor.
The soles are illegal, as well, in New Zealand.
—
NRP officer to driver of two-toned 1993 Ford 150 parked alongside Bear Creek: “Sir. I see you have felt-soled boots in the back of your pickup. Have you been wading today?”
Driver: Has sheepish look. Says nothing.
NRP officer: “Step out of the vehicle, please.”
—
I have not yet been able to discover the fines and/or jail time associated with this new law.
I will pass that on to you as soon as it becomes known.
Contact Outdoor Editor Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com
>Delegation speaks up on TV issue
>Kristin Harty Barkley
The Cumberland Times-News Sat Jan 29, 2011, 08:01 AM EST
OAKLAND — Two new voices have joined a virtual choir in Garrett County that is entreating federal officials to add Maryland television stations to the local channel lineup.
Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel introduced joint resolutions to the Maryland Senate and House on Friday, adding momentum to an issue that has vexed some residents for years.
The resolutions urge the Maryland Delegation to Congress to lobby the Federal Communications Commission — introducing legislation, if necessary — to amend its rules and allow Garrett County residents to receive broadcasts from stations in the Baltimore and Washington television market areas.
Currently, Garrett County is included in the Pittsburgh television market area, and most residents don’t have access to any Maryland-based television stations.
“This is not just a mild inconvenience for the people who may be Baltimore Ravens or Washington Redskins fans,” Beitzel wrote in a recent letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
“There is a more troubling byproduct. The citizens of Garrett County are inundated with the political landscape of Pennsylvania. As a result, the average Garrett County resident may know more about the goings on of Harrisburg than they do of their own elected representatives in Annapolis.”
A group of concerned residents approached Beitzel and Edwards in early December during a prelegislative breakfast, asking the local delegation to put its weight behind the issue. The Garrett County Commission has also pledged support.
The resolution sponsored by Beitzel has been assigned to the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, according to a press release from his office. Senate Joint Resolution 2, sponsored by Edwards, has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. Hearings on the matters have not been scheduled yet.
“Garrett County is the only county in the state not included in either the Baltimore or Washington media markets,” Edwards said in a prepared statement. “We’re supposed to be ‘One Maryland,’ so we are only asking that our constituents be given the opportunity to join the rest of the state.”
Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley@times-news.com
>The Realities of Real Estate: Is your agent an expert?
>Jay’s note: GREAT article about representing the best interest of your clients. I would never think of going to Baltimore to try and sell a commercial property; the opposite applies here with agents who want to work the market at Deep Creek Lake – and learn it in a day to become an ‘expert’.
By BOB and DONNA McWILLIAMS, For The Capital
Capital Gazette Communications Published 01/30/11
Some buyers and sellers believe that real estate agents are somewhat of a commodity, and as such, fairly interchangeable when it comes to completing a real estate deal. In reality, the differences between agents is significant and something you should consider when looking to buy or sell a home. Furthermore, there are a variety of aspects on which agents can differ, and some are more critical than others.
Agents are licensed by the state. As a result, an agent with a Maryland real estate license can legally sell essentially any kind of real estate anywhere in Maryland. But, and this is an important but, that doesn’t mean all real estate agents are necessarily qualified to sell everything under the sun. If an agent attempts to represent a client in an area of expertise outside the scope of their knowledge or in a geographic location where they normally don’t do business, they could run afoul of ethical standards that require them to not venture beyond their experience and abilities.
The most common limitation is geographic in nature. Although our real estate license might permit us to sell a house in Deep Creek Lake, we would never think of representing a buyer or seller in that location because we lack an intimate knowledge of the area. To properly evaluate property, it is necessary to sufficiently understand the important real estate nuances that exist in all communities. We actually got married up at Deep Creek Lake and have visited there many times, but that doesn’t give us the skills and abilities of a local agent. Those agents know the ins and outs of why a house located on one part of the lake might be substantially better than one situated in another area. Conversely, a Deep Creek Lake agent won’t know the merits of various neighborhoods around Annapolis. So, if an agent is representing clients in a particular location, they should have a reasonable understanding of that area or previous experience in doing business within the community.
>Chamber Opposes A Marcellus Shale Drilling Moratorium
>
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Jan. 27, 2011
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce board of directors recently completed its 2011 Legislative Agenda. Members plan to present these issues to state lawmakers and other officials during this evening’s Mountain Maryland PACE Reception in Annapolis.
Among the agenda items is “Oppose Moratorium on Marcellus Shale Drilling.”
“Marcellus shale drilling could have an enormous economic impact on Garrett County,” a chamber newsletter stated. “With this taken into consideration, we must also become more educated on the environmental issues associated with drilling.
“We feel that it is not necessary to impose a moratorium on drilling. Since no permits have been issued as of yet, an informal moratorium has been in place, and we have adequate time to inform the regulatory pro-cess to ensure all precautions and appropriate measures are taken.
“It is clear that we must approach the prospect of drilling in Garrett County responsibly.”
Other chamber legislative agenda items and PACE “talking points” include “Support Tourism Promotion Funding,” “Support Mountain Maryland Recreational Trails/Garrett Trails,” “Oppose Minimum Wage Increase,” “Support Responsive/Responsible Government,” “Support Restoration of Highway User Funds,” “Support North/South Appalachian Highway,” “Oppose Comparative Fault,” and “Support Maryland Broadband.
More information about the agenda is available at www.visitdeepcreek.com/pages/legislative
>Beitzel Introduces Turbine, Property Marker Legislation
>
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Jan. 27, 2011
Del. Wendell Beitzel introduced two more bills for the Maryland General Assembly’s consideration last week in Annapolis. A previously introduced piece of proposed legislation, dubbed the “Buy American” bill, will go under committee review next week.
House Bill 112: “Garrett County – County Commissioners –Commercial Wind Turbines” would give the commissioners the authority to enact ordinances in Garrett County regarding setbacks and decommissioning of wind turbines.
“This is a measure that both Senator Edwards and I have pursued during past sessions,” Beitzel said. “Slowly but surely, I believe that many are beginning to see the need for such commonsense legislation. As turbines continue to be placed on Garrett County’s mountainsides, I believe it is imperative to ensure that those who live, work, and play under these imposing structures are protected.”
Beitzel’s House Bill 113: “Real Property – Interference With Property Markers – Penalty Increase” would increase fines for vandalizing property markers.
“The interference with property markers has been a problem in Garrett County, especially within the Deep Creek Lake area,” Beitzel said. “Monuments marking property lines have been destroyed or moved over the years. As a result, surveying groups have gone to great expense to replace and/or relocate these markers.”
Current law states that interfering with property markers is a misdemeanor subject to a fine up to $500.
“The bill that Senator Edwards and I are proposing will increase the penalty to up to $2,500. This increase in the maximum penalty reflects the considerable costs incurred to replace and relocate these markers.”
>Can We Keep Him, Grandpa? - Republican News
>
With snow to spare and the school buses not running, 8-year-old Tad Rodeheaver and Eunae Rodeheaver, 6, decided to make the best of the situation and sculpted themselves a friend. Their snow turtle, which they named Icey, was the perfect size for riding, when their grandfather, Lonnie Rodeheaver, snapped this photo. The children are students at Kitzmiller Elementary School and the son and daughter of Mark and Sandy Rodeheaver of Deer Park.
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>Fire And Ice - Republican News
>
The elements are indeed featured in this spectacular photograph, taken on the shore of Deep Creek Lake just before this most recent snow, when the days were snowless but frigid, and the single-digit temps kept the waterway frozen hard as stone. The winter has been brutal thus far, but is certainly not without arresting beauty. Photo by Jess Whittemore.
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>A look back at the Unprecedented February of 2010
>
From the GarrettCountyWeather.com blog:
If you look under the Historical Weather tab of Garrettcountyweather.com you will find the Historic Garrett Snowstorm section. This section will be an ongoing project to document and depict famous weather events that have occurred in Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake over the years. If you have stories or photos you would like to share please send to admin@garrettcountyweather.com
>Our Bay: DNR Digest
>ASK AN EXPERT
What fishing opportunities are available in the winter?
Although many people tend to think of fishing in Maryland as a warm-weather activity, there are plenty of opportunities to be had during the winter months.
Excellent trout fishing may be found in many of the waters in the western and central regions of the state. Deep Creek Lake is known for the good ice fishing for yellow perch, walleye and numerous other freshwater species.
The winter months are a great time to target chain pickerel in open water ponds, small lakes and the upper regions of tidal rivers and creeks. Often these areas are thick with grass beds during the warmer months, but make for great fishing during winter.
Maryland anglers are fortunate to have good fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass and muskellunge in the upper Potomac River. These coldwater fish can provide a lot of action from shore or small boats.
