Deep Creek Lake Real Estate Blog

Monday, April 16, 2012

March 2012 Market Update - Residential

20 properties sold in March 2012, up 4 from last month. Last year there were 22 homes that sold in March.

Let's take a look at the rest of the stats:

There are 44 homes under contract right now (48 last month).

The average list vs. ORIGINAL sales price was 77.80% - (last month 82.16%).

The ADJUSTED list vs sale price was 90.58 (last month 89.82%).

The current # of active/for sale listings in MRIS (minus timeshares) is 591, up from last months 575. We have a 29.55 month supply of homes available (minus timeshares) based solely on the March sales numbers.

Random observations:

•5 'newer' homes sold in March (5 years old or less)

•It appears that 15 or so of these sales were vacation homes

•11 homes sold under $300,000 (last month was 8)

•15 homes sold under $400,000 (last month 12)

•0 homes sold over $ 1 million (0 last month)

•3 homes sold for higher than full price or at full price (last month was 0)

•One house sold for 48.82% of asking price - 131 Mountain Overlook Ct #9

•The oldest home that sold was 108 yrs old (34 4th St)

•The average age of the homes that sold was 24 years (27 last month)

•6 condo/townhouse/fractional properties sold (5 last month)

Here are the statistical breakdowns:

Average Sale Price: $293,150 (last month $278,250)

Average Days on Market: 272/297 (last month 199/227) (days on market with current broker/total days on market)

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Senate approves doubling of flush tax for most of state

Areas not in Chesapeake, coastal watersheds exempted from increase
by Danielle E. Gaines, Staff Writer

The Maryland Senate approved on Saturday a bill that would double the flat-rate flush tax on water and sewer bills for most state residents.

The measure is one of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) legislative priorities for the year....

...In a last-minute change, the Senate approved an amendment from Sen. George C. Edwards (R-Dist. 1) of Grantsville that would exempt any properties not located in the Chesapeake or coastal watersheds from paying the increased tax.

Those areas the westernmost portion of Garrett County and possibly some areas on the shore that drain directly into the Atlantic Ocean would continue to pay the $30 annual fee.

More here.

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General Assembly 2012: Winners/Losers

Same-sex marriage finally passes; Currie punished with censure
by Gazette Staff

The Maryland General Assembly went out with a whimper Monday, capping off what observers say was one of the busiest, most unpredictable sessions in recent memory.

Lawmakers adjourned Sine Die without passing a tax plan to balance the state’s $36 billion budget.

The failure to approve a tax package, which budget leaders blessed around 8 p.m., triggers a so-called doomsday budget, which includes $512 million in cuts to education, libraries, public safety and numerous other programs across the state.

Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has said he will not call a special session without assurance that there won’t be another stalemate.

More here.

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Drilling vs. Renewables - Md. Debate Over Energy Mirrors National Fight

Fracking is on hold and offshore wind legislation failed to pass.
By Ellen Stodola
April 13, 2012

ANNAPOLIS - Republicans and Democrats are at odds in the General Assembly over whether Maryland should pursue offshore wind or natural gas fracking as a way to improve the state's energy output.

Neither option has been approved, with offshore wind failing to pass in the General Assembly for the second year in a row, and fracking on hold while a commission studies environmental and health concerns.

The debate ultimately breaks down to many Republicans pushing for the cheaper, more immediate drilling solution, while many Democrats argue for the greener, more long-term answer to the question of what Maryland's energy future will look like.

It's a Maryland-sized version of the national battle, between those who favor "drill baby drill," mostly Republicans, and those who favor renewable energy sources, mostly Democrats.

More here.

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Friday, April 13, 2012

SHA cleaning, painting 8 Garrett bridges

From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News

GRANTSVILLE — The Maryland State Highway Administration has begun a project to clean and paint eight bridges in Garrett County.

Most work will occur below the bridges; however, daytime single-lane closures could happen Mondays through Thursdays between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Fridays from 6 a.m. to noon. SHA will provide variable message signs, drums and arrow boards to guide motorists through the work zone. The projects should be completed by fall, weather permitting.

Titan Industries of Baltimore was awarded the $1.2 million contract to work at the following locations.

• State Route 38 over the North Branch of the Potomac River in Kitzmiller.

• Water Street over the Youghiogheny River in Friendsville.

• East and westbound spans of Interstate 68 over Water Street and the Youghiogheny River.

• Frost Road over I-68 near Grantsville.

• U.S. Route 219 over I-68 in Grantsville.

• East and westbound spans of I-68/U.S. 219 over Shade Hollow Road in Grantsville.

Maryland now features free traveler information by calling 511 or 855-GOMD511 or go to www.md511.org. Questions about the bridge projects may be directed to SHA’s District 6 Office at 301-729-8400 or 800-760-7138.

SHA recently announced road work and bridge projects in Allegany County as well with a $3.3 million contract for improvements at the U.S. Route 220/I-68 interchange. SHA will spend $879,000 for bridge paintings in the county and $850,000 to upgrade traffic barriers in both Allegany and Garrett counties.

More here.

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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Local reps take case for 219 to governor's office

By KATIE WALKER Daily American Staff Writer

11:23 p.m. EDT, April 11, 2012
A- | A+
Representatives from three counties met with Gov. Tom Corbett's staff Wednesday to discuss the progress of completing Route 219 from Meyersdale to Somerset.

Kathleen Duffy Bruder, deputy chief of staff to Corbett, Jim Ritzman, deputy secretary for planning for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and county commissioners from Somerset, Cambria and Garrett County, Md., attended the meeting. Staff from the offices of state Sens. John Wozniak and Richard Kasunic attended as well as representatives from the North/South Appalachian Highway Coalition.

"We were making our case, as we try to do all the time to get 219 built," Glenn Miller, an executive committee member of Continental 1, said.

The Continental 1 corridor is a proposed 1,500-mile direct route from Toronto to Miami intended to develop business growth and faster, safer travel. The organization's current goal is to complete Route 219 from New York through Pennsylvania.

More here.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

‘With remorse’ Garrett County superintendent suggests school closings

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — Garrett County’s interim superintendent of schools recommended Tuesday that Dennett Road and Kitzmiller elementary schools be closed due to a lack of state funding.

“We don’t have any wiggle room in the budget. I am a proponent of small schools and I agree that it takes a community to raise a child. This is definitely an emotional issue,” said Sue Waggoner, who said it was “with remorse” that she made the decision.

House Bill 660 and Senate Bill 586, proposed by Delegates Wendell Beitzel, Kevin Kelly and LeRoy Myers Jr. and Sen. George Edwards passed in the Senate but failed in the House, according to Waggoner.

“It is unprecedented. Who would have believed that the legislature would adjourn without passing it,” said Waggoner, who said she wasn’t sure if lawmakers would return for a special session to hash out budget differences. “I’m still hopeful things can change.”

The county stands to lose $1.5 million in state assistance in fiscal year 2012 and that number is projected to be $2.5 million in FY 2013.

The board will vote on the recommendation at a special meeting on April 24 at 7 p.m. Public comment will be taken before the vote.

The proposed bill would have limited the board’s losses in state funding to 5 percent for the next three years. If the bill would have passed, it would have capped losses at $1.5 million.

In closing Dennett Road and Kitzmiller, it will save the board $1.2 million and $279,000 respectively, according to Waggoner. However, the board would have to add $170,750 in unemployment compensation to its budget.

There was no public comment on the school closing recommendation.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

More here.

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Environmentalists praise assembly session

Lawmakers pass flush fee, stormwater fee, septic curbs, arsenic ban
April 10, 2012|By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

While others found much to criticize about this year's General Assembly, environmental activists hailed it Tuesday as the most significant in decades for advancing long-running efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay.

In a year when lawmakers balked at raising taxes or fees for other purposes, they approved the doubling of a "flush fee" for fixing up Maryland's sewage treatment plants and ordered the state's largest communities to levy fees on their property owners to fix polluted runoff from city and suburban streets and parking lots.

Legislators also finally approved long-debated curbs on growth using septic tanks, which officials have warned for years could undermine bay cleanup efforts if not curtailed.

More here.

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A Quiet Moment Along The Savage

This river's name does not seem appropriate for this particular scene. The Savage River was anything but savage when captured in this photograph by artist Michael Petersheim. The shot is part of an exhibit of his work now on display at the Gallery Shop in downtown Oakland.

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"The Nature of Summer" display is being hosted by the Garrett County Arts Council, which will also host a reception for Petersheim at the gallery on April 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will be on display until May 18 and is open during normal Gallery Shop hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Petersheim is a native of western Maryland and grew up on farm just south of Oakland. His love of photography developed in 2004, he said, while living and studying at the University of Queensland in Australia. See story on today's arts page. For more information, persons may also visit www.garrettarts.com or call 301-334-6580.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

General Assembly increases flush tax, sends to O'Malley

by Annie Linskey

11:48 a.m. EDT, April 9, 2012
Maryland's House of Delegates just passed a bill that doubles the "flush tax" -- a fee on water use -- sending it to Gov. Martin O'Malleyfor his signature. Passing the bill was a key part of the governor's agenda this year.

The bill increases the fee from $2.50 per household per month to $5. Funds will be used to upgrade wastewater faciliites. It passed the House 89 to 48.

The bill (HB 446) was amended to exclude parts of the state, like Garrett County and parts of the Eastern Shore, that are not part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Del. Maggie McIntosh, the House floor leader, said the change would not have a "material" impact on the funds raised by the change.

More here.

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Forgo final walk-through at your own risk

Sellers don't always play by rules when moving out

By Dian Hymer
Inman News®

Purchase contracts often include a provision for the buyers to walk through the property with their real estate agent about five days or so before closing. This is not a contingency of the contract.

It provides the buyers an opportunity to confirm that the property is in substantially the same condition it was when their offer to purchase was accepted by the sellers, and to confirm that any repairs the sellers agreed to do have been completed.

If you do a walk-through and discover that repair items haven't been done per the contract or that the sellers' possessions haven't been completely removed from the property, ask your agent to put the findings in writing. Your agent can then deliver the "to do" list to the sellers so that there is no question about what remains to be done before closing.

More here.

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Bay foundation: Report points to need for runoff controls

Most-polluted list has 37 additional waterways
by margie hyslop, Staff Writer

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is pointing to a report that adds 37 streams and waterways to the state’s most-polluted list as evidence of the need to curb runoff in urban and suburban areas....

...According to MDE, among Maryland waters most polluted by runoff from urban or suburban areas were streams linked to the Potomac River in Montgomery, Frederick and Washington counties; the Anacostia River in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties; the Little Patuxent River in Anne Arundel and Howard counties; Liberty Reservoir watershed in Carroll and Baltimore counties; Back River in Baltimore city and Baltimore County; Lower Gunpowder Falls in Baltimore County; West River in Anne Arundel County and the Deep Creek Lake watershed in Garrett County.

More here.

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"What After-School Programs Mean To Me"

Apr. 5, 2012

Young Jarrett Miller had the attention of both Sen. George Edwards (seated) and Del. Wendell Beitzel one day last month when the youngster joined several other local advocates of after-school programming in Garrett County. The Partners After School (PAS) representatives from Accident and Oakland attended After School Advocacy Night at the state capital in Annapolis, hosted by the Maryland Out of School Time Network.

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Jarrett wrote a letter about how important after-school programming is to him, and read it to the two elected officials as part of the day's activities. Partners After School programs are provided by the Garrett County Local Management Board (LMB), Garrett County commissioners, Governor's Office for Children, and United Way of Garrett County. Programs are administered by the Garrett County Health Department and Garrett County Community Action Committee. For more information, persons may call the LMB at 301-334-7445 or 301-895-3111.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Scientists: Increase in US Earthquakes Almost Certainly Manmade

Saturday, 07 April 2012 09:22
By Joe Romm, ThinkProgress

A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) team has found that a sharp jump in earthquakes in America’s heartland appears to be linked to oil and natural gas drilling operations.

As hydraulic fracturing has exploded onto the scene, it has increasingly been connected to earthquakes. Some quakes may be caused by the original fracking — that is, by injecting a fluid mixture into the earth to release natural gas (or oil). More appear to be caused by reinjecting the resulting brine deep underground.

Last August, a USGS report examined a cluster of earthquakes in Oklahoma and reported:

Our analysis showed that shortly after hydraulic fracturing began small earthquakes started occurring, and more than 50 were identified, of which 43 were large enough to be located. Most of these earthquakes occurred within a 24 hour period after hydraulic fracturing operations had ceased.

More here.

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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Garrett residents ask for wind ordinances, setbacks

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

FROSTBURG — A petition signed by 39 residents asks Garrett County commissioners to impose realistic setbacks or ordinances that would protect families and homes from a proposed wind farm on Four Mile Ridge and part of Big Savage Mountain.

The petition will be presented to the commissioners at a land management ordinance work session on Tuesday.

“In addition to aesthetic and environmental impacts, industrial-scale wind turbines built near people’s homes and properties have the potential to increase health and safety risks, lower property values and diminish quality of life,” said the petition.

Eleven agreements have been recorded and executed with property owners for wind turbines on St. John’s Rock Ridge, Jim Torrington, chief of the Garrett County Permits and Inspections Division, explained to the Times-News last month.

Big Savage Mountain is in the vicinity of St. John’s and has viewshed and watershed impacts on Frostburg, according to Rich Harris, Frostburg director of community development.

The city has a system of complex springs and wells in the vicinity of St. John’s Rock Road that provides water for the region to supplement the Piney Dam source.

In February, a meteorological tower permit was issued to Synergics Wind Energy LLC for a tower along St. John’s Rock Road. Synergics has proposed 24 wind turbines.

House Bill 747 would give county commissioners the authority to enact ordinances relating to setbacks and the decommissioning of wind turbines.

The companion measure, sponsored by Sen. George Edwards, has been unanimously approved by the Senate, according to a news release.

“Senator Edwards and I sought to put these protections in place prior to windmill development on Garrett County’s mountaintops,” said Delegate Wendell Beitzel. “With passage of this bill, the commissioners will have the authority to establish setback and decommissioning provisions for wind turbine projects.”

As of Friday, HB 747 still needed to be voted on by both the House and Senate.

The legislative session is scheduled to end by midnight Monday.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

More here.

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Early Spring

The earliest spring most can remember has taken place in Garrett County this year, with trees and flowers in full bloom almost a month before their usual explosions of color.

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The Easter holiday in this area is not generally quite so vibrant. Best wishes to all Christians who will celebrate the most important festival of the church calendar this week. Photo by John McEwen.

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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Friday, April 6, 2012

Waggoner To Give School Closure Recommendation

Apr. 5, 2012

The Garrett County Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 10, beginning at 4 p.m. The meeting will be held in Southern Middle School cafeteria.

Following public comment at 4 p.m., the board will meet in closed session until 5:30 p.m. At that time, public agenda topics will involve recognition of Girl Scout Troop 55021 and FIRST Robotics Team 1629, as well as Maryland wrestling champ-ion Austin Shaffer.

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Action will be taken on the 2012-12 school calender and the 2012 retiree recognition dinner.

Information items will deal with special education procedures and Interim Superintendent Sue Waggoner's recommendations concerning budgetary issues and school closings.

A second public comment will be held at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Deep Creek study reaches Phase II

From Staff Reports Cumberland Times-News

2012 — MCHENRY — The Department of Natural Resources is planning next week to begin Phase II of a Deep Creek Lake sediment study, according to the Property Owners’ Association of Deep Creek Lake.

Phase I was completed for selected coves during 2010-2011.

Phase II will target the entire lake to evaluate sediment distribution, character and chemistry of the sediment, and to determine alternatives to control and cope with sedimentation, Scott Johnson, association board member, said.

The cost estimate for Phase II is $180,000, with $65,000 to be funded by the DNR, according to Johnson. Working with the Garrett County commissioners, the association has agreed to help make up the $115,000 difference.

At a special meeting of the board of directors, called by president Troy Ellington, members voted unanimously to contribute $20,000.

The county has committed to about $95,000, according to planning director John Nelson. The funding will allow sampling to begin prior to subaquatic vegetation starting to grow as the lake water temperature begins to rise.

The study will provide a database to examine trends of sediment deposits and how to deal with their management. Members of the association and county staff have been providing input to the DNR to incorporate into the scope of the work.

Sedimentation is a natural process whereby soil is deposited through erosion into a body of water. The existing bathymetry map — the water depth of the lake — is inadequate for this study.

Phase II will include mapping the accumulated sediment in the lake, determining the physical and chemical properties of the sediment, addressing the removal and/or relocation of the sediment and identifying the sources of the sediment and strategies to minimize additional accumulations.

Results of the study will be released as they become available, with a final report is due in approximately one year.

The association has conducted two workshops over the past two years. Brainstorming sessions along with panel discussions have brought awareness to concerns about the long-term health of the lake.

More here.

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Deep Creek Lake POA Help Cover Sediment Study Funding Shortfall

Apr. 5, 2012

Deep Creek Lake Property Owners Association (POA) officials announced this week that they have joined with the Garrett County commissioners to make up a funding shortfall for Phase II of the Deep Creek Lake sediment study.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) plans to begin Phase II next week. The first phase was completed for selected DCL coves during 2010–2011.

"Phase II will be a continuation of those studies, targeting the entire lake to evaluate sediment distribution, character and chemistry of the sediment, and to determine alternatives to control and cope with sedimentation," said POA board member Scott Johnson.

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The cost estimate for Phase II is $180,000, of which $65,000 has been committed to by the DNR, leaving a $115,000 shortfall for funding. The POA has joined the county commissioners to cover that shortfall.

"At a special meeting of the board of directors called by President Troy Ellington on Saturday, there was a unanimous vote that the POA, as a stakeholder in the welfare of the lake, would contribute $20,000," Johnson said. "In the meantime the county has committed to make up the difference of approximately $95,000."

By so doing, the study can begin immediately, he stressed.

"The importance of starting Phase II immediately is to do much of the sampling prior to the sub-aquatic vegetation starting to grow as the lake water temperature begins to rise," Johnson said.

Funded totally by the DNR, the POA, and the county, the effort will be a scientific study, giving a data base to go forward into the future to study trends of sediment deposits and knowing how to deal with its management, according to the POA.

"Members of the POA and the county commissioners have been providing input to the DNR that will greatly improve the validity of the study," said Johnson. "The DNR has accepted much of that input and incorporated it into the scope of the work."

He added that sedimentation is a natural process whereby soil is deposited through erosion into a body of water.

"The existing bathymetry map (water depth) of the lake is inadequate for this study, and hence, a new map of the entire lake represents a major effort of this study," Johnson said.

According to the POA, Phase II study has four objectives:

1. To map the accumulated sediment in Deep Creek Lake.

2. To determine the physical and chemical properties of accumulated sediment.

3. To identify realistic, feasible, sustainable alternatives to address the removal and/or relocation of the sediment.

4. To identify the sources of the sediment inputs to the lake and develop strategies to minimize additional accumulations.

Results of the study will be released as they become available. A final report is due in approximately one year.

"The report will receive widespread dissemination to all stakeholders to allow for the maximum benefit of this investment," said Johnson.

The POA has conducted two workshops over the past two years involving a wide range of Deep Creek Lake stakeholders.

"Brainstorming sessions, along with panel discussions, have proven to bring awareness to areas of concern, sediment being one of those concerns about the long-term health of the lake," Johnson said. "The relationships among all the stakeholders have greatly improved through those workshops. The POA wishes to express its appreciation and thanks for the excellent working relationship that has been established between its membership, the county, and state offices. As stakeholders, we all want to maintain the wonderful recreational experience that Deep Creek Lake offers."

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Monday, April 2, 2012

On A March

On a march to Arlington from his home in Columbus, Ohio, a distance of 400 miles, is 23-year-old U.S. Marine veteran Justin Kuhel, who passed through Garrett County on Monday and is pictured above along Fingerboard Road. Kuhel is making the journey to raise both awareness and money for the Wounded Warriors Project, a non-profit organization with a mission to assist and support injured military service members. He enlisted in the U.S. Marines one day after graduating from high school and subsequently served with the Second Battalion Eighth Marines Scout Sniper Platoon in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was honorably discharged in the fall of 2010 and is now a member of the Inactive Marine Reserves.

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"I was one of the lucky ones who came back uninjured," Kuhel said, "but a lot of my friends either did not come back or came back with significant injuries. I decided I needed to do something to support them." Kuhel has a goal of raising $10,000, and on Monday noted that he had raised over $7,000 toward that goal. He plans to arrive at Arlington National Cemetery no later than next Monday. Kuhel is currently in a paramedic training course, with plans of possibly pursuing a nursing degree. Persons who wish to make a donation can do so online by going to the following web site and following the prompts: www.facebook.com/marchtoarlington.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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EGG-xtravaganza Planned By FIRST Robotics Team

Mar. 29, 2012

FIRST Robotics Team 1629 will hold a fundraising event on Saturday, April 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Garrett County Fairground parking lot, located off Mosser Road, McHenry.
The event will feature science and technology based activities that are all centered around eggs. Activities will include an egg chucking competition (for distance), egg painting using LEGO machines, LEGO egg jousting vehicles, a geocached egg hunt, and many more egg-based activities.

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Team 1629 will provide all materials needed, including GPS units, with the exception of the egg chucking contestants, who will need to bring their pre-built egg chucking machines. All egg chuckers must be within a 30x30x30 inch volume for the entire launch sequence and may not use combustibles or compressed air. Mechanical devices such as slingshots, catapults, and trebuchets are allowable as long as they conform to the sizing restrictions. Hard boiled eggs will be used for the competition and will be provided at the event.
Exact times and rules for all activities can be found online at www.team1629.com.

More info.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Victims Recovering After Freak Crash At Derby Fundraiser

Mar. 29, 2012

Several individuals who were hurt in a freak accident on Saturday, March 17, at the Bear Claw Tubing Park of Wisp Resort are reportedly all recovering from their injuries. The accident happened during the annual Cardboard Box Derby, a fundraiser hosted by the Deep Creek Lake Lions Club that benefits that group's Blind Skier Program.

The event, this year with the theme of "Beachin' Weekend," involved 31 entries, and had proceeded with no problems until near the end of the contest.

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According to a spokesperson for Wisp, one of the last entries in the field, registered as the "Dragon Wagon," started down the designated lane of the tubing park. It was carrying 14 individuals, a mix of adults and minors.

It descended approximately halfway down the lane, and then veered out of lane #2 and crossed into lane #1. It traveled approximately 30 yards in tubing lane #1 before leaving the snow surface. The Dragon Wagon then collided with metal pipes that support a snow-making machine. The pipes were protected by four 55-gallon plastic barriers.

The spokesperson said the impact caused the occupants to forcefully collide with each other, and some were ejected out of the vessel. Two children were taken by helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., and five others left the premises by ambulance.

"All injured individuals were attended to and were en route to area hospitals within 45 minutes after the incident occurred," the spokesperson said.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Lawmakers poised to give officials wind farm regulatory power

House advances Garrett legislation

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News

2012 — OAKLAND — The Maryland House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee has advanced a bill that would give the Garrett County commissioners the authority to enact ordinances relating to setbacks and the decommissioning of wind turbines, according to a news release.

“This is a very large step towards providing some safeguards for the citizens of Garrett County,” Delegate Wendell Beitzel said.

The companion measure to H.B. 747, sponsored by Sen. George Edwards, has been unanimously approved by the Senate. The two legislators have sponsored measures to give local governments authority to regulate wind turbines during the past several sessions. However, this is the first time that the House Economic Matters Committee and the Senate Finance Committee have approved the measures relating to Garrett County.

“Senator Edwards and I sought to put these protections in place prior to windmill development on Garrett County’s mountaintops. With passage of this bill, the commissioners will have authority to establish setback and decommissioning provisions for wind turbine projects. I applaud my colleagues for recognizing the need for this very important legislation,” said Beitzel.

Both measures must now be approved by the House and Senate by midnight April 9, when the 2012 legislative session ends.

During the Draft Land Management Ordinance work session in March, the county commissioners discussed an ordinance that would call for wind turbine setbacks of 2,000 feet from a residence, church, school or other occupied structure and 1,000 feet from a property line. The draft ordinance also addressed a decommissioning agreement requirement.

A third Draft Land Management Ordinance work session will be held April 10 at 10 a.m.

The two proposed wind turbine projects at St. John’s Rock and Four Mile Ridge are progressing. Eleven agreements have been recorded and executed with property owners for wind turbines on the St. John’s Rock ridge, according to Jim Torrington, chief of the Garrett County Permits and Inspections Division. In February, a metrological tower permit was issued to Synergics Wind Energy LLC for a tower along St. John’s Rock Road. Synergics has proposed 24 wind turbines.

The next step in the county permitting process would be a grading permit, according to Torrington, who noted that for the first wind project (Roth Rock) it took Synergics 18 months to get a grading permit. However, since Synergics has already been through the process, Torrington thinks that the process will be smoother and take less time. Gestamp Wind North America of Houston now owns the Roth Rock project.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com

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Garrett robotics team gets top honors at Ohio event

Students win Chairman’s Award; invited to world championship in St. Louis

For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News

2012 — OAKLAND — Garrett County’s High School FIRST Robotics Competition GaCo Team 1629 received top honors at the FIRST Buckeye Regional Robotics Competition in Cleveland.

The event was held last weekend at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. Garrett County was the only Maryland team competing at the Ohio competition.

During the three-day event, team members competed with 58 other teams from surrounding states.

Teams were judged in many areas in addition to how well their robot placed during the competition, including robot control and design awards, team imagery, spirit and community impact.

Of the awards, Team 1629 received the Chairman’s Award, the most prestigious award that FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) offers in their regional competitions.

In addition to winning the Chairman’s Award, the team’s robot was the eighth-seeded robot after competing in 10 qualification matches that earned the team the right to compete in elimination rounds and survived to the semi-final matches before being eliminated at the Buckeye Regional.

The team receiving the Chairman’s Award, in view of the judges, is the team that best exemplifies the mission of FIRST. The FIRST mission is to change the way young people regard science and technology and to inspire an appreciation

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Garrett tech firm continues to grow

2012 — One of the best local economic development success stories can be found in Garrett County where GCC Technologies continues to grow.

The firm started in 2007 on the Garrett College campus with 17 employees. Today it has more than 200 workers, including 100 it recruited from Garrett County. Jobs range from senior business analyst to information technology specialist.

GCC provides a wide range of technical and support services, including information technology, acquisition management, contract management, program management, training, studies and analysis and administrative support,

Last week, the Garrett County government announced it had sold its Maryland Economic Development Corp. building at the Southern Garrett Business and Technology Park to GCC for $1.15 million. Jim Hinebaugh, the county’s economic development director, called the transaction and the firm’s success a “big deal” that is “a great model for economic development in a rural area.”

The 30,000-square foot building was sold for the same price paid by the county when it purchased the building from MEDCO in December, according to Monty Pagenhardt, county administrator. The county will use the money to pay off the loan it made to purchase the building.

Jim Bailey, managing member and president of GCC, said his firm is offering the most competitive salaries found in Garrett County, along with a good employee benefits package. He said the county’s support in helping the start-up operation was one of the keys to the success.

At a time when we hear so much disappointing economic news, it is refreshing to see a business like GCC flourish here in Western Maryland. Their hard work and success, and the support received from Garrett County and state government, are commendable.

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