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St. Mary's County
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The Color and Light Society began as an informal group of artists taking advanced oil painting classes with Elizabeth Bygler of Leonardtown, Maryland. Everyone believed that exhibiting one’s art encouraged learning, development and pride of original work. Incorporated and granted non-profit status in 2004, the group first began exhibiting their work in the Annmarie Garden Community Gallery and currently has 24 active artist members. As a group these artists have volunteered in many local activities for children such as Sharkfest at the Calvert Marine Museum and the kids’ craft tables at Artsfest. Color & Light has also exhibited at Annmarie Garden Artsfest, Calvert Marine Museum, Sotterley Plantation Winefest as well as the Solomons Island Gazebo shows. Outstanding examples of Color & Light Society art can be seen in galleries in the tri-county area of Calvert, St. Mary’s and Charles counties.
Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th hosted the 2nd annual Warrior Dash, A day of mud, drinking, running and more mud. Upwards of 7,000 ran a three mile obstacle course through Budds Creek. The crowds were made up of all ages and fitness levels and were from all across southern Maryland and well beyond.
“It was tougher than last year” a woman covered head to toe in mud like so many others exclaimed as she walked towards the spray off area, where water hoses are aimed at freshly finished racers.
Bernie Fowler has been the watchdog of Maryland’s rivers for a long time. He founded the annual Patuxent River Wade-In which has become the model for similar events around the Bay, including one every year in the St. Mary’s River.
St. Mary’s River Watershed Association honored Fowler Sunday at “A River Affair” at historic Woodlawn Farm in Ridge. The well-attended event featured an afternoon brunch served by Michael and Lisa Kelley, music by Gretchen and Randy Richie, a silent auction and wines from the Slack Winery.
It was just a matter of time, the St. Mary’s County commissioners reckoned, before the state shifted a portion of the cost of teacher pensions to the counties.
The Maryland General Assembly did just that during a special session this week. The change will be phased in, with the counties picking up 50 percent of the cost next fiscal year, and 100 percent by 2016.
New evaluation protocol piloted in St. Mary’s
All Maryland public school teachers and principals are scheduled to be judged by a new evaluation system based partly on student test scores in a little more than one year.
Some teachers, union leaders and other educators have derided any evaluation based on student test scores as unfair. The Education Association of St. Mary’s County did not sign on to the system when the state announced plans for the change two years ago, but has since helped in developing the standards.
In recent months, Pax River personnel may have noticed a new, uniquely shaped tailless aircraft on the runway, the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D).
“This summer will be full of activity as the team braces for X-47B’s first flight here and arrival of the second X-47B air vehicle from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.,” said Matt Funk, UCAS-D lead test engineer. “In the coming months, you can expect to see the X-47B flying over the base and surrounding area along the Chesapeake Bay.”
The X-47B is the first unmanned vehicle designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. As part of the program’s demonstration, the X-47B will perform arrested landings and catapult launches at Pax to validate its ability to conduct precision approaches to the carrier. The base is one of only a few sites in the world where the Navy can run performance tests on aircraft-carrier catapult operations at a land-based facility with flight test and engineering support resources not available on a ship.
MIR has just completed another phase of improvements targeted at racer safety, event efficiency and boosting the overall MIR fan experience. Improvements include a whole new starting line center section with unique poured concrete walls, concrete slab, Line-X concrete coatings and vinyl wrap graphics. The new center section not only looks great, but it’s also designed to be highly efficient in providing quick access to all the items needed to keep the legendary MIR starting line in top shape.
We have also constructed a new 24’ x 32’ Track Prep Building (affectionately called the “Prep Shed”) and added a new equipment corral just behind the starting line. The Prep Shed houses all of the equipment and supplies needed to keep the racing action going with as minimal delays as possible for track prep and clean-ups. The new equipment corral allowed all the trucks, tractors and other equipment to move back further giving a more open, organized and attractive starting line area.
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Innovation that develops life-saving technology is alive and well at NAS Patuxent River. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Human Systems Department (HSD), home to 26 different laboratories, harvests this spirit of innovation everyday through its research, development and forward thinking.
Technologies and capabilities developed in the HSD laboratories ensure the safety, survivability and highest levels of human performance within the fleet through innovative designs both in the labs and through partnerships with industry.
Blackstone Marina, serving boaters of the Patuxent River on Cuckhold Creek since 1964, has been certified as the latest Maryland Clean Marina.
“Following the recommendations of the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook has enabled us to become a very clean marina,” said owner Les Gould. “We have found our boaters are eager to assist us in implementing sound pollution control practices.”
To meet award criteria, Marina Office Manager Lois Canter created a stormwater pollution prevention plan, wrote marina rules and regulations and devised emergency response procedures. The marina also maintains a pumpout station and an emergency fuel spill response kit.
Jennifer Robertson, 20, of Mechanicsville gathered six associate’s degrees when she crossed the stage at the College of Southern Maryland’s 53rd Commencement last Thursday in La Plata.
A 2009 graduate of Chopticon High School, Robertson did not take any college courses while she was in high school and did not transfer any advanced placement (AP) credits to CSM, she said. All of her coursework was completed at CSM’s La Plata, Leonardtown and Prince Frederick campuses, the Waldorf Center as well as online. “I couldn’t afford a four-year college. CSM was a great price and it was close to home,” said Robertson, adding that she has received a scholarship and a grant which helped her pay for tuition.
The College of Southern Maryland was recognized as a 2012 “triple winner” by the Alliance of Workplace Excellence for the college’s commitment to its employees and the community.
“We are excited with the validation of our continued progress towards workplace excellence. This is our ninth year winning this award and we are in good company with other area employers. It is always a pleasure to have your employee engagement efforts recognized but this year it is extra special with the addition of awards for our eco friendly and health and wellness programs,” said CSM Human Resources Associate Vice President Denise Bailey Clark.
Sunny skies brought out a large crowd for the 10th Anniversary Summerseat Farm Plant Sale. Attendees also took the opportunity to enjoy the historic farm and view its many animals, including a herd of buffalo.
St. Mary’s will need three new elementary schools and a new high school within the next decade to address an influx of new students to the public school system, school officials said Wednesday.
Brad Clements, chief operating officer for the public schools, said that during the last several years state and local governments have asked the St. Mary’s schools to delay plans for several school construction projects, citing budgetary constraints.
Steve Drummond picked a great time to set a new speed record during the 34th Annual Mountain Motor Nationals at Maryland International Raceway on Saturday night. Drummond put up a 6.008 second/254.58 mph quarter mile run in the final round of eliminations for the Blower Pro-Mod class.
“We knew we better turn it up a little bit,” Drummond said. “Saved it for the final, make sure you put a good run in the final. We struggled in the middle of the track and it was just a matter of getting the car set up. We’re still working with it. It was trucking on the back half, from half-track on it was getting busy.”
508 students received degrees and certificates during the 53rd Commencement Ceremony at College of Southern Maryland (CSM) in La Plata on Thursday night. The graduates ranged from age 15 to age 64.
“I want people to know that whatever obstacles you face, no matter how old you are, you can reach your goals,” Diane Edmonds-Vitashoka, who is the oldest CSM graduate at 64 years of age said. “As long as you let people hold you down [by being negative], you will stay down. I had so many people at CSM helping me, encouraging me and making sure that I didn’t give up, and it is by the grace of God that I was able to do this. My friends and family are not taking this lightly.”
“I’m a graduate of Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) as well but my dream was always to be a nurse,” Allison Betz, who graduated from the Nursing program with honors, said. “It’s been a long road but we all finally made it. I was a Theater and English major (at Virginia Tech). I already work at St. Mary’s Hospital and I hope to continue my work there as a Registered Nurse.”
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