Gibson Road Living Shoreline and Revetment Project Completed
St. St. Mary's County Department of Public Works and Transportation has completed work on a new living shoreline. The project, adjacent to Gibson Road along Whites Neck Creek shoreline, is located in the Bushwood area.
The living shoreline project is part of a 260 foot long stone sill revetment, bordered by nearly three thousand square feet of new sandy beach area. More than 2,200 marsh grass plants were also planted.
The stone sill has two "windows", low spots along the stone sill wall which will allow for natural tide movement to nourish portions of the newly grassed marsh area. The project is intended to protect a segment of Gibson Road from further shore erosion and enhance the habitat value along the shoreline.
DPW&T Director George A. Erichsen, P.E. says the only work remaining is the Critical Area Mitigation Planting which will be installed during the fall 2013 planting season. "Our project manager Zane Rettstatt has done an excellent job and has kept this project on time and within budget," said Erichsen.
Pride in the Park Parade
Actors from The Newtowne Players' production of Godspell will march along with the many groups participating in the second annual Pride in the Park parade, scheduled for this Saturday, May 4 in Lexington Park. Stephen Schwartz's Godspell is a groundbreaking and unique reflection on the life of Jesus, with a message of kindness, tolerance and love.
The Newtowne Players perform at the Three Notch Theatre located at 21744 South Coral Drive in Lexington Park. Godspell opens this weekend and runs through May 19. For ticket information, go to http://www.newtowneplayers.org or call 301-737-5447.
Spring Ridge Middle School's Rhythm Club is also among the new groups participating in the parade.
The Rhythm Club is widely known across the county for its heart pounding percussions, beat boxing, rapping and singing. Twenty-four Rhythm Club students will perform in this year's parade, which will honor the 70th anniversary of the commissioning of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Mark's Automotive of Lexington Park will sponsor the Rhythm Club and will proudly chauffer the students, and their director Bonnie Beavan, as they perform during the parade.
This year's parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department. It will then travel along South Shangri-La and South Essex Drives towards Great Mills Road. The parade will then turn east on Great Mills and continue to the alley way between Endless Summer Tanning and Raley's Home Furnishings where the parade will end. These roads will be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the parade. Spectators young and old are encouraged to line the route and cheer on the participants.
Also featured in this year's parade are the Great Mills High School Parade Band and Navy Junior R.O.T.C., a "Flight" of Sailors, children of Navy families, and youth groups from Lexington Park Elementary School, the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Color Guard, military working dogs, scout troops, car and motorcycle clubs and numerous local businesses.
The Pride in the Park Parade is sponsored by the Lexington Park Business and Community Association. Additional parade participants and sponsors continue to be sought. Contact Robin Finnacom at 301-863-7700 or email robin.finnacom@stmarysmd.com for more information.
Board Seeks Applicants for Vacancy
The Sheriff's Office Retirement Plan Board has a vacancy and is seeking candidates to fill the voluntary position.
Interested applicants should have experience with employee retirement plans and financial investment.
To apply head to http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/docs/Membership%20Application.pdf to download an application. Completed forms should be returned to Diane Gleissner via email at diane.gleissner@stmarysmd.com or U.S. Mail to P.O. 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650 by close of business May 31, 2013.
For more information contact Diane at 301-475-4200 ext. 1700.
Great Mills Swimming Pool to Close for Seasonal Maintenance May 13 - 24
With the summer season approaching the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks will close the Great Mills Swimming Pool for 12 days of seasonal maintenance. The pool will be closed to the public beginning Monday, May 13 through Friday, May 24, 2013.
During this time, the pool's air supported "bubble" structure will be removed, converting it into an outdoor facility. Other seasonal maintenance, including painting of the bath house, resurfacing of both the men's and women's locker room floors and staff training will also occur.
The pool will reopen for normal hours of operation on Saturday, May 25 as follows:
Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 8:00 pm;
Saturdays, 10:00 am - 8:00 pm;
Sundays, 12:00 - 6:00 pm.
Summer hours of operation begin Monday, June 10 as follows:
Monday - Saturday, 12:00 - 8:00 pm;
Sundays, 12:00 - 6:00 pm.
The pool will offer a half price day on June 8th to honor the last day of school. Admission prices for youths and adults will be half price for the day.
The Department regrets any inconvenience the temporary closing of the pool may cause. For more information, please contact the Great Mills Swimming Pool at 21100 Great Mills Road, in Great Mills, at 301-866-6560. For information on activities and programs at the Great Mills Swimming Pool, visit our website at http://www.stmarysmd.com/recreate .
Recreation and Parks Board Meeting Canceled
The St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks announce that the Recreation and Parks Board meeting, originally scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 2013, has been canceled.
Recreation and Parks Board meetings are generally held on the first Thursday of each month, unless otherwise noted. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the board will be Thursday, June 6, 2013 at 5:30 p.m., in the commissioner's meeting room inside the Chesapeake Building in Leonardtown.
For more information, please contact the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks at (301) 475-4200, ext. 1811.
Clean Community Program Initiatives Taking Aim at Neighborhood Litter
Spring is a time to spruce up … and clean up. Which is why residents in the Colony Square community will take to the streets for a Community Clean-up day on Saturday, May 18 from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. Anyone interested in lending a hand are urged to contact group coordinator Patrice Campbell at 301-863-9355 ext. 103.
With assistance from the St. Mary's Department of Public Works and Transportation, programs such as this are available to residents who want to maintain and enhance their neighborhood's appearance. Clean Community Programs are led by volunteers and are designed to instill community pride by reducing litter, garbage, junk and other debris from within their neighborhood.
However, community leadership is crucial to implementation and success of the program. To set up your program or to learn about other ways to help keep your neighborhood clean, contact the County's Solid Waste Manager at 301-863-8400 or fill out a Clean Community Registration Form, which is available online at http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/thecleanteamform/thecleanteam.html .