In Good Hands with Holton
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THURSDAY , MAY 7, 2009 IN GOOD HAND S WIT H HOLTON PAGE 9 SSWINEWINE FFLULU SSUU SS PECTEDPECTED INN STT. MARYARY ’SS I S . MStory Page’ 5 METCOM RATE S TO RI S E Story Page 4 SU mm ER S PITC H E S H UTOUT SStory Page 38 Photo by Frank Marquart The County Times Thursday, May 7, 2009 2 TThhe Couuntnty Timeess R E S U LT S Are you worried that swine flu could spread to St. Hardwood Mulch 2cf Bag Mary’s County? Not Sure 17% No Pine Bark Mulch, 9% Cypress Mulch 2cf Bag 74% Yes Red, Brown, Black Hardwood, Do you think our government is doing enough to prepare and Cedar Mulch 2cf Bag for this possible pandemic? Not Sure 22% • Top Soil 40lb bag $1.47 52% Ye s • Potting Soil 40lb bag $1.97 26% • Cow Manure 40lb bag $1.97 No Do you think public money should be spent to install artificial turf fields at county high schools? Not Sure 22% Yes 35% 43% Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 301-884-5636 No Lexington Park, MD 20653 Join Our Polling Pool The County Times is seeking readers who are interested in joining our polling pool. If you would like to be contacted to re- 301-862-7702 spond to future polls, please send us your town and telephone number in an email to [email protected] or phone in the information at 301-373-4125. 3 Thursday, May 7, 2009 The County Times On The Covers ON THE FRONT Railway Deaths Deputy Andrew Holton, the school resource A Problem officer for Great Mills High School We did a ON THE BACK demographics Ryken beats O’Connell, advances to semis. study that shows Ryken’s Will Fejes looks toward the goal in that the average Monday’s WCAC first round game. trespass fatality is a 34-year-old white male who is Also Inside drunk. 4 County News 6 Town News Rob Kulat 7 State News Federal Railroad 8 Editorial/Opinion 9 Community Administration 10 Money spokesman. 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Burris’ Olde Towne Insurance Auto - Home - Business - Life Leonardtown & LaPlata Bus: (301) 475-3151 • (800) 872-8010 (301) 934-8437 Charles County www.danburris.com James Manning McKay - Founder Eric McKay -Associate Publisher..................................ericmckay@countytimes.net Tobie Pulliam - Office Manager..............................tobiepulliam@countytimes.net Sean Rice - Associate Editor.....................................................seanrice@countytimes.net Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist.......................................angiestalcup@countytimes.net Andrea Shiell - Community [email protected] Chris Stevens - Sports Correspondent............................chrisstevens@countytimes.net Guy Leonard - Government [email protected] P.O. Box 250 • Hollywood, Maryland 20636 Matt Suite - Sales Representative..........................................mattsuite@countytimes.net News, Advertising, Circulation, Classifieds: 301-373-4125 Helen Uhler - Sales Representative....................................helenuhler@countytimes.net The County Times Thursday, May 7, 2009 4 Plant seeds that have been stored for more than un ews 200 years can be coaxed into new life. Fact New Fields Revive Park-and-Ride Debate By Guy Leonard newly approved ones] weren’t on the radar screens Chancellors Run Project Nearing Staff Writer at that time.” Mattingly said that security and safety prob- Halfway Mark Will three more athletic fields at the county- lems with the Lettie Dent site included the stacking By Guy Leonard owned District 5 sports park in Charlotte Hall ex- of commuter buses at the facility that would have Staff Writer acerbate parking problems there? crammed New Market Turner Road up to the light County Commissioner Lawrence D. Jarboe with Route 5. The two-and-a-half year project to thinks so, and he said that the problem could have Phil Rollins, director of the county’s Recre- widen Chancellors Run Road in Great been avoided if the county had held onto a plan to ation and Parks Department, said that more traffic Mills is now about 40 percent complete, place a proposed commuter park-and-ride lot in the was sure to come to the new fields but that parking say State Highway Administration offi- park near Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary School. would likely not present a problem because the new cials and the project is on schedule de- Jarboe (R-Golden Beach), who voted at Tues- fields are for use on weekends and evenings. spite recent rains. day’s board meeting to approve the three new fields “People will naturally gravitate to the parking “We’re right on target,’ said Da- for teams practicing football, lacrosse and soccer, in front of the school,” Rollins said. vid Buck, department spokesman. “It’s revived the debate over the decision to instead lo- Jarboe said Golden Beach residents opposed gone well … there’s a lot of coordination cate the commuter lot on Golden Beach Road. the park-and-ride coming to Golden Beach Road involved.” “Presently there’s a lack of parking [at the Dis- because it would only serve to congest the roadway The more than two-and-a-half mile trict 5 park],” Jarboe told The County Times. “It’s even more; it also opened up the possibility of high- stretch of road is undergoing a major trans- jammed up so bad… the fields are in full use.” density development. formation. Not only are construction crews Jarboe said that about 6 months ago the com- “I don’t support that one bit,” Jarboe said. widening the road to four lanes but the road itself missioners asked the state to place the planned park- Rollins said that the fields won’t come on line has shifted to higher ground nearer the intersection and-ride to Golden Beach Road, which meant that until about 2011, so there was still time to find a with Great Mills Road. the state would have to buy the land from a devel- solution if a problem emerged. Crews have had to redirect traffic around con- oper instead of build the facility on land the county “We’re two years away from the fields being struction and clear away anything obstructing the along the road to keep the project moving, Buck would have donated at the intersection of Route 5 in use,” Rollins said. “It’s not going to be a problem new road’s path. said. and New Market Turner Road. immediately.” Some of the residents at Heard’s Estates have A total of 141 separate properties were af- “I was quite upset by the change,” Jarboe said. Commissioner President Francis Jack Russell also seen a major change just outside their back- fected by the project, he said. “It wasn’t going to cost the county anything.” (D-St. George’s Island) said that the county had yards – sound barriers. Richard Conner, pastor at Patuxent Baptist Commissioner Thomas A. Mattingly (D- tried to get a park-and-ride entrance near Lettie Usually the province of roads like the Capitol Church near the intersection of Chancellors Run Leonardtown) said he had concerns over the traf- Dent that was closer to the Charlotte Hall Veterans Beltway, the sound barriers were approved by the and Route 235, has seen a large swatch of his fic as well but said that community opposition was Home but the state would not agree. community by a vote of at least 75 percent, Buck church’s front yard taken by the state. responsible in part for moving the site. That, coupled with community opposition, said. They will be placed in the next few weeks. An orange barrier fence cuts out at least a He also said there was fear that the county and an unfavorable vote by the county planning Making sure residents have access from their third of it. would lose the funding for the project if it didn’t commission put the site on New Market Turner homes to the road has been tough, he said. But, he said, the state has paid generously for make a decision about where to place it. Road out of the question. “It’s challenging,” Buck said. “You have to land and for the inconvenience to the church. “The project was not intended to support the “I don’t see where it’s going to be brought up make sure everyone can get in and out [of their “They compensated us for the land, about athletic fields,” Mattingly said. “They [the three again,” Russell said. housing communities] all the time.” $115,000,” Conner told The County Times. “It’s The project includes about five houses that our only front yard.” Located in St. Mary’s Square on Great Mills Rd in Lexington Park State Highway had to purchase that have already Conner said that the planned traffic light at been demolished or will be demolished soon, Buck the intersection of Amber Drive and Chancellors said. Run, just across from his church, would be a wel- Mother’s Day Of the total cost of $55 million for the widen- come safety addition.