Animal Shelter Reduces Adoption Fees for the Holidays
LA PLATA—During the month of December, the Tri-County Animal Shelter will run a holiday promotion to place loving animals into a new home for the holidays. The adoption fee will be reduced to $10 for kittens and $5 for cats. Dog adoptions will be reduced to $100.
All cats and dogs will have their first vaccine and micro-chip, as well as be spayed or neutered. Animals will also be examined by a veterinarian, and cats tested for feline leukemia.
Our adoption hours are Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To view animals available for adoption, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/es/animalshelter/tri-county-animal-shelter. To check out the cat cam, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/es/tcas/catcam.
Already have enough cats and dogs in your home? Remember the shelter also gets in rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, pot belly pigs, turtles, lizards and even livestock such as horses. Call the shelter for adoption pricing.
The Tri-County Animal Shelter is located at 6707 Animal Shelter Road in Hughesville. Shelter staff can be reached at 301-932-1713 or 800-903-1992. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD at 866-269-9006.
County Seeks Community Input on Cable-related Needs
LA PLATA—Comcast is seeking renewal of its current 15 year cable television franchise, which expires in 2017. Charles County Government is seeking input from residents, businesses, nonprofits and educators in order to assess the "cable television related needs and interests" of the community.
Charles County Government is conducting a comprehensive needs assessment. This assessment will be facilitated through public meetings and mailed surveys. The county encourages citizens who live and work in Charles County and have a perspective on cable television to participate in this need assessment. You do not need to be a current subscriber to participate.
Community involvement in this assessment will allow the county to better represent your needs and interests to Comcast. Periodic updates on the needs assessment process will be available at www.charlescountymd.gov, www.Facebook.com/CharlesCounty, and Twitter.com/CharlesCoMD.
For more information, contact Mary Goddard at 301-396-5837 or GoddarMa [at] CharlesCountyMD.gov. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Commission for Women Meeting Canceled
LEONARDTOWN—The Commission for Women Meeting, scheduled for December 8, has been canceled.
The next scheduled meeting will be Monday, January 12, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. inside Room 14 of the Potomac Building, 23115 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD.
For more information, please call 301-475-4200, extension 1680.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Set for Renovated "Flat Tops" House
LEONARDTOWN—The work is complete and it's time to cut the ribbon on recent improvements at the former "Flat Tops" House at John G. Lancaster Park in Lexington Park. The public is invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of work at the park along Willows Road.
"We hope that citizens will join us at the park for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Tuesday, December 9 at 2 p.m." said Brian Loewe, Director of Recreation and Parks. "The project represents the successful preservation, interior renovation and reuse of the remaining "Flat Tops" house at Lancaster Park's South Parcel."
The renovated facility, now named The United States Colored Troops (USCT) Memorial Interpretive Center, provides space for meetings and community activities, as well as public restrooms for the memorial park and the adjacent pavilion. In the future, it will include displays and information about the Civil War Memorial, as well as African American history and contributions in St. Mary's County. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements were also addressed as part of the project.
The adjacent United States Colored Troops Memorial was completed in June 2012. The Unified Committee on Afro-American Contributions (UCAC) managed this project which recognizes the contributions of the United States Colored Troops, and all Union soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County, who fought during the Civil War.
The projects received Maryland Board of Public Works Bond Bill funding in the amount of $150,000 each. Additionally, St. Mary's County authorized up to $126,500 toward the building's renovation.
For information or questions about this project or ceremony, contact the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks at (301) 475-4200 ext. 1811.
Tiny Elves and Santa's Workshop Coming to Hollywood Recreation Center
LEONARDTOWN—Parents seeking a unique holiday activity for their family can check out Santa's Workshop!
Hosted by the St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks, Tiny Elves Workshop & Santa's Workshop takes place on Saturday December 6 and is designed for children ages 0 to 12 years. The Hollywood Recreation Center will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland. All children will receive a professional photo 5x7 photo with Santa. All children must pre-register, space is limited.
The Tiny Elves Workshop will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at a cost of $15.00 per child. Santa's coming to town early! We welcome all our Tiny Elves to our Santa's Workshop. Children will get to tell Santa what they would like Jolly St. Nick to leave them under the tree! Holiday themed activities will be available, including a bubble wrap dance floor! Parents must attend with their tots.
Santa's Workshop will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at a cost of $35 for the first child, $25 for each additional sibling. This is a unique experience for Parents and Children alike! Santa's Workshop will provide parents with the freedom of a kid-free shopping day. Children will participate in holiday themed crafts, gift making, games and activities. Pizza and other snacks will be provided. Santa himself will make an appearance so every child will have their picture taken with him! All children must pre-register, space is limited.
Registration is available online at www.stmarysmd.com/recreate or at the Recreation & Parks office in Leonardtown.
For more information call 301-475-4200 ext. 1800 or 1801.
Work on Armory Road Roundabout in Prince Frederick Nears Completion
PRINCE FREDERICK—Roadway patterns at the intersections of Armory and Dares Beach roads and Armory and Fairground roads in Prince Frederick are returning to normal as the Armory Road corridor project nears completion.
Permanent pavement marking and striping is complete and all temporary detour and maintenance of traffic signage placed along Route 4, Dares Beach Road, Armory Road, Fairground Road and Main Street has been removed. Final elements of the project, including installation of overhead lights at roundabout, are underway.
As part of the road improvement project, enhancements include new sidewalks, wider shoulders and pedestrian lights along with the traffic circle. The project is part of the larger Prince Frederick loop road.
Calvert County Launches Live Map of “What’s Going Where”
PRINCE FREDERICK—The Calvert County Department of Economic Development (DED) today launched a new What’s Going Where map that lets the public see where commercial projects are happening in Calvert County.
“This project began as an outreach effort to inform the public about new business activity in the county, to welcome and showcase new businesses and to provide a tool to better track the status and needs of businesses,” explained Linda Vassallo, director of the DED. “What we developed is an interactive map that allows us to monitor and help businesses as well as share a visual snapshot of what is going where with the public.”
What’s Going Where is a user friendly map that allows you to explore commercial projects by ZIP code or view a list of projects completed in the last 12 months. The map is part of a larger set of interactive GIS maps offered by Calvert County Government to help the public virtually explore everything from the county’s parks and recreational facilities to the changes in the county’s landscape over the past 100 years. The direct link to What’s Going Where is www.co.cal.md.us/WhatsGoingWhere.
For the existing business community the county offers a variety of free resources such as a free online business database, employment classified listings and the ability to showcase commercial real estate on www.calvertprospector.com. For more information about the Calvert County Department of Economic Development and the many services the county offers the business community, contact the department at 410-535-4583 or 301-855-1880; or by email at info [at] ecalvert.com.
Administrative Appointment Announced
LEONARDTOWN—Interim Superintendent of Schools, Mr. J. Scott Smith, announces the administrative appointment made by the Board of Education at its meeting of November 25, 2014.
The Board appointed Dr. Paul Fancella as Supervisor of Assessments in the Department of Learning Management Systems. Dr. Fancella was serving as the Acting Supervisor of Assessments. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, a Master's degree from Western Maryland College, and a Doctorate from Walden University. Dr. Fancella joined St. Mary's County Public Schools in August 1991 as an Elementary Education teacher at Mechanicsville Elementary. He served the system as a Supervisor of Instruction before being named Principal of Esperanza Middle School. He has also served as Principal of Park Hall Elementary, Green Holly Elementary, Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary, and as a Principal on Assignment overseeing alternative education programs.
This appointment becomes effective Monday, December 1, 2014.