Great Mills Swimming Pool to Close for Seasonal Maintenance Sept. 3 through Sept. 15
With the fall season approaching the St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks is set to transform the Great Mills Swimming Pool into an indoor facility. To accomplish this task the pool will close for seasonal maintenance on Tuesday, September 3 and remain closed through Sunday, September 15. The pool will reopen for normal hours of operation on Monday, September 16.
During this time, workers will install the pool’s air supported “bubble” structure. This will make the pool an indoor facility. Other maintenance and staff training will also occur while the pool is closed.
The Department of Recreation and Parks regrets any inconvenience the temporary closing of the pool may cause. For more information, please visit the Great Mills Swimming Pool at 21100 Great Mills Road, in Great Mills or call (301) 866-6560. For information on activities and programs at the Great Mills Swimming Pool, visit http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/aquatics.
Entries Now Being Accepted for 38th Annual Veterans Day Parade
Registration is now open for marching units, individuals and organizations wishing to participate in the 2013 Veterans Day Parade in Leonardtown. Parade entries can include marching units, floats, bands, schools, scouts, clubs, cheerleaders, bikes, vintage cars, horses or other entries!
The parade is scheduled to step off promptly at 10:00 AM on Monday, November 11 from Ryken High School. It will proceed north on Fenwick Street to the Leonardtown Town Square. What a great opportunity to honor our Veterans while taking part in the largest Veterans Day parade in Maryland and promoting your group!
For information and to request a Veterans Day Parade Entry Form, log on to the Town of Leonardtown’s website at http://www.leonardtown.somd.com and click on “Veterans Day Parade Entry Form.” Forms are due to Connie Pennington, Parade Organizer, by October 18, 2013. Late entries will not be accepted.
Wildewood Parkway Pipe Replacement Project to Continue
Due to utility issues and the weather, Wildewood Parkway (which was closed on August 5, 2013) will need to remain closed for an additional week. The roadway is expected to re-open by Sunday August 25, 2013.
Improvements to Wildewood Parkway consist of the removal and replacement of the existing culverts which cross the roadway between Wildewood Boulevard and Holly Hill Lane. Also, underground utilities located adjacent to the roadway are being relocated.
During the remainder of the project, residents will continue to experience temporary road closures of Wildewood Parkway between the intersections of Wildewood Boulevard and Holly Hill Lane. A signed detour route has been provided around the construction area, extending from Smoke Hill Road to Cottonwood Parkway to Airport Road, MD Route 235, and Wildewood Boulevard. Residents may also experience some additional construction noise in the area during daylight hours. Parents dropping off students at Evergreen Elementary School can access the school from MD Route 235 using the signed detour route.
For additional information, please contact the St. Mary’s County Department of Public Works & Transportation at (301) 863-8400, or the St. Mary’s County Public Information Office at (301) 475-4200, Ext. 1342.
Sunday Hours Return to the Lexington Park Library
Beginning September 8, 2013, the St. Mary’s County Library will resume Sunday hours at the Lexington Park Library. Hours will be from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. To mark the return of this service a special celebration will take place at 12:50 p.m. Following a few short remarks, members of the St. Mary’s County Library Board of Trustees and Board of County Commissioners, will officially re-open the doors at 1:00 p.m.
Sunday hours were discontinued in July, 2011 due to budget restraints. This spring County Commissioners approved an additional $50,000 requested by Library Trustees to resume Sunday hours at the Lexington Park Library.
Lexington Park was selected because it is the largest facility, offering three meeting rooms with audio/video teleconferencing capabilities. It also houses the Grant Seekers Resource Center and the Art Gallery, which showcases local artists. Staff from all three branches will provide the customer service, which enables the Library Board to provide this service at a reasonable cost to the taxpayers.
“The Library Board and staff recognize county residents lead very busy lives and one of the few days families have to enjoy their library is on Sunday,” said Library Board President Joan Springer. “We are very pleased the County Commissioners approved our request for additional funding to renew this valuable library service.”
Opportunities to Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste and Scrap Tires Coming This Fall
With fall just around the corner, it’s time to clean out barns, basements, sheds, garages, medicine cabinets, storage areas under kitchen sinks, etc. of hazardous household materials. Two events will be held for residents to properly discard potentially toxic/dangerous and hazardous household waste materials.
The St. Andrew’s Landfill will host Hazardous Waste Collection days on Saturday, September 7, 2013 and Saturday, November 2, 2013. Both events will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hazardous waste items which will be accepted for collection include Acids, Ammonia, Bleach, Cleaners, Fuels, Gas/Oil Mixtures, Gasoline, Household and Lawn Pesticides, Mercury Thermometers, Paint, Paint Thinners, Photography Chemicals, Pool Chemicals, Solvents, and Wood Preservatives.
Items not accepted include Ammunition, Asbestos, Explosive Materials, Medical Waste, Pharmaceuticals, Radioactive Materials, and Picric Acid.
At last year’s event, nearly 45 tons of materials were collected. Help us collect even more this year and dispose of it through safe, environmentally responsible practices.
Also, the Department of Public Works and Transportation will hold a Citizen and Agricultural Scrap Tire Drop-off Day on September 14, 2013. Anyone dropping off scrap tires will be able to do so free of charge.
Scrap tires can be dropped off at the St. Andrews Landfill on St. Andrews Church Road in California, MD between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Ten/10 tires per vehicle will be accepted with a limit of one trip per vehicle. Tires to be accepted include passenger, light truck, heavy truck and agricultural. In addition, both on-rim and off-rim tires will be accepted. Commercial vehicles and businesses will not be allowed to participate in the event.
Citizens are reminded they may continue to bring up to five/5 old scrap tires per visit, free of charge, to the St. Andrews Landfill year round. Loads in excess of this quantity will be assessed a fee of $158.00 per ton.
For more information about the Hazardous Waste Collection days, please contact the St. Mary’s Department of Public Works and Transportation at 301-863-8400. You can also log on to their website at http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/recyclingandsolidwaste.asp. For information about the September 14 Scrap Tire Drop-off event, please contact Nicholas Zurkan, St. Mary’s County Solid Waste Manager, at 301-863-8400 ext. 3550. You may also visit the department’s website at http://www.stmarysmd.com.
Commissioners Honor 2013 ADA Awareness Award Recipients
The St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners, along with the St. Mary’s Commission for People with Disabilities (COPD), presented 2013 ADA Awareness Awards to six individuals and one business. The awards are part of COPD’s initiative to create awareness about the disability community.
This year’s winners are as follows:
-- Volunteer of the Year: Marcia Bald
-- Notable Employer: Paula Hummer/NAVAIR
-- Vicki Brown Award (formerly Outstanding Person with Disability award): Youth – Kayla Woolridge; Adult – Chris Huseman
-- Facility Accessibility : Sanner Lake Sportsman Club
-- Innovative Program: Rev. John Dakes, St. Aloysius Special Needs Ministry (Rev. David Beaubien accepting)
-- Outstanding Individual Achievement Award: Betty Bush
This year’s ceremony coincided with the 23rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Recreation & Parks to Offer Transportation to School Age Care Locations
The St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation & Parks, in partnership with St. Mary’s County Public Schools, will offer transportation from several area schools to nearby locations where R&P School Age Care (SAC) is available for the 2013/2014 school year.
For $275 per month for P.M. care, children can participate in an active, safe and fun environment close to school and home. Activities include homework time, snack, group games, arts & crafts, dramatic play, music, cooking, science experiments, nature and much more. P.M. care will run daily until 6:30 p.m., including early dismissal days.
Transportation will be provided from the following schools to current SAC locations:
School Enrolled Location:
Mechanicsville Elementary
White Marsh Elementary
Dynard Elementary
Oakville Elementary
Town Creek Elementary
School Age Care Location:
Lettie Dent Elementary
Lettie Dent Elementary
Banneker Elementary
Hollywood Rec. Center
Green Holly Elementary
For further information on how to register for School Age Care, or any Recreation and Parks program, call 301-475-4200 ext. 1800 or visit http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/childcare which will direct you to the Admission/Registration process.