Police issue tips to Freedom Fest motorists

THIS ‘N' THAT

Friday, July 3, 2009

It's also where a lot of motorists pass through, regardless of whether they'll be attending Saturday's Freedom Fest, where fireworks will light up the sky when night falls.

This year, July 4 fireworks and other spectacles also will be offered in Hollywood, where lawmen will be on the job helping travelers on Route 235.

Law enforcement officers have fine-tuned the best way to help everyone leave the fairgrounds after the annual Freedom Fest and its climactic fireworks show. The smoothest way to get cars and trucks away from the area is to steer them toward a particular parking area as they arrive.

"They've been good about it," St. Mary's sheriff's Capt. Edward Willenborg said Wednesday of the motorists' response. "We haven't had any issues that I can recall."

The sheriff's office has requested all vehicles approaching from areas south of the fairgrounds to park at the Leonardtown High School parking lots. Vehicles coming from north of the fairgrounds should park in the Leonardtown Middle School parking lots, and vehicles coming from the Hollywood and California areas should park in the fairground's parking lot.

During the fireworks display, roads in the area will be temporarily closed. When the fireworks are over, vehicles leaving Leonardtown High School will be directed south on Route 5, vehicles leaving Leonardtown Middle School will be directed north on Route 5, and vehicles leaving the fairgrounds parking lot will be directed up Fairgrounds Road to Route 4, St. Andrew's Church Road.

To steer clear of traffic delays at the end of the event from the large volume of traffic, motorists should consider traveling on alternate routes such as St. Andrew's Church Road, Medley's Neck Road and Whirlwind Road.

"The people who attend the events are familiar with the traffic patterns," Willenborg said. "We get the cars out as quickly as we can."

This year, the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department also is hosting a July 4 celebration, including fireworks, and the sheriff's office will assist motorists there as well.

"We'll have two patrol units there, helping with traffic at the end of the event," the captain said.

Church to hold Bible school July 6-10

First Missionary Baptist Church in Lexington Park is hosting a vacation Bible school from next Monday, July 6, to Friday, July 10.

The five sessions will run from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and ages 3 to adult are welcome.

The sessions will include crafts, games, dialog and age-appropriate lessons focusing on the life and purpose of Jesus Christ. For more information, call the church at 301-863-8388.

Children to hear tips on farm safety

The Progressive Farmer Magazine "Farm and Family Safety Day" will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 10 at the St. Mary's fairgrounds south of Leonardtown.

The event is in its 13th year of teaching rural safety awareness to the children of Southern Maryland. This national program is supported locally by the St. Mary's County Farm Bureau, St. Mary's County Fair Association, St. Mary's Hospital's Health Connections, St. Mary's County Health Department, St. Mary's Agriculture & Seafood Commission, St. Mary's County Department of Economic and Community Development and the University of Maryland extension service in St. Mary's County.

Progressive Farmer magazine supplies a free T-shirt for each child and conducts annual training workshops for event directors. This year's event will feature basic first aid, farm equipment and tractor safety, hand tool safety, wildlife safety and fire safety.

The camp has traditionally been for youth aged 6 through 13, but health screenings in the Health Connections van also will be available to adults.

Parents are encouraged to register their children early. The advance registration fee for attending the one-day event is $5 per child, or $7 on July 10, and $10 per family, $15 after July 8. A lunch of hot dogs or peanut butter and jelly is provided. Lunch is supplemented with generous servings of fresh local produce. Call 301-475-4484 to register or volunteer to help. Online registration is available at www.stmarys.umd.edu.

Hughesville church plans Bible school

Hughesville Baptist Church will offer the Boomerang Express as its 2009 vacation Bible school meeting from 9 a.m.-noon from July 13 to 17.

The participants will take a train ride of sorts, winding their way through Australia as they discover the vastness of God's love. The school is open to children age 4 through sixth grade. Register online at www.hughesvillebaptist.com, or call 301-884-8645 or 301-274-3672.

Libraries offer online get-togethers

St. Mary's libraries are offering a new Service to Connect Families and friends who are geographically separated.

"Face Time @ your library" uses dedicated computers equipped with video webcams to enable families to have face-to-face chats with loved ones living anywhere in the world. To use the service, family members living elsewhere will need access to a webcam-equipped computer and high-speed Internet. Although initially intended to connect military families, "Face Time @ your library" can be used by anyone who is separated by distance from their loved ones. Recently, Leonardtown library staff member Raisa White used the service to visit with former library employee Maggie Phalen, who is studying abroad.

For more information or to set up a Face Time session, contact the library in Lexington Park, Leonardtown or Charlotte Hall.

Vendors sought for farm-life festival

Antique and craft market vendors are invited to sign up to take part in the 12th Annual Southern Maryland Farm-Life Festival to be held Oct. 10 and 11 at the John Knight Parlett Farm in Charlotte Hall.

The event benefits Christmas in April-St. Mary's County. For more information, call 301-884-5678 or send e-mail to jbohle@md.metrocast.net.

Citizen's Police Academy class passes

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office graduated its spring 2009 Citizen's Police Academy class on May 28, completing the group's inside look into the day-to-day operations of the sheriff's office. The class members learned about the agency's canine unit, emergency services team, forensics lab, accreditation process, patrol division, administration, bureau of criminal investigations, communications staff, the state's attorney's office, state parole and probation division, community policing and corrections division.

The agency currently is accepting applications for the fall 2009 session, which begins Oct. 1.

The academy is free and classes are held at the sheriff's office headquarters located at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. The seven-week course is held on Thursday evenings, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Anyone 18 and older interested in attending a sheriff's office citizen academy is welcome to apply. Applications may be downloaded from the sheriff's office Web site at www.firstsheriff.com. Applications may be returned in person, to the sheriff's office, mailed or faxed to 301-475-6865. For more information, call Kelly Castle, senior administrative coordinator, at 301-475-4200, ext. 1910.

Bill progresses to put video in cruisers

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed funding legislation that would give the St. Mary's sheriff's office in-car video technology, through a $500,000 investment toward purchasing the cameras and related technology.

In-car cameras support law enforcement, federal authorities report, by assuring residents of professionalism and improving the delivery of police services. Downloaded video would be easily retrievable for use as evidence in criminal proceedings. The technology is valuable both as a training aide to improve officer safety, and an unbiased tool to ensure the accountability and integrity of officers.

Fire marshal seeks inspector applicants

The Maryland fire marshal's office reports that it is seeking applicants for the job of fire safety inspector, a post that offers entry-level work performing inspections for compliance with state fire safety and prevention laws, codes and regulations.

The candidate selected for the position may be subject to an initial drug screening, a physical examination and a complete criminal background investigation before permanent appointment can be made. A criminal conviction record may be grounds for rejection of the candidate.

Minimum qualifications include graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate. Experience inspecting buildings and other places of public assembly for compliance with fire prevention and safety laws, codes and regulations may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

Candidates appointed to positions in the job's classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in Maryland.

Only candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list categorized as best qualified, better qualified or qualified and remain eligible for consideration for at least one year. The list will be used by the agency to select employees.

An examination will evaluate the candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to the duties of the job classification.

For more information or to submit an application, contact the Office of the State Fire Marshal at 1201 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21208.

jwharton@somdnews.com