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Plans progressing for Leo Martin Memorial Park

The Garrett County Republican

MTN. LAKE PARK — Plans for Leo Martin Memorial Park are moving along. Mountain Lake Park officials reviewed landscape designer Daniel Lucas’ latest rendering of the project during their council meeting last Thursday.

The butterfly-shaped park is to be located near the corner of Md. 135 and G Street on the site where the Bashford Amphitheater once stood. Martin served as mayor of Mountain Lake Park for 16 years.

Officials discussed the park design, which features flower beds shrubbery, fitness areas, a splash pad, a pavilion where weddings and other activities can be held, an outdoor fireplace, swings, as well as spaces where tents can be set up for festivals and other events.

In the center of the “butterfly” will be a silo-like tower with manufactured stone veneer and a spire top.

“It’s almost like a little castle that’s going to be really visible to the highway,” Mayor Don Sincell said. “It’ll have a spiral staircase and slides for kids.”

Lucas’ current plan shows a circular elevated stage with grass-terrace seating. Sincell noted, however, this feature might be changed.

The town has received Program Open Space and Community Parks and Playgrounds Program grants from the state totaling $235,000 for the project.

Sincell provided a brief update on Mountain Chautauqua, which is slated for July in Mountain Lake Park.

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Garrett County school board accepts report

Cumberland Times News

OAKLAND — The Strategic Facilities Committee, established and appointed in March by the Garrett County Board of Education, detailed its final report during a public meeting Tuesday with recommendations to address enrollment, demographic data and the community’s concerns and preferences.

Some recommendations in the capital projects plan include the establishment of a joint working group composed of staff of the Board of Education and county government to further identify and coordinate the program; to add security in the form of five security vestibules that help improve control of the school environment by allowing administrators and staff to know who’s in the building at all times; to address disruptive behavior by building dedicated spaces for de-escalation that get students back in the classroom as soon as possible; to undertake projects identified by the superintendent and staff that are in need of upgrade or replacement; and to enclose open-space classrooms to reduce noise and distractions for students.

Funding for the capital program is estimated to cost $50.6 million over six years, an average of $8.4 million per year.

David Lever, facilitator of Education Facilities Planning LLC and a part of the facilities commission, provided a comparison using current replacement value.

The replacement value of county schools is approximately $232 million and the industry standard capital expenditure is 2%. When added with deferred maintenance, the total in comparison comes to $99 million, an average of $9.9 million per year.

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$100,000 grant coming to Garrett County

The Garrett County Republican

McHENRY — The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area Maryland Heritage Area was notified that one of the Garrett County projects on the reserve list was awarded funding by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

Garrett College Foundation was awarded a project grant for $100,000 for development of the Garrett College to Ag Hall Heritage Trail.

“In July, the Town of Oakland received funding for the Oakland Heritage Trail and the Chamber (of Commerce) was awarded a Heritage Area management grant totaling $129,631 so we were thrilled to receive additional funding from the reserve list this year,” said Kim Folk, heritage area & groups director for the chamber. “That brings the FY20 grand total of MHAA grant funding to $229,631 for the Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area. These grants will allow the recipients to expand awareness of Garrett County’s historical and cultural heritage.”

The Ag Hall Heritage trail will provide locals and visitors a trail from Garrett College to the Agriculture Heritage Hall at the Fairgrounds, both located on Mosser Road. This trail will connect the two largest event venues in the county, as well as adding to the counties already growing and extensive trail system. Interpretive signage will be included along the route.

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Garrett County tourism growth exceeds state average

The Cumberland Times-News

MCHENRY — Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County have seen record increases in tourism during fiscal 2019, which ended June 30, with an 8.7% increase in county accommodations sales, 8.8% in admissions and amusement collections, 14.09% in visitors to the chamber of commerce website and 3.2% in guests to the Visitors Center in McHenry.

The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce attributes the continued growth in tourism to its strategic and effective marketing efforts.

According to the Maryland Office of Tourism, Garrett County’s recent increases even outpaced Maryland’s tourism growth. For FY 2019, Maryland grew sales tax revenues specific to tourism 4.0%, while Garrett County’s tourism sales tax revenues grew 4.4% during the same time period.

Garrett County grew lodging sales tax collections 5.1% and Maryland grew .8%. Due to county lodging growth over the previous three years, the chamber secured an 8.9% increase in state tourism marketing match grant funds for fiscal 2020.

“We have capitalized on the strong economy by being strategic and innovative with our marketing,” said Nicole Christian, chamber president and CEO.

Oakland resident bicycles 5,095 miles to Alaska

The Garrett County Republican

OAKLAND — Alan Peachey recently returned to Oakland from an extended trip to Alaska.

Such a trip is not uncommon for those who like to travel. However, his mode of transportation was anything but ordinary. He traveled 5,095 miles on a bicycle.

“I had wanted to do a long-distance bike tour for quite some time, and this is the summer I made it happen,” he said.

Peachey left Oakland on July 19. He biked for 56 days, arriving in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, a few miles from the Arctic Ocean, on Sept. 12.

He averaged 91 miles a day on his trip.

“This was never a race,” he said. “On lots of days I could have started earlier and pushed myself harder,” he said. “Ultimately, it was more of a test of mental endurance than physical. You have to have the will to keep going day after day in all kinds of terrain, temperatures, insects and headwinds.”

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Jay Ferguson
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