Great Mills Pool to Reopen March 19
The Great Mills Swimming Pool will reopen for normal operation on Saturday, March 19.
Recreation and Parks wishes to thank the public for its patience while mechanical repairs were being made. The pool has a new water heater installed. In the next 24 hours, the water temperature will be brought back to an appropriate level for public use.
For more information or questions please contact Recreation & Parks at 301-475-4200, ext. *1800.
Skunk in Loveville Neighborhood Tests Positive for Rabies
The St. Mary's County Health Department is reporting a skunk in the Loveville area has tested positive for rabies. Test results were confirmed by the State's laboratory at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Baltimore. It has been reported that a dog of unknown ownership had contact with the affected skunk. No description of the dog is available.
Pet owners in the Loveville area are advised to examine their animals for bites, scratches or wounds of unknown origin and report suspect injuries to St. Mary's County Animal Control at 301-475-8018. Residents are asked to report any animal exposures involving humans to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office at 301-475-8008.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease, most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The health department investigates reports of animal bites and, based on the outcome of the investigation, refers the affected person(s) to the hospital's emergency department or to their primary health care provider for treatment and vaccination.
For more information about rabies and the rabies vaccination clinics, visit the health department's website at www.smchd.org.
St. Mary's County Economic Development to Partner with The Patuxent Partnership and Chamber of Commerce for April 5 Event
Brown Bag discussion to focus on importance of Education and Economic Development
Perhaps no one understands the important relationship between education and economic development more than University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor, Robert Caret, and Maryland Secretary of Commerce, Mike Gill. They have known one another for many years and have seen first-hand how education affects economic development. Both have worked with community leaders, educators and elected officials to make this connection. Simply stated, you cannot have economic growth and development without education.
The Patuxent Partnership, in collaboration with the St. Mary's County Department of Economic Development and the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce, will host Chancellor Caret and Secretary Gill during a "Brown Bag," Tuesday, April 5, beginning at noon, at the Bay District Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall in Lexington Park.
This is an opportunity for the business community, the Navy and our academic institutions to learn, discuss and consider how the critical connection between education and economic development will help Southern Maryland grow and diversify its economy. With support from programs such as cyber security at the College of Southern Maryland, physics at St. Mary's College of Maryland and mechanical and electrical engineering taught locally by the University of Maryland, College Park. What will it mean for our economy in the next 10 years?
Maryland consistently ranks as the top state in the nation in terms of technically skilled workers and its highly educated workforce. This highly skilled labor pool is due to having one of the nation's top-rated public school systems and more than 55 accredited institutions of higher learning in the state. USM, with its 11 campuses, including its College Park flagship campus, is nationally ranked for its business entrepreneurship, engineering and information technology and cybersecurity curricula. It is a renowned research institution, as well.
There is no cost to attend this program. Advance registration is requested. To register, please visit www.paxpartnership.org.
The Patuxent Partnership works with government, industry and academia on initiatives in science and technology, hosts programs of interest to NAVAIR and the broader DoD community, and supports workforce development including education initiatives and professional development. Visit www.paxpartnership.org or call 301-866-1739.
Transforming Military Veterans into Successful Business Owners
Project Opportunity, a free entrepreneurship class for veterans, is returning to the Southern Maryland Region this spring, thanks to a partnership with the St. Mary's County Office of Economic Development, the Calvert County Department of Economic Development, the Southern Region Small Business Development Center, and the Southern Maryland Job Source.
Project Opportunity is a 10-week intensive course that offers training, outreach services, technical assistance and financing opportunities to veterans who are considering starting a business or expanding their current small business. Coursework covers everything from fine tuning a business plan to locating resources and launching a business.
"The partnerships formed to put this year's class together and the enthusiasm of these partners speaks extremely well for the community's commitment to veterans in Southern Maryland," stated Joe Giordano, founder of Project Opportunity. He's excited to provide a third session of Project Opportunity to the Southern Maryland veteran population. "I look forward to continuing this partnership and, hopefully, to be able to offer this training on an annual basis," Additional financial support has been provided by Rollout Systems, American Legion Post # 82, Facchina, and AMEWAS.
Giordano, a retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant, started Project Opportunity on the Eastern Shore in 2010. Since then Giordano and his team have successfully worked with over 150 veterans.
A Project Opportunity orientation session will be held on March 22, 2016 in the Russell Conference Room of the Carter Staff Office Building, 23110 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. The session begins at 6:30 p.m. Space is limited and interested veterans should visit the Project Opportunity website at www.project-opportunity.com to register.