August 2010 Real Estate Sales - Market Update
The ADJUSTED list vs sale price is 91.80% (again, excluding the obvious subsidy error) – up 2%from last month (89.53%).
The current number of active/for sale residential listings (minus timeshares) is 775 as of today, down from last month (791). Making a little bit of headway is better than none, but that’s still a 24 month supply of homes available, based on the August sales numbers. I highly doubt we can average that many sales per month, so expect this number to remain high.
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There were 5 ‘newer’ homes that sold this month.
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15 of the 32 homes sold for less than $300,000.
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Highest sale was $1.750 million at the Blakeslee.
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1 property sold higher than full price.
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17 of these sales were lake area or vacation homes.
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The rest (15) are primary residential homes scattered around Garrett County.
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The days on market stats were significantly lower on average – newer listings are the ones selling vs. homes that have been on for a significant time. Sometimes, homes can appear ‘stale’ to buyers and they won’t bother to look unless there has been a recent sales price adjustment.
Average Sale Price: $367,780 (last month $321,685)
Average Days on Market: 163/182 (last month 150/302) (days on market with current broker/total days on market).
Local author plans book signing - Setting: Deep Creek Lake Maryland
September 7, 2010 – By NANCY TULLIS (ntullis@reviewonline.com)
NEW CUMBERLAND – Former Chester resident Lauren Carr will return to Hancock County on Friday for a visit to Swaney Memorial Library.
Carr has written three mystery novels, and will greet mystery enthusiasts and sign copies of her latest book beginning at 2 p.m. She will be at the library from 2-6 p.m. and will read from her books from 5-6 p.m.
Carr now lives in Harper’s Ferry. Her newest mystery is “It’s Murder, My Son.” Her previous books, “A Reunion to Die For,” and “A Small Case of Murder,” were set in Chester….
…”It’s Murder, My Son,” is set in Deep Creek Lake, Md., and introduces a new character, Mac Faraday, a bankrupt homicide detective. Carr said she didn’t move away from Joshua Thornton and Chester because she was tired of the character or the town. Her latest plot simply needed a detective rather than a lawyer at its center.
Construction of Garrett wind farm at standstill
Monday, September 06, 2010 9:53 AM
By Megan Miller, Cumberland Times-News, Md.
Sept. 06– Major construction on a Garrett County wind farm remains at a standstill more than one week after state environmental officials ordered a halt over violations related to water runoff and soil erosion controls.
On Aug. 25 the Maryland Department of the Environment ordered Annapolis-based developer Synergics and contractor White Construction Company to stop work on the site until proper erosion and sediment controls are installed.
MDE spokesman Jay Apperson said the developer was allowed to proceed with some electrical work Wednesday, but the stop work order remains in effect for any activities that require earth moving.
“All work may resume on the project when MDE determines that the site is in compliance with the approved sediment and erosion control plan,” he said.
Eric Robison, a local contractor and candidate for county commission, alerted MDE of problems at the site on July 29. Agency inspectors first went to the site on Aug. 3 and found “numerous” violations throughout the project, including some inadequate erosion controls and other areas of construction where there were no controls at all.
MDE told Synergics to stop all earth-moving work until the violations were corrected, and the developer agreed.
But in another inspection on Aug. 24, MDE found that Synergics had continued with some earth-moving work, like excavation to prepare for building windmill pads.
Frank Maisano, a spokesman for the wind power industry, said on Aug. 27 that Synergics would work with MDE to satisfy the agency’s concerns, but that no erosion problems resulted from work at the site.
“The fact of the matter is there’s no runoff issues related to that, and no environmental issues whatsoever,” Maisano said. “There have been no sediment control problems to date because there just hasn’t been any rain or anything like that.”
Robison pointed out that the area saw more than an inch of rain in August, according to data on Garrett College’s weather website.
“We had in excess of an inch of rain that occurred on a site that maybe nobody was monitoring,” Robison said.
“They might not be able to see the effects at the site, but that’s because they all ran downhill.”
Apperson stressed that the stop work order is temporary and called the violation “easily correctable.”
He said Synergics originally anticipated correcting the issue by Tuesday, but as of Thursday the developer was still “working up a schedule for the completion of the balance of the work.”
The Roth Rock project, as it is known, will consist of 20 2.5-megawatt wind turbines stretched across about three miles of Backbone Mountain near the West Virginia border. It is Garrett County’s second wind project, the other being developed near Eagle Rock by Constellation Energy.
MDE temporarily halted work on the Constellation project in late March, just one week after construction began. That stoppage was also due to insufficient erosion and sediment controls.
Constellation addressed the issues and revised its site plans, and was allowed to resume work by the beginning of April. The developer also paid $12,670 into the state’s sediment fund for the violations.
Apperson said he could not comment on the possibility of fines against Synergics because the situation remains under investigation.
In both cases, MDE was alerted about violations by members of a local wind farm opposition group called Save Western Maryland.
Maisano accused the group and affiliated groups of using similar tactics to “slow, delay or alter” wind power projects throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
“The fact of the matter is you have a naysayer, an active opponent … who’s sitting there watching every move waiting to complain,” Maisano said.
“The only thing I’ve been looking to do as part of Save Western Maryland is look at the regulatory process, look at what they’re supposed to be doing, and when we found that they weren’t doing what they’re required to do by law … we reported them to the proper authorities,” Robison said.
Save Western Maryland has also begun the process of taking legal action against Synergics for violation of the federal Endangered Species Act.
The organization gave Synergics official notice in a July 20 letter that it would sue for violation of the act unless the developer sought a special permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A lawsuit can be filed 60 days after notice of intent is given.
The letter stated that the wind project will adversely affect Indiana bats and Virginia big-eared bats, both classified as federal endangered species.
The group sent a similar letter to Constellation on June 23. A company spokesman has stated that Constellation will apply for the USFWS permit.
Contact Megan Miller at mmiller@times-news.com
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Wind Projects Caught in Fangs of Indiana Bats
With the ever-increasing number of wind turbines being constructed, various government and private organizations are pursuing research into the impact of wind turbines on birds and bats with particular focus on endangered species.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Fowler Ridge I Wind Farm in Benton County, Indiana announced a plan to research ways to reduce the impact of wind generation on bats after finding a dead endangered Indiana bat near a wind turbine. Fowler Ridge I, like all projects, had conducted due diligence wildlife surveys and consulted with state and federal wildlife agencies prior to construction and operation. The project was found to represent a very low risk for bats in general and the endangered Indiana bat in particular, but the finding of the dead bat led to further scrutiny by the FWS.
The Indiana bat has been listed on the endangered species list since 1967. It is found over most of the Eastern half of the United States. Almost half of all Indiana bats hibernate in caves in Southern Indiana. Indiana bats are small, weighing only one-quarter of an ounce, and
have a wingspan of nine to 11 inches.
While several wind farms, including Fowler Ridge, have recently requested incidental take permits from the FWS, others have been sent notices of intent to sue under the Endangered Species Act for failing to obtain incidental take permits. An incidental take permit is
required when a non-federal action may result in a “take” of an endangered or threatened species. In June 2010, a coalition of environmental organizations and individuals filed a notice of violation against a Constellation Energy, Inc. project proposed for Garrett County, Maryland.
The notice alleges that the project will result in an unpermitted taking of Indiana bats and another protected bat species. While construction on the project is proceeding, the legal wrangling is far from over. Constellation has stated they expect to request an incidental take permit for the protected bat species in the project area. Another nearby wind project also received a notice of violation from the same coalition.
Garrett County taking part in Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Sept. 05– The Drug Enforcement Administration and government, community, public health and law enforcement partners have announced a nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft. DEA will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction at sites nationwide on Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Garrett County law enforcement is taking part in the nationwide initiative with the participation of the Garrett County Health Department, Garrett County Sheriff’s Office and the Garrett County State’s Attorneys Office.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them both potential safety and health hazards.
“Today we are launching a first-ever National Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign that will provide a safe way for Americans to dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs,” said Michele M. Leonhart, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “This effort symbolizes DEA’s commitment to halting the disturbing rise in addiction caused by their misuse and abuse. Working together with our state and local partners, the medical community, anti-drug coalitions and a concerned public, we will eliminate a major source of abused prescription drugs, and reduce the hazard they pose to our families and communities in a safe, legal and environmentally sound way.”
“With this National Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign, we are aggressively reaching out to individuals to encourage them to rid their households of unused prescription drugs that pose a safety hazard and can contribute to prescription drug abuse,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler. “The Department of Justice is committed to doing everything we can to make our communities safer, and this initiative represents a new front in our efforts.”
“Prescription drug abuse is the nation’s fastest-growing drug problem, and take-back events like this one are an indispensable tool for reducing the threat that the diversion and abuse of these drugs pose to public health,” said Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske. “The federal, state and local collaboration represented in this initiative is key in our national efforts to reduce pharmaceutical drug diversion and abuse.”
Collection sites in every local community can be found by going to www.dea.gov. This site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations. Other participants in this initiative include the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; the Partnership for a Drug-Free America; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Association of Attorneys General; the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy; the Federation of State Medical Boards; and the National District Attorneys Association.
For further information regarding drop off sites in Garrett County, contact Nancy Brady, 301-334-7777 health department; Lt. Rob Corley, 301-334-1911 Sheriff’s Office, or Lisa Welch, states attorney 301-334-1974.
To see more of the Cumberland Times News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.times-news.com
Happy Labor Day Garrett County & Deep Creek Lake!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Labor Day Parade, Union Square, New York, 1882
Observed by United States
Type Federal Holiday (federal government, DC and U.S. Territories); and State Holiday (in all 50 U.S. States)
Date first Monday in September
2009 date September 7
2010 date September 6
2011 date September 5
Celebrations Parades, barbecues
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 6 in 2010).
The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date was chosen as Cleveland was concerned that aligning an American labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair. All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.
The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations,” followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school, although school starting times now vary.
In U.S. sports, Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. NCAA teams usually play their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race was held that day from 1950 to 2004.
LOST DOG - from the Republican
This concrete statue was apparently forcefully removed sometime during the days of Aug. 13 and 14 from its place at Curt’s Corner Anchor Mart north of Swanton. The hot dog has been a fixture at the North Glade Road store for some time. While investigators have mustard up some information, they would relish more so that they may ketch-up with the culprits, as theft is against the slaw… Oh, we could go on. But the loss is not a joking matter to the owners, and any and all information as to its whereabouts would be appreciated. Persons with knowledge of the statue are urged to contact the Maryland State Police at 301-387-1101.
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6th Annual Art & Wine Fest Slated For Sept. 10–12
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Sep. 2, 2010
The sixth annual Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival will be held the weekend of Sept. 10–12, benefiting the American Red Cross, Western Potomac Chapter. The fest will feature wine pairing dinners, handcrafted works by local and regional artisans, wine tasting from over 200 Maryland and national wineries, live music, children’s activities, brunches, lodging packages, and more.
The festival begins Friday night with area restaurants offering special pre-fix wine pairing dinners, teaming up with national wineries to pair pre-selected wines with specially prepared dinner courses. The menus appear on www.-deepcreekwinefest.com. Reservations are suggested.
The weekend continues on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Garrett County fairgrounds, McHenry. Over 30 professional artisans and craftsmen will display and sell their art, from handcrafted jewelry and wood carvings to oil paintings and hand-painted furniture and accessories. National distributors and Maryland wineries will offer samplings of a variety of over 200 wines, which guests may purchase at the retail store open until 7 p.m., with net proceeds donated to the American Red Cross.
Public Works Board Awards Funding To Local Projects
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Sep. 2, 2010
Gov. Martin O’Malley yesterday announced Board of Public Works approval of recreational projects in nine counties, including Garrett, and Baltimore City through Program Open Space and the Community Parks and Playgrounds Program.
“These dedicated programs and funding sources allow us to continue to provide accessible recreational opportunities that are close to home for Maryland’s working families,” said O’Malley. “Increasing availability of safe outdoor spaces for children also helps instill values of awareness and responsibility in our next generation of stewards.”
Oakland will receive $16,000 to upgrade the gymnasium floor and lighting in the Community Center (former National Guard Armory).
Deer Park will receive $75,000 to construct a restroom at the Community Park. There are currently no public restrooms located within the park, which consists of a playground area, basketball court, and a pavilion.
Garrett County Commissioners Hear Update Reports From Departments
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Sep. 2, 2010
The Garrett County commissioners received update reports on Tuesday from the Roads Department, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, and Heritage Management Plan officials. The commissioners also approved bids presented by the county’s Purchasing Department.
Roads Department
Superintendent Jay Moyer, Garrett County Roads Department, reported that paving crews have laid approximately 18 miles of asphalt so far this fiscal year.
This includes some patching on Joni Miller, Shady Dell, and North Glade roads.
In addition, the entire section of Boy Scout, five miles of Oakland Sang Run in the Oakland area, one mile of Oakland Sang Run in the Accident area, and 1.1 miles of Monte Vista were paved.
Crews are now in the Grantsville area to do paving/repair work on Westernport Road. Moyer noted it was paved in 2007, but during the last few years, a tremendous amount trucking from coal mines has damaged 1.3 miles of this road.
“To bolster the integrity of the road, we put down a 3-inch base and a 1.5-inch surface over that, in anticipation of continuing truck traffic on that road,” Moyer said.
The entire 2.3 mile length of Dorsey Hotel Road, including 300 feet in Grantsville, will also get a bituminous overlay, he added.
The superintendent noted that about one-third of the county’s $1.5 million paving budget will be reserved for winter operations. If the funds are not needed for that, they will be used for spring paving projects.
He reported that Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are reviewing the Roads Department’s request for reimbursement of snow removal/winter operation costs during a federally declared disaster period in February. The department is expected to receive $160,400.
Moyer noted that should help with this coming winter operations.
The superintendent also reported that the long awaited Bayard-Corona Bridge project is finally moving forward. The Maryland–West Virginia project has been in the works for 12 years. Moyer said construction will begin in the next building season and be completed in fall 2012.
Public Safety
Director Brad Frantz, Garrett County Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, reported that the Emergency Services Club at Southern High School started back up this week. Students will meet five days a week.
“It does appear that we’ll be able to teach them the entire First Responder Course through the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute,” Frantz told the commissioners.
SHS teacher Todd Dyche is the club’s mentor and will also instruct the course.
Frantz said Northern High School’s EMS Club will only be able to meet one day a week because of class scheduling issues. He noted that the NHS club membership grew last year.
“Both clubs now really look like they’re going full speed, and I’m very proud of that,” Frantz said.
He said many of the members have gotten involved with local fire departments. Completing the First Responders Course will now enable them to volunteer for the rescue squads.
Frantz noted that some of the EMS Club members will be portraying victims in a hazardous materials training and decontamination exercise, scheduled for Monday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Oakland town parking lot. Local volunteer fire departments will participate.
The director said the departments took part in a similar exercise about 1½ years ago. Since that time, however, Craig Umbel of the Garrett County Health Department has been conducting hazardous materials response training for the departments. Frantz said the upcoming exercise will be a good measure of the progress the fire companies have made since the first exercise.
Heritage Plan
The commissioners unanimously approved the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce as the entity that will oversee the Heritage Area Management Plan. Community Action will support the chamber’s efforts.
Community Action president Duane Yoder and staff member Peggy Jamison and Chamber president Nicole Christian and official Joyce Bishoff discussed the issue with the commissioners.
Jamison reviewed the progress that has been made with the project. Garrett County was recognized as a Heritage Area in 2003 by officials with the state’s Heritage Preservation and Tourism Areas Program. Garrett County is the last recognized Heritage in the state.
The purpose of the program is to link resource preservation with economic development and tourism, creating public/private partnerships to achieve lasting sustainability.
In order to be a certified area, however, the county had to first designate an entity to oversee the Heritage Area sites and plan.
The plan will address heritage preservation and tourism initiatives in the county by assessing capital and non-capital projects and programs; determining cost estimates and sources of funds for projects as well as the operation and management of the Heritage Area; assessing economic performance (return on investment); recommending a management platform and action strategies; and identifying Heritage Area boundaries and areas for targeted investment.
Jamison indicated that local organizations and individuals will have an opportunity to have input on the final Heritage Area Management Plan draft.
Plan consultants recommended that the chamber be the designated entity because it is the county’s marketing organization for tourism, it has established public and private partnerships, it has a visitor center and already provides tourism services, it has marketing expertise and staff, and it has an existing organization capable of managing the heritage area.
For more information, persons may visit the consultant’s web site: peterjohnstonassociates.com.
Bid Awards
The commissioners unanimously approved three bids on Tuesday: Daystar Builders, courthouse rotunda roof drain system replacement, $4,769; Joe Colmer Logging, $10,960.40, for timber harvested at Landon’s Dam to make way for a wind turbine and at the King’s Run refuse collection site for an expansion project; Thomas & Thomas Construction, $28 an hour and 12 percent markup on materials, general carpentry service as needed; and Axis Geospatial, $129,000, geographical information system (GIS) parcel conversion project.
Purchasing agent Brian Bowers noted that the GIS award was contingent upon the county receiving funding from the Maryland Emergency Numbers Board. The county’s GIS specialist, Debbie Carpenter, seemed confident that the board would approve the entire $129,000 for the mapping project.
