Take valuables from the car, or somebody else might

Friday, Feb. 8, 2008

Locking cars and windows is essential, but not enough if culprits can see valuables left in plain view, sheriff’s Sgt. Steven Hall said this week.

‘‘More recently, we have cases of actual break-ins” to vehicles, the sergeant said. ‘‘If they see something of value, they will break the window and reach in and take it.”

Favorite targets are global-positioning systems, radar detectors, mp3 players and other stereo equipment, but motorists also leave other things behind when they park.

‘‘People are leaving wallets, personal papers and purses on the seat, and not even locking their vehicles,” Hall said at his office. ‘‘Take the time to make sure that windows and doors are secured, locked. The best thing is not to leave [valuables] in your vehicle, ... [or at least] take the necessary precautions to keep those things from view. If it can be seen, it can be stolen.”

Patrol officers are on the lookout for theft activity, the sergeant said, but the criminals can act quickly.

‘‘Hypothetically, they could go down one street and do 15 or 20 in less than an hour,” Hall said, and investigators are learning more about the method as they make more arrests. ‘‘A lot of that [information] is coming,” the sergeant said, ‘‘right from the perpetrators themselves.”

Buffalo Soldiers arrive Saturday at library

The public is invited to meet re-enactors of 19th century Buffalo Soldiers at a special Black History Month program at 11 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Lexington Park library.

‘‘In 1866-1898 when the Westward movement had begun,” an explanation for the library states, ‘‘prominent among those blazing treacherous trails of the Wild West were the 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry Regiments, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. Army. These African-Americans were responsible for escorting settlers, cattle herds and railroad crews. They also conducted campaigns against American Indian tribes.”

Throughout the era, about 20 percent of the U.S. Cavalry troopers were black and fought over 177 engagements, and the Indians called them ‘‘Buffalo Soldiers” out of respect for their bravery and valor.

Dressed in uniform, The Baltimore Chapter of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments Re-Enactors will present a display of pictures and cavalry memorabilia.

The program is free and suitable for all ages.

Bohanan shifts Feb. 12meeting in Valley Lee

Del. John Bohanan (D-St. Mary’s) has moved the site of a town meeting in Valley Lee at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, Feb. 12, to St. George’s Episcopal Church, because the 2nd District firehouse will be serving as a polling place that day.

A meeting at the Lexington Park library on Tuesday, Feb. 19, will take place as originally scheduled. A meeting at the Ridge firehouse that was postponed on Jan. 17 due to inclement weather has been rescheduled for Feb. 27. Those meetings also will begin at 7 p.m.

For more information on the meetings, call the delegate’s Lexington Park District Office at 301-866-4000 or send e-mail to john.bohanan.district@house.state.md.us.

Grape growingworkshop scheduled

A one-day workshop and seminar on starting a commercial vineyard will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative in Hughesville.

Presented in a classroom format, the workshop coordinated by the Maryland Cooperative Extension will cover commercial vineyard development from pre-plant planning into the third year including economics and marketing information, and variety, clone, and rootstock choices, site selection and preparation, pre-plant decisions, equipment and supply requirements.

For more information, call 301-475-4484 or send e-mail to bbeale@umd.edu.

Registration forms and directions also can be found online at the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission’s Web site, www.somarylandsogood.com.

Bogart to perform March 8 benefit show

Deanna Bogart, the renowned boogie-woogie pianist, and her band will perform a benefit concert for the United Way of St. Mary’s at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the J.T. Daugherty Center on Route 235 in Lexington Park.

The doors open at 7 p.m., and the $50 admission price includes the concert, dessert and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.

A cash bar also will be available.

Tickets are on sale at the PNC Bank branches in Charlotte Hall, downtown Leonardtown and Esperanza.

For more information, call 301-862-5577.

For more about the Deanna Bogart Band, go online to www.deannabogart.com.

CalvART Gallery seeks new members

CalvART Gallery in Prince Frederick is actively seeking new members, and applications are reviewed within one month so new work might be on display immediately upon approval.

Anyone interested in applying for membership should call 410-535-9252 or drop by the gallery in the Prince Frederick Center shopping center off Route 4, near the intersection with Route 231.

Artistic work may include drawing and painting of all types and sizes, photography, wood sculpture and other woodworking, pottery in all forms, and a variety of handcrafted beads and jewelry.

The emphasis is on fine arts and fine crafts. Activities each year include several group and individual shows, a major holiday show in December featuring small pieces for sale, a community art competition and show, and involvement with other special events.

Health department awards gold stars

The St. Mary’s Health Department has presented its first round of gold star certificates to more than 50 food services businesses, the first honorees in a program to recognize superior compliance to food safety standards.

The winners include Anchor of Walden Sierra, Blue Wind Gourmet, Bruster’s Ice Cream, Cedar Lane Apartments, The Coffee Quarter, Dash-In No. 353, Do Dah Deli, Garvey Senior Center, Grace Loffler Center, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, J.T. Daugherty Conference Center, Kellam Seafood, Northern Senior Center, Panera Bread, Paul Hall Center, Personalized Touch Catering, Pizza Hut No. 23550, Quality Street Kitchen & Catering, Rita’s Water Ice, Ruby Tuesday No. 3433, Salsa’s Mexican Cafe, 7-Eleven No. 17706J, Tea n’ Scones, Thai International Restaurant, The Tides Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Wendy’s No. 159 and Wawa convenience stores No. 583 and 587.

St. Mary’s County public schools included in the list were the Dr. James A. Forrest Technology Center, Banneker Elementary, Carver Elementary, Chesapeake Public Charter, Chopticon High, Esperanza Middle, Green Holly Elementary, Greenview Knolls Elementary, Leonardtown Elementary, Leonardtown High, Lettie Dent Elementary, Lexington Park Elementary, Margaret Brent Middle, Mechanicsville Elementary, Oakville Elementary, Piney Point Elementary, Spring Ridge Middle, White Marsh Elementary, White Oak Secondary and the Food Service Warehouse.

The St. Mary’s Detention Center and St. Mary’s Hospital also made the list.

A team of three sanitarians at St Mary’s County Health Department helps keep the risk of food-borne illness low through education and inspections of more than 400 food establishments throughout St. Mary’s.

For more information about the Gold Star Program, call St. Mary’s County Health Department Environmental Health Services division at 301-475-4321.

jwharton@somdnews.com