Saturday, August 31, 2013

Two Arsons In Davidsonville

From the Capital-Gazette On-line:
      Anne Arundel County police have charged two men with arson after fires were set at two businesses in Davidsonville.
      Officers were called to JAS Trucking about 6 a.m. Friday. An employee arriving for work found a fire had been started and a forklift had been used to damage a pickup truck and an exterior wall of the firm's building.
      While police were investigating, and employee from Brandywine Sand & Gravel on the same street approached detectives and said that a fire had been set in that company's building and was still smoldering.
      Police identified two suspects and arrested them Friday morning. Twenty-three-year-old Kevin Nash of Gambrills and 23-year-old Gregory Michelsen of Davidsonville are charged with arson, burglary and other offenses.

      For more details,  go to:
http://edgewater.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/2-charged-in-burglary-arson-at-davidsonville-businesses

Friday, August 30, 2013

Linda Zang Wins Award

 
    Linda Zang,  of Idlewilde Farm in Davidsonville, was awarded the United States Equestrian Federation Pegasus Medal of Honor in January of this year  for lifetime achievement that includes competing at the 1980 alternate Olympic Games and becoming an International Equestrian Federation (FEI) 5* judge.
    Linda has been a prominent figure in dressage in the U.S. and Europe. As a competitor, she rode on U.S. teams at the 1978 World Championships, 1979 Pan American Games and 1980 Alternate Olympic Games. As an official her influence has been far reaching. She has judged at numerous FEI World Cup Finals as well as at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and throughout the world. As a Technical Delegate, Linda officiated at the 1999 Pan American Games and the 2004 Athens Olympics. She is a former member of the USEF Board of Governors, USEF Hearing Committee and FEI Dressage Committee. She currently serves as a member of the USEF Licensed Officials Committee and Ad Hoc CDI Committee. Zang is also a renowned trainer, having coached many prominent horses and riders across different disciplines.
    You can read more about Linda at:  http://www.dressage-news.com/?p=19260

New Home at 909 Gov. Br. Rd.

    Caruso Homes is beginning several new homes on Gov. Bridge Rd. to the east of Md 424.  The above photo at 909 Gov. Br. Rd. is the one furtherest along.  Ground has been broken for the others which will soon be popping out of the ground. 

Barricade Situation at Nudist Club

    There has been a four week standoff between Catherine Holmes and the Maryland Health Society, which operates a nudist club off Patuxent River Road.   The Virginia woman has barricaded herself inside her cabin at the club and refuses to leave until a suit she filed against the club comes to trial. She wants to call attention to the "swinger" lifestyle that she claims exists at the club  and she also wants compensation for upgrades she has made to her cabin.     

 

Old South To Host Cancer Fund Raiser

     The Old South Country Club will hosts its Fourth Annual Pink and Blue Memorial Cancer Tournament to raise money for the cancer centers at Anne Arundel Medical Center and Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick.
    The tournament was started in 2010  to raise awareness for breast cancer  but has evolved into a fundraiser for both breast and prostate cancer.
    The tournament is open to the general public.  The day begins with a 5K Run/Walk and is followed by a day of golf and entertainment.   The race is open to both adults and kids and will be held on Old South’s golf cart path.  Strollers are allowed.
    For more info,  or to register for the Pink and Blue 5K Run/Walk or Golf Tournament call 410-741-1178.  Old South Country Club is located at 699 Marlboro Road in Lothian.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Former DES Teacher Now a Principal

      Kristy Snyder taught for seven years at Glendale and Davidsonville elementary schools before becoming assistant principal of Millersville and Pasadena elementary schools. When the principal position at Glendale opened, Snyder jumped at the chance to go back.
      To read about Kristy in great detail,  go to: 
http://www.capitalgazette.com/maryland_gazette/news/schools/glendale-elementary-is-a-homecoming-for-new-principal/article_0ba1ff7d-7c07-533a-a18c-a4c2ff1363ab.html

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

September Programs at Jug Bay

September Programs at Jug Bay

Registration is required for all programs. To register, call 410-741-9330 or e-mail programs@jugbay.org. Visit www.jugbay.org for directions, age limitations, additional details, and updates to schedule.  
Open to the public 9 am-5 pm Wed, Sat, and Sun. (Closed on Sundays, Dec – Feb) Glendening Preserve is open to the public 9 am-5 pm every day for hiking. (Closed on holidays)

Birdwalk

First Saturday of each month; 8:00 - 11:00 am


Butterflies, Birds, and Blooms

Saturday, Sep 14; 10:00 am – noon

Explore the Butterfly Garden and surrounding meadows at the Glendening Nature Preserve with a naturalist. .

Meets at Plummer House, 5702 Plummer Lane, 20711.

 

Marsh Ecology by Canoe

Saturday, Sep 14: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Discover the abundant wildlife in the Patuxent River wetlands. We'll paddle up the smaller branches of the river to look for beavers, birds, and flowering wetland plants. . To reserve a space, download and complete the registration form from http://www.jugbay.org/education/canoegroup-trips/public-trips and mail with your payment of $10 per person  to the Sanctuary.

 

Pre-School Program: Nature Play Space

Friday, Sep 20; 10:00 – 11:00 am
 

Bill Steiner Memorial Canoe Trip

Sunday, Sep 29; 2:00 – 7:00 pm

  Fee: $25/person. Download registration form at http://www.jugbay.org/education/canoegroup-trips/public-trips and send with check payable to Friends of Jug Bay.

 

Alex Carros Plays Lacrosse For Army


    Alex Carros, who played for the South River High 2009 state championship team, was on the 2013 Army Lacrosse team.  The junior from Davidsonville played attack for the West Point cadets.
    The son of John and Laura Carros is majoring in American Legal Studies.
    His bio can be read at:
    http://www.goarmysports.com/sports/m-lacros/mtt/alex_carros_752707.html

Recent Davidsonville Homes Sales

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales include:

1)  a two story home on .92 acres at 704 Avila Drive was sold by Randall Seftas to John and Meredith Lauer for $725,000.
2)  a one story home on .34 acres at 1553 Patuxent Manor Ct. was sold by Strategic Equity Group to Virginia Meares for $310,000.
3)  a two story home on 2.01 acres  at 3478 Godspeed Rd. was sold by David Chester to Alexander and Katie Ryzhikov for $845,000 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Elizabeth Crowe on Dean's List

 Elizabeth Crowe of Davidsonville was named to the dean's list for the spring semester at Wake Forest University.

David Grigsby Receives Certificate

David Grigsby  of Davidsonville received a Certificate of Advanced Study in education from Notre Dame University of Maryland.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

New Home on Dillon Rd.

    The home pictured at 3302 Dillon Rd. is in the finishing stages and about ready for occupancy. 

Jules Smith Manages Renaissance Festival


    Jules Smith of Davidsonville is the General Manager of the annual Renaissance Festival in Crownsville.  His wife Victoria,  and sons 21 and 22 years old, also help out on weekends.
    To see more photos and to read more about Jules and also the Renaissance Festival,  go to a detailed article at:
http://www.capitalgazette.com/lifestyle/living/holding-court-smith-rules-maryland-renaissance-festival-with-personal-touch/article_1a6eafc0-e170-53a4-9c81-2fe6831df209.html

http://www.newstalkradiowhio.com/news/ap/travel/smith-rules-md-festival-with-personal-touch/nZh3Y/

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Davidsonville Market Now Closed

    The Davidsonville Market as it appeared on Aug. 24.  If anyone knows what plans for this corner are in the works,  please let us know.

Elizabeth Weaver on Dean's List

    Elizabeth Weaver of Davidsonville received "high honors" on the dean's list for the University of New Hampshire for the past spring semester.    Other info about Elizabeth can be read at:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/elizabeth-weaver/44/1a8/a85

Governor's Bridge Still Closed

 
    The bridge on Governors Bridge Road is still closed. 
    The recent picture above shows that two additional loads of rocks were deposited on  side of the original two loads,  which surely would be enough to stop people from using the bridge.  The additional loads on each side in the ditch would seem to be a waste of money during a tight money time.  Not only are tax-payers  paying for the rock to be dumped there,  but someone has to pick it back up.  Cars could not drive past the original piles of rock.  Maybe the piles in the ditch will deter
people on bicycles and motorcycles so some extent,  but if they want to go around the piles they
can still do it. 

Pastrana Finishes 13th At Bristol

    Travis Pastrana of Davidsonville finished 13th in the NASCAR Nationwide series race at Bristol, Tenn. Friday night.   He began the race in the 11th spot. Kyle Busch was the winner.
    Travis has competed in all 23 of the Nationwide series races and was still running at the end in 29 of them though he has been involved in several accidents.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Brandi Fontaine Promoted at HPU

 
Brandi Fontaine was promoted to Associate Head Coach for soccer at High Point University  in June of 2013 after serving as an assistant coach  from 2009 through 2012.   Fontaine has helped lead the HPU Panthers to two Big South Regular Season Championships, two Big South Tournament Championships and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament in four seasons.
 
Brandi  earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Francis Marion in December of 2007 and a Master of Science degree in Sports Management, excelling both in the classroom and on the athletic field.

The Davidsonville native attended South River High School and as a prep performer she made the  2002 first-team All-State, All-Region and All-South accolades. She finished her prep career with 24 goals and 28 assists. Fontaine was also a member of the Crofton United club team.

She holds an Advanced National Diploma from the NSCAA and is an Assistant Director of Coaching at the Piedmont Triad Football Club.

Fontaine married her husband, Keith, in the summer of 2008. They have a son, Kaden,  born in 2012.   Brandi's twin sister, Jacque Sutphin, also played at Francis Marion U.  
For more info about Brandi and her career,  go to:  http://www.highpointpanthers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=425
 

Recent Davidsonville Homes Sales

    Recent Davidsonville home sales include:
1)    a 2story home on 1.49 acres at 1271 Lavall Dr. sold by Lorna Segelhoirst to David and Carey Christie for $600,000.
2)    a 1 1/2 story home on 2.00 acres at 985 St. George Barber Road sold by Gorden Ringer, Jr. to Jeffery and Jacquelyn Schneider for $580,000.

New Home Being Built

 
 
    Caruso Homes is building a home on the John Lerch III property on Patuxent River Rd very near the intersection of Gov. Bridge Rd.   The property has been subdivided into several lots. 

Lottery Employee To Be Sentenced For Theft

      Maryland Attorney General Doughlas Gansler announced this week that former Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency employee Mark Hantske, age 59, of Lothian, pleaded guilding in AA Co. circuit court to two counts of felony theft by taking nearly 100,000 of scratch-off lotterly tickets from various Maryland businesses over a several year period of time.
      One of those victims was the Davidsonville Market, which the loss of $18,000 in tickets contributed to their decision to close the store as of Aug. 23.
      Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11.

Davidsonville Market Is Closing Today


    A fixture for decades, and ran by Chaz and Frannie for the past 8 years,  the popular Davidsonville Market is closing today, Aug. 23,  because they cannot get a least extension.  Their many customers will have to get their pizzas and sandwiches elsewhere now.
    It is unknown what the future of the building will be. 
    You can read more about it at:
http://southriversource.com/2013/08/20/pizza-and-pies-no-more-davidsonville-market-closes-its-doors-for-good-this-friday/

Logan Connolly Plays Notre Dame Lacrosse

   Logan Connolly of Davidsonville was a sophomore on the 2013 Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse team.     
   You can read his bio at:

http://www.und.com/sports/m-lacros/mtt/logan_connolly_789041.html

McKenzie Edwards On Hawaii U. Water Polo Team

   McKenzie Edwards,  the daughter of Mark and Lucinda Edwards of Davidsonville was on the 2013 Water Polo team for Hawaii University.   The bio for the much accomplished swimmer can be read at:      http://hawaiiathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=12105

Allie Rhodes is All Conference In Lacrosse


    Allie Rhodes of Davidsonville earned a spot for the second straight year on the Conference Carolinas All-Conference Lacrosse Team.  She was a senior this past year at the Queens University of Charlotte and led the team and the conference in "caused turnovers"  in conference games.    Her career total of 82 "caused turnovers" is seventh on the school all-time list.
    You can read her bio at:
http://www.queensathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1821&path=wlax

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Piccirillis on Dean's List

    Christopher Piccirilli and Anna Piccirilli of Davidsonville were named to the dean's list for the spring semester at Villanova University.

DUI Conviction

Laleena Thomasson, 29, 2543 Overlook Glen, Davidsonville; charged Nov. 3, 2012; pleaded guilty DUI; bac .10; jail 1 year, suspend all but 8 days to be served as 4 weekends; probation 1 year supervised.

Fatal Bicycle Accident (Updated)

    A well known assistant track and cross-country coach at Annapolis High School was killed after the bicycle she was riding collided with a van Wednesday afternoon in Davidsonville at Riva and Beards Point roads at 5:23 PM.  Patricia Cunningham, 50, of Annapolis, was riding a bicycle when it collided with a Honda Odyssey from Calvert County.
    For more details,  go to: 
http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/for_the_record/annapolis-high-assistant-coach-killed-after-bicycle-van-collide-in/article_1ed13db7-635d-513c-b0cc-1a55379c6633.html
  The above capital-gazette article was updated with additional info at 3:23 on Thursday

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Matthew Manofsky to Earn MBA

    Matthey Manofsky of Davidsonville is a 2014 candidate for an MBA at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.  His area of concentration is Accounting and Finance.
    Mathew was previously employed by the U. S. Coast Guard.  He is a graduate of the U. S. Coast Guard Academy.  He also has a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of MD as well as a Master of Science in Civil Engineering. 
   

Dale Anderson U. of MD. Director of HR

    Dale O. Anderson has served as the Director of University Human Resources since he joined the University of Maryland in College Park in 1982.  The Davidsonville resident is responsible for the many programs and services that support the 14,500 employees of the university.
    To read more about Dale,  go to:  http://vpaf.umd.edu/about-anderson.html

Elizabeth Weaver On Dean's List


Elizabeth Weaver of Davidsonville was named to the dean's list for the spring semester at the University of New Hampshire earning high honors.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

School Meetings & Orientations

    The local  elementary, middle and high schools will host Meet the Teacher and orientations the week of August 19. These events  allow parents and students the opportunity to see the classroom, meet the teacher and classmates, and drop off school supplies.  Those dates are:
 
Davidsonville Elementary  will host "Meet the Teacher" on August 22 from 2 to 3 p.m.
 
Central Middle School  will have sixth grade student orientation  the first day of school on Tuesday, August 27.
 
South River High School Parent Night is on August 21 at 6:30 p.m. for 9th grade parents  and orientation for 9th grade STEM students is  August 20 at 6:30 p.m.
 

Monday, August 19, 2013

Duswalt Is Lacrosse Academic All-American

    Elizabeth Duswalt of Davidsonville was named Lacrosse Academic All-American by U. S. Lacrosse.  The South River grad, who had a 4.15 GPA,  is headed for Bucknell University on an athletic scholarship.
http://www.laxpower.com/all-amer/aa-list-hs.php?SelYear=2013&SelGender=G&SelList=AAA
    Here is more information about Elizabeth:  http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/schools/graduation_preview/south-river-high-seniors-sad-to-be-leaving/article_31cf731b-0f38-5a6b-8b07-c3e9b235975c.html?TNNoMobile

8 Year Old Suffers Go-kart Injury

     An 8 year old boy was seriously injured when  he ran his go-kart into a steel post Sunday afternoon in the 3200 block of Davidsonville Rd.  He suffered a serious,  but not life threatening, head injury and was taken to Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales

Recent Davidsonville home sales include:
1)      A two story home on 2.65 acres at 3899 Greenmeadow Lane sold by John Kaleo to Susan Eiss and Laurence Newcomb for $650,000.
2)      A two story French Provincial home on 2.24 acres at 636 Santa Maria Lane was sold by Nancy Becker to Howard and Jean Seeger for $1,450,000.

Pastrana Finishes 31st After Accident

    Travis Pastrana spun out and hit the wall with 36 laps remaining in the NASCAR Nationwide Childrens's 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday.  Travis was running 17th at the time and his crew was able to straighten out the sheet metal damage enough for him to continue.  However, he was well behind by that point and finished 31st,  nine laps behind the winner. 
    You can see a video of his car and the damage to it if you go to the following URL and go down the #31, Travis Pastrana, and click on the camera icon to the far right of his name.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/standings/results/2013/nationwide-childrens-hospital-200.html

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Charles (CJ) DiNenna Passes Away








    Charles Joseph "CJ" DiNenna, 33, a former resident of Davidsonville, died August 13 at his home in Abingdon, VA, due to complications from a life-long illness.
    Born in Annapolis on May 7, 1980, CJ graduated from South River High School in 1998 and worked as an HVAC engineer for government agencies. He was a volunteer fireman and also worked as a volunteer at a food bank. A member of Highlands Fellowship Church in Abingdon, VA, CJ enjoyed hunting, fishing, listening to music and being with his family and friends.
    He is survived by his son, Hayden Joseph DiNenna of Edgewater; parents, Anne and Bill Raup of Gambrills and Chuck and Vicky DiNenna of Colonial Beach, VA; brother, Philip DiNenna of Shady Side; stepbrothers, Richard and Connor Case of Colonial Beach, VA and Josh Raup of Crofton; stepsister, Jessica Albert of Silver Spring; and grandmothers, Liz Bell of Gambrills and Barbara Corboy of Annapolis.
    Friends are invited to CJ's Life Celebration from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater, where funeral service will be held at 12 noon on Monday, August 19. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Red Cross, 4800 Mt. Hope Dr., Baltimore, MD 21215 or the American Sickle Cell Anemia Assn., 10900 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106.
    An online guestbook is available at: www.kalasfuneralhomes.com

Friday, August 16, 2013

Thomas Stefany Wins $10,000 Scholarship

    Thomas Stefany of Davidsonville was named the Anne Arundel County winner in the 11th annual Northrop Grumman Engineering Scholars competition this year.  This program targets high school seniors intending to go into an engineering related field.
    Stefany received a merit-based scholarship of $10,000 during an awards reception and dinner hosted by Northrop Grumman on June 24 honoring students from the various Maryland counties.
    To be eligible for the scholarship competition, each  applicant had to have a minimum  SAT score of 1,700 or ACT score of 27, and a minimum GPA of 3.5. The selection committee, made up of Northrup employees, also took into consideration work experience, community involvement and extracurricular activities.  Thomas had an outstanding Eagle Scout project of mapping the All Hallows Cemetery which is described elsewhere in this blog. 
    Stefany intends to pursue a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech.

Thomas Stefany is congratulated by Dr. Lillian Lowery, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools (left), and Gloria Flach, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector. Courtesy Photo: Nothrop Grumman Electron

Katie Perez--Volunteer Of The Month

  Katie Perez of Davidsonville is shown receiving her Volunteer of the Month award from Arundel Voice Editorial Assistant Zach Sparks in recognition of her  work and dedication to the Focus Foundation, a research based organization helping children with certain disorders.   For the last four years, Katie has been helping manage the foundation's annual conference.  She received her Girl Scout Gold Award for work in arranging the child care.
  She recently graduated from South River High in their STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) program and plans to attend Rutgers University this fall.  She plans to come back next summer to further assist the Focus Foundation during their summer conference.
  To read more about Katie and all the work she has been doing over the last four years,  go to:
 http://www.arundelvoice.com/community/patience-and-commitment-davidsonville-s-katie-perez-helps-kids-focus#.Ug4h5JLCmK8

CCI Fundraiser

  
    Pet photographer Linda McCarthy of Davidsonville is offering an August  Special fundraiser to help support Canine Companions for Independence (CCI).  CCI is a group that assists injured and disabled people by providing canine service animals.
    During August Linda will be accepting  $50 donation to CCI in lieu of a session fee.  Photo ollections start at $199.
    Call 410-626-7474 for more information or to book an appointment at Linda's studio at 3272 Davidsonville Road, or,  visit her website at  http://poshpetportraits.com/


Recent Davidsonville Home Sales

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales include:

1)    A one story home on 2.62 acres at 3752 Tanglewood  Lane was sold by Franklin Combs to Anthony Gallo for $770,000.
2)    A one story home on .34 acres at 1512 Patuxent Manor Road was sold by Ronald Lagana to Gary and Nicole Orme for $280,000

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Park and Ride Expansion To Begin

    A $1.7 million dollar expansion project for the Davidsonville Park and Ride on MD. 424 near Rt. 50 will begin very soon.  The expansion will double the lot capacity to about 400 cars.
     The land has been purchased and a contract has been signed,  so construction is expected to start any day now. 

SMLL Raising Funds To Improve Park

   The South Maryland Little League (SMLL) baseball organization has begun a fundraising drive to finance needed improvements for Davidsonville Park. 
    The organization has raised over $15,000 from individuals and area businesses, and the county has also agreed to add another $15,000 to that.
    They have plans to build a new well and irrigation system for the softball and baseball fields.  With enough money available to begin work,  a new well is scheduled to be drilled in September by Atwater Drilling of Davidsonville. 

Back To School Night at DES

   The Davidsonville Elementary School will be holding their Back To School night on Sept. 3 at 6:30 PM.  All parents and students are urged to attend.  This is a good opportunity to find out what your child is studying and get to know their teacher.

Thomas Stefany Maps All Hallows Cemetery

    When it came time for Thomas Stefany to get his Eagle Scout badge,  he decided to do something different than the typical scout projects.  He decided to map out the cemetery at the All Hallows Church located at Brick Church Road and Md. Rt. 2.   The cemetery records were sparse and incomplete because of a 1940 fire at the church which burned 250 years of records. But he photographed the headstones and plotted their location so that they could be put into a CAD program which can now be added to when new graves are added.
     His very time consuming project  led to renovation of some of the damaged stones and translations of stones written in Latin  as well as a general renovation of the cemetery. 
      To read more about this very interesting and very worthwhile project that Thomas undertook,  go to:

http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/local/around_south_county/around-south-county-davidsonville-scout-maps-cemetery-for-eagle-rank/article_506baa48-36a0-59a2-988e-ce7128f0e63e.html

New Home To Be Built

    Edward L. Jones, Jr. has obtained a grading permit to build a new home at 3305 Churchill Farm Road, Davidsonville.
.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Senkel On Dean's List

      Richard M. Senkel, a Davidsonville senior majoring in business information technology in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech was on the Dean's List for the spring semester.

Sophie Kagan Earns Masters

Sophie Kagan of Davidsonville earned a Master of Science in human resource development from Villanova University at the end of the spring semester.

Dean's List for Delaware U.

   Christopher Edgar, Taylor Havens, Megan McCaffrey and Alexandra Mussler, all of Davidsonville, were on the Dean's List for the spring semester at the University of Delaware.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Beware of Mail Box Thefts

Anne Arundel County is experiencing a rash of thefts from mail boxes, particularly in the rural areas. 
While many of the thefts occur overnight when mail is left in the box,  it also occurs quite often during the day just after the mail has been delivered.

Post Office officials advise not putting outgoing mail in your box until shortly before delivery and to retrieve your mail as soon as possible after delivery.  Leaving either incoming or outgoing mail over night should be avoided.  If going on vacation,  have the post office hold your mail.

Not only are thieves cashing checks they steal,  but they also use information in the mail for identity theft creating new accounts in your name.

Johnson Is New Asst Principal at DES

 
Ispahine Johnson is already on the job  as the new assistant principal at Davidsonville Elementary.   She is busy learning the teacher’s names, meeting families, and preparing for the new school year that’s set to start in just two weeks.
 
Johnson is replacing former Assistant Principal Patricia  Keffer who was promoted to principal at Jones Elementary School in Severna Park.
 
Johnson is no stranger to the Anne Arundel County Public School system.  Johnson taught at Georgetown East Elementary  in Annapolis for four years followed by one year at Pershing Hill Elementary in Fort Meade.
 
Most recently, Johnson served as an ALPs Resource Teacher (Advance Learner’s Program) for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.  This is Johnson’s first stint as an assistant principal.

For more info about Isaphine,  go to:

Monday, August 12, 2013

Maria Shields, Davisonville Marathoner

From the WASHINGTON POST
 
 
Interview by Amanda Long
This is how it all started: I started running maybe three or four miles around the neighborhood, just for fun, three or four times a week. My neighbor, who would run with me, said, “You’re marathon material.” I said the natural response to that: “No way, you’re crazy.” My first marathon was when I was 45. I was hooked. Since then, I’ve ran, oh, I don’t
even know, 30 marathons.
I run by goals. I do everything by goals. Right now, I’m looking at the windows behind you and thinking: This week, I have to wash those windows. I won’t stop thinking about those windows until they’re clean. I came to the United States [from Portugal] when I was 16. My mom put me to work: housekeeping work in a hospital. And I started thinking, I got to do something better than this. So from there, I go into medical record-keeping — a big step up. And then I went to work for an optometrist as an assistant, and that’s where I met my husband — goal, goal, goal. So being driven is part of who I am. So far, I’ve met all my goals.
I set a goal to run 50 miles when I turned 50. I did the JFK 50, and that went fantastic. Afterwards, I thought: Okay, I did that. I’ll go back to my normal running — well, normal for me — more marathons, back on the road. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the trails. The peace you have when you are running, the beauty you see. It’s everything. People who don’t run on trails don’t know what they’re missing. I don’t have kids. I’m retired, and my husband thinks I’m crazy but loves that I’m crazy about running and is so proud of me. So why not disappear into the woods?
My goal for the first 100-miler was to do it. My goal for the next one was to break the record, in my age group, of 22:15. When I realized I was on pace to break the record, I set a new goal for myself and ran it in 21:32. I was 35th overall of 263 people! During this last 100-miler, I just ran the way I felt, and I felt great. People tell me that I never stopped smiling.
This was never my big plan, but now it’s my passion. Running came into my life when I needed it. Here’s the thing: It doesn’t take me away from my life; it’s part of it. I have an amazing ability to focus and compartmentalize. Four days after my race, my husband went into the hospital for open-heart surgery. I was there 24-7. I’m very devoted to him. My focus was my husband. I didn’t run for three weeks. I never thought: I should be running.I knew it would be there when I came back. And I always come back.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Pastrana Finished 15th

    Travis Pastrana of Davidsonville finished 15th of the 40 drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide race at Watkins Glen on Saturday.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Matt Soldano Is All Conference Lacrosse

     Matt Soldano of Davidsonville, a senior at Eastern College, was voted First Team,  All Conference, in the MAC Freedom conference for 2013.  Matt played high school lacrosse at Anne Arundel Christian School.

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales include:
1)    A two story home on 5.15 acres at 3544 Ashland was sold by Stephen Lubniewski to David and Sara Shaffer for $832,500.
2)    A two story home on 1.16 acres at 3429 Blandford was sold by Mark Buzby to Daniel and Julia Walsh for $680,000.
3)    A one story home on .34 acres at 1512 Patuxent Manor Rd. was sold by Ronald Lagana to Gary and Nicole Orme for $280,000.

Home To Be Built On Gov. Br. Rd.

A. A. County has issued a building permit to Patrick Kahl to build a new single-family home at 907 Governors Bridge Rd.

Gramalia and Anderson To Marry

Anne Arundel County has issued a marriage licence to  Cheryl W.Gramalia, 62, of Davidsonville, and  Gerald E. Anderson, 66, also of Davidsonville.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Cole and Hoyle On Dean's List

Brittany Coyle and Dixie Hoyle of Davidsonville were named to the Dean's List for the spring semester  at Stevenson University.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Travis Pastrana At Newton, Iowa

Travis Pastrana finished 27th in the Nationwide Series NASCAR race in Newton, IA after blowing out a tire with 50 laps remaining.  Travis Started 15th and was still in that position at 50 laps.  By lap 160,  he had dropped back to 18th. But the blown tire put him behind most of the field. 
http://www.thestate.com/2013/08/03/2899554/keselowski-wins-nationwide-race.html

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Mike Evans Trying Out for 2014 USA Team

Michael Evans of Davidsonville tried out for the United States men’s lacrosse national team in 2009 and was cut early in the process. Evans had just completed a stellar career at Johns Hopkins and was named a first-team All-American and Schmeisser Award winner as the best defenseman in Division I.  However,  He was considered to be too inexperienced at that time and the coaching staff selected all professionals for the defensive staff of the 2010 national team.

Evans has since been a 4 time Major League Lacrosse Al-Star with the Chesapeake Bayhawks which has given him the experience lacking 4 years ago.  He is now regarded as one of the top man-to-man defenders in the sport.
Tryouts for the 2014 national team will be held Labor Day weekend at Goucher College in Towson with the World Championships being played in Denver, CO, in 2014

Friday, August 2, 2013

Recent Davidsonville Home Sales

Recent Davidsonville home sales include:
1)    A one story home on .32 acre at 1516 Manor View Rd. was sold by Pride Homes, LLC to Debra Trapani and Ursula Schultz for $409,000.
2)    A two story home on 2.01 acres at 3474 Godspeed Ct. was sold by Peter C. Henry, Jr. to Bradley and Kathleen Spain for $780,000.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Cold Case Murder With Davidsonville Connection

     People who have lived in Davidsonville for very long  are probably all familiar with the "mafia house" where the president of the DC Teamsters lived at the time he was charged with and went to prison for racketeering. 
     The following URL is to an article about an unsolved murder of one of the witnesses who was to testify in that trial. 

     http://bitterqueen.typepad.com/friends_of_ours/2009/08/cold-case-robert-miller-jr.html

Sarah Pickens to Head Nantucket Elem.



Nantucket Elementary School in Crofton is entering its sixth year, but 2013-14 will be the first time the Starfish will be led by a principal other than Diana Strohecker, who has moved on  to become the director of continuous school improvement for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
Nantucket's incoming principal, Sarah Pickens of Davidsonville  was an assistant principal during the school's first two years before moving on to become the principal at Jones Elementary in Severna Park.
Jones and Nantucket were two of the five county schools recently named schools of the year by the Maryland Center for Charactoer Education at Stevenson University.

To read all about Sarah and her family, go to:
http://www.capitalgazette.com/crofton_westcounty/news/nantucket-elementary-undergoing-first-leadership-change/article_084b7236-49c6-5d98-b289-221f9224d1e6.html