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The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 23
The frst time, Col. Fitzhugh wasnt home.
Ann was advised that a party of British soldiers
was approaching. She instantly collected her
slaves; furnished them with such weapons of
defence as were at hand ; took a
quantity of cartridges in her apron,
and, herself forming the van, urged
her sable subalterns on to meet the
foe. Not looking for resistance, the
advancing party, on beholding the
amazon with her sooty invincibles,
hastily turned on their heels and
fed.
The second time, the British
marched to the house at midnight
on a cold and rainy night. They
banged on the door. When Col.
Fitzhugh, who was now blind, de-
manded to know who was there,
they responded they were friends to King
George. Anne went to admit them, but on the
way she awakened her four sons, put pistols in
their hands, and told them to fee.
The soldiers demanded that Col. Fitzhugh
accompany them, as their prisoner, to New
York. Anne helped her husband get dressed.
She boldly informed the soldiers that if her
husband was going, she was too. The offcer
told her she would be exposed and must suffer,
but she persisted in accompa-
nying him, saying that he could
not take care of himself, nor, if
he could, would she permit a
separation.
In her nightclothes, no
shoes, and with the mere pro-
tection of a cloak, which the of-
fcer took down and threw over
her shoulders before leaving
the house, she sallied forth with
the party.
While on the way to their
boat, the soldiers heard gun fre
(probably the Fitzhugh sons) and
thinking it was rebels, they hastily retreated,
leaving Mr. and Mrs. Fitzhugh on the shore.
In recognition of her bravery, the Anne
Frisby Fitzhugh Chapter of the Daughters of
the American Revolution was organized in Bay
City, Michigan in 1900.
By Linda Reno
Contributing
Writer
Anne Frisby
was born Sep-
tember 5, 1727
in Cecil County,
Maryland and
was the daughter
of Peregrine Fris-
by and Elizabeth
Sewall (daughter of Major Nicholas Sewall and
Susanna Burgess of St. Marys County).
Anne married frst, John Rousby who died
just a few years after their marriage. John
Rousby, aged about 25, eldest son of the late
Hon. John Rousby, Collector of Customs for the
District of Patuxent (decd), died of violent fe-
vers last week at his seat on the Patuxent River
in Calvert County, leaving a widow and one
child. Their child was Elizabeth Rousby; born
1750, who married George Plater in 1764 (Plater
would later become Governor of Maryland).
One year later, Anne married William
Fitzhugh.Last week William Fitzhugh, Esq. of
Virginia was married to Mrs. Rousby, widow
of John Rousby, decd, a gentlewoman with a
handsome fortune. They made their home at
Rousby Hall in Calvert County.
During the Revolutionary War, the British
were said to have gone to Rousby Hall twice to
arrest Col. Fitzhugh, who held a commission in
the British Army (attained while serving dur-
ing the French and Indian War in 1754) but who
had now aligned himself with the rebel cause.
A Journey Through Time
The Chronicle
By Shelby Oppermann
Contributing Writer
Ive been spraying our artifcial Christmas
tree with Febreeze. There has been so much rain
this fall that our big shed, where the Christmas
tree is stored, has a bit of a moldy smell. My
husband even left the tree outside for a while
before bringing it inside to air it out some. I was
beginning to decorate last night, and sneezed
through most of it. Even Tidbit sneezed a lot.
I guess I will fnd some pine-scented candles
to put near the tree. The only problem is that I
am just as sensitive to those smells as I am to
the mold. Its going to be a sneezy Christmas
this year.
After I pulled out all the Christmas boxes
under the steps, I found the box containing all
of my Mothers old ornaments. These are the
ornaments from the 30s through the 60s. I
dont believe my Mother bought a new Christ-
mas ornament after 1965. I opened the box to
admire some of the old Christmas balls. The
smell of ffty years of cigarette smoke greeted
me it never seems to go away. All the orna-
ments were nestled in ancient gold garland with
strands of errant tinsel woven throughout. Im
surprised that there is any tinsel in the box,
since the dry heat in the old house made the
tinsel even more static and it would attach itself
to your clothes as you walked by.
The oldest ornaments in the box were my
Grandmothers. She preferred the extremely
thin colored glass balls. They have the faintest
blush of red, orange, and green. I laughed as I
noticed the elaborate hanging rigs. Most of our
old ornaments are hung with faded red ribbons
or a unique system of Bobby Pins and string.
The latter being the most popular and what I
remember most.
My favorite ornaments in the box are the
ones that have holes cut in the side where you
see a little Christmas scene. These were magi-
cal to me. It was like looking into a miniature
world that came alive only at Christmas. I loved
the one-inch colored metal balls, also tied by
faded ribbon that always went near the top of
the tree. As I sat, I was transported to my child-
hood home. I felt like I was really sitting in the
living room watching my brothers decorate the
tree.
The other memory that came back to me
while sitting sneezing in that three and a half
by ten-foot space, besides claustrophobia, was
the smell of the old lights on the tree. The old
twisted wires had a certain smell when they got
hot. When the colored lights were near tinsel
or garland, the smell of hot metal was strong. If
it was a live tree, the heat against the branches
always smelled like maple syrup to me. The sap
must have heated up too.
I replaced the box of old ornaments, and
pulled out the box underneath. This was the box
containing ornaments from the 1970s. These
are distinctive because of the gold and silver
glitter covering them similar to the shoes
I wore in the 70s. I bought these ornaments
for the little tree I had upstairs at my parents
house. When I was at college, my Mother be-
gan using them on her tree. She had quit using
the big tree and switched to a tabletop tree. By
the end of January each year, I would ask my
Mother if I could take down the tree, but she
would say she liked it. It wasnt unusual for the
little Christmas tree to stay in the living room
until Easter.
At this point another sneezing attack
occurred, and I knew it was time to go back
upstairs, and begin a new round of sneezing.
Maybe, Ill just decorate the tree a little at a
time and stop for sneezes. I should be done by
Christmas Eve.
l about that next anger management
course.
To each new days adventure,
Shelby
Please send comments or ideas to:
shelbys.wanderings@yahoo.com.
of an
Aimless
Mind
Wanderings
The Light of
a Full Moon
By Theresa Morr
Contributing Writer
Meet the awesome polar bear, the
worlds largest land carnivore. Its home is
in the Arctic region, which includes the fve
Polar Bear Nations --- the U. S. (Alaska),
Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and
Norway. Despite the Arctics harsh environ-
ment, its all systems go for these super-
insulated bears. Theyre covered with about
four inches of blubber; a layer of under fur;
and an outer layer of stiff, shiny, transpar-
ent guard hairs that look white because of
refected light. Their skin, nose, eyes, and
lips are black,
which also helps
to conserve heat.
Polar bears
are powerful
predators with
long bodies,
small ears, and
tails. Stocky legs
and large paws,
which act like
snowshoes, dis-
tribute the bears weight as it walks on snow
or ice;
and thick, black paw pads covered
with tiny bumps called papillae provide the
traction. The animals short scooped claws
are perfect for gripping prey or digging out
snow and ice.
These big boys of the Arctic stand
tall, like about eight to ten feet high. Males
can weigh 1,700 pounds or more, while fe-
males are around half that size. Polar bears
are great swimmers in open water and all
that body fat, plus water repellent fur, gives
them buoyancy. They use their large fore-
paws to dog-paddle themselves along at
around six miles per hour.
Ringed seals are the bears favorite
dinner, which they capture by still kill-
ing. But to fnd the seals, the bears have
to go where the seals go, where the ice foes
meet the water. The bears keen sense of
smell can detect a seals breathing hole a
mile or more away. The bear patiently waits
close by as the seal surfaces to breathe.
The moment the seal pops up through the
breathing hole, the bear fatally bites the seal
and fips it onto the ice. A nice fatty dinner
is served. The polar bears biology requires
large amounts of fat from marine mammals
like the ringed and bearded seals.
In November and December, females
usually give birth to twin cubs in a den
made in deep snow. The tiny cubs are blind
and toothless, and the family stays in the
den until March or April. By then, the cubs
are chubby from mamma bears fatty milk,
but she has fasted during this time, surviv-
ing on her body fat. Shes ready to leave the
den to hunt for a good meal. The cubs will
follow the mother for about
two and one-half years, while
learning how to hunt. Polar
bears live about 20 to 25 years
in the wild.
Scientists estimate there
are about 20,000 to 25,000
thousand polar bears through-
out the Arctic region. But with
the threat of global warming
and Arctic temperatures at
record highs, they fear that
two-thirds of the worlds polar bears could
disappear by 2050. The melting of the ice
packs directly affects the bears. Without
a sea ice platform, the bears cannot reach
their prey and are forced to swim longer
distances to reach ice. Scientists conduct-
ing feld work in the Arctic say ice is freez-
ing later each year and breaking up earlier,
leaving bears with less time to feed. The
sad result: Bears are becoming smaller and
weaker and females are having fewer and
less healthy cubs.
On May 14, 2008, the U. S. Depart-
ment of the Interior placed the polar bear as
a threatened species under the Endangered
Species Act. If global warming continues
unchecked, the only place you may be able
to see polar bears in the future may be at
the zoo.
For more info about this beautiful
creature, check out this great site: www.
polarbearsinternational.org. Comments to
kikusan2@comcast.net.
C
re
a
tu
re
F
e
a
tu
re
Big Boys of the Arctic
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 24
G
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t
s
For family and community events, see our calendar in the
community section on page 21.
In Entertainment
The County Times is always looking for more local talent to feature! To sub-
mit art or entertainment announcements, or band information for our
entertainment section, e-mail andreashiell@countytimes.net.
TICKET PRICES:
$8 - Seniors, Students
$10 - Regular Admission
Tickets: 301-373-5277
orchestra@cosmicmusic.org
www.cosmicmusic.org
Sat, Dec. 12, 2009, 4:00 pm
Patuxent Presbyterian Church
California, MD
Sun, Dec. 13, 2009, 5:00 pm
Crossroad Christian Church
St. Leonard, MD
A Work In Progress
Thursday,
December 17
Fair Warning Irish
Pub Band
CJs Back Room (Lus-
by) 5 p.m.
David Norris
DB McMillans Pub
(California) 6 p.m.
Upstroke
Vincenzos Restaurant
(Lusby) 6:30 p.m.
DJ Blacky & DJ
Paco
Hulas Bungalow (Cali-
fornia) 8 p.m.
Dangertones
Apehangers Bar (Bel
Alton) 9 p.m.
Karaoke On
Demand
Cadillac Jacks (Lex-
ington Park) 9 p.m.
Friday,
December 18
Fair Warning Irish
Pub Band
Donovans Pub (Cali-
fornia) 5 p.m.
David Norris
DB McMillans Pub
(California) 6 p.m.
Country Dance
Solid Gold
Entertainment
Hotel Charles (Hughes-
ville) 7:30 p.m.
Absinthe
Memories (Waldorf)
9 p.m.*
DJ Don
The Getaway Lounge
(Waldorf) 9 p.m.
Karaoke and DJ
Dance Party
Club 911 (Mechanics-
ville) 9 p.m.
Karaoke On
Demand
Cadillac Jacks (Lex-
ington Park) 9 p.m.
Sam Grow
Veras White Sands
Beach Club (Lusby)
9 p.m.
Southbound
Apehangers Bar (Bel
Alton) 9 p.m.
No Green
JellyBeenz
Heavy Hitters (Char-
lotte Hall) 9:30 p.m.*
Saturday,
December 19
Fair Warning Irish
Pub Band
DB McMillans (Cali-
fornia) 6 p.m.
Bent Nickel
Andersons Bar (Av-
enue) 8 p.m.
Nuttin Fancy Band
CJs Back Room (Lus-
by) 8 p.m.
Open Blues Jam
Fat Boys Country Store
(Leonardtown) 8 p.m.
Crazy Craigs
Karaoke
VFW Post 2632 (Cali-
fornia) 8:30 p.m.
Bobafex
Hulas Bungalow (Cali-
fornia) 9 p.m.
Captain Woody
Apehangers Bar (Bel
Alton) 9 p.m.
DJ Steadyrockin
Cadillac Jacks (Lex-
ington Park) 9 p.m.
Go Go Gadget
Hotel Charles Party
Room (Hughesville)
9 p.m.
Gretchen Richie
Holiday Jazz After
Hours
Caf des Artistes
(Leonardtown) 9 p.m.
Hate the Toy
Blue Dog Saloon (Port
Tobacco) 9 p.m.
Impact
Cryers Back Road Inn
(Leonardtown) 9 p.m.
Karaoke w/ DJ
Tommy T and DJ T
Applebees (California)
9 p.m.
Kajun Kelley
Drift Away Bar & Grill
(Cobb Island) 9:30
p.m.
Minus One
Hotel Charles Front
Bar (Hughesville) 9
p.m.
Roadhouse Band
Lone Star Caf (Indian
Head) 9 p.m.*
The Breeze
Crooked I Sports Bar
& Grill (Chesapeake
Beach) TBD*
Sunday,
December 20
Joey Tippett and the
California Ramblers
Apehangers Bar (Bel
Alton) 3 p.m.
Monday,
December 21
(No events scheduled)
Tuesday,
December 22
Fair Warning Irish
Pub Band
DB McMillans Pub
(California) 6 p.m.
Dave & Kevin
Ruddy Duck Brewery
(Solomons) 7 p.m.
Wednesday,
December 23
Captain John
DB McMillans Pub
(California) 6 p.m.*
Karaoke
Lexington Lounge
(Lexington Park) 7
p.m.
Open Blues Jam
Beach Cove Restaurant
(Chesapeake Beach)
8 p.m.
Open Mic Night
Hulas Bungalow (Cali-
fornia) 8 p.m.
Rich Mascari
Debbies Bar & Grill
(La Plata) 8 p.m.*
*Call to Confrm
Email events to an-
dreashiell@county-
times.net. Deadline
for submissions is
Monday at 5 p.m.
Singer/Songwriter Galvin Gets Dylan-esque
By Andrea Shiell
Staff Writer
There are two schools of thought when it
comes to covers (at least according to yours tru-
ly). The frst is that a cover should do its best to
conform to the original, while the second school
of thought sees no point in such repetition, and
tends toward remaking songs in a new likeness.
According to Dylan Galvin, 24, a guitarist
and singer/songwriter from Leonardtown (who
took some time between his sets at the Ruddy
Duck on Tuesday night to talk with the County
Times), the school of thought a person followed
depended on their musical identity.
It depends on what you consider yourself,
if youre a performer or an artist, he said, smil-
ing. I think if youre a performer your job is just
to make everyone have a good time, drink their
beer, tip their waiters and waitresses and be hap-
py, and they dont care, he said. Theyre not
going to deconstruct your lyrics, its just about
having fun in the moment if youre an art-
ist or in the singer/songwriter circle, when you
put your own interpretation of a song thats when
really good things can happen, like when Jeff
Buckley covered Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
and he did an amazing job.
Galvin may not compare himself to Jeff
Buckley, but he lists him as an infuence, one
of an eclectic selection including John Mayer,
James Taylor, Paramore, Coldplay, and even Mi-
chael Jackson, and he does covers ranging from
Oasis to Cindy Lauper.
Born in Massachusetts, and later living
in Calvert County before studying at Berklee,
where he earned his degree in guitar theory and
performance, Dylan now lives in Leonardtown
and plays gigs in Calvert and Charles counties.
He has recorded his frst EP of original songs
called Second Stories, featuring a style remi-
niscent of John Mayer (with the occasional vocal
lilt of Thom Yorke or Rufus Wainright thrown
in), boasting polished-sounding production val-
ues to boot, but he said hes only starting his ca-
reer as a professional musician.
I guess Im kind of at the start right now.
Ive only been doing this professionally for a
few months now, he said. And I just started
working on my voice. I just kind of started
singing, I didnt really know how, and theres
defnitely an art to it when you sing it
shouldnt be diffcult. It should feel as natural
as talking, he said.
Galvin seems humble about his voice, but
it rings true regardless, as does his guitar play-
ing, which, combined with his track layering
during live acoustic sets, makes his solo Mar-
tin acoustic sound more like three instruments
playing in fve-part harmony.
Galvin said that he is starting a regular
gig playing at Applebees in California, which
hell begin on Thursday, Dec. 17, but in the
meantime hes toying with how to breathe new
life into familiar stuff.
Im trying to branch out and cover new
things, he said. Its hard to convincingly cover
a rock song and do justice to it, but right now Im
working on covering AC/DC, so that should be
interesting.
Galvin will be performing next at Apple-
bees in California from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on
Thursday, and at Cheeseburger in Paradise from
7-10 on Friday. For more information including
music downloads and performance schedules,
go to www.dylangalvin.com.
andreashiell@countytimes.net
Photo By Andrea Shiell
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 25
Classifieds
The County Times will not be held responsible for any
ads omitted for any reason. The County Times reserves
the right to edit or reject any classifed ad not meeting
the standards of The County Times. It is your responsi-
blity to check the ad on its frst publication and call us
if a mistake is found. We will correct your ad only if
notifed after the frst day of the frst publication ran.
Important
To Place a Classifed Ad, please email your ad to:
classifeds@countytimes.net or Call: 301-373-4125 or
Fax: 301-373-4128 for a price quote. Offce hours are:
Monday thru Friday 8am - 4pm. The County Times is
published each Thursday.
Deadlines for Classifeds are
Tuesday at 12 pm.
Dont spend what you dont have!
www.ProfessorMoneyWise.com
(301) 997-8271
Prime Rib Seafood Sunday Brunch
Banquet & Meeting Facili ties
23418 Three Notch Road California, MD 20619
www.lennys.net
301-737-0777
301-475-8711**410-326-4442**301-885-3000
www.tsbtechnologies.com
Contact us for more details!
Computer & Network Service/Sales
Security Camera Service/Sales
Serving Southern Maryland
PC Repair Fee: $79-$99
Residential Only
No hourly Labor charge!
New
Business Client
Special!
Est. 1982 Lic #12999
Heating & Air Conditioning
THE HEAT PUMP PEOPLE
30457 Potomac Way
Charlotte Hall, MD 20622
Phone: 301-884-5011
snheatingac.com
Since 1987
WHERE YOUR LEGAL MATTER-MATTERS
Auto Accidents Criminal Domestic
Wills Power of Attorney
DWI/Traffc Workers Compensation
301-870-7111 1-800-279-7545
www.pahotchkiss.com
Serving the Southern Maryland Area
Accepting All Major Credit Cards
Law Offces of
P.A. Hotchkiss & Associates
DireCTory
Business
Call to Place Your Ad: 301-373-4125
C&C
Photography
Cheron Cooper
Photographer
Creating your Digital Memories
Ridge, Maryland 20680
(301) 872-4656
(301) 481-9606
coopandcoopphotography@gmail.com
www.candcphotography.org
Angie Stalcup
Independent Consultant #0096976
240-561-5840 alstalcup@gmail.com
www.tastefullysimple.com/web/astalcup
Real Estate
Beautiful custom home with open spacious foorplan.
Four bedroom, 2.5 bath and 2 car garage. Great lot with
large back yard. Located in Wildewood Community in
desirable school district. Walking trails, play grounds,
recreation area and pool all nearby. New elementary
school in the neighborhood. Price: $340,000. If inter-
ested, please call 301-247-5032.
Wooded 3.1 acres percd lot, ready for clearing and
building. Cul de sac street at the end. Nice area
close yet private. Great area of upscale homes.NAS/
NAWC/Webster feld all with in 15 minutes. Price:
$140,000. 301-994-9336.
Update dated brick rancher on beautiful private lot in
Breton Bay. Bathrooms have been gutted with new
tiled heated fooring, and shower and bath stalls.
Kitchen has new countertops, new convection oven,
new fooring, custom oak cabinets. Oversized bed-
rooms, master has update walk-in closet. Screened in
porch off kitchen, deck off dining room with French
doors. Basement has insert freplace, and sliding
door which goes to backyard. Property has horsehoe
drive way for boats and extra cars. Oak hardwood
foors in living room and bedrooms. Tiled foors in
bathrooms. Community has boat dock, swim and
golf course. Price: $280,000. Call 301-475-5591.
Real Estate Rentals
Waterfront 2 Story Brick Townhome 2 bedrooms, 1
bath. Large living room and master bedroom with view
of Patuxent River. Quiet community. Rent includes
electric and gas. Central A/C and Heat. Security De-
posit and frst months rent. One year lease required.
Please call Debbie at 443-295-7276 or 240-925-4497.
Rent: $1400.
Located at the end of culdesac. Master bedroom
is very large with 5 closets and his/her sinks in
master bathroom. Large eat-in kitchen with is-
land and lots of cabinet space. Family room has
a freplace. 30 minutes from DC and VA! Please
call if interested! 240-320-5600. Price: $2200.
Help Wanted
American Service Technology, Inc. is currently of-
fering a FT/PT position for a Marine Engineering
Instructor. Must have shipboard and engineering
systems experience. US Navy preferred. Position is
located in Piney Point, MD. Please remit resume and
references to : astijennifer@md.metrocast.net or fax
to 301-475-3170.
Certifed for Infant/Toddler position, CPR, First
Aid, must be 19 yrs. old and have one year exp. in
childcare center. Must be able to pass background
check and fngerprinting and medical for lifting
children. If you enjoy working with active toddlers
and able to hold and nurture infants, then, this is the
place for you! You may contact our Director: Jaime
Ryce @ 301-274-9500 to schedule an interview,
also fax your resume to 301-274-9520. Thank you.
Vehicles
2000 Honda Civic. This car is a must see. Call
(757) 472-9658. Would like to see sold soon so
please give any reasonable offer. $5,000 OBO.
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 26
Wed., Dec 9
Boys Basketball
Huntingtown 57, Chopticon 34
Girls Basketball
Great Mills 51, Colonial Beach 23
Thomas Stone 45, Leonardtown
33
Thurs., Dec. 10
Boys Basketball
Lackey 40, Leonardtown 36
Girls Basketball
Fallston 52, Chopticon 22
Good Counsel 79, St. Marys
Ryken 56
Fri., Dec. 11
Boys Basketball
Great Mills 93, Colonial Beach
28
Good Counsel 72, St. Marys
Ryken 55
Girls Basketball
Calvert 57, Great Mills 41
Ice Hockey
Leonardtown 8, Thomas Stone 2
Swimming
Boys
Leonardtown 185, Patuxent 84
Leonardtown 153, Hunting-
town 124
Great Mills 153, Westlake 100
Great Mills 157, McDonough 99
Girls
Leonardtown 178, Patuxent 102
Leonardtown 193, Hunting-
town 87
Westlake 133, Great Mills 126
Great Mills 169, McDonough 99
Sat., Dec. 12
Boys Basketball
Montrose Christian 74, St.
Marys Ryken 59
Girls Basketball
Georgetown Visitation 69, St.
Marys Ryken 51
Wrestling
Lackey Tournament
1. Chopticon 235
2. North Point 179
3. McDonough 170
4. Bohemia Manor 152.5
5. Lackey 141
6. C.H. Flowers 141
7. Westlake 139
8. Thomas Stone 133
9. DuVal 78
10. Great Mills 57.5
11. Wise 50
12. Central 41
13. Gwynn Park 32
14. Friendly 18.5
15. Forestville 13
Mon, Dec. 14
Boys Basketball
La Plata 61, Chopticon 50
Girls Basketball
Chopticon 49, La Plata 21
12/17-22/2009
By Ronald N. Guy Jr.
Contributing Writer
Admittedly, the bleachers from
where I typically provide my views
are often no more exotic a location than
my couch. This week though my der-
riere graced the cold metal seats of an
actual stadium and I witnessed a live
sporting event for the frst time in years
(look, I have two young kidsI dont
get out much). When I received the gra-
cious offer to join my cousin and fellow
domestic superman at FedEx Field, the
frst Skins game Ive attended since the
Spurrier era (or was it a circus?), my im-
mediate curiosity was assessing the state
of Skins nation. My beloved team has
been in something of an organizational
meltdown this season and just a few
weeks ago the fan base seemed poised to
bum rush Skins headquarters to claim a
pound of fesh and overthrow the current
regime. What I found though was a calm-
er, gentler crowd; a fan base apparently
accepting of another lost season and one
pleased with the teams recent improve-
ment. And interestingly enough, on the
way to the game, I passed a number of
cars whose inhabitants were, judging
from the burgundy and gold garb, head-
ed to the same place I was (dont worry,
I wasnt speedingit was research).
It was nice to see that fan support from
Southern Maryland was exactly as I re-
membered it.
Secondary to catching a Skins
game and getting a few precious hours
to decompress from the domestic grind
with an old friend, I was looking for-
ward to watching the Skins opponent
that day: the undefeated New Orleans
Saints. The Saints appear to be having
one of those magic carpet ride type of
seasons. Offensively theyre something
of a football version of a pinball ma-
chine. Behind maestro QB Drew Brees,
they average 36 points/game in a wildly
entertaining and fawlessly orchestrated
offensive symphony. Butcoming off
a huge win over the Patriots the prior
Monday night and facing a nondescript
opponent in the then 3-8 Skins, the
Saints were understandably sluggish.
Meanwhile, the home team played well
and had nothing short of an out of body
experience offensively. Despite leading
nearly wire-to-wire, the Skins eventu-
ally lost 33-30, in overtime, after a series
of bizarre events that included a missed
chip shot feld (by a kicker who is now
contributing to the nations unemploy-
ment rate), a dubious replay reversal and
a Saints wide receiver scoring a touch-
down after he stole the ball from a Skins
defensive back who seconds earlier had
intercepted a Brees pass. For Skins fans
it was insult to injury and enough bad
karma to enrage even the most emotion-
ally detached fan. Surprisingly though, I
was not only far from enraged, I wasnt
the least bit agitated.
After witnessing the Saints win
with a combination of timely big plays
and ridiculous good fortune, one had
to wonder if something bigger was
in play. Goodness knows the
Skins have had seasons like
this; seasons where you get the
calls, the bounces and the inju-
ry bug rarely bites. Dont get me
wrong, the Saints
are good certainly
far superior to the Skins
but theres just a special
vibe around this group of
canonized football players.
And you know what, good
for them and their fans be-
cause no city deserves it
more. New Orleans has
known a hell on earth few
of us have or ever will. Ka-
trina brought this cultural
gem of a city to her knees.
While shes gotten back to
her feet, she isnt yet stand-
ing as erect or as proud as
she once did. If a run by the
Saints to the Super Bowl
serves to swell civic pride,
remind us all of the work
left to do there and ease life
ever so slightly in The Big
Easy, well thats something
we can all root for. Four
years ago the Saints home,
the Superdome, was a hurri-
cane-scarred building serv-
ing as a shelter for displaced
residents. This January it
could host the NFC Cham-
pionship game and catapult
the Saints to the Superbowl.
I sure hope it does. This
year, with no apologies to
the Cowboys, the Saints are
Americas Team.
Send comments to
rguyjoon@yahoo.com.
BleaChers
A View From The
Moments Of ease For The Big easy
Thurs., Dec. 17
Wrestling
McDonough at Leonardtown,
7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 18
Boys Basketball
Leonardtown at Great Mills,
7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Great Mills at Leonardtown,
6:30 p.m.
Ice Hockey
Leonardtown vs. Thomas
Stone at Capital Clubhouse,
5 p.m.
St. Marys Ryken vs. Northern at
Tucker Road Ice Rink, 6 p.m.
Swimming
Chopticon at Great Mills, 5 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 19
Boys Basketball
Don Bosco Cristo Rey at St.
Marys Ryken, 4:30 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 21
Boys Basketball
ChopticonatGlenBurnie, 6:45p.m.
St. Marys Ryken at North
County, 6:45 p.m.
Leonardtown at Westlake, 7:30
p.m.
Girls Basketball
Westlake at Leonardtown, 6:30
p.m.
Wrestling
Calvert at Great Mills, 7 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 22
Girls Basketball
St. Marys Ryken
at Paul VI, 7:30 p.m.
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 27
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) If the Balti-
more Ravens are to return to the playoffs, they
will have to break their pattern of mediocrity.
Win, lose, win, lose, win, lose, win.
Thats their ledger over the past seven
weeks, which explains why the Ravens are
7-6 and need some help to qualify for the
postseason.
Coming off its most complete perfor-
mance of the year, a 48-3 rout of Detroit, Balti-
more will seek to put together its frst winning
streak since September by beating the Chicago
Bears on Sunday. If that doesnt happen, they
wont need to watch the scoreboard to see how
the other AFC wild-card hopefuls fare.
Were most interested in how we play.
Thats the bottom line. Thats what we have to
concern ourselves with, coach John Harbaugh
said Monday. If we dont take of business
against the Chicago Bears, frst and foremost
... its not going to matter what happens in those
other games.
Baltimore set team records against the Li-
ons in rushing touchdowns (5) and total yard-
age (548). Ray Rice had 151 yards rushing and
more than 200 yards in offense by halftime,
and even the reserves outscored the Lions in
the fourth quarter.
It was great to go out there and score 48
points and shut that team down to three points
and have all these yards, but we understand
that it means nothing if we cant come back and
duplicate it the following week, wide receiver
Derrick Mason said. We understand and re-
alize that from this point on, were in a three-
game playoff and we have to win those three
games.
The day was particularly fruitful because
Denver and Jacksonville, the current wild-card
leaders, both lost.
Its good to get a win and get some help
from other teams, defensive tackle Kelly
Gregg said. More importantly, we have to
win two in a row. Thats what were focused
on now.
Harbaugh met with the veterans on the
team last week to get their take on what the
Ravens needed to do mount some momen-
tum over the fnal four weeks of the regular
season.
The point was that they were going have
to lead the way in December, and it was going
to start in practice, Harbaugh said. We told
the young guys, Just follow the vets. Watch
what the vets do. Theyve been here before.
The message from Ray Lewis was to sa-
vor the moment, because theres nothing like
playing meaningful football games in the fnal
month of the year.
This is December football. This is some-
thing that me and Coach talked about, Lewis
said. I told him, This is the greatest time that
youll ever have in football December. The
playoffs are getting close. Just come out and
have a good time playing the game.
The remainder of the schedule is favor-
able for the Ravens. After hosting the Bears
(5-8), they face slumping Pittsburgh (6-7) and
Oakland (4-9) on the road.
We know what we have to do, running
back Willis McGahee said. We know we have
to win the rest of our games, regardless of what
happens.
By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer
ASHBURN, Va. (AP)
With three games remain-
ing in the regular season, the
Washington Redskins fnd
themselves in the thick of the
NFC East playoff race.
Of course, thats only be-
cause their next two opponents
are the New York Giants and
Dallas Cowboys, both at home
and in prime time.
Id love to be the Grinch
on their Christmas, rookie
linebacker Brian Orakpo said
Monday. Thats what were
aiming for. Obviously were
not going to make the playoffs,
but we would ruin some other
peoples seasons.
The Redskins (4-9) can
feel more confdent about caus-
ing some havoc after Sundays
results. The Giants (7-6) and
Cowboys (8-5) both lost, while
Washington beat Oakland 34-
13 for the frst blowout win in
Jim Zorns two years as coach.
The Redskins have held
fourth-quarter leads for fve
straight weeks. Although they
lost three of those games and
feasted on a backup quarter-
back to win the other two, they
are unquestionably playing
their best football of the season
even if it is too little, too late.
Our players are getting
it, Zorn said. The execution
of our plans at the beginning of
the year were lacking in some
areas, and now the plans are
being executed in a way that
were being successful. I just
commend our players and our
coaches for working together.
The cast of characters
certainly isnt the same as en-
visioned in September. The
touchdowns Sunday came
from running back Quinton
Ganther (two rushing) and
tight end Fred Davis (two re-
ceiving) instead of Clinton
Portis and Chris Cooley, both
on injured reserve. Graham
Gano made two feld goals in
his frst NFL game. Among
those who didnt play: injured
big-money offseason sign-
ings Albert Haynesworth and
DeAngelo Hall.
Jason Campbell had a
106.5 quarterback rating,
topping 100 for the second
straight week. Devin Thomas
29-yard catch set up a touch-
down just before halftime.
The Redskins have scored 30
points in back-to-back games
for the frst time since 2006.
Orakpo tied a franchise
record with four sacks, and
Andre Carter had a pair _
tying them for the team lead
with 11 apiece. Orakpo has a
shot at Jevon Kearses NFL
rookie record of 14.5.
We have the three games
left just to prove to everybody
were not going to lay down
for nobody and that goes for
everybody, myself included,
Orakpo said. Regardless of
what our record is. Im tired of
talking about our record, and
were not great, but were al-
ways going to fght.
Ravens Need a Winning
Streak to Reach Playoffs
Redskins Would Love to be
the Grinch in NFC East
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 28
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
The Mechanicsville White Braves 80-
pound team brought their perfect season to a
close by defeating Rockville 18-0 Sunday af-
ternoon for the Maryland State Youth Football
Division Four Championship.
The White Braves, of the newly-formed
Southern Maryland Youth Football League, fn-
ished their season 14-0 while outscoring their
opponents 385 to 7 throughout the campaign.
Being a frst-year team in a frst-year
league, the organizers of the tournament didnt
even know about us, said club president Todd
Hoffert. I knew we were had a great team but
I wanted to test our skills against other com-
petition. So with blessing of the league, coach
and parents, I reached out to the organizers and
they extended us an invitation (if we won our
championship).
The White Braves made good on their in-
vitation, blanking the top-ranked Olney Bears
8-0 on December 5, advancing to the champi-
onship at Mergenthaler Technical High School
in Baltimore this past Sunday. In spite of rainy
and windy conditions, the players, coaches and
parents made the two-hour trip with plenty of
positivity.
I know the kids were absolutely excited,
we fought as a solid team all year. Our quar-
terback made the single touchdown in the
frst playoff game to get us there, BUT the de-
fense (coached by Mike Snyder) held the team
down.
For their efforts, the players received sev-
eral nice treats A trophy, $50 Under Armour
Gift Card, a certifcate signed by Baltimore Ra-
vens head coach Jon Harbaugh, shirt and dog
tag.
Hoffert also credited SMYFL Director and
founder Pat Murphy for starting the new league
and bringing stability to the
countys youth football program.
He was my sons coach
from last year in the old league
is actually the was put through
a lot and could not fnish the season as our
coach, Hoffert said. But I really respect
and appreciate him for what he did.
Hoffert hopes that many parents will
consider the SMYFL when signing their
kids up for youth football because of the lo-
cal focus the league employees.
Now that the county is getting in-
volved hopefully there will be complete sta-
bility, he says. SMYFL can only keeping
bigger. I encourage all parents who dont
want to travel too much until the post-sea-
son to try out SMYFL.
For 9-year old Vontae Hoffert, who was
reunited with many of his old teammates
and head coach Dino Mahaffey, he summed
up the year perfectly.
It was a great year, thanks to all my
teammates for blocking for my touchdowns.
I love you guys.
chrisstevens@countytimes.net
Stadium construction
at St. Marys Ryken High
School moved closer to
completion last week as the
press box was delivered and
installed. During games,
the 36-ft. by 8-ft. box will
be home to a clock operator,
announcer, coaches from
both teams and the press.
It is designed to hold 12-15
people, is heated and air
conditioned and has Inter-
net access. The roof can be
used as a platform for video
cameras.
St. Marys Ryken be-
gan a major reshaping of its
campus this past June with
the construction of a new
300-plus space parking lot
and new walkways for the
students. Construction of
the 1,000-seat, outdoor sta-
dium started shortly after-
wards. Students were able
to watch daily the stadium
taking shape as the bleach-
ers, goal posts and perim-
eter of the track were in-
stalled during October and
November.
The work still to be
fnished is the fnal surfacing for the playing feld and six-lane
track, and installation of the turf. The project is on schedule for a
summer 2010 completion and is expected to begin full-time use
in August 2010.
President Mary Joy Hurlburt, noting the strength of our
faith, the history of our tradition and the power of our legacy,
said that St. Marys Ryken continues to move forward, assuring
an excellent academic environment for our current and future
students.
St. Marys County
Volleyball Standings
Womens League
Yellow Bus 20-1
Spalding Consulting 17-4
R & S Bus Service 16-5
Safe Sets 15-6
Pinebrooke 9-12
Easy Wash 8-13
Ritas of Solomons 6-15
NBE 4-17
ABC liquors 1-23
Co-ed League
Recreational
Volleyball Standings
Serves you right 23-4
Team Dumpy 22-5
Chesapeake Custom 21-6
Dicks Diggers 19-8
St. Marys Auto 18-9
Center for Cosmetic 18-9
Dig This 16-11
Spence Electrical 12-15
Block Party 9-18
Well Pet 8-19
Dirty Half Dozen 8-19
CBL 6-21
Geezer World 6-21
Gridiron Grill 3-24
Co-Ed Competitive
Volleyball Standings
Old Towne Pub 17-7
Trading Post 15-6
Ark n park 18-9
Yatch 14-13
Chili Peppers 4-20
Spikers 4-17
White Braves Cap Perfect Year With State Championship
Ryken Stadium Press Box Arrives
The Mechanicsville White Braves 80-pound squad poses with their state champion-
ship trophy.
The Press Box is lowered into position at the new stadium at St. Marys Ryken. Completion of the stadium
is set for June.
Submitted Photo
Submitted Photo
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 29
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 30
butterfy.
It was pretty big for us, Ray said of the
wins, which ran the Raiders early season re-
cord to 2-0 overall and in Southern Maryland
Athletic Conference action.
Weve been training a lot more this
season.
That renewed focus on training is some-
thing Jacobs hopes will build endurance for
Leonardtown as the season wears on.
The hardest part is swimming because
typically the kids are a little sore and tired, Ja-
cobs says. Theyll be in shape pretty soon.
The Raiders also were successful in the
relay events, winning both 200-yard medley re-
lays and 400-yard freestyle events. The Raider
girls also took the 200-yard freestyle relay as
well.
Leonardtown has their eyes set on the
larger prizes this season (conference champion-
ships, regionals and states), but for junior C.J.
Culpepper, who won the 500-yard boys free-
style event for Leonardtown, he believes it will
take a humble attitude to achieve those goals.
We just have to keep working hard, train-
ing hard, and not get too cocky, he said.
chrisstevens@countytimes.net
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
MASON SPRINGS It is in-
deed early in the season, but the
Leonardtown boys and girls swim
teams seem to be in mid-season
form, as evidenced by their sweep of
Patuxent and Huntingtown at Lackey
on Friday night.
Credit goes to the training regi-
ment of frst-year head coach Chuck
Jacobs, who has coached and worked
with many of the swimmers on the
Raider squad and other schools, for
years.
Its been a lot of fun because I
have a chance to work with kids Ive
worked with, Jacobs, who replaced
the now-retired Megan Shelton this
past spring. This season creates a
different atmosphere.
The Raiders were dominant in
the boys and girls meets, taking vic-
tories from the Panthers and Hurri-
canes by wide margins. The Leonar-
dtown boys defeated Patuxent 185-84
and Huntingtown 153-124, while the
girls came away with wins of 178-102
and 193-87 against the Panthers and
Hurricanes respectively.
10 different Raider swimmers
won individual events, led by junior
Olivia Rays triumphs in the 200-
yard individual medley and 100-yard
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a
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Boys
Leonardtown 185, Patuxent 84
Leonardtown 153, Huntingtown
124
Winners:
Boys 100-yard backstroke
Nicholas Crescini, So., 1:01.05
Boys 100-yard butterfy
Andrew Maier, Jr., 1:04.04
Boys 200-yard freestyle
Andrew Maier, Jr., 2:04.90
Boys 200-yard individual
medley
Brendan Lessel, Fr., 2:15.15
Boys 500-yard freestyle
C.J. Culpepper, Jr., 5:25.61
Boys 200-yard medley relay
Leonardtown 1:52.27
Boys 400-yard freestyle relay
Leonardtown 3:43.04
Girls
Leonardtown 185, Huntingtown 84
Leonardtown 178, Patuxent 102
Winners:
Girls 50-yard freestyle
Ashlin Rondeau, Jr., 26.62
Girls 100-yard breaststroke
Jamie Branaman, So., 1:19.12
Girls 100-yard butterfy
Olivia Ray, Jr., 1:06.44
Girls 100-yard freestyle
Michelle Robinson, Jr., 1:00.84
Girls 200-yard freestyle
Eden Mallory, Fr., 2:16.31
Girls 200-yard individual
medley
Olivia Ray, Jr., 2:20.61
Girls 200-yard medley relay
Leonardtown, 2:04.92
Girls 400-yard freestyle
Leonardtown, 4:08.13
Raiders Sweep Panthers, Hurricanes at Lackey
Photo By Frank Marquart
Photo By Frank Marquart
Olivia Ray won two races as the Leonardtown girls won
both matches against Patuxent and Huntingtown.
The Leonardtown girls swim team cheers it up during Fridays tri-meet at Lackey High School.
The County Times
Thursday, December 17, 2009 31
Sp rts
Basketball
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This program supports EmPOWER Maryland.
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
Dave Tallman subscribes to former NFL
coach Herman Edwards now-famous mantra
of You play to win the game.
Tallman wasnt one for moral victories,
even after his shorthanded St. Marys Ryken
boys basketball team hung tough with nation-
ally-ranked Montrose Christian, losing 74-59
at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro on
Saturday.
We could have played better, Tallman
said. We had one guy (senior guard Josh Turn-
er) score 25 points but turned it over 7 times.
We didnt handle their pressure very well and
took some bad shots. You take away all those
turnovers and bad decisions and the outcome
could have been different.
The Knights (2-3 on the season) have been
hit with injuries early on as guards Traveon
Graham and Kai Smith are dealing with high
ankle sprains. Also, junior forward Dominique
Robinson has been out with a concussion, but
Tallman expects him to play when Ryken hosts
Don Bosco Cristo Rey Saturday at 4 p.m.
We are a wounded duck right now but
having to deal with these misfortunes is going
to make us a better team in the long run, Tall-
man says. Hopefully we can get healed up this
week as we are off for fnal exams.
Tallman also refuses to blame the Knights
slow start on their ill health.
Im not using the injuries as an excuse.
We are trying to turn a negative into a positive,
he says. If you think about it, we should have
pretty good depth once we get everyone back.
Younger guys have been thrown into the fre.
We need to get healthy and play smarter.
Tallman believes that the Knights valiant
showing against Montrose should be a conf-
dence booster as the team moves forward.
We learned that we are capable of playing
with anyone in the country, he said. Playing
Montrose has shown that if we tighten things
up, use better shot selection, and take care of
the ball then we can beat anyone in the country.
Right nowwe are beating ourselves.
chrisstevens@countytimes.net
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
Playing a defending state champion can
only help your team get better, no matter the
sport.
For Chopticon girls
basketball coach Judy Evans,
that certainly proved to be the
case as the Braves coasted to
a 49-21 victory over La Plata
in their Southern Maryland
Athletic Conference opener
Monday night.
The Braves started the
game with a 12-0 lead, but
the Warriors fought back to
get within three points (17-14)
at halftime. Chopticon then
ran away in the second half
and moved to 2-1 on the sea-
son, 1-0 in SMAC play.
I was happy with how
we started the game. We
came out with that run, but then we let up on
defense and let them right back into the game,
Evans said. We came out in the second half
and played like I know we can play. Our de-
fense forced some turnovers and that led to
some easy transition points. This was our frst
conference match-up, so it was good to get the
win.
Credit for that win must come from Thurs-
day nights match-up with Maryland 3A defend-
ing champion Fallston, who used superior size
and sharp shooting to defeat the Braves 52-22.
Its nice to play these out of conference
games because you get a test against a good
team like this, Evans said.
It helps us get ready for
SMAC play.
Evans believed the
team learned from defen-
sive breakdowns against the
Cougars and used those les-
sons against La Plata.
When we played
Fallston, we had to play pret-
ty close to perfect defense
in order to stop them. Any
breakdown and they were
going to get an easy bucket,
she said. You can learn a
lot from playing a team like
that. I think the work helped
make our defense better and
in my opinion our defense
was the difference in [Mondays] game.
Chopticon had balanced scoring in Mon-
days win, led by sophomore guard Kirstin
Norris 13 points. Forwards Bre Brown and
Ashya Short joined Norris in double fgures
with 11 and 10 points respectively, and senior
forward Caitlin Clarke added nine.
chrisstevens@countytimes.net
By Chris Stevens
Staff Writer
LA PLATA For two quarters Monday
night, the Chopticon boys basketball team
had a precise game plan and executed to per-
fection. Then the Braves got away from what
was working, watching host La Plata rally for
a 61-50 win in a Southern Maryland Athletic
Conference match-up.
The end of the that third quarter, we broke
down and decided to do some play ground stuff
instead of running our offense, head coach
Terry Mumau said. We never got back into a
rhythm after that.
The Braves were led in scoring by seniors
Patrick Nichols and Sterling Miles, who scored
14 and 10 points respectively. Nichols and An-
tjuan Mason did a pretty good job in Mumaus
eyes rebounding and playing in the paint.
Pat and Antjuan both were pretty good
inside tonight, we tried to get it back in to them
late, Mumau said.
Nichols, a 6-foot-3 forward, scored nine of
his 14 points in the second quarter, showcas-
ing moves that included a pair of hook shots,
a three pointer, and a two-handed tip in at the
second quarter buzzer to give the Braves a 31-
25 lead going into halftime.
La Plata used a 22-8 fourth quarter burst,
spearheaded by guard Royce Hunsburger (the
games leading scorer with 23 points) and for-
ward Juwan Wells (14 points) to run past Chop-
ticon and pick up its frst win of the season.
We lost focus, Nichols said. We thought
were up by enough points and we werent.
Just inexperience, we let them direct the
tempo, Miles said, while adding that This
was a big improvement
from the last game.
Mumau also was
happy with the improve-
ments his team made,
coming off of a 57-34
loss to Huntingtown on
December 9, but under-
stands it is indeed a long
season.
Theres still a lot
of work to be done, but
we made a lot of im-
provements, he said,
noting that the team
was minus senior for-
ward D.J. Blackwell
before the game and lost
Damien Thomas to an
arm injury in the frst
half. We played harder
and played together but
were still a very young
team.
chrisstevens@county-
times.net
Braves Improving, But
La Plata Rallies for Win
Shorthanded Knights Stand Tall
Against Montrose Christian
Chopticon Girls Learn From Tough
Opponent, Bounce La Plata
Chopticons Caitlin Clarke prepares
to inbound the ball.
Photo By Chris stevens
Photo By Chris stevens
Sterling Miles of Chopticon handles the ball as La Platas Caleb Rev-
ells defends.
THURSDAY
Decmber 17, 2009
Photo By Frank Marquart
Swimming to a Sweep
Subdivision
Fined $52,000
Page 29
Story Page 4
Leahs House on NBCs
12 Days of Giving
Story Page 19
SMAWL Pet Food
Pantry Opening
Story Page 20