The Deep Creek Blog

No Hotel/Motel Tax Increase For Garrett County

Mike Kennedy at Railey Realty blogs that Garrett County will not raise the hotel/motel tax as pursued last fall.  

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Garrett County Looking to Sell Properties Delinquent on Utilities

The Times-News reported this week that Garrett County property owners who are 60 or more days delinquent on payment of their water and sewer bills could see their properties put up for public tax sale as early as May.  Read the full story here. 

2010 Job Fair Slated for March 25 at Garrett College

Business owners and managers looking for good employees will have an opportunity to find the best at the 2010 Garrett County Job Fair.

On Thursday, March 25, 2010, from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., Garrett College will once again host the Garrett County Job Fair. Registration will begin at 2:30 pm.

Participating employers will be offered display space, including a table, chairs and a sign with the company name. Also, access to electrical outlets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Early registration is recommended as space is limited.

“Last year’s Job Fair was an outstanding success, with more than 450 job seekers in attendance and a full house of employers. Feedback from all participants was incredibly positive” said Judy A. Carbone, Coordinator of Career & Transfer Services at Garrett College. “Unfortunately, we ran out of floor space and had to turn some employers away. Please don’t let that happen to your organization, register early for the 2009 Garrett County Job Fair!”

Businesses are encouraged to return the registration form by no later than February 27 in order to be included in pre-job fair radio and print advertising.  Additional spaces will be available on a limited basis until March 20. The registration form for businesses is now available on the Job Fair website at www.garrettcollege.edu/events/jobfair/Employers.htm or contact Carbone at 301.387.3046.  The cost for employers is $35.

The fair is open to any employer who is expecting to hire people within the next several months, whether full time, part-time, summer, entry level or experienced.  This is a chance for businesses to spread the word about what they do and what kind of employees they seek.

The Job Fair will be open to all members of the community including college and high school students and experienced workers seeking a job or career change. The Job Fair will be promoted through newspaper articles, radio announcements, fliers, listing with the Maryland Job Service and through electronic means including a website dedicated to the Job Fair.

"Job seekers will be encouraged to bring copies of their resumes and to prepare for making the most effective impression possible on the employers with whom they speak," said Carbone.

The job fair is being sponsored by Garrett College, the Garrett County One-Stop Job Center, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, and Radio FX.

DNR Announces 2010 Trout Stocking Schedule for Spring Season

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin stocking approximately 326,000 rainbow and brown trout into freshwaters across the state for spring trout fishing enthusiasts in early February depending on the weather, stream and ground conditions.

The stocking schedule table is now online (www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/) and will also be available at DNR Regional Service Centers and license vendors by late January.

DNR’s Fisheries Service encourages anglers to check out the Google Map of stocked streams to get directions and more info on trout fishing locations. Stockings listed on the schedule as pre-season usually start in the eastern part of the State in early February followed by western region stocking as things warm up. Watch our Web site or call 1-800-688-3467 for updates.

DNR’s Fisheries Service also reminds anglers to clean and dry their gear between streams and outings in order to protect our fish populations and keep their habitat healthy. The recent discovery of the invasive algae didymo, which can make it difficult to fish while choking off key food sources for trout, on the lower Savage River illustrates how easily troublesome organisms can be moved between watersheds. The continued presence of didymo in the Gunpowder Falls catch and return area and the presence of whirling disease in trout in the Barnum area of the North Branch of the Potomac River make it imperative that we be more diligent than ever.

A good scrubbing with dish soap or a 5 percent salt solution is an easy way to prevent the spread of these invaders. DNR asks anglers to use the convenient wader wash stations recently installed at several key wild trout areas including the Gunpowder River, Savage River, the North Branch of the Potomac (Barnum area), and Big Hunting Creek.

GLAF Season Subscription Discount Available until February 28, 2010

Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF) is offering a 10% discount on season subscriptions until the end of February for its 2010 performing arts series.  The regular price for an adult season subscription is $150 and the discount price is $135.  The regular price for a student season ticket is $30 and the discount price is $27.

A season subscription includes tickets with "preferred seating" for the following performances:

April 24 Yu Wei Chinese Dance Collection at Garrett College
May 21 West Virginians at Garrett College
June 19 Time for Three at WISP Resort
July 16 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert at WISP Resort
July 17 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Classical Concert at WISP Resort
August 7 John McCutcheon at Garrett College

For tickets, call the GLAF Office at 301-387-3082 or order tickets online
www.artandentertainment.org

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Maryland BPW Approves Preservation of Forests Along Scenic River Corridor

Governor O’Malley announced yesterday the Board of Public Works (BPW) approval of the acquisition of a 41-acre parcel in Youghiogheny Scenic and Wild River Corridor in Garrett County. This property will provide a connecting point between the Youghiogheny Scenic and Wild River Corridor and the State-owned property of Deep Creek Lake at the dam.

The shortage of access points along the river corridor presents challenges for public entry and recreation, complicates important maintenance tasks, and impedes progress of rescue teams and emergency vehicles.

The sale is made possible through a negotiated discount between the owners and the state. Funds in the amount of $609,000 were approved by the BPW and are provided through Program Open Space.

12th Annual MSP/NRP Deep Creek Dunk Set for February 27, 2010

Winter-Time Tradition Expected to Attract as Many as 1,000 Dunkers to Deep Creek Lake for Full Weekend of Fun Benefiting Special Olympics Maryland

Baltimore, MD – Winter weather in Deep Creek Lake can only mean one thing – people all around the state around getting ready for their annual dip into the lake as part of the MSP/NRP Deep Creek Dunk!  The annual charity fundraiser for Special Olympics Maryland is set for Saturday, February 27 and as many as 1,000 Dunkers are expected to take part in the event.  Also back in 2010 is the Friday night “DunkFest” with a bonfire, music and more.

Last year’s 11th Annual MSP/NRP Deep Creek Dunk raised $162,000 with the help of just under 800 Dunkers, with all proceeds benefiting Special Olympics Maryland and its year-round sports training and competition programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Once again, the fun starts early this year with Friday night’s “DunkFest” featuring the Toast Your Buns Bonfire from 6-10 p.m., live music beginning at 8 p.m., an outdoor pizza party and carnival games for the whole family, and fun drink specials both inside and out.  Plus, those who are Dunking on Saturday can pre-register anytime between 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday evening and skip the lines altogether on Saturday.

In order to join the event and take a daring dip into Deep Creek Lake, participants must raise a minimum of $50 in pledges.  For that contribution they will receive a complimentary meal from Uno Chicago Bar & Grill, a commemorative event sweatshirt, a group color photo, and the great feeling of freezing their fur off for a great cause.  Special prizes will also be awarded for the top 3 fundraisers, the top law enforcement fundraiser, the best costume, and the top fundraising team.  Heated changing tents are available on the lawn for both men and women to change in before and after.

Day-of registration begins at noon on Saturday, and the Dunk will take place at 2 p.m.  There is no fee for spectators, and Dunkers of all ages are welcome – though participants under the age of 18 will need signed parental consent.  To register, visit www.dunkmd.com or call 800-541-7544 x503 (MD only) or 410-789-6677 x503 and register through the 24-hour Dunk hotline.

“The Deep Creek Dunk is not just an event – it’s an experience,” said Tom Schniedwind, Exec. VP of Sports Marketing for Special Olympics Maryland.  “There is just an amazing energy throughout the crowd before, during and after the Dunk as people embrace the spirit of fun and craziness that defines the event.  And the best part is that all that positive energy ultimately translates into a better tomorrow for Special Olympics Maryland athletes in all of our communities.”

Dunk-day activities include music by DJ Johnny Rock, great food, a wacky costume contest and a live remote by WKHJ 104.5.  Following the main event, The Black Bear Tavern is hosting the official Post-Dunk Party from 6 p.m. – close, complete with live music.  A suggested $5 donation to Special Olympics Maryland gets you the official Deep Creek Dunk oval sticker and the chance to win great prizes all evening.

The MSP/NRP Deep Creek Dunk, presented by Uno Chicago Bar & Grill and the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, is coordinated jointly by the Maryland State Police, Natural Resources Police, Maryland Park Service and several other local law enforcement agencies.  The Dunk –follows its sister event, the MSP Polar Bear Plunge, scheduled for January 24 at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

The MSP/NRP Dunk is just the beginning of a full weekend of activities for Special Olympics Maryland, with the annual SOMD Winter Games beginning the following evening, Feb. 28.  Winter Games features competition in alpine skiing, modified alpine, cross-country skiing, and the newest addition, snowshoeing.  Approximately 350 athletes from both Maryland and Delaware will travel to Garrett County for this state-level event.  Things get underway at 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening with the exciting Opening Ceremony featuring a 10-minute fireworks display, followed by a full day of competition on Monday and a half day on Tuesday.  Volunteers are needed and anyone interested should call 410-789-6677 x111 or visit www.somd.org for more information.

The Deep Creek Dunk is made possible by the following sponsors:  Uno’s, and the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce – Presenting Sponsors; Wisp Resort – Founding Partner; Comcast, 104.5 WKHJ and 92.3 The Train – Media Partners; Long & Foster Resort Rentals – Official Lodging Partner; Aerotek, Constellation Energy, and the Council of Ravens Roosts – Legacy Partners; Saucy Salamander Catering Company, Sounds Fun Entertainment, Arrowhead Condominium Association, and the American Legion – Dunk Partners.
 

SOMD is a year-round sports organization dedicated to providing quality sports training and competition opportunities to Maryland’s children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or closely related development disabilities.  SOMD currently serves 10,000 athletes statewide, and offers 24 sports, all at no cost to the athletes or their families.  For more information about SOMD visit www.somd.org or call 410-789-6677 x117.

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FSU Cultural Events Series hosts "DRUID: Featuring the Irish Tenors"

The FSU Cultural Events Series hosts “DRUID: Featuring The Irish Tenors”  on February 24 at 7:30 pm.  The concert features Irish ballads, classical arrangements and pop, vibrantly captures the essence of the Irish spirit.  “Druid” is a musical journey from Ireland’s pre-Christian times through oppression, famine, emigration, the “Celtic Tiger” economy and finally to the nation’s future. It stars the Irish Tenors, Ciaran Nagle, Jeremy Morgan, Robert Archibald, Kenneth O’Regan and Simon Morgan. Tickets may be ordered by calling 1-866-849-9237 or 301-687-3137 or by visiting http://ces.frostburg.edu.

Free Fishing Days in Maryland 2010

Mark your calendar for these free fishing days in Maryland. 

June    5,  2010

June   12,  2010

July 4,  2010

No license is required to fish in any of Maryland’s fresh waters on these days.

Garrett Chamber Hosts Marcellus Shale Business Learning Sessions

As development of Marcellus shale natural gas grows in Pennsylvania, business people statewide are being invited to a series of breakfast seminars to learn how it may create opportunities for their businesses.  Energy firms are flocking to the Commonwealth to extract natural gas from Marcellus, and are partnering with or purchasing from local businesses and entrepreneurs. 
 
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ‘Your Business & Marcellus Shale: Voices of Experience” educational program at  Garrett College  to help entrepreneurs and established small- and medium sized businesses understand and respond to Marcellus shale-related business opportunities. The series will consist of four weekly early morning webinars, with sessions highlighting successful examples of how local businesses are responding, how to identify gas industry needs, and how to establish productive and ongoing relationships with natural gas companies.
 
The series is co-sponsored by a consortium of universities, chambers of commerce, local planning commissions and regional economic development boards from across the Commonwealth, with leadership from Penn State Cooperative Extension.  Presenters and panelists will include successful local businesses, natural gas industry representatives, and experts from Penn State.  This series is a follow up to the successful fall, 2009, Marcellus Shale business development webinar program.  Over 500 local businesses participated in that series, at 19 local sites within Pennsylvania and New York.
 
The four 90-minute sessions will meet on Wednesdays beginning at 8 am on January 27, February 3, February 10, and February 17 at Garrett  College’s  Continuing Education Building, in room 224. To RSVP, please contact Katie Tasker at 301.387.4386 ext. 10.
 
For more information about the series,  please visit the ‘Your Business & Marcellus Shale: Voices of Experience’ website, at http://www.economicdevelopment.psu.edu/marcellusbiz/. 
 

Savage River Watershed Association to Host Statewide Fisheries Biologist as Guest Speaker

The Savage River Watershed Association (SRWA) will hold its bi-monthly meeting on January 21, 2010 at 7:00 pm at Route 40 Elementary School. Each meeting brings local citizens and SRWA members together to talk about issues within the watershed.  The guest speaker for this meeting will be Alan Heft, a Statewide Fisheries Biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Inland Fisheries Management Division. 

Mr. Heft will discuss results of a 2009 water temperature monitoring project that was conducted throughout the Savage River watershed, and how this relates to the Brook Trout Barrier Removal Project being planned in the Savage River headwaters. His presentation will be followed by a question and answer session about resources of the Savage River watershed. Mr. Heft graduated from Frostburg State University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management, and he has been working in the DNR, Fisheries Division for 22 years. His responsibilities with DNR include statewide coldwater fisheries research and management.

Mr. Heft will be accompanied by Matt Sell, a Western Region Biologist and brook trout specialist. Mr. Sell graduated from Frostburg State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. Mr. Sell has extensive experience sampling stream fishes with the University of Maryland, and the Maryland DNR, Biological Stream Survey.  His current responsibilities include conducting Western Region fishery activities and assisting Mr. Heft with brook trout management efforts.

SRWA is a group of local landowners and other citizens dedicated to preserving and enhancing the rural nature and natural resources of the Savage River watershed.  Members assist interested landowners and public land managers with environmental stewardship efforts and educational outreach.  Anyone who is concerned about the Savage River watershed is invited to join.  SRWA meetings are held at Route 40 Elementary School, 17764 National Pike, just west of Frostburg, on the third Thursday of odd numbered months, beginning at 7 p.m.  For more information, persons may contact SRWA via email at SRWAdirector@gmail.com, or SRWAcoordinator@gmail.com,or by phone at 301-689-7156.  The SRWA is a nonprofit charitable organization.  Donations may be sent to: Savage River Watershed Association, PO Box 355, Frostburg, MD 21532.

Taking Your Snowmobile To Deep Creek Lake State Park

The following information was sent over from Patty Manown Mash at the State Park:

Snowmobile parking at the Deep Creek Lake State Park has been moved to the upper lot of the boat ramp.  This will allow the Discovery Center Parking Area to be open for automobiles during regular day use visitors and special events such as the Snowflake Chase this weekend.   The restrooms in the upper lot are open and heated. 

To use any of the State Park or Forest  designated Trails, users must have an ORV Sticker that can be purchased for $15, at any of the DNR offices. The sticker is valid for the current calendar year.  

Also, in an effort to ensure safety the park has blocked areas that are not to be accessed by motorized vehicles with signs and plastic barricades.   

If you have any questions about snowmobiling in the Deep Creek Lake State Park, call 301-387-5563.

Tom Wallisch on ESPN

Fans of Tom Wallisch will want to check out this article on ESPN.com. 

Garrett County Revised Draft Ordinances.

The Garrett County Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for the Revised Draft Ordinances on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in the Auditorium of Garrett College.  The County has revisions  to the Deep Creek Lake Zoning Ordinance, the Sensitive Areas Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance posted here.

Join GLAF on a Road Trip to Morgantown to See Marvin Hamlisch with PSO and the All-Star College Chorus

Garrett Lakes Arts Festival (GLAF) is sponsoring a fundraising bus trip to the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theater in Morgantown at West Virginia University’s Evansdale Campus on March 1, 2010 for a performance by Marvin Hamlisch, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the All-Star College Chorus.    The cost of the bus trip is $50 per person, which includes both the ticket to the performance as well as the bus transportation.  Tickets may be purchased separately for $38 for those who wish to provide their own transportation.

The evening is called “Broadway Rocks!”   Hamlisch directs Broadway’s most recognizable hits for a stunning evening of sensational music, including Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, Wicked, Mamma Mia, Dream Girls, Jersey Boys, Tommy  and many more.  All your favorite musicals in one incredible show!

Reservations may be made by calling the GLAF office at 301-387-3082.  The deadline for reservations is February 20, 2010.   Bus transportation is from the Garrett College McHenry campus at 3:00 pm for the 5:00 pm performance.  Call for details about the bus departure.