2009 eventful year for region, nation
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — As the Times-News and the Associated Press take a look at 2009 in today’s Year in Review, there’s no surprise that the state of the economy and President Barack Obama’s inauguration are billed as the top two stories.
But the 12-page annual special section digs much deeper into local happenings from January through December 2009, for readers to refresh their memories or learn what they missed the first time around.
Cumberland’s New Year’s baby in 2009 was David Patrick Kitzmiller Jr., born Jan. 1 at 7:37 p.m. in the Western Maryland Health System’s Memorial Hospital, which officially closed Nov. 21. That was the day that the new Western Maryland Regional Medical Center opened on Willowbrook Road after three years of construction.
In February, the bid for a slots parlor at Rocky Gap State Park was shot down for failure to include a $4.5 million licensing fee. The seven-member state Video Lottery Facilities Location Commission voted unanimously to reject the bid from Empire Resorts Inc. of New York.
March brought the announcement that Roses Store would locate as the anchor business in the Queen City Drive shopping plaza in the months to come.
Washington Street residents voted in April against the proposed restoration of a brick roadway, opting for repaving the asphalt instead.
Plans for a new water park hotel near Deep Creek Lake were suspended in May after the developer for Aqua Mountain Resort was unsuccessful in gaining financial support from public sources.
Allegany County’s first confirmed case of the H1N1 virus was reported in June by county health officials. The swine flu outbreak was voted the No. 5 story of the year in both an AP poll and Facebook voting results.
The county lost two school board members in 2009. President Jane Dawson died of cancer in July, and Fred Sloan died following a lengthy illness in December.
Also in July, a fire raged through the Comcast building on Main Street in Keyser, W.Va., causing $200,000 damage to the structure and an equal amount of damage to the communication equipment housed inside.
In August, police arrested 19-year-old Thomas Lance Krenn in the beating death of his 42-year old aunt, Rose Marie Leyh, over Memorial Day weekend.
Cumberland officials began a discussion in September that has not been decided on whether to continue operating the city’s fire department in its current form or to make changes to help tackle state budget cuts.
Garrett County teacher Jennifer Burdock Rankin was named Maryland’s 2010 Teacher of the Year in October. She is a language arts and math instructor at Northern Middle School in Accident.
The new Allegany County Human Resources and Development Commission building on Virginia Avenue opened Nov. 6.
Finally, in December, the first measureable snowfall of the winter season hit the Cumberland area, causing injuries to several motorists.
For complete lists of the top 10 stories voted by the AP, plus Facebook users, turn to today’s Year In Review. You may be surprised.
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
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Garrett County in need of more 2010 census takers
Garrett County in need of more 2010 census takers
Commissioners want residents to take advantage of jobs
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Uncle Sam needs you — to work for the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010.
That’s according to the bureau’s Frederick office, which covers parts of Western Maryland including Allegany and Garrett counties. The office is stepping up its employee recruitment efforts in the two counties, said Patty Cox, a Frederick Census Bureau employee.
“We have recruiters in Allegany and Garrett, but it’s been more challenging to reach people there because it’s such a large area to cover,” Cox said.
In late February or early March the Census Bureau will be hiring temporary employees in the two counties to work as census takers. Beginning in April 2010, the census takers will go into local communities to collect data from households that do not return a census form by mail.
The issue came up briefly during Tuesday’s public meeting of the Garrett County commissioners. The commissioners released a prepared statement about the importance of the decennial census and local census jobs.
“It would be in the best interest of all citizens of the county to take advantage of not only the census count of 2010, but the jobs which will be available in the early spring,” the statement read in part. “Aside from the importance to the county of an accurate census count, these are good-paying opportunities for our citizens.”
Census taker jobs through the Frederick office start at a pay rate of $15.50 per hour. Census takers are also paid for mileage.
About 3.1 million applicants will be needed to fill census-taker jobs nationwide. Census takers work about 20 to 40 hours per week, usually in the evenings and on weekends, according to the Census Bureau Web site. The jobs are temporary and will last through the data-gathering phase of the 2010 census.
The Census Bureau has been recruiting workers since fall 2008 for the earliest stages of census preparation, but fall 2009 saw the beginning of its full-scale recruitment effort for census takers.
Cox said the bureau attempts to hire local people as census takers whenever possible to go out into communities and collect data. All prospective census takers are required to take an exam. That testing is going on now at the One-Stop Career Center in both Allegany and Garrett counties.
Every household should expect to receive a census form in the mail in March 2010. If the completed form isn’t returned by mail, the Census Bureau will mail a reminder to the same address. If the completed form still isn’t returned, a census taker will visit the address to collect the information in person.
The 2010 census form will look a bit different from those used in previous years. All households will receive a short form survey consisting of 10 questions, some of which are repeated to gather information about every person living at that address.
The Census Bureau did away with its long-form questionnaire altogether. Instead, detailed population information is gathered using the American Community Survey, which is sent to a small portion of the U.S. population — about 3 million households — each year.
People interested in applying to work as census takers can contact the Allegany or Garrett County One-Stop Career Center, call the toll-free U.S. Census Bureau jobs line at (866) 861-2010, or go online to 2010censusjobs.gov.
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
Commissioners want residents to take advantage of jobs
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Uncle Sam needs you — to work for the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010.
That’s according to the bureau’s Frederick office, which covers parts of Western Maryland including Allegany and Garrett counties. The office is stepping up its employee recruitment efforts in the two counties, said Patty Cox, a Frederick Census Bureau employee.
“We have recruiters in Allegany and Garrett, but it’s been more challenging to reach people there because it’s such a large area to cover,” Cox said.
In late February or early March the Census Bureau will be hiring temporary employees in the two counties to work as census takers. Beginning in April 2010, the census takers will go into local communities to collect data from households that do not return a census form by mail.
The issue came up briefly during Tuesday’s public meeting of the Garrett County commissioners. The commissioners released a prepared statement about the importance of the decennial census and local census jobs.
“It would be in the best interest of all citizens of the county to take advantage of not only the census count of 2010, but the jobs which will be available in the early spring,” the statement read in part. “Aside from the importance to the county of an accurate census count, these are good-paying opportunities for our citizens.”
Census taker jobs through the Frederick office start at a pay rate of $15.50 per hour. Census takers are also paid for mileage.
About 3.1 million applicants will be needed to fill census-taker jobs nationwide. Census takers work about 20 to 40 hours per week, usually in the evenings and on weekends, according to the Census Bureau Web site. The jobs are temporary and will last through the data-gathering phase of the 2010 census.
The Census Bureau has been recruiting workers since fall 2008 for the earliest stages of census preparation, but fall 2009 saw the beginning of its full-scale recruitment effort for census takers.
Cox said the bureau attempts to hire local people as census takers whenever possible to go out into communities and collect data. All prospective census takers are required to take an exam. That testing is going on now at the One-Stop Career Center in both Allegany and Garrett counties.
Every household should expect to receive a census form in the mail in March 2010. If the completed form isn’t returned by mail, the Census Bureau will mail a reminder to the same address. If the completed form still isn’t returned, a census taker will visit the address to collect the information in person.
The 2010 census form will look a bit different from those used in previous years. All households will receive a short form survey consisting of 10 questions, some of which are repeated to gather information about every person living at that address.
The Census Bureau did away with its long-form questionnaire altogether. Instead, detailed population information is gathered using the American Community Survey, which is sent to a small portion of the U.S. population — about 3 million households — each year.
People interested in applying to work as census takers can contact the Allegany or Garrett County One-Stop Career Center, call the toll-free U.S. Census Bureau jobs line at (866) 861-2010, or go online to 2010censusjobs.gov.
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
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wisp worker recovering at hospital
Wisp worker recovering at hospital
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — A worker at the Wisp Ski Resort who was injured by a snow-grooming machine was recovering from surgery in Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., on Friday afternoon.
Kevan Monn was listed in stable condition by hospital officials after being transferred there Wednesday from Garrett Memorial Hospital.
Moon was working in a maintenance garage Thursday when he was pulled beneath the rear end of the machine, which resembles a bulldozer, according to Wisp spokeswoman Lori Epp.
Northern Rescue Squad and Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded to the 2:53 p.m. call Wednesday, according to Garrett emergency officials.
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
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — A worker at the Wisp Ski Resort who was injured by a snow-grooming machine was recovering from surgery in Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., on Friday afternoon.
Kevan Monn was listed in stable condition by hospital officials after being transferred there Wednesday from Garrett Memorial Hospital.
Moon was working in a maintenance garage Thursday when he was pulled beneath the rear end of the machine, which resembles a bulldozer, according to Wisp spokeswoman Lori Epp.
Northern Rescue Squad and Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded to the 2:53 p.m. call Wednesday, according to Garrett emergency officials.
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
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Allegheny Power customers can buy wind energy
Allegheny Power customers can buy wind energy
Clean Currents offers 2 products
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Allegheny Power customers can now buy wind-generated electricity from renewable energy broker Clean Currents — but what will they actually be getting?
Clean Currents, headquartered in Rockville, offers wind-generated electricity to Allegheny Power customers in Allegany, Garrett, Washington and Frederick counties, according to a Dec. 7 news release from the company.
Clean Currents sells two products, electricity that's touted as either 50 percent or 100 percent wind energy. But that doesn't mean the specific electrons flowing into a customer's home are actually coming from wind turbines, explained company spokeswoman Kristi Neidhardt.
“It’s actually more like supporting wind power,” Neidhardt said. “We purchase renewable energy credits. It's a way of helping wind farms to be economically viable.”
When companies sell “clean” electricity, what customers get is still regular electricity out of the power grid, the same thing they’d be getting from other suppliers. That’s because the power generated by wind farms and other renewable energy producers goes into the grid along with the electricity produced from coal and other sources. There’s no way to keep electrons from one source separate from others or to bring only wind-generated electricity into a home or office, unless the structure is connected to its own wind turbine.
But when you buy electricity from a renewable energy broker, you are actually purchasing clean energy — in a way.
Renewable energy producers, such as wind farms, basically create two products, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The first is the actual, physical electricity that goes into the power grid. The second product is an intangible commodity called a renewable energy certificate. Every time a renewable energy producer generates 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, it equals one certificate, which that producer can sell.
Renewable energy brokers purchase the certificates, and each one is representative of buying 1,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity. Customers, in turn, basically pay for the certificates from the brokers and indirectly support the renewable energy producer.
“Typically companies purchase the renewable energy certificates several times throughout the year,” said Clean Currents President Gary Skulnik. “There’s a procurement strategy based on customer base and pricing. The customers at Allegheny Power now can lock in their pricing for one or two years, because we’ve been able to lock in certificates for one- or two-year periods.”
That approach helps Clean Currents’ offerings be priced competitively. The company’s rates for its 100 percent product are more expensive than the average utility price, Neidhardt said, but its 50 percent rates are slightly less expensive.
Clean Currents is only an electricity supplier and uses existing utility lines to serve its customers. Customers who choose to switch to Clean Currents will still have their electric lines serviced by the utility company, and will still call the utility in the case of a power outage or other problem.
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
Clean Currents offers 2 products
Megan Miller
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Allegheny Power customers can now buy wind-generated electricity from renewable energy broker Clean Currents — but what will they actually be getting?
Clean Currents, headquartered in Rockville, offers wind-generated electricity to Allegheny Power customers in Allegany, Garrett, Washington and Frederick counties, according to a Dec. 7 news release from the company.
Clean Currents sells two products, electricity that's touted as either 50 percent or 100 percent wind energy. But that doesn't mean the specific electrons flowing into a customer's home are actually coming from wind turbines, explained company spokeswoman Kristi Neidhardt.
“It’s actually more like supporting wind power,” Neidhardt said. “We purchase renewable energy credits. It's a way of helping wind farms to be economically viable.”
When companies sell “clean” electricity, what customers get is still regular electricity out of the power grid, the same thing they’d be getting from other suppliers. That’s because the power generated by wind farms and other renewable energy producers goes into the grid along with the electricity produced from coal and other sources. There’s no way to keep electrons from one source separate from others or to bring only wind-generated electricity into a home or office, unless the structure is connected to its own wind turbine.
But when you buy electricity from a renewable energy broker, you are actually purchasing clean energy — in a way.
Renewable energy producers, such as wind farms, basically create two products, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The first is the actual, physical electricity that goes into the power grid. The second product is an intangible commodity called a renewable energy certificate. Every time a renewable energy producer generates 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, it equals one certificate, which that producer can sell.
Renewable energy brokers purchase the certificates, and each one is representative of buying 1,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity. Customers, in turn, basically pay for the certificates from the brokers and indirectly support the renewable energy producer.
“Typically companies purchase the renewable energy certificates several times throughout the year,” said Clean Currents President Gary Skulnik. “There’s a procurement strategy based on customer base and pricing. The customers at Allegheny Power now can lock in their pricing for one or two years, because we’ve been able to lock in certificates for one- or two-year periods.”
That approach helps Clean Currents’ offerings be priced competitively. The company’s rates for its 100 percent product are more expensive than the average utility price, Neidhardt said, but its 50 percent rates are slightly less expensive.
Clean Currents is only an electricity supplier and uses existing utility lines to serve its customers. Customers who choose to switch to Clean Currents will still have their electric lines serviced by the utility company, and will still call the utility in the case of a power outage or other problem.
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
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Stanton says he’ll challenge Beitzel
Stanton says he’ll challenge Beitzel
Oakland resident will seek District 1A delegate seat
Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — It’s not yet official, but Democrat James “Smokey” Stanton said he’s committed to challenging incumbent Wendell Beitzel for the District 1A seat in the House of Delegates.
Stanton, 62, said he could bring “a unique blend” of skills to the position, which he believes has not effectively been used to represent district residents in Garrett County and along Georges Creek in Allegany County. Stanton said his experience in small business and large corporations, as well as existing contacts in state and local governments, would ensure “the learning curve is fairly flat.”
“Yes, it would be a new job for me,” said Stanton, a Garrett County native and a resident of Oakland, but “I’ve worked within the Maryland legislature for a total of 17 years. I understand how to write legislation. I understand how to work within the legislative process in order to effectively advocate (for) our area.”
Beitzel confirmed Wednesday he will seek a second term in office. He defended his ability to effectively represent District 1A.
“I think, for a first-term delegate ... that I have been a very effective legislator,” Beitzel said, “and I think if anyone looks at some of the bills that I’ve passed and issues I’ve defended ... I have absolutely no problem defending my record.”
Stanton said he intends to file with the Garrett County Board of Elections shortly after Jan. 1. He has spent the last few months distributing literature at events across the district, from the Garrett County Fair in August to the District 1 delegation meeting with the public this month at Garrett College.
Deadline for candidates to file for local and state offices is 9 p.m. July 6. The primary election is set for Sept. 14. The general election is slated for Nov. 2.
Many people seem to understand that people living in Garrett and Allegany counties share a different set of concerns than people living in most other parts of the state. But understanding that is not good enough, he said.
“I don’t believe it’s enough to simply understand the problems,” Stanton said. “We must have representation that can state the nature of our issues and the impact of those to people who have never been to our area. It demands that we have representation that can work with those other jurisdictions and to advocate for our corner of the world.
“I think there are a lot of areas where we need improvement in the effectiveness of our representation,” Stanton said.
Stanton said the person who holds the District 1A seat needs to better communicate to the rest of the General Assembly how adversely more rural counties, towns and communities are impacted by state budget cuts. The legislator needs to file amendments to bills with statewide ramifications instead of allowing the “cookie-cutter” bill to sail through the legislative process. Those amendments could make certain bills more palatable to Mountain Marylanders’ diets.
Second, Stanton said, new legislation is needed that “protects our culture, our way of life, our economic situation, in comparison to the rest of the state.”
Stanton said a third area of improvement required for District 1A is better constituent service.
Officials in both counties sometimes “encounter a situation with a state agency that sometimes the state agency is not as responsive as it could be,” he said. “Effective representation means working with those agencies in order to solve the problem ... and solve it appropriately.”
Stanton is a former three-term Oakland Town Council member and was elected by his fellow council members five times to the position of council president. In 2006, he was elected chairman of the Garrett County Democratic Central Committee.
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
Oakland resident will seek District 1A delegate seat
Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — It’s not yet official, but Democrat James “Smokey” Stanton said he’s committed to challenging incumbent Wendell Beitzel for the District 1A seat in the House of Delegates.
Stanton, 62, said he could bring “a unique blend” of skills to the position, which he believes has not effectively been used to represent district residents in Garrett County and along Georges Creek in Allegany County. Stanton said his experience in small business and large corporations, as well as existing contacts in state and local governments, would ensure “the learning curve is fairly flat.”
“Yes, it would be a new job for me,” said Stanton, a Garrett County native and a resident of Oakland, but “I’ve worked within the Maryland legislature for a total of 17 years. I understand how to write legislation. I understand how to work within the legislative process in order to effectively advocate (for) our area.”
Beitzel confirmed Wednesday he will seek a second term in office. He defended his ability to effectively represent District 1A.
“I think, for a first-term delegate ... that I have been a very effective legislator,” Beitzel said, “and I think if anyone looks at some of the bills that I’ve passed and issues I’ve defended ... I have absolutely no problem defending my record.”
Stanton said he intends to file with the Garrett County Board of Elections shortly after Jan. 1. He has spent the last few months distributing literature at events across the district, from the Garrett County Fair in August to the District 1 delegation meeting with the public this month at Garrett College.
Deadline for candidates to file for local and state offices is 9 p.m. July 6. The primary election is set for Sept. 14. The general election is slated for Nov. 2.
Many people seem to understand that people living in Garrett and Allegany counties share a different set of concerns than people living in most other parts of the state. But understanding that is not good enough, he said.
“I don’t believe it’s enough to simply understand the problems,” Stanton said. “We must have representation that can state the nature of our issues and the impact of those to people who have never been to our area. It demands that we have representation that can work with those other jurisdictions and to advocate for our corner of the world.
“I think there are a lot of areas where we need improvement in the effectiveness of our representation,” Stanton said.
Stanton said the person who holds the District 1A seat needs to better communicate to the rest of the General Assembly how adversely more rural counties, towns and communities are impacted by state budget cuts. The legislator needs to file amendments to bills with statewide ramifications instead of allowing the “cookie-cutter” bill to sail through the legislative process. Those amendments could make certain bills more palatable to Mountain Marylanders’ diets.
Second, Stanton said, new legislation is needed that “protects our culture, our way of life, our economic situation, in comparison to the rest of the state.”
Stanton said a third area of improvement required for District 1A is better constituent service.
Officials in both counties sometimes “encounter a situation with a state agency that sometimes the state agency is not as responsive as it could be,” he said. “Effective representation means working with those agencies in order to solve the problem ... and solve it appropriately.”
Stanton is a former three-term Oakland Town Council member and was elected by his fellow council members five times to the position of council president. In 2006, he was elected chairman of the Garrett County Democratic Central Committee.
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
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Cuts create unsafe conditions, reps say
Cuts create unsafe conditions, reps say
Detention, juvenile centers operating with smaller staffs
Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Representatives of the association responsible for negotiating for six of nine elements of Maryland government workers engaged in “a lively conversation” with all four members of the District 1 legislative delegation on Monday.
Sue Esty, assistant director of the Maryland chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Steve Berger, the organization’s Western Maryland representative, gathered with three correctional officers and Ed Shoemake, a resident advisor at Mountain Meadow Youth Center in Grantsville. They stressed during a 90-minute meeting with Sen. George Edwards and delegates Kevin Kelly, LeRoy Myers and Wendell Beitzel that state employees shouldn’t shoulder the load of resolving the state’s budget problems.
There have been enough furloughs and layoffs of state workers. It’s had “serious and tragic consequences for many of AFSCME’s 30,000 members across the state, Esty said.
One female correctional officer said North Branch Correctional Institution has eliminated overtime on her shift and has “collapsed posts” — reducing the number of required officers per shift at certain stations — on certain days of the week. She said the change has created “an unsafe environment for her and her colleagues.
The Times-News has opted not to identify the three correctional officers. Esty said all three feared the possibility of disciplinary action at work.
Berger said NBCI and Western Correctional Institution both are maximum-security facilities but are operated like medium-security facilities in that inmates have access to a gym, an outdoor recreation area and they eat meals with each other.
One male correctional officer said despite budget constraints within the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which oversees all state prisons, programs for inmates have not been reduced.
“There’s a G.E.D. program for inmates with life sentences,” he said.
Shoemake, at Meadow Mountain Youth Center, said policy requires at least one staff person for every six children at the Garrett County facility. In reality, it frequently operates with a radio of 10 children for each of its four employees. Shoemake said he suffered injuries after being involved in an altercation with a child who stood 6-feet, 8-inches tall and weighed 360 pounds.
“I didn’t have staff to back me up, Shoemake said. “You cannot staff that facility with that amount of people” in a facility that never closes.
“Not only am I at risk, but the public’s becoming at risk,” he said.
Esty and Berger offered eight revenue-producing possibilities — including six taxes on alcohol, gasoline, Internet purchases and services such as auto repair that met with something less than enthusiasm from the delegation. The two also suggested using $325 million from the state’s Rainy Day Fund and removing the sunset provision of the “millionaire’s tax” which, they claimed, could generate an additional $100 million.
Kelly said Allegany County is the second poorest county in Maryland and resented efforts to increase taxes on an already burdened constituency.
“Do you support new revenue?” Esty asked Kelly.
Kelly said that every one of Esty’s proposals were a tax on the people.
“I can not think of any (taxes I support) right now,” Kelly said.
Esty argued that the “economy has changed” and the proposed solutions each are “things that are responding to the economy.”
By taxing the services in a service-based society, she said, it could even lead to a lower tax rate.
Edwards countered that the solution can’t simply be to “tax people.” He said the delegation could consider refusing to endorse any new tax ideas without first changing the attitude in Annapolis.
Edwards said a primary goal should be to get lawmakers to consider cutting programs before considering any new taxes. He also said state colleges might have to raise tuition costs instead of freezing rates for a sixth consecutive year.
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
Detention, juvenile centers operating with smaller staffs
Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Representatives of the association responsible for negotiating for six of nine elements of Maryland government workers engaged in “a lively conversation” with all four members of the District 1 legislative delegation on Monday.
Sue Esty, assistant director of the Maryland chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and Steve Berger, the organization’s Western Maryland representative, gathered with three correctional officers and Ed Shoemake, a resident advisor at Mountain Meadow Youth Center in Grantsville. They stressed during a 90-minute meeting with Sen. George Edwards and delegates Kevin Kelly, LeRoy Myers and Wendell Beitzel that state employees shouldn’t shoulder the load of resolving the state’s budget problems.
There have been enough furloughs and layoffs of state workers. It’s had “serious and tragic consequences for many of AFSCME’s 30,000 members across the state, Esty said.
One female correctional officer said North Branch Correctional Institution has eliminated overtime on her shift and has “collapsed posts” — reducing the number of required officers per shift at certain stations — on certain days of the week. She said the change has created “an unsafe environment for her and her colleagues.
The Times-News has opted not to identify the three correctional officers. Esty said all three feared the possibility of disciplinary action at work.
Berger said NBCI and Western Correctional Institution both are maximum-security facilities but are operated like medium-security facilities in that inmates have access to a gym, an outdoor recreation area and they eat meals with each other.
One male correctional officer said despite budget constraints within the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which oversees all state prisons, programs for inmates have not been reduced.
“There’s a G.E.D. program for inmates with life sentences,” he said.
Shoemake, at Meadow Mountain Youth Center, said policy requires at least one staff person for every six children at the Garrett County facility. In reality, it frequently operates with a radio of 10 children for each of its four employees. Shoemake said he suffered injuries after being involved in an altercation with a child who stood 6-feet, 8-inches tall and weighed 360 pounds.
“I didn’t have staff to back me up, Shoemake said. “You cannot staff that facility with that amount of people” in a facility that never closes.
“Not only am I at risk, but the public’s becoming at risk,” he said.
Esty and Berger offered eight revenue-producing possibilities — including six taxes on alcohol, gasoline, Internet purchases and services such as auto repair that met with something less than enthusiasm from the delegation. The two also suggested using $325 million from the state’s Rainy Day Fund and removing the sunset provision of the “millionaire’s tax” which, they claimed, could generate an additional $100 million.
Kelly said Allegany County is the second poorest county in Maryland and resented efforts to increase taxes on an already burdened constituency.
“Do you support new revenue?” Esty asked Kelly.
Kelly said that every one of Esty’s proposals were a tax on the people.
“I can not think of any (taxes I support) right now,” Kelly said.
Esty argued that the “economy has changed” and the proposed solutions each are “things that are responding to the economy.”
By taxing the services in a service-based society, she said, it could even lead to a lower tax rate.
Edwards countered that the solution can’t simply be to “tax people.” He said the delegation could consider refusing to endorse any new tax ideas without first changing the attitude in Annapolis.
Edwards said a primary goal should be to get lawmakers to consider cutting programs before considering any new taxes. He also said state colleges might have to raise tuition costs instead of freezing rates for a sixth consecutive year.
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
Population decreasing in Allegany, Garrett
Population decreasing in Allegany, Garrett
TINA IRGANG
CNHI News Service
WASHINGTON — Until a few years ago, things were looking up for Western Maryland. A sound national economy and a desire for country living brought workers from Baltimore and Washington to the fringes of the state, causing the demand for domestic and commercial real estate to skyrocket.
But since the beginning of the recession, this trend has reversed. As a lack of job security and the high costs of commuting drive workers closer to urban centers, Western Maryland hopes to strengthen its local economy by embracing green jobs.
Frederick has been the most successful of the western counties in this regard. Its population has grown by 49 percent since 1990.
Frederick’s success is also a product of its proximity to Washington, D.C.
“When D.C.’s doing well, it brings Frederick up with it,” said Anthony Stair, associate professor of economics at Frostburg State University. “You see the growth extend outward. I think it’s also hit Hagerstown a little bit, but it hasn’t gotten to Cumberland yet.”
Between 2006 and 2008, Frederick households had a median income of nearly $80,000, far above the Maryland average of $70,000.
Garrett and Allegany households earned $45,000 and $37,000, respectively. In addition, the Census Bureau reports, about 13 percent of Allegany and Garrett County residents lived below the poverty line.
Development through local green industries could prove a solution to the woes of other western counties, said Andy Moser, assistant secretary at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The problem, he said, is that the area is caught in transition.
“Western Maryland was home to a lot of manufacturing,” Moser said. “A lot of these manufacturers have pretty much moved out of that area.” The westernmost counties remain at a disadvantage simply “because they’re farther removed from population centers and major employers.”
But the area’s rural character could also be an asset: Allegany’s and Garrett’s open country lends itself to green technology, such as wind energy.
Moser is optimistic that Western Maryland’s former employers “will be replaced in the future by other ones, but we just haven’t seen it yet.”
So far, it seems the western counties lack incentives to make their residents stay. Garrett County saw a 6 percent population growth during the 1990s, which turned into a net loss after 2000. Allegany County has lost more than 3 percent of its population since 2000.
David Nedved, an economic development representative with the Allegany County government, thinks green technology could be a viable strategy for pulling people and jobs into his county, saying the government has discussed establishing a wind turbine plant in the area.
He also said he hopes Allegany’s low cost of living will continue to lure people away from the urban centers as economic recovery trickles down.
“We are seeing people moving into this area from the more urban areas down state,” Nedved said. “The trouble is we’re in the middle of this huge recession.” In Garrett County, natural resources are key to a local economy based heavily on the hospitality industry, according to Frank Shap, a development specialist with the county.
Over the years, Garrett’s economy was bolstered by second-home owners and retirees attracted by the county’s natural beauty, but the recession has diminished this source of income, said Michael Bello, owner of a photography business in McHenry. “Home building and everything right now is down in Garrett County, like it is everywhere,” Bello said. “That certainly affects everybody’s business. Even the visitors, while they’re still coming, are not spending as much while they’re here.”
As a result, Garrett has worked to diversify its economic portfolio to include specialty manufacturing and green technology. Down the road, Shap hopes, the county’s experience with natural resource extraction will attract the biofuel industry.
Meanwhile, Garrett is investing in its future, Shap said, by providing incentives for the next generation of local workers to stay. Among other things, the county created a special scholarship program at Garrett College that covers tuition and fees for recent Garrett County high school graduates.
“We cannot rely on hospitality alone,” Shap said. “Work force skill development is very important for us to keep our economic growth.”
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
TINA IRGANG
CNHI News Service
WASHINGTON — Until a few years ago, things were looking up for Western Maryland. A sound national economy and a desire for country living brought workers from Baltimore and Washington to the fringes of the state, causing the demand for domestic and commercial real estate to skyrocket.
But since the beginning of the recession, this trend has reversed. As a lack of job security and the high costs of commuting drive workers closer to urban centers, Western Maryland hopes to strengthen its local economy by embracing green jobs.
Frederick has been the most successful of the western counties in this regard. Its population has grown by 49 percent since 1990.
Frederick’s success is also a product of its proximity to Washington, D.C.
“When D.C.’s doing well, it brings Frederick up with it,” said Anthony Stair, associate professor of economics at Frostburg State University. “You see the growth extend outward. I think it’s also hit Hagerstown a little bit, but it hasn’t gotten to Cumberland yet.”
Between 2006 and 2008, Frederick households had a median income of nearly $80,000, far above the Maryland average of $70,000.
Garrett and Allegany households earned $45,000 and $37,000, respectively. In addition, the Census Bureau reports, about 13 percent of Allegany and Garrett County residents lived below the poverty line.
Development through local green industries could prove a solution to the woes of other western counties, said Andy Moser, assistant secretary at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The problem, he said, is that the area is caught in transition.
“Western Maryland was home to a lot of manufacturing,” Moser said. “A lot of these manufacturers have pretty much moved out of that area.” The westernmost counties remain at a disadvantage simply “because they’re farther removed from population centers and major employers.”
But the area’s rural character could also be an asset: Allegany’s and Garrett’s open country lends itself to green technology, such as wind energy.
Moser is optimistic that Western Maryland’s former employers “will be replaced in the future by other ones, but we just haven’t seen it yet.”
So far, it seems the western counties lack incentives to make their residents stay. Garrett County saw a 6 percent population growth during the 1990s, which turned into a net loss after 2000. Allegany County has lost more than 3 percent of its population since 2000.
David Nedved, an economic development representative with the Allegany County government, thinks green technology could be a viable strategy for pulling people and jobs into his county, saying the government has discussed establishing a wind turbine plant in the area.
He also said he hopes Allegany’s low cost of living will continue to lure people away from the urban centers as economic recovery trickles down.
“We are seeing people moving into this area from the more urban areas down state,” Nedved said. “The trouble is we’re in the middle of this huge recession.” In Garrett County, natural resources are key to a local economy based heavily on the hospitality industry, according to Frank Shap, a development specialist with the county.
Over the years, Garrett’s economy was bolstered by second-home owners and retirees attracted by the county’s natural beauty, but the recession has diminished this source of income, said Michael Bello, owner of a photography business in McHenry. “Home building and everything right now is down in Garrett County, like it is everywhere,” Bello said. “That certainly affects everybody’s business. Even the visitors, while they’re still coming, are not spending as much while they’re here.”
As a result, Garrett has worked to diversify its economic portfolio to include specialty manufacturing and green technology. Down the road, Shap hopes, the county’s experience with natural resource extraction will attract the biofuel industry.
Meanwhile, Garrett is investing in its future, Shap said, by providing incentives for the next generation of local workers to stay. Among other things, the county created a special scholarship program at Garrett College that covers tuition and fees for recent Garrett County high school graduates.
“We cannot rely on hospitality alone,” Shap said. “Work force skill development is very important for us to keep our economic growth.”
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
Long and Foster Real Estate video on the new home buyers tax credit.
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
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Budget cuts, taxes concerns for Garrett County residents
Budget cuts, taxes concerns for Garrett County residents
Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — Don’t mind Joyce Bishoff if she is a bit perplexed.
During a November tourism conference in Ocean City, the interim president of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce heard Gov. Martin O’Malley state that tourism is the only industry in the state that is showing a return on government’s investment.
Why, then, Bishoff asked Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel, would the state Office of Tourism slash Garrett County’s appropriation by 40 percent?
Bishoff said state tourism officials have signaled to her that the remaining 60 percent soon could be unavailable.
“This is causing some severe pains through the tourism industry,” Bishoff asked on Wednesday during the legislative delegation’s pre-legisative session at Garrett College. The two-hour event was coordinated by the local League of Women Voters chapter. Twelve speakers at the meeting discussed a wide range of topics, including tourism, wind turbines, natural gas, emergency services and funding for public education.
Bishoff said a request to the delegation by the Garrett County commissioners to introduce legislation that could lead to an increase in the accommodation tax, which would impact all hotels and beds-and-breakfasts in the county. The commissioners want the ability to increase the tax to up to 8 percent from the current 5 percent rate.
“We will continue our dialogue with the county commissioners as to our reservations,” Bishoff said. “We’re very concerned about raising any taxes. With so many areas of our economy in crisis, I think we need to do what we can do to encourage people to come here and spend their dollars from the city.”
James R. “Smokey” Stanton, chairman of the Garrett County Democratic Central Committee, asked the legislators to reject the commissioners’ request.
Stanton, who is expected to run for the District 1A delegation seat currently occupied by Beitzel, called it “a bad bill” and that area businesses depend on tourism. If rates were to go up, consumers would have a choice of other places such as Ocean City. Stanton said if such a bill is introduced, funds raised from that legislation should not be earmarked for a specific purpose.
“I would suggest that is a really bad idea,” Stanton said.
Representatives of Garrett County vacation rental agencies expressed their displeasure at the proposed legislation during the commissioners’ public meeting with the delegation in Oakland on Nov. 17. Wendy Yoder, county director of finance, said an increase of 1 percent could generate about $300,000 in new revenue.
Edwards said either bill would only permit the county commissioners to consider passing such a rate increase. It would not require them to do so “if they didn’t want to,” Edwards said. Most of the issues discussed during the public forum regarded state and local budgets. Beitzel said some economists have said the current crisis is the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression. But one key Garrett County industry — coal mining — is at risk despite its economic benefits, Beitzel said.
“I know there’s been a big effort to stop mountaintop removal of coal,” Beitzel said. “We don’t do that in Western Maryland (but) it turns out it may actually apply to all mountaintop mining. Coal has become a dirty, four-letter word, and we really need to fight and defend that industry here in Western Maryland.”
James M. Raley, member of the Garrett County Board of Education, said at the board’s meeting Tuesday, members learned that the board is looking at a decrease in funding from either the state or the county — or possibly both.
Next year, Raley said, the board is looking at a $2 million deficit, and there’s concern that there will be a push in Annapolis to shift the burden of funding teachers’ pensions to county governments. Currently, it is a state responsibility.
“That just compounds (the county’s) problem in regards to funding public education,” Raley said.
Garrett County Commissioner Fred Holliday shared Raley’s concern.
“There is no way we could eat it,” Holliday said. “We’d have to raise taxes. Then the commissioners are the bad guys.”
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
Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — Don’t mind Joyce Bishoff if she is a bit perplexed.
During a November tourism conference in Ocean City, the interim president of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce heard Gov. Martin O’Malley state that tourism is the only industry in the state that is showing a return on government’s investment.
Why, then, Bishoff asked Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel, would the state Office of Tourism slash Garrett County’s appropriation by 40 percent?
Bishoff said state tourism officials have signaled to her that the remaining 60 percent soon could be unavailable.
“This is causing some severe pains through the tourism industry,” Bishoff asked on Wednesday during the legislative delegation’s pre-legisative session at Garrett College. The two-hour event was coordinated by the local League of Women Voters chapter. Twelve speakers at the meeting discussed a wide range of topics, including tourism, wind turbines, natural gas, emergency services and funding for public education.
Bishoff said a request to the delegation by the Garrett County commissioners to introduce legislation that could lead to an increase in the accommodation tax, which would impact all hotels and beds-and-breakfasts in the county. The commissioners want the ability to increase the tax to up to 8 percent from the current 5 percent rate.
“We will continue our dialogue with the county commissioners as to our reservations,” Bishoff said. “We’re very concerned about raising any taxes. With so many areas of our economy in crisis, I think we need to do what we can do to encourage people to come here and spend their dollars from the city.”
James R. “Smokey” Stanton, chairman of the Garrett County Democratic Central Committee, asked the legislators to reject the commissioners’ request.
Stanton, who is expected to run for the District 1A delegation seat currently occupied by Beitzel, called it “a bad bill” and that area businesses depend on tourism. If rates were to go up, consumers would have a choice of other places such as Ocean City. Stanton said if such a bill is introduced, funds raised from that legislation should not be earmarked for a specific purpose.
“I would suggest that is a really bad idea,” Stanton said.
Representatives of Garrett County vacation rental agencies expressed their displeasure at the proposed legislation during the commissioners’ public meeting with the delegation in Oakland on Nov. 17. Wendy Yoder, county director of finance, said an increase of 1 percent could generate about $300,000 in new revenue.
Edwards said either bill would only permit the county commissioners to consider passing such a rate increase. It would not require them to do so “if they didn’t want to,” Edwards said. Most of the issues discussed during the public forum regarded state and local budgets. Beitzel said some economists have said the current crisis is the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression. But one key Garrett County industry — coal mining — is at risk despite its economic benefits, Beitzel said.
“I know there’s been a big effort to stop mountaintop removal of coal,” Beitzel said. “We don’t do that in Western Maryland (but) it turns out it may actually apply to all mountaintop mining. Coal has become a dirty, four-letter word, and we really need to fight and defend that industry here in Western Maryland.”
James M. Raley, member of the Garrett County Board of Education, said at the board’s meeting Tuesday, members learned that the board is looking at a decrease in funding from either the state or the county — or possibly both.
Next year, Raley said, the board is looking at a $2 million deficit, and there’s concern that there will be a push in Annapolis to shift the burden of funding teachers’ pensions to county governments. Currently, it is a state responsibility.
“That just compounds (the county’s) problem in regards to funding public education,” Raley said.
Garrett County Commissioner Fred Holliday shared Raley’s concern.
“There is no way we could eat it,” Holliday said. “We’d have to raise taxes. Then the commissioners are the bad guys.”
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
Firm offers 100 percent wind power to residents, businesses
Firm offers 100 percent wind power to residents, businesses
Restructured energy market opens options
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
ROCKVILLE — Allegheny Power customers now have the ability to buy wind power from Clean Currents, a leading clean energy company in the Maryland/DC area.
Customers in Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties are able to switch from buying utility standard offer energy to that of a competitive retail energy supplier. This enables them to both lower their winter energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint by buying wind power through Clean Currents.
The wind power, generated by wind farms across the U.S., is considered a clean, renewable energy. The average home is responsible for generating about 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide each year using traditional coal and nuclear sources for electrical power. By switching to wind power, homeowners can erase that carbon footprint.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with homeowners in Western Maryland. Not only will switching to 100 percent wind power energy products help improve the environment, our wind power rates are competitive with Alleghany Power and there are no sign-up or switching fees,” said Kristi Neidhardt, Residential Green Power Program Manager at Clean Currents. “All customers need to do is call us or go online and provide some information from their current utility bill to help us help them make the switch. Customers will still have reliable energy service and only one electric bill to pay.”
As an added incentive to switch to wind power, Clean Currents offers communities, organizations, and faith-based organizations the opportunity to raise funds for environmental projects by encouraging members to make the switch.
The Green Neighborhood Effect Program registers groups and communities interested in participating. Members access the Clean Currents Web site to make the switch to wind power, and mention the group in the appropriate space in the registration form. Clean Currents will donate $10 for every household that switches to wind power before June 2010.
Residents of Western Maryland interested in switching to wind power and starting a “Green Neighborhood Effect” should visit www.cleancurrents.com or contact Kristi Neidhardt at (301) 754-0430, Ext. 712.
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
Restructured energy market opens options
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
ROCKVILLE — Allegheny Power customers now have the ability to buy wind power from Clean Currents, a leading clean energy company in the Maryland/DC area.
Customers in Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties are able to switch from buying utility standard offer energy to that of a competitive retail energy supplier. This enables them to both lower their winter energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint by buying wind power through Clean Currents.
The wind power, generated by wind farms across the U.S., is considered a clean, renewable energy. The average home is responsible for generating about 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide each year using traditional coal and nuclear sources for electrical power. By switching to wind power, homeowners can erase that carbon footprint.
“We are very excited to have the opportunity to work with homeowners in Western Maryland. Not only will switching to 100 percent wind power energy products help improve the environment, our wind power rates are competitive with Alleghany Power and there are no sign-up or switching fees,” said Kristi Neidhardt, Residential Green Power Program Manager at Clean Currents. “All customers need to do is call us or go online and provide some information from their current utility bill to help us help them make the switch. Customers will still have reliable energy service and only one electric bill to pay.”
As an added incentive to switch to wind power, Clean Currents offers communities, organizations, and faith-based organizations the opportunity to raise funds for environmental projects by encouraging members to make the switch.
The Green Neighborhood Effect Program registers groups and communities interested in participating. Members access the Clean Currents Web site to make the switch to wind power, and mention the group in the appropriate space in the registration form. Clean Currents will donate $10 for every household that switches to wind power before June 2010.
Residents of Western Maryland interested in switching to wind power and starting a “Green Neighborhood Effect” should visit www.cleancurrents.com or contact Kristi Neidhardt at (301) 754-0430, Ext. 712.
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
Wisp Ice Skating Rink
Wisp Ice Skating Rink
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
DEEP CREEK LAKE — Wisp Resort continues to expand its winter amenities to go beyond skiing and snowboarding. This winter an ice skating rink will be installed near the Bear Claw Snow Tubing Park to offer guests another family-friendly activity.
The 50- by 85-foot oval rink will operate by running cooling pipes under a floor that are powered by a 100-ton chiller to keep approximately two to three inches of water frozen. A mini-Zamboni® ice resurfacing machine will groom the surface daily for skaters. The Zamboni® was named after its inventor Frank J. Zamboni in California in 1953.
The ice skating rink at Wisp will feature benches for rest, hanging twinkle lights, a nearby bonfire area and warm beverages. It will be the only ice rink in Garrett County and has a tentative opening date of Dec. 19.
The rink will operate in conjunction with the Bear Claw Snow Tubing Park and Mountain Coaster hours of operation.
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
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News
DEEP CREEK LAKE — Wisp Resort continues to expand its winter amenities to go beyond skiing and snowboarding. This winter an ice skating rink will be installed near the Bear Claw Snow Tubing Park to offer guests another family-friendly activity.
The 50- by 85-foot oval rink will operate by running cooling pipes under a floor that are powered by a 100-ton chiller to keep approximately two to three inches of water frozen. A mini-Zamboni® ice resurfacing machine will groom the surface daily for skaters. The Zamboni® was named after its inventor Frank J. Zamboni in California in 1953.
The ice skating rink at Wisp will feature benches for rest, hanging twinkle lights, a nearby bonfire area and warm beverages. It will be the only ice rink in Garrett County and has a tentative opening date of Dec. 19.
The rink will operate in conjunction with the Bear Claw Snow Tubing Park and Mountain Coaster hours of operation.
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
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Open Space acquisitions will protect forest land
Open Space acquisitions will protect forest land
Board of Public Works also approves local parks,
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — More than 300 acres in Western Maryland will be protected as a result of Program Open Space property acquisitions and a donation from The Nature Conservancy.
The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the purchase of 299 acres in Allegany and Garrett counties and accepted the nine-acre donation of wooded land with rock outcrops as an addition to Potomac State Forest in Garrett County.
“The Nature Conservancy is delighted, through this donation, to contribute to the state of Maryland’s efforts to protect our outdoor heritage here in Western Maryland,” said Donnelle Keech, Allegany forest project director for The Nature Conservancy of Maryland. “Giving people the firsthand opportunity to enjoy our Maryland forests now is one of the best ways to make sure our children have the same chance in the future.”
The Program Open Space purchase of 244 acres in the Savage River State Forest area southwest of Frostburg for $365,625 contains rare mountain peat land, unusual red spruce forest and sensitive wetlands with numerous state-listed threatened species, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Allegany County acquisition of 30 acres of forestland and trails for $75,000 is an addition to Green Ridge State Forest that will encompass the forest hiking trail named in honor of retired forest manager Francis Zumbrun, which has received a national trail designation.
“Today’s acquisitions are important as we move toward a sustainable future,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley.
“By approving the nearly 300 acres in Western Maryland and with the help of The Nature Conservancy, we are preserving vital forests and trees, which will continue to help clean our water, air and natural resources.”
The three-member Board of Public Works is comprised of O’Malley as chairman, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot.
The board also approved the following Program Open Space and Community Parks and Playgrounds projects:
• $15,000 to install handicapped-accessible playground equipment at the Barton Little League field and basketball court.
• $25,000 to install a handicapped-accessible playground at Barton Meadow Park.
• $45,000 to construct a concession building, rest room and storage building at the Frostburg Recreational Complex.
• $143,000 to construct a parking area at the Lonaconing Recreation Area and for renovations to the concession/rest room/storage building; upgrades to the baseball field; a new handicapped-accessible playground; and native tree plantings.
• $74,000 to replace an outdated concession stand, rest room/storage building and bleachers in Westernport for the Hot Stove League.
• $8,000 to install safety lighting next to the Grantsville Community Park walking trail and build a gazebo next to the town’s fishing pond and library.
• $88,000 to upgrade the concession stand, picnic area, lifeguard stands, ticket booth and playground equipment at Broadford Lake Recreation Area in Oakland.
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
Board of Public Works also approves local parks,
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — More than 300 acres in Western Maryland will be protected as a result of Program Open Space property acquisitions and a donation from The Nature Conservancy.
The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the purchase of 299 acres in Allegany and Garrett counties and accepted the nine-acre donation of wooded land with rock outcrops as an addition to Potomac State Forest in Garrett County.
“The Nature Conservancy is delighted, through this donation, to contribute to the state of Maryland’s efforts to protect our outdoor heritage here in Western Maryland,” said Donnelle Keech, Allegany forest project director for The Nature Conservancy of Maryland. “Giving people the firsthand opportunity to enjoy our Maryland forests now is one of the best ways to make sure our children have the same chance in the future.”
The Program Open Space purchase of 244 acres in the Savage River State Forest area southwest of Frostburg for $365,625 contains rare mountain peat land, unusual red spruce forest and sensitive wetlands with numerous state-listed threatened species, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Allegany County acquisition of 30 acres of forestland and trails for $75,000 is an addition to Green Ridge State Forest that will encompass the forest hiking trail named in honor of retired forest manager Francis Zumbrun, which has received a national trail designation.
“Today’s acquisitions are important as we move toward a sustainable future,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley.
“By approving the nearly 300 acres in Western Maryland and with the help of The Nature Conservancy, we are preserving vital forests and trees, which will continue to help clean our water, air and natural resources.”
The three-member Board of Public Works is comprised of O’Malley as chairman, Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot.
The board also approved the following Program Open Space and Community Parks and Playgrounds projects:
• $15,000 to install handicapped-accessible playground equipment at the Barton Little League field and basketball court.
• $25,000 to install a handicapped-accessible playground at Barton Meadow Park.
• $45,000 to construct a concession building, rest room and storage building at the Frostburg Recreational Complex.
• $143,000 to construct a parking area at the Lonaconing Recreation Area and for renovations to the concession/rest room/storage building; upgrades to the baseball field; a new handicapped-accessible playground; and native tree plantings.
• $74,000 to replace an outdated concession stand, rest room/storage building and bleachers in Westernport for the Hot Stove League.
• $8,000 to install safety lighting next to the Grantsville Community Park walking trail and build a gazebo next to the town’s fishing pond and library.
• $88,000 to upgrade the concession stand, picnic area, lifeguard stands, ticket booth and playground equipment at Broadford Lake Recreation Area in Oakland.
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
November 2009 Market Update - Deep Creek Lake Garrett County Maryland
November 2009 Market Update - Deep Creek Lake Garrett County Maryland
There were 22 residential sales in the month of November in Garrett County. 12 of those sales would be considered ‘Deep Creek Lake area’ or ‘Vacation Homes’, and the rest would be considered as primary residential. The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price is 83%, though the ADJUSTED list vs. sales price is 90% of asking price. In other words, as people test the waters and make price adjustments, the more reliable number is the adjusted asking price, as they have responded to the feedback of the market with price reductions, etc.
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
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Seneca Rocks guide, author to speak at Garrett College Tuesday
Seneca Rocks guide, author to speak at Garrett College Tuesday
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — The Adventuresports Institute of Garrett College will present the final speaker of its fall Colloquium series, Tony Barnes, author of the definitive work on regional climbing, “Seneca: The Climber’s Guide,” on Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. in Room 224 of the Continuing Education building. A reception for the speaker will precede the presentation, beginning at 6 p.m.
Barnes’ climbing and guiding career spans 35 years and has occurred in almost as many states. He has been active as a guide for Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides at Seneca Rocks Climbing Area, a part of the Monongalia National Forest, and located nearby in Seneca, W.Va., for the past 20-plus years.
Barnes has written articles on Seneca Rocks for Climbing Magazine and other publications. For the past eight years, he has worked as an adjunct professor of rock climbing for Garrett College’s Adventure Sports program.
For more information about the presentation, contact the Adventuresports Institute at (301) 387-3330 or e-mail adventuresports@garrettcollege.edu.
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
Cumberland Times-News
MCHENRY — The Adventuresports Institute of Garrett College will present the final speaker of its fall Colloquium series, Tony Barnes, author of the definitive work on regional climbing, “Seneca: The Climber’s Guide,” on Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. in Room 224 of the Continuing Education building. A reception for the speaker will precede the presentation, beginning at 6 p.m.
Barnes’ climbing and guiding career spans 35 years and has occurred in almost as many states. He has been active as a guide for Seneca Rocks Mountain Guides at Seneca Rocks Climbing Area, a part of the Monongalia National Forest, and located nearby in Seneca, W.Va., for the past 20-plus years.
Barnes has written articles on Seneca Rocks for Climbing Magazine and other publications. For the past eight years, he has worked as an adjunct professor of rock climbing for Garrett College’s Adventure Sports program.
For more information about the presentation, contact the Adventuresports Institute at (301) 387-3330 or e-mail adventuresports@garrettcollege.edu.
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
Oakland bypass will affect community forever
To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News
The Maryland Highway Administration will conduct a public meeting with the Garrett County commissioners in the commissioners’ meeting room on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m.
One of the projects discussed will be the No. 1 priority given to the U.S. Route 219 Oakland bypass by the Garrett County Planning Commission. This highway project has been declared off budget by Gov. O’Malley (declared at a public meeting at Frostburg State University) and also denounced by former Gov. Parris Glendening in correspondence to the writer of this letter.
It appears the planning commission is not listening to the honest opposition to this $42 million-plus abomination that will destroy not only farmland but the downtown business community, rather listening to the developers who are trying to establish a new business district.
If for one moment you think this will be a limited access highway, think again, and drive from Uno’s restaurant on Route 219 along the lake to McHenry and determine how limited that is, and think how many rear-end accidents occur there during the summer months. This bypass will last about 10 minutes at the outset from being limited access.
We ask the planning commission to direct their priorities to state Route 495, a more direct route from the Northern Industrial Park to the Southern Industrial Park. This proposal was made in the Garrett County Comprehensive Plan of 1974 signed by Garrett County commissioners Wayne Hamilton, Don Bender and George Edwards, now Sen. Edwards. The purpose was to divert thru-traffic away from Deep Creek Lake.
We invite everyone with an interest for or against the bypass to attend this meeting and express your views. We also invite each county commissioner to make a public statement as to their individual position. This is extremely important and will affect our community forever.
DeCorsey Bolden
Chairman
Garrett Countians
for Smart Growth
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
Cumberland Times-News
The Maryland Highway Administration will conduct a public meeting with the Garrett County commissioners in the commissioners’ meeting room on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m.
One of the projects discussed will be the No. 1 priority given to the U.S. Route 219 Oakland bypass by the Garrett County Planning Commission. This highway project has been declared off budget by Gov. O’Malley (declared at a public meeting at Frostburg State University) and also denounced by former Gov. Parris Glendening in correspondence to the writer of this letter.
It appears the planning commission is not listening to the honest opposition to this $42 million-plus abomination that will destroy not only farmland but the downtown business community, rather listening to the developers who are trying to establish a new business district.
If for one moment you think this will be a limited access highway, think again, and drive from Uno’s restaurant on Route 219 along the lake to McHenry and determine how limited that is, and think how many rear-end accidents occur there during the summer months. This bypass will last about 10 minutes at the outset from being limited access.
We ask the planning commission to direct their priorities to state Route 495, a more direct route from the Northern Industrial Park to the Southern Industrial Park. This proposal was made in the Garrett County Comprehensive Plan of 1974 signed by Garrett County commissioners Wayne Hamilton, Don Bender and George Edwards, now Sen. Edwards. The purpose was to divert thru-traffic away from Deep Creek Lake.
We invite everyone with an interest for or against the bypass to attend this meeting and express your views. We also invite each county commissioner to make a public statement as to their individual position. This is extremely important and will affect our community forever.
DeCorsey Bolden
Chairman
Garrett Countians
for Smart Growth
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
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Regional Ski Resorts Collaborate for Season Pass Holders
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Regional Resorts Collaborate for Season Pass Holders
Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands ski resorts Seven Springs Mountain Resort and Hidden Valley Resort with Maryland’s Wisp Resort are proud to announce an exciting new offering that will provide each resort’s Unlimited Season Passholders more value, more options, and more reason to experience great Mid-Atlantic skiing for the 2009/2010 ski season.
More info via DeepCreekBlog.com
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
Tearing down the Point View Inn
Tearing down the Point View Inn
I just took a few quick photos and I wanted to share one. The Point View Inn (specifically the hotel part of the building) is in the process of being torn down. It’s available for sale ($4.9 million apparently) and could be just about anything - townhomes, 7 single family homes, new hotel, etc...but for someone with deep enough pockets, it could remain the Point View Inn! That was one of the 4 spots I hit the night I turned 21. Truly a Deep Creek Lake icon!
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
Monday, November 23, 2009
I Love Deep Creek Lake & Garrett County Group on Facebook
I invite you to join the new ‘I Love Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County, Maryland’ group on Facebook. It went from 0-60 members in about 12 hours! Help keep it growing!
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
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Road-killed bears total 32 in Maryland so far
The number of bears that have died on Maryland highways in 2009 jumped to 32 with the demise of four bruins Oct. 9-13, according to Clarissa Harris of the Maryland Wildlife Service. The Cumberland Times-News count is unofficial.
On Oct. 9, a 101-pound female bear died on Interstate 68 in the Friendsville area.
On Oct. 11, two bears were killed, a 148-pound female on I-68 near the Finzel exit in Garrett County and a female of 72 pounds on I-68 near Little Orleans in Allegany County.
Then on Oct. 13, a 338-pound male bear was struck and mangled on state Route 36 at Barton. The bear was eventually put down by Natural Resources Police.
The covers on three operating hot tubs have been ripped open by bears in the Deep Creek Lake area. Harris said she believes the bears become curious about the sound of the motor and the moving water and investigate with their claws.
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
Vacation rental agencies voice opposition to tax increase
OAKLAND — Garrett County Administrator Monty Pagenhardt said he was surprised by the amount of opposition Tuesday from local rental housing representatives to the county commissioners’ request to be able to increase the hotel rental tax from 5 percent to 8 percent.
Sen. George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel attended Tuesday’s public meeting to hear the commissioners’ wish list for the 2010 General Assembly and to see if they could help those desires become political reality. Should such legislation become law, it would enable, but not require a tax increase.
At the current rate of 5 percent, the tax brings $1.5 million into the county, according to Wendy Yoder, director of finance. “Each percentage increase above that will generate another $300,000,” Yoder said. She based that estimate on existing rental activity.
That revenue, according to Commissioner Fred Holliday, can be used for two purposes, for economic development or the funding of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.
Nancy Railey of Railey Mountain Lake Vacations used an extensive and detailed presentation to oppose a hike in the tax.
Railey said rental fees for people visiting Deep Creek Lake have been negotiated to bargain basement prices. “I have never before seen this,” she said. “Tourists are responding to these price cuts and will travel more in 2010 than in 2009. However, they will demand rate reductions of 1.8 percent greater than the reductions in 2009, continuing the decline for another year.”
Railey said the number of reserved nights at her company have declined below 2002 levels and the fact that her market share (45 to 50 percent) has held steady reflects that other hosts have experienced the same drop-off.
Railey said the visitors will come, but when they have to spend a dollar more because of a tax hike it will be a dollar that is not spent on local goods and services.
Pagenhardt said the potential for a tax hike was not news to the local rental moguls.
“This legislation was introduced in the 2009 General Assembly. In fact, they knew that if the bill passed it would increase the tax to 6 percent this past July 1 and many agencies had already booked rentals based upon that amount.”
The bill, however, did not pass, because of what Beitzel called a last-minute administrative foul-up in Annapolis.
Others opposed a hotel rental tax boost.
Rob Michael, chairman of the board for the chamber of commerce, said he misses the golden days when Deep Creek Lake was visited by families with small children. He said those visitors can no longer afford a lakeside vacation. “Have we priced ourselves out?” he asked.
Michael referenced Big Bear Lake in neighboring Preston County, W.Va., as a place that still offers such family trips. “We don’t see that dynamic any more,” he said. “Be careful. Increasing the tax even 1 percent is a detriment. Word is out. A vacation in Garrett County is getting to be expensive.”
Ruth Seib of Coldwell Banker said she is not sure that raising the tax would bring additional revenue because of a combination of fewer visitors and declining rates.
Bill Weissgerber of Railey Realty asked that the $300,000 that would be generated by a 1 percent increase in the tax be raised by resurrecting a tax on beer in the county.
Karen Myers, owner of The Wisp/D.C. Developers, cautioned the commissioners to be very careful in considering an increase in the tax. “Don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg,” she said.
Edwards and Beitzel said they would once again introduce the enabling legislation if it is the desire of the commissioners.
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
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Maryland weighs revising park pet policy
CUMBERLAND — Going to the park is a popular group activity, and visitors to Maryland’s state parks may soon be able to bring even more of their friends along.
The Maryland Park Service has begun taking public comments on a proposed plan to revise its pet policy and expand pet access in state parks.
According to the Maryland Park Service, the proposal was developed based on comments from park staff and visitors over the years.
Under the proposal, pet prohibitions in many of the parks throughout the state will be reduced. Parks that will allow pets greater access include Deep Creek Lake, New Germany State Park and Dan’s Mountain.
In particular, New Germany had previously prohibited pets entirely. Under the current proposal pets would be allowed year-round on trails and in the Pine Camp loop. Between Labor Day and Memorial Day weekend, pets will be allowed in the day-use area and lake.
Parks that will not be affected by the proposal include Big Run, Herrington Manor, Rocky Gap, Swallow Falls and Youghigheny Wild River. The policy already allows for pet access in these parks.
“We're going to compromise with various opinions,” said Lt. Col. Chris Bushman, deputy superintendent of the Maryland Park Service. Bushman said that the Maryland Park Service has received comments with pro-pet and anti-pet views and intends to use them to fine-tune the proposal and address the unique nature of each park.
Park managers will still be able to prohibit pets from certain facilities in areas where they would otherwise be allowed, such as visitor centers and playgrounds. The policy will not affect service animals, which will still be allowed in all areas of the park open to their owners.
Bushman emphasized that the existing policies requiring pet owners to keep their pets on leashes and clean up after their pets will not change. “The park rangers and Natural Resources Police are on-site at these parks in the developed areas,” said Bushman. “We will not allow people to break those rules.“
After comments from the public and other parties have been reviewed and any necessary changes made, the new policy will be put into effect in early 2010.
Comments on the pet policy may be submitted online at http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/petpolicy/comment.asp and through mail at Pet Policy Comments, Maryland Park Service, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401. Comments will be accepted until Nov. 30.
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
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Park ranger receives award for helping save man’s life
Frostburg resident recently transferred to Deep Creek Lake
From Staff Reports
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — Maryland Park Ranger David Best, who recently transferred to Deep Creek Lake State Park, was among several staff members of Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary’s County who were honored with Maryland Park Service Valor Awards for their quick response in aiding a park visitor who suffered a life-threatening laceration.
The incident occurred in August when the victim dropped a razor-sharp fillet knife that lacerated his lower right leg.
Best, a resident of Frostburg, initiated a team response and rapidly located the victim at a campsite in the Hoffman area of the park after park staff received an emergency call for an unknown injury in the park. Park rangers were assisting a tractor-trailer that was stuck in a ditch when the emergency call was received. The only word heard by responders was “man” before the call was lost.
Responders, campground Host Ed Dugans and seasonal ranger Joe Raley found the 79-year-old victim sitting upright and bleeding profusely.
While Dugans and Raley worked to cut off the blood flow, seasonal employee George Gatton arrived with Best and began more extensive first aid. Park Rangers Bill Moffatt and Cliff Puffenberger provided escort for responding Natural Re-sources Police officers and the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad. The victim regained full consciousness and was transported to a nearby hospital.
Individuals awarded recently at the Maryland Park Service Employee Field Day at Gunpowder Falls State Park in Baltimore County included Best, Raley, Dugans and Gatton.
Maryland Park Service Superintendent Nita Settina said, “Once again, we see why it is so important that our Maryland Park rangers are trained as first responders. I’m very proud of the rangers’ quick thinking and action, which helped to save a life.”
The Valor Award is presented to individuals who perform an extraordinary action which is attributable to saving a life, attempting to save a life, preventing or attempting to prevent property or revenue loss, or involving public safety.
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
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friends of Deep Creek seek to protect lake from degradation
OAKLAND — Friends of Deep Creek Lake, a Garrett County watershed organization, submitted a proposal for the creation of a Deep Creek Lake Restoration Fund at the Tuesday meeting of the Board of Garrett County Commissioners.
The proposal came about in response to the aging of the Deep Creek Lake reservoir, which was created by the construction of the Deep Creek Dam in 1923. According to Friends of Deep Creek Lake, as the lake grows older, invasive vegetation and lower water quality lessen its recreational value and use as a natural resource. Friends of Deep Creek Lake believes that federal funding, state assistance and a more active role for Garrett County are necessary to combat this natural degradation.
According to Barbara Beeler, member of the Friends of Deep Creek Lake board, the degradation of the lake will result in economic consequences in impacted areas. The detrimental effects of aging could lead to decreased property and housing values and lower tax revenues for Garrett County. “All of us — county, users, beneficiaries — we're all going to be impacted by the continuing decline of the lake,” said Beeler.
Friends of Deep Creek Lake's proposal features three main components. The first is the creation of a Deep Creek Lake Restoration Action Plan. “We need to make a lake policy from the bottom up,” said Beeler. Friends of Deep Creek Lake suggests that the plan include a variety of restoration and maintenance programs for such tasks as fighting the existing impacts of lake aging, eliminating algae blooms, reducing sediment and nutrient runoff, and upgrading septic systems.
The second is a means of funding the restoration. One of the primary obstacles to a restoration project would be the lack of available funds due to the current economic climate. According to Friends of Deep Creek Lake, funding for the Department of Natural Resources' Lake Management Division comes only from dock permit fees, and the majority of this money is spent paying operating fees and taxes. Friends of Deep Creek Lake believes that federal money is necessary for the project.
“Until the economic crisis goes away, we’re really stifled,” said Commission Chairman Denny Glotfelty. “It’s impossible to get the state to move right now.”
Finally, the proposal includes a call for leadership for the restoration effort. The proposal suggests the formation of a working group that would lay groundwork for the plan, raise funds, and lobby for Deep Creek Lake in state and federal venues.
Along with the lack of available funding, another obstacle to the proposal is the fact that the lake is owned by the state rather than Garrett County. This makes it difficult for Garrett County to create an action plan regarding the lake as Friends of Deep Creek Lake's proposal intends.
“It’s Maryland's water. Whether it's private or state property, it's their water. That's the problem," said Glotfelty, who added that action regarding the lake is necessary. “We've got an 85-year-old lady that we're trying to give a face-lift to right now.”
The commission did not act on the proposal during Tuesday’s meeting. It will be discussed further at the next meeting of the Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board, beginning at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center.
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
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Route 219 bypass would relieve traffic congestion
Interesting letter to the editor:
Route 219 bypass would relieve traffic congestion
To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News
The U.S. Route 219 Bypass around Oakland should’ve been done yesterday! Traffic congestion is terrible!
New businesses are being built, and deliveries have to made, and it’s bad enough for delivery trucks to get through, besides other trucks that have a scheduled delivery to make, but none in Oakland. A few examples include trucks trying to deliver mobile homes, heavy equipment, and roof rafters. With new businesses, perhaps the older ones in town will lower their prices for the full-time residents of the area to afford. Too much is focused on the customers that are visiting at Deep Creek Lake.
Not only is it hard for people to drive through Oakland, but it’s hard for pedestrians to get across the street, and with the bypass, response times for the local fire department will probably be cut. The fire department is in the middle of town. From the map of the proposed bypass, the only real farm that will be lost is not even farmed anymore. In fact, the land that hay and other crops come off of is for sale. If the bypass doesn’t use it, perhaps another business will?
The group that is against the bypass should be called “People Against The Proposed Bypass.” That’s all they focus their attention on. They say nothing about trees around the lake being destroyed to build condominiums, and so on. I wonder if any of them utilize Interstate 68, or do they drive through Friendsville, Grantsville, Frostburg, and so on, if they don’t travel U.S. Route 220 to Cumberland ?
Bill Detrick
Oakland
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
To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News
The U.S. Route 219 Bypass around Oakland should’ve been done yesterday! Traffic congestion is terrible!
New businesses are being built, and deliveries have to made, and it’s bad enough for delivery trucks to get through, besides other trucks that have a scheduled delivery to make, but none in Oakland. A few examples include trucks trying to deliver mobile homes, heavy equipment, and roof rafters. With new businesses, perhaps the older ones in town will lower their prices for the full-time residents of the area to afford. Too much is focused on the customers that are visiting at Deep Creek Lake.
Not only is it hard for people to drive through Oakland, but it’s hard for pedestrians to get across the street, and with the bypass, response times for the local fire department will probably be cut. The fire department is in the middle of town. From the map of the proposed bypass, the only real farm that will be lost is not even farmed anymore. In fact, the land that hay and other crops come off of is for sale. If the bypass doesn’t use it, perhaps another business will?
The group that is against the bypass should be called “People Against The Proposed Bypass.” That’s all they focus their attention on. They say nothing about trees around the lake being destroyed to build condominiums, and so on. I wonder if any of them utilize Interstate 68, or do they drive through Friendsville, Grantsville, Frostburg, and so on, if they don’t travel U.S. Route 220 to Cumberland ?
Bill Detrick
Oakland
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
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mortgage Loan Officer Jerry Merrick - BBT Mortgage
One of Deep Creek Lake's finest lenders:
Mortgage Loan Officer
Jerry Merrick
Deep Creek Lake
21287 Garrett Hwy., Suite 500
Oakland, MD 21550
Office: 301-387-3219 Mobile: 301-616-0037
Fax: 301-387-5393
jmerrick@bbandt.com
-The vision at BB&T Mortgage is to be the Best Home Lender, guided by Integrity, Fairness, and a Caring Enthusiasm
-Specializing in World Standard Client Service
-Enabling our clients to achieve economic success and financial security through homeownership
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Common Questions about Conservation Easements
From the Maryland DNR website:
How does it work?
Commonly Asked Questions about Conservation Easements
What is a conservation easement?
A conservation easement is a tool for landowners to protect natural resources and preserve scenic open space. The landowner who gives an easement limits the right to develop and subdivide the land, now and in the future, but still remains the owner. The organization accepting the easement agrees to monitor it forever to ensure compliance with its terms. No public access is required by a conservation easement.
Why put a conservation easement on your land?
Landowners who want to protect a beloved farm and/or their family's heritage donate conservation easements as a way to prevent their land from becoming developed. There are also tax advantages associated with the donation of an easement.
What kinds of land can be protected by a conservation easement?
Any land whose conservation is in the public interest - woodland, wetlands, farmland, scenic areas, historic areas, wild and scenic rivers, undisturbed natural areas.
Does the Maryland Environmental Trust accept all easement offers?
Easement offers are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Trust staff members are available to visit potential easement sites and meet with interested landowners. The final decision rests with the Board of Trustees. If a property does not meet the Trust's guidelines, they will recommend another land trust who may hold the conservation easement.
How long does the easement last?
Trust easements are perpetual, and apply to all present and future owners of the land.
What are advantages of donating an easement?
For people who want to preserve their land, an easement will assure that the land will never be used in a way contrary to their intent. Financial benefits in the form of tax deductions are also associated with easements. Easements often make it much easier to pass the land to the owner's children without paying large estate taxes.
What are disadvantages of donating an easement?
Because an easement restricts development of a property, the market value of the land may be reduced.
Will an easement grant the public access to my property?
No. Public benefits of an easements are only derived from scenic views of the land from public roads or waterways.
Who owns land that is under an easement? Can it be sold?
The landowner who donated the easement remains the owner of the land. The land can be bought and sold. However, the easement "runs with the land" and applies to all future landowners.
Can property owners still live on and use the land if they donate an easement?
Yes. Easements typically allow for changes and additions to houses, construction of farm buildings, and other normal agricultural practices.
Easements may be drafted in various ways. For example, some landowners decide that, for the protection of the land, all development rights should be excluded, so that the land will always look substantially as it does now. Another might wish to allow the option of adding a limited number of future dwellings.
How much is the gift of an easement worth?
The value of an easement gift varies with each easement. Generally, the more the easement restricts the uses of the property, the higher the value of the gift, and hence the higher the tax deduction.
To determine the easement value, the land must be appraised at both its fair market value without the easement restrictions, and its fair market value with the easement restrictions. The difference between these two appraisals is the easement value, from which the tax deductions are derived.
The Trust does not do appraisals, but maintains lists of known appraisers.
How do future owners of a property know that an easement exists?
The easement is recorded in the Land Records of the county government. Any title search (generally done when land changes hands) will therefore reveal the existence of the easement.
Even if future property owners are unaware of the existence of the easement, they remain legally bound by it. The Trust monitors easement properties regularly to make sure of compliance.
One of the Maryland Environmental Trust's largest responsibilities is to make sure the terms of a conservation easement are followed by future owners of the easement property. The key to this long-term stewardship is monitoring. MET monitors the easements it holds by inspecting properties on a regular basis. Landowners always receive advance notice of a visit and interiors of buildings are not monitored. If we discover the terms of an easement are not being followed, MET will attempt to work with the landowner to correct the problem. If the problem is still not corrected, MET has the right to enforce the easement through the legal system. When an easement is held jointly with a local land trust, that organization shares the monitoring and enforcement duties with MET.
Can Conservation Easements be donated by will?
Yes. The landowner should contact the Trust in advance, however, to ensure that the Trust will accept the gift. It is often better to donate an easement during one's lifetime, since otherwise one loses the income-tax benefits of the donation.
Is land, which is subject to an easement, immune from condemnation?
A Maryland Environmental Trust easement will protect from condemnation by a municipal or county government. Legal research indicates that it will also protect from condemnation by the State, barring an express act of the Legislature. The Federal Government, however, can condemn a Trust easement.
Is there a yearly deadline for donating an easement to the Trust?
No. The Trust accepts requests at all times. However, if you wish to donate an easement during a particular calendar year, please contact the Trust no later than September of that year.
For more info, visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/met/ce.html
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
How does it work?
Commonly Asked Questions about Conservation Easements
What is a conservation easement?
A conservation easement is a tool for landowners to protect natural resources and preserve scenic open space. The landowner who gives an easement limits the right to develop and subdivide the land, now and in the future, but still remains the owner. The organization accepting the easement agrees to monitor it forever to ensure compliance with its terms. No public access is required by a conservation easement.
Why put a conservation easement on your land?
Landowners who want to protect a beloved farm and/or their family's heritage donate conservation easements as a way to prevent their land from becoming developed. There are also tax advantages associated with the donation of an easement.
What kinds of land can be protected by a conservation easement?
Any land whose conservation is in the public interest - woodland, wetlands, farmland, scenic areas, historic areas, wild and scenic rivers, undisturbed natural areas.
Does the Maryland Environmental Trust accept all easement offers?
Easement offers are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Trust staff members are available to visit potential easement sites and meet with interested landowners. The final decision rests with the Board of Trustees. If a property does not meet the Trust's guidelines, they will recommend another land trust who may hold the conservation easement.
How long does the easement last?
Trust easements are perpetual, and apply to all present and future owners of the land.
What are advantages of donating an easement?
For people who want to preserve their land, an easement will assure that the land will never be used in a way contrary to their intent. Financial benefits in the form of tax deductions are also associated with easements. Easements often make it much easier to pass the land to the owner's children without paying large estate taxes.
What are disadvantages of donating an easement?
Because an easement restricts development of a property, the market value of the land may be reduced.
Will an easement grant the public access to my property?
No. Public benefits of an easements are only derived from scenic views of the land from public roads or waterways.
Who owns land that is under an easement? Can it be sold?
The landowner who donated the easement remains the owner of the land. The land can be bought and sold. However, the easement "runs with the land" and applies to all future landowners.
Can property owners still live on and use the land if they donate an easement?
Yes. Easements typically allow for changes and additions to houses, construction of farm buildings, and other normal agricultural practices.
Easements may be drafted in various ways. For example, some landowners decide that, for the protection of the land, all development rights should be excluded, so that the land will always look substantially as it does now. Another might wish to allow the option of adding a limited number of future dwellings.
How much is the gift of an easement worth?
The value of an easement gift varies with each easement. Generally, the more the easement restricts the uses of the property, the higher the value of the gift, and hence the higher the tax deduction.
To determine the easement value, the land must be appraised at both its fair market value without the easement restrictions, and its fair market value with the easement restrictions. The difference between these two appraisals is the easement value, from which the tax deductions are derived.
The Trust does not do appraisals, but maintains lists of known appraisers.
How do future owners of a property know that an easement exists?
The easement is recorded in the Land Records of the county government. Any title search (generally done when land changes hands) will therefore reveal the existence of the easement.
Even if future property owners are unaware of the existence of the easement, they remain legally bound by it. The Trust monitors easement properties regularly to make sure of compliance.
One of the Maryland Environmental Trust's largest responsibilities is to make sure the terms of a conservation easement are followed by future owners of the easement property. The key to this long-term stewardship is monitoring. MET monitors the easements it holds by inspecting properties on a regular basis. Landowners always receive advance notice of a visit and interiors of buildings are not monitored. If we discover the terms of an easement are not being followed, MET will attempt to work with the landowner to correct the problem. If the problem is still not corrected, MET has the right to enforce the easement through the legal system. When an easement is held jointly with a local land trust, that organization shares the monitoring and enforcement duties with MET.
Can Conservation Easements be donated by will?
Yes. The landowner should contact the Trust in advance, however, to ensure that the Trust will accept the gift. It is often better to donate an easement during one's lifetime, since otherwise one loses the income-tax benefits of the donation.
Is land, which is subject to an easement, immune from condemnation?
A Maryland Environmental Trust easement will protect from condemnation by a municipal or county government. Legal research indicates that it will also protect from condemnation by the State, barring an express act of the Legislature. The Federal Government, however, can condemn a Trust easement.
Is there a yearly deadline for donating an easement to the Trust?
No. The Trust accepts requests at all times. However, if you wish to donate an easement during a particular calendar year, please contact the Trust no later than September of that year.
For more info, visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/met/ce.html
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
