the county times 2008.12.11 a section

By Guy LeonardStaff Writer

The chief financial officer for St. Mary’s County government says that the first of four income tax allot-ments from the state are better than expected, which could mean that the county could make its budget goal of $63.7 million in income taxes for 2009.

Elaine Kramer, head of the fi-nance office, said that could mean that the county may not have to make cuts in county positions or furlough employees to save money.

The first parcel of income tax revenues from state coffers came in at about $15.2 million in November, Kramer told The County Times, with three more payments to come in February, May and June.

“I think we’re on track to make budget in 2009,”Kramer said. “I’m cautiously optimistic; had it been down there would be cause to

SPORTSINSIDE

THURSDAY 12.11.2008

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See Tax page A-5

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James Manning McKay Sr.Dies At Age 89

Toys For Tots Seahawks vs Marymount


A man who had shot his wife and her boyfriend, killing the man, earlier this year in a fit of jealous rage, according to county prosecutors, has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted second-degree mur-der in county Circuit Court.

Koumanne Virasith, 40, disputed the facts of his case at a plea hearing scheduled Dec. 4, according to State’s Attorney Richard Fritz who prosecuted the case.

Fritz said when he read a statement of facts Dec. 4 showing that on April 10, when the killing of Thomas John Saunders, 3�, and the crippling of Melissa Virasith took place, the defendant left Liberty Street by car af-

Man Pleads To Murder Of Estranged Wife’s BoyfriendAlso Admits To Attempting To Kill Wife


Mechanicsville resident and U.S. Army 1st Sergeant Kevin Bidwell loves being a soldier. For the past 15-years, he has made serving his coun-try, and serving it well, his career.

His skill and professionalism have reached such a high level that he has been named the top first sergeant for the entire U.S. Army Recruiting Command after a rigorous competi-tion that examined his performance goals and those of his troops, his leadership qualities and his physical fitness.

No mean feat, the competition saw nearly 250 first sergeants vie for the title across all the units here in the United States as well as in Eu-rope and the Philippines.

After numerous tests, writing assignments and inquests by a group of nine sergeant majors on policies and procedures of the U.S. Army, Bidwell won the prestigious title.

He said the men and women un-der his command, whom he helped groom to be the best in the army re-cruiting command, helped him win out over all the others.

“You have to have a proficient

Soldiers Rapid Rise, Leadership Skills Earns Him Top Honors

County: Income Tax

Allotment From State

On Track

See Soldier Award page A-7

See Next Week For The Final Edition of The Leonardtown 300th Anniversary

Celebration

Andrea ShiellStaff Writer

The Greenview Village Apart-ment community in Great Mills will be undergoing a significant make-over in the future, and Dennis Nich-olson of the Housing Authority of St. Mary’s County (HASMC) presented community rehabilitation plans to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday to request approval of using state funds for the project.

Nicholson presented a resolution supporting the use of Community Development Administration (CDA) funds in the amount of $1,703,052 for the project, specifically for improve-ments such as: site grading and new sidewalks, new site pole lights, new handicapped parking signs, rewiring of certain units to meet modern elec-trical code for ADA units, new ADA plumbing fixtures, new sheetrock, new interior doors and trim, new paint, ADA accessible cabinetry and countertops, new flooring, and new hardware for ADA standards. Other priorities include the replacement of exterior and patio doors, HVAC heat

Local Neighborhood Rehab Project To Use State Funds

See Rehab page A-5


James Manning McKay, founder of the well known local food store chain bearing his name, former state del-egate and president of the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners has died.

He was �9.

McKay was remembered by colleagues who had served with him county government as an effective lead-er who always worked in the best interests of St. Mary’s County.

“He was probably one of the most hard-working men I’ve ever known,” said Ford Dean, a former county com-

See McKay page A-�


The Board of Education of St. Mary’s County held their Board Member Oath of Office Ceremony on Monday afternoon at their meet-ing room on Moakley Street. Joining veteran board members was newly elected member Marilyn Crosby, who unseated Gary Kessler in the November election.

Veteran board member Mary Washington commented lightheart-edly on Crosby’s induction, saying “she brings a lot of experience be-ing a special education teacher in the

Crosby Sworn In With

Veteran Board Members

James Manning McKay passed away early Tuesday morning at the age of 89. He is the founder of McKay’s Food and Drug, as well as The County Times Newspaper

Veteran, Grocer, Politician, Publisher Leaves Community Legacy See Crosby page A-7

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,December11,�008

Thursday, December 11, 2008 The County Times Section A - �

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Prosecutors say a man accused of carjacking and robbing a 75-year-old vic-tim with a heart condition who later died made a confession, but now wants to con-test it at a motions hearing in county Cir-cuit Court.

The hearing for the accused, Stephen Joseph Brown-Santos, could take place next week.

“He gave a confession to the police,” said Public Defender John Getz. “But he does wish to litigate that statement.”

Brown-Santos, 20, was initially charged with armed robbery and carjack-ing against Billy Gene Gurley, but the grand jury later indicted him on first-de-gree murder.

Brown-Santos is said by local police to have carjacked and robbed Gurley June

20 outside Dabbs Dental Care in Leonard-town using a handgun.

After the robbery, Gurley called for help from police, complained of chest pains and later died.

Charging documents state that Brown-Santos had agreed to an interview without a lawyer after anonymous witnesses to the crime had pointed to Brown-Santos as a likely suspect.

Brown admitted in charging docu-ments to using the handgun to force Gur-ley back into his car at the dental care facility and drove him to the parking lot of a nearby Leonardtown shopping center where he allegedly took $37 and a class ring from Gurley.

Brown-Santos f led to his own car, po-lice said, while Gurley drove back to the parking lot of the dental care facility and called for police.

Charging documents state that police

executed a search warrant on Brown-San-tos’ apartment and found a loaded hand-gun they believed was used in the crime against Gurley.

Court papers went on to say the de-fendant’s girlfriend returned the deceased victim’s class ring.

State’s Attorney Richard Fritz said in court there would be “much evidence to be produced that will involve medical testimony.”

Gurley had a heart monitor on him at the time of the alleged crime, Fritz said.

Circuit Court Judge C. Clarke Raley said the case would be a “very complex murder case,” because there was a ques-tion as to whether Brown-Santos’ alleged actions actually caused the death of the victim.

Judge Raley also said that “it’s fairly certain you’ll have a collision of expert witnesses” in the case.

Both Getz and Fritz are expected to present expert witnesses for and against Brown-Santos.

Through the entire motions hear-ing process Dec. 8, Brown-Santos used a Spanish language interpreter to under-stand and relay responses to the court.

Fritz later said Brown-Santos’ com-mand of the English language was adequate.

“He speaks English well enough to attend any high school in Maryland and graduate,” Fritz said.

Brown-Santos waived his right to have his case tried by Jan. 25 of next near, or the deadline of the 180-day period in which cases must be tried according to law, in an effort to gather defense witnesses.

Brown-Santos is still incarcerated at the St. Mary’s County Adult Detention Center.

Gurley, who lived in Town Creek, had lived in the county since 1959 and worked at the U.S. Navy’s Test Pilot School at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

Friends and family said he was a founding member of the Mattponi Rod and Gun Club on base and was an avid outdoorsman and deer hunter.

Murder, Carjacking Suspect May Challenge Confession

With the holidays upon us, the return of holiday traditions is upon us as well. Thanksgiving football games, Christmas mornings spent opening gifts, and New Year’s parties are a few of the more standard traditions most families partake in this time of year.

Another tradition of the holiday season is decorating. Houses adorned with colorful lights and halls decked out with holiday decor are a common element in households across the country during the holiday season. However, too often decorations and the various other traditions of the holiday season are less than environmentally friendly. Fortunately, there are ways to make this holiday season both festive and friendly to the environment.

* Alter your party plans: Parties are a big part of the holi-day season, whether they’re office parties, gatherings with family, or simply friends getting together to enjoy some good times. Though paper napkins and plates offer convenience, they aren’t exactly beneficial to the environment. Sustainable items such as cloth napkins and reusable plates, are an easy way to make a holiday party environmentally friendly. There are even companies that specialize in organic and sustainable linens.

* Give more responsibly: Gift giving is arguably the most common of all holiday traditions. But the pageantry as-sociated with gift giving often has a negative impact on the environment. Tissue paper and ribbons cannot be recycled. In lieu of such items, consider wrapping gifts in the Sunday comics, posters or go the easy (and reusable) route by placing gifts in gift bags instead of wrapping paper, tissue paper and ribbon.

* Decorate with natural scents and oils: Natural scents and oils can create the ambience many people want around their home during the holidays. On the positive side, these natural scents and oils don’t provide the downside that aero-sol sprays and even some scented candles do. Such items can be harmful to the environment, while natural scents and oils pack the same punch without the negative impact.

* Grow your own trees: If you have the room on your property, growing your own evergreen could be a good way to go this season. While planting won’t pay immediate deco-rating dividends, it will pay off in the long run, and save you money as well. If you can plant an evergreen, as that tree be-gins to grow, you can trim its branches to use for decorating around the home. Once it’s grown to an adequate size, you can then use that as your Christmas tree. This process can keep repeating itself so long as you have the room to plant the tree.

* Do your shopping from home: One of the more stress-ful aspects of the holiday season is holiday shopping. Elimi-nating that stress is not only healthy, but helpful to the en-vironment as well. Rather than driving to the nearby mall or shopping district throughout the holiday season, consider shopping online. When shopping online, you aren’t wasting any fuel, nor are you sitting idly in traffic and contributing to air pollution.

Go Green This Holiday Season

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,December11,2008

Editorial&Opinion

P.O.Box250•Hollywood,Maryland20636

News, advertising, circulation, classifieds: 301-373-4125

JamesManningMcKay-Founder

Tobie Pulliam - Office [email protected]

AndreaShiell-CommunityCorrespondent.......andreashiell@countytimes.net

ChrisStevens-SportsCorrespondent.............. [email protected]

GuyLeonard-GovernmentCorrespondent..............guyleonard@countytimes.net

PrestonPratt-SalesRepresentative...........................prestonpratt@countytimes.net

MattSuite-SalesRepresentative......................................mattsuite@countytimes.net

The County Times

Iam54yearsold,sonofthelateGeorgeFranklinandBlanchClementsMcKay.IwasbornandraisedatHollywood,MarylandwhereIpresentlyresidewithmywife,MarilynDixonMcKay,and4ofour8children.IattendedboththepublicandparochialschoolsystemshereinSt.Mary’sCounty.IhavelivedinSt.Mary’sCountymostofmylifeexceptforabout4½yearsinthelate1930’sandtheearly1940’sduringwhichtimeIwasemployedbysuchcompaniesasConsolidatedEngineeringCompanyandtheBethlehemSteelCompany.

MymotherandfatheroperatedasmalltobaccofarmonwhichIhelpedpriortoseekingemploymentinWashingtonandBaltimore.IwasalsoabsentfromSaintMary’sCountyduringthetimeIwasonactivedutyintheUnitedStatesNavyintheearlyandmid1940’s.UponleavingactivedutywiththeNavyIresumedmyemploymentwiththegovernmentatPatuxentRiver,MarylandandremainedthereuntilAugust1968.In1968IexpandedmyretailfoodbusinesstotwomarketsbeingthesametypeofbusinessmywifeandIhadenteredintoinlate1948.

ThroughoutallofthoseyearsIcontinuedmyeducationbynightclassesandanyothermeansatmydisposalincludingthePopularEducatorandacourseinAmericanLawandProcedures.In1970IdecidedtoseeknominationandelectiontotheMarylandHouseofDelegates.UpontakingmyseatintheHouseandworkingveryclosewithSt.Mary’sCounty’sotherDelegate,SpeakerJohnHansonBriscoealongwithSenatorPaulBaileywepassedmuchimportantlegislationforSt.Mary’sCountyandtheStateofMaryland.Someofthelegislationofnotewasauthorizingourcountytofundsuchprojectsastheadditiontothenursinghome,thecounty’sshareofthecostoftheMentallyRetardedCenter,expandingtheBoardofCountyCommissioners,providingthefirstconsumerprotectionlegislationforSt.Mary’sCounty,establishingaseniorcitizenscommission,enactinglegislationtopreventanoilrefineryfromoperatingatPineyPointandmanyotherimportantpiecesoflegislation.IwasamemberoftheimportantEnvironmentalMattersCommitteeduringmyentire4yearsintheMarylandHouseandwasalsoamemberofthejointHouseSenateOpenSpacesCommitteeforthelast2years.

IdecidedinAprilofthisyearnottoseekre-electiontomyHouseseat.AfterbeingurgedtoremainactiveinpoliticsbymyfamilyandmanyfriendsfromthroughouttheCountyIdecidedtoseekthenominationandelectionasPresidentoftheBoardofCountyCommissioners.IchosetoseekthatofficebecausetherearemanyorganizationalandoperationalchangesneededinCountygovernmenttomakeitmoreefficientandresponsivetothepublicneed.Ihavesetforthinseveralpressreleasesandpublicstatementsmypositiononafewoftheissuesofwhichthepeopleappeartobeconcerned.MyoneveryemphaticpromisetothepeopleofSt.Mary’sCountyisifnominatedandelectedthatIwilldothebestjobforthemthatIcan.

JamesManningMcKay

A survey of St. Mary’s County residentsconducted inNovember byGonzalesResearch& Marketing Strategies for St. Mary’s CollegeofMaryland(SMCM)togaugecommunityatti-tudestowardthecollegeyieldedusefulfeedbackfor theschool.Thesurveyresultsshowthat90percentofcountyresidentspolledhaveanoverallfavorable opinion of the college. Twenty-five per-centofrespondentssaidtheyorafamilymemberhavetakenaclassatSMCMwithinthepastyear,with93percentrespondingthatthey“wouldbeproudtohaveafamilymemberattend”SMCM.The response to questions on events attendedoutside theclassroomshows thatabout50per-centofthosesurveyedhavebeentooneormoreculturaleventsatSMCMinthepastyear.

The response to the following questionsreflected well on how most citizens view the college’s relationshipwith its local community.Ninetypercentofthosesurveyedagreedthatthecollegeis“agoodneighbortotheresidentsofSt.Mary’sCounty.”Almost80percentagreedthatSMCMisan“environmentallyfriendlyandsen-sitiveinstitution.”Ninety-sixpercentofrespon-dentsagreedthatSMCMisan“importanteduca-tionalinstitutioninSt.Mary’sCounty.”

WhenaskedifSMCMprovides“importantcontributions to the cultural offerings” of thecounty,92percentrespondedfavorably.Almosthalfhaveattendedaconcertinthepastyearand20 percent said they’ve attended a lecture atSMCMduringthattime.Ninetypercentofcoun-tyresidentsagreethatSMCMaddstothequalityoflifeinthecounty.

“We conducted this survey to find out what the citizens of St. Mary’s County think of thecollege’s relationship with the community. Weknowourrecord—exceptionalcommunitypro-grams and an excellent record on the environ-ment.SustainabilityawardsfromtheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncilandtheEnvironmentalProtec-tionAgency’sGreenPowerPartnershipattesttothis.Sowetookthetimetounderstandwhattheattitudeofourcommunityisreally.NineoutoftenpeoplesurveyedsaidSMCMisagoodneigh-bor, and we do well offering educational andcultural opportunities for both the campus andlocalcommunities,”saidSMCMPresidentJaneMargaretO’Brien.

“Whetherbybringingknownmusiciansherethrough the River Concert Series like countrymusicstarSuzyBoggussorbyinvitingpromi-nent guest speakers such as Tom Brokaw, our

goalistocontinuetoaddtothequalityoflifeinourcommunity.Andwe’llcontinuetolistenandto improve, andwewelcomecommunity feed-back,”O’Briensaid.

Onlysixpercentofsurveyrespondentsdis-agreedwiththestatementthatSMCM“studentsparticipateinpublicserviceactivitiesinthelo-calcommunity.”ExamplesofinvolvementinthecommunityincludeagroupofstudentswhovisitresidentsoftheBaysideNursingHomeinLex-ingtonPark,Maryland,everyweekandthosein-volvedinvolunteeringatthelocalsoupkitchens.AThanksgivingfooddrivethisyear,forexam-ple, resulted inSMCMstudentsdelivering350poundsoffood,enoughforabout20families,totheSouthernMarylandFoodBank.

Othersurveyresultsshowthat18percentofcommunitymembersquestionedhaveattendedanathleticeventatthecollegeorhaveusedtheSMCMlibrary.Thirteenpercenthaveused thecollege’sathleticfacilities.

Among the five colleges in the state tested, St. Mary’s County residents rated SMCM thehighest.Thecollegehadameanaverageof7.99on a scale of 1 to 10 with regard to academicqualitywhencomparedtoothercollegesinthestate.TheothercollegesrankingbelowSMCM,inorderofrank,areUniversityofMarylandatCollegePark,TowsonStateUniversity,SalisburyUniversityandLoyolaCollege.

ThepollbyGonzalesResearch&Market-ingStrategies,Inc.wasconductedbetweenNov.5andNov.11.Atotalof403St.Mary’sCountyresidents, 18 years of age or older, were inter-viewedbytelephone.Themarginoferrorisnomore than plus or minus five percentage points for the entire sample. The full survey may beviewed at www.smcm.edu. Click on the linkidentified to see the results.

GonzalesResearch&MarketingStrategiesis a ten-year-old polling and market research firm based in Annapolis, Maryland.Gonzales Re-searchworkswithpublicandprivateclients,fromlarge corporations and government agencies tosmall businesses and associations. The firm has conductedsurveysnationallyandstatewide.Thefirm’s political and issue-oriented polls are wide-lycitedbytheAssociatedPress,theWashingtonPostandtheBaltimoreSun.ClientsincludetheMarylandChamberofCommerce,theMarylandStateTeachersAssociation, theCarrollCountyBoardofEducationandKaiserPermanente.

Countywide Survey Results Show Positive Community Response to SMCMNine Out of Ten People Say SMCM Is Good Neighbor

DearEditor:

Reuters reports that the numberof U.S. car dealerships closing is ex-pected to increase into 2009, with asmanyas3,800dealershipsatriskofclo-sure because of dwindling sales andtighter credit, according to a newly re-leased study by Grant Thornton LLP. With somanycardealerships inAmer-icaprojectedtoclosenextyear,theneedfor the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Rightto Repair Act (HR 2694) is even morecritical to car owners than ever before. Thefactisthattherealreadyaren’tenoughdealershipsinalltherightplacestokeepeverymotorvehicleserviced,repairedandoperatingsafely.Nowitappearsthatthissituationisgoingtobecomeworse.With-out theRight toRepairAct,millions ofmotorists may be forced back to fewerdealers for service, making convenient

and affordable local auto repair a thingof thepast. Inaddition,manymotoristsmay forgo importantvehicle repairsduetotheaddedcostsoffuelandtraveltimebecausethereisnodealershipinthearea. TheRighttoRepairActwasintroducedinCongresstoprotectvehicleownersbymak-ingitillegalformanufacturerstowithholdsafetyalertsandrepairinformationfromcarownersandtheirtrustedrepairshops. Pleasevisitwww.righttorepair.orgtosendalettertoeachofyourcongressionalrep-resentatives, urging them to support theRighttoRepairActbyaddingtheirnamestothegrowinglistofco-sponsors.

Sincerely,AaronLowe

Vice President, Government Affairs Automotive Aftermarket IndustryAssociation

U.S. Car Dealership Closings in 2009 Make Right to Repair Act More Critical to Vehicle Owners

Dear Editor:

JamesManningMcKay,89passedawayTuesday morning, December 9, 2008 at St.Mary’s Hospital. Manning, as those whoknew him best called him, died peacefullywithhiswifeMarilyn, and their eight chil-drenbyhisside.

Later that day, James A. Forrest Sr.,whom theDr. JamesA. ForrestCareer andTechnologyCenter is named after, a youngmanhimselfat the fineageof97, spokeofManning and his memories. Mr. Forrestspoke about the time when Manning wasPresidentofTheBoardofCountyCommis-sionersatthesametimehewasPresidentofTheBoardofEducation.

Thatwas a time, themid70’swhenSt.Mary’s County was emerging from a ruralfarming community where education hadnever been the higher priority, to a world-classcommunitywhereeducationwouldul-timatelybethenumberonepriority.

Morethanjustthat,itwasatimeshort-ly after integration of our county schools.These twoindividuals,Mr.McKayandMr.Forrest,oneawhitemanandoneanAfrican-Americanmanheld thehighestposts in lo-calgovernmentandlocaleducationatatimewhenourcommunitybenefitedthemost.

Thesetwomenkneweachotherlongbe-foretheywouldmeettogetheronthestageofpublicpolicy.Theywerefriendstoeachoth-erandservantstoagreatercause.Forbothofthesemen,theinequitiesofracerelationshad no place in our society. But it wasn’ttheircausethatmadethesetwofriendsmenofthesamecloth,itwastheircollectiveun-derstandingofpeople,bothwhiteandblackthatenabledthembothtobeacoupleofthegreatestleadersourcommunityeverknew.

Theybothunderstoodthatthetransitionofpeoplewouldtaketime,thatviolenceandaheavyhandwouldcausehatredandfailure.Justasimportanthoweverwastoshowdeter-minationandstrength.Asfriends,theyeachpracticed themoralsofequality throughoutthe50’sand60’s.Butalwayswiththedeli-cacythatreformingpeoplerequired.

By the time they reached center stageinthemid70’s,theyhadtogetherandsepa-ratelyblazedatrailthatwouldsetthestan-dards for race relations to come. Teachingpatience and understanding, on both sides,these twomen lead not just a county but anationthatwillcelebratetheculminationofthehardworkanddedicationofpeoplelikeMr.McKayandMr.ForrestthiscomingJan-uarywiththeInaugurationofBarackObamaas the first African American President oftheUnitedStates.

Mr. McKay will be watching the Inau-gurationwithGodfromHeavenabovewiththesameexpectationthathehasalwayshad,nomatteryourcolor,nomatterhowdifficultyourtask,workhardandgetthejobdone.

As time keeps moving it’s good to re-f lectondaysgonebyandthegreatmenandwomenwholeftourcommunitybetter thanthey found it. Mr. McKay will certainlybe missed by the thousands of people whoremember him as the kind man who couldoftenbefoundpickinguptrashinthestoreparking lot and always helping customerstake their groceries to the car. What folksmaynotasreadilyrememberisthekindmanwho instilled respect upon so many fellowmen.

His Greatest Gift To Our Community; Few Ever Knew

I’d Like To Be Your Commissioner PresidentWritten to the citizens of St. Mary’s County by James Manning McKay in 1974 in his race for County Commissioner


Board Of County Commissioners Meeting County Administrator Items

Tuesday, December 8, 2008

TaxContinued from page A-�

County Administrator Items

Dept. of Economic and Community De-velopment (Bob Schaller, Director)

Resolution and PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) Agreement, Victory Woods Senior Housing Project

Motion: To sign the Resolution supporting the Victory Woods Senior Housing Project to be financed either directly by the MD Department of Housing and Community Development or through the Departments Community Develop-ment Administration, in the form of a loan in the approximate amount of $2,000,000.

Motion By: Mattingly Second: JarboeAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Resolution in support of and for the use of CDA (Community Dev. Admin.) funds in the approx. amount of $1,703,0�2, for the Greenview Village Apartments Rehabilita-tion Project.

Note: The BOCC approved Resolution 2006-�9 endorsing the use of CDA funds for the rehabilitation of Greenview Village Apartments, which consists of 65 units.

Motion: To approve and sign the resolu-tion endorsing the Greenview Village Apart-ments Rehabilitation Project located at 45770 Church Drive, Great Mills, and supporting the use of Community Development Administration funds and/or programs for this project. (Motion amended including the installation of sprinkler systems as a top priority.)

Motion By: Raley Second: DementAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

St. Marys County Public Schools (Theo Cramer, Dir. of Academic Support; Rhonda Me-leen, Coord. Of Financial Services)

Request for approval of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Bright Futures 21st Century Grant for after school programs (in the amount of $330,224 per year for three years). (Motion is for Grant period 7/�/08 to 9/30/08)

Motion: To approve the Bright Futures 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant in the amount of $330,224 per year for three years, which was approved by the St. Marys County Board of Education on October 29, 2008, and to sign the letter of consent evidencing this approval.

Motion By: Jarboe Second: DementAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

St. Marys County Metropolitan Com-mission (Steve King, Director; Dan Ichnio-wski, Assist. Dir.; Anne Mary Cullins, Dir. of HR; Mike Sullivan, Admin. Operations/Facili-ties Mgmt.; and Metcom Board Members )

Request for approval of two new Met-Com staff positions (funding is in the Met-Com FY09 Operating Budget).

Motion: In accordance with the require-ments of Chapter 113-1C of the Public Local Laws of St. Marys County, to approve the Met-ropolitan Commissions creation of one new Sys-tem Control and Data Acquisition Technician position and one new Water Treatment and Dis-tribution/Wastewater Collection System Opera-tor position, effective immediately. (Amended to approve one of the two positions.)

Motion By: Raley Second: MattinglyAction: Motion CarriedVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe NoRaley Yes

Office of the Sheriff (Sheriff Tim Cameron)

Lease Agreement use of premises at 46922 So. Shangri La Drive for “CSAFE”

Motion: To approve and authorize the Com-missioner President to sign the Lease Agree-ment with Hal Edwin Cole, Sr., for the use of the premises at 46922 South Shangri La Drive in Lexington Park for the St. Marys County Sher-iffs Collaborative Supervision and Focused En-forcement (CSAFE) program.

Motion By: Dement Second: RaleyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Dept. of Finance (Elaine Kramer, CFO)

Six (6) BAs closing out projects, realign-ing $611,190 to the Supplemental Reserve Ac-counts, $38,332 will be returned to the BOCC Emergency Reserve.

Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the six budget amendments to closeout the related project bud-gets, move the budget authority to the Supple-mental Reserve Accounts, and return funding to

the BOCC Emergency Reserve.Motion By: Raley Second: JarboeAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Three (3) BAs adjusting project budgets (for grants that were budgeted at more than will be received).

Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the three budget amendments, which will adjust the relative proj-ect budgets to be in accordance with the actual awards, and move the budget authority to the Supplemental Reserve Accounts.

Motion By: Raley Second: JarboeAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Department of Aging (Lori Jennings-Har-ris, Director; Jennie Page, Dep. Director; Peggy Maio, Fiscal Supervisor)

Grant Agreement - Senior Rides Oper-ating Assistance (FY09); total grant amount $2�,2�0 - $17k State, $6,2�0 County match, and projected revenue of $2k.

Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the Maryland Department of Transportation FY09 Operating Grant Agreement for Senior Ride Operating Assistance.

Motion By: Dement Second: JarboeAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Dept. of Public Safety (Dave Zylak, Direc-tor; Dennis Gordge, Pres., St. Marys Co. Ad-vanced Life Support Unit)

Acknowledgement of MIEMSS Ad-vanced Life Support Education Grant ($3,600) and BA decreasing the grant budget by $600 (County funding remains the same at $8,740).

Motion: To acknowledge the Maryland In-stitute of Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Advanced Life Support Education Grant Agreement, as signed by the Advanced Life Support Unit, and to approve and authorize the Commissioner President to sign the related budget amendment, decreasing the grant budget by $600.

Motion By: Mattingly Second: RaleyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Dept. of Public Works and Transporta-tion (George Erichsen, P.E., Director)

Public Works Agreement (re-issue) and Addenda

(a.) Public Works Agreement Addendum for Hanover at Breton Bay Subdivision located in the 3rd Election District with an Expiration Date of January 1, 2009. The roads included in this Agreement are: Hanover Drive (2,009), Ha-nover Court (299), Hanover Woods Court (746), Orchard Court (350), and Barn Court (744).

(b.) Public Works Agreement Addendum for Dahlia Park of Wildewood, Phase 1, located in the 8th Election District with an Expiration Date of October 1, 2009. The roads included in this Agreement are: Tallwood Road, (�,063), Dahlia Drive (�,404), Dianthus Court (�35), Camelia Street (8�2), Camelia Street-Extended (386), and Canna Court (�,098).

(c.) Public Works Agreement Addendum for FDR Boulevard at Buck Hewitt Road located in the 8th Election District with an Expiration Date of December 1, 2009. The road included in this Agreement is: FDR Boulevard (�,4�8).

(d.) Public Works Agreement re-issued for Columbia Colony at First Colony Subdivision located in the 8th Election District with an Ex-piration Date of December 1, 2009. The roads included in this Agreement are: Clark Drive (549), Brown Street (952), McCool Street (765), Husband Street (730), and Clark Street (852).

Motion By: Mattingly Second: RaleyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

FY2010 Maryland Transportation Ad-ministrative Grant Application and Oper-ating/Capital budget for St. Marys Transit Transportation Programs(originally pre-sented at the �0/2�/08 BOCC meeting)

Motion: To approve and authorize the Commissioner President to execute the FY2010 Maryland Transportation Administrative Grant Application and Assurances, in the amount of $3,131,377, for the St. Marys Transit System.

Motion By: Jarboe Second: DementAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement Yes Jarboe YesRaley Yes

Office of the County Administrator (John Savich)

Motion: To appoint the following citizens to boards, committees, and commissions:

Boards, Committees and Commissions - Term to Expire

Adult Public Guardianship Review BoardMaureen McCarthy Ault (Reappointment) -

12/31/2011 Joseph B Bush (Reappointment) - 12/31/2011Andree J Wells (Reappointment) - 12/31/2011

Airport Advisory CommitteeLt. Col. A.H. Richardson (Reappointment) -

12/31/2011

Commission for People with DisabilitiesSam F Brown - 12/31/2012 Vicki L Brown - 12/31/2012Jennifer Irvin (STS Representative)

- 12/31/2012Tomica L Scriber (Housing Authority Rep)

- 12/31/2012

Commission on AgingClaudia A Knowlton - 12/31/2011

Commission on the EnvironmentJudy Gilman - 12/31/2012John B Wheeler (Reappointment)

- 12/31/2012

Community Health Advisory CommitteeLt. Louis F Burris (Reappointment)

- 12/31/2011Laine Doggett (Reappointment) - 12/31/2011Larry Polsky (Reappointment) - 12/31/2011Andree Wells (Reappointment) - 12/31/2011Michael J Roby - 12/31/2011

Development Review ForumRobin O Guyther (Reappointment)

- 12/31/2011

Ethics CommissionElizabeth Long (Alternate) - 12/31/2011Robert Elwood - 12/31/2011

Historic Preservation CommissionVictor Govier - 12/31/2011

Metropolitan CommissionCharles V Owen (Reappointment)

- 12/31/2011

Kathleen M Werner (Reappointment) - 12/31/2011

Bryan M Barthelme (5th Election District Rep-resentative) - 12/31/2011

Nursing Center Governance BoardJill S Knott - 12/31/2011

Planning CommissionMartin Siebert - 12/31/2009

Recreation and Parks BoardSabrina Hecht - 12/31/2012

Tri-County Youth Services BureauHeather Garvey - 12/31/2011

Wicomico Shores Golf Course Advisory Board

Richard A Smith (Reappointment) - 12/31/2012

Gloria Tippett (Reappointment) - 12/31/2012

Zoning Board of Appeals David “Wayne” Miedzinski (Reappointment)

- 12/31/2011Ronald Ray Payne, Sr. (Reappointment-Alter-

nate) - 12/31/2011Gertrude V Neale (Reappointment)

- 12/31/2011James Howard Thompson - 12/31/2011

Action: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YsJarboe YesRaley Yes

Elected Officials Compensation Commis-sion Report and Recommendations

Motion: To sign transmittal letter forwarding the recommendations of the 2008 Compensation Commission to the Southern Maryland Delegation for their consideration.

Motion By: Dement Second: RaleyAction: UnanimousVoting Record:Russell YesMattingly YesDement YesJarboe YesRaley Yes

Notice Of Request For Bid ProposalFor An Integrated Residential AndCommercial Water Meter System

The Commissioners of Leonardtown will be accepting bids for an integrated residential and commercial water meter sys-tem. This system shall include meters of various sizes; a radio based meter reading system, and any other peripheral system or equipment including supporting software for the purpose of accurate measurement of water usage. Specifications for the water meter system are available from The Commissioners of Leonardtown office at 41660 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, MD. between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Interested bidders shall send sealed bids to Tony Wheat-ley, Capital Project Coordinator, Commissioners of Leonard-town, P.O.B 1, 41660 Courthouse Dr., Leonardtown, Maryland 20650. Sealed bids will be received until 11:00 a.m. Decem-ber 19th, 2008, at which time they will be publicly opened and read. For further information please contact Tony Wheatley at 301-475-9791.

The Commissioners of Leonardtown reserves the right to reject any and all bids and proposals, and to accept any propos-als deemed to be in the best interest of the Town.

Legal Noticeworry.”

The county’s total collec-tion of income tax revenues from the state in 2008 did not meet budget, Kramer said.

Instead the sum was about $3 million short. The county had budgeted to re-ceive $65.2 million but only received $62.8 million.

In the most recent budget session, the commissioners voted to lower their expec-tations somewhat with the $63.7 million figure, but approved, with one excep-tion, to allow higher as-sessments on residential properties to produce a projected $14 million in-crease in property taxes.

Commissioner Law-rence D. Jarboe (R) of Golden Beach proposed and supported initiating a constant yield plan on the rate of property tax collec-tion, so that even if assess-ments went up homeown-ers would pay at reduced rate to balance out the equation.

That measure failed, however, during the budget process.

On Tuesday Jarboe said he was pleased at the brighter economic news from the state, which has had to make its own pain-ful budget cuts as have jurisdictions around the state.

“Thank God for the U.S. Navy,” Jarboe said in reference to the coun-ty’s largest employer at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

He also held out hope that the constant yield prop-erty tax might be success-ful next time around since a faltering national economy was making things tougher on just about everyone.

“I would hope [for some relief] on the prop-erty tax side,” Jarboe said. “It’s not as tough a sell as it was last year.”

Kramer said that hom-eowners who had owned their property from one year to the next would ac-tually be taxed a lower as-sessment value than what the state had recently seen fit to increase, while those who had just acquired the home would be taxed on the full assessment.

“It can take years for the taxable assessment for property taxes to reach the state assessed value,” Kramer said.

pump systems, replacement of windows, Grounded Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected outlets, and the re-moval of drop ceilings and re-placement with 5/8” drywall.

Commissioner Daniel Raley argued that the resolu-tion should have specifically included plans for retrofitting the units with fire protection sprinkler systems, as would be required in light of the pas-sage of an ordinance requir-ing residential fire protection sprinklers in all new residenc-es served by public water sys-tems last November.

“Residential sprinkler systems save lives,” said Com-missioner Thomas Mattingly when the motion was passed, and others echoed the same sentiment while debating the ordinance in relation to the Greenview Village rehabilita-tion project.

Mattingly commented that sprinkler systems would

need to be established as a pri-ority “if we’re going to spend that much money…that would make more sense,” particu-larly since plans for ceiling re-pair would need to be changed as a result.

“The housing authority is trying to secure more than 1.7 million,” said Nicholson, “I just don’t want to lose the window,” he added. Nichol-son explained that the resolu-tion would only be a statement of support for the use of state funds for the project, and that specific priorities could be de-termined later. “We’re direct-ing how the money is being used,” he said.

The Commissioners voted to approve the support resolu-tion, provided that sprinkler systems were listed as a top priority.

“I see all the other things we’re going to get out of this,” said Raley, “but we don’t have sprinklers in there now and this won’t get them in there…perhaps I’m not in the Christmas spirit yet, but this is important.”

RehabContinued from page A-�

Photo by Andrea ShiellGreenview Village Apartments is planning an extensive community reha-bilitation project, for which the housing department is applying for state funds.

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,December11,2008Thursday, August 21, 2008 The County Times Section A - �

Alice Mildred Brown, 99

Alice Mildred Brown, 99 of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in her home.

Born Nov. 9, 1908 in Baltimore, Md., she was the daughter of the late James and Lilly Mae Jackson Rebham.

She was a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church, Valley Lee, and Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 107, Ju-lia Halla, Hollywood.

Mrs. Brown is survived by two sons, Lloyd E. (Jerry) Brown, Jr. of Leonardtown and Willard Bruce Brown of Terra Alta, W. Va. She is also survived by six grand-children, Julie Brown-Rund, Jeff Brown, Nancy Deal, Wendy Jarda, Judy Graybill and Pheobe Brown, and eight great-grandchildren Clay and Will Rund, Kristen and Josh Brown, Shawn and Bruce Deal, Audrey and Samantha Jarda.

She was predeceased by a daughter Betty Ruth Brown and a brother John B. Fenwick.

Relatives and friends at-tended Mrs. Brown’s Life Celebration in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 5 – 8 p.m. with prayers recited at 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held Thursday, Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. in St. George’s Epis-copal Church, Valley Lee. Reverend Greg Syler, pastor of the church, will officiate. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Memorial Contributions may be made to The Mis-sions Endowment Fund or Cemetery and Grounds Fund, c/o St. George’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 30, Valley Lee, MD 20692.

Condolences to the fam-ily may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown.

Francis Joseph Brown, Sr., 66

Francis Joseph Brown, Sr., 66, passed away in his home in Indian Trail, N.C. Aug. 12.

Mr. Brown was born July 1, 1942 in Leonardtown, son of the late Mary Edna Brown Norris.

Mr. Brown is survived by his wife Jacqueline Mer-cer Brown; a son Francis J. Brown, Jr. and his wife Shelia of Stanfield, N.C.; a daughter Jennifer Lynn Brown of Indi-an Trail, N.C. and two grand-daughters Christianna Page and Allyson Grace Brown.

The family received friends Sunday, Aug. 17 from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Matting-ley-Gardiner Funeral Home, where Prayers were said at 3 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Mon-day, Aug. 18 at 9:30 a.m. in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with Fr. John Mat-tingly officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memo-rial Gardens.

Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Luis Antonia Castillo, 70

Luis Antonia Castillo, 70, of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown.

Born Sept. 20, 1937 in Puerto Rico, he was the son of the late Luis Antonia and Elsa Monserrate Morales Castillo.

Luis is survived by three sisters, M. Elaine Ohler of Millsboro, Del., Evelyn Cas-tillo of Chestertown, Md. and Elsie Collins of Las Vegas, Nev. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Family received friends Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. – noon in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, Leonardtown, with prayers recited at noon. Deacon George L’Heureux officiated. Graveside service followed at 2 p.m. at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Md.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the St. Mary’s Nursing Center Foundation, Inc.,

21585 Peabody Street, Leonardtown, MD 20650.



Lloyd Raymond Harris, 97

Lloyd Raymond Har-ris, 97, died peacefully Aug. 12 in the St. Mary’s Nursing Center.

Mr. Harris was a longtime resident of St. Mary’s County. He was born in Gallatin, Mo. June 13, 1911 to the late How-ard May Harris and Frankie Lee Jackson. He married his beloved wife of 59 years, Mary Catherine “Sis” Nelson at the Washington Cathedral in Washington D.C. Sept. 2, 1939. She preceded him in death in 1998. He was also preceded in death in 1998 by his beloved sister Margaret Harris.

Mr. Harris served in the United States Army as an As-sistant Chaplain. Following his army service he was em-ployed in Washington, D.C. by the Federal Government for many years before retir-ing. He then worked in the tax department for the State of Maryland and retired in 1971. During his retirement, he and his wife enjoyed trav-eling throughout the United States.

He enjoyed playing cards, dancing and buying new cars. Ray loved life and most of all he enjoyed helping others while expecting nothing in return. He was devoted in the care of his wife and sister un-til their death.

The family received friends in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, Friday, Aug. 15 from 9 – 10 a.m. with a funer-al service that followed at 10 a.m. officiated by Rev. Keith Schukraft. Interment followed at Charles Memorial Gardens in Leonardtown. Pallbearers were Frank Nelson, Donnie Bowles, Fred Nelson, Harry Nelson, Jr., Michael Russell and Roy Copsey.

Contributions may be made to American Heart Association, 415 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4101.


Valorie Anne Henry, 48

Valorie Anne Henry, 48, of Mechanicsville, formerly of Grandview, Mo., died Aug. 17, in Lexington Park.

Born Oct. 31, 1959 in Lincoln, Neb. she was the daughter of James Ray Dick-inson of Mouldrow, Okla. and Hortense Anne Campbell Crawford of Grandview, Mo. She was the loving wife of Earl Allan Henry, whom she married July 16, 1986 in War-rensburg, Mo.

She is survived by her son Earl Ian Henry.

Mrs. Henry gradu-ated from Grandview High School’s Class of 1977. She moved to St. Mary’s County in October 1988 from Wal-dorf, Md.

The family will receive friends Saturday, Aug. 23 from 10 – 11 a.m. in Patux-ent River Assembly of God Church, California, where a Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. with Pastor Lanny Clark officiating. Interment will be held Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. in Maryland Veteran’s Cemetery, Chelten-ham, Md.

Contributions may be made to Hospice if St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.


Karen A. McEntyre, 51

Karen A. McEntyre, 51 of Lexington Park, formerly of Plano, Texas, died Aug. 13 in Washington Hospital Center.

Born Feb. 24, 1957 in Sweetwater, Texas she was the daughter of Carold and Mary Aleese Benson of Pla-no, Texas.

She is also survived by her children Jeremy Porter of Snyder, Texas, Jonathan Porter of Plano, Texas, Angie Porter, Sheila Horton and Ma-rissa Horton, all of Lexington Park as well as her brother Victor Benson of Plano, Texas and three grandchildren.

Karen was employed as a registered nurse.

All services are private. Arrangements provided

by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A.

Timothy Brian McGrath, 50

Timothy Brian McGrath, 50, of Lexington Park died Aug. 11 in St. Mary’s Hospi-tal, Leonardtown.

Born June 14, 1958 in Freeport, Ill., he was the son of Patricia (Chambers) Mc-Grath of Mesa, Ariz. and the late Charles McGrath.

Timothy attended La-salle-Peru High School in La-salle, Ill. where he graduated in 1976. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1976 until 1999. After his service in the Navy, Timothy was employed by a Government Contractor and worked at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. He was an Elks Lodge member and a past member of the Lexing-ton Park Volunteer Rescue

Squad. In addition to his mother,

Timothy is survived by his wife Debra Kay (Houtz) Mc-Grath, his son, Sean Patrick McGrath of Lexington Park, his sister, Karen McGrath of Mesa, Ariz. and his brother, Michael McGrath of Ill.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department, Lexington Park.



Patrick Connor Miller 2

Patrick Connor Mill-er 2, of Avenue died Aug. 12 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown.

Connor was born Oct. 11, 2005 in Anne Arundel Medi-cal Center, Annapolis, Md., the son of James L. Miller and Krystal Kaldenbach of Avenue.

He is survived by two sis-ters, Lillian and Kayla Miller, a brother Kyle Miller, his pa-ternal grandparents James L. and Darlene Oliver Miller of Chaptico, maternal grandpar-ents, Eugene Kaldenbach of Harrimon, Tenn., and Debra Adams Kaldenbach of Win-chester, Ky.; great-grandpar-ents Francis and Audrey Oli-ver of Chaptico and

G reat-g rand mother s Mary Lou Adams of Waldorf, Md. and Shirley Miller of Newburg, Md.

The family received friends for Connor’s Life Celebration Sunday, Aug. 17 from 3 – 4 p.m. in the Brins-field Funeral Home, Leonard-town, with a funeral service at 4 p.m. Interment was private.



Mary Aleathea Redmond, 84

Mary Aleathea Redmond, 84, of Leonardtown died Aug. 16 in St. Mary’s Hospital.

Born April 18, 1924 in Mechanicsville she was the daughter of Clarence Leo Ev-ans and Gertrude M. (Pilker-ton) Evans.

Aleathea graduated from Margaret Brent High School in 1941. She worked from 1961 to 1971 as a secretary/re-ceptionist for St. Mary’s Col-lege. She enjoyed cooking, croqueting, playing cards, gardening, and sewing; often making clothing for her and her daughter.

She is preceded in death by husband James Franklin

Redmond, whom she mar-ried March 4, 1945 at the Im-maculate Conception Catholic Church in Mechanicville. She is survived by her beloved chil-dren Gayle A. Hancock and her husband William of Fair-fax, Va., and James “Frank” Redmond and his wife Wanda of Fredericksburg, Va. She is also survived by three grand-children, Jeffery A. Hancock and his wife Jennifer of Fair-fax, Va., Mark D. Redmond and his wife Tanya of Fred-ericksburg, Va., Jason P. Red-mond of Fredericksburg; and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her sister Agnes Rice.

Family received friends Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonar-dtown. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated 11 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Leonardtown, with Rev. John Dakes officiating. Interment followed in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown.

Serving, as pallbearers were Mark Redmond, Jason Redmond, Jeffery Hancock, Bill Hancock, Lawrence Pilk-erton, and Arthur Pilkerton. Honorary pallbearer was Earl Dean.

Memorial contribution can be made to the Ridge Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 456, Ridge, MD 20680.



Louis Marshall “Junior” Thompson, Jr., 84

Louis Marshall “Junior” Thompson, Jr., 84, of Avenue died Aug. 4 in his residence.

He was born July 20, 1924 in Dynard to the late Louis Marshall and Catherine Elea-nor Harris Thompson Sr.

He was the loving hus-band of Rose Lee Thompson whom he married July 26, 1942 in Sacred Heart Church, Bushwood. He is also sur-vived by his children, Mar-garet Taylor and her husband George of Hollywood, Buddy Thompson and his wife Deb-bie of Avenue, Benny Thomp-son and his wife Mary of

Morganza, Donnie Thompson and his wife Debbie of Me-chanicsville and Rose Mary George and her husband John of Avenue; 16 grandchildren, 44 great-grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and his sisters Mary Ozella Lacey of Abell, Gertrude Osborne of King George, Va. and Susan Vallandingham of Bushwood.

He was preceded in death by one great-grandchild and his sisters Catherine Hall and Louise Bryant.

A lifelong resident of St. Mary’s County, Junior was a self-employed waterman. While enlisted in the U.S. Army from Oct. 19, 1944 to Nov. 19, 1945, he served as a rifleman, a light machine gunner and a cook.

He belonged to the Knights of Columbus and en-joyed playing cards and being with his family and his two special buddies Maynard and Ringo.

The family received friends in the Mattingley-Gar-diner Funeral Home Thursday, Aug. 7 from 5 – 8 p.m. with prayers being said at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Friday, Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. in Holy Angels Cath-olic Church, Avenue, with Fr. William Gurnee officiating. Interment followed in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood. Pallbearers were Johnny George, Jereme George, Tina Fay Ferguson, Dave Hodg-es, Matthew Thompson and Donnie Thompson. Honorary pallbearers were his grand-children, nieces and nephews.

Contributions may be made to Holy Angels Sacred Heart School, 21335 Colton’s Point Road, Avenue, MD 20609, Seventh District Vol-unteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 7, Avenue, MD 20609 and/or Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650.


Evelyn Tillotson Woods, 86

Evelyn Tillotson Woods, 86, of California died Aug. 14 in St. Mary’s Nursing Center, Leonardtown.

Born Dec. 18, 1921 in LeMoyne, Pa., she was the daughter of the late George C. Tillotson and Eva (Dowhow-er) Tillotson. Evelyn was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Evelyn is survived by her daughters, Christine W. Moore of Chesapeake Beach, Md. and Deborah J. Standish of California, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

All services are private. Condolences to the fam-

ily may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.


Obituaries

To Place a Memorial Ad Please Call The County

Times at 301-373-4125

James“Manning”McKay,89

James “Manning”McKay, 89, ofHollywood,Md. died Dec. 9 in St.Mary’sHospital.

He was born Oct. 23,1919 in Hollywood, Md.to the late George Frank-linandMaryBlancheCle-mentsMcKay.

He was the lovinghusband of Marilyn AnnMcKay and the devotedfather of Patricia Murr ofAdelphi, Md., ElizabethJohnson,JamesMcKay,Jr.,ThomasMcKayandDavidMcKay all of Hollywood,Md.;CherryPriceofLeon-ardtown, Beverly Ryan ofDerwood,Md.andEdwardMcKay of Fairfax Station,Va. His 25 grandchildrenand 26 great-grandchil-dren, as well as one greatgreat grandchild also sur-vivehim.

HewasprecededbyhissiblingsErnestMcKay,Ag-nes“Doris”McKay,Leon-ard McKay, Pearl Green,Otha Sylvestor McKay,Elizabeth Steele Robey,Mary Irva Miedzinski,George Franklin McKayJr., William Mervil McK-ay,JosephCalvertMcKay,Grace Rudisill and RobertCross.

Mr.McKaywasa life-long St. Mary’s Countyresident where he attend-ed schools locally and inWashington, D.C. He wasthe owner and founder of“McKay’s Food & Drug”Store and the “The Coun-ty Times Newspaper.” HeservedforfouryearsintheUnitedStatesNavyduringWorldWarII.Additionally,hewaselectedtotheMary-land House of Delegatesin 1970 where he servedone term, and was electedPresidentoftheSt.Mary’sCounty Commissioners in1974wherehe also servedoneterm.

The family will re-ceive friends in St. John’sCatholicChurch,43927St.John’s Road, Hollywood,Md.Dec.11from5–8p.m.withprayersbeingsaidat7p.m. A Mass of ChristianBurialwillbecelebratedatSt. John’sCatholicChurchDec. 12 at 10 a.m. withFr. Ray officiating andMsgr. Harris co-officiat-ing. Interment will followin the Church Cemetery.Pallbearers will be JustinMcKay, Chris Ryan, Ste-venHammett,EricMcKay,Ricky Hammett, MichaelMurrandJoeJohnson.

Contributions maybe made to the St. John’sMonsignorHarrisScholar-shipFund,43950St.John’sRoad, Hollywood, MD20636.

ArrangementsprovidedbytheMattingley-GardinerFuneralHome,P.A.

CoraFrancesNorrisRedman,75

Cora Frances NorrisRedman,75,ofLusbydiedNov.27inherresidence.

Born Nov. 11, 1933 inLeonardtown to HerbertEugene and Mary Lu-cille Norris, she was sec-ond to the youngest of 13children.

Frances grew up onthe family’s sharecropperfarminMedley’sNeckandgraduatedfromGreatMillsHigh School in 1951. Sheand her sisters commutedto Washington D.C .whereshe worked her first jobas a stenographer for theChamber of Commerce.She then worked as a sec-retary for various govern-ment contractors on boardthe Patuxent River NavalAir Station and as a UnitSecretary for St. Mary’sHospital until her retire-mentinDecember1996.

Frances was an avidreader and was especiallyfond of Agatha Christiemysteries. She very muchenjoyed watching reli-gious televisionshowsandevangelical preachers, es-pecially Joel Osteen. Sheattended Sunday servicesat both Holy Face Churchin Great Mills and Cross-roads Christian Church inSt.Leonard.Shewasalife-longresidentofSt.Mary’sCounty,butmovedtoLus-byinMay2005tolivewithher eldest daughter andson-in-law.

Frances married JohnCharles ‘Buster’ Redmanin 1957 in Leonardtownandhadfivechildren.

She is survived by herchildren: Son James Red-man and wife Marsha ofHollywood, daughter Jea-nette Witkowski and hus-band C.J. of Lusby, sonJeffrey Redman of Lusby,daughter Juanita Redmanof California, Md., anddaughter Joanne Wescottand fiancé Michael CookofHollywood.

Sheisalsosurvivedbyher grandchildren; JamesRedman Jr., JonathanWheeler, Kyle Redman,Justin Redman, Dale Red-man,KaitlynRedman,Me-ganRedman,RebeccaRed-man,andSamuelWescott.Frances is also survivedby her siblings; sister anddearest friend Mary Vir-ginia Boggs Bean of ParkHall,brotherJosephElmerNorris of Chaptico, sis-ter Agnes Marie Higgs ofLeonardtown, and brotherCharlesBenedictNorrisofGrandPrairie,Texas.

Frances was prede-ceased by her husband‘Buster’ Redman, hergrandson Charles Wheel-er Jr., her parents HerbertEugene and Mary LucilleNorris, her brothers An-drew Paul, Thomas Ed-ward,RobertDellie,JamesAllen,HerbertEugeneandErnestIgnatiusNorris,andhersistersMaryReddehaseandAliceHaley.

The family receivedfriends Dec. 2 from 5 – 8p.m. in Holy Face Churchin Great Mills whereprayersweresaidat7p.m.AMassofChristianBurialwascelebratedDec.3at11a.m. in Holy Face Catho-lic Church, Great Millswith Fr. Joseph Sileo of-ficiating. Pallbearers wereher grandsons JonathanWheeler, Kyle Redman,Justin Redman, Dale Red-man and John Hardin andMolly Harings. Honorarypallbearers were AndyNorrisandSteveBoggs.

Contributions may bemade to Calvert CountyHospice, P.O. Box 838,Prince Frederick, MD20678 and/or St. Mary’sCounty Hospice, P.O. Box625, Leonardtown, MD20650.

Arrangements provid-edbyMattingley-GardinerFuneralHome.

PamelaDiane“Pam”Sparks,4�

Pamela Diane “Pam”Sparks,46,LexingtonPark,diedNov.28inWashingtonHospitalCenter.

Born July 16, 1962 inLeonardtown, she was thedaughter of Joseph Nel-son of Avenue and PhyllisSmith Dyson of OrangePark,Fla.Shewasthelov-ingwifeofTommySparks,whomshemarriedAug.17,1988inLeonardtown.

She is survived by herchildren: Jacquelyn Delayand her husband Ron ofJacksonville,Fla.andRan-dae Sparks of LexingtonPark;siblings:JosephNel-son and his wife Michelleof Great Mills, PatriciaBeekman and her husbandDaniel of Orange Park,Fla.andChristinaSmithofJacksonville, Fla., as wellasthreegrandchildren.

Pam was a lifelong St.Mary’s County residentwhere she graduated fromLeonardtownHighSchool’sClass of 1981. SheworkedasamanagerforSouthlandCorp. (Highs Dairy Store)from1981–1994.Shewasthe Vice President of theMonday Night Women’sPoolLeague.

The family will re-ceivefriendsDec.4from5–8p.m.intheMattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home,with Prayers being said at7 p.m. A Funeral Servicewill be held Dec. 5 at 10a.m. in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral HomeChapel with Fr. RaymondSchmidt officiating. Inter-mentwillfollowinCharlesMemorial Gardens, Leon-ardtown. Pallbearers willbe Darrell Goode, MikeyRedman, Jeremy Redman,MikeSparks,GatorSparksand Clinton Smith. Hon-orary Pallbearers will beAaron Nelson, Amy Nel-son, Anastasia BeekmanandBrandonSmith.

ArrangementsprovidedbytheMattingley-GardinerFuneralHome,P.A.

KarenLaura(Nico-tera)Taylor,�0

Karen Laura (Nicotera)Taylor,60,ofDamerondiedNov.29inWashingtonHos-pitalCenter.

Born Aug. 5, 1948 inTokomaPark,Md.,shewasthedaughterof the latePe-ter Nicotera and Dorothy(Sandman)Nicotera.

Karen graduated fromGreat Mills High Schoolin 1967. She married herchildhood sweetheart, Her-man “Woody”TaylorApril8, 1967 in St. Michael’sCatholic Church in Ridge.Shewasaloving,dedicatedwife and mother. She wasa tax preparer for thirtyyears. She has been the

owner of the H&R Block,Lexington Park branchsince 1991. Karen enjoyedweekend drives with herlate husband, girls day outwithherdaughter,watchingmystery/detective shows,andSundayfamilydinners.Mostofall,sheenjoyedgiv-inghertimeandlovetoherfamilyandfriends.

Karen is survived byher daughter, Laurie A.Quade (Tim), and son,Bri-an S. Taylor, both of Dam-eron, siblings; Gayle Pic-keral(Jim)ofLeonardtown,James Nicotera (Michelle)ofFairfax,Va.,JoyceNico-tera of Granby, Conn. andSherry Johns of Sauquoit,N.Y.,sisterinlaw,MaryLouTroutman (Jeff) of Ridge,aunt,Nathalia(Cella)Cros-byofSt.Inigoes,niecesandnephews; Linda, Jeannine,Daniel N., Kevin, Christo-pher, Daniel B., Joey, Ra-chel,AndyandShannon.

In addition to her hus-band and parents, Karenwas preceded in death byherstepfather,Francis“Ski”Zawadski, and mother andfather in law, Elwood andThelma“Tillie”Taylor.

Family will receivefriendsforKaren’sLifeCel-ebrationDec. 7 from2 – 5p.m. in the Brinsfield Fu-neral Home, Leonardtown.A funeral service will beconductedat4p.m.; Mon-signor Maurice O’Connell,pastorofSt.Michael’sCath-olic Church in Ridge willofficiate. Interment will beprivate.

Memorial contributionsmay be made to HospiceHouse of St. Mary’s, P.O.Box 625, Leonardtown,MD 20650 or Susan G.Komen For the Cure, P.O.Box 650309, Dallas, TX75265-0309.

Condolencestothefam-ily may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.

Arrangements by theBrinsfield Funeral Home,P.A.,Leonardtown.

FaithNoelUrtz,infant

Faith Noel Urtz, ofLeonardtown, passed awayDec. 4 in Johns HopkinsHospitalinBaltimore,Md.

Faith was the infantdaughterofGregoryEdwinandSherryeLynLaRocqueUrtz.

In addition to her par-ents,sheissurvivedbyherbrother; Jackson Urtz ofLeonardtown; grandparentsEdwin Urtz, Jr. and Patri-cia Urtz of West Lyden,N.Y., Eugene LaRocque ofTupper Lake, N.Y. and Ad-elaideLaRocqueofSaranacLake,N.Y.andgreat-grand-mother Anna Urtz of WestLyden,N.Y.

A Memorial Mass willbecelebratedDec.13at10a.m. in Holy Face CatholicChurch with Father JosephSileoofficiating.

Interment will beprivate.

Memorial contributionsmay be made to The NowI Lay Me Down to SleepFoundation, 7800 S. ElatiStreet, #111, Littleton, CO80120

Arrangements by theBrinsfield Funeral Home,P.A.,Leonardtown.

JosephEllsworthYoung,57

JosephEllsworthYoung,57, of Waldorf, Md. diedNov. 21 in Civista Medi-calCenter.BornMarch18,1951 in Leonardtown, hewas the son of the late Jo-sephHenryYoungandMaryJosephineHerbertYoungofLeonardtown.

The familywill receivefriends Dec. 6 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Matting-ley-GardinerFuneralHome,Leonardtown, where a ser-vice will be held at 10:30a.m. Interment will followin Charles Memorial Gar-dens,Leonardtown.

Arrangements providedby theMattingley-GardinerFuneralHome,P.A.


school system…I think she’ll do a great job.” Washington was sworn in on Monday and will be serving her fourth term. Board member Cathy Allen was also sworn in for her third term.

Joining these two veterans was Marilyn Crosby, whom Board Chairman William Mattingly called “the new kid on the

block.” “Being from the system she’s going to be

fine,” said Mattingly. “She’s lucky because you’ve got a Superintendent that’s easy to work with, and she said she’s going to ask some hard questions, but that’s expected.”

“They fed us a lot,” said Crosby, laughing as she later reflected on her dizzy-ing training schedule, as she has been travel-ing back and forth from Annapolis and Co-lumbia to learn parliamentary procedure and other aspects of her new job.

“I remember there were a lot of lawyers there, too…and one guy looked me right in the eye and asked why I wanted to be a board member…so I said that I had been working with children for years,” Crosby said, adding that following her career as a teacher she had become a vocal advocate, writing letters to editors and board members about education-al issues. “So after all those letters…I kind of figured it would be great to do something more…to me it was a natural progression.”

Crosby declined to list her project-ed priorities upon taking office and joining the board as a member for the first time on Wednesday, but she expressed her gratitude and excitement nonetheless. “The first and foremost thing in my heart is the children,” said Crosby after she took her oath of office, “as long as we keep focusing on the children, we’ll keep moving forward.”

unit… it’s how you lead your people pretty much,” Bidwell told The County Times.

Soldiers under his command have earned the Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award, the Regular Army Re-cruiter of the Year runner up award and the Recruiting Station Commander of the Year award, Bidwell said.

Bidwell oversees recruiting efforts for Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, and has 60 soldiers under his command.

His immediate superior non-commis-sioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. Ste-phen Bowens, praised Bidwell’s winning the award, especially at the young age of 36.

“He’s our best, he epitomizes what a first sergeant should do every day,” Bow-ens told The County Times. “It normally takes someone 21 or 23 years to become a first sergeant.

“He’s moving very fast; he’s the mod-el soldier.”

Bowens also said Bidwell and his sol-diers have met and exceeded the recruit-ing goals set for them by the army.

Bidwell is also a member of an elite army fraternity, The Sgt. Audie Mur-phy Club, which tests a soldier’s mettle

through marksmanship, field march-ing and orienteering skills day and night.

Bowens said only about two percent of army non-commissioned officers were soldier enough to be

admitted to the club, named for one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of World War II who went on to become a successful Hollywood actor.

Bidwell, a Chopticon High School graduate whose girlfriend and future wife also enlisted in the army, started out his military career by volunteering during the first Gulf War as a specialist in nuclear, chemical and biological warfare.

He also served with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. and even-tually became a jumpmaster.

Bidwell also served in the Middle East with the Joint Special Operations Com-mand as a psychological warfare special-ist in the first war against then Iraqi dic-tator Saddam Hussein.

Bidwell said he did not want to con-tinue with school once he got his diploma, but found guidance and a career path in the army.

“The army’s great,” Bidwell said. “I’ve got a master’s degree [in human re-sources] that the army’s paid for.

“The army promotes off of potential. It’s the best thing that could’ve happened to me by far.”

CrosbyContinued from page A-�

Soldier AwardContinued from page A-�

Spring Dell Center

Qualifications: All applicants must have 2 yrs driving experience, a clean driving record and

the ability to lift 50 lbs. Please specify position when applying.

Vocational

Residential

Send all resumes and applications to:Spring Dell Center, Inc. | 6040 Radio Station Road | La Plata, MD 20646

Phone: 301.934.4561 | Fax: 301.392.2060 | Website: www.springdellcenter.orgEmail: [email protected]

4 pm – 8 pm• Every Other Weekend: 10 am – 6 pm• Every Other Weekend: Overnight 11 pm – 7 am• Every Weekend: Friday 5 am-8 am and then 4 pm – 9 pm, Saturday 10 am – 6pm.

Part Time Residential Staff$9.05 per hr.

Full Time Residential Staff$9.05 per hr.

Connecting People With Disabilities to the Community & Employment

Flexible, Energetic person with excellent

computer skills and be proficient in Excel and Access. Previous training or teaching

mented and individuals as well as staff are actively engaged during their entire shift.

-nation of all required individualized plan

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Creative person needed to generate daily staffing schedule as well as plan and implement activities while ensuring that all individuals are exposed to a variety of opportunities. Experience working with developmentally disabled individuals preferred.

Monday – Friday 7:30 am 3:30 pm. Motivated and structured people needed to assist adults with disabilities. Ap-plicants must be organized, and possess the ability to problem solve and work independently. Duties will also include implementing goals, monitoring and documenting progress. Several Positions Available. • 1:1-1:4 Training Specialists:

Experience and/or education inautism disorders required.

• Retail Training Specialist:Assist individuals with disabilities gain experience in retail. Help train and monitor activitieswhile providing support and encouragement. Retail experience preferred.

Training Coordinator

Program Coordinator

Training Specialist

Activity Coordinator

$9.05 per hr.

$24,730 per yr.

Administer medications, Assist individuals in their homes with daily living skills and hygiene needs, including: Cook-ing, cleaning, outings, money skills, shopping. Applicants must have a clean driving record and reliable vehicle.• Day Split Shift:

Flexible person needed for residential house in La Plata, Monday through Friday 6 am – 8 am and then 3:30 pm – 8:00 pm.

• Overnight:10 pm – 7 am, Sunday –Thursday at a residential home in Waldorf.

Assist individuals in their homes with daily living skills such as cooking, cleaning, hygiene needs, activities and outings. Go out to movies, bingo, bowling, shopping and more. Applicant must have a reliable vehicle. Position may include administering medications. • Monday – Friday:

Recruiting & Training Coordinator

$30,103 per yr.

Vocational

to the Community & Employment

$30,103 per yr.Ensure program operations are imple-mented and individuals as well as staff are actively engaged during their entire shift. Responsibilities include: supervision of direct support staff, coordination/manage-ment of assigned program and coordina-tion of all required individualized plan paperwork. Applicant must be computer savvy, demonstrate effective communica-tion skills, sound time management and dependability. 3 years supervisory experi-ence required.

Program Coordinator$30,103 per yr.

Flexible, Energetic person with excellent verbal, written and interpersonal com-munication skills needed to coordinate the recruiting and training process. Schedule includes evenings and weekends. Appli-cant must have excellent computer skills and be proficient in Excel and Access. Previous training or teaching experience required. Bachelors Degree and experience in a human service field preferred.

Human Resources

Training Coordinator$30,103 per yr.

1st Sergeant Kevin Bidwell, of Mechanicsville, sits behind several trophies he has won for excellence as soldier. The award on the right is his most recent, which names him as the top first sergeant in the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

Photo by Andrea Shiell

Photo by Andrea ShiellPhoto by Guy Leonard

Marilyn Crosby was sworn in as the newest member of the Board of Education on Monday.

Marilyn Crosby with Superintendent Michael Martirano.

SectionA-� The County Times Thursday,December11,200�

missioner.“Hehadasenseofthepeople.“Iconsideritaprivilegetohaveserved

with Manning on the Board of CountyCommissioners.”

Dean said that when he served withMcKayonthecommissionerboardbackinthe1970’s,McKayalwaystriedtosticktobusiness.

“Mannings approach to governmentwas a businessman’s approach to govern-ment,”DeansaidofMcKay,whohadbeenbuildinghisfamily’schainofgrocerystoresin the county while serving first in the Marylandlegislatureandthenat thecom-missionerlevel.

Dean remembered that McKay hadchampionedalawthatrequireddevelopersbuilding subdivisions to provide letters ofcreditfromabankorcorporatebondsrath-er thanpersonalbonds for suretyon theirprojects.

If a developer personally ran out ofmoney, Dean said, the county would stillgetwhatitwasowed.

“Manningsawthewisdomoflettersofcreditasbeinginthepublicinterest,”Deansaid. “He brought a level ofmaturity andexperiencetotheposition.”

FordsaidthatMcKaywasalsolargelyresponsiblefortheboard’scurrentmakeup.

When McKay was a delegate in thestate legislature, Dean told The CountyTimes,he introducedandsupportedabillthatexpandedthenumberofcountycom-

missioners to five instead of three, with the commissionerpresidentelectedat-large.

After serving in Annapolis for fouryears he returned to local governmentand ran successfully for commissionerpresident.

DeansaidthatMcKay’ssupportofthebillinsuredgreaterrepresentationforcoun-tyresidents.

McKay was the first commissioner presidentelectedbycountyresidents.

ErnestBell,Leonardtown-basedlawyerandformercountyattorneywhoworkedforthe commission-er board underMcKay’s leader-ship,rememberedwhenMcKayranfor his delegate’sseatin1970.

“I had justgotten out of theMarine Corpand I was al-ways interestedin politics, andthere was a de-batedownat themiddle school,there were a lotofcandidates[fordelegate],” Bellsaid of a debateheattendedwereMcKay spoke.

“He was so impressivethatnight.”

JohnHansonBriscoe,who served with McKayforthosefouryearsinthelegislature, said that heremembered McKay andhis wife, Marilyn McK-ay opening up their first store in Leonardtown intheearly50s.

Hewas stillworkingonthenavybaseinpublicworksatthetime,Briscoesaid, but would leave togo back towork there athis fledgling business.

“She [Marilyn McK-ay] ran it and he’d leave

workandcomethere,”Briscoe remembered that as McKay

becamemoreandmoresuccessfulhenever

forgotthevalueofhardwork.“I’ve seen him mop floors, pick up trash

and stock items,”Briscoe said. “Andhe’dgivethingstopeoplewhocouldn’tpayforthem.

“That’sthekindofpersonhewas.”While McKay served as a delegate,

Bell remembered, he also helped tackleoneofthemostimportantandmemorableofcountyissues:theproposaltobuildanoilrefinery at Piney Point.

Countyvotersoverwhelminglycastbal-lots to oppose the refinery in a referendum.

McKay helped insure that the refinery issuewasplacedontheballot,Bellsaid.

“It was a really big issue,” Bell said.“Heinsuredthepeoplehadarighttovoteonit.”

WhenBellstartedtoworkforMcKayand the county commissioners, he said,McKay, a down-to-earth and gregariousspirit tried to get Bell to simply call himManning.

Buthejustcouldn’tbringhimselftodoit,Bellsaid.

“Hesaid‘CallmeManning,’but Ial-ways called him Mr. McKay.” Bell said.“He was so generous, hard working anddecent.”

BellcomparedMcKaywithtwoothergreats in county politics: Judge Philip Dors-ey and Sen. Paul Bailey.

“Theywerecut fromthesamecloth,”Bell said. “We’ve lost an icon in thecommunity.”

BeforeMcKayrosetobecomeaninde-pendent grocer and a state and local official, he served in theU.S.Navy duringWorldWarII.

Helaterworkedinthepublicworksde-partment at Patuxent Naval Air Station.

There are now five McKay’s grocery storesthroughoutthecounty.

In his final years, McKay continued to be active as the publisher of The CountyTimesnewspaper,whichwastheculmina-tionofalonghelddesiretostakeaclaiminthenewspaperindustry.

OneofMcKay’ssons,ThomasF.McK-ay,whowentontoserveinthesamelocalpositionashisfather,saidthatservingthepublicwasalwaysavaluehis father triedtoinstill.

“Myfatheralwaysencouragedhischil-drentopublicserviceandhealwaysledusbytheexampleofhardworkanddedicationto what we were doing,” Thomas McKaysaid.“Servinginthesamepositionashimserving the citizens of St.Mary’sCountywasoneofthegreatesthonorsofmylifeasitwasforhis.”

terinitiallyshootingbothvictimsandthenturnedaroundandshotSaundersonceinthebackofthehead.

Virasithuseda .38calibersnub-nosedrevolverinthecommissionofthekillings,FritztoldTheCountyTimes.

FritzsaidVirasithhaddriventoSaun-

ders’ home that night and got in a heatedverbalargumentwithbothSaundersandhisestrangedwife.

The argument escalated to the pointwhere the defendant fired four shots that hithiswifetwice,andSaundersonceinthechestinitially.

Oneoftheshotsmissed,Fritzsaid,andstruckanearbycarwindshield.

Virasith denied returning to shootSaundersinthebackoftheheadattheDec.4pleahearing,whichledtoanothermotionshearing the following day.There,Virasithadmitted to pointing the gun at Saunders’headandpullingthetrigger.

Melissa Virasith, who was shot twiceby her estranged husband, remains para-lyzedbelowthewaistasaresultoftheat-tack,Fritzsaid.

“It is a sad tragic case,” Fritz said oftheshooting.“Itcertainlysignalsagreaterresponsibility to thosevictimsofdomesticviolence.

“Itshowsaneedforthesystem,meandall these other organizations included, tofind better ways to reach out to those who arepotentialtargetsofdomesticviolence.”

Courtdocuments showed thatMelissa

Virasith had on several occasions appliedforprotectiveordersagainstherhusband.

Theestrangedwifewroteinadomesticviolencecivilcaseloggedbackin2003thatwhiletheywerelivingtogetherherhusbandhadallegedlystruckher,causingherliptobleedinthefallof1999andhadshovedherwhileshewaspregnantwiththelastofherthreechildrenthatsameyear.

Her husband would also act out andsmash the television set as well as punchand damage the walls of their home, shealleged.

That2003petitionfromprotectionwasgranted, but the second one, filed last year wasdeniedbyDistrictCourtJudgeJohnD.SladeIIIbecausetherewasnobasisinthelawforrelief,courtdocumentsstated.

Saunders’relativescautionedhimtobecarefulinhisrelationshipwiththeestrangedwifealso,sincehehadallegedlythreatenedSaundersonseveraloccasionsprior to theshooting.

KoummaneVirasith and hiswife hadthree children together and the defendantwasordered topaychildsupport for themeven while incarcerated, court documentsshow.

A Brisk Morning

Shelby Oppermann

Wanderings of an Aimless Mind

PleaContinued from page A-�

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ByShelbyOppermann

I sit here this earlymorning, afraid tomoveevenafractionofaninch,afraidthatImightlosethisperfectviewoutofourupstairsbaywindow.Thepaleyellowsunisstillontheriseandiscaughtatthismomentbetweentwolargetreesandboughsafewhundredfeetaway.It’scaptivating,blinding.Theskyisjustbeginningtoturnitsbrilliant,coolwinterblueabove thishaloof lightandwarmth.Shards of bright amber light shine through thelargeburnt-orangecircleoffusedglasswhichsitsontheledgeof thewindow.Leavesarestillfall-ing, caught in what looks like a brisk wind thismorning.Isaymythanksforthisbeautifulday.Ahhhh….

AndthenTidbitcomesprancingandwigglingup tome to letmeknow it’s time togooutside.She’shadherhalfacupofIrishBreakfasttea,soitcouldbea“Jig”.(Igiveherhalfofmycupinherownlittleteabowleverymorning).“ButTidbit”,Isay,”Isn’titjustasbeautifulfrominherethismorn-ingwiththewoodstovewarmingourbones?”Herlookwhiledoingacirclejigtellsmethatthisisnotacceptabletoher.Itellher,“Yes,IseethebeautyinWinter,I’vewrittenaboutit,Butitis10degreesoutthereandthetreesareallleaninghardinthe150mphwindsnow.”Tidbit’seyebrowscometo-getherinher“Oh,howyouexaggeratelook.”Shereallydoesthis,andit’sveryunsettling.

AsIthrowtheslimy,frostytennisballforthefifth time for Tidbit’s amusement and exercise, I realize itwas good to come outside. She keepsover-runningtheball,becausethewindbringsitupshorter thanwheresheknowsitshouldgo. Istandleaningintothewind,laughingatheranticswiththeball.Thensheabruptlystopsforthecallsof nature.Whew, thank goodness, back onwiththegloves.Thenweareoffforourwalkaroundtheyard.

ForTidbit,itismoreofawalkofexploration.We liveon a large corner lot,which serves as abusstopduringtheweek,andarepositoryofsortsalong the edge forneighborhooddogs. There isendlessfascinationforonewhosenoseisonefootfromtheground.Theoccasionaldeerhoofprintsin the earth can send Tidbit into a “find the scent” frenzy.Sheisahounddogafterall.

Inthecenterofthefrontyardisalargecopseof treesmaybe30‘x50’whereIconvincedmyhusbandtoputseveralpathsin.IhadhimaddanewpathbeforeHalloweenthisyear,sincewehostourHauntedHalloweenTrailsnightforneighbor-hoodkids.Neartheendofourmorningwalk,Tid-bitandIalwaysclosewithaleisurelystrollthroughthepaths. AsI lookdownat the leavescoveredwith themorning frost, I thinkagainhowmuchthey remind me of cornflakes with a dusting of sugarontop.

Depending on the weather, we sometimessit in the area by the fire pit and enjoy watching the sunlight filter through the trees. It is a fairly quietandmeditativewaytostart theday.Tidbit,never one to sit idle for too long finds rocks on the pathandamusesherselfkickingthemaroundwithherpaws,usuallybyrunningup to the rockfullspeedandsendingitskippingacrosstheground.Shepicksthemupwithhermouthalsoandthrowsthemaroundonlytolosethemintheleaves.Shescratches away at the leaves and the dirt to find them.MyfriendKarenlovesTidbittochaserocksonherpropertybecauseshetillsupthegroundatthesametime.Onmorningslikethisthough,wejustenjoythestroll. It’salmostlikehavingyourownprivatepark.

At the endof themainpath,Tidbit sneezes,breaks my nature reverie and starts running to-wardsthehouse,lookingbackatmeeveryfewfeettosay,“O.k.,haveyouhadenoughplaytime,don’tyouknowit’sfreezingouthere?”I’mhappytofol-lowher insideandsee theworldagain frommybaywindow.

Toeachnewday’sadventure,ShelbySend comments to: shelbys.wanderings@ya-

hoo.com

RodRosado,right,andTonyFoust,center,oftheSouthernMarylandChargerGrouphelpSantaClausloaduptoysfortheToysforTotsdriveattheLexingtonParkDodgedealershipDec.6.

McKayContinued from page A-�

Photo Provided By The Family

Photo Provided By The FamilyJames Manning McKay holds up one of the earliest issues of The County Times, the newspaper he recently founded.

McKay in his younger years showing some of the produce in one of his earlier grocery stores.


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The Bruce Davis Theater at St. Mary’s College of Maryland will present playwright Eric Bogosian’s “SubUrbia,” a play that has become a cult-classic of modern theater, fea-turing an interesting group of characters that offer blistering social satire mixed with flat out comedy.

In a town called Burnfield, three twenty-somethings inhabit the parking lot of their lo-cal 7-Eleven and pass the time by getting high, talking “trash,” harassing Nazeer (Adam Wise), the Pakistani owner of the convenience store, and reveling in their high school glory days, when life seemed to offer so much promise.

Jeff (played by Adam S. Curtis) is an angst-ridden philosopher “taking one class on the history of Cuba and barely holding a job packing boxes.”

between eating Oreos and drinking beer with his friends, Buff (Alex C. Vaughan) and Tim (Jon H. Noble), he ponders his problem-atic relationship with his artist girlfriend Sooze (Emily Atkins).

Though the story generally deals with the lost twenty-something gen-eration struggling to grow up, the focal point of this particular story is the sud-den reappearance of the trio’s former high school classmate, Neil “Pony” Moynihan (Jonathan Wagner), who has long blown town, “gotten a life,” and become a rock celebrity. When Pony arrives with his publicist Erica (Alana L. Slater), tensions mount and flair until the night ultimately takes a tragic turn.

Bogosian may have based the play on his own experiences growing up in suburban Massa-

chusetts, but the genre itself has been around for a long time. Best described as a piece for, by, and about “disaffected youth,” SubUrbia follows in the tradition of Osborne’s 1957 clas-sic, “Look Back in Anger,” which chronicles a similar group of angry young adults struggling to find their place in the world.

Indeed, there is some of the wit and humor that made the “lovable loser” character come to life in movies like “Clerks,” but Bogosian’s play does less to glorify the angry young ones, and more to paint their angst as justified. To be young and restless and going nowhere is anything but a laugh riot, and it seems easy to imagine such a rag-tag group of young adults haunting the local convenience store parking lot today, especially as news broadcasts report that fewer and fewer twenty-somethings be-lieve in the “American dream.”

“Mine is a cynical generation,” said 23-year old director Josh Bristol, who is present-ing the play for his senior thesis. “And Suburbia captures the cynicism of a generation that had little to hope for and less to care about…it’s a generation that felt cheated out of the promise of an American way of life, of a comfortable suburban life. Everything had been figured out for them, even going to college.

“But once they did everything they were told to do, what happens? Everything begins to unravel and to fall apart.”

Due to adult themes and language, this production may not be suitable for younger audiences. Suburbia will be performed at the Bruce Davis Theater, Montgomery Hall Fine Arts Center, on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus Dec. 10-13 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $4 or $6. To make reservations, call the Theater Box Office at 240-895-4243 or e-mail [email protected].

Jilted Generation Steals Spotlight in “SubUrbia”

Friday, December 12

Homespun Coffee House Holiday Open MicChrist Episcopal Church Parish Hall in Chaptico- 7

p.m.To sign up to play or get details go to www.smtmd.

org.

CSM Latin EnsambleCSM Fine Arts Center in La Plata- 8 p.m.CSM’s Latin Ensemble will perform its winter

concert under the direction of CSM Professor Stephen Johnson. Admission $5. Call 301-934-7828, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7828 or visit [email protected] for more information.

Christmas CantataFirst Saints Community Church- 7 p.m.First Saints Community church presents this year’s

Christmas cantata, “On This Very Night,” at its St. Paul’s campus (next to St. Mary’s Hospital). Perfor-mances will be Friday & Saturday, December 12/13 at 7pm and Sunday, December 14 at 2pm. The concert is free, but a free-will offering will be collected.

Saturday, December 13

Santa & Mrs. Claus on the SquareLeonardtown Square- 11 a.m.Kids of all ages can visit Santa and Mrs. Claus

in downtown Leonardtown. Bring your own camera! Sponsored by the Commissioners of Leonardtown 301-475-9791. (In the event of inclement weather, San-ta & Mrs. Claus will be in the Bell Motor Company Showroom.)

Lost in Paris & DJ RobHotel Charles in Hughesville- 9:30 pmLost in Paris in the Party Room with DJ Rob play-

ing during intermissions. Cover charge. Call 301-

274-4612 for more information.

Contra DanceSt. Andrews

Church Parish Hall in California- 7 p.m.

Casual instruc-tion will be held at 7 p.m.. Live music will be provided by the Southern Mary-land Open Band. There’s an ice cream social fol-lowing the dance. Please wear floor-friendly, non-scuff shoes. Admission is $8 and $6 for SMTMD members. For more informa-tion and/or direc-tions visit www.smtmd.org or call 301-769-4762.

Pax River Ringers Hand Bell Concert

SAYSF Bible Church in Lexing-ton Park- 7 p.m.

The Pax River Ringers, St. Mary’s County Commu-nity Hand Bell Choir, will pres-ent their Christmas Holiday Concert. Come for a great evening of music. Contact: Emma Grimes 301-863-7575 or [email protected].

The Mystery of the Manger

Leonardtown Baptist Church - 2 p.m.

Leonardtown Baptist Church extends a special invitation to the community to join us for our free chil-dren’s Christmas musical.

Christmas Caroling Mechanicsville Op-

timist Club - 5 p.m.Starting at the Old

Route 5 in the Immac-ulate Conception Old Hall, come out and car-ol! We provide an old-fashioned hay wagon with Christmas lights and sheet music. It is an open-air wagon, so dress warmly. We meet at the old gas station beside the Immaculate Conception Church and travel up and down old Route 5 for as long as your voice can hold out!

Fundraiser DanceOur Lady of the

Wayside Church Hall in Chaptico- 9 p.m.

Nuttin Fancy Band playing from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. BYOB setups available.

Sunday, December 14

Greenwell Holiday Open House

Rosedale Manor, Greenwell State Park- 1 p.m.

Music, refresh-ments, and more at Greenwell’s Annual Holiday Open House. For more information, visit www.greenwell-foundation.org or call 301-373-9775.

Holly Jolly Christ-mas Show

Bowles Farm - 2 and 5 p.m.

Holly Jolly Christ-mas Musical & Dance Revue will perform two great shows (A Tap-ping Penguin, Hip Hop Frosty, Dancing Gin-gerbread and Jingles the Dancing Horse). Advanced tickets $10, at the door $15. To purchase tickets email [email protected] or call 301-475-5265 for Box Office dates and times! SEAT-ING IS LIMITED - get your tickets early!

SectionA-10 The County Times Thursday,December11,2008

2ND OLDEST CONTINUOUS CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN THE WORLD

ELL MOTOR COMPANY, INC.Located On The Square In Downtown Leonardtown22675 WASHINGTON STREET

301-475-2355866-475-2355www.bellmotor.com



AN AMERICAN RE

2009 Pontiac VibeFWD, Power Windows, Power Locks, Air Conditioning

Was $18,880Now $17,829

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LTFWD

Was $32,985Now $30,583

2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT4WD, Blue

Was $30815Now $22,682

2009 Chevrolet ImpalaLoaded, Gold MistWas $24,020

Now $21,880

2009 Chevrolet HHR LTPanel Van, White, Auto, Remote Vehicle Start

Was $21,015Now $19,930

2009 Chevrolet Impala LSV6 Auto, PW/L, Cruise, Dark Silver

Was $24,215Now $22,046

LS, 2DRWas $18,185

2008 Chevrolet Aveo LT4 Speed, Auto, Trans, Black

Was $16,240Now $14,145

2008 Chevrolet Suburban LT4WD, Lthr Interior, Loaded, Ruby

Was $48,745Now $37,400

2009 Pontiac G8GTLoaded, SunroofWas $33,600

Now $32,000

2008 Chevrolet Equinox LSWhite, 4WD

Was $23,530Now $18,970

2008 Pontiac G5Coupe

Was $17,855Now $14,743

2009 Cobalt LS4-Door, XFE

Was $16,325Now $14,335

CoupeWas $22,180

2009 Chevrolet MalibuAuto, LS, PW/Locks, 4 Cyl., Silver

Was $21,475Now $19,937

2008 GMC Canyon TruckRegular Cab, White

Was 19,865Now $17,500

2009 Chevy Colorado2WD, Extended CabWas $22,275

Now $20,330

STILL

OPEN

THROUGH

DECEMBER

AN AMERICAN REVOLUTION

2008 Chevrolet Aveo LT4 Speed, Auto, Trans, Black

Was $16,240Now $14,145

2008 Chevrolet Suburban LT4WD, Lthr Interior, Loaded, Ruby

Was $48,745Now $37,400

2008 Chevrolet Equinox LSWhite, 4WD

Was $23,530Now $18,970

2008 GMC Canyon TruckRegular Cab, White

Was 19,865Now $17,500

2008 Pontiac G5Coupe

Was $17,855Now $14,743

2009 Pontiac G8GTLoaded, SunroofWas $33,600

Now $32,000

2008 GMC AcadiaAWD, SLE2, Towing Pkg

Was $39,400Now $33,299

2009 Chevy Colorado2WD, Extended CabWas $22,275

Now $20,330

2009 Pontiac VibeFWD, Power Windows, Power Locks, Air Conditioning

Was $18,880Now $17,829

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LTFWD

Was $32,985Now $30,583

2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT4WD, Blue

Was $30815Now $22,682

2009 Chevrolet MalibuAuto, LS, PW/Locks, 4 Cyl., Silver

Was $21,475Now $19,937

2008 Buick Lucerne CXLV6, Loaded, Luxury Pkg., Chrome Wheels, Heated Seats

Was $31,955Now $25,500

2009 Chevrolet ImpalaLoaded, Gold MistWas $24,020

Now $21,880

2009 Chevrolet HHR LTPanel Van, White, Auto, Remote Vehicle Start

Was $21,015Now $19,930

2009 Chevrolet Impala LSV6 Auto, PW/L, Cruise, Dark Silver

Was $24,215Now $22,046

2009 Cobalt LS4-Door, XFE

Was $16,325Now $14,335

1666

989

2ND OLDEST CONTINUOUS CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN THE WORLD



CoupeWas $22,180

LS, 2DRWas $18,185

OLDEST CONTINUOUS CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN THE WORLD



the county times 2008.12.11 a section

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