THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2009 OLD SCH oo L PO WERBR O KER DORSEY STILL SMILING 1ST BATCH O F CAN D I D ATES FILE FOR COMMISSIONER Story Page 5 SCHOOLS UP D ATING NO MONEY FOR FREE D OM SEC U RITY MEAS U RES FEST NEXT YEAR Story Page 15 Story Page 32 Photo by Frank Marquart The County Times Thursday, July 9, 2009 2 Weekend Dinner Specials Fully Your Paper... Prepared In Our Kitchen Your Thoughts Price Effective Friday, July 10 - Sunday, July 12 Summertime in 12pc. Bucket of Fried Chicken St. Mary’s County Do you believe the county’s recent de- cision to add a limited amount of paid • 1 lb. Store Made Potato Salad paramedics to support volunteers will • 1 lb. Store Made Cole Slaw lead to more paid rescue services? “I believe it would, because • ½ doz. Fresh Dinner Rolls of economic growth,” said Andrew James Steinfeld, 18, from Hollywood. “We • 2 ltr. Coke or Pepsi have villas on 235 and there are more and more people coming into the county. As we have a larger population we’re going to need a sta- ble fire department, stable police department … all the things that are required to keep people in line and keep people healthy.” “I think probably we’re going to see more paid services replace the vol- unteer system. There just isn’t as much activity with the found- ing families that there used to be,” said Joshua Wright- son, 50, from Leonar- dtown. “We’re going to have to go to at least a partly paid system. When you look at numbers in the Leon- ardtown and Lexington Park area, it’s grown greater in the last ten years than it’s ever been, so that will prob- ably necessitate more paid positions.” 80 County Wide Poll 70 60 50 Ye s 40 75% 30 No 20 Not Sure 15% 10% 10 0 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- 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, July 9, 2009 The County Times On The Covers ON THE FRONT Walter B. Dorsey looks back on a half century in politics. Erin Drumheller, right, was chosen Fire Prevention ON THE BACK Girl at the Hol- Trish Guy of Back Road Inn slides into sec- ond base safely during Back Road’s 16-6 lywood Volunteer win over the Knockouts Monday night. Fire Departments car show and fire- Also Inside works display on 4 County News July 4th. 6 Town News 7 State News 8 Editorial/Opinion 10 Money community 11 Defense and Military Knockouts Hollywood Hosts First 13 Obituaries Fireworks Show SEE PAGE 32 15 Education Knocked- Out 17 Crime and Punishment Page 35 18 On The Cover No Bond 22 Helath 23 History for Accused 24 Entertainment Arsonist 25 Going On Weather Page 17 26 Food 27 Wandering Minds Watch 28 Games 31 Newsmakers 32 Community Stock Market 34 Sports News FOR WEEKLY STOCK MARKET Defense 35 Softball CLOSING RESULTS, CHECK Mission Changing for Navy PAGE 10 IN MONEY SEALs SEE PAGE 11 36 Sports Desk 38 Blue Crabs Do You Feel Crabby When You Get Your Insurance Bill in the Mail? Give Us A Call. You’ll Be Glad You Did. An Independent Agent Representing: ERIE INSURANCE GROUP Sitting left to right: Lisa Squires, Susan Ennis, Katie Facchina. Standing left to right; Gary Simpson, Dan Burris, Jake Kuntz. April Hancock PO Box 407 Bryans Road, MD 20616 Burris’ Olde Towne Insurance 301-743-9000 Auto - Home - Business - Life Leonardtown & LaPlata Bus: (301) 475-3151 (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, July 9, 2009 4 In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for un ews most trips of less than 50 minutes! Fact Comprehensive Plan Bingo Group Plans To Appeal Hearing Set for Monday By Guy Leonard following the Monday court ruling. “They have yet to deny me my application The St. Mary’s County Planning Commis- Staff Writer “What they denied was not my application, from Oct. 20, 2008, nor have they informed me sion will hold a second public hearing as part of but Sharon Modlin’s application from June of as to why,” she said. the county’s six-year review of its Comprehen- The ADF Community Outreach Founda- 2008,” she said. Proceeds from the games help support sive Plan on Monday, July 13, at Chopticon High tion, which until now had been running bingo The foundation leases space from Modlin, local charities. From 2004 to 2008 Catholic School beginning at 6:30 p.m. operations in the ADF Bingo hall in Mechan- owner of the ADF Bingo hall, a separate entity schools received $5 million in proceeds from About two dozen people spoke at the first icsville, plans to appeal a judge’s decision sup- which is currently under federal investigation. bingo, and Shop With A Cop received $112,119 hearing on June 22 in Lexington Park. porting the denial of its application for a bingo Without an approved bingo license, the founda- from bingo, Gaskin said. The Comprehensive Plan guides growth and license. tion can no longer use the hall. “We’re not a bunch of thieving women try- development of land and services in the county. “I’m really angry, and I’m disappointed,” Gaskin said that she took over the running ing to rip these schools and these charities off,” Once adopted, probably by the end of 2009, it said Alice Gaskin, foundation president, at a of the foundation in 2008 and applied for a bingo she said. will serve as a guide for future zoning changes. press conference Wednesday in Mechanicsville license then. The draft plan is posted to the county’s Web site at www.stmarysmd.com. Click on Land Use and Growth Management under the Services Critical Area Commission To Decide On Wind Turbine Ordinance By Guy Leonard mitting of the turbines and that the Critical Area mission in Annapolis, said that Wednesday’s box, then click on Public Hearing documents. Staff Writer Commission did not have any objections to the meeting of the commission should resolve the Print copies are available for review at county’s passing a text amendment to allow them situation. the three county libraries (www.stmalib.org) The state Critical Area Commission, which here earlier this year. “It’s taken longer than we’ve wanted … but and at the county’s Public Information Office oversees development along shorelines, was ex- “We’ve been permitting them,” Knight told we’re probably coming to the end of it”, Russell on the third floor of the Potomac Building in pected to vote Wednesday on a county zoning or- The County Times. “I think we’re trusting that said. Leonardtown. dinance that allows wind turbines for electricity the Critical Area Commission will come to the The commission’s move three months ago CDs of the plan and print copies can be ob- production by residents. conclusion we thought they’d already come to. caused considerable consternation among county tained at the Land Use and Growth anagement Results of that vote were not available by “We have not frozen our process.” leaders and those who wanted the wind turbines Department in the Patuxent Building on the press time but an official with the county’s De- The state has not placed any injunctions as on their property in the critical areas. Governmental Center campus. partment of Land Use and Growth Management a result of the permits, Knight said. They were frustrated over the state’s appar- After accepting public comment, the Plan- said that the agency has been furnishing permits Two turbines have been approved so far, he ent push for clean, low impact sources of energy ning Commission may modify the plan prior to in the meantime to residents who want to build said. being abated by bureaucratic forces that they transmitting it to the Board of County Commis- turbines within the required 100-foot buffer zone Richard Johnson, of Valley Lee, was the believed were dictating to the county what to do sioners for a hearing to be held later this year be- along shorelines. first person in the county to get his permit for a with its own land. fore final approval. This is despite the state’s Critical Area Com- wind turbine, and he got it just before the state Johnson said he plans to put up his wind The July 13 hearing will be videotaped and mission’s ruling three months ago that placed a commission put a hold on all turbine construc- turbine, whether the state wants him to or not. broadcast several times on County Government 90-day hold on the building of the turbines there tion in the county. “I have a permit in hand that says I can Channel 95 in July.