THURSDAY February 26, 2009 Keepers of the City ... Even in Troubled Times Thousands of Story Page 4 Debit Cards Compromised Story Page 5 STEM Students Battle Robots Story Page 13 Bomb Scares Could Net Federal Charges Story Page 14 Photo by Frank Marquart The County Times Thursday, February 26, 2009 FloorAnnual FloorModel Model Weekly Poll Still Going! RESULTS February 26 thru Do you think your monthly electric bill is higher March 31 than ever? PLENTY No left to go! UP TO 40% OFF FLOOR SAMPLE SALE 23% Adult Bedroom Sets 4% Not 0% Financing Sure MONTHS SAME AS 73% CASH! 12 O.A.C. See Store For Details Yes Childrens Furniture Sets & Bunkbeds Do you think your legislators in Annapolis are doing what they can to keep your utility costs Dinettes, Jewelry Armoire, low? TV Consoles, Vanities 68% No 23% 9% Not Sure ANY SET OVER $599 Yes HALLMARK SEA NATURAL Twin Set...................$319 Full Set.....................$419 Twin Set...................$299 Queen Set................$449 Full Set.....................$369 Do you think slot machines should be allowed to King Set....................$679 Queen Set................$409 go into Baltimore-Washington Airport? King Set....................$619 Not Sure 14% Yes 45% 41% No *Not Responsible for errors in ad. 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Box 250 • Hollywood, Maryland 20636 Matt Suite - Sales Representative.....................................mattsuite@countytimes.net News, Advertising, Circulation, Classifieds: 301-373-4125 Angie Stalcup - Graphic Artist.......................................angiestalcup@countytimes.net The County Times Thursday, February 26, 2009 ews Small Staff, Plenty of Volunteers Watershed Advocates Keep St. Mary’s Looking for Study Funding City Running By Guy Leonard by runoff of water caused in part by im- Staff Writer pervious surfaces at new business and By Guy Leonard designed to be used down at the housing developments. Staff Writer historic city for coordinating Civic activists with the St. Mary’s The silt and pollution from this volunteers, Erichsen said, that River Watershed Association say they runoff has a destructive effect on the She’s only been would have normally cost them are still looking for funding to pay for St. Mary’s River, they argue, by af- on the job about four $15,000. a strategy report that will guide restora- fecting the habitat for plants and ma- months but Regina But the volunteer is doing tion efforts for what they say is a trou- rine life. Faden, the director of it for free, she said. bled local watershed. But in recent years the associa- Historic St. Mary’s City, But it’s important to en- They asked for funding for the St. tion has partnered with local scien- knows she and her small sure that the presentation of one Mary’s River Watershed Restoration Ac- tists at St. Mary’s College of Maryland Creeks and streams like this one in staff have their work cut of the country’s most important suffering from heavy sediment out for them. historical sites doesn’t become tion Strategy (WRAS) weeks ago from as well as with some assistance from runoff in the St. Mary’s River the Board of County Commissioners but state natural resources agencies, to cata- Watershed are the reason for a And even though they staid, Padukiewicz said, and the motion to approve the $30,000 they log the condition of the watershed. strategy to restore the system local have dwindling dollars — being close to the college cam- wanted never even materialized. On the organization’s Web site, Photo environmentalists say. they’re facing a $300,000 bud- pus helps. Courtesy get cut from the state this year “We’re always trying to Bob Lewis, executive director of four separate studies are posted that re- of SMRWA the association, said that the WRAS is port on the conditions of different points — the first settlement of the figure out our audience… they county has still grown. force us to look at our message still needful and that they were working in the water system. “It’s not one comprehensive [re- to convince the county commissioners County Commissioner Thomas A. The 1667 chapel is near and how we can communicate port] looking at the whole thing,’ Veith completion and the St. John’s it better,” Padukiewicz said. “It to fund it. Mattingly (D-Leonardtown) said this said. “We still have to develop one co- “We’re in the process of working was one of the reasons why commis- Exhibit on the campus of St. keeps us young, too.” herent management plan.” Mary’s College shows visitors Students often volunteer on a proposal for justification,” Lewis sioners balked at approving any more Commissioner President Francis told The County Times. “We’ll take it money for further study. that inclusive government was at the site, they said, but they Jack Russell (D-St. George’s Island) said an integral part of the county’s also work over there to pay off back and hopefully they’ll move on it.” “It was originally asked for in the that the health of the river and watershed The association has been working budget last year… and there wasn’t a history. any minor infractions com- appears to be improving on its own, per- “Right now the budget is mitted on campus like parking for years to monitor and help preserve willingness to take on new initiatives,” haps, he said, because recent dry spells the watershed of the St. Mary’s River, Mattingly told The County Times. “I the concern because our staff violations. have helped reduce the amount of un- is excellent,” Faden told The “They can work that off which also happens to be in the county’s don’t know what benefit we could get checked storm water run off and the most heavily populated and built out de- from adding money to that.” County Times. “The organiza- with us,” Padukiewicz said. concurrent sediment. tion is in very good shape. “We get a lot of hours out of velopment district of Lexington Park. Sue Veith, the county’s environ- “It is probably a little bit better than Leadership at the association have mental planner, said that the sheer vol- “There’s already a lot of that.” it was before,” Russell said. “It’s a pleas- success here.” As for Faden, she said that engaged in public education efforts to ume of information on the watershed’s ant surprise with some of it.” show that the watershed is threatened health still had to be collated. Members of her staff like her mission right now is “to con- C o m m i s s i o n e r Sue Erichsen and Margaret tinue to build on what’s here,” Lawrence D. Jarboe (R- “Muffin” Padukiewicz, help en- that includes raising money for Golden Beach) said that sure that things run smoothly. a project called the Maryland St. Mary’s Lake was Erichsen coordinates the Heritage Interpretive Center to St. Mary’s Medical likely another reason for volunteer efforts upon which the tune of $2.5 million. what he believed was the site depends and Padukie- She also wants to see the the watershed’s improv- wicz ensures that the events the many “ghost frames,” skeletal ing health, since it held site is famous for move ahead structures of historical build- Associates, LLC back sediment from the on schedule. ings yet to be constructed, lower part of the river. The biggest thing they’ll finished. “The water that do all year is to prepare for the “It’s just a matter of the flows south of the lake celebration of Maryland’s 375th funding and the timing,” Faden [at the Great Mills kay- birthday. Since St. Mary’s is said, adding that the archaeo- ak launch] is as clear as the mother county of the entire logical staff on site is top notch. any mountain stream.” state, they know the pressure is “They are so attentive to histor- Jarboe said. on. ical details; but the archaeology Lewis agreed in “We’re dealing with every- takes time and the planning part but said that since thing from cakes and children’s takes time.” the state had designat- James C. Christine Dhimitri Kate Johnson, activities to tall ships, those will But perhaps one of her ed the water shed as a be coming in too,” Padukiewicz biggest challenges as director, Boyd, MD Rawlings, CRNP Gross, MD CRNP “stronghold” because it told The County Times.